#Saving money now though. No pets! No pets! Wagging a finger at myself

[new-austin]

I miss having a pet hamster

[raendown]

Day 2 of @narutorarepairweek. Today’s prompt is meet cute!

Pairing: HashiramaIzuna Word count: 1780 Rated T+ Summary: It wasn't as if he hadn't already intended to fall in love that day. Just...maybe not like this.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

KO-FI and commission info in the header!

Adopt-a-Heart

If he were completely honest Izuna didn’t actually want a dog. What he wanted was a cat – an entire house full of cats – but his ancient landlord was allergic to cat dander and he wasn’t really looking to get kicked out of another apartment. Finding housing in this city had gotten a little insane over the years. It wasn’t as though he didn’t like dogs, though, so with a longing glance towards the wall of cages filled with tiny inquiring faces Izuna turned down the hallway to where the dogs were kept. 

Visiting the local shelter was always a gamble. One never knew what sort of animals had been abandoned or surrendered, what state they would be in, what abuses they might have suffered. Izuna clenched his fists inside his pockets to brace himself and took a deep breath before pushing the door inwards with one of his feet. He knew the sort of sad and lonely faces that would probably be staring back at him until he found a new companion for himself. He knew he couldn’t afford to take all of them home.

He wanted to though. 

In general Izuna considered himself to be a man of great strength. Perhaps not physically but he had excellent self-control and when absolutely necessary he could exhibit incredible patience. Never had his strengths been so tested as this moment walking past cage after cage with doleful eyes staring up at him in the hopes of finding a home in his arms. If only he had the space and money to take every single one of these poor creatures with him, he would have in a heartbeat. 

The apartment he lived in wasn’t suited for a large dog, however, and he knew if he got a small dog his brother was likely to terrify the poor thing in to a tiny heart attack. Madara was even more of a cat person than Izuna himself. With sorrow in his heart he slinked past a little teacup poodle someone had probably bought because it was cute and then abandoned after realizing that even small dogs required lots of work. Then he clutched his chest and hurried past a Great Dane he desperately wished he had a massive yard for. 

When he first stopped it was to peer through the bars at an Airedale who looked in need of a good grooming. Their neighbors growing up had owned two Airedales and he’d always loved their funny faces. Izuna stepped closer – and then scurried back when the animal burst in to motion, snapping and snarling in a raging frenzy. All animals deserved love but this one didn’t seem to have the right disposition for him. 

He wandered along and stopped again to peer in at a Malamute who stared back calmly, head cocked to one side with curiosity. When he shuffled forward this time there were no sudden reactions and it brought a smile to his face, a little more hopeful than he had been a moment ago. Despite knowing better Izuna still slipped a couple of fingers through to give the pup something to sniff. Small cooing noises whispered from his lips but he was disappointed when all it earned him was a sneeze before the dog laid its head down and looked away. Either he didn’t smell interesting enough or this was an animal jaded from too many opportunities offered and taken away. Or maybe the thing was just tired. Who was he to say?

Eyes lingering on the pretty beast he could have happily kept as a companion, Izuna stood up and made a mental note to come back here and try again to win this heart in case there was no one else who caught his interest. A maudlin sigh escaped him as he turned to walk away without taking his eyes off the Malamute. 

Which turned out to be the best mistake of his entire life. Izuna grunted in a sort of breathless way when he crashed headlong in to a solid wall that somehow managed to be both soft and hard at the same time. Something rumbled above his head, something else began to snuffle near his feet, and it took several seconds for all this information to sort itself out as he wavered back and forth dizzily from the impact. Bringing one hand up to rub at the neck muscles which had not appreciated a sudden stop at that angle, Izuna finally cracked his eyes open to see what he’d run in to. 

Then he craned his head back with his eyes rapidly widening as he took in the absolute mountain of a man currently trying to apologize to him. Which was, apparently, the rumbling sound he’d been hearing. 

“Are you alright?” the man was asking with a mildly frantic expression. “I should have been looking where I was going! Oh gosh, I didn’t mean to, I was just distracted with the- I like dogs! That isn’t to say I don’t like people – I love people – I certainly didn’t mean to run over you like that!” 

Izuna continued to stand and just stare as the man rambled on. Eventually he was able to tear his gaze away from the gorgeous face, travel down that gorgeous body, and spy a cheerful little cloud of white peering back up at him. While the pup – Uzushio Eskimo if he was right – wasn’t exactly small, it looked tiny standing next to this human tree. Izuna had the sudden visceral thought that he would give his very last dollar to climb that man like a squirrel. His thoughts were predictably followed by a wild blush. 

“No, I’m fine,” he managed to choke out eventually. “I like your dog.”

“Oh he’s not mine. I volunteer here!” The declaration was made with so much pride that Izuna’s heart very nearly melted in his chest. Gorgeous, tall, kind, and an animal lover. He certainly was ticking off quite a lot of boxes. 

“So he’s…he’s up for adoption then? Because I was looking for a new partner. Pet! I mean, er, I was looking for a new pet. To take home and stuff?” 

Resisting the urge to smack himself in the face for slipping like that was difficult but he managed. Watching an incredible smile blossom across the tree man’s face helped quite a bit, he could admit that easily. Izuna thought to himself that he would probably do many things for that smile. Most of them illegal. He whined quietly to himself when the man leaned forward right in to his personal space where he could inspect velvet brown eyes from up close. 

“Would you like to spend some time getting to know him? He’s such a good boy!”

“Ah, would you be there too?” The question slipped out entirely without his permission and Izuna cringed inside to sound so needy. 

“Oh, are you afraid of dogs?” Eyes wide and entirely sincere, the man took a firmer grip on the leash in his hands. “If you’re afraid of dogs then getting to know him would be a very good idea before you adopt. It makes them so sad to be taken home and then brought right back here.”

Heart melting in his chest with every word, Izuna swallowed thickly and accepted the fact that he was about to make an utter fool of himself just to clear the sad look on a stranger’s face. With a renewed blush and a clearing of his throat he let his eyes fall to the floor, inspecting the tiny white face staring up at him with eager eyes and a bright pink tongue lolling out. 

“I, ah, I’m not afraid of dogs. You’re just…I was hoping to get to know you. You’re…hot.” Where, he wondered desperately, had his usual silver tongue gone? Not in years had he sounded so awkward.

“Me?”

Kneeling down to pet the dog seemed like a much better way to distract himself than standing there like an idiot and staring off in to space so he did that, nodding as he went down. Fingers scratching at a fluffy white chin, cheeks nearly on fire with embarrassment, he nodded. “I really am interested in adopting though so if we could pretend I didn’t just make a giant idiot of myself that would be wonderful.” 

For a handful of moments there was silence but for the sounds of the animals shifting and barking and growling in their kennels. Nothing like true silence, though it was enough to have him cringing at this uncharacteristic awkwardness. In his thoughts he cursed his landlord for being allergic to cats, unwittingly leading him in to this situation. Would that he had met a man like this on any other day when he would have been able to turn on the charm and win himself at the very least one night to make a more lasting impression. Now the only impression he was leaving would surely be that of a blithering idiot. 

“Maybe you would like to come spend some time with both of us?” 

Izuna’s head snapped up so quickly he was surprised the entire thing didn’t snap off and roll on to the floor. 

“Nnngghh?” he gurgled intelligently.

“It’s protocol that staff or a volunteer be in the room the first time a prospective adopter wants to spend time with one of our animals. Ah, I would be very pleased if you got to know both of us.” Somehow the man achieved even higher levels of cute when he broke out in to a shy grin. “My name is Hashirama. It’s very lovely to meet you.” 

“Hashirama. That’s a nice name. I’m Izuna and I have to say, the pleasure is all mine.”

Grateful to have a little of his usual confidence back, Izuna happily accepted the hand that reached out to help him back up. If he maybe shivered a little at just how big the other’s hand was around his own, well, it wasn’t like he hadn’t already made his thoughts clear on that matter. And if he let their touch linger when Hashirama pulled away who could blame him? He’d known the man all of two minutes and already he wanted more. 

When he left two hours later he had a new puppy trotting before him on a leash and a new number saved in his phone that he very much intended to call the next day. In only one conversation he had somehow managed to fall in love – not just with Hashirama, not just with the companion happily wagging his tail, but with the future suddenly spreading itself out before him, unexpected and entirely welcome. 

[lorei-writes]

Had it happened in the future

Part 2, The eye that would never see

Masamune x MC ( Mizusaki Mai) Modern AU Word count: 2150-ish There is some fluff, there is some angst. I must add trigger warnings for: child abuse, child neglect, mention of injuries, gun violence and being thrown out of the house.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, as Ikemen Sengoku is the property of Cybrid. Anything included in the story is not canon.

The key turned smoothly inside the lock, making almost no sound, and the door to small flat opened before them. They never really had got a chance to hang out at his place, as Masamune claimed it was more convenient if he came to see her. However, he was unusually tired and he did live closer to his workplace than Mai did.

