#The clapping from his ass must’ve alerted her

[doctor-catpi]

Tell me why my college made the Grinch so thick.

[blossomkoushi]

truth or dare

Summary: two years after leaving high school and your deep crush on sugawara koushi still hadn’t gone away. a night of hanging out with the current and previous karasuno volleyball players turn interesting with a game of truth or dare.

Warnings: teeny tiny manga spoilers, afab reader (no pronouns used other than reader being called good/silly girl), suga is a little shit and so are the other (former) third years, reader pining, use of “little one” and “good girl”, consent is sexy, reader and suga fuck in the bathroom and in front of a mirror, unprotected sex (always use a condom!!), he puts his hand over the reader’s mouth. i think that’s everything, let me know if i missed something!

Word count: 3.1k

A/N: this fic was based off this prompt i got from an anon! thank you for sending it in, i had so much fun writing this!

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

The semi-annual Karasuno reunion was in full swing. Only the previously known first years were still high school, now in their third year and still in touch with their seniors. It’d been Yamaguchi’s birthday, all the current third years now being 18 and excited to talk to their seniors about adult life and catch up.

“let’s play truth or dare!” Nishinoya suddenly yells, abruptly ending the conversation he’d been having with Hinata and Tanaka. The group agrees, excitedly talking while moving into a circle in Nishinoya’s parents’ living room. You squeeze yourself in between Kiyoko and Asahi.

Having been a manager along with Kiyoko, you’re the closest with the previous third years, but still being friends with the second and first years. You had no problem socializing with them all, happily chatting to Yachi, sitting on the other side of Kiyoko, when Daichi clears his throat. Both you and Asahi snicker, trying to stifle your laughter at his natural instincts kicking in.

“alright, I’ll start. Yamaguchi?” Daichi speaks, sitting up straighter and looking at Yamaguchi.

“yes?” the latter replies, and you note how he doesn’t cower under Daichi’s gaze anymore.

“truth or dare?”

“truth”

Daichi smirks, “what’s it like to be captain?”

Laughter erupts, a blush spreading on Yamaguchi’s cheeks while he smiles.

“it’s the worst. These two,” he points at Tsukishima and Kageyama, “still won’t cooperate and the first years refuse to listen to me. I’m sorry for any trouble we caused you, captain! You too, Ennoshita!”

Yamaguchi bows in apology to both of them, laughter once again filling the room and Nishinoya jumps up to press down on Tsukishima’s and Kageyama’s heads, ruffling their hair.

“still causing trouble for the captain, eh? Ya’ troublemakers” he laughs, walking back to his seat next to Tanaka and nearly flopping down in a fit of giggles. It takes a few minutes of laughter and jokes for everyone to calm down, Yamaguchi eventually speaking up.

“okay! Okay, my turn now!” he looks around the circle, eventually stopping at Tanaka. “truth or dare?”

“dare, of course” Tanaka booms, grinning.

“alright.. hmm… I dare you to… kiss Nishinoya’s cheek”

An echo of oo’s and whistles makes Tanaka blush, looking at Nishinoya before slapping his own cheeks, shaking the nerves out of his body before cupping the back of his best friends’ neck, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. Cheers erupt and both you and Yamaguchi clap while cheering, giggles falling from your lips.

“kiyoko!” the blush still hasn’t left Tanaka’s cheeks, eyes open wide in excitement, “truth or dare?”

“truth”

“will you marry me?”

“no.”

The interaction is over before it began, causing another fit of laughter to fill the room, the blush only growing on Tanaka’s cheeks but he’s still smiling, excited to have gotten to talk to his crush. In a way, you sympathize with him. You know what it’s like to pine after someone for years.

Your own crush sitting at the opposite side of the circle. His gray hair pushed back slightly, crisp white t-shirt hanging off his body beautifully and the soft smile making your heart skip a beat. Despite not seeing Sugawara nearly as often as you’d like, the crush that started in your first year of high school is still as strong as ever. You can’t even count the number of nights you’d spent dreaming of kissing the mole under his eye, tracing your fingers over his soft lips and what it would be like to hold him close. Despite it all, you never made a move and neither did he, so you simply assumed that he wasn’t interested in you and tried to move on. Clearly failing, as you blush and look away when his eyes meet yours.

“Y/N” a push on your shoulder sends you out of your daze, meeting Kiyoko’s eyes. “truth or dare?”

“oh! U-um, dare?” still in the haze of your mind wandering, you spoke before thinking. Kiyoko glances over at both Daichi and Asahi, a small smirk growing on her face.

“I dare you to go sit in Suga’s lap” your eyes shoot open with her words, feeling your body growing hot. Of course. The other third years knew about your crush after all, having caught you staring at the man more than a few times.

Glancing around, you notice everyone staring excitement. Do they all know? Shaking your head, you stand up and slowly walk to the other side of the living room.

“may I?” your voice is surprisingly timid, body still burning just from the idea of sitting in his lap. A grin grows on his face as he moves his legs slightly, crossing his legs under him and patting his lap. Shyly sitting down, your back presses to his chest and he places his hands behind him. Applause smatter in the room along with words of encouragement, but your attention isn’t on that anymore.

The game continues, you dare Tsukishima to give Hinata a hug and zone out after that. Sugawara moves his legs, stretching them out and letting you sit on the floor, still pressed to his chest and his legs come up and nearly cage you in. your legs are over his, his calves and feet nearly pressed to your butt.

All you can smell is him. It’s warm and comforting, feeling his chest rumble and vibrate when he speaks and laughs, the sounds ringing in your ears and send shivers down your spine. His arms come around your waist, pressing you more firmly against his chest.

Your attention goes between Sugawara and the conversations happening around you. they seem to have stopped playing the game, now only happily chatting about their lives and you try to join in, mostly laughing at the other’s jokes and antics. Asahi tells a story of when he managed to sew two pairs of pants together for a class and Hinata excitedly talks about Karasuno’s most recent games. Before you know it, you’ve fully relaxed and wiggled into Sugawara’s hold, sitting impossibly close.

Your attention jolts back to him when his face suddenly presses into your hair, feeling him inhale and squeeze his arms around you. you stiffen, body burning hot once more and nearly igniting when something against your lower back stiffens as well. A soft squeak escapes you, body moving on its own and squirming, trying to move closer.

“suga…” barely a whisper to not alert the others of what’s going on, heat pooling in your stomach.

“mmh?” his humming vibrates against your back, exhale fanning over your exposed neck. A quick kiss to the skin and you gasp. “something wrong?”

“I-“ you begin, stammering when his lips press against your burning skin again, sucking softly and scraping his teeth over the sensitive skin. A moan nearly escapes you when he bites down, feeling the harsh tug of arousal in your stomach, along with wetness pooling in your panties. You feel his grip on you tighten.

“sound so pretty, know you want to make more noises. Why don’t we find somewhere private, hm?” his breath fans against your ear while he whispers, slowly rutting his hips against your back. You nod, whimpering excitedly. “good girl. Stand up and I’ll follow you. if anyone asks, you have a tummy ache and need me to help with it.”

Nodding again, you shyly stand up and look behind you, noticing Sugawara checking out your ass before he stands up as well. The bulge in his pants isn’t that prominent, he must’ve adjusted while you were standing up. As he had predicted, all eyes go to the two of you, suddenly standing in the circle.

“where are you going?” Hinata asks and you silently thank any and all possible higher powers for having it be him asking the question.

“o-oh, um, I have a tummy ache and Suga is just gonna help me with it” you excuse yourself from the group and start walking away, your skin once again burning, feeling all their eyes on you as you walk out the room.

Once out of sight, Sugawara grabs your arm and puts his finger over his lips to signal that you need to be quiet. You nod, just barely able to keep a squeak from escaping when he suddenly tugs you down the hallway and into the bathroom. The door closes behind you, his fingers quickly locking it and his hands push you to the door, leaning in close and smirking.

“you did good, little one” he leans in even closer, studying your face as it heats up, your eyes avoiding his. “can I kiss you?”

“y-yes” you whimper, daring to look in his eyes for a moment, watching him with anticipation. He smiles, cupping the back of your neck and gently pressing his lips against yours.

It’s like you’d always imagined. His lips are soft, gentle and moving against yours slowly, as if you’d done it a hundred times before. His hand on the door moves down to your waist, pushing your hips down and his thigh comes between yours, his body caging you in. he sighs happily against your lips, swiping his tongue over them and your mouth opens as if on command. Arms wrapping around his neck and you kiss. You kiss and kiss and kiss until time seems to have stopped and the only thing that matters is his warm body against yours and his wet lips making you shiver in pleasure.

Desperate whines and whimpers start escaping you, the kisses getting more and more heated until Sugawara is grabbing your thigh and holding it against his hip, grinding his clothed crotch against yours.

“Suga-“

“Koushi.” He cuts you off before you can finish, pulling away and looking at you seriously, “call me Koushi, please”

“Koushi” you try it out, tasting the word and shivering at the intimate feeling it gives you. Smiling at him, you tug his body closer again, “Koushi please, please fuck me”

A smirk grows on his face yet again, “thought you’d never ask”

He moves away slightly, pulling your body with him and pushing you against the sink. His hands rub up and down your waist until you whine in frustration, huffing out a reminder that the others are probably already wondering what’s taking so long. He only chuckles, flashing you his smile through the mirror while his nimble fingers work at the button and zipper of your jeans. He tugs them down, crouching down to prod at your panties.

“so messy” his thumb runs down the length, pressing down on your clit. Rubbing gently, he coos when your hips squirm.

“Koushi- please” trying to push your hips back against his hand, you whine, feeling the years of waiting making you impatient.

“ssh, okay, okay, calm down” he chuckles, patting your butt and standing up, undoing his pants and letting them fall to the floor. You dare to turn your head, peeking behind to see him getting undressed.

In a different situation, you might’ve laughed. Black boxer briefs cling to his body, contrasting from his skin. A faint bulge going straight up, and your eyes move along with it, noticing the head of his cock sitting above the waistband. Flushed pink and leaking precum, Sugawara lifts his shirt up and over his head, giving you a better look at his body. Pale hair, the faintest gray tone, goes from under his belly button and all the way down to his underwear, hidden behind his cock.

Sugawara finally notices your staring, grinning and pulling down his briefs down to his knees, letting his cock stand proudly from his body. From what you can tell, the base is the same shade as his body, the length fading into pink all the way to the head. His gray pubes sit neatly trimmed against his body, curling slightly and framing his cock.

“like what you see?” he teases, sending you a wink before pulling your panties down, stepping closer and nudging your face back towards the mirror. “want you to look at me”

The tip of his cock presses against your pussy lips, making your breath hitch, waiting for the pressure to get deeper. But it doesn’t.

“Koushi, please just-“

“I don’t have a condom.” He cuts you off, sighing and starting to step away, stopped by a loud whine and a hand clawing at his hip.

“I don’t care. I’m on the pill and I assume you haven’t been sleeping around?”

“no, but-“

“so, fuck me. Please.” This time, you cut him off, frustration and arousal rolling off you in waves. You weren’t going to wait any longer, not when he’s here and ready for you. He exhales shakily, nodding and smiling. Finally.

The pressure returns on your pussy, this time pressing in between the lips and against your entrance. He adjusts himself, giving you a grin and wink through the mirror, slowly starting to push in. There’s a bit of a stretch, the overwhelming acknowledgement that Sugawara Koushi was pushing his cock inside you, made your head spin and breathing get heavy. Your head flops down, moaning and cursing under your breath until you feel his hips press against your ass. A hand grips your hair, tugging your head up and Sugawara leans over your body, pressing his lips right up against your ear.

“look at that pretty face. Thought I told you to look at me, didn’t I? silly girl” he smirks, pressing small kisses down your cheek and neck, feeling your flushed skin burn under his lips. He maintains eye contact, watching your expressions carefully when he returns his lips against your ear. “be quiet for me. Don’t want those perverts out there hearing what’s mine”

Before you can respond, his hips pull back and snap against yours, forcing a loud moan to rip from your throat. Sugawara only laughs, shaking his head and putting his hand over your mouth, pinning you up against his chest. His mouth lands on your neck and shoulder, sucking and biting on the skin while his hips start moving again, thrusting quick and deep.

Your moans get muffled by his hand, eyes rolling back in your head from the pleasure, and you can feel his groans against your skin, going raw from his constant attention. His hand on your hip grips you tightly, keeping you in place against his body while his cock pushes, prods and drags against your sensitive walls, clamping down on him tightly and forcing deep moans from him.

“you feel so fucking good, shit” he manages to groan, snaking his hand on your hip towards your cunt, finding your clit and rubbing it slowly. The contrast from his harsh thrusts to gentle touch makes your head spin, moans only getting louder while your hands uselessly claw at the sink, his hips and arms, unable to find a stable purchase to keep your body from toppling over. You never want this to end.

“nngh fuck- koushiii” your muffled whines vibrate against his hand, calling out for him in your fog of pleasure and it makes him faster. The slapping of your skin meeting and the wet squelching from your pussy fills the small bathroom, bouncing off the walls and filling your head. “m gonna cum- gonna cum, koushi, fuck”

“that’s right, cum for me” he pants against your skin, lidded eyes looking at the mirror and seeing your expression. He can feel your burning cheeks through his hand, the wet spit coating his palm and the hot breaths that fan over it. Your eyes rolled back and glossy, body shaking in his hold until everything suddenly snaps. The pressure on his cock gets tighter, thighs shaking against his while another loud moan forces its way out of you. Your body shakes, nearly falling over from the orgasm and his unwavering thrusts.

“k-koushi I-“ you stammer, nearly going cross-eyed from the overwhelming pleasure and stimulation when he doesn’t stop. If anything, he goes harder. His hips slam against yours, rocking your body and he nearly pushes you into the sink, hand still covering your mouth while he groans freely, unable to stop his own noises.

“I’m gonna cum, fuck! Fuckfuckfuck- hhahhh shit, fuck- Y/N” incoherent babbles tumble from his lips, head thrown back while he snaps his hips against yours. The pressure around his cock hasn’t stopped, making his mind fuzzy and laced with pleasure until he stops, bottoming out and leaning over your body. He groans loudly, body shaking and cock jumping while his cum spurts out, painting your walls white. It’s warm, settling deep in your tummy and making you shiver in pleasure.

One of your shaking hands moves back, grabbing his hip and helping him fuck himself dry, clenching around him until he hisses from the sensitivity. Slowly pulling out, the two of you breathe heavily, trying to collect yourselves from the act.

“so…” you finally say, pushing yourself off the sink and wincing, feeling his cum seep out of your cunt. You quickly bend down, pulling up your panties and jeans, hoping they’ll help keep everything inside.

“so…” Sugawara grins, watching you frown and get dressed. He turns around, picking up his clothes and getting dressed as well. “that was fun, right?”

“yeah” you nod, taking his body in, free from the haze of arousal. Suddenly snapping out of it, realizing that it might make him uncomfortable, you whip your head to the side and stare at a wall. “was really fun!”

He notices your flustered state, smirking and stepping to you when he’s fully dressed. His hands land on your hips, pushing your body flush against his and chuckling when you laugh and widen your eyes. “we just had sex; how can you still be so flustered?”

“because!” you yelp, cowering under his soft gaze and shaking your head slightly. “because… I’ve had a crush on you for years now.”

You don’t see the grin widening on his face.

“I know.”

“what?” you nearly yell, snapping your face towards his again and gaping, your body flushing with embarrassment. He only laughs, ruffling your hair and stepping back, moving towards the door.

“I’ve known for a while now. Daichi told me.” He looks back at you, smiling and reaching out his hand. “you coming?”

Smiling and shaking your head, you take his hand. The two of you walk back to the living room, his face flushed, and your hair tousled. Going to sit down again, you wince slightly and he pats your back soothingly. Eyes flicker to the two of you, knowing smirks growing on several of their faces. The silence is deafening, making you shrink into Sugawara’s chest. Nishinoya suddenly pipes up, eyes wide and index finger pointing at the two of you accusingly.

“did you fuck in my bathroom!?”

Laughter erupts. Sugawara receives pats on the back and Kiyoko winks at you, smiling. You smile back. Maybe you should thank her. After all, this was her doing.

[haikyuuwriting]

NOCTURNAL CREW

02 - meeting

previous > next | masterlist

➤ It was a “fortunate accident” that Akaashi found out what his boss was up to. Now that he’s in the know his friends are too, and Y/N and Bokuto find their lives suddenly filled with scary guys, smuggling, and even more sleepless nights.

“Hey.”

“Hey owl man,” Y/N replies, taking a sip from the cup of water sitting in front of them on the bar. Bokuto takes the seat next to them, waving at Akaashi from across the room.

“If he called us here on a Wednesday night you guys must’ve found something else,” Bokuto says, staring at Y/N expectantly.

“Yeah.”

“You really don’t choose favorites, do you? I just want to know,” Bokuto whines, slouching his shoulders and resting his cheek against the bar’s smooth polished wood that Akaashi had just finished wiping down. He stares up at Y/N with wide eyes, but they just shake their head at him.

“No, I do. Aki!” Y/N beams at one of the new arrivals, completely ignoring the shocked gasp that escaped Bokuto’s lips and the loud “Hi Y/N!” from Kuroo.

“Y/N!” Konoha coos in the same tone, sliding into the seat beside them. Kaori and Yuki arrive immediately after, leaving no time for Bokuto to loudly complain about Y/N’s blatant favoritism in the group. They all settle into the stools facing Akaashi and Kenma behind the bar, the latter of whom is busy on his laptop. Akaashi pours himself a drink, drawing everyone’s attention as he does.

“So as you guys know my boss—and Bokuto’s boss technically since he owns that restaurant too—is a total dick,” Akaashi sighs. “And I overheard my manager talking about missing alcohol shipments, tighter budgets and him just being an even bigger ass than usual.” He pauses to take a swig at his drink, earning a low whistle from Kuroo. Akaashi hardly ever drank what he called “nasty alcoholic beverages meant for the unhappy. He got drunk too easily and he never enjoyed it. 

“Akaashi asked me to check some stuff,” Kenma continues, looking more awake than Y/N’s seen him in a while. “And eventually we ended up looking at banking statements and we found something. Money trails leading overseas and to lots of accounts.”

“How do you just go from missing alcohol and an asshole boss to looking into bank accounts?” Kaori asks. She’s frowning in that way, and Y/N knows a speech is coming if someone doesn’t reply fast. And honestly they’d like to know too—Kenma and Akaashi didn’t elaborate on how they took such a leap.

“Akaashi’s been hearing rumors for a while,” Bokuto muses, looking at his friend with alert eyes. “Is this also about my fired manager?”

“Yeah. Basically the boss, the one who owns all of these bars and a few restaurants, has been firing employees that try to stand up to him and try to fight for a higher raise since it’s pretty low and the ones that generally just ask questions. They go missing afterwards.”

“And I checked bank statements to see if he hired hitmen,” Kenma adds, taking a casual sip of his water as he finishes, acting as though he were simply describing the weather. There’s a brief moment of silence before everyone starts talking over each other.

“Hitmen?” Yukie yells, fanning at Kaori’s suddenly pale face with her hands.

“Wait so you guys think he’s stealing money from the businesses and killing people too?” Konoha asks, looking more curious than concerned. Kuroo’s eyes are wide and he’s holding Bokuto by the shoulders - Bokuto’s staring at Y/N, his eyes also wide and questioning.

“I helped Kenma with some of the digging,” Y/N says loudly, silencing the talking quickly. “The money goes to weird accounts that all link back to his personal ones and I couldn’t find any leading to anyone else’s besides another rich dude. So as of right now we think he just fires employees who get a little too nosy and pays them some money to keep quiet.”

“Quiet about what?” Bokuto asks. “I’ve lost like three coworkers already.”

“Honestly it doesn’t seem like much,” Y/N says, fidgeting with their glass of water. “I told Akaashi and Kenma it’s just your standard rich people shit. Stealing money and getting away with it. But he’s hiding something - no one goes to this much trouble with money just for fun.”

“I have so many questions,” Yukie says. “Why’d you call us all here?”

“Hey hey,” Kuroo interrupts, putting his hands in the air like he’s pausing the conversation. “This is the only remotely exciting thing to happen since the dating profile. Plus, this guy owns the places where Akaashi and Bo work - and who knows where the hell this money is going. We could bring it back.”

“No,” Kaori shakes her head. “That was freshman year we cannot do that again.”

“This is why I told you you didn’t have to come,” Akaashi says quietly. “I just wanted to give you all the heads up. NC is back in business.”

“Sweet!” Konoha grins, high-fiving Yukie and a disgruntled Kaori who, despite her protesting, has a small smile on her face. Kuroo’s smiling at Y/N and miming the typing motions with his fingers, wiggling his eyebrows as he does.

“So what’s next?” Bokuto asks, looking much too serious considering he’s still wearing his work uniform of an obnoxiously bright orange apron.

“Right now it’s just me and Kenma poking around,” Y/N says. “Akaashi said he’ll try to figure more stuff out while he works and we’ll see if there’s anything actually going on. If there is, we’ll deal with it.”

“God we’re cool.” Kuroo sighs. “I’ll start asking around.”

“Yeah Konoha and I will chat up the customers we get at the salon,” Yukie says, elbowing the boy as she does.

“I’ll keep an eye out at the hospital. I know the drill,” Kaori says, looking concerned. “If any of you wind up in there I swear I’ll make you regret it.”

“Kaori you’re so kind,” Konoha touches his hand to his chest delicately. She shakes her head at him in disappointment.

“No one got hurt last time,” Kenma says, closing his laptop. “And we aren’t doing anything bad.”

“I know,” Kaori says. ”I expect the same this time around, too.”

“Great. I have to close up now, but I’ll text a list of things to watch out for. Don’t talk to anybody alone without checking with Kenma or Y/N first,” Akaashi says, his shoulders slumped and his eyes looking even more tired than before. Everyone quickly moves to help with the glasses, washing them at the sink and wiping down the counter once more. Akaashi finishes his glass, smiling in thanks at Y/N when they gently take it from him to clean. Soon they’re standing out on the sidewalk watching Akaashi lock up for the night. 

“Can I say it?” Yukie interrupts the silence, smiling widely. “Kuroo always says it.”

“Fine,” Kuroo huffs in mock irritation.

“Nocturnal Crew is watching out for you!” Yukie cries, throwing her hands in the air enthusiastically. Kaori claps and Y/N joins in. Bokuto mumbles that he appreciates the rhyme.

“Mines better,” Kuroo sniffs, crossing his arms as they start walking down the street.

“Yours is like a three minute speech about blood,” Konoha laughs. “And we need a consistent, short motto.”

“As long as we say it it’s fine,” Kenma says. “But I still think it makes it seem like we’re in a weird cult.”

“It makes us seem official!” Bokuto exclaims. “And if we were a cult we’d be an awesome modern day superhero cult. Oh god I need sleep.”

“Yep, time for bed,” Konoha yawns, linking his arm with Kuroo’s in an attempt to get him to walk a bit faster than his usual aloof stride.

“Nocturnal Crew!” Yukie shouts, looking expectantly around for her friends to finish her chant.

“I’m not saying it,” Kuroo yawns, ruffling his already messy hair with his free hand.

“Watches out for you!” Everyone shouts, and even tired Akaashi laughs at his friends expression as they all walk down the dark streets, breaking the stifling night’s silence with their laughter.

[liliesoftherain]

My Hero Academia Main 3 Boys x Reader

Ch. 4 The Fight of U.S.J Part 1

Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.3

Chapter 4 is here! Thanks to everyone who was waiting, School is getting a bit busy, and I couldn’t help myself and made a prompt list! I just love to write, I wish I had more time to do it haha, so that’s why this is a bit short! If you didn’t see, @decaffeinatedtealover​ drew (y/n) and I’m in love ahhhh<3 Check it out because it made my entire day! I love seeing fanart, I never would have thought I’d get anything so I’m over the moon(: Thank youuuuu

*-*-*-*-*-*-

“Hello everyone! I’ve been waiting for you!” Everyone was in shock at another Pro Hero in the flesh.

“The Space Hero: Thirteen!” You grinned at Izuku as he spoke up, fangirling yourself just as much he was.

“She’s so cool!” You said, sparkles in your eyes. You have heard about her time and time again, she’s rescued so many people and has saved so many lives. You really wanted to be the same type of hero she was, always helping others and always protecting them!

Thirteen lead you all inside the large building, letting you all look around from the high point where you stood. It really was something else. The large indoor area was split off into multiple parts, you assumed all serving as a different purpose for training. Thirteen confirmed your thoughts as she listed off each area.

“There’s a shipwreck zone, a landslide, a fire, a windstorm, and many more! I created this training facility to help you learn what to do in different types of disaster! I call it, the Unforeseen Simulation Joint! USJ for short.”

Aizawa walked closer to Thirteen and asked something about AllMight, and even though it was hard to hear them as they whispered you did see Thirteen raise three fingers. 

“I wonder what happened to AllMight.” You wondered out loud, looking at Izuku.

“I don’t know, hopefully nothing bad.” You hummed in agreement but didn’t think the number 1 Hero was hurt. 

“Let’s hurry up and begin.” Your teacher sighed, his usual grim demeanor not changing at all.

"Of course, before we begin I want to say something. Well, maybe two somethings. Or three..? Anyways, listen up. I'm sure most of you know I have a powerful quirk called black hole. For those who don't know, I can use it to suck things up and turn that into dust."

"Yea, you've used it to save so many people in all kinds of disasters before!" Izuku yelled out, a dopey smile etched into his face, he looked like he was on cloud 9.

"That's right, but don't forget, my quirk can also be used to kill."  A dour  hush fell among all of the students.

"Many of you may also have powers that can be dangerous. In our society, we have to follow the rules to make sure all quirks are strictly regulated and certified when heroes go around helping civilians and fighting villains, it's often easy to forget how unsafe they can actually be."

"So it's important to remember if you lose focus, or make the wrong move, those powers you're using trying to protect someone, could be deadly. Thanks to the fitness test Aizawa made you take, you have a better understanding on your quirks potential. Especially with AllMight's combat training, I'm sure you learned how dangerous it can be."

"Carry those lessons over with you when you take this class, because today. You will learn to use your quirks to save lives! After all, isn't that what a hero is all about? Ensuring the safety of others. Thanks for listening guys, let's get to work!" 

You clapped along with everyone else, really moved by Thirteen's speech. It was an important wake up call, that while you are strong, you'll have to be strong and smart enough to make sure you can protect and everyone around you!

“Right, now that that’s over let’s-” Aizawa’s next instruction was cut off when the lights that circled all the way around the building shut off. Leaving the area covered in darkness, save for whatever sunlight was streaming through the windows.

You didn’t know if this was how it was supposed to go down, seeing Mr. Aizawa was looking surprised. You heard a weird sound, and noticed the water fountain down in the center of the training facility was sputtering, something black coming from it and shining through. The black fog, is what it looked like, was growing larger until it exploded, taking an almost human form.

“Stay together and don’t move!” Aizawa yelled out, and you knew this wasn’t apart of any training.

You shared a worried glance with Kirishima, before looking back towards the portal-like being. A hand came out of it and your heartbeat picked up speed in nerves.

“Thirteen protect the students!”

“Was is that thing?” Kirishima gasped out as a figure attached to the hand you saw walked out. Many others following him out, tons of people, making you heavily outnumbered.

“Has the training started already? Weren't we just rescuing people?” Eijiro continued.

“Eijiro I don’t think this is apart of the training-” You gulped, your throat feeling very dry as you spoke up, but were cut off by your teachers shouting.

“STAY BACK!” You all flinched at how sharp his words were, while he was never the kindest, he was never harsh. Just tired and annoyed all the time, you’ve never heard this tone before.

You felt even more nervous when you saw Aizawa put his goggles on. What was going on, was this real? Could this many people really break into a U.A. area so easily?

"This is real. Those are villains." Aizawa said, and feeling as if he read your mind. You could only watch as more and more people piled out of the black smoke.

"So you scumbags used the press as coverage, a way to sneak onto campus." Aizawa grunted, you saw his hands twitching, most likely trying to think of a plan. 

You felt shaken to your very core, you're entire life you've been surrounded by Pro Hero activity and not once did you deal with villains this close.

"Where is he!?" A voice echoed throughout.

You tried to calm yourself down, steeling your resolve. A panic attack or being frozen in shock wouldn’t help you in this mess. You needed to be level-headed, ready to make a quick and precise decision when the time came.

