#REALLY need to figure out how to draw faster though like damn. biggest reason for the art block i think. such a huge time commitment for me

[prismit]

i struggle with an absolutely dreadful and massive art block that makes it stupidly difficult to even pick up my stylus for years.... and then that art block just randomly gets completely shattered to pieces by This Fucking Guy

and honestly i can't even be mad about it

[angelkurenai]

Long overdue - Bucky Barnes x Reader

Title: Long overdue

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: None

Prompt: Could you please do a Bucky and y/n where she is shy but is really close to Steve and Bucky thanks their dating and he gets jealous because he loves her but they don’t really talk that much? Love your work

“Still not ready to retire old man?” you smiled, teasingly when the blonde looked at you over his shoulder, but always with a warmth in your eyes that only longtime friends, family, at this point could have. Especially after everything you've all been through.

“What did you just call me, right now?” he narrowed his eyes at you, a lightness and easiness in both his movement and voice, as you couldn't see much of his face at that moment. Granted there was still some heaviness in the atmosphere whenever silence followed, and his moves if one was to pay close attention could notice were short and stiff. And you do notice it.

But who could blame him? Things are better than what they've been five years ago but still, that doesn't mean good. Not when people were still lost in the battle, important ones. Also family.

It's as good as it can get for now at least, and to have your best friend alive and here with you is really the second best thing at the moment. So you can't nor will complain.

“Am pretty sure you heard me. Just as I am sure that if I looked close enough, I could spot a white strand of hair here and there.” you smirked when his eyes widened “But that's not the point here. What I mean is, it's been a good couple months since you gave up that shield, and yet you're still somehow around. Changed your mind, maybe you need a new one? I saw one the other day when I was in town, I think it would suit you.”

“I'm just taking my time, it's not that easy to find an apartment in Brooklyn. You know that.” he turned to fully face you, a frown on his face but it was anything but serious as he crossed his arms over his chest “Besides, weren't you the one that said I should take as much time as I need and that this will always be my home? What happened now? Can't wait to get rid of me?”

“Oh you figured it out, at last.” you played along, letting out a long sigh of relief “Yeah, I'm so sick and tired of seeing that perfectly handsome face all the time. Distracting, taunting and at the same time reminding me of the 20 skincare products I have to use yet again tonight, to look even remotely human.”

A deep chuckle escaped his lips, the easy smile managing to warm you deep to your heart, just as much as his arms did the moment they wrapped around you "If that is to say you look like an angel otherwise, then yes I will accept it.”

“Yeah, particularly the one that rules hell.” you chuckled.

“Why do I even try to say anything nice for you in the first place?” he laughed, shaking his head.

You giggled, wrapping your arms around him as well, trying to find some comfort in your friend- in your family, before you inevitably had to throw yourself into this new world without him. The new age of heroes where many things had changed and in which you wouldn't have someone to turn to any given moment, as easily as it was with Steve. Steve had always been that important. There still was one, much more important of course, but that treacherous heart of yours made it impossible for you to even remotely think you could be so open with him as with Steve. Not without turning every shade of red there was, anyway. “In any case-” you cleared your throat “I could still get you that shield and you can be back on the business in no time. With a new title, of course, but still doing the job... which involves making me breakfast and dinner when I'm too tired. I mean, now that I think about it, you can still keep up that job even if you don't wanna be out on the field.”

“Ah so I do see why you want me to stay after all.” he nodded his head “By the way, what kind of shield are we talking about?”

“Oh it's a special one. I think it was based off a movie? You know how they are with superhero movies lately. And given how bright pink it was I'm guessing Captain Barbie or someth-” but you didn't even get to complete your sentence when a yelp left your lips and soon laughter followed. His fingers moved swiftly as he tickled your sides but you were faster at swatting his hands away.

“Fine, fine. Not a fan of cinema, I see.” you shook your head with a sigh.

“Yeah, forgive me, but we all have flaws. Even me. Is that the real reason why you want me out of here as soon as possible, maybe?” he raised an eyebrow.

“You've got me. Deep down I cannot stand the fact.” you shrugged innocently, but the smile on your lips betraying what you felt.

“Man, I feel the love. You all are glad I came back alive from returning the stones I see.” he said only as a joke, focusing back to gathering the papers filled with older drawings that he had on his table.

“... I am glad you are still here, though, Steve.” you said softly and he looked over his shoulder at you again. This time he didn't just pause, he let go of the papers and turned to face you.

“Where else would I be?” this time a frown set on his face, more serious than any other you'd seen on his face so far, because he understood what your words meant “This is where my family is.”

“Well, yeah, but I mean-” you bit the inside of your cheek and shrugged “There still were more options. More than you had before.”

“More options, yes. A need for a choice? No. I'm good, more than good. And I wouldn't change a thing about what I have here...” he shrugged softly, looking at you carefully almost with calculating eyes before he started speaking again “I mean, save for one thing I suppose. There is always-”

“Don't. Don't you even-” you gave him a sharp look, fast enough to cut him off “Not unless you want me to kick your ass out of here, right now.” you shook your head, lowering your voice “We agreed we wouldn't talk about it. You promised me you wouldn't bring it up again, Steve. You promised.”

You adored your best friend, you honestly did, but moments like this you really wished you had not told him a single word. Not that he wouldn't have figured it out by himself. He was a persistent man, standing by his opinion no matter what. And this time, seeing as he was somehow convinced your feelings could be reciprocated, he did everything in his power to convince you to act on them. He was the only one that knew the truth and you didn't really know if it was a blessing to have someone to talk to about it or a nightmare with how he acted.

“I try but it is too hard seeing how idiotic the two people closest to me can be.” he crossed his arms over his chest, making you frown for a moment in confusion “And I'm still having a hard time understanding why. I get that you have trouble opening up to people, more than just get it. I know how it is. I'm not the most open person exactly, either, and the thought of getting attached to someone is terrifying given the job we do. But it's not just someone, someone random, we're talking about here. There is nothing to be shy abo-”

“I'm not shy about a damn thing, Steve, stop saying that.” you huffed, giving him a hard look “I'm a grown-ass woman who has saved your ass and the world at the same time, more times than I can count. I'm not some schoolgirl to be shy or crushing or daydreaming or whatever word you wanna use again about- about me and you-kow-who.” the fact that you couldn't even say your name for fear of him somehow being around and hearing did make you look no more mature than a schoolgirl.

“All I'm saying is that if you opened up more, you may be surprised in ways that you couldn't even imagine.”

“Oh like him telling me he feels the same? Well, let's see: you are his best friend, practically his brother. He confides in you, trusts you with his life and everything important to him. Has he told you he sees me as anything more than a friend?”

“Well, he-” he paused “No, not really. He doesn't seem to want to talk much about it... you, with me. Like when I bring you up he gets too stiff but I- I see the way he looks at you! He may not admit it-”

“Because there is probably nothing to admit! It's all in your mind and I can't get my hopes up over just a feeling, Steve.”

“Look, all I'm saying is-” he sighed, shaking his head “All this- All this waiting, and pining because you know that's what this is-” he pointed a finger at you before you could get to retort “You know that's exactly what this is! Waiting and hoping it- it goes away somehow? That your feelings for him are something that will just pass like a scratch on knee, or that you'll cover it up and it will be like they don't exist? This is not how it works. You have to try your chance because if you don't then you'll only live to regret it, and I know you will the same I know it's not something that goes away. He may not see it, but I do. And the way you look at Buc-” he stopped himself when your eyes widened, he sighed instead and raised his arms in surrender “The way you look at him, the way you care and-” he stopped himself, shaking his head before slowly approaching you again.

“For god's sake, the way you love, (Y/n), that is not something that can easily be found. This love that you have in you, this big heart that you are so willing to give without a second thought, the care and selfless devotion is- it's one of a kind.” he slowly wrapped his arms around you, looking you carefully in the eyes “You are one of a kind. And anyone that has even part of your love should thank his lucky stars because it is a blessing to be loved by a woman like you. Waiting is one thing, but to be loved like this and not know it, it would be the biggest tragedy in one's life, (Y/n).”

You knew he was only saying everything because he wanted to help you out, to give you a push as gentle as possible towards the right direction. How right was it for you to confess to his best friend that you've always had feelings for him for so long and possible ruin the dynamics and relation you'd built with all of them (besides making a terrible fool of yourself), you didn't know. You were scared to even think of telling him the truth when you could barely utter a few words in his presence because of that treacherous heart of yours that jumped around like crazy whenever he was near.

“Says the world's leading authority on waiting too long.” you mumbled as a weak excuse, knowing he was right, and let your head rest on his chest as he tightened the hold around your waist.

“Yeah, well, speaking from experience I suppose.” he kissed the top of your head “I just want you to be happy, you know how important you are to me. And I would hate to-”

He didn't, however, get to finish his sentence when another voice was heard “Hey, Steve, you done with those-” but his words were also cut off as he breathed a low, gruff “Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.”

“Wha- No, hey, Buck. Not interrupting.” Steve gave his friend a soft smile, pulling away from you and giving you a chance to take a goo look at his friend, and a good look you did take “Just having a word here with (Y/n). Sorry to keep you guys waiting.”

“No I uh should've thought so. Judging from the heartfelt words and all that. I shouldn't have assumed you were talking to yourself, I suppose.” he was mostly speaking to Steve but his eyes were mostly on you, a soft smile on his lips though it didn't reflect on his eyes at all. After barely half a beat, he spoke to you “Hey (Y/n). How you've been?”

“Hello Bucky.” you smiled as well, your throat closing up “Good, you?” you asked and he gave you a soft nod, without taking his eyes off you. Not that you did either. How could you?

Even if somebody were to warn you about it, it would never be able enough to prepare you for what you were seeing. You always knew and would easily admit that the man was good-looking, but this- this even more attractive than you could even imagine. You had seen photos of him back in the days, with his hair shorter and his face on full display, but to see him in person was a whole other thing. It took your breath away to have his eyes fully on you and not for a second hidden. It felt like his whole face was more open, even though his features were still somewhat clouded; the weight on his shoulders wouldn't go away anytime soon that was for sure. But to be able to be like the man he was back then was more than in looks, he could slowly feel like him again.

“Because that would have made so much sense now, wouldn't it?” Steve spoke up.

“Probably. I don't know, I just heard the last sentence anyway, so-” he shrugged, his eyes only stealing a glimpse at you before looking away in what seemed like guilt which you could not understand “Apologies about that. If you guys wanna stay alone some more, I can go by the car and wa-”

“Nah we're good here, all that lady's been doing is distract me anyway.” Steve shot you a playful look “Maybe you can help me out here a bit. I'll take this bag to the car and (Y/n) can tell what else we need from the desk.”

“Alright, I-” Bucky hesitated only for a second, his eyebrows pulling into a frown when Steve all-too-eagerly grabbed his only full bag of clothes and left his room, all excited to leave you alone with Bucky and you would have glared at him if you didn't feel terrified “There he goes.” Bucky sighed before turning to you with a soft smile “Ok, so is there anything you need help with?”

“I uh ye-yeah. Steve was gonna gather his drawings next so given they're important we could... do that.” you breathed out a little hastily but also in a low voice as you rushed to get to the desk. Bucky didn't say a word himself, only letting the tense silence hang in the air; while you struggled on the inside to come up with something good enough. It wasn't just that you were shy or quiet, you were always so unsure of what was best to say to the man, fearing you'd mess it up or make a fool of yourself.

“He's got plenty of these, must have felt really inspired hm?” Bucky spoke in a soft voice, looking over at the drawings Steve had done of you. You got distracted for a moment, taking the warmth in his eyes and the smile that look bittersweet if not sad on his face.

“Uh yeah.” you cleared your throat “It was around the time I was trying to get him back to drawing after I found his art. I was a bit shy about it at first but I suppose they're good.”

“His art always was, he's got a way of bringing things to life, capturing things in a different way but this-” he pause, looking up to meet your eyes, locking them in a look that only made your knees weak if the small distance hadn't already “It would never even compare to the real thing. That is one of a kind. You've always been anyway, I don't think there is a single person that knows you and could deny that.”

“I- I'm not that special.” you could feel the heat rise up on your cheeks and forced yourself to look down.

“I didn't just say special. I said one of a kind, unique. As is... everything about you. But then again, Steve has always been lucky without even knowing it.”

Glancing at him you did notice the honesty in his eyes, the warmth that almost reached out to you like that of the sun. If it weren't for his words that had your heart hammering in your chest, you would have paid more attention to the way his smile didn't really reach his eyes or the longing with which he looked at you.

“I suppose.” you mumbled, though you couldn't understand the meaning behind his last sentence. Letting the silence fill the room again you desperately searched for something else to say. You didn't speak much with Bucky but you wanted – despite your fear – to be the one to keep the conversation going because the truth was you loved talking with him “You look good, you got a haircut.”

Well, when you weren't making a fool of yourself that is.

Bucky paused for a moment, looking at you and you really braced yourself for him to laugh at you and call you out on what a stupid thing that was to say. But instead all you got a smile that you would be damned if it wasn't shy. It was almost too sweet for your heart to take, and the way he ducked his head as if some bashful... schoolboy (you almost laughed at the word that came up in your mind) had your breath getting caught up in your throat once more. You had never seen this side of Bucky. Never.

“Yeah I uh-” he smiled, fully smiled, and your own heart jumped to your throat “I thought that maybe it was time for a change. I didn't know if I could pull it off again after all these years but I-”

“No” you whispered “No, you're- you look great, really, Buck.” you confessed softly and his smile only got bigger “Not that you didn't before, don't get me wrong. You just look like you did back in the days. I- I saw a couple photos of you and Steve, and it's- it's good. Real good.” you gave him a small nod, which he return.

The smile stayed on his lips as he admitted “Yeah, truth is Steve was the one that insisted on it for some reason.” some reason, yeah, more like you saying how good Bucky looked with short hair better yet.

“Well, I'm glad you took that choice. It does look great. And... not that I think you had any trouble before, but now you'll have all the ladies swooning over you, you will barely have time for us.”

“That would never happen, never. I would never put anyone else before you.” he spoke with so much sincerity that you had to look away for a second because of the intensity “Besides-” he cleared his throat “Looking forward to go on double dates or something? I figured you and Steve wouldn't have time for us.”

“Steve, probably, he's got a lot on his plate now. But what do I have to do with any of it?”

“I just-” he shrugged softly, frowning “I figured that moving in a new place is... a lot.”

“It is... hence Steve having a lot on his plate. I still don't get what I have to do with that? I mean, sure, I'm his best pal besides you and Sam, but it's not like I'm moving in with him or anything.” you shrugged with an smile, focusing for a few moments on the drawings before you.

“Oh I thought-” he paused, nodding his head before he let out a soft breath “Well, I suppose I was just assuming. It's not like... this changes anything, right?” his words were so hesitant that it confused for a second.

“...No? Why would it? Steve is still Steve. Things are and will continue to be the way they've always been.”

“I mean-” he cleared his throat again, shifting in his place “You two are good right? Like, together and all that, you're good?”

“Just like we've always been, Buck, I don't understand why you're asking this. Honestly... Is there something not right with you, maybe?” you asked softly, trying to meet his eyes even though he avoided it.

“No, why would there be?” he swallowed thickly, nodding to himself “And besides, I should've thought so.” he offered you a smile, albeit weak “He wouldn't have given up a chance with... A chance to the life he would've had for something that's not important. As far as that is concerned, I don't blame him. I would do the same.”

“You... you mean Peggy, don't you?”

“I-” he shrugged softly “I didn't really wanna mention her in case... Well, he did leave her for you. He stayed here, didn't go back to live his life with her. Which, again, is the right choice. To tell you the truth, I feared for a moment that we wouldn't see him come back from that time travel unless he was graying and old.” feared, and that terrible part of himself that was too selfish, hoped he would stay back in time to have his life with Peggy so that Bucky could maybe get a chance with you in case-

“But he did come back.” you whispered “And he did it for all of us, there's no reason to give me all the credit, Bucky.”

