#And eventually causes someone close to her to literally lose his mind (heh)

[a-really-cool-blog-name]

do you ever have a comparison or a crossover of two things you like that are so wildly different with such specific interpretations that you don't even know how to share it because the Venn diagram center might just be you

[cassyapper]

loving you may mean losing you but i dont mind (jotakak playlist)

dont talk to me about the title of this thing im embarrassed enough

anyway but okay so!!!! very excited to share this!!!! this has been in the works since september but my picky ass finally found an adequate amount of songs so here it is!!!!!! my jotakak playlist (:

special thanks to my lovely and wonderful friend jade for helping me finish this this thing <3

track list nd why i picked the songs that i did under the break!

1. the predatory wasp of the palisades is out to get us! by sufjan stevens i chose this song because it’s all about internalized homophobia and being in love with your best friend as a kid which RLLY resonates w jotakak imo. esp cause in the song, stevens’ friend ends up leaving abruptly, leaving stevens to wonder about what couldve blossomed if they had stuck together and worked through the difficulties together, which JOTARO....THAT IS JOTARO-CORE esp cause kak also “leaves” (dies). so this song was a v obvious choice for me and in fact this song is what inspired me to create this playlist in the first place

2. we are beautiful, we are doomed by los campesinos! this song is abt being in love with someone but you both have ur issues so it’s kind of a mess. considering jotaro and kakyoin’s (to point it quite frankly) trauma and the fact that both of them do jack shit to try and cope with it healthily, this song DEFINITELY fits them. esp cause this song mentions physical fighting and the imagery that goes with it (”he got his teeth fixed/im gonna break them”, “i’ve got a fist on fire”, etc) and the entirety of the bridge/last verse rlly gives me these two’s vibes so! ya (:

3. love love love by of monsters and men this song is the singer feeling like shes completely unworthy of being loved by this important person in her life, particularly because she has NO idea how to show affection and love the (for lack of better word) “acceptable” way, or any way at all really. this REALLY has jotaro vibes cause he is one repressed motherfucker and as we see the entirety of his story, jotaro is full of love he loves so much it’s just he has no idea how to properly express it cause he’s scared essentially. but that didn’t stop people from loving him, in this case, that being kakyoin. hhhhHHh

4. ribs by lorde this song is about being scared of growing up but due to the lyrics being written the way they are, i kinda spin the interpretation of it to be the fear jotaro and kakyoin had on the crusade to egypt, as they were the youngest and didnt know if they’d make it back and everything is just incredibly overwhelming there is so much going on all the time those 50 days. i can do a full analysis on why but that would be kinda long LMAO. for now let’s leave it at they have a very Unique fear of growing up but it still fits with the lyrics. particularly the last bit of the song with the “youre the only friend i need” verses,,,makes me think of these two...

5. can i call you tonight? by dayglow i interpret this song to be about trying to figure out what, exactly, your feelings are for this very specific and important person in your life. since jotaro and kakyoin r both repressed and also suckers of internalized homophobia, i think they fit that theme very well. particularly with the whole “i feel like we’re close, but maybe we’re not actually? what are we?” theme going on in the lyrics, this whole song makes me think of jotaro and kakyoin figuring out their intense and sudden (cause again only 50 days but also, those 50 days had So Much going on) feelings for each other. also the “now i’m no longer alone” line in the chorus HHHHHHH that’s them

6. la la la love song by toshinobu kubota ft naomi campbell SO I KNOW THIS SONG IS KINDA JUST FLUFF but we need some light-hearted moments in this thing hjgg;. ALSO toshinobu kubota is canonically jotaro’s favorite musician so i wanted to reference that and this was my fav love song of his that i’ve found so far so (: also the “you are my shining star” line,,,heh

7. truce by twenty one pilots so this song is very soft. it’s about tending to wounds and taking a moment before continuing to push on. it makes me think abt jotaro and kakyoin taking care of each other on the journey (for example the lovers arc/n’doul fight). also the whole “stay alive, stay alive for me/you will die, but now your life is free/take pride in what is sure to die” makes me go fucking nuts that is. that fits these two to a T fuck

8. this side of paradise by coyote theory this song has big “two lonely people are in love with each other for the first time” vibes and OHHHHHHHHHH THAT’S JOTAKAK.... there are a lot of little lines that make me specifically think abt these two, such as “love so strong it makes me feel weak” (jotaro-core...), “if you’re lonely come be lonely with me”, “i’ll be yours if you’ll be mine” (wanting some security while ur in love for the first time is common but especially for these two i think it works spectacularly) but yea this song as a whole is just...ohhh them. theyre in lvoe HK;FNJFL

9. i saw you in a dream by the japanese house EVERY. SINGLE. LINE. OF THIS SONG IS POST-EGYPT JOTARO. EVERY SINGLE LINE. and the ghost the singer talks about seeing? they hadnt changed at all? they were such a pretty vision, a perfect hallucination? BRUH... just listen i could do a whole analysis on this song it all just fits jotaro mourning kakyoin throughout the years so so so so well it makes me feel nuts holy shit i just. literally every line. every line fits i am not joking. i cried when i first heard this song LMAO

10. video games by the young professionals SO LMAO obviously kakyoin’s epic gamer moves are being referenced but beyond that i interpret this song to just be the fun parts of being in love esp when ur young (backed up with the “kissing in the blue dark” and the “watching all our friends fall” lines). also the chorus just makes me want to cry cause just, happy jotakak moments PLEASE. “the world was built for two only worth living if somebody is loving you, and baby now you do” THEYRE NOT ALONE ANYMORE THEY FOUDN EACH OTHER IM GONAN WAILLLLLLL oh my god. im nuts theynkjNJKNJF also “i heard that you like the bad girls” please. these two shitty teenagers

11. ikanaide by sohta ft. yuki kaai this song is abt not wanting someone u love to leave u cause youll miss them obviously but also ur scared of how the time will change you and if it’ll make you unrecognizable eventually. big post-egypt jotaro vibes 😔 especially cause one part of the chorus translates to “i shouldnt cry, i shouldnt cry, but the truth is i want to say dont go” and im jus like OHHHHH NO IT’S JOTARO FINDING OUT KAKYOIN DIED jkfnNKJFNJDhkld

12. therefore you and me by eve ALRIGHT. god this song is one hell of a doozy. i interpret this song to mean being sincerely in love but youre in the wrong place/wrong time. considering the uh Whole Situation in part 3 there were definitely better times to fall in love for these two. jotaro and kakyoin try to be happy w the moments they do have (i think the second verse in particular adds to this sentiment what with the selfish ghosts part) but they want a better environment understandably so theyre also just kinda ignoring things until they can properly care for a relationship. but well...who knows if theyll live to make it to that better environment ):

13. mayonaka no door/stay with me by miki matsubara this song is a v sweet sentiment abt like “it’s not just heat of the moment!! i do care about u a lot!!” and asking the person u have feelings for to stick around. big kakyoin and jotaro vibes as it would be easy to call what they have a fling considering how relatively short of a timeframe they had but i genuinely think their relationship was deeper than just that and this song nicely reflects such. “jotaro and i will share a room cause we’re both students” fuckin head ass

14. a thousand years by sting oh sting.... so since sting is kakyoin’s favorite musician canonically i had to add one of his songs here as well but beyond just that i do think this song fits them!! it kinda gives me big “if not in this life, then the next” vibes which is a big uhhh thing for jotakak. they may be doomed to tragedy but the moments they have together make the tragedy worth enduring ironically i feel like this song is mostly from jotaro’s pov considering i dont think he ever completely got over kakyoin and this song def has that kinda sentiment but hey it fits them...

15. mr loverman by ricky montgomery SO FUNNY STORY i actually REALLY. REALLY didnt wanna add this song at first cause i felt it wouldve been...idk too cliche? i guess? and i was ALL kinds of picky when choosing songs for this playlist HOWEVER. eventually i relistened to it and read the lyrics while thinking specifically abt jotakak and it actually rlly does fit quite well KJDFN; another jotaro mourning song ): it’s not just the chorus tho the whole song fits jotaro immediately post-egypt but also i feel like some time around part 4 this sentiment would come back to him cause Yknow. Gays In Morioh and the mess of his family life back in america. it just aches for him cause while he’s happy josuke is happy he wishes he couldve had that for him and kakyoin too but yea jus ... them

16. you by petit biscuit an instrumental?? in a ship playlist?? yes that’s right much like mr loverman i was hesitant to put this song in cause it’s harder to justify since i dont rlly know much abt music (and not to b controversial but interpreting lyrics and interpreting music r two different things) however i really think the vibes of this song fit jotakak. it’s got a somber melody but the keys of the piano are high which im taking to mean “light in the dark” which. jotaro and kakyoin (along w the rest of the crusaders) were each other’s lights in the dark. also the ending samples a conference/lecture talking about space flight and like. star platinum. space symbolism. jotaro. yeah

17. saturn by sleeping at last MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. this song is all about losing someone very close and important to you, but reflecting on the good they brought into your life rather than the pain of losing them. this song also has HEAVY space imagery which stardust crusaders is absolutely chalk fucking full of so also it’s a very philosophical song and considering that jotaro and kakyoin are both Nerds and both got a nice view of the stars/space in the desert with each other, im sure they had conversations similar to the one highlighted in the song. i think it’s a good note to end the playlist on cause kakyoin is dead and jotaro is the survivor but it’s not a mourning song so much as jotaro taking the love he had for kakyoin and pushing forward with it allll th way into part 6

but yeah that’s the tracklist! i might add or take away a song or two but this is mostly it (: hope yall enjoy!

[cjoatprehn]

Baxtale: Chapter 1-Part 2 (2nd Half)

Bax ran through the storm, speeding through the town of Snowdin, covering monsters alike in waves of snow as she passes. She’s frantic and in a hurry to leave before more disruption occurs. She noticed monsters all around the town she observed, either recovering from what they witnessed, unconscious, or something of both. This was her fault, allowing her guard to fall right in front of a portal, knowing the dangers of doing so.

“I have t get back to the void. I caused enough disruption.” Bax panted as she ran, stripping herself free of her clothes, that she didn’t remember being on her body in the first place. She knows Stretch, the Papyrus in this world, more than likely put it on her. Knowing her, she had come right after the 6th human was killed. Or maybe that was the illusion of the true reset?

Once she escaped outside of Snowdin, she stopped to catch her breath. Despite the speed she runs, for her size, it was difficult to maintain. She thought her many different battles and experiences would have prepared her for this kind of physical activity. Who was she fooling but herself? She looked up, sweat beading on her forehead and freezing due to the cold air, her eyes scanning wildly for the portal she came through.

It was no longer there. “Just my luck.” She said as she watched a faint rift in the trees disappear. The winter wind gusted trough the forest, passing her, causing her to shiver violently. “Crap!” She hid in the trees until the panic in town and within her had ceased. Bax clutched her stomach, trying to huddle closer to the tree trunk to keep warm from the strong blizzard winds. It must be that time of year, she guessed under her breath. She looked up into the higher shelter of branches and started to climb the trees. Luckily she picked up that skill in the world of Horrortale. Running for your life in a world filled with hunger for humans, literally, climbing can have its usefulness. At least no one had been able to touch her, so they won’t remember her later, she hoped.

