#SHE'S NOT SOLID ENOUGH TO BE AN ACTUAL MUSE I AM JUST ROTATING HER IN MY HEAD.

[eclipsecrowned]

stares at my vague eleos muse. puts her back in the closet.

[rouiettes]

raya and the ugliest fucking dragon i've ever seen holy fuck who the hell thought to give a dragon fuckiNG EYEBROWS WHY WHY—

aka the musings of a filo non-binary bisexual who feels victimized by the dragon designs of this fucking movie supposedly centred around THE LAST DRAGON???? MAYBE THEY SHOULD HAVE STAYED STONE GDI WHAT THE FUCK SERIOUSLY WHY DO THE DRAGONS LOOK LIKE THAT

let's get one thing straight.

none of the characters in this movie. rest assured. not a single straight person was in this movie. trust me.

raya and the last dragon had all the foundations of a good movie

IT COULD HAVE BEEN SO GREAT

BUT IT WASNT

AND HERE'S WHY

(in my humble opinion okay pls dont come for me)

a disney movie with sea culture at its heart and soul, i was so hyped to finally watch this movie

(not as hyped as i could have been tho bc let's be honest DISNEY DID SHIT WITH RAYA'S MARKETING)

(AND PERHAPS FOR GOOD REASON LOL I SWEAR I DONT HATE THIS MOVIE OKAY)

you had the amazing score, the amazing concepts for plot and characters, the solid solid worldbuilding???

if you just told me about how raya's setting and premise, i'd probably be "wow this movie sound like the whole package"

and then i'll actually watch the movie and have just as much trust issue as raya did :/

but i digress

A DISNEY MOVIE WITH SEA CULTURE AT ITS HEART AND SOUL

do you know how diverse sea culture is??? VERY

and one thing i was very happy to see was how raya handled it

it was by no means perfect but

the subtle shows of culture in the way the characters acted, and the environment of the movie was just CHEF'S KISS

not only that but the ideas the movie had in terms of its world and the people in it felt genuine, it felt alive

a dragon that isn't the typical fire-breathing lizard

characters who look like they could easily be my neighbours or children i've played with

instead of pandering to this movie felt like an actual homage to sea cultures

and for good reason bc seeing all those familiar names rolling in the credits had me feeling some type of way :")

also that fucking soundtrack gave me chills throughout my watch of the movie

okay now that we've got the things i actually like about the movie, let's talk about what i don't like

if there's one word i could use to describe disney's raya it would be: rushed

like i said in the beginning, all the groundwork for an astounding disney movie were already there

but all of it just goes to waste bc the plot and it's characters feel so Unfinished

the movie felt like a bullet-point presentation of the story

WHICH IS SO FUCKING DISAPPOINTING BC THE CHARACTERS SEEMED SO INTERESTING but all we got were shadows of what they could have been

cardboard cutouts of the archetypes they filled

i'm not asking for a bottomless well of depth, but i at least wanted more for the cast than just: angry misunderstood princess, angry misunderstood princess with an undercut, that one dancing kid from moana but with more spice, boss baby, and the mountain

and i get that they had to sacrifice some of their depth to keep the run time of the movie short but you have got to be better than this disney

i hate to compare but it felt like this movie tried to go beyond what moana gave us, and shot so far that it ended up back to where it started, and then stumbled back a few steps

AND IM NOT EVEN SAYING A DRAGON MOVIE WITH A BIG CAST IS IMPOSSIBLE

BC IT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON DID IT THREE TIMES

and you'd think the plot for one of the few disney movies with a non-western setting would have more than just a macguffin considering how batshit sea folk tales can be

but you'd think wrong folks.

GENUINELY IT FELT LIKE THEY WERE ATTEMPTING SOMETHING BUT WERE SHORT OF BRINGING IT TO FRUITION

sure moana had a macguffin too with the heart of te fiti, but the heart itself wasn't the heart of the movie

it was the journey of moana and maui

it was that BEAUTIFUL TWIST WITH TE KA AND TE FITI

ALL DELIVERED WITH A NATURAL FINESSE THAT HAD YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT

YOU WERE ALONG FOR THE RIDE OF THE STORY INSTEAD OF QUESTIONING EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON LIKE I WAS

maybe this was just me but like, i felt so bad for the friend who watched this movie with me bc all i could go on and on was how the plot felt like it was getting in the way of itself

why didn't the different kingdoms (??) kept the gem in rotation or smth, when did they decide that heart would keep it and then get mad at heart for keeping it????

why didn't awkwafina dragon just show herself to the kingdoms bc everyone seems to be in agreement that dragons good right? that they would be the key to getting rid of the druun right??? SO THEY'D ALL AT LEAST HEAR HER OUT OR SMTH RIGHT????????

and yes raya has trust issues but it seems to only spring up at the most convenient times plot-wise, we didn't really see her learn to trust other people again OTHER THAN THE TIMES WHERE SISU WOULD HAMFISTEDLY SHOVE IT DOWN OUR THROATS THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE GOOD SOMETIMES RAYA

we see it with boun, but then she just trusts noi, her monkeys, and tong THE GUY WHO STRUNG THEM UP AND WAS THREATENING TO TORTURE THEM????????

i'm gonna be honest and say that if it weren't for namaari i'd have absconded the moment sisu came on screen

as far as i'm considered the actual plot of the movie is just the entire sword fight scene between her and raya

and finally

we get to the part i will be erasing from my brain for my own mental well-being

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT DRAGON DESIGN

WHY OH WHY TH  E FUCK DOES SISU SOUND AND LOOK LIKE THAT

my friend said they looked like the ponies from mlp in 3d AND NOW I CAN NEVER UNSEE IT

THEY HAVE EYEBROWS THEY HAVE HUMAN FACES

HUMAN FACES ON MAJESTIC DRAGON BODIES

THE INTERNET HAS COLLECTIVELY DECIDED THAT SISU IS BASICALLY FURRY ELSA

every time we got a sisu close up i lost 5 years to my life

disney i am suing for damages

if you want me to drop the charges i demand raya 2: electric boogaloo but it’s just raya and namaari enemies to friends to lovers ark

and also for them to never say dragon nerds ever again

AGAIN. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON GAVE US BEAUTIFUL DRAGON DESIGNS. HELL IF YOU WANTED MORE EASTERN LOOKING DRAGONS FUCKING SPIRITED AWAY??? HAKU??????????

AND YKNOW WHAT. SISU WOULDN'T EVEN LOOK THAT HORRIFIC IF THE MOVIE WAS IN 2D

im not the first person to be side-eying disney's decision to keep pumping out these 3d movies but like.

no amount of added dimensions could ever make that dragon design okay

and there so many more points i could go off on to show how this movie was rushed

how the other dragons, and even sisu's siblings whom she had been missing for the entire movie DIDNT MAKE A SINGLE SOUND???? NOT EVEN A FUCKING GROWL DISNEY???? DID YOU EVEN TRY WITH THE DRAGONS AT ALL??? THE SUPPOSED CENTRE OF THIS MOVIE'S PLOT?????????

HOW THE CHIEFS OF THE OTHER KINGDOMS WERE BASICALLY PLOT DEVICES????

