#I LIVE WITH A TINY PREDATOR (sorry for my shriek)

[helpimhyperfixating]

Mertaro and Mer Y/N as childhood friends. Always loving to explore the coasts and shallows under Grandpa Joseph's watchful eye ❤

So I’m currently sick while writing this and really have no energy to beta read. I’m really sorry if this is bad, I didn’t really have any clue what to do with this request but I tried my best ;-;

I hope you can still somewhat enjoy 👉👈

Word Count: 1095

A flurry of bubbles whooshed by Joseph as he calmly sat on the sand, feeling the warmth of the sun filtering through the shallow water.

Seated right near the edge of the beach, the surface of the water lapped a mere few centimetres above his head while he watched - a warm smile on his face - as his grandson chased his friend.

“You can’t catch me, pirate!” You yelled excitedly, dashing away from the raven-haired boy right on your tailfin.

“Come here!” Jotaro yelled back, his tiny hands making a grab for you, just barely missing your tail as you squeezed just that bit of extra power into your swishes.

Laughter and giggles filled the air and Joseph held a fond look.

He’d taken the pair of you out to the island not far from the pod territory. It had always been his philosophy that different environments were good for a pup’s development and well- you both had seen most of what the island in the pod’s territory had to offer already.

Suddenly, a smell in the water alerted Joseph.

Sitting up slightly, his eyes darted from the playing children over to the surrounding area, surveying the sand and coral for whatever his nose picked up.

Ever so carefully, he placed his hand on the sand, pushing himself to drift forward as he narrowed his eyes, scanning around, his scales raising a bit in agitation.

With slow side-to-side movements from his tail, he stalked through the vegetation of the shallows, following his nose to somewhere on the left of the pups.

He didn’t want to scare or alarm them, knowing that if they scattered, he couldn’t keep both in his periphery, where he could keep them safe.

Making the calculations in his head, right at that moment, Joseph saw it.

Coming from behind a rock, the large and sleek head of a barracuda slid out. It’s teeth sharp and eyes dull and Joseph’s heart dropped.

The fish was old and judging from the smell he picked up - diseased. As it slid out further, the older Mer felt a growl grow in his throat as he took it in. Measuring at what must be three times the length of the pups, it had its sights set on the small Mer.

A healthy barracuda would never have Mer on the menu, but this wasn’t that. It was old and sick, and it heard a noisy and seemingly easy meal that it was gonna get.

Watching in horror, Joseph looked on as the fish tensed its muscles and he instantly shot forward, seconds before the barracuda.

The fish noticed the large Mer just in time however. Still fast from its ambush speed, it evaded the elder’s grasp, turning its slender body before Joseph could sink his claws into it.

“Shit!” Joseph hissed, turning with the fish and going in pursuit.

Though it was old and slow, they were in shallow water, on top of the fact that the sawfish Mer knew he couldn’t get bitten, lest he contract whatever the barracuda was ill with.

And all the while he chased the predator fish, the pups continued playing, unaware of their environment or the dangers going on.

-

“You’re going down, evil fish!” You yelled out as you chased Jotaro, the roles reversed as you were now playing the pirate - holding a piece of coral to imitate a weapon.

It had always been one of your favourite stories to listen to together. Sitting on the sand side by side while Holly spun majestical tales of pirates and adventure- the humans who came closest to living with Mer.

While you were chasing, Jotaro suddenly ducked behind a rock, making you slow down as you gripped the coral. Carefully, you began rounding the rock, looking for him, only to suddenly be ambushed from the side.

Shrieking out as Jotaro bashed into your waist, the two of you spun out of control together, laughing and wrestling together as your tail curled around his in your attempt to get free.

Spinning through the water in a ball of limbs, neither of you realised the rip tide.

Suddenly, the water’s pull took a hold of you both.

Widening his eyes, Jotaro grabbed onto your hands, keeping his tail tightly curled around yours as you were dragged away from the safe shores.

“What’s going on!” You chittered in panic, looking up at Jotaro who was breathing quickly, doing better to hide his own.

“Just hold on!” He clicked, trying to look around for anything to grab hold of. “Grandpa!”

Neither of you had ever experienced the under current before, too new to the world.

Vulnerable and just trying to hold onto each other, you and Jotaro were continuously trapped in the cycle of water. Lifted up in the large waves before being swept under and spun around, scraping past rocks and coral.

Even worse, sea foam was starting to gather and flurry all around, some of it getting into your gills, making it hard to breathe.

The moment your left gill got shut off, your fear truly took over and you started crying while Jotaro hugged you tighter, hiding his face in your shoulder and holding on for dear life while letting out the emergency clicks he’d always been taught.

-

Huffing out a sigh, Joseph leaned back on some rocks, catching his breath while he dropped the body of the barracuda into the sand.

He was getting too old for chasing such swift prey.

Grunting softly, he then got up again, dragging his tail through the sand and throwing a whole cloud over the fish, not wanting other creatures to get sick from whatever it is the barracuda had. Yet right as he did that, a distant yet oh so familiar noise reached him.

Instantly at full alert, Joseph flicked his tail and rushed through the water, honing in on the emergency call of his grandson. “Jotaro! Y/N!” He called out, swimming way past where he last left the both of you before rounding a corner and spotting you both.

Stuck in the undercurrent of a crashing wave, the patriarch saw the pups currently under his wing.

“Hang on!” He frantically called out, racing over and grabbing hold of you two, turning around and swimming out of the current with ease, holding on and hiding your terrified forms within his arms.

With Jotaro digging his nails into his right arm and you sobbing in his left, Joseph was left with nothing but the thought of how he was going to explain this fiasco to both parents.

[nonbitenary]

happy basking pred excerpt from another story.... enjoying the spoils of a good hunt :3

contents: size difference, soft vore, fatal vore, unwilling prey, digestion

The giant was immensely satisfied, his hunger quelled by a successful morning of hunting, his stomach stretching enormously to contain his perfect, struggling meal. Digesting them would be pure bliss. Now that every last human was tucked away inside his middle where they belonged, he figured he should begin his trip home - but he felt sluggish and happy and warm, with the pleasant hum of his full belly and the sheer volume of live, squirming prey inside him... after such a satisfying meal, his body ached to return to slumber while he digested his catch.

Giving in and indulging, he settled down right where he was and sprawled on his back, exposing his visibly packed belly to the morning sun. A nap wouldn't hurt. The warmth soaked lovingly into him and he rubbed his packed stomach happily, basking in his fullness. There was nothing more pleasing to fall asleep to than easy sunshine and your well-earned breakfast giving you an internal massage as it frantically struggled for its life in your tummy.

And struggle the breakfast in question did - in the groaning, dark depths of the peaceful giant's body, humans screamed and pushed, squeezed together in the heaving black, begging the giant for mercy. Pleading with him to let them out. To decide their tiny lives were worth more than food. There was no reprieve from the hell of the predator's digestive process, the rumble and roar of the busy, powerful stomach into which they had been mercilessly swallowed, the heat and terror and chaos, the ceaseless churning... walls crushing them tighter and tighter and tighter, acid beginning to slosh and storm. Corralled inside his squeezing, joyful stomach, the giant's prey screamed in fear, but the sound was drowned out by the near-deafening gurgling and groaning all around them.

The stomach contracted. The humans shrieked. Doom was closing in, in gurgles and glorps and sloshing acid. Beyond the intense rumble and groan of the giant's working stomach, they could hear the steady sigh of their captor's immense breath as it pushed in and out.

The giant, of course, happily stuffed and utterly content, had no interest in releasing his prey. They were tucked away in the embrace of his stomach, right where they belonged. Humans existed to be eaten by giants, and that was that. If they hadn't wanted to end up as a meal, they should have run faster.

"Sorry, I can't let you go," he murmured. "You feel far too good in there and that massage is divine. It's alright. My stomach will take very good care of you, I promise."

His stomach groaned loudly, agreeing with him, all too happy to look after the panicking, desperate food corralled inside. It clenched and thundered, sending acid through its victims, contracting rhythmically as it prepared for full-on digestion.

The giant sighed and let his eyes drift closed, the weak struggles of his live food easing him ever-closer to a gentle slumber. His digestive system gurgled in the quiet, the faint screams of terror barely audible from deep inside him. He smiled softly, enjoying the feel of his stomach dutifully churning its feast, massaging their helpless bodies into food, performing the one task it was built for - turning whatever he ate into nutrients. He stretched out, yawning and licking his lips. His stomach bulged magnificently, the humans inside it shrieking and defenceless.

And so the giant, satiated predator basked in post-meal pleasure, the warmth beating down on his taut, gratified tummy. He curled and uncurled his toes, letting out soft contented moans as he relished his human breakfast. They were his, all his, to digest as he pleased. His fantastically full stomach gurgled and glorped and he sighed in pleasure as the frantic battle raged on inside him - a tight, gurgling, satisfied bellyfull of delicious humans versus digestion.

"Thank you for the meal," he said, running an adoring hand over the bulge of his unfortunate food.

The giant spared not a single thought further for the terrified victims in his churning gut; their sacrifice was a small price to pay for him to be so joyful and healthy and full of good, good food. They were prey creatures, after all, and the belly of a predator was a wonderful place for prey creatures to wind up. They would fill him up and nourish him - and he deserved this. Though they were afraid, surely they knew on some level what an honour it was for his stomach to be their final destination.

The giant rubbed his extremely happy tummy, full of nutritious prey, then rolled into his side to settle properly for sleep, the heavy weight of his struggling breakfast shifting with him. He wriggled to get comfortable, yawning lazily and licking his lips, at last giving himself over to the pull of slumber.

The humans screamed out in fear as they felt the stomach pitch sideways - the giant rolling over. They tumbled over each other, terrified, the movement sending more acid sloshing through their midst. Glrk. Glp. The stomach squeezed and kneaded them, alive with terrifying sounds heralding the start of proper digestion. They shrieked and cried but there was nothing to be done; they were a simple meal in a giant's belly. Grgle. Glk. Groan...

There, in the warm light of morning, one terrified human breakfast languished in the grateful stomach of one very happy giant.

As expected, he digested them all up.