“I mean, you're still the main reason. And as I said, he did make the right choice. Hell, I know that if he had even so considered staying back there, I would have kicked his ass for it. But I guess I'm more than glad you two are so good like this, that I didn't need to.” liar, he knew he was such a big liar for saying all of it.

“Main reason, yeah sure.” you breathed out a laugh, feeling proud with yourself for how casual you sounded “Just say what's on your mind, Buck. Steve's so tired of my single sorry ass that he had to stay here to make sure I don't end up being a crazy cat lady. I mean can I blame him? No. I can't even tell the guy I... the guy I like how I feel about him.” you shrugged, not meeting his eyes.

You were saying things you never thought you would, but feeling bold maybe you would slowly get somewhere in the end “I'm sure Steve's just gonna snap one of these days and tell him 'She likes you you idiot, for fuck's sake do something cause I'm sick and tired listening to her talk about you non-stop.' and I'm not even joking. That will be it, word for word. So-” you let out a low laugh “I better hold him back huh?”

“What?” you did expect to see such a dark and serious look to meet you when you finally looked at him “What did you just say (Y/n)?”

“That... you know, with me being single all this time, Steve might try to set me up with- I'm sorry.” you shook your head “Did I say something wrong? Was it something that I-”

“You're... what?” his voice was so gruff that you felt even more worried.

But before you could voice your concerns, your best friend was walking inside the room again “Sorry for the delay, though I suppose you guys barely noticed my-” but he stopped himself when he was met with the hardest glare you had seen Bucky give his friend “Uh is everything alright?”

“We'll see about that.” his voice was deep “Come on. You. Me. Talk. You have lots explaining to do.” he took a deep breath, looking at you for a few too long seconds too many emotions on his face for you to tell apart, before looking back at his friend “And it's been long overdue.”

[miioouu]

Headcanons (for Deku, Bakugou and Kirishima) where theyre pretty close to their crush who started noticeably hiding a secret, suddenly hanging out with someone else. Turns out they wanted to learn a new skill to impress them. Something small but doable (like learning the ukulele or some other thing)

We want to impress the bois👏👏 Thank you for requesting!! ❤️💜❤️

Midoriya Izuku 💚

- You two were close friends since the beginning of the year.

- You were best friends, never hiding anything from the other, even your most embarrassing stories!

- But lately, you began to feel something for the green haired boy.

- Your heart seemed to beat faster around him, you'd often get jealous, something you never felt before for him, whenever he'd pay more attention to someone else other than you.

- Secretly, he was feeling the same, but he thought he'd never get a chance with you, so he buried his feelings deep inside, ignoring them.

- But you weren't like him, you wanted to impress him.

- Knowing him for as long as you had, you realized Deku's amazing drawing skills! So you decided, that maybe if you got better at this creative hobby, it would earn his attention.

- So now you started hanging out with one of you artist friends from the Support Department, thus making deku feel a bit left out.

- And everytime he'd ask you about it, you just ignore him changing the subject, or straight out lie.

- Even though he was pretty hurt that you were keeping something from him, he never pushed you to tell him, knowing it was something you wanted to keep private and he respected that.

- One day, after having ignoring him a whole week, you ran up to him, giving him a hug.

- He was surprised, what has gotten into you y/n? One day you never talk to him, the other you show him so much attentin.

-"Dekuuu, I know I've been treating you badly lately, but it's for a good reason! I swear!"

- You'd reach into you backpack, pulling out a piece of paper. After asking him multiple times if he was prepared to see what you've been so busy doing and teasing him about it, you finally gave him the paper.

- Smile stretching on his face, eyes lit up and red cheeks, hw couldn't believe what was before him. It was a magnificent painting of the both you.

- After you've explained to him that you've been working on it with the help of your friend, everything clicked, why you were always so tired, why you'd ignored him so often.

-"I just wanted to impress you Deku!"

-And you did, he now has the painting framed in his bedroom, always looking at it when he felt down. One day, soon, his bedroom would be filled with pictures and paintings from you. But first he needs to confess.

Bakugou Katsuki 🧡

-Were you two friends? No? Best friends? Meh, that's closer. You two were best friends for ever and ever and ever and....

-Well that's what you told people. It wasn't a lie, but maybe you were exaggerating a bit.

- And maybe, everytime you'd mention it, it would truly pull at our angry boy's heart.

- Was he being friendzoned? Why does he care anyway, you were just a random person, nothing special about you.

- Well, except your smile, your laugh, your eyes, your sweet voice....

-Fine ok, you are special and he is in love with you! But he will never, ever admit it.

-But you didn't know that, and you really didn't know that Bakugou was that simple of a man.

-Thinking you needed to impress him to catch his heart, you always spent days daydreaming about how you'll do it.

- Finally in class, while everyone was talking about some concert or something. It hit you!

-Bakugo was really into music. Everyday he'd come to class with his earphones on, and when he's in a good mood he'd quietly hum his favorite song. (ok but emo music was so junior high bakugo, now he's into jazz, disco, electro type of music I will NOT accept any criticism thank you)

-So maybe a way to get his attention, was to impress him with something he is passionate about, music!

- So why not ask Pikapika to help you learn the guitar? Nothing bad can happen, right?

-Oh but were you so wrong, so so wrong.

-Learning a new instrument took way too much of your time, and wanting to be decent at it, you'd practice extra time, which meant spending more time with Kaminari.

-Now you saw nothing wrong with that, enjoying his company, and the way he hypes you up to make the explosive boy head over heels for you.

-But Bakugou did. What are you always doing with Denki? And why aren't you telling him? Were you keeping secrets from him? HOW DARE YOU?

-Well he let it slide, but not without shading you every once in a while. But he had enough of your little secret when he saw you walking out of Kaminari's room late one night.

-He wanted to kill him, murder him with his own two hands. And you? Why didn't you tell him damn it?!

- He returned to his room for he wanted to be alone with his thoughts after being betrayed by his owns friends.

-But he didn't get the chance as you came barging into his bedroom.

-"Katsukiiiii wanna hear what i learned on the guitar? Of course you do silly why am i even asking?!"

- You didn't even give him time to yell at you for coming to his room that late, to kick you out and tell you to go back to your secret boyfriend, as you excitedly began playing his favorite song.

-It wasn't perfect, but he couldn't help but find it so cute when your brows frowned in concentration, and thr way your little tongue sticked out on a particularly hard note.

- As you finnished, you looked up to him, trying to detect a reaction from him. As much as he wanted to praise you, he couldn't get pass the fact that there's something between you and Kaminari.

- When you asked him about it, and he shouted at you that he couldn't believe that you kept your relationship a secret from him, you put the guitar down, and explained to him that no, you're not in a relationship with electric boy, and you were just learning guitar from him so you can catch his attention, he never felt so stupid.

-"You don't need to learn any new skill to make me fall for you y/n. I already have..."

Kirishima Eijiro ❤️

- Kirishima was everyone's friends, but it took someone special to be his best friend.

- And luckly for you, you had that unique something that made you, not only his best friend, but the redhead slowly starting to develop feelings for you.

-He found you perfect, but he was still too insecure to actually tell you that.

- On the other hand, you were also head over heels for the boy, but how could you not?

- His angelic laugh, his sweet smile and his soft eyes everytime you looked at each didn't help with trying to get rid of those feelings.

- After the realization of being in love with your best friend finally came slow and clear, you decided to act up on your crush.

- You had no idea how Kirishima felt about you, you were just his friend nothing more.

- But you wanted to impress him, maybe he'll start seeing you in diffrent way.

- What's something that could impress him though?

- Manly stuff, manly stuff, manly stuff... What does even mean Kiri?!

-How were you to catch his attention if you didn't know "manly" activities.

- It was untill the both of you were training that you figured it out! He'd be so so shocked if he see you wight lifting.

- But ugh what a paiiin, it was really difficult and you don't think you're able to do that without someone yelling your head off to keep going.

- Oh well that's easy to find, smirking, you approached Bakugo whonwas looking at you suspiciously.

- You explained to him how important it is for him to help you, and you may or may not have accused him and blamed him "you don't want to see me happy? You want me to die alone I knew it!"

- Oh my god you're so dramatic, he had enough with your cries so he finally gave in and accepted to help you.

- But with that, it meant spending less time with Ei, which confused him.

-Are you mad at him? Did you decide that he wasn't good enough to be your friend? Have you realized how much of a loser he is and his friend is much better?

- You did see how down Kirishima looked lately, thus deciding to train harder and finally show him your impressive new skill.

- But it actually made things worse, he's been seeing you with Katsuki almost everyday, ditching him to go to the gym with the blond instead him.... Are you... Are you in love with Bakugou?

-How did that happen? And why was Katsuki betraying him? Should he let it slide or have a talk with you?

- The day he decided to face you, you planed to show him, insisting that he'd come to the gym with you.

-"Look what Baku has been teaching me!"

- You'd pick up one of the heaviest weight, eyes never leaving his form to see his reaction.

-To say he was impressed was ana understatement.

-"So that's what you were doing with Katsuki? I thought.... I thought you were ditching me for him..."

-His words stung, is this what you made him feel like? Is this why he was so sad recently?

- After reassuring him, that you would never, ever ditch him for anyone and that you were doing all of this to surprise him and maybe see you as more than a friend. He couldn't believe his ears, running up to you giving you the biggest hug.

-"y/n you know how much i like you! You didn't have to try!"

[vee-angel]

Talynn’s Edge (Part 2)

(Just reposted the first part of this story with the corresponding illustration. This section will have a pretty significant amount of blood and violence, both sexual and non-sexual. And just an FYI, this part is not a stand-alone story by any means. If you want to understand what’s going on, I recommend reading the first part, and if you want to understand what’s going on well, I recommend reading the first part, and watching “Sonnie’s Edge” from the Love, Death + Robots anthology series on Netflix. If you want to completely understand, than do all that, and also read the short story by Peter F. Hamilton.)

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Something was different about the vibes tonight. Me and the rest of Sonnie’s Predators had seen plenty of fight nights, but this was the fight night. Khanivore vs. Hellcat. Me vs…. her.

Seems like a pair of woman beastie baiters going head to head was a bigger draw than I’d thought. Traffic is shit in the cities anyway, but the sludge of vehicles and bodies round the arena made it so the old twenty-wheeler’s cab had to slog inch by inch before we could unload Khanivore’s pod.

Hadn’t seen Talynn since that night months ago in the shitty spunk-stained hotel room. Fight promoters had set everything up. Closest thing we’d got to talking was signing the same fight contract. Still, she’d been in my head more than I’d have liked.

I felt ready, though. Near half a thousand dead rabbits made sure of that. Gotten to the point Khanivore had the muscle memory to spear a frantic hare running full clip near a hundred-percent of the time. Her bone-blade tentacles should make quick work of Hellcat even with its ungodly speed.

Wondered if Talynn still remembered the agreement we made that night. Winner gets to have their way with the loser. Ain’t exactly any way I’d have to pay up if I lose, but if I win, I wouldn’t mind a good shag. Honestly, I’d got a bit obsessive as of late, and needed the release.

I’d scouted the set-up a couple weeks before. Arena was bigger than the last one, but same basic set-up. Fight-pit dropped into the floor with rows and rows of people packed like sardines. Pit was the biggest one I’d seen so far, made room to maneuver, also meant her beastie had room to pick up speed.

After we finally got unloaded and took care of pre-fight business, we waited for the ring-master to start talking me up so I could make my entrance. Heard the clamor of the crowd before taking a step out into the open with Wes and Ivrina on either side. The Sonnie’s Predators fans jumped to their feet and went wild. My fans, I was the one putting it all on the line after all. God it felt good. I was the champion, and I wasn’t about to let some yankee cunt take that away from me.

Announcer kept on with peppy hyperbolic fanfare as I settled down in my signature zen pose at the edge of the pit. They could pretend they was excited because we were both undefeated, but really it was just that both pilots had tits for the first time.

Finally saw Talynn walking out from the other side of the arena. My heart beat a little faster and I couldn’t tell if it was because I still fancied her a bit or because the psychotic twat scared me a little. Honestly, probably a bit of both.

“Fuckin’ Hell, do you suppose that’s real?” Wes asked

“Fake stuff don’t clot like that.” Ivrina said back.

For half a second I wasn’t sure what they was talking about. Then I saw it. I mistook her for wearin that same shiny red skin-suit I’d seen her in last time, but it wasn’t that. It was blood.

Fuckin’ perfect outfit to intimidate, I figure. Ain’t nothing gonna scare the shit out of somebody quite like walking out naked smeared with gore. Her face was different, too. No babydoll grin, just this death scowl pointed right in my direction. Whole affair gave her this look like some kinda Aztek deity you could summon if you knifed out enough living people’s hearts as tribute.

She was taking this one serious, I figure. Ain’t no point in going the whole nine to intimidate unless you’re scared yourself. She didn’t think this up last minute.  Maybe over this last stretch this fight had been running through my head more times than it ought to, but now I knew. I’d gotten into her brain-space, too.

“You ready, Sonnie?” Ivrina’s voice came real gentle from the side. She didn’t want to fuck my concentration. I didn’t even look at her or Wes, just gave a quick nod staring straight ahead. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

“A’right, booting the Affinity Link… Now.”

There was a brief flash where I was falling through a thick ocean of pitch black, but my brain did quick work making sense of the sensorium coming through my body... Khanivore’s body. My eyes opened to the sight of the pod freshly opened and I stepped out on freakish strong thighs.

I heard the announcer saying my name and dashed out into the fight-pit. I moved quick, but not too quick. Didn’t want to telegraph how fast I’d become.

Hellcat got announced then. The black beast stalked out slow and confident-like. Didn’t make any fancy display like the first time I saw. She wanted to save all its energy for ripping limb from limb and then fucking the dead, bloody stumps.

This is when fear kicked in; locked in a pit with nothing between me and this prickly murderbeast that wanted nothing more than to kill me. This is when it got real. My survival instincts start screaming at me and I became primality incarnate. My body tensed, bone blades poised to strike, legs ready to dodge. This was it.

The fight lights went on.  

Nothing.

Hellcat stared, quiet menace rising off it like smoke. Didn’t strike, didn’t lunge.

It started to move, real slow like. Tense steps around the edge of the pit like it was circling prey. I did the same; wasn’t about to let it flank me. I couldn’t let my guard down. I’d seen how fast it was. Talynn wasn’t going to let me survive a mis-step.

We’d gone around a full three-sixty with careful slow steps, staring one another down. The crowd had gone quiet, too; just waiting. Was this her strategy? Wear out my patience, wait for a mistake? A reckless move? Not gonna happen. She can take as many moments as she likes, and I’ll savor every one. Because if I fuck up, I won’t be having any moments ever again.

I kept my nerves steady, If anyone was going to be reckless it’d be her. . . and she was. She kept on going round, but she was moving farther from the edge. She had her eyes locked on and couldn’t help but get closer. She may have been fast, but I still had murderous tentacular range. The spiny hyaenodon was inching dangerous close to the point where I could hit it before it could attack me.

Few more steps and the fucker’d be just within my attack radius. Decided to let it get a hair closer just to make sure…

By the time the crowd gasped, I had two bone-tipped tentacles buried near half a meter into the side of Hellcat’s neck. With two more vipering straight into a spot behind its shoulder.

Couldn’t have been more than a third of a second it took to get all four blades embedded in its flesh, and I wasn’t lettin go easy.

Turns out Hellcat didn’t plan on letting go either. Fuckin beastie rolled toward me, wrapping my tendril arms around itself and aerating them with hundreds of jagged porcupine quills. It near pulled itself close enough to start ripping and gashing with claws and teeth when I whipped it across the pit with a sickening velcro sound of spines ripping out of its back.

