#I had the mercy of just firing anyone who didn't agree with me

[ask-ozai]

dude, stop being so weird with my mom, i mean Michi. ugh

You would also feel an ounce of respect for one of the few people who knew from the beginning that I was the future of the nation and not Iroh, even when Iroh was the crown prince and heir to the throne. In addition to having impeccable efficiency and years of unquestionable loyalty that I very wisely took care of nurturing when I got her an advantageous marriage to lift her family out of poverty. Why do you think I put her in charge of New Ozai? It wasn't precisely because of Ukano's smart conversations. Agni gives bread to some and soup to others. And for some, their soups are more interested in peasants named Ikea than their rightful husbands

If Zuko had any braincells (at all) he would have made sure to keep Michi close to him to listen to her advice and learn from her experience, but this is Zuko we're talking about. And the fact that Michi's daughter dumped him a few weeks after they got back together is not a good sign. Like any young maid with half a brain would do. Michi most likely saw the mess Zuko is making of the country and decided it was time for an early retirement. She's probably with her sister now that she left Ukano. Whatever the situation, Michi never loses.

[banefultyrant]

I was going to wait on this and another post until I had his carrd completely finished, but here we go.

Enver Gortash & Morality // @banefultyrant

So this has been prematurely kicked off by this post stating, "Tragic backstory explains behavior but does not excuse it."

This is so true, and especially in regards to this disaster dumpster fire of a human being. Because he isn't just a dumpster fire. He's this level of dumpster fire:

Now, to my point.

Enver Gortash—as he will absolutely refuse to acknowledge his original name because of everything tied up in it—has been through a lot. Though I can't remember if it was ever openly stated, I would absolutely agree with general fandom consensus that his mother abused him. I saw a post floating around the other day about the difference between how his parents are treated in game, and I couldn't agree more. [ If I can track the post down again, I'll link it here as well. ]

He was, seemingly at a young age, then sold to a warlock because his parents couldn't settle their debts the right way. Whether his mother is telling the truth or not, she claims she either sold him or they forfeit all of their lives over the shop debt. [ Also, who in the hell were they in debt to that their lives were at risk because of their debt??? Was it actually debt from the shop, or from drinking or gambling? Or did they take a loan from Dangerous People to keep their shop running??? ]

From there, he then ended up at the House of Hope, where he was canonically tormented and tortured by Nubaldin simply because he was 'mischievous' and because Nubaldin found it entertaining.

"I used to work in the prison, ensuring no desirable people left the House of Hope. Now, I guard the portals to ensure that no undesirable people enter." [ Why don't you work at the prison anymore? ] "I made a mistake. Raphael doesn't tolerate mistakes. We had one houseguest by the name of Gortash, a mischievous little blot of a boy, and he slipped through my fingers." [ Gortash was here? Lord Enver Gortash? ] "Lord? Is that what he calls himself these days? The sniveling little shit. He was the son of a cobbler or somesuch meagre tradesman, sold to Raphael by his loving parents to pay off their petty debt. Lord indeed. I used to bruise my knuckles on his whimpering little face. I'd like to have snapped his neck."

So he escapes that literal hell because he just can't take it anymore. He winds up on his own, with nothing but his cleverness and his drive to never be at anyone's mercy ever again.

[ A lot more below the cut. ]

Now, his mother claims he was evil from the start, but I've not once seen any dialogue options that support that. She says he was always making a racket. She says he was too clever. But she never offers anything even remotely adjacent to explain her claim that he was evil out the gate.

[ Perhaps because she was and she simply didn't care for a clever little boy asking questions, pointing out when she was being unreasonable, or saying that he didn't understand why he was being punished when he did something that he's done a thousand times before and she never said anything then, et cetera. Abusers can never have the problem. The other person has to be the problem. The villain. The complication. The scapegoat. There's something wrong with the other person and that's why they are perfectly justified in doing what they do. ]

Regardless, you have a young boy sold to a warlock and placed in the House of Hope, and was apparently a 'desirable person' based on the fact that Nubaldin was in charge of making sure none of those left and when Gortash escaped, Raphael considered it a failure.

[ Considering how foresighted Raphael is in terms of potential, it makes perfect sense to me that he might even have witnessed how clever the boy was once, perhaps he had even stopped by to make clear to his parents that their debt was owed and he would see it paid, one way or the other. Perhaps he saw how Enver was treated and found it contemptuous that such people should be able to waste so clever a mind. Or, perhaps the warlock had done so on his behalf and relayed such information to Raphael who then had them to pass along that he would accept the boy as payment.

Now, though I won't project my thoughts onto anyone else's Raphael, as for my own over at @thishouseofhope , while people claim that 'Raphael loves only himself' coughcoughHaarlepcoughcough, that isn't true. Or, at least, not entirely.

I think Raphael has a hard time connecting with others enough to care anything about them in actuality, yes. But I think where that starts to falter is in cases where he sees a bit of himself or his own situation reflected back at him. Would he admit that? No. But he sees it all the same, recognizes the similarities even if only subconsciously. And though I haven't gone into much detail with Raphael's early years over there yet, suffice it to say a brilliant, clever mind stifled by and suffering under the shortsightedness, derision, and abuse of a parental figure? It would definitely strike a nerve, whether he intended or not, whether he acknowledged it or not. HINT: He most certainly would not. ]

Within my own canon, this meant Raphael saw Enver and saw something of himself reflected in the boy and his situation, and, as such, there was a certain amount of fondness for him, particularly with the potential he could see for the boy's future with so sharp a mind. In a verse with my friend on discord who writes Enver, that included Raphael taking him on as a protege. Had it not been for Nubaldin's pointless cruelty, I have little doubt that Enver might have come to enjoy his time at the House of Hope, as Raphael would always provided new things for him to learn both of practical and educational import, and Enver, who was clever to start, would have jumped at the chance to learn anything and everything he could, particularly if Raphael caught onto his interest in mechanics. No doubt Nubaldin said that the boy simply escaped, otherwise, had Raphael realized the cause, I don't know that Nubaldin would have survived to tell the tale. ]

But, as always, because I can't help myself, I digress.

We have a young boy with promise and potential who ran because he was being abused again and was terrified of remaining where he was, who refused to be at the mercy of anyone else ever again and set his mind on making certain that it never would happen again.

At some point, he throws in his lot with Bane. He starts to accumulate wealth and power and influence through whatever means. His mind, his body, his blood and sweat [ but never tears, because he won't cry anymore, won't show that weakness ]. He will do whatever it takes to ensure that no one can ever harm him again, that no one has the power to do so. And how does one do that?

You make certain that you are the most powerful. Powerful enough that no one can touch you.

Free will, is the problem. That becomes evident to him shortly into his worship of Bane. No matter how many laws and rules and punishments exist, there will always be people who still choose to suffer them—because they could, because it was worth it, because they didn't care, because they didn't think they would be caught, et cetera. So long as free will might exist, then you would continue to have thieves and drunks and debtors and murderers and abusers.

So eventually, this plot of the Absolute is developed and! my! doesn't it solve it all! Not only does it set him in a place of power where nobody could touch him, it also solves all of those other pesky problems because there will be no more free will, only the will of the Absolute relayed to all of its subservients.

"A new age is upon us. Gods have mercy upon those who would stand in our way… I want to lead this city to glory — not scorch its earth."

When the player character approaches, Tav or Dark Urge, he talks about wanting to lead the city into an age of prosperity and safety, etc. And he isn't lying. He means every word.

Because, in his mind, this is the only way to reach that outcome. Does he want power? Yes, because, much as you hear the themes with Astarion's companion quest line: Power means safety. Power means no one can hurt you. Power means that you dictate the lives of others, rather than having your life dictated to you. To paraphrase, when the player character tells Astarion that those with power have a duty to protect those without, Astarion roughly responds, "People with power had 200 years to save me from Cazador, and no one ever did. No, it was the Mindflayers who freed me."

In all honesty, it's much the same for Gortash, except he was at an even greater disadvantage than Astarion in one respect—unless more information comes out about Astarion's past later—and that is this:

Enver Gortash has never known anything else. There is nothing before his abuse, before his servitude and continued abuse, before he set out into the world at a young age and suffered its cruelty on his own.

It is all that he has ever known.

But!

He sells Karlach to Zariel! Yes, just as he was sold, and yet, even still, this is done not out of malice or cruelty, but with the belief that he thought he was doing what was best for her. If she remained on the streets, she would either be jailed or dead in a few years, and she deserved better than that. Being sold to a devil was what set him on his 'right' path, made him who he is, so maybe that's what Karlach needed also? And, knowing her as he did, he truly had no doubt that she could be running the place in no time. She would have power enough to protect herself, just as he intended to claim for himself at the Gate, and it would mean they could be allies. He set a piece in the right place and if she would just do as she ought to have done, she could be doing so much better for herself — just as he has.

He was going to kill the refugee children! In his mind, most of them miserable little orphans with no prospects beyond pain and suffering. It would be a mercy to them, truly, and—as my friend, Shadow, mentioned in one of our discussions about Gortash's thoughts on this—their deaths would at least mean something in the grand scheme, rather than their bodies simply being stepped over and promptly forgotten. Their deaths would sow discord between the refugees and the citizens of the Gate, further unite those within against those without and solidify his position as a protector. With any luck, the refugees would attack in retaliation and affirm the citizens fears that they were followers of the Absolute threat after all. And regardless of how it went, it would create further chaos that he would be able to bring to Order.

This is NOT to say that his behavior should be excused.

However, much in the same way and for the same reason that I would defend Minthara and Nere both, I can fully understand his thought process, why he does what he does, though I certainly don't agree with it. Just as with them, I would question the level of accountability one can be held to when one knows no different. I would very much, in some ways, say that Gortash is nearer to having had a Lolth-sworn drow upbringing than a typical human one. His entire understanding of the world is through abuse, violence, betrayal, and transactional interactions. His solution—the Absolute religious hoax—is one that makes perfect sense within those bounds. It's logical, nice and neat. A brilliant plan, cutting the problems that plague the city—and, indeed, the world—off right at the source.

There won't be anymore murders in the streets. There won't be anymore pickpockets or petty crime. There won't be anymore gambling dens. There won't be anymore children abused or sold to settle debts. There won't be anymore crime, period.

The populace can put all of its effort and energy into making the city more unified and prosperous than it ever has been —

Because that is the only choice they have left to them.

[ Doesn't that sound familiar? "She is, of course, free to choose the only option she has left." ]

In his mind, how brilliant and elegant an answer to those pesky problems that no amount of laws or punishments have ever stopped! A villain? No! He's the savior who will deliver this city to a new age! A great age!

[ And doesn't that sound familiar, too? ]

In the words of Jason Isaacs himself, "It was a thrill to join the Baldur's Gate universe, but I fear that the magnificent Lord Enver Gortash is being mischaracterized as a villain. In a brutal world of betrayals and butchery, he's learned to lie better and backstab first. The joy in voicing him — apart from the obvious pleasure in getting to look so glorious — was that the creative team and I got to play loose enough to find ways that he could enjoy the ride and make the players hate him more!"

Enver Gortash has done terrible and unforgivable things, much as with most of the cast in the game, companions or otherwise…. but the whys. The whys are important, and the whys are what not only further show the depth of the character… but also provide interesting possibilities for futures wherein he escapes his fate in the game.

[titanicfreija]

Happenstance

Freija initially tried to weave through the market crowds, but it was generally safer for the public if she simply plowed forward and let them get out of her way. She gave up on making sure Three was still behind her, eventually learning to trust her to keep up.

The road from the Tower to the Eliksni Quarter usually looked more and more bombed out, but apparently some work had been done since Freija last visited.

"Sunny said Eido asked us to meet her at the Quarter, before they went to the alley. I was worried they want an escort," Freija told Three in her comms. "But now I think she just wanted me to see this. It looks great."

"Bunch of mixed crowds," observed Three.

"That is correct!" cheered Eido. She wasn't visibly the leader of this crowd, but everyone kept checking her as the Guardians approached.

Until Three lunged into the crowd to hug the neck of one, exchanging fearful anxiety for awkwardness, allowing the crowd to relax and expand.

"Guardian Freija," Eido said cheerfully. "My father has a question for you. And one of our newest house members."

Freija didn't have to wait long- apparently the commotion was enough to get Miisraaks's attention. He swept forth and bent into a bow with two hands to his chest. "Guardian Freija," he said, centering on her. "Did you truly tell a Kell to watch her own hands?"

Freija's mouth pursed as her face flooded with heat. "I couldn't think of anything else to say," she mumbled weakly. "I was trying to get out of a fight."

The noise Miisraaks made might have been a laugh as garbled through the translator. "Your actions that day brought several Eliksni to our home, arriving in stages over time, all with the same story of a Guardian who did not kill anyone. I did not know what Guardian it could be until I heard that phrase. I do not know what led to this action, but I am grateful for this mercy on their behalf."

Freija didn't know what to say. She did it out of cowardice, not nobility. It felt weird to accept the thanks but she didn't want to admit the truth.

"The fuck did you do, Titan?" demanded Three. She gave Miisraaks a look-over and nodded firmly. "Miisraakskel."

"Hunter," he replied shortly. He didn't step away from her but only because he was being a leader. Freija wasn't sure of the history here but she left it alone.

"I didn't tell you this because I was an idiot--" Three cut her off with a snort and Freija rolled her eyes. "But I got lost in the Dark and they found my ship and stripped it, but then they got hit and crashed, so I could steal my stuff back. But I didn't kill anyone while I did it. Pretty sure I almost got one with my barricade."

"Indeed. She is here, too," said Miisraaks. "She was brought by others for medical treatment."

Freija flinched and ducked her head. "It's a reflex," she mumbled, kicking the ground awkwardly. "She's really lucky the fire didn't get her."

"Indeed," agreed Miisraaks. "It is a defensive maneuver with offensive capacity." His entire head bobbed with his nod. "Rare is the story of mercy from a Guardian. Your actions will not be forgotten."

Someone chittered to Freija's left and Eido piped in, "Especially telling Fikikskel to watch her own hands while running away," with a giggle.

Freija blushed furiously. "I couldn't think of anything else to say!" she objected.

