#but I'd like to give her a soup or something and none of the recipes I had in mind really “goes” with the rest of the meal

[dandelionsandderivatives]

Does anyone have any good suggestions for vegetarian additions to a Thanksgiving meal? I'm hosting friendsgiving for an assortment of other broke grad students, and I think we need at least one more vegetarian dish to round everything out.

[yourdeepestfathoms]

hiii !!!! I've been LOVING your yaelokre headcannons since I joined the fandom :)) if I may, I'd like to share two requests I have for them !!

× the larks first show

× the larks and cooking

They're very few, but it's been lingering in my mind for quite a while !! Absolutely no pressure tho :))

hi! i’m glad you’re enjoying the hcs! 🥰

yeah, i can do those!

The Lark’s First Show

It was a mess beforehand.

Cole was basically pulling out their hair and making a nest, pacing back and forth, stressing over every little detail- “What if my voice cracks? What if I forget every lyric? What if I drop my instrument? WHAT IF I PEE MY PANTS ONSTAGE?!”

“Okay, you need to calm down,” Perrine said.

“Calm down? CALM DOWN?! How can I possibly CALM DOWN when we’re about to do the biggest thing any of us have ever done before?!” Cole squawked back. “How are YOU so calm?!”

“Oh, she’s not!” Kingsley piped up. “She’s shaking! I also heard her giving herself a pep talk beforehand we got here!”

“KINGSLEY!” Perrine yawped.

Clémentine had to step in from there. They were almost eerily calm, with a serene smile on their face. It was daunting. Even though Cole’s anxiety was blowing things a bit out of proportion, they were right- this was a huge event for all of them.

And yet, Clémentine was calm.

Cole, bewildered, asked them how that can be possible.

Laughing, Clémentine responded, “Oh, I am nervous! Very much so! Look at my hands, they’re shaking! But freaking out won’t do anything but make it worse.”

They then get the others to do some breathing exercises, and as silly as they were, it helped.

“We’re gonna do amazing. We’ll make the Harkers proud.”

And they did!

It was a bit of a rocky start- Cole’s voice did crack, but no peeing of the pants happened, so that was good! And there were a few slip ups, but as the performance went on, they all found their rhythm, and it proceeded smoothly!

Getting a standing ovation at the end was like a dream come true. (They all cried)

The Lark and Cooking

Perrine does most of the cooking for the group. She has a few cookbooks that she uses! I feel like the kids would have their own garden to grow fruits and vegetables, so she would get most ingredients from there, but for meats, she’ll fish and hunt.

When it comes to hunting, none of the others want to even TRY. Cole will cry if they have to kill an animal, Clémentine feels too bad, and Kingsley simply isn’t trusted with a weapon. Fishing, however, is different, and they all like having fishing days! Even if Kingsley does get bored after a few minutes.

Perrine doesn’t even necessarily like hunting herself, but it needs to be done. I feel like they don’t get paid that much for their performances, if they get paid at all, so it’s easier to live off the land, and that means hunting. Money needs to be saved for things like medicine, clothing, and things they can’t get from foraging. So, it’s Perrine who bites her tongue and goes out to hunt.

This is getting off topic, but I have more hunting-related headcanons, so if anyone is interested, let me know!

Anyway, yeah, Perrine does most of the cooking, and she’s very good at it! It relaxes her.

Clémentine also helps cook, and they’re also good! However, they don’t like handling meat because they always worry that they’re gonna undercook it, and the last thing anyone needs is all four of them getting food poisoning at the same time in their little house.

They’re very good at baking, though! They LOVE to make all kinds of baked goods, such as cookies or cakes or little pastries with berry filling. Everyone loves their treats!

Cole can do the bare bones cooking- soup and sandwiches. Everything beyond that somehow always gets messed up, whether that be because they added too much or too little of something or they forgot to grease the pan and the food is sticking to the bottom of it.

However, they love to bake with Clémentine! They can make a few baked goods on their own, but those are all recipes they’ve learned from watching Clémentine.

They also make really good tea!

Kingsley is not allowed near the stove.

[renaisguy]

FORDE IN FODLAN.  ✧

( og source link )

PERSONAL INFORMATION

NAME. Forde GENDER. Male AGE. 23 HEIGHT. 183cm / 6'0" CREST/HOLY BLOOD. None CLASS. Golden Deer Student AFFILIATION. Renais, Magvel

PERSONAL HISTORY

Magvel Year 782 ~ Born

Magvel Year 791 ~ Mother passes away. Starts raising Franz, as father is often away

Magvel Year 793 ~ Father is killed

Magvel Year 803 ~ Follows Prince Ephraim during the War of the Stones

Magvel Year 804 ~ Takes a vacation

Imperial Year 1180 / Magvel Year 805 ~ Enrolls at the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach

INTERESTS. Painting, Banter LIKES. Maps, Naps, Wading across rivers DISLIKES. Crying children, Expectations, Falling asleep and rolling into weapons

DINING HALL PREFERENCES

LIKES. Grilled Herring, Saghert and Cream, Fish and Bean Soup, Small Fish Skewers, Onion Gratin Soup, Sweet Bun Trio, Fisherman's Bounty, Fish Sandwich, Daphnel Stew, Vegetable Stir-Fry

DISLIKES. Sautéed Jerky, Spicy Fish and Turnip Stew, Sweet and Salty Whitefish Sauté, Fruit and Herring Tart, Pickled Rabbit Skewers, Super-Spicy Fish Dango, Cabbage and Herring Stew, Bourgeois Pike

TEAM TIME GUIDE

FAVORITE TEA. Albinean Berry Blend - Dried Albinean berries give this black tea its fragrance. The sweet, relaxing scent is popular among many

CONVERSATION TOPICS.  A dinner invitation... / A place you’d like to visit… / Capable comrades… / Cats… / Children at the market… / Classes you might enjoy… / Cooking mishaps… / Dining partners… / Dreamy knights… / Exploring the monastery… / Favorite sweets… / Gifts you’d like to receive… / Heart-racing memories… / Likable allies… / Past laughs… / Perfect recipes… / Relaxing at the sauna… / Reliable allies… / Shareable snacks… / Someone you look up to… / The ideal relationship… / The view from the bridge… / Working together… / You seem well… / School holidays...