THAT ONE CHIEF'S SKELETON WAS MORE INTERESTING THAN ANY OF THEM COMBINED ALIVE

kudos to that one granny chief though

u can never have enough bad ass old ladies

AND GOD THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS JUST FELT SO FORCED

ALONG WITH WHATEVER LESSON SISU WANTED TO IMPART ABOUT TRUST

LOVE THESE CHARACTERS THEY ARE FUNNY THEY ARE FRIENDS FOUND FAMILY

TRUST PEOPLE IF U WANT THEM TO TRUST U

TRUST PEOPLE OR ILL LITERALLY FUCKING KILL U

children aren't stupid disney. if you tell your story well enough, they'll pick up on the messages you want to give them. YOU DONT HAVE TO THRUST EVERYTHING IN OUR FACES

i was exhausted by the time i finished this movie

bc i really wanted to love it. i wanted to feel more for it than just: well, it's a movie :)

i dont hate this movie though like it's not even worth the energy for that

i think that ultimately, despite all my issues with it, this movie was a step in the right direction when it comes to having non-western stories being told by non-western people in big name productions

i'm glad raya and the last dragon exists

i just can't help but be dissapointed though bc this movie put so much effort into putting my people and culture at its forefront but at what cost???

good characters and story for a good setting and design????

does it have to be one or the other?????

DOES THE DRAGON HAVE TO HAVE EYEBROWS??????

[rubyleeray]

Hanzo and His Double Black Diamond Route

Aka the Yandere route we have all been waiting for! Here is my take on Hanzo’s route and why I believe it is the best writing we have seen in SLBP so far. I’m gonna ramble a lot, mention spoilers, and include some screenshots so be warned!

Firstly, what do I mean by Double Black Diamond Route? It’s a term used in skiing for trail that is more intense/difficult and should only be attempted by advanced skiers. Now please don’t get me wrong, I am not questioning anyone’s intelligence or reading comprehension if they dislike Hanzo’s route, so don’t come for me.  I just want to offer my take and insights on this route which features the most complicated writing and complex character we have seen to date in SLBP. The previous route/lord that held that title was Ieyasu and what do you know? He’s a major part in Hanzo’s route! 

Also I should mention that I have only played the Light Ending Arc so far but I will be playing the Shadow end after I finish Genya. 

Now that all that is out of the way -

HOLY SHIT I LOVED THIS ROUTE SO MUCH! It’s the best Yandere route I have ever played and for those of you that have seen the games I have on rotation, you know I love and know my yanderes.  My favourite thing about this route is actually the MC. I found her insufferable in the joint prologue and throughout Sakuya’s entire route to be frank, but WOW did she impress me in Hanzo’s route! Her growth and development are all I ask of a good story and not only did she change and grow but EVERYONE else does too - including Hanzo, Ieyasu, and Tadatsugu who conquers his fear of snakes with Haku (cutest gd scene). 

I also really like that she is mature and while she is inexperienced, she doesn’t kink shame herself like most MCs would(more on that later). 

Another thing I loved about this route were the blurred lines between reality and lies. I firmly believe and will go to my grave believing that almost nothing out of Hanzo’s mouth was a lie and that he only said it was because that was easier/what he was used to believing up until that point. The way the writers perfectly executed these intricacies just makes me so envious. I’m going to discuss THAT CHAPTER below but I just want to say - the biggest proof  that Hanzo isn’t lying about everything/all the time/possibly anything?! comes in the form of almost every one of his actions. A few examples off the top of my head:  

-He is a doctor to Ieyasu, the maids, and the townspeople. Sure he could gain something from being close to Ieyasu (but what exactly?) but the Townspeople and Maids? “Information” and/or “Boredom” are not enough motive to be so giving for so long in my opinion. Plus we have nothing concrete saying he was ever planning to betray Ieyasu ever before MC came along. 

-Stopping MC from murdering Nobunaga proves he cared about at least ONE of if not all the following: The entire country, Ieyasu, MC, Nobunaga. 

-Offering to teach MC everything she needs to know be a better ninja, person, and healer. If his only motive really was boredom(?), pot-stirring(?), deception(?) he wouldn’t have to teach her anything but being a better ninja. The dots just don’t connect! 

Hanzo’s Second Crossroads I’m telling you this as your friend - YOU NEED TO BUY AT LEAST THE CG - My heart STOPPED!  OH. MY. GOD. I swear I did a Jim from The Office look around the room because I couldn’t believe how hot and wild and kinky and dangerous it all felt. 

This is a scene I will never forget so long as I goddamn live! MC is about to leave for her mission and Hanzo is wishing her well and then suddenly he gets really emotional and cuddles her. Then he covers her eyes and puts a knife to her throat!?!?!?! AND SHE LOVES IT!

In Yandere routes moments like this (not that any other scene I can think of come close tbh) can come off Stockholm Syndrome-y but not this; it felt so right and so good! MC acknowledges the absurdity of the situation but what is most important in that moment to her is that Hanzo is actually expressing genuine feelings and they are of the same love MC feels for him. He’s just being his Extra AF self about it. I really just want to give the writers a standing ovation for this. It was the perfect mix of angst and beauty and sensuality. Also further proof he ain’t lyin If he really was the shady lying bitch he claimed to be - he would not be wearing a “soft” smile here when she can’t see - there are 8000 other adjectives that could have been used here but soft was the choice (Because he LOVES HER). The same can also be said of his choice of thinking of her as “small but mighty.” A shady bitch just tricking MC would’t think of her this way.

Hanzo Locking MC Up

This is the first scene I have scene where a Yandere’s actions were completely justified. MC was essentially about to light Japan on fire with war for the sake of her idea of revenge. Her clan doesn’t even care about revenge, they care about survival and rebirth. MC was so blinded by her anger and couldn’t see the bigger picture. Hanzo stopping her helped, but she really needed the time to cool off and unpack her feelings in order to be able to see the bigger picture.    Now Hanzo was a bit of a bitch letting her go so far but I firmly believe he didnt think she would be able to when push came to murder and when she DID, this was one of the first times he realized she wasn’t his puppet.

Chapter 12 - The Betrayal

I know a lot of people are going to be the most confused by this chapter - initially I was too but I screenshotted basically the whole thing and have read it over and over again so here is my interpretation.

“The” Betrayal is misleading from the start because there are several depending on which POV you choose to look at. Ieyasu’s trust is betrayed by MC and Hanzo by association when MC fails her mission, Ieyasu is then again betrayed by Hanzo when Hanzo attacks/poisons him, MC is betrayed by Hotaru her little flower giving friend, MC is betrayed by Hanzo when he poisons Ieyasu, Hanzo is betrayed by Ieyasu for giving up on the battle, Hanzo is betrayed by MC for not agreeing to run away with him after she said she would, and finally Hanzo is betrayed again by both of them for not doing what he said/thought they would do after he betrayed them (Ieyasu covering for him, and MC loving him despite everything).  It’s a LOT to process and makes me think of the party scene from the movie The Room. 