To Mai’s surprise, Masamune rushed her inside and immediately crouched down, the door still slightly ajar. She searched the wall for a light switch, to find it in a couple of seconds. As the light illuminated the room, she noticed a small ball of fur he held tightly. „ Sorry, kitten, should have told you earlier. I forgot how much of a door dasher Shogetsu is”, Masamune said, as he let go of the little creature, now wagging its tail, anger oozing out of the tiny body. Mai lit up in excitement. „ Is that the kitten we found in that dumpster?”, she asked, her gaze fixed on still a bit displeased tabby cat. „ Yep. Ieyasu probably won't admit it, but he stayed up for more than a few nights to care for it. He decided Shogetsu was ready to move here just a couple of days ago, it was all kinda hectic. You have no idea how many pet food brands there are and how many of them are utter shit,” Masamune sighed. Had it been anybody but Mai, he'd try to hide his tiredness, but with her he didn't feel the need to. He stood up and walked into the main part of his flat, only to sink into the sofa bed. „ Fridge is all yours kitten, if you want anything. Just make sure not to lock Shogetsu in there, whiskers tries to get that tail of his into all sorts of trouble. I had to take apart the kitchen cabinets because he got stuck.” Mai sat next to him, giggling. „ What's so funny, huh?” „ You sound like a tired parent, that's all. You're cute,” she answered, giving him a peck on the cheek. „ I am not cute.” Masamune frowned for a moment, only to relax once he recognised the look in her eyes – that loving, unconditional acceptance she emanated. He'd like to say Mai was adorable or cute, yet he knew very well those words were too minuscule, too close to the corporeal nature of things, to ever accurately describe how he saw her – he wasn't sure any words could. Maybe it was because her beauty wasn't necessarily physical, or maybe that's how love made it seem.

Either due to tiredness or the comforting situation, he didn't pay much attention to his surroundings for a moment. Then, he suddenly felt a slight tug and his eyepatch fell from his face, soon being taken hostage by the cat. Instantly, Masamune felt a freezing cold traveled through his body, as he moved his hand to cover the scar on his face. Meanwhile, Shogetsu ran, one of the strings in his mouth – he jumped from the sofa bed to the countertop, from where he accessed one of the shelves on the wall. He knocked over some books, almost sending them all flying to the floor, and in just mere seconds had climbed onto the top of the kitchen cabinets, squeezing in the space between them and the ceiling. He tucked himself in the corner there, his eyes glowing  in the darkness. „ Fuck. I'll need a ladder to take him out of there, just wait a second,” Masamune said, still covering part of his face. „ I'll probably need both hands,though. So, yeah. It's not a pretty sight, you can look away.” He was just about to stand up, when Mai spoke softly: „ Shogetsu doesn't seem to be chewing on it. Maybe we can fetch the eyepatch later?” She moved closer to him, placing a hand over his. „ You don't have to hide it. I don't mind,” she assured. Assuming the tension leaving his posture was a sign of consent, Mai brushed his fingers away, delicately uncovering the scar underneath. It started in his brow, went down and divided the eyelid in half, all to stop at the top of his cheek. “ How did you get it?” a question escaped her lips. „ That story's long and no fun at all”, Masamune whispered back. „ I want to know regardless.”

He couldn't answer her instantly. He just knew he would regret any words he would muster at that very moment. Yet, he couldn't ignore her either. He took a deep breath and closed his only eye, just to reopen it a few, too short, moments later. „ Fine,” he started, looking into her eyes. „ But don't worry about it all too much, okay? Past is in the past.” Mai nodded, a fierce look on her face. „ You know, I had pretty rough start in life. Mother didn't exactly plan to be left alone with a kid and worked two jobs to somehow keep us afloat. She did remarry when I was eight or so and it got much better then, so yeah,” he stopped for a moment, looking for words. „ Well, either way, I was free to do whatever I liked after school and I usually tagged along some older kids. Not really the kind you'd want your son to hang out with, but hey, what was I, six? Something like that. You know, it wasn't nice neighborhood, some buildings were falling apart there and that's were we'd go. The older guys started arguing and a fight broke out, somebody threw a brick or some rubble and it hit me pretty hard in the face. I don't remember much after that, but somebody got alarmed by the noise, came to check it out and called the ambulance. Apparently I got some bones – skull or  just the eyesocket ? – cracked and the eye was damaged pretty bad, too. Well, that's what I was told when I woke up without an eye. Heh, I had to make up for half a year of schoolwork then and barely passed the year.” Mai took his hand into hers, giving it a squeeze. „ It must have been so hard.” „ Kinda? Well, I got pretty depressed then, but I had to go on. I've already been enough of a burden before that. I had to get myself together, especially since mother got married again and had another kid like a year after that? Can't lie, I became pretty irrelevant to her once Kojirou was born.” A shock surfaced on her face. Why was he telling her all the ugly and hurtful things? He wasn't sure. But in that moment, he felt like he should. „ What sort of mother would think like that? It's disgusting.” „ She wasn't exactly a model parent, okay? But step-dad was pretty nice, even if he was a military man. And we did have a house and food in the fridge and I could go to school and study without much worries – what else could I want, right? He didn't discriminate against me for not being his child, so yeah. Bonus points for that, I guess,” he stopped, as his gaze traveled outside the window. Masamune continued: „ It made headlines then: ' A military man shot in his own house by a robber '. I came home late from the party that night. The front door was open wide, so I knew something was wrong. I didn't expect to see the old man in the kitchen with his hands above his head, a gun pointed at him. He got shot before I even got a chance to get to the guy. The rest is all a blur – police cars, sirens, ambulance, hospital. Old man passed a few hours after it all happened, mother blamed it on me, gave me an hour to pack up and kicked me out. I haven't seen her or my brother since then.” Only after finishing the last sentence, he realised Mai was hugging him tightly. He eased into her embrace and she pulled them both to lay down, placing his head on her chest. She stroke his hair tenderly. „ What happened after that?” „ Ieyasu took me in for two weeks. Then Hideyoshi learnt of what happened, started panicking and offered to share a flat with me. He really did earn the nickname „Mamayoshi”. So, I agreed, found some jobs, worked my ass off for the next couple of years, saved some money, borrowed some from  Nobunaga and others, moved out and started my business. If everything goes well, I'll pay them off by the end of the year.” „ Why a diner though? Wouldn't it be easier to join military?” „ It would, but I wouldn't like that. They really do have a tendency to prey on unfortunate people. And in the end, wars don't feed hungry people, but there's more than enough food to do so – yet some still don't have enough to eat. I'd rather work on that.” Mai pressed a kiss to the top of his head. „ Thanks for opening up to me,” she whispered, her hands stroking his back. She was almost sure no words she could muster would uplift any of his burden – but she could be there for him and hold him tight, and so she decided it had to be enough that time. Masamune propped himself up on his elbow. He faced her. „ Now that you've heard my confession, it's my time to ask,” he said, a tinge of curiosity washing over his face. „ I'm listening then.” „ Why did you even step into my diner?” „  I've been working as a fashion designer for a little over two years by that time and... It wasn't really what I expected it to be. I worked with one of the fast fashion brands then and it kinda ate me alive. I wanted to make it easier for others to express themselves with my designs, to make their lives easier, but in the end I was encouraged to steal the ideas from independent creators. Even if my designs came to life, it wasn't the way it should have been – the clothes were made to be cheap, not lasting. And then, yet another workshop incident surfaced, and I felt so, so, so guilty for contributing to that. Fast fashion really is disgusting... And, on that day, I quit my job and just wanted to eat something, anything, so I just stepped in. I half-expected it to be another place serving fried everything, though,” she laughed. „ But the food was good. I felt inspired for the first time in months then. So I decided to come back and just kept doing that.” „Of course the food was good, I wouldn't serve clogged arteries on the plate...” Masamune murmured, as he tickled her sides.  Mai squirmed underneath him, trying to save herself from the sudden ambush. „ What exactly have I done to deserve that?”, she huffed, unable to stop laughing. „ Doubted my cooking. It's punishable by suffocating with laughter. However, there may be another way, just for you.” „ What way?” „ Kiss me”. Without a second thought, she cupped his face and brought it closer to herself. The first kiss was full of hunger, almost desperate in its roughness, as if they tried to wash the old scars away with it. Her hands kept him close, gripping his shirt tightly on the back. However, as a sun comes after a rainy weather, their caresses became gradually sweeter. Her lips moved away for a second, just to come back and place soft, soothing kisses all over his face – on his forehead, on the top of his nose, on his cheeks, his eyelids, along his jawline, just to come to rest at his temple. „ Kitten, you really are the best,” Masamune mustered, a wide smile on his face. He turned his head to look at the clock. „ It's getting late. You want to stay the night, or should I give you a ride back?” „ I'd stay, but I have no idea how we'd fit here. I wouldn't want to wake up on the floor, because somebody moved too much in his sleep,” she winked at him. „ Then we're set, the sofa converts to bed.”

