#But so far the boulder hasn't rolled back down

[mario8th]

YOU CAN SMILE

I'm gonna start watching Hunter x Hunter I know next to nothing about it, but I want to listen along with the new Friends at the Table show, Media Club Plus I'm very hesitant to do so. I did not like Yu Yu Hakusho. At All. (Aside from the intro). But I do like JoJo's, which I've heard it compared to. So I think I'll document my progress. Certainly open to being surprised, but nothing I've heard makes me hopeful. Guess I'll find out.

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Well, three episodes in and I'm fairly optimistic

I'm still tired of many of the more used anime tropes, but I'm coping

And there hasn't been a Single Fight yet! (a good thing), and I'm somewhat interested in the premise, more so with the characters.

But I was also interested with the premise of YYH, and then a few episodes in it completely changed (I wanted a demon detective show and got endless monotonous fights), so I'm not entirely sold

At the very least, I'm really liking the score, the intro's all right (think I've heard it before) and the outro is absolute garbage, haven't hated an anime song this badly since that one My Hero Academia song that also overdid it on the crummy autotune (and this one adds unpleasant screamo)

All being said, I'm not dreading the next three

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I enjoyed this batch of episodes quite a bit (eps 4-6)

It helps a lot that I feel like I know the premise of the show, and I don't want these posts to only be about YYH, but so far HxH seems to know what it wanted to be from a much earlier spot

And what it's trying to be is just smashing words together. The amount of weird guys in this show is staggering. The Crow that imitates speech? The big frog? The weird card guy who has a higher body count then most shows I watch? Lotta stuff going on

But the soundtrack, especially Gon's theme, is really great, and a lot of the hi-jinks are fun so far, if not a tad bit predictable

It was really nice that Gon got a friend his age, it's wild that old guy isn't that old, and the line where people with Strong Hunter Aura or whatever attract one another is just how JoJo Stand Users attract, but whatever.

And stop the presses, Snooty Gourmet Hunter Girl is my new fav, despite me groaning when the old guy focused on her breasts. Seriously it's mainly because I like cooking and cooking characters. No really I mean it. Wait No Don't Go

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One thing I forgot to mention last time was just How Many People Died

So Many Dead

Anyway, just realized in the intro, when the narrator says "These are Hunters" the silhouettes are (at least) some of the examiners, so that's neat

I continue to enjoy these episodes (Eps 7-9) as I watch them, but remain... ambivalent? Unconvinced? I'm enjoying the show, but I'm certainly not In Love with it.

Speaking of death, we had a really brutal one this time, that guy was not expecting that weird dinosaur bird thing. Of all the side character deaths, his felt the most impactful. And it turns out skateboard kid isn't such a chump, in some ways those deaths were Not treated as brutally, but it really paints skateboard in a certain light.

Gon continues to be charming, I enjoy the interactions with the four friends, loved the reveal of their fifth companion

I liked the twist on expectations with the Blue Guy. He began powering up like that boring villain in YYH, but wound up just being a chump.

And the Music! There was one song that played as they learned of the tower, that had such a good bass riff, I was dancing around in my seat. Great tune, great score across the board.

In the end, these episodes weren't surprising, I knew exactly what red eyes was gonna do well before it happened, but everything is executed well, and the pacing fairly good, so, again, I'm enjoying my time.

[whatwooshkai]

20 please!!

The weight of the world seems to have settled on the other rescue bot's shoulders.

Something's bothering Heatwave, it's been bothering him every since all four of them met, and now it's bothering everyone, especially Chase. After the Incident, the police bot can't seem to get his mind off whatever it is Heatwave's got eating at him.

And Blades. He's always had this kind of heaviness, but after the Incident, he's just gotten heavier. He's got this far away look in his optics, like he's watching bots that aren't them, and always reliving memories instead of staying in the present moment.

In short, it's depressing. They have their moments, yeah, but the vibe around here is so bad even the humans have started to pick up on it.

What the rescue bots need, Boulder decides, is an intervention.

So they whip up several of everyone's favorite flavor of high grade and gets them all blackout drunk.

Boulder had graciously decided to stay sober to keep an optic on everyone, and that is proving to be a better and better decision by the moment as this is not going well in the slightest.

Well, it's not going badly. This is pretty much the usual for a night like this, actually. But the Burns are reacting badly.

They'd started out playing poker, and now Boulder isn't even sure what the game is, just that they, Chase and Heatwave are absolutely losing.

"Boulder," the Chief hisses through gritted teeth, "it is midnight. What is going on?"

"'M GOIN' ALL IN!" Chase slurs, shoving his meager pile of chips forward. One of his arms is wrapped tight around Heatwave, who started uncontrollably sobbing two bottles in and hasn't stopped since.

Blades has almost every single chip in their set, stacked in high, neat piles that cover a large swatch of table in front of him. He gives Chase an unimpressed glare, then pushes one of the smaller piles forward.

Boulder's basically done playing anyways, so they push their chips towards Chase, who absorbs them into his pile without hesitation.

Blades rolls his optics exaggeratedly. "Don't extend their suffering."

Ignoring him, Boulder leans down to the Chief. "I thought it might help them relax," they admit, tapping his hands against their thighs. "We used to do it in the academy."

The Chief raises an eyebrow. "Is it helping?"

"Tomorrow will tell," Boulder says, patting their thighs again. "Now I'm not so sure."

"What, Heatwave usually doesn't cry this much?"

"No, that's uh, pretty par for the course, actually." Boulder chews on their lip. "They're just not talking like I thought they would."

Both Boulder and the Chief look to the other Burns kids, still on the lift, watching the scene with a mix of abject horror and fascination.

