#((didn't mean for this to take so long! i'd started writing an ooc answer when i first got the ask))

[abyssembraced]

so for that meme. ghost reaching the abyss for the first time.

Send me a quote/scene from my muse’s canon, and I'll explain what went through their head during it! (Accepting!)

The door before them crumbled into particles of light. With the mark of King seared into them, no secrets could remain sealed.

A platform ahead, ending in open air. They stepped onto it. Cold metal, unlike the fossils and stone that preceded it. They looked down.

Dark. Their pale shell the only illumination offered. Deep. Couldn't see the bottom.

A calling, below.

They descended.

Platform to platform. Into the depths. Pits of spikes. Broken shells of fallen bugs. Shadow Creepers crawling about (harmless. Source of SOUL if necessary). Corpses increasing in number.

...Familiar.

They've been here before. But when? They didn't know. Yet the calling in their core persisted. They continued on.

Misjudged distance. Missed the next platform. Desperate flutter of wings. Reaching out with claw. Missed. Falling. Familiar.

Impact with ground. Floor of shells. Rise. Careful not to stumble. Familiar.

A shadow emerged from the depths. Living darkness took shape into a creature.

Familiar. Familiar.

So, so familiar. They knew this being, this darkness. Why this was, they did not know (could not recall?), yet it was an undeniable fact, the truth of which they felt with utmost certainty. This being and them, they were... Alike.

There was a word to be used. They did not know it.

They had felt like this once before, had they not? That broken, Infected vessel of Lightseeds had evoked a similar sensation of Alikeness. Albeit lesser, far lesser, than what they felt toward the shadow before them now. Obscured by the Infection back then, perhaps, or for some other reason.

They stood still, watching, as the other, in turn, took proper notice of them. As it floated toward them, drawing ever closer.

PAIN.

An explosion upon their shell, their insides, their mind. Emotions transferred to them from the Alike. Feelings of... Bad. They did not know the words.

Enemy. Danger. Fight back.

The fighting stopped. The being's form split apart by their blade, curling into an orb of shadow once more. Returning to the earth.

Silence.

...

Their nail is returned to their back.

A calling, below. Deeper. Yet there was no distance left to fall. Perhaps, if they pressed onward, some tunnels would lead them further down.

They continued on.

[shinidamachu]

Hello, what’s your thought of Inuyasha episode 98 on Kagome and Kikyo alone in cave? Many say that Inuyasha was ooc in that episode as how strong his sense of smell is he would know that Kikyo near by and he will also be able to smell Kikyo on Kagome body but why he not choose to run to Kikyo? My personal opinion is not ooc for Inuyasha not run to Kikyo because there are many example throughout the canon.

Hello, anon! Thank you for your patience. This ask has been sitting on my inbox far longer than either of us would have liked, but here we are now.

Short answer is: I think "Kikyo and Kagome: Alone in the Cave" is overall a cute episode, but I agree with you: no, choosing not to seek Kikyo wasn't out of character for Inuyasha. At all. Obnoxiously long answer is... under the cut.

The first thing I want to address is that Inuyasha's heightened senses can be convenently inconsistent when the plot calls for it. Take "The Darkness in Kagome's Heart" for instance:

Now, we know she had this realization ages ago, but I believe it's the very first time she said it out loud and Inuyasha burges in not a second later. Logic dictates that he had to have heard it: even if he didn't have a privileged hearing, Kagome was well within human earshot and wasn't exactly keeping it down. Yet, the incident was never discussed. Ever. Which can only mean one of two things:

Inuyasha heard her loud and clear but decided not to bring it up in the name of respecting her privacy (it was a personal moment and if she had wanted him to know she would have told him) on top of avoiding a difficult conversation they probably weren't ready for about a sensitive topic (that had a great potential of making Kagome self conscious and their interactions awkward) in the worst possible time (he was still mourning) or...

Inuyasha didn't hear a thing. Maybe he was too preoccupied, too into his own head to notice. The situation was urgent, after all. Whatever the applicable justification may be, however, I guess we can all agree that ultimately, the whole thing was nothing but a cop-out: Inuyasha hearing her confession, despite making way more sense, just wasn't "interesting" to the plot, because then it would have to be addressed eventually and once they talked their feelings out, the resolution would inevitably take away from the "love triangle" tension.

In my opinion, strong points can be made for both theories. And the mystery, although probably more of a fluke caused by inconsistent writing than a creative choice, it's the beauty of it. We're free to interpret, analyze and speculate as much as we want. Every take is valid because there's no right answer. The same can be said about episode 98.

The possibility that Inuyasha conveniently didn't see the soul collectors, heard Kikyo nearby or smelled her scent all over Kagome is pretty much there even if, logically, we know it's not really plausible. Agaim: inconsistency.

I'd argue, though, that there's a key difference: unlike "The Darkness in Kagome's Heart", a thoughtful analysis shows that "Kikyo and Kagome: Alone in the Cave" actually implies that Inuyasha did know, which is why the discussion centers on whether or not he would have gone to Kikyo rather than if he even did or didn't know she was close by.

In this specific episode, we are shown that it was still daylight when Inuyasha started looking for Kagome.

However, it's not until it's literally night time that he either feels her spiritual powers being used or hears the aftermath of her attack.

And so he finally knows exactly where Kagome is, but still doesn't go to her, which doesn't make sense considering that she could have been in potential danger, that Inuyasha had spend the entire day looking for her and that he had the infamous tendency of tracking her down, unceremoniously fetching her and bringing her back whenever she strays away.

Unless, of course, he had a good idea of what was going on and, by extension, that Kagome had been with Kikyo, that they were both alright and that she was already heading out. His presence there would have only escalated the situation, so he does the smart thing for once and waits for Kagome to obliviously walk to him.

And his body language it's definitely worth taking a look at. Inuyasha is clearly aware of Kagome's approach: the footsteps and the scent would have accused her moviments even if he couldn't see her yet.

He feigns indifference because he doesn't want her to know just how desperate he had been searching for her, but I believe that his closed eyes and crossed arms are more than an attempt to come off as aloof. He's bracing himself for a fight.

That's why he's so surprised and drops the facade immediately when Kagome calls out his name so warmly. Last time he saw her, she had been livid at him and after an encounter with Kikyo, he didn't expect her to be happy to see him at all. And yet she was.

And when Kagome shyly asked him if he had came to look for her, Inuyasha hesitates, grunts, blushes then promptly changes the subject, urging her to keep going so they can go back to their friends.

He never denies it. And even if the audience didn't know this was absolutely the case, the pink on his cheeks totally gives him away. There would be no blush if he had a different agenda. Perhaps an angsty, frustrated or sad expression, but never a flushed one. We only get those when it's Kagome related.

Then she tries to bring Kikyo up, but Inuyasha seems to already know what she was going to say, otherwise he would have asked what happened or at the very least payed attention to her weak attempt of explaining it. He doesn't. He keeps looking forward without as much as sparing her a glance, a clear sign that he had no intention of discussing it, which is understandable.

And Kagome either takes the hint, since she knows how to read him better than anyone, or she simply concludes that the moment they were having was too sweet, too beautiful to ruin it and that they deserve to enjoy this, so she keeps it to herself. Regardless, she does let it go because Kikyo doesn't belong in this scene. This isn't about her. It's about them. And the fact that they acted like it, shows great character and relationship development.

