#also i don’t understands how people freehand

[throes-of-warm-tornadoes]

okay i’m having sooo much fun w this hungry caterpillar scarf. the pattern looked pretty straightforward so i was overly confident in my ability eyeball it but the edges looked so fucked so i decided to see how it would look w a border and i love it the wavy effect it has going on!! just like the real hungry caterpillar!!!!

[quins-makeshift-menagerie]

hi I'm a new artist here and I literally just started digital art like yesterday and I don't have a style just yet I've only been using free bases so I was wondering if you could give me a few suggestions if that's okay please

Suggestions as in advice? Hmmm was never that great with advice but I will try

Since you’re new to digital art a big piece of advice I highly recommend is tinting your canvas color! Pure white can be harsh on the eyes. Something in the grayish area works best (example of my own canvas color)

What art program you use really doesn’t matter. What matters is you’re comfortable in it. Don’t pick something up just because everyone else is using it and you wanna seem cool only to find out the program is overwhelming/stressful/etc. Given time, you will make beautiful art with whatever program you’re using!

Study references!!! Study other people’s art!!! The world of art is unfortunately tainted with a lot of AI junk but there are still a plethora of resources and references at your disposal. If you see an interesting pose or angle try picking it apart and mimicking it!

Adding from the previous point: no one in their right mind is gonna get on you if you try to mimic someone else’s artstyle. We all learn from each other, it’s how we grow. It would be a lie if I said my style hasn’t been influenced by my favorites

Tracing is a good tool in that it helps you understand how shapes work together, but you’ll never improve if you don’t break off from that. It’s perfectly fine to trace in your free time to help you better understand how this works with that but remember it’s just as important to practice those shapes freehand as well!

The BIGGEST one: practice, but also don’t push yourself. Developing a style is something that can take years. It’ll be hard, but don’t get discouraged! Everyone starts somewhere óvò

[lint-beetle4]

*Kicks door down with a feral expression.* Oh sisters im back from war! Anyways as soon as i saw your asks are open i back bursting in lol. Okay but to the point, i would like to ask for Wukong x m reader x Macaque fic. I dont care if its kicking my legs fluffy or jaw dropping smut i just wanna eat up some more of your work.

(^If your not comfortable with the request feel free to ignore it and leave it be, thought dont forget to take care of yourself and have a lovely night/day!)

((If there's already a 🦝 anon i will be really sad if not i won the prize :D))

REDACTED asked:

 please make a fic or pic of Macaque and Wukong fucking the shit out of a male!reader (or each other) and the bottom is so full of cum that there's a lil cum belly appearing. I'd love it if there's a praise kink involved and or their body weight is crushing the other. (If you do reader, since the monkey's are cannonly 4 ft, the reader could be a lil taller than them.) Neck shit is so hot to me and extra points to bite marks! And a few more for licks and kisses on the body, starting soft and teasing the neck then get overstimulated as time goes on.

At the start if you want, Macaque can tie reader down with his shadows but that is purely an extra…just an FYI I love chubby and strong guys (soooo chubby Wukong is a plea) (Also also reader is a bottom lol)

Muses and Messes (Macaque x Male!Reader x Wukong Smut)

Alrighty chat, we're kicking off with a rare triple-combo-request the only smut I'm doing this round since I had this fic in the fucking oven for too long, it was fun writing though, plus the peeps over on AO3 get some smut art (I'm afraid of Tumblrs policies, so you guys over here get it censored like the holy children we are)

You know the drill, porn below with an image this time!

“Honestly, I just don’t understand how you can make shapes turn into a whole human being.” Wukong hummed, Macaque smirking behind him.

“It’s easy, Wukong. You just need to do it piece by piece–you know, instead of trying to draw the whole body in one go..” Macaque’s tail flicked as he sketched onto a new sketchbook, pages already filled up and wrinkled with countless eraser shavings that thinned out the page significantly. Macaque mumbled to himself, practically hissing at his paper, “If only the shapes could orient themselves correctly.”

You looked between the two as they drew. It was a strange request to have the equivalent of two gods knock at your door and ask for art lessons, but you couldn’t complain with the amount of money they were eager to give you. You could easily have your rent and bills paid for the rest of the year with that kind of cash. 

“It’s all about practice mostly, not everyone draws with geometric shapes, some people just freehand it.” You explained, quickly sketching out the two styles, a messy yet natural human beside a stiff yet cleaned up person. “It’s all about how you prefer to learn and what style you’re going for.”

“You think you can find your style, Wukong?” Macaque teased, sticking his tongue out at the king. Wukong rolled his eyes.

“I could do it today if I keep it up!” The old monkey chirped proudly. “I’m already getting a hang of everything.”

You sighed internally, watching as the two of them began to race over perfecting human anatomy. Their eyes glanced over to you occasionally before more scribbles filled the room. Contently, you drew out the two before you, figuring that they would forgive you for using them as subjects–an eye for eye, you mentally grinned.

Their bodies were pristine, sculpted by time and the godly nature radiating through them. You knew well of the tales between the legendary Monkey King and his adversary, the nigh-omniscient Six-Eared Macaque. The power the two held rivaled that of heaven and the Jade Emperor himself, and the power of Buddha was the only thing that could keep them down for the count.

As the years passed, the world grew to know less of them, both of them disappearing to their own journeys and fates.

It was only until a few months ago that you were even aware that the two had returned to the public eye–in some fashion, at least. It was until now that you were aware of their healing bond, an interesting detail that had you wondering for more about the two.

For now though, you were content in simply drawing them.

“How’d you do that?” A voice had rumbled behind you, causing you to yelp and jump from your seat. Macaque leaned against the chair, his expression never changing but briefly, you swore you saw the curve of lips and a flash of teeth.

You glared at the darker simian, sitting back in the chair before opening up your sketchbook again to the doodle of the two monkeys you had centered on the page. “Practice, mostly, that and you two were so focused on drawing that you were still enough for me to get the pose right.”

“Hmm,” Macaque leaned in closer, his fur tickling the side of your arm as he inspected your work. “Interesting…”

“My people don’t look like that.” Wukong appeared beside you, his tail grabbing your sketchbook while he looked closely at your drawing. “How do you make them look so…unique?”

“Oh, well, it’s about shapes, mostly–again, heh.” You stumbled over your explanation. “Design is kind of a personal thing, like–I would say you choose your designs based on what you feel is right.”

“What feels right, huh?” Macaque purred in your ear. “Hmm, that’s a unique way of saying it.”

Macaque’s breath tickled at your neck, blowing a puff of air into the shell of your ear with a wide smirk. Wukong’s tail had long since wrapped around your arm, a knowing glance shared between the two of them.

Macaque whispered to you again–somehow closer, yet almost hesitant. 

“Could we explore your body, see how right it feels?”

You shivered, your heart thumping loudly against your chest. You didn’t expect your lesson to end up like this, but…

It was…tempting…

Wukong’s voice whispered in your other ear, impossibly quiet for the boisterous sage. “We’ll make you feel good, give you a reward greater than the riches we could offer.”

You couldn’t resist the warmth of their breath nor the way their touches soothed invisible pains in your body. You didn’t know you were so tense, yet at their gentle command, you were caught in a willing trap, a net that embraced you yet restrained you.

On your knees, you were tied up in shadows, naked before you knew it. The shadows were chilled, not quite cold yet definitely not warm. You shuddered at the sight of Wukong and Macaque’s glossy fur, half-hard dicks presented to you. A silent question rose, and you answered, licking along Wukong shaft while Macaque’s hand stroked his own cock.

Wukong’s cock pulsed against your tongue, throbbing as he became fully hard. You whimpered under your breath, brain mulling over the next steps. You felt a hand–Macaque’s–stroke your hair comfortingly.

“Do as much as you can,” Macaque’s voice was sweet, slightly tense as he forced himself to stop stroking. “You’re doing great.”

Your brain felt mushy, cloudy–like the world had stopped spinning and time only waited for you to begin anew. Macaque’s hand never left your hair, never stopped petting you in his show of support. You took the tip of Wukong’s cock into your mouth, hearing Wukong’s breath nearly hiss out in your sudden movement– it sent waves of pride through you.

Slowly, you lowered your head, relaxing your jaw as you took Wukong’s entire length, feeling his tip hit lower and lower into your throat.

You looked up, feeling Wukong twitch in your mouth while your tongue lapped up what it could. Wukong’s eyes were glazed over, looking down at you in anticipation yet pride. You hummed, smiling to yourself as you began to move, hearing Wukong’s breath stutter again as you bobbed your head enthusiastically on his cock, tasting the salty yet strangely fruity precum that your throat practically milked out of him.

“--Fuck,” Wukong groaned, his hands clenching at your hair like a lifeline, sending shocks of pain and excitement through you. “You’re real good at this, y’know?”

You felt your core coil at those words, warmth spreading through your body as you continued to lap at Wukong’s dick, the taste slowly consuming your thoughts.

“Oh, you like that, don’t you?” Macaque muttered behind you, his hands rubbing your back while you focused on Wukong. “You like being praised like a good boy, huh?”

You couldn’t answer in your position, but Macaque still chucked to himself. “Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’re headed for a looong night.”

Your mind quickly came back to you; memories flashing through your mind before a particularly calculated thrust jolted you back to the present. Macaque growled behind you, low and rough grunts from Wukong joining in as they continued to abuse your asshole. You couldn’t feel your legs, but the warmth from Macaque’s chest nearly burned you while Wukong’s movements sent waves of pleasure through your tired body. Everything ached, yet you craved more.

They were as much animals as you were a toy to them, and your core clenched at the thought. You felt something sloshing in your stomach, warm and pleasant inside of you.

“Hey–” A hand lightly slapped your face, Wukong slowing ever so slightly to look at the mess you’ve become. “You with us?”

You nodded, groaning as Macaque had stopped entirely.

“Keep–mng–keep going,” you pleaded, feeling the low rumble of Macaque’s chuckle.

“If you say so,” and they continued, not bothering to start slowly.

Low whispers sang into your ears while your cock bounced against your stomach, Macaque and Wukong pressed against you, nearly crushing you.

“Such a good boy for us,”

“Look at you, taking us in so well,”

“What a cute boy you are.”

You whimpered against the heat surrounding you, feeling your stomach tightening as you slower creeped to your edge.

Suddenly, they stopped again, warm cocks still inside of you. You groaned, your head slamming into Macaque’s shoulder while Wukong chuckled.

“You aren’t finishing yet,” Wukong purred, licking your neck. Macaque hummed behind you, kissing your cheek before sinking his teeth into your shoulder, pain sinking into your sweaty skin. You whimpered, feeling tender kisses and light nips across your neck. Wukong went lower, pressing more kisses along your body and giving your dick a teasing lick to your dismay.

Macaque lowered you slightly, shadows cooling your heated skin while you hummed in question, trying to ignore the pained ache in your body. Low purrs rumbling through his throat while his hands caressed your chest.

“Wukong, you done over there? Our muse here looks like he’s going to explode.”

Wukong muttered under his breath, something about the importance of patience and care. Macaque chittered to Wukong, the sound almost a warning to your ears, but Wukong gripped your legs, looking at you with lust-ridden eyes.

“Ready?”

You nodded, your own hips bucking with need.

You were quickly filled again, Wukong growling into your ear. “Hope you’re ready for this round.”

In one thrust, he bottomed out with a grin, eye gleaming with finality. “You’re not going to be able to walk after this one.”

“Enough chit-chat, Wukong.” Macaque groaned, desperate thrusts from his hips. “Your voice is grating enough.”

Wukong’s hips moved, hitting your G-spot with impressive accuracy. You melted into their crushing touch, eyes closed as bliss overcame you. They slowly sped up, your hips bucking up in your quite loud desperation for release. Your moans echoed through the room, growls from all sides of you joining in on the sex-filled duet.

You felt a snap in your core and screamed out, feeling the cooling touch of a shadow stroking you off as you came intensely, more cum filling you up while Macaque and Wukong pressed against you.

The three of you panted intensely, shadow tentacles releasing you gently onto the couch while cum poured out of you. The two monkeys seemed barely phased, sweat being their only marker for any sort of exertion. They grinned down at you, kneeling down by the couch to hum their praises while they cleaned you up gently.

“You did so well for us.”

“What a good boy.”

You drifted off into a blissful slumber, your lower half practically numb yet shaking at the same time as the sounds of quiet cleaning sang you to sleep.

[fangirleaconmigo]

OK. I have watched several hours more of art videos, more shading instructionals, and I chose my next subject.  Anya is just so beautiful and also this picture is great for a beginner reference because the shadows are so defined. (I think part of my struggle with the Gael portrait was it was grainy and I’m not advanced enough to visualize things without a clear shadowed reference)

I am still doing some tracing, because I don’t actually know how to draw proportions yet. It was too much to try to learn everything at once. So I’m focusing on learning shading so I can understand how light and faces work.

So here is the tracing part. Process below:

Then the rest is me just freehand intensively using the reference. I have a lightbox and if something looks wrong I slap it on top to see if I was inaccurate.

And here is my first days work. I’m doing a complete base layer of shading now because I see people do that in videos. I guess it helps the shading layers blend. Also, Anya is mixed Indian and is not white. Girl has some melanin. So it’s good to have a first layer that will hopefully help (after more layers) contrast her skin tone with the paper. I don’t know what I’m doing but here we go!

[journalsouppe]

hi! i just found your blog recently so apologies if you've already answered this, but (if you remember) how did you get into journalling?

Hi no worries! I don’t think I’ve answered this before!

The short answer is that back in 2021 I realized I had a super unique opportunity to record all my experiences becoming a Zelda fan for the first time as I had not consumed anything Zelda my entire life. I got a small pack of pens and washi tape and a themed journal and a Zelda sticker book and just had so much fun that I’ve expanded! I now have all types of stickers, post it notes, stamps, washi, etc that I’ve collected over the years as well as starting a new journal for all video games I play! It’s been a great outlet for me to not only write but understand design choices and practice freehand lettering, and to support all my favorite artists who sell stickers. It’s been such a fulfilling hobby I genuinely recommend it to anyone who’s interested.

The long answer is below as well as tips to get started! (Sorry it got pretty long fdslijf)

So part of it was that for a long time I’ve always wanted to get into journaling but nothing would stick: I tried daily aesthetic bullet journaling but got burnt out, I tried journaling things retaliated to exercise but it wasn’t as creative as I wanted it to be, etc. I even used to rewrite all my notes in college to make them look nicer and more legible (and to also review all the notes we took in class) but that was just homework and not stress relieving.

Then back in 2021, I was going through a some major life events during my senior year of college and had to step back from doing a lot of things I normally would, especially social things. So I ended up getting back into video games which is smth I hadn’t had the time to do since…. Junior year of high school I think (With animal crossing being the exception bc of course). I always wanted to get into Ocarina of Time so I played that and Majora’s mask (more specifically I watched someone play them ^^;) and realized I had the golden opportunity to record my experience getting into the Zelda community and games as an adult since I had never consumed anything Zelda previously. I believe I started journaling when I was almost done playing (I did actually play this time) breath of the wild so my first true live reaction spread was a link between worlds. And it was so fun writing down all my commentary, I felt like my own personal let’s play YouTube channel where I could look back at all my reactions and thoughts to games.

I wanted the journal to be special so I got myself a new pack of pens, a journal that’s themed to Zelda (it ended up being a shitty journal fdkshlfd but I still love it), an “official” sticker activity book based on all the official art from the 3d Zelda games, and some cool tone washi tape that had gold accents (aka green blue and purple designed tape). And I just fell in love with journaling. I discovered zines around that time so I ended up collecting more and more stickers and stationary to put in my journals and then I wanted to play more games than just Zelda so I got another journal to continue writing there! I even have new journals in the future specifically themed to final fantasy and castlevania to start when I finish Zelda. I also decided I love journaling so much that I plan to open up a shop to sell journaling stickers and eventually book bind my own journals. It’s still a work in progress but that’s just how much I fell in love with my own style of journaling.

It wasn’t until I played the great ace attorney (DGS) where I really appreciated these spreads as I was losing my shit through live reaction entries. I talked about that spread online and my first dgs mutual ever encouraged me to post it… and I had fun doing that so I made this side blog and kept posting. I’m shocked at how many people like my spreads! I prioritize them being for me first but I will do extra things to make them nicer for yall such as not getting sloppy with my hand writing, taking nice photos, and typing up all my words so that they’re more accessible to read. It’s been such a fun journey I can’t recommend getting into journaling enough. You don’t have to even post them online like I do.

If you’re ever interested in journaling, my advice is to do what YOU want to journal. You don’t need to start out with buying super fancy materials or anything, I got a couple of materials since i knew that I wanted to invest in this journal but you can use any pen or sharpie you have at home and just write. You could even draw images instead of using stickers or use highlighters and markers you’ve collected overtime from school to add that pop of color by highlighting words that speak out to you. If you have a printer, you could even print out images (not fanart!!) from the games you play, my oracle of seasons and oracle of ages spreads have printed and hand cut out paper of the sprites from the game.

Don’t watch any aesthetic ‘here’s my daily bullet journal spread’ videos, you’ll get intimidated and if you try it you’ll be burnt out. Journal at your own pace, I dedicate a day once a month to set up like 4 spreads so that whenever I play games I can just jot down my thoughts and keep my journal just next to me when I play. I also don’t force myself to play games all the time so it’s nice having this nice pace to journal when I want.

Find a topic you’re interested in, and just write about it! Could be games, movies, bugs, theme parks, shoelaces, literally anything. Anything that’s a YouTube video can be transformed into journal spread. Find a journal that you have at home or if you want to splurge a little find one that speaks to you in a store! My only advice is that you want the journal to have thicker paper so that none of your materials bleed (make a test page at the back to make sure what bleed and what doesn’t before you start!) and to have strong binding. My Zelda journal has thin paper and a glue binding and omfg I’m stressed about her exploding.

I don’t want this to get crazy long but you’re more than welcome to dm me or my main blog PumpkinSouppe if you have any more questions too! Or feel free to send more anons here I don’t mind! The world of journaling is such a great place where you decide how the world is structured and how you want to live in it, so don’t feel pressured to do something that you know will exhaust or drain you. Tysm for the ask!! ^_^ sorry this got so long fhdljsf

[spinsworthyourfind]

The address of Spinetical Spins Worth Your Find is https://b7ae09.myshopify.com/

Spinetical Spins Worth Your Find is a trademark of the organization, Spins Worth Your Find. (However, the name has not been federally trademarked, yet.) It is something on my To Do List! I need funds to do so.

Anywayz… Spinetical Spins Worth Your Find is a store that is being built, but already open for business. To be honest, I am learning as I go, as far as e-commerce goes, so bear with me. I am also open to any advice that anyone may have… or requests. I may be a soft hearted, loving, and caring person, but, don’t confuse that with weakness. I like positive criticism because it only helps me to become better. And, as far as requests or questions… you don’t know until you ask. I do not take things to heart because I understand how the mind of human nature, business, and people in general, seems to see things or wander or wonder. Therefore, things may seem like they are not… but, could be. I am not out to trick anyone or mislead anybody. So, if you are unsure of something, just ask and let me give you an answer. That simple! (If I can’t answer or something, I will be straight forward and tell you that.) And, I am not the type of person to hold a grudge or put another person to shame. I’m far more mature than that. I’m a very strong business woman, leader, and not in any way affiliated with any criminal acts of sex, drugs, or money crimes, organized or not.

Anywayz… at Spinetical Spins Worth Your Find you will find the e-commerce website where you can buy digital downloads in png 14cm x 14cm file format of my freehand drawings and my digital creations. I am not too familiar with this digital thing and not exactly sure what does and doesn’t matter or make the difference when it comes to the downloadable content. However, I have decided to create all of the links for purchase to be available for the same price, $3.00/each at the moment.(I don’t know what a reasonable price is for that.) But, the download is available immediately at checkout, you also receive a link in your email for unlimited download access, and you are sent an updated link if I complete any changes or updates in my shop to that item.

Also, you can find the second hand items that I have for sale. They are available to be shipped through USPS and they are available to make arrangements to be picked up at my house. (All items are cleaned and sanitized before being posted. All items are legally owned by myself. They are not consigned items. They are all items that I have legally acquired throughout my life for the purpose of resale.)

Finally, you can find items that are available at a wholesale discount. The same items are also available for individual purchase. They are available to the public, businesses and consumers, the same. I am in the process of trying to incorporate all of the items I have available through ArtPal and Spreadshirt in this one place through the Shopify platform. Until then, you can find other new items of mine for purchase, that I created, at: https://www.ArtPal.com/spinetical and https://spinetical.myspreadshop.com . All of these items are physical goods shipped from the United States.