"What, lots of deep and in depth conversations going on usually?" Kade pipes up. "'Oh, guys,'" he poorly imitates Heatwave, "'even though I'm a total jackass and insufferable to be around, I love you guys, I really do-"

"Not so much like that," Boulder mutters, tuning him out. "It's less of a tangible thing, for lack of a better work. Field talk, kind of. Everything's so muddled right now it's like they're speaking in a different- oh."

Boulder blinks as realization hits them. Of course they can't understand any of the talking that's happening, they're not drunk.

Reaching for a bottle, some of the tension leaves their frame. "I'm just not drunk enough to listen," they hum, about to throw it back, when the Chief places his hands on their calf.

"Stay sober, please?" he asks. "I'd rather at least one of my rescue bots not be inebriated if something happens."

An uncharacteristic beat of anger flashes through Boulder, and it's enough to cause the other three to look over in surprise. Your rescue bots? they want to demand. They're my rescue bots, as I am theirs. These are things I may never hear if I don't hear them now. I can't stay in the dark forever. If they need me I need to be able to know what to do-

They put down the bottle. "You're right," Boulder says, offering a smile that doesn't quite reach their optics. "Someone has to be responsible here."

--------------

Even that night, with the other three pressed so close Boulder can feel their fields in their frame, Boulder can't understand it.

--------------

The next morning, Blades is looking at Heatwave strangely, and Chase is brimming with frustration. And Boulder doesn't understand.

Somehow, they think they've made it all worse.

[idyllcy]

webbed fingers in mine

Word count: 4.6k

Summary: pretty pretty scales in a cloud of white hair

Oh, fuck men.

You kick the pebble by the sea, grumbling under your breath. The stupid red mark on your wrist still hasn't disappeared, and you wonder if you're doing something wrong. Was it so hard to find your soulmate when you've dated almost everyone? You don't remember a moment when you clicked it off with someone. You glance at the sea, and you stare at the ugly mark on your wrist. Webbed. The fingers are webbed. You wonder if you were just cursed to find your soulmate only on Halloween. Maybe you were in some cruel play.

You climb on a boulder, staring a the sea level rise as the time for high tide rolls around. Scrolling through your phone, you fail to notice just how high the tides have grown. You tap your sandal against the edge of the rock, and you stare down at the water. The beach has grown far, now that you think about it. Your sandals are kicking water instead of air. You glance at how high tides are going to rise, and you calm as you realize you're at the point when tides are highest. Just... six. hours.

You glance at the water, and you wonder if you should make a swim. Your phone is waterproof, and so is everything else in your bag. You should be able to-

You yell as your wrist slips on the rock and you fall backward.

Your eyes widen as you hold your breath in the water, vision murky from the water. You try swimming upward, poking your head out the water, gasping for air, looking for the beach. You sink down as fast as you had swam up, holding your breath again as you fight against the tides. You need to get to land. Your mind swarms with thoughts; your stomach churns uncomfortably at how long you've held your breath, and your body starts weakening, even as you try and push to the surface. Your vision spots with black as your mind starts to shut down. The water fills your lungs as your body attempts one last try at air, and your consciousness slips. Briefly, you feel something grab your wrist, a flurry of white, and the rest of the air in your mouth bubbles out.

You don't remember the rest.

You remember waking up on the sand, whole body shaking and throwing up water. You remember how bad your lungs burned and how your purse had washed to shore with you. You remember coughing and laying down until the oxygen in your system was restored, and you remember laying by the sea until the sun had risen, and you had finally sat up, calling an ambulance for yourself weakly.

The red and blue flash in your memory every so slightly, and you remember being driven to the hospital after they had found your vitals to be unstable. The purple and blue on your skin were only further evidence of it. You threw up the entire way there, head buzzing from the aftermath still. The paramedics had tried to tell you something, but you were too out of it. A friend was called to the scene, and you remember her signing forms for you, sitting in your room as the iv dripped into your system slowly. You remember nothing from the event itself.

"Hey, you still seem pretty out of it." Your friend speaks up when you blink ever so slowly.

"I... I drowned." you cough, and she hands you a bucket.

"Yeah, your lungs were filled with fluid. It's a miracle you didn't pass away," She glances at your face. "You aren't dead, and neither do you have any brain damage. Apparently, the doctors think you had been under water for way longer than seven minutes. You usually die in six."

You cough weakly, stomach still uncomfortable. "Really?"

"Yeah," Your friend glances at your wrist.

You fall back into the pillows, eyes fluttering. "I need sleep."

"Search for your soulmate when you get discharged." Your friend pushes the chair back, standing up. "They saved your life according to the paramedics."

You blink slowly, drifting off. Soulmate, huh?

The recovery in the hospital is slow. The doctors check up on you every five hours, and you watch your vitals slowly return to normal. It's a lot to take in. Your friends come in and out with snacks, and you're forced to take liquid for the first few days. You don't know why you're in the hospital for so long when victims tend to recover in hours if their vitals are stable. But then again, your vitals weren't stable until the fourth day. You're discharged on the fifth, your items back in your hands, soulmate mark gone.

"Hey," You glance at the doctor. "Did I have a mark on my wrist when I came in?"

"No," The doctor leaves as you stand in the lobby.

You have no time to visit your soulmate. You catch up on missing work, and you groan as you deal with paper after paper from relentless professors who don't care that you nearly drowned. You're getting a higher education, you knew what you were signing up for. You wonder if you should curse them to drown in your stead next time. You submit your last final, sighing as you get your grades returned one by one. You're missing out on lab work as well. So, you set yourself back in the labs, helping out professors with experiments. You should just drop out and live at the beach as some weird dude that only shows up to the supermarkets once a week.

