#Sincere Department Store

[soleilapproves]

catalyst - chapter 1

Life has many twists and turns- yours included getting rejected from med school and ending up as a manager for your burnt-out pro boxer ex-boyfriend. (Sukuna x reader)

Notes: fem!reader

fanfic masterlist / main masterlist

Gravel crunched underneath your sneakers as you dragged them along the pavement. You had been running around the city with tired limbs and a resume in hand, trying to get a job after getting your last rejection letter from one of the medical schools you applied to.

Thank you for expressing interest in our medical program. Upon evaluating your transcripts, credentials, and extracurriculars, we regret to inform you that you are not eligible to join this year’s class. We will gladly consider your application for next year’s class if you wish to reapply. You may contact the admissions department for questions regarding the next application cycle.

Tears threatened to fall from your eyes again. You had been crying about your future for the past week. With all the hard work that went into all those volunteering hours, internships, and research assistantships, you were sure to get in.

But no, not in the system set up in this day and age. There will always be someone more qualified and well-connected than you. And even if they aren’t, they will always benefit from nepotism. 

Your feet dragged themselves till you couldn’t take it anymore. You broke down, ass landing on the curb in front of a random convenience store in the middle of some no-name neighborhood. Tears spilled down the apples of your cheeks as they drenched your chin and neck. The sky roared, and rain began to pour down. 

You wailed harder and tried to drown out the noise by yelling curses at the sky. You thought of all the tests you studied for, all the diagrams taped up on your walls, and all the money you spent on your applications. You had spent so much time and effort preparing for medical school that you couldn’t invest in a plan B. You needed a job to fund yourself, at least until you could get back up on your feet and figure out what you wanted to do, but to your misfortune, no one was hiring.

There was nothing more agonizing than being led astray from your original path. You began to question your abilities. Maybe if you had just paid attention in that class, you’d have an A instead of an A minus, or if you had just volunteered more, you’d seem more competitive. 

But it was all useless. What’s done is done. You groaned into your pruned hands. 

Then, all of a sudden, you could hear the muffled sounds of raindrops hitting canvas. “Funny, you seem different from how he described you.” You looked up to see a white-haired figure holding an umbrella over your head. “Uraume. No last name. Please come with me.”

You looked behind the figure and saw a sleek black Range Rover with tinted windows. It looked like it didn’t belong in this neck of the woods. Great, you were rejected from almost all the vacant positions in the city, and you were about to be trafficked for the benefit of wealthy people.

“I have a mace, so get away from me,” you said while walking away, not putting away much of a fight.

“Sukuna Ryomen. I’m sure you know him,” Uraume continued. “He needs you.”

Since when did traffickers start doing background checks on their victims? Your stomach churned as you began to walk faster, trying to outrun the chalky white-haired person who was now hot on your heels. However, having not eaten all day, you barely had the energy to pick up your speed, so you pulled your phone out to call the police, which, to your misfortune, was dead. You began to sob as you slowed down, and you noticed that the Range Rover was trying to catch up with you. 

It began to slow down beside you when its window rolled down. “Hey, it’s me, Yuuji!” 

You stopped, and so did the vehicle. Yuuji, your ex-best friend’s little brother, was smiling at you. “Just hear us out.” The boy (well, now a man) said with the most sincere eyes you had ever seen. Uraume walked towards you, covering your now-drenched body with their umbrella. 

-

You couldn’t believe your eyes- the once scrawny little kid you knew was now a tall man. Yuuji’s facial features had changed significantly. His round face was replaced by sharp angles (much like his older brother’s), and he also sported a few new scars (the ones beneath both his eyes being the most noticeable as they looked identical). He walked you through everything that had happened in Sukuna’s life since you both lost touch, while Uarume guided you both through the VIP area of the city’s most prominent hospital. They also casually added that they had a private investigator look into whatever you were up to in the past month, which freaked you out. No one wonder they knew way too much about you. 

It turns out that after you two lost touch, Sukuna became a famous boxing champion. He didn’t bother getting into the details of how it happened, but as far as you know, Sukuna never really expressed any interest in it whenever you were around. Yuuji pulled his phone out to show you his latest fight- the reason why he’s so battered up. 

You winced as you watched the clip, having a hard time trusting your eyes. There were many things you didn’t know about the martial arts world, but it was still shocking that you had no idea your ex was a famous and skilled fighter. It was apparent he had a knack for getting into fights with how he’d defend you whenever a bully charged towards you or a creep so much as to even looked your way. It never occurred to you that his punches were just that precise and had less recoil because he was training to be a professional fighter.

Now, here he was, on Yuuji’s phone screen, being beaten and battered like a piece of rice cake being pounded by a human mallet. “I thought you said he was good.” You mumbled. “He is, but he’s been burnt out and has refused any kind of treatment for it.

You raised your brow as the three of you stopped in front of a large wooden door. “And I’m here because?” 

“We have tried everything. Yuuji has to return to his classes soon, and I have never been able to connect with that man emotionally enough to support him through such a tough time. Even his therapist says he’s a lost cause because he refuses to cooperate.” Uraume says as they open the wooden door to reveal a large, dark hospital room. 

It takes you a while to register what’s going on, with the only source of light being the skyscrapers visible through the floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows on the opposite end of the room. In the middle of the room, against the wall, was a large hospital bed with a few monitors surrounding it. In it, you could see a mop of pink hair. 

Sukuna Ryomen- professional boxer and ex-boyfriend in the flesh. The steady rise and fall of his chest told you that he was asleep. The sight led to an invisible lump forming in your throat. The last time you’d seen him in person was when you both had your biggest fight together. A shiver went down your spine as you remembered all the hurtful words you had spat at each other. In that moment, neither of you could believe you could’ve been that hostile.

You’d only ever seen him sick with a fever, and he was horrible enough to deal with during that time. You couldn’t imagine how he was feeling right now. 

“As his manager, I’d like to hire you as his… well, I’m not sure what I’d call this position, but you’ll be making sure he gets better and is up to date with all his treatments and training,” Uraume said as they took you and Yuuji out the room. 

You sighed. “You want me to be his nanny?” 

“More like a personally involved manager, but we can have Sukuna’s doctor come up with a better name. Something to do with your field of interest. Her name is Dr. Shoko Ieri, and she’ll also be sure to refer you to all the good schools in the country so you can enroll in the next session.”

You didn’t know what to focus on first- the fact that you were offered a job (albeit a nanny for an adult) or that your idol, Shoko Ieri, was ready to refer you for your next applications. You had only ever seen her present at research conferences, all while you both had a common link this entire time. You felt lightheaded- the feeling of hope finally returning after a week of non-stop anxiety fits.

“So, do we have a deal?” Uraume extended their hand. 

But then again, things aren’t so good between you and Sukuna. At least from how you see things. Your relationship with him ended on a sour note, and even if you didn’t want to admit it, you did resent him a little for simply abandoning you and never making an effort to reach out again as you did. What if you failed? What if this whole thing ends up being one giant dumpster fire? 

You hesitantly looked at the pale hand in front of you. But then again, there was no way to go from here. What would you do anyway? Your paid internships never led to any full-time positions, and you barely had any money to get by after paying your rent for the next month. You also needed to pay for all the new applications and supplementary courses for your resume. 

“You should do it. They don’t like shaking hands with people, so this is major.” Yuuji whispered in your ears.

You gulped as your heart raced. In different circumstances, you would’ve said no, but you have nothing to look forward to besides getting a part-time job, which you knew wasn’t worth it with an offer like this to compete with it. You placed your hand in Uraume’s cold ones. They quickly shook your hand and pulled away like you had the plague (“They have a small case of germophobia,” Yuuji said later).

“When do I start?” you ask.

“Immediately. Since this job requires a lot of monitoring, I’ll have a few movers get your things and take them to Sukuna’s apartment. You’ll be living with him until he gets better” 

You didn’t know how to feel at that moment, chest still tight with the uneasiness from before. What you did know for sure was that Sukuna probably wouldn't be happy seeing you so at home in his personal space. 

[uwupaige]

the nanny [paige bueckers] part five

[chapter 8]

‘the nanny’ master list!

chapter eight: cat as a cat!

*barely proofread*

the small clicks of her feet against the grey and dirty pavement filled catherine's sense for a moment as her and paige's conversation came to a brief halt. they had mindlessly been holding several casual conversations over the course of the evening. the sounds of excited children paired well with the festive environment—houses decorated in family friendly horror, animated, blow-up ghosts and fog machines probably being sold out in every department store near them. the women both loved how most of the homes in this random neighborhood were super involved in the holiday and their community.

madion's small skipping had been only a few feet in front of the women as she wandered down the sidewalk looking for the next house adorned in gore to visit. the girl had been trick-or-treating for the last couple of hours, seemingly not tired yet. she was in her own little world, even after the constant reminder from the tall women behind her to not go too far or to watch where she was walking.

the women kept up with madison as best as they could, but they were honestly growing bored of the consistent pace of the evening, in turn making them tired. paige tried her best to keep her head up, though, looking forward to the halloween party she had planned on attending later that evening.

their arms brushed and bumped against one another constantly, the closeness not seeming to bother either of the women as they picked back up on their conversation flow.

"oh, i signed maddie up for one of those little league sports programs you were telling me about." paige spoke up, inevitably breaking the silence.

catherine looked up slightly from where her eyes lingered on madison to meet the eyes of the blonde beside her. lightly gasping excitedly, her hands together to make a single clap sound, holding them close to her chest. "really?" she asked, excitedly. she was so happy paige had listened to her advice. paige responded with a nod and a grin, looking down at catherine momentarily. "she's gonna love it." catherine added.

paige sighed with a nod as she swayed slightly down the concrete, eyes finding the back of her daughters head once more, "hope so. she needs friends." she spoke sincerely.

catherine shrugs, ultimately agreeing with the woman but lacking her worry. "don't stress it." she shoves her hands in the back pocket of her dark washed jeans that clung to her body. "i wasn't very social until high school. and i'm pretty cool now."

paige let's out a belly laugh at that one, relishing in the unamused look catherine shot her way, "please. i'm one of your three friends. the other two are your mom and molly."

catherine's arms folded across her chest, the chunky green sweater on her torso falling slightly off her shoulder to reveal her smooth, tan skin. "technically, you're my boss."

"mhm. and your mom is your mom—doesn't count. you have one friend."

scoffing, catherine shakes her head at the blonde, holding a hand up in defense. "shut up. i used to be cool in high school."

"used to be. i been cool since birth."

the brunette playfully shoves the teasing woman beside her, but she mostly ends up pushing herself away from her, paige hardly stumbling due to her strong balance.

shaking her head once again, catherine spoke, "molly would beat your ass if she heard how mean you were being to me."

"gosh, i wanna meet her. she sounds so bad." paige commented unashamed, having heard so many cool stories about the woman and her best friend already. molly sounded like a hell of a time.

the woman nods politely, shoving her hands into the sleeves of her sweater to protect her from the cool, october air. "she is.. but she's so professional now, it's hard to get it out of her." catherine spoke, almost reminiscing on who her best friend once was when they were younger. she had a hard time clinging on to the past.

"still." paige doesn't change her mind. taking a pause, she then asks a question that lingered in her mind. "does she live 'round here?"

the brunette sighs, almost just realizing right now that she really did have no friends. "no, she uh, moved to new york—brooklyn."

paige wanted to wince at the new information. she'd die if she lived that far away from the team of women she called her best friends and sisters. "that's tough.. what about your mom?"

"she's in boston." catherine informed uninterested, almost like she wasn't the biggest fan of this topic.

paige's brows furrowed, now wondering if catherine had anyone near by. any friends, family. "why's she there?"

catherine shrugged, arms still firm across her chest. "she moved there after i graduated high school. for as long as i can remember, she's wanted to move there. never knew why, never asked." she spoke, plain and simple.

paige nodded, now sticking her cold palms in the pockets of her black sweat pants as she decided to share some information of her own. "i've lived away from my mom for most of my life. i only ever visited her during the summer."

"yeah?"

"mhm. but, i'm a dad's girl, so." paige joked, insinuating she was never all that close with her mother.

catherine chuckled with a single head shake, "yeah, that's checks out."

paige's nose scrunched at what she assumed was the woman teasing her, looking over at her with an frown. "whatchu mean?"

"you're so spoiled." the brunette snorted.

paige's jaw dropped momentarily. she would've stopped dead in her tracks if she didn't have a small child to keep up with. "stop playin', i'm not spoiled."

catherine laughed at the teasing she was giving the blonde beside her. they both watched as madison ran up to the next house they passed by, stopping momentarily by their dark blue mailbox as she watched the little girl excitedly yell out, "trick or treat!"

the older couple who opened the door complimented the girls cat costume, madison not hesitating to remind them that she was actually a cheetah. catherine giggled at the interaction, paige continuing her conversation next to her.

"i think i became way more selfless after drew was born." the blonde explained, cheeks a shade of pink from the cold air. catherine has heard of drew many times before, she loved the way paige would talk about him. "and then after mads.."

catherine took her eyes off of madison, looking up at the side of paige's face with a warm smile. "whole view on life changed?"

paige nodded, looking down to catch catherine's expecting brown eyes, noticing how she shifted slightly under her gaze. "completely."

catherine's smile sent vibrations down the blondes spine, causing a warm sensation to errupt in her stomach and her hands to become sweaty. paige hadn't noticed, but she gulped rather obviously, the brunette raising an eyebrow at that with a smile paige couldn't quite place on her plump lips.

the two were soon interrupted from their moment by a tired madison walking down the drive way, whining. "i'm tired, mom."

paige noticed how she was dragging. catherine reached for the bucket filled to the brim with candy, grasping it firmly to carry for the girl. paige picked up her tired daughter, the three of them heading back down the opposite side of the road where their condo apartment would be waiting for them.