@annieruok94

[favesgrave]

Tell me anything about your fan continuity- let loose

oh my god you've opened the floodgates so let's get into stuff BEFORE the autobot and decepticon war

so cybertron. good old cybertron. that's a lie it's not very good at all, basic case of the caste system and functionism and all that jazz. the current leader of cybertron is sentinel... who is also not great. he holds most of the power and even though the senate exists, they mostly are just there to serve out his desires. he has these delusions of being a god, putting himself on the same status as the original thirteen primes and because of this belief his people suffer even MORE

in my fc, megatron didn't willingly enter the gladiator pits. they were running low on contestants, so he was one of the bots they picked to fight. unfortunately, he realized he's good at killing things. fortunately, he also realizes he can use his popularity in the arena to his advantage. he catches the attention of soundwave, an intel agent from the elite guard. but soundwave doesn't actually care about what sentinel wants, not when he's been looking for a way to bring about his downfall. so the two become allies in secret, soundwave passing along any useful information to him

dont think i forgot about orion pax. because i would never. he works as a simple librarian (no iacon hall of records, no shady old man alpha trion) but he knows plenty about how dire cybertron's situation is and that leads to him wanting to meet megatron. ratchet's a little iffy on it, going "you can't just arrange a meeting with the mech actively going against sentinel and the senate. that's suicide" and orion basically says "lol watch this" and meets him in secret anyways. boom, megatron's got another ally

they steadily gain more and more people and become a rebel force. sentinel couldn't have ignored them even if he tried. he doesn't even know he still has people in his forces that are against him, people like shockwave and magnus. shockwave is a senator who fucking hates sentinel's guts. magnus also hates sentinel's guts. he's in the elite guard, but was sort of forced into it because hey, he popped into existence and after gathering his bearings they were like "hey you look like you'd be pretty good at fighting. c'mere. we're gonna train you. you're ours now"

shockwave's disloyalty gets found out. he's taken away to become an empurata victim. he was also going to be a mnemosurgery victim, but magnus blew his own cover to escape with him

anyways this war goes on for a bit, each battle becoming a little worse. and megatron's angry. he's so pissed because sentinel is letting all these people, his own soldiers, die! sentinel has the power to stop this and actually negotiate with them to create a better cybertron, but he doesn't. he doesn't even do any of the fighting himself. so megatron's becoming more and more angry, which does not go unnoticed by orion who's like "haha. you. you okay buddy??" and megs is like "yup!!! i am living the dream! dont worry about me best friend!" he's losing it actually

the war reaches its final battle when they storm the capitol. a pathway gets cleared for megatron, orion, and soundwave to make it to sentinel, who is completely out of tricks to use. before the battle, megs and orion had agreed to take sentinel alive but when megs looks down at sentinel and points his cannon at him, he just sees someone who never granted anyone else mercy. he saw someone who would never change, who would never feel any remorse. he thinks about all his friends who died in the mines, the pits, this war. and as soundwave blocks the door, he fires the killing blow.

this creates a rift between megatron and orion, one that only keeps growing larger. the tension only leads to more conflict, and more conflict leads to the autobot and decepticon war

[gracefulsunflower]

CONTRARY - FINN SHELBY X READER; PART 3

PUBLISHED: 15/05/2022

!!FIRST PART HERE!!

Part 1

MASTERLIST

FINN'S POV

You and I were now sat around the fire with the rest of your family, having eaten our dinner of vegetable soup and flatbread. You were sitting next to Esmeralda, your younger sister Saiorse on your lap as she chattered about her adventures today. I was in between Aberama and Bonnie, a situation I very much wanted to avoid.

I looked at you as you flipped your hair back over your shoulder so it wouldn't be in Saiorse's way, then looked at your other two sisters. They looked one and the same, anyone would think that Saiorse was Esmeralda reborn. But you, you looked different — and you felt different.

Your eyes flickered over to me as you were talking to Esmeralda about someone named Brianna, and I felt my face flush as I realised I had been caught staring.

"Come on, we're talking a walk, Shelby." Bonnie's voice sounded from my right, making me look at him.

He was already standing up, lantern in his hand. I looked over at you, and you raised your eyebrows as if to say 'go with him'.

I stood up, and he wordlessly turned on his heel and went. I followed him, feeling entirely at his mercy. I heard from Arthur what he did to Billy Mills, and I'm nowhere near as good a fighter. I didn't even have my cap on me in case he made a move.

We walked a fair distance away from the fire before he stopped, and turned to face me, the lantern illuminating the scene around us making him look all the more scarier as he looked down at me. I drew myself up straighter, trying to make myself seem taller.

"You be gentle with my sister any way you can, you hear me, Shelby? Because if I find out you haven't I'll kill you and mail your body back to Tommy in fifty different parcels," Bonnie warned, "She doesn't need a harder life, not right now."

I nodded, the last bit of his statement making more questions than answers.

"I'm about to give you a photo, put that photo in your bag and show your brothers because the woman in that photo is not allowed to come near (Y/N) under any circumstances, and if I found out that she's come near (Y/N) I'll hit you so hard I'll send your nose up into your fucking brain, do you understand?" Bonnie stressed, and I could only nod.

He reached into his jacket, and produced a photo, handing it to me. I looked at it under the light of the lantern.

"Who's this?" I questioned, noticing how the woman in the photo looked somewhat like you.

"That's (Y/N)'s mother. She's a cunt, and the reason (Y/N) is the way she is. Her name is Marian Jones." Bonnie informed me, "She does more damage than good anywhere she goes, so keep her away from my little sister."

"I will," I agreed, knowing all too well what it was like to have a parent that hurt more than helped.

"I'm glad we could understand each other, Shelby." Bonnie said, grinning and clapping me on the shoulder as if he didn't just threaten to kill me, then led me back over to the fire.

•••

You and I were now in your vardo, under what seemed to be a million blankets, bar one thick, scratchy dark blue one you had hung up on the window above your bed to stop any light coming in. We had the window above the bench open, and the curtains partitioning your bed from the rest of the caravan shut, but you could still feel the fresh air.

It was a nice feeling, the cold air keeping my face cool while my body was warm under the covers. I could see why you liked sleeping with moving air instead of still.

"Your family's nice," I said as I stared at the star painted roof, trying to start a conversation.

You snorted, rolling over towards me and propping yourself using your elbow, "I could've told you that, Shelby."

I did the same, mirroring you so now we were face to face, "Yeah, but everyone says their family's nice."

"Not entirely true — anyway, I think Dad likes you, I'm pretty sure Bonnie and Esmeralda do too, and Saiorse hates you because you're, and I quote, 'stealing me away to live in your filthy house on Watery Lane'. So, all in all, you did good, Shelby." You announced, the corners of your mouth quirking up.

I huffed, thinking of Bonnie's chat.

"Bonnie has a fucking funny way of showing me he likes me," I grumbled, making you cock a brow.

I noticed a thin scar running through your brow as you gave me a look that said 'explain'.

"He threatened to kill me and send my body home in fifty different parcels, then threatened to hit me so hard he'd send my nose up into my brain if I didn't do certain things." I elaborated, making you shake your head, some of your hair coming over in front of your face.

You quickly flipped it back, tucking it behind your ears, "Bonnie's word is his law, Shelby. I suggest doing whatever he told you to do."

"Yeah well, my word's my law too, and I'll do what I said I'd do — that's a promise," I stated, looking you in your eyes.

You could only nod at the tone of my voice, one that meant business.

I yawned, and flopped down onto my back once more, closing my eyes, muttering 'goodnight'.

The last thing I heard before drifting off to sleep was you replying with, 'sleep well, Shelby'.

•••

THIRD PERSON'S POV

Finn didn't want to do it, but he did. He put my hand on your shoulder, and shook lightly.

"(Y/N). (Y/N), wake up." He whispered, making you stiffen, then sit up quickly.

"I'm awake, what's wrong?" You mumbled, eyes still closed as you leaned over Finn, grabbing a match and lighting the lantern.

It was obvious to Finn that you had done that many times, which concerned him slightly — fire and wood didn’t really mix.

Finn took a deep breath in, then let it out, "Nothing's wrong, I just need to piss, and I'm scared of going alone."

Your eyes snapped open, and you looked back at the brown haired boy in your bed.

"Finn, you better be joking, because if not, I'll smother you with the fucking pillows and throw your dead body into the cut." You cautioned, making Finn shake his head, blushing, the blush reaching the tips of his ears.

"Oh for fucks sake! Hurry up and put your boots on before I decide to stay in bed." You commanded as you crawled over the boy, out of the warm nest of blankets, quickly putting on your socks and boots, along with whatever coat was closest.

The coat smelled nice, you decided, although you couldn’t place the name of the scent, something which bothered you nearly as much as being woken up for nothing. Finn rolled out of bed and slipped his boots on, not having to bother with socks as he slept with them on. He picked up the lantern, and the pair of you left your caravan, the fire still roaring as a few of your uncles sat at it, keeping guard.

You led Finn just beyond the tree line, then stopped, "Pick a tree, any tree, I'm sure they'd be honoured to have a Shelby piss on 'em."

Finn rolled his eyes as he hooked the lantern onto a tree branch, making sure you had your back to him, then began to take care of business.

Finn fixed himself back up and grabbed the lantern off of the branch, "You know, I was thinking—"

"If you're anything like your older brother Tommy, that's a dangerous pursuit," You cut in, making Finn clench his jaw, but ignore your statement.

"—I was thinking that you could meet the girls, Polly,  Ada, and Linda, in the morning, after we settle you into home." Finn stated, turning to look at you.

His eyes widened once he realised you had on his coat.

You turned around to look at him, face blank, then nodded, making him grin boyishly, the light from the lantern glinting off of a small scar just above his lip.

"I suppose it's only fair, since you met my family. Now let's go back." You said stiffly, shoving past him and leading him back the way you came.

When you walked into your caravan, you kicked off your shoes and put the coat back down where you found it, and climbed back into your blanket cocoon.

Finn followed, blowing out the lantern and putting it on the table next to the bed, climbing up into the bed then pulling the curtains closed, slipping under the covers next to you once more.

You were already asleep by the time Finn had made himself comfortable, your hair covering your face. Finn gently ran a hand through it, pushing it back so it was out of your face, then stared up at the ceiling once more, counting the stars to help put him to sleep.

§§§

I’m so obsessed with enemies to lovers trope you don’t even understand how much fun I’m having while writing it lol

Love y'all ❤️

- Sunflower x

NEXT PART

Part 4

[thedelusionreaderbitch]

Kaz Brekker x fem! mute! reader - Dancing eyes

(Image not mine)

A/n: I just thought about this and here we are. Also! I will have at least two more imagines coming out today or tomorrow! I'm also sorry if I offended anyone I really tried to make a good representation of the reader and I did some research but I'm not mute so I don't know exactly what's that's like. So if you guys could tell me if I did anything wrong, just some feedback that would be nice!

Warnings: Mentions of trauma, death, angst, blood, gore, the reader is mute, fluff I think that's it? You have been warned!

Summary: Kaz falling in love with you

(The sign language is in italics bold!)

All rights go to leigh bardugo, netflix, and you! I just own the plot!

She was dancing when he first saw her.

She did a few twirls, her leg went into the air flawlessly into a arabesque to the side. It was powerful and controlled but it was graceful. The girl did a paw de chat and jumped high into the air turning around and landing with one leg behind her perfectly straight and pointed, one leg on the ground and her hands in front of her like she was presenting something to the audience.

The crowd clapped and applauded her but she did not smile, not till she did a low curtsy and while she did her y/c/e orbs meant his. Kaz's breath got lodged in his throat when he saw her beautiful eyes. Then they lit up like all the stars were in her eyes and her lips curved upwards forming a small grin.

Kaz shook his head, she wasn't valuable to the dregs so she wasn't worth looking for, so he turned swiftly on his feet and started walking towards the slat.

But you wish she was.

Kaz started looking for her everyday, and everyday she would be in her spot near the slat doing a dance. Her graceful movements often caught his eye and he would often find himself watching her from his window.

Weak.

But one day something else caught his eye about her, she had enough money for shoes and clothes, it didn't look like the girl ate much, barely enough to keep her alive. Thought still, she bought food.

Or did she?

He observed her in a different way now - for a week and to say the Brekker boy was surprised would be an understatement. The little dancer had been stealing.

Sometimes she would steal food, money, and do a few magic tricks here and there but the thing was he never saw her steal only saw the people leave with empty pockets.

Kaz could admit to himself that she was good, possibly better than him - which was dangerous. But could she kill someone? Maybe he could train her but he found he didn't want to force that upon the girl that danced outside his window everyday. Stealing food, money and even clothes sometimes.

Saints, I'm growing soft. Kaz thought to himself.

The next time he saw her was three weeks later well, the thing is he didn't see her outside his window dancing all day from 6:00pm sharp all the way to 3:30am.

He wondered how the girl slept.

He was limping down a street and he turned a corner only to hear a voice and it wasn't recognizable so he quietly limped over and peaked his head out.

It was the little dancer.

She had a grisha steel dagger pressed up against a man's throat. The man was trembling in fear, and the little kitten that once danced was gone and her claws were coming out.

"Please-please! I did can-can pay-pay you back! Please! I-I know people who-who can help!"

The man looked young but was definitely a sleaze ball, with his brown hair that looked like it was decaying, his round bodice, his fat arms and legs and he retched of alcohol and young girls.

He was nothing compared to the girl.

The tiger had a snarl on her face, but she didn't make a sound as she stabbed the dagger threw his forehead killing him. Then she pulled the knife and grabbed a piece of paper presumably writing something down on it.

She spun on her heels and she faced him.

Shit.

She just blinked at him and made some weird hand movements which Kaz identified as sign language.

Oh he did know what sign language was, he knew how to use it too.

If you wanted a show, you could have just asked dirtyhands.

The girl smiled when he rolled his eyes.

"I don't want a show, but I would like you to join the dregs." He said out loud in a monotone voice. She looked taken aback that he could understand her but she grinned even brighter that he could.

Of course. It's better.

She signs, using just those words and not adding anything else - just it's better. Though he knew actually what she meant.

"What are you. You seem to know your way around here, not to mention the stealing and killing."

I'm a assassin. I Trained somewhere... not in Kerch, and I escaped and went here.

Her signing his precise and graceful almost like her dance movements. She starts to walk away but she pause's and turn's to him.

You can call me Nemesis.

Then she walks away. He didn't even know the time or whether she was even going to show up. He didn't even know her real name - not a single thing about her real identity really.

Only that she dances.

After that day he dreamed of her every night. Sometimes she would be dancing outside or she was working on a job with him. On the occasion he would get a dream about her in a meadow holding up a flower and showing it to someone. But that seemed more like a memory more then anything because she looked younger - a child only five maybe seven.

He longed for the sleep.

Once after a job with the Crows she came to his room and her hair flowed down her back as she climbed into his desk chair while he was on his bed.

He didn't even hear her come into the room.

Writing something down on the paper she turns around and hands him it.

My name is Y/n.

That's when he knew she trusted him.

After that moment they slowly began to come together - slowly but surely. Whether it be a small brush of the hand or full on skin to skin contact they we're there and then they weren't. Technically, they weren't dating - not officially anyways but no one (not even the Crows) could find where Kaz or Y/n began or where they ended. It was like they we're on one big loop, they we're on person yet they we're different.

The first time he kissed her she was coming back from killing someone.

Y/n was his personal assassin, because of that she killed a lot of people and had to be never seen, no evidence, not always clean kills. But Y/n had already admitted to killing many people and she signed that she probably had killed more people in her childhood then he will ever tell her to kill in his lifetime.

So when she came back in tears after a murder he was rightly confused. Her bright y/c/e eyes we're filled to the brim with tears and the eyes that usually danced with emotions were almost dead looking. Though to Kaz they still looked beautiful.

That's not what she needs right now.

Kaz sat on the bed staring at the assassin that stood in the middle of his room, that looked nearly like the little dancer that he once thought she was. But her eyes looked shattered like glass spread across the floor in pieces.

He patted the room beside him on the bed and she reluctantly followed where his hand was and sat down. She kept her eyes cast down, and it killed Kaz to not see those beautiful eyes that danced. The only thing the left of her innocence in his opinion.

With an ungloved hand he lifted her chine up to his and slowly her eyes meant his. Her breath stuttered, she breathed in and started moving her hands using sign language to talk.

There was a child.

She started, always trying to get to the point fast enough.

They went up to me and...

Her hand movements came to an erupt stop and she slowly breathed in a breath preparing.

They called me a monster.

Kaz looks at her and the tears in her eyes. She needs comfort or something at least but he's not so sure he can give her that. He's not sure if he's even ready for that.

Yes you are. And Kaz could finally agree with the voice in his head.

He slowly brought their lips together and brushed them together in sync. He lifted his hand to go to her cheek and he stroked it. They pulled away, it was barley a kiss but it was enough.

"You could never be a monster Y/n." He whispered as their foreheads touched again.

__________TIME SKIP_____________________________________

Knives, arrows, and bullets were flying though the air. Some hitting people and some not. Kaz looked over to Y/n, he knew he shouldn't have brought her on this job.