If you are looking for a bulk discount on your order or would like to receive regular scheduled shipments, contact me directly and let me get your discount prepared and place your orders. (Prevents you from the hassle of multiple orders… when I can place one order for all three sites.)

My phone # (580)517-1792

My email spinetical@gmail.com

[frankhightower]

Commission Prices 2023 (and FAQ)

I'm open for commissions! I'm only taking full body sketches at this time. I intend to revise my prices annually.

FAQ:

So now I can make you draw anything I want? Not exactly. There's several things I won't draw under any circumstances (mainly: genitals, nipples, death or gore; I'll go into more detail later. If you're unsure, please ask!) What does “price per character prop, or background element” mean? It means each character in the piece costs that amount. Two characters costs twice as much, but a character with an object also costs that much (thus Microfan with his flag costs the same as two people hugging or indeed a guy sitting under a tree). Whether a prop counts or not depends on if it’s an indispensable part of the outfit (for instance, Copper’s pocket watch is part of his conductor uniform, but his clipboard is not). This also means you can request one character in color and the other in black and white or indeed the prop in color and the character in black and white. What counts as a background element? It’ll be judged on a case-by-case basis. For instance, the locomotive and its tender count as a single element, with the boxcar counting as a second element; however a multiple-unit train such as the Acela Express would count as a single element. Why do some things cost the same as others? Price is based on effort – that is, how hard and time consuming it is for me – and I consider the two equally-priced things to require about the same effort. This may change in the future, but I promise to always have something available for $5. Then why does lineless cost more if you literally do less? Because, when coloring, the thickness of the line allows me a certain margin of error that disappears when we go lineless. Why do you only offer lineless with color and shading? I don’t think lineless looks good in black and white or with flat colors, so I don’t do ’em. Why do you call them sketches if you color and shade them? Because I’m doing these entirely freehanded: minimal use of guidelines, references and revisions. Wait, there’s no revisions?! What if I don’t like something?! There’s revisions, they’re just limited in scope. For instance, I originally drew Ty as gray fox, not a silver fox (i.e. no white tailtip), despite having references telling me otherwise; I assumed responsibility for the error and corrected the drawing. However, corrections of the type “Ian’s shovel looks crooked, do it again” I will not do because those kind of “errors” are intrinsic to the freehanded nature of the sketch (I may attempt to digitally scale the shovel to make it look less crooked, but I won’t redraw it). What if I want you to do those things? Then it wouldn’t be a sketch; you’ll have to wait until I can do commissions that aren’t sketch quality, which will happen when I feel I have the time available from my dayjob and family life. What if I don’t want a full body? What if I only want a headshot? I don’t do just headshots because I always end up putting effort into the parts that don’t get drawn (i.e. I inevitably think about and plan out what the shoulders and arms should be doing and don’t like that time going to waste). You are free to crop the picture after the fact if you want to focus on just the head, though. And besides, my prices are pretty low already. Why the complexity charge? Why is texture harder than extra limbs? I’ve discovered that the mental effort of swapping to a different texture adds a lot of time to the artistic process. If you have, say, a bird and a lion, you only need to swap once when you finish one character and start the next, but if you’re doing a griffin, you need to be doing that constantly. Extra limbs don’t create this problem for me; I instinctively understand they’re as much part of the character as the tail is. I have a character with both fur and feathers but I can’t afford the complexity charge I’ll be more than happy to draw them with just fur or just feathers all over. Do bat wings on a [insert mammal here] count as a different texture? No, bat wings have fur. Do bat wings on a scaley dragon count as a different texture? No, because I draw them covered in scales like the rest of the dragon unless otherwise specified. How does the “no reference” option work? I’ll ask you for a detailed description of your character and probably some clarification questions. Can I give you an AI-generated image as a reference? Oh God, please no! I'd much rather you give me the "prompt" text and work from there! I’ve never heard of an artist working without references before I do it because I’ve been there. All-too often, I need art of a character, but don’t have the time or money to make reference (and indeed, half the reason I buy art from other artists is because I’m too busy to do it myself). Can I just get a refsheet? Not as a sketch, no. A refsheet cannot contain freehanding errors. Please wait until I open commissions for refsheets (which I will do eventually). Can I use the resulting sketch to get a refsheet from another artist? Yes, that’s part of the reason I do it. Can I get a black-and-white sketch from you and then color it myself like a coloring book page? Yes! That’s also part of the reason I do it. In fact, it’s what inspired the “black and white shaded” options. Can I put it on a background to make it look like my ’sona was there? Yes, that is why I always deliver with transparent background when possible. Can I print it and hang it on my wall? Yes, once delivered, you can do whatever you want with it. Whatever I want? So I can post it online? Of course. I do ask that you link back to me for that, though. This sounds too good to be true Well, I’m still learning. I charge cheaply not only to remain accessible, but because I never went to art school nor paid for art classes (my only formal art training was the mandatory art class in middle school). I feel like the difference between what I charge and what I “should” charge is what I should pay for the art class that teaches me what I’ll learn by drawing the piece (i.e. I don’t expect it to be perfect so I don’t charge it as such) and besides, since this is something I do in my “free” time, I know I probably won’t deliver it as quickly as I should. Do you have a sample? Please refer to the full version for each of the "strips", and try to imagine that "but better"

Black-and-white version ($5/char)

Flat color version ($20/char)

Gradient-shaded version ($25/char)

Lineless Gradient-shaded version ($30/char)

Cell-shaded version ($40/char)

Lineless Cell-shaded version ($45/char)

Who are the characters in this picture? This picture features, from left to right (as identified by their FA username)

Microfan the tiger as the black-and-white Flagman waiting for his cue from the stationmaster

Morticia981 the pig as the flat-colored Station Hand loading water into the boiler

CopperM the black-and-white-shaded ferret as the Stationmaster checking his pocket watch

IantheGecko (gecko) as the gradient-shaded Fireman shoveling coal

Angel the wolf as the lineless Porter guiding the special passenger

HollieHyena (hyena) as the cell-shaded Yard Worker watching from the roof of macro car #17 waiting for her cue to close the door

TyVulpine, the silver fox taur in all the other styles, as the Special Passenger requiring macro-sized accommodation

Can I share this on other socials? Yes, please. I'll have the links to this pricesheet elsewhere, here Yes, please. here are the links to this pricesheet:

Twitter

Deviant Art

Fur Affinity

Ko-fi

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[olderthannetfic]

Oooooh. Niiiiice.

I see I shall have to contend with my nemesis, blocking, but these are definitely worth a try. (And yes, this is the kind of thing I meant. Would I know they’re Tolkien-inspired just from looking? Maybe not, but I can see plant motifs and interesting shit going on. They immediately give me a fantasy-ish vibe.)

#I’m curious about your PetiteKnits comment#I’ve never liked her much bc her idea of a 3XL is a 47-51 inch bust#like girl that’s an XL with 1-5 inches of positive ease that ain’t no 3x#knitting

Last time I was into knitting, the big names were Kaffe Fassett and Alice Starmore. They might have made your eyes bleed with 80s intarsia, but at least you were getting a product you’d never get without making it yourself. I mean, some might argue that they wouldn’t want to wear a Kaffe Fassett sweater out in public, but those people are cowards. ;D

PK is a heinous snoozefest of fast fashion-looking oatmeal-colored everything. Now I do love me a good greige minimalism personalityless sweater. They make me feel like a rich person instantly. That white one I knit up from my mystery yarn does this for me. I’m sure my copy of the Handsome Chris will too once I finish it.

Obligatory shot of freehanded white blob:

But why on earth would I pay money for a pattern that’s like “Make the most boring basic sweater possible, but hold 57 strands of mohair together while you do it”? If I want to use hairy yarn to hide my mistakes, I can do that without paying someone else for the privilege.

I don’t have special beef with PK. Hers are merely the most popular of a wave of worthless patterns one should be able to devise for oneself just by looking at an example pic.

If they were fitted to a curvy figure or something, I’d understand: those calculations are a nuisance, and it makes sense to pay for someone else’s time spent figuring out the increases and decreases. But these things are uniformly rectangular sacks designed to hang attractively off of a pencil thin figure wearing leggings. It’s the rich lady doing errands before yoga look.

Look at this nonsense:

Literally, why?!

This kind of sweater doesn’t even look hand-made in the high fashion way. All of them look like they came from the mall. Just shop at a thrift store if you want fast fashion but don’t want to support the industry actively! Or freehand them!

I also think the entire trend of holding yarns together is stupid as fuck. I’d rather pick the correct weight of yarn for a project. I’m unimpressed with how much of it is about getting a halo on literally everything. This particular snoozefest (here for those who inevitably want to waste money on the pattern) is fingering + lace. Just get a fucking DK yarn, a hairy one if you must!

I don’t need 3XL (though, yes, I hear PK was a bitch about adding more sizes), but I do have actual T&A, so I don’t care about the taste of the no butt-having boxy sweater lovers. You see the same thing, only less beige, from Tayler of Wool Needles Hands. I find her entertaining, and I think her taste in sweaters looks great on her, but it’s less suitable for me.

Skeindeer actually has boobs and a tummy, so I have more confidence that the basic shape she’s thinking of first is closer to what I want. And her aesthetic is not shapeless bag hanging from shoulders. I don’t think she does a ton of shaping, but her patterns are designed to look good stretched over a body with some curves.

What I’m actually knitting right now is the Cassidy, which looks bland as fuck but was recommended to me by a college knitting club friend for its subtle but effective shaping.

If I want to wear a giant-ass rectangle, I can just open any of my knitting books from the 90s and knit the lovely cabled sweaters therein. Or I’ll freehand it because knitting an oversize sack in a drapey yarn is easy.

--

So, in conclusion, this video, but about sweaters:

After scrolling through a bajillion pages of the current fad for greige 10 mohairs held together plain sweaters, I have finally found a designer worth buying patterns from! If only they had this scale pattern on a sweater!

[softguarnere]

HOLD THE GOD DAMN PHONE!! I don’t think I’ve ever sent in a ship request for you…(have I?? fuck idk??) and I am appalled

Can I please have a ship babyyyy? xxx

I can send a description through if you want but also…kinda feel like you know me enough to go completely freehand with it hehe

Babe of COURSE you can have a ship 💖💖 We do know each other pretty well, so I'm gonna try to do my best (but honestly, you're so cool, do any of these boys even deserve you??)

I ship you with . . .

Ron Speirs!

I'm not gonna lie -- I've literally been associating the two of you together since I wrote Pull That Trigger, since you were one of my first requests and it was the first time I wrote soft!Speirs stuff hehe. I'm 'bout to have a lot of fun with this hon

Badass power couple, are you kidding me?! Talk about turning heads when you walk into the room. No one is gonna mess with the two of you

In canon era, y'all would totally see each other for the first time in an officer's meeting. He sees you and Nixon joking around while you ready your intelligence reports and he just freezes because holy shit, she's hot, and am I allowed to date a fellow officer?? And because he's Ron Freakin' Speirs, he's gonna do what he wants anyway

You truly bring out the best in each other (it's the introvert + extrovert dynamics for me) Don't get me wrong -- Ron is great as a leader and at taking command of a situation, but homeboy has some trouble putting himself out there in social situations, and if it were up to him, he would just kind of stay on the fringes of the crowd and observe. But you're so outgoing, and you introduce him to so many new and interesting people, that he finds himself actually kind of enjoying going to parties, if not just because he likes watching you have fun in your element.

Omggggg, guys would be coming up to flirt with you left and right, and he would just put his arm around you and give them the look, and they're running for the hills

(Also, Ron's not a huge fan of drinking, because he likes to be in control of himself. But there was one memorable occasion where he had one too many drinks. Let's just say that he's a cute, sappy drunk, and that this may or may not be how he confesses his feelings for you)

As an introvert, he's gotta recharge his social battery, though. His favorite part of parties is when they're over, because then y'all get to go home, and he just gets to unwind and feel like himself again. His favorite way to recharge is 100% having a lie-in the next day, just holding each other. (He'd kill anyone if they knew, and he has trouble asking for it, but he likes to be the little spoon, which is just *chef's kiss* 🥺 but that's between y'all 🤫😉)

If you ever get a little too dark-brain, he is there for you in whatever way you need. This man would wait on you hand and foot, bringing you tea or coffee and blankets (or a grilled cheese ;) ), or giving you space. He'll hold you for hours on end if you want. Contrary to popular belief, he's not completely averse to emotions, and he'll do his best to understand what you're going through, even if it's just to listen while you get your emotions out, because he wants you to know that he's there for you, and he's trying his best

Forehead 👏 kisses 👏 are 👏 his 👏 specialty 👏Other people would be shocked to learn how gentle he is with you. You're truly just such a safe space for him where he feels like he can unmask and be himself, and he's probably told you so many things that he's never told anyone before, and just UGH, I'm tearing up thinking about it man

Also, touch his hair, touch his hair, for the love of GOD, touch his hair, it makes him so soft!!!!!!!! If he's not sleeping well or has a nightmare or something, your touch immediately soothes him. If you're just chillin' and you run a hand through his hair -- shivers down his spine, he LOVES it

He's lowkey SO COMPETITIVE hehehe. (Straight up, there are stories in his biography about him racing with people on the Currahee runs, so you know I had to work it in here somehow) He loves going to the gym with you, because he feels like he's in his element and he gets to spend time with you. But also he is gonna try to race you on the treadmills or smth, because it's Ron we're talking about. (You always beat him, and he can't even be mad about it, because he's so *heart eyes emoji* for you)

This man would move mountains for you, and he'll truly be happy with whatever kind of future you want. You want to stay in the military? Works for him -- you guys can keep climbing the ranks together. You want to settle down somewhere? He's already calling his old accounting firm to see if they have openings.

Whatever you do and wherever you go, he's going to make sure that it has good weather and good views, because he's pretty sure that he could handle living almost anywhere in any situation, but he's gonna make sure that you have the world

Sorry this took a sec babe 😘 I hope you liked it!

[akitokihojo]

Monster - Chapter 4

Hang onto your butts... This one's on the longer side!

chapter index

----------

“Who?”

“Sango.” Kagome answered as steadily as possible.

“Who are they?” Inuyasha was intentionally bouncing questions off of her quickly to see how she’d answer, to see how her body language would respond. Would she flinch? Twitch? Shift her eyes to the left, or waver in any way, shape, or form?

“M-my friend.”

There. Sure, the stammer could be written off as her anxiety, but she didn’t elaborate when it was clear that this was the opportunity to do so.

“Why are you looking for them?” He reached anyway.

Kagome cursed herself. She was a quick-thinker, but her mind felt so muddled. She was still uneasy, uncomfortable, and frightened, and it impeded any ability she had to cover her own ass. She was usually a good liar, but she was in the most unfair disposition of all right now.

She gnawed her bottom lip, playing it off as she thought up something. “She went out a few days ago and hasn’t returned yet.”

“And, they sent you to look for her?”

“I left on my own.”

Inuyasha sighed out through his nose, the breath clenched in his throat and sounding almost like the breaking waters of the sea in his own ears. He shut his eyes, tilting his head and resting his cheek on the arm he used to hold the girl’s hands above her head. He gave himself a moment before continuing on, glancing back down at her with patient eyes.

“Tell me the truth. What are you really doing out here?” He demanded, and he watched her face flush instantaneously.

He’d seen right through her the whole time. What else could she have said? The truth was out of the question, so she didn’t know what else to give him in response. Decidedly, Kagome kept her mouth shut.

Her fearful expression was pressing, brown eyes unintentionally guilting him. Why wouldn’t she just tell him? “Are you in danger?”

Still, she didn’t speak.

“Come on, kid, you gotta give me something to work with. Are you on the run?”

“No.” Kagome shook her head.

“Are you in danger?” He asked again.

“No.” She said.

Both truths.

“Do you live nearby?”

She hesitated that time, but chose to answer in the end. “No. Not really.”

“So, what are you doing out here?”

Kagome bit her bottom lip out of habit, trying to steady herself. “I really am looking for someone.”

Inuyasha gave a dry chuckle. “But, you’re not gonna tell me who.”

She didn’t respond, eyes falling to his chest.

“Gonna stick with the Sango story?”

Kagome could only nod.

“Alright.” Inuyasha accepted. He occupied his freehand, removing his sword in its sheath from the loop in his belt and dropping them to the leaf-covered earth. He moved to unlatch the buckle in the center, pushing the free end of the worn leather through the metal bracket.

“What are you doing?” Kagome asked, her nerves suddenly spiking again. She pushed herself further against the tree to shy away from him as much as she could.

“Hey, calm down. It’s not what you think.” He immediately stated, trying to fend off her discomfort. “I didn’t bring rope along with me, so this is gonna have to do until we can get back to my things.”

“Rope for what?”

“What do you think?”

“I told you there’s no bounty.” Kagome argued. “What do want with me?”

“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on, but bounty or not, you’re still acting suspicious. It’s usually a good idea to keep people like you close in case anything arises.”

“Like what?”

“Answers, first of all. Look, until I find out if money will eventually be offered for you, someone is looking for you, or if something’s wrong and you’re involved, you’re sticking with me.” He said with a sense of finality, pulling his undone belt from the loops in his pants.

“But, none of those things are the case.” Kagome said, more defeated than she’d ever sounded before. She granted him an indignant stare. “You’re wasting your time.”

Inuyasha lowered her hands in front of her, pleased that she wasn’t struggling. Her wrists were small, so it was very easy to keep them secure with just one of his palms, and he began wrapping the leather around them, fastening it tightly so she wouldn’t be able to pull her hands right out.

“I’ve got a gut feeling that I’m really not.” He shrugged his brows, giving a little tug on the belt to make sure it wasn’t too loose. “Can you still feel your fingers?”

“For now.” She replied impassively. Kagome sighed out, her shoulders dropping. As of right now, she had zero energy remaining in her to fight. She’d expended everything she had the day before, with Hiten, and then now while she attempted to escape this guy. The few hours of sleep she’d stolen were barely doing a thing for her at this point, and as her adrenaline levels trickled away, she could feel just how fatigued she truly was. This was just too much commotion in the span of twenty-four hours. So, she reluctantly gave in to her savior-turned-captor.

Honestly, with his tone having relaxed and the way he now handled her, she didn’t feel the danger she did just moments ago. And, that was more dangerous than anything. She should feel scared in this sort of situation, she should be nervous, she should be trying to get away and fight him off. Now would have been a good time to use her spiritual powers, and yet she felt it was the wrong thing to do. He was taking her captive, and she felt wrong for thinking to use her powers on him. Her exhaustion had to be getting to her more than she’d thought. He said he wasn’t going to hurt her a moment ago, and she legitimately believed him.

What sort of mess was she in for?

Inuyasha leaned down and grabbed his sword from the ground, his other hand busy holding the belt between her forearms. He gave a small pull and they were on their way, which thanks to her, was going to take much longer. Not only was he going to have to actually walk, because he wasn’t about to carry the girl all the way back to his destination and he didn’t think she could manage running several miles right now - or even a fast-paced walk at that, but they were also significantly off course. It wasn’t entirely her fault, given he’d had to pursue Hiten for quite a ways before she’d shown up, but once she took off like a bat out of hell, the trek back became even worse. His bet: they’d be in the area just before the sun set.

The girl hadn’t said a word. She kept up fairly well, didn’t give him any reason to yank her wrists so she’d go a little faster, didn’t struggle, didn’t do much of anything, really. A couple times when he’d stolen a glance back at her, she was observing the scenery, eyes half-lidded. There were a few occurrences where she’d lost her footing and slid down hills and he’d had to catch her. He didn’t criticize her. It would have been natural for him to criticize her, but something inside told him she wouldn’t be able to bite back right now. Though, when she’d apologized for her stumbling, even her whispers were barely coherent. From that point on, down any slope or hill they traveled over, he moved slowly, stabilized her properly, and supported her the whole way down.

Finally, he could see the area he’d accidentally dropped his shit in. Hiten was quick, and his bag wasn’t worth grabbing in the heat of the moment. Luckily, no one had wandered through the woods and snagged it. Even more luckily, they weren’t all that far from the family who’d initially offered him the lump sum. They were close to stopping for the night.