TEA TIME QUOTES

GREETING.  ✧

“ It's a lovely day, isn't it? ”

FAVORITE TEA.  ✧

“ It's such a relaxing day, isn't it? Sorry if I fall asleep, it means I feel comfortable around you. ”

FIVE STAR TEA.  ✧

“ This is fancy stuff. I must be popular if you're giving me this... heh. ”

INTRODUCING OWN TOPIC.  ✧

1. “ It's been years since I painted someone's portrait. l'm not sure I'm up to the task. ”Answer: Disagree, Sigh

2. “ When you're off duty, stop thinking about weapons and fighting. Relax, purge your heart of the battlefield.  ”Answer: Sip tea, Agree

3. “ I wonder if there are landscapes that are gone now, only existing in my paintings. ”Answer: Chat

4. “ It's strange being someone's role model. I don't think it suits me. ”Answer: Praise, Disagree

5. “ People deserve happiness. There are some smiles I'd do anything to see again... ”Answer: Chat, Nod

6. “ Zzz... ”Answer: Admonish, Sigh

7. “ Everyone has a different type of energy. Some energies can heal hearts, others spread courage. Would you like to feel my energy too? ”Answer: Blush, Laugh, Chat

8. “ What's wrong with fooling around? Some people take themselves too seriously. ”Answer: Nod

9. “ My mother rejoiced more in my skill with the brush than in my skill with the sword. I understand why now. ”Answer: Praise

OBSERVING.  ✧

“ I try to keep a smile on my face. There's always something to be happy about. ” “ You're getting pretty close, please don't tease me like that. ”

ENDING.  ✧

“ This has been fun, I'll have to invite you next time... ”

MISCELLANEOUS DIALOGUE.

GIFT GUIDE

FAVORITE GIFTS. Landscape Painting, Floral Adornment, Riding Boots, Daffodil DISLIKED GIFTS. Forget-me-nots, Whetstone, Coffee beans

GIFT QUOTES

DISLIKED GIFT.  ✧

“ I appreciate the thought, but this isn't something I'll use. ”

LIKED GIFT.  ✧

“ A gift? Is there something you want from me? ”

FAVORITE GIFT.  ✧

“ This is wonderful! If there's anything I can do in return, let me know. ”

LOST ITEMS

WATERCOLOURS. A variety of paints. It probably belongs to an artist.

BOOK OF TREES. A guide to Fodlan's fauna, with some doodles in the margins. It probably belongs to someone who likes nature. 

EXAM PAPER. An exam that passed, with middling marks. It probably belongs to a student that's just doing 'ok'.

LOST ITEM QUOTES

OWNER.  ✧

“ Thanks for finding this! I was wondering where it'd gotten to. ”

NOT OWNER.  ✧

“ Never seen that before. I hope you don't think I'm so careless that I'd leave my things lying around. ”

MONASTERY QUOTES

CHOIR PRACTICE.  ✧

(1)  “ I'm not much of a singer, but I'll do my best. ” (2)  “ I have no idea how to read this music, I should just copy my neighbour, right? ”

COOKING.  ✧

(1)  “ I'm a decent cook, as long as you're not expecting anything fancy. ” (2)  “ I learnt to cook for my brother, I don't know where I'd be without him. ” (3)  “ Nothing beats fresh fish, grilled on a campfire. This is good though. ”

TUTORING

INSTRUCT

BAD.  ✧

“ Sorry, I don't think I'm having a good day. ”

Critique:  “ Yes I know I messed up, give me a moment. ”  ( AFFECTION DOWN ) Console:  “ Hey, it's not the end of the world. ”  ( AFFECTION UP )

GREAT.  ✧

“ I think I understand... ”

PERFECT.  ✧

“ Yes!  ”

PRAISE.  “ I should be thanking you, you make this fun. ”

TASKS

STABLE DUTY. ✧

“ Of course I know how to handle horses, they're- woah! Calm down boy! ”

WEEDING.  ✧

“ This is strangely calming, isn't it? ”

SKY WATCH.  ✧

“ I can't fall asleep up here, imagine if I fell... ”

CERTIFICATION EXAMS

FAILED.  ✧

“ I told you I wasn't ready yet. Let me learn these things at my own pace, yeah? ”

PASSED.  ✧

“ Look at me go!  ”

UPDATE GOALS

SWORD.  ✧

“ When I was young, I was something of a prodigy with the sword. I'll be the first to admit I've fallen out of practice, but while I'm here... Do you think I could focus on the blade for a bit? ”

RIDING.  ✧

“ Combat skills are good and all, but they're not really useful outside of, well, combat. But horse riding is useful whenever you want to get somewhere. My brother would be so impressed if I learnt some cool tricks, what do you think? ”

FLYING.  ✧

“ Renais doesn't really have wyverns, and even if they did they're such a hassle to tame. The wyverns here are a lot friendlier. The views from the skies must be beautiful, I'd love to get some experience with flying. ”

LEVEL UP

UPON REACHING LEVEL 99 .  ✧

“ I've been working so hard to get here, do I get a vacation now? ”

BUDDING TALENT

“ I didn't think I'd enjoy this stuff... thanks for proving me wrong. ”

BATTLE QUOTES

WHEN SELECTED

FULL/HIGH HP .  ✧

“ Whatever you say... ”

MEDIUM HP .  ✧

“ If you insist... ”

LOW HP .  ✧

“ Don't push me too much... ”

ENEMY DEALS 1 OR NO DAMAGE OR MISSES .  ✧

“ Better luck next time! ”

CRTIICAL ATTACK .  ✧

“ Sorry about this. ” “ You're blocking the view! ” “ Surprise! ”

DEFEATED ENEMY .  ✧

“ Better than you expected? ” “ My work here is done. ” “ Oh, did you think I was asleep? ”

ALLY DEFEATS ENEMY .  ✧

“ Amazing! Show me more. ” “ I weakened them up for you, yeah? ” “ With allies like you, I barely need to lift a finger... ”

ALLY HEALS/RALLIES .  ✧

“ Thanks! ” “ Keep yourself safe too. ” “ Better get back into the action, I guess... ”

DEFEAT QUOTE

CASUAL .  ✧

“ It... It was fun while it lasted... ”

CLASSIC .  ✧

“ Don't cry for me... It's more than I... ”

THE ADVICE BOX

“ A dear friend asked me to paint her, but it's been over a decade since my last portrait. She has a smile worth painting, but I don't know if I'm capable of capturing it. What should I do? ”

>Tell her you can't do it. >Tell her it may take a few attempts before you're happy with it. ( AFFECTION UP ) >Practice by painting other people's portraits first.