She had an air of royalty around her, she killed whomever she liked out of the Blacktips.

That's if she granted them mercy.

If she didn't you would die a very painful death. Her hair was blowing in the wind making it look like she was floating, and for all Kaz knew about her, this girl was full of surprise's. She might as damn well been.

Her reflects were quick and graceful but deadly. Just how she dances. He thought. Her eyes were on fire and they seemed to burn everything around them.

She really was a Saint.

Focus. He scolded himself.

You can think about her more later and maybe tell her what you think boy. It was a different voice this time, and it vaguely sounded like his father but he pushed the thought away and kept on fighting.

The heist was over and he looked around for Y/n because usually on mission's like these they would go together and just sit. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they would just enjoy each other's presences. It was all they needed, just a reminder for them that they we're still alive.

"Did you see Y/n." He said flatly not wanting to seem worried although he really was.

"Ya, I saw her slip away earlier she looked fine." Nina supplied.

He gave her a quick nod and started walking back to the slat. At the least he knew she was fine.

They couldn't find her.

It had been a week and she didn't show up, they were all desperately trying to find the assassin but she was no where to be found. She silent girl was gone, they didn't even know if she was captured or not.

After another week the others had given up saying if their was a lead they would be there. Then Kaz found a note on his desk.

Dear Mr Brekker,

Hello Kaz this is Y/n, so I'm sorry for doing this but it had to be done. I'm not captured no, and I'm safe for now no ones really safe in the barrel. I have many enemies and they will find out you and the Crows are my weakness and I can't have that. You mean so much to me in words I could never describe and it pains me so much to leave knowing - I love you. You are some much stronger than me and a considerably better person then I ever could be although you fight against that statement. You put your Armour down for me and I couldn't do that for you. I'm sorry.

May the stars watch over you,

with love Y/n

Kaz didn't know what to do, Y/n was gone the loop was broken and everything was back to the way it was. He closed his eyes and thought about her eyes - those dancing eyes.

Like for part 2!

Words 1930

-thedeluisonreaderbitch

[beautifulterriblequeen]

The Thief and the Tinker, Part 3: I See Fire

part 2

Part 3

Viren: Well how do you suggest we get him out?

Claudia: *grins, brandishes marshmallow on toasting fork* Unharmed is just another kind of harmed

Viren: Claudia no

Claudia: Claudia YES

I See Fire

Angst rating: 9/10

Viren is clever enough not to take the Silvergrove on alone, no matter how badly he wants Ethari to make him a magic key. Aaravos could be cooking in that pod for a while longer, but Viren still has a trustworthy and badass ally at his side.

Oh yeah, it's Claudia Time again!

Claudia is a powerful and imaginative dark mage, and she has the tainted Sun staff. So, you're the magefam, and you've made it to Xadia, to the edges of the Moonshadow Forest. And all you need to do to get the power of your dreams is to threaten one soft craftsman. But how do you find one specific Moonshadow elf in a hidden Moonshadow village somewhere in the middle of a giant spooky magical forest?

You burn him out.

Credit once again to@random-fandom-ramble for reminding me of this forest fire headcanon, because it fits so well. and so I don't get all the blame for this one, lol

Because see, that's not ordinary fire. Oh, no. That's dark magic fire. We've seen that before. It leaves permanent scars. Remember Sol Regem's eyes?

That's going to be the landscape when Claudia's fire gets through with the Moonshadow elves' home. Where I live on the US West Coast, they name forest fires, and if they combine, they get called complexes. So maybe we can name this fire the Dark Tragedy Complex? Because I do have to wonder... you could start a dark magic forest fire easily with a tainted Sun staff, but how do you put it out?

Two things are going to happen if these events should unfold. One is angsty. The other is also angsty but then amazing.

Firstly, Viren is going to get what he wants. He'll find Ethari, whose tree burned down :(. He'll show him the coins, and he'll offer a trade. Build what he wants and make it work, and Ethari can have his family back, uncoined and free.

And Ethari will say yes.

He'll say yes no matter what anyone else tries to persuade him to do, and I hope they do try, because see: Ethari has to make it look good. He has to make it look like he's all in on Viren's plan, to Viren. Even if that means turning his back on his people in their time of greatest need.

Secondly, the Moonshadow elves are going to be collectively homeless and bereft, hungry, injured, terrified, angry. They will have nowhere to go. They will be a people without a home. And no one else in Xadia will help them. Maybe they're too terrified to hide Ethari's people in case doing so brings Viren down on them, too. We've seen how ordinary elves flee in terror from dark magic. Maybe they're all fighting other issues, too. Viren knows all about stretching resources too far during times of crisis. Whatever the case, there will be no welcome anywhere in Xadia for the Moonshadow elves of the Moonshadow Forest.

But here's where it gets amazing. Because one hand will reach out. One small hand, from across the border. Good King Ezran will stand up on the seat of his throne and say, "You can stay here. I have forests. You're tired, you're hungry. You need medicine. Let me help."

And I'm gonna cry like a little baby.

How many cycles does this break, how many circles does it complete? Moonshadow elves used to live in Katolis before the border was created. When humans were under threat of total annihilation, the Moonshadow leader's daughter spoke up and asked for mercy. That mercy came in the form of land reassignment, and the Moonshadow elves had to give up their ancestral home, their Nexus, and travel east across the new Border. But that mercy got paired with justice, and the life-loving Moon Druids probably had to swear some kind of blood promise to keep an eye on the humans forevermore, and to kill any individuals who got out of hand, as if their sins were the Moonshadows' responsibility now.

That's got to breed a little resentment, a little superiority. "Look what we sacrificed for you, and this is how you act. Ungrateful." And maybe that was partially Luna Tenebris's goal: to hold to her vision of justice, she had to make the elves who shared her arcanum feel a little resentment. Moonshadows love life, but we can't have them being too soft to keep Xadia safe from dark mages, now, can we? I will never stop cackling over dragon politics okay, never

But the Moonshadow elves never figured on King Ezran. A soft boy who refused to let his father's assassination harden his heart, because every life is genuinely important to him. I've seen headcanons for Ezran getting the Sun, Earth, Ocean, and Stars arcanum. How about Moon, too? Because this is very Ethari of him, and if these stories of Viren's plan and the Moonshadow elves' displacement were actually to happen in tandem, the contrast between Ezran's soft choice and Ethari's hard one would be mindblowing.

Ezran completes the circle by inviting the Moonshadow elves to return to Katolis, to their ancestral home. They left long ago, paying the price for an act of mercy, but they were welcomed back by the mercy of humans, repaid after a thousand years, repaid in the face of tragedy. Tragedy on all sides. Tragedy Ezran wants to stop from happening, by being brave and caring and soft, and by being the first to break this thousand-year cycle between Katolis and the Moonshadow elves.

Rayla is his friend. And these are her people. It won't matter what they've done, only that they need help in a time of great desperation. And of course he'll help them. He's Ezran, and he's Katolis's greatest treasure.

Oh, what's that you say? Inviting the Moonshadow elves to settle in Katolis again would make it easier for Rayla to live with Callum in the future? Oh gosh, how about that? What a deal. *smug matchmaker noises*

And once the Moonshadow elves understand that they're safe and begin to trust Ezran--which could happen very quickly, because saving a Moonshadow elf's life when you didn't need to is a really fast way to prove you're trustworthy--maybe Ezran will be encouraged to take the next step toward peace, and eventually other elves and dragons will come to meet together to talk it over. And Ez will offer them jelly tarts, which they will love.

Back to Ethari, because we're not done with him yet. Ethari is soft, but he isn't weak. He won't be a willing pawn for Viren. He loves Runaan to the point of invention, and his devotion is more constant than the moon itself. He'll agree to do what Viren says, and he'll be Very Sad. But his spirit is in no way broken. Viren bribing him with the coins containing his family will only have the opposite effect. It'll give Ethari something to fight for.

We could get Focused Chaos Ethari. We could get Angery Trickster Ethari. We could get Rules, What Rules? Ethari. Let him try to steal the coins, try to break them, try to kill Viren, and be stymied at every turn, until he settles and seems cowed. And then all he does is craft his way out of the problem. What if we are gifted with Iron Man Ethari, who pretends to build a fake Key for Viren, but meanwhile he's really building a coinbuster with whatever he can get his hands on - primal stones, magically imbued gemstones, stolen artifacts, his own arcanum, his own reputation as the Master Craftsman of the Silvergrove. He'll use almost- almost - anything, to stop Viren and free his family.

Ethari may have to choose between those two things, though. And he's a hero, deep down, just like his family, just like his daughter. If he has to choose, he'll choose to stop Viren and save Xadia. He'll pay the same price as his family has if he must.

He'd let Viren think he was motivated purely by wanting his family back, but Ethari is far too steeped in the illusion and sacrifice for that to be all there is to his motives. It's a so-close-and-yet-so-far thing, how he and Viren almost embody the same ideals. Almost. Ethari would take one look at Viren, who just burnt down his whole Forest, he'd see the biggest threat in Xadia, and he'd say anything to get a chance to stop this juggernaut of destruction from getting his hands on whatever that ultimate power really is, locked behind that missing key. If he has to abandon his people and bawl his eyes out to convince Viren he's in, then he will.

And Viren wouldn't make it easy for him. He knows clever when he sees it. He went through all this trouble to persuade Ethari to work with him. He would need to keep Ethari as off-balance as possible to ensure that he keeps working as he should.

Angsty jewelry, anyone: Viren giving Ethari his husband in pendant form to remind him what he's working for, when Viren and Ethari both know full well that only dark magic can open the hellcoins. Ethari wearing another pendant of his love, except it's not a metaphor this time. It's literally his love, in a coin around his neck.

Viren would know that Ethari would have to stay close to Viren of his own free will if he ever hoped to free Runaan. And making people bind themselves to you is a big power flex. Remember that TDP stream future-season teaser note about Bait being in a creepy restraint in a future season?

This card is written on in all-caps, so that really could be "Bait" or "bait," or--knowing this show--both. Viren's been using Runaan as bait for Ethari all along. Putting his coin in a dark magic pendant casing for Ethari to wear would be a great parallel for that. Oh god. Oh man.

Maybe he'll stab the coin's scary casing right through that circle on Ethari's chest, right over his heart, make that Iron Man reference really obvious. Ethari also losing his shirt at some point, for angsty Viren-related reasons? It's more likely than you think. I mean... Ethari is literally involved in both forms of forging at this point. Shirt's gotta come off for uhhhh work reasons. And because he's hot. Because of all the forging. I mean how else are we finally going to discover what his markings look like

I mentioned that I liked god-tier villains, right? Yeah, this is amazing. I haven't wanted to die and ascend over an idea for quite a while, but Ethari vs Viren in a drawn-out battle of wills would kill me in the best way. Especially since, while it looks like they're essentially fighting for who gets Runaan, they're truly fighting a much larger battle with much higher stakes. They're fighting for the future itself. It's an epic struggle between the Narrative of Strength and the Narrative of Love. And we've seen what happens, over and over, when the Narrative of Strength gets to call the shots.

On a meta note: If Runaan and Ethari's story arc isn't a love letter from one trauma survivor to another, and on a broader scope to all survivors who see it, I don't know what is. Sometimes life just chews us up and spits us out and we can't stop it and it breaks us. But sometimes we can reach out and grasp the chance to help each other, even after that, even when it hurts a lot, because we know what it means to be loved, and to love, and to want a safer future for each other and for people we'll never meet. The future is worth standing together for, helping each other back up for, fighting side by side for, even if you can't see how it'll end, or even how to begin. We are stronger together, and sometimes we need to fight for our "together" before we can fight for anything else. And that's worth it, every time.

This is glorious, it's beautiful, it's tragic, it's amazing, it makes me want to dance, it makes me want to scream into the void, it makes me want to slap someone with a semi truck. No, someone specific, don't worry, and he super deserves it.

Because Ethari is going to win. He was always going to win. He's soft, and he's clever, and he hasn't forgotten what love means. It's what he's fighting for. Not power, not control. Love. He doesn't want to dictate Runaan's future, or anyone else's. He just wants his husband--and everyone else--to have one at all.

So he's going to win.

What beating Viren looks like, I can't guess yet. TDP is no stranger to angst, so there will probably be a high cost involved in thwarting the dark mage. Maybe not everyone can be rescued from the coins. Maybe Ethari will lose his life, or his soul, or his vision, or something else really angsty. Viren could even kill him and resurrect him as a smoky craftsman, or a zombie craftsman, or something equally biddable but horrible. The only thing I'm sure of is that Ethari would never willingly make a working Key of Aaravos Ethari as long as there's a chance Viren could possess it. But I do believe that if he gets the right opportunity while he's busy saving the world from Viren's dark intentions, he'll break his husband's hellcoin open somehow and set him free, even if he has to smile at the devil to do it.

part 4

[chaos-event-horizon]

Can we get a tiny peak at the fic you said you were slowly writing for you and Toshi?