Once she had climbed into a nest of branches, she nestled herself in the warmth of the branches, trying to keep warm from the storm. Despite it’s appearance, the branches were not enough to keep the winds at bay, and occasionally, a branch or two would blow away. She shivered violently, it wasn’t any use. The longer she stayed there, the colder she got. ‘It was warmer in the void!” She though with exasperation.

She couldn’t escape. She couldn’t stay either. Butt she was trapped. She didn’t have a choice. She HAD to find a way to escape the world. While she figured out a way to do this, she processed what had just occurred. As she had tried to escape, Stretch, seemed to try to stop her from leaving back into the blizzard. But as soon as he grabbed her—once the realization hit her, her stomach plummetted. She had to keep from gagging from nervousness. All the tings she witnessed, experienced, knows...the other worlds, AUs, the void, everything; This entire world got a “copy and paste” of her mind. Everyone just literally got a knowledge boost from Stretch merely touching her for as long as he did.

She started to hyperventilate, she spat onto the snow, trying to get rid of the sour taste in her mouth. She covered her mouth. Her place, her entire existence here has been compromised. {Everyone knows she exists and has been observing them. All of them. There isn’t a secret that she can keep here. That meant she couldn’t stay here for very long for fear of being hunted down.

“Kid! Kid, Where are you?!” a familiar voice called. It was Stretch. He was looking for her, the first of many. She had to move fast. SHe got to her feet and as soon as he looked away, Bax dashed out of the branches and jumped branch after branch.

“I’m not dying today. NOT YET.” SHe thought as she dashed away, just as Stretch managed to notice her.

...

Stretch was shaking the unconscious skeleton in his arms, hoping and praying his HP hasn’t hit zero. He cannot lose Blueberry, not again. Not like this. Tears started to fall down his face. “Sans...please wake up!” Stretch begged his brother, he checked Blueberry’s vitals, he sighed with relief once to had stopped draining. Eventually, Stretch felt his brother stiffen and stir, his eyelights appearing in his eyesockets again.

“Papy...?” Blueberry said hoarsely, causing him to be tightly hugged by Stretch with a choked sob. “Thank God...I thought you were gone for sure...!” Stretch sobbed shakily. “Papyrus...” Blueberry felt his brother’s tears on his shoulder. Blueberry softly smiled as his own eyesockets filled with tears. He was scared too. He hugged back tightly. He knew and remembered everything. He finally knows what his brother has been keeping from him for years. Not only does he know, he can finally figure out how to help him. Blueberry smiled softly and rubbed Stretch’s back as Stretch continued to cry in his arms.

They stayed like that for awhile. Until they finally separated and helped each other up, Stretch healing Blueberry, and helping him to clean up the mess in the kitchen. Stretch opened his mouth to say something but Blueberry interrupted him, a little ticked, saying, “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS? YOU WERE GOING THROUGH SO MUCH AND YOU CARRIED IT ON YOUR OWN. EVEN WHEN I TOLD YOU, YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO! I WAS HERE THE ENTIRE TIME, WORRYING ABOUT YOU TRYING TO GET YOU TO TALK ABOUT IT!” Blueberry continued to chastise his older brother, “NEVER KEEP THIS FROM ME AGAIN!”

Stretch blinked a few times and smiled a little in understanding. “I won’t, brother.”

“YOU CAN MAKE IT UP TO ME BY QUITTING THAT HABIT.”

“Heh...okay brother. I will.” Stretch grinned before then realizing, “Oh crap, I lost the kid.” Simultaneously, they both realized the front door has been open for ages. They both heard the cries and shouts.

“I’ll be back, better catch the kid before your boss catches them.” Stretch had o find the kid and fast. before another monster...anymonster got to them, first Particularly Captain Alphys, who was a human-killing fanatic.

Stretch ran out of the house, closing the door behind him. He saw the damage outside. He noticed everyone covered in snow, unconscious, or crying. A harsh blizzard wind blew against his hoodie. “Whoa....kid.” He saw footprints leading outside of town. Stretch decided to take his chances and follow them. Hoping to find the kid alive and not dead.

Stretch ended up where they first found the girl. He saw the clothes that they had dressed the girl in strewn all over the snow. Once the footprints stopped, he called out, “Kid! Kid, where are you?”

...

A few seconds later, Bax and Stretch were in a chase, not too far behind or ahead of the other. Bax was in the trees, branches rustling and cracking under her weight. Stretch chased after her, snow crunching under his boots.

“Got to keep running until the rift opens again! I can’t be caught!” Bax continued running.

“Stop! Kid! It’s not a good idea to run across the branches!” Stretch called. He was getting tired, running is not his sport. This big girl, made running seem easy for someone her size, and he was scrawny was bones! “Where is this Gil going?” He looked past her and noticed they were coming up to the ruins. A dead end for her and an opportunity for him.

He grinned and aimed a Gaster Blaster at the branches in her path to the higher walls of the ruins. Bax managed to look behind her and her eyes widened. “Aw poop!” The Gaster Blaster fired and she barely was able to slow down and stop before she ran into the blast. She tried to keep herself steady on the rocking branches.

Once the smoke had cleared, the branches that lead to the rift were completely gone, her mouth went agape. “Such accuracy...” She thought in her mind. She looked down and saw Stretch with a cheeky grin. For some reason, a slight annoyance entered her expression. “Flipping...”

“You can’t just leave without giving us answers, kid. nice attempt at escaping though. I’d I’ve you an 8 out of 10 due to you not making it before I vaporized the path in front of you,” He said chuckling a bit. Ba continued to stand on her end of the branches, looking back and forth between Stretch and the other side of the gap. A rift was starting to form on the other side. Her hopes at escaping just beyond reach...

“You know, you can relax. I’m not going to hurt you. Just...come down and we can talk. Just a nice long detailed chat,” Another wind blew through the trees, the branch she’s on, cracking audibly, “That branch won’t hold your weight forever since I blasted the front of it. Might want to move before it falls and you get hurt.”

Bax bared her tusks at him, hating the fact that he was absolutely right. But she refused to bow to his will. SHe was stubborn and she wasn’t coming down until she knew Stretch could be trusted. Nonetheless, the branch was starting to break beneath her feet. If only he’d just let her go, she won’t be a bother...But of course he did something that she knew he was capable of doing but thought he was tooo lazy to do so.

“Okay...either you’re really dumb or partially smart. You seem to be looking for something. A way out maybe? Sorry to disappoint you but the ruins are a dead end.” Stretch sighed as he continued to watch the blushing girl from below. Stretch hoped insulting her intelligence literally would get her to try to get down from there. It was pretty high up from where she was.

Bax refused to give in, though she felt like she should be offended by Stretch’s judgement of her intelligence. Well she knew him too well from observing him, hat he usually didn’t mean that, so of course she stayed where she was. Continuing to watch the rift grow bigger. “Come on, a few more seconds.” Bax egged on the rift with every fiber of her being.

The skeleton soon asked, starting to get impatient, “Well since you’re not comin down, can I at least have your name?”

She chuckled in her mind, giving out her name to anyone in any of the worlds was more than likely a arctic to get her name written in the world’s history so she would have to stay...er at least visit once in awhile. Advancing this monsters abilities each time she visited. She moved back absentmindedly just as the branch she was standing on fell, crashing into the snow below. Stretch flinched a bit before regaining his cool.

This was crucial. She could disrupt the timeline more, or she could leave without saying a word. She never had been caught before, the damage was done, and she knew it. Not only that, the choice Bax makes now could change things in the universe. No one in this world was supposed to have noticed, let alone seen anything outside of their own world. Tears fell down, Bax’s face as she whimpered indecisively, not knowing what she should do under so little time.

A few teardrops fell down of of her face on onto Stretch’s face. He felt her emotions momentarily. He sighs and says, “hey. Don’t you know how to greet a new pal?” Bax looked down at him before looking at the now open portal. Knowing her choice could change everything in the multiverse and his world as he knows it.

“Come down and shake my hand.” He offered his hand up, just as the branch cracked, too weak to no longer keep Bax up there. ax realized that she so badly wants to belong somewhere. She would love it here. It’s nice...quiet...with occasional excitement. She gave one last look at the portal, before looking down just as the branch broke, causing her stomach to plummet and her to fall. She felt fearful, she closed her eyes and...everything went black.

Spoiler Art:

https://bax-the-hooman.tumblr.com/post/186659204705/a-little-look-into-the-third-part-of-chapter-2

https://bax-the-hooman.tumblr.com/post/186641507185/baxtale-chapter-2part-1

[silver-ninja-of-the-tides]

Silver and Gold 4--Not Just a Tournament

Chapter 7--Something Forming in the Deep

Summary

Fractured once, then fractured again. Four of the heroes of Ninjago have hung up their ninja gear and vainly started anew. And they’ve convinced themselves that they’re not going back.

But as Lloyd and Janet try to piece their team back together, a mysterious invitation to a massive tournament tells them that Zane is alive.

Bonds will be tested. Suspicions of everything they know and don’t know will arise. It all goes down at the Tournament of Elements.

(First chapter)

Cole’s POV

Below me, Des merely flipped over to Kai’s balcony right before Lloyd and I landed on the rail. Why am I not surprised they’re neighbors?

Kai let us in just as Janet dropped in, and I couldn’t believe his room! He has a normal bed! And typical Kai just has to have a lavafall.

“Yup. This has him written all over it. Literally,” Des said as she looked at the picture of Kai.

“Ugh. That’s it. His room’s better than mine!” I summed up. “And look at these!” I gestured to the confections on the small table. “I don’t have these!”

“What’s wrong with your room?” Janet asked, leaning against the dresser behind me.

“Oh nothing, nothing . . . except for a stone hard bed!”

“That’s it?”

“I mean that literally!”

“Sooo I’m guessing you don’t have silk sheets,” Des said wryly.

“Absolutely not!”

Kai suddenly slipped inside and slammed his door shut.

“Where’s Jay?” Des asked, and he poked his head back outside.

“Oh okay, heh! Good night, heh heh!” He closed the door again with raised shoulders, and we all exchanged looks. A couple seconds went by before he went back outside.

“You just had to leave me hangin’, huh, Romeo?” Jay retorted, and he and Kai finally came inside. “Woah-ho-ho-ho! Nice digs!”

“I know!” I complained. “His room is so much nicer than mine! Look. Chocolate-covered shell peas! I love these!” After eating a couple I leapt onto Kai’s bed with the peas. “Ohh and look how soft your pillows are!”

“They can’t be that soft,” Des said.

“Try them out!”

With a smirk she jumped onto the bed. “Ooh you’re right! They are soft, almost as soft as mine.”

“Man, mine are made of rock! What a croc.”

“Okay, it was almost impossible to get here,” Jay said. “This place is swarming with guards! Any ideas on how we search the island?”

“We travel by shadow,” Kai answered. “Cover every square inch of this place until we find him.”

My hand brushed up against the wall, and the next thing I knew, Des and I were seeing nothing but black. Instinctively I grappled onto the sheets and Des’s hand to keep us from falling.

“What did you do?” she interrogated.

“How am I supposed to know?!”

“Well whatever you did, undo it.”

“You try and do something! My hands are occupied!”

Looking around, she randomly kicked to the right, and we miraculously flipped back into Kai’s room. “That was lucky.” A few seconds went by before we looked to each other in realization.

“Uh, guys? This bed is uh—”

“Cole! I get it! You like my bed!” Kai barked. “Will you stop playing around?”

“He just found something!” Des argued.