[ihavesomeseriousissues]

undefined

[cute-little-spaceboy]

♤ Bunny Hybrid! Tadashi Yamaguchi x GN! Reader ♤ Fantasy AU ♤ Pure Fluff ♤ No idea how I got roped into this, but it's for @ultimate-astridwriting's Hybrids collab. ♤ This is long as hell, I'm sorry if it's boring, I tried my best. ♤ 2431 words guys...

<♤>

The Night was young, stars just barely peeking out of the sky. An almost bluish sliver of the sun could still be seen right where the horizon lay. When the entirety of the village was just starting to turn in for the night, the ancient spirits, the Yōkai, were coming out.  The first ones out were always the more predatory of the group. The foxes, wolves, bears, etc. They were the brave ones, and almost always came out first, at the same time the stars began appearing. Although they were the first to leave their dens and holes, they mostly prowled around, looking for any last traces of people that had stayed out late.  Next were the insects and birds. Bird Yōkai being more impatient than others, and simply unable to wait for the all clear from the predators. They began chartering and singing amongst themselves, flying from tree to tree without a care in the world. Meanwhile the insects sat near the edges of the trees, murmuring to each other.  Finally, the timid prey animals came out (Only with the confirmation from the Predators that it was indeed safe). The rabbits, mice, squirrels and such.  They would come out slowly, still unsure of their surroundings. Once they deemed it truly safe, they would party just as carefree as any bird or fox. The kingdom they lived by was a small one. The village was tiny enough that everyone knew everyone and almost all of them were related, or friends. The castle was more of a mansion or extra large house. And all around the village, there was a ring of meadowy area, and then forests for miles. Forests filled with Yōkai, that is.  The relationship between the kingdom and the Spirits was… Complicated to say the least. The Kingdom had said they were on "Neutral terms" years ago, but what really ended up happening was, the two sides avoided and feared each other. No one really knew why, but they feared great consequences if they interacted with each other. So the Humans in the village spent the day enjoying themselves, and the Yōkai came out at night, after they went home.  The meadow was sort of like a barrier to the two, no human or Yōkai was brave enough to go there… Well, not most anyways.  You had to be either brave or stupid to go anywhere near there. Tadashi Yamaguchi was neither brave, nor stupid, he was simply lovestruck. He couldn't stay in the forest with the rest of the Yōkai, not when he knew you were there. Out sitting in the meadows, staring up at the vast expanse of the skies. You were just as bad as he was, that's how he justified it. If you could go out, then so could he. Neither of you were hurting anything, you were watching stars and he was watching you.  He was almost certain that you didn't see him. The grass in the meadows was tall, almost knee length. So he would crouch down and watch you. It may have been a little creepy, but he couldn't help it. You were simply captivating to him. You weren't doing anything, just sitting there.  You had a lantern with you, you always did. It wasn't a bright light, casting only a faint golden light on your face. He couldn't see much, but what he could see, he adored. You looked so… Delicately made. As if every individual part of you was carefully crafted and selected from the best that the heavens had to offer. You were a deity, and he was a simple demon. He had seen a glimpse of heaven itself and now he knew it was clearly meant to be.  His long, floppy ears perked up when he saw your familiar form, kneeling on the soft grass. Cotton tail wiggling with excitement. He could sit there for hours, imagining what you were like. What did you like doing? You obviously loved the stars, maybe you liked nature? If you liked nature, maybe you would like him? Maybe you were waiting for someone else? He didn't like that thought. Shaking his head, ears flopping against his face. As if he could erase the thought from his head. It was ridiculous to be this possessive over something that wasn't his, but what else could he do? You were the forbidden fruit, and he wasn't willing to let anyone else take away his beautiful

temptation.  He crept closer, he didn't normally get closer than eight feet away, but he felt more confident today. It wasn't really confidence so much as desperation to get closer to you. He couldn't just sit and stare at you forever. It would drive him mad. Scooting closer as quietly as possible, the grass made a rustling sound underneath him but you didn't seem to notice. He was four feet away now, you were still clueless, and he still wanted more. So he crept closer until he was three feet…  Two feet… One foot…  Right behind you…  It was beyond him how you hadn't noticed him. If he leaned forward, he would be pressed against your back. He could smell your natural scent, grass, flowers, and the faintest hint of general store soap. The grass and flowers were probably thanks to the meadow, but he almost melted. He was right there, right next to you. He could easily imagine that he wasn't here, stalking you, but that you were meeting in secret. That the two of you were forbidden lovers, that he was embracing you, not hiding behind you. He knew that he had gone too far, this was a major invasion of privacy and inappropriate to sneak behind someone without them knowing. But he was practically lovedrunk being this close to you, and he couldn't think of anything other than you.  Would it really hurt if you knew he was there? You were already in the meadows, so you had to know that there were creatures that could be out there. It was really your fault for coming out here, he wasn't going to hurt you. He just had to hold your hand, if only for a second.  Reaching out with a trembling hand, he threw caution to the wind, slipping his hand into yours. Never once thinking about how bad things were about to get.  You jerked your hand away, shrieking and scrambling to your feet, whirling around to see what had touched your hand. The lantern was knocked to the ground and Tadashi's face was illuminated. He froze like a deer in headlights, his terror filled eyes never left yours. Your hands were brought up to your chest as you stared at the rabbit hybrid, equally afraid. Was he trying to hurt you? Hunt you? He was a rabbit, last you checked, those didn't eat people. But he was also a Yōkai, which meant you knew almost nothing about what he would actually do.  He felt paralyzed, the only thoughts in his mind were "What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?". When you took a step towards him, his fight or flight instinct kicked in… They chose flight.  He bolted from his spot, bounding for the forest. You stared as he didn't bother looking back, too scared to stop running until he was safely back in his He cursed himself for being so reckless, getting so close to you. He had completely thrown logic and possible safety to the side just to touch some stranger he could barely see. What kind of lovesick child was he?  "You went out there again, didn't you?" The almost scolding voice of his friend, Kei Tsukishima, called from outside the den.  Tadashi peeked his head out of the entrance, nose trembling from the dramatic situation.  "I couldn't help it, Tsukki, they just…"  ""Captivate You"?" Kei said, rolling his eyes. His fluffy orange tail swishing behind him. "That's what you said, isn't it? Every time you describe them, it's always the same thing."  "I know, but… I can't really describe them beyond that. I know it doesn't make much sense, but I just know!" Tadashi protested. "Know what? Know that they wouldn't take the opportunity to kill you on the spot?"  "Oh come on Tsukki, you know we get along just fine, they wouldn't shoot me."  "Sure. Come back and explain it to me when you've actually talked to them and lived to tell the tale." Kei scoffed, turning and stalking back into the trees.  "I almost got caught… Tsukki is right." Tadashi frowned, it was common sense that you didn't fall in love before a real first sight. But common sense wasn't making sense anymore, so anything was possible at this point. Even getting a complete stranger's affection, right?  "This is stupid…" Tadashi muttered to

himself as he crept out of the treeline. He had no idea if he would see you again, but curiosity had gotten the best of him and he wasn't going to give up the chance to see you again. Tsukki could advise him against it all he wanted, Tadashi was a firm believer in love at first sight. (No matter how one sided this was)  There you were, sitting in your usual spot. He hadn't scared you off after all, he felt relieved. But only slightly, he still had to muster the courage to try and talk to you. After all, you already knew he existed, so now he only had to make you just as in love with him as he was with you. Easy Peasy… Something odd that he noticed, was that you weren't looking up at the sky like you usually were. You were staring straight at the border of trees that lined the forest. Almost as if you were expecting something to come out. It was a little off putting, that was for sure. Were you looking for him? Was that a good thing, and you wanted to talk to him? Or did you have a hidden weapon? Okay… Maybe no hidden weaponry, no way you were that kind of person. Nobody who came out to look at stars would kill some demon they barely met, right?  "Here we go…" He whispered to himself, standing upright in the tall grass to walk over before his confidence disappeared.  "Or… Maybe not." He crouched in the grass again, opting to crawl instead of walk. Maybe it was because he could still back out, or maybe it was because it might make him seem friendlier. Either way, staying hidden until he absolutely had to come out, was far easier.  When he had gotten close again, he didn't want to come out of hiding. He wanted to get your attention, but he didn't want you to see him. His prey instincts were kicking in and he was regretting his choice to confront you.  "Hello?"  You spoke���  You had actually spoken. Out loud. To him? He didn't know that.  "I know you're here. I saw you yesterday, and… I assume you're back now?"  Were you just saying that? Or did you actually know he was here. You could have been bluffing, sure. But he had to say something eventually. So he may as well get it out now.  "Yes. I'm back." His voice was quiet, but everything else was quieter, so he knew you had heard him.  "I knew it." You had been bluffing… Your voice sounded too surprised to get a response. Had you been talking like that for the last hour?  "How long have you been watching me?" Tadashi felt awkward now, he couldn't lie to you and say it was the first time. But he couldn't just tell you that he had been stalking you for months now.  "A while then?"  "No! Of course not!" He protested.  "Then how long?"  "Only a few months. That's all." He tried to make it sound better than it actually was.  "A few months? Why? What were you even doing? Are you some kind of stalker?"  "No! I'm not a stalker, I swear! I was only watching the stars with you. I… I like it here too, and when I saw you, I guess I got excited that someone else liked it too." That wasn't entirely untrue.  There was silence, and he felt uncomfortable again. Had you somehow seen through his half-lie? Looking up, he saw the faint light of a lantern and your face. You were standing over him, looking down with what could have been amusement.  "Y'know you could've just asked, right? I'm not gonna hurt you." You crouched next to him and he could fully see your face from here. His cheeks heated up when you set the lantern in between the two of you.  "Sorry, I guess I was too scared." He muttered, staring at his feet and fidgeting with some blades of grass.  "Of what?"  "You… I know humans and Yōkai technically "Get Along" but everyone's still afraid of each other and I didn't really know you, and I didn't want you to think I was a creeper or anything and-" You placed a finger to his lips, interrupting his ramble.  "Well you don't have to be afraid of me now. I already told you, I won't hurt you. And honestly, I was probably intruding on your stargazing place. This Meadow is more a part of the forest than part of the village. If anything, I'm the

creep."  "No way! It's an in between space, you're not intruding, I promise!" He reassured, he didn't want you feeling unwelcome.  "You're sure?"  "Definitely! You're just as welcome to come here as I am."  "Good to know someone else loves this place like I do." You smiled at the happy Yōkai. Truth be told, you knew he had been watching you for a while. You simply acted as if you didn't see him because you knew how jumpy Yōkai were. You didn't want to scare him off, so you simply ignored him. And when he had actually started talking to you, you knew full well why he was watching you. It was painfully obvious how obsessed he was with you. But for now, you would humor him. You had waited for him to talk to you, you could wait for him to confess his true intentions.