Now obviously the key betrayal comes from Hanzo attacking Ieyasu but why did Hanzo do it? Honestly - I don’t know if there is any one solid reason, but my theory is that he feels like MC’s failed mission would result in both Hanzo and MC’s deaths so he attacks Ieyasu KNOWING MC will step up and prove not only her value as a healer but her loyalty to Ieyasu and the entire clan. I firmly believe he was presenting her with options - 1) To run away with him after (which he said before and says after) or 2) Stay in Mikawa safely. The writers don’t really provide any definitive answers but one thing you know by the end of the route is that Hanzo feels in extremes. He loves big and he hurts big so that alone is enough to make me feel like my theory is the answer. Hanzo & Ieyasu

I LOVED IEYASU IN THIS ROUTE SO MUCH! This is my second favourite Ieyasu now (first being Ieyasu in Yukimura Act 2). The dynamic between Hanzo and Ieyasu is an absolute TREAT. What a unique relationship! They’re my new favourite duo!  RANDOM FAVOURITE  MOMENTS - The scene where he’s rubbing the bandaged wounds he inflicted and MC moans...like - THERE ARE NO WORDS! I feel like with this and what was essentially knife play in the crossroads, this is as kinky as the writers have gone and I am 100% here for it. 

(Also shady bitch liars aren’t capable of feeling regret so this scene is ALSO proof that Hanzo isn’t just a manipulative liar!) 

-The entire epilogue scene where he’s dangling you in front of Ieyasu and complaining about the attention you show Ieyasu. 

-When he gets jealous over you calling Kiyohiro by name.

-When Ieyasu wishes MC well! -When he asks you to “Live for him and only him” and it’s actually romantic!? Like sure this was during his self-proclaimed “living a lie” phase but you can TELL it’s a genuine ask.  -When he gets jealous of the moon lmao idiot

-Drunk Tadatsugu being shamed by Hanzo after he asks where you are headed off to and Hanzo implies you are going to the toilet.  -THIS

 - and THIS

So that’s the long and short of it!

I went in expecting Hanzo to be a one note shady bitch that has an unrealistic and unbelievable change of heart but he was the exact opposite of that! He is really sweet and caring especially for a ninja and there are so many layers to him I’ll never get bored!  This is one of my new favourite routes and I look forward to playing his bad end and writing with him as my new muse!  

Reminders: You are totally welcome to disagree with me and feel how you want to feel about Hanzo, I just really wanted to put my observations as a writer out there.  Also at the end of the day, this is just a game. I see  people forgetting this or taking it too seriously calling characters abusers or rapists etc and trying to make people feel bad for enjoying them or their stories.  You can like what you want to like and have the right to not feel shamed for it and any actions you take in a game do NOT reflect choices or actions you would make in real life. It’s all just fun and fantasy. 

Don’t listen to people like that and don’t be one of those people. If you’ve made it this far, thank you and I love you!

[betweensceneswriter]

Second Wife-Chapter 21 : The White Lady

Second Wife Table of Contents

Second Wife on AO3

Previously -  Chapter 20 : The Waning O’ The Moon Desperate times call for desperate measures.

“Some o’ the auld women at Lallybroch say ye were a wisewoman—a white lady, or maybe even a fairy. When Uncle Jamie came home from Culloden without ye, they said as how ye’d maybe gone back to the fairies, where ye maybe came from. Is that true? D’ye live in a dun?” (Voyager 346).

   Their bellies full with roasted guinea fowl and scones, Jamie, Laoghaire, and the girls lounged on the blanket in the meadow; loathe to climb back onto their horses. Joanie and Marsali had collected some of the early summer blooms from the meadow, and were weaving crowns for each other, though the fragile flowers easily bruised and were already looking slightly wilted.

    “Da,” said Marsali, fingering the thick wool of the green cloak she currently had folded on her lap. “When I brought the cloak downstairs last night, Wee Ian was saying that people said yer first wife was a wisewoman.” She grinned, remembering the conversation. “He said that when she didn’t come back from Culloden, the old women said she was a fairy, and that maybe she’d gone back to live in a dun. Why d’they say that?”

    Jamie met Laoghaire’s eyes, asking an unspoken question, and she shrugged her shoulders and shook her head in response.

    “She was a healer,” Jamie answered, lying down on his back, his fingers linked behind his head. Joanie cuddled up against him at an angle, her head on his belly. “And several times she healed people in a way that seemed miraculous. Yer ma’s cousin Tammas, for example, had eaten the leaf of a flower, called Lily of the Valley, up at the Black Kirk. It was poison, but the lads didna ken. One of the lads died, but before Tammas succumbed, she gave him some belladonna, and he woke up. Father Bain didna like that at all. It put him to shame when he said it was an evil spirit, and the Sassenach was able to heal Tammas when Father Bain couldn’t cast out the demon.”

    “A Sassenach?” Joanie rotated her head sideways on his stomach, as if to make eye contact with Jamie. “Yer first wife was an English woman?”

    “Hey, lass, yer heid is like a large rock,” Jamie laughed, his abdomen jiggling Joanie’s head. “Be careful of my tender belly. I just ate!”

    “Sorry, da,” said Joanie, gently resting again on Jamie’s belly as she looked up at the wisping white clouds overhead. “But Marsali,” Joanie mused, “Cousin Michael said that old Alec, he who used to work in the stable at Lallybroch ‘til he died a few years back, he had lived at Leoch. And he said that Daddy’s first wife had been accused of witchcraft, and was set to be burned at the stake. But that you saved her, Da!”

      Marsali was sitting upright, so she saw both Jamie and Laoghaire’s faces whiten in response to Joanie’s words. “Go on, Joanie, ye shouldna be spreading gossip, now,” she said quickly. “You know quite well that while Da’s strong enough to rescue someone, he’s smart enough not to marry a witch. And would a witch wear such a fine cloak as this one?” She swung the cloak out and buried Joanie in it, and Jamie, grateful for the distraction, proceeded to reach under the heavy fabric and tickle the little girl ‘til she squealed.

    “Ma,” said Joanie, once she had come out from under the cloak and was again settled on Jamie’s belly, “ye dinna talk about our da, Simon, much. What was he like?”

    “Kind,” said Laoghaire quietly. “He had red hair, like ye, Joanie. And he worked hard. And he loved ye lasses. He was a bit older than me, older than Jamie. But he ken I was a widow, and that I had no one, and so we married.”

    “Do ye remember our da, Marsali?” Joanie asked.

    “Only a little,” she said. “I was a wee lass when the Redcoats came and took him. But I remember walking wi’ him and ma, with them each holding my hand, and swingin’ me between ‘em.

    “Well, lasses,” Jamie said finally. “I believe we must be on our way, or the darkness will come before we get home.”

    Home, Laoghaire thought. Jamie said home.

☆☆☆☆☆

    Laoghaire didn’t care to remember the next few days. First, she was deathly sick that night, curling up on her bed and crying out in agony. Mrs. Fitz was beside herself with worry, sponging her forehead with a cool cloth and bringing her different stomach-settling brews, but Laoghaire couldn’t tell her the real reason she was so uncomfortable.

    She was up and walking by the time the trial started the next afternoon. Her courses had not started, but she wasn’t dead. Laoghaire had made the excuse of going home to recover and help her da.