��✧.*

the women managed to get madison down to sleep, trading off on who would bathe her and who would go through her candy for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

after reasonable suggestions from a stern catherine, paige allowed madison two pieces of candy to have before bed. originally, she was just going to let the girl have at it. the brunette simply shook her head at the thought.

they both managed to get her to bed at a decent time, only a mere thirty minutes later than normal. though, catherine did most of the heavy lifting because paige wasn't reading madison her book the way catherine did. rolling her eyes and shaking her head, she passed the book to catherine. "that's all you."

the women both exited madison's now dark room, closing the door as quietly as possible. paige followed catherine to the kitchen, where her dark brown purse had been lingering since they all left for trick-or-treating that evening.

reading the digital numbers on the stove top that indicated what time it was, the brunette decided that 8:34 would be a good time to head home for the night. before all of the suspicious people and drunk drivers came out. remembering paige had mentioned catherine not needing to stay late since she had hired a babysitter for the night, she gathered her things, throwing her purse over her shoulder. though, she wouldn't even be able to say farewell to the blonde, the jingle of her keys enough to make paige speak up.

"woah, wait, where are you going?" paige asked, confused, as she walked up behind the brunette before her, stopping herself when she's only a couple of feet away from her.

catherine looked back at the woman, confusion too on her face before turning her body completely. "i'm.. going home?"

she was confused as to why paige was confused. they did every night. when paige returned home, catherine would then return to her home. her excuse was always her needing to check up on her cat.

though, this night was different. she technically hadn't been working for most of it, she just wanted to join the bueckers for some family friendly, halloween fun. and, of course, she wanted to do madison's cheetah makeup.

paige simply just shook her head, hands leaving her pockets as she gestured with her words, "no, we're going to that halloween party i told you about yesterday."

the woman blinked at paige, almost as if she had been speaking a foreign language. her brows furrowed, shaking her head profusely as she stumbled on her words. "wait- no- i didn't say i'd go."

"yes, you did." paige spoke matter of factly, catherine instantly recognizing the playful tone in the woman's voice, one she had been aware of since they met.

catherine scoffs, an amused smile playing on her plump lips, "i did not, fuck you." her voice was light and playful, a heavy contrast to her words.

"did too. you said you'd love to join me."

"liar, i said i'd think about it."

the blonde took a pause, eyeing catherine expectantly. "well.. have you thought about it?"

shaking her head, the brunette gathered her belongings once more. "goodnight, paige."

pushing past the determined woman, catherine attempted to make it to the door—her exit, her home free—but was unfortunately stopped by paige, grabbing her hand swiftly. "please, it'll be so much fun. you said it yourself, you have no friends."

catherine didn't have much time to dwell on the fact that her hand was now in paige's, too focused on the slight insult thrown her way. "i never said i didn't have any friends." she spoke with a scoff and an amused chuckle.

paige grimaced, realizing she had thought that all on her own. "my bad." the woman just rolled her eyes in response, paige's once playful act now more serious. "just come. i promise, it'll be fun."

shaking her head, catherine could feel herself being persuaded. "i.. i don't even have a costume." she found an excuse to throw.

however, the sound of madison's small voice interrupted the women once again that night. the small girl stood tired in the frame of the hallway, rubbing her eyes as she spoke innocently. "you can wear mine, cat."

paige let out a small laugh at this, both of them regretting being as loud as they were, disappointed they woke up the small girl.

the blonde turned to face the woman beside her, hands no longer intertwined. "no excuses. you're coming."

˚✧.

pulling into the unfamiliar lot, paige found the nearest spot to park her black car in, urging catherine to hurry up. the women had arrived at catherine's apartment complex. old looking, and a bit run down, paige took in the scenery. after paige had gotten ready at her place, she had managed to, by the grace of God, get catherine on board with her plan.

they made a quick stop at catherine's apartment so the girl could find a last minute costume to throw on.

unbuckling her seatbelt and hopping out of the vehicle, the brunette turned to paige, a wondering look present on her face. "you coming?"

walking up the outdoor concrete steps to the second floor on the complex, they reached the woman's humble abode. paige couldn't help but look past her shoulder every few seconds, the building emitting an eerie aura, one that would scare her endlessly

if she had to walk to her apartment alone at night.

finally, the front door, with the number 42 resting on it, had popped open a bit. the click of the lock turning brought paige a sense of comfort, excited to finally make it inside.

flipping the light on, paige noticed how catherine's apartment resembled nothing of the outside. yeah, the appliances were older, but she could tell the woman took pride in making her place a home.

the most comfortable looking sofa took up a good chunk of the room, large, light grey cushions looked like they had been worn in. the several blankets of the same green color palette decorated the couch nicely. a small, round table was found with four chairs surrounding it, though she could tell only one of them had been used extensively.

catherine walked about the place casually, opposite from paige's hesitant wandering.

"cute place."

catherine recognized her tone as a genuine one, looking past her shoulder momentarily to shoot the woman a just as genuine grin. "thanks." she spoke, her words like honey. she tossed her purse onto her small kitchen counter, "you can get comfy. might be here for a while."

paige hoped they wouldn't be as long as the woman promised. it was one thing to be fashionably late, but they were already pushing it by an hour.

thirty minutes passed, and paige was becoming a bit anxious by how late they would now be. "yo, cat," the woman called, getting a simple 'hmm' in response. standing up from the comfortable cushion, she wanders deeper into the small apartment to find where catherine had been. "we gotta get going."

she turned into a small bathroom, and she had realized how different her and catherine lived. her bathroom was way more decorated than paige's could've ever been. she liked the smell of perfume and vanilla soap that lingered in the air. looking at catherine through the mirror, she noticed the simple cat makeup she had done. she also noticed the stack of folded clothes sitting on her toilet lit, cat ears laying comfortably on top.

"you can't beg me to come to this party with you last minute, and then rush me." the woman spoke simply without missing a beat, somehow staying focused on her costume makeup.

paige went to grab the pile of clothes resting on the toilet lit, holding them firm in her hands. "just finish getting ready in the car, it's like fifteen minutes away."

catherine scoffed, "i can't do my makeup in the car."

"try your best." paige sassed before exiting the bathroom. a few moment passed before catherine heard the sound of her front door closing, indicating paige had indeed left to her car. with catherine's costume in hand.

sighing with an eye roll, catherine muttered some spanish insults to herself before gathering her makeup necessities into the small, black, makeup stained pouch.

though she was irritated with all of the bumps and sharp turns, catherine managed to finish her makeup pretty well. now, she had to figure out how she was supposed to change her clothes in this moving vehicle comfortably and without showing too much to the woman beside her.

"paige, i don't know any of them, though... i haven't been to a party like that in years." the woman pleaded, continuing on with their previous conversation as she slipped her jeans down her legs.

to say paige was using all of her strength to not look over at catherine an unhealthy amount was an understatement. if there wasn't a road that she had to pay attention to, she would've been staring.

shaking her head, disagreeing with the brunettes worries, "you were literally a bartender. for, like, three years." paige responded.

catherine sighed, bending over slightly to find her bottoms in the pile of clothes that sat on the floor of paige's car.  "it's different when i'm working. i go on autopilot."

"just relax."

"wish it was that simple." the woman responded without missing a beat, anxiety filling her chest.

her hands soon find the hems of her chunky, dark green sweater, swiftly pulling it over her head.

this time, paige really couldn't help the way her eyes shifted from the dark road to the woman beside her several times. though she couldn't stare for long, she took note of the very plain and simple black bra catherine had been sporting. though there wasn't anything special about the garment itself, the woman just could help but want to look. she took note of her smooth and tan stomach. she has seen it many times when catherine would wear small shirts, but she'd never seen it in such an intimate manner.

clearing her throat, the blonde hoped the saliva would return to her now dry mouth soon. "you're gonna get along with everyone. promise."

deep down, catherine was mainly scared of partying with paige like that. though she had already accepted the fact that paige was more her friend than she would ever be her boss, it was still nerve wrecking to hang with her in such a manner. this was a territory they had yet to enter. and she wasn't sure why it made her so insanely nervous.

˚✧.*

catherine walked mere inches behind paige as they walked up the steps to the location of the halloween party. a small home, but a house nonetheless. she didn't try to walk past or next to paige, her anxiety more prominent than ever. her heels of choice allowed her to be almost the same height as the woman before her, something she wasn't sure she liked or not.

opening the door casually, paige stepped in. catherine was only a few seconds before her, stepping in the place as paige closed the door behind the pair. looking around, she noticed the orange and purple lights emitting from several corners of the room, a few gory decorations here and there. she noticed the small home wasn't terribly crowded, groups of adults scattered around the main areas. however, the sounds of cheering and miscellaneous greetings would've convinced her the house was filled to the brim had she been blindfolded.

the woman recognized that they were all excited because of the blonde woman before her, a few starting to chant, "party p! party p!" a phrase catherine was almost sure she's heard before.

catherine wanted to curse herself from how shy she was being in this moment. this was so out of character from who she once was, who she wanted to be.

not daring to leave paige's side, she awkwardly smiled at the room, her eyes finding paige, awaiting their next step. she prayed to every higher being that she wouldn't lose paige in the crowd tonight. soon, she was filled with regret at the realization of loud, rap music blasting throughout the home. i should've just went home.

"aye, party p!"

a familiar voice interrupted catherine's overthinking, looking over to meet the friendly face of kk arnold. she watched as the women greeted each other excitedly, hands coming together and pulling each other in for a small hug. however, kk's attention was soon taken up by the women they had all been asking to meet properly for almost two months now.

"oh, my gosh!" the woman cheered, excitedly, pulling away from paige. "catherine! hey girl!"

catherine smiled, nodding a bit shyly at kk's overwhelming kind expression, acting way different than the first time she had met the woman. "hi, kk." she spoke softly, but loud enough for the woman to hear her over the loud music, giving her a sweet smile.

kk stepped back from catherine, looking her over momentarily as she took in her costume of choice. "oh, my gosh." she spoke, seriously before returning to her cheery self. "cat as a cat!"

this allowed catherine to let out a genuine laugh at the slightly younger woman's excitement.

kk takes the initiative to wrap an arm around catherine's shoulder, turning the both of them to face the connected living room and kitchen full of young adults. "yo, everybody." she called out, somehow speaking over the loud music successfully to grab the party's attention. "this our girl cat, and she's super chill, so be friendly."

most of the room say a collective hi or hey to catherine, causing the woman to grow a bit embarrassed, small shades of red rising to her cheeks.

paige just leaned down ever so slightly to speak to the girl over the music, her mouth landing only inches from her sensitive ears, a smug tone coating her words. "told you you'd get along with everyone."

catherine just rolled her eyes to the blonde as kk dragged her to the kitchen. she noticed how the island in the kitchen was surrounded by familiar, tall women. she assumed they were paige's teammates, all cheering when they saw the three women walk over.

they were much friendlier than catherine had imagined, all of them instantly to the woman like white on rice. they were desperate to get to know her, and were so excited she had finally made it to a party.

kk interrupted the small talk momentarily, begging catherine for drink of choice to grab her. "umm..." the woman spoke, her voice loud as she attempted to talk over the music. "i'm-i'm not sure, i'm more of a wine drinker."

some of the women couldn't help but snort at that response, teasing the woman playfully as they normally did with their friends. "girl, please. we've got two types of tequila and some juice, that's it." azzi joked through exaggerated laughs, her palms resting on the counter top.

"ain't no way you're a bartender and your drink of choice is nasty ass, plain ass wine." ice furrowed her brows, an amused smile on the face.

"that just aged you by like ten years, babe." azzi agreed.

catherine shrugged with a shy smile, "i like how it tastes!"

paige's nose scrunched at the thought of wine on her tongue, gagging at the thought. "eugh, gross."

"you're all such babies." catherine spoke up for herself, becoming more comfortable around the group of women by the second. "here, i'll make something crazy."

catherine began looking around the random kitchen, peering her head into a few of the white cabinets, grabbing ingredients the women would have never thought to add to their drinks. pouring and mixing the drink the women would have called random, catherine presents her craft in a blue solo cup, handing it to paige.

"try it." the brunette instructs, urging the woman to take a sip. "tell me how it tastes."

paige was a sucker for a challenge, but she did hesitate at this. bringing the blue cup to her lips, she braced herself for the bitter taste of alcohol, not missing how much she saw catherine pour into the mix. however, she was stunned when she tasted the opposite. her face didn't even contort at the singular sip, eyes widening in shock. "it literally tastes like juice."

most of the women gasped, just as shocked as the blonde. "gimme that," kk demanded, taking the plastic cup out of paige's hands, sniffing it for a few seconds before bringing it up to her lips. taking a swig, her expression mimicked the one of her friend beside her. "damn, kitty cat, okay!"

taking the drink out of kk's hands, catherine went to sip on the alcoholic beverage, enjoying the sweet tastes of strawberry and raspberry. all of the women bang to beg the brunette to make them drinks, her just simply shooing everyone off. "nah, nah," she waved them off as she took a sip, "you can't make fun of me and then ask for a favor." she jokes with the group.

as the party continued, catherine fell deeper and deeper into the night. she was feeling more and more loose by the minute. the woman was just barely finishing the drink she had made earlier in the night, and she already felt amazing. she hadn't even realized she was beginning to socialize with random people, having lost paige to the crowd a long time ago.

the woman began mindlessly dancing to the mix of rap and r&b music that floated throughout the home, making friends with some girls she had met only minute prior and some of the women belonging to the uconn women's basketball team.

catherine was enjoying herself way than she had anticipated, and she was becoming quick friends with the girls paige would call her family.

˚✧.*

the tipsy blonde rummaged through the second drawer in her tall, black dresser, looking for something comfortable to wear. she watched as her hand flipped through her choice of sweatpants through her drunk eyes, not sure which pair of grey ones to wear.