hmm... SURE! I probably won't be finishing any time soon, but... no harm in showing a bit! I'll upload the prologue and first chapter, the chapter being under a cut cause it's pretty long!

~~~~~

Prologue: It Was Raining Somewhere Else

~

Again.

Again.

Again.

Yet no matter how many times he tried, something horrible seemed to happen.

With every iteration, death or decay seemed to follow.

It was driving him mad.

This time, he really might have gone mad.

It was always only after the death of Rian that Toshinori Yagi would regain all his memories from past lives. Only after seeing the light leave the young man's precious eyes. Only after the realization that his one and genuine true love had left this world forever… and so he must find a new world to live in, instead.

"I really have gone mad," the bulky villain said, staring up at the moon, who was currently the only thing for miles that could possibly hear his words.

Where had things gone wrong this time? They had been happy, damnit! Living in that apartment above the bar where Rian worked, which acted as a hub and haven for the denizens of the city’s criminal underworld. They’d just… been living. Working. Thriving. Making friends and teaching Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki how to be their best selves. He hadn’t even done anything necessarily villainous in weeks! It all started when that damned new guy, some purse-snatching dumbass, had tried to tail the Todoroki kid and gotten caught by Endeavor. The coward spilled everything he knew. Endeavor’d put his son on lockdown before he had the chance to warn anyone, while the hero had led a raid on the bar...

Rian, that beautiful, stupid, goddamn idiot had made a decision to deflect Endeavor's fire away from All Might himself… and wasn't prepared for the second blast as it struck him, and left him burned to…

Well...

Ashes would have been kinder.

And what other option did All Might, the Symbol of Chaos, have after watching his poor pet and dear love die in such a way? None. None of the heroes and degenerate fools that claimed to serve him deserved to live. Not after that. And so Toshinori had simply obliterated the city.

"I said that I would take down this disgusting, corrupt society with All of My Might, but part of me always held back… I guess I needed this one final push, huh, Rian?"

The moon didn't answer. No one did.

The tired man sighed, leaning back against a pile of rubble. This should never have happened. If he'd been faster. If he'd been less arrogant. If he'd been less merciful… or perhaps a little more. If he’d paid more attention to all of his little visions and moments of Deja Vu, perhaps… they would have told him something to stop this disaster.

"If I could see you, even just one more time… I wonder what you'd say? You’d probably be mad at all the wanton destruction… Or, maybe you’d agree that they all deserved it. I wish I could find out. But I guess that's just…"

Impossible.

He flew to his feet, staggering as he watched with amazement and wonder as one of Rian's precious portals appeared before him. But… different. Thicker. Darker. A swirling mass of darkness and stars just wide enough for him to squeeze through. Just wide enough for him to give this one more try.

"Is this my curse, or your blessing?" All Might asked the moon, "If I go… will you really be there, again? In this new world, will I actually get another chance?"

Silence.

He smiled tiredly, walking towards the new door. "Maybe this time… I'll be a hero, again, instead of a villain… I bet you'd like that, Rian. I bet you'd love to see a world where we can stand together in the sun… where you can smile… you always look better when you can smile."

Silence, still, though now being drowned out. The sound of rain breaking through the white noise of that rip in reality.

Rain. Rain might feel good. Might even help wash the blood off.

"Okay. Once more, with feeling…"

He stepped through, and smiled as his pain and memory began to fade again, washed away by warm summer rain.

~

~

~

Chapter One: Let’s Start Over.

~

“Is this really the place, Ri?”

“Yeah, sis. This is home now.”

The teenager, a young girl of fourteen or fifteen, looked less than impressed, scooting closer to the wall to keep out of the rain that had broken out just as they made it up the last flight of the complex's outdoor stairs. She tilted her head, as if that would give her a better look at the front door, and shifted the cat carrier she held to her other hand. “Well, I wouldn’t call it a dump or anything, but…”

Rian rolled his eyes, stepping forward with a key in one hand, and a dog leash attached to a Mastiff mix in the other. “At least look at the inside first? And don’t give me that whole ‘teen hates that the family moved to a new place’ thing- I’ve been doing it way longer than you, kiddo,” he said, sighing as he opened the door, then entered, turning on lights as he went. “Look Lilly… I understand that this’ll be rough at first, but think of the opportunity! I mean, come on, it’s U.A. High school!”

Lilly trudged in after her older brother, looking around their new apartment with what could best be described as ‘barely concealed skepticism’... both at his assertions, and at the quality of her new home. “That’s easy for you to say, Ri. You speak Japanese, and you’ve already got your job nailed down there. They still haven’t decided if I should be allowed to move up a grade or not so I could join the class you’ll be assisting! I took Spanish in school! How am I even supposed to say hi to the neighbors?”

“By actually taking the language lessons that I signed you up for, and continuing to be the hard worker you’ve been this whole time?” he asked, almost teasingly. Rian, A young twenty-something of average height and build, smiled tiredly at his sister. Releasing their dog to go run an inspection of the space, he moved back to rough up Lilly’s long hair- chocolate brown, just like her sibling’s. He stepped back a moment, pulling his vape out of his pocket and taking a hit while he inspected the counter nestled between the living room and kitchen. “Like I said… I know this is going to be a rough start. But it’s a new start. Just give it some time before you start brooding and trying to run back to the states, alright?”

She took a moment, but finally smiled as she set down the cat carrier. The occupant protested a bit, but seemed too jet-lagged to raise a huge fuss. “Deal, I guess… but next cross-continental move, we’re going to Mexico.”

“Sounds fair,” the older sibling said, grinning as he went to the windows and balcony off of their new living room space. He opened the blinds, and cracked the windows an inch or so, letting in the pre-dawn light and air as he stretched weary muscles. “On the bright side, our next door neighbor is also a teacher there- and he’s a fluent english speaker. I guess he went to college in America, or something,” Rian said as he wandered towards the kitchen and inspected their appliances, using his vape mod once again. Lilly couldn't tell if she felt annoyed, or comforted by the sweet smell of cherries starting to permeate the air. “Hey Lills, go open up some of the doors and look around. Front room with the bay windows is yours, it should be on the left as you go back to our front door. The doors on the other side-”

“The one closest is the toilet, and the other door leads to the laundry and bathing room,” The teen said, a smile in her voice. “I know, I know. You drilled the floor plan into my head for three months, remember? Should I set up Nyx’s litter box in the laundry room?”

“Probably the best place for it, for now… Actually, do that first, so we can let her out,” the man said, snapping his fingers towards the living room. An odd, rolling, door-shaped distortion suddenly appeared, and he watched as his sister began moving towards it. “Her stuff should be there in front. Grab the pup's food and water bowls too, I'll fill'em up in a second.”

“I am so glad your powers let you do stuff like this,” Lilly gushed, reaching in and pulling out different boxes labeled ‘Cats and Dogs Only’, as well as a moderately sized cat tree. “Who needs to pay movers when you can literally just make a door to our temporary storage unit? How many days do we have to clear it out?”

“A week. Should be plenty of time.”

“We hope. You already start working tomorrow… or… today?”

“Tomorrow, today's Sunday. And no worries, we’ll spend today dragging most of the boxes and furniture in, so you can have something to do and put things together while I’m gone.”

“That’s fair, I guess… And remind me again why we didn’t just teleport ourselves here, too? That plane trip killed my back, and we barely got Luna on the plane!”

Luna, the black lab-Mastiff mix, stuck her head around the counter and whined, as if in agreement. The trip had been rough on the poor dog’s nerves, as well as the nerves of all the airport staff that had to deal with the aggressive noises she made.

“You know the rules. I can’t teleport myself or anyone else internationally. We have to go through the proper channels. Gotta do the paperwork, be logged as having actually travelled, be on all the cameras along the way… you know the government still checks things like that when it comes to me. Even just doing this much is probably pushing it… though, I guess our last case agent did say that she'd just check periodically to make sure we didn't leave the storage unit, so we should be fine."

"This shit's so creepy. You realize no one else we know gets this treatment from the US government, right? Why won't you tell me what you did?"

Rian stopped a moment, using his vape as he thought about his response, then shrugged. "It wasn't me that did anything. Just someone with a similar power. And we don't have to worry about that, from now on. With U.A. high backing me, the alphabet soup here has said they'll be more lax. I just have to follow basic rules… and honestly, they're all very fair."

He could practically feel Lilly rolling her eyes, but she seemed to decide to let the topic go. "What time is it here, again? The sun's not even up…"

The young man checked his phone, wincing a bit. "Four o’clock in the morning. After you get Nyx set up and we open everything to air the place out, and have baths, let's take a nap. You slept a bit on the plane like I told you to, right?"

"A bit, yeah. Honestly I just spent most of it reading, though.”

“Nerd.”

“Oh, right, like you’re any better.”

Rian grinned, and Lilly laughed. “Okay squirt, you got me there. Now go get that cat taken care of while I pull out our mattresses and some clean clothes. We got a long day, and we might as well rest up.”

Lilly complied, dragging boxes along with her as gently as she could. They lived on the third floor of their new apartment building, and she really didn’t want their new neighbors to think that her and Rian were jerks. In a matter of minutes, she had the room set up for Nyx's comfort, getting water from the odd basin in the room, and quietly opened up the carrier. As to be expected, the feline wasn't necessarily keen on leaving the little box no matter how enticing the food and water might look, and the teen left its door open as she made her way back out to the living room and her brother.

Rian greeted her with a yawn, gently tossing some clothes and a towel at her and holding out his 3-in-1 soap and a tiny hair dryer with an adapter already attached to the cord. "Go clean up quick. Who knows what we got on us, being on that plane for so long? The shower and everything should be pretty self-explanatory… and hopefully the blow-dryer won’t be too loud. Our new neighbor’s place is like a mirror of ours and his washroom should be on the other side of the wall, though, so it should be fine.”

He watched as his sister nodded, took everything, and trotted off. After he heard the door click, he took another hit, then trotted to the other rooms and cracked open windows before he walked back into the portal. He’d been smart about organizing everything in the unit; pet stuff, their mattresses and bedsheets and pillows, and things like clothes and toiletries were near the front. It was simple enough for him to carefully pull everything out, setting what they’d need for sleeping carefully on the living room floor. After a few minutes, he heard the gentle buzz of a motor, and he got his own things ready before closing his portal.

“Ugh. My hair’s still a little damp, but I’m honestly too tired to care,” Lilly grumbled. She had the good sense not to just let herself flop, but still landed heavily on top of her make-shift bed. “I felt fine at the airport. Why am I so exhausted now?”

“Adrenaline, probably.” The elder brother said, not unkindly. “We’re both running on fumes. Get some rest, okay kiddo? We’ll get started around, say… ten o’clock?”

“Works for me,” she said, setting an alarm on her phone.

Rian left her to it, taking one more drag out of his alternate nicotine source, then grabbing his things and wandering towards the wetroom. On his way through the laundry/changing room, he bent down to peek at their cat, and was met with very annoyed blue eyes.

“I know you girls aren’t happy,” he said softly, reaching in and gently petting the soft black fur of her head, “But this is for the best. We need this. We’ll all love it here. Just give it time, okay?” Rian asked. The cat, of course, didn’t answer aloud, but she did wiggle out of her carrier for a drink of water. He’d take that as at least a begrudging sign of resignation. In all honesty, his little family had been incredibly lucky with this move. He just couldn’t tell his sister why yet. Feeling much older than he should, suddenly, he left the laundry room door cracked open and continued on his way.

Entering the wetroom and starting to undress, he found more than he thought he would. On one wall was a decently sized mirror, and near the shower apparatus was a small wooden stool. Inspecting the drain, he found that some of Lilly’s long hair was already beginning to collect there, and he couldn’t help but laugh. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

He found his soap on top of the stool, and quickly cleaned up. Airplanes were never as clean as you wanted to believe they were, and one couldn’t be too careful. Rian finished quickly, scratching at the faded lines of his scars as a wave of exhaustion hit him, just as he was thinking about inspecting the rest of the room. Sighing, he vowed to do a more thorough examination first thing after his nap, and got dressed before making his way back to their little camp. He wondered to himself if a five hour ‘nap’ would be enough, or too much, but decided to take the gamble at this point. They had plenty of time to move everything, and it wouldn’t hurt for them to go to bed early later tonight.

Looking at his baby sister, he couldn’t help but feel warm and fuzzy. Both the dog and cat were halfway or more on top of the girl, and she herself was out like a light. In that moment, his entire world fit on one twin-sized mattress.

I should sleep, he thought to himself, I’m getting delirious.

And so he did.

~~~~~~~~

"They got here earlier than I thought… then again, they probably took a flight in the middle of the afternoon back in the states."

Toshinori Yagi- or rather All Might- had only just gotten back home after helping out with a small emergency nearby. He'd come in from the rain, drenched and chilled despite the semi-warm temperature, just in time to hear the oddly familiar, muffled sound of a hairdryer coming from the next apartment over. A few moments later, he also heard another person starting to take a shower. Which meant that it would be beneficial for him to wait a few minutes before getting cleaned up himself… in the meantime, he let his mind wander a bit.

Of course he'd received and studied the file of his soon-to-be neighbor and coworker, and had been mentally preparing himself for whatever shenanigans might ensue. Nezu had fortunately promised not to tell the newcomer which heroic teacher would be his neighbor, so his secret would be more than safe, so long as he himself didn't have any obvious slip-ups. He wanted to scope this new American hero out before showing him his 'true form'. One could never be too careful.

"Let's see… what was his quirk again?"

Toshinori took a seat on his couch with an embarrassing amount of relief for his sore muscles, and picked up the file, finding the information almost instantly. Rian Shepard, who went by the hero name Warp Space, wielded a quirk called 'transpatial/dimensional multi-form warp gate'... Obviously something coined by a government official, and not the kid himself. He could create multiple 'doors' in space, linking together locations as long as he knew the exact places he was coming and going, and with enough concentration could also link small pocket dimensions the size of gymnasiums. A useful power, to be sure, and a large part of the reason Nezu and many other heroes had been willing to take him on as a colleague. The League of Villains had someone with a quirk that could do something similar, and Rian Shepard's presence went a long way to level that playing field. His sister, named Lilly, had a strong quirk as well, though one that had to do with suspending objects from space, rather than connecting points. The American had a lot of redacted and red-flag bits attached to his file… but if Toshinori was being honest, the US Government had a tendency to be like that sometimes, and he wasn't exactly worried. By all accounts, Shepard seemed like a good guy. From the pictures attached, though, he could tell that things weren’t all they seemed. He had a similar look in his eyes as what Hawks did, like that casual good-natured jokester persona belied something… sad. There was something off there, at least with the brother. Lilly Shepard seemed just like any other teenager that he’d met recently.

Everyone had their secrets, and parts of their past that were best left in the past. All Might was more aware of that than most people. But… why did this feel so familiar?

That thought would have to wait, however, as the sound from the other side of the wall finally quieted. With a sigh, the blonde got himself ready for a shower of his own. He had some groceries to pick up in a few hours, and at least wanted to pretend that he felt fresh while he was out.

~~~~~~~~

The synchronized groan that erupted as Lilly's alarm went off would have been comical, if not for the fact that everyone who heard it was too annoyed to feel an ounce of humor.

"Ten more minutes?"

"You're way too old to try to pull that maneuver, Rian."

"I'm way too young for you to be calling me old, too, yet here we are."

The girl giggled, doing her best to stretch around the animals that crowded her space. She sat up, letting out another groan, and popped her neck. "Okay. What first?"

"Getting dressed, checking everything again and making sure all the closets are clean… oh, and figuring out breakfast."

"Can't we order delivery?"

Rian shook his head, getting on his feet as he yawned, then taking what the girl considered an annoyingly long hit from his vape mod. "No can do, buckaroo. Or else, we'll also be ordering lunch and dinner, and you'd be stuck with nothing for tomorrow… someone has to go out and grab groceries."

Lilly froze. "You do it."

"And how are you going to move all the boxes and furniture yourself, without me here to maintain the doorway?"

"But Rian-"

"Nuhuh, you'll be fine," he said, ruffling her hair. She winced, knowing that brushing it would be an awful chore now, as he continued. "You have a translator app, and one of the stores nearby is owned by the same company as what we had back home. They'll have automated checkouts that should let you change the language, and our member cards will work there. Get dressed, and get going before we starve to death."

She wanted to argue, but Rian was using what she always thought of as The Dad Voice. Debating would do no good. Instead, she just grumbled under her breath and located one of the boxes he had pulled out last night- the one that had all of her haircare products- and got what she'd need to bring her image under control. "You're the worst."

"Trial by fire! Plus, it'll give you the chance to stretch your legs and check out our new neighborhood. There's not enough room for us both to be going into the unit anyway. I'll walk Luna real quick while you get ready, and pull things out of the storage unit while you're gone, then we can eat and work on organizing everything. It won't be as bad as you think."

"Whatever…" Lilly mumbled, taking her beauty products and change of clothes to the washroom. She took after their Native American side of the family when it came to her hair and skin tone, and the impossibly thick waves and curls took a bit of doing to get under control if she went to bed without the proper precautions. She knew she'd be in there more than long enough to make herself anxious, then build up more confidence than god.

I can totally do this, she thought to herself, starting to brush through her dark chocolate locks, this can't be as bad as I think it will be. It'll be a blast!

~~~~~~~~

It was totally as bad as she thought it would be.

The trip itself was actually very nice. The streets were clean and pretty, everyone she'd awkwardly passed had been incredibly polite, and there was a cool park on the way that seemed like a fun place to relax. Even the initial shopping portion of the trip was oddly pleasant! She'd found a bunch of the food and things they needed easily enough, and the store even had a selection of those awesome carts you could buy to make walking home easier... and she totally grabbed one, only sort of in the name of being petty.

However…

Checking out was turning into an anxiety-inducing nightmare.

There was probably a button here somewhere to change the language. The problem was, she couldn't tell the difference between the Kanji at all, and the translator on her phone was pretty much the polar opposite of helpful. She'd been standing at the register for a full five minutes already, and hadn't even scanned a single item. Ri was going to die if she ever made it out of this building, and she was going to kill him with her bare hands, or-

"Need help, young lady?"

