#I wrote this story long ago

[starryqueen-18]

Kitty Catastrophe (Featuring Ryoma Hoshi)

Quick notes: (This story is was written long ago.) this is a written version of the story I think. I wrote the story already in my book, I'm not sure about the picture version plus I kinda wanted to make this story. Do you guys know about the storybook cover of Ryoma? yeah that, so if it's ok please enjoy the written version instead.) anyways, enjoy the lovely story! ^w^

Ryoma Hoshi the Ultimate Tennis Pro was in his room feeling a bit sad, you see he's been very lonely since he got into the Academy, even though he spent some time with his friends he still feels alone in his dorm. One day Monokuma put up an announcement, "Ahem! Attention Students!" said the bear, "This is your headmaster Monokuma speaking, please report to the school store for a special surprise."

After the announcement the 16 students walked to the halls as curiosity filled their heads, "what surprise could it be?" the students thought of the surprise until they made it to the school store, there was a building the students never seen before, suddenly Monokuma appeared with a greeting attitude "phuhuhu!" the bear laughed "welcome students" he said "uh, Monokuma, what is that building?" Kaede asked as she pointed to the building with closed windows. "Oh this building? Just a little something I thought I'd bring on the special occasion." Monokuma said with a smile and continued. "Students allow me to present to you..." As Monokuma pushed the button, the curtains of the windows opened. The students looked in surprise after the curtains revealed something amazing, it's a pet store.

"Welcome to the pet store!" Monokuma announced, the pet store has lots of animals: fishes that swim around the tank, the barking sound of the dogs, birds that fly high in their cages and sing in their melody tune and best of all, cats! Cats are Ryoma's favorite animal, the perfect pet for him. As Monokuma opened those pet store doors, the students headed inside.

There are pets everywhere, from the parrots and cockatoos to the rabbits and guinea pigs, everyone was petting and looking around the new pet store. Ryoma wanders around the isle full of cages on each side, inside these cute cages lies small meowing noises, when Ryoma looks closer to the cage he sees something, a kitty cat! All the cages are filled with cats, some are big and small, some are thin and some are round. Ryoma looked around in awe as he continue forward down while looking at the cute cats, soon he reached a cage, quite blue unlike other grey cages, Ryoma looked in the blue cage until he sees a blue cat and not just any cat, this cat has blue fur with dark blue spots, one on it's back and one on each side of its cheeks, it has only one white spot on its tummy.

The tennis pro's eyes shine bright like stars in the sky and filled with excitement, "aww" he said while petting the cat with his finger, this cat is perfect for him plus blue is his favorite color. "I'm gonna take you home." Said Ryoma, he picked up the blue cage with the cat inside, just then he heard a laughing sound "phuhuhu" Monokuma showed up, the tennis player jumped a bit, surprised that Monokuma popped out of nowhere. "So it looks like you picked your pet already huh?" asked the black and white bear, Ryoma nodded and asked "can I keep this cat please?" Monokuma said "of course you can, that'll be 12 monocoins." After Ryoma gave the coins to monokuma, he can now take his new pet cat to his dorm. At the dorm, Ryoma opened the cage to let the cat walk free to roam around the room.

"Welcome to your new home." Said Ryoma, the cat meowed as it explored around the room, while the cat does that, Ryoma is coming up with a name for his pet, he has so many ideas for a name, Rita? No, Fluffy? Pawsy? All of these name suggestions floated around his thought like a wave, until then a bell hit the light bulb, he found the perfect name for his new cat. "I'll call you Hoshi." Said Ryoma, the cat purrs around the tennis pro's leg, Ryoma smiled and pet his cat Hoshi and soon Ryoma and Hoshi had a great time together, they play catch with a tennis ball, they ran around during free time, they even ate lunch together, watch tv together you name it, they're the inseparable pair a student and his cat.

But one night , Hoshi felt a bit lonely and wanted a kitty companion, so while Ryoma was asleep the cat walked out of the dorm to the empty hall and made it to the school pet store. Hoshi snuck through the window and inside the store, he went through the cat isle looking for a friend for him to play with, until then he had an idea, he decided to play with all of the cats, Hoshi pushed the switch that open the cat cages but without realising, the cat opened up all the pet cages too. Just then everyone woke up from all the noise just to find out that they're being swarmed by pets, animals that run and fly, everybody is now on the sea of pets! "Woah!" yelled Kaede, "Ah!" screamed Shuichi, he and Kaede are surrounded by cats. "Gah!" "Look out!" Yelled Tenko and Tsumugi who are being chased by guinea pigs. "Neyh!" "Gah!" "wah!" Screamed Himiko, Kokichi and Kaito who are being chased by kittens and cats. "So many animals!" Gonta said, the other students are on the table to escape the pets, mostly cats.