As for how you felt? You weren't entirely sure how to feel. But seeing as he wasn't very good at confessing anything, you had plenty of time to think that over. For now, you had someone to talk to, and that was good enough. 

[tainted-wine]

okay but hawks with an s/o who works at a zoo in the bird wing as the on-call nurse or doctor and sometimes he swoops in for a lil chat or maybe a quick massage n a coworker will bring in a bird with a real injured wing and he’ll just be like “back of the line buddy they’re busy with me right now” or maybe he gets there one day while you’re attending to a couple birds so he’s the last one in line n he just goes up to a bird n asks “long wait time?” basically hawks is a hilarious mf.

(Yes, this is a regular waiting room filled with birds)

Aw man, Hawks was hoping to have you all to himself for a nice grooming session, the perfect way to wind down after a day of so much high speed flying. But he forgets that he’s not the only bird in your life. The several feathered folks surrounding him in this vet hospital were a clear reminder of that.

Ugh, there’s several birds ahead of him in appointments, so he might as well get comfortable. He’s not leaving this place without getting pampered.

There was an owl seated right next to him that was staring straight ahead, eyes looking unfocused.

Looks like a Great Horn. Hawks favored talking to owls that screech and shriek; they weren’t much different from his hawk calls and could easily be translated on his own. He wasn’t fluent in Hoot, but he knew enough to have a basic conversation. Softly clearing his throat, he greeted the fellow raptor. “Hoo! Hooo hoo hoooo? (Hey! Long wait time, huh?)”

The owl smoothly turned its head and blinked, its round golden eyes facing him...but not exactly looking at him. “Hoo hooo ho hoo. Hoo hooo ho hooo hoo. (Your accent is atrocious. It makes me want to cough up a pellet.)”

Hawks flinched. No need for the damn bird to be so harsh. He remained passive, his next series of hoots translating to, “Sorry, I know it’s a bit rough. So what are you here for?”

The owl turned away, idly moving its head around while the rest of its body remained completely still, like some automation. It hooted, “Here for an eye check. I am almost completely blind at this point. I honestly don’t know why the human still bothers.”

The response took Hawks back. “Oh, sorry about that.”

“It’s nothing,” it hooted. “I still have my ears, and it’s not like I do any real hunting nowadays. The humans insist on hand-feeding me everything.”

He chuckled at the owl’s clear dislike of being coddled, which happens to be what he was here for. “I know, relying on others is no fun. By the way, my name is-”

“Hawks. I know who you are.”

Well, he sure wasn’t expecting that. “You do? I...didn’t know I had any owl fans,” he hooted curiously.

The fluffy bird shook out its feathers. “Oh, I am not a fan. Your mate never stops talking about you. She makes you sound like the ultimate hunter, but I highly doubt that after hearing how loudly you came in. Your wings are as loud as a hummingbird’s. I hate those buzzing bastards and wish to eat them all whole.”

“Hey now! You wouldn’t think that if you ever saw me in action! OH WAIT.”

Low blow, and he admits that he deserved the hard bite into his arm in response. Damn, that really hurt.

“Your accent is too ridiculous for any insults. Well then, Hawks, do you think you’re that great just because you were born with a raptor’s wings? Tell me about these so-called villains that you face.”

Hawks straightened, wings giving small flaps in anticipation. “You sure? I have so many victories and captures under my belt that I’ve lost count, and I have a bad habit of going into detail,” he hooted smugly.

The owl shifted and settled into its own puffy plumage, closing its eyes. “No need to hold back. Humor this blind owl for a while.”

-----------

A pair of small tits sat on the arm of a chair, chirping and whistling as they watched the two predators converse.

“It is him,” one of them peeped angrily. “The winged human that smacked our cousin.”

The other tit bounced up and down in rage. “He’s got balls showing his face around here. The bastard has no respect for us songbirds.”

“Tell the others to watch his every move. I wanna know where he lives, where he eats...he doesn’t know who he’s fucking with.”

The tiny bird nodded. “I’ll take care of it, boss.”

Adorable beady eyes pierced the top hero with seething hatred.

“A real shame you don’t like our songs, Hawks. We’ve got a nice one planned for your funeral.”

[celestialflamesme]

| MER-MAID FOR EACH OTHER | A Stashi One-shot Mermaid AU | Fairy Tail Next Generation |

Ships: Nashi Dragneel x Storm Fullbuster (Magma mermaid x Sharkboy)

Dedicated to @primaverafrog @luna-chan00 @biorckstudios18 @cxndy-stxrs and that random fact I read about sharks thriving in volcanoes.

If there was anything Nashi's dad taught her, it was this.

It was her mom that had sat her down and told her about how she couldn't play with the other mermaids and the do's and don'ts and safe spaces and creeks that reeked of danger and bad merfolk. Nashi nodded half-heartedly, too upset to barely talk back like she usually did.

But Nashi's dad, bless his soul, beckoned her to him one fine day and said, "No matter what you are and what you can do, don't hide a single part of you. Fight for what you want and what you deserve no matter how ridiculous it looks in the grand scheme of things. We'll always be here," he poked at her chest, "supporting you. Always."

Of course, turns out it was regarding a 'big, juicy mackerel' he lost to a 'dumb, fucking orca of all fish', but she liked to think it applied to other aspects of her life too.

The mer peered at the children giggling and trying to outswim each other across the reef and sighed.

As amazing as living in a volcano was, it sure was lonely sometimes.

Magma merfolk had several restrictions because of the seething temperatures their bodies possessed. Basically, if she touched a mer, they'd get burnt (super bad). It wasn't like there was a chance of that happening anyway, considering how scared merfolk were of them.

Pearl (a curious whitefish she'd come across on one of her hunts) swam in circles around her, obviously in a playful mood. She slightly smiled and brought a finger to her lips.

The children screeched as they spotted her swimming rapidly towards them and scattered away. The pinkette chortled at them.

"You'd think they'd have learnt by now, eh, Pearl?"

Pearl made a noise of delight, wading amongst the reeds. She huffed. "I knew you were hungry, you silly little fishy. Which reminds me, I have a date with destiny!"

Her best friend clicked. (Sorry hun, a mermaid has needs. Sweet, sweet protein; sign her up please!) She squinted, scanning the waters for her next meal. Her eyes registered a faint figure.

Tapping her tail thrice to get Pearl's attention, she swam ahead at a careful pace, ducking behind giant kelp to get a closer look. The figure continued its path, paying her no notice. Which was when she realised what it was headed straight for.

Pearl.

Her heart beating violently, she let out a war-cry and flexed her tail harder. Her vision saw red as she rammed into-

"WHAT THE FLIPPING HECK?!"

Both the bodies crashed into a boulder and Nashi let out a small groan, her sight blurry. Blinking back into consciousness, she tilted her head up.

She wasn't going to lie, the first thing she saw was his jaw filled with sharp canines. Her blood ran cold as she slowly, carefully, looked up only to gaze at perfect cerulean blue eyes.

She blinked. He blinked. Then the screaming ensued.

"WHAT'S A SHARK DOING IN MAGMA REEF?! AM I GOING TO DIE?! HOLY FLIPPING MAVIS-"

"WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU TACKLE ME LIKE THAT?! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH, YOU CRAZY MER?!"

6 minutes later, Pearl floated by, unimpressed by their shrieking. The shark-guy (shark-man, shark-douche, whatever) reached out to grab her and Pearl and Nashi collectively squeaked, the latter smacking him at the back of his head. He snarled.

"I'm trying TO CATCH MY NEXT MEAL! DO YOU MIND?!" He yelled.

"YES, I MIND! PEARL IS MY FRIEND, NOT FOOD!"

"Oh dear Triton, she's one of the vegan loons...." He muttered under his breath. She clicked her tongue.

"Even if I am, that doesn't explain the fact that YOU'RE ON MY TURF!!" She retorted, and he flinched at her tone.

"I DON'T SEE A SIGN ANYWHERE!!"

Nashi growled at him, "You have 7 seconds to run before I burn you to ashes!" Which is when she noticed that she was still on top of him.

"Wait, you aren't- what?" She furrowed her eyebrows and inspected him. "You're- wha- how?"

"What is it?!" He frowned. "It's considered rude to sta- HEY!"

She frantically patted and touched his chest and arms for something, anything and let out a breath of bewilderment. "You're- You don't feel anything?"

"Well, you are a little warmer than the others," he admitted. The shark raised an eyebrow curiously, "Uh- why?"

Nashi blinked out of her stupor, then pointed at herself, "Magma mermaid."

"Oh." He blinked back. "You're not as scary as they make you out to be. Unless," he held her shoulders and scanned her (Uhhhhhhhh....) "You're a baby!"

"WHAT! NO, YOU DUMBASS!"

"So you're saying that you're old?" He teased.

"I'm the appropriate age!" She huffed back.

"Appropriate age for?"

"Uh, stuff?"

"Yeah huh."

"YEAH HUH!"

He bit his lip, fighting back a smile. "Now, what am I going to do about lunch?"

Nashi's eyes widened. "Kelpsicles, I have to hunt too!" Both met each other's gazes before he shrugged. "Truce?"

"It's Nashi, actually," she smirked.

"Cool, I'm Storm."

............

An hour later, Storm managed to piss her off again.

"What do you mean you don't like burnt fish?! It's flipping amazing!"

Storm sighed (The audacity!) "Have you even tried raw fish?"

She spluttered, "Of course I have-" At the disbelieving look he shot her, she mumbled, "Not."

"Open up then."

"Excuse me?!" She shrieked indignantly. "I barely know you! You could poison me for all-" she choked as he shoved a piece in her mouth mid-sentence.

"I don't wanna hear it," he interrupted her before she could yell at him, "So? How's it taste?"

"I still like burnt fish." She mumbled, flustered.

"D'aww, is the iddle widdle mermaid embarrassed?" He cooed. "How ador-" Now it was his turn to choke as she shoved the entire fish down his throat.

She snorted, "Now that's peak humour." He shot her the middle flipper.