It took her a second to realize that the speaker was talking to her, in english no less, and when she turned to address him she had to look up… and up… and up…

To find a very kindly smiling skeletal blonde man.

"Sorry, I couldn't help but notice you were having trouble. Need a hand with something?"

She blinked, then nodded. "Uhm… yeah, I uh… I can't read any of the buttons."

He chuckled, but in a way that somehow came off as polite and comforting, and grinned down at her. "I see, that would be a bit of a problem. I can help with that, though," he said, and the small brunette watched as this odd and friendly giant began pressing buttons for her. In a matter of seconds, and to her infinite relief, the screen suddenly erupted into english. "That should be better for you," he said, doing the same to the pin-pad as well.

"Oh my gosh, thank you," She said quickly, starting to run her things through. "I have no idea what I would've done if you hadn't shown up. I was just thinking about how to kill my brother if I ever got home…" she rambled, then paused, looking back up. "But uh… how did you know?"

The stranger had an odd look on his face, but answered quickly. "I'd noticed you'd been here a while, and you aren't exactly a local, so I put two and two together."

She could have smacked herself. Duh! She didn't look anything close to being Japanese. Of course she seemed out of place here.

But, surprisingly, he continued. "...Well, and I recognized your picture from the file they gave me."

That got her attention. "...Pardon?"

He quickly held up his hands. "Ah! I guess that sounds… worse than I intended. Let's start over a bit…" he said, then held a hand to her. "I'm your neighbor, a teacher at U.A. It's very nice to meet you!"

She felt another wave of relief, shaking his hand. That made a lot more sense. "I'm Lilly. It's nice to meet you too!"

He gave yet another smile, and she got the impression that this man was good with kids. He had a very kind and calming air about him, and his grins were downright contagious. "Well, Lilly, I'm glad I was able to help… speaking of, I'll go ahead and wait up for you, if you don't mind. We appear to be going back to the same place, anyway, and you look like you could use help with your groceries."

The teen was about to tell him she could handle it, but then looked down. He had a point. Even with the cart she was about to buy, she'd admittedly gone a little overboard when it came to food… if she tried to just pile everything together, things would be falling over the entire trip back. Reluctantly, she nodded. "That… would actually be really, super cool of you."

With that settled, and with a few more kind words, she watched as he went to do his own shopping before quickly finishing the process of checking out.