Inuyasha dropped his sword to the ground before turning and undoing the leather from around her wrists, allowing her a minute to shake her hands and rub out the indentations they’d left behind. Then, he gestured for her to get on her knees beside him, moving with her so she didn’t get uncomfortable with him still standing. He could understand how that could be misperceived, and he wasn’t about that whatsoever.

“I want your hand on me. Anywhere.” He said while he kneeled. The girl went ahead and rested on her butt for the moment, legs crossed in front of her. At her suspicious side-eye, he went ahead and elaborated, swallowing his chuckle at her silent judgement. “I don’t want you running off while I’m distracted. Come on, just hold my clothes or something.”

Kagome sighed, reaching over and slipping her fingers into his closest, available pocket just as he turned to rummage through his bag of belongings. If he’d been paying attention by now, he’d have been well aware that she didn’t have it in her to challenge him to a race again. Therefore, the physical contact was completely unnecessary. Kagome wasn’t going anywhere, but alternatively she didn’t have the energy to argue either.

Inuyasha couldn’t fight the humored grin that grew on his lips, and as he pulled the rope out of the pouch of his bag, he shifted around to look at the girl. “I like how you went for my back pocket.”

Realizing where her fingers were, Kagome hastily pulled her hand free, opting to grab onto the top hem of his pants, instead. There was no hiding her embarrassment but she tried anyway, turning her head off to the side to stare at the warm glow cast through the treetops, accenting the forest beautifully with golds, oranges, and pinks that were only granted for an hour or so throughout the day. His laughter made her cheeks burn hotter. She could literally feel the maddening blush on the bridge of her nose and just beneath her eyes, and she wished he’d just let it go without teasing her. She hadn’t been paying attention when she’d reached over. She hadn’t noticed she was touching his butt, and it was most definitely innocent and not meant inappropriately.

“It’s fine,” He rasped between chuckles, reaching for her wrist at the back of his hip. He shifted around to face her, enjoying her humility far too much. “Little pervert.”

“Stop it.” She whispered, scrunching her nose. He liked it.

“What? All you had to do was ask.” Inuyasha pestered, gesturing for her other hand.

“You’re a jerk.” Kagome huffed.

“I know, I know.” He smirked, shrugging his brows carelessly as he began constructing a knot around her wrists. As per usual, he tied it tight, making sure there was no room for error. Women, in general, had small hands and wrists and could weasel their way out of snares, so he was naturally inclined to avoid those mistakes. Her wince had him inadvertently pausing, glancing up to make sure she was alright and then loosening the reins a tad. For some reason, for some odd and interesting reason, he didn’t want to treat her like she was as disposable as the other people he sought out. There was no reason to. Her description wasn’t on any lists that he’d seen, and he knew, he just knew, she was mixed up in something else. Something bigger that she wasn’t yet willing to talk about. Yes, she was in his captivity. Yes, he would hand her over if someone was looking. But, the bruise around her throat had him feeling she didn’t deserve any sort of abrasive treatment at the moment. No matter how much attitude she’d presented to him a while ago.

“Too tight?” Inuyasha asked as he finished off the knot, leaving a long tail so that he could keep her close without having to hold her wrists anymore.

“What do you care?” She quietly sassed.

“Would you rather I didn’t?” He countered.

“It’s fine.” Kagome finally answered, giving her fingers a faint wiggle to make sure blood was still flowing to them.

Inuyasha nodded in a that’s-what-I-thought fashion, sticking the tail of rope beneath his boot to keep her next to him. He threaded the belt back through the loops in his trousers, then pulled a canteen of water from his bag. Removing the cap, and without a second thought, he handed it to the girl, making sure she had a proper grip on it between her closely-tied hands before releasing it completely. There was more than enough slack in the rope for her to be able to lift the bottle to her lips, and she took a quick sip, aiming to hand it back immediately after.

“Drink it.”

“What about you?”

“Don’t need it. Not as much as you. Don’t want you keeling over on me.” He said, waiting for her to raise it back to her mouth. When there was hesitation, he continued. “I’m serious, kid. Drink it. I know you’re thirsty.”

Kagome started drinking full gulps, the tepid water still soothing to her dry, irritated throat. She slowed down so she wouldn’t upset her stomach, ignoring the fact that the demon was eyeing her. She’d noticed it several times their entire trip there, and not once could she grasp why he studied her. Again, she just didn’t have the energy to ask. She also didn’t want to give him attention if that was what he was seeking, so she actively pretended she never noticed it.

“Better?” He asked, holding his hand out for the empty bottle. The girl nodded, giving it back and rubbing her lips together to spread the moisture from the water over them. He capped the canteen, tossing it back in his bag and shutting it. “What’s your name?”

Her brown eyes held steady on his for a moment, searching for something, maybe even thinking of a reason as to why she should answer him.

“What’s yours?” She asked in return.

“Inuyasha.”

“That’s right,” She nodded slowly. “I remember Hiten saying that now.”

There was another beat of silence, and Inuyasha had to give himself a mental clap on the back. Patience had never been his virtue, and though he wanted to grind his teeth every time he had to wait for an answer, he was still holding composure well.

“My name’s Kagome.”

“Alright, Kagome,” He spoke, throwing the straps of his bag over his shoulders. He stood, putting Tessaiga back in its rightful place on his hip and then stepped off of the rope, reaching down to grab her by the arms and help her stand faster than he was sure she would have on her own. “Let’s get going.”

“Where, exactly, are we going?”

“I’ve got some people I need to talk to. They’re less than a mile or so from here. Then, we’ll be finding a good place to set up for the night.”

She didn’t say anything thereafter, simply accepting his answer and following him along. He held onto the rope, and she continued to keep up well enough so there was slack. The last thing she wanted was to be yanked forward if she’d drifted behind a bit, and she really wouldn’t put it passed him to do so. Kagome could only imagine it would make her feel like a dog on a leash.

The thought had her attention shooting toward the top of his head. His pointed ears matched the shade of his hair, triangular in shape, sometimes swiveling to catch sounds in the woodlands. She was intrigued by them, watching them for several paces. She’d met a couple of humanoid demons before, aside from Naraku’s goons, but none of them quite held the physical characteristics Inuyasha did.

“Cat or dog?” The question had slipped off her tongue before she’d caught it, and even though she’d never much intended to ask, feeling like she was intruding on personal information, it also felt harmless. And, if he declined to answer, it wasn’t going to hurt her feelings.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome from over his shoulder, brows furrowed in curiosity. The question came out of left field, and he couldn’t help but be surprised that she was feeling a little talkative now. Truthfully, he was enjoying the silence, but so long as she didn’t yap his ears off, then he was fine.

Ears. It was his ears. She was asking because of his ears.

“What’s your guess?” He queried, his tone low and casual.

Kagome made a small sound as she pondered, not immediately answering. “Cat?”

Inuyasha’s ears twitched in offense, and his lips curled in repulsion. “What?”

“Am I wrong?” She inquired innocently. “I only thought it made sense since you’re kind of feisty like a cat, too.”

Abruptly, he stopped walking. The statement stung his pride, and he couldn’t blame anybody but himself for that one. He should have just answered. Always tell them, never let them guess. Rookie mistake. Inuyasha scrunched his nose, looking back at the girl and shaking his head.

“Oh. So, dog?” Her tone still held soft.

He merely nodded in reply, his lips pressed into a thin line.

“Sorry.” Kagome whispered.

“I’m half.” Inuyasha said, after a long moment of silence, clearing his throat. They’d continued walking, and he could smell the scents of the small, homely town ahead. Dinners were being made, people were beginning to head indoors, and he didn’t sense an ounce of chaos. Meaning, Naraku’s men had chosen a good day to fuck off.

“Half?”

“You’re wondering why I’ve got dog ears, right?” He guessed. “It’s because I’m a half demon, or hanyou, so some of my features are mixed.”

It made sense now why his demonic aura wasn’t as pronounced as Hiten’s when she’d first seen him. He only had half the power. Frankly, it didn’t completely add up to her. She didn’t sense an even division. His demonic blood was there, and it demanded acknowledgment, it just wasn’t as prominent as any other demon’s she’d encountered. If he’d said he wasn’t completely demon, she’d have believed him just as well, but she was honestly surprised, with the energy she felt radiating from him, that he was only half. Whomever his bloodline originated with must have been incredibly formidable.

What had the majority of Kagome’s interest was how he so openly admitted to who or what he was. Conjurers weren’t the only ones being wiped out of existence. So were hanyou. Half demon’s had actually been ostracized since before Naraku showed face, Naraku just upped the ante. Some humans reproachably saw them as tainted, vile creatures. They looked at demons as a breed one should never mate with, and if a baby was born between the two species, it was hated from the moment of conception. The same was said about demons. To mate with a human was taboo and nearly unheard of. Demons spoke of hanyou as if they were disgusting, unworthy, and offensive to their kind. Demons refused to claim half-breeds as one of their own, and humans did the same. The only people half demons could rely on were their families.

Kagome had met one when she was around fifteen. She, Miroku, and Sango were out being reckless, their typical M.O., and Miroku had scraped his leg up pretty bad near the outskirts of a nearby village. Jinenji was the sweetest person she’d ever met. He didn’t laugh, didn’t criticize, hardly said a word, and blushed if either of the girls made eye contact with him. His mother, on the other hand, was slightly frightening, but Kagome supposed that’s where their family dynamic found balance. Her son was large, apparently malformed, and to a closed-minded person, terrifying. So, the rest of the village judged him harshly and outcasted him, never treated him fairly, and were even cruel and violent at times. Jinenji was timid and gentle. He was educated in herbal remedies, making medicines, and could even dish out basic horticulture. He was helpful, good, strong, and kind. He was a living, breathing being. Jinenji had a beating heart, a brain, and blood running through his veins just like everyone else. He deserved the same respect humans and demons expected.

It was there that Kagome had first learned of a half demon’s mistreatment. Jinenji’s mother explained how difficult it was for him growing up, how some half demons come out “pretty,” while others not so much. She explained the unjustified wrath their mere existence created, and the three teenagers felt sick to their stomachs hearing such a thing. Never could Kagome understand anyone’s logic for condemning someone or something just for living.

So, she couldn’t imagine Inuyasha’s past or the amount of trials he’s experienced. That’s why she wondered how he seemed so okay telling her he was of mixed blood. Maybe he didn’t care because he was strong and could fend for himself, so he wasn’t worried about others knowing who he was. Maybe it was because his traits were visible, and even obvious to other demons since they could easily tell a half-breed from a full blood, and he’d potentially be outed either way if they ran into one. Had he had it hard? Had he ever run into Naraku’s men? If so, had they ever succeeded in doing something horrible to him? Attempted to kill him? Kagome blinked the thoughts away, shying her gaze to the earth as they walked. She didn’t want to feel sympathy for her captor.

“I’m only gonna be a minute.” Inuyasha started as he unsuspectingly stopped directly in front of a slim tree. “If you need anything, just call for me. I’ll hear you.”

“Wait, what?” Kagome questioned. He’d started wrapping the slack of her rope around the tree trunk, fastening her to stand close to it and knotting the rope in a fashion that she wouldn’t be able to reach. She looked around, only seeing woodland, and she wondered just where the hell Inuyasha was about to head off to.

“Trust me.” He dismissed.

“You honestly expect me to trust you? After all this?” She grimaced.

“Or not.” He chuckled, shrugging dismissively. “Just don’t scream. It’ll be more annoying than anything.”

Kagome groaned, her head dropping back. “Where are you going?”

“I told you, I need to talk to someone. I’ll be back.”

“It’ll be dark soon.”

“I’ll be right back.” He repeated more firmly. When she only stared at him through furrowed brows, he took his leave, confident that he would be near enough to hear her in case she needed help. She could be grumpy all she wanted, it didn’t matter to him.

He approached the yard carefully, smelling each occupant of the home from outside, their freshly baked bread, cooking meat, and recently-burned incense. This was usually his favorite part of a job, but at this point, it was just a courtesy. He didn’t know if this would be comforting for anyone, really.

“Inuyasha.” He’d heard the voice from his right and spotted a young girl that was no more than fourteen donned in a blue dress. The remaining daughter of the household. He’d made light of her older sister’s death earlier in the day, sure, but that was never something he’d do to the family’s face. He understood that this was difficult and painful for them all, and he wouldn’t disrespect someone who felt so distraught that they were willing to pay for the revenge of their daughter’s murder. The girl perked up a little taller when he looked at her, running over his way with more brightness than he’d expected, her long, brown hair bouncing over her shoulders. “Inuyasha’s back!”

From inside, he could hear her family stumbling to race out, her father appearing first, then the mother who looked so incredibly exhausted that he was surprised her legs cooperated with her to jog over.

“Did you - did you find him? Or are you still looking?” The father asked, and his eyes weren’t subtle as they looked around for evidence of Hiten’s demise.

Kagome had rested her head against the tree, her eyes closed, the bark sort of smooth, pleasant, and cool to the touch. It made sense that he had to leave her. Couldn’t very well walk around with a hostage like it was a casual occurrence. Did it make it acceptable? Absolutely not. She was substantially more vulnerable than any reasonable person would prefer to be. Tied up, drained of all energy, and alone; she was doomed if anyone stumbled upon her.

Not too far off, Kagome could hear a girl shout happily, and she swore she’d heard Inuyasha’s name, bringing her ears to hone in and focus. Inuyasha was really that close? For some reason, despite what he’d said, she’d expected him to be further off, carelessly leaving her to fend for herself. When he said to trust him, he was giving her legitimate reason to trust. What was with this guy? He was so hot and cold, Kagome wasn’t sure how to read him.

A man spoke next, bringing Kagome back to the present, his tone excited but deep with worry. Did he find him? Who?

“Look, before I say anything, I want you to know that I don’t need nor expect anything in return. I’m just here to let you know that the job is done. Hiten’s gone, but take the money off the table.”

“Wh-what happened?” The mother breathed.

“What do you mean?” Her husband followed.

“Just what it sounds like.” Inuyasha replied.

“He’s gone, or he’s dead?”

“Both, but ultimately, he’s dead.”

“Then, where is he?”

“Unfortunately, things got a little out of hand. I had no choice but to use a powerful attack, which in turn, destroyed his body. There’s nothing left of him.” Inuyasha said.

Right. There was a bounty over Hiten’s head; Kagome remembered the whole reason their little argument had sparked, which was what got her here in the first place. It was a family who’d hired him, though? She couldn’t help but wonder what Hiten had done to make them send Inuyasha after him to begin with.

“Are you sure?” A woman asked, her voice wavering with obvious sadness.

“I swear.”

“How are we supposed to believe you without a body, Inuyasha?” A man spoke harshly. The same man as before. “What if you failed, you’re just backing out because he’s stronger than you, and the moment our guard is down is the moment Hiten will come back for my other daughter?”

“He won’t.” Inuyasha responded, his tone direct and deep.

So, Hiten had killed one of his daughters. That malicious, heartless, stone cold creep. Kagome almost hoped Inuyasha would tell them he had a witness. If he came back and grabbed her, she’d testify for him. He did kill Hiten. He carried out his mission, and the only reason he didn’t have proof to calm this family’s upset was because of her. She’d tell them that, too. He didn’t deserve this heat.

“I guarantee you Hiten is dead and won’t be coming back for anyone else.”

“How are we supposed to believe you?” The man asked again, this time more emphatically.

“You don’t have to. I understand your position, but like I said, I don’t expect the money. I failed to bring back his body, but I made sure to take care of the problem no matter what. You’ll see in due time that Hiten can’t take anything more from your family.”

“And, if he does come back, it’ll be too late to -“

“Honey, stop.” The woman spoke gently. Kagome felt horrible. Awful. Inuyasha had made it seem like he was entirely in it for the money; he’d never told her there were people actually depending on him on the other end of it all.

“Papa, he’s gotta be telling the truth.” A younger girl spoke. The first voice Kagome had heard. “He doesn’t want the payment you’d offered. Think about it, if he was backing out because he wasn’t strong enough - like you said, why would he even bother coming to see us when he could just be on his way?”

“There’s no way I’m weaker than that scrawny bastard.” Inuyasha murmured under his breath, rolling his eyes.

Finally, there was someone sensible, and Kagome breathed a small sigh of relief.

“Look,” Came Inuyasha’s voice, and even Kagome could tell he was leaning on the fed up side. “Hiten’s dead, the job’s taken care of, you got your revenge, your daughter can rest in peace or whatever you guys say nowadays, and I’m leaving.”

“Wait,” The mother spoke, and the hanyou halted mid-turn, his head dropping to his shoulder impatiently. “I believe you. W-we believe you. Please forgive my husband, this is just hard for us all. Take the money.”

“I don’t want your money.”

“We insist.” Her husband spoke, and even though there was clear reluctance in his body language, there was authenticity in his statement. “If you vouch that he’s gone for good, there’s no reason not to believe you. You deserve the payment.”

“Keep it.” Inuyasha said. It was better for them, anyway. Maybe they didn’t know the exact way their daughter died considering he found out through Hiten, himself, and if that was the case, they were better off. Nonetheless, he was aware. It was a sick way to go. Even if he brought back the thunder demon’s body for them as promised, there was a good chance he would have declined payment anyway.

“Okay, then please stay the night. It’s getting late. The least we can provide is a roof over your head and a nice meal as thanks.” The woman offered.

“I appreciate it, but I can’t stay. I’ve got someone waiting for me.”

“A girl?” The young one said almost too elatedly. She must have been the type to always have her nose in romance novels.

“Something like that.” Inuyasha deliberated, bobbing his head to the side.

Kagome huffed, grimacing. That punk.

“Oh, how sweet!”

“If she only knew.” Kagome sighed.

“Well, then I insist you take some food with you! For dinner!” The woman pressed, and it seemed like her spirits had lifted minutely.

“That, I will take.” Inuyasha accepted, giving an appreciative nod.

It was another few minutes before Kagome heard Inuyasha’s footsteps approaching, and she watched the direction he was coming in. The sunset was no longer visible throughout the woodlands, a haze of blues beginning to trickle through as dusk invited itself forward. The air was beginning to get nippier, and she was worried, depending on how much further he wanted to go until he called it a night, that it would be pitch black before they stopped.

Inuyasha’s amber eyes met hers for a moment until he got close, his clawed fingers going straight for the knot he’d fastened.

“You okay?” He asked.

“Mhm.” Kagome hummed, giving a small nod.

“I didn’t hear anything, so I’m guessing no surprises popped out at you.”

She hummed a decline that time, the shake of her head minor. The knot came free, and he allowed the tail of the rope to drop from the trunk of the tree, not immediately snagging it until she took a few steps back, and even then, he was relaxed with his grip. It was like he was testing her. That’s the only explanation that could make sense. Either that, or he was really bad at taking victims alive. The killing part, he seemed to have down. Was he waiting to see if she’d jerk away and make a run for it? Maybe giving chase would be fun for him; he was a dog. Maybe he was seeing if she’d take a mile if he gave an inch. She didn’t much see the point of it. Additionally, he didn’t bother putting anything in or over her mouth before. She could have screamed. He and the family were so close, all she needed to do was scream and his cover would have been blown. Hero facade in the mud. But, she didn’t.

She didn’t.

She didn’t?

Why the hell hadn’t she screamed? Sure, it would have been hoarse as all hell, maybe even muted when her voice gave out, but other people would have been alerted to her situation. She would have had a chance to get away. Why didn’t she scream? He’d even told her not to - literally brought up the idea to her - and still, she didn’t think about doing so afterward. Kagome couldn’t help but worry about her survival instincts that had apparently washed down the drain sometime between this afternoon and now.

Or, maybe it was her survival instincts at play that had prevented her from making a noise. He’d warned her not to. He could have gotten violent if she’d disobeyed him. Maybe even killed the family for finding out his secret.

No. She knew next to nothing about this guy, but she could tell he wasn’t evil. It was in her blood to sense evil, and he wasn’t that. There was something warm about him. Something she’d noticed immediately. Something she’d picked up before he’d even appeared to help her. Something she didn’t like to admit he harbored. He had rough people skills, that’s for sure, but there wasn’t a wretched trait about his aura.

“We’ll just go a little further. I don’t like being close to towns at night.”

“Why not?” She inquired, swallowing her mistakes and trying to forget them.

“Naraku’s bitches.” Inuyasha answered. “It’s one thing if you’re staying in an inn, but if they smell you right outside the village, they like to try and sneak up on you.”

“I take it, you have experience with this?”

“Yeah. Consider yourself lucky you don’t.”