And in that sense, Inuyasha has no reason to go see Kikyo. After her resurrection, every time he goes to her, it's either because she's in danger, because they had to debate over Naraku or because he wants to see for himself that she's okay.

There are no danger anymore, there are no Naraku news they need to talk about and, since she was with Kagome, he has no doubt Kikyo was fine. What else is there? Nothing. Inuyasha had no interest in persuing Kikyo romantically whatsoever.

Had it been the case, he could have always just left Kagome and stayed by Kikyo's side. No one was stopping him from doing so. But their present interactions were pretty much platonic. Even the two kisses they shared consisted on a "kiss of death" and a "closure" kiss.

He chose to keep coming back to Kagome because that's what he wanted, that's what made him the happiest. Sadly, Kagome can't see that. Kikyo makes her insecure and biased. She gets stuck on her own perspective, draws the wrong conclusions and the audience tends to go along because the narrative succeds on making us empathize with her heartbreak.

We should be looking at the bigger picture here. Even if Inuyasha wanted to go see Kikyo — which I don't think it's true —, this wasn't the first and surely wasn't the last time he prioritized Kagome over her. Especially when she's somewhat unhappy with him and Kikyo's not in trouble (the time Inuyasha didn't chase after her when he found out she had survived, claiming that it was enough knowing she was doing well and that he wouldn't go when Kagome was that upset comes to mind).

Shamefully, all the growth the characters went through in this episode was bluntly ignored later on, especially where it concerns the Kagome and Kikyo dynamic. This was the first episode I remember Kikyo ever being civil towards Kagome, recognizing her strength and importance in Inuyasha's heart without the usual bitterness but after that, things seemed to have regressed between them until we got closer to her final death.

That's when I found out this episode was a filler that wasn't featured in the manga in the first place. Which explains a lot. It also absolves you from overthinking mischaracterization, since technically you don't have to take it as canon.

If people still want to talk about Inuyasha being out of character in "Kikyo and Kagome: Alone in the Cave", though, why aren't we talking about the reason Kagome got angry and ran off on her own in the first place?

Inuyasha showed no appreciation for the food she cooked especially for him, going completely against his manga self. Actually, it sounded meaner than usual and absolutely gratuitous even for his anime version, until you realize it only happened as a plot device to get Kagome alone inside that damn cave.

I mean, I can't even get mad at him for that. Sunrise is to blame here: they could have done it in a thousand different ways, but they would never pass up the opportunity to "tsundere" him out of proportion and make sure Kagome used the sit command four times in a roll before leaving.

At least, at the end, everything was right in the world again and we got the absolute best shot of the whole episode to prove.

[aadmelioraa]

1, 3, 15, 26, 39 also you dont have to answer all of those

Which of your fics would you keep the basic plot of but rewrite completely?

Ooooh this is a hard one. Honestly….I've never really had this urge, not because I don't think I could improve my past work (I definitely can), but once I'm done with a long fic I'm pretty content to move on from it. I would definitely do a lot of things differently in SWSP if I were to start it now vs 2 years ago, maybe incorporating a multi POV style from the beginning, and emphasising some different aspects of the characters. But I'm sort of planning on trying those things out when/if I write the sequel, so I guess I'd rather tell a new story than rework an old one.

3. How would you describe your writing style? 

Ahhh this question is hard...I'm not sure what it really means and I feel like my answer changes every time. I think I have a pretty approachable style. I am fairly economical, I tend to include subtle humour, and I like to maintain a pretty good forward momentum, not in terms of the plot being fast-paced, but more the prose. But maybe none of that is true lol.

15. What’s your favourite plotless fic you have written?

Every time I try to write something plotless that's just vibes I end up with a plot, goddamit. Maybe Like a Secret, Like a Sin….it's more a series of vignettes strung together than anything resembling a real plot. I guess HLTC too, which is more of a character study masquerading as porn than anything else. 

26. What would you describe as OOC?

Ooooh this is something I have been thinking a lot about lately. I think to some extent saying things are in character or out of character is fully subjective, there's just so much expansion to be done on canon and what works for some readers might not for others. It's more a matter of preserving dynamics and values, and if I can make someone's voice feel right to me in a new context, that's enough. I have started and abandoned literally dozens of fics just because the motivation for the characters wasn't compelling me, as the writer, forward...it didn't feel right for them, or it just wasn't an interesting take on them. Sometimes I revisit those fics, more often I rework what I've learned into new content. 

39. Wildest AU scenario you have written?

Anything that involves Aethelred not being an absolute garbage can of a human. Actually though, probably my Skade/Iseult fic lol. I don't really do off the wall AUs, no intricate scifi world building or anything, but some of my crackship fics are pretty wild I guess. 

[ari-shipping-stuff]

Nuts and Volts Week

Day One

Modern AU

———

never thought this would be my first post lmao

just note, if any of the characters in these oneshots are ooc, please don't hurt me bc it's definitely my first time writing them

Please enjoy my self-indulgent fic—

———

Arthur Watts never liked his office.

It was just… so basic. Too open. Maybe a little bright. And he had much preferred the basement. The dark, cool basement with no plastic plants, no ugly blue wallpapers.. No windows for peeping. His office, meanwhile, had all that. It wasn't even soundproof. But nonetheless, what Arthur did like was his job.

From the whirring of the gears, the clinking of steel, even when it would sometimes combust in his face. It didn't change the fact that he'd devoted his entire life into creating these machines.

Now they're going to be taken from him.

He forced his bag shut.

Ripped apart.

He gritted his teeth.

Handed over to that amateur Polendina in Atlas. His creations. Given away in mere parts. All because he testified. Now it was more than his machines he was going to lose.

Carelessly, he tossed his bag onto the glass table, hoping it would break.

He began pacing.

His shoes clacked against the perfectly polished white tiles. Cleaned this morning for the next person to work in this godforsaken office.

He stepped over several boxes, feeling too drained to even push them aside. It was as if his chest was hollow; empty. His heart gripped in the lonely hands of nothingness.

Arthur was usually a fast-paced man. Quick and efficient. Never too tired to miss any deadlines. He'd been first to finish his project out of all four competitors, giving him an extra month in the office to fiddle around and make random machines for fun. He was just so certain he'd be chosen.

But fate decided to be stupid and cruel. All his poor machines were going to take the fall now.

If there was one sentimental bone in this man's body, it would be there for the sole purpose of his work. He hated to admit he didn't want to part with these boxes or this room.

His earpiece buzzed.

"Would you quit pushing? I'd prefer you gone sooner rather than later, Arthur."

"Only my friends call me that, Cinder."

"And you have none. What's your point?"

Cinder Fall may have been an insufferable know-it-all and should have been fired instead of him, and a million different retorts could be days here. But Arthur didn't have the energy.

When she spoke again, the smirk was evident in her voice.

"I'll be sending a colleague to quicken the process. Toodles."

Arthur's jaw clenched. If only he could march into her office and give her a piece of his mind. Or a smack. Or a bullet to the mouth. Anything to shut her up, really.

There was static. Then the sound cut. It was just him and the boxes again.. And her camera in the back of the room.

Arthur sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He opened a drawer in the corner and pulled out some masking tape. Call it childish, but knowing that Cinder was watching him was.. Unnerving information.