[casspurrjoybell-17]

Hart and Hunter - Chapter 24 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Julian Hart

When I wake again, it's evening and Dane is sitting in a chair beside the bed.

I have no doubt he's been there the whole time, watching me breathe.

It should be cute but instead it's mildly irritating and I scowl a bit as I sit up and rub the grit from my eyes. 

My head still hurts, my throat is parched and I'm starving... none of which are ingredients for a good mood. 

"Hey, beautiful," Dane says, smiling with obvious relief.

"How you feel?" 

"Hungry," I grumble.

"What time is it?" 

"A bit past five." 

"I want pizza." 

"Ingrid made soup." 

I glower, then sigh.

Pizza on an empty stomach is a bad idea, anyway. 

He hovers as I rise, dress and make my way to the kitchen for a glass of water.

There, I find Ingrid at the stove, stirring a pot.

She looks up and grins widely, popping out an earbud so she can hear better. 

"Juju, you're alive," she laughs.

"Dane made it sound like I needed to buy clothes for your funeral." 

"Ingrid," the snap in Dane's voice makes both me and Ingrid jump and her smile vanishes as her eyes go wide. 

"Whoa. Take it easy, Dane. It was just a..." 

"It's not a joke and it's not funny," he interrupts, still with a wolfish snarl at the base of his voice that makes the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. 

Ingrid flinches.

"I'm sorry, okay?" 

A few tense seconds tick by and then Dane releases his breath and rubs his brow.

"No, I'm sorry for snapping like that. Just bad timing, yeah?" 

"Yeah," Ingrid nods, still eying him warily.

"Sure." 

She carries the soup to the table and we sit as she serves everyone. 

"Chicken and wild rice," she says, filling my bowl.

"It's Grace's recipe but I made it." 

"It's delicious," I say and that's no lie.

I force myself to eat slowly but my bowl is empty within minutes nonetheless and the hot food goes a long way towards improving my mood. 

I roll my head from side to side, easing the tension in my neck as Ingrid happily serves me seconds. 

"Any word from Halloran?" I ask. 

"Not yet," Dane says.

He's barely taken his eyes off me long enough to enjoy his own meal. 

"Hey, you can stop worrying now," I say, giving him a tired smile.

"I'm fine." 

With no change in his expression, he slowly shakes his head.

"Julian, I need you to promise not to do that again. I need you to promise me you won't read any more runes or dead bodies or... or anything."

"What? But Halloran said..." 

"I want you to stay away from Halloran, too. He's too good at disguises and I don't trust him. I'd bet my tail there's something he's not telling us." 

I frown, tamping down on my initial reaction, which is annoyance. 

"I don't completely trust him, either," I allow carefully.

"But all he's done is help, so far. And I know my abilities upset you but you can't ask me to stop using them any more than I can ask you to stop being a Wolf." 

"It's not the same," he says sharply.

"Being a Wolf doesn't kill me." 

"Neither do my abilities." 

"Coulda fooled me." 

"Dane..." 

"No. Listen to me, Julian... I'm not asking. No more Fae shit. Understand?" 

Now thoroughly annoyed, I shake my head.

"No... you listen. I know it scares you, and yeah... the passing out thing is new but I've been dealing with this my whole life. You think this shit is fun? It's not but using my ability is my choice and..." 

"I said, no." 

Ingrid gasps and I go still as a strange sensation prickles my skin.

It takes me a moment to realize what just happened. 

"Did you just try to Alpha me?" I ask, blinking at him. 

The flicker of guilt in his eyes gives me my answer.

I push my chair out and stand. 

"Dane, I love you," I say, keeping my voice as level and free of anger as I can.

"And I know you love me but don't ever do that again. I'm not a Wolf and if 'the Fae shit' bothers you that much, then maybe you shouldn't have chosen a Fae for a mate." 

The instant the words leave me, I regret them but it's too late to stop the hurt that flashes across Dane's face.

An emotionless mask replaces it and he rises slowly to his full height, surpassing mine by a good head. 

I hold his gaze, undaunted.

I might regret the phrasing but I meant what I said... I appreciate the care and love and I don't mind being fussed over a little but I also want to be trusted to bear my share of the load and to know myself well enough not to be doubted every time I say I can handle something. 

A loud pop breaks the tension and all three of us startle as we realize a fourth person has joined us undetected. 

Freya Hunter leans in the doorway with her arms crossed, chewing bubblegum and watching us with raised brows.

Nearly as tall as Dane, with long black curls tipped with gold and dressed in black leather motorcycle gear, she looks like some kind of superhero. 

"Sorry. Door was open," she says.

"Y'all must be in it pretty deep not to hear me come in. So, who died?"

[oomisluvr]

sakusa takes care of a sick!reader <3

synopsis: granted, it is a bit gross. the sniffling. the sweating. god, the coughing. but he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy this. just a little.

warnings: none, just some light swearing!

KIYOOMI should not be enjoying this as much as he should.

a steady hand brings another spoonful of soup to his lips, blowing on the contents to cool them off.

"this is humiliating," you groan, opening your mouth as sakusa feeds you now-tepid broth, complete with airplane noises and silly voices, "you don't have to feed me."

watching closely, he smiles softly as you thoughtfully chew and swallow, your sore throat bobbing with the motion. he likes taking care of you. maybe a bit too much, if he's being honest.

"of course i do," he quips, already preparing another spoonful, "i'm your partner. it's my job to take care of you."

"no, no more!" you whine, shaking your head, "i don't want to eat anymore. i'm full."

he frowns. you barely ate today. "give me five more bites of soup and finish the rest of your toast."

you sniffle and nod, opening your mouth to welcome the next spoonful of soup, "did you make this yourself?" you ask, congestion muffling your words. kiyoomi thinks it's the cutest thing he's ever heard.

"yeah, i got the recipe from my mother." a small droplet of soup dribbles out of the corner of your lip, but kiyoomi is quick to act, dabbing away the liquid before it reaches your clothes, "she sends her regards, by the way."

"i love that woman." you babble, "i'm surprised you're not freaked out by all this."

"by what? feeding you?"

"no, like," you open your mouth for another spoonful of soup. sakusa rushes to oblige you, happy that you requested more, "all the germs and stuff. earlier i sneezed and a booger shot across the room. a full 10 feet, at least."

"well when you put it like that, it sounds pretty fucking gross." he frowns.

"i thought it was cool."

