#anyways that chapter was mind blowing I have so many thoughts and I am devastated

[ariana1881]

whoever the fuck coloured the panel of Deku with no arms

[dailybeastarsthings]

Chapter 7 - Lunch Date With My Victim 7.1. Eden's Errand Boy

It was awfully quiet. Haru and the boys looked each other straight in the eye but no one said a single word. The wind was gently blowing, mixing the fragrance of the thousand blossoms into the air, gently caressing the animals’ noses. Finally, Haru broke the silence…

‘I don’t usually have visitors in the Gardening Club, so this is really a pleasant surprise’ she said.

The other two were still speechless, sunken deep in thought. Haru was pacing them with her eyes, waiting for them to say anything.

‘My word, they are helpless’ she thought. ‘I wonder what they might be thinking.’

Both boys were uncomfortable with the situation. Legoshi could feel his stomach shake. He just wanted to leave this mess, never to come back.

‘It’s the girl from that night! I didn’t think she’d be so small… I must leave… now!’ he thought. ‘But what excuse do I make…? Stomachache or perhaps emergency bathroom break? How about »I just remembered, I’ve got some errands to take care of!«? Yeah… I think that might work.’

‘Oh, umm… I…’ Legoshi tried to say but Kibi was faster.

‘Oh, I just remembered some errands I have to take care of!”

Legoshi was devastated. Just when he came up with the perfect excuse, it was used against him to leave him in the stickiest of situations. He sent a shocked and angry look towards Kibi. If looks could kill, Kibi would’ve died right then and there. Legoshi crouched down to him.

‘Wait, why are you leaving?’ he whispered.

‘Sorry, I’ll buy you an ant shake, but please don’t try to stop me’ Kibi replied. ‘I’ll leave the rest to you – I owe you one.’ And with that, he said his goodbyes to Haru and left through the rusty green door.

As Haru watched them fight, she thought of two possible reasons, why the other two acted like this. One, they were seriously afraid of girls. Two, this was some sort of act on their sides – perhaps a prank of the Drama Club.

‘I thought you came here to get some flowers for the New Student Welcome Event’ she said, momentarily breaking the tension. ‘Am I wrong?’

‘No, of course not!’ Kibi replied to her. ‘We’re gonna need your flowers… It’s just that I really need to take care of some errands. This friendly wolf knows everything you need to know’ he said with a forced smile from the other side of the entrance. Legoshi sent some devastating glares towards him. He tried his best to make Kibi stay, but all was in vain.

‘Look, I’m really sorry about this’ Kibi said. ‘You need to do this for the Drama Club, okay?’

He could finally gather enough strength and slammed the door on Legoshi, almost jamming his fingers in the process.

There was at least a good half minute of awkward silence before anyone said anything.

‘We’re alone’ Legoshi thought.

‘Well, your friend’s gone’ Haru said, while dusting off her uniform. There was some mud on it from watering the flowerbeds at the back of the club previously. ‘It’s always the bad rumors that spread the fastest. I probably scared him off.’ Haru sighed.

Legoshi was still afraid to say a word.

‘Well, all boys are scared of girls in some respect, so it doesn’t really bother me’ Haru said while putting her hands on her waist. ‘Are you different?’ she asked Legoshi with a soft smile on her face.

‘No… not really’ Legoshi responded – his ears drooped.

‘This can’t be happening right now’ he thought. ‘I literally tried to eat you! Of course I’m scared of talking to you! I don’t have the right to talk to you!’

‘Every club gets busy every year, trying to do something big for the event. What club are you in?’ Haru asked, trying to finally break the ice.

‘The Drama Club…’ Legoshi answered. He really just wanted to get this over with. ‘I’m a stagehand and I really need flowers to decorate the assembly hall.’

He handed Dom’s plans to Haru about the decoration. She inspected them thoroughly.

‘I see. So you want to decorate with roses, huh? Well, you shouldn’t decorate the entire hall with pure red roses. They are very poisonous.’

‘Oh, I see…’

‘I’ve got many other roses of many different colors. I’ll show them to you.’

‘Thank you.’

Haru took the lead from then on and they walked to a huge flowerbed, covered densely in roses of all colors. The rabbit girl was not kidding; every color of the rainbow was there, proudly blooming in the golden rays of sunshine, emitting their incredible fragrance in the air for everyone to smell. It was a sight to behold and a scent to enjoy. But Legoshi still couldn’t escape his thoughts.

‘Her head is so far away from mine. I bet she sees the world in a much different way than I do. This may be the first time I’ve ever talked to a small animal.’

‘See, here they are’ Haru said. ‘You can take as many as you want… On one condition.’

‘What condition?’ Legoshi asked nervously. ‘Damn, I can’t look her in the eye!’ he thought.

‘Well, these plants are like my children and I won’t give them away for free. Could you take those plants over to that other flowerbed? I’ll be perfectly honest, I really care about these children, but a girl can only do so much by herself’ she said while pointing towards a dozen of potted plants.

Legoshi sent a kind of confused look towards Haru, but he still agreed to help.

‘It’s settled then’ Haru said, while grabbing Legoshi’s tail. She squeezed it under his suspenders. The situation was definitely shocking for the shy wolf.

‘What are you doing?’ he asked.

‘I can’t just have you break my plants with this big monster tail of yours. Don’t worry, I won’t chop it off’ Haru giggled.

‘She... touched me…’ Legoshi thought.

Legoshi had never seen a small animal touch a large-breed carnivore before, but to experience it himself was something he would’ve never even imagined in his life. After all was settled, Legoshi picked up one of the pots Haru instructed him to and carried it to its new place: next to the club’s fence.

‘I’m a third year student by the way’ Haru said. ‘Which year are you in?’

‘I’m a second year.’

There were quite many of the pots Legoshi had to carry but it was not a task he couldn’t manage. He actually began to enjoy himself and started to become more open towards Haru.

‘Are there any other members in this club?’ he asked.

‘You don’t have to be so formal. There were two older students before but they graduated four years ago. No one joined ever since.’

Legoshi was surprised and amazed. ‘Wow! She’s been taking care of all these plants for four years all by herself? What’s this if not dedication?’

After putting the last pot at the designated area, he picked up a notepad he found nearby. On it, he found a calendar, on which besides the weather, there was a detailed list of the days’ achievements, and how the plants were progressing.

‘It must be rough to do all this work alone’ Legoshi said.

‘Well, it’s not easy for sure, but there are other events where clubs need my flowers so it all works out’ Haru said, while watering some of the flowers nearby. After finishing, she picked up a pot with a beautiful lotus inside it and proceeded to put it to a place with more sun.

‘These plants are like my children: they need me. And I need them. Perhaps a wolf like you wouldn’t understand, but weak creatures need to live by depending on each other. Acting brave doesn’t do me any favors. Sometimes it could be fatal’ she said with a soft smile on her face.

These words sent Legoshi’s mind running to the events of that night. How he hunted down the rabbit girl, how he caused her injury and how she wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Zoe to break him away from his feral side. He looked at Haru’s arm and gulped. Seeing her wearing all those bandages was a painful sight for Legoshi, knowing it was because of him. ‘Don’t say a word’ he thought. But he couldn’t help himself.

‘What happened to your arm?’ he asked. ‘I know exactly. It was me! It was all me! I’m so cruel!’

‘Well... to be honest, I don’t know’ Haru said. Legoshi raised his eyebrows in surprise.

‘I wonder what it was though’ Haru continued. ‘I know it hurt a lot but I don’t have a clear memory of what happened.’

‘You don’t?’ Legoshi asked in disbelief.

‘Nope. Anyway, I’m sorry if I scared you or anything. I know it’s creepy for a small animal like me to be wearing a bandage now of all times, but I’m doing fine. I’m sure it was just a nightmare’ she said with a wide smile on her face.

Legoshi couldn’t believe what he just heard. Does he tell her, or keep it a secret forever? It would’ve ended horribly anyway – never seeing this rabbit again. He finally decided not to say anything else.

‘I bought some scarlet sage seeds by the way. Would you like to plant some with me?’ Haru asked.

‘Sure!’ Legoshi nodded. ‘Her words don’t fill me with salvation or guilt. I just can’t stop looking at her. I enjoy talking to her so much. I usually rarely enjoy getting to know others… I want to become her friend.’

The work was soon done with all the seeds planted and watered in just a couple of minutes. Gardening, of course however, is a dirty job so it’s no wonder both their hands were covered in mud and dirt.

‘We should probably go to the club room to wash our hands’ Haru said. Legoshi nodded in acceptance. The club room was only a few steps away. When they arrived there, they washed their hands with warm water.

The room was filled with furniture and books mostly. There was a bed in the corner with a desk next to it. A table full of pots and watering cans. Underneath the table were pesticides and on the walls, there were gardening tools neatly placed. Even though it felt quite crowded, Legoshi felt cozy in that environment.

‘Thank you so much for moving all those heavy plants for me! They haven’t been feeling well at all, but now they can recover and have flowers, too. Let me give you a reward. What kind of food do you like?’

Legoshi was surprised by the question. Did that rabbit really just ask him about his favorite foods? Does she actually want to spend more time with him?

‘Well, honestly, I’m not really hungry right now’ Legoshi said. ‘But I’m in the mood for some ant shakes. What do you think?’

Haru nodded in agreement and together, they headed for the cafeteria for their late afternoon snacks: shakes.

[wolfnitewrites]

The Birth of a Superhuman Society

If you didn’t see the post before this, go look at that. This story is a multi-part story, each part acting like chapters, and posting each part every Tuesday. Each part is about 10 pages. ENJOY THE STORY! :>

Finally, this was what I have been waiting for. I watched the clock on the wall of the classroom. Tick. Tick. Tick. Every second felt like hours. It was the final five minutes of school. The teacher was in the front, using the chalkboard explaining our summer work. Who uses a chalkboard anymore anyway? None of the class was paying attention. Well they were, but not to what they were supposed to be looking at. Everyone stared at the clock on the wall. Waiting so patiently. Tick. Tick. Tick.

I looked around the class. I saw sweat dripping down their faces. Everyone was twitching, ready to leap out of their seats and run out the door as soon as the bell rang. I was glad people were exatic to get out of school. I wasn’t as much.

My family helps run a small company were a crew of people look for remains of old crashes of plains and sunken ships in the water. It's called Project Pacific. This year my family wants to ruin my summer and make me go searching for items in the sea. This summer isn’t going to be fun at all. I had nothing to look forward to at all.

“RING!” That was it, the bell finally went off. Our science teacher, Mr. Peters was still trying to present something but he was cut short by everyone leaving as soon as possible. What could he do anyway? It was the final minutes of school. It wasn’t like he was gonna make us stay in detention anyway, everyone wanted to go home.

“Is that who I think it is?” A voice cut through the air like a knife cutting vegetables, or a bullet being shot at a firing range. To me, it was more like a bullet being shot at a firing range, but I was the target. 

“It is!” The voice yelled again. I have been tormented over and over again by this kid since the first grade. God how I hated everything about him. I never had one normal day of schooling in my life thanks to him. 

“Come on Jay,” I yelled back. “It’s the last day of school, do you really want to do this now?” That wasn’t even a question though. I had already known the answer before I even asked it. I tried making a break for the front door before he could lunge at me, hoping I could make it close enough for the principal to do something about it. I quickly realized that I was too slow for that though. He always catches up to me. No matter how fast I try to run. I was a frail child and was horrible at any physical activity.

“What’s up loser?” He spoke in this condescending way. I knew if I said the wrong thing, my ass would be on the ground. And I will be wailing in pain on the ground as he laughs at my expense. 

“Uh, the sky obviously.” That was the worst mistake I have made this year. I should’ve remembered he never liked joking around. Before I could even turn to look at the angry expression on his face, I had gotten thrown to the ground. Lying there defenceless as he beat the crap out of me. No one came to help me. It felt like he had broken all my bones in my body with only a couple kicks. No teachers, or kids helped me. All of the students that passed us in the hall giggled and went along. 

I tried to get up, but got kicked straight in the face. My body ached in pain as I felt more and more kicks going into my side, chest and getting my legs stomped on. I learned to cope with the pain. I tried to scream out for help but the pain in my body was too much.

“No crying,” I told myself. “You’ll only fuel his need for torment.”

I think everyone in the school had already left besides me. And Jay. My body felt like I was shot fifty times by someone who very much wanted me to die. Like I was stabbed fifty times in the chest. 

As I turned over to my stomach, I saw. Blood. Dripping on the floor, from my face. This is the worst beating I have ever got from Jay, and they were all pretty bad. This was a new level though.

“Did that asshole wear cleats or steel toe boots just to kick the crap out of me?” I thought to myself. You would think that would be a crazy thought, but that would not be the stupidest thing he had done just to hurt me. I don’t think he wanted me dead just yet. He still had to beat me up more in the future.

When he finally walked away, I tried to stand. But I slipped on my own blood on the floor. I could barely move my arms. My vision was getting blurrier by the second. I tried to scream for help one last time, but I couldn’t. I passed out.

When I woke up, I was in the Jungle. You could see trees and plants as far as the eye could see. It looked amazing. It looked like something out of a movie. Truly, it looked like it was on another planet covered in the purest green. I quickly checked my legs, stomach and felt around my face. No broken bones or bruises.

“Is this a dream?” I wondered to myself as I wondered about the beautiful landscape. I walked for a bit then I saw some people sitting, looking off into the abysse of trees and bushes. I went closer to them. I felt super tired, the sun beating on my head and the occasional breeze all made me drowsy. I had a lot of questions and I needed answers. 

When I reached them, their necks looked as rough as bark on a tree. Rough enough to cut your hand if you just did so much as touch it. There was a dim light glowing from the center of where they were sitting. Progressively getting brighter and brighter. It was the prettiest light show I have ever seen. 

The wooden people turned their necks to face me.

“Touch the light.” 

“Who said that?” I looked at the wooden people, one of them was looking straight in my eyes.

“Touch the light, young one.” The wooden man grabbed my arm, cutting me in the process. “Ow!” I yelled, but the wooden man didn’t care. He was forcing my hand closer and closer to the light. I tried to resist him, but every escape attempt I tried to do, he tightened his grip.

Then. I touched it. The wooden man had made me touch the light. 

“Listen, young one,” The man said. “There is an evil out in the world somewhere and this power will help you fight it. These other men here are the past wielders of this power. You must train your body to control this power and fight this evil.” After that, he was gone. They were gone, then the whole landscape started to fade into blackness. I still had so many questions. 

“What is this power, what is this great evil.” 

I started to gain consciousness. I saw a bright light that covered my whole vision. As my eyes adjusted to the light I saw, my whole family. Next to them, all my friends and people that cared about me. I panically looked around my surroundings. I was hooked up to an I.V. 

“Hey hey hey,” I saw a doctor charging at me. “Calm down, you will be alright.” 

“Where am I?” I could barely get the words out.

“You are in the ICU. You got beaten up very badly. You have been out for almost a week,” said the doctor. “A week?” I thought to myself. Did that bastard beat me up that badly? That was the least of my worries, though. What I was worrying about was this power that was supposedly inside me. Also the evil that I was warned about. 

When I was let out of the hospital, I was covered in stitches and bandages. Although my face wasn’t in pain anymore, I could still feel all the scars on my face. My legs were broken in 3 different places, and one of my arms in four. 

“What a way to start off my summer,” I said almost on the verge of crying. “At least you will be able to get out of your casts soon,” My mom said as we were driving home from the hospital. “The doctor said your body started healing at a record speed when you awoke.” Was this the power the wooden man had given me? A power to speed up recovery from injuries? 

The rest of the ride home was silent. It was like my mom was scared to talk to me about what happened at the school. With Jay. 

“Hey Mom,” I wanted to ask about what I missed, but I couldn't get Jay out of my mind. “What happened with Jay?” She didn’t answer. When we got home. my Mom didn’t even turn around to face me. It was like she was frozen, like she just saw a ghost. I looked over my Mom’s shoulder, and I saw someone pointing a gun at her. 

“I see,” The man said. He sounded annoyed, like someone playing a game of keep away with his phone or something. “You are who they chose to wield the power next.” How did he know about this power? Was this the evil I had to defeat? It just looked like a regular guy wanting to commit crimes.

“Who are you!” I yelled. I felt my body getting stronger. My muscles started tensing up, like they were getting ready to get hit. Like what Jay did to me all those times.

“Death.” I saw his eyes squint, and his finger moving to the trigger. It was all in slow motion, though. It looked like I was watching a movie. He was going to shoot my mother! For some reason, at that moment it occurred that he wasn't aiming the gun at me, he was aiming it at her. Basically the only person I had left besides a few select family members. “Is this the evil those people were talking about?” I thought to myself. I felt my feet start moving, Like they were running. Completely on their own. Running at the evil in the world. The one who was going to kill my Mom.

Instinctively, I reached out for the gun. It was too late, though. He had already shot the gun at my mother. I watched as the bullet left his gun, and shot through the air like a baseball being thrown down the field to the catcher for the last out in a game. 

“Mom!” I screamed out, hoping she would turn into the flash and dodge the bullet. I knew that wouldn’t happen, but one could hope, right? 

I turned to the man, he was looking so smug it was killing me. How could one be proud of killing someone. I was filled to the brim with pure rage. Without thinking, I started charging at him, with my right hand clenched. Hoping to deliver a devastating blow straight to his skull.

“Pff, you're slow,” The man said as he dodged me. Slow!? How dare he call me slow. I landed my feet on the house, and tried to lunge at the man running after he shot my mother. 

“Ahhhh!” I yelled out in pain. I felt a sharp pain shoot up my legs and arms. They were broken again. Just a second ago they were fine, what happened?

“How did this happen?” I asked myself. “I didn’t even get hit by his fist, I would’ve felt it.” All the adrenaline was still pumping through my body so it didn’t hurt as much as it should’ve.

“Mom!” I yelled to my mother, hoping she was still alive. “Are you okay?” My mom turned her head to look at me. I saw a puddle of blood around her that I didn’t notice before. She couldn’t speak. She was in too much pain. I noticed she was trying very hard, though.

I crawled over to her with the limited mobility I had after breaking my legs and arms. I tried to search her pockets for her phone so I could call 911, but it was too late. 

“It’s too late for me.” She said in the frailest voice I have ever heard as she grabbed my hand, trying to stop me from reaching her phone. 

When I felt her grip loosen, I knew she was gone. Just five minutes ago we were in the car, driving home. I wish I could have talked to her more. Only if I knew that would be the last time we would see each other, alive and well. That was in the past now. 

“HELP!” I cried out in pain. Not just for myself, for my now deceased Mom. Or at least I thought she was deceased. “Can anyone hear me!?” I cried out again. I saw someone looking out of their window, and then looked straight at me. Then he disappeared. My vision was starting to blur, like when I had the crap beat out of me.

“Not again,” I said, trying to stay awake. “Not this again, come on. I can stay awake.” The effects that the adrenaline had on me were wearing off, and I started to feel more and more pain. “I can bear this pain, come on, just stay awake for a little longer.” 

Not much time had passed and I heard the sound of a siren.

“Did someone call 911 for us?” I was so grateful, but my injuries prohibited me from celebrating.

“Look Mom,” I said, hoping for my mom to still be alive. “Someone called 911 for us. Before I saw the ambulance, I blacked out. What felt like seconds later, I had awoken again. I wasn’t on the ground anymore, though. But inside the back of an ambulance for the second time in a month.

“He’s awake, thank god.” One of the paramedics said out of pure relief. “Your broken bones were pretty bad, but they healed super fast.” My vision was still blurry but I could sort of see the interior of the ambulance. I didn’t see my Mom though.

“Where,” I said, trying to get the words out. I felt so weak, I could barely even keep my eyes open. “Where is my Mom?” All the paramedics looked at each other like it was a hard math equation they had to find the answer to. 

“Get some sleep now, you have had a pretty stressful day.” 

“No,” I said. Why didn’t they give me an answer when I asked. “Where is my Mom?” From what I could see, they looked. Almost worried. 

“I told you to get some sleep,” one of the paramedics said. His expression made him look and sound like he was annoyed. I saw him shimmy his way over to a container that was hooked up to me. It took me a while to figure out that I had a breathing mask on, and that container was controlling how much oxygen was getting to me. I mean what else could it be for. I’m no doctor. “Tssss” I heard a hissing sound coming from the container. 

“What are you doing?” I asked the man who was letting the mystery gas through the tube into my breathing mask. I started to feel drowsy, like I hadn’t slept in three days. Was he forcing me to sleep? Was this even legal? The last thing I saw before I was asleep. Was another smug look. 

When I awoke for what felt like the five hundredth time that day, I was on a hospital bed. I still had a mask on my face, but there wasn’t anything else abnormal attached to me. It was like I was at my annual physical, with a breathing mask. I mean, I’m forced to wear one when going to bed because I have trouble breathing while sleeping. I even had to go to the hospital once because I almost died in my sleep because there was not enough air getting into my body. So I got used to wearing it.

