#I'm not sure if I'll add on any chapters beyond this -- it feels like a good ending point

[ikeuverse]

CRIMINAL LOVE — p.sunghoon

PAIRING: killer!sunghoon x rich!fem!reader GENRES: angst, smut, maybe fluff WC: 4.6k+

WARNINGS: weapons, drink, drugs, swearing. mention and execution of murder, blood, fights (physical and verbal). unprotected sex (the details of the sex parts i'll add as i post the chapters), but there are more than two, for sure. lmk if i forgot anything else.

SYNOPSIS: paid to kill people, sunghoon finds himself in the biggest dilemma of his life. getting paid the most money his profession has ever given him to kill a woman. but he can't do it because it goes beyond his principles, who has never laid a finger on a woman. what will he do when the twist is right in front of his eyes?

NOTES: i had this initial idea for jay, but i don't know why i thought i'd write it for sunghoon. i've modified a few things and i'm thinking of making it a story with a few chapters. i hope you like it!

TAGLIST: i don't know if i'll do it, but…

masterlist | prologue | part 1 | part 2 [...]

None of this was new to Park Sunghoon. The eyes stared at him in fear, shining with a pair of panicked features as they begged for their lives. His index finger against the trigger of the gun before he asked to speak his last words and then fired. Seeing the body slowly collapse in front of you, the eyes losing life and the blood dripping through the fabric of the clothes and onto the floor. This was a very familiar scenario, even more so as a hitman.

If anyone ever asked him why he lived this life, the answer would come quickly: easy money.

Sunghoon got used to being on the streets in search of a job to maintain his almost miserable life after the death of his parents. His grandfather, an alcoholic who barely stayed at home, was the only living relative he had. And the only person who could give him a roof over his head at fifteen.

Wandering the streets in search of something solid led Sunghoon to meet all sorts of people and ways of making ends meet. He worked with a bit of everything until he found the job he had settled into today. It was through Jake, one of the first people he befriended, that he learned what it was like to kill for money. His friend's father had a scheme and paid him well enough to eat, dress, and live in his grandfather's house, which he barely saw.

Jake and his father became a family to Sunghoon, even if it was in the worst of environments, but it was the only thing he could get close to that bordered on a good feeling. The boy couldn't call it love because he'd never heard it from any of his friends, although they could say that they respected and cared for each other, but love, for Sunghoon, was too strong.

Who would say about love when, in fact, he was hired to kill? Often people from his own family and for financial reasons. So how could he believe that love existed when his job showed otherwise? Of course, everyone had family problems… Look at him! Sunghoon wasn't the greatest example of this, but come on, he would never have his grandfather or anyone else killed in his own home. It was bizarre, but unfortunately, that's what he dealt with most of the time. And that's what filled his pocket and made him change his life.

Moving into his apartment after his grandfather died, having more contact with Jake and his father about the business, and even getting on a bit more when things started to expand. This was all thanks to Sunghoon's skill and eye for instigating Jake's father to think bigger. It was risky for him to try to suggest that they think big, such as killing some CEO in debt or someone high up.

You've got to be crazy, he heard Jake mutter once, at an informal meeting they had after a successful case. Sunghoon could be crazy, but when it came down to it and money, the highest cases paid well. And that's what he asked Jake's father about until they had their first diplomat client. The amount to be paid was so high that they had never thought of having it in their bank accounts.

"We need to kill about four people to get that" Jake muttered after looking at the amount. A sigh left his father's lips before he agreed.

And so began the great social affair between Jake and Sunghoon – along with Jake's father – for bigger cases with fat sums in their money accounts.

It was dangerous, but Sunghoon lived for it. He didn't have anyone else, he didn't have anything to think about except his well-being and how he could have what he wanted more peacefully after living in poverty for years. He didn't want to go through the insecurity of not having anything to eat, or having to wander the streets looking for something to do or somewhere to stay so that he wouldn't have to be alone in a house where he didn't know who would come back. But now, in his apartment, he shared the peace of knowing that everything was his. Every little thing in there had been earned by him, even if the money wasn't in the cleanest way, but someone had to do that kind of work.

And it wasn't as if Sunghoon would kill just anyone either, he had strict criteria about this that he made very clear to Jake and his father before things got as strong as they are today. Like killing people who had only done some kind of harm to those who had asked for it. Like women who had been beaten by their husbands, or someone in particular who had physically or mentally hurt whoever was hiring the service. Or that person posed a risk to the society in question and they knew that no authority would do anything about it. So they did. And the most important thing of all was that under no circumstances would Sunghoon lay a hand on a woman.

But the universe seemed to play tricks on him that morning, arriving at the office and seeing Jake's eyes light up. It would be pointless to ask why, considering that he was one of the first to receive clients and their proposals, so someone had probably come to Jake to talk to him and give him a huge sum of money.

"Dude, I think we're rich" he threw himself into the leather chair that initially belonged to his father. But as long as the older man didn't arrive at the office, Jake took possession of it until that happened.

"What do you mean?" Sunghoon held back a laugh as he walked a little further into the office, throwing his body into the small armchair opposite the desk Jake was sitting at "A client with good money?"

"Better than that" he sighed, throwing his head back "This client wants to hire our services for two people, but the price is—"

"Jake, spit it out" Sunghoon said quickly.

"Bro, she'll pay two million" he looked directly at Sunghoon. That amount would cheer the boy up if he hadn't heard it before, or even been paid for it "For each of us, and for each of the two people we're going to kill."

Wait, that was new to Sunghoon. Two million for each of them, totaling two people to kill, so… Four million for him, and four million for Jake?

"Man, that's…"

"Insane, I know" Jake interrupted him as if he already knew what his friend was going to say. But something seemed a little off because he didn't have that much energy to say that amount. Normally Jake would have been bouncing around the room literally like a child, totally losing his hitman pose as he commented on the four million that would be playing around in his bank account for the next few weeks.

"What's wrong?" Sunghoon asked at once, noticing the change in his friend's mood as the seconds passed. Jake now looked a little uncomfortable in his father's chair and shifted his body a few times to try to find a comfortable position, opting to lean his elbows on the table and tilt his body a little.

"You know it's four million each, right?" he asked, watching Sunghoon agree "And that the percentage we give my father on each client is very small because, well, he already has a lot of money…"

"Speak up, man. You're stalling on something." Sunghoon wasn't out of patience, but he knew that Jake tended to talk too much when he was nervous. What could have happened to make him like this?

Jake nodded in agreement and continued to lean on the table, leaning towards Sunghoon, who settled into the armchair and imitated his friend's position on the other side. Leaning his elbows on the table and looking at the boy in front of him, who was now looking at his hands.

"A woman wants us to kill her brother and…" Jake slowly closed his eyes "Her niece."

Sunghoon felt a ringing in his ear and then his whole body tensed up. He couldn't explain why he had that reaction, but just mentioning that there was a woman for him to kill made everything seem completely out of place to him.

"You're kidding me, right?" Sunghoon asked.

"I really wanted to, man, I swear" he whined, watching Sunghoon's withdrawal appear little by little as he slid his arms off the table and leaned back in the armchair.

"And what did those two do to make her want to kill two people at once?"

"I don't know" Jake shrugged. "She hasn't told me yet, she's arranged a meeting and my father wants to go along. It's too high…"

"You two do it" he stood up, walking to the middle of the room before he heard Jake calling after him. Without turning around, Sunghoon closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He waited a few seconds before finally turning to his friend.

"I can't do this without you, bro. You know we've been working together forever" Jake began.

"But what are my conditions?" Sunghoon asked, and for a moment he saw a glimmer of regret in Jake's eyes. For mentioning or even thinking that his friend might do this kind of thing. Maybe the money had messed with his head a bit and he wouldn't deny it, but Jake knew Sunghoon well enough, he just wanted to try until he couldn't anymore. Even though he knew it would come to nothing because Sunghoon would never accept.

Silence was Jake's way of responding, not knowing exactly what to say because he knew Sunghoon's terms well. Everyone was aware and in agreement, so why change their minds at that moment?

"I just need your help, then" he said after some quiet time.

"I'm not putting my hands on either of you, be warned," Sunghoon said, a little angry about the whole situation until he saw Jake nod silently, implying that he had nothing more to say.

Then, as if on cue, he left the room and walked around the building in search of something to clear his mind of what had just happened. It was an unimaginable amount for him, but Sunghoon wouldn't go against his principles for it.

For the first time, he had refused something that Jake had asked of him. And he felt immensely awkward about it.

You could feel the migraine invading you little by little. The side of your head ached like never before, while your eyes stung and you tried your best to pay attention to people and their words of condolence.

It had been a week since your grandfather's death, and the only sincere tears you had seen – apart from your own – were those of your uncle. He was the closest thing to real family you had after your father's death a year ago. Having him around was comforting, especially as your family was driven by money and scandal. Everything revolved around social and financial status. Your grandfather's company was the focal point of all that arrogance in the family members.

But now, with his death and the will read, you had to assimilate that the only beneficiaries were you and your uncle, the one who was still crying over his father's death and trying to understand how it had all happened. And then there was him, a well-groomed gentleman who eschewed the stereotype of the rich old man and business owner who walked around with a glass of whisky in his hand. On the death certificate, his grandfather had died of cirrhosis, but you were surprised. Even though he wasn't a health professional, you could assume that this would be different, to say the least, since the old man had never drunk a drop of alcohol.

“This is terrible for your health” he once said. “Try never to drink more than necessary. And at parties, I promise to serve you the best natural juice.”

Those words always lingered in your mind because your grandfather was serious, in his own right, but he was very loving. You became so attached to him that you took an interest in the affairs of your grandfather’s company with a genuine gesture of helping him, which he appreciated.

Maybe that was what had made him put your name on that paper, inheriting half of the family fortune. While your uncle got the other half.

Millions and millions, or should say billions? It was so much money that you swore you would die and the amount would continue to yield in your account even though you used it almost every day. That was why you knew that some people who had always been there for your grandfather’s money were now furious because they couldn’t enjoy a single cent of it.

“We are so sorry for the loss of your father, Yvone” someone’s voice took you out of your thoughts, making your eyes dart around the people around you. A well-dressed woman with a tired expression was greeting your aunt. She didn’t have a trace of sadness on her face. That stranger seemed sadder than your aunt over the loss of her father.

“I’m sure you are too” she tried to fake a sad voice that you recognized from afar. Your stomach almost churned as she hugged the other woman.

Suddenly, your embarrassment became even greater, because your aunt's gaze was immediately on you. She seemed angry, with something bad inside her that immediately wanted to be directed at you. Your gaze soon turned away from her to try to find your uncle who was desolate.

Your steps through the environment were fast and precise, the sound of leather shoes against the devastated floor was inhibited by the sound of other people's voices and laments. You weren't running, but the things inside your body said very well that you seemed to be in a hurry.

Your eyes quickly spotted your uncle a little further away, sitting on a bench alone outside. You walked a little calmer towards him until you sat next to the man. He didn't need to look up to know that the only person with compassion in that family was you.

"I wish this nightmare would end" he said quietly, a sob breaking out of his voice when your uncle raised his head and continued to look ahead.

"I still can't believe it" you sighed. Your eyes are locked on the events in front of you. Some people were coming and going from your grandfather's mansion with small flowers in their hands or pieces of paper, like written notes of thanks. Of course, he wouldn't read them, he was dead. But it was a way of thanking everyone he knew, and the reading would be up to you and your uncle. The only ones who cared about the sentimental side of things.

"Do you think Yvone hates us now?" your uncle asked, finally looking at you. His eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets and bloodshot from his eyeballs, they were so red. You swallowed a sigh and just nodded.

"For the reading of Grandpa's will? Of course" you laughed humorlessly, listening to him accompany you.

As if summoning a haunting, just saying her name out loud made your aunt's figure appear in the doorway of the mansion. She welcomed people by trying to look sad or convincing whoever was arriving. Her eyes quickly fell on you and your uncle, further away from the house and sitting on a secluded bench. She didn't show any reaction but took her cell phone out of her pocket to do something you didn't even care about. Her attention was on the man next to her.

“I can’t be happy knowing that my father left all this for me and you” he ran his hands through his hair, almost pulling it out if it weren’t for your hands stopping him. You held one of his hands and kept it in your lap.

“It’s okay uncle, I’m not happy about this either” you said. “Money won’t erase anything that’s happening to the two of us, you know that.”

Of course, he knew. You and your uncle could sometimes say that you were born into the wrong family because you were the only ones who didn’t count on money. Even though you knew that your whole life revolved around it. Even though every interaction you had since the day you were born was driven by money. It wasn’t your fault for being born into a family like that, but you could deal with it and think about how you spent what you had.

“How about you come in and get a drink? I bet you’re thirsty” your uncle said quietly, making you look at him after some time of contemplation while still watching people entering and leaving the mansion.

“I think I’ll go in a little while, I want to stay here a little longer” you smiled sadly at the man as he stood up and just waved in your direction. Just as you knew when he wanted some time alone, your uncle was also able to understand when you needed it.

Leaving him and going back into the mansion, you saw him disappear among the little people who had now gone inside the house. You remained there, looking around that immense land that your grandfather owned. One of them, to be more exact. You remember playing with your uncle and your father to guess which was the largest land your grandfather had in his name. Of course, the two older men always let you win, even though it was a rather unfunny game. But it was one of the few moments when the three of you were together, aware of the money you had and trying to make good use of it.