***

A few months had passed. Mai looked up from her sketchbook, overflowing with new ideas. Masamune was waiting for her by the window, the diner already cleaned up for the next day. „ Come on, kitten. We've gotta go home. I'll whip you something up once we are there”. She stood up and joined him, ready for the day to be over. 

[randomfandomimagine]

Fate Is Sealed. Chapter 10

Fandom: John Wick

Ship: John x Elizabeth (OC)

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Read it on AO3!!

I opened my eyes and found myself in a strange place. But, wait… I had been there before. Was that… John’s room, his bed? Right, I was at his house. I was so exhausted that I probably fell asleep without realizing. On John’s shoulder too, which brought sudden butterflies to my stomach.

Feeling fully rested, I decided to get up since it was clearly well into the day. As soon as I swung my legs over the bed and set my feet on the floor, I heard the sound of paws against the wood. I smiled at the little pitbull when he came into the room.

“Hello” I laughed a little when he jumped onto the bed and wished me good morning. “Who’s a good boy?”

“Buddy here let me know you were awake” John was leaning against the door frame, but this time I didn’t get scared by his stealthy ways.

“Buddy?” A big smile took over my face at the reminder of last night’s conversation. “So you did like the name then”

“And he did too” John’s brown eyes fell over the dog as he pushed his snout against my hand, asking for more pets.

As all response, I absently petted Buddy while John went to sit down in the bed with me. The dog sat between us, lying down closest to his master.

“Did you sleep well?” John asked me, a certain tenderness present in his voice.

“Yeah!” I passed a hand through my hair when I thought it was probably disheveled and messy. “I didn’t sleep this well in… well, a really long time”

He nodded his head, our gazes locked. I felt that attraction again, that connection that I now recognized in his eyes too. I had an impulse to scoot closer to him and wrap my arms around his neck, to connect my lips with his.

However, and preferring to let him take the first step since he was the one still getting over his wife’s death, I didn’t move from my spot.

My heart rate quickened when his eyes lowered to my lips. It was a subtle and quick gesture, blink and you miss it, but I caught it. I chuckled when his eyes returned to mine in alarm.

“Why don’t you stop lovingly staring at me and kiss me already?” I encouraged him, acquiring a flirtatious and somewhat playful tone.

John smiled beautifully again, leaning closer until our lips were mere inches away from each other. The breath caught in my throat when I felt his warm mouth against mine, his beard gently scratching against my skin.

It was just a peck, although passionate and sweet, and he backed away soon. It left me craving more, but I was willing to be patient. I myself had still to wrap my head around the concept of the two of us being together.

Buddy sat up and looked from John to me, wagging his tail and silently asking us to focus our attention on him instead of each other. We both ignored him for the moment.

“If we’re really doing this” John patted the dog’s back, even if his eyes lingered on me. “It would help to know more about each other”

“Fair enough” I accommodated in the bed, resting my back against the headboard and leaving enough space for John next to me. “How about I explain my outburst from the other day?”

Ever since that day I had felt the need to tell him what triggered it. It wasn’t only what had happened, but why it had happened as well. And maybe it wasn’t even about sharing it with John, but just about getting that weight off my shoulders once and for all. Telling someone I trusted about it. And I trusted John.

“Only if you want to” He sat down in the spot to my left. “If you do, I’m ready to hear it”

I nodded, taking a deep breath and preparing to tell him what I had never told anyone. Not even Aurelio. Well, he knew already anyway. Not in depth, but he knew most of it.

Slightly overwhelmed, I looked at John, who encouraged me with a head nod.

“It was the first time I shot someone… Or at least that I shot to kill” A frown formed in my brow and my throat became dry all of a sudden. “And the first time someone tried to kill me like that, I… Well, I mean that…”

Noticing my struggle, John nodded again. He knew what I meant, basically that I wasn’t used to that level of violence like he was. That even though I had been ambushed before, I never actually had to fight for my life. Until that day.

“So I… just… broke down…” An awkward chuckle escaped my lips, and even if I could feel him watching intently I didn’t feel strong enough to reciprocate. “It was like… all that was wrong with my life suddenly came back all at once, you know?”

My voice had become shaky, and John didn’t hesitate to put an arm over my shoulders. His hand rested over my upper arm, gently rubbing it to comfort me.

“And…” Once I had started talking, I felt myself unable to stop. “It was too much, I couldn’t handle it… I just wanted it all to stop…”

“You said you hated ‘him’…” John spoke lowly, almost like he was scared to break the quiet atmosphere. “Were you talking about Stoakes or about me?”

I frowned for a moment, because I didn’t remember saying that. But to be fair, I didn’t really remember anything that I said during my breakdown.

With a bitter smile, I finally looked into his eyes. John arched his eyebrows, attentive about my response.

“Neither” I sighed, sad that he also considered himself a possible culprit given that he had saved my life. “I was talking about my father”

“Your… father?” John watched me, puzzled, although gave me an opportunity to explain.

“Yeah… He was an assassin too, that’s how I got into this mess. My mom died when I was little, so it was just us” A lump formed in my throat when I had to dig into the past. “My father kept sneaking out to work, never stopped working”

A tense silence settled as I dug deeper into my painful memories.

“He wasn’t really a bad father… He bought me my motorbike, and I spent the last of my money trying to fix it when it got trashed but… Because of his job… I had a terrible childhood, I was always alone and scared. And all of this is his fault… If he had stopped working, he wouldn’t have died! And then Gaige wouldn’t be insisting that I pay the debt he left when he got himself killed” I let out a sarcastic chuckle. “That’s how I found out, too. Gaige looked for me and claimed my money, saying that I was the only one left now to pay”

“I’m sorry” I had almost forgotten John was there with me, but it was comforting when he gently pushed me against him. “What was his name?”

“Thomas” Anger burned within me as tears prickled my eyes. I furiously wiped them with my palm. “Thomas Dawson”

“I knew him” John muttered, his gruff voice close to me. “But I didn’t know he died. How did it happen?”

“I…”

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer”

“No, it’s okay…”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, he… I think it was during a job that went wrong. I was sixteen…” I bit hard on my bottom lip, remembering the worst week of my life. “My father had left a will and I could pay Gaige some of the money, so he left me alone for a few years… But then he wanted the rest of it… Like my father dying wasn’t bad enough…”

“I am so sorry, Elizabeth…” His voice was dripping with true empathy.

I didn’t reply. I just tried to calm myself and stop the tears from falling. In spite of it all, it felt good to talk about it. To actually tell someone and not carry that burden alone, trapped in my heart. John was also very understanding and supportive, so that helped too.

The silence was only filled with the sound of me sobbing and sniffing. Buddy, who was in the bed with us, tilted his head as his small black eyes worriedly focused on me.

“What’s this?” John’s big hands took my arm, with his fingers delicately gracing the tattoo on the inside of my forearm.

“Audaces fortuna iuvat” I quickly replied, happy about the subject change. “I got it when I was like… nineteen or so”

“What does it mean?”

“Fortune favors the brave”

“I know the Latin, what does it mean to you?”

“A reminder” My gaze went from the words etched in my skin back to him. “To be brave and push through, no matter what”

John nodded slowly, seemingly in a pensive mood. His fingers never stopped tracing up and down the inside of my arm, sending pleasant shivers up my back.

“And the one in your side?” My free hand immediately flew to that very spot.

When I glared at him, cocking an eyebrow, John smiled a little.

“I saw it when I was patching you up that one time” He explained calmly. “I wouldn’t have expected you to have any tattoos”

“That one is a compass, I got it when I was much younger, soon after my father died” I rolled my eyes at my younger self. “You know, I felt lost so I wanted something symbolic and all that crap”

John remained quiet, making me wonder if he was uncomfortable because of my candor. I stirred against him, getting more comfortable, and changed the subject a little.

“Do you have any tattoos, John?” Looking up at him, I was surprised to notice he seemed in deep thought.

“Uh, yeah…” My question forced him back to reality, focusing his eyes on me instead of on Buddy, who I was sure he wasn’t truly watching. “On my back”

“What does it say?”

“Fortis fortuna adiuvat: Fortune favors the bold”

“Wow” I giggled, finally feeling the tension subsided. “One would think we would wait to get matching tattoos until after we met”

John laughed a little too, and it was the biggest I had seen him smile. The sight stirred something within me in the best of ways.

“Can I see it?” I excitedly asked, feeling very curious about it.

“No” Despite his stern voice, he was still smiling. “Some other time”

We sat there for hours, only talking. John opened up a little too, telling me about how his wife got sick. He explained that he had retired before marrying her but that this life claimed him back after she died. It was bittersweet to hear him because I empathized so much with him. But also, it was heartwarming to see that there was more to the Boogeyman. That he could care deeply, and that he was capable of love and so much more.

After a lot of chatting, John took me downstairs saying he wanted to show me something. Filled with curiosity, I followed him in silence. We moved to the other end of the house, with Buddy following close behind.