Monokuma appeared and saw the situation, "My, My, it looks like you're in a Catastrophe." The bear laughed, and he's right, there are pets everywhere, meanwhile Ryoma was looking for his pet cat while trying not to get toppled over but there's no sign of Hoshi, but just then he noticed there are lots of cats everywhere among the cats is Hoshi, trapped in a litter of cats. Ryoma tried to get through but no luck, there are too many cats and pets everywhere. "We gotta do something!" Said Tsmugi, they need to put all the pets back in their cages, but how?

Just then Miu had an idea, she said she'll create an invention to round up the cats while the others go find a way to catch the pets. So they did just that, the students began to round them  up but it's too hard. The pets kept running around when they got close to them. "Heh, don't worry guys I got this!" Said Kaito, he sneaked up closer and closer but the cats scratched the Ultimate Astronaut many times. "Ow ow ow!" Kaito Yelped, Ryoma came up with a plan on how to lure the cats and pets. "Hey I have an idea!" Said Ryoma, the tennis pro went to the pet store and came back with bags of pet treats. Ryoma opened the treat bag and said "we can use the pet treats to lure all the pets in." And that's exactly what they all did, the students used the treats to lure in some pets and it worked, the pets were back in their cages. "Yes we did it!" Said Tenko with cheer, "we sure did!" Kaede agreed, all the pets are in their cages eating their treats.

"Hey where's Ryoma?" Asked Kiibo, they looked around until they saw a tower and not just any tower, a tower of fluffy kitty cats, suddenly they heard someone calling for help at the top, "Help!" It's Ryoma , he's at the tippy top of the tower. "Oh my!" Kirumu gasped, everyone else gasped "woah, it's like a tower." said Kokichi, "it's a tall tower of kitty cats!" Kaede said, very surprised, "Yoohoo Ryoma! Are you ok up there?" Angie shouted, hoping Ryoma could hear from above the tower, "I'm ok, but I'm stuck!" Said Ryoma, the tower is really high and filled with meowing sounds, poor Ryoma can't get down. "Oh boy." said the tennis pro, so he stood back so he wouldn't fall off until he bumped into something, it's Hoshi the cat, "Hoshi!" Ryoma hugged his pet cat feeling so happy to see his furry friend safe, "are you ok?" Ryoma asked, the cat meowed in a way saying he's ok.

Just then there was a loud hovering noise and gusts of wind blew in, the students heard it too "what's that?" asked Himiko "look over there!" shouted Shuichi, It's a big helicopter, it zoomed around the tower of cats, inside is none other than ... .Miu! But there was someone else there, it was Monokuma who was driving the helicopter. Miu is holding her newest invention. "Hahahaha! What's up Kitty Capers!" Miu Laughed, Shuichi is surprised "Miu?" it's her alright, "That's right! Introducing my latest invention!" Said Miu, she's holding a bazooka with a kitten symbol on it.

"Wow a bazooka, what are you gonna do? Blast those cats away?" Kokichi asked with excitement, "Ha ha! No, behold,my latest invention Kitty Catcher!" Miu shouted with confidence. Miu aimed at the tower and pressed the button and boom! A net came out of the kitty catcher and on the kitty tower which caused it to collapse with Ryoma and his pet along with it. Ryoma popped out of the meowing cat pile safe and sound, "Guys, a little help?" He asked, so the students helped Ryoma out of the cat pile and out of the net.

After that Monokuma and the cubs took the pets back to the pet store, well except Hoshi the cat who was heading to the pet store but ran back to Ryoma, wanting to stay, the cat meowed an apology for the whole kitty mischief he did. Ryoma gave his pet cat a big hug. And so everything went back to normal, Ryoma and Hoshi became best friends after that. The Ultimate Tennis Pro and his furry friend.

The End.

[the-labyrinth-of-me]

Wait did both Alice and Zane record Alan when he was at his lowest point? Didn't Alice make her exhibition to show the world what she sees? To show Alan the truth about himself? That it never was Scratch visiting and terrorizing her, but Alan himself? Did she depict his "self" and Zane depicted his "persona"? The two sides of him that he wishes he can eliminate bc they brought him into trouble (Scratch representing anger and the fallouts with paparazzi and stuff, Zane representing his self-destructive behavior with alcohol and drugs and the party nights)? The both sides that caused his marriage to start falling apart? Was that the reason Zane made that video of Alan when they were on that booze and drug-fueled bender while working on the Return manuscript? Is this party video the companion piece?? Alan's downward spiral, same as Alice's photos? Do they fucking work together aasdffjfjfkfk

[hogletthe2nd]

DSMP fanfic writers please do not let being “in character” consume your thoughts it destroys your writing TRUST ME

[yyprompts]

27# 🌙🤍🖤

The first fan of a boy group from a very small agency becomes a friend to the members, who nickname her "Sleeping Beauty" because she's always exhausted and sleepy. But things change as the group starts to gain popularity, and their first fan is put under hospital supervision for a terrible condition.