Your body slowly shrank with a small gust of wind, indicating that the weather was changing from sunny to something colder and almost rainy. You looked up at the sky, noticing the clouds beginning to darken. Rain was the last thing you wanted, but maybe you needed it. To wash away all that heaviness you've felt since your grandfather died. Rain could help wash away the dirt that remained beneath your feet and wash away all the bad feelings and burdens you would face in the days to come.

The decision to go back inside wasn't so difficult as your body shrank a little more, curses spilling from your lips as you missed a coat or a blanket that could cover your arms. Just a tank top and silk pants weren't a suitable outfit for the moment, but it was the first thing you could think of to wear when your aunt summoned the whole family to pay homage to your grandfather at his mansion.

You got up from the bench and stretched your whole body, trying to shake off some of the day's exhaustion and thinking about how you wanted to go back to your apartment and take a shower. Get all those sticky, fake hugs off your body. Those words buzzing around in your head lamenting what had happened. No one there really cared, so you at least paid attention to the fake tears in front of you.

You walked in slow steps to the front door, trying to avoid walking in with anyone who might greet you. You didn't want to talk to anyone anymore, just to be there long enough to leave. But your steps were quickly stopped.

Feeling a hand around your waist, you looked up to find your aunt standing in the doorway just as something covered your mouth. It all happened too quickly. Your vision began to blur as you struggled against a body that seemed much bigger than yours. Your hands were useless at grabbing any kind of skin to scratch because the arms holding you were covered.

You don't remember much, but the only thing that didn't leave your mind before passing out was the cynical smile of the woman right in front of you.

“What did she ask for?” Sunghoon was exasperated, pacing back and forth as he looked at your unconscious body on the other side of the room.

“To torture her and get a video of her saying she wants to pass everything on to her aunt…” Jake began.

“First of all, I never agreed to this” he interrupted his friend, controlling himself as much as possible so as not to scream and wake you up. They had just taken off the masks and all the equipment when they laid you down on the small mattress with almost no foam.

“My dad just asked you to help me bring her in, I know.” Jake sighed. “I don’t want to do this either, but—”

“Dude, listen” Sunghoon looked at him. “We can deny this and say fuck you to those four million. Seriously, there’s no way we can continue.”

The desperation in his voice was completely real, Jake could feel it. He was also desperate about all of this, although it wasn’t something new for either of them. But the cruelty in how his aunt was making requests of them without even knowing them or having finished the job. How demanding she was and how she wanted everything to be done as quickly as possible. Sunghoon never had bad feelings about his work, he just went there and killed whoever was necessary. But as soon as he looked at his aunt through the gap in the mask and noticed her smile, the way she behaved in front of the people who were entering the house, without even noticing that he and Jake were carrying her to a black car with no license plate.

He didn't know what he was doing, he didn't know why he had accepted all of that. Sunghoon was breaking one of his biggest rules and all because of money? Four million wouldn't pay for his principles even if his job was one of the worst possible. He already had too much blood on his hands, but that didn't matter when you had a woman unconscious and almost ready to be killed by Jake.

Arguing with Mr. Sim was out of the question, he had already tried since he received the offer and saw the man's eyes light up at the amount. Even though he knew that Sunghoon's biggest criteria were at stake.

"If you're not going to kill her, at least help Jake bring her here" was the only thing he said after finishing the little discussion he had started. He couldn't win this one, he couldn't deny something that he had at least managed to keep going.

Now here he was, pacing back and forth and going over what your aunt wanted Jake to do to you.

For one lousy moment, Sunghoon felt a twinge of regret and compassion for you. Your calm countenance while you were unconscious and the way you seemed harmless, something clicked in his mind telling him that you weren't as bad as the woman said you were. Maybe she'd done the worst kind of propaganda just to make you look bad enough for them to kill you.

"Sunghoon, hey" Jake called out quickly, taking off his black glove and throwing it on the table "What are we going to do?"

"I already told you," Sunghoon sighed once again, stopping walking and feeling his throat irritated because he had already shouted at Jake the whole way "Let's give up that four million, it's not worth it."

"Is that all I'm worth?"

Sunghoon looked in Jake's direction and they both froze. Eyes wide, breathing almost labored as they searched for something to cover their faces. But it was too late. As soon as Sunghoon crossed the room and focused on you, there you were. You were sitting with your back against the wall, your hands tied by the ribbons perched perfectly on your lap. Your hair was completely messed up, but he could still see every detail of your face. How, even so, you looked very beautiful.

"Shit" Jake cursed softly, turning away while Sunghoon stood there staring at him. He felt his friend pull him a few times so that you wouldn't stare so hard at his face that you wouldn't recognize him if something went wrong. But Sunghoon simply couldn't move.

"It's okay, I've seen you. I've been awake for a few minutes" your voice was hoarse, perhaps from lack of use, and because you tried to scream before Sunghoon put the cloth over your mouth to force you to faint.

Jake hesitated to turn around but did so when he saw that his friend wasn't moving at all.

"If you say anything—" Sunghoon made Jake look like he was speaking rudely when he landed a weak punch on his arm. He didn't know why he was defending you like that, not least because that was Jake's role, to be rude at first and gradually hurt whoever was in front of them.

Knowing this, Sunghoon already sensed that he would start being rude until Jake's hands were on you to hurt you. And he didn't want that.

"What did you hear?" Sunghoon addressed you for the first time. His eyes still glazed over at your completely weak and staggering figure in front of him.

He noticed that your eyes were bright, maybe watery, and if you blinked a little more, tears would fall like waterfalls. He was already weak just knowing that he had done this to you, seeing you cry would do what to him? Sunghoon didn't want to know. That case was getting too emotional.

"Just the four million part" you moaned a little in pain as you moved and felt your back crack. That mattress was terrible and you assumed you'd been on it for a long time, but it wasn't important. Your mind was elsewhere and on how you were here, so before you could even think of anything, you asked "It was her, wasn't it?"

"Her who?" Sunghoon and Jake asked at the same time.

For a long minute, you were quiet, just thinking about the little interactions you had with the woman who was supposed to have done this to you. Your heart ached, that wasn't possible. You never thought she could do that.

"My aunt told you two to kill me," you tried to keep your voice steady, "did I?"

It was the turn of the two boys to be silent right in front of you. Jake moistened his lips and tried to find the words to answer you, pondering whether or not to be rude to you. Not least because he didn't want to be punched again by Sunghoon. He swallowed dryly and looked away a few times, wondering whether or not to tell the truth.

"I triple it."

"What?" Jake raised his voice, echoing throughout the room as he looked in your direction and then at Sunghoon.

"I say I'll triple that amount" you moved again, trying to find a more comfortable position on that shitty mattress that was making all your muscles ache "If you don't kill me."

Jake laughed. Nervously, perhaps, but he tried to look a little more cool as he walked towards you and bent down right in front of you. Knees bent enough to bring him close to your face. If you were in the best condition, you could lift your leg and kick him in the knee, only to stagger and fall backward. But you just wanted answers.

"Do you think we're open to negotiations, princess?" he shifted his gaze between your eyes and your mouth but remained in your gaze, which was still sparkling. Jake didn't want to seem arrogant, but that's how he'd been taught.

That's how he learned to deal with that kind of situation, listening to everything and every possible appeal before doing his job. But he never received a counter-proposal, especially one as high as that.

"I don't think you'll even get paid that four million, actually" you looked at him, your voice becoming more and more shaky, "but since the whole inheritance is with me, I'll triple it if you don't kill me."

For a second Jake looked back to Sunghoon for support at that moment. He knew that his friend would probably accept because it would give him the chance to never lay a finger on you.

"Instead, I want you to kill my aunt."

That turn of events was making Jake and Sunghoon's heads spin. Hearts pounding as you let a single tear fall down your cheek. You tried to look convincing and strong talking to two guys who were about to kill you.

But being able to protect yourself was one of the few things you learned because it wasn't the first time someone had approached you out of interest. So why not use the money you had to your advantage? You never thought you'd be able to do that kind of thing, but you'd try anything to make sure no one killed you.

And if the case was to have those who wanted you dead killed, then you'd start with that.

© ikeuverse, 2024. do not copy, translate or steal my stories.

[campbyler]

(tldr, i love you guys🫶)

I would just like to say that there are no words in the english language, no emojis in existence, and no expressions I can record for you to know that chapter nine has me feeling like I am on top of the world. Everything I asked for came true in a way that I cannot explain. Every trope I hoped for was carried through, and as much as I was sure they'd be used, they still caught me so incredibly off guard in the remarkable execution and slight twists that made the trope unique. You guys are exceptional writers, and if you choose to go down this path and make a career out of it, I am more than positive great things are in store for you. Even if this is just a silly hobby, that already shows great talent and devotion in you guys. To have been reading this since chapter two and see it grow so beautifully is something I will never let go of. The bar of expectations was in heaven, and I'm very sure I walked through the gates. My autism cannot handle the magnificence you've displayed here, and I will be yapping my pookies ear off about it for decades to come. I SWEAR on my heartstopper book collection that when this is over, I will print it out, create a cover and add it to my collection of gay literature. Since it's going to be at least 27 years until the next chapter (PLEASE take all the time ever I am being so serious🙏), I'm definitely going to reread this story about ten times while listening to Conan Gray because I swear you can relate ANY song of his to them. ANYWAYYY, it's getting late and I stayed up to read this because how can you NOT, but I have to sleep now or else I'll go back to having the sleep schedule of a toddler who's drank fifty gallons of fruit punch flavored kool-aid jammers. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take care of yourselves and have the loveliest day. I love this story so much, and I'm beyond excited to see its sorrow but graceful end.

Also idk if this is bad but every time I read a new chapter I get tinglys all over my body and I feel like exploding, is that normal? (I'm serious about this, do I need to go to a hospital)

i genuinely do not know how to articulate a response to this that feels adequate but please know i am SO grateful for the time you took to not only read the chapter but also leave a comment like this <3 this is one of the kindest things anyone has ever said in response to any fic i've posted and i've been cherishing it since it came in. thank YOU 💗💗💗

[leportraitducadavre]

What do you think about Rock Lee? I rewatched his fight with Gaara recently and feel very nostalgic. He was my favorite, but I only know realize that probably a lot of it came from this whole sympathy for the underdog. I wonder what you think of his character and how his story went 😊

Hi Anon.

I apologize for how long this took to reply, hopefully, my answer will satisfy you enough to oversee the time it took.

I'll be honest, I'll analyze Lee solely from the first part of the manga because it's when his character is mostly developed (I might add the second part later on, but for now, I'll focus just on the gënin timeline).

In order to organize the reply and my feed, everything will be put under the cut. Apologies for doing it but I don't want to have to deal with another claim on any of my posts.

Once this has been clarified, let's start analyzing Rock Lee

Introduction and First Impression

Lee is introduced in chapter 36 (Sakura's depression) -the beginning of the Chünin Exams. His first "interaction" with Team 7 happens when he stops Sasuke from fighting a proctor, and Sasuke notices that Lee's chakra is weird.

After that, he introduces himself to Sakura and asks her out, getting immediately rejected. By that point, we saw that the main point of the chapter is, like the title says, Sakura's depression, a condition that gets immediately fixed after Sasuke praises her.

From what we can see, Lee knows about Team 7 and each of its members; we aren't told why or how he knows, but we can infer that he looked for information of Kakashi's team when hearing of the prodigious Uchiha, as he mostly focuses on him.

After this moment, Lee seeks a fight against Sasuke likely because both of a sense of jealousy (he got rejected by Sakura not a few pages ago, and Neji was curious about Sasuke's identity); and as a way to prove to himself that he can beat those that are considered prodigies.

The reason why he wanted to fight Sasuke makes little sense, which is why I find it weird that people find Lee's actions as noble (most of it has to do with the fandom's hatred towards Sasuke), sure, they're young and their emotions can get the best of them, but considering his military training, Lee should have known better than to lash out to a boy he just met.

"I want to test the effectiveness of my techniques against the last surviving member of your legendary clan" (x)

The phrase is followed by Lee winking at Sakura, so his reasons to fight Sasuke go beyond testing his techniques. Lee, according to this interaction, knew about Sasuke's identity all along and investigated him in order to gain more information when challenging him.

Another thing we learn from his fight with Sasuke: Lee is willing to break the rules of his master and use a dangerous technique against someone younger than him and with whom he had never interacted previously if it means winning.

In addition to Lee explaining why Sasuke can't keep up with him despite having the Sharingan (x), we have the panels above: Why is Lee being so adamantly cruel to Sasuke? And no, I'm not talking about his words, he's explaining his technique -I'm talking about the move he is about to perform against him -someone who it has been proven already can't keep up with him. Lee is projecting all the frustration and hatred he has for Neji onto Sasuke, who shares the same "prodigy" status as his teammate.

[And sure, the reader doesn't know about Neji and Lee's dynamic yet -we are presented with that conflict at the end of the exams, yet the observation stands, I'm only providing the information in order to understand why Lee was so adamantly out of line].

He not only is being unfair but also abusive -had Gai not intervened, he would have injured Sasuke for no real reason other than because he wanted to prove a point to himself.

Like I said before: Sasuke couldn't keep up with Lee's speed, it had been proven that Lee was to win the fight even without using the technique he was about to try. His rival was pretty much defeated, yet Lee continued to elevate the level of difficulty of his attacks to make further and further damage:

1) Sasuke is trembling. Wouldn't that be enough reason to stop?

2) The victory had already been established previously to Lee's performing his ultimate technique. In addition, as I established before, because of its level of damage the move is strictly forbidden, however, Lee tries to use it regardless.