"Alright, that's the last of it," Your professor pulls off his gloves as the two of you step out of the lab. "Congrats on finishing your internship."

You choke internally, thrilled it's over.

"Your graduation is in a month," He hums. "I'll sign the form and let the school know you're graduating. Congrats on completing your doctorate. Feel free to come back and visit whenever."

You find yourself back at the beach that same night.

You sit at the beach this time. You're too scared to sit on the boulder again.

You blink slowly at the emptied bottle of sake, and you tilt your head, vision blotchy. You glance at the nearest boulder, and you climb it, bottle still in hand. You lie down, the surface of the rock completely flat, and you fall asleep, the sake in your hand, closed. You wonder if you'll wake up in the middle of the sea again. You wake up from the cold when the moon is in the center of the sky. You blink slowly, body tensing at the sight of someone else next to you.

A human?

Creature.

It's a creature.

Your eyes widen as your heartbeat quickens, and you stare at the humanoid. They're sleeping. They've got messy white hair and fins for ears and webbed fingers and a glistening tail and pretty crystals attached to the edge of the fins and pretty pink nails and... nyanza green eyes. Your breath catches in your throat as the creature opens its eyes to stare back at you, and you dare not breathe in front of it, terrified of something. nothing. everything.

It stares at you, hand reaching for your hair, blinking at you slowly. Your eyes dart to his fingers, and you wince.

It chirps at you.

You blink.

It sits you up, pointing at its mouth, chirping.

You nod slowly. Huh.

You spiral, mind blurring with confusion and head spinning. The mermaid seems to feel your discomfort, and he leaps back into the sea, coming back with a shell. He cracks it open, pointing at the pearls inside.

He pops one out, handing it to you, and you nod slowly.

"Thank... you?"

He squeaks. You don't understand him.

Yet, as the tides slower and you're able to reach sand again, you rummage through your purse to find something to give to him. It's... equivalent exchange, right? Pearls were expensive for humans... so... You stare at the bracelets on your wrist, and you clasp the bracelet of gold around the mermaid's wrist. He stares at the bracelet, and he grins. You watch him swim off with the tide.

The sun spills onto the sand as you walk back to your car, and you stare at the pearl at the bottom of your purse.

You return that same day with food. You wanted to camp by the sea, and it seemed fit that you would take a break before graduation.

You step out to sea, car locked, snacks in the tote bag. You stand by the sea, and you wonder how you're going to call the mermaid.

You clearly didn't think that one through.

Yet, as your footsteps crunch on the sand, the mermaid seemingly pops out of nowhere, waving at you excitedly. You follow it as it swims to the side, and you pause at the sight of the lagoon. It's pretty. The cave on top has a hole to let the sun through, and the water's nice and blue.

The mermaid flips under the water as you sit to the side.

He tilts his head at the sight of your bag.

"Snacks," You pull a bag of potato chips out, and you open it, putting one in your mouth. The mermaid imitates you, reaching into the bag and biting it. His face scrunches at the taste. He sticks his tongue out, making a sound in disgust. You laugh lightly as he does, and you continue eating. You wonder what made you stay. You don't really remember. The soulmate mark is gone forever from your wrist, and you hadn't even gotten to meet them.

You wonder why you're spending time with a mermaid.

Huh.

The mermaid pries into the rest of the bag, staring at the seaweed chips. You open it and hand it to him, and he sits next to you on the rock as he reaches in to grab one. The two of you sit there in silence, the mermaid munching on the seaweed chips as you finish the potato ones. You glance at the mermaid, and you pause. He looks strangely familiar.

He tilts his head at you.

"Um," You wave your hand in front of you face, "familiar. Your face... I've," You motion at your eyes, "seen before."

The mermaid grins, flashing his teeth. You swallow at the sight of so many canines. He clicks his tongue, pointing at your wrist.

"My... wrist?"

He points at his hand.

You tilt your head.

He reaches for your wrist, and he pops his lips, imitating sparkles.

"My wrist..." You pause. "You're my... savior?"

The mermaid chirps.

"Ah." You blink slowly. "Thank you for saving me."

The mermaid smiles, and you hand him another bag of chips. You wonder if he'll like shrimp chips. You have to cook soon, now that you think about it. Setting up a bonfire would take too long. You wonder if you could just eat the fish raw. You stare at the fish at the bottom of the bag, and you wonder. Is it... is it even native to Japan? You shrug, reaching for the fish, checking to see if it was sushi grade. The mermaid stares at the fish expectantly, lips pulled upward.

"I don't... know if it's," you motion at your mouth, imitating eating. "edible."

The mermaid uses a claw to rip open a part of the plastic and grabs a slice, putting it in his mouth, chewing. He chews on it for a long time, and he swallows.

He nods, imitating your eating motion from earlier, accompanying it with a pat on his stomach.

"Safe?"

He nods.

You take a slice, and you bite into it apprehensively.

The mermaid takes another, and the two of you sit in the lagoon, even as high tides arrive. You're trapped in the lagoon, now that you think about it. Your body still hurts from sleeping on a rock the previous night. You'd rather sleep in your car. You put a mattress up and everything.

"Can you... help me," you point at the exit of the lagoon, "get back?"

The mermaid nods, hopping off the rock into the water, holding his hand up for you. You tie the plastic bag closed first, and jump into the water, him taking your hand. You open your eyes slightly, and you pause when your vision under the water is clear. You follow as the mermaid drags you to land, and you stare at your wrist again. His hand feels familiar, for some reason.

The mermaid stops, and he taps your mouth. You hold your breath, shaking your head. He brings you to the surface, and you gasp for air.

"I can't breathe," You motion at your nose, motioning breathing, "under the water," You splash the water.