As we walked, I noticed his wide back. His shoulders were relaxed for the first time, and I smiled at the thought that I had something to do with this new demeanor of his.

“Do you have a secret passageway into a mysterious room?” I playfully said to break the silence, grinning at him.

“No” John blankly replied, briefly looking over his shoulder to me.

“Then what’s the point…” I rolled my eyes, making him smile a little.

“I do have an underground torture chamber” He said it so simply that I stopped dead in my tracks.

“I’m sorry, what?” I urged him, not even knowing how to react.

“I was joking” A soft smile plastered on his lips, ridding me of any doubts.

“Oh” Apparently John had a sense of humor, and a dark one too. I would have to get used to that.

That little smile never left his lips as he slowed down to stand next to me. I looked up at him and he cautiously put his arm over my shoulders.

When he looked ahead so did I, seeing that we stood before an open door that led to a big gym room with soft tatami floors. A smirk formed on my lips when I realized what was going through his head. I was up for that.

“I see” I walked into the room, turning around to be facing him and stepping backwards further into the gym. “Is this an excuse to have me close?”

John didn’t say anything in response, but his eyebrow arched slightly as he walked inside with me.

“Go on” Once he was in the middle of the room, he stood there and lifted his arms so his palms were facing me. “Hit me”

I opened my mouth to complain but in the end decided against it. After what happened with Simone, I could use some sparring for sure, especially if John was the sensei.

Using my whole body to swing, I threw my right fist against his hand. He didn’t bat an eye and encouraged me to do it again with a silent head nod. With the second one, however, John shook his head in disapproval.

“Stop trying to hit me and hit me” Was all he said, implying that I was holding back. I was, because I didn’t want that turn into a ‘try to hit John as hard as you can’ challenge.

I threw a few more punches, this time harder, and he seemed satisfied with my strength and technique. He had seen it for himself; I basically knew how to defend myself.

“How did you learn?” His deep voice was calm. Perhaps too calm, he might be up to something.

“Self-defense classes” I shrugged, trying to keep the memories that inevitably arrived to my brain at bay. “As well as some bad experiences and trial and error”

“Uh-huh” John was definitely plotting something; I could tell by the way his brown eyes looked me up and down.

“Why are we doing this anyway?” I feebly shifted my weight from one foot to the other, staring at him.

“To avoid this happening again” I winced when he gingerly touched the scratches across my cheek, even if his fingers barely graced my skin.

“Fine… Continue, Mr. Wick” I gestured with my hand to encourage him.

John nodded and moved behind me. He put a strong arm over my collarbones and locked me against him, pressing my back to his front.

“I got you locked” He tightly gripped my arm and secured the position. “How would you break free from it?”

“Easy, elbow where the sun don’t shine”

“Let’s see you do it then”

“No, I don’t wanna hurt you”

“There’s something they didn’t teach you in self-defense class”

“What’s that?”

John sighed behind me and dropped his arm, instead resting his hands on my hips and swiftly turning me around so we were facing each other. His arm wrapped around me once more, pushing me against his chest.

My heart started racing when I realized how close our lips were together and how he closed his eyes on an instinct. I held on to his shoulders, prepared for the kiss, when he suddenly stopped leaning in.

“To play dirty” He whispered, offering that warning alone.

“Huh?” Before I knew, he swept my leg and I was falling backwards.

I yelped as I lost balance, still holding on to him. John was kind enough, though, to still hold on to me and break my fall. Still, my back hit the mat with a thud and I grunted when I landed.

John was now on top of me, one of my legs between his as the one he swept was securely wrapped under his arm. He had me in a tight lock.

I breathed heavily, completely taken by surprise by his movement, as he watched me from his kneeling position. He leaned close to me, once again his lips tempting me with their closeness to mine.

“If you want to survive in the underworld” He muttered, barely loud enough for me to hear. “You need to play dirty sometimes”

“Fine, whatever” I tapped his shoulder like people did in martial arts. “Lesson learned: play dirty. Okay, I get it”

I felt a mixture of love and hatred towards him as he smirked, clearly aware of my flustered state and amused by it. I glared at him, but he delicately pulled the both of us to our feet. My pulse was still somewhat erratic once we both stood, still intimately close to each other.

Despite the height difference, John looked somewhat small and vulnerable as he looked down at me because of the subtle loving glance he was dedicating me. I smiled in spite of myself, taking that gesture as a silent apology.

“So” To torture him a little, I stepped away from him, pacing around the gym. “You’re teaching me to cheat, basically”

“I’m teaching you to do whatever you need to do in order to stay alive” John’s eyes attentively followed me. “There’s a difference”

“Because I need to learn how to play dirty”

“Ye-“ I interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

I yelped, grimacing as my hands flew to the bullet wound in my side. It was still healing, and even if John had been careful, I had hit the ground pretty hard.

Rid from all my strengths, I fell to the ground into a sitting position, shutting my eyes tight in pain as I still clutched the sore area.

“Liz!” In just a second, I heard John’s concerned voice next to me.

Still grimacing, I opened my eyes to look at him. I couldn’t contain a satisfied smirk as I tackled him to the ground and immobilized him, using all the weight of my body to pine him to the ground.

“Like this?” I asked him, watching the realization grow in his expression.

“Yeah” John sighed, as though he was out of breath. “Like that”

“Sorry” I innocently shrugged, leaning closer to him like he had before. Our noses were touching. “Couldn’t help myself”

A moment of silence followed. I sharply moved my head so all my hair stayed in one side, brushing against his cheek and tangling in his beard.

“Good job” John stated after several seconds of looking into each other’s eyes.

“Thank you” I proudly said, leaning back to give him some space.

I felt my cheeks burning when I realized I was quite literally straddling him. I hurried to get off him as fast as possible, but his arm wrapped around my waist and stopped me from doing it to sit me on his lap instead.

Locking eyes with him, I gulped at the intensity with which he stared back. I could read that dangerous look in them but I did not feel threatened this time.

It was the same look, but so many things had changed. I used to hate him, to fear him. I guessed there was a thin line between love and hatred, and between fear and love. Now I was still mildly scared, but for different reasons.

I wasn’t scared of him, but of me. Of my feelings, of my actions, of my impulses. Of the fact that I was starting to love him so much that it was frightening me. That the intense look he dedicated me was driving me crazy.

My mind raced, apparently trying to match with my heartbeat, as I questioned our relationships. Was he experiencing the same things? Was he scared of how much he loved me? Was he scared of what he would be capable to do for me?

All questions faded when his mouth made contact with mine. Then, all thoughts about our relationship were replaced with him. Just him.

Holding me up with one arm, John moved slowly to stand once again. I securely wrapped my arms around his neck as he maneuvered, holding on to him.

I lowly yelped with the height change, and when he softly hoisted me up to properly take hold of me, both of his hands moving to my legs around his torso. Our lips never broke away, hungrily moving in sync. My hands moved up to his nape, fingers digging in his soft dark hair as his gently squeezed my thighs.

We pulled away for oxygen, both panting as we looked into each other’s eyes. John smiled a little, infecting me with the gesture, and rested his forehead against mine.

“So much for sparring” I joked, playing with the ends of his hair.

“I think you got my point” He simply replied, casually shrugging.

I grinned and aimed back for his lips, which he gladly accepted.

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[sarimaposthumous]

The High Priestess Chapter 3

The High Priestess Chapter 3

TITLE: The High Priestess CHAPTER NUMBER: 3/? AUTHOR: SarimaPosthumous GENRE: Supernatural FIC SUMMARY: Jenny is an OC set in the Supernatural universe. She has owned a bar called the High Priestess for nine years and has managed to carve out her own niche in the hunting world. Everything changes when the two notorious hunters show up in her life after she’s managed to avoid them. RATING: M (Violence) WARNINGS: Season 14 Spoilers. It takes place during 14.02 “Gods and Monsters�� AUTHORS NOTES:  Flashbacks take place around Season 5, however, it mostly takes place in the present. This is a Flashback that takes place before Chapter 2. Please provide feedback! 

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

It was a slow night at the High Priestess with hunters running around trying to fend off Michael’s monsters. I heard the door open, signaled by the little bell above the door. Turning around I saw the last person I expected to see. Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised by now.

He stood in the doorway and glanced around before approaching the bar.

“Slow night?” he asked, his piercing blue eyes giving me a once over as he sat down. I closed my mouth, after realizing my initial shock left it agape, and nodded. Maintaining my composure and clearing my throat, I managed to ask, “What can I get for you?”

“Just a pitcher of beer,” he responded before looking back at his phone. As I filled the pitcher, I glanced at his slightly athletic 6’ 1” frame hunched over the bar. Setting the pitcher down in front of him, I couldn’t help but look at his face again. He was in his 40s, his salt and peppered scruff accentuated his features, and his thick dark blonde hair was spiked. He certainly lacked the confidence he held the last time I saw him. It was almost as if his confidence, his very being, was shattered and the sinister look in his eyes was replaced with sorrow and weariness. I could recognize him anywhere, but it couldn’t be him, it had to be his vessel. But how was that possible?