It's true that later on, he tells Sasuke "I was blowing smoke before" regarding the use of the Forbidden Technique. But since Gai interrupted Lee and punished him, it's not that far-fetched to think he isn't telling him the truth as of now. He even thought about it before starting the fight, so he was willing to use the "move" (we learn It was the Lotus technique a few chapters later) but was prevented from doing so.

Chunin Exams and his willingness to sacrifice himself in lieu of others

We see him again during the second stage of the exams jumping through tree branches and training (trying to catch leaves before they touch the ground to see if Sakura would love him), and after that, in Chapter 51 -when he saves Sakura from an attack from Dosu.

There, we learn that he's good enough to notice Dosu's pattern and fighting style (also being able to know when a genjutsu is in place), we also get to know how he got to learn the technique only he was able to study: according to Gai's words, neither Neji nor Tenten were able to master The Lotus (meaning, Gai seemed to have tried to teach it to all of them, only succeding with Lee).

The Lotus Technique consists of:

One use of the technique brings Lee to the brink of exhaustion, as we see here; Dosu hasn't been defeated despite his best efforts because Kazu used his sound techniques to soften the earth. Lee's speed, while inhumane, can't keep up with sound's speed. Kishimoto is quite great when writing fights, isn't he?

Lee is actually and quite literally in love with Sakura, as Tenten states, had Lee been alone when fighting the Oto-nin, he would have won. He's willing to sacrifice his life in order to save her from the Sound-nin, as she literally means "the world" to him.

The impression of Lee's sacrifice (and Naruto and Sasuke's, who are still unconscious at this point) is so significant for Sakura that she considers all of them her "teachers", and people whom she will and needs to protect. Lee's significance in Sakura's development has increased (and will continue to do so).

Later on, during the preliminaries for the Third Stage of the Chünin Exams, Sasuke shows that he was able to memorize Lee's fighting technique due to his Sharingan and also master his moves -despite not being able to keep up with him only three days prior.

In that sense, Sasuke thinks that he was able to live thanks to Lee and his moves. We are also able to see Lee's appreciation of the matter, and his new perception of Sasuke -it seems that his hostility towards the younger boy has dissipated.

When Tenten gets beaten and tossed aside by Temari, Lee jumps in order to both catch his teammate (showing the bond he shares with her) and to kick Temari for insulting her. It's something I introduced before when he fought Sasuke, but Lee is particularly emotionally driven -he's constantly reacting and giving in to his impulses. It's not until Gai tells him to stop that he does. Furthermore, Gaara calls Temari and says, "how long do you intend to trifle with that homely little prince charming?" and the way Lee looks is absolutely enraged, even if he can't retaliate physically.

Gai

Gai's character is so central to Lee that I've decided to make a separate sub-title solely for him.

1) Lee can't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. I know that we as fans know this already, but it doesn't hurt to have it written, since is the core of Lee's character. Furthermore, as Gai points out, Lee wasn't able to do anything; he literally had no ability or talent whatsoever -not even at Taijutsu, which Gai taught him.

2) While it's commendable of Gai to teach Lee and put him on harsh training to allow him to grow in a specific field -we're introduced from the get-go that Gai's methods are questionable. He's pushing Lee to an extreme training and, as we saw during his fight with Sasuke and the time he defended Sakura, Lee often refers (or apologizes) to Gai's figure; meaning, everything he does is to make his sensei proud.

3) In addition to the previous point, he taught Lee The Lotus move (which is a technique that opens the First Inner Gate, Kaimon, or Gate of Opening), a dangerous power that, as he explains, strains the body to such extent that it leaves Lee defenseless against another attack should he fail -as it happens with Gaara.

To counteract that problem, Gai taught him to open more than one Gate (remember, every single one is a forbidden technique) to his student (at this point in time, Lee can open five out of eight Inner Gates), Lee's achievement is so incredible, that even Kakashi calls him a genius.

[The explanation of the different Inner Gates inside the body. The Reverse Lotus (the second technique Lee uses, after not being able to defeat Gaara with the Forward Lotus, which opens the first gate), opens two more gates: Kyumon, which boosts his strength, and Seimon (Gate of Life).]

As we know, Lee loses his fight against Gaara because while his attacks proved to be effective against his ultimate defense, Gaara still possessed the Gourd -which he turned to sand to protect himself.

Lee's use of the Lotus technique, in addition to Gaara's attack (Sabakukyu), put such a toll on his body that he ended up "destroyed" enough to be told that he'll never become a full shinobi.

This is a direct consequence of Gai's teachings that never gets truly explored, as his actions are immediately dropped after Lee recovers.

4) I've mentioned before that Gai's character has such importance on Lee's development that he takes immeasurable risks in order to make him proud (being willing to sacrifice his body and keep fighting), but I haven't explained why:

Gai, unlike any other character before, is the first person who trusts Lee's capacity, who thinks (and tells him) about how great/strong he can become, and that he's a genius in his own way. Without Gai's encouragement (and specific training that I've already talked about) he would have never achieved the title of "Taijutsu specialist" that Gai gives him and everyone else acknowledges.

Regarding Gai's perception of Lee, besides the great lengths he went to ensure Lee's success, we also need to point out that Gai is the only reason why Gaara wasn't able to kill Lee. He was the only one who jumped in to protect him (which is the main reason why Gaara wants to kill him after, as he witnessed an act of love that he can't comprehend). The proctor Hayate, meanwhile, did nothing, as well as the rest of the jönins that jumped before to protect Hinata from Neji. In addition, Gai calls him (and only him), his "lovable, precious protégé!" (x) Furthermore, it's directly stated by Lee himself how important Gai's presence is to him (x, x), Gai not only gave him support, but he also gave him a goal to rely on (have a rival and work hard).

"If, by a one in a trillion chance, it ends in failure... I'll die with you!"

Source

Neji

Besides Gai, speaking of Lee without speaking of Neji is also another disservice to his character, since the entire reason why Lee pushes himself to train harder is that he wants to beat Neji.

Sure, the relevance of Neji isn't really as strong as Gai's, but that doesn't mean his presence isn't important when it comes to Lee's development.

We get to see how Lee recognizes Neji's strength, how he craves some sort of recognition from him (although that objective isn't as strong as Naruto's desire for Sasuke to acknowledge him), and how he puts him as a milestone to surpass and, as consequence, reach his goal.

We are even told that Lee's commitment to learning how to open the Inner Gates was a consequence of his desire to win a match against Neji.

Lee's Perseverance

I already introduced this notion, since the whole point of Gai's character is to introduce the idea of "hard work" surpassing natural geniuses, and we find this idea again on CH 93 where Sakura and Ino find him training outside the hospital after his defeat at the hands of Gaara.

He's so driven by his goal, that he overexerts himself and ends up fainting.

Once Tsunade returns to the village, she tells Lee that he won't be able to return to his Shinobi duties, as the operation she needs to perform in order to fix his spine has a 50% success rate, which incredibly depresses him to the point where his ninja way (hard work), isn't enough to take him off of that state.

It's incredibly sad because Lee's entire dogma has been shattered and he has, again, no control over his body or destiny; as everything relies upon Tsunade. For that reason, he seeks Gai's advice, who finally tells him to get the surgery despite the possible consequences, as losing his dream will hurt far more than dying. Furthermore, Gai promises he'll die alongside Lee should the operation fail, as his ninja way was to make him a "Splendid ninja" (x).

The great lengths Lee's willing to go to (not without the support of a very questionable mentor) in order to achieve his dream, putting in line his own life is very telling of the system's (and those that live by such system) priorities, as it teaches young children that their bodies and life alike are expendable and a sacrifice to be made in order to climb within the military ranks and become "useful" to the village.

[Lee's quality of life has been extremely lowered in lieu of his wounds, that's true, however, those wounds exist because he pushed himself too hard in order to please his commander; someone hypocritical enough to question Kakashi's decision to enroll his team in the Chünin Exams as he deemed them too young and inexperienced to participate, yet saw no issue in teaching forbidden and dangerous techniques to his own student.]

Lee's fight with Kimimaro brings, to me, nothing entirely new about his character other than introducing us to his poor tolerance of alcohol. We get to see how Tsunade succeeded with the surgery and how Lee, despite having spent months depressed and having just been saved by Tsunade's skills (without whom he would've lost his entire shinobi career), is able to "forgive" Gaara, as he's a powerful ally.

[animegirlsakurablr]

Shenanigans in the Grand Order, part 728

*deep sigh* And what do you mean by that, sir?

Oy vey, oy vey...

So, what you said (back then) is, essentially, an oxymoron?

And your semi-amnesia is goddamn pointless!

I feel like actual!Dobrynya would get along with Odysseus.

Heh, and he gets summoned to take care of a kid. And not just any kid... It's Koyanskaya.

And the (what feels like a last second) reason why she looks like Tamamo: Amaterasu came by (Why? Who tf knows) and granted her a life.

Anyway, this is now done. It's... not as awful as many make it out to be, but this chapter definitely has problems. It feels just so rushed. I know that story chapters and event stories usually have months to "wait in the oven", so to speak, but Tunguska felt like it only had weeks to prepare.

I'm not sure if it's because:

1) Sakurai also wrote the Christmas event and also this one, therefore writing two things back-to-back

2) Covid still causing some amount of trouble (remember, this originally came out two years ago on JP)

3) Sakurai was beginning to write Fate: Lost Einherjar and possibly being roped to be one of the writers for Samurai Remnant, and also possibly beginning to write the story for Summer 7

4) Some sort of combination to the above or some other reason

Like. I'm way more curious to what went on behind the scenes for Tunguska than I am for any of the other story chapters. Give me the goddamn tea.

Any positives? Beyond that it does end (albeit not in a satisfying way), Taigong Wang's nice, and the soundtrack introduced here is good too. And that's kinda it. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

And besides how rushed it feels, where do I begin with the negatives? The way Ibuki is given semi-amnesia, but the only characterization is "the party girl who is also the brute"? The two mounts who add nothing to the story? Why are there two halves of Koyanskaya now running around in Chaldea? Several characters repeating themselves ad nauseum- scratch that, that's sadly a Sakurai writing tick.

And oh man, Dobrynya and how Koyan came to be. I absolutely despise FGO's take on Dobrynya. Not only because it's yet another case of "it's this person, but it's actually that person!" (this case being the wife Natasha), but her design holds nothing to either of them - and what I mean by that is that her design is almost literally a recolor of her illustrator's FF14 OC. I am not kidding with that. And while that isn't particularly new, Raita did that before with Raikou. But here's the thing, Raikou - even with her "I can't take this character seriously because of her assets" design, she still fits in with where she came from in a more fantasy way. Dobrynya doesn't. And don't get me started with her coloration (oh yes, I want to be snow-blinded by a character's art /s).

And Koyanskaya's backstory... On one hand, being the embodiment of many animal souls because of a natural event (the Tunguska explosion) is a really interesting concept for a Servant, and I kinda want to see other kinds of concepts in the future. On the other hand, how it connects to her love/hate relationship with humanity is a load of crap. "Oh, the animals mistook the sound of the explosion for gunfire-" let me tell you how bullshit that sounds. Animals can be damn intelligent. They know what humans are. Several of them know in what way we do. They also can tell before any of us know when something is wrong, whether it be reacting to something that we don't see or when something like a volcano is going to go off. I don't know if the whole "animals mistook the explosion for gunfire" is something Sakurai herself wrote, or is something that Nasu wrote who just passed it onto her, but it really is just a bullshit reasoning for why Koyanskaya hates humanity. You could've made her the embodiment of something that humanity actually was responsible for, like Chernobyl for example. Just. Why.

I plan to get through Traum later this year, and then after that I'll be waiting for... LB7... Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay...

SQ used: 0

Revival stones: 0 (I wish to bonk the devs for not allowing the players to use the stones for main interludes with a bat)

[shirohige-pirates]

Hey Doll

CisFem Reader x Thatch

CW: toxic parents, manipulation, The Plan™, smut, mdni, I'll add as we go I'm kind of fly by the seat of my pants on this one.

tag list: @mfreedomstuff @harahettania @clumsyraccoon

Chapter 9: Peanut Butter

Please note that this chapter contains toxic messages about food. If you struggle with eating disorders please take care reading this chapter, as the words from the Reader’s parents may be triggering.

The events of the day before had been so exhausting, that you’d fallen asleep in the cab with Haruta so soundly, that when you woke up you were tucked into the guest bed at Edward’s estate, missing only your shoes. The duffel bags from the trip to your parents were covered with sticky notes. Some of the notes just said where the items had been, so words like “closet left” “closet right” were written on them.

A few notes explained how they didn’t want to wake you, but if you were hungry when you woke up there was a covered dish in the fridge that was all yours. You weren’t sure what time it was, only that it was dark outside, but then you remembered Thatch telling you about the alarm clock from your first night, and so you look over to see it’s three in the morning.

You must have been exhausted.

You’d be more mortified, but your stomach was trying to eat it’s way out through your ribcage. You hadn’t had dinner and your appetite had been in the gutter from nerves the last forty-eight hours. The relief yesterday had brought, however, had returned your appetite with a vengeance.

Opening the door to the guest room you were relieved to find the halls were lit well-enough. It wasn’t bright in the house by any means, but the soft dim light was enough. Your quiet footfalls sounded a little loud to your ears, but you weren’t walking heavy or jogging down the hall so you were sure you were being quieter than you thought.