Maybe living here wouldn't be awful, after all.

~~~~~~~~

Rian opened the front door expecting to find his sister with a bag or two of food. Instead, he found his sister by herself, looking a bit sheepish.

"Lilly… where are the groceries?"

"About that… could you, y'know, do the portal thing? I might have forgotten about the three flights of stairs while I did my shopping."

The older brunette sighed, rubbing his temples. "You would… okay, where'd you leave it all?"

"Bottom of the stairs."

Figures.

"Alright, step back a sec…" Rian said, snapping the fingers on his left hand, his right fingering the mod in his pocket. Instantly, a portal opened, and she grinned, stepping in.

"Thinks Ri, we'll be right up!"

"Yeah, su— wait, we? Who's…?"

He watched, with a growing sense of exhaustion, as she reappeared. With her came a cart, and a very tall blonde man who looked as excited as a child seeing a new toy for the first time.

"That is a neat trick," the blonde said, inspecting the portal after he made it fully through. "You weren't kidding, young lady."

"See? My brother has the coolest power on the planet!" Lilly gushed, giggling, before grabbing her brother's hand. "Ri, look who I met! This is our neighbor, Mister Yagi! He was at the grocery store too, and helped me out! He recognized me from the pictures in our files that the school gave him. He's really nice, and he speaks English. Just like you said!"

That was a very worrying string of words, and it immediately set off some red flags in the back of Rian's mind. His misgivings must have been clearly visible, because the older man had the good grace to blush a bit before raising his hands non-threateningly. Despite the situation, the blonde gave an apologetic grin.

"It sounds much worse than it is, I promise. I recognized her by happy accident, I assure you, nothing more and nothing less. And the files really only have basic information- I don't think they even say more than the months and days of your birthdays!"

That didn't necessarily sound better, but 'Mister Yagi' was so earnest and embarrassed about the situation that Rian couldn't help but crack a smile.

"I'll hold you to that, and I expect our cakes to have the wrong number of candles…" he said teasingly, "and thank you for helping my sister," the brunette man continued, giving a polite bow to their new neighbor. "It was very generous of you."

Yagi bowed in return. "The pleasure was all mine. It's nice to have someone to talk to on the walk home from the store- and it isn't every day that I get to practice my English."

Rian could feel Lilly roll her eyes as she spoke. “‘Kay Rian, hackles down. He's nice. At least let me roll the groceries in while you try to intimidate our new neighbor.”

The younger man felt his face heating up as he moved to the side, letting her in the door. “I’m not trying to be intimidating… Am I being intimidating?”

The blonde laughed, poorly concealing it with a cough. “Nothing to worry about— it wasn’t working.”

The American struggled for a moment, then joined his counterpart’s laughter. “I deserve that. Sorry if I’m bristly, we’ve had a rough few days, and honestly I’m just tired. Would you like to come in? I just got the couch moved over, and Lilly and I both need breakfast. You’re welcome to join us!”

Yagi gave Rian a smile so radiant, the brunette thought that he might go blind. “Thank you, but I have work I should probably be doing. Grading students’ latest projects, logging progress, you know how it is.”

Rian did know. He’d been partly homeschooling Lilly off and on over the last several years, not to mention going through school and doing hero work himself, then his first job as a school librarian and teaching assistant. Paperwork was the worst. “I hope it goes well. But on the bright side, if you’re a part of the Hero Course staff, I might be able to help lighten your load starting tomorrow. I’ll be working with Class A, mostly, but at the very least we can always put our heads together.”

The dazzling smile softened. “You know… I think I’ll take you up on that sometime.”

“Then let’s start over. I’m Rian Shepard, Codename Warp Space. I’ll be in your care, from now on.” Rian said, holding out his hand.

Yagi took it, grinning. “I’m Toshinori Yagi- and I’ll be sure you’re taken care of for as long as you’re working with me.”

[yamithediaperdork]

Just a pup (inuyasha)

Kagome smirked as she looked out the window of her bedroom, watching as Inuyasha popped out of the well looking excited and blushing. It was the second Friday of the month, which per the agreement the two of them agreed on, meant it was Inuyasha's punishment night.

Many of their friends, and well, ANYONE who knew Inuyasha would of been shocked to learn that the bad ass demon slayer was a natural submissive, who got his rocks off being ordered around and teased by people weaker then him, and more to the point, being spanked like a naughty little boy. Lord knows Kagome had been shocked when he confess (Well shocked and amused) and she had agreed to humor the silly pup and spend the second and fourth Friday of every month making him a little bitch, the First and third were romantic date nights.

With date nights in the past (it was just easier to get a seat at a inn then a fancy restaurant in the present) and punishment nights in the present (So no one heard Inuyasha yowling for mercy, They timed it for when Kagome's mom and grandpa would take Souta out to a movie) it was working out to a point, though Inuyasha had started to phone in his half of the deal to Kagome's annoyance.

'Well after tonight he'll know what to expect if he can't measure up~' She thought with a evil little giggle, then went down to meet him at the door.

Inuyasha couldn't help but grin like a fucking school girl as Kagome answered the door, giggling softly. He didn't quite understand why he wanted to be dominated when he hated being hurt (a big part in picking Kagome to punish him, At her hardest she barely hurt his behind, though he played it up like she was killing him) But he knew he was at his hardest when she abused him.

"About time Pup. Your five minutes late." Kagome said, sneering at him and making his cock twitch in his pants.

He knew of course he was on time, it was all part of the role play.

"I'm sorry Miss Kagome, I couldn't help it." Inuyasha mewed, looking down at the floor, his ears drooping, and trying not to grin.

"Oh you'll be sorry alright~" She said and grabbed him by the collar and lead the way to her room. "Though I have a surprise for you my dirty little pup."

"O-Oh?" Inuyasha asked, though he was distracted by a scent in the air as they got to the second story of the house. it was familiar but there's no way it could be what he was thinking it was.

"A yup~ I've noticed that despite all the wailing and whining you do, I'm not really hurting your cute little butt." Kagome said, opening the door to her room.

And sitting on her bed, holding the fire harden wooden paddle with holes drilled into it to cut down on air resistance, was Koga.

"So I asked Koga to help me give you the punishment you sooo seem to need and want. Your welcome." Kagome giggled as Inuyasha froze, blushing and then snarling.

"Now now Pup, none of that!" Koga ordered. "We both know a fight between us would be a draw, but think of how much everyone back home would loooove to hear about what a little fucking wimp you are, that you beg to be spanked and stepped." Koga said, smirking and wagging a finger.

The thought of all of his other friends and well, everyone that they both knew knowing what a little bitch he was took the fight out of Inuyasha, even as his cock twitched and throbbed and tented out his pants, a small damp spot appeared from pre.

"I..but..Kagommmme! the deal wa-" Inuyasha turned his attention to his mistress/girlfriend, but was cut off.

"The deal was I dominate your subby bitch ass and get romantic dates in exchange. do you recall what our 'date' was Pup?" Kagome asked, frowning and shaking her head, and trying not to laugh at how hard Inuyasha was despite looking so mad and scared.

"W-We had a picnic by the lake an-"

"And you spent half of it whining about me not bringing any ramen cups and the other half chasing fish in the water because you didn't like the pasta dish I made for you." Kagome said, glaring.

"O-Oh uh..I'm sorry?" Inuyasha said/asked and poked his index fingers together.

"Like I said before, you WILL be. Koga here knows how to treat bad little pups like you and has lots of fun ideas planned out, and all he wants in return is a little loving." Kagome coo'ed.

"Y-Your not gonna.. with him..are you?" Inuyasha whined, but his cock was leaking big time now.

"Of course I am..Maybe He'll last longer then 30 seconds..Of course if you're THAT against me getting fucked by a real man, someone who doesn't need to be scolded like a naughty little boy..you could always ride Koga." Kagome giggled. "Lords knows you love it when I finger you."

"Heh, Hey I'm a open guy, as long as i get to fuck a nice tight hole i'm game." Koga laughed.

"but..but.." Inuyasha mewed.

"That's right, in your butt..or you mouth. actually yeah, Your gonna wanna suck it first." Koga said, chuckling and gesturing Inuyasha over with a finger. "Now enough of this huffing and puffing and whining, the longer you put this off, the more likely it is more people are gonna find out what a subby little bitch you are."

Inuyasha knew he should just storm out. or at least try and fuck Koga's shit up, even though the wolf demon was right that they were basically equals and would only in a draw. there was a lot of should of's.. but in the end Inuyasha's body betrayed him and he hooked his thumbs in the waistline of his pants and dropped, them, then walked over and knelled in front of Koga, who chuckled and patted his head.

"Good puppy."

Koga found himself a little jealous as he looked down at Inuyasha. just wasn't fair that a total bitch like him could have such a huge piece of fuck meat, 9 1/2 inches when Koga was only a 'mere' 7, though Koga's was thicker.

"Since you went and wasted time with all your whining and bitch, I think you owe me a little something to make up for wasting my time." Koga said, press his bare foot on the tip of Inuyasha's cock, not hard enough to hurt but the puppy let out a whimper even as his cock leaked on Koga's foot.

"Y-Yes Sir. I'm sorry sir." Inuyasha mewed softly.

"The bottom of my feet are dirty from walking to the well and coming though JUST to humor you, so I think they deserve a little tongue bath, don't you?" Koga asked, shifting his weight around on his foot and then switching up, Inuyasha's cock juice coating his soles.

"Heh, Really? I don't usually make him do THAT." Kagome giggled, sitting back and enjoying the show.

"Well I dare say he enjoys the idea." Koga chuckled, raising a foot for her to see the pre all over it,then held it in front of Inuyasha's face. "I'm waiting~"

He was actually testing to see how far he could push the little bitch, and if Inuyasha had outright refused well he'd just make up for it with the paddling. Instead though Inuyasha's cute pink tongue darted out, taking quick fast licks on the sole of of his foot.

"Pfttttt Bwhahahaha!" Kagome laughed. "No way!"

"Heh, good boy Inuyasha, however I want long heel to toe licks. so you get the full experience." Koga instructed.

"Y-Yes sir. Sorry." Inuyasha whined, closing his eyes and leaning in.

"Ah ah ah, and eyes open and looking at me while you do it. I know this is your first time worshiping a alpha males feet so I'm be nice, but we DO have to nip bad habits in the bud~" Koga chuckled.

The half demon nodded and locked eyes with Koga, as much as he could as he slurped and licked away on foot, only closing them when hitting super foul tasting spots on Koga's foot. when the first one was clean, Koga simply offered up the other one and made small talk with Kagome while Inuyasha worked, as if he was just a object.

when it was all over Koga held his feet up, using Inuyasha's shoulders to do see and had Kagome inspect them.

"Hmm yup, they're spotless. Good to know I have a good widdle foot licker I can count on to take care of my feet every night. you wouldn't believe how dirty and smelly they get walking everywhere." Kagome said and Inuyasha whimpered.

"Oh, you don't like that idea pup?" Koga asked, smirking. "It's ok if you only like to worship men's feet. I always figured you played for both teams."

"N-No! I'll lick Kagome's feet!" Inuyasha protested.

"Awww! that's so cute! you think you had a choice!" Kagome squealed and with Koga's feet down she was gonna give him a hug and a kiss, then pulled back and held her nose. "Yuck! foot breath!"

"Yeahhh you're gonna wanna keep lots of mints around if you wanna kiss him after he's been cleaning your feet." Koga laughed as Inuyasha squirmed. "That or just don't kiss him anymore."

"Hmm I'll have to think about that."

"I..but.." Inuyasha whined, turning back and forth looking at both of them.

"Pup, stop fussing and get over my lap, it's time for your reward for being SUCH a good little foot bitch." Koga said, patting his lap.

"...Yes sir." Was all the defeated by his own perverted desires half demon could say, and he got over Koga's lap.

Laying over Koga's lap Inuyasha could feel just how 'excited' this turn of events was making the wolf demon, Koga's manhood was poking him in the tummy.

'a manhood that'll end up in me..or Kagome..All because I couldn't be a good boyfriend.' Inuyasha thought.

He'd never pictured being spanked by anther man, or having to clean someones feet and yet here he was and the most damnable thing of it all was his hard-on wouldn't go away!

his leaking manhood was dangling as Koga kept his legs spread but Inuyasha was fairly certain he was gonna be cumming ropes before long.

'Maybe once I nut I'll be able to clearly..' He thought, then Koga's voice drew his attention.

"Now Inuyasha, as I understand it, Kagome spanks you for 10 minutes., a time length I'm willing to match but I will let you end it early if it's too much for you. All you have to do is say 'Daddy pwease stop!' However if you do that, Or if you wet yourself or cum, you're little bitch ass will be going in diapers for the rest of the night." Koga said and nodded to Kagome who tugged out a pack of thick, nursery print diapers and smirked.

"...What?!" Inuyasha yelped trying to get out of Koga's lap and being held in place with ease, his own submissive nature keeping him for going all out to break free.

"I didn't stutter. But hey, it's ALL you, all you have to do is keep your bladder and cock under control, and take my paddling like a good boy! You can do that can't you?" Koga challenged.

"Yes!" Inuyasha huffed while thinking 'No!'

"of course even if you pee or nut, the spanking will go on till the time limit is up, but every 'accident' means one diaper.. Hope you're not big on repeat performances because I WILL put your butt in that whoooole pack if you 'earn' it." Koga chuckled.

"Is it weird I'm finding the idea of him in huggies while we fuck hawt?" Kagome asked, biting her lip.

"Not at all, we all have our kinks!" Koga said cheerfully and tapped the paddle lightly on Inuyasha's butt. "Right pup?"

"Yes daddy!" Inuyasha said then covered his mouth as Kagome and Koga laughed.

Watching her boyfriend/bitch quiver over Koga's lap, Kagome had no doubt that Inuyasha was gonna be in at least 3 diapers, the little bitch liked to edge himself for at least 3 hours a day on the week when he'd be getting spanked.

'Hell, forget three, I might have to go out and get anther pack of diapers!' Kagome thought, her folds getting damp as she pictured Inuyasha in a massive diaperzilla hugging a teddy bear and watching her get fucked. 'Huh..Kink unlocked.' She mused.

She was drawn out of her little fantasy as the first swat stuck and she could almost feel the force of the blow herself and winced.

the effect on Inuyasha's was almost cartoonish, his semi bubble butt seemed to deform around the force of the paddle as Inuyasha's mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide.

Before he could even begin wailing (which followed quickly enough) Koga stuck anther 3 blows on the pup's backside, quickly turning it bright red and then the howling and sobbing came.

'Damn, 4 blows in about ten seconds..Inuyasha's not gonna be able to sit for a week!'

As blows 5 6 7 and 8 hit Inuyasha was a blubbering mess and couldn't even talk right as a massive cum shot hit the floor.

"Wow that didn't take long." Koga teased. "Kagome could you be a dear and keep count, I don't think our little puppy is gonna be able to."

"of course~" Kagome cooed, and ripped open the package of diapers, taking one out and setting it on the desk next to her, then she winked at Inuyasha. "I think you might wanna toss in the towel pup.. It hasn't even been a minute yet."

"I-I'll never gi- AH FUCK!" Inuyasha had been in the middle of declaring his iron will, how he'd never give up when the paddle started to come down on his red cheek and reduce him back to sobbing and crying, kicking his legs and pounding his fists but there was no way out for him.

Kagome gave up trying to count the blows and just watched Inuyasha's useless big cock swing back and forth and seeing it twitch and tremble at the 2 minute mark got ready to pull out a second diaper, and wasn't disappointed when he indeed fired off again.

"Wow Inuyasha, you much REALLY like being Koga's bitch! Normally you only cum ONCE for me!" Kagome teased. "Or was it worshiping his feet first just primed you up?" She snickered.

Inuyasha couldn't even try and reply, at least with words, but but his body did and Kagome pulled out a third diaper.

Koga had to give Inuyasha credit, the mutt had lasted five minutes so far, which was four more then Koga had counted on. Of course he wasn't going all out either as he wanted Inuyasha able to walk. The pup was up to 6 diapers, and Koga was glad Kagome had insisted on putting down a puppy housebreaking pad since only five of the diapers were from cum shots.

Inuyasha had stopped fighting and was just taking the blows now, and if Koga didn't know any better the half demon seemed to be raising his buns up to meet the paddle.

"C-Come On.. That all you g-got?" Inuyasha said, sniffling and giving a impish grin as he looked over his shoulder.

'Ohhh he's adapted to the pain.. heh..and thinks he's got my number.. adorable.'

"Actually I've been holding back..Trying to be nice. but since you want full force." Koga said,Smiling like he was offering Inuyasha a treat for being a good boy and trying not to laugh at the look of terror on Inuyasha's face.

"Y-Your bluffing!" Inuyasha squealed.

"Heh, I dunno pup, I think he has been, since he'd have to make this last 10 whole minutes." Kagome chimed in, a hand down the front of her panties. "But go ahead, flip that coin. I'm loving the show."

Koga raised his arm up and got ready to deliver a full on blow to Inuyasha's red and bruised back side when Inuyasha screamed, wet himself and JUST before the paddle could hit..

"Daddy pwease stop!" Came out of his mouth.

The paddle stopped though the force from it made the pup's red bubble butt ripple and Koga chuckled as Kagome huffed.

"Boooo!" She whined.

"Now now Kagome, a deal's a deal. Inuyasha, go and stand with your nose in the corner while we clean up and get your DIAPERS ready." Koga said, tugging Inuyasha up in his lap and trying not to melt as the sniffling and sobbing pup hugging him and nodded.. giving Koga a kiss on the cheek before going to the corner.

'If I didn't know any better I'd say someones getting a crush on me.' Koga thought, then him and Kagome started to take care of the clean up.

Nose in the corner and his butt on fire, Inuyasha fought the urge to rub his cheeks since good boys took their lickings. he was confused as to why he had smooched Koga and tried to just play it off as caught up in the mood though as he waited for the ok to come out of the corner he caught himself almost sucking on his thumb three times.

Between the claw on his thumb and how sharp his fangs were he knew THAT wouldn't end well and just shifted from foot to foot.

"Don't tell me you need to use the potty before we diaper you up little guy? You already did two super piddles!" Kagome asked, clearly mistaking his fidgeting for a potty dance.

"N-No Sowwy.." Inuyasha called.

"Well if you wanna try and uh-oh before you go back in diapers, let us know." Koga said.

"Oh? your gonna be that nice?" Kagome asked.

"..Do you really want your room to smell like a poopie diaper?" Koga pointed out

"..Touche...Inuyasha go sit on the potty and try and boom boom!" Kagome ordered, a little too fast.

Inuyasha didn't really feel the need to go, but knew better then to argue and walked by, seeing them laying out the seven diapers and cutting slits in the front and back.

5 minutes later, after giving it a honest try and just pooting on the bowl, Inuyasha walked back in and looked at the massive diaper they had put together for him, apparently taking the time to glue the diapers together to make sure they wouldn't sag.

"Ready to go back into huggies pup?" Koga asked, smiling and grinning, kneeling by the diapers.

Kagome meanwhile was Naked and on the bed, tapping her fingers on the bed frame impatient to get her fun for the night.

"Do I really have a choice?" Inuyasha asked, poking his index fingers together.

it was odd, he was still aroused but for some reason, his wonderful piece of fuck meat was drooping now between his legs.

"heh, not really." Koga said.

"So hurry up! Someone us wanna get laid tonight!" Kagome whined, then glared as Inuyasha blew a raspberry at her. "Koga, spank him again."

"Wait what!?" Inuyasha yelped, and his hands went to his poor bruised backside.

"I don't think I'll have time to spank him and fuck you Kagome." Koga said, sweat dropping.

"finnne just hurry upppp!"She whined.

"Sheesh, are you sure she doesn't need a diaper too daddy?" Inuyasha asked, grinning impishly as he walked over and plopped down on the diapers, feeling like he'd sat on a thick pillow and stirring up some baby powder.

"Hey!" Kagome huffed, blushing.

"heh, Inuyasha, be good. Kagome, settle down." Koga said, shaking his head a little and then quickly got Inuyasha tapped up nice and snug in the diapers and kissed his forehead.

He also reached and grabbed a stuffed dog he'd taken from Souta's room and gave it to Inuyasha to hug and cuddle, then stood up and started to strip.

"Alright Inuyasha, I want you to pay attention and watch how a MAN fucks a woman. you might ONE day be able to please a lady, though I think it's more likely your sex life if gonna be getting spanked and diapered from now on." Koga said, and winked. "and from the look's of things, you don't mind."

Inuyasha went to argue that and then looked down, realizing he'd gotten hard from the mental image of never getting pussy again.

He could of said it was the attention, he could of claimed it was because he knew he was about to get a show..but what Inuyasha did instead was hug the stuffie to his chest and nod.

"Yes daddy."

Somehow seeing her boyfriend reduced to a oversized baby had Kagome hotter then she'd ever been, and as long as he didn't fill the back of the diapers she could see A LOT fun in the future with him in diapers and being cucked.