He looked up after I did not walk away. Jenny you need to get a grip. I smiled before he could say anything. “Is there anything else I could get for you?” He closed his mouth and shook his head before returning to his phone.

I turned around and before I could walk away, he piped up. “Actually, do you have WIFI? I need to do some research.” I told him the password as he pulled his laptop out of the bag sitting next to him.

I filled two more pitchers and walked over to a couple of hunters sitting in the back who were glancing suspiciously at the man sitting at the bar. Setting it down in front of them, they looked up at me quizzically. “Let’s not jump the gun and start anything right now because I am not looking to clean up a mess,” I whispered to them. They nodded but continued to give wary glances towards the man at the bar.

Sighing in resignation, I made my way towards the bar checking on various patrons as I considered approaching him. I stepped behind the bar and began tidying up as I walked towards him. “So, what brings you here…?” I let the question hang so he could fill in his name.

“Nick,” he responded before glancing up at me. “I’m just passing through on my way to Delaware.”

“Delaware, huh, I think that is one of the few states I have yet to visit. Is it nice, or, is it your first time visiting?” I inquired.

He glanced at me thoughtfully, perhaps trying to discern how much information he wanted to divulge. “It’s where I am from, actually…I think it is a nice place, but it has been a while since I’ve been home.” He took a sip of his drink.

It has to be just his vessel. “What makes you want to return now?” He didn’t respond as he considered his words before changing the subject.

“This is a nice bar Jenny, how long have you owned it?” he asked as he looked around before his eyes settled on me.

I chuckled. “About 10 years now,” I paused, “is it that obvious?”

“Well, with the way you walk around this place and give free drinks to a couple of hunters back there to keep the peace, it is pretty obvious,” he looked at me expectantly as if waiting for me to lie or lose my cool. But in return I just smiled at him. “Impressive,” I replied.

“You obviously know a lot more than you let on,” he continued, “so, what do you know about me?” He was testing me.

I set the rag down and stretched my back as I quickly pondered my response. As I stretched, I noticed the not-so-subtle glance at my chest before he quickly met my gaze once more. “I know your name is Nick, you’re from Delaware, and that you haven’t been home since, oh what was it, September 2009? All I know is you were possessed by Lucifer after your family was killed.”

“How do you know I am not Lucifer now?” he asked.

“Well, I heard that Dean killed Lucifer. Plus, I’ve met good ol’ Luci on a hunt and a couple of times after, you’re…different,” I responded. My response seemed to trigger something in him because he cringed and rubbed his eyes. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head and took a deep breath as pain crossed his features. “I remember you, Jenny. Lucifer let you go.” This surprised me. He glanced around, lowered his voice, and leaned towards me. “Ever since I woke up after Lucifer was killed. I keep getting flashes of what he’s done when possessing me.” He must have remembered how many hunters Lucifer killed that night because he choked back a sob before taking another drink. I instinctively reached my hand out to comfort him, but he jerked his arm away. I put my hands up to show I meant no harm. “I need to make things right,” he continued. “I need to find out who killed my wife and son,” he said softly as he twisted his wedding band around his finger.

“Would you like my help? It’s probably a cold case now, but I could see if I can find the police files in their database, if you would like?” I offered. He stopped twiddling with his ring before glancing up at me. “Why would you help me?” he asked softly.

“Well, I am in the service industry,” I joked. “But in all seriousness, you weren’t in control. What Lucifer did, it’s not your fault.”

Nick snapped at my comment. “HOW IS IT NOT MY FAULT!?” he shouted as he stood up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a handful of hunters stand up, ready to step in. I calmly held up my hand and they slowly sat back down as Nick continued his tirade.

“I let him in, I said yes to him. Do you understand? Me, I let him in,” he grabbed his pitcher and flung it across the room and fell into his knees and began sobbing. Somehow, I managed to quickly get my 5’4” body over the bar to get to him. He looked up and his demeanor completely changed in a split second as he flicked his wrist in my direction, reminiscent of what Lucifer would do to get people away from him. This concerned me, but I would worry about that later as it did nothing now. I gingerly placed my hand on his shoulder as I knelt down.

“Let’s go somewhere private,” I whispered and squeezed his shoulder. He conceded as I gently pulled him to his feet and pulled him towards my office. I noticed Carl standing with a mop in hand from rushing out of the supply closet due to the commotion. Gesturing to him to keep an eye on the bar, I followed Nick into the office. We sat down, and I pulled out my laptop to access the police department’s database as Nick sat there with his head in his hands.

“Their names were Sarah and Teddy,” his muffled voice came through his hands. As I pulled up the case files, I noticed that it was a cold case and printed everything out for him. “It looks like it became a cold case over the years. The night that Sarah…she called the police that night to “report a prowler” in the neighborhood. Once the police arrived, they discovered Sarah and Teddy.” I kept reading as Nick patiently waited. “There was a witness, one of your neighbors, but he later recanted his statement.” Nick’s expression darkened. “Who?” he asked through gritted teeth. “Arty?” I said as I watched Nick’s hands begin to tremble. “Arty,” he repeated as his eyes narrowed. I stood up to grab the papers from the printer and placed them in a manila folder before handing them to Nick.

He contemplated the folder before looking up at me. “Thanks Jenny,” his expression turned sheepish. “I’m sorry for throwing the drink across bar.”

I smiled, “they’re plastic for a reason. Look, it’s late and if you need a place to stay, I have a spare room. If not, you’re welcome back anytime. Hunters won’t mess with you here…it’s neutral ground so to speak.”

He looked at the corner where Duke was laying down and watching him. “Cute dog,” he mentioned. Now this shocked me, and I put my hand on the door before he could open it. “How can you see her?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” he questioned.

“Duke is a hellhound,” I whispered. It seemed that being possessed and then manufactured for Lucifer really affected his psyche. He looked between Duke and myself and I noticed she started wagging her tail. Lucifer did save hellhounds, so it was only reasonable for her to be impartial to him…and his vessel.

“How can we see her? Why do you own a hellhound?” his brows furrowed as he asked.

“Crowley owed me, so he gave me a pet hellhound and the ability to see them. As for how you can see them, that I don’t know,” I looked back over at Duke and she stood up and walked over to Nick before sniffing his hand. His expression softened as he knelt down to pet her as she wagged her tail.

He stood up and shook my hand, “thank you for all of your help Jenny, and your offer, but I am staying at motel nearby. I’ll definitely stop by here next time I am in the area though. I’m gonna head back and compare notes.” 

I followed him out of the office and noticed that many of the hunters were conspicuously watching us to make sure Nick didn’t transform into Lucifer. Nick took some money out and placed it on the bar for his drink and gathered his things. He waved to everyone in the bar and left.

“So, Lucifer is really dead, huh?” Seth, one of the hunters, asked. I nodded as I walked towards my office to ponder what just happened. “Carl, can you close tonight?” he nodded in response and I went to grab my laptop and Duke before heading back to my apartment in the back.

Stripping myself of my clothes, I stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash over me as I thought about the hunt that involved Lucifer.

At this point, I had only been hunting and running the High Priestess for a few months. A lot of the hunters that came through would take me along on hunts to teach me. On this particular night, two hunters came running into the bar frantic about what they had heard. There was a sighting of about ten demons about 30 minutes south of where we were, and they needed help. At the time, there were only three other hunters in the bar, so they reluctantly brought me along as back up. Not that I was incompetent by any means, but I had not dealt with any demons since, well, since a few slaughtered my family.

The six of us set out to pursue the demons. When we arrived at the small town, it was eerily quiet – as if it were abandoned. We drew our weapons and set out to find the demons, but there was no one in sight. We walked around the public square and a demon stepped out of an alleyway and we raised our guns, but more demons snuck up behind us and grabbed a hold of us. A struggle ensued as we attempted to fight them off.

“There is no use in fighting, Lucifer is expecting you,” he chuckled. One of the demons went down along with one of the hunters. I was currently in a fistfight with a demon myself when I was grabbed from behind by another demon. More demons showed up and they got the upper hand. They dragged us into the building and up a flight of stairs and into a large room. There were bodies everywhere and Lucifer sat in the middle of the room with what appeared to be a goblet of blood in his hand and fresh body next to him.

“Sorry about the mess, I didn’t have time to clean up,” said Lucifer as he took a sip before standing and approached us. I struggled and attempted to free myself from the demon’s grasp to no avail. This caught Lucifer’s attention and he turned his sinister eyes towards me before approaching me. He grabbed my face with his hand, his fingers practically digging into my cheek, and stooped down so that his face was mere inches from mine. His voice was soft as he spoke to me. “Well, well, well if it isn’t Jenny. It’s about time you started hunting.” With him so close to me, I noticed the skin around his hairline was practically eroding. It took me a second before I realized he knew my name.