[kitsunesakii]

Two is Better than one

I went wild with this one :D

Chapter six

Sasha entered her apartment with the quiet click of the front door. She tossed her backpack onto the chair in the kitchen and started a cup of tea. A clatter from the adjacent room caught her attention. She frowned slightly before peeking her head into the other room.

It took her a moment to process the scene before her eyes.

Micheal was sitting on her living room floor, long fingers carefully curling through the fur of a content cat purring below him. She noted a secondary feline to the left, pawing at a strand of long spindly blonde hair. He glanced at her lazily, tipping his head to the side and humming.

There was only one thing wrong with this picture. Sasha didn't own pets.

"Micheal-what?"

His smile widened. "Hello my dear."

She gestured to the cat now rolling onto its back as Micheal petted its belly. "Where did these come from?"

He looked over at the one still playing with his hair. "They followed someone into my corridors. They followed me here."

Right. Sasha shook her head and sat down, the one on its back stretched out before moving towards her curiously, it had orange hair like a tabby. She pet it and it purred in response.

"Micheal."

"Sasha."

"I don't have the stuff for these guys. I barely have the room, you don't really expect me too-" Her words were cut short as she watched the grey one tangled in Micheal's hair sound out a small mewl as Micheal tenderly picked it up in its hands with too much bone and fingers that stretched too far across. The cat didn't seem to mind.

Micheal hummed as he watched the cat in his arms twist and curl, purring contently as if Micheal wasn't a terrifying monster. Sasha dared to smile.

"I believe, if I remember correctly, these creatures need food, water." He chimed lightly. Sasha rolled her eyes.

"Fine. There's a store down the way from here. They have pet supplies." Sasha sighed as she stood to her feet. "And they are cats, Micheal."

He didn't so much as stand to his feet, rather a blur of motion and colors that stretched out and scattered like sand before he was standing in front of her. "Cats. Yes."

She grabbed her bag and walked towards the door, stopping when she realized Micheal was following her.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm coming with you of course." He giggled, "silly question."

"Right." Sasha smiled, "This won't end badly at all."

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

The actual trip wasn't horrible.

Besides the fact that every single dog started barking at Micheal which earned them a few curious glances from the staff, they made it out with a sack of cat food, cat litter, and a box. Even more than she had expected, Micheal paid. Handing the cash to the women as Sasha looked at him with such a confused expression she partially believed he did it just to see her reaction. Laughing as they left the store with the supplies. She simply shook her head.

"I think- he had one."

Sasha looked over at him, he looked, well, human. The way his coat sat on his shoulders and down past his boots, his hands wrapped around a bag of cat food. His eyes trained on nothing before looking over at her with a sharp smile.

Sasha frowned. "Who?"

"Micheal. Before-" His words echoed and trailed off.

Sasha understood. "I'm sorry." The words felt stupid in her mouth.

"Do not be, its-" he paused. "It's a nice memory, I am not sorry to have it, amongst the fractals of everything and nothing and the not-in between, it is nice."

Sasha thought about her question a moment before asking. "What's it like?"

"What?"

"The...what you said about the fractals and the nothingness, delusion...what's it like?"

"It Is Not What It Is and it is a part of me" he said it like a broken tune from some forgotten nursery rhyme. "It is madness- throaty, hollow, the depths of doubt- madness that stirs in the mind. It is not a physicality, but, within it, there is a certain…” He paused. “Ah! Beauty. Like a fine piece of decoration in a mundane hallway." Micheal laughed long and hard as they approached her building.

"You say it's beautiful?"

He giggled and shook his head. "You tell me, my dear, what with your It Knows You, all that knowledge will never satisfy, never relief, you see all and yet-" They entered her house to the two cats scratching up her couch and seemingly content with life. “Madness floods the senses and dilutes the mind, leaving it clear. It changes perception, blinds reality. It's a song sung with all the wrong notes and the wrong tune but it is beautiful nonetheless.” He sat the bag on the kitchen table and she prepared two bowls.

“A broken melody is still broken.”

“Ah, but only you would know if it's broken.”

Sasha paused and stared at him. He was crouched down, pouring the food into the bowl she had provided. It got everywhere and he giggled. Letting out a hummed “oops.” Before moving a long finger to scatter the dropped food even further. His hair cascaded around his shoulders and swept across the floor, the grey cat already taking interest in his dubbed playtoy.

She understood what he meant. And maybe there was a relieving beauty to it. Someone’s only lost if they themselves don’t know how to get to their destination. But if someone is simply wandering, well. There could be a comfort to that. Ignorance is bliss after all. A buzz of muddled headspace that someone looks for within drugs or alcohol. A weight lifted from the mind as it's consumed by something that isn’t tangible.