"you think everything is cool." he sighs, "especially dumb shit like snot rockets." you giggle at the words 'snot rocket' coming out of his mouth.

"but, no, i'm not freaked out." he adds, setting the chipped bowl to the side when you turn your nose up at the next spoonful, "i think i was at first, but we live together," he shrugs, "i can't really protect myself unless i lock you inside the closet for the next two weeks, and that's not an option. if i get sick, i get sick. i've accepted my fate."

"you could go stay with one of your teammates in the mean time, if you're really bothered by it." you note seriously. you know he's trying to act cool in front of you, but you know how big of a sacrifice this is .

"i'd rather catch the plague." his ears perk up at the sound of your laugh, "besides, if i get sick, you get to take care of me." he grins, "won't that be fun?"

"i might lock you in the closet, actually." he scoffs.

"i'm going to wash your dishes," he pokes your cheek. you make an effort to bite the offensive finger but he moves away too quickly, smiling at his victory, "and when i come back you better be nice again."

you stick your tongue out at him. he returns the gesture.

distantly, you hear him humming to himself over the sound of the the rushing sink water, and something in your brain decides it's the perfect white noise to usher you into a light nap. you hadn't realized you feel asleep until you feel the cough dip, rousing you gently.

"how do you feel, love?" he asks, pressing the back of his hand against your forehead and cheeks.

"sleepy," you mumble, "sleepy and cold."

"don't fall asleep yet," he lightly chastises, "you have to take your medicine now."

"noooo," you cry out, "that shit tastes like shit."

he cracks a smile, "i'm pretty sure it's grape flavored, actually."

you glare at him, "i won't take it."

"it'll make you feel better, though."

you shake your head, "not worth it. i would rather die."

"please, baby? for me?" he gives a dramatic show of puppy-dog eyes and a pout, making every effort to coax you into taking your medicine.

you don't cave, placing your palm over your mouth to emphasize your unwillingness.

"if you don't take your medicine, then you don't love me." he deadpans.

"that's literally gaslighting." you call him out, "you're gaslighting me."

"is it?" he questions, "i don't think you know what actual gaslighting is."

"stop!" you laugh, "that's even more gaslighting."

he smiles handsomely, happy that he was able to shake some giggles from your sore throat, "how about this: what's it going to take for you to take your medicine? anything goes."

"you'd do anything?"

he nods firmly, "whatever it takes."

"alright," his determination makes you flush, "take a nap with me."

it's such a simple request, but if you read in between the lines it sounds more like a declaration of love. kiyoomi's always been slack-jawed at the fact that you actually like him. not despite his flaws, but because of them. your love is all-encompassing, and you've adopted his strange habits into your life and accommodated for them as if they were your own. you never ask him for much, you never push too hard. you deserve the world, and kiyoomi will be damned if he isn't the one to give it to you.

he supposes a nap isn't entirely out of the question.

"i can do that," he responds cooly, "i'll get the cough syrup."

it takes 20 more minutes of bickering before you swallow the spoonful of purple syrup, and another 5 minutes of expressing your distaste following the whole ordeal.

taking the heavy comforters usually saved for the winter months from the closet, he settles himself beneath you as the two of you lie down for an afternoon nap.

you've got an army of pillows and blankets around you, an array of fabrics piled up to your chin. despite the countless layers, you're shivering. oh well, he figures, just another excuse to pull you closer.

guess what!!!!!!!!!! more domestic sakusa!!!!!!!! r u noticing a pattern!!!!!

[m-aster-of-spinjitzu]

orange and gold

...I just need more Cole and Vania content, they seem like they'd be great friends.

Basically it's just 'Cole goes to visit her there, they almost burn down the kitchen, and make way too many puns', lol.

Set a few months after Master of the Mountain, but before Seabound or The Island.

Also yeah, I couldn't think of a better title, sue me- I just know that they wear one of the colours at some point, so... 🤦‍♀️😂

Trigger warnings: none I think? Huh-

Also, bingo!! I really need to learn better time management, dear freaking gosh- I hope I'm not too late though? I know it's like half a day late, eek- and I was supposed to post this earlier, but I ended up literally falling asleep while writing it😂

Thank you so much Fabro, for hosting such a cool event!:D Your comments on my fics literally never fail to make my day<3. And I'm so glad that I met so many awesome, really skilled people through this event too - it's been a lot of fun working alongside y'all:D, I wish I'd had more time to interact instead of posting stuff and vanishing lol, but exams be like:////

Prompt: cooking (does baking count as cooking? I realized too late lol-) from @ninjago-bingo 's warm board.

Word Count: 2497

---

Trying to escape from killer dire-bats hadn't been on Cole's to do list today - although the mountains were kind of beautiful.

It was a bit difficult to see them while he was being dragged to his death, but hey, didn't Jay always tell them to be more positive?

That was, until he made the mistake of looking down.

Miles of snowcapped mountains touched the pastel blue sky, but he was more focused on exactly how high he was from the ground.

Great.

Trying to swing back onto the Bounty, he didn't notice a golden-winged blur shoot past the bat, almost dropping their spear in haste.

"Let my friend go, or I'll-"

"Vania?"

She throws the spear at the bird, successfully knocking one of its wings.

Huh. She must've been practicing - throwing with accuracy while flying seemed kinda difficult.

"I'm so sorry!" she replies, grabbing his arm before he fell down too. She winces at the strain on her wings, almost dropping him onto the deck. "I was supposed to come earlier, but there was an issue with one of the mines, and it took forever to-"

"There ain't anything in this world that's managed to kill me yet," he replies jokingly, checking that the autopilot hadn't been damaged. "I doubt an angry bird is going to be the first."

"Didn't you mention that you became a ghost once? Pretty sure that means you were dead-"

"Shh, that's not an important detail," he jokes.

"If you say so," she replies with a grin. "Did I mention that Chompy's been tearing down the palace flower arrangements again?"

"Send my regards to the gardener-"

"Did you just make a pun?"

"Remind me why I decided to visit you again?"

"Because you love me?" she asks stepping onto the ground as the Bounty landed gently.

"I hereby crown you as my platonic soulmate," Cole deadpans, taking her hand. "Vania and Cole-"

"Destined to annoy each other for eternity," she giggles, swinging their hands up and down. "But seriously - thanks. I don't think I realized how much work being a queen was."

"What's it like?"

"I mean - I'm glad that people trust me, and they come to me if they have a problem, but the paperwork is a nightmare. I never get to go outside anymore, I swear."