Reaching towards the camera, he tore out a good amount of tape and covered the camera. His earpiece buzzed again.

"Arthur Watts—"

"Don't worry, Cinder, dear," Arthur smirked, falling back down to his regular height. "I'll try not to steal anything."

With that, he pulled the earpiece out and left it on the table. He turned back to the boxes.

There was a man in the doorway.

Arthur jumped back, eyebrows raised.

The man was tall, leaning leisurely against the doorframe. Stemming from his head was a long, dark braid. He fiddled with it in one hand. His smile was small, but tight and pulled back. Like he was suppressing laughter.

Arthur raised a brow, straightening himself.

"Callows," he said uncertainly. Like trying out a new word. "Right, why are you smiling?"

The grin broke across his colleague's face. He pushed himself off the doorframe, shrugging.

"Oh, nothing." he replied.

"And just how long were you standing there..?"

"Oh, not long. But.." he shook his head. "Just long enough to witness your little work of child's play there."

"I—"

"Personally, I would've broken it."

Arthur blinked at him.

Tyrian Callows was a mystery. All everyone knew about him was scarce common knowledge. Arachnologist. Entomologist. Herpetologist. Probably a serial killer in his free time. Possibly lived in his office. He might've been as work-obsessed as Arthur.

Despite this, they weren't friends. This was the first time they've spoken. Arthur found the timing of it all hilariously ironic. But now that they have finally met, he only had one thing to say—

Tyrian was an oddball. He pranced around the room, practically a child playing hopscotch. What, with his wild grin and the little 'ooh's and 'ahh's he made as he glanced into each box.

Arthur closed the door, clearing his throat.

"Cinder sent you, yes?"

"Mhm!"

Arthur blinked at the pure oddity of a man as he made himself comfortable on the glass table. Cross-legged, even.

And he remained seated.

Staring forward. Smiling calmly.

Blinking.

As you do.

Arthur cleared his throat.

"Yees, ol buddy, old pal?"

Arthur blinked.

"And you're just going to sit there."

"Apparently."

"What?"

Tyrian seemed to find this funny. He laughed. Loudly, but genuinely. Not entirely hysterical, but amused. Arthur didn't like that.

Cinder was amused when she taunted him. Ironwood was amused when Pietro Polendina stole what was his. Salem was amused as she fired him for speaking the simple truth.

Amused was mocking. Taunting. Condescending.

Tyrian doubled over, clutching his stomach. He seemed to laugh harder as Arthur glared at him, clenching his fists until there was blood between his fingernails. But he held up a hand, as if to say 'wait, don't murder me yet.'

So despite how good it would feel to punch his apparent psychopath, he decided to wait.

After a few whole minutes of laughter, it finally managed to cease. Tyrian let out a contented sigh, as if stuffed from a hearty meal.

Arthur crossed his arms and tapped his good impatiently.

"Well?" he raised an eyebrow.

Tyrian perked up, confused for a second.

"Wh-what? Oh. Right. That." he chuckled.

He uncrossed his legs, propping his elbows on his knees. He even steepled his fingers, for God's sake.

"You see, Dr. Watts, I get it."

Arthur waited.

".. You.. Get it."

"See, now you're getting it!" Tyrian clapped his hands together joyfully.

Arthur furrowed his brows at his colleague. Was this a joke? If he stared at Tyrian like this long enough, would he laugh it off, apologize, and finally explain properly? Maybe even turn sane as a bonus?

But when he started to smile and stare again, Arthur found his answer.

He didn't like it.

"I have had enough of you, Callows!" he snarled, jabbing a finger at Tyrian's chest. "Just give me a straight, coherent answer! If not, you're free to leave. It's clear you've no intention to help anyways."

Tyrian slumped, a blank expression on his face.

"So.. You don't want to cherish the time you have left with your machines?"

Arthur's posture faltered. He lowered his finger slightly.

"Wh-what?"

Tyrian shrugged, fiddling with his fingers.

"Well, I'd assumed you loved your job as much as I love mine," he paused, tapping his index fingers together. "So I also assumed you wouldn't want to part with your little machines for as long as possible."

Arthur put down his finger.

"I mean, I wouldn't want to part with Larry." Tyrian continued.

"Larry."

"My oldest scorpion. Lost his tail four weeks ago. He'll be gone in seven months without it now."

"Oh.."

"Yeah."

".. I'm sorry about that."

"Thanks. No need."

Now it was Arthur's turn to stare.

Tyrian shrugged twice. After a pause, he spoke up again.

"Fall, Rainart, even young Emerald and Mercury all have ulterior motives to accomplish once they joined this laboratory. But.. You and I, we genuinely enjoy what we do here. You love making your little machines, and I love my little venomous animals down in the basement."

Arthur hated to admit it. He really did. But somehow, this hysterical man-child really did get it.

He finally relaxed, deciding to speak up this time.

".. Venomous animals, you say?"

"Mhm!"

"Interesting. I don't suppose you could tell me all about it while we slowly.. move out the boxes?"

"Really?"

"Yes, of course. But please, do take your time."

Tyrian hopped off the table, saluting joyfully.

Arthur picked up the box closest to his feet, a smile playing on his lips. He turned the knob, about to open the door. But then he frowned.

"Wait, you own the basement?"

———

aight, so.. if you liked this, yay! bc this is gonna be the universe i'm writing in for the rest of the week!

thanks for reading my trash—

- ari

[originaldanganronpascenarios]

Amacha oneshot!

I can't put it under read rn but when I will be able to I'll do it! I was super excited to write it and I'm so happy I finally finished it!

Alsooo it's my first time writing something like this so... Sorry!

Wattpad:

Idea was given by @yawnmeno!

AU: Non-despair

Pairings: Himiko x Kokichi, Rantaro x Tenko

Triggers: none

Apologies for: Often POV changes bad English and slight ooc.

Himiko POV

I was quite excited! Why? Becouse Kokichi planned our first official date! We were going out right after school (Okay maybe not RIGHT after since we have to change our uniforms). But I got quite cute outfit ready so it whouldn't take long and we could go for it right away! Now it's time for school though... What a pain... I really wish I could just go with Kokichi but Tenko and Angie whould worry if I skipped day. Even if we are attending hope's peek and attending class is optional I kinda like to spend time with my classmates even though they are often a pain to deal with. I hate the fact that we have to wake up so early too...

Walking towards the classroom Tenko suddenly approached me and her loud voice almost scared me "Hey Himiko!" she was smiling as always. I was still a bit tired but I managed to respond "Hello Tenko" I yawned.

There was a small silence as we moved towards the classroom until she spoke up "Are you free today? I thought about meeting up with Angie and doing something together" she pulled out her phone in attempt to find something to do.

But I decided to stop it before she got excited "I do have plans today sorry". She seems a bit surprised "What are you doing?" she asked. Before I could say anything she started guessing "Do you have magic show prepared for today? Or did you overuse your mana again and need to regenerate or-"

"I'm going on a date with Kokichi" she was even more surprised than she was earlier but it's better that I didn't lie.

However I regret that I didn't say that it's something she shouldn't care about... "Really you are going to be alone with Kokichi!?" I noded she still wasn't used to us dating... It's annoying. Then Tenko proceeded to lecture me on why it's a bad idea and why I shouldn't trust Kokichi. As soon as I got inside the classroom I sat down and tried not to fall asleep while Tenko kept rambling.