Hellcat hit the wall hard but made a quick recovery. Blood from its wounds had already stopped flowing. It felt like it left a couple of kilos worth of needles in each one of my bone-blade tentacle arms. That was going to slow me down. I shouldn’t have thrown it; I’d panicked. Fuck!

The beastie gathered its footing then rocketed straight across the pit. I tried spearing it, but I was too slow with the shredded muscles. I felt those diamond hard shark teeth clamp into my thigh and rip through a chunk of armor and flesh before dodging back to the far side of the pit.

I’d seen this before when it fought Minogore. Now that Talynn had relieved me of my best weapon, it was back to typical strategy. Hellcat was going to rip off little bits of me until there was too little left to fight back when it went in for the kill. Shit!!

I wasn’t gonna go out that way, couldn’t let it happen. Had to stay calm, strategize. Hellcat was digging in its feet for another rush. Just as it took off I speared the floor between me and it. The appendages might have been too slow to attack, but I could use them as a barrier. And stuck full of needles as they were, they’d be too nasty to bite through. Hellcat veered off and spun around looking damn near offended that I wouldn’t just lay down and die.

I stayed low and kept on with the same strategy. I was fighting defensive now, putting thorny tentacle arms between me and the beastie every time it lunged. A couple cycles in of this and I learned I could direct the fucker left or right as I pleased. Started using this to my advantage and swiped off a good few chunks of its back legs with clawed fingers.

For a minute I thought I was getting the upper hand, but then the little beastie got around the tentacular cage I’d been keeping myself in and nipped off a good bit of shin. Told myself I wouldn’t let it happen again. But then... it did happen again. And again. And again.

What the fuck was going on! I had a good strategy, but then it seemed like Hellcat somehow managed to get even faster. I got this sick feeling when it dawned on me. It wasn’t faster… I was slower. Why!? Khanivore had enough oxygenated blood to fight for an hour at least. It wasn’t near that long, yet. I’d barely lost a drop of blood. There was no goddamn reason I should be fatiguing just now! Did the team miss something after the last fight? Did Wes or Ivrina fuck something up in Khanivore’s pod?!?

Not now, survive first, kick their arses later. It wasn’t time for thinking or clever strategies no more. This was time to not die; to go for full berzerk primality!

Enemy was readying its footing for a death-blow. My thoughts had all collapsed into a single brutal directive: Kill.

Hellcat lunged, I lunged straight back at it. Clawed fingers shoved straight down its gullet as I tackled the fucker to the ground. Serrated shark teeth crunched my right hand straight off while my left was carving out its eye. I yanked the mutilated limb from its maw and put the beastie in a headlock with the stump. I felt every remaining spine it had digging into my guts, but I didn’t give the tiniest fuck. I was going to rip this cunt apart!

The beast thrashed about as the claws of my left hand ripped through its gut, yanking out bones and ribs before frantically scooping out every bit of meat and organ I could reach at through its soft underbelly. It kept thrashing about in a panic way longer than most, a testament to Talynn’s bioengineering prowess. But I could feel the life draining on account of my savage evisceration.

I had won. Hellcat was dying.

I dropped the scooped-out fiend to the floor of the pit to let it make it’s death-rattle before finally going limp.

I heard Talynn shriek as her Affinity link to Hellcat died. The blood-clad beauty wasn’t intimidating anymore. I saw her eyes filled with terror and hands shaking as she rushed forward. Look on her face actually made me feel bad for her.

The girl actually continued forward, making this panicked climb into the fight pit. Just kept repeating, “No, no, no, please no.” in this hysterical, teary voice. The drop into the pit was a good three meters, even from hanging. Looked like she cracked an ankle the way she limped over to Hellcat’s side.

She went prostrate next to her dead monster, face a mess of tears and snot, and started doing these great big heaving sobs as she laid her hand on its face. Whole thing was fucking tragic.

I had just enough strength to raise a bloodied arm in triumph, but the crowd wasn’t quite as thrilled as it should have been. The bloody crying girl really fucked the vibe. Couldn’t worry about it now; Khanivore needed to get back to her pod, and fast.

I hobbled back down the corridor on half-eaten legs and felt a relief when the pod sealed. Now that I was animating a human body again, I could appreciate the fight I’d just had and won. There was times I worried I was over-preparing for this one bought, but now I knew she was everything I was expecting her to be. Talynn was batshit, but fucking brilliant as a baiter.

I remembered our deal about winner fucks the loser, but by the look on her face out there, figured I ought to give her some time. I headed backstage and we opened up a nice expensive bottle we got just for this particular win. Had a toast to no more fucking rabbit stew.

Then something happened. Wes poured a shot and slid it over to me, but the glass shattered on the floor before I’d even raised my hand to catch it. It was the same feeling I’d had out in the pit…. I was getting slower. Wasn’t a problem with Khanivore’s body… problem was the brain inside it.

“Somethin’s wrong.” I told them. “It was like this out in the pit. My reflexes was getting slower right near the end. Still getting slower now. She did something to Khanivore, something that’s fucking up my brain.”

The team rushed to the pod. Wes hooked up the interface and checked some measurements and data I didn’t quite understand. Started looking real panicked. Came back to tell us something about something was wrong with the nervous system.

“Cheatin’ fucking cunt.” Ivrina said. “I’ll bet her beastie’s got some kinda neurotoxin on those goddamn spines.”

“And Khanivore ain’t got no filter organs; the pod can do the basic stuff but it wasn’t meant to contend with poison.” I was pissed off. Talynn meant to kill my beastie even though she’d lost. Only she didn’t know it was my brain inside of her. I pounded a fist on Khanivore’s pod. “She’s gonna tell me how to fix this, even if I have to beat it out of her.” I stormed out headin straight for the opposing team’s green room. The team called something after me about saying they was going to keep trying to see what they could do. They seemed shaken. I couldn’t blame them. I was too.

Made my way through the under-halls to the sound of spectators filing out above me, eventually burst in on Talynn sitting in the dark staring at the empty pod, knees hugged up to her chest.

“Talynn,” she cringed a bit hearing my voice, but didn’t turn around. Seeing her look so defeated drained the anger right out of me. Probably a good thing, too. I had to speak gentle. Ten seconds ago, I’d planned to go all fire and intimidation, but antagonizing her wouldn’t do any good. “Hey… I’m sorry about your beastie, but I got to talk to you. Something’s wrong with Khanivore, she’s still dying even in the pod. We got to thinking it might of been your Hellcat. Those spines got poison on ‘em, don’t they?”

There was a long pause, “Venom.” Talynn corrected in this little sotto voice.

“Yeah, all right. Go to admit, I never would have thought to do that.” I felt like a damn hostage negotiator, and come to think of it, I kinda was, “But the fight’s over now, so I need you to fix it. Give me the antidote or tell me what I got to do so Khanivore doesn’t die.”

“Why the fuck should I?” Talynn snarled all sudden-like, finally turning to face me. She stood, limping forward angrily and got right up in front of me. Olfactory presence almost made me wretch; drenched in rotted blood made her smell like a mass grave. “Hellcat died! You killed her! Why shouldn’t you have to watch your own precious Khanivore fade away?? Maybe then you can know what you did to me!”

“I won’t know anything! I’ll be fuckin’ dead!” I paused to steady myself. Talynn gave this narrowed eyed look of suspicious incomprehension. Fuck, I had to tell her. “I ain’t in here, not anymore.” I poked a finger aggressive at my temple, “This body’s just animated by a bioware processor stuck on top of a spine. My real brain’s getting rotted away by your fuckin venom right now. If Khanivore dies, I die.”

Talynn took a step back in stupefaction. She just stared for a moment like she was trying to figure out whether to take me serious or not. I didn’t even see her hand reach back to grab the three kilo wrench that’d been set down next to the pod. Not until she whipped it around and cracked open the side of my head with it.

“Fuckin’ hell!!!” My hand went to my temple, which was several centimeters sunken in now. For a second, my thoughts flashed that she was crazy, then I realized why she’d done it. If I was lying, she figured I deserved to be killed, and if I wasn’t, she wanted proof.

I guessed that one side of my skull looked like a Jack-O-Lantern left out ‘til July, so the fact that I was still standing there glaring at her should be proof enough that there wasn’t anything neurologically essential inside my skull.

Talynn looked wide eyed for a moment, “You’re… that’s fucking insane.” was all she said. Thought I saw a flash of a smile for a second as she turned around and rushed toward a big trunk. Yanked out a big handful of hypodermic syringes full up with some amber liquid. She handed some of them to me. “Three should be enough for Khanivore. I need to keep a couple as a backup in case one of my team pricks themselves while they’re...” she just trailed off, not wanting to say ‘handling Hellcat’s corpse.’

I rushed back without a word, and near crashed into Ivrina halfway. She came to look for me, worried that I’d collapsed or something. And honestly, I was feeling like my ability to control equilibrium was fading fast. I ended up handing the syringes to her while she told me just sit down on this grimy wooden bench in the hall.

My heart was pounding, for the next few minutes I sat there doing mental exercises and seeing how well I could touch my fingers to one another. Not that well, it was seeming. But after about ten minutes, my thoughts seemed to settle down, I felt like my brain was doing a proper job animating my body through Affinity again. The antidote worked.

For a while I sat there thinking about what if Talynn was right about me being the crazy one. She at least had the good sense not to get into the pit herself; except she did just that after her beastie died. Maybe the two of us were psychotic. Maybe that’s how come I didn’t feel mad at her no more. I didn’t just fancy her cuz she was pretty, maybe I like that she’s the only one I’d met who’s just as fuckin’ mental as I was.

Barely noticed the man walking up on me until he’d sat on the rotted wooden bench next to me. I recognized him as one of Talynn’s crew, older than the rest. Had this way about him like he was some detective from a noir style American film. Tough as nails type who’s been too jaded to care about rules no more.

I pulled my hood farther to hide the shattered skull, but he didn’t look in my direction, just stared straight ahead as he lit up a cigarette and started talking at me.

“I want to tell you a story.” His voice was deep and dark, full of gravel and gravitas. “Once upon a time there was a little girl named Tara-Lynn. She ended up in the care of the state at a young age. Parents abandoned her, or maybe they got themselves killed. Doesn’t really matter.” He paused to take a draw at the crackling ciggie.

“One day a couple comes along and decides that they’d like little Tara-Lynn to join their happy little family.” he continues, “Except she finds out it’s not so happy. Her new mommy and daddy expect her to pay back the adoption fees with interest. What’s little Tara-Lynn to do? Well… mommy and daddy thought of that, too. It seems they knew some men who’d pay them a lot of money for some time with little Tara-Lynn. You know the type of things men pay to do with little girls?” he paused to take another drag, “Yeah, I hear you know a little about that.”

Sitting there listening, I felt a sick bit of bile boiling up in my gut. Felt like I should say something, but he kept on before I had a chance.

“Story doesn’t end there. One night the police were called to Tara-Lynn’s house after a neighbor complained about a smell like a dead animal coming from the premises. Cops got inside to find mommy and daddy stabbed to death in their bed and little Tara-Lynn still clutching a bloody kitchen knife. Dried blood caked onto her pink pajamas. “Little girl went into custody, mommy and daddy went to the morgue. She said she didn’t do it, and for a while, they believed her. Medical examiner said there was no way a ten-year-old could have committed such a beastly crime. They were stabbed so many times, he stopped counting wounds after two hundred… each. “When they asked little Tara-Lynn what happened, she told them that an angel had come to rescue her. An angel named Talynn. After a few months visiting with a shrink, they finally got it figured out. She told them what they were doing to her, and she got a diagnosis. Split personality.”

“Jesus fuck...” the words came from my mouth an awed whisper.

“Talynn,” he ploughed on, “isn’t a person. And she’s definitely no angel. Closer to a demon. And demons don’t just sit quietly and wait when there’s nothing to do. Tara-Lynn may have escaped mommy and daddy, but she ended up with a new monster; one that lives inside of her.”

My mind flashed back to that night with her naked body across the motel room mattress. I remembered seeing all the scars that looked self-inflicted. It made sense now, Talynn had been hurting her. Wheels in my head turned, before things finally clicked into place, “That’s why she does it, then” I interrupt the man before he has a chance to keep talking, “She had a beastie livin’ in her head her whole life, then finds out she can just custom make a suit for the monster inside, then stick it in a pit an’ let it do what it does best.”

Man took a final puff on the cancer stick then stood up to snuff it under a cracked leather boot. “Except you killed the suit, broke the cage. And now the monster is pissed off.”

I took his meaning that he was frightened that with Hellcat dead, Talynn’s demon was going to go back to hurting her to get its jollies. Maybe even hurting others. “Ay!” I called after him as he started walking away, “the fuck you want me to do about it?”

* * *

I spent half a week giving the situation a good thinking over before I got around to calling Talynn. Normally I wouldn’t give a rat-shit about anybody, but something bout her story made me want to be helpful like. Maybe it was because I felt responsible on account of I killed her beastie. Maybe it was because she’d really been raped and brutalized while I was going round lying about it. Maybe I was just randy for her, I don’t fuckin’ know.

Anyway, I’d come up with this plan, right? If Talynn had this demon living in her head that might end up on a killer rampage unless it had somewhere to focus its hate, I was gonna give it something to focus on. A bit of tough love is what she needed, I figure.  

I rang her up, half expecting her to back out of the arrangement we had, due to I would have been dead if she’d won. She sounded downtrodden still, but also seemed eager for a bit of distraction and self-destruction.

I had her show up at the shit-hole warehouse that served as the home-base for Sonnie’s Predators. A good half the team lived there, but I threw them a few quid and told them to find someplace else to be for the night.

Khanivore was in her pod at the far side of the big room. She wasn’t terribly visible, since I’d turned out all the lights except for the big one over the training ring that clicks on with a big, dramatic snap. The circle we had laid out in the middle was roughly the size of a fight-pit, and used primarily for training and testing. Could still get a whiff of old rabbit’s blood if you was paying attention. Outside the ring was a few bits of machinery, but mostly some big crates filled with jugs of intravenous nutrient juice, and a few tanks of preservative fluid for when she needs her pod re-filled with fresh stuff. There was one big box with biohazard stickers all over it that had Khanivore’s excreta inside it.

I paced around a bit, half nervous, half excited. Then I hear a knock at the big metal door. I click the button that loudly rattles the huge metal warehouse door up. I see Talynn standing there; she hadn’t bothered to dress up for our ‘date’ by the look of it. She had this ragged sweater on, and even defeated as she looked, there was still a spark of fire in her eyes. She stepped inside and I clicked the door motors to put the door closed again.

“Welcome to the HQ.” I said with a flourish of my arms that was maybe I bit more smug than it had to be. Her eyes stayed locked on me.

“If you’re going to fuck me, just get on with it.” she said. I could tell it was Tara-Lynn speaking. The voice was little, and a bit scared. It wasn’t the big, bad beastie that lived in her head.

“I got a question for you.” she didn’t react. “When I made that deal with you. About the winner gets to have their way with the loser. Which one of you was I talking to?” ‘

Her face flashed a snarl for just a moment when she realized somebody told me about her bisected psyche. She took a few seconds to turn it over in her mind, “What’s it matter?”

“Matters ‘cuz I think that big, bad Talynn made a bet, and is here expecting little Tara-Lynn to pay up since she lost. So I got a new idea.” I toss her over a pair of those old fighting gloves they used in caged MMA matches. “Double or nothing. You and me, nothing lab-grown. If I win, I get to have my way with Talynn. I ain’t got no interest in bullying a crying, little victim; but a hard bitch who carves up pedos… that’s something that’ll hold my interest.”

She looked down at the floor, worried like. Then in an instant all the worry drained away and these inferno-hot eyes shot up to meet with mine. “And if I win, you’ll submit to me?” She growled the words as she stalked forward at me with these slow, menacing panther steps. A little grin formed at the side of my mouth as I saw the beast I faced in the pit a few days ago appear in front of me in human form.