“Do you understand?” He looked back at her, the pieces of food that had missed the bowl now nowhere to be seen. The two cats had taken an interest in the food and water and were quick to indulge themselves. She looked into Micheal’s eyes, the swirling spirals that seemed to impossibly dilate as he looked at her. He seemed softer, somehow. All folded up and crouched on her floor seemingly as protection to the felines happily eating away. His sweater changed and morphed in color and she half wondered where his coat went. His scarf was wound around his neck and seemed to move like a snake, continually curling over his shoulders. Twisting and bending and pulling in every direction. He was an enigma to look at. Madness. An ever shifting idea that barely took shape before it was changing again. Beautiful. She decided.

He was beautiful.

She almost forgot he was waiting for a response. “I understand.” The words didn’t feel nearly enough. Some part of her reminded herself that she was supposed to be scared of this thing that had casually dropped two cats at her feet like it was nothing. This thing that bought the supplies with money she wasn’t sure he was even supposed to have. This thing that had given her a distorted flower that she still had in the living room. This thing that followed her around with a curiosity she couldn’t explain. This thing that had kissed her cheek instead of killing her when she had been in its corridors. She ignored that voice and instead moved to fix the litter box in the washroom.

Not even an hour later she was curled up on the couch petting the tabby as Micheal played with the gray one on the floor not even a foot away.

“What are their names?” She asked him, breaking the silence that seemed to muffle Micheal’s laughter as he let the cat swipe at his long fingers, pulling them away just in time.

“Names are redundant.”

She rolled her eyes. “I think I’ll call this one Pumpkin.”

He didn’t look away from the cat, letting it catch his fingers and pull them down to bite playfully. Micheal hardly seemed bothered. “Daisies.”

“The cat? That’s a pretty name.”

“No-” He giggled. “I remembered. I was picking them up.” He drew his hand away and pointed at the mess of lines and colors that had once been a flower, sitting in a jar on the coffee table.

Sasha smiled back. “Daisy it is. Pumpkin and Daisy.”

Chapters:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

[puddleslimewrites]

Coffee Shop (Part 2)

Civilian

Part 1 (Hero) // Part 3 (Villain) / Part 4 (Superhero) / Part 5 (Vigilante)

Civilian sighed at the ruckus outside. They'd been trying to ignore it until someone threw something at the window. Like everything else that posed a potential threat, it simply bounced off, leaving the glass unharmed.

The force field the owner put up was three things - invisible, invincible, and only present when needed. All Civilian had to do was serve coffee and break up any fights. Powers were easy to nullify with their own, but Civilian could hardly do anything if the cutomers started swinging fists at one another. Thankfully, most were too startled to find their powers gone to keep fighting.

When the noise finally died down they released a breath in relief.

Civilian was highly aware of the high villain traffic in these parts. Some of the most notable names in the city had stopped by on opening day, but, after seeing the shop for what it was, only returned for the occasional drink or pastry. Most of them surely knew Civilian by face, if not name. They grew used to the suspicious looks and exhausted of all the questions and thinly veiled threats. In the month since they opened most conversations with customers felt more like interrogations, so it was always nice (though rare) to get a customer that really did just want to know how their day was going.

Given the shop's popularity with less than savory characters, it was odd to see a hero walk in out of costume; and even more so when they didn't immediately start grilling Civilian on their morals or give a lecture on the ethics of not kicking known villains out of their shop. They simply ordered a latte and sat down.

Civilian mused on it for all of half a moment and decided not to worry about it. They made the drink, served the order, and went back to the register. They'd take a quiet hero any day.

[rudnitskaia]

yay a week until my 29th bday ✨🔥😎🔥✨

[sisterdivinium]

Now is the time to place your bets on whether or not this hyper self-indulgent doctor superion Vampire the Masquerade AU fic will or won't get to 100 handwritten pages...

[recurring-polynya]

Hello! Long time lurker. I've really enjoyed reading your work and especially love Heart is a Muscle and the way you characterise all the different relationships in it! My ask is how do you think Byakuya finds out about RenRuki. I feel like it would be one of those moments where subconsciously he'd see it coming but at the same time still be caught of guard and manage to be very Byakuya about it.

This was one of those where I wasn't quite sure if it was an ask or a fic request, but the fact is I have an old chunk of story sitting around that addresses this very question. I guess I intended to someday throw this into some post-Heart is a Muscle story, and maybe I still will, but who knows if I'm ever going to get there, so you can have it now. Takes place after everyone gets home from the Blood War (where Rukia and Renji had to confess to each other in the middle of bankai training because I thought it would be cool it was weighing on their hearts)

(I wrote this in 2019 and gave it only light edits)

| read on ao3 | request guidelines |

⚔️ 🕶️ 💕

The sun was starting to go down when Kuchiki Byakuya arrived at Practice Field #3. On a normal day, work hours would be long over, although one might find an industrious officer out in this part of the division grounds, training on their own, or a few of the younger ones playing a game of pick-up football. Tonight, it was quiet.