“Like what, exactly?” Janet asked.

“I think I know how we can search the island,” I said. “Hop on, guys!”

The others exchanged looks.

“Just get on,” Des said. We all crowded onto the bed and laid there for a few moments.

“Okay, I feel ridiculous,” Lloyd admitted.

“Took the words right out of mouth,” Janet said.

Jay sighed. “You’re right. The pillows are soft!”

“Is this a joke?” Lloyd asked.

“I must’ve done something to trigger it,” I said. “I was laying here, then I stretched—”

Click!

The bed flipped over a few times before stopping above the same pit of darkness, and we all gasped as we hung from the bed. Well, most of us did. Kai was hanging on to my foot and Des was holding Janet’s wrist.

“Secret passageway!” Jay gushed. “Cool!”

Kai produced a flame for light. “Nice work, Cole. Maybe Zane’s not on the island, but in it.”

Suddenly we heard grunting from another direction, and it seemed to be really close by.

“Quiet! Do you hear that?” Lloyd whispered. Above us were two tiny holes streaming with light.

“Oh! Secret peepholes!” Jay beamed. “Ha hah, super cool!” He scaled the wall to reach the peepholes. “Sounds like someone’s fighting on the other side of this wall.”

“Whaddya see? Who’s fighting?” I asked.

“It’s not a fight. It’s Skylor’s room. And it looks like she’s training.”

“Lemme see, lemme see!” Kai zipped up the wall to get a look.

“Seriously?” Janet criticized.

“Ohhh, looks like Kai’s got the hots for her,” I teased.

“No, she’s competition!” Kai protested. “I just wanna know what powers we’re up against.”

“Ugh, wait your turn!” Jay scoffed.

“We can at least share!”

Janet just face palmed at their antics while Des looked to the roof in annoyance.

“Guys! This is an invasion of privacy!” Lloyd scolded.

“Her room doesn’t reveal anything about her power,” Kai said disappointedly. Suddenly the duo gasped.

“What was it? What did you see?” I begged.

“She’s . . . fire.”

“Wait a minute,” Lloyd started. “If we’re all descendants of elemental masters . . .”

I started teasing him. “Kai’s heart is on fiiire! Kai’s heart is on fiiire! Kai’s heart is on fiiire!”

“Can we please just keep moving?” Kai spat.

“Finally!” Des retorted, throwing her arms up.

“Ooh-hoo-hoo! Looks like someone’s a little jealous!” I joked.

With a growl she doused me with water.

“Hey!”

“Let’s just find Zane and get out of here.” She stormed off behind Kai, and the rest of us exchanged looks before moving on. I, on the other hand, have found the shell peas, and I’m enjoying every one of them.

As we walked, Kai and Des kept stealing side glances at each other before he ultimately turned his head away in embarrassment. As much as I like getting on their nerves, those two need to talk things out if this gets messy.

“It’s like a maze down here,” Kai finally said. “Good thing you’re leaving a trail back to our room.”

“I’m what?” Behind me was a trail of shell peas. “Oh! Yeah, heh. I meant to do that.”

“And a trail of water,” Janet added.

“Yeah. And that . . .”

Coming across a shaft, we all climbed down as we ventured deeper into the passageways. Glancing over my shoulder, Des had her arms folded and was tapping her fingers against them. Occasionally her eyes flickered to Kai. After looking to him and her, I fell into step with her.

“. . . You uh, gonna talk to him?”

“Me?” Des asked. “No. I mean . . . of course I’m gonna talk to him, but now’s not the time. We both have other things to focus on, like finding Zane.”

“Can’t be too hard. You’re neighbors.”

“It’s a delicate situation, Cole. I can’t just waltz up to him and talk about it.”

I glanced over to the others, who were unaware of our conversation. “Look. I don’t want you two to have a similar problem to what Jay and I had about Nya.”

“Had?”

“Okay. We s-still have that problem. But my point is, try to find the time to talk to him. Even though things are getting crazy here, just do it. You’ll thank me later.”

She stayed quiet, and her fingers drifted to her pin. “I’ll think about it.”

“Heh. Don’t think about it for too long.”

She shot me a look.

“All right, that was bad. But hey! If they’re related then you won’t have anything to worry about.”

“Maybe . . .” Man. I wish I could take my own advice . . .

Eventually we came across a stone tunnel, which meant that we were actually making some kind of progress.

“Everyone stop!” Lloyd grabbed Kai’s shoulder and gestured to the trip wire. “Booby traps.”

“Ho ho! Booby traps!” Jay said. “Even cooler, ha hah!”

Lloyd gave his a stern look.

“Or I mean, kinda cool. I mean they’re totally not cool. Y’know ‘cause they’re dangerous.”

“From here on out we have to watch our step.”

“Do you hear that?” Kai asked. “Everyone, be quiet.”

We all fell silent, and we could pick out some form of chanting far ahead of us.

“Where's it coming from?” Des asked.

“Only one way to find out,” Janet replied.

Carefully we made our way further into the tunnel. I wonder if any of Chen’s goons have ever accidentally triggered any of these traps . . .

Footsteps from another part of the tunnel stopped us in our tracks, and we hid behind a boulder. Four of Master Chen’s thugs walked by heading for the source of the chanting. Shortly afterwards, several more followed behind.

“Psst.” Lloyd gestured to the incoming guards, and unanimously we all pulled them aside to knock ‘em out. “Hope you don’t mind if we borrow these.”

We slipped the armor over our suits and put on the snake skulls they had.

“Huh. Good thing we have short hair,” Des said.

“Oh speak for yourself, Destiny!” Janet hissed, pulling her hair back in a tight bun.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” Jay said, unsure. “We got the armor, the hats; what are we missing?”

Lloyd looked down at the unconscious guards in thought. Then his eyes fell onto me, and I stopped mid-bite.

“What?”

Jay’s POV

So here we were in the heart of the action in plain sight. In front of us was a horde of guards all chanting as they stood in front of Clouse. A giant stone statue of a Serpentine head loomed over us, and torches lit the room entirely.

“Stop licking your tattoos!” Kai scolded in a hushed tone.

“It’s chocolate! I can’t resist,” Cole protested quietly.

“Shh! Just try to fit in,” Lloyd said. Hah! I’m already doing that!

As the rest of us tried “chanting,” I could barely see someone up ahead walking toward the assembled group with some kind of glowing staff. With one pound at the ground everyone dropped to the floor, and we hastily did the same seconds later.

“Bring out the loser!” Chen ordered. Two men came in dragging a struggling metal Karlof to the front.

“Get hands off Karlof! Karlof wish he never signed up for this!” He was thrown at the feet of Chen, and he had no choice but to look up. “What is chanting for?”

“They’re saying ‘Only one can remain.’ ”

“He really likes that phrase, doesn’t he?” Des whispered.

“No kidding,” Cole commented.

“Like I said, ‘Use it or lose it’!” Chen quoted.

The same two guards held Karlof back by the arms, and Chen fired his staff at him. An ice-like mist seeped into Karlof before retreating back into the staff, bringing a gray mist with it. Karlof’s metal skin was gone, and he dropped face first onto the ground like he was drained of energy.

“He’s stolen Karlof’s power!” Kai realized.

“And he used ice,” Cole added. “That means he must’ve already stolen Zane’s power, too!”

(First chapter) (Next chapter) (Previous chapter)

[callmeakumatized]

My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend - Ch. 3

(( So, this would have been out sooner. Like, HOURS sooner, but the HUGE update that my computer was supposed to do ALL NIGHT LAST NIGHT failed without me knowing and decided that it would do it tonight. So yeah. But here it is as promised! I hope you enjoy. (3 ))

Huh. Well, that's cool.

Wait…what!?

Adrien could only blink. Nino chuckled and shook his head before patting his friend on the shoulder and walking away. Adrien reached a hand out for support as he leaned against the stairway above him.

Thoughts warred inside Adrien's head. While Marinette's crush on him had always been a suspicion of his, Adrien had given up trying to pursue anything with his classmate when Ladybug had started to reciprocate his feelings. The fact that Marinette still had a crush on his civilian self, even after three years of knowing him and two years of having a super-hot, superhero secret boyfriend (he honestly had wondered why a girl like that always refused to go on dates), left Adrien in a state of mental and emotional limbo. He wasn't sure whether he should be angry or extremely flattered. On the one hand, Ladybug liked both sides of him. That fact alone was enough to force spontaneous heart bubbles to pop out of his eyeballs. But on the other hand…Marinette seemed to still harbor feelings for someone else while she was already dating him. The fact that that person was also him was, in this case, quite irrelevant.

The pictures of Adrien Agreste plastered all over her wall for "inspiration purposes" suddenly made Adrien a little more embarrassed thinking about them now than when he had first teased her about the photos while Chat Noir.

"Inspiration purposes" my butt, Adrien inwardly grumbled to himself.

While there were a lot of serious decisions to be made that Adrien couldn't come to a conclusion on, the warning bell urged him from his rooted spot. His feet marched the familiar path of their own volition, cutting their way through the crowds to a classroom he did not want to go to, where he still sat in front of a certain blue-haired class mate who, he just now realized, had continuous staring access to the back of his head for the next two and a half hours.

He was, admittedly, quite jealous of this predicament.

What he wouldn't give to be able to stare at Marinette for the next two hours.

Goodness knows he sure enjoyed doing it when she was Ladybug. Now, having the girl of his dreams wrapped in the nice, cute package that was the essence of Marinette Dupain-Cheng gave Ladybug a realness quality to her. She already had been attainable to Chat – though he still felt like he didn't deserve her – but now she was literally in reach of Adrien as well. It didn't help the combatting feelings already warring in his mind.

Sighing heavily, Adrien turned around the doorframe of the classroom just as the tardy bell rang. As usual, Mlle Bustier merely scowled lightly to show her disapproval before turning her back on the class to give the students one more minute to settle in. Instinct and routine led Adrien through the motions. A fist bump as he past Nino, a sheepish grin to Alya, a friendly wave to Chloé and Sabrina, and a kiss on the cheek for Ladybug.

Completely normal.

Which was why he didn't understand why there was sudden giggling behind him, accompanied by a cat-call whistle from the back.

Adrien leaned his head on one hand, sighing again, before Nino punched him hard in the arm. Sparing a harsh look to the DJ, he spotted something else on the table: a small piece of ripped-off notebook paper with Nino's untidy scrawl.

You do realize you just kissed Marinette, right?

Ah, GEEZ.

The day did not improve from there. Adrien’s impromptu kiss had made it difficult for the entire class to pay attention to anything Mlle Bustier was saying, but this was especially more difficult for Adrien himself. Everyone else may just be enjoying a real-life soap opera, but Adrien was trying not to die of self-induced heat exhaustion. He didn't know it was possible for someone to be able to harbor so much blush in their cheeks, ears, and, for the last fifteen minutes, the back of his neck.

Because of course they had to be discussing Shakespeare for the duration of class today. And of course they had to have an in-depth discussion on The Comedy of Errors.

Please, Adrien mused to himself. Please, go on about how Adriana is married to Antipholus of Syracuse and mistakes his long-lost twin Antipholus of Ephesus for her husband and how he falls for her sister Luciana who thinks he is her brother-in-law. Because I am living this mess.

"…'How many fond fools serve mad jealousy'…"

"How many indeed,” Adrien scoffed to himself.

