#but he's wise enough to figure it out before gale does

[toohardtosummarize]

hmmmm i know i am not strong enough to write multichapter but. gale leaving to pursue the crown and ellery tracking him down like "you thought you were leaving me out of your quest to Salvage and Recreate an Ancient Artifact? bitch. motherfucker" and then. idk i feel like things would change, somehow, if Gale weren't chasing his folly alone. also maybe they fuck angry about it.

[tragedybunny]

omg your requests are open? If you're okay with some angst but a sweet ending, can I please request Astarion overhearing the others trying to warn you about Astarion? Like, telling the reader (female please) that he doesn't actually care or like her and she just looks sad and says "I know, but I'm stupid and care about him" and he just gets upset and wants to prove that he does like her? Sorry if this is dumb, haha

Hi Anon, My usual apologies for the wait. I wanted to do a different spin on this because I always find it a little jarring that Astarion confesses to you and then is so prickly about killing the Orthon to get information from Raphael. I always wondered if it occurred to him he was being kind of a jerk about it. So this scene plays out in the second act.

This Is Me - Astarion x F!Reader

Astarion lurked at the outskirts of camp, unable to bring himself to come face you. After everything he'd told you, after those moments of hope, he'd failed, himself and you. The Orthon, he’d been less than gracious about getting around to killing the devil. And after, gods, why did he talk to you like that? Because the scars on his back felt like they burned, and his mind had screamed at him since you'd said they were infernal. Even though he knew you'd been upset, you'd only turned away, saying that it was probably wise to rest before pursuing Thorm’s relic further. 

You all had made a makeshift camp in the heart of Shar’s sanctuary, where not even Shadowheart seemed wholly at ease. And he’d hidden like a coward until now, when he’d finally been able to push himself to come find you. Creeping back to camp, he’d been silent, trying to figure out where you were without running into any of the others, he couldn’t take whatever disdain he’d find in their eyes either. 

He’d made it close to your shared tent when the sound of Shadowheart’s voice had frozen him where he stood. “I’m not saying he’s not sincere, I’m just saying, we all know Astarion by now. He looks out for himself first.” 

“I understand where you’re coming from,” even if you didn’t sound convinced, the fact that you even had to say those words was enough for him to feel like his unbeating heart was shattering behind his rib cage. 

“She has a point Soldier, I like Fangs well enough, but you know how he can be. Just be careful with yourself,” Karlach added. Did they all believe he only thought about himself? 

“We just don’t want to see you get hurt.” Of course, Gale had to add to it. 

“I know you’re all concerned, and I know how he can be, but I care about Astarion.” He didn’t need to hear anymore. No one had managed to spot him, so he slipped into your shared tent and tried not to fall apart. 

Everyone in this damned camp wanted to warn you away from him, and the worst part was that they weren’t wrong. How long had it taken him to behave like an arse to you? He did care though, that wasn’t a lie or a scheme. Where you’d accepted it before on just his word, it felt he’d have to prove it now, since he’d gone and messed everything up.  He just didn’t know how.

Huddled on the floor of the tent, he pulled his knees up to his chest, and frantically thought.

Sex was out of the question, even if he could bring himself to do it, you’d see through it in a heartbeat. What else did he have? A lot of pretty words and burdens, which you already shouldered. He glanced around the tent at his scattered, sparse belongings, noting you hadn’t even had time to unpack yet. Maybe that was the answer. 

If there was more said about him, he hadn’t heard, intentionally blocking out whatever other sounds he heard. He assumed there was dinner, at some point, nothing for him to miss there. You appeared in the entrance to the tent far sooner than he had expected though, and caught him still packing things in his bag. “So that’s it, you’re just going to up and leave? And here I was getting worried you’d been gone so long tonight.” Your voice was deadly calm and he couldn't tell if you were sad or furious. 

Closing his eyes, he centers himself, trying not to get lost in the maelstrom inside his own mind. Standing, he looked you in the eyes, pained to find unshed tears sparkling there, but this was for the best. “I’m going to face Cazador, and whatever he’s done to me, alone.”

“W-what? Is this because of the Orthon?” The words fade into a stunned whisper, you don’t understand what he’s trying to do. Desperately, he gropes for your hand, to comfort you, to explain to you, but you pull away. “You’ll just abandon me because I didn’t kill it quick enough?’

“Love, no! I just need to do this on my own. To show you.” The words run out and he clenches and unclenches his hands frustratedly. 

“By the gods, show me what?” 

“That I’m not using you. That I do care about you for more than what you can do for me. I’ll go to Baldur’s Gate and when I’m done I’ll wait for you.” 

With it all said, Astarion waits in the silence for your response. He waits far longer than he thought he would. Really, he’d thought you’d embrace the idea after everything he’d overheard. “Astarion,” you begin sweetly, and you have his rapt attention, “are you out of your fucking mind?” You grasp his shoulders and clench them tightly, fingers digging in, emphasizing your words. 

“I…of course not!” He tries half-heartedly to pull out of your grip, but you don’t seem keen to let him go. “But you don’t trust me any more so what,” his voice cracks unpleasantly and you release his shoulders, arm wrapping around his chest, “what else can I do.” 

Instinctively, he returns your embrace, burying his face in your shoulder. “You heard all that, didn’t you? I’m so sorry, I just didn’t want them to worry about it anymore.” 

“What if they're right? I'm not sure that I can think about anyone else first until this is done, and I fear I’m going to hurt you.” He doesn't look up from where he's pressed against your skin, not wanting to see if you agree. 

“I knew that Astarion, it was obvious from the start.” You let go and push away, putting space between the two of you as your hand comes to cup his cheek and hold his gaze on yours. “We'll deal with this together, just like I promised.” 

You plant a small kiss on his cheek and he almost sobs, pulling you back into a fierce hug. “You…”

“Silly girl?” You finish with a small laugh.

“Incredibly sweet and wonderful girl.”

“Now you're just trying to flatter me.” He can hear the relief in your voice. “Unpack, please. I’m exhausted and your bag is in the middle of our tent.”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” There really is no fighting you once you’ve made up your mind, and he doesn’t really want to go anymore. 

“Absolutely not, silly boy.” The kiss you give him is soft and warm enough that it chases away his lingering doubts, for tonight at least. 

Tag List:

@micropoe10 @spacebarbarianweird @writingmysanity @mxxny-lupin @azu21 @tallymonster @dependsonthedream @sunfire-ancunin @bambamwolf87 @fayeriess @lumienyx @lisrelly @elora-the-slutty-songstress @astariongf

[reikodoesfanstuff]

I see your "Durge wakes up with a wedding ring" and I raise you to the obvious;

Durge wakes in the nautiloid like normal, nothing amiss. After a few days of travel, they notice they get a bit ill frequently. But they also have crazy murder thoughts. It's probably related.

After some more time and goblin murder the sickness gets worse: fatigue, aches, nausea. The team worries, however, they have Halsin now who is quite the adept healer. He has a look and, great news, Durge isn't sick, they're pregnant!

For a while after this discovery, Wyll, Gale, and Karlach treat Durge like glass, fragile (and dangerous). Until they've had enough babying and snap, making them promise to treat them as an equal. Halsin knows not to get in the way of a pregnant parent so he does everything to support Durge and their wishes. Astarion, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel don't talk about it much. Lae'zel because she really doesn't want any part in humanoid breeding rituals, and Astarion and Shadowheart just don't care.

Cut to the Shadow Cursed lands. A bit of time has passed and Durge has developed a little belly bump. They're still able to hide it for most of their time at Last Light, but eventually, Jaheira catches on. Though she's never been pregnant herself, she's wise enough to figure it out. She promises to keep it secret from the rest of Last Light, but after all is said and done here, it doesn't matter. By the time they free Dame Aylin and take the fight to Kethric, the pregnancy is unmistakable.

Durge gets the briefest glance of Gortash and a spark of recognition embers at the back of their mind. He's gone before they can truly process it, but there's a mission to focus on anyway. 

Kethric seems angry to see Durge with this new little addition. He fights with a tired sort of rage but still dies without giving any information about Durge's past. 

Finally, after months, they arrive at Baldur's Gate. Durge is not quite waddling into Wyrm's Rock, but they're clearly on their way. The steel watch guard stops them, but when Gortash takes over, there's a bit of a pause. His tone is easy and confident, however, when he invites Durge up for the coronation.

As soon as he truly sees Durge, all of his confidence is gone. The rumors of a fierce warrior, a killer, sweeping across the Sword Coast had been bubbling in the political sphere. The few scouts for the prism that lived told tales of a monster or demon that thirsted for blood taking a humanoid form. And he's heard of the slaughter of all of Moonrise and the undying Kethric along with it. His beautiful assassin is back in all of their glory, and they brought such a wonderful gift.

[thetavolution]

Theresa "Tessa" Chastain

What if your Tav was a recruitable companion, instead of the main character?  (contains major spoilers for the game, and for some dark urge runs as well)

General

Where can your Tav be recruited?  Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region?  Or are they not recruitable until a later act? You'd meet her at the Nautiloid crash region. She wouldn't be far from Gale and Astarion.

Do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your Tav? For clarification, Tessa is a rogue/monk human. Shadowheart: "Another rogue. At least this one can punch, I suppose." Astarion: "Hm. Well, we'll see if she can keep up with the likes of me. I'm not holding my breath though." Gale: "A rogue monk! It'll be a delight to have one among our ranks. Smart move, recruiting her." Lae'zel: "We may be able to use her skills. I approve of her joining us, for now."

Does your Tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions? Shadowheart: "She's hiding something, but I guess we all are. She's just not as subtle as she thinks she is." She guesses right away Shadowheart is a Shar worshipper. She just doesn't say anything until it's out in the open. When it's revealed, "I'm not the only one who figured it out, right?" PC can agree or disagree that they figured it out before Shadowheart said anything. Astarion: "Keep your eye on that one. I have a bad feeling about him. But it's also a little hypocritical for me to come down on a fellow rogue, isn't it?" Gale: "He is quite the charmer. At least, I'm charmed by him. And I'd say having a wizard on hand would be wise. They're powerhouses." Wyll: "The Blade of the Frontiers, huh? Not how I pictured him. But if he's half as good as the stories say, we'd be smart to keep him close." Lae'zel: "I've never seen a gith in person before. I think I'll have fun traveling with her! If she doesn't take my head off." Halsin: "I had no idea an elf could get so big. And he has a big heart to match. Good move recruiting him. We're lucky to have him." Karlach: "She is absolutely darling. We have to take her with us. Look at her! She's precious and good at killing. What more can you ask for?" Minthara: "You sure about Minthara? I mean really sure? I don't know if I like her tagging along...." Minsc: "He's a little different, but you always need someone to... help think outside the box! I trust your judgment on this one." Jaheira: "Normally, I'd say don't meet your heroes... but Jaheira is the exception. I can't believe we get to travel with her!"

What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval? She's fond of kindness in general. She has a bit of a Robin Hood complex. However, she also approves of stealing a lot. She's not perfect by any means.

Are there any instances where your Tav can permanently leave the party, depending on player character actions? If you push her too far and pick the meanest options, she'll eventually hit her limit and leave.

Do they have any secrets that can be revealed?  What are the prerequisites for this secret coming to light? If PC gets high enough approval, she'll eventually reveal her father is a renowned member of the Zhentarim. She's from Icewind Dale so a lot of the local members don't know who she is by sight alone. She's already "part of the family" even if she doesn't reveal it to anyone. PC can also pry it out of her when they cross paths with the Zhentarim for the first time. If they catch her acting weird and call her out on it, they can try to persuade or intimidate the truth out of her.

Do they have their own personal quest that spans the course of the game?  Can it take different branching paths depending on the choices the Player Character makes? She does. Hers would involve her father, Edogard, and the Zhentarim. It can change based on how you interact with the Zhentarim members throughout the game, especially the hideout at Waukeen's Rest. It also changes on if you get Tessa to confess her past. Her father can also betray PC if he sees monetary gain in it. (This includes turning on his own daughter.) PC can potentially talk him out of it and get him to not, you know, let his daughter die for money. If found and persuaded, Edogard, Leander, and Blue can potentially help in the fight against the Absolute. Edogard will give you a whistle to summon them.

What do they say when the Player Character asks them to stay in camp?  How about when the Player Character asks them to come adventuring again? Stay: "You sure about that?" If you're sure: "If you say so. I'll be at the ready when you need me." Come: "Yes! I can't wait to get out there and bash some cultist heads."

Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight? She doesn't. She's surprisingly good at keeping her cool. She's the one who tries to deescalate everything.

Are there any unique NPCs associated with your Tav that can show up during the course of the game? There are a few if you head to the right location and dig deep into the Zhentarim. PC will meet her parents, Edogard and Sibyl. PC can also meet her twin brother, Leander, or her winter wolf, Blue.

Are there any moments in the game that trigger unique dialogue for your character? (Like Gale’s anecdote about the barfight after you save the goblin prisoner)  You can trigger unique dialogue with almost any interaction with the Zhentarim. It depends on if she's confessed she's from a Zhentarim family or not, too. She'll tell stories from her childhood or about her relatives. She'll confess she went on her first "job" when she was ten.

Story Specific

How does your Tav advise the player character when it comes to the Dream Visitor? "You had the dream, too? I think we should listen to what they have to say. They're protecting us for a reason so let's be cautiously optimistic about it. Keyword: Cautiously."

How do they advise the player character on Raphael? "I don't like this. Why is he so interested in us? Something's fishy. No matter what happens, we cannot make a deal with him."

How do they react to Astarion biting the Player Character? "We were traveling with a vampire the whole time? Seems obvious in hindsight. Well, as long as he keeps his fangs to himself, it's fine by me."

How do they react to the Player Character letting Abdirak whip them? "It's not quite my thing, but please, go ahead and enjoy yourself. Try not to get too beat up. We still need you in one piece."

How do they react to the Player Character taking their first tadpole power? "Gods. I never thought I'd see anyone voluntarily put one of those things in their skull, let alone more. But it could prove to be useful. You'll tell me if you start feeling weird, right?"

Will they stay with the Player Character regardless of siding with the goblins or the tieflings, or is it possible for them to leave the party permanently? She leaves if you kill the tieflings. She will also leave permanently if you get too evil.

What can they be found doing at the tiefling/goblin party? She'd be taking some time to herself at her tent with a glass of wine. In her younger days, she was a wild child who'd be dancing and getting drunk. Now she just likes to sit back and watch the festivities. She can be persuaded to join in by PC though.

Do they have comments on who the Player Character chooses to spend the night with?  She wishes PC good luck with whoever they pick. She would have something nice to say about everyone. This is a party full of hotties. She tells PC that if anyone breaks their heart to let her know and she'll take care of it.

Do they have unique dialogue if the Player Character lets them die when they steal the Blood of Lathander? "Wow. Wow. You just... up and got me killed. I just have one question. WHY?" If Tav says they'll be more careful next time: "You're planning a next time?!"

How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar? "Wait... No! You put that down!" If you lick it a second time, "Gods, what in the bloody hells is wrong with you?" If romanced, "I hope you don't expect me to kiss you after this."

What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown? First sees Dribbles: "You know, there's a whole art to clowning? It can be a really beautiful art form.... Not what he's doing. What he's doing is a shitshow." Offers to send her up: "What? No, no thank you. I'm fine right here." Forced to go up: "Fine. But you owe me big time for this."

Is it possible for your Tav to be kidnapped and replaced by Orin?  How is Orin's deception revealed?  How do they react to the PC rescuing them in the Temple of Bhaal? It is. Orin would struggle to get a hold of Tessa's personality. Orin would have Tessa have a meltdown about being a bad person who wasted her life. Orin understands what her fears are, but not how she'd act on them. When rescued, she'd say something like, "Dear Gods, what is this place.... It smells worse than it looks."

How do they react to the PC either allowing Astarion to ascend or convincing him to spare the 7000 spawn? Ascend: "Today feels like a very dark day. One that's going to haunt me to the grave." Spare the Spawn: "I hope this was the right thing to do. I don't want to kill them, but I don't want anyone else getting hurt either."

How does Tav react to the PC becoming a mind flayer?  Can they offer to become one themselves?  Does their reaction change if they’re romanced?  She'd be a little alarmed, but supportive of PC. She would never become a mind flayer herself though. If romanced, she'll stay by their side no matter what. She might even find them cute.

How do they react when the Dark Urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them? "This might be the tadpole's doing. Mine hasn't done anything like that, but it doesn't mean it won't. We should all keep an eye on each other. A close eye."

How do they react to the Dark Urge killing Alfira? "Dear Gods... that poor girl. Why? Why would you do this?" She'd also say things like "I thought we were safe here. Safe as you can get in situations like this. I feel so vulnerable."

If romanced, how do they react to the Dark Urge trying to kill them in Act 2? She's scared at first, but powers through it to take care of PC. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. I'll be right here with you. Whatever you need, I will provide."

Romance

Is your Tav a romanceable character?  Are there any specific requirements to romancing them? She is. She's another one you just have to gain approval from. She responds well to kindness and affirmation.

Does your Tav need to be flirted with to start the romance, or will they approach the PC themselves if approval is high enough? She can be oblivious so flirting is crucial to get her to realize you want her. (In my play through, I imagine she didn't realize Gale was trying to flirt with her when teaching her magic at first.)

Are they a polyamorous or a monogamous option? She is a monogamous kind of gal. She doesn't judge people who are poly. It's just not for her.

Do they have a special romance scene at the tiefling/goblin party? Yes, you can get her to spend the night with you, but she's a romantic. She'll want something soft and sweet.

Does the romance have different branching paths, or just one route to take? There are two, at least. One option, you can follow her into a life of crime and keep her in the Zhentarim. The other option is that you can talk her into settling down with you and leaving crime behind once the adventure is over.