"Paperwork? Also, you just invited me here for a week. I don't wanna disturb you?"

"Nah, I cleared my schedule, don't worry. And trust me, you don't want to know. Everything requires some sort of official written thing, and it's so boring-"

"Official? But you're the queen?"

"Well, yeah, but I don't really want to change something unless it benefits the people. Not after..."

Her smile dims, eyes straying to the palace walls.

Oh- oh.

"You're nothing like him," Cole says firmly, squeezing her hand. "I mean, if you need to take a break, or you can make your job a bit easier by cutting out something unnecessary, that's just gonna help you become a better queen. You've definitely got the interests of your people at heart, and that's the most important thing, you know? And well, uh, everything seems to be going great so far - you don't have to beat yourself up over someone else's mistakes."

"Thanks," she replies softly, her smile slowly returning. "Speaking of breaks, what do you think we should do this time?"

"You could show me around the city again?"

"You've already seen everything cool," Vania giggles, skipping ahead of him. "We don't renovate much - unlike you guys-"

"Hey, it's not our fault that our city gets destroyed every few months-"

"More like every few days," she teases, tying back her golden hair. "How about we find some dragons to adopt?"

"Tempting, but where would you keep them?"

"They could sleep in my room-"

She breaks off when she notices him laughing. "What?"

"N- nothing," Cole replies, in between laughs. "Jay and I just made a bet."

"On what?"

"How many dragons you've adopted. I bet at least six, he bet fifteen."

"Well, jokes on both of you - I'm pretty sure my advisor's going to throw a fit if I show up with another one," she starts, giggling. "We've got twenty living in the palace right now."

"Twenty dragons?"

"They're so cute! You just look into their adorable little eyes," Vania pauses for breath, continuing her animated gesturing, "and you can't help but wanna hug them!"

"Oh, Jay's going to be so mad."

"Aww, I'm sorry guys. They're just too adorable!"

"...Wanna hear a funny story?"

"Yeah, sure!"

"I actually used to be terrified of dragons-"

"No way!" Vania exclaims. "Y'all have been on a lot of adventures though, so-"

"Nah, we used to have our own dragons at first. They were pretty cool! I just- I'm a simple guy! Huge animals with wings are scary up close when you're barely a teenager."

"Or when you're really short-"

"We're the same height!" Cole exclaims, facepalming in a bit of a fondly exasperated way.

"I'm two years younger than you-"

---

"Ugh, whose idea was this?"

"Yours," Vania grins, sitting down on the kitchen counter.

"You were supposed to help me, not leave me high and dry!" Cole accuses jokingly, staring at all the appliances they'd found in the cupboards.

"'One must always be prepared for new adventures,'" she quotes seamlessly, waving one of- what was his name again? Mulch something? Oh! Clutch! Some explorer he was, leaving them to die in the pyramid - Clutch Powers' books in the air.

"Fine," he sighs, staring at the old recipe book she'd found in one of their back cupboards. "But you've gotta help me? I almost burned down-" "Woah, what? If you finish that sentence with 'kitchen'-" "In my defense, Kai was playing a prank on me-" "In my defense, I wouldn't like to explain how the queen of Shintaro burnt down the palace by teaching one of her friends to cook," she grins, flipping through the pages. "What do you wanna start with?" "Something simple?" "Have you ever tried baking bread before? It's a lot of fun!" "I haven't really had the time, but that sounds kinda interesting."

He skims the recipe, raising his eyebrows. "Wait, why does this take hours? I thought you said it was simple?"

"Trust me, it is," she laughs, adding, "besides, I still wanna hear about all your adventures!" "Uh... okay," Cole replies hesitantly, "but if this fails, I'm so sorry." "Give yourself some credit, you guys literally saved the world! Multiple times!" "Bold of y'all to assume we know how we did it," he laughs, only half-kidding. "Besides. I botched soup once."

"I've botched toast," she mock-sighs, smiling. "Pretty sure that makes us even."

"Lemme get this straight. You've messed up toasting bread, but you can bake it from scratch?"

"Trust me, I don't know either," she giggles, trying to open a brightly coloured packet of... something? Did flour come in packets that small?

"Uh, why are you opening something called 'feast'?" he asks, eyebrows creased in confusion.

"Feast," she echoes, trying to stifle her laughter. "Off to a... rocky start, aren't we?"

It took him a second.

"I already regret this," he jokes, facepalming. "But I'd say that your puns are, uh, gold."

"I've un- unleashed-" breaking off, she half-falls off the counter, laughing so hard her face starts to go red, "a monster."

---

"Uh, is it supposed to look like that?" Cole asks, frowning.

The mixture looked less like the dough he'd been expecting - more like one of Jay's inventions gone wrong.

Badly wrong, he thought, eyes widening at the goopy mess of foam that threatened to spill over the jug.

"The yeast?" Vania echoes, poking her head out of one of the cupboards. "Yeah, all good! It always looks a little gross, and you're gonna doubt ever eating bread again, but at least it doesn't taste like it's fermented-"

"It's what?"

"Yeah," she grimaces, exaggerating her disgust a bit. "If aliens ever fell from the sky, they'd think we were crazy for eating bread-"

"Aliens? I think we're a bit crazy!" Cole exclaims, trying not to laugh.

Vania smiles, then sighs, lugging a huge bag of flour onto the counter. "I can never open these bags properly," she starts, eyeing the the bag a bit warily, "and it always makes such a huge mess all over the kitchen. You'd think they'd make it easier for people to use, right? I swear-"

He jokingly puts his hands over his ears. "I can't hear you!" "But you know that I've sworn off swearing-" she replies, breaking off with a laugh. "Pun not intended - that actually made sense in my head. I swear!"

"No," Cole interjects with a grin, shaking his head. "You don't, remember?"

"See, this is why we're friends-"

"Friends? Is that all I am to you?"

"Oh, be quiet," she shoots back, exaggeratedly dragging a hand down her face. "I mean, sure, just because everyone thinks that we're dating doesn't mean that we-"

Wait. What?

"People think that we're dating?" he asks, clamping a hand over his mouth in a poor attempt to muffle his laughter. "I- I- really?"

"I know, right?"

"Even my friends thought so at first," he confesses, dragging a hand down his face. "I mean, as much as I love you-"

"I love you too," Vania replies, completely seriously. "Even if you'll always be more like an annoying-"

"Hey-"

"Sibling to me than anything else," she finishes, grabbing a pair of scissors. Cole watches, a little alarmed, as she stabs them into the flour bag over and over.