“That didn’t take long” A doctor said as she peaked around the corner. “Your wounds healed up rather quickly, and the knockout gas didn’t last either.” Knockout gas? Was that guy forcefully making me breathe in knockout gas? 

“Where is my Mother?” I was very worried about her. I think anyone in the right mind would worry about their Mother that got shot. 

“Well,” the woman said. “We did find a heartbeat. It was very faint, but it was there. Your Mother is in critical condition, though. She may not last another week, if she is lucky.” Every single last one of those words hurt me. It felt like I was being beaten to death again, but with words. 

“Will she pull through?” That was a stupid question. I knew the answer already. She just said everything about my Mom’s condition. After the doctor heard my question, she looked confused. She was probably thinking why I asked that stupid ass question. Then she walked out. She didn’t even take my breathing mask off.

“How rude!” I thought to myself. 

A little while later I was called out into a proper check-up area. It had been so long since I had been in one. Whenever I get my check-ups, it’s usually in an x-ray area. I’m not sure why, but my Mom used to make depressing faces when she saw the results. I never thought much of it though. 

Finally after an hour of waiting, a doctor came in. My vision was getting better so I could see his nametag. Oh nice, his name was Zach. That is my best friend's name. That was cool to me, I’m not sure why though.

“Lay down on the bed,” he said in a shallow, scratchy voice. Then he went away, typing on the computer. 

“Seager, Micheal. Height, 6,1. Weight, 170, Age, 17” I got offended when I saw the height. 

“Hey,” I said. “I’m 6,2, not 6,1.” I have no idea why I wanted to correct him. I did anyway though. 

“Yeah whatever,” He said in response. I don’t think he liked his job much. After that he proceeded to do the normal check-up stuff. You know, see if your back is straight. See if you had trouble breathing, which I did. And check vision.

“This is your second time to the hospital this month,” He said. “Is that correct?”

“Yes it is.”

“Can you tell me anything about this time, why are you here again?” He said, I could tell he was waiting to ask me that question. His voice became a little more, lively and not as though it was the devil talking. I knew if I told the whole truth, he wouldn’t believe me and he would probably send me to therapy.

“Uh,” I said. I wonder what excuse I could make. “Well, I saw the guy pointing a gun at my Mom, so I tried to run over to her to try and prevent her from getting hurt. The next thing I knew I was in the back of an ambulance.” I hope he believed my story. It wasn’t that far off from the truth anyway.

“I see. So did you see the man’s face that held your Mom at gunpoint?” I tried thinking of an evil face. One that looked like they could kill someone if they wanted to. I could only think of Jay, though. I couldn’t seem to think of the man’s face that shot my Mom.

“No sorry, I don’t remember his face.” I was disappointed in myself. I have always been able to remember faces way too well. More so than anything else. These were different times though. New times. 

“I see,” The doctor went back to his old way of talking. Shallow and scratchy. “So you don’t remember anything about when you and our mother were held at gunpoint?”

“Well, when I asked him what his name was, he replied death. It was such a strange answer, but fitting.” He looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe he was going to be sent to a therapy class afterall.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Dr. Zack said after minutes of typing on his computer. “You’re free to go” He said that like I was in a prison, finally getting free’d from my sentence.

“Thank you.” I had no idea where I should go, though. My Mom is still in the ICU, so I had no one to pick me up.

I was traveling the hall, then I saw a familiar face running down the hall. It was the nurse that greeted me when I awoke. 

“There you are,” She said. “Micheal, I need to talk to you.” I was worried about what she needed to talk to me about. Was it about my Mom’s condition, if it was I wasn’t in the mood for my day to be ruined.

“Uh,” I said, completely caught off guard. To think of it, I wasn’t going to be able to work at my Project Pacific. “What do you need? Is it about my Mom?” 

“No it’s not,” She said. “It’s about your living arrangement. After your Dad found out about your and your mothers hospitalization, He went crazy and is nowhere to be found.” Of course he wasn’t around, I mean he was never around to begin with. Now he is truly missing, though.

“What about my living arrangement?” I asked. Since my Dad was missing, I had nowhere to stay, and I did not want to live in a foster home. Where else could I stay, though.

“You actually have options,” she said. I was very happy when I learned that I actually had choices. “You can either stay in a very nearby hotel with a gym. You also have the choice of staying in the hospital, but we may fill up rooms soon because there are a lot of reckless people out there. Or if you really wanted to, you could stay in a foster home.”

It wasn’t even a hard choice though. I am of course picking the hotel because I need the gym to strengthen my body. To fight back against anyone.

“Uh” I said. “I’ll pick the hotel. How would I pay for it though?”

“That’s the thing,” She replied without even pausing to think about what she was saying. “The hospital would pay for two months of living in the hotel, with the maids checking in on you throughout the day to make sure you are okay. You also have the option of visiting your Mom whenever you feel like.” This was great news! I could somewhat have my summer back. Having the freedom of living by myself before I even turn 18!

[tomorrowsdrama]

Hyena Ep. 16

I’m baaack!  Kind of.  I think I hit that point in my quarantine life where I kind of lost my mind so I went on an unexpected hiatus that lasted longer than intended.  I know it’s been over a month after the finale of Hyena but here are my ramblings.  This post is super long so I’ll save my thoughts on the series as a whole for another post.

Objectively, it was a pretty good finale that was entertaining and wrapped up the important plot lines.  We even got some sweet otp moments (more on that later) and satisfying smackdown of the bad guy.  But subjectively?  Personally?  Purely based on my selfish expectations?  I wanted more romance!  More sexiness!  I wasn’t expecting a wedding or anything like that but, not even one kiss?  Or a long embrace?  Why????

I mean, how can you give me all this sexy chemistry in the promos:

And then not make use of it in the finale?  That’s just not fair I say!  I feel bamboozled!

Ep. 16

Anyway, let’s talk about the parts I enjoyed of the finale.  This is mainly (99%) going to be about the moments between Geum Ja and Hee Jae.  So on the morning of episode 16, way back when, I woke up so excited for the finale.  Since this was the last episode, surely there will be a kiss!  And surely it would be epic given the chemistry between JJH and KHS.  I mean did you see that kiss in episode 8?  So when we started off the episode with the scene of Hee Jae telling Geum Ja he didn’t want to see her hurt anymore, I was amped.  Yes, we’re starting off strong with the romantic scenes I thought.

How can you not fall for him?

Geum Ja, you are not a gangster, you do not need to show your story through the scars on your body.  Joking aside, it’s sad that she’s been through so much in life that she has the scars to prove it. 

I love that Hee Jae says this half-sarcastically but you can tell that he truly does not want Geum Ja to go through any more pain/suffering.  And it’s his sincerity that makes Geum Ja smile so softly.  And this is where they kiss right?

Nope, he gets a hearty bro punch in the shoulder.

Cut for lots of caps and ramblings.  It’s a bit of a mini novel, you’ve been warned!

Mmm I loved how many scenes of concerned Hee Jae we got in this episode.  

Geum Ja screams from a nightmare and Hee Jae immediately runs into the office to check on her.  The only way he could have reacted so quickly is if he was sitting outside the office guarding Geum Ja which...AHHH I think I’ve just died and gone to hurt/comfort heaven.  Just look at JJH’s face.

EEE!  I audibly squealed when Geum Ja said this.  Ok, now I’ve truly died.  Geum Ja?  Asking to be comforted?  By Hee Jae?  What?  This is major.  She’s finally letting down her walls a little bit around Hee Jae and allowing herself to be vulnerable.  Keep on leaning I say!  Lean all the way into bed.

Omg and then she showed concern over Hee Jae’s own emotional state despite her own trauma.  His dad totally betrayed him just a few hours ago so Hee Jae’s having a pretty shitty day too.  But of course, Hee Jae is only concerned about Geum Ja.  Ahh, how many times is he going to make me swoon in this episode?  

Feet piled on top of each other?!  Are they finally in bed together?

Of course not.  Unfortunately, this isn’t that type of drama.  SIGH.  But this is still very sweet and squeal-inducing.

Have I talked about how much I love JJH’s little sly smirks?

I love that these two fools can’t stop worrying about the other.  Geum Ja knows better than anyone how deep emotional scars caused by a parent can be.  On top of that, Hee Jae’s father was someone he respected and loved, so the blow is even bigger.  I just really like it when my otp show how much they care about each other, ok?

Look at that smile on Hee Jae’s face.  It’s like there’s no other place he would rather be than next to Geum Ja. 

No, please don’t.  Y’all are not 12.  Please get at least a queen size bed with plenty of room for two adults to move around in and do...adult things lol.

And then.  AND THEN!  Geum Ja takes the initiative and turns over towards Hee Jae.  She’s finally the one taking the first step towards him without any prodding.  And Hee Jae smiles to himself and follows her lead to turn over also.  And then the two fools smile lovingly at each other as they fall asleep.  Omg, excuse me, I need a moment.  I’ve temporarily passed on to the other side from sheer otp happiness.

This moment was just too good.  I literally raised both my arms up into the air and cheered when I first watched this episode.  I thought, wow the writers are feeding us so well.  They’re showering us with so many romantic scenes.  The otp caring for each other?  Being tender with each other?  Sharing a “bed?”  I don’t want to ever get off this love train, keep it coming!  This is only the first third of the episode so surely it can only go up from here.

And then it ended on a comedic note.  I guess I should have seen that coming.  This is SBS, not TVN (or JTBC from the looks of The World of the Married).  Hah, well I suppose they both had a pretty tiring day so it’s understandable that they would not have much energy to do anything else.

It’s the little everyday things like asking if she’s ok that get me.

(JJH I thirst for you.)

Suuuuure you are.

Lol, he wouldn’t be Hee Jae if he didn’t pull something childish/petty.  At least Geum Ja is amused by it and finds it cute now.  Get you a man who can be both your emotional support and amusing bratty boyfriend.

Geum Ja does end up meeting Hee Jae for dinner and he can’t help but smile a little.  Gosh, it takes so little from Geum Ja to make him happy.

(damn, look at that profile!)

So some time during this episode, Geum Ja’s adoptive father died off-screen from the stab wound he sustained while stopping her assailant.  At first, I went “Huh, that’s it?”  But then the more I thought about it, the more I liked how matter-of-factly it was treated.  It’s certainly consistent with how Geum Ja deals with things.  Also, she faced her demons/him in a previous episode so you could say that she already resolved that chapter of her life.  

Still, you could tell that she’s not completely unaffected by it.  KHS’s acting in this scene is so good. You can tell there’s more to it than what she’s saying just by the little subtle changes in her expression.  I can only imagine the many complicated feelings she must be experiencing.  

On the one hand, he’s the worst part of her past life and surely deserved to die.  But on the other hand, unintentional or not, he died saving her.  Geum Ja does not state this with any affection or sentimentality in her voice.  It is merely something that happened.  Thank goodness the writers did not try to redeem him in the last minute.  One good deed does not make up for all the violence and abuse inflicted on her and her mother.  

Anyway, all that muddled history and emotions would make anybody conflicted.  They really handled it the best way they could - simply state what happened and move on.  No hate, no praise, no sadness.  He was a terrible man who paid the ultimate price and died.  I like that Hee Jae understands not to push the matter any further and changes the subject.

Bro, you’re delusional if you think you still have a chance with her.  

And then we get to the ubiquitous Big Shareholder Meeting that we see so often in dramas.  I love how Geum Ja is so ballsy in everything she does and she does it all in her comfy tracksuits. Of course the Big Shareholder Meeting does not go as planned and Song Pil Jung gets arrested.

God I love the look on Geum Ja’s face.  It screams “is this guy still talking to me?”

Can I just say, I love how utterly brutal Geum Ja is in her rejection of Kevin Jung.  Woof, ouch.  If I ever heard that from someone I liked, I would be so devastated and embarrassed, I’d find a dark hole to bury myself in and lick my wounds.  But of course, Kevin, like all the other men who fall for Geum Ja, seems to be into it.  It takes a certain type of man to go for Geum Ja and apparently that type is a total masochist who likes getting rejected and their heart ripped out.  I mean, to each their own.

I like whenever they do their power couple strut.

A bro fist bump?  Really?  Hm, I never really fist bumped the guys I dated but that’s cool I guess.  They’re going in to destroy Song Pil Jung so I guess a fist bump is appropriate.

Hm, I don’t know.  It seems like you’re the one who got arrested.

Bro.  Mister.  Are you for real?  Did you forget all the shitty things you did to her?

Yeah, that’s kind of a big deal I think.

SO. SATISFYING.  Whew honey, this exchange gave me life.  My skin has cleared, my bank account is full, and I’ve lost 5 pounds.

Yessss I am all for this nerdy JJH in glasses and turtleneck sipping on expensive instant coffee aesthetic. 

The couple that taunts together, stays together?

Hahahahaha, Hee Jae talking about being professional at work? Hahahahha.

I live for jealous Hee Jae because he’s extra ridiculous whenever he’s jealous.  In this scene he’s getting jealous over Ju-Ho calling Geuma Ja “noona” and it’s like come on, they’re foster siblings.  Let him call her noona.  Side note, Netflix translates “noona” into Eun-Young, Geum Ja’s real name, and it irks me.  Couldn’t they have just translated it into “sis” instead?

Now we’re around the 55 minute mark and I’m thinking, okay this is probably where it’s going to end.  This is when it’s going to happen.  They don’t have that much time left in the episode.  All right, give me us all that we’ve been waiting for.

(Good looking main stays looking good.)

You can’t ever accuse Hee Jae of not being committed to Geum Ja.

We finally get an explanation for why Geum Ja always stared at that huge building

Haha, can you expect anything less from her character?  At this point, I’m looking at the remaining time and thinking, ok then, when’s that kiss gonna happen?

SHRIEKS WHAT ARE THOSE HIDEOUS THINGS ON HIS FEET?!  On another note, I’m sure Kim Hye Soo must be so glad she doesn’t have to wear those gigantic heels anymore.

Omg, ok, this is it.  We’re getting shots of beautiful sexy people strutting and being playful with each other.  They’re setting up for a romantic ending kiss.  Ok, time to prepare myself.

Yes, put your arms around each other.  We’re getting closer now.

Oh, ok.  I guess this will be a far away in the distance kind of kiss.  That’s ok, too I guess.

Oh, wait.  Never mind.  Looks like we’re going to get a frontal view of the ending kiss after all.  Even better!

What?  That’s it?  What?  Did I miss something?  This can’t be.

Oh whew.  An epilogue.  Ok, this is when it’s going to happen.

Hahaha, they’re totally using the vloggers to advertise for their law firm.  I love how Hee Jae has loosened up on what he thinks a proper lawyer should act like and it’s reflected in his more flamboyant wardrobe choices.

These damn fist bumps again.  All the time spent fist bumping could have been spent hugging and kissing.  Priorities, people!

Hah, like hell Hee Jae would ever leave Geum Ja.

Haha knew it.  Boy is more whipped than whipped cream.

This pretty much sums up their dynamic.  SIGH I’m not going to get my kiss am I.

Oh no.  That caption can only mean one thing.

Yeeep.  That’s it.  This is the end.  Finito.  

Well.  All right then.  You know, the first time I watched this episode, I felt very disappointed that there was no final kiss.  I mean the last time we saw them kissing was in episode 8 at the midpoint of the drama.  This drama was clearly a rom com/screwball comedy so it only seemed fitting that there would be one last kiss scene.  That’s how you end a romantic drama!  But alas.

Actually, upon re-watching and re-capping this episode, I realized that even though we did not get any kiss scene, the writers still gave us plenty of sweet moments between Hee Jae and Geum Ja.  We got to see their lovely progression into becoming partners who supported and trusted each other so that was nice.  Even though they’re clearly together now, it’s nice to see that they still have their playful bickering dynamic.  So objectively, it was a nice ending.  I just personally wanted more smooches.

If you made it through this entire post, thank you for expending so much time reading my ramblings and congratultaions on having so much patience!

[padfootagain]

The Flower Shop Around The Corner (V)

Part 5: Decisions To Be Taken

Here we go with a new chapter for this series! After the previous chapter, we need to take these two back on track, don't you think ;)

Alright, here we go! I hope you all like this :)

Gif not mine

Word Count: 3508

Chris couldn't help but be relieved that it was Saturday and he wouldn't have to see you at work. He didn't think he could have handled seeing you face to face after what had happened in the café. He didn't have the strength to play an act, and pretend that he wasn't Wallet Guy. Besides, he just didn't want to see you. He had his own disappointment to deal with.

He was angry against himself, actually. He was mad at himself for getting so involved in this grotesque joke. What had he been thinking in the first place? That it was a good idea to build such expectations upon a perfect stranger? That he was going to meet the woman of his dreams through letters exchanged in a flower shop? What kind of delusional idiot had he been? He didn't live in a world of romance and fairytales, reality was much cruder and crueller than that.

He finally stood up, leaving his bed, wearing nothing but his dark underwear. His hair a mess and fatigue deforming his features, colouring the skin under his eyes, he had not slept at all the previous night. He had laid there on his bed for hours, playing the whole scene over and over in his head, and thinking about how things could have unravelled if he had made different choices…

What if he had been kinder?

What if he had walked in as the Wallet Guy anyway?

But then again, he guessed that both options would have turned badly as well.

He reached for the box in which he had put all your letters. All these little notes you had left for him were gathered in that red shoebox he kept in his closet. He walked to the kitchen and opened the bin, ready to throw them all away. There was no use in keeping them. He had fallen for a dream, a chimera, a reverie, nothing real… It was all a travesty in the end, and he needed to get it out of his system, as if he had to sober up after a night spent drinking whiskey.

He was about to throw them all away. All your letters. He had opened the box and held it above the empty bin. But instead of throwing the papers away, he kept on staring at them. He looked at your handwriting tracing the words Wallet Guy.

He was surprised by the sob that shook his whole frame.

How could he care so much for someone he didn't like in real life?

But then… then these letters were real life too, he reckoned. They told the story of another part of your life, perhaps even deeper thoughts and secrets than the ones you shared with your friends. That's what he had been doing in his letters for you. This woman he had fallen for through these words was still there in you, he just needed to find her.

He took a few steps back, until he turned around and walked back to his bed, still holding the box filled with your letters.

He randomly picked one up, unfolded it and started to read it. You were talking about how strange it felt to always be moving because of your career. Now, he understood why. And the words echoed in his heart in such a way… because he felt exactly the same. It was as if you were speaking words he had longed to let out himself but had never been able to express. You were just speaking the way he felt.

He opened another, and he found himself in your words again. How you felt like the world was changing in a bad way. How everything was going too fast these days…

He spent the rest of the morning reading your letters. By the end of it, his eyes were red with tears, but his heart and mind were much more peaceful than before.

He couldn't give up on Peony Girl. He couldn't give up on this wonderful, kind and smart woman he had found. She was inside you, he just needed to find her.

In one of your letters, you had mentioned that you had a tendency to build walls around yourself. You struggled to let people in your little world. And now, Chris guessed that it was exactly what you did with him at work. You were acting cold because you were pushing him away.

Well then, all he had to do was break this wall of yours and he was sure to find Peony inside.

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

 The plan was simple. He had to learn to know you better as Y/N instead of Peony. Meanwhile, the Wallet Guy would keep writing to Peony Girl as if nothing had happened. And if he did find the precious Peony in Y/N then… well, then he would figure that out later on. One problem at a time was enough to solve.

As he walked through the busy street, along the border of Central Park, the sun was still hot and bright in this lovely evening. A soft breeze made the trees speak up and leaves whisper, blowing through his hair and carrying pieces of paper through its whirlwind. If it had not been from the pollution of the many cars and the speedy rhythm of New York City, Chris would have found the world most relaxing tonight.

But his nerves were breaking as he advanced towards the flower shop with Dodger. He noticed that he was pulling on his leash a little, and forced himself to slow down.

What if you didn’t come back to the flower shop? What if you gave up on him?

He couldn’t blame you if you did. After all, you were certain that he had not showed up the day before. This time, he reckoned you had a good reason to hate him.

As he opened the door, Carlotta's glare was enough to make him understand that he was not going to have a good time tonight. She finished taking care of her customer, a young man buying a romantic bouquet of red roses, and she waited for him to walk out of her shop to cross her arms before her chest.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she bluntly asked.

"What do you mean?" Chris feigned ignorance, but her glare only intensified.

"You didn't show! Why on Earth would you not go?! She waited for you for THREE HOURS!"

Chris winced, but also raised a soothing hand towards Carlotta. Her black eyes stared at him expectantly, her tanned skin turned a little redder than usual by anger.

"It's more complicated than this," he replied.

"There is nothing complicated about all this, Chris."

"I went."

"What?!"

She frowned hard, questions filling her stare.

"I went. I was there right on time."

"What… what happened then? Why did you not go talk to her?"

"I did go. I did talk with her."

"I don't understand."

"Did she mention one of her colleagues speaking with her while she waited?"

Carlotta stuttered, taken aback.

"Well… yes, as a matter of fact, she did. She said that he was very annoying."

"Yeah… I guess I can't deny that I was."

"WHAT?!"

She looked at him with her eyes wide-opened.

