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sebstanseabass · 3 years ago

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Afterglow (A Bucky Barnes AU fan fiction) - Chapter 6

Afterglow chapters

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

CHAPTER SIX

Steve left a trail of cool breeze from the outside which sent shivers on the surface of your skin. You immediately closed the door, slightly annoyed at the cold air New York had to offer.

"He seems nice." Bucky commented as soon as you got back inside. The jukebox had stopped playing. It probably already used up Bucky's money. "Looked like he couldn't hurt a fly." He added.

You agreed with Bucky as you sat back down on the high stool. He managed to bring out the drink you guys hid from Steve and placed it in front of you. A big smile spread across his face, still urging you to drink what he made just a few minutes ago. He kept convincing you that the "y/n" drink was a good and mean drink, perhaps "the best drink you'll ever have, I swear!" (even though he hadn't tried it himself). He spoke like a true businessman trying to sell his product. He never broke eye contact and kept his voice firm and strong.

"This is the first and last time I'm taking a drink from a stranger." You mumbled, picking up the drink. It was cold like the air outside.

"Hey, I'm no stranger!"

Before the drink could even reach your lips, you caught a whiff of its smell. It was kind of fruity yet minty at the same time but the scent of vodka still lingered on top of the drink. Bucky added a little umbrella, perhaps finding it in one of the cabinets while you were walking Steve towards the front door.

The first sip tasted like New York's wintery air that soon left. It was replaced by the taste of both spring and summer, basked in a state of glorious heat. "Bucky..." You gulped until there was no more left on the glass. "This is -- "

"The best drink you ever had?" His nose scrunched up.

You didn't want to feed him a big ego but even you couldn't deny that yes, it was the best drink you ever had in your life. There was something weirdly familiar in it; the same feeling that you felt as you stared at Bucky's sleeping face.

"Indeed it is." You sent him a smile. "Something familiar in all of it. For some unknown reason, I can't explain it."

"Because the drink is you." He replied, taking the glass from your hand and placing it on the dishwasher beside him. "Or what I thought about you the first time I saw you."

"The first time you saw me, you were butt naked and I had a bit of a concussion. You got fruity and minty from that?"

He smirked while opening the faucet. "Fruity and minty, huh?"

"Yeah," you replied, leaning back on the stool as you crossed your arms across your chest, "that's what it tasted like."

"Interesting." He hummed.

"Wasn't that what you wanted me to taste?"

"You tell me."

"You're confusing me, Bucky." You groaned. "Man, you didn't even get a taste of it. Not one single sip and you already assumed that the drink would 'fit' my personality."

"Fruity and minty." Bucky started to clean up the glass, then the rest of the counter. You stared at him, waiting for an explanation to what he just said. He looked like something out of Vogue magazine while cleaning the counter. You, on the other hand, must've looked like hell. "I'm like a magician when it comes to drinks, y'know -- "

"If you are," you interrupted, "you could've just made your one night stand disappear. But you're not, so you, Bucky Barnes, suck."

"No," he sighed defeated, "I'm like a magician 'cause a magician never reveals his tricks. And by the way, full name is James Buchanan Barnes."

"James is a lot easier to say than Bucky. It's one syllable against two." You frowned. "You know that, right?"

"What can I say, y/n?" He leaned against one of the cabinets with a smug look on his face. "I've been Bucky my whole life."

"You've also been James your whole life. Where did you even get the name Bucky?"

"Buchanan." He shrugged.

"You got Bucky from Buchanan?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Plus, if I really were magician, Bucky Barnes had a nice ring on it. Don't you think so?"

"Whatever you say, big guy. Now pay up." You rolled my eyes. "And Bucky Barnes sounds like a villain's name. Just sayin'." This earned you a couple chuckles from Bucky.

The wiping cloth slid easily on the smooth surface of the newly-washed glass. Once he was done, he placed it back to where he got it. Bucky moved swiftly as if he knew his way in the bar. He playfully rolled his eyes at you before giving you a hundred dollar bill. "You should be the one paying me, y'know. I made a drink and helped you with a shit ton of boxes."

"James," you chuckled slowly, "between the two of us, you're clearly the rich one. Not richer. Rich. I don't even have a hundred dollars in my pockets right now, except," you grabbed the bill in his hand, "now." You placed it inside your pockets but of course, that would go to the cash register in a bit. "And you did use up some of our liquor. Even those damn new ones."

"Fair enough, then." He smiled. "Now, let's see those photos of yours."

Right. The photos that hang lonely on these chipped vintage walls, sadly deprived of human touch and sight. Before leading Bucky to one of the walls where your printed photos were, he grabbed his polo shirt (more like Peter's) and wrapped it around his body once more.

Your photos were all scattered on the walls, like nesting birds chirping in their homes; except no one would dare to look at them.

The bar was now enveloped in silence with the jukebox not playing. The only thing you could hear was the constant ticking of the wall clock that hung in between two of your photos which Steve framed after buying them from one of your failed photo exhibits. The walk towards the wall seemed much longer than it should. There was a warm feeling lingering on your stomach, the drink from earlier. You just now realized that you haven't had any solid food. Right now, there was a protein shake and liquor swarming inside your stomach like a bunch of bees. Then, a small churn came out. The instinct to hold your belly kicked in, hoping that Bucky didn't get to hear that.

He didn't say anything as he sat down on one of the booths, his gaze fixated on your photos on the walls as if studying every subject, light, and color captured by your lenses. He looked like he was inside the Met, moving from time to time to admire each photo.

"Y/n," he whispered, "these are gorgeous." Then, he turned around, sliding out of the booth to see some more. You didn't say anything. Just a small smile was enough. You were never one to take compliments anyway. "These photos should be out there, y'know, not inside the confinements of a vintage bar."

"The reason why they're here is because people from outside didn't seem to like them." You replied, trailing behind Bucky. "But that doesn't matter anyway.

He turned around with a frown etched on his face. "What do you mean?"

You pursed your lips, avoiding his gaze. "I mean it's not like people like them here. But that's okay, I guess. I mean, I'm doing product photos for small businesses. That's something."

"They're both different, right? Those photos you take in your small studio and these ones." The photos on the wall stole his attention once more. "You have the freedom to take whatever you want."

You stood there, picking at the blunt edges of the booth table, avoiding any eye contact you may have with Bucky. Suddenly, a roll of images from an early memory came to mind: Bucky's school-of paintings, tiny sculptures and the White Wolf headstone. "You seem like you're really into art."

"In whatever medium they're made, yes." He replied. "Film, painting, photography, writing -- everything!"

As far as you remembered, the only things Peter told you about Bucky were his wild adventures during his youth, and how Bucky could "run a hotel even with his eyes closed!" Peter didn't dive into the deep stuff about his stepbrother's life. It was always about girls, party, money, and booze. Perhaps Bucky's stories were only as good as stories you tell when you just want to have a good laugh while drinking. The sentimental stuff, you knew, were reserved for solemn dinner nights or even days like this inside a bar.

"Why run a hotel, then?" You genuinely asked, looking at the back of his head.