It was too late to rescind his second faux pas of the day. The only sign he had that something had even happened was Nino's snort. Adrien looked toward his friend, but Nino only shook his head and covered his face with his hat in embarrassment through association.

….He had said that out loud, hadn't he?

Lunch couldn't come soon enough.

Except, when it did come, Adrien spent the first half of it just trying to cool off.

The classroom he had picked was small, but it was empty and large enough to pace in. And pace he did, much to Plagg’s annoyance, though the Kwami said nothing (the fourth cheese wedge in his mouth may have helped with this).

After trying so hard to block out his memories of the morning, and not look at Marinette's face (or any other part of her, for that matter), and hurry out of the classroom before anyone could razz him about his multiple flubs, Adrien had only succeeded in further losing his grip. Literally. In a mix of nerves and rushing, Adrien had tried to grab his tablet's stylus to shove it into his bag. The pen did not cooperate. Instead, it was sent flying through the air. Cat-like reflexes made way for a cat-like spaz attack; arms flailing, Adrien missed catching the stylus altogether, but did manage to somehow slip out of his bench and onto the ground in a way that was anything but model-worthy. Grumbling, his own eyes were suddenly met by a familiar pair of big blue ones staring at him passed blushing cheeks.

"Uh, h-here you go, Adrien," Marinette said with a wavering, glowing smile as she reached a hand out to help him to his feet.

"Curgonewheya," Adrien muttered in a sad attempt at a response. There was no reason for this. He didn't know what he was even saying anymore. Unfortunately, because of this, neither did anyone else. The class started to laugh heartily at the so, so awkward exchange. Marinette tried to keep her calm smile, but Adrien noticed the mirth-filled twitch at the corners of her mouth. 

Mumbling a legitimate thanks to Marinette, Adrien grabbed her hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. The touch of her skin did something to him that caused a serious lack of equilibrium. When he hurriedly turned away from her without another glance, he promptly tripped over the last stair.

Which eventually brought him here, silently suffering in an empty classroom. And of course, his thoughts could only focus on Marinette.

There was…skin. This fact swam through Adrien's mind in dousing waves. Ladybug really did have lovely, tangible skin that he could see and actually touch. This wasn't really a revelation, and it definitely wasn't a hormonal thought process. It was a realization that there might actually exist a close future where he could hold Ladybug's hand without the inhibitions of suits between them. And sure, maybe Adrien didn't exactly know how he felt about Marinette having a crush on Adrien while still dating him as Chat Noir, but the fact that this woman actually existed in a world where she was covered in pink skin and soft fabrics rather than a tough-shelled supersuit definitely was a swaying factor in the "I forgive you" category.

This is what spurred Adrien on to find Marinette after he had finished pacing in the abandoned classroom. He would find her, he would confess, and maybe, just maybe, he would be able to touch those delicate-looking, skin-covered fingers once more. And while the thought made him want to start planning a wedding while simultaneously making him sick enough to almost blow chunks, Adrien pushed on.

Now or never.

It was cliché. It was so cliché that it hurt.

Although that could just be because Marinette had full-on ran into him. But Adrien had caught the bluenette in his arms. Self-control was faltering. This was his girlfriend! He'd kissed her a thousand times! And she was here! He was holding her! She needed to know…she needed to know who he was; he needed to be able to really date this wonderful woman!

I see you're falling for me again, M'Lady.

That's what he had planned to say.

Instead, what came out was, "I want to date you."

A heartbeat passed where the two teens could only stare at each other.

Then the shy, puce-faced girl replied. 

"Okay."

Chapter Two Ao3 FF.net

(( I'm failing to see where any of this is going to go wrong?

Oh, what's that?

It already has?

Oh. Ok. Carry on. (8 ))

(( Dare I say it? I don't think this chapter was very good. And I'm sorry. It was better in my head? Oh well. Let's just keep going, right!? Heh… ._.;; ))

(( THANK YOU FOR READING THIS. *hearts* ))

[caspinn]

Repeating Apologies - Chapter 1

Summary: Dean needs to find his soulmate so he can get rid of the Mark of Cain. He only didn't expect his soulmate to be a total different, powerful species, created to purify humanity.

Warnings: No specific warnings in chapter 1. Please feel free to react!

“Just cut it out, Sam!” Dean shouted.

He was pissed off. Really pissed off, because he had the feeling that Sam was doing some dumb – very dumb – shit just to get rid of the Mark. That goddamn Mark that had been poisoning Dean’s mind ever since he got it.

Dean had noticed Sam’s weird and mysterious behavior a little while ago. It was quite obvious, too; how Sam always seemed to sneak away whenever he got a phone call, how he always gave Dean that look like he was some wild animal that could burst into flames as soon as it got mad, how he never had a good explanation for random leaving the house, instead coming up with those horrible excuses like going to see a freaking French movie in a whole other state…

Yeah, no, Dean wasn’t stupid. He knew his brother well enough to know that Sam probably was working on some kind of dumb shit, just to save him from the Mark.

Sam was looking at Dean like some beaten puppy when suddenly his cell phone started ringing – again. The device was on the table, buzzing around and begging for their attention… right in Dean’s freaking eyesight!

But this time, he would figure out who this person was!

Dean cast a quick glance at the screen and found himself frowning when he recognized the name written there. At that moment, Sam probably already knew that Dean would find out the truth about these plans of saving his brother, because Sam knew who was calling – of course he did, that little shit.

When Dean looked up, his stare was hard, boiling. Probably able to murder somebody with it if it was possible.

“CAS?!” He shouted at his little brother. There was no more use in trying to find another stupid excuse now since Cas normally only called Dean whenever he needed something. Yeah, no, Dean had enough here to make his own conclusions, and now Sam could only watch when Dean picked up the phone.

Almost automatically, Dean puts the phone on speaker, and together they hear Cas on the other side of the line.

“Sam?” the low voice of the Angel asks. Dean kept staring at Sam when he answered. “Cas, what the hell are you doing?” Cas squeaked softly and cleared his throat. “J-just testing my new phone, Dean,” Cas starts with another shitty excuse. “Didn’t want to bother you with that, heh.”

Deans eyebrows jumped up by hearing Cas lie like that; not that Cas hadn’t lied to them before, Dean told himself while thinking back of that whole Crowley-business. “You’re a horrible liar, Cas,” he said dryly. Seriously, how did he ever even manage to lie to Sam and Dean for a whole freaking year?

Sam was just standing there the entire time, looking at his annoyed brother who was getting even more annoyed since nobody seemed to be going to tell him what was they were planning – behind his freaking back! Again!

Dean knew that he had given up hope, and it was obvious that that Sam hadn’t. But that didn’t give him the right to lie to him like that. They did this dance over and over again, and somebody always ended up mad or disappointed again, too angry to talk to the other. Sam lied a lot to Dean and he lied about this whole project the whole time.

Something seemed to have shifted inside of Sam while Dean continued to get some answers out of Cas. The guilty, beaten look that he had been carrying just a few seconds ago was now gone, and instead he seemed… defeated?

“Dean, I really don’t-“ Cas kept on going, but then Sam interrupted him. “Just tell him already, Cas,” Sam mumbled. Dean’s heart jumped a bit there. Finally, they seemed to be getting somewhere. Cas hesitated for a few more seconds, but he sounded actually glad he could finally tell the truth to Dean. The Angel seemed to hate working behind one of the brother’s back, so this would probably be a real relief for him.

Cas sighed and started talking at last, Dean knowing with just the sound of his voice that the Angel is smiling. “Rowena found something.”

Deans eyes widened when he heard Rowena’s name, and anger boiled up inside of him again. That witch? Crowley’s mother? Who actually tried to kill him but failed miserably? Dean kept himself in and didn’t say anything, instead waiting for the rest despite feeling like he was very close to losing control again.

On the other side of the line someone beeped something on the background. “Okay, Rowena and Charlie found something together,” Cas quickly corrected himself. Dean’s eyes widened even more and his mouth dropped open. Then he blinked and stared furiously at his younger brother next to him. Charlie? Innocent, sweet Charlie, who really didn’t have to keep on risking her neck for their cause? Oh man, this was getting worse by the second.

Someone spoke again in the background. “Fine, Charlie did the most work,” Cas eventually corrected for the last time. Someone else spoke in the background, words Dean couldn’t understand. “I’m not a boy, Rowena. I’m clearly a full grown man.” “Cas, focus and tell us what they’ve discovered, please?’ Sam asked calmly, but Dean knew that he was impatient at the moment.

“Yeah, uhm, so they are still researching for more information, but we need to start looking for Dean’s soul mate,” Cas said it like searching for a soul mate was something ordinary, to be found easily in the store, hopefully with lots of discount. Dean was so taken aback that he had to put the phone on the table before it could drop on the ground. Sam watched his brother silently freak out a little.

“Like what, he needs to fall in love or something?” Sam asked the question Dean had been avoiding there. “Uh, what? Of course not,” Cas muttered as if the ‘you idiot’ at the end of the sentence was implied, sounding like he didn’t understand how Sam could even be thinking this. “I said he needs to find his soul mate.” “Repeating it doesn’t make it sound more logic, Cas!” Sam responded bitterly. “Oh, you don’t know what soul mates really are?” Cas asked. Sure, the Angel had infinite knowledge about all this shit, and to him it was probably common knowledge like knowing the days of the week.

“A soul mate is someone who is literally linked to somebody’s soul, Sam. That doesn’t necessarily mean something positive. Finding Dean’s soulmate doesn’t mean that he will fall in love with them. There are a lot of soulmates that are just friends. There are also a lot that are enemies and end up killing each other because the connection is strong but filled with negative energy, you see. Most soulmates never even meet.”

“Great,” growled Dean. “So we have to search someone, somewhere. That doesn’t sound vague at all…” “Come on, Dean! This is great news; we just have to find this person, how innocent does that sound? It’s not like you have to kill your own brother or something, we just have to find him…or her, whatever.” It had probably been a long time, but Sam seemed finally hopeful that things would go back as they were before the Mark came along.

“Yeah,’ Dean sighed, and the happiness he saw on his brothers face calmed him down. “Sounds almost too good to be true…” “Dean’s right, Sam. I don’t really see how the Mark will just go away when we find Dean’s soulmate.” Cas sounded doubtful “They didn’t decode the rest of the book yet. The only part they solved was that we have to find the soulmate, nobody knows what we have to do after that.”

“Right, I understand,’ Sam answered while passing his hand through his hair. He seemed to think for a second and then asked: “Can Rowena find out who this soulmate is?” Suddenly they heard someone curse very loudly through the speaker and then, when she was finally done with cursing, Rowena started yelling. “I’M A WITCH, YE BIGOT! NOT SOME KIND OF HUMAN PSYCHIC, I’M NO’ GOING TO LOWER MYSELF TO THAT! FIND ONE OF THESE WEIRD AURAREADERS OR THESE FORTUNETELLERS OR SOMETHING!” Her words were covered with that typical thick Scottish accent.

“I don’t think she can see who Dean’s soulmate is,” Cas unnecessary added to that. Dean couldn’t help but roll his eyes there. “Yeah, no shit,” Dean muttered to himself. Sam ignored him. “Okay, Cas, keep on searching for more answers about this solution. Give Charlie a big hug from us and tell that she can come to the bunker if she wants to work somewhere else. Oh, and Rowena should be imprisoned here now, I guess, since Dean now knows, so… .” “Of course,” Cas said shortly, like he always did. When the Angel hung up, Sam was already making plans to take action.