    She really hadn’t known what would happen at trial. She didn’t necessarily want the Sassenach to be killed, but she wanted her gone. But she watched as villager after villager testified, telling of the strange potions Geillis Duncan would make, and testifying that they had seen Mistress Fraser mixing up potions in Geillis’s shop.

    When the first day of the trial ended, Laoghaire could see that the jury weren’t likely to condemn Claire. There was too little evidence that she was actually creating or selling potions. She decided then that she needed to make a statement. Only if she shared her story would they see the Sassenach's contempt and cruelty.

    In her memory, Laoghaire's testimony was a blur. She knew she had cried, whether from anger or hatred or confusion. She knew she had told them about the love potion that Claire created—that was the important thing. Other than that instance, all of Mistress Beauchamp’s actions had been those of a healer, only to help people, not to make potions or charms. She did remember the response of the crowd—the way they groaned and gasped at her story. And the angry look on the Sassenach’s face, her hateful face.

    Just before they stripped and skelped the Sassenach, Laoghaire had made her way to stand defiantly in front of her. She hadn’t planned what she was going to say, but then, over Claire’s shoulder, she saw the handsome, lean visage of John Robert MacLeod. Her heart was filled with hatred. If Jamie had only been hers. She would never have been tempted by John Robert if it were not for the Sassenach. She could hear her own voice, feel the fury in her body, see the look in Claire’s eyes as she spit the venomous words out.

    “I shall dance on yer ashes.”

    The next moments were a jumble of noise and chaos—the whistle of the whip, and Claire’s guttural screams; the cheers of the crowd in time with the whip strokes, and then a voice breaking through all else.

    “Claire! Let her go!”

    Jamie barreled down the aisle, pushing and punching anyone unlucky enough to be in his way, including the two men holding Claire’s arms.

    Laoghaire saw his face as he crouched down over Claire, like a man possessed, eyes wild as his fiery hair, mouth in a grimace, teeth clenched.

    “Ye have no right in this court,” the examiner had shouted, and Jamie had stood and turned defiantly toward the balcony.

    “I swore an oath before the altar of God to protect this woman!” Jamie shouted furiously, unsheathing his sword and then his dirk, stretching out his arms toward any who would dare to approach him. “And if you’re tellin’ me that ye consider your own authority to be greater than that of the Almighty, then I must inform ye that I am not of that opinion, myself.”

    The hall had fallen silent, but many men had also drawn sword or dirk.

    Jamie challenged the crowd with his eyes. “The first man forward,” he seethed, “Will be the first man down.”

    He was so strong, so big. Laoghaire had thought him large before, but his anger transformed him into a monster of a man.

    The court descended into disorder again, as Geillis Duncan shouted out. “This woman is no witch. But I am!”

    She didn’t see them slip away; Laoghaire remembered nothing after Geillis Duncan split the front of her dress, revealing the swell of her pregnant body.

    After Geillis exposed herself, Laoghaire had looked down at her own abdomen, covered by corset and thick skirt. Geillis had made a fool of her one last time; the medicine had made her as sick as promised, but her courses had not begun. She felt as if she might faint. She was pregnant, John Robert was married, and Jamie was gone, lost to her forever.

    “Are ye well, lass?” the kind voice at her shoulder asked.

    “Hugh!” Laoghaire turned, threw herself into his solid, comforting arms, and burst into tears.

☆☆☆☆☆

    As they neared the last mile marker, Gaoth’s ears perked up. He could tell they were nearing home, here at the outskirts of the Balriggan property. Jamie released his reins, and suddenly the big beast acted like he hadn’t just trotted 9 miles. He was off like a shot, galloping at his full pace, all four feet off the ground at once, seeming barely to touch the ground, flying through trees and bushes, over rocks and small burns. Jamie was comfortable with a galloping horse, but Joanie was still a little nervous.

    “Just squeeze wi’ ye legs, wee one,” he called into her ear, making sure his arms held the reins close to her, helping her feel secure.

☆☆☆☆☆

    Donas, that devil horse—Jamie had never been so grateful for that fiery, fierce beast in his whole time of owning him. When the word came from Leoch that Geillis and Claire had been arrested and were on trial for witchcraft, Donas was the only thing keeping Jamie from descending into madness and despair. That horse could fly, and as he galloped, Jamie held out hope that he would make it in time.

    He hadn’t told her yet, he thought, desperately. He hadn’t told her that the reason he’d married her was that he’d never wanted anything more in his entire life. He loved her more than life itself. He would descend into hell for her. But they hadn’t had enough time together.

    She hadn’t seen Lallybroch. She hadn’t met Jenny. He’d not taken her to his parent’s graves, to introduce Claire to Brian and Ellen. She hadn’t seen the house where he had grown up, the trees he climbed as a lad, the fields he had worked.

    They hadn’t had a bairn. He hadn’t caressed Claire’s stomach, feeling his child growing inside. He hadn’t watched her swell like a ripe fruit, and then when the child came, watched her feed his baby at her breast. They hadn’t been together long enough. He could not lose her.

    It was Donas, too, that had carried them away from the village below Leoch. Claire, her clothes in tatters, her back marked by the whip, her hair wild, eyes teary, and chin trembling.

    And it was Donas who calmly grazed nearby as Claire bared her soul to him, just like her back had been bared. But baring her soul to him healed her, despite the many tears she shed as she spoke. She had longed to tell someone, anyone, and finally, she trusted Jamie enough. Claire told him the truth, and he had believed her, ridiculous as the story sounded.

    It was Donas that had carried them for days, until they were camped within walking distance of Craigh na Dun. The auld women of Lallybroch didn’t realize how close to the truth they had it when they said Claire lived in one. On that day, she had come back to him. But two years later, that’s where she’d disappeared, slipping from his hands as he sent her back to safety.

    As the roofs of Balriggan came into view, Jamie had one clear thought: he wished that he could travel through time. Whether he could travel to where Claire was now, or just travel back to when he was two and twenty, when he met her. How he would treasure each moment he had with her. What he would give for one day, just one to spend with Claire again.

    Gaoth had slowed again as they neared the house. Joanie turned slightly in front of him.

    “Are ye well, da?” she asked in a small voice.

    “Wee one, how d’ye know my heart?” Jamie asked, blinking his eyes rapidly.

    “I can feel ye,” she said. “And right now, ye feel sad.”

    Jamie put his arm around her, and held his daughter close as he rode the last of the way home.

On to Chapter 22 : Unbearable Everything falls apart.

[heartslogos]

newfragile yellows [163]

“We’re closed,” Mahanon says as soon as Dorian opens the door.

“Really? You said you’d do my nails today,” Malika says from directly behind Dorian, “It’s the only day we can do them, remember? I’m supposed to be shadowing Maxwell at the front desks today.”

Mahanon nods, “For you, we’re open. For him, no.”

“I am betrayed on multiple levels, but for once I’m not here for you, I’m here for Ellana,” Dorian says. “We have an appointment for a cut and style - as if I needed style, I am the living embodiment of style - and she wanted to get me in before the store opens to the general public for the day.”

