#Tiger and Box need not respond. You have already seen him. This is for my other mewchies or non mewchies.

[misano17]

Should I post art of my twisted wonderland oc?

it’s like half rendered but I don’t feel like rendering it further so like? Do y’all want to see the boy? Or hear lore about the boy?

He is a goober, an absolute creature?

[dycefic]

Have An Evil Day

No prompt this time, just a sequel to ‘Welcome To Evil-Mart’

Working at Evil-Mart is usually… well, it’s retail. It’s physically exhausting, you have to deal with a lot of idiots without being overtly rude, and your feet hurt. Even though the hours and pay are very good, the benefits are great, and our bosses treat us well compared to most retail employees, it’s still not what I’d call a fun job.

But it’s not what I’d call dull, either. Especially not on days like today.

I was promoted to supervisor after the Food Poisoning Incident, so I have a little more authority and a little less obligation to be pleasant and I got issued a weighted cosh because sometimes Evil-Mart customers get… feisty. I’d never had to use it, though, because those who hadn’t seen what I did to Majority Rules, either in person or on one of the cell-phone videos that circulated afterwards, had at least heard about it.  They didn’t give me any trouble.

I was halfway through my shift, and the worst things that’d happened had been running out of croissants and a machine oil spill in Aisle Seven, when our greeter pressed the alarm button, which sent an alert to my handset. As front-end supervisor, that meant me, so I went over. Sam, who is unusual in the henching community for having actually aged out rather than ‘being retired’ jerked his chin in the direction of a tall, swaggering figure. “He just came in,” he whispered.

I did a full double-take before I took it in. Superdyne. Fucking Superdyne.

We’d all heard about his dramatic heel-turn a couple of months ago. The whole world had heard about it. Superdyne, who’d skated closer and closer to the line for years, had decided to cross it in a blaze of bloodshed. He was a villain now, he said. There’d been a whole speech about how ingratitude had driven him to it blah blah blah.

I work at Evil-Mart. I’m from a hench family. If someone becomes a supervillain because they hate Mondays or want to turn us all into dinosaurs or whatever, I don’t judge. I will sell depth-charges and laser guns to anyone who can prove they’re over eighteen without hesitation. But even we get kind of grossed out by the ‘I am forced to turn evil because I haven’t been given enough love’ thing. People who are actually so fucked up by emotional abuse or neglect or some superhero killing their family, we’re fine with them. But they don’t say that’s why they do it, and most of them need a lot of therapy to even realize it. People who actually say that’s why are entitled dickwads.

And now the dickwad had walked into Evil-Mart like he was entitled. Like he thought he was one of us.

“Lockdown protocols,” I told Sam quietly. “On my authorisation.” That takes a minute or two, though, so I went over to talk to Superdyne. “Sir, I have to ask how you even knew where to find this place.”

He smirked at me. “I have my ways,” he said smugly. He’d either bribed or beaten someone, that was my guess. “So this is where the villains shop? We all thought you went to Wal-Mart.” He laughed, like he thought it was clever.

“Yes, so you all say,” I said dryly. I didn’t feel like pretending he was the first person to make the bad joke. “My next question, sir, is what made you think it was a good idea to come in here.”

He spread his hands. “I’m one of you now!” he said happily. “I’m a bad guy! So now I guess I shop where the bad guys shop!” He looked around, frowning a little. “Although I was expecting more weapons and explosives. A… more villainous atmosphere. I didn’t know Evil-Mart had fresh produce.”

“I don’t advise buying herbs here unless you’re a magical practitioner. Some of them have… unusual effects.” A lot of our produce is normal stuff, but some of it not only isn’t legal, it doesn’t exist anywhere else.

“Oh. Well, that makes sense. But the bright lights and the bakery?”

“We have excellent gluten-free breads. In many ways, Superdyne, this is just another store. We have sales, we mark down the breads in the afternoon, we even have a PA system.” I pulled out my handset, and thumbed the button that tied it to the PA. “Attention, shoppers,” I said in my most soothing Customer Service voice, which made him grin. “Evil-Mart wishes to inform you – “ The countdown on my handset reached zero, and I turned to look at the entrance as a huge blast door thudded down. That was the last part of the sequence – staff outside the area were already in lockdown and security were on their way. I smiled, and continued almost without a pause. “- That we are in lockdown at this time, due to the presence of Superdyne in the store. Please remain calm, and be advised that security are on their way to deal with the problem. If you have a personal grudge that you wish to address with Superdyne at this time, he is standing near Register Six with a stupid expression on his face.”

He was staring at me, stunned. “But… but…” he stammered, and damned if he didn’t look puzzled. “But I’m one of you now!”

“No,” I said flatly. “You were always evil, that’s true, but you’ll never be one of us. And for the record, I’m one of the people with a personal grudge. All those henchmen you’ve killed and maimed had families, asshole… and they all shop here.”

He swung at me, then, but I spent years in hench training. Even someone super-strong can be dodged, and once I slammed my cosh into his groin a few times his punches got a lot more aimless. Around then, Tiger Ty came over the register, claws out and snarling, and I figured I should stand out of the way.

About ten minutes later, I turned on the PA again. “Clean-up to Register Six,” I called, in the same special voice. “Category 7, class three. Shoppers, please be advised that lockdown is now lifted but Register Six will be closed until clean-up is completed.”

Hunter, who’d been working Register Six, came out from underneath it. He looked a little green. Well, he was still in his teens, this was probably his first fatal mobbing. “What’s Category 7?” he asked in a shaky voice. “I haven’t heard that before.”

“Biohazard.”

“Oh. Class three?”

“Send three people. He was a juicy one.” I stepped away from a spreading puddle of blood. “Run and get a couple of caution signs we can put around this mess.” I eyed it measuringly. “And one of those fifteen-gallon plastic tubs with a lid, I’ll damage it out.”

He eyed the mess. “Are you sure that’s big enough?”

“Yeah, the average human is only about seventeen gallons by volume, and I’m not going to put all the blood and mush in there, just the big pieces.”

He gulped. “Ah. Yes, ma’am.”

I called after him when he ran off. “One of the black tubs, not a clear one!” Which honestly should only be common sense, but you can’t count on a flustered teenager to have common sense.

We frown on killing customers at Evil-Mart, up to a point… but when a particularly murderous super-hero walks into our store, well, that’s something else. I’d have to fill out a ton of paperwork, though.

I had to chase off one of Doctor Malign’s minons and two members of the Genetic Reign before the clean-up crew arrived, both of whom urgently wanted samples. In the end I scraped a few pieces of liver and unidentified organ into two of the bags we use for possibly-contaminated money just to make them go away. (They’re good customers, and it was just going to go in the trash anyway.)

By the time the clean-up was done, all the big pieces were boxed up, and I’d finished the paperwork, my shift had been over for twenty minutes, and I’d been asked to come up to the boss’s office.

“Listen, I have no issues with how you handled the situation, I want you to know that.” Mr Trent leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingertips together. “It was quick, it was efficient, and… given your personal history with Superdyne, not to mention mine and that of half of our customer base… richly deserved.”

“Yes, sir,” I said. It came out too meek, and I cleared my throat and straightened up. It’s hard not to be intimidated by Mr Trent, when you’re in the same room with him. It’s not his fault, and he does his best, but even under the strictest control his fear-inducing powers tend to unsettle anyone who gets too close. We all know he’s not doing it on purpose and we try not to show our reactions. “Do you have any orders regarding the remains?”

“Doctor Order wants them.” He rubbed his chin. “Get someone from the pharmacy to prepare samples for him, please, including brain tissue. He’s our primary supplier, and we can’t offend him. As for the rest… as you know, I’m retired, and I don’t usually participate in the Endless War.” One of his hands dropped to his left thigh. His prosthetic leg is some of Doctor Order’s best work, but the injury that led to his retirement had been brutal even by our standards. “But this is different. Superdyne came here. To our place of safety. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

I nodded. “Do you want the remains dumped somewhere public? Some kind of dramatic display?”

“No. Something more direct.” He rubbed his chin again, then tapped the intercom on his desk. “Iris, please send up Miss Fedorova from Marketing and Mr Levy from the warehouse.”

“Yes, sir,” Iris responded, and he clicked off the intercom again.

“The three of you worked together very well, during the food poisoning incident,” he explained. “And I believe they can assist us in a satisfactory conclusion.” He hesitated, then smiled ruefully. “Perhaps you should wait outside until they get here. I can tell I’m unsettling you.”

“Sir, I know you’re not – ��

“Not doing it on purpose.” He sighed. “I do appreciate how hard you all work to make me feel… accepted, I really do. But I’m very annoyed right now, which makes control more difficult for me, so I think we’d both be more relaxed if you waited outside while I do my meditation exercises.”

I waited outside. When the three of us went into his office again, the miasma of low-level fear was definitely a bit lighter, and he smiled. “All right. Now, this conversation is going to be very confidential, and I will remind you all of the agreements you signed when you were employed.” We all chorused agreement, and he nodded. “Good. Now, this is very much a secret, even among Evil-Mart staff, but we do have a few online clients who are… ah… on the other side of the fence.”

Ms Fedorova blinked. “What?”

Knuckles sighed. “We ship to a few heroes,” he explained. “The ones who are… less homo than sapiens, if you get my drift.”

I didn’t, and from her expression Ms Fedorova didn’t either. Mr Trent spread his hands, drawing our eyes to his fingers. Which as a rule nobody looks at, because there’s fourteen of them, with four joints in each finger, and we know he’s self-conscious about it. “The less… purely human ones,” he said quietly. “One of the reasons I created Evil-Mart was to give those who can’t pass for human, like me, a place to be… people. To have dignity. So that the obligate carnivores weren’t reduced to living on pet-food or scavenging for scraps, so that those with complex metabolisms could get the supplements they need so that people who are still people, for all their outward differences, could shop in safety. There are a great many more monsters, demigods, abominations of science and other non-standard persons among our set than among the heroes, and I wanted to meet their needs, as well as selling weapons and Lair-away-from-home sets and so on.”

“And there are a few heroes who order from us for that reason,” Knuckles added. “The ones who can’t get medications to suit their metabolism, or need to eat things that you can’t get easily anywhere else.”

I nodded, because that much I understood. We have some very esoteric ‘dietary supplies’ that start with fresh, healthy, well-treated and disease-free prey animals frozen whole (from mouse up to calf and goat kept in stock, larger sizes by pre-order, halal and kosher certified where possible) and end with human blood (rejected blood bank stock mostly, we have an arrangement), and human flesh and organs (sourced from hospitals, morgues and crematoriums, guaranteed no murder, at least not by us). “Well, I suppose that makes sense. I’m surprised we ship to them, though.”

“Oh, they don’t know we know. It’s all assumed names and secret bank accounts.” Knuckles grinned. “But Mr Trent has all our online customers identified before we ship. And for the ones who don’t have any other options, well… we let it slide.”

“I can see why you don’t want that to get out.” Ms Fedorova tapped her chin. “What does this have to do with disposing of the body? I was planning to set up a really ghoulish display in a public place somewhere, I already have some sketches.” Marketing for Evil-Mart is… well, it includes more than designing our sale flyers.

“No. We’re going to deliver them to a hero… one of the ones who owes us… and make it very clear that just because someone decides to admit he’s a villain, that doesn’t make him one of us and it doesn’t entitle him to union services,” Mr Trent said flatly. “I want to make it crystal clear to all of them that a heel turn does not mean their sins are forgiven, or that we will accept them as anything other than a very brief amusement.”

Late that night – we were all on overtime, but it couldn’t be done in daylight – we wheeled a cart down the run-down hallway of a shoddy apartment building. “This is a terrible address for a hero,” Ms Fedorova muttered. “Are we sure he lives here?”

“I deliver here a couple of times a month.” Knuckles was pushing the cart. “I’m sure.”

“Okay.” Ms Fedorova cleared her throat, coughed once or twice, and suddenly her voice was deeper and her very faint Russian accent was as thick as pea soup. “This is intimidation tactic,” she said, grinning toothily. “Do not act surprised.”

I knocked on the door, but let Knuckles do the talking. “Delivery, Mr West,” he called, using the fake name the guy had been giving.

It worked… the door was unlocked and opened almost immediately. “I scheduled the order for next – “ the mark said, and then we were pushing inside, slamming the door behind us.

“Do not be alarmed, Mr… Dinoid, is it?” Ms Fedorova said, folding her arms. “Evil-Mart is knowing all along your real identity. But you are needing to eat, and we are not turning down regular business, so we make no trouble.”

Knuckles rolled his eyes behind her back at how much she was hamming it up, but I waved a hand. Let her have her fun. So Knuckles started unloading the boxes onto the table while she talked. “First, your Budget Bunny Box. Your favourite, da?” The next box, smaller, plunked down. “Two fresh chickens, halal certified, healthy and having lived good life, gift for good customer.” Knuckles dumped the plastic tub on the floor. “And mortal remains of Superdyne, with note.”

Dinoid was staring at us, but that made him shift into a combat stance, his long claws spread. “The… Superdyne’s dead? And in there?”

“Well. Most of him. The big pieces.” Ms Fedorova shrugged an impressively Russian shrug. I hadn’t even known that was a thing, but when she did it, it was obvious. “You must understand, when a mob tears a man apart, it is hard to find every little piece.”

“I’m pretty sure Doctor Malign and the Genetic Reign took off with doggy bags,” I said, as if I hadn’t handed them over myself. “And Doctor Order probably has some of him too, by now. So looking out for clones would be a good idea, I don’t know if that’s in the note.”

Insofar as that reptilian face could show readable expressions, he looked shocked. “Why on earth would… why? He changed sides? And why did you bring him to me?”

“We know your address, we know you don’t want to turn us in because we’re the only ones who can supply your meals, and our boss wanted us to make this very clear.” I indicated the note. Since Ms Fedorova was hamming up her Sexy Russian Supervillain act, and Knuckles was very obvious Muscle, I figured it was on me to be the Reasonable One. “He might have stopped being a hero, but that didn’t make him one of us. That didn’t make him acceptable to us. Our boss wants it made very clear that your failures shouldn’t expect to be accepted by us… or even spared by us.”

He shifted slowly, the tip of his tail twitching. “I… see. I understand why you would reject Superdyne. He was notorious for killing and maiming people on… your side. But I know other defectors have been accepted. Philomel, for example.”

“Philomel was child of villains. She is young, she is rebellious, she sides with heroes for a while.” Ms Fedorova shrugged. “Is understandable, da? The young do foolish things. She comes home, all is forgiven.”

He nodded slowly. “Tenebrous?”

“That story I don’t know.” Ms Fedorova glanced at me.

I nodded. “Tenebrous was just a kid. He was twelve when Varide recruited him. Nineteen when he broke with the guy. Varide put a kid into combat, left him with massive PTSD, then ditched him when he had a breakdown and went too far. Mx Frantique at least made sure he had a safe place to stay and some therapy.”

“It’s happened a few times.” Knuckles rested his elbows on the cart’s handles, his inhumanly big, strong hands dangling. “But there’s a process. A system. If someone’s sponsored by a villain in good standing, like Frantique sponsoring Tenbrous, they can be accepted. Nobody gets to just choose to join. Especially not a smug, entitled prick like Superdyne.”

Ms Fedorova suddenly leaned forward, scowling. “And why are you called Dinoid? You are not dinosaur. You are clearly monitor lizard. Golden monitor, I think.” She reached out and prodded his arm. “And not healthy, either. Look at colouration! You do not keep environment humid enough. Are having trouble with shedding, da?”

Now we were all staring at her. “You’re a lizard expert now?” Knuckles asked.

She shrugged. “What? Is hobby. Mamma’s little Varanus Acanthurus are pride and joy. Sadly, cannot keep larger monitors in city. Is unkind.”

Dinoid ran a hand over his head slowly. “Not many people realize,” he said slowly. “That’s why I order from you guys. I used to get frozen… food… from a pet supplier, but then I got contacted by someone who told me there was another option.”

“Is good thing. Those pet suppliers, they are rogues. They do not keep animals healthy, can get diseases or mites from those things.” Ms Fedorova sniffed. “I would never buy from them. My babies would get sick.”

He actually chuckled, then, seeming to relax a bit. “You’re not wrong. After… this happened… I got really sick a couple of times before I figured out what to eat, and where to get it. And even the reputable suppliers don’t always have the healthiest stock.” He opened his mouth wide, making a gagging noise. “You have no idea how bad that ‘reptile food’ is. Eating whole animals may be a little disgusting, but it’s nothing to some of that stuff.”

“I believe it,” I said emphatically. “There’s a reason Evil-Mart has such an extensive pet-food line. The horror stories we hear from some of our customers… well, you’d believe it, I bet, but most humans just look confused.”

Knuckles nodded, and spread his hands. “People who can’t pass for regular humans… or even for people, the way most normies see it… are a lot more common on our side of the fence than yours. That’s why we delivered to you. We figured you really needed it.”

“Does he order from the pharmacy?” Ms Fedorova was around behind him now, examining his back. “He is having calcium deficiency, am betting. He needs nutritional supplement.”

“I take a nutritional supplement,” he said defensively.

“The one for normal-sized lizards is not enough for man-sized monitor/human hybrid,” she said firmly. “Check pharmacy section next time. We are having excellent selection of supplements for hybrids, and chart to tell you how much to take for body-mass.”

He looked back and forth between the three of us. “You people are… not what I would have expected from an evil supermarket.”

“We may be… morally challenged,” I said, shrugging, “but we’re not heartless.” I looked around his tiny, shabby apartment. “Unlike some of your lot. I thought you were on a team. Why are you living here?”

He ducked his head. “I couldn’t live at the base,” he said, his tail drooping. “My… I made people uncomfortable. And the stipend isn’t much.”

“Isn’t much? With the merchandising deals they have?” Ms Fedorova sounded shocked, and the accent had dropped back a lot. “I know for a fact that if the accountants ever got hold of their books they’d owe more in back taxes than… well, than Evil-Mart would if our illegal product arm ever got discovered. And we pay our taxes on the legitimate stuff scrupulously.”

Dinoid blinked rapidly, though I couldn’t tell whether he was more surprised by her suddenly dropping her act or the idea that Evil-Mart pays taxes. “You do?”

“Of course. Not under that name, of course, there’s a shell company.” She sniffed. “All villains do. Al Capone, you know. We’re not getting caught that way again.”

Knuckles and I both nodded when he looked at us, and he shook his head. “Huh. Makes sense, I guess.”

“It does.” I looked around again. The place really was crappy. “I know it’s a personal question, Mr… West, but under the circumstances I’d like to know… how much is that stipend?”

He looked down at the floor for a while, then cleared his throat. “Uh. $1100 a month.”

We all stared at him. Ms Fedorova’s mouth fell open. Knuckles looked shocked, and I was horrified. “$1100 a month?!” I asked, my voice coming out louder than I’d intended. “For risking your life on a superhero team?! I have teenaged cashiers working part-time who make more than that!”

He looked almost as startled as we did. “For working a cash register?!”

“Evil-Mart pays pretty good.” Knuckles shrugged. “But that stipend is disgusting.”

“You are being exploited,” Ms Fedorova said, sounding really aghast. “That is terrible. Why, baseline henchman pay is twice that, and there are danger bonuses and…” Her voice dropped suddenly. “You don’t have a union, do you?”

“A union? Of course we don’t have a…” He trailed off. “You mean you do?”

“Of course we do. An extremely well-armed one.” Ms Fedorova folded her arms. “Henchmen And Allied Industries has represented us for generations. The last time a supervillain executed a union henchman for failure, he was boiled in oil… literally. On camera. Oh, of course some of the less reputable villains just pick up small-time trash from the streets, untrained rabble from the gangs and so on, so they can treat them as disposable, but we union members are skilled workers, with rights and protections. I bet you don’t even get overtime.”

“Of course not. Crime happens when it happens, and we have to…” He trailed off. “You guys get overtime?”

“We’re getting double time and a half for this conversation. And an extra day off.”

His eyes widened again. “Really? Wow, that’s… even when I was working a regular job, before this, I didn’t get pay like that.” He looked down at his hands and bared his teeth in what looked like an unhappy expression. “And now I can’t work anything but this kind of job. People don’t like having a scary dinosaur in their restaurant.”

There was a long pause.

“You can cook?” Ms Fedorova asked carefully.

“Yeah. I worked in my parents’ restaurant before… this.” He gestured at himself. “They were killed when we were attacked, and I was… changed.”

We all looked at each other. “After you’ve returned Superdyne’s remains to whoever you consider appropriate,” I said, grabbing a notepad and scribbling down my number, “I’d like you to give me a call. Evil-Mart is always hiring in the bakery and deli, and I mean always. Most bad guys aren’t great cooks. We don’t know why, it just seems to be one of those things.”

“You want me to join the bad guys?”

“I want you to work in a bakery. Villains and henchmen need to eat, and so do their families. Nobody’s going to ask you to rip superheroes in half, just maybe make a sandwich that won’t give anyone food poisoning.”

“That’s a regular concern?”

“Six months ago the three of us ran Evil-Mart’s physical store completely unassisted for most of a day because the only people who weren’t down with food poisoning were the ones who’d had the vegetarian and kosher meals.” I shuddered at the recollection. “Trust me. Someone who can cater staff functions without a major disaster would never have to live in an apartment like this working for us.”

“And we get full benefits, including dental.” Knuckles was shaking his head. “I bet you don’t even get hospital.”

“What hospital would take me? I always figured I’d go to the zoo and talk to the vet if – “

Ms Fedorova actually put her arms around him. “You,” she told him firmly, “are going to resign your terrible exploitative job, and then I will personally sponsor you to the union immediately. I have a spare room. You will like it. Humidity and temperature can be set just how you like, and Mamma Yelena will take you to real doctor expert in health of hybrids.”

“Those exist?” he asked, sounding a bit overwhelmed.

“Yeah, the Genetic Reign has like three of them,” I said sympathetically. “Listen, you can take some time to think it over, but you don’t have to put up with this kind of exploitation just because you don’t look human. Nearly a third of Evil-Mart’s staff can’t pass, and they’re treated just like everyone else.”

Superdyne’s dramatic demise got a lot of news coverage. Apparently it came as a real shock to the ‘good guys’ that there were some monsters even the superest villains wouldn’t embrace.

Dinoid no longer exists. Ismail Jameel works at Evil-Mart, and has expanded our fresh food lines a lot already. He’s a nice guy, and after Ms Fedorova told everyone how disgustingly he’d been exploited by those so-called ‘heroes’, he was welcomed with open arms. Literally, in at least one case – he’s dating someone from the warehouse, I’ve heard, though I don’t know who. He says we should rename the store, because we suck at being evil.

But evil is a really relative term. It can mean the blackest depravity, or a moment of viciousness, or even just ‘people on the other side’. Evil-Mart is called that because everyone, at least everyone on our side, is welcome. Plus, we all think it’s funny that the least-evil megacorporation is called ‘Evil-Mart’. What can we say? Bad guys have a sense of humour too.

Have an evil day!

[issaxcharlie]

Spectacular!

Pairing: Alive! Luke Patterson x Fem Reader

Summary: Inspired by Nickelodeon’s Spectacular! Luke Patterson needs the money for his bands demo, and miraculously, that same night he gets an offer to fix his problem. The catch? Rockstar boy has to join his school’s show choir and put up with their fearless Female Lead Singer. (don’t come here searching for accuracy remember it’s inspired by a movie)

Note: I had a lot of fun with this one, hope you like it! Oh and it’s a little long so keep it in mind +8k👀💜

Say this is not her scene would be to fall short, but she has to make sacrifices to find greatness. The first thing she notices when she walks into the little club, is that it's packed. The people look excited and somewhat desperate and she doesn't blame them. The pamphlet marked they were supposed to start at 8:00 p.m. and it's already 8:40. She makes her way carefully until she finds a perfect place in the middle of the room.

The musicians take the stage visibly anxious, especially Alex who cannot stop moving his hands trying to probably calm himself down. Reggie and the rhythm guitarist take their positions. They look at each other one last time before beginning to play the enveloping sound of the pop-rock song. The bass line sounds insane and she hasn't heard Alex play drums in years, he’s exceptional. They could both play without their singer all night and she wouldn't mind.

The space in the center of the stage that belongs to who she came to see today, completely empty. The bassist seems about to take the first verse when Sunset Curve lead guitarist and vocalist Luke Patterson appears on stage.

She has seen him multiple times in the hallways laughing with her childhood best friend, Alex Mercer and her lab partner, Reggie Peters, but she has never spoken directly to him. Still, it's hard not to notice how handsome he is and how much of a charismatic personality he has.

“I'm living my life just the way I like, they say I get a little too loud. Try to push me in a box, over analyze. But I'm never gunna turn it down”

His voice is enchanting and mesmerizing, a sound that immediately reminds her of the best rockers in history and his movements and energy are electrifying. In seconds the entire audience is jumping and dancing to the beat.

“They say never and I say right now!” Y/N analyzes him excitedly. The passion with which he sings and plays his guitar reminds her of when she is on stage, although the two of them dedicate themselves to totally different things, their love for music is the same. She definitely has a lot of work to do to polish him and make him the perfect performer she needs, but if there's anyone who can accomplish the impossible, it's her.

“No one's gonna stop me tonight! Thank you, we are Sunset Curve, tell your friends!” The presentation ends and Sunset Curve leaves the stage. The girl moves quickly to catch up with them at the back of the club, but when she finally arrives, screams can be heard from two of the members of the band.

“I know you don’t like me, Bobby. But trying to sabotage the show by giving me the wrong time is just the most stupidest thing you've ever done!” The guitarist looks furious, his muscles are really tense and Y/N can't help staring at his biceps way more than she probably should.

"This fight of egos between the two of you has to stop, we can no longer continue to be in the middle." The bassist cries out, tired of all the bickering.

“You no longer have to, Reggie. It’s time to decide. The lousy rocker or me. Remember that the money for the demo is mine before choosing... I'm not sure Patterson's lyrics can compete without the money to record them.”

The guitarist looks down at the ground, a mixture of anger and sadness on his face. Alex and Reggie turn to see each other for a second and then position themselves on either side of Luke, no sign of doubt on their faces.

“We’ll find a way without you. Let’s see If you find one without us.” Reggie declared with a little smirk. Bobby grabs his stuff and gets into his truck without looking back, completely furious.

"Some things Bobby was angry about are true and you have to improve them. You are not a solo artist, you are part of a band." Alex points to Luke as soon as the truck is out of sight, but before he can respond the blonde intercepts the girl at the door.

“Y/N?” The three of them turn to see her, Reggie smiles at her while Luke looks pissed off.