“So, Dean, I’ll search trough Bobby’s books, you can shift through dad’s journal and see if you can find something. We need to find a psychic asap.” When he looked at Dean at last, his expression changed. Dean knew he looked worn, obviously worrying. But Dean couldn’t help it, so much seemed to be happening in such a short time. “What’s wrong?”

“This doesn’t feel right, Sammy,” Dean started. “We don’t know any details; who even knows what we have to do to… my freaking soul mate?” Sam nodded in understanding, probably worrying about that too – who wouldn’t? Dean knew he only wanted to make him hopeful again. He had made clear from the beginning that he didn’t want Dean to stop fighting the Mark, but Dean had just given up when there didn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel.

“I don’t think we can hurt your soul mate by just an introduction?” Sam tried, chuckling a bit. Dean snorted as well, and then nodded. The worried frown stayed on his face, still. Dean couldn’t really remember what it felt like to actually be happy, to smile without forcing it. All he had been feeling for so long was anger and worry, constantly concentrating on keeping things together and keeping the urge to murder deep inside

“We’ll start tomorrow. You should get some sleep because you look like shit, you sneaky bitch,” Dean said with a little, forced smile. Dean was trying the best he could not to be too angry with him for lying and keeping secrets. The mark made this effort very hard for Dean, so Sam better appreciated every effort he put into it.

Sam then gave Dean the kindest smile he had and said: “You too, jerk!”

[diamondsareapearlsbestfriend]

Sans/Toriel 30 Day OTP Challenge: Day Eight

AO3 | Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five | Day Six | Day Seven

day eight: first kiss

prompt: “Exactly what it sounds like: make a piece inspired by/about your OTP's first kiss.”

Toriel has surely lived through enough unlikely turns of events that nothing ought to surprise her any more – and yet, she must admit, it does feel rather embarrassing, at her age, to find herself once again worrying about whether or not the boy she likes wants to kiss her.

That is not to say that there is any problem between herself and Sans, of course – he is wonderful, sweet and funny and while it may be a little scary, at first, opening herself up to the possibility of romance again after everything that happened with Asgore, there is absolutely no one she would rather take the chance with. The physical differences between them have never been an issue; they may get the odd stare, but monsters choosing a partner outside of their own species is now quite commonplace, far from the taboo it was back when she was last courting.

Toriel has never once found it a problem that Sans is a skeleton; quite the opposite, in fact, for she cannot help but find the contrast between them quite exciting, still fascinated by the hard, smooth lines of his bones, strong yet vulnerable under his clothes, and the sensation of them against her own soft flesh and fur – so very different from being with Asgore, or indeed anyone she can recall holding this closely. But there are also – she cannot help but be increasingly aware – certain...complications that can arise when dating someone with, in the most literal sense, no meat on his bones.

It is not as though Toriel and Sans have never kissed – or least she has kissed him, pressing her lips lightly to his skull or cheekbone, a tender but fairly chaste gesture similar to how she kisses Frisk goodnight. It is perfectly pleasant, but as time passes, she finds herself growing increasingly...curious, about whether it might ever be possible to express her affection more, well, intimately. It feels so good to be close to Sans, laughing with him, leaning against him on the sofa, and she cannot help the sigh of pleasure that escapes as he absent-mindedly plays with her ears, instinctively arching into the touch as he strokes his fingers through the fur on the back of her neck. She recognises the first stirrings of desire from somewhere deep in her soul, rising to her cheeks as her mind begins to wander to places it has not visited in a very long time indeed, and hopes simultaneously that Sans will not notice – and that he will.

For she is also aware that whether Sans can kiss her and whether he wants to are two different questions. Toriel has no reason to doubt that he wants to be with her, and finds her attractive, but he has not yet given her any indication of whether he too wants their relationship to...progress, in such a way. Perhaps how they are is enough for him – and if that is the case, then it is enough for Toriel too, for she certainly does not want to pressure him into anything he might not be comfortable with, or indeed physically capable of. She is quite content just to cuddle up on the sofa; she is with Sans, after all, and that is what matters, not whatever fleeting desires of the flesh she may or may not experience. This is enough, just resting her chin lightly on top of Sans' skull while he's telling her about something that happened at Grillby's last night, even if she is a little distracted watching the movement of his jaw as he talks and wondering what it might feel like to...

"Tori?"

Toriel blinks, startled out of her reverie as Sans glances up at her with a questioning look. “Hmm?”

“Everything okay? You seem a little, uh...distracted tonight.”

“Oh, do I? How funny!” Toriel forces a brittle, unconvincing little laugh as Sans raises his brow bone and she feels her cheeks heating up; she knows he sees right through her, but mercifully he does not say anything. “No, I am fine. I was just, um...thinking."

"Sounds dangerous." Sans grins, before shifting position on the sofa so he is looking into her eyes. "About what?"

"Oh...nothing much, just...” Toriel can feel her heart beating faster as she falters, increasingly aware of how there is barely an inch between them. Sans is still looking at her, the light in his sockets dancing somewhere between amused and intrigued, and she is going to have to explain herself somehow, unless...

Before she loses her nerve, Toriel moves forward to close the short distance between them – just as Sans moves, so that she misses his mouth and instead bumps her head straight into his skull, the sudden, sharp pain making her yelp with surprise.

“Ow – oh shit, Tori, sorry!” As they are both reeling from the blow, Sans reaches out to run a hand tentatively over the lump that is probably forming on Toriel's head, while rubbing his own skull with his other hand. “Are you...?”

His sockets are wide with concern at first, but the moment they meet Toriel's eyes they both inevitably dissolve into laughter, tinged with a peculiar mix of relief and guilt as they fall back against the sofa.

“Do not worry, Sans, I am – I am fine,” she manages eventually to reassure him, after their laughter gives way to a silence that is neither awkward nor completely comfortable. “Even if that was, I confess, not...quite what I was hoping for.”

“Heh, right...sorry, that was – that was my bad.” Sans scratches at the back of his skull, ducking his head from her gaze as the first hints of blue begin to colour his cheekbones. “I probably should've figured...”

“No, it is not your fault – I really ought to have have, ah...made my intentions clearer.” Toriel clears her throat, glancing down at her own clasped hands before summoning up a smile, hopefully bright enough to distract from their mutual embarrassment. “But, truly, there is no problem! Of course, I understand if it is not possible for you to – or if you do not want to...”

"Tori – I want to,” Sans interrupts, and the uncharacteristic urgency in his voice sends a wave of butterflies through Toriel's stomach as he reaches for her hand, linking their fingers together. “Believe me, I really want to. I just, uh...haven't exactly figured out how yet.” He offers her a self-deprecating, vaguely apologetic smile as he rubs conspicuously at his own jaw. “I guess I just didn't wanna mess up and...hurt you, or something.”

Toriel smiles, affection swelling in her chest – he is so sweet to be concerned about her, if misguided. “Sans,” she says, squeezing his hand reassuringly in return, “it is okay. I trust you – I know you could never hurt me. So, ah, I take it perhaps you have not...” She hesitates, not wishing to make things any more awkward than they have to be, “kissed anyone before?”

“Nope. Y'know, having no lips and all, it's...not really something I ever thought about much. Before you, I mean,” he adds, smile turning more sheepish as the blush creeps up along his cheekbones up to where his ears would be. “Now, I think about it – oh wait, actually. I guess there was that one time...”

“Oh?” Toriel's ears prick up, in spite of her efforts not to sound too interested, and Sans nods.

"So, this one night at Grillby's, Bun's doing his usual thing, complaining there's no hot drinks or guys around. Just to make things interesting, Big Mouth bets him a burger he's still not gonna find anyone to smooch all night – pretty safe bet, 'cause this is Snowdin, there's six inches of snow outside, it's not likely anyone new is gonna show up, right? So it gets to closing time, Grillbz is about to kick us out and we're all waiting for Bun to pay up – until, right at the last moment, he turns around and plants one on me. And I mean right on me."

“Oh my!” Toriel gasps, clasping a hand to her mouth as if she is scandalised, but a snort of laughter escapes as Sans pulls a face at the memory. “You have never told me that story before. Hmm, I wonder if perhaps I should be worried...?

“You know what they say about bunnies, am I right?” Sans quips with a wink, laughing too when she elbows him in the ribs in retaliation. “No, seriously, it, uh...didn't really feel like I was missing out on too much.”

“The first time so often is a...learning curve,” Toriel agrees, smiling both with amusement and relief as the tension feels somewhat diffused – although not completely, the question still  hovering in the air until she glances coyly back at Sans. “But it can certainly get better. That is...if one is willing to try.”

“Yeah? Okay,” he answers, as casually as if they are discussing the weather, but his smile is just as wide, and just a touch nervous, as she can feel her own is, as the distance between them seems to grow ever smaller. “I could do that. Try – again, I mean.”

Toriel simply nods, and she is sure her heart is about to burst from anticipation as every moment before they touch seems to last a lifetime – but this time she is careful, and Sans does not move away as she strokes her thumb along his jaw, gently tilting his face up to meet hers before she presses feather-light kisses to the top of his skull, and then down across both cheekbones until she reaches the spot where his jaw meets the top of his spine. She lingers there for a moment, a spark of excitement igniting in her soul when she feels Sans react, a quiet but unmistakable hitch of breath as she nuzzles teasingly at the underside of his jaw before moving back to his mouth. Her lips hover there for a moment, wordlessly asking for permission, until she feels his mouth open up to hers.

It is certainly different to anything Toriel has experienced before; Sans' mouth is dry, like the rest of him, but much warmer than she imagined, almost as though she can feel the energy of his soul responding, entwining with her own as she tentatively explores his jaw with her lips, the unique texture and crevices there. She senses Sans is holding himself back, perhaps for fear of hurting her, but when she flicks her tongue experimentally against his upper jaw he makes a sound she can only describe as a moan, a low, appreciative hum that reverberates through every inch of her body to her very soul. He holds on just as Toriel is about to draw back, pulling her closer as he cups her cheeks, bony fingers stroking through her fur, and returns the kiss by catching her bottom lip between his teeth; a gentle, teasing little nip sending an unexpected but not unwelcome shiver down her spine as she hears herself let out a surprised squeak, and feels Sans grin against her mouth.

“So, uh...wow.” Sans breaks the silence after they separate with a soft, amazed chuckle, sockets wide and cheekbones flushed, and he is – by far – the most adorable thing Toriel has seen in centuries, if not ever. “So that's what that's about, huh. Y'know, I think I'm starting to get it.”

“You are? Wonderful.” Toriel can hardly contain her joy as they sit just grinning at each other like a pair of fools, flushed and giddy as one far younger than her years. “Well – do I not always say that it is never too late to learn?

“Uh-huh, yep, totally – with you on that one, Tori.” Sans strokes his chin for a moment as though deep in serious thought, but he still cannot conceal the charmingly goofy grin stretching from whatever the skeleton equivalent of ear-to-ear is. “Feels like I could definitely use some more practice, though – give me a chance to catch up, you know? With the right teacher...”

“Is that so?” Toriel raises an eyebrow, but cracks when Sans waggles his brow bone, his sockets positively glowing with amusement, but also something else – something new and intense and exciting, stirring some indescribable feelings deep in her soul as she giggles before playfully pushing him away. “Well now. I believe I may be able to assist you with that.”