It had been nine days since Kurosaki Ichigo had defeated Yhwach.

A young human girl was perched on the fence surrounding the field, chatting animatedly with Byakuya's ridiculous adjutant, who snapped to attention when he sensed the approach of his commanding officer.

"Good evening, sir!" Abarai Renji barked. "Thank you for agreeing to this! I hope you don't mind, but I asked Inoue Orihime to come."

The girl hopped off the fence and bowed deeply. "Hello, again, Captain Kuchiki, sir!"

"Worried that I won't hold back?" Byakuya asked with a coolly raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I know you won't," Renji replied. "She's here so that I don't hold back."

Byakuya guffawed, and one side of his mouth quirked up. "Congratulations, Lieutenant. You've finally managed to say something humorous."

"You feeling good today, sir?" Renji asked, just a tinge of concern in his voice. "You feeling up for this?"

"I am fully recovered, thank you," Byakuya sniffed. "Yourself?"

"Feelin' good, sir."

"Then let us begin."

"Oh, one last thing, Captain. Would you mind leaving your scarf with Orihime, here? I wouldn't wanna get my blood all over another one."

"Truly, Lieutenant, you are on a roll today," Byakuya noted, unwinding the scarf from his neck and draping it around Orihime's.

"Oooh, it's so light!" Orihime cooed. "It's like nothing!"

"I'll tell Kurosaki to get you one for your birthday," Renji teased.

"Are you ready now?" Byakuya demanded.

"Yep, enough stallin'. Let's do this."

Orihime hopped back up on the fence and called up a shield in front of herself. "Good luck, Renji!" she called.

Abarai shot her a wink and took up his position on the field.

Byakuya placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, but did not draw it.

Abarai drew his and silently released into shikai. He bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. "Might wanna release, sir."

"I shall be the judge of that."

Renji gave a little nod. "As y'like. BANKAI!"

It was common knowledge that Abarai had unlocked a second level to his bankai in the Royal Realm. Byakuya was looking forward to seeing it actually, but he wasn't particularly concerned about it.

Byakuya knew quite a bit about zanpakutou and their releases. It did happen occasionally that a sword would reveal itself in stages, but it tended to retain its essential character.

Hihiou Zabimaru was an excellent bankai, powerful and versatile. It required immense spiritual pressure, iron concentration and significant amount of mental bookkeeping, Byakuya was given to understand. It had served Abarai well in his ill-advised hijinks up until now, but the fact was, it would not be truly formidable until Abarai himself had another half-century or so under his belt. It was too bulky, too finicky, too fragile. There was no other way to master bankai like that, only experience. Byakuya knew a quite bit about bankai like that, himself.

Abarai launched himself at his captain, blade swinging.

Byakuya went to shikai as he drew his zanpakutou, petals pouring forth from his sheath and forming a shield in front of him.

Abarai's blade sliced right through it.

Byakuya flash-stepped away, sweeping Senbonzakura's blades into a more solid foundation, only to find them knocked out of the way by a giant skeletal hand. Another flash step, another regrouping, and Abarai was there again.

Suddenly, it dawned on him. Hihio Zabimaru had been a joke. A prank. A giant, heavy, impossible-to-use freight train that Abarai had taken in stride, as he did every other misfortune that fate heaped upon him. It was a shadow, an echo of Abarai's real bankai.

So-oh Zabimaru also took immense spiritual pressure to summon, that much was still true. But the bulk, the unwieldy mass was gone. It was as if though Abarai's new spiritual armor was plugged directly into his spinal column. It moved with him weightlessly, astonishingly fast.

Something else had changed, too. Something about Abarai's spiritual pressure. It was more unified, more focused, more together. For the first time out of the many, many times Byakuya had fought his lieutenant, he did not feel like he was being attacked by an angry, flailing youth, but that he was facing a worthy adversary.

Byakuya was being pressed harder and harder to defend against Abarai's assault.

And the fact was, he was not fine.

The injuries inflicted on him by As Nodt were grievous. He was lucky to be alive, and if it weren't for Kirinji's healing springs, he probably wouldn't even be able to summon his zanpakutou. His soul was damaged, and although he had made a miraculous recovery, he was not completely made whole. His speed was close to what it once was, and his bond with Senbonzakura was as strong as ever, but his power and endurance were greatly compromised. He could go to bankai if needed, but it was extremely taxing, and Shuukei Hakuteiken was, at the moment, out of his reach.

He thought it wouldn't matter.