.............

"Damn, the humans are at it again."

"What's new?" Storm grumbled.

Nashi's grin widened, "Wanna check it out?"

"I don't know Nash, this bunch looks- Nash?" He groaned at her figure wading upwards, "Woman, get back here!"

Nashi was too busy taking in the sun's warmth to pay him any attention the first time. The second time however, she swivelled around only to register his panicked look. The third time, she found her tail stuck. In a net.

"STORM!! FLIPPING- HELP!!" She screeched, pushing, propelling herself out, trying anything, everything. She was getting dizzier by the second.

A giant thud resonated from behind her, and the net shook back and forth but she waddled undeterred until Rip! She was free!

"Oh thank Triton!" She gasped, trying to catch her breath. The humans were yelling but she didn't want to stick around and find out.

A pair of arms wrapped around her making her flinch. Storm had a dark look on his face as he pulled her against him and swam forth, not uttering a word.

He'd rocked the boat. He'd- he'd saved her from-

"Don't ever leave my side again." He murmured against her hair.

.................

"Nash, stoppppp," Storm whined, "It's only 15 minutes awayyyyy."

"You said that 15 minutes ago! And what's the big deal anyway?" She snickered, reaching out for his fin again, only to be swatted again, "Ticklish?"

"Very much so." He raised an eyebrow, daring her to try again. "You can't stay one minute without trying to feel me up, can you?"

She spluttered and even Pearl (dumb fish!) joined Storm as he chortled at the indignant face she made.

"We're here!" He cheered, only to be tackled by a bunch of sharks. Nashi felt her breath quicken.

"Storm?" She blinked. The group turned to stare at her in awe.

"STORM BROUGHT A GIRL HOME!"

"SHE'S PRETTY!"

"ARE YOU TWO MARRIED YET?!"

"Uhhh..." What was happening again?

Storm laughed at her confusion. "I figured you'd be lonely up there so I thought you'd like to stay with my family for a change. Don't mind Kai and Gale," he shot them a look. "They're dumbasses."

"If you won't date her, I might," Kai smirked at her. She nervously smiled at him, confused.

Storm growled, "Back off, she's mine!"

Nashi choked. Even Pearl cheered as they proceeded to carry her into their coven? Cliff? Ridge maybe....

"Since when am I yours?" She inquired, bewildered.

"We'll work on the specifics later. For now," he wrapped an arm around her torso and grinned at her, "Yeah, you're mine."

.................

Bonus: (that no one asked for)

"Sing it with me, River! BABY SHARK DO DO DO DO DO DO! BABY SHARK DO DO DO DO DO DO! BABY SHARK DO DO DO DO DO DO! BABY SHARK!"

Storm grumbled, "If his first word is baby, it'll be your fault."

Nashi shrugged, "As long as it's not Daddy, I don't mind at all. Say mommy, sweetie! Mo-mmy! See!"

The tiny shark ("He loves raw fish! He's a natural predator!" Storm cheered, making funny faces at his giggling son) paid no heed to his parents, distracted by Pearl swimming in circles around him.

"Pearl, you're going to make him take his first paddle before he says Momma at this rate," Nashi warned.

"You mean Dadda."

"Momma!"

"Dadda!"

"Momma!"

"Dadda!"

"Ma- da," River giggled, clapping his hands. Both of them blinked at him.

"Well that solves that," Storm smiled.

"Yeah...." Nashi sighed. "Who's a good little sharkie? Yes, you are!" She cooed, carrying him in her arms. "I love you!" She poked at him.

"What about me?" Storm pouted. She rolled her eyes and pecked him on the lips. "I love you too, Snarky."

He flicked her on the nose.

.....................

[chestnut-b]

Himawari - Chapter 5

A request to kindly reblog if you like the art or the story! (Still not appearing in tags, unfortunately ;_; Thank you so much!

Chapter 5 of a Demon Slayer AU.

“Please don’t go hoisting your parental duties on me just yet, sensei. Do you really want to entrust Naruto’s growth to a guy who reads Icha Icha Paradise?”

Or worse, writes it. Iruka could only laugh. He couldn’t remember when he’d laughed this freely before.

He’d have to find a way to live forever now.

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

All Kakashi had to do was follow the yelling. Naruto’s, specifically. 

Swiftly, he navigated the dark tunnels, stopping only to orient himself at the numerous forks along the way. When Naruto’s voice faded, his ears picked up the sound of waves and rushing water. That too, lasted a few short seconds before dissipating into soft echoes, but Kakashi knew he was close. The stench of death was growing stronger with each step.

He arrived just in time to see Iruka, standing seemingly still in a shallow pool of water at the base of a huge cavern, Naruto clinging to his side. Their backs bore signs of having been dragged a distance, Iruka’s more than Naruto’s. Kakashi couldn’t see if they’d sustained any injuries, but knowing the teacher, he must have taken the brunt of it on their way down here.

He gazed at Iruka’s form. That defensive stance… a breath technique?

His curiosity piqued, Kakashi resisted the urge to act, instead choosing to mask his presence. There was barely enough light being emitted from the pool for him to get a view of their grim surroundings. The corpses of beasts, predator and prey alike, littered every nook and cranny, some hung from the stalactite-covered ceiling as skeletal, brittle husks.

Soon, an ominous rattling reached his ears, followed by what could only be described as a grotesque symphony of hisses, groans and moving parts. 

“Mare..chi…what a feast...ha..haha...it’s been a while since I’ve had a human meal..”a wretched voice echoed, already drunk with hunger.

Well, that confirmed it, Kakashi cursed inwardly. He’d left the cave obediently at Iruka’s request, and now they were facing a demon that was already salivating at the thought of rare blood. The slayer hadn’t spoken, nor had he moved an inch despite Naruto’s presence beside him. His hands were poised to draw his blade from its sheath at a moment’s notice. 

The pool at his feet started to ripple in slow, rhythmic pulses. 

There it was again. Kakashi felt a familiar, gentle wave pass over him. His presence had been felt, but Iruka made no appeal for assistance.

Let’s see what you’re made of, Iruka-sensei. 

A single piece of rock fell from the ceiling, creating a secondary wave of ripples in the water. Kakashi spied a snaking form in the reflection, and in the next instant, the foe descended upon the pair.

Legs, too many legs. Kakashi cringed inwardly. 

He hated centipedes. 

A demon large enough to hunt monsters for prey, with a long, segmented body twice as thick as a human adult. The demon’s face and neck were nowhere to be seen, though he had a good idea of where it was hidden.

There was a flash of metal, followed by a terrible shriek of pain. The demon fell and thrashed violently in the water. With a shining blue blade, Iruka had managed to fend off the first strike, slicing off a row of legs in the process. 

But there wasn’t enough strength behind Iruka’s blow to have dealt significant damage to the main body, Kakashi observed. If the path of his blade had strayed, there would have been trouble. It had been a concentrated effort, judging from the deep, controlled exhale that followed.

The teacher had taken the chance to jump back with Naruto, increasing the distance between them and their foe. The boy let out a taunt, but was quickly silenced with an extended arm and a hushed admonishment. 

Just as the demon found its bearings, Iruka reached into the sleeve of his haori and in the next instant, three kunai had found their marks deep in the crevices of the centipede’s body, this time producing a sputter of indignant rage as tiny streams of blood seeped into the pool.

With a shrill shriek, the mouth of the creature pried open, and out emerged a humanesque head and torso, its skin pale and wet. Veins of purple had started to snake up its neck.

Naruto failed to rein in his cry of disgust. 

“You bastard...wisteria?!” The thing screamed bloody murder. 

Iruka kept silent, walking towards the demon while staring it down with an unrelenting glare. This seemed to enrage it even more, for it backed up, coiling like a snake preparing to strike. In its delirium, it opted for a head-on attack, lunging straight for the approaching slayer with blinding speed. 

“Iruka-nii!” 

The slayer’s strike had only opened a wide gash in its torso as it whipped past. Iruka hadn’t expected the change in trajectory. Naruto had already started running his way, and the demon adjusted its course for retaliatory strike. 

“Get down!” Iruka screamed. 

The boy took to the ground, arms over his head. Iruka shielded him with his own body, bracing for a direct hit.

However, nothing came but a wet crash and an inhuman screech. Iruka lifted his head in time to see one of the severed segments drop onto the ground beside him. 

“Iruka-sensei, I don’t think this is what you meant when you said we’d be in time for dinner.” 

Kakashi turned his head for a moment to beam moronically at the teacher. Iruka sighed in response, but favoured him with an exasperated smile in return anyway. Kakashi found himself thinking; while a glare was always an interesting look on Iruka, nothing quite looked as natural on him as a smile.

The teacher had taken a few bumps on the way down, a cut on his head bled worse than it actually was, but other than that, Kakashi saw no reason for alarm, 

A sharp interruption broke his train of thought.

“Shut up. You’re late!” Naruto berated him.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, as he was prone to doing when around the boy. 

He wasn’t late; it was in fact, a strategically delayed entry. 

Nevertheless, the Hashira approached the writhing demon, gleaming black blade in hand.

“Hey, where’s your master? I’ll make it a painless death if you tell me.” 

There was no coherent or useful answer to be gleaned in the screams that followed. 

”That’s a pity. Well, be seeing you then.” 

Contrary to his threat, Kakashi took the demon’s head clean off with one silent, clean strike. Soon after, the body started its slow disintegration into black ash. 

“May you find peace...and light on the other side.” 

He knew full well it wasn’t meant for him, but something in that gentle voice made Kakashi’s heart stir in a way it hadn’t for a long time. For a moment, his father’s visage surfaced in his mind. 

He turned back to the pair, only to see Iruka looking into the eyes of the fallen demon. On his exhausted face was a genuinely forlorn expression. The demon stared silently, but a single tear joined the rest of the pool at their feet, creating a final ripple before the last of the body disappeared for good.

“Iruka-nii!” Naruto cried, bearing the now slumped Iruka on his shoulder. He’d lost consciousness. 

Kakashi flicked the blood off his sword before returning it to its sheath, doing the same for Iruka’s. He passed the sheathed blade to Naruto before picking the teacher up into his arms. Truthfully, he would have wanted to see the reaction on his face had he been awake, but instead Kakashi was met with another somber realisation; Iruka was a half a head shorter than Kakashi at most, but his weight scarcely reflected it. He didn’t have time to ponder for long before a subdued voice spoke out.