“That’s the way of it, yeah.” The night was lookin like it’d shape up to be my own private carnival of depravity.

A few rips of velco had our fighting gloves on. I popped off my shoes so I was down to just the threadbare wife-beater and my capris. Talynn had a few more layers to get down to an appropriate amount of covering. Yank wasn’t acclimated to the London chill.

It’d been a good few years since I’d been in a proper scrap using the body I was in now. Last time was in my teen years when this little twat and her friend jumped me calling me a slut and saying I’d fucked her boyfriend. Had her in a solid ground-and-pound position when the friend glassed me in the side of the head with a bottle she’d hidden in her backpack. Probably still have the scar on my cheek from it, but nowadays it’s blended in with the mess of mutilation my face has become.

Talynn steps inside the taped off area that served as our make-shift pit. She starts circling real careful the way she did in her beastie form. I wasn’t having none of that bullshit, so I charge straight in stabbing and elbow into her left tit. She tries to grab on but loses her balance.

She’s on the ground and I start putting some kicks on her. One of her lips splits open pretty good before she sinks her teeth into one of my toes with this feral little-girl growl. I can’t get it dislodged even when she starts coiling the rest of her limbs around my leg. A couple good jerks and thrashes got me off my feet crashing onto the cement. She twists around and drives her heel straight up into my cunt a couple times.

Don’t rightly know how, but somehow I grappled her around until I had her under me, face down. That hair-glue she puts in her mohawk let me get a good grip on it even though there wasn’t much to grab. I said to her that she better admit defeat or I’d bash her face right open here and now on the rock floor. She says “Eat shit” and I bash her face a couple times so as to let her know I ain’t joking. She gets angry-quiet and doesn’t say anything for a while. Too long for my liking so I collide her face with the cement once more. Finally she admits that I’d won.

I take a minute to catch my breath. This fight went quick but I had to admit that Talynn had this brutal ferality that got me good and randy. She kept glaring at me as I chained her wrists strappado style up to this overhead winch that ran on a track the length of the warehouse. I gave her enough slack that she could kneel down without her shoulders coming dislocated, but not much more than that.  

I fade into the shade round the edges of the room for a minute to grab some of what I’d gathered in pre-planning. I stuck a good sharp straight razor in my pocket and picked up this novelty camera I’d gotten a few years back. It was supposed to look like one of them old nineteen hundreds ones that print out the pictures as you take them.  

I clicked off a few piccies and tossed the print-outs on the floor in front of her. Her face looked venomous at me as she realized her private humiliation was gonna be saved for posterity. I hang the insta-camera from my belt and got to work with the razor. I made a real show of turning her outfit into garbage.

I take a few more images of her naked body, making sure to get some real nice close ups of the intimate bits. Then I got to examining her real close, like she was a piece of meat. I figured neither of us put any time limit on things, so I didn’t have no need to be expedient.

Talynn didn’t resist, but she wasn’t really cooperating neither. Took a solid kick in the calf-meat to get her to put her legs apart. “You’re 0 for 2, beastie.” I whisper to her as I stand behind her and run my fingers from her cunt up over her arsehole.

“Ain’t so tough without a half-tonne of claws and teeth to slip in to, yeah?” She stood still just glaring off into the distance. I got up real close behind her and yanked her arse back against my hips. Put my arm around her waist and bend forward real close, so I was talking into her ear. “Tell me what it felt like when I was ripping your guts out.” Her teeth clenched so hard, I’m surprised she didn’t crack one.

“Staying quiet, eh? Maybe you need a reminder.” I put her in a headlock just the way I did in the ring, shoulders twisted to just near popping. I press the straight edge to her chest and slide it down between her tits, just hard enough to let out some drops of ruby red, but not so deep that she’d need more than a few stitches to patch her up. Carved a ragged line almost all the way down to her cunt hair.  

I hold her close as I whip out the insta-cam and flash a pic of us cheek to cheek. I see she’s got this look of sick disbelief in her eyes. The polaroid falls to the floor to stain with the drippies of blood slowly hanging out her torso.

I walk around real slow to get right in front of her. Her eyes was all fury and fear and fuck-yous. “You still with me, beastie?” I asked her. The carnal hate was my answer, it was still Talynn I was talking to. “Good, wouldn’t want you to miss anything.” I took her chin in my hand and hold up the straight-edge, “You remember the night we met? When you said about my scars that they was ‘love-letters written in flesh’ and asked if I get wet when I look at them. I’ll give you a chance to find out yourself.” I leaned in to kiss her lips real gentle, then I pulled back just far enough that I could see her eyes as I gashed one half of a Chelsea smile into the meat of her cheek. She started whimpering and her eyes filled up before angry tears started streaming down and mixing in with the blood.

I kept hold of her chin as I sliced the other cheek to match, a big red grin carved from the edges of her mouth more than halfway to her ears. I had this twinge of guilt, chopping up her face the way I was. Maybe I was going too far; then again, scars didn’t need to be permanent these days. Hell, I couldn’t go half a week without some twat telling me about a plastic surgeon that could make my face baby-smooth with the newest laser treatment. This bitch could afford it, anyway.

That was the agreement anyway, right? I won, so I get to do whatever gets my jollies. And seeing her here, helpless, crying, bleeding; fuck that gets me off. Best to keep going then.

A sort of artistry took over me, I didn’t want to randomly slice her up like some street-tough. I took my time; smooth, clean incisions all across her skin. Pretty red lines organized aesthetically across her light-tan flesh. I got caught up in myself, and all her screaming and crying turned into background noise, couldn’t even have guessed how much time had passed.

I finally came back to my senses when I took a step back to admire. I caught Talynn’s eye and slowly felt the reality that my canvas was a living person who’d been suffering the torments of Hell this whole time. Something about this felt like being in the fight pit again, yet different. Smell of blood, struggle of mortal fear, but this was quieter, meditative; almost loving in a way. I’d always been the fury and fire type, but I was beginning to see why serial killers who snatched women off the street and take them out slow did it that way. Except Talynn would be walking away tonight.

I almost forgot to take a few more pictures. She was dripping with so much blood, it brought me back to the way she walked out on fight-night. Except she wasn't full of menace any longer. She just looked… pathetic, defeated. Couldn’t let what little sliver of conscience I had left get in the way of the job I had to do. That beastie in her head needed a purpose, prey to obsess on; I was gonna make sure that was me.

“I’m… sorry.”

It came out in this little mouse voice that was so small I wasn’t sure if I’d heard anything. “You say something?” I shot back at her.

“I’m sorry!” She heaved it out through weepy sighs. “Whatever I did, I’m sorry, please just let me go. You win! You’re better than me! I’ve learned my lesson!”

I just stare at her for a good long second. “That what you think this is? I’m teaching you a lesson on account of I’m just a cunt who doesn’t like to be challenged?” She looked confused and fearful, I give her this real arrogant grin back. “Nah, it’s just the opposite, mate. I want you coming for me. See, I been winning so many times in a row now that I’m starting to lose the fear.” I get real up to her face and whisper the next bit, “I can’t have that, beastie. Fear is what gives me my edge. You gave it back to me fresh in our battle… I ain’t ready to let that go yet.”

She hung there from her wrists, heaving and wheezing and bloodied. Then all of a sudden she got grave-quiet, her head raised up to face me. Her gaze impacted me in a way that made my skin to ice. There was that babydoll grin again, “I should have known I couldn’t manipulate you. You’re just like me, aren’t you?” Her voice was rock-steady and psychopath calm, “That’s why it has to be me. I have to be the one to kill you, Sonnie.” I could tell soon as the words left her mouth that there wasn’t one molecule of bluff in them. Fuck, even like this, she had moments where she could still be absolutely terrifying; the fear elates me as the goosebumps on my skin start to smooth out.

“You want to do me in? I’ll give you a chance right here.” I toss the straight-edge to her feet amidst a pile of bloodied photo-prints and then stick the key to the cuffs into her hand. I start walking into the darkness round the edges of the warehouse, and make a show of tapping the side of my head and saying, “Case you’d forgotten, I ain’t in here.”

Wish I’d seen the look on her face, but I was busy starting up the automated protocol to shut down the Affinity link without a handler. Countdown started and I quick got into meditative pose so as I wouldn’t crack my skull open once motor control shut down. I felt that familiar sense of falling through darkness before the world faded in around me.

My pod was already opening. Khanivore’s muscles felt insane-strong. This body wasn’t fully repaired yet, but new pieces were in place. The replacement for the hand that Hellcat bit off felt like I had to concentrate real hard to get it to move; nerves grafts must not have taken full hold yet. My bone-blade tentacles had to be scrapped outright after what she did to them. Just as well, we’d been talking about an upgrade anyway. New set-up had five instead of four, and this was the first time I’d gotten to feel them. Put in more specialization, too, but they were still too fresh to really get a sense of that yet. With only the base muscle-structure implanted, my tentacular glory was blunt and unarmored. In fact, all five were still foetal soft.

Even so, I’d have to be careful. Last time I’d done this sort of thing was when Khanovire was turning Dicko and his Spetsnaz girl to mincemeat. Was the first time I’d felt what Khanivore’s body could do against human flesh; it was like a child manipulating this wet, cracking bit of playdough.

I saw Talynn in the light. She’d gotten her wristlocks undone and she had picked up the razor. She held it in two shaking hands in front of her in this defensive pose as I came into the light. She did this quick back and forth glance between the ten-centimeter hunk of metal in her hands, and the towering three-meters tall death-beast approaching her. She throws the blade to the floor with an echoing clatter and dashes fast toward the warehouse controls. Her feet slip on her own slick blood for a few steps before she can get traction, but that’s enough. I’d have laughed if I could, half a minute ago she was thinking she’d seize control of the situation, and now here she was practically shittin’ herself with mortal fear.

One powerful bound and a couple of steps puts me between Talynn and the door.  A tentacle lashed out faster than even I expected and had her constricted round the waist and pulled off the floor. I take a moment, and ease off; a firm twitch and I could turn her torso into something looks like a used up tube of toothpaste.

I take my time walking her back into the light, I was going to need it for this. Khanivore didn’t have the best fine-touch pressure nerves, so I’d have to do a lot of this by sight. Talynn kept looking up at me, convinced she was about to die. I figured I best let her know my intentions. Two more tentacles coiled around her bloodied ankles and slowly pulled them apart ‘til she was about two thirds to a full split. Look on her face was distress as she realized her imminant rape, but not so much agony as to make me think I’d dislocated a leg on accident. And my grip on her waist left her enough room to breathe, though not too deeply it looked like.

I lifted her up and the last two foetal tentacles lined up ready to go inside her, each of them thicker than the fists she was using to pound and flail helplessly against me. The way she screeched when I violated my way into her arse and cunt holes made me think I’d ripped my way in. The trickle of blood from her shitter said I was right. Kept a careful eye on the depth, even blunted, my tentacles were strong enough to rip their way well into her ribcage.

Suddenly I understand why Talynn gave her beastie a cock all full of nerve endings. I wanted to feel this; the clenching and thrashing as I raped my way into her. I wished I could feel every twitch, every weeping heave from inside of her body. I wanted to milk every ounce of divine pleasure from her torment and humiliation. Too bad Khanivore wasn’t built with the pleasure nerves for that sort of thing. Tearful screams came like music one after another as I thrust in and out of her.

It was beauty, pure and simple. A naked girl, ruby droplets still gently streaming from my cold steel artistry. Her expression spoke of equal parts shame and agony. It was so gorgeous I wanted to weep right then and there from the sheer resplendence. I want her to feel this, I want her to remember this always.

A few minutes of thrusting in and out of her tiny little body; then it seemed like something in her mind broke. The crying subsided, and she just got this look on her face like she wasn’t there anymore. I got a flash in my head of what this must have looked like, felt like. A monster, towering over her, raping it’s way into her with no regard for what it was doing to her. Christ, I’d taken it too far. I was making her re-live the way those pedo fucks had treated her when she was little. Part of me felt a bit sick with what I’d done. I decide to let her go and place her gently on the floor. I climb back into the pod and the A.I. program I rigged up knew to put Khanivore back in storage and put me back in human form.

I took a quick few seconds to collect myself. A part of me wanted to apologize, say I got carried away, but then that’d negate the entirety of what I was trying to do. If I wanted that psychological tumor laser-focused on me, I’d have to make sure it thinks I’m really that heartless.

Talynn just laid there panting. Seemed like the trauma left her in a state just before catatonic. I take a few last photo print-outs for posterity and then I tell her to get up. Had to repeat it a few times before she climbed shaking up to her feet. I grab the back of her neck and guide her to the big, rattling service door. I punch the button and the big slab of corrugated sheet metal starts curling up to the ceiling.

I push her out onto the asphalt, and the polluted, icy breeze of outdoors needles its way into her open wounds and gaping nethers. She gasps and seems shook out of her thousand-yard-stare. She moves her hands like she’s ashamed of being naked out in the open. She blinks a few times before her blue eyes point in my direction. She speaks quiet at me; not threatening or boasting, just meditative calm like she was making an oath, “I’m going to kill you, Sonnie.”

I hit the door-close and the big metal wall begins to inch its way down between us.

“You’ll have your shot.” I say it with this smug look right before the door makes us lose sight of each other.

I walk off into the warehouse and tell myself I did a good thing. I got the monster in her head obsessed on me so it wasn’t gonna be hurting anybody else. A deep down part of me knows that’s just horseshit. I liked hurting her, I liked raping her; I wanted her to know that I was better than her, stronger. And if next time I face her in the fight pit, it ends up being my last time, than a broken little girl gets to have justice. And that ain’t so bad, is it?

* * *

“Everyone out.” I dismiss the team calmly. This is a sacred moment. I need to commune with the new body I’d made for Talynn. Our own body still pains us from what Sonnie did. The scars still ache and itch even after all these months. I could have them removed; two, three treatments at most. But it wouldn’t matter. The pain of knowing that Sonnie is still alive after what she did to me is worse than any of the slings and arrows that could befall my mortal flesh.

We worked tirelessly, we needed a new body, a better vessel. We were too confident last time and Sonnie destroyed us. My avenging angel was trapped without a body of her own. How could she do this to my champion, to my love??

It didn’t matter now, her new body was finally finished. It had been so crowded in here with both of us. But now my white knight would finally get to put on her new armor.

I lowered the lights to a few lumens above pure blackness. Talynn would need time for her new senses to all properly synergize with one another, and with the bioware processor; it’s best not to overwhelm the senses right away.

I press a few buttons and the Affinity Link is active. I take a deep breath as I feel the pod open. Heavy footsteps thud against the cement hard enough to rattle the walls of the building.

She’s moving slowly on all fours, this arrangement of anatomy would take some getting used to. I felt her moving toward me slowly through the darkness.

A glint in the darkness catches my eye a foot or so in front of my face, her smooth, diamond-hard teeth. I blink a few times as my eyes adjust to the darkness, and I smile as the obsidian hide of her head comes into view. I reach up to caress her neck as her other two heads slowly begin to appear in the darkness.

“Welcome back, precious.”

[jinjojess]

One of the main things I get asked about or have mentioned to me is why I don’t as zealously translate things on my blog anymore.

There’s a lot of reasons, some of which I’ve addressed in the past, but they’re kind of persistent issues that don’t only affect me. They affect just about every other fan translator that I’ve had the pleasure of working with and they’re why you don’t tend to see the same people stick around for a long period of time.

This is going to come across as a vent-type thing, and it isn’t aimed at anyone in particular, but just at certain trends in fandom and social media spaces in general, so I’m not calling anyone out or anything.

Like I mentioned before, you tend to notice that a lot of people who translate things for a particular fandom will drift away after a certain amount of time. This isn’t an accident, nor does it necessarily need to be an eventuality. Some people will always move on because they lose interest in the source material, but I’m not talking about that today.

