#WHEEW!!!!!!!1 tags!!

[kathegoose]

me & my buncha buzzards wish you a HAPPY YULE AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

..and whatever other holidays there are!!! stay safe everyone :]

the buzzards in question:

[gor0uz]

jjk fic recs 2

throughout my exploration, the reason why I waited so long for the fandom to gather works before my deep dive kept lingering in the back of my thoughts: the sheer volume of depraved horniness and dead dove. absolutely NOTHING is off limits. some of these works here haven’t escaped that legacy and in fact embrace its dysfunction; mind the tags. part 1

1) The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Screaming Loud for all to Hear by SkarySkylar.  6.7k words; 1/1. toji/gojo. after getting a taste of dilf toji (in)voluntarily adopting gojo into his little family I've been insatiable. 

2) babydoll by popsky. 13k, 5/5. toji/yuuji. toji/megumi. delicious. toes the line.. but not really, since the incest kinda sprints through it... still delicious... 

3) Teeth, Ribs, Bones on Pyres by moshimo. 5.3k, 1/1. sukuna/megumi. this was soooo good. on godhood and dirty, unwavering faith. 

4) Woof Woof by SkarySkylar. 8.9k, 1/1. sukuna/megumi. okay, this is super lighthearted and fun. not the most realistic fic but the woof woof was just what I needed after reading so much dead dove, so it’ll go in here. 

5) happy birthday, kid by maginot. 5.4k, 1/1. toji/gojo. yeah. I want to read ten million of this exact same trope. 

6) premonition by Markovia. 3.6k, 1/1. toji/gojo. wheew. gorgeous art. the tamest fic here (violence-wise) and that says too much about the woman I've become post jjk dead dove binge. 

7) free of charge by megumis. 2.7k, 1/1. toji/gojo. megumis always pulls through with these. 

8) BEBE by moshimo. 8.3k, 1/1. toji/gojo. I wanna be toji’s boy wife too, man. also: 

-------- <- this is the line I initially drew for myself. 

here is me crossing it... 

9) Eat your prayers by sweetlikesugar. 2.8k, 1/1. megumi/sukuna. yeah I did binge all their fics, yeah these next 2 reccs are from them, yeah I know. I love this idea in particular. wish there was more. this is honestly aaaaa!!!

10) I’m tryna cut you open motherfucker, stop flinching by sweetlikesugar. 2.6k, 1/1. toji/gojo. honestly I really wish this author wrote longer fics. toe-curler.

11) Inkblot by sweetlikesugar. 2.3k, 1/1. megumi/itadori. perhaps a weaker entry in terms of imagery, but I dig the codependency. 

[junggoku]

Lemon Curls and Latte Art - Ethan Ramsey x f!MC

book: Open Heart

pairing: Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Nina Valentine)

word count: 6,679

summary: Ethan’s been having a tough time with a case and desperately needs some coffee and time away from the hospital. His small impromptu trip to his favorite coffeeshop may just become more than he expected. (Alternatively: local doctor man goes to get coffee. Gets roasted for 5 minutes straight by cute barista.) A coffeeshop au

A/N: Soooo first and foremost, I’m super excited about this. I’ve been surprised at the lack of coffeeshop au’s in this fandom so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I’d like to give all my love to the wonderful @namkook​ for keeping me sane through this whole project and for helping me every step of the way. I love you and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you for putting up with my constantly annoying you with this. I typically don’t like my writing, I’m so proud of this one and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did when working on it. Without further ado, buckle in and enjoy! She’s a long one wheew

Sometimes it was easier to just drown it all out. The rustling of the nurses as they moved about. The moans and groans of patients as they anxiously waited for their diagnoses. The shrill voices of interns trying to suck up to him to better polish up on their resumes, instead of focusing on their damn jobs.

On that particularly busy afternoon, Dr. Ethan Ramsey felt it was especially crucial that he drown out all the background noises and forget about his surroundings for a moment, if he was going to hang onto his sanity.

He had been pouring over a patient file all morning, having reached an impasse. When something like this happened, it was best for him to go out and clear his head. Sighing heavily, Ethan pushes out of his leather chair, leaving the mountains of scans and paperwork behind him as he closes the door to his office with a resounding thud.  

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

Day 1

The chime of the bell above the door signaled his arrival into Derry Roasters, a soft click of the hinges punctuating through the air as his eyes adjusted to the gentle lighting in the quaint coffee shop.  

The scene was completely opposite the hospital, with almost all of the tables here being empty save for an elderly man in the corner with his book. It seemed the cafe was experiencing a quiet afternoon, soft music playing from the small speakers lodged in the ceilings.

Whenever Ethan was stuck with a case he couldn’t quite figure out, he found himself wandering to the coffeehouse, a humble mom and pop establishment that made decent coffee. It was a step up from the caffeinated dishwater the hospital cafeteria served and he didn’t hate it at the very least. It was also close enough to the hospital that he could get to it by foot, but far enough that none of the gaggle of bright-eyed parrots interns would follow him to kiss his ass.

Crossing the distance of the room up to the front, Ethan stops right before the register. Having seen not one soul behind the counter, his hand found its way to the small silver bell waiting by the tips bucket, ringing it albeit impatiently. There was normally always someone waiting up at the front, the usual barista－a short and kindly old lady, her slightly stout face adding to the welcoming atmosphere－felt it necessary to be present at all times to best serve customers so they did not have to wait long. So much for that. Their service is going to shit.

A bright ding reverberates throughout the shop, ricocheting off the walls. With a purse of his lips, he waits for a few minutes for someone to respond to the bell, the dimple in between his eyebrows growing more prominent the longer time stretches.

About to forgo the coffee and just head back, his ears pick up a foreign sound coming from somewhere. Is that...singing?

Singing was perhaps too generous a term. There was a faint humming emanating from behind the door that led to the back, and his ears tickled as it continued for a few more seconds, before the door swung open and a figure stepped out.

Ethan’s train of thought stutters for a brief second as ice blue eyes meet a warm chocolate brown, wide and doe-like staring up at him in surprise.

She’s new.

Silence envelops the room and Ethan finds himself studying the woman in front of him as he does with everyone, an occupational habit he’s honed over the years.

Long, dark brown hair cascades over her shoulder like a wave, a pair of chocolate brown eyes to match the curtains as they peer up at him, a hint of curiosity in them. The new barista is donning a polo the color of mustard paired with the black apron of the coffeeshop. His eyes glance over the silver name tag that brandishes the name “Nina”. Next to the tag, a small frog pin sits crookedly, the silver lining a bit dim from what he expects comes from overwear.

In his musings, he doesn’t notice the barista, Nina, pursing her lips, “Are you going to order something or are you just gonna stare at me all day?”

Shaken out of his thoughts, he raises a brow at the bland tone of her voice, before deciding to ignore it, “The Vienna.”

Slipping his card from his wallet, he sets it down on the counter as she rings up his order, sliding the piece of plastic back to him once she’s finished.

Wordlessly, he starts moving over to a table nearby when she pipes up, “What? No ‘thank you’?”

He spins around, a brow quirked as he meets her eyes. The slight curl of her lips tells him she’s mocking him and his lack of a response.

“Thank you.” He speaks, voice flat and face unimpressed. Her lips twitch.

“Gee, you’re a real charmer, aren’t you. I do need to know if you want this here or to go,” Eyes lit with mirth, Ethan itches to end this interaction and head back to the hospital. So much for that break.

“To go.”

The smirk doesn’t leave her face as she turns around and gets to work, and Ethan is eternally grateful for the conversation being over.

A few minutes pass by before he hears his name being called. Striding to the pick up station where the barista placed his order of Vienna in a styrofoam cup, her cheeks lifted into a winning smile, one she must use on all her customers.

Ethan picks it up promptly, the desire to get back to work coursing through him strongly the minute he glimpses at her face (his mistake) and finds that she’s still staring at him with a strange amusement lighting her eyes.

“Hope it's to your liking, Dr. Ramsey.”

“How do you know my name?”

Nina raises her brow, and throws a look at the elegant Dr. Ethan Ramsey, etched into the fabric of his white doctor coat, “I’m assuming that’s your name since it says so on your coat. If you were trying to go incognito, maybe lose the coat next time.”

With a wink, the barista spins around and disappears behind the door to the back, not giving him time to answer to her quip. Something pricks at the back of his mind as he watches her go. Casting a quick glance down at his coffee cup, the letters Ethonk are scrawled on the curved surface, and he couldn’t tell if he wanted to laugh or groan. More the latter probably.

Sighing for what was possibly the millionth time today, Ethan tightens his grip on the cup and makes his way out, feeling more annoyed than when he had come. I’m not coming back here.