"I know her, Carlotta. In real life, I mean. I know her. We work together. And in a daily life, we can't stand each other. I…"

His voice broke and it took him a few seconds to collect himself again. Carlotta's gaze softened and she visibly relaxed, her shoulders dropping a little.

"I couldn't just… get in and tell her the truth. So, I played her colleague instead of Wallet Guy. And then I left. I didn't know what to do. I needed to think."

"She was so sad, Chris," Carlotta shook her head. "She was crying…"

She reached behind her counter and handed him a red envelope.

"I think she meant it as a farewell letter… she seemed quite… devastated."

Chris's jaw clenched at her words, but he took the letter anyway and tore the envelope open. And as he went through the letter, he could feel your pain oozing from the ink, from every letter traced, from every word drawn upon the page.

He had hurt you and he felt so guilty and disappointed in himself for it.

 Wallet Guy,

 I will not pretend that nothing happened. I will not start this letter the way I have begun so many others. I will not describe for you some beautiful detail I've seen this morning, nor a funny story, nor even complain about work or annoying friends.

Instead, I will be honest with you. I am so disappointed.

I don't understand what happened last night. You wanted to meet me, you proposed to do so. In your letters, you seemed happy and eager to finally see me face to face. So why have you not come?

I waited for you in this café. I watched couples walk in and out, old friends chatting and catching up on lost time. I've watched so many people spending their evening in laughter while I was waiting on my own. And the worst part in all of this is not even the way I felt. How stupid and terribly hurt I felt then. No, the worst part is that I do not know why.

Why did you not come?

Perhaps it is all my fault. If I were to be honest, I have let myself drift off towards a fond friendship towards you during these past weeks, maybe even more than that. Perhaps I was simply a fool to think that you felt the same way. I might have put my hopes too high and I should have known that an Icarus always falls back to the ground.

You have made my stay in New York so much more enjoyable than I could have dreamt of. And with time, I will keep a fond memory of you as my stranger writing me beautiful letters in a flower shop. But I reckon that if your behaviour speaks for the man you truly are, I was mistaken about you, to some extent, at least.

I wish things had been different. Once at home during the night, I imagined a million reasons for you not to come. I invented crazy scenarios and created stories to explain why you had left me there. An accident, an unknown sickness, even a burglary at your home, everything that I could come up with was used as an excuse. But now that the sun is up and my head a little clearer again, I know this isn't true, and you probably didn't have an excuse. And perhaps you even did come to the café, but walked away when you saw me. Perhaps I wasn't what you had imagined. If you were so superficial last night to reject me altogether solely on appearances, then perhaps it was for the best that you broke my heart so early on, after all.

All this to say that I guess you made the choice of saying goodbye yesterday. I hope for you that you will not regret it. I will not come back to the flower shop, so there is no need to leave me a letter.

I guess the dream is over.

 Farewell, Wallet Guy.

 When the droplet fell and stained the red paper, Chris didn't even understand it came from his own eyes. He sniffed, dried his wet cheeks and clenched his jaw until pain crossed his whole face.

"Yes, well… that was to be expected," Carlotta mumbled under her breath, crossing her arms before herself again.

"I know."

His voice was made hoarse by tears, and he needed to dry his cheeks with the back of his hand again before looking up at Carlotta. By his side, Dodger had felt Chris's distress, and was now softly rubbing his snout against his leg in a comforting gesture, his eyes a little sad and crying softly. Chris patted his companions' head a couple of times in a reassuring way.

"Could you give me a pen and some paper, please?"

"I am not sure she will come again… what does she say in her letter?"

"She says that she won't come back."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't…"

"I have to. I have to try. In case she comes back anyway."

There was something in his eyes, a mixture of hope and intense pain close to despair, that made Carlotta give in, and she handed him all he would need to write.

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

 Monday came. You struggled out of bed, but you got up anyway. You hadn't realized that you hadn't changed the time of your alarm clock. There was no need to get up so early, you wouldn't go back to the flower shop.

If getting out of bed had been a struggle, every step from there was a battle against yourself too. From eating your breakfast to taking a shower and dressing up, so in the end, you were happy to have gotten up early, as everything you did seemed to take an eternity.

When you arrived at work, Chris acted as if nothing had happened. As if he didn't know about how your Friday night had ended. He welcomed you with a polite smile that you struggled to return. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't ignore the obvious signs of your sadness, from the look in your eyes to your tired features.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a kinder voice.

"Yeah. Just tired."

"Did something bad happen?"

You let yourself drop in the chair opposite him around the tiny table. All around you, people were hurrying back and forth, preparing the set for the day.

You hadn't talked about what had happened to anyone but Carlotta. And you didn't know why you wanted to tell him everything. You reckoned it would be a little inappropriate, considering you and him didn't exactly get along. But you could feel your emotions bubbling again, tears forming in your eyes and blurring the world around you, and you guessed that you merely needed to tell someone about it, no matter who.

"I… I had a rough weekend."

"What do you mean?"

He hesitated, but asked the question anyway, deciding to look at his cup of coffee instead of you.

"Oh… didn't you have a date on Friday? Did it go well?"

He could see that you were trying not to cry, and his whole being grew more tender towards you. He leaned across the table and searched your eyes with his.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah… huh… he didn't show, actually."

"Oh… I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, I… I don't know why."

You cleared your throat but kept on talking.

"I… it might sound strange, but we hadn't met yet. I mean…"

You paused, looking for the right words.

"Like… on a dating app or something?" Chris proposed.

"Yeah… a little like that, I guess. And we've… you know we've become quite… at least friends and even… I mean, I hoped for more. It's not like the kind of discussion you have on things like Tinder or something, we… we've been talking for… ever since I came to New York, actually. And he seemed so kind and… But when we were supposed to meet, he didn't show."

You heaved a sigh, brushing away a tear before it could fall and Chris could see it.

"Maybe he just had a good reason," Chris spoke with a reassuring tone. "He didn't warn you?"

"No, he didn't."

"Did he contact you again?"

"I don't know. I don't want to talk to him. I haven't checked."

"Well, perhaps you should check. He might have explained why he didn't come."

"I don't want to. I… I keep on asking myself…"

You looked at him with a strange expression, you seemed to be both curious and anxious of his answer.

"Do you think I'm ugly?"

"What?" was all he managed to reply, taken aback.

"I can't help but think… perhaps he did come, and he just… didn't like me or something, and then he left."

"No, that's not what happened."

You narrowed your eyes at him, and he bit his tongue. He couldn’t let himself slip so easily… He stuttered a little as he tried to give you another answer without letting out the truth this time.

"I mean… It can't be what happened. You're beautiful."

"You really think so?"

"Of course. You're gorgeous, Y/N. If he didn't show, then it has nothing to do with you. Maybe he's just a complete jerk."

"No, he's not," you shook your head, but gave him a soft smile.

"Then, why don't you try to go back on this app and see what he has to say."

"I… I don't know…"

"Is there anything I can do?"

You were surprised by how kind he was right now, and you gave him a grateful smile. But you were called by your director, and it was more than time for you to banish the tears from your eyes, at least for the day.

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

 Chris went back to the flower shop on Monday evening, although he knew he would find no letter there. He wrote a note for you anyway and left it in Carlotta's care.

He came back the next day, but there was no letter waiting for him.

He came back the day after anyway, and the day after, on and on for two full weeks. Everyday leaving you a new letter, every day hoping you had come back, every day walking back home disappointed and a little bit more heartbroken.

Meanwhile, at work, you remained a little sadder than usual, but refused to talk about it. It didn't really matter, he had decided to get to know you better as Y/N instead of Peony Girl anyway, and so he did. He had made a habit of bringing you a cup of your favourite tea every morning (he had paid attention to details these past couple of weeks and had had no trouble identifying your favourite flavour). He sat next to you at lunch now every day, and if all your discussions started by either talking about your scenes together or some meaningless topics such as the weather, the more time flew by, the more you had full conversations.

He had learnt about your family a little. He knew you preferred oranges to lemons. He knew your favourite spot in Central Park. He knew where you came from. He knew you loved daisies. He knew your favourite Disney. He knew the way you laughed, and the sound of your breathing, and the way you crinkled your nose a little when you tasted something you didn't like, and the way your eyes softened when you read your favourite book. He knew the way the sun illuminated your eyes and the wind blew through your hair. He was learning to know you for real. And in the softness of your voice when you talked about things you loved, in the compassion and genuine interest that was alit in your eyes when you listened to him, he could begin to see Peony shining through. And he was starting to love that mixture of you and you.

But he could still see a little cloud hovering above your head. You had not truly moved on yet from the Wallet Guy.

You kept on hesitating, debating with yourself every night. For a week now, you had been walking before the flower shop every morning, wondering if you should go in and check if he had left a note for you.

The truth was, for a while, you weren't sure if you would be able to take it if you were to walk in and find out he had never come back after that Friday evening. But on the other hand, you wanted to know, and you reckoned that it would help you to move on.

But if you were to discover a letter, would you forgive him?

One day, you couldn't take any more of it. You had to know…

Had he written again to you? Why had he not come?

And so, one morning, you walked in Carlotta's shop again.

Knowing her, you were expecting a crazy welcome and her jumping in your arms, but you were wrong this time. The second she saw you walking in, she just gave you the brightest of grins, and reached behind her counter for Chris's letters. And as you walked closer, she started by putting one letter on the wooden counter.

And then another.

And another.

And the more she added letters, the more you wanted to cry, until you felt the salty taste of tears on your upper lip.

You counted them. He had written to you every single day since that Friday night…

You reached for his first letter, but you didn't even need to read it.

You had forgiven him already.

*************************************

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[lilacmoon83]

Dashing Rose: A Finding You Always Vignette

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 4: The Resistance

What ensued that night, beneath the stars, cemented the bonds of true love between Rose Red and Fandral of Asgard, as they made love for the first time. Clothing was divested slowly, amid hot, passion filled kisses, until they were both bare.

"You are so beautiful…" he uttered, as he stared at her bare form, but he wasn't the only one doing the admiring. Her love was a strikingly handsome man; she had known that from the moment she lay eyes on him. But to see him bare like this ignited the desire in her even more. He was gorgeous, from head to toe, and everything in between. She didn't have much to compare his anatomy to, but she was positive that he was far above most men. His strong, powerful arms held her tightly, as he kissed her throat and she thrilled at the feel of his hard body against her. She explored his chiseled chest and carved abs with her hands and their eyes met, as he settled between her legs. She gazed below his waist and had to bite her bottom lip to keep a moan at bay. He was very aroused and she was as well and she knew it was time for the part that came next.

"Are you ready?" he asked in a husky voice.

"Yes…" she breathed, as he gently kissed her and then slowly pushed inside her. A sharp moan escaped her lips, as there was a bit of pain and he stilled to let her adjust to the feeling.

"Don't stop…" she urged and he began to move, slowly building a rhythm and gliding into her. Rose was soon beside herself in pleasure, as the pain faded quickly and was replaced by pure pleasure. It only got better from there, as she was soon writhing beneath her beloved and her first climax hit her. Whatever she thought it might be like was exceeded ten times over at that moment.

"Oh...ohhhhhh…" she cried loudly, as it hit her and she thrashed passionately amid his surging thrusts. He was beside himself as well and only his enhanced stamina kept him from losing control prematurely, for she felt incredible around him, so slick and tight that it was mind blowing.

He held her through her orgasm and finally reached his own, coming inside her, before they collapsed in a tangled heap. He gently covered their bare forms with a blanket and they cuddled together, exchanging soft kisses in the afterglow.

"Oh Fandral...that was...far beyond anything I could imagine," she admitted.

"For me as well…" he confessed and she blinked up at him.

"But...you have been with others," she said.

"But I have never truly been with someone I love with every fiber of my being. It truly makes all the difference," he replied.

"I love you, my handsome warrior…" she breathed.

"And I you, my sweet Rose," he said, as they melted into each other once again.

~*~

Screams of terror echoed into the night sky, as King John's army ravaged the small village and it burned brightly in the night sky. The carnage was enough to make anyone retch and bodies were strewn about, as the King took his revenge on his wayward niece. By morning, nothing but smoking cinders remained and soldiers awaited to ambush Rose Red and her love, for they knew they would hear and soon come.

~*~

After waking that morning, they ate the game they caught together and cleaned up in the creek, rather amorously, before dressing and moving on. An hour into their journey, an anxious bluebird found them and relayed his message to her.

"What is it?" he asked, as he saw the horror that was now stricken on his love's beautiful face.

"It's the village nearest the castle...it's gone. He has burned it and slain everyone!" she cried, as she collapsed into his arms, sobbing in grief.

"Oh my angel...I am so sorry…" he said, feeling helpless that there was nothing he could do to take her pain away.

"I need to see it…" she confessed.

"My love...that is likely a horrible trap," he said.

"I know...but they are my people. I must see it...I must let the other villages know that this will not stand! That I will never let my Uncle slaughter more of my people!" she cried.

"Then we will go...and we will fight," he promised, as he mounted the horse and reached down to lift her onto the animal as well. She held onto him tightly, as he took the reins and urged the horse to take them there as fast as he could.

"Is the ambush ready, Sir Hiss?" King John questioned, as he slithering adviser slipped into his Throne room.

"It is Sire...but our attack has angered the people, rather than beat them into submission. If Rose Red rallies them...then our objective could backfire," Hiss warned.

"I will not be usurped by that stupid girl and her Asgardian brute!" John snapped, as he stood up.

"This is my Kingdom!" he ranted.

"Send word to the other allied Kingdoms. Promise them whatever you have to for their assistance in our cause!" he demanded. Hiss bowed.

"Ye...yes Sire," he stammered, as he scurried away. Even if he couldn't get support from allied Kingdoms, he still had the dwarf working on something that he was certain would eliminate the problem of his niece and her Asgardian lover.

~*~

When they arrived at the village, Rose choked back tears, as she gazed at the devastation before them. The village was still smoldering and the air was filled with acrid smoke. She walked slowly into the rubble and felt something under her boot. She lifted her foot and noticed that it was part of a stuffed toy. The damn broke at that point, as she doubled over and cried. Fandral held her tightly in his arms and she sobbed against his chest.

"I'm so sorry, my angel," he whispered to her, feeling helpless since not even with all his strength and skill as a warrior could he have stopped this. She looked up at him with a tear-stained face and his reflexes were quicker than lightning, as they heard a twig snap. He unsheathed his blade and held her tightly around the waist with his other arm.

"Fandral…" she whispered, as soldiers emerged from the woods all around them.

"An ambush…" he realized, as he guarded her.

"Your time is at an end, Princess. King John has ordered your capture and the execution of your lover," one of the soldiers said.

"That will not be easy to accomplish at all," Fandral warned.

"You cannot duel us all and protect the Princess too," he goaded.

"Who says I need protecting?" Rose hissed, as she unsheathed her own sword and stood ready beside her beloved. The men charged them and they fought fiercely, taking over half of them down on their own. But the remaining soldiers slowly surrounded them.

"Surrender Rose Red...and we will spare you the pain of executing him in your presence. I am sure King John would enjoy witnessing his demise anyway," the lead soldier said.

"Fandral…" she uttered, as she realized their escape might not be possible.

"Stay close, my angel...this isn't over just yet," he assured, as he surprised the lead soldier and charged him, swiftly cutting him down. The other soldiers practically mauled him, but that was his plan.

"Run Rose!" he called, as a few of them tried to subdue her, but she picked them off with her arrows.

"I will not leave you, my love," she refuted, as she charged toward the soldiers and screamed, as one of them speared her beloved through his shoulder. It was a weak spot. He had told her of his injury in the same spot with a frost giant, during a foolhardy mission with the mighty Thor.

"FANDRAL!" she cried, as she hurried toward him, cutting down any that tried to stop her. He looked at her in awe, as she reached him and she examined his wound.

"It's minor…" he said, through the pain and she caressed his face, as the remaining soldiers surrounded them.

"Surrender now, Princess and make this easier on yourself," a soldier warned, but there was a thwacking sound, as he took an arrow to the chest and fell dead to the ground. Rose and Fandral looked at each other in confusion, as the remaining soldiers were taken down. They looked around and were ready to fight again if needed, as there would be rescuers emerged from the woods. Many of them looked to be commoners, armed with daggers, bows, and arrows. But their leader certainly stood out and Rose recognized him from stories she had heard in neighboring Kingdoms. He wore all black and was armed with a blade, but most noticeably, he wore a black eye mask over his eyes.

"Your Highness…" he said, addressing her with respect.

"I've heard of you...I didn't know if you were real. My library has many stories about you," she replied, earning a smirk from him.

"Rose...who is this?" Fandral asked.

"I am known simply as Zorro, a vigilante and fighter for the people, much like yourselves and I can no longer ignore King John's tyranny after he slaughtered this village," Zorro replied, as he and the other ragtag band of villagers bowed to her.

"I have gathered the able bodied and those willing to fight. It will not be easy, but you are the rightful Queen of this land and the people are more than fed up with your greedy Uncle," he continued.

"Fandral and I wish to take back the Kingdom from him...but it's a massive undertaking. I'm not sure I can ask my people to put their lives on the line for me," she said with uncertainty.

"You do not have to, Princess. King John must be dethroned and the people are ready to form a resistance," one of the villagers said.

"We just need your leadership," Zorro added. Fandral smirked.

"And you shall have it, for Rose is the rightful Queen and John must be dethroned," he said in agreement.

"My love...how can I be Queen? I...I am no Queen," she said dejectedly.

"That is your Uncle talking, because you, my angel, are the Queen that this Kingdom deserves," he replied, as he turned to Zorro and the makeshift band of rebels.

"And together, we will take back this Kingdom!" he announced.

"Excellent...the nearest village to here has rations waiting for us and first aid to take care of that shoulder," Zorro said, as they followed him and the other men.

"Are you sure about this? I do not know the first thing about being Queen," Rose whispered to her beloved, as they trekked along, hand in hand.

"You are kind and wise, far more than you realize. You knew who he was from your books," he pointed out, making her think for a moment.

"You rushed headlong into battle to avenge your people and when I was in peril, you let none of them stand in your way," he continued.

"You love your people and they love you. They want you as their Queen and I, for one, know that they have made the correct choice. You are willing to fight for them, which means they are willing to fight for you," he added.

"Your quiet, gentle patience and your knowledge reminds me of Queen Frigga," he said.

"Queen of Asgard," she recalled. He nodded.

"She was a great Queen...and you will be too," he said, as he kissed her tenderly and her heart fluttered. The heat rose to her cheeks, as they had arrived in the village and her romance had quickly become a popular topic. Many of the other women gave her knowing smiles and the younger girls seemed enamored by their love story. Word about them had certainly traveled fast and somehow, their love had inspired hope in her people, just as it had in her.

"Come...we need to look at that wound, my love," she urged, as she led him along to the cabin belonging to the local healer. The fight to take back the Kingdom had begun and King John's days on the Throne were numbered...

[swhurtcomfort]

Fall Apart, Fall Together--- Chapter 6

Beginning   ---  Previous Chapter   ---   A03

------

Naboo is warm in the early spring. The sun rises early and Padmé opens a window to breathe in the smell of warm rain.

The babies are sleeping through the night now—at least, most of the time. Presently Luke had fussed and cried until at least two in the morning, when Anakin had gotten up to take over and sent Padmé to bed. She notices Leia is awake, and still alone in the crib.

“Well, good morning, birthday girl,” Padmé trills, scooping the baby up and twirling around as Leia giggles. Together they make their way to the living room, where Anakin is dead asleep in an armchair with Luke sprawled out on top of him.

Padmé ruffles Anakin’s hair a bit as they walk past into the kitchen. “Daddy’s sleepy,” she says to Leia.

“Dada,” Leia agrees.

Padmé cringes when she sees how many messages are waiting on her work comm, but she’s taking the day off today. Soon they’ll have to talk about her splitting her time between Naboo and Coruscant, but working from home has been alright in the interim.

While Padmé is fixing Leia a bottle, they hear Luke waking up in the living room, followed by an adult-sized groan.

Anakin enters the kitchen with Luke on his hip.

“Good morning, my favorite ladies” he says, giving them each a kiss before setting Luke down on the kitchen floor so he can crawl after a plush toy. “Here, I’ll do that. Do you want to comm Sola, and make sure they’re still coming over later?”

Leia whines to be put down too, and Padmé obliges. They aren’t walking yet, but Leia is getting quite good at shuffling along when she has a low piece of furniture to lean on. Luke’s taking a little longer to get the hang of it, but there’s no hurry. By all accounts, the twins are thriving. A stranger might mistake them for younger than a year, but otherwise no one would be able to tell they’d been preemies.

“When did he fall asleep?” Padmé asks.

“Sometime after me, I think,” Anakin admits.

“Maybe we can get him to nap before the family gets here.”

Anakin snorts skeptically.

It’s to be a quiet gathering – it’s not as if the twins even know what a birthday is anyway. As they get the house ready, Anakin blows up a few balloons (which Leia greatly enjoys) and puts Leia’s hair up in two matching clips (which she absolutely hates, and an hour later he finds one of them stuffed between the couch cushions). Luke is visibly exhausted, and gets cranky whenever he’s not in Padmé’s arms.