"It's the only thing I know." Bucky snickered, slowly turning around. "Besides making a mean drink, of course."

"You're never gonna let that slide, are you?"

"Never. I mean, c'mon. You've tasted my drink. You can attest to it."

You hummed, raising both of your hands up in the air. "Testify."

He grinned in response and put his hands inside the pockets of his jeans. As you looked at him studying each photo you took, you could tell he didn't want to comment anything on his career path. Peter did say Tony Stark, his adoptive father and Peter's stepfather, just gave Bucky a share of his hotel until Bucky started running it on his own. You assumed Bucky just took it out of the goodness of this Tony Stark, for adopting him and caring for him. But the real reason for why Bucky took the chance, you may never know. Even though he was an open book, there were a few chapters in him that seemed intentionally hazy, as if he didn't want other people to read them. If Peter had anything to know about these "hidden chapters" in his life, you didn't know. It looked like Bucky would just tell Peter all his wild stories but not the stories about serious matters in his life. But of course, you were just getting this observation out of the back of his head and some of his body language.

"Peter looks so happy here." Bucky commented, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "These his colleagues?"

"That was the first time he went out with his colleagues." You replied while approaching him. You stood beside him and looked at the photo. It truly felt like you and Bucky were standing in a deserted museum. "They had a pretty good time but not me. They made such a mess that night. It brought me back to when Peter would go home drunk back in college."

"Peter? Drunk in college?"

"Dead drunk. Apparently, he learned that from you." The moment these words slipped out of your mouth, a wave of panic washed over your body as the expressions on Bucky's face changed. A frown started to form. His jaw immediately clenched. His breathing became heavier each second. The uncomfortable silence deafened. "Oh god, Bucky, I'm sorry. Learned wasn't the right word. What I meant to say was -- "

"I'm hungry."

His short reply sent me into a whirl of confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"Are you hungry?"

"I -- "

"'Cause I'm hungry. Come, let's go get something to eat."

"Bucky, listen to me."

"I did." His voice faltered. "I heard you."

"But that wasn't what I exactly meant, y'know. I mean, come on, everyone experiments in college. Partying, getting drunk, all that kind of crap -- it's all normal!"

"That's not exactly how you put it earlier." He replied, suddenly facing you. His body towered over yours. "I believe what you said was he learned it from me?"

"I didn't mean that you taught him, it's just... Come on, Bucky, with all those wild stories of you -- "

"What are you trying to say, y/n?"

"Peter has a very curious mind, especially back in college. He jumped on every opportunity he had once he's offered a new thing or a new experience. Your wild stories would always pop out every time he's drunk or just some random nights really." you released an exasperated sigh. "Look, Bucky, the point is, he was just curious. He wanted to know what and how you felt during those wild times. It's not your fault. If anything, it's his. Peter may be smart but he's a much bigger dumbass. Even you should know that. You've lived with him since he was, what, in high school?"

Bucky raised his eyebrows, a grin slowly forming on his lips. "You know, I'm starting to think you're not his best friend. Talking behind his back."

"I say much harsher things to him to his face, don't worry." You smiled. "But I do love Peter even though he's a pain in the ass. We've been through many ups and downs, him and I. It's kind of what binds us together. And hey, him constantly drinking is none of your fault, alright? It's his." You assured Bucky once more. "He can really be a big dumbass."

He nodded and took out his hands from his pockets then crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm glad to hear he has you. Though, I'm quite surprised you two haven't dated yet."

You nervously chuckled then walked away from him . "What makes you say that?"

"If I were roommates with a girl, I would've slept with her the first day."

"I doubt you'd even have a girl as your roommate." You snorted. "How are you gonna get her out of the apartment?"

The bar was filled with Bucky's roaring laughter. "I like your sense of humor, y/n. No wonder why Peter likes you."

"What?" You stopped on your tracks and turned around.

"I meant, y'know, no wonder why you're still around."

You raised an eyebrow. "That poses more questions than answers, Barnes."

"He likes you as a best friend, is what I meant."

Your tummy started churning once more but you doubted Bucky had heard that with the groan coming out of his mouth after he bumped his toe on one of the tables.

"Hey, is lunch still on the table?"

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were-all-going-to-hell-goodbye · 4 years ago

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idk who you are or what you're planning but I saw your post while scrolling the bnha tag and i'm Curious.

my favorite colors are the reds and oranges of the turning leaves in the fall. my favorite food is red meat. I simp for nearly every character (excluding the todofam for kin reasons) bc I am a disaster bi. my favorite time is dusk 'til dawn, for reasons in no way correlated to the movie. my favorite animals are corvids. my favorite activity is is getting into low-stakes but high-intensity debates with friends and acquaintances. my love language is acts of service.

THIS IS YOUR VALENTINES DAY SPECIAL WITH:

Kaminari x GN reader

Warnings: A bunch of fluff, lol. Bakugou. Lots of kisses.

Notes: I forgot how the dorm system worked and I don’t feel like researching it, so I’m bullshitting it. I also guessed on a few things, I hope I did okay!

⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡

You knew your day was going to be wild when you open your dorm door and found origami birds leading to your boyfriend’s room.

Granted, he lived right across from you, but it’s the thought that counted. Picking them all up in one swoop, you saw that they were colored like different birds. Your favorites.

You clutched at your chest and felt like you were damn near crying, before going back inside your room, and setting them on your desk so you wouldn’t damage them.

Before you finish arranging them, you hear a whine before you and turn to see your boyfriend hanging dramatically from your door.

“Babe! You were supposed to come in after you got your birds.”

You roll your eyes before giving him a quick peck on his pouting lips. He blushes and hugs you too him, pushing his face into your sensitive neck causing you to laugh.

You push him away and give him another smooch on his cheek, before taking his hand and walking to his room, which, once again, is barely three feet away.

Plopping yourself on his bed, you reach out to him for cuddles and get comfortable when he joins you.

Spinning so you’re face to face, you pull yourself as close to him as possible before looking up to see his blushing face smiling softly at you.

Embarrassed, you try to smother him with his pillow, while he laughs and jokingly tries to push you off.

It’s only when Denki goes still under you, still wheezing, is when you move the pillow and lay down on his chest, breathing somewhat heavily.

Hey, no matter how much Bakugou calls your boyfriend a twink, he still has a good amount of muscle.

Still catching your breath, you can’t help but admire just how perfect Denki is. Not only is he hella attractive, he’s sweet, attentive, loving, and just too adorable not to love.

At the moment his eyes are closed and his head is tilted back. Combined with the sunlight coming through his open window and his golden blond hair making a halo around his face, you honestly couldn’t resist kissing him.

He barely took a second to respond and, like almost always with your boyfriend, it gets heavy. You’re not sure how long you’ve been kissing, but when Bakugou slams the door open, you wish you could go back to being ignorant to the rest of the world.

“Nuh uh, nope!” Bakugou growls as he prowls towards you two, “I put up with TOO MUCH shit from you and Raccoon Eyes this past week for you to lay here and fuck it up by sucking faces all fucking day.”