They walked for about thirty minutes, and Inuyasha had to carefully guide the girl, keeping her close as they crept through trees, nowhere near a trail. The way he preferred it. He didn’t smell anything that didn’t seem to belong in the air, no demons were around, and it was quiet as the night settled in. He had decided on a cozy, little spot, not too far off from a rushing water source.

“Here. Sit.” He said, tying her slack to a slim, dying tree beside her. “Give me five minutes to grab some wood for a fire.”

Kagome didn’t respond before he walked off, unable to see him after a certain point but still listening for his footsteps to drift away. Even after she could no longer hear anything but the chirping crickets, she waited, gently chewing on the plush of her bottom lip while she gave ample timing as cushion. As soon as Kagome felt it was sufficient enough, she quickly dove her fingers into the side of her boot, maneuvering around awkwardly as she finagled the small, hidden dagger out. Inuyasha had left just enough slack in the rope between her wrists and the tree that if she lifted her calf a bit, twisting at her hips, she could reach what she was looking for.

Survival instincts back in action!

The positioning of her knife was weird as she aimed to cut the tail of her rope away, but just as the sharp blade touched the underside of it to start slicing upward, Kagome stopped. Why did she stop? There was a cold sensation budding in her abdomen as she pictured herself running away. Was she afraid? It wasn’t like he could use his weapon on her. Last she saw, it wasn’t much of a weapon anymore. That isn’t to say there wasn’t some sort of otherworldly malfunction and it’s back to supersized mode - he hadn’t said a thing about it since, so there was no way of knowing.

The thing was, as she sat there frozen, prepped to start breaking her ties, there were no intrusive thoughts like before when she went to leave home. They were all her own; confused, jumbled, messy, and scattered. She didn’t know which way was up in her head. Why wasn’t she freeing herself yet?

Kagome twisted her face in frustration, mentally fighting with herself. She didn’t have time for this. If she was going to run for it, she needed to do it now. Now. Do it now! Why wasn’t she doing it!? That cold feeling had spread throughout her entire torso, encroaching on her heart. She was afraid, but it was of herself. What the hell was wrong with her? She had an objective, and she wasn’t going to get anything done tied up and dragged around by this dog demon.

As long as she was bound by rope, she was in danger. So, why didn’t she feel like she was in danger? The battle with herself ran so deep, Kagome felt so conflicted, aggravated, that she squeezed the handle of her dagger with excessive force until a sharp pain pierced the injury on her left palm, almost bringing her to drop her knife out of reaction. Her gasp was shuddered, and she crinkled her nose as she hissed in an attempt to will the sudden pain away. It was just another thing she didn’t have time for.

Why would she willingly stay a victim when she had an opening to save herself? Why would Kagome accept captivity? More ambiguously, what in her right mind made her want to trust Inuyasha? He was out for money. For all she knew, he would sell her off to the first person who offered him a coin. Just because he’d saved her life before, didn’t mean he was permanently on her side - the restraints were proof of that. Just because he said he wouldn’t hurt her, didn’t mean he meant it forever. It could have been an in-the-moment sort of thing, and she should know better than this. He pulled out his sword against her. The message behind it was loud and clear. His intentions meant harm. Like she said before, the guy was hot and cold. He went from arrogant teasing one moment to threatening her well-being the next, all over an insult. She should be heeding his unstable temperament, and she should feel evil in his aura.

But, she didn’t. And, that was what kept her ass on the ground. How stupid. How utterly and unforgivably stupid of her. Despite everything, she really did believe he wasn’t going to hurt her. Oh god, Kagome couldn’t take this anymore. Never in her life had she been this mad at herself, the intensity only growing bolder as she gave up and slid the knife back into her boot.

Kagome crumbled, almost wanting to cry from the frustration she felt, overwhelming and subduing the cold that had attempted to control her core, and she dropped her face into her hands. From this point on, if she got hurt, it was her own damn fault. If he sold her, that was her fault too. It turns out, as troubling and trivial as it was, she really just wanted to see where things led. No one said she was the smartest risk taker, even she was aware of the hazards of her own curiosity. If things got worse, perilous, she had the knife. She could make a run for it at any moment, and she forced herself to believe that it was a comfort.

“I’m gonna be fine,” Kagome breathed to herself, pleading her mind to rest. “I’m gonna be fine. Everything’s gonna be okay.”

“Hey,” The gruff voice was directly and unsuspectingly above her, and it startled Kagome. Inadvertently, still high strung from upsetting her own nerves, she shot to sit up straight. She hadn’t realized Inuyasha was standing so close, hadn’t realized he was leaned over her, and the back of her head harshly collided with the front of his, bringing the hanyou to his knees as she instantly jolted to clutch her sore spot. The ties made it impossible to reach, but the pain had brought her to curl back up anyway, folding beneath her forearms, her breath caught in her throat.

“What the fuck,” Inuyasha groaned, holding his palm to his forehead. “Why would you do that!?”

“I’m sorry! You scared me!” Kagome whined, her head throbbing. “God, is your skull made out of rock or something!?”

“I could say the same fucking thing to you!”

“When did you even get back?” She asked, finally beginning to unfurl from her ball. “Make a noise or something.

“I did! You were just too busy having a breakdown to notice!” He argued.

“I was not having a breakdown.” Kagome proclaimed, shooting him a glare.

Inuyasha’s mouth was opened to respond something snarky, but he froze. Again, his nose was offended by the smell of salt. The moonlight shining through the trees hit her skin perfectly, accentuating her fair color with cool hues. The skin beneath her eyes was wet, and tears were gliding down her cheeks.

“You’re… crying.” He mentioned, appearing more confused than anything. He was literally gone for no more than five minutes - seven minutes at the most since he filled up his canteen at the river. So, what the hell had happened? She was fine when he’d left her. If there was one thing he didn’t know how to handle more than women, it was their emotions, and he was about ready to pretend he didn’t see a damn thing.

“Yeah, I just got hurt! Of course, I’m crying!” Kagome stated matter-of-factly, playing it off well. In her own defense, she was on the brink of tears before he showed up. His skull just pushed her over the edge.

Inuyasha grunted, rolling his eyes and giving one final rub to his tender forehead before pushing himself back to a standing. “Big baby.”

“Takes one to know one.” Kagome grumbled, her upper lip curling with attitude.

The half demon rolled his eyes, intentionally ignoring her remark as he went about structuring the wood and kindling he’d collected for the fire. He got some embers sparking pretty quickly, the flames developing and growing, and Inuyasha stabilized it’s rise by adding more wood. He’d shrugged off his bag when he’d gotten back, so he sauntered over to it and pulled out the bottle of water, taking a quick swig before walking over to the girl. This time, he felt he’d done the right thing by pretending not to notice her hastily wiping her tears away with her captured wrists knotted together.

“Thirsty?”

Kagome shook her head, keeping her eyes low.

“Come on.” He groaned.

“No, thank you.” She whispered.

“Fine.” He rasped, shutting the canteen and tossing it on top of his bag as he gave her space. The hanyou took the opportunity to finally, finally, silence the burning question at the back of his mind. It had been pressing him since the moment it had occurred, and took every bit of self control he had - which wasn’t much to begin with - not to figure out the mystery sooner. With chasing the mouthy girl, swallowing his anger and calming her down so she wouldn’t hyperventilate, and then crossing several miles to get back to the family who’d hired him at a decent enough time, he had no fucking choice but to let the question remain unanswered. The sword on his hip quivered now and again throughout the journey, giving him reminders he didn’t need that it had failed him for the first time in forever. They were lucky he wasn’t solely dependent on it as a weapon and was perfectly capable of fending off anyone and anything with his bare hands.

He gave himself plenty of room between he and the pouting girl, facing the trees, the fingers of his right hand doing a slow dance over the hilt of Tessaiga. Interestingly enough, he could still feel the demonic energy soaring off of it, reacting positively to his own touch. Nothing had changed there. Then, he took a firm grasp of the handle, pulling Tessaiga out of its sheath where the demonic power strengthened. What once sat battered and weak, dull, and nonthreatening, was now strong, thick, sharp, and mighty. His abdomen tensed beneath its weight as he supported his body properly, a muddled sensation filling him as he could only wonder what the fuck had happened before. Inuyasha stuck the top portion of his sword into the earth, allowing it to stand on its own while he turned to face Kagome. She was already looking over, wide, brown eyes glued to Tessaiga before shifting over to him.

“What the hell did you do?” The hanyou asked gruffly.

“What?” Was the only response Kagome could muster. She knew exactly what he was referring to, but how in the world was this falling back on her?

“My sword didn’t transform when I pulled it out on you. What did you do?” He asked again.

“Nothing.” She said defensively, brows pinching together. The half demon merely cocked a brow at her, crossing his arms over his chest, and she knew he was waiting for a real answer, but this was as real as it could get. “I didn’t do anything, Inuyasha. I honestly thought your sword was naturally gigantic. I didn’t even know swords could transform. I mean, it’s not everyday you see a letter opener turn into an ogre killer in one swoop.”

“So then, what did you do?”

“Are you not listening?”

“Hard to understand anything you’re saying really.”

“Oh my god, is this the extent of your maturity level? You get a little aggravated and then turn to insults because that’s your first layer of defense mechanisms? The joke’s dead, buddy. My voice is messed up, I look like crap, I’m short, we get it. Now just talk to me like I’m a person, because I’m doing the same with you. I did not do anything to your precious sword.”

She watched him flex his jaw, heard the heated exhale from his nose, but his vibrant, golden eyes stayed attached to her. His arms tensed behind their black sleeves, still crossed but communicating a more obvious upset.

“What could I have possibly done?” Kagome tried again. She honestly had no idea what more she could say to make him believe her. She’d felt it’s powerful energy when first seeing it, but she truly had no understanding that it was a transformative blade. There was no time to figure out those details. It was honestly one scenario to the next, and Kagome was none the wiser to anything but her own end of circumstances.

Inuyasha didn’t say anything, angry, perplexed, and ready to throw another jab her way. He needed answers more than he needed an infuriating argument, though. He had an idea. It was farfetched, but worth a shot. In his mind, Inuyasha pictured a life or death predicament. Quickly, he painted the scene. Men were surrounding them from all sides, and he needed to defend himself and Kagome. When he was a child, his father had told him that this sword, the Tessaiga, was created to protect. It could only be wielded and mastered if you harbored respect for humans, and was specifically granted to Inuyasha upon his father’s death. His dad died when Inuyasha was still young, and he wasn’t old or strong enough to control it - given the damn thing was ironically known as the sword of destruction. Then, when he was capable, the stupid weapon refused to work for him due to his temporary phase of wanting to find a way to become full demon. No one would have been able to say a fucking thing to him if he were one. No one would have been able to lay a finger on him or his mother had he found a way to transform himself. It wasn’t that simple or doable, though, and when he finally came to his senses, realizing he was just as proficient at fighting just as he was, the Tessaiga started revealing what it could do. It took years, but he could confidently say he’d about mastered the blade. And, he knew well that the quickest way to bring life to Tessaiga was the mindset to protect.

So, he imagined the danger vividly, the helpless, damsel in distress that Kagome was hiding behind his back while bandits encroached. With that in his mind, Inuyasha reached for the hilt of his sword, plucking the head of it from the ground as he faced the trees, threatening energy radiating and encircling the blade as it powered up for a wind scar. He waited, allowing the energy to stabilize at a specific level, and when it was there, the heat of the sword’s need to demolish its target slithering up his flexed forearms, Inuyasha branded Kagome as the enemy.

In his mind, she had her bow raised to him. Innocents were dead, lifeless on the floor all around, and she was gleefully covered in their blood, smiling as she pulled the arrow back. His temper was now directed at her, the need for justice was strong as he made it his mission to prevent her from killing anyone ever again. He wasn’t only doing this to protect himself. No, fuck it. He was doing it to protect anyone he could from her.

Inuyasha raised Tessaiga above his head, the lick of his blade’s passion burning at his palms, the skin of his arms beneath his shirt, and he closed his eyes to make sure his vision didn’t falter when he saw her innocently observing him. Adjusting his footing, the hanyou was able to swivel on his heel to face Kagome’s direction, bringing the sword down to about waist level to aim at her, but then he noticed the hot sensations along his flesh were simmering. Quickly. The fire of his sword’s determination was extinguished, the demonic energy evaporating, and the weight of his weapon diminished within a matter of seconds.

Blinking his eyes open, Inuyasha looked at his sword’s original, battered condition. It wasn’t lifeless, though. The entire thing, blade and hilt, were pulsating forcefully. Tessaiga was communicating with him. It was saying, No. It was saying, You can’t use this on her.

“Why the fuck not?” He breathed, almost inaudibly, before glancing up at the girl.

Kagome had been holding her breath, eyes wide and mouth hanging agape from the moment he’d faced her. She couldn’t even begin to think of what to do to save herself, and froze like a deer who’d been spotted eating the vegetables in your garden. Even as the thing wilted away to its sad, powerless form, she couldn’t quite yet grasp herself. Her entire body was tense where she sat, and when her brain started functioning again, the only thing she could bring herself to say, tremblingly as it may have been, was, “I-I didn’t do anything.”

“Relax.” He drawled, sighing deeply before he sheathed Tessaiga. “It was just a test.”

“Please - please - get a new test dummy.” Kagome shuddered, willing her muscles to unclench. There was no comfort in finding out there was no real threat to her life when her life had already flashed before her eyes.

“Turns out, it’s not you.” He grumbled. “It’s the sword.”

“Is it broken?”

“Did it look broken?” He retorted roughly.

Kagome chose not to answer that, pursing her lips and staring down at her hands. Her sassiness had gotten her into too much trouble already, and she felt like now was not the time to take the bait.

“It’s not broken.” Inuyasha quickly snipped, noticing her coy expression. “There’s just something about - no, you know what?” He was done waiting. He wanted answers, and he was going to get them. Why the fuck would Tessaiga specifically say he couldn’t use its power on her? It had never done that before, not to anyone. Not so long as the proper intentions were enforced. He’d pulled it on the wrong people before, and still, it stayed transformed. So, what was so special about this chick?

Inuyasha marched closer, pulling his weapon out by the sheath as he sat down beside the fire and set it at his side, staring at Kagome with fierce eyes. “Who the hell are you?”

“What?” Kagome asked after a moment’s hesitation.

“Who are you?”

“Kagome.” She answered unsurely. His lips had sealed, the orange and red tints from the flames dancing over the skin of his face, neck, and the opening of his chest in his shirt. The light created a hypnotic glow in his irises, accenting his color beautifully, but also aiding his steadfast gaze. “I’m Kagome. I’m eighteen. And, to you, I’m nobody.”

He didn’t like that answer. Nobody didn’t sit right with him. Not after his sword threw its own version of a hissy fit. Still, he felt it was sort of fair that that was all she gave. He wasn’t asking for her life story, and he hadn’t clarified what he was looking for. His eyes swept over her, studying for a moment before he spoke again, this time more mellow, less demanding.

“Alright, talk. What happened?”

He was referencing her marks, and Kagome couldn’t help but feel slightly self conscious like before, brown eyes shifting to the side briefly. “Naraku’s men.” She admitted.

It was like the heat from the fire pushed through the barrier of his skin to twist like a whirlwind within his gut. The expansion of warmth rode though the veins of his torso, up his neck, down his arms. Anytime he heard a damn thing about Naraku, or even the henchmen carrying out his orders, it instantly sent his blood into a boil. He refrained from saying anything, but she’d noticed his expressive shift and he was appreciative that she took that cue to elaborate.

“Their last inspection got a little out of hand. I stepped out of line.”

That’s what she was trying to say earlier. He was too vexed to hear her out, though.

“They’re still looking for those conjurers, huh?” He asked, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

“Y-yeah.” Kagome nodded, her sight drifting downward. She stared at the ground, watching the glowing shadows bounce and dance along the dirt and sparse grass. Her stomach suddenly wrenched with guilt, with pain. She somehow hadn’t thought of this all day, and now that she was back in the moment, it hurt. It made her feel sick to think about it. It was something that couldn’t be neglected, though. These emotions, feelings, they needed to be felt, because if she pushed them aside until she was numb to them, they would only come back with a vengeance in the most self destructive manner. Kagome swallowed thickly, willing herself to appear composed. She needed to acknowledge these emotions, but she didn’t need to outwardly express them. They were hers to feel, and hers alone. “They - um - they found one. She was a little girl. Nine, I think.”

Inuyasha’s heart dropped, a lump quickly developing in the center of his throat. It had been a while since he’d heard of them actually finding one, let alone a prepubescent. Conjurers were a rarity. Those who held the powers were few and far between, and those who actually practiced their art were even rarer. But, a little girl? He knows it isn’t beyond them to do something so brutal, but that didn’t make it sit any easier. It tested his gag reflex just imagining the horrible crime, his stomach churning. Kagome had to watch it, though. She saw it all first hand. She was beaten for running out of line, and he was willing to put money down that he knew what for.

The girl wasn’t making eye contact, and he understood that this must have been traumatizing for her to witness, making the ordeal difficult to talk about. He wasn’t aggravated by waiting her out this time, nor was it pressing any limits. This was recent, and hard, and he could see her face paling even though the firelight wasn’t hitting her as well.

He focused on his olfaction, expecting to catch the scent of tears when instead he caught the hint of copper. Immediately, his eyes scanned her, looking for open wounds. Had their heads collided that hard to make her bleed? Her face was fine, her neck, her exposed chest all fine, the green of her sleeves weren’t stained, but then he stopped his trail at her bandaged hand. It was coming from there, and at the very edge, just beneath her pinky, he could see a red stain peeking through.

“Your hand.” Inuyasha mentioned instinctually. Kagome glanced at him curiously before redirecting her attention toward her restrained wrists. She opened up her palms to find the blood seeping through her bandages, and seemed just as surprised as he was, a small sound escaping her mouth. “Where’d that come from?”

“The inspection,” She explained. “It hasn’t healed yet.” Honestly, she was willing to bet she’d accidentally reopened the wound when she’d squeezed her dagger. That’s where the sharp pain had come from. How stupid. “There’s a little kit in my bag full of medical supplies. Would you mind fishing it out for me?”

“For what?”

“I need to change my bandages.”

Unenthusiastically, Inuyasha pushed himself from the ground, sauntering over toward the girl’s backside where he kneeled. He yanked the drawstring of the bag on her back loose, opening it up and reaching in for the kit, only having to shove a few things out of the way to get to it. At the side, he noticed her bottle for water and pulled that out, too. It was maybe less than half full, so he figured while he let her play around with her wrappings, he’d go fill it up for her. She didn’t need to be drinking his if she had her own.

Shutting her bag and pushing the kit a little closer for her to reach, he ignored her words of gratitude and mumbled a quick, “Be right back,” before wandering off into the woods and toward the river.

He kneeled on the rock, opening the canteen and dumping the old contents out before leaning over to fill it up with fresh water. He had a habit of closing his own bottle and shaking the water about to rinse the container, and as he fell into a deep train of thought, he allowed his habits to run their course. Honestly, he’d only seen a couple of inspections happen, and he had a reputation for not seeing them all the way through, instead breaking it up and challenging the mother fuckers to fight. The groups he’d seen were no match for him at all, and if they didn’t end up running away with their tails between their legs, they were dead on sight. He had zero tolerance for that horse shit, but because of that, in the end, he had limited insight on the ramifications of an uninterrupted inspection. Was walking away looking the way Kagome did normal? No. She’d said it had gotten out of hand, and she’d stepped out of line. Presumably, she’d stepped out of line to try and save the little girl who was being attacked. So, she was punished for that, but what about the cut on her hand? Did she try to stop a knife and grab the blade? Did they slice her? Was she concealing any other open injuries that needed treating?

Fuck, everything he’d initially thought was washed down the river. If she was running from Naraku’s henchmen, even if a bounty did appear over her head, there was no fucking way in hell Inuyasha was about to help them. There was no amount of money that would ever get him to cooperate with those fucking creeps.

She wasn’t running, she’d said. She was looking for somebody. There was a good chance she was looking for someone to help her town; maybe even find a solution to the infestation of nasty, unwashed demons trekking through like they owned the damn place. Who was he to stand in her way? Kagome was probably afraid to tell him the truth because she didn’t know whose side he was on in the first place, but after hearing him mention his preference to be further away from villages while camping due to those bastards, she most likely realized where he stood.