After midmorning, Padmé puts Luke to bed, hoping that he will get some rest, but within twenty minutes they hear him start to cry.

Anakin gets there first. “What’s wrong, little man?” he asks. The Force around Luke pulsates not with pain, but frustration.

“Moo,” cries Luke.

“Mommy?” Anakin guesses.

“Moo!” He sounds utterly devastated.

The doorbell rings. He glances at the clock—Sola and the girls shouldn’t be arriving yet, but he hears Padmé moving to answer it so he returns to the crisis at hand.

“C’mere,” Anakin tuts, lifting Luke out of the crib, but the baby pushes back against his chest and demands ‘moo’ again. “It’s alright, sweetheart,” Anakin paces up and down the room once, bouncing a little.

“Anakin,” calls Padmé in a bit of an odd voice.

“Busy,” he calls back, now trying to console Luke with the plush Loth-cat he’d been playing with earlier.

“Moo,” Luke breaks into a fresh peal of sobs.

Neither baby is really communicating with the Force yet, but sometimes Anakin tries. All he gets from the little storm in Luke’s Force signature is a despondent sense of lost, missing.

“Anakin—”

“Padmé, what’s ‘moo’?” he asks down the hall, interrupting. “Have you heard him say that before?”

Padmé appears in the doorway and nearly steps on a beanbag toy on the floor. She picks it up and starts to put it back in the crib, but Luke shoots out a hand towards her.

“Moo!”

Padmé and Anakin both look at the toy, then at each other. Luke whines and reaches further.

“It’s a bantha. Moo,” says Anakin, face splitting into a wide smile.

“What a clever little man,” says Padmé, reuniting the bantha with Luke, who immediately puts its horn into his mouth. “Here, I’ll take him Ani. You should go see who’s here.”

Standing awkwardly by the bannister in the toy-strewn sitting room is the last person Anakin expects.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan clears his throat a little bit.

Anakin doesn’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry to turn up unannounced. I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

There’s no judgement in his gaze - as far as Anakin can tell his curiosity is genuine. Anakin doesn’t know how to feel about that. There’s a sense of loss for the life he’d left behind, as well as a dull anger swirling up in him.

“We’re all healthy and happy,” he finally replies.

“I’m glad,” says Obi-Wan quietly.

Padmé shifts Luke on her hip and herds them all to the armchairs in the living room.

“I’ve missed you,” Obi-Wan confesses.

Three responses avail themselves to Anakin’s mind, the first a desperate I miss you too. The more bitter side of him, Oh go kriff yourself with that. The last, which he says out loud as he takes a seat, “I can’t go back.”

Obi-Wan nods his acceptance of that fact. They awkwardly meet each other’s gaze. Anakin still hasn’t decided whether he is angry. Obi-Wan’s shields are a blank wall, but he knows the man well enough to tell that he is conflicted too.

Leia crawls over and tugs on Anakin’s pant leg until he puts her on his lap. Obi-Wan studies them both, a pensive look lingering on his face.

Luke makes eye contact with Obi-Wan and laughs, still clutching Moo to his chest.

“Would you like to hold him?” Padmé offers.

“Ah, no thank you, I don’t exactly…” Obi-Wan shifts uncomfortably in his chair at the thought.

“Come on, Obi-Wan. Say hello.” Anakin’s voice holds a note of teasing.

Obi-Wan looks panicked as Padmé passes Luke over. He supports the baby stiffly as Luke squirms around to get comfortable. With the look on Obi-Wan’s face, you’d think he’d never seen a baby before.

“You’re doing it right,” Padmé assures him with a smile.

“You’re getting so big,” Obi-Wan says to Luke. “It’s someone’s birthday today, is it not?”

“Two someones,” Anakin croons, brushing the hair out of Leia’s face.

Obi-Wan pats Luke’s back a bit awkwardly as the conversation lapses again.

“I resigned from the High Council,” Obi-Wan finally reveals.

“Why?” Padmé asks.

“Depa has been reinstated in my place. The Mind-Healers are quite pleasantly surprised with her recovery.”

“That wasn’t my question,” she presses.

Obi-Wan sighs. “The fall of the Sith raised a lot of uncomfortable questions,” he says. “I wanted time to devote myself to meditating on the war and its consequences, and seek some answers of my own.”

That sounds like a perfectly Obi-Wan thing to do. Padmé glances at Anakin, who’s smiling a little.

“The Jedi were naïve, and vulnerable. Anakin, we ought to have been able to spot Sidious’s influence over you before it all went so wrong.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about that part, Obi-Wan,” says Anakin. “But look, when I tipped Master Windu off, it wasn’t because I thought it was my duty or my job or the will of the Force. I was scared of what might happen to you and Padmé if the Sith came to power. I was attached, and I had something to protect.”

“I know,” says Obi-Wan. “The world is changing, and many feel that our Order needs to change with it. There has been a lot of talk about the prevalent analysis of the Jedi Code over past centuries decades, and whether it is…appropriate.”

Padmé and Anakin both try to hide their surprise.

“I only wish we could have had these discussions sooner,” says Obi-Wan slowly. “Perhaps…”

Perhaps you could have stayed.

Anakin shakes his head. He slips his hand into Padmé’s, their fingers intertwining with a supportive squeeze. Padmé knows that Anakin’s decision was a difficult one, but it’s been made. Neither of them want to think about what might have been.

Padmé hopes that Obi-Wan will see what she sees. Anakin loved being a Jedi, loved the idea of saving the galaxy, but the galaxy was always too large and too broken, and he didn’t know how to handle it. Anakin is thriving here, where he can need just a few other people and be needed by them in return.

Leia is getting restless. Anakin brushes the hair out of her face again and smooches the top of her head before he lets her clamber off of his lap.

“I wish my mom could have met them,” he says suddenly. “I just know she would have loved being a grandma.”

Padmé rubs his shoulder supportively.

Luke starts yawning again and snuggles into Obi-Wan’s cloak. Obi-Wan gives his parents a helpless look. “He’s exhausted,” Padmé whispers.

“Is it finally naptime, Luke?” Anakin tuts, and the baby reaches out both arms towards him. Anakin scoops him up.

Obi-Wan follows them down the hall to the bedroom and watches Anakin put Luke down for a nap.

He turns around and sees Obi-Wan smiling. “I never imagined that this would be the path that you chose,” his old master says suddenly. “Maybe I just got Qui-Gon’s plan for you stuck through my head, and if that’s true, I’m sorry. But you seem happy here.”

“I am,” Anakin affirms.

Obi-Wan nods. “You both seem happy.”

A year has gone by with hurt feelings weighing heavily on them both. Some things, it’s too late to change, but perhaps not others.

Obi-Wan retrieves his cloak and starts to put it on.

“Padmé’s sister and her two girls are coming over for cake later,” says Anakin. “Why don’t you stay?”

Obi-Wan shakes his head sadly. “I have business in Jan-gwa this evening, I’m afraid.”

Anakin initiates the embrace, but Obi-Wan returns it wholeheartedly. When they break apart, he leans over to give Padmé a one-armed hug as well.

“It was good to see you, Obi-Wan,” says Padmé.

A year has gone by since Anakin described their lives as being on the edge of a knife—caught between personal crises and a war of deception that scarred the galaxy. But what has been broken is not beyond repair. Anakin was never made to fight the whole galaxy, but his world now revolves around two twin suns. Padmé’s fight has only paused—with her own health recovered, she will soon return to the front lines of the reorganization of the Senate. But whatever that challenge brings, she knows deep in her gut that they are standing now on stable ground.

----

Fin.

[bat-losers-inc]

Collisions in the Dark (Ch 9): Berserker

Summary: In the wake of some devastating news, Tim act out against Ra’s al Ghul in a very Jason-like fashion. 

Pairings: Jason Todd/Tim Drake & Tim Drake/Ra’s al Ghul & Jason Todd & Talia al Ghul

Chapter Notes: Berserker: A rash playing style characterized by frenzied attacking with one or two pieces, perhaps with little regard for strategy or danger

“This must be what love is: a pain so radiant it cuts through all others.” — “Beekeeping”, Sara Eliza Johnson.

Tim squeezed his eyes shut tight and tried to remember how to breathe. He wrapped his arms around his middle and felt the press of his chest against his forearms with every inhale he took. He stayed sitting that way in rigid silence until he’d convinced his body that he was still alive, despite the pain that thrummed in his chest.

Tim opened his eyes and stared at the floor. He could feel Ra’s presence behind him and the uncertain eyes of every worker in the room as they stared at the two of them in fearful silence. Tim knew that if he looked up at any one of them in that moment, he would see an earlier version of himself. It must have been what he’d looked like to Jason on that first night during dinner with Ra’s, where he was so afraid to attract the Demon Head’s eye that he scarcely looked in his direction, his eyes fixed on only Jason and his plate. Tim knew that he wasn’t that person anymore, he couldn’t be after being in Ra’s corrupting presence for so long.

“Clear the room.”

The silence was momentarily filled with the squeaking of chair wheels and the shuffle of footsteps. Tim watched their shadows slide across the floor tiles in front of him. He tilted his head, ear straining until he heard the door click shut behind the last man.

“Why did you do it?” Tim had to take a breath before saying it. He didn’t want to taste those words on his tongue… to hear the words ring in his own ears.

“Kill him,” Tim finished, hating the finality of it.

He gave a small abortive shake of his head, trying to slot Ra’s decision into some logical place in his mind. “You could have just sent him away. You won… he knew that you’d won. If you had told him to leave and never set his eyes on me again, he would have done it. So, why kill him?”

Ra’s moved forward until Tim thought he could almost see him out of the corner of his eye. “Jason was a distraction that needed to be eliminated. Permanently.”

Tim laughed. It hurt. “A distraction?”

“You and I both know that he would have lingered in the back of your mind if he still lived and breathed. Your focus would be elsewhere. I couldn’t afford to take that risk.”

Ra’s was right. As long as Tim had hope and the memory of their one night together, Tim wouldn’t be thinking of anyone else.

“And sending him to his death.” Tim turned to stare at him over his shoulder. “You didn’t think that would distract me? That it wouldn’t make me hate you?”

“You’ve always hated me,” countered Ra’s. There wasn’t any anger to his words, this was just an understanding that Ra’s had come to on his own.

Tim shook his head and pushed slowly to his feet. He turned around to address Ra’s properly. “No, I was afraid of you. There’s a difference. But now you’ve truly earned my hatred. You took him away from me.”

“No!” Barked Ra’s, some anger finally pushing through that cool demeanor. “He was taking you away from me. I was eliminating a threat. Protecting what’s mine!”

Tim’s anger flared and he didn’t bother to restrain himself. What did it matter anymore? Jason was alone and dying. The mission was done. He had no pretense to maintain anymore.

“I was never yours!” he roared. “Did you really think that any of it was real? That I could actually love you?  You don’t even know how to love.”

Tim panted, breath ragged. “I’ve seen your type before… the old bachelors at Bruce’s galas who come from old money and care only about flaunting it in everyone’s faces. You’re greedy and cold. You only want me to say that you have me. To show me off like I’m a trophy! Well, I am not your possession and I don’t love you. How many times do I have to flat-out reject you, before you understand that?”

Ra’s latched at his wrist, despite Tim’s delayed effort to pull his arm out of reach. Tim tugged futilely against his hold anyway, hating the feeling of being shackled, feeling like he did that first night when he woke up here, his wrist chained to the headboard.

“You could never make me not love you.” Ra’s declared. “Despite what you might be feeling right now, despite where you go in a month… a year from now. I will always search for you and try to prove my love to you.”

Tim’s mouth opened, but it took a moment before any words were ready on his tongue. “Is that romantic to you? Because it shouldn’t be. It feels more like a threat than a declaration of love.”

Ra’s smiled. “I guess it all depends on your mindset.”

Tim slipped his wrist slowly out of Ra’s, not yanking… no he didn’t want to make himself look like a threat. He was calm as he put more space in between them, pressing his back against the desk and planted his hands on the desktop for support.

“You want a declaration of love? How’s this… Even when he’s dead and buried in the ground, even when the bugs and rot have gotten to him and his face is unrecognisable from its former beauty, and he no longer holds the space in the back of everyone’s heads… even then I will still love Jason Todd more than I could ever love you.”

Once Tim said it out loud he knew it was true. There was nothing Ra’s could do to change that. No matter how hard he tried.

Ra’s smiled, there was anger there but also a fierce determination to change those facts to his favor. “Not even death will part us, Timothy. Not even—”

Tim couldn’t stand to listen to it anymore, knowing it was true. Despite his stubbornness and his devotion to Jason, Ra’s had an army and a lazarus pit on his side. Tim was never going to escape here.

In an unexplainable act of ,very Jason-like, suicide his hands found the wireless keyboard on the desk and he brought it around in a savage, two-handed swing. It collided with the side of Ra’s face, cracking in half on impact. Tim felt a rush of adrenaline at the knowledge that he’d caught Ra’s off guard. Ra’s stumbled, dazed, and fell to one knee.

Tim knew he couldn’t stop now. He dropped the broken remains of the keyboard and found another within reach, striking at Ra’s again, but the older man was ready this time, throwing up his arms to deflect the blow. Ra’s’ hands ripped the keyboard from Tim’s grip and chucked it across the room.

When Tim looked at Ra’s face, dripping blood into his left eye from a cut above his eyebrow, Ra’s’ face was caught in a mix of shock and anger. Tim believe he might have forgotten that his beloved “detective” held such rage in him. Tim was intent on reminding him.

He stepped in towards Ra’s and struck up with his knee. Ra’s snaked his arm around his leg and pulled, sending Tim crashing to the floor.

Then, Ra’s was over him, hands grasping for his arms to press them into the ground. Tim grit his teeth and pummeled the man with his knees and feet until he managed to kick Ra’s’ feet out from under him. Tim coughed as the air exploded out of his lungs at the extra weight on his chest, but planted his feet all the same and rolled both of them until he was on top.

Tim wasted no time in striked Ra’s in the face. Tim felt raw and unrepentant in his violent behavior. He thought at this moment that he might finally understand what Jason felt like when he was brawling in the dark alleyways against Gotham’s most notorious villains. Taking all of those emotions that had built up from nightmares and old, unhealed, wounds and releasing them through your fists. Feeling in that moment like you were overpowering it with the breaking of skin and the spray of blood.

Tim burrowed his knees and heels into Ra’s’ sides to prevent him from bucking him off. Ra’s was dazed and down but Tim knew him well enough to know that he was not out. Tim would not underestimate him again.

The commotion their brawl was making must have alerted Ra’s servants. It was hard to tear his gaze aware when that tunnel vision was starting up, but Tim looked up towards the far doors. He really shouldn’t have, the distraction was all Ra’s needed to strike. His hand shot up and grasped Tim’s neck like a vice.

Tim choked on a breath and dug his fingernails into the flesh of Ra’s’ hand, trying to pull one of his fingers back enough to dislocate it. Ra’s didn’t give him a chance, though, using his leverage to throw Tim off him.

Tim’s head cracked against the tiled floor, black spots dancing before his eyes. Tim blinked hard through his distorted gaze, shoving himself backwards even as his body urged him to stay still. He couldn’t see much, but he could make out basic shapes, like for example, the oblong shape which was Ra’s and was currently standing and moving towards him.

“I thought we’d gotten past this behavior, Detective.” Ra’s wiped at the blood that trailed from his nose.

Tim staggered to his feet and, with a cry, ran at him. They came together and traded short, sharp blows to each other’s head and torso. Tim’s world narrowed into jabs, blocks, and breaking grips. Ra’s arms clutched at Tim’s shoulders, yanking him in to deliver bruising thrusts of his knees to Tim’s sides. Tim took the beating and thrust his elbows down, breaking Ra’s grip on him. His kicked Ra’s in the stomach and then higher, across the face, sending him stumbling backwards. There was blood splattered across the floor.

Tim wanted to relish the breathing room he’d gained, but knew if he did then Ra’s would have the upper hand again. He actually wanted to figure out who had entered the room while he was getting his ass handed to him and if they were going to be a problem, but he could only deal with one problem at a time. He came at Ra’s kicking, striking at his shins and sides. He bounced back on the balls of his feet and came in again with a roundhouse kick with his opposite leg.

Ra’s trapped Tim’s leg against his hip and twisted. Tim collapsed as his balance was thrown off. The blows that rained down on him after that were quick and brutal, punching the air out of his lungs. Tim was on the floor again with Ra’s staring down at him, expecting Ra’s boot to come down on his face at any second and end this fight. Ra’s was prepared to fill that expectation, it seemed, and his leg rose.

Tim didn’t think that either of them were prepared for one of the men that had been hanging off to the side to come charging out of left field and knock Ra’s off his feet like a linebacker. Tim stared in shock at Ra’s as he slid across the tiles.

Hands were under Tim’s arms, dragging him up and backwards. Tim jerked back into awareness of his situation and tried to twist out of his attacker’s hold, but the man had ahold of his shirt and, short of undressing himself, he couldn’t get free.

“Stop fighting me. We’re on your side.” grunted the man pulling Tim towards the doors.

“What is the meaning of this!” Ra’s bellowed from across the room as three more men approached him, blocking his path towards Tim.

“Talia al Ghul sends her regards.”

Tim stopped struggling and allowed himself to be put on his feet. The same man that had been dragging Tim clutched his arm and pulled him through the hallways of the compound. Tim was aware of more men surrounding him, protecting him from all sides, but his mind was occupied with thoughts of Talia and the aid she had sent him.

He couldn’t understand why she would help him, until he thought about Ra’s and Jason’s deal. Talia hadn’t known about it. Only a day ago she had been urging Jason to flee and save himself, she wouldn’t have just gone along with a plan to martyr Jason. Well, she had definitely found out now and it seemed she wasn’t happy. Tim felt oddly proud that she had chosen his side over her own father’s.

“There’s a car fueled and waiting for you.” The man shoved a piece of paper into Tim’s hands. “You must find Jason Todd and take him to this location. You may find an ally there who could save Jason.”

Tim was out of breath and his thoughts were out of order with the whiplash speed that everything was changing at. Save Jason? There was a possibility he could still be saved? “But how do I get to him? He’s all the way in New York and I’m… here.”

Tim wasn’t entirely sure where here was, but he knew it was going to take a long flight to reach Jason. And Jason didn’t have that much time. Plus Tim had to worry about not spreading the anthrax poisoning to anyone else.

“I’m sorry but that’s for you to figure out.”

Tim was yanked to a stop as someone came charging around the corner, katana drawn. Tim was pressed against the wall, shielded bodily, as the adversary was cut down. As he was pulled along again he asked, “Why are you helping me?”

The man leading him spared him but a glance, his expression unknowable through the black fabric that covered everything but his eyes from view.

“We owe a debt to Talia from long ago. Now we are repaying her, even at the cost of our lives.”

They made it to the car park and stopped in from of a black sedan, the back seats packed full with food and camping gear.

“Exactly how far away is this place?” Asked Tim with mild concern.

“A days drive or more, but the demon’s head will be looking for you. Your travel time might be delayed if you are evading search parties and it won't be safe to stay the night in a town.”

The man handed the keys over and stepped aside to let Tim into the driver’s side. Tim slammed the door shut and spoke through the opened window. “Evading packs of ninjas. Sounds fun. Any advice?”

The man placed his hand against the side of the car and leaned in. “Drive fast. Very, very, fast.”

Tim blinked at him. “Right… That's reassuring.”

He turned the key in the ignition. The radio came to life, a foreign pop song thumping through the speakers. Tim was reminded of the last music he’d heard, a song sung by a boy in almost hushed tones to a scared little girl, separated from her mother.

“You need to leave. Now” The man urged with a glance back the way they’d come from, like he was expecting company at any moment.

“I can’t,” said Tim.

“You have to!”

“I need you to promise that you’ll do something for me. Free the scientist and his family. I don’t want them to suffer at Ra’s hands.”

The man considered it for a moment, before settling on the honest answer. “I’ll do my best, but I can’t promise anything.”

“You’re best is more than they had before, so… thank you.”

There was noise in the corridor. “You need to leave, right now.”

Tim put the car and reverse and made a quick two point turn out of the parking spot, he glanced back in the rearview mirror as he was driving away, the men that had rescued him were already turning, distracted by an influx of ninjas that burst into the car park. Tim hadn't expected to get a send off anyway.

As he was driving down the winding road that ran down the mountainside and away from the compound, Tim fumbled in his pocket for the comm that Jason had left him and placed it in his ear. He’d have to wait until he was a safe distance away before he could stop and find the correct line to call.

“Shouldn't you be calling the big man with the pointy ears for this?” The voice asked, full of concern. “I mean Ra’s al Ghul is usually a Justice League issue. Not a Young Justice issue.”

Tim was sitting with a laptop perched on his lap. The car he was driving was currently pulled off of the road and parked behind a patch of bushes, obscuring it from view.

“The Justice League is already handling the aftermath in New York. Besides… I need someone fast not someone qualified. Bart, please! I need to get Jason here as quick as possible.”