“What would dad do?” You thought to yourself. Clenching your fist, you were trying to think of a plan, some type of action, anything.

"How could so many villains get into a U.A. facility?" Eijiro asked, looking hard down on where they all stood next to each other.

"Yea Thirteen, why aren't the alarms going off?" Your head snapped to Momo. They couldn't have been that smart.

"Don't tell me.." You whispered, "they knew what they wanted was here so they learned how to bypass the security system?" Thirteen stared straight ahead at the villains.

"Not sure, that's a good guess."

"If that's the case," Todoroki's voice cut through the air," is this their only target? Or is the entire school under attack too?" 

You looked back and made eye contact with him, both staring at one another believing that it would give you some answers.

"Either way, if the alarms aren't sounding off.."

"They must have someone who has a quirk to mask their presence here." He finished for you. You nodded in agreement, looking back to the ever growing ranks of the evildoers below. 

"Whatever it is they're planning, they must think they can win." Todoroki continued. 

"A concrete objective, they must've known a class was going to be here at this time, otherwise why base it all on chance." You finish his sentence this time, now trying to think of what exactly they could be after.

"Thirteen get them out of here, and alert main campus. If they have a way to block the sensors, they may have blocked our communications systems too. Kaminari," Aizawa continued, " Try to use your quirk to contact the school."

"Yes sir!" Denki replied, going straight to work trying to radio someone with his headpiece.

"What are you going to do!" Izuku shouted at Aizawa, fear burning in his eyes. It was always there, even on normal days, but this fear seemed to be more, running just as deep as yours. 

"You can't fight too many on your own, no matter how strong your quirk is, it isn't suited for this type of combat! You're better at stealth and on-on-one, this is neither!" 

Your teacher glanced back, his resolve hard and your eyes widened again.

"You can't be a pro if you only have one trick. I'll leave it to you Thirteen." Then he took off, you could only watch in amazement and worry as your teacher, who was being a bad ass as he began to fend off the villains.

‘Like a real Pro.’

You quickly snapped out of your thoughts when the others started to run towards the exit from Thirteen's signal. You looked over your shoulder and say Izuku staring down at Aizawa fight.

"Izuku this isn't the best time to fanboy, let's go now."

"OH right!" He said while running with you to catch up with the other students. 

Before being able to reach the doors, the dark swirling aura formed on the ground, springing up into the air and taking shape. It's, what you could only assume to be, eyes stared at you all, thundering voice shaking you to the core.

"There is no escape for you."

You took a defensive stance, your heart rate spiking once more. The shadow figure was huge, making you crane your neck up almost painfully to see the area of what could be his face. His eyes were slanted and growing brightly, contrasting with his body.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. We are the League of Villains. This may be impolite, but we took it upon ourselves to come without your invitation, to say hello."

"Besides," You heard it chuckle, such an evil sounding one at that, "Wouldn't this be a fitting place for AllMight, your Symbol of Peace, to take his final breath?"

You gasped.

"He was supposed to be here today was he not? And yet I see no sign of him. I'm sure there was a change of plans that we have not foreseen. Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter."

He spread his arms out wide, and you kept your guard up.

‘Was he going for an attack? Why do these guys want AllMight? What’s the goal?’ Your head was swirling from all the uncertainties.

But you knew one thing for certain, you couldn't hesitate. You couldn't stop just because you were afraid. You're friends and classmates were here with you, and you weren't going up against any simulation. It was all real. They could be hurt, you could be hurt. You can't rely on anyone else, even if you aren't the strongest, there was no excuse for not giving it your all to protect everyone. Like you're father always told you,

“A hero never believes in excuses.”

You charged up and sprinted forward, willing the light in your hands to burn hot and take a solid shape at your fists, only to try to shoot off a hot blast at the villain as a way to not get too close. You briefly noticed Bakugou and Kirishima jumping along with you, before your vision filled with smoke from one of Bakugou's blasts

"Did you really think we were going to stand around and let you tear this place to shreds!" Kirishima yelled out, standing tall next to you both.

 You grit your teeth, eyes searching for any sign of movement. Reeling back in shock as he began to appear with the dissipating smoke, cackling as he talked.

"You really live up to your schools reputation. But you should be more careful children. Otherwise someone might get hurt."

"You three get out of the way right now!" You heard Thirteen yell from behind, and when you looked at her you noticed the tip of her finger on her suit was opened. 

"I'll scatter you across this facility to meet my comrades, and your deaths!" 

A black fog blocked your vision, and you could only cover your eyes as it overtook everything. You grunted out, the only thing you were able to do was try to remain standing against the harsh whirlpools it was making.

"Crap, what is this!?" Eijiro yelled, and even though he was standing right next to you, he sounded miles away.

You felt the ground give way beneath you, and that's when you started to fall. A small yelp of pain escaped your lips as your back slammed against the ground. You winced, quickly taking in air through your clench teeth, trying to make the black spots in your vision disappear. When you could finally breathe again, you looked at your surroundings, noticing you were in some type of abandoned office room, in a beat up building.

You winced while sitting up, a dull pain shooting down your spine as you did so. You heard a groan from beside you and quickly looked over to the noise.

"Eijiro are you alright?" He landed just like you did, but thankfully he has his quirk activated, which must've helped preventing my damage from the fall.

"(y/n)? Shit are you okay?" He questioned, getting up and pulling you with him.

"Yeah I'm fine. Where are we-"  You heard someone coming up behind you and fast, so you dropped down in a crouch while kicking your leg out, allowing your quirk to propel your kick, despite how much your body ached from the sudden movement after your fall. You made a man tumble then crash to the ground face first, which gave you enough time to back away with Kirishima. 

"You two fuckers watch out!" A familiar voice yelled out, as you were bombarded on all sides by different villains alike.

You and Kirishima went back to back as they circled you. Feeling another arm touch yours, you glance and saw Bakugou. You three formed a triangle, making sure to watch each others blind spots. You were so short compared to them, that your shoulders barley hit the top of their biceps. 

You shot off a beam of light, making sure to keep it burning hot unlike how it was during your fight against Iida. You weren’t looking to hurt Iida during that battle so you made sure to turn the heat down. Using it more as a blinding method, unlike now, making sure to have it hurt.

You three fought hard, but if you were being honest, the villains weren't all that great at combat. These had to be low level thugs seeing as you were knocking them out in seconds flat. Your body temperature began to rise, but not to the point where you were being weakened.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a large man go to swing at Bakugou, even with his normally sharp reaction time it didn't look like he'd be able to dodge him, he had his hands full with 3 other people. You felt yourself move without thinking twice, taking a running jump and getting high above them.

"Bakugou duck!" He surprisingly did what you asked, throwing a quick look your way before ducking down and sending an explosion to the villains in his front.

You came down fast, punching the man in the face with your quirk activated, before twisting your body and using his as a way to propel off of him. He fell with a thud and you landed in a squat, immediately, jumping up to smash your fists into someone else's gut. You grunted out when you were hit from behind, and tumbled to the ground.

"You kids are nothing more than a nuisance, just stand still and let us kill you quickly." A blade lightly cut your cheek as you barley managed to roll out of the way in time.

"Shut the hell up, I'm going to be the one to fucking kill you! SAY GOODBYE" Bakugou roared, blasting into the guy who was towering above you, breaking the windows of the already broken training room. Giving you enough time to get back up and dodge someone else who came at you.

Their numbers were dwindling, and you saw while the three of you had minor cuts and scrapes, no large injuries were present. You grinned, wiping the blood off of your face while letting light travel up your arms.

"Let's finish this!"

One of the last people of the group came up to you, he was decked out in heavy armor and had a large sword. You dodged their efforts to swing it at you, noticing he was going pretty slow, swinging blindly as if he didn’t know how to use his weapon. You made your light sold around your hands and caught the weapon mid swing, making him grunt out in surprise.

“What the-”

You willed your hands to heat up, so hot that it began to melt the sword. Using this distraction as an advantage, you brought one hand back and knocked him backwards. He stumbled from you punch and was knocked to the ground when another body slammed into him, someone Kirishima had punched the same time you did.

You took in large amounts of air, trying to calm your raging heart and bring your body heat down some.You arms were smoking due to the temperature you had to use to melt the sword but you felt good, everyone else seemed to be knocked down or too hurt to get up, and you three were still standing. You saw the boys breathing hard as well, but grins on each of their faces. Well, a smirk in Bakugou’s case, but it had to count for something. 

“That looks like the last of these guys, what a bunch of weaklings.”

“They were too weak, even with their large numbers. Did they really think they could take out AllMight?” You questioned, walking over to stand in between them.

“Who know, they were dumb asses.” Bakugou shrugged while looking at you.

You nodded in response, but still felt uneasy. There was no way that many people would’ve walked to their deaths if they didn’t have reassurance they could take down the number 1 hero.

“Well even so, let’s go and find the rest of our class.” Kirishima chimed in.

"If the three of us are still in the U.S.J, I'm sure everyone else is. And not all of them have the offensive skills we do. We have to make sure they're safe, especially since we screwed things up and gotten in the way earlier! If Thirteen would have just sucked up that villain, we never would have been separated!" He continued, eyes screwed shut in obviously guilt.

"Eijiro we made a choice and we should stick by it, whether it was a good one or not. A moment's hesitation can be the weakness needed to get killed." You placed a now cooled hand on his shoulder, trying to make sure he saw that what you three did wasn't in vain.

"We still owe it to them to go help!"

"You wanna take the time to track everyone down, have fun, but I'm going to go destroy that warpy bastard." Bakugou huffed, eyes set into a glare. 

"Huh? But our physical attacks didn't hurt that guy, c'mon don't be an idiot man."

"SHUT UP! I'm going to take him down because he's their only way in and out, don't you get it? If we cut off the escape route they'll be forced to stay here and pay for all the shit they've done. We'll figure it out."

"Eijiro, I think I agree with Bakugou. Even if we don't know just yet how to take him down we have to give it a shot. Plus we don't have time to search this large area to find everyone, we have to have tru-UGH." You staggered as a white hot pain made your arm throb.

You twisted your body, bringing your other arm up and around, punching the chameleon-looking villain and slamming him back a bit. He was still standing, so you went to rush back at him. However, an arm draped across your chest, pushing you back before an explosion was released in their other palm. Immense heat making your hair fly back as Bakugou took the guy down for the count.

Bakugou's arm dropped from holding you, and he turned away from the body on the floor.

"Anyway, if all these villains are small fries like these guys were, then our classmates can handle them." He looked into your eyes before down at your arm.

It was an open cut, and it was bleeding.

"You okay? Geez, that reaction time was insane! Both of you." Kirishima held your arm as carefully as he could, panicking on what to do. You removed his hands gently.

"I'm good, let me close it up. I learned this trick a while back." You allowed heat to enter a single finger, bringing it up to the wound and started to cauterize it. You were biting your lip at the pain, the burning was worse than the actual cut itself. You missed the looks of admiration both boys gave you for it.

Slowly but surely you were able to use the heat to close your wound.

"It's going to scar but at least it won't bleed out. Thanks for the save Bakugou."

"Yeah whatever."

"Wait, since when does Bakugou act so calm and rational?" Kirishima muttered to himself, but you two still heard it.

"Usually you're the opposite, acting like uh.."

"DIE! DIE! DIE!" You finished for him mimicking Bakugou, laughing with Kirishima while doing so.

"I'M ALWAYS CALM AND RATIONAL SHITTY HAIR!"

"Yea just like that!" You smiled, he huffed at you while turning away.

"You can go find the others if you want shitty hair, we'll go find that warp bastard." Bakugou started to walk away, expecting you to follow. You were about to protest before Eijiro spoke out.

"Wait hold up, I think what you're really saying is you believe in our classmates, and that's thinking like a man Bakugou!" He slammed his fists together with a smirk, his hardening quirk activated.

Bakugou stared firmly at him, not agreeing but not disagreeing. You're glad Kirishima understood what he was trying to really say, even though his tough guy act wouldn't crumble. You had to trust your classmates to be okay, because you had to look at the bigger picture. You smiled at the boys, determination set in your gaze. 

"Let's go kick some ass shall we?"

[brownskinsugarplum76]

Third Shift, Part 1

I'm still plugging away on the story I started for Robert's birthday, but here's everything up to the smut, which is halfway written. Please excuse any errors. ☺️ More tonight, I hope! It takes place on Robert's 21st birthday, in 1969, a day during which Zeppelin performed 2 shows virtually back to back.

Shout out to Robert, as always, for being the best muse I could've asked for. Happy birthday, sir. 🙌🏽🎁🎂❤️❤️❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Good evening, Schenectady! The birthday boy is here!" Robert proclaimed loudly to no one in particular as he entered. The locals, rough-looking men who could appreciate what amounted to a truck stop stripper bar, suspiciously eyed the willowy hippie dandy with the British accent who bounded through the sea of wooden tables. Before the blue-collar men could return to their drinks they noticed the rest of the boy's long-haired entourage, and a chorus of grumbles and groans filled the room.

"He needs those birthday punches sooner than later," muttered Bonzo, watching his friend, in his birthday oblivion, blissfully ignorant to the bar's shifting mood. "I know I can give 'im as good as that American roadie tosser did me for my 21st."

As the rest of the band and Cole found an open table, Robert breezed his way to the bar between two men who were nursing large mugs of beer and lost in a heated conversation about the year's prospects for the New York Jets.

"Look at this long-haired freak," said the man wearing a Jets hat. "Kids got no respect for themselves today, I tell ya. No respect for themselves or this fine country."

Robert almost pointed out that he was from England, but thought better of it. A bar brawl and physical damage to his angel face would not help him win the hearts of any local girls.

The thought vanished quickly from his mind. He was too high to care after successful back to back shows that night, his revelry for his milestone 21st birthday, and a long swallow of whiskey in the car. Besides, he'd heard every negative comment about his hair and his clothes before.

"Oi love," he called loudly at the back of the bartender, who was restocking bottles of vodka and whiskey. No top-shelf brands, Robert noticed disdainfully, having acquired taste in this area under the tutelage of Cole. "A pint for the birthday boy, please?" He'd never met a beer or a cider he didn't like and figured it would be a safe bet.

"A pint of what?" she said without turning around.

"Ah, fuck," he said, quickly flashing an apologetic smile when the men at his sides whipped their heads toward him to deliver severe scowls. "America... Right. A beer, love, please? And it really is my birthday."

"Happy birthday, Mr. Out of Town," she said with sarcasm, moody from the high of catching Zeppelin's early show that night followed by the lows of the regulars' crude come-ons. "We've only got domestic," she continued. "I hope that's good enough for you."

She finally turned around and gasped. "You're the guy from Led Zeppelin, aren't you?"

"Robert Plant's the name." His smile, with its luminous, hypnotic quality, dissolved her shock and revved her desire. He liked the reaction he usually got from his smile, but he hoped that people would remember his name soon.

"Hey, you were at the first show, yeah? Front row, jean shorts, tight little T-shirt?" Somehow his smile became more intense, magnetic enough to make her face flush and her breath catch.

"You saw me?" She filled the mug with beer, higher to the top than usual, in direct defiance to her uncle's strict instructions.

Robert thanked her and sipped the beer she sat before him. He sighed. "Fine American lager, this is."

"Don't tell my uncle, but it's our best, and it's on the house for you, birthday boy."

Robert grinned broadly. "To answer your question," he said, then took another sip, "I would've been blind to not have noticed you. I couldn't resist your stare and you're, uh, rather lovely… Even now, in your work outfit."

She knew her work t-shirt was stained from a beer mug she had knocked over earlier. There was nothing she could do about that, so she toyed with her hair instead, finding a stray lock to tuck behind her ear. "Well, then, please tell me you're the prince who has come to whisk me away from all this." She waved her hands at the backs of men who might have been star high school football players in their heyday but were now graying or balding men, or both, with expanding waistlines and protracted bad moods. She rolled her eyes.

"I, uh, could be, if you want… For tonight, anyway."

"I don't get off until 2, though. Are you really going to stick around here until then?"

Robert looked around sheepishly. He knew Cole's skin must've been crawling, and he'd also heard whispers about more strippers visiting the hotel for him. "I…"

"Fucking hell, Robert, did you forget about us at the table, matey? Too busy chatting up a bird? We've eaten all the peanuts we can stand, you wanker. Get us some bloody beers, too!"

"Sorry, Bonzo," Robert said, without turning around. "Four more beers for the band and our road mom, please."

"I think you're right… We won't be closing your bar down, sweet. I think they have another surprise for me at the hotel." He gave her a puppy dog frown while she poured more beers. His wide-eyed stare went overcast in a way that he surely knew would be irresistible.

The more she stared into the depths of his stormy blue eyes, the more his gaze seemed to issue a dare. A barely perceptible upturn of his lips was the only clue that she wasn't imagining things.

She batted her eyelids and offered a similar sliver of a smile. His challenge had been accepted. "What a shame… But, you know, I have another idea…" She grabbed the strings that weighed down the corners of his shirt's V-neck opening and pulled him closer.

Robert didn't need another hint. He purred as the softness of her lips met his. Then he smirked inwardly as his tongue effortlessly teased her lips apart and swirled in her mouth with a tantalizing churn. He witnessed her bravado buckling under the heat of his kiss.

Her hands migrated to his mop of large curls as he gently grasped her shoulders. The two men seated in front of her groused and said it was time to get better seats for the show anyway. She knew they were the only ones who would care about her spectacle with Robert after having their space invaded; everyone else was too drunk or lost in conversation to care.

She eventually pulled away. She was fearful that her uncle would see her, as he was due in at any minute.

Her breathing went shallow and her heart began to race, but she found her voice somehow. "The show will be starting soon. When it does, meet me outside. I'll be on my break. You came in a car, right?"

"That I did, darlin'. A car that no one will be using during the show… Ah! An angel's face and a devil's mind. A combination I love."

She smiled. "Oh, Robert? One more thing…"

"Sure," he said without a clue of what she was going to say.

"Let's see your bartending skills… Don't forget the beers," she said, gesturing to the full tray before her.

"Barkeep! I thought you'd never come!" Cole clapped Robert on the back as he sat the tray down. Robert breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that all the drinks made it to the table without one drop spilled.

"Lovely new friend you have there…" Jimmy offered before trailing off. He eyed the beer suspiciously before pushing it away from him. "I'm going to pass."

"Now, now, Pagey, you'll need it for a tick while we toast Robert," Bonzo chided. "And then you can give it to me."

Robert had finished his drink but raised his empty mug for the toast, as did Jonesy and the rest.

"Right. Percy, my mate, you wiggled your ass into something great for both of us. I am forever grateful that you thought of me for the New Yardbirds, as it were. There's a matter of a petrol bill to settle still, but let's forget about that for now, yeah? I'm glad we're on this ride together. Before we all say cheers, just know that I plan to dole out your birthday punches when you least expect it. Twenty-one of 'em. Jonesy will count to keep us honest."

"Anyway," he said, looking over at Robert, "Happy 21st birthday, Robert. Chin chin."

Everyone touched glasses. Everyone with beer took a sip, Jimmy included. Robert took a healthy swallow of Jimmy's beer before passing it over to Bonzo. As much as Robert wanted another pint, he knew he wanted to be as alert as he could for the bartender and their rendezvous.

***

The entertainment was announced, and Robert rose from the table.

"And just where the fuck are you going?" Cole glared as Robert pushed his chair under the table. "You're the only reason we're here right now."

"I'd say it's safe to wager that Robert has made plans for private entertainment," Jimmy commented.

"The bartender," echoed Jonesy.

"You mean you don't want to witness the finest strippers that upstate New York has to offer?" On with you, then." Cole waved a dismissive hand and lit a cigarette.

"May I borrow the car keys?" Robert asked Cole, while his eyes pleaded even more.

"Here."

Robert caught the keys as they hurtled through the air in the general direction of his head.

"And don't drink all the whiskey with your lady friend!"

Robert bowed, tipped an invisible hat to Cole, and then walked briskly to the door.

"Hmmm… I may have spoken too soon about the quality of Schenectady's strippers…" Cole exchanged glances with the rest of the band as a voluptuous blonde took center stage and waited, with her hands on her hips, for the music to start. "My sincerest apologies, greater New York." Cole whistled loudly and turned his chair completely toward the stage.

[lpdwillwrite4coffee]

BLOODY SUNRISE CHAPTER FIVE

Caitlin awoke with a jerk, arms flailing up. “What?”

“Rise and shine, darlin’,” Booker’s voice called from outside the car.

Where was he? She couldn’t see him…

Twisting in her seat, Caitlin blearily peered through the windows and back windshield. Booker was standing at the trunk—him closing it must’ve been what woke her—unfolding a map.

Fumbling with her seatbelt, she opened the car door. “What’s going on?”

“Ran outta gas,” Booker said, still staring at his map. “We’re not far from a few places to syphon—neighborhoods, parking lots, that sorta thing. But we’ll have to hoof it.”

Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she squinted at him in the setting sun. “It’s almost dark.”

“Got a couple more hours of light.”

“Which we should use to set up camp.”

“Camp?” Booker chuckled. “Y’mean rolling a couple blankets out on the back seat?”

“You don’t have a tent?”

“Sure I do, but I’m not planning on settin’ that up on the side of the road for one night’s stay.”

Caitlin sighed. She should have stayed asleep. “Alright, fine.”

“Not gonna argue?” He glanced up at her. “Color me shocked.”

“I’m groggy. Give me a couple minutes and I’ll be back to my verbal sparring self.”

She stood up and stretched, glancing around. “Where are we?”

“About forty minutes outside of ‘If I lived here, I’d have a drinkin’ problem’.”

She laughed, his joke catching her off guard. She turned, still grinning, to look at him and spotted the delight in his eyes before he focused on the map again.

“Strip mall is closest. About a twenty-minute walk from here. If we hurry, we’ll be back with plenty of daylight left.”

“Think we can look for food too? My supply is low.”

Booker nodded, folding up the map and shoving it into his back pocket. “We’ll get ya sorted. C’mon.”

He grabbed up his pack, a couple gas cans, and his rifle from the back seat and started walking.

Caitlin gathered her stuff from the car, refusing to leave her meager belongings unguarded.

The first few minutes were quiet as Booker navigated them to a fork in the road and took the right branch. The area was pretty barren, save for a few patches of trees and occasional house or barn. Everything was deserted from what she could tell, houses boarded up and left in a hurry. They found a John Deere tractor in someone’s yard and Booker wasted no time syphoning the tank.

It was humid and sticky, sweat making her clothes cling to her uncomfortably. But she had to admit, the vastness, the open fields of crops gone unpicked, the lack of Geeks… It was enough to give her mind a reprieve from the horrible truth of the world, even for a moment or two.

“Were you with anyone before?” The question flew from her mouth as she stared at a light pole nearly covered in kudzu.

“With?”

“Like a group. People other than yourself?”

From a few paces ahead of her, she could see him shake his head. “Nope.”

“Not even family? Or friends?”

“Most of my family was gone long before groaners started walkin’ the earth. And my buddies all have families of their own to take care of. So, it’s just me.”

Caitlin nodded. “And you’re not married.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Y’don’t think I could be married?” Booker glanced over his shoulder at her, smirking.

“No ring, or tan line from where a ring used to be,” she said. “You’re not concerned about being somewhere soon, which means no one is waiting for you, and you decided to hitch up with me, so…”

“Observant,” he said, tone more impressed than his face would let on. “And you? Y’got someone waitin’ on you in New York?”

She shook her head. “I’m not married.” Then she remembered… “Well. There’s a guy.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. His name is Nathaniel.” She paused, brow furrowing. “Or… was Nathaniel. I don’t know.” She stared up at the side of Booker’s head. “Do we use past tense or present for people now? I don’t know if he’s alive or not… And it’s not like I can call him.”

He didn’t turn his head, but his eyes darted over as he said, “I guess you use whatever makes it easier to keep going.”

It was a surprisingly wise statement from a man with a Lynyrd Skynyrd patch on his backpack.

After a moment, she said, “Nathaniel’s nice. He’s sweet. He’s a fireman.”

“Dreamy,” Booker teased.

“I know, it’s almost cliché. And I’ve never been the type.”

“Type t’what?”

“Date a fireman. Date any stereotypically masculine guy. I usually go for nerds in comic tee shirts or software developers. Give me a guy with glasses and an obsession with PlayStation and I’m putty.”

“Please tell me you’re jokin’.”

“No, I’m serious,” she urged. “Something about a smart, kinda awkward guy… I dunno, they’re just dolls.”

“Nah, they’re still assholes, they’re just skinny assholes with carpal tunnel.”

“Excuse me—”

“Trust me, you get yourself an IT nerd, and they’re comin’ with a decade or two of baggage from bein’ bullied, never bein’ popular, always bein’ ‘just a friend’ and never gettin’ laid. And then if’n’when they manage to get themselves a girl—or guy—they don’t have any idea how to treat them ‘cause they’re flesh and blood and not some CGI wet dream.”

“You sound like you got dumped by an IT nerd.”

Booker chuckled. “Nah, just dealt with enough of ‘em. Served with a couple too.”

“IT Marines?”

“Made officer straight outta school and didn’t have any clue about service.”

“I think you’re making a lot of broad generalizations.”

“Just like you did about firemen?” He glanced at her, smirking.

Caitlin faltered. “Well… I have plenty of evidence to back up my theory.”

“’N I got a lotta evidence to back up mine.”

She huffed, disliking the stalemate she’d found herself in. Before she could come up with another statement, Booker spoke.

“So, this Nathaniel… Is it serious?”

She smiled at his use of present tense for her benefit. “Uh, well…”

“Take that as a no.”

“It’s not a no. It’s an ‘I don’t know’.”

“If ya know, ya know.”

“I can’t make a life altering decision like marriage after just six months of dating.”

Booker made a noise like sucking his tongue over his teeth. “I think if ya find the right person, you feel it. You know. Time ain’t got nothin’ to do with it.”

“That’s impractical. You have to know if they’re good with things like… Bills. How are they with money? Are they a Democrat or Republican? Do they put their dishes in the sink or directly into the dishwasher?”

“None of that matters,” he said, guiding them left, down a different yet still desolate road. “Bein’ with someone, really with ‘em, it’s all about how you work together. Ya gotta make a good team. It don’t matter if they’re the same religion or if they vote the same. Hell, it don’t even matter if they hog the blankets and kick ya in their sleep—”

“Clearly you’ve never slept with a blanket hog. It is absolutely a make or break thing.”

“All that matters is having each other’s backs. Bein’ on the same team. Even if you’re buttin’ heads all the damn time, as long as at the end of the day you want the best for each other, that’s what matters.”

Caitlin scoffed. “Says the guy who’s never been married.”

He laughed quietly, looking over at her. “Nah, but my parents were. Forty years. Never spent more than a night apart.”

“Wow,” she breathed. “That’s… Nice. Really.” She stared at the ground. “You’re lucky you grew up with that.”

Booker nodded. “They were good people. Honest. Loved me with everything they had.”

“And they’re… no longer with us?”

“Mama died of cancer a few years back. And Dad… I think he died of a broken heart. Found him in his Laz-y Boy two months later. Doc said it was a heart attack.”

Caitlin’s gaze lifted to his profile. “I’m… I’m sorry, Booker. That’s terrible.”

He nodded minutely. “They were meant to be. Real soulmates. Couldn’t live without the other. And now… I think they were lucky. Lucky in love, and lucky in death.”

He said it just as they spotted the strip mall in the distance, abandoned and surrounded by evidence that the world was no longer what it was.

Reality came crashing back down on Caitlin. Talking with Booker had helped her forget, alleviated the mental burden she’d carried on her own for the last month. But seeing broken down cars, buildings with smashed windows, blood splatter on concrete… It all was a brutal reminder life had changed forever.

“There she is,” Booker said. “Alright, here’s the plan. We go slowly, we stay alert, and we do not separate. If you see something to check out, tell me and we go together. Got it?”

“Sir, yes sir,” she teased, but his jaw was locked and gaze level.

“I mean it, Meadows. I don’t need you runnin’ off and gettin’ gnawed on. We’ll look for food first, then gasoline.” He looked over at her, waiting for her to nod in agreement before saying, “You got a weapon?”

“Uhh, just a knife I picked up. It’s not very sharp…”

Stopping to lower his pack, Booker dug around for a moment and pulled out a revolver. “Here. You’re not trained enough yet for hand to hand. This one’s trusty, not too much recoil, but she’s louder than a thunder clap, so don’t spook yourself. Y’know how to cock it?”