"paige, just pick one." a sassy voice interrupted the woman's decision making, paige turning to meet eyes with a just as drunk catherine. the brunette sat still in the doorframe of paige's bedroom, leaning against the white wall trimmings, a tired expression on her face.

paige held a hand up at the woman, almost shooing her off as she decided in deep thought which ones she's wanted. finally, she grabbed two pairs off the top, not hesitating to toss one to the impatient woman eyeing her down just mere feet away.

surprisingly, catherine caught the sweatpants with ease, turning away and making her way down the quiet, dim hallway.

the two woman had just returned home from the halloween party, the time reading 1:47 a.m. on their almost dead phones. though they weren't exactly drunk out of their minds anymore, both chugging great sums of water before their decided to call it a night, they were both definitely still feeling pretty nice.

when they arrived home, paige insisted that catherine stayed the night due to their lack of soberness. she even decided to give up her bed tonight, assuring the woman that it was totally okay.

catherine began the attempt to take her small, black top off, legs still wobbling to the living room down the hallway. yanking it off of her head, she finally found the couch, looking for the shirt paige had also lended her for the night. much different style than she would've worn, but it would suffice for the night.

after pulling the dark pink shirt over her head, she pulled her tight, black bottoms down her smooth, tan legs, desperate to get out of the uncomfortable fabric.

looking up at the low sound of footsteps approaching, catherine caught the dazed eyes of paige. giving her a single nod and a quick grin, she returned to shimmying out of the pants. she would've never thought that changing in front of paige would be weird. she always changed in front of her friends, or just other girls in general. and knowing paige probably normally did the same, being at basketball practice everyday, she didn't even think twice about it. however, finally recognizing the distant look in paige's eyes, one she was unsure if the blonde was purposefully trying to communicate, it made her nervous. the light red heat rose to her cheeks in an instant, taking her lingering gaze away from the intimidating and intimate one paige had been staring her down with.

maybe paige noticed the uncomfortable silence that hung in the room, or the way catherine looked away from their intimate stare, but she cleared her throat, muttering a quick, "sorry."

shuffling her way to the kitchen in an outfit extremely similar to catherine's, she reached into her stainless steel fridge, grabbing two cold water bottles. she knew these would either be the most refreshing thing in the world, or give them immense headaches.

at the sound of a body stumbling onto the grey couch in her living room, paige turned to find catherine sitting on the sofa, legs still bare from where she could see and an exhausted pout on her face.

the brunette let her hands come up to her face, the alcohol remnants in her system doing the opposite effect of what it normally did: make her sensitive. sighing, she began calling out for paige through her hands, her words slightly muffled. "can you help me?"

paige couldn't help but snort to herself as she rounded the small kitchen island to reveal catherine sitting still on the couch, her tight black pants resting just below her knees, bunched up. catherine's hands fell from her face at the sound of paige's laughs, shooting her the most offended glare. "i don't wanna hear it."

paige continued laughing, the more she stared, the funnier it got. dropping the water bottles onto the spot on the couch next to the frustrated woman, the blonde began the fight that was getting these pants off.

it didn't help that paige was as gone as catherine was, and the added weakness from her immense laughter made it that much harder. catherine couldn't help but start laughing as well, having to remind herself mentally to keep it down since madison was just a wall away.

finally pulling the black bottoms off completely, both of the women huff, paige tossing the bunched clothing onto the floor next to the brunette, slumping into the empty spot next to her.

the two women sat on the grey couch, in comforting silence as their laughs died off. the blondes clothed legs were spread as her feet rested comfortably on the floor, shoulder length apart, her arms resting across her stomach.

catherine's exposed legs were pulled onto the soft couch, almost having

forgotten about the grey sweats waiting for her. knees tucked under her as her body faced paige's, eyeing the woman.

paige let a couple more seconds of silence pass over, contemplating if she wanted to pry with the amount of questions lingering in her head. "so.. why didn't you move to boston with your mom?"

the brunette inhaled sharply, paige noticing. "my funky ex—that's why."

paige laughed a bit, looking to the side to meet catherine's eyes momentarily. "you and this ex of yours." she shook her head playfully. "i need to know what happened."

catherine shook her head back, looking down at her smooth legs. "it's really dumb."

"can't be as dumb as mine." paige responded, assurance and comfort in her voice.

catherine's brows furrowed in momentary confusion before realizing what paige had been alluding to. "madison's dad?"

the blonde simply nodded, cringing at just the thought. she hardly talked about the subject. she never really told anyone about him. "alex. he was just so... weird."

"weird?"

"yeah, bro, like.." the woman trailed off, trying to gather her thoughts. "we met my junior year, and he was a senior. met him after our rivalry game against his school—he was on the boys basketball team."

catherine listened intently to the woman, nodding at her words, sort of smiling at the thought of younger paige.

"and, we were just friends for a while. and then one day, like, a few months later, he asked me out. and i wasn't even sure if i, y'know.." paige trailed off, unsure of how to speak her next words. though it wasn't exactly a secret, she rarely ever said it out loud. she was still working on that part. however, catherine's comforting presence and sweet voice would always break through to her.

"what?" the brunettes sweet voice lingered throughout paige's head, causing her to look over and catch her eyes.

"liked guys." the woman confessed, noticing how catherine's expression didn't even change. all the information did was elicit a simple nod from her. "but, uh, i still went out with him. just to see—guys never really asked me out in school, either. i was taller than a lot of them for a while, i think that's why."

catherine laughed genuinely at the small joke paige had slipped into what the woman would assume to be a sad story.

laughing a bit too, paige relished in the way she made catherine's giggle. "and, uh, i went out with him once.. and, y'know, i did like him. i wasn't, like, in love, though." the blonde shook her head, her words a bit more sadder than the tone she was just speaking with. "i'm not sure why i slept with him."

talking about her story would usually bring out old feelings, the stinging feeling in her nose a sign that she was about to cry. however, the woman opted to simply just sniffle with a head shake, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand to dismiss the feeling, not exactly wanting to break down in front of her friend. "it was short lived, though. he got really weird and quiet with me until we just stopped talking altogether."

the woman beside her just simple shook her head, a sour expression on her face, understanding exactly what happened now. "asshole." catherine muttered.

paige just shrugged, "i thought so, too. but, in a way, i'm grateful.. i would've never had maddie."

catherine half nodded, unsure if she would've been as grateful for the situation as paige was. then again, she wasn't a mom. sighing, the woman shrugged, simply responding with, "god's timing."

"that's what i say." the sniffling blonde agreed, "i think if i were to get pregnant later on, it wouldn't be mads."

the brunette nodded understandingly, hesitant to ask her next question. though she did it anyway. "does he know about her?"

paige was quick with her response, "yeah, he does. he's never met her, though." she watched as her friends eyes bulged, almost forgetting this was catherine's first time hearing this story. to be fair, it was paige's first time telling anyone in a while. "last i heard, he was in.. utah? but, he pays what he owes, and we don't talk."

catherine sat there, eyes full of sadness for the woman she has grown extremely fond of. she let a hand come up to her friends arm, a gesture paige had found to be one catherine did to comfort her, unsure if hugging was something they did or not. they never have, and she was sure today wouldn't be the start.

paige noticed, not sure if she liked all of the attention on her in this fashion. clearing her throat to break the tension, she looks at catherine expectantly. "what about you?"

"what about me?"

"shitty exes? deadbeats? thought you were in love?" the blonde explained.

catherine chuckled, her turn to look away from the woman nervously. "all of the above."

paige's thoughts bypassed the rest of her response, only highlighting the most important information to her in that moment. "you thought you were in love?"

"mhm." catherine hummed in response, nodding simply.

paige shrugs, looking away, straight ahead at the dark tv that rested on the light wall. "everyone says that they are."

"i was, though." the brunette retaliated, "i was 'bouta marry him."

the blonde did a double take. that was definitely not what she was expecting catherine to say. "funky ex? you were gonna marry him?"

"swear." catherine answered to paige's disbelief, a small grin playing on her lips at the woman's shock. "i met chris—"

"chris?" paige interrupted, a scoff playing on her words. "he already sounds like a dick."

catherine shook her head, expecting this kind of attitude and reaction from paige as she told her story. "shut up, paige." the woman spoke through laughs, a hand coming up to rub her temple. simple actions and reactions like this truly showed catherine that both paige and madison were related.

"my bad, my bad. continue."

"chris and i, we met right before the end of senior year," the brunette started, shifting in her seat uncomfortably, attempting to stall the story as much as possible. like paige, she hardly ever told anyone about this time of her life. "and things moved so fast. we started dating and moved in together the summer after graduation."

"oh, shit." was all the blonde could respond with.

"mhm. and then, a year in, he proposed.. and everything was great, it really was." catherine spoke, reminiscing. "we were, y'know, broke as shit, but.. i loved being broke with him." the woman looked down at her fiddling hands, taking a decently long pause. this part for the story always sends her emotional out of whack. "then, like a week before the wedding, i found out he was cheating on me." her voice was small but her words held so much.

paige's eyes softened, heart tugging at the thought of catherine hurting so deeply. "cat.." her voice mimicked catherine's, small and sad.

the brunette sniffled, her story bringing her to tears as well. "the shittiest part was," the woman took a pause, eyes looking up to find the ceiling, a trick that would allow her to keep from letting her tears fall. "i was offered a scholarship to stanford—for soccer.. and i stayed here. to be with him." catherine's techniques to avoid crying began to fail, a few tears falling, her voice pitchy and cracking. "for nothing."

"hey," immediately, paige was sitting up in her spot on the couch. she felt horrible for asking catherine to tell her. to relive those old feelings. "fuck, i'm sorry—"

catherine was quick to shake her head, the back of her hand going to wipe the few stray tears as she sniffled. "oh, my gosh, don't be." she assured, looking to find her cheery demeanor one more, "it's so dumb." the woman started chuckling through her tears, "i'm only crying because i'm drunk."

paige couldn't help but let out small laughs at this as well, "so, that's why you didn't go to boston? and stopped playing soccer?"

the teary eyed woman simply just nodded in response, still pawing at her cheeks. the blonde sighed for the woman beside her, her large hand falling to catherine's exposed thigh naturally, her attempt to comfort the woman.

"i know your story ended kinda fucked up, but.." paige trailed off momentarily, waiting to find the woman's eyes. catherine did eventually look up to meet paiges crystal eyes, the feeling of paige's warm hand on her thigh sending shivers all down her body. "i'm happy you stayed."

catherine gave paige a sweet smile, her lips plump and her eyes soft. she shifted in her position slightly, hoping she wouldn't lose paige's touch in the process. scooting a bit closer, she leaned in to rest her head on the blonde's shoulder. catherine allowed her head to rub against the woman's shoulder to find the spot that was most comfortable for her. "yeah, i'm kinda happy too."

all she could feel in response was the feeling of paige's head resting against her own.

authors note!

i have so much to say right now??

this was such a long chapter. i was unsure of when to split up the story, so this will have to do lol. also, party p and now party cat?? love to see it, love to see it. and HELLO LORE DROP?? ate down!!

i genuinely love them so bad, and i love how their relationship is blooming.

as per usual, let me know what you think in the replies or through anons!! i'm so excited to hear all of your thoughts!!

thanks so much for the support!🩷

- mari 🫧

6.7k words.

[todaysdocument]

Letter from Charles D. Levy to President Calvin Coolidge Requesting Protection for Jews from the Ku Klux Klan

Record Group 60: General Records of the Department of JusticeSeries: Straight Numerical FilesFile Unit: 198589, Section 560-619 (5)

198589

Chas. D. Levy

WHOLESALE DRY GOODS

OFFICES AND SALESROOMS

1444-1450 St. Clair Avenue

CLEVELAND OHIO

June 24th, 1924.

[Stamped begin] RESPECTFULLY REFERRED FOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND CONSIDERATION.

C.B. Sleuk Secy. to the President [Stamped end]

Honorable Calvin Coolidge,

President of the United States,

Washington, D.C.

My Dear Mr. President:

I have been a staunch Republican for many years, casting my first vote for James. A. Garfield.

I have twenty-three Department Stores located throughout the different towns and cities of Ohio. In some of these towns and cities the Ku Klux Klan organization has placed a boycott on several of my stores, on account of me being fortunate enough to be born a Hebrew, and just as soon as the present leases expire I will be compelled to move from these sections.

In the town of Ashland, Ohio, where one of my stores is located, there was held a meeting in the Public Square, and in front of thousands of spectators who had gathered to hear the speakers, the Ku Klux Klan openly told the audience they should not patronize any Jewish merchant. I think this is just plain boycott and very unfair to an American citizen or even a Non-American citizen.

I have read your platform and taken special notice to the paragraph in which you state that you demand "law and order" and "the protection of all citizens."

All I am asking for is your protection in this matter. If you have promised it for the next four years there is no reason why you cannot give it to us now, as you are The President now, of this glorious country, the same as I hope you will be for the next four years.

I await your kind reply for which I thank you in advance.

Very sincerely,

Chas. D. Levy

[too-much-tma-stuff]

Settling in

Part 4 of my Demon Twins AU, a simple shopping trip between Danyal and Bruce, One of the Demon Head’s heirs try being childish. Previous First

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When they entered the high-end department store Bruce has selected Danny froze, there were so many colours, so much movement, so many people and music. He breathed through the anxiety, deep and slow, starting slightly when a large, warm hand landed on his shoulder. “Are you alright?” Bruce asked with a worried expression.

“Yes I’m fine,” Danny said automatically, before pausing for a moment and repeating more sincerely; “I’ll be fine, I just haven’t been in a store like this before. There’s a lot going on, and a lot of people. It’s an adjustment to be somewhere so… brightly lit.” He said, his lip curling slightly

“Alright, maybe I should have brought you somewhere smaller to start, but I didn’t know what style you would like so I wanted to bring you somewhere with a lot of options. We can leave and go somewhere quieter if you want?” Bruce offered.