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

Day 2

Why am I here?

He sincerely had no idea why he found himself lingering at the front of Derry Roasters a few weeks later, shoes avoiding the crunch of leaves under his feet as a delicate autumn breeze curls through his hair and rustles the pages of the book he had nestled in his arm.

Ethan had initially planned to not come here again for a long while, having no desire to run into that impudent barista from last time, Nina, her name was.  

Annoying.

Shaking away the thought, he pushed the front door open and strode into the cafe, the click of the latch bolt falling back into its frame announcing his arrival once more. The shop was fairly empty again at this time, being so long after the busy lunch rush hour.  

As usual, Ethan made his way up to the register, but his steps faltered for a half second when he noticed a new addition to the counter by the pick up area: a small potted cactus, its thorny arms appearing almost golden bathed in the gentle autumn light streaming in through the windows.  

A little curious, he continues walking and taps the bell once when he makes it to the front.

Unlike before, the door leading to the back whipped open almost immediately after the ding, and out came the petite barista, long brown hair tied into a loose ponytail today. Small specks of what looks like cream powder dotting her cheek and on the sleeves of her peach-colored blouse, the brunette saunters over and plants herself directly across him.  

Chocolate doe eyes instantly find his blue ones and Nina flashes him an amiable smile. Or it would be amiable if it weren’t for the twinkle of mischief he catches in her gaze. He bites back a mental groan.

Ethan opens his mouth, prepared to just tell her his order quickly so he could leave, when she beats him to it.

“Did you see Henry?” Her voice is a little hushed, conspiratorial. Bemused, his eyebrows furrow in place of a question.

“...Henry?”

The barista nods her head in the direction of the pick up station, eyes darting to the potted plant he saw earlier and back to him, “Henry!”  

He’s not sure how to respond. Nina waits for a few beats before crossing her arms across her chest, ogling him for a reaction, “We just got it yesterday. I thought it’d be nice to spruce up the place,” She leans forward, her apron brushing against the register.

“You don’t feel a connection with it?” She pursed her lips, brown eyes twinkling with mirth. The furrow in his brows deepens, not quite enjoying the way she was eyeing him.    

“Why would I feel any connection to a cactus?”

“Well, you are one emotionally,”

Ethan lets out a short scoff, his expression wholly unimpressed, “We’ve had a grand total of two interactions.”

“And the two were all I needed to know everything,” Nina tosses him a tiny smirk, seemingly relishing in getting under his skin, a frown beginning to mar his features. How tedious.

Sighing deeply and already feeling exhausted, Ethan ignores the quip and barrels forth, “The Vienna.” He tosses his card on the surface of the counter, almost impatient as she gingerly grabs it and rings him up, saying nothing more all the while.

Not giving her an opening, Ethan snatches his card out of her grasp the minute she’s done, and turns around to find an empty table far away from the register.

“I’ll bring it over to you when it’s done,” He hears behind him as he continues moving.

Settling into a table in the back corner of the coffeeshop, Ethan sinks into the leather chair and opens his history book, determined to ignore and forget his interactions with the barista so he can take a break. Why he came back here when he already predicted this happening was beyond him. He won’t repeat the mistake again.

A few minutes later, Ethan feels a presence in front of him and peeks from his book to find Nina placing his cup of Vienna on the table. Turning his attention back to his pages, he reads another line from Robert Service before glancing back up.

She was still standing there. Hands clasped together in front of her chest, Nina was peering down at him, blinking innocently.

“...Is there something wrong?”

“No,” She answers, giving a slight shake of her head in emphasis. She still didn’t move.

“...”

“...”

“...Did you want something?”

Her expression shifts promptly, fixing a saccharine smile his way and a sense of dread creeps up his spine.

“Well you see,” Nina sweeps an arm around the expanse of the room, where only one other patron beside him was sitting in the opposite corner, tapping away on their laptop, “no one’s really here.”

He feels a budding headache pricking, “And what does that have to do with me?” He asks, tone flat.

Her large smile widens a little more, “I’m bored and you’re the most entertaining thing here.”

There’s a brief moment where the two of them did nothing, a staredown ensuing with the only sound coming from the ceiling speakers and the tap, tap, tap of the laptop.

Pressure behind his eyes growing, he brings up a hand to scratch at his stubble. Yes, he really regrets coming here today.

“Well what do you want to do then?” The defeat in his voice is evident as Nina starts shuffling over to the chair opposite him, appearing so pleased with herself Ethan could only breathe out another sigh.

“If it’s cool with you-”

“It’s not,”

“-I’m just gonna hang out here with you,” She plops into the leather recliner and beams at him, eyes scrunching into two crescent moons. Huh. “Besides, I’m doing you a favor really.”

His annoyance fading just a smidge, he eyes her, distrustful. Closing his book with a small thud, Ethan leans back, sinking further into the plush material.

“How on earth is you neglecting your work and bothering me when I’m trying to read you doing me a favor?”

Nina flicks her chin at the cover of his book. The glossy surface catches the warm rays of sunshine drifting in through the windows, the text Comrades!: A History of World Communism almost swallowed whole by the natural light.

“I am doing you a favor,” The steam from the coffee mug wafts up and swirls in the air between them, “I’m sure you’re already busy being a doctor full-time, I’m giving you a chance to take a break from your communist endeavors so you can actually enjoy your down time.”

Seeing no point in disagreeing when she looked determined to stay there, Ethan takes a sip of his Vienna, the liquid still warm and settles pleasantly on his tongue. Over the top of the cup, he catches Nina leaning forward slightly as though waiting for his reaction.

Putting the mug back down, he turns his head to the window, content on ignoring her still and watching the people strolling up and down the street outside.

Her quiet voice breaks him out of his reverie, “What’s it like? Being a doctor?”

At the question, Ethan turns his gaze on the barista, finding her peering at him with a mix of curiosity and...admiration?

He shrugs, “It’s alright.”

“...That’s it?” Her head tilts to the side, eyes widening as she silently urges him to elaborate. He’s not sure why he’s humoring her, but he relents and continues.

“It’s...it gives me opportunities to figure out the mysteries of the human body. To find ways to conquer and defeat the things that defeat us,” He keeps his gaze on her, watching as the brunette follows his every word like he’s telling her some universal truth.

Nina nods, seemingly soaking in his explanation and satisfied with it, “That sounds really cool. You’re like a hero,” She laughs a little, a tenderness in it that confuses Ethan, but he doesn’t say anymore on it. Hardly.

A beat of silence falls over them again. There’s no awkwardness in it though and Ethan’s content to let it stretch on.

“I wanted to be a doctor when I was younger.”

The spell is broken and Ethan’s attention is now directed solely at her, the barista tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. When he doesn’t speak, she continues, “Always wanted to help people. It just seemed like the perfect job for me to defend those who were fighting for their lives. For their second chances.”

The small frog pin on her apron gleams as she fidgets, light from outside hitting its metallic surface.

“Why didn’t you?” He finally asks, albeit hesitantly, “Become a doctor.”

A wistful look crosses her face and she smiles, “My brother’s health deteriorated and he  collapsed as I was graduating from high school. Things just never worked out,” Nina pauses and considers the room, Ethan noticing for the first time that the other customer had left, no more tap tap-ing sound to be heard.

“But it’s whatever. I like working here. And at least I get to keep my sleep schedule,” She jokes, eyes landing on him again.

Ethan doesn’t speak for a long moment, holding her gaze. At the lack of reaction, Nina begins to squirm, appearing nervous, but doesn’t prod him.

Finally, he finds his voice, uncharacteristically timid, “This place is lucky to have you.”

A blink and a beat later, and a glowing grin stretches across Nina’s face. She chuckles, a soft pink flush dusting her cheek.

Waiting another beat, Ethan clears his throat and begins to move, grabbing his book and nudging the now-drained cup of Vienna away, “I should head back. I have work. At the hospital.” He holds back a grimace. Moron.

Nina tilts her head, the action releasing a couple of strands to fall from her ponytail, “I would hope so, since you’re wearing your white coat,” She snorts when she sees the unimpressed expression on his face, “Go save lives, Dr. Ramsey.”

With that, the barista turns and heads back to work, humming softly as she goes.        

A feeling he can’t place courses through him, sending a slight shiver up his spine as he steps out into the street. Just a chill. With that, Ethan makes the familiar walk back to Edenbrook, the gentle breeze returning and dances through the soft locks of his hair the whole way.

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

Day 3

“Quit stalling already and drink!”

Grumbling, he lifts the cup to his lips, taking a cautious sip.  

The silence settles throughout the room, and Nina leans forward just a little bit, in an attempt to gauge his reaction. He tries to keep his expression blank.