“As if the store is ever open to the general public,” Malika laughs as Mahanon gestures for her to take a seat in front of him as he pulls out little bottles of nail polish and other nail equipment. Malika never realized there was so much. There’s little clippers and bigger clippers and three types of files and a bunch of other things. “Mahanon, you know I just wanted something simple, right?”

“Simplicity is the highest form of perfection,” Mahanon replies, “And cannot be rushed.”

“That sounds counter-intuitive,” Dorian muses and then shakes his head, “I can’t believe Vivienne trusted the two of you and your people skills enough to give you jobs at her resort.”

“I can’t believe she trusted you to be in charge of PR,” Malika replies, “I thought the two of you hated each other.”

“Not as much as they hate other people,” Mahanon replies, “Hands.”

Malika obediently gives him her hands.

“Where is your sister?” Dorian repeats, pulling up Ellana’s white chair from her desk to watch Mahanon work his magic on Malika’s nails.

Mahanon and Ellana are the only beauticians employed at the High Tower resort, but they’re popular and mots guests have to book weeks in advance. They block out a window of eight to ten and five to seven for walk ins, but otherwise they’re booked solid.

Dorian often tries to convince Vivienne that they need to get some assistants for the two, at least. It seems like too much to ask them to do hair and nails and make up and also be expected to do supply runs and cleaning and maintenance of their studio in between. Especially considering that they’re also required to be on call for high profile guests and coordinate with the concierges and main desk for last minute appointments and stylings for guests and staff.

“You underestimate the Lavellans,” Vivienne always says, “One will rise to the challenge out of spite and the other wouldn’t even recognize a challenge if it spat in her face.”

Dorian is of the mind that Vivienne is seriously overestimating Mahanon’s patience for people in general.

“She’s most likely with Bull in the spa area,” Mahanon says as he gets to work on Malika’s nails, “Malika, have they given you your new uniform, yet?”

“I’m picking it up after this. I didn’t want it to get all creased and wrinkled sitting here,” Malika replies as Mahanon nods.

“How do the two of them ever get any work done if they’re always with each other?” Dorian asks.

“How do I get any work done when you’re always hovering over my shoulder?” Mahanon replies, “And Kaaras is always on the verge of screaming in sheer panic at the amount of things piling up for him to do. Have they replaced his sous chef yet?”

“Nope,” Dorian says, toying with some of the bottles just because he knows it’ll annoy Mahanon in the nice way. If he wanted to seriously piss his boyfriend off he’d start in on the actual equipment.

“I forgot how nice this feels,” Malika says, happily kicking her feet underneath the table and her chair as Mahanon works her hands. “Is this why Max is always here?”

“He’s always here because he’s trying to shirk his work at front desk,” Dorian says, “I hear about it all the time from Leliana whenever she goes over our security footage.”

Mahanon’s lips curve upwards for the briefest moment before leveling out again. “She’s here. Get in the chair.”

Dorian doesn’t question it, just gets up, gives Malika a quick kiss on the top of her head, and goes to sit in Ellana’s chair in front of the mirrors and bright lights.

Dorian’s back has barely hit the chair when the glass doors of the salon open and Ellana breezes in with an entire platter of food.

“I thought no food is allowed in here,” Malika says.

“I can’t wait for you to go through your rotation in the salon,” Dorian says, “It’s a mystical experience.”

“No food that we don’t bring in or ask for,” Mahanon says.

“Whatever food we feel like,” Ellana says, putting it down on her desk, “Mahanon, Kaaras gave us extra. I think we might have a busy day ahead of us. We might not eat later so I think we’re meant to eat now. Do you think he knows something we don’t? He always has such spot on premonitions for these things. I think he’s learning too much from Bull, frankly. Bull should be teaching me how to be eerily accurate on judging the flow of customers per day. I mean, he likes me best!”

Mahanon wrinkles his nose, “Busy.”

Ellana plunks a tall ceramic travel mug in front of him, the lid is removed and there’s a straw in it. She orients the straw towards Mahanon’s mouth.

“Strawberry mango,” She says. Mahanon turns his head a little and catches the straw in his mouth and starts sucking with a comical irritation.

“And for Malika,” Ellana says, heading back to the tray.

“You don’t have to.”

“Sure I do. It’s for you. Kaaras made it for your first day at front desk!” Ellana says, presenting Malika with a hearty looking breakfast wrap and another ceramic travel mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream.

“She can’t eat that, I’m working on her now,” Mahanon says.

“You aren’t going to be doing both hands at once,” Ellana says, taking a small bowl of yogurt and fruits off the tray and putting them on her desk.

“Dorian, for you, your usual bagel,” Ellana says, “And coffee that could make someone die after not sleeping for three days.”

“You exaggerate, it would only be two days,” Dorian says, accepting both from Ellana.

“Alright, while you eat, let’s consider your hair,” Ellana says, “Mahanon - I’m putting away our lunch and snacks. Dorian, how do you feel about extensions?”

[kidolegend]

Renewals - A Prompto Argentum Fic (Part 5)

Previous | AO3 Link

Heyas! In the wake of Episode Prompto, I’m back with my weekly update for Renewals! After four parts of character development, Prompto and Aylin finally get to see some action as they take on a Niff stronghold~ I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and made sure to include some references from Episode Prompto (But nothing that spoils anything past the trailer, for those that have not gotten to it quite yet).

As always, any comments, reblogs, moral support, constructive criticism, or just some hellos are always appreciated~

Tagging: @blindbae @joioliviapolaroid @xnoctits @themissimmortal @poisonous-panda​  @insomniascure​ @thegoddesseos​ @crossedquills​ @cupnoodle-queen (and as always please message me if you would like to be removed from my tagging list)

Operation’s A-Go!

Prompto gave a heavy sigh. He was sitting at the edge of the watch tower, leaning his arms against the railing and dangling his feet off the edge. Aylin was a few feet away, sitting with her legs crossed and her back to the imperial base. She was staring off into the distance, but every so often she’d glance over at him or fiddle with her cell phone.

Prompto kicked his feet back and forth impatiently. He hadn’t gotten the signal from Ignis or Gladio that they had started and the fortress in front of him was eerily silent. Until he got the go-ahead, they would just had to wait.

“Once you see reinforcements moving out of your area, that will be your signal to move. However, if they decide against sending aid to Fort Vaullerey after we’ve launched our assault, then wait for a message from Gladio or me, so you know that we have the military occupied on our front.” Ignis’ instructions were clear and logical, and Prompto had agreed to follow them for his own safety. Thankfully, Aylin didn’t protest and--outside of a few minor details--thought his strategy was solid.

‘Can’t really tell until we’re out there, but it seems like we’d make a pretty good team.’ Prompto mused, turning his head slightly to look at Aylin from the corner of his eye.

She was a bit shorter than him and she had an agile, but sturdy build. Her skin was a little darker than his and her green eyes were narrow, giving her a more exotic look. Prompto couldn’t put his finger on it, but he was sure he saw people who looked similar in the Kingsglaive, back when everyone was in Insomnia--and weren’t they from other territories on the outskirts of Lucis?

He was tempted to ask her about it, but refrained. Asking about her background would only risk questions about his own--questions he wasn’t comfortable answering quite yet. Besides, it didn’t really matter in the end--she was a pretty girl, she was friendly…

And she was going to help him take down an entire military fortress. Big plus.