The mermaid shakes his head. Without warning, he pulls you back under as you gasp, and you're half expecting to choke on the liquid, but you pause when your lungs remain unchanged. The mermaid's fingers reach your lips, prying your mouth open forcefully. The bubbles of air leave your mouth as you reach for your throat out of reflex, and you pause when you don't choke on the liquid like before. You cling onto the mermaid, still shaking, and he taps your back comfortingly.

You open your mouth to speak, but all that comes out is gibberish.

"It's fine."

You pause at the voice.

The mermaid grins at you. "Sorry, we're used to speaking underwater, so we sound like gibberish out of the water."

You frown, pointing at your lips.

"I, uh," The mermaid pauses. "I had to perform... it's called CPR, right? On you, the other day. Uh... mermaid's... kiss... yeah." The mermaid grows red, and you pause. "It lets you breathe underwater. I don't... quite know how it works. I only know it exists because another mermaid had a... human soulmate."

You point at your lips, waving your hands out of mild panic.

"Sorry," He fiddles with his fingers. "I'll get you back to land."

You let him pull you along, clutching the bag to your chest, and you walk to the beach, pausing to stare at him.

"Um, thank you," You smile.

He clicks his tongue at you, using his arms to form a heart for you.

You rush off in embarrassment, heart racing in your ears.

God, he's cute.

You return the next day with more snacks, driving closer to the cove this time. You didn't like sleeping all wet, even after a shower. The car locks behind you, and you leave your shoes behind this time. The sea crashes against the rocks and you stand by the water, waiting for the familiar sound of chirping. The mermaid waves his hand from behind a rock, and you climb the rock, opening the bag.

The mermaid purrs, reaching into your bag to stare at the snacks.

"I didn't get seaweed. I thought... you'd try some of the meat you don't have in the sea." You point at the meat in your bag, and the mermaid pauses, giving you a thumbs up. "Do you... eat it cooked?"

He shakes his head.

"Well," You hum. "I need to cook it-"

The mermaid swims back into the water, and he opens his mouth to speak.

You can't hear him.

You grimace.

"I can't hear," You motion at your ears, crossing your arms to let him know.

He pushes himself out of the top half of the water, and he motions at the meat.

"Just," You jump into the water with the bag, tilting your head at him.

"I can cook it underwater," The mermaid points at the meat. "We have... heat?"

You tilt your head. "Like... the hot water tubes?"

"yeah!" He grins. "I can leave it there to cook. The heat isn't that bad. Though, you should stay away from it."

You bob along the water as the mermaid takes the meat, and you wonder how he's going to cook it. Is... underwater cooked meat... even- no. wait.

"W-wait!" You yell for the mermaid, and he pops his head out of the water to stare at you, a decent distance away. "Uh, it releases too much sulfur! I can't eat something cooked like that."

The mermaid swims back to you, handing you the meat.

He chitters, and you tilt your head. He pulls your head to the water. You fight him, keeping your noise in the air, ending up on your back instead.

"Do you not like it?"

You freeze. "Can you hear me?"

"You can understand me?"

"I think it's because my ears," You point at them out of habit. "What did you want to ask?"

"Is it poisonous? The smoke."

"A little. I don't want to risk it. You can cook a couple pieces to try yourself, though."

"It's fine." The mermaid hums. You can't really look at him, now that you think about it. It's a little strange. You wonder if you could understand mermaids.

"Are there others?" You drift in the water, and the mermaid holds onto your hand. "Mermaids, I mean."

"Yeah," He hums. "They tend to stay in non-fisherman areas. Mermaids don't like humans."

"So why are you here? This is a fisherman town."

"You were drowning while I was passing."

"Ah," You flush with embarrassment. "Thank you, again."

"Well, it doesn't matter. The fish are more abundant here during this time of year," The mermaid hums. "The tuna is coming back in two months."

"That's still a long time." You hum. "What time do you return here?"

"Usually during lower tides."

"Winter?"

"I think that's what the humans call it."

"Why are you here now?" You notice the sun lower.

"Because I met someone."

"Just someone?"

"My soulmate," The mermaid hums; you can hear the smile on his face.

Your breath catches in your throat, and you sit up abruptly. He... has a soulmate. Right. You almost forgot. He was obviously sticking around for someone to see him.

"How'd you know?" You float on your back again.

"I grabbed them," The mermaid grins.

"G...rab?"

"Around the wrist," He grabs your wrist. "Like that!"

"And?"

"Then it glowed!"

You glance down at him through the water, staring as he stares up at you. You blink at him slowly. He's... pretty. You had taken in his features the first time on pure accident, and you hadn't expected that he would be so pretty. The water smears his face a little for your vision. His hair floats in the water messily, the white resembling a cloud. His tail remains hidden by the seaweed, and you notice the pink at the tip of his scales. You wanna touch it. Would that be disrespectful?

He chirps from underwater, tilting his head at you.

He's got pretty eyes. The green almost makes him look human.

"Do... sirens have black eyes?" You lower an ear into the water.

"Sirens don't exist," The mermaid giggles, pulling you into the water to stare at you.

You look pretty to him, he decides. You open your mouth to speak, only pausing when you remember you can't. The mermaid helps you out of the water, and you stare down at him, water dripping down your lashes. The mermaid thinks you're pretty. You look like one of the seashells he had hidden long ago. Maybe it was fate.

"Right, uh, what's your... name?" You lower yourself back into the water, blinking at him. The mermaid reaches to play with the bubbles that leave your mouth.

"Komaeda" He smiles. "You?"

He lifts you back on the rock, your name echoing in the sound of the waves. The ocean crashes behind you, the tides painting a background just for you. You're pretty, Komaeda decides. He rests on the palm of his hand as you talk with him longer, blinking slowly at each word you speak, responding with an enthusiastic chitter each time he agrees.