“...Well?”

“...”

Ethan lets the silence linger for another moment before bringing the cup back to his lips. Slowly, a smile begins to bloom across Nina’s face, bright and smug, “Heh. So what’s the verdict, Doctor?”

He refuses to give her the satisfaction of a reply, instead determined to keep his eyes trained on the inside of his coffee cup. His ears pick up a tinkle of a laugh.

“I told you you’d like it,” The barista giggles, her eyes forming crescent moons, as she attempts to stifle the full force of her laughter. Placing a hand on her hips, Nina gazes at him, her self-satisfied grin making a home on the corner of her lips. Ethan decides, right then and there, that he hates it endlessly.  

He especially hates how that cheeky ass smirk makes her eyes sparkle more.

Releasing a bone-weary sigh, Ethan sets the mug down on the table and leans back in the chair, training ice blue eyes on the brunette across from him, “I tried it. Are you going to tell me what it was now?”

Still beaming, Nina sinks down into the soft leather chair opposite him, hand coming up to tuck a stray lock of dark hair behind her ears. Crossing her legs, she glances down at the drained coffee cup, “Espresso Romano. As you can probably guess, it’s a shot of espresso with a slice of lemon served on the side and rubbed on the rim.”

A soft calming song plays in the background, the notes resonating through the air and floats around them, framing the little pocket of the world they were occupying. Nina looks back up at Ethan, holding his gaze as she continues, “The lemon’s zestiness brightens the drink and cuts off the bitterness. Which, no offense, but that looks like something you could use some help with.”

Biting back a retort on the tip of his tongue, he picks up the discarded lemon curl, long fingers absentmindedly playing with the garnish. The silence settles once more between them as he takes in what she said.

In a voice so quiet he’s hoping she doesn’t pick up on it, the words leave his lips: “It’s decent.”

The crescent moon smile she gifts him with tells him that she heard it loud and clear. He doesn’t say anymore, but he doesn’t need to. She hears the rest of what he left unspoken.

“Such a way with words. You really should’ve been a poet instead of a doctor,” Amusement never leaving her eyes, she leans over to pick up his mug and plucks the lemon peel out of his hands, dark brown hair falling over her shoulder at the movement. Soft afternoon sunlight streams in, bouncing off the tan of her skin and for a brief moment, she looks like she’s glowing. Ethan frowns, averting his attention to the space behind her instead.

Humming quietly, Nina stands up and turns, the soles of her white Converse squeaking in protest. Tossing him one more knowing smirk, she begins her trip back to the register, the arm of his empty cup resting on the crook of her finger. A minute later, she disappears through the door into the back area, the gentle music from the ceiling filling up the room in her stead.  

Ethan releases a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and glances back out the windows overlooking the street, the faint taste of lemon still sitting on his lips.  

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

Day 4

The coffeeshop feels a bit different in the mornings, fresh dew and the gentle rise of the sun blanketing the room, wrapping it in a peculiar warmth. The lack of customers at this time adds to the ambiance, though Ethan doesn’t pay much mind to any of that at the moment. Instead, his attention is aimed at the disheveled barista in front of him and the mayhem surrounding her.  

The next time Ethan walked through the doors of Derry Roasters a week later, he was met with what he could only describe as chaos. A collection of discarded coffee cups littered the counter and drops of milk and cream dotted the floor all around Nina. The brunette ran a hand through her long hair frustratedly, apron stained with liquids.

A quick explanation told him that she had been attempting to perfect the craft of latte art, though Ethan would argue that you can’t perfect something you didn’t even have the basics for. Recognizing that her skills were abhorrent and wanting to please customers, Nina had made it a habit to arrive at the cafe very early in the mornings, where she could practice in solitude. And that was what he had walked in on when he dropped by, having thought to get coffee before his shift later that day.  

He watches her struggle with the milk for another minute, bumbling around like a newborn, before peeling off his white coat, a strand of hair falling just over his eyes at the motion. Nina turns at the rustle beside her and is greeted with Ethan’s tall figure peering down at her handiwork.

Startled, she takes a half step back, eyes wide in surprise, “What...are you doing?”

In place of a response, he rolls up the sleeves of his button down shirt and helps himself to one of the aprons hanging on the coat rack by the back area.

“Watching you spill milk on yourself like an infant is getting painful. I used to work as a barista through undergrad so I remember some things...” He pauses, gazing inside one particular mug that was housing what resembled more creamy vomit than coffee, “...though I’m skeptical if it could even help you at this point.”

The flat tone of his voice must have irritated her, as she shoots him a mild glare, a cool determination flashing in her eyes, “That sounds like a challenge, Doctor.”

“It definitely will be.”  

A couple hours later, the work area resembles a battlefield, thermometer and portafilters thrown haphazardly all over the counter, milk and coffee powder strewn across its surface in reckless abandon.

Ethan shakes his head, arms crossed over his chest and focused intensely on the mess she’s making, “You’re not doing it right.”

Nina groans, the sound tickling his ear. Her grip on the pitcher slackens which promptly spills more of its milky contents all over the counter.  

“I’m doing it exactly as you said. You just suck at teaching,” She mumbles, tsk-ing a little at the new addition blooming on her apron. Taking in the growing clutter decorating the counter, Nina lets out a sigh before turning to Ethan, “This feels hopeless.”

“Giving up already, rookie?” He quirks up an eyebrow, a corner of his lips twitching.

She stops and blinks at the nickname, but doesn’t comment on it further, “No!...Just. Ugggh,” With a loud whine that sounds awfully like a puppy’s, Nina sets the pitcher down, knocking it into the thermometer that was sitting nearby. Placing a hand on the surface of the counter, Nina leans into it, sagging with disappointment. The chagrin expression on her face so directly contrasted her usual bright grin that it makes his chest throb strangely.

Clearing his throat, Ethan glances back down at the mugs, highlighting all her failed attempts. Despite the mess, he could still see her progress, the more recent works showing slight improvements.

With a flick of his fingers, he starts selecting some of the cups out of the batch, “These aren’t too bad. The shape is starting to take place.”

Not looking entirely convinced, Nina skeptically eyes the attempts he singled out.

“You sure?” She points to one, “This one looks like a bad rendition of the Scream.”

Gently, Ethan nudges the pitcher and the thermometer towards her, voice quiet but firm, “It’s an upgrade from the foamy blob you made earlier. You’re getting there. You just need to keep working on your technique.”

Releasing a sigh, Nina relents and pours more milk into the pitcher, readying for another round.

Delicate sunshine slants through the windows and catches on the tips of her hair as she bends forward, eyes narrowed at the face of the thermometer. Ethan keeps a watchful eye on her movements, leaning towards her a fraction more.

Despite the intensity coming off of Nina as she tackles the task, Ethan feels curiously light, as though the usual restlessness humming under his skin was dimmed. Hovering a little closer, the weak scent of apples from Nina’s hair tickles his nose, as she turns to heat the milk. Grabbing the steam wand, she inserts it into the liquid and turns it on, the thermometer clinking onto the side of the pitcher.  

When she gets to the part of pouring the milk into the coffee, the hand holding the steamed milk trembles slightly as she tips the wide-mouthed cup of the espresso forward in her non-dominant hand. Stepping ever closer and settling right behind her, Ethan leans his head down until it practically rests on her shoulder, her back to his chest, and brings a hand forward to steady her grip.

At the contact, the warmth of her skin spreads through his fingers, scalding in a way that wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

This close to her he can hear the intake of breath, the slight shudder in her voice as she continues, concentrating on the feeling of his hand and the milk as it spills into the espresso.

Morning light grows warmer as the sun rises up higher in the sky, and Ethan loses track of time as he watches Nina pour the foam, successfully forming an asymmetrical flower. The minute she finishes with the last drop, the barista sets the pitcher down, staring wide eyed at her work.

Turning her head slowly, she fixes her stare on him, a look of utter disbelief on her face, “...I did it.”

Ethan’s lips quirk and he nods once, “You did.”

There’s a pause as it sinks in.

“...Oh my god! I did it!” Elated, Nina leaps towards Ethan, throwing her arms around him in a bone-crushing hug.

“Oof,” He braces himself at the force of her knocking into him. Letting out a snort, Ethan finds himself chuckling at the brunette’s joy, a small feeling of pride spreading through his chest, having spent all day trying to get to this point.

The moment lingers, Nina’s arms still wrapped around Ethan’s broader frame, the thumping of her heart beating against his rib cage. In a tiny, slightly muffled voice, “Thank you.”

Tilting her head up at him, she awards him with a gentle smile, the softness of her face accentuated by the tender curl of her lips, “Seriously. It was thanks to your help today. Guess you really are a good teacher,” Nina quips, a levity about her now that made it difficult for him to look away.