“Hey,” He broke the silence as an odd thought crossed his mind.

“Hmm?” Aylin looked up from her cell phone.

“How’ d you get past my wire trap?” Granted, it wouldn’t have been difficult for a normal person to maneuver around, but with the ever-present darkness the wires would have been difficult to spot in the first place.

“Wire… trap?”

“Yeah, I looped some wires at the bottom of the stairwell, in case any MTs decided to swing by.” Prompto couldn’t help but pout, irked that his ‘awesome plan’ had been foiled so unwittingly.

“Oh, I climbed up through the second level,” Her reply was sheepish. “I was kinda paranoid about any Niffs seeing me from that side so I didn’t enter through the stairwell.”

“Aaaah, okay.” So she had been overly cautious. Granted, Prompto knew the workings of an MT far too well, so he was positive none of the troopers or armors would be able to spot anybody from that distance, but...

They both lapsed into another silence. It took several moments, but Prompto eventually realized that the quiet was comfortable--he didn’t feel the need to constantly fill the dead air with noise. It was a familiar feeling--one he felt when he was around Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio. Sure, the four of them talked a lot, but that was more out of interest as opposed to some social obligation.

It felt nice.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when his cell phone buzzed in his hand. Aylin looked over at him as he unlocked the screen, his eyes scanning the message.

‘We are beginning our operation. Message glad leo if you happen to spot any airships being diverted our way, so he can call for a retreat if necessary.’ Prompto snorted at the typo--obviously Ignis’ phone didn’t recognize Gladio’s name over the voice-to-text function and of course Ignis would be none the wiser unless he had the Shield proofread his messages beforehand.

Aylin had read the message over his shoulder. “So… that means we wait a little longer, right?”

Prompto nodded. “Yup, that’ll give them enough time to raise hell and get any reinforcements up and on the way over to them.”

“Leaving the base clear for us to destroy?” Aylin raised an eyebrow at him.

“Hell yeah.”

Another buzz caught his attention and he opened a second message from Ignis.

‘Send me a message when you begin your assault. I shall assume you have started when my phone vibrates. Good luck.’

Aylin settled back into her spot, pulling her odd looking blades out and polishing them with the end of her shirt. Prompto let out a slow breath, trying to relax as he whispered into the night air.

“You too, guys… Be safe.”

  It only took another hour before Prompto and Aylin heard movement in the garrison. They exchanged tense looks as the sound of heavy machinery came to life and after several minutes, one of the Niflheim airships appeared over the top of the stronghold, ascending slowly into the air. It rotated slowly before it began its flight, heading away from them and out towards the rest of the continent.

Out towards Ignis and Gladio.

Prompto had his phone out in an instant. ‘One airship headed your way.’

The first message was sent out to Gladio and the second one to Ignis followed seconds after. ‘Operation’s a-go, I’m heading in!’

Prompto double-checked that his phone was on silent before tucking it into his pocket--there was little chance he would get a response when they were also in the middle of their ambush.

He summoned his pistol, making sure it was fully loaded before concealing it and facing Aylin. “I'm good to go!”

She looked impressed by his unwitting display of the Lucian arsenal, but she focused quickly and unsheathed her blades, attaching them at the hilt to form a shortbow. “Ready when you are.” She replied, determination coloring her features.

Prompto felt a thrill at the familiarity of it all, and he grinned. “Then… Let’s do this!”

 Getting into the military base was simple enough--Aylin was a decent shot with her arrows and Prompto didn’t miss a single bullet, keeping a silencer on the muzzle to conceal their location.

Prompto gave an impressed nod as Aylin took out another enemy in complete silence. “Nice work, dude. I-I mean… Aylin.”

“With standing targets? I guess,” She gave him a cheeky smile as they headed into the fortress, unchallenged due to their combined sharpshooting. She paused, realizing it would probably be better to express gratitude than sarcasm, but she couldn’t help but water down the praise regardless. “Thank you… but my brother was a lot better than I'll probably ever be.”

“Oh? And where's he?” The moment the question left Prompto’s mouth, he knew the answer and felt his heart sink.

Aylin confirmed his suspicion with a tight smile. “A Niff airship dropped MTs on us during a hunt, making the job way longer and more exhausting than it ever should have been… Before we knew it, night had fallen and the daemons appeared…”

The gunner ducked his head apologetically. “I'm sorry.”

She shook her head, taking a deep breath. “It was a few years ago, and now that I'm here,” She gestured at the fortress around them. “I can give Levant a bit of the justice he deserves.”

“Of course.” Prompto agreed, suddenly arming himself with his pistol. “Duck!”

Aylin obeyed, instinctively trusting the blonde’s judgement. Prompto vaulted over her shoulder and kicked out at an infantryman that had unexpectedly rounded the corner and lifted its gun at them.

The trooper's knees buckled under it, its balance thrown forward so Prompto could lock it's head under his arm. The blonde rotated and shifted his weight, bringing the soulless machinery to the ground. He gave a grunt as he snapped the MT’s neck, holding it still until he was sure it was gone for good.

Aylin held out her hand as he grimaced and shoved the trooper away from him, the light-resistant armor starting to dissolve into gray smoke.

“Phew, close call.” He muttered, accepting her help gratefully. “You okay?”

Aylin nodded, checking around the corner again for any other enemies before waving him forward. “Yeah, you?”

He locked eyes with the still fading infantryman and felt a chill run up his spine. For a moment, he caught an image of the emotionless red eyes mirrored in his own and he glanced down at his hands, flexing them slowly.

Human hands. Not an MT’s.

“Uh, Prompto?”

The sound of his name was almost like a balm. It wasn’t a lab number or specimen label--it was familiar.

It was home.

“Yup, sorry,” He cleared his throat, blinking as the last wisps of smoke dissolved into the night air. ‘That’s not who I am. And that’s not what I’ll become.’

He re-checked his gun--more out of habit than actual necessity--and took a quick breath before nodding at her. “All right, bring it on.”

  Things grew more difficult as they progressed deeper into the base--while the MTs on the outer areas were on their own and could be picked off without being noticed, the ones closer to the center either traveled in groups or were in the views of others. After a few more close calls, Aylin and Prompto had managed to work their way towards the the control booths.

“That’s the one, right?” Aylin whispered, nodding her head towards one of the larger bungalows, where at least seven guards were visible.

“Yeah… Of course it had to be in front of that warehouse, too.” Prompto bit his lip, his eyes narrowed as he glared down the ten mechs lying in wait under the shelter. “If one of ‘em spots us, we’ll have all those giant magitek armors headed our way as well.”

“Greaaat.” The dryness in Aylin’s voice made Prompto chuckle. They were crouched on top of one of the shipping containers, keeping clear of any searchlights or sniper guards. Prompto scanned their surroundings once again, trying to find something--anything--that they could use to give them an advantage.

“If one of us could get up to those turrets, we’d be able to take down a lot of the MTs in a snap.” Aylin murmured.

“Mm but you’re pretty much a sitting duck for any snipers or armors.” The gunner pointed out. “We should get their numbers down before that… Or at least find a way to take out the big baddies easily.”