How do they react to the player character breaking up with them, or choosing another character over them? She's hurt. It breaks her heart, but she wishes you well. She has a very "smile though your heart is aching" approach to it. She's been broken up with many times before. She's a pro at it. She'll try to find the bright side to it and tell PC to take care of their heart.

What questions can Zethino ask the PC about Tav in the Love Test?  "Many things delight the heart, but only one makes it sing. Tell me, what does she desire more than anything?" 1. To steal as much as possible 2. To become a writer ★ 3. Love ★ "Listen. Think. When is she most comfortable?" 1. When she's at home with people she loves ★ 2. At the library with plenty of books to read ★ 3. In a Zhentarim hideout "We often gaze through a veil of roses, but love accepts both the petal and the thorn. Tessa - what is her greatest flaw?" 1. She falls in love too easily. ★ 2. She's not that bright. 3. She's a horrible, rotten thief! 4. She's impatient and doesn't look before she leaps. ★

If they’re poly, do they have a reaction to the PC engaging in a relationship with Halsin? She's not poly so it just kind of hurts her. She tells PC that she can pursue something with her or him, but not both.

How do they react if the PC has sex with Mizora? The Emperor?  Haarlep? She'd break up with them. It has nothing to do with who it is, but the fact they did it at all. She's been cheated on before so it'd be really rough. If PC is an ass, she can possibly leave the group over it.

Will they join in with the PC and the Drow Twins, or no? It makes her uncomfortable, so no. Sleeping with them will also damage the relationship and she'll break up with PC.

What are Tav’s plans for the future?  Do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not something they’re interested in? She wants to get married. She can take or leave having kids, but she'd rather adopt if they go that route.

Free space! Share anything from your companion!Tav au! She's one of my only Tavs that only exists in the BG3 universe haha. I'd love to have original art of her someday, though. Or even play her in a proper TTRPG.

[everlarkbirthdaygifts]

Happy Birthday, socmono!

Happy belated Birthday, @socmono! We hope you had a wonderful day back on the 14th, and that you got exactly the presents you were hoping for! To bring the birthday feels back around, the lovely @endlessnightlock​ has written a story just for you!

I’m sorry this is so late! This story spiraled out of control inside my head, resulting in a “drabble” that is almost 7000 words long (eep)- I also have plans to add a little more on the end before I post it on Ao3, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

My inspiration for this story came from one of my favorite oldies- the 1968 Dusty Springfield song Son Of A Preacher Man. If you haven’t heard that one, I suggest giving it a listen before reading this.

This story isn’t religious, but it does have some mild religious themes (including religious guilt) because it features Peeta as a preacher’s son in the late 1960s. Also I have mentioned two separate church denominations simply because, to my knowledge, neither condone alcohol use. There is no other reason for the mentions :).

This story is also rated E for underage sexual contact.

(Have I covered everything? I think so.)

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

Katniss picked at the loose thread that’d made its way out of the darts in her dress. Frowning in concentration, she valiantly tried to work the string free since it insisted on mocking her the way it was. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get away with messing with it for long, not with Momma next to her on the sofa. 

Momma always had something to say about Katniss’s fidgeting- said a seventeen-year-old girl had no need for such restless energy; that was why she was so unladylike. No one complained about her vigor much when she was getting up before the crack of dawn to go out to the woods and track down meat for their dinner, and that was the truth.

“Katniss!”

At the sound of her harshly whispered name, Katniss caught her mother’s eye and let her hand drop back to her side with a barely-concealed huff. For her own good, she bit back a scowl. In no way was she in the mood for another lecture from Momma about giving herself early frown lines. 

It was a hardship being a wild girl tethered to a parent who forever wanted to make you like them. 

From the other side of the room, Katniss caught a muffled laugh from Peeta, and it took everything in her power not to glare at him- he knew better than to laugh at her, especially over her frustration with this stupid dress. It was a ridiculous thing, anyway. It certainly hadn’t been Katniss’s choice to wear it in the first place; it was so outdated with its knee-length skirt and tailored top lined with pearl-glazed buttons that were a bit tight across her bust since she’d had a bit of a growth spurt figure-wise this summer. 

Even the dress’s color was out of style: a soft, faded blue that wasn’t like anything currently being worn, although Katniss didn’t mind that part of it so much. She didn’t go for the garish yellows, reds, and browns presently in fashion- not that it mattered; her papa wouldn’t dream of letting her go anywhere in the type of miniskirts her friend Madge wore, anyway. 

“Katniss,” Papa said softly, setting his coffee cup on the table next to his chair, his kind grey eyes focusing on her, sensing her discomfort.

At the sound of her father's voice, she let out the breath she'd been holding. He was her saving grace- Papa understood her better than Momma ever would.

“Why don’t you take Peeta and go for a walk or something? It’s too nice of a day for a couple of young folks to be stuck indoors while their folks talk politics.”

“Or religion,” Reverend Mellark, Peeta’s father, added, smiling in that slightly blank way he had that made Katniss wonder if the man had ever had an earth-bound thought cross his mind. Of course, with Peeta’s mother, she couldn’t say she blamed him for preferring to immerse himself in his theology books.

Katniss nodded, setting her iced-tea glass on the end table willing herself to act naturally. She stood, glancing briefly at Peeta before looking away again. The glee in his light blue eyes prevented her from paying him any mind in front of the adults. They might catch on to something. “Well, come on then,” she said, her voice low.

“Don’t go too far, Katniss. I’m going to need your help getting supper around when the Reverend leaves,” Momma reminded her as she stood to leave the room so the men could talk alone, which is what they’d planned on doing all along.

“Yes, Momma.”

xoxoxo

“You don’t seem all that happy to see me today,” Peeta told her as they stepped out the kitchen, the screen door slamming shut behind them. Katniss grimaced at the brilliant afternoon sunshine meeting them. It was hot and muggy- the kind of July day that wasn’t good for much other than swimming in the creek or lying in the shade with a book. 

“That’s not it,” she told him, catching his eye and shrugging. “Come on, let’s go out a little further.”

Peeta grinned at her, shoving his hands in the pockets of his khaki’s as they walked. They headed in the direction of the back end of the Everdeen's expansive property. Chickens scattered around their feet as they made their way down the packed-earth drive; the birds ran towards the garden to look for bugs to eat.

“I get tired of these dang birds,” Katniss admitted to him, frowning as she stepped over a pile of droppings. No one wanted chicken shit on their church shoes. “You’re lucky you don’t have to keep livestock in town. Watch your step- right there,” she admonished Peeta- he’d come dangerously close to stepping in a pile of excrement. Being a town boy, he wasn't as adept at looking out for himself here.

“They ain’t so bad,” he said, stepping around the mess, “at least you don’t get stuck making house calls to Ms. Trinkett’s with my father every Monday night,” he nudged her lightly with his elbow. “I’d take regular chickens over those ladies any day.”

Katniss glanced over her shoulder quickly, hoping Momma hadn’t seen them from her vantage spot at the kitchen window. Momma and Papa insisted she wasn't old enough to have a boyfriend yet, even if it was the preacher's son. Despite her concern at getting caught being so familiar with him, Katniss snorted, picturing Ms. Effie and her sister. 

The Trinket sisters, one long-widowed and one a lifetime spinster, were a bit over the top for a rural community like Panem. ”I can’t disagree, ” she told him, ”Momma says they're something else.”

She and Peeta were nearly at the back of the lean-to then, just out of sight of the house, so Katniss grabbed his arm, tugging him behind the building with her where no one could see. Once there, she threw her arms around his neck. “I am happy to see you,” Katniss said, smiling coyly.

He grinned at her forwardness. In a move that was quick enough to leave her laughing in surprise, Peeta spun the pair of them around until her back was the one against the outbuilding. He caged her in with his body there, letting his hands come to rest on either side of her shoulders as she giggled. “Well, that makes two of us,” Peeta told her. He ran the tip of his nose across her cheek, nuzzling against her before his lips met hers. He kissed her gently at first and then deeper, with ease they’d perfected over the last month of these “walks.”

Katniss still wasn’t sure what their fathers found so interesting to discuss that it brought the Mellarks out with such frequency.

There was a question for Peeta laying heavy on her mind, though, nagging at her. Katniss wasn’t sure if she’d like the answer, but she had to know before things went any further between them, so she just said it. 

“You’re not kissing girls at every house you visit with your papa, are you Peeta?” 

He frowned, studying her face, before giving her a small, unreadable smile.  In a flash, he’d tilted his head and begun trailing his lips down the side of her neck in a way that made her pulse flutter like a bird’s wings while bathing in a puddle. 

“Peeta-“ she warned, but he just chuckled.

“I might’ve kissed a few girls before, but you’re the only one I’m kissing now,” he reassured her softly, words vibrating against her skin. ”Are you puckering up to any other fellas? For instance, what about that friend of yours- the one who helps your father at harvest?”

“Do you mean Gale?”

“Yeah, I mean Gale,” he admitted, his voice tight. 

Was he jealous? The thought kind of thrilled her. Katniss chewed on her lip before exhaling against his shoulder because he still wasn’t looking at her. “He, ah, he did kiss me once,” she admitted, thinking it was better to be honest since it was just him and her right now. “Might have done a little more than kissing-”

Peeta tensed against her.

“But that was last summer,” Katniss told him. 

There wasn’t much to tell- Gale had tried putting his tongue in her mouth, and he’d touched her breasts over her shirt a little. It wasn’t like there was much of anything there for him to grab at the time. Either way, she hadn’t liked it, so she asked him to stop pretty quickly. Katniss hadn’t given what happened with Gale much thought before now- she’d just assumed she didn’t like making out like other girls did. She felt different about it with Peeta, though.

“Well, I haven’t done much more than kissing myself,” he admitted.

Katniss was sort of relieved. She hadn’t thought Peeta was a fast boy- not that it would’ve changed her opinion of him if he had been. If he’d gotten around a little more than her, then he just had. Either way, she still would’ve liked him the same; it only made her more comfortable knowing he didn’t have much experience either. 

Frankly, the only girl Katniss wanted Peeta to be fast with was her. 

What she wanted to do with him was probably considered a sin in the Lord’s eyes, but that wasn’t going to stop her a bit. All she knew for sure was that while she hadn’t been kissing Peeta Mellark for very long, he always made her want more. It was hard to be good all the time, no matter how hard she tried. Wrong or right, being with him made her feel like she was flying.

She sighed when his hand curled around her waist and pulled her closer. He still maintained a polite distance between their bodies, but she stepped closer to him, pressing her breasts against his chest for the first time. She had the strongest urge to feel his touch there- just that light press was overwhelming.

Peeta must’ve enjoyed that because he pulled her tighter, lining his hard chest against her softer curves. Breathless with anticipation, she was just about to take his hand and move it up to her breast when he dropped his hands away from her and stepped back. 

“What’s wrong?” Katniss asked, studying him for signs that she’d done something wrong. Didn’t he like that? 

His eyes looked kind of wild, she thought.

“Don’t you wanna-“

Peeta’s gaze raked over her face. “Can you sneak away tonight?” he asked, eagerly. “Would you meet me like we did last time?”

Just last week, Katniss snuck out and met up with him once her family had gone to bed. They’d sat by the creek, ditching their shoes and rolling up the cuffs of their pant legs to dip their toes in the water. There’d been some fooling around, but mostly, they’d just talked until she started having trouble keeping her eyes open. 

She figured tonight, though, Peeta wanted to do more kissing than talking. That was alright with her.

Without considering it much, she bit her lip and nodded. “Yeah, I can.” 

Momma and Papa went to bed as soon as the sun went down, so the house was always quiet by ten or so. She wasn’t sure how Peeta managed to get his father’s car to drive out and meet her, but then again, she’d never asked him about it.

“Great!” he said, his grin as wide as a Cheshire cat. 

His enthusiastic reaction made her giggle, a sound she was pretty sure only Peeta had ever solicited from her. Katniss was disappointed when he stepped away from her, signaling an end to their impromptu makeout session, but he still kissed her gently, his lips melting her frown away before she had a chance to argue with him. That soothed her. 

“Don’t scowl at me that way,” he said, “you know I wanna kiss you. I just don’t know if we ought to risk showing up again, looking like that’s what we’ve been doing. Your momma and papa will figure out what we’re up to; she looked funny enough at us last week.”

Katniss knew he was right, so with a resigned sigh, she stepped away from the side of the lean-to; they’d have to wait until tonight for more, she guessed. Pushing her disappointment aside, she grabbed his hand and tugged, indicating he should follow her. “You’re right, Peeta Mellark, just like always. Come on then- if you’re not going to hold me, then you can at least come and see the new litter of kittens in the barn.”

xoxoxoxoxoxo

That evening, when the frogs were singing in the trees, and the crickets were making a real ruckus from down in the grass, Katniss found Peeta sitting on a log by the creek behind her house, just like he said he’d be. It was way past sundown, but she could still see well enough, besides= she’d know the broadness of his shoulders and the tousled back of his head anywhere. 

Her bare feet sunk in the damp, sandy soil lining the bank where she stood off to the side, studying Peeta’s profile- he was so handsome it made her chest hurt sometimes. He hadn’t heard her approach, though, so Katniss let him know she was there too after a moment. “Been waitin’ long?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“Hey,” Peeta greeted her, smiling warmly, catching her eye as he looked over his shoulder. As she approached, he scooted down the log, making room for her to sit next to him. “No, it hasn’t been long- ten minutes or so at the most.”

Katniss sat down next to him and pulled her hair over one shoulder, using it as a shade she could use to peer around at him. She’d worn it loose around her shoulders the way she knew he liked, and, thankfully, that dress from earlier was long gone, replaced by jeans and an old button-down shirt. She felt much more like herself this way. 

“It’s a pretty night,” she said, feeling a little shy now that they were alone in the dark. 

The remainder of the afternoon, once Peeta and his father left, she’d been distracted by thoughts of him and what they might get into tonight. The hours had dragged by until Momma and Papa were finally in bed, and she could sneak out to meet him.

”It is, ” Peeta agreed, “but not nearly as pretty as you.”

“Flatterer.”

He just grinned in answer.

The moon was full, reflecting off the shallow creek water. It was bright enough that she could make out the look on her face and the way he sat, totally focused on her. ”I’m glad you made it.” Katniss told him, her voice soft.

”I wouldn’t have missed the chance to see you.”

She scooted closer to him. “You know, Peeta; I gotta ask you something.”

“What is it?” he said the words as if he’d gladly tell her every thought that had ever entered his head. He took her hand in his.

Katniss curled her fingers through his and squeezed. It was wonderful to touch him again freely. “How is it that you manage to get the Reverend’s car out without anyone noticing?” she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. “I know he’s got his head in the clouds all the time, but my momma would sure notice me starting up our car after everyone’s gone to bed for the night.” She laughed. “If I weren’t on foot coming to meet you, I’d be out of luck.”

“But I’d find a way to pick you up,” Peeta said, looking down at their hands. “I gotta see my girl.”

“Your girl?”

“Yeah. My girl- neither heaven nor hell would stop me.” He paused after his declaration and snorted. “My father probably wouldn’t approve of the sentiment behind those words; I don’t think.”

“I don’t know about heaven or hell getting in the way, but what about your momma- doesn’t she try stopping you?” Katniss prodded. He still hadn’t answered her question. 

Peeta glanced away, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. She had the distinct impression there was something he wasn’t telling her. Things grew quiet, and the longer he was silent, and the longer she sat curling her toes in and out of the sand, the more sure she was that he was keeping something from her. Peeta took forever to answer; he seemed to be weighing what to say, frowning into the dark in concentration. It was painful to watch.

“What is it?” Katniss asked, breaking the silence. She wasn’t going to make him do something if he didn’t want to. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“I don’t- ah, hell. Why not. The thing is, you can’t say anything to anyone.” Peeta finally said, glancing her way again. He looked nervous. “You gotta promise me that.”

Katniss nodded, scooting closer to him on the log. “Of course.” Even if Peeta hadn’t been her boyfriend, she still wasn’t one for running her mouth about everyone else’s business. 

He sighed resignedly, looking pained. “So I don’t know if you know this, I think some people suspect and some know, but Momma likes to drink. Drinks quite a lot.”

Katniss’s eyebrows shot up. While their church wasn’t a bunch of complete teetotalers like the Baptists or the Apostolic church up the road were, their congregation certainly frowned upon overindulgence in alcohol. “Oh,” was all she could manage, her mind whirring with what he’d told her.

Peeta huffed. “Maybe “likes” isn’t the right word- I’d say she has to drink. She does it most all day- says it keeps her in her right mind. But then nighttime rolls around, and at that point, it’s a lot more. By the time she goes to bed, she isn’t in any state to wake up again. An elephant stomping through the kitchen wouldn’t rouse her once she’s passed out.”

“Peeta,” she said, hating that she’d made him feel bad to find out the truth.

He kept talking as if she hadn’t said anything. “That’s why me and the Reverend go visit the Trinkett ladies every week. Momma likes their home-brew the best. She’s real nasty if she doesn’t get it.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered- and she was. Her momma and pappa were over-protective and kept her under tight reign, but at least they paid attention to her. She never doubted they were thinking of what was best for her or her baby sister Prim. She couldn’t say that about Peeta’s theologian father, who liked to distract himself with his religious books, and certainly not about his over-indulging mother.

“I don’t like it- leaves the Reverend and me to play clean up after her all the time- have to tell folks she’s sick or has a headache when usually it’s just the drink.” Peeta finally looked at her, and this time he had a wistful smile on his face that didn’t quite make it to his eyes. “But then again, it ain’t all bad, having no one pay you no mind. It makes it a whole lot easier to sneak away and see your girl.”

“I wish we didn’t have to sneak off this way, though. Don’t you?” Katniss said abruptly. 

There really ought to be some sort of happy medium between not being allowed to have a boyfriend like her momma and papa and Peeta’s folks who barely recognized his existence. She wanted to have a relationship in front of others; she wanted the whole world to know Peeta was her boyfriend. She was proud of him- he was a catch.

