#Usagi WISHES he were at this much peace with his life

[pizzazz-party]

#serenity /j

[thequietkid-moonie]

Their child experience their first crush

[ HEADCANONS ] [ Reaper & Aguri, Umi & Kousuke, Adam & Eve, Loid & Yor, Usagi & Mamoru ]

[ Assassination Classroom ] [ Gakuen Babysitters ] [ Shuumatsu no Valkyrie ] [ Spy x Family ] [ Sailor Moon ]

What a cute prompt!!! I loved writing it!! Enjoyed a lot writing ever single word!!

I grew curious and ask my mother how she deal with this and even when my sister and I are so diferent the experience wasn't that diferent! Honestly was so interesting to heard her opinion!

Reaper & Aguri

Reaper and Aguri are really loving parents, both of them want to show all their love and support and actually are a really close family, they balance each other, while Agury want to be clingy and totally affectionate, even babying you a little, Reaper takes a role to be a little stric and a good mentor in life

Both want to share a lot of moments, and, as much as they want to keep you as their baby both are well aware that you have to grow and do your own life, and even when they are looking forward to see you grow, you experiencing your first love will definetly hit them hard

Both are really smart, while Aguri may notice the hints because she is a teacher and has a little sister, Reaper is extremely observant and knows a lot about human behavior, but both will have really diferent reactions, while Aguri is incredibly happy and excited, wanting to show you all her support and want to know all the details, Reaper isn't happy at all! Not that he is mad at you, of course, is something completely normal and he had tell himself that he would happy when you find someone to love (just as he had done with Aguri), but the truth is that the moment he notices it all his maturity and role as a good father is throw away from the window, he only wants his little baby back

Reaper will be the kind of father that feels like your lover is trying to steal you away form him but at the same time he feels incredibly happy for seeing you so happy, is so contradictory that is giving him headache. However, he is smart enough to know that it isn't right for him to act from those feelings, he just puts a smile and acts as if it doesn't bother him all while Aguri is asking you for all the details

Even if you prefer to don't say anything about it there is no way to hide it because both will find out and both want to know about your crush! And at some point Kaede will get to know too and she will be the one to came and give you some peace, stoping Aguri and Reaper from asking (if they were being pushy, but if you were willing to share the information she will be there to heard you too)

All of them will make a big deal out of it, Aguri is incredibly happy for her baby and is wishing you the best (while giving you some weird advices about romance), Reaper says that is alright but deep down he is trying to judge the person you like to see if they are worthy of being your partner (don't be surprised if he comes to pick you up from school more often), Kaede acts as if this is one of the greatest events, as determinated as her more important works, and be the one who gave you an actual useful advice

It could be embarrasing and a complete mess, specially because is the first time you develop a crush in someone, but at the end they only want the best for you

Umi & Kousuke

Umi and Kousuke Mamizuka are really loving and supporting parents, they may be busy most of the time but they always try to be there for you (specially in hard times, they are always there), the Mamizuka family is really close and loving

Umi is a teacher, she knows to identify when you need her and when you need time for yourself, so is more than obvious that she'll know when her precious child develop a crush for someone for the first time, she sees it all the time on school, and she couldn't be happier to see her baby grow up!

Choosing to tell them or not is up to you, but Umi soon or later will start to ask you about it, even if you decide to don't say anything she will start to ask indirectly, a little teasing honestly. Changes of your behavior like being more distracted or noticibly more happy or even blushy by school will be noticed by Takuma and Kazuma (they are rather clingy and affectionate with you, so if they will notice even if they don't understand it) and they will also start pointing it out and asking you with their innocent but cheerful expressions (Umi will just laugh at it, specially if you try to come up with a excuse)

Kousuke will be the last one to know because he is always busy, and is more likely that he will know by the others, even if you wanted to tell him is more likely that Umi will tell him that their precious child is in love once she is sure about it, and Kousuke will make a really big deal out of it! It isn't that he is overprotective, but he will be in tears while talking about how his precious little baby is growing so fast and soon you'll probably just go away and make your life (even if that is far from happening yet), honestly he is being a little over dramatic, acting as if you were about to get married soon

It could be embarrasing his behavior because even if you talk about it directly he may or may not try to sneak to see who is the one trying to steal his baby, and will end up envolving Takuma and Kazuma too because he wasn't able to shut up and end up telling them that you love someone, he end up explaining as if you were already in a relationship with that person, what will lead the twins to ask you if you are really in love, and if you go to the same school (that is probably, since Umi works there) they will sneak out of the nursery if they have the opportunity (or just see you around) and start asking you about your lover, what will lead the other kids to ask too (and Usaida will be teasing you, not even try to save you from the embarrasment)

If they actually make you pass an embarrassing moment or just upsed you they will deeply apologize (Kousuke wil be dramatic as always), at the end is Umi who will make everyone calm down and just wish you luck with your first love, willing to give you advice but telling you that you shouldn't feel frustrated if things doesn't work, just enjoy it! (and at the end, Kousuke, Takuma and Kazuma will show their support too, but they won't be as calm as Umi)

Adam & Eve

Adam and Even loves their family dearly, they want to protect their kids but loves them in their freedom, both want for their precious childs to discover the world from themselfs but are always close to whenever they need them, honestly the entire family develop a really wholesome enviroment, united but still free

Honestly, the fact that you are experiencing your first love can easily go unnoticed for a while if you don't say anything, Adam and Even will notice the little changes on your behavior (like being flustered, more shy or even excited to be somewhere) but won't say anything, or at least not to you, they will talk about it and will be Adam who suggest to let you be for now and wait until you feel ready to talk about it, in the mean time they will just keep an eye on you in case is something bad

Soon or later Cain and Abel will notice the little changes too, but they won't be as discreet as their parents, asking you right away about it or probably at your parents, at first they will try to push you to talk about it in a joking manner, and maybe even teasing you about you probably having a crush on someone, it would depend on your reactions, but at the end they will get the answer they wanted and they won't be too happy about it

Is a big contrast because while Adam and Even are taking the news more calmly and just trying to calm your brothers, is Cain and Abel who are taking the news more dramatically, no matter if you are older or younger than them, even if you were the middle child they had grew quite atached at you, they consider you not only as a sibling but also as a best friend, it always had been only the three of you against the world and suddenly some stranger wants to take you away from them! (thats actually not true, is just them being overdramatic)

Adam and Eve will try to calm them down and stop them from making a scene by assuring them that all of you will always be a family no matter what happen, but what Cain and Abel said will end up bugging Eve a little, later she will try to talk about it with Adam, what if that person really tries to take you away form all of you

At the end Adam and Even will want to talk to you about it, wanting to know how the person you like is (and who is, if you are willing to tell them), they want to respect your privacy but they are also eager to know (you still are their baby after all), and even if they don't say it both want to make sure the person you like is someone good for you

Eve and Adam will try to give you advices about love and relasionships, about how it has to be give and recive equally, their advices are actually really good, Cain and Abel will promise to be some kind of bodyguards, promising to don't let that stranger breakeyou precious heart

Loid & Yor

Even when the Forget seem like the perfect family is because Loid and Yor always tries their best to play as a family, and Anya helps a lot too to keep the family enviroment!

Even when both are always looking after the family is Loid the more self-aware of everything that happens with his family (or at least tries to, he just want to ensure the peace for all of you), so it won't take him much time to notice the little hints on your behavior that you had just developed a crush on someone, he may don't want to asume it is a crush right away because he is pretty much cluesest when it comes to it (or at least with more real and deep relasionships) or even nervously in denial, but as time pass the more obvious it becomes for him and he almost panics

As much as Loid wants to repeat himself that all of this is just for his mision is undeniable how much he cares for his family, he wants to ensure your peace and happiness and you having a crush in someone is something he can't control and that makes him nervous! It triggers a little bit his protective side

There is no way Anya will not know, it would be a little confusing for her since now your mind is plagged with thoughts of someone and nervousness, still it doesn't take her much time to undestand it and, honestly, she'll find this funny only because of the reaction of your parents, she isn't interested on any kind of romance right now but she cares for you and wants to support you (even when she doesn't know how to do it or how important this may be to you)

If you don't say anything it would take Yor a long time to realice it, and she is so naive at times that she may just asume that you are being bullied at school, what lead her to be worry about you, leaving her to choose between ask you right away or try to find out who is bothering you

At some point Yor will also tell Loid that you are being bullied, what will lead him to explain that you just have your first crush (a little awkward since he isn't used to things feel so personal), both will be awkward and nervous about it the whole thing, wanting to protect you and support you but not knowing how to do it, and if you decide to don't say anything about it it would make things even more difficult to them, leading them to try to make weird plans to get information about who is your crush and to see if is someone worthy. In the other hand, if you do say them they'll try to show your support and give some advices, Loid's advaces are the most useful only because he know all of that for his job, but deep down he is being extremely careful with what he says, wanting nothing but to ensure your safety

Honestly, Anya could be of a lot of help here, innocently trying to bring the topic somehow if you or your parents decide to don't say anything (because is had started to stress her a little)

Usagi & Mamoru

Usagi and Mamoru tried to be good parents and be always there for you, but if they already lead Crystal Tokyo it would be a little more difficult for them to be always there, however they always tries their hardest to at least let you know they are there for you, as well the Sailor Scouts are always there for you and treat you as family

All of them are really caring and try to look after you and Chibi Usagi, so there are high chances that when you develop a crush for the first time you went to at least one of them for advice, or even for help to try to undestand your feelings, and even if you decide to don't to tell them anything at some point at least one of them will notice your strange behavior (probably Minako, Makoto or even Usagi)

It isn't that they want to embarrased you or anything but once one of them get to know then you having your first crush it quickly become the biggest ghossip among the sailor scouts, if one of the sailor scouts know first they will talk about it a lot before even telling Usagi, but if is Usagi or Mamoru who get to know first then Usagi will be ranting about it, between wanting to tease you and ask you all the details and crying because her little baby had grow so fast! In the mean time Mamoru is trying to calm her down, but he also think that it would be good to talk about it with you

All of the sailor scouts are debating about it, trying to come up with a plan with how to help you, well, half of them don't think is the best idea to intervene if you haven't asked for help

Soon or later Usagi, Makoto and Minako start trying to ask you about it with little discretion, they are usually protective and watch over you but now they are a little more clingly just in hopes to see who your crush is (and try to get a glance of how you act with them), at the end is Mamoru and the other senshi who are more respectful and does support you and give you advice in a more mature way, wishing you the best

As well, you'll have Chibi Usagi's support, no matter if you are older or younger is probably that she grows attached to you since in Crystal Tokyo she used to be more lonely, so, if you don't mind, she will grow a little clingy with you (just like she is with Plut), she will be bothered if you decided to don't tell her and gets to know because of the other sailor scouts, but at the end she will be the first one asking you about it, she will be really interested and will tell you her own veredict about your crush, telling you if is a good or bad person for you (she is being a little prideful and playful, but at the end she wants the best for you)

However, no matter if they all are pretty cheerful about this whole situation everyone wants the best for you and will cheerish for you, actually giving you some useful advices, however there are also high chances that they will end up embarrasing you by trying to help (hopefuly not in front of your crush), also, some of them will try to watch carefuly your crush to make sure they don't want to take advantage of you because of your title

[usetheeauthor]

I’d Stop The World… (+18 MDNI)

Sub!Arisu Ryohei x Plus!Touch-Starved!Reader

Summary: After nearly losing your friend, Arisu, during the witch hunt game and experiencing the King of Spades, you realize the fragility of life and just how important he is to you.

NO READ MORE LINE BREAK ADDED DUE TO GLITCH

A/N: Wrote this because there just isn’t enough Arisu fics and my boy deserves some lovin’

Word Count: 3.8k words

Warnings: spit kink, dirty talk, doggystyle, scratching, biting, crying during and after sex, squirting, creampie, using underwear as gag, cum eating, if you squint ass worship/body worship, body hair kink, multiple orgasms, existentialism, mentions of violence, graphic language, talks of death and impending sense of doom, depression, markings/hickies, hair pulling, oral (m & f recieving), fingering, choking, hand kink/finger sucking, size kink (reader likes how small Arisu is despite him being really tall)

You wondered how it got to this point. How did you end up in a place where you constantly had to fight for your life? A place far from home. Not even existing in your normal universe.

You remember wanting to get away from all of your problems back in America, a year ago. You ended up moving to Japan. Being a city girl, you didn’t think much of the difference in perspective aside from the language. Luckily for you, your mother was a teacher who’d taught English in Japan so you were pretty familiar here.

You mostly kept to yourself, no friends in question. Just how you intended it. All you wished was for a peaceful life. Something you felt hadn’t been granted to you ever since your father lost his battle with depression and your mother developed early dementia. Believing she was too far gone, you’d left. Leaving only a phone number on file to the nurse back home only in the case of emergency. You never visited your mother since.

Now…all you wanted was to visit her. To hold her. To tell her you were sorry for leaving. Her nurse is probably calling you now. Maybe even your friends and family have called you as well. But you’ve pushed them away and you have no way of letting them know that you’re lost in the borderlands with no idea whether you’d be able to get back home.

Along the way, you met countless others who’ve been forced to play the games, too. Countless lives lost. It was enough to wear you down.

But then you met the courageous, intelligent, and inspiring Arisu Ryohei. When you wished to die on the “distance” biking challenge, he encouraged you to love in hopes you’d one day see your mother again. That was your motivation.

However, the closer you got, you realized just how much he meant to you as well. You wanted nothing more than to leave the games with him and start a fresh life together. Maybe even introduce him to your mother.

Then, the night of the Witch Hunt came around. People frantically trying to win the game to proceed and retrieve the Ten of Hearts card. You learned that Arisu’s visa would soon expire at midnight but he’d been tied up somewhere around the hotel. With the help of some players, you were able to save him. Only for Aguni and his goons to continue to attack Arisu nearly beating him to a pulp. Now present day comes around and you’ve made it to the King of Spades level in which he’s mindlessly killing people. An absolute massacre.

The fragility of your mortality comes into question. You’ve met so many great people who you’ve come to know as friends. Usagi, Kuina, Chishiya, Ann…Arisu. People who’ve taught you how to let people in again after building walls for so long. Now you’re at risk of losing them all and never seeing your mother again.

You needed to confess your feelings for Arisu if tomorrow’s your last day. This meant regardless of whether those feelings are returned. Obviously, you sensed that Arisu had feelings for Usagi as he also has a close friendship with her.

“Are you okay?” Arisu asks, snapping you from your panicking thoughts.

The group has separated in pairs, currently searching for supplies to bring to a safe house (abandoned hotel) far from any of the hot zones.

“Mhm.” You simply say, nodding.

“You seem tense…which is fair. We are being chased by a madman with sub machine guns,” He says with a small smile. You give no reaction, continuing to search through the ruins of the convienence store.“Seriously, what’s wrong?”

You sigh. “If I tell you, it’ll make things different between us.”

“I thought we were friends. Nothing could possibly change between us.”

But that’s exactly what I want!

“Okay, I will tell you,” You began. “But I have some rules.”

“And they are…”

“Number one: don’t interrupt.”

“But—”

“Shhh, I said ‘don’t interrupt’. Number two: When I say what I have to say, you don’t have to answer me. At least not yet. You can tell me some other time later just not now.”

“O…kay.”

You inhaled and exhaled deeply, eyes squeezed shit before opening them once again. “Arisu…I…I like you. Like a lot. I long to touch you and hold you. To kiss you. I feel like I’m alive when I see that you’re okay. I’ve been thinking of my motivations for keeping alive. I wish to see my mother again but also I wish for a life where I can be with you and things would be normal. I wish for all our friends to be alive and well. I wanted to let you all of this before it’s too late. When I thought I nearly lost you at the Beach, I felt so sick and lost. I realized that I just couldn’t bear the thought of not having you. You make me feel less alone. I don’t want to go out with so many regrets when I could’ve said something while I can. I release this truth for a lighter conscience. So in case I die tomorrow…Ryohei, I love you.“

He’s stunned by your confession. Rendered speechless. You awkwardly give him a small smile before packing up some food in your backpacks. The rest of the trip back to the safehouse was quiet aside from the one time you wept having to go through a street littered with bodies of players not much older than you.

The group sat in a circle in the middle of a fire outside of the safehouse, talking about their fears and dreams in life. Every now and then, you noticed Arisu glancing at you before quickly averting his gaze.

Deciding to call it a night for wnough rest and energy, the group had gone to their designated rooms. Before you enter your room, you spotted Usagi and Arisu speaking together in the hallway. You knew his feelings for her were stronger but it didn’t hurt any less knowing.

Climbing in bed, you curled the sheets around you. Silently crying to yourself, you here a knock at your door. You wipe your eyes, grabbing a nearby t-shirt to cover your body half-naked body. Trudging over, you opened the door. Arisu stood in the doorway, hair disheveled and eyes needy. He quickly pulls your body to his, planting a passionate kiss on your lips.

The two of you stumble into your room, him kicking the door shut. You pull away for a moment, him pecking your lips with each word you spoke.

“I dont (kiss) understand (kiss). I thought you (kiss) liked Usagi.”

“Usagi’s a friend. A good friend. She encouraged me to not be afraid to say how I feel about you. I was worried that you only felt like you had to say those things because you were scared. I thought a girl like you could never want someone like me. But now I know you mean it because I feel it, too. I love you.”

“I wanna feel you tonight. All of you. No holding back.”

“I’m not very experienced. But if you teach me how to touch you, I will do my best to please you,” He whispers against your lips, cock hardening against your stomach. “I want this to be perfect for you.”

“I don’t want perfect,” You grip him through his shorts, biting down on his bottom lip at the same time. “I wanna fuck. I want sloppy, messy, dirty love making. The kind that will make everyone blush in the morning. I want it to where I could feel you between my legs even when your not there.”

“I want you so bad. I ache. Do you feel me throbbing in your hands?”

“How could I not? All I ever wanted was to feel you. I can’t believe I get to do that now,” You sink down to your knees before him. “But I need more. Need to suck your cock and taste you.”

He caresses the top of your head. “I might cum in your mouth.”

“That’s what I hope for.” Untying the strings of his shorts, you tug them off to reveal his boxers. The head of his growingly hard cock peaking through the hole. Too impatient to pull down his underwear, you suckle on the pink head through the hole; tasting the salty and addicting taste of his precum. Increasingly lowering your mouth around the base, you jerk and bobbed until his cock was fully through the hole.

He groans, biting his lip and watching you through the dark strands of his hair. Once in a while, he’d run his fingers through your hair keeping it out of your way as you gagged around. He was fairly thick in size, dick surprisingly tanned and pretty. Although, he wasn’t extremely huge, he was fucking perfect.

Hands free, you continued to move your mouth up and down his cock. Your hands busied themselves, pulling up at the hems of his shirt. He takes the hint, pulling the shirt over his head. He reveals his toned stomach and faint happy trail of which you happily crawled angry lines down his abs while he fucked you mouth.

His hand rests on the back of your skull, thrusting sing into the back of your throat while saliva dripping down to the cleavage of your breasts, soaking your shirt and forming a puddle on the floor.

You pull away, stroking his cock. “You taste so good, baby. Love it when you fuck my throat.”

“You need to be naked.” Arisu whimpers.

You remove your shirt, breasts exposed to the cold air and your nipples immediately get hard. Only in your lace panties, you shove your hand down to play with your swollen bud while resuming to suck on his deliciously veiny cock.

“Oh, fuckkkk,” Arisu whines head thrown back and knees nearly buckling. “I can’t…It’s too much. Too good.”

You slurp the thick saliva off his cock, jerk him a few times before spitting it right back on the base. You deepthroat his cock, fingers playing with his balls. Never again would he question your desire for him. The sight before him right now is proof enough that you wanted him bad enough to devour him.

“Mmm.” You hummed your enjoyment, sucking hard on the tip for more of his essence while folding his testicles. Your only given his high-pitched cry as a warning before his shooting his warm cum down your throat.

You greedily swallow him down, sucking and moaning until he has to physically pull you off. By the time you look up at him, he’s trembling. His hair even messier from his head trashing around.

“You were amazing,” He breathes out a chuckle. “I’ve never had a girl do that for me.”

“I’d do anything for you, Arisu.” You say, doe eyes and kiss-swollen lips glistening in the moonlight.

“Could I taste you, too? I’ve always wanted to try. I’m not sure how to begin.”

“I can teach you,” You rise up to your feet, eye contact not breaking as you played with the band of your panties. “Off or on?”

“O-off.” He says.

You lower the blue lace material down your legs, keeping them close for later use. “I’d like yours off, too.”

Arisu obeys, finally peeling off the boxers. He’s freed of his restraints and it’s as if he’d gotten even more beautiful somehow. The underwear held back from just how perfect his cock appeared, still drilling wet with your spit.

You lie on your back on the plush mattress, sitting close enough to edge. You prop your up by your elbows, gesturing him with a beckoning finger to come closer to you. When he does, you then gesture him with that finger to get on his knees. His blown pupils assured you that he was more than eager to do this.

He looks down at your glistening core before him as if staring at a 5-course meal. You were, in fact, his meal.

You tug his hair, bringing him forward. His face hovers over your puffy pussy. “You have such a pretty mouth, Arisu. So pink and full. Even when facing death, my eyes can’t tear away from them. I bet they’d feel like heaven on me.”

“Please let me taste you,” Arisu begs. “I promise I’ll do anything to make you cum.”

“How can I deny my good boy?” You cooed. “Go on and taste me.”

Tugging on his hair once again, you bring his face down. He sticks out his long, thick tongue licking a long stripe up your cunt. Flicking the tip of his tongue rapidly against your clit, he sucks it into his mouth causing you to whine out.

You pull at his hair again to pull him away for a bit, looking into his eyes. He was far gone. His eyes trained on your perfect cunt. You decide to let him take the lead releasing his hair. He kisses your inner thighs, enamored by the thickness in them. God, he’s dreamt countless nights of you squeezing his head between them. Tonight, he plans on getting that wish.

He dives back in, kissing and sucking on your lips like he would with the ones on your gorgeous face. Your eyes roll into the back of your head. He’s already doing so good.

With his lips clamped around sensitive nub, he takes a large hand and kneads your thighs before slipping his longest finger into you. You groan out loud, rolling your hips and shoving mouthfuls of your pussy at him.

“Ohhhh, Arisu. You’re so fucking incredible. Ooo, baby.” You groan, removing the hair falling over his face. as stared at you with intense lust-filled eyes. You bite your lip to keep from screaming when he adds another finger in proceeding to do the ‘come hither’ motion and triggering your impending orgasm.

“Oh my god, I’m gonna cum.” You squeak. Arisu works his fingers faster into you alternating between pumping them into your tight core and playing with spongy trigger. He hears the sound of your wetness before he see it. The squelching noises sounding off and then you’re squirting around his fingers. He continues to pump until your eruption practically shoots them out if you. He eagerly licks at your arousal from his finger and the source itself. You take his fingers, sucking them into your mouth.

He can’t take it anymore. He needs to be inside you. Now. You’re turned over on your stomach, hands stretched behind you for him to pin them behind your back. Cuffing a hand over your wrists, he slips his hardened cock into your sopping pussy. The two of you moaning out your bliss.