“I'll work myself down to the bone,” he promises, and Toriel snorts softly as he falls back against her, lazy and comfortable. The joke may be old, but she cannot deny the energy between them feels new, a world of possibilities that may have just opened up for them already teasing at the corners of her mind.

That is the wonderful thing about learning: truly, one never stops, no matter how much knowledge they have already accumulated. Toriel knows that despite all her wisdom, there is still much she has yet to learn – about herself, about Sans, about everyone and everything around them – and she fully intends to savour every second of it.

No matter what may lie ahead – she is with Sans, and that is more than enough.

[fallen029]

One Last Time.4

Anytime I go back to write a character who I haven’t written in awhile, I like to go back and read the last chapter that involved them, to get a feel for them again. So, for Ravan, that would be this chapter from One Last Time. I don’t post Remember Me stuff over here (no one seems to care much for it here...or at all), but I was reading this chapter back and I really fucking liked it and I was just thinking it’s kinda shitty that something of my work, that I like, isn’t unilaterally on all of my fic dumping places, so here’s a single fucking chapter to something without any context. 

Full Story on FF

Full Series on Archive

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They were so alike that they were destined to clash.

That's what people always thought, anyways, of Haven and Ravan. Even they could conceded, at least now, to that fact. When they were children, they had so much stored vitriol and animosity for those around them that it was only natural they'd find it easiest to take it out on the only other person willing to give it right back to them. Up until the point they found one another, Haven spent her days constantly being disappointed by her sister, Navi, and Locke for their inability to continue to take the beatings she was doling out without crying to their parents.

Until Ravan showed up. He had no parents, for one thing, and also a resistance to giving in. They'd battle one another til they were both bloodied and even though, when they got older and became friends over time, the feeling of completely expending yourself, losing nearly all of your magic and having to slink home broken, were some of the best memories Haven held of the guy.

She'd always had a penchant for violence. It paired unfortunately well with her spoiled nature. From the time she was given free reign around nine or so, to go and do as she pleased throughout Magnolia, Haven mostly found herself bothering older children in the neighborhood, until, eventually, finally, they'd conceded and throw down with her.

It...usually didn't go her way.

But fuck, there was just something about it. There always had been for her. Something that her mother and father didn't understand. Or, more than likely, pretended as if they didn't.

To get to the pinnacle, to reach your apex, you have to claw your way up from the bottom. Broken, bruised, and bloodied. It didn't count otherwise. All the origins stories of the famed wizard she grew up in the shadows of had immense hurdles and struggles to overcome in order to garner their celebrity. Since she had next to none of that, the only other option was to manufacture it. Cause injury and hurt where none would appear otherwise.

Plus, well...Haven liked it even more when she wasn't the one getting her ass kicked.

Ravan, however, wasn't manufacturing his pain and suffering. Instead, he was coping with the actual fallout of a traumatic event while adjusting to a new life with a not nearly as sympathetic as she should be at times mentor.

And it felt so fucking good to lay into Haven, to really slam his fist into something, into someone, and just let it all out. Getting shocked wasn't pleasant, it never would be, but that slight tick, right before you realize that Haven had scorched you through, where your body seizes up and you kinda feel nothing for a moment…

There was no deeper reason for him hating Haven. Not really. Not any that he didn't lay out quite openly. She was spoiled and a bully and was a wholly rotten kid. Someone had to put her in her place. Why shouldn't he be allowed joy while doing so?

Never once did he consider her anything close to a friend during those early years. At all. Even when he was forced into palling around with the others, he saw all of them, Navi and Locke as well, as obstacles. Ravan didn't want friends. He'd had friends, most of them had died, and now he didn't need anymore. The same with parents. They were dead and Erza was nothing close to either of them. She was just...there. Kind of like how the slayer kids were just there.

But then one day changed everything.

He didn't understand why Haven sat with him, that day, while he embarrassingly wept, exhausted and beaten. The memory now felt jaded by all they'd gone through over the years, but he could attest with confidence before that moment, he'd never thought of Haven as anything more than an adversary. A rival. Maybe not even. You respect a rival; he vehemently hated the blonde. More than anyone else in his life.

She certainly felt the same way about him. He was for sure she did. And yet, instead of mocking him or running off to tattle, she just sat there, in the dirt. Silent. Not trying to give her opinion or force him into something he didn't want. He wasn't to be tricked, of course, and knew it wasn't the case, there was no way it was the case, but…

Why did it feel like she understood?

How could she?

Her parents weren't dead. She wasn't alone. She wasn't lost and broken and lacking any semblance of self-confidence or reliance.

But there was something in it. That day. As he fractured before her. It...changed things. It changed her, maybe, he wasn't sure, but it definitely changed him.

It felt like he wasn't so alone. That maybe there was someone, even a spoiled slayer kid, that felt the same way as him.

They didn't fight as viciously again. Never again, he was pretty sure.

Oh, they fought. They fought a lot. But it only continued to taper off from there and eventually…

Well…

Heh.

Haven was...reasonably attractive, he always thought, when they got to the age where that mattered, and she paid attention to him, when other people just looked right through him, and she never thought he was creepy. At all.

And he knew, if he'd had just been smarter than stupid Locke and had just said something to Haven, or had just cornered her the same way creepy Locke, then...then…

And it was stupid.

All of it was so stupid.

He was so stupid.

He was hung up on dumb shit that happened, god, it was over half a decade ago. Would he still be so bothered by it in a decade? Haven was, at most, mediocre, right? Right? And she was a fucking nightmare to have as even a friend. A fucking nightmare. And she'd fucked Locke's life up, so shouldn't he just consider himself lucky to have not been involved in all of that?

But he was involved in all of that, because he just thought, if they went out on an adventure together, a real serious one, the fucking gauntlet, and he'd get Haven the only thing she'd ever wanted. All she'd ever wanted. Power. More than she'd know what to do with. And then she'd team up with him, she'd be with him, and he'd be fine if she was with him in literally any capacity that wasn't with Locke, and then they could go on to do all of the things they wanted and he just...he just…

He just phased through it because his mind was leaving him and he was going crazy and she was going to go home with Locke and he'd thought they'd won the gauntlet and it was just reaction and he couldn't breath, he couldn't breath, he couldn't breath, he couldn't…

"Come on, Ravan," Haven was taunting, in that moment, as he did the best he could in that moment, to connect his blade to a purple blast she sent his way, an orb, sending it flying off in the opposite direction. "Fuck your swords. Show me your real magic. Defense is for cowards." There was a glint in her eye then, from where she stalked him, both moving in tandem to one another in a contentious dance. Gleaming, she remarked then, "Maybe that's why you're so into it, huh? You little coward."

"Are you… Haven, did that demon…. Did it get back inside of you?" Ravan still stood in his same dance, not on the attack, not until he knew for certain. "When were in the lab? Or-"

"You're a fucking idiot. You always have been. You know that?" She was advance on him now, shaking her head some as her blue eyes flared in the rising sun's light. "You're pathetic."

"Haven, if you're in there-"

"I never liked you. I was never your friend. At all. I was using you, idiot. And not even the good type of using you, like I was everyone else. Because you were such a little sucker that I didn't even have to give you anything, nothing at all, in return for you basking in my attention." She no hint of the demon inside of her. Not an ounce. All her words, her mannerisms, belonged solely to her, another her, maybe, from years past, that had grown and changed, but had to still exist, as all former selves did, beneath facades and layers. Something, clearly, had revealed this once more and, as it sneered in Ravan's face, "So be the same pathetic little wimp you always are and do as I say; fight. Or I else I'll fucking slaughter you. I fucking swear."

There was a strange moment, just a beat, where he processed her words and she took a breath, Haven did, about the same time he gulped one in, and everything felt so still as she came to a stop before him now, his blade drown between them, time having passed, so much fucking time, and yet…

"In my darkest hours, I turn to you, the heavens above. Grant me the power only Raijin can wield!"

It happened so quickly and yet, not really, was it? This was a long time coming, as Haven's arm shot into the sky, which seemed to darken in a blink, dropping voided lightning straight down, her catching it with with no fear, even knowing the pain this could bring. It was, after all, the only way to get stronger.

There was something different about it though, this time, than it had been out on the cliff that day. Much like for the demon, Haven's eye blacked immediately, fully engulfed save the tiny red dot in the center, becoming as tenebrous as the armor Ravan reequipped into, shiny and reflecting the glows of her duel wielded magic.

He thought he was going to have to kill her, before, once. Not so long ago. In the hot summer that granted her rebirth. But first, he'd spent some agonizing hours, dreading his lot in life, which was surely putting an end to the terror that stood before him now. After all, someone had to put Haven in her place.

Why wouldn't it be the one person who would enjoy it?

But he hadn't enjoyed it. He wasn't enjoying this, as she flew at him with such ferocity, such animus vigor, that it was all he could do to toss up his blade, not catching her magic now, but rather her forearm, a power struggle of swords as she pressed her flesh harder against the blade, as if her body were her own weapon.

And wasn't it?

Ravan fell away, just slightly, stumbling in shock as he watched her wound weep blood from behind his visor, his helmet not providing near enough shielding from what he could clearly now diagnose as insanity.

Whatever he'd done, in bringing her back here, in allowing her to come back here, it was a mistake.

"One of us," Haven insisted to him then as she hardly seemed to even feel it, the stinging in her arm as she merely formed a fist and shot a blast of sticky black lightning straight for the man, "is going to die here, Ravan. And if you keep this up, it's definitely going to be you."

It was all he could do then, Ravan could, to jump out of the way of the sickening crackle of lightning, diving to the side first into a roll, and then into invisibility. She wasn't giving him time to think. He needed to think to-

"You do have a death wish, don't you?" Her eyes flew around the clearing wildly. "I know you, Ravan; you can do all the training you want, with your mom's stupid boyfriend and his friends, take in as many lacrimas as you want, it doesn't matter; you will never have enough magic to pull it off for long. This invisibility shit. It soaks up too much magic. So come out, before I have to- Found you!"

This time, she stomped her foot, heavily, into the ground, the crackling following the path and scorching the ground in its wake.

Ravan cried out as, having fallen forwards, intending to duck her next shot of lightning, he was in the direct line of sight for this ground current and it burned him. Through the armor. He could feel it. This was the magic that nearly downed the final monster on the gauntlet.

If he didn't do something, it would certainly fell him.

Shoving up, he phased back into view, taking a few gasping breaths as Haven stood there, stock still, watching him with a heavy gaze.

"I didn't fucking," he growled to her then as his breath caught back up to him, "kill you, Haven. On that cliff. It wasn't my fault."

And it wasn't.

He knew it wasn't. Now.

But oh, he'd spent so long being unable to come to that conclusion.

The day hung in his memory like no other. Even memories from when he was a boy and a sea monster descended upon the shores of his village, killing most of his family, were beginning to finally, fully fade. Just in time though, there was that final monster, on the gauntlet, to bring him a new memory to haunt his dreams.

Locke had come out of nowhere. From the forest or something. While Ravan was busy dodging blasts from the summoned monster. And Haven, she'd been injured, maybe, behind him, but then there was Locke, just like always, in their perfect little storybook relationship where she fucking sleep around on him and he act like the little bitch he always was, bowing to her every whim, and look, he was saving her again, wasn't he? Just like always.

Fucking idiots.

Both of them.