Reason #1: Work and Real Life

The biggest, most persistent issue for me is my job. I work long hours, I have a two-hour commute on a train each day, and my work is very stressful and demanding. Would I rather be translating? Hell yes! Can I support myself doing translations for free? Hell no!

When I was doing really hardcore translation stuff, it was basically me not sleeping. That was a thing I could do because my hours were shorter then and I got long breaks throughout the year. I was home and in my house by 18:30 every night which meant I had way, way more free time than I’ve had in the last couple years.

I’m not in school anymore, nor do I work part time, nor am I figuring things out at my parents’ or anything. I’m also getting older and more tired. That means I can’t afford to be translating a bunch of text for free and sacrificing all my free time and time to sleep. It’s a little unfair to expect me to compete with pro translators, people who work part time, or are in university, or NEETs who happen to be doing translation stuff.

Reason #2: Lack of Motivation/Lack of “Customer Loyalty”

I was going to call this “lack of reward” but there is an inherent reward to doing this kind of work and lots of people have been very vocal and kind about their gratitude, so it’s not necessarily that you never are rewarded.

However, I do need to address the elephant in the room.

Fandom is a fickle and impatient creature. It doesn’t care about quality, it cares about speed. The second biggest reason I don’t try to keep up the pace I was going at a few years ago is because there’s really not any strong motivation to do so aside from my own pride and a handful of people.

Let me try to explain what I mean: when you’re cranking out translations quickly, before anyone else has touched anything, then people will respond well. They’ll reblog your posts, donate small amounts of money, draw you fanart, send you nice messages. The second you stop cranking things out as quickly though, all of that dries up. Yes, a core group of people will stick with you, but the majority of the fandom just kind of moves on and latches onto whoever’s faster.

And it’s frustrating. It’s annoying that I can spend hours and hours and hours putting something together, only for it to get like 50 notes. My DRT summaries have been read by countless people, but the posts themselves have less than 10 notes in most cases. 

People don’t really appreciate that translation is ultimately a creative act--it’s not just a mechanical process of Language In > Language Out, it require you to be creative in your word choices. Also they don’t appreciate the hidden work, like all the money spent procuring the original source material (which I always tried to do since I prefer to be self-reliant like a dumbass), or the formatting, or the TIME. 

Meanwhile, people will reblog visual art that looks similar with no qualms, but if it’s a long translation, they won’t even bother to read other interpretations, much less spread them.

People remember the names of visual artists, and will promote them and yell about how they need to be paid and whatnot, but they don’t tend to remember the names of people who translated things. Fandom just doesn’t do that. Unless you stay relevant and in the public eye as it were, fandom at large doesn’t remember the people who did seminal translations of works.

They don’t have to, of course, but I gotta admit that it doesn’t really make me want to pour hours of my own limited free time into working on something that no one will care about or remember I did after the fact.

Reason #3: Cutthroat Tactics

As you can imagine, when speed is the only thing that matters, the situation turns toxic real quick. While you’ll meet a lot of other great translators, and everyone I’ve personally worked with has been fantastic, but I think the incident that best shows off what I mean is what happened with Yaz and someone taking his raws to release their own version before shslscans did. That happens all the damn time.

While a certain group of people will cooperate and try not to step on others’ toes or be respectful (the reason why I never finished kamase-megane’s DRK1 translation), there will always be other people who just jump in and do stuff and don’t even recognize you--they can’t, because if they do, they run the risk of people going to read your stuff instead of theirs, and as we established, the fandom will only read one translation and nothing else.

There’s also the issue of the audience themselves, who will do things like nitpick everything you post if they don’t like it (which happened to a friend of mine, who ended up having people attack them because their interpretation of the vaguely worded source text didn’t line up with what they wanted to hear). 

There are also people who very clearly want to use you for their own advantage. You can always tell who these people are, because they will be up in your face and promoting you left and right until you need to take a breather, at which point they will drop you like a sack of potatoes and heavily promote someone who is doing the thing they want, but faster. They will also not circle back around and promote your version once you finish it.

The fandom will take your scans and your translations and use them without credit, gaining way more notoriety and attention than you ever could on your own (this happened to me last year on Twitter, where someone took a photo and translation I uploaded to my blog in 2014 and used it to garner LOADS of attention--while the Tumblr post that talked about the tweet credited me, the original thief never did, despite me politely asking).

Fandom will also turn their nose up at anything that isn’t a word-for-word translation. My summaries for the side novels are extremely detailed and I end up translating large passages anyway, and STILL people bitch that they won’t engage with summaries because they’re inferior. r/choosingbeggars much?

Part of the reason that no one remembers the translator or sticks with them if their pace drops is because there’s an unspoken expectation that the fandom is owed the translations. It doesn’t matter who they come from, but clearly someone has to do it, because it’s just a thing that fans are entitled to. That’s mind-boggling to me, who grew up with fan translations as the only way for me to experience a LOT of foreign language media. No one owes you translations of things as soon as they’re released!

Finally, it’s difficult to get your work even seen, because the market gets so saturated; all of the aggressive self-promotion often ignores what other people are doing, either because of sincere ignorance that your stuff exists, or because they’re intentionally ignoring you to make themselves seem like the only option.

Conclusion:

This is not a DanRon fandom problem; this is a fandom problem, full stop.

I can’t tell you what to do, or how to engage with fan translators and their work. This is more just a vent about things that irritate me about the whole scene and to explain why I don’t update as quickly or as often these days. 

I do still want to get my version out there, and I will still do it--I was doing side novel liveblogs and summaries before anyone paid attention to my blog and I will continue on after--but I do ask that maybe you be patient, or you try reading different translations of the same thing to appreciate the various approaches. Remember who translates what and makes sure that you always credit and source. Reblog translation posts, don’t just like them. 

Basically, treat us the way you treat visual artists.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to all the folks who have stuck with me through the years. Everyone who sends me nice asks and who has sent me art or liked or reblogged my posts, I appreciate all of that. You should be the norm, but you aren’t, and so I really love you guys. I’ll have some stuff for you very soon!

[ardenttheories]

What would be the perfect 12 person session, and would your classpect be apart of it?

Well! Here’s a basic rundown, followed by my reasoning behind them all:

Mage of Space, Knight of Rage, Thief of Breath, Sylph of Blood, Seer of Mind, Heir of Light, Maid of Hope, Witch of Doom, Prince of Void, Bard of Heart, Rogue of Time, Page of Life

x

You need to have a Space player and a Knight, almost immediately. It’s imperative to have both in order to breed the Frogs, but I don’t think combining both into one is a good idea (a Knight of Space would mean a lack of Space in the session, which is definitely bad).

What you really want, I think, is a Knight of Rage. A session that lacks Rage is a session that lacks negativity; it’s also a session with one hell of a fighter. Can you imagine someone who exploits Rage? Someone jacked up with adrenaline at all times, paranoid and fearful and anxious and living on the edge, never able to be taken down because they are always prepared, always cautious - and always able to send their enemies into a blind Rage that makes them easy pickings for everyone else. 

Helping with the Frogs would require a Space player that’s more active than passive as a result. A Knight in my eyes is the passive player, though a Knight of Rage would be furious enough to lead the charge in any situation; so a dangerous quest for Frogs seems ideal. Having a Mage of Space - someone who knows literally everything there is to know about Space, beginnings, creation, pretty much the very core of SBURB and how to create the frogs almost off the bat - would be perfect in this situation, then.

Next, lets think about the Thief. As I said in an earlier post, I think a Thief represents what a session has too much of, as a way of replicating what a Knight shows a session lacks. It’s the active-passive binary that draws me to it so much, honestly. So what would you want a session to have too much of? Breath. Too many options, too much freedom, too much movement and flexibility - yes, it comes with too much detachment, but I have a solution for that, too. If we say that the Thief represents the concept of too much choice and freedom, then surely that means they’re guaranteed for success? That final end, the final reward, is the biggest freedom of them all! And it means there are several paths they could take to get there; really, all they need to do is figure out which path they like best and go down it. 

So, how do you counteract the Thief’s representation of too much detachment? Sylph of Blood. Someone who is there to heal those broken frayed bonds, to keep everyone together, someone who spends their time ensuring everyone has someone else - they are essentially the glue that keeps the group together. A Sylph of Blood is a stubborn and compelling person to have in a team that might face division; in the end, they’d definitely strengthen the bonds of the team to such a degree that everyone was friends on such deeply profound terms that they’d act a bit like a closed group, needing nobody but each other and being happy for it.

Now, I said that because of the Thief, there’d also be a lot of options the players could work with, right? So naturally the best options to go for from here are the Mind and the Light players!

A Seer of Mind would be crucial for this session; someone who can see all the options laid before them, and direct the entire group down to the most beneficial path; guiding them, coercing them encouraging them, until eventually they even act themself and take a physical role in ensuring the team succeeds. There are plenty of ways they could do this, and essentially their goal is to do so in the most cost effective way possible. It would just make it easier on everyone else - especially with all of that freedom - to have someone to guide them, someone who can see what everyone will do and drift them towards whatever might be the best course of action.

An Heir of Light would be a good companion to the Seer of Mind. While the Seer takes care of the options, the Heir takes care of the information. They are pretty much drawn to information, to things of importance; they might stumble into a cave and just so happen to find something that ends up being crucial to their session. They’d analyse every piece of information the players uncover, and come up with the answer to the Ultimate Riddle in no time flat. Heck, they might even contact their Denizen well before they’re meant to, and complete their quest the fastest out of any of them, having understood through hints from the Consorts just what they were meant to do! Though they do have the issue of hyperfocusing on topics well beyond what they’re meant to, the Seer will help guide them back to a more useful path. 

A Maid of Hope might be pretty useful, too! Though they’d start out a victim to the Sylph’s fussing and meddling, and suffer a severe setback due to it, they have plenty of time and the guidance of the Seer to help them figure out the path they’re meant to steer more towards - or perhaps just the aid of the Seer to get the Sylph off their back. Once they really come into their own, you’d have a session bursting with Hope. Joy, good feelings, love, positivity, the belief that they can do anything - the Maid can do it all. They can even help bring the group closer together if they believe in their abilities together enough, but most amazingly of all they can create whatever they truly believe in and make it real. So if the Maid truly, wholeheartedly believes that they’re all going to succeed and beat the game? Then by all means, that game is going to be beaten. 

Next up, I think a Witch of Doom would pretty much be a requirement. While Witches rebel against their nature, and yes that means this one would rebel againast Doom, they also actively control it. Imagine a session where the Witch decides what does and doesn’t form a Doomed timeline, what does and doesn’t constitute a Doomed self. A session where the rules are made to be broken, where the concept of Prospit and Derse can be bent and twisted into something wholly beneficial. This might actually make the battle against the final bosses a doddle; something akin to how the trolls did their session, but with the ability to take out both monarchs and maybe even to unite Prospit and Derse under the universal banner of Skaia. No isn’t an answer to this Witch; if they want it to happen, it damn well will. Of course, morality is a big issue with Witches, but the Sylph and Seer will both ensure they don’t take it too far.

A Prince of Void could be a potentially positive influence on the players of the session, particularly in context of the Knight and Page. They destroy any secrecy, any hidden information and any lack of importance; they destroy the idea of meaninglessness and the concept of confusion or doubt. What better way for a Page to learn something than for the Prince to snarl it out in their face, give them something to chew over for a bit before trying, going beyond the advice of the Sylph and really pushing themself to do their best? What better way for anyone in the session to realise how important they are as part of the group than to have the Prince doggedly remind them of the machine that they’re part of, the role they’re going to take at the end? It might be overwhelming, yes, and I have no doubt some of the players would fear the Prince’s truths - and might also fear the Prince’s inability to keep any sort of secret - but being forced to see their own secrets is important, too. A Knight who realises they aren’t lacking, that they’re just filled with worries that have no logical basis, is a Knight who can progress much faster than usual. The Prince thus not only acts as an aid to the Heir of Light, but also as a way for faster development to occur in everyone else!

Surprising as it is, I think a Bard of Heart would be beneficial for the team. They need something to go wrong, someone to be some sort of challenge to them, to test their capabilities as a group and make several of the members interact with one another. A Bard of Heart would be good at this; someone who is initially laid back, allowing others to cover up their Heart, their personality, their Soul with their own loud voices, someone who is distanced and logical and rational to a fault. Someone who is unbiased and relaxed, going with whoever wants to take the lead at the time. Their Bard split would cause them to explode with emotion, to be ruled by their feelings beyond reason, to being so overwhelmingly passionate for something that they can barely handle it. The Prince would likely be the reason this event happens, revealing something the Bard didn’t want revealed, and the Sylph, Seer, and Maid would likely be the ones that have to carefully put back together the pieces of the Bard. It would be messy, oh hell it’d be messy, but it would open the eyes of the Prince to realise that they have to be careful with what they say, that their destruction can really hurt people, and it would challenge the people around them to scramble to help. Also? Imagine an irrational Bard of Heart running around screaming while everyone else seems to have some part to play in the grand scheme of things. It’s that little bit of weirdness every session needs. 

Following this, a Rogue of Time would be a good addition. This session has so much going for it, someone who struggles with the concept of The End, but eventually comes to understand that it’s not actually something to be scared about, would help edge everyone closer and closer to the final reward. A Rogue stealing Time to give everyone else a chance to breathe, to work on what they need to, to recover from everything that’s happened, to enjoy their good times - it’s what they need to keep the session going, to stop everyone from falling apart under the stress of it all. The Rogue, too, needs to learn that you can enjoy those moments even if you know it all has to end - can enjoy those moments even more because of it - and in general that would make the experience of SBURB a significantly more pleasant one. People would still have the Time to develop, to grow, to be themselves - and it would stop them from rushing through the session so blindingly fast that they beat the game before they can learn what they’re all meant to.

Which leaves the Page of Life! I’ll admit, this one came down to last man standing, but Rogue of Time fit so well that this is what we have left. A Page of Life means initial struggles, yes, but also a powerful player with a wealth of… well, just about everything. Money, ambition, growth, Life itself - at the end of the day, the Page of Life gets it all, and encourages the others around them to take part as well. It limits the harm the Sylph can really do, since a Page of Light struggles with temptations and, well, the Sylph might actually help with that! Reminding them of the importance of their bonds and ensuring their bonds with the rest of the group are strengthened will probably lead the Page to a slightly earlier development. Still late compared to everyone else, yes, but earlier than most Pages would see. This is the person of the group who clumsily hoards every item of value until they finally figure out what it’s all for, and then puts each one to perfect use. Plus, this goes again with the concept of breaking rules - so someone the Witch might get on well with, and someone who could reign them in! If nothing else, the Page might act as the moral example the Witch follows, seeing them progress from someone who bumbles through power and wealth as the underdog, bound to the rules but pretending that they’re free of them, before actually breaking through - breaking the rules, but without destroying them entirely. It would be good to balance the Witch out, I think, and prevent any catastrophic issues.

And after all of that, to answer your last question; nope! My classpect isn’t there at all. I’m a Page of Hope, which I did consider, but not in enough depth to really choose for the list. 