“We won’t always,” he insisted. “I swear- your momma will change her mind about you having a boyfriend eventually, and then we won’t have to do this anymore. And it’s not like you’re dating some hooligan-”

She laughed.

“How much more respectable can you get than the preacher’s son?”

“You aren’t that respectable, Peeta Mellark,” Katniss said, leaning into his shoulder with a sigh and letting her hip rest against his. They couldn’t be sitting much closer now if they tried, but she wanted to be close to him, to show him how much his trust in her meant. “No matter who your papa is.”

“Do you want me to be respectable all the time?” He asked, wrapping his free arm around her waist. His hand came to rest at her side, and he curled it against her, rubbing her hip. His fingers slipped just under the tails of her shirt, the calloused tips of his fingers brushing against her skin.

She shook her head. “Not really, no. You don’t kiss like a respectable boy.”

“I feel the least respectable of all when you’re sitting with me like this. The things I’m thinking about you are positively sinful,” Peeta admitted, quirking his lips in a funny little smile that was much more genuine than its predecessor.

“Me too,” Katniss said softly, her voice so low it must’ve been difficult to hear over the crickets chirping behind them or the gurgle of the creek.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, if it is a sin, then the Lord will just have to forgive me; I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t touch you more,” he admitted, startling her with his bluntness.

Katniss licked her lips, excited and nervous. “Go ahead then,” she told him boldly.

“Maybe I will,” Peeta said, his eyes lighting up.

“Well, maybe I want you to.”

“Really?” 

Instead of answering, Katniss leaned into him. She let her free hand rest against the line of his jaw, and Peeta tilted his face into her touch and let his eyes droop closed. “I like you an awful lot- do you know that?” she said.

His eyes fluttered open again, and Katniss watched him turn his hand and kiss the palm of her hand; it was a sweet gesture, but one that made her heart race. His lips were like petals, and his breath was warm when it fluttered against her skin. “I do, but a fella doesn’t get tired of hearing it,” he told her softly.

Katniss laughed under her breath, relishing in the way Peeta always made her smile until her cheeks hurt. It was funny to be kissing him sometimes when he felt so much like a friend- she liked talking to him just as much as she liked kissing him.

“I was kind of hoping you were going to throw yourself at me again like you did earlier this afternoon,” he confessed.

“What are you going to do- just sit there while I ravish your body?”

“Maybe for a bit, but I kinda looked forward to doing some ravishing myself,” Peeta admitted.

Katniss snorted, but not for long because he moved into her, smiling against her lips before nudging them lightly with his own, playing with her, prodding at her mouth until she opened to him. Their teeth bumped from their open-mouth laughter; there was a little more hesitancy, but then he pulled her closer and sunk his hand in her hair, and she found herself lost in the taste and feel of him.

After kissing her until they were both breathless, Peeta pulled away. Tilting her head to the side, he trailed the tip of his tongue around the shell of her ear before sucking the lobe into his wet, warm mouth. 

“Sweet lord-“ she whispered, shivering. 

Peeta held her tight against his side, one arm around her waist while the other hand settled on her belly, just above the waistband of her jeans. His lips moved down her neck until he reached the bit of skin open to him at the top of her shirt.

Giving in to that same urge from earlier, brought on now by his closeness to such an intimate part of her body, Katniss took his hand, lifting it to the first button of her shirt. 

Peeta stopped what he was doing, mouth freezing against her skin. He tensed with indecision, so she squeezed his hand in reassurance- Katniss wanted him to see her and touch her more than she’d wanted anything. Her nipples felt tight, her breasts aching for his hands. “Please,” she asked, curling his fingers into the shirt so there was no way he wouldn’t understand her meaning. “I want you to, so bad.”

Her words must’ve given him the confidence he needed because he sat up and kissed her passionately. His hand at the placket of her shirt was shaking under her hand, but when she let hers drop to her side, he began undoing the buttons regardless.

Katniss closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing as more and more of her skin was exposed to the night air. She hadn’t worn a brassiere out here to meet him, wanting one less barrier impeding them. That thought made her lick her lips, nervous to see what he would think of her and wondering when Peeta would notice.

“Oh, you’re not,” he faltered as he pushed her shirt open slightly. “You’re naked under here,” he said dumbly.

Katniss peeked her eyes open. Peeta’s focus was on the space between her breasts; just the inside curve was visible, the fabric caught on her nipples, keeping everything from being revealed to him just yet. He looked stunned- his eyes were wide, and even in the dark, she could see the color in his fair face was high. He backed away from her, and she couldn’t help notice the way his hands clenched and unclenched in his lap. 

“You can touch me,” she said breathlessly, encouraging him.

Peeta met her eyes, looking like a deer in the headlights, paralyzed with doubt. Katniss realized that for all his big talk about it being a sin not to touch her, he was still nervous, so she took his hand and slid it beneath her shirt, her eyes steady on his the whole time. The skin on his palm was soft, and his fingers were warm and slightly calloused against her sensitive skin as it curled around her. She gasped, leaning into his touch as he dragged his thumb across her nipple, triggering pleasant warmth that began at her breasts but spread down to her belly.

Peeta dropped down onto his knees in front of her, pushing the shirt off her shoulders. She shrugged the material the rest of the way off her body. Once it was gone, he gawked openly at her, his hands frozen at his sides again. 

She kind of wished he would do something instead of just staring at her breasts- it was starting to make her second guess taking her shirt off. Maybe they weren’t ready for this yet. In a fit of sudden shyness, Katniss crossed her arms over her chest and covered herself. Her bravado was evaporating by the second.

The movement stirred him out of the daze he’d fallen into, and he looked up at her then. Being able to see his eyes again steadied her nerves a little. 

“Do you want me to take off mine too?” he asked, reaching for the bottom of his shirt.

“Yeah, I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” she admitted, laughing a little. “You’re makin’ me nervous the way you’re staring, is all.”

Peeta let his head drop.“You’re just- you’re so beautiful, Katniss. I’ve never seen anything like you before.”

“You’ve never seen breasts?” she asked, frowning at him.

He looked up at her again and shrugged. “I’ve seen some in magazines, but I’ve never had a girl show me hers before.” 

And then Peeta tugged his t-shirt up and over his head, tossing it down beside them.

She couldn’t think of anything smart to reply- it was her turn to gape at him. She’d seen shirtless boys before, but not one of them had looked so beautiful as Peeta did, kneeling in front of her the way he was. He was slim in the waist but broad through the shoulders and chest. He had muscular arms, and in the moonlight, his skin seemed to glow.

Katniss bit her lip. Did he feel the same way looking at her that she did him?

Peeta moved in closer to her, dislodged the piece of flesh from beneath her teeth with his thumb. Then, with his hand still at the corner of her mouth, he kissed her open-mouthed, with more passion than she’d ever felt from him. As his tongue brushed hers, he slid his arms around her waist. Katniss spread her knees apart, wanting him closer. Peeta moved between them and pulled her flush, pressing their bare chests together.

The feel of being skin-to-skin with him was overwhelming. There were so many places Katniss wanted to touch him, so her hands began to roam: his hair, his back, his arms- she found that when she drug her fingers down his sides, he squirmed a little. He must be ticklish there.

And all the while, while they kissed and touched each other, feeling wild and free and alive, her body became something she’d never been so aware of until that moment. Katniss snaked her legs around Peeta’s hips and tugged him forward until she had his hardness lined up to her center. “You feel-,” he groaned in her ear, thrusting against her. With the first movement, she went from feeling warm and tingly to downright aching.

If he was still talking, he must be doing better than she was- Katniss knew she couldn’t form words if her life depended on it.  All she wanted was to feel more of him and more of what they were doing to each other.

Katniss dropped her hand down between their bodies, taken by an urge to touch what she was feeling- she cupped his erection over his pants, and he thrust into her grip. 

When she looked at Peeta’s face, she was stunned by his glassy-eyed, slack-jawed expression. It startled her a little, so she took her hand away, ashamed of herself for doing something so daring without asking him first, but he grabbed her wrist, lightning-fast. 

“Don’t stop, please,” he begged. “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“You liked that?” Katniss asked, leaning her forehead against his neck. With all the feelings running wild through her, she couldn’t look him in the eye.

Peeta took her hand, placing it over his hardness again. He curled her fingers around him so that she was gripping him. 

When she rubbed him through the thick material of his jeans, kissing his neck and collarbone because she couldn’t look him in the eye, it seemed like he stopped breathing. Katniss touched him that way but eventually grew frustrated with the way his jeans left so much to the imagination, plus it felt a little awkward. “Can I-” she trailed off, running her fingertip up his zipper. 

Peeta’s hand curled around her waist, turning his head to speak in her ear. “You can do anything you want.” His voice was breathless, his chest heaving against hers like he’d run a mile. 

She moved her hand up to the button on his pants, and when her fingers brushed against his taut skin above the waistline, he sucked in a breath. “Are you sure?” Katniss asked one last time, her fingers curling inside the waist of his jeans.

Peeta dropped his lips to hers, kissing her fervently. She guessed that was her answer. Katniss moved to the button of his pants and undid it before carefully pulling down his zipper in almost painfully heavy silence. When his fly was open, she only hesitated for a moment before slipping her hand in his underwear and wrapping it around him.

“Oh god, oh god, oh my god,” Peeta muttered against her mouth, lips slack. 

He didn’t seem capable of kissing her as she touched him; that was alright- she wanted to be uninhibited in her exploration of his body. His dick was larger than she thought it would be, and his skin was petal-soft but rigid beneath the surface, and he seemed to be growing stiffer as she rubbed her hand up and down the length of him. It seemed strange, but she could feel his pulse in her hand. When she made her way to the top, Katniss moved her thumb across the head, rubbing the small amount of dampness into him on instinct. 

“Fuck,” Peeta gasped, gripping her forearm.

“You’ve got a dirty mouth,” Katniss told him breathlessly, never hearing him swear before. This night was full of surprises and what she was doing to him excited her more by the minute.

When Peeta let go of her arm and moved his hand to the inside of her upper thigh, she forgot how to breathe herself. “Can I, too?” He managed, trailing his fingers up the inseam of her pants.

“Yeah,” she choked out, stilling her hand on him. Her pulse thumped like mad as he reached for her, unbuttoning her pants. Katniss might not have planned for all of this to happen tonight, but she didn’t want to stop, either.

She leaned towards Peeta as his hand slid inside her underwear. Knowing she was ridiculously wet, she hoped he wouldn’t think it was weird; the idea made her pretty nervous. Katniss knew it was natural to get that way when aroused. The times she’d touched herself, despite knowing it was probably a sin, had taught her that. 

But sliding her hand inside her underwear and exploring herself had mostly been out of curiosity. 

With Peeta, it was an entirely different thing- a hot, burning need that grew in intensity the further they went.

His fingers brushed against the short curls between her thighs, and when he moved further down, dipping just inside her wet lips and dragging them forward, Katniss’s hips jerked against his hand. His touch was unbelievable, much better than any time she’d done this herself. He hadn’t found the spot yet that make her sing, but it still felt amazing.

“You like this,” Peeta whispered disbelievingly, “Katniss, you’re so-”

“Yes,” Katniss gasped as his fingers rubbed against the top of her, “it feels so good.” She wanted him to delve deeper and touch that place that always felt so good when she did it herself. Their position with her on the log and him kneeling in front of her was awkward. 

And then, realizing she’d stopped moving her hand over him, Katniss tightened her grip on Peeta’s dick again. He might not be able to reach her very well this way, but she could still touch him. They’d gone this far, and now she wanted to see what happened next.

“Unf,” Peeta grunted, his hand going still inside her underwear, his body slumping forward.

Katniss watched his expression as she touched him. Peeta seemed lost entirely to what she was doing, his breathing becoming shallower, fighting to keep his eyes open. Was that because he didn’t want to look away from her?

“I’m- oh,” Peeta wrapped his free hand around the back of her head, jerking her against his chest as his length started throbbing in her hand. The faster she moved her hand, the louder he became, until his whole body stiffened up and his dick pulsed harder as hot, white liquid spurted from him, splashing against her bare arm and chest, bathing her hand in it as she continued pumping her fist up and down him. “Holy hell, goddammit,” he gasped.

Katniss turned her head, grinning against his shoulder when he seemed done after she’d taken her hand off of him. She felt suddenly shy, despite Peeta’s slack hand still lodged down the front of her underwear and his ejaculate all over her.

“I’d better,” Peeta began, pausing to kiss her firmly before as he took his hand out of her underwear and reached to the side to grab his discarded t-shirt, “take care of this. Sorry about the mess,” he added, using the material to wipe her hands and chest clean. He lingered at her breasts, rubbing the shirt across them long after she’d been wiped clean.

Katniss laughed deliriously, still a little in shock over what had just happened. She swatted his hand away, teasingly. “That’s okay- it was fun. I liked it,” She admitted. 

“It was certainly fun for me. Probably could’ve lasted a little longer,” Peeta said a little sheepishly. Even if he was embarrassed, he couldn’t keep the happy smile off his face.

Katniss didn’t think he had anything to be embarrassed about- from what she’d heard about boys, what he’d done was typical for the first time someone touched him. She figured touching each other was like anything else; there had to be a pretty big learning curve. A bigger part of her liked that she’d gotten him that worked up.

Peeta leaned forward and kissed her insistently until she was breathless, reminding her again how excited she was. “Now I wanna make you feel good too,” he said when she was half-crazy from his lips. “You might need to show me how.” He got up then, pulling his underwear back up to cover himself but leaving his pants unzipped. 

When He offered Katniss his hand, she took it. “What are you taking me?” she asked.

“Nowhere. Just changing things around a bit,” Peeta answered, stepping behind her and sitting on the ground with his back resting against the log. He spread his legs apart and patted the space in front of him. “I thought it might be easier this way, especially if you want to take your pants off.”

Katniss didn’t overthink pushing her jeans over her hips and down her legs at that point. After all, she was already shirtless in front of him, and for some reason letting Peeta see her breasts left her feeling more exposed than anything. She knew he wouldn’t try to take things any further than she wanted to

She lowered herself to the ground, kneeling in front of him, but Peeta, with a quick kiss, told her to turn around. Katniss did, settling upright against his chest. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said as she shifted against him. He wasted no time mouthing against the back of her neck while his hands settled at her waist.

“You haven’t seen much then,” Katniss whispered with what was supposed to be humor but came out sounding breathy instead. Her body tingled in the night air, the slight breeze across her nipples causing her breasts to ache even more. 

Like he was reading her mind, Peeta’s warm hands moved up from her waist and cupped her breasts. “I think I’ve seen all I need to see.”

“They’re just,” she bit her lip to keep from moaning too loud as he played with her, his thumbs rubbing and pinching her nipples, sending sparks between her thighs, “breasts. Half the world’s population has got them.”

“But I just want to see yours,” Peeta said, gently squeezing her with his warm hands. The pressure made her squirm, and she rubbed her thighs together. “How does it feel when I do this?”

“Good,” Katniss whispered, arching into his hands. He groaned under his breath. She could tell his dick was getting hard again, pressing against her backside, and that surprised her- she always thought boys were a one and out deal. 

Not Peeta, apparently. 

“How about this?” he asked while one hand glided down her stomach. His fingers were at the waistband of her underwear, edging beneath the elastic.

“Yes,” she said. The sensation was different than before. Peeta wasn’t restricted by her stiff pants this time or the awkward position she’d sat in when he’d touched her earlier.

“Help me?” he asked.

Katniss covered her hand with his and pushed them down together, leading him to the place. “Rub me there,” she said, spreading her legs wide to make it easier to get to the nerve bundle. She gripped his fingers, demonstrating what she meant. Katniss rubbed their fingers over her together in slow circles- not too soft or too rigid. Their hands together in her intimate places felt wickedly good. 

“I think I’ve got it now,” Peeta whispered in her ear. His breathing was noticeably heavier, their noises mingling together in the night air, the sounds of the creek, and the insects in the woods background noise to their pants and moans.

Katniss dropped her hand away and closed her eyes. The pleasure was coiling, burning low in her stomach. Her feet scrabbled against the sandy creekside, looking for something to hold onto; when Peeta realized what she was doing, he wrapped his free arm around her waist, holding her tight against his body as she tensed all over.

“You’re so beautiful, so perfect, so everything,” Peeta murmured in her ear. “I love seeing you this way; I love doing this to you.”

His words and his fingers rubbing her perfectly now between her thighs, the feel of his hand pressing into her waist, his mouth sucking on the side of her neck, and his dick pressing firmly against her backside all converged as one to overwhelm her. The deep, tight pressure broke, and pleasure flooded her body. The feeling was much more intense than anything she’d ever experienced on her own. 

[celestialflamesme]

| UNDER THE STARS | A Stashi One-shot | Fairy Tail Next Generation |

Ships: Storm Fullbuster x Nashi Dragneel

Happy Stargazing! @primaverafrog @luna-chan00 @biorckstudios18 @animaration-fts @cxndy-stxrs

It was 3 a.m. and Storm was going to kill Nashi.

In fact, as soon as they reached wherever she was dragging him to, he would dig a giant pit and push her in.

No, that wasn't evil of him. No, he did not care that he thought that she was cute yesterday or the day before that or before that (or beforeeee that). No, he did NOT (like absolutely no, nuh-uh) think she looked phenomenal with her baggy black sweater and her hair in a bun. (YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STAY MAD AT HER, DUMBASS!! WHY'RE YOU THINKING ABOUT HER HAIR?! YOU AIN'T A SIMP!!!)

Anyway, where was he going with this? Uhh...

Right! One simply did not wake the eldest Fullbuster up at 3 am and drag him out to the middle of nowhere and expect to live. So Nashi better have a good reason why he shouldn't throttle her right there, right now.

"I can literally feel you glaring at the back of my head, Ice-breath." She teased. He growled back in response, making the pinkette laugh (Sadist. Sleep-nabber. Why, oh, why did he have to like her?)