“Feel so good inside me, my good boy. You’re so tiny compared to me. You really think you can handle all of this body.” You tease, you voice sultry and fucked out.

He bottoms out, biting his lip to keep himself from whimpering. “I can handle all of you. Your curves, your beautiful ass.” He lets a hand collide on your ass cheek causing it to ripple.

“Fuck me, Arisu. Fuck. Me.”

He picks a pace. A pace that—although felt incredibly pleasant—would make you cum soon. You wanted to stretch the moment for as long as you could.

With your cheek pressed to the mattress and your eyes rolled, you beg him to change pace. “Slower. Please. Need to feel every inch.”

He listens, hitting into you with long, deep thrusts timed like the swinging of a pendulum.

“Oh shit,” You whimper, hearing the sounds of your sticky release squelching with the churn of his cock. “Arisu, please, don’t leave me.”

“So good, hanii. I’ll never leave. Never. I’m going to make this pussy my home.” He growls.

Arisu picks up the pace a little, hitting deeper and deeper. You involuntarily began to fuck back against him, your plump bottom smacking against his pelvis.

“Oh god, I’m not gonna last long at this pace. You feel sooooo good and wet,” He punctuates with one thrust against your cervix. “I’ll have to pull out.”

“Just cum in me.” You whine, sounding desperate.

“I don’t want this to end so soon,” Arisu pulls out, letting out a shaky breath. He looks down at his length coated in your creamy arousal. “You’re making it so hard.”

You turn around to face him on all fours. “Want me on top?”

“I need a few minutes to calm down. If I’m inside you again, I’ll blow my load.”

“Do it,” You beg. “Let me be filled by you.”

“Please, hanii…I’ve waited for this moment and I won’t blow it so soon.”

“You can fuck me as many times as you want, Arisu. If I die, I don’t want to live with regret. I don’t want to die without ever having the chance to have you in as many ways possible. The next game we go into, I’ll look at the marks you leave on my body and I’ll remember exactly how I got them. I’ll remember them each fondly. You’re my motivation to live. To come back into your arms and hold you.”

A corner of Arisu’s lips twitches as if he’s attempting to keep himself from smiling, too shy to let you know how much your words made him feel like he was on top of the world.

He nods his approval. “Okay. You can get on top now.”

You push at his chest, making him lie back. Slowly crawling over him as a predator to a prey, starting from licking at the creamy release on his dick, up his chiseled stomach, then finally to his lips. You plant a soft kiss on his lips, gentle enough to leave him wanting more but present enough to run your tongue over his chapped bottom lip.

Taking your lace underwear, you shove it into his mouth and straddle him. You line him up with your entrance than sink down, sobbing out at the feeling of him stretching you. His big, round eyes watched you in awe, mouthful of your panties wet with your arousal. He savors the taste of you on his tongue.

You grind slowly on his cock, biting your lip and watching his lips part. He looks up at your face then your breasts then back at you. But your primal emotions had gotten the best of you and your back to setting a dam-breaking lace, grinding down hard on his cock to bouncing on it.

“Ahh.” Arisu muffles out a whimper at your newfound energy, squeezing his eyes shut.

You wanted slow but did he have to feel so goddamn good?

“Look at me when I’m fucking you.” You growl, grabbing him by the chin. He opens his eyes. You pull the gag from his mouth, parting his lips. Sticking your tongue out, you let a trail of spit fall onto his tongue and he immediately swallows.

After a few bounces, you notice Arisu breathing has gone ragged along with the tightening of his balls from under you which indicated he would be coming very soon. You squeeze around his neck bouncing harder and faster, not giving him any room to breathe.

“That’s it, little one,” You hiss. “Just stay there and take it.”

You loved how fragile he looked under you as if you could easily break him. You can tell he’s never been with a curvier girl. You were going to make sure you’d be his first and his last.

You pull off him causing him to groan and protest. “Why’d you stop?”

“Because I want you on top of me. I want to feel your chest against mine and kiss your neck while you drive into me.”

“I really won’t be lasting long this time. Even if you pull out for the last time, I’ll cum.”

“It’s okay, baby. I won’t pull back this time. Just fuck me slow.”

You lie on your back once more and waited for him to get into your arms. The moment he does, you grip his butt forcing him to quit beating around the bush and fuck you properly.

The gooey, squishy noises were music to your ears. You moan and sob, tears running down from how incredible he felt. You intertwine your fingers in his hair, pulling hard. The other hand clawing angry lines down his back. Your mouth occupies itself biting into his shoulder hard enough to draw blood.

He sucks a bruise on the top of your right breast. He sounded so pretty and desperate. Shaky moans and high-pitched whines whenever you’d clench around him. He pulls his length out for only the tip to stay in, playing with your entrance by shallowly pushing in before going in deep again.

You circle your fingers over your clit, gasping at the feeling of him. He was just so special. “Arisu…I gonna cum so hard. I want you to know that I love you so much. If this kills me, I’ll die happily.”

Taking one hand and pinning it above your head, he tangles his fingers in yours. His eyes still boring into your soul while the heavyness of his breath tickles your skin. He’s panting louder and louder the closer he gets to cumming as well.

“I love you, too.” He reciprocates, placing his beautiful pink lips against yours and it’s enough to awaken a rapture within you.

You cry out, the tension snapping and a splash of wetness shooting out of you and coating his pelvic area and pubic hair.

“Arisu.” You chant his name over and over, the tears continuing to flow as you felt every sensation on every part of your body that contained nerve endings.

Arisu releases his thick, hot essence into your tightening pussy and milk him passed the point of sensitivity. He’s just as loud when he cums, whimpering and begging you to take all of him.

You pull him in for another kiss, your tongue swirling around in his mouth to stifle his cries. By the time you pull away, a line of saliva tracks before you flicks a tongue out to lap it up.

He flops down on the space beside you, letting out a sigh of relief. “That was…”

“Otherworldly? Heavenly? God-tier? Because that pretty much sums it up for me.”

“R-really,” Arisu says dwindling with his thumbs.

“Uh-huh, I’ve never cried this much during sex. You’re one of a kind, Arisu.” Tears still flowing from your face.

“You’re still crying.” Arisu says with concern.

“So are you.” You say, wiping away a tear from his eyes.

“I just don’t want to lose you.” He whispers, taking your hand to kiss it.

“Me neither. I want us all to live.” You sniffle.

“Then, we’ve gotta do whatever we can to survive. I’ll do everything I can to protect you.”

You and Arisu share a passionate kiss, staring into each other’s eyes until you fell asleep for another day…and another game to come.

Japanese Translation: Hanii means “Honey”

[tmntartblock]

TMNT LEOSAGI AU

FIND ME IN THE FUTURE

Chapter 3: The lost child, part 1

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Leo couldn’t sleep. He was thinking all the possibilities, reconsidering every interaction with Usagi. Everything what he had said about himself, his world and their relationship.

The time before the last time, Usagi and Leo had had a long talk, sitting on a tree while looking at the sunset. Everything was peaceful at that exact moment. Leo had felt that everything was going to be okay. They saw each other less and less since Usagi was having harder time sneaking out. It was because the general’s had started to keep more eye on him and said that he had potential.

“I really wanna leave”, Usagi had said. “Come here and live with you. We could watch sunset together every day.”

“Why not? Is it such an impossible scenario?” Leo knew it was a stupid question but couldn’t help himself.

“Leonardo-chan...” They both knew the army would not let Usagi down easy. They hunted Usagi’s friend Gen years after he left. They did not let go of their citizens easy even if they had no interest in fighting.

“It’s not even about being on the run for the rest of my life”, Usagi said. “I… I have the responsibility to my Realm."

Even though Usagi didn't love the army, his Realm he talked about very dearly. Whenever Usagi described his planet, it sounded like the most beautiful place in the universe. The landscape varied from high, dangerous mountains to wide lands of field of blue crystals that the farmers cultivated from their land, mainly due to the government's orders.

"I… I promised to my mother to keep the realm safe from monsters who are trying to take what is ours.”

Usagi rarely mentioned his mother and the first time had been only few years ago. Usagi had never told to anyone else than Leo what had happened.

Usagi didn’t remember a lot from his childhood, only his mother and the wide field he used to run on with his wooden sword. They didn’t have a lot but the government support was enough for the two of them. 

“The last thing I remember from my mom was that I… I yelled at her. She took away my sword and said not to use it anymore. I got so angry.” Usagi stared into abyss, into his own nightmares that had never really left him. No matter how much he tried to suffocate them. He never talked about his past, at least not like this.

“And you know what I did?” Usagi turned back to Leo, eyes filled with disgust to his younger self. “I ran. I thought I could make my own sword. But then the evening came and I got hungry so I went back home and… And the house was on fire. There were few army soldiers trying to put out the fire but it had spread too far.”

Usagi tried to swallow the tears that were forming in his eyes.

“I… I just stood there.”

“It’s not your fault”, Leo said but Usagi did not believe him. 

“That’s when I met my current mentor, sensei Kuma. She was a third rank sergeant who trained soldiers but also took missions to countryside. 

“This is what the enemies do to our realm”, she said. “They want these precious crystals and are willing to do anything to get them. Your mother gave her life for this realm.”

“Why you didn’t come earlier? You could’ve saved her!” I remember being so sad it turned to anger. I couldn’t fathom that my mother was inside those flames. 

“We came here as soon as we could, little bunny. The real question is - why weren’t you here to protect your mother?”

Kuma made sure that I understood that the army was the reason I was still alive. She knew I didn’t want to join them but as an orphan I really had no choice - I belonged to the government. I owed my life to the Realm and I had to protect it at all cost. My mother would’ve wished it. 

It made sense. Why else she would’ve give me that sword to practice, right?

We visited my mother’s grave only once. A new family had moved in the spot to take care of the crystal field. Parents with a kid who was running on the field without any worry in the world.

I promised there and then to my mother that I would honor her sacrifice.

You know, I was really angry. I hated everything about the army at the time. The strict rules, awful food, pretentious people who are there to kick your ass. Everybody saw me as a fragile and small bunny who could barely hold a real sword.”

“When I met you, everything changed. We had the field trip to Earth with our squad. It was my first - everything was so loud and big and terrifying. At the same time I was fascinated. For a few years that I had already been in the army, they had told me stories of different planets and civilizations and how they all were barbaric and just out to get us. 

“This is Earth. Right now it doesn’t really pose a threat to us but it is developing fast”, our instructor had said. But I was not interested at all to just walk the dark and dirty streets. I wanted to see the people.”

“Of course I got lost.

And of course I lost the stupid portal necklace to get back to my realm.

That’s when I met you, Leonardo-chan”, Usagi’s smile widened. “It had started to rain and everything just looked the same. I was miserable and thought yeah, this is it, I’m gonna die now.

And then you showed up so concerned and I couldn’t understand your thick Earth accent.”

“I remember that”, Leo said, smiling at the memory. “And when I asked if you needed help and you just said to go away, bandana frog.”

“In my defense the Earth fauna is not that familiar to me.”

“Luckily I understood you called me a band dog.”

“How is that any better?”

“Made you seem more out of your mind so I didn’t take any offense”, Leo responded laughed. The memory was from years ago but it felt like yesterday.  

“Damn your father was scary to meet”, Usagi said after some silence. 

“He’s always been little hesitant with strangers.”

“Luckily master Splinter let me stay even though we didn’t quite understand each other first.”

“Yeah it took like couple of days. But honestly I don’t pay any attention to it anymore. You are easier to understand than Raph with that Brooklyn accent of his.”

Usagi laughed. 

“After you finally understood my situation we started to search for that damn necklace.”

“It really felt like an impossible task. You had no idea where you had lost it.”

“It’s not my fault all the streets look the same! Just gray and full of trash. But damn I had fun.”

“Me too. We searched everywhere.”

“Not just the search. Those few weeks that I got to live with you has been one of the happiest periods of my life.”

“I’ve never had such a comfortable bed.

So much good food.

So many random bursts of sparring. So much playing.

And just have someone to talk and laugh with. I could talk about anything and everything. You always listened to me with all your attention and made me feel seen. Like a real friend that I never had.

To be honest, I didn’t want it to end.”

Usagi’s smile faded away.

“I remember how it felt like finding that necklace. First the excitement that quickly turned into sadness. I remember us thinking to keep it as a secret but I guess our sense of responsibility was already so strong at that age.

I had kind of hoped that master Splinter would let me stay even after finding the necklace but he was very eager to send me back home. He looked very concerned.”

"It was one of the hardest good byes ever", Leo admitted. "I thought I would never see you again."

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/////Hope you liked this little flashback down the memory lane :)

[arisugamez]

✨Small starter for Season 3✨

____________________________________________

A lot could happen in eight years..

For Arisu, a lot was an understatement. With Borderland a distant memory — a part of his past he wished to forget and discount as some sort of terrible fever dream as a result of the meteor incident — he chose to move on not only to find happiness and peace within himself, but to honour those who couldn’t make it back home due to those terrible games. To honour Karube and Chota who would have even so proud of all he’d achieved since the last time they’d saw him — back when he still struggled to take real direction in life and video games were the only things that made sense to him. How times had changed since then. Would they even recognise him now?

With his psychology degree sealed and a job he loved, Arisu would say his life had turned around massively. Being a school counsellor, it didn’t even feel like work. It was nice to help kids work through problems of their own and to be there for them when they felt like they had nobody else to express their issues to. Some of them he could relate to; loneliness being one of the biggest problems they were facing. Arisu knew what it was like to feel irrelevant to the world. To feel like a waste of space. It was why he’d taken the job in the first place; because nobody deserved to feel like that. An optimist at heart, it was his goal to give these kids hope for the future.

However, his job wasn’t his only achievement. Recently he’d managed to gather up the courage to finally ask Usagi for her hand in marriage after years of dating his soulmate. Possibly the only good thing to come out of Borderland as much as he loathed to give any praise to that hellish place. Now with a date set for their wedding, Arisu could feel the butterflies swarm in his stomach every time he thought about announcing his vows to her. The start of forever. Life was.. perfect. Well— as perfect as someone still recovering from PTSD could be. What more could a man ask for?

With his work day finished and his paperwork filed nearly into a metal cabinet, locked away for confidentiality, Arisu was ready to head home for the day.. that was until he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, signalling that he had a call. Usagi asking if he could pick up some groceries on the way home, perhaps? Only one way to find out. Fishing into his picket, Arisu grabbed his phone and brought it to his ear to accept the call, not bothering to glance at the name on the screen. It had been a long day and his mind had well and truly switched off enough to check little details such as those.

“Hello?”

[princesscolumbia]

Uuuuuugh! Today was one of THOSE days! At least I got some decent Indian food out of it.

Have a chapter:

Ranma stood on the pinnacle of the wasted remains of Beryl's fortress, her Moon Crescent Wand held forth and tears streaming down her face. Her friends were dead, she knew that. One by one, they had sacrificed themselves so she could make it here in a last ditch effort to save the whole of the Earth. Rei, Ami, Makoto, Minako...this is for you! Summoning up every last ounce of power she had, forcing every bit of will in her tiny, teenaged frame into the beam of light that arced between her and the horribly mutated form of the would-be Queen Beryl, she somehow felt that, even though there was no possible way for it to be true, that her friends were by her side.

As Ranma felt the last of her life slip away into the cleansing fire from her wand, she saw Beryl's body fragment, then disintegrate into youma-dust. She collapsed to her knees, then dimly felt her body, still clad in her princess dress, thud against the rock of her lone precipice. As consciousness slipped away, one thought flitted through Ranma's head, I wish that my friends were still alive, and that everything were normal again...

She didn't notice as her Ginzuishou began to sparkle...

Ranma snapped awake. Sitting up quickly, he scanned the room he found himself in, he was...home. It was just a dream, he realized. He wasn't totally sure why he dreamt he was a princess from the moon, or why he should know four other girls that were somehow helping him, although he was sure the evil witch queen was symbolic of all the women in his life in some way.

He just prayed his mother never heard of the dream, though. Imagine how unmanly she'd find a white, lacy dress?

Usagi cradled the limp form of his fiancé in his lap. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful... "Why aren't her eyes open?"

Usagi heard Ryoga stepping closer to him. A friendly hand on his shoulder got no response from the sometimes-female martial artist.

"C'mon, ya stupid tomboy..." trailing off, Usagi hit himself in the head. He forced back tears and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I meant to say, you know, thanks. For helping me."

"I know I'm no good at this feelings stuff. I just couldn't tell you how much I love you." he realized that one of the droplets of water on Akane's face wasn't from the dragon spring. Another joined it as Usagi lost the battle with his tears. "C'mon, Akane, get up." There was still no response, "Akane?"

He couldn't even tell if she was breathing.

"AKANE!!!"

Usagi found herself sitting upright in bed, sweat pouring down her face, her heart pounding like a hummingbird was trapped in her chest.

"Usagi?" came the voice of her feline advisor, "Are you all right?"

Realizing she was indeed all right and once again fully FEMALE, the young girl nodded. "Nightmare." she stuttered.

"Must have been," replied Luna, "I haven't heard you shout like that in your sleep since...well, it's been a while." Usagi nodded, knowing exactly when the Moon Cat was talking about. "Was it...Beryl?"

Although the girl's face couldn't really get more ashen, the slightly confused yet pained look was replaced by one of deep emotional ache. "No. No, it wasn't about Beryl."

They sat in silence for a while, Usagi getting her breathing under control, Luna letting her charge recollect herself.

"Usagi?" Luna queried. She waited for the girl to respond with a 'Hmm?' before continuing with, "Who's Akane?"

"I..." Usagi's face returned to the confused and pained look, "I don't know."

Nabiki heard her alarm clock go off and slapped her hand down on the end table. Having missed the clock entirely, the morning tormentor continued to blare at her. Finally opening her eyes with a groan, she turned her head in an economy of motion that reduced energy expenditure to an absolute minimum. Fixing her gaze on the fuzzy blob that was making the noise, she lifted her arm, steered it like a drunkard over the blob, and let it drop. Mercifully, this ended the noise that was piercing her brain at the ungodly hour of...What time is it, anyway?

She blinked, rubbed her eyes with the hand not presently on the clock, and squinted in an effort to focus through the foggy blur that persisted whenever she opened her eyes first thing in the morning. 6:00 AM, she read, I don't care if the rest of the world gets up at this hour; this is cruel and unusual! Sighing, she plopped her head back on her pillow and merciful unconsciousness played tag with her. Her little game with Morpheus was interrupted by Akane's door opening and shutting, indicating her little sister was on her way out for her morning run. Dimly, she realized that the male (or mostly male) Saotome's would soon be awake and sparring right outside her WINDOW! Sighing and biting back the urge to just storm into their room and give them a good preemptive chewing out (for two reasons. One, Mrs. Saotome didn't spar in the morning, so it would be rude to wake her, and two, that was Akane's shtick.), Nabiki reached up to pull the covers off her chest, with the eventual goal of also kicking them off her legs.

It was about that time she realized she had something cool and metallic on her chest. Forgoing the covers for a moment, she grasped the metal item and lifted it to her eyes. What the...? she thought. Why do I have a key on my chest?

Suddenly, her morning fog was clearing much, much faster.

Rei sighed, leaning forward slightly on her broom and gazing wistfully in the direction of the school her friends were attending. While she certainly didn't miss the homework, her priestess duties kept her from being in the one place where all her best friends gathered every single day.

Not that she cared for the Meatball Head, certainly not. Little manga thief...

Also, there had been times when she was at the shrine while everyone else was at the school, or she was at her private school her grandpa had arranged for her and her communicator would go off, and she'd have to stay put, unable to protect her friends.

Of course, a certain pony-tailed ditz didn't make things easy on that count...

Sighing once again, she grabbed her broom and began to sweep when she saw something down on the street near the temple gates. She almost didn't think anything of it at first, but then it went by the gates again. The temple wall obstructed most of her view of the street, but what looked like an odd assortment of vehicles was heading down the street...right towards the school.

Hopefully Usagi would be late again and not have to face whatever this was, especially if it was a new threat.

Not that Rei cared about Usagi, of course not.

Nabiki normally ate breakfast with her family. Today, a mystery had presented itself that was so unusual that she felt forgoing the luxury of the early morning soap opera that was Ranma and Akane's relationship was very much worth it. She sat in her room at her desk, her laptop open and in front of her, the mystery key sitting on a piece of paper next to it on the left, her bowl of soup on the right. She picked up the bowl and slurped down a bit of it, not standing on manners since she wasn't at the dinner table. Let's see...symbol for 'woman'...nothing, she moused back to the search box and typed another string, 'Female', 'brass' and 'unlock', no...'feminine key'...EW! Quickly hitting back to remove the offensive and highly pornographic search results from her web browser, she decided to take another tack. Hmmm...the symbol for 'woman' comes from the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite, she typed in a few keywords and hit 'enter.' Damn, still nothing! Well, nothing relevant.

Sighing, she sipped at her coffee. "OK," she muttered, "Nothing for 'woman,' or 'Aphrodite' as relates to a brass key..."

Why would someone have dropped a brass key on her bed, and how did they defeat the security measures she had in place, let alone getting into a house of martial artists completely undetected? Sighing, Nabiki gulped down more soup and began to gather some of her schoolbooks and other, less reputable books on wagers and numbers keeping. There was a light tap at her door, followed by Kasumi's gentle voice, "Nabiki, you should be getting ready for school."

Nabiki tensed up. She hadn't told anyone about the key, for some reason she had this incredible desire to keep it's existence secret. "I am, sis. I'll bring my dishes down on the way out, okay?"

"Very well, let me know if you need anything. Your bento will be on the kitchen counter."

"Thanks, sis."

As Kasumi's footfalls faded behind the closed door, Nabiki's eyes fell back on the key again. Aphrodite, goddess of...

Sudden inspiration hit and Nabiki and she did another search for 'goddess of love greek.' Aside from one very odd entry for a shrine in a neighboring ward for a Norse goddess of love, nearly every entry except the Wikipedia result came up as "Venus." Gulping down the rest of her coffee and soup almost absently, Nabiki tossed in a search string of, 'venus key.'

While no results came up with anything fitting the description of the key now in her possession, there was a couple of interesting articles from several of the various boards and clubs devoted to the Sailor Senshi. It seemed that one of their members was named 'Sailor Venus' and some theories about their abilities and where they came from. Not having time to do serious study, Nabiki bookmarked the search results and powered down her computer.

Almost as an afterthought, she shoved the brass key in her uniform pocket before leaving her room.

Usagi trudged into the gates leading to her school, not really ready to face the day. She had, for once, managed to get there on time, but at the price of her much-cherished beauty sleep. A couple of her classmates called out greetings, which she returned sleepily. As she was waving to Makoto, who was chatting with the only other tall girl in school, she noticed a girl in school uniform who would have nicely qualified as a member of The Ministry of Silly Walks. She was holding her book bag up to shield her face, making exaggerated 'tip-toe' steps, and occasionally bouncing off a tree as she aimed, only somewhat accurately, toward the front door of the school.

While Usagi's namesake was never very curious, her advisor's earthen counterparts were notorious for it. Disregarding the native lagomorphic tendencies ascribed to her zodiac animal and embracing the propensity Luna rarely practiced but Artemis did with startling regularity, Usagi altered her course and went straight for the strangely stepping girl.