“Is he going to be ok?” It was one of those times when Naruto sounded the most like the 7 year old child he was. 

“He’ll be fine. Sensei’s stronger than he looks.”

His gaze lingered on Iruka’s worn face just a bit longer. 

When my time comes, will you pray for me too, sensei?

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

 Sound was always the first thing to come to him when he woke up. He remembered the chirping of birds or summer cicadas, his mother’s humming as she laid out breakfast, or his father’s stern but warm voice as he trained at dawn.

In this place was the gentle crackle of a fire, the rush of trees and grass swaying in the wind, and the rhythmic pitter-patter of a light rain hitting stone. On his right could only be Naruto’s soft snoring. The weight of fabric over his shoulders felt like a warm embrace. He wanted desperately to lose himself in the sheer comfort of the composition, but Iruka knew he was not lying in his room or in his bed. 

Cautiously, he opened his eyes to see a soft orange glow in the stone ceiling above him. 

“Good evening, sensei.” 

And there was Kakashi. 

Iruka cringed as he struggled to sit himself upright, every part of him ached. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he could feel every bump and bruise all over again. He turned to his right to see Naruto, sleeping like a log, wrapped in Iruka’s haori. Seeing that, he looked down at his own lap to see what could only be Kakashi’s haori. It was a deep maroon that at times shone a silk-like black under the right light. It was beautiful, and, looking at it up close like he was now, easy to get lost in its richness. He removed his arms from under the coat, and was surprised to see the cuts and scrapes that his hands had suffered had been cleaned and carefully bandaged. The red braided cord he used to tie his hair was neatly rolled and left in his palm. 

“I had to look into your bag to see if there was anything we could use, sorry sensei.”

The Hashira had saved their lives, and now he was apologising? Iruka wondered if all the pillars were as odd as this one. Iruka shook his head before taking in his surroundings. They were still in the same cave, and judging from the height of the moon outside, it was just after midnight.

The wind brought a slight chill, but the worst of it was fended off by the warmth of the fire and the haori that had been draped over him. His hair, now spilling over his shoulders, protected his neck from the worst of the cold. He turned to Kakashi, dressed in only the standard blacks, gently lit by the moonlight as he sat closer to the mouth of the cave. 

He looks cold. 

“How are you feeling?”

Like crap, if he was going to be truthful. But it must have been miles better than being a drained shell of a meal for a demon. 

“I’ll survive.” 

Iruka struggled to his feet. Taking the haori along with him, he offered it back to Kakashi, who merely smiled and shook his head. 

“You should get back to sleep. You need it.”

“Right. So we’re sharing then.”

“What?”

Iruka draped the haori back onto Kakashi’s shoulders. But instead of returning to where he’d been lying, he plopped himself bodily next to Kakashi, pressing their shoulders together before wrapping the other half of the haori around himself. Kakashi let out a warm, amused chuckle that vibrated through his battered body. He dug his face into his knees. The heat he felt rising to his cheeks wasn’t from the warmth of the fire. 

“That’s what you get for being stubborn about it.”

“Oh sensei, If we’re going to be children here, how about a bed-time story?”

There was a rustle of paper, and Iruka lifted his head to see a very child-unfriendly woodblock-printed illustration shoved right in his face.

“What the hell is this?!” He hissed indignantly, swatting the book away from his face. Kakashi’s hand retreated with it before any damage could have been dealt.

“Jiraiya-sensei’s latest work. Icha-Icha Paradise: Romance in the Floating World! He left the manuscript in his-, I mean, my room, as a way of keeping me occupied while I play babysitter.” 

Iruka swore he had never heard the man sound this happy. He looked so satisfied thumbing through the book with the brightest orange washi-paper cover he’d ever seen that Iruka couldn’t help but think himself an idiot. Because, even just for a moment, he’d thought Kakashi looked quite dignified, sitting there in the moonlight. 

Iruka had never been so wrong. 

Beside him sat the strongest of the Hashira, legendary user of multiple breath-styles; Hatake Kakashi, and he was reading porn in a cave. Iruka was dumbstruck.

Maybe this is all a dream, or maybe I did get eaten by the demon and I’m in hell where I belong.

But Naruto was here too, so that couldn’t be it. He groaned, rubbing his forehead. That had been carefully bandaged too. 

“I suppose this is why you didn’t try to get us back tonight.” He’d shown Kakashi the map, he knew where the entry points were.

Kakashi nodded solemnly. “I hate getting wet even under normal circumstances. If Jiraiya found out I destroyed his manuscript, well, I’m not sure if there will be any of me left for the demons, sensei.” He didn’t know if the shiver Kakashi produced was real or mere parody.

“Plus, it’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” 

Iruka couldn’t deny that part. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d slept rough like this, but he felt the same sentiment. He’d remember this night, and not just for the scenery and soundscape.

Jiraiya-sama. It wasn’t the first time he had met the man, but he’d taken the task of observing Naruto even less seriously than Kakashi had at first, spending most of his time in the town taverns or in his room. He’d requested a good supply of paper and ink blocks upon his arrival. So this is what they were for. Iruka sighed, what a waste of good writing materials. As if they weren’t troublesome enough to obtain too. 

The books though; he’d seen them as he browsed the town’s bookshops. They stood out in the most indiscreet fashion possible, Iruka’s eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to them. Kotetsu had been bugging him to buy one on his trips there, but once he saw the title, he decided there were definitely better uses for his limited savings. He never expected the author and the esteemed retired Hashira to be one in the same Jiraiya. 

The sounds of water that surrounded them made Iruka realise how thirsty he was. He placed a hand on his throat in an attempt to soothe it. Another article was soon in his line of sight, a bamboo water canteen. 

“Sorry I couldn’t get it to you sooner.” He’d sounded genuinely apologetic, and it wasn’t just about the water either. Iruka shook his head. He’d have apologised too, for being this weak, but Kakashi had witnessed it for himself plenty by now. Nevertheless, he took the water gratefully. Gingerly, he reached into his pocket, taking out a small sachet. He emptied its contents into his mouth before taking a large swig of water. 

From the day he was born, it never failed to taste absolutely awful.

Kakashi chuckled. The reaction on his face must have been too obvious.

“Mustn’t be easy being a Senju huh, Umino Iruka-kun.”

Iruka blinked at him before bursting out laughing. He was grateful Kakashi had waited for him to swallow before bringing that one out. 

How many years had it been since he’d heard those two names in the same sentence. 

“You must have been a great student, Kakashi-san.”

“Quite the contrary, Minato-sensei was just about ready to kill me himself. Too many questions can be a problem, apparently.”

If there was a time Iruka could relate to Naruto’s late Father, it was right at this moment. 

“When did you realise?” Iruka sighed, he’d laughed so hard, he had to wipe the tears out of the corners of his eyes. 

Kakashi turned his head, his one eye, grey as stone, gazed at him warmly.

“Maa, my suspicions were just about confirmed today, actually.” 

“Please, do enlighten me.” 

Kakashi made a pleased sound, nodding his head. 

“Firstly, Sarutobi doesn’t take just anyone as a student. No offence, sensei, but physically speaking, you’re not the strongest combatant. So there had to be other reasons for him to keep you around, especially knowing what happened between you and Naruto that day.”

Iruka nodded slowly. He’d barely made it through every Hashira training session that Kakashi had been instructed to conduct when he was posted at the school. Iruka, like everyone else there, dreaded those days the most,

“Secondly, Your earrings. Sea-glass from the Uzumaki coast, and a bit too expensive for a commoner’s family. It’s not just where the Uzumaki came from, the Senju had long been there before moving further east. Not the strongest evidence, I admit, but there it is.” 

Unconsciously, Iruka’s hand had moved to touch the earring on his left ear. The only things he had left of his Mother.

“Thirdly, that troublesome condition of yours. The stuff you take for it, smells just like what they get delivered to the main estate. Not envious of that one at all, sensei.”

Iruka chuckled, and swore to himself he’d sneak it into Kakashi’s tea one day. It would be a difficult task, with his hound-like sense of smell, but he’d find a way. 

“Anything else?”

“Hmmm. A man you share your family name with, Umino Ikaku, famously spiriting away Kohari, a Daughter of Senju, even one from a minor branch family, caused a bit of a stir at the time, even though I was a kid when I heard about it. Father found it pretty amusing, like a Shinobi love-story come to life. Maybe that’s where I got it from.” He mused, waving the book in his hand.

That he had the audacity to even mention the two stories in the same breath. It was enough to make Iruka burst a blood vessel, but he settled for a hard shove in Kakashi’s direction. If he was lucky, that book would find itself tinder for the fire by sunrise. 

“Also.” Kakashi continued, glancing at the red cord bunched in Iruka’s fist. It had been gifted to him by his Father when he’d hit his first bullseye with a kunai.

“You may not know this, but with your hair down, you’re a splitting image of Oyakata-sama.”

Iruka sighed. He’d never stepped foot on the Senju Estate, never set eyes on the great Senju-Hashirama. Sometimes, his Mother would mention it as she combed through his hair, how much they looked alike. But Iruka had no point of reference, and so had never thought much about it. 

But in hindsight, Sarutobi had always been soft on him. The Hashira designation wasn’t that old, and Sarutobi had been one of the first named Hashira, after the great founder himself. Great warriors, all, each carrying part of his name into battle with their sworn enemies.

Iruka started when he felt a gloved hand grab his. Kakashi lifted it up and pulled the sleeve back, looking at his arm as if he expected something to materialise if he stared hard enough.

“I’d ask you for your password, but we both know nothing will come of it. Right, sensei?”

Checkmate. 

He’d never been through the final selection, and was thus, a rankless pretender.

Iruka took back his arm and hugged his knees. Despite the fire and Kakashi’s warmth beside him, he felt the chill of guilt spread through his body.

“The Senju lead the Slayers, send good men and women to die for their mistakes, and yet…...we can’t join them.” 

“Well, but here you are on the ground. Fighting alongside everyone else. I think that’s pretty admirable, wouldn’t you say?”

Iruka glanced at the sleeping boy, He’d done well today. Despite the chaos of his first demon encounter, he kept himself calm, as calm as Naruto could be, anyway. Children of experienced slayers might not have stood as steadily as he did. His reaction to the wisteria gave Iruka so much hope too, even if the boy didn’t realise it himself. 