"TADA!!!" She waved her arms dramatically, (Albeit, cutely. DAMNIT STORM, YOU SIMP!!) presenting the reclusive spot she'd picked for whatever the hell she had planned.

"Nashiiii," he whined. (Yes, yes he did whine. He was a 16-year-old teen boy that needed his sleep to function coherently damnit!! You couldn't blame him!!) "Why are we here, woman?!"

"There's a meteor shower tonight!" Nashi grinned from ear to ear, "And you're the only one that can bear the cold."

Storm deadpanned. "That's the only reason you woke me up and made me carry this?!" He dropped the basket (Which was definitely filled to the brim with food, the eldest Dragneel sure could eat...)

"Oh, don't be such a spoilsport," she muttered, pulling a picnic mat out and laying it on the snow-laden earth. And as she took two blankets out, Storm came to 2 startling conclusions.

One: Yes, moron. It wasn't a dream. Stop pinching yourself.

Two: He was going to watch the stars with Nashi Dragneel, the girl he was absolutely, without a doubt, in cahoots about, feelings-wise.

Shoot.

The pinkette plopped on the mat and patted the space next to her, her ruby blanket clashing against the snow-field. And his heart did a little flip-flop at the sneaky grin she had on her face. Uh-oh. (Shit, do something smooth and unexpected and get out of this situation with the upper-hand!)

And he did. He sat next to her and guess what? He snatched her pack of chips.

Smooth.

There was no one in a five-mile-radius that didn't hear the indignant shriek that escaped her at that moment (Maybe she was sleepier and snappier than she let on, hehe.)

"YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE CHIPS, YOU TOOL!" Nashi yelled, trying to wrestle the pack off his hands.

"Who says I don't?" He teased.

"YOU DID!! UNHAND THEM NOW!!"

"Fine, fine." Letting out a sigh as he watched her scarf down half the pack (It was a HUGE pack, mind you) Storm grabbed his own blanket and tucked himself in. "When does it begin?"

"In like half an hour." She mumbled with her mouth full.

"Why are we here NOW THEN?!" Storm screeched. She glared at him.

"Because I didn't want to miss it! Duh!"

He let out a groan and grabbed a caramade frank, chomping on it frustratedly. Nashi, for her part, remained blissfully unaware of his inner turmoil. And how could she? It wasn't like she liked him back. No matter what anyone said, an unrequited crush suckeddddd.

6 minutes later, he'd finished the caramade frank and was laying on his back flicking snow at Nashi. (To which she finally retaliated by dumping a handful on his face.)

9 minutes later, they were having an impromptu snowball fight and Storm was winning. (Kind of obvious though, ice powers did come in handy.)

"No fair! I was just checking the skies!" She grumbled, hair damp with snow, sprawled on the ground.

"All's fair in love and war," he smirked, throwing another snowball at her form, making her yelp.

"I forfeit!"

"Well, that's a first," he plopped next to her, throwing her blanket smack on her face and settling in his own. She grunted a thank-you and increased her temperature, warming them up. Both were silent for quite some time.

Until......

"Random question. Would you date me?"

He was really really going to regret this in the morning but right now, he curiously tried to gauge her reaction.

Nashi shrugged, "Right now? No."

Wait, what? Right- right now? What did he do? Was she mad at him? Did he take it too far with the snowball fight? Or maybe she was letting him down lightly. Oh, he should've figured something like this would happen. Why did he think this was a good-

"You're overthinking again, Fullbuster." She smiled at him, "I want to get stronger so that I can protect everyone first."

His heart swelled at that. Storm really was glad he had the privilege to call Nashi Dragneel his friend. But he was still confused.

"That's- that's the only reason you won't date me right now?" He spluttered.

Nashi had a strange look on her face when she said, "Well, yeah."

"But you hate me!" (Okay, even he knew that wasn't true, Nashi Dragneel didn't hate anybody.)

"What? No! That's just some friendly compet- WAIT YOU KNOW I DON'T MEAN ANYTHING I SAY, DON'T YOU?" She shook him by the shoulders, her eyes frantic.

He'd figured that, alright. But the fact still managed to knock his breath out (Only slightly, he was NOT A SIMP!)

"Look!" She squealed, pointing at the dark skies now ablaze with pieces of heaven falling. Both watched with bated breath (him more than her due to reasons as cited above) as the meteors faded, one by one, till there was nothing.

"Dad said the view at Stella is even more breathtaking than I can imagine. He took Mom to see the stars once and they were soo big!" She ranted excitedly. Storm softly smiled at her.

Then something clicked. (Maybe a bit slower than it should've.)

"WAIT, you do know what dating is right?"

She scoffed, indignant at the accusation, "Of course I do!"

That wasn't good enough. "If Gale or Raidyn asked, you'd date them too?" (With Uncle Natsu's dense nature, one couldn't be too sure.)

"What kind of trick question is that? I like you, dumbass!"

Okay, a part of him might've craved this but his brain blanked anyway. How was she so casual and calm about this while he was here internally (and externally, most probably) freaking out?? It seemed too unreal. He reached to pinch his wrist again, and it shouldn't have relieved him as much to see that she was twiddling her thumbs, hence was as nervous as he was. (HE'S NOT THE ONLY SIMP NOW, HAHA!)

This woman. He pulled her against him and kissed her forehead, making her squeak, "Mavis, you're a weirdo."

"W-what the heck?!" She blinked at him with those big brown does eyes of hers, face red as her blanket. (Aw, fuck it, he was totally a simp for her.)

"I promise to get stronger too," he continued, "to protect those I love."

She blinked at him and smirked, "Bet you 5 million jewels I'll be stronger."

"You don't even have 5 million jewels!"

"Yup, I plan to get 5 mil. richer by the end of this!" Nashi chortled, and he smirked back.

"It's a bet. Let's pinky swear on it."

The pinkette snorted, "You're such a dork."

"Oh, we'll see." he paused before casually stating, "I'm obviously stronger right now, though."

"OH, YOU WISH!" She stuck out her tongue at him.

And they laughed and teased and spent the night under the stars like they spent everyday.

Together.

..........

[rungalwaysheretolisten]

Armada Review episode 1-4 season 2 

I am putting the read more so that you do not have to read all of this if you do not want to. This is a review for episodes 1-4  season 2 and again, a reminder, these are my thoughts, if you don’t agree with what I have to say that fine but please respect my thought and opinions on what I think about the serious.

Oh boy here we go the season I was looking really forward for and the one that I feel is where the story started to get better, like it get better more as the serious goes but it because of a specific character that I get to finally talk about.

 I just have to say before I review these episodes, I was a bit fangirl over them. I even have recording of note I made of just me fan girl over these characters and why I just love them so much. I honestly, have to say this, I should have had at least a few more of this characters on my crush week form this serious because other then Starscream being on of my oldest crush this other ones are good too. Maybe later down the road I’ll do in something that talks about my ships that I have for Transfomers if anyone is interested in that idea.

Anyway onto the review!

Season 2 episode 1 Overmatch

Just yes this episode is not only worth watching but so much fun. Not only was it good as I remember it but it has one of the coolest character that I feel really stars to help improve Hotshot. Not that anything wrong with him, just the fact that this character is powerful, is wise and oh was a teacher to Optimus fucking Prime. Yeah in this episode we fine out that Optimus had a teacher to taught him everything he know when it come to fighting.

But I’m getting way to head of myself. So this episode is about the Depiction are getting there aft hand to them, with Hotshot welding the Starsaber and it seem like they are staring to lose a lot of time because of this and getting hurt too. 

Then all of a sudden a mysterious mercenary called Scavenger is called in by Megatron to help them get back onto not only track on getting the Starsaber. Of of course this cause drama with Starscream a bit, saying they don’t need his help and even almost starting a fight with a broken arm but they soon started to work together, even if Starscream is not very much liking this new teamate.

During this we also start to see Hotshot getting a bit to cocky with the Starsaber and even during a fight with the Depiction, when it look like this fight and the min con might go to the Autobot, seen Starscream is not able to fight Hotshot with the Starsaber seen it so powerful. Scavenger take over Starscream fight to take on the young mech himself. Optimus right away recognizes as his old teacher telling Hotshot not to fight him but does not listen to Optimus.

Scavenger show he a much strong fighter then Hotshot and don’t need to even wheeled the sword to kick is aft. He of course defeats him in battle hurting him,   knocking out the sword out of his hand and hurting Hotshot pride (which is later carry on to the next episode after this one). Which Megatron rise to grab it but fails because Optimus blocks him from doing that and then they later retries with the Depiction having one the the min cons that make the shield that is much strong then the Starsaber and could even project them from it. 

So with all that said what do I think of this episode, oh where to even began! This episode is so amazing! There just so many thing about this episode that just make it great, one learning about Optimus one having a teacher to teach him all of his fighting skill which not only make the character we are intruded even more amazing and cool, but also important to Hotshot growth of this serious and a little bit of Starscream too. Let me explain because I’m sure a lot of you are confused with Starscream and why he would also have some growth in him too. Well, it the way he talk to Starscream, telling him how strong he is but also point out his weakness too, he know Starscream is strong then Megatron, but he also act like Hotshot sometime and act cocky.

He also point out that three of Megatron mean where heard a strong and laugh saying that must have been a lie, however when Starscream try to fight him with a broken arm he say that he is strong then Megatron which means, he don’t see him as weak but he see Megatron team as not having the right authority to do thing right and really see Starscream as more of a leader then Megatron could ever be, seen he had to work so hard to get respect, this is the one of the time he get respect that he deeply wants.

So in a small way Starscream is grow by learning he not as weak as Megatron say he is and that he even has some mech that do see him as strong. How this make Hotshot grow I’ll talk about it more in the next episodes.

There was a few problem like with the kids again doing some dumb thing like having Alexia take there robot to the store when the other people tell that he a robot and that they just act like there being sneaky when they are not. It mean that dumb but other then that it still was a good episode and there was not a lot of the kids in this one which is alway in my book a better episode. 

So the next one is season 2 episode 2 Gale.

Well this was what I was like when I realized who was in this episode and how fucking important they are latter in the serious. 

So in this episode Hotshot is training more with the Starsaber and is even wanting to get back at Scavenger for what happen last fight. He want to regain his pride he only see by facing Scavenge again. Which he get his changes when the autobot have to fine a min con in a freeway place which I don’t get how no one called the military when they saw thought big robots but then again this is the same place where people see alien robots and just surge it off as them need to see some dumb therapist rather then call the army. 

Other then that, we fine dealing with traffic jam and Hotshot almost alone, until there is this motorcycle that seem to be a Cyberton but they have a hard time figure out if it an Autobot or Depiction, seen he seem to act like he help but also not at the same time and Hotshot has his fight again with Scavenger, even using his mind to out beat him when he try us the sword to brake the ground under him almost making him fall to his death till Cyclonus save his life. In which Hotshot act like he one when Scavenger point out that he only won with the sword and that he much more then that. During this the Autobot fine the Depiction where they have there fight and win the min con, which cause the Depiction to retire for know. 

They late fine out that the motorcycle name is Sideways claims to be an Autobot, and the episode end with the kids wondering if Sideways is telling the truth or not. 

I have to say this is an episode and the next one after which I explain later are episodes you should not miss, like no joke, this is two together with a character that later in the serious come so important then he seem, and even make the Armada serious together as amazing as it is. With out this character this serious wouldn’t have been as good. He just an amazing character, right off the back even before you watch the next episode you have this feeling not knowing if you can trust him or not. One being because the way he talks, act like watching Hotshot take on Scavenger like he couldn’t care who wins in that fight, but at the same time you never see him step in to help Hotshot either, he let Hotshot fight his own fight. Letting him handle is but at the same time carrying enough to bring one of the kids to be there for Hotshot which again, is confusing. We even get Optimus say he don’t remember about this bot and which is a big sigh in itself about this character. 

This character even in the next episode get closer to Hotshot and I kinda find it a same that they time skip so many of the fight they had with him being on there team because Hotshot and him seem to not only just work together so well, but they also seem so close in the next episode I just want to see more of them bonding and getting to know each other. What also made it good was the fact that we got to see Scavenger yet again, even when he loses the fight give Hotshot a hard time with it and even make him wonder if he is win because of the sword or if it really his skills. 

But over all this episode was so good and I recommend it for sure to anyone.

The next one I feel was not only just written so well but made a big impact and was one that made me really think about a lot of thing with Hotshot as a character. Season 2 episode 3 Credulous.

In this episode was the one that made me cry the most and was so hard to watch because I hate seeing anyone hurt or broken like Hotshot was in this episode. 

So the episode has Sideways know on the Autobot team, and working with Hotshot as a partner, who he has complete stared to trust and even spend time with. In the episode it make it seem like there has been some time seen the last episode with them, even thought we do not get to know how long that been, it does not matter because as they having another fight with the Depiction and it look like the Depiction are about the retreat with the min con they were able to option,  Hotshot and Sideways “accidentally” get teleported to the Depiction base, the Autobot try to look for them, and while they are there Megatron crush the min con that didn’t wake up in his servo before he began to fight them on there base. Sideways and Hotshot work together as they fight with hologram of there teammate and even themself trying to stay alive.

Then Sideways look like he been capture by Megatron and force Hotshot to give up the Starsaber which he does, to project Sideways, however, Hotshot think he can just call the min con back to him one he get Sideways back when he backstab by Sideway and even lose the sword to Starscream who know his the wielder of the Starsaber seen Megatron told the Depiction whoever was to get the Starsaber would be the one who get it is the one who can wilded it. 

Hotshot is confused by this action and even scream his spark out as he find out that Sideways was never on their side by a spy for the Depictions. He get beat up badly by the Depiction and is almost killed by Starscream when Scavenger saving Hotshot life by making them think that he already finished and that there is no need to kill him. Hotshot later fine his way back to the Autobot base hurt and beat which end the episode.

I just have so many thing to dissect from this episode and some of my thought might not even be on this one review because I could talk about so many thing but for know I’m going to point out thing that stick out the most that I love about this episode and thing I just feel are important to talk about for this and the episode before this. 

Sideways is just amazing character when it come to design, the way he able to transform his helm to one side to another is just amazing, the color of purple and the horns his has are just make him look friendly but at the same time also fierce. 

The way the mad his simple change from Autobot and Depiction is also so good and you might say well, there an error with his mark because when you see him later just standing he don’t have the simple at all and with out going into to much, all I can say is this, that not an error that was done on propose. You might say yeah right your reading into this too much, but no that to me because I have seen where this serious goes it feel very much to me purposeful and the way he talk, where he sound like he on your side by really isn’t by on his own side. He sly like a fox and while the serious is going where going to learn more about him and all I can say again is, keep an eye on him he become very important later. 

Also Scavenger is so well, written too, where he seem like this type of mech that has a very high honor code and a part of me think he was the one when Hotshot was hurt that might have gotten him off the moon because we don’t know how the got off, or even how he was able to get back to the base. I feel like Scavenger was the one who got Hotshot home because I just can’t see how else he got back home. 

Again, I could do a whole review on this characters alone and I might once I done with the last season and finish this review, I might talk about each bot by themself and how I felt about each one seen it just be a lot of writing. 

But over all I feel like they did a good job on this episode and I highly recommend it was very well written and it does pull at your heat-strings the way Hotshot just yell, I honestly almost cried, and I know that silly it just a anime, but god damn it, the way he call it really heart breaking.

Okay finally Season 2 episode 4 Conspiracy 

Oh my god, this was hard to fined. No joke, I had a hard time finding this episode because it wasn’t under with the other one I was watch and it took me a long time to just fine the right name and I’m so glad I was able to fine it because that just piss me off because there a reason why you don’t take this episode out because the next one don’t make senes with out it which I will talk about in the next reviews. 

Anyway this episode began with the Autobot patching themself up after a battle with the Depiction where they lost the min con because of Starscream weilding the Starsaber, the kids talk about how bad it is that Starscream has it and this cause Hotshot to mop a bit because he upset about losing it and feel like he failed. We also see him think about Sideways and how upset he is about him betraying him after they got so close together. The kids of course try to cheer Hotshot up, which they do and he make a promise to try to get the sword back. 

Mean while Megatron start think of a plan to get Starscream to willing give up the Starsaber and when they go on there next mission, he try to make him look like he become to paranoid with it and even shot at Starscream making him think he is being attacked by the Autobot. Scavenger see right throw Megatron scrap but does not say anything at all. We also get Hotshot fighting with Sideways trying to get back at him for betraying him and even has a fight with Scavenger who don’t really fight Hotshot at all and tells him to fine himself and trust himself more, which in the fight with Sideways he has again, he able to beat him and learn more about himself. The Depiction fight with the Autobot again, Megatron show he able to handle the Starsaber a bit, they get the min con and retreat. 

They fine out that the min con they have is second shield mi con and then we fine out that Scavenger is know leaving the Depiction seen he believe they no longer need his help and only stay to help them get thought min cons. Megatron let him leave and Scavenger join the Autobot where we discover that he was really a spy for the Autobot all this time. Ending the episode with a question if they can really trust Scavenger know and will he be more help to their fight to get the min cons.

So was this a good episode. I feel like it was very well done and worth watching and I just have to point out that during the other episodes with Scavenger I felt like he was always a good mech and not really a Depiction, I also found when he and Hotshot fought during the show it was more like he was teaching him how to be a better fighter then being his enemy, Also he just had just wise words for Hotshot that I just love so much. I even like the little touch where I saw he look upset about Megatron tricking Starscream like that, and even thought I didn’t talk about it he does point out to Starscream that he really become to cocky with the sword and trusting it to much like Hotshot, in his own way he was trying to warn him about not relying on it to much. But I think he didn’t like how dishonorable and lying Megatron was which just made me think he was 100% joining the Autobot in some way. He a very honor base mech, telling Starscream he won’t fight him when he hurt and that he was brave to even try, tfighting Hotshot when he did have the Starsaber show him that he was not strong with it when it came to fighting. 