In truth, it was because of his notoriety that he was obligated to stay further away. He wasn’t just a half demon, but he was a well-known enemy of Naraku’s stupid ass men. They wanted him dead, and vise versa. More importantly, he wanted Naraku dead and he wasn’t shy about letting it be known. Naraku had taken so much from people, leaving nothing but needless death and destruction in his wake. Naraku was psychotic, power hungry, and insatiable. There was no one genius enough to reason with him, there was no one compassionate enough to calm him down, but there were few strong enough to kill him. Inuyasha was one of them. Naraku wanted to make life harder for a hanyou, but he couldn’t wait for the day it backfired on him. Because, a hanyou was going to be the one to bring him down.

Inuyasha stepped back into their little camp, focusing on the agitated huffs coming from the girl. She was leaned over some, her dark hair waving over the sides of her face to block his view of what was going on, but when she quickly looked over at him as he snapped a twig beneath his foot, he realized she must have been struggling to get the bandages off of her hand the entire time, opting to try and pull it loose with her teeth. He should have figured he was leaving her helpless, but he hadn’t even thought of her potential complications. Shockingly, Kagome wasn’t looking at him with any amount of blame or malice in her eyes. She was simply caught off guard, and when she realized it was only him, she went straight back to work.

The half demon stifled his laughter, crossing over to her and pushing her head back after placing the canteen at her side. “Knock it off.” He muttered. She flinched slightly as he reached over her legs, pulling out the knife in her boot and smirking.

“You knew I had that?” Kagome asked, stunned.

“Of course, I knew.” He chuckled, cutting the rope from her wrists. “I literally left everything on you without bothering to pat you down. It’s not odd for someone to have another weapon to rely on in case they lose their primary. And, I saw the butt of it sticking out when I got back from collecting fire wood.”

Inuyasha watched a slight expression of defeat cross her face where she sighed, closed her eyes, and dropped her head a little. It was easy to know what she was thinking. If she were in a more dangerous situation, that would have gotten her into a lot of trouble.

“Let me see it.” He said with a low tone, gesturing to her palm with a nod of his head. He carefully slipped the knife back into her boot and waited for her to get over her apprehension so he could take a look at the damn wound.

Kagome studied him for a moment. What game was he playing? Was he going to help her or hurt her? Now that she was untied, she could do this part herself for sure. There was no need for him to help, so why was he offering? Or, maybe he just literally wanted to see. No matter which end it was, there was no harm in allowing it. Kagome went ahead and removed her bag, bow, and arrows from her shoulders, relaxing slightly now that the weight was off of her before she gave him her hurt hand.

“Come here, closer to the light.” Inuyasha grunted, picking himself up and inching the both of them closer to the fire.

He went ahead and undid her wrappings, tossing it into the flames and taking a look at the decent knick in her skin. It was definitely still fresh, but wasn’t bleeding all that bad. Inuyasha twisted her wrist to face the fire better, spreading the cut open a little further so he could see if there was any dirt that didn’t belong, ignoring her small hiss of objection.

“When was this?” He asked, grabbing her water canteen and opening it up.

“Yesterday.” Kagome replied promptly, her nose crinkling as he poured the cold water over her palm. He paused for a moment to squeeze his hands down her fingers, sort of massaging, and she realized he was cleaning the entire area. She was surprised by his gentleness and efficiency, his calloused fingers rough but mindful, and his claws never once threatening.

“Jesus, no wonder you look like shit.” He commented. There it was. Less than twelve hours into knowing the man, and she’d already grown unfazed to any satirical retorts. It was just how he communicated, wasn’t it? He poured more water, this time opening the wounded area again and running the liquid directly through, once more ignoring her little wince. “You got anything in that kit to clean a cut?”

“Mhm.” She nodded, reaching for it and opening it up. She went ahead and pulled out the small containers, reading her cousin’s sloppy handwriting. After rustling through a few, she pulled out the disinfectant, healing ointment, and held a couple cotton balls in her free hand for him. She’d thought about offering to do it herself, but this man’s kindness came and went, and she felt she should appreciate what he had to give at the moment.

Inuyasha took the first container she’d set out along with one of the cotton balls, dousing it in the disinfectant. “Keep going. You never finished telling me what happened.”

Kagome had been braced for the sting of the disinfectant, and it took a moment for her to realign, now bracing for the impact of reliving yesterday.

Kagome felt her face scrunch uncontrollably as he cleaned out her wound. “The - um -“ She was trying not to stammer, trying to concentrate on giving him the story he wanted as straight as possible, but she felt nervous, a lump beginning to develop in her throat. She had to be careful not to let anything slip. She should be more than accustomed to this routine by now, but there was something undeniable about Inuyasha that made her want to trust him. That was the hazardous part of all of this, and she had to remind herself not to get carried away.

“The demons - Naraku’s demons - had been coming more often than usual lately. They were positive that a conjurer was in our village, but I don’t know what made them so sure. They tried something new this time, though. I don’t know if you’re familiar with an inspection, but they typically go for wrecking things and intimidation. Sometimes, it gets physical, and the elderly are more at risk when that happens.”

“Yeah, I know that much.” He quietly mentioned, hiding his anger, grabbing the ointment and softly applying a generous amount.

“This time, they narrowed the demographic. Called out girls between the ages of five and twenty and had us all line up. They cut our hands with a knife and then held on to see if we’d have a conjurer’s reaction to their demonic energy.” She explained.

“A conjurer’s reaction?” He inquired, brows furrowing as he reached into her kit for the roll of bandages.

“I don’t know too much about it.” Kagome shook her head, shrugging slightly. “But, they got one.” She said sadly.

There was a small pause in his wrapping as Inuyasha was struck again by that information. He would have ripped their fucking heads off if he were there. A part of him wishes he had been. He didn’t seek these things out; he strictly only stepped in if it crossed his path. But, if he had been in that area, wherever it was, the little girl may have survived and the woman before him wouldn’t be so harmed.

“Did you know her?” Inuyasha asked, promptly returning to what he was doing.

Kagome gave another shake of her head. “I know my neighbors, and the shop keepers, but otherwise, the people in my town tend to keep to themselves. Always sort of have, I guess. The less anyone knows nowadays, the better, anyway. Or, worse. Maybe more people would have stepped in if things were more personal. They stabbed her. Everyone just watched.” She could hear the mother’s scream ringing in her ears, and Kagome’s face twisted painfully. “I ran out of line to try and help the little girl, but there was nothing I could do. The bleeding wouldn’t stop.”

Inuyasha could see the anguish vividly on her brow. She was unconsciously staring down, looking at his thigh but not actually looking at it. She was engulfed by the events of the day before, and he could guess that if she stayed on this track, she’d get trapped and spiral. He did the first thing that came to mind to prevent that, yanking on the bandages he was still working on wrapping. He’d just passed her wound, so the bandages pressed firmly into it, applying a physical pain that had her irises shooting up to him as she gasped slightly.

“Ow.” Came her barely audible whimper.

“So, you got your ass handed to you for running to help?” He asked, averting her mind from the dead girl.

“Mhm, pretty much.” Kagome nodded. “You think I look bad, you should see my cousin.”

“What happened to them?”

“He got double teamed for trying to help me. His ribs might be broken, but I’m not sure.”

“It’s pretty easy to tell. How are you not sure?” Inuyasha inquired skeptically, cutting off the end of the bandages and tying it securely. Her hand was wrapped just as it was before; from wrist to the base of her fingers, properly protecting the wound from dirt or infection slipping through any openings.

“The doctor was away, and I left before his return. I left that night.” Kagome said, appreciating his skilled work on her hand as she looked it over. It was definitely less sloppy than what she would have done on her own. “Thank you.”

“Why’d you leave?” He pressed, feeling like they’d come full circle.

“I’m looking for someone.” She repeated.

“Someone to help?”

“Yes and no.” Really, she should have just said yes, but it wasn’t that simple. She didn’t want to make it seem like she wanted to target the superficial issue when the only way to truly take care of it was to annihilate it at the root. Because, if he were to say he knew a person, she wouldn’t be able to accept the help, turn around, and go home.

“Kagome -“

“I can’t tell you.” And, she hoped he’d let it go. She hoped giving him every other detail he wanted to know was enough for him to respect that there was one thing he wanted that she couldn’t give him. “Please, Inuyasha. I can’t tell you.”

Though she seemed stable, he could tell there was desperation that he wouldn’t keep pestering her about the issue. She wasn’t going to crack. No, her eyes were telling him she couldn’t crack. It was detrimental that she held her ground, and truthfully, that only made him want to know more. What the hell was this girl up to? What was going on? Inuyasha had to remind himself that he wasn’t involved, and if this was as much as she was willing to share, then so be it. As much as he wanted to pry, he’d already gotten enough to know that keeping her around wouldn’t be beneficial to him. He should have just listened to her in the first place. As mouthy as she was, as irritating as she was, she was right. He’d only wasted his time. And, rope.

Begrudgingly, the hanyou tried to push the issue to the back of his mind - though, currently, the furthest he could force it was midway. He sighed heatedly, leaning back onto his hands. “Any other battle wounds you’re hiding, or is this it?”

A small weight lifted from her shoulders at his subject change. Kagome breathed a little lighter, inwardly thanking him for dropping it, and shook her head. “No, it was just my hand.”

“Alright. Look, stay here tonight and then in the morning you can carry on with your grand quest.”

“You’re - you’re letting me go?” She asked, slightly cocking her head to the side. “Just like that?”

No, it couldn’t be that easy. Could it? He literally held her prisoner just to release her at the end of the day? It was no more than twenty minutes ago that she was borderline freaking out because she wasn’t willing to make a break for it, and here she was untied and set free by a guy who thoughtfully helped clean her wound first. She couldn’t help but be glad he hadn’t heard the clashing argument she’d had with herself in her head back there. Even so, she was still mildly embarrassed, while also incredibly confused. Instead of trying to make sense of it all though, Kagome deliberately let it go. At this point, it was just too much energy that she didn’t have to solve the ever bewildering riddle that was her situation.

“What, did you want me to tie you up again?” Inuyasha questioned, arching a brow.

“No, of course not.”

“Keeping you would only slow me down. You’re not a paycheck, you’ve been through your own hell in the last twenty-four hours, so yes. I’m letting you go. Jesus, you’re probably the only idiot I’ve met who would question that and not just be grateful.”

“In my defense, you’re hard to read.” Kagome defended.

“Right back at ya.”

“But, just so we’re clear, I’m good to go?”

“Yes.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“Thank god!” Kagome hopped to her feet, dusting off her butt real quick as she went to jog away.

“Hey! What the f- what did I just say!? Get your ass back here!” The half demon jolted slightly, caught off guard by her quick motions. “You’re gonna get killed out there, and I’m not chasing after you again!”

“I have to pee!” Kagome frantically stated, bouncing from one foot to the other. “I’m leaving all my stuff with you! I’m not going anywhere, I swear! Please, just - I’ve gotta go!”

Inuyasha barely hid his amused smirk as his exasperation quickly faded. The absolute urgency in her tone was enough to bring anyone to laugh, and she was lucky that all he released was a small snort. Now that he thought about it, he recalled her leg bobbing every now and again while she sat in front of him. He’d figured it was because she was anxious. No wonder she wouldn’t drink any more water. He waved her off to go relieve herself, and the woman was hasty to about face and run into the woods.

“Don’t go far!” He reflexively called after her. His sensitive ears caught her small, raspy grunt of agreement before she disappeared through the darkness of the trees.

He took the moment to inspect the area surrounding them, tuning into his senses. He didn’t feel any presences around, didn’t smell any demons, and the only human was Kagome. There were nocturnal animals about, but none that would harm her in her vulnerable state. She was safe.

Inuyasha took the opportunity to get up and cross over to his bag, pulling out the wrapped meat that was gifted to him. Thankfully, it was fully cooked so he wouldn’t have to wait for it to be heated through over the fire. It was too late for that shit, it would take too long, and he was hungry.

Footsteps steadily approaching from behind told him Kagome had returned. Inuyasha peeked over his shoulder at her, noticing her small smile as she took a seat in front of the fire on the far side, her knees cradled to her chest as she rested her chin against them. He got up, striding over with a portion for her to eat, picking up her canteen along the way. “Here.”

“What’s this?” She asked, her tone small as she took the contents he offered.

“Food. Eat. You haven’t had anything all day, have you?” He guessed, walking back over to the opposite side of the fire. Inuyasha sat in front of a tree, leaning back to rest against it as he ate his own portion. “And, drink your fucking water.”

“When did you even fill this up?” She asked, noticing for the first time that it was her own bottle she was holding.

“Geez, you’re oblivious. I grabbed it when I pulled out your medical box, kid.”

“Oh, that’s what you went back into the forest for.” Kagome clued in. “Thank you.”

Inuyasha didn’t respond, eating his food and no longer minding her. She set the bottle to the side of her thigh, allowing her legs to fall into a crossed position so she could sit more comfortably as she ate. With her first bite came the first, huge grumble her stomach spoke that day, shouting it’s demand for sustenance. She froze, feeling the hanyou’s amber eyes land on her. Things had been so crazy, so stressful, that she hadn’t even thought about food, her body more focused on everything else than her hunger.

“What the fuck was that?” Inuyasha snickered.

“Shut up.” She murmured, embarrassed, chewing through and taking another bite.

“Good lord, woman.”

“Shut up.”

“You sounded like a boar in heat.”

Kagome nearly choked on her food, coughing slightly as she shot Inuyasha an incredulous glare. He carelessly laughed, taking another bite of his food and winking at her. As much as she wanted to toss him a sarcastic remark, none came to mind, more focused on filling her stomach than having another argument with the jerk. It was his fault she hadn’t eaten in the first place. If she hadn’t been taken into custody by the prideful punk, she was positive she would have consumed food much sooner.

Moments passed after she’d finished, her belly happy and full, and she once more cradled her thighs to her chest, always finding comfort and warmth in this position. The half demon sat silently, eyes scouring the trees, and she wondered what he could see. Thanks to her supernatural abilities, Kagome was capable of sensing evil, demonic presences, and things that didn’t necessarily belong. But, Inuyasha, harboring demonic blood, had much more going for him. With the way the ears atop his head twitched, she assumed he could hear things very well from a distance. His eyesight had to be impeccable, and much more well-attuned to the night than her human eyes could ever be. He may not be able to sense malicious intent, but he could probably pick up demonic presences much better than she could, as well. This was his nature. He not only had the gifts of sensitive receptors, but was probably trained well since he seemed so acclimated to camping out.

“So, you’re a bounty hunter?” She asked, breaking the silence.

“Not necessarily.” He replied, glancing her way. “I go where the money is. Sometimes, it’s just to catch stupid asses and bring them back. Sometimes, it’s something specific like finding a lost child that needs help. I hate those jobs more than anything. It’s usually a sob fest and I’m caught in the middle until I’m paid. More often than not, though, I’m hired to kill evil beings.”

“Oh, like a demon slayer.” Kagome perked.

“Again, not necessarily. Humans can be evil, too.”

“Oh, right.” She felt a little presumptuous. “Sorry.”

“How do you even know what a demon slayer is? Isn’t that profession dead?” He inquired. At one point in time, years ago, demon slayers were a threat to be reckoned with. They held power, kept the peace, and had the numbers to kill off mass swarms of belligerent demons. As far as he was aware, it seemed they’d fallen off the face of the planet. They had been overpowered, their villages practically wiped out from targeted attack after targeted attack. At this point, with the odds against them, it was more than unlikely that they’d come back from that.

“We actually have a small group in our town.” Kagome mentioned. “My friend is the daughter of their leader.”

“You know demon slayers? Actual demon slayers?”

“Mhm.” She nodded.

“They must keep a low profile.” He assumed. That had to be the case. He’d been all over and hadn’t seen or heard of any demon slayers around.

“Kind of. They don’t travel off too far; they just take care of troublesome demons within a specific radius. And, they only take on cases they know they can handle with their numbers. They’re very picky on how old people need to be to join, and their training is rigorous and not for the weak.”

“I’m a little confused. You have these given protectors in your own village, but you walked out looking like that?”

“They can’t stop inspections, they can only make sure they don’t get out of control. And, they’d actually left on a job, so we were on our own. No one knew there was a conjurer in the village to protect. If Sango’s dad was aware of her, I’m sure he would have taken steps to help her.” Kagome was speaking from experience. He was there when she found out she was a conjurer, herself. After her father died, he always checked in to make sure things were okay. He constantly reassured her that if anything happened or she needed help, he was there. After Naraku came to rise and demons began looking for people of her kind, killing them off, he was very clear that she needed to know how to properly subdue her powers. He wasn’t aware that she was way ahead of him. Sango’s father was protective, a guardian, and Kagome was forever grateful. She was certain he would have offered the same blanket of protection to that little girl.

“Oh, so that’s who Sango is.” Inuyasha smirked.

Kagome giggled, nodding. She’d almost forgotten she’d used her friend’s name before. “Yeah. I’m no good at coming up with fake names on the spot, so I had to take one from someone I knew.”

“Does she know you’re out here?”

“By now, I’m sure she does.”

“Wait, you didn’t tell her?”

“No.”

“Did anyone know you were leaving? You got a family, kid? You said you have a cousin, right? He know?”

“Like I said, by now, I’m sure everyone is aware that I’m missing. The only one who knew I was leaving was my younger brother, and he kept it a secret because my cousin would have tried to stop me. Mom, too.”

“As they should. You said your friend is the daughter of the head demon slayer, right? I’m assuming she’s skilled. You’d have been smart to at least bring her. Alone, you’re nothing but an easy target.”

“Well, I didn’t really have a choice, Inuyasha.” She stated, tucking herself a little closer into her thighs. “Everything happened so fast yesterday, it was hard to get a grip. I made my decision and left. Miroku would have only hurt himself more by trying to stop me, and Sango had to take care of her own brother since their dad was out on a job. I did what I had to do.”

“What is so goddamn important?”

“Ah, we’re heading into dangerous territory again.” Kagome lightly warned, raising her brows as she grinned.

Inuyasha groaned, rolling his golden eyes. “You’re so stubborn.”

“I am. I really am.” She proudly agreed.

“Not a flex.”

“You’re stubborn, too. You’ve asked me the same question like eight hundred times.” Kagome rebutted.

“See, now you’re just dramatic.” Inuyasha shrugged.

“Sorry, seven hundred and ninety-nine.”

“Shut up and go to sleep.” He said, abruptly ending all conversation.

Kagome eyed him, a little unsettled. She looked around the area, worried her bottom lip, then glanced back at him. With everything that had happened, he couldn’t really expect her to feel comfortable sleeping right now, right? Sure, she was utterly exhausted, and if she rested her head against anything, she would have fallen asleep instantly, but that involved letting her guard down. He’d proven, so far, not to be as harmful as she’d half expected. That didn’t mean she trusted him well enough to be completely vulnerable in an unconscious state with him, though. She wanted to trust him, but this was like a leap of faith. With his expression falling into slight frustration, the man rolled his eyes for the nth time.

“Oh, relax. I’m not gonna do a damn thing to you. If I were you, I’d take the offer. Tomorrow, you’re on your own and you won’t be able to get a full night’s sleep again.”

He was right. She didn’t like admitting it, but he was right. She would only be able to afford a couple of hours at a time, and even that would be risky. She hadn’t fully recovered from yesterday’s stress, and given what she went through today, if she didn’t take the opportunity, she’d be a hopeless, wandering, mess tomorrow.

Kagome regarded him with a nod, then sighed as she got up and grabbed her bag. There was nothing too hard in it at the moment so she could happily use it as a pillow. She pulled it a little closer to the fire so she wouldn’t get too cold in the night, curling up and resting her head down.

“Can you do me a favor?” Kagome asked, her voice small.

“What?”

“Don’t leave without waking me up, please.”

“Shut up.” Inuyasha wouldn’t leave her completely defenseless. He’d told her to go to sleep because he was there to watch over her. He’d be able to sense danger from a mile away, unlike a helpless human. She was wise to take his advice. She looked like hell and she’d been sluggish for the majority of the day, even making him feel bad for her for a while. Letting her go off on her own tomorrow the way she was now felt cruel.

Apparently, she was learning to read his tone. She was even surprised she could understand the underlying message in his comment. Kagome took a moment to inwardly thank him, sighing out as much tension as she could as she closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep.

—

The sky was dark, the deep blue of night tinted with a poisonous shade of violet. Smoke and fire surrounded her, but Kagome’s lungs inhaled and exhaled just fine, unaffected by the tainted air. She circled around, scanning the area slowly. Was this a dream? Was it real? She felt neither hot nor cold, but she did feel conscious and scared. What had happened? Where was she?