Abarai had never even come close to beating him.

Abarai wouldn't notice such a weakness and furthermore, was too sentimental to exploit such a--

He had brought Inoue.

Abarai knew exactly what he was doing.

“BANKAI!” Byakuya called out.

Abarai smirked. “You shouldna let me get that head start, Captain.”

---

"Renji, he's waking up!"

The world swam into view, tinted orange.

"Hey, Captain!" Abarai's grating bark rang out. "How you feel?"

"I feel fine," Byakuya snapped, starting to sit up.

"Lie down please, I'm almost done, but not quite," Orihime said firmly.

Byakuya put his head back down on the ground, and replayed the last few moments of the fight in his head.

Abarai had come out aggressively, going to bankai immediately. He had never allowed Byakuya to gain a solid footing, and pulled out his strongest attack, which Byakuya had never seen, as soon as he possibly could. Byakuya hadn’t even been able to get a good look at it, he only had the impression of fangs before becoming completely overwhelmed. Abarai, who knew his attack patterns, who knew that it took him a minute or two to work up a full head of steam, had bet everything he had on defeating Byakuya immediately and it had worked.

It had been a rout, an utter humiliation.

Byakuya could still beat his adjutant, surely, but he could no longer plow him over with superior strength, and certainly not in his degraded condition. He was going to need to think up counterstrategies. And some of them were not going to work.

He looked down at his chest and realized that his shihakushou had been sliced from shoulder to hip, and was soaked, absolutely drenched with blood.

"You didn't cut me in half, did you?" he sneered.

"No, you were definitely all still, um, attached," Renji clarified.

"Not by much, though," Orihime mumbled.

Renji nudged her firmly in the shoulder.

Orihime waved her hands, and the healing bubble collapsed into nothingness. "All done!"

Abarai held out a hand. With a twinge of reluctance, Byakuya took it, and let the younger man haul him to his feet.

Orihime scrambled up, pulling the scarf over her head, and offered it back. "Thanks for letting me watch! That was a really fun fight! You're both so, so strong and it's so much nicer when no one actually wants to kill each other."

"Hey, we don't wanna keep everyone waiting, right, 'Hime?" Renji said, glancing sideways at his captain. "We got dinner plans, everyone's leavin' tomorrow."

"Yes, Rukia mentioned it," Byakuya replied dryly.

"You okay to--"

"Stop checking on me, you fool. I have said I am well and I dislike repeating myself."

Renji nodded quickly. "Thanks for the fight, sir. I'll see you in the morning."

Three hours later, Byakuya sat in his office.

He was thinking.

He was thinking about the current state of the Gotei 13, the captain-less squads, the loss of highly seated officers. He was thinking about his Third Seat, who had never exactly been lieutenant material and was currently on medical leave after having his sword-arm completely reconstructed.

Byakuya looked up at the sound of the door opening.

"Uh, hi, Captain," Abarai said, clearly surprised to see him. "What are you doing here so late?"

"This is my office, is it not?" Byakuya snapped.

"Well, sure," Abarai replied, walking over to his own desk. "I left my sunglasses here," he explained, sticking them on top of his head.

"It's dark out," Byakuya pointed out.

"I'll need 'em in the morning," Renji shrugged. He frowned thoughtfully, then pulled open his filing cabinet and withdrew a folder. "Speaking of which, I was gonna give you this tomorrow, but as long as we're both here..."

He crossed the room and extended it.

Gingerly, Byakuya took it, then squinted at the notation on the tab. "Strongly Worded Letters to the Management of Squad 11?"

Abarai's eyes widened. "Oh, no, that was just to keep people from poking around. It's actually...well, it's pretty obvious what it is," he finished lamely.

"You aren't ready,"' Byakuya snarled.

"I'm...what?"

"Yes, your new bankai is very powerful, it is true. But just because you have run roughshod over a few enemies with it hardly means you're ready to strike out on your own. You need more training, more control. A bankai like that can land you in hot water as well as it can save you. Furthermore, there's a shortage of competent lieutenants, it would be foolhardy indeed for you to set forth without experienced backup, and don't tell me you're even thinking of the Seventh. I have heard how you and Lieutenant Iba are when you two are unsupervised."

Abarai's face was twisted in utter befuddlement. "Sir, what are you talking about?"

Byakuya flipped the folder open and stared at the neat stack of papers within. "This isn't an Intent to Test for the Captains' Exam," he said, taken aback.

Renji made a choking noise. "No, sir! Cripes, sir, I just got a new bankai, why would I leave? I need you to help me learn to use it. An' I wouldn't leave you, anyway, not while you're still, you know. From the As Nodt thing. Also, who the hell wants to be captain of anywhere but the Sixth?" His voice rose steadily in both volume and pitch as he babbled.