He stands ominously over the two of you, the same sunlight that had made your boyfriend look so angelic, did the opposite for his friend and honestly made you feel like Satan was coming to drag you to hell.

“Now get the fuck up.”

Having said his piece, he stomps out, most likely to spend the day with his significant other.

It’s silent before Denki mutters under his breath, “Well someone didn’t get their good morning kisses yet.”

You laugh before pulling yourself off of him and offer him a hand up after stretching.

“Come on, lets do whatever you have planned before he come back with the fly swatter.”

Denki shudders before pulling you out of the building, having told Dadzawa the day before you’d both be out all day.

Walking off of campus, you intertwin your hands and look up at him.

“So, what are we doing today?”

He smiles before placing a kiss on your forehead.

“A few things. Things that you will find out as we do them.”

You whine a bit before just enjoying your time with your boyfriend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While walking, you begin the recognize where you two are going.

One of your first and favorite dates was when the two of you had had a picnic in the middle of Autumn surrounded by the pretty falling leave.

If you remembered correctly, Denki had found a little clearing surrounded by a ring of trees full of red and orange leaves.

While it wouldn’t be as perfect as the first time, you had no doubt it would be any less beautiful.

Getting to the clearing, you let go of your boyfriend’s hand to run to the middle of the open space before laughing and giggling while you spun around. Denki joined you not too much later and the both of you fed off of each other’s happiness before you collapsed said by side looking up at the clouds.

You both bask in each other presences before he suddenly sits up.

“Hey, so, do you remember when the last time we were here, you tried to teach me how to make crowns out of the leaves?”

“Yeah,” you prop yourself up, and face him, “What about it?”

He grins at you, before running to a bush on the other side of the clearing and races over to you holding something behind his back.

“Well, I couldn’t figure it would then, but I kept coming back here until I got and, and, well….”

He brings his hands around and shows you what he was hiding.

You gasp a bit, murmuring his name as you reach out for the crown.

“Denki,” You begin, “Denki, how…?”

His face heats up as he looks away, rubbing the back of his neck.

“W-well, um, I knew it would last long and how much you love fall so I went and got it preserved. It took a while, but I’m happy I eventually got it right.”

Eyes wide, you slowly hand it back to him before asking for his help to put it on.

After taking the time to make sure it was perfect, Denki stands up and holds his hand out towards you.

“Your Highness.”

You smile, replying with, “My King.”