“I’m grateful for the offer but no, I really will be alright,” Danny assured. “I don’t even know what styles I like. I intended to ask Tim to help me look up some inspiration, but I didn’t get the chance, so I guess I’ll find out what I like as I go. And you’ll have to tell me if something is entirely unacceptable. With as many children as you have you must know something about youth style,” He told Bruce who grimaced a little at the suggestion.

“If I turn out looking ridiculous I’m going to hold you personally responsible,” Danny teased his father with a cheeky smile, and Bruce huffed something that might have been a laugh.

“Well alright, I’ll do my best to help,” Bruce assured, shooing Danny deeper into the store who, reassured that Bruce would tell him if something was unacceptable, took off into the store. He found a bunch of different things, styled and cuts that he wanted to try on, just to see how they felt and looked.

“There’s a limit to how many things you can take into the changing room,” Bruce said when he saw how many thing Danny had grabbed. “Maybe you should go try these on for now and pick out more after?”

“Oh sure!” Danny said looking towards the changing room and then hesitated. “I’ll come out to show you the clothes?” He asked, looking back at his father.

“Of course, I’ll come wait just outside and anything you’re not sure of you can come show me. If you’re sure you don’t like it, or if you’re sure that you do you don’t have to ask me. I know you’re worried, but I really doubt anything you pick out will be totally terrible. This is a pretty high-end store, all the stuff they sell here is fashionable. It doesn’t all match but if you don’t clash colours I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Bruce assured as he lead the way over to the changing room.

He sat down on a bench outside the changing rooms while an attendant showed Danny to a room and he tried on the clothes. He rejected the tighter pants he’d picked out himself, they were too restrictive, the looser jeans were good, and so were the pants. Some of the shirts were good, he found he liked lighter colours on himself and he found some textures that felt good against his skin. He went out to show his father the two outfits that he liked, and with Bruce’s approval he went and picked out more clothes that he now knew would suit his taste. It ended up looking… well not unlike Tim’s style, though with lighter colours, which he sort of knew that it would honestly. He liked the way Tim dressed, he just hoped that Tim wouldn’t mind.

With enough clothes picked out for a decent wardrobe they went to check out, a few people were noticeably staring at them and Danny gave them an impassive but polite smile. He hoped that even though people had clearly recognized it wouldn’t cause problems. They had no such luck though, and were just finishing checking out when someone started taking photos. Bruce quickly hurried them out of the store, staying between Danny and the stranger as much as he could so the only photos would be blurry or obscured. It didn’t matter, they both knew that article would be in the paper by tomorrow morning.

They didn’t talk about it, instead Bruce just told him next they’d be going to was another, more private store where they would be getting him a couple of nice suits for events. Of course, that made sense, Bruce were suits all the time. For all casual clothes seemed to be the norm for Bruce’s children they all had to clean up for various press conferences and galas, Danny has seen the pictures.

The store they went to was really nice! It was quiet, the music they played was peaceful, it smelled like sandalwood, and the clothes were horribly uncomfortable. Danny found he Hated suits, they were scratchy, and warm and constrictive, but he knew they were necessary. He bore with it and said nothing, mostly letting father make the choices because he wouldn’t like any of them anyway. He put up with being touched, and measures, and cooed over by the staff with as much grace as he could, but he was glad when it was done.

“Alright, they’ll make necessary changes so they fit correctly and send them to us, probably just in time for them to have to be let out again when you have a growth spurt,” Bruce chuckled to Danny as they left. Danny smiled politely and tried to pretend his skin wasn’t still crawling from the feeling of the wool against it. Not well apparently because Bruce’s expression immediately softened. “You alright Chum?” He asked, and when Danny didn’t answer he added; “Why don’t we go get some lunch? We can just go through the Batburger drive thru and park somewhere quiet to just eat in the car?”

“That sounds good,” Danny agreed, he didn’t know what Batburger was of course but quiet, food and a little break from the errands sounded nice.

It turned out what Batburger was, was really fucking good! The food was really greasy and flavourful, and Damian would hate it no doubt, but Danny thought it was great! He ate carefully, trying not to get any grease or sauce on his new shirt, and mostly succeeded. “Thank you,” He murmured when Bruce passed him a napkin and pointed to bit of sauce that had fallen on his shirt. Danny scowled a little as he wiped it up sauce carefully.

Bruce cleared his throat awkwardly and Danny looked up, his brow furrowing a little. Bruce wasn’t looking at him, fidgeting with his fries, Danny bit back the urge to tell him not to play with his food. “I know you don’t fully trust me or feel comfortable here, and I want you to know that that’s okay,” He said without looking at Danny. Well that was random, did he think that Danny’s discomfort with the wool suit had been something deeper? Danny blinked owlishly at his father.

“The way you’ve been raised… Even seeing through some of it like you did, or maybe because you did, you’re remarkably self reliant, but you don’t have to be.” Bruce forged ahead despite Danny’s blank stare. “I’ll do what I can to earn your trust, and I want you to know that you can always come to me with anything you need.”

Danny looked down and took another bite of his burger, turning Bruce’s words over in his head. They were reassuring honestly, it was good that Bruce didn’t immediately demand loyalty and trust, that he was willing to earn it as all was a good sign. “I appreciate that,” Danny said hesitantly, he wasn’t sure what else to say. He put down his burger and cleaned his hands as he considered it. “You’re right, there wasn’t really anyone I trusted at the league. Obviously not Grandfather, mother… was maybe the closest. I know she loved us deeply, but not as much as she loved the league, she was very clear that there were certain things I thought and knew that I couldn’t tell her as to not divide her loyalty. And Dami means more to me then anyone, but he idolizes grandfather so there was really no one I could talk about my doubts with.

“It took a lot of careful work to get out of there, and I’m good at it, but it would nice not to have to be. More then anything I want Damian to see the truth about all this so I don’t have to hold him at arms length anymore. That was always their plan though, to separate us. There were things about the league he couldn’t tell me so I couldn’t tell you when I left, and I knew things about you and the outside world at large I wasn’t supposed to tell him. By the time they decided to send us both here the damage was done really, and we were used to keeping secrets from each other too.”

He sighed and wrapped what was left up his burger up and put it back in the bag, he wasn’t hungry anymore. When he glanced over Bruce was giving him a pitying look that put Danny’s teeth on edge. He couldn’t help the bit of green that crept into his vision as he bared his teeth. “Don’t look at me like that, we did what we had to to survive.”

“I know,” Bruce said calmly, resting a reassuring hand on Danny’s shoulder. “And you did well, I just wish I had known about you and Damian sooner so that you wouldn’t have had to. If I had known that you two existed nothing could have kept me from getting you from that place.”

Danny took a deep shuddering breath, trying to imagine what their lives would have been like if Bruce had come for them, what sort of people they could have been. But trying just made him sad, he sighed and shook his head. “Thanks,” He murmured, and things were silent for a long minute while Bruce ate a few more fries and then packed away his food as well.

“So, it’s up to you what we do next. I intended to get some decorations for your room, maybe glow in the dark stars for your ceiling, and then I was going to take you to the planetarium, I already have it reserved for us. But if you’re too tired that’s alright, I should have expected this might be overwhelming,” he said with a sigh. ”I guess I was a little overexcited,” he admitted ruefully.

Bruce didn’t have to worry, Danny perked up immediately at the mention of going to the planetarium, suddenly finding he was no where near as tired as he thought he was! “No I want to go!” He said quickly, sitting up properly in his seat and folding his hands in his lap. “Please! I can handle a little more shopping if we’re going to the planetarium after,” He assured with a seriousness that had Bruce stifling a smile.

“Alright wonderful, let’s get going then,” Bruce agreed, finally starting the car again and pulling out of the secluded parking lot they’d settled in. He was just glad no one had tried to break into the car while they were sitting there! After all this was Gotham.

Danny rallied himself well for the last bout of shopping, getting some personal touches for his room including a bedspread he liked, glow in the dark stars, and a few other nick-knacks to personalize the space. It was clear Danny was impatient though, rushing them through the store so that they could get to the main event, the reward for getting all these errands done. Good thing too because it seemed after they’d been spotted earlier the press was on high alert and they barely managed to hustle back to the car before cameras started flashing.

Danny couldn’t sit still in his seat on the final leg of the drive to the observatory and when they got out of the car he ended up grabbing Bruce’s hand to haul him along when he went to slow. Bruce had to laugh as his son’s eagerness, speeding up but not too much so Danny wouldn’t end up running, and maybe to see more of the rather adorable exasperation on his youngest son’s face. They were a little early for their reserved hours but the staff didn’t seem to mind and let them start their tour.

Bruce watched as Danny absolutely lit up as the tour guide told them about the stars, and Nasa, and the known species of aliens. It was so good to see Danny so happy of course, but it also gave Bruce some important information, all of his previous smiles had been some level of fake. Some more then others he was sure, but now having seen Danny truly happy he would know better when the boy was faking, even though he faked very well. Bruce had already had an idea that Danny was, especially when it was a little more strained like when Dick had been fussing over the twins, but it was good to have it confirmed nonetheless.

Bruce had been to the planetarium before, but more for fancy mixers, not with one of his children and it was fun! He paid more attention to the tour and learned a few small facts even though he knew most of info, and it was a little annoying to have to play dumb as Brucie Wayne. After the tour the last stop was the gift shop, where he waited by the counter while Danny rushed around to look at everything.

Honestly they could have skipped the interior design store and just come here to decorate Danny’s room. He picked out far more here. Including a soft blanket with star patterns, a light that would project the Milky Way on his ceiling, a few books, and, after hesitation, a plush version of a made up alien. The sort with grey skin and large heads.

“Is this alright?” He asked when he brought his picks up to the counter. “I can put some of it back,” He added looking up at Bruce with an unsure expression, he seemed to be trying not to pout and not fully succeeding, he clearly didn’t want to put any of it back. Good thing money didn’t really matter in this.

“No that’s alright,” Bruce promised as he pulled out his wallet. “It’ll help make your room feel more like yours, I want you to be comfortable here,” He assured. Danny grinned up and him and piled the items on the counter. The woman behind the counter smiled at him as she scanned the items, Danny smiled back, genuine but shy, an unusual smile for him.

Bruce was tired by the time they left, and Danny was energized beyond belief, practically dancing around Bruce, carrying the bags as he chattered at Bruce about the stuff he’d just learned. Bruce listened with a little smile, humming and nodding along as Danny switched to talking about how excited he was to read the books. He stowed most of his stuff in the back seat, keeping the plush as he climbed into the passenger seat, repeatedly running his fingers over the soft fabric of the alien, finally falling silent.

“You did well today Danny, I’m glad you had fun at the planetarium,” Bruce said without looking away from the road.

“I did,” Danny murmured in agreement, when Bruce glanced over Danny was frowning slightly down at the plushy. “They took pictures of us, there’ll be an article by tomorrow about your new charge. We’ll have to do an interview within the week. I can do it, but I’m worried about Damian being out in the public eye so soon, I’d offer to do it for both of us, but I don’t think he’d accept being left out.” Danny said.

Ah, back to being far too serious for his age and worrying about his brother. “I can speak for both of you for now, make an announcement about how I have two new sons but you need time to adjust so you won’t be in the public eye,” Bruce suggested and Danny nodded thoughtfully.

“Damian won’t accept it unless you specify we’re your biological sons,” He said with a wry smile and Bruce chuckled.

“Alright, with my play-boy reputation I don’t think it’ll surprise anyone,” Bruce agreed, and Danny nodded again.

“That will do, you should call a meeting with the two of us tomorrow to discuss it, so he won’t feel left out,” Danny murmured.

“You look out for him a lot, don’t you?” Bruce asked thoughtfully.

“We look out for each other, I know your rule against killing, but it was necessary in the LoA and more then once he finished off a target that was supposed to be mine. I could rarely follow through. My skills are less obviously useful then his skills with a blade and willingness to draw blood. I expect if you asked him, he would say he looks out for me more.”

“And you let him believe that?” Bruce asked, without judgment, whether or not it was true he wanted to know what Danyal thought.

“He’s very stubborn, I would prefer not to fight with him. We look after each other according to our skills, that’s always been enough for me,” Danny mused, running his fingers over the plush again.

“You’re a good kid Danny,” Bruce said, reaching over to ruffle Danny’s hair. “Why don’t you pick something to listen to on the radio?” That was enough serious talk for tonight. Danny nodded and started messing with the dials, finding some music and turning it up a bit.

----------

When they got home the other had already eaten but Alfred had set them aside meals. He shooed Bruce and Danny into the kitchen to eat, assuring Danny he would bring the bags from the car up to his bedroom to unpack later. Damian came to sit with them and quiz Danny about what the outing was like as he ate. Between bites Danny told Damian as much about the day as he could, as honestly as he could to prepare Damian for his own trip tomorrow. Bruce mostly stayed quiet through the meal, he seemed to be off in his world but both the twins knew he was listening to them intently.

“Do you want to come see the stuff that I got today?” Danny asked, tilting his head to the side a little.

“Why would I want that?” Damian asked with a sniff, a beat of silence following as Danny stared hard at a brother. “But alright,” he relented.

“Great! Come on,” Danny said, getting up from his chair, bringing his dishes over to the sink. “Thank you again Father,” Danny said politely before rushing off with Damian on his heels, chiding him for childish behaviour.

“Damian, we are children,” Danyal told his brother once they were in Danny’s room with the door closed, giving Damian a little smile. “Father will not mind if we act our age, at appropriate times of course. I know that because I tried it today, I was excited when he took me to the planetarium and I didn’t try to hide it. If anything, he found my childish behaviour charming,” He pulled the stuffed animal out of one of the bags and tossed it to Damian.

“Neither of us have ever had a stuffed animal have we? We witnessed other children beyond the League of Shadows having them, but we were ‘to old for them’ the moment we were old enough to want one. But Father didn’t blink at buying me one today, he doesn’t mind if we let loose a little. I promise,” Danyal said, giving Damian a reassuring smile.