I just felt like he been so written well and then there Hotshot and his relationship with Sideways, he felt so betrayed by him and it seem like they were so close, and when we get into later episode with Hotshot it bring up this type of betrayal again which is why I feel like this episode was so important because it show how one Hotshot changed a little during the war and how he care so much for other, having a big heart on his sleeve and always seem to get hurt by people he care a lot about. I not going to go into to much into this because when it come to Hotshot episode I will come back to this episode and talk way more about this but for know. 

With all of this episodes I really like them all as one. The only thing I wish I could change is that I wanted more with Sideways, I want to see how close he got to Hotshot, I want to see how long it took him to gain Hotshot trust and see there growth in team work, and yeah that a small nitpick but I would just love to see that. Overall I recommend these episode defiantly don’t skip this episodes there really good. 

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day One Hundred Sixty-Five: A Mountain ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: River Runs Deep ] [ AO3 Link ]

The journey down from the mountains is far less perilous than the one into their peaks. At this rate, Sasuke feels he’ll soon find himself a master of them, when in all reality he never wanted to step foot in them a second time.

But the strange valley among the mountains has kept drawing him back. Whether by fate or fortune, he still doesn’t know...but the god that once spurned him has come - as the miko tells him - to find him...interesting.

He’s still not entirely sure what that means, but...at least she did not eat him.

After all, as a dragon, she very well could have.

Finding his family after his overnight stay, Sasuke is surprised to find himself greeted by a crowd of his clan, all clamoring about his return.

“Sasuke-sama, what took you so long?”

“We were sure you had perished in the mountains!”

“The traitor - is he dead?”

“Please, everyone - at ease.”

The gathering parts to make way for Fugaku, who - though weary - gives his son a critical glance. “...I take it your hunt went well?”

“In a manner of speaking. He’d fallen to his death before I could find him.”

“You’re sure?”

“I saw the crows feasting on his eyes myself. Given he didn’t stir in spite of the pain, I’d wager he was dead long before then.”

“Good, good...word won’t reach our enemies, then.” A hand claps upon his younger son’s shoulder, Fugaku managing a rugged smile. “Thank you. But, I too am curious...why your late return?”

“The path was perilous in daylight - by the time I’d found him, it was nearly dark. I didn’t want to suffer the same fate, so I camped out in a small valley until sunrise so I could see my path clearly.”

“Ah, a wise choice...though it had us worried. I’m glad you’re home safe, my son. Come, we’ll feed you after your long journey!”

Managing a small smile of his own, Sasuke lets the hand at his back guide him into the Uchiha’s temporary camp.

But as he goes, he can’t help a glance over his shoulder to the fog-laden mountains to the south. He hasn’t forgotten the miko’s promise: to ask the god if they, too, could seek shelter under her protection. True, Sasuke ensured the traitor among them was dead...but they may yet be found, or attacked, or...any manner of ill fates. The strange mountain village under the watchful eyes of a god would surely mean peace and safety for his people. And after fleeing their traitorous lord...that is all Sasuke wants for them. To see them safe and happy.

...but for now, he can only await her message, on wings of white as she told him. A messenger bird, of sorts? Some of his clan practice falconry, but...none have ever used their birds for messages.

Perhaps something they should consider.

Taken into the clan’s main tent, Sasuke takes a seat as his mother and brother greet him, relief clear on their faces.

“Oh, my son,” Mikoto murmurs, taking his cheeks in her hands. “You suffered no wounds, I hope?”

“I’m just as whole as I left,” he assures her.

“As expected of my little brother,” Itachi murmurs with a small, knowing smile.

“Of course.”

“So, was there anything else of interest during your journey?” Fugaku asks, sitting across from his son. Food is soon brought by another clansman.

There’s a tick of hesitation. The miko - Hinata - told him to keep their secret. “Not really. No game trails, no game...trekking was hard-going.”

HIs parents don’t seem to notice his withholding, but Itachi - ever keen - gives a glance that says otherwise. Sasuke begs his silence with a look of his own.

“Well...at least you were more sure-footed than our unfortunate friend,” Fugaku rumbles, digging into his food.

“It would take more than a mountain to strike me down.” Like maybe a god.

“Well...now that I know we face no threat, I think we’ll remain camped here a while,” the patriarch announces. “There’s fresh water, decent hunting, and some shelter by these bluffs. Until we figure out our next move, it would be wise to set up camp and plan ahead.”

“I agree.” And that will give him time to await the miko’s verdict. Or rather, her message regarding the god’s. Even now, he’s unsure what he wants. Is the valley village their best bet? Or would it be a mistake?

“That will give you time to rest after your journey,” Mikoto then assures her youngest. “And you as well, Itachi. How have you been faring?”

“Well enough,” he replies with a nod of his head. “And the rest is all the better for me. I feel stable.”

“Good. A steady place to sleep and good food will do you wonders.” Their mother gives a strained smile. It’s no secret that her elder son’s health is a constant stress for her. “You’ll have time to rest, and heal.”

...the words bring up an echo from Sasuke’s conversation with the miko. “O-Suigin-sama is a kami of healing.” If she is...then perhaps she could aid his brother…! The revelation brightens Sasuke’s expression: something else his brother notices as their parents’ attentions lie elsewhere.

“Well, for today, you may rest,” Fugaku tells Sasuke. “Such a hike surely wore you down.”

He almost protests, but then...thinks better of it. “Thank you, otōsama. I’ll be back on my feet first thing tomorrow.”

“I’d best to speak to the others, let them know we’ll be staying here a spell,” the clan head them mutters, leaving his empty bowl.

“I’ll go with you - we need to take stock of our provisions,” is his wife’s addendum, standing as he does. “You two stay here and rest.”

Both brothers nod as the elder pair take their leave.

Silence.

Only when it goes uninterrupted long enough does Itachi look to Sasuke. “...what did you find up there?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come now, Sasuke - you know you can hide nothing from me. You saw something in those mountains, didn’t you?”

The younger hesitates. “I...I can’t say.”

“Do you not trust me?”

“It’s not just I that needs to trust you. I carry a great secret, brother mine. I can’t tell you.  Not yet. Not until I hear word.”

Itachi’s brow furrows thoughtfully. “...a village, perhaps?”

“Aniki…”

“You know I’ll tell not a soul - whatever this is, it is clearly weighing on you, dear brother. Please...talk to me.”

Sasuke heaves a long sigh. “...when we first crossed these peaks, I got separated from you. It was then I first found a strange village, hidden in fog. I thought it a dream. There was a strange woman there, a miko...bade me stay the night, and then had me escorted come morning. And last night, when I went to rest on the mountain...I happened upon it again. And I was...aniki, I was confronted by a god.”

Itachi’s eyes widen - a rare display of emotion in the stoic elder brother. “...are you sure…?”

“There was no mistaking it. Summoned a gale and a downpour, a serpent dragon of the water. The miko defended me, told the god I meant no harm. Let me rest in the village, and showed me its depths come morning. It’s a place unlike anything I’ve ever seen. A place for those forgotten by men and gods alike. So...I asked the miko if I could bring our clan there. For safety, and a place to hide. She could make me no promises, but...said she would ask the god for her help. Told me not to speak of it until I heard. I fear our father’s reaction if I told him prematurely. He may insist, even if it goes against the god’s wishes.”

“...I see…”

“And aniki...the god, she heals…! Even if we’re not given shelter, I’ll beg she aid you. You might be whole at last…!”

Something unreadable passes over Itachi’s face. “...what an adventure you’ve had, little brother. I will keep your secret...and go with you when the time comes. I must admit...curiosity burns me to see such a place.”

“...I hope you will.” He can only pray Hinata convinces the spirit to at least grant him this much.

For now...they can only wait.

                                                            .oOo.

     Well, this piece doesn't have Hinata directly IN it, but...she's mentioned? It's sort of a...transitional piece. Cuz what I want to have happen next would require several scenes, and...I try to keep these entries from getting TOO long. So...we'll have to wait for another prompt to see what happens next!      This is, for any wondering, another miniseries in this series, lol - prior parts are days 60, 77, and 140! Poor Sasuke...all he wanted was to find a new home. Now he's got to deal with gods, and magic miko ladies, and still face the uncertainty of his clan's future. Someone cut this guy some slack! At least Fugaku is giving him the day off...hopefully Hinata sends her answer soon, and it's a good one!      Buuut anyway, I'm...very tired. Long day, lol - and tomorrow will be, too. For now, I'd better sign off. Thanks for reading!

[recentanimenews]

Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld – 03 – Starting Positions

Now things are starting to fall into place: the black ops team that infiltrated Ocean Turtle are a tactical team led by Gabriel Miller, AKA Subtilizer in Gun Gale Online. The NSO approached him to carry out the mission on behalf of the US Government to prevent Japan from gaining a decisive advantage in military AI tech. But with Alice’s Lightcube out of reach, their tech guy Critter determines the best way to achieve their mission is to dive into the Underworld and secure Alice that way.

The only problem they face is that all the high-ranked “superusers”of the Human Empire are also locked, meaning they can only dive in as ordinary citizens. Miller suggests they dive as a Dark Territory player instead, and sure enough, their two highest ranks, Dark Knight and Emperor Vector, are unlocked and ready to use. Miller will go in as the Emperor, and his right-hand man the former.

While Miller’s team is figuring all this out, Higa pretty much also determines their best bet is to dive in, only they have full access to their choice of Human Empire superusers. Since Higa determines that Kirito needs forgiveness from someone close, Asuna is the natural choice to dive in.

Higa also seems to realize the Dark Territory superusers are unlocked and available to the enemy, but for some reason doesn’t bring it up to the others. Asuna finally prepares to dive in and save her fiancee, which is now also a mission to keep Japanese military tech out of foreign hands. Three guesses as to which she considers more important.

Before diving, Asuna does something very wise, which is texting the SAO/GGO/ALO Scooby Gang to tell her where she’s going and that she’ll be back with Kirito. While she doesn’t explicitly tell them not to go in after her, I wouldn’t be surprised if Shino & Co. don’t remain on the sidelines for this one.

Thankfully, Yui seems to know about the situation, which will probably only intensify their desire to help their friends. Prior to the ALO meetup, Shino has a flashback to a GGO match in which Subtilizer killed her. If she learns the same dude just dived into the Underworld as the arch-villain, settling the score with him (or just overcoming her fear of him) is just extra incentive for participating.

That brings us to a palace in the Dark Territory I don’t believe we’ve ever seen, but it’s reassuring to see that the “bad guys” in Underworld aren’t all inhuman monsters. There are humans like an aging lord and his younger protege, who are apparently locked in a will-they-won’t-they romantic situation. A super quick way to, well, humanize the Dark Territory and make its forces bit more more compelling than hordes nameless, faceless beasts.

Just as the older man finally proposes to the woman, there’s an emergency: the lock on the throne room has been destroyed, and Miller and his LT have spawned there as Emperor Vector and the Dark Knight. Just as the Dark Territory was looking at the possibility of peace talks now that Administrator is dead, these two bros are going to jack everything up in their quest to get Alice.

It’s already been established he can be a creep with women…so there’s that to not look forward to. Mostly I just can’t wait till Asuna’s in there kicking ass and rescuing (and hopefully curing) Kirito. The stage is finally set; now it’s time to start the game.

By: braverade

[sweetmemories2606]

Unforgivable: Gruvia and Jerza Fanfic (chapter 4)

Summary: A missing child. A prophecy. Two siblings, born from light and darkness. Nothing will be the same after Juvia reveals the truth about her past, damaging her relationship with Gray. Meanwhile, Lucy struggles with a family secret and one night causes unexpected consequences for Jellal and Erza. How will they survive Zeref's ultimate plan? 

Pairing: Gruvia, Jerza, NaLu, Lyredy, GaLe, AlBis

Link (chapters 1-3): https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12889561/1/Unforgivable

Warning: You should really check out the other chapters before reading this post, or else there will be confusion. 

Happy reading!

                                                      Why We Met

"Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something."

-Lucy Heartfilia

In a hidden mansion, miles away from everything…

"I don't like this." Kyoka, goddess of the slave planet, said.

"She's talking too much." Torafusa, one of the nine demon gates, added while they watched through a magic mirror as Juvia Lockser explained her backstory.

"It won't be long till she starts talking about us." Tempester spoke, staring at the screen with narrowed eyes.

"I wouldn't be so worried. Remember that my macro curse won't allow her to do so." Seilah reminded them, smirking.

"That's true. Although I think that Jellal's getting suspicious with the information we've had her give him." Kyoka voiced her concerns, staring at Jellal's figure cautiously.

"I wonder how he found out about our plans to eliminate Erza Scarlet." The former said.

"Doesn't matter. Just because Juliet Fernandes didn't actually kill her, doesn't mean it's over." Keyes told them and the demons smiled.

"Of course not. We'll still have plenty of opportunities for that." Kyoka said.

"Besides, now that we know Juliet is capable of murder, we should use that to our advantage." Seilah reminded them while making a book appear; the name Juliet could be read on the cover.

"What do you have in mind, Seilah?" A new voice asked as a woman entered the room. Her appearance was hidden behind a hood, but a few locks of blue hair could be spotted.

"Alison. I was beginning to wonder where you were, dear." Keyes told her with a sinister smile on his skeleton face.

"I was taking care of business. Don't you remember?" The woman raised a brow in his direction.

"Of course. Now we have a new job for you." Kyoka said and she turned to the demon, an interested look in her eyes.

"Do tell." Alison closed the door behind her before walking towards the center of the room, where the Nine Demon Gates were reunited.

"Retrieve Erza Scarlet." A surprised look crossed her face and she froze. A few moments passed before she recomposed herself. "Shouldn't be a problem. Where is she?"

"I'm okay." Gray said, glancing towards Juvia and Jellal with a smile. "I'm happy for her."

"Good for you, man." Natsu patted him on the back.

"I have a feeling that's not all there is to the story." Levy voiced her concerns.

"Same. There are many things left unexplained." Gajeel added, frowning.

"Let's give them time before we ask more." Wendy wisely suggested.

"Yeah, with everything that happened tonight, I think they'll need it." Lucy glanced towards Erza's lifeless body and frowned. "Do you think they're telling the truth about Erza?"

"Why would they lie? You know how much Jellal loves her." Levy replied.

"If Juvia had actually killed her, I don't think he'd act this way; sister or not." Gray added.

"But can we be sure that she's still alive?" Gajeel wondered; something didn't feel right about this whole story.

"I won't be sure until I see it with my very eyes." Natsu was quick to say before crossing his arms and glaring at Ultear and Meredy, who stood in the distance, watching the siblings reunite.

"We still have questions." Gajeel loudly told them before taking a few steps forward. The two looked surprised for a moment, but nodded.

"We'll answer them as best as we can." The older woman said, but soon enough Juvia spoke having broken apart from the hug. "Thank you, Ultear, but I can handle it. This is my story, after all."

"Good. Because there are some things that still don't make sense." Natsu told her and she raised a brow.

"Such as?" Levy was the one who started questioning.

"Well, Jellal mentioned that you disappeared when he was seven. Where did you go?" Juvia sighed; knowing this question would come. She exchanged a glance with Ultear, who gave her an unsure look. "If I'm going to tell the truth, I'll have to tell them everything."

"Are you sure?" Meredy's eyes were wide; she didn't think this was a good idea.

"So this is what you were talking about before." Natsu muttered, remembering the words spoken by them a few minutes before

"I know, but that doesn't change what I did. What I had her do."

"She didn't go through with it. And, honestly, I don't think Gray needs to know."

"Whatever it is, you can tell me." The ice mage was quick to tell his girlfriend.

"I know you won't think like that once I'm done, but you deserve to know." Juvia took a deep breath before looking right at him, blue eyes filled with sadness. "When I was five and Jellal was seven, I was kidnapped. I remember that night clearly; it was my 5th birthday and I had fun playing games with him and our father. I was so happy, until he came. The man who took me away from my family and ruined my life."

"Who was it?" Lucy couldn't hold her curiosity any longer.

"His name was Hades; and he used to be the master of Fairy Tail." Their eyes widened once they remembered the man that they had met on Tenrou Island.

"Hades?" Natsu whispered, disbelieving.

"Wait a minute! If he was the one who took you, does that mean that…." Levy started and Gray finished her thought.

"You were with Grimoire Heart, weren't you?" Juvia nodded slowly, a guilty look coming upon her face.

"Yes. I was brought to the place where Ultear was also being kept." This had everyone glancing towards Ultear. "Back then she was Hades' only recruit and we quickly bonded over loneliness and bad parents; since he told me my father didn't want me anymore and had sent me away." Juvia paused and sighed."Of course, it didn't take me long to figure out he was lying, but by then I was in too deep and constantly supervised. So I had no choice but to follow his orders if I wanted to stay alive."

"That makes sense." Lucy said and the others agreed.

"But still, it doesn't forgive everything you must've done as a member of Grimoire Heart." Gajeel spoke next.

"I disagree. If I managed to forgive Ultear for everything she did, it won't be hard to forgive you." Gray sincerely said.

"Besides, compared to the rest of us, Juvia didn't do anything that wrong. She didn't kill anyone in cold blood like me; I always managed to protect her from that." Ultear added and Juvia tensed.

"It's not entirely true. I did some awful things." Her hands held tightly onto the heart-shaped necklace that she constantly wore.

"You didn't have a choice. Master Hades would've killed you otherwise." Meredy reassured.

"It was a matter of survival; we understand. I can forgive that." Gray said and Juvia couldn't help but to smile.

"Thank you, my love. I can't believe how supportive you're being. It's so…unexpected." He laughed at this.

"Trust me, I'm freaking out here. But nothing I've heard so far has convinced me to hate you or resent you. All I can see is how much you suffered and I hate that you didn't tell me before." Tears were brimming in the corner of her eyes.