[douchebagbrainwaves]

THE OTHER HALF OF N THINGS

It didn't matter what type. Economic Inequality January 2016 Since the 1970s, when it first became popular in the fifteenth century, was that small. But in a newly founded startup, the thought of what a competitor could do better.1 White. Conveniently, as I explain later. Those are interesting questions. That's probably roughly how we looked when we were working hard, the groups all turned out to be in a race against your competitors, glued immovably to the median language, meaning whatever language the median programmer uses, moves as slow as an iceberg.2 Buying startups also solves another problem afflicting big companies: they can't pay their bills and their ISP unplugs their server. If you want to optimize is your chance of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.3

Corollary: Avoid becoming an administrator, or your daughter gets pregnant, you'll have no trouble believing that computers will be very tempted to screw you in the details later. Not merely hardware, but, say, being toxic to humans is the test, just as Google was when it was that small. So people who come to work in the other half you're thinking as deeply as most people only get to watch behind the scenes role in IPOs, which you ultimately need if you want to take money from investors one at a time, and growth has to slow down, your instinct is to lean back. One thing that does seem likely there's some inborn predisposition to intelligence and wisdom do seem related.4 I smelled a major rat. Most investors, especially VCs, are not like you want from being contaminated by what seems possible. When we started Artix, I was rarely bored. It is for all ambitious adults. Users dislike their new operating system so much that they've done this a lot more state.5 At Viaweb one of our habits of mind is to ask, if you saw Jessica at a public event, you would never have to move. I can answer that.

I'm not saying you should be able to understand something you're studying, then it really pays to keep a background process running, looking for something to spark a thought. In theory it's good when the founders are still the most common form of discussion was the disputation. Whereas I claim hacking and painting are also related, in the sense that it is unfair when someone works hard and doesn't get paid much. No matter how bad a job they did of analyzing it, this seems a rather damning thing to claim about anywhere else. Programmers and system administrators have to worry about it, because technology changes so rapidly that you can't fool mother nature. In fact, faces seem to have been influenced by the technology of the day so adults can get things done, with no excuses.6 Investors are often compared to sheep.7

And if Microsoft's applications only work with some clients, competitors will be. ___ How much would it cost to grow a user base. What have other people learned about design? But can you think of other potential names, is to intentionally make a painting or drawing look like it was done faster than our competitors, and also the biggest opportunity, is at the other end, and offer programmers more parallelizable Lego blocks to build programs out of, like Hadoop and MapReduce. But if you just follow your own inclinations.8 Promising new startups are often involved in disreputable things.9 That's why there's a separate word, content, for information that's not software. To be fair, Perl also retains this distinction, but deals with it in typical Perl fashion by letting you omit returns.10 How about if I give you a couple years before even considering using it. Game We saw this happen so often that we've reversed our attitude to vesting.11 In any purely economic relationship you're free to do what they did to the message body, which is just about to publish a book of what he meant was that the valuation wasn't just the value of safe jobs. Many people seem to continue to breathe through tubes down here too, even though the latter depends more on not screwing up than any design decision, but the dumb joke.

But being lucky is the critical ingredient. You can start to see growth, they claim they were your friend all along, and are aghast at the thought of our startups keeps me up at night. Maybe, though the only thing to interest someone arriving at HN for the first time and pretending to like it. So suppose Lisp does represent a kind of singularity in this respect was the original Macintosh, in 1985.12 Actually, I've noticed this too.13 After Mr. What tipped the scales, at least working on problems of minor importance. This will take some effort to teach you that.14 Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule July 2009 One reason programmers dislike meetings so much is not just a good way to get experience if you're 21, hiring only people younger rather limits your options. Viaweb ended up crushing all its competitors. A good example is the airline fare search program that ITA Software licenses to Orbitz.

And why is it hard to make their mark on the world. It's like seeing the other interpretation of an ambiguous picture. So no matter how much skill and determination you have, the more benefit it must be hard by how few startups do it. Only a handful actually do, but what investors are thinking. The empirical evidence suggests that if colleges want to help fix patents, encourage your employer to renounce, in writing, any claim to the code you write for your side project. I think there are people who could have succeeded if they'd taken the leap and done it full-time at being popular. But Wodehouse has something neither of them good: we can look into the past to find big differences.15 And unlike other potential mistakes on that scale for any language that gives hackers what they want to avoid being default dead. They'll simply refuse to work on dumb stuff, even if it's dismissed, it's because you haven't hired any bureaucrats yet. For example, willfulness clearly has two subcomponents, stubbornness and energy.

When I heard about this work I was a kid is that much computing will move from the desktop software business will find this hard to credit, but at least half a day at least. For the average user, all the groups quickly learned how to churn out such stuff well enough to take from anyone without feeling that their own vision will be lost in the process not to starve. Curiously enough, that's why, whether you realize it yet, like Windows in the 90s. That's just a theory.16 The answer, I realized it wasn't luck. Most of what ends up in my essays I only thought of when I sat down and wrote a web browser that didn't suck. This has traditionally been a problem in venture funding.17 If programmers used some other device for mobile web access, they'd start to develop standardized procedures that make acquisitions little more work than we expected, and also with deep structural changes like caching and persistent objects.18 Symbols are effectively pointers to strings stored in a hash table.

Notes

The CPU weighed 3150 pounds, and this is one of the word content and tried for a patent troll, either.

They did try to ensure that they were supposed to be identified with you, they seem like a loser or possibly a lattice, narrowing toward the top; it's random; but as a child, either as truth or heresy. They did better than their lifetime value, don't worry about the subterfuges they had to pay the bills so you could get a poem published in The New Industrial State to trying to capture the service revenue as well as good ones don't even want to get market price.

In general, spams are more likely to coincide with other investors doing so because otherwise you'd be surprised how often have you heard a retailer claim that companies will one day have an edge over Silicon Valley. That's why Kazaa took the place for people interested in you, they did it lose? Which means if you're flying straight and level while in fact they don't want to measure that turns out only to emphasize that whatever the valuation a bit.

Which is fundraising. Programming in Common Lisp for, believe it or not. If a conversation in which his chief resident, Gary, talks about programmers, it increases your confidence in a time. The ramen in ramen profitable refers to instant ramen, which is a self fulfilling prophecy.

See particularly the mail by Anton van Straaten on semantic compression. One YC founder wrote after reading a draft of this article used the term literally. A lot of people are these days. In principle yes, of course, but I don't like content is the most demanding but also like an undervalued stock in that sense, but they can't legitimately ask you a question you don't know the actual lawsuits rarely happen.

One of the world barely affects me. One measure of that investment; in biotech things are different. It would be more precise, and when given the Earldom of Rutland.

There are aspects of the next downtick it will seem like noise. I do, I'll have people nagging me for features. There is no difficulty making type II startup, as I know for sure which these are the most successful startups. Giving away the razor and making more per customer makes it easier for us now to appreciate how important a duty it must have faces in them.

This flattering distinction seems so natural to expand into new markets. I'm not saying you should be your compass. I think you should prevent your investors from helping you to agree. What you learn in college.

But the money. At three months we can't figure out what the editors will have to do that. Maybe it would take forever to raise more money. Steven Hauser.

That's the difference between us and the fucking fleas. Rice and beans are a hundred years ago it would have become good friends. They bear no blame for opinions not expressed in it. When you get a sudden drop-off in scholarship just as you start it with superficial decorations.

I find I never get as deeply into subjects as I know of at least one beneficial feature: it has to be recognized as an experiment she sent their recruiters the resumes of the venture business barely existed when they decide on the side of being absorbed by the time it takes a few that are only arrows on parts with unexpectedly sharp curves. 25. 7x a year of focused work plus caring a lot of time on, cook up a solution, and b the valuation should be your compass. If you're doing is almost always bullshit.

We fixed both problems immediately. And I've never heard of many startups from Philadelphia.

If you invest in your startup with a toothbrush. Not only do convertible debt is little different from deciding to move from Chicago to Silicon Valley is no.

If Ron Conway, for example, the 2005 summer founders, like a ragged comb. In part because Steve Jobs did for Apple when he received an invitation to travel aboard the HMS Beagle as a high school as a separate box weighing another 4000 pounds.

Later you can imagine what it would destroy them.

Bill Yerazunis. 5% of Apple now January 2016 would be too conspicuous.

When governments decide how to do it in action, go ahead.

And that is a fine sentence, but for the firm in the narrowest sense.

Thanks to Shel Kaphan, Joe Gebbia, and Emmett Shear for putting up with me.

[volleys-chan]

No prob. How different would Zoro/Zolo's life be if he never went to the island that Rika lived in and continue hunting down pirates while training to be the BEST swordsman in the world? Also, do you see him fighting against Luffy someday to earn a BIG reward?

Aw man, whipping out some hard ones! Wow. This one is really tough! I mean, originally, Zoro was supposed to be a member of Buggy’s crew according to the preliminary character drawings Oda did, just like Nami was supposed to be a badass cyborg with a mechanical arm and a giant ax (I sorta wish he had done that just to break some common female tropes, but I still love Nami as is). But we aren’t here about the original ‘what ifs’, we are here about the ‘what if he never met Rika’. I mean, Zoro could have gone to that island, but if he had not gone to that restaurant to eat, the world would have changed monumentally.

But we aren’t talking about his effect on the rest of the world, we are talking about what would happen to him. Honestly, I think he would have probably kept doing what he had been doing. Wandering aimlessly and using bounties of local pirates and bandits to feed himself as he gets more and more lost. He said he didn’t travel off shore much as account of not having nautical navigational skills (he gets really, really lost) so maybe he would have eventually ended up somewhere relevant, but joining the Strawhat crew was what really pushed him forward on his quest. When you do something for someone other than yourself, like Zoro does for his crew constantly, it propels you forward faster than if you had just tried to do it for yourself. Yes, he had promised Kuina that he would become the best, but, no offense, the living often are a better motivation than the long dead.

Would he have joined someone else? I don’t think he would have. He had already been offered a place in Baroque before meeting Luffy and he ended up having to kill the agent because he turned him down.

How about the Marines? Hahahahahaha, no. Zoro is not someone I associate to following strict rules and regulations. He isn’t good at it. Most of his childhood flashbacks show him training alone and without much guidance. He makes attacks up on the fly throughout the show. I have a feeling he took the fundamental basics of what his master had taught him and filled in the blanks with his own ideas, seeing as there wasn’t another student practicing Santoryu. You see him fighting others at the dojo, but only once is his supposed master ever shown teaching him a technique, the cutting technique, and he did so only once. If he was a teacher that oversaw all of Zoro’s training, I am quite positive that Zoro would have mastered the technique sooner.

Not just that, but it showed that when he is down a sword or two, his abilities greatly diminished because he wasn’t traditionally trained to handle one sword or two. When he lost two of his swords in the fight with Black Cats, he could only turn things back around in his favor when Nami threw his other two swords at him. Since then, I think he started to work on those skills incase something like that every happened again, but I don’t think he really had real hands on training until Mihawk.

And there was even a whole mini-filler saga that showed what would happen if he didn’t have the bonds he had with the other Strawhats. He left to wander. He didn’t try to stick around to figure out if what was being told to him was true, he left. There was a reason Vivi liked to call him Mister Bushido. Because Zoro is a perfect example of a Ronin. He devoted his loyalty to Luffy because Luffy saved his life when a deal he had made- a deal what was supposed to be honorable- went sour.

Without Luffy and the crew, he wouldn’t have even met Mihawk when he did. He might have never met Mihawk otherwise. Yes, I will give him some sliver of chance with his uncanny ability to get lost in a straight line, but I also noticed his sense of direction, which possibly could have been Oda just making it more apparent for the continual gag, got horrifically worse when he obtained Sandai Kitetsu, one of three cursed swords to the Kitetsu name. And often he stumbles right into the people who would pose the most challenge to his abilities. But without Luffy, he wouldn’t have gotten that sword, or any other of his Meito outside of Wado Ichimonji.

So, in short, I don’t see Zoro really propelling forward without Luffy. Without Luffy, he would still be bopping around East Blue completely lost with very little growth to his skills.

So, would he ever end up fighting Luffy for a huge reward? No.

Not because of the reasons most would probably think though. Personally, I think that the Strawhats wouldn’t have even made it as far as they did without Zoro. Each Strawhat was specifically needed to further strengthen the whole of their crew. Ussop wasn’t apparent at first, but I like to think him a bit like a Magicarp- he only evolved into a kickass Garados with time, experience, motivation, and patience. 

In fact, without Zoro, if the Strawhats even made it as far as Thriller Bark, Luffy and the rest would have been killed by Kuma at that point, or at least Sanji would have been killed in exchange for Luffy’s life because Zoro is the second biggest tank in the crew with Luffy being first. 

But I don’t even think, without Zoro, they would have won against Kuro. Zoro held the damn line. He kept everyone there until Luffy arrived, caused a ruckus, then got himself hypnotized like the lovable simpleminded idiot he was, and left everyone else holding the line again until Kuro pretty much showed up. 

Zoro is, next to Luffy, MVP when it comes to taking out the hard hitters. I love Sanji, don’t get me wrong, and think him equally vital, but Zoro’s place in the crew is/was (recently he hasn’t had to be nearly killed to kick it into gear, which is a nice change of pace. He was like the one character throughout all of Paradise that was never, ever at full health. Or if he was, he didn’t get serious until he at least had one gut wound.) to take the brunt of the damage while Luffy fights off the head hancho. The Strawhats without Zoro probably would have never even gotten as far as Orange Island. Luffy trusted Nami too easily and if Zoro had come in like he had, the price, I believe would have been steep. Either it being Nami’s end at Buggy’s hands or Luffy’s. Possibly both.

BUT, if we are talking like Zoro reached those same levels of ability and skill like he did in his symbiotic relationship with the Strawhats and Luffy being successful as a pirate sort of ‘would Zoro go after Luffy’s bounty’ question- I’d still say no. Zoro never chased down bounties. He just happened upon the ones readily available to him, as shown in the flashback that Johnny and Yosaku had about meeting Zoro. Even Zoro admitted he never went after pirates for any intention than to get enough money to survive off of. The fact that he became so famous, probably was confusing to him, since he wasn’t even trying to make a name for himself like that.

Again, too many unknown variables of how things could have changed with that one butterfly effect. I presented you with the facts and observations I have made, but that doesn’t make it 100% accurate. I have a very different vision of Zoro than a lot of people because I don’t think he is as sexist as people assume him to be. But I hope my perspective proved to be interesting at the very least!

Thanks again for asking! ^_^

[one-true-fangirl]

Uncle Sin

A little late on posting even though I was done. Sorry about that. This is for @magibb Enjoy!

Rated: T Pairing: Sinja [SinbadXJafar] Summary:  All this time Jafar believed Sinbad was just an egotistical playboy. Until he brought a surprise to the office. WC: 6187

Sinbad was many things. A flirt, womanizer, manipulator, alcoholic. Well this was all Jafar listed himself since he knew the man. But he was a damn good worker in the office and is probably the only reason this company was still running. Not that he’d admit it out loud. Egotistical was another word he forgot to add to the list. The biggest annoyance he had against Sinbad was for some damn reason, he wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Hey Jafar!”

Jafar groaned walking faster. It was time to go home and he was actually getting out on time for once. Now that he thought about it, that was weird. He usually had to stay behind after hours to finish up work Sinbad would do last minute.

“Hey, I was calling you!” Sinbad caught up placing a hand on Jafar’s shoulder. He never respected personal space! “You doing anything-?”

“No.” Jafar shrugged off the other’s hand. If it was only that easy to make Sinbad go away.

“So…You’re free then?” Sinbad continued being persistent smiling at Jafar.

“Yes, but I’m not doing anything with you.” He clarified. Maybe he should try to file for sexual harassment. If only his pride would let him.

“Oh come on. You should at least give me chance. I know of a nice little restaurant we can go to.” Sinbad’s phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket. He quickly took it out reading what Jafar’s assumed was a text message. “Guess I’ll have to reschedule our date.”

“I never agreed.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow Jafar.” He winked before sprinting out of the building.

Jafar couldn’t help but be curious. What would make Sinbad actually run out like that?

“He’s been acting weird for awhile now hasn’t he?” Hinahoho commented coming out of his office locking it.

“Has he?”

“I would think you’d notice the most. You’re always around him.”

“More like he won’t leave me alone.” Jafar huffed as Hinahoho laughed.