The kitchen was lit brightly compared to the hall. A little pop card on the breakfast bar made you smile, warmth running through you. The hand writing was neat, and a little heavy, it made you think of Thatch out of all the other people in the house. The words too, since he seemed to be sincere in his concern.

Don’t worry about the time, eat if you’re hungry.

The reassurance was appreciated, but unnecessary. You were hungry enough you would’ve risked raiding the fridge for at least some cheese and bread, even without such express permission. Opening up the refrigerator there’s a plate with a couple layers of plastic wrap over it, and a smaller pop card that just said “Doll” in the same handwriting.

You wince a little, thinking maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to explain that nickname to Thatch as you pull the plate out and set it on the counter.

Admittedly, though, it was far more endearing when he said it. It would be nice, maybe, to be able to hear that word without feeling it twist in your gut. To wrest it from the hands of your parents and let it become something else.

Pulling the layers of wrap off the plate, you look at the collection of food available in confusion for a moment, before realization dawns on you. Thatch didn’t know what you liked eating.

The breakfast, while a little fancy at least, was pretty standard fare. Matchbooks didn’t include things beyond favorite foods and allergies, and the favorite foods part could be hit or miss. Seems he decided to play things safe.

There were some lightly toasted finger sandwiches, celery sticks with peanut butter in them and some with cream cheese. There was an assortment of meats and cheeses and crackers, like a very small charcuterie board. A couple of rice balls, wrapped in their own plastic with what filling was inside them written on the plastic, and two small cups, one filled with fruit the other with raw vegetables.

The assortment aside, how he managed to fit it all on the plate was amazing. It was all stacked carefully, some things tucked nearly under others. It was way more food than you could eat, even with as hungry as you were, but that seemed to be the idea. No matter how hungry you were, you’d be sated.

Picking up one of the cubes of cheese you looked it over. Probably cheddar, it looked orange and it was solid, so you couldn’t think what else it would be.

Don’t eat that, you’ll get fat, Doll. It’s hard enough keeping you in shape as it is.

You pop the cube into your mouth and chew. The flavor’s stronger than you expected, but it doesn’t taste bad. You remember something about the dentist saying it goes well on broccoli, and that the combination was good for your teeth. Even then your mother hadn’t relented.

You had no idea what the small cup of dip was, but it was a thick white base with green flecks in it, and you dipped a carrot in it before eating that. The dip was creamy and savory, a mix of herbs when you’d expected something with more of an onion flavor, like chives.

Don’t you dare dip those in anything! The carrots are bad enough on their own.

Cream cheese?! Absolutely not! Go mingle or something, walk off what you’ve shoveled into your mouth already.

The crunch of the celery was satisfying as the cream cheese pressed against your tongue. The celery was sweet too, not bitter like you’d expected. You didn’t know if that had to do with the age of it or not, but Thatch had pulled all the tough ribs out of it too, so maybe that made a difference.

It all tasted so good, but you were careful not to eat too fast. You didn’t normally have so much cream and cheese and you didn’t want to make yourself sick on accident. You moved the peanut butter celery sticks aside, wrapping them in the plastic. The smell of the peanut butter brought up bad memories, and you wanted to enjoy the rest of the food.

Eat all of it, Doll. Then we’re going to practice. Don’t worry, it tastes the same coming up as it does going down.

Stopping long enough to get yourself a glass of water, you unwrapped one of the rice balls and took a bite. You’d never had cold rice before, but it was almost kind of like dough, the rice was smashed together enough it didn’t crumble. It had a flavor not unlike what you knew from sushi, one of the few things you truly liked that your parents let you eat.

Your mother thought it looked elegant and expensive, but she always complained about the rice.

The filling, rice, and nori came together to make the entire thing delicious, and comfortably filling. You sat for a moment, looking over what was left, trying to decide if you really had more room or not. Your hunger was sated, but you couldn’t really remember the last time you truly felt full.

You flinch at the sound of someone clearing their throat and turn around to see Thatch standing a few feet back. He comes up to the side of the breakfast bar that you aren’t on and gives you a sleepy smile. His hair’s pulled back in a half-hearted ponytail, shorter lengths framing his face. He’s got a thin long-sleeved pull-over shirt on and a pair of sweats.

The suit from the first night hadn’t hidden his broad frame and sheer size, but the tighter shirt now and the sweats were highlighting his form a lot more.

It was nice.

Really nice.

“Been up long?” He asks, starting the task of making coffee.

“No,” you glance at the time on the microwave, though tearing your eyes away is a little difficult. “Twenty minutes or so. Thank you,” you say, and Thatch turns toward you, head tilted slightly. “For the notes. They were very helpful.”

“Good.” He replies, clearing his throat a little. “Want some coff- er, wait, juice maybe?”

“Some more water, if you don’t mind.” You slide the glass to his side of the bar, and look over the plate again. “Everything tastes so good I don’t want to mess up the flavors.”

A weird noise from Thatch causes you to look up. He’s got a hand on the glass, but hasn’t turned away yet. His face is frozen in shock for a split second before red blooms across his cheeks to his ears. He turns away quickly, failing miserably to hide his reaction.

“I’mma-just-get-you-that-water.” He mumbles, taking a moment to collect himself while he fills the glass before he comes back to the bar. You’re already eating the second rice ball, and he clears his throat. “It’s… been a while since someone complimented my cooking like that.”

“I can’t imagine people tell you it’s bad.” You say incredulously. You can almost hear your mother in the back of your mind, scolding you for speaking with the rice ball still at your lips, but the thought had struck you so hard it overrode your manners.

Thatch laughs, his embarrassment dissipating into something else. “Nah, but everyone gets used to a certain level of things. My brothers are used to my cooking, and people come to the pastry shop for it, so it’s, ah, not the same.” He scratches the end of his nose idly. “I’m glad you like it.”

His smile is warm. His golden brown hair, the deep green of his eyes - some part of your mind equated them to a forest, and all the comforts and peace to be found within. You look away when you realize you were staring, eyes shifting away in genuine shyness.

“… I do.” The words are quiet, and for some reason feel far more binding than words should feel for a conversation about food.

You continue eating, going slowly so you don’t get uncomfortably full. There’s an easy silence between you both, broken only by the ambient sounds of his coffee routine. He squirts something in it from a bottle he took from the fridge, and when he comes over to the counter you notice it still looks like black coffee.

“What was that?” You question, looking up from the coffee to his eyes.

“Huh— oh! It’s just a simple syrup. Water and sugar, boiled until it dissolves, cool it and it keeps a long while. It sweetens coffee better than sugar. Takes less.” He explains, taking a sip of the drink before giving you a smile. “If you ever want to try coffee I know a couple dozen ways to make it.”

“One day.” You say returning he soft smile, finishing the rice ball and leaning back from the plate.

Thatch pulls the plate-turned-tray closer to himself and rearranges everything until it’s stacked neatly again. He seems to do it almost automatically, the skills for arrangement and efficiency carved into his muscles a long time ago.

“All done?” He asks, making sure before he actually takes it away.

“Yes. Thank you so much. Not only was it delicious, it was very thoughtful of you.” You admit, fingers wrapping around the glass of water. It was something you could hold and focus on without worrying about staring at him again.

“My pleasure.” He says, setting the plate back in the fridge. “Well, today is set to go at your speed, doll.”

“Huh?”

“It’s almost four in the mornin’,” he starts to explain. “Pops’ll be up in about an hour, Izou shortly after. Marco’s at work, but he’ll be back soon, and Haruta slept over, but he’ll be up about the same as Pops.”

He takes a moment to stretch, arms going high over his head. You gape at the spectacle, at least for a moment, before you look back down at the glass of water between your fingers. He makes a few satisfied sounds, and you’re certain he’s completely oblivious, or at least mostly oblivious. If he really wanted to show off, you feel like he’d be more overt about it.

Probably by doing cheesy off-brand body builder poses with a big grin on his face.

The thought makes you smile and Thatch continues on with his explanation now that the stretch is out of his system.

“Ah, what I mean is, your things are still all in those duffel bags. I can load up the car, and we can go over to my apartment before everyone wakes up, that way you can have the whole day to start settling in. Or you can stay here for another day or two until you’re ready. I promise though, there’s a lock on the door that’ll be your room, and even if there wasn’t, I wouldn’t go in without permission, so you don’t have to worry.” He adds the last bit hastily, looking a little flustered. “It’s - whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“… Won’t it be rude if we leave before everyone else is up?”

Thatch smiles, shaking his head. “Nah, there might be some teasing, but they’d take it as a good thing. You’ve just… I mean, it’s been really loud and busy the last couple of days, and the apartment will be a lot quieter.”

You nod. “Quiet sounds nice.” You agree, feeling the heat rush into your face despite it all. “And, they say that spending time together is important.”

“Alright then, let’s get loaded up and leave these guys to their own breakfast.” He says, coming around the kitchen bar and offering his hand. “If you decide you want to come back here though, you can.”

“Come back here?” You question, taking his hand and tilting your head.

“If you get uncomfortable, or need to get away from me, I mean. Though, it might be easier to just tell me to leave, if you need some space.” He admits, as you both head to the guest room.

You smile. “I’m certain you’ll be a proper gentleman.”

“For you, doll,” he says, leaning down easy, and kissing the top of your head. “I’ll do my best.”

[snowbellewells]

1-6, 22, 42&43, and finally 50 for the Fanfic Authors Game. Thank you, ma’am!!

Oh Krystal @kmomof4 this took me a minute, but I'm so glad you sent asks - I haven't done any ask games for a while, and I always find them fun. Thanks for your interest (and I'll be sending some back your way! ;p)

1- What was your first fic and could you stand to reread it today?

My first fic was probably a PaceyxJoey revamp/divergence of the Dawson's Creek Season 1 finale. I had only recently even discovered that fanfiction existed, and everyone else I knew was convinced that I was crazy for thinking Pacey and Joey had the romantic chemistry rather than Dawson and Joey. Anyway, the fic was largely a way for me to vent my frustration and play out my vision of things. I'm not even sure there is still an existing copy of it today there, whether I would want to read it or not!

2 - What's your most recent fic and how far do you think you've come?

My most recent fic is my second entry for the @cssns24 event "For All Life and For All Time" (a Dracula AU). I'd really like to think that I've come a fair way in dramatic and atmospheric writing, as well as just writing a cute little love story for smiles. Though there is nothing wrong with fluff, I've been labeled as sweet for quite some time, so trying to add a bit more edge or danger and darkness to my works is a continual growing process, and one that I hope shows in this newest one as I go along.

3 - In your opinion, what's your best fic?

Goodness, I feel like that is a really hard question, K! I don't tend to feel like I really have a "best of" the way some of my favorite writers do. (For some reason it feels presumptuous when speaking of my own work) I do have ones I am more attached to or was more emotionally invested in writing, but I don't know if that makes them the "best" or not. I guess I might say "Tasting Forever" if pressed. It had such an incredible response when I first posted it - so far beyond what I had expected, and I am pretty proud of it when I look back at it.

4 - In your opinion and without looking at any numbers, what's your most popular fic?

Without looking to make sure, I would say probably "Tasting Forever" (see above) is one of the most popular, if not the most. It was at one time, at any rate. Before that one was written/posted, it was probably the two part "Under the Weather" which I wrote around the season three timeframe in the show, and was basically an excuse to have Emma take care of a sick Killian and hurry up and admit her feelings as well. The only other contender would be my first true CS/OuaT MC "I'd Know You Anywhere" which had Emma as a witness to a murder and Killian and Ruby as FBI agent partners assigned to protect her and Henry.

5 - Is there any fic that makes you super happy to reread and remember you wrote that?

I realize that this fic is incredibly niche and not many will ever read it, because it is not strictly CS (though they are supporting characters) and it's not even about a popular side pairing, but my BellexLiam short MC "Looking for a Heart (that's not Walking Away)" is one that I still read and smile about. I had a lot of fun imagining how I should characterize both Belle and Liam more fully and with the storyline itself. I am still really pleased with how it turned out and it's close to my heart, and the ending makes me grin happily whenever I reread it. I love it even more since @hollyethecurious created cover art for it as well.

I also feel that way about "A Year in the Court of Misthaven" (especially the first chapter with the Yule Ball) It just makes me grin imagining it. :)

6 - Is there any fic that makes you super embarrassed to reread and remember you wrote that?

Weirdly, since it's one of my more popular fics with other people, I have some embarrassment over "I'd Know You Anywhere". There are parts of it that I like and feel as though they turned out quite well, but there are also parts that seem rushed to me in hindsight, or plot holes, anomalies, and deadends that don't make sense. Maybe I'm being overly self-critical, but I feel like I could do a better job of it now than I did then.

22- Has there ever been anyone who's made you freak out because they read your work and followed/favorited/reviewed?

Oh yes, for sure! I won't try to list too many specific names, because I feel like I'd be bound to leave someone out, and I wouldn't want anyone to feel like their kind words and love weren't appreciated. Every single reblog, like, or comment is such a boost and huge compliment to me!! I will say though, that whenever someone 2who I regularly read and whose writing I admire takes the time to read something of mine, I am incredibly gratified and flattered.

And I doubt anyone who has received them would deny that your (yes, you, K!) real-time flails as you read are some of the best mood lifters and ego boosters in the world!!

42- How many views has your most popular fic gotten?

I'm going to guess this means on AO3? Are "Hits" the same thing as "Views"? Since that seems the most likely, that's what I'm going with here - Hits on AO3, in which case the one with the most is "A Cottage by the Sea" with 1,767 hits.