When she was (finally) finished I looked at her with annoyed expression "Don't get me wrong Tenko but Kokichi is my boyfriend so I don't see why I shouldn't go"

"Still I don't trust him. I don't want anything bad happening to you! How about I tag along but just to be there in case something happens?" she kept insisting... This is bad... I need to tell Kokichi about it "I need to go back to my dorm I think I forgot something" I looked at Tenko and she believed me "Do you need my help?" she asked and I shook my head.

I decided to not waste more time and find him.

=> Time skip

I looked around the halls for him and there is no sign of Kokichi anywhere...

Just when I was about to give up someone hugged me from behind "I heard that someone was looking for me" I immediately looked towards source of the voice and it was Kokichi smiling. I was surprised that I didn't notice him sooner.

He saw my expression and his smile disappeared "Did something happen?" he asked while still hugging me. I sighed "It's just Tenko... She whouldn't stop talking on how she doesn't trust you" he quickly catched up "She wants to tag along on our date?" I nodded.

He thought for a moment his face lit up so he probably has an idea "Let her join us". I looked at him "What?" he then pat my head "Don't worry your pretty head about it. Just tell her to come I have an idea. Trust me she won't be bothering us" I have a bad feeling about this... But I agreed. Now I need to get back and tell Tenko about it.

Kokichi POV

I followed Himiko and we both entered the classroom. She went towards Tenko while I went to Rantaro.

"Heeey Rantaro can you do a favor for me?" I asked catching his attention "What do you need?" Rantaro a bit hesitantly asked. Since both Tenko and Himiko were in the room I couldn't risk them overhearing my plan. Even though it's nothing big I want it to be a surprise. So I signaled that I rather talk about it outside.

Not thinking twice he followed "So are you going to tell me what you need from me?"

"Can you join me and Himiko today" I said casually. Rantaro however seems to be a bit surprised "Wasn't that supposed to be a date?" he raised his eyebrow.

"Yup! But there is a third wheel that tries to prevent the date from happening soooo I'll need you to distract her" I ansvered like it was obvious.

"It's about Tenko isn't it?" I gave him a look of affirmation "I know that you like her" I said with teasing tone. Rantaro sighed "Whether I do or not it's none of your concern Kokichi"

"But you are my best friend how can I not care about your feelings?"

"Alright I'll do it" he put his hands up in defeat. I knew he'd agree to it sooner or later.

=> Time skip- 10 minutes before the date

Himiko POV

I managed to get ready early and so me and Tenko went to where we were supposed to meet wich was in front of school gates.  I wonder what Kokichi came up with in the end... I'm a bit afraid to ask but well I'll have to see for myself...

"Himiko are you... Mad at me?" I turned around towards Tenko. Before I got to say anything Kokichi arrived but he wasn't alone...

"Hey there" Rantaro calmly greeted us. I looked at Tenko and she didn't seem so happy "What is he doing here?" she crossed her arms "I could say the same about you Tenko" Kokichi copied her movement.

Well this is akward... "So..." Rantaro spoke up "Where are we going?"

"Well me and Himiko wanted to go to the amusement park" Kokichi ansvered.

So we all followed Kokichi since he knew where to go. It was all pretty silent. I kinda feel bad for Rantaro now that I think about it... Kokichi probably somehow forced him to go... Still I don't know why Kokichi thought bringing Rantaro whould anyhow help...

My thoughts were stopped when Kokichi grabbed my hand "Come on Himiko we are supposed to have fun! We won't do much if we just stand and watch others have fun!" he dragged me towards random attraction.

Rantaro POV

After Tenko saw Kokichi run away with Himiko from her field of sight she grabbed my hand and went same direction trying to find them "I can't believe I let my guard down! He is definitely plotting something"

"Or maybe he just wants to spend some time with his girlfriend alone" I sighed. Tenko stopped running and turned towards me she looked like she wanted to say something but she didn't and continued walking still holding onto my hand.

She probably didn't notice that since when we finally found the couple she looked flustered once she looked at her hand holding mine... She quickly snatched it and moved away from me like I did something to her.

It continued like this over and over again. Kokichi grabbing Himiko and going somewhere else then Tenko tries to make me follow her after them and I am trying to reason with her. I don't even know why she wants me to follow when she just can do it on her own. Still I told Kokichi I'd distract her... But it just seems impossible. She's super stubborn and caring person I know she means no harm but it needs to stop.

Just when I thought about a way to reason with her Kokichi didn't seem to run away this time "Maaan I got quite tired after so much fun! How about we take a break and grab something to eat?" he suggested as Himiko nodded.

So we all moved and Himiko spoke up "Tenko could you and Rantaro find someplace to sit? Me and Kokichi will get the food" not thinking twice Tenko agreed and both of us told them what we wanted.

And so the two of us managed to find a seat. Tenko was less bothered than before so I decided to talk to her "Is everything alright Tenko?"

"Don't play this game with me. Whatever you want from me you won't get it"

"Well all I wanted was an answer so if you don't want to I'm fine with it" as I shrugged Tenko looked like she was lost.

After few seconds she made up her mind "Fine! I'll tell you. But just because I need to get it off my chest and not becouse I consider you a friend or anything like it" she said with quite threatening tone. However this didn't stop me from wanting to listen "I'm all ears"

"Do you think Himiko hates me?" she asked as she started playing with her hair.

"Honestly I don't" I looked at Himiko and Kokichi waiting in line he seems to be teasing her again "But what I do think is that you should just leave her and Kokichi alone. I know it might be hard for you since well Kokichi isn't too trustworthy but he is someone she loves and they seem pretty happy together... Why stand in their way?"

As Tenko looked at them they were laughing together while still waiting in line. She looked like she felt guilty for her behavior "Even though you are a male I must admit... I agree with you. They do seem happy..." she looked quite sad "I think it's better if I will just go" she stood up and tried to walk away... But my body moved on its own and I didn't let her. When she turned around she blushed slightly "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I chuckled "I can't let you leave feeling down" then she hit my head "I told you not to play these games with me" she had expression of disgust mixed with annoyance.

"Just tried to be nice but if you really want to leave I can't really stop you"

She was probably lost in thought since she just stood there and looked at me. The longer she was staring the more her expression changed.

"Alright... I'll stay with you. But you better not be plotting anything" she said as she sat down next to me still keeping distance.

That's when Himiko and Kokichi came back with the food "Nyeh this line was so long my legs are tired from standing" Himiko complained as she sat down.

We had a small chat as we ate and Tenko didn't seem to be as bothered as she was before.

When we were finished Kokichi yet again grabbed Himiko and ran off. But this time Tenko didn't chase them. She turned towards me "Alright. Let's go" maybe it was the lights but her cheeks were slightly pink.

Then me and Tenko proceed to actually have fun. Her honest smile was just the best...

She was looking at one of the prizes wich was a cat toy. So not thinking twice I tried winning it and I managed to do so "Here" I smiled as I handed her the cat "Thanks but you know I could get it myself right?" she said as she pouted while I chuckled "I know. I just wanted to impress you I think" I laughed awkwardly as Tenko rolled her eyes yet again accusing me of 'playing this kind of games' with her.