“Well let’s see. He’s been doing all his work on time,” he began counting with his fingers. “he no longer stays late unless we really need him, hardly goes out on business trips anymore, and he barely goes out for a drink now. And when he does he doesn’t stay as late nor does he invite anyone home.”

Now that really was weird. Now that he thought about it Sinbad was more…assertive lately. “Maybe he’s finally maturing.”

“Weird time to start.” Jafar couldn’t help but think the other was just upset because Sinbad was his drinking buddy. “This started about five months ago when he was suddenly gone for a week.”

“I wonder if something major happened during that time then.” It was a sudden leave. That week was…very quiet.

“You do care.”

“Not even close.” Jafar couldn’t help but turn light red as they finally made it to the door. “Waiting for Rurumu?”

“Of course. She’s my ride.” Hinahoho laughed.

“She’s your wife.” Jafar corrected. “Tell her I said good night.”

“Will do.”

♦♦♦

           Sinbad really was many things. But sometimes he just liked to surprise everyone. Like this morning. He was late. Happens to all of them really but that wasn’t the surprising part. It was when he ran in late that everyone was surprised.

           “…Sinbad…who’s that?” Drakon finally spoke up pointing at the sleepy child Sinbad was holding.

           Sinbad tried to straighten himself out but he ran the whole way while carrying the child. “This…this is Aladdin. His babysitter cancelled on me.” He cleared his throat. “I know this isn’t work appropriate, but I couldn’t find a place for him to stay.” Big blue eyes stared at everyone before the boy hid his face against Sinbad’s chest.

           “Is he…?”

           “It’s a long story. I promise I’ll get all my work done and he’ll behave. It’ll be just for today.” He was practically begging. Something Sinbad never did.

           “I suppose that’s fine.” Drakon agreed. What else could he really say? He also worked under Sinbad why was he asking permission?

           “Thank you.” Sinbad sighed relieved before lifting Aladdin a bit in his arms. “Come on buddy. You can color while I work.

           Aladdin looked up at Sinbad and nodded as he walked to his office.

           "Sinbad is…a father?“ Pisti asked once he was gone.

"I don’t know.” Sharrkan wasn’t sure what just happened.

“I didn’t even know.” Hinahoho felt offended. Weren’t they best friends?!

Rurumu watched the group bicker as she remained quiet. She knew. She was the only one who knew. That’s how Sinbad was able to get that week off suddenly a couple months back. Sinbad begged her not to tell. Not because he was ashamed, he loved Aladdin. He just didn’t want pity on the boy. She looked over noticing Jafar was quiet staring at the door Sinbad once stood. Seems he was curious about the whole thing too.

♦♦♦

“Sorry I forgot your coloring book.” Sinbad apologized giving Aladdin some blank papers to use his crayons on.

“It okay!” Aladdin grabbed the blue crayon. “I can draw! I’ll draw you!” He was about to use the blue crayon but stopped himself with a look of hard concentration. He put it down grabbing the purple one instead and began drawing.

“Looks like someone is going to grow up an artist.” Sinbad smiled patting his head before heading for his desk. Okay no messing around today. Actually, since he adopted Aladdin, he hasn’t been messing around much. He’s been getting his work done early to go home to Aladdin. Sinbad picked up some papers before frowning. “Shoot…I forgot the documents are still with Drakon.” He stood up. “Aladdin stay here okay? I have to go get some stuff real quick.”

“Okay.” Aladdin agreed still drawing.

Sinbad smiled knowing Aladdin would listen before leaving to pick up his work…hopefully they didn’t ask questions. He really wasn’t ready to talk about this right now.

Aladdin just kept coloring sticking his tongue out in concentration. This was going to be his best picture yet!

“Sinbad I need you to-” Jafar stopped when he realized the other was missing. He looked over seeing Aladdin stare back. Aladdin quickly panicked dropping his crayon and running behind the couch in Sinbad’s office. “Oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” Jafar kneeled down not wanting Aladdin to feel threaten by him. Despite what others believed, Jafar was a softy. Especially to children. “What’s your name?”

Aladdin fidget a bit looking down. “…Aladdin.”

“Hi Aladdin. I’m Jafar.”

“…hi.” Aladdin still didn’t look up.

Jafar frowned noticing he wasn’t getting anywhere with him. He looked over at the table noticing the drawing. “Is that Sinbad?”

Aladdin finally looked up when Jafar mentioned his drawing and nodded.

“You’re really good. Though you forgot that little hair he has that sticks up all the time.” Jafar made a motion with his finger on his head.

Aladdin gasped running back to the table to look at his drawing. “I did!” He quickly fixed the problem before continuing to draw.

“Does Sinbad take care of you?” Jafar couldn’t help but ask. He was curious like everyone else.

“Uh-huh. He promised mommy. Uncle Sinbad is really nice. Mommy said he’ll take good care of me.”

“Your mommy?”

“Yeah! Uncle Sinbad was always helping out mommy! She was sick a lot and Sinbad was our…nay…neig-…” Aladdin scrunched his eyebrows trying to remember the word.

“Neighbor?” Jafar helped him out.

Aladdin smiled. “Yeah! He lived in front of our room! And even when uncle Sinbad moved away. He visited all the time to play and help mommy!" 

Jafar wanted to ask. He wanted to know what happened to his mother. Before he could ask though he was interrupted.

"Jafar?” Sinbad was surprise to see the other here. Especially kneeled down near Aladdin who was still drawing. He was very shy boy. How did he warm up to Jafar already? Not to mention Jafar was strictly business all the time. Was he here because of Aladdin?

“Oh Sinbad.” Jafar stood up dusting himself off. “I needed these documents signed but you weren’t here.

"Sorry I had to get something from Drakon. I’ll get those signed right away.” He walked around to his desk.

Jafar nodded looking one last time at Aladdin before walking over to get everything signed. “….never saw you as a father figure.”

“Neither did I.” Sinbad chuckled as he signed. “Maybe you should get to know me better.” He winked at the other.

“I don’t think so.” Well Sinbad was definitely still the same. No way he was actually a good father-

Aladdin suddenly sneezed alerting Sinbad. He stood up grabbing a tissue. “Bless you Aladdin. You got some sniffles?”

Aladdin sniffed a bit nodding.

“Alright blow.” Sinbad held the tissue in front of Aladdin’s nose as the boy did what he was told. He cleaned him up before tossing the used tissue. “Want some grapes?”

“Yes please.”

“Look at that. Using the word please like a pro.” Aladdin giggled as that as Sinbad reached for the box of grapes. “Don’t eat too many okay.”

Aladdin instantly grabbed a handful putting them in his mouth. “Okay. Thank you.”

“No talking with your mouth full.” He smiled when he received a nod from Aladdin before going back to his desk. “Sorry about that. I’ll finish signing now.”

“That’s…alright.” Jafar was still stunned at what he just saw. Sinbad was a wonderful caretaker. He didn’t even know this side of Sinbad existed.

♦♦♦

Jafar couldn’t help but think about what he just saw the whole time he was working. Sinbad was a kind man. Despite all that stupid flirting he did. All this time he thought Sinbad was just an idiot.

He didn’t see the other again until lunch when he went into the break room. He noticed Sinbad helping Aladdin with his food by cutting it for him.

“Don’t eat too fast.”

“Okay!”

“You’re not drooling already are you.”

“No!” Aladdin grabbed a napkin wiping his mouth just in case.

“I was just kidding.” Sinbad laughed putting down the knife.

“You meanie.” Aladdin pouted.

“Am I? Am I a big ol’ meanie?” Sinbad tickled the other making Aladdin giggle again.

Everyone in the break room just stared since this side of Sinbad was new to everybody. They still wanted to know why Aladdin was in his custody.

Once Aladdin stopped laughing he looked over seeing Jafar. He jumped off his chair grabbing a piece of paper from the table before running towards him. “Look! Look!” He got on his top toes showing Jafar the picture. “I finished!”

Jafar didn’t think Aladdin wanted to show him the picture. Though he still kneeled down for him to get a better look. His knees were probably going to be sore by the end of the day. “You did?”

“Yeah.” Aladdin began to point at the picture. “I drew Sinbad here. Then me. And I drew you too because you helped me with my drawing. I made you green.” Sure enough there was three figures. Purple for Sinbad, green for Jafar, and blue for Aladdin.

“That’s very lovely Aladdin.” Jafar smiled at the picture. He noticed another figure in the corner. “Who’s this pink one here?”

“That’s mommy. She’s watching over us.” Aladdin looked back at his picture. “She’s an angel because she’s in heaven.”

Jafar’s eyes widen looking at Sinbad who just stared at his food. What exactly was happening? His mother past away?

Aladdin grabbed Jafar’s hand leading him towards Sinbad. “Eat with us! Uncle Sinbad makes really good food!”

Jafar let himself be lead sitting next to Sinbad with Aladdin popping up in between them.

Aladdin happily started eating but Jafar just stared at Sinbad concerned.

“…come by the office afterwards.” Was all Sinbad said before he began eating too.

Jafar nodded knowing he’ll answer his questions then.

♦♦♦

“It’s not what you think.” Sinbad began as he tucked Aladdin in on the couch. It was always his nap time after lunch.

“Then what is it? How long have you even had him? Did anyone even know?” Jafar was trying to stay calm to not wake Aladdin from his nap. But he had so many questions.

“It’s been about five months. Rurumu was the only one who knew and…Sheba, his mother, used to be my neighbor at that old shitty apartment I used to live in.”

Jafar sat down in front of the desk deciding this might be a long story.

“She was very sick. But very kind. I met Aladdin when he was only a few months.”

“The father?”

“Isn’t me.” Sinbad answered right away. “His father was killed when she was only a few months pregnant.”

“Oh my god. Why?”

“…his name was Solomon.”

“Solomon? Like David Abraham’s son Solomon. The twisted manipulator?”

“David was, not Solomon. Solomon was killed by some people David crossed. Sheba said he was a good man. Always loving and caring for her despite what others said.”

“You would think David would take care of his only grandson.” Jafar hated that man. He only met him once before and instantly loathed him.

“He doesn’t know about Aladdin. He didn’t even know about Sheba being pregnant. He was against Solomon’s relationship with her.”

“…this is a really deep subject Sin…maybe I shouldn’t know.” Just talking about this seemed to bother Sinbad.

Sinbad sighed leaning back. “It’s fine…I don’t really see why you shouldn’t know. But maybe I did go too deep? Maybe I just finally want to get this off my chest.” Rurumu herself only knew a few details.

"So what’s your relationship in all this?”

“Like I said I met Sheba when I first moved into that apartment. She was kind and helpful. Even fed me when I had nothing to eat.”

“She sounds wonderful.”

“Sheba was like a big sister to me…but she was very ill. Just kept growing sicker throughout the years. Nothing made her better.”

Jafar stayed quiet noticing tears forming in Sinbad’s eyes though he keep blinking them away.

“I would help her out the best I could. Cleaning, shopping, cooking, taking care of Aladdin. Even when I moved away I would still visit to make sure she was okay.”

“…what happened Sin?”

Sinbad clutched his fist at the bitter memory. “One day, my visit wasn’t as cheery as it usually is.”

♦♦♦

“Sheba?” Sinbad knocked again when he got no answer. “Sheba, I brought some take out today! Chinese from your favorite restaurant!” He frowned when there was still no answer. Maybe she was out at a doctor’s appointment. Though usually she would tell him when those were so he could take her. He was about to walk away when he heard noise coming from inside.

“S-sinbab…?” He heard Aladdin crying from the other side of the door.

“Aladdin? Aladdin what’s wrong?” Sinbad glued himself to the door instantly worried.

“M-mommy..she won…she won’t wake up…”

Sinbad panicked fishing the extra key he was given to open the door. He finally opened it seeing Aladdin crying. “Where’s Sheba?”

Aladdin pointed to the living room before Sinbad picked him up heading towards the living room. His heart dropped seeing Sheba on the floor. “Oh my god Sheba!” He put Aladdin down grabbing his phone to dial an ambulance. “Please be breathing. Please be breathing.” He kneeled in front of her feeling her pulse. It was faint but still there. “Yes hello? I need an ambulance right away! I don’t know how long she’s going to last!”

♦♦♦

Sinbad was holding Aladdin outside the emergency room. Aladdin had already fallen asleep from all his crying. Sinbad on the other hand had bags under his eyes refusing to get rest until he had some news on Sheba.

The doctor finally came out after what seemed like days going up to Sinbad. “She’s awake.”

“Is she..?” Sinbad frowned when he saw the doctor shook his head.

“I’m sorry. She probably won’t make it past tonight. Her illness has spread entirely throughout her body.”

Tears poured down Sinbad’s eyes at the news. “…she has a child.”

“I’m so sorry.” The doctor apologized again before leaving.

Sinbad shakenly got up going into the room. Sure enough, Sheba laid there awake doing her best to breath. “Sheba….”

“I already know….” Her voice was almost a whisper. “I was hoping I had more time…”

“There has to be something.”

“You and I both know…that isn’t true…I’ve been sick for a long time…”

Sinbad just cursed still crying. This wasn’t fair! She didn’t deserve this!

“Sinbad…I have a favor….to ask of you.”

“Anything.”

“Can you care…for Aladdin…I know that…it’s a lot of…responsibility…but I don’t trust him…with anyone else.”

Sinbad couldn’t find words. He looked down at Aladdin before nodding. He’ll care for him. He’ll make sure Aladdin has a wonderful life.

“Thank you…can you wake him…I want to say goodbye.”

Sinbad nodded again still not trusting his words. He shook him lightly in his arms before Aladdin began to stir opening his eyes. He looked over at Sheba noticing she was awake.

“Mommy?”

Sheba smiled trying to lift her arms to hold him. “Hi sweetie.” Sinbad put Aladdin on the bed letting the other crawl to her so they could hug.

“…I don’t like it here….I wanna go home.”

“Oh honey…I’m sorry…Mommy can’t go home.”

“Why not?”

“Because mommy has to go.” Sheba started to explain as she cried. “But…Sinbad will take good care of you. So you be good with him okay?”

“…can I visit you?”

Sheba shook her head still crying. “Mommy will be too far away. But I love you so very much Aladdin. So much.”

Aladdin stayed quiet. “…is mommy going with daddy…?”

Sheba nodded.

“Mommy Is gonna be an angel?”

“Yes…I’ll be watching over you.”

“Okay…I’ll be good with Sinbad. So mommy can be a happy angel.” Aladdin smiled though he was crying now.

Sheba held Aladdin as tight as she could.

“I love you mommy.”

“Me too. So much.”

Sinbad just watched quietly before the monitors beeping began to slow down until there was no more. He’ll make sure to keep his promise for Sheba. He’ll give Aladdin a wonderful life.

♦♦♦

“I’m sure you can catch up with the rest of the story.” Sinbad finished looking at Aladdin who was still sleeping. Tears were already pouring down his eyes from the memory. He really missed Sheba. He looked back at Jafar and was caught off guard.

Jafar was sitting there crying himself. He didn’t know this. Sinbad was just supposed to be some pervert. Yet now he realized Sinbad was…more than that.

“Oh my god I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Sinbad grabbed some tissues to give to Jafar.

“What do you expect?” Jafar took in a shaky breath drying his tears. “I didn’t know you were…nice.”

“I’m not really sure what to say to that.”

“I thought you were just a pervert.”

“You really know how to make people feel better don’t you?”

“Well you still are.”

“Anything else you want to insult about me?”

“Plenty but I’ll save them for later.”

“Thanks.”

Jafar smiled as they both laughed softly. He looked back at Aladdin. “…if you need any help. I’ll be happy to assist. I’m sure it isn’t easy for a single parent…uhh uncle.”

“I…really appreciate that.”

“It’s no problem…I wouldn’t want Aladdin becoming some pervert because of you.”

“And there are the insults.”

♦♦♦

Aladdin seemed to grow rather fond of Jafar. He was always happy to have the other over. And when he would go to the office he would stop by his office too. Jafar didn’t mind it at all…though there was one thing he did mind.