And fuck 'em, right? Fuck them. Fuck the two people who could have changed his life for the better, could have accept him and been friends with him, but no, Haven had him marked from the first time she saw him and made Locke hate him too. Enough so that even once she forgave him, one she turned the other cheek, her little lapdog couldn't do the same. And it had to be because he knew, didn't he? Locke did? How much better Ravan was than him for her? For Haven? And he was jealous because their friendship, their relationship, made sense, but Locke and Haven had long grown out of one another, hadn't they?

Hadn't they?

But here he was, once again, like the little piss ant he was, lost without his queen telling him directly what to do, and she wanted to be the hero. The victor. So that she could just walk right back out of his life, both their lives, really, the two of them, and go on with her power to do whatever the fuck she wanted.

It wasn't fair.

As childish and silly as it was, that's what Ravan realized that day, out on the cliff, as Haven used her special magic that she'd saved up, just for that moment, to presumably kill the final monster, and then sickeningly makeout with her dumb boyfriend over her victory, and it was never going to be him. Ever. He'd always been the replacement, no, worse; he was the placeholder. When Locke wasn't available, when Locke wouldn't understand or blindly agree to her words, he was there to make her feel heard and agreed with and, most importantly, in power.

And for what?

For fucking what?

So he was going to walk away. Not run away. Just leave. He was going to leave before her dumb family showed up, or whatever was going to go down, and he was going to be gone, then, from the cliff and her life, honestly, and maybe if things had ended there, if everything went how it had always gone up to that point, in her and Locke's favor, then this would be a sign. A final straw.

Haven was never going to be with him.

Or even be his friend.

He was going to walk away from that idea, that dream, and just let it die already, leave it in the past, with her, and her dumb actual boyfriend, and move on with his life, actually move on with his life.

And then…

She caught his arm. She'd rushed after him and grabbed his arm and was holding onto him, confused, because in her spoiled little world, Haven just couldn't understand it, didn't get why everything wasn't going exactly how she wanted, how she envisioned it. He was ruining things by having feelings and emotions and not being totally just okay with her boyfriend being all over her when, only a few nights prior, that was him and they were alone then, and everything was so much better, before that moment, and only continued to go downhill since then, and that had been the peak, right? Of their relationship? It was never going to get any better from there, and they were in the descent, and you couldn't break up with someone after hooking up once, but you could destroy a friendship that had spanned a childhood, and the monster threw something.

An orb.

At them.

And he just…

Did what came naturally.

Phased through.

Evaded.

Avoided something that might hurt him only to have it catastrophically fail and hurt him far worse.

"I didn't kill you," he was repeating with a shake of his head then, but his stance was different now and that time, when he let out a breath, it was only to suck in all the vitriol she was spewing out. "But now I'm going to."

Haven grinned then, but it wasn't so sweet, and when Ravan came rushing at her, blades drawn, she was more than ready. She may have even laughed, Ravan thought, but he couldn't be too sure of it, over the sound of the blood pounding in his ears, and she shocked him again, and again, and he was slashing her, but it wouldn't be enough, because there was only one way to kill her, but…

"Try it," she threatened when they fell away from one another, and her clothes were ripped and she was bleeding, rather heavily, from one wound in specific on her shoulder blade, but Haven only had eyes for him as she panted as well. "Won't work, but try it."

She was talking about his signature, finisher. The final move she'd first seen during the gauntlet. The blue hued light that would engulf his enemies, ending them. When he fell away that time, it was with the intention of using it, yes, at least as a threat tactic, but Haven sneered at this as well.

"If you do that," she told him then, "and it works, fine. You killed me. But if it doesn't, because it didn't, in the fucking guildhall last time, then what? Ravan? You're all out of power and time and I finish you off. That's the gamble, right? It either obliterates your enemies or it only slightly inconveniences them and they feast on you. Didn't work on me before; why would you try it now?"

"It didn't work," he replied darkly, "on the demon. But you don't have the demon inside of you anymore, Haven. You're mortal. Just like the rest of us."

His armor was in poor shape. That God Slayer lightning was eating it alive, ripping right through the protective plating and the glass had shattered on one side, on his visor, just barely missing his eyeball as it flew into his helmet, and fuck.

Fuck.

Every time he tangled with her, he wound up having to buy a new suit.

"I'm nothing," Haven assured him, "like the rest of you. And I don't need the fucking demon inside of me, moron. Don't you get it yet? I am the demon." She laughed then, truly, and he heard it, as she looked up at the sky above, at the dark skies that loomed overhead. "I spent my whole life wanting to be a Dragon Slayer, just like my father. I thought that it was what made him so special, being a dragon, but now I know. Now I get it. His magic, the ultimate form of his magic… Lightning. Electricity. Flowing through me. And now..." She looked down then, at her hands, both pulsing with their separate magics, "Combined with the power of my mother, this demonic energy I've absorbed inside of me…" She slammed both hands together and a magic circle appeared before her as she insisted, "I'm fucking invincible!"

The purple beam that came towards Ravan now was laced with the black lightning and it was going to hit him. Unless he phased through it. But if his magic went to phasing through it, in that moment, he wouldn't have been able to divert it elsewhere.

As her magic ripped through the last of his armor, Ravan forced his focus into reequipping his sharpest, most rigid spear into his hand, and he rushed forwards, through the beam, yelling in equal pan as much sa attempting to stay alive, keep oxygen pumping through him just long enough to fall into Haven, the spear piercing her flesh fully, and he collapsed into her as she fell backwards, a choking noise causing the laughter to die off in her throat.

But only momentarily.

While Ravan fell away in absolute agony, the magic making it difficult for him to breath, clawing at his helmet, trying to rip it off, rip it all off, away from him, to get pure access to any air he could get, Haven only stayed there, the spear having torn right through the scarring she already had, from the final monster on the gauntlet, gasping in her own breaths at first.

But then he heard it.

She was laughing again, sickeningly, disgustingly, as blood fell from her mouth and she sounded overjoyed by what had occurred between the two of them.

His armor, spent and done with, faded back into his reequip as Ravan stayed there, on his knees, while tears pricked his eyes and he questioned, "Why? Why?"

"Because you left me."

She was standing then, woozily, but determinedly, stumbling across the clearing to where her pack lay forgotten. Rifling through it, Haven quickly produced some sort of vial, a potion of some sort, no doubt concocted by her dumb boyfriend, and she cried out, when she had to pull in the smoothest motion she could manage, the spear from where it lay buried in her flesh. Quickly, she tossed the liquid from the vial over the gaping wound in her stomach, it fizzling against her flesh as she hissed, and when Ravan glanced over again, it was little more than a scrap.

"You," she got out as her eyes, one marred still, found his from the other side of the clearing, "let me, Ravan. To die. To fucking die. You abandoned the quest and ran and hid, like a fucking child."

He fell then, off to the side, as his body was wracked with shaking and uneven breathing. Tears flowed now, truly, from his eyes, and he couldn't help it. He was crying, as he was unable to properly gather air in his lungs, while Haven only reached back into the pack before coming to stand over him.

"I win." Bending down, she had to force him not to turn his head as she pressed a vial to his lips. "Drink. Idiot."

He didn't want to, but his body ignored his heart, and the searing pain was slowly ebbing away as Haven, exhausted, fell back onto her butt beside him.

"Apply magical poison to the tips of your spears." She looked down at the tattered shirt she wore. "It would have made it less likely I could have gotten to my vial in time. Then you might have won."

'You're fucked," he sobbed while Haven only sat beside him, watching.

"No." And the sky was clearing now as the magic had long died away in both her arms. Staring him dead in the eyes, she only insisted, "I'm chosen."

Time had lost meaning during their battle, but it was coming back to them both slowly then. Ravan practiced his breathing while Haven poked at the wound in her stomach before, eventually, shifting back over to her pack.

He skewed his eyes shut, Ravan did, as she seemed to have little care for his presence as she tugged her shirt over her head and took a bottle of water out, to begin dumping it over her many nicks and cuts. She had to riffle through the pack one last time for gauze, which she began to wrap around her arms while glancing over her shoulder.

"Aw," she remarked dryly. "You mad at me?"

"Fuck off."

And he wanted to.

He really did.

He wanted to leave her then, right there, and they'd just never see one another again, and it would be like he had killed her. Or she him. A fitting end to the worst relationship he'd ever had in his life.

But he only laid there, miserable and somewhat immobile, honestly, while Haven licked her wounds and he sulked in his own.

"I'm not going to apologize." When he snorted at her words, Haven insisted, "I'm not. Ravan. You owed me this."

"What the fuck even was this?" He finally was able to force himself into sitting up, just a bit, as he ran a hand over his eyes. "Haven?"

"I've already told you," she snapped in annoyance. "I wanted to test my powers fully, before I went away with Locke. Remember? And the only way I could do that was-"

"By trying to get me to kill you? By trying to kill me?"

"If you didn't believe it was real," she chided, "you wouldn't go all out. And I wouldn't be able to go all out on you. I didn't do this to hurt you; I did this for me." Then she heard how that ending bit sounded and frowned before saying, "But only because you deserve it. You owed me. Heavily. Consider us all even now, huh?"

But his eyes were still dark as he shook his head and said, "You'll never get it."

"How you left me?" she retorted, annoyed now, like she always was, by someone not understanding her own case immediately while giving no regards to theirs. "How I laid there, dying, and my friend turned his back and-"

"You'll never understand any of it," he kept up, and he felt unwell, but refused to back down. Not over this. Not when they'd already come so far. She'd gone back to her gauze, stewing now no doubt, but he only insisted as he said, "You're too fucking selfish. All the people in the entire world, in my fucking life, who deserved a second chance, to come back, who'd actually mattered, and it's fuck you who gets to come back? Fuck this. Fuck all of this."

"You," she retorted as she turned, just like that, on her heels to glare at him with just as much fire as she had when they were tussling to the death, "don't know me. Ravan. At all. You have no idea what I am anymore. You didn't when we went out on that stupid gauntlet either. You don't know me. And you haven't since I was, what? Sixteen? Fuck you."

But he wouldn't let her have it, the higher ground, even if he still couldn't peel himself up off it. Tone tight, he questioned back, "And you know me?"

"I know that you left me." She tucked the gauze now, dropping her arms as she stared over at him. "And I know that you never apologized for it."

"What the fuck do you apologize for? Huh?'

"Everything. To everyone who deserves it." And she let out a short huff of breath then, through her nose. "To Marin, to Locke, to...my family. I'm a different fucking person now, Ravan. Than I was even six months ago. I'm getting better, every fucking day. Becoming better. And you don't get to come in and tell me I'm not."

She paused, waiting for his retort, but when none came, Haven took a deep breath before slowly taking steps towards him.

"I'm sorry. Ravan."

He refused to look at her, turning his head, but it didn't matter; her words penetrated regardless.

"I am. I...don't say that word very often, but it's true." She was beside him now and it was with a bit of a wince that she fell back, into the dirt beside him once more. "I am sorry. That I...made you keep going. On the gauntlet. That I made you think that I was going to...be your girlfriend or whatever it was, that you wanted. I'm sorry that I laughed at you. Every single time I laughed at you. I'm sorry if I...if I'm… I was ever part of the reason that you hated yourself so much. I was a really shitty kid and you don't have to believe me or forgive me, but I just thought… I'm going to go away, Ravan. For a long time. And...if we really don't ever see one another again...no joking or being a jerk, but… I'm sorry. For being such a lousy friend. And even worse to you, before I was that. I was going through my own things and preyed on you because of it. I can't go back and fix it, but… I'm sorry."