“How do you know who I am?” I barely managed to say this without my voice faltering. He chuckled at this response and pulled me towards him. “Let’s just say I’m in the habit of picking people who have potential,” he responded. Lucifer shoved me towards the chair in the middle of the room and forced me to sit down. I tried standing up, but his invisible restraints kept me in place. “What are you…” he cut me off by quickly leaning down and putting his finger to my lips.

“Shhhh. I’ll get to you in a minute, just wait your turn,” he whispered. Lucifer turned around to face the rest of the hunters and straightened his back. “Look Jenny and I need to have a little chat and, frankly, I don’t need all of you here.” He pulled a knife from his pocket and killed all of the hunters. I begged and pleaded, but he didn’t acknowledge me. Not being able to watch, I looked away and continued to sob. With the hunters dead at his feet he turned to the demons, “Yeah it applies to you too,” he shrugged and they all looked at each other before he snapped his fingers, killing them all. Now it was just the two of us as he turned back to me, his face and hands smattered with blood. He must have noticed my horrified expression and just shrugged his shoulders, “What? They’re just demons,” he replied nonchalantly.

No longer restrained to the chair, I charged at him, but he easily grabbed and threw me to the ground. Not giving up without a fight I clamored to my feet and attempted to charge at him again, but he grabbed me in the process and slammed me into the wall. Pinning me, he spoke again. “Jenny, after all this trouble I went through to get you to come here, this is how you repay the favor? Tsk tsk.”

“What the hell do you want from me?” I struggled against him.

“When I was in the cage, I kept an ear out and paid attention all you filthy, hairless apes because, believe it or not, some of you can prove to be useful. I saw the potential you had for this life, Jenny, so I called in a favor to nudge you in right direction. You can thank me later,” he replied smugly.

It clicked. “You had my family killed?” I asked, horrified at the thought.

“See, I knew you were a smart cookie,” he winked at me. “I’ve seen your future…”

I cut him off, “did you see in my future that I am going to kill you?”

Anger flashed in his eyes, his grip on me tightening. “As I said. I’ve seen your future. I know you can, and you will, build up a network within the supernatural. So, I want you to come work for me,” he stepped back and released me. “You will prove useful to my cause.”

My hands were balled up into fists and my body trembled with anger. “What makes you think I will help you?”

Lucifer held up a hand and ignored my question, “You don’t have to answer now, I’ll give you some time to think.”

I took a step towards him, “nothing you say is gonna…” he snapped his finger and I was at the High Priestess. Carl came running towards me as I collapsed to the ground.

That had to have been the worst hunt I had ever been on. I wiped away the tears that were streaming down my face and turned off the shower. I never told anyone about what Lucifer revealed to me that night. It would not have changed anything at this point. Stepping out, I thought back to my earlier conversation with Nick. This is a nice bar Jenny, how long have you owned it?

How did he know my name after so many years? Does he remember everything Lucifer did? If so, he had to have known more about Lucifer’s plans for me. Wiping the bathroom mirror with my hand, I looked at my reflection and thought back to my other interactions with Lucifer. What if he returns?

[thewritingambition]

Take Good Care of My Home

(I ran an online scam on Craigslist) I'm sure you are clever. Exceedingly clever. The kind of person who would NEVER fall for an online scam, isn't that right? Especially a ridiculous one. You know what I'm talking about. “You've just won a trip to Barbados, please give us your social insurance number!” or “I am a Nigerian princess and I have to get rid of all this gold!” No, you'd never fall for that. At the first sight of a red flag, you would turn around and run. Only naive idiots fall for such things.

Well, let me disenfranchise you of this comfortable notion. You can't run a successful scam hoping that only well-off idiots will come to you. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of those out there, but you'll be lucky to run across one of them, let alone dozens. An average conman like myself – a self-made man, really, who is only trying to get by – can only prey on vulnerable people. The usual targets tend to be grandmothers and the mentally ill, but that is something I could never do. If you scam a neglectful grandson out of his inheritance, he'll stop at nothing to make sure you pay for your crime – and, more importantly, pay granny back. I can't risk that.

My targets of choice are the illegals. Not that I have anything against illegals. Lovely people, the lot of them. They run away from violent situations and risk their lives to seek refuge in our country, where they are willing to do back-breaking labor for less than minimum wage. What is there not to love about a group of hard-working people who believe that all Canadians are kind and decent and would never try to take away their money? How could we not welcome with open arms these penny-saving folks who are usually too scared to go to the authorities? You've probably seen one of the dozens of adds I put up on Craigslist and Kijiji. They vary in pictures and tone, but the bottom line is this: AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY! Lovely one-bedroom apartment, perfect for international student or worker. My husband and I are missionaries going to South Africa next week and need to sublet our place URGENTLY! We don't care about the money, we just want someone who will look after our home. CAD $1,000.00. Utilities included. NO LEASE NECESSARY! Contact Mary Morgan at... The story changes, but I find that the missionary woman is wholesome enough to lure people in. The pictures have to look realistic, no fancy condo promotional ads. A nice picture of a basement apartment will do. The price has to be below average, but not so much so that it would raise suspicion. Then, you sit back and wait. You'd be surprised how many people will answer to something so ridiculous just to see what happens, but most of them lose interest when I tell them I can't meet them in person (the husband and I already flew to South Africa, you see). Some don't mind, though, and agree to meet with “my cousin” at the place once the transfer (which includes one month of rent, plus a CAD 200.00 deposit for the keys) goes through. You'd think that these websites would keep better track of this sort of thing, but they don't, and none of my targets is going to risk going to the police because they lost CAD 1,200.00 to an internet scam. Some of them come from places where the police are more dangerous than the criminals, while others don't want to risk deportation by calling attention to themselves, or they're just too embarrassed and too busy blaming themselves for falling for something so stupid. To be fair, I'm sure the police have better things to do with their time. Even if this got reported, they'd probably think I live somewhere in Nigeria and that I'm not worth the trouble. If anyone bothered to care, though, they'd find out that I live in downtown Toronto, and my little scam has been covering my rent for five months now. The last time I put one of my adds up, I got a reply within five minutes. Mrs. Morgan,

I am interest in rent your beautifull appartment for the six month. Is still available?

Amir I smiled at the broken English and hit reply immediately. Hi Amir,

Thank you so much for answering to the add. The apartment is still available but, unfortunately, my husband and I had to fly to South Africa sooner than we expected, so I can't show you the place. However, if you are willing to transfer the first month of rent to our account, my cousin Lisa will meet you at the address to give you the keys on Sunday.

You can come by and take a look at the lobby. That shouldn't be a problem.

God bless,

Mary I know what you're thinking: there's absolutely no way I've been running this ludicrous scam successfully for five months. To be honest, sometimes I'm a little surprised, too. I think it's all in the name I've chosen. Mary. Mary is a woman, and therefore harmless. Mary is a church-going white lady who loves Jesus. Mary is pious. Mary is good. Mary is definitely not a 6'foot tall 34-year-old guy named Richard who's only after your hard-earned money. Amir replied within fifteen minutes. Mrs. Morgan,

Is good. Do I transfer now?

I move Sunday, yes?

Amir I stared at my email. It's not that I was surprised he was willing to pay; I was surprised he was willing to pay so quickly. Even the desperate and the naive needed some reassurance. They pushed and tried to find solutions with you. Maybe they could meet Lisa? Maybe they could give Lisa the money? No one wanted to part ways with their money that quickly. Something didn't feel right, but I wasn't about to say no. Just to be cautious, I sent him another email. Why don't you tell me about yourself, Amir? Is your family moving in with you? Do you have a pet? How long are you staying?

God bless,

Mary Amir's reply reached my inbox just as quickly as his other messages. It was short and to the point. Hello Mary,

No family. Just me. I work as clean. I pay now and move Sunday, yes?

Amir I tried to picture Amir in my head. With that name, I thought it was safe to assume he was from the Middle East. He was probably nice and apologetic, so very glad to have the opportunity to come to this country. I work as clean. He probably meant “cleaner”. He could be an international student with a part-time job, but most students from the Middle East were teenagers being supported by their wealthy parents. It seemed safe to assume he was in the country illegally since cleaning companies don't care about the legal status of their employees and will often pay them under the table. He had to be either small or old because young immigrant men tended to work in construction. And he was eager, verging on desperate. Maybe his temporary VISA had expired and now he had to hide? Not that I was about to tell him to think carefully. I sent him my Paypal information and waited. The transfer notification came through and, immediately after, Amir sent me another email. I send the money.

I move Sunday, yes?

Amir I was a little shocked at how easy it had been. The whole exchange had taken less than thirty minutes. That had to be a record. You know what? I sorta felt sorry for him. I know I said targets aren't necessarily stupid, but he was way too trusting. He was probably some religious weirdo who thought the best of everyone. “Well, he'll learn a valuable lesson after this,” I said out loud. My dog looked up from the floor, head tilted to the side, slightly judgmental. I pointed a finger at him. “Not a word, Thanos. This will put food in your plate and beer in my fridge.” Thanos huffed as though he didn't approve of my life choices but quickly went back to sleep. There was no arguing with food nor beer. As a rule, I block my target's email once the transfer comes through since there will be no need for further communication. It was no different with Amir, and I went on with my life as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. To be honest, I was feeling pretty good about myself. Thirty minutes to complete a con that usually took three to four days? Clearly, my skills were improving. The very next day, I opened my email to find a message that read, “NEED NEW ADDRESS!” I frowned at that and opened the email. Mrs. Morgan,

I went to apartment but it was wrong address. Send new address, please.