43 - Your least popular?

That would be my Ruby-centric OuaT one shot "Always Running" with just 46 hits (or views?)

50 - Has writing fanfic had a significant impact on your life? Would you say it's entirely positive?

Other than the amount of stress I put on myself when I can't update as quickly as I like or fear people may not like my newest post or addition, yes, I would say fanfic has been almost an entirely positive experience.

It's had a huge impact on me: it's kept me writing even as I've become an adult and had to get a "real job" to pay the bills. It's kept alive a show I adored, even though it's been off the air for someone six or seven years. Most of all, it has brought me some of the best friends in fellow fic writers that I have ever had! That last one in itself is one of the most incredible blessings I could imagine!!

[lovebillyhargrove]

Chapter 2 of "Wake me up when July is around"

Proofread by the amazing @dragonflylady77 thank you for your much appreciated help ❤️

Chapter 1

***

Notes: So, to avoid confusion: I've changed the timeline of canon events

Steve gets together with Nancy in spring 1984. In June Barb goes missing. Summer wasn't as fun as he had wanted it to be, obviously.

No fight with Jonathan, not yet. Jonathan hasn't developed the film yet. School was closed, summer was busy. They just got Will back, so he's waiting for September to develop the film when he gets access to the photography lab.

After that, certain events will start to unfold.

*** Billy's pov

As much as he hates being here, Billy's first day at Hawkins high is okay, all things considered. He is so beyond giving a shit, he just has to get through this year, it's not like he's desperate to make friends.

However, Billy won't mind a little fun, no harm in that. Especially when new acquaintances come looking for him. Also, getting through the year means taking each fucking day at a time, and even though he doesn't want to be talking to any of these people, he'll probably have to, eventually.

Motherfucking Hawkins. It's giving him a dull neverending headache.

During his first lunch when, as a new kid, he is of course sitting alone and feeling very comfortable about it, a couple of girls get close to his table. The one with light brown frizzy hair is clutching her tray nervously but is brave enough to start a whole conversation, although Billy can see the blush hiding under the layers of makeup. Come on, sweetie, I don't bite.

Or do I ?

"Hi."

"Hi." Billy is looking at her like he's looking at the dazzling sun, smiling languidly and squinting his eyes a little, letting his eyelashes do the dance. Add the husk, add the drawl, which he doesn't have to force, it comes naturally. The girl stutters.

"Are .. are you n-new here?"

"Yeah. Just moved from California." He should probably go easier on her, so he stops with the lashes.

"Oh, California? Wow. Uhm .. I'm Vicky. This is Tina."

"I'm Billy."

"Hi, Billy. Nice to meet you." Tina's joining in.

"The pleasure is all mine."

Billy can feel that practically all the girls' eyes in the lunch hall are on them.

"We wanted to ask you if you're free next Saturday cause I'm throwing a party. You know, the beginning of senior year. Uhm .. you are a senior, right?"

"Why, do I look like a freshman to you?"

Both girls are giggling. Billy knows how to party, so he's gonna say

"Yeah, I'm free next Saturday."

"Okay, great!" Vicky would be clapping her hands now if not for the tray. "I'll catch you later for the details?"

"Sure. Thanks for the invite, gorgeous."

Gorgeous is an exaggeration, but Billy always aims to please the ladies.

"See you around, Billy."

Tina is whispering something in Vicky's ear, and they again giggle sweetly, walking away.

Billy notices later that the dark-haired one, Tina, apparently is taken, cause a tall athletic-looking guy is hugging her and kissing her on the lips. He throws Billy a glance like a warning to stay away from his girl.

Noted. Billy's aware of the no trespassing signs.

Trespassing is super fun and risky, but it has to be really worth it.

Billy sips cola from a can and looks around the place absentmindedly. A usual scene, nothing extraordinary. There are guys from the basketball team, nerds, geeks, loners, all types of kids.

He misses being at his school in San Diego like crazy, sitting together with his buddies, listening to their stories about the summer, making plans for the year.

Fuck you, dad. I didn't want to move. I liked the way things were, but you just had to do it, didn’t you? Had to fuck up my last school year, the last year I'm under your roof and control.

Billy's eyes land on that jock who he's seen in the parking lot, again surrounded by the same company, a frail girl with brown hair, his girlfriend obviously, although ... something seems to be wrong there. Billy might be a dumb teenager but he's pretty good at reading people and the situation. He'd give them a couple of months, three tops. The other couple? The guy with freckles and his bitchy half, the one who's been flashing interested looks at Billy across the hall now and earlier in the parking lot? These two are solid, you can tell right away, despite his girlfriend's alluring glances.

If he puts a little effort into it, he'll be fine here. Even if he doesn't, he'll still be fine.

***

Or not. Jesus fucking christ. These small-town morons can't play basketball, like at all. He gets to know Tommy and Andy and Roy and other guys from the team during their first practice. Coach Nelson shows a spark of interest in Billy when he hears California. He doesn't seem super excited to be back to work at the beginning of the new school year, but who would, with this bunch of losers.

That stuck-up polo shirt guy is apparently captain of the team. Steve Harrington.

Give me a fucking break. More like a pretty bitch, busy styling his hair ninety percent of his time. Captain, my ass.

After the introduction and a long warm-up coach splits them up into two teams. Skins and shirts, let's go. Billy takes his shirt off and feels proud of his sculpted tanned body. Fucking superior. Everyone here definitely needs some sunshine and work outs. How uninteresting. No wonder the honeys are already throwing themselves at Billy, with such a gloomy landscape to look at. They play for like ten minutes and Billy is trying his best not to destroy the other team completely. Like, he's trying his hardest to let other guys show what they've got but

They haven't got much.

Faaantastic. Guess he'll glow here as well, like the bright ray of motherfucking sunshine that he is.

He can see that while the others are mostly looking at him in awe, as if he was some NBA super star, the captain? Steve .. what? Hair-rington? Ooohh, the captain is pissed, even though he's doing his best not to show it. That bratty curve of his lips says everything without words. Billy can feel the vicious energy here — the dislike, the jealousy? Something's definitely off, and Billy thinks there will come a time when the rich boy's gonna have to meet his fists.

Well, you better learn how to play, sucker, and hold that attitude back, or you'll get your ass handed to you for the whole fucking year.

The coach is whistling.

"You see, boys? That's how they play in California! Hargrove, you said, right? Billy Hargrove?"

Billy is nodding while going off to the showers. The skins have won, of fucking course. He has won.

With the amount of time Billy has spent on the streets playing basketball? He'll wipe the floor with these snotty idiots. Every damn game.

The idiots don't seem to mind that much. Only one is boring a hole in his back during the shower. What the fuck is his problem. If he's got a huge dick, which he does, he thinks he's king of the world? Billy's not small himself, so. Just learn to play the game, asshole, and maybe the attitude is not gonna be an issue. All the boys, even Tina's boyfriend, Andy, are like "Go Tigers" and "Maybe now we're actually gonna win some fucking matches", but the captain still hasn't said a word to Hargrove, which is very strange.

Tommy, the freckled dude? He's all over Billy. Asks him if he's gonna be at the party on Saturday. You wanna be best friends with me?

I don't think so.

***

Max is on time for the pick-up after her classes, and thank fuck for that, because Billy is not in the mood to be having siblings squabbles right now. He's speeding again, but just a teeny tiny bit. Still needs to find out the whole police situation here. Bets they have a very stern sheriff patrolling the roads.

"First day okay?" He's muttering through clenched teeth.

What the fuck is wrong with him? Does he want to talk to her? No. Then why the fuck?

"Fine."

"Anyone gave you shit?"

"No. Everyone seems friendly."

Alright, Billy's just checking. He couldn't care less about what's happening in the red-haired dweeb's life.

She's not his sister.

***

When Neil gets home, they all gather for family dinner. Neil likes it that way. Billy hates it with all his heart.

"How was your first school day, son?"

"It was good, dad."

Oops.

"Sir."

"I expect you to be on your best behavior here, do you hear me?"

When the fuck am I not on my best behavior.

"Of course, sir. I understand."

That's it, that's the conversation. Susan then asks Max about her day and Billy zones out. He hopes they aren't gonna sit at the table together every fucking day. Back in San Diego such dinners happened, but thankfully not every evening. Neil had different shifts, and Billy always tried to sneak away to shoot some hoops or go to the beach. It's been a week of such numbing dinners already, and Billy truly hopes he'll find an out.

He helps Susan with the dishes, and goes to his room. They already have some homework, not right for tomorrow but he can do it now since there's nothing else to do in this fucking town anyways. He's gonna ace all of his subjects if it goes on like that.

When Billy gets under the blanket and closes his eyes, he hears the ocean waves whispering their magic on the beach sand. It lulls him to sleep, and Billy dreams of the hot asphalt and the sun burning down on him. He's driving around in swim shorts and a tank top, cigarette between the lips, music blasting, flip flops on his feet and sand in his car.

Free.

***

In the next couple of days, Billy is already sitting with the guys from the basketball team during lunch, surrounded by Vicky, Laura, Katie, Tina, all the prime ladies of Hawkins High.

He can do absolute fine without all the attention, but if it's coming to him that easy, why not take advantage of it?

Billy wants to call his friend Nick so bad, but interstate calls are fucking expensive, and Neil is definitely gonna be mad when he sees the phone bill.

Billy has some cash saved from his San Diego jobs, but that's like ... for emergencies, until he finds a job here. Dad gives him an allowance, mostly because he drives Max around, well, and lunch at school, but that's it. Susan sometimes slips him a couple of bucks extra for gas, Billy spends it on cigarettes and beer. He thinks it's her way of saying sorry. For not seeing the problem. Whatever.

Billy needs a job. Needs to ask around. He'll get to it, soon.

*** Steve's pov

Steve is actually feeling pretty good at the start of the year. He's got a girl, his friends, this is his last year at Hawkins High which he is King of. He's a senior now, so he's got serious stuff on his mind like graduation and applying to colleges which, he fears, is not gonna go that smooth, but anyways, he's feeling good. Okay, the accident with Barb was terrible and it weighs him down, and Nancy sulks sometimes too much or gets in a mood, but hey, where was his fault in that? Exactly. It's not like he killed the girl. No-one knows what happened. It's creepy as fuck and Steve has never swum in his pool alone since that time, but nobody knows exactly what really went down in his backyard that night. Maybe she'd wandered off and got kidnapped by a maniac in the woods. The police have no clue. Steve doesn't either.

Steve can see that his friends still don't like his girlfriend, and she doesn't like them, but it's fine for now, they tolerate each other. He doesn't know how long it'll last though.

Anyways, he needs to focus on what's important this year. His parents have been nagging him with endless questions about his future - that is, when they are around. Steve's best shot is at a sports scholarship, he's not only King here, he's also captain of the Hawkins Tigers. They aren't a very prominent team, that's true, but .. the title is still his.

There's one little thing that's been on his mind for a few days already, and it's a bit of an annoyance. Like a splinter you catch by accident and then it poisons your entire existence until you take it out. That new guy, Hargrove or something. Steve doesn't like him. He plays basketball too well, he's smart and has all the girls spun around his finger, he looks too good. Other guys seem to like him. Steve doesn't get it why they do. He's a show-off, a fucking nobody. An exotic thing, who soon will stop being so interesting. Until then, Steve will have to put up with his bullshit, but the problem is, it’s been a week of school and he's already had enough. Hawkins High doesn't need a guy like Hargrove. It's got its current King, and Steve wants to be crowned at prom. He's studied in this school all twelve fucking years, so that's his god given right. There's a potential danger in Hargrove, like he just might ruin Steve's game, and that's not what he needs this year.

He doesn't like the dude. The mullet is atrocious. There's something in his whole look and his entire being that just puts Steve off. It's annoying, like an irritating itch.

***

The party at Vicky's place is loud and buzzing with all the summer energy that's still left in everyone's veins, multiplied by the last year of school drive. The doors of the house never close, it's a warm evening, and people are going in for a shot of excitement and deafening music, and out for a breath of fresh air. There's no keg, cause Vicky's cousin promised to get her one, but something went wrong, and he didn't deliver. The hostess is devastated, however, the hiccup turns out to be less of a problem than Vicky imagines it to be and is soon forgotten. People get drunk anyways. Punch saves the party. The crowd still needs some kind of a show though, so at some point Tommy shouts he's gonna arm wrestle Hargrove, and the entertainment begins. Everyone gathers round the dining room table.

Steve's with Nancy, sipping punch and watching how the new guy easily beats Tommy, Roy, Rick, Andy, Kevin, Johnny, Adam and Ryan. Against his will Steve has to agree that Hargrove looks good. He's wearing dark blue jeans and a black button down. His chest is out in the open, the right side of the shirt is tucked into those tight jeans while the left one is hanging loose. The pendant on his tanned chest is glistening. His mullet is a wild mess, like he didn't even brush it after getting out of bed in the morning.

Steve always styles his hair.

"King Steve!!" Tommy's drunkenly hollering. "King Steve, everyone!" and the crowd joins him.

Nancy is rolling her eyes, slightly, but Steve sees it.

"Promise me you'll take me home after this?"

"Why, you don't want to stay?"

"I'd rather study. We have this big project in Chemistry coming up."

"Are you sure?"

"Steeeeve. You know I don't really like all of," - she's gesturing around - "this."

God, she's always like that. Okay, Steve's happy he's with her, but why can't she just have a little bit of fun?

"Yeah .. Yeah of course, I'll drive you."