Caitlin took the gun from him gingerly. “Um, it’s this thing, right?” She pointed to the hammer and he nodded.

“Just make sure it’s pushed back like that—” he demonstrated for her “—and you’ll have a live weapon. While we’re walking, it needs to be like this, and tucked in your belt.”

“I’m not wearing a belt.”

“Then your back pocket.”

“What makes you think skinny jeans from Forever 21 are gonna have pockets big enough for that?”

Booker rolled his eyes and tugged her around by the shoulder. “Lemme see.”

“What are you—Hey!”

He flicked up the hem of her shirt to look. “Eh, it’ll fit. You’re fillin’ those out though, so don’t wiggle too much or the gun’ll fall out.”

Caitlin turned again, glaring up at him. “Did you just say I have a fat ass?”

He grinned down at her, brown eyes sparkling. “Not a bad thing.”

“Oh my God,” she muttered, walking away from him. “Careful jackass, I’m armed now.”

“Oh yeah, I’m shakin’ in my boots.”

The walk up to the strip mall was quiet as they kept their eyes and ears peeled for Geeks or threats of a more human variety. She spotted a couple Geeks shuffling around by the dumpsters of an abandoned KFC, seemingly oblivious to them. There wasn’t any wind to carry their scent and, given how sluggish they were, Booker jerked his head, signaling they’d leave them.

Making it to the parking lot, they stuck close together as they weaved between cars and silently jogged towards the SAV-MOR discount store. No Geeks yet, but Caitlin wasn’t optimistic about their odds of finding much. The store’s front windows had been smashed and trash littered the front. Still, Booker and she covered each other as they made their way inside.

One Geek in a store uniform shuffled and grunted down an aisle. Booker made quick work of dispatching it.

“Sweep first; then we’ll look for supplies,” he whispered to her, and she nodded.

The store wasn’t large and clearing it took less time than either of them expected. When Booker declared it safe, they started down each aisle, searching for anything edible or useful.

“I don’t know Booker, this place looks pretty wiped,” she said, inspecting a few cans without labels, trying to figure out if they were SPAM or peaches.

“Don’t lose hope yet, darlin’,” he told her, nodding to a door marked ‘Employees Only’. “Store room.”

“It’s either crawling with Geeks or empty too,” she muttered, following him. “You think people wouldn’t check back there?”

“Maybe. People tend to be idiots when they’re in a rush.”

Opening the door slowly, he searched for any undead, but the place was clear.

“And whaddya know…” he said, holding the door for her.

The stock room was full. Pallets of food, drinks, paper products… all untouched.

Caitlin gaped. “People are idiots.”

“God bless ‘em.”

She felt a little giddy staring at food she’d only dreamt of—Pop Tarts, Pringles, bottles of Coke, Lucky Charms.

“Damn,” Booker said, looking around. “None of this’ll do.”

“What are you talking about? This is as close to a cornucopia as we’re ever gonna get.”

“It’s all sugar,” he said. “Food is fuel. Eatin’ this trash’ll just spike your blood sugar and leave you starvin’ later.”

“Okay Doctor Atkin, you keep telling yourself that when you’re hungry tonight and I’m stuffing my face full of Doritos.”

She tore open the plastic wrapping, shoving mini bags of chips and pretzels in her bag. After a few moments she heard him make a noise of surprise.

“Ah, they’ve got jerky.”

“See? There’s your balanced diet right there.”

She moved on to the peanut butter, the Gatorade, and then Pop Tarts. She couldn’t pass those up even if she tried.

Booker came around holding plastic bags loaded down with bottles of water and jerky. Caitlin spotted the bright green of a Pringles can and had to bite her tongue to keep from mocking him.

“I think we’ve got enough to last us a while,” he said. “You get anything of nutritional value?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Four jars of peanut butter and more pretzels than you could dream of. And Gatorade.”

“Well look at you,” he said, lips curving.

“Gasoline?”

“Yep. Need anything else from out there?”

She shook her head and he took the lead out to the parking lot. They both spotted the small group of Geeks across the road at the same time, and Booker motioned for her to stay low by the cars. They’d try to work without engaging if they could help it.

Most of the cars were dry but a fancy looking Prius was a surprising goldmine with almost a full tank. Booker was almost done syphoning the gas into the cans when he stopped, head tilting like he was listening for something.

“What is it?”

“Shh,” he murmured, squinting as if that would help him hear. “Down the road a ways…”

“What, Booker?”

Keeping an eye on the shambling Geeks that still had no idea they were there, she listened intently. All she heard were insects and… an engine?

“Humvees,” Booker said, motioning for her to duck behind an SUV. “Stay low.”

“Humvees… as in the military?” She crouched down, and Booker followed, pressing his shoulder into the side of the car. “I thought the military flopped, what with the whole Zombie virus outbreak and ensuing chaos.”

“Military’s about the size of a grade school now, but they’re still around. And they’re not what they once were.”

He said the last sentence with a conviction held only by someone who’d had firsthand knowledge. She didn’t doubt it for a second.

Booker looked over at her. “Listen to me. The guys rollin’ up in those Humvees any minute now are not men you can trust, do you understand?”

Caitlin held his gaze as she nodded. “Don’t trust the government. Got it.”

“Armed forces bastardized into goon squads with tanks.”

The roar of the Humvees grew closer and Booker ducked down, making sure to stay out of sight.

“You know you’re gonna have to tell me this story later, right?”

“Sure, I’ll tell ya over a Gatorade and Snickers.”

The ground beneath their feet vibrated as the convoy drove up, engine noise tearing through the quiet.

But instead of moving on, the Humvees stopped. Male voices called to each other, barely audible over the machines. Caitlin could hear one of them say something about ‘hostiles’ before a machine gun fired.

Yelping, she nearly fell back, but Booker steadied her, shielding her momentarily. The gun wasn’t aimed at them, but at the small group of Geeks on the other side of the road.

When the gunfire stopped, the men yelled something else and she thought they were driving off. Booker shifted to look, just as something flew across the parking lot towards the building.

“Shit, get down,” he ordered, lunging for her.

Arms, hands protected her head, pushing her down to the ground. She cried out, but it was muffled by his chest as his body covered hers. Before she could comprehend what was happening, a deafening explosion engulfed the strip mall.

Caitlin screamed into Booker’s shoulder, hands feebly covering her ears. She fought to push him off, her body reacting as it always had—Run.

But Booker kept her pinned, arms cradling her head to shield her from shrapnel. He leaned into her, silently explaining. No, don’t. Not yet. They’ll see you. Stay down. You’re safe. Don’t move.

Smoke billowed out from the burning shell of a mall. After a few moments, the convoy started up again, driving down the road and out of sight.

Booker continued to cover her until he knew they were safe, that the Humvees weren’t doubling back. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he peeled himself off her and lifted her to sit upright.

“Y’alright?” He asked, checking her over.

Caitlin nodded, ears ringing painfully. “What the fuck was that?”

“Gentrification,” he said, standing up slowly and offering her his hand. “Military’s way of clearing the grid.”

“But… There’s… There was food in there. Supplies. Stuff people could have used. Why…”

“C’mon, I’ll tell ya on the way back.” He stooped down to gather their bags and gas cans. “Groaners ain’t the only things we gotta worry about out here.”

As they trekked back the way they came, Booker told her what he knew. About how evacuation teams had cordoned off sections of the country, shipped people there. At first it was for relief shelters, meant to be where everyone went when they could find their way. But soon things got out of hand. Supplies dwindled, people got sick, and more were still coming… All terrified, and lost, and in need. It became a Noah’s Ark situation. Only the selected few could stay. No more could enter. Everyone else outside the gates were damned.

What was left of the military was given orders—Kill on sight, undead and stray humans. Someone up top thought population control would stem the virus, give the rest of the people a fighting chance, keep food sources from getting over-taxed as they tried to rebuild. Barbaric, no matter the logic.

Buildings in designated “hot zones” were to be demolished, burned; how it was done didn’t matter as long as Geeks and people alike couldn’t hide out in them.

Thankfully, Booker was right about the size of the military. They were spread thin and not nearly as ever present as the zombies. Still a threat, but one that was rarely an issue unless you were near bigger cities or coming up to one of those Ark camps.

They were just about to the car when Booker slowed, cursing under his breath.

“What? What is it?” Caitlin squinted, dusk making it harder to see.

“The car…” He said and that’s when she saw the thin stream of smoke.

“They… burnt the car?” She stared up at him, horrified. “But…”

“Exterminators. All of ‘em.” He trudged closer to be sure, but he was right. Someone had torched the car. It was still on fire in places.

Caitlin watched the upholstery melt, realization twisting in her gut. “They thought we were in that building, didn’t they?”

Booker nodded. “Anybody not inside an Ark camp is just as good as a groaner to them. They’ll use us for target practice and not think twice.”

Taking another moment to look over the blackened remains of their vehicle, Booker said, “Guess we’re walkin’.”

“To where?”

“That shed ten minutes back up the road looked alright. Might be cramped though.”

“I’ve been sleeping in trees for a week. I can deal.”

“Atta girl.”

                                                               ***

Caitlin wriggled on her makeshift bed, grunting. “Okay, see, when I said I could deal, I meant with an even division of space. Not this.” She bumped her shoulder against the side of the shed. “What the hell, Booker. I’m not claustrophobic but geez…”

“I told you, you’re better off with me between you and the door. And if something busts in, gotta have enough room to react. Therefore—”

“Therefore, you put baby in a corner.” She shifted again, trying to figure out a way to lay down that wouldn’t put her right up against the dirty shed wall or pressed against Booker.

“Stop that, you’re makin’ the whole place rattle.”

Exhaling roughly, she brushed a strand of hair off her damp forehead. “I’m not completely helpless you know. I can stand guard too.”

“Never said you were helpless.”

“Oh yes, you shoving me into a corner to sleep just screams confidence.”

Booker sighed, leaning his rifle on the wall next to him. “Just try to settle down, you’re gettin’ yourself all worked up.”

“I’m trying,” she said. “But if I lay this way, I’m uncomfortable. If I try the other way, I’m right up on you, so—”

Booker’s laugh cut her off. “You mean you’re throwin’ a hissy fit ‘cause you’re tryin’ to respect my personal bubble?”

She paused, looking up at him in the dim light. “Well. Yeah…”

He laughed again, and she pushed herself up. “We just met. I know the world’s gone to hell in a decorative handbasket but I’m still trying to keep some semblance of politeness—”

“This is you bein’ polite?”

“Shut up, you know what I mean.” She could just make out his profile in the darkness. “I don’t know your deal and I don’t… I don’t know, I don’t want to offend or…”

“Get caught in a nasty situation with a strange man.” He said it without any hint of being affronted by the insinuation. The world wasn’t picture perfect before there were zombies, they both knew that.

After a moment, he shifted over to give her more space. It wasn’t much, but it gave them a small area of neutral territory.

“Thank you,” she murmured, laying back down.

It was quiet, the only sounds coming from their breathing and the crickets outside. She was just starting to feel like sleep might not be far off when Booker cleared his throat gently.

“I, uh… I just need you to know,” he started, voice raspy. “I’d… I’d never.” He paused, and she wasn’t sure if he was searching for words or affected by something only he knew.

He started again. “Doing that to someone… It’s evil. Rips the soul outta person. I just… I need you to know I’d never…”

“I know,” she whispered, hand lifting to reach for him but pulled short. “Well, at least I do now.”

She heard more than saw him nod. “Alright then.”

“Thank you, Booker.” She said it slowly, so he’d catch everything she implied.

Thank you for reassuring me.

Thank you for looking out for me.

Thank you for being good.

“Night, Meadows.”

“Night, Booker.”

                                                               ***

Run, run, run, as fast as you can.

Caitlin bolted upright, gasping for air. That same dream… Like running and falling at the same time. The plane crash. Seeing Geeks eating someone. Running. Always running.

“Hey, hey,” Booker’s voice cut through the fog of panic. “Meadows, you’re alright… Hey…”

She heard him sit up, felt him tilt towards her.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” she whispered, voice cracking. “I… It was a… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Y’didn’t.” He bent his knee to lean his arm on. “I only sleep for about two hours at a time anyway.”

She tried to take a deep breath, slow her heart rate. The shivering started, just like always. Too much adrenaline flooding her system with nowhere to go.

“Cold?”

She muttered a ‘no’, barely able to form words with trembling lips.

When she was alone, she’d gotten used to handling the nightmares herself. She’d wait until the worst of the shaking was over and then start humming to herself. Whatever song she could think of, anything to take her mind off the flickering horrors in her mind. She’d hum until her throat was sore and she was tired again. A self-soothing lullaby of sorts.

But now, with another person around… It seemed juvenile. A tough guy like Booker probably would think she was being ridiculous. Think she was too soft.

“Nightmares, right?” He asked, voice soothing. “You wanna talk about it?”

Caitlin shook her head, hoping he could see her. She didn’t trust her voice just yet.

“You… You need a distraction?”

She glanced over her shoulder, able to make out the line of his rugged nose and brow line in the dark.

“Buddy of mine used to turn the tv on when he’d get a nightmare. Play Nick-at-Night or somethin’ to help him fall back asleep.” He huffed out a laugh. “Not like we have a tv but… You want me to talk or somethin’? I can recite state capitols to bore you back to sleep.”

Caitlin laughed—a short burst of sound that surprised her. It was a kind offer, especially given that they’d barely gotten to know each other.

Jesus, had it really only been one day?

She paused, thinking it over.

“That… That song from earlier,” she started, voice weak. “The one you were humming in the car.”

“Willie Nelson?”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “Can… Would it be okay if…”

Booker leaned back against the shed wall. “Sure, darlin’. I’ll sing ya back to sleep.”

She expected a teasing tone, but he was sincere.

Shifting to give her more room to get comfortable, he started humming, just loud enough for her to hear.

After another moment, Caitlin laid back down, curling onto her side and drawing her knees up as far as she could. Booker continued to hum, and then sing a few verses. He wasn’t very good, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he sang, kept humming, gave her mind another soundtrack to focus on instead of the warped snarls and groans of Geeks playing over and over in her head.

“Booker, I—”

“Shh, it’s almost to the bridge,” he told her. But she knew what he wasn’t saying.

It’s alright.

You’re not alone.

Go back to sleep.

And she did. She slept through to sunrise.

[annablosssom]

lion dancing

“Shake your butt, brother. It looks more realistic like that.”

Hanzo grumbles underneath his breath, but does it anyway, sighing when he hears a few children laugh in delight. He’s bent over like this, hands on his brother’s hips while he shakes his ass.

If only father could see him now.

((The Shimada brothers try lion dancing to save a crucial witness from a crime lord who wants him dead))

(((click here to read on archiveofourown.org)))

“We are not dancing as a rainbow lion.”

Hanzo begins pulling on his pants, black and frilled with gold, ignoring his brother’s groans behind him.

They’re supposed to match with the lion’s fur, and while black isn’t his preferred color, Hanzo has to admit that there’s something appealing about it. He remembers seeing the lion costume for the first time, the heavy cloth strikingly dark against the gold trims and frills along the details.

The mirror shone. Polished enough to ward off evil, if he were to believe in myths.

He feels pinpricks of static along his tattooed arm, admonishment from the myths residing in his body. He smiles to himself.

“But Hanzo,” Genji says, prolonging the last syllable of his name to an irritably long amount of time. “We’re going to be the main event in this parade.”

“We’re going to be the main event regardless of the lion’s color. Now hurry up and put this on,” Hanzo tosses the other pair over his shoulder before focusing on hiding his tattoo with a sleek black arm sleeve. “The parade will begin soon.”

There’s a knock on the door, three sharp taps, before Hana opens it and pokes her head through. She gives them a two-fingered salute. “Five minutes ‘til seven. Parade’s starting soon. You guys ready to go?” she asks, speaking Japanese just as easily as she does Korean.

“We’ll be out in a moment,” Hanzo says, donning a black facemask. To hide his face during the lifts. “Genji, are you almost ready?”

He turns around to see Genji and Hana both staring at the pair of traditional cloth slippers on the floor, topped with black fluff.

“I don’t think these’ll fit me,” Genji muses while Hana walks in and around him to pick one up.

“These will barely fit me,” she says, turning it around in her hand. “Think it’ll be noticeable if you go without?”

“Ah, excuse me,” a hesitant voice says from the doorway, and they all turn to look at the newcomer. He’s a small man, but lean in musculature. He gives them a shy smile that makes his eyes squint even more. Accented Japanese slips from his lips quietly as he says, “We took the liberty of finding a pair for the both of you.”

“Thank you, Liu-san,” Hanzo says, taking the shoes from him with a small bow and handing a pair over to Genji.

Liu bows back, before rubbing the back of his head with a small laugh. “On the contrary, Shimada-san, it is I who should be thanking you for taking on my request to push through with the parade. You did not have to go through all this.”

“But it is your life on the line,” Genji says, testing the shoes with a few steps, before looking up at them. “You are a brave man, Liu-san, to go against dangerous, powerful men. Your testimony against them will help many more than you know. That is why we are willing to help you.”

“I, ah,” he smiles once more, squirming at Genji’s words. “I am unused to such praise. Thank you. But… are you sure you want to perform the lion dance? My cousin and I are still willing to take over—”

Genji shakes his head. “This parade is there best chance at getting you, Liu-san. It’ll be safer if we perform in your stead.”

“But—"

“Don’t worry about it,” Hana slaps Liu on the back with a grin. “They got it covered. Ah, hold on.”

She brings up a hand to her comm, reverting back to English.

“D.Va here… Yeah, Liu’s here with me… Uh-huh,” she nods at Hanzo, before gesturing to Liu to follow her out. “Got it. Escorting him there now. D.Va out.”

The moment her hand drops, Hanzo barely catches her change in posture. There’s a tense line to her form, eyes sharp and alert. A soldier with a mission.

She catches him staring and winks.

“It’s party time!”

--

“Shake your butt, brother. It looks more realistic like that.”

Hanzo grumbles underneath his breath, but does it anyway, sighing when he hears a few children laugh in delight. He’s bent over like this, hands on his brother’s hips while he shakes his ass.

If only father could see him now.

“Genji, hurry up,” he says, watching his brother tear lettuce in front of him before throwing it out of the mouth and stowing away the red envelope into the back of his waistband.

“I’m going, I’m going.”

Genji leads them away, and Hanzo follows. Two steps, then one. The drums slow, and so do they. It beats once, twice, and the two of them take one step for every beat. The tempo picks up with the clashing of gongs and Genji nods at Hanzo over his shoulder.

They jump forward together, and when they hit the ground with bent knees, Hanzo lifts Genji up and overhead by the hips, barely suppressing a scowl when he nearly gets kicked in the face by an errant foot as his brother puppets the lion head above him.

He scans the crowd, taking advantage of the lack of cloth obscuring his view.

It’s a lively night. Dozens of brightly dressed individuals stand on the sidewalk to spectate and to celebrate. There’re paper lanterns hanging from lampposts and food stalls smelling of freshly cooked cuisine.

Amongst the rows of people watching, he spots Mei and McCree walking alongside the parade, arms linked.

Mei fits in with the crowd easily, with her loose red ruqun and her hair done up. Hanzo knows she didn’t come unarmed, but even from this distance, he knows there is no way she could’ve hidden her bulky weapon underneath that cloth. Perhaps, he muses to himself, she is armed with throwing sticks. The bright red sticks in her hair could easily kill a man if thrown with enough force and in the right area. Not that Mei would ever do that.

Shaking his thoughts free of murder, he turns his attention to McCree. Dressed in a black changshan, hair tied back and beard trimmed, he almost looks like any other unassuming American in Chinatown. A tourist trying his best to celebrate with his girlfriend.

McCree must’ve seen him looking, because he shoots him a wink not a second later.

He resists the urge to roll his eyes.

“Hanzo, I’m pretty sure lions aren’t supposed to stay upright this long.”

With a sigh, Hanzo puts Genji down, allowing them to move forward.

The parade goes on. The band continues playing without pause, drums banging and cymbals clashing in time with their steps. Some ten minutes later, when Hanzo’s starting to feel the ache in his lower back from crouching over for far too long, he hears a familiar voice calling out for that “pretty black lion” to their left.

“Genji.”

“I got it.”

There’s a bench on the sidewalk as they move towards the audience. Genji jumps over it easily, Hanzo trailing behind without missing a step. They dance towards McCree, and Hanzo hears children in the audience shriek with delight as they get closer.

“Got this for ya,” Hanzo hears him say over the din of the music, and he watches as Genji takes the lettuce through the lion’s mouth. When he looks down towards the ground once more, McCree’s shoes are already gone from his line of sight.

Genji takes the envelope tied around the vegetable and hands it to Hanzo, the movement hidden by cloth, before ripping the lettuce apart.

Hanzo tears open the envelope and looks inside just as quickly. Two kau cim sticks. Numbers one and two.

“Liu has arrived at the safehouse,” he says, interpreting the code and tucking the envelope into Genji’s waistband in front of him alongside the other envelopes they’ve collected. “No hostiles sighted so far, but they’ve spotted suspicious movement and have moved to investigate.”

Genji nods, leading them into a small circle while he looks through the mouth. “So far so good. Just a few blocks more and we’ll reach the park for the exhibit. They’ve already got the posts set up and— wait. Is there supposed to be a red lion following after us?”

“What?”

“Red and gold. Take a look.”

Hanzo carries Genji overhead once more, spinning them around in a lazy circle. His eyes catch sight of said red lion, several meters away.

Misshapen. That’s the first word that comes into mind when he sees it. The person at the tail is obviously much bigger than the one in front. There is a palpable difference between the thickness of their legs as well, like toothpicks compared to tree trunks.

Lantern light gleams off the cracked mirror on its forehead.

He looks for McCree and Mei in the crowd, frowning when he doesn’t see either. He does, however, catch sight of the band’s distracted glances towards the red lion before he puts Genji back down.

“I do not recognize it,” he says as they continue on with the choreography. “The band appears to be confused by its appearance as well. Perhaps it is a last-minute addition from—?”

“I don’t think so! Left!”

Genji jumps and rolls to the side, leaving Hanzo no choice but to follow, just in time to avoid the red lion as it bull rushes towards them with surprising speed.

Astonished gasps fill the air as they roll back up on their feet, the lion costume miraculously still in place. The crowd starts cheering and clapping.

“They think it part of the performance,” Hanzo says warily, stepping in time with Genji as they and the red lion circle each other slowly.

There’s a pause from the band, before a hesitant bum sounds out from the drum. The crowd murmurs with anticipation.

Bum… bum… bum… bum…

The red lion’s mouth opens slightly, and Hanzo catches a glimpse of white hair and large metal hands on slim hips.

“Genji,” he says, wary. “We have to run.”

Bum… bum… bum… bum…

“We can’t give away that Liu isn’t here, but we can’t let them know who we are either. They might go for the band or the audience. Did you see McCree or Mei?”

Bum-bum… bum-bum…

“No,” Hanzo pauses, narrowing his eyes when he catches Genji looking over towards him, almost certainly smirking beneath his faceplate. “Whatever it is you are planning…”

Bum-bum… bum-bum…

“The tail has to follow the head, brother,” Genji singsongs, motioning for Hanzo to straighten up and peer through the costume’s mouth, “and the head plans to improvise an escape route. See that balcony?”

Bum-bum, bum-bum

Hanzo follows his finger towards a building a few blocks down the street, red paint scraping off by itself. He instinctively begins creating a route in his mind: through the outdoor café, on top of that hovercar, across park on the raised posts—

“The building’s abandoned, and I can figure out a route to get there without putting any civilians in harm’s way. Once we’re in, we’ll ditch the costume and use the rooftops. Alright?”

Hanzo meets his gaze through the visor for a brief moment, before letting out a sigh. He crouches down, fisting his hands on Genji’s waistband once more. “Please refrain from anything foolish.”

Bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum

Genji laughs, still following the red lion’s pace as they continue circling.

“Understood, brother.”

The drumbeat picks up, and Hanzo feels the adrenaline beginning to rush in his system. Muscles tense. Keeps his ears open for his brother’s signal.

Bu-bum bu-bum bu-bum bu-bum bu-bum bu-bum

He takes a breath, blocking out all unnecessary sound until his mind quietens.

The dragons rumble underneath skin.

Ready to fly.

BUM!

Cymbals crash together like sudden thunder, and Genji dashes to the side lightning-quick.

The red lion tries to block them off, but Genji swerves and jumps onto a nearby café table. Hanzo moves with him, not letting go. His foot nearly catches on something, and when he looks down, he gets an idea.

“The chair!”

Genji glances downwards, and a split-second later, he hooks his foot through the open backrest, using his leg to toss it in the air. Hanzo follows up, momentarily letting go to strike it towards the red lion with a turning kick.

The red lion twists, the wooden chair breaking against the solid form of the person manning the tail. When they turn around once more, Hanzo sees the glint of a gun barrel peeking through the lion’s mouth.

“Down!”

He pulls Genji down by the waist, forcing him to crouch just as a shot breaks part of the wall behind them. They hear shouts from the audience, bewildered but not panicking yet.

They jump from table to table, using the occasional chair as a foothold as the red lion begins running to follow. There’s yelling from underneath the costume.

“Lift!” Genji shouts, and Hanzo does. Genji plants one foot on top of a silver hovercar, before jumping towards the top of one of the lampposts. He plants both feet firmly on the ladder rests, not moving as Hanzo pulls himself up using his grip on Genji’s waist. “Behind you!”

Another loud clap of thunder as a bullet whizzes past Hanzo’s left, missing him by inches. He looks back, sees the red lion following after them with a vengeance.

Now solely relying on its back legs to move forward, they could clearly see the gigantic omnic manning the tail, carrying the other person overheard while charging forward with unnatural speed.

Hanzo kicks off from the pole, vaulting over Genji’s head and into a flip and never once letting go. Genji flips forward after, landing a few feet in front of him seconds after Hanzo lands and seconds before the red lion crashes into the lamppost, the pole bending in half upon impact.

Worried murmurs and gasps erupt from the audience, starting to overtake the impressed cheers as a few people slowly approach the crumpled lion. The drum stops beating, the rest of the music coming to a slow halt.

Hanzo and Genji take a few steps back, staying under the cover of the costume.

“Oh my god!” “Did you see—” “Are they okay?”

A few seconds pass, and the red lion doesn’t get back up. A man, one of the parade organizers, comes forward, shouting for everyone to calm down with accented English. Another man pushes himself out of the crowd, before talking to the organizer in Mandarin.

The red lion twitches, and the immediate surrounding crowd gasps, taking instinctive steps back.

The broken pieces from the shattered mirror on its forehead fall to the ground as it jerks.

“On the posts,” Hanzo says, but his brother’s already running towards the raised posts intended for the lion dancing exhibition. He chances another glance over his shoulder, raising the cloth of the costume.

Another twitch, before the omnic stands at full height, looming over everyone as it stares back with beady green eyes. The other figure, hidden underneath the crushed costume stirs. The parade organizer approaches with visible hesitance, moving to kneel help before the figure gets up, head still covered by the red lion.

“BOB!”

The outraged cry echoes throughout the street, silencing the crowd. The figure throws off the lion head, revealing livid red eyes and a shock of white hair. She points towards Hanzo and Genji. The omnic crouches forward in a runner’s stance, eyes unblinking.

“DO SOMETHING!”

It stays in place for one second, two, before going into a destructive sprint, charging towards them with juggernaut speed.

Shrieks and cries fill the air as the people and omnics scramble to get out of its warpath, panic swelling when the woman brings out a semi-automatic rifle and fires once in the air.

Genji pulls Hanzo with him as they leap towards the next raised post, seconds before the omnic smashes the one they were stepping on into splintered wood.

A sharp crack reaches Hanzo’s ears, and he boosts Genji up to jump to another platform as a bullet flies past worryingly close, the woman’s aim now unimpeded by the costume.

Hanzo glances down. Bob rips off another post, gaining on them.

Genji leaps to the next platform.

The woman shoots again before Hanzo could jump after him, and the wooden pole holding up the platform shatters under the force of the bullet.

“Genji!”

He tenses his arms and digs in his heels, grip unyielding as he stops his brother’s fall.

“Oh my god,” he hears Genji wheeze out as he dangles midair, still somehow holding on to the lion’s head. Hanzo echoes the sentiment. It’s not the fall that would’ve killed him, but the gigantic omnic waiting ten feet below.

“Now, don’tcha move a muscle, Liu!” the woman calls out as she walks towards them. “Or I’ll have Bob here rip you apart limb from limb!”