It was slowly getting late and the lights made everything even more magical. So why not see everything from better view?

"Hey Tenko... Do you want to go on ferris wheel?"

"Sure!" she said as I was pretty surprised that she agreed.

So we two got there and waited in line. It seems like Kokichi and Himiko were going there too since they were ahead of us in line. Luckily it was short so we didn't had to wait long.

When the ride started she was a bit shaking "Tenko is everything alright?"

"NO! Uh- I mean yes everything is fine" she laughed awkwardly.

I raised my eyebrow and Tenko tried to change the topic "Look how pretty it looks from up here!" I chuckled as I admired the view... It was beautiful but not as beautiful as her smi- wait what am I thinking.

Rest of the ride was silent as we looked at the lights.

When we got down I still tried to figure out why she acted like that...

"Hello earth to Rantaro are you there?" Tenko waved her hand in front of me.

"Oh sorry Tenko what were you saying?"

"N-Nevermind what I said let's just go the park is soon closing" she crossed her arms as we headed to the front gate of the park where we met up with Kokichi and Himiko.

Both of them had a lot of prizes with them while Tenko was still holding onto one I won for her.

All of us headed back together but when Kokichi walked Himiko to her dorm I was alone with Tenko yet again.

She was hiding her (blushing) face behind the cat plushie and said "T-Thank you for today. For a male... You are pretty cool" she said as she gave me a quick hug and walked to her dorm.

~Mod Chiaki

[emerald-amidst-gold]

Hi there friendo! I bring questions!

- What’s a tag you never want to use for your works even when it applies?

- What would you describe as OOC?

- Can you accurately predict how long your fics are going to be? If you can, what’s your secret?

Hello, friend! And I am here to answer your questions! I like questions, so thank you for the ask~! X3

What's a tag you never want to use for your works even when it applies?

Honestly, I'm not sure about this one. Mainly because I try to tag my work with all of the appropriate tags. One, so it can be found more easily. And two, so people know what they're getting into and can determine whether or not its okay for them to read. I take mental health very seriously, and I would hate for my work to trigger someone because I didn't tag a specific theme. And since my writing encompasses a lot of emotion, trauma, and other very deep concepts, the potential for someone to feel unnerved or become upset by it increases. I write so people can escape and enjoy; I don't write to take them back to the past or throttle them full force into a present they need a break from. :3

What would you describe as OOC?

Okay, so, I'm a little weird when it comes to what is and isn't OOC. Like, you see some people say, 'Oh, that character/this character would never say that/do that! You have to write what that character would say for it to be believable! Otherwise, that's OOC!' But, in my eyes, I think any character can say or do something that's 'out of the norm'. It depends on the situation, what that character is feeling in the moment, and what they've experienced.

Also, being a bit OOC can be a good thing. It can mean character development. There are obvious displays of a character being OOC in many works and even canon because of inconsistent writing, but I get a little chuckle out of things like that as long as they're silly and not completely taking that character's specific morality and chucking it out the second story window yelling, 'INCONVENIENT!'. I mean, hell, look at Fane. He can be angry in one breath, but can be completely calm about the same thing depending on the situation. People are emotional creatures, in or out of fiction. They all process things in their own way, and to say they wouldn't react a certain way because canon may not show us that? That's not how emotional responses work.

Can you accurately predict how long your fics are going to be? If you can, what’s your secret?

No. X'D

I cannot predict the length of my fics. That's the reason why I can never seem to finish a fic anymore. When I sit down to write, I'm mostly doing it nowadays to relax and escape to a better situation in my head. I just jump into a document and start jotting things down. Later, I go back and flesh it out, but then it grows. So, ending something that brings a smile to my face, that I find immense comfort in is...hard. I have a fifteen page document right now with just Fane and Solas going back and forth about any topic that pops up in my mind. It flits back and forth and there's no real build, but that makes the whole thing more natural to me. Conversations aren't structured; people jump between topics. And that’s what Fane and Solas end up doing in most of my unfinished works. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy! :3

I'd like to finally finish a work again, (mainly my main fic. FFFF-!), to share a lot of ideas that I’ve had for years, but as of right now, I'm content to just...write. Write something silly, with no worry about how the dialogue flows or where exactly they are. Write something deep and emotional to help me work through some of my own problems. 

I just want to write. If that means I write a thousand different scenarios that end up being thousands of pages long of Fane and Solas being flipping dorks, then so be it. It makes me happy, and that’s the point. X3

[mama-ghostie-61542]

A Thousand Lifetimes

Hellloooo, My Freaky Darlings--This chapter is a little different, for reasons you will understand shortly...Therefore--Rated M++ for language and NAUTINESS.

Once again, my dears...if you recognize it...IT AIN'T MINE.

Sorry for the OOC bits.

(A/N-- Please, don't be mad. It took me weeks to get the courage to post this.)

Chapter 11

Kihyun

After picking up a bit, I started a cup of coffee. Then, I went to grab the chapter and change into some sweats. About the time I made it back to the kitchen, coffee was waiting for me. I picked it up and sipped at it as I walked to the couch and settled on the far end. I didn't even think about what the red heart in the corner of the cover meant. Turns out.....It means naughtiness.

Kihyun

That year was tough, looking back. But, then, we were busier this year. Some how, we still managed to meet up in Hawaii as planned.

That week was crazy! We went to a few museums. We also spent time on the black sand beach in front of the hotel. That handmade bikini she wore, tore me up.

The next night, we had reservations at a tiny place. Dinner was nice, but I could not stop thinking about unwrapping that dress she had on.

We made it back to the room. It was nice, but the best thing in that room was her. The way that she smelled had been teasing me all night; the way her cedar and sage products mixed with her natural smell. I would be lying if I said I hadn't anticipated this moment for quite some time. I ditched my tie on the couch as we came into the room. Then, I toed off my shoes and socks right there.

I sat on the bed as she unwrapped the cream silk dress she had worn today, revealing black lace over creamy, caramelly skin. She immediately went to hang up the cream and midnight blue gown, inadvertently showing just what her under things looked like from EVERY angle.

"Are you trying to seduce me," I asked.

"That depends," She giggled as she placed her hands on her hips and then swayed, "Is it working?"

Looking at her, I let myself start at her tiny feet, in those strappy, lacy, blue sandals, and drank her in. Up over those seemingly delicate but deceptively strong ankles. Up those long legs, to that tiny bit of delicate black lace hugging her hips and ass. And up a little farther, past the scars to the same black lace, lovingly caressing her soft skin over her small but perky girls.

'Aww, crap,' I thought as I gathered up the chapter and my coffee and hurried towards my room. 'I should have just stayed in my room.'

"Yes," I whispered, softly, then bit my lip hard, trying to control myself. "Come here," I ordered as I allowed her to see the hunger in my eyes.

She strode, slowly, across the room to stand in front of me, her own desire burning in those blue green depths. I watched as they darkened with every step to the color of rough seas before a storm.

I caressed around her thighs to her butt, before grabbing a cheek in either hand and squeezing for a moment; then continuing on to wrap my arms around her hips. Resting my chin on her stomach, I said, "Would you let me peel you out of these with my teeth? Or shred them while getting them off," I said as I snapped the back of her underwear.

Her only answer was a shiver.