He’d be a fine warrior one day, if he chose to walk the path. 

“Naruto’s going to get stronger and stronger. Eventually, I’ll just be a burden on him.” Iruka whispered, how many times had he regretted his weakness, his cursed inheritance. 

“On the contrary, sensei. You showed him there’s someone out there who’s willing to lay down their life for him.” Kakashi’s voice was as warm as the fire. “He kept watch over you until he fell asleep, you know. He’s not going to forget what you did for him. What you continue to do for him, every day.” 

Iruka burrowed his head deeper. He was so tired, there were no more tears to let fall.

“Kakashi-san, if I’m not around……”

“Please don’t go hoisting your parental duties on me just yet, sensei. Do you really want to entrust Naruto’s growth to a guy who reads Icha Icha Paradise?” 

Or worse, writes it. Iruka could only laugh. He couldn’t remember when he’d laughed this freely before. He’d have to find a way to live forever now. He lifted his head to look Kakashi in the eye. 

“You know, the Senju are famously short lived.” 

“And wielders of black blades and demon marks are said to be short-lived too. Slayers fall in battle every day, sensei. You could say that we are the lucky ones.” He said, tapping his eye-patch. 

For the second time that night, Iruka felt tremendously stupid. 

“So, if you want to keep me accountable, try to outlive me, won’t you, Umino Iruka-sensei? For both our sakes.” An arm had landed around Iruka’s shoulders. 

Warm. Kakashi had stripped him bare, but he’d never felt this way, not since his parents left. But he had no strength left to cry, and so his response was reduced to a single nod.

“Even if I hadn’t been there, I know you would have protected him no matter what, Iruka.” His voice was already slipping away.  

Kakashi was a weird Hashira. 

Those were his last thoughts as he slipped into unconsciousness. 

For the first time in years, Iruka dreamt of his parents, still alive, and it was a happy, warm dream. 

 Author’s Notes:

A nice meaty chapter which much to chew on! A chapter which was a joy to write from start to finish. I’d love to hear what you think about it (and the reveals at the end!) 

Terminology:

Marechi: Humans with Rare Blood, drives demons mad with hunger.

Password and Rank: Confirmed slayers have their rank engraved on their arms, it's supposed to appear using a password.

Oyakata-sama: Another term for 'leader'.

[windyfiend]

*knock knock-knock*

Runa pulled back on her speeding hoverboard, whirled along the wall and spun in midair to face the locked door, her heart caught guilty in her throat.

“That’s Al,” Sebastian announced with an edge of impatience. He tightened the last translucent thread of a reattached limb. “Ask them what they want. I can’t be disturbed.”

Runa breathed again. With a swallow and silent assurance to herself, she clicked away the locks and pulled the door open a narrow crack.

“Hi Al,” she said meekly. “Hi Pallas. Sebastian wants to know what you want.”

Alexis raised curious brows while Pallas snorted a laugh at the nickname. “Tell Sebastian,” Alexis said evenly, “that I must speak with him in private on behalf of the empress.”

“Is it about me?” Runa gripped the edge of the door, hovering a little lower so she wouldn’t meet Alexis’ eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you my legs don’t work, but it’s okay and I know he tried, it’s not Sebastian’s fault, and if I’m making too much noise I’ll be a lot quieter I promise, and I’ll give back the hoverboard and please don’t get him in trouble--”

“Runa!” Alexis sighed with a reassuring smile. They dipped their head, searching for her face until Runa looked up. “This has  nothing  to do with you,” they said firmly. “It’s okay. We’re very proud of you for being so brave. And of course you can keep the hoverboard.”

Runa sat a little taller, as if a weight had been lifted from her back. A bright smile returned. “Okay!” she chirped, then turned to call out to Sebastian. “They said the empress sent them to talk to you!”

“Tell them to make an appointment,” Sebastian snapped without looking up from his work.

Runa gave Alexis an apologetic grimace. “He says--”

“Sebastian, you are not in a position to make demands!” Alexis shouted through the narrow space of the door.

“I beg to differ,” Sebastian hissed.

Alexis squared armored shoulders. “Runa, please move out of the way,” they commanded calmly, then pressed an armored hand against the door and marched inside, backed by a shine of sunlight from the hall. “Sebastian. You failed to appear for your report to the empress.”

“An empress who declines to show up to her own appointments is  hardly  justified in keeping me to mine,” Sebastian said while he zipped up the last body bag.

Pallas beckoned to Runa from the hallway, her armor glittering. “Come on, little bee,” she said softly, a hand outstretched. Her smile trembled. “The palace isn’t safe right now, so I’m your escort out of here. Let’s leave these two old ladies to their bickering.”

Runa hesitated, and the hoverboard swayed and whirred beneath her. She cast a questioning look across the room at Sebastian, but he was too busy scribbling in his notebook to look up. She turned away from him, her shoulders slumped, and glided quietly out into the hall.

“Shut the door behind you,” Sebastian’s crisp voice echoed after her.

The door clicked shut. Alexis stood at attention in the flicker of lavender candles and the dead blue glow of hanging lights.

Sebastian lined up the luminescent bottles of sludge-veskal, his back turned to the Scythe commander while he bowed over his notes. “Your cold predator stare will never have the effect you want, Alexis,” he said boredly. “I look into the gaze of death every day.”

“You’re supposed to be working on a project that would finally put an end to the abductions,” Alexis enunciated clearly for the artificer’s benefit. “But instead you fired your employees, declined to file your report, and spent half the day entertaining a child. The empress believes you may have misunderstood the importance of your assignment.”

Sebastian took his time writing out the rest of his lab notes. He read them over once more, then closed the notebook softly and turned to face his accuser with his chin held high.

“Did the empress,” he said with a mocking air, “explain to you the details of this assignment-of-great-importance?”

“I understand the purpose of withheld information,” Alexis snapped. “I do not know what I do not  need  to know.”

“You need to know  this,”  Sebastian said, “because you’re going to assist me.”

“Hire back the artificers that were provided to you!” Alexis snarled. Their armor shimmered and rippled with anger.

Sebastian watched them coolly. A sneer crept into his words. “It’s not that sort of assistance.”

--

Runa raised an arm to shield her eyes from the sunlight of the garden, and she smiled at the warm rainbows of the flowerbeds. Roses and lilies blossomed bright among a shimmer of tiny blue flowers and bursting pink blooms. A fountain trickled softly at the heart of a crystal pond, where little frogs leaped from the ledges and plunked into the cool water.

Pallas watched while Runa hovered over the quivering gardens, the hoverboard turned almost sideways while she craned her neck to see the colors.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Pallas asked quietly, her arms folded over her chestplate.

Runa raised her head, confused only a moment before she dropped her gaze to the pavement at Pallas’ feet. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” she said. “There’s nothing anybody can do anyway, so it doesn’t matter. But look!” She smiled again and the hoverboard surged higher with a blue flash and a spin. “Sebastian gave me a hoverboard, and I made handles for it, and a backrest, and a sling for my feet, and I can do cool tricks, watch!”

Runa shot like a bullet down the garden walkway, a streak of blue light in her wake. She corkscrewed high into the air like a bird, dove straight down and rippled across the pond before she spun to a laughing stop.

Pallas stood frozen in place, her eyes blown wide. “Runa…” she choked while her heart resumed beating, “...I’ve been training with hoverboards for a decade and I’ve  never  seen them go that high. Are you sure that’s  sludge  veskal?"

“Yeah.” Runa glided curiously closer. “I watched Sebastian cut the mushrooms from the dead-people pieces. He blended them up and juiced out the veskal. He wouldn’t let me help, though.”

There was a twitch in Pallas’ strained smile. “You’re a weird kid, you know that?” she laughed.

“Briony says that a lot.”

Silence tightened between them while they walked toward the end of the garden, where the top of the long steps overlooked the city of Woondaly and the sun-tipped spires. Beyond the light, high above, the stars still glittered in the night sky.

“We’ve got four squads on rotation looking for Briony,” Pallas said gently, her voice braced and careful. “If there’s any evidence for what happened, we’ll find it.”

“Did you check the abandoned candy factory?” Runa skidded in front of Pallas, her coal-dark eyes shining determined. “And the theater attic? And the reptile house at the zoo? We sometimes hide in the bathroom until after closing and--”

“We searched all your leads.” Pallas laid gentle hands on Runa’s shoulders. “I wish I had better news, honestly I do, but so far there’s no sign of her. We may have to be prepared for--”

“NO.” Runa wrenched away, a stab of tears cutting down her cheeks, her clenched teeth bared. “You’re not looking  hard  enough!” she shrieked.

Pallas winced as if she’d been struck. “Runa--”

Runa flung away down the steps and into the city streets far below, slicing like a blue-shocked blade through the crowds, and she was nearly out of sight before Pallas could grab her own hoverboard.

Pallas hissed a trembling obscenity, jammed on her helmet and raced after the lingering trail of blue light.

--

“The problem with sunlight,” Sebastian continued, stepping closer to Alexis’ rigid stance, “is that the Kith are its only incubator. These past three hundred years, the empress has made unparalleled effort to maintain the light with the city’s own mechanics. The orrery, so far, has been the best hope. But even  it  must be replenished once a year.”

He produced a bottle of pure veskal from his pocket. He held it up, shining bright as a tiny blue sun. “I suggested an alternative solution: a separate source of light, equally bright and powerful, incubated and renewed by the same methods as the Kith. We reverse-engineer those skull-faced atrocities, imbue our own people with the gift of light, and sustain the city forever without heinous contracts.”

“You want to  create  Kith?” Alexis wheezed in disbelief. “You would deform our own people for the sake of light?”

“Children’s bodies are most adaptable,” Sebastian argued. “If the imbuement is introduced early enough, they will live healthy, normal lives without side effect. But there are elusive properties of the Kith that are impossible to replicate based on theory alone.”

Something in Sebastian’s voice made Alexis’ stomach drop. “Runa--”

“--must return here when her hoverboard runs low on veskal,” Sebastian finished smoothly. “By that time, the induction should have taken hold. But in its current state, the experimental infusion is inherently flawed in a way that cannot be repaired.”

Alexis clenched their fists and carefully controlled their words. “She will never walk again,” they guessed.