Bob brings up one arm, and they watch with alarm as it reconstructs itself into an arm cannon.

Sweat gathers on Hanzo’s brow. His hold starts to slip.

“Slippery bastard, ain’tcha? You and your cousin,” he hears her smooth drawl come closer. “Hmph. Bounty huntin’s not normally within my purview, but Tiger called in a favor. And he did do me a solid, upgradin’ Bob.”

She stops right next to her omnic, gun slung over one shoulder. She looks up with a lazy grin, then blinks.

“Wait a fuckin’ minute,” her eyes narrow.

The lion’s mouth has been half-open this whole time. But even then, Genji’s faceplate should only be barely visible from that distance.

But she’s been manning a rifle this whole time, only barely missing even with a lion’s head obstructing her view. Sniper eyes.

Her face twists into an ugly scowl. She’d seen.

“You’re not Liu.”

She takes a step back, cocks her gun.

Hanzo prepares for the worst.

“Bob! Shoot ‘em do—"

“Freeze, don’t move!”

Cold wind blows out of nowhere, spiraling around them. Genji slips from Hanzo’s grip, and he lets go of the lion’s head, twisting his body to land sideward and dashing away from Snowball who is now creating a blizzard in the middle of the park.

Hanzo leaps away, as well, dodging the few shots Bob manages to fire before his joints freeze. He hears the woman screaming murder, her voice actually shaking in frustration. Or perhaps that’s just the frost slowing her limbs.

“This way!”

He glances downward and sees McCree waving them over from an alleyway.

He sticks his landing, easily rolling to his feet and sprinting towards him. Footsteps trail behind him, and he looks over his shoulder to see Mei with Snowball flying behind her and Genji with—

“Why do you still have that?!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Genji replies, securely tucking the lion costume beneath his arm before dashing past them to the front. “Just run!”

Police sirens echo in the distance, the sound fading as they run down the alley and into the night. Adrenaline courses through Hanzo’s veins. The black lion peeks at him from above Genji’s shoulder, moonlight glinting off the somehow unbroken mirror.

He lets out a chuckle.

Ward off evil, indeed.

“Hey,” McCree says moments later, quickening his pace to catch up with that same lazy grin.

“What,” Hanzo deadpans, turning a corner to follow Genji and Mei, “do you want?”

“Oh, ain’t,” McCree pants. “Ain’t nothin’. Just never pegged you as the type who dances,” he grins, wild and handsome when he looks at Hanzo. “Much less the kind with a lot of ass shakin’.”

Later, Hanzo will deny all accusations of him purposefully tripping McCree.

[studiobeebo]

The Gays™

A BIT OF IMPORTANT BACKGROUND: So it’s an ongoing hc that @filthybnhatrash‘s oc Sutekina and @roomycupcake‘s oc Maile always joke about how they are hopeless gays because they are both bisexual! In our ‘world’ Izuku is Maile’s crush/love interest and vice versa, so I wrote this thing about Izuku thinking Maile is completely gay and therefor he has no chance with her, hope you guys enjoy it!

Midoriya never thought he would have faced as much emotional pain as when his hero told him that he himself couldn’t be a hero without a quirk, but when he heard those fated words that were the opposite of ‘music to his ears’ he honestly thought he might pass out.

See, he usually tried to meet up with Maile in the short amount of time they had after classes and before the lunch break when he knew Mira wasn’t around since this was usually when she went to the bathroom. Ok, he might have been keeping track of the fiery girl way too closely, but he’d do anything if it meant getting a moment somewhat alone with Maile. He knew from the moment he first shook hands with her that she was something special, though due to how fast his heart was beating at the time he never could have imagined just how special she was.

The more young Midoriya got to know Maile, the more he fell for her and every little thing about her. Hell, even the way she’d fiddle with that weird little bracelet she wore on her left wrist when she was nervous would send his heart soaring. She was just so kind and passionate to anyone who needed it, and to top it all off she was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. Of course he was still a pretty nervous wreck nearly every time he talked to her, but today he didn’t even get a chance to say a word before his feelings went nuts, only this time it wasn’t in a good way.

He had just rounded the last corner to get to class 1-C when he saw Maile looking at something Sutekina was showing her on his phone. He got close enough to see that it was some photo a girl who must have been a model, but what he heard fall from his crush’s mouth was much more distracting that any model could ever be.

“Oh my god, my gay heart, god I want to marry her!”

Her tone was dramatic and soon even Sutekina was laughing along with her, but Izuku knew it wasn’t a joke when he heard Sutekina himself comment that she’d ‘find a princess one day’.

If the sound of him gawking and quickly turning on his heels didn’t alert them that he was only a few feet away, the sound of his heart cracking into a million pieces surely must have. It wasn’t that he had any problem with her sexual identity, he had always been taught to respect others no matter what, but if she really was gay then...well, he thought he didn’t have a chance with her before, but now that theory was completely confirmed.

If things weren’t bad enough, it was the one and only Mira who found the crushed boy sobbing to himself while sitting on the floor beneath the stairway where he thought no one would see him and she was...not all that great at showing sympathy.

“Dude what’s wrong with your face.”

Her rather harsh words alerted the boy to her presence and he quickly began wiping at the tears that were streaming down his cheeks before realizing it was hopeless and giving up. Now that he thought about it, maybe it was good that she was here because he definitely needed to vent before he could begin the process of getting over these feelings, and who better to vent to than someone who doesn’t care and would let it go in one ear and out the other?

“Mai-Maile….sh-she’s…...SHE DOESN'T EVEN LIKE GUYS!!” He sobbed out, trying and failing to clearly explain his predicament, but when Mira just looked at him as if he were speaking some alien language, he had to try again with his head buried in his hands.

“I really...I really li-liked her….but now I know she couldn’t even like me b-back because she likes girls!”

. . .

A moment passed and Izuku was about to just politely ask her to leave him alone since she didn’t seem to get it, but then he heard a loud snort followed by a series of poorly concealed laughter.

“That’s- pfffft- That’s rough buddy.” She said while leaning over to clap him on the back a few times with one hand while the other was currently wiping at the tears forming in the corner of her eyes.To be honest, Izuku didn’t even care about the fact that she was currently just mocking him (or so he thought) because it was kind of to be expected, but still her final words before she walked off were a bit strange if anything.

“Poor Midoriya. Chin up loser, things’ll get better soon, trust me.”

He wasn’t sure if that was her way of comforting him, but it didn’t really help all that much. Of course he put himself together enough to move on with the rest of his day, but it was clear that something was missing. Over the next couple days even Maile had noticed something was a bit off about her slightly gloomy friend, but in all honesty she was still too embarrassed and felt unworthy to pry into his personal life so she decided to leave him be.

When Sutekina was paired up with Midoriya for a training practice one day though, he figured he should ask. They weren’t extremely close, but he knew Maile was mad for him and he was pretty sure Midoriya liked her back so for the sake of his friend he wanted to make sure everything was alright.

“So what’s been up with you lately, Midoriya?” He questioned while the two were stretching side by side, but judging by the shocked reaction and the fact that Izuku immediately started stuttering out that he ‘didn’t know what he meant by that’, he figured Midoriya hadn’t noticed just how strange he had been acting.

“I don’t mean to pry, you just seem a bit weird. I saw you the other day outside our classroom, but then you turned tail and ran and didn’t come back the next day. Maile’s been worried.”

If it weren’t for that last statement Izuku probably would have brushed him off and made up some excuse, but he’d been so caught up in his loss that he ironically never stopped to think how Maile must’ve felt. Before she was his crush, she was his friend and he’d been completely avoiding her these past days, yet only now did he really realize that, so with a somber voice and his eyes cast downward he figured he could explain to Sutekina and he would pass on the message so he could sever his ties with Maile without having to be there to see the look on her face. He knew it was cowardly, but he also knew he loved her too much to continue being friends while knowing he’d never have a chance for something more.

“Well I...I guess it’s actually about Maile...I found out she liked...women.”

A moment passed before Izuku realized how horribly that could have been interpreted so he quickly had to cover his tracks.

“Not that- Not that I’m against that or anything!!! I just..well I guess I had a bit of a crush on her, I still do, but…” He trailed off, hoping he wouldn’t have to finish his explanation and relive that pain. Being interrupted by laughter was something he had expected from Mira, sure, but when the same thing happened with Sutekina the poor boy was honestly stumped.

“Midoriya you know she’s bisexual, right?”

“...She’s what?” He asked a bit sheepishly because judging by how Sutekina said that, this was something he should know the definition of, but he didn’t. Sutekina shook his head and laughed again, but when he opened his mouth to explain, another voice butt in that was too annoying and loud to belong to anyone else but Mira.

“It means she likes dudes and gals, dumbass!”

“....WHAT?!” Izuku screamed, though when he saw a few heads turn his way he covered his mouth and tried again.

“What?! So she...I-I have a chance?!?”

“Oh I’d say more than a chance, Maile never shuts up about yo-“

“Don’t you have to be a jackass somewhere else, Mira?” Sutekina cut in, trying to save a bit of Maile’s pride since she wasn’t here to defend herself, but luckily Mira didn’t put up that much of a fight as she shrugged and went off on her way.  

“...But she’s right, I think you have a pretty solid chance. Though just to be safe, if you do have any plans you might want to run it by Mira first, she can be a pain in the ass when she thinks there’s even a chance Maile could end up hurt.”

“Right..” Midoriya nodded, though to be honest his mind was still on cloud nine from processing what he had just been told. It was almost as if this situation had given him a new determination to finally just go for it and hope for the best.

“Thanks Sutekina, I’ll..” He stopped just to make sure his confidence was still in the right place before nodding and giving Sutekina a rather brave smile and a thumbs up. “I’ll figure something out soon!”

[ohmytheon]

Yo please write that Riza catcall fic cause I really want to read about Ed (and Al! Cause you know even tho he doesn't get angry a lot, that would totally set him off) beating up some misogynistic asshole.

Your wish is my command. I also got permission from @tea-withjamandbread to use their headcanon. I wrote it while at the doctor’s office and about lost my mind when I thought I’d lost the file upon connecting to the internet, but lo and behold, I found it. Not my best work, but something sweet. Hawkeye protects those boys, but you know how protective they would be of her as well.

For once, there were no bad guys to hunt down or leads on the Philosopher’s Stone to chase or…anything really. Ed couldn’t remember the last time he was so bored, but there was absolutely nothing to do. Even when he’d slunk to Eastern HQ, bugging Mustang hadn’t even been that fun. He had been enjoying the downtime too much to let anything Ed said or did get to him.

All the smug bastard had done was wave a hand at the window behind him and say, “It’s a beautiful day outside, Fullmetal. You should enjoy it.” Well, Ed didn’t want to enjoy the day if it was the closest thing to an order that Mustang had managed to give him today.

Instead, he sulked with his hands in his pockets, his shoulders hunched, and his head hanging low as he and Alphonse walked around East City. Al had thought this would be a good time to load up on their supplies, which didn’t amount to much since they only had to account for Ed, but it was the only thing either one of them could think to do.

Besides, at least Al was enjoying the day, despite the fact that he couldn’t feel the warmth of the sun or take in the smells of the food stands in the market. He liked the craft stands, even if they were stuff that Ed could make half asleep with his alchemy. Ed wasn’t going to deprive Al of any happiness that he could find these days, but it didn’t mean that he was going to be happy about it. Then again, he was happiest when he was in a fight using alchemy or hunting a promising lead for the Philosopher’s Stone, so a peaceful day like this did very little for him.

What would really be nice was if he could find someone that was causing trouble, but no, apparently everyone had it in their minds to be good and cheerful today.

“Oh, look, Brother, there’s Lieutenant Hawkeye!” Al pointed out.

Sure enough, when Ed looked up, he spotted the Lieutenant through the stands also walking in the market. He quickly swiveled his head around to find the dreaded Colonel, seeing as how the man usually showed up wherever Hawkeye was, but it appeared as if the man wasn’t in sight. On second glance, Ed noticed that she wasn’t in her military uniform; instead she was wearing a modest skirt and blouse. Which meant she was off duty. And Mustang wouldn’t be around.

“She’s grocery shopping,” Al added.

Hawkeye had a basket filled with fruits and vegetables slung over one arm while she held the end of a leash in her other hand. That must’ve been her puppy, Black Hayate. Her hair was down instead of in its customary clip that she always wore, which made him realize that it had been years since he’d seen her with her hair down, not since she’d been growing it out and it was too short to put up. There was even a slight smile on her face as she spoke with one of the food vendors.

Ed squinted. She looked so…normal. So un-Hawkeye-like. Was she even carrying a gun? He couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t seen her carrying, just in case. If he hadn’t known her, he would’ve thought she was just any other civilian, a woman shopping for her family maybe. But he’d seen what she was like on the field and it was kind of terrifying. Seeing her doing something as simple as grocery shopping was disconcerting.

“We shouldn’t bother her on her day off,” Ed grumbled, fully prepared to walk the other way to avoid her. Not that he had anything against her or anything – no, he liked Hawkeye, just not her boss – but he didn’t want to look like some kid that was just whittling the day away doing nothing.

And then he heard it – the whistling.

At first, Ed ignored the sound. He didn’t care about who was whistling or what they were whistling for. It was probably just to get the attention of a dog or kid. The noise blended into the background with the rest of the crowd. But then he heard it again and it really was annoying. He looked around again until he spotted a group of guys leaning against a wall. They were older than him, probably around Hawkeye’s age if he had to guess. When he followed their gaze, he was startled to find that the focus of their attention was actually Hawkeye herself.

Were those guys…were they whistling at her?

Hawkeye either didn’t notice them or didn’t care. There was no way she hadn’t heard the whistles. She kept her back to them as she paid for her things and then began to walk out of the market. Ed stayed in his spot, watching her step onto the sidewalk, until he noticed the change in the guys’ attitudes. They nudged one another almost playfully and began to follow her.

Oh, hell no.

“Brother?” Al queried when Ed started to stomp in that direction. He heard his little brother let out a metallic sigh and then follow him as he pushed his way through the crowd.

When he rounded the corner, he couldn’t believe his eyes. There was Hawkeye, walking with her groceries and puppy, seemingly oblivious to the jeers from the men behind her. It was like she didn’t even notice them. But how could she not? They were impossible to ignore. Every word they called at her grated on his nerves and somehow they managed to get worse. Ed’s mouth dropped when he heard one of them call her… Did that asshole just call her “sugar tits”? Ed saw red.

“Oy, you!” Ed shouted. “Leave her alone!”

The guys stopped and rounded on him, all of them wearing the same shit-eating grins that Ed was fully prepared to wipe right off. A few of them nudged each other again and began to laugh. Hawkeye finally stopped as well, turning around to face the scene and wearing a surprised look on her face, like the whole thing was news to her.

“Aw, look at this kid!” one guy chuckled.

“Did we upset you, little boy?” another asked, very obviously not caring if they did.

The first guy waved a hand to Hawkeye. “Oh, is this your mommy? She’s some pretty hot stuff.”

Ed scowled and pointed a finger at them. “That’s Lieutenant to you idiots.”

At this realization, the guys howled with more laughter, like it was some sort of joke. Ed didn’t think it was funny at all. He was fairly certain that Hawkeye could blow the kneecaps off of all these guys if she was so inclined, but she still wore an expression that was half surprised and half passive.

“I like a woman in uniform!” a third guy chimed in. “They’re so fiesty.”

That was it. He couldn’t take it anymore. Ed swelled up with unspent rage. These fools picked the wrong day to catcall a woman because he was looking for a reason to fight. “You’ve got two options: apologize for your behavior and leave or I kick your asses.”

“Oh ho! Looks like we’ve got a vigilante on our hands.”

“I’m so afraid! What are you going to do? Cry? Stomp on our feet?”

A wicked grin slid onto Ed’s face, the kind of grin that made Al sigh again and edge away warily. He knew very well what happened whenever Ed got that look about him. It was a look that promised danger and should’ve had all the guys on alert, if they hadn’t been too busy being jackoffs.  Well that was fine by him. The less they thought of him, the more fun it would be when he trounced them. Besides, he had to get back at them for calling him short. There was no hope left for them. Even Hawkeye wore an air of pity.

Clapping his hands together, he pressed one hand against his automail arm and used his alchemy to turn the top of it into a large, sharp blade. The laughter immediately died as they gawked at the new development.

“Option number two then,” Ed said in a darkly pleased tone. “Good. I was bored.”

By the time he was finished with them, all five guys were running away screaming. One was openly crying. Ed chased after them half-heartedly, knowing that he couldn’t do any real damage to them. After all, they weren’t alchemists, only civilians who thought they were entitled to treat a lady with disrespect. That was just something he could not abide, especially if the lady in question was Lieutenant Hawkeye. When he trotted back to Hawkeye and Al, he smiled happily and waved.

“Sorry about that, Lieutenant,” Ed sighed. “They won’t bother you anymore.”

Hawkeye smiled at him, looking amused, but she inclined  her head. “Thank you, Edward, but you really didn’t have to do that.”

“But did you hear what they were saying to you?” Al exclaimed, positively aghast. “They were incredibly rude!”

“There’s no way we could tolerate anyone talking to you like that,” Ed added.

No guy should talk to a lady like that, but especially not Hawkeye. One because she could do some serious damage to them and two because he and Al would do some serious damage. He thought for a moment. Three because Mustang probably would’ve blown a gasket if he had been around to hear any of what had been said to her. That man was oddly protective and maybe even a little possessive of his adjutant.

“Do you have any other errands to run, Lieutenant?” Al asked.

“Just the bank and then home.”

Ed nodded his head. “We’ll go with you, just to make sure those guys don’t come back around.”

“I don’t want to interrupt your day off,” Hawkeye told them. At her feet, Black Hayate yipped cheerfully, as if he was excited about the prospect of more people to pet him.

“It’s okay,” Ed said dismissively. “We weren’t doing anything anyways. Right, Al?”

“Nothing we can’t do later,” Al agreed. “We’d just rather make sure that you’re safe.”

Hawkeye smiled at them, perhaps a little indulgent, but then nodded her head. A pleased feeling worked its way through Ed’s chest. He’d about lost his mind when he’d heard those guys catcalling and whistling at Hawkeye. So rude! The nerve of some guys really pissed him off. He knew that Hawkeye could take care of herself, but sometimes it was nice for a person to know that they had someone backing them up. She had defended him before, after all. It only made sense to return the favor.

Besides, no one called Hawkeye “sugar tits” and got away with it.

[elliotthezubat]