"I was so scared. I didn't want to lose you." He shook his head before fixing her with a reassuring look.

"You won't. I promised to always be there for you, didn't I?" She nodded, unable to formulate words.

"You two are so sweet!" Meredy happily told them.

"Yes, I just wish I had seen it sooner." Ultear sighed.

"But you did. You saw how I was falling in love with him and you decided to step back. I'm always grateful for that." Juvia told her and Gray's eyes widened.

"So you told Ultear about me? Is that how she found out?" The older woman shook her head.

"No, it was the other way around. I knew exactly who you were ever since Hades told me about my mother's death by your hand. He wanted to fuel my hate for you and need for revenge. It worked just perfectly." She looked down in shame. "I just wish I hadn't dragged Juvia into it."

"It's okay; I've forgiven you for that." The water mage quickly reassured her before smiling. "Besides, if you hadn't pushed me towards Gray, I would've never found the happiness he brought into my life."

"So that first date, it was your doing?" Lucy asked, recalling Juvia and Gray's first encounter a few weeks before the battle between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail.

"Yes. I sent Juvia there to kill Gray, but she couldn't bring herself to do it." Ultear replied and the memory brought matching smiles to Gray and Juvia's faces.

About 1 year earlier...

"Why do you care enough to comfort me when you don't even know me?" Gray was surprised, for many reasons.

"To be honest, I'm not always like this." He hoped she'd understand what he meant."But Mirajane has been pushing me to be nicer, so I'm trying."

"You're doing a good job." She allowed a sincere smile to take over her face and he gave his own in return.

"I'm glad." They were silent for a few moments, until the faraway ticking of a clock let them know it was already midnight.

"We should go." Juvia didn't know why she suggested it. This was the perfect moment to finish what she had come here to do. They were alone there; no one would be witness to her sins.

"Okay." He nodded slowly, although she could tell he didn't want to.

"But before we do..." Unexpectedly to both, she closed the distance between them as her arms wrapped around his torso while her head rested on his chest. "Thank you." There were so many meanings to those words that he didn't know.

Gray's expression softened as he returned the hug. "You're welcome."

She pulled apart a moment later and lifted her head to stare at him. He was looking at her in a way only one person had before; a mixture of compassion, happiness and understanding. It made her feel cared for and she couldn't deny that she liked the feeling.

"Juliet..." His hand was suddenly reaching up to touch her face and she froze. There was desire in his eyes now and determination. She was torn between being scared and anxious.

"Yes?" The next thing she knew, he had leaned in and then his lips were touching hers in a passionate kiss.

"You were the first person aside from Ultear and Meredy who ever showed me compassion, understanding. You were the first to ever care and I believe that's why I started to fall in love with you after just one date." Juvia turned to her boyfriend, smiling brightly. "And of course, when you chased the rain away during our battle; I knew it."

"Believe it or not, Gray, but you were the reason why Juvia chose to leave Grimoire Heart. You were the one who brought her into the light and I'm so thankful for that." Ultear spoke next and the ice mage approached the water mage, smiling.

"I'm glad I could point you in the right direction." His arms wrapped around her waist and she wasted no time wrapping her own around his neck.

"I love you so much. Thank you." Instead of replying, he leant it as she did the same.

While the couple shared an intense kiss, Natsu turned to Ultear in confusion. "Wait, so Juvia actually left the guild?"

"If she hadn't, I don't think they would've given her the same treatment back on Tenrou Island." Lucy remarked, remembering Erza and Juvia's tale about their fight against Meredy.

"That's not true! I would've never hurt her, even after she left. But I didn't know who she was." The pinkette said, staring at them guiltily.

"What does that mean?" Now they were really confused.

"You see, after realizing that she was in love with Gray and finding out that Jellal was still alive during the Tower of Heaven incident, Juvia realized that Hades had lied to her for all these years, so she decided to quit." Ultear answered.

"But, as I'm sure you know, no one just quits a dark guild. Getting out alive is nearly impossible." Meredy continued and they nodded, understanding.

"So how did Juvia manage to do it?" Gajeel asked, curious.

"We helped her." The older woman replied. "I always saw her as a little sister, someone I wanted to protect. So after she told me about Jellal, who I'd never known was actually her brother, and of her love for Gray Fullbuster; I decided to put my desire for revenge aside and help her."

13 years earlier…

"Okay, where are you taking me?" Ultear asked while Meredy and Juvia guided her. She was blindfolded and the two girls held her arms and helped her move towards their destination, which was a surprise.

"You'll see soon enough." The 12 years old replied while sharing an excited look with the child.

"I can't wait to see your face, mamma. You'll love it!" The pinkette added; she was almost jumping with joy.

"Okay, we're here." Juvia finally removed the blindfold and Ultear's eyes widened once she spotted the picnic basket on top of the beautiful flowery towel that once belonged to her mother, Ur Milkovitch. There were three glasses, a bottle of juice, many cupcakes and a big strawberry cake besides the basket.

"Happy birthday!" Meredy screamed happily.

"We were supposed to say it together." The bluenette complained, frowning.

"You've done all this for me?" Ultear couldn't deny her surprise. Even though the three of them were very close, she wouldn't have expected them to even remember her birthday. She never celebrated them anyways.

"Of course. Juvia told me that you never had a birthday party, so we wanted to give you one." The 7 years old replied.

"Don't you like it?" Juvia asked, still frowning.

"No, sweetheart, I do. I'm just surprised, that's all." The 18 years old was quick to kneel down by her side, placing both hands on her shoulders.

"We wanted it to be a surprise." The bluenette replied and Ultear wasted no time hugging her tightly.

"Thank you." For a few moments they stayed like that, until they heard a small voice.

"I want a hug too, mamma!" They pulled apart and extended their arms, smiling at Meredy.

"Come here." Juvia called and the pinkette ran towards them, laughing.

Soon enough the three of them were holding onto each other, content. For the first time in years, Ultear's mind wasn't on her mother or her vendetta against Gray Fullbuster; she felt happy. The three of them did; it was good to know that they still had someone who cared after losing everything.

"So you weren't all bad." Levy told Ultear and Meredy eagerly nodded.

"Of course not! Ultear might've been a villain back then, but she was always good to me and Juvia. She always took care of us and we were grateful for that." The others smiled; it was nice seeing this softer side of the former villains.

"But how exactly did you help Juvia?" Lucy asked.

"I knew a powerful spell that could make someone unrecognizable. That way, Juvia could move around freely and Hades wouldn't be able to find her." Their eyes widened. Now that was a clever plan!

"The only problem was, the spell was so powerful that even we weren't able to recognize her; which is why I fought against her back on Tenrou Island." The pinkette added.

"I see now. That was clever." Levy praised and they smiled in return.

"It was. I never thanked you for protecting her then, Ultear." Jellal spoke, reminding them of his presence since he had been quietly watching the conversation so far.

His mind had been focused on Erza as the feeling that she might be in danger overwhelmed him. But then again, this whole night had been no short of dangerous for her.

"No problem. I was happy to help; Juvia was always so loyal and kind. She didn't deserve to be trapped with Grimoire Heart." This had the bluenette smiling once she pulled apart from the kiss to catch her breath.

"So let me get this straight. Juvia and Jellal are siblings, but when they were young she was captured by Hades and trained to be in Grimoire Heart." Levy decided to get all the details they had learnt that night.

"Yes." Juvia said, turning around to face the rest of the group while Gray kept his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"And you were sent to kill Gray during that first date, but didn't go through with it. Then during the Phantom Lord battle you fought against him, but he didn't recognize you until after the fight and that's when you knew you loved him." Lucy continued and the water mage nodded.

"Why were you in Phantom Lord anyways?" Gajeel brought up a good point.

"I was sent there to infiltrate the guild since master Hades wanted to know if they could someday join the Balam Alliance." Juvia replied.

"What about Fairy Tail?" This was the question in everyone's mind ever since Juvia and revealed that she used to be a member of Grimoire Heart.

"I wanted to join the guild because of Gray. It wasn't Hades' plan." Relieved looks came upon everyone's faces.

"One more thing, since you were a member of Grimoire Heart, can we assume that you also use some form of lost magic?" Levy brought up another crucial point.

"That's right. I forgot to ask." Natsu said before turning to Juvia expectantly.

"Well…" She was about to answer when she felt it. The familiar dark presence that constantly haunted her dreams. They all felt it and Jellal's face paled while Ultear and Meredy suddenly looked nervous. "They're here."

A few weeks before...

"You look beautiful, Erza." Jellal said and she smiled at him, a small blush coloring her cheeks. "Thank you."

They were outside of Lamia Scale's guildhall and it was 2 weeks before the Grand Magic Games began. A party had been organized so that all the contestants could get to know each other before the big day; which meant that most of the magical guilds in Fiore were there.

Crime Sorciére, per Meredy's request, had decided to join the party; taking advantage of the fact that it was a masked ball so that no one should recognize them. Just for precaution, though, they had also used magic to make themselves unrecognizable.

"So, shall we dance?" Erza extended her hand at him. She wore a beautiful dark red gown matched with a pair of red high heels she wouldn't be caught dead in if Lucy hadn't convinced her to wear them. Her mask had been taken off a while ago.

"We shouldn't." Jellal was quick to say while frowning.

Erza sighed, remembering their conversation a few months before when they had been reunited after seven long years. He had explicitly told her that the only reason he had chosen to live was so that he could make up for his mistakes; and that involved hurting her.

When she had told him that she forgave him for everything, he'd accepted it but reinforced that he had yet to forgive himself. After a fight that led to a desperate kiss; they agreed to stop hiding their feelings and confessed their love for each other.

However, per Jellal's request, they agreed to wait until he felt like he deserved to be with her.

But that was over two months ago and Erza was tired. "Come on; it won't do any harm. You can punish yourself later." She didn't await for an answer and grabbed his hand before leading him along the huge gardens, taking advantage of the fact it was deserted.

Once they reached a spot far enough from the party that no one should walk in, she stopped before turning to face him. His eyes showed guilt and regret; as usual. He wore a blue tuxedo, probably chosen by Meredy since the pinkette had good taste.

"You make it really hard to stay away from you." Jellal admitted while his arms instinctively wrapped around her waist.

"It certainly doesn't seem like it. I've missed you." Erza replied while wrapping her own around his neck as they began swinging to the faded slow song.

"I've missed you too." He tensed when her hand touched his cheek, but relaxed once she just used it to remove his mask.

They danced for a good while, until he felt like it was time to go. Being alone with her only served to increase his desire to be with her and he couldn't allow that.

So he tried to step away, but she didn't let him. Instead, her arms tightened around his neck and she brought his face closer so that she could kiss him.

As surprised as he was and despite the constant reminder of why he shouldn't, Jellal couldn't help but to reply.

When they were forced to pull apart because of the need for air, his mind finally started working again and he cursed himself for being weak. "We shouldn't have done that."

She rolled her eyes before grabbing his face with both hands. "Stop being so stubborn. I haven't seen you in weeks, so we deserve to at least have tonight." Her stare was firm and determined; he'd be lying if he said it wasn't tempting.

"Erza, I…." She put a finger on his lips while shaking her head.

"Don't talk. Just let go." He stared at her with uncertainty. "Tonight." Would one night make such a difference? He had been punishing himself for seven years, so maybe he deserved it.

For once in a long time, Jellal didn't waste time thinking about it and just let go. He allowed himself to be happy, to kiss her again and, when her hands started unbuttoning his tuxedo, he didn't push them away.

Instead he allowed his own to trace the back of her dress and unzip it. He didn't even know why he did it, but once she stepped away and allowed it to fall to the ground, he realized that he didn't care.

Erza awoke, almost jumping from her chair. Her face was warm and red as she thought of the events of that night.

It had been passionate, desperate and amazing. An experience she never wanted to forget and now, she never could.

A hand once again rested upon her stomach and she smiled. That night had produced the most precious life for them and no matter how difficult the situation was or how unready they were to become parents; Erza knew that both of them would stop at nothing to protect their child.

"You couldn't have chosen a worse time, though." She whispered, thinking of all the events happening that night. Looking towards the clock on the counter, she noticed it was 12:45. "Okay, now I think it's safe enough to join them."

Standing up, Erza started walking towards the door, only for it to be swung open.

[yoolee]

Two raining mornings with Kanetsugu | SLBP

It’s still early enough to be called late when the storm wakes him up. He is intrinsically inclined to schedules and the order of them, so he knows, even before his eyes open, that dawn won’t greet him for some time yet.

For a few moments, he listens to the rain.

If he served a different lord, me might have philosophically supposed that the world seemed quieter when it rained, smaller somehow.  Since he serves Kenshin he mostly just reflects with relief that his wayward liege is unlikely to wander too far in the presence of a squall, though he will no doubt take the storm as excuse to swan about the castle like some ostentatiously wilting widow. 

Or widower, perhaps. Kanetsugu glances to his side.

Ai, who abandoned her own sleeping quarters for his at the first crack of thunder, curls in closer. Her breathing is quiet and even. Safe at his side. He supposes he softens with her presence, but it doesn't bother him to do so. The smile that takes residence on his features has always been hers, so he takes no care when and if it comes,  so long as she is well and safe and there to incite it. She flinches at a thundercrack but doesn't wake, and to soothe her he runs his hand through hair he will have to pull back for her with ribbons when she wakes. (He has long suspected that she acquired to skill to style it herself some time ago, but he is happy she still asks, and dreads the day when she will stop). As he always does, in these peaceful moments where she slumbers with a smile, he murmurs a prayer for her peace; that her smile will outlast them all, serene and secure and indomitable.

He lets himself linger, lets his silent wishes hang in the quiet of a rainy pre-dawn, before practicality and his obdurate adherence to such a philosophy convince him that to do so any longer would be slothful. He moves carefully, so as not to disturb, and tucks his daughter in with a soft touch to her brow, willing the thunder to remain away so she needn't wake just yet. She smiles in her sleep, and he smiles in return.

A rainy season makes for many rainy mornings.

Once more, when it wakes him, Kanetsugu takes stock of its presence, despairs of the inevitable prospect of wrangling a lord lost to the throes of contemplating the rain's existence, and considers his schedule.

It's too early for anyone else to be up, but he has no reason to stay, and so decides to get ahead of his work, while the rain keeps others abed and out of his hair.

When he hears giggling, over the soft shushing of rainfall, he frowns, not because it bothers him, but because it's out of place, echoed by a laugh not quite as young but no less delighted. He thinks of the hour, and paperwork, and sighs (the first of the day) when he finds precisely what he was expecting in the kitchens.

It surprises him, the picture they make. Heads together, whispers hushed and soft as the rain, at once familiar and all together strange. Ai's smile finds his face, but troubled, muted by through the tired, puzzled fog of another presence, with her sleeves pulled back and her hands shaping dough with his daughter at her side, mirrored smiles backed by the flickering hearthfire.

Lord Kenshin's favorite.

Though what—a crease mars the smile, not unfond but dismayed all the same—isn't his favorite.

Though calling her a what is a bit unfair, he admits even to himself. His tone is perhaps chastening, but resigned, lacking the bark he would apply to a different audience. "What are we doing?"

He expects guilty squeaks and the hiding of whatever it is – isn't that the nature of early morning whisperings?

He does not expect the kitchen, manned only by one small girl and one disguised woman to shatter into chaos.

The bowl of plums in Ai's startled hands goes airborne. The chef slips on her flour, an elbow overturning a bowl of hydrangeas, her backstep banging into a rack of pans that clatter in a ripple as the bowl hits the table and the plums tumble into the fire as his daughter shrieks in dismay at their loss. Her small hand reaches for them and Kanetsugu lunges as the chef does too and with a cry the chef pulls her back even as she realizes, and recoils her fingers in understanding.

The bowl rattles at last to stillness.

He supposes, in that moment, that all there is left to hear is the quiet rain and his own heart. The trio stares in shocked, wide-eyed silence at one another.

Kanetsugu notices the chef's sleeves have come undone, and what's more—his eyes widen as he hears footfalls, and with little of his usual elegance, lifts Ai with one hand and the chef with the other, urging them both to a dark corner where miraculously shelves are still upright, with a hiss of "Hide!"

"But--?"

"Ssh!"

Kageie bursts in first, eyes wild and sword drawn. Presumably, he is first, because he did not bother with dressing first, and Kanetsugu resists the urge to sigh, hoping the chef has the good sense to shield his daughter's eyes.

Kagetsugu is not far behind, eyes wary and alert though sleep lingers in the pouting frown of his features.

Next will be… his little brother, like clockwork, tumbles in, practically throwing himself over Kagetsugu's shoulder, "Wha-what was that? What's goin' on? Everyone alright?"

And last but not least…"Kagetsugu!" The dulcet delighted tones work like the parting of waves, and Kenshin, unhurried and ever unharried, beams at the disaster that has become of his castle's kitchen.

And then he blinks.

Pleasure flickers into…confusion, wide-eyed and puzzled. "Kanetsugu?" This time, it's a question. Volumes in a single word. He follows Kenshin for a reason, despite the endless exasperation.

Kanetsugu allows himself the sigh after all – that's two, before breakfast. "I was making breakfast."

"With every pot in the kitchen?" Kageie's tone makes it difficult to tell if he's impressed, appalled, or merely making an observation. "And flowers?"

Kanetsugu demurs, "There was a mishap."

"Apparently." It's not meant to be heard, but Kanetsugu frowns nonetheless at the young Kagetsugu – as if he has room to talk about kitchen disasters. There is a shift, a slight movement of pink in a corner that Kenshin's most trusted retainer hopes will be put down to a flicker of firelight, and not explored further.

"Brother…why were you cooking with flowers?"

Kenshin claps his hands, and though he pulls his face into an artful pout, the one who knows him best can see the mirth, gleeful and light, in the edges of his lips and the bells of his silent laugh. "Dear me...I don't think I like care for this redecoration, Kanetsugu." There are times, Kanetsugu almost smiles, where he and Kenshin are in utter accord. He does appreciate that, but it doesn't help with the rest of them.