Making your way out of the park, you wonder if you even need anything else to make this day perfect.

~~~~~~~~~~~

After taking you out for an early dinner, where you got beef teriyaki, he took you back to the dorms.

Jokingly, you wondered if that was all you were doing today, but he only responded with a smirk before giving you a gentle kiss.

Dropping you off with your friends in the common room, he tells you he’ll be back soon. Almost immediately, you begin debating about who had the best S/O, although before long, you make conversation with Momo about her quirk because the conversation had begone getting heated.

Going back and forth you talked about is and isn’t technically illegal that she can make with her quirk.

You threw yourself back onto the couch whining when she refused to make you a sword after trying to convince her for over 20 minutes. A few seconds later, you see a shadow block out the light behind your closed eye lids, and felt a kiss pressed to your lips.

You opened you eyes to see Denki grinning at you before he picks you up and jogs as fast as he can to his room. Throwing you onto his bed, he climbs on top of you and refuses to get up.

A while later, you’re both asleep.

However long later, your boyfriend shakes you awake.

Rubbing your eyes, you yawn as he pulls you towards his balcony.

You stare deadpan at him when he gestures for you to climb up with him to the roof.

“Babe. I love you, but it is Ass O’clock and I’m tired.”

He just cups your tired face and presses kisses to your closed eyelids.

“Come on, don’t you trust me?”

You open your eyes to see his earnest one looking back at you and you sigh.

“Fine.”

Even though you complained, it honestly wasn’t that hard to get up there and by the time you did, you were wide awake. And not only from the exercise.

Near the edge of the roof there was a few blankets and an open bag of what looks like your favorite snacks and drinks.

Gaping, you let him pull you towards the blankets and cuddle around you.

After quietly talking and laughing while looking at the starry night sky, Denki starts to count down by your ear.

Once he reaches zero, the sky starts to light up with the sunrise and you’re in awe at how beautiful it is.

Hugging your boyfriend closer, you know you would never trade him for anything in the world.

Thank you for giving me a chance!!! I hope you enjoyed it!

#bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #Kaminari Denki #kaminari #reader #reader is gender neutral #reader insert #bnha x gender neutral reader #mha x reader #kaminari x reader #kaminari x y/n #kaminari x you #bnha x reader #You #y/n #my writing

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jibbyscorner · 3 years ago

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Jibby Travels: Taking the Sunrise Bus, Going Anywhere

𝙒𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙮! 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙮! 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧, 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤'𝙨 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩!

— Killer Quest! From the musical: The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical

"𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯

𝘎𝘰𝘪𝘯' 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯

𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯' 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯... "

— On the Road Again, Willie Nelson

4:00 𝘼𝙈, 𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙆𝙄𝙏𝘾𝙃𝙀𝙉

𝗪aking up early in the morning will always be considered as a huge bummer for a night owl person like me, but today is not that day. As I'm rummaging through my kitchen, quietly preparing a coffee for a burst of energy, and casually looking through the kitchen window, I know that I'm going to have a great day, because this day is a moment reserved only for adventures. I've already packed my things such as extra clothes and pocket money. I've already prepared my snacks. And, of course, made sure I have fully recharged my phone. The air is cold and crisp, and while I for one like this weather, I can't help but long for the warm, kind of humid atmosphere me and my classmates are going to feel once we're in our set of destinations. I found myself smiling, really excited because today is the day I'm going on a field trip with my beloved classmates. And I can't wait to witness the beautiful animals and magnificent surroundings we are all fated to encounter in this educational tour. It's going to be a sweaty, but fun day!

5:00 𝘼𝙈, 𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙐𝙎

Around 5 AM me and my brother have managed to arrive in school, just in time for the busses to leave the campus. Thank God! We still made it in time! I went to my batch's bus and hurriedly looked for my assigned seat. I have to be honest, walking down the aisle with the stares of my bus mates pierced through my soul. I was the last one to arrive and it felt really embarrassing. Just a tip, ladies and gents: make sure to arrive early at your meeting spot when traveling with friends!

After that, it was a moment of laughter and storytellings. As I got to my seat, I immediately got in touch with my seat mate. The bus moved in a moderate pace and off we go! We're about to go to our first destination, which is Jest Camp, found on Subic Bay, Freeport Zone. And since it's a long trip, some of my classmates decided to sleep. Road trips are a favorite of mine, and I just stayed awake, listened to calming music, and stared at the bus window. It was, once again, a moment of quietness, and I watched as the sun slowly rises. The golden sun followed us, wherever we went. From dark blue the sky gradually turned bright orange, and at last, morning has officially come. Watching the change happen felt truly calming! It's been a while since I've witness the sun rise.

Around 7:30 AM my classmates finally woke up. We made some stop overs so we can buy snacks at convenience stores or pee on gas station restrooms, and after that our adventure continued. Sightseeing is really fun if you have some friends to talk to, and that is what we did while looking through the magnificent view of fields and mountains.

Right before we reached our destination, we were greeted by the vast expanse of sea. On our side of the bus we can see through the whole encompassing, breathaking view of blue, with waves surfacing on the shore every now and then. It was a beautiful sight, we haven't even arrived at the place but I'm already captivated by the creation of God. You can see birds flying overhead, and I just know that when the windows were open, even with the small polution affecting the area, I would still be able to smell the citrus and salty scent of the ocean breeze. But alas, that is not our destination, and so our bus continued to move forward.

At last, after countless gossiping and vibing with my classmates, we have finally arrived at the Jest camp. It was 9 AM when we arrived, and the sun is slowly rising through over our heads, showering us with mild heat. Preparing our things that we would bring to the venue (which consisted of a hat, umbrella, our wallets, and a bottle of water, all contained in our small bags), we left the bus. On the way there we found some other students from different schools too, and as a polite students of Shining Hope Academy, we smiled at them and waved, building a warm gesture between the both of our group.

8:00 𝘼𝙈, 𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙅𝙀𝙎𝙏 𝘾𝘼𝙈𝙋

The entrance already looks exciting. At the gates you would see two pillars supporting two long logs. And in it lies the name of the destination: Jest Camp, lettered in yellow font, with their logo placed in the middle. The air feels fresher here, the fresh trees and grass smell lingering under our noses. The structure is a huge wood house designed with very campy colors and ornaments. The look of the lobby already looks promising, like it's hinting an exciting show inside the venue. There's animal stuffed toys lined on the shelves of their desks, all waiting to be bought as a souvenir by its visitors. On the left side was a bulletin board filled with pictures of its previous explorers, they seem to be smiling, carefully holding different kinds of animals.

Waiting outside built a sense of anticipation. And then finally, we were invited inside to see a show of creatures with the ability of flight.

---

9:00 𝘼𝙈, 𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙃𝙊𝙒 𝙊𝙁 𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙉𝙏𝙇𝙀𝙎𝙎 𝘽𝙄𝙍𝘿𝙎

Magaul Bird Park, the name of our first destination. Basically, it's a show of different kinds of birds. We were all seated in a amphitheater-looking venue, with rows and rows of seats, all leading downward where a flat stage is found with circus-like designs and a curved water pond just on the far left side of the platform. Well, since this is a show of birds, I will not tell you the specific kinds of winged creature who performed in the show. It will ruin the fun! The moment of surprise is their best element, and you better go there without an idea in mind, it will be more exciting that way, I promise.