While high school is a time when most people learn to become adults, complete with the acclimation to what some refer to as the 'social contract' of behaving more mature than one really is, there are some people who just never grow out of the child-like tendency of asking questions in a direct manner. Usagi, as you may have guessed, is one of these people.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a straight-forward, non-aggressive manner.

The other girl tensed up for a moment, then thrust her arms to her side, taking the book bag along with them. She faced Usagi and said, "It's no business of yours what I'm doing, Tsukino!"

Usagi's eyes bugged out, "Mia?!"

Mia's face was now turning red, "Yes, it's me."

"What happened to your armor?" fell out of Usagi's mouth. It registered to the part-time magical girl that she had never seen Mia outside of the armor since the girl had transferred in.

Mia started to growl a response, "It...what is that?" she interrupted herself and looked over Usagi's shoulder.

"Sorry, Usa-chan's usually not here on time, just wanted to say hi. Where was I?" Makoto said after waiving at Usagi.

"The American, Paul?" replied Kita.

"Oh, right. Well, he was cute, but he really didn't look all that good. I just don't remember what I saw in him..."

Kita grinned, "You mean other than the fact that he looks 'just like your old sempai?'"

"Hey," snapped Makoto with a smile on her face, "You take that back!" She proceeded to put the other girl in a headlock. They began laughing, until they both saw...

"What is that?!" burst Kita from under Makoto's arm.

"...and I'm like, 'Oh, my god!'" said Minako, "And she's like, 'Oh, my god! And I'm all, 'Totally!'"

The cheerleaders that were gathered around the star volleyball player of the school simply giggled in the way that young girls do the world over as Minako's stunning use of vocabulary resonated with them.

Before Mina could continue, one of the girls pointed in the direction of the school gate and said, "Like, what is that?"

Ami was in the library, happily immersed in a book about higher functions of calculus, and so missed the whole thing entirely.

By the time the respective Sailor Senshi's attention had been drawn to the school gates (sans Ami and Rei), the entirety of the school's populous that hadn't yet gone inside stood gawking at a sight that was quite unusual for...well, just about anywhere.

A strange, somewhat futuristic vehicle that resembled a cross between a bus and a shuttlecraft from Star Trek: The Next Generation had pulled into the main courtyard of the school. Not in any sort of proper manner, following any of the proscribed paths, but straight in through the gates and right in the middle of the grassy lawn. Behind that were two smaller vehicles, rather like motorcycles but completely covered and with rather large cannon-style weapons on the sides, both bearing banners with a strange assortment of symbols that none of the students could really read. Behind them was a more platform like vehicle, with a large stage-like surface in front of the main cabin, which was actually positioned toward the back of the vehicle. Behind that was another vehicle, and another, and so on stretching for pretty much as far as anyone could see, all of them looking in some form or another very much like something one would find in a sci-fi series.

As the strange procession pulled into a parking position, a man in some sort of uniform hopped out of the lead vehicle and climbed up onto the platform vehicle. He slowly, seemingly reluctantly, grabbed a device from a compartment near the cab of the vehicle and shuffled out to the center of the platform. Sighing, he activated the device, which proved to be a microphone as feedback shot through the ears of everyone in the courtyard. It quickly died down, and the man began to speak.

"Sorry, that was unintentional. Atmospheric changes and all that. I..." he leaned away from the microphone and toward the lead vehicle, which had the head of another man sticking out of the driver's side door. While only those closest to the vehicles could hear what the driver was saying, the microphone was still on, so everybody heard, if somewhat faintly, the speaker's half of the conversation, "Listen, this is stupid...yes, I know it's orders, but the speech is ancient...it's downright archaic and you know it!" he waved vigorously in negation of whatever the driver said in response, "OK fine, whatever." He sighed and put the microphone back up to his mouth. "I bring the Court of the Moon Kingdom a message from the Mighty and Majestic Realms of the Riginium Empire, all hail the Emperor, may he continue to rule for time and all eternity. The message from the Emperor is this; We bring you greetings and good wishes, Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. We wish to formalize the arrangements between our two states using the Anciente and Noble Practice of joining our two houses through matrimony."

At the mention of "Moon Kingdom," three faces in the courtyard went totally white, and they all thought at once, Oh, please don't mention Senshi!

As for the rest of the people, students and teachers alike, they were suddenly abuzz with newfound rumor. Some Emperor, from some far off country, wanted his child to marry someone from their school! They had royalty attending and didn't even know it! Suddenly the sight was less an oddity and more like entertainment.

The speaker continued, "And so, We present the heir to the Empire, the..." the speaker fought to keep revulsion from showing on his face, "The seed of Our loins, the hope and crowning jewel of all Our peoples, the Lord Prince Xavier Ba'heedan the Magnificent, the First."

As the speaker turn on his heal and fled the stage as quickly as possible, trumpets began to sound, or a very acoustically advanced sound system began to sound, there wasn't a single square inch of brass in sight. The next vehicle in line, the one behind the stage, trundled forward. It looked like a sort of futuristic mini-bus, but with tank-like treads instead of wheels. The front split open with a hiss and voluminous amounts of steam as the music blared to a crescendo and a ramp lowered down to the grass. As the vapor cleared, a teenaged boy could be seen walking down the ramp.

Older women would have called him handsome. Younger women would have called him hot. Teenage girls would have called him (and were calling him) bishonen. Men would bowed to him, boys would have glared at him in jealousy. He was good looking. Every single girl on the lawn was suddenly love-struck. They knew that no matter what guy came along, his looks would always be a distant second to this paragon of masculinity. Calmly, casually, he descended the ramp. He held up a small device, panned it across the crowd, looked up and nodded in satisfaction, then clipped it to his belt. Then he walked. Girls began to swoon as their fantasies suddenly took them away to a thousand private islands with the gorgeous hunk passing through their midst.

Usagi was frozen in panic. She didn't know who the Riginium Empire was, she didn't care. She did know that as long as she, her friends, her family, and her school hoped to have a chance in hell of never being the direct recipients of a youma attack, their identities COULD NOT be revealed as Sailor Senshi. And here was this guy, who not only knew about the Silver Millennium, but had referred to her ancient mother by name, and was talking about some 'matrimony' thing that her brain was giving her all sorts of alarms for but she couldn't quite figure out why, and looked like he was headed straight for...

"Ah," he began in a silky smooth voice, "You would no doubt be Princess Serenity. Yes, you look just like your pictures. I am surprised to find you here, of all places, but no matter." He reached out, took her hand, and kissed the back in a gentlemanly manner. What girls watching the scene that weren't smoldering with jealousy sighed heavily, a couple even fainting. "I am Prince Xavier. I look forward to a long and joyous betrothal."

...her. Crap! "Uh..." she began to stammer, "That's nice and all, but I think you're mistake...WAIT A MINUTE, BETROTHAL? MATRIMONY?"

The prince was obviously surprised, "Why, of course. Did your mother not explain these things to you? It has certainly been long enough..."

"MY MOM DID NO SUCH THING! MY MOM LIKES MY BOYFRIEND! I..." it suddenly occurred to Usagi that he wasn't talking about her Mom, the one who made her bunny shaped pancakes, but her Mom, the one who'd been dead for a thousand plus years.

The prince took her sudden stop as an opportunity to speak, "Oh, is Queen Serenity here? We didn't detect her when we came..."

Suddenly, a technique came to Usagi, one that was perfect for dealing with just this sort of situation. It was cunning, it would be unexpected, and it would win her at least enough time to find her friends, who had conveniently disappeared, and it would remove her from the presence of Mia, who was looking far too smug. She didn't know where she came up with the idea, but she made a mental note to thank whoever gave it to her.

"TSUKINO SECRET TECHNIQUE!!!"

Prince Xavier stood blinking at the spot where Usagi used to be just a moment prior. "Hmph!" he sniffed, "That was hardly proper."

Nabiki sat casually, one hand in her pocket under the desk, idly turning the key while her lieutenants briefed her on their respective spheres of influence. She was running mostly on automatic, the mystery of the key consuming a good portion of her thoughts. She still hadn't revealed it to anyone, but she had an idea on how she might get more information.

"OK," she said as the last girl spoke, "It sounds like business as usual. For now I'd like to keep it that way." As a few girls groaned, she spoke up, "Hey, not only could the school use a break, but I think we all deserve some downtime unless there's a special project." The group reluctantly acknowledged Nabiki's decision, having grown rather accustomed to the rather steady influx of money that the general chaos they stirred up could provide.

The other girls had already started gathering their books. "Junko," the older girl looked up, "You follow the Sailor Senshi pretty closely, right?"

Junko blushed slightly as the other girls began teasing her. It was rather well known among Nabiki's lieutenants that Junko was a closet Sailor Moon fangirl. "Yeah, I do..."

"Great, hang out for a bit, would you? I've got some questions about them, my little sister's birthday is coming up soon, I want to make sure I get her something nice." This wasn't a total fabrication. Akane's birthday was coming up soon, and she did have a good sized collection of Sailor Senshi manga and other assorted materials, but that wasn't the point of Nabiki's query.

Once the others got out of earshot, Nabiki leaned forward. "So," began Nabiki, "What can you tell me about the blond girl? The one that's not Sailor Moon, that's Mars, right?"

Junko giggled, "Nope, wrong on that count boss! Sailor Mars has black hair. It's Sailor Venus that has the blond hair."

Nabiki knew that from her brief research that morning, but holding one's cards close to the chest was all important in information gathering. "Right, I don't pay much attention to them myself, this is for Akane, you understand."

"Sure thing, boss! Sailor Venus is the Senshi of Love, and she can kick some real butt too!" she scrambled in her bookbag for a moment and pulled out a magazine called Senshi Beat. She took a moment to flip open to a page, then pushed the magazine over to Nabiki, "See? That's a photo spread someone did of Sailor Venus last month." Indeed, it showed the fetching blond not just in a press conference, but also doing a bit of posing and even a few shots of her in active battle. Nabiki recognized that the girl had a little fighting skill, but only street brawler ability magnified by whatever powered her Senshi abilities. Nabiki didn't grow up in a martial artist's home for nothing, and she had retained her ability to gauge the fighting form, if for no other reason than to be able to set odds in a wager.

"That's great!" Nabiki said with false enthusiasm, "Do you mind if I borrow this?" she said, already slipping the magazine into her bag.

"Oh, sure," said Junko, "The next issue is coming out this afternoon anyway."

"Thanks, Junko." said Nabiki as she stood, "Talk to you later."

Ami was casting confused glances to the other students in the hall. When she had left the library at the appropriate time to go to class, the halls were mostly empty, but they filled up quickly and with a greater amount of chatter than usual. Not one to pay much attention to that sort of thing, she generally tuned it out. The first mention of, "Moon Kingdom" was enough to cause her to stumble, but most people ignored the nerdy girl when she stumbled. She began listening closer, but the reports weren't making much sense. Something about a prince and a bunch of strange cars and trucks and a few mentions of a funny man on a stage all blended together in a very confused jumble of references that Ami couldn't make heads or tails of.

Being more focused on attempting to cobble all these various thoughts together, she was taken by surprise when a hand reached out from the girl's bathroom and yanked her in. Her startled yelp was cut off when she saw Usagi's face.

"Usagi, don't do that! You frightened me!"

Usagi ignored Ami's statement, "Is he out there?"

Ami's bewilderment simply increased. "Is who out there?"

Now Usagi looked confused, "You know...him!"

Ami simply glared at Usagi, "Is this one of those conversations where I should find Mina to translate through Makoto?"

"Grrr!" Usagi actually growled, "Lousy traitors! They just disappeared..."

Ami grabbed Usagi's shoulders and shook her, "Usagi! Make some sense!"

The blond blinked at Ami, "Didn't you see what happened in the courtyard?"

Ami thought back to the very little she had glimpsed of the usual morning crowd on her way to the library. "When, exactly, was I supposed to see anything?"

Just then, the bell rang. "Aaah! I'm going to be late!" Usagi yelped. She charged out the bathroom door, leaving a very confused Ami behind.

Nabiki was putting her books away to head out to lunch. Sure, she didn't have anyone to meet today, given that she'd dismissed all her lieutenants before morning study hall, but she didn't really like sitting in a closed classroom when the entire lunch hour was available for her to enjoy the lawns and courtyards of the school, one of the few things that their pineapple-for-brains principle had done well and in a pleasing way. Perhaps there was something of good report in that be-cursed island Kocho Kuno always rambled on about.

Besides, it got her away from Tatewaki Kuno for a while.

This led to her enjoying her noon repast beneath a rather well tended shade tree as a light breeze cooled her face. She realized that she just hadn't had the time lately to just enjoy pleasant lunches anymore. Perhaps she should find a way to do her usual lunchtime business in another way, or maybe delegate a bit more. It was her final year of high-school, about time to find a local replacement anyway, someone she could hand the reigns of her rather well established little high school empire...for a 15% per annum partial ownership fee, of course.

Nabiki's pleasant thoughts were interrupted by a shadow crossing over her. She looked up to see an older boy, very likely a 19 year old, standing in her sunlight. "Is there something I can do for you?" she said slightly frostily. Her lunchtime was going so well...

"Ah, Nabiki. Still as cool as ever. I have a business proposition for you."

Nabiki furled her brow. She was hoping to dedicate time to the mystery key, not business. Still, business is business... "Before I deal with you, I really must know who you are."

"I graduated from this school at the end of last term. I heard quite a bit about your exploits before I did so, however, and I know you will be interested in what I have to offer."

Nabiki noticed he didn't actually answer her question, but decided to play his game. "I see, so what did you have in mind?"

"I have come to learn of a shipment that went astray," began the young man, "The company that was supposed to take ownership went bankrupt, and so the shipment is simply sitting in a warehouse."

The cash register bells in Nabiki's head overrode the alarm bells briefly. "What's the shipment?"

"I can't say that here, the materials in question are in rather high demand."

"OK," said Nabiki, "Why come to me?" She had dealt with mystery shipments before, including finding some rather well placed recipients that were very...generous to her for her efforts, but this mystery former student wasn't like any of her previous contacts, who she was very familiar with.

"Quite simply," said the stranger, "My associates wanted to avoid the more...heavily monitored sources of contacts. Your name happened to come up, and I knew how to contact you."

Curious, thought Nabiki, "I assume you want me to meet your contacts somewhere?"

The man simply nodded and relayed the location of a warehouse nearby.

"Fine, I have school to finish, I'll meet your associates later on, say, five o'clock?"

"Very well, I shall tell them to expect your arrival."

Ranma lay stretched out under a tree on the other side of the school. He had his bento napkin spread out over his eyes, his hands behind his head, and one ankle resting on the other knee, lightly dozing.

Akane looked up from her English homework, "It's rather quiet today, isn't it?" she observed.

Ukyo scratched down an answer for her math homework, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, sugar. I'm getting more work done today than I usually get done in a week."

Ranma merely grunted in agreement.

Ami was growing increasingly frustrated by the chatter going on around her. AP English was supposed to be one of her few refuges in the school from the constant chattering and nattering of the rumor crowd, yet today's favorite topic, the mysterious happenings that she had somehow completely missed that morning, was being endlessly debated by the others in her class.

"I just haven't ever heard of any 'Riginium Empire,' even anciently."

She now had a choice to make. Did she swallow her pride and show all the other geeks in her class that she out-geeked them by several orders of magnitude and thereby alienate yet another social group, or keep silent and have the unsolved mystery of just what the hell everyone was talking about plague her waking moments?

"Maybe they just changed the name of an older country? It's happened before, especially with revolutions..."

She at least had a better idea of what had happened based on the conversation. Apparently, some prince had walked onto school grounds with great fanfare and proposed to another student, one the other intellectuals in her class didn't like to much.

"That isn't the case here, if we can rely on the lackey's comments on the microphone. The speech he gave is apparently a very old one."

Her increased knowledge was obviously still not giving her the whole story. Why would Usagi have acted the way she did before class?

"I still say it's a hoax. After all, even if the Riginium Empire is real, the Moon Kingdom is obviously not."

Ami stiffened in her seat, her eyes suddenly as big as saucers. She had just added 2 and 2 and gotten 48. Without a word, she scrambled all of her supplies, papers, and books together, threw them into her bag, and ran out the door.

The rest of the class sat in stunned silence for a moment, including the teacher.

Ami poked her head back into the room, "Sorry, sensei. I...uh...need to do some research on...a sociology project." She was gone again before the stunned sensei could merely nod.

Usagi was doing her best effort to hide under her desk without actually leaving her chair. Pretty much the instant she had stepped into her classroom, her classmates were pestering her with questions, asking who the mysterious stranger was, and (the teenager rumor mill being what it was) whether she had gotten "romantic" with him or not, all conveniently ignoring her initial reaction and current vehement denials.

Just as she was about to burst into tears, two things happened.

The first and most welcome was Ami bursting through the doors and breaking very quickly into an impromptu speech in a vain attempt to get the teacher to let Usagi out of class for a bit. It was a vain attempt not due to the usual and expected reasons that no, other students could not just haul students out of class for poor excuses and Usagi's grades were slumping...again, but due to the second thing that happened.

Said second thing was presently swaying, for such a paragon of masculinity did not dangle or hang, on a well crafted tether, his foot through a loop at the end of the tether and one hand gripping the tether at shoulder height. Said tether was swaying just outside Usagi's classroom window, and a low humming noise could be heard, indicating the presence of some sort of craft holding the tether aloft. Every girl in the class was instantly up against the windows in effort to get a better look and (perhaps, just maybe) get their object of amore's attention. Even Ms. Haruna was stunned speechless.

"Fairest princess, I was hoping to...oh, dear..." the combined females of the class were devastated by the disappointed look on Prince Xavier's face. They turned to look to see what had upset their paragon of manliness, only to see Usagi's empty desk and the door to the classroom closing.

Nabiki sat in study hall, quietly soaking up information she considered vital. Said information had nothing to do with math, or science, or any of the other many subjects taught at the school, but more to do with the subject of the key still residing in her pocket. She was carefully paging through the copy of Senshi Beat she had received from Junko, earmarking pages with mentions of Sailor Venus. The teacher in charge had almost threatened to take the magazine away from Nabiki, but the mercenary girl had merely glared menacingly at the man, who quickly backed down without saying a word. Nabiki went back to her magazine with a secretive smile, making a mental note to give a bonus to whoever had dirt on the man. Or just give a bonus to whoever could dig up the dirt.

During the course of her research, she had learned what little Sailor Venus' fans could dig up. There was a strong suspicion that Sailor Venus was also Sailor V, who's crowning achievement was crushing The Syndicate, a crime organization in Europe with suspected ties to the occult. Since Sailor Venus' surfacing in Japan, Sailor V had simply vanished, and their costumes were remarkably similar, based on the few crime artist's sketches that existed from Sailor V's assault on crime and the photos taken since the first youma invasion four years ago. Nabiki had to admit that with the evidence at hand, it was quite likely true. Of course, rumors that Sailor V was still operating in Europe kept the crime activity low, so neither Interpol nor the Senshi were eager to make the connection.

Nabiki paused in her perusal of the magazine and stared hard at one of the images of Sailor Venus. Some fool cameraman with a death wish had gotten close enough to a battle between Sailor Venus and a youma as Venus was using one of her special attacks. The cameraman had to have been one of the pros, as the picture quality was high enough to clearly show each link in the chain Venus was summoning, the last link was actually in the process of forming from whatever the Senshi used to make their attacks. (Nabiki doubted it was Qi, they just didn't seem to be that good as martial artists) The chain wasn't what caught her interest. What she focused on instead was just above the Senshi's hands, hovering in space near Venus' ear.

It was a symbol, made of light, probably five inches across and six inches high. It somewhat resembled an ankh, though the bottom leg was straight down, and the top loop was shaped like a circle.

It exactly matched the symbol on her key.

The library was a place of studious learning. A place where the willing student could go and find portals to the unknown, adventures from long ago, knowledge never seen by minds so young in the history of the world. School libraries represent the greatest achievements of mankind from the earliest dawn of the species, condensed down to several thousand tomes and written in such a way that anyone of average intelligence or higher could, with a few hours of concentrated effort, gain insight into the secrets of the universe.

Consequently, it was the ideal place for Usagi to hide from her teachers and fellow students with inquiring minds, as it was the last place the bunny-haired girl would be caught dead in. She just wished she'd thought of it sooner. Or thought of it at all, as it was Ami who had dragged her into the library.

Usagi was presently fidgeting with her pencil case, trying to keep from making too much noise and getting them kicked out of the library. She had finally landed on a game of "balance the pencil," wherein she displayed some decidedly un-Usagi-like, totally not clumsy behavior of balancing four pencils, two pens, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, and two paperclips on all ten of her fingers, when Ami said, "Ah-ha!" in a definitive tone. This startled Usagi, who promptly dropped all ten implements, making a clattering noise that earned her a sharp glare from Ami. This was fine with Usagi, as Ami hadn't taken her eyes off her computer screen since they had sat down.

Ami dismissed her irritation with her Princess and turned her computer to face Usagi. "This is what I've been looking for."

Usagi felt her brain seize up at the screenfull of legalese. "Uh..."

Ami had apparently anticipated Usagi's lack of comprehension and continued speaking without a beat, "It's a treaty. More specifically it's a contract." Ami turned the computer back around, her eyes flitting over the text as she re-read the salient parts. "The contract is a mutual peace accord, where the Riginium Empire and the Moon Kingdom, who apparently shared a border when we had a functional space fleet..."

"We had a space fleet? Like with X-wing fighters and stuff?"

Ami rolled her eyes, "You watch too much science fiction. There's no such thing as an X-wing fighter." Ami ignored the disappointed look on Usagi's face and continued, "The peace accord says that the two kingdoms are to exist side by side, neither making any moves into the other's space without permission, so long as both sides remain loyal to the contract."

Usagi's brow furrowed, "So what does that have to do with this prince?"

"I'm getting to that," Ami said, "Apparently, it's traditional in the Riginium Empire to include in all treaties with other nations a clause that the Champion Prince of the Riginium Empire, who upon defeating all challengers on their home planet should..."

Ami never got to finish her sentence, because just then the library doors burst open. Framed in the doorway was Makoto and Minako, looking a bit henpecked. "Usagi!" Makoto burst out.

"No shouting in the library!" snapped the librarian, who had immediately come running when she heard the door open.

"No time for that now!" said Mina, "We've got a situation!"

Usagi stood up indignantly, "You...you guys just LEFT me out there!"

Makoto rushed to Usagi's side, "Yeah, sorry, I kinda panicked..."

"Me too!" interjected Mina.

"...but we've got to get you out of here! That prince guy has got some sort of device that he's using to track you. Right now the hall monitors've got him stopped at the end of the hallway..."

With that statement, all earlier infractions were forgotten. Usagi clung to Makoto's arm, "Get me out of here! Hide me!"

"Uhm..." began Ami, "If you'd just sit down with him..."

"That's why we're here." said Mina, plowing right over Ami's words, "I've got the cheerleading squad on standby outside the gates. They volunteered to provide a distraction while we get you home."

Ami spoke up again, "We really don't need to do this..."

"Great!" said Usagi, completely ignoring Ami as she raced for the door, "Let's get out of here!"