There was a long pause that had Tim biting his lip in concern.

“Alright,” Bart said, finally. “You said I’d find him in New York?”

“Check all the hospitals,” suggested Tim. “I don't know how much he was exposed to. He might have been checked into one of them with the other evacuees.”

“Be back in a flash.” Tim smiled, envisioning the wink that went with that phrase.

Tim pushed the driver’s side door open and got out of the car, eager to feel the cold air on his skin. He had driven far enough that there was no longer snow on the ground, but the temperatures towards the bottom on the mountain range were still chilly enough to require a durable jacket.

There was a gust of wind that was strong that the ones that had been blowing against the back of Tim’s neck just a minute ago. He almost dismissed it until he heard the snap of branches underfoot.

Tim turned and stared at the two figures that stood before him, one of whom was sagging sideways into the speedster. Tim’s breath caught. “Jason.”

[shimmersing]

Something Better

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Chapter 1: The Unaccounted-For Child

“Younglings, this way! Hurry!” Jedi Master Faron called, sweeping the children past him into a small classroom. His five – no, four - young charges scampered through the open door and darted into the shadows, feeling their minder’s urgency. Master Faron glanced down the hallway before silently closing the door behind him. Children scrambled under tables and behind benches as the Jedi Temple quaked around them.

“M-m-master Faron?” a wavering voice called.

“Hush now, younglings. We must be silent,” Faron shushed, reaching out in the Force to brush each young mind reassuringly. In return he felt fear, confusion, and anxiety, though it calmed minutely at his touch. Beyond their tiny study room, there was even worse: pain, anguish, and… death.

“Little ones. Listen to me,” the minder whispered, “Search your memories. Find the very happiest one you know and meditate on it. Live in that memory.” Faron closed his eyes, an instant of regret, an instant of concern. Then he detached his lightsaber from his belt.

Master Faron hadn’t powered on the weapon in more than twenty years. He carried it as the symbol it was: to demonstrate that he was a member of the Jedi Order. He’d never had to kill, only rarely had to defend himself even at the worst of times. The empath had spent much of his time as a Jedi training initiates like himself, some of the most vulnerable of Force-sensitive children.

He continued to observe his young students, settling into peaceful meditations as he’d asked. He projected one last soothing aura and then left the room in silence, lightsaber gripped in his hand. They were coming.

Sith.

Master Faron ignited his lightsaber: green, traditional for a consular. He gazed into the blade’s bright glow for a moment, and then the attackers swept around the corner. The sage found himself recoiling from the aura of dark side energy surrounding the three Sith who approached.

“Well, well, well, my friends. What is this now?” The closest – human, barely more than a girl - sneered, whipping the ruby blade of her lightsaber around in a lazy circle. Master Faron shifted to a defensive stance and remained silent.

A Zabrak female, her horns tipped in black, sniggered. “A minder? Like a nursemaid?” She edged up behind the leader, leering. “Obviously he’s protecting some little innocent Jedi younglings around here.”

Master Faron stiffened, a shock of panic racing up his spine. He felt one of his students falter in his blissful meditation, surprised and curious. The final Sith, a rangy human, lightsaber unlit, pushed past the other two and stood face to face with the consular.

“We aren’t here to play games, you two nitwits,” he hissed, circling to Faron’s left side, away from the classroom door. The Jedi followed his movements closely, keeping his lightsaber as a ward between himself and the Sith, between his charges and the darkness.

“Fine, then, if you’re going to be that way about it. He looks too soft for me, anyway,” the first replied, shrugging and deactivating her lightsaber with a snap. The Zabrak giggled again, no mirth in the sound at all.

“You can’t protect them, you know,” the man said. The gaze of the Sith was tinged with red, just the slightest glow marring otherwise perfectly normal human eyes. Faron shook his head.

“It is not whether I can or cannot, Sith. It is what is determined by the Force. You cannot understand.”

The Sith smiled maliciously, his eyes blazing brighter for a moment. “It’s not that I cannot, poor Jedi. It’s that I simply don’t care.”

And then he attacked. Master Faron blocked the first two blows, but a third seared deep into his shoulder, a jolt of fiery agony that left his weapon hand numb. His lightsaber dropped from nerveless fingers, the blade sizzling out instantly. A vast roar sounded, the rumble of stone and mortar breaking apart. Dust fell between the two opponents as they glared into each other’s eyes. One of the younglings in the classroom screamed.

“See, Master Jedi? There is nothing you can do. We will tear this temple down atop you; it will be your tomb. The Jedi are finished.”

Jedi Master Faron straightened boldly, facing the Sith. “Our work is never finished, young man. The Jedi live on. The galaxy will see peace again.” He paused, reaching out to his initiates, a final touch of calm and… love. “You cannot win.”

The Sith smiled bleakly, shook his head, and raised his lightsaber. “On the contrary.” His blade struck-

Aitahea shot upright, grasping the sheets to her throat. A cry was trapped in her chest, binding her heart into a knot, painful and tight. Where am I?

The room was shadowed and unfamiliar. The viewport across from her opened onto star shine. Ah, yes. She was on the Luminous, the ship entrusted to her by the Council upon her departure from Coruscant. They were en route to Taris, fearing that a Jedi studying the planet was suffering the same malady as Master Yuon. With a heavy sigh, Aitahea touched a hand to her brow, feeling the weight of Yuon’s shielding in her mind. The burden was worth it.

She looked to her left in the faint light, eyes drawn to the metallic cylinder of her lightsaber hilt on the bedside stand. It lay there solid and real, and she reached out with a trembling hand to touch it, to feel the reassurance of cool metal and crystal. Her fingers curled around the weapon and she pulled it into her lap, the comfortable weight soothing.

More than ten years later and the Sacking of Coruscant still haunted her. She had been only a child, an initiate, when the tenuous peace began in the wake of the Sith Empire’s attack – Aitahea now held the power and prestige that could have saved them all. Her fellow younglings and Master Faron, all gone, and only she remained.

Wakeful but now calm, Aitahea considered the vision, taking it to pieces and examining each part without emotion. Part dream, part memories that were not her own, shared through the Force. She hadn’t been in the Jedi Temple when was attacked and couldn’t know of this specific event. Saved by a twist of fate, a simple scheduling occurrence that had placed her safely elsewhere on Coruscant as the temple was razed. She was the fifth youngling, the unaccounted-for child.

An exceptional empath, young Aitahea hadn’t needed to be near the temple to feel the suffering of her friends and teachers. Aitahea and her younger sister sat on either side of their father, gleefully watching as their mother was honored for her work as an educator. Aitahea had gone rigid and white as snow when the Sith attack on the Temple began. The young initiate had gasped like one drowning, and moments later the doors crashed in. Imperial soldiers had flooded into the academy, weapons aimed and ready.

Though they weren’t Jedi, it was Aitahea’s parents who saved everyone that day. After calming the audience, Aitahea’s mother negotiated a detainment period for the faculty and attendees of the academy in attendance that evening. Rather than the devastation that could have occurred, the Daviin family kept their precious community calm, and two days later when the Treaty of Coruscant was passed, all the captives had been released unharmed… including Aitahea, her Force-sensitivity and Jedi training carefully hidden.

And she knew she owed everything to them. Her parents, who continued to teach. The remaining Jedi who whisked her off Courscant and continued her training. Her master, her friends, and those who had perished at the hands of the Sith.

When Aitahea dreamed of the Jedi Temple, all her trials, all her knowledge, all her triumphs against the Sith felt small next to the sacrifices of those who had come before her.

There was no point in lingering on the sadness of the past; that way lay the dark side. With a sigh, the consular set her lightsaber down again and rose from her bed, smoothing back the soft coverlet before tapping the control pad to brighten the room. Her quarters on the Luminous were austere but comfortable in typical Jedi aesthetic.  It was even starting to feel a little like home.

She plaited her ashen hair into a neatly woven braid coiled around her head, then dressed in the earthtone robes of the Order. She wore almost no armor, relying instead on more peaceful methods of interaction. When diplomacy failed to diffuse a dangerous situation, the light tunic and robes allowed for the agility and speed she preferred. She’d just slipped into the subtly-patterned chestnut cloak when the comm in her room pinged.

“Master, are you awake?” A robotic voice called across the connection. It was the ship’s droid, fretfulness pitching his vocalizations higher than expected. “I’m deeply sorry to disturb your rest, Master, but we’re coming up on Taris.”

“Thank you, See-Two, I’ll be out in a moment.”

“Of course, Master.”

Aitahea smiled at the earnest voice, then ran a hand lightly over her hair one last time, smoothing a few strands back into the coronet. She left the hood of her cloak down and clipped her lightsaber to her belt before exiting her quarters. The Luminous hosted not only herself and the fretful protocol droid, but her friend and pilot, Prelsiava Tern. Sia, as the Mirialan liked to be called, had joined Aitahea during her visit to Coruscant as she quested for a cure for her Master, Yuon Par.

Fortunately, Yuon’s cure had indeed been found. Aitahea had sought out the Noetikons scattered throughout the capital world and brought them together, making a dangerous journey to the demolished Jedi Temple to learn their secrets.

The visit to her childhood home would have been unsettling enough but having to set foot in the shattered Jedi Temple after so many years stirred emotions in her that she’d thought resolved. Perhaps that had been the source of her lurid vision… of course. It was only an ordinary dream, her unconscious mind simply sorting out her feelings as she slept.

In the main room, Aitahea shook her head before activating the holocomm, stepping back to see Syo Bakarn. “Master,” she acknowledged and offered a respectful bow.

“Aitahea, it’s good to hear from you. The Council has sensed your arrival on Taris. An intriguing world.”

“It is, Master. I reviewed the history while we traveled. This is the site of Bastila Shan’s escape from the Empire, if I’m recalling correctly.”

“That, as well as being a world much like Coruscant, before Darth Malak caused the destruction that reduced them to poisoned swamplands.” Master Syo continued, giving Aitahea the details of her mission on Taris while she made notes on her datapad.

“I’ll do everything I can for Master Tykan, and I’ll be watching for evidence regarding the creator of this plague.”

“Thank you, Aitahea. It may be possible that your skills will be required for other tasks on Taris. Assist where you can, but do not tarry. We will be waiting on your word. Good luck.”

“The Force will be with us, Master.”

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[razberryyum]

Gintama manga chap 684

Dear Gintama gods and Sorachi-sama,

I am worried. You have been so amazingly generous in these last two chapters that I fear that this might only be the glorious calm before the horrific storm. And you aren't just being generous towards me alone, but to many others in the fandom with the number of ships you showcased in this chapter: Gintoki/Hijikata, Hijikata/Yamazaki, Gintoki/Takasugi, Gintoki/Otae, Hijikata/Otae, Kyuubei/Otae, Gintoki/Kyuubei, and even a good dose of Shinpachi/Otae for those who like to walk on the incest side of the road. I could probably include Yamazaki/Otae since she was technically eyeing his mosaic and touching his half-naked body. This felt strictly like a fanservice/gag chapter and that is what made me nervous, because I worry that you are softening us up so that when you actually deliver the crushing blow, we would be completely unprepared and utterly devastated. I apologize if I am coming off as being a killjoy; truth be told, my pessimism is bourn from a sense of disbelief since I still cannot believe Gintoki and Hijikata are once again together and miraculously stayed together by the chapter's end. My feeble brain almost cannot deal with the flood of euphoria I am feeling so as a way to cope, it is coming up with dark possibilities to counter the happiness.  I mean, I thought their time together was surely coming to an end as soon as Tae-chan appeared, since I was certain that she would immediately recognize them, but once again, you surprised me by going a completely different direction. Even though she no doubt did see through their rather flimsy disguises, I love that she still chose not to acknowledge them outright or point them out to Kyuubei. Grant it, Kyuu-chan should have realized who they were as well, but I am entirely able to accept the possibility that by that point, they were so beaten by Tae-chan's students that she probably couldn't see past all the blood and bruises.

Speaking of Kyuu-chan, I downright gasped in surprise when she appeared because she looks so stunning with her new hairstyle! I am so glad that she is alive and well and seemingly has taken over as leader of her clan. When she mentioned Gintoki as a potential candidate for her marriage interview, I actually grinned happily: in lieu of Hijikata, Kyuubei would have been the woman I wouldn't mind seeing Gintoki end up with. I shipped them ages ago, and I cannot say that I ever completely gave up on that idea since it does tend to pop up once in a while when they do have triggering interactions. I really appreciated the fact that she wouldn't have been against the idea of considering him as a potential marriage partner; based on the fondness in her words and expression as she and Otae talked about Gintoki, I don't think Kyuubei would have been doing it only for her not-dead grandfather's sake.  

I was also glad that Tae-chan was able to revive her dojo in such a clever way, even though she is clearly scamming those unfortunate women. While I doubt those women would be using the "swordsmanship" they are learning in any kind of fight, at least the Koudoukan is thriving once again and her new profession is definitely better than being a cabaret girl. Although, seeing her in this new position only reaffirmed my belief that she and Kondou are in fact married already and she is indeed pregnant with his child. As a married woman with a baby on the way, of course she would have to quit the Snack Smile: I doubt Kondou would want her to still entertain men every night and in her condition, she wouldn't be able to consume alcohol anyway, which is part of her job duties.  Kyuubei's decision to get married also further confirms my suspicion since I can only imagine that she would give up on Otae if she knows she absolutely has no chance with her anymore. At first I couldn't work out the minor discrepancy of why Otose wouldn't know about her marriage, but after thinking about it more, I guess if Tae is in fact still trying to keep it a secret from Shinpachi, then it would make sense why she would not want to tell more people about it. Telling Kyuu-chan is unavoidable since they are so close, but someone like Otose I can easily understand why she would keep out of the loop. I know all of this conjecturing might only be wishful thinking on my part, but I have wanted Kondou and Tae-chan to be together for way too long to willingly give up on their final fantasy so easily.  I can accept the near impossibility of my GinHiji dreams becoming reality, but I thought at the very least, my KonTae wishes would be a no brainer. I wish you would just definitely tell us the truth already. If Kondou is indeed actually married to Princess Bubbles, then I want more proof than just an easily doctored photograph. I think my potential broken heart deserves at least that.

But going back to the Shimura's dojo, I did feel a pang of sadness when you first revealed that Bimbokusai had passed away, so I was glad that by the end we find out he's very much alive, even though he's inexplicably living the life of a humble trash collector. I cannot even begin to guess where he's carting Gintoki and Hijikata off to, but as I mentioned before, I'm just glad they are being carted off together...literally...since Gintoki is lying on top of Hijikata. That image just pleases me to no end. Actually, when Tae-chan threw Hijikata at Gintoki, I just about screamed in delight as well since the crazy part of me wanted to believe you meant that as some kind of pro-GinHiji symbolism. It also didn’t escape my notice that as soon as Gintoki realized Tae-chan was about to subject Hijikata to the same treatment as she inflicted on Yamazaki, he immediately created a distraction by rolling away. I know I'm nuts, but I hope you will continue to forgive my fangirl tendencies since they tend to be fleeting. I mean, Bimbokusai could be wheeling them to Yoshiwara for all I know, so I am always fully prepared to put a cap on my silly notions at a moment's notice. Even though I am not eager to see Gintoki and Hijikata's time together end so soon, I honestly cannot complain. You have given me so much already, it is only reasonable that you spread your generosity around to others. Not to mention, I am curious as to what Tsukky and the others have been up to these past two years, I miss Sacchan as well, so if that is whom we will be visiting with next, I look forward to seeing them.

Yours truly,

A silly fangirl with yaoi dreams

(^3^)  

PS: Those who mannequin, get beaten to a bloodied pulp and are thrown out like trash together, STAYS TOGETHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH, Sorachi-sama!

[ghostmartyr]

SnK 104 Thoughts

Hey Galliard.

Hey. Hey. Galliard.

LET’S SEE YOU GRIT THOSE TEETH.

We’re reaching the end of this arc segment, and I think the relief is making it a little easier to appreciate all the things happening. ...I mean it would, if anything remotely positive were still going on in this world.

Wait, Falco’s alive.

Okay team, there’s still hope.

I’m still having trouble working out why all of this is the chosen strategy. Paradis has caused an incredible amount of destruction, and disposed of most of the top brass, so looked at from an Us vs. Them situation, as long as the Scouts and Eren make it out okay, this is a pretty successful operation. It’s going to take some time for Marley to chase after their island with all the devastation.

What’s the score? The harbor, a bunch of surrounding cityscape, plenty of the interment zone, most of their top brass, and... let’s call it four Titans.

The frustrating part is that I’m having a really difficult time working out the scale of it all. In every section of this battle that we’re shown, Paradis has won somewhat easily. But I don’t know how large Marley is. Magath and Willy are willing to offer up the internment zone and all of the talking heads inside of it in order to gain allies in their offensive. They were ready for Eren. They were not ready for their Titans being out of reach, and they were not ready for Armin.

Since Eren’s decision to play along as the villain of Willy’s story, I’ve been sulking and wondering what the endgame is. What’s the point of playing right into Marley’s publicity stunt? What’s the point of making yourselves look so bad when your only contact with the outside world has been self-defense?

Reading this chapter, it’s hard not to think, “what’s the point of standing back when you know you can win?”

(Even though they’re all so very screwed if their escape blimp plan gets derailed. Like. Their eggs have 1 (one) assigned basket. And Eren’s already nearly died several times during this mess. Dun dun dun.)

And I’m not sure how much of that is a sign that Paradis has landed a fatal blow against Marley, and how much is just... here’s where our focus has been. In a very tiny corner of the world, Paradis has the upper hand.

Marley, unlike the rest of the antagonistic world, fights wars with Titans. The lowercase ones too. In this battle, they have lost two of them, one with the unique ability of controlling ravenous hordes of cannon fodder, one with the unique ability of making very kickass weapons.

What they’re left with is Reiner, Galliard, and Pieck. None of them in a state where they are a dominant force.

Magath wants Marley to enter a world where their military strength isn’t determined by Titans, but you can’t change that overnight. Their greatest trump cards have all been beaten or stolen away. In terms of Titan strength, Paradis wins right out. Marley has the numbers to win a siege war, but that isn’t the war being fought at the moment.

A few things are happening with this battle. One (the most annoying, being something Willy and Magath plan to exploit), Paradis is doing a fantastic job of selling themselves as the demons everyone calls them. Two, they’re making it clear who wins in a battle of Titans (however dicey things are during the fight, Paradis is leaving (hopefully) with three of Marley’s Titans horrifically maimed, one MIA, but presumed dead, and one actually dead). Three, they’re leaving a country that the whole world has bad experiences with in a very vulnerable position.

Marley might be putting work into making Paradis the scapegoat, but the night they declare war Paradis stomps every weapon they have faith in. Ambassadors from other countries get along with Willy, less so with Marley. One night of sympathy for the Eldian plight their buddy Willy has gone through isn’t going to change that.

The hope in the aftermath of this might be that Paradis has proven itself too dangerous to be left alone, so other countries will gladly work with Marley to stamp them out of existence, but... I’m wondering a little if those other countries might be more interested in wiping out their known enemy before turning their attention to the island. Marley has zero good will built up.

Ugh, I don’t know. Thinking about all the different ways people could respond to this makes my head hurt. Especially since Paradis does have links with other countries now, and that makes it harder to get the Beauty and the Beast mob song going.

And again there’s the question of scale. Which is really just me questioning how many Erens Armin just pulled, and how many Erens it would take duplicating to raze all of Marley to the ground. Armin’s feat is obviously destructive, but.

Fuck it, I want five pages of next chapter devoted to graphing out population and military personnel of Marley. With real numbers. The sixth page can provide Paradis’.

Has this operation hamstrung Marley as badly as their morale makes it feel like, or not? That’s all I want to know. Acceptable sacrifice vs. monstrous horrifying mass murder of horror is easier to parse out when the mission objectives and accomplishments are written in plaintext.

...It’s obviously going to end up being both anyway. I still feel really lost.

In character land, where things are slightly simpler, Armin’s having his own version of Eren and Reiner’s conversation. If Eren and Reiner are the same, so are Armin and Bertolt. That’s... oy.

I complain a lot about action chapters because I always feel like I just want to watch the anime version and get on with it without turning over every rock, but some of the complaining comes from really, really wanting to get back to the sad monologuing about feelings everyone in this series is prone to indulge. Hell, pull a Naruto and let everyone get a significant backstory flashback when it looks like they’re in mortal danger.

Armin’s from Shiganshina. Ground zero of this war. He’s one of a small percentage of people who lived through watching Wall Maria’s destruction. He’s standing right there when everything their people have known is annihilated.

Bertolt also burns him to death. Basically.

Now Armin’s the one holding all that power in his hands. He kills people and takes away their homes just by taking a few steps.

The good news is that he knows he has an expiration date, so he can look forward to that instead of seeking therapy to help him later in life.

...

Yeah, there is no good news. Let’s pan back to Falco, who is breathing and somehow showing more signs of mental stability than Gabi.