Ethan smirks, “Of course I am. I’m good at everything.”

The barista rolls her eyes all the way up to the ceiling, “Glad to see you’ve got a strong ego.”

“Was it not earned?”

“...Okay yes, but it doesn’t mean you have to be annoying about it,” She grumbles, lips forming a pout.

It takes Ethan another minute to realize that neither of them had moved, the both of them still wrapped around each other. The warmth of her skin bleeding through his shirt, the faint apple scent of her hair tickling his nose once more and he unconsciously leans down.

Nina’s eyelids flutter as she moves towards him, and soon he’s close enough that he can count every speck of caramel in the brown pools of her eyes. The pink of her lips. The small shudder of her breath. Every second that ticks by is another he’s falling...Wait, what?

Ethan jolts, his thoughts crashing to a stop, his entire body tensing. Sensing the change of mood, Nina halts as well, pulling back slightly to look at him, brows furrowed in concern, “Are you alright, Ethan?”

No. He doesn’t respond as he starts extricating himself from her grasp, peeling away from her. The groove in between her eyebrows deepen as Ethan hurries to place some distance between them.

There’s another moment of silence that blankets over them, but this one is different. It’s tense, making Ethan’s gut churn a little.

“...Did I...is something wrong?”

Unable to meet her eyes, he holds back a grimace, hearing a tremble of hurt in her voice as she asks. He stays silent for another beat before glancing in her direction, not meeting her gaze, “No, it’s just. It’s...I gotta go. My shift starts soon.”

Not waiting for a reply, Ethan yanks off his apron, roughly throwing back onto the rack before hastily grabbing his white coat and rushing out the door, never once turning back to look at the barista, whose eyes never left his back as he briskly walked off back to the hospital.      

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

Day 5

“You’re still here, Ethan?”

At the sound of the voice, Ethan looks up from a patient’s x-rays he’d been examining, finding his colleague, Dr. Baz Mirani, standing in the doorway of his office.

Throwing a quick glance at the wall clock, it read 11:54 p.m.

Damn. It’s this late already? He’d completely lost track of time.

Rubbing a tired hand over his chin, Ethan releases a sigh before packing up his things, and leaving his office for the night, brushing past Baz on the way out. He wasn’t going to be able to do much more tonight.

A full effect of autumn had taken root and blanketed across the town in the past month. Stepping out in the night, Ethan lifted up his face, the scent of the fall leaves and cool evening air caressing the tip of his nose. As he moved closer to his car, a restlessness buzzed under his skin and he was unable to shake it no matter how much he tried.

He’d been feeling this way for about a month now. Ever since then.

A flicker of brown eyes and soft smiles crosses his mind and a gnawing apprehension sits in his throat, one that feels suspiciously like guilt. Guilt and...something else Ethan doesn’t want to define yet.

Sighing once more into the autumn night, he reaches his car door, ready to go home to his bottle of scotch waiting for him. The feeling continues to nip at him though, and he pauses when reaching for the handle of his car, the weight in his backpocket feeling much, much heavier.  

Maybe...He suddenly...felt an urge for some coffee.

Before he could talk himself out of it (this is a bad idea), he leaves behind his car and takes off in the direction of the coffeeshop, his footsteps slow and effortful.

The lights are still on when he reaches Derry Roasters, the blinds of the windows all pulled down save for two that overlook the counter. His eyes immediately land on the barista, sweeping away at the floor on the other side of the register, expression tight and disappointed.

The guilt started to creep back in at the look on her face.

This really was a bad idea. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to talk to her yet, after his abrupt exit last time. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever be ready, but he certainly wasn’t today.

Backtracking, Ethan began turning back in the direction from which he came, but the movement catches her eye and right away, Nina glances up, brown eyes connecting with blue ones. Ah shit.

Seeing him, the barista’s expression tightens a fraction more, a cool gleam flashing across her eyes, and she frowns before beckoning him to come in with a quick nod of her head.

A weary sigh leaves his lips as Ethan ambles over, the ding of the bell ringing out like it was announcing his execution. The minute he walks in, Nina folds her arms across her chest, still wearing her black apron over the pale blue sweater she donned today.

“Did you need something?” She asks after a long, tense moment.

He doesn’t reply, the lump in his throat growing as he hears the familiar line, ones uttered by him not too long ago. The circumstances in which they were said so different.  

She presses forward when he doesn’t speak, “You haven't been around much lately.” It sounds a little like an accusation.

“My coffee machine’s working again. So I didn’t really need to come here anymore,” He tries to hold back a grimace at how calloused he sounds.

Nina’s frown morphs into a glare and Ethan’s sure he’d rather be toughing it out in the Amazon right now than having to be the object of this woman’s current woe and ire. He’d rather be anywhere else.

He regrettably continues to dig his own grave, “There wasn’t much else this place could offer since I could just get coffee from my office now,” Why the fuck-  

“Well sorry I don’t have much to offer a world renown doctor,” A tinge of bitterness laced in her tone and he holds back a wince.

It was strange how easy it was for him to deal with the people at the hospital, never finding any need to mince words with idiots with fat pockets, and vultures trying to increase their profits at the expense of others. With his patients, always doing his best to be honest with them as they faced their own battles everyday, fighting for their lives. But here, in front of this woman who miffed him and intrigued him to no end, Ethan always found himself hesitating and clumsy with his words.

He stays quiet for too long and his silence, his lack of anything annoys her.

“You really are a cactus,” Nina mumbles, tightening her grip on the broom, keeping her eyes trained to the ground.

Taking a steadying breath, the barista glares pointedly at the crack in the floor before speaking up again, “You’re always like this, you know. I’ve talked to you like five times, and even I can tell you what you’re like.”

He doesn’t speak, the tension in the air making it difficult for him to cut through, his throat closing.

Nina holds up her hand, dainty fingers curled into a fist before she begins counting, “You always have to be sarcastic or ironic about something,” She lifts up a finger, “You’re always grumpy and kind of an asshole,” She puts up another finger, “You’re so closed off it’s sometimes so hard to talk to you because I have no idea what you’re thinking,” She pauses, ticking off another finger as the edge of her glare starts to fade, “...You never say what you mean. You’re so emotionally constipated and you make a habit of running away. You can’t just admit you like something and you always have to find a roundabout way to-”

During her tirade, Ethan had inched closer to her, slipping out what he had hidden in his back pocket. In one swift motion, he presents it to her, shoving it right under her nose and effectively cutting her off mid-rant.

Nina blinks, staring down at the trinket. A small frog keychain sits in the palm of his hand, the plush material appearing velvety under the beam of the ceiling light.  

“...What?”

His other hand reaches up to scratch the back of his neck as she peers up at him, wide-eyed and confused at the gesture, “I saw it a while ago. I don’t know why I thought of you but I bought it.” He nods at the pin clipped dutifully on her apron, right next to her name tag.

A long stretch of silence envelopes them and Ethan’s not sure what to classify this one. It didn’t feel comfortable nor was it tense like before. The brunette continued to stare at the item in his hand before gingerly, almost shyly taking it into her hands, rolling it a bit between her fingers.

After another long moment, she speaks up, “My brother...always liked frogs,” Voice airy, she keeps her eyes on the plush and continues, “He got sick a lot, and they always made him feel better. So I would always be wearing them and bringing them to him whenever he got sick again.” Nina glances up at him finally and he notices her eyes glistening with emotion.

“He’s alright now, but I guess old habits die hard. I’ve grown attached to frogs myself,” She chuckles.

Ethan watches her, blue eyes lingering on her frame before finding his voice again, “I’m glad your brother is fine now. You’re a wonderful sister.”

Nina remains quiet, eyes still fixed on the gift and Ethan’s not sure why he feels the need to keep going, “I found it in the gift shop at the hospital.”

There’s another pause as Nina freezes again. As the seconds stretch on, Ethan’s worried he overstepped. Maybe don’t tell her that. Preparing to backtrack and excuse himself from this scenario, he readies an apology on his lips, when he’s interrupted by the sound of a snort.          

She’s...laughing?

Bemusement takes over his face as he blinks, watching as the barista starts curling over, laugh growing in intensity and volume. One peek at his face and she’s launched into another fit.  

Nina continues to laugh, her body shaking as the amusement runs through her small frame. Ethan stands there silently, not sure what he should be doing as the barista keeps giggling, hand clutching the keychain tight in her grip.

Finally, after what feels like ages, Nina’s laughter subsides, fixing her posture and settling her gaze on him, something that Ethan can’t define sparkling in her eyes.

A fond sigh leaves her lips as she regards him, “You make it hard to stay mad,” She lets out, voice delicate like a whisper.  