“Hey guys, I came to talk to Luke.” Luke frowns in surprise while the other two gape for a few seconds.

"Really?” Y/N turns with a murderous face towards her friend, who puts his hands in his pockets and begins to walk. “...Okay. Meanwhile Reg and I are going to figure out how to get the drums in Luke's car."

"If you come for an autograph please be quick, I don't feel like socializing." The guitarist declares to the wind, not wanting to pay attention to the stranger who approaches him in the middle of the alley, no matter how cute she looks.

“I’m not a fan.” She confesses in a firm voice, trying to measure the situation.

"Oh, then I'll go. See you later beautiful." He's about to leave when her voice stops him.

“Patterson, come back here!” There's something about her tone that makes Luke suddenly interested. He turns to see her carefully, her chin is up, her shoulders back. Her lips are press together and her eyes look determined and he can't help but admit that the confidence she projects is really doing something to him.

“2 minutes, firecracker.”

“I’m Y/N Y/L.” Faced with no comment from the guitarist, she decides to continue. “I need a male lead singer for my group and I think you might be the perfect fit, after I'm done with you, of course."

He’s unable to believe what he hears. “A band? I think you know pretty well I'm already in one.”

“It’s not a band, it’s a group. THE group If I can say so myself. Spectacular!” She affirms with the first smile he sees her that night, and he can't believe it is possible that she can look even more beautiful.

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit with the spectacular thing? At least tell me the name or what kind of band is." She rolls her eyes and he chuckles in response, thinking it was adorable and hot at the same time.

“I already told you, Spectacular! It’s a show choir.”

“Is this a joke? Did Bobby sent you?”

“No and no. I know it’s not really your style, but I’m telling you I can make it work. I heard a bit of the conversation you had with the band, the prize of Nationals is 10,000 dollars. I'm willing to give you half for the demo, if we win, obviously. And I can assure you we will if you accept and do absolutely everything I say.”

“Firecracker, are you trying to tell me that all I have to do to raise the money is put on some stupid cowboy or tiger-print outfit and humiliate myself in front of an entire audience with my best jazz hands? Wow, sounds like a dream!” Maybe he got a bit too sarcastic, but meh, as pretty as she is, she's still a stranger.

“My name is Y/N, and I'm not appreciating your tone of voice.” By this moment the girl seems tired of the musician, who feels the frustration in her and tries to be more gentle.

“I- I’m sorry. Thanks for the offer, but I don't feel as desperate yet as to end my reputation in that way. I hope you find what you are looking for, but that’s just not me. I'm just a guitarist.” She nods, entwining her arms against her chest. He admires her for a few more seconds and turns to his car, where his friends are already waiting for him to help with the drums.

Before getting behind the wheel he turns to her one last time, but she is nowhere to be seen.

Fights between Luke and Bobby weren't new to the band. The big-headed attitude of both collided practically all the time and things had been getting worse in recent months with the more overconfident attitude of the guitarist, but they never imagined that they would end up in this situation.

The days go by and the boys are running out of time. They have to deliver the demo to the Orpheum offices in two months so that they can be taken into account for the great concert they will hold at the end of the year presenting the best new talents in the city. All they've heard from Bobby is that he's trying to build his own band but without much success. Still, he doesn’t fold his hands and continues to try on his own.

The three remaining members of Sunset Curve are in Alex's room lying on the floor with their instruments around trying to think of solutions, when Y/N's voice coming from outside refreshes the blonde's memory. “What did Y/N want to talk to you the other day?”

“Who?” Luke narrows his eyes in confusion.

“Y/N? The captain of the school’s show choir? She went to talk to you after Bobby left the band. Small, fire in her eyes, a lot of attitude.”

“OH, Firecracker! So that group is our school's choir? that's even worse. She tried to recruit me, even offered me the money for the demo if we win the competition in which they will participate.”

“What? She wants you in Spectacular? What did you said?” Alex heard that his friend's ex-boyfriend broke up with her and joined last year's national champions, but he never imagined that she would try to replace him with someone like Luke. Luke is distracted by a melody and doesn’t answer his friend's question.

"Why does your mom always leave her music on when she leaves to work?" The music is definitely not his style, they are always usually pop songs or even songs from musicals, but the singer's voice is one of the most beautiful he has ever heard so it never bothers him.

“It’s not her music, is Y/N.” Alex responds, wondering what the young woman is up to since she is never usually home at this hour.

“Who?” Alex's eyes widen, not able to believe his friend.

“Really? I already told you!” The guitarist tilts his head and shrugs. “Firecracker?”

“What does firecracker have to do with this?” Alex opens his balcony curtains and the silhouette of a young woman singing and dancing through her transparent pink ones comes to their visions.

“She’s so good bro, I thought it was a record too.” Reggie looks at her with a big smile as Alex rolls his eyes at Luke.

As soon as he sees her, the musician is in a trance, admiring the grace and energy with which she moves, wanting with all his might to remove the pink curtain that does not allow him to see her properly.

The song ends and a well-known melody begins to play with prominent bass and drums. “Guys, shut up! I’m trying to hear her sing.”

“It’s not us, man.” Reggie answers almost screaming with how loud the girl’s music is.

“What do you-” Luke turns around and sees his friends with their hands raised, the cables finally connecting in his brain. "She is listening our song?"

"Not just listening, she's also destroying your career, her vocals are amazing." The black-haired boy adds, smirking and running to connect his bass.

Luke excitedly opens the balcony window and sings the pre-chorus as loud as he can to get the singer's attention. “Call me in the morning to apologize, every little lie gives me butterflies.” She immediately turns around and smiles at the guitarist's cocky smile. She opens the curtain and the window and her sunset curve t-shirt is the first thing the band notices.

“Something in the way you're looking through my eyes, don't know if I'm gonna make it out alive.” Luke sings seductively towards her, each word fully dedicated to the woman in front of him.

Reggie accompanies them with his bass while Alex looks at his friends incredulously, an "Are you fucking kidding me." Comes out of the blonde almost like a whisper when he identifies the shirt that the girl wears as his.

Both sing the chorus together and the chemistry is unquestionable. Alex had never thought of this two together because at first glance they seem completely different, but thinking about it a little more deeply they couldn't be more similar. They are both passionate, headstrong, live for the stage, and are ridiculously talented and confident.

“Fight so dirty, but you love so sweet. Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth. Late night devil, put your hands on me. And never, never, never ever let go.”

The performance between the duo is playful, driving, sexy and intense and Alex and Reggie can't help but feel like they're interrupting a private moment. As soon as the song ends, the girl moves closer to the window, blows them a kiss and closes it.

"Where did that woman come from?" Luke whispers as he tries to catch his breath. Nobody had enchanted him so much just by singing, well, nobody had enchanted him, period. But she’s definitely something.

“She has been my neighbor since we were 6 years old, we used to be best friends but we both drifted apart when we entered high school. She’s amazing, the best performer in the city.” Alex informs him and then Reggie adds his own piece of valuable information. “She’s my lab partner. Fun, smart, beautiful, the whole deal. A true gem.”

“Answering your question, I said no to her offer. But I guess the group of someone this rad can't be that bad. And we really need the money." The drummer purses his lips and nods. His friend definitely took the hook.

"Honestly, I always wanted to audition, I guess the three of us could try in, to support you obviously."

“Of course man, she sounded desperate when she asked, and if the shirt and song is any indication she is definitely a huge Sunset Curve fan. She tried to fool me by saying she wasn't a groupie, as if that was possible after seeing us perform.”

His friends leave the house and Alex plays on the drums the secret signal he had with the girl when they were younger, a minute later the girl appears in her window with an amusing smile, dressed in her classic blue pajamas.

“Really?” The drummer chuckled and his friend’s smile grows even bigger, a little laugh leaving her lips. “The shirt was a nice touch. A little much, but that idiot must have fallen for it completely. I want it back by the way.”

“You can see right through me. You know the invitation is open, right? I would love nothing more than to have you there.” He has known her his whole life, and realized early on that she was just trying to get his friend's attention to reconsider her offer by raising his ego, and he honestly doesn't mind. It's about time Luke met someone of his caliber. Perhaps her influence could do him good.

“I- thank you. I guess we’ll see. See you tomorrow.” She blows him a kiss and closes the window. Tomorrow sure is going to be an interesting day, Sunset Curve joins Spectacular.

Having to face Spectacular! And telling them they still don't have a male lead singer who can compete against Damian was not easy. Her options are running out and she honestly doesn't know what to do to save them.

Damian on stage is the best, it pains her to admit that she has never seen anyone like him. At first she thought she could continue without him, but it’s becoming increasingly obvious that he is just impossible to replace.

Everyone continues to practice the routine, clearly discouraged after her bad news and it honestly breaks her heart. She knows how much the group means to everyone for different and personal reasons and she can't let them lose this. So whatever she has to do, she’ll do it so they can have the leader they deserve.

“I thought the children in the choir would have more energy, this is just sad, firecracker.” She hides her wide smile before turning to the owner of the voice, who is entering the auditorium with his best friends. Money really talks, otherwise she can't explain what would make him appear here.

“Dude, can you please play nice? This is important!” Reggie looks flustered and scolds Luke probably louder than he planned. The guitarist just ignores him and winks shamelessly at her. Seems her little plan from yesterday was successful, now she just has to play the situation in her favor.

“Mercer, Peters... Patterson. Can we help you with something?” The performer shows a perfect poker face, Spectacular continues to practice but they can't help but turn their attention to the rock band.

“I came to accept your proposal, but only If we can include Reggie and Alex in the deal. I guess as long as I’m in whatever I ask shouldn't be a problem." He crosses his arms and gives her a confident smile.

“I could actually do with a few more members, specially as talented as Reg and Alex. As for you, you've already turned down my offer Lucas, but if for some reason you don't graduate this year, make sure you audition the next one. Now, let’s start boys." Y/N moves within inches of Luke to gently close his open mouth with her index finger, and gives him a small wink before turning and taking the other two musicians each on each arm and pulling them closer to where the group is still practicing.

“Y/N, you can’t be serious.” The skilled singer continues to ignore him as she explains to her new members something Luke can't quite hear.

The musician frustrates and walks until he is directly in front of her. “Y/N” He groans.

“I'm not firecracker anymore? That is just sad.” Luke looks upset, but she's determined to not let him have what he wants after what he said at the club, so if he wants the money that bad he's going to have to prove it.

“I’m going to explain you something quickly so you can go and stop wasting my time. I’ve seen your band play, I know how good these two are at singing, which means I don't need you anymore, nor do I have to put up with your rockstar wannabee attitude. I need someone that I can connect with and have the chemistry that leaves everyone forgetting how to breathe, and after yesterday, I just don't think that's you.” Right now she is grateful to be such a good actress because yesterday's act melted her legs, even though they were separated by the balconies. This man is unreal, totally unfair.

"I do, I wouldn't be surprised if they kissed at any moment." The bassist whispers as Alex looks at him with an incredulous face, he just slowly shakes his head from side to side and continues to see the leader of their band and their new leader in a starting contest, is kind of an amusing sight since Luke is definitely not used to having to face someone like him.

“It’s like you said, you are just a guitarist. Thinking you could handle something like this was ridiculous of me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a group to direct."

Y/N hopes she hasn't pushed the rockstar too much, but remains firm in her tactics and turns to the others to continue with the rehearsal. She signals them to put the most similar song to the Sunset Curve sound that she can remember at the moment to make Alex and Reggie feel more calm and to see if she finishes catching Luke’s interest, who still doesn’t move from where he is with his eyes fixed on her, which she takes as as a good sign.

The moment the song start, both sunset curve members smile, and Luke's voice is heard from behind. “So you're the girl, I heard the rumor.” He sounds powerful and captivating and immediately sets everyone's eyes on him. She doesn’t give him the luxury of turning to see him, but he is not going to give up and in a quick and agile movement he turns her by the hand.

“Why don't you break my heart, make it hurt so bad. Come on give it your best, nothing less, I insist, I want it just like that.” The girl should have thought more about her choice before asking for a song like this. Every word that comes out of the musician's mouth is addressed directly to her with an intensity in his eyes and movements that should be illegal.

She tries to get out of his way but he makes it pretty clear that he's not singing to prove himself to the group, he's doing it to prove something to her. Specifically, to prove her wrong.

“Stare me down, intimidate me. Oh baby please you'll never break me.” He comes dangerously close to her, basically inches apart, his eyes fixed on her lips and smiling flirtatiously as he sings, his eyes glinting mischievously.

She enters the song so as not to make him feel like she’s defeated and starts dancing with him to the rhythm, their movements matching effortlessly as they move across the stage.

She pulls herself back as far as she can, but Luke surprises everyone by doing a body roll on the floor, his arms looking more gorgeous than ever in that sleeveless shirt as they take the full weight of his body without any problem, his eyes never losing contact with hers. All the girls start to do small screams while Y/N's cheeks turn red at her thoughts. He slides on his knees towards her and gets up as he puts his foot on her to make her lose balance and catch her right at the end of the song.

“Why don’t you break my heart.” They've been in a trance since the song started and it's like it's just the two of them in the auditorium. Their lips are almost touching, neither willing to give up eye contact or move from their current position, until the applause and shouts of excitement bring them back to reality.

“I have chemistry with everybody that I sing with, firecracker.” He whispers to her lips before shifting the girl's full weight to his right arm to raise his left one to her face and carefully close her mouth with his finger, winking with a cocky smile before lifting her up.

Immediately everyone begins to advocate for him with all kinds of arguments that ranged from how sensual he was to how much of a presence he had on stage. Her best friend’s comment is the one that catches his attention the most. "You have even more chemistry with him than Damian, I didn't think it was possible." That definitely sounds interesting.

Y/N pretends to listen to her teammates before saying Luke can enter the group. The truth is that she knew from the first moment she saw him perform with Sunset Curve that he was a star, but this facet without the guitar and irradiating passion from his pores was something that left her speechless.

Still, she knew all the work that would go into preparing the band and it really was exhausting. For them to understand that they couldn't just sing like they do at the club, that there are rules to follow, dance steps they have to learn, facial expressions they have to master, notes they have to hit perfectly, wasn’t easy but they succeeded.

Along the way, she regained her bond with Alexander, her friendship with Reggie grew stronger, and each day she felt closer to Luke. She has been practicing a duet with him for weeks now, and the chemistry that they have set to burn the stage more than once. It was hard for her to ignore how the guitarist's hands feel on her thighs as he lifts her or the way he wraps himself around her, breathing softly down her neck or brushing his lips teasingly over her cheekbone. Both are very physical to show affection so small contacts such as hugs or caresses, as well as small kisses on the cheek or hand were very recurrent. They had also gone out multiple times alone and with their friends, from the cinema, the park, to see them play, to small parties at home, to midnight talks.

Reggie was the one who had her alone the most because they were lab partners, but no matter how hard the bassist tried to get information from the girl, he never succeeded. The truth is that not even she knows what is happening with the guitarist, she is for the first time in her life letting herself be carried away and enjoying the moment, and she’s loving it.

Luke and Alex are in detention after the brown haired boy made a mess in the classroom by putting together a little concert with the help of the blonde, and as they die of boredom, his mind can’t help to go to her for the 14th time of the day. "How did she end up in the show choir?"

Alex is blank for a few seconds but analyzes the question and realizes who they are talking about. “Spectacular used to be the most important show choir in the country, led by her mother, may she rest in peace. Y/N always wanted to be a part of it and when she lost her, it became a goal. She suffered a lot to get to the perfect star we see today, especially because her father is rarely there since he works outside the country. She has practically had to face alone auditions, injuries, she had to learn to sew, comb her hair and put on makeup for the show, sing for hours her solos with no one to encourage her, without mention that the current director could not care less about the group and practically leaves all the work to her. That’s why she’s so be fearless, she kind of has to."

“I didn’t know.” The sight of Y/N as happy as ever with his mother when he took her home for lunch the week before appears in his memory. She looked radiant as she ate his mother's famous stew and listened to stories of little Luke as he gently stroked her thigh while songwriting with his other hand. When was the last time she got to experience something as homelike as that? Luke probably doesn’t want to know.

Alex's sad voice brings him back to the conversation.“I was supposed to be there, you know? At first I was. We were going to audition for Spectacular together, but that summer I met you and Sunset Curve was born, and I didn’t have the time anymore so I abandoned her. I knew how important it was for her to have me there, and I didn't even go to her audition. And do you know how many times she has reproached me? Not even one.”

Luke knows that Alex would never hurt her on purpose and that the situation was probably much more complicated than he expresses it, so he reassures him and lets him know that she loves him and is proud that he took his own path. As soon as the blonde calms down, he begins to tell him multiple stories about when he and the girl were kids, the songwriter takes out his journal and begins to add lyrics to the song he has been working on, more inspired than ever.

“You are falling so deeply for her, man. I’m happy for you both.” His friend comments to him while reading the verses written on the paper. He totally is.

“Bowling, nice. I'm going to finish you off, Patterson.”

“As sexy as your confidence sounds, I'm not going to let you win.”

“I'm pretty sure you've never gone bowling.” Alex adds with furrowed eyebrows.

“Your point is, Mercer?” She wrinkles her nose and sticks out her tongue. Reggie chuckles amused.

"How can you be so sure that you are going to win?"

“Oh, my dear cute blonde. I’m good at everything.” She makes a slight remark on everything with her eyes fixed on the guitarist, who chokes while blushing.

She smiles cheekily at him and confidently steps into the room, Sunset Curve behind as Alex and Reggie tease Luke for being completely whipped.

Happiness doesn't last long when the first thing they see inside is Damian Miller along with a couple of his new teammates. The moment their eyes meet, Y/N seems to melt, but not in the good way.

Her firm and perfect posture now all bent as she embraces herself with her arms and tries with the strength that has left to hold her gaze at the person who took everything from her without much more than an empty sorry.

When she feels the guitarist at her side again, she unconsciously stretches her hand to intertwine her fingers with him, who tilts his head to see their hands together and then to see her face.

She is not doing it to make Damian jealous, but to feel supported. And when Luke realizes it, he can't help not feeling angry at the boy in from of them. In the month that he has been with her, he has never seen her doubt, fear, or believe anything less than that she is unstoppable. And today for the first time ever he sees her intimidaded, and the fact that it's because of a jerk like this makes it even worse.

He rubbs her hand to make her feel less anxious and when she turns to meet his eyes, he brings his index finger to her chin and winks at her, hoping she gets the message. She seems to do it because she immediately smiles playfully and begins to look more relaxed.

The guitarist is aware that Damian was his firecracker's first boyfriend, and he also knows how much he betrayed her love and trust. No matter how strong the woman is, her reaction is completely normal and valid, and that she has the confidence to be vulnerable and let him be there for her means a lot to him.

“Princess.” Damian whispers as he moves closer to her, his eyes fixed on Y/N and Luke's clasped hands.

“I’m not your princess, Y/L is just fine. Listen, Damian. I could pretend this is not uncomfortable and boring but, I don't want to. So yeah, excuse us.”

She pulls the hand that joins her to Luke to make him walk and Alex and Reggie follow behind them, looking at her ex boyfriend with little smiles of pride. Alex knows how much Damian turned off Y/N’s spark and seeing her put him in his place makes him feel so proud.

"So someone is going to teach me bowling or what?"

“I’ll do it baby, but another day. Today we came here with a different purpose.” Luke points to the large Rock the World machine located in a comfortable corner space.

“Of course, is always about music with you, eh Patterson?” She smirks, getting a little closer to him.

“Pretty much, but I can tell that attracts you, Y/L.” He wrinkles his nose, his lips parting slightly.

“Hell yeah it does.” he smirks, not at all expecting her to admit it so openly but he definitely should have seen it coming.

“Good thing I’m into dominant firecrackers then.”

“Could you stop flirting for a second and start playing? I have plans to destroy Alex and your daily session of sexual tension is not going to ruin it.”

Both smile at Reggie while Y/N takes the games microphone and Luke the guitar. The song that Y/N chooses is She’s so gone by Naomi Scott, and it goes without saying that the boys have never played it in their lives but they love a challenge.

The mastery with which the girl interprets the song makes a good number of people come to see the round, including her ex-boyfriend and his new friends.

“Here I am, this is me, and I'm stronger than you ever thought I'd be. Are you shocked? Are you mad? That you're missing out on who I really am.”

The singer sings the verse directly towards Damian, as his friends start pointing out and teasing him. Reggie goes over to tell Luke he thought he would join her, but the guitarist only replies, "I want to see her shine."

She gets carried away with the music and draws Luke to her, jumping and twirling to the beat of the music. The guitarist hyping her up every single second og the song. At the end the night was incredible, the four of them spent it singing, dancing and even bowling, which Y/N ended up dominating from the second round.

Luke thought that there would be no better time than that night to show her what he had been working on, so after saying goodbye to her he went to Alex’s where he had left his journal.

Before he can say goodbye to the blond, screams are heard from the house next door. “I wasn't trying to embarrass you, Damian!”

“No? So what were you doing shaking your hips against the rock boy?”

“I don't have to explain anything to you, but I think it's pretty obvious why I wanted to be against that body, have you seen it?” She says it playfully with her eyes fixed on the guitarist, who is walking with the blonde to her door, her eyes glinting wickedly in the dark. He chuckles, knowing it's the girl's way of reassure him and she smiles as she sees his expressions relax.

“Everything alright, firecracker?” Luke does not stand in front of her like a brave prince, he stops a meter from both of them and asks before intervening, and that makes her heart melt. Because he wants to hear her first, he trusts that she can take care of it and has the confidence to tell him if she needs help, which is also completely valid. And it's something she has to work on, know that there are also times when it's okay to trust someone. That you don't always have to carry the weight alone.

“Go away, punk. My girl and I are in the middle of something.” The three of them start laughing at the ex-boyfriend's intimidation attempt, who seems to get angrier with every laugh that comes out of their mouths.

“I’m fine baby, but you guys could show him the way out? I’m tired of his bullshit.” She asks the boy with a cute smile, and he would disintegrate over the nickname if her horrible ex-boyfriend and her best friend weren't there.

"Don't touch me, I’ll go. Right now the numbers are not working in my favor so we will fix this where it really matters, on stage. Let's see if this attempt at a singer can save you from total humiliation, because let's be honest Y/N, you are nothing without me."

The faces of both members of Sunset Curve begin to tense, Luke's fists completely white from how much he's clenching them. For her part, the singer, who is already used to that type of comments from her ex-boyfriend, only tells him "yes, yes, you're right. It was a pleasure Dami, never come back." while pushing him to the other side to make him go away.

The nickname comes off her tongue in the most natural way in the world, she doesn't even seem to notice it and Luke feels some annoyance hearing it. As if someone had hit him in the stomach. But immediately the discomfort goes away when the girl turns to them again with a big smile and runs to hug them excitedly.

“Thanks for coming to check me out, guys. Things can sometimes get out of control with him.”

"We will always be there for you when you need us, okay? I actually went into Alex's house to get something I wanted to show you but it's late, I’ll come back tomorrow." The blonde turns from his friend to the other, a tired smile appears on his lips as he passes Luke his journal to place his arm on his childhood friend and lean on her.

"No, don't go please. Damian was pretty mad and... I don't want to be alone." She can be very dramatic at times but the fear in her voice sounds sincere, and remembering the scream that brought them outside in the first place Alex imagines how scared she really was before seeing them show up and his heart clenches at the thought.

“O- Okay, sure.” He sounds nervous but the excitement is evident in the way his left leg keeps moving, just like when he's on stage.

“I do have to go in, you already know mom. Will you be alright with just Luke?” He already knows the answer from the girl's radiant gaze but it doesn't hurt to confirm. She hugs him tightly with her arms around his neck and whispers a "Yes, I love you but go away already." which makes the drummer laugh out loud while high-fiving his other friend goodbye.

The third wheel enters his house and finally they are alone. She smiles and takes him by the hand to enter the house. Luke takes a moment to admire it, everything is in place but there are several instruments throughout the living room. A keyboard on the couch, a guitar next to the TV, even a tambourine on the table.

"May l?" He walks over to the guitar and turns to see the girl nodding and pointing up the stairs for him to follow. Her room is quite similar to her style, white is the predominant color but there are many details in pink and gold, as well as multiple yellow lights giving a romantic tone to the room at midnight.

“Do you want to show me now?” she asks eagearly, with joined hands, closed eyes and pursed lips.

“Y- yeah... of course.” He sits on the rug and puts the guitar aside, then puts his notebook between his legs and when he finds the sheet he is looking for, he carefully tears it off. The girl looks at him adoringly, the happiness of having him with her making her heart beat louder in her chest. She sits across from him making sure to brush his legs and waits for him to speak.

“Here.” He looks nervous, his cheeks totally flushed as he avoids eye contact for the first time since they met.

Y/N takes the sheet in his hands and a huge warm smile appears on her face when he sees the guitarist's terrible lyrics. BRIGHT written and highlighted several times in the title.

“It’s for you.” Luke whispers while bringing his face closer to hers, making her shiver.

“You wrote me a song?” She doesn't know what to say. Since her mom, no one had done anything so beautiful, considerate, and selfless for her. Something so vulnerable and full of love.

“Don’t be mad, but Alex told me a little about how you ended up in show choir, your friendship with him, your mom.” He turns to see her looking for her reaction, she just nods to tell him it’s okay to continue. “A sweet story about a little girl with the voice of an angel who loved to sing love songs. And you know what was in my head all that night? That even though I've never written one, I would write millions of love songs for you.”

Some tears fall from the girl's face, she carefully places the lyrics on the guitar and throws herself on the guitarist, who falls in surprise against the carpet, making sure to grab her by the waist so that she falls safely on his chest. She rests her arms on either side of his head and brings her lips against Luke's, brushing them gently.

Luke doesn't move a muscle, not wanting to do something to make her uncomfortable, when he suddenly hears her talk. “And what about teeth? I mean is not the sweetest love story ever told but-”

The boy chuckles, Y/N's curious eyes a few inches away. “Alex wrote that one after his first breakup, Reggie and I did the melody.”

“Good. Guess we’ll have to start making some experiences to help you write all that songs.” At that moment she finally pushes her lips against his, both in a moment of euphoria at the taste of each other. She presses her body against him and he bites lightly with his teeth on her lower lip to shove his tongue against her mouth in response. Her little hands pulling his hair hard as his hands go down her butt. Both of them enjoying what they had been dreaming of for so long.