Kid’s made of some stern stuff. If Eren’s betrayal doesn’t completely shatter him, he might be able to make a bright future for himself if he stays alive. He’s compassionate and doesn’t freeze in a crisis.

Unlike some people.

-cough- Jean -cough-

Nah, that’s mean.

From the looks of things, whether it’s Pieck’s interference or Jean’s own heart getting in the way, Jean’s mind was absolutely prepared to kill the little boy if that meant removing the Cart Titan from play. I don’t know if he tried to arrange a shot that would dodge Falco, but I do think that he accepted that there was a good chance the kid would die in the crossfire, and went for it anyway.

This series was so much happier when people were getting eaten alive.

-looks at rest of the chapter-

-rest of chapter looks back-

Well. You know what I mean.

I’m glad Pieck’s alive, even if it’s only for now. Truthfully, I don’t think I want any of the Warriors to die. Their lives have been hell. I want to think that someday, all of the Eldian kiddos get to breathe free air without being a tool of war. If they die, it’s just another footnote to a sad story.

Then we have Galliard, who.

..Yeah.

(btw

Does Titan inheritance run on some kind of lottery system, and does that matter?)

I thought Eren would be done horrifying me after the civilian slaughter. I mean, where else can we go from there? Dead children hit one of the highest tiers of tragedy. Maybe more of them will fall out of the cracks, and surely the psychological trauma of individuals like Reiner will continue to be bad, but we’re done with any of it being shocking.

...

.....

Eren’s a fucking tryhard.

Okay! Okay. Uh.

Points for... pragmatism?

“Aha, I have cracked the case, if not the crystal! Hark, I shall have Jaws crack the crystal, and I shall drink up this woman’s juices as they drip from his teeth while he silently screams at me to stop!”

Eren with the Jaw Titan in the Conservatory.

I mean. If you think about it.

I have been calling the Warriors tools for ages.

Eren using Galliard as his own personal nutcracker is really only the natural evolution of that.

Yike.

I’m surprised Reiner’s already up and about. It makes sense that it’s to protect Galliard (Porco is going to have so very many issues when he wakes up), because protecting people is the one thing the world hasn’t broken inside of him. Even after all he’s been through, he still wants to be the good guy, keeping his comrades safe.

But the dude’s dead inside. He has the strength to stand, but not much else, and I don’t know how the story can lead him into anything dynamic when he’s so screwed up.

Also of curiosity is... Eren’s perfectly willing to nom Galliard. Reiner shows up, gets punched maybe a building length away, is very obviously in no state to win any kind of fight, and Mikasa and Eren walk away.

All of the other Titans are removed during the festival by strategy. Pieck and Porco get dumped down a hole. Zeke is probably working with Eren, and he’s still escorted out.

Reiner gets a conversation.

Reiner’s participation in Eren versus War Hammer would have turned the tables. The only reason he isn’t part of it is because his conversation with Eren robs him of his final will to live.

So uh. ...Eren? Not to be rude or question your moral character or basic sanity... but... I don’t know... how, uh, on purpose is Reiner’s current emotional state?

...On a related note, is that your way of keeping him alive? ...Am I. Am I going to have to start shipping you two seriously?

This has the feel of something else I’m going to find easier to discuss in later chapters, but looking at the last few pages... Eren has the chance to kill Reiner and Galliard. He definitely has no problem nomming Galliard. What changes? Reiner caring about Galliard?

Eren easily could have taken out two of Marley’s Titans, and he chooses not to. It’s a decision Mikasa is either fine with or encourages. I don’t quite know what to make of her very excellent stoic face after Eren punches Reiner. She goes from that to zooming over all “Eren!” and... does that mean killing Reiner has been judged the wrong decision all around? What’s with the interruption, you two? Is that closeup of Eren’s eyes on the opposite page just there to look pretty, or is something going on?

Look, you’ve killed everyone else in the general vicinity, I’m allowed to wonder what makes this special. What, Eren can see his sparkling eyes when his face isn’t armored up and can’t handle the dokis?

Geez, this was a chapter.

Next month we get to see how great the great escape is--only guarantee is that there is no escape from the monsters in their heads.

...I’m with Mikasa. Can we go home now?

[savvylark]

Not Your Mama’s Hallmark Christmas part 7

This is where the story ends.

You can catch up with Part 1 here - Part 2 here - Part 3 here - Part 4 here - Part 5 here - Part 6 here or read it all on Ao3 here  

This chapter is rated M for sexual content. Reader be advised.

Katniss tends to be cynical about materialism, love, and marriage. Her friends have replaced the family she lost. So when Peeta needs help, her friends don’t need more than a strong arm to convince her. Katniss finds herself having a very different  Christmas this year with the Mellark family, posing as Peeta’s girlfriend. What will change when this starts to look like a strange Hallmark movie?

Thank you to the amazing @javistg being my beta and encouraging. Thank you @peetabreadgirl for your ideas and support. @everlarkingjoshifer made this banner for me. Isn’t it lovely? Its been a fun ride I hope you enjoy the ending!

With a tired, weary look on his face, Peeta hands me a bouquet of wildflowers and a paper bag. “Hi, can we talk?”

I bite my lip and nod.

Annie and Joanna mumble something about being hungry and they head out quickly.

I try to keep my nerves from showing, but I don’t want to scowl either so I decide a distraction might be best.

I place the flowers in a vase.

Out of the bag, Peeta pulls out wine and cookies for us. I pour each of us a glass of wine and place them on the coffee table.

I can’t help the smile the spreads on my face.

Peeta brought over things that are just “us.”

Finally we’re seated for a conversation.

“How’s your dad?” I ask.

“Better. Much better, he’s at home. His wrist is in a cast, knee surgery is scheduled for next week. I’ll go back home for that.” Peeta says, his eyes won’t meet mine.

I nod and force a smile. “I’m happy to hear he’s doing so much better.”

He pauses and takes a nervous breath before asking, “Katniss, why did you leave early?”

I make eye contact with Peeta then, looking at my glass, I down the whole thing and pour myself another.

Okay, now I’m ready for this conversation.

“It was real for me, Peeta, and you rejected me. I just needed a little time to bounce back. Don’t look at me like that, you don’t need to soften the blow okay?” I take another sip.

“WHAT?!” Peeta looks confused.

“I don’t know when it happened, but it became real for me. I wasn’t pretending. I thought it was changing for you too. Christmas was just. Wow.” I sigh, then shake my head to clear my thoughts.

“It hurt to be rejected. Why are you surprised by this?” I ask, drawing even more confusion between us.

He reaches for my hand and pulls me closer. I flinch, but I can’t escape his gaze, or that look in his eyes. It’s mesmerizing.

“When I hear your phone call, I thought… Well, I heard you say we were ‘just friends, that’s it.’ I didn’t really listen to anything else after that.” He’s looking down now, sorrowful.

I remember saying that to Johanna, out of context that sounds cold.

His hand clasps mine tighter.

“So, when I said ‘I want to be with you?” I ask, sceptical.

“It didn’t even register. God, Katniss, when you left, I just felt a hole in my heart. Then my dad told me what he heard. Your whole phone call. I didn’t realize… I just didn’t…” Peeta rubs his face and tries to organize his thoughts.

“First of all, you met my parents? I didn’t have the greatest example of a fulfilling relationship growing up. I didn’t know it could be that great. Dating you, having you as mine, even just for pretend was the greatest relationship I’ve ever had. You’re smart, funny, sexy as hell, and we work so well together. I didn’t think I deserved you. I didn’t think I could have such a great match for me. Rye talked some sense into me. He explained that it was us together that made this amazing. That we’re two pieces of a puzzle that fit together.” Peeta explains.

I’m listening very intently with every word, until he mentions puzzle pieces and my thoughts turn less innocent. Focus.

He smirks and leans in to whisper. “That I was an idiot, and I was denying both of us something amazing, but being stubborn and wounded wasn’t doing either of us any good.”

I just stare, unable to speak.

Peeta brushes some hair out of my eyes and smiles. “I think I knew after our very first kiss. I was scared to fall so hard, tried to bury my feelings. I thought you were better off with someone else. I didn’t know what it meant for you. When I saw you in college at Gale’s party I thought maybe that was my second chance, you know? After the pictures of us were floating around, I saw the look on your face, embarrassment. I thought I really screwed up, so I gave you space. Being your friend was safer.”

Peeta pulls me closer with a serious look on his face. “But now,” he continues with a lower raspy voice, “I can’t let this, us, go. Not this time. I think I’m in love with you, Katniss Everdeen,” Peeta whispers.

Then, as if he can’t hold back any longer, he leans in to take my breath away in a fiery kiss.

I lean in for another.

Peeta pulls away and looks scared. He rubs the back of his neck nervously. “I want always, Katniss. I want a future with you. You’re it for me. If you don’t think… If you don’t feel the same… It might destroy me.” He looks down and sighs.

The past week flashes in my mind. The look in his eyes while we were ice skating. Hugging shirtless Peeta after the cocoa spilled. The longing for his kiss I felt after our snowball fight. Peeta’s hand in mine as he gripped it for strength at the party. The way he held me after I broke down crying after missing my father. All our laughter. All the games. The antics. The longing I felt for Peeta Mellark when I thought I had lost him.

Rye’s words echo “I love her, I want her, and I need her. For the rest of my life. Always.” And “It’s in all the little things you aren’t saying.”

Am I already there?

“Take some time to think about it?” He asks.

I nod.

Peeta stands and walks away.

For one heartbreaking instant, I think he’s going to leave, but instead he walks to the brown bag he brought.

“In the meantime, grab your swimsuit, Everdeen.” Peeta gives me a mischievous look, before pulling two super soakers and swim trunks out of the bag.

“I checked, the pool is open. We’re going swimming!” He grins and pushes me to the bedroom, and heads to my bathroom to change.

In my head, I replay every teenage fantasy of Peeta I ever had as I rifle through my clothes.

“There it is!” I say to myself.

I step out of my bedroom wearing my hunter green bikini, a different one than what I wore in my youth, but the sentiment remains. I barely have the door shut before Peeta pins me to the door and kisses me with such intensity that I’m dizzy.

Then, he hands me a super soaker and links our hands as if he didn’t just blow my mind.

The grin on my face can’t be contained.

As we walk through the hall to the pool, towels and his own super soaker in his other hand, Peeta asks “So would this be our second or third date?” Smiling at me, eyes twinkling.

I try minimize the blush on my face.

“Well, if ice skating was our first date, then would the party be our second date?” I ask, squinting at him.

“Hmm, seems lousy. What about Christmas, was that a date?” He says, kind of proud of himself.

“Well, with how the evening went, it kind of felt like a date.” I wink at him with a grin.

“So, this could be considered our third date then? Interesting.” Peeta says wiggling his raised eyebrows, as he playfully bumps my hip. We’ve reached the pool yet Peeta’s eyes rove up and down my suit.

I can’t hold back my laughter.

“Cool it lover boy.” I turn my water gun on him and squirt him square in the chest.

Peeta unleashes his own super soaker and it’s war. We laugh and chase, and dodge. I drop the water gun and attempt to wrestle Peeta into the pool, but he’s a worthy opponent. Peeta has me wet in under a minute.

When we come up for air, my arms are wrapped around his neck. I can’t take my eyes off this beautiful man.

I rest my forehead on his. Peeta plays with the end of my braid as we wade in the shallow end.

I’m brought back to the first time we found each other like this; dazed teenagers in Madge’s pool.

“You might think I’m pushing this too fast, but we’ve known each other since we were kids. I think I fell for you that summer before College. Imagining my future without you, Katniss, is devastating.”

He paused thoughtfully, stroking my back gently. “You’re going to see that a long term committed relationship is exactly what you want, and that we’re better together. Once you realize that, I’m never letting you go and I’m going to marry the shi–,” I cover his mouth with my fingers.

“Shhhh. Peeta, I think I’m already there.” I stop Peeta’s rambling. He nips at my fingers playfully, then his eyes widen and his jaw drops.

“It was Rye, actually. Hell, we need to give him a gift basket or something… Anyway, I was talking to your favorite brother and he told me about his own decision to marry Lila. How the look on my face said everything. He was right. Peeta, I’m in love with you. I-I never thought I wanted those things, but I want always with you.” I look at him seriously cupping his cheeks in my hands.

Peeta just stares back in disbelief, smiling as if I’ve given him the very sun.

When he kisses me I hope he never stops.

Somehow, we’ve made it to my bedroom. I’m dizzy with the hum of my body’s response to Peeta’s kisses.

“When I first saw you in a swimsuit I wanted to touch you like this,” I murmur my confession.  

I can’t keep my hands from roving over every inch of his broad chest, muscular sculpted back, rippling abs. This gorgeous man is in a swimsuit in my bedroom.

“You have no idea how many fantasies I had of you like this in that bikini in my bed,” Peeta pants in my ear. The low husky tone his voice has taken does delicious things below my swimsuit bottoms. His hands are exploring me also, but some of it doesn’t register.

I’m so excited by every inch of Peeta I can see. My fingers inch their way down his rippling abs, past the V of is torso to the waistband of his swimsuit and I tease the sensitive skin just inside while I suck Peeta’s neck. I’m following this happy trail.

Hearing him sigh and pant in anticipation drives me wild.

I find his lips because I just crave his mouth on mine. Tongues collide and dance.

Peeta turns us over and his kisses trail down my neck and collarbone. I’m so delirious with the sensation I don’t realize my top being untied until I feel lips trailing to suck my nipple.

“Ah, they’re perfect, Katniss!” Peeta whispers against my skin.  

The panting and moaning that follow the sensation are so involuntary they don’t even sound like me. I didn’t know I could make such a guttural noise. I am deliciously turned on and aware of every movement of Peeta’s body on mine. My legs wrap around his waist in search of friction, more of… something.

I can’t get enough of Peeta. I’m starving for him.

My hands find his muscular round legs and wander upward. He’s so manly and chiseled.

Normally, I’m much more vulnerable and self conscious with my body, but I’m so overcome with wanting Peeta that it doesn’t even concern me.

Finally, I can’t handle how much I want him. I rip down his swim trunks. Little peeta springs fourth and he is glorious. The sight of Peeta naked takes my breath away. Clearly I had been drinking too much on Christmas to appreciate this masterpiece before me. My mouth waters.

I think I startle him with my aggression, because he’s looking at me with raised eyebrows, jaw hanging, as I rid him of his suit.

I tease and kiss a trail up each thigh until I just can’t take the anticipation of making Peeta moan. With the first swip of my tongue all the way up, Peeta’s breath hitches. I make eye contact as I continue to lick and suck. His eyes wide and dilated. Deep blue pools of desire. This man is SO sexy. I speed up my ministrations.

Peeta is panting and moaning something like my name. He pulls one of my legs, spinning me in a circle. I squeak and readjust. I realize the purpose of this when I feel Peeta’s magical hands trailing up my legs to my hot core, rubbing my slick folds and teasing me until hot kisses roam up my legs.

I stop my movements to catch my breath only to have it stolen away by Peeta’s tongue lapping up my folds before plunging into my center. I moan and hum deep in my throat, my mouth waters, I suck and bob, teasing and “giggling his bells.”

Continuing my mission of blowing Peeta’s… mind.

“Ooooooh, Katniss!” Might be the sweetest words of pleasure, stirring me to the very core. I’m shaking.

This isn’t going to take much longer for either or us. The pressure Peeta adds, along with his moaning, sends me over the edge, reeling with waves of pleasure. I swallow as Peeta shouts. With the stars behind my eyelids, Peeta’s blinding smile and blue eyes flash. Tears come to my eyes as I sing Peeta’s name.

He lifts me into his arms and holds me tight while I catch my breath. Gentle kisses on my neck are accompanied with words of affection and adoration.

Our eyes meet, and I see the most intense look of love reflected in Peeta’s eyes. As if to confirm that what I’m reading in his eyes is true, he kisses me passionately, pouring out the love he feels with a pressure and intensity that leave me dizzy.

His hands and eyes continue to explore and study my every curve and dip.

“God, I didn’t know I could feel like this. Katniss, you’re amazing!” Peeta whispers.

“Takes two to tango. Do you know how sexy you are?” My voice comes out more raspy then I expected. I smile and play with his hair.

He shakes his head and grins, eyes twinkling, like a boy who just opened his Christmas presents.

His hands are wondering between my legs again. When my breath hitches, he studies my face. Asking permission. “We can stop here if you want.” he whispers, trailing kisses down my neck.

I smile and shake my had no, I don’t want to stop. With a mischievous look, I do my best imitation of his own smirk, I tell Peeta “The only sleigh I’ll be riding is–,”

I’m cut off by his lips. We’re laughing between kisses.

A brief contraception conversation settles it.

Our other encounters have been rushed and lustful. This is more meaningful and vulnerable. I bite my lower lip, our eyes connect and say all the little things we mean to each other without words. This is love.

Peeta leans up to capture my lips. Electric surges through my whole body from where our lips connect. His eyes widen. He felt it too. I settle myself over him and spread my legs. Peeta gets that smoldering look. The crackle in the air is electric. Anticipation.

As if something has snapped, Peeta is all over me. Igniting me. With every touch, every caress, it’s as if sparks fly. A smoldering fire builds. I fist Peeta, aline us and slink down. With our first connection my breath is taken away. Peeta’s deep voice moaning my name sends a buzz through me that makes me dizzy. Our movements build. It’s a blur of rhythmic rocking, waves of ecstasy, moans and sighs. I can’t even focus on just one sensation.

The things Peeta’s body can do!

Our loving making is passionate and consuming. Evoking deeper feelings of love I didn’t know I had buried within me. Peeta rocks my world again, buried deep inside me. The connection felt something like introducing my other half. Feeling a wholeness I can’t even describe, leaving me enlightened. The world as I know it has changed.

“I love you.” Peeta whispers in my ear.

After 3 rounds of the best sex of my life, maybe the best the world has ever seen? Peeta and I are emotionally and physically drained. We curl into each other’s arms and fall fast asleep.

“Woah, Katniss. Are you doing this in your sleep?” Peeta whispers, amazed and amused.

I open my eyes to find I’ve been dry humping the man in my bed. Emulating the dream I was having of making love to Peeta.

“Uh, yeah.” I answer, embarrassed as I pull into a more innocent cuddle in Peeta’s arms, trying to keep the heat flowing through my body under control.

Peeta seems thrilled. He kisses my cheek and sighs. “Oh no, don’t be embarrassed! You’re a wild one, Everdeen. I thought I was dreaming.”

We slip back into a blissful sleep.

I wasn’t ready to elope like Peeta wanted to, but I understand after everything he went through with Cashmere, and our fake relationship, why Peeta wanted a long term commitment.

On New Year’s Eve, Peeta took me for hot chocolate in town, and we strolled through the displays of ice sculptures carved by local artists. I stopped at a more plain looking one. It was a question, written in cursive on an ice block. Four words.

I smiled. “Peeta look! Someone’s going to…”

I turn and find my blue-eyed Peeta, down on one knee, holding his grandmother’s pearl ring meant for a very important finger.

With tears in his eyes, he poured out his heart out to me, beautiful words of love, memories and laughter together, words of a future, of always.

I realized he probably already had my heart. From our very first kiss, I was a goner for Peeta Mellark.

Words are Peeta’s thing, not mine so, as he waxed poetic, my answer was: “You had me at cookies and super soakers.”

He looked confused, then laughed.

“Is that your way of saying yes?” Peeta’s words are teasing but his eyes are full of hope and apprehension.

I ruined his sweet romantic moment, I had better bring it back. I sigh and pull back the mask of humor I wear as armor.

“I want forever with you Peeta,”  I answer surprising myself.

We embraced and kissed passionately.

As Peeta placed the ring on my finger, the crowd I didn’t realize had gathered around us started cheering. I tried to ignore a few flashes of cameras –one turned out to be Peeta’s that he had Thresh take.

I turn to face the crowd and I’m met with familiar faces. Thresh, Rue and Prim’s smiles first as they were in on the plan. Then my best friend and his beaming new fiance, standing next to my roommate, elbowing Annie who’s wiping tears out of her eyes while Peeta’s best friend gives a thumbs up with a mile wide grin.

My family is all here to celebrate. We all agree to go to the Hob down the street for soup and sandwiches.

Peeta laces our fingers together and strokes the pearl with the thumb of his other hand. Then, he looks up at me with a smile that makes me go weak in the knees.

The entire world fades away as I’m taken captive by his blue eyes that speak depths of love and years of adventures ahead.

The End. Happy Holidays! 

[ourloveisforthelovely]

Dark 2

A/n: slight smut. Look at that I did decide to make it a series. 