“True…” Aylin sighed. “Got any ideas?”

“Hold on a sec,” The blonde pursed his lips, his eyebrows knitting together in thought. His bright blue eyes darted around more, glancing over various construction pipelines, shipping freights, mounted turrets, those exploding energy tanks… Prompto inhaled sharply, sitting up so he could dig around in his pockets. “Now I do.”

“Oh?”

“Yup. Gimme a sec,” Prompto pulled out a Lumen Flare, turning it over in his gloved hands. Back in Niflheim, he had some leftover from his time in the Magitek production facility. However, once he started making things difficult… Well, it wasn't until Noctis regained access to his powers in Gralea that Prompto was able to get his hands on another weapon.

Sure, Prompto might not have been able to steal any of the Niflheim technology to use against them… But that sure didn't stop him from creating replicas that worked just as well--or in some cases, even better.

“Is that a… a grenade?” Aylin looked impressed as her eyes skimmed over the craftsmanship. “A Niff grenade?”

“Eh, kinda. ‘Borrowed’ some ideas and added a few of my own. I wasn't gonna use it since it packs a punch and I wouldn’t have been able to get out of its blast range quick enough…” He turned to Aylin, gesturing at her weapon. “Buuut now that you're here…”

She raised an eyebrow. “Hmm, I get where you’re going, but I’ll need a target to aim at first.”

“Right, I just gotta check one thing.” Prompto flopped back over onto his stomach, squinting in the direction of the main warehouse. He waited for the searchlight to make another round, trying to confirm what he had spotted earlier. “Hmmm… yes!”

“Keep it down,” Aylin chastised him. “What's up?”

“In the warehouse, not quite in the center… it's a little to the right.” He turned her in the correct direction.

“The freight?”

“No, right next to it, the stack of barrel-things.”

Aylin leaned forward a bit and Prompto scooted closer to her, trying to center his pointer finger. After a moment, she nodded. “I see something that looks kinda like that covered under a military tarp…”

“Bingo,” The blonde gave her a thumbs up. “I've seen those things a million times; they're magitek energy tanks. They power the control panels and armors aaand... they're highly flammable.”

Aylin’s face lit up in understanding. “Aha, so one of your grenades and my arrow, plus those energy tanks…”

“Equals...!” Prompto made an exploding motion with his hands. “We'll have to be as far back as possible, but that should clear out that entire warehouse in one go.”

Had they not been surrounded by hostiles, Aylin would have given an impressed whistle. “It'll be that strong?”

“With the energy tanks? Totally. Even if the explosion’s weaker than I’m expecting it to be, those magitek armors will be nothin’ but junk.”

“And… if it’s stronger than you think?”

“Ahaha…” Prompto leaned on his elbows, propping his head up and looking proud of himself. “We’ll be able to blow the whole warehouse straight to hell.”

[minusram]

1/? at night i see the twinkling

[AU; series here]

Teru’s seen him a few times, the boy with all the sugar daddies. At least he’s quiet about it, the building doesn’t need cops everywhere just because some kid can’t keep a lid on his compensated dating. Teru wonders how he’s managing to pull so many people with such a plain face. Some of the men and women that Teru’s seen him with are even kind of cute, for adults. Though they all dress so boring, just suit after suit after plain black suit. Maybe that’s his neighbour’s taste, Teru smirks as he snaps the wrinkles out of his sheet.

About a month ago, Teru’s new neighbour moved into the empty apartment down the hall. He’s a kid, a middle schooler Teru’s age; Teru first learned about it from listening to 2B and 2C, two chatty women who gossip loudly enough on their adjacent balconies during chores that he can use them as a building newsletter.

They’re out again now and so is he, listening while he hangs his laundry out to dry.

The kid lives alone, like Teru, and now that school’s started 2B knows that he goes to Salt Middle School. She shares this, along with a complaint about how her brother acts so superior, just because he happens to live in a district that lets him choose between two schools for his daughter. The information is good, what’s there, but Teru has to sort through a lot of aural chaff to get anything useful from their conversations. And this is out of date; term started a couple weeks ago, for both Salt Mid and Black Vinegar.

The name of the school is familiar, and in retrospect so is the uniform; he had to take care of a budding gang war from there in the spring. And, of course, that’s where Kageyama goes.

Kageyama. The only other esper of any note he’s ever met. A natural, and yet barely more than a commoner; he folded like wet cardboard when Teru showed him his place. Still, he remains a potential threat, and that’s interesting.

Actually, enkou kid kind of reminds him of Kageyama, if only visually. Maybe it’s just the uniform; he’s never seen either of them wearing anything else. But then, he only saw Kageyama the once.

Their paths haven’t crossed since Teru taught him a lesson a few months ago. Maybe it’s time for a refresher course. It might be fun to cultivate an antagonist, someone stronger than ordinary people but exponentially weaker than himself. It’s not like anything else in his life has ever posed a challenge. Psychic powers truly are convenient.

He goes back inside to make dinner, and thinks about paying a visit.

In the mornings, he sees his neighbour leave for school on foot, half an hour at least before Teru even considers heading out.

The timing implies he walks to school, which is odd, but maybe he likes the fresh air. Teru watches him disappear into the city sometimes while he eats breakfast, when the news gets intolerably boring. It’s slightly less interesting than watching a fish, but at least it isn’t the hundredth ‘urgent news bulletin’ about those five students that disappeared. They’re either dead by now or they don’t want to be found; either way, Teru is sick of hearing the same handful of voice clips from their Tragically Grief-stricken Families.

Teru never sees the boy in the afternoons. Enkou kid always gets home late; stepping out of the same black car but driven by a rotation of strangers.

It must pay pretty well, if he can afford an apartment. Teru’s place is paid for by his parents, who live across the city. His mother calls him every so often to invite him for dinner; once in a while he’ll even go, but it’s better if he stays away, for everyone’s sake.

Teru checks the time and gets up. It’s time for him to go; he has a date this afternoon, to see a movie he’s not particularly interested in with a third-year girl he doesn’t particularly like. He’ll probably have a not-particularly-tragic breakup in a few days, before moving on to another one of his fans.

Still, appearances must be kept. He doesn’t bother with the keys as he leaves, locking the door behind him with a flick of his finger as he walks down the hall.

Maybe it’s time he talks to Kageyama. His life’s gotten pretty routine lately, it could use some shaking up.

A few days later, Teru is loitering outside Salt Middle, waiting for his target and attracting the attention of the local students as he leans against the wall, artistically dappled by the sunlight shading through a tree. They admire him, as they should, and form a suitable backdrop for the coming confrontation. Teru’s been plotting how the conversation will go as he waits, and he’s excited to get started.

“Ah, Kageyama,” he says, when he sees a flash of black hair from the corner of his eye, turning to stand in front of the other boy.

Enkou kid stares at him blankly.

“My mistake, I thought you were someone else,” Teru says, with a winning smile, “I don’t mean to trouble you. Go right ahead.”

“You’re… from the apartment,” the kid says, hands straight at his sides.

“Yes, I am. I’m not surprised you noticed, I’m pretty distinctive,” Teru says, with a wink.