This I can say though, it was surely an interesting performance. The birds looked like they're having fun, and they're really trained well. It was like watching an animated movie, but this time, they're very much real! It reminded me a lot of the movie Rio, and it was truly a moment in my life to be able to watch an eagle soaring overhead. Plus, we were able to see lots of cute little ducks! They emerged from the curved pool of water, and they look absolutely adorable. I had to resist the urge to go down there and steal one of them. Thankfully, I managed... barely.

At the end we were also taught on how to make kitchen utensils out of a bamboo stick. It was very educational and will surely help you especially if you want to go camping. And we were also introduced to an interesting looking branch of wood. Apparently, it contains a supply of drinkable water! It was then distributed to a handful amount of students so they can try the said wood water. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to taste it, but one of my classmates told us that it tastes like nature.

That was the end of the show. And after that, we had lunch. It was indeed a great way to start our field trip!

---

11:30 𝘼𝙈, 𝙄𝙉 𝘼 𝙏𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝙊𝙁 𝘽𝙄𝙍𝘿𝙎 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝘿𝙄𝙁𝙁𝙀𝙍𝙀𝙉𝙏 𝘼𝙉𝙄𝙈𝘼𝙇𝙎

After lunch, we were guided into a tunnel full of birds. A beautiful sound greeted us, their chirping seemingly sounding like the start of a magical song. There were different kinds of them to be found inside the tunnel, there were ducks, a bunch of varieties of small-looking birds (all in different shades of color), and even peacocks! Each of them showcased their colorful feather, their quick flying skills, melodic tweeting... and even their egg. Literally. At the end of the tunnel, we found a freshly laid ostrich egg. One of my friend posed for a picture, looking like he was the one who just laid the egg. The sight made me laugh while we continued on the tour.

The next stop is a room full of different insects. They're not alive, thankfully. I would've been so scared! They were encased in these glass frames, with descriptions found alongside them. There were a bunch of colorful butterflies, with their patterns varying in colors and shapes. There were countless beetles, and other more insects that I can't name. It was definitely a different vibe from our last stop, which is the birds.

We walked through a lot of pathways, and the surrounding has a relaxing vibe in it. There were a lot of trees, and a collection of different eye-catching structures, like the fun-looking bridge, and a tree full of bird cages. This is where you can take your own pictures, and yes, we took a lot of them. Besides, what are photographs, if not captured memories? We took pictures wherever we can, because we know that someday soon we would look at these pictures and see the beautiful sights our eyes had laid upon.

After the tour, our destination in Jest Camp has finally concluded. We went back to our bus to go to the nexr destination, which is Zoobic Safari.

12:30 𝙋𝙈, 𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙄𝙂𝙀𝙍 𝘼𝘿𝙑𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙀

The next stop turned out as my most favorite destination. We're headed to Zoobic Safari, found on the same area, in Freeport Zone, Subic Bay. and we're about to go on a covered bus to see some tigers in action! And so that is what we did. Before that, while in the bus, we did our best to change our clothes, it was indeed a hot sunny day, and we were all sweaty. One thing you really need to pack in this trip is a pair of extra clothes, a cap, and even sunblock! You would not like to have a nasty sunburn.

First sight we saw on our next venue is a series of stores. Thousands of different kinds of souvenirs were offered to us in exchange of a considerable amount of cash. But because I'm me, and because it's hot, the store that caught my attention... and my cash, was the milkshake store. I know, it's not a great remembrance, but what can I do? It's indeed hot, and I'm getting really sweaty! Besides, I have to admit, some of the stuff there were really overpriced, it's just not worth it for me.

After the store, we waited for our turn in the tiger experience. We were asked for an extra amount of 20 pesos each so that we can feed the tigers some meat. To be honest, it was quite a bummer, since we thought it was all covered in the expenses we paid before we registered for the field trip. But ah well, moving on!

The extra fee was forgotten when we got to experience the tour. We saw lots of them! Some were walking around the fields, waiting. The meat were provided by the expert tour guides for safety, some were just laying around, and seems to have no care for the world, some were even on a pond, quietly half-submerged under water, maybe because of the heat. When they see the meat being offered to them, they hurriedly went to our bus and ate them with their huge mouth. Their spiky teeth and claws burrowed deep within their gums. It was so awesome. Seeing it in action was something you don't see every day. We screamed when we got sight of them near us, and it was an another level of fun experience. Like I've said, this is my favorite part of our field trip.

After that, it was another tour of animals. Some of my classmates went to an 8D Cinema. But others including me continued on with the tour. Under the burning heat of the afternoon, we walked through different kinds of animals. The air smelled of wilderness, like dirt and trees with hints of animal furs. We saw lions, zebras, horses, turtles, snakes, and goats. Walking through the zoo was interesting, because you get to see many different species of animals. Although I can't help but notice the state of the lions, I still remember their sad figures. They were caged and they look like they want to go out and live on their natural habitat. I have to admit I want to go to the door and free them, but alas, I cannot. We continued on and walked through another section showcasing crocodiles.

The crocodiles look scary, you can also pay some foods to feed on them. I didn't buy one because I was too scared. Some are fast-moving, while some are unmoving at all, frozen like a statue. Speaking of frozen creatures, we also went through a cave of taxidermed animals. It all looks interesting, but at the same time, creepy-looking. They look really alive. The smell of the cave gives a musty scent, like dust and other particles I can't quite name. You might want to have a mask when entering! Maybe it's the effect given by the taxidermy.

After that, it was the end of the trip. We went back to our bus and finally, another roadtrip. This time, it's time to go home.

3:30 𝙋𝙈 𝙩𝙤 7 𝙋𝙈, 𝙄𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝙐𝙎, 𝙂𝙊𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙃𝙊𝙈𝙀

The moment we got onto the bus, we started munching. It was a long tour, and we got really hungry. After that, some of my classmates slept again, tired because of a long day full of walking and exploring. Even though I only had four hours of sleep that day, I didn't sleep. I wanted to enjoy another sightseeing. And I still have lots of snacks to devour.

An hour later, my classmates woke up. We once again laughed together and sang cheesy songs at the top of our lungs. It was our last field trip, so we had to savor it! After three hours of roadtrip, we finally got to our school. And then... with a great feeling in my heart, we went home.

THOUGHTS

Overall, it was a fun trip! The events that happened that day became memorable for me, especially since I got to experience them with friends. One thing I can say about the venues was that I expected more activities. It was just a long period of walking and walking and walking...

The tiger experience was the best part of the trip. It really made me feel like I'm in another world. Seeing an awesome-looking tiger is indeed unforgettable, it's one of the few things I would want to experience again.

In the end, I still had a big smile on my face when I went home. It was just a memory that I know I would remember every once in a while. For me, what makes the travel worthwhile is when you have good company to travel with. So when going on a trip, be sure to bring some friends along with you! It would be nice to explore the world with someone, especially people who are special to you. Want to go on this trip we just had? Well, then plan it now with your friends! I'm sure you would also have a lot of fun in this one.

Estimated cost of the trip: 2,500 PHP per individual

#travelogue #animals #field trip #photography #tiger #adventure #zoo #travel

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saintheartwing · 6 years ago

Text

Undertale: Frost, Pt.3

It was a beautiful, beautiful day in the Otani region of Kyoto, Japan, and the sun shone bright and lovely, its gentle rays beaming down on a fine, ornate-looking Buddhist temple that sat at the front of a natural pathway that led deep into lush woods. A stone path had been laid out, leading up a large pair of stairs to the temple and, sitting inside in the main hall as various tapestries hung upon the walls showing off proud accomplishments of Buddha and his beloved were two men. One was a rather pot-bellied, fat, short-bearded fellow who had a shaved head and a large black Buddhist robe, who was in the middle of serving his guest a fine bit of tea. He had deep brown eyes, much like his beardless, slightly big-nosed companion, another fellow Japanese who had hair tied in a bun as he bowed back in appreciation of the fine Green tea being served.

"Thank you so kindly for this. It's been too long, Honen-Bo Genku."