Damian harrumphed, examined the stuffed alien and then tossed it back onto Danny’s bed. It was a better reaction then Danyal had feared, he’d half expected Damian to try and destroy the plushy. Danny started to unpack his clothes as Damian thought that over. The occasional snide comments about Danny’s choices were absentminded and didn’t take away from his thoughts, Danny ignored them.

“We don’t know how to be children,” Damian said, sulkily, he didn’t cross his arms and pout, but Danny could tell by the way his hands twitched that he sort of wanted to.

“No we don’t, I don’t think we even really know how to be ourselves. But I think we can try, do some slightly silly things, ask for some things that Grandfather and Mother would never let us have or do. What’s the worst thing that he could do to us Dami? Punish us? We’ve been hurt plenty, we’ve been trained not to fear pain. Throw us out? We can return to the league if he does. The worst thing he can do is be disappointed, and we can learn from that. We have much to learn, and we won’t if we don’t try.”

Damian hummed, unconvinced but without argument. Danny shrugged, he couldn’t make his brother do anything, just try to nudge him in the right direction… or what he really hoped was the right direction.

Letting the serious conversation drop Danny unpacked the rest of his trinkets and set them up around the room, leaving the stars to put up later and laying out his on the bed. “I think the constellations we can see from this part of the world are different from the ones at home,” He said as he flipped to one of the pages showing the night sky. “Maybe some day he’ll take us on a mission, somewhere with a clearer sky. I want to know all the constellations we might see before then.”

Damian gave a long-suffering sigh but sat down next to Danny so they could look at the book together.

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

More on AO3

[albatris]

Snippet Sunday......

snippet sunday? :3c?

“Hi!” Nat said. “I just, um—I wanted to thank you for helping me out before. With the Larsons. I really appreciate it.”

“Don’t sweat it, amigo,” Ripley said. Then she frowned, thoughtful, serious. “Hey,” she said. “Hey. Are you up for an adventure? I have some errands to run and I just had a killer idea for what we can do after.”

“What kind of idea?” Nat asked warily.

“The office was closed when I finished my ghost tour so I had to take all the equipment home with me,” Ripley said. “How about we go on a little hunt?”

“You mean… you mean a ghost hunt?”

“Duh. Come on! It’ll be fun!”

“Ghost hunts usually happen at night, don’t they?”

“I know some sick abandoned buildings we can explore. Trust me, it’ll be plenty spooky,” she assured him. “Plus, we’re vampires. Daytime is kind of our nighttime, right? The sun’s pretty scary, right, Nat?”

Nat made a wishy-washy hand motion.

“But first—grocery shopping,” Ripley announced. “You’re coming with me.”

“Oh,” Nat said. “Okay.”

At the supermarket, Ripley tore her shopping list in half and handed the lower half to Nat.

“Race ya,” she said, and with that the game was on.

Nat collected paper towels, oranges, cornflakes, risoni and sundried tomatoes. He hovered for a good five minutes at the shampoo and conditioner, since Ripley had left no further instructions—what was her vibe? What was her signature style?—before eventually plucking out some mango-scented colour-save bottles. Every time he ran into Ripley in the store, she was talking to someone new.

“Your outfit is so cute! I love your vibe!”

Or, “Is that Payton on your keyring? I love Quantumfish! Have you played the revamp?”

Or, “Hey, can you reach that couscous on the top shelf for me?”

Nat’s own interactions with strangers didn’t extend beyond the occasional customer eyeing him down suspiciously, and him shuffling out of their line of sight and into the next aisle. He’d been taking his medication religiously this week, but he still felt like he was being followed. What if it wasn’t Quinn who had eyes on him, but the Ethels, too?

How would they know you were driving that car?

He reconvened with Ripley by the self-service checkouts. She’d beat him there easily. They shoved all their items together; she scanned while he bagged.

“Insert cash or select payment type,” said the machine.

“Insert cash or select payment type,” echoed Ripley.

Nat nodded sagely. “Insert cash or select payment type.”

They piled back into Nat’s car and dropped the groceries home. Then they piled into Nat’s car once again, this time with ghost-hunting equipment in tow. Ripley directed him to Maud Street, Galaxy Gardens, to a dilapidated, long-abandoned department store.

“Ready to get your spook on?” Ripley asked.

Nat sincerely had no idea.

[antebunny]

There’s something wrong with Jason. 

Early autumn of Cass’s first full year as Bruce Wayne’s daughter. Trees droop, browned and unbearably brittle, onto the cracked sidewalks. Children skip and slouch and trudge their way back into classrooms for another dull year of learning. The exception is Cass, happily at home with Barbara and Bruce, Tim and Steph and Dick and all the new members of her new family. None of them know quite how old Cass is, and resolutely refuse to have anything to do with Lady Shiva or David Cain, the only people who could tell them. But Barbara went to bat for Cass, arguing that the American education system was not beneficial for all American children, much less Cass, who was still adjusting, as Barbara put it. Learning to come out of her shell. So there’ll be no school for Cass this autumn or any autumn. Only apple cider and hot cocoa, safely tucked away by the fifth fake fireplace of Wayne Manor, curling up in window frames just to listen to the psithurism before the rain, and a flood of scarves and mittens and boots as every member of her family tries to prepare her for the incoming Gotham winter. 

Personally, Cass doesn’t get why introverts are always encouraged to become more extroverted. She thinks extroverts should be told to shut the hell up more often. Perhaps it is an American thing, she muses, but then, she loves her new family for their relentless positivity and inability to shut the hell up. From Steph, who drags her on girl’s night after girl’s night with Barbara, Harley, and all the other crazy girls of Gotham who want to paint their toenails neon purple with little stars and crack skulls open just to feel something. (Whenever Harley robs a department store she always sends Cass a dress she thinks she’ll like in the mail. Bruce always gives her a look, sends it back, then buys ten variations of the same dress). To Tim, who is hard at work learning ASL so they can communicate better and shares all of his embarrassing interests with her. Niche anime, questionable manga, decrepit video games, card games, board games, and a stash of Batman and Robin photos he swears her to secrecy over. To Dick, who remains upbeat and cheerful in the face of all her silences and stony stares. He always makes time to take her (and usually some of his other little siblings) to a pizza parlor, or an ice cream parlor, or an abandoned parking lot perfect for doing donuts. Dick Grayson is a busy man who gained most of his current family after turning eighteen and losing most of them beforehand. Yet his heart opens, bottomless and sincere, for every new orphan that shows up on Bruce’s doorstep. When he drops by Cass’s ballet studio, exhaustion crinkling in every forehead line and eye wrinkle, how can she not love him back? 

So she takes it personally when Jason continues to avoid them. Perhaps she could ignore it if it was clear that he wanted nothing to do with them, no matter how much the others missed him. But everytime they run into Jason it is clear to Cass that he misses them fiercely. She may not be an expert on the standard personality and behavioral ticks of Jason Todd, but she is an expert on body language, and everything about Jason screams bad, wrong, liar, liar, LIAR–

Cass goes to Barbara. 

These days Barbara spend the vast majority of her time in the Clocktower. Ever since the Joker, Cass has been told, and hung up the Batgirl cape. She rotates between the library and the tower, retreating from regular life while her law degree collects dust. And even though Dick gets sad whenever he see her, and Barbara feels guilty and helplessly furious, he never says anything. The two of them dance around in silent conversations–I love you, I know, I’m sorry–that start all over again the next time they see each other. As if Cass can’t tell.

“Cass! So good to see you.” Barbara smiles and wheels herself over to the window when Cass drops in unannounced. She’s in pain.

Cass is not a vigilante but she was trained to kill them. When she takes to the rooftops of Gotham, she wears a nondescript black mask. She shucks this mask off now so that Barbara can see her face and plods over to her dearest friend and surrogate mother. Steph tells her the term is “mom friend” and not to get weird about it, but Cass believes she’s well beyond the point of being considered weird. 

“Jason,” Cass announces. 

She leans down awkwardly to hug Barbara, so she misses everything that is said in response. By the time she straightens, Barbara’s face worries, deep emotional lines of someone whose loved ones spend 80% of their time in mortal peril, and her body twitches backwards, itching for the long row of computers and tech equipment on the far wall. Barbara is concerned about Jason, but she believes the trouble lies in whatever Jason’s doing right now. That she’ll know what to do with just a little cyberstalking. But Cass’s concern is more long-term than that. 

“Is there something wrong with Jason?” Barbara’s cadence indicates that this is not the first time she’s spoken. Oops. Cass missed her out-loud words because she was so busy paying attention to what Barbara was actually saying.

Cass points at the computers. She doesn’t know how to explain it with words.

Barbara takes the hint and wheels back over to her computer lab, where she pulls up all the surveillance footage she can of Jason’s usual haunts until she finds him disappearing up the fire escape of an old brick apartment building in the very edge of Burnley. Any further south and he’ll be in Gotham’s Upper East Side, and Jason can’t stand that neighborhood. 

As Robin, Jason had to be bullied into the Diamond District and the Upper West Side, but Bruce dragged him into Chinatown to practice his Cantonese and Jason went to Old Gotham willingly for the vibe. A lot of gargoyles, Cass has been told. Worn bricks, gothic spires, flying buttresses, and properly intimidating gargoyles for brooding. There is so much that Cass knows about Jason from other people. The reverse cannot be said, because Jason doesn’t really talk to them anymore. 

Barbara boots up a drone from the Bat-hideout closest to Jason’s apartment and flies it over. It’s a lovely little three-room apartment on the third floor of an old brick apartment building. One bedroom and one bathroom, which Barbara does not attempt to enter, and a kitchen/living room area. All the furniture in the living room looks new. A comfy armchair, two bookcases overflowing with newly-purchased novels, shiny new wood cabinets and a marble finish to the kitchen island. Three wooden stools, two of them as sturdy as the day they were bought. 

Remotely, she and Cass peer through the window as Jason makes his guns disappear before he reaches his kitchen island. Stripped down to a form-fitting black shirt and brown pants, Jason washes his hands, preheats the oven, and sets about making lemon and herb salmon.

“This looks pretty normal to me,” says Barbara.

Jason slides into one of the wooden stools around his marble kitchen island counter. He drums his fingers on the marble. He checks the time on his phone. The salmon, now covered in garlic, thyme, and rosemary and such, is still baking in the oven. 

“He’s just making himself dinner,” Barbara observes. She won’t call Cass a liar, but this isn’t worthy of the label “trouble.” 

She doesn’t see it. Cass is at a loss. If Barbara cannot see what is in front of her eyes, how can Cass possibly explain it? 

“Look,” Cass insists. 

After checking the time on his phone again, Jason gets up and paces. At over six feet tall, he makes his cozy apartment seems small. He picks a book out of his shelf, seemingly at random. He examines the cover. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. He puts the book back and resumes pacing the perimeter of his small home. 

Barbara sighs. “I don’t understand.”

She wants Cass to be able to just spit it out, but won’t say so because she knows Cass cannot. They’ve reached a stalemate. 

Here is what Cass cannot articulate: Jason Todd is lonely. Loneliness is built into Jason’s bones. It gathers in his bed at night like a soldier returning from war. It lashes at the confines of his self-imposed cage. When the loneliness threatens to break him, it explodes in the form of rage at anyone who dares to be near him. Ah, but what a liar that rage makes of him. Claiming he loves nothing and no one when all Jason has ever done is love. Raging against the state of his beloved city, fury at the father he will not forgive, and hate–blackened love–for those he once called family. A cruel, self-perpetuated cycle. The lonely drives him to rage which in self-delusion to hide his shame he lies about until everyone learns to stay away. Thus creating more loneliness for Jason to feast in until he inevitably withers away from eating nothing but emptiness. 

And Cass fears she is the only one who sees it. But Jason is a fool for thinking no one else understands. Is Cass not the unwanted daughter of a world-class assassin and the wanted weapon of a monster? Her first months in Gotham she did nothing but drive people away because she didn’t know any better. The only reason she has good people around her now is because there is something so irrefutably good about the Bats. Barbara never withdrew her hand even when Cass bit her literally and metaphorically. Bruce took her in without a second thought for her background. Tim tries his hardest to be a good brother to her even when he’s hurting. Steph and Dick didn’t blink twice at the half-feral, non-verbal, former assassin addition to their family. They bring their good cheer out for Cass even when she can tell it’s fake, and she can always tell. 

So why does Jason, who is hurting and so lonely that it hurts Cass to look at him, insist on pushing them away? 

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA For essentially ruining a former coworkers chance at getting a job?

A month or so ago a coworker I used to be on fairly good terms with and nearly dated, until he told several lies about me to our coworkers (including one where he told everyone at work I was faking a covid diagnosis to get out of going out to lunch with him) got fired (or rather they gave him the option to quit before they fired him and he took the option) and started lookingfor a new job. And unbeknownst to me, he put me down as his immediate supervisor/manager, which I definitely wasn't. I'm not a supervisor in any regard and we didn't even work in the same department.

One night while I was at work I got a call from the hiring manager at a competitor and she goes "good evening ma'am, I'm calling about one of your former employees, J, and we had a few questions about his employment and his departure from your store." So I asked "does he have me down as a reference?" And she responded: "He has you down as his former manager."

I told her "Ma'am, with all due respect, it's not my place to comment on his employment and the reason for his departure from our store because it was none of my business. I was neither his manager nor his supervisor, we didn't even work in the same department. I had no idea why he put me down as his manager nor did I know about it." There was a heavy pause before the woman gasped "Oh...thank you for your honesty. I sincerely apologize for this. I should have looked into your store's management team before calling." I told her it was no problem and it wasn't her fault. I did know the circumstances behind his departure from our store, I had witness to one of the incidents that cost him his job (he had been extremely inappropriate with a customer and the customer complained) but I didn't know the full reason for his firing.