I move Sunday.

Amir I smirked at the screen. I wasn't worried. There wasn't much that he could do about it now. I made sure to block him properly this time and continued halfheartedly searching for a new job. I had planned to spend the rest of winter scamming people from the warmth of my home, then find a more steady source of income in the spring, but the job ads I found online were so underpaid I was seriously considering extending my vacation. I was still in bed, thinking whether I should go downstairs for a cigarette when another notification popped on the top of the screen. New email. I saw Amir's email address. The subject line simply read: Found it! I deleted it without even thinking about it. That stupid app was always glitching. I could block him once I turned my laptop on. Whatever Amir had found, it didn't interest me in the least. On Tuesday, I got myself a new TV as a little reward for running such a quick and effective con. I admit that I am not at all frugal and have always had difficulty saving money, but at that point, I saw no reason to worry. It was evident that my little scheme was working, guaranteeing a steady flow of cash into my bank account. I would never be a millionaire, but I wouldn't have to worry about the bills anytime soon. I arrived home that evening in a pretty good mood, but it didn't last. I knew something was wrong right away. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was a little voice in the back of my mind telling me that not everything was in its proper place. Something had changed since I'd left that morning. Thanos trotted up to me, wagging his tail. “Did you do something?” I asked. Wouldn't

have been the first time I had gotten home to find out my clumsy mutt had ripped one of my pillows open or knocked over a plant. Thanos blinked up at me, as though wondering why I hadn't scratched his ears yet. I walked past him and took a look at the living room. Everything seemed to be in order and yet... it wasn't. I couldn't quite see why, though, and it was driving me crazy. A man knows his home. He can tell when something isn't right. I heard a sorrowful whine and felt the tip of a cold nose brush against my hand. I patted my dog on the head, but the feeling didn't fade. I must have stood in my living room for another five minutes, bewildered but unable to see anything out of place. Finally, I decided I was being ridiculous and that I had better things to do. I took a picture of my 24” TV and uploaded it to Craigslist, then I put it away to make room for the 50” that would be delivered the following morning. And no, I was not about to scam people again. I actually intended on selling my old TV. There was no reason to keep it around. Besides, I had tried something similar a few months before and it hadn't worked. I went into the kitchen to heat leftovers for dinner. I took a frying pan out of the cupboard and a plate from the dish rack. I stopped. Lowered my eyes to the plate in my hand. The penny took a moment to drop, but it finally did. It wasn't that there was something out of place in my apartment – there was nothing out of place in my apartment. I had left that same plate on the couch after having lunch, and the frying pan that was currently in its cupboard had been left in the sink since breakfast. I stared at the plate I was still holding, drawing my eyebrows into a frown. I hadn't washed either of these and had definitely not put them away. I never did. They usually just stayed in the dish rack until I was ready to use them again. How the hell had my tableware made its way from the living room to the kitchen and gotten itself washed? Found it! Something cold ran down my spine, but I knew right then and there that the thought was absurd. I had been careful. I had even asked my friend Daryl, who was good with computers, to ward my laptop against viruses and hackers. I was safe. My target hadn't tracked me down, especially not to wash my dirty dishes. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong and decided to take a look at the email I'd deleted the previous morning. I didn't have to, though, because Amir had sent me a new email that afternoon. In all caps, he announced, “WE HAVE PROBLEM!” Mrs. Morgan,

We have problem. House is dirty. Please clean house before Sunday.

And I can't live with dog. Dogs is dirty animal. You get rid of dog, yes?

I move Sunday.

Amir I stared at my phone screen feeling a pinch of fear crawling up my chest and setting camp there. I kept myself from having a panic attack by repeating a less than reassuring mantra: “If he'd actually found me, he'd have done much worse.” Horrible as that thought might be, it was also right. If Amir had managed to track me down, then he wouldn't have wasted his time washing dishes and sending emails. At the very least, he'd have confronted me. It made a lot more sense for me to have forgotten doing the dishes than for him to have gone through the trouble of tracking me down and breaking into my apartment just so he could criticize my cleaning habits and my dog. As for his email... I didn't have an explanation for that, but maybe he'd found the ad I'd stolen the pictures from? Maybe he'd gone to the address on the ad and seen a dog through the window of the apartment? It was unlikely, but not entirely impossible. “If he had found me, he'd have done much worse,” I repeated. Thanos came closer to lick my hand. I rubbed his ears. “It's fine,” I told him, as though he were the one who needed comfort. “Nothing bad will happen.” The furniture was moved on Wednesday. This time, I could see it the moment I opened the door. Someone had moved my armchair to the other side of the room so that it was the first thing I saw when I walked in. Not only that but everything I had left on top of the coffee table had found its way to drawers and cupboards. The curtains that were usually closed had been pushed open, allowing a lot of sun in. I hadn't been gone for an hour. I had smoked a cigarette, gone to the supermarket, then smoked another cigarette downstairs before coming up again. There was no way anyone would have had the time to do this. Besides, I had a brand new TV mounted on my wall. Who would break in and not even take that? “You're a useless guard dog,” I told Thanos, who barked happily at me, as though he'd done an excellent job protecting my home from invaders. I checked with the landlord to see if he'd come in unannounced, but he hadn't, and even if he had, I doubt he'd have wasted time returning my dirty underwear to its proper drawer. I hesitated, then I opened my email. The subject line of Amir's latest message announced, “Please open curtains!” Mrs. Morgan,

Please let sun in and get rid of dog. Dog is dirty.

I move in Sunday.

Amir I thought of replying. I went as far as to type down and angry message where I threatened to contact the police and get his ass deported to whatever shithole country he'd escaped from if he didn't stay away from me and my dog. The words felt good to write, but I didn't send it. What could I tell the police? That one of the people I'd scammed was harassing me? No, I couldn't call them for help. And I suspected that Amir knew that. I went to see Daryl the following day. He didn't appreciate me barging in on him while he was at work, but he relented after I told him someone had broken into my home and that I suspected I had been hacked. After twenty minutes where he divided his attention between my laptop and a tray of sushi, he declared that there was nothing wrong with my computer. Oh, and that I owed him CAD 200.00 for getting him involved in my ridiculous scheme. “Unlike you,” he told me, “I actually have a job I'd like to keep.” Daryl was proud of the fact that he could rot away in a nine-to-five working IT at a bank. Personally, I found that to be a waste of his talents. I returned home reassured that there had to be a rational explanation for everything that had happened even if I couldn't see it yet, but with every step, I became a little more anxious about going back home. By the time I got to the front door, I wasn't sure I wanted to go in at all. What would be waiting for me? Maybe I should call some friends and go have a beer before- Thanos started whimpering. He hurt my dog. I slammed that door open. The feeling a got when I walked into my apartment was overwhelming. It was like an icy finger had slid down my spine, leaving a trail of goosebumps and dread on its way. Something terrible had to have happened to provoke that sort of reaction. Then I realized it hadn't been dread – at least, not exclusively. My apartment was literally freezing. The heat had been turned off and the door to the balcony was wide open. Thanos was okay, but he was curled in the corner, shaking almost as much as I was. I could hear him whining over the sound of the wind and the snow blowing into my home. “Shit!” I shut the balcony door and turned the heat back on. Even with the mild winter we've been having this year, this is still Canada. Fuck, my dog could have frozen if I had taken a moment longer. Thanos ran over to me and I let him cuddle with me on the couch until we both stopped shaking. Unsurprisingly, Amir had sent me a new email: Mrs. Morgan,

Please turn heat of. Appartment is hot. Also, dog has to leave.

I move in Sunday.