Makoto and Minako moved like a coordinated pair of guardians, which is technically what they were, and ushered Usagi out of the library and out of sight. As the doors clapped shut, a slightly frazzled Ami held her gaze forlornly on the spot she had last seen her friends. "...you all really need to hear about the rest of this contract..." she said to the air.

The librarian blinked at Ami, then at the doors. She sighed, muttered something about disrespectful students, and went back to her reshelving duties.

Nabiki stepped out of the school gates to find the mystery man waiting for her. "I hope this doesn't take too long," said Nabiki, "I don't want to miss my sister Akane's cooking."

"Ah, yes. That would be a shame, now, wouldn't it." replied the man.

Damn! thought Nabiki, I'd hoped he'd say something definitive. It was a rather obvious bait to anyone who knew of Akane's cooking, and even in her first year of Home Ec. class was infamous for the culinary disasters that she produced. I guess I'll have to find some other line of questioning. I know this guy wasn't in Furinkan last year, but I can't prove it without more information. Nabiki hid her frustration as she began walking next to the man.

Some time later, with Nabiki attempting several different lines of questioning to try and pull some tidbit about the enigma she was following and getting nowhere except further away from home, they arrived at the entrance to a warehouse building. It was now late enough that the sun was beginning to set. The windows, what few she could see, were dark. She glanced questioningly at her guide. "We keep them covered from the inside," he said, "This particular shipment is rather valuable, after all."

Nabiki simply nodded speculatively as he opened the door for her. Keeping her composure took quite a bit of effort, as some sixth sense was screaming at her that this situation was extremely bad news.

"No, she won't be doing an interview," said Makoto into the phone. There was a pause as she listened to the voice on the other end of the conversation, then, "I don't care if you're from Asahi Shimbun, you're not gonna interview her!" she slammed down the phone. Before she could even take her hand off it, it rang again. Makoto lifted the receiver, quickly tapped the switch hook, checked to make sure the dial tone came on, then set the phone on the table, leaving it off the hook. She sighed and walked over to the front door to help Minako.

"Listen," said Minako, "I understand you've got questions, we all do, but we really don't know anything about this prince character and what he's doing in Juuban looking for our friend."

"But if we could just ask her directly..." asked a student with a badge pinned to his uniform shirt that said, 'Student paper.'

Makoto gently pushed Minako aside, "Are you hearing impaired?" growled the tall brunette, "She aint talkin', not now, not later, not ever!" She used her height and every ounce of intimidation she could summon to loom over the student reporter. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

The boy, knees knocking, nodded, babbled something in agreement, and took off running.

Luna watched it all from the stairs, "My goodness," she said under her breath to Usagi, "What caused all this?"

Usagi sulked in her bedroom doorway, feeling like a prisoner in her own house. "Some prince showed up today. He knew about the Moon Kingdom and everything."

"A prince?" restated Luna in confusion.

Usagi nodded. "Some sort of empire. 'Rejonium' or something like that." Unseen by Luna, Usagi began absentmindedly flipping a coin through her fingers, once again casually displaying a level of dexterity the Moon Princess had never before possessed.

Luna blinked, looked back to Usagi from her vantage point at the top of the stairs, "Riginium?" she clarified. At Usagi's nod, she gasped, "Good heavens! I didn't even know the Empire still existed!"

Usagi, having her attention distracted again, dropped the coin clumsily, "You know about these people?"

"Oh, yes," said Luna, "It's a bit hazy..." they both shared an annoyed look, as Luna's and Artimis' swiss cheese memories were a continual bane to the Sailor Senshi, "But they were a neighboring kingdom. Very warrior-like, always issuing challenges and taking it as a personal affront if you didn't accept."

"They're barbarians?!" gaped Usagi.

"No, no," said Luna, "They were very well bred, with great knowledge of science and history being a large part of their education, along with training. No, it's more like the old dueling code here on Earth. A sort of 'gentleman's duel' to determine honor. To turn down a dual was considered a tremendous insult that could result in wars if the participants were in the right families."

"Great!" said Usagi, "And now I've got their prince wanting to marry me!"

Luna blinked at Usagi for a moment, then shouted, "WHAT?!"

Unfortunately, Ikoku Tsukino, Usagi's Earthly mother, came through the door at that moment, "I'm home from shopping! Oh, hello girls." she said with a smile as she saw Makoto and Minako. Usagi rolled her eyes and shrugged at Luna, who couldn't talk now without blowing her cover in front of Usagi's mom. The younger Tsukino padded down the stairs and said, "Hi, mom!"

As Ikoku went into the kitchen, Makoto automatically following to help put away the shopping, she said, "I had the most interesting encounter today. A small gaggle of girls came up to me and asked if I had betrothed you to a prince!"

Usagi, Makoto, and Minako plastered smiles on their faces, cringing inside as they forced out a giggle to join Usagi's mom in her laughter.

Nabiki followed her guide to the center of the warehouse, her hand in her pocket and firmly gripping the key bearing the Venus emblem. Not that it would provide a whole lot of protection, but a poke in the eye with a large brass key would have to hurt enough for her to get out of a bad situation if it came down to it. "So when do your associates arrive?" said Nabiki.

"They should be here right about..." they heard a door open on the other side of the warehouse and some male voices floated over to them. Nabiki struggled to see the newcomers through the dark of the warehouse. She saw them as mere shadows as they approached, but she could hear them as they came further in.

"...I just want to get this over with. I don't like dealing with unknowns."

Reasonable, Nabiki thought. One does not become a successful business person without wanting to know all the facts.

"Listen, the boss says that this guy can deliver, and you've seen him in action. You want to tell the boss he's wrong?"

Finally, the two newcomers stepped into the light of the single bulb that was lit in the warehouse. The both wore long sleeved shirts with high collars, clean, pressed pants and sport coats, and seemingly matching ties. Nabiki's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Sure, they could be just well dressed businessmen, but they could also be well dressed thugs.

The first voice, the man on the right, didn't answer his collegues question but turned to face the mystery man that brought Nabiki. "This kid is the one we're waiting for?"

The man nodded, and the other two men simply nodded and backed away. The alarm bells were suddenly screaming at her, and one thought began to echo in her mind. It was odd, as she had never heard the particular phrase before in her life.

The mystery man turned to face her as the shadows seem to darken around him, "You have succumbed to your greed. The path to your destruction has been chosen." His form seemed to twist, his clothes shredded as his skin took on a monstrous color. The man...no, the youma (for Nabiki had now recognized what she was facing) began to grow and shift, it's torso stretching obscenely into a twisted mockery of the female form. It's arms bulked up, shadowy tattoos slithering across the skin of it's arms until it resembled a dark parody of Yakuza markings. It's face stretched into something resembling a lizard, and it's tongue flicked own, showing that it was silvery and forked.

Nabiki had already began to step backward, trying to keep her eye on the creature and evacuate at the same time. The two men, she noticed, did not make a move to assist her or the youma, but neither did they act surprised. The creature took a lumbering step toward her on cloven-hooves and hissed at her. With that, Nabiki turned on her heal and ran, hoping to make it to the doorway and out onto the streets of Nerima, where some over-powered martial artist was bound to be wandering by.

She didn't make it two steps before a massive, clawed hand slammed her against some nearby crates, pinning her face first.

Sailor Moon ran like a woman possessed, anger etched all over her face. Jupiter and Venus kept pace a few steps behind, keeping a concerned eye on their leader as they leaped from rooftop to rooftop.

When it was just her mom asking questions, Usagi could laugh at the whole thing and almost pretend the whole bad day had been some sort of silly story she and her friends had made up. When the first reporter, followed by another inquisitive group of girls, showed up at the door, it went from silly to irritating. When Mrs. Tsukino noticed the phone was off the hook and placed it back on the cradle before Makoto could warn her off, it went from irritation to nightmare as the phone once again started ringing with call after inquiring call from newspapers, TV stations, friends, associates, dubious relations, relatives, and even a few wedding planners who all wanted to get in on the action.

Ikoku had finally taken the same route as Makoto and just left the phone off the hook.

Soon thereafter the press started camping out on their street, followed shortly by star-struck girls who wanted to inveigle their way into the inner circle of a girl who would soon be a princess of some sort. About an hour earlier, the Tokyo PD had finally been summoned to evict the paparazzi and fangirls, but the police efforts weren't entirely effective, and the occasional fangirl or really stubborn cameraman would sneak through the police line.

After the fifth incident (Usagi finding a fangirl with a camera in her shower, Makoto physically tossing the girl out the front door, Minako destroying the camera and the film), the once and future Princess of the Moon decided she couldn't take it any longer, gave her mom a flimsy excuse for staying with Makoto (which her mother, too frazzled by the situation to argue, agreed to), got to a secluded spot between houses she had used for transforming in the past, activated her Sailor suit, and ran off into the night, her fellow Senshi just a few steps behind her.

Sailor Jupiter could hear Venus on the communicator with Mars and Mercury. As there was no youma present, there was no reason to do an all-call, but that didn't stop them from calling in some friends to get together to find a way to get out of the situation, or at least cheer up Sailor Moon.

Abruptly, Sailor Moon came to a stop. Jupiter and Venus stumbled into each other, trying to brake their momentum. Moon stood silently for a moment, then slumped to her knees, weakly punching the roofing tiles beneath her. "Stupid prince..."

It was at that moment Sailor Mars arrived. "I came as quickly as I could..." she trailed off when she saw Sailor Moon, and was by her friend's side in a heartbeat. The raven-haired girl draped her arm over her friend's shoulders, "Hey, meatball head, what's with the long face?"

Nabiki could feel her ribs begin to creak as the youma held her pinned against the crate. Her feet were kicking ineffectually six inches off the floor while her left arm was pinned between her stomach and the crate, and her right arm was stretched out and had somehow managed to remain unpunctured by the creature's talons. Her head was turned to the right, where she could see the key she'd been holding with a death grip glint in the low light of the warehouse.

Abruptly, she felt a tugging sensation. Having spent enough time around Ranma, Happosai, Cologne, Miss Hinako, and other Qi adepts, she knew automatically that she was experiencing her first ever Qi drainage.

It wasn't pleasant.

Her face twisted in a rictus of pain and a strangled noise escaped her throat. Were she of a mind to objectively examine the experience, she would have supposed it was rather akin to having one's brain, eyes, throat, heart, stomach, reproductive organs, and digestive tract all being pulled out of one's body through the small of one's back.

Finally, through the fog of pain and withering, smothering darkness that began to envelope her consciousness, she cried out the words that had been rolling in her mind since she had entered the warehouse.

"VENUS PLANET POWER, ACTIVATE!"

Sailor Moon was crying into Sailor Mars' shoulder as Mars uttered soothing noises to their princess and leader. Mars wasn't able to make a whole lot of sense of what Moon said, but she did gather that it had been a very, very rough day and it all involved a prince that had showed up at their school.

Mars kept the boiling fury she felt toward anyone who would do this to her friend in check as she attended to Moon. "Tell you what," she said comfortingly, "If I ever see this prince guy, I'll Burning Mandala him, OK?"

Moon giggled weakly through her sobbing, and the crying was greatly reduced. Venus and Jupiter, who had sat down nearby, smiled encouragingly at Mars, knowing that sometimes all any of them needed was a good shoulder to cry on. At this rate, maybe they could go over to Jupiter's place and stay the night and let this whole thing just blow...

"Ah, Princess. There you are. That power suit certainly does give you quite the speed boost." Prince Xavier said as he stepped off what looked to be a hovering motorcycle. "Once we had pinpointed you on our scopes I must say even the captain was impressed by how quickly you were moving."

...up. Naturally, the prince once again showed his incredible sense of bad timing, right when they had almost calmed Sailor Moon down.

Sailor Mars flinched back in surprise when Sailor Moon growled. "YOU!" spat the Defender of Love and Justice. She shrugged off Sailor Mars and stood, spinning to face the prince. "This ends right now!"

Inexplicably, Xavier's face lit up in a grin. "Oh, excellent! We are going to do it the right way!"

Sailor Moon, enraged at the apparent disregard this stranger had for her personal distress, simply howled and charged at him.

The youma was thrown back, smashing into some crates and boxes. Blinding light pierced the warehouse as the echo from Nabiki's phrase faded away.

Nabiki found herself floating above the floor, spinning slowly as her clothes seemed to evaporate. She felt ribbons of light and color swirl around her body, gently caressing her curves until they took the pattern of a jumper around her torso and then abruptly solidified into a sort of fabric. More ribbons fluttered about her wrists, then became metal wrist bracers. A bit more of the magic swirled through her hands and fingers, finally forming fingerless gloves. She instinctively gripped down, making fists with her hands. She felt a caress of magic around her feet, almost tickling her as the sensation traveled up her ankles, finally collapsing to form boots. The energy billowed around her waist and suddenly formed up a skirt. She felt rather than saw the gem form on her head and the magic spread out to create a tiara.

After a moment of blinding light and change, Nabiki found her feet settling on the floor. She felt a power surging through her like she had never experienced before. She felt like she could lift a truck...no, a building! She felt like she could jump over a building!

Nabiki wondered briefly if this was what Ranma felt like all the time.

Ranma, grateful for the brief break he seemed to be enjoying, actually smiled as he punted Tatewaki Kuno a block and a half back to the Kuno mansion. A sudden sneeze distracted him briefly, but he blithely shook it off and sauntered off to the market to pick up the greens Kasumi asked for at the last minute. He decided to whistle a tune he'd heard once.

Three minutes later, Ryoga wandered by the same spot, face buried in a map of Kenya and completely missing the fact that he was in Nerima before disappearing around a nearby corner.

Nabiki was suddenly brought back to her surroundings when she was launched into a pile of boxes by the large fist of the youma. Pushing herself up and dusting off her fuku, she realized that she had taken a blow which should have shattered at least a few bones and was able to hop back up unscathed. Another phrase tagged her mind, coupled with some gestures that seemed a bit silly. Dodging a clawing blow, she realized that it didn't really matter if it was silly or not, the last goofy phrase that went through her mind worked out pretty good, so this one might work out as well.

"VENUS ONE YEN COIN SHOWER!" she shouted. From literally nowhere one-yen coins formed in the air, already flying at terminal velocity, and peppered the youma's body. The attack lasted a second, but to Nabiki's very well trained eye, it appeared that more than 4,000 coins had struck the youma, all at very high speed.

With a hideous gurgling noise, the monster shuddered on the floor, then collapsed into a pile of quickly dissipating dust.

Nabiki stood over her foe and basked in the victory. This spot belonged to Ranma, or Akane, or any one of the martial artists that crossed her life's path. Nabiki had never understood the thrill they got from pummeling their opponents to dust until now.

A scuffling noise interrupted her thoughts. She realized the two men that were part of this little trap were still around. She smiled ferally and turned toward them slowly.

Sailors Mars, Venus, and Jupiter watched in awe as their normally clumsy leader performed martial arts combat like a seasoned pro. Sailor Moon dodged, counterpunched, slid, flipped, and kicked with all the precision of a world class martial artist, at least first-dan ranking, if not higher. To Jupiter's slightly-more-trained-eye-than-the-others, it looked like the fight would be over soon, with The Moon Princess emerging triumphant.

Sailor Mercury skidded to a stop next to Jupiter, clearly out of breath. "What's going on...MOON, STOP!"

While Sailor Moon ignored Mercury in order to dole out a Royal ass-kicking, Jupiter held Mercury back from jumping in. "Hold it there, Water-lily, she needs to blow off some steam."

Mercury struggled to get free, "But you don't understand! If she beats him..." she trailed off and Jupiter turned to see why.

The scene seemed to freeze in time for a moment as Jupiter took it all in. Sailor Moon had her right leg extended upward in a quite vicious snap-kick, her face contorted in an angry, "Kia!" her arms in balancing positions and poised in the follow-through from her last punching combination, and her left leg slightly bent at the knee, her left boot planted firmly on the roofing tiles. Prince Xavier had two swords that Jupiter didn't remember him bringing to the battle stretched out, as though both arms had been swatted aside (which they probably were), his feet were inches off the roof, his legs bent as though interrupted in a jump, back arched, head tossed back and chin pointing at the sky.

An instant later, the tableau was broken and the Prince flipped through the air, slamming down on his back, swords clattering across the roof, clearly knocked out cold.

Sailor Moon finished the follow-through for the kick, resumed a stance, then realized the fight was over. She began jumping for joy, ecstatic that not only did she win a fight without her Senshi magic, she also creamed the guy that turned her day into a living nightmare.

Mars and Venus promptly began cheering as Moon began dancing around the roof with joy. Jupiter was about to join in their festivities when she heard Mercury's quiet, "Oh, dear..." She glanced at the blue haired Senshi and saw a great deal of concern etched on the other girl's face.

Kaneda hid in the shadows behind a dumpster. The chick the demon guy had brought had to be a Senshi, that was the only explanation for the light show and subsequent total defeat of their demonic contact. How in the world someone so powerful would land in a trap like that Kaneda would never know.

The senshi had already taken out Daiki. When the demon guy had gone down, the two had made a break for it, hoping to escape while the senshi cleaned up the mess. They didn't expect her speed, however, and Kaneda once again proved that you don't need to outrun the bear, you just need to outrun the other guy.

This led him to the aforementioned dumpster and hiding. He struggled to get his breath under control, hoping that he had somehow ditched the senshi.

He realized he'd have no such luck when a fingerless glove grabbed his shirt collar. His world became a blur as the senshi effortlessly jumped like a reverse pachinko ball up the sides of two buildings, quickly landing on the rooftop of one of them and standing on the edge, casually holding Kaneda at arms length. He looked down and nearly lost the contents of his bowels as he realized he was now seven stories up and the only thing keeping him from dying was a very pissed senshi.

"So," she said, "I've already talked to your pal. He seems to believe that you'll know more about your youma friend than him." She gave him an evil smile, "You can understand how I'm rather interested in more...information."

Kaneda had heard about this sort of situation. He now had a choice of death by falling or death by hitman when his bosses found out about him turning stoolpidgin. He really wished he hadn't gotten out of bed this morning. "I...I don't know..."

"Bzzzt! Wrong answer!" she let go with the hand that was holding him aloft. Before he could scream in panic, her other hand shot out and grabbed his shirt. "So, let's try again. What do you know about the youma?"

Death by falling was suddenly a much more immediate threat. "OK, OK! The boss has been in contact with these guys, I don't know a whole lot more than that."

Nabiki smirked. This was so much more fun than simple extortion. "So, you know nothing more? Let's say I remove my fingers one by one," she demonstrated by pulling her index finger from the fist gripping his shirt. The sudden slack caused Kaneda to drop a quarter inch, "Until we get to the point where my hand just doesn't hold you up anymore?"

Kaneda panicked and gripped the bracer around the senshi's wrist, hoping to avoid a nasty destiny as a road pizza. "'Retribution!' They call themselves Retribution! They're trying to form a syndicate with a bunch of the Yakuza families!"

Police sirens could be heard from down the street. For the first time since he joined the clan, he was glad to hear the sirens. Maybe the cops could talk this crazy lady out of dropping him.

"Retribution...forming a syndicate...that's it?" said the senshi casually, pulling her middle finger out of the fist.

"YES, YES! I SWEAR, THAT'S ALL I KNOW!"

Nabiki nodded, satisfied that the hoodlum was revealing all the information he had. She pulled some bungee cable from her belt that she had picked up at a nearby sporting goods store after she'd taken care of the other thug. 'Taken care of,' of course, meant that she had tied up said thug with a display case of cargo netting after throwing the thug through the window of the sporting goods store, setting off the alarm and summoning the police. "Next time you meet your bosses or this 'Retribution' they're so fond of, I want you to tell them that I'm going to be all over them like feathers on a duck from now on." She tossed the loop she already tied on the cord around a metal fixture on the roof top.

Kaneda scrambled to maintain his grip on the senshi's bracer, "Who...who are you?"

She yanked him close, so their noses were almost touching, "I'm Sailor V."

She abruptly shook him off her hand, and he screamed as he began to plummet to the ground. Sailor V was right behind him, having leapt off the building right after dropping him. She looped the cord around his ankles and used her senshi enhanced speed to tie a secure knot in the cable. She flipped mid-air and pushed away from the building face, letting Kaneda fall to the extent of the rope, slam against the building, and get yanked back up. Sailor V flipped again, landed in the street right in front of the incoming police car, bounced up against the building on the opposite side of the street, ping-ponged back and forth back up to the rooftops, and roof-hopped away from the scene.

Sailor Jupiter gripped Mercury's shoulder, "What's wrong? She kicked his butt."

"That's precisely what's wrong." said Sailor Mercury. "It's part of the standard treaty that the Riginium Empire signs with all it's trading partners and allies. It means that..."

She was interrupted by a groan from the now stirring prince. He sat up, shook his head to clear it, then boosted himself up to his feet. "Excellent!" he began, "I shall have the captain begin the arrangements immediately."

Sailor Moon stopped her victory dance and glared at the prince, "What preparations?" she snapped.

"Why, our marriage, of course."

"What are you talking about? I just kicked your butt like a youma!"

The prince let the Earth-bound reference slide, "That's it exactly. Surely your advisors have explained the ceremony to you."

Sailor Moon turned to Mercury, "Do you know what he's talking about?"

Mercury sighed and pulled out her computer again, "As I was trying to tell you, by agreeing to the ceremonial battle and proving your worth by defeating the Riginium representative in combat, you...er, provide full consent to the, um...matrimony ceremony to..." she lost her nerve toward the end of her 'explanation' and just waved vaguely at the prince.

Sailor Moon blinked in confusion at Mercury, trying to piece together what the other girl said.

Jupiter managed to decipher Mercury's words. The blue haired girl always tended to use large vocabulary when she didn't want to deliver bad news. "You're kidding!" Jupiter blurted out.

Sailor Moon looked frantic, "What are you saying, what's going on?!" She turned in panic to look at Prince Xavier.

He simply shrugged in that annoyingly handsome way he had, "Why, we're to be married tomorrow now that you've given your consent in the traditional combat ceremony."

Moon turned to Mercury to translate. The young genius looked down at the roofing tile, "He proposed, you said yes."

It was the punctuation mark to a very, very bad day. Moon's mind was overwhelmed, and she fainted. Her last conscious thought was, Please, please don't let it be the prince that catches me!

Sailor V flew into her bedroom through her open window and landed nimbly on her feet. She had a huge grin on her face, her breathing was deep, as if she had finished a particularly good jog, but she felt more like she had just deboarded the most intense roller coaster ever.

She flopped down on her bed face up, enjoying the exhilaration and afterglow. She was going to have to get more information about the senshi, possibly by going straight to the source. The magazines were good, but there was only so much they could actually dig up on the secretive super-group.

Sailor V reached up idly and ran her fingertip over the tiara that had formed on her forehead. She touched the gem in the center and was startled when her seifuku suddenly collapsed, leaving her clutching her transformation key in the same hand that was caressing the tiara. "Well," Nabiki muttered to herself, "That solves that problem before I thought of it."

She suddenly heard the latch of her door opening and dropped the key behind her pillow. The door opened to reveal Kasumi, who did a double-take and gasped, "Nabiki? I didn't know you were home."

The younger sister propped herself up on her elbows, "Oh, sorry 'bout that. I had some unexpected business that kept me late and I didn't want to cause a fuss when I came home. I snuck in just a few moments ago."