Nina links her hands behind her back, expression happy and radiant, and he can’t seem to tear his eyes away from her. In his daze, he doesn’t notice her moving, approaching quicker than he has time to form a coherent thought.

Nina practically skips towards him, closing the distance between them. Ethan almost reflexively took a step back, the sudden proximity shocking him speechless as he catches the caramel flecks in her eyes, sparkling and utterly captivating.

“So,” Drawing out the one syllable, Nina’s eyes crinkle into those familiar crescent moons, as she lifts herself up on her tiptoes and leans towards him, noses almost touching. Ethan finds himself rooted to the spot, completely at a loss before her as her eyes reflect like stars.  

“Are you gonna ask me on a date or what?”  

Fin.

taglist: @openheart12 @ethandaddyramsey @noboundariesplease @drethanramslay @ethanramseysgirl @senseofduties @messrprongs @x-kyne-x @ethxnrxmsey​ @newcolonies​ @choices-love-affair​ @sekizincimektup​ @nooruleman​ @fightingtheinevitable​ @kaavyaethanramsey @agent-breakdance​ @blueacacias​ @edith-eggs1​  

[kwrittink]

Your BTS Greatest Hits Challenge

aw man this is going to be hard... @therealredraven I’m squinting at you for doing this to me >:c

rules:

you get 2 CDs. 11 tracks exactly per cd.

you can pick from all songs BTS have recorded, covered or performed.

CD 1 will include 10 solo’s, duet’s or subunits (i.e. vocal line/rap line).

you must include at least 1 solo or duet track for each member.

you must include at least 1 vocal line track.

you must include at least 1 rap line track.

that leaves you with 2 bonus tracks to choose as you please.

CD 2 is OT7/Group tracks only. Whatever you want (including collabs) as long as it includes all 7 members.

imagine you can only listen to these 20 songs for the rest of your life. I don’t make the rules… okay I did, but I’m not sorry, let’s suffer together.

copy these rules into your post

tag/Challenge a few mutuals to share the pain.

tag it #BTSGH Challenge in the tags.

cd one

Euphoria - JJK

Epiphany - Jin

Ddaeng - Rap Line

Singularity - V

Stigma - V

Joker - RM

Intro: Boy Meets Evil - J-Hope

Agust D - Agust D

Lie - Park Jimin

4 O’Clock - V & RM

Airplanes pt. 2

cd two

Crystal Snow - Face Yourself

Don’t Leave me - Face Yourself

Mic Drop - Love Yourself: Her

Not Today -  You Never Walk Alone

Blood Sweat and Tears - Wings

Magic Shop - Love Yourself: Tear

Pied Piper - Love Yourself: Her

Spring Day - You Never Walk Alone

Butterfly - The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever

Paradise - Love Yourself: Tear

Silver Spoon -  The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever

wheew okay okay! i’m tagging @jungkooktenshi  @zerotexas1975 and ... @barbika1508  

gaja!

[loverontheleft]

1) holy fuck good vibrations was just..wheew! 2) do you have any good similar fic/blog recs?

1) thank you! 💗💗2) let’s play another round of Who Will Cece Invariably Forget This Time and Want to Die Because She’s So Embarrassed and Sorry? I’ll tag them in a reply for ya since it’s not letting me right now.

[ironwingedhawk]

I’d like to volunteer 11 Question

Tagged by @thewonderginger

If I tag you this is totally optional.

1. Have you ever thought of something really violent but held yourself back? Give an example.

Well keeping intrusive thoughts aside... Still a few times, although it was never really something, I’d consider doing. Mostly, it happens, when I’m just really mad or sad but these aren’t concrete thought, I just clench my fist and that’s it.

2. If you could go back to past and change anything you want would you do it and what would you change?

Don’t mess with the butterfly effect pls.

3. What is your general opinion of people?

Actually kinda good. People can be capable of some really bad shit, don’t get me wrong but I don’t think, that people are born aspiring to be evil. People are born being pretty okay and from there on, it depends on how you develop. I also don’t think, that a person can be completly evil.  Except for people who kick puppies. Fuck them.

4. How do you cope with stress?

I either lay down and pretend, that there is no problem whatsoever or I get really productive and ambitious. There’s no inbetween.

5. Do you prefer day or night? Why?

I like the night. Even in summer, it isn’t too hot, there are no people and I always feel kinda free, because you are basically cleared from responsibilities. Like at night, you have literally nothing to do. At least, no one really tells you what to do and it feels voluntary, if that makes any sense.  

6. If you had the chance to do anything you want (good or bad doesn’t matter) what would you do?

I’d like to volunteer at an animal shelter, the problem, is that they are a bit away and I’m scared of driving out there.

7. Share some of your dark thoughts

I can’t really come up with anything, I don’t consider to b OCD based intrusive thoughts and I’d rather not write them down (Sorry to my therapist. :D)

8. Why art should be made?

I guess, because it can make you and other people happy. I mean you can take something as boring as a canvas and bunch of colors and make a painting out of it. You can take a camera and freeze a moment or an object in time. You can write down your thoughts and they’re there for anyone. You can sing a song and make people cry with your voice. That’s pretty rad.

9. Share some of the lyrics of a song you really like

Quiet now, you're gonna wake the beast Hide your soul out of his reach

10. Teleporting or moving things with your mind?

I’d probably use both to never move again but moving things. It’s a pretty cool superpower.

11. What or who decides for things to be the way they are in a society?

Wheew... People but many aspects. The human nature that can be greedy and  egoistic but also graves for freedom and harmony. In some aspects also our history and nature itself.

Or penguins. They are cute but I totally trust them to be out for world domination.

——————

Other Questions

1. What is the most important thing in your life?

2. Explain me your evolution as a person with songs.

3. There are lots of religion but no one actually believes in the same religion. Explain your religion to me. Who or what made all of these? What is going to be in afterlife? Why these things are happening??

4. What is good and what is bad in your perspectuve?

5. What are you most excited about your life now?

6. What is your dream? What are you seeing yourself in the future? Imagine where are you going to be when you are in your 70s!!

7. What do you wanna break free from?

8. Do you really think that life perspective changes the person? How?

9. What was the last time you were happy? Tell me best memory of your life too!

10. Do you wanna be friends? Because I would love to be your friend! If the answer is yes, DM me! Lol.

11. Lets be realistic. If you meet yourself as a stranger, would you like yourself. Why or why not?

Here are my tags!

@emanationman, @sohereweare1, @matt-and-elektra, @haywilliams, @scintillq, @fitzsimmonss, @paxoozoo, @hawkeyescoffee

[ao3feed-whamilton]

20 Hamilton Angst Drabbles

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2x7xaTz

by Godlic_Bread

i got bored okay get fucked

    uhm in order breaking up, cheating congratulations breaking up breaking up for the sake of america one liners and angery john suicide/the Duel ((two separate things but with the same prompt)) aLEXANDERRRRRRRRRRR, canon era but really short and through eliza's eyes cheating, breaking up abuse, arguing angry john, arguing, proposal #1 the apocalypse, murder arguing chronic illness s t o r i e s thunderstorms murder, domestic abuse breaking up, implied suicide breaking up

Words: 1939, Chapters: 11/21, Language: English

Fandoms: Hamilton - Miranda

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: oh boy - Character, Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton, Philip Hamilton, Angelica Hamilton, Angelica Sxhuyler-Church, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Aaron Burr, George Washington, James Reynolds, Maria Lewis-Reynolds, Gilbert du Mortier Marquis de Lafayette, james monroe is mentioned once, alexander's second, the doctor/medic, Others(TM), "Allie", "lexi", Hercules Mulligan, The Prince of the South(TM), The Princess of the East(TM), Henry Laurens like oncwe, once - Character, a hufflepuff scarf, james madison's parents, a man who gets punched, "Jacky", Alexander The Wanderer(TM)

Relationships: oh boy - Relationship, Alexander Hamilton/Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton/Angelica Schuyler-Church, Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton/George Washington, Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Alexander Hamilton/Gilbert du Mortier Marquis de Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton/Gilbert du Mortier Marquis de Lafayette/John Laurens - implied, Aaron Burr & Alexander Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton/Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson/James Madison, Thomas Jefferson/Maria Reynolds, Maria Reynolds/Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton, im probably missing some