“Inuyasha?” Kagome called, stepping backward in her panic. Where did he go? Was he okay? Did he leave her?

“You’re a fool, Kagome.”

She spun around quickly to face Kikyo, her fair skin sprinkled with sweat and hair sticking to her dampened neck. She wore a condemning look, brown eyes boring through her, her hand gripping her own bow tightly while she stood just feet away.

“You.” Kagome breathed.

“Your first day, and this is what happens to you? You’re taken into captivity by a half demon?” Kikyo scolded.

“What?” Kagome was confused, now more than ever. “How did you even know that?”

“That is irrelevant.”

“No, it isn’t. How did you know that, Kikyo?”

“I have insight on you, Kagome. Shouldn’t you know that by now?”

“How?”

“Because, I am the conjurer you’re supposed to be!” Kikyo shouted, her voice deep and angry. “You have so much potential, you are strong, you learn quicker than even myself, and yet you’re living up to nothing! Less than twenty-four hours after leaving, you get yourself into needless trouble. I am disappointed in you.”

“Gee thanks, mom.” Kagome slighted, her temper swelling. “Glad you called me here to put me down. You seem to forget that you have no right, though. None of what you just said explains anything. You’ve given me no path to follow, no direction to go in -“

“You aren’t meant to follow mine, you’re meant to follow your own, Kagome! Use your powers! Your intuition is stronger than anyone’s; you can figure it out!”

“Aren’t I supposed to find you?”

“We will find each other soon enough.”

“How do you have insight?” Just as Kagome asked, a thin, white, serpent-like creature floated down. It had six legs in the front of its long body resembling that of insects, perching on Kikyo’s shoulder as its long tail curled around her frame. “What is that?”

“Shinidamachu; a soul collector. To aid in my power, I will sometimes take the souls of deceased women.”

“How - what!?” Kagome’s face twisted bewilderingly. “You steal the souls from dead women!?”

Kikyo released an exacerbated exhale from her nose, the sound deep and clenched. Kagome could tell they were heading down a road the conjurer had never counted on going down, but Kagome didn’t care. You can’t just throw that information at her and expect her to brush it off like this is a normal occurrence.

“The souls help aid in longevity and health. If I am wounded or exhausted, putting up a barrier and collecting a soul or two will increase the rate of my recovery. My soul collector has also helped me understand you better.”

“Do you use it to spy on me?”

“I use it to make sure you aren’t misusing your abilities or getting yourself killed. You are still young and inexperienced. There is much you have yet to learn before you can take on Naraku.”

“Have you ever considered, instead of doing that, maybe just teaching me yourself? I feel like things would move along a lot faster that way.” There was a bit of snarky attitude in Kagome’s tone, her jaw tensing as she listened to Kikyo talk down to her.

“I cannot teach you.” Kikyo stated plainly.

“Why not?”

“I am not meant to.”

“Why?”

“Because, I am the distraction while you are the weapon. I know you think other conjurers may be coming, but they aren’t. You are the only one who is meant to do this. I cannot teach you, because we desperately need to stay separated. You and I together are nothing but sitting ducks. If Naraku catches wind that I am helping another conjurer, which he would, he would bring down nothing but hell. I cannot help you.”

Kagome stood there, mouth hanging agape, her eyes focusing on the sweat drop that glided down Kikyo’s temple. That was a lot to unpack, and these were things she would have definitely benefitted from learning earlier. Why was Kikyo only telling her this now? Why was this the most in-depth conversation they’d ever managed to have? She was finally receiving clear answers, but it felt like her mind was unraveling. While she’d had a small hunch that she may have been the only conjurer Kikyo was reaching out to, it was still a shock to have it definitively confirmed.

“Why - why didn’t you tell me any of this sooner?” Kagome inquired unsteadily.

“I couldn’t. You wouldn’t have been able to handle it. I wanted to slowly ease you into things as you matured. I still don’t think now was the right time to tell you the entire truth, but I seem to have had no choice. You’re stubborn; you would have only kept asking questions.”

“So I’ve heard.” Kagome shrugged her brows, eyes falling to the charred grass beneath her boots.

“I collect the souls to keep up my strength. To keep me going until you’re ready. That is my purpose. Yours is to save everyone.”

“No pressure.” She sarcastically and quietly remarked.

“You need to make wiser decisions starting immediately, Kagome. Do you hear me? Trust your intuition.”

“I do!” Kagome quickly defended.

“Then you should know better than to put any amount of trust in a demon right now.” She hastily countered. “We’re at war with demons, what in the world would make you trust them?”

“Inuyasha’s already released me, what are you talking about?”

“Then get up and leave!”

“He hasn’t hurt me, Kikyo! If anything, even while I was in his captivity, he kept me safe! I mean, hell, he saved my life to begin with! He made a mistake, but he’s not a bad person!”

“He has demon blood, does he not!?”

“That is neither here nor there!” Kagome yelled, infuriated. “You sound pretty prejudiced for a conjurer. A little ironic, don’t you think?”

“You do not know what you are talking about, and if you keep this up, I’m afraid you are going to have to learn things the hard way. I’ve had kinder demons betray me, Kagome. Never let him find out the truth about you.”

“He isn’t bad.”

“You are naive.”

“No, you are.”

“I know what I’m -“

“You’re ignorant, too.” She interrupted, her face feeling hot, but it was of her own anger and not due to the dying flames around them. “If your only argument for me not to trust him is the blood running through his veins, then it’s falling on deaf ears.”

“You defend him as if you know him.”

“I defend him as if he deserves a chance to prove himself! Just like us! My friend has a twin-tailed cat demon in her family, you got something to say about her, too?”

“Kagome, enough. You’re a fool.”

“Yeah, you said that already.” Kagome stated bluntly.

“Heed my warning.” Kikyo all but ordered. “Stay away from him.”

Kagome could only shake her head in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. You would actually judge him -“

“Please, do not mistake me. I just want you to be cautious. Overtly cautious. You’re alone, you can’t afford many mistakes like this. It’s not that I believe all demons are evil; I’m saying you will never know off the bat which ones will turn on you. Make your friends after the war. For now, you cannot give your trust to any demon; half breed or what have you.” Kikyo took a deep breath in the time where things seemingly sunk into Kagome’s head. Her plush lips were parted, and her brown eyes fell to the ground, almost in disappointment. The girl was still immature, and though Kikyo was fully aware of the hardships that came with being a conjurer, she could still see so much hope radiating from Kagome. So much hope and heart. The thing was, the heart was the most important part of their kind. It was what made up their strength; their passion drove their power. But, so easily could it break them as well. Being a conjurer was like holding a double-edged sword. If you had that fire within you, you could thwart evil, but if your heart is crushed, you could lose it all in an instant. Kagome seemed to wear her heart on her sleeve, wanted to trust easily, believed everyone deserved a chance, but she - being who she was - could not afford that way of living.

“What did you mean?” Kagome finally spoke, picking her eyes from the ground and slowly drifting them upwards to meet Kikyo’s. “You said I’m a weapon. What did you mean by that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You are the one capable of bringing Naraku to his knees.”

She shook her head, half in denial and half in disbelief. “You said this was our responsibility. The responsibility is ours, remember? You gave me that spiel over and over again for, like, the past year.”

“And, it is.”

“‘Our’ is a very broad term, Kikyo.”

“You and I.”

“That’s it? We have this maniacal tyrant, and the world apparently only has the two of us to depend on?”

“Don’t push your lack of confidence on me, Kagome. I know it’s a lot of responsibility when you think about it, but destiny has this written in stone?”

“Oh yeah?” Kagome questioned exasperatedly. “I’d like to see the terms and conditions. Where’s the plaque?”

“Kagome -“

“You say all of this too lightly, Kikyo! This may be common sense to you, but this is breaking news to me!”

“All you need to focus on for now is yourself! You have the room to practice more! You don’t have to hold back for the sake of your home, and I know you have been! I can see what you’re capable of, and it’s monumental! You will surpass me if you just dedicate yourself, so do it! Stop holding yourself back, and stop being so goddamned scared! Pick yourself up, protect yourself, trust no one, adapt, and I’ll meet you at the finish line. Together, we will be unstoppable.”

The conjurer seemed so sure, so stable. She truly believed in what she said, and Kagome couldn’t help but swallow any uneasiness she was currently feeling. Kikyo’s confidence was contagious, but there was one thing wrong with what she was preaching. She treated her intuition as the end-all, but Kagome had a gut of her own. It was telling her something different. Kagome’s intuition was telling her Kikyo was jaded, and it would be smart of her to trust any alliance she could form. She was alone for now, and she didn’t particularly know what her next move was, but something told Kagome she wasn’t going to be able to beat this battle on her own. Even getting to the so-called finish line, as Kikyo put it, was going to require some help, and there was nothing wrong with that. She could understand why Kikyo was insisting Kagome put her guard up. The mistake she’d made with Inuyasha could have been detrimental. If it were anyone else, she didn’t know what would have happened to her, and for that, despite it all, she was thankful her circumstances were what they were. In a twisted sense, she’d gotten lucky.

Honestly, Kagome didn’t know where Kikyo was getting her information from. If she was prophetic, she’d give her kudos, because as far as she was aware, that wasn’t in the job description of being a conjurer. Maybe she was having secret dream rendezvous with actual clairvoyants. Either way, Kagome was dying to hear this all herself, because no matter how much Kikyo’s statements repeated in her head, not all of it was adding up. She could tell that arguing was a waste of time, though. She felt like she’d get nowhere with Kikyo. Kikyo was set in her ways and convinced of future events playing out in specific patterns, but Kagome truly, truly, felt like things were immediately about to shift.

She’d take Kikyo’s advice. She’d be careful, and she’d use her powers with less restraint. She’d be cautious about her surroundings, she’d screen anyone she came across, and she’d increase her power. What she wouldn’t do was isolate herself or stay away from those who have no control over the blood beneath their flesh. Kagome couldn’t bring herself to look at things that way. Maybe it was naive, but it didn’t matter. The open-mindedness sat right with her.

“Kagome, do you trust me?”

“I want to.” Kagome admitted. “You’ve been a mystery up until now.”

“I’ve been told I’m not as direct as I could be.” Kikyo laughed quietly. “I want to trust you, too.”

“Does Naraku know about me?”

“I have a feeling he will soon enough. It’s inevitable. That’s why it’s imperative for us to stay apart until we can’t anymore.”

“Got it.” Kagome acknowledged. There was a beat of silence where it seemed they were both processing their encounter. She wondered how long Kikyo had been on her own, fighting this battle. She said she was the distraction. Kagome felt sympathetic for her situation. It must have been terrifying at times, hard, and exhausting. She must have tried to form alliances only to be stomped on multiple times to explain the mentality she was harboring. Kagome wondered if her gaze lacked vibrancy because of how drained she was. She wondered if she had no choice but to rely on collecting souls so she could stay on her feet until the day was done. Was there no rest for this conjurer, playing the distraction until Kagome was ready?

This fueled her, a heightened sense of determination shooting through her veins. If she needed to expand her strength, then she’d do it as quickly as possible. She’d get stronger, more powerful, and become the fierce conjurer Kikyo was so that she wasn’t alone in this fight anymore. She expected Kikyo not to always agree with the way she went about things, but what mattered was the endgame. With this, Kagome was one step closer.

“Remember what I said. Follow your intuition.”

“I will.” Kagome agreed. “Mind if I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Where are we?”

“Nowhere.”

Kagome grimaced, looking around at the fire that she couldn’t feel the heat from but Kikyo obviously could as sweat continued to dot her face. It definitely didn’t look like nowhere to her.

“Technically, this is the spot of a recent demon attack. But, we are in an in between space. No one can see us; we’re talking in my mind.”

“Your mind?”

“Correct. I am here, and you are not.”

“How are you doing this?”

“We have a connection, Kagome.” Kikyo grinned, though it seemed lackluster and Kagome noted the dark circles beneath her eyes. “We are two connected by fate.”

“So, can I do this? I mean, can I connect with your subconscience and talk to you?”

“No. My mind is too guarded. You wouldn’t be able to reach me, even if you knew how. Even so, I only partially brought you here. I am too far from you for a more physical aspect. Though, I’m sure you don’t mind.” Kikyo said, sort of laughing at herself.

Kagome wasn’t sure if that was something Kikyo should be proud of. It sounded slightly depressing to be so guarded. Though, alternatively speaking, it could be seen as a weakness on Kagome’s behalf that Kikyo was able to jump on through to her whenever she so pleased. That still didn’t much answer how she was doing this, but Kagome was willing to let it go. This wasn’t necessarily anything Kagome desired to do, anyway. Telepathy always sort of creeped her out.

“Are you gonna be okay?” Kagome couldn’t help but ask, taking Kikyo’s current state into consideration.

“You have nothing to worry about. Please, focus on yourself. You must get stronger.”

“I will. I swear.”

“Be careful, Kagome.”

She blinked her eyes open, brows furrowing as the brightness of the campfire momentarily blinded her. The night was quiet and peaceful, and as Kagome came to, slowly turning away from the light, she realized she was covered by something thick and warm. It was crimson, and as she moved her legs to readjust herself so her hip would stop digging into the earth, she noticed it only covered her up until her mid-thigh. It smelled so good, the scent inexplicably comforting her as she pulled it further over her shoulder and closer to her nose. She’d always appreciated the aroma of the woodlands, that of campfires, but there was an additional spice that sent a warmth fluttering through her abdomen. Did it belong to Inuyasha?

Inuyasha.

Sluggishly, she picked herself up on her elbow, looking over to the tree where she’d last seen him. The hanyou wasn’t there, and while an unsettling thud came from her chest, she could still feel his presence nearby. Kagome turned her head, observing their little area of the forest before her eyes came right back to the very same tree. Glancing upward, she spotted him sitting on a high branch, his back against the trunk and a leg hanging over the side, staring off into the night.

From where he sat, the moonlight was hitting him perfectly. His silver hair shined with dimmed hues of blue and white, and his skin glowed as if he were a descendent of Luna, herself. He was handsome. It was moments before Kagome could bring herself to look away, only finding her eyes drifting right back to her guardian above. His jawline was sharp, the shadows of the night where the moon couldn’t reach him complimenting his features just as well. A sudden, thin feeling of jealousy prickled at Kagome’s chest. She envied the moon, and the night, itself. They got to touch him.

She felt safe. Nothing inside of Kagome told her to run, or leave, or to tread carefully. Instead, she was heavy and solid where she lay. For the first time in two days, everything felt okay. In the morning, she would head her own way. Kikyo had no reason to be concerned. Inuyasha and Kagome would say goodbye and never see each other again. In the morning.

Kagome rested her head back against her makeshift pillow, tucking herself further into Inuyasha’s crimson garment. The scent of him washed over her once more, and she held onto it, memorizing it. She allowed herself to be comfortable, to feel serene. She allowed herself to rest under his safety.

| previous chapter | <- -> | next chapter |

[flamesque]

“I would rather not meet with the man again, but that would also mean… I would have to figure out another way to get meat for the wolves.” 

He tapped his chin a few times, brows furrowing as he really thought about it, but the thoughts drifted away as he observed Dolasach. He didn’t try to convince her otherwise to think about her disdain toward humans; in truth, he didn’t have much of an interest in them either. 

He brushed through his hair, fixing the strands as he continued thinking before turning to her.

“You don’t have to trust me, Dolasach.” He started, his eyes drifting to her as he tilted his head. “But I can assure you that they will stay out of your forest, at least… the events that transpired today by my own doing won’t have them coming here.” 

And even then, I will do what I can to keep the forest... and you safe.

Whilst the forest was Dolasach’s domain, it was never said that another god could take care of the domain of another god’s from the outside; however, he couldn't voice that out yet.

He figured that it would take a few days or so—actually, Rafayel wasn’t sure how long it’ll take for Dolasach to feel like her forest won’t be intruded by angry village folk—for the whole event to die down but he was certain. He made sure of certain things.

They had been far away from the village people, if anything, it seemed as though it was just the angry vendor; he let out a chuckle remembering how the man had such a confused look on his face when Rafayel had left the note and looked around to see where Rafayel could be before Rafayel left to return to Dolasach.

He gazed at her when she thanked him for trying to right his wrongs and that brought a soft smile on his face, shaking his head after.

“The forest is quiet, serene and calm… relaxing, even. Do you sense any dangers?”

Perhaps Rafayel didn’t have much of a good sense of when there may be people around the forest, but through his observations during the time he left Dolasach’s side, he didn’t sense anyone else other than her and him. 

“Only time can tell.” He nodded his head as if to agree to her words. 

He was quiet for a moment, gazing into the forest then back to her. 

“Shall we go into the forest now? Unless—you’d rather I not come in today.” Please don't say forever.

"I… will understand, but if so… then can you give these meat to the wolves? A little gift for, you know, dealing with my sudden intrusion.”

He looked down to the meat then into the forest, using his freehand to rub the back of his neck. 

“There’s no rush when it comes to learning one’s predecessor’s history… and I’d like to think the same applies to learning about someone in general, yeah?” 

Then, he looked over to where the sea was and seemingly got lost in his thoughts, blinking a few times before he looked down and chuckled lightly.

“Perhaps another time.” And another, and another should fate and time allow us. He shook his head, toying with some loose fabric on his garb absent-mindedly. “Ah, I apologize. It feels as though I’m learning new things each and every day, pertaining to you… pertaining to our predecessors. Everything is… new.”

He doesn’t know what brought him to step close to Dolasach, nearly the same distance from when he had done his best to comfort her just moments ago as he reached over to brush her hair behind her ear as a small gloriosa was placed behind her ear before stepping back. 

The gloriosa can be poisonous to humans, but to gods, it was nothing.

“I’m still learning.” He stated, unsure of where this sudden vulnerability came from. “Tell me. If you wish for me to leave or if you wish for me to stay. No matter your answer, I will honor it.”

₊❏❜ ⋮ i'll chase you to the ends of the earth. ⚬𓂂

@dolasach

He is used to it; however, that didn't mean he accepted it.

Rafayel sighed as he let his head rest against his palm, the same thing being drilled into his mind by the endless sea of words spewing the history of Lemuria and the world on the surface repeated like a broken record from the elders. He seemed to be falling asleep and was immediately scolded for not paying attention.

Evidently, something came up that had the elders leave the vicinity for the time being and this served as an opportunity for Rafayel to escape. He had attempted in doing so a few times, but he was sure that this time he would be able to be successful. 

A blue fish swam around him and held his hand out, allowing the fish to swim over his palm. 

"Shall we head to the surface? It's a little boring right now and I'm tired of hearing the elders saying the same thing over and over again." 

The fish continued swimming over his palm before seemingly directing him toward an opening to which he was able to squeeze through. It was then he realized that he was out of the city walls of Whalefall City and was able to swim to the surface.

He thanked the fish before it disappeared back through the city walls and Rafayel didn't have to think twice as he turned away from Whalefall City to swim up to the surface; however, before he allowed himself to fully come out, he swam slowly as the damn words from the elders rang in his head. 

"The world on the surface is dangerous, even if those people worship our Sea God, there is a chance that someone will try to capture him."

"As the previous Lemurians have..." 

"Rafayel, you must never venture out to the surface world. Your people are here, that is all that should concern you." 

And the annoying part of all. "The Sea God will one day meet the Goddess of the Forest, and when that day comes, should he fall in love with her, it will be the beginning of the downfall of Lemuria."

Rafayel always thought it to be those stories to be something a parent would tell to their child to make them listen. And besides, Rafayel had always been, not only a rebellious soul, but one of sheer curiosity. 

Once he peeked out from the water, he spotted a woman by the shore. And he had seen a few other humans before, but something about her was different and he couldn't help but to swim towards the shore, closer to her. Who could she be? For some reason... he needed to know and while he doesn't know why he needs to, he simply just has to try; in a way, it felt as though there were residual feelings, feelings that weren't from him and that in itself baffled him.

So without thinking, his mouth opened to speak.

"Who might you be? You don't seem... human to me, although you do appear to be." He tilted his head briefly before letting out a laugh. "Ah, apologies. This is bold of me, I will admit."

[kyber-kisses]

Through a Mothers Eyes (Part 2)

Dean Winchester x Reader

Find Part 1 HERE

Warning: more best friend dumbassery, more crack. . . More of Dean and Y/N being oblivious about their feelings for eachother. The usual.

Summary: Mary meets an old friend of the Winchesters and apparently she’s the only one who can see the very obvious feelings the reader and Dean have for each other.