"Yoshi, do tell me. How goes the writing at the Imperial Palace? What have you heard?"

"Everyone's rather excited. We've got dragons coming in to see Shogun Yoriie himself!" Yoshi said as he sipped his tea. "We're all very, very pleased. There's been squabbling for years since the 100 year peace ended for Northern Japan. If they agree to help, then maybe we can unite all of the warring factions of Japan and bring everyone under a singular, glorious rule to head into the future with our heads held high!"

Genku just shrugged, and sipped his tea. "As long as whomever is in charge allows me to teach my students of the Buddha and acts justly and fairly for the people, I've no personal preference. I only hope any leader is one who would follow a path that Buddha would be proud of."

"I have to say, Buddhism is doing very splendidly lately, there's so many people founding schools. But enough about me, Genku! Tell me, how goes the current crop of students?" Yoshi inquired as he looked over at a large sign that showed off the various names of students currently at Genku's school, not far from the door out to the backyard, and also not far from a beautiful tapestry showing a Japanese man aiming a spear down at a monster. This tapestry was unique though, for though he was trying to drive a spear through a "youkai", a shapeshifting monster that could pass as human, alongside the man wasn't just a platoon of other warriors fighting youkai…but a positively beautiful-looking Japanese dragon that was resplendent above the fighter's heads, roaring proudly, lightning flashing from his body, several bolts striking the Youkai.

The shapeshifting species was not well liked by the Japanese at all. In fact, many Human cultures really, REALLY did not like monsters who could magically pretend to be human. They wanted a clear difference, rightly or wrongly. Genku felt it was because people didn't want to look into a face that was like their own…only for it to become something far, far different. Nobody liked seeing their reflection made foul. It made him pause to think about this.

But as Yoshi brought up his students he was snapped from thinking about the youkai, and about how beautiful humans found species like the dragons and mer-people to be, broken out of thinking about the adorable "temmie" race as the mention of his current students interrupted his thought process, and he sighed.

"They're fine." He said rather quickly.

"Just…fine? Have you any problems with them, Genku?"

"No, not these students, Yoshi, not these students."

"I'm sure you must have some fascinating stories to tell about them!"

"Not THIS bunch." Genku muttered, Yoshi noticing a visible bitterness faintly echoing in his tone, neither of the two aware that a rather portly, sort of fat-necked, pot-bellied, ponytailed young Japanese man was listening in just outside, the rather crumbled remains of his most recently graded test on the advanced tenets of Buddhism in one hand as he listened closely.

"Is something wrong with them? You sound rather disappointed, Genku. Please, tell me." Yoshi insisted, sipping some more green tea as Genku took in a long, deep breath.

"The thing is…they're all fine. Just…fine. And that's it! None of them are very good. None of them are exceptional, or amazing. They do their work in a satisfactory way. They're deferential and well-behaved. They do not fight, they do not steal, and they do not get rowdy. They're neither hot, nor cold. They're neither poor, nor incredible. They're simply…average. That's it! Average. Nothing I would call special, Yoshi, and in truth, I honestly believe I would rather have a fool or an idiot or a bully to tutor than a bland bunch like I have. I can WORK with the fool, the idiot, the bully, I can improve them and make them better, and that becomes a story, they can become something they and I can be proud of, but despite my best efforts, the current students I've got are simply just…fine. And that's all they ever seem to be. Just…fine."

With that, he leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. "I never thought I would say this, but they're the first students I have that make me feel like I failed."

The ponytailed student sighed quietly, looking back over his barely passing grade in his other hand, then crumbled the test into his pocket and made his way deep, deep into the forest. The soft twittering of birds filled the air as he kept his hands in his robes pockets, head hung low, rather big nose sniffling a bit as he shook his head back and forth, finally arriving at his "thinking stump", a stump of a tree a good distance into the woods that he plopped down on, head resting in his hands as a little bunny rabbit hopped its way over to him, the soft tweeting of birds getting louder as several sat down on nearby tree branches.

The ponytailed Buddhist student sighed as he closed his eyes to think like he liked to do, far, far away from everyone else. But whenever he sat down to think, what came to mind was…

"This is awful." Seiichi murmured, the 12 year old Japanese boy deeply sighing. "A week of staying up late to study and this is it. Thisis the best I can do." He grumbled as he took out his test results again and then ripped them up, looking over the pieces in his palm. "Sometimes I wish I was a fox or a rabbit or a bird or a snake or somethin'. THEY don't gotta take no tests."

And as he mentioned every single animal, the pieces of the ripped up test formed into imitations of the creatures, levitated up by blue magic, as the young mage sighed and then finally stuffed the pieces into his pocket as the bunny looked up at him and he knelt down, rubbing over its head as gently as possible.

"You're looking extra fluffy today, Swift Foot." He told the bunny with a small smile. He reached into his robes, pulling out some small little bread pieces he saved, setting them down for the rabbit to nibble on. "Seeing you always makes me feel a bit sunnier inside. Glad I can count on your fluffy little face-"

It was then that he heard a rustling in the woods, and he whipped his head in its direction as he saw a distinctly long-haired, pale-skinned being who had pointed ears and slender fingers walking forth, their androgynous form looking him over, resting one hand on a tree, dark eyes narrowed as the other pulled out a samurai sword from a scabbard on its back.

"One of HIS students. Damn Buddhist bastards." The youkai growled out in a distinctly manly, gruff voice. "I'm so fucking sick of your type walking around like you OWN these forests, these were our lands long before you were a twinkle in your parent's eyes!"

"Sir, I don't want no trouble." Seiichi insisted, holding his hands up. "Really!"

"Shut! UP." The youkai growled. "I've heard enough excuses from you humans! Your stupid squabbling amongst yourselves is ruining everything beautiful about the land I loved!"

Seiichi took off running, barreling through the forest as quickly as he could, but he was not exactly in good shape. He was rather short, after all, and being tubby, he was quickly losing his breath as he kept racing through the woods, deeper and deeper into its depths, feebly wheezing out cries of "HELP! HEEEELP" every ten seconds. "SOMEBODY!" The youkai, meanwhile, just kept a steady pace, his sword gleaming in the filters of light that flitted down through the forest canopy above.

And then…then it happened. Poor Seiichi finally ran out of breath, collapsing down, flopping onto the forest floor, moaning, barely able to stand up as the youkai stood over him, sword held high. "With this, I can finally begin to avenge-" The youkai said.

Then, a loud, immense, glaring roar. He looked up, gaping in shock, a BEAR tumbling towards him. The youkai gasped in surprise, holding the sword up as the bear raced at him from the west, but then-

SCRAAATCH!

"AAHH!"

A crow had sailed on down, various other birds now assembling in the trees, calling out, loudly screeching and yelling in their birdsong as the youkai clawed at his scratched-over face…and the bear slammed into him, knocking him clean against a tree. KA-KROOOOOOM! He pile-drived through it, then another, then another, flopping to the ground, barely conscious as the bear "harrumphed"…and turned to Seiichi.

"You alright, Seiichi?"

"I'm…okay." Seiichi rose up, and dusted himself off, looking over at the barely-conscious youkai. "You didn't hit him too hard, did you?" He asked quietly. "I hope he isn't seriously hurt."

"He did attempt to kill you, Seiichi." The crow in the tree said, as the small group of doves cooed in agreement.

"Oh yes, oh, yes! Bad, BAD youkai! Bad! BAD!" They all said at once, as a pair of tanuki raccoons made their way through the trees, led by the bunny that Seiichi had been petting, a snake slithering around a nearby tree to peer down at the murmuring, groaning youkai.

"Oh, what a rotten thing to do. You've always been so kind to us, Seiichi."

"You totally changed our minds about how we thought humans could be."

Indeed he had. Seiichi might not have been good at the advanced tenets of Buddhism, a passable mage at best when it came to the basic blue magic that all human mages could do, but he did have one incredibly potent and powerfully useful talent. He, like the future namesake, was a "Dolittle". He could talk to the animals! Even animals like insects or fish or the like he could speak to, though, in general, they didn't have much to say.