Additional Tags: you will regret reading these tags i promise you, im high on pain medicine as i write them, so tw, Suicide, Murder, implied suicide, implied disappearances, D E A T H, Crying, there are a disappointing lack of chairs in this story, and surprisingly not a single panic attack, wait fuck nvm, anyways lets do this in order of the drabble, Not-Boyfriends, "loves just a chemical reaction" and youre still fucking leaving him because of james, Responsiveness, ALEXANDER HAMILTON THE FUCKING HOUSEWIFE, d i s a p p e a r, t h e r e y n o l d s p a m p h l e t, Congratulations, "fuck james monroe", once again de a th, angry liza, Modern times, Canon Times, WHOMST, not the word whomst, Sadly, Laptops, bad relationships, you dfont locve, Love, dammit, weird endings on some not on others i wrote this in three days oh fucking k, "my boy", a m e r i c a, breaking up, for the sake of, a mer i ca, a lot of crying, its mainly just alex tho, get rekt, weird format, story telling, not story telling, One Liners, whomst the fuck know, s, another panic attack jfc, neither of them go into detail tho dw, oh he slit his wrists forgot that lmao, cuTTING IS IN THIS BACKK AWAY, The Duel, an inappropiate use of "Talk less smile more:, joking as you die, Wine, secret time skips, the fact that alexander hamilton hated his daughters, blatant favoritism, he just though theyd all be hoes cause theyd look like eliza and act like himself, no joke, "a whore", james is mad okay, Arguments, Abuse, a lot of domestic absue, i lied theres actually just two cases of it, joke with a bitchy boyfriend get hit, a l l i e, l e x i, t o m m y, j a c k y, no baby girl though i succeed, A Proposal, Apocalypse, a not-hufflepuff scarf, black and yellow black an yellow black and, having to murder your lover, cuddling their dead body, it sounds bad but its just sad, aaron stfu, thomas stfu, john stfu, three fucking times, Diabetes, Heart Disease, College, Foster Care, insulin, Rich - Freeform, sTORY TELLING BUT I CANT FUCKING DO ITALICS, i write about john, Anthony Ramos - Freeform, BOTH, and pippa, i love them, and so does alex, flashbacks in the middle of a story ajfbsdkfbaa, gay pride parades, the interent, Internet, a dood gets smacked, price john of the south, princess eliza of the east, alexander the goddamn wanderer, hercules mulligan the tailor, henry laurens the punkass bitch king of the south, letters in 2009, letters in medieval times, pi p is smol boy, happy endings to a life you didnt get, Two Proposals, OHO THREE PROPOSALS IN ONE FIC, two weeks and our fireplace, two months and his castle, w a r, Copy Machines, MIA - Freeform, being drafted, ONE LAST N I G H T, elizabeth the wanderer must not know, he doesnt have a last name so now its "elizabeth the wanderer" or "alexander the prince", but then he fucks off so, thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton, thomas and alex, hamilton and jefferson, three different people, set schedules, "no its only 3:15 were not friends again back tf off or imma slit your throat", "its four pm can i have a hug now" "yeah", Thunderstorms, d a r l i n ', Police Brutality, in my home, GET SHOT BOY, he dies like 15/20 times, john ya bitch, #FuckJohn2k17, reynolds pmaphlety, but elixa, wsas iwht maria, alex is bitter but like "go be fucking happy i need to sort myself out", wheew those tages, Tags, Damnit, some of these are short as hell and others and long as fuck

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2x7xaTz

[ao3feed-lams]

20 Hamilton Angst Drabbles

read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/2x7xaTz

by Godlic_Bread

i got bored okay get fucked

    uhm in order breaking up, cheating congratulations breaking up breaking up for the sake of america one liners and angery john suicide/the Duel ((two separate things but with the same prompt)) aLEXANDERRRRRRRRRRR, canon era but really short and through eliza's eyes cheating, breaking up abuse, arguing angry john, arguing, proposal #1 the apocalypse, murder arguing chronic illness s t o r i e s thunderstorms murder, domestic abuse breaking up, implied suicide breaking up

Words: , Chapters: 1/21, Language: English

Fandoms: Hamilton - Miranda

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: oh boy - Character, Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton, Philip Hamilton, Angelica Hamilton, Angelica Sxhuyler-Church, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Aaron Burr, George Washington, James Reynolds, Maria Lewis-Reynolds, Gilbert du Mortier Marquis de Lafayette, james monroe is mentioned once, alexander's second, the doctor/medic, Others(TM), "Allie", "lexi", Hercules Mulligan, The Prince of the South(TM), The Princess of the East(TM), Henry Laurens like oncwe, once - Character, a hufflepuff scarf, james madison's parents, a man who gets punched, "Jacky", Alexander The Wanderer(TM)

Relationships: oh boy - Relationship, Alexander Hamilton/Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton/Angelica Schuyler-Church, Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton/George Washington, Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Alexander Hamilton/Gilbert du Mortier Marquis de Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton/Gilbert du Mortier Marquis de Lafayette/John Laurens - implied, Aaron Burr & Alexander Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton/Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson/James Madison, Thomas Jefferson/Maria Reynolds, Maria Reynolds/Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton, im probably missing some

Additional Tags: you will regret reading these tags i promise you, im high on pain medicine as i write them, so tw, Suicide, Murder, implied suicide, implied disappearances, D E A T H, Crying, there are a disappointing lack of chairs in this story, and surprisingly not a single panic attack, wait fuck nvm, anyways lets do this in order of the drabble, Not-Boyfriends, "loves just a chemical reaction" and youre still fucking leaving him because of james, Responsiveness, ALEXANDER HAMILTON THE FUCKING HOUSEWIFE, d i s a p p e a r, t h e r e y n o l d s p a m p h l e t, Congratulations, "fuck james monroe", once again de a th, angry liza, Modern times, Canon Times, WHOMST, not the word whomst, Sadly, Laptops, bad relationships, you dfont locve, Love, dammit, weird endings on some not on others i wrote this in three days oh fucking k, "my boy", a m e r i c a, breaking up, for the sake of, a mer i ca, a lot of crying, its mainly just alex tho, get rekt, weird format, story telling, not story telling, One Liners, whomst the fuck know, s, another panic attack jfc, neither of them go into detail tho dw, oh he slit his wrists forgot that lmao, cuTTING IS IN THIS BACKK AWAY, The Duel, an inappropiate use of "Talk less smile more:, joking as you die, Wine, secret time skips, the fact that alexander hamilton hated his daughters, blatant favoritism, he just though theyd all be hoes cause theyd look like eliza and act like himself, no joke, "a whore", james is mad okay, Arguments, Abuse, a lot of domestic absue, i lied theres actually just two cases of it, joke with a bitchy boyfriend get hit, a l l i e, l e x i, t o m m y, j a c k y, no baby girl though i succeed, A Proposal, Apocalypse, a not-hufflepuff scarf, black and yellow black an yellow black and, having to murder your lover, cuddling their dead body, it sounds bad but its just sad, aaron stfu, thomas stfu, john stfu, three fucking times, Diabetes, Heart Disease, College, Foster Care, insulin, Rich - Freeform, sTORY TELLING BUT I CANT FUCKING DO ITALICS, i write about john, Anthony Ramos - Freeform, BOTH, and pippa, i love them, and so does alex, flashbacks in the middle of a story ajfbsdkfbaa, gay pride parades, the interent, Internet, a dood gets smacked, price john of the south, princess eliza of the east, alexander the goddamn wanderer, hercules mulligan the tailor, henry laurens the punkass bitch king of the south, letters in 2009, letters in medieval times, pi p is smol boy, happy endings to a life you didnt get, Two Proposals, OHO THREE PROPOSALS IN ONE FIC, two weeks and our fireplace, two months and his castle, w a r, Copy Machines, MIA - Freeform, being drafted, ONE LAST N I G H T, elizabeth the wanderer must not know, he doesnt have a last name so now its "elizabeth the wanderer" or "alexander the prince", but then he fucks off so, thomas jefferson and alexander hamilton, thomas and alex, hamilton and jefferson, three different people, set schedules, "no its only 3:15 were not friends again back tf off or imma slit your throat", "its four pm can i have a hug now" "yeah", Thunderstorms, d a r l i n ', Police Brutality, in my home, GET SHOT BOY, he dies like 15/20 times, john ya bitch, #FuckJohn2k17, reynolds pmaphlety, but elixa, wsas iwht maria, alex is bitter but like "go be fucking happy i need to sort myself out", wheew those tages, Tags, Damnit, some of these are short as hell and others and long as fuck

read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/2x7xaTz

[moodforanime]

The Possesions of the Wild series Volume 1: The Nomad

Chapter 4: The prospect of the mission

Tags: @insanity-is-always-fun

Word count: 3,226 words

(Previous) (Index) (Next)

____________________________________________________________

'So let me get this straight.' Kaiya decisively said. 'We need to deliver some... seeds to the Sand Village?'

It was one day after that they got the mission that the group of five exited Konoha, carrying an well secured skin luggage, ignoring the looks the gate guards gave Kaiya. Kaiya looked at the scroll for the hundredth time and felt unsure.