"Ah, dinner," You flush in embarrassment as your stomach rumbles.

Komaeda chitters, disappearing into the water. You sit there, waiting for him. You don't know why you're waiting, but you sit there anyway, glancing at the water. The water is murky. It reminds you of the day you drowned, maybe. You don't know. You sit straight, worried about slipping this time.

A cloud of white approaches, and you stare down at him.

Komaeda hands you another shell.

"Hm?"

He pours the water out, holding it to your ear. You listen closely.

Komaeda's voice rings through the shell, clear as day. "I like you."

You flush, lips parting, ears burning.

The mermaid chirps at you, a grin on his face. He hands you a fish next. By the tail. Fish. Huh. You blink slowly at the fish, and he tilts his head at you, pointing at the fish, then pointing at his mouth.

"I get that... but," You swallow slowly. "Should I grill it?"

He nods.

"I can't grill it in the sea."

Komaeda tilts his head, watching you fire up the grill to put the fish on it.

It's strange. You spend so much of your time at sea now. You might as well be a mermaid at this point. You spend most of your days with Komaeda, talking underwater or floating out at sea. It's weird. It's strange, if you dare.

Komaeda sits on the rock, slapping his tail against the boulder, clicking his tongue at you.

"What?" You plate the food, moving to sit next to him, and he hops back into the ocean, only popping out to bite your foot. "Wh- hey!"

He tilts his head at you, almost pouting. It's like he doesn't know he shouldn't be biting people.

"First," You scold, fork in hand, "that's dirty! Second, you don't bite people!"

He pouts at you.

You toss a piece of your fish to him, and he chews on it while you do with your own food.

What kind of— was he just going around biting people? You stare at the teeth mark on your feet, and you flush. Embarrassment? Flustered? You're not sure, but the teeth marks are making you feel some way — Oh, god, no. Nope! No. Absolutely not.

"Mrrp?" Komaeda tilts his head at you.

"Don't worry about it." You mumble.

Komaeda wants to bite you a little more, but he supposes he's got to ease you into first.

Maybe he should start with kissing.

You drive down to the beach one more, once. You're moving soon, now that you're finished. You still have to tell Komaeda.

"Komaeda," You mumble.

He tilts his head.

"I'm moving soon."

He blinks at you, panic washing over him, pulling you into the water.

You yelp and jump out of your skin as he presses his lips to yours, exploring your mouth curiously, eyes lidded. You melt into his kiss unconsciously, and your eyes match his, breath stuck in your lungs. Wait. No. You can't breathe. He pulls away when you push him off, and you pop your head out of the water for air.

"What's wrong?"

"You just kissed me."

"Yeah." Komaeda doesn't seem to understand.

You don't know how to explain to him.

"A-ah, well, on a more important note," Komaeda mumbles. "You're moving?"

"Mhm," You pause. "I came here for uni, so I'm leaving now that I have to find a new place."

"Can I move with you?"

"Komaeda," You swallow. "I'm moving inland."

"Then I'll take you with me," He pouts. "I'll feed you."

"I can't do that." You mumble.

"Mmm," He frowns, bottom lip quivering.

"You still have to find your soulmate too." You pout back.

"But we're soulmates." His voice rings out in the water, and it takes you a moment to realize what he's saying.

"What?"

"I stayed because you're my soulmate." You hear Komaeda drag through his words. "When I had pulled you against the current that night, my soulmate mark disappeared. I was sad that my soulmate wouldn't know who I was at first, but I was happy to see you again."

The seagulls scream above you.

"You came right back to me!" He beams. "A gift from the heavens! So, why are you leaving?"

You sit up, pulling your ears from the water, staring down at the mermaid, lips parted, cheeks warm with embarrassment. "I was your soulmate this whole time?!"

Komaeda smiles broadly, teeth showing, chirping in agreement.

You dive into the water, staring at Komaeda.

He cups your face, the smile still on his face.

"I like you a lot, clearly." He hums, pulling you in circles under the water. His ears fan out, and he grins at you.

You motion your hands, and Komaeda hums.

"Yeah," He hums. "I was trying to court you. Did it work?"

You hide your face in your hands.

Komaeda giggles. "Your body is more honest than your words." He presses a gentle kiss to the corner of your eye. "Will you give me an answer?"

He helps you out of the water, and you notice just how long he is. You glance at him as he stares down at you, hands still on your biceps. He chitters excitedly as you pick your next words carefully.

"Yeah. Yeah." You collect yourself, looking down, ears burning with embarrassment. "It... worked. I think it was the biting."

Komaeda chitters excitedly, throwing you in the air. You really, really, really, wonder where he got all of this arm strength. He pulls you under the water in excitement, wrapping his tail around your legs.

"I love you. I love you so much. I love you a lot! I love you an incredible amount. I'm so in love with you. Did you know that? I'm in love with you." Komaeda babbles, pulling you close. "I'm so in love with you, actually."

As he presses kisses all over your skin, you think you get it.

"K-komaeda," You manage. "That still doesn't change the fact that I'm moving."

"Can't you live on a boat?"

"Mm, but how do I make a living?"

Komaeda frowns. "I'll get you fish."

"I need to cook it."

"Sashimi."

"Microplastics."

Komaeda frowns.

"Komaeda," You pause. "I'll find a way. I promise."

Komaeda whines, but you press a kiss to the crown of his head, leaving quickly.

It goes four days without you. Komaeda lingers by the creek, but the rush of the current reminds him that he can't stay close by forever. He wonders if you'll be able to fit on a boat. Maybe he could ask the whales to swim you around with him. You can speak and breathe underwater, so it was only a matter of time before you moved with him. Speaking of humans, he wonders how the other soulmate duo live together. Maybe they were on a boat.