A few days later I got an angry text from the guy saying "Thanks to you I didn't get the job. Why didn't you just lie for me?" And people are telling me I should have lied So Tumblr, AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[whumprecs]

you’ve prob done this but umbrella academy whump/angst recs?? all ur others are so good!

Sorry about the delay! So I am a huge Five fan, so most of them are slanted that way, though I think Diego sneaks in there a few times -but also they're almost all Family Fics.

I'm going to leave off the NSFW/non-con ones I know of, just in case. If you are interested, feel free to send another anon ask (or message if you would prefer) and I'll send links.

i'm walking backward into my own myth by eluvion  Five is in 1963. He’s in 2019. He’s in 2002. Time is falling apart, and Five is in every piece. Five is a disease, and time is coughing up a lung.

Or; Five Hargreeves breaks time.

I kept running (for a soft place to fall) by chromaticality He'd hoped they had given up. Really, he should have known better. The Handler thinks he's the solution to all her problems. Five thinks he'd like to turn the whole place into a slaughterhouse. But with Allison and Luther caught in the crossfire, Five has to cooperate with the Commission's plans until he can figure out a way to get everyone home.

No Time, No Time, Dear Brother O’ Mine by I_Logophile

At Gimbel Brothers department store, Five’s injury is a bit more serious than a simple bullet graze. Not that it matters to him.

That is, until the police show up while he’s trying to leave, and Five finds himself remembering things he’d rather forget. -- There’s something going on with his brother. That much is very clear to Diego.

Why else is Five at a crime scene? Why else is he attacking the people trying to help him? Why else is he going around ranting about time?

There’s something going on with his brother. And Diego is going to find out what.

He just has to get Five some medical attention first.

the walls kept tumbling down by Ingu It started small.

There was a nagging ache in his chest, phantom pain from where the bullets had pierced his flesh, in the overwritten timeline that never will be.

(the one where rewinding time doesn't miraculously resolve mortal gunshot wounds)

Here, Beneath My Lungs by beastboy12

After they get back from the 60's, Five starts investigating a string of suspicious murders while distancing himself from a family he's convinced he's already lost. So, naturally, Klaus and Diego join him. "Holy shit, Five," Diego says, rushing forward. "What the hell happened to you?" Five is off-balanced by the sight of Diego. Shouldn’t he be at the other address? What is he doing here? Klaus appears on the other side of Diego and lets out a laugh that sounds almost frantic. "Oh, thank God you can see him, too.” “Why are you here?” Five says. Diego scoffs. “Yeah, no, the one covered in blood doesn’t get to ask questions.”

Series

Part 1 of Five is an emotionally stunted yogurt lid

The Longest Roads Lead to Home by assaily (twistedskys) Five raised his glass to the rafters. “I’m home,” he said simply. “I’d like to take the time to enjoy that, y’know.”

Diego watched him pour another drink, suddenly understanding him. He’d been gone a long time, lost in a really terrible place that probably never felt like home unless he could somehow forget he was the last soul on Earth. ‘Home’ meant a lot to him.

When Five’s glass was ready again, Diego raised his own, still half-full. “To being home,” he said.

That earned him a smile, a real one that managed to soothe the crease in Five’s brow and make him look so incredibly young in its sincerity, and so incredibly old in its deep gratitude. He raised his glass and clinked it against Diego’s. “To finally being home.”

~-~

Or; Five gets kidnapped and it goes wrong (for the kidnapper).

heart heart head by morimaru

a series of hurt/comfort snippets featuring Five.

Blink by Lady_Origami When Five blinks, sometimes he's back in the world of ash and embers. It's hard to remember how to breathe when that happens. In which Klaus tries to play the role of supportive brother with Ben's help, and Five struggles more than he lets on.

Can you hug me as I go? by maddienole What if the FBI captured Five instead of Vanya?

2x7 canon divergence.

Simple by sharkneto Diego runs into Five at the park. He’s just here to catch a mugger. Why does Five always complicate things?

Lend a Hand by sharkneto If Luther’s being honest, he’s not sure how they’re going to get out of this one. Effectively trapped and powers negated, the Umbrella Academy is in a dire position.

Luther really needs to stop underestimating the lengths Five is willing to go to save his family.

Howling at the Moon by assaily (twistedskys) Five is now a permanent resident of the Hotel Oblivion. The rooms are crap, service is even worse, and he's pretty sure his family left him here. But at least they're safe, right?

A pre-season 3 AU of season 3, Hotel-as-a-prison concept from the comics.

lie awake, sleep awake by morimaru Number Five does not get sick. He refuses to be sick. His body obeys. Right up until it doesn't. (- this one is literally my favorite of all of these rec's, I have lost count how many times I've read it)

and all the kids cried out by morimaru The one where Five is sick, the Handler is clingy and hard to get rid of even after death, and Klaus has a ghost-busting side-gig that is a lot less exciting than it sounds.

Guilt Trip by I_Logophile In typical Five Hargreeves fashion, a drug ring bust with his family turns into a rescue mission, which turns into a complete and utter shitshow. Because, of course, things had to go sideways— No, scratch that. Things didn't just go sideways, things went upside down, backward, and inside out. And then got blown up. Literally.

In the aftermath of the whole fiasco, Five is left reeling, floundering, drowning in guilt.

Because how could he have done that?

How could he have attacked his family?

spoiled by morimaru Number Five is a survivor. He fought his whole life: he fought their father, the apocalypse, the commission, then – the apocalypse, again. Having made that fateful jump back to 2019, he unwillingly left his old body with all of its scars behind. Physical ones, at least. It’s funny, in a way, that the hardest thing for him to fight ends up being food.

The Dangers of Vigilanteing by aceofwhump Diego gets injured during one of his vigilante acts and is forced to go back to the one place he swore he'd never return: The Umbrella Academy

Also, the best way I've found to get to the fics I want in this fandom is to troll through favorites of the authors of my favorite fics. Most fandoms that doesn't seem to work, but this one it does. Happy reading, and again - sorry about the delay!

[apoemaday]

Meditations in an Emergency

by Frank O’Hara

Am I to become profligate as if I were a blonde? Or religious as if I were French? Each time my heart is broken it makes me feel more adventurous (and how the same names keep recurring on that interminable list!), but one of these days there’ll be nothing left with which to venture forth. Why should I share you? Why don’t you get rid of someone else for a change? I am the least difficult of men. All I want is boundless love. Even trees understand me! Good heavens, I lie under them, too, don’t I? I’m just like a pile of leaves. However, I have never clogged myself with the praises of pastoral life, nor with nostalgia for an innocent past of perverted acts in pastures. No. One need never leave the confines of New York to get all the greenery one wishes—I can’t even enjoy a blade of grass unless I know there’s a subway handy, or a record store or some other sign that people do not totally regret life. It is more important to affirm the least sincere; the clouds get enough attention as it is and even they continue to pass. Do they know what they’re missing? Uh huh. My eyes are vague blue, like the sky, and change all the time; they are indiscriminate but fleeting, entirely specific and disloyal, so that no one trusts me. I am always looking away. Or again at something after it has given me up. It makes me restless and that makes me unhappy, but I cannot keep them still. If only I had grey, green, black, brown, yellow eyes; I would stay at home and do something. It’s not that I am curious. On the contrary, I am bored but it’s my duty to be attentive, I am needed by things as the sky must be above the earth. And lately, so great has their anxiety become, I can spare myself little sleep. Now there is only one man I love to kiss when he is unshaven. Heterosexuality! you are inexorably approaching. (How discourage her?) St. Serapion, I wrap myself in the robes of your whiteness which is like midnight in Dostoevsky. How am I to become a legend, my dear? I’ve tried love, but that hides you in the bosom of another and I am always springing forth from it like the lotus—the ecstasy of always bursting forth! (but one must not be distracted by it!) or like a hyacinth, “to keep the filth of life away,” yes, there, even in the heart, where the filth is pumped in and courses and slanders and pollutes and determines. I will my will, though I may become famous for a mysterious vacancy in that department, that greenhouse. Destroy yourself, if you don’t know! It is easy to be beautiful; it is difficult to appear so. I admire you, beloved, for the trap you’ve set. It’s like a final chapter no one reads because the plot is over. “Fanny Brown is run away—scampered off with a Cornet of Horse; I do love that little Minx, & hope She may be happy, tho’ She has vexed me by this Exploit a little too. —Poor silly Cecchina! or F:B: as we used to call her. —I wish She had a good Whipping and 10,000 pounds.” —Mrs. Thrale. I’ve got to get out of here. I choose a piece of shawl and my dirtiest suntans. I’ll be back, I’ll re-emerge, defeated, from the valley; you don’t want me to go where you go, so I go where you don’t want me to. It’s only afternoon, there’s a lot ahead. There won’t be any mail downstairs. Turning, I spit in the lock and the knob turns.

[liminalpebble]

Stray: Part 7

Masterlist link

Stray: Part 7

His human came home that evening slightly late, but absolutely elated. Loki felt his heart swell to nearly bursting when he saw your smile. You breezed in and immediately lifted him and kissed him on the nose, then snuggled him close and kissed his velvety head.

“Oh, Loki. I've had such an amazing day!” you said flitting around, putting groceries away and kicking off your heels, nearly dancing with joy. “Mr. Mullen called me to his office and he's giving me a chance! He even apologized for being such an ass before.”

Good, Loki thought with a devious smirk. I guess he does value being in one piece.

He watched as you stroked the lovely purple cardigan then reluctantly took it off, placed it on a hanger, and smoothed out the delicate fabric with care.

Sweet mortal! Loki thought, You needn't be so careful with it. It's not some great treasure...just a token. I would get you hundreds of them, one for every day of the year, in every color. I would see that you never feel cold again.

But then he remembered the kind of creature you are, grateful for everything, expecting nothing, treating every good thing, person, and gift as something precious. He watched as you took a professional outfit out of a Mullen's Department Store bag and laid it out on the sofa. The crisp new fabric of the pencil skirt was a sharp contrast to the threadbare upholstery.

“Well Loki, what do you think? I've never had to buy office clothes before. I'm not sure about it but Tammy helped me pick it out.”

“Meow”. I approve! Very classy...but you'd look so much lovelier in an Asgardian court gown with a crown upon your head. That would be more befitting your beauty.

His human chuckled, and seemed to only understand his affirmation. “Thank you. I'm so glad you like it. I have a feeling you have great taste,” you said as you massaged between his ears until he purred with satisfaction. Sitting, you gathered him more closely into your arms, meeting his lovely, rare eyes and said, “You know...ever since I found you, everything has gotten better. I mean...not just the good luck of a promotion and meeting Henry. Just...you make every day better. I was so alone before. Thank you, little kitten. You're so important to me.”

You stroked his back and all he could do was purr as he floated on your praise. He had never felt such sheer pleasure from bringing joy to another being. Loki had also rarely ever been praised for anything either...mostly told to shut up or stop. He was ecstatic, bursting at the seams. He longed to reveal himself to you and finally ask you to spend your lives together on a grand adventure, but how could he? How would you believe him? How would you take it?

Come on, Loki ,he encouraged himself, you're the god of mischief. Scheming is what you do. Do it for a glorious purpose this time.

Patience was never his favorite thing, but he was determined to try it for his sweet human. The younger prince of Asgard felt an unusual pang of anxiety. Loki rarely faced anything in his long life that presented a true challenge or obstacle; but here it was before him. You were worth it, he decided. For you, and only you, he would find a way.

----

That weekend you didn't receive a call from Henry. You did, however receive a letter in your mailbox in that same lovely handwriting on green and gold paper.

Darling,

I know there is Fall Carnival is this weekend at that lovely orchard outside of town, and I have never attended such an event before. Would you be my date for the day? Meet me in front of your building at 3 pm on Saturday and we'll have a splendid day together.

Sincerely,

Henry

Reading the note, you couldn't help smiling so wide your cheeks hurt. What an odd man! Sending courtly letters instead of calling like a normal person. It was incredibly charming, though; idiosyncratic in a way that inclined you to trust him. You guessed he wasn't so perfectly confident after all, if phone calls scared him. You couldn't blame him though. They scared you too.

So on Saturday, just before 3 pm, you kissed the little cat goodbye, then swung out the door in the one nice pair of jeans you owned and a sturdy raincoat, excitement and anticipation crackling through your bloodstream.

----

Loki's irrepressible Cheshire cat grin unfurled across his face as he turned to see you hurrying toward your front door. You couldn't believe how handsome 'Henry' he looked; like an English country gentlemen, with his perfectly coordinated leather boots and coat. Evaluating your own ratty hiking boots and dated parka you felt like slinking away in embarrassment, but it was far too late for that.

Still, he kissed your hand like a princess and said, “Darling! Thank you for joining me today. You look absolutely lovely!”

“Henry...I look like I'm going hiking...and possibly like I'm living in a tent. I feel terribly under-dressed next to you.”

He looked genuinely concerned for a moment. “Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel self-conscious. I'm sure we'll be equally muddy by the end of the day, in any case,” he paused, looking deeply into your eyes, “and I'm sure you look lovely in anything at all.”

“You, sir, are dangerously charming,” you quipped, scrunching your nose in that adorable way you often did. You couldn't know how the little habit always made him fall to pieces.

---

At the orchard the carnival rides were in full frenzied swing. The hundreds of multi-color bulbs painted swaths of pulsing color around the makeshift amusement park and further into the fields beyond. The rusty omnipresent hue of old machinery blended into the natural coppery-colored remainders of autumn foliage. You walked through the crowd, each holding cups of warm cider and talking between languid steps and steamy sips.

“You know, in all the years I've lived here,” you said, “I've never come to this carnival. Thank you for giving me a nudge to do it.”

“My absolute pleasure,” he assured you. “I've never been here either.”