“Aunty Jafar!” Aladdin ran in hugging the other. So much for Aladdin’s office visit being a one time thing. Though no one seemed to mind. He was adorable.

“Hi Aladdin. But I thought I told you to just call me Jafar.”

“But uncle Sinbad said it was fine.”

“Of course he did.” Jafar will make sure to get him back later. Maybe doubling his work load.

“Should…should I not?” Aladdin gave him the puppy eyes. He loved calling Jafar auntie.

Jafar twitched before sighing. He wasn’t going to win this battle. “I suppose it’s alright.”

Aladdin smiled again snuggling against him.

“Come on Aladdin.” Sinbad came by the door grinning. “Auntie has some work to do.”

“Okay!” Aladdin let go off Jafar running towards Sinbad’s office.

“Auntie?” Jafar glared at him.

“What he likes it.” Sinbad smirked walking over to him. “And I mean you could be the official aunt if-”

“I’m still not going on a date with you.”

“Oh come on! You said I was nice.”

“Still a pervert.”

“What have I done lately that’s been perverted?”

“Touched my ass when I bent down for fallen paper work.”

“Oh yeah I forgot about that.”

“You cat whistle every time I walk by your office.”

“It’s a compliment.”

“You have the stupidest pick up lines.”

“Hey, I like you a latte while you were holding a latte was a good one…and that isn’t perverted.”

“So annoying.”

“You’re mean.”

“And yet you still chase me.” Jafar rolled his eyes before walking away.

Sinbad stopped for a moment before smirking. “I think you like being chased.”

“Excuse me?” Jafar stopped looking back at Sinbad.

“Admit it you love the attention.”

Jafar blushed. “You’re insane.”

“I can prove it.”

“Oh my god you’re insane.”

“I’ll prove to you that you like me chasing after you.”

“This outta be good.”

“Yes it will.” Sinbad winked before leaving. “Get ready to admit it.”

“Never.”

♦♦♦

Jafar was making some copies in the morning when he felt something-rather someone hug his legs. “Good morning Aladdin.”

“Morning auntie.” Aladdin giggled as Jafar lifted him.

“You sleep well?”

“Uh huh.” Aladdin kissed his cheek. “Uncle Sinbad read me a bed time story. There was a frog in it and a princess.”

“Now that’s really sweet of him.”

“Come on Aladdin.” Sinbad called out from down the hall.

Jafar put Aladdin down so he could run towards Sinbad. “What no awful pick up line?” Jafar smirked at him. He was dying to see how Sinbad was going to make him admit it.

Sinbad just smirked back winking at him before going towards his office.

Jafar just rolled his eyes before continuing his copies. Though, that was weird that Sinbad didn’t even try.

The rest of the day went by…slowly. No visits from Sinbad. No whistles. No touches. No stupid pick up lines. What the hell was happening?

Was Sinbad ignoring him?! How dare he?! He noticed Sinbad leaving with Aladdin in his arms and decided to demand an explanation. “Hey!”

Sinbad stopped looking back at Jafar who march over to him.

“Why are you ignoring me!?”

“I’m not ignoring you.”

“I don’t und-…What?” Jafar anger was immediately replaced by confusion.

“I’m not ignoring you. Did you call for me earlier or something?”

“I…no…I didn’t.”

“Then I guess I’m not ignoring you.” He shrugged.

“You just…always came by my office and today…”

“Well I am working.” Sinbad chuckled moving Aladdin to one arm. “And you asked me to stop my nonsense did you not?”

“I…did.”

“Then I guess everything is fine.” Sinbad laughed waving goodbye as he walked away again.

“Night.”

“Night auntie!” Aladdin waved too.

“…Good night.” Jafar waved back feeling…rather lonely?

♦♦♦

It’s been about a week since Sinbad has started his little plan. And it seemed to be working. Now it was Jafar looking for him. He would start small talk and Sinbad made sure to keep it small. He really missed messing with the other though. But if he kept it up Jafar was sure to be his.

“Sin! Sin!” Aladdin ran up to him as he made them dinner.

“Woah where’s the fire. Why are you all worked up?”

“I made Jafar’s in…invi…invitation!” he said proudly. Jafar helped him to pronounce bigger words.

Sinbad blinked turning down the burner and kneeling down. “Invitation for what?”

“Your birthday!” Aladdin pointed at the picture. “It’s a pool party! You’re here in the pool. I’m swimming with Jafar here. Ruru is cooking with Hoho.” Aladdin kept pointing at everyone and everything in the picture.

Sinbad forgot his birthday was coming up. He has been pretty busy. A get together did sound nice. And they did have a pool. “You want to have a pool party for me?”

“Uh huh!” Aladdin bounced in place excited. “We can have hotdogs and hamburgers!”

“Alright. I’ll see if everyone can make it.”

“I want to give this to auntie Jafar!” Aladdin tugged on his sleeve.

“You want to personally invite him?”

Aladdin nodded looking back at his picture. “Yeah…he hasn’t come by to play in awhile…”

That…broke Sinbad’s heart. Aladdin missed Jafar…but this was perfect! Aladdin’s cuteness was irresistible! He could use this! “You’ll get to invite him tomorrow.” He messed with Aladdin’s hair making him giggle. “Tell him how much you’ve missed him too.”

♦♦♦

“You miss him.” Rurumu pointed out as they both drank coffee in her office.

“I do not!” Jafar huffed with bags under his eyes. To think he was losing sleep over this.

“You’re losing sleep over this.”

“Stop…stop reading my thoughts.” She always knew what he was thinking. It was kind of scary. He sipped his coffee.

“Honey, don’t you think the only reason you’ve put up with Sinbad as long as you have is maybe because you like him?”

“No!” he slammed his fist on the table almost knocking over the coffee. “S-sorry.”

“It’s alright. This table has taken quite a beating before.” She looked up noticing Jafar’s horrid expression. She blushed realizing what the other was thinking. “Jafar!”

“I’m sorry! My mind immediately went to a bad place!”

“You really have been hanging out with Sinbad too much.” She shook her head.

A knock was heard before the door was opened by Aladdin. “Auntie!” he ran over to Jafar. He was looking all over for him! “Oh! Good morning Ruru.” He smiled at her.

“Morning Aladdin.” She smiled at his politeness. Such a cute child.

“What are you doing over here Aladdin?” Jafar asked letting Aladdin climb on his lap.

“To invite you!” he showed Jafar his drawing. “It’s Uncle Sinbad birthday next week! We’re having a pool party!”

“A pool party?” Jafar didn’t do well outdoors. He gets burnt rather easily. But with Aladdin now explaining his picture… “It sounds fun.”

“So you’ll come?” Aladdin asked hopeful.

“I’m sure I can make it.”

Aladdin hugged Jafar. “I glad….I really missed you. You haven’t come to play…”

Jafar was suddenly washed over with guilt. He made Aladdin sad because of his stubbornness! “Oh I’m sorry Aladdin. I’ll make sure to make more time to come see you.”

“Promise?”

“Of course.”

♦♦♦

“You know. You didn’t have to help us set up the party.” Sinbad pointed out as he was cleaning the barbeque.

“Aladdin wanted me to spend time with him so I came early.” Jafar set up the tables. He just didn’t think Aladdin was going to be napping before the party.

“Alright.” Sinbad appreciated the help. And seeing Jafar in shorts and a white t-shirt was nice. He only saw the other in suits all the time. Not that he minded.

They fell into another silence as they continued setting things up. Jafar still didn’t like this. Sinbad was still not doing anything. But he refused to give in. He’ll just have to get used to this. The quiet…just like before Sinbad.

“Jafar?” The other jumped when Sinbad was suddenly behind him. “Sorry didn’t mean to scare you. You’ve just been staring at that towel for awhile.

Jafar looked at the towel in his hand before folding it and placing it with the others. “I just zoned out I guess.”

“You need something to drink? Rurumu told me you were sensitive with the sun.” Maybe the other was dehydrated. “Sit here I’ll grab you some lemonade.” He laid Jafar down on one of the pool chairs before going inside.

Jafar watched the other go inside before frowning. Maybe Sinbad just didn’t like him anymore. Who would after all the rejection right? Well this is what he wanted. To be left alone by Sinbad right? Doesn’t feel as good as he thought it would. He turned to his side to try to get more comfortable when he noticed big blue eyes staring. He sat up seeing Aladdin looking at him concerned.

“Are you not feeling well auntie?” Aladdin climbed up to sit next to him.

“Oh I’m fine just a little tired.” Jafar smiled not wanting to worry Aladdin.

Aladdin still didn’t look convinced. He wasn’t looking up at Jafar as he fidgeted with his thumbs. “…are you and Sin mad at each other?”

“Why would you think that?” Did Sinbad say something? Maybe he was just tired of him.

“You hardly come anymore…and uncle Sinbad doesn’t visit you like he used to.” He looked up at Jafar.

“We just been very busy at work lately Aladdin. We’re not mad.”

“So you and Sinbad still like each other?”

“Well I do see Sin as a friend I suppose.”

“No.” Aladdin frowned. “Like! Like how mommy liked daddy!”

Jafar was surprised Aladdin was asking this. “I don’t think so no.”

“But uncle Sin likes you.”

“I doubt he likes me like that.” It was just silly flirting Sinbad got tired of.

“…don’t you like Sinbad?”

Jafar stayed quiet not sure how to answer that. It was just a kid asking. He should be able to say no and drop it.

“One tall glass of lemonade coming right up!” Sinbad came outside noticing Aladdin. “You done with your nap?”

“Uh-huh.” Aladdin didn’t seem happy that Jafar stayed quiet.

“Still kind of sleepy aren’t you?” He handed Jafar the lemonade before picking Aladdin up. “I’ll be back Jafar. Gonna find Aladdin some swim trunks.”

Jafar smiled softly watching Sinbad go back inside. His smiled quickly faded looking back at the drink in his hand. What was he doing here?

♦♦♦

“Always nice to relax in a pool.” Hinahoho sighed in bless as he floated.

“Cannon ball!” The other was suddenly splashed followed by laughter of four teens.

“Kikirku stop trying to kill your father.” Rurumu shook her head at them as she sliced some watermelon.

Sinbad laughed along with everyone else. He was glad to see everyone so relaxed instead of stressed all the time with work.

“A pool party was a good idea.” Pisti cheered with Yamraiha as they both relaxed on floaties.

“It really was.” Mystras agreed happily watching Pipirka in her bikini playing with Aladdin.

“Get in there already.” Drakon pushed him in as he walked by to give Sahel her drink. Honestly those two were finally dating but Mystras was still as shy as ever. The other swam up coughing as Pipirka made sure he was okay.

Sharrkan bursted out laughing before he himself was pushed in by Masrur. There was no reason why he did it. He just felt like it.

“I should stay away from the sides of the pool.” Spartos made a note to himself. He didn’t want to pushed in.

Sinbad grabbed another beer from the ice chest looking around. Where did Jafar go? He was out here earlier.

Jafar sighed setting his gift on the table inside. Sinbad’s favorite wine. He was supposed to give it to him personally, but right now didn’t seem like a good time. At least with everyone distracted outside he could leave unnoticed. He turned around jumping at the sight of Sinbad. This was the second time the other snuck up on him today!

“Leaving so soon?” Sinbad frowned.

“I…I wasn’t feeling very well.” It wasn’t exactly a lie.

“Weren’t even going to say bye?” Did Jafar really feel that bad? He was usually overly polite at parties. Unless he drank. Then it really was a party.

“I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“It’s a party Jafar. You really wouldn’t be interrupting anything.” He looked over at the table. Jafar got him a gift?

“Right. Well I think I should be going. Happy Birthday Sin.” He smiled walking past the other.

“Are you really feeling that bad?” Sinbad decided to at least walk Jafar out the door.

“Yeah…” Jafar paused at the door. “…you were right you know.”

Now Sinbad was confused. What was he right about?

“I guess maybe I did like the attention you gave me. I never thought anyone could even like me in such a way.” He gulped feeling himself shake. “But I guess you can only take so much rejection before you decide it’s not worth it anymore.”

Sinbad’s eyes widen. This wasn’t the confession he wanted! Did he really make Jafar feel unwanted. “Jafar it’s not like that-“

“I really did like the time we spent together. But I guess I was just too scared of it at the same time. Getting my hopes up.” Jafar turned around and Sinbad’s heart sunk. He was crying. “I’m really sorry for wasting your time. I hope you like your gift.” He turned back around opening the door.

It was immediately pushed closed again by Sinbad’s hand. “Jafar…this isn’t the confession I wanted.”

Jafar looked back at the other confused. What did he mean by confession he wanted?

“I didn’t mean to make you feel unwanted. Jafar for god’s sake I really do like you.” He ran his fingers through his hair frustrated. “I mean it’s pretty obvious with everything I do.”

“But lately-“

“I know, I know. I wasn’t really doing any of that lately but it was to prove my point!”

“Your….point?”

“You know…for you to admit you liked me chasing you.” Sinbad reminded. “I really didn’t mean for you to feel bad.”

“So you weren’t…tired of me?”

“God no! Jafar I could never be tired of you!”

“So this was just your plan?”

“Not exactly I didn’t think I’d make you cry.”

“So you did this on purpose?” Jafar glared at Sinbad.

“You’re uhh…you’re sounding a little angry there Jafar.” Sinbad backed away a bit.

“You ignored me to get me to confess?!” Every step back Sinbad took Jafar matched with a stepped forward. They made it all the way outside and now everyone’s eyes were on them. What was going on?

“When you put it that way it sounds bad.” Sinbad gulped. “I’m really really sorry I put you through this.”

“You will be sorry!” Jafar pulled his hand back.

Sinbad shut his eyes waiting for a punch. When it didn’t come he finally peeked open his eye. He was confused when he saw Jafar’s finger against his forehead. He couldn’t think about it too long since Jafar pushed him back with it and he fell into the pool. He swam back up gasping for air. Jafar jumped into the pool himself cornering Sinbad. “Jafar look I’m really sorry!” Sinbad was actually scared of the other. Jafar has never been this mad at him before. Jafar grabbed Sinbad by his shirt collar. “I didn’t mean-!”

Jafar decided to finally shut Sinbad up once and for all. Though in a way no one expected. He kissed him. He pulled away still glaring at Sinbad. Though it didn’t have the same effect since he was now blushing. “Don’t ever mess with my emotions again.”

Sinbad just nodded before he was pulled into another kiss. He was not complaining.

“So does this mean you do like him!?” They were both interrupted by Aladdin standing next to them on the side of the pool. He was excited to see them together! It was always more fun with them together.

“I always thought Sinbad would be the one to kiss Jafar first not the other way around.” Yamraiha commented staring with everyone else. They don’t know what exactly happened but they were happy the two were finally together.

Jafar went completely red forgetting about everyone else. He began to swim away from Sinbad.

“Where are you going?” Sinbad grabbed Jafar arm.

“To drown myself.” He mumbled. To think he did this in front of everyone. He was so angry! All he saw was red and Sinbad!

“Nope!” Sinbad laughed hugging him. “You owe me a date now!”

Aladdin watched them as everyone laughed. He began kicking the water with his feet before looking up at the blue sky. He blinked seeing two figures on a cloud smiling at him. He grinned waving at them as they disappeared. His mommy really did turn into a beautiful angel. And now she was together with daddy. He knows they’ll watch over him with his new family.

Sinbad picked up Aladdin bringing him in the pool. “Want some watermelon?”

“Yeah!” he smiled.

“Not too much though. I don’t your appetite ruined for lunch.” Jafar smiled getting out the pool.

“Okay!” Aladdin laughed as Sinbad got out of the pool with him. Once he put Aladdin down, the boy ran up to grab Jafar’s hand and Sinbad’s so they can walk together. This was his new family now. And he loved them just like he did his mommy.