Kasumi blinked and processed what her sister said. Were Nabiki the type to sweat under preasure, she'd be drenched. She knew Kasumi was smarter than everyone gave her credit for, but she was also nice and polite to a fault. "Well, OK," began Kasumi, "I can warm up some dinner for you if you like."

"That'd be great, sis," said Nabiki, "I haven't eaten since lunch and I've still got studying to do."

Kasumi nodded and closed the door.

Nabiki retrieved her key from behind her pillow, gazed at it lovingly, and clutched it to her chest. "All this time I never knew...WOW it feels good to be one of the power-players!" Grinning broadly, she began to change out of her school uniform and into something more casual to go enjoy her sister's excellent cooking.

[askfacultystaff]

Picrew Pictures.

Robbie Valentino

Myself In Real Life

For @neko-sufis-world.

NekoMa RaidSu

Usaky Funkah

Teenager! Protective! Rama: You cannot run away from me, idiot! 😒💢

Teenager! Protective! Funko: Uuhh.... I'm sorry, what did you say? 😅

Angst! Girl Funky Funko AU

Girl Funko Jr.: Rest in peace.... Hope you can see me, mom.... I'll always remember you in my heart.... 😢

After Girl Funko Jr. turned 15, she still remember about how she was spended time with Angel! Usagi-Haji in her childhood. What about her mother? Well, that makes you feel more sad and tragic... Why is that? It's because everytime her mother, Girl Funko can't stop remember about her bestie's car accident, she yelled "BESTIE!!! 😨".... But unfortunately, her heart stopped beating with sudden and passes out until she became all white, much to her daughter's shock. Girl Funko Jr. tried to wake her mother up, but no results, so she called everyone, including her father, Glor Whitehair and her brother to help her. "What just happened? 😥" Worried Ramayana, along with Neko-Sufian. Girl Funko Jr. explains "My mother's fainted, and i can see her skin became all white!! I tried to wake her up, but nothing!! *Tearing up* We need do something quick!!! 😢"

After Neko-Sufian suggested to send her to hospital, everyone standing outside, hoping Girl Funko is fine... But wrong... Because Doctor walks out of room with sad look on his face. "Doctor.... Is my friend fine? 😟" Said Ramayana. Doctor shakes his head as he tells bad news to them "I'm sorry... But the bad news is her pressure has completely dropped to zero. And her heart stopped beating... We just tried to revive her, but it was too late.... 😔" Everyone shocked and worried at the same time, but for Ramayana and Girl Funko Jr., they starting to cry over their loss, hugging together and Neko-Sufian sobbing. All of because of Girl Funko's unforgettable memory, Doctor told them they'll preparing her funeral tomorrow.

The next day, everyone are visiting Girl Funko's grave where did they put it next to Usagi-Haji's grave. Now everyone lost another one they love, and Ramayana crying "YOU WERE MY GOOD FRIEND I EVER HAD, FUNKO!!! I'LL NEVER FORGET ABOUT YOU!!! 😭" And Girl Funko Jr. wishing her mother to rest in peace and she'll always remember her in her heart. That's why Angel! Girl Funko is now at better place, finally meet Angel! Usagi-Haji and never anguish and suffered ever again.

Avianna Valeria (New Oc)

Avianna Valeria is just a girl at age of 19, and has folk traditions. She likes to respect people and unusual people, except the bad ones. She loves when people sharing foods and drinks.

Sometimes she is shy when she meets new people or tries to know after meeting. Avianna is of course, wearing headscarf to look more like a folk girl. Everyone will respect her too and never offend her.

[sweeneydino]

Okay yeah they do

So a more detailed thingy... very long.

When Usagi comes to visit, he's pretty much swarmed by his kids, anything they were doing before hand dropped in favor of being the first to scale their father and get his ears.

Of course, he entertains this, showering them in affections and cooing over them; he doesn't get to see them as much as he wishes, not with the recent troubles in his realm where they'll be in danger, and he'll be damned if he didn't get to at least tell them how wonderful they are and endulge in their curiosities.

Plus, Leo needs a break, and Usagi is pretty good with kids.

He keeps their little trinkets on him at all times when on solo-travels, and if it's too big or fragile, he'll put them in a special box, handled with the utmost care.

Even so, he still makes sure his little chaotic dragons keep to a set of rules. Otherwise, they might do something quite, well, chaotic.

One day, he might be able to let them visit their other home when it's safe.

Leonardo is one stressed out parent, mostly cause his brothers aren't much help when it comes to reeling in the kids. When he does get peace, it's usually spent meditating or practicing, although it usually is cut short by one of his children.

Either the twins fighting, Dai saying some questionable things, or his eldest son.

Out of all his beloved children, Akai is the closest to him, following him around whenever he's done playing with his siblings or his uncles, and always asking to be ninja like him, to his dad's absolute delight.

The two's bond strengthens as he teaches Akai, and soon, his brothers, and he couldn't be more proud of how they've come along.

Despite this, as they grow up to teens, he might have to apologize to his own father more than once.

Raphael is that one "cool" uncle that you know is a bad influence, but he sleeps in the same house as you and is kind of a favorite.

Due to the chaos of the family life, Raph is less than keen to stay in a "cramped" home with a ton of "ankle-biters" (literally) running around. Unfortunately, they have him in a chokehold, so his only option is late night runs and vigilante business to get rid of the numbness of sitting down and babysitting.

One of the kids had joined in one of those runs, and now he's collecting scrap from the junkyard to appease his favo- nephew.

It really doesn't take much thought to see how Mura managed to connect with the "grumpiest" of them. And it didn't take much thought to see that he was fine with that.

Oh? No, He didn't supply him with titanium. Where would he even get it?

Donatello may be the smart uncle, but he's definitely not the serious one. Ever since the kids came, he's been making so many fun stuff for them!

Sure, that might have been to prevent Mura from disassembling half of the lair, but it sure is fun! Even if some stuff explodes from time to time, and you come to certain terrifying realizations with the kids.

The most concerning being the little cryptic message giving Dai that always said the craziest shit at the worst moments before babbling to himself about a choo-choo the next

Now, he might have subjected the possible mystic filled child to a few SAFE experiments in exchange for "swabears" and doodling on his bandages, but that was for science. And because he was the only kid that wouldn't bite him.

He's a very good lab assistant.

Michelangelo is the COOL uncle, and don't forget it, Aoi designated him as such. His sources? Just ask the apple slice stuffed face of the kid.

Bribery is a very effective tool.

So is trickery, which he is a master at. He even has an apprentice. Aoi was always very excitable, never staying still for even a second(way more than he could remember himself being) and always having a mind filled with plans and random thoughts.

Which is perfect for pranks.

Unfortunately, it seems he somehow inherited his father's kitchen curse. So he'll have to wait for an assistant chef later...

Thats all!

Also, yeah, Raph is Aroace :)

The adults, much more scarred than before(might add April, Casey, and possibly Splinter in a later post)

Each one of them have a story to tell, but they would rather show it. For now...

Also, while I was making this, I was rewatching the series again after completing it, and I got reminded that Leo does not like clothes, so that was convient-

The babies don't play favorites >_>

[beewolfwrites]

The Oar in the Sand - Chapter Eight: Polyphemus

@cheshiya @tenseoyong @szallejhscorner @something-more-original-please @ofsunsetsandpoetries @nek0dzuken @allozaur @hiqhkey @serenzippity

Finally finished editing this! It certainly took long enough :’) Hopefully the Odyssey themes are starting to work their way in more now. 

Thank you for being so patient with me! I’ll get started on the next chapters as soon as possible.

AO3 Link. 

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

The beat of silence that followed stretched on forever, the way a moment of dread moves in slow motion, or the instance you run from a nightmare, only to find your heavy feet stuck to the ground. But this wasn’t a nightmare. Pinching my cheeks wouldn’t wake me up from this dream. 

And so, with a squeak of my shoe against the vinyl, I ran.

A series of crashes resounded behind me as he gave chase. Him. Niragi. The one who was supposed to be dead. Chishiya had torched him alive, Aguni had taken him down with the hotel… so how? 

And why me of all people? 

Why do I always get the short straw? 

I had no idea where I was running to, just that I needed to get out. Now. There were no signs for the exit, no matter which direction I looked, and I could feel him gaining on me as the hospital halls stretched on and on.

Ducking into one of the wards, I skidded to the ground and slid under one of the beds. The white sheets draped over the edges, obscuring me from view. It still wasn’t enough. I eyed the room from beneath the sheets, hearing the dull clap of footsteps and the slam of doors as he billowed through the hospital. 

And then his toes peeked around the door to the ward. He was barefoot, the skin becoming more blistered and red before the bandages around his torso hid the worst extent of the damage. That awful patterned shirt was still wrapped around his head, obscuring most of his face, yet his grin was unmistakable. 

‘Come on out, little spy,’ he sang, padding softly between the beds. ‘Let’s have some fun.’ 

Spy?

Was he still that paranoid? 

As he grew closer, I noticed the skin on his face was irritated and scabbed in places. He’d pulled his shirt over one eye to hide the damage. 

‘If you come out now, I won’t kill you,’ he said. 

Every nerve in my body prickled, attentive, as he stealthily came closer, inspecting each bed one by one. His feet appeared beneath the white sheets, and the mattress dipped with a creak above me. Under Niragi’s weight, my chest was crushed against the ground. 

I can’t breathe! 

I couldn’t move either. I was neither living nor dead, detached from it all in one numb vacuum as I stared at his feet from under the sheets - my only defence. 

And then, as if by some miracle, he stood up and the mattress lifted.   

With a hiss, he strode out of the ward and back into the main hallway. Slowly but surely, the pad of his feet softened into nothing and he disappeared. I wasn’t sure how I stayed there, swathed by walls of white linen, until I eventually inched out from under. 

He’s alive. 

Even now, I still couldn’t believe he had survived. During the final stretch of the Witch Hunt, he hadn’t hesitated to shoot at me, and now, if he got his hands on another gun I would be a dead woman walking.  

The hospital was silent once more, and there were no signs of Niragi anywhere. Though I wasn’t prepared to go back for the water dispenser; there was no energy left in me to lug the thing. The dread of what was to come was already far too heavy to carry home. 

Home. 

Is that what this was now? 

No, it wasn’t my home. It was a used furniture store in the middle of a city I was a mere tourist in. 

I trudged through the first emergency exit I saw and followed a set of steps down into the bushes overgrowing at the side of the hospital, before wandering out into the empty city once again. 

The air was cloying in my chest, and just as I dipped between two cars, I felt the first few drops of rain lightly speckling my cheeks. No matter how much the rain picked up into a strong patter, it wasn’t enough to break through this thick cloud. 

When I got back, Chishiya was on the roof, hood pulled up against the rain. I felt his eyes trailing after me as I walked up the steps and pushed through the entrance. The exhaustion suddenly became too much and I sank into an armchair, mulling over what had happened and wishing it would all go away. The front door opened as Chishiya joined me inside.

‘Let me guess, you cleared the Jack now too.’ 

It was callous. Uncalled for. I pushed my face further into the armchair. 

‘Actually, I thought you’d be clearing the Jack,’ I mumbled. ‘You didn’t go?’ 

I heard him sit down on the couch, and exhaled. The weight of his iron gaze was pulling me towards him, as if I was about to be scolded for something that wasn’t my fault. Again. 

‘Do you accidentally run into trouble,’ he said, ‘or do you purposely go out looking for it?’

I slowly shuffled around, wishing I could sink into the folds of the chair and disappear forever. Chishiya appeared either annoyed, apathetic, or something in-between. 

‘How did you guess?’ 

‘It wasn’t a guess. You’re just easy to read.’ 

‘Niragi’s alive,’ I said. 

There was no reaction, or at least something akin to the reaction I had expected. He hummed slowly and his lips tilted into a sly smile. ‘He must really want to survive.’ 

‘Did you know?’ 

‘Not at all.’ 

‘You don’t seem surprised.’ 

‘That’s because I’m not,’ he replied curtly. ‘If he survived after I set him on fire, he’d survive after Aguni knocked him over.’ 

‘It was hardly a knock,’ I reminded him.

The Witch Hunt already felt like a long time ago, but maybe that was because of how time is in the Borderlands. Without smartphones, traffic, work and the hectic stream of everyday life screaming into one constant blur, an hour stretched on for days. But I could still recall it so clearly, even if it was like recalling a dream, how Aguni, the man who’d once tried to force Usagi back to his room, decided to throw himself directly into the line of fire for us.

‘Did you get what you wanted?’ 

The bluntness of Chishiya’s question pulled me back to the present. ‘I’m sorry?’

‘You said there was something you wanted.’

For the slightest moment, I’d assumed he was throwing accusations around again

‘Not quite… I wanted a water dispenser. I thought it’d be good for us, instead of having all these bottles.’ Another thought hit me, and I rubbed my tired eyes. ‘We’ve run out of water too.’ 

‘Actually, we haven’t.’ 

‘What do you mean?’ 

He had that knowing expression, the kind when he’s solved a game within less than a minute and he’s only waiting for you to catch up. ‘I put some buckets outside when it started raining.’ 

That’s why he’s a genius and I’m not. 

How did I not see the obvious solution to our water problem? After all, the Beach collected rainwater and relied on it constantly. If there was a storm coming, we’d have more than enough water for two of us. 

The relief was peaceful, and the lull of the raindrops against the window was pulling me towards sleep. Truth be told, I needed a bath. But there was no point bringing the buckets in while it was still raining. Instead, I got up and dropped onto the couch beside Chishiya. He flinched a little when I lay down and rested my head in his lap, but he soon gave in, and his fingers wound their way into my hair. 

‘Don’t.’ I reached up and tapped his hand. ‘It needs washing.’ 

He ignored me and continued his ministrations. ‘So does mine.’ 

I started telling him all about my run in with Niragi in the hospital. Just discussing it was reassuring, as if I wasn’t the only one carrying this fear. When I saw him, he was all burnt up, the skin blistered and yellow where his bandages didn’t cover; no wonder he was searching for the morphine. However, someone had attacked him, and I wasn’t talking about Chishiya. He’d pulled his shirt over one eye, but the skin around it was blue and black, and his lip was scabbed in the corner. 

Fire didn’t bruise. 

But who? 

Who had the nerve to beat up Niragi?

‘Who wouldn’t want to beat him up?’ Chishiya chimed in, after I’d voiced my thoughts. ‘I’m sure the list is quite long.’ 

‘We’d be near the top of it. Whoever it was must’ve been brave.’ 

Chishiya huffed lightly. ‘I lit him up with a homemade flamethrower. Does that not count towards bravery?’ 

I thought of that rooftop where everything collided at a head. Chishiya had taken his time to build his own weapon. He’d come with a plan, and Niragi had been patiently waiting. 

‘Let’s put an end to this, shall we?’ 

‘If I hadn’t been there at that time,’ I asked, ‘would you have still gone after Niragi?’ 

‘Of course.’ There was no hesitation. ‘It was bound to happen anyway. I wanted to take him down while I was prepared.’

Or before Niragi found him first. 

‘He’ll kill us if he finds us, won’t he?’ 

‘Probably. But isn’t that part of the fun?’ 

I was too sleepy to answer. His fingers were trance-like, sweeping through my hair with a reassuring gentleness that someone like him would never admit to. I must’ve dozed off into a dreamless sleep, because when I woke up, the rain had stopped and Chishiya had disappeared, having placed my head on the couch cushion instead. 

Stretching awake, I found him messing around in the kitchen, boiling water from a bucket to make tea. 

A bucket. 

That’s right, we have water now!

‘Hey.’ 

Chishiya didn’t turn around, although his silence had become normal now. I had a feeling he was annoyed or uncomfortable about me using him as a pillow, even if he didn’t protest at the time. As he busied himself opening up a pack of tea bags, I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck from behind. The only thing holding me back was the knowledge that he’d hate it. 

‘I hope you don’t mind if I use some of the water for a bath.’ 

He continued as if I wasn’t there at all. Then in a quiet voice, he said, ‘Just don’t use it all.’ 

So he wasn’t entirely mad at me. Whatever was getting him down, I’d get to the bottom of it eventually. For now, I briefly ran my finger along the back of his elbow, like he’d done so many times to me. He stilled, but didn’t say anything more as I left the kitchen. 

A bath in the Borderlands was no longer a luxurious dip in a tub of hot water and bubbles. At the Beach maybe, but that life was in ashes now, slowly washing away into the river. Outside, I discovered the line of buckets that had gone unnoticed earlier. They were overflowing with fresh rainwater, and I carefully dragged one inside. It would be a waste of gas to heat it all up on the camping stove, so I took it straight into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. 

I tested the water with a finger and immediately yanked it out. 

Ah! It’s freezing! Though I suppose I can’t complain. 

When Kuina, Chishiya and I set up a camp here, we were pretty lucky. The bathroom had tile floors and a drain in the corner, and we cleared enough space for several buckets and a pitcher. It wasn’t like the hot showers and baths we’d grown used to at the hotel, but bucket baths were commonplace in a number of countries, and if it was good enough for them, it was good enough for us.

Removing my clothes, I used the soap, shampoo and pitcher to wash myself. Once I got past the cold, it was refreshing. I finally felt I could wash away all the traces of that hospital and the fear of being hunted. After everything we’d survived through, to die by Niragi’s hand would be humiliating, like admitting defeat. 

I reached for the bucket, and froze. 

What… what is this?! 

The water was thick with blood. 

[writing-fanics]

[ Mamoru x Fem!Reader ]

•Legend of the Forgotten Moon Princess•

[Part III] Mamoru and Y/n

a/n: in this chapter y/n and mamoru spend sometime together getting to know each-other a bit more...]

so complete of season one follows the manga the next part of the story will be season ii cause i really like that season.. but for the final battle im doing the show version with a twist at the end.... so im taking out the manga version of the reincarnation and having the tv show version instead since that one is more impactful and i like it more. 

[ Finding Sailor Jupiter ] 

[Y/n] was at the Crown Game Center, with Usagi, Ami, and Makoto. The new transfer student in Class 6,  [Y/n] watches Makoto play the Sailor V, game. 

"You sure you’ve never played this game before?” Usagi asks, Makoto.

”it’s the same as fighting in real life.” Makoto says, to her.

”you let the bad guy chase you so you can catch him off guard, then you hit him with your ultimate attack!” She says, as she plays the game.

”Ultimate attack!” Usagi says, in awe.

”Hi Usagi! Y/n! You’re here early today.” Ami says, as she walks towards them.

”Oh! Hi, Ami!” Both Y/n and, Usagi say. Looking towards her.

”Have you met the new girl yet? She just transferred into, Class 6 today.” Usagi says, to her.

“I’m Makoto Kino,” she says, looking over at Ami.

”I’m Ami Mizuno. I go to Juban, too. It’s so nice to meet you.” She says, to Makoto.

"Nice to meet you too." Makoto says, looking at the game. Then Motoki came over, "Hey Usagi! So are all the girls you're friends with cute." He says, and he looks and sees Makoto who turns her head and, looks at him. A blush spread across her cheeks, 

"Its...you." She says, quietly looking at him. Then the sound of game over interrupted them, she turned back towards the screen. 

"Oh! Nothing I thought you were someone else.." She says, looking back at them game.

[TIme-Skip] to bridal shop cause this bitch lazy.. 

"Well this is the bridal shop he was talking about." Ami says, as the girls look at it. 

"It's also the same one Naru went to." Usagi says, looking at it.

"Where's Mako?" She says, looking around and sees her looking up at the shop, with a blush spread across her face. She sees a dress and, looks at it. 

"So gorgeous. I wish I could wear a dress like that." Mako says, to herself.

As two girls pass by, "See thats the bridal shop." One girl says, pointing to it. 

"You mean that's the shop thats cursed?" the girl beside her asks. 

"That's right! Sometimes people see it! That ghost bride." [Y/n] says, looking at the shop.

"The mannequin on the balcony wanders around at night, trying to seduce the male-passers by Everybody! says so." She says, to them. 

"And if you buy a dress from the shop, you become cursed by the ghost bride. and spend your life in misery." She says, looking at the shop. 

"Whaa? Well, when I do get engaged, I'm not going to go there for a dress." Mako thinks, to herself. The girls, make their way towards Rei's. 

Rei looks at Makoto and, feeling a powerful presence from her. All the girls catch Rei up, on the bridal shop. 

"A cursed bridal shop? The ghost of a bride? Yes, it is suspicious." Rei says, to her friends.

"That groom who went missing...I wonder if he was seduced by that ghost bride?" Ami says, to herself. 

"If he was, he's got no-one to blame but himself for being lured in by a ghost." Rei says, her arms folded. Makoto then turn back towards the girls, 

"This is all too complex for me. I'm going home." Makoto says, to the girls then leaves. And, as she does Luna, jumps up onto Rei's, shoulder. 

"Luna.." Rei says, looking towards Makoto...

"Yes.." Luna says, as she looks up at Rei. 

"The day we're all assembled might be sooner than we think." Rei says, watching as Makoto walks away.. 

[Y/n] was fast asleep, in her bed when all of a sudden Tuxedo Mask, appears at her window. She gasps and, watches as he runs away. She rushes out of bed and, follows him. Atlas notices and, notifies everyone. 

"Ami-Chan, Rei-Chan, Usagi-Chan, Wake up! Tuxedo Mask is leading Y/n-Chan away!" Atlas shouts, into the watch..[Y/n] arrives at the Bridal Shop from before, and gasps seeing Makoto. Everyone else, arrives and transforms. Seeing the ghost bride, 

'Lunar Prism Power! Make-Up!' She shouts, as she transforms into Sailor Luna. And, everyone else into their own respective guardian. 

"Stealing the sacred form of the blushing bride and whispering of love! We wont stand for it!" Sailor Moon, shouts at the ghost bride.

"I'm the Sailor Guardian, Sailor Luna. Who fights for the stars and, the moon above." 

"I'm the pretty guardian sailor moon who fights for love, and for justice.." 

"And, I'm the Sailor Guardian Sailor Mercury." 

"And I'm, the Sailor Guardian Sailor Mars.." 

"And we'll punish you" 

They say..

"You were controlling and tricking people?" Makoto says, looking at the ghost bride. 

"You mean you were serious damn it.." She says, as a symbol appears on her forehead. 

"I'll let you know about a woman's pure feelings with raw strength." She says, picking up the ghost bride, then she suddenly transforms into Sailor Jupiter. 

"Flower Hurricane!" She shouts, as a flower hurricane appears. "Jupiter, the planet I guard, bring a storm!! And down your thunder!" She shouts, at Nephrite. 

"Jupiter Thunder-bolt!" She shouts, as a thunderbolt strikes Nephrite killing him...Makoto falls to the ground, and all the girls run towards her to see if she's okay and, she was. And, Luna tells her that she's Sailor Jupiter..

- sorry for it being terrible and short i was using the manga' 

[ time skip ] y/n's off doing her own thing she has work to do..

[Y/n] sighed, as she looked at the papers scattered on her desk. [Y/n] wrote down stuff, from her textbook down onto the paper. She looks down and, groans. She barely got any sleep last night, since she was up all night just, working on this and, was tired really tired. 