DEATH CITY DAYS CHAPTER 20

ATTENTION EVERYONE! I HATE ROSALIE CARVER! AND HERE IS WHY

Stein: "How are you?" marie: i'm doing well. christa is too... Stein: (nods) marie: how's aya doing? Stein: "...She has her good days..." marie: ah.. -elsewhere- Yumi: (hugs Death) lord death: *snuggling her* Yumi: "This has been a long day." lord death: it has.... Yumi: "..." (kisses his cheek) "I'm worried, too." lord death:......*strokes her back* Yumi: "Shiori...Kid...Kirika..." (nuzzles) "We have to protect them." lord death: and we will.... Yumi: "..." (kisses his lips) "Okay." -the next morning- Kid: "Hmmm..." stocking: *snuggles* Kid: (blushes) "Thank you." stocking: of course kid... Kid: "I was so worried last night..." stocking: ?? Kid: "...That I would always feel worried...scared...alone." stocking:..... *she hugs him* Kid: (holds her, smoothing her hair) "You are so good to me..." stocking: *she smiles* Kid: "Stocking..." (looks into her eyes...kisses her lips) stocking: mmmmn. Kid: (kisses her for a few moments, then pulls back and stares at her) "..." stocking: i love you. dont doubt that, ok? Kid: "..." (smiles) "I won't. And I love you, too." (kisses her forehead...) -later- Kid: (dries his hair) liz: you ready for school yet? Kid: o\\\\\o (He's in his towel) "...I have to get dressed. Please give me five minutes." -later- Kid: (adjusts his tie in the classroom) -seems we have zoology- Tezca: "Okay, folks, we're going to learn more about the wonderful world of animals, starting with my special friend, Fluffy!" mizuki: the hell is that?! Tezca: "A jackalope--native Nevada rabbit!" Patty: (glowing eyes) "So cute...so fluffy..." Fluffy: :3 Patty: "Sis, let's go pet the bunny!" liz: uh.... Patty: (approaches Fluffy--) Fluffy: *ROAR!* (pounces on Patty, bites) Patty: o_____O Kid: D: mami: O-O; *covering chrona's eyes* Crona: T_T "I hate today..." Patty: (shrieking, rips Fluffy off of herself--and throws him into the audience) Fluffy: *hisses at Ox* ox: *SCREAMING* -later- Tezca: (sitting in the corner with a dunce cap) kirara: once....jsut once. can you get through a zoology class _withOUT_ casualties? Tezca: "...Technically, no one died..." -at lunch- mizuki: i bet yukari is still yelling at mr tapioca about today's class. Patty: (bandaged) -_- "...I want rabbit soup." Kid: (suit scuffed, glaring) "...'Tapioca'? I would like to pound him into tapioca..." stocking: easy kiddo.... Kid: "..." (crosses arms) "Jackalopes are now on my list of obnoxious creatures." Black Star: "That was one heck of a work-out, though. Liz ran so fast!" liz: TT~TT Patty: (pats Liz) "There, there." Kid: "Here's hoping the next classes are less violent." -literature class- Kid: (reads the book, taking notes) -later, after class- Kid: "Phew! That was some surprising literature." stocking: so where to next? Kid: "Any after-school plans? I was thinking of getting a meal." liz: sounds good. soul: i hear the death bazaar is coming up soon. *RUMBLE* Patty: "...You hear that?" *LOUD FOOTSTEPS* Kid: "?!" *WALL BREAKS OPEN--revealing Anya* Anya: "...DEATH! BA! ZAAAAAAAR!!!" liz: EEK! Kid: "...That wall...is now crushed..." Anya: (seizes Soul by the collar) "WHEN IS IT?!" -later- Patty: "Good thing Anya has money to pay for that repair..." liz: yeah. Kid: (chewing on his burger) "Hmph." (swallows) "Disgusting destruction of property." liz:...hmmm. maybe we could play some basketball? it's been a while since we played last... Patty: "Hell yeah! Let's do this!" -and so- Patty: (blocking Stocking) stocking: haa! *toss* *She shoots--SHE SCORES!* Kid: (claps) stocking: victory! hehe~ Patty: (takes the ball, passes it to Liz) soul: *runs in* Patty: "?! Hey!" -after the game- Kid: "Good game...although the net could stand to be evened..." soul: no problem. Patty: (beaming) "Scored so many times on you all, though." liz: you sure did. Patty: (pulls at Liz's hand) "You didn't break a nail, did you?" liz: nah, i'm good. Kid: (smiles at Stocking) "I don't suppose you were using your wings to give you an advantage in today's game?" stocking: *whistling* can you prove it? Kid: (smirks) "Motivation, evidence of your excellent speed through the sky...and I have ways of persuasion." stocking: oh really~? soul: *rolls eyes* Patty: *gagging* Kid: (awkwardly clears his throat) "W-Well, then...I suggest refreshing drinks are in order..." liz: good call. *At a local smoothie bar* Patty: (brings out the drinks) "Here you are, folks!" (hands out drinks) liz: awesome. soul: thanks. Kid: (sips) "Hmm...Tasty." -elsewhere- Yumi: (giving Shiori a bath in the sink) "Shiori, I love you, I'm happy you are enjoying this--but I'm begging you: stop splashing so much." shiori: guu.. Yumi: (smiles lightly) "Maybe you want to play with something while I wash your back?" (holds up a rubber ducky) shiori: dakki! Yumi: "Yes, a ducky! Is it a cute ducky, Shiori?" shiori: dakki dakki! hehe! Yumi: "And what sound does a ducky make? QUACK!" shiori: kwak! Yumi: "Quack quack quack!" (finishes washing Shiori) "Better dry you off!" -later- Lord Death: "She looks so peaceful..." shiori: zzzzz...... Yumi: "Yes..." (hugs Lord Death) lord death: reminds me of kid at that age.... Yumi: (smiles) "I see it. Just as adorable." lord death: *he nods* Yumi: "She has so much of you that is so beautiful." lord death: ....... *tearful smile* Yumi: "Death?" lord death: hmm? Yumi: "Are you okay?" lord death: ah...i-i'm ok...just...memories. Yumi: "..." (hugs him) "I'm sorry." lord death: am i a bad husband? Yumi: "What? No...Why would you think that?" lord death: seeing you and shiori...it brings back memories...memories of the old days.....i love you so much....a-and i do miss her and....i-i just.... *shivering* Yumi: (hugs him) "You love her, you miss her. That is normal and healthy." lord death: *hugs her and whimpers* Yumi: "It's okay..." (holds him tighter) "Let it out." -later- Yumi: "Here, drink." (holds out tea to Death) lord death: *he doe so* t-thank you... Yumi: (smiles sadly) "I am sorry how difficult this is..." lord death: i-it's ok....i'm happy though...i have you and shiori, kid, kirika...all of you.. Yumi: (rubs her eye) "I’m happy too...We love you." -the next day, at school- Kid: (stares at math equation) "Hmm..." stocking: *staaaare*....*writing* Patty: (counting on fingers) -later, at lunch- Kid: "How do you think you did, Stocking?" stocking: i bumped my grade to a B+! Kid: (smiles) "That's great!" liz: congrats! Patty: "Yeah!" (holds up her test: C+) liz: you're doing great patti. Patty: "Thanks..." liz: i really mean it sis Patty: (blushes) "I-I know..." -later, at the mission board- Black Star: "Hmmm..." soul:.....hmm? Black Star: "I don't know...This giant rampaging in South Africa looks interesting...but the reports about some bloodsucker in Brooklyn are, too. Then there's NoFix..." soul: ..........!! *there is a poster about a mysterious theater troupe in kyoto that has been stealing the souls of it's audience* Black Star: (sees the same poster) "Wow..." tsubaki: well, up for a trip? Black Star: "I'm game. Soul?" soul: sure. i could use the work out. Black Star: (smirks) "Yeah--you're looking a little stringy, Soul." soul: *chuckles* up yours. Black Star: "Well, let's get going." (slaps Soul's back) -the next day- Black Star: "Kyoto...Been a while." tsubaki: yeah... Black Star: "How far to the theater?" soul: i think i found it... Black Star: "??? Where?" -there is a building up ahead. it seems to be closed- Black Star: "Hmm...Breaking and entering?" soul: do we have much of a choice? Black Star: "I can't tell whether anyone is inside..." (sniffs) "Ugh...But I smell something in there. Better find a secret way in so not to alert anyone inside." tsubaki: through the ally? Black Star: "Maybe a window or door is there..." soul: *he looks around* Black Star: "Hmmm...There's that tiny window up there." soul:....do i parkour it? Black Star: "Nah, you aren't as nimble. I'll do it!" -he makes….and crashes on the other side- soul: O_______O Black Star: "...Ouchie..." tsubaki: O-O;;;; Black Star: (gets up, with a hat on his head) "I think I crashed into the costume room..." tsubaki: how-.... Black Star: (holds the hat) "Huh...Must've had some weird performance here." soul: hmmm...... Black Star: "I still can't feel any souls, but my skin is crawling. That, or this place is dusty..." tsubaki:......... -music is playing in the back- Black Star: "...Recognize the tune, Soul?" soul: not that i can guess... tsubaki:....a shamisen? Black Star: "Seriously? Yeah, that's not spooky at all..." soul: O-O Black Star: (looks around the corner, sees the stage...) ???: ara ara... <it appears we have guests... fufufufu> -the figure appears to be dressed as a geisha- Black Star: "Tsubaki? What do you think they want?" tsubaki:....!!! GET DOWN! -there is a 2nd figure... a man in a kabuki mask- Black Star: "Shit!" soul: *arm blade* you guys got this? Black Star: "Yeah! Tsubaki! Transform!" -BATTLE START- Black Star: "Keep distance to start..." (swings chain scythe Tsubaki at the Kabuki Mask) 'geisha':.... *grips the top of the shamisen and pulls a blade out from it* Black Star: o_o "Man, why can't _I_ have a weapon that comes out of, like, a guitar or something?!" tsubaki: black*star focus! Black Star: "R-Right!" (tugs at the chain, trying to trip the Geisha and Mask) -slash slash- -block- Black Star: "Tsubaki! We need something stronger!" tsubaki:... !! ah! that statue! Black Star: "What?!" -it seems to be a large puppet mechanism- Black Star: "Puppets?! Aw, man! I hate puppets! So creepy..." soul: try getting onto it. i saw this in a video game once! Black Star: "Okay!" (leaps up onto the puppet) -there seems to be a few levers and such- Black Star: "Okay, so just pull on this lever--" -the left arm begins to move- Black Star: "Sweet! I control a giant puppet!" soul: kick ass! *fending off mask* Black Star: (pulls levers to swing the puppet's limbs at Geisha) -smack into the wall- -after a while, after a tough battle- Black Star: "Tsubaki? Soul? You okay?" tsubaki: y-yes... soul: bruised, but i'll live....so which one do you guys want? Black Star: "I want answers from the Geisha! What happened to all those theater people?!" geisha: <check the back. those curses do wonders> Black Star: " 'Curses'? No! You have to undo them!" geisha: <why should i? after all the hard work we put into getting those souls?> Black Star: " 'Cause if you don't, I'm going to put my fist through your head!" -after contacting eibon via lord death's mirror, they were able to remove the curse- Black Star: "At least Old Man Eibon was able to do it...Now, what do we do with these asses?" tsubaki: take their souls to lord death? Black Star: (nods) "Okay, you two are coming with us!" -the next day- Black Star: (shivers) "That mission was creepy..." soul: well, on the bright side, tsubaki and i are both one step closer to becoming a deathscythe. Black Star: (nods) "That's something." soul: how many does that give me now? Black Star: "I think you're up to the 60s or 70s? And I think Tsubaki is up to...12?" soul: ah right, 77. tsubaki: ^^;; Black Star: "Hmmm...Maybe if there was, like, some large group of bad people all on Death's list, all in one place, you could get the rest of those souls all at once, Soul." soul: wishful thinking... Black Star: "Worth a try." liz: hey guys! great to see you're back. Patty: "Yeah! How did the mission go, Soul?" soul: went pretty well i think. Kid: "Anything surprising about the souls you collected?" soul: tsubaki and black*Star still have a ways to go yet, but i think they did a great job. Black Star: "Heh heh..." Kid: "One soul each, eh? Well, that is certainly symmetrical..." soul: *sweats* yeeeeah.... Kid: "???" soul: say, it's about lunchtime, right? Patty: "Yep! And I'm starving!" Black Star: "Same!" -at lunch- Patty: (eating her burger) Kid: (carefully cutting up a pizza with fork and knife) stocking: *enjoying her lunch* Black Star: "Yummy...How's your meal, Liz?" liz: really good. soul: *nom nom* Kid: "Maybe a get-together is in order? Perhaps dinner at the mansion?" soul: sure. Patty: "We did scary movies last time...Maybe something else? A game?" soul: you got any games? stocking: we do have some video games Kid: "And quite a number of board games." tsubaki: game night at kid's it is then. Patty: "Yay!" -and so- soul: i invited chrona too, hope you dont mind. Crona: "...I can leave..." Kid: "Nonsense. Come in!" soul: it's fine. we dont get to hang out as often, so it'd be fun. Crona: "O-Okay..." Patty: "So many games to try!" stocking: how about some candyland? Kid: (smirks) "Sweet." stocking: hehe~ oh you~ *smooch* Kid: (blushes) Patty: (gagging) soul: can we get to the game before the barffest? Kid: -_-; "Fine...Who wants which piece?" -and so- Patty: "Gumdrop Pass, Gumdrop Pass--Shoot! I missed it!" stocking: not bad. Black Star: "Better than me...I keep rolling two ones. Man, never has being Number One sucked so much." soul:....*pats chrona's back* Crona: (shivers--then tosses the dice) "I-I got six...Oh! I landed on the Candy Cane. I-Is that good?" soul: i think so. Kid: "At least you did not land on the licorice...I lost a turn." (pouts) stocking: *she hugs him* aww... Kid: o\\\\\\o -a few games later- Crona: "...I can't believe I won..." liz: congratulations! Ragnarok: "We played this game--and no freaking candy?!" liz: we have some prepared. here you go. Ragnarok: (latches onto Liz's hand) *slobbering all over Liz's hand liz: O-O yeck! Ragnarok: "Tasty!" Crona: "Bad Ragnarok!" (water squirt bottle) stocking: *eye glints at the candy* Ragnarok: (spots Stocking) "This is my candy! Not yours! Get your own!" stocking: i'll f**king fight you for this candy. Kid: o_o Crona: ._. Patty: "Um...Maybe we should all calm down..." Ragnarok: "FAT PIG!" (swings his fist at Stocking) -later- stocking: *scratched in a few places* sorry about that, chrona. soul: 0-0;;;;;; Crona: (scratched as well) "S-Sorry! Ragnarok is not controllable around candy!" Ragnarok: x____x "I'm dead now." stocking: same here, haha... Kid: ._.; "Maybe next time we should play Scrabble..." stocking: good idea.... Patty: "So, now that everyone is bandaged, maybe have a drink?" liz: sure thing. Kid: "Sounds good..." (offers a hand to Stocking) -and so- Kid: (sips on orange juice) soul: what now? Patty: "I don't know...Could put on some music and talk?" soul: sure thing. Black Star: "Man, how many weeks until summer?" liz: we still have the rest of april and may to go through... Black Star: "Ugh...Spring break felt like it flew by..." liz: yeah... Kid: "At least we get these moments to take breaks..." Crona: (sips on a cream soda) stocking: so how's mami holding up? Crona: "O-Okay...Busy with missions..." stocking: ah. soul:.......................... Crona: "...Soul?" soul: hmm? i-it's nothing. Crona: "I-I-I just wanted to thank you for letting me come out..." soul: no problem. Crona: "I really enjoyed this..." (sad smile) "It's...been a while." soul: yeah... Kid: "..." (pats Soul on the shoulder) soul:...*small smile* thanks for having us over. Kid: "The door is always opened here." soul: *he nods* Patty: (finishes her drink, sighs) "What's next? Another game?" liz: sure thing. Black Star: "What should we try?" liz: we have mario party. Patty: "Yay!" Kid: "I'm game. Stocking?" stocking: sure thing! Patty: "Yoshi!" Kid: "Um...Waluigi isn't playable, is he? He's too...asymmetrical for me." liz: you dont have to play as him if you dont want. Kid: (huge sigh of relief) Black Star: "I can't wait to whoop your butt, Soul!" soul: hoho? we'll see about that! Patty: "Tch--I'll beat both of your first!" Crona: "...I'll probably come in last." tsubaki: *she pats their back* Patty: (boots up the system, hands controller to Stocking) -elsewhere- Anya: (reading) -elsewhere- -a young girl is walking home- ???: "Hey there." girl: hmmm? *she looks in the alley* ???: "Nice night." girl: um...i have to head home, otherwise my parents are going to be worried... ???: "Nah. I think we're going to hang out for a bit..." (hand reaches out for her) girl: h-hey! girl: !!!! a-arent you i-in the 1st? Rekka: (sneers) "I see my fame precedes me..." girl: ..... *she seems uneasy* Rekka: "Tell me...Are you afraid of flames?" girl: !!! -soon, a worker comes and finds the girl- Worker: "Oh, God!" girl: *coughing* Worker: "Ma'am, what happened? You look like you need to get to a hospital..." girl: t-the fi-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *she screams as her body begins to ignite* Worker: "Ah! Stay back! Don't hurt me!" *Rekka watches from afar...grinning* -at the 8th- Akitaru: "...My God..." shinra: what is it? Akitaru: "Shinra...There's been another...incident." shinra: !! Akitaru: "She...was put down." shinra: !!! w-who handled it? Akitaru: "Rekka Hoshiyama of the 1st." shinra: ........ (thinking: a random combustion....rekka was there.....something is really fishy about this.) Akitaru: "I think you and I should speak with Commander Burns..." [news reporter: the flame human was identified as Ayane Masaki, a middle school student-] Akitaru: "...She could've been my..." (glances at photograph) maki:....*she pats his back* Akitaru: "..." (shivers a bit) shinra: we'll head out tomorrow.... Akitaru: (nods) "I'm sorry. Go get some sleep..." shinra:........ (thinking: another artificial flame human...and rekka was right there.....this is too much of a coincidence to be so...) Hibana: (in the corner, glaring at the floor) -the next morning- Burns: "Commander Obi, Kusakabe. To what do I owe this visit?" Akitaru: "..." shinra:.....*nudges akitaru's shoulder* Akitaru: "Commander, I wanted to ask about that poor child that was turned into a Flame Being." Burns: "Yes, it was certainly a depressing situation. We were lucky Hoshiyama was nearby..." Rekka: (smiles gently at Shinra) Akitaru: (nods) "Let's talk about this in private, Commander..." *Akitaru and Burns leave Shinra and Rekka to speak* Rekka: "How's it going, Shinra?" shinra:...it's been doing well. my leg's doing a lot better... Rekka: "That's good to hear...Any leads on that Joker?" shinra: nothing so far... Rekka: "Rest assure, if our investigation here works, we'll get that Joker to show himself..." (smiles) "Believe me." shinra:....i need to use the bathroom! Rekka: ._.; "Um...third door on the left?" shinra: thanks. *he exits* .................... Rekka: "..." ("Hmm...What is with that kid?") shinra: *walking through the halls* ............ Karim: (walks through the hall, spots Shinra) shinra: hey. Karim: "Hi...Why are you here?" shinra: the commander is talking with burns about the incident last night... Karim: "...You heading into the bathroom?" shinra: yeah...*cough* Karim: (enters the bathroom, goes into a stall, waits for Shinra to enter his) -one bathroom break and hands washing later- Karim: "Watch your back, Soldier." shinra: yeah... Rekka: "Oh, hey, guys!" Karim: "!" shinra: I JUST PEED........................................................................................................................................ *NERVOUS SMILE* (thinking: nice one shinra... reeeeal nice.) Rekka: (frozen smile of awkwardness) Karim: "..." (facepalm) shinra:......*ahem* Rekka: "In any case...Karim, Burns wants to see us." Karim: (nods) "Goodbye, Shinra." Rekka: "Yeah...Don't piss yourself." shinra: see ya... ./////.;;; Akitaru: "So, Shinra, I see you're done with the bathroom." shinra: ACK! oh..c-commander. i almost died! Akitaru: "Yeah, that's bound to happen if you hold it too long. But at least I didn't scare the piss out of you!" shinra: a-are you done yet? Akitaru: "...Yeah. I'm done. Let's get back to HQ." -later- Akitaru: "Burns was less than forthcoming..." maki: how so? Akitaru: "I kept pressing him on why Rekka could not locate our suspect..." shinra:...... Takehisa: "Shinra? Is there something you want to share?" shinra: i'm good. Akitaru: "...Very well. I suggest we begin afternoon training..." -elsewhere- Kid: (humming as he cleans his room) stocking: *in her own room cleaning up* Patty: (tossing laundry haphazardly into drawers of her room) -kid's closet door creaks open- Kid: "???" (looks at his closet door...) -it seems to have opened a slight bit- Kid: (pokes his head in--and cringes) -yep, the stocking shrine is still within it's depths- Kid: "...Maybe I should disassemble this..." \you know you could never get rid of these things\ Kid: ("...I could return them to Stocking with a very careful, well-worded, polite apology...") -what can he do now?- Kid: "..." (removes a framed photograph from the shrine) -knock knock- Kid: o_o; "Wh-What?! Who's there?!!" stocking: kid? you in there? Kid: (hides the photo, stands before the closet door) "...Hi!" (awkward smile) stocking: ?? you ok, kid? Kid: "Super! Duper! No problems here! Ha ha ha ha ha!" (and accidentally holds up the photograph...) stocking: ?? is that me? Kid: (nervous smile) "...Yes?" stocking:.............................. o/////////////////////////////////////////o;;;;;;;;;; Kid: (sweating, still smiling, saying nothing) "I...Um...Found it?" stocking: OwO;;;; kid. if you need to.....*ahem* relieve yourself, then that's fine.... .////. Kid: "Wh-What?!! That's not--I wasn't! That's not what happened!" (swings his arm violently--which knocks forward the closet door, revealing the shrine) stocking:.................................................................................................................. \look what you've done\ Kid: "..." (covers his face) "I'm sorry." \she hates you now....you worthless scum.....you should just kill yourself now\ Kid: "I understand that you are upset, angry, furious...and you have every right to be...I feel awful." stocking: i.....i'm just confused....and to be honest, kind of unnerved... Kid: (nods) "That sounds right...I've had this...this, for a long while..." stocking: !! \disgusting. just die already you pig\ Kid: (tearing up a bit) "I just...I didn't know how to express a lot of what I felt, so I kept things private to figure them out, and then...it kind of ballooned into this..." \filthy vermin\ Kid: "I...I'm sorry." stocking:....... \KILL YOURSELF WORM\ Kid: "..." (collapses) -later- ???:........id.....kid?! Kid: "Hmmm...Wha-What? Wher--?" liz: hey.... Kid: "...Liz? What happened?" liz: well, stocking found out about you're little.....closet thing...and she left- Kid: "...'Left'?" liz: -to get some ice for your bruise... Kid: "...You saw my closet?" liz: ..................yeah... the door was wide open..... \she's gone.\ Kid: T\\\\\\\\\\\T "I just wanted to clean my room..." \stocking?: putrid filth. you should just die. i hate you!\ Kid: (crying) "I'm so wrong...I'm not normal...What is wrong with me?" liz: kid? \stocking?: you're a sick, pathetic stalker! how dare you even talk to me, you slime\ Kid: (pushes his head down) "I want to disappear..." \stocking?: *twisted smile* i hope i dont ever see you again you pig~\ Kid: "...She hates me..." liz: ?? Kid: "I'm a pathetic stalker..." liz: kid.... \stocking?: i should never have wasted my time with you~\ Kid: (whimpering, lip quivering, shaking) "I...I don't want you to go..." ???: kid? is everything ok? Kid: "She hates me she hates me she hates me..." stocking: kid?.... Kid: (gasps, looks up) "...Oh no..." stocking: i got some ice for your bruise.........kid? are you ok? Kid: (weeping) "Do you hate me?" stocking: kid.... Kid: "I know I'm a creep...I have thoughts that go through my head, and I don't act on them, but then I do things like this to channel them--and--and--" stocking:...... Kid: "...I'm sorry. I made a terrible mistake." stocking:.................*she hugs him* kid.... Kid: "I'm sorry. I just...It was to be private...long ago..." stocking:............................................ Kid: "I'm...messed up, aren't I?" stocking: *she doesnt say anything* Kid: "...You...don't want to be with me now, do you?" stocking: ....................kid.....*sigh* what part of 'i'll be with you no matter what' dont you seem to get? Kid: "...The part where I screwed up royally...I'm sorry." stocking:.................*she rubs his back* let's just look past all this and move forward, ok? Kid: *sniff* "O-Okay..." stocking: .............. -that evening- stocking: kid? i brought you some tea. Kid: "Th-Thank you..." (takes it) stocking: .....i still do love you kid. Kid: "I love you, too. I'm sorry." stocking: all we can do now is move forwards. Kid: "..." (nods) stocking:.......*she kisses his cheek* Kid: (blushes, sniffs) -elsewhere- ox: it was nice of your mother to stop by and bring us some snacks, harvar. Harvar: (nods) "Yes. I do appreciate that." kim: same here.....harvy~ *snickers* Harvar: -\\\\\\\\- Jacqueline: (smirks at Harvar) "She is also an excellent cook." ox: ..... Harvar: "...You okay?" ox: y-yeah. i'm fine. Harvar: "..." (puts a hand on his shoulder, pats) ox:...thanks. kim:....... Jacqueline: "...Maybe...Ox? Would you like to go out with us this weekend?" ox: t-this weekend? Jacqueline: "If you are available." ox: um..w-whereabouts? -elsewhere- Kana: "..." (knocks on Tamaki's door) tamaki: ?? y-yeah? Kana: "I brought you some ginger ale..." tamaki:...thanks. Kana: (sad smile) "May I get you anything else?" tamaki: i'm good for now. Kana: "..." (tiny hug) tamaki: ..... Kana: "I'm sorry that you are sad." tamaki: i'll be ok. Kana: "...Yes, you will..." -elsewhere- Arthur: *sniff* shinra:................... Arthur: (looking at photos on his phone) T_T shinra: dude.... Arthur: "What? I'm sad..." shinra:.............*sigh* Arthur: "...We don't even know whether we can trust Tamaki..." shinra: hmm..... (thinking: i dont know if we can trust karim 100% either....) Arthur: "...I have to confront her and demand answers!" (dramatic crying knight pose) shinra: dude... Arthur: "I shall scale the walls of that fortress, stampede through the hallways, and I will find her!" (swings open the door) "Do not try to stop me!" (takes off running, wielding Excalibur--while he is only in his shirt and boxers. He will not get far...) shinra: ARTHUR GODDAMMIT GET BACK HERE!! Arthur: "Never!" (runs faster on his bare feet...and the floor is slippery) -FWUMP- Arthur: o_o *CRASH* shinra: *wince* ooh...that had to hurt. Arthur: "...Ow. I hurt my tiny Excalibur..." shinra: TMI!! Arthur: (holds up his keychain) "I meant this..." shinra:.............oh. *nervous smile* (thinking: fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuuuuuck) Arthur: (struggles to sit up) -elsewhere- Spirit: (on his laptop) blair: what'cha up to>? Spirit: "Sachiko had mentioned her daughter was looking for some collectible...I was trying to find it online..." blair: oh? Spirit: "Oh! Here it is! And it's only--" o_____o "Waaaaay out of my price range..." blair: oooh... hmmmm... Spirit: "H-How can something like that be so pricey? Jeez, collectibles are insane." blair: you should see some collect_ors_... haha! Spirit: "Yeah, good point...Man...I don't think I'd feel comfortable getting something this expensive...What if Sachiko took it the wrong way? Like, that I was just trying to impress her by flashing a lot of dollar bills?" blair: hmmm.... Spirit: "Maybe I could just get something else related to this series..." blair: or something handmade? Spirit: "Maybe..." (transforms his hand into a blade) "I'm not bad at carving..." -elsewhere- Shotaro: "I don't see anything..." mana: you have the binoculars the wrong way, dingus. Shotaro: (turns, looks at Mana) "Oh...Is that why you are so far away?" *He's still looking at her through binoculars* mana:............. *mana is unamused* Yohei: (takes the binoculars, looks) "Well, he's not wrong: I don't see our target..." mana: *she checks the GPS* *GPS shows weak signal* mana: did we take a wrong turn? Yohei: "Hmmm...No, I think something is interfering." (hands physical map to Chie) chie: hmmm... *examines map* Yohei: "Hmmm...Yeah, I hear a buzzing. Something is messing with the signal...or _someone_." chie:............... -dark eye- Yohei: "??? Find someone?" chie:......... mizune: yo. Yohei: "Um...Hi?" Shotaro: (shiny eyes) "Awesome hat! Can I wear it?" mizune: ...?? what brings you out this way? Yohei: "We're hunting down that escaped lunatic, NoFix, to re-capture him..." mizune: ah. Shotaro: "Why are you out here?" (moves his hand towards Mizune's hat) -swat- mizune: just scoping things out. Shotaro: (pouts, holds his hand) Yohei: "Scoping for NoFix, or something else?" mizune: i have orders to retrieve and detain a rogue witch, kinuta. Yohei: "Wait...Was that the one that escaped with NoFix before?" mizune: yep. be warned, she specializes in charm magic, so best not let your guard down around her. Yohei: "..." (nods) Shotaro: "???" Shotaro: "Like, she can make people do things against their will?" mizune: you could say that 7-7;; Yohei: "So, what lead do you have? Any idea where Bonnie and Clyde went?" mizune: the only leads we have is lysandra city. Yohei: "Same. What can you tell us about the city?" mizune: i dont know much about it, all i know is it's in ruins after kishins started to invade the area... Yohei: "And the DWMA has sent no one there?" mizune: ......seems all connections from lysandra were cut off... Yohei: "Maybe we can find a way in...So, roads aren't leading in? How about underground?" mizune: through the sewers...it might work. Shotaro: "Great! We can be like Ninja Turtles!" (puts on a bandana--without eyeholes) "...I'M BLIND!" mana: -_-; Yohei: "Ignore him. It makes it easier." (holds Shotaro by his shoulders, speaks to Mizune "How far is it to the nearest sewer opening?" -and so- Yohei: "Be careful..." (deploys some flashlight drones to hover with them in the sewer) Shotaro: *sniff* "Ugh..." -elsewhere- Patty: "Is Kid going to be okay, Sis?" liz: i hope so... Patty: "Yeah...It's really hard on him, when...you know..." liz: yeah.... Patty: "..." (hugs Liz) -in kid' room- stocking: *stroking his head* Kid: "..." *sniff* stocking:.........you ok? Kid: "...I'm trying to get better..." stocking:.......i forgive you kid. Kid: (nods) "...I'm not sure I forgive myself..." stocking:...........