Things had started out primitively. He'd been in class, trying to figure out the "Noble Eightfold Path" on a test. He always kept messing up the precepts they represented, the habits of Buddhism to adhere to. "Okay…Right understanding. I know this one. It's…um…it's…ah! Bad acts and thoughts got consequences and so do GOOD acts and thoughts. Um…what's next, uh…um…"

Then a fly had landed down on his hand, and he'd groaned. "Ugh, go away." He grumbled at the fly, snapping at it under his breath in a way he'd never, ever done so before. The stress of the test was making his brain all fried and frizzy, it felt like he was buzzing all over. And then…

The fly buzzed on back. "Don't squish!"

The other students had turned around to see Seiichi yelp, and flop backwards, chair and all, falling to the floor as Genku sighed deeply and pinched the space between his eyes, Seiichi gaping as the fly swerved up, up into the air, soaring off. "Don't squish! Don't squish!" It said as it landed back down on Seiichi's nose, and tasted over it. Maybe, perhaps, Seiichi needed to take a bath. But still, realizing he could comprehend animal language had opened up many doors! He'd moved on to other insects, like a spider in the corner, spinning its web. Then several ants. Then the koi fish in the pond in the school's backyard, and then, small animals like, say, the bunnies and the tanucki. Then birds, then the occasional snake, and finally, the larger animals.

For once in his life, Seiichi finally felt like he'd done something really, really well. That he'd done something truly special.

It was a nice feeling. A kind of soft, gentle warmth that crept up your body and felt like a big hug from the inside out as much as from the outside, one that couldn't help but bring a smile to your face, and brought about one single, soft moment of absolute peace.

Nirvana.

"You ssssssure you don't want me finishing him?" The snake asked, glancing back at Seiichi as he vigorously shook his head, jolted out of thinking about the past, out of Nirvana.

"N-No. The most basic teachings of the Buddha say killing's really wrong!" Seiichi insisted as the other animals looked about at each other.

"We're very glad your "Buddhist" teachings ask that you show such love and kindness to all of us, and being able to actually speak to us, to hear us, we're truly grateful for that as well. You're probably the nicest human we've ever known." The bear spoke up with a sigh. "But it might be easier on you to just let us finish him. Then he can't come after you."

"I have to stick to the Buddhist ideals. Maybe you guys can't get it because you ain't human but…I mean…" Seiichi nervously put his ponytail slightly in his mouth, chewing on it a bit in the way he did when he was nervous. He always had such a hard time putting big concepts out there, trying to explain how they worked. It made his brain twist and turn up into knots. Finally, he thought he had a good way to describe what he was trying to get across.

"You animals have…instincts, right? Like, they're just all ingrained in you, you just KNOW them, and they're a part of you that you can't get rid of, and they're really important. You wouldn't be "you" without them. For us humans, our ideals, sticking to them? We wouldn't be "us" without them. If somebody doesn't have any ideals they can hold onto and hold up, then…then they're just…they're not human! They're not even animals, cuz an animal has to stick to an instinct, somebody who won't stick to anything, won't hold onto anything and just does whatever, then…they're scum!" Seiichi finished. "Does that make sense?"

The animals glanced about at each other. They sort of got where he was coming from, even if they didn't fully comprehend. "We kind of get it, yessss." The snake said, sighing. "Very well, dear one. We will spare this youkai. For now." He intoned, the youkai groaning as the bunny pushed the sword the youkai had over to Seiichi.

"You should take his weapon, though."

"Okay. I'll give it to Master Genku." Seiichi reasoned. "We can give it perhaps to somebody as a gift. Maybe when the dragons come in they might pass by and we can offer it to them, I hear they love collecting Japanese swords and weapons!" He remarked with a rather dumb grin before an idea hit him. "Say, you guys ain't ever told me what the dragons are like. I've only heard rumors and whispers about them and what they look like, are they really so incredible?"

"They're…they're okay." The crow intoned, as the many doves in the trees nodded, each one speaking individually.

"Not bad, not bad."

"Charming enough."

"Bit conceited sometimes."

"Kind of haughty, but personable."

"Very nice fashion sense."

"But they do eat people."

"Can't forget that."

Seiichi gulped. "What?"

"Nobody's told you?" The animals all glanced about at each other in a rather surprised, nervous way. "Dragonsss can be very nice, very friendly, and most of them love how your culture adores and worshipssss them. But their diet consists of a lot of meat." The snake intoned. "We serpents are cousinssss to their ilk, and as such, we know. We KNOW they're not above eating people, or monstersssss. Whole and alive. There'sss even been some cases when entire towns vanished into the maw of a dragon."

Seiichi turned pale. He quivered like a mouse caught in the talons of an owl as the other animals glanced at each other, then at him. "…on second thought, I kinda hope they don't come here." He finally squeaked out.

…

…"So tell me how these "puca" look."

"I'll do you one better, Hadiya. I'll show you." Erimentha grinned, the Greek woman's dark skin soft to the touch as she and Hadiya sat together on a stone bench at Constantinople, not far from the Hagia Sophia. She took out the quill pen she had in one ear, and took out a bottle of ink from one of her many belt pouches, humming as she licked the end, then dipped it in the ink, and began to draw on a large scroll of parchment she'd gotten out from her bag. Her hair fell down in thick locks from her back, a nice fringe over her forehead, with her eyes a lovely shade of Trojan blue to match the clothing she now wore, her little toes wiggling in their sandals as she furiously drew.

It was astounding how quickly Eri could draw, but then again…Erimentha was a mage. With the use of magic, anything was possible, and her unique Purple magic allowed her to bring vivid images to life as she smiled in delight, holding up the parchment to Hadiya. "See?"

"They really DO look like goats!" Hadiya remarked, her head utterly shaved, wearing a very lovely matching yellow outfit much like Erimentha, almost exactly the same in design, with a black belt and sandals just like Eri. Several nasty scars were running down her back as she blinked her unusual green eyes, the young African woman gazing over the parchment as the picture of the "puca" trotted about, spinning around, the faintly humanoid goat-like monster smiling up at her. "It's so cute! How lovely."

"Uhoh. More of them." Eri's eyes went wide, she could see some people coming out of the Hagia Sophia and quickly focused, the moving picture on the parchment turning normal as Hadiya turned and frowned darkly and furiously at the men emerging from the Hagia Sophia with several barely-clothed women, all of them singing loudly and proudly. Hadiya's eyes narrowed coldly as she looked at those whores and the even more disgusting people paying them to be in that church.

Hagia Sophia had been beautiful. A majestic, enormous dome in the middle with somewhat smaller domes all about, towers piercing high into the sky, made of majestic brick and mortar. Mosiacs had filled the place, beautiful paintings of adorable cherubs had been put inside, Christ upon the dome, a burial cloth of Christ would get shown on Fridays, they'd even put in a new depiction of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus, between apostles Peter and Paul, and upon the enormous side arches within were painted the words of the prophets and teachers of the church, and all, ALL in beautiful, splendid colors that made one weep to behold it.

And the smell. Beautiful incense, soft and lilting through the air. It had been that smell that had attracted Hadiya to the place after sneaking away from the boat she'd stowed away on. She had left her home behind, wanting to see the world, to hear of the beauty that laid beyond, and there, there in that church, she had let the incense and the candles wash over her. Though she didn't worship the God that lived there, she had found a "god" of her own as she'd seen Erimentha, who was sitting before the Virgin Mary, head bowed, quietly praying.

They'd started to talking, and Hadiya had told her about how the incense had reminded her of the smells of her home, of how the scent wafted along the long grass back on the plains of Nigeria, especially just after the rains, and Erimentha had listened, nodding gently as they sat in pews. Their hands had touched. Had held. Had laid in each other's for a long…long time.

Long even after they'd left the church.

Hagia Sophia had been special to Hadiya. She'd grown to see it as a living, breathing thing, a special place, full of life, and a sense of divine majesty and beauty, and that smell…that sweet smell.

Now it smelled like wine and piss and fire and ash. The Fourth Crusade had swept into it and those disgusting crusaders had done foulthings inside. They had smashed up the silver screens showing icons of the Eastern churches, ripped apart the icons and holy books, and put…put WHORES on the patriarchal throne within to sing coarse songs as they drunk themselves into a stupor with wine, using the Church's holy vessels. And you didn't want to know what they did to the priest's offices there.