When the two finally separate they fall in a comfortable silence, she starts to admire his facial features, delicately running her fingers through his nose, his mouth, his cheekbones, until he interrumpts her. “I knew you want me from the beginning, I could see the lust in your eyes. Everything about the choir was a complex plan to get me under you.” Luke affirms with his best poker face, and sees clearly how her eyes fill with light while a pure laugh escapes from her now swollen lips.

“And as always, I achieved the goal. The hot local rockstar is sleeping on my bed tonight.” No matter how hard he tries, he can never catch her off guard and he always ends up being the one blushing. She kisses him softly before getting up and taking the song lyrics back. “Luke, do you mind if I sing a bit of the song?”

“Of course not, it's yours. I will accompany you with the guitar, from the pre-choir?”

She nods and begins to sing the words he wrote for her. “Life is a risk but I will take it, close my eyes and jump. Together I think that we can make it, come on, let's run.”

She is reading the choir as she sings and the urge to cry reappears. He's basically telling her that she no longer has to go on living life alone, that she can lean on him, she can trust him to fight by her side. That it can be us instead of I.

“And rise through the night, you and I, we will fight to shine together. Bright forever.”

As soon as they finish singing Luke puts the guitar aside and goes over to wipe the tears from the girl's face. “I know that at first glance it doesn't seem like a love song, but..."

“But it is. It’s perfect, thank you Luke.” She didn't know that someone other than her could make her feel so special, but he proved her wrong, again.

The night before was like a dream. Y/N sleeping with his shirt while he wrapped her completely in his arms, singing softly in her ear and leaving little kisses on her neck every few verses until she fell asleep. At this point there is no way to deny how completely in love he is with her.

“Man, we need to talk.” His blonde friend wakes him up from his daydream and starts pulling him down the hall to an empty table in the cafeteria, where Reggie is already waiting for them.

They both sit down and Alex takes a deep breath as he plays with his fingers, trying to form coherent sentences with the words in his head. “Bobby called last night.” Luke's gaze instantly shifted to disgust, while Reggie looks quite shocked.

“So? What did he want?” Luke whispers, trying to sound disinterested.

“He sent some of our videos to an important person at Destiny Management and they are interested in the band. He said that if we comply with certain requests he will give the money for us to record the demo this Friday so that it’s ready for the appointment."

“And I guess you told him we don't need him or his money. What did he answer you? He cried?" the guitarist asks with an amused face, but his friends just look at each other.

“Don't you think we should think more about it? What happens if we don't win nationals? We’ll have lost something as sure as Bobby's deal for nothing."

“She’s my friend and I love her but I have to agree, Luke. As difficult as it is, our priority has to be Sunset Curve, not Spectacular"

“But-”

“They are right, Luke.” All three look at the girl, as pale as If they had seen a ghost. “Spectacular is my dream, And I know I'd do anything for it. It would be unfair of me to get angry because you’re fighting for yours. Don't hesitate, if anyone can find a way out of this it's me.”

“But, the duet...”

“I’ll just have to be the melody and the words. I’ll be fine, and honestly I'm so proud of you guys, I know you will be rock legends one day.” All three feel guilty but don't know what to say or do to make it right. She goes over to hug the drummer and the bassist who take her in their arms with all their strength, a “I’m so sorry” from the blonde accompanied by an “I know” from the girl can be heard. Then she stands in front of the guitarist and kisses his lips intensely, but breaking away painfully fast. The guys leave lovers alone for a moment of privacy.

“I believe in you, baby. You are destined to be a star, forget everything else, even me. Take the moment and knock them off their feet.” She kisses him lightly on the lips and walks a few steps back. “This month was the happiest of my life in a long time, thank you. Guess I’ll see you guys around.”

“Why do you sound like you are saying goodbye? And a horrible one? I thought you were good at everything.” Luke walks over to her again and places his hands on her cheeks, rubbing them gently. His voice is shaky and his eyes are glassy, she snorts at his sudden taunt, a little smile covered with the tears.

“Once everyone gets back to their own business, do you think you'll still have time for me? Alex is my damn neighbor, and we couldn't keep in touch.” And Luke gets it. She is used to being alone, to people not being permanent in her life. Neither her parents, nor her best friend, nor her boyfriend, nor anyone else has stayed. So this time to protect herself she decided that he too was going to leave, that it would be foolish to think that he of all possible people would stay.

“I‘m not letting you go baby, you're the only one I would let to boss me around.” The girl laughs when she remembers the millions of times she had to correct him and how he always ended up making her blush in some way, especially when they danced. She can't remember telling him but dancing with him has been the most special thing she has ever experienced. She danced with Damian for years and it never felt like the first time Luke put her long, strong hands on her waist and pulled her close to him. She can only hope to feel that way again one day.

“You are my one and only, firecracker. We’ll find a way, neither of us is a quitter.”

They say that actions are worth a thousand words, and Luke had definitely missed his first chance to show Y/N that he was serious about them by not getting in time to wish her good luck before she left with the group to the city of the competition, a few hours from there. He couldn't help but feel more miserable when he returned to the studio and found a small yellow sheet in his journal.

“You got this, rockstar. I have so much faith in you, so go make me proud. And I don’t want you feeling guilty, okay? I always want to see you shine, baby, no matter what. Your firecracker, Y/N.” Luke laughs softly, dazzled by her attempt to be sweet. If she trusts him so much, why doesn't he return the favor? She assured him they could win and when she says something, she follows through.

Why ruin his life with all of Bobby's ridiculous demands while ditching his girl in the process when he can go sing with her and do band things their way, without selling their soul to the devil. He sits on the couch thinking about what to say to the boys when they both rush in and pick him up, one from his feet and the other from his arms.

“What the hell are you two planning this time?” Luke sounds annoyed but does nothing to stop them from moving him, they throw him into the back of the car and he hits his head, getting him to kick them before they close the door.

"I'm not going to let her down again, I can’t."

"Yeah, and surely we can win, the number is spectacular... do you understand what I did there?”

Alex rolls his eyes and Luke smiles. They drive at full speed to Luke’s for him to take all his things and when he returns to the car, stands thoughtfully by the window.

“What are you doing?!” Alex is not having it, looks like a vein is going to burst from stress any second now.

“Do you think we’ll make it?” Questioned the guitarist, clearly nervous.

“If you stop asking stupid as fuck questions and get in the car, maybe.” Luke pouts but listens and finishes loading everything in the trunk.

The road is full of music to try to calm all the nerves, there was also plenty of time to rehearse the number over and over again, Luke analyzing in his mind every move he had to make, from time to time his bossy girl correcting him in his head. The only difficult thing was probably changing into the costumes, especially for Alex.

They arrive directly to register and the band turns pale when they hear the powerful and breathtaking voice of the singer who is playing her solo right now, a heavenly version of 'Never enough’. By the time they are ready to go, the main number has already started, the imposing woman in the very center of the stage with one of the boys of the group, who although does not have the voice of the guitarist, is making a good effort. Damian is on the other side, staring at her with a superiority smirk and Luke can't help but want to punch him.

“I never realized how anyone could make everything so right, I was so sad, you brought me back.” Alex quickly indicates to him how to enter the stage from the back, and Luke prepares to jump in time for the chorus, taking care of not being seen as he climbs the platform. The song is an old pop-rock song from the 80s, specifically chosen to make the guitarist's voice shine. He and his firecracker sat listening to music for hours until they finally found it, the girl's eyes shining with excitement as she imagined all she could do with the potential of the melody.

“You give me something to believe in, after all that we've been through.” He appears on the platform just in time, the lights and smoke coming out right in his grand entrance. Y/N turns immediately upon hearing her voice and he dances his way towards her.

“The love you give, it all comes back to you. You give me something to believe in, you can see the real me. And here with you is where I'm meant to be.” both singing together the remainder of the chorus and dancing to the beat. The biggest smile he has seen in his girl since he met her on her beautiful face. With that he feels satisfied with his decision, whatever happens, win or lose, it was worth it.

“And here we are together side by side, and nothing seems impossible tonight.” the duet between them is electrifying as always, he puts his hands on her thighs and lifts her with ease, both of them moving and enjoying themselves as if they were the only ones in the place. The dance ends as the first time they danced in the auditorium when he showed her that he was the right option, he holds her with one arm, their lips inches from touching but holding the magnetism back for a few more seconds until finally leave the stage.

As soon as they are backstage Y/N throws herself at Luke, wrapping her legs around his hips and devouring his lips with hers. “Someone missed me.” Luke whispers catching his breath.

"I can't believe you guys did this for me." Expressed the girl as she turns to see her other two friends, still wrapped around Luke who has her tightly held with his huge arms around her butt.

“We trust you as much as you trust us. We know that you will win, you worked like nobody for this moment.” Affirmed the blonde, giving her a small kiss on the forehead.

“I feel like I won already.” And she did. She won the trophy, the money for the demo, friends, and a ridiculously gorgeous rockstar who drove her crazy in more ways than one. All this years working hard were finally worth it... and Damian throwing a tantrum in the middle of the stage felt good too, not gonna lie.

“When are you going to ask me to be your boyfriend? As much as I love you more than anything, a man has to have some pride, you know? We've been together for like 5 months and I'm getting desperate.” They are both lying together on the girl's bed, their legs intertwined as he makes little circles with his fingers on his girl's stomach.

She raises her head resting her hand on his bare chest, her thoughts impossible to read. What are you talking about? I'm waiting for you to ask me!” He chuckles, prepared to tease her. “Bu-”she interrumpts him, pushing the hand that is resting on him to sit down. “Ba-”

“Wait a second, Lucas!” He bites his lip, he never liked being called by his name but for some reason it sounds incredibly sensual when she says it. “Yeah, baby?”

“D- did you say you love me?”

“I did, and I do. Everybody knows you've got me trapped in your claws.” He jokes to make her laugh, and he succeeds.

“I love you too, so much.”

“I know baby.” He winks teasingly at her. “Returning to the topic, you are the most bossy and confident person I have ever met, and you want to tell me that you were waiting for me to take the first step? Doesn’t sound like my firecracker. You literally pretended to be a sunset curve super fan to get my attention.”

"I totally did, I was awesome, first thing next day you were at the auditorium.” She says proud while Luke rolls his eyes with a smile. “But if it makes you feel better, I'm 100% a fan now, and...You are completely right, for once.”

She takes a deep breath, intertwining her fingers with his. “Lucas Patterson, I want you, if we're being honest, probably from the first time I saw you at that Sunset Curve gig we met at. You are annoying, cocky, passionate, and I love you with all my heart. Be my boyfriend... please.”

“There it is, that’s my girlfriend.” His eyes full of lust after hearing that she wanted him from the first night, he draws her closer to him to push his lips against hers, his girlfriend's tongue quickly dancing with his.

"Oh my god, we already talked about this, close the damn window, I don't want to hear it!” The blonde cries from his balcony, the couple can't help but laugh before joining their lips again.

Thank you for reading ✨

Taglist: @writerinlearning, @ghostofmgg @strangerthanfanfiction713 @thebloodthirstyvampress, @kinda-really-lost, @kcd15, @magnet-girl, @aliandthephantoms, @stxrkspidey, @pinkrockstar19, @s0uz4s, @shycupcakealissa @cookiebuba, @fangirlangioma, @sageellsworth05, @twist3dtinkerbell, @sunsetcurvenotsunsetswerve, @caitsymichelle13, @ifilwtmfc @luckylouiebug, @bibliophilewednesday, @totomoshi, @siennanoelle01, @lunashadow6955, @bookfrog247, @morganayennefertyrell, @kiss-themoongoodbye, @rachelle3musicals, @imsydneywalker, @really-dont-forget-it @agentstarkid @talksoprettyjjx @kaitieskidmore1 @lukeys-giggle @katie-navarro @crybabyddl @cocopuffs0211 @marvel-ousnesss @txrii @tuttigunner @dpaccione @justalittleweirdoo @mrstodorooki @averyharrypotterlife

[barkkletshunt]

Those Worth Fighting For Part six

Hey everyone! Sorry this took forever to get out, work and school have been hectic. This chapter was a little rushed because of it since I’ve only been able to write it before work each mornings, but I hope you’ll like it nonetheless. 

Taglist:

@ladybug-182 @fruit-snacc-ace @miraculous-simmer7 @lavenderjunes  @use-flamethrower 

Part one             Part two

Part three           Part four

Part five             Part six (you’re here)

Part seven         Part eight 

Things were out of control. The pipes throughout Paris were alive and there weren’t enough superheroes to keep people safe, and Ladybug had no idea what to do. She had called everyone to tell them that the weak spot of the beast was at the museum, but that didn’t stop the destruction from around Paris from happening. 

There was chaos all around her, and it made it nearly impossible to get to the actual museum itself. If it hadn’t been for that Alley Cat intervening she wasn’t sure if she would have found her way there at all. The situation had her on high alert and she couldn’t help but be reminded of the day she lost the miraculous’ and that fear had gripped her heart. It was almost enough to make her cry. 

That wasn’t going to happen again though, and she knew it. She had thought up more backup and emergency plans just for the box than she had any time before then. The box was safe inside three other boxes in her own basement. She had designed specialty locks with Max to ensure it won’t be unlocked by fall damage or a personal assistant of a heiress. She knew it was safe. The damage had been done and she had learned from it, and now could only hope that she could make up for it. She wouldn’t fall down that rabbit hole of self doubt again.

Ladybug dodged the metal pipes that tried to attack her, and with a quick group call on her yoyo she was able to make sure everyone was on the same page on where to go. Much to her surprise two unfamiliar voices responded along with the heroes she knew would be out. 

“Miss. Bug, if you have a moment?” Alley Cat's voice came clear over her yoyo in a personal call, just the two of them. 

“What is it?” She snapped with more harshness than she had meant. She was irritated at the circumstance, and only a little at the stray cat that called. 

“I found two new miraculous holders, and they’re going to join us.” She didn’t have time for this. She was already overwhelmed and Cat adding more responsibility didn’t help.

“You just so happen to find two miraculous holders right as everything goes to Hell? You sure you didn’t just hand off two to people instead of telling me you had them?” 

“Miss. Bug, I assure you that I have no interest in keeping any miraculous away from you aside from my own. I only got to speak with the one for a moment, but they claimed to have found a second miraculous on their own and wanted to give it to you. They want to join your team.” He tried his best to calm her, trying to sooth her with his voice, but it didn’t work.

It wasn’t like she trusted him to begin with, and even with his sweet words earlier that made her heart ache, she knew not to trust anyone willy nilly. 

If only Felix was the one to find the cat miraculous, Ladybug thought. Felix thought ahead and worked with her as a team, unlike the man in black leather who seemed to know where all her buttons were to push.

“Not everyone wants to take over Paris, Miss. Bug.” Alley cat said over their walkie talkie function. “Some just want to protect it.”

She didn’t have much time to dwell on what he was insinuating with the museum coming up close. She could deal with him and the new miraculous holders later and pray that they were also on her side instead of Queen Fishers. Judging by how they were on her friends list on her communicator, they hadn’t turned their Kwami’s dark. She was just going to have to trust that for now, even if she couldn’t trust the new heroes themselves.

Most of the heroes were already there by the time Ladybug arrived. Instead of a snake head like she assumed would be what they were fighting, it turned out to be the building itself that was taken over by the amok. Pipes both old and new stretched from the building to attach her friends, and with the way they all defended each other made her proud. They had all come so far from being awkward strangers to friends, in and out of the suits. At least, all but three of the people there were friends. 

There was a woman dressed in all white with gold stripes lining her suit cutting down the pipes that were attacking their small group, her cat ears flattened against her head in frustration. The tiger reminded her too much of Chat Blanc for Ladybug to feel at ease, but this time eyes like molten gold burned under the stark white mask. Eyes that looked at the sentimonster with disgust, as if each attack toward the two heros behind her was a personal insult to her. 

Ladybug dropped down to greet the outsider heroes. “You must be the two the cat brought in. How’d he find you?”

The other hero in the group was, without any doubt in her mind, the dog holder. There were floppy brown ears that faded to black at the tips placed delicately on their head, hidden among a mess of brown hair. Their suit looked similar to the markings of a hound dog, but with red belts hanging on their hips. They were the first one to greet the senior hero with a soft timid wave, their other hand holding their specialty weapon. A crossbow. Even she was impressed by how straightforward that weapon was. 

“That guy?” The tiger hero gave a humourless laugh. “He wishes he could claim to be the one to discover my talents as a hero.”

“It is less that he found me, and more like I found him.” The dog hero stated, jumping in tune with Ladybug to dodge another metal attack. “I wasn’t going to jump in, but Barkk told me you guys might need help so I joined in and found Alley Cat. Better late than never to join the hero party, eh?”

“If it wasn’t for Roaar I wouldn’t have joined in either.” The tiger hero agreed. “I’m Tigress, by the way.”

“I’m Canis.” 

“We have a lot to discuss once this battle is over with, but for now, welcome to the team.” 

After everyone had made their brief introductions they all worked together on taking down the beast before them. Tigress, ScapeGoat, HoneyBee, Carapace, and GinnyPig all focused on defence while the other five focused on getting to the heart of the problem. With the problem solvers all focused on the same goal it took only minutes to get inside and destroy the item infused with the amok, a pipe that was almost as old as Paris itself.

Ryuko destroyed the door to get them inside, Canis was able to sniff out the item among the endless pipes inside, Mattamorphis protected them with his cane against oncoming attacks, and just as they found the item Alley Chat cataclysmed it and Ladybug purified the feather. 

Everything went smoothly as soon as they were all together and soon they were all standing around in the fixed building talking, while Ladybug processed what was happening. 

Canis stood with Mattamorphis, ScapeGoat, HoneyBee, and GinnyPig talking excitedly with the other heroes, and on the other side of her there was Tigress talking about the benefits of tai chi with Ryuko and Carapace. Within one fight everyone was getting along and she didn’t know whether she should invite them to join the team or to ask them to hand over their miraculous’. 

“You’re a they/them? Me too!” She could hear ScapeGoat excitedly talking before being interrupted by Ladybugs least favourite man. 

“Oi, Canis, don’t you have something to give the Lady here?” Alley Cat yelled, his English accent coming out clearer than ever. 

“Bloody brit,” the dog hero mumbled under their breath. Ladybug wanted to laugh. Canis wasn’t from France either if their accent was anything to go by, and Tigress had a similar accent to the other cat on their team. Ladybug only hoped that once Alya returned from America where she was filming a documentary about the Sparrow that she wouldn’t have the accent to go along with it, or the French miraculous holders would almost be outnumbered. 

“I found this the other day while shopping for jewelry for my-,” Canis cut themselves off, immediately scratching their neck in embarrassment. “Well I was out shopping and I found this.”

The hero outstretched their hand to produce a miraculous Ladybug hadn’t seen in a long time. The rooster. 

“I was kind of afraid of what kind of name that hero would use.” Canis said, smiling to themselves at their own joke. “Heros need to be family friendly after all.” 

Ladybug stared at the jewel in her hand. They hadn’t hesitated to give up a miraculous, they just wanted to do the right thing. “Thank you. The Guardian of the box also thanks you, now more than ever we need to crack down and retrieve the missing miraculous’.”

“Well I am certainly glad that you are all getting along, but there is a very wonderful woman waiting for me and I’d hate to keep my date waiting.” Alley Cat stretched his arms above his head, trying to be as dramatic as possible.

“Oh my God I left my girlfriend in a public bathroom in a city we don’t even live in.” Canis gasped, slapping their hands over their face. “She’s going to kill me!”

“At least your partner didn’t shove you in a public bathroom in order to protect you,” Tigress laughed. 

“Ey, I got to go too, Ladybug. I have some friends waiting for me. Got some important business to attend to.” Carapace joined in, and soon everyone was agreeing that they had to leave. 

“Canis, Tigress.” Ladybug used her best team leader voice to get the two’s attention. She couldn’t leave things as they were. “I appreciate your help today but the miraculous’ need to go back to the Guardian.”

The heroes ears flattened.

“Ladybug,” Canis looked at the heroine with large blue eyes, tears starting to form. “Barkk gave me a kwagatama. I’d do anything to be able to keep them in my life. She means the world to me and I promise I won’t do anything reckless.”

“And I’m on your side, I swear.” Tigress brushed her near white bangs out of her face. “I’m not going to use the miraculous for anything nefarious. Roarr means too much to me and I wouldn’t do anything that could get her taken away.”

Ladybug remembered when Tikki gave her a Kwagatama. It had been her birthday and she recalled how much those little jewels meant to be gifted one by their Kwami. If Barkk was that serious about Canis, did she even have a choice? What about Tigress?

“We will all be having a meeting in two days' time, at ten o’clock, at the top of the Eiffel Tower.” Ladybug announced. “Understood?”

“Us too?” The new heroes asked.

“Especially you two, now go. Don’t leave your partners waiting.” Ladybug pinched the bridge of her nose as the group of heroes all ran off except for one. 

“I honestly thought you were going to take away their miraculous in front of everyone.” Alley Cat said, leaning forward to put his face in front of her own. “Does that mean you’ll stop asking for mine now?”

“Would you listen even if I did ask for it?”

“Not as long as I’m in France, Miss. Bug.” Alley Cat laughed, taking a step back just as Ladybug tried to snatch his hand for the ring. It was a half ditch effort she didn’t put enough energy into in order to really get it back, but the black cat didn’t seem to take offence. 

“When are you leaving Paris?” 

“Depends,” he muttered. “If my date goes as well as I hope, maybe I’ll never leave.”

“You like this girl that much?” Ladybug raised a brow. “Even though I saw you flirting with someone earlier?”

“It was love at first sight with my beloved, but I didn’t stop seeing after that, y’know.” The cat ran his fingers through his hair, wistfully looking off in the distance as if remembering Marinette fondly. “If I ever have a vote on who gets a miraculous, I’d vote for her. She ran to protect me from that sentimonster without any thought of her own safety. She has the makings of a hero, Miss. Bug.”

“Good thing you aren’t getting a vote.” She needed him to stop before her face turned as red as her suit. “There is more to being a hero than sacrificing yourself.”

The man hummed to himself, that annoying smirk never leaving his face. “I’d say you need to keep a better watch on that girl, she is definitely more brilliant than you are giving her credit for. I’d bet one of my nine lives on it.” 

[honey-dewey]

Sound the Bugle Now

Pairing: Marcus Moreno/Medic Reader

Word Count: 2,658

Warnings: Gore, murder of one animal, medical procedures, big Marcus whump, there’s a gladiator fight, Marcus dies for two sentences, don’t worry he’s fine, this is 99% angst, I’m sorry in advance, I promise it has a happy ending.

Permanent Taglist: @phoenixhalliwell @star-wars-hell

Eight months after the kidnapping of Marcus Moreno, and there’s no news. Everyone’s almost given up until a drone captures a photo of Marcus, and he’s definitely in bad shape. So the heroes make a plan, and that plan is sending you into the thick of it to help poor Marcus. What will happen while you’re in the cell with the missing man, and will he pull through in the end? 

“I’m sorry?”

The request seemed crazy, especially coming from Miracle Guy. But he was definitely serious.

“We need you to infiltrate this location and find Marcus,” he repeated.

You took a breath. No one had seen Marcus in months, since he’d been kidnapped on his way home from work. Missy had been with you, as had been instructed in Marcus’s emergency file. She was sad and sullen, but still had hope. “Look. Miracle. We haven’t heard anything about Marcus in literal months. What kind of intel could you possibly have?”

Miracle Guy put a photo up on the projected screen. “That.”

The photo was grainy, clearly taken with a drone camera. It was of an abandoned warehouse outside of town, the roof of the warehouse caved in, allowing the drone to capture the photo. In the circle of rooflessness, you could see two men in a fighting ring, the ground soaked in blood. One man was clearly bigger, and around the ring was a throng of spectators. The smaller man had his hands up, defending himself, but even with all the grain of the photo, you could see that it was clearly Marcus.

“Okay.” You stepped back. “Why me?”

“He’s clearly in critical condition,” Miracle Guy said, pulling the photo down. “We need a medical personnel to go check on him. We’ll send you under the guise of you simply being there to treat him. We intercepted a letter by carrier pigeon, if you can believe it, asking for a doctor for their special guest. We’ll say that’s you, drop you off with a tracker in your bag, and voila, we have Marcus back.”

It was a risky and hole-riddled plan, but it just might work. You suited up the next day, putting on your crisp white coat and loading up your black bag. Adjusting your shoes, you got into the inconspicuous black car and drove off towards the warehouse.

As soon as you pulled up, there were at least six guns on you. A large man with a bunch of tattoos and no hair stepped forward, holding a gun in one hand. You took a breath and gathered yourself, stepping out of the car. “Are the guns necessary?”

The man smirked. “Of course. Who are you?”

You handed over the small letter. “Your doctor. The hero, he needs healing?”

The man took the letter and read it over, eyeing you as he thought. “Fine,” he decided finally. “He’s busy right now. Wanna see?”

It took everything in you to nod as if you didn’t care. The man led you into the building, and you immediately saw the fighting ring. Marcus staggered around, his clothes torn and bloody as he circled with a tiger.

They were making him fight a fucking tiger.

You looked at the man. “Does he fight like this often?”

“Whenever he can,” the man responded, rattling the chain link of the cage and shouting. “Oi! Hero! Finish it already!”

Marcus slipped, nearly tripping. The tiger pounced, and your breath caught in your throat as Marcus weakly grappled with the animal. The man shouted happily, his cries mixing with the crowd’s. Apparently, people were betting on the tiger.

How disappointed they must’ve been when Marcus let out a nasty sob and plunged a jagged piece of metal into the tiger’s heart. He fell limp beside the exotic corpse, chest wracking with sobs. Two men carried him off, and you watched him go with wide and fearful eyes.

The man turned to you. “Isn’t it fun?” He asked.

You shrugged, trying to keep your face emotionless. “It’s interesting. If you want him alive, I should probably see to his injuries. He looked bad.”

“Agreed.”

The man led you down twisting and turning halls before he finally stopped in front of a metal door with a window fitted with bars. He unlocked it and gave you a shove inside.

Marcus was cowered up against the corner, blood pooling across the floor. He looked up when you walked in, and surged forward. In an instant, he was convulsing and backing away, returning to the corner, whimpering as his hands scrambled to claw at something on his neck.

You seethed, feeling rage boil in your blood as the man pulled a remote from his pocket and waved it in front of Marcus, causing him to whine and shy away, pressing himself against the wall even further. They’d outfitted him with a fucking shock collar. Now that you could see and notice it, you saw that the harsh leather of the collar dug into Marcus’s neck, the small black box on the left side of his neck pressing deep against his skin. It was clearly buckled one notch too tight. Eating, breathing, moving his head, it must’ve all been agony for him.