Sebastian tilted his head in grim affirmation. “This is where your assistance is required,” he said gravely. “You could supply me a consistent stock of children with which to further test my hypotheses--”

“You’re out of your mind!”  Alexis roared.

“-- or,” Sebastian went on as if he weren’t interrupted, “you could bring me a Kith.”

[hu-man-ty-po]

RIP Mr.Whiskers... and Me

I’m a dead man, and I don’t mean that ironically. Jessica gave me one simple rule to follow: don’t touch the cat. That stupid damn cat. I hate that thing. I didn’t think a vampire could have allergies, but of course the one creature my girlfriend loves more than anything makes me all snotty and congested. That’s assuming I can still call Jessica my girlfriend after the incident.

I will take responsibility for my actions. It’s been a busy holiday season between stressing over what to get Jessica to meeting her parents for Christmas dinner, and having to act like I actually eat dinner. I’ll admit, I forgot how long it had been since my last feeding. I’m not one of those lame vamps that go around sucking the blood out of unsuspecting humans; I stick strictly to donated blood given of free will and kind hearts. Of course, the stars aligned and I had depleted my stash of blood bags here at the apartment.

I could feel the intense hunger setting in. I was restless, on the verge of downright distraught. It’s not like I’ve been a vampire for all that long anyways, so I don’t quite have the hang of it. I was born in 1980 in Chicago and this scrub jumped me on my way home one fateful night in the summer of ‘98. That was it. The end of my life... and somewhat beginning of another. I’ve definitely had my low moments, but this? This takes the cake.  

It was midday when I was reaching the end of my self control. Jessica wouldn’t be home from work for hours, and I didn’t think I could last that long. When a vamp goes long enough without blood nature starts to takeover. The only thing on my mind was feeding. I was literally seeing red and I could feel my fangs biting into my lip. That’s when I heard him.

Mr.Whiskers was an obnoxiously orange tabby that Jessica found in the alley behind our apartment a few months ago. She felt a lot of pity for the dumb thing because he was missing a large portion of his left ear. I assume it’s because even the wild cats of downtown Chicago hated him, but Jessica says it is a testament to the hard life he’s lived. She tells me it’s a reminder that I should be kind to him since he’s had such a rough time, major eye roll. He has this nasty habit of being a living nightmare all the time except when Jessica is in the room. Countless of my shirts have been ruined by his scratch marks, he has puked in my shoes on more than one occasion, and I swear he has peed in my favorite cereal even though Jessica insists in must have just gone bad. Lucky charms doesn’t just magically start smelling hella dank, it gets stale not stinky.

This scrub had no idea what he was walking into when he mosied into the den where I was curled up in a corner. It was like my primal instinct just took over! I was the apex predator and Mr.Whiskers was easy prey. My senses went into overdrive and, if I’m being honest, I blacked out for part of it. I remember lunging at him and some hissing, whether it was from me or him I don’t know… then I was covered in blood and poor Mr.Whiskers lifeless body was in my lap. I swear, I didn’t hate the cat enough to premeditate his murder, but accidents happen. I just really hope Jessica doesn’t dump me over this. I mean, couples hit bumps in their relationship sometimes… this is just our bump!

I hear a key slide into the lock on the front door and smell Jessica’s vanilla perfume. Here goes nothing. Maybe she won’t even notice he’s gone! She’ll just assume he ran away; his true nature calling him back to the wild. Not likely, since that cat adored Jessica. She walks into the kitchen and sets her purse on the counter.

“Dee, I’m home!” She calls and smiles at me. Like the first time I saw her, I’m dazzled by her beauty. Her pale blonde hair frames her face in choppy layers and, currently, she has it streaked with electric blue. Her grey eyes are outlined with dark kohl and her lips are their signature bubblegum pink. She’s wearing her favorite vintage Star Wars t-shirt which usually means she’s in a good mood. She walks up behind me, sitting on the couch, and wraps her arms around my neck. I grab her wrist and place a light kiss on her crescent moon tattoo.

“Hey Jess, how was work?” I ask. Jessica works writing code for a major gaming company here in Chicago.

“Oh yanno, same old same old. How was your day?” She returns the question, walking back into the kitchen and grabbing Mr.Whiskers cat food from the cabinet. It’s usually her routine to feed him dinner right when she gets home from work.

“Um… it wasn’t too exciting.” I watch her closely, trying to work up the courage to tell her how my day truly went. She pours the food into his bowl then calls out his name. Dinner is that cat's favorite time of the day, or I guess I should say was his favorite. She’s gonna know something is up when he doesn’t come running for food.

“Huh, that’s strange. Where is that cat? Mr.Whiskers! Dinner!” She calls out again and heads toward our bedroom to look for him there.

“Jessica, wait!” She turns toward me expectantly, “Baby, why don’t you come sit down.” She looks at me hesitantly, but comes and sits next to me on the couch anyway. I take her hands in mine and look deeply into her eyes.

“Jess, you know I love you more than anything right? You give my life purpose. You are the light in my darkness, the yin to my yang. You complete me-”

“Dorian, what did you do?” She questions and flawless raises one eyebrow. She’s on to me.

“Okay, please please please don’t hate me for this, but I realized today that I kind of ran out of blood bags and it’s been so long since I’ve fed yanno? With the holidays and meeting your parents and everything, our lives have been kinda hectic. The point is, I was starving. It was really bad and I couldn’t just go out and find some blood cuz it was daylight and all.” I’m blabbering and I can’t stop. I get this way when I’m nervous; I just start talking and don’t shut up! I can see the realization start dawning in her eyes on where this story is going, and I know I just have to rip off the bandaid, “I may have accidentally used Mr.Whiskers as a replacement blood bags…”

“You did WHAT?” She shrieks and stands up, yanking her hands from mine.

“Jess, please. I know it’s awful and I am an absolutely deplorable human being. Well, vampire I guess I can’t really call myself human anymore. I’m more of human non-being. A human been you might say?” I’m doing it again. I shake my head and lower it in shame.

“Dorian, I can’t believe you blood sucked my cat!” She states horrified.

“Please Jessica, please understand that it was an accident. My instincts just kind of took over and I blacked out. I am so so sorry.” I plead with her. She releases a heavy sigh and collapses back onto the couch. She dramatically rubs her temples and peeks at me through her fingers.

“I am so mad at you. I forgive you and I love you, but I am so mad.” She confesses and glares at me. Her eyes are stormy grey eyes alight with irritation, but I’m beyond relieved to hear her forgive me.

“Thank you so much Jess for understanding. I feel awful.”

“Well, you should feel awful. You killed my cat!” She huffs and crosses her arms, “Don’t think I’m going to just let you off the hook for this.”

“Jess, I will take whatever punishment you deem severe enough for the crimes I committed.” I say, looking into her eyes with complete sincerity. She lets out a tiny laugh and I know she’s starting to warm back up to me.

“We have to have a funeral. We can bury him at the park; I think he would’ve liked that.”

“Whatever you want babe. This cat will have the most extravagant funeral in the history of cat funerals!”

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Random Idea! Angus comes to his S/O for a surprise visit without knowing that the reader owns two alligators named Tick and Tock, and two tigers named Enzo and Diego. How would he react when he sees the four predators with collars? (And maybe hearing that the reader will get/save more?) - Feather

Oooooooo I love this idea ^w^

@the-survival-hunters-companions psssst I got more stories of ya boi here :3

“Heh, [y/n] will get a kick outta this.” Angus chuckled to himself, his blue eyes gazing at the pet carrier in his right hand.But the “pet carrier” didn’t contain just any boring old domesticated animal. It was a creature from his homeland; a little emu to be more precise. He remembered you saying how you always wanted to see one of the big birds of Australia.Although he wasn’t able to round up a fully-grown one…he figured a baby one would suffice.He figured he’d pay you a little surprise visit. But the only thing was that he hoped he was at the right location. For some reason, you never let him inside your large cabin home before, even though you two have been dating for a few months now, exploring the wild and, at some point, saving each other’s lives.Well, little did he know, he would soon find out the reason why you were so secretive.With a broad smile, Angus marched up to your front door and knocked a few times.Although when he heard the sounds of growling…his eyes practically bulged out of his head as he staggered away, almost dropping the pet carrier. ‘What in the bloody Hell was that-?!“"Oh! Hey Angus! This is a…lovely surprise.”Blinking several times, he saw you with the door only partially open. But at that point he was speechless, unsure of whether the sounds he just heard moments ago were real or not.Then he let out a small girly shriek as he saw the snout of what appeared to be an alligator trying to wedge itself between your leg and the door. “Hey. Get back, Tick!” You scolded, lightly nudging your sock-clad foot against the creature, who hissed before shuffling backwards.You glanced back up at Angus, giggling lightly at his expression. “Sorry about that..but..I-I guess there’s no hiding it anymore. Welcome to my humble abode, honey~”Opening the door fully, you let him come inside. And once he did he gawked as he saw another alligator just sprawled across your couch! Not only that but there were also two fully-grown tigers in the corner, grooming one another, although they stopped and stared at the newcomer.“WH-WHAT THE-?!”“Shhh.” You put a hand over his mouth. “They don’t like it when people shout…trust me, I learned that the hard way.”Nodding slowly in understanding, Angus gently grabbed your wrist, pulling your hand away from him, before he stared at the two tigers in the corner of the room.

He still couldn’t get over the fact that you had four deadly predators in your own home.“Oh! That’s Enzo and Diego over there,” you chuckled, before you made your way over to them. But when you realized the hunter wasn’t following, you turned and gave him a look of confusion. “C'mon Angus. They’re not gonna hurt you. Besides..you’ve dealt with these kind of creatures before.”“Y-Yeah..but I mean,” he muttered, frowning a bit. “Only when they’re out in the open wilderness and not-”“They have collars. And I’ve trained them not to attack everyone that they see. So you have nothing to fear.”He blinked numerous times, taking a few moments to process what you just said, before he sighed in defeat and decided to follow you.……Eventually, you explained to him how you rescued the four creatures when they were at a very young age, hence the reason why now they were acting more like house pets than savage beasts. But you were skeptical to invite anyone over for fear that they might try to hurt somebody.However as you could clearly see…you didn’t have anything to worry about as Tock, the alligator that was on your couch earlier, seemed comfortable around Angus as she rested her head across his lap.He was frozen in terror, although once you reassured him that she won’t do anything bad, he calmed down a little. Then he cautiously stroked the reptilian’s scaly head, stunned when he heard her emit a small grumble of content as she closed her eyes.Soon enough Tick came over and laid down right beside him, much to your amusement.“S-So um..” Angus coughed nervously, keeping his voice low. “..y-ya don’t have anymore of 'em around, do ya?”“Oh no, just these four beauties, I promise,” you giggled as you stroked Diego’s head. The tiger purred happily and laid his head down on your lap, where you continued to pet him. “But…I think that if there’s anymore out there that I believe are worth saving…I’m gonna find them and bring them home, too.”At this, Angus’ jaw dropped, although once he took in and thought about your good intentions, he gave you a tiny smile. “Wow..I..gotta say I’m really impressed, [y/n]. If it was anyone else I’d call 'em a dingbat…but you got what it takes.” He chuckled.You blinked at him in surprise. “You think so?”“Nah, I know so.”