Nancy is looking at the red plastic cup of punch he's holding. There's a question, but Steve has been expecting this look all along

"Don't worry, it's just my first one, and I'm not drinking anymore."

Steve puts the cup down.

Tommy is already putting his arm around his shoulders

"Listen, man, the guy is crazy strong..." Tommy's punch scented breath is all in Steve's face. "You gotta show him that Hawkins still got it. You're our last hope. Whip his ass!"

Steve gets dragged to the table where Hargrove is waiting for his next opponent.

Harrington sits down opposite him. He can see that Hargrove's more drunk than he is, it's in the glint of his eyes. Deep blue.

Why is he paying attention to the colour of this asshole's eyes, anyways.

Hargrove's elbow is already on the table, expectant.

He's not saying anything and Steve's silent as well.

He puts his left arm on the field, and the battle begins.

Hargrove's hand is warm, hot even, and dry. Steve's slightly embarrassed cause his hands are just a bit sweaty, and getting sweatier under Hargrove's hard stare. The dude's grip is like iron.

Fuck, it's impossible to win, but Steve's trying, putting all of his body strength into the push. Hargrove's immovable and there's a disgusting smirk on his face

"The King doesn't like losing?"

"Fuck you."

With one swift motion Billy brings Steve's arm down. The crowd is whooping, Tommy's going insane.

"No, loser. Fuck you."

Billy's standing up and yelling.

"Anyone else?"

The guys are laughing, shaking heads and clinging to their alcohol. The party goes on, Vicky comes up to Billy, all flustered and touching his bicep. Harrington can't hear their conversation, but he knows it's something stupid like Wooow. Oh my god, Billy? .. You're sooo strong.

Lift me up with your strong arms and carry me upstairs.

Something like that.

Steve remembers about his promise to Nancy, and searches for her in the crowd.

***

He comes back about half an hour later to see the same scene, only everybody's more drunk. The majority of people are dancing, some have gone upstairs. Steve's gonna miss these stupid teenage parties. He should also throw one this year, for old times' sake.

Hargrove is nowhere to be seen. Steve thinks he's already slipping his dirty paws in Vicky's panties in her room, but then he sees Vicky all sad and disappointed near Tina who's trying to console her friend. Turns out, Hargrove ditched the party early, sending all the girls' hopes down the drain. Harrington is slightly amused. The Californian beach boy needs to get in bed in time for his beauty sleep? Who does he think he is, really, playing hard to get?

*** mixed povs

God knows what has gotten into him, but on Monday, at the beginning of History class Harrington sticks his foot out when Hargrove's passing him on the way to his desk. Just to mess with the Californian macho man. Maybe he's gonna trip and make an ass of himself. For funsies.

The asshole pays attention though, and sees it. Stops.

"Get your foot out of my way, dickhead."

"If it's in your way, I dunno ..." - Steve's shrugging his shoulders. "Just step over it."

Billy is aware that the entitled polo-wearing piece of Indiana cowshit wanted him to trip. What kind of kindergarten game is that? Are you for real? Dumbass.

He grabs Steve by the collar and gets closer to his pretty boy face.

"Mr. Hargrove!! The lesson is in progress."

Shit.

"Oh? I'm sorry, Mrs. Jenkins."

Mrs. Jenkins is as old as the first Pilgrim who stepped on the blessed new land.

"Just some trash on the floor. Must teach the kids to pick up after themselves."

He lets go of the collar and pats Steve's shoulder. Kicks Harrington's foot out of the way so hard it hurts.

Tommy is grinning like an idiot. The whole class is watching.

Billy takes a seat.

"I apologize for the interruption, ma'm. You have my undivided attention."

Shows Steve the middle finger the moment the teacher turns away to the blackboard.

Mother.

Fucker.

Harrington is fuming. It's like he doesn't have enough problems already.

***

Chapter 3

[writing-till-i-am-dead]

Sunny meets Camp Halfblood

Chapter 2

Chiron hovered over the boy in the bed. When Dionysus had brought the mysterious lad from the woods, everyone had seen. So now, a crowd of curious children are peeking their heads through the windows of the infirmary. "Annabeth-" Chiron started, sounding exhausted. The young blonde girl- who through years of acting as her father role, he knows is beyond trustworthy to be here, watching the boy- nodded her head. "I'll take care of it." She stepped outside, clapping her hands together. "Cmon everyone! Get a move on! Apollo kids, you're supposed to be at horse riding! Ares kids, quit arguing! Go!" Percy, the boy who everyone knows can't keep his nose out of anything, so Chiron didn't bother kicking him out, laughed. "That's my girl," he said, watching his girlfriend, Annabeth. "Isn't she something?" Chiron merely nodded and turned his attention back to the young boy. "His eye.." He slowly removed the patch to examine what lies underneath. He wasn't expecting such a shocking sight. In his socket was no eye, just a dent in his head where one should be. Along the dent was a large, grotesque scar, very fresh. Percy peered over and winced. "Yikes. Wonder what happened to the poor kid." Annabeth walked back in an glanced over at the boy and sucked in through her teeth. "He must've been attacked by a monster." Though, Chiron didn't seem so sure. "I'm not sensing any sort of demigod attributes to this boy. He feels.. mortal." "But if he's mortal, then how did he get in?" Percy asked matter-of-factly. "That's what I can't seem to figure out... Mr. D!" Chiron called out to the camp's director who had found the mysterious boy in the woods. "Do you know anything about this child?" Mr. D looked up from his game of solitaire, very annoyed to have to be involved in something he really doesn't want to be involved in. Which is anything that has to do with Camp Halfblood. "Of course I do." "Is there anything you can tell us?" "I don't feel like it." "Are you serious?" Percy spat. "Why are you being so stubborn." "Listen here, Peter Johnson. I am the god of madness and insanity. When a person goes crazy or is manic or anything like that, I know. But I have a line not to cross. I don't tell people about it." "That's... actually very responsible," Annabeth said, very surprised by the god's maturity. "Also because I don't like getting involved in whatever you mortals are going because it's a stupid waste of time." "Aaaaaand there it is," Percy said, rolling his eyes. "Wait," Annabeth cut in. "You know mortals if they are manic or crazy or whatever?" "Yes," he said, clearly wanting this conversation to end so he can continue to be left alone. "So.. this boy.. is he-?" "He's a bit manic, yes. Not a danger by any means, though." Everyone else in the room exchanged suspicious glances. Not a danger, sure. To Mr. D, who is an all powerful god. But to them? They might not be so lucky. But before they could decide what to do about the now potentially dangerous boy they have harbored in their infirmary, they heard a light groan from an unfamiliar voice. "Sounds like he's back in reality," Mr. D said nonchalantly as he adds a 3 of clovers to his clovers pile. Annabeth drew her dagger and Percy prepared his pen, Chiron moving his wheelchair back, reading to jump out of it if need be. The boy sat up, revealing just how pale and sickly he looks in the light. His eye was dark with thin black hair hanging in his face. He kind of reminded Percy of Nico, just more.. sickly than scary. The boy blinked a little, his eye adjusting to the light before looking up at the people who surrounded his bed. It took him nearly 30 seconds to realize that he was actually in danger. But instead of screaming or crying or asking questions, he froze up and laid back down. "If this is Hell, and you're here to punish me for what I've done, please just make it quick..."

[magicalqueennightmare]

Sins & Amends Chapter 22

Billy Russo x Female Reader (60 part story)

This follows pre- the punisher into the storyline of daredevil, punisher season 1 and beyond

This is NOT Canon Billy. This is decent human being Billy left with bad options over worse decisions

This was also posted to A03 under: WaywardGaPeach. That account and this one is the only place you'll see me post this. If you see it on any other platform/account know it's not me.

Chapter Summary/Warnings: Matt and Foggy gear up for court while you continue to help Karen behind the scenes

"When's the trial set?" Alice asked while the two of you finished doing inventory of your rig for the next shift coming in. "Jury selection was today. I'm headed to their office as soon as I get off" you replied double checking the narcan to ensure there was enough. 

 Alice was quiet for a moment so you glanced over at her "Spill Alice. I know there's something bouncing around your head begging to escape" she let out a harsh breath seeming to struggle with what she wanted to say next or the wording at least "Y/N I just want to make sure you're safe. I mean.." Her voice lowered to a whisper and she leaned across the gurney as if she was worried someone walking by the ambulance in the bay may overhear what she was going to say next.

You leaned forward instinctively before she continued in a whisper "Apparently you were right all along. There was a lot more to that day than was told publicly. If Frank doesn't want you testifying there's a reason and as your friend and partner I feel like I need to give voice to the concern of whoever was behind that day figuring out what you know or suspect and coming after you. I know you want to be there for Frank, I get it but what do you think it'll do to him if he loses you to whatever this is? What do you think it would do to me, Kenzie and Curtis?" 

What were you supposed to say? That you weren't worried about just that? Hell that would be a lie. You knew that at any given time whoever was behind the enormous cover up could find you through the same channels Karen had even before Foggy and Matt told her who you were. You knew that no matter the fear that you couldn't exactly cower either that wasn't who you were.

You also couldn't exactly tell her that one of Frank's lawyers was none other than daredevil either and that gave you some extra security at least while in his presence. Add that to the list of things you had to keep tight to your chest.

So you went with the only card you had to play "I'm going by what Frank asked of me. I'm keeping my face out of the public spotlight. Karen, Matt and Foggy are the faces. I'm behind the scenes where I have promised you, Frank and Curt I will remain. You're not getting rid of me that easily babe" 

She smiled softly "Good. I'd hate to have to break in a new partner and there's no one on earth like you" you started to say the same about her but when she added "Promise me you'll start carrying that gun when you aren't on shift. I know he made sure you can handle it" you cracked a small smile "Yes ma'am. I promise"

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

When Kenzie came to pick Alice up you knew it was lost cause telling the two of them that you could walk home then take a cab to the law firm. 

They insisted on driving you to your apartment to change into street clothes and then drove you to the law firm as well.  When you started to climb out the car Alice cleared her throat and nodded to your bag. You knew what she was asking so you patted it. "I'll call one of you later ok? I promise" "stay safe sweetie" Kenzie said with a smile and Alice added "We love you"

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

When you walked through the doors of the office Foggy leaned out from the conference room "Y/N you may as well join us and give an opinion" you weren't surprised that you'd yet again caught Foggy mid sentence yet he was acting as if you'd been there the entire time. He had a habit of doing that but you hadn't known him long enough to tell if it was just with you or an everybody type of thing.

You smiled at Karen and told Matt hello as you took a seat next to Foggy. "Ok what am I giving an opinion on?" Karen and Foggy exchanged a look when Matt spoke up to say "Will Frank agree to an insanity plea?" 

You didn't try to stop the laugh that bubbled from your lips. Karen looked a bit confused, Foggy looked flustered and Matt seemed just slightly amused.

You knew staring down a normal blind man wouldn't do any good but something told you Matt could tell how ridiculous you found that suggestion "Look I'll be honest if I thought it'd keep him out of prison I've got a friend whose a psychiatrist but Frank's not gonna agree to that. He wasn't out of his mind. He knew who he was going after and he knew why. I just don't think he's gonna say yes but please by all means if you think it'll help him chase that lead. I'm pretty much here just to tell you about who the real Frank is and to help dig through case files"

Matt nodded then scratched at the back of his neck "Well since you're here Y/N can you think of anyone Frank would let us put on the witness stand?" You knew he didn't want you or Curtis anywhere near the courthouse, not that you could testify to any ptsd defense considering you only knew half stories of what had went down overseas.

Billy's name popped into your head but you shoved it down, if he had wanted to help he would've already offered it before now. "His commanding officer is still alive? Schoonover I don't remember his first name. He'd testify as a character witness for Frank and could speak as to what went down when Frank was awarded the Navy cross" 

Karen scribbled a note down then smiled across the table at you "That's good Y/N" then she cut her eyes at Foggy "I'll go talk to Frank. Bring up the ptsd and insanity plea and also get Schoonover's first name" Foggy nodded at her then motioned to you "Look over these questions before they're took to Frank?" You stood to follow him into his office.

You glanced over the questions and shrugged "I don't see why he'd have trouble answering any. I mean his memory is still a little off from the bullet to the head but Foggy Frank's not a bad guy. He's not a psychopath" he took the notepad back from you and stared down at it for a moment before he finally met your eyes "You feel like hanging around? Give me some of the insight on Frank that you've given Karen?"

You let a small smile slip onto your face. Something told you Foggy wouldn't go down in a courtroom without one hell of a fight "Of course"

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

You were sitting cross legged on the floor by Foggy's desk. Matt had left on some errand or another, you and Foggy both knew it was something vigilante related.

You had been going over the photos from multiple different crime scenes. They were the men who had ripped Maria and the kids from the world. You honestly didn't care if they were dead but what had caught your attention was the x-ray of Frank's head.

You'd known he got shot that day, had even seen the scar one of the many nights you patched him up yet seeing the hole in his skull hit you differently. 

Karen had joined the two of you with takeout and was sitting across the room. She'd gotten Schoonover's first name but Frank had said exactly what you expected, no ptsd plea. He'd also sent a message back by her telling you to stay as far away from the trial as you could or he'd refuse representation.

The three of you had been working for hours in silence. Foggy's best idea for a line of defense was to find some way to bring the altered medical examiner's reports into evidence although it appeared any record of the so called ashes you'd been given had been wiped from any record.