Maybe you ran away.

He wouldn't be surprised if you did.

You come back in a week. A painful week for him, but you come back on a boat, calling for him.

He swims for you, jumping into your arms as you open them for him.

"crrrp?"

"Mhm? Yeah! You can swim with me now." You grin.

He tilts his head, blinking, eyes wide.

"I got gifted a boat by the professor for research purposes." You grin. "Government funded on researching mermaids."

Komaeda clicks his tongue excitedly.

"Right?"

He bites your cheek gently, cheekily.

"I love you too, by the way."

Komaeda grins in response.

[authorautumnbanks]

How To Tame A Sorcerer: Side Stories (6)

Main story

Side stories

"You would really sink so low? Siding with a human? Worshipping her as though she is Inari-sama? You and the others are pathetic. And to think that one such as you shares my blood."

Yakeru lets out a shaky breath as he struggles to regain his footing. Why was he thinking about Yumi now? He wipes a hand down his face, his claws leaving thin welts down his cheeks. It was bad enough that Sesshomaru-sama was coming back to Japan, but to be tasked with arranging a meeting with him? "For fuck's sake," he says with a groan. His head feels as though someone dropped a boulder on top of his head and just left him there to struggle under the weight of it. You didn't set up a meeting with Sesshomaru-sama, lest you wanted to get your head cut off—Sesshomaru-sama called you. Yumi would be glaring down at him if she were still here. Her lips would be turned up into a snarl at how easily he bends to Kagome-san's whims and berating him for trusting his heart and not using his head.

Maybe his devotion does make him weak. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, scrolling through the ignored messages in search of the last text he sent Jaken.

"What?" Jaken squeaks out over the speaker. For whatever reason, just hearing Jaken's voice irritates him.

"I need to meet with Sesshomaru-sama." He grips the phone tighter, his body shaking from anxiety. Yakeru prays that his devotion to Kagome-san is not misplaced and that she knows what she is doing to be requesting such a meeting. If Sesshomaru-sama didn't kill him for the audacity, then Satoru surely would.

Jaken squawks in response. "You have no right! You insolent fox, I'll have you know…"

Yakeru rolls his eyes as Jaken throws a tantrum over the phone. How Sesshomaru-sama keeps a cool head with one such as Jaken around was beyond him. If it were up to him, he would leave Jaken to hang somewhere far, far away from him. "Jaken-san," he soothes, "the Shikon priestess would like an audience with Sesshomaru-sama. She means no harm, merely to introduce herself…. the Six Eyes will be in attendance as well."

"The—the Shikon priestess you said?"

Odd. Was that affection in Jaken's voice? That couldn't be though, Kagome-san didn't know Jaken or Sesshomaru-sama. At least he didn't think she knew them. He shakes his head. "Yes. Is there any way that we could meet tonight? There's a restaurant run by half-demons not too far from me. I could rent out for the night."

"I will send you the time. Do not keep Sesshomaru-sama waiting," Jaken responds as though it was he that called to arrange the meeting.

Whatever. This conversation was enough to last him for the next decade. "I am very grateful." He ends the call and plops down onto the barstool. If things go left, he'll just grab Kagome-san and leave Satoru behind to deal with the mess. Yakeru glances at the spinner that hasn't stopped spinning. Yumi was wrong. His devotion to Kagome-san does not make him weak.

[fanishjuli]

never let it be said that Cody doesn't learn from his mistakes. the magnet incident, as it becomes known, is not forgotten, but at least most troopers are smart enough not to mention it directly in Cody's range of hearing. not his batchmates, of course not, but Cody has refused to take any more calls from them. Rex is harder to ignore, since they work closely together more often, but a sharp glare is enough, usually, to get his focus back on the task at hand, be it seppies to shoot at or Jedi to save from their own stupidity as often as from the seppies.

but Cody is a Force-damned professional, so he learns from his mistakes. he doesn't bring out the magnet again, he doesn't mention it, he resists the urge to snap at his men when they joke about it during battles, he ignores his brother's teasing and pretends not to see the twinkle on his general's eyes.

and then.

and then.

Grievous shows up again. the campaign in [some outer rim planet] hasn't been going on for long but it has been brutal. and then, as if things weren't bad enough, Grievous shows up again. the general barely even glances back at Cody as he runs off towards him, knowing Cody will be there right behind him. of course, damn him, he is right; Cody is running, barking orders into his coms, jumping over destroyed droids and brothers alike, trusting his men to cover his and their general's backs.

he skids to a stop a handful of meters away from the action, throwing himself behind a boulder for cover and immediately shooting down the closest droids before they can do any damage. the general has positioned himself between Grievous and their men, who have wisely started retreating and offering defensive fire for the general. Cody trusts them to take care of the droids and shifts his focus back to Grievous, hoping for an opening that he knows is unlikely to come.

the general easily falls back into a defensive position, Soresu, and Cody knows be might as well become a wall standing before them as he does, knows that Grievous will not get past him, will not get to them, trusts the general to keep their men safe—from this threat, at the very least.

he counts down the seconds, listens to the reports from his men, looks for an opening to shoot at Grievous without endangering his general.

and then.

Wooly, of course it had to be him, his voice crackles in Cody's bucket: “incoming, commander!”

a modified LAAT swops down close and Cody barks an order: “hold on to your blasters!”