Link to previous chapter 

Words: 3,464

Big shout out to @tas898 @jannalionheart @sherala007 and @sadisticlittlemasochisticbitch for some help :) 

Song in the beginning: Say you’ll haunt me by Stone Sour

Pairings: Gabriel x OFC

___________

Little supernovas in my head

Little soft pulses in my dead

Little souvenirs and secrets shared

Little off guard and unprepared

I was never good enough to find

I was never bad enough to mind

In the middle I will do my best

Take me in your arms and leave the rest

I will give you anything to

Say you want to stay, you want me to

Say you’ll never die, you’ll always haunt me

I want to know I belong to you

Say you’ll haunt me

Together, together we’ll be together, together forever

2 months later

Ellie lay snugged against Gabriel’s back. It had been a while since Gabriel had come back from the empty and their relationship took a whole new pattern. In the past few months a lot had changed! There were some days that Gabriel resembled the archangel that he used to be before being stabbed by Lucifer. Other days he was this dark angry being that even Ellie was worried about. The few times that she offered to try to research what was going on with him Gabriel all but told her to knock it off and stop pestering him.

There was also Sam, Dean, and Cas. In the past two months Ellie hadn’t heard from either of the Winchesters once. This was odd behavior when she did a lot of research for them while they were away on cases. No matter how many times she called or how many messages she left Ellie got nothing in return. She frowned thinking about this. This wasn’t a way you treated someone that was almost a sister to you. Sam she could understand. After their relationship ended she could understand his distance. Dean, however, she didn’t understand. He was the one that she talked to on a daily bases and shared a warm relationship with. Even if he didn’t need help on a case he called everyday to make sure that she was doing decently.

Ellie had even tried praying to Cas numerous times only to receive nothing in return. She thought her friendship with Cas was worth more than this as well. When she went on hunts with the Winchesters or they stopped by to chill out Cas followed her like a puppy. He was always interested in research that she was doing or what documentaries she had playing in the back ground.

Part of Ellie wondered if they were angry with her for not finding enough information on the whole nephilim issue. Surely finding zero information other then the tad bit that Gabriel gave her wasn’t enough to sever a friendship. That wasn’t team free will….

“Would you stop beating yourself up over those mutton heads?”

Gabriel snapped. Ellie raised an eyebrow as he turned pulling her into his arms.

“Kind of hard to just let people who are the only family you have just drop from mind Gabe.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes.

“What am I? Chopped liver?”

Ellie sighed.

“Of course not! Gabriel you know what I mean. I am worried about them.”

Gabriel nodded.

“I know. I hear your thoughts. Relax already. I’m sure they are just fine. They are big boys. Let them figure out there problems for once. You can’t always be waiting to do whatever they say. I don’t like it anyway.”

Ellie smiled as she sat up to stretch. She glanced back at the archangel who lay with his arms behind his head. Even though Gabriel wasn’t 100% himself at least he stayed with her. He didn’t leave for long periods by any means. The longest he stayed away was a period of a few days in which he wouldn’t say what he was doing. Ellie figured he was back to doing his trickster business. He wouldn’t tell her so she didn’t ask. She figured if Gabriel wanted her to know something then he would tell her.

“You are so jealous.”

She cooed as his golden eyes rolled to her. He didn’t look offended by her comment. After all she said it at least 15 times a day.

“You know it.”

Gabriel said in almost a snide tone. He reached out stroking a finger down Ellie’s spine. Gabriel smiled when her skin broke out in chills.

“Why don’t you come over here and give me some loving?”

Gabriel cooed.  Ellie didn’t need to be told twice before climbing on top of her lover. Gabriel’s honey eyes sparkled as he ran his hands down her thighs.

“I would love it if you just walked around the house naked all the time.”

Ellie rubbed her body against Gabriel’s erection making the archangel sigh.

“You just want an excuse to bend me over whenever you want.”

Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows before reaching down and guiding himself to her entrance.

“I have you whenever I want anyway.”

Meanwhile across town….

Dean stood at filling up the impala. Looking around his surroundings he didn’t notice anything to out of the normal. Everything was the same as it had been since he first started coming here. Glancing at the inside of his car, however, nothing was the same. Things in his life has gotten 100% crazier than ever! The past two months had been a trip!

From dealing with losing Cas, Crowley, Rowena, gaining Jack, going through an emotionally devastating period that made him want to die, and finally getting Cas back he was exhausted. Another surprise that he received after gaining Cas back Bobby was back too! Alive and acting like nothing had ever happened to him. How his second father was back Dean didn’t know. Part of him was nervous to get too attached but the other part was just happy to see Bobby back.

That is what led them to being back in South Dakota. Dean had to get Bobby to Ellie. Looking around the town Dean couldn’t help but feel awful when his thoughts went to Ellie. In the past two months he knew he had been a terrible friend. He hadn’t returned a phone call or a message. His heart wasn’t in it. He knew that Ellie didn’t deserve any of this and she was probably worried out of her mind. Dean sighed knowing that he had a lot to make up for!

“Nothing ever changes.”

Dean looked up as Bobby walked back to the car from getting a drink inside the gas station.

“Nope. They never do.”

Dean replied as Sam walked over to join them.

“Have you called Ellie?”

Dean nodded taking out his cell phone dialing Ellie’s number again. He was silently praying to hear Ellie’s voice. Instead he got her voicemail again…just like he had since last night.

“Hey baby girl I am needing some help on case. Sure would be nice to get some assistance. Call me.”

Bobby instantly gave Dean a funny look as he hung up the phone.

“Baby girl?”

Dean shrugged innocently.

“Its not what you think. We have a joke about that Criminal Minds show. She apparently likes that procedural cop show and I give her grief over it. There is this blonde headed chick that one of those guys calls baby girl so I….I’m just gonna shut up.”

Bobby looked relived as he got into the car beside Jack and Cas without another word. When the door was shut Dean turned to Sam who taking a sip of the drink in his hand.

“Did you get her?”

Sam shook his head.

“She probably wouldn’t answer for me anyway.”

Dean rolled his eyes.

“Damn it Sammy I don’t know why you broke things off with her. You two were so good for each other! I didn’t have to worry about either of you!”

Sam shrugged.

“She deserved better.”

Dean groaned.

“Here we go. Sam there is no Sam Winchester curse. When we get there I need you to talk to her because this is the most annoying situation I have ever been in. She isn’t going to end up like Jess, bless her soul. Ellie is like us. She can take care of herself.”

Sam gave Dean the biggest bitch face imaginable before walking to the passenger seat getting into the car.

Arriving at Bobby’s old house, Dean was relived to see Ellie’s jeep in the driveway. Stepping out of the car Dean looked to Jack and Cas who stood looking identical as always.

“Well lets hope everything is okay.”

Cas nodded.

“'I’m sure Ellie is delightful as always.”

Dean winced.

“Lets hope. I don’t think Bobby can deal with a major blow right now.”

Cas looked to Bobby who was looking as nervous as he had since Dean told him that they hadn’t heard from Ellie in sometime.

Walking into the house nothing looked out of normal. Bobby groaned at how his daughter had redecorated everything.

“Damn she made this place girly.”

Dean smirked as he looked around the living room. He was relieved when he saw her computer on and cell phone laying beside the open lap top. Glancing over his shoulder he looked to Sam.

“Sam, her phone is fully charged and laptop is on.”

Sam looked equally as pleased as his brother.

“Ellie?”

Sam called her name carefully. The last thing he wanted was for Ellie to pop out from around a corner with a gun in her hand and start blasting. Sure she would calm down when seeing it was them but Sam knew that she would be on her guard. Ellie was always ready to take out a demon or some other monster if it came at her.

His mind also went to Bobby who was looking around the new decor in his house. Sam knew that Ellie would probably have a panic attack when she saw that her father was alive again. The poor girl had a hell of time after Bobby had died.

“Maybe she is taking a nap?”

Jack’s suggestion broke Sam from his thoughts. He gave Jack an approving smile.

“That is probably a good guess. She doesn’t sleep much.”

Dean was the first one to the bedroom door. He knew Ellie would probably be madder than hell to be woken up. Ellie was a lot like Dean when it came to being woken up. Dean considered asking Jack to go make a cup of coffee and have it waiting. Maybe the aspect of Jack’s delicious coffee would ease the anger that Ellie was probably going to unleash on them.

The sounds of a small crash got Dean’s attention. He didn’t wait for Sam or anyone to say anything but he kicked the bedroom door as hard as he could. If something was hurting his sister then he was going to kill it!

As quickly as Dean ran in he wished he hadn’t…

“What the hell?!?”

Ellie squealed. Dean meanwhile, couldn’t move as he felt the rest of his friends catch up. Ellie sat perched on Gabriel obviously in the middle of sex. Dean’s eyes winded taking in the entire scene! Ellie had reached over grabbing a blanket to cover her bare breasts and nearly naked body.

“Dean?!”

Ellie managed to get out but froze the moment she saw her father. Bobby looked ready to faint. He quickly put a hand over his eyes before muttering idjits and turning and walking out. Her eyes hadn’t left where Bobby stood. Was she going mad? Surely her father really wasn’t standing there and didn’t see her banging an archangel!

Gabriel’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.

“Umm don’t you people knock?”

Dean was still starring like he had lost his mind. Gabriel was alive and inside his sister! What the hell?

“Son of a bitch!”

Dean growled. He didn’t even think about Jack was looking at them with his head tilted clearly trying to figure out what was going on. Cas quickly reached over putting a hand over Jack’s eyes and guiding him away from the door.

Sam meanwhile, looked completely devastated! This was not in anyway what he was expecting! First off how was Gabriel alive and why was Ellie fucking him? Was they together? Surely not!  

“Was that really my dad?”

Ellie choked out. Gabriel nodded tightening his hold on her hips.

“Yes sugar it was and your creepy friends are watching us.”

Ellie looked back to Sam and Dean who stood looking like they were ready to pass out in the middle of the doorway.

“Uh so this is awkward and he’s kind of balls deep. Can you give us a moment?”

Gabriel gave Sam and Dean a beyond jealous and pissy expression.

“I stopped out of courtesy now you are trying my patience. You can stick around and watch if you want but I am going back to what I was doing. You can stay or you can GET. OUT!‘”

It wasn’t until Bobby’s voice came calling from the living room did Sam and Dean manage to get themselves in gear.

“Really guys! You’re just gonna stand there and watch?!”

Dean quickly turned bolting from the room while Sam was the last one leave. He gave Ellie a final looked before bolting form the room.

Once the door was shut Ellie looked down at Gabriel who was still looking baffled and annoyed. She quickly got off of her lover and started pulling on abandoned clothes.

“So I guess we are done here.”

Gabriel grumbled before snapping on his own clothing. Ellie looked back at him with wide eyes.

“Gabriel, my father is alive! I have to get out there. We can continue this later. Please just understand….for once.”

Gabriel’s golden eyes looked cold for a moment but quickly warmed up as he walked to Ellie taking her face in his hands.

“Sugar I do understand. I am just worried about those morons hurting you again. You’ve been worried to death over Sam and Dean the past few months. No matter how big of an asshole I am I don’t want you hurt.”

Ellie reached up placing her hand over Gabriel’s.

“I love you.”

Gabriel’s golden eyes winded a bit and his facial expression was almost unreadable.

“I know.”

Gabriel couldn’t bring himself to say those three little words that he knew Ellie wanted so much. She had been beginning him in her mind to say I love you for so long. Ellie knew it wasn’t his style but she was still asking…pleading more like it. Did he love her? Yes? Would he admit it? Eh….that was another story.

Meanwhile…

Bobby was pacing in the living room like a caged tiger. He was literally seeing red. Never in his life had Bobby Singer been this angry! He knew from the day Ellie was born she would someday fall in love but the last thing Bobby expected was it to be with an archangel! An archangel that he knew was a giant dick!  

“Was that Gabriel? My Uncle Gabriel? Why were they naked and joined together?”

Jack’s polite voice was the first to say anything in the room. Cas looked to the boy with a frown.

“Yes, That is your Uncle Gabriel. I’m sure he would love to talk to you after he’s out of his…less than angelic state. We will talk about the rest at another time.”

Dean snorted. The last thing that he wanted at the moment was to have the facts of life chat with Jack because his uncles was being a manwhore.

“There is nothing angelic about that man. I’m going to kill him when he gets out of here for touching her. What the hell?! He is supposed to be dead!”

“Well look at that I’m not!”

Dean spun around to see Gabriel looking at him with an amused expression with Ellie at his side. Sam started at the archangel who quickly froze the youngest Winchester in his place.

“Don’t think about is Sasquatch!”

Sam growled angrily.

“Don’t you touch her!”

Ellie sighed stepping in-between Gabriel and her family. She needed to stop this madness before it got any worse!

“Sam, Dean stop! Gabriel, please.”

She focused her attention back on her father who was still looking ready to drop from a heart attack. Ellie quickly walked to Bobby with a heart broken expression on her face.

“Dad…you’re alive. How?”

Bobby shrugged.

“Don’t know but I am wishing I was kind of dead again now. We need to talk. Cas can you take him with you.”

Gabriel started laughing hard. The last thing that he was going to do was go away from his lover. If Bobby Singer thought that Gabriel would leave Ellie alone for a moment he had another thing coming! Ellie looked back at him. Her blue eyes looked as nervous as he felt.

“Gabriel, we won’t be far.”

Gabriel focused his attention back to his lover taking in her feelings. She was nervous and afraid, all of the feeling that he hated to sense on her.  

“You sure?”

Ellie nodded again.

“It will be okay.”

Gabriel shrugged looking at Cas who had sauntered over to him.

“If that’s what you want.”

Ellie turned back to her father. Bobby reached down grabbing her by the wrist and leading her outside. He stopped at the door and looked back at his adoptive sons.

“Come on you two.”

Sam and Dean didn’t need to be told twice before. They quickly followed Bobby out the door.

Once outside the sun was shinning as though nothing was changing.It was a beautiful day that should be enjoyed in a matter other then with fighting with your family. Bobby started pacing again before he looked back to his daughter. She looked just like the girl that he had left behind when passing on.

“All right Ellie talk.”

Ellie looked between her father and the Winchester’s.

“Like you just saw I am with Gabriel. There isn’t much more than that to say. I’m happy and I love him.”

Bobby ran a hand over his face.

“Oh for the love of Pete! Do you realize how stupid and risky this is? You don’t just date an angel you go for the most dangerous one out there, other than Lucifer! I raised you better than this! You don’t date things that could kill you! Have you lost your mind?”

Dean nodded.

“Ellie you are practically my sister. The last thing I want to do is discuss your sex life but this situation calls for a talk! Ellie you could get hurt bad with him! You could be caught in the in the crossfires of one of Gabriel’s fucked up tricks and games! If you get hurt because of him I won’t be able to live with myself….none of us could! Sammy you got something to add?”

Sam shook his head still looking beyond disgusted.

“No..I don’t even know what to say.”

Ellie stood a moment letting them say whatever they needed to before coming in.

“Are you all done? Well I sure hope so because you are going to hear what I have to say now. You should thank Gabriel for saving you all back at that hotel. He didn’t have to die to keep you two safe. Furthermore, he is good to me and I love him. It isn’t any of your places to tell me how I am supposed to live. Dad this isn’t directed to you but to Sam and Dean. You two have ignored me for the past two months families don’t do that to each other! I have tired so hard to get a hold of you and got nothing in return! The only person that I have had in my life has been Gabriel.”

Dean sighed, he knew that this would be thrown at him and he knew that they deserved it.

“Ellie, I’m sorry….”

Ellie held a hand up.

“Don’t give me crap Dean!”

Bobby had enough. He stepped forward looking at his daughter.

“I’m tellin you right now Ellie to knock it off with the archangel. I don’t want you with him.”

Ellie’s mouth fell as she looked at her father. This whole day was nothing but a huge cluster fuck of emotions! She should be overjoyed that her father was back in her life but at the moment she was miserable all the way around. How the way this mess was going to work out she didn’t know? At the moment all she wanted was to get back to Gabriel.

_________________________

@greenappleeyes

@tas898

@jannalionheart

@sherala007

@sumara62

@authoressskr

@everyjourneylove

[stardustpubs]

A Letter to My Pretense

    Following the events of an unrequited confession, a boy was left devastated to deal with his own heartbreak and idealism. But terms were established shortly afterwards and the pair agreed to remain friends. However, the problem for such scenario is that one must learn to move on as soon as possible while the other must consistently ignore and strike down the former's feelings if they ever wish to close their one-sided chapter or else everything will fall apart. At first, things were going smoothly as the boy had hoped, but months had gone by and the two met once again through fate...and their friends. Even if it was just for a moment or two, memories and emotions immediately came rushing in a deafening blow. It was awkward for sure. It was too hard to act normal when a single memory lingers. Yet, deciding to write a letter to his past love, the boy finally confronted his underlying thoughts and doubts in hopes of rekindling their lost friendship and to finish what he selfishly started. Writing it might not help much, but it's a stepping stone nevertheless.

A/N: Picture does not belong to me and if the original artist is identified, please credit and cite accordingly. Thank you. Source: Pinterest

Greetings!

Salutations!

To whom it may concern:

Hello, (Yeah, let's just go with that.)

     It's been a while. How long has it been exactly? I'm not so sure anymore. Was it days since we last talked? Weeks since we last seen each other? Or was it 7 months since I confessed to you? I really don't remember anymo- nope, I can't do this. Of course I still remember. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Why would I? I mean, how could I? Everything is so damn complicated; yet; for some odd reason, I just don't know when to quit. I'll admit, this thing between us, or rather with me, I know it should stop because I know it would jeopardize the very foundations of our - shall we, umm- 'amicability' that we've established even before this little mishap. No need to worry though. The blame is all on me. So I should be the one to one to 'fix' whatever it is that need fixing...if it's even possible.

    I guess I have to take back my heart now, not that you actually stole, but more like I threw it at you.

    But still, I don't know. I don't know why I still cling to an elusive dream of you and me. A never-ending story of butterflies and repercussions. It's getting ridiculous. Fantasy, reality, or whatever black magic books have to offer, none of it will procure the heart of the one I desperately desire. The end of the equation will never be 'us'.

    But then again, I am that foolish. I'm a joke hiding behind an ace of spades.

    And to think, with all this knowledge people say I possess and I believe so, I fell victim to the world's most treacherous and simplest of tricks, love.

    Ok, ok, ok. We're getting sidetracked here. This is not the point I wanted to make when I wrote this letter. You know me, I tend to be so melodramatic and sensational at such times. Sorry. Anyway, the point is I'm letting you go...fine, I'm letting you go, slowly. At a pace where I could feel every pain and guilt flushed and ripped apart from my heart, only to come back more in shattered pieces over and over again. Some did managed to be expelled, though, I cannot fathom the amount that weighs less in my heart.

    May be I envy you that's why I just couldn't set myself free from the burden. You accomplished so many things, experiences new adventures, and met countless of people. I was afraid you'll leave and forget me as well. One by one, we marched towards different horizons. I longed for our return, yet, what I found was nothing.

    I know it's for you ask me to do so, for all of you, but please bear in mind I my best here. No need to worry though. I am fine the very least. But fine is a rather simple term, don't you think so? I'm not happy nor content. I am simply surviving every day to see how my future unfolds in an alternative timeline without you. May be then I would be happy at the end. Alone or accompanied, I would be happy nevertheless. May be that's why I couldn't let you go yet. May be it's because I still cling to these emotions to remind me of what I lost and what I found: my happiness.

Sincerely,

Me.

[forcedapotheosis-blog]

Gloomy Days Chapter V

Alright fellas, apparently it’s the day of double updates. I felt a lot better with writing this chapter, hope that you might like it, too. Have a fantastic day!

Disclaimer 1: I don’t own One Piece or any of its characters

DIsclaimer 2: This seems to be Chapter 7, chapter 5 and chapter 3.4 because somewhere along the line, I messed up. It’s the seventh post of Gloomy Days and .. oh, I don’t know. Try not to pay too much attention to it D:

Chapter VII / V / III.4 - Second Chances

Where the Hell am I?

The question was not really as surprising as it should be, considering the person that was asking. After a good time of wandering around, it became blatantly obvious that he got lost within the mansion while he was looking for the bar. The exact bar that was in clear line of sight just a few minutes ago. The exact bar that the obvious blonde hair of Sanji could have been seen at. Still, he got lost. Besides that, he felt awfully naked without his trusty companions made of tempered steel at his hips. For the record, he had gotten lost in places that were much more simple than this opulent and imperial mansion, and his evergrowing thirst for booze didn't help. As did the fact that meeting Sanji after years of separation did indeed have a lasting effect on him, as much as he wanted to deny it.

They had been brothers in all but blood for many years until the rot began to tear the crew apart. Even the strongest metal could be destroyed by corrosion, a mountain could be ground down by waves. With the bonds of friendship, it was just the same. When people stopped to be true towards one another, to keep a thing going only for the sake of it being what they used to be, even the strongest ties tended to lacerate. The swordsman had used the long time apart to reflect on it, something that none of his former crewmates would have believed.

Damn cook, I bet he's at the bar now, flirting with some broad and having booze, while I'm .. somewhere, I guess. Think I didn't leave the house, did I? Why does everything here look so unfamiliar?!, he was of a mind to just punch his way through the walls until he found some people and just a few years ago, he would've done it in an instance. Today should have been a special day for his former navigator, though, and if he accidentally broke the skull of her groom, she'd probably not be too happy about it.