"What was he like? I mean before the mass murderery Frank?" Foggy asked and when you cut your eyes up at him he shrugged "Sorry I meant before his family, your family was slaughtered?" You laid the x-ray down and pulled your bottom lip in between your teeth.

Karen saw the real Frank somehow she grasped who he really was and Matt had fought alongside Frank. While Foggy had said there may be a chance if the cover up involving the massacre could be brought to the light you knew you needed to help him see the Frank you knew, the Frank Karen somehow had seen under the rough exterior of the punisher.

"Frank the day I met him was sitting under a tree, strumming a guitar and singing" Karen cracked a broad smile and Foggy looked genuinely shocked "Singing? Was he any good?"

You laughed thinking back to that day long ago "God he was horrible but the moment his eyes met Maria's I saw the spark there. When she got pregnant three months into them dating he stepped up, no hesitation whatever. I was a stray Maria and her family had chosen to take in, Frank was no different he took me as a little sister. That man was one of the best fathers I've even seen. He beat himself up a lot for being gone but when he got stateside god you would've thought it was every holiday rolled into one. He was an amazing husband. He always would call me when he was gone to double check on Maria to make sure she was ok. And it wasn't just Maria and the kids. He was always there for me" you could feel tears threatening to escape your eyes but took a deep breath and continued;

"He'd back me up when I needed it and support me when he knew I could handle it on my own. Frank is and will always be the type of man who'd lay his life down to save innocent lives. He loves with everything he has. The day everything happened I was supposed to go with them, I should've been there. Frank is a trained marine lieutenant. He's handled himself in so many war zones but look at that x-ray. He let himself be shot and you know why? He was holding his daughter in his arms while everything that was her spilled out onto the ground. He wanted to die and the damn universe wouldn't grant him that. He woke up to a world with his family gone and the people who had taken them alive. Hell he's still protecting me by not letting me testify. He's not a murderer he's just a man who's went through hell and is still enduring it every second"

You closed your eyes for a moment trying to compose yourself and when you opened them both Foggy and Karen were staring at you. "What?" "Damn I would love to have you on the witness stand" he admitted which made you and Karen shake your heads.  "No I just meant you know him so well. I mean I get we don't want your life at risk and damn sure can't trust the district attorney but we somehow have to make the jury feel about Frank the way you just described him"

You shrugged and wiped your eyes "Well Mr Nelson I believe that's your job sir. I'm just a paramedic" "Thanks for the vote of confidence Y/N" he replied with an eye roll but the slight smile also told you that your words had an effect on him.

By the time all of you headed out the office to go towards your separate apartments it was leaning closer to morning than night. "Sure you two will be ok?" Foggy asked as you hailed a cab. You smiled at his concern.

"We live a block apart Foggy. We'll be ok I promise" "Yeah don't worry about us" Karen added with a smile.Once the two of you were in the cab a silence fell between you. There were so many questions you wanted to ask her but you didn't want to push. 

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

When the cab stopped in front of her building you climbed out with her. "You're walking the other block? This time of night?" She asked and you shrugged "I'll be ok. I can handle myself pretty well" she eyed your bag for a second "Yeah I make sure I don't leave home without mine either"

You realized what she meant and smiled "Frank taught me ages ago" "Goodnight Y/N. I'll talk to you tomorrow" "Night Karen" she started to walk up the steps into her building but you stopped her by calling her name "Yeah?" She asked and you were once again struck with not wanting to over step but also wanting answers "Why do you believe in Frank so much? I mean I know why I'm standing behind him but you have every reason to have believed what the public has built him up to be"

She stood there stoic for a moment and you kicked yourself for apparently hitting a nerve but right when you were about to apologize she said "I don't think he's a monster because he's done things that could be seen as monstrous. I've seen him talk about his wife and kids, the way he talks about you, how he wanted to make sure I knew I wasn't in danger that night at the hospital. It's like you said he's just a man who's been through hell and I like you want to see him make it to the other side"

You knew you should let it go but maybe it was years spent in and out of Curtis' group meetings and hanging out with Kenzie but you felt like there was something more that Karen desperately needed to get off her chest "What happened Karen? I mean to you?"

She half smiled then said "After the trial is over I'll buy the drinks and we can have one night of spilling our trauma all over each other but for now we both need as clear heads as possible for Frank" you nodded then smiled "I'm sorry if I overstepped. One friend is a counselor and the other is a psychiatrist"

"Not at all. I know you wouldn't judge anything I have to say. You're someone who can be trusted. I knew that from the moment I met you" you felt the same about her so you simply said "Well goodnight. I'll send a text when I'm home so you know I wasn't snatched off the street or anything"

"You have a warped sense of humor you know that?" She asked with a laugh so you replied "You'll grow to love that about me" she headed inside so you turned to head to your apartment lost in thought over the trial starting but also keeping observant of your surroundings.

Once you got home you texted Karen you'd made it then texted Alice so she wouldn't worry. You knew you shouldn't but you had plans to catch a few hours then pop into the courthouse the next morning to at least catch opening statements. You'd be working when all the actual testimonies started but you could at least see who got the stronger start and get a peek at Frank to see how he was healing.

@intothesoul

@weallhaveadestiny

[kidgetrash]

Monsters and Mana 2 - Save The World, Get The Girl - Chapter 8

Character:  Keith Kogane, Pidge Gunderson/Katie Holt, Lance McClain, Hunk Garrett, Shirogane Takashi, Coran, Princess Allura, Matt Holt

Pairings:  Keith/Pidge

Warnings!:  This is going to be one looooonnnggg fic! I think? So far I'm barely into the plot and I have four chapters, so let's see how far we go! I'll add warnings as they come up!

Summary: Back to Princess Pidge!

‘Alright, I’ll go back to the adventures of Princess Pidge, perhaps you could all go and get some refreshments for us all?’  Coran suggested.

Keith took the opportunity to immediately tap on the side of Pidge’s bubble, which she immediately dismissed and looked at him with a smile.

‘Did you all save me yet?’

‘I get the feeling you won’t need saving in the way we think you do.’  Keith quirked her a sideways smile.

‘No talking about the game!’  Coran waved his hand between them.  ‘No spoilers!’

‘Fine.  Pidge, do you want something to drink?  A snack?’

‘Uh, sure.’  She nodded.  ‘Surprise me.’

‘Anything but peanuts, got it.’  He patted her shoulder as he passed her, Pidge having had to get to her feet to let him, and everyone else, out of the booth.  Shiro passed her and patted her shoulder next, with a small smile, Hunk followed and did the same but with a set grin on his face that looked more than awkward.  Allura passed next, she didn’t pat Pidge but she swore her smile was apologetic, and finally last came Lance, fluttering his eyelashes and blowing air kisses as he went by.  Pidge slapped the back of his arm as he went, hoping Keith hadn’t seen.

‘Alright, princess, time to get back to you.’

‘Me?’  Allura called from across the room.

‘No!  Princess Pidge!’  Coran called back.

‘Do we need the bubble?’  Pidge poised her hand just in case.

‘No, we should be alright as long as we keep our voices down.’  Coran assured her in a tone that was meant to be quiet but she was sure carried across the entire room.  ‘So, as you run off into the night, you hear yelling behind you.  The guards have realised not only that you are gone but that their companions are dead or unconscious…’

Pidge ran across the wastelands, trying to take in her surroundings by the light of the moon.  The wastelands looked like a no mans land as far as she could see, old broken buildings, punctured the land like jagged teeth, few and far between.  The land was rough and dry, crunching underfoot loud enough that she knew her position was in danger of being given away.  She changed direction to a small outcropping of bushes, sliding into it while she took stock of her surroundings.  She could see several camp fires in the shelter of the husks of buildings.  Very few still stood in their original state, some were more like windbreaks, while others were missing floors but still good enough to use as shelter.  There were several copses of trees and beyond them the darkness of a forest which while terrifying her also called to her as somewhere she could hide from her captors.  Her issue was how to get from here to there without being spotted or stopped for being out of place.  She knew she looked less like a princess in her leather but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t recognise her.  Her long hair in its complicated braid would draw attention, even if she took it down.

She glanced down at the knife by her side.  That could work.  Taking the braid in her hand she took the knife as close to her neck as she dared and began to hack away.  Soon the braid was gone and Pidge felt a literal weight off her mind.  Now she needed one more thing.  Luck on her side.

She watched through the bush in the direction she had come from, seeing one of the men who had entered the tower run out onto the wasteland with a lantern, looking for any movement, any sign as to which way she went.  With no obvious clue and groups all around, she would be hard to find.  He went back inside, having thrown the lantern in frustration.  She was sure they hadn’t given up, that they would perhaps search for her once it got lighter, but if she could make her way into the forest she could easily find shelter while she assessed the situation.  And it was highly likely she would draw attention to herself if she tried to hurry, to run for her life.  Perhaps she could fake it, make it look like she belonged there.  She had been sneaking out of the castle for years, often hooded and passing as a boy easily.  Now with her hair shorter she didn’t need the hood, though she wished she still had it against the cold.  The only way she was getting out of here, in her mind, was to be confident and act like she’s been here before, like she’s no stranger to this sort of situation.  Hope was all she had, and she knew she had to take this risk.

She stayed low as she backed out of the bushes, drawing herself up slowly and resheathing the knife in one fluid motion.  She gave the tower one final look before turning her back on it and walking towards the nearest group of rough and ready looking mercenaries.  They were eyeing her before she got even remotely close, the atmosphere tense.  The largest of the men, adorned with a bandolier of finger bones, stood as she approached, chewing something noisily, glaring down at her in a way that left her no question as to whether he would kill her and not bat an eye.

‘Mind if I…’

‘You got no business here, kid.  Keep moving.’  His voice growled.

‘Relax, I just want to sit by your fire for a few minutes.’  She held up her hands defensively.  ‘I won’t even come too close.’

He continued to glare at her, didn’t even size her up, just angry eye contact which she maintained despite her heart racing, her limbs trembling with fear.  ‘Over there.’  He said finally, indicating to an open area on one side of the fire.  She nodded her gratitude and made her way around, sitting back from the rest of the group, as far as she could manage and still feel the heat.

‘I don’t need long.’  She rubbed her hands together, her eyes focusing into the distance in case the men came out of the siege tower again.  ‘I’ll be gone in no time.’

‘No talking.’

Pidge pressed her lips together firmly, raising her shoulders and trying to make herself a smaller target.  She needed to fathom which way to go once she reached the forest.  Sitting here, she was in danger of being discovered, despite her changed appearance, but until the sun began to come up she had no way of knowing without asking, and this guy and his group weren’t the talkative types.  So she sat and waited.

Masterlist

[rev3rb]

Hiya again! This month’s chapter was pretty straightforward and simple. Although I actually expected Paimon to go for something a little more subtle and strategic than a knife lol. And I am a bit confused on how Mika’s power caused the explosion. Poor thing though, he really was just trying to understand and do the right thing. But it doesn’t seem like this sacrifice prevents God from punishing them, which is what I really wanna get to. Rn I’m guessing that the punishment will involve the first turning into a vampire and the other angels turning into humans?? Regardless of what the punishment is, I’m a bit lost on what it does for the story. Like are we supposed to accept God’s action as the laws of nature or question his rules? When it comes to almost all of the other characters, we’ve already gotten information on their motivations and goals. Now that God has been introduced he’s a new unknown that I would some answers about. What about you? Thoughts on the new chapter?

Hey! Long time no see even though we talked briefly last month!

Simple and straightforward is a good way to put it. For once, the chapter isn't bombarding us with too many unanswered questions which is refreshing in a way.

I expected something more subtle too, especially bc this is supposed to be Rigr, and Rigr is all secret plans and subtlety. Guess these angels aren't exactly one to one... though given how little time he had, maybe Paimon just didn't have many options/opportunities for subtlety.

Eh, I have a feeling we won't get an exact explanation of angel Mika's powers just bc he's already kinda dead lol. He's powerful and that's probably all we need to know. Why he's that powerful is the real question here, one of which I'm not sure how to answer. Sika Madu obviously made him special but it's hard to speculate what that means exactly.

Ah, God. I'm not entirely sure if we're heading toward God being an actual character or if God will just stay as this punishing presence. I could see the story going either way. I think I'd honestly prefer God staying a presence as we already have a heaping of characters that are all doing similar things for their own selfishly selfless reasons. With that trend, if God became a character, there'd also probably be some sympathetic reason that 'the laws' need to be upheld or whatever. I'm ok with not having that and just having God stay 'taboos must not be committed bc this all powerful presence will punish you'. As for the actual punishment? I'm thinking that the punishment is going to come later after Sika Madu does something else to try and resurrect Mika. Mika is dead after all and Sika Madu seemingly hasn't found a way to cure that disease yet, so any taboos have been corrected. I would guess that there has to be some other taboo committed before any punishment actually happens. Considering all these angels aren't around anymore and all the ones we recognize are now demons, I would think it has something to do with destroying all that has been built here and killing or otherwise changing the angels on Earth. Only time will tell though I suppose. Maybe Sika Madu created mankind or something. Wouldn't that be something?

Now for my thoughts beyond this? Just one off thoughts here and there:

We really wasted more panel space watching Yu go "this stuff is exhausting but I'm eating so I'll be good". It feels unnecessary at this point. It didn't add anything, but we ended at a good stopping point so I'm not too upset about it.

"There's no time to explain" Paimon says as he then proceeds to explain everything lmao

In that same line of thought, you'd think Sika Madu would have gotten to the scene sooner since that explosion happened a fair amount of time before Mika did that to himself

I'm thinking that the Yu eye thing we see is going to be recycled into Sika Madu's next project that involves reviving Mika, that taboo I mentioned earlier. That's probably partially how the Yu we know today has memories of all this.