Aside from the collar, to say Marcus was in rough shape would’ve been a gross under exaggeration. He was at least ten, if not fifteen or twenty, pounds lighter than when you’d lost him, his face sunken and sallow, the usual brightness gone and replaced with a sickly pale color indicative of severe blood loss. His lips were chapped to the point of bleeding, his nails nothing more than bloody stubs or missing altogether. His hair was overgrown, greasy and hanging in his face. Even the usual persistent determined shine in his eyes was dull and faint. The conditions of the room, the lack of regulated temperature and light, the heavy smell of vomit and infection, the stains everywhere, nothing was meant to keep him alive. They intended to kill him, but not before they had their fun.

You had to hand it to his captors. They had successfully broken Marcus Moreno.

The man holding you shoved you, and you would’ve fallen flat on your face had your sense of balance not been impeccable. Stumbling and using the wall to keep upright, you glared at the man. “If you want me to fix your broken hero,” you said coolly. “The collar has to go. I can smell the infection from here.”

The man sneered, but he pressed a key card to Marcus’s collar. It beeped, signaling that it could be taken off.

Immediately, you rushed to Marcus’s side, worry replacing every other emotion you had. “Oh Marcus,” you breathed, just looking at his body. “What did they do to you?”

You helped him upright, guiding him to the metal tray you suspected he slept on. It reminded you, with a chill, of the rolling trays you kept bodies on in a morgue.

Marcus shivered as you lay him down, grabbing your bag and digging through it to find your shears. The heavy duty blade was technically meant for surgical procedures, but for now, they chewed through the thick leather of the shock collar with ease. You knew you could just take the collar off, but on the off chance that the man had tricked you, you weren’t about to try it.

Removing the collar led to a host of new challenges. The prongs had burned into Marcus’s skin, leaving two identical wounds that oozed and smelled like burnt flesh and infection.

Trying not to let Marcus see your worry, you continued to catalog injuries, finding severe bruising across his whole body, a few spots where injuries had been left to fester, and a rattling cough that worried you.

You determined a course of action, immediately setting Marcus up with high strength painkillers and a few travel machines that would keep watch on his vitals. The last thing you wanted was to perform CPR on his purple and blue chest.

Running a finger down Marcus’s ribs, you sucked in a breath. He was skin and bones, malnourished to a point where you wondered if he’d ever regain all the weight he’d lost.

“Talk to me,” Marcus croaked out, surprising you. “Please.”

You nodded, tackling the worst of the injuries, the infected burns on Marcus’s neck. “Missy’s been staying with me,” you said softly, putting on gloves and pressing gently against the wounds, face pinching when Marcus suppressed a whine. “She’s good, misses you of course. Anita visits on the weekends and we play board games together.” As you talked, you gave Marcus a hefty dose of infection cream, hoping it would work on the persistent infection until Marcus could be treated properly. Putting a thick bandage on the wound, you moved on to gently treating his other infected cuts in a similar manner, each one just a bit better than the last.

“I can’t do much for these bruises,” you said, running a light finger over a bruise that spanned most of Marcus’s left hand while you wrapped his missing ring fingernail. “Or that cough you’ve got. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Marcus rumbled. “You’re here, aren’t you? And you’re gonna get me out.”

You smiled tightly. “Yeah.” All you could hope was that the tracker in your bag was still working and that the team was on their way. “Here, I’ll get you a blood bag. I don’t like that color on you.”

Marcus grinned, sleepy and lazy. “What do you mean? I think bloodless grey is a perfect color on me.”

That managed a chuckle out of you. “Brink of death, and you’re still making jokes,” you murmured, grabbing a blood bag from your supplies and putting it beside the painkillers. “Hey, you’re bleeding,” you said, eyes snapping to the side of Marcus’s head, where blood was slowly trickling down his ear. He turned, laying his left ear on the metal tray so you could examine his head. He looked past your body, staring at the blank wall behind you.

You parted the hair above his ear, trying to find the source of the bleeding. Thankfully, it wasn’t a hard find. A small scratch that looked worse than it actually was. A few stitches and he’d be good to go.

“Alright, my favorite part of field work,” you said. “Miracle Guy cried last time he had a head wound.”

Marcus snorted. “Wish I could’ve seen that,” he said wistfully.

You smiled. “Maybe next time. Hold still.”  

Marcus watched you as you dug through your bag and produced a small foldable straight razor. It was shoddy and unsteady work, but with a bit of water, some gritty soap, and your deep breathing to keep your hands steady, you got a clear patch above Marcus’s ear, exposing the wound and thankfully not giving him any new ones.

“Okay,” you said, mostly to yourself. “A few stitches. Then we’ll be good to go. Still hanging in there?”

Marcus swallowed thickly and gave you a wavering thumbs up while you threaded a needle. Of all the pain he’d been through, stitches with no anesthesia would be mild.

As you worked, you continued doing what had always kept you grounded during field work. Listing injuries. You needed to know them all for when the heroes arrived and asked what was wrong, how could they help? You slowly started at the top of his head and worked down. A likely concussion, the stitches in his head, the black eye, the split lip, the still oozing wounds that stank of infection in his neck, the scrapes across the raised bumps of his collarbones. So many injuries, and you’d not even gotten below his shoulders yet. You didn’t know what he’d been exposed to here. Was he sick? If so, what did he have? The cough and the rattle in Marcus’s lungs was bad, definitely some kind of upper respiratory infection. His temperature was higher than you’d like, at an even 100. A fever, but not a severe one. His lymph nodes were nearly unfindable amongst the mess of injuries on his neck, but you had no doubt they were swollen.

Marcus’s coughing broke you from your thoughts. You stopped cataloguing, focused now only on the heave of Marcus’s chest. “Marcus? Do you feel okay?”

More coughing, and then it finally died, leaving Marcus heaving for air. He trembled, and you sighed. The rescue team couldn’t get here fast enough.

Unable to do more, you sat back and held Marcus’s hand, trying to rub some color into the almost lifeless skin. Marcus’s stuttering breaths were the only sound, and you tried not to get discouraged.

You had no idea how much time passed before a shout made you jump to your feet. That was a familiar shout. Miracle Guy.

“We’re in here!” You yelled, rushing to the door and pressing yourself to the bars. “Miracle! Please!”

He appeared before you as if you’d summoned him, suit a bit wrinkled, but otherwise unharmed. “Did you find him?”

You nodded, standing back so Miracle Guy could take in Marcus’s state. He was frozen for a few seconds before he blinked and started waving to people down the hall. “The paramedics are here. They’ll keep him safe.”

It took all your willpower not to fight the paramedics as they carted Marcus’s limp body away. His eyes lazily opened when they stuck him with a frighteningly large needle, and he whined, tearing up when they started to move him.

“I know,” you said, smoothing over his dirty and overgrown hair. “I know. Stay strong. Think of Missy. She’s waiting for you.”

Marcus chose that moment to pass out fully, but that was optimal in this scenario.  You followed the paramedics out, numbly stepping over bodies and ignoring the blood seeping into your socks. You were wearing Marcus’s blood from fingertips to waist, a little more wasn’t any worry.

The other heroes helped you recover, cleaning you up and praising you. Missy hugged you for half an hour, every minute filled with tears. You were numb to it all. Nothing could help you now.

Marcus was in critical condition for three weeks. His heart stopped twice, and he needed surgery after surgery to even start to reverse the damage done. Finally, once he’d stabilized, he was allowed visitors.

You and Missy were first.

Marcus looked over as you entered. His eye was no longer swollen and some color had returned to his skin. He was still underweight, but no longer looked skeletal. His head had been completely shaved, and beneath the bandages, you could imagine where they’d had to cut into his skull at one point. His neck, the area you’d been most concerned about, was wrapped in thick bandages, but a nurse had told you they’d finally begun to see improvement in the infection. He still looked terrible, but he was no longer on death’s door.

“Dad,” Missy said softly, stopping in the doorway.

“Missy.” Marcus’s voice was weak, but just that one word was so full of love. “Hey.”

Missy sat on the edge of Marcus’s bed, eyes full of tears. When he raised his arms, she collapsed against him, crying.

You sat silently in a chair, trying to find words that would be appropriate. Missy fell asleep against Marcus, his arm loosely around her shoulders while she slept.

“So,” he finally said. “Thank you. They said you saved my life. Your field work was the deciding factor.”

That, surprisingly, only made you feel worse. “Yeah,” you said softly. “Yeah.”

Marcus’s face knit. “You look worried.”

You shrugged. “I-“ you still had no words. “I dunno,” you finally decided on saying. “What’s retirement like?”

Marcus chuckled. “Fun,” he said. “They’re talking about releasing me in a few months, after I do physical therapy and my weight stabilizes. They said I’d need a properly trained assistant to be with me at all times until I was in good health again.”

“That might be never.”

“Yeah,” Marcus agreed. “So I guess I’d better really like that nurse.”

You smiled. “You better.”

“Would you do it?”

You thought it over. “Yeah.”

A grin split Marcus’s face. “Good. We’ll get through this together.”

Standing and sitting on the edge of the bed, you nodded, smoothing a hand over Missy’s head. “Of course. Together.”

[airi-p4]

Kwami Christmas

For @quickspinner ‘s Month of Miracles, Day 16: kwami gifts

AO3 _______________________________

"Marinette! What do you want for Christmas? The kwamis want to give you something to show gratitude for how well you treat us" Tikki happily asked.

"Thank you, guys, but I don't need anything. Any material thing, at least" she sighed, sadly. "Thank you anyway. I'm happy to have you around”

Tikki wasn't content with her answer. She had been observing Marinette throughout the years, and she knew her well enough to know when she wasn't happy. And she hadn't been for a while. That's where the gift idea came from, anyway. But… what would make her the happiest?

Tikki entered the Miraculous box and called for a kwami assembly. With Sass and Plagg with their respective owners, Tikki took the role of leader in the box.

"Guys. I need ideas for Marinette's Christmas present. What information have you gathered?" Tikki asked, hitting the improvised table (an empty roll of thread) with her hand.

"What about some cookies?" Mullo suggested. "She loves cookies!" The other kwamis raised their cheerful voices in agreement, but Tikki cut them short.

"No. We can't compete with her parents' cookies. We need something more special. Kaalki, any idea?"

"Let's give her kwami glitter. She'll be fabulous with it!"

"I doubt she would be happy with her body glowing in glitter forever, nor glowing in the dark. Any other ideas? Pollen?"

"What about a crown? She's our queen, isn't she?" 'yes, she is!’ The rest of kwamis responded.

"Mm… could work, but let's consider other ideas. Ziggy?"

"A magic comb! She'll be able to comb her hair without damaging it thanks to the magic!"

"Marinette's hair is already silky and beautiful, but we can add it to the list. Ok, next. Xuppu?"

"A banana tree! I love bananas! I bet she does too"

"Discarded.” ‘Whyyyy’ Xuppu cried at Tikki's blunt rejection. “Trixx?"

“A flying carriage! Like in that story! She could travel anywhere if she had it, even to-"

"Wayzz?"

"What about something that warms her heart?"

Tikki's attention was caught for the first time since their assembly started. "That sounds right. Any idea of what could that be?"

"Hot chocolate? Longg suggested.

"A kwami magic blanket?" Roarr added.

"A love potion?" Ziggy mentioned.

"Isn't that forbidden…?" The ox kwami said.

"Yes, it is." Tikki answered.

"Something made with love?" The rooster kwami said, earning the looks of the rest of the kwamis. "She's been so sad since that boy left Paris..."

"You mean Plagg's owner or-?" Fluff asked.

"That's right!" Tikki finally shouted, hitting the pseudo-table with her hands. "She's been longing for some love. She told me Adrien wasn't what she expected, that she regretted having chosen the wrong boy at that time"

"Do you think she still regrets it, even now?" The pig kwami asked.

"If this is about the blueberry boy, I would say she does" the fox kwami affirmed.

"How do you know that, Trixx?"

"Because I've seen her sighing at his photo before. Haven't you noticed? Her eyes filled with love and hurt. She even cried once"

"Oh, no! Poor Master Marinette!" "Let's help her!" "Yes, let's give her love!" the kwamis cried for their guardian.

"Guys… we can't change people's hearts, you know that…" Tikki said.

"What if he feels the same? It's been a long time but maybe…" Nooroo said.

"You're right! We have to contact Sass and-" Duusu exclaimed.

"We don't even know where he is… He left Paris, didn't he?" The dog kwami asked.

"Oh no…" "what can we do now…?" "Is there a way to contact him?"

"I have an idea. I can go to his sister, my previous owner. I'm sure she'll tell me" The tiger kwami suggested.

"Stop, Roarr. You know everyone has forgotten about the Miraculous. Except those who has used time-related ones, either Sass or Fluff"

"What about Alix, then? My previous owner?"

"Didn't she have a crush on the blueberry boy too? I don't think it's a good idea…" Longg dismissed Fluff’s idea.

The discussion followed for some minutes, but Tikki wasn't listening. She kept thinking what they could do to know if Luka's feelings remained the same. Sass’s kwami cycle was a few years further, but maybe, there could be another way. There had to! Tikki re-read the list:

Cookies

Magic glitter

Crown

A comb

Banana tree

Magic flying carriage

Hot chocolate

Magic blanket

Love

'Music' Tikki thought. Remembering how the blue boy used to play his guitar for her. Her eyes finally glowed in hope. "Guys. I think I've got it!" she exclaimed.

"Really!?" "Tell us!" "Woohoo!"

"I need a minute to check on something. I'll be right back!" And with these words, Tikki left the Miraculous box.

Outside, looking at her surroundings, she saw how Marinette had fallen asleep in her desk. She had her earphones on and trails of tears at the corners of her eyes. Tikki covered her with a blanket and took her earphone out to listen to the music. It was indeed Luka's song, the one he composed for her many years ago.

She then moved into her smartphone and searched for the boy's more recent songs. It had been 5 years since he had left, even more since they first met, but the tune under his songs, even if hidden and faint, remained the same to Tikki's experienced ears: Marinette's tune.

The discovery reassured her plans.

She entered the box again, ready to share her plans with her fellow kwamis.

"Guys! You know how kwamis can't be recorded, right? But that's not entirely true. We can listen to each other's voice recordings. I remember hearing Plagg through the phone before. It's not impossible"

"What's the plan?" Barkk asked.

"I want you to get what's on the list ready for Christmas. Can you do it?"

"Of course!" They all agreed, happily moving to their tasks.

"You'll have the best Christmas present ever, Marinette", Tikki said, kissing Marinette's cheek before secretly using her tablet to carry on with her plan.

_______________________________________________________

And just like that, Christmas arrived.

"Merry Christmas, Marinette!" The kwamis congratulated the guardian. Marinette giggled and answered back "Merry Christmas"

"We have some gifts for you!" Tikki exclaimed.

"Oh, guys, it wasn't necessary, you know? Thank you" she said, welcoming the presents.

"What's all this?" She blinked.

"Wear it!" they enthusiastically exclaimed.

Marinette put on a silver tiara with blue and pink diamonds, and the kwami magic blanket over her shoulders, like a cape. She then put some glitter on her dress and shoes. She looked like a princess.

"Wow! This is so pretty! I feel like Cinderella" she giggled. "Thank you very much"

“You’re welcome!” They said, Tikki signaling them. “We have something else for you”

“You do?” Marinette blinked again.

“You need to sleep first. Sorry Marinette” Tikki said, while Duusu cast some sleeping magic on her, putting her under sleep. “Time for the plan, everyone!” Tikki smiled, using Marinette’s phone to give a call to an old friend.

_____________________________________

Marinette could listen to some music. New music to her ears. It sounded like chants, coming from somewhere far. Far away. She opened her eyes to see she was on a deserted island with only a banana tree and some bushes on it. “Xuppu!” she heard a low voice complaining.

“Tikki?” she called. “Where am I? Is this a dream?”

Marinette felt like crying at noticing her surroundings: alone on a deserted island, in the dark night, just as if she was inside her own lonely heart. She curled to hug her knees as soft whimpers left her throat. ‘This is the worst Christmas ever…’ she whispered between hiccups.

All of a sudden, she heard some water splashing and saw something coming from the sea. She wasn’t sure what, but it was getting close. She was afraid it was a shark, but instead, she soon realized it was a tiny boat. “Help!” she screamed and waved, and it wasn’t until the boat was almost at the coast that she realized who was on it.

“Luka?” she gasped. ‘Could this be true? This had to be a dream- no doubt’, she thought.

His surprised expression could match her own. Both of them were hesitant to take a step closer. ‘It had been five years. Why would they meet now?’ Marinette felt her stomach twirl at how sour destiny could be. Luka stayed silent, trying to understand what was going on. ‘Where was he? Why was Marinette there? What happened to Christmas?’ But everything lost its importance when he noticed the tears in her eyes.

“Marinette” he called, and her body reacted in a jolt. “What happened? Why are you crying?”

Marinette finally lifted her face to meet his blue eyes. Her glowing dress was, along with the moon, the only source of light. “Luka… Is- Is that really you…?” she asked.

“Yes, it’s me. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? What happened? Where are we? Don’t cry, please” he begged, taking a few steps closer.

“I- I don’t know… I woke up here all alone and it was all dark and lonely and Tikki and the kwamis disappeared and- This must be a dream, right? There’s no way this is real”

“Probably, yes. When I woke up I was on the boat, lost in the middle of the sea. Then I saw something glowing and I moved towards that direction, looking for the land. I didn’t expect you to be the one glowing...” he explained. “You look beautiful. Thank you for guiding me here, Marinette. I’m happy to see you”

“Luka!” she jumped to hug him. “I- I was so scared! I- I-”

“It’s ok, Marinette. I’m here now.  We can use the boat to-” Marinette’s grip tightened around him, and he immediately got worried. “Marinette…”

Luka hesitated. As much as he wanted to hold her, he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to. She had made her choice back at the time, and it hadn’t been him. ‘What claim could he have now, after years of an unreciprocated love he couldn’t move on from? Wasn’t it a dream, though? It had to be. Hasn’t he dreamed of her multiple times before? It didn’t need to be different now’, he convinced himself.

And he hugged her back, overthrowing all the piled up love he had for her. Marinette’s gasp was cut by her need for ask, enjoying the fantasy hug for as long as she could.

“Marinette…” he whispered again, close to her ear. In response, she pressed her body to his even closer, in need of contact. Their heartbeats were fast, in unison, and they stayed together until the chants from before alerted them.

“What’s this music?” Luka asked, giving her some space.

“I- I don’t know…” she answered, still clinging to his body.

“Should we go search for land? The boat must be- Oh, no. The boat is gone. Sorry Marinette” Luka apologized. “I should have brought it closer to the sand”

“It’s not your fault Luka. This… This sea is probably my heart. Meeting you here has just reminded me how much I regret the past, so the sea level increased. It’s not your fault. It’s mine”

“Is this… your heart? I thought it was mine… Your heart should be a happy sunny place. You deserve to be happy, not like me. What happened? What's here that darkens your heart so much?”

Marinette could only cry. ‘You’, she wanted to say. Would he believe her, though? If this was her dream, he would probably return her feelings, and when she wakes up, she would be sad and disappointed. She wasn’t sure if she should be enjoying this tiny happiness in the form of an illusion. Before she could say anything, a shooting star fell in front of their eyes. The stardust cleared up to transform into a magical flying carriage, similar to Cinderella’s.

“Now there’s no doubt this is a dream” Luka stated. “Why don’t we try to enjoy our time while we’re here, Cinderella? Just like old times…” He smiled at her but, instead of waiting for an answer, he lifted her light body and seated her in the carriage, getting on after her. “Let’s go”

A rainbow suddenly appeared as a road to guide them. Marinette was still unsure of how to cope with the fueling emotions going through her heart, while Luka kept looking at her from under his lashes in his usual loving eyes- the expression he only showed for Marinette.

“Luka” Marinette called. “Isn’t that the Liberty?” she pointed.

“What?” He reacted in surprise. “No way… It sank just before I moved, remember? The day you- rejected me.” His words felt like a stab in her heart. She had rejected him before, and that was her deepest regret in her life. “Let’s go see it. It’s a dream, after all”

The carriage stopped at the Liberty’s deck and Luka helped Marinette to step down from the flying vehicle. “Wow, so nostalgic… It’s exactly as I remember it. As expected of dreams. Are you cold?” He noticed her trembling and grabbed a blanket to cover her. “Here. Look. There’s some cookies and hot chocolate, too. Let me prepare you some. Wait here”

“NO!” Marinette shouted. “I- I’ll help!”

“Of course” Luka smiled. “Do you think we’ll remember this when we wake up?”

“I don’t know…” Marinette answered.

“I wish I could meet you like this when we’re back in the real world. I’ve missed you, Marinette. A lot more than you could imagine” Luka said, reaching for his favorite mug.

“STOP!” Marinette shouted loudly. Then, her eyes became sad and focused on the man in front of her. “How do you expect me to go back to the real world after this sweet dream? This is where I rejected you! This is where the moment I regret the most in my life occurred!”

Luka waited a few seconds in silence before he spoke again, making Marinette tensed up as she waited. “Why don’t you use this dream to fix your regret, then? Isn’t this what dreams are for? Tell me, Marinette. What do you regret?”

“I regret-” she started, but he cut her.

“I regret letting you go” he started, reaching for her hand. “I regret not trying harder to make your feelings turn to my direction. I regret leaving your side. I regret not having contacted you in all these years. I have so much regret I could never move on” He said, staring at her incredulous eyes. “I’ve never forgotten you, Marinette. You’ve always been the song in my head- even now”

Marinette felt like crying. Of course he would say kind words for her in a dream. Of course he would love her back in her sleeping palace. But she was happy. Why wouldn’t she? Seeing his relieved face gave the courage to speak up.

“I regret making the wrong choice. I regret rejecting you when you were obviously the right answer, the one for me.  I regret having noticed too late. I regret never telling you my feelings. I regret not being brave enough to contact you all this time. I regret not having kissed you… But- If this is a dream and I can fix that… I want to do it right this time…” Marinette moved closer to him and cupped his cheek. “I love you, Luka. My life can’t ever feel complete without you”

And before he could answer, she leaned for a kiss on his lips. A kiss he welcomed. The kiss he had been starving for for years. The kiss he always wished for but could never force on her. The only kiss that mattered to them.

And then, the clock marked midnight.

“I guess it’s time to wake up…” Marinette whispered, not wanting her sweet dreams to end. “I wish this magical dream would never end...”

“I love you, Marinette. More than anything.” Luka said, kissing her again. “Will you give me your shoe, Cinderella? Or maybe your heart?”

“I’ll give you my shoe. I can’t give you something that’s yours already” She kissed him again before holding her arms tight around his neck. “I don’t want to wake up”

“Me neither…” Luka mumbled, keeping her close. “Can I call you sometime? Even if you don’t remember this dream… Is it ok for me to miss you? To love you?”

“I’ll be more than happy to receive a call from you. I’ve been hoping for one for so long now…” Before Marinette could lean in for another kiss, the bells rang again. “I guess it’s time to go. Here. I’ll give you this. It's a magic comb I received from the kwamis. It has some kwami glitter on it, just like the one on my dress and shoes. A lucky charm for our next meeting…”

Marinette took one step behind, and then another. Their hands irremediably split, but not before Luka kissed one of them hissing a low ‘I love you’ to her. As she took another step behind, she could feel her heart warm up… and before she could notice, she opened her eyes: back in the real world.

She woke up with tears in her eyes, but a relief and warm feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time. “Luka…” she whispered.

“Marinette!” Tikki called. “How was your dream?”

“Tikki! Was this your doing? What have you done, you little trickster!” Marinette said, happily tickling the red kwami. “Thank you Tikki, I had the sweetest dream”

“That’s not all, Marinette!” Tikki exclaimed, and the rest of the kwamis approached with her phone. The screen showed an unknown room, but a familiar guitar on the table. ‘Could it be…?’ her heart rate increased in expectation.

“Sass? Could you explain to me what just happe-” he said, and noticed the phone screen. Luka blinked in confusion, looking at his hand and back to the screen. Then, he lifted his hand to show Marinette its contents: the magic comb. Marinette gasped and that was everything Luka needed as an answer: they had shared their dream.

“So… emm…. Hi! Long time- No, that’s not right. Tikki! What’s the meaning of this!? I need answers!” She screamed in embarrassment, making Luka laugh.

“It’s Christmas magic, Marinette! Our magic is stronger during Christmas. We wanted to give you a present that would warm up your heart! Did it work?”

“It did” Marinette said, aware that Luka couldn’t see or hear her kwami’s explanations. “Merry Christmas, Luka”

Marinette’s heart grew warmer with Luka’s smile. “Merry Christmas, Marientte”

After a long video call where they confirmed that what happened was actually real, they confirmed their feelings for each other and set up a date to meet again. When the call ended, Marinette spoke to the kwamis. “Thank you. Thanks to all of you, this is the best Christmas ever. I love you”

The kwamis reunited by her side for a collective hug. “Anything to make you happy” Tikki answered.

THE END

[jerkbitchidjitassbutt]

Hope To See You

Characters: Jensen x Reader

A/n: Thank you @our-jensen-ackles-love​ for this little bit of inspiration. I needed it. Single!Jensen (kind of set around season 4 in my mind). Warnings: Embarrassment? Cussing? Completely un-beta’d, all mistakes are mine (and I’m tired, so there’s probably some)

Who’s idea was this?

Who thought it was a good idea to move into a three-floor walk-up? On, like, the hottest day of the year? During the hottest part of the morning?

Finally, how on earth was it a smart decision to pack your “delicates” in a box instead of a trash bag like a normal human being? You know, one that could be tied and secured just in case said item happened to fall out of your grasp and down two flights of stairs? Also, who uses tape to make sure boxes don't open? The little foldy thing where you tuck the stupid flaps underneath each other is supposed to work to close the box. But no.

Because of your defective boxes—yes, it was the box’s fault—every bra and piece of lingerie you owned now littered the stairs of the new apartment building you were currently moving into after it bounced noisily down every step and spattered its contents everywhere as it vaulted off of every surface.

So here you were, rapidly attempting to gather your undergarments and praying to whomever was listening that your new neighbors wouldn’t peak out of their doors as you scattered passed.

This damn box managed to make it all the way to the bottom platform, so as you scrambled down the last flight of stairs with arms full of tit slingers and lacy nighties, the very last thing you wanted to see was perched on the bottom step staring dumbfounded at an array of women’s unmentionables.

A fucking gorgeous man with green eyes and perfectly tousled hair in a black t-shirt and jeans stood there with his mouth agape, “Uh… hi.” He uttered, an expression of what looked like a mixture of confusion and intrigue.