'Indeed.' Guy confirmed.

'I don't see how this is C-rank.' Kaiya mumbles more to herself, ignoring the fact that the others could very well hear her. 'If it was after me, that mission would've not been C-ranked, but rather D-ranked from the very damn beginning.'

'Well, although it isn't stated very clear,' Tenten said, as she took the open scroll from Kaiya's hands. 'it says that they're some sort of valorous seeds.'

'Seeds that are so valorous that they get an C-rank?' Neji puffed. 'That's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard, and believe me, i hear tons of stuff.'

'When will you learn that some things are valued ways other than you realise?' Lee exclaimed, obviously bothered by Neji's comment. 'All youthful things-'

'When will you learn to shut up, you idiot?

Lee attempts to kick Neji, but Neji defended himself with somewhat ease, throwing Lee a few metres away. Lee quickly gets on his feet and wants to attack again, but the result remained the same. Kaiya looked at Guy with a slight tone of worry on her face.

'Shouldn't you stop them, or...? They'll get exhausted before we even get to begin.' She pointed out, in an almost matter-of-factly tone.

'Oh, don't worry.' Guy smiled. 'Lee is one ball of endless energy, and Neji is a pretty good defender and chakra conservator. Besides, they never fight more than fifteen minutes.'

Kaiya watched as Lee repeatedly tried to hit Neji, only to be almost mercilessly pushed a few meters back over and over. She glanced at Tenten who walked down the forest path, unbothered by the two boys' bickering. Noticing Kaiya's questioning look, she puffed in amusement, letting an small smile appear on her face.

'You better get used to it.' Tenten said in an amused voice. 'They're always like this, provoking each other.'

'Oh?'

Kaiya looked at the boys confused at first,  but then understood. The two truly didn't seem to put on all they've got. They simply tested each other, in order to see who was the strongest. As she came to the realisation, an smirk escaped and appeared on her face. Tenten noticed and, although she was always an curious being, she preferred to not question the brown-haired girl. In truth, seeing the two boys bickering like that remembered her of someone from her clan, something that immediately made Kaiya feel overwhelmed by guilt and regret.

'Come on, boys!' Guy suddenly yelled over his shoulder to the slow-advancing boys, startling both Kaiya and Tenten. 'The girls have a better pace than you two, and I'm sure they won't wait much for you. Keep up or you'll be left behind!'

Neji pushed Lee away one last time, before shaking his head in disapproval with an puff.

'Neji!' Lee yelled, crawling out of an bush, with leaves, dirt and thin sticks in his dark, bowl-cutted hair. 'Don't be a coward and come back! Let's do this until the end!'

'Sorry, Lee.' Neji said while turning to Lee for a moment, with an pretty believable apologetic string in his voice. 'Maybe another time.'

Lee cleaned his hair as much as he could and catched up to the rest of the group with an impressive speed.

'Say again, Guy-sensei, how long would this mission last?' Lee asked, shooting his teacher an wide-eyed curious look.

'If my memory doesn't fail me, this should take about a week, taking into account one day to rest.' Guy answered, scratching his chin.

'Yep, Guy-sensei's right.' Tenten confirmed, looked at the scroll from her hands.

'Can I see it?' Neji, who walked next to Tenten, asked, while making a sign with his head towards the scroll.

'Sure.' Tenten shrugged as she handed the scroll to Neji.

Neji studied the scroll for a few moments, before begging to rub an particular place on the scroll with his sleeve.

'Neji, what are you doing?' Tenten asked.

'The scroll's dirty.' He stated bluntly, as he focused on rubbing the scroll.

'Dirty?' Guy asked, jokingly, assured that the boy was just pulling a prank on him, due to his fresh youth.

'It can't be dirty.' Kaiya narrowed her eyes. 'I'm sure the officials keep the scrolls safe-'

Kaiya blocked, realising that Neji was, in fact, right. The place he was rubbing was occupied by an blue-ish smug under which, due to Neji's work, could now be deciphered some writing.

'Oh? What's writing there?' Tenten asked, letting her curious self take over her.

Neji analysed the writing for a few moments, as his face fell harder and harder by the second.

'Guys, there must be something wrong.' He stated.

'Wrong? What could go wrong?' Guy asked, turning to Neji.

'We were supposed to do an C-rank. This is B-ranked.'

'Oh my-' Was the only thing Tenten could say, as she was cut off by Guy.

'What? Let me see that.' Guy said, snatching the scroll from Neji. 'I know you guys might(no pun intended) want to be joking with me, but this-'

'We're not joking, sensei!' Tenten cried.

Guy looked at the scroll and it didn't take long to realise that it was, indeed, true what his students said. It could be seen clear as day that the mission ranking was changed with some ink, in the obvious hope to be confused.

'We should go back in the village, sensei.' Tenten suggested. 'I'm sure they'll give us-'

'We won't return anywhere.' Guy said in an decisive tone. 'I've been on quite a few B-ranked missions, and I can say for sure that you guys will be able to handle this one.'

'But sensei-' Tenten began to say something, but was stopped by Lee's hand that covered her mouth.

'Don't worry, Tenten!' He said, lacking any worry about the whole situations. 'If Guy-sensei says that we can do it, then we sure can!'

Guy sighed in relief. Sometimes, he couldn't find the right words to show how grateful he was for Lee, for his unreplacabale student, being so devoted. Although it was true was he said before, there was another reason why he'd refuse returning to Konoha. Even though they were close to the Land of Fire's borders with the Land of Wind and the fact that Konoha was only five hours away, he always was an proud perfectionist, and to step on his pride and return to the Hokage to ask for an easier mission was one of the last things he'd do. He wouldn't say that to his students, of course. All he could say for now was that he was glad that Lee was there, covering his back as much as he could with devotion and respect.

Neji and Tenten sighed and tried to focus on anything but their misunderstood teacher, Lee was bouncing around excitedly while Kaiya preferred to keep her thoughts to herself, while her mind wandered off.

'Shit! Guys, watch out!' Neji suddenly yelled, while jumping a few meters back.

Everyone turned their heads in surprise, and Kaiya saw that an kunai was planted where Neji was moments before.

'Neji, are you-' Tenten began, but was pulled aside by Lee as a wheew passed Kaiya's right ear.

'Run.' Kaiya heard someone's quiet voice next to her.

Kaiya blinked a few times, coming back to reality. She obeyed the order she got, not dwelling on who or what said it. She sprinted a few steps back just in time, as another light wheew could be heard as another kunai appeared out of nowhere, missing Kaiya only by a few millimetres. Kaiya looked around and, although it a happened in a matter of seconds, her teammates and teacher were standing tense, trying to figure out from where the Kunais came from.

'Is everyone alright?' Guy asked concerned, giving short glances to where his students were.

'Y-yes.' The three genin confirmed.

Kaiya thought she felt something next to her right eye and put her fingers there in attempt to find out, but restrained them quickly as soon as her fingertips touched her skin.

'Shit.' Kaiya murmured, as she looked at her right hand.

Her fingers were covered in an small amount of dripping blood. She wasn't sure how it got there at first, but looking back, she assumed that it must've been the second kunai that almost stabbed Tenten that had scratched her.

'Oh, you poor, poor, things.' An pity full female voice could be heard. 'Temon, are you sure that they're the ones?'

'God dammit, Kana! Now they know that we're here.' Another voice, now belonging to an male, answered in an angered way.

'It's not like we already tried to kill them, right?' The first voices stated ironically.

'Kill?' Kaiya asked, the first one waking up from her fear-frozen state. 'We have to get out of here.'

Her teammates and sensei only nodded and started to back away as fast as they could in attempt to escape, only for their path to be blocked by the slim figure of an blonde spiky-haired, young woman in an black costume with pink stripes, carrying a bag and a odachi on her back and an red bow in her hair, along with an crazed smile on her.

'Your speed is quite impressive, I'll give you that.' She said, faking her impressed tone.

'For some genins, of course.' An slightly familiar male voice added, as some bushes nearby trembled, leaving space for another figure to appear.

This time an short, blue-haired man in an black cloak appeared. Unlike the woman, his appearance didn't stand out in any way. He had an round, pale face, blue hair that hardly reached his shoulders and an calm, almost bored expression.

There couldn't be said anything about his body, as even his toes would be covered in an simple black cloak. The woman puffed amused at the man's statement, only for letting her head on her back as an crazed laughter escaped her mouth.

Everyone, including her partner, looked at the woman wide-eyed. Noticing that even the birds stopped chirping, she controlled her laughter and stopped it.