She sighs and, decides to take a break. She makes some coffee and, decides to go out for a walk. Not knowing about what was happening outside, after walking for about ten minutes, she began to feel dizzy.

'My head is all fuzzy and, my strength is going... ugh what's going on?' She says and, she begins to fall to the ground. 

'Must be the work of the enemy..' She thinks, as she falls to the ground. 

Mamoru rounds the corner and, sees [Y/n] lying on the ground unconscious. He runs towards her, quickly checking for a pulse. He brings his hand to her cheek, "Hey! Snap out of it." He says, to her. And, she stirs awake looking him in the eyes, but seeing Tuxedo Mask. 

"Tuxedo Mask!" She says, in amazement looking at him. 

"What are you doing here?" She asks, as her cheeks turn red.

"My bad judgement and actions brought us to this point." He says, to her and, she looks at him in shock. 

"Tuxedo Mask! So this whole situation was your.... You did it are you actually?" She asks, worried. 

"No, I'm not! I didn't mean for this to happen! I wanted to find the Legendary Silver Crystal no matter the cost. But I didn't have any information to work on!" He says, looking at her.

"And I don't have powers like you do!" He says, to her. And she gasps, 

"You must transform into Sailor Luna! I can't do anything about this situation myself at this point." He says, and, she gasps once more. 

"Y-You know I'm Sailor Luna.. Just who in the world are you?" She asks, looking him in the eyes. 

"You're the only one who can come to the rescue." He says, to her. And she looks him, in the eyes. Those familiar eyes, that would seem that she sees everymorning. 

[Y/n] stands up and, places her hands on her brooch. 

'Lunar Prism Power Make-Up!' 

[Y/n] then makes, her way to where everyone else, was...She gasps, seeing so many people, lying on the ground she didn't know if they were dead or just unconscious. Even though she's seen stuff from the enemy, nothing to this extent. She was scared nervous, what if she couldn't bring anyone back... 

But then she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, "Snap out of it Sailor Luna! I know you can do it." Tuxedo Mask, said to her as tears ran down her cheeks. Then a stick appeared and, it was in the shape of a star. She takes it in her hands, "Please! Take everybody.. and give them back their lives! Please!" She shouts, holding the stick.. 

And, after she did and, everyone was waking up. She suddenly felt sleepy and, went limp. "Sailor Luna?" He says, grabbing hold of her, before she hit the ground. 

"You used too much power?" He says, looking down at her. A smile, spread across his face as he looks at her. He tucks, a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"But well done.. Sailor Luna." He says, to her as he picks her up bridal style. 

'What is this?' 

"This familiar warmth..' 

"It's as if this warmth is giving me back my energy'

As he places her on the his bed, he looks at her. She seemed so at peace, even though using up so much power and energy during that fight. 

[Time-Skip] 

[Y/n] woke up, in an unfamiliar place. She looked around, she was lying in someone else's bed. 'Where.. am I?" she says, as she looks around. She looks down and, sees a pocket watch. She looks at it and, sees that it has the phases of the moon on it. 

"So you're awake?" Mamoru says, as he looks over at [Y/n] who looks, over at him. Then she looks at the suit he was wearing, 

"Why are you Tuxedo Mask...?" She asks, looking at him. 

"It's for my memory. That's why I have to get my hands on the Legendary Silver Crystal." He says, to her and, she looks at him.

"Your memory?" She asks, looking into his eyes. 

"I lost my parents, on my sixth birthday. There was a car accident and, I lost both of my parents. And, I forgot who I was." He says and, [Y/n] gasps tears running down her cheeks. 

"And, I started having the same dream over and over. Find the Legendary Silver Crystal.. Just that phase. time and time again in my dreams." He says and, she looks at him. 

"And before I knew it... I was stealing through the city at night like some strange sleep-walker! Wearing a tuxedo like some phantom thief." He says, 

"The only clue to my past, are the word find the legendary silver crystal." He says, 

"What about you?" He asks and, she blushes looking down. 

"Um... Well it isn't so quite defined Atlas told me to find it alongside Sailor Moon, and protect it, so.." She says, blushing. 

"I see." He says and, she looks at him curiosly. 

[Y/n] brought the mask closer to his face, placing it over his eyes. She should've known, that all to familiar voice that she heard, every morning. Those all to familiar eyes she'd, get lost in. Even though she only lives a few doors down the hall. This moment in time between them felt like, they've met this way before but in different circumstances. But at this moment, if time were to stop she wouldn't mind at all. 

She looked down nervously, her heart racing. "A-Atlas is waiting for me. I... have to go home." She says, turning to leave but stops, when Mamoru place his hand, on her shoulder. Her heart pounding against her chest, "N/n." He says, and she turns around to look at him. 

A blush spread across her face, "N/n. Your bag." He says, and she nervously takes it from him. Covering her face with it, as her face turned bright red. She walks towards the door, and leaves. 

'...He called me "N/n" That's who he said.' She says, thinking to herself as she walks down the hallway to her apartment, her heart racing as she thinks of him. 

'Maybe I could call him "Since he's Mamoru, maybe I can call him Mamo-Chan.' She thinks, stopping outside her door. She reaches, into her pocket. And pulls out Mamoru's broken pocket watch, 

'I brought it with me... his broken pocket watch.' she stares at it, bringing it to her lips and kissing it. This all too familiar warmth returning once more, but stronger than ever before. [Y/n] has never fallen in love before, but this moment was completely different, she feels like she already knows him. 

He's opened up to her, he trusts her enough to tell her why he's going after the Legendary Silver Crystal. That moment, between them just moments ago. Felt as if they were in a fairy tale, as if they were two lovers. Finding out each-other's secret identities,  a fairy tale she wanted to be in. 

She never thought she'd fall in love so quickly, but it doesn't feel wrong. Not one bit, for to her it feels like she's falling in love with him all over again. As if she knew him from as past life. She looked up, hearing that voice once more. 

'You're my one and only love.' 

She walked into her apartment and, sighed as she thought of Mamoru. She brought her hand up to her face, her face bright red. A smile spread across her face, as she looked at the broken pocket watch. She held it close to her chest, holding it over her heart. 

'Is this what being in love is like?' 

{ Chapter Four } Princess Serenity and Princess Y/n  Sneak Peek

And how Mamoru noticed, how shaken and scared she was. When they tried to talk to her, [Y/n]'s face turns red, as she feels Mamoru's hand on hers. "Are you okay?" He asks, and she looks down, then at him. Her heart racing, pounding against her chest. "Yeah, I'm fine Mamo. Just seeing them, after all those years startled me." She says, looking up at him, smiling. 

They close the gap between them, their lips touching. [Y/n]'s hand places her hands, on Mamoru's chest. This kiss between them, felt magical familiar as if, out of a fairy tale. Mamoru places his hands, on her waist. She didn't want, this moment between them to stop. 

He weakly brings his hands up, looking at [Y/n] who looked down at him worried, tears in her eyes. 'I remember now, I came back to be with you again. I found you, Y/n." He says, his hand going limp.

"My...Star." He says, and [Y/n] looks down at him in shock, tears streaming down her cheeks. [Y/n] shakes her head, and screams in anguish. As she wraps her arms around Mamoru, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

[girlgirlgirlnormal]

Niragi x OC x Last Boss (Part 4)

Hey, I wrote another part! And this story still has no name. Also, I`m working on a small Kuina fic, because I love her very much. 

TW: Abuse, sexual content, harrassment

Word count: 2.8k

part 1 part 2 part 3

She had been spending every day with Samura and Niragi for a week now. They went regularly to games, but they never took Hina with them. They did not tell her, but she deduced from their behavior that they had thought bringing her to a game would help them protect her. The floor is lava game was not a game in which anyone could protect another person. They had been a little gentler with her. Niragi was still fucking her mercilessly every night, and Last Boss was enjoying watching it and have his way with her afterwards, but they were good to her. She got fresh fruit, and nobody came near her. She got cigarettes and birth control and everything she asked the men for.  

It was a warm night, Samura and Niragi were out with Aguni and some other militants to participate in a game. Hina had been bored in her room, so she went down to the bar by the pool and got herself a cocktail. While sipping on it she spotted Kuina, sitting on one of the loungers and talking to someone she hadn’t seen around before. She decided to join them. Kuina was nice and pretty.

She walked over and plopped down beside the girl with the short hair with whom Kuina was talking.

“Hey, I’m Hina.”, she introduced herself, extending her hand to shake the young man’s hand before stopping abruptly, “Do I know you?”, she asked, furrowing her brows.

The young man looked away shyly. That was all Hina needed to recognize him.

“I gave you a lapdance!”, she exclaimed, “You came to the club”, she thought about it, “once?”

“It was a birthday present from my friends”, the men answered, looking at his feet.

“Awww”, she cooed, “I remember you because you were so shy! You didn’t even look at me throughout the whole dance!”

The girl beside her laughed.

“These are Arisu and Usagi”, Kuina introduced them, “but I guess you already know Arisu?”

“He had my tits in his face”, Hina laughed, “I guess he hated it, but his friends were having a grant time.”

Kuina laughed, “But don’t get caught hanging out around her, her boyfriends don’t like it.”

Hinas hand automatically wandered to her hickey covered throat.

“Stop that crap music”, someone shouted, and the music was abruptly cut off.

“Those are the militant core at the beach. If you want to live in peace here, then don’t mess with them”, Kuina said, looking down, and explained them the beaches dynamics.

Hina couldn’t help but shove Usagi a little bit behind herself. She knew the militants. The only reason none of them even talked to her was that they were afraid of Niragi and Samura. Usagi was a pretty girl. They would like her. She didn’t think that she would like them back.

Aguni stopped infront of them, making Hina arch her back and lean a bit forward, trying to cover as much of Usagi as possible.

“Where is your friend?”, Aguni asked Arisu, making him look away shamefully, “Oh yeah? He’s dead? Too bad. Yet someone like you still lives.”

Samura and Niragi were standing behind Aguni, watching with interest.

“You know each other?”, Kuina asked, but no one bothered answering her.

Agunis gaze fixated on Usagi. Hina wanted to say something or do something to distract him, but she didn’t know what.

“Hey”, Aguni said, slightly turning to Niragi, “bring the woman.”

It was too late to do something. Hina wanted to give her the advice she herself had been taught at a very young age. If you can’t escape, try to enjoy it. It didn’t seem appropriate.

She watched Niragi, with his sniper over his shoulder walking over, just as he was about to grab Usagis arm Arisu sprang up.

“My boss says to bring you to him”, Niragi explained to Usagi, “get up.”

Hina could see Last Boss mouth twitching the same way it did when he watched her being taken by Niragi. They wouldn’t help this newcomer.

“Leave her!”, Arisu said, standing up and holding Niragis hand.

“Are you a tough guy?”, Niragi asked, clearly having too much fun with the situation, he turned to Aguni, “What should I do to him?”

Hina closed her eyes. This would not end good. She didn’t dare to speak up though. She was already sleeping with them to survive; she wouldn’t get herself killed over protecting a woman she had just met. She still wished she could protect her.

If you can’t escape, try to enjoy it, her grandmothers voice rang in her head.

She smiled, as she met Samuras gaze. She couldn’t enjoy the scene infront of her. She was just going to watch the man who always made sure she had something to eat and some water after he fucked her.

“Break both his legs so he dies in the next game.”, Aguni ordered.

“Good one”, Niragi looked back to the other militants, “take the woman and you come with me.”

Her eyes were still locked on Samuras, as he started walking again, following Aguni. The whole procession stopped, as Arisu ran to stand between one of the militants and Usagi. Hina could feel her hand grasping Usagis. Her friend was going to die, and she was going to be raped. There didn’t seem any other way this situation could end.

“If you can’t escape try to enjoy it”, she mumbled, low enough for only Usagi to hear.

The newcomer gave her a panicked look.

“Ooooh”, cooed Niragi, threateningly walking up to Arisu.

Hina was waiting for it to end, as a voice asked, “Is there are problem?”

She had never been so happy to see the hatter. This woman didn’t have through all the things she had gone through in the real world.

“Back off hatter, this is none of your business.”

“But this is my business. I´m the beaches leader. What I say is the law here and I´m saying that you keep your hands off the newcomers, Aguni.”

Nobody moved.

“Niragi.”, said Hatter.

Niragi looked away, “The only boss I have is the general”, he announced.

“Then I will ask the general. Who do you think is your boss, then, Aguni?”

Aguni stared in the other man’s eyes and for a moment Hina thought that he would kill him then and there.

“Shower once in a while”, hatter said dismissively and told the executive members to meet in the conference room.

Scoffing, Niragi and Samura followed Aguni, away from Hinas sight.

They wouldn’t be happy then they got back.

Arisu was invited to the meeting and left. Sawing that Chishiya was approaching, Hina said her goodbyes and went up to her room. Niragi hated that guy and didn’t want her to be near him. Normally she wouldn’t care, if she was chilling with Kuina and Chishiya joined, she just ignored him, but today was different. Niragi and Samura would be already mad then they got to her and she didn’t want to fuel their anger.

Back in Samuras room – she hadn’t gone back to her own room since her first night with them – Hina went to the small ghettoblaster and started to play her song. Daisy by Ashnikko. Since it had came out a couple of months before she found herself in the borderlands it had been the song to her signature dance. It was a nice song and it had been easy to form a persona around it. She had danced with a bright blue wig and tall “glass” platform heels. The act was so popular that they even printed a life sized poster of her dancing on the pole during that act and placed it on the most prominent wall of the club.

She used one of the bed posts as her pole and danced with closed eyes, pretending to be back in her club, with her only friend Red Diamond cheering her on. She stopped as soon as she heard the door open.

Samura and Niragi entered. Samura went to the ghettoblaster, turning it off, as Niragi stepped in her personal space, one hand tightly gripping his rifle, the other her throat.

“What were you doing with the newcomers?”, he asked, squeezing her throat.

She didn’t even try to answer. He was squeezing too hard for her to be able to speak anyway. She just looked up at him, trying to hold her breath. Fighting him or trying to somehow breath through her squeezed airpipe would make her look pathetic. If he wanted an answer, he had to stop choking her. She was already feeling a bit lightheaded, as Niragi let go, shoving her onto the bed.

“I had just joined them. The man, Arisu, I know him from before. He came to the club once.”, she explained.

“Once?”, Niragi said, face dangerously near hers, “Why would you remember someone who came to your club once?”

She had told them about being a stripper. No more or no less. They didn’t want to hear about it. They didn’t even make her dance for themselves. They didn’t talk about their lives before the borderlands and they were not interested in hearing Hinas story.

“Because he was so shy”, Hina explained, she caught herself smiling at the memory, it had been a busy day and he had been dragged there by his friends who were insisting on paying for a lapdance for him, “I gave him a lapdance and he didn’t even look at me. A true gentleman.”

Niragi slapped her cheek. Hard.

“A true gentleman”, he mimicked her in a high-pitched voice and slapped her again.

This time Hina could not stop herself from reaching to her burning cheek. She did not stop looking into his eyes, even though she could feel tears pooling in her eyes. They had been so much gentler with her and now everything was ruined, just because she talked to some people?

“If you can´t escape, try to enjoy it”, Samura quoted her words from earlier.

How did he hear that?

“Is that how you feel about us?”, he asked.

She saw up to him. He was still wearing his hood and his katana was strapped to his back. Niragi was still holding his rifle. Normally they took off their weapons as soon as they entered the room and started kissing her. She couldn’t believe that talking to someone had changed that.

Hand still on her cheek she shook her head, “Its just something I was taught in the old world.”

“Who taught you that?”

“My grandmother”, the tears were no longer just pooling in her eyes, they were flowing freely down her cheeks.

“Why?”

“Because things like that happen all the time”, Hinas voice had no emotion in it.  It was just a fact. It had happened to her and so many people she knew.

“Did someone hurt you?”, Samuras voice was much softer than compared to his other questions.

Just 15 minutes ago he had enjoyed watching Niragi pull away Usagi to be met with that faith and now he had the nerve to sound concerned?

“You mean someone who is not the two of you?”, she asked, voice still not betraying any emotion, “Yes. Many times. And you are hurting me too.”

Niragis hand was on her jaw before she could say anything else, he was holding her tight and watched her face for a moment before licking a long streak on her face, collecting some of the tears, “But princess”, he whispered, “You agreed to this and we’ve been awfully nice to you.”

She couldn’t help but scoff, “You can be gentle but contrary to popular believe, I do not enjoy being hit.”

Niragis eyes were closed as he licked the other side of her face. Samura was watching them.

“Has someone on the beach hurt you?”

“They tried.”, she answered, “I got away.”

“Do you want to go back to your room?”, Samura asked, hood still up.

Niragis hold was too tight and she would have bruises all over her face the next day. She shook her head.

“I don’t want to be alone”, she whispered.

Samura finally took off his hood and unstrapped his katana, gently putting it on the sideboard. He sat down next to her on the bed and kissed her shoulder.

“You look exhausted”, he said, shooting Niragi a look, “Maybe we shouldn’t play tonight.”

Niragi frowned but let go of her jaw.

“I would have enjoyed that”, he murmured.

“Remember what we said, Niragi”, Last Boss said, “She is ours. We will treat her good and she will stay ours. She doesn’t look like she can handle it today. We don’t want to break our doll.”

Hina felt so thankful. They had been fucking her every night since their first night. She couldn’t understand how they were always so horny. Sure, she enjoyed it. Sometimes at least. Then she was not being hit, choked or pounded so mercilessly that she could feel her insides tearing, but that was always Niragi and he always stopped then she started screaming in pain.

How messed up did she have to be to see that as a good sign?

“Lets just go to bed”, Samura declared, placing a small kiss on the top of her head, “and tomorrow we will continue talking about this.”

They let her change into one of Samuras shirts as they undressed. They slept only with underwear, most of the time even naked. After a good session none of them wanted to move much.

She laid down in the middle of the king-sized bed and let Samura hug her to his his chest. The mattress caved behind her, as Niragi joined them, cuddling up to her back.

“Maybe we should establish some safe words tomorrow”, Niragi mumbled into her shoulder, “Would you feel safer that way?”

Hina nodded, “I don’t mind you being rough in bed. I just don’t want you to slap and beat me outside of it”, she whispered letting herself being cradled between them, “My boyfriend used to do that.”, she thought for a moment, choosing Samuras words to describe it, “He hurt me. A lot. Every day. I don’t want to fear you like I feared him. I don’t want to be paraded around like a prized dog.”

“Good”, Samura answered, nuzzling his face in her hair, and taking a deep breath, “You won’t have to.”

Normally, Hina was the last one to fall asleep. She would stay awake and lick her wounds and sleep much later than the men. This day, she fell asleep first. She wouldn’t say that she felt safe with them. She just didn’t feel like she was in immediate danger between them.

As she woke up the next morning, she was alone in bed. Neither the men she had gone to bed with nor their weapons there anywhere in sight. Sighing she sat up. She should get dressed and go down to the pool to get some breakfast. Pulling Samuras shirt off she got dressed in her red bikini and put on her flip-flops. She quickly brushed her hair and made her way down. As she stopped by the bar to get herself a fruit bowl, she spotted Last Boss and Niragi sitting in the VIP section with some other militants. She took the small bowl from the bartender, whose job included serving food at mealtimes, and made her way to them.

“Good morning”, she greeted them, sitting down between them.

They wished her a good morning and went back to eating their own breakfast. They didn’t touch her. That was weird. Normally they were not able to keep their hands off her. They would always touch her legs, her face or her back. Now it was nothing. She started eating but continued watching the man.

“What’s wrong?”, Niragi asked frowning.

She stared at him. Then she stared at Samura, who was also staring at her.

“What do you mean? What’s wrong with you two?”, Hina was wondering if she shouldn’t have told them what she did the night before. Did that make them not want her anymore? Would they drop her or leave her to die as soon as the next game came?

“You wanted us to behave like gentleman”, Samura explained, “Not to behave like your boyfriend. We are doing our best.”

She looked at him. He looked like he was being genuine. They had listened to her and they were ready to change their behavior.

“We`ll talk about it later, in the room. We still have to find a safe word.”, Niragi reminded her, “Eat.”

[sittingoverheredreaming]

Same Prompt Party! Usagi: New Year’s Fireworks

I told myself that I would get this done much sooner than the last minute because I’ve grown as a person since the last same prompt party, but that was a fucking lie ahaha. Here it is, though, just shy of 2,200 words!

______________________________________________________________________

Fireworks weren’t supposed to start until midnight. Everyone knew that. But when Usagi opened a groggy eye to check the time after the first roaring booms, it was barely ten. Not that she knew that right away-- the clock was still up on the nightstand, entirely out of sight from the mattress’s current position on the floor. She had to fumble around for her phone instead, as careful and quiet as she could ever be. Only then did she see that it was a touch past ten, and that she had more notifications than her phone could display, the last several of which were texts from Mina.

still time for you to come out!

lots of hot guys here tonight, what mamoru doesn’t know can’t hurt him ;) ;) ;)

kidding, of course. i miss you!

Usagi turned her phone over and curled her body back around Chibiusa. Apart from a scrunch of her little eyebrows, she seemed undisturbed by the growing ruckus outside. Usagi put a hand on her tummy anyway, just in case she needed some comfort. 

She could have gone out with everyone, even with a six month old. There was generally little they did all together that couldn’t accommodate a baby. There wouldn’t have been any fuss if she’d asked for it. Last year’s party at Haruka and Michiru’s house had even been alcohol free, just because she couldn’t drink. It had seemed like everything might have been okay then-- it was the first year they rung in in peace, Usagi was pregnant with their promised princess, and if their powers had deserted them and the crystal towers of Serenity’s palace had yet to rise, that couldn’t compare to the hope that lit up Usagi’s heart the same as the fireworks lit up the sky.

But like the fireworks, it was short lived.

Usagi shifted her arm under her head. She’d read in a book-- she’d tried very hard to read a great many books before Chibiusa was born-- that you weren’t supposed to let a baby sleep in bed with you, but she hadn’t been able to stick to it. A bed was so large if you slept alone. But she’d done what she could to be safe. No pillows. A blanket only for her feet, because even in socks they got so cold. She wore layers of sweaters to bed. Sometimes when she woke up she was drenched in sweat beneath them, but always when she woke up Chibiusa was breathing. It was a fair trade.

And she hadn’t done it the first few months. Newborn Chibiusa had slept in her crib beside the bed, though Usagi probably didn’t deserve credit for that because she’d had Mamoru in bed with her then. It had been easier-- not easy but easier-- to leave Chibiusa where she was supposed to be. It was only around the four month mark that he’d sat on the edge of that very same bed they’d shared and said “I feel like we’ve played our roles and run out of script.” His voice was so low that she almost hadn’t heard, that she knew he hadn’t meant to say it out loud at all, but it had been the end of it all the same. She’d asked him to leave. She hadn’t told the others yet. She didn’t need to give them the idea before they came to it on their own.

She ran her hand softly along Chibiusa’s face, then through her hair. Her straight, dark hair that shone red-brown in sunlight but otherwise had no hint bubblegum pink. That had been the proof. They weren’t in the future they thought they were fighting for. The future Mamoru and the others had signed on for.