Amir I rubbed Thanos' floppy ears with my cold hands while I fought the urge to launch my cellphone across the room. That little fucker. You can judge me all you want, I know I'm far from being perfect, but at least I'm not some sociopath who messes with people's heads and threatens their dogs. I'd had enough of this. The next time he came into my apartment, I was going to be ready. I paid for extra fast shipping and got a discreet nanny cam from Amazon. I positioned it so that it was pointing at the door and I left with Thanos. I sat at a coffee shop a couple of blocks from my house and sipped my coffee while keeping my eyes glued to the live feed on my cellphone. The moment Amir walked through that door, I would get a good look at his face. I might send the video to him by email and see if that would spook him. Or perhaps I would use his first name and picture to track him down. I knew I was going to have to wait for a very long time, but it didn't matter. I would sit on that cafe for hours if I had to only to get a glimpse at that fucker's face. Seven minutes later, I saw the doorknob on my front door turn. I held my breath. It couldn't be. It was to fast. He couldn't have known I was away from home yet. Had he been watching me? Did he know where I was? “I got you, you little shit,” I muttered under my breath. The door opened just a little, then it paused. Maybe he was listening in, trying to figure out if I was home. But the door stayed like that for a very long time. I even wondered if he'd gotten to his knees and crawled into the apartment since the camera didn't reach a good three feet off the floor. I quickly reminded myself that it was impossible. The door had to be only a few inches ajar. A person could never fit through. The minutes ticked by. My eyes were beginning to hurt because I wouldn't blink. I was too afraid to miss something if I looked away for just a moment. “C'mon, you fuck, come o-” The feed died. I ran. The barista screamed after me and Thanos yapped and pulled at his leash, bringing down the table I'd tied him to, along with everything on it. I didn't care. I wasn't about to let that man mess with my life any longer. I covered the two-block distance

in desperate, large strides that set my muscles on fire. I was so close now. So goddamn close. The first thing I saw when I burst into my home was that the camera was nowhere to be seen. The second thing I saw was a couple of ugly purple pillows on the couch. They didn't belong to me. On the coffee table, a cinnamon-scented candle had been lit and it was letting out a strong, unpleasant smell. No one was in sight. Inside my pocket, my phone chimed with a new message. Mrs. Morgan,

House smell nice now. Happy dog is out.

I move Sunday.

Amir I flopped on the couch. The run had left me panting and light-headed and I had to fight the urge to cry. This wasn't right. This wasn't fair. I'd had a camera pointing at the fucking door! He shouldn't have been able to get past that. I should have found out what he looked like. I should be the one in control. I wasn't though. I had no control over anything. I didn't leave Thanos in the coffee shop, though maybe I should have. I went back to fetch him and pay for the damage I'd caused. Let me tell you, the manager was less than impressed with my “I saw someone break into my house” excuse. I was asked not to come back. I cuddled up with my dog that night, though I was too scared to fall asleep. I had checked every nook and cranny of my apartment twice, but I still wasn't convinced Amir had left at all. My eyes kept jumping from one dark corner to the next, seeing faces in the shadows and imagining two long arms extending from under the bed to pull at my feet. What was he going to do next? Was he going to hurt my dog? Was he going to hurt me? This wasn't only a clever man who could work around surveillance cameras and keep an eye on me without being seen; this was a patient man. He could have done something horrible on that first day, but he didn't. He chose to wait and toy with me. This was all very amusing to him. I did consider sending his money back. I'm ashamed to admit it took me that long to even consider it, but I was finally running out of options. If I returned the money, then he might leave me alone and I wouldn't have to fear coming home every day. Why should he get your money back?, whispered a vicious little voice in my head. He's a psycho and he's probably doing this on purpose. No one that clever falls for a con as stupid as the one you're running. He wanted you to cheat him. He wanted to find someone to torture. He shouldn't get his money back. And you should do whatever it takes to protect yourself. I was angry. I dare say I was angrier than I was scared. I'd taken that man's money, but he'd taken away my peace of mind and my sense of safety. My punishment didn't fit my crime. It was four in the morning, but I got out of bed and got my baseball bat out of the closet. If he wanted to come back and harass me, I was going to deal with him myself. I wasn't going to go anywhere, and the moment he walked through that door, I would either scare him away or bash his head in – and I was hoping for the latter. I pulled up my armchair and waited by the door. I barely moved all day. Sometimes, I would stretch my legs or pace the space between the chair and the door, but I never turned my back to the entrance, too scared he might be standing there once I turned back around. I waited and I drank – and whenever I felt bored or ridiculous, I drank more. By noon, I was out of beer and drunkenly swinging my bat at empty spaces, muttering nonsense and ignoring my dog when he started whining to go for a walk. When he started barking madly, I thought someone was about to attack me, but he was simply barking at the neighbor's cat who had wandered into the balcony. It scared the shit out of me. I grabbed him by the collar and forced him into my bedroom, where his barking became louder, then thinned into a whimper, and then went completely silent. I didn't pay attention to him. All I cared about was the chance to cause that man as much pain as he had caused me. Any time now. He would make his move any time now and I would demolish him. As the minutes ticked by and as I sobered up, though, I began to realize the chances of him coming into my home were very unlikely while I was standing there. If he really was keeping an eye on me, he would know it would be dangerous to come in. I dared hope I'd scared him. He had to know I was armed with a blunt object and could cause severe damage. I unlocked the bedroom door and went to the kitchen to put some food on Thanos' plate. The sound of the food hitting his bowl didn't seem to entice him to come after me. “C'mon, boy. I'm sorry I was a dick.” Nothing. Not even a sound. “Thanos?” I went back to the bedroom and looked around. Then, I looked under the bed and inside the closet. Thanos was nowhere to be found, and a new email had made its way to my inbox. I move in on Sunday. Even though Amir had sent me those words many times before, it was the first time I saw the real threat in them. I don't think I'd ever been so scared in my life. There was a sense of fatality after Thanos was taken, the last shred of hope that was taken from me. Up until that moment, I could've explained everything rationally, but this I couldn't. I'd thought Amir had been coming into my apartment when he knew I was out, yet me being in the room had made no difference whatsoever. Worst of all, worse than losing Thanos, was that I had no idea how he'd done it. The windows in my bedroom don't open. Or rather, they do, but they're too small to allow a person in or my labrador-sized mutt out. I understood for that first time that this was going to happen. I just didn't know what this was. He couldn't possibly think I was going to allow him to move in. What was he going to do if I didn't agree to move out? Kill me? Take me to wherever he'd taken Thanos? It was possible. It was very possible. I didn't sleep that night. I didn't do anything except smoke and stare blankly at a wall with tearful eyes. Finally, I swallowed my pride and I sent the email I should have sent on Wednesday: Hi Amir,

This is Mary. I am very sorry I didn't have time to tidy up the house before you moved in and that I didn't get back to you sooner. This week has been very busy and the internet is spotty where I am staying.

I am writing with some bad news. My husband and I have just received news that the organization we work for is being dissolved, so our services won't be needed for the next six months. We are getting back to Toronto tomorrow, so we'll be moving back into our apartment. Evidently, I will reimburse you for the money you've sent immediately. If you need to go to a hotel, just send the check to me and I'll take care of it.

I'm so very sorry for the inconvenience.

God bless,

Mary I reread the email several times, feeling a weight in the pit of my stomach being lifted. Maybe this would be enough. It had to be. I had learned my lesson. There was no need to harass me anymore, especially now that I had transferred the money back to him. I waited for a reply, but it didn't come. That alone was strange. Amir had always replied within minutes. Maybe that meant he was going to leave me alone. Or maybe he was angry. I couldn't know. At five, just as the sun was beginning to set, I went downstairs to clear my head. I debated whether I should do it or not, but decided it would make no difference. Being in the apartment hadn't deterred that man from coming in. Besides, I'd run out of cigarettes and the stress was only increasing my need for nicotine. I took my keys, my phone, and my wallet. If he were in my home when I returned... I don't know, I suppose I'd have to talk to him. Or fight him. One way or another, this would be over. I hadn't taken five steps away from the building when I felt it. It's hard to describe it, but it was so intense I swear I could feel it in my bones. I think the best way to put it is heat. There was something as hot as anger being directed straight at me, piercing my back and hitting me as sharply as the cold winter wind. I turned around and I knew to look up at my third-floor window. There he was. Well, I say he, but I'm still not sure. The blinds were down, so I could only see the silhouette of what I think was a man. It was tall and lanky, its head as high as the ceiling. It had its eyes on me, staring through the blinds, projecting much more than just a glare. He was challenging me to go back upstairs. I didn't want to. I jumped when my phone chimed in. New email. When I looked up from my phone again, the blinds had been closed and I couldn't see that thing anymore. What he'd written made my blood run cold. Dear Richard,

We should all learn to live with the consequences of our actions. If you had no intention of vacating your apartment for six months, you shouldn't have put that ad up. As it stands, I have no intention of finding another place as the action of moving in – and cleaning your mess – was already strenuous enough.

Of course, you could always tell your landlord that there is a stranger in your apartment and refuse to pay rent from now on. That would eventually get us both evicted. It is your right to do so and I would understand completely. I can always follow you to a new apartment, though I don't think either of us wants that.

You have promised me a home for six months and you have told me that you don't care about the money as long as I take good care of your home. I intend to fulfill my side of the contract as long as you fulfill yours.

Respectfully,

Amir I must have stared at my phone for an hour after receiving that message. I didn't know what to do. Somewhere inside my apartment, my new TV was turned on. I've spent the last two days looking for cheap accommodations and I think I've found a depressing little basement in Mississauga that is within my budget. I can't afford much, though. I'm still looking for a job and now I am going

to have to pay twice as much rent. I'm not testing whatever it is that lives in my apartment now. I can only hope Amir keeps his word and leaves at the end of six months. God... I need to find a job.