Wooley crackles madly down the coms line and the shift when he turns on the magnet is instant: Grievous stumbles, droids start flying, a handful of blasters slip from the men too, and Cody makes a note of it even as he hears them curse.

then, Grievous stumbles again. he raises an arm to attack the general again but he can't pull it back, and the general, fast, always fast, always smart, doesn't waste time: he goes for the closest arm first, then a leg, then: the neck. and just in case, or not quite realising, he proceeds to cut every other arm, watching them as they too fly out towards the magnet, until only the body is left, limbless, headless, and being slowly dragged, to heavy and too far away, or maybe the magnet is not powerful enough for it, but it was enough for what was needed. more than enough. Grievous head rolls, so does his body, and Wooley crackles madly still, even as the general sags and the men lower their blasters (but don't let go of them, not yet) and Cody stands.

“that's enough Wooley,” Cody calls, and a moment later the magnet turns off, droids and arms and blasters dropping down into a pile beneath it. the LAAT turns and flies back towards the Negotiatior, and for a moment the battlefield stands silent.

the general turns towards Cody, eyebrows raised in disbelief. Cody stares back, mildly incredulous himself as well.

“I must say, commander, I may come around to the magnet after all.”

Cody snorts, unable to help himself.

“although you'll have to retrieve the lightsabers manually, general.”

a blooming smile grows across the general's face and Cody smiles back beneath his bucket

“won't you help me, commander?”

“if I must.”

I think that Cody should one day get so fucking tired with Obi-Wan loosing his lightsaber every other battle that one time Obi-Wan will return from the latest battle without his saber again and Cody will just sigh and call out "okay boys, here we go" and turn on a giant magnet in hopes of attracting the saber to him so they dont have to go search the battlefield but he kinda forgets that like. a lot of their stuff is magnetic. just because I think it'd be a very funny image to have Cody looking at Obi-Wan absolutely dead eyed tired with a massive magnet behind him that has like. half their blasters attached to it. and a good deal of destroyed seppie bot parts. and Wooley for some reason (Cody doesn't know why Wooley's armour is apparently magnetic while the rest of theirs isn't and he isn't going to ask what he did to make that happen. he really is better off not knowing). and some of their equipment around the base that wasn't properly secured. but no fucking light saber. and Obi-Wan just kinda smiles at him and goes "ah, but my dear, most Jedi's sabers' use non-magnetic metals for such and such reasons" and he starts explaining and Cody juat. Looks at him. dead fucking eyed. he doesn't hear a single word. he does not order the men to turn off the magnet and he makes no effort to help Wooley get free ("stop laughing you assholes and someone come help me!"). and after a while he just. nods. and walks off back into the battlefield to look for the lightsaber. and he is. so. fucking. tired.

[sezja]

Falling Slowly, part 3

Previously: Part 1, Part 2

Golden evening light slants through the ragged curtains, and Guydelot winces as it hits his face, rousing him from his shallow doze. Hells. It's gone and gotten late. The bard rolls onto his back, gazing up at the underside of the bunk above him - the barracks are still mostly empty, save for a handful of hunters bedding down early. Sanson certainly hasn't headed in for the night: if he had, Guydelot'd be able to hear the man muttering in his sleep.

Sanson.

An irresistible smile curls his lips. If he hadn't slept all that well, it'd surely been because he'd spent the entire time remembering, replaying in his head over and over again the unexpected offer - and wrestling with himself over whether or not he'd made the right choice turning Sanson down. Part of him wanted desperately to march right back out and tell Sanson he'd changed his mind - what'd it matter where they did the deed, after all?

But the other part of him - the part that's growing increasingly fond of Sanson Smyth, and growing louder about it with each passing bell - said it mattered, and it says so now, too.

Still, what a rush it is to know Sanson wants him, too!

Guydelot chuckles quietly to himself, tucking his arms beneath his head. He'd never claimed to be irresistible, but to think his charms might've won over the likes of Sanson! He hadn't even tried flirting his way into Sanson's good graces, presuming from the off it was a lost cause - the kiss on the road had come clear out of the blue, with no effort on Guydelot's part. He'd find that galling if it'd been anyone else, he reckons, but Sanson... the thought that the man might've been quietly fostering a secret desire for him all along...

Well. It makes him wish he still had the barracks to himself.

Since he doesn't, he rolls out of his bunk, tugs his boots back on, and trudges back outside. His own company just ain't enough anymore - Matron save him, he wants to see Sanson again, now that things have changed. Now that he knows at least a little of what's going on behind those beautiful eyes.

He finds Sanson not far from where he'd left the man - near the river. Now, though, Sanson sits perched on a boulder beside the stream, gazing at the water with what Guydelot can only describe as a vacant expression. What's he been doing with the past bell or so, the bard wonders? It's been driving the man half-mad being stuck here like this, waiting for their scholar to get back to Tailfeather.

Mayhap it was boredom that had him trying to slip into your bed, a wicked little voice at the back of his mind suggests, making his stomach abruptly churn. But no, no, Sanson's not the type to fuck someone out of boredom, and besides, what about that kiss?

He brushes off his lingering unease.

"Looks like you got all that blood out of your coat," he calls, strolling up to stand next to Sanson's boulder, as though nothing at all could possibly be troubling him.

Sanson eyes him, perhaps a touch wary, but he nods. "Aye. Did you sleep well?"

"No," he laments, heaving a theatrical sigh. "I should've taken you up on your offer. I'd've slept better if someone could've tired me out first."

To his surprise, Sanson's gaze turns flinty, and he looks sharply away, going rigid. His lips press into a tight line. He says nothing, returning his attention to the stream, as though Guydelot weren't there at all.

Guydelot watches in silent confusion for a moment, then finds the presence of mind to ask, "Alright, what'd I say?"

Sanson remains frosty a moment longer... and then thaws, sighing, with a shake of his head. "Well, go on, then. Get it out of your system."

"Get what out of my system?"

"The teasing." Color begins to creep into Sanson's cheeks, and the tips of his ears turn faintly pink. With resignation heavy in his tone, he says, "It was a foolish offer, and I was a fool to make it. The mockery is well-earned; I may as well not sulk about it. I told myself I would bear it with something like dignity."

Mockery, Guydelot thinks, baffled. He thinks you're just-

His gut drops to his feet. Mockery! As if he's the type to poke fun at a man for expressing honest desire! As though, for that matter, he hasn't spent the past bell torn between fantasizing about how good it'd be when he did finally get Sanson in bed, and regretting not doing so when he'd been given the bloody chance!

"Who says I'm teasing?" He reaches to brush the hair away from Sanson's cheek, but the man swats his hand away before he can. "I-" he begins, but Sanson surges to his feet, stepping down from the boulder and setting off at a brisk walk, leaving Guydelot, bewildered, to hurry in his wake. The hyur's steps are purposeful and determined, but the way his hands have curled into fists and the stubborn set of his chin suggest he's quietly furious - and no matter how Guydelot tries to get his attention, Sanson resolutely ignores him.

"I'm rested, you know," he says, sharply, disbelief finally giving way to frustration - how's he meant to make sense of all this if Sanson won't talk to him? "I can keep this up all godsdamned night, if I have to!"

When Sanson finally whirls to face him, Guydelot takes a step back, startled by the fury in the man's eyes.

"You go too far," the man snaps, rigid with anger. "Mockery I can bring myself to endure, but I will not stomach you toying with me for your own amusement-"

"I'm not-"

"I know my desires are futile and unreciprocated; I can make my peace with that - I am a grown man, and I can tolerate and accept your disinterest in me. That I... that I ought to have known better than to- that I ought to have known better goes without saying, of course, yet I will say it anyway."

"Will you just-"

"Your rejection is only to be expected," Sanson continues, relentless. "I hardly know what I was thinking when I offered you my company; of course I knew you would never agree to it. I... I had anticipated you would never let me hear the end of it, of course, but- but here you stand, pretending you've some interest in me-"

"Sanson-"

"It goes beyond mockery into cruelty, and Guydelot Thildonnet, I will not swallow it!"

He stops at last for breath, red-faced and heaving, his eyes burning with wounded anger. Guydelot lets the silence stand between them. His own thoughts flicker disordered and half-formed through his mind, and he struggles to seize any one of them long enough to speak them aloud; what is he meant to say to all this? Apologize? He doesn't know precisely what it is he's done wrong, but it feels too big for a sorry. Try to explain what it is he's feeling, what it is he wants? That'll feel shallow, won't it, coming on the heels of Sanson's conviction that he's being insincere?

Guydelot takes a deep breath.

"Now, as I recall," he says, keeping his voice as level as can be managed; an edge creeps in, regardless. "What I said was, 'Some other time.'"

Waspish, Sanson replies, "And do you believe I cannot identify a polite refusal when I hear it?"

"I believe you're reading denial into what I meant as a deferral." He wants to shake the man. Why's he making this so hard? "I said 'some other time,' and I bloody well meant 'some other time!'"

Sanson shakes his head - if anything, he seems angrier, as though Guydelot's insistence upon all of this is only rubbing salt in the wound. "You have never expressed any interest in me," he points out, pointing an accusing finger at the bard. "Not once! Am I to believe you have abruptly changed your mind and developed some... some attraction to me-"

"You did," Guydelot bites off. "Kissing me out of nowhere like you did-"

"To which you had no reaction!"

"No reaction!" Guydelot laughs, bitter. "I couldn't move all night after you kissed me!"

"You lie," Sanson says, but the waver in his voice betrays his uncertainty. "You pretended it never happened in the morning..."

"And so the hells did you." He folds his arms, fixing the hyur with a glare. "At least I didn't just go about my night like you hadn't offered to bed me, eh?"

Sanson sighs, burying his face in his hands. "I wish you had."

"Aye, well, I wish I'd had the good sense to kiss you silly before I headed off for my nap, so there'd be no question of what I mean to do with you later."

That earns him a startled glance from between Sanson's fingers. Guydelot, sensing a shift in the mood, slides his own hands gently around Sanson's wrists, tugging the man's hands away from his face. It's growing dark, and it's difficult to read the expression on Sanson's face - but some part of him's still stubborn, refusing to take Guydelot at his word. Fear, mayhap, of being hurt for the bard's amusement. It's enough to make Guydelot wonder who's hurt him before, that he's so slow to trust now.

"Let me clear it up, then," he says, lifting Sanson's hands to his lips, pressing kisses to the knuckles of each hand, gazing deeply into the man's eyes, willing him to believe it. He needs to believe it. "Sanson-"

"Oi there!" A hunter calls to them, marching over. They leap apart, guilty, but the man seems untroubled to have caught them in a moment of intimacy. "You're the fellows waiting on the scholar, aye? His hired sword's been spotted by our scouts, heading this way. He'll be here within the bell, and his master can't be far behind. Thought you ought to know."

As the hunter departs, his message delivered, Guydelot turns back to Sanson. "I-"

"We cannot do this now," Sanson murmurs, shaking his head and backing away. He clears his throat, averts his gaze. "We have... we have our mission to think of. We will..." He briefly meets Guydelot's gaze, then looks away, hurrying toward the gate. "We will discuss this... later."

Later, Guydelot thinks, simmering with disappointment.

'Life is too short to waste squabbling,' Celaine had said, Guydelot reflects as he once more trails along in Sanson's wake, quietly seething. Well, it's also too short to waste on pompous prats who won't quit jerking me around!

But there'll be time to talk about it all later.

Just as soon as they talk to this Sylviel fellow.

Then they'll sort this out.

Later.