He fell backwards then, Ravan did, flat on his back, to stare up at the clear sky now, blinking some at the harsh light of the morning sun. Softly, he said, "I got scared. Haven. When you… I got scared and I ran and you're right. I was a coward. I've always been one. But you don't know what it was like, after you died. Your father ran me out of my home and your boyfriend turned everyone else against me. I was alone. I mean, I had Kai and Erza and...Marin, but other than that...it was just me."

Haven seemed to consider what he said, but only for a moment or so before remarking simply, "Hasn't it always been that way?"

Considering this as well, Ravan soon found himself shaking his head softly as he replied, "No." Resting his head on its side then, he stared over at her blankly as he added, "Before I always had you."

A silence passed between the two of them then, a shared one, but when Haven looked poised to ruin it, Ravan found he couldn't let her.

So he did instead.

"Why," he asked softly then, turning his head to look back up at the bright, blue sky, "do you love Locke?"

Haven frowned then, not prepared for this, and instead of answering, only countered, "Why do you hate him?"

And, for some reason, Ravan had an answered prepped for this very question. Perhaps he always had and had just been waiting forever for someone to finally ask him.

"Because he has a dad. Who wanted to teach him a bad ass magic. But then he chose something shitty instead and bitched constantly because his dad was disappointed in him." Ravan tossed an arm over his eyes then, not trusting himself to glance over at her. "Because he could talk to girls. Easily. And get them to laugh. And not think that he was a creep. Because they'd think he was cute even though he's fucking not and people thought he was so funny, but he's just dumb. Because Kai thought that he was so great and Marin likes him so much, even though I spend way more time with them and they should like me way more than him. Because his mom is always so nice to him and would pack him lunches, when we'd go out training, and was always there, when we got back from jobs, to ask him how it was, instead of just standing around and making snide remarks because he wasn't as sweet or thoughtful as everyone else. Because…you liked him. Always. More than me. And I have always just been second best to him and… Because if I had all those things then...then I could be just as good as him."

Ravan dropped his arm, after his final sentence, before finally glancing at Haven. Softly, he prompted, "Your turn."

She made a face at him before shrugging and looking off.

"I don't know," she admitted softly, but when she noted, his eye roll, she only insisted, "I don't. I don't… Ever since I was a little kid, he's always just been there. Like Navi, I guess, or you, kind of, but Locke's always cared about me. Really cared about me. And looked out for me. He's just always been my best friend. More than normal people say that word. There's literally always been nothing in the world that would ever make him turn on me. Or me him. And then, when we got older, I just…

"One day, I just realized that… I don't...feel things, sometimes. Like normal people. But when I'm with Locke, it doesn't matter. If I say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing, he just grins or sometimes complains at me, but he wants the best for me, for us, and it didn't matter when I was a horrible person, because fuck, I was a horrible person, but he always knew that I could get better. That I would get better. And he's waited for me. Whether we get there as friends or more, he's just always waited for me and wanted me, no matter what, and that just...means everything to me."

She looked down then, Haven did, to glance at her pendant, holding up the blue gem tightly before saying, "One day, you're gonna find someone who makes you feel the same way. Not someone who makes you feel like shit all the time, like I do, except for the rarest moments, but someone who actually cares about you and you care about too and you're not going to fight, constantly, and even when you do, it's not going to bring you to your lowest, because you know that you're...okay. No matter what. The two of you. I was...never going to always be there for you, Ravan. No matter what happened during or after the gauntlet. Or at any other point. And admit it; you've only ever been into me for stupid reasons. I'm actually a really horrible person."

"You're right." He glaned at her again. "Never did. You're a piece of shit."

"Yeah, and so are you, asshole."

"Haven-"

"It'dda ended horribly." She was looking up at the sky then, with a frown. "If we didn't go to that last monster. Just fucked outta there, together. We'd have ended up hating one another."

"How's that different from now?"

"I don't hate you, Ravan." Eyes falling, she stared straight into his, one still blackened from her spell. "And I haven't in a long time. I wouldn't take you all the way out here to kill you if I hated you; I'd legitimately just kill you." Then she frowned. "Or I would have. I'm a better person now, you know."

"Yeah. I think I've heard."

"It's because of you that I thought of it. You know. Going to Bosco. And that Erza even thought to offer me a chance to help with the resistance." That time, finally, really, her smile felt slightly wry, with just the right amount of irony that he knew, he was sure, it belonged to her, the one he knew, regardless of time or space. "And it's because I died that you're doing what you love now, right? That you finally left the dumb guild behind? So, I guess we really are even, aren't we? Everything in our lives is going to turn out alright, because of one another. That must count for something, huh?"

He sniffled some, Ravan did, maybe allergies, maybe injury, or maybe something else, but after doing so, he whispered softly, "I'm sorry, Haven. For leaving you there. For even mentioning the dumb gauntlet to you. I was being selfish, the whole time, trying to trick you into…into...being with me. I'm sorry for bugging out on you, after we… I'm sorry for getting all weird or...creepy and… I'm just sorry. I guess. For everything."

The sun felt warm now, and she still had a bit more patching up to do, Haven did, so she stood, but not before insisting simply to him, "I'm not."

It would take awhile before either of them were ready to head out. They were both weak and sore, having used up too much of their magic at once, far too early in the day, and the hike back to the train station no longer looked so simple and easy. Still, they had to leave eventually and waiting a day was out, for a good number of reasons, but mostly because they'd only be even more sore the longer they gave their bodies to adjust.

Haven stood though, suddenly, as they were nearly out of the forest, and stopped to look behind them, where they could just barely see the fortress in the distance, looking much more regal and fearsome when only given a small portion of the picture.

"Yeah," she sighed softly, having changed back into the hoodie and with the sunglasses hiding her fucked up eye. "I shouldda torched that place."

Ravan was hiding behind his bandanna, muffling his speech as he said, "Nah. Now you can always go back and loot. When you need to."

"Yeah." She agreed for once, rather than calling him a name or spawning an argument. Turning her back once more, she started walking again. "If I ever need to."

They were both battered and broken when they reached a city, and thought they looked awful, still ventured to find some food, some actual food, before trudging in silence to the nearest train station.

Haven though that they'd be going back to Kai's place together, but it was only once they got there and were looking over board times that Ravan told her to send his regards.

"They're gonna think that I did something to you, out here, all alone," she pointed out and he didn't feel like explain she had. Far too much, in fact.

"I just need to get back. There's no reason for me to go all the way to the coast if I'm headed the other way." Ravan looked off then with a sigh, because it was hard to have a conversation in a busy station. At least when you were so inclined to muttering. "Tell Kai and Marin that I'm sorry, but it's work. They'll understand. Both of them, now."

Haven really wanted him to go with her, but he'd already done so much (and gone through it as well) for her benefit, that she found it difficult to force the issue. But as her train would be arriving soon, before his, she found that she had to get any more of it out, whatever she could, because whatever she didn't might hang over them for a year or two and, as someone who'd already lost so much time, she knew how precious it was, especially once wasted.

It shocked Ravan though, who'd had a pretty shocking day over all, but when Haven, after being silent for so long, suddenly launched herself at him, he nearly fell over.

Hugging him tightly, Haven insisted, as she closed her eyes, "When I get back...no matter how long it's been… I'm going to find you. And we're going to talk about all the shit we've done since we last saw one another. So you better actually be fucking doing something important, alright? 'cause you'll look pretty fucking lame if you don't."

He'd been confused, at first, by her gesture (hugs weren't something Haven just threw out...it might be the first one he'd ever gotten from the girl, literally ever), but slowly, at first, he patted at her back before also relaxing some and clinging to her as well.

"Just watch out for yourself," he insisted as, slowly, they parted, and it was hard to look one another in the eyes, but both forced themselves to do so. "Haven. And...watch out for your dumb boyfriend too. He's really trusting and stupid and… You should just both be careful. I wanna actually see you, when you get back. Not just hear about all the good things you died trying to accomplish."

The train would arrive not soon after that, and Haven didn't realize how hard it would, to say, as a lump rose in her throat, and she couldn't imagine how much more difficult it would be, when she was forced to do it with everyone else in the coming weeks.

"Goodbye," she told him, raising her hand a bit, as if to wave, even though he was still right in front of her. "Ravan."

He raised his own, but it was to tug down his bandanna, and he felt it too, in his throat, but forced himself watch as she turned to walk away, calling out softly, "Goodbye, Haven."

And it had been so weird, everything had been so weird, for the past few days, especially since he woke up that morning, and then she was gone, gone for good, maybe, possibly, and he was more thankful than he thought he would be, for the burning in his chest and the bruises forming over his body, because at least he could be certain, as he got on his own train not long after, that it had happened. That she had happened.

And that it had ended.

For now.

It was evening by the time Haven arrived back in Kai's sleepy, coastal town, and Haven only rolled her eyes, from behind her sunglasses, when upon arriving at his home, her sister and the man seemed concerned over her appearance.

"You should see," she joked weakly, as Lance, who was around the house also, thanked everything he'd convinced Kai to get out of that crazy guild, "the other guy."

"Are we not going to?" Marin asked with a frown.

"He had to head out," Haven remarked simply as Kai got her a med kit from the bathroom, but seemed wholly disappointed his brother hadn't come back around.

"Well," he offered thoughtfully. "'least you guys had a good time, right? Beating up some random guy?"

"Something like that," Haven agreed as Marin still eyed her suspiciously. "Yeah."

Kai insisted they stay another night and Haven obliged (mostly because she was feeling rather weak after all it had taken to arrive back there), falling back into the couch as Lance and Kai left to go scrounge up some dinner for everyone.

Slowly, Marin came to join her sister on the couch, who was sitting with her eyes closed, sunglasses still hiding them from the world.

"Did you and Ravan," her younger sister asked eventually while Haven only gave the slightest notion of listening, "do what you set out to? Haven?"

"Yeah, actually, we did. Everything."

"And...you're going to tell Locke about all of it, right?"

"Yeah, sure."

"All of it?"

And Haven sat up then, at first reaching to remove her glasses, but then catching herself before just crossly questioning, "What are you getting at, Marin?"

But she was far too bashful to admit her knowledge in the matter and only blushed before saying, "I just… I like Locke and I don't want him to get upset with you or for you guys to fight or-"

"Locke and I will always fight." Sitting back again, she sounded unconcerned as she said, "But we'll always make up. He's kind of in love with me, if you didn't notice."

"And you love him too, right? And wouldn't do anything that might ruin that or hurt him or-"

"Are you okay, Marin? Or- Oh, I get it." Haven sneered some before saying, "You got stuck here, seeing how in love Kai is and shit. Between that and seeing how awesome my relationship is-"

"I really don't-"

"-you're just a little jealous, huh?" Haven snickered. "Or feel like you're missing out?"

"N-No, it's not-"

"Don't worry. You're not." Haven reached up to toy with her necklace before insisting, "Being in love sucks. I mean, it's the best thing in the world and Locke means everything to me, but just consider yourself lucky, huh? I know I make this relationship thing seem super easy and rewarding, but it's a lot of work."

Deflating some, Marin only said, "As long as you got everything you wanted-"

"I did." Reaching over, she tossed an arm around her sister, who froze up at this, but Haven only grinned as she shut her eyes once more. "I really did."