"Ahh, you like that idea, eh?"

"I would rather," she started, then cleared her throat, "You let me take them off. They were pretty expensive."

I laughed. 'Yep. That's her. She will drop $1500 cash on a new stove, but won't spend five bucks on her underwear.'

I looked at her and smirked, "Expensive to you, or me? I will buy you 5 pairs, if you let me destroy this one," I said as I ghosted my bottom lip over her soft skin. She smelled like heaven and I just wanted to taste every inch of her.

"10," She countered.

'Hmm. Fifty bucks on lacy undies I am just going to tear up anyway? I'm game.'

I chuckled, "You drive a hard bargain, Woman, but, I suppose. Now," I growled as I refocused her attention by raking my nails down her back, gently, then caressing the way back up. "Hands or teeth?"

Again she shivered, but this time it was accompanied by a breathy moan as her eyes rolled closed for a moment.

"I am gonna leave that decision in your capable hands."

"Not smart giving me complete control, my sweet Queen. You may have a hard time walking tomorrow. If I have my way, we won't leave this room all week. Now," I said as I grasped her hips, and squeezed slightly as I gently pushed her back so I could stand up. "Tell me what you want," I commanded as I caressed her arm from wrist to shoulder, as I walked behind her. I then, dragged my finger tips over her shoulder, only to replace them with my knuckles and trace her strap.

She is writing me with a whole lot more patience than I actually have.

Another shiver.

My control momentarily snapped as my shirt came off and went flying. I stepped up behind her, until her back was against my chest and caressed over her hips and thighs again before burying my face in the back of her neck, earning me yet another shiver and a soft moan.

"My love, look at how responsive you are to my touch, My Queen. I'm willing to bet you dinner I can make you cum without doing much else."

'Yeah, would not be making that bet. I'd lose,' I laughed.

Bryn chuckled lowly, "If that's the case, Baby, I already owe you one...or twelve."

I giggled, 'Only twelve? Sweetheart, you are only counting for a week.'

"Oh, no, Darling. There is a big difference between projection and flesh. Only certain things make it past the astral translators, and those lose something. Astral is bound by projection and how good you are at taking care of yourself. Skin is so much better. Would you like for me to show you," I whispered on that spot where her neck and shoulder meet.

I didn't get an answer, just another shivering moan.

'God, I love it when she does that.'

"Hmmm. Take that as a yes," I said as I reached around to cup her breasts and squeeze them slightly. Then, I found the little plastic clasp to her bra, nestled between them...and broke it. Next, I gently slid it off of her and as it cleared her hands, threw it across the room. I think it landed over by my shirt, but I could care less.

Then, I caressed over her arms and back, only to return to her firm breasts. I cupped them and before I could blink, her hands were over mine, showing me just how much pressure to use.

"Is that what you like, Baby. For me to be a little rough with them? Show me what you want, my love. How you want to be touched. Show me how to touch you," I whispered on her shoulder, as I squeezed her breasts again and this time pinched the nipples hard.

I was suddenly very glad I was in my room. I sat aside the story for a minute to go grab a towel and lock my doors. Damned woman.

She arched her back and gasped, before turning towards me. Facing me, she languidly caressed up my chest and over my shoulders with her fingertips ghosting over my flesh. Her fingernails raked gently across the tender flesh on my neck and tipped my head down to hers.

This time, it was me who shivered.

'Oh, shit. She knows what she is writing,' I thought as I adjusted myself.

I tried to look away to control myself.

With her lips a hairs breadth from mine, she whispered, "Hawkie." Then, she gently kissed me and licked my bottom lip, "Focus on me, Baby." Again, she kissed me, tenderly.

'And there it goes. No control with this one,' I thought. 'She knows too much.'

I had fuckin goosebumps from that. I will admit that I started to kiss her back with the same ardor she was using. I caressed my fingertips down her spine and when I reached her ass, palmed those perfect globes and proceeded to knead them slightly. As I did that, pulling her as close to me as possible, I could feel her boobs rubbing against my chest.

She gasped and let out a breathy moan.

I cupped her head in my left hand as I worked my way down to that spot on her neck where I could feel her pulse under my lips and whispered, "Tell me, my sweet queen, what you want." My right hand had been resting on the small of her back, holding her against me, steadying her.

"You," she whispered as her hands roamed over my back and chest. I knew, somehow, her control was fading.

That one word ripped away what was left of my control. My hand left her back to remove my belt and let my pants fall to the floor. With the flick of my foot, they were off.

When I put my hand back on her hip, I found she had removed her panties.

"That was my job," I growled.

'Getting a woman all worked up and naked is a man's job.'

"They're still around my thighs," she answered.

"Hmmm. Good," I growled as she shivered against me and moaned. I walked her back to the bed, and picked her up, laying her down. Then I stepped back to grab her ankles and pull her to the edge of the bed, before sinking to my knees. I grabbed her left ankle, and after removing those heels, placed it on my shoulder as I said, "Baby. Look at me,"

Her eyes, dark with passion, rolled open and looked at me. Her breath was getting ragged.

I had to pause. Cold shower. I made the mistake of picking the story back up when I got out.

"Do you know how sexy you are," I asked as I placed open mouthed kisses on her calf, moving slowly towards her knee, as I caressed her other leg. Then, I switched legs and continued to nip and kiss until I reached that tiny scrap of lace. I grabbed it in both hands and tore it apart.

"Cheap silicone elastic," I chuckled as I tossed the remains of the offending garment over my shoulder.

My hands took on a bit of their own life as I sat back on my heels for a moment, looking at her, drinking in her beautiful figure. Even her stretch marks, long since turned to scars, could not detract from how attractive she was, or how much I wanted her.

As I caressed her torso, her hands were suddenly on mine.

"Show me. Show me what you want," I whispered.

She answered me, by arching and moaning again.

I could listen to her moaning all day long. It's like the soundtrack to the best porn.

Back to the shower. Holy fuck.

Bryn removed her hands from mine and, as her legs fell down to my sides, she sat up sliding forward into me. With her cheek against mine, she nipped at my ear and started placing open mouthed kisses on my neck and shoulder. There was a sudden breeze on my ass before I noticed that her hands were there, gently scratching over my hips, not enough to sting, but enough to send shivers down my spine and give me the biggest goosebumps I have ever had.

Then, her hand gently slid down my length.

"No, Dear," I said as I caught her hand and pulled it away. "You start that, it'll be over too soon. I meant it when I said I plan on keeping you up all night.

She shivered again as I ran my hands down her arms to her hands and wrapped them around behind her. As they met behind her, I transferred both wrists to my left hand and caressed over her back and shoulder before moving to her arm, then her hip, and on to her thigh, only to caress up over her stomach and pinch her nipple.

'Yep...I'm done,' I thought as I stepped into the shower for a third time. 'That woman is going to kill me.'

"Face it, Girlie. I'm planning on doing things no man has ever had the balls to do. I'm gonna light you up, and get you to beg for more." I said as I wrapped my free arm around her and dragged her further up into the bed. Then, I pushed her back. "Now be a good girl and lay back. Lemme do my job, Woman."

"You're a tease," she whined.

"No, Ma'am." I answered, as I pushed her into the bed. "If you are a good girl, I'll give you exactly what you want. Now, hands to yourself," I said as I pinned her hands to the bed by her wrists. "Keep them there."