Of course the fact that Koga was thicker then Inuyasha and would hopefully last longer might of had something to do with it.

Laying on her back and spreading her legs, she looked up at Koga with loving eyed and coo'ed out a plea. "Take me~" feeling like this was some sort of romantic novel...and only to have Koga show apparently all demons could be stupid as he got a confused look on his face.

"Uh..But I thought you wanted to fuck..where am I taking you?" he asked.

"..Demon's..Just stick it in me already." She muttered, face palming.

"Humans.." he muttered and then thrusted into her in one fast motion and grinned as she barked.

As Koga went to work and Kagome found herself unable to speak, she did have enough brain power as she was fucked into bliss think about how many, just maybe.. she shouldn't of assumed she could handle a thicker cock with ease.

Half a hour later and Kagome was left a quivering mess on her bed, drooling and eyes glazed over. Koga had given up trying to keep track of the orgasms she'd had compared to his but knew in the long run of things he was technicality the loser of the night, trailing behind Inuyasha and Kagome with a mere 3.

Licking her clean to improve her chances of not getting knocked up (He wasn't one of those prunes who couldn't handle their own flavor) he covered her up and opened a window to help get the sex smell out of the room, then looked over at Inuyasha.

the half demon had conked out early on in the love making, after squirting in his diapers and the stuffie was thankfully out of his grip even if it was damp with drool from Inuyasha making out with it.

'Now what do I do with him?' Koga thought, rubbing his chin, though his still ready for action cock had a answer even as he got dressed.

He had a inkling that it would be nothing but a headache for Kagome and the pup if he left him here like this, curled up on the floor in his diapers.

'I suppose it's my fatherly 'duty' to just take him with me.' Koga thought, smirking as he slowly scooped up the half demon.

There was no shortage of fun he could have with something like this back home, and heck, wasn't he always getting pestered to settle down and raise a cub of his own?

Two birds one stone.

He thought about leaving a note to explain to Kagome that he was taking Inuyasha with him, but then recalled that the chances of her being able to read wolf tribe were slim to none and besides, she was a clever girl.

Slipping out the window as a car was pulling in the driveway, Koga vanished into well with Inuyasha, musing how he had showed up to be a bull, and left a daddy.

The end

[lennydaisy]

EPIPHANY // OUTER BANKS

The Outer Banks. Paradise on earth. Well, it is if you can afford it.

Figure 8, home of the portentous and intitled. So detached from reality that you'd have to use their private jets to bring them back down to the ground. If they're not lounging around on their secluded beaches in front of their White House sized mansions, then they're at the country club complaining that their ice-cold lemonade isn't ice-cold enough. We call them Kooks. Guess where I don't live?

Next up, The Cut, neutral habitat of, drum roll please ladies and gentleman... The Pogues. Lowest members of the food chain. You see, it's one island divided in two. You either have two houses or two jobs. I have two jobs and will still never be able to afford one house, let alone two, but that's life I guess. The Pogues are like those kids your parents tell you to stay away from when you visit the park. Well, now the park has stretched to all aspects of life warranting us to be unwanted and neglected which isn't such a bad thing, that just means we get to do whatever we want, whenever we want.

Right now, however, this is the last place I want to be. Save-A-Lot. One of my two jobs. See how this all ties in?

The continuous, subtly, beeping of the scanner, the bright overhead lights that the same moth has been flying into for a week now, that one cart that you can hear before you see, and this frustratingly itchy, red polo shirt that I'm wearing because it's 'oh-so mandatory'.

It's been reported that a storm is going to hit us in a couple of days, so naturally, the stores been busier than usual, with both Kooks and Pogues. It's like sacred land, all differences get put aside in this very store unless there's a two for one deal at the seafood counter. In that case, no one's safe, not even me, the poor, little employee. I've been slapped with a Tuna Fish before. I don't want to talk about it.

"Can I interest you in some... What are they again? Sea salted chocolate with a crushed Macadamia nut shell and a rich creamy filling, homemade by Mrs Adams?" I squint at the packaging before smiling at the man before me who peered at me, head tilted slightly. Nodding instantly, already knowing the answer, "I don't blame you, I wouldn't trust anything made by that lady."

Smashing my fingers on the scratch invested, touch screen register, slapping the side of the machine until it eventually rings up the total, "That'll be $148.98 however, you get the extended family discount, so that makes it..." twirling my finger around the air, attempting the mental math, "10% off $148," I utter, closing my eyes as if that's going to help me find the answer quicker. 'I knew I should have joined the math team with Pope.'

"$134," the man affirms looking at me sympathetically, halting my search for my calculator that is normally taped to the till. I take the mans money, squinting at him, "Okay, I'll take your word for it man but if I get fired, I want a job at The Wreck," handing him his receipt.

"We'll see," he said putting his packed bags back into his cart, "I'll get through to you one day. You can't deny I'm your favourite" I state in a matter of fact, waving him off as he pushes his cart away from the checkout, "Bye Mason."

"I don't hear you denying it," I shout, watching him hurridly pushing his cart towards the door, "Okay bye Mr Carrera, tell Kie I said hi!"

Twirling around in my chair a couple of times, I came to a stop at the sight of a pink calculator, my pink calculator, taped to Mrs Adams till. That Bitch. I sit patiently for her to be done with her customers, waving at the elderly couple as they pass, "See you later Mr and Mrs Graham, have a nice day," I smile.

"Oh you too Mason, you should stop by again, you and your friends were such a delight the last time," Mrs Graham praises tapping her ringed fingers on my counter. Nodding at her request as her husband began to drag her away from me, claiming he 'Wants to be home today not tomorrow,' knowing his wife to be quite the blether.

"What a pleasant young lady. Wouldn't you agree, Marty?"

"Oh yes, very well mannered."

"Listen here, sticky fingers, I know you stole my calculator" My smile instantly dropping as I look upon the thief that I have the pleasure of calling my co-worker.

Mrs Adams is your typical grandma. Tonged hair, thick-rimmed glasses and filled with opinions that are always unwarranted. She has had it out for as long as I can remember, once locking me in the walk-in freezer claiming to not know I was in there despite being in there with me moments before. At least I only have to deal with her a few days a week, I couldn't handle any more than that.

"What calculator?" she questions innocently. Pointing my finger accusingly at her till where low and behold, sits my calculator, "Oh really, what's that then?"

Sparing a glance at my calculator, she shakes her head, nose pointed up, "That's an anniversary gift from my husband. I, by no means, stole your calculator."

I can't believe I'm having this conversation.

Laughing at her alibi, "Are you aware of how much bullsh-", the clearing of a throat interrupts my tangent and I suddenly became aware of where I am again. Mrs Adams raises her eyebrows at me, is she mocking me? Glaring at her one last time as to say 'this conversation isn't over', I timidly spun my chair back around, plastering a smile on my face, getting ready to greet my next customer.

Oh no.

"Hi, Mr Cameron," I greet the man, scratching behind my ear hoping he didn't overhear me. Beginning to scan his items, another figure catches my eye.

Rafe.

Here, ladies and gentlemen, I present the biggest dickhead on the entire island. He thinks everybody owes him something just because his daddy is well known throughout the OBX and has no problem expressing his distaste for anyone who doesn't fit his agenda. He's a cocky, arrogant snob who needs to be knocked off his podium a few inches, or feet.

"Hello, Mason, and how many times have I told you to call me Ward?"

"Clearly not enough for me to listen," I mutter under my breath, passing the already packed bags towards a very accepting Rafe, who snatched them with a scrawl printed on his face, "Your face will stay like that if the winds change" I advise innocently, waving my fingers around my forehead area, "Don't want to get any wrinkles, but if you need some anti-ageing cream, I'm sure Mrs Adams can recommend a few of her favourites,"

"Maybe even get you a coupon," I suggest finishing to scan the last of their items, "Isn't that right, Mrs Adams," I called to the lady over my shoulder how instantly peeped up at the chance to chat with the boy.

"Oh, yes. Come here deary, I'll show you my collection,"

It's no secret throughout the OBX that Mrs Adams is a bit of a renowned cougar, having no problem expressing herself towards any sort of male attention. Mrs Adam doesn't discriminate, so even assholes like Rafe can't escape the clutches of her fondness, but she's harmless... most of the time.

Ward nudges his son in the direction of the lady, who is eagerly waiting for the boy with her creams placed in an orderly fashion before her. Rafe's eyes practically begging for his dad to have some mercy on him only to earn a point in her direction.

"I hate you," he huffs at me, feet dragging towards the ladies till.

Fluttering my eyes with a cheesy smile, "I know," I say before turning to finish Mr Cameron's groceries.

"That's $236 please," I state ringing up his total as he slides his card into the swipe machine, "It'll take a minute, a caveman has better technology than this place." He shakes his head at me, waving his hand slightly, understanding.

"Sea salted chocolate, uh?" he wonders picking up the bar, as I mentally slap myself for forgetting to ask if he was interested, "Would you like to buy one?" I questioned despite already knowing his answer. It's the same one that I've heard all day.

Placing the packet back in its place he shakes his head, "No thank you, I wouldn't trust anything made by that lady."

"That's what I'm saying," ripping off his receipt before handing it to him, "Thank you, Mason," he laughs before turning towards his son, who is still listening to Mrs Adams ramble on about why she prefers Olay over Caudlíne.

About to bid farewell to the man, he turns and asks, "I hate to be a bother and I know it's short notice, but would you mind babysitting Wheezie for me on Saturday morning, I know you don't normally work weekends, it's just this storm's going to cause a run-in with my properties and-"

"Of course I will, Mr Cameron," I interrupted his ramble. He looks at me relieved, nodding his head, "See you later, Mason."

"Bye Ward," gross, I'm sticking with Mr Cameron.

Watching as the pair walk past my till I can't help but laugh as I see Rafe slouching away with a tub of Olay Anti-ageing cream. Turning around at the sound, he flips me off, "I'll get you back for this," earning a shoving on the shoulder from his dad, but I can't help but wave cheerily, "Oh, I'm sure you will."

Mr Ward Cameron, my other boss. A few years ago I put up flyers with a tear-off of my phone number offering a babysitting service. Safe to say, I got my fair share of prank calls and when I got a call from someone claiming to be Mr Cameron I assumed it was someone messing with me again, but it turns out it wasn't. He genuinely needed someone to watch his youngest daughter Wheezie and I needed cash, and he does pay generously, especially now considering recent circumstances.

Glancing at the clock that is nailed above the exit I see that it's 2:00 P.M, the best time of my day, getting out of here. Grabbing the key from my pocket, I lock up the till before heading toward the poor excuse of a staff room.

Glancing around the room blue painted room, making sure no one is still on their lunch, I quickly grab my bag and dash over to the fridge. I never, and mean never, condone stealing, that's why I don't call it that. I prefer 'borrowing and then 'forgetting' to give it back'. Sure, I never asked if I could 'borrow' the alcohol that I am currently stuffing in my bag but, that's neither here nor there.

I throw my bag, which I can already tell is going to cause my back hell, over my shoulder. I grab Kie longboard, which I did ask for permission to use, and begin to make my way past the checkouts.

Before leaving, I pivot around, "Hey, Mrs Adams," I called out just to see that she was already glaring in my direction, a bit creepy if you ask me, "Don't worry, you've only got like what, another 6 hours?" acting like I didn't know as I pointed at the clock.

"Oh, and before I forget," I rush over to her counter and rip my calculator off her till. Smiling sweetly at the older lady, saluting her as I leave, "See you next week, Mrs Adams," I laugh, running out the door, jumping onto the longboard.

Let the fun begin.

Now there is something about my friends that you should know. As cheesy as its sounds, we're a group of misfits who happen to fit perfectly together, well almost perfectly, but no matter what we've got each other backs.

Now, where do we start?

JJ Maybank. We've been best friends since the third grade after he got into a fight with some kids who were making fun of me for having a 'boys name', and I haven't been able to get rid of him since. He's the guy who jokingly pushed me off the HMS Pogue only to quickly find out that I couldn't swim. I insisted that it was fine but JJ doesn't take no for an answer and took it upon himself to personally teach me.

He's the most loyal guy I know, willing to drop anything to help his friends. I most definitely developed my kleptomaniac tendencies from him and despite how much I deny it, I have a soft spot for him.

Next, Kiara Carrera or Kie, my best and only girl friend. I met Kie during her first year at the Kook Academy, I had seen her around before, passing out leaflets about how 'we're killing our planet' and that 'the turtles deserve better'.

I was about to go fishing with my dad when I saw someone sitting at the dock, feet dangling in the water. Long story short: she was supposed to meet up with some of her 'friends' but they had sailed away leaving her behind. So, I asked if she would like to come fishing with us, half expecting her to say no, being partly a Kook and all, but she said yes. And now she's one of us, the Pogues. Not sure how her parents feel about that, but there is no denying I'm their favourite. Right?

There's Pope Heyward. I met Pope in the first grade. We were sitting beside each other at assembly and he dared to tell me that my singing voice sounded like cats dying, not that he was any better mind you. I had seen him around the cut a few times, helping his dad with deliveries and after seeing him struggle to carry four bags of groceries, I offered him some help. Of course, being a stubborn 6-year old boy, he delined saying 'I don't need your help, I'm super strong'. Safe to say, two seconds later I was carrying two bags and helped Pope and Mr Heyward with the rest of the deliveries that day.

I got an earful from my dad when I got home, but I didn't care, I'd made a friend that wasn't my brother. They didn't believe me when I said I had a friend called Pope, just brushing it off as one of my imaginary friends. Let's just say they got a fright when my 'imaginary friend, Pope' showed up at the Château.

Speaking of, up next, John Booker Routledge, John B. My twin, fraternal twin. Is 12 minutes older than me and will never let me forget it. My favourite memory with John B was when he fought to the death with our triplet in the womb. Okay, maybe that didn't happen, but you weren't there so, where's your evidence that it didn't?

He's my other half, not my better half because we all know I'm the better twin, and I couldn't live with him and his optimism. He can be irrational at times, but he always has plan A-Z mapped out in his head. I'm currently trying to convince him that we psychic powers, and by currently I'm mean from the day we were born. It's a weird sensation like there's a pit in the bottom of my stomach, and once I get that feeling I know that something's not right. And with a brother like John B, I get that feeling at least 3 times a day.

Might as well introduce myself whilst I'm at it. I'm Mason, Mason Routledge. The better twin. Yes, I too, have a middle name but I will never tell it to anyone because of how utterly embarrassing it is. I have managed to swear John B to secrecy, but I know it's just a matter of time before he blurts it out.

Now I know what you're probably thinking, 'Mason? That's a boys name.' Well yes, you'd be right but really what is a boys or girls name? The reason why I'm called Mason is simple, mom and dad were expecting twins. Twin boys. They had the names planned out as soon as they heard the news. One would be named John B after our dad, Big John, and the other would be named Mason, after our mom's dad. Makes sense, right?. Well, it was until I popped out, y' know not being a boy. But I love my name and I wouldn't change it for the world. My unspoken middle name, however, yes, I would rather that just not be associated with me.

I like to believe that I can hold my own, maybe it's because I grow up in a predominantly male household or the fact that I'm a Pogue, but I don't take peoples shit. My friends and I seem to always have the world against us, but without a doubt, I'd ride or die for them. They're my family.

Seeing the all too familiar hippie van parked at the side off the road brings me out of my autopilot state. Jumping off the longboard, I hurriedly shoved it into the back of the van. Fun fact about John B's van, he never locks it. There would be the fear about someone stealing it, but honestly, it's trashed and smells like weed, no thanks to JJ.

Quickly scaling the fence and as quietly as possible I tip-toed into the under-construction house and up the cement stairs, dodging the dangling wires and leftover pots of plaster.

'I can't believe they got rid of the turtles for this'

I'd know that voice anywhere. Peering around the corner, I spot Kie, hunched over a table reading what I'm assuming is maps for the house. Coming up with an idea, I slowly start to creep towards her, raising my hands just to clasp them down on her shoulders, "And what do you think you're doing?" I say in the deepest voice I can muster.

Jumping out her skin with a squeal, she spins around, hand over her heart, breathing heavily, "Macy, what the fuck? Don't do that," she exclaims, slapping my arm after she realises it was only me.

Unable to stop myself from laughing at her shock, "God, Kie, didn't know you had such a girly scream," I wheeze, arms wrapped around my stomach in an attempt to stop the ache.

Nodding her head pettily, "Yeah okay, you got me," clicking her tongue, but against her best efforts, a small smile dances across her face.

Taking a few deep breaths to calm my giggles, "Once you're done with sad girl hours, come out back, I've got beer," making my way towards the open glass doors.

"Caring about the turtles doesn't make me a sad girl," she exclaims as I nod my head understandingly, "You keep telling yourself that," I wave stepping outside, breathing in the fresh ocean breeze.

From under the scaffolding, I see a pair of dangling legs, "Afternoon, boys," I announce, jumping up in an attempt to smack the dangling feet that I now know belong to JJ

"Did you get the goods?" asks John B causing me to hold my hand on my heart, mocking insult, "Do you have no faith in me Johnny boy," tosing him a beer, "Of course, I got the goods."

Holding one out for Pope, even though I knew he would decline, proving my point as he shook his head, "And where did you get said goods?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

Grabbing two beers, I begin to climb up the scaffolding, plopping down next to JJ, handing him a beer which he greatly excepts, "Are you question my morals?" I ask, taking a big gulp of my beer instantly wincing at the lukewarm taste.

"No, no," I hear him say, turning around, occupying himself with the builder's tools.

It a pretty view from up here. The calm crashing of the waves. The way the cold ocean and the warm sky meet for a perfect kiss on the horizon. Imagine living here. Having no worries. Being full Kook.

Glancing at the boy beside me, I see that he was already looking at me. Lifting my eyebrows in question, "You look cute," he cheekily says, picking at the loose thread on my sleeve.

"Very funny JJ," I saying, looking back out at the water, "No, I'm serious. I love a woman in uniform," nudging his shoulder into mine and I nudge him right back, "Hey," he laughs, dramatically falling to his side, "Watch the sweet nectar," holding his can of beer dearly to his chest.

Shaking my head, I turn to see John B scaling the house, jumping up to the peak of the roof, "Hey, please be careful, Johnny B, we don't earn enough to cover a medical bill," I warn sitting my beer beside me, using my hands to block the blinding sun, staring questionably at the boy.

"Oh, but you'd catch me though, right?" he says, now taunting the idea of falling, balancing on one foot with outstretched arms, "And break your fall? Nope," I popped, reach over to grab my can only to grasp the air. Looking at where I know I placed it, my confusion vanishes when I hear the sounds of slurping beside me.

Blinking at the boy, who just peers back at me after tanning my can, crushing it, and letting out a pleasant burp which he so graciously blows in my direction, "Gross, JJ," attempting to swat away the smell. The boy just shrugs, "What were you not done with that?" faux concern covering his face but his eyes glistening with knowing mischief.

"Should I do it?"

"Yeah, jump. I'll shoot you on the way down," says Pope, aim a drill in my brother's direction, "You'll shoot me?" John B taunts, holding up a finger gun, "Pow," he laughs as Pope fall back onto the table pretending to be shot.

"They're going to have Japanese toilets with towel warmers," complains Kie, slugging her way onto the balcony, voicing her distaste for the future Kook's beach house.

"Didn't I tell you to come out when you were done being sad?", I direct, leaning my chin against the cold pole, feeling on top of the world as the fresh breeze blows through my hair.

That swiftly changes when Kie dashes towards my feet, tugging the laces on my converses loose as I hastily attempt to lift my feet away from her snapping fingers, "Go away!" I exclaim hugging my legs to my chest, tusking at her antics "God, you're annoying."