A/n: The chapters for this series are gonna be a little shorter than my normal ones, but I hope you guys enjoy either way! Also, feedback is greatly appreciated!

It didn’t take very long for Mary to see that you were quite the character. You brought a vibrance and liveliness to the bunker in a way she had yet to see before. You also brought out a liveliness in Dean too, one she hadn’t seen in him since he was four years old.

. . . And it had only been three days.

In such a short amount of time she found out so much about you. How you were raised in the life like her sons, how you had stuck with them through everything, along with everything in between. You were eager to learn about her too, holding conversations over coffee or while helping to make dinner. She could easily see why you and Dean were such good friends. . .

She just didn’t understand why there wasn’t something more.

Because it was there. It was there in the way Dean sat up straighter and lit up when you entered the room and it was there when the two of you cracked dumb jokes until you were both falling out of your seats with laughter. She wondered if anyone else saw it too.

It was early Friday morning when she almost stopped dead in her tracks while entering the kitchen, a new scene folding out in front of her that once again made her question why the two of you weren't together.

Sam was seated at the kitchen table, head in his hands and looking three seconds away from a mental breakdown while you and Dean worked at breakfast, singing along terribly to the music coming out of your blue tooth speaker.

An amused expression took over her face as she crossed the kitchen, her arrival yet to be noticed by anyone until she put a reassuring hand on Sams shoulder, the younger Winchester popping his head up instantly.

“Mom!”

“You okay, Sam?.”

Sam tiredly zoned out, looking off at some point in the distance. “They’re on their fourth round of singing Glen Campbell’s Rhinestone Cowboy. Fourth. round.”

A chuckle crawled up the back of her throat as she turned to look over her shoulder once more. It was both amusing and slightly embarrassing to watch as you and Dean danced to the music, singing into your “microphone” spatula. Every once in awhile you would pause to flip a pancake but then you were right back to it.

“With a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe

There'll be a load of compromisin'

On the road to my horizon

But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me-“

A moment later you and Dean caught sight of Mary, you shot her a wide smile and wished her good morning alongside Dean.

“You want any pancakes? Y/Ns a master at making them!” Dean raised his voice to make sure he was heard over the music.

“I’d love some, thank you!”

“Blueberries?”

“Sure.”

The older Winchester turned back to help you, pausing when you made a silent communication by raising your hand in the air, a blueberry pinched lightly between your thumb and forefinger. He quickly tilted his head back, catching it in his mouth when you tossed it. A high-five was exchanged and then you were back to your singing. . .and dancing, if anyone could even call it that. It was clear now that the two of you were doing it to annoy Sam, grinning like idiots as you moved to the music, eyes focusing on Sam. Embarrassment was too strong a word. You tipped an imaginary cowboy hat at the younger Winchester.

“Its like living with children.”

“Like a rhinestone cowboy

Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo

Rhinestone cowboy

Gettin' cards and letters from people I don't even know

And offers comin' over the phone!”

Mary turned back to Sam, the hunter mindlessly looking into the black liquid inside his mug. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yep. I mean, it’s getting pretty annoying . . . And it DOESN'T HELP THAT THEIR DANCING IS TERRIBLE!”

His words were loud enough to get you both to stop in your tracks, head spinning around to glare at him as the music continued to play in the background. You flipped another pancake, eyes still trained on Sam.

“We’re not terrible dancers!”

“Yeah! I mean Y/N is. But I’m great-“

You picked up another blueberry lobbing it at Dean and nailing him in the back of his retreating head as he passed a full plate over to his mother. “Hey!”

“Hey!” You lowered your voice several octaves in attempt mimic Dean, chuckling as you did, even when he glared at you again.

“You’re a delinquent.”

This time you nailed him in the center of the forehead, the blueberry leaving a small dot where it made impact.

“You’re a delinquent-“

The fire in Dean eyes grew as he took a menacing step forward, rolling his sleeve back up.

“I’m gonna-“

“Alright, that’s enough you two. How bout you sit down and eat?” Mary breathed, trying to hide the underlying chuckle in her voice. The two of you may not be children but you certainly acted like it.

You narrowed your eyes at Dean while you gathered up everyone’s coffee while he grabbed the pancakes, the two of you plopping down in silence besides each other.

“Are mornings usually like this?”

“You mean every damn Friday morning?” Sam questioned, stabbing at his pancakes. “Then yes. Yes it is.”

“Are Friday mornings some sort of special occasion or something?” Mary questioned over the lip over her mug, watching the two of you curiously.

“Fridays Y/Ns in charge of breakfast, I only show up because she like my help.” Dean spoke through a mouthful of pancake, quickly earning him a smack on the back of the head from you.

“You insist on helping me, and don’t talk with your mouth full. That’s gross.”

“You’re gross.”

You rolled your eyes, uncapping the can of whipped cream before spraying a generous amount on top of both your pancakes and coffee. “Great comeback there. Really original, Dean.”

“You know what? Sue me.”

Letting out a deep sigh you stabbed your fork into your pancakes. “Mary, you should know that your son is an idiot.”

“Oh, I know. You don’t need to tell me.” She grinned, finding Deans reaction priceless when his jaw dropped open, a second later your were using your freehand to push it shut once more. When you let go you reached for the can of whipped cream again, spraying more onto your plate.

“Y/N, you might want to cool it with the whipped cream-“ Sam began, reminding you that he was still there. You licked the remaining portion off your thumb.

“Nah, makes it easier to do this-“ scooping a portion of it onto your hand you brought your hand back and lightly smacked Dean across the face, a hefty thwap being heard over the music in the background.

Dean froze before slowly looking up from his pancakes and turning to you, face stoic and covered in whipped cream.

“I’m gonna kill you.”

You grinned and took off from the table with a laugh, disappearing down the hallway. Dean attempting to follow only for his socked feet to slide over the linoleum and slow down his attack.

Once she was sure the two of you were out of earshot she turned back to Sam. “Seriously?’

“what?” This time it was Sam's mouth that was full, his eyebrows knotted togther in confusion. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Y/N and Dean.”

“What about Y/N and Dean?”

“Are you sure they aren't together?”

Sam choked on his pancake, quickly reaching for his coffee. “Y/N and Dean? Together? Like together together? No! Hell no!” He cleared his throat with a shake of his head. “What would make you think that?”

She wanted to slap a palm against her forehead. “Are you serious?”

Sam shrugged. “They've been like that for as long as I can remember, doesn't mean anything.”

“You're telling me you cant picture Y/N and Dean as a couple?”

There was a grimace as Sam quickly shook his head. “I don't want to picture that! Y/Ns like an annoying older sister to me, and Dean is my literal, actual brother!”

Mary let out a sigh of defeat as she took another sip of her coffee. Was she the only one with a pair of eyes around here?

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[oligbia]

Rat- Chapter 2

Mirio TogataXreader 

SFW

Previous Chapter 

The morning half of school went by quickly, the morning training going relatively smoothly. You, Hado, and a few others were the only students able to completely destroy the wall, but everyone else was able to at least crack it. The quirks were all variations of mutations, emitter, and transformation quirks. Overall, the class was packed of the best of the best, there was no doubt of that.

After changing back into your uniform, you left the dressing room alone and wandered back into the normal classroom to gather some things before lunch. You wanted to do some more thinking and reading on some equipment ideas for your hero costume. You had told Hado you would sit with her, but some part of you hoped she would have forgotten and moved on.

You were about to turn the hall into a random staircase when you heard someone running behind you. You turned your head over your shoulder, trying to move out of the way. Of course, you weren’t going to avoid them. Hado ran up to you, her blue hair bounding behind her. She waved at you as she approached, slowing down.

“Amajiki said you would probably be here. He’s pretty smart. But not as smart as you, little book worm.” Hado poked the arm that you were using to carry two or three books. Amajiki, who had been walking behind her, caught up to you both.

“He said he’s on the roof. We should go.” Amajiki still didn’t look up at you as he spoke, he still seemed nervous, but you couldn’t blame him.

Hado grabbed the wrist of your freehand, dragging you along behind her. You jolted forward, still not anticipating the way she is so excitable. Being with Hado was what it felt like to be a teenage girl, something you didn’t seem to understand. She was happy to be at UA, she didn’t seem to have any sort of pressure built to be the best or to walk out a top 5 hero. She was sweet, the kind of girl you can never fully understand how she manages to be so sweet but you just trust her regardless. She was a firecracker of a person- her energy-based quirk being a practical extension of her personality. Despite wanting so desperately to be left alone, Hado refused to ever see you on your own.

The three of you traveled up the stairs, reaching a strayed door. You hadn’t passed many students on your way, it was safe to assume that not many students knew the roof was up here, let alone unlocked this way. Hado swung the door open and threw her hands up in the air, your wrist thrown up with it.

“Wow! Y/N, look at this view! The sky is so pretty!” Hado spun herself in circles, spinning you a little with her. You nodded softly.

“Yea, it is pretty-”

Amajiki passed you both and went to another part of the roof, sitting next to a different kid. You watched Amajiki walk, his posture loosening as he seemed to grow more comfortable. You remember Hado mentioning that he was going to meet a childhood friend, but for Amajiki to be so comfortable, he must be a good friend.

Hado stood over the edge of the building, her arms resting on the ledge. She looked down at the school below her. The small breeze blew her hair gently, the sun catching her face in a way that showed off her slight blush, the light reflecting off her eyes. You sat down some of your books and stood next to her, joining her. The school grounds below you were large, students sitting in the courtyard with their friends. You recognized a few of the students from your class, but a majority of them were unfamiliar to you. It was too nice of a day to be inside, and the first day jitters that remained were better shaken off outside.

“Why did you come to UA?”

You looked over at Hado, trying to pick out any kind of emotion in her face. She was still looking at the courtyard. She seemed somewhat tranquil, a soft smile on her face. It was a stark contrast to her normal energy- but somehow it was oddly just as energetic.

“Why did I come? I got accepted-”

She turned and looked at you, her chin resting in her palm. “I know that, silly! Why did you decide to come? You are so smart- dozens of schools would have probably killed for that brain you have. Why our school? Or, why a hero? You could have been a doctor or something.”

You had received offers from top academic schools. But while their academics were on top, their hero courses were subpar. “I don’t know, the hero course was better here.”

Hado smiled at you again. “I came here because I think if we didn’t start at the top, we would never get to the top. Hero society doesn’t like female heroes as much.”

You were a bit taken back by her bluntness. You had always noticed the weird disproportion of female and male heroes, and you knew there was a double standard- but somehow you hadn’t expected Hado to know that. Not only did you not expect her to be so aware- you didn’t expect her to base her entire education on trying to overcome it.

You felt a gaze on you again, you looked over your shoulder again, resting your head on your hand. There he was again- the kid from 1-B. His blond hair seemed more yellow in the sunlight, the contrast to Amajiki’s dark purple was almost humorous. Amajiki seemed distracted by a butterfly, studying it closely as it rested on his finger. His friend, however, was looking at you. When his gaze caught yours, he turned around again, the sudden movement scaring the butterfly that was occupying Amajiki’s attention. He tried to laugh off his mistake with Amajiki as you rolled your eyes. You had no idea who this kid was or why you were so much of his attention. His constant looking was becoming more of a hindrance.

Of course, Hado had taken note of the exchange.

“Do you know Togata?”

“Who?”

“The guy who was looking at you. He’s Amajiki’s friend- Mirio Togata.”

You shook your head and sat down against the small wall you had previously been leaning against. You pulled out a book to read. It was a bigger book, filled with diagrams and information about various pieces of hero gear. You were reading about the clothes used by Endeavor. You had no personal use for fire-resistant clothing but wanted to know about it anyway. Hado looked over your shoulder a bit.

“Support gear already? We haven’t even picked out hero names yet- “

“I like learning about it. I like knowing things-” You mumbled, underlining a few lines about heat insulation.

“That makes sense. You did score the highest academically-”

You nodded, flipping the page back to something about heat conductors that made their own electricity. You knew that Hado would benefit from something like this in her gear, but you also didn’t want to bore her. You swallowed the growing worry and took a deep breath.

“You know, they’ve developed this technology that can store energy over time and spit it back out later. There hasn’t been a hero whose needed it yet, so it’s a little undeveloped but-”

Hado turned around, slightly startled by the way you started a conversation. She smiled wide and sat next to you, looking at the book in your lap. She was visibly overwhelmed. You pointed at parts of the diagram.

“See, this part picks up the energy, and then it’s stored in the big arm part here. Then when you’re ready, you could use it. It would help keep you from getting so strained early-”

She smiled at you, drawing her knees to her chest. “That’s super cool, Y/N! Did you have ideas for your gear?”

You flipped through a few pages, landing on a page about Present Mic. “Sort of. I think that if I was louder, it would maybe help- so something like what Present Mic has-”

Hado nodded for a second, her face drawn into a perplexed expression. “Do you not know much about your own quirk?”

You shook your head. “It’s not exactly one you can train in your bedroom-”

Hado smiled softly. “Yea, I guess that’s a good point. If you ever want to work on it sometime, let me know.”

You looked at her, expression blank. No one had ever seemed so open to your quirk. It was the kind of quirk people squirmed at, the kind of quirk people compared to that of villains. It was a gross, vile, quirk. Hado didn’t see that, though. She actually wanted to be around you and your quirk.

You nodded softly, smiling small. She stood up, offering you a hand. “Class starts soon, we should head back.”

You took her hand, placing your books back under your arm. Hado called over to Amajiki, informing him it was time to go. He told you both to go on, something about following you later. Hado shrugged it off and pulled you along behind her.

Once you were both in the halls on the way back to class, she let go of your wrist. Her hands were behind her back and she swayed as she walked, simply unbothered. “It's nice knowing that Amajiki is relaxed sometimes.”

You nodded, “Yea, I guess.”

“He seems so much happier with Togata. But I don’t think I could blame him. Togata seems nice too.”

“He seems odd to me.”

Hado stopped walking and looked at you. “Odd?”

“Odd. something about him is off-putting.”

Hado caught back up to you, regaining her relaxed walking pace. She hummed out in slight confusion. “If you say so.”

She changed subjects again, settling her attention back to her curiosity about the lecture that would take place after class. You assumed it would be academics, but wondered who would be teaching them. There was no way they expected Mr.Aizawa to teach them all, right?

Once you and Hado had returned to class and settled, Amajiki entered into class. He had a small smile, but he was in a cowering stance again. The way he smiled made his face seem warmer. It was the kind of smile that made you smile despite yourself.

Class went quickly, your class was led from room to room for your remaining educational classes. Pro Heros taught them, they were pretty easy so far. They were mostly introductions and procedural lectures rather than academic content.

Before the end of the day, you all returned back to homeroom. You walked next to Nejire, Amajiki following behind. Hado was dragging her feet behind her, pouting. “Present Mic’s class looks so hard! I’m not even good at English. You have to help me, Y/N.” She tugged on your arm, practically dragging you to the ground. You shrugged her grip off your arm.

“When he starts giving assignments, I can help you I guess-”

Hado spun around and yelled out an excited thank you, practically pulling you and Amajiki back into your homeroom. You rolled your eyes, holding back a small smile.

[yegarts]

“I Am YEG Arts” Series: AJA Louden, Co-Lead Artist for Paint the Rails

Set achievable goals. When most people hear this, they likely think about getting their steps in or cooking more meals at home. Not AJA Louden. His goal? Making cities more inspiring, informed, and thoughtful through the compassionate use of art and design. And he’s achieving it. Louden’s spray-painted portraits and murals have been boldly transforming our city’s everyday walls into landmarks for more than a decade.

When Louden’s not painting, he’s likely teaching others how to at his Aerosol Academy, a workshop that explores art-making and art history through the lens of graffiti and street art. But that’s just the beginning. Louden’s desire to bring a collaborative, multi-narrative approach to contemporary urban muralism can also be seen at LRT stations around Edmonton, thanks to a project called Paint the Rails (PTR), a collaboration with Edmonton Transit Service and the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights.

Paint the Rails: Conversations on colonization, reclamation, and reconciliation through art, is not only a legacy project of Canada 150+, but also a tangible commitment to bring to life the stories of Edmonton’s cultural communities through art and education. The plan of action? Paint LRT stations across Edmonton with imagery that interprets the stories and traditions of the Elders, historians, knowledge keepers, and cultural communities represented by each location. Ambitious? Yes! But neither AJA Louden nor the John Humphrey Centre has ever considered “hard” a reason for not doing something. Lifting up our shared stories, amplifying voices, and changing perceptions—this week’s “I Am Yeg Arts” story belongs to AJA Louden.

Tell us about your connection to Edmonton and what keeps you living and working here?

I grew up here in Alberta and moved to Edmonton in the early 2000’s for school. Some of the things that keep me living and working here are my relationships, my work, and the food. Food has always been a big inspiration for me as an artist, and there’s so much good food here! Edmonton has long been a place of creative exchange, and I’m excited to help keep that spirit alive through public art.

How did you become involved with Paint the Rails, and why did it resonate with you? 

I’ve been working with the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (JHC) for years. When I think about the power of addressing the human condition through art and stories, I think organizations like the JHC do an invaluable job of helping to identify whose stories are missing from our public discourse and amplifying these voices to give us a more accurate reflection of who we are. The Paint The Rails project resonated with me immediately because it was an opportunity to use public art to lift up our shared stories and bring them into the present. The methods of mentorship and community consultation we worked with throughout the project changed how I work as an artist and helped me understand how to connect with people at a deeper level. I began researching Augmented Reality (AR) part way through the

Paint The Rails project and self-funded the AR programming and animations until we were able to obtain a grant—I did this because I believe in the value of this project for adding beauty and meaning to our shared spaces. Each location is now a digital community history resource, as well as a wall mural!

What do you think it is about story that brings us together?

We use stories to help understand ourselves and our communities. People often define themselves through a series of stories that explain who they are and how they came to be that way. Communities use stories in the same way. Stories can be guides for how to interact—our cultures are built up of shared stories, which act as scaffolds for meaning. When we share stories widely, we can start to understand the world from other points of view, which can bring us together and give us a sense of cohesion and group membership that’s valuable. A big part of the human experience is a search for meaning and purpose in our lives, and stories can be powerful tools on this journey.

How do large-scale murals and street art play to your strengths as a storyteller?

Stories have power when they are shared, and the scale and accessibility of large-scale art in public spaces allows a larger audience to engage with a story. When work is in a gallery behind a paywall, audiences have the benefit of a dedicated space in which to absorb or reflect on the art, but these spaces often leave out those who can’t afford or don’t feel welcome in that kind of environment. Street art and murals have the potential to reach people who don’t as often engage or connect with art in galleries or institutions. Growing up, I didn’t see myself reflected in the art classes I took in school, but when I found graffiti and street art, I started to see the world in a new way.

Why was mentorship a key element in Paint the Rails, and what do you hope you’ve shared?

Mentorship is key because I see artists as an important part of a functioning society. By sharing what I’ve learned with the next generation, I can help our craft stay relevant, cohesive, and present. We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and a rising tide lifts all ships. As artists we need to hold each other accountable, and part of that includes building each other up and celebrating our individual wins as wins for the collective craft.

Tell us about someone who’s been a mentor to you.

Dawn Saunders Dahl has taught me a lot about the industry of art, and when/how to play by the rules, while pushing boundaries that need to be pushed. Working with her I learned about process, particularly how to build a plan that had structure but also flexibility.

Jason Botkin was really helpful to me in getting a closer look at the life of a full-time muralist. I met him when The Works brought En Masse to Edmonton. He was really kind and generous with his time, invited me to come hang out in Montréal for Mural Festival, and also connected me with a lot of people in Miami for the two years I attended Art Basel to paint. Huge thanks to both Dawn and Jason, as well as the other informal mentors I’ve had over the years who have made me better.

Why was a free Paint the Rails app vital to this project?

The app was vital to this project because it allowed us to capture more of what each community shared with us and reflect it back into the world. As the first Augmented Reality community mural project in Edmonton, it’s allowed us to create an additional point of interest for the project and to attract new eyes. As an artist, I’m always interested in trying out new mediums and looking for ways to bring important stories to new eyes. One of my favourite parts of the app relates to language—we worked with Cree linguist Naomi Macllwraith, a student of Dorothy Thunder, to record the Cree names of each of the local animals depicted in our U of A LRT station mural, titled Sipiy (River). When you activate the app at that site, you can hear the correct pronunciation of each of the animal names—something that a wall mural wouldn’t normally be able to share.

What excites you most about the YEG arts scene right now?