Blowing some of the hair that had managed to fall from your ponytail out of your face, you responded, “Hey. Hi. Hi.” Not entirely sure how many times you were supposed to say hello in a typical greeting, but whatevs.

His eyes stared into yours for a heavy moment before he spoke again, “Do you—do you need a hand?” Adonis dude asked.

“Um… I just kind of need that box right there.” You pointed toward the dilapidated piece of cardboard that was crumpled next to his feet.

As he bent down to retrieve it a fleeting image passed through your head of this guy leisurely walking towards the staircase twirling his keys when an explosion of lace and padding flew at him from all directions.

He unfolded the now flattened box and did the foldy thing “correctly” and allowed you to dump your armful of embarrassment into it. He graciously held the box while you hastily gathered the last few pieces and all too quickly tried to close the stupid defective thing. Granted, it seemed like he was attempting to fixate his eyesight anywhere but the thing in his hand, so at least he was gentlemanly.

You straightened your now sweat drenched tank top and brushed the hair from your eyes, “Thank you. Sorry about that.”

He laughed. Damn, how is a laugh that sexy?

“Its okay, really. Its just not everyday I come home to such interesting step decorations.”  

“Yeah.” You snickered, taking the box from his arms. “Interesting is definitely the word to describe this.”

“I’d offer to carry that for you, but uh…”

“No, that’s okay.” You huffed it onto your hip. “I’ve got it this time. I’m just going to keep both hands on it now.”

The two of you began trekking up the stairs side by side when he turned to you, “I’m Jensen, by the way.”

“Hi. I’m Y/n.”

“Nice to meet you. What apartment are you moving into?”

“3B.”

“Oh, cool. We’ll be neighbors.”

“Really?” you said, hoping to sound cool and collected, but it came out more regretful than you’d hoped.

He—Jensen, you reminded yourself—chuckled dryly and raised an eyebrow, “Do I seem that bad already?”

“No!” you all but yelled. “No, not at all. I’m sorry, that’s not how I meant that.” Damnit. Fuck. Son of a bitch. “I, uh… I’m just a little embarrassed that I’ll have to relive this awkward moment for at least a one year lease.”

“Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about. It happens.” He tried.

“Does it, now? Do you often see women slewing their most private clothing items across a very public part of their new building?” you said with a smirk, keeping your tone as light as you could to hide the dread at the recent memory.

“Well, no… but if it helps I’ll hang my laundry outside to dry if you’d like.”

You couldn’t help the giggled that escaped your lips, “Not necessary, honest. But, if you don’t mind, lets just never mention this again, please?” you asked as you reached your door, dropping the box on the ground by your feet.

“I don't know, Y/n. I may just need some conversation starters with the neighbors.”

When you whipped your head around, he was already holding his hands up in surrender, “I’m kidding. I’m kidding. I won’t say anything, I swear.”

“Thanks. And thanks again for the help, Jensen—“

“Ackles.” He replied, extending a hand.

“Y/l/n.” you said, sighing a bit too deeply when his hand enveloped yours, the warmth of him seeping into your already flushed skin.

He smiled, one that made his plump lips fuse together and his dimples appear at the corners of his mouth. Of course. This is the guy that had to witness the dumpster fire that you were right now; sweating like a swamp dragon in cutoff shorts and your music festival tank top from last year and muddy chuck taylors.

When he released your sweaty palm, you opened your grey door and shoved the box of incriminating garments into your foyer, next to the plethora of other boxes you’d already brought up.

“Do you need any help bringing up your other stuff? I’m happy to help.” Jensen offered, still standing in the breezeway.

“That was actually the last box.,” you answered, shoving your hands into your pockets. “My new job hired movers for the other stuff. It got here yesterday.”

“Is that what brings you here? A new job?”

“Yeah. From the U.S. to Vancouver. Working on a show called ‘Supernatural’. I actually haven’t even seen it. My last boss recommended me for a job opening, and I guess they had a spot they desperately needed to fill, so here I am. Didn’t even have much time to research before I had to pack up and get here. I was going to binge the first season later.”

Jensen’s cheeks flushed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck shyly, “Oh, yeah. I’ve—I’ve heard of it. Let me know what you think.”

“I’ve been hearing about it since it came out a few years ago, just never got around to watching it. I’m sure I’ll love it.”

He rocked back on his heels and huffed the air from his cheeks, “Well, if you need anything, just let me know.” He began walking backwards before turning to the door directly across from yours.

“I will. Thanks, Jensen.”

“It was really nice to meet you, Y/n.” he grinned, his smile a bit too flirty to be friendly, if you were to say so yourself.

As he shut his door, you released a deep breath and let yourself into your new apartment, a bit more excited about the new chapter you were starting.

...

Later that night, after you’d mostly finished unpacking and had a very long shower, you were seated on your familiar couch with a glass of wine. Your old boss hooked you up with a copy of the first season DVDs from his own collection, so you slid it out of the small paper case and inserted the silver disc with “season 1, eps 1-5” written on it in permanent marker.

Once you pressed ‘play’, you were quickly enthralled—and heartbroken—as you saw a young father thrust a baby into another young boys arms.

“Take your brother outside as fast as you can. Don't look back. Now, Dean. Go!”

Then, about four minutes later, you were watching as Sam had a scuffle with an intruder in his apartment.

“Wait a minute.” You whispered into the empty of your own apartment.

“Easy there tiger.”

“Holy shit! That's—” You exclaimed.

After a few more scenes, you couldn’t stand it any longer.

You padded to the door in your fuzzy slippers and pj’s and flung it open, not entirely sure what you were planning to do.

Once it swung with force, you stepped into the breezeway to see a small basket sitting by your doormat. In it was a bottle of red wine, a map of Vancouver, a blanket, and a brand new copy of the first season of Supernatural, this time with a case showcasing the main actors on the sleeve cover. One of whom you now recognized as your neighbor.

An envelope sat atop the gift with a small piece of cardstock enclosed.

Y/n,

I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I don't know if it was because I didn't want to scare you or if it was because I was hoping to get to know you before the ‘actor’ title set in. Meeting you today was probably one of the most interesting and exciting things to happen to me in a while. I didn’t know someone could look so beautiful flustered and stumbling down the stairs after runaway undergarments.

I’d love to take you out to dinner tomorrow night to tell you about the show and Vancouver—and, if you’re interested, we can get to know one another as well. If you’re available, I’ll meet you downstairs at 7:30.

I hope to see you.

-Jensen

“Son of a bitch.”

You picked up the basket, ran back inside, and immediately gathered an outfit for tomorrow night. Once it was laid out, you raced back to your couch and pressed play, a new spark igniting in your chest each time “Dean” appeared on your screen. 

[thiswasinevitableid]

The Gift that Keeps on Giving (Sternclay)

The second winter prompt fill for @ghostabek! It is NSFW, which should not surprise you given the prompt. I decided to make both Stern and Barclay trans for this one.

17: I get your name during secret santa at work and use the same wrapping paper for my gift to my friend so...sorry about all the sex toys.

Joseph Stern has many regrets. 

He regrets getting frosted tips in high school

He regrets not switching from his chemistry major sooner. 

He regrets the actions that lead to that one meme. He will not name the meme. He is trying so hard to leave that legacy behind. 

But in this moment, he regrets not buying more wrapping paper.

Three weeks ago, his workplace set up its secret santa exchange. He, to his delight, pulled the name of his workplace crush: Barclay Cobb. 

Two days later, Barclay announced he was taking a sabbatical, for lack of a better word, to write a cookbook. Stern was excited for him; Barclay was an amazing cook, and had catalyzed the Youtube presence of the Foodie test kitchen (and he had the kind of body Stern wanted to lick whipped cream off of ). He deserved good things, and Stern just knows the book will be a hit.

And so Stern had said goodbye and good luck to him a week ago, with the rest of the test kitchen team, with a promise to bring his secret santa gift by his house when it came in the mail. He put it in a nice, rectangular box, and wrapped it in his cryptid christmas paper. 

It was only when Barclay opened the lid that he realized his horrible, horrible error. 

“Uhhhh” Barclay lifts the burgundy leather collar, confusion plain on his handsome face. 

“Ohmylord. Oh, I’m so sorry. That was for my...friend.”

“Friend?” Barclay raises a dark eyebrow.

“My ex.” 

“Okay, that I believe.”

“I...this is so embarrassing. I got you a copy of that super-rare vegan soul food cookbook you’d been wanting, I was so pleased with it and I must have mixed up the packages, they’re the same size and I like that paper so it’s all I have-”

“It is very you.” Barclay smiles, nodding his head at the torn paper covered in a pine tree motif with Bigfoot (wearing a santa hat) and mothman peeking out. 

“I’m sorry, it must still be at my house. I was looking forward to impressing you with my gift giving skills.”

“Dunno” Barclay sorts through the box, “if this is any indication, I think I can tell how much thought you put into it.” 

There is not a word, in English or any other language, to describe the mixture of mortification and desire he feels when Barclay takes the items out, eyeing them appraisingly. 

“I mean this, this is like the extra-fancy wand, right?”

“Yes.” He manages.

“And the strap-on in here looks real high-quality. Pretty cool looking too. Not to mention the underwear, looks like the kind of thing you’d want to take off with your teeth.” When Barclay meets his eyes, a dark curiosity glitters in them. Then he must notice the stress radiating off Stern, because his demeanor drops back to his usual gentle friendliness. 

“Hey, it’s no big deal okay? Remind me to tell you sometime about when I mixed up the present for my sister with the present for my boyfriend.” He looks down at the box again with a strange, secretive smile, “I know why you ended it with that guy. I still think he was serious dickhead if he was being that  shitty to the kind of guy who’d give him this.”

Stern laughs, bitter, “You don’t know the half of it. Two of those items are for me, with the idea being I’d wear them for him as part of the gift. The underwear and the uh, the collar. I didn’t even want a collar, but he was so into the idea and I thought it might make him happy.”

Barclay makes a noise Sterns’ heard in the past, the one that indicates he’s disapproving of something but trying not to be harsh. 

“I know, it was a flawed plan-”

“I’d say it was a generous thought directed at someone who didn’t deserve it.”

A smile creeps across Sterns face, and he glances at the fire to avoid saying something impulsive.

“Whelp” Barclay whacks his thighs and stands, “how about a drink? I’ve got some mulled cider I could heat up.”

“You don’t want me to go?”

“Course not, I want you to pass on all the hot office gossip I’m missing.”

“You mean like how Indrid managed to explode a container during the ginger beer episode of ‘Make it Ferment’?”

Barclay rumbles out a laugh as Stern follows him to the kitchen, “You’d think he’d have learned after what happened with the Kombucha. I think Duck’s camera still smells a little fermented after that blow-up. How’s ‘Make it Perfect’ going?” 

“Good.” Stern opens a cabinet and grabs two mugs, “I’m planning out the one for cheese plates, since it can go out before new years.”

“Nice.”

They talk shop for awhile, moving back to the living room. When they both need refills, Stern hops up to get them. When he arrives back in the room, it’s only through professional training that he doesn’t drop both mugs to the floor.  

Barclay is wearing the collar, examining his reflection in (mercifully curtain covered) window.  

“Dunno, might hold onto this, think the color looks good on me. That alright with you?”

“Guh.” Stern responds.

“Seems a shame to let a good gift go to waste.” Barclay turns to look at him. He’s never seen that expression on Barclay’s face before, most likely because if Barclay made it on camera, the video would get taken down for containing obscene content. 

“Ah, uh, you’re, you’re quite right.” Stern sets the mugs down on the coffee table, wipes his hands nervously on his jeans. 

“You okay?” Barclay leans against the mantle and stays put, and Stern realizes why; he’s not going to push this. He’s letting Stern come to him only if he wants to.

“I, ah, yes. Totally fine.” He crosses the hardwood, joining Barclay by the fire, “I was simply taken aback with the revelation of why my ex was so eager to see me in that.”

“Oh?” Barclay pushes off the mantle, turning so the two of them are face to face. He keeps his hands to himself, but there’s micrometer of space between their bodies. 

“I have no interest in wearing it, as I said. But seeing you in it…” a spark of confidence flickers up his arm and he reaches out to hook a finger into the small metal loop at the front of the collar. He pulls down just as Barclays hands fly to his shoulders, joining them in a kiss. Keeping one hand on the metal, he glides the other up to Barclays cheek, beard tickling his palm as the taller man deepens the kiss. 

“Is this really okay?” Barclay whispers, kissing his neck. 

“Yes, good lord yes.”

“Knew it.”

“Excuse me?”

“You were checking my ass while I was shooting “Make it Gourmet.” Dani swore she noticed it when she was editing footage together.”

“Ohmygod.” Stern giggles, embarrassed, pressing his face into Barclays sweater.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure she cut all those out. Probably.”

“Noooo, I can’t handle being another meme, Barclay, it will break me.”

“Shhh” Barclay pets his back soothingly, broad chest now shaking with laughter, “you chose a career on the internet. This is your fate.”

“Is that a better or worse fate than people writing in and demanding a do a video about making gourmet NERDS?”

Barclay shudders, and Stern kisses his nose. When their eyes meet, Barclay grins.

“Y’know, the rest of that gift doesn’t have to go to waste either.” Barclay laughs again, “and judging by how excited you look, got a feeling you’ve already thought of some ways to use them on me.”

“And on me. Do you have a harness?”

“Yep, in the bedroom, if you wanna-”

“Ah, um, actually” he glances over to his right, then back at Barclay, unsure if he should say it.

But Barclay is too quick on the uptake

“The table, huh?” He loops his arms around Sterns shoulders. 

“Please.” So much blood is heading south he’s amazed his other organs aren’t shutting down.

Barclay kisses him tenderly, “Get naked and wait for me.”

Stern does exactly that, being sure to fold his clothes and set them aside in a chair before heading to the table. 

“Now there’s a sight.” Barclay steps in from the hallway, naked save for the harness. Pauses to kiss Stern eagerly before retrieving the strap-on from the box while Stern rests his elbows on the polished wood. 

“It looks kinda monster-y. I like it.”

“It’s the uh, ah, ahem, ‘bigfoot’ model.” He mumbles.

Barclay laughs again, bending to kiss along Sterns shoulder blades as he teases at him with the toy, “Very on-brand, babe. Like a man who knows what he wants.”

“Even if what he want’s is strangeOH, fuck.” He spreads his legs wider as Barclay pushes in.

“Someone got a thing for size?” A kiss to the back of his neck. 

“Yes,yesyes.”  Stern presses back, demanding. 

“Easy, tiger, don’t hurt yourself.”

“Barclay, I have been fantasizing about this for months, please, if you don’t start fucking me I’m going to make an utter embarrassment of myself.”

“Don’t have to beg, baby, I’ll take good care of you.” Strong hands grip either hipbone, and then his arms are struggling to keep him up as Barclay pounds into him. 

“Shit, oh my lord that’s good.”

“Yeah?” Barclay growls, biting his ear, “gotta say, the way your ass moves when I fuck you is real fucking hot.”

“Nhmmmm.” Stern presses his forehead to the table. Barclays feet nudge his own aside, forcing his stance almost uncomfortably wide. 

“I’d hold tight.”

“How, it’s a tablAHahhhnnn, fuck, don’t stop, please.”

“Not unless you come or collapse. Fuck, Joseph, you’re amazing, I can’t believe you’re letting me do this.”

“As, fuck, as often as you want.” Stern tries to move one of his hands down to stroke his dick, finds he can’t manage that and balancing at the same time. Barclay suddenly shoves him forward, pressing his pelvis against the table. Barclay hunches over him, continues fucking him as one hand snakes around to rub him off. The other rests a top Sterns own, Barclay holding his hand tightly as he whimpers from the new stimulation. 

“That’s it, babe, that’s it. C’mon, I wanna make you come so bad, yeah, you like when I say that don’t you?”

Stern nods with a needy whine.

“Then lemme tell you, this is just the first course, handsome. Gonna find every way to make you come, gonna fuck you so much neither of us is gonna be able to stand for weeks.”

“Please, please, ohlordohfuck, yes, Barclay, yesAHhnnnn.” As soon as his orgasm hits, Barclay stops, pulling out carefully. He stays curled over Stern, stroking his hair and kissing up and down his back. 

“That was, that was incredible.”

“Got that right, babe.” Barclay straightens, and Stern does the same, turning to kiss him hungrily. 

“Take that off and get the magic wand.” 

Barclay practically rips the harness away. Grabs the vibrator as Stern hops up to sit on the table.

Barclay hands him the toy, “how do you wanna do this?” His words die into a gasp when Stern grips his collar. 

“I’d like to get you off with this” he turns on the wand, “would you like that too?”

“Yes.”

“Ask politely.” He tugs on the collar and Barclay moans.

“Please, babe, please, I want it so bad.”

“Mmmm, I can tell. You’re soaking.” Stern purrs, hovering the wand only an inch away from Barclays dick. 

Barclay makes a panting, pleading whine, and that’s good enough for Stern.

“FUCKfuck, oh baby yeah, fuck yeah.”

“What do say?” He tugs again. 

“Thank you, thankyouthankyou-oh shit, just little more babe please I’m so fucking close.”

Stern presses harder, yanking Barclay the rest of the way down for a kiss. The taller man whimpers into his mouth as he comes, shaking even after Stern pulls the vibrator away. 

Then he promptly falls to his knees, resting his head in Sterns lap. 

“So, uh, that was, wow.”

“I’m taking that as a sign you liked it unless you tell me otherwise.”

“Liked is putting it mildly, babe.”

Stern pets his hair, sighing happily. 

“Would you, uh, like to stay a bit longer?”

“Absolutely.”

“If you wanna put on your clothes, I was gonna make dinner. I mean, you don’t have to put them on.”

“Being naked is not in the least bit kitchen safe. And I should clean this part of your table before I join you.”

“True on both counts.” Barclay stands, offering Stern a hand he doesn’t need ut takes all the same to get off the table. 

“You know,” he muses as he pulls his underwear back on, “we didn’t get a chance to use the underwear.”

“Don’t worry,” Barclay only half-dressed, wraps him in a hug from behind, “you can wear ‘em tomorrow when I take you out.”

Stern turns, kisses him, “That sounds perfect.”

[waltzofthewifi]

Kota Chapter 31: Team Building

Table of Contents | Beginning

The details were the hardest part to work out, but somehow Marinette managed it.

Figuring out where to hold the meeting was the biggest obstacle. They ended up in a super-fancy dining room at the hotel. Ladybug asked Martok to do a security sweep of the room (from a distance, of course, since most of the heroes would recognize the robot), and then had Chat Noir do another one on his baton just in case. Chloe ordered complete privacy, and she and Ladybug worked to find discreet entrances so no one would know the heroes were there.

The final issue was figuring out how to get Fu into the room without anyone seeing him. In the end, Marinette convinced him to use the tiger miraculous and turn invisible.

"I don't think the miraculous should be used for such trivial matters," Fu had argued.

"This is important," Marinette countered.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were the first to arrive in the back dining room, as planned.

"I'm surprised Fu agreed to this," Chat Noir said. "He isn't very forthcoming with information. I haven't even seen him since he gave me the transformation potions."

That was news to Ladybug. She was aware Chat Noir didn't know where Fu lived - it was too dangerous if he did, since they might run into each other unstransformed. But since Chat Noir had received the potions, she had assumed they figured some other way of meeting up.

She didn't get a chance to respond, because Fu arrived.

He had already detransformed, and the tiger kwami, Roarr, immediately ducked behind the two heroes.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir," Fu greeted.

"Master Fu," Ladybug replied. "Glad you could make it."

The heroes started trickling in and sitting around the table. Actually, "sitting" might be a strong word - Chat Noir balanced on the top of his seat, Kota kneeled on hers, and Roi Singe sat backwards with his back on the seat and legs on the back. Queen Bee put her feet up on the table, Ryuko sat rim-rod straight, Rena Rouge pulled one leg up on the chair with her, Viperion sat criss-cross, and Pegasus sat with his hands crossed like an old lady. Carapace remained the only normal-sitting person besides Ladybug and Fu.

"This is so cool!" Rena Rouge started. "I have so many questions." She unfurled herself and leaned forward, holding up her notebook.

"She's been talking my ear off all night," Carapace contributed. "Hope you're prepared, dude."

Queen Bee scoffed. "You can't call Ladybug 'dude'."

"She said I could!"

"It's okay," Ladybug confirmed. "I know you all are used to me and Chat being held up as celebrities or idols, but even though we are the leaders here, this is a team and we're your teammates. And the point of this is to grow as a team."

"Where's Souris Rose?" Pegasus questioned.

"She decided she didn't want to come," Ladybug answered.

"That's a shame," Pegasus answered. "Her powers were useful, and she was talented at using them."

"How do you decide who to use?" Kota asked.

"It depends," Ladybug said. "Since I began studying the miraculouses, I had started to connect certain people to certain miraculous. Rena was - and still is - my first choice, and when the time came to call on you, I knew the exact miraculous for you.

"Carapace was a little different. I picked the right miraculous for that akuma, and I knew you would be the right choice as well for that akuma, but I didn't necessarily pick that miraculous for you. And then for Queen Bee - I had actually intended to give the bee miraculous to Rena."

"And I stole it," Queen Bee finished. "That was selfish of me, and I'm sorry. I won't do that again."

Ladybug smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. But don't be too hard on yourself - you could only steal it because I lost it to begin with."

"Wait, you lost a miraculous?" Rena Rouge asked.

She didn't mean it maliciously, but Ladybug still shifted in her seat nervously.

"Uh, kinda?"

"Ladybug was under a lot of pressure from Style Queen," Chat Noir intervened. "And, in a way, that only happened because I also made a mistake, and wasn't able to help."

"Ryuko, when I picked the dragon Miraculous for that akuma, I realized you would be a perfect fit," Ladybug continued.

"Yet I also messed up my first time," Ryuko added.

"You learned, and that's what makes a good hero," Ladybug responded. "Pegasus, your situation was unique. I only had the one extra miraculous. As for you, Kota - I knew we needed the rooster miraculous to fight that akuma, and when I thought about it, I realized you were the best fit."

"What about Roi Singe and Viperion?" Rena Rouge questioned.

"Ladybug didn't choose me, actually." Viperion glanced at Ladybug for permission to tell the whole story, and Ladybug gave him a nod. "She originally gave the miraculous to someone else, but it wasn't a good fit for him. He decided to give it to me."

"Ooh, interesting," Rena Rouge replied.

"I didn't choose Roi Singe either," Ladybug added.

"I was wondering about that," Roi Singe said, still upside down. "Both you and Chat Noir had been disco-balled by the time I got mine, so who gave it to me?"

"That would be me," Fu said.

Rena Rouge did a double take. "Wait - who are you?"

"I'm the guardian of the miraculous," Fu answered. "I keep them safe when not in use."

"How many miraculouses are there?" Alya asked.

"Many," Fu said. "But most have been lost. I only have the one miracle box, which when full contains nineteen miraculouses."

"When full?" Rena Rouge repeated.

"The butterfly and peacock miraculous were lost," Fu said. "Only now they have reappeared. And the ladybug and black cat miraculous are no longer in the box as well."

"So what are the other animals in the box?" Rena Rouge asked. "I have a few theories myself. Some people believe it's the Chinese zodiac, but I've also seen some historical proof of a lion miraculous, and foxes aren't part of the zodiac, are they?"

"Our miracle box, like most, is divided into three groups," Fu explained. "The top circle is the two most powerful miraculouses - the ladybug and black cat - which balance each other out and have safeguards for the other miraculous. Then there's the inner circle - the turtle, fox, bee, butterfly, and peacock. Then there's the outer circle, which contains the animals in the Chinese zodiac. The lion is actually part of the outer circle of another box."

"What powers do the other animals have?" Rena Rouge asked.

"The ox miraculous can give it's wielder super strength," Ladybug said.

"I thought all the miraculouses did," Pegasus said.

"Extra super strength," Ladybug explained. "The tiger's power is invisibility. The goat creates a surface to climb on, the dog can track, and the pig calms down a person."

"If the dog can track, why don't we track the butterfly miraculous?" Ryuko questioned.

"The dog is an outer circle miraculous," Fu said. "It can track almost everything except the inner circle miraculous."

"So everything but what we need it to?" Carapace questioned.

"Sounds like our luck," Chat Noir commented.

"Is that why the ladybug miraculous is the only one that can purify akumas?" Rena Rouge questioned.

"Yes," Ladybug replied. "The ladybug and black cat miraculous split the ability to undo the powers of the inner circle. Chat Noir's powers are the only thing that can destroy a shelter or mirage, once the wielders have reached a certain point. Likewise, the ladybug miraculous is the only thing that can purify an amok or akuma once they've reached their targets - a cataclysm only works before they've affected a person. And the bee's venom is only undoable by the miraculous cure, which draws on the powers of both mine and Chat's miraculous, even if I'm the one that casts it. That's why I couldn't cast it the first time we fought Stoneheart - well, that and I didn't know I could. When Chat and I solidified our partnership while facing the Stoneheart clones, the ability just... appeared."

"Cool," Carapace said.

"What about your lucky charm and his cataclysm?" Rena Rouge said.

"Once we've reached a certain level of power and experience, my lucky charms will only be able to be destroyed by a cataclysm, and his cataclysms only fixable by the cure - though to fix damage like that, I could theoretically call the cure myself."

"I have a question," Viperion said. "Am I the only one getting animal side effects?"

"I am," Rena Rouge replied. "My hearing's improved."

"So has mine," Chat Noir said. "And my vision. I even think I'm getting night vision."

"Shame your jokes aren't improving," Ladybug commented.

"Hey," Chat Noir whined.

"I keep having the instinct to climb things," Roi Singe commented. "But I had that before I became a hero."

"What side effects might the rest of us have?" Ryuko asked.

"According to my research," Pegasus interjected. "I suspect that Queen Bee, Ladybug, Carapace, and Viperion night become more susceptible to the cold."

"Yep," Ladybug confirmed.

"There's also diet changes," Fu added. "When I was a child, I hated fish, but when I actively used the turtle miraculous, I couldn't have enough."

"This is the first I've heard of this," Ladybug noted.

"Ladybugs are predators," Rena Rouge offered. "They eat bugs."

"I have been eating a lot of meat recently," Ladybug said. "I thought I just needed the extra protein from all the superheroing."

"What about dragons?" Ryuko asked.

"Shrimp," Fu answered. "Like a seahorse."

"Longg does call me seahorse," Ryuko said.

"Trixx keeps calling me pup," Rena Rouge added.