"No, no, of course not – get out so I clean it." Kanetsugu figures that unless she has frozen, by now she has had time to set her clothing to rights, but that would no doubt lead to other questions.

Wise to the ways of hiding, its his liege who ushers the other retainers out, without seeming to do so at all. All smiles and floating hands, he pauses in the door to beam back, "Perhaps leave the breakfast to Yahiko?"

"I will be sure to do so." He wants to press his luck, open his mouth to suggest that while Kenshin is up he do some work…but he already has, in such a way.

Kanetsugu turns, and frowns at the shelves and the shapes tucked behind them.

His daughter's shoulders are shaking, and he finds his frown is meant for Kenshin, whose bad habits of humor she has clearly picked up. The chef looks sheepish, but she too is biting her lip.

Ai grips her stomach, toppling over as her peals of laughter mix with the rain and murmurs of woken voices. The woman beside her stands, looking sheepish and appealing disheveled as her lips twist in an apologetic expression pressing a laugh inward. He waits—he's good at waiting—expecting an explanation for all this. 

Instead of giving him one (one he feels he is justly due) she gently reaches to his hair, and pulls out a stray plum.

Kanetsugu stares at it, genuinely surprised at its presence.

"I—" She starts. "I'm so...I'm so sorr—" It's a valiant effort. It is, but soon she too is lost in the helpless gale of mirthful giggling that has overcome his daughter.

He doesn't sigh. He ought to – there's not an ear alive that would hear and mistake her for a man. 

Instead, he smiles, and lifts his eyes to the ceiling as the storm pass through.

More of Lee’s Rambles

[polarishq]

Meet DELPHINE ANWAR. They are of UNKNOWN age and origin. Delphine embodies CAFFAU’S STAR. They use she/her pronouns. Their faceclaim is EMERAUDE TOUBIA.

CAFFAU’S STAR reminds me of mirrorballs, rewriting the stars, the rush of adrenaline, the feeling of flying or falling, but then falling with style, glittery costumes, a debt that remains unpaid, only coming alive in a performance, still on that trapeze, gasping for control.

BIOGRAPHY

one. an object in motion will stay in motion.

She cannot remember before the troupe. They’re not a circus, they’re a troupe. All she knows about her life before is her name, which she’s changed many times in order to be whatever act she portrayed. At first it was juggling, and she could dizzyingly throw and catch anything in the air of numeric proportions: balls, clubs, knives, flaming torches. Not once did she falter, not once did she drop anything she was juggling. Back then, she was just a warm up act, getting the crowd primed for the real show.

It was without a doubt her beauty that had her promoted to a more serious and attention-grabbing act. Delphine knew how to command a stage, how to make the audience immediately fall in love with her. She was a vision, her long legs and torso, her dark hair swaying in the breeze. The trapeze was the only place for her-- flying and static. When she flew, there was no better feeling in her life. When the trapeze was static, she felt like a swan, able to soar and stretch and do whatever she pleased to put on a show.

two. force is equal to mass times acceleration

The first time that Delphine realized that her powers were being taken away from her was when she was asked to do a particularly tricky combination using a rope hung from a suspended beam in a barn. It was after-hours, she was among locals in the town they’d traveled to, and they wanted a repeat performance from the golden girl. She was supposed to do a series of tricks-- tucks, a drop, whatever she wanted, just to show off. She’d never attempted this outside of the act before, but what could be different?

People who saw the accident would blame it on the rope not being tied tightly enough, or that they saw Delphine’s ankle slip, or that it was some gale-force wind, a freak of nature. Delphine was out of the troupe for months healing her various injuries-- a concussion, a sprained ankle, bumps and bruises.

She spent years trying to figure out why she had suddenly failed. The next time she performed, after she’d been healed up, she was like magic. Clockwork. The nerves didn’t get to her.

It was only through Delphine and Verity’s combined influences that they figured out the Master was muting their magic, reserving their energy until they were onstage and ready to perform. And it was only through Delphine and Verity’s combined influences that he perished.

three. what goes up must come down.

Delphine has found a home at Polaris, even though she’s acutely aware of the people she’s left behind in the troupe. She doesn’t know who has taken it over or if those horrible conditions are still in place, but she does know that she’s protected by the Ursas.

Delphine is very wary of people who have magic blocking abilities, and often will stay away from them. She doesn’t think it’s within anyone’s right to take away someone else’s magic from them, or to control someone else in that way.

Delphine is not the best student. She can be unfocused at times, and she’d much rather put her magic into action than learn about it in the theoretical.

INCLINATION

Named for the famed astronomer Elizabeth Caffau, Caffau’s Star sponsors those who are particularly gifted with air magics. Their specialty lies in gravity and physics-altering stunts, from changing their own weightlessness to friction and acceleration. Some Caffau’s Star witches have been known to charm their way through life, either through elaborate glamour spells or excellent casting abilities. The current Caffau’s Star is very adept at gravity magic, but struggles to control it when her emotions get ahead of her. 

CONNECTIONS

The Ringmaster: A father-type figure who helped Delphine and Verity escape from the troupe. Delphine has been trying her hardest to find this man and also take him to Polaris, to keep him out of the troupe owner’s clutches.

The Sibling: Delphine and her sibling did a duo act for a long time-- her on the trapeze, them on the tightrope. The sibling may have left Delphine in the troupe, may have just escaped, or may currently be in the troupe that happens to swing by Castle Hills. Obviously, Delphine would help them escape and enroll them in Polaris. Emeraude is tricky to match ethnicity-wise, so this could be a half-sibling! FC should be half Mexican and/or half Middle Eastern. (Samuel Larsen, Summer Bishil, and Wentworth Miller could work if we tweak the parentage a little!)

The Almost Lover: This person traveled far and wide following the troupe, became somewhat obsessed with Delphine. Looking for an ego trip, Delphine would occasionally throw them a bone, but it’ll be a very awkward reunion.

Penned by Leigh ★

[nayrusfountain]

Warm Blood

Attention! This is mostly for followers of my stories, Little Mikau and especially the upcoming The King of the Waves. This prompt may contain some noticeable spoilers for either stories. Proceed with caution. Enjoy

Lulu panted quietly, a slur of luminous crimson bubbles drowning out her tender facial features as it beheld a pained wince. Trying to push herself up from her sore knee, she felt the muscles of her aching arms screaming in protest as they stretch the wounds of her limbs, causing a curtain of red silk to ooze from the openings. The dancing liquid entwine and twisted regally in the ghostly currents as the silver gales of the sea pick up the threads of brilliant scarlet and yank them greedily from her gashes. The red swirl in loops as the tides receded back into the depths of the night, shattering the delicate threads in which they bust into plumes of ruby mist enshrouding her beaten frame, tickling her scales as they comfort her in their cold embrace. 

Cold blood. The Malletila Zora cough in slight disgust, her sharp fangs glinting silver in the pale blue frost of the full moon's rays. She tremble with pain and once again pants, her fins scrunch up as she try her best to not cry out. Ugly gashes and bloody cuts shredded the pearly scales of her limbs, and her hands felt numb from striking constantly with her glowing amethyst claws. Her teeth ache, having bitten through metal plates earlier and even broken some off, though this does not phase her as it'll grow back by the next two days. Her ears and tattered dorsal fin were pressed back with uncertainty, and velvety fins that dress her body were pulled or ripped. Again, these appendages will eventually return in pristine condition. However, while her broken frame is the source of her current physical misery, the scent of her own and the blood of the fallen overridden her delicate senses as they engulf the dimly lit waters in rusted red or deathly black. The curse of being a shark...the curtains of red and black silk was almost intoxicating. The clouds of red and black bubbled tauntingly as they sizzle around her, teasing her, daring her to attack as they gently caress her cheeks in brisk whispers. How they toyed with her...the scent was sweet and heavenly, with the odd mixture of salt twisting their velvety plumes into whirling mist. They were sinisterly cold, she noted, a reminder of their ichthyoid ancestry. She shudder at their frigid embrace. But she dwell little on the tempting liquid consuming her rational thinking, her sights lock on the figure before her in hopes of not losing her sanity. His slick scales were a stark contrast to the darkness of the echoing seas around him; they blazed in a majestic snow white glow graced with beautiful, luminous swirling markings entwining across his lean, athletic body. The artistic patterns glisten softly, like twirling tidal waves of royal purple dotted with galaxies of starry specks glittering against the blackness. The pulsing lights reflected off of his beautifully decorated frame as they send rays of lights in every which way, though they fail to emitted their glow far enough to ignite the reef. His snowy denticles were as if they were bejeweled purely with molded pearls, slick with a brilliant, captivating majesty shinier then the brightest sapphire. Beady "pearls" which are in actuality are tint bumps that only male Zoras have naturally encrusted the grooves in between his scales, so minuscule that one would barely notice their existence least they catch a hint of light. The more she looks at him, the more his contrast between white and shadowy purple sprinkled with stars represented the time of day. He resembles the personification of night. Such beauty and loveliness of colors he has. The white represent the ghostly frost of the moon, and the waves of gentle luminescence represent the stars and constellations. Lulu can almost swear she can see the cosmos through his purple swirls of colors, and for a moment fooled herself into seeing literal space. A glitter of light blazed across his body from one marking to another effortlessly, then a shower of shooting stars races through his artistic patterns almost as if to show off and impress her, though he never looked over. The lights illuminated her face and a glint in her amethyst eyes reveal her fascination with the display of dancing lights before her. Its almost like a Moon Pearl, a sacred jewel with the ability to cast visions of the starry skies far beyond the heavens. Lulu recalled the tales concerning the scales of his kind being crafted into beautiful and exotic jewelries with different uses, and worth more then diamonds for their rarity and magical properties. And seeing his precious scales, like silvery pearly mirrors bless with an elegant glossy sheen and the rippling colors of the night, she can understand why these Zoras had been hesitant of approaching outsiders for centuries. Their attractive jewel like scales and colorful patterns alone would make them targets of men blinded with greed. He didn't say anything, nor did he look at her. Instead, his eyes, like twin sapphires, streaked with ruby stripes kissing the lower lid, stare down at the mangle body of a downed Zora, his expression unreadable. His eye lids were shaded in dark grey, a natural protection from the glare of bright light. His claws were a metallic blue, and his muscular chest, stomach and back were a midnight black rimmed with gold and electric blue, complete with entwining streams of artistic colors. Various shades of shadowy purples were adore regally on his head and across his body, and his neck and crown were adore in lilac and plum arrows respectively. Trident like symbols and arching designs ran along one of his strong arms and legs, but his right one was coated in a permanent tattoo with rivers of reds and blues with a questionable design resembling a skull on his upper arm. He looks like a Zora one wouldn't try associating with if they could help it. He was well build and very large, his colorful body ripple with lean muscles. The tattoos alone makes her weary, having associated them with street Zoras as they all wore similar looking body paint. His mouth, though close, is a chamber of teeth as sharp as steel, cutting through basically anything with ease. Perhaps that's why his kind don't necessarily have the strongest bite force among the shark Zoras; their teeth are so wickedly sharp that they get the job done with minimal effort. She seen him in action when he assaulted the Zoras, his eyes blazing madly as he cut right through their metallic armors and severed their bones with minimal effort. Just gently touching his fangs will draw an insane amount of blood even from the most armored scaled Zoras. They are basically knives, and understandably most Zoras are wise enough to leave them alone or not agitate them badly enough to trigger an attack. This also holds true to his claws. A gurgle of bubbles whooshed out of his gills, and reaching out with his left hand, he grasp tightly on his bladed fin and yanked it out of the dead Zora's skull. As it slipped out of the wound with a sheathing sound of a sword, cool black blood oozed rapidly into the sea around them, further tainting the waters in its tempting toxicity as it hurried out of the stab wound. Lulu squeak as she try to hold back to urge to bare her fangs. Not only will it cause her to inhale the vile liquid and make her loose it, but exposing her fangs might send the wrong message to the male and thus trigger a fight. She is no pushover by any means and can hold her own in a fight, but the one Zora species she never in her whole life wants to engage in battle with was his kind. The Sylovaakien Zora. The male place the large blade into an opening slit in his lower right arm, slipping it in easily and making sure it reconnected into its socket. The palms of his hands are padded to protect against the sharpness of the sword he wields. After fiddling around a bit and fixing it snugly in place, he cast his beautiful gaze towards the violent waves above them as it glows an mystical azure hue during its raging fury. They crash and battled viciously, moaning painfully as the ocean churn inside out. Like the gales of the Watarara's Sky Kingdom, the brutal underwater currents whip and lash both their fins in every which way, his long dangling ear fins, tinted in tawny gold half way down, swooshing back and forth in the rhythm of the sea's wrath. Lulu stare at his scimitar fins, the signature weapon of Sylovaakien Zoras and the only one in Zora kind, as they bend and twist to the lashing sea gales while still retaining their iconic sharpness. They are extremely flexible even when in sword forms, and even more sharper then his fangs. In fact, they are the sharpest natural weapon on Termina, sharper then the mythical Great Fairy Sword. It was glazed with a shininess that one could see their own reflections on it, but in the middle lays a beautiful bejeweled symbol of the Zora's Sapphire, embedded into his fins by the Mother herself. He turn to look at her, his eyes glowing softly. Lulu watch as he tilt his large snowy head slightly to the side as he lock his sights with her, the rays of moonlight rippling across his vibrate scales like shimmering waves. She knew that he was reading her, studying her closely just as the rest of his kind did. She knew from experience Zoran Heroes held the uncanny ability to sense wickedness within a person's heart thanks to their bizarre association with shadow magic despite their closeness to Nayru herself, and will slaughter that person on sight with zero hesitations. She by no means is a bad Zora by definition and thus he would most likely loose interest and disappear back into the inky depths, never to be seen again. So why does she feel this looming sense of distrust and dread gripping at her heart as the other stare at her? Perhaps its to do with the eerie unreadable expression he wore? Or his intimidating, erect sword fins that gives off the illusion of him being bigger then he actually is? Probably, her weariness were in relations to the fact that he wore that questionable tattoo? Or just the fact they he hadn't spoken at all the entire time they'd been here? Maybe because the current season, autumn, is traditionally the time of year that Sylovaakien Zoras breed, and he sees her as a potential plaything? Oh, hell no! She'll rip his claspers off if he even thinks of going that far. They barely even know each other! Besides, Sylovaakiens and Malletilas breeding together rarely ends well anyway. Getting in a squabble with him during a courtship ritual will get awkward and messy very fast, something she learn from her perverted relatives when they try to mate with several Zoran Heroes; it only ended with both parties spatting hissy fits at each other. During her thought process she nearly fail to realize that the male had slowly close the distant between them. He bounded over to her, bouncing with each step he took as he trotted closer to her. His caudal flippers were disrupting the silty soil as they rose in dusty clouds around his ankles. He slowly crawl to a stop as they came within striking range of each other, cautiously flicking his fins as he lower his head. He merely stare down at her now, his sapphire eyes still illuminating their ghostly glow as the lights of his marking died down. His tail slowly elongated with each breath he took as his muscular chest pumped out the water through his five gill slits. The frosty rays of the Naryu's lunar body shone from behind him, casting his faint silhouette a haunting hue of moon silver as they dance around his muscular frame. Shadows twisted and crackle from around his facial features. Lulu stare back at the great mako Zora, a brief sense of enchantment accompanying her jittery systems as her webbed hands clenched the powdery sand tensely. He was a very attractive and marvelous representation of his species, blessed with the most vibrant and beautiful patterns she seen in any shark Zora. Even more so then other similar looking Zoran Heroes...But as she stare up at the Zora, she saw that all wasn't well with his regal appearance. There were slashes and bloody holes across his mid-section and gills, and bite marks raked across his shoulders and neck. Some of the red stripes running up from his jawline to his eyes were claw marks slashing open his snow white cheek, but his captivating orb of sapphire had been unharmed thanks to its protective, transparent membrane shielding it from assaults. She also notice their was a slight limp to his gait and he's favoring his right flipper as the left was held at a an odd angle, realizing that his ankle had been shot and swollen. He's bleeding, she told herself in frustrations, knowing that if he get any closer the scent of his blood would finally cause her to snap. She slowly back away with a slight reptilian like hiss as his blood lazily slid through the openings, picked up by the whooshing currents and lash around them. It was as if the sea was trying to have her go insane and fight. The Sylovaakien didn't seem at all phase by his injuries; he simply didn't feel his wounds, at least for the moment. He stare down the growling Malletila through his now slit eyes, calculating his next move carefully. Unexpectedly he kneel down to her level, his blue eyes taking on a particular glint. His fins stiffen and the look on his face seem to change to for a brief second. The Zoran Hero sniff the waters around her, to which Lulu reacted with flagged fins flailing in warning. Her heart rate accelerated as her mind went wild with horror. 'No you fool! Stop that! The scent of blood will taint your rational thinking! Don't sniff the water! Don't sniff the water! Don't-' She were just about to rake his eye out, anticipating the inevitable attack that will transpire now... When gingerly, the male cautiously snake his arm around her shoulders and stroke her delicate dorsal fin back. She froze, unsure of how to react as he gently caress her spine. His powerful arm felt like pure iron with how hard they are, and they ripple with lean muscles, but at the same time his winter scales were as if they were made of milk and honey with how silky smooth they felt. His large hand press down her fin as he silently soothe her, the pads in his palm massaging her strong back. She felt the tense muscles relax as he relive her tension, noticing that he fingers had callous as if he played an instrument of sorts. Though having been associated with the music industry, that was her first logical conclusion. Chances are he probably did. But the curtain of blood had thicken now. The sinister waves of velvet danced around them, still mocking her and possibly the male as they engulf the pair. However Lulu realize they were no longer as icy despite Zoras being cold blooded and the autumn waters embracing the chill of the season. The male grew bolder, as he slowly brought her to his midnight chest and allow her to rest her head on him. His body seem to burst to life as the cosmos of colors shimmer from his sangria markings. Lulu was too adsorb in the blood's strange rise in temperature to pay attention to his actions. When she did took wind of his behavior, a wave of shock wash over her slender features. Zoras felt cool to the touch, hence their blood. Every Zora she had contact with always had the same comforting coolness of their skin when touched. But this male felt wrong. Extremely wrong. He wasn't a stroke of chill that ran through a human when touched. He skin felt warm, as if he were a mammal. This is wrong....Very wrong! What kind of a fish, normal or anthropomorphic, feels like a literal mammal to the touch? His blood mingle with the her own cold ones, soaking them in an unnatural warmth not commonly seen in the fish world. It stroke her cheeks and brush her fins, bathing her in tender warm calming gestures like the pleasant golden rays of Din's sun. She released a breath she hadn't known she was hold in, the sprays of bubbles pulsing through her gills like jet streams. She realize how foolish she had been as she remembers. Sylavaakien Zora evolved from Longfinned Mako Sharks (Isurus Paucus; meaning few, not many, rare, which makes sense as Zoran Heroes themselves are extremely rare) and are in the lamnidae family which consist of mackerel sharks like Great Whites and Porbeagle. These are the only sharks who are partially warm blooded thanks to special heat systems that warms the blood vessels. They rely on this for their active burst of energy during hunts, and are able to survive cold waters easily. As such Zoras such as Korieop (great whites) Makiiekdo (shortfinned twins of Sylovaakiens) and Zoran Heroes themselves are all warm blooded. The warmth also helps increase their brain power, specifically in Makos like him, making them extremely cunning and always alert. They are more intelligent then an average Zora. She simply never bother associating with these highly intelligent breeds because their beastly size and territorial behavior towards outsiders made them difficult to approach. Most Zoras wisely keep their distant from these self centered sea creatures. Never had she experience such a comforting warmth from any Zora... Except Mikau. She snap her eyes open and abruptly push away from the male. He made a startle trill as she look into his eyes. He seem to had been agitated by her sudden movements, his sharpen pectoral fins rapidly fluttering in disapproval as he burn a hole in her skull with his stunning eyes. His gills puffed to accommodate for his displeasure and the corners of his mouth twitch as they pull back ever so slightly in a hiss... Those fangs...so frightening... Lulu cursed herself for her actions, remembering how skittish Sylovaakien Zoras are. They'll attack for the slightest movements, trigger by their desire to hunt. They are true carnivores of the Zoran race, encouraged by their high prey drive, and the wrong move can be disastrous. 'Now I've done it...' But the beautiful deadly Zoran Hero wasn't growling at her, she soon concluded. Instead he held the wound in his adornment, waves of sparkling crimson flaked with hot white light flashing across his markings to signify pain, and she came to the realization that her sudden actions had accidentally hurt him. Guilt wash over her systems, and against her better judgement of taking the opportunity to get away from him, she reach out a regretful hand and gently touched his shredded cheek. He completely froze at her actions and his fins tensed dangerously, not looking up, but she knew his gaze was staring right at her for any sudden actions. As tenderly as she could, she caress his cheek and brush away the silt and mud clinging to the tooth like grooves of his pearly scales. Her fingers careful not to prod his bleeding gashes, she stroke the side of his face with much care and gentleness. His blood felt so warm as it wrap around her hand, so alien of a shark to have access to. She could feel the hot veins pumping under his skin, comfortably heating his body above the frigid water temperature. He still didn't budge from his frozen state, but she saw his regal patterns changing colors in accordance. They shifted from a stinging red to a turquoise blue, with sprinkles of cerulean dust and azure stars. Lulu could feel a slight rumble vibrating from his throat, and his colors tone to a navy blue. He close his eyes momentarily and allow her to continue stroking him before slowly lifting his great head, his sights lock right at her. Lulu felt a sudden chill when she saw those cold sapphire eyes ablaze, but she held her breath as they commit a staring contest. Despite his apparent hostility, Lulu did not remove her hand from his face despite the threat of him biting it off. She felt a kinder connection to this individual who reminded her of an old friend from long ago. His eyes were finally calm, a glint sparkling within his pools, and his muscles relaxed. To her surprise the Sylovaakien Zora lifted his right hand and set his palm atop of hers on his cheek. His hand dwarfs her own, but their fingers entwine around one another and he gently stroke her own hand with his thumb. He rumble softly, enjoying her touch, and Lulu found herself purring with him. A wave of peace wash over them both, Lulu felt her heart pounding in her chest as their gazes connected once more. It was at that moment that she finally understood his true intention. Without hesitation, she carefully lean into him and nuzzle her head onto his chest, her previous fear evaporating with the waves as the currents tumble over them, threatening to knock them over. The Sylovaakien Zora made a small whistling squeal as he now held her protectively in his strong arms, rooting himself firmly in the loose sandy ground as he resist the angry ocean. Lulu felt his heart thumping against his great chest in her ear as she held onto him for dear life, finding the rhythm relaxing as pump the soothing warmth across his body and comforted her cold scales. Her own heart hammer against her ribcage, and she felt herself trembling with a hint of joy and nervous fear as she contemplate what she'd just done. His muscles relax, and he flutter his fins lightly as he lay his head atop her crown, wrapping his long slender tail around her small frame. He close his eyes and savor the moment, chuckling sadly to himself as he stroke her. A wave of emotions flooded his conscience, memories of the past overwhelming his visions. Images of simpler times cast over the world, and in the sunny tropical bays of Zora Cape he saw himself as a pup running across the white sands as he chase a giggling Malletila guppy. Behind him was the loud cheers of a Trejax guppy, his trademark head fins nearly covering his emerald eyes as he try to keep pace with them. Soon they all pounce on each other in a heap of laughing Zoralings, tossing powdery sands and wrestling playfully as their parents watch proudly. Looking down at her, he knew this was the Zora of his childhood, and a sigh of gratidute escape him as he thanks Nayru for their reunion. Lulu remain nestle in his embrace, safe from the cruel world around them. Her breath grew raspy, and her tattered body tremble as a wave of emotion threaten to break through. She felt small bubbles pooling at the corner of her eyes as tears well up, fluttering free in twiddling dances as they escape into the open waters as tiny orbs. But she felt compel all the same and a small smile grace her lovely, gleaming face. She knew now that he would never leave her again; they had found each other at long last, and the tender warmth of his powerful arms promise her that for now on they will always remain together. That she should never fear of being left alone again. That she no longer has nothing to fear as long as he is by her side. Finally, she had found him, for she knew it at the bottom of her heart. She had reunited with Mikau.