Leaning down, I nipped her ear and trailed my lips down to her neck. Working my way down, I stopped to gently chew on her collarbone, before licking it.

She, somehow, worked her legs out from under me and wrapped those long legs around me before moving her hips and whining, "Baby."

"No ma'am," I chuckled as I grabbed her hips to still them before trailing my fingertips up to her boobs. She sighed as I wrapped my hands around her titties and paid attention to one rosy peak, teasing it to a tight bud. Then, switching to the other globe to lavish attention on it.

That was it. Back to the shower for a fourth time. Good God, that woman can write smut. Almost as that thought coalesced, there was a pounding on the door to the bathroom.

"You ok, Dude," Honey yelled on the other side.

"No, Well yeah, but... not really," I trailed off.

"What's the issue?"

"Smut. Smutty Chapter," I yelled as I leaned against my shower wall and tried to get control of myself...again.

He laughed. "Is it good?"

"Hell yes."

"Oh. OH! Hang on a minute. I will run every one out for about an hour. Cool?"

"Thank you," I choked out.

After a few minutes, I heard my phone chirp. It was a message from Joey~ "All out. You have one (1) hour. Have fun."

In all it took me less than a second to flip the water over to hot and get to work. As I held on to the shower rod with one hand, I could almost smell her in the shower with me. But what really got to me was the feeling of her breath, panting on my cheek, encouraging me, spurring me on.

'C'mon, Haka,' she begged as she sent an image down our thread of her spread out over her bed and playing. 'Please cum for me, Baby.'

That did it. The world exploded as I did. When I came down, I noticed that the colors were brighter, much more vivid than normal.

'Woman,' I shouted down our thread. 'That chapter was HELL.'

'Like it did ya?'

'I loved it. Thank you, by the way, for the talk and the visual. That was hot. I didn't know YOU, much less anyone else, could write about fuckin like that. Wow.'

'I take it you approve?'

'Yes! But, I'm gonna have to up my game to compete with that. Holy crap.'

'Where do you think the inspiration came from? All those nights you'd spend teasing the shit outta me.'

I giggled, 'Oh hey. I do that a lot, don't I.'

'Ya do. Multiple times a week.'

'So, the guys are definitely not reading that chapter. Joey thought I was sick. I ended up in the shower four times. When I told him it was the chapter, he ran every one out of the dorms so I could take care of my raging hormones. That is the kind of chapter you need a towel for. I'm in for it when we get together, aren't I?'

'Oh yeah,' she answered.

"Looking forward to that,' I chuckled.

Half an hour later, every one else had returned and I had washed up, cleaned up, and was back in my sweats. I was still riding the afterglow when Joohoney pounded on my bedroom door.

"All good," he asked as he opened the door slightly.

"Yes, thanks."

"Awesome. Hopefully you weren't talking to my sister during."

I giggled, "Well. I wasn't the one talking."

_____________________________________________________________

A/N--As I am finishing this chapter up, I distinctly hear Haka's voice--"Whelp. That one's goin' under my bed."--rather matter-of-factly.

I fucking lost it laughing. Sometimes, he is like a teenager with nudie pics. God forbid ANYONE realize he is full grown MAN with needs of his own.

[mama-ghostie-61542]

A Thousand Lifetimes

Rated M++ for themes and language

If you recognize it--IT AIN'T MINE

Sorry for any OOC-ness.

Chapter 9

Kihyun

After the stunning revelations of the night before, I was having a slow day at work. It wasn't that I was off by much, but that I was exhausted, so I was a little slow on the uptake.

It was nearing three when we wrapped up recording for the day. Generally, we have more stuff to do, but today was an easy day. We were released to the dorm, and I went to go grab a nap. Sadly, though, all I could do was twist and turn. I decided to get up and read the next chapter.

Bryn PoV

It had been a few weeks since I talked to anyone. I had sent Kihyun's money back the very next day, slightly afraid it wouldn't make it. But seeing his face on my phone three hours later had me smiling.

"Hey! What's up," I asked.

He sighed. "Did you seriously send it back already?"

"Yep."

"Why," He asked. "Anyone else would have kept it."

"But I'm not anyone else. I hate asking for help. If I ask for anything, I never ask for money."

"Why," he asked.

"I make enough to be comfortable."

"Comfortable, huh? What's comfortable?"

"Pay the bills and have a little left over. Out of curiosity, why do you ask?"

"Just wondered. There is so much more I want to ask, but I-I'm not quite sure how to ask."

I laughed. "It's always been my experience, that it's better to just get it out there."

He swallowed, thickly, "Umm. Ok. Uh. What do you do?"

After taking a deep breath, I answered, "I own a yarn shop and I am a Natural Health Consultant."

"Wow," He whispered. "What does a Natural Health Consultant do?"

I chuckled. Most people wanted to know about the shop, not my degree. "I-um-I work with peoples primary care physician to get folks the best healing possible. It's generally in the cases of heart disease, diabetes, and stubborn skin rashes," I laughed.

"Now, that is cool," he smiled. "So, is it just a side hustle?"

"No," I laughed, "But most people don't see a Traditional Naturopath, they see an N.M.D. However, most integrated medicine places here have at least one natural health professional they work with, depending on the clients needs."

"Wow. You really are more than just a pretty face."

"Who told you I have a pretty face?"

"Joey let me see pics. You're beautiful, by the way."

I could not help the blush that slowly spread across my face. "Thank you. I think you are pretty handsome, yourself."

"Aww," he gushed, "No, I'm not."

"Agree to disagree, there, Sweet Pea."

"Joey," he asked.

"Joey," I agreed.

He chuckled, "Do you get the feeling he's trying to set us up?"

Laughing, I answered, "I do. But I think he may be right. You know he sees stuff, right?"

"Yeah, I know. I was the first person in our group he told. Oh God. Umm. I need to be honest. I'm not sure how to say it, so I will just lay my hand down here. I-uh-I-um-I have dreamed about you since I was a kid."

I could tell he was biting his lip.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Tell me something no one else would know.

"Ok," he started. "Um-You have nightmares where you are lost in the woods and screaming for someone."

"How did you," I started.

"I have them, too; but from the other side. I can hear you screaming but I can't seem to find you."

"Haka," I asked, softly, tentatively.

"Hey," He answered.

If I hadn't been sitting at my desk, I would have been on the floor. "Oh, God," I whispered. After a pause, I said, "I don't know whether to scream, cry, or throw up."

He laughed. "Well, hopefully none of those things. Please don't scream, hearing it in dreams is bad enough. Please, don't cry, because I'm not there to fix it. And Please, God, Please, don't throw up."

"Sympathetic puker?"

"Yes," He answered. "I want to see you."

"Not a good idea. Not with what is going on in the world, right now."

"True. A year from now? I hate to try to plan that far ahead, but maybe, just maybe, things will work out."

"Well, there is normally a convention in Hawaii in early summer."

"I will try to save as much PTO time as I can between now and then. Cross your fingers and hope."

"Fingers crossed," I said.

"I've got stuff to do, so I will talk more later, Ok?"

"Sure, I answered.

"I'm gonna say this, and please don't freak out, but I have felt it for a long time and," He rambled.