The cycle that is sacrificing yourself for your loved ones continues spinning round and round, though it's been slightly more subtle before now.

It feels like the past is starting to ish wrap up so I'm wondering if we only have a chapter or two more here in the past

[hangon-silvergirl]

Will you marry me? I think I'm in love with you after reading the buzz for the millionth time 😍 howwwwww do you write dorky, sexy, silly and loser boy Eddie SO WELL?!?! The imagery and descriptions in your story are like beyond comprehension. I can.not.get.enough. I'm a little concerned with what to do with my life when you're done with it. So maybe don't be done with it anytime soon? Please have mercy on me and your many, many, many readers. I adore you you beautiful brained person!!

PS do you have any idea when part 9 might be available to read (obsess over)?

I'm afraid I'm already married, but I'm flattered nonetheless. 😉

And thank you for saying such wonderful things, about me and about my silly little story! I do my best to stay true to Eddie's character. I think it helps that I feel about as unhinged as he behaves about 112.5% of the time; I just let my ADHD brain take the wheel. For the imagery, I really aim for an immersive experience; I can see these things so clearly in my head, and I want to do my best to convey that in the stories themselves.

the buzz is a fixed story, so it will only be 10 chapters, but that isn't to say that I won't add more to that universe at some point; I certainly have ideas! But I also have a lot of other WIPs and concepts I'd like to explore too. Who knows, though? Never say never. 😊

I don't know when I'll be posting the next chapter, no. I don't schedule my stories, I just post whatever when it's done, and write for whichever story I'm feeling in the moment; I'm writing Marigold tonight, for example, but that might be different tomorrow. Life is busy with little kids, and my job can be very demanding; I am careful not to pressure myself to write because it's my hobby, and I want to make sure it stays fun because that's what keeps me writing! 🙂

Thanks for the ask, anon!

[mint-yooxgi]

Please, I'll take 16 sausages any day 🥴 but I think what you're doing now is fine! I've been looking forward to WitS since you announced it and it has not disappointed! I'm very picky with slow-burn because you dont want it too drawn out but also enough build up, and you've got a great pace going. As the other anon mentioned, there are certain members and idols that just have more chemistry with the mc naturally. I think as you write, the appropriate relationship will naturally build upon themselves the way they've been doing so far. Like you often said in your author's notes, you don't want anything sudden or unrealistic feeling development. From who you wrote so far, I think it's clear who the potential love candidates that make the most sense are given they already have shown an interest in reader, beyond just thinking she's pretty or talented. Unless someone develops feelings from scratch later on, I think you pretty much have all the openings already laid out! I know how tempting it is to make it into a poly but with the pace so far, and how many words you're already pumping out per chapter, I don't want you to feel like you need to add all the members from stray kidz or ateez! Though I do have to second a Jeonghan cameo just because he's got me in a chokehold this comeback haha

It's your story at the end of the day so whatever you write and however you write it, make sure you enjoy it first and foremost. We will love anything you post!

Say LESS bestie, the way the temptation will ALWAYS be THERE LMFAOOO

And awwww thank you so much!!! All of this talk about it has made me want to work on the next chapter, so I think I might start that soon hehehe and there really are!! Like, I have all of Ateez and the oc's relationships all planned out, but with how I've built some of the other idols up, they could work, too. And I'm quite content with the pacing I have going, so I know I can fit in things pretty well on top of everything. I'm just happy you guys are all looking forward to it!

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!!

[echoing--stars]

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10. Cltr+f “blinks” on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

I didn't have "blinks" but I had blink so I'll give it to ya!

Wind was asleep, but the flurry of movement as everyone rushed to pack their bags was enough for him to blink awake.

11. Link your three favorite fics right now

Three?? Only three?? Hmmm...

Proximity bias or whatever that's called probably plays a part since I read these recently but I've really enjoyed:

Rise and Shine and Fall by Zarvasace, particularly Chapters 11-13 which I am still reading. The Wars angst is *chef's kiss*

It's Dangerous to Go Alone by CrimsonRavioli - Rav writes Warriors astoundingly well, and this was SO well written. It made me feel things 😭❤️

Apple Butter Breakfast by Zartophski. Picture a lazy, sleepy Sunday morning. It's dreary outside, you have your warm drink of choice in hand and nowhere to be for a few hours. This is the perfect fic to read in that moment, and has those same vibes as well. Plus, big brother Legend!!

12. how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

So I was talking about this earlier, and I will admit that I mostly write for myself (and Rock, tbh). If I was only going for hits/comments/etc, my ao3 would look very different (and I wouldn't continue to write Rowan stuff 😂). However, I love getting comments and interaction! If I suddenly stopped getting it, I'm sure I would slow down. But I also love talking one on one about my current WIPs or just ideas, and that is fulfilling in and of itself too.

23. Best writing advice for other writers?

The best thing I've ever done for my writing is making it a habit. I wrote nearly every day for... hmm... a month? two months? And now I have like 30,000 words of fics that I'll probably never post. Because I was using them to create the habit, find my voice as a writer, etc. But now, while I don't write every day, it almost feels weird if I don't at least get a few sentences down.

Writing a little bit every day adds up fast!

24. Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

Edit as you go. It works for some people, and that's great! But for me personally, if I reread my chapter/fic before I continue writing, or try to edit as I write (beyond correcting small things like typos), I will hyperfocus on that and not get any new words down. Plus, again for me personally, taking a break before editing gives me fresh eyes and a new perspective, especially if I was struggling to write it to begin with.

[slimeywooper]

Labmas AU - Unintended Consequences

Chapter 8 Part 3 - Meeting

Remembering what you heard when you first awoke, you remark, " You were talking to someone earlier, but I couldn't hear them."

"Oh, you heard that?" He has a somewhat apprehensive look on his face, but explains, "Since I was a child, I've been able to speak with various spirits. Dr. Colress doesn't believe me when I tell him. I try to only talk with them when I'm alone as to not disturb anyone. I figured you were still sleeping at the time, so it wouldn't be an issue. My apologies."

Looking him dead in the eye with an intense gaze, you interrogate him, "Are you pulling my leg? Have you met any famous ghosts? What do they talk about? Are there any here now? Who was talking to you while I was asleep?"

Nobori blinks a few times, taking in all the words you had thrust upon him. "Well, I am not 'pulling your leg,' nor have I met anyone famous to my knowledge. Their topics run the gamut from life lessons to regrets." Folding his arms, he continues, "Not all of them speak, either. Sometimes it's just an intense emotion that follows them. Usually negative. Those specific entities don't typically have a physical form I can see, they just make themselves known through their intense emotional emanations. I've found it's best not to interact with them. There are not currently any spirits here now, but I have become quite adept at tuning them out."

"Woah…" Out of all the things that have happened today, this was the most mind blowing. Someone with the ability to talk to ghosts. Next you'll meet someone that can talk to Pokemon. "So, is reincarnation real? What about God?" The questions keep coming.

"Yes, I believe reincarnation is a possibility, but not a guarantee. Though, be mindful, not every spirit I speak with is truthful or forthcoming. Some will tell lies to purposefully confuse or misguide. What I'm telling you now is information I have received over the years that I feel is—" he pauses looking for the word, "—credible. But, it could still be incorrect. God is more of a mystery. Something is beyond our world. What, or who, that is, I cannot be sure. Out of all the spirits I have spoken with, the ones that complete the move to the realm beyond have not returned. So there has never been anyone that can honestly answer that question." A strange beeping noise begins to sound. Nobori pulls a pager off of his belt and eyes it. "Dr. Colress is requesting my presence. Rest here as long as you need. I must be going now." He stands up from the chair and returns it to the desk.

You find his pager quite perplexing, so you wonder aloud, "Why doesn't Colress just call your phone?"

"As odd as it my seem by today's standards, I don't own a cellular phone." Nobori adds, unfazed.

"Oh…" Your plan to exchange numbers is now defunct.

Cocking his head to the side, Nobori notes, "You seem somewhat disappointed by this."

Thinking quickly, you offer an excuse, "Well, I was kind of hoping to get your number sometime." Nobori is giving you a deadpan look. You start to feel extremely self conscious. "You're always so helpful, I thought maybe if I had an issue, or needed help with something, I could just text you. Instead of running around trying to find you, or having someone else deliver the message for me." You end your explanation abruptly, waiting for his reaction.

His facial expression softens, and he smiles. "I see. That doesn't sound like such a bad idea. I'll have to consult Dr. Colress about acquiring a phone from Plasma headquarters."

"About that…" You hop out of bed and stand near him. "If it's possible… can you not tell Colress that we're exchanging numbers? I have a sneaking suspicion he might have some choice words for me if he were to find out."

Nodding lightly, Nobori affirms, "Yes, that would probably be for the best. He can get… intense at times. Though he's very good at hiding it." Making his way to the door, he turns to address you again, "I will let you know when I have a phone. Then we can remain in contact. Please, take more time here if you need it. It's already late so Dr. Colress isn't expecting you back tonight, but I'm sure tomorrow, he will be waiting. You'll probably be cross-examined about what happened with Kudari. So be ready for that. And only inquire about Kudari's ability to leave his room if you are willing to become his keeper. I would do it myself, but I'm never sure when I will have to leave. Kudari also isn't usually fond of being stuck with me. He doesn't like having a 'baby sitter' as he puts it."

Slightly stunned by the suggestion that the hybrids aren't always on good terms, you ask, "Won't it bother him even more if he's stuck with me?"

"Well, it sounds as if he has placed great significance in your friendship with him, though you have only just met. He will likely deem being with you as 'hanging out,' as opposed to being 'baby sat.'"

You acknowledge his reasoning, "Okay. That makes sense. Either way, I think it's worth a shot. Colress will likely complain, but I don't think he likes me very much anyway."

"He likes you well enough. Trust me, you'd know for sure if he didn't," Nobori says with sincerity.

"Sorry, I know I'm keeping you, but next time we talk, if I ask something that is painful for you, don't feel obligated to answer. Just let me know if you're uncomfortable. I'll understand." You smile softly at him.

"I will try to keep that in mind. Good night (Y/N)." He leaves the room after giving you a final nod, returning your smile as he does.

So much for getting his number, but at least he said he will get a phone. Though the information you discovered about spirits was fascinating, and you were beginning to wonder more and more about who exactly Ingo and Emmet were, there was a much more pressing issue. Your main concern now was getting Kudari out of his room on a more frequent basis. Convincing Colress was going to be a difficult task. He's smart. He'll definitely know if you attempt to manipulate him. Being honest was probably your safest course of action. Now to brainstorm what exactly you are going to say to persuade him that letting Kudari out isn't such a bad idea.

[calligraphist-artemisia]

So, I finished writing Pack Bonds. What's next?

Next is a bit of a break for me, while I rest up from the writing marathon I pulled while writing the final five chapters. It won't be a complete pause on writing, just a slow down, though I don't plan on posting anything for the next month. (In part because of my break, but also because the holiday season is fast approaching and I work retail, so soon I won't have much free time or energy for writing. I want a few things set aside to post during that time.)

After my break:

I'm not done with the Pack Bonds Universe. I have one multi-chapter fic and a few one-shots in mind that I want to write and add on to the universe, starting with the direct sequel: Running Toward a Brighter Tomorrow.

RTaBT will focus on Bart, picking up right where things left off at the end of PB. (And for those who have read chapter 45, this fic will get into something revealed by JayDick's ability to see auras.) I'm going to try and write it in a way that it's not necessary to read all 194,000 words of PB, so there will be some rehashing of things, but hopefully it'll still be interesting to those who already know. Also, the endgame pairing for RTaBT will be Jaime/Bart.

As for the one-shots, I have a non-detailed list. These won't happen for sure, but it's likely.

JayDick domestic fluff

Let's focus on Tim for a minute

Bruce/Talia reunion + more Damian

Beyond Pack Bonds Universe:

I have a few things I want to work on and maybe I'll throw up a poll as I get closer to them being ready, maybe I'll just pick whichever one I feel most interesting in writing in the moment.

NSFW alpha!Jason/omega!Dick kidnapping au. (Yeah, I know, that's a lot of au. This one would be maybe 10 chapters? It's basically, Ra's orders for Dick's kidnapping during Jason's time with the League of Assassins and later goes on to decide that any child between them would make the perfect heir.)

The Second Chance Universe (I wrote a one-shot for this a while back, but this would be the start of what I currently see as a 3-fic series. It's Dick traveling back in time from an apocalyptic future, only to find himself in an alternate past where Bruce is dead.)

Making a Match (more JayDick a/b/o stuff because apparently I can't stay away from it. Uhhh, probably a nsfw fic. This one features Jason as Catwoman's apprentice - Mockingbird - and Dick as Robin/Nightwing. A Rut/Heat Relief Center opens in Gotham and they individually go to check it out and end up paired together.)

More Amnesia!Dick AU! (the a/b/o series that I keep meaning to write more of. Technically these are all one-shots, but they're part of one universe.)

More Magical De-aging AU! (same as amnesia!Dick, it's a series of one-shots. I have at least one more that I want to write and it may end up being a 2-chapter fic.)

And that's about it. I have a bunch of one-shots waiting to be written as well, but the five above are either multi-chapter or part of a series.

Just figured someone out there might enjoy seeing what could be coming along next and it's always nice to write out what I'm currently planning on for my own reference.