There was another crackle and a bang. The room lit up for a few seconds before dropping back into its long shadows. Usagi wished they would stop. What was there to celebrate? If last year had been the first year without war, this was the first year without hope. The first year where everyone would know there was nothing keeping them tied to Usagi. The first year Usagi was bringing in alone, or very nearly.

Her phone buzzed again and she didn’t bother to look what it was. Everyone had their own things to do, and even as they made a show of trying to bring her in, they were still off doing them. And that was better. She’d never meant to trap anyone, however much she wanted them to stay. She was never like Serenity in that way. Maybe that was why she no longer was Serenity.

She tried to make herself sleep instead of thinking. It had always been such an easy thing, but even that was different now. Always exhausted, hardly able to sleep-- was she even Usagi still? Was she anything? What was left of her that hadn’t faded alongside her powers?

More bangs, one after the other, bounced against her ears to join the cacophony of thoughts between them. It took her a long moment to realize the noise was not paired with the flashing lights of more fireworks. Usagi shot up. Someone was at the door, pounding their fists against it by the sound of it. She hesitated for a moment over Chibiusa-- she was sleeping so well, even moving her over to the crib seemed cruel. She kissed her cheek and left her there, willing her with all her might to stay still.

Usagi threw a robe over her pajamas and hurried to the door as the knocking grew somehow more insistent. She didn’t yell that she was coming for fear of waking Chibiusa. Whoever was at the door didn’t seem to have the same concern.

“Usagi! I know you’re in there. I will break down this door if you don’t open it right--”

Rei stopped short as Usagi flung the front door open. “Shhh! Chibiusa is asleep.”

“Sorry, sorry. You weren’t coming.”

This was the part, Usagi knew, where she was supposed to snap back that she was, and comment about Rei’s impatience or whine about how unfair she was or make some sort of production, but she didn’t have the heart or the energy. A beat passed in silence. Rei frowned.

“I decided,” she said as she stepped inside and shrugged off her coat, “That we can’t bring in the New Year like this.”

“Like what?”

Rei looked her in the eye, still all fire even without Mars. “Don’t like what me. You’re hiding away here when you should be with me. With us, all of us.”

“I have to take care of Chibiusa.”

“So? We love her. Or let her stay with Mamoru, wherever he’s living now.”

Usagi’s stomach dropped. Rei wasn’t supposed to know, no one was supposed to know. It was her most awful secret. She didn’t know if she felt angry or sad or relieved that it was out, maybe all three, or nothing at all, or--

A soft thump from the back of the house broke her train of thought. “No, no!” she hissed, running back to the bedroom as Chibiusa began to wail. The mattress was not spectacularly thick, the fall to the ground was only a matter of inches, but still. Inches could be enough, and then Usagi would have nothing, nothing left at all. She scooped Chibiusa into her arms. The little girl quieted immediately. She looked fine, not so much as a red mark anywhere she might have hit the ground, no blood, no bruises. Startled, probably. That was all. Usagi held her tight anyway.

“What the fuck is going on in here?”

Haven’t you heard of privacy? A Usagi who no longer existed snapped from deep within the Usagi who did’s head. “It’s safer this way. If she’s not in the crib. It’s safer like this.”

She watched Rei take it in, the mattress on the floor next to the bed frame, the lack of pillows, the singular blanket, Chibiusa’s crib gathering dust in the corner. “Usagi… what are you doing?”

What does it look like? and What I have to, and What are you doing, Rei? sounded in the back of her mind, but Usagi only shrugged.

“We’ve been waiting for you to say something, anything. Mako thinks you need time, but god, Usagi, how much time could you need?” She put her hands on her hips, readying for a fight Usagi didn’t have in her. “I’m not starting a year with you lying to us.”

“I didn’t lie.”

“Like hel--” She looked at Chibiusa, face dipping towards sheepish before hardening again. “Like heck you didn’t! There have been three times you’ve said Mamoru was here when he--”

“Rei. What does it matter?”

Rei’s jack went slack. She mouthed through several silent words, through surprise and anger and emotions too quick for Usagi to catch. “We’re your friends.”

“For how much longer?”

“What?” Rei looked furious enough that she might have slapped Usagi if she weren’t holding a baby. 

Usagi held Chibiusa a little tighter. “It’s over Rei. I’m not Serenity, you don’t have to stay.”

“Have to-- after everything, you think-- over?” Rei stopped her foot and turned out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Chibiusa began wailing again.

Usagi rocked back and forth to try and calm her down, but not thirty second later Rei banged her way back in. “You’re unbelievable.”

“You’re scaring her.”

Somehow, Rei thought the correct response was to pluck Chibiusa out of Usagi’s arms. Infuriatingly, it worked. Rei bounced Chibiusa against her shoulder and Chibiusa stopped crying in favor or yanking on a hunk of Rei’s hair. “I’m not going anywhere, and neither is anyone else.” The anger in her tone was undercut with the cooing voice she took on when speaking to Chibiusa. “After everything we’ve been through--”

“After everything, this isn’t even the future you were fighting for!” Usagi felt might cry, not the big wails that used to bring her comfort but the awful, hopeless tears that left her dry and exhausted-- more exhausted-- in the aftermath. “All that, and now it’s just… this. You were promised a different world, and I couldn’t give it to you. I messed it up somehow. Of course I did. Of course, stupid Usagi... but now you don’t have to be stuck with me. You can just live your life, you don’t have to ruin it anymore.” 

“Usagi…” Rei gently placed Chibiusa in her crib and grabbed Usagi into a hug. “That’s not how it is at all.”

Usagi started crying in earnest, glad she could hide her face in Rei’s chest. “You don’t have to pretend--”

“Cut that out,” Rei barked, but she stroked Usagi’s hair with all the same tenderness she’d shown Chibiusa. “I’m not your friend because of the Moon Kingdom. That’s why we met, but that’s not why I’m here now.”

“It’s not?” Usagi hiccuped.

“I’m here for you. And god, I never wanted-- Crystal Tokyo scared the shit out of me, and I know I’m not the only one. When it started to look like things would just be normal, it was a relief.”

“But…” Usagi couldn’t think of how she wanted to protest. It didn’t sound like it could be true. Crystal Tokyo had seemed cold and severe, but it was the good future, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it what everyone wanted?

Rei pulled away to look Usagi in the eye. “If I had a choice, this is the future I’d pick. Except--” she pressed her knuckles against Usagi’s head. “I’d change it so you don’t try and hide everything.”

“I thought if you knew, you’d leave, too.” Usagi stared at the ground.

“Stupid.”

“I am.”

Rei flicked her nose. “Shut up. Help me get this mattress back where it belongs.”

Usagi helped her-- or tried to, by some measure-- hoist it back on the bed frame, and then before she could protest Rei had found pillows and blankets to pile on top of it. She climbed in and gestured for Usagi to join her.

“You’re not doing this alone, even if you want to.” Rei put her arms around her. “You’d have to move far away and change your name to get rid of us, and even then I’d probably still find you.”

Usagi laughed despite herself. “Probably.”

“Let us help you. Let me help you.” Rei brushed some hair off her face. “You look exhausted.”

“I am exhausted.”

“Go to sleep, then.”

Usagi wanted to tell Rei it wasn’t that easy, but the next thing she knew she was roused by the pop and crackle of more fireworks. Her head was still on Rei’s chest, and something warm pressed against her back. Ami curled against her on the silver of open bed space. Flashes of light illuminated Mako and Mina sprawled on the floor. Usagi swallowed a sob, but it tasted like warmth instead of despair. She closed her eyes again as the fireworks escalated to their finale outside, feeling a small sparkle of hope begin to bloom again in her chest. The new year, their whole new future, had arrived, and she wasn’t facing it on her own.

[kakukoto]

Ace of Hearts

♥ Chapter 2 ♥

[Previous]

A/N: Yep, I'm the noob who've never posted my works on Tumblr before, imagine my surprise at finding so many AIB fics floating around! So after attempting to satiate my Chishiya cravings, I realized my infatuations know no bounds and decided to feed myself instead.

Pairing: Chishiya x OC

Warnings: Angst, swearing, descriptions of violence, gore and sexual references will be present throughout this story. 

Two weeks passed before she came across the same young man who talked to her on her first night. Arisu, he told her. The way his voice cracked belied the same kindness he offered her. It must have had something to do with his change of partners, she surmised. After all, not many managed to survive here, and surviving with someone important to you, that was an even tougher feat. 

She supposed that Chishiya’s advice did carry weight; it was cruel but necessary to forego any pity for others. After all, how selfless can one be in the face of death? However, it was not within her nature to abandon her humanity. Rina had been this way since young, always the impartial mediator among her friends, choosing to understand rather than pass judgements carelessly. People gravitated towards her empathy, yet a fair share would take advantage of her compassion whenever it served their needs, a particularly common occurrence especially here in Borderland. 

In games, she quickly became the person that newcomers go to, for she remained the only one that actually gave a damn to their incessant questions. Arisu helped too, sometimes, but she could see the weight of his life on his shoulders. It was not easy attaching herself to these strangers. Once they exchanged names, their lives meant something, and it hurt her every time someone she befriended died. She would’ve continued her altruistic acts had it not been Usagi’s firm disapproval. 

“You are really strong, you know?” Now, facing the river that divided Tokyo, the young man divulged his thoughts. 

She was surprised by Arisu’s admission. Of all the adjectives she would use to describe herself, strong was definitely not one of them. 

“You still manage to stay you after everything that we’ve been through.” The man looked at her in half admiration and half pity. “Your heart is strong.” 

Usagi gave them a side glance as the building across the shore lit up. “Which is why you need to guard it even more. People here are twisted and will do anything to live. Expose even a tiniest weakness and they will aim for the kill.” The breeze was a welcoming change from the suffocating city skylines. “Speaking of which, I guess we found the place.”

They remained silent for a while, taking in the first breath of relief ever since they entered this world. She still had many questions, and finding the safe haven that Arisu had been talking about felt like a small step towards understanding the situation. Briefly, her childhood friend crossed her mind. Despite their tense parting, she still wished that he was here with her. Arisu and Usagi had been nothing of accommodating towards her, something she could not say about Chishiya from their short reunion. However no matter the person he is now, he remained as someone she knew from the real world. The attachment could not be erased so easily, especially so when in this world where they were all starved of human connection. Although he may not look and act the same way anymore, she still felt the same familiarity from him. No matter, she would look for him once she gets to the beach. 

With that thought in mind, she felt a blossoming pain at the back of her head before she slipped into unconsciousness. 

…

When she woke, she found herself bounded and surrounded by strangely dressed people who claimed to be the team running the Beach. The guy who introduced himself as Hatter was the craziest of them all. He gave them a grand walkthrough of his beliefs and the rules of the place. The three of them slowly realised that the Beach was far from a safe haven; it was beginning to feel like a dictatorial hell residing in abyss itself. 

To make matters worse, they were compelled to become members here, giving Hatter ownership of the cards they own. Rina watched in horror as he waved her three cards at her. “Ara ara my dear, my guys told me they found three heart cards in your pocket. THREE. I have to be honest, I would never peg you as a hearts player, but we do need someone of your caliber to help us conquer the most cumbersome suit of all.” 

When she was first introduced to the game mechanics, she was made aware what the different suits represented. Many players felt the Hearts suit was the cruelest, messing with their emotions and mind. She concurred to that point, especially since her first Hearts game left her as the sole survivor, shouldering the deaths of the other players. She emerged scarred and hysterical, more so than any other games, until she met Arisu and Usagi. The two had helped her hold on to her sense of self and will to live. 

When she cleared her head and thought back to the games with much agony, she discovered that there was in fact a strategy to them, similar to other suits. Though the probability of winning was much lower given that it required other players to be on board with her plan as well. What the game bet on was the mental state of the players by clouding their minds with fear and trust issues. In other words, it was a psychological test, something she excelled at in her profession. She supposed Hatter was right when he called her out on it. 

Once the rules were explained to them, they were each brought to their rooms with the garments fitting to their sizes already in the closet. She hesitantly grabbed a plain black bikini, and layered it with a white, bell sleeved cover up that barely reached mid thigh. The material was a little see through, and too short for her liking, but she supposed it was better than nothing. 

Arisu and Usagi headed straight out to assess the situation, but she stayed behind in her room, hoping for a little peace after the morning spectacle. By the time she woke up, her room was dark save for the luminescent numbers displayed on the little electronic clock at her bedside. Her body was still heavy, muscles aching from overuse during the various games. As much as she hated being chained down, she had to admit that this was the best sleep she got since she came to this world. The hotel bed was comfortable, and her friends were alive. “Oh fuck…” Rina suddenly remembered her promise to meet the other two in dinner. Quickly, she ran her fingers through her hair and begrudgingly left the room. She didn’t want her friends to worry about her. 

The lights in the hallway blinded her momentarily, and when her eyes adjusted to it, she noticed a figure in front of her. Said man had a rifle resting on his shoulders, his face donned with multiple piercings as empty eyes bored down to hers.

“Yo new girl, let’s go.” 

Instinctively, she stepped back. “W-w-who are you?” 

“Hm?” The man turned to her, tongue running across his lips dangerously. She could feel his eyes rake through her body, a smirk making its way across his features. “Why don’t you guess, since you’re so good at playing with people’s hearts?” 

Memories of the leopard printed shirt crossed her mind. “It was luck, nothing more”, she murmured. “Anyway, you didn’t answer my question.” 

Her reply only seemed to fuel the man’s advances. “Let’s do a little exchange then. I’ll tell you my name, if you can scream it to me in a more pleasurable position, how about that?” The cool surface of metal briefly brushed against her cheek as he invaded her personal space. “You’ll be happier with me than that old man Hatter.” 

The man looked every bit deranged as Hatter, and she had to bite her tongue for self preservation. From his very suggestive statement, she deduced that there must be some bad blood among the higher ups. He did not seem like he answered to number one, especially with the disdain colouring his tone. 

As she processed his words, said man stepped even closer, his face a mere inch from hers. She could feel his breath upon her cheeks, the faint smell of cigarettes wafting through the air. Just as she prepared herself to run back into her room, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back, away from the unwelcoming approaches. 

“Careful Niragi, you know Hatter doesn’t take it well when someone steals from him.”

A grey jacket appeared in her field of vision. Her shoulders relaxed at the sight of the man that she vowed to find, though it brought to her mind more questions. What was he doing here?

“Who died and make you his bitch?” As quickly as he commented, the gunman pointed his rifle up at Chishiya’s chin. Her childhood friend however, did not look fazed by that. 

“Just stating facts. Oh right, the games are starting soon. I wonder what will Hatter say if she didn’t participate in the initiation test because she was held back?”  

The tension in the corridor was palpable. Niragi considered the shorter man’s reasoning before he pulled back, leaving the two of them. Once the walking danger was out of sight, Rina turned to her friend in relief. He still looked the same as the last time they met, calm but calculating. 

“You’re here.” She wanted to give him a hug but hesitated, remembering his indifference to physical contact that night. 

Chishiya gave her a half smile as he let go of her. His eyes scanned her form, just like Niragi did earlier, but if he had any comments on her choice of dressing he did not voice it out. She followed him, knowing that he was going to bring her to some initiation test. The questions were bubbling in her mind, but she was hesitant to ask him knowing that he would brush them off again. Not knowing what to say, she awkwardly rubbed her thumbs together. Surprisingly, it was Chishiya who broke the silence. 

“Hatter wants you to join the executive committee, that’s why you have to do the initiation test.” He held the evaluator door open as she stepped in, a simple action that she would normally pass on had it not contradict to his behaviour. Acts like this reminded her of the Chishiya she once knew. “It’s just another game, but someone from the committee will be there as well to gauge you.”

“I thought he’s only interested in Arisu?” 

“Hatter likes to keep the strongest, most intelligent players close. Everyone has their own strengths, and yours seem valuable enough to him.” 

To him. The way he worded his sentence was not lost on her. Perhaps in his mind she was of little value, Rina concluded. The thought of it saddened her, although she could not deny that his intelligence was a force to be reckoned with even when they were young. 

“What if I don’t want to join the committee? My visa doesn’t expire for another two days, and I would much rather not put my life on the line unless necessary.” It was uncomfortable being labelled this way, and she most definitely did not want to be forced to play with others’ emotions just because she had an affinity to the game. 

“You’ll soon find out that what Hatter wants, he always gets.” His next words were uttered much quieter. “You shouldn’t have came here.” 

“Well, Arisu thought this place would hold answers to our existence here, and I figured it is a good place to start…” 

“And are you satisfied with the answers you found so far?” The expression on his face mocking her. 

“No but I found you, haven’t I?” She gave him a weak smile. 

“I see you didn’t heed my advice at all.” A sigh escaped his lips. 

The elevator doors opened, this time the sounds of chattering could be heard across the hallway. Once she stepped out, Chishiya let go of the elevator door he was holding and briskly walked towards the noise. 

“Chi wait-” The man stopped and walked back to her, this time his expression serious. 

He whispered, making it clear that he wanted to keep their conversation clandestine. “Listen, I know you love to bond with strangers over sob stories, but do not ever reveal that you know me in the real world. If anyone asks, we are not friends. You only saw me once, in your first game here. Do I make myself clear?” 

She was not used to his commanding tone. He was always so lenient towards her when they were younger, deferring to her decisions without much protest. This was a side of him that she was unfamiliar with, sending goosebumps to her skin and something else, lurking in her stomach. She could only nod at his demand.

Pleased with her acknowledgement, he turned away, not before adding another request.

“When we are not alone, call me by my name and nothing else.”

With that said, he disappeared in the crowd.

[lightdancer1]

By the Rocket’s Red Glare:

It was dark, tonight, on a night where nine women and one man sat together, watching and waiting. An arc of fire shot up and with a tremendous crack! light flashed in a shower of red and green sparkles, illuminating the faces of the others. One looked around, seeing with eyes that saw more keenly than most appreciated.

At the furthest edge was a woman with short-cropped light blue hair, her hand intertwined with one tall where she was small, a woman of great height and size. By her hand the thunder sounded, and she had seen her fighting with beauty. In her eyes, as with the small blue-haired woman’s there was peace, contentment, love.

Their hands moved quietly together, as her gaze went next to the Miko that sat in a pair of shorts and suspenders, her hands folded together quietly. Her eyes were warm and welcoming, and there was peace. No hidden sorrows now. Usagi flinched as the next firework went off, in a flash of gold with small streaks of red. It reminded her of her least favorite colors and their combination and among the ten, it was a group of four to the right who all flinched in different ways. One whose hair was gold but cropped as short as Ami’s felt the warmth of tears trickling down her face, her nervous vibrations more powerful. None were unaffected, by the memories or the way the firework crackled with a terrible chuckle of grim mirth to match that which had stood before them on a red throne lit like the fires of Hell.

To her left her eyes flickered, to her Mamo-chan. She let herself smile softly. She loved him, she truly did, even if he was often weak against the nature of the Great Enemy. Once he had been harsh to her, now the inner Mamo-chan, the warm and loving man who was blessed forth at warmth with the Golden Crystal looked at the fireworks with a look of love and contentment, as his eyes met hers and he took her hand and he kissed it gently, and her smile was warm and melting.

To the right her eyes flickered, and there were her Outer Senshi. Stoic Pluto, eyes of red illuminated in the neon-blue and silver-green flashes of the next firework burst, her mask an invisible one deeply hidden. Volcanic Neptune, whose depths concealed much impenetrable to her. Of all her Senshi the most distant, for they were least alike. Neptune still thought little of her after all this time, and yet she knew of no means to heal this.

There were three others, a young teenager sitting proudly independently and yet somewhat close to a tall and gangly butch woman with hair of shining gold, her eyes still moist with tears, trembles there. The oceanic majesty of Kaioh Michiru looked at her with a quiet wariness and her hand slipped to her right shoulder.

To her left there was Mina, her beloved general, who fought so hard and sold so much of her soul to the same terrible dream that consumed her, who quietly punched the butch on the shoulder, and as she looked over, she leaned in and whispered in her ear and she couldn’t hear Haruka’s laughter or the words said over the next set of flashes, ones that erupted in flashes counting downward.

So many times she had never expected to have another, or worse she had expected to be the only one who would know it. A prisoner of the gilded cage of dead dreams of a dead empire, a songbird in a beautiful cage chirping in perpetuity. The fireworks erupted in that pattern counting down, her voice counting quietly, the words mouthed, her hand intertwining with Mamoru’s

So many times where there was fear. In the Arctic where her friends.....no, a family. Not of blood but of choice, a thing the dead Queen would not have wished but it was *hers* won in sorrow and great beauty, slept on the red snow. In the eyes of Master Pharaoh 90 when he had fallen from Heaven like a great and terrible demonic force. Before a throneroom red as Hellfire with a Golden Queen whose hair and body were armor, lost to the demented fever-dreams of the force she had sought to master and which had mastered her in turn and played her like a fiddle.

So many times she had shed others’ blood for sacrifices that had brought them here. Now here she was, the year passing, the Sun no longer Metallia’s throneroom and passing around the year.

One flash now, a superlative thing of noise and fire and thunder, and with the rest of the Senshi she shouted, with more joy (and if there was a quiet strain in that joy only she could fully perceive it, or so she hoped):

“Happy New Year!”

A thing she had never expected to have, and with those who knew most how fragile and how beautiful it was. Her smile was warm, for each of them had that most fragile of all things. Life. And for all but her, the knowledge that the eternal would not be truly so.

The shadows of Cosmos, of the tall and stoic being with her own staff so akin to Setsuna’s, grew behind her eyes. None but her saw the single tear that streaked down her face, and she was relieved when the next set of fireworks held her Senshi and her fiance’s vision spellbound as she wiped her eye clear.

It was a new year, and such moments were to be times of joy, and so it would be.

[writer-and-artist27]

White Rose of Gratitude

An informal sequel to With a Lancer and a birthday gift for @raspberryusagi / @technicallynonexistent, one of the first Fate franchise fan-artists I got exposed to, and I’m more than glad I did because her art is adorable. So, a small dedication to Usagi-san. :)

I don’t own anything but the writing and Hoshino Tomoko, my SI-OC. Usagi belongs to @raspberryusagi, any mentions of Gekkō Keisuke goes to Lang ( @langwrites ), drops of the Narutoverse to Kishimoto Masashi, and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and Arturia Pendragon belong to Kinoko Nasu and those at Type-Moon.

The song that is mentioned in the story is Let’s Just Live, from RWBY. I personally recommend Goldwin Productions’ Acoustic version of the song on YouTube since the strings and piano come together really well. And personally? After so much darkness from the original Fate/stay night and Fate/Zero, I felt like this song was fitting. There’s only so much apathy and darkness that goes on before something has to be said.

Please enjoy. And since I know you’re reading this, a happy birthday to you, Usagi-san. I wish for your happiness and joy this new year. :)

In a change that was surprisingly for the better, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne was starting to become a constant companion in my dreams. Before he came around in that white space, my nights were usually split into three categories. Peaceful dreamless sleep, memories of Saber’s past life as King Arthur, and flashbacks of my time as Vy. Before meeting Diarmuid, I probably would’ve told you that dreamless sleep was my way to go, because it was better to see nothing than to be forced to watch memories that weren’t your own all over again. More so when you didn’t even have a choice in the matter.

Now?

His company was a lot better than any of the previous ideas.