"Haka," I yelled, cutting him off. "I know. I already know," I said before I bit my lip. "I know how you feel, trust me, I do. I feel it, too. You aren't crazy, nor are you alone." I swear I could feel his smile and his relief. "But, my dear, I am nothing to write home about."

"Are you kidding me," He started, "I have been in love with you since I was 15. Woman, I could write volumes about you, and still have several lifetimes worth to say. You, Woman, You are amazing."

Blushing, I replied, "I don't see how."

Kihyun PoV

I could feel her blushing. "Then I will keep telling you until you have no doubts. You are amazing, you are awesome, and I," I stopped.

"I know," she whispered.

"Good," I replied.

I started to nod off so I set the story off to the side for the night, and got ready for bed. She curled up behind me and snuggled into the back of my neck.

'Night, Haka. Rest well, my King.'

'Night, Mami.'

I was so focused on sleep, I did not notice the slight tickle in my chest that happens with her sometimes. If I had, I would have felt the slight sorrow and could have held off the nightmare that night.

As it sat, she came and tucked me in as usual, but a few hours after I had fallen asleep in her arms, I had the worst nightmare.

I was, again, in those woods, and this time I was the Elk. She was there and that band around her ankle had her trapped. She was screaming as the band and rope that had her hobbled became razor wire cutting into her skin. I could not do a thing to help her.

But, my blind panic and pain must have ruffled the thread between us because in that moment, as I made my decision to lay down with her for support and comfort, I felt her spirit beside me, soothing me and telling me, 'It's just a dream, Love. I am here. Wake up, Haka, it's just a dream.'

In my state of half asleep and still with the residual images in my head, I rolled to where I felt her, and curled around her.

Her touch was both soothing and calming. 'Tell me what you saw?'

I shook my head as echo's of the images assaulted me again. I could still smell her blood in the air. I could still feel her fingers scramble for purchase on my pelt as she struggled to stand, could still hear the echo of her screams as the razors went deeper into her skin.

'I'm going after Joey. I'll be right back, my love. Hold on,' I heard her whisper in my hair.

In less that 20 seconds, a firm hand was on my arm. I had no more than sat up.

Honey POV

I was sound asleep when I felt a small but strong hand on my arm. 'Joey, Wake Up,' was all but shouted in my ear. I knew that voice. My sister. The fog stubbornly refused to lift.

'C'mon. Get up, Lu-Lu! Kik needs you,' was shouted as an outer presence shook my arm.

I was up and off like a rocket at that. She is the only person I will EVER allow to call me that version of 'Red'. And I know that her calling me that in the middle of the night means right now. I took off down the hall, following the sobs.

There was Kihyun, sitting on his bed, tears pouring down his face. I recognized the panicky look on his face as one I had seen on my own several times. I felt the presence of my soul sister, her spirit sweeping past me to settle next to him. He seemed to sag against her spirit, drawing strength and serenity from her. I couldn't hear the conversation, but I knew, somehow, she was soothing him.

It hit me then, just how perfect they are together. I could almost see his head resting against her shoulder as her arm was around him, petting him, in a fashion.

He suddenly shook his head and said, "No. I don't even want to think about it or what it means. Cause if it means that they are gonna hurt you before you get away..." he trailed off, as he shook his head. Then he near shouted, "No. It's a chance I won't take. I won't allow you to sacrifice yourself like that. Not for me, not again."

Then, I heard her again, 'Then tell him or I will.'

He sighed and whispered, "Alright, my love. I'll tell him." Looking at me, he said, "Best get everyone up, I only want to tell this story once. Seeing it once was enough."

Everyone got woken up and gathered in the living room as Kihyun settled into an easy chair with a pillow and a blanket.

From the far end of the couch, Min growled, "What happened, and why are we all awake?"

From his chair, Kihyun answered, "Another nightmare. She thinks I should share this one with you."

As they all sat back, Kik seemed to turn his head slightly and nod then whisper, "Love you, Ghost."

The unseen presence in the room swept off and left us.

I looked at him curiously.

"She went back to her place to handle some things there with the kids," he sighed and started, "Tonight, as I laid down to sleep, I cuddled with my Queen like I normally do. There is a thin silver thread that connects our souls, much like the red thread, but far older. I didn't notice the small flutter of her sorrow, and somehow, unconsciously, it became a nightmare.

"I have had nightmares before of her being trapped in the woods. This time, I was an elk. And while the normal vines were gone this time, there was this black band around her right ankle that attached to a rope and had her more or less hobbled to that bit of earth.

"As I came up on her, she was fighting to get it off. I leaned forwards to help her but the second I got within, I'd say a foot or so, it turned into razor wire and was cutting her foot off.

"I couldn't do anything to help her, and she could not get loose. The more she fought to loosen it, the tighter it got. Then, as she scrambled to hold on to me, I could smell her blood. She wrapped her hands in my pelt and was trying to stand, but the razors cut her deep. I could hear and feel her screaming. As I settled in next to her to offer what comfort I could, Her spirit woke me up. When it became obvious, I needed a bit more help, she woke up Honey. I have never been so afraid for her."

Min stood up and directed him back to bed, saying, "Go get a bit more sleep," as he left the room. When Min returned, he asked me, "What did you see about her?"

"Other than the way she sat? Not much. She is damned good at cloaking. So good she is damned near a chameleon."

"Do you think she would come back and let us see," asked HyunWoo, his brow knotted with worry.

I nodded, "She might."

Min sat down on the rug, between the coffee table and the entertainment center. "If we are going to help our soul sister, we had best get comfy, it may be harder than we think to fix it."

About that time, a presence entered the room.

'He's back to sleep. I figured you would want to talk to me.'

I nodded. 'Let Min see your ankle.'

I have never seen Min turn that exact shade of green before turning that shade of red. When he does, it generally means it is BAD.

'What the hell, Sis! Are you actively trying to make yourself lame,' Min shouted. 'There is a curse here. This is beyond my help. Stay here, I need to go get Ate,' Min said as he stood up.

Ten seconds later, He and HyungWon were walking into the room.

A second after that, Kihyun was scrambling back down the hall.

HyungWon was looking at Sis's ankle when Kiki opened his eyes enough to see what was going on.

'Baby, what's wrong?'

'Joey wanted Min to check out my ankle. Min went after Ate,' she said.

'This curse is very powerful. It will take all of us, together, to break it. Boys, get ahold of it. Kihyun, hang on to her,' he said before yelling for Changkyun.

When he rounded the corner at a run, HyungWon said, 'Mahipiya. Washte. IkiyA nitha Ate kichi Ina.'

Changkyun gathered the woman in his arms and nodded at her whisper, before growling at Kihyun.

"What?" asked HyunWoo.

"That is your nephew."

"Of course he is," HyunWoo grumbled as he sat up, only to be cuffed in the back of the head by HyungWon.

"We have bigger things than your sister's descendants to handle. Unfortunately, I fear this will be too much for us to handle,' He said as he sat back and grabbed his phone, sending out a quick text.

In less than 15 minutes, Hoseok was knocking on the door.

'Ahh. Glad you could make it on such short notice," HyungWon said as he opened the door.

A/N)--

Once again....I tried with the Lakota.

Mahipiya. Washte. IkiyA nitha Ate kichi Ina.--Cloud. Good. Help your father with your mother.