"I want to kill them all." Hadiya said, her voice cold and furious and hateful. She was mad at the whores but not as mad as she was at the crusaders. Those women couldn't truly help it. This was just a job for them. The crusaders had CHOSEN to do this.

"Tell you what." Eri sighed gently as she patted over Hadiya's shoulder. "I've got an idea. Why don't I treat you to a nice bottle of wine and we can relax and have a drink and forget all about them for one day?" She asked. "And I'll draw your picture. The lewd version, for kicks, and then you can try and draw mine."

"Oh, I'm terrible at that. I don't know." Hadiya sighed with a pout as Eri chuckled a bit.

"I'll do it bliiiiindfoldeeeed?" She added. "And that's not the only thing tonight I'll do blindfolded."

Hadiya felt a smile come to her face. "Okay. You know what? I'd like that." She said, giving Eri a quick little kiss on the lips, the softness of the touch sending a faint spark through them as they rose up, Hadiya now putting her hand on Eri's shoulder as they made their way off for the market, the bustling noises of people at the stalls filling the air.

Unfortunately that day was TAX day, and that meant lots of grumbling and growling as Eri stopped, seeing several people giving hatefulglares at the short-nosed, smooth-haired, slightly moustachioed tax collector who was shaking his bag, several guards on both sides of his slender frame as he looked at the stall owner before him, who was grumbling darkly, the long-and-white-haired man giving the tax collector a distasteful look, much like he was a fly who'd landed on his meal. "Now, now. It's tax day! Open up your heart…and your money bags."

The white haired man's eyes were obscured behind a cloudy pair of glasses as he grumbled, getting out his money and handing some coins over. His hands were rather large, indeed, he was quite muscular for a silk and linen seller. Eri felt a sense of unease as she looked at him. There was just something about Solomon that she didn't like. He had been perfectly friendly and nice to them all the time, and had sold them some fine linen and a very nice dress to Hadiya too just last week, he was quite the skilled tailor but…still…

"Here." He intoned, his somewhat dark skin reddening on his face, flustered and irritated as he handed the money over, fifteen golden coins. An entire day's worth of profit. He grunted as the tax collector shook his bag again.

"AAAAAAND can't forget your permit pay? Our city so graaaaciously let you set up shop here."

"Sure…sure." Solomon handed out another three gold coins with a sigh as the tax collector grinned. People grumbled and muttered more furiously behind the tax collector's back, but then turned eerily silent as he approached another stall, a baker, with-

Eri almost shrieked. This person was new! She'd not been to the market with Hadiya in several days and this newcomer was a surprise. An unpleasant one. Her body shuddered, Hadiya clutching her hand tight to calm her as she saw the multiple eyes, the purplish skin and hair tied into long, flowing ponytails, bound up in various spots like "bunches". She had sharp fangs in her maw, and four arms, and was quite well-built. She wore a big golden necklace that fell over her flat chest, and her black eyes glistened darkly as she folded her arms over her chest as the tax collector approached her.

"Tax day, Ms. Uttu. Let's begin with the basics, and then your permit payment!" The tax collector sang out.

"I already paid it when I applied for one just four days ago." Uttu intoned, her voice silken and smooth but with a distinct edge as Eri shuddered in disgust. She hated, hated, haaaaaaated spiders. All those arms and legs and…and too many eyes and to have an Arachne here? A spider-monster? Still, at least she looked rather spider-LIKE and not as human as she'd heard the Tsuchigumo of Japan could be, a youkai tribe terrifying and devious and, evidently, cannibalistic. She didn't want to imagine what it would be like to meet one of THOSE in a dark alley, thinking she was just passing by a normal person, until that person's many legs were suddenly wrapping around her and-

"Now, now, the rules are the rules." The tax collector said with a dirty little smirk. "And if you talk back again, I'll ask you to give me a bit more as payment for such blatant disregard for civil-"

Uttu promptly shoved an entire money bag right in his chest and he took it as she scowled. "Is…that…sufficient." She muttered.

"See how much better things are for your type when you just cooperate? Everybody wins! See you next month!" The tax collector said, heading out of the market, humming merrily, Uttu turning to look at Solomon, asking a single, simple question.

"Did you have to pay twice for the same permit?" She inquired of him, giving a glance to the other market men and women present as they glanced at each other's stalls, then back at her, and Solomon sighed.

"…no." He muttered, the other sellers in the market shaking their heads too, Uttu sighing.

"And how much did you pay for a permit when you applied?"

"Three gold."

"…I had to pay six." She grumbled. But of course the one seller there that wasn't a human had to pay extra. Of course they did.

For a brief moment, Eri flinched, as a new, odd feeling rose in her. It took a while before she realized, as Hadiya and her approached the wine seller in the marketplace, that what she felt was…pity. She was feeling sorry for the Arachne, who quietly rubbed over her rather tubby, pregnant frame, eyes closed, head bowed as she sighed sadly.

"What would you like?"

"Give us a good year, whatever type." Hadiya insisted. "Eri and I have a lot to forget tonight."

"Just once I wish the tax collector would forget tax day." Eri mused aloud, as the other sellers chuckled a bit at this. "Or that he'd forget to breathe. That'd be nice."

"Tax maaaaaaan!" Solomon proclaimed, sticking out his thick tongue as the others booed and hissed in agreement. "I can't stand him either. He's almost as bad as those drunken louts who keep using the Hagia Sophia as a toilet."

"Unfortunately, those "louts" are paying me quite a bit to…perform…there." Uttu mumbled as the others in the market shuddered and cringed and looked disgusted. Though WHY, exactly, Eri and Hadiya weren't sure. Perhaps some felt bad for her too…and others perhaps for the crusaders who'd have to see this being naked. "I need the money very badly. Even…their blood money."

Eri felt her pity intensify. She turned to Hadiya. "Um…say, Hadiya, maybe tonight…we can make one little stop before we head home for our special time together?" She asked quietly.

"I think I know exactly what you mean." Hadiya offered warmly. "…I don't know if it's a good idea, but…I think it's very noble idea, and I like that." She confessed.

The quilt of night descended down upon the city, soft torches on the walls lighting the path to Hagia Sophia as Eri and Hadiya made their way towards the back entrance of the Hagia Sophia, Uttu now dressed very scantily, Eri trying not to look and trying harder not to look disgusted as they walked up to her. They could hear loud roaring and laughing and singing inside the church and Hadiya cleared her throat as Solomon walked out from the back to approach Uttu as well.

"Okay, I've got the, um…the "stage" they wanted set up, all the curtains are ready and-oh. What are you two ladies here for?"

"Listen, we've got money. Ignore what the crusaders want, we can pay you." Eri said quickly as Hadiya nodded, getting out a money bag.

"You're clearly in need, it's the right thing to do." Hadiya reasoned.

"You are kind, humans." Uttu sighed. "But I can't do that. I did make a vow to perform, and I never break a vow."

Hadiya nodded sagely. "I can understand that. All the same, take some of our money anyway. We'll wait for your performance to finish, and you can have a little extra for the sake of your children."

"This city stomps down on me every day." Uttu intoned. "It was a struggle just to get set up here. I'm grateful that, for once, somebody is lifting the boot off my neck. Especially humans like you." She nodded and gave a soft little smile. "I'd smile wider for you humans, but, well…your ilk are frightened by my teeth."

"Yeah, I'm kind of…not a fan of spiders." Eri said, nervously looking away, wiping her brow a bit free of sweat. "Don't take it personally, I've had some really, really bad experiences on a very long boat ride with them." She mumbled out, slightly kicking at the ground as Uttu chuckled, and headed back inside, Eri and Hadiya waiting as Solomon smiled and nodded at them, heading off.

The two women wouldn't have to wait long. Come just an hour later, after about half an hour of hooting and hollering, it died down, and Uttu was heading back outside. Hadiya handed over a small bag of money, and the Arachne took it with two of her four arms, bowing her head before heading off, like Eri and Hadiya did, for home.

The girls, however, wouldn't know that the crusaders inside…EVERYONE inside that building…wouldn't ever desecrate the church again.

Uttu had seen to that. They'd find that out come the next morning…

#Undertale #prequel #fanfiction #drama #racism #fanfic

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