"There is no need to shout, Lieutenant," Byakuya frowned, looking down again at the stack of papers.

It was a copy of form RHCA-48-006-C, an application to become a Family-Approved Suitor.

Stupidly, Byakuya's eyes drifted over the names written into the form's blank spaces. "With the submission of this form, Abarai Renji, Assistant Captain of the Sixth Division of the Gotei 13," (did he really need to write all that out? It barely fit in the space) "requests the approval of the Kuchiki family to court Lady Kuchiki Rukia, Assistant Captain of the Thirteenth and First Daughter of the Kuchiki."

Oh.

Oh.

---

Byakuya sat in the garden, on the bench near the koi pond. His brain was chasing about in aimless circles, much like the fish in the pond.

"Brother?"

He looked up from the water. His sister was still dressed, despite the late hour. Byakuya recalled that she had been out earlier with Abarai and their human friends. Her hair and makeup was different from the way she wore it for formal events, sharper, wilder. It seemed surreal that parts of the city had been reduced to dust, while others had come through virtually untouched. That despite it all, life continued on.

"Are you alright?" Rukia asked, her brow creased with worry.

Byakuya smiled at her gently, affectionately. He thought about the great lengths he had once gone to protect her from the world, and now she, a woman with one of the most beautiful and deadly bankai he had ever seen, was fussing over him.

"I am fine, Rukia," he reassured her. "Will you sit with me?"

He had expected her to perch at the other end of the bench, a nervous bird, always ready to take flight. Instead, she sat close to him, and with an egregious disregard for propriety, took one of his hands between her own, holding it in her lap. "Renji's sorry, you know. He thought he should have waited another week or two, but I said--"

"He should not be,” Byakuya said stiffly. “Another week or two would have made no difference. I do not wish to speak of it further."

"Did you have something to eat--"

"Did you know that my lieutenant is in love with you?"

It was dark, so he couldn't see if Rukia's cheeks turned pink, but he did catch the shy smile that crossed her lips before she turned her face away self-consciously. Long ago, he had caused her normally unflappable sister to make that face once, maybe twice. It was possibly his greatest achievement.

"He, ah, mentioned something to that effect the other day,"

Byakuya was fairly certain that Abarai wouldn't have proceeded without Rukia's buy-in, but he felt it prudent to double-check. "I take it you... reciprocate?"

She made a pleased little hum. "He only happened to mention it at all because I had just told him that I was in love with him."

Byakuya often enjoyed whimsically deriding his ridiculously hardworking and absurdly devoted adjutant, even more so in the presence of his sister, whose affection for the man had long been obvious, if not the degree of it. But he couldn't bring himself to make jokes, not right now.

"You do not need my permission to take up with him romantically," he pointed out. "You and I have had a long-standing agreement, that as long as you were discreet about it--"

"Renji and I don't want that," Rukia interrupted. "I mean, we do. We do want to take up romantically." She made an odd face at having to say the phrase out loud. "But you're very important to both of us. We wanted you to know. We… wanted you to approve."

Byakuya glanced over at the young woman who he had adopted so many years ago, and yet, had only recently become his sister. She was, in so many ways, much like himself in his youth. Brash. Stubborn. Willful. Too brilliant by half. Byakuya adjusted his hand in hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"You know I am a sentimental fool," he began, and Rukia turned to look at him again with an expression he couldn't quite parse. "I think it is embarrassingly obvious how fond I am of both of you."

Emotion broke over Rukia's face. "It is not, Brother," she tried to scold him, though her voice cracked at the end.

"He hardly deserves you," Byakuya went on.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "The two of you are so--"

"But at least he acknowledges that, and seeks to remedy it," Byakuya ignored her. "I shall be watching closely to make sure he does not become complacent, but if he continues on his current trajectory, he may eventually become worth your affection."

"So, are you going to approve his stupid form?" Rukia asked.

"That," replied Byakuya, "is a different matter."

"Oh," Rukia said softly.

"Becoming a Family-Approved Suitor has nothing to do with whether or not I like him. It is an opening of negotiations, a proof of suitability for marriage. Surely, you two don't…" He trailed off when he saw Rukia looking away again.

"We've only just started figuring this out," she admitted. "But it's not...out of the question."

"Oh," Byakuya replied. He'd always had the distinct impression that his sister had little interest in matrimony, although he knew as well as anyone the difference the "who" of the equation could make.

"That presents...a difficulty," he admitted. "The Family would not take it well. They already think I have been too selfish in these matters.”

“That’s so short-sighted,” Rukia muttered. “So he doesn’t have much money or a name that goes six generations back. He’s got bankai. He’s incredibly strong. The family hasn’t even produced anyone who can pass the vice-captain’s exam in the last hundred years.”