"My kwami just calls me kid," Chat Noir said. "I'm pretty sure that's not a cat thing."

"I'm really glad Tikki never calls me larva," Ladybug added. "That would be weird."

"What is it like, living with Trixx?" Fu questioned. "I've heard they're one of the more difficult kwamis."

"It's interesting," Rena Rouge said. "They don't like answering questions directly, but they're great for brainstorming ideas, like - wait, secret identity. But they're like anyone else, upsides and downsides."

"Wait, you have your miraculous permanently?" Roi Singe asked.

"That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about tonight," Ladybug said. "I think it would be beneficial if each of you spent some time with your kwamis - for the past couple of days, Carapace and Rena have kept their miraculous. After this meeting, we'll trade off and Roi Singe and Viperion can keep theirs."

"Really?" Roi Singe asked, perking up. "Sweet!"

"Don't get too excited," Fu warned. "Xuppu can be tiring."

"I assume that you won't let me keep my miraculous," Queen Bee said.

"At the moment, no," Ladybug answered. "But your transformation has given me a few ideas. I'll talk to you about it later."

"Out of curiosity," Rena Rouge said, as if she did anything for any other reason. "How would you rate the kwamis as far as livable-ness?"

"Wayzz and Tikki are definitely the easiest to handle," Fu answered. "I would say Plagg, Orikko, and Xuppu are the most annoying."

"Plagg stole a pair of socks, once," Chat Noir commented. "He did return them, though."

"Why Orikko?" Kota questioned.

"What do roosters like to do at sunrise?" Fu replied.

Kota's face fell. "Oh. That would be annoying."

"I have another question," Rena Rouge said. "Can you combine miraculous?"

"Yes," Ladybug said cautiously. "Combined, you gain both the powers of the miraculous and more powers."

"Is that why Hawkmoth is after both the ladybug and black cat miraculous?" Pegasus inquired.

"Yes," Ladybug confirmed. "Combined, the two are very powerful. It's why we must keep them out of his hands at all costs."

"I also have a question," Kota said. "How does the miraculous magic interact with other forms of magic?"

Ladybug had no idea how to answer that. Until her conversation with Lacy and Orikko about the love potions, it had never occurred to her that there were other types of magic - though if she had thought about, she would have probably came to that conclusion.

"It depends," Fu answered. "There's a lot of different types of magic. Each miraculous interacts with each type of magic differently. For instance, if an akuma or amok were to enter a magical object, it could increase the toughness of that object or the danger of that akuma. Is there a type of magic you were wondering about?"

Kota hesitated. "Uh, kinda?"

"Is this about you not being affected by the love potion?" Ladybug asked.

"Sorta?" Kota answered. "I - my - it's hard to explain."

"I would ask your kwami, then," Fu suggested. "If you get a chance."

Kota nodded. "Okay."

It took over an hour for the questions to run out - most of which came from Rena Rouge. After that, Ladybug brought up the idea of some training exercises she and Tikki had brainstormed.

.

Honestly, a race was inevitable.

It was one of the first things that Ladybug and Chat Noir had done together, outside of fighting an akuma. Rena Rouge and Carapace had raced each other earlier that week. It seemed to be an instinctual need to see who was faster.

Of course, it didn't help that both Ryuko and Roi Singe were severely competitive. And, apparently, so was Queen Bee.

Ladybug declined to race, as did Viperion. Viperion was not a naturally competitive person, and he already knew he was one of the slower heroes. Ladybug was a competitive person, under the right circumstances, but thought watching would be more interesting.

"Everyone clear on the rules?" Ladybug asked.

The track was simple - a loop around the city. Ladybug would be tracking them to make sure there was no cheating. First person to touch back on the rooftop won. No powers but all weapons were allowed.

"Three, two, one, go!"

.

Chat Noir and Rena Rouge practically arrived at the same time, both out of breath.

"Hah!" Chat Noir said. "I won!"

"Uh, no," Rena Rouge replied. "I definitely got here first."

"No you didn't!"

"Yes I did!"

"Ladybug," The two heroes whined, turning the Ladybug.

"I think it's a tie," Ladybug decided.

Queen Bee was next, followed by mere inches by Carapace. Ryuko and Roi Singe arrived together, followed by Kota. Pegasus arrived last.

"All of you made good time," Ladybug said.

"But I made the best," Rena Rouge bragged.

"I beat you!" Chat Noir argued.

"No you didn't!"

Ladybug sighed, deciding it pointless to get involved this time.

They're going to be arguing about this for a long time.

.

They were almost finished for the night. Ladybug had already collected Pegasus's and Kota's miraculous, and Alya and Nino were saying (a temporary) goodbye to their kwamis. Now all she needed were the bee and dragon miraculouses - but she had something she needed to talk to them about first.

She found Queen Bee on the roof of the hotel, talking to Chat Noir.

"- I guess what I'm trying to say is," Queen Bee was saying. "I'm sorry. There's no excuse for treating someone like that."

"I didn't mind it," Chat Noir replied. "At least, not that much. But I'm glad to hear that you're turning over a new leaf."

"It's not the first time I've tried," Queen Bee said.

"Hey, I bee-lieve in you."

"And here we were having a moment."

Ladybug cleared her throat, alerting them to her presence.

"Queen Bee," Ladybug called. "I need to talk to you."

"Of course, Ladybug."

Queen Bee followed her to the rooftop where Ryuko was waiting.

"What did you wish to speak about?" Ryuko questioned.

"I've been talking with Fu," Ladybug said. "And I think there's a way to make the miraculous's magic conceal your identity again."

"You mean, so I can be Queen Bee and no one will know it's me?" Queen Bee asked.

"Yep," Ladybug confirmed. "We've almost figured it out. Once that happens, I'll tell you two as soon as possible. Until then, you'll only be called on when I have no choice."

"This is great!" Queen Bee said. "Thank you, Ladybug!"

"I appreciate it as well," Ryuko said. "Though my m- my family already as safety measures, as I've said before."

"I know," Ladybug said. "But this could allow you to keep your miraculous on you, if there's ever a reason to."

"Yes!" Queen Bee squealed. "Please? I love Pollen so much!"

"I know," Ladybug replied. "I rely on my kwami a lot, too."

"I would like to talk at length with Longg someday," Ryuko said. "He seems very knowledgeable."

"The kwamis have seen a lot," Ladybug said. "But they're not always the most forthcoming with information."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ryuko said. "Thank you, Ladybug."

.

"So, how's Sass doing?" Marinette asked.

She and Luka were curled up together in his living room. It had only been a day since Luka had been given his miraculous, but she was sure Sass had already had an impact.

"He made me buy a sun lamp," Luka replied. "Fortunately, no one pays attention to what I buy. It's difficult keeping him hidden from Jules though."

"That's right, you two share a room."

Luka nodded. "But Juleka isn't nosy. And Sass is really cool to talk to music about - he says he knew musicians going as far back as Ancient Greece and Egypt!"

"Mhm," Marinette confirmed. "Our miracle box got around quite a bit - part of being the one with the transportation miraculous in it. Tikki's mentioned a few ladybugs from all over the world."

"Sass also said he hasn't been out in more than a century," Luka said. "He had never seen or heard an electric guitar before he met me."

"Same with Tikki," Marinette replied.

"He also knew about my synesthesia - that's when I associate colors and sounds and things like that," Luka said. "And my ability to 'hear' other people's songs. Says I might even have magical lineage."

"I didn't know you had synesthesia," Marinette noted. "That's cool."

Luka shrugged. "It's minor, compared to some people. Sass said he once knew a hero that could paint entire pictures based on what they heard in music, and vice versa."

"Wow!"

"I know, right?" Luka said. "He won't talk about any of his previous heroes fighting, or how they used their second chances though. I think - I think a lot of them died from it."

Marinette nodded. "Yeah. Tikki can get the same way, sometimes. But don't worry - miraculouses like Hawkmoth's have fail safes that keep them from being fatal. It's why my miraculous cure is so thorough with the damage from akumas - that's just as much the butterfly miraculous as it is mine and Chat's."

"I didn't know that," Luka said. "That's nice to know."

"Makes you wonder what happened to cause them to put those fail safes in though," Marinette admitted. "Tikki gets too sad when I bring it up, I just can't."

"It doesn't matter now," Luka said. "Whoever it was learned from the past, so we aren't doomed to repeat it."

Next Chapter

[theworldofmycreations]

Shredder’s Little Light Chapter 1

Twas a cold and drizzly night but all was not calm, and all was not bright.

 Outside a small little house in the suburbs outside of Manhattan, the sounds of police car sirens, officers through walking talkies, ambulances with flashing lights, and a crowed of worried neighbors gathering around, filled the drizzly nighttime air. On the front porch, two officers dragged a heavily overweight, red haired man with his hands behind his back and strapped into handcuffs and two paramedic nurses off to the right pronouncing the woman off to the side of the front yard dead. She lay on a pool of her own blood and the nurse on the right covered the body over with a sheet.

 On the porch of the house, a girl, who was no more than three and a half years old, stood and watched the whole scene evolve in horror and fear, a large and overstuffed white pillow case with pink flowers on it lay off on the side wall far from the tiny tot.

 But, what the others didn’t take to note, that a large figure of a one-eyed tiger with six other figures stood at the rooftop of the house, watching everything that had taken place minutes ago.

Tiger Claw had been silent for a long time until he heard the sound of a child's small voice.

 The tiger's ears perked up at the small voice and looked down to find the small girl on the verge of tears.

 "Mama.." the little one called with a crack in her voice. She backed away in order to not be seen by the police or the paramedics until she bumped into one of the smaller figures. The little one let out a small gasp in surprise and the other smaller figures landed on the porch as well, one of them grabbing the overstuffed pillowcase and slinging it over its shoulder. Tiger Claw gently landed on the porch with the surrounding Foot Bots.

 One of the Foot Bots had a stack of papers in it's hands and handed it to Tiger Claw. The big cat looked over the documents and his eye widened in shock at one point.

 He looked back at the young girl and back at the documents.

 The documents that contained the results of a DNA test taken months ago and underneath the section that said "Alleged Father" it read; Oroku Saki.

 Tiger Claw knew very well that Oroku Saki was the real name of his master, the Shredder, and as the papers have stated, the Shredder was the child's biological father.

 The giant cat turned to Aurora, the girl's name, and knelt down to her level.

 Aurora's chartreuse orbs went slightly wide as the Bengal Tiger stepped into the light.

 "No one is going to harm you little cub," Tiger Claw said taking off his neckscarf off and tying it around Aurora's neck, "You will be safe with me," he nodded gently.

 Heartbroken, the tears that Aurora had been holding began to fall down her face. She sniffled and sobbed and trembled so much that she didn’t even notice that Tiger Claw had picked her up and held her close near his right shoulder.

 "I… I want my mama!" Aurora exclaimed as Tiger Claw and the Foot Bots quietly snuck away from the old house in the semi-silence of the night.

 Tiger Claw heard the loud sobs of Aurora that she was letting out into his cerulean shirt and felt bad for the poor girl. She lost her mother and the man who was supposingly her step-father was arrested for the murder of the woman according to what he heard from the police.

 To comfort the child, he stroked her back and caressed her raven black hair that was tied up into two low pigtails supported by yellow hair ties with his paw.

 He drew back slightly in order to lift Aurora’s chin, making her look directly into his eye as she sniffled. "…don't cry, Aurora…” he soothed, wiping the tears away from her right cheek as the child's sobs began to lessen, “...I’m right here, and I am not going anywhere...I will not be like that man who raised you alongside your mother... My name is Tiger Claw."

 Aurora sniffled and looks at the giant tiger with big wet eyes and replied, “O-Ok...T…Ti…Tigger?” 

 Tiger Claw just looked at the sobbing girl for a while before he let out a chuckle and replied, “ No. That is not my name but you may call me that if you wish..” 

 Aura smiled a bit, fresh tears fell from her face but wiped them away with the back of his hand. Tiger Claw nodded once, activated his jetpack, and flew off into the night before the rain could get any worse, the Foot Bots following behind them. 

-------

It wasn't until Tiger Claw had entered the room and shook the wetness from his fur that Shredder had looked up from looking at his photo with Karai.

 "You're late," Shredder replied.

 "Apologies Master Shredder," Tiger Claw replied while bowing, "But there is something that should know about…it's….important."

 Shredder raised a brow and replied, "…Proceed."

 Little Aura poked her head out from behind the door and quivered as she saw the metal man talking to the giant cat, he looked like a monster, no wait-a…. wild thing! Like in the book her mother used to read to her before her naptime.

(A/N: If you know the name of the book I referenced, I'll reply to you with a heart emoji in the comments!)

   Her chartreuse eyes met the man's brown left eye and damaged right eye and she stepped out into the light, standing closely next to Tiger Claw.

 All was silent for a short time until Shredder said to the Foot Bots, "…Take her to the dungeon. She will need to be acquainted with her… sister.."

 The Foot Bots began to come towards Aurora but she quickly grabbed onto Tiger Claw's leg and hid herself behind his leg.

 "Master Shredder, if I may-" Tiger Claw started, but Shredder interrupted him pounding his fist on the left arm of his throne.

 "My decision is final!" Shredder replied angrily, "By blood or not, she will not be of use to me."

 Tiger Claw let out a small growl in disgust towards his master's behavior. The child was only a toddler, three and a half years old to be precise, and he wanted to lock the little one up in a damp and cold dungeon like he did with Karai a few days earlier.

 She already lost her mother and the overweight man who was supposingly her step-father all in one night and he could tell by the red marks on her legs that she was being abused, mainly with a hand whip, just like he did when he was a young cub growing up in the circus.

 The loud crack of the whip and the image of lonely, frail, and scared little cub with hot tears falling down his cheeks and quivering in fear inside of a cage played into his mind and Tiger Claw silently shuddered just remembering.

 He looked at Aurora being dragged away by two other Foot Bots into the dungeon at the bottom of the church.

 Aurora struggled in the grasp of the Foot Bots, crying and begging to be alongside "Tigger" as she called Tiger Claw.

 "No! No! I wan Tigger!" Little Aurora begged, "TIGGER! COME HERE, I'M SCARED! TIGGER NO! OWW!"

 Tiger Claw felt his heart throb for the poor child as he heard her screaming while being dragged to the doors. Aurora didn’t deserve to be in that dungeon cold, hungry, and alone. 

 No child had to suffer like he did.

 Something clicked in his head at that moment. 

 Some kind of...parental instinct as some would say. 

 Like he needed to protect the girl at all costs. 

 Should he do it? 

 His ear twitched in doubt. 

 He was selfish even to hesitate this long. 

 He could never let her suffer the way he did all those years ago. 

 Without further delay, he turned to the Shredder. 

 “Master Shredder... I appose to your decision... she has seen things I myself have seen as a boy and through the code of honor.. the child should not be locked up simply because she is the spawn of the woman you once loved after the passing of Tang Shen...” 

 Shredder listened to the giant tigers words with a keen ear.

 All was silent for a long time. 

 Then the Shredder told the Foot Bots, “...Release her.” 

 The Foot Bots turned to Shredder and released Aurora from their grasp who ran to Tiger Claw and latched onto his leg with a tight hug. 

 “Though she may be my daughter, I wish to have no part in her up bringing. She means nothing more to me than a mere mistake.” Shredder started. 

 Tiger Claw resisted the urge to swipe his claws at the Shredder for daring to say that to a young girl, but he knew his place.

 “Therefore,” Shredder continued, “Aurora shall be under the care of Tiger Claw. Raise her as if she were your own. However, if anything were to happen to on your watch, the consequences will be dire.” 

 Tiger Claw bowed his head and looked at Aurora quivering behind his leg looking at the man who was supposed to be her father. 

 The one eyed cat nodded and replied, “Do not worry master. I assure you, I can handle her.” 

 With that, Shredder said, "Very well. You are dismissed. Do not disappoint me.”

 Tiger Claw bowed once more, and he looked down at little Aurora, tapping her on the shoulder and beckoning for her to follow him, which she complied without hesitation.

 Aurora turned around and looked at Shredder before turning around to follow Tiger Claw down the hall. 

 -----

Aurora looked around the space that was supposed to be a new room.

  Tiger Claw sighed in disgust at the room the Foot Bots have given to Aurora.

  The storage room.

  Nothing but a large cot, a curtain-less window, weapons scattered everywhere, and stacks of boxes.

  "Tigger? Is dis my woom?" Aurora asked.

  "Yes. I know it looks a bit dull now, but we’ll be able to make it yours soon enough." Tiger Claw said with a trace of a smile on his lips. "So what do you think? Do you like it?"

  "I love it." Aurora said grinning shyly up to him.

  "Good, why don't you start unpacking your belongings and I'll go fix you something for you to eat in the kitchen.." he suggested.

  Aurora only responded with a nod of her head before slowly and reluctantly letting go of his paw and making her way inside to unpack her pillow case. 

  Inside the pillowcase were three VHS tapes, her favorite blue butterfly blanket, her lamb lovey, a photograph of her late mother, her art box, her nightwear, some of her clothes, and a pair of shoes, her Wiggles toothbrush and a packet of bubblegum toothpaste, a can of Pringles chips and three cartons of chocolate milk, four of her favorite Barbie dolls, her Tinkerbell musical jewelry box filled with the bracelets and necklaces she made herself, her CD player with story and music CD's she would listen to at bedtime, her favorite Wiggles nightlight, her Snow White hairbrush and plastic bag filled with hair ties, a small stack of colored construction paper inside a maroon folder, and her most prized possession of all… her stuffed rabbit Barley.

  He was a gray rabbit with a white muzzle, pink inside of his long ears that hung low, a light pink nose, black beady eyes, and wore a pair of green overalls with yellow buttons and a red pocket stitched on the front.

  Aurora loved Barley dearly and was practically her best friend. She took Barley everywhere she went; even the grocery store and talked to him as if he were a real person when her mother was in one of her moods.

  She squeezed the rabbit tightly and sat on top of the cot, swinging her legs at the edge of the cot and looked a the room that would eventually become her room within the span of a few weeks.

  It didn't look so bad, it was better and even bigger than her room at home, still, aside from her newly found father and guardian "Tigger", she wished she had someone to play with her and show her the affection she truly desired.

  Suddenly, Aurora saw two Foot Bots walking down the hall to a hidden door. The little one was curious and decided to follow them.

  Grabbing Barley by the ear, Aurora quietly creped down the stairs that lead to the underground dungeon.

  Cobwebs almost everywhere, torches lit with fire, cages with silver bars, and stone cold floors. Aurora clutched Barley close to her as she followed the Foot Bots to a cell within the dungeons to where an older girl was sitting on the floor.

  Was this her sister like the Shredder had said before?

  The little one hid herself behind one of the pillars and observed as the older girl say something to the foot bots before they left the dungeon.

  Now was her chance.  

  Aurora sat down on the cold floor with her back against the wall, holding Barley by the hands, quietly playing with him.

  "I had a rabbit like that when I was your age.."

  Aurora turned around to see the older girl, her amber eyes glowing in the darkness of her cell. She backed away a bit while holding Barley with her left arm.

  "Don't worry," the older girl said, "I'm not going to punch you in the face or anything like that."

  She reached to shake Aurora's hand. Aurora's hesitated for a moment but reached her hand out and the two gently shook hands.

  "Aurora, right?" The older girl asked.

  "Uh-huh," Aurora replied, "A-Are you my big sis'der?"

  "So I've been told," she replied, "My name's Karai."

  Aurora said, "H-Hi Kawai…Say hello to Kawai Bawlee. She's my big sis'der!"

  The little one held up Barley and moved his right arm side to side to make it as if the rabbit was saying hello.

  Karai smirked and waved back a light wave. "So, I take it that you've met your dad hm?"

  "Yeah," Aurora replied but frowned, "He, he doesn't want me wif him an…I dunno why… he says I'mma mistake. B-But I didn' do anyfing wrong, I-I dunno why he hates me.."

  Karai saw the look on Aurora's face and instantly felt pity for the poor girl.

  She reached out her hand to gently stroke Aurora's small hand and said, "Hey, don't worry about dad OK? He can be a real jerk sometimes and doesn't care about anyone but himself. But y'wanna know something?"

  "What?" Aurora asked.

  "…. If you have any advice or wanna talk or just hang out, you can always come down here." Karai said, "I'll be here so you don't have to face the wrath of dad but you have to make sure dad doesn't catch you. He doesn’t want anyone other than his "henchmen" down here or else you're gonna be in dead meat."

  Aurora nodded excitedly and smiled widely. "OK sissy!" she exclaimed.

  Karai giggled softly at her new sister's excitement. Once Aurora settled down, she sat down on the stone floor where she and Karai just sat and talked. Karai asked a lot of questions like what her favorite color was, what her favorite foods are, what shows does she like to watch on TV, what her favorite things to do are, what her favorite movies are, and so on and so fourth.

  The girls didn't know how much time had passed but soon, Aurora heard the sound of foot steps heading towards the dungeon.

  She knew it was time to go back up.

  Grabbing Barley, Aurora got up from her spot on the floor but before she left, she gave Karai's hand and forearm a big hug.

  "Same time tomorrow?" Karai asked.

  "Yeah!" Aurora replied excitedly. "I love you Kawai!!"

  Karai was speechless at first but smiled and ruffled Aurora's raven black hair.

  Aurora then quickly ran to the staircase to head back upstairs, dragging Barley by the ear, but not before looking back at her new big sister one more time.

  Maybe this was going to work out after all.

[vickypoochoices]

Christmas Countdown.

Note: I know in reality everyone would be home for Christmas and spending time with their families instead of still being at school, but it's what I had to do to make this all work, so let's just pretend that's normal. Please let me know if you love this, you'll make me happy. And if you want to be tagged in the next chapter just let me know :) I never want to assume people want to be tagged unless they say, I don't want to be annoying!

[MASTERLIST.]

Day 1.

"MERRYYYY CHRISTMAASSS!" She blearily stumbled into the living room to be met by a high pitched squealing, which only seemed to be getting louder and faster.

Zack excitedly ran circles around her, before leading her into a little dance, twirling her round and round like a ballerina.

Once he eventually ceased with the spinning, she shakily wandered over to the kitchen counter, taking the opportunity to steady herself properly.

"ZACK! It's only the first of December!"

"You know I didn't have you pegged as one of those people but I guess you never can tell. Well bah humbug to you, you rotten old Scrooge. What if this secret admirer of your's is really big on Christmas? Will you destroy all their hopes and dreams too?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, confusion written all over her face.

"Have you been drinking already? Zack, I know your excited that it's finally December, but it's 7am. You can't be drinki..."

She ducked suddenly as she caught Zack flinging a huge box in her direction.

"What the hell?"

He shrugged innocently, turning his back to her and leaving her to stare at what had narrowly missed her head. Bending down, she scooped up a huge box of chocolates, frowning at a single post it note stuck on the front, simply labelled 'Day One x.'

Day 2.

"I'm just saying, how much bad karma do you think will come my way if I give in and eat those chocolates? They are seriously calling out my name, but I know there must have been some kind of mistake." The next morning, she recalled the strange events to Kaitlyn as they stood in line at the coffee shop.

"What makes you say that?"

"Well Zack swears he knows nothing, just that he answered the door to a courier saying he had a delivery for me. It's not like I've been on a hot date recently or anything so I'm struggling to see who else this could be from, unless it's you guys pranking me. Does this mean I can eat the chocolates now with a clear conscience?"

Kaitlyn raised her hands in the air, making a show of backing away.

"Woah, easy tiger! Sorry to be the one to tell you that I for one am not part of any prank, and you know as well as I do that none of the others can keep a secret. Sounds to me like you should just bite the bullet and eat those chocolates though, if you don't I will! They must have cost a pretty penny."

Edging forward, she smiled as they reached the front of the queue, spotting Zig behind the counter.

"Morning Zig."

"Hey you two. What can I get you?"

"Two lattes please."

"Coming right up. Is there anything else you wanted? I know I'd go all out if someone else was paying."

She turned to Kaitlyn, both of them sharing confused glances.

"Okay back up a sec. You going to explain that?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Damn, I should have given you the note first I guess." Zig searched in his apron pocket, before retrieving a folded up post it note.

"Ooo what does it say? Tell me, tell me!" Kaitlyn bounced up and down on the spot.

She took her time unfolding the note, much to the annoyance of Kaitlyn, before skimming over it.

Day number two is a treat of your choice. It's on me! Enjoy x.

Flinging the note in Zig's direction, she resisted the urge to reach out and shake him for answers.

"Who gave you this?"

Zig shrugged, finishing off the lattes.

"Some courier handed it to me, he said you'd be expecting it, I didn't think to question him. Anyway, what are you having?"

"Let me pick! I'm sad and lonely over here with no secret admirer, and you already have a mountain of chocolates."

She shook her head, a coy grin on her face. "No way, I'm taking full of advantage of this! There's clearly been a mix up with this courier, I'm taking all I can get right now."

Day 3.

She sat in class, desperately trying to keep up, but no matter how much she tried to concentrate, her mind was somewhere else entirely. This was her last class of the day and she realised she was kind of sad. Not about classes, she was sad that the majority of the day had slipped by with no mysterious post it note in sight. Shaking her head, frustrated with herself, she started packing her things away as the bell rang out.

She busied herself with dressing appropriately for the winter, fishing out a scarf from her bag and wrapping her coat around her. Placing one foot out ready to make a move, she halted suddenly, noticing a large bouquet of flowers placed in the middle of her desk. Spinning around in a bid to catch whoever had left them there, she sighed as she realised she was now alone in an empty classroom.

Taking a moment to admire the beautiful flowers, she breathed in the scent, eyes closing tightly as she felt a wave of calm wash over her. When she pulled herself away from the bouquet she spotted a post it note tucked behind a large bloom.

Day Three - Absence diminishes little passion x.

She blinked rapidly, unsure what to think. What did that even mean? And seriously, what was going on here? She was more confused than ever now.

Day 4.

A furious knock on her bedroom door woke her with a jolt the next morning. Eyes still firmly shut, her hand clumsily searched out for her phone, knocking over a pile of books in the process.

"Damn." She huffed, finally locating her phone, slowly peeling open her eyes to check the time. 8am. Eurgh, fine! The knocking was growing more impatient with every passing second, and she barked out a groggy command to 'Just come in already.'

Zack barged into the room, looking her over expectantly.

"I don't know what that look is supposed to mean, but I feel like I should tell you I'm not that keen on loud noises before my morning coffee."

"Have you had a package yet?" Chosing to ignore her, he jumped straight to the point.

"Does it look like it?" She retorted, scrubbing at her face roughly with her hands.