My comment doesn't affect her as she blows me a kiss which I can't help but catch, holding it to my heart sending a wink in her direction, "This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtle I guess?"

"Well, I did, but since you've-" I start, but the feeling of my shoe gets tighter distracts me, "...What are you doing?" I question as JJ finishes up my shoes, "You should double knot your laces," he comments, tapping his fingers in a random beat on the toe of my shoes.

Lightly, I begin to flick his hand away only for him to grab my wrist, fiddling with the silver ladybug charm on my bracelet, "Can I have this?" He has asked me this multiple times in the past and the answer has always been the same, "No."

"Can you please not kill yourself?" Kie squints up at my brother, "And don't spill that beer, you're not getting another one," JJ adds just as a sudden gust of wind brushed past causing John B to lose his balance and drop his beer.

Jinx.

"Oh, shit. No!" cries John B, making grabby hands at his fallen beer.

"Of course you did, like right when I told you."

"Smooth."

"Well done, dumbass!"

"Hey!"

The sound of a car pull up to the driveway halts our attack on John B, yelling being heard, "Hey, uh, securities here. Let's wrap it up," confirms Pope, making JJ and I raise to our feet as John B slides off the roof, "Boys are here early today."

Rushing over to grab my bag once my feet are back on the balcony, I lean over the railing squinting, "Gary? Is that you?" I asked, "You know it's me, Mason."

Turning around to look at friends, "It's Gary guys," I smile, "Gary, good to see you, man!" JJ adds and quickly pulls the back of my bag when he sees Gary climb up the stairs, "JJ!"

"You two, are asking for it," Kie laughs as we all rush back through the house, all of us laughing and cheering, running down the stairs, "Go, go!" I giggled as I Gary's attempts to grab me but I duck under his swinging arms, running out to the garden.

"Not much of a hugger man," JJs joke echoing off the empty wall of the house.

Running up beside Pope, I urge him up over the fence, "Come on, Pope, go, go, go," landing on the other side, watching as he lands flat on his face, "Graceful as always Pope," I giggle pulling him back on his feet.

"Come on Pope, Fatso's coming" JJ encourages, suddenly landing beside us just barely missing the hot-headed security who is dangling over the fence, "Come here, you little pricks!"

"Bus is leaving," John B pulls up the van honking the horn, Kie opening the door for us, laughing as we shove each other in. John B wastes no time hitting the gas, driving away from the angry security.

"Check out Gary, gunnin' for a raise," Pope laughs as we watch a hopeless Gary chase after the van.

Having an idea, JJ unzips my bag and leans out of the open door, "Come on Gary," he taunts, waving the beer can in front of the man like you would a dog with a treat.

"You're going to give him a heart attack," Kie sympathises but still finds his actions amusing, "You're so close! You can do it. There you go," he tosses the can at the poor man who attempts to dodge it.

"God, they don't pay you enough, man" I laugh peering out the door, taking in the sight of Gray who is wheezing with his hands planted on his knees.

Seeing enough torture for one day, Kie tugs us back in, "That's enough," she says finally feeling sorry for the poor man, sliding the door close.

"Oh, come on. That sort of initiative is just begging to be punished," reasons JJ, plopping down in the back of the van, now finding interest fiddling with the blunt he pulled from his back pocket.

I lean my head on Kie's shoulder and sigh, "I love Gary," I confess, earning a flick on the head from Pope and a nudge on the leg from JJ

We're the Pogues, and our mission this summer is to have a good time, all the time.

Prologue: FIN!

What did you think?

I’m really excited to explore Mason’s character and her adventures with the Pogues. I have so much planned for her.

I hope you enjoyed this introduction <3

[bbq-hawks-wings]

Chapter 267 Review

So, there's a lot to get into this chapter that has absolutely nothing to do with Hawks but still has me

But we'll get to that, so let's go over the main plot, new/confirmed insights into Hawks' character/background, and finally insights into Dabi.

Main Plot

Key Observations:

Shiguraki's (not the PLF's) assets have been mobilized - Nomu, Gigantomachia, etc.

I point out Gigantomachia in particular because of the focus on his radio meaning that whoever gave him and the Nomu orders to mobilize:

Is Shigaraki himself

Is All-For-One

Or is someone with equivalent authority given by one of them.

I believe it's Shigaraki himself, but we'll find out soon.

Endeavor and Tokoyami swoop in the save the day for Hawks and Mirko.

I'm getting Tokoyami ice cream after this. Heck, might even take him to Disneyland he's earned it!!! We got confirmation that he and Hawks had started hanging out one-on-one during his internships (presumably after convincing Hawks to actually take him seriously) and do have a solid connection. This makes me very happy. Hawks does have someone he can genuinely call his friend - and in this time Tokoyami is possibly one of the best people he could have by his side, though not because of his prowess or whatever. I believe there's a strong thread in the overall plot of the next generation saving their predecessors, and Tokoyami specifically coming to Hawks' aid continues to confirm that. I have more speculations but will keep them to myself unless others specifically want to hear them.

Twice likely is dead. I have opinions circling this, but none of it will do much good until I see this conflict finished or have more, very specific information.

We'll get to this when we get to Dabi, but I can't help but wonder if Dabi hadn't ambushed Hawks if Jin would still be alive. On his own, Hawks didn't need to kill Jin to keep him at bay; but the moment Dabi entered the picture Hawks had a choice to make and locked it in. Toga has also had a fake-out death to miraculously come back, but I think it's safe to assume the worst for Jin. I really wish it didn't happen, but tactically I understand why it did.

Insights into Hawks

I would both die and kill for baby Keigo without hesitation.

Just look at him!

Protecc at all costs!!! Oh, he's so precious! But this brings me to my next point.

Hawks has been trained to be a hero who wins when the focus should have been on a hero who saves.

This one I don't necessarily blame Hawks himself for. Over and over and over and over again Hawks has shown to be a person who not only tries to save as great a majority as possible, but to stack the odds as high as he can in his favor to include as many as possible. He seeks to minimize suffering though he knows he can't save everyone. His focus is people in need first and going head to head with villains second. Which brings me to point #2.

His views on a future where heroes can breathe.

This is not rooted in a desire to not work, and I'd dare say not even to escape the Commission. He wants a place where people feel at peace. Tying in with the anime, it added details/sentiments that weren't mentioned or specified in the manga such as calling out Stain by name. We know he's been watching public opinion and sentiments surrounding heroes for a long time, and it doesn't seem like he swings to the extreme of abolishing heroes completely; but he does seem to agree the people need a symbol of peace - a paragon - to aspire to and emulate. He also seems to believe that this symbol should be able to inspire others given his even-clearer indication in the latest anime episode that Endeavor was his personal inspiration and now this flashback in the manga.

This seems to be directly in opposition to Dabi and what we now know about him.

Insights into Dabi

Let's start with his views of Stain - assuming he's a Todoroki (are you kidding me, Horikoshi?! A blacked out speech bubble?!?!?!?) - it would make a lot of sense how he would latch onto this figure who sought out personally punishing "fake heroes" with death. Endeavor has put through his family through enough suffering that most people who heard about it would consider death a merciful punishment. The lasting effects left over from the decades of abuse have left deep scars on each and every last member of the family. It also makes sense why he personally would not count All Might as a hero where Stain did because the abuse he suffered was an indirect result of All Might's prominence.

Considering how hard Endeavor pushed Dabi I would not be surprised if the inability to cry is not only a literal, physical scar of abuse; but potentially symbolic of another intangible inability to properly express, process, and relieve negative emotion:

Antisocial Personality Disorder.

This is a SERIOUS claim to make, so please understand I don't make it lightly; and I genuinely hope to be wrong because it doesn't bode well for anyone in Dabi's immediate social circle - especially the most vulnerable members of the League of Villains.

I need to be very clear, APD is not an "all or nothing" condition, and those who suffer from it can feel empathy and remorse to varying degrees depending on the individual. It's possible he may have had some kind of personal connection with members of the League, but his specific word choice is troubling. Compound this with the fact that he exhibits most of the major symptoms, has a history that puts him significantly at risk, and his current living/social condition aggravates his condition and complicates his ability to get treatment; and it makes at least a compelling argument. I can't be the first person to theorize this about Dabi, but this was the final piece of evidence that secured it as likely to be canon in my own mind.

I say this not to paint him as pure evil - in fact, he's still very much a victim of his father's abuse who desperately needs help - but to say that it makes it significantly harder to save him or rehabilitate him. I also want to bring up that it may make Twice's demise even more tragic and frame it in a new light that makes things worse.

If Dabi truly does not care about Jin as a person, there's a solid chance he did not climb those stairs to protect Jin but to get revenge on Keigo. Dabi could have been argued to be clever and managing his resources by opening fire on Hawks and Jin with the assumption Hawks would save him; but if he does have APD it's more likely he was acting impulsively and without regard to Jin's safety - that Jin remaining unburnt was a happy afterthought.

This is my biggest takeaway from this chapter and is both troubling and tragic if it's true. Those emotionally vulnerable members of the League like Spinner and Toga (who just watched her best friend die in her arms) are at risk of being manipulated up to and including giving up their lives just like Jin in the sake of Dabi single-mindedly getting his own revenge. I've said the League is fractured at its roots, but this is a much worse way of it falling apart of that's indeed the way we're going.

Jin likely would still be okay if Dabi had not stepped in. Hawks would have been able to restrain him and keep him from using his quirk without needing to resort to deadly force. Once Dabi entered the picture he not only put Hawks in a more desperate situation to actually need deadly force but emboldened Jin to keep fighting - and like a self-fulling prophecy neither side gave up until one of them died. At least for me now, there's a sense of empty loss and helplessness in it.

Nobody gets a gold star. Nobody deserves a pat on the back. This is the vicious wheel turning and hurting over and over again until it eventually crumbles under its own weight. We see seeds of hope in the reinforcements coming to aid in hours of need (like heroes should), but we're going to have to wait until next week to see the fallout.

I'm still open to talking about the chapter in asks if anyone is up for it, but I think this is probably the best I have to offer in a single post minus the fact that Keigo likely knows that Touya Todoroki did exist and is presumed dead. He can put the pieces together and it will be bitter when Endeavor eventually rejoins the main fray.

[pheita]

Mourn me, for whoever, I'm in the mood for some sadness.

Hi @poore-choice-of-words

I should be annoyed by you, you made me cry while writing this. So here some sadness for you One of the things Sojan would never get used to was how many friends he had to bury. Sure, he knew that as a demon he had the longest lifespan of anyone, but still it always came as a slap in the face. Shununda had just become the shaman of Lagawood when he had chosen the city as his new home. That had been nearly seventy years ago now. For a human, she had grown old, damn old even at her nineties. As tradition demanded, her body was burned and Sabill, who had succeeded her years ago, had to light the fire. He felt Lyran and Niat take his hands and squeeze them gently, so he knew they were there. Lyran had agreed to accompany the chants for the transition and Sojan didn't know how he managed it. A glance around showed him the entire village that had come to accompany Shununda on her final journey. After Sabill began to sing, the villagers gradually joined in. A chorus of hundreds of voices called upon the realm of souls to receive the soul with favor and to be merciful to it. Slowly, Sojan walked backwards. Niat, to his surprise, followed him, and soon they found themselves at the wheel of the crowd. She put an arm around him as best she could and leaned against him. "I know she meant a lot to you." "She did." Sojan snorted in amusement. "You could say she was kind of like family. The aunt you kind of like, but also fear." Niat just smirked. "I know." She wiped the tears from her face that he hadn't realized had fallen. Sojan was too busy not thinking about all the other people in his life he had already lost.

[new-moon-over-septarsis]

@festivefraud

Toffee backed up. Those eyes, that voice, that glow, was nothing to underestimate. A storm of trouble and mayhem for anyone pushing a magic wielder in the wrong direction. He looked around. The panels were dropping faster and faster. Soon they wouldn't have any floor left to stand on. He would've tried to destroy the Box, but he couldn't reach it. And even if he could, what then? They were inside it, both inside and outside the game itself. They were at its mercy.

"I don't care about magic, and the Box doesn't care if you're trying to protect me, it'll only stop if you're honest! You just have to tell the truth! That's all it wants! That's all I want! Where is she?"

Toffee's knuckles whitened, and the drawn-out growl he was suppressing got louder and more high-pitched. There was nothing he could do. His stubbornness would get them both killed if he didn't act now.

"Fine! You don't care about magic? Well good, because that's where she is!! She's in the Realm of Magic! Happy?"

"Truth!"

In the span of a thought's breath and in a giant puff of smoke, they were back in Toffee's home in Septarsis. No lava, no fire, no game. The Box glowed a calm, pleasant blue again, and floated back down between Toffee and Festivia.

"And with that, I take my leave. Farewell! And, uh, good luck on all your family issu-"

"Not so fast." Toffee snatched the Box out of the air. "You started this. You may as well help me out. Show her exactly what she wants to see."

He wasn't sure what he intended it to do or how, but the Box seemed to agree, and opened a panel on its front side to project a hologram. It revealed Juno, and an inaccurate but convenient enough depiction of the night she gave away Festivia, complete with Toffee in a crystal and the Shastacan and Hekapoo taking her away. He shook in frustration having to relive this, but if Festivia wanted the truth, she would get the whole painful truth.

He exhaled. "Listen. Your mother's mind was already breaking down from the Solarian curse. But losing you pushed her over the edge."

The hologram showed Juno in bed clutching at her head as though it'd explode, gritting her teeth and muttering to herself. It showed Toffee in the other room, hunched over and unmoving, unable to comfort her. Then Juno started to walk out the door, stumbling in a daze toward a Well of Magic. It showed the Realm of Magic, and Juno running off in the golden waters and smiling, having forgotten her worries.

"She ran off to the nearest well of magic, just like the unicorns call me to do every night. Each dimension has a well, and each well leads to the source: the Realm of Magic. This realm, though, has a curse of its own. A hypnotic spell that lures people in with promises of fun and riches and untold strength until they forget who they are and who they care about. The longer you're there, the more you forget. Juno decided the only way to stop the voices in her head was to go back to that place and forget she ever had a heart to break."

Toffee handed the Box back to Festivia, growled, "Take it or I break it. And if you ever bring another magical item anywhere near me again, there will be consequences: queen or not."

new-moon-over-septarsis‌:

@festivefraud

One by one, the floor panels sank like stones into the thin lava, each one sending up a pillar of fire as it burned. One such pillar singed Toffee’s shoulder. He gasped. Suddenly…

A bonfire. He was back in front of that damned bonfire again. Even away from the clearing, hiding behind a tree, its pulsing heat was near unbearable. It reaked of death and decay, though for some ungodly reason that meant nothing to Solaria and her soldiers as they danced around it like mad cultists.

SNAP OUT OF IT!

Toffee sank his teeth into his hand to snap himself back to reality. He tried to control his rapid breathing, the pounding of his heart, the grotesque images flashing back through his mind. He grabbed the sides of his head and gulped.

“Festivia, please make it stop…”

“Rules are rules, Toffee! If the Box says you lied, it doesn’t care about why… Besides, I think I deserve to know! You can’t keep it from me forever.”

Toffee snapped his head toward her. He lowered his hands into fists. “I have to!” he hollered. “If you go looking for Juno, you’ll suffer the same fate she did! I lost her to the magic; that’s what got us into this mess in the first place. It’s what seems to start all our problems. I can’t lose you to the magic, too!”

She did gasp and start towards him to see if he was okay after he was burned, but another pillar of lava stopped her short in her tracks. And another when she tried stepping back against the wall. She managed to slip into an unoccupied space but that was fleeting.

“I can’t, don’t you understand? I couldn’t stop it even if I had my wand and even the Commission altogether couldn’t stop it!”

Her voice started to raise to a shout and even whether she was aware of it or not, her emotions were getting the better of her and her cheek marks and eyes were starting to glow.

“I don’t care about magic and the Box doesn’t care if you’re trying to protect me, it’ll only stop if you’re honest! You just have to tell the truth. That’s all it wants, that’s all I want. Where is she?”

[chaos-event-horizon]

Do you write anything angsty regarding V!Toshi?

I sure as heck do, anonny.

Have this bit I wrote as a prologue to another new thing I'm writing but am definitely too scared to publish! Putting it under a cut because it uhhhhhhhh certainly mentions some angsty death things. Enjoy though!

"It's Raining Somewhere Else"

~

Again.

Again.

Again.

Yet no matter how many times he tried, something horrible seemed to happen.

With every iteration, death or decay seemed to follow.

It was driving him mad.

This time, he really might have gone mad.

It was always only after the death of Rian that Toshinori Yagi would regain all his memories from past lives. Only after seeing the light leave the young man's precious eyes. Only after the realization that his one and genuine true love had left this world forever… and so he must find a new world to live in, instead.

"I really have gone mad," the bulky villain said, staring up at the moon, who was currently the only thing for miles that could possibly hear his words.

Where had things gone wrong this time? They had been happy, damnit! Living in that apartment above the bar where Rian worked, which acted as a hub and haven for the denizens of the city’s criminal underworld. They’d just… been living. Working. Thriving. Making friends and teaching Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki how to be their best selves. He hadn’t even done anything necessarily villainous in weeks! It all started when that damned new guy, some purse-snatching dumbass, had tried to tail the Todoroki kid and gotten caught by Endeavor. The coward spilled everything he knew. Endeavor’d put his son on lockdown before he had the chance to warn anyone, while the hero had led a raid on the bar...

Rian, that beautiful, stupid, goddamn idiot had made a decision to deflect Endeavor's fire away from All Might himself… and wasn't prepared for the second blast as it struck him, and left him burned to…

Well...

Ashes would have been kinder.

And what other option did All Might, the Symbol of Chaos, have after watching his poor pet and dear love die in such a way? None. None of the heroes and degenerate fools that claimed to serve him deserved to live. Not after that. And so Toshinori had simply obliterated the city.

"I said that I would take down this disgusting, corrupt society with All of My Might, but part of me always held back… I guess I needed this one final push, huh, Rian?"

The moon didn't answer. No one did.

The tired man sighed, leaning back against a pile of rubble. This should never have happened. If he'd been faster. If he'd been less arrogant. If he'd been less merciful… or perhaps a little more. If he’d paid more attention to all of his little visions and moments of Deja Vu, perhaps… they would have told him something to stop this disaster.

"If I could see you, even just one more time… I wonder what you'd say? You’d probably be mad at all the wanton destruction… Or, maybe you’d agree that they all deserved it. I wish I could find out. But I guess that's just…"

Impossible.

He flew to his feet, staggering as he watched with amazement and wonder as one of Rian's precious portals appeared before him. But… different. Thicker. Darker. A swirling mass of darkness and stars just wide enough for him to squeeze through. Just wide enough for him to give this one more try.

"Is this my curse, or your blessing?" All Might asked the moon, "If I go… will you really be there, again? In this new world, will I actually get another chance?"

Silence.

He smiled tiredly, walking towards the new door. "Maybe this time… I'll be a hero, again, instead of a villain… I bet you'd like that, Rian. I bet you'd love to see a world where we can stand together in the sun… where you can smile… you always look better when you can smile."

Silence, still, though now being drowned out. The sound of rain breaking through the white noise of that rip in reality.

Rain. Rain might feel good. Might even help wash the blood off.

"Okay. Once more, with feeling…"

He stepped through, and smiled as his pain and memory began to fade again, washed away by warm summer rain.