"You misunderstand me, Sister," he clarified. "Bringing Abarai into the family would be a tremendous benefit to me, personally. I lack for neither money nor familial pedigree. The only thing I lack is a family line. A young man of immense spiritual pressure, with no family ties of his own, and an inexplicably fierce loyalty to myself would be of great benefit to our line and perhaps to our family as a whole. It would not be very advantageous to those who are jostling to prove themselves the best among a number of poor choices. The family has not been to war in a long time, and many forget how important it is to maintain our strength. I have not forgotten.”

Rukia’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t name him…”

Byakuya made a horrified face. “Of course not.” He frowned. “Not for the family. But the Captain of the Sixth need not also be the head of the family. I told the Head Captain a year ago he was the only one I trusted to replace me in that regard, although I doubted my posthumous opinion would be respected. I suppose I should tell Kyouraku the same. This would make things a bit smoother, I suppose.” He was quiet for a moment. “I will need to think on this. I might.... I might need to talk to Grandfather. I… will do what I can.”

Rukia eased her hand from his, and slid her arms around his waist and leaned into his side. “Thank you, Brother. I love you.”

Byakuya closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He hardly deserved her, either. He pulled one arm out of her hug and rested it gently around her shoulder. “Thank you, Rukia,” he said softly. Another deep breath. “I love you, too.”

Her only response was to hug him just the teeniest bit harder.

[narsh-poptarts]

NARSH YOU LU ART IS SO TASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have copies saved on my computer to look at and use as inspo and AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! THEY ARE ALL SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!

YOU!!!!!!!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaaa I LOVE THAT IM SO FLATTERED!!!!!!!! man I was out all day today and did not have service for most of it so then coming home and seeing all the love in the tags was a WONDERFUL surprise aaawwww thanks!!!!!!!!! Saved on your computer,,,, used as inspo,,,,,,, I'll sob and cry forever (LOVINGLY!!!) QuQ

I've been really kind of wanting to go back and redraw an lu thing or two because I have definitely grown SO MUCH as an artist since I made all those (like 4 years ago for some of them!!! CRAZY)

All y'all liking and sharing my stuff is a lot of fun, I see my notifications just tick up and up as one person just goes through liking my entire tag hahahah it's so fun I love it!!!! (Genuinely!!)

[itwaspouring]

Now I'm used to wearing my heart on sleeve around u

[adhd-merlin]

His voice like a thunder clap, Merlin shouted, “How can you word better that you think I ruined my best friend’s wife so that I could screw her husband in peace?” “I didn’t say that, exactly,” Lainey protested in a tiny voice. “As if Arthur even would,” Merlin hissed, incensed on a level that Arthur had rarely seen. The air crackled for a moment, and one of the wine glasses broke untouched. “Do you know what I was to him, next to her?” The sudden drop in volume of his voice was enough to chill the air around him. “Nothing. I couldn’t hold a candle to her while holding literal candles.” Frighteningly even in tone, almost conversational, Merlin asked, “How dare you imply that he would ever do that to her, or that I have any right to her place – ” The tapers on the table flared and then went out, the only remaining light filtering in from the kitchen behind Merlin. “ – that I would steal her husband from her own bed – ” He balled his hands into fists on the table, suddenly shaking, and cursed at the top of his lungs, “Fuck you! Guinevere deserved respect, and I am no one’s fucking side piece!” “Merlin!” Leon yelled. Then in an effort to deescalate, “You’re scaring her.” From the timbre of his voice, he was scaring Leon too. Merlin took his hands from the table and straightened, bristling. “Oh, I’m scaring her?” Incredulous, Arthur demanded, “What the hell are you doing?” In response, Merlin said again, frighteningly reasonable, “I’m scaring her, Arthur. She’s scared.” Then he lunged forward. Arthur and Leon both seized at his arms to hold him back. The stench of wild magic invaded Arthur’s nostrils and threatened to make him cough. Ignoring them both, Merlin stretched his face as near to Lainey as he could get it and coldly informed her, “You have no idea what real fear is.”

— from The Hands of a Hundred Winters, Chapter 10

[monstersandmaw]

Is there anything more you can say about the world (or, rather, galaxy) of your Alien stories? (First Officer Ornorx and Scientist Er'Athien, I mean) I just think they're neat.

I sat on this for a bit, but I don't think I can add anything that isn't in their stories. Feel free to headcanon and explore the galaxy in your own mind a bit too though... sorry that's all I can offer!

[lunarharp]

lil thing i made for “sun & moon”, a ferdibert zine :-)

[jimmyandthegiraffes]

Due to an unfortunate incident I recently lost almost all of the 5th doctor fic I was working on. Don’t forget to back up ur writing kids especially if u use a means of writing that requires internet to function properly

[dynamimight]

been on my grind i am becoming an academic weapon my brain gets 10 times bigger every day