'Alright, alright.' She told the blue-haired man, raising her hands in defeat before turning to the small team while putting her bag on the ground. While she did so, an kunai fell out. 'So here's the deal. Why don't you lot give us that luggage? You guys can go home and we'll take care of the rest.'

The tree genin looked at Guy, who was holding the luggage.

'I don't see it necessary. Mind giving me any reason at all for doing so?' Guy asked, his eyebrows uniting, their appearance now being very close to an squirrel's tail.

In the blink of an eye, Guy breathed in sharply, as an kunai was held close to his neck.

'Now let's get things crystal clean, shall we?' The voice of the blue-haired man said, close Guy's left ear. 'First of all, you don't disrespect Kana-chan.'

'Kana-sama to you, and everybody else, you idiot!' The woman named Kana yelled, triggered by the suffix used.

If they weren't in the situation they were, Kaiya might've snorted, but taking the danger, humour was the last thing Kaiya could think of.

'Relax.' The man told Kana. 'Let's just get down to business, a'right?'

They could all feel the tension in the air and Kaiya's body refused to move an single centimetre, but, noticing that Neji's wide-eyed gaze sat on her, her brain started to work again. With her gaze, she did the best she could and asked Neji what did he want, something that, luckily enough, he catched on spot. In response, he kept tracking a line that went from to next to Kaiya. She followed the line with her head and understood what he meant. She took an moment to make some calculations, before moving.  In the blink of an eye, Kaiya disappeared without a sound.

'Where is she?' Kana asked, narrowing her eyebrows.

'Who?' The blue haired man asked.

'The girl.'

'The- Kana, I think you eyesight is going bad. The girl's right there.' The man stated, looking at Tenten.

'Not her, Temon. The other one.'

Temon looked around and realised that his partner was right. The squad was made of five people; four students and a teacher. Now, there were only three left.

'Bloody hell.'Temon reacted, surprised.

'Where did she go?' Tented murmured in awe and fear.

'I-I don't know.' Lee answered, his voice being no different than hers.

'Heh.' Temon said, amused. 'That bloody little traitor decided to leave her team behind and save her skin.'

'I won't blame her.' Kana said. 'After all, she might've been right to do it.'

'So, say again.' Temon said, returning his focus on Guy, who still hadn't moved. 'What about that bag?'

'Guys, go.' Guy said. 'You know what I told you to do if we were to be in this situation.'

'Yes, but-' Tenten tried to protest.

'No. You know you must do. Follow my orders. It's for the best.'

'No, sensei!' Lee protested, ignoring Guy's attempts to stop him. 'We won't leave you behind, unlike Kaiya did!'

'Lee!' Tenten said, shocked by Lee's words. It was out of Lee's character to point at people like that and, even if it wasn't about herself, she felt offended. 'You can't just-'

'You're in denial, Tenten, and you know it.'

Tenten remained quiet, being at loss of words.

'We won't leave you behind, Guy-sensei. We're a team and we look for eachoter!'

'I can't believe I say this,' Neji began, shaking his head from one side to the other. 'but I agree with Lee.'

Moments before her disappearance, she looked like she knew what she was doing, so Neji couldn't really tell of what was going on in Kaiya's mind. All he could do for now was agree with Lee, protect his team, and have faith that Kaiya didn't abandon them. For a second or two, he thought that his eyes catched a figure jumping between the trees several times, but it happened so fast, he assumed it was just a bird of some sort.

'Now ain't that sweet?' Kana's smirk grew to scary sizes. 'They want to protect each other. Now, if they insist, I guess they'll suffer by their own hands. Now, if I could only- Temon, where's my bag?'

'How am I supposed to know where your stupid bag is?'

'I don't know. You know that-' Kana began, but couldn't finish her sentence.

Next thing Kana knew, she was on the ground.

'What the-' Kana looked up and saw an brown-haired girl with an leather jacket, braided hair and a burning gaze.

'Kaiya.'  Lee's eyes widened in surprise.

'Please don't judge my actions and reasoning just because I wasn't born in Konoha, nor an respectable family. I can be as good as you, and everyone else. Just... let me prove myself.' Kaiya said, looking into Lee's eyes for a second, before turning her focus back to the threat.

Without anyone noticing, an smile appeared on Neji's face. He didn't know what others thought of Kaiya's words, but as for him, he felt like might be one of the only few who would truly understand her words, taking the circumstances he was born in. Kana tried to get on her feet, but was throwed a few metres back, her body hitting an Tree at full power. Kana tilted her head and was struck by an almost unbearable pain through her skull. She cursed under her breath before getting back to her feet.

'I see we have a brave one, eh?' Kana asked in her usual amused tone, ignoring the pain. 'Brave and pretty.'

Kaiya narrowed her eyebrows.

'Pretty pathetic!' Kana yelled, making Temon burst out laughing. 'I think you can handle those three while I deal with this brat, right, Temon?'

'Be sure of that!' Temon answered. 'Unlike you, I will actually get the chance to put my hands on-'

Temon wished to say more but instead, he got an foot on his head that pushed him to the ground. Neji watched as his victim remained still a few moments, before raising its head. Temon raised his head from the hole it made and began to aggressively spit earth.

'God dammit, these brats are annoying!' Temon whined, as he got to his feet.

Temon began making some hand signs and, just as Kaiya was about to see what happens, next thing she knew was an excruciating pain in her pain. She slowly turnedd her head back, and realised that the woman changed her position. She was now behind her, holding an odachi that was moving towards her at almost an illegal speed. If Kaiya would've not noticed it then, she would've been as good as sliced. She let her body drop to the ground as the katana cut the air around her.

When the sword returned to Kana, she placed it back into its holder.

'I see that you were able to protect yourself from my Dragon Cry.' Kana said with an light pout. 'Nearly got hit by it, but still.'

'Dragon-' Kaya began as she returned into her prepared-to-fight position, but lost her balance and had to take a few steps back in order to regain it, all due to an earthquake whose source was nearby. Kaiya turned around and saw the earth around Temon cracking and overlapping, creating movement around.

'What the hell?' Tenten yelled in surprise as she tried to keep balance on the moving ground.

'You know what I told about element-affiliation the other day? Guy asked, doing better at keeping straight, comparing to his students. 'This man seems to be an earth-affiliated ninja.

'Even if I don't really do it, I'll explain it to you.'Temon said, his smirk growing.

'Liar!' Kana's voice roared

'I am,' Temon continued, ignoring Kana, 'as this man just said, an earth-element user. It so happens that I'm one of the few pure remains of the Senju clan!'

A/N

Heey, peeps! How's it going with y'all?

Here we are, at last, with another chapter! What did you guys think of the mission and the sudden appearance of Kana and Temon? What about Temon's revealing?

You might've noticed Kana's sword, Dragon cry, right? Yep, explanation time. Kana owns an odachi, the largest ninja/samurai sword there is, having 90 centimetres (35 inches) in length. I've put a picture of an odachi at the media, for the Ones curious.

Moving on, i have an challenge for you guys. Usually talking, I post about 1-2 chapters per week. So, if you guys leave an vote, at least one comment on this chapter and you share this story with your friends, I'll do my best making the next chapter longer. See you in the next chapter! :)

[killing-demons-at-midnight]

Thanks for the tag! 😁❤️

1. By Myself - Maya Hawke

2. Spaceman - Harry Nilsson

3. Out of my head - Fastball

4. Sober - P!nk

5. Don't feel like dancing - Scissor Sisters

6. Ventura Highway - America

7. Fool for love - Sandy Rogers

8. Fly me to the moon (cover) - Julie London

9. Friday Night Cypher - Big Sean feat. //ten other artists, I ain't listing them all 😂//

10. We Won't Go - This Way To The Egress

(And wheew, the shuffle was quite generous to me! No embarassing Eurovision songs anywhere xD)

RULES: 🎶🎶 put your whole music library on shuffle and list the first ten songs! 🎶🎶

Thank you very much @amethystsworld for tagging me! 💜

1. Today -  Jefferson Airplane

2. Victory Song -  Ensiferum

3. This Is Why We Fight -  The Decemberists

4. Feel This Moment - Pitbull ft. Christina Aguilera

5. Beatrice (de Die) - Sylvain Rifflet

6. To Find You- Sing Street OST

7. VIDA LOCA - Black Eyed Peas, Nicky Jam, Tyga

8. Corazon - Gims

9. 20 Years of Snow - Regina Spektor

10. Bad Ideas - Tessa Violet

And now I tag @psychicwhisperywitch, @bittodeath, @killing-demons-at-midnight, @zeldabard, @thegirlwhosuddenlyleft, @allriotgrrrrl, @snazz-ie @chonaku-things, @debbiee14 &  @littlecherryblossom26