“Hm. You are,” the kid says, and walks away, to the car idling in front of the school.

He gets his clients to pick him up at school? That’s so brazen, Teru is starting to like this kid.

Enkou kid pauses, and turns back to him.

“Kageyama-kun has student council. He won’t be out until 4:30,” he says, and then he’s in the car and gone.

At 4:25, Teru finishes off his cafe au lait and walks the block back to Salt Middle School to find Kageyama.

He sees the rest of what must be the student council as they disperse off-campus from their cluster around their unhealthy looking president, but not the member he’s looking for. There’s something weird about the president, like a haze that hangs around him, but Teru doesn’t concern himself with that; he’s here for his foil, not some incompetent, nameless nobody who trails enmity like a smokestack.

Everyone else is gone by the time Kageyama emerges, but Teru’s grown to appreciate the abandoned schoolyard. Absent of anyone but the two of them, it might even be eerie, if it weren’t so sunny. Clouds would be better, thick stormclouds that would blot out the sun and add an electric current to the air. Dramatic effect; this is the kind of thing that looks better in the dark.

No students means no audience, but it also means no witnesses. Instead of a battle of words, like he planned, maybe they’ll just battle. It won’t last very long, but at least it’ll be something.

Any psychic confrontation between them won’t be much of a fight. There’s too great a difference between them; in power, in skill, in hierarchy. Teru’s simply better—even if Kageyama’s been training full throttle, it’s impossible for him to catch up.

Kageyama’s reached the approximate centre of the schoolyard, halfway between the building and the exit. It’s good staging; Teru steps away from the gatepost and into view, to stand squarely across from Kageyama in the opening, backlit by the afternoon sun. A dark shadow stretches on the ground in front of him, reaching toward Kageyama where he’s frozen in his steps.

Kageyama clutches the strap of his bag hanging from his shoulder. He stares, and his powers rise around him, coalescing into the visible spectrum.

The pecking order’s been firmly established, but Kageyama’s stronger than he was the last time they met; the power hanging around his shoulders is more practiced, and Kageyama manipulates his aura confidently, forming it into defensive spikes.

If Teru were an amateur, he might skewer himself flash stepping over there, but as it stands they really serve no purpose but warning him of Kageyama’s hostile intent. He returns the message, letting sparks play across his fingers and lift his hair. The sun washes out the colour of his powers, robbing the display of some of its effect. Next time, they’re definitely going to meet at night.

“Ah, Kageyama,” he says.

“Hanazawa,” Kageyama says guardedly, staring grimly, his spare hand in a fist at his side, “Why are you here.”

Ah, he’s perfect. Teru smirks, and cocks his hip, planting a fist there as he tilts his head playfully.

“What, aren’t you happy to see me?” he asks, opening up the field. It’s exciting, improvising. He throws out the rest of his old script, calculated for a social climate that no longer exists now it’s just the two of them. Kageyama raises a resentful eyebrow.

“You have to ask?” he says. His spikes writhe into faint corkscrews, their ends splitting into forks with his agitation. Clearly, he hasn’t yet figured out how to keep his powers from betraying his emotions, an advantage Teru is happy to take.

“I thought I’d check in on you, see how you’ve been doing. It’s been a few months, you know. How’s school?”

“Oh, perfect, except I’m being stalked by a blond peacock,” Kageyama says with a smile, brittle and insincere. “Have you just been waiting here since school let out?”

“Someone helped me out,”—an NPC—“A boy, with a bowlcut, maybe you know him? He let me know you’d be a bit delayed.”

Kageyama's manifestations shimmer for a moment, then snap back to solidity as jagged, branching spires of hoarfrost, a crystalline thicket of animosity that wreathes his body with razor fractals.

“Of course…” Kageyama muses, and then spits, “That makes sense, Hanazawa. Like calls to like.”

Teru has found a nerve. He’ll think about it later, why Kageyama feels so strongly about dating for money that he thinks Teru will be insulted by the baseless implication that he does it too, but now he rolls with the opening, keeping the momentum of their conversation.

“Bitter, hm? What’s the story there, someone you liked didn’t like you back? Don’t worry about them, Kageyama. They’re the background characters, the unimportant people. From now on, you can just focus on me.” And with that, he attacks.

Teru surges toward Kageyama, pulls up inches away when his startled opponent swings the bag at his face. Teru bats it away with his forearm, snapping the strap as it rockets away to skid across the ground and thrusting his palm out to send Kageyama flying in the other direction.

Kageyama skips; once, twice, before recovering, rolling with the inertia to his feet and reaching out a clawed hand that clenches into a fist.

Wood cracks and Teru zips back five feet in an instant to watch the tree branch spear through the ground where he was standing. He tucks in his toes and throws his arms out in front of him; a wave of powers hurls the branch’s quivering leaves at Kageyama, a maelstrom stiff and sharp as knives.

Kageyama fields most of them, arms wheeling around his head, but a few get through, opening paper-thin cuts that weep bleed from his face and hands. Ooh, that pissed him off. Kageyama glares, swipes at his face with the heel of his hand, smearing red across his cheek as he pants, then slaps the first two fingers of each hand together, ripping chunks out of the asphalt that whizz at Teru’s head.

Teru lets them hit his barrier, bouncing them off with a spray of gravel and minimum effort as he zigzags in flash-step spurts to where Kageyama’s fetched up next to the school. Kageyama’s looking the wrong way when Teru appears in front of him, and the knuckle-punch to the solar plexus blindsides him, propelling him back the scant distance to slam against the wall of the building.

Kageyama’s impact craters the masonry, and Teru follows up with another stone-cracking punch to the gut which Kageyama spins away from against the wall, whipping up his hand in arc that sends a sharp crescent of power slicing at Teru’s neck. Teru tilts his head and it scythes harmlessly past his face, except for where it’s caught some of his hair.

Teru telekinetically flattens Kageyama against the wall with an outstretched hand as he reaches up to inspect his slightly shorter bangs, then flicks the hair out of his eyes. The shorn pieces float away on the wind.

Kageyama’s aura swells, stabbing out at Teru though his body is pinned, breaking Teru’s concentration so he can move. He hurtles forward, fighting with his hands and feet, jerking a knee up that Teru deflects, throwing out a haphazard haymaker that Teru ducks back from before stepping in and hitting Kageyama with an elbow to the chin that knocks him back for Teru to slam his palm against his chest, pressing him to the wall again and pumping him full of electricity.

Kageyama’s mouth opens but no sound comes out as Teru’s power jolts through him. He twists, muscles tense until Teru cuts it off and lifts his hand to let him slide down the wall.

Kageyama isn’t out, but it’s close. He flops his head back to stare up at Teru spitefully where he sits on the ground. There’s still blood on his face.

Teru drops easily into a crouch so his antagonist doesn’t have to look up as far. He’s considerate that way.

“Nice job. That branch thing was pretty good, but the sound gave it away,” he says, helpfully.

Kageyama flips him off with a finger that still twitches with aftershocks, venomous.

Teru grins. This is gonna be great.

At night I see the twinkling stars And a great big smiling moon. My mother tucks me into bed And sings a good-night tune.

enkou = compensated dating