*she held him closer* Kid: "...I love you." stocking: hmm.... Kid: "..." (cries) -elsewhere- NoFix: (blindfolded, holding a knife) "Now, don't move, or this will go through your head..." ???: please, i'll work harder next time! NoFix: "And don't let the apple fall off your head! I want to get it just right..." (flicks the knife) -stab- NoFix: "..." (pulls up the blindfold) "Oh, damn it!" -elsewhere- shinra: *nervous* Hibana: "...Shinra? What's wrong?" shinra: n-nothing ma'am! (flashback!hibana: if you ever do anything to hurt iris, i'll burn you into a little crisp, ok hun~? *smile*) (thinking: HOW CAN SHE SAY THAT WITH A SMILE ON HER FACE?!) Hibana: "...I, um...brought you this." (blushes, hands him a bag of donuts) "You look thin. Eat more." shinra: *wince* t-thanks, ma'am... Hibana: "...You're welcome. When you feel up for talking, I'm here, okay? I'm sure I can be of bigger help than that Gorilla." Akitaru: (in another room) "I HEARD THAT!" shinra: i-i'm good...*he exits* *shudders* (thinking: i didnt die this time. phew....) Arthur: (pouts at Shinra) "Why doesn't she ever give me donuts?" shinra:.........QuQ Arthur: "Is she bribing you? Does she have dirt on you? ...And can I have the lemon donut?" shinra: i-i'm good...and here, you can have the rest of the box, i'm not that hungry. Arthur: "...What? You think she poisoned them?" shinra: i doubt it, but i wouldnt put it past her. (thinking: she can switch between motherly and threatening at the drop of a hat. she's probably the scariest lady i know.) Arthur: "If I die from this donut, I want you to take this." (hands him paper: "Last Will and Testament of Arthur Boyle") shinra:......*turns it around to reveal a menu from a pizza place* you baby. Arthur: "I-I was multitasking! And writing at a pizza place!" shinra:.....*examines the 'will'* *Arthur's will: "I shall be buried on Avalon, which appears only every seven years. Therefore, please keep my corpse maintained until next the mists dissipate to allow safe entry--" It continues like this for pages...- shinra: how did you even write this much on such a small menu..... Arthur: "I am adroit with my fingers. Now, we also have to discuss seating arrangements--" (holds up a chart) "Please have my family in the first row with a view of my body staring at them. You will be a pallbearer. Please keep Soul Eater in the back row--I don't need him tossing spitballs at my corpse." shinra: are you serious right now... -_-;;;;; Arthur: "I will need a church that can house 500 people. Be sure to have my body available for viewing in the public square for one week. And shave my head, sending one lock of my hair to Tamaki every day..." shinra: (thinking: YEAH THAT TOTALLY ISNT CREEPY!) of course your highness, shall we make a gold statue of you be your grave and dress you in roya burial garb as well? *sarcastic tone is sarcastic* Arthur: ✿◕ ‿ ◕✿ "Really?! That would be great!" shinra:................................*rips the menu and exits* Arthur: D: Hibana: (enters) "Shinra! I am baking cookies! Want some?" shinra: I'M GOING OUT FOR A WALK NOW! -elsewhere- Wes: "Good practice. I think we're ready for tomorrow's performance. See you at 5 tomorrow to set up!" students: see you mr wes! soul:....nice kids. Wes: (smiles) "Yeah. It's been great getting to impart some knowledge..." soul: *he nods* Wes: "Interested in taking on a class?" soul: i'm good thanks..... -meanwhile- shinra:....................(thinking: just breathe man....just cool off a bit and then head back…) Takehisa: "Shinra? What are you doing?" shinra: ah! oh...i was just going out for a walk, blow off some steam... Takehisa: "Ah. Have you released the steam out of your body, then?" shinra: T_T i-it's a metaphor, sir... Takehisa: "My apologies. It is hard to tell when contending with Flame Humans. Also, Hibana has gone out for the afternoon." shinra: still in range? Takehisa: "She and Commander Obi are having a late lunch meeting half-way across town. Based on the arguments those two will have, I think you will be free of her for a few hours." shinra: ok. i'll keep that in mind. Takehisa: "Perhaps you should rest. You look exhausted." shinra: i'll be fine, just a quick walk around town might help... Takehisa: (nods) "Very good, then." -and so- shinra: *looks around* ???: "Shinra?" shinra: ??!! *he turns* Anya: "Hello." shinra: oh, hey anya. how's stuff at the dorm? Anya: "...Noisy." shinra: yeah....i havent been having the best day either, really....mostly arthur being a pain in the rear as usual, haha. Anya: "I can imagine..." (pensive) "H-Here..." (hands him a slip of paper) shinra: hmm? it's not your will and testament is it? Anya: "What? No! It's from...um...'Kitten'." shinra: oh! ah, right..sorry...i'll deliver it then................hm? -a feminine figure in a hoodie is watching, she then darts off.....she seems...familiar?- Anya: "Please do..." (takes Shinra's hand) "It's important." shinra:......can do. i'll talk to you at school tomorrow then, see ya. *he exits* (thinking: no way....she couldnt have....could she?) Anya: (waves to Shinra...then looks nervously around) shinra:.... *picking up pace until he is running after the mysterious girl* h-hey! ???: !! *running faster* shinra: *runs to the alley........................no one there* w-what?................. *Someone else is watching...* shinra:............................................(thinking: i have a bad feeling about this....that.....that couldnt have been.....could it?........) *slaps his cheeks* (thinking: come on shinra! pull it together! it's been a long day today.....) *he turns around* Karim: "Hello." shinra: father fulham, suprised to see you out here... Karim: "Likewise. You are running like a chicken with his head cut off." shinra: i was taking a walk just now and....n-nevermind....anything new? Karim: "Maybe...But we can't talk here." shinra: ah....anywhere in mind? Karim: "...I know a place..." (leads Shinra to a cafe) -inside- Karim: (to waiter) "One water." (to Shinra) "You?" shinra: i'll have some big city cola if you have any. Waiter: (smiles) "Right away!" Karim: (small smile) "You like cola, huh?" shinra: yeah. Karim: "...Rekka and I used to drink it all the time." shinra:.....what about the other guy? Karim: "Li has been a tea drinker since I met him." shinra: ah. Karim: "Now, I want to ask you a question, and I want you to be absolutely honest." shinra: hmm? Karim: "Why should I trust Hibana and not bring her in right now?" shinra:....to be honest, i dont know. Karim: (pulls out a file) "The evidence I have suggests I could have Burns bring her in right now..." (passes it over the table to Shinra) shinra:....*puts it in his bag* ok then. Karim: (nods) "Think about it. Also, you better keep a closer eye on where you're keeping the Cat." shinra: !!...y-yeah.... Karim: (holds up his glass) "Cheers." -the next day- Takehisa: (making breakfast) shinra: *sipping orange juice* Hibana: *yawn* (walks in, not yet dressed, hair a mess) "Morning, sweetie--" (musses up Shinra's hair) shinra: *just stares at his pancakes* morning... iris: are you ok? *still in her PJs* Arthur: "Yeah, you were muttering in your sleep a lot." shinra: just had a rough day yesterday. but i'll work hard to make today better! Hibana: "Aw, that's adorable~" (kisses his forehead) shinra: .////.;;; (thinking: don't let your guard down, dont let your guard down, DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN!!) Akitaru: "Stop teasing my soldiers, Hibana." Hibana: -_- "You're just jealous." (hugs Shinra) shinra: I NEED TO PEE RIGHT NOW! EXCUSE ME! Hibana: o_o; Akitaru: o_o; Takehisa: "...I told you that you were drinking too much." maki: we really didnt need to know that -_-; -at school- Kid: (just staring at his book) stocking: ...........*holds his hand* Kid: (soft press on her hand) -in class- Tezca: "Now, be careful as you handle the tarantula. They can be a little skittish." malaria:....*strokes its back* Kid: "Eight...legs..." -at lunch- stocking: amazingly nobody got bit. Kid: "Yes..." liz: that one girl though....she even let it rest on her head...*cringe* Patty: "Maybe she thought Jorge would be a nice hat?" liz: ...wait, isnt she a member of blVck-wid0w? stocking: yeah, they are local, so i guess it makes sense... Kid: (slowly eats his sandwich) -next class- -bang bang- derek: just give it up, death the kid. Kid: (panting, struggling to stay coordinated--throws a punch at Derek) derek: oof! *spits out blood* you insufferable- *pistol-whips him with his revolver* Kid: (growling) "My...face..." (roars, throws down Liz and Patty and leaps at Derek) liz: KID! Kid: (holds up fist, ready to bring it down...his eyes are watering) -hug- Kid: (eyes widen) "Wh-What?" stocking: kid stop it! Kid: "..." (lowers his fist, falls to his knees) stocking: ..............*still hugging him* Kid: (shaking, crying) -in the death room- lord death: what got into you all the sudden, kid? Kid: (shakes his head) "There's something wrong with me." lord death:......is something bothering you? Kid: "..." (nods) "I scared Stocking..." lord death: oh? Kid: "I...am creepy." lord death: why do you think that? Kid: "...She found...something..." lord death: oh? Kid: "...A shrine..." lord death: !!! Kid: (cringes) lord death: kid...was she underground? Kid: "What? N-No. It was in my bedroom...closet..." lord death:...................... Kid: "...I'm so wrong..." lord death:......*he doesnt know what to say* Kid: "..." (buries his head in his hands) -later- liz: what did he say? Kid: "Just...vague words of encouragement." liz: oh? Kid: "I feel like a freak...I don't feel normal..." liz: kid....... Kid: "Would a normal person do what I did? Maybe...Stocking would be better without me..." -the next day- liz: oh god... oh no oh no oh no oh no!! Patty: "Sis!" liz: it's kid! i-i cant find him anywhere! Patty: "I...found this note..." liz:...*she reads it* Kid: (in note) "I'm going to be by myself today." liz:..... Patty: "Where could he be?" liz: i'm going to make some calls... Patty: "I'll see what he took...and tell Stocking..." -later, several people are searching death city- Black Star: "He's got three white stripes and answers to Kid. Have you seen him?!" lady: oh lord death's son? i havent seen him come in, sorry. Black Kid: "Call this number if you do! Come on, Tsubaki!" tsubaki: *she nods* stocking: *she's worried sick* Yumi: "Kid is safe. I know it. We just have to have faith in him." -someplace outside death city- Kid: "...Useless..." \worthless boy....\ -desert road as far as the eye can see...- Kid: "Yes..." \you'll die alone out here, you worthless scum...\ Kid: "I just need a day, to sort this out...to fix this. And I know how..." \by ending it all?\ Kid: "By ending someone...I just need to find him..." \do you even know where you're going?\ Kid: "I'm trying...just a lead. Just need something to find him." -there are some woods up ahead- -John Kramer Park- Kid: "He went through here..." -about half a mile down the road, someone watches and smiles- Kid: "???" (He approaches) -through the forest, there is a clearing with a cabin....a strong feeling of madness is radiating within- Kid: "...I have to do this for her..." (approaches the cabin door) -a baby is crying in the back room- Kid: "..." (knocks) -it's unlocked...how strange- Kid: "???" (slowly opens the door) -empty, save for the crying baby- Kid: (approaches) "Hey, it's okay..." (looks at the baby) -the baby has become an evil human- Kid: (covers his mouth) "No..." -someone comes up behind him and...- -WHACK- Kid: (Hits the floor, unconscious) -3 hours later- Kid: (groaning as he awakens) "Wha..." -a girl is in a cell across from him, crying....her arms and legs have been amputated off, and she is chained to the wall by an iron leash- Kid: "My God..." girl: i-i'm sorry.....i'm sorry....s-she made me..... -in another cell, an older couple is held inside it. it appears the man has died from his conditions, the woman looks like an absolute mess- Kid: "Where are we?" ((Sorry, my Macbook re-installation took longer)) -the door opens and someone comes down- ???: ahhh~ you're finally awake! Kid: "?! Release me, now!" ???: after all i did to be with you? fufufufu~ oh you're so funny, kiddo~ Kid: "...That voice...Are you--?" -a girl with blonde hair and a black uniform appears- rosalie: *she smiles* -the girl in the cage is terrified- Kid: "You--You're the one who disappeared after the Halloween Dance..." rosalie: i was getting everything ready for when we'd finally be together, honey~ Kid: "To a child?! When I am free of these restraints, I will kill you!" rosalie: hmm? you act like her life matters. she's just a pawn, just like that infant. Kid: "That infant...You did that to her...And before I kill you, you are going to tell me how to reverse it..." rosalie: there's no point to that, i already threw it in the furnace hours ago. Kid: "Bastard!" (tries to pull his arms forward to remove the shackles--and they only cut into him) "How are you keeping me here?! I should be able to break loose..." rosalie: fufu~ let's just say a friend of mine got a hold of some anti-magic cuffs and some barbwire. i know it's painful, but i'm doing it out of love~ Kid: "..." (small laugh) rosalie: eh? Kid: (chuckles) "You forgot about those who accompanied me..." rosalie: i didnt see anyone with you... Kid: "But I sense them..." (smirks..."Oh, God, please tell me someone is going to find me...") rosalie: ......i'll take care of them. then we can get closer~ Kid: "When they're through with you, there won't be a speck of you left..." (still struggling to rip the restraints off, even as they dig deeper into his skin) rosalie: just wait one moment~ *she goes upstairs* Kid: (waits for her to leave...calls to the other prisoners) "Where are we?" woman: i-i dont know...some cabin?...........*she trembles* why would she do this? she used to be such a good girl.... Kid: " 'Used to'? Wait...You're her mother?" woman:....*she whimpers* this is all my fault....if i had only let her become friends with that child...then maybe she wouldnt have turned out like this... Kid: "I don't understand..." woman: ...................i apologize..i'm just muttering now.... Kid: "...We are getting out of here. You have to have hope in my friends..." woman:....... -elsewhere- Patty: "We can't find him..." liz: maybe check outside city limits? stocking: CHECK THE WHOLE COUNTRY IF YOU HAVE TO DAMMIT! Black Star: "W-We're trying! Okay? We've been calling nearby cities, you know, as far as Kid could reach when he left..." stocking: WELL TRY HARDER!....*whimpering* Black Star: "...I'll go call someone..." -and so- Tezca: "I've been trying to get a sense of Kid's location with my mirror. But something is blocking me." kirara: oh? what do you suppose it is? Tezca: "I'm not sure...Lord Death, did you ever use anything to mask Asura's location underneath Death City?" lord death: just eibon's barrier magic, why? Tezca: "What if someone got that barrier magic to shield wherever Kid is?" lord death: that'd be next to impossible... Tezca: " 'Next to,' but not impossible, right?" lord death: hmmmm.... Yumi: "Eibon? Can you sense where else a barrier is being used?" eibon: well i- soul: THAT'S IT! Tezca: "?!" Yumi: "Soul?" soul: remember that werewolf, free? maybe he could track kid's scent? Yumi: "Hmmm...That could work...Soul, please bring him in." -and so- Free: "What you got with his scent on it?" -liz hands him a bedsheet- Free: *sniff* "Wow, man...Reapers smell strong...kind of like...cats?" stocking: well? Free: "Yeah, I can tell his path. Just follow me..." (leads them towards city limits) -in the cabin- Kid: (trying to hold back tears) rosalie: wasnt that wonderful~? Kid: "I...will rip your throat...with my nails..." rosalie: hehe~ you're so funny, kiddo~ Kid: "I'm seriously...Deathly serious. You let me out of these bonds, just see how quickly I slice you into bits, you bastard..." rosalie: hehe~ how cute~ *she strokes his cheek* but you know you cant escape me~ Kid: (bites at her fingers) rosalie: *winces and licks the bite* ah~ so naughty of you kiddo~ Kid: "I will kill you! Let me go this minute!" (desperately tugging at his constraints, sobbing) "Please?" -slap- rosalie: you really dont get it do you? i own you now. and we're going to be together, whether you like it or not, ok~? Kid: (stunned silent...but still tearing up) rosalie: *she crawls over and licks his tears* so good~ Kid: (sobs uncontrollably) -elsewhere- Free: "Hmmm...More to the East..." stocking:...... Free: "...He was definitely through here..." liz: *checks her map* Patty: "These woods go on forever...Shouldn't we have found Kid by now? What if he's...?" stocking: DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!! Patty: "I-I didn't mean! But, what if--I don't him to--..." (cries) liz: stocking, i know you're worried. so are we, but we wont find him with you snapping at everyone! Free: *sniffs a tree* "..." eruka: well? Free: "...Could you ladies give me a minute? I need to mark my territory." eruka: FREE!! D:< stocking: if you lose the scent I WILL SKIN YOU AND WEAR YOU AS A COAT!! Free: "...Fine. Jeez." (sniffs the tree) "Wait...Kid circled here a few times, then..." (assumes dog pose, his nose pointing towards Kid's path) "Thataway!" eruka: *she looks in that direction* hmmm... Patty: *sniff* "So, what's ahead of us? Is that where Kid is?" -there is a cabin in the distance- Free: "There...That's the spot." -inside- rosalie: so many bruises and cuts...was i too rough with you, honey~? Kid: "...Kill..." -outside- Free: "How we doing this?" liz: we'll have to sneak in somehow... Patty: "Underground?" Free: "I can dig..." eruka: i'll check the perimeter... Free: "..." (glances at Stocking) stocking: *she knocks the door down* liz: shit! Patty: o_o; Free: D: rosalie:....excuse me a moment sweetie... Kid: "Wh-What?" (starts screaming) "Help! Help us!" stocking: !!!! *she goes to the back room and looks everywhere* Patty: "Sis!" (transforms) Free: (in werewolf form, sniffing) "I smell him...and others...and a lot of blood and--" (eyes widen) "Oh my God..." (snarls) "Monster..." liz: *takes the gun* ........ rosalie: ......................how bothersome...oh well, now is as good a time as any to clean up the mess~ *changes her arm into a cleaver blade* Free: "You? Where is the Reaper?" Free: "I can smell you, you brat--where are you?" rosalie: *she charges at them* Free: "Magic Eye Cannon!" (fires at Rosalie) rosalie: !! *jumps as the wall behind her is destroyed* liz: *she notices a trap door and goes in* kid?! Kid: "Help! We're here!" liz: !!! *she goes down into the back room*......!!!!!!!!!!!! Kid: "Liz! Get them out of here!" liz: *she shoots off the locks* Kid: "Can you get them out of here?" liz: yeah, but what about you kid? Kid: "...Just get me out of here..." -upstairs- Free: "Damn it! Stand still!" stocking: *blocks her blade with her sword* Free: (swings claws at her) stocking: *tackles rosalie down the stairs* Free: "Hold her, Sock Girl!" stocking: i-i'm trying! -slice slice- stocking: *SCREAMING* Free: "No!" (tries to grab at Rosalie to pull her off of Stocking) stocking: d-damn... Kid: "You!" rosalie: ?! Kid: "Die!" rosalie: darli- *squilch* liz: !!!!!!!!!! Kid: (fingers piercing into her shoulder) rosalie: ah- Kid: (pushes his fingers in deeper) "You bitch...After what you have done, death is too good for you..." rosalie: !!! ha.. HAHAHAHAHAH!! Kid: "???" rosalie: you're so mean, but i love you anyway~ Kid: (picks up brick) "Shut up--" (brings it down on her head) rosalie: !!! a-ahh.... Kid: "..." (drops the brick) "Get her to Death City..." -hours later, rosalie carvar was sentanced to life in prison, and upon her reaching age 21, execution.- lord death: *hugs kid tightly* thank god you're alive... Kid: T_T "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" stocking: kid............ Kid: "Stocking?" (looks down) stocking:....*she runs up to him and hugs him, crying* i was so scared.....that i would never see you again.... Kid: "I thought the same..." (nervous in her arms) stocking: *she holds him close* i'm so sorry....this is all my fault... Kid: "No, it's my fault! I never should've left!" stocking:..............l-lets get you to the nurse... Kid: "Okay..." -in the nurse's office- Kid: "...It was awful..." nurse: *she's writing down notes* stocking: *covering her mouth* kid...... Kid: "She...I was...raped..." stocking:......*she hugs him* y-you arent alone kid... Kid: (crying) "Those people..." stocking: *she strokes his back* Kid: "Why couldn't I stop her?" stocking: it's not your fault kid.... Kid: (crying) "I was weak..." stocking: you were still brave, werent you? Kid: (shakes his head no) stocking:....on the bright side, you helped save those people. Kid: "..." (cries) "She was awful..." -that night- stocking: i brought you some tea with lemon... Kid: "Th-Thank you..." stocking:......*she holds him close* Kid: "..." (sips his tea) stocking:.....do you need some time off school until you can feel better? Kid: (nods) stocking: ok......i understand how scary it is....but it doesnt make you a bad person... Kid: "...I...cheated on you..." stocking: you didnt want her to do that, did you? Kid: (shakes his head) "N-No...But..." stocking: *smiles* assault isnt the same as cheating kid.....when no-...that bastard tortured me, you didnt accuse _me_ of being unfaithful, did you? Kid: (shakes his head) "No...I'm sorry." stocking: it's ok kid.....you're ok... Kid: "...I love you." stocking: i love you too kid.... Kid: "...You all saved me..." stocking: of course, you mean so much to all of us, you're our family. Kid: "..." (small smile) -a few days later, it was the day of the death bazaar- Kid: "I-I'm almost ready." stocking: *she nods* liz: this will be good for him... Patty: "Yeah...I hope the weather holds out." -and so- Kid: (looks at tchotchkes and souvenirs) stocking: so cool! Kid: "See something you like?" stocking: *snaps a few pictures* just looking...ooh! look over there! Kid: "???" -elsewhere at the bazaar- Anya: ✿◕ ‿ ◕✿ tsugumi: hopefully no one gets hurt this year. mio: what? O-O; Meme: (squirms) -elsewhere- shinra: there’s quite a lot of people here.. Arthur: "Good thing a knight like I am here to protect the masses." maki: *SQUEEE* look at this! Arthur: ("If it's more yaoi, I'm going to smack her...") -seems to be a teddy bear of some kind- Arthur: "...Oh. That's one big bear." shinra: hey look, it's a knock-off mickey! *holds up a rat doll* Arthur: (picks up a toy robot) -elsewhere- Black Star: (having ice cream at the Bazaar) soul: *he got a new book and a record* so far so good. Black Star: "Yeah, but I'm still trying to find something for the apartment..." (looks at some pots and pans) "Maybe new cookware?" soul: maybe. Black Star: "Excuse me? How much for this frying pan?" -elsewhere- Kid: (looking at the trees and the sky) stocking: the cherry blossoms are really pretty, arent they? Kid: (nods) "It's good to see them." stocking: i got us some crepes. *she smiles* Kid: (sweats a bit) "Thank you. They look delicious." stocking:....*she holds his hand* anything you want to do after this? Kid: "...Could we go for a walk?" stocking: of course..... Kid: "Okay...Thank you." stocking: *she kisses him gently* Kid: (shudders a bit, blushes) stocking: you ok? Kid: (nods) "Just getting used to things again." stocking:...if you ever feel uncomfortable, let me know, ok? Kid: (nods) "Of course." stocking: *she smiles* Kid: "...I keep having dreams..." stocking:.... Kid: "...I want better dreams. Ones of the future..." stocking: hmmm..... Kid: "...I want to get through this...with you..." stocking:......*she holds his hand* Kid: "...May we go for a walk now?" stocking: sure Kid: (stands...holds his hand to her) -elsewhere- Anya: "Hmm...I wonder how to carry all of this home..." shinra: oh, hey guys. tsugumi: ah! hey! *hugs maki* maki: TSUGUMIN! >w< Anya: (glares at Arthur) "Arthur." Arthur: "??? Um...Hi." Meme: (to Shinra) "How's it going?" shinra: good. we went to a training camp a while back and met a few people there. mio: ah. Anya: "..." Arthur: "Hmm...Maki, it looks like they bought a lot at the bazaar..." -later, elsewhere- Yumi: (cradling Shiori) shiori: zzzzz.... Yumi: (kisses her forehead) "I love you, Shiori...Be safe." shiori: *yawn* Yumi: (smiles) "Your brother is home...and I want all of my children to be safe." kirika:..... Yumi: "That includes you, Kirika. I can see you..." kirika: !! hmm.... Yumi: "Want to hold your sister?" kirika: i-i'm good.... *her cheek appears to be bruised* Yumi: "Kirika, what happened to your cheek? Were you in a fight?" kirika: oh this? eh, i ran into some trouble on the way home. i kicked their asses though, so it doesnt really matter. they didnt put up much of a fight though, i think they were too stoned off their asses to care. Yumi: "That's...concerning. Do you know why they were attacking you? Were they targeting you specifically?" kirika: i think they were just some hobos trying to mug some cash. the point is i'm fine and i still got all my stuff on me. Yumi: (smiles) "Okay. Keep being careful out there..." Yumi: "I'm going to mention this to your father, though." kirika: *rolls eyes* yeah yeah, when _dont_ you? so i got a little scratched up, what of it? i've been through way worse than this, believe me. Yumi: "And he deserves to know what happens to you--and in his city. He wouldn't want to see innocent people hurt." kirika:......i'm gonna head to bed now. night. Yumi: "...Okay. Good night." -the next day- Kid: "Zzz..." stocking: *holding him* Kid: (mutters) "St-Stocking?" stocking: hmm? Kid: "Is that you?" stocking: *yawn* hmm? Kid: "Please...hold me..." stocking:......*she does so* Kid: (falls back to sleep) -later- Kid: "The shower helped..." stocking: i'm glad. did you want to head back to school today or not? Kid: "...Okay." -at school- tsubaki: how are you feeling? Kid: "...Just trying to get through things..." soul: if you need to take it easy- Kid: "Thank you. I'm...going to try." -at lunch- stocking: i got you some Gatorade. Kid: (smiles) "That is very sweet of you. Thanks." stocking: i want to help you through this. Kid: "You are...You are." stocking:...*she nods* Kid: "I appreciate all that you are doing..." stocking: *she smiles* you were there for me...so may as well return the favor, right? Kids: (smiles) "I love you." -later- Kid: "How did I do today?" stocking: you did great. Kid: (small smile) "This is what I want..." stocking: *she nuzzles closer* Kid: (shivers) stocking: you ok? Kid: "Y-Yes...I'm just trying to get used to..." stocking: hmm? Kid: "I'm remembering...bad touches..." stocking: oh...*she pulls back* Kid: "I'm sorry..." stocking: d-do you want me to take it slowly? Kid: (nods) stockin: *she holds his hand* Kid: "..." (slowly brings his lips to her cheek) stocking: *blush* Kid: "I missed you so much." stocking: i missed you too... Kid: "I...I was thinking of all of you..." stocking: *she nods* Kid: "..." (hugs her) "Can we just stay like this?" stocking: ok.... Kid: "..." (holds her, sighs) stocking: *she smiles* Kid: "Stocking...You are so warm." stocking:....mmmmm. Kid: "..." (faces her) "May I kiss you?" stocking: of course kid. Kid: (brushes his lips lightly along hers) stocking: mmmm..... Kid: (kisses again, a little more strongly) stocking: *bluush* Kid: (pulls back) "I-I..." stocking: hmm? Kid: (blushing) "You are so attractive." stocking: hehe~ look who's talking~ Kid: (blushes, smiles) "Thanks..." stocking: *she smiles and nuzzles his nose* Kid: (rests his hands around her) "I...forgot how..." (blushes harder) stocking: ah..... *blush* Kid: "..." (pulls back, and unbuttons his shirt) stocking: k-kid... .////. Kid: (blushing harder) "I just...feel warm..." stocking:...s-should i....? Kid: "..." (nods) stocking: ok... *she begins to remove her dress* are you sure? Kid: "Y-Yes, I am..." stocking: ok.... *she is now in her undergarments* if it becomes too much, let me know. Kid: (nods) "I just...Stocking...I missed you. I missed seeing you. And now..." (his hand falls along her hip) stocking:.....*she blushes* Kid: "..." (kisses her cheek) stocking: i...i missed you too kid....i was scared..... Kid: "..." (tearing up) "I thought I would never see you again." stocking:....*she hugs him* you're here now kid...and we're together....i-i'm so happy you're ok.... *shuddering* Kid: (crying) "So am I...Please, just hold me." stocking: *she does so* Kid: (his breathing calms down...) "Thank you..." (he holds her and rests his chin along her shoulder) -the next morning- Kid: (sleeping, smiling) -in the catacombs under the school- clay: why do we have to come here so early in the morning? Akane: "Eibon told us to." clay: cant _he_ go looking for this person? i dont even want to be near the place... Akane: "He has important work ahead of him, and he has confidence in us. Let's not disappoint." clay: T_T *clutches his flashlight* Akane: "Hmm...I hear something...but my Soul Perception is leading us in another direction..." clay: *shivering* so cold down here. _and_ no cell reception....greeeeeat... Akane: (follows his Soul Perception) -briiing- -briiiing- clay: ?! Akane: "What on Earth?" clay: my phone?.... -the message desplay is glitched out, and the picture is of a face with black empty eyes and a twisted smile- O_O;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; i dont think i want to answer. Akane: "..." (looks around a corner) "Hello?" -the phone goes to message.....distorted sounds erupt from the speaker- clay: Q-Q;;;; Akane: "I don't get it....I can feel their soul right here, but--" -come j01n the fUn- clay: Q____Q;;; no thank you!! Akane: "Clay? What is going on with you?" clay: just creepy messages on my phone, nothing much! Akane: "...Who on Earth are you sexting?" clay: AKANE THIS IS SERIOUS! Akane: "Fine. So, this phone messages indicate that we are confronting something here that is of deep concern...and we still have not found the missing student. We have to hurry, now." -someone could be sensed to the right- Akane: (glances) "Hmm...Clay, transform..." clay: right. *he does so* Akane: (struggles to follow what he senses) "Clay...This soul wavelength is fluctuating..." clay: ........ -someone is sitting by one of the posts, clutching their knees to their chest Akane: (trying to increase resonance with Clay...Calls to the someone...) "Hello." -the person looks up...the color was drained from their face- clay: i think we found her... Akane: "Hello. We are here to escort you back to the Academy upstairs..." girl: no way out....no way out..... Akane: "...Come on." (holds out his hand) "Let's go." -after making their way out- Akane: "You're going to be okay. Let's get you to the infirmary..." girl:...... Akane: "...How do you feel, ma'am?" girl:............. Akane: "..." (stops walking, leans down to look at her face) -her eyes look rather dull and sunken in- Akane: "..." (tries to sense her soul...) -she's fine, but very shook up- Akane: "Come on. You'll get treatment and feel better soon." -the next morning- Kid: *Yawn* stocking: sleep well? Kid: (nods) "Much better. Thank you." stocking: no problem~ Kid: (blushes) "...Stocking..." stocking: hmm? Kid: "...N-Nothing...Just thinking about the future and..." stocking: .... Kid: "..." (hugs her) "I love you." stocking: i love you too, babe. Kid: "..." (kisses her cheek) -at school- Patty: (drops stack of books onto desk) liz: wow. Patty: "Yeah, I wanted to cram! Going to be pulling a lot of all-nighters if I want to get those grades up." liz: ah, i see. Patty: "Maybe we can do a study session?" liz: sounds good. maybe at the library? Patty: (nods) "Sounds great!" -later- Kid: "Hmm...This problem is difficult." soul:..... Black Star: "Who's got the answer for #4?" -at lunch- Kid: (chewing on his sandwich) Patty: "Hmm...Salad tastes weird." soul: so what do you guys want to do after school today? Kid: "Hmmm...You know, it's been the longest time since I went roller skating..." stocking: sounds like fun. Patty: "Yeah!" Black Star: "Um...I kinda fall a lot on skates..." tsubaki: practice makes perfect. Black Star: "Tch, yeah...Okay." soul: sounds good to me. Patty: "Yay! Let's go after class!" -later- Kid: (lacing up his skates) stocking: so is this like ice skating or...? Kid: (nods) "Same practice, just with a hard surface and wheels. It'll take some getting used to--" stocking: ah. Kid: (offers a hand to Stocking) "Need some support?" stocking: i would like that. *she smiles* Kid: (holds her hand) "Just about balancing on these skates on the rink..." stocking: *she smiles* Kid: (skates forward a bit) "Just roll along the rink...Go with the flow, not against it--you don't want to crash into anyone..." stocking: ok. Kid: (leads her around the rink) "You're doing great." *Pop music playing, disco lights turning* soul: discotech? Black Star: "Great...And me without bellbottoms--" (falls on his skates) "Damn it!" tsubaki: ^^ Patty: "Come on, Black Star! It's not that hard! Just got to be on both feet at the same time..." -elsewhere- Shotaro: "Are we there yet?" mana: just about.. Yohei: "Keep your guard up. No idea what is around..." chie:..... Shotaro: "Chie? You okay?" chie:...not looking forwards to seeing nofix, but i'm alright... Shotaro: "..." (pats her shoulder) "It'll be okay...Believe that." chie:.......*smile* Yohei: "...Mizune, anything you sense?" mizune: seems the place is pretty heavily guarded. Yohei: "How many?" mizune: about 10-15 tops. Yohei: "Hmmm...Okay. Mizune, you take three of them. Chie, another three. Mana, two. Shotaro, seven. And I'll take the rest." mizune: ...... Shotaro: (counting on his fingers and toes) "Hey! That means you're not having to fight anyone, Yohei!" Yohei: "..." (smirks) chie: T_T; Yohei: "I simply have confidence in all of you..." -elsewhere- Hibana: "Well, this is annoying." iris: i dont think it's that bad... Hibana: (looking at the selfie with Iris) "I look drunk in it." maki: *scrolling through filters* Hibana: "??? Any options?" shinra:..... Arthur: (looking over Maki's shoulder) "Hmm...Do they have an anti-ogre filter?" -PUNCH- Hibana: o_o; "...You got a strong arm there, Maki." Arthur: (twitching on the floor) shinra: O-O;;;;; (thinking: scary....) Hibana: "You need to show me that punch. It could help with sparring. That reminds me, Shinra--" shinra: *NERVOUS SMILE AND SWEATS* 0w0;;;;;; Hibana: (hands him a glass) "You need more protein to grow your muscles. Drink this." shinra: um...thanks...*he looks inside the glass* *It's greenish-brown, smells like a barn--and it's bubbling* shinra: .___________________.;;;;;; (thinking: these girls are going to kill me....) Hibana: (false tears) "I spent a long time determining the best nutriencial drink I could...Please tell me you'll drink it..." shinra:.....*gulp* down the hatch! ............................. *shuddering* Hibana: (smiles) "Excellent! Now to document the chemical reactions--I mean results..." shinra: WAIT WHAT?! Hibana: "Well, you're body may take some adjusting to the ingredients...Ladies, you may want to step back to..." (takes out chalk, makes a six foot radius around Shinra) "...to outside the line. Oh, and scoop up Arthur, too." shinra: um.... *sweats* Hibana: "Do you feel anything? Elevated temperature? Increased sweating? An urge to urinate? A tummy ache?" shinra: *hurk* uuugh.... -just nausea and dizzyness- Hibana: "Hmmm..." (takes notes) "Iris, get the bucket ready." -later- shinra: Q~Q Hibana: "Well, looks like it's back to the drawing board. In any case, get some rest, Shinra. Drink plenty of fluids--" (hands him a glass of water) shinra: whyyyyyyy Hibana: "...I was just trying to help you..." shinra:......... Hibana: (sighs) "Okay, fine. Next time, I'll test it on Arthur." -elsewhere- Anya: (folding laundry) mio: you sure have some fancy clothes. Anya: -_-; "I-I just like dressing like this...It's not my fault commoners' clothes are so coarse..." mio: .... kim: say, maybe we could go to the mall tomorrow? Anya: "That...actually sounds like a good idea." Meme: (looks at Mio..."She seems...worried.") mio:...it's late. i'm gonna call it a night for now. Meme: "How do you feel Mio? Sleepy?" mio:..tired mostly... Meme: "...You look a little sad. If something is bothering you, I want to do whatever I can to help." mio: ok...maybe tomorrow... Meme: (smiles) "Okay. Good night." -elsewhere- Kid: "I think that skating went rather well." stocking: even though you landed on your butt, hehe~ Kid: (blushes) "I just got turned around..." (rubs his behind) stocking: aww.. want me to kiss it and make it better? liz: do you have to do that in public? Kid: o\\\\\o "Y-You don't have to be right here when we're in public!" stocking: 737;; Kid: "..." (holds Stocking's hand) "I appreciate going out today..." soul: *he nods* it was nice. Black Star: (frowning) "My butt hurts." tsubaki: ^^; Patty: (looks at Black Star) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) liz: -_-; Kid: "Would anyone like refreshments?" soul: yeah. stocking: i am a bit thirsty. Kid: (smiles) "I'll bring some water. Anything else to bring out?" -and so- Patty: (sipping lemonade through a twisty straw) Kid: "Anyone have plans this week?" tsubaki: we were planning on going to the waterpark during the weekend. Black Star: "Yeah! Summer will be here before we know it! So might as well cool down!" liz: *sweats* Patty: (pokes Tsubaki) "Want some company?" tsubaki: the more the merrier. Kid: (smiles) "That should be enjoyable." -elsewhere- Yohei: (looks along the walls) "...Blood." mizune: holy shit.... Yohei: "...I wonder..." (looks around) "See whether you can find any clues. Maybe the people attacked left something behind: wallet, jewelry, something." mana:....*she finds a keycard* Shotaro: "Why would they have a keycard? Is there a door around here?" mana: maybe...*she looks around* Yohei: (feels along the wall, looks at his Silver Gun) "Some UV lighting should reveal an opening..." mana: is there anything that gun cant do? Yohei: "..." (presses a button, which causes a hand to pop out of it on a spring, holding a card that is handed to Mana...) *The card says "NO"* mana: TnT Shotaro: "Hee hee..." (trips--and hits against something hollow in the wall) chie: ?? Shotaro: "I think I found something! The wall feels empty here!" chie: ah... Yohei: "..." (taps the wall--and a keycard slot appears) mana: ah! Yohei: "Well, slide the card through..." (aims at the door) mana: right. -beep- Yohei: (aiming) Shotaro: (fists up) chie: mm... -shadow blade- -the door opens- -something could be heard inside- Yohei: "...I can't figure it out...Is that a person's voice?" mana: sounds like it... Yohei: "Be on your guard. Mizune and I will take the lead, Chie and Shotaro watch our back, Mana watch the sides." mana: right. chie: *nods* mizune:.... Shotaro: (looks up...and sees something dripping down) "Man, it must be dank in here." mana:..*turns on her flashlight* Yohei: (looks up--and shudders) "Oh my God..." chie: !! *A body is hanging from the ceiling* mizune: *hurk* gross. Yohei: "Why would they do that? To scare people away?" chie: beats me... Yohei: (looks at his gun for readings) "They're dead...We better keep moving forward..." -inside- Yohei: "Hmm...I sense some rudimentary lasers. We set those off, and they alert security." chie: how do we bypass them, then? Yohei: "I would need to plug into an outlet...over there." (points to outlet, across the hall, in between the lasers) "We'll need someone who can get through those lasers without setting one off...Shotaro?" Shotaro: (bites Bone of the Snake, slithers along the floor, avoiding lasers...) chie: that works too, i guess. mizune: *cringe* Shotaro: (slithers up to the outlet, plugs in...) "Um...Okay. I'll just push the button and--" *ALARM* Shotaro: o___o Yohei: "B-But he didn't even trip anything!" chie: was it a trap?! *Something shifts in the wall behind them* mana: !!?? *The wall opens--and a blade on a pendulum swings down at them* chie: !!!!! -dark shield- *The pendulum cannot get through the Dark Shield: it's machinery starts to buckle and spark before it explodes, sending shrapnel behind them and at Shotaro* Shotaro: "?!" (dodges) "Bone of the Armadillo!" (plates cover him--and he rolls into a ball) mana: that was close... Shotaro: (peeks out) "Yeah..." (picks some metal out of his plate before reverting to normal) "Why is everything here trying to kill us?" Yohei: "...We heard a voice, then we find a dead body...Someone else is here..." chie:...... Shotaro: "Wait...Bone of Elephant!" (grows big ears--and a long nose and tusks...He puts his ears to the wall) "I hear someone! In there!" -a baby seems to be crying- Yohei: "???" Shotaro: "Oh, man..." chie: a child? Yohei: "Chie, can you slice open this wall?" -dark slice- -a baby boy is in his crib- Shotaro: (approaches, looks into the crib) mana: a baby? Shotaro: (frowns, reaches down to pick up the baby) "It's okay, guy...You're going to be--" Shotaro: (picks up the child--then freezes)_ -hair wraps around the child and puts him back in the crib- Shotaro: "Huh?!" ????: you know, it's rather rude to intrude onto people's homes without permission... Yohei: (turns, aims) -hair whip- mikan: it's even more rude to try and steal other peoples children. Yohei: (hand is cut from the whip) "Ah!" Shotaro: (narrows his eyes) "You have a funny way of raising a kid..." mizune: !!!!!!! WE NEED TO LEAVE, LIKE, NOW! Yohei: "What are we dealing with?" mizune: that's one of the kishin! chie: !!!!! Shotaro: "Crap! Um...Where's the exit?!" (looks up at the ceiling) mana: back the way we came? Shotaro: "Stand clear! HORN OF RHINO!" (charges forward) mikan: oof! *she is holding off* Yohei: "Hurry! Get moving!" -TOSS- chie: ah! o-ow.... Yohei: "Chie!" chie: *wince* Yohei: (picks her up) "We got to get out of here..." (runs for exit) mikan: *picks up heibito* they should consider themselves lucky i was in a good mood today, otherwise i'd have to get your bedroom all bloody. *nose nuzzle* heibito: ^o^ Yohei: "Mizune! Cover us! I'm putting some obstacles between us and her." mizune: hyeahh! *charges* mikan: *block* now that's just being a poor sport. *BOOM* Shotaro: "I made another exit!" mana: lets go then! Shotaro: "You go! I'll get Mizune!" mana: right! chie: *nods* Shotaro: (runs at Mikan) "You like wiping around! Then take this! BEAK OF OCTOPUS!" (flings arms like tentacles at Mikan) -tentacle slap fight- Shotaro: (to Mizune) "You ready?!" mizune: *grabs him and runs* Shotaro: o\\\\\\o "Th-Thanks..." mizune: 0___________________0;;;;;; Yohei: (starts up a small vehicle with multiple seats) "Get in! We're leaving!" Shotaro: "...You can put me down now, Ma'am." mizune: *SLAM* FLOOR IT FOR THE LOVE OF FREYA, FUCKING FLOOR IT!!! Shotaro: (gasps) "Language!" Yohei: "Don't have to tell me twice!" (turns it on--and it goes 0 to 60 MPH) chie: *sigh* ow... Yohei: (programs GPS for auto-drive to nearest hospital) "Mizune...What's wrong?" mizune: ....... -inside- Asura: "I should have consumed them..." mikan: i know. *she rubs his back* Asura: "Savages...Invading our home...He was going to steal our child..." mikan: he's safe, see. heibito: buh? Asura: (smiles...strokes Heibito's cheek, kisses Mikan's forehead) "You saved him." mikan: as if i'd let them touch him without consequences.. Asura: "...How much food do we have remaining?" mikan: perhaps one of the cult members is willing to sacrifice themselves? Asura: (nods) "But we will have to relocate...There is no way they won't report this location." mikan: deeper underground? Asura: (nods) -outside- Yohei: "...No one is following us. The hospital is still an hour from us. Chie? Can you hold on?" chie: i'm fine, rea-*wince* damn.... Yohei: "...The car is on auto-pilot. Let me take a look..." chie: mmmm..... 7////7; Yohei: "...What?" chie: n-nothing... Yohei: (looks behind her) "Chie, your back looks bruised..." chie: yeah, i can tell... Yohei: (removes first aid kit) "I'm going to clean the cuts there, then apply salve to dull the pain." chie: *wince* ah... Yohei: "This is going to sting a bit more...Want something?" -elsewhere- Kid: (washing his face) liz: you ok in there? Kid: "Yes..." (exits the bathroom) "Just tired." liz:..... Kid: "How about you? Feel okay?" liz: yeah. Kid: "..." (looks down) "Th-Thank you for your concern." liz: *she nods* Kid: "..." (awkward hug) liz:...*pats his back* Kid: *sniff* "I-I think I better get some rest." liz: yeah.... Kid: "Good night...Sleep well..." -the next morning- Kid: *yawn* stocking: *yawn* morning kiddo... Kid: (smiles) "You're here..." stocking: why wouldnt i be? Kid: (hugs her) "Sorry. I'm just grateful every day I know you are safe." stocking: *she smiles* Kid: (pats her back) "What is today?" stocking: thursday i think? Kid: (nods) "Up for breakfast?" stocking: yeah. Kid: (smiles) "Head down to the dining room? Or breakfast in bed?" -later at school- Kid: (mapping something...) soul:......*napping* Black Star: (flinging pencils into the ceiling) kim:......*peeeeks over kid's shoulder* hmm? Patty: (doodling) "Man, seems kind of slow today..." Kid: (looks back at Kim) "May I help you?" kim: nothin'.... *whistles+glances at kid's paper* kim: what's with the house layout? Kid: "J-Just...something I'm thinking about in the future..." kim: building a future lovenest~? *smirk* Kid: o\\\\o "I-I just was--I mean, I--I wanted to, you know, make something ideal for--for--...Sure. Let's go with that." kim: hehe~ *griiiin* Kid: (blushing) "W-Would she like it?" kim: why dont you ask her? Kid: "...Okay..." -at lunch- Kid: "St-Stocking? Would you...look at this?" stocking: hmm? what's this? Kid: "...A plan...for a future home." stocking: ah. Kid: "...In the future...could you imagine us living somewhere else?" stocking: oh? what about gallows manor? Kid: "What if...it starts to feel cramped there? And we want more privacy?" stocking: hmmm... maybe. Kid: (small smile) "We could have an entire pantry just for desserts..." stocking: *shiny eyes* for reals? Kid: (smirks) "For reals." stocking: *hug* i love you. Kid: o\\\o "I-I love you, t-too..." stocking: hmm? you ok? Kid: (nods) "S-Sorry. I'm still not...on my game, so to speak, 100 percent." stocking:...is this still about...y-you know.... Kid: "..." (nods) stocking: mmm......*she holds his hand* Kid: "I'm sorry. I'm getting better, I promise...It's just...slow." stocking: i know kid.... Kid: "..." (small squeeze of her hand, a smile) "Thank you." -after school- Kid: "I was thinking about the water park, and I think I could use a new pair of swim trunks." stocking: sounds good. -elsewhere- Wes: (fixing some marks on sheet music) soul: *napping on the couch* Wes: "Hmm..." (pets Ghost Dog) "It's getting late...I better make some dinner for Soul..." dog: *bark bark!* Wes: "Shhh! Don't want to wake up Soul yet..." soul: zzzzz..... Wes: "Phew!" (pats Ghost Dog on the head again) "Come on--I'll give you something to eat." -elsewhere- Kid: "Hmm...Maybe the red..." julie: ?? *peeeek* Kid: (in swim trunks, looking at his reflection in the mirror) julie: hiya! Kid: o\\\\o "H-Hi, Julie! Y-You snuck up on me there..." julie: you ok? Kid: "...Yes. Just getting ready for the water park trip this weekend." julie: oooh. Kid: "Hmmm...Actually, would your mother and father want you and your siblings to go to a water park, too?" julie: really? *shiny eyes* Kid: (smiles) "Sure! They have plenty of rides for kids your age." -later- Patty: "All packed!" liz: apparently julie, riley and heather are coming along too. Patty: *shiny eyes* "Yay! We can go down the slides, have ice cream, pull down Black Star's trunks--" liz: woah now! Patty: "...What? You know you would do the same." liz: not in front of julie! D:< Patty: "Fine. I won't do that at the park..." liz: *sigh* Patty: (pouts, pokes Liz's shoulder) "I'm only kidding..." liz:..*chuckle* Patty: (smiles) "So, you almost ready for the waterpark?" liz: it's this saturday so, yeah. Patty: "Cool." (holds up her swimsuit) "Hope the weather is good." liz: should be. Patty: (smirks) "Any word from Wes?" liz: he'll be busy. Patty: "Aw, that's too bad...I'm sure he'd get a kick out of seeing you..." liz: o////o PATTI! Patty: "Maybe text him a pic~?" liz: PATTI!!! O///////////O Patty: "Oh, come on! Like you wouldn't mind seeing him in swimtrunks...or a speedo." -PILLOW TOSS'D- Patty: "...OH, IT'S ON! PILLOW FIGHT!" -at the 8th- Arthur: "KILL THE DRAGON!" maki: it's just a little salamander. Arthur: "KILL THE LITTLE SALAMANDER!" shinra: what's wrong arthur, scared of a little salamander~? Hehe. Arthur: "It is the responsibility of each knight to eliminate the threats of these hellish, fire-breathing beasts!" (points a finger at the salamander) "I'm watching you, hellspawn!" shinra:.........hey everyone! arthur is scared of salamanders! Arthur: "I am not!" (looks at the salamander...sweating, shaking...) salamander: ouo Arthur: "EEEK! IT LOOKED AT ME!" (hides behind the couch) shinra: *sweatdrop* Hibana: "Could you all keep it down? My head is killing me." -at gallows manor- stocking: soooo.....did you want to be in your undies tonight or not? Kid: "...I do, if you don't mind...Or I could...go without them?" stocking: hmmm.... are you sure about it kid? Kid: "..." (nods) stocking: just snuggling? Kid: (nods) "Just snuggling." stocking: ok. Kid: "...Could you...help me out of these?" stocking: ah, sure... Kid: "Th-Thanks..." stocking: *blush* no problem... Kid: "..." (gets out of his boxers...) "I...I feel okay with this..." Kid: "Um...Are you okay with this?" stocking: ....should i take mine off too? Kid: "...I'd...like that." stocking: ok then. *she undresses* Kid: (blushes) "You have such a glow to you...You're beautiful." stocking: *blush* oh you always say that. Kid: (holds her) "Because it's always true." (kisses her forehead, draws her closer) "No matter what happens, I will always love you." -the next morning- Kid: (is held in her arms, yawns) stocking: zzzzz.... Kid: (smiles, stays in her arms, holds onto her) stocking: *yawn* morning kiddo... Kid: "Morning, Angel. How do you feel?" stocking: slept well. you? Kid: (smiles) "Great." stocking: *she kisses his cheek* Kid: (smiles, kisses her cheeks) "I love you." stocking: i love you too cutie~ Kid: "Hee hee...Cutie...So are you." stocking: hehe~ Kid: (leans his head against her neck) "Today is Friday...I wish we could stay like this a little longer." stocking: me too, but alas, school. Kid: (rubs her back) "Yes." (sits up, stretches) -at school- Kid: "What's on today's agenda?" liz: looks like geography Kid: "Hmm..." (opens a book, revealing a map with locations marked) "Need more time..." -at lunch- Patty: (holds up T-Rex shaped chicken nugget) "RAWR!" soul: *yawn*.... Black Star: "You okay, man? You've been kind of sleepy." soul: yeah, i'm good....just been a long week.... kilik:.... Black Star: "How 'bout you, Kilik? How's today been?" kilik: pretty good for the most part. thunder: git gud! git gud! Black Star: "??? 'Good'?" -later, at gym- Patty: (stretching) "So looking forward to this." shinra: good to be back... Arthur: "Hmph. These shorts are not becoming of a knight. My sword might pop out." shinra: that's way more than we needed to know! Arthur: "...What? I meant this!" (holds up a scabbard) "It keeps shifting when I wear these short shorts." Sid: "NO SWORDS IN GYM." student: does that mean i can leave? Sid: "Get back here! I meant swords that don't turn into humans! Arthur, give me that sword and get in line for today's activities." -later- Kid: *huffing* "Jeez, that took more out of me than I thought." liz: phew... Patty: (collapsed, wheezing) "So many hurdles...that moat...the alligator." -after school- Kid: (stretches) "A light walk should help after an exhaustive gym class..." stocking: yeah. Kid: "Any stops to make along the way? Anything you need for tomorrow?" stocking: is the water park indoor or outdoor? Kid: "It's a mix of both. I heard some slides go through indoor parts..." stocking: cool. Kid: "One slide is incredible: it starts outside, circles around inside, and lands in the indoor pool." stocking: wow. Kid: (nods) "I hope you enjoy fast slides..." stocking: yeah, remember the waterpark back in japan? Kid: "Yes. I remember how cool the water felt..." stocking: yeah. and that little kid too.... Kid: (smiles) "Yeah..." (small squeeze of her hand) "Stocking..." stocking: mmm.... Kid: "You are good with children." stocking: *she smiles* Kid: "Someday..." stocking: hmm? Kid: "...maybe we will have kids..." stocking: *blush* i would like that... Kid: *blushes as well* "Yeah...In the future..." -elsewhere- Yohei: "Are you feeling better?" chie: yeah... Yohei: "Need more aspirin?" chie: a little bit... Yohei: (offers her two aspirin) "Here. Drink a lot with it." chie: *she smiles* thanks... Yohei: "Want something to eat? Or some music?" chie: some music and tea would be nice. Yohei: (smiles) "Okay..." (sets a cup underneath GET and taps their head--causing hot water to pour down and music to start playing) chie: *pulls her blanket closer* Yohei: (finishes brewing) "Here you are, Love." chie: *blush* thanks. Yohei: "...There room for someone else in that bed?" chie: sure. *she scoots over* Yohei: (lies beside her) "...So, I finished some programming for work..." chie: ah. anything in particular? Yohei: "It's for the hospital, something to make it easier for the doctors to keep up on their patients--without someone hacking in to get that info." chie: ah. Yohei: "You should see something else I've been working on..." chie: oh? what is it? Yohei: "A new janitor aid. Helps with cleaning: windows, walls, carpets..." (smirks) "Cleaning up after Shotaro cooks." chie: *chuckles* Yohei: "Maybe I could make you another robot...Anything you need?" chie: i'm good for now. Yohei: (nods, kisses her cheek) chie: *she smiles* Yohei: "...I'm so happy I put that music feature into GET..." chie: *she nods* Yohei: *yawns* -later elsewhere- Wes: (playing the violin) liz: *claps* Wes: (blushes) "Thank you...You liked it?" liz: *she nods* you're really great at it. Wes: "...There's...something else I've been working on." liz: oh? Wes: "Y-Yeah...It's rough, but I want to share it..." *Wes starts playing a song that sounds rough but has something sweet and hopeful underneath it* liz: *listening* *Wes concludes playing* Wes: "...I...was thinking of a title for it..." liz: hmm.... Wes: " 'Brooklyn.'" liz:....*sad smile* Wes: "...S-Sorry..." liz: it's beautiful. Wes: "Really?" liz: *she nods* Wes: "Thank you..." (puts away his violin) "It's something I'll try to improve upon..." liz: its nice. Wes: (smiles) "I...had some help." (holds her hand) soul: get a room already.. Wes: o\\\\o "S-Soul?!" soul: yo. Wes: "We were j-just talking!" soul: sure bro. liz: oh my god... Wes: (clears throat) "Um...D-Did you want something..." (through clenched teeth) "...oh dear brother of mine?" soul:.................... pizza? owo;;;; Wes: (teeth still clenched) "Then we'll order some." (smiles and beams brightly) "Which toppings would you like, Soul?" soul: pepperoni? Wes: "Sure! And Liz, what would you like?" liz: i'll take cheese. Wes: (pulls up phone, types in the order online) "Cool. Should be here in less than a half hour." soul: cool.... -elsewhere- Arthur: "What the heck happened to you?": shinra: i dont want to talk about it......but we may want to avoid the girl's dorm.....for a while......anywho, i got this. *holds up a DVD; legend of the titanic* Arthur: "...Is that...animated?" shinra: i heard it's supposed to be really bad...also something about a rapping dog? call it morbid curiosity.....we could MTS it. Arthur: "Sounds good. Get the TV room ready, and I'll get some snacks." -later- shinra:.....................my sanity hurts..... Arthur: (pinches bridge of his nose) "That song will never leave my brain. Damn you, Shinra." shinra: i blame kishiri, he's the one who gave me the damn thing.... Arthur: "He just wanted to hurt us. We will get back at him...WITH THIS!" (Holds up a copy of Manos) shinra: cold blooded. or how about........ *whispering* Arthur: (eyes widen, Grinch grin forms) "Yeeeees..." shinra: this may just be too cruel, even for kishiri.... Arthur: "But deserving. Let's do it..." -elsewhere- Anya: -\\\\\\- "Stupid, stupid, stupid..." mio: 0-0;;;;; that was terrifying. tsugumi: maybe we should let tamaki cool off a while.....a very long while. Meme: (weeping) "So rude to just storm on in like that..." ao: and when mr kusakabe came in, it just went downhill from there...... kim: but that was pretty savage of tamaki to do that to the kid.... Jacqueline: (has a black eye) "No, I think Tamaki should have done worse..." -elsewhere- Kid: "I have the sunscreen." stocking: awesome. -knock knock- liz: i'm home! Patty: "Sis!" (hugs her) liz: you excited? Patty: "Hee hee! Pools! Water! Slides!" kirika: *playing games on her phone* Patty: "Kirika, you're coming too, right?" kirika: nah, i got other stuff to do here. Gopher: "B-B-But wouldn't you want to go?!" *Gopher popped up out of the sofa....from under the cushion...that Kid is sitting atop* Kid: o___o kirika: O_0 HOW THE FUCK-........ you know what, i'm not even shocked at this point. Gopher: "I already got you an outfit and everything!" *holds up ruffled two-piece swimsuit* kirika:.......... -BOOM POW CRASH SLASH BWAMPH- Patty: o_O Kid: "...I had no idea limbs could be bent that way." Gopher: T__T "I can't feel my legs..." kirika: -/////-# Patty: "Um...Maybe Kirika can help Gopher recover? Nurse him back to health?" kirika: what am i, his mother? have eibon do it. Gopher: (puppy whining) kirika:......*grumble* fine, we'll go to the damn park tomorrow, jeez... Gopher: *bright eyes+W-mouth* OwO -elsewhere- Kishiri: "...Damn it." sayu: what's going on? Kishiri: "Just exhausted, and now I get this DVD in my mailbox...Freaking Shinra." sayu: what is it? Kishiri: "One of the worst films ever..." sayu: is it that movie about grey paints? Kishiri: "Movie about gray...Wait..." (deceptive smirk) "Sure..." sayu: blech. *sticks out her tongue* serina says that i shouldn’t bother with it. Kishiri: "You sure? I could use some company~" sayu: nah. i have stuff to do, see ya! *exits* Kishiri: -_-; "Damn...Guess I'm watching alone." -elsewhere- Shotaro: "This robot is great! It picks up all my dropped food!" chie: *she nods* pretty impressive. Yohei: (smirks) Tool: "Hmmm...Hope it keeps up cleaning. Don't want what happened with that other robot Yohei made...and blew up..." saki: maybe we could call them...'WASHU'? WASHU: ^o^ Yohei: "Heh. WASHU seems to like it." mana: hehe~ *WASHU starts washing dishes...with a little tiny apron on* Shotaro: "Cuts down on my work around the house, too!" Yohei: "Yeah, but that's because I have new work for you to do around here..." -elsewhere- Free: "Man, Mizune...They messed you up." mizune: 7n7 medi: an actual kishin?! you could have died! puchi: chu chu! Free: "Yeah." *shudder* "Did you hallucinate?" mizune: *sighs* i know....guess we lucked ou-OW! crap! Free: "??? What's wrong?" mizune: you're wrapping it too tightly! eruka: *coughphrasingcough*.... Free: "Oh--sorry! Here, let me loosen that on you--" -elsewhere- Kid: (holds up a speedo) stocking: do you want to or.... Kid: (shakes his head) "Not in public...I'd rather just have you as the only audience for that." stocking: oh.... *blush* Kid: (smiles) "Yeah...What will you be wearing?" stocking: i think i'll go with this one. -a black one piece with white down the middle- Kid: (smirks) "Very symmetrical." stocking: i was thinking of having my hair in buns too... what do you think? Kid: (smiles) "I can't wait to see that..." stocking: great! Kid: (hugs her) "You always look great." stocking: i mean, i know it would look cute either way, but i still wanted a second opinion~ Kid: "Hee hee..." (smooths along her back) "So confident...so cute..." stocking: *griiin* hehe~ Kid: (light pat on her bottom) -the next day- Patty: "All set!" -and so- kirika: not bad... *she's in a one piece with shorts built in* Gopher: "Oooooooooh...Such a big pool..." (glances at Kirika...blushes) kirika: you wanna get pushed in? Gopher: "...Could I pull you in with me?" -sploosh- kirika: nah. soul: i cant believe she just 300'd him... Gopher: *flapping arms wildly* "Help! Help! I'm going to drown!" liz: it's the kiddy pool for crying out loud... -_-; Gopher: o_o (shyly stands up) Kid: (sighs) "Well, let's meet back at the food court at 12 noon." -later- Patty: "Yipee!" Black Star: (swinging on rope into the pool) "Yahoo!" soul: .