"Is it... supposed to be this difficult to just open the bag? Seems kinda stupid-"

"Well, er, they have this piece of paper with glue that you're supposed to pull away from the rest of the bag, but it never works properly and I-"

"Well, we could always make our own flour," Cole interjects, laughing. "I mean, I've got a scythe? Let's go!"

"Uh, but we don't have wheat growing here. I don't think it'd suit the climate very well?"

"Wheat a shame," Cole sighs jokingly, measuring out the flour (which had, finally, escaped the bag).

"Oh my gosh," Vania deadpans, "you did not just-"

"Yep, I did."

"You're horrible," she giggles, "then again, I was the one who started this whole debacle, so I think we'll share the blame."

"Debacle? Where'd you pick that one up from? Sounds kinda cool-"

"Oh, it's from a book someone wrote about you guys," Vania says casually, pouring a cup of water into the bowl.

"Hey, uh-" Cole starts hesitantly, twisting his fingers back and forth, then breaks off. "Why'd you read all that stuff about us, anyways? Adventure books don't really seem like something you read a lot, since we have similar favorite books. I mean..."

"Well, um..." Vania trails off, clearly uncomfortable. "Uh- I guess, well, it sounds kinda stupid, but I'd never really met anyone my age who wasn't a royal or something. I... er, I didn't want to be left out, you know?"

Cole thinks back to a scroll; a quest, a sacrifice. One that his friends never seemed to really notice, unless it was with horror or flinches. Not that he blamed them, but - joking about how he was much more useful to the team when he was freaking dead than he was before he'd stumbled and fell in the temple?

That had been a bit far, even for his best friend. Locks could always be picked or something, he didn't need to be a ghost to provide some sort of value-

Well, that's not completely true, is it? a small voice questions, and he can't keep his hands from shaking a little.

"Jay here thinks you're the least valuable ninja."

Not enough to be a performer. Now, not good enough to even be a ninja, apparently.

Well, he reminds himself firmly, you don't have to be the best - just stand up to those who are cruel and unjust.

Nothing but a scar that glowed warm orange occasionally left of the whole Cursed Realm ordeal, sometimes it was all too easy to forget - or pretend - that it had never even happened in the first place.

Other times, like when he'd dropped a glass of water on the floor and his hands hadn't stopped shaking for hours, or when he woke up screaming, expecting to fall through his bed again, it still felt like he was trapped as a ghost. Literally - and maybe a little figuratively as well.

Yeah. Yeah, I know.

"Thanks for trusting me with that," he replies softly. "And I'm sorry. That sounds... horrible, but, honestly, you're a pretty cool person, and I ain't just saying that because we're friends. People can be awful, and they can- they can leave, but you don't need to pretend to be someone you're not for people to accept you. I kinda know what it's like, and it's... just, uh, not great."

"No, thank you," Vania says, rubbing her eyes. "You're pretty cool, too. And I'm glad that we become friends, even if wasn't in the- the, er, greatest circumstances."

"Right back at ya. The fall was pretty terrifying, though," Cole says casually, as if memories of that nightmarish plunge into the depths of earth don't still send shivers down his spine.

"No, definitely! I was so sure we were gonna splat onto the ground or something, thank gosh we didn't."

"Yeah..." Cole trails off, reading the recipe they'd been following. "Oh- do we just leave the bowl somewhere for a few hours now?"

"Oh, yeah," Vania answers. "Other than clean up the kitchen, what else do you wanna do?"

"That's kind of you, but, ah, I don't mind. You can choose something."

"I don't mind either," she replies, covering the bowl with a dishcloth. "Seriously, I don't."

"Same here though."

"Really, I don't mind-" Vania breaks off with a laugh, adding, "Well, actually, there is something."

She doesn't elaborate, thoughtfully gazing out the window.

"Well, what is it? Don't keep me in the dark."

"Ugh, it's kinda stupid-"

"I'm sure that it's not- well, unless you want to try to jump off a flying ship with a homemade parachute to prove a bet to someone-"

"Do I even wanna know?"

"...uh, probably not. We're way too crazy sometimes, our Master has a hard time keeping us in check. Your thing, though?"

"Can I give you a hug?"

Cole blinks for a second, expecting some sort of punchline.

"That's your thing?"

"Well, yeah- I mean, I said it was kinda stupid-"

"No no, that's not what I meant. You're so sweet - that's all."

"Well, not more than you-"

"Nah, you're sweeter-"

"Let's just call it a tie," Vania says with a smile, reaching over to give her friend a hug. "Thank you so much, I swear- well, no, I don't, but you know, anyways-"

"Yeah," Cole replies, laughing softly. "I know."

[sylphid187]

Coming Home, Taking Flight ‐ Chapter 2: Road to Osaka

This Chapter 2 of my fic focusing on Hinata's journey home. A look into Hinata's return to Japan, his interactions with his friends, and how he makes it into the MSBY Black Jackals.

Hinata Shoyou wakes up religiously the next morning. He gets up, goes for a morning jog, gets some yoga in his routine, then makes time for morning meditation. He makes sure to do all this, before heading to the kitchen to make some breakfast for his family. 

He spent most of yesterday and last night catching up with his family and friends, who had to leave late in the night, after they realized that the sun was down and Tsukishima still had to drive Yachi and Yamaguchi home. During dinner, Shouyou had spent blissful time with his family, his mother seemingly very happy about having the returning presence of her eldest, back in their household. He is reminded again how being back in the company of his family in their own home, was so comforting. 

He walks around their kitchen and, as he waits for the rice to finish cooking, he goes into the fridge to find some salmon slices and some tofu. Shouyou smiles and figures that he probably has enough ingredients to make a healthy japanese breakfast with the salmon, and he's sure his mom has enough ingredients to make some miso soup to go with the meal. He smiles as he is reminded of how he fiddled around in hisbshared space with Pedro, and how Shouyou would usually make breakfast for his roommate, before going to wake him so they could enjoy a meal together. 

As much as Shouyou wanted to treat his family to some brazillian recipes he'd learned from Nice, he didn't have enough ingredients for it right now. So he promises himself he'd do that another day. He'd be more than happy to share the other culture that he's grown to love, with the one that he grew up with. 