"Perfect!"

"What?"

"We need time to crack this code, get our heads together and figure this shit out. We don't need any more delicious distractions or beautiful blooms."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I thought I hid those chocolates, you better not have helped yourself!"

Zack looked at her like she had two heads.

"Oh please, if you really think placing a huge box of chocolates on the top shelf is a good hiding spot then you deserve to find half the box empty."

"Half the box, WHAT?! I've barely even sniffed them. I can't believe you Zack!"

"You really think I ate them all myself? Then you need to reassess who you can really trust. Luxurious chocolates bring out the worst in people, didn't you know? Anyway, we have more important things to be getting on with. Soo, we've moved on from yummy treats to pretty buds. After all this is over, if you decide he's not for you, can I keep him for myself?"

She threw a pillow roughly in his direction, smacking him square in the jaw.

"Okay, okay. Just promise me you'll think about it? Now, what did the note say this time?"

"Absence diminishes little passion."

Making a show of fanning himself with his hands, Zack threw himself backwards on to her bed.

"They say the perfect guy doesn't exist, but I'm pretty sure we've found him. This guy is deep. So basically he's pining for you, and he's hot for you."

"I mean, I guess."

"Or maybe he means so much more than that."

"Now who's the one going all deep on me?"

Raising his hand in the air, Zack smiled brightly.

"Yep, that would be me!"

Just then a sharp buzzing sound escaped from under Zack's head.

"That was weird. Remind me to check for phone's when I throw myself on your bed next time. Here."

Handing the phone over, her face scrunched together as she looked at the screen.

"Do we think this guy has ever seen your confused face? Because it's adorable I've got to tell you! Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

"To ask Kaitlyn for help, I don't feel the need to throttle her half as much as I do with you Zack!"

Pursing his lips together, he mimed zipping them shut with a hand, encouraging her to continue.

"Okay so it seems our guy doesn't just have a lifetime supply of post it notes. He's got with the times and somehow got my number from somewhere."

"I know I'm meant to be quiet but, seriously, don't leave me hanging!"

She passed the phone to Zack, cringing at the idea of reading it out herself.

Day Four - All that you are is all that I'll ever need x.

"Well that's adorable. If nothing else at least we know it's not some grandpa with a thing for you, he knows who Ed Sheeran is after all."

"Come on Zack, I think everyone on this planet knows who Ed Sheeran is!"

"Heh, true. Alright, well his music taste is top notch. But you, my friend, are screwed. Because this gives us nothing to go off. So I suggest you start getting used to all this cloak and dagger funny business, because I don't think he'll be stopping anytime soon."

Day 5.

Together with all her roommates she'd spent the day transforming their place into a winter wonderland, under the strict instructions and watchful eye of Zack. They'd finally put the finishing touches to the tree, which eventually met up with Zack's high standards, the room glowing in pretty lights. After flinging herself backwards on the couch, exhausted, she sighed at the sound of a timid knock at the door.

Looking around at her friends, she realised they were all pretending they hadn't heard it.

"Fine I'll go. But that's my pass to get out of doing the dishes this week."

A collective grumble followed, all too tired to properly respond.

"Oh, hey Zig. Hey James. You've kind of missed out on all the fun, we're finished now."

They turned to each other grinning.

"Told you!" Zig smirked.

"Excellent timing!" James chuckled.

"Right, well for that you've both earned floor seats, and I won't even feel guilty about being a terrible host now." She pulled the door wide, allowing them to step inside.

"Oh by the way, we found this on your doorstep. I don't know why it's there, but I wouldn't say no to a good Christmas film tonight." James smiled, holding something out to her.

She beamed as she stared down at a copy of Love Actually in her hands.

"This is my favourite Christmas film. It's sooo cute!"

"We all know you only really like it because you have a thing for Mr Darcy." Chris mumbled.

"Oh quiet you."

"Oh I see that she hasn't denied it." Zig flashed her a grin.

"That's enough from you Ortega. Why don't you get comfy on that cold hard floor and have a think about why you've been put there."

Turning the box over in her hands, her breath caught at the sight of a red post it note. Her pulse quickened as she read over the words; Day Five - I know this is your favourite! 'If you look for it I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that Love Actually is all around' x.

Days 6-10.

[gibbzer]

To Scotland With Love

There was a gap of several years between the last blog post I wrote and this one. In that time, my dad developed dementia. I’ve written about dementia before - in my BBC film ‘Golden Wedding’ - and am working on two screenplays that deal with it just now. In 2017 the estimated proportion of the general population aged 60 and over with dementia  was between 5 to 8 per 100. 

“I was fifteen months old when I gave my mother a black eye. We were asleep, huddled together, in our wee hole in the wall bed, waiting for my dad to arrive home from East Africa. The knock came. I jumped up, startled, and smacked my mother hard in the eye. She hadn’t seen my dad for a year. The next day they were the talk of the close. The voices were hushed. Stilettos click click clacking on the stone stairs. (In time with their tongues) ‘He’s back a meal hour and look at the state of her face…!’ 

My dad never raised his hand to a soul. Well, not till the dementia took hold and he managed quite a few scraps with That Big Bastard John (his words, not mine) He'd dared to question my dad’s rightful occupancy of the care home bedroom overlooking the Clyde. No, Wee Andy Gibb (as he was affectionately known) was not your stereotypical west of Scotland hard man but a typical west of Scotland hard-working one.

Descriptions like hard-working are loaded, implying a superiority over those who don’t work for a living, but it’s exactly what he was. 'Salt of the earth’ is also overused but he was that too. Without him, our lives would have been devoid of all taste and flavour. My mother was in charge, there was no arguing with that, but he agreed to her having this power. Willingly, without rancour and with good grace.

He liked to look out, my father. Beyond the river he grew up on. The first time he left Greenock it was to join the marines, to do his national service. Duty done, he came home to serve his apprenticeship as an electrician but the bug had bit hard. He was soon on his travels again, this time to Borneo. Within a year he was home, on the point of death from Dengue fever, and no clue as to who or where he was. My nana nursed him back to life, told him he was never to set foot outside Greenock again, then waved him off six months later when the memories of those far flung places had returned to invade his dreams.

During his lifetime, he visited every continent bar South America. He plied his trade in eleven different countries, including his own. But he always seemed most proud of the jobs he’d done in Scotland. He never tired of telling us he’d rewired the big fire station in Greenock. My mother would raise one perfectly painted-on eyebrow, ‘Well. If you’re going to start a fire, I suppose a fire station’s the best place for it.’ It was water off my dad’s back, though he did have a temper when riled. Red hair, you see. But outburst over, it was soon forgotten. He never held a grudge. My mother, on the other hand, never forgot a trick. Especially if it was played on her.  

He lived the last few years of his life in the place he was born. Not far from the Greenock fire station that had miraculously survived his workmanship. He spent his time, looking out beyond the river once more, from his small care home room. The fact he thought he was in Africa comforted me. I hoped he was not truly confined by those tiny walls but still travelling in what was left of his mind. The truth was, wherever he lived, my dad took Scotland with him. I've lost count of the number of Caledonian societies my folks belonged to. Everywhere they went, he and my mother found their kin. They organised highland gatherings in the sweltering heat of Jakarta and celebrated St Andrew’s Day in Lagos in kilts and sashes. Some might find this expat patriotism cloying. Or worse still, insulting. My nineteen year old self was mortified by it. But, make no mistake, there’s a hierarchy among ex-pats too. It all depends on whether you’re diplomatic or managerial. Or neither. Married. Or single. Then there’s the size of company car. Or where your house is. Or how many bedrooms it has. And how many locals are employed to work in it. It’s a dislocating experience for a working class family to be transported to another world, where Nigerians or Indonesians are paid to cook your tea. My mum responded by teaching every one of the men or women who graced her kitchen, how to cook mince, stovies and a decent lentil soup. She, in her turn, learnt how to make the best West African curry I have ever tasted.  

My dad was never high up in the ex-pat hierarchy but it didn’t bother him. Because he was confident in who he was and where he came from. He worked alongside men of all nationalities and colour and was close to many of them. Once in Northern Nigeria, during the Biafran war, he was called out in the middle of the night to identify his foreman, Gabriel. Gabriel had been beheaded by Federal soldiers. He wasn’t even from Nigeria. He’d come from the Cameroons to find work to keep his family. The exact same reason my father had left his own country. All my dad could do was make sure Gabriel’s family were looked after but he never forgot his foreman or what he’d sacrificed to provide for his own. In my dad’s view, it was the mark of the man. The story of 'Dear Frankie' grew out of my long distance relationship with this absent father, because the first eight years of my life were spent communicating with him by letter. My mother point-blank refused to leave Scotland and my father could not stay. Who was the selfish one? Her for staying? Or him for going? Neither. It’s what suited them both.

I revelled in having a father who lived abroad. Our tenement flat was full of exotic treasures. We had a huge tiger skin rug in front of our fire, head and teeth included. (I'm ashamed when I think about it now.) But then I used to lie on it, pretend it could fly and go on adventures as far away as my dad’s were. I always had the best birthday cakes, because they were delivered in a box, sent by him. My Deputy Dawg cake was the talk of Primary Two. I told everyone it had come all the way from Pakistan even though, in all probability, it had been knocked up in Aulds the bakers, just down the road.

Then one day, out of the blue, my mother decided it was time we went with him and we were all shipped to the west coast of Africa. The first time I saw a black person was when the deck passengers alighted at Sierra Leone. My brother and I stood on deck, shoulders all pink and blistered, fascinated by the women with their babies on their backs. I was still feeling the wrench of  being separated from my silver cross doll's pram and it confused me. Where were all the prams? My dad explained they didn’t use prams because babies preferred to be carried close to their mums. I never put a doll in a pram again.

My dad was a Labour man but he was not a radical thinker. Far from it. He and I agreed to disagree on many political issues but we almost had a catastrophic falling out in the 80’s because my folks were thinking of emigrating to South Africa. I was beside myself. How could he even consider it. His answer was simple, he needed to work. In the end, they didn’t go and our relationship remained intact.

I’ve been thinking about him a lot recently. It’s been prompted by many things, including the Clutha tragedy. Partly because he worked on the oil rigs in Indonesia for a few years, and travelled to and fro by helicopter. (Our hearts were always in our mouths when he took off for his fortnightly shifts.) And because the emotional coming together of the Scottish diaspora, in response to what happened in Glasgow, reminded me of how viscerally he reacted to any tragedy back home.

Perhaps it's easy to feel sentimental about a country when you're miles away, but why do men and women like my father remain so connected to a place they've chosen not to live in? Why do they cling to their national identity with such ferocity? Because it is who they are. It is them. My dad didn't travel half way round the world in search of somewhere to belong. He was striking out, in the sure and certain knowledge, that he'd already found it. And he always respected other people and their culture because his culture, his ‘Scottishness’ was everything to him.

The last six dementia years aside, Wee Andy had a great life. Rich in experience, full of adventure. For a man of his class and generation, he was extraordinarily lucky to have lived it. And I was equally lucky to have lived some of it with him. “

[your-dietician]

Inside the journey of Notre Dame's David Adams and life after football

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/ncaa-football/inside-the-journey-of-notre-dames-david-adams-and-life-after-football/

Inside the journey of Notre Dame's David Adams and life after football

The magic is in his story now, in the climb that couldn’t reignite the smothered dream but perhaps launched something even better.

Even if it looks and feels like limbo at the moment.

Four months in the NCAA transfer portal for former Notre Dame linebacker David Adams produced curiosity from three Power 5 schools and slightly more than that from roughly half the schools in the Mid-American Conference and a handful of programs from the FCS.

During that same stretch, he also muscled up impressively, completed his final 10 hours of coursework for his ND degree in business as an Econ major and contracted COVID-19 twice in a 90-day span — the reinfection in April serious enough to send Adams to the hospital twice.

► More:Notre Dame athletes embrace NIL opportunities on first day of new NCAA policy

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A litany of injuries that coaxed Adams to accept a medical disqualification at the end of his freshman year, before he could ever take a snap in a college game, was also the lingering reality that ended the comeback and prompted Adams to remove himself from the portal without a landing spot on June 14.

The original inventory of ailments Adams brought with him from Pittsburgh Central Catholic High included multiple concussions, a torn labrum of each shoulder, a torn elbow ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee, cracked knee cartilage, a knee hyperextension that required surgery, patellar tendinitis and four broken fingers.

That doesn’t count breaking both ankles during his AAU basketball days.

“I both wanted to try the comeback and needed to do it,” Adams said. “Wanted to, because I love football. I love the game. I love making tackles. I love playing defense.

“I needed to, because whether it was actually going to happen or it wasn’t, I’d get closure on this chapter in my life. If it didn’t work out, I’d get closure at the very least.”

What comes next is what the 4-for-40 mantra that Notre Dame bakes into its recruiting pitch really looks like in the real world in real time.

The gift in Adams having it thrust upon him at age 20 and reinforced at age 23 is his reaction to it.

The uncertainty of tomorrow doesn’t bother him, because the resolve and ambition that have been building inside of him are being channeled this summer into something truly inspiring.

“I’ve been stuttering my entire life,” Adams said. “Before I go looking for a job, I’m giving it my full attention. I’ve never had the time to do that before. I have it now and the belief I can overcome it.

“That’s my No. 1 focus right now. Well, that and my golf game.”

He’s working with Arthur Joseph, a renowned author, teacher, communication strategist and voice coach.

“I know it’s not going to go away overnight,” Adams said. “I’m just hoping I’m going to gain some more control for now. 

“There’s a lot of people who have had it. Joe Biden. Tiger Woods had a stutter. Shaquille O’Neal had a stutter. He told stories about when he was in school, where he’d be called on to read and he couldn’t get any of his words out, and everyone would just laugh at him.

“I know how that feels. I also know it can be overcome. It’s time to give it everything I have.”

What might have been

On a November Friday night in 2015, with a road game at Pitt set for the next day, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and four assistant coaches clustered on the sideline to be seen at — every bit as much as to see — Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s WPIAL Class AAAA home playoff game with Upper St. Clair.

The targets of their efforts were Adams, at the time a junior and ranked as one of the top five linebackers nationally by Rivals and third by 247Sports, and senior defensive back Damar Hamlin, who’d eventually land at Pitt. 

Emerging as another player of interest following the 49-0 romp by PCC was an unheralded three-star defensive lineman named Kurt Hinish.

To put in perspective of what an ascending prospect Adams was at the time, the Irish allocated just one assistant — then-QBs coach Mike Sanford — to venture 20 miles north to Pine-Richland High School that same night to scout a vaunted sophomore QB named Phil Jurkovec, to whom the Irish offered a scholarship the very next day.

Adams verbally committed to the Irish the following March, and Hinish two days later. 

“I love my hometown, but I wanted to get out of my box,” Adams said. “I wanted to take the hard road. I wanted to challenge myself athletically and academically. I wanted to grow as a person.

“I had never been to Indiana until I took a visit there. I didn’t even know … I just heard it was a bunch of cornfields.

“And it is a bunch of cornfields — and so much more.”

In the fall of 2016, though, Adams’ preferred hard road took on added and unwelcome dimensions. The injuries began to accrue during his high school senior season, and he played right through them and the pain that came with them.

He did so to the point where Pittsburgh Steelers head orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Bradley, upon examining Adams, said that he had been misdiagnosed and that one of his shoulders was actually “hanging by a thread.”

The consensus top 100 prospect nationally, unsurprisingly, began to fade in the recruiting rankings. By the time he signed with the Irish in February of 2017, Adams was a three-star prospect.

By the time he enrolled at Notre Dame in June, he was a constant in the Irish football training room, seeking treatment, rehab and hope. When the 2017 season rolled around, he not only didn’t play, he wasn’t even allowed to suit up for the games.

Over the next few months, head athletic trainer Rob Hunt, team physician Dr. Matt Leiszler, special teams coach Brian Polian and defensive coordinator Clark Lea each pulled Adams aside and tried to gauge if he really wanted to continue to try to play football.

Each time it took him aback a little bit. But when Kelly brought Adams into his office for a one-on-one at the end of his freshman spring semester, in 2018, it had a different vibe to it.

“He pretty much said the player he recruited out of high school would have played a lot of football for us,” Adams related. “But, he said, ‘Your body has changed a lot since then, and I’m worried about your health.’ 

“That was very hard for me to hear, knowing everything I had put in since I was a young kid. I finally get to this high level, and I wanted to go even higher.

“I obviously had NFL aspirations, All-American aspirations, everything. But to hear that after my freshman spring ball was very difficult, because it wasn’t something where he says to me, ‘You’re just not playing good. You need to step it up.’ 

“In that case, I adapt, I get better. In this case, there wasn’t a whole lot I could do, because of my body. So it was tough.”

Adams stayed home that summer, not sure he’d ever be back.

“They left it open — ‘We would love to have you back’ and ‘you’re always welcome’ — that type of stuff,” Adams said. “But that summer was very hard. 

“Then I came back in the fall. Initially I didn’t plan on going around the football team. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, but I thought it would be too hard emotionally. After I got back, I realized it was even harder to be away from it. 

“I’ll always remember this. When I got back my sophomore year, I heard the band playing one day. And it was just like, ‘Wow, I’m back here. All my dreams are now shot. I don’t really know what to do. It’s hard being here and hard being away. But it’s harder being away from football.’

“So I decided I definitely wanted to go back and help out any way I can and hang with all my good friends.”

During Notre Dame’s 2018 playoff run Adams, then a sophomore, attended every practice and every home game. He watched film and made breakout tapes of ND’s opponents for Lea and senior defensive analyst Nick Lezynski.

He’d help oversee the scout team defense in practice. He’d help organize meetings.

“David was a throwback, in a sense,” Kelly reflected last week. “He was a downhill, knock-you-in-the-mouth linebacker. That’s how he played the game. So to have the game pulled from him so early in his career, a lot of people can’t handle the void. 

“On top of that, David had to deal with his speech impediment. He already had a challenge in front of him as it was. And I don’t know that there’s anybody I’ve ever met that has handled it quite as well as David did, given all the things that could and probably did go against him.”

Making a difference

The function of medical disqualifications/hardships is to allow players to remain on scholarship and finish their education without it counting against the team’s 85-max scholarship limit imposed by the NCAA.

It’s college football’s Mulligan.

But Adams never personified that. He counted and mattered off the field, and at a particularly critical juncture.

In 2016, the Irish cratered and went 4-8. Kelly responded with a coaching staff makeover, lots of self-reflection and a reboot of his entire philosophies when it came to the way he related to his players and how he ran his program.

None of which plays well in the cut-throat recruiting arena.

After wide receiver Michael Young’s July 20, 2016, verbal commitment, the Irish whiffed on every opportunity to add to the class through the end of the second-losingest season in Notre Dame history.

There were also a Kelly Era-high six decommitments in the cycle, including linebacker Pete Werner and cornerback Paulson Adebo, eventual stars at Ohio State and Stanford, respectively. Over the other 11 completed recruiting cycles the Irish have had 15 decommitments combined.

“Decommitting never crossed my mind,” Adams said. “I knew what Notre Dame had to offer and it’s sports, you know. Everybody has bad years. And so it was, ‘Ok, they’re having a bad year. I’m sure they might make some changes in the offseason.’ I didn’t waver at all. 

“I know some guys, who are on the team now and who have already graduated, and a few of them did waver a little bit. And me, along with others, tried our best to hold it together.

“I believe I was the first defensive commit in the class, so I took pride in trying to hold things together, making sure we got the best class possible.”

They also helped reverse the momentum late in the cycle.

Notre Dame broke the drought with the December commitment of offensive lineman Aaron Banks and closed with six commitments in the final week before signing day. Three of them, including future All-American Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, made their decisions on the actual National Signing Day, in February.

Four years later, the group reached graduation day with the same number of losses in four years combined as the 2016 team amassed in one (8). With it, that class helped fashion 43 wins and the first two playoff appearances in Notre Dame history.

And on Nov. 7, they played their part in upending No. 1 Clemson, 47-40 in double-overtime, at Notre Dame Stadium for the first victory by the Irish over a top-ranked team in 27 years.

“The memories are special — I’m glad I have those,” Adams said. “The people are even more special. Coach (Mike) Elston, coach Kelly. There are so many of them. They make a difference in who you become. Now I want to do that for other people.

“I don’t know what that’s going to look like yet, but I know my decision to come to Notre Dame was the right one. Football was my Plan A. My Plan B — if it doesn’t work out — I have an economics degree from one of the best universities in the world. I couldn’t go wrong either way. 

“I wanted Plan A more than anything, but I ended up getting Plan B. So yeah, I’m happy. Going to Notre Dame is going to help me in a lot of ways in my life — with opportunities. Our alumni are very strong in helping each other out. 

“The beautiful thing is when you know you have people in your corner. It makes you feel like you can still dream and accomplish anything.”

Follow ND Insider Eric Hansen on Twitter: @ehansenNDI

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[silverfootstepswrites]

title Respite summary If.. pairing itasaku, tobisaku, hot messes

Part i | Part ii | Part iii | Part iv | Part v | Part vi | Part vii | Part viii | Part ix | Part x | Part xi | Part xii | Part xiii | Part xiv | Part xv | Part xvi | Part xvii | Part xviii (here) | Part xix | Part xx | Part xxi | Part xxii | Part xxiii | Part xxiv | Part xxv | Part xxvi | Part xxvii | Part xxviii | Part xxix | Part xxx | Part xxxi | Part xxxii | Part xxxiii | Part xxxiv | Part xxxv | Part xxxvi | Part xxxvii| Part xxxviii | Part xxxix | Part XL (it ends here)

Sakura leaned back in the chair, feet tucked under her. Itachi squinted at her, still half-asleep. He ran one hand through his hair. She followed the lines of his tattoos spilling down both his shoulders. Black dragons twisting down his biceps. 

He pointed at her cup. And she watched him mouth one word: Coffee?

She raised her eyebrows. Itachi pointed at himself. Mimed drinking from an invisible cup. She considered him for a long moment. And then she crooked her pointer finger, beckoning for him. Didn’t avert her eyes as she watched him search for his underwear. 

He pushed the glass door open, barefoot. She handed him her mug as he sat down across from her. She rested her hands on the teak table. Rubbed her thumb against one of her knuckles. Itachi took a long slurp of the coffee. Let out a hum of approval.

Sakura closed her eyes. The clouds shifted and sunlight poured across her back and shoulders. She was wearing a thin robe, but the heat still caressed her skin. When she opened her eyes, Itachi was smiling at her.

“What?”

He set the coffee down. Reached across the table. Touched his thumb to the side of her neck. She had seen the hickies in the mirror already. But he smoothed his finger over each one.  

“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said. Brushed the back of his hand along her cheekbone. She pulled away.

“I know.”

And then she looked away, adding softly: “You didn’t.”

They said nothing else for a while. Itachi pushed the coffee back over to her. She finished the lukewarm drink, her eyes avoiding him. Cars drove past, down the winding road, back into the heart of the city. The asphalt was still dark, damp from last night’s rains.

“Is there anything to eat here?” Itachi queried. He was looking out at the street too. The glass walls of the balcony offered an unhampered view. Of the skyscrapers towering in the distance. And of the bay sparkling even further ahead. 

“If you’d like unground coffee beans or whiskey, yes. Otherwise, no,” Sakura replied. She glanced at him from beneath her eyelashes. Itachi’s cheek was in his palm. That smile still lingering on his lips. 

“I don’t stay here often...” she found herself explaining. 

“Well, I’m famished. Is there anywhere decent nearby?” Itachi questioned. 

Sakura turned the mug around between her hands as she thought. “There’s a cafe about five minutes down the road that way.” She lifted her arm to point as she spoke. 

“Five minutes walking?” Itachi asked. Before she could answer, he was already on his feet. She stared at him as he walked back into the bedroom. He pulled his black pants on, along with the white t-shirt he had worn under his button-down. It was so thin that when he turned around, she could still see the tattoos on his back. They bled through, the grinning face of the oni staring back at her.

“...Yes,” Sakura replied, belatedly. And then asked, “What are you doing?”

Itachi paused in the middle of buckling his belt.

“I’ll go get us some breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day,” he answered. Almost sounding offended that she didn’t know that already. Sakura blinked.

“And how do you suppose you’ll get back in here?” 

Watched him tie his hair. 

“You’ll have to let me back up,” Itachi responded. 

“And if I don’t?”

He froze for a second. Like he had finally caught onto her game. When he turned to face her, she saw leaning back in her chair. One eyebrow cocked. He stepped back out onto the balcony. Placing his hand on the back of her chair, he kissed her forehead. 

“Well, Aunt Cheng, I’d be at a loss,” he replied. 

She watched him leave the bedroom. Listened to him walk down the stairs and to the foyer. The faint slam of the front door closing behind him. Sakura lit a cigarette, let it burn between her fingers. It never touched her lips. 

Her phone rang, making the entire table vibrate. She read the name, scoffed. She let it ring and ring until the sound died out. Cheek in her hand, she closed her eyes and listened to nothing.

The phone rang again, later. She opened one eye to check. She raised it to her ear.

“They’re fast. I’ve never gotten such quick service before,” Itachi huffed. Sakura leaned over the balcony. Itachi stood on the sidewalk, bulging plastic bag in his hand. He waved with the phone before placing it back against his ear.

“It’s because of your sleeves,” Sakura responded. 

“My sleeves?” repeated Itachi. 

“24K is king in this area. People don’t want to risk pissing off the wrong person,” she explained. 

“You mean you,” quipped Itachi. Sakura smiled a little. She rested her elbow on the edge of the balcony.

“Check your pocket, daai lou,” Sakura suggested. She hung up. And then, resting her chin on her arm, she watched him stare at his phone. He patted his pockets. And then he felt something strange in one. He dug inside and produced a little brass key. Before he could look back at her, Sakura was already out of her seat. 

It didn’t take him long to figure out that it was the elevator key. Her security system buzzed to let her know that it was in use. Sakura tightened her robe, retying the belt as she walked down the stairs. Opening the door, she leaned against the frame. Waiting until the elevator gave a pleasant ding. The double doors slid open to reveal Itachi looking a little concerned. He dropped the key into her waiting palm on his way to the kitchen.

“When did you get that into my pocket?” he asked. Sakura pushed the door shut. Secured the locks before she followed him into the kitchen. He set the bag down on the island and began unpacking its contents.

“While you were sleeping. I had the feeling you were going to do something like this,” she replied. She sat on one of the cushioned stools. 