You just observed his lovely patrician face for a moment until he finally noticed and said, “What is it?”

You grinned and stopped in your tracks, “Uh...nothing...it's nothing...just. You seem like some kind of incredibly fairytale prince...the way you talk, and your fine clothes and gifts and...and leaving letters instead of calling. How did you know my address, by the way?”

“Ah...well...Janet helped me out with that one. She said it was very romantic and was happy to be in on it,” he said with a shy grin.

You chuckled knowingly, “Well it is, and you are incredibly disarming, but you already know that. And she's still so young. Her whole world revolves around romance. Life hasn't taken that from her yet. I hope it doesn't.”

You both continued walking but he tilted his head to observe you. Some unspoken sadness flickered across your face; some history of aching rejection he had yet to discern. It was a scar, and he wanted to kiss it.

“What? Don't you think romance makes life worth living?”

You scoffed at him, assuming he was being sarcastic, but his eyes were completely innocent and sincere. “Well...I don't know. I never counted on it or looked for it. There were always more practical concerns. I figured if I told myself I didn't want or need it, it wouldn't hurt so much to never have it.” You shrugged. “It just always seemed like something meant for other people, not me. So I looked for joy and meaning in everything else,” you said looking around thoughtfully, “...in kindness, in the things I get excited about learning, in the small beautiful parts of life. Even on the bad days I try not to take anything for granted.”

“Wow,” he said, “are you some kind of saint?”

You raised and eyebrow at him and said, “I assure you. I'm far from it.” And I'd like to show you personally how far from it I could be, you thought and then pushed it away just as quickly.

“I have sad and weak and angry days. I have days where I want to scream and jump out of my fucking window. I often feel alone and...different. I wonder what's wrong with me that I don't let anyone get too close.”

He considered this. “ You are different, and it's wonderful.” He realize he was staring. It was making you uncomfortable, so he changed tact slightly, reorganizing his thoughts. “Well, it's no great mystery, right? You've dealt with being hurt and disregarded by the people who were supposed to love you. That's a deep wound, and now your impulse is to survive...but maybe...just maybe, you could thrive while you're at it?”

You gave him a cautious grin, “That's a lovely thought...here's to hoping. I haven't felt hope for awhile, but it's making an appearance lately,” you said, toasting his your little paper cup with his and downing the last sips of your hot cider. When you both drained your cups, you were surprised to see Henry suddenly crumple his cup, throw it to the ground, and shout “Another!”. He quickly realized from the startled faces around him that his Asgardian gesture of appreciation must not be a universal one. “Oh,” he said with a chuckle, picking up the little cup; throwing it and yours into the garbage can. “I'm terribly sorry! Force of habit...it's a Scandinavian thing.”

You giggled a musical irrepressible laugh, and he felt himself go weak under its spell. He wanted to hear you laugh like that as often as possible. You pointed a finger against his firm chest stepped slightly closer, so the icy clouds of your breath mingled in the crisp air, “You are a delightfully odd man, Henry. I like you. I...I really like you,” you said, making eye contact. He met your gaze so intensely that you forgot to breathe. His hand curled around yours resting it against the soft leather of his coat. “I like you too, darling. So...so much. I know it's cliché and makes me sound utterly insane but I feel so comfortable with you...like I was meant to know you my whole life.”

You were stunned for a moment; partially because you felt entirely the same way, and partially because that did sound utterly insane. While your mind struggled to wrap around what he had just said, he massaged your hand gently and exclaimed, “My god! Darling, you're absolutely frozen. I should get you some gloves next time.” He untied his large wine-red scarf from his own neck and wrapped it around yours, then bundled your hands carefully in the draping ends.

Loki longed to kiss you in that moment. He wanted to kiss you so badly it ached within him every moment he didn't, but he found he couldn't, which puzzled him. He had never had any hesitation with kissing anyone before. Loki had never known the experience of nervousness or self-consciousness in romance...until now.

Why! He shouted within his mind You idiot, why aren't you kissing her right now?

Then a smaller voice within his mind piped up; an uncertain voice of his younger more insecure self, Because, what if I don't deserve her?

You were disappointed. He could see it clearly in your eyes. You wanted it just as much as he did, and the liminal silent tension was wearing on your both.

You couldn't bring yourself to initiate a kiss he might not want, so instead you wrapped your arms around his lanky waist and snuggled into his chest affectionately, whispering a simple “thank you”. Loki paused for a moment, stunned by the gesture, amazed to have you in his arms. Suddenly he gripped you very tightly, as if afraid you might drift away like a perfect dream upon waking. He felt a tear roll down his cheek in the icy air, first warm and then cool against his skin as he enjoyed the weight of you against him, close to him.

@averagetmblrusser @primrosesposts @fruityfucker @arunabrak @mischief2sarawr @ladyofthestayingpower @acidcasualties @unlucky-number-13 @goblingirlsarah @gigglingtiggerv2 @lokihiddleston @chokeanddagger @lokischambermaid @lokisgoodgirl @marcotheflychair @smolvenger @alexakeyloveloki @littlespaceyelf @little-wormwood @loopsisloops @joyful-enchantress @eleniblue @loz-3 @the-haven-of-fiction @sweetsigyn @muddyorbs @icytrickster17 @holdmytesseract @thenerdyoldersister @thedistractedagglomeration @sailorholly @coldnique @sarahscribbles @peaches1958 @infinitystoner @peachyjinx @mischiefmaker615 @jennyggggrrr @tripleyeeet @itsybitchylittlewitchy @mochie85 @huntress-artemiss @madi0987 @buttercupcookies-blog @annoyingsweetsstranger

[sgiandubh]

Fractured logic

Anti lore:

'He could act JAMMF only during Season 1, after that he went down the drain. He can't act.'

'His business projects will last as long as his mommies will still be able to buy his booze.'

Ok, Mordor. Let's suppose you are right. But then please explain me like I were 5, why on Earth would *** consistently keep signing employment contract upon employment contract with such an untalented, tactless, borderline stupid (this is the bright impression we are left with after reading your musings) guy?

A media production company like *** is not a charity. I am absolutely sure that they would have had no problems finding someone else to play JAMMF, if the financial results were so abysmal as you seem to suggest, without a single shred of evidence. Or cancel the show altogether: after all, few series have had OL's lucky longevity.

What would be the secret? The mommies, who also hungrily support his business projects? Then why would a major spirits distribution company, such as Southern Glazer's, even consider the idea of partnering with a middle-aged wannabe TV actor, whose only credentials at serious business are a handful of bottle signing events at liquor stores around the US? I mean, you can't reasonably believe a battalion of aging fans, many of whom dutifully followed the circuit, is enough of a sales argument to even draft a business plan, let alone a distribution contract? Surely Southern Glazer's is not a charity, either, huh?

I know, I know. The outside world, where all of us pay taxes and have jobs, is sometimes a very complicated thing to grasp or understand. Both *** and Southern Glazer's mean big business and that comes with all the corporate trappings, not just the interns you love to bash on Tumblr (interested to know if you also behave like that at your respective workplaces: I would happily fire you on the spot /end of shipper fanfic). That is a world of executives, analysts, legal teams, Sales & Marketing departments and, above all, multiple in-house decision-making and vetting procedures. Do you sincerely believe all these people are sinister cretins, or are you simply unwilling to admit you have no experience of or knowledge about the way these things really work, in real life?

Considering your POV, it is a thing of wonder S can read, write or responsibly sign a business or legal document. And yet, here we are: the man works. He has multiple projects. Some of them will be successful, others could also fail: that's just a matter of statistics and probabilities. Such is life and it's fine.

Kindly explain that paradox to me. I am waiting.

[enchantedchocolatebars]

Luz originally had plans to sabotage Beardo Philip’s wedding, but stops herself cause this is still *her mom’s wedding* and she doesn’t want to ruin Camila’s happiness

(Bonus if part of the reason she stopped is due to Camila straight up telling her that she’s fed up with Luz’s behavior towards Philip)

I think what would set Camila off the most is when Luz's plan (a bucket filled with black ink that's propped over Beardo Philip's dressing room door) backfires all over Camila's gorgeous gown when she opens the door.

Her justified anger quickly turns to tears as she shouts at her daughter, asking her why she doesn't want to see her happy.

As Luz realizes how awful her behavior has been, she uses her thumb to wipe a falling tear from her mother's eye and pledges to find a way to rectify her mistake in a sincere tone.

She quickly takes Camila's hand and hurries her to the nearest department store to find a new bridal gown for her before her wedding ceremony starts.

Time is of the essence.

[kaurwreck]

No stop poor haruko enomoto, I feel terrible for her 😭

Why? I don't. She never complained about her life with Doppo Kunikida, and she was, by all accounts, devoted to him, so I get the inkling she doesn't need, and wouldn't have cared for, our pity.

I know it feels crass and dismissive, and I understand it's difficult to reconcile agency with the constraints of oppression and societal pressure, but I don't consider her devotion to her husband pitiable.

She chose him, and it certainly wasn't because she needed him (she outlived him by several decades, during which she supported her family herself) or because he was pretty (he was, but so was she) or because he could provide for her (he was broke when he met her and stayed broke for quite some time) or because her parents liked him (no one's parents liked Doppo Kunikida; knowing this, he tried to court her in secret but her mother was suspicious and returned a book he sent Haruko unopened) or because he displayed any semblance of emotional regulation (he showed up drunk and angry to her home when her mother returned the book). Nevertheless, for reasons we don't need to understand, she sent him an amethyst crucifix and an impassioned letter about her admiration for the emotion in his writing, and married him in August.

She found someone worth her devotion in that undomesticated, tumultuous, restless, combative, arrogant, lyrical, mawkish, idealistic, fervent man. She didn't devote herself lightly, but wholly, unflinchingly, no matter Doppo Kunikida's wavering heart. By which I mean his infidelity, sure, but more pressingly, I mean that Doppo Kunikida fretted and lamented and tore at his own hair over the contradictions between his values and his inclinations, his sincerity and his arrogance, his potential and his indirection. Maybe that was part of it; his river could rage and his fire could burn, but she had an amethyst heart that could withstand him, and, at least sometimes, ground him too. He experienced his most tranquil years as her husband, and I don't think that's incidental.

Regardless, I choose to defer to her agency and judgment, and I won't patronize her over choices she made as a whole, thoughtful person based on the impressions of her that Katai Tayama offered Japanese naturalism.

The sum of her life was also not her husband's indiscretion. She was an accomplished and prolific writer, and a supporting member of Bluestockings, Japan’s first all-women literary magazine.

A non-exhaustive list of her works (the titles are VERY roughly machine translated, forgive me):

"Sada-chan" (January 1903)

"Ryori-kai" (June 1906)

"Shuhi" (August 1906)

"Otsuyu" (October 1907)

"Premonitions" (November 1907)

"Tosei" (February 1908)

"Dokuho at Home "(July 1908)

"Bankruptcy" (August 18, 1908 - September 30, 1908)

"Model" (November 1908)

"Shingokoro" (December 1908)

"Grandson" (January 1909)

"News" (January 1909)

"Kohachijo" (May 1909)

Kunikida Doppo and Haruko co-authored "Golden Forest" (December 1909) (includes Doppo's work and Haruko's "Bankruptcy")

"Quail" (December 1910)

"Sister" (June 1911)

"Cat's Fleas" (September 1911)

"Hagi no Yado" (September 1911)

"Osato" (June 1913)

"Sayachidori" (March 1914)

She became the head of her family at the age of 16, when her father died. She worked in a department store, and taught flower arranging. Her second daughter, Midori, took care of her in her final years. Doppo Kunikida died in 1908, but Haruko Enomoto lived until 1962. She lived an entire lifetime without him, before and after him.

Haruko Enomoto was not her husband's unfortunate wife; she was a gem by her own merit, not despite him, but as demonstrated through her steadfastness in their marriage, her intrepid writing career that challenged the literary establishment, and her tenacity through becoming the head of her family twice over.

They also had four children in a relatively short time frame, during some of which he was ill considering their youngest was born three months after he died, so I like to think he at least gave her great dick. Call me an idealist, I guess.

[plantainblood]

favorite poems?

Meditations in an Emergency - Frank O’Hara

Am I to become profligate as if I were a blonde? Or religious as if I were French?

Each time my heart is broken it makes me feel more adventurous (and how the same names keep recurring on that interminable list!), but one of these days there’ll be nothing left with which to venture forth.

Why should I share you? Why don’t you get rid of someone else for a change?

I am the least difficult of men. All I want is boundless love.

Even trees understand me! Good heavens, I lie under them, too, don’t I? I’m just like a pile of leaves.

However, I have never clogged myself with the praises of pastoral life, nor with nostalgia for an innocent past of perverted acts in pastures. No. One need never leave the confines of New York to get all the greenery one wishes—I can’t even enjoy a blade of grass unless I know there’s a subway handy, or a record store or some other sign that people do not totally regret life. It is more important to affirm the least sincere; the clouds get enough attention as it is and even they continue to pass. Do they know what they’re missing? Uh huh.

My eyes are vague blue, like the sky, and change all the time; they are indiscriminate but fleeting, entirely specific and disloyal, so that no one trusts me. I am always looking away. Or again at something after it has given me up. It makes me restless and that makes me unhappy, but I cannot keep them still. If only I had grey, green, black, brown, yellow eyes; I would stay at home and do something. It’s not that I am curious. On the contrary, I am bored but it’s my duty to be attentive, I am needed by things as the sky must be above the earth. And lately, so great has their anxiety become, I can spare myself little sleep.

Now there is only one man I love to kiss when he is unshaven. Heterosexuality! you are inexorably approaching. (How discourage her?)