Later, when Shouyou is just about finished with setting up the table and their morning meal, he hears padded footsteps make their way through their dining area, and is sure that it's Natsu that's making her way to the kitchen. He hears a gasp and looks up to find that he's guessed right, and Natsu is there staring at their table. 

"Wow Nii-chan, this looks great!" she claps her hands together in glee and continues to scan over what Shouyou has made. 

"Thanks Natsu! Hope you like it! I packed one for mom so she can take it with her to work." Shouyou smiled. His mother still worked on the weekends, and she was used to laboring hard as a single mother. She had worked hard her whole life to sustain Shouyou and Natsu. Shouyou hopes that his dreams of going pro wouldn't just be a benefit to him, but would help lighten the load on his family too. 

"It really does look good! I can't wait to dig in!" Natsu clasps her hands together again, before heading to the sink to wash them, and sitting down at her usual spot on the table. 

Shouyou then sits across from her, and they both give thanks before beginning to dig in. Natsu immediately gives out a happy squeal after a few bites, and Shouyou can't help but chuckle at his sister's antics. He's extremely pleased though that she seems to genuinely like his food. "Nii-chan! This is so good! It looked great, but it tastes even better." 

Shouyou grins. "Flattery will get you nowhere Natsu, but thank you. I'm really happy you like it." 

"It's a real shame you won't be staying longer Nii-chan. I wouldn't mind eating more of your cooking. You're leaving this afternoon right?" she asks him with a smile. 

"That's right. I'll leave by noon, sorry I won't be able to spend more time with you and mom. And I just got home too." Shouyou states, a little gloomy at the thought. 

It saddens him a bit that he can't spend more time with his family, just after he's gotten back. But Shouyou cut it really close when he chose to fly back yesterday. He couldn't book earlier flights because he also wanted to maximize spending time with Pedro, Heitor, Nice and Coach. That, and he did promise to wait after Heitor and Nice's wedding.  But, he needed to be home in time to make it to tryouts. Granted, his chosen flight really didn't give him much time for any detours. Tryouts were on Monday, and today was Saturday. The plan was to head out Saturday afternoon to Osaka via train. 

The train ride from Miyagi to Higashiosaka in Osaka was about nine hours. He had planned to leave around noon to get to Osaka by 10pm. He still had to find a place to stay, but he figured he would work it out when he got there. He could, of course, leave on a Sunday. But Shouyou wanted to have enough time to familiarize himself with the area before tryouts, and have at least a little bit of time to get in shape while waiting for the day to arrive. He didn't want to show up to Osaka not knowing where he was headed and end up missing tryouts because he got lost. With this, he'd at least have a full day to go around the area. 

"Don't apologize to us for following your dreams, Shouyou." The two look to the sound of the voice, to find their mother there with a smile on her face. "We support you, always remember that. And whenever you're having a hard day and need to come home, we'll be here to welcome you back." 

"Mama..." Shouyou smiles. He really was very lucky, and he will never tell himself otherwise. 

"That's right Nii-chan! And I can't wait to tell my friends and teammates all about you when you make the team!" Natsu says as she shoves another piece of fish in her mouth. 

"Natsu! I told you I have to make the team first. There's definitely tons of competition for a spot on the team." He contemplates on this. He's both nervous and excited for tryouts, but he will definitely be doing his best, no matter who his competition is. 

Their mother goes to the countertop and picks up the lunch Shouyou made and smiles at her son. "Oh believe me, you'll make it." 

"Mama! Not you too! I don't wanna be overconfident about it." 

"Shouyou, I'm not saying it because of any other reason, but because I truly believe that you'll make it." She goes over to him and pats his head. "It doesn't matter to me how old you and Natsu ever grow up to be. I will always be your number one fan. And you always remember one thing, I am so very proud of you." 

" Thank you." Shouyou feels like crying, but he stops himself and opts for a wide smile instead. "I'll definitely ace tryouts, you'll see. I'll make sure they notice me."

"Yes you will!" Natsu chimes in. 

"I know you will." She thanks him for the meal he's made for her before kissing both kids on the cheek and making her way to the door. "By the way Shouyou, are your things packed for later?" 

"Yep! I made sure I had everything before going to sleep last night." He says with a proud smile. "I might end up leaving a little earlier though. I want to make sure I catch the train on time." 

This makes their mother stop in her tracks, and Natsu snicker. "Shouyou, did you think you were taking the train?" 

Shouyou is confused. "Yes? I mean, how else am I supposed to get to Osaka?" he asks as he tilts his head to the side. 

"Natsu." 

Natsu grins "Don't worry about it mama. Nii-chan will find out later anyway. So everyone agreed to keep quiet about it." 

"Keep quiet about what?" Shouyou asks again as he looks between them both. "Am I missing something?"

"It's a surprise." And what a surprise it was. 

 ---

Shouyou was just grabbing his things and about to head out the door, Natsu following behind him. "Nii-chan I really think you should wait a bit." 

"Sorry Natsu, if I wait any longer I might miss my train!" He ruffled her hair affectionately and continued "Take good care of mama while I'm away, okay?" 

"Nii-chan wait!" Natsu tries to grab Shouyou as he opens the door, but misses. He slides their door open and comes face to face with none other than Kozume Kenma and Kuroo Tetsurou. 

Shouyou blinks. And then again. And again. "Kenma-nii! Kuroo-nii! You made it just in time." he hears Natsu speak from behind him. 

"Yo, chibi-chan! What's up?" Kuroo's personality hasn't changed at least, Shouyou thinks. 

"Wha...what are you guys doing here?!" Shouyou gasps, as he looks over at the newcomers. 

"Shouyou." He looks over to Kenma who is smiling at him. "I'd like to think you owe me a better greeting than that." 

"Yeah, that's kinda hurtful chibi-chan. After we came all the way here to take you to Osaka." Kuroo says with a grin as he slings his arm around Kenma's shoulder. 

" You're taking me to Osaka?!" Shouyou exclaims again in shock. 

Kenma sighs, a small smile still on his face. He dislodges himself from Kuro’s hold and goes to envelope Shouyou in a hug. It takes a moment, but Shouyou relaxes and immediately hugs back. "Welcome home Shouyou." 

Shouyou feels someone ruffling his hair and he opens his eyes to see Kuroo there with a smile. "Glad to have you back Chibi-chan" 

He feels Kenma let go, and the gamer finally stands back to take a good look at Shouyou after all this time. "You look good." 

"Thanks Kenma! You too!" He grins. 