////. -he lost his trunks earlier*- Patty: "Oh, come on in, Soul! It's fun!" Patty: "You too, Sis! Stop tanning and start swimming!" liz: i am! soul: 7///7;;;; Patty: (pouts) "Oh, come on, Soul...It's not that embarrassing. You should be proud of your Tiny Eater!" soul: IT'S NOT TINY! DX< Patty: "I know..." ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) liz: oh my god! Black Star: "Mooooooving on--let's focus on important things, like the best slide ever! THE ASS-BREAKER!" liz:........wat? Black Star: "It goes so fast and hits the water so hard, you'll be lucky if you can sit for a week! Isn't that awesome?!" -elsewhere in the park- Kid: "Careful, Julie..." -splish splash- julie: *determined face* Kid: (laughs) "You're doing great! Keep kicking!" riley: come on! whoop their butts! Kid: "Oh, you want to race?!" (laughs as he feigns trying to out-race Julie) -elsewhere- eibon: the young miss kure? hmmm... she does seem rather....erm...how do i put this lightly.... aggressive. why do you ask? Sid: "Some concerns about her coursework." eibon: how so? Sid: "Her homework has been returned with far less attention to detail, especially in math problems and writing. And she seems distracted during gym and training." eibon: hmm, i can see that, however, i'm curious as to why you brought this matter up with me rather than death, who, may i add, is her adoptive father? Sid: "Because I think it is Gopher that is distracting her." eibon: is that right? i'll have to discuss this with death later. Sid: "Please do so." -later- kirika: why am i even here? Yumi: "We wanted to make sure that no one was bothering you in class and getting in the way of your studies." kirika: i told you, i'm fine, really. lord death: what about your little friend...erm.....gofario was it? kirika: !! w-what about the little weasel? Yumi: "Is he bothering you? Has he been bullying you?" kirika: no he hasnt....to be honest, i think he has some weird little crush on me or something... Yumi: (eyeglass glint) "Oh?" (looks at Death) "Perhaps we should have Eibon speak with him." (to Kirika) "Do you want Eibon to talk with Gopher about this? Perhaps remind him how adults should act?" kirika: i told you i have it under control, jeez! Yumi: "Kirika...We just want to make sure that you are safe, and that you are accomplishing what you need to, and what you want to." kirika: i'm fine, dont worry. Yumi: "You know you can talk to us, yes? We're not your enemies--we're here to help." kirika:.....yeah yeah..... Yumi: (sigh) "Okay...Kirika? Would tutoring help?" kirika: i'm fine! Yumi: "There's no need to yell...But for now, we will wrap up this discussion." kirika: ............ lord death: .......i worry about her...i know she had a hard life before this, but the details are rather sketchy. Yumi: (nods) "I don't know...We can't push her, but I want to support her." lord death: i understand....and i wish for that as well.... Yumi: (shakes her head) "I never felt like my parents supported me...especially after..." (holds up her hands) "...this." lord death: ??............. *he holds her* Yumi: "My parents did not take the news well that their child was...a weapon." lord death: you mean....they didnt know? Yumi: "Not until my abilities manifested..." lord death:....*he hugs her* -elsewhere- Kid: "I thought the trip to the pool went well enough." stocking: it was a lot of fun today. *she smiles* Kid: "Yes." (kisses her forehead) "I really like your hair in buns." stocking: hehe~ *brushing her hair* Kid: (smiles) "I love your hair in a lot of ways...tied up...loose...how it looks after getting caught in the rain." stocking: *she smiles* Kid: "And that swimsuit was great on you, too..." stocking: as do your trunks~ Kid: "Heh heh...I noticed you staring..." stocking: *innocent whistling* Kid: "You don't have to hide it..." (whispers in her ear) "I was staring at you, too." stocking: ahh... *bluuuush* Kid: (draws finger along the back of her neck) stocking: *siiigh* Kid: (kisses the back of her neck) -a few minutes of making out later- Kid: (panting) "You...So...God." stocking: y-you ok k-kid? Kid: (nods) "I just...You are so hot, and I feel so..." (kisses along her neck) "I want you." stocking: ahhh~ d-do you want to...y-you know.... *blush* Kid: (takes a hold of the collar of her dress, practically pulling it off of her) "Yes..." -and so- Kid: "Is this okay?" stocking *panting* y-yeah...... *bluuuush* Kid: "A-Anything you want? Oral?" stocking: w-whatever you feel comfortable with, babe. Kid: "I want to taste you so badly..." (kisses along her breasts down to her slit) stocking: ah-aahhhhhhhh~<3 Kid: (smirks as he kisses along her--then gives a long, slow lick) -half an hour later- Kid: "You are so sweet..." stocking: *panting* d-damn i missed that....*she kisses him* still as amazing as ever... Kid: (smirks, chuckling) "Stocking...You are still amazing..." (rests his hands along her breast and hip) stocking: *she rubs his bicep* you've been working out, havent you? Kid: (blushes) "Y-You like it?" stocking: *she smirks and kisses them* they're quite nice... Kid: (blushes) "Thank you...I've been trying...And..." (rubs a hand over her legs) "You are rather toned, too." stocking: *blush* i havent noticed... Kid: "I love your legs..." (leans down, kisses her knee) stocking: aah~ Kid: (lets a finger trail along her calf and up to behind her knee--and tickles) stocking: k-kid! haha! Kid: "What's wrong?" (smirks, as he continues to tickle behind her knee--and under her armpit) stocking: *giggles and bends her leg and pulls her arm closer* kid that tickles! Kid: (straddles her, as his fingers tickle under both of her armpits) "Your laughter is divine." stocking: ah! k-kid!! *she blushes and writhes* Kid: (licks along her neck) "What would you like me to do, Love?" stocking: y-your fingers...*she looks down* Kid: (slips a finger along her lips) "Better make it nice and wet first..." stocking: mmmnnn~ Kid: (smiles) "Let's begin..." (slowly traces his fingers along her slit) stocking: ah-ahhhh~! -some time later- stocking: *panting* Kid: (kisses her neck) "Hot?" stocking: haaaa... y-yeah....you? Kid: (nods) "...I think I have an idea for the future..." stocking: oh? Kid: "Ice cubes..." stocking: mmm~ Kid: "Cool you down below..." (kisses down along her cleavage) "And inside..." -the next morning- stocking: happy birthday liz! Patty: (party favor blow) Kid: (claps) "Happy birthday!" liz: you guys, this is so nice of all of you. Patty: "Open mine first!" (holds up super-wrapped gift) -elsewhere- Wes: "Almost finished..." -elsewhere- Black Star: "Bam!" (holds up giftbox to Liz) liz: thanks, you guys. Black Star: "You'll really like the gift Tsubaki and I got you--best gift of them all!" -it was a phone charm- liz: how cute, thanks so much. Black Star: "Heh heh..." -with the teachers- Stein: "Hmm...Not good." justin: how so? Stein: "These reports of madness, coupled with that sighting of Asura..." justin: ...... marie: should we investigate? Stein: "We need a plan...If we get hit with a madness wave..." marie:....... Tezca: "Hmm...If only we could send a dummy--" Spirit: "Hey!" Tezca: -_-; "A duplicate...Like, a fake human..." eibon: i'm afraid sending inori is out of the question....her history with asura isnt exactly....pleasent.... Tezca: "Hmm...I could try sending a mirror clone, but they don't last long..." marie: what do we do then? Spirit: *sighs* "I guess we're stuck going ourselves to where Asura was last seen...and just hope we don't die..." ("Maka...I may be seeing you...") -in lysandra, the whole place is completely silent....empty.....- Vagrant: *coughs* "Ugh...Dust." ???: 's a lot quieter these days since those fancy science folks hit the road.... Vagrant: "No kiddin'..." (scratches their skin) ???: seems those mutants left too.....*cough* Vagrant: "Good riddance...Freaks..." (scratching harder) ???: yeah, one of those science guys stabbed me a while back....*coughing* s-shit... Vagrant: "Huh...You don't look good...Face is all cut up." ???: i dont feel cut- *coughing more until he is coughing up some black substance* oh....t-that doesnt look good... Vagrant: "Jeez, I told you cigarettes would kill you..." ???: *collapses and throws up their internal organs* Vagrant: "Ah! Ahhhhh! AHHHHHHH!" (clawing at his skin, pulling it off) -another vagrant is lurking- ????: the hell is all that? Vagrant: "What the hell?! What is going on?! What is happening to him?!!" -the other man begins....changing.....into something- Vagrant: (clawing at his cheeks) "What is this? What is this?!!" -back in death city- Wes: (holding gift, blushing) liz: hmm? Wes: "...Happy birthday?" (hands her the gift) liz: *she opens it* *A simple but elegant necklace* liz: wes, it's beautiful. Wes: "You like it?" liz: yes, thank you so much *she hugs him* Wes: (returns the hug) "Happy birthday." stocking: aww. Wes: o_o; liz: ^^; Wes: (clears throat) "Well...I'm happy you have such good friends here..." liz: *she smiles* i'm glad... Wes: (smiles back) Kid: (taps Stocking on the shoulder) "Maybe we should leave them be..." stocking: yeah. ^^ Wes: (blushing, rubbing back of his neck) "S-Sorry, Liz...I can...maybe I should head out..." liz: you sure? Wes: "I just...I mean, I want to stay...if you wouldn't mind if I did..." -later- WASHU: (beeping and waving their arms in fear) mana: hmmm? something wrong? WASHU: "GET! GET!" mana: get? get what? WASHU: (points at GET, who is following) mana: oh, hey get, what up? GET: (growls at WASHU) WASHU: (hides) mana: get! that's not very nice! GET: (squeaky foot stomps) WASHU: Xp (WASHU's face emoticon) GET: D:< (punches at WASHU) mana: *sigh* come on, cant you two get along? WASHU and GET: (slap fight) Yohei: "...What the fuck?" saki: should i do something? Yohei: "Please, proceed." -mini-shocks- saki: behave you two. GET and WASHU: "Owie..." X_X chie: i'm almost scared to see how she acts after the baby is born... Yohei: o_o; "Shhh!" saki: aww, chie, that's meeeean~! *pouty face* chie: ^^;; WASHU: "..." (hugs Saki) saki: oh? GET: (pouts, hugs Saki, too) saki: hehe....sorry you two. *she hugs them* GET: C: WASHU: ^0^ -elsewhere- Arthur: "...No." shinra: hmm? Arthur: "Nothing...Hibana just had a humiliating suggestion..." shinra: oh god what now? Arthur: "You know the Cultural Festival?" shinra: the spring culture festival? i think so, what about it? (thinking: i have a very bad feeling about this...) Arthur: (holds up a foam cartoon salamander outfit) "I get to wear this...Wait until you see _your_ costume." shinra: *laughing* Arthur: (glares...and holds up a Tarzan outfit) "Your outfit...Jungle Boy." shinra: O_O *his soul attempts to leave his body, but it fails* Hibana: "Oh! You two have your outfits! Good! Wait until you see what I got for Iris~" shinra: (thinking: i'm afraid to ask) -it was a ferret fursuit- shinra:......that is just terrifying. Hibana: "The theme is 'Wild World of Animals'! Excellent, I know. Oh, and Akitaru will of course be in a gorilla suit--" Akitaru: "...Ffffffffffffff--" Hibana: (snaps fingers) "Gabriella? The other costumes, please." -and so- *"Tarzan's Boy" playing in the background* Arthur: (scratching, voice muffled) "This salamander suit itches..." shinra: i want to die... Akitaru: (doing pushups in gorilla suit) "Must...exercise...the anger out..." maki: *as a parakeet* it's not so bad... Takehisa: (as a cat boy) o\\\\o Hibana: (claps and laughs) "Glorious!" gabriella: excellent as always, princess! *in a giraffe costume* Hibana: "I thought so." (dressed as a snake woman) Arthur: "Can I take off this head? It's hot in here..." -in the haunted house attraction- Kid: "Oh, this takes me back..." stocking: yeah....*small frown* i hope tamaki is ok wherever she is.... Kid: "..." (holds her hand) "Likewise...I've been trying to sense any of their spiritual energy..." stocking:....... Kid: (shakes his head) "I can't find it..." stocking: ?? Kid: "It's odd. I don't sense Tamaki anywhere." stocking: *she frowns*.... Kid: "I'm sorry..." -inside the haunted house- Kid: "EEEP!" stocking: hehe~ Kid: (cowering behind Stocking) "I don't know what is scarier...the lack of balance, the dust, the eyeball..." stocking: *she holds his hand* dont worry, i'll protect you, ok? Kid: "I-I know you will...Thank you." stocking: *she smiles* *Fog explodes around them* stocking: *she squints her eyes* hmm.... ???: *hand grabs Stocking's shoulder* stocking: !! kid? Kid: (on the other side of her) "Yes? What is it?" stocking: 0-0;;;;;;;;;; ???: "Heh heh heh...Scared yet?" stocking: HAI-CHAAA! *CHOP ATTACKS THE PERSON BEHIND HER* Kid: "?!" ???: "Ow! What the fuck, lady?!" stocking: eh? ???: (takes off mask) "It's a haunted house! We're supposed to scare you! Jeez!" stocking: ah, s-sorry about that ^^; Kid: "Should we bring you to the medic?" ???: "I'm fine! Just keep back, you psychos..." stocking: *frowns* come on...lets keep going on head.... Kid: *frowning* "Yes..." *Chainsaw heard* stocking: eek! Kid: "AAAAH!" *Man with a chainsaw emerges* ???: "HA HA HA HA!" -stocking takes kid's hand and pulls him into the next room- ???: "Hey! Get back here!" Kid: "What is this place even about?!" -elsewhere- Patty: "Hmmm~ The food court at the cultural festival is always the best part!" soul: all kinds of stuff. Black Star: (shoveling pasta and pizza into his mouth) Wes: "Hmm...Hard to choose..." stocking: *enjoying some cotton candy* mmmm~ Kid: (picks a bit of cotton candy away from Stocking...) stocking: *pouty face* Kid: ^_^; "I just wanted to share a sweet with my sweet..." stocking:...aw you~ *she licks his lips* Kid: o\\\\\\o "Um...Yes, that works, too." -later- Patty: "They announced the winners of the best Cultural Festival display!" stocking: oh? who won? Patty: "I'm not sure--I saw that lady from the 5th Fire Brigade crying after the announcement was made." shinra: can i put on real clothes now? Hibana: (holding up a 3rd place ribbon, sobbing) "I thought we would do better than this..." Arthur: (smirks at Shinra) "Why bother? I think Iris is liking the view--" shinra: *covers his mouth* oh shush you! iris: ???? *confused iris noises* Patty: (spots Gabriella) "Oh." (smiles serenely) "A giraffe." (sharpens an axe) gabriella:....i get the distinct feeling i should run... Patty: "MEEEEEEEEEEEAT!" (chases Gabriella) Kid: o_o; "WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE AN AXE-SHARPENING BOOTH THIS YEAR?!" -later- Patty: "Huh. My bail was much lower this time." liz: damn she was quick....like a damn gazelle. Kid: "Indeed." (pulls Patty by the ear) "I wonder whether she considered joining a track team." Patty: >-<; liz: *shrug* Kid: "At least this Cultural Festival was a success: Father had said the charity fundraiser broke records." stocking: that's amazing! Kid: (smiles) "People can be very kind to each other when it is necessary..." (lets go of Patty's ear) Patty: -_-; "Yeah..." stocking: so what did you want to do now? Kid: "I wanted to help with some cleaning, then maybe pick up a snack on the way home?" liz: sounds good. Kid: "Okay. Start by collecting the posters..." -later that night- stocking: ahhh....that was amazing.... Kid: (kisses her cheek) "I thought so, too..." stocking: *she blushes* the ice felt really good... Kid: (licks his lips) "Indeed...I was worried I was going to get a brain freeze...or you would have a...freeze down there..." stocking: .///. Kid: "But it kept your cool though, right?" stocking: yeah....i have an idea for next time~ *she whispers something into his ear* Kid: .\\\\\. "Oh...That would be fun..." stocking: hehe~ Kid: "..." (cups a hand along her breast) "Your mind is so creative..." -elsewhere in the house- kirika: -_-; Gopher: ^W^ kirika: why are you even here? dont you have your own house or something? Gopher: "I wanted to return this to you." (holds up her wallet) kirika: geh- HOW DID YOU EVEN GET THIS?! Gopher: o_o; "Y-You must have dropped it!" kirika: *grumbles+mumbles* why do you have to be such a damn creeper... w-whatever, just dont go digging around my stuff anymore, ok? Gopher: -^- "I was _not_ digging around...I didn't even look inside your wallet! I just came here to return it." kirika:......*she takes it back* w-whatever.... *she checks through it* everything's here..... Gopher: "See? I--" o\\\\\o kirika: ?? Gopher: "N-Nothing..." kirika: ............ mocha: nyaan. Gopher: *gasp* "Kitty!" kirika: ah mocha, i was wondering where you went off too... *she picks her up* Gopher: "She's adorable..." kirika: she was a stray i found....decided to take her in... Gopher: "That was kind of you." kirika: 7///7 w-well, i couldnt just leave her out there, the world's a fucked up place, i should know... Gopher: "And you came out of that world as a decent person." kirika: o///o a-as if! you know i once sent a guy to the ER using only a goddamn speak-and-spell! Gopher: (shiny eyes) "Really? How effective is the Speak and Spell as a weapon?" kirika: the trick is how hard you- Gopher: ‘w’ liz: hey. Gopher: "Oh. Hello!" (happy wave) liz: you guys ok? Gopher: (smiles) "I'm fine." kirika: yeah. i'm gonna head to bed soon. Gopher: "Good idea!" -the next morning- Kid: "Ah..." stocking: morning cutie~ Kid: (groans) "Morning...I feel sore..." stocking: aww, were we too rough last night? Kid: (smiles) "No. Just enthusiastic. You give me an amazing workout." stocking: hehe~ Kid: "And you? Are you sore?" (trails finger along her arm) stocking: i'm ok i think....*blush* Kid: "With how you were screaming, I wanted to make sure..." (kisses her arm) stocking: U////U Kid: "Stocking...I...I am happy we have a sex life together." stocking: i...i'm glad too. *she smiles* thank you... Kid: (smiles) "I love you." stocking: *she kisses him* i love you too, kiddo. Kid: (passes hand along her cheek) "How do you look so beautiful each morning?" -later- Patty: "What's on today's agenda?" -at the 8th- maki: it stinks the commander caught a cold... Arthur: "Yeah. That leaves a power vacuum to be filled by either Takehisa or Hibana..." *shudder* shinra: hopefully iris gets back soon with the medicine... Akitaru: *loud coughing in his room* "Ugh..." shinra:............. Arthur: "I hope the Commander's cold doesn't spread..." (sniffs) shinra: *puts on a mask with a sharp teeth design on it* Takehisa: (has laid out bottles of vitamins, taking them in sequence) -elsewhere- Anya: (holds up a dress) mio: so you got a mission for the NOT classes? Anya: "Yes. Now I just need to determine proper attire..." mio: you're just modeling for a picture right? Anya: "It's not simply modeling! I have to embody the essence of what the photographer seeks!" *dramatic pose* mio: *sweatdrop* yeeaah.... Anya: -_-; Meme: (holds up a dress) "Maybe this one, too? Are you dressing in formal, casual?" Anya: "I'm not entirely sure..." mio:.... !! i have an idea. Anya: "???" -later- mio: i think this may work, what do you think meme? Meme: "Pretty!" mio: take a look princess. -anya's make-up is almost clown like- Anya: o\\\\\\\\\\o "What the--?!" tsugumi: anya is every-................................................*she nearly dies of laughter* ao: *trying to keep her composure and failing* hehehehehe.... Anya: T_T "I HATE YOU ALL!" -and so- Anya: -\\\\\- "I am here for my photography shoot..." -later- Anya: (pouts) mio: i think it went well -elsewhere- Wes: "You up for this?" soul: *cracks knuckles* ready. Wes: (smirks) "Not going to hold back..." soul: *staring at the board* hmmm...... Wes: (looking at the game pieces as well, determining where to move) soul: *moves his piece* Wes: "Just got to get to the finish line on this one..." soul:...how's stuff going with liz? Wes: "Great! Been happy with the time we're together..." soul: have you...you know....considered asking her the big Q? Wes: o\\\\\o "...Y-Yeah, I've thought about it...a lot." soul: well....?? Wes: "...I...Um...This is kind of embarrassing, but..." soul: ??? Wes: "I'm worried about...being intimate." soul: oh? how so? Wes: "Um...We have been...slow with going further with sex." soul: ahh... Wes: "Yeah...I don't want to push anything...We've talked..." soul: *he nods* Wes: "I...love Liz..." soul: ..... Wes: (sad smile) "It wouldn't hurt to look for the ring now..." -elsewhere- Arthur: "AH-CHOO!" shinra: dude! *still wearing his mask* Arthur: "Calm down! It was just dust! It's not like I'm--I'm--AAAAAAH-CHOOOO!" *sniff, stuffed, snot dripping out of one nostril* "Oh no..." Hibana: (eyes light up) "Then you and Shinra will need my cure-all hot-and-spicy soup!" shinra: *flees* Arthur: o_o; "I'm gonna run! I'm--ah--ah--CHOO!" Hibana: (slips soup into his mouth as he sneezes) "There! That will perk you up!" Arthur: "..." (burps out fire, covers his mouth) o\\\\\\o -elsewhere- Patty: "So...Sis?" liz: yeah? Patty: "How are things with you and Wes?" liz: really great, why do you ask? Patty: "Just curious...It's been awhile since he stayed over." liz: should i call him over? Patty: "Do you _want_ to?" liz:...... *she calls him up* Wes: (sees who's calling) "Hey, Liz." liz: say, want to come over? Wes: "Hang on--" (to Soul) "Want to head over to Liz's?" soul: sure. Wes: "Sure, Liz--Soul and I are on our way." liz: alright, see you then. Wes: (smiles) "See you then!" (hangs up) liz: *she smiles* Patty: "That'll be good to see Wes and Soul! And I'm sure it'll be good for you, Sis..." -later- Wes: "I'm happy to be here."' liz: can we get you anything? Wes: "Just water to start." soul: some M-dew if you got any. Patty: "Yep! Got both! What, you don't want some sparkling water or wine, Wes?" (eyebrow wiggle) liz: patti! Wes: (chuckles) "I wouldn't want to drink wine when Soul can't have a sip yet." soul: XP Patty: "Fine...I'll get the drinks. Soul, come help me with them..." soul: *mumbling* im only 18... Wes: (smiles at Soul, then looks at Liz..."She's so...") "You're looking well." liz: thanks. *she smiles* Wes: "I like what you did with your hair...When did you get it done?" liz: the other day for the cultural festival. Wes: "You look cute with it." liz: you look great too. Wes: (blushes) "Thanks..." Wes: "..." (holds her hand) liz: *blush* Wes: "I like being with you, Liz." liz: me too...b-being with you that is... .///.; Wes: *chuckles* "I'd..." *kisses her cheek* liz: *blush* Wes: (rubs her hand) "Thanks for inviting Soul and me over." liz: no problem. Wes: "I had wanted to see you today. I enjoyed the festival a lot." -elsewhere- Yohei: "Okay, I'm almost done with the lights..." saki: i appreciate what you're doing. *she smiles* Yohei: "Of course." *smiles* "Okay. We're ready to turn them on and see how they look..." *turns on the lights* chie: it looks great! saki: *she smiles* Yohei: "Heh. Cool." saki: i'm sure Io's going to love it... Yohei: "I hope so...I, uh, got something else..." saki: oh? Yohei: (holds up a teddy bear doll) saki: it's perfect. Yohei: "Yeah...I did some fine-tuning on it, so it'll function as baby cam and some other features..." chie: that sounds like a good idea. Yohei: "Yeah...Nothing to scare Io, just monitoring equipment...I already programmed WASHU and GET as babysitters / defensive measures." chie: *she nods* Shotaro: "We're back!" (holds up shopping bags) mana: how's the room coming along? Yohei: "I think pretty well. Still working on rocking chair." -elsewhere- Patty: (yawns) "Man, I don't know why I am so tired." soul: been a long week. Patty: "Definitely." (stretches) "How 'bout you, Soul? Any plans next week?" soul: not sure yet. Patty: "Hmmm...Oh! Want to help me babysit?" soul: sure. Patty: "Yay! Julie will love you!" soul: ....*he nods* alright then. what about shiori? Patty: "Yeah, Shiori, too! How are you with babies?" soul: not sure. i mean, i watch nagisa sometimes for blair so...does that count? Patty: "Close enough!" :D -and so- julie: *they're watching a movie* Patty: *watching along, laughing* shiori: ?? *head tilt* Patty: "Oh, man, this is classic! Listen to his next line. Listen to his next line!" -elsewhere- Yumi: "It's good to have a night off." lord death: indeed...one of these days we should have a family outing, you, me, the kids... Yumi: "Like a picnic?" lord death: perfect! we could sit under the cherry blossoms! Yumi: (smiles) "Shiori hasn't seen them yet..." lord death: always a first for something, right? Yumi: (nods) "She has so many new experiences ahead of her...as do Kirika and Kid." lord death: *he nods* Yumi: (pats his shoulder) "What should we do with our date night?" -elsewhere- Wes: "So..." liz: hmm? Wes: "I was wondering...Do you have any plans next Friday?" liz: not in particular, why? Wes: "I was thinking of going out for drinks and dancing, maybe a walk around town." liz: that sounds great- -something is heard from the other room- Wes: "??? What was that?" liz:....*she goes to check* stocking: jeez kid, i barely got the tip in and already you're screaming...it's kind of cute~ Kid: "Ah~ Sorry...Just a bit tense..." Wes: (following Liz) stocking: is this the first time you took it from behind or....? liz: O-O;;;;;;; *presses head against the door* Wes: "What's wrong? Kid okay?" Kid: "N-No...We've done something kind of like this before..." liz: um i think so..... stocking:.....do you want me to continue? Kid: (clenching his teeth) "Y-Yeah...Slowly..." Wes: "??? He isn't...you know, hurting himself, is he?" liz: *she listens* stocking: ok...*she does so* Kid: "Ah!" (panting) "That...Oh, God..." liz: .///////.;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Kid: "That's incredible...It's so...Ah~" Wes: "Liz? You okay? You're getting red down to your neck." liz: let him work it out lets go.... .////. stocking: you like that kiddo~? Wes: "O-Okay? Where to?" Kid: "Hmm~ Yes..." -elsewhere- Akitaru: "Man...I am still ill...I could only stand to do 400 push-ups today." maki: you shouldnt overwork yourself. ):> Akitaru: "This is nothing...I usually do 800 push-uh-uh-uuuuuuuuuuh-choo!" (sneezes) maki: *sigh* Arthur: (whining) "Maki! I want more soup..." maki: in a moment! *siiigh* honestly... iris: *frowns* we really need more medical staff here.... Takehisa: "Here, I finished this bowl of soup. Give it to Arthur and shut him up already." -in another room- shinra:.......... Hibana: "Shinra? You okay?" shinra: I'M FINE! OwO;;;;;; Hibana: "???" shinra: dont me, i'm just napping..... *thinking about earlier in that morning.....when he and iris accidently smooched* ./////.;;; Hibana: "Did something happen?" shinra: just tired, 'been a long day... Hibana: "Hmm...That's odd. Iris was saying the same thing..." shinra: .//////.;;;; *sweats* Hibana: :3 "Well, then...I'll leave you be..." (giggles) shinra: *gulp* ok then... Hibana: (shuts the door quietly) *quiet giggling* "Oh, this is good..." gabriella: ??? Hibana: "Gabriella..." (takes her hand) "I am Cupid." gabriella: o/////////////o -splurt- gariella: geh....hehe...*cough* Hibana: "And I shall be the most excellent matchmaker! Come! We have work to do!" -elsewhere- Ponera: T_T grimoire: you seem troubled. Ponera: "Medusa yelled at me..." grimoire: do you want me to talk to her? Ponera: (nods) "Just...be patient with her." shaula: be warned, she's in mega-bitch mode so- -LOUD NOISES- grimoire:....*pulls a knife out of his shoulder* well...........that didnt work. Ponera: o_O "Oh, God, she'll kill us all..." Ponera: (starts praying) "Please have this baby soon..." -elsewhere- Kid: (panting) stocking: how was it~? Kid: (smiles weakly) "Awesome..." stocking: *she kisses his forehead* so cute. Kid: (smiles) "You're one to talk." stocking: hehe~ Kid: (snuggles, purrs) "I like this..." stocking: me too... Kid: (twirls a finger along her skin) "I never thought....I'd meet someone like you." stocking: same here... *blush* Kid: (small squishy hug) "Thank you." stocking: hehe~ Kid: (tender kiss between her neck and chest) stocking: mmmmn~<3 Kid: (leans against her chest) "I appreciate this..." stocking: *she holds him close* i love you kid. Kid: "I love you, too." (purrs) -elsewhere- soul: *napping in the guest room* Patty: "Zzzzz..." soul: mmmn... -patti's foot is against his face- Patty: (turns over--slamming her other foot in his face) soul: mmph..... -in the dream world- soul: makaaaaaaaa help please.... *sweatdrop* *Some brushes along his face* ???: "Soul?" soul: maka! *Feathers fly by* Maka: "Soul!" soul: *he runs to hug her* Maka: (holds out her arms, smiling lightly) soul: *he reaches out to her* Maka: (closes her arms around him...) soul: maka i- Maka: *chu* soul: !!! Maka: (holds the kiss a moment too long--then pulls back) "S-Sorry..." soul: i-it's fine.... Maka: (smiles) "I've been wanting to see you for so--" ???: "That was hot!" soul: *SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAM!!!!!!!!!!!* Patty: "Hi, Soul! Who are you--?" (spots--) "...Maka?" Maka: o_o Patty: T_T "MAAAAAAAKAAAAA!" *glomp* soul: patti?! uh....how.............?????? Maka: (struggling to get the crying Thompson off of her) "Y-Yeah! How is this even--?" Patty: "I don't know! I was sleeping with Soul, then--" Maka: "...What?" (death glare at Soul) soul: how hold on a sec-....i was in the guest room....*sniff* what smells like feet? Patty: "Yeah, Maka! I wasn’t boinking your boy-toy!" *squirms, giggles* "Soul! You're tickling my feet!" soul: *CHOP* STOP MAKING THINGS UP!! DX< Patty: T_T "I'm not! My feet must be on your face in bed!" soul: Q-Q this is going so horribly..... Maka: (red flames around her) "Sooooooooooul..." soul: Q.Q just chop me and let it out please... Maka: "...Patty...LEAVE." Patty: "But I was just--" Maka: "OUT!" soul: .........................im sorry.... Patty: "I'm out of here!" (tears hole in the dimension and leaps out into another dream, then zips up the tear) Maka: "...Explain, Soul." soul: wes and i were visiting- -one explanation later- Maka: (frowning still, but eyes softer) "So, you were babysitting?" soul: yeah, basically....as for how patti got into the room and into this dream space......well... let's be honest, this is patti we're talking about. Maka: (small laugh) "Yeah, no kidding..." (clears her throat) Maka: "I hate to say it, but hearing what Patty said made me...jealous." soul: ..........me too.... Maka: "??? How did it make you jealous?" soul: i was jealous for you....that you werent the one in that bed........it's not fair maka....its just not fair.... Maka: (blushing a bit, sad smile) "No, it isn't..." (holds his hand) soul: *whimpering* i fucked up...........