This night didn’t change that fact, because once I closed my eyes, I found myself in that same flowing white dress again, looking out towards the white space from before. And, well? Diarmuid was still clad in green armor and wielding those two lances of his, so he stood out quite a bit against the white.

“Hello, Diarmuid!” I waved at him.

Once I got his attention, he turned to me with that same smile. “Good evening, Tomoko.” He bowed his head towards me in that same Knight-ly manner once I ran over. “It is good to see you again.”

I couldn’t help but smile and curtsey in return. Formalities had long faded for that friendly affection that nestled in my heart for the Lancer. “It’s good to see you, Diarmuid!” I stood back up and reached over to poke his nose once he straightened himself. “Boop.”

“Pft,” Diarmuid gently pushed my hand away to lightly poke my forehead through my bangs in return. “Boop,” he echoed.

I leaned back to cover my mouth, feeling the grin stretch my cheeks. It didn’t even matter that he aimed for that one spot on my head. It was just all Awww. This marked the first time he said it back. Progress! “Hee hee hee, you’re catching on quick!”

“With such a spontaneous lady as my only companion, it was expected, Tomoko.” Diarmuid’s ash gold eyes were sparkling in return, though, and I held back the pout towards the formal title to instead sit down on the ground. “Are we to talk as always?”

“Unless you want to do something else, yes?” I answered, patting the white space while folding my dress under my legs. “I could change the background! Dream and all!”

Diarmuid chuckled but shook his head, sitting down next to me. “The white is sufficient, Tomoko. I…” He paused, and his smile dropped for a quiet frown. His shoulders tensed, along with the grip he had on his nearest lance, and from the feeling alone, I waited. “I was simply hoping to consult you for some advice. If that is alright.”

“Of course it is.” You’ve helped me out more than you know. I kept my voice soft and the farthest away from an excited high-pitch. This was already a rare moment and this wasn’t the time to squeal or ramble. This was his moment. “What is it, Diarmuid?”

He turned his head away, letting me only see the back of his head and his messy black hair. “…”

He’s hesitating. I tried again. “Dia?”

The nickname seemed to have done something, because Diarmuid swiftly turned around to meet my eyes, and his cheeks were tinged a slight pink. “T-Tomoko, that title—!”

“I-I mean, we’ve been talking together for so long, Diarmuid, so, uh, I thought a nickname like ‘Dia’ suited you.” I pressed my fingers together while trying to keep up a smile. The blush on my face was probably really obvious to him now, because the heat was flooding my cheeks whether I liked it or not. “If that’s okay? We’re friends, so we can talk, y’know. If you don’t want to, then that’s okay too. Just take your time?”

Diarmuid blinked slowly at me, those ash-gold eyes searching and unsure before focusing. “If that makes you feel more at ease, Tomoko.” He bowed his head yet again. “My apologies for not responding immediately. I was simply at a loss for words. I…” He raised his head to meet my eyes again, a small and shaky smile on his face. “I have never been called so affectionately like that aside from my own current Master. So,” he lowered his head, “thank you for your kindness, my lady.”

Oh my gosh.

“Dia…” I reached over to gently move his head up, booping him again, this time on the head. “That’s one more boop for you, for calling me a lady.” The heat was still sticking to my face, but I found myself laughing softly anyways. “I’m glad you like the name then. But enough about that.” I pulled back right after patting him softly on the head. “What advice do you want? Is it about your current Master?”

To my surprise, a darker pink overcame his face as Diarmuid scratched his cheek with his free hand. “To be concise, yes,” he said quietly, and the soft twinge of emotion in his voice conveyed everything. “My current Master’s birthday is coming soon, and…” he took a deep breath, his fist clenching around his red lance. “I am unsure of what to give to her. My personal feelings aside, she has many other Heroic Spirits around her to care for her, and yet she takes so much of her energy to care for me.” I didn’t miss how his free hand reached up to lightly touch the mole under his right eye. “To even try overcoming my curse.”

Oh. This was something new. Hell, this was a side I had never seen of the Lancer-class Servant until now.

Had anyone else seen him this vulnerable?

But yep. The pink on his face, the small gestures, it all came together into one thing. It reminded me of how Kakashi looked at Kei. The signs were all there, but the hesitance was obvious. I kept my voice quiet and honest, because there was no other way to properly approach such a situation but in that manner.

“…Do you love her, Dia?”

The pink turned into a soft red. “Yes,” he admitted with a wry smile. “With all my heart and being as a Heroic Spirit. But,” he turned away, the smile turning into a deep frown. “Th-This is merely a what-if, Tomoko, but if my king heard of this—”

Wait, what? No!

“Dia, you don’t have to overthink this!” Without meaning to, I reached over and grabbed his free hand in mine. No backtracking was going to be allowed in this space! “It’s not your king you should be worrying about!”

“…Huh?” Diarmuid turned back to me with wide eyes. “Then, what is it?”

I shook my head and squeezed his hand in what I hoped was the most comforting squeeze I could give, smiling. “Just let me get this straight. You love your current Master, don’t you?”

The red was back. “Yes.”

“And you plan to serve her with all your strength, right?”

The blush had receded for a battle-ready expression as Diarmuid nodded.

“Then, why do you worry about your past king, Diarmuid? Your current Master is your lord now, isn’t she?” I squeezed his hand again, because the look on his face paralleled both Saber and Kei all at once. I couldn’t deal with that. Dia deserved better. My friend deserved better. And whoever was his King in the times before needed to apologize now, or, hell, grovel in front of Dia — no, Diarmuid for whatever past transgressions happened. All thanks to the simple fact that Diarmuid, right now, was still hesitating because of that King, even with his own heart crying out.

I didn’t know the full story. I don’t even know if I ever will get to know that story. But still. I’d be damned to let someone I care for lose something precious before they even realize it again.

“Dia.” I pulled him in by the hand to lightly bonk his head with mine. “If there’s anything I know as both a civilian and a woman, I don’t think your Master will reject you. If she cares for you enough to try overcoming your curse and keep being with you in spite of the other Heroic Spirits as you say, you just need to tell her how you feel. She’ll be alright with you.” I bonked him again. “She’ll accept you and whatever you have to offer.”

Kei and the others were alright with me. So, why not you and your Master?

Diarmuid gaped again, jaw so slack to the point where I reached over to lightly push it closed. “Tomoko…”

“How about this?” I let him go to lean back on my hands, looking up towards that same ceiling of white. “Find her flowers. Show her something in those blossoms that’s both simple yet symbolic of your feelings for her. Simple does it better than expensive these days.” I winked at him. “After all, it’ll be from you, Dia, and you are the charmer.”

“Tomoko, I respect your opinion, but to be brutally honest, is that…” Dia paused his current deadpan inflection, averting his eyes. “Would that really be enough?”

“It’s enough, Dia,” I insisted, turning back to him to poke his cheek. Were all Knights this emotionally closed off? Because really, Saber worried me enough. As well as Kei, Team Minato, and every other ninja friend I grew to love. “But if you’re still worried, I can give a recommendation?”

He flushed a light pink again as he opened and then closed his mouth. “…If that is alright,” he acquiesced.

I smiled, looked up towards the ceiling, and decided. Singing seemed like a better option to get my point across.

The song was fitting for a Knight that needed to learn how to value his own life alongside his new Master’s. For a Knight that needed to have love returned with love for once. Platonic, romantic, or familial. Anything worked.

I just had to say it.

The lyrics came naturally.

“It used to feel like a fairy tale, Now it seems we were just pretending We'd fix our world And on our way to a happy ending.

Then it turns out life Is far less like a bedtime story Then a tragedy with no big reveal Of the hero's glory. And it seems we weren't prepared For a game that wasn't fair. Do we just go home? Can we follow through? When all hope is gone, there is one thing we can do…

Let's just live! Day by day, And not be conquered by our sorrows. The past can't hold us down, We must break free. Inside we're torn apart, But time will mend our hearts. Move onward, not there yet, So let's just live!”

Dia needed to hear this at least. As a Servant, he experienced death before, and if our previous conversations were any indication, he wasn’t unfamiliar to the sensation of dying again. That was hard. I didn’t know what his previous Masters were like, but I still sang anyways. In the hopes he could find happiness with his new Master. In the hopes that he could start valuing himself too.

There was only so much negativity that one could spread.

There was only so much self-deprecation I could see when I was still guilty of that quality myself.

“When it feels like there's nothing worth living for. Everything is broken. The light's not there anymore. And the story takes an unexpected turn A friend is suddenly gone. We can cry our lives away, But if they were here, they'd say, ‘Go forward, you must keep moving on.’

Let's just live! Just one day, Let's forget about our problems. Let's fall in love with life, And just be free.

The sun will never fade, The night won't steal our day. Let's dance and love and laugh and let's just live!”

Once I finished and turned my head, Diarmuid was staring at me with the warmest expression on his face. “Tomoko, that was…” he shifted, and I tried not to lurch back once he got on one knee and bowed his head in that Knight-ly way. Just like Saber. “As a proud knight, I am both humbled and happy to have heard you perform. Such a song warmed my brutish heart. I shall take your words to memory for as long as I live again.”

Just in case, I opened my mouth anyways. “Are you really going to live, Dia?”

He raised his head, confusion in his eyes. “Tomoko?”

I withheld a small sigh and reached over to pull him into a hug. Of course. It hadn’t stuck yet. No one had told him yet. Why were warriors not reminded of their humanity sooner? “Just promise me one last thing, Diarmuid, please?”

The space around us was moving. Either I would wake up soon, or he would. Our time tonight was coming to an end.

He tensed underneath my hold, but it lasted for a single second as a hand proceeded to gently rest atop of my head. “Anything.”

“Please, Dia. Please live. With your Master, live and please be happy in your new life. It’s not all about fighting, y’know.” Because I’ve seen Kei’s eyes go dark already. I’ve seen Obito, Rin, Kakashi all steel themselves trying to protect me. I’ve seen my own blood. I’ve had enough of bloodshed and death for an entire universe. I pulled away, deciding not to voice the last part and instead gesturing to my dress. “And try white roses. I think your Master will like that.”

The last thing I saw before the white space fell apart was Diarmuid’s surprised ash-gold eyes.

“—moko, Tomoko.” A hand was shaking my shoulder. “It is morning. Please get up.”

Saber’s voice. I forced my eyes open to blink, feeling both parched and exhausted. Still, I rose up from my futon to give her a smile. “Hi, Saber.”

The King of Knights smiled back before pulling me into a warm hug. “Good morning, Tomoko. Did you rest alright?”

“I-I think I did, but why?”

Saber pulled away to look at me, her green eyes searching and concerned. “You were shifting in your sleep. And, there was one more thing. I found it at your bedside when coming in today.”

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. “What is it…?”

All desire to speak words left my mouth once Saber reached from behind her back to pull out a single rose.

A white rose.

Saber gently tugged on the single tag tied to the rose’s stem via red ribbon. “Do you know these people, Tomoko?”

I took the rose from her hands to read the tag.

My lady Tomoko, you have my eternal gratitude. It worked.

— Dia

Oh my god.

Thank you for everything!

— Usagi <3

Oh my freakin’ god.

My eyes were already watering.

“T-Tomoko?! Are you feeling unwell?”

I shook my head, feeling the smile cover my face before anything else. The dorks. It was just one song, what else could I have done? Hell, how did they drop that off? That was so much better than anything else I prepared.

“I-It’s nothing, Saber. I’m just happy.”

“Because…?”

“I made a faraway friend happy. And that’s good enough for me.”

I tucked my nose in the petals and felt a laugh start to bubble up in my throat. Huh. The rose had a scent just as sweet as the wind coming in through my open window.

[todokanai-suishou]

Excerpt of a fic I didn’t know I still had

Vanilla Twilight - an excerpt of what used to be a ceo!JJK AU fanfic written at three AM somewhen in november. I don’t know why I didn’t choose names.

Neither do I know why I’m posting this. Good Night. WC: 2,4k

„As many times as I blink I'll think of You tonight“

It's been what? Three months now? Yeah, it must have been about three months since she told him „I don't want to see you again.“ Three Months since the love of his way too young life just stumbled out of it completely, three months since he's been drowning himself in work,

and yet, only two days since his father told him not to.“You need a break“ he said. „You'll die before you reach my age if you keep overworking like that.“ „Take a leave for the next week or so, the company won't go down in flames because you're missing for a few days.“

But yet it felt like the company was the only thing that held him together anymore. It may have been unhealthy to work that much, but sitting on his rooftop right now and starring at the sun that was setting wasn't any better. The company might not have missed him, but he missed her and if he was wide awake like that, from the lack of work or excercise to keep him from falling asleep as soon as he even saw a bed, it was worse.

There was nothing to distract him now. No means to make up for what he had done and no reason to not think of her this very second

on this very day, that once was so special to them both.

A tear ran down his face as he gripped the magnetic bracelets tighter with his left hand. Two years had passed since he's got his.

„If my heart was a house, you'd be home.“ they'd say. The compasses reacting to each other wildly, needles swinging left to right beneath the glass as the bracelets were pressed together.

At one point, after she left hers at his place that night, he stopped wearing his. Though for the time being, he still looked into the little flowery treasure chest in his closet to see if hers was still with his, Hoping she'd secretly somehow come to sneak in and steal it like she did his heart three years ago, or that it was all a bad dream and he woke up with her next to him like they did on every trip, or back somewhen two and a half years ago when she fell asleep in his apartment after watching some movie he didn't want to watch in first place. He still hoped, wished, dreamed he could go back to that.

And every time it was devastating. It was devastating to see her bracelet next to his, lying there and just pointing at the other as theirs would if they were within a few metres.

But she wasn't. And he had no idea where the hell she was. And it killed him. It killed him when he told her she'd never change, that he made her say good bye instead of letting her into his apartment, when he was the only one she trusted with her deepest thoughts, the only one she felt whole around and when she was the only one he ever really loved that loudly, and he didn't tell her until she walked out of his life,her still saying „I'm sorry“. When, to him, he was always the one that should be saying sorry for the things he said and did that night.

Or maybe they shouldve both just said sorry, talked it out.

He sighed „no.“ She made it clear that she didn't want to talk. She didn't want him to apologize, or at least not accept it. Letting her pride led by the pain get in the way ...and that was just what it was.

He created a hole in both their hearts and for a second he contemplated just throwing both of these bracelets down the 24th floor into the rose planted and flower filled garden, so he wouldn't find them even if he tried - and They could fall anywhere.

Another sigh from him as he clenched his hand tighter around the bracelets, holding them up as though he was ready to throw them as soon as the sun would have fully set.

But he didn't. He couldn't.

He just got flashbacks of that night when she gave it to him.

„I swear to god if you ever lose or break yours, or if I see another person with it, I'll kill you.“ she'd say smiling, but he fully knew she meant it. „There's only two of them“ „They were custom made.“ They were his blessing and now his curse. He looked up into the sky, somehow trying not to cry while it seemed like the same full moon from back then came to taunt him now, laughing at him with „Tsuki No Usagi“ laughing along at how pathetic he was.

But he cried. He cried a lot, clutching both of these bracelets over his heart. He couldn't do anything to them. He knew he wouldn't.

Except for the smell of her perfume on the couch pillow she prefered to lean her head on and hug, they were the only thing of hers that was still with him and he thought that maybe, just maybe...

in another universe he'd still be with her, with these bracelets.

And maybe in this world one day, he'll get her back, give her the bracelets and somehow everything goes back to normal. Despite the trust being broken, the wishful thinking didn't stop. A sillouette to build him up again.

However when  he cried his last, he didn't mean to get up. Something drew him to the stars that night. All he got was a blanket before tiredly making his way back up just to continue whatever he meant to do.

He fell asleep a few hours after getting the blanket she gave him, on the roof that night, in between looking up at the stars, looking up at the constellations trying to find the ones she tried to show him before. Failing miserably, like tonight, two years ago, and almost laughing through the tears he shed, at how she showed him a million times and he still couldn't figure out all that astrology stuff, or how they worked, and so “well”.

All he knew was that looking for even the slightest signs of stars and constellations in the sky, brought him a little closer to her.

Maybe she'd be looking up tonight too, probably in a different timezone, to a different time, he didn't know.

But what the did know was that for a second, while actually finding the little bear, he was happy. „I did it,love, I did it.“ For the first time in forever while thinking about her, he actually smiled.

It was a weird feeling of, not quiet feeling content, but better, a little less sad. Maybe he'd always spend like three hours just ripping strands of his black hair out while trying to find anything in the sky. Texting you like he did that night.

“And love, you won't see it, but, I did it. I found one of the constellations, I bet you'd be so proud now. I'm still lost though. I wish you were here with me. To tell me about all of them. And your days. And you and what I missed And see your probably already new hair do and hear you laugh and rant about your literature professor. I just want to see you. Hear you. Happy. And mostly I want to give you your bracelet. I can't even remember which one was yours though. Please remind me.”

A lie. He knew exactly her bracelet had a little slit on one of the wooden pearls, as he accidentally lost track of the knife while cooking. He was apologizing so many times that night while she yelled about him almost chopping her arm off and he almost had to laugh again. She raged that night, but eventually they'd laugh about it later on.

„JK, I'd never forget“ he wrote below a photo he sent. Him wearing his bracelet for once while looking at how the compasses searched for each other. Knowing well the photo wouldn’t reach her though. That she still had him blocked, yet...

Wondering if one day she'd search for him again. Knowing she'd be the only one who could find him instantly.

„Good Night, flower girl.

I Really Miss you terribly“

„Sincerely, me“ he typed, deleted „yours tru-“ deleted.

„- The dumb ass that almost chopped your arm off about 16 months ago.“

If she could read it, she'd no doubt, be laughing but for now he'd hoped someone else would make her laugh the way he used to.

That she could focus on her studies and not the loss of him and the few grams she no longer carried around with her.

He wished her to be as happy as he can't be right now, as happy as she can be and with other, possibly better people, who would treat her well. Also that she got better at smash bros and mario cart so people wouldn't laugh at her being terribly bad again.

„Maybe I should also take on drawing lessons“ he whispered before tiredly closing his eyes „but I guess if she ever found out, she'd be the one to almost cut my arm off“

slight reminders of her telling him the only thing she was really good at was drawing and how she showed him and he really didn't figure out how anything worked at all flashed in his mind as he calmed.

„I'll teach you“ and only she could.

Well, technically she couldn't. He was a hopeless case and they both knew. Clowns. Clowns in love, for she loved him as much as he loved her, but the words always stayed unsaid. She'd make an impression that she did the night he ruined her, but he was too far gone.

Never from her mind though. He was still what she'd draw on the weekend when she was not in the mood for her theses or working. He. Though painful, was still her healing in some kind of way.

„You're working on that again?“ Her new dorm mate said as she sketched his face from memory. They had a different model in the art class she enrolled in right now but the face portraits still always went back to him. Much like the pictures where someone posed with scrunched up noses or peace signs.

She really didn't mind it though, for some reason, unless she found the initial sketch of their bracelets, drawing him was therapeutic, falling asleep on those pictures was therapeutic.

And her just getting a hick up as she started sketching reminded her „If you get the hick-ups, someone's thinking about you. My mom used to say that.“ She laughed back when she told him one night at one of their week-end trips, half drunk and laughing. Him responding with „Yeah, or someone talks badly about you, my three times divorced and landlord-hated aunt said. She had a hick-up problem.“

More laughter to the backround noise of „if my heart was a house” followed by slurred lines of „sugar we're going down“ and „american idiot.“

She chuckled quietly. „Oh shut up, I want to sleep“ her roommate exclaimed. It wasn't that late though, was it?.

Seven pm, still early, the sun not yet setting. Yet, with the full moon above, she couldn't wait for the sunset, night fall.

She stared at her phone. „Approximately 15 Minutes till the sun starts setting and you usually can't fall asleep until it's getting cotton candy skied, what's wrong this time?“ a chuckle escaped her mouth.

„Bad break up.“ the other girl murmured. „That's the 4th time in 15 days. I think you should get a new guy.“ - „That's also the third in  a month. Love just doesn't work for me, believe me.“

„It will.“ The artist said. „Even if the person you think you'll end up with isn't the one, one day, with the right person, it all will.“

She didn't realize tears were falling on her piece of paper as she switched to his contact on her phone, contemplated unblocking him, but eventually she didn't.

It would be better this way. She said good bye and it was irreversible. It always was irreversible for her. Gripping her empty wrist and letting go of the pen for a while she smiled through the tears and said, in a cheerful yet shaky voice.

“Even if it wasn't him, one day, there's someone who won't leave, who you won't leave. One day, I promise.“

Not knowing if it was to reassure her friend, or herself and not realizing she held her breath, until she felt two arms and a blanket wrap around her signaling that „everything will be okay, precious, everything will be okay“

and for once, even without her telling the context of the story no one really knew about, she started to let down her walls and cry to let out the emotions all the parting had led her to.

Even if her friend didn't know or understand her infatuation with Jeons son. She just held her as though the fragile soul, whining loudly like a child that fell and came running with a bleeding knee, would break if she wasn't there to give her the warmth she deserved and obviously needed in that very second.

„You know, I miss him so much.“ a little inaudible whisper said and her friend didn't understand what she meant, but „shhh, shhh, it gets better.“ Came from her until her roommate fell into a deep slumber.

All she saw was the name on the display that wouldn't go off. The display picture looking quite familiar.

Name saying „Jeon Jeon Jeon“ and the caring one wondered if the girl had been catfished and dreams crushed by that person on screen, and if that was exactly why she blocked that number. Ideas about unblocking him and investigating filling her head but then again, as much as she wanted to. She couldn't just meddle in a broken hearts story, especially not her friends.

So she kept her theoretic, tangled and still curious thoughts, knowing they'd stay just that - and left the blanket above the girl that was fast asleep, closing the book with the drawing of the Jeon boy and replacing it with a pillow to slobber on, instead of the art she created.

„Good Night, lovely“ she said as she went outside to take snapshots of the sky, making sure to get her friends beloved constellations on camera, as the sleeping beauty usually did herself. Sneaking in trying not to wake the other up again.

„Good Night, dumbass“ the artist almost fully asleep whispered as her friend said good night the way he did. Some things wouldn't fade and her roommates complaints the next morning, for insulting her, though accidentally, would be surely be one of those.  

__________________________

It’s 3am and I have no idea why I’m posting this. 

The Idea Of “Vanilla Twilight” is part of a ceo!Jungkook fanfiction I never posted because I usually don’t post my writing for..uh...reasons. 

“If my heart was a house -” fanfiction was created on national novel writing month and is a full on trainwreck that might never be finished. The Name as Well as reasons for the writing & inspiration for the bracelet design is lowkey because “if my heart was a house, you’d be home” by Owl City was kind of their Song since they first met and they do be soulmates so... >-<

Said magnetic bracelets stam from the line “if my heart was a compass you’d be north” and basically have magnets pulling “needles” towards eachother whenever they’re close. (They’re custom made, which is why they’re that special to OC & him. Also expensive as hell and she’s a poor lit/art student.) It was partially brought up by OC in a former chapter after they lost eachother at a fully crowded market and didn’t find eachother again for about two hours despite being like 2 minutes away from eachother the whole time. 

I don’t even know why I’m writing this it’s three AM lord help. Good Night.