That, and I still owe her a load of money. This fact was more a problem now than it used to be. When they were still travelling together, there was booty to be had, money to be stolen from other pirates. Now that he pursued his dream of becoming the greatest swordsman in the world on his own, things went .. a little slower. Falling back into his old ways as a pirate hunter, he found out the hard way that the World Government didn't actually like to pay bounties to ex-pirates. Scratching that off of his list, he worked as a bouncer for a few months, as his former captain did. Sadly enough, the paycheck wasn't even close to cover his drinking habits. That, and his employers didn't like that he slept on the job. To keep himself floating, he resorted to teaching swordsmanship, although that also didn't work out as well as he was expecting. If people got monstrously strong in a relatively short amount of time, they sometimes lost perspective. This loss of perspective did dawn on him when he broke both the arm and the wooden sword of a pupil during a practice session, after seeing that, the large influx of new people that were drawn to his name suddenly subsided.

I wonder when the ceremony is going to start, I might just be able to hear them .. until then, why not take a small nap? Can't do anything wrong with not moving any further away, right? Right?

It was all the more unfortunate that simply taking a nap wasn't as good since he left the crew as it used to be. On the outside, the green-haired swordsman was a killing machine, a force of nature when it came to battling their foes, but still waters used to run deeper than one might have thought. The events of their separation did make a lasting impact on him, traces of that even haunted him up until this very day.

"YOU GODDAMN MORON!", he shouted out in an unusual fit of rage when the first punch was thrown. The cook didn't even try to react to it and faced the consequences. His balled up fist came crashing down on Sanji's face and sent him flying straight into the ship's rail. A lesser man would've lost consciousness from the force of impact alone, but even though Zoro would never admit it, the cook was as tough as nails. Thus, he was able to simply shrug it off and stand up as if nothing happened, rubbing the place of impact in an apathetic manner.

"We're done yet?", the indifference in his voice enraged the swordsman even more, didn't the moron see that he was trying to help him?!

This scene was just the climactic finale of the developments that had occured within the crew since Brook's final death. The situation got from bad the worse and here they were, under the cover of the moon. The swordsman's blood was boiling because of the scene he had witnessed just minutes before. Not only did that dumb cook hurt himself in the process, but he hurt the one woman who might actually be able to unconditionally feel for him. Not in any physical way, of course, but that somehow made it even worse.

"YOU GET BACK IN THERE AND APOLOGISE!", he shouted again, at least showing enough foresight to not draw his swords. Things would have gotten really messy if both of them unleashed all they had.

"What does it matter? And why do you care, of all people? This crew's finished, marimo. Robin knew it, even Franky and Chopper left. This is it, deadlock for our dreams. Just stay out of my way, I'm going to hop off at the next harbor and you'll never have to see me again. It's just a matter of days.", he pulled out a cigarette and put it between his lips, though he didn't have a chance to ignite it as the swordsman took his next swing. A mean hook that impacted on the right side of his head and smashed him to the ground again, throwing the cigarette from his lips.

Zoro was quite surprised about the whole situation himself. Usually, he pretended not to care at all, especially when regarding the cook. This time though, it was different. When Usopp left the crew after his fight with Luffy, there were more pressing concerns to be taken care of and things worked out in the end, anyway. He was so sure about it that he didn't feel the need to intervene. The same thing happened again when the cook was doing his spiel with his wedding, though he pretended not to give too much of a concern about the situation, he was certain that Sanji's abilities would be more than sufficient to resolve it in their favour. Yes, it did need the invertention of Nami, Luffy, Chopper and Brook, but things worked out.

This time, he couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. He had to do something about it or the whole thing would go to Hell. It probably already was.

"You didn't answer my question. Why in the world do you care?!", Sanji's indifferent facade was finally crumbling, his hands were balled into fists and after the first two, free hits, he was finally ready to defend himself.

"Shut up, go in there and apologise if you don't want me to kill you.", the anger wasn't exactly subsiding, but at least the swordsman had found a way to use it in his usual manner. Focussed on the enemy, he raised his hands in the style a boxer would.

The fights between these two always had something comically serious, as if two storms were wrestling with each other, two unstoppable forces of nature. Surprisingly enough, none of them had ever been hurt within their encounters, but both of them knew that this time, the outcome could be different. One of them might die.

For an outsider, it would have looked as if two mortal enemies were engaging each other, they wouldn't have known what was lying underneath. After all that happened, this fight was still a show of mutual respect. None of them was giving quarter or a second of relieve to the other and besides the fact that Zoro wasn't using his swords, he went all out. Even blocking or evading attacks became secondary as they traded crushing blows that would have killed a lesser man. In this situation, they broke bones and tore flesh apart, but none of it was lethal. These men were evenly matched and it seemed that the only condition of losing was to go in the defensive.

After a few minutes of all-out combat, the swordsman and the cook were breathing heavily, bleeding from a dozen or more minor wounds and ignoring a plethora of broken ribs and other bones. Still, they went at each other in a final clash in which they traded hits again. Sanji's shinbone came crushing into Zoro's ripcage, again, and unfolded enough kinetic energy to throw him into the ship's rail, but the trade-off was that he wasn't able to defend himself against the swordsman's devastating right. The impact let him collapse backwards and blurred his vision. After all, none of them was in the condition to continue this fight much longer and they did make one hell of a noise out there.

Getting back up, Zoro knew that another one of those kicks would damage his internal organs enough that it might kill him. If the broken ribs hadn't already began with puncturing his lungs. Too bad that showing weakness or admitting defeat was not his strong point. At least the cook wasn't looking much better, if any better at all. He had taken so many htis to his head that he was sure to have a concussion and blood was running down his nostrils and his mouth. The situation would have proven dire if all the noise they made didn't alert one of their remaining nakama. She bursted out of her cabin, her eyes still teary from the conversation they had, before the fight between these two 'brothers' escalated.

"STOP IT, PLEASE!", she started crying the moment she realised what was happening. And against any better judgement, even after all the things he said .. or more, didn't say and didn't do when the whole world came crushing down on them, she still ran up to the now sitting Sanji and fresh tears filled her big brown eyes. "Please, Sanji-kun, please stop ..", this provided Zoro with yet another proof that he was doing the right thing here.

Sure, it wasn't easy for Nami and Sanji when things started out, but somewhere along the way, his relentless pursuit of fulfilling all of her wishes made her open up. So much, in fact, that it seemed for a while now that she had made the conscious decision of being with him, openly caring for him. And he was about to throw it all away. Zoro knew that the cook understood his trail of thoughts when their eyes met. The navigator was sitting right next to him and visibly wanted to comfort, to embrace the cook. Maybe a simple touch could have changed how things went, maybe it could have been more than a hope spot. The moment passed, though, and Sanji worked himself up, aching every step of the way, carefully averting his gaze from the red-haired woman next to him. This scene reminded Zoro too much about what had happened minutes ago, when she was on her knees and begged him not to go.

Still, he wasn't even looking at her, the one remaining person he desired more than the All Blue itself. Zoro's lips silently formed the words 'Stay. For her.', but to no avail.

The Sunny was in the middle of the ocean right now and Sanji had suffered some devastating blows, yet he still refused to give in. To do what's best. The last chance for a second sunrise vanished into thin air when the cook jumped into the air, his face full of regrets and his visible eye the source of neverending tears. He skywalked out of sight within the next moments, leaving behind shattered bonds and two broken hearts. Hers and his own.

"Excuse me, sir, are you alright?", he was opening his healthy eye, actually being happy to have been awoken from this haunting dream. The swordsman took his sweet time to reply, first and foremost beginning to inspect who was talking to him. Hrm .. too handsome for his own good.

"It's alright, just took a little nap before all the .. fuss.", he didn't know how to assess the cautious laughter that followed his remark, but an idea already began to form.

"Haha, oh, my good friend, you're absolutely right. I, too, find it a little distracting from the more important things. The wedding probably is blown out of proportion. Many of the guests aren't here to meet Nami, anyway, they're here to attend my parents.", he was holding out his right hand towards Zoro to help him get to his feet, but the swordsman declined by shaking his head, getting up on his own instead.

"Thanks, I'm .. good. My throat's terribly dry, though, where's the bar?", he was leaning his head to both sides, making his neck crack in a manner that visibly sent shivers down the other man's spine. Yet, he continued to smile.

"Sure, my friend. Right down this hallway, you can't miss it. Before you go, though, may I ask you something? Since I don't know you, I assume that you belong to my dear Nami's guests, is that right?", Zoro nodded, moving his right hand in a small circle instead of just telling him to go on.

"That's great, I'm really excited to finally meet most of her family and friends! Judging from the hair and the rough exterior, I assume that you're Roronoa Zoro, is that right, too?", again, the swordsman just nodded. How much did she actually tell that guy about her past? The scion of an old and influential family, getting married to a former pirate? Even if the guy himself wanted it, his parents might not be as excited about this prospect.

"You might not want to write it on your shirt, though. People can get a little weird when they're in the company of pirates. Or .. former pirates.", in contrast to Luffy, who's bounty had been erased by his grandfather, Zoro's was still active. That also was the main reason that he wasn't able to collect bounties from the people he hunted down.

"Oh, don't worry about it, my friend. Nami trusted me with these informations about her past, none will hear them from my lips. It would cast quite the shadow on our marriage and I really don't want to put her through this stress. I mean, even if it was to come out, I'd still stay by her side, but the act of calming the waves would be a distressing start for a life in wedlock, don't you think?", still, the swordsman wasn't really sure what to think about him. He was as tall, dark and handsome as they could get, definitely not a bad catch. And he had money and even though he knew about her past, he seemed understanding enough. A nice companion for her future.

"Yeah, better that way. What's it you want to know? Just going to remind you that I'm really getting thirsty right now.", well, he mostly was thirsty, but he also wasn't terribly delighted to be a part of this conversation right now. As far as he could see and feel it, there was nothing really wrong about this guy. Quite on the contrary, even. I've got the impression that he actually is genuine.

"Well, my friend, it might be the wrong time to fill you in on this, but since you're one of her closest friends, maybe you'd know a way to lift her spirits. During the time she was writing your invitations, especially during the last one she wrote, she actually broke down and started to cry. See, she wrote all of them during the nightly hours, away from our bedroom and in isolation. When I heard her crying, I rushed to her bureau, but she just wouldn't let me in. So .. I mean, you don't have to answer me, but I'd love to know what that could have been about. The next day, everything went back to normal and I didn't ask what was going on, thinking that she'd open up to me when she felt like it, but that did not occur yet.", for the first time now, the groom had Zoro's full attention. After meeting so many wealthy and powerful people, it felt refreshing to meet someone who at least seemed to be a reflective, true-to-himself person. Yet, Zoro didn't want to get pulled into this. He had tried to intervene once and it failed, he wouldn't try a second time. That, and if he said anything, just about anything wrong here, it might be his fault that this nice bubble that Nami had built for herself would burst. How would he react when confronted with the swordsman's theory that her heart, in fact, might still be beating for another man? Probably not what you want to hear on the day of your wedding.

"Sorry, can't help you with that, but I'm sure it's going to work itself out. This way to the bar, right?", it was obvious by now that he wanted this conversation to end. If in any way possible, without leaving a broken groom behind. Not going to carry that cross. Every other, but not this one. I'm not even going to try to fix this mess for you, freaking perverted cook.

The groom nodded in a sad fashion before he forced himself to smile again.

"This way, my friend. Well, I already said that it'd be alright if you wouldn't want to answer that question. Just .. see, I want Nami to be happy, in the best of all cases, I would want her to be happy with me. I just fear that if there's an unspoken thing between us, the marriage might suffer from it. That's not what I want, neither for her, for me nor for my parents. So, one last time, my friend: Is there something I should know about her past? Did she have bad experiences with another man?"

Whatever this is going to be, I'm not playing a part in it.

"Give it a rest, man. It's probably nothing and you'll have a nice, clean marriage waiting for you. This way to the bar, now?", again, he was pointing at the wrong direction. For the third time or so.

"My friend, this way. And I'm sure that you'll understand that it's rather difficult to put this situation to rest. You've known her longer than I did, that I'm sure of, so, shouldn't it be a shared interest of us to see her happy? I .. see, my friend, I know that I told you that you don't have to answer me, but I simply can't stop thinking about her crying in the night. I'm sure that it wasn't the only time that it happened, either. Sometimes, when she wakes up, her eyes appear to be swollen. She's always quick to cover it up, even telling me that it's because of an allergy, but you wouldn't believe that either. Especially not during the Winter."

Hell, can't he just leave me alone? I don't want to be a part of this!

It was then that another thought occured to the swordsman. For all his life, he never believed in fate, in some kind of god or a divine plan. Even if godlike things existed, they wouldn't care about humans, wouldn't they? So far out of touch with their own creation, nothing they would think or do would matter to him.

But what if .. No, no, no. We're not going down that road. I've tried it once and I failed. We're not going to do that again. Whatever happens between all of them, it doesn't concern me anymore. I really need some sake right now.

The gnawing doubt was still there, though. What if there was some kind of a divine force that lead people through their lives? Not even all the time, only appearing when they were straying from their paths? Would these powers be able and willing to grant second chances?

ARGH! They better will, because that frenzied woman will have my head if this doesn't work out!

Finally having made a decision, Zoro stopped in his tracks, turning around to the still waiting groom.

"You know .. Cassian, was it? I don't like it, because you seem to be a nice guy, but you forced my hand in this. Yes, there once was another man. Do with that information what you will. I'm just telling you right here and right now: You're not big enough to fill the hole that he left."

With these words, he started moving towards the bar, now in dire need of a drink because Nami would almost certainly kill him and dying blackout drunk didn't seem like such a bad thing.

"Hey .. my friend, that's not the way to the bar."

[planar-echoes]

Chapter 2.) Xathrid Gorgon (Shandalar) By Jenna Helland (7/4/12)

East of the border, I am called Sentos the Merciful. West of the border, I am called Sentos the Righteous. In the place where east meets west, I am just a man. A man alone in a monk's cottage in a monastery deep in the borderland mountains. A man twenty-six years old and the veteran of a war that started the year I was born. An hour to the east is An Karras, the city of my birth. It's an ancient city, so old that the dust between the flagstones is the remnants of temples built in its infancy. There, my parents, my wife, and legions of admirers would joyfully welcome my return. They venerate Sentos the Righteous, the soldier who brought glory on all who dwell in Thune. But what of those who cry for Sentos the Merciful, the soldier who ended the war through an act of mercy unparalleled in a war-torn land? What of their eastern city with its ancient temples? They blessed me for sparing their Elder Sun King, a man of unnatural long life and wisdom. Their storytellers called me goddess-born. My mother, who nearly died bearing me, laughed to hear such foolishness. On a cloudless day, I can glimpse the legendary domes of An Karras in the distance, backed by the cerulean ocean. But it's night, cold and misty, and I see only shadows outside my open window. By choice, my world has narrowed to four things: A sleeping pallet. The empty desk at which I sit. The ring upon my finger. And the flask of poison. The ring came to me the day the war ended on Fleet Rock. The day I did not execute a man. The poison I obtained the day An Karras celebrated the scourging of the east. If I drink to righteousness, I end myself in the name of that great city on the western horizon. If I drink to mercy, I end myself for that eastern city now a shamble of charred stone. You could not draw a straight line between my heart and that devastation. But in the borderland, in this place where I am nothing but a man, it's my burden alone. So I'll lift the flask in praise of elder kings, to ancient temples, to tales of men who forsake glory. But I'll drink to oblivion. And rejoice as darkness falls.

 ***

 The wooden door of the cottage slammed open against a gust of wind, and the crash jerked Sentos out of his dark slumber. The empty flask of poison careened across the desk and shattered against the wall. He whirled around in his chair as the wind gusted again, blowing autumn leaves through the open door. Several black rats scurried over the threshold and hid behind the straw pallet along the wall. The torch on the far wall still burned, and it was still night. But is it the same night? On shaky legs, Sentos tripped toward the door, hoping to shut it against the chill, when something at the edge of the clearing caught his eye. He left the cottage and stumbled toward it. A statue? Gleaming white in the moonlight, the statue resembled one of the monks who lived in the keep. But the stonecutter had carved fear into the monk's elderly features. A strange way to show a holy man, Sentos thought. The monk's cottage was isolated from the main keep. There had been no statue before, of that he was certain. How could the monks transport such weight along the winding footpath that led to the cottage? He stumbled back inside, where he wanted to lie down and sleep. But what of the rats?And the broken glass? Has midnight come and gone? His thoughts felt too banal for a man who just opted for death over life.

 Back in the cottage he realized he was not alone a heartbeat before a cold blade was pressed against his throat. "Don't move," a woman's voice warned him. She sounded young, like one of the youth who lived in the village below the monastery. "Are you Sentos the Merciful?" She spoke with an accent not of Thune, but not of the east either. Shandalar was vast, and wherever she was from, it was unfamiliar to Sentos. "No." He could see the woman's shadow on the wall, backlit by the torch near the door. She was only slightly shorter than him, but then, he wasn't a very tall man. "Then who are you?" she asked. "Sentos the Not Dead," he said. She jammed the blade into his back, between his shoulder blade and his spine. He barely managed to not scream. Such a foolish assumption that a woman couldn't be deadly. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Sentos," he managed to say. The blade was still in his back. He felt momentary panic, like a clawing sensation in his belly. He wanted it out of him. He wanted it in her throat. "Tell me what happened on Fleet Rock. The day you ended the war."

 "I didn't kill a man," Sentos said through clenched teeth. Pain is just weakness leaving the body. She twisted the blade, and he felt a gush of warm blood release from the gap in the skin. She doesn't understand the mind of warrior. Once she makes me hate her, pain becomes irrelevant. "Use more words, Sentos the Not Dead," she hissed. "They led a silver-haired man to the executioner's block. He looked like a vagrant from the streets of An Karras," Sentos said. "No one told me he was the false king." "So why spare his life?" she asked. Why, indeed? Because of the ring that is now heavy on my hand. Why? He offered me the ring to spare his life. Why? Because a ring for my pretty wife sounded better than a bucket full of blood and another head rolling across the floor. "Why torture me for an answer?" She was not an eastern survivor. An easterner would have murdered him for calling the silver-haired man a false king. She ripped the blade out from the left side of his spine and drove it into the right. But as fury warmed his chest, the pain disappeared. Oblivion could wait until he snapped her neck with his bare hands. He tried to spin around, but her grip was iron. Far stronger than he had expected, she slammed him down on the desk, his face grinding into the broken shards of the poison flask. "Because you have something I need." She pushed his head down with such force, it felt like the planks would snap under the pressure. "Why did you spare his life?" "Because it could have been me on that block. Or my son. Or anyone in the midst of that miserable war. I did it out of mercy." It was a lie he'd told many times before, and it flowed easily from his lips. She'll believe me because she thinks I want to live.

 "Was it your secret plan to use their surrender against them?" she asked. "Get them to lay down their weapons, then rip their throats out?" "No, my superiors saw an advantage where none had been intended." That was not a lie, and the words felt like pebbles on his tongue. No straight line between my heart and that devastation. "So what they say is true. You are a righteous man." Usually, when someone called him that, it was with deference. But he heard no respect or awe in her tone. "Does that give you peace?" Sentos asked, still hating her, still immune to the blade in his back, still watching her shadow on the wall. "Peace?" she scoffed. "I am cursed. A demon requires payment. He demands the eyes of a righteous man." She pushed back her hood, and her silhouette transformed as the writhing strands of her hair unleashed themselves. A gorgon, a monster of Xathrid, with the power to petrify a man with her gaze. Disgusted, he recoiled against her grip. If he glimpsed her face, he would meet the same fate at the monk in the clearing. Just a kindly man come to check on my fate.

 "Eyes of stone have failed me," she hissed. "Eyes of lesser men are insufficient. Your eyes will be my salvation." The instant she eased the pressure on his head, Sentos grabbed a shard of glass, whirled around, and plunged into her heart. Even before he removed the shard, black snakes poured from the wound. He scrabbled away from the flood of vipers, slipping and crashing to the ground. They swarmed over him, their fangs sinking into him and releasing venom into his blood. Desperately, Sentos rolled on his belly and crawled toward the door. Around him, the snakes that caught the gorgon's gaze turned to stone. With their fangs still deep in his skin, they weighed his body down as he inched toward the threshold. The gorgon's foot slammed into the back of his neck, pinning him down in the nest of petrified snakes. "How are you not dead? Are you not a man?" She crouched down beside him, yanking up his hand with such force that he heard his shoulder snap. "This ring? Where did you get this?" From the False King on Fleet Rock, that man of unnatural long life and wisdom. He offered me the same in exchange for his freedom. I didn't believe his lies. But I gave him his freedom for the trinket anyway.

  Without the ring, the venom seized his heart. The blood flowed freely from his wounds. He struggled to breathe while the door seemed to plunge miles away from his reach.

Escape is senseless.

Instead, Sentos twisted his neck and gazed at the gorgon's face. She howled, slicing the knife down to take his eyes while he was still flesh. But he heard the tip of her blade meet the stone of his face.

And rejoiced as darkness fell.