Growth and potential. I think Edmonton is joining the world in starting to understand the place that murals, unsanctioned street art, and graffiti can occupy as a valuable part of the public art scene. More institutions and business owners are getting excited about art in our shared spaces, and thanks to the building boom in the 70’s, we have a lot of wall space to use as canvasses so we can share our stories as a city.

What has working with the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights taught you about yourself?

Working with the JHC has taught me a lot about process and community connection. I’m as interested in being a conduit for expressing a community’s vision as I am about telling my own stories, and I have a much stronger working knowledge of how to ask for, receive, and honour stories from different groups of people. I look forward to the next stages of our collaboration!

You visit Edmonton 20 years from now. What do you hope has changed? What do you hope has stayed the same?

I hope the locally owned restaurant industry is still strong, creative, evolving, and inspiring. One of my favourite things to do with friends and family who visit is take them for great food. I hope we’re culturally still vibrant, even more connected, and retain a combination of the strong work ethic, creative vision, and resourcefulness that has helped define us so far. I look forward to seeing how we continue to redefine our city as the world changes and how we tell our stories in new ways.

Want more YEG Arts Stories? We’ll be sharing them here all year and on social media using the hashtag #IamYegArts. Follow along! Click here to discover more about AJA Louden, and visit the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights website for info about Paint the Rails, their app, and other JHC initiatives.

About AJA Louden

AJA Louden (AJA sounds like 'Ajay,’ short for Adrian Joseph Alexander) is an artist based in amiskwaciwâskahikan (Treaty 6, Edmonton, Alberta). Born to a family tree with roots split between Jamaica and Canada, Louden is a child of contrast. Bold and arresting freehand spray-

painted portraits of pop-culture figures from Jimi Hendrix and Richard Nixon to local heroes like Rollie Miles often alternate with hand-lettered designs and vibrant patterns borne of a background in graffiti. Louden looks to bring a multifaceted, collaborative, and multi-narrative approach to contemporary urban muralism.

A background in the sciences, including biology, chemistry, psychology, and sociology is a major influence on the concepts and processes behind his work. A few years designing custom metal signage and a childhood full of building wooden skateboard ramps intensified AJA’s interest in industrial design and the built environment. His work can be found around the province of Alberta where he lives and works. A travel lover, Louden has also created work in several other countries, including Berlin, Barcelona, Florence, Prague, and the UK.

[calypsoff2]

Thirteen.

Our trip is coming to an end, our last night here and I am a little upset that it’s coming to an end, Robyn and I have gotten to be ourselves for the first time in so long, and I am going to miss it so much “you good?” I asked, Robyn nodded her head as she came in from sunbathing outside. I pulled her in for a gentle kiss, my lips were soft on hers; my tongue lightly traced the line of her bottom lip. She sighed and her mouth parted under my own, my hands ran down her hips and to her ass, cupping it gently “you feel it?” she moaned, her arms tightening around my neck “I don’t want to go back” I knew it, she is just like me. We both do not want to go back home; I don’t blame her because we have had such a good time just being us. No worries either, just sun and vibes “we are the same people” pressing a kiss to her shoulder “you know with it being a our last day, I have a little something fun” moving back my head “fun?” Robyn looked up at me all wide eyed “yeah and what is that you have been hiding this little fun huh?” I chuckled “well, get ready baby and I will tell you” slapping her butt as I moved back from her “wait, excuse me? What you got going on?” I chuckled, I left this to the last day “just something fun, come on now. Just get dressed so we can go and have that fun” Robyn is judging me, she walked off side eying me as she did. She is giving me a side eye, well I wanted to do this on the last day.

Robyn sat across me; she is dressed which was quick “you got me a gift now? I thought we wasn’t doing that gift thing? You swore to me that we weren’t doing gifts? You said no too also” she is so annoyed “how you know it’s not a gift for me twin?” she is funny, this gift is literally for me and that is what she needs to understand “show me then” why is she so angry at me, I can’t even deal with her right now being like this “why are you annoyed? Hey” I chuckled “because we have to go back but show me, what is in that bag?” she pointed, sliding the bag over to her “go on then look” clasping my hands together with the biggest smirk on my face “you have a cheeky smirk on your face, what have you done?” I laughed just wanting Robyn to open the damn bag already, Robyn put her hand in the bag and grabbed the box. She gasped seeing it “no way!” she spat, I busted out laughing “now I know where you said your pleasure, oh my god. An egg vibrator, oh my god. Wait, I am actually excited about this, oh wow. Ok. You going to put this in me and you downloading the app? Oh my god, my pussy about to be doing cartwheels, chile. You are so sneaky” I can’t wait to put this in her already.

I smirked and turned it on, Robyn I gasped “oh my god, this is so weird” I turned up a little more. She gasped, her hands now clutching the fabric of the bed covers “stop!” she spat, oh this is good, and this has made me happy “do not put that on high, I swear. It’s already about to have me on my knees, oh my” I can tell it’s about to have her crawling on the floor “I will be good, so we going to eat” Robyn’ face dropped “oh no, we not doing that. I do not trust you!” she spat, I laughed out “I am your husband Robyn, why don’t you trust me? We are only going to the hotel restaurant. I thought keep it close, come on” Robyn is not sure, I think she doesn’t trust me, but I wouldn’t do that to her “you can’t do that to me Chris?” she shook her head “do what? Come, I have a table booked. I will not put it on high unless you piss me off” putting my hands behind my back smiling at her “but you will purposely keep doing it-” she stopped speaking as I pressed the button, and she couldn’t speak “stop!” she spat, her chest heaving from pleasure. I did it again and her hips twitched “that is so powerful! Chris!” she shouted, she lifted up her skirt “I have no panties on and see!?” oh she is wet “just let’s go, clean yourself up and let’s go” I don’t care to hear it “don’t make me do it again, just hurry up” walking off, she needs to get on with it.

I feel so pleasured, the waiter bought the drinks over to us “thank you” Robyn said with a smile, I am smirking so hard right now at this “it feels weird, please don’t do it” licking my lips sitting back in my chair “why did you buy this again? I can’t believe I am even sat here listening to you, why are on earth are you looking for this?” she got questions “I thought why not, I saw it. Well it was actually something I read you know, I thought you can feel how I felt that day” Robyn laughed out “nigga I had to have my nails off, I felt nasty without my long nails. It’s painful actually” eyeballing her “see what I mean, I came freehand. I am still mind blown by that” shaking my head “well you my bitch, what!” Robyn slapped the table “stop it” trying to suppress my smile “I am your what?” I said raising my eyebrow “bitch! You are my bitch; I swear you are. I will keep on saying it bitch” shaking my head, she is in angry now “I like your anger, it’s more of a turn on actually. But anyways, are you moodier because we are going back, let’s talk” Robyn is so damn beautiful, like even without makeup, she is beautiful, and that tan is hitting “with that in my coochie? You want to talk” nodding my head “stop being negative, come on” she huffed out “well yeah, just that I have enjoyed being away from California, being away from all the negative shit and just to see us being us, the us I missed so much. Also I have got Tina to look into the best Cancer treatment for Captain, I want to do this. In my heart I do” nodding my head in agreement “I am all for it, but I can’t wait to see the girls, my daughters are the reason I want to go back. What if we did move? To like a nice holiday country, we can have peace” I want to move actually “you have said about moving a few times now, you really want that?” nodding my head “I feel I have nothing to be here for, everyone has fucked me over. Who have I got?” Robyn frowned at me “you have people stop it” I think I need a change; I am ready for it more than ever.

I was being so good with Robyn; I didn’t even use the thing with her. I thought let her eat, but we are walking back to the room now. I feel Robyn has become accustomed to the egg; she isn’t bothered now. She is just walking like it’s nothing, but I got something for her ass, she is ahead of me “fuck!” Robyn spat, as she held onto the wall “oh god” I am not stopping this time, her head fell back, and her hand balled up into a fist. I thought I would be stood away from her and just let her marinate, pressing the button again “Chris!” she shouted so loud at me and then cried out, my dick is getting hard seeing her unravel in front of me, oh I want her. Robyn moved back from the wall and started to run to the room, but I pressed it again and she fell down “oh my god” I said laughing, she literally fell onto her hands and knees “I swear, you ass!” she spat, this shit must feel really good actually because this got Robyn all over.

Closing the hotel door behind me and locking it, Robyn literally struggled getting into the room, but she made it, it has been the funniest thing to see her like this “Robyn?” I said looking around the room “I am here, and this is out” I laughed out “I literally came, it was down my leg too!” I guess I can put my phone away now because she has taken it out “you had a little too much fun, now you get on that bed and eat my fucking ass out, now!” she pointed, she doesn’t like me having fun “mhmm, I rather suck your toes?” she shook her head “get naked and do it, I want it ate good too. I want the best head ever from you, kiss this shit better” walking by Robyn, she means it too “man, you always ruining the fun. I am going” Robyn lightly pushed me because I am dragging my feet to the room “is it sore?” I questioned, I bet it is “it won’t be once your mouth is on it” feeling Robyn’ arms around my torso “I love you so much Chris” I cooed out, Robyn can never be angry at me, she loves me too much for that.

I fell to my knees, grabbing her waist and pulling her centre to my face. Her hips lifted off the bed and into the secure hold of my hands. Inhaling her scent, I nuzzled my nose against her clit and found my happiness. I opened my mouth and took as much of her pussy into my mouth as I could. My head rocked back and forth, gently sucking on her clit. My tongue lapping up every ounce of juice she released. Zigzagging my tongue across her clit before moving my mouth and I licked my lips clean; I went back in for more and tongued down her pussy “fuck yes” Robyn said, her body arching off the bed. She held her breath, her body twisting as I refused to move back. I am getting a orgasm out of her, watching her gasp heavily struggling to even breath “Chris” she panted out, trying to push me away but that wasn’t going to happen, she wanted this. My mouth clasped around her clit, sucking until a howl came from Robyn, I did my job right during this trip and I am happy as hell, she is going to be sore for a while.

Robyn is in her phone already, like her face is all in it know we are on the jet going back home. It’s bittersweet because on one hand we miss our kids and on the other we want to be ourselves with peace so it’s bittersweet “so that’s it now?” I said leaning on the table with my arms “huh” she finally looked up from her phone “sorry, see what I mean. As soon as I leave my holiday away they are on it so quick, asking all these things. Break is over now, Fenty is back in business so does it’s owner but I will be with you in a second” here we go, I can’t blame her because she has done her best to give me all her attention and do the utmost with remaining at home, it’s going to be a time where she has to go back to work “ok done, just had to send that message. Sorry poppa, I am just doing that. I will have to go New York, but I said I need to take my girls back to school for the first day at least, I know they will be upset if I don’t do it” I like that, Robyn is thinking of the kids now “so that is what you were doing?” I pointed at her phone “I did, they wanted me to come just now, like land there. I said no, I will skype, but I need to drop my girls off at school for the first time at least, but now I am wondering what they want” I chuckled “you’re a good person Robyn” placing my hand over hers, she is very much a good person.

Grabbing the suitcases out of the car, home sweet home I guess. Placing them on the ground, the gates opened up slowly which means the girls know we are here “you got the cases?” Robyn asked as she came around the car “yeah I do” I laughed seeing Imani running out “they are home!” Tianna spat, I didn’t want to come home but then I do because look at this, my daughters “awww my princess. Why you got this on” picking Imani up “you got this out” pinching her stomach, Imani hugged me so tight “I love you mama” pressing a kiss to the side of her face “awww you missed us that much” the girls are attacking us with love “look at that, the girls missed you both so much” Monica said as she looked at us all pleased, she looks so happy “you both look well” Monica complimented me, I just grinned at her “we had a good time, thank you so much. I think we have reconnected in many ways” Robyn smirked at me and then shook her head, I think we had a very good time to reconnect.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #384

“watch your tongue or have it cut from your head”

Do you post to say happy birthday on other people’s walls? Sometimes. Depends on my mood and the person. When was the last time you saw a rainbow? Idr. What’s your favorite television commercial? I don't watch TV enough at all to have one. And who has a favorite commercial, anyway? Do you trip a lot? I don't really trip a lot, but kinda fumble over my footing and stray a bit. I'm horrible at walking straight, and it's gotten worse as my legs have. How old is your television? The one in the living room is god knows how old. My parents were still together when they bought it. When did you last talk on the phone with someone? A couple days ago for my appointment with my psychiatrist. Are you currently sleepy? I'm quite convinced I'm permanently tired. Are you hot or cold natured? I am ALWAYS fucking hot, ugh. Do you take any advanced classes? I took mostly Honors classes in school. Do you have weak upper body strength? My body is just weak as a whole. What is the worst insult someone can call you? Emotionally weak. Are you good at sketching? If we're talking meerkats, haha. They're the only complex thing that I can freehand no problem without needing a reference, honestly. Ever play Angry Birds? Nah. I thought the movie was cute, though. Have you ever been to the zoo before? Yeah. Has anyone ever been weirdly obsessed with you? No. Are you afraid someone might steal your identity someday? It's not something I actively worry about at all. Like, you don't want my identity, I promise. Do you have any talents that come naturally? Growing up, adults always told me I was a "gifted" artist and writer. Also that I seem to have an unnaturally strong connection with animals. I've always been that person where a pet's owner is like "omg ____ never lets people do that" and whatnot. Have you ever had plastic surgery before? I haven't. It's funny though, how opposed to it I used to be... Like goddamn, I was such a fucking stupid and honestly judgmental teenager, regarding many things. I look back on her and cringe. Like damn dude, if you have a safe surgical procedure to help you enjoy the body you're stuck with the rest of your life, you go for it, boo. Are you afraid of airplane rides? Not really. What’s the best Valentine’s Day gift you’ve gotten? There was this one year where Jason had to go to work on Valentine's Day and I was super bummed, yet he still surprised me with a heart-shaped box of chocolates, roses, and a game I really wanted, Heavy Rain. I thought it was the sweetest. What is something you lose often? My phone. ;-; Do you enter a lot of sweepstakes? I don't enter any. Do you consider yourself physically active? *chuckles nervously* Do you have Netflix? Yeah. Favorite salad dressing? That Olive Garden replica you can buy at the store. Do you enjoy dancing? Once upon a time I did. My body could never handle it now. Have you ever considered writing a novel? Many times. Snow or sand? Snow, by twenty thousand miles. It is VERY hard for me to walk through sand, and I also hate hate hate hate HATE the sensation. Do you like sour candy? Heeeeeell yeah man. Have you gotten any injuries lately? If so, what & how? Nothing notable. Are you a clumsy person? Like you would not fucking believe. Last male you talked to in person? I think my primary physician's nurse. Are you thinking about asking anyone out? No. Pink lemonade or regular lemonade? Pink lemonade, for sure. But I love both. Chocolate or strawberry milk? CHOCOLATE. Strawberry milk is disgusting. Have you ever won a contest on the radio?No. Is there a song that reminds you of your best friend? There's quite a few. Has a book ever made you cry? Yes. Do you automatically check your phone when you wake up? Yes, for the time. Do you know anyone who has a pet bunny? Not that I'm aware. What store or website would you most like a gift card for? Rebel's Market. How do you feel about wolves? I adore wolves. Beautiful, majestic creatures with very interesting social dynamics. Name your top 3 favorite musical instruments. Electric guitar, violin, piano. What was the last book(s) you bought at a bookstore? At an actual bookstore, I think it was The Fault In Our Stars, which I never actually read. Do you use Pinterest? Yes. Do you know any sign language? No. Do you have a favorite poem? No. Do you have a dog? No. The one we were pretty much stuck with has a home now. Have you ever read The Little House on the Prairie series? I haven't. Have you ever gone on a service trip to an underprivileged country? No. Have you ever performed in front of more than 100 people? Yes, for dance. When (if ever) was the last time you went to church? Forever ago, I don't even remember the last time. What's a quote you think is really powerful? There's a whole lot. The first one that came to mind was, "An eye for an eye will leave the world blind," which I do believe has great depth in it. Have you ever had to do your laundry at a laundromat? Yes. Are you the oldest person who lives in your household? No. My mom is turning 60 (... I think?) this year. If you have tattoos, how long have you had them? I got my first the day I turned 18. Do you and your dad have similar personalities? We're alike in some ways, imo most notably in that we have NO fucking common sense, embarrassing as that is to admit. We're both kinda slow at understanding things, too. What were the last three things you had to drink? Mountain Lightning, milk, and water. What did your family usually do for Easter when you were a kid? Us three kids all got Easter baskets full of stuff, and we'd go egg-hunting when we were all awake. My little sister Nicole would always wake our parents up in excitement, haha. My parents hid plenty throughout the house, and there was always this one "special" egg that was actually from Mom's childhood and was extremely intricate and beautiful. You basically "won" the hunt if you found it, and it was extremely well-hidden. When you have house guests over, where do they sleep? Historically since living here, my two half-sisters and their spouses (the only people who've stayed over) slept in what is *technically* Mom's room, but for whatever reason this woman still insists on sleeping on the couch in the living room, I guess because she's used to it after all the years she didn't have her own room and bed. Are you emotionally stable? LOLOOLOLOOLLOLOOLOOLOLLOOLOLLLLLLLLLLL Do you still talk to the very first person you had sex with? No. Are you an atheist? No. I don't quite know how to define what I am, but since I believe there's SOME higher power, I don't think it's fitting to call me an atheist. What’s the largest bug you’ve ever found in your house? Hm... I'm unsure. Probably a male mosquito, 'cuz them bitches are big'ins. Would it annoy you if a stranger called you "sweetie?" If it was a man, I'd be creeped out. Are you into fashion design? Not really. What’s the worst thing you’ve gone through in the past year? My leg muscles continuing to degrade, honestly. I have to do something about this shit. How did you get your last bruise? I fell when stepping over the stupid dog gate. Have your parents ever forgotten your birthday? Yikes, no. Would you rather have some bacon or beef jerky? Bacon. Do you like your orange juice with lots or no pulp? NONE. Do you wear skinny jeans? Back when I wore jeans, they were the only kind I wore. What projects are you doing now for school? I'm outta school. What’s the most number of comments you have on a Facebook picture? What is the picture of? I have no idea. Do you like coconut flavored things? No. Have you ever met a famous author before? No. Do you know anybody who has been raped before? No, thank god. I know someone who might've almost been, though. I don't know what the fucking pig was going to do to her if my sister and I weren't there. Have you ever wished for bigger boobs? No. Being overweight, I just want smaller ones now, haha. Have you ever gone a full day without interacting with another person? I've gone many days without it. How many relationships have you been in that lasted less than a year? Four, if you're counting everyone that had the "boyfriend" title. Where were you going the last time you were on a plane? Home from Illinois. Where were you going the last time you were on a train? I've never been on one. Have you ever been significantly more physically fit than you are now? Holy fuck, yes. You would never guess now that I was perfectly healthy in high school especially, yet I still thought I was kinda fat. It hurts so much to look back on. When growing up, did you parents keep the house very tidy? I mean not excessively, but Mom was pretty dedicated to keeping the house in decent condition. With three kids though, of course the house was somewhat messy with toys and all. When you shop at IKEA, do you always stop to eat a snack/meal in the cafeteria? ... There's a fucking cafeteria in a furniture store? o_o I've never been there before. How many watches do you own? None, save for one in my "treasure box" from when I was a kid. I was SO SO SO obsessed with Finding Nemo that I kept my broken one. I did the same with my horribly aged sneakers, like the soles were coming off and Mom finally made me stop wearing them, ha. Are there any ways in which you greatly differ from everyone else in your family? I do fucking nothing and am useless to society. Should teenagers be allowed to have their cell phones with them in class? Yes, because emergencies happen. I personally think it's best to maybe have your cell phone flipped over on the corner of your desk or something and on vibrate, that way the noise isn't too disruptive and the teacher can see you're not just using it for other purposes. Do you have any gay relatives? Yes. Have you ever had to have a pet put down? Sigh, multiple. Have you unfollowed, deleted, or blocked anyone on social media recently? If so, what was the reason? Not recently. How many cups of coffee do you typically drink per day? None. Do you know what your vocal range is? No, but it's not very broad. What’s the biggest financial mistake you’ve ever made? I haven't been in this position before. Have you ever been in a relationship where there was a large difference in maturity levels? No. What’s the longest you’ve ever stayed as a guest at someone’s house? I wanna say over a month while we were technically homeless. How bad was your acne when you were a teenager? Oh dear, it was rough. Like there were people who had it worse than me, but ya girl was lookin preeeetty rough lmao.