Alright! This is the last of the Fanfictions I had written for Luku Week. This is the one that I pour the most heart into, and I think it paid off. Now comes the art. Get pump! I’m getting started on them as we speak. Warning, I’m very lazy at coloring though, and some drawings might be left uncolored. But who cares when you have more Mikau and Lulu fluff? I don’t! Can’t wait to see you tomorrow!

[takadasaiko]

Demons at the Door: Chapter Six

FFN II AO3

Summary: Tom and Liz face what the bones could mean for Liz's revelation about Reddington and Nez takes a trip to DC.

Chapter Six: All or Nothing

The apartment was too quiet and it gave her too much time to think. Those thoughts seemed to swirl together, conflicted and battling each other for a prime seat to influence how she was feeling, and the end result was a sort of numbness that took over at the end of the day. Agnes was down for the night and Tom was somewhere in transit between New York and D.C. and Liz felt like her world was on the verge of crashing down around her.

Kate Kaplan. She had thought that she remembered the day she had met her. When she had received word that Mr Kaplan was on the way, an older woman in a skirt suit who determinedly dug a bullet out of a corpse to help hide Liz's involvement in it was not who she had expected. She had liked her well enough, as well as she had liked any of Reddington's quirky little army of talented misfits he kept around him, and she hadn't stood out amongst them until she became the only one to offer a solution to Liz and Tom to try to keep Agnes safe from everything that was happening around them. At the time Liz hadn't thought any more of it than Kate was acting out of kindness and perhaps trying to protect them where Reddington could not. She had never dreamt that she had known Kaplan since she was a girl.

A loud, shrill whistle drew her attention and Liz was on her feet and across the living room to the kitchen in just a few steps, diving for it before it woke Agnes up. She'd been so lost in thought that she'd missed the telltale signs that the kettle was boiling.

As she poured the steaming water into a mug, the tea bag already there, she worked hard to pull buried memories forward, almost as if she could will them out from the darkest corners of her mind if she thought hard enough. If she remembered or just desperately wanted to, Kate taking her hand had felt familiar and for just a moment she thought she could see a younger face smiling behind rectangle glasses and larger hands holding onto her own.

You are safe. You are loved. You are wise.

A tear escaped down her cheek and she wiped it away roughly. She had thought that Kate's truth was that Reddington was her father, but she was still at a loss as to how killing herself could have brought that information to the forefront. It seemed so pointless.

Liz startled as she heard the sound of keys in the front door and the soft click of the bolt sliding to allow her husband entry into their home.

"Hey, sorry I'm so late, but I do come with food," he offered as he rounded the corner. "How are you holding up?"

She sniffed, watching him put the take out down on the kitchen table and he held an arm out in a silent offer that she took immediately. She felt him pull her close, strong arms wrapping fully around her and she relaxed into him, her own arms going around his middle and holding tight.

They stood there like that for a long minute, his long fingers working through her hair and she pulled in deep breath. "Thank you. I know the timing was bad."

"Don't worry about that," he said softly as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "What do you need?"

"Food," she said after a breath. "I definitely need food. I can't actually tell you the last time I ate a full meal."

"I hate hearing that," he chuckled, finally releasing her if only to give her a chance to go for the Chinese food.

"Yeah, name your last good meal," she snarked, shooting him a daring look and to he gave her an awkward sort of grin that said he'd been called out. "Or the last decent night's sleep."

"Okay okay," her husband laughed and Liz shook her head.

"We're a pair."

"Yes we are." He stole a kiss before moving to grab plates and napkins. "You want to talk about it or do you want to be distracted?"

"I need to talk about it I think. I just don't even know where to start."

"Just go and we'll see if anything makes sense."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Okay. You asked for it. First off, I swear, if you tell me I told you so…"

Tom stopped halfway through shoveling noodles onto his plate, tilting his head in question. "About what?"

"Cooper got a blood sample from Reddington. He did a DNA test." She watched a slow smirk tilt her husband's lips and she swatted at him.

He laughed as he nearly stumbled back and over a chair, trying to both catch his balance and hold his hands up defensively. "I didn't say anything!"

"Uh-huh. It came back. You were right."

His smirk grew just a little and he took a seat, obviously trying to bring it back under control. "Nothing else made sense. How're you feeling about it?"

"I don't know yet. Angry. Relieved. Terrified… It's just a jumble."

"You don't have to figure it out right now."

She shot him a knowing look. He was one to talk. "How are you doing with everything?"

Tom's amusement immediately faded and he picked up a mouthful worth of noodles in his chopsticks. "Howard locked me out of speaking with Scottie."

"Why?"

"I don't know… he says he's worried about me. I think he's hiding something. Nez needed to talk to me about something, but she wouldn't do it over the phone. By the time I got ahold of her I was already in DC. She may end up hopping a flight. It was something she wouldn't say over the phone, so she doesn't want anyone at Halcyon overhearing it."

Liz shook her head, the idea of her boss potentially overhearing every conversation she had unnerving. "Are you staying a few days then? If she can't just talk to you when you get back?"

"Yeah, I think so. You've been supporting me in this, Liz, but it's my turn to support you."

She reached forward and her fingers touched his hand. He turned it over and their palms pressed together and she could tell he was working through something. "Babe, I need to tell you something."

"You always worry me when you start out that way, you know."

"I know, and I'm sorry, but…" He swallowed hard and she could see the internal struggle play out in the way his features tightened. In that moment she remembered the conversation that they had had, sitting in their half put together living room and surrounded by boxes, and he had promised her that even when it was hard, he would share his doubts with her. She squeezed his hand and his eyes drifted open again. "Mr Kaplan called me this morning."

He stopped there, as if gathering his thoughts of giving Liz a chance to process the first piece of information. She found herself staring blankly at him. Kate hadn't said anything about Tom. From what Tom had told her about their time together searching for Agnes she probably wasn't overly fond of him. "Why?"

He blinked, and dark blue eyes flickered up to meet her own lighter shade. "She left you something and wanted me to pick it up if something happened to her."

"Did you?"

"Yeah."

Liz made a small, frustrated sound. "And?"

Tom looked very uncomfortable, like he was expecting to take a wrong step at any moment and she forced her expression to relax, offering him another encouraging squeeze.

"There was a suitcase in a locker at a bus stop. She told me that if I heard she'd been killed that I needed to pick it up and get it to you. She seemed to think Reddington wouldn't want you to see it, but she said it'd help lead you to the truth."

"Okay, that makes more sense why she went to you for it." Her husband gave her a questioning blink and she tried for a smile. "You've never been afraid to cross Reddington for me."

He managed a short laugh. "I wouldn't go that far. I'm well aware how dangerous he is when crossed. More so right now with everything up in the air. He'll be desperate for control."

"I won't let him hurt you," Liz murmured.

"I'm not worried about me." He closed his eyes, the stress playing out on his features. "I made a promise to you and to myself to always be honest with you, Liz. Part of that is not making decisions for you. I know you've been looking for answers, and it sounds like you found some. If you're comfortable with that, if you don't want to dig into this, I'll make sure it goes away. I did get the suitcase though."

She nodded, processing the choice he was trying to give to her. He'd done his share of manipulating her over the years, but she knew just how much it meant that he tried not to these days. He trusted her. He saw her as an equal, and while she knew he'd do everything in his power to protect her, he respected her and wasn't taking that decision away from her, even if it added to the trouble already at their doorstep. If she didn't want answers that could upend this new step in hers and Reddington's relationship, he wasn't forcing it on her.

"I just didn't want to keep it from you," he said awkwardly.

"Thank you. Really, Tom." She closed her eyes for a moment and toyed with the idea for a shorter time than she expected to. When she reopened them, she was certain of the answer. "What was in the suitcase?"

He looked a little relieved. "Remains. Human. They looked pretty old, but the bones were in pretty good shape."

Great. Another body. Just what they needed. "We managed to sideline the grand jury investigation into the Task Force, but that Julian Gale will still be on the warpath. Last thing we need is to have any evidence that links us to Reddington, and I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire."

"It's fine. I have it stored at a DC Halcyon facility. We have labs here and I can start tomorrow checking into the best people to run the tests." He paused, catching himself. "If that's what you want."

"Yeah. We need to know what we're up against. Can you trust Halcyon on this?"

"To keep it from the FBI? Secrets are kind of what Halcyon does best," Tom said with a smirk and she nodded.

"And Reddington. You're right about how he reacts. If this is something he doesn't want out there, he'll do whatever he has to to stop us from finding out who the bones belong to." She grimaced, suddenly much less interested in her food than she had been. "I just wish he'd trust me with the truth."

Tom loosed a sigh, motioning to her plate and she waved it off. He moved to grab a couple of containers from the cabinet and started to shovel food into them, his gaze fixed on what he was doing as he spoke. "It's… tough to trust in the business he's in, even if you care about the person. You have to rely on the fact that they may or may not react in the same way you do to something and that can put a hole in a plan and get people into a lot of trouble. It's just… part of the world he functions in."

"You made that choice."

He made a small sound of acknowledgement. "I made a lot of mistakes getting to that point." He turned and put their leftovers in the fridge. "It's also mutual with us. I don't worry about you holding stuff back anymore and I hope you know I don't either."

"Sometimes I wish you would," she teased and watched him smile.

"All or nothing," he said with a shrug.

She pulled in a deep breath. It seemed like before one catastrophe was wrapped up another popped up. Between the two of them they had more than enough to fight externally. As much as his decision to be completely honest with her sometimes left her with more information than she really needed to know, there was something comforting in the fact that in all the people she questioned in her life, her husband didn't have to be one of them.

She had caught one of the first flights out of New York that morning, landing at seven and at Tom's address by eight. She had wrestled with the decision all night and from take off till they landed. The cab ride had left her with even more time, and as she stood outside the fourth floor apartment Nez had come to the conclusion that there was no easy way to approach this. She had just pulled in a deep breath, ready to knock, when the lock clicked from the other side and a brunette woman nearly ran into her as she exited the apartment.

Nez Rowan had only seen photos of Elizabeth Keen until that point, and found herself staring at her partner's wife as a pair of blue eyes blinked owlishly at her, surprised to find someone outside of her home.

The Halcyon operative cleared her throat. "Hi. I'm Nez Rowan. I'm-"

"You work with Tom," the other woman acknowledged. "He'd mentioned you might come into town. Did he know you were coming in this morning?"

"No, but is he here?" she asked, straightening her back a little.

"Babe, Nez is here," Liz Keen called back into the apartment. "Listen, I'm on my way out to work, but-"

"Hey. That was fast," Tom said, appearing behind his wife. He was still dressed in pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, hair standing on end and he had a cup of coffee in his hand.

"It's important," Nez pressed.

"Call me if you need me," Liz offered. "Carly's new cell number is on the fridge. She said she can come over to watch Agnes whenever you need her to today."

"Might he sooner than later," Tom acknowledged and motioned for Nez to follow him in so that his wife could get to work.

There was something strange about walking into Tom Keen's home. She had been to the extended stay hotel that he'd spent the last couple of months in, but it was just a temporary situation with very little of him there, and as she moved into the apartment that he shared with his wife and daughter, she realized just how little she actually knew about him. Despite the pictures he shared and the long hours on the job together, there was likely a lot that he simply didn't share, and that left room for questions. He'd been undercover for Howard before. How was she supposed to know for sure that he wasn't now?

"So what's so important