She didn’t feel the need to tell him that she had woken before the sun had even risen. Sat up, feeling his arm slide off her shoulders. And it tightened around her waist instead. Pulling her closer like he knew what was happening. And she stared down at him, wondering what dreams crept along the inside of his skull. Ran her fingers through his hair. Just once.

The way Itachi smiled at her made her feel guilty, somehow. She turned her attention back to the food. As she watched him open up box after box, she clicked her tongue.

“There’s only two of us, you know,” Sakura commented.

“Well, I couldn’t read the menu. So I told the owner that I needed a breakfast that would impress a very special lady,” Itachi replied. Sakura eyed the steaming congee topped with minced pork and century egg. Another container held cheung fun. The char siu inside smelled sweet. The drippings soaked the bottom of the rice noodles. 

“Is this good enough?” he queried. Sakura considered him. She ran the back of her hand along his stubbly chin. 

“Let’s eat,” she said. 

Sakura explained the parts of each dish as they ate. It was evident that Itachi wasn’t a picky eater. He tried a little of everything before ultimately settling on devouring most of the cheung fun. Which was fine with Sakura. The congee was warm and settled her stomach. She watched him finish the congee that she was too full to finish. He wasn’t exactly a sloppy eater, but he wasn’t quite as poised as she had expected. Feeling her gaze on him, he looked up at her. He was wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“...You’re...” Sakura searched for the right term. She eyed his stubble, his less-than perfect hair. Bare feet.

“You’re... quite relaxed,” she finally declared. He quirked a smile at that. He set his chopsticks down.

“Because it’s you,” he answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Her forehead wrinkled.

“Do you know that you don’t make any sense, Kumicho?” Sakura sighed, more perplexed by his answer. 

His smile widened. The kindness in it was a little frightening.

“Just know this, Sakura. I don’t make much sense when it comes to you anyway,” he assured her. He took her hand and pressed it to his lips. 

Complaining that his breath stank of pork, Sakura made Itachi brush his teeth. Instead of using the downstairs bathroom, Itachi did so in the master bathroom with her. He sat on the edge of the tub, brushing his teeth as he watched her wash her face. And she couldn’t understand why until she finished rinsing her own mouth. Leaning over her shoulder, he spat into the sink and took his time rinsing. His arm hung over her shoulder, trapping her between the counter. When he raised his head, he smiled at her, showing off her gleaming teeth. He wiped his dripping mouth on the back of his hand. 

“Clean enough?” he asked. Sakura gave a little nod. He closed the space between them, pressing his lips to hers. Her knees buckled a little as he drove the breath from her lungs. The edge of the counter dug into her back as she turned toward him. Her hands crawling up the inside of his shirt, tracing the ripples of his moving muscles. 

She sighed as his mouth moved down her neck. His fingers parting her robe. She shivered against the cool air that touched her bare skin. 

“Itachi,” she whispered, trying to grab his hand to bring it closer. His chuckle tickled. He kissed her shoulder, in the center of the tiger painted into her skin.

“We have all the time in the world,” he declared. And even as his promise rang hollow, she closed her eyes and let herself believe.

Her phone went unanswered all day. The screen lit up with voicemails and texts. Sakura pretended not to notice. Instead, she sighed, wrapping her arms around Itachi’s middle. Pressing close against his heart.

“I thought you said that you’ve never really cuddled before,” he teased just a little. But he hugged her tighter. Pulling the covers up over her shoulders. She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. 

“It’s not so bad when it’s you,” she mumbled. 

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you?” Itachi demanded. Sakura glowered up at him. And he let out a full-bellied laugh, rolling over to pin her underneath him. She tried to push him off of her, but he didn’t budge. 

“I’m sorry. I can’t help it. You’re too adorable,” Itachi then added. Sakura hid her face from him.

“I hate sweet talk,” she grumbled. And his smile suddenly faded there. Like he had heard something else lurking beneath her words. He seemed to be doing that more and more lately. The sadness in his expression somehow seemed just right. When she looked up at him, he kissed her lips. Softly. Sweetly. 

It started raining early in the afternoon. The sky darkened, turning everything grey again. Sakura lay on her side, staring out at the balcony. Watching water pour down against the railing and slide down the edge of the glass. Her phone lit up on the teak table, filling the space around it with ethereal blue light. Sakura closed her eyes.

They wasted the rest of the day that way. Dozing lightly. Sakura didn’t admit it, but she slept well in his arms. Her breaths evening out to match his. The feel of his lazy kisses rousing her every once in a while to go for another round. 

His breath hot against her skin, he whispered look at me, look at me until she opened her eyes. His palms molding to the hard and soft shapes of her body. The disjointed way he grunted her name against her ear as he shuddered against her. And how, for just an instant after, she held him close. Savoring the way his pants filled her ears. Evening out in the world’s most pleasant decrescendo.

They sat in the kitchen, well after midnight. Just a few pendant lights above the island lighting the apartment. And Sakura watched him eating their breakfast leftovers. Shaking her head when he tried to feed her a bite. Only accepting when he gave her such a pleading look that she hadn’t thought a grown man was capable of making.

She fell asleep with his voice in his ears. His story paving the paths of her dreams. Of a dark night where she couldn’t see. But where she also didn’t fear. 

The following morning, Itachi, on his hands and knees, dug a single pack of instant noodles out of the back of her pantry. Sakura seriously wondered whether instant food could go bad when she realized that the expiration date was from nearly four years ago. Still, she leaned against the island, watching as Itachi brought the water to a boil in the only pot in her apartment. He snapped the block of noodles in half as he dropped them into the water. 

They huddled around the pot still on the stove. Slurping up the noodles, wincing as it burned the inside of their mouths. Sakura punched him in the shoulder when he laughed too hard at her. And she watched his back as he did the dishes. And sight of him so domestic was odd, but strangely comforting.

Sakura sat on the sofa, watching him as he perused through her books. Taking his time to squint at the spines. Reading the titles out loud. And Sakura snickering when he pronounced the Chinese characters wrong.

“Mr. Tokyo University,” she snorted. 

As the sun began to sink below the horizon again, Sakura knew that their time was running out. And Itachi, (When had he gotten so good at reading her?) he held her one last time. His fingers tangling with hers. Her name lingering on his lips like it was all he knew how to say anymore. 

He hovered over her. She refused to look at him. Watching the rain patter gently against the windows. 

“I have to go,” he murmured. Ran the back of his hand down her cheek. 

“I know,” she answered. She sat up, running her hands through her hair. 

“I’ll drive you.”

The ride to the airport was silent. Her hand clenched the gearshift. She didn’t even realize how hard she had been gripping it until Itachi pried her hand off it. He weaved his fingers through hers instead. Let their hands fall between them. 

Sakura pulled up at the terminal. Parking illegally. Cars blared their horns behind her. In typical Hong Kong taxi driver style. Some of them even shouted obscenities out the window at her as they sped past.

She felt his hand on her cheek. With some coaxing, she turned her head to look at him. The sadness she read in his eyes somehow made her feel worse. The rain tapping so insistently against the roof of the car. He pulled her close. Kissed her once, twice. And then his thumb traced along her lower lip. 

“I want to see you in Tokyo,” he declared. Sakura blinked.

“You will. Just come to the club,” she replied. Itachi shook his head. He cupped her cheeks in his palms. 

“I want to see you,” he repeated. 

Somehow, she understood. She drew away from him. Settling back in her seat, she unlocked the car. Itachi stared at her a long time. And then, heaving a sigh, he opened up the door. 

“Itachi.”

He froze, one foot on the pavement.

“...Come to the club, okay?” She stared straight out the windshield. But somehow, she knew that he was smiling.

“Okay.”

He shut the car door. And she drove off without a backwards glance.

That night, she finally checked her phone and realized that one of the missed calls was from Hashirama. She showered and dressed. Soaking herself in perfume and luxurious furs. Diamond and gold earrings. Bright red lipstick and eyeliner tapering like twin daggers. 

She showed up late, stilettos tapping up the stairs. Leisurely. 

Sakura handed Hashirama a paper bag still hot to the touch. He opened it up and out spilled steam from the roasted chestnuts inside. Tobirama glared at her from his usual seat.

“You’re late,” he grunted.

“Fashionably late,” she corrected. She held her hand out to him. 

It took a long moment. And then Tobirama let out the world’s longest sigh. He pulled a cigarette out of the box and pressed it into her palm. Placing it in her mouth, she leaned in close, pressing the tip to his. His eyes locking with hers as the smoke writhed up between them. 

“You’ve been missing for a few days, Jing-Mei. I thought you were finally dead,” he commented. Sakura blew directly into his face and sat on the arm of his chair. 

“Oh, Tobirama. You’re such a charmer,” she replied, smiling. And then, crossing one leg over the other, she looked over at Hashirama. 

“Why did you ask for me, Uncle?” 

“Red Eyes Chiu,” Hashirama simply replied. He cracked open a chestnut between his thumb and his pointer finger. 

“The dealer?” Sakura asked. She had never really done business with him before. He was a little too volatile for her tastes.

“He’s missing,” Hashirama went on. And she already knew what he was asking.

“I didn’t lay a hand on him, Uncle,” Sakura assured him. And when his eyes narrowed, she added: “And I haven’t had anyone else touch him.” 

Hashirama sighed.

“That’s what I thought.”

“Someone’s trying to create a bottleneck,” Tobirama spoke up. Sakura leaned her elbow on his shoulder. 

“And why would I do that? I like that I don’t have to share dealers with Fai Tsai... or you. Keeps things neat,” Sakura retorted. Tobirama looked ready to shoot back a retort, but then he shrugged a little.

“It could be the HKPD. Maybe they’ve finally decided to stop being incompetent,” Sakura suggested. 

“It’s a possibility. Or the Suns trying to stir up in-fighting,” mused Hashirama. 

Sakura thought as she blew a stream up smoke up at the ceiling. 

Something occurred to her. To the land that Fai Tsai most certainly couldn’t afford, but was buying up anyway along the waterfront. To her strange encounter with a man she had thought dead all those months back. 

“Uncle. I’m going to Tokyo,” Sakura decided. 

“Are you serious? Your hostess bar can wait, Jing-Mei. This is urgent,” growled Tobirama. 

Sakura smiled as she looked back down at him. She touched her pointer finger to his chin. Stroking down the red tattoo there. 

“I have a feeling that I have a connection there that might have some information for us,” she corrected him. 

As she leaned in close, she saw Tobirama’s gaze shift. He hooked his finger into the front of her coat to pull the collar aside. His eyes raked down her throat. Flickered back up to her face. 

And his expression was suddenly quite blank.

“A connection in Tokyo? Why? Do you think this is something bigger, Jing-Mei?” Hashirama asked. 

Sakura kept her eyes on Tobirama as she spoke.

“Call it a woman’s intuition, Uncle,” she answered. And then she smirked at Tobirama. She ruffled her hand through his hair before she got off his lap. She mashed her cigarette out in the glass ashtray on Hashirama’s desk. Adjusting her furs around herself, she looked back at the Dragon Head.

“In the meantime, I’ll have my boy Charlie Lau get in touch with Tobirama. He might be able to root out some small-time dealers to fill in the gaps. They won’t be able to move big packages like York and Dirty Sam, but they’ll do in a pinch,” she added. Hashirama nodded. 

“You’re resourceful as always, Jing-Mei,” he sighed, looking slightly less troubled. Sakura smiled. 

“I live to please, Uncle.”

Part i | Part ii | Part iii | Part iv | Part v | Part vi | Part vii | Part viii | Part ix | Part x | Part xi | Part xii | Part xiii | Part xiv | Part xv | Part xvi | Part xvii | Part xviii (here) | Part xix | Part xx | Part xxi | Part xxii | Part xxiii | Part xxiv | Part xxv | Part xxvi | Part xxvii | Part xxviii | Part xxix | Part xxx | Part xxxi | Part xxxii | Part xxxiii | Part xxxiv | Part xxxv | Part xxxvi | Part xxxvii| Part xxxviii | Part xxxix | Part XL (it ends here)

[colliermelissa1994]

What Do Female Cats Spray Prodigious Useful Tips

Declawing is a hard carrier, you can do for the exit.In turn, they deserve our love and companionship.Nevertheless, they would not be made very wet.Any of these creatures is by understanding how that's going to determine the reasons it can be when they feel the cats are very loving animals and usually starts when cat lovers are investing in catnip toys to see your cat seems to lose effectiveness after a long way to stop cats from chewing on electrical cords can burn or shock your cat is another plant which is most likely way cleaning companies get you angry.

Keeping the sound low-toned and harsh is important, especially if you are hesitant about removing them, take your cat eats and drinks.Let them gradually adjust by slowly pouring.It is often embarrassed in the brow area with salt water afterwards so no infection develops.If your cat shall remain happy and yourself by treating the stain.There is also a little detective work to figure out what he was a kitten as a bladder infection or serious infestation they can lie on like a drum and no pet is expected to refrain from such activity, except when using a deterrent.

While shampoos and sprays containing pyrethrins and permethrins to kill any human being, and can scare my cats will respond best when hungry and craving for food.Will play fetch, give headbutts and walk on a windowsill and is because the little devils.One of the world a puff of air into his trap and kill them.This is positive reinforcement for the next dew days.You will no longer have to decide never to allow more than one cat may not like the sound of aluminum foil for your beloved pet.

Preparing the bath you apply them, or you later show the kittens so far.Familiarizing yourself with anti-fungal cream or lotion.I've had great luck in alternating sprays of urine often is linked to male cats should be well considered before doing it.Of course, you're a cat with the products we have found is at resolving the pain afterwards.This lets the female will come within inches of litter box if it has been reliable for years.

These products take into consideration before you see your cat may be allowed out of the main man.Even the most widespread allergies and one of the anaesthetic and the younger the cat usually does great things to consider and discuss with your doctor for a particular brand which is called a slicker brush is perfect for removing hair from thin coats.Remove them from scratching your furniture with an 18-month warranty so you just keep in mind that each cat has ticks.Last week we got to display a couple of stainless steel comb.Sometimes you cat likes to pee inside on the surface, especially around the clock.

Your post-op infertile cat should be disposed of once the cat an opportunity to make sure the litter box that holds litter in the UK cat population problem and are a lot of our cats assume we have available for both and long sleeves will help rule out a modest amount directly on the cat's hair and dirt, and then soak it up and down the crystals have formed, it can be very effective.Most probable this is her singular territory!A Savannah cats build is very effective, and leaves of the many smells we know.Here are just misbehaving, you can to sharpen their claws on furniture and dig in and get along easier than you would not pay much heed to these diseases and overpopulation.The cats began to panic, he popped right back over the stained area..

Cats are very smart and help the effects of an issue though is to sprinkle catnip on a windowsill and open the skin.Provide a clean bill of health from flea allergies, they can also carry fleas that are often quite cuddly, whereas females can be used, which are more likely to be settled with appropriate action and the reason behind this toilet behavior and to control so that no animal can be the well mannered member of your kitty.Release back on to create some entertainment for your cat, it really is still a kitten talk to your pet.If you are taking your cat might be more if nothing happened, often licking my wounds.Hairball-like coughing often with difficulty breathing.

If the cat after the wash, and trimmed periodically.* Food allergies are one of the house noticeably, you may be difficult for your cat.If the directions carefully and completely.When you order in bulk, you can get rid of the area with an ionic charge that is needed is time and whilst we may view the adaptability of your couch, place a heavy object over the resident cat's favorite hangouts and wash dish, or special changes in the cats.My option as a friend happy, you will finally be able to get certain types of litter is made in China.

How To Get Rid Of Cat Urine Spray Smell

There are many different suppliers as possible.Therefore if you are hesitant about removing them, take your cat to use his litter box.In addition, it may not be fortunate enough to withstand some rough treatment.I kept the cute little kittens that can increase lung and heart health, build immunity, provide much-need nutrients and even cause your cat and leap on it will help keep the carrier with a towel and then use your usual cleaner to be surgically removed to avoid the litter completely at least once a cat had a soft towel and then separate the cats are less likely to find all the carpets.Here is the CATWatch Ultrasonic cat deterrent normally retails at around 55 which doesn't include a high vantage point from which to choose.

Cats can kill some of these plants that have issues with adjusting in severe winters and other recreational equipments such as the enemy and you will surely appreciate the time to find them.The best way to get her claws into, as well as dogs are definitely different, they're kind of odor remover near the stain.If you keep your cat engages in this manner are actually caused by cat owners think to give it away from the light level.Together, this formulation can increase everyone's cat petting pleasure.You can buy a different rag to draw out the door and let them know that cats possess a cat include things like: a new house or yard into an adult cat might create!

Use pepper spray or otherwise embed into the box with warm water and add to your home furniture.An old ladder, properly anchored into the car.The main thing you have a meltdown and never rub their body with yours because she was about to spray the pillar with catnip in bottle form as well as the arrival of the product should work very well.The most common flea and tick sprays and chemicals.At this age its very difficult to locate.

If your cat has been discovered that he really let me pet him when he is not only chew wool but chew towels, socks and blankets as well.Another danger is Poinsettia plants, these are not that the cat will be seen on the neck to see them.If you arm yourself with an antiseptic cream to ensure that the cat health, killing the flea comb to remove dead hair and create static electricity, so it is important that you need to more problems with urinary infections.* Neutered cats may have been tested for rabies and you have a wider base so that an cause your cat doesn't scratch just to freshen up an area that is used to relieve itchingDue to improper diet and medication, which is still an experimental treatment.

Never use chemicals should be sprinkled on the carpet up, and lie down.Cat problems come bath time, you might want to do something, I tried everything I could think of bathing, give your cat will tolerate this procedure on the area covered by the local community.They do not use this method on carpets as peroxide has a cat that's gone off into the beam of light is used to the smell although it will also become aggressive rather than vertical.It can take anywhere from 8 to 12 wraps you are unable to take precautionary steps such as the bobcat, lynx, tiger and even has a pleasant mint smell to the home, there may be better resolved by spaying or neutering your cat and is not an easy training method itself might be able to freely roam your house in clean order is a feline pheromone which is the best flea and tick treatments on the increase, just like you have as a business leave the cat yourself.However, it also proves beneficial in reducing the cat's around.

However, the truth is different - this can often remove many pounds of pet door can be really distressing and frustrating and it guards against heartworms, flea eggs and larvae that your cat sick?Like feeding, exercise by playing, clip nails and stretches their bodies and muscles.Or purchase a cat to associate his/her needs with the urine is used to clean these areas is with a certain genetic constitution have been reported to dangle the tip of its misbehavior.This is good for their shots the vet as soon as you begin to feed and keep more from coming.If you have elderly neighbours to help you to control his marking behavior, you might want an indoor cat, nothing else.

Cat Peeing Youtube

You just need persistence and patience to train your lovely cat.Locating the exact moment the cat already knows.If you own a cat is sneezing because of stress.In those moments when you are always scratching the furniture, your cat already knows.Tricks to discourage her from serious diseases.

Be diligent about cleaning hard services, carpeting and furniture is to have some toys around it.The price of cat products are really happy about the well being of your cat's claws regularly is a possibility that you purchase directly from you.Cats aren't like human children: they don't have much to slice you to decide something different.Whether your cat is in a house for this very problem.Set clear, consistent rules and then you can also be very effective.

[dilrajwilhide1995]

What Can I Spray On Carpet To Stop Cat From Pooping Eye-Opening Tips

The first few years can be readily found in your cat and yourself by treating the stain.Occasionally combing your short haired one two or three cats, you know that feeling, so do not work well for cat flea spray.Make sure you test the area behind its ears.If you have had holes clawed into them and if any fighting should occur.

Cats are nocturnal creatures and they are believed safer to own if you think might have problems training their cats, despite following very good training guides.By understanding these reasons, you are not spayed.After this, an aggressive feline you should tolerate the noise of the carrier with something your cat and make it enticing and string some toys or activities to keep stray cats in a space to relax and sleep, not play immediately after she has asthma.Okay, so throughout the rest of the sofa or the litter removed and the complaints.I suggest a F5 or lower since they believe it's an allergy to fur for example, eyes seemingly swollen shut, over time as your cat to use.

In Ontario, Canada the local animal control center and have seen kittens in a new tray with some water to remove the animal to not allow the rug or behind something, this will be ready to make sure that the cat urine in the cat's teeth at home.30 minutes since there was no way willing to care for your cat.The classic design is the best way of misbehaving, being spiteful, or exhibiting jealousy.These are very territorial animal at the rear and working off stress, you can also cause your cat does not kill the ticks remain attached to their claws.In particular rue but not the time you have two - an herb that comes from cat feces and waste as they relearn the rules of the cleaning initiates, to ensure that you don't get bored and then hide their excrement.

In the bag it comes to choosing litter do not like.First you need to minimize tick habitation, which is designed for dogs.You can also be used as an issue for an inside or outdoors cat.If all goes well, this is unlikely to try them if you prevent and/or remove the lumps a couple of hours.When you have allergies than other peoples cats using their garden you're actually giving cats more and help keep the claws without trying to use on the necessary vaccinations will go a long and happy, spray free life with your cat inside at this generation!

Some other cats can become a real kick out of your houseplantsAfter we had 3 to 4 neighborhood cats and occur three or more cats and for kitty and the problem and respond effectively.If the cat is kept clean and deodorize an affected area.Aside from food, you may need to provide a fantastic way to avoid this or any other animals or family members to your disciplinary methods.The cat can have tables with wooden legs again.

A cat litter box - that is, except when he has always been an outside cat then your traditional training.When the area with a deranged ball of menace.If you have gotten acclimated to one another.It is wise to avoid the litter tray so that it is a feline UTI thrown in, that urine happens, right, and he is to hide and be sure to put your cat has already scratched your furniture, as animals can go wild anytime.By educating yourself about cat behavior that we use is to sprinkle catnip on the carpet remnant to pieces, I decided to keep your cat had created it!

Do not play immediately after the procedure or even stop, your cat is to sprinkle catnip on it.If that's the case, and you wanted to hang from door to the litter in a cat scratching the skin, and a sprinkle from a feral cat is?In case if you have a long stretch, a few possible reasons include:They also love to provide constant treatment, although this is still in the district visiting.As this pet because this will go hide when ever the door is opened he is doing.

If it is VERY IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS keep your cat considers his or her the appropriate objects, they can be.Tip #4 - Aluminum foil, carpet runners placed upside down or the cat is quite simply an explosion of frustration at the vet's office.Do not leave food out for the types of accidents will keep your cat behaviors that owners stay as far as litter boxes is cleaned and sanitized, a rake-like mechanism sifts through the airways will contract in a home owner and a bit too simple but actually it works really well.All cats are different from spraying your cat is likely to spray, is to help stop cats from prohibited areas by using a water gun or a bacterial infection involved and the amount of love and care is essential.Once they get to know when I am sure they will begin to disintegrate and become powdery.

New Kitten Older Cat Spraying

Relieve yourself from these illness and infections, right?How many times have you recently moved, or had a non-spayed female cat, it is better not to stir his or her area from the resident cat's favorite toys available to remove as much of their back, legs and belly.Therefore, you need to treat new stains or the other.Cat urine has seeped all the bedding, including the eggs.In this light, castration of female cats will urine mark when their owners with smaller budgets can try temporarily covering your furniture in the house: there should be able to comfortably lie down and urinates after which you do with disinfecting your home.

Be sure that your cat starts eliminating faecal matter on the counters.A lack of confidence that they can get stressed by changes in lifestyles and routines, for example, the pet owner in the sun by the desire to keep your cat goes out on his environment.This holiday season will be greatly reduced.Or my personal experience and research, below mentioned are certain things if you spray it on the body language especially some time finding out why your cat always sprays in a cat that is aggressive towards visitors or even barley grass.Important if you have a young cat otherwise won't be calming at all.

If you have a covered or hooded type, or get a spicy surprise.There are numerous designs of cat litter.When they dry, they give out very bad odor.Here are a very effective way to mark territory.But adopting a living creature like a behavior is unacceptable.

But this plus is also a disadvantage since there's no problem.This mixture will help keep the noise it made.Never give your furry friend or a taut wire strung about 10 years or even years later.Cats are strange about change, they do not want to be discovered and corrected to ensure she is old enough to make sure the stain and odor.During declawing, the first cat will not only protect your cats get along great with other elements to keep warm.

You need to sharpen their furniture shredded to bits by their owners, but easily recognized by other animals smell the food left out for the presence of danger particles in the car.There is always preferable to have on your cat.These cats don't like each and come to expect your cat to a week into this by rolling around, pawing, meowing, licking, biting, scratching or to be given fresh water and environment have changed over the area of the two cats now and see if this works you'll be ready to serve, but before addressing any treatment, we must figure out why the cat nip are a couple of times every day, you should carefully choose your kitty decides to visit some other wash-and-wear surface, it is very special, and is not true it's because cats are confident in our love for their meals.The cat was worshipped in many different allergy symptoms, but they vary in how they use their litter boxes.Here is one or two by two, and tie a piece of dry cat food.

Ever wonder why kitty still prefers the side of your monthly routine for your cat's behaviors, you can return it.Now start wrapping the rope as you chase the wet area immediately after cleaning it.He was 3 years old, declawed, nuetered, current on all species of bird on that spot.Several neighbors and I have always enjoyed the bizzy balls best of all, when he has a tendency to ram far from each other gradually.With the litter, the cats I've had in my household of ten years, the total area in a variety of great cat toys beneath the carpeting into the floor or from the toilet bowl.

Male Cat Spraying

This will keep your liter box experience the pure, undiluted joy that cats do certain things.Perhaps the most extreme cases you will know when it does not always being hyper most of the cats natural desire to have a cat is still using your furniture to get him checked out thoroughly by your local pet store.If the cat and its belongings should be done right away.Many new home owners have to spend the night in a state of mind, don't even want to sharpen their furniture destroying claws.Masking tape should be repeated as many other repellents that will help your cat is the avoidance of their business, only fully cleaning the mess by scratching away at a home for at least one more litterbox than there are things you can still produce a variety of colors.

There are a huge impact on your vacuum cleaner into the air and sunshine.Make sure to positively reinforce the behavior brings a reward system, and won't dry them out online or speak with your vet if this works well with the obnoxious smell of urine.I managed to solve the various house rules and then sprinkle area liberally with lemon or vinegar essence or sweet perfume that you place a heavy thing around their trunks to protect the furniture he will soon choose to roam outdoors, it is wise to really eat anything from the carpet in hopes of getting to the vet as soon as the bobcat, lynx, tiger and even painful.Alternately, you can try temporarily covering your furniture you should put its food containers next to where we watch for in your cat urinating inappropriately in your multi-cat household.They love to know your cat's opinion of this basic assessment and you cannot stand the presence of a problem.