St. Serapion, I wrap myself in the robes of your whiteness which is like midnight in Dostoevsky. How am I to become a legend, my dear? I’ve tried love, but that hides you in the bosom of another and I am always springing forth from it like the lotus—the ecstasy of always bursting forth! (but one must not be distracted by it!) or like a hyacinth, “to keep the filth of life away,” yes, there, even in the heart, where the filth is pumped in and courses and slanders and pollutes and determines. I will my will, though I may become famous for a mysterious vacancy in that department, that greenhouse.

Destroy yourself, if you don’t know!

It is easy to be beautiful; it is difficult to appear so. I admire you, beloved, for the trap you’ve set. It's like a final chapter no one reads because the plot is over.

“Fanny Brown is run away—scampered off with a Cornet of Horse; I do love that little Minx, & hope She may be happy, tho’ She has vexed me by this Exploit a little too. —Poor silly Cecchina! or F:B: as we used to call her. —I wish She had a good Whipping and 10,000 pounds.” —Mrs. Thrale.

I’ve got to get out of here. I choose a piece of shawl and my dirtiest suntans. I’ll be back, I'll re-emerge, defeated, from the valley; you don’t want me to go where you go, so I go where you don’t want me to. It’s only afternoon, there’s a lot ahead. There won’t be any mail downstairs. Turning, I spit in the lock and the knob turns.

[cloudymistedskies]

"Time spent with you."

MariMui fic

Sypnosis: The Mist Hashira, Muichiro finds himself having free time, and he decides to spend it with the Cloud Hashira, Mari. To which she willingly accepted.

SMALL SPOILERS FOR THE HASHIRA TRAINING (And maybe hints of spoilers of the infinity castle arc) WARNING

The young long-haired boy roams around his mansion. It was quite a chore to train every lower-ranked slayers, so he was pretty relieved that the last batch was now gone and off to Kanroji's mansion.

Contemplating about what he should do, he thought about training for the whole day once again, like he did a few days in a row. Then he remembered something. Mari is also free from training the lower-ranked slayers. It's a good time for them to spend some quality time once again.

So he decided to send a letter to her. Watching his crow depart to deliver his message, he couldn't help but smile at the thought of spending time with Mari. He felt a little giddy, even.

Meanwhile in the Cloud mansion, the brunette was busy with attempting to make a perfect origami. She groaned as she messes up once again, throwing the paper at the side.

"God... How was Mui able to do this with ease...??" Mari muttered to herself as she prepares to fold another, but a loud 'CAW' startled her, prompting her to turn to the open window and finding a crow... Muichiro's crow, to be exact!

"Oh! Another letter from him!" Not even a second, she was right by the window, taking the letter from the crow's beak. Ginko huffs, turning away and flying back to the Mist mansion.

"I wonder what he wrote this time..." Mari opens the letter, curious and even a little excited about what he has in store this time. She looks at the contents of the letter.

'Dear Mari, I hope you're doing well. Since I have some time in my hands, I was wondering if you'd like to spend some time with me. No training, just hanging out.

Sincerely, Muichiro.'

Without even thinking twice, Mari immediately prepped herself. Combing her hair, adjusting her bow, dusting off her haori and uniform. Of course the young hashira is excited to spend time with him. Although they've already had a close bond, they've been recently getting closer ever since he regained his memories. With him remembering that both Mari and him are childhood best friends, if he wasn't clingy before, he definitely was now.

The bow-headed girl heads out of her mansion and starts to make her way to the Mist mansion.

Muichiro waits for her arrival or a letter delivered by her crow. While he was hoping she would accept his proposal, he didn't exactly expect to see her running to his home as soon as possible.

"MUIIII!" Mari waves at him with a big grin plastered on her face. He smiled back and in a blink of an eye, he was suddenly lifted up and spun around by her.

"H-Hey!!" The mint-green eyed boy giggled as he was spun around for a good 10 seconds before being put back down, chuckling. This was her usual way of greeting him, at least back then. She's been doing this recently whenever they see each other.

"Sooo... Where are we headed, Mui?" The Cloud Hashira asked as she held his hand, beckoning him to lead the way.

"I'm thinking about this one restaurant around the east I know. Tanjiro told me that they make good-quality foods!" The ravenette replied cheerfully as he started to peregrinate, their hands intertwined as they traveled.

Not long after, they arrived at the restaurant, Mari greeting the owners as they sat down at a table for two.

"Two tonkatsus please!"

As the two hashiras wait for their order, Mari's eyes gaze around the interior of the small restaurant, humming a little.

"It smells good here, Mui."

"Yeah it does." Muichiro nodded his head. She has always been somebody who takes note on small details, even if it isn't something that is necessarily noticeable.

Their food arrived, placing them on their table. Mari looked closely at the bowl of food, admiring it for a moment before they both clasped their hands together.

"Thank you for the food."

The two began to eat, the brunette's eyes lighting up a little as she finds herself enjoying the taste of the pork.

"Oh! This actually does taste good!" Mari commented, her mouth filled with food. She continued to eat more, her ways of eating being a little sloppier than the latter. He doesn't mind though, in fact he enjoyed that she has a pretty big appetite.

"Although, this wouldn't be compared to my sister's cooking... Which is really good, by the way! She makes the best foods and she never fails to make it the best!" The brunette added, speaking highly of her older sister. That's something Muichiro also noticed. She always talked highly of her sister, implying these two sisters have such a great relationship together.

"The food was great! Thank you for your service." The two young hashiras finished their food, heading out of the restaurant as they thought about what to do next.

"What do you wanna do next, Mari?" Muichiro asked, turning to face her while she thinks of something.

"Well, we can always--" Her words were suddenly interrupted as a cat rubbed against her legs, tensing up a little.

"Oh!" A gasp escaped the bow-headed girl's lips, looking down at the feline creature. Muichiro knew about her fear of cats, so he was worried about her.

"Oh, Mari. I'll just--" The boy was also interrupted as he watches her crouch down and patted the cat's head, smiling softly at the creature. This was new to him.

"No need, Mui! This cat seems friendly." Mari assured him, scratching its neck as it purrs in content. He crouches down beside the girl, curiously looking at her.

"Gyomei-san helped me overcome my fear of cats and it helped me out a ton!" She explained as she continued to gently scratch the feline creature.

"Ah... I see..." Muichiro couldn't help but admire the sight. To see her overcome her fear and learning to love cats, he admired her. It was something that can be considered a simple thing, but it's such a beautiful sight.

For the whole day, the two spent their time, wondering around and exploring. To Muichiro, Mari hasn't changed much at all. She was still the same cheerful girl he met when he was younger... Only happier. Prettier, even...

Before they even realized it, the stars filled the sky as they stargazed at the rooftop of the Cloud mansion, having small talks.

Mari suddenly rested her head on his lap, sighing in content. Muichiro blushes at the gesture, but quickly regains his composure, smiling before asking

"What's with you laying on my lap all of a sudden?" He asked in a teasing manner, making Mari look up to him with a slight pout.

"Come on! It was tiring walking all day, you knowww...!!" She mock-whined, making the Mist hashira giggle at her childish whine. It's not like he minded her being on his lap anyway, he actually finds himself enjoying it.

The two continued to admire the sky in silence, stars glimmering and the clouds moving slowly and blocking off the moon a little.

Then Mari broke the silence

"You know, Mui..."

"Mmmm?"

"It's such a fun time spending the whole day without training and just... hanging out casually. I really missed doing that with you..." She mused, smiling fondly at the times.

"I'm really glad you're... You know... you. Acting your age and being yourself. You're even beginning to act as yourself back then... Aside from your behavior towards lower-ranked slayers that isn't Tanjiro, which you really should work on that..." Mari continued, smiling teasingly at him. Muichiro chuckled at her remark. Not like she was any better, too...

"When this is all over... Like Muzan is gone, along with all the other demons. We could just...hang out more often. Eat out more often... Spend time with our friends... And maybe even... We could..." The Cloud Hashira suddenly stopped herself. Mari was going to mention about getting married at some point in their life. But however, she didn't wanna take the risk of confessing. She didn't know if Muichiro even liked her that way or not.

Mari was too scared to risk her long-term friendship with the person she adored.

What she didn't know was that Muichiro knew what she was about to say. His heart raced, causing him to smile fondly at the brunette who was resting on his lap. The boy runs his hand through her hair before asking a simple question

"Isn't the moon lovely today?"

Mari's eyebrows raised at his question, looking back at the sky and noticing the clouds cleared up, revealing the crescent moon.

"Oh, yeah! It does!" She answered, sitting up to admire it more. After a moment, the question began confused her, now. She turned to face Muichiro with a curious look.

"What's with that sudden question, though? Mari didn't catch on to the fact that he indirectly confessed to her. He sighed, shaking his head a little.

"Nevermind about that... It's just--"

"EMERGENCY SUMMONS!! EMERGENCY SUMMONS!!"

Both Hashiras were startled by the announcement made by both of their crows, immediately turning their attention to them.

"AN ATTACK ON UBUYASHIKI MANSION!! AN ATTACK ON UBUYASHIKI MANSION!!"

Their blood ran cold at those words. Their master is in danger. And with no time to waste, they immediately stood up and began running to the direction of the mansion, their minds dreading with worry.

Taisho Era Secrets: Originally, I was gonna include a scene where Mari hears the announcement of Muichiro's death! Although I scrapped it since I've done this like a few times probably aAAAHAHAAA-

[androgynousblackbox]

Welcome to Hazbin Vale. 1 [Appleradio]

"Hello, hello, my dear listeners! Your dear radio host Alastor is here to give you, once again, the most warming welcome to your favorite station here in our splendid town of Hazbin Vale. It's truly quite a pleasure to being back on the air after that rather unfortunate murder that happened near the studio.

Yes, indeed, truly unfortunate that an unruly teenager didn't pick a better target to pick on late at night when some individuals want to just grab some milk at the gas station and had to live the consequences. But is exactly as they say, my friends; you reap what you saw and that night the scythe of death must have felt a little bit… impatient than usual.

But there's no need to worry about that! I am sure that the thirst for death has been quench for now and there won't be any other danger on the horizon. You see, I am just cursed with an unbearable optimism, dear listener, so I am sure that you will be going home without no worry or concern in your tender, warm, little hearts tonight. Back to your lovely families who all can let a sigh of relief because there is nobody outside watching through the window. Or are there? I would close the windows and keep the lights out, just to be safe.

Back again to our waste of youth, I mean, our dearly departed young delinquent, I think I saw their foot sticking out from behind the counter at the gas station when I pased this morning. The police must have been too busy picking up all the other pieces that they missed it! If any of our valiant police officers could take care of that so the whole body could be put underground that would be lovely. For the family, of course!

I actually tried to get some comment from the police chief Husk to give you all, but someone must have skipped on their greasy filled donuts breakfast this morning because the old man Husk just shush me away, insisting that they were already taking care of everything.

Truly, how rude is that? Has the police never heard about such a thing as freedom of press? Outrageous, I tell you that! But even though I could stay and argue for my civil rights, as I had every right to do, dear listener, I instead walked away to my radio tower while humming to myself our last hit of yesterday, "Murder on the dance floor!" I don't know why I got that particularly melody stuck in my head so much.

Oh, nevermind that. For whoever may care, or be morbidly curious about it, the service for the body will be tomorrow at 9 AM in our local church. Despite the many flaws of her offpring, his mother is a nice lady that knows to stay quiet when it's convenient for her, so please, send her my most sincere condolecencies if you happened to see her. I believe she was planning to move out of town right after putting her son to rest, as she told me herself this morning on my way here. Since of course I had to make sure that she was in a good state of mind and wasn't causing a ruckus trying to say to the police things she shouldn't have.

Poor woman. I can't imagine what it must feel like to have such a loss. The sense of relief to have one less mouth to feed can be overwhelming. She will surely be missed, whatever her name was!

In other less satisfying news, the universe truly has it's own way to balance everything because as soon someone was out, someone else is comming in. That is right, dear listener, while I was having my morning stroll I happened to hear all about our new resident in town that moved to the old abandoned house at the outskirt of everything. From what I could gather by the power of people's gossip, this man is a inventor who primarly makes toys and has made a considerable fortune out of it. How nice.

He plans to revive the toy store that had to shut down two years ago when that whatisherface rude clerk was slaughtered in a particularly hilarious manner there and the cowardly owners ran away. We all remember that incident. They never did find her delicious soft hands, did they?

Another tragedy that we all mourned together, indeed. The closing of the toy store, that is. The youth does really need space to entertain themselves in a safe and controlled environment. Maybe if some teenagers had something like that growing up, they wouldn't have ended up on the ground, ha ha!

Who knows, it could even revitalize a little bit of the spark this town used to have. Now everyone is so afraid and paranoid, talking about all these sudden and inexplicable attacks as if they were worth mulling over rather than an inevitability of life. As if thinking about it is ever going to stop a knife directed to the throat. A waste of time if you ask me.

So a nice change of pace might be exactly what we all need! I heard that this inventor even brought along his own daughter, that should be starting in preschool for the next week if I am not mistaken. I haven't been able to meet the man yet, but it sounds like at the very least could be interesting for three whole minutes if I am lucky. Five if a miracle happens. Oh, along with my optimism, I have also been cursed with too high expectations, it seems.

What I can say? I am a dreamer at heart.

Ah, new blood is always rather exciting, don't you think, listener? Me, I am not particularly fond of children, especially the rude ones, but I am nothing if not flexible to whatever changes may come our way and my curiosity is always killing. That is how the saying goes, isn't it? Ha ha, we have a lot of fun here, don't we?

I think great things are about to happen here, in this lovely quaint town of ours, listener. I can feel it on the air. It's crinkling and static with energy, after so, so long. It's finally waking up. I know you feel it too.

Be sure to give the toy maker a welcome only worthy of Hazbin Vale when you have the chance. Tell him that Alastor will always be reporting the news of this town and to tune in with the rest of us whenever he wants. Remember: I am always here. I will be here to delight your ears for as long you breath and long after you are done breathing. I can never stop or be stopped. That is a promise.

Now, for the weather…"