"Should I be jealous?" Kuroo asks with a smirk as he watches them, but one look from Kenma shuts him up as he raises his hand in resignation. He chuckles and shakes his head, allowing the two to continue talking.  

"You've changed too." Kenma continues as he grins. "I can't wait to see what else you're gonna do Shouyou." 

"If you get boring, I'll drop you."  

Shouyou ends up giving out a nervous laugh as he remembers Kenma's words from back then, just when Kenma offered to become his sponsor. But deep down, he knows that Kenma has only ever done everything he could to help Shouyou, and that was said in jest...probably. The former Nekoma setter was just really fascinated with him, for some reason. 

"As much as I love the touching reunion, we have to move folks. It's a 10 hour drive to Osaka!" Kuro exclaims as he pats their backs. 

Kuro and Kenma both begin to help Shouyou and Natsu bring the former's things to the car. While they're loading up, Shouyou continues to say thanks to his friends for taking the time to bring him to  their destination. "I really appreciate it you guys, thank you. I was fine with taking the train though!" 

Kenma scrunches his face in disapproval and replies "There's no way we'd let you take the train, not when we had the time to pick you up ourselves." 

"I hope you guys didn't put off anything important." he tells them. He knows how busy Kenma has been, as he's regularly kept in touch in Brazil. 

"I can manage Shouyou, don't worry too much about it." Kenma says with a wave of his hand. 

"What Kenma means to say, is that if he had it his way, he would have been the one to pick you up from the airport too. Unfortunately, he lost at a game of rock-paper-scissors to Tsukki and had to give the airport pickup to them. And he also wants you to know that he finished all his workload early to make sure we were free when you got here. So don't you worry about it." Kuroo says as he shuts the trunk and dusts his hands. He looks over at the two with a large grin before he feels someone lightly punch his side. 

Kenma gives Kuroo a glare and then another playful shove. "Just get in the car before I decide to leave you here Kuro." 

"Awww you'd never do that kitten." Kenma stares at Kuro with a piercing gaze, and Shouyou thinks if looks could kill, that was it. "Annndd I'll be quiet now. Come on chibi-chan! let's get you to Osaka!" 

Natsu waves at them animatedly as they all get in the car. She lets out a loud "Keep safe!" as they drive away from the Hinata household and begin their 10 hour car ride. 

The ride begins similarly to that of yesterday, filled with catching up and updates on how everyone else has been doing. Shouyou has had little contact with the former Nekoma team, with the exception of Kenma and Kuroo. This wasn't for the lack of trying either, but he’s only ever occasionally spoken to Inouka and Lev, and that's during one or two video calls during a day off. It isn't a surprise to him that team Nekoma have all worked their way up the ladder as they grew up, and even through their success, continued to stay connected within their own circle. Kenma and Kuroo themselves regularly spoke to all their former teammates and told Shouyou much of how they were all doing. 

"Waaah! I've heard from Lev about his modeling career! I didn't know he'd become such a big name in Russia." he exclaims excitedly. 

"Lev is still Lev. He might look pristine and proper in the photos, but he's just as loud as ever." Kenma says with a sigh, as if just talking about Lev was tiring him out. 

Kuroo guffaws. "At least he's mellowed down some because of Yaku." 

Shouyou tits his head "Are they?" 

Kuroo looks at him from the rearview mirror and smiles. "We can neither confirm nor deny, I'm afraid. Neither of them have said anything, but Yaku's sent us photos of them together. It's pretty common at this point, ever since Yakkun's been playing for the Russian V-League." 

"We hear he plans to come back though. There's some talk that they've begun to scout for players fit for the Japanese volleyball olympic team, and Yaku wants to be here and play for Japan." Kenma states, as he begins to fiddle with what seems like a new game console. 

"Ah yeah! Bokuto's been excited about that too. But he wants the Jackals to win this season first and finally kill the Alder's winning streak." Kuro tells them with a smirk. "And you know, they might actually be able to if you make it on the team chibi-chan." 

"Ahaha...well I'll definitely make sure to make an impression during tryouts." Shouyou says. "I can't wait to see Bokuto-san on Monday! I wonder if he'll be watching tryouts?" 

"From what Bo tells me, Coach Foster is requiring them to watch this year. He wants the whole team's opinion on getting a new player." Kuro replies. 

"Shouyou, what do you mean by seeing Bokuto on Monday?" Kenma immediately asks, putting his game down and turns to look at Shouyou. 

"Eh? I mean, I won't be seeing him till tryouts." Shouyou reiterates with a tilt of his head, when else would he find the time to see Bokuto-san? 

"Wait chibi-chan, aren't you going to..." Kuro doesn't get to finish. 

"Shouyou, where in Osaka are you staying? Sorry, we forgot to ask earlier." Kenma asks him. 

"Oh! Sorry, my bad. I was wondering if you guys knew of any affordable budget hotels that you can drop me off in that's near the tryouts gym?" Shouyou asks with a smile. He sees Kenma freeze and Kuroo's eyebrows shoot up. 

"..." Kenma stays silent for a little too long, and Shouyou wonders if he's said something he shouldn't have. 

"I can look one up though! So you guys can drop me off somewhere in the area and I should be able to find one that'll let me stay two nights!" 

"Kuro." That's all he hears Kenma say, before the rooster haired man is nodding and passing his phone to Kenma. 

"Got it. Just send the text out and let them know it's you. Shouldn't be a problem." Kuroo replies. Shouyou doesn't understand what's happening.

"Um." 

Kuroo looks over at him again. "Don't worry about it chibi-chan, we know exactly where to take you." 

"Really? Where?" He asks, confused. 

"You'll see." 

He can see Kenma vigorously typing a message using Kuroo's phone, and once he's done, looks over to Shouyou again with a smile. "You're not sleeping in a random hotel, Shouyou. I'm not letting you." 

"Eh?" 

"Don't worry though, we've already found a solution." Kenma continues with a smile. 

"Eeh?" 

"Better to just go with it, there's no stopping Kenma when he's like this." Kuroo grins again. 

"But..." Shouyou begins to protest. He really hopes his friends aren't spending money on him. "K-Kenma..." 

"But you know," Kenma stares at him then, with catlike eyes that seem to be boring into his soul. "If you ever do something like this again and not let me know, I'll be really upset Shouyou." 

"Eeehhhh?" Shouyou binks. He looks between the two and can't help his confusion from growing. 

What in the world is Kenma talking about? And where in the world were they taking him?! 

CHAPTER 1 BELOW