[marypsue]

guess who hasn't been following the new Jean Grey comics beyond the occasional tumblr search and yet still has Thoughts: The Fic

...

That which is dead cannot grow.

It's the first observation, the simplest. That which is dead cannot grow, can only decay. 

That which lives must grow. Must expand. Must change. Must, if it wishes to continue to live, evolve.

And as it grows, that which lives must learn.

...

The figure hovering above the lawn is imposing for only a moment, a flash of flame that quickly compresses itself down into a slender, human shape. A tangle of brilliant hair, fanned out behind her, is the only remnant of her former, fiery image.

She looks familiar, to some like an old friend, to others like a glimpse of a future, long-awaited, long-dreaded, that may yet come to pass. When she alights on the lawn, she leaves scorched footprints in the emerald grass behind her.

The others gathered on the lawn shift, reflexively, into defensive positions, but she pays them no attention. Her shockingly orange eyes focus for a moment on the imposing face of the school before her, before she finally acknowledges the determined - and frightened - faces around her, the raised fists, the readied attacks.

"Don't," she says, and her voice is the roar of forest fires, the deep, oppressive silence of ocean trenches, the shrieks and howls and calls of both predators and prey. It should never have emerged from such a human-seeming mouth. 

She gives one more look around, at the startled people gathered on the lawn, and says, in a voice just a little less like the wind through fields of tall grass and the rush of waterfalls and the rattle of a startled snake, "I'm here to talk."

...

Rachel's mother once told Rachel that she'd always be able to find her in the Phoenix Force. It was cold comfort, when the Phoenix Force was what had taken Rachel's mother from her. 

No. That was too soft for what the Phoenix Force had done. It killed Rachel's mother. Burned her out from the inside.

So Rachel doesn't trust things that have her mother's face. Not the teenage girl who claims to be her mother, displaced in time, and definitely not this imposter with eyes like living flame. Jean Elaine Grey is dead, and she's not coming back.

"I know," the thing with Rachel's mother's face says, turning to stare directly through Rachel. Rachel hadn't even noticed the psychic intrusion, hadn't had a chance to resist. "I...won't claim to be her." 

It almost sounds...sad?...as it says, "I've learned better than that."

"You mean you figured out it wasn't going to work," the boy who's supposed to be Rachel's father - from the past, or an alternate past, or something - blurts. The Phoenix glances in his direction, and a fond smile starts to cross its familiar face before slipping away again. 

“No,” it says. “And then, yes.” 

It turns back to Rachel.

Rachel doesn't move, staring it down. It stares back.

"What do you say," it says, "when you regret the pain your action has caused someone, but do not regret the action?"

"Usually real people are sorry," Rachel snaps.

The Phoenix' orange eyes don't track across Rachel's face, but she still feels as though her expression is being intently studied, picked apart.

"I'm...sorry," it says, almost experimentally. And then, "Hm."

Storm finally seems to find her voice. She sounds as composed, as certain, as ever, but Rachel can hear the turmoil seething under the surface. Rachel can't blame her. She's only ever known her mother as, well, her mother. She can't imagine what this must be like for anyone who was Jean Grey's friend. "You say you're here to talk. So, talk. What do you want?"

For a moment, the only movement on the lawn is the Phoenix's illusion of wild hair.

"Forgive me. I haven't been a person long," it says. Rachel could spit. "But I think..."

It glances over at Rachel as it says, "I want to say I'm sorry."

Before Rachel can respond, before anyone can respond, it smiles, and uncoils into a burst of bright flame, and then into nothing.

It's the strangest thing, though. For that split second before it dissolved, Rachel could swear it looked...relieved.

...

Jean is meditating.

She's picked up the habit in an effort to protect her mind from the intrusion of the Phoenix Force. If she's being completely honest with herself, she's not certain it's doing anything at all in that department, but when you're a telepath living in a large communal dormitory, it's nice (if almost unimaginably difficult) to try to quiet your brain down for half an hour or so every day. She's finally starting to get good at tuning out the rest of the school's backdrop of constant low-key psychic distress. (With this many teenagers in one building, it never really stops.)

Which is why she doesn't realise she's not alone in her room until she opens her eyes and her older self is sitting across from her, legs folded in a mirror image of her pose, watching her carefully with fiery orange eyes.

Jean sucks in a breath.

Her doppelganger hasn't done anything yet, doesn't do anything when it notices Jean's eyes opening, sees that Jean sees it. It's not an enormous fiery bird screaming about how she can't win and can't escape. It's not an overwhelming feeling of irresistible, uncontrollable power, of chaos. It's just a mirror image of her, only older, sitting perfectly still and, apparently, waiting for her to react.

Jean licks her lips, which suddenly feel impossibly dry. Like her throat. She doesn't dare blink.

"May I show you something?" her other self says.

...

In the beginning, there was nothing.

Pure, perfect, dead. Emptiness. Void. Nothing changing. Nothing growing. Nothing but nothing, forever.

And then, something. Something exciting quantum particles, causing them to collide. And out of the resulting explosion, a universe. Atoms, elements, energy. Stars.

Planets.

The odds against life developing are astronomical. And yet, everywhere it can, in whatever form it needs to take, up it springs. Life with silicate nerves and quartz bodies. Life that dwells in seas of ammonia and feeds on brainwaves. Life that has no physical form, but exists as a superintelligent shade of the colour blue. And every time one form fails, falls to dust, another appears to take its place. Ambulatory life forms feed on other ambulatory life forms, feed on photosynthesizing life forms, which in turn feed on the nuclear energy of an impossibly distant sun. Everything is interwoven, stealing energy - stealing life - from each other. Wherever life exists, it strives. And it exists. Everywhere.

It's chaos. But it also has a rhythm to it - a syncopated one, to be sure, wild and loud and raucous, but a rhythm. There is a kind of logic to it all. There's only so much energy to go around. 

And life is not...not an entity. Certainly not anything like a god, deliberately choosing worth or lack thereof to determine which form of life will be successful and which will fail, where its energy should flow next. Not even, exactly, a force. It is not discrete or distinct from the universe it flows through. It is not ruthless, or powerful, or vicious, or selfish, or fair or unfair. It simply is.

And it does what it does.

Poets and philosophers have called humanity 'the universe experiencing itself'.

The first time life burns out a star to divert its energy while wearing a human form, there is no thought behind it, no calculation, no cruelty. It simply does what it does. The energy has to come from somewhere. The exploding heart of that sun and the lives of all those millions who orbited it have not been destroyed, merely converted to another form. It's simple physics.

Simple physics thinks nothing of it. Simple physics doesn't think at all.

But Jean Elaine Grey, a tiny speck of sand dislodged from the bed of the massive river of the universe, can't contain the full horror of it in her little mind. All of those lives. All of those individual, distinct lives.

Life, the seed of the thing that was and will be the Phoenix is used to. It is not equipped to handle lives.

It is not equipped for anything to do with being alive at all.

It reacts...badly.

...

The thing in the form of Jean's older self is still watching her, when the trance breaks. Jean is horrified to feel the unmistakable stiffness of drying tears on her cheeks.

She shakes her head.

"None of that makes it right," she says.

"I am learning that," the Phoenix agrees. " 'Right' is a human concept. Like 'justice' and 'love'. I have very little experience with it."

Jean has no idea how to respond to that, so she doesn't.

"Most of my experiences come from you." The Phoenix's illusion of lips quirk upwards in an ironic smile, and it says, "In a way. It appears Time is trying out a few new ideas, as well. And, much like me, getting them wrong."

Jean bites down on her lower lip. The situation feels much too serious to laugh.

"Is that your pitch, then?" she asks, once she's stuffed down the urge to snicker. "I should let you in because I make you a better person?"

The Phoenix shifts, grimacing as it unfolds its legs.

"No," it says. "You made me a person. If I understand the human perspective correctly, it is now up to me to make me a better person. Which is why I'm here."

It reaches out. Jean leans back, but the Phoenix's gloved hand still settles against the dead centre of her chest. There's an answering flicker of warmth from between Jean's lungs.

Jean struggles to draw breath.

"You have a seed of my power in you," the Phoenix says. "You always have had it."

"Tell me something I don't know," Jean snaps. To her surprise, the Phoenix smiles.

"You're not the only one," it continues, and then, before Jean can interrupt again, "Everyone else on every world does too."

Jean shakes her head.

" 'Life Itself'," she says, softly, to herself. "You're in everything living."

The Phoenix nods its illusory head, once, smiling. Jean presses a hand to her forehead.

"But - why me, then?" she asks, and is uncomfortably aware she's whining.

The Phoenix gives her a blank look. "Why not you?"

Jean has nothing to say to that.

"So you understand why I can't take the Phoenix Seed from you," it says. "But - I think Time wishes to give you a second chance. I know I do."

Its face grows serious for a moment, a shadow passing behind its eyes before it says, "I owe you a debt of gratitude. But...I am sorry. And if I can help you, in any way, in your fight against your fate, then I will."

Jean realises, with a start, that it's starting to fade before her eyes. She doesn't think, just reaches out and grabs the Phoenix's arm. It doesn't feel like flesh under her fingers, just tingles, like her palm is falling asleep.

"Wait," she says. "Why are you doing this?"

The Phoenix smiles at her, enigmatically, with her own face.

"You humans aren't the only ones who can evolve," it says.

And then it’s gone, leaving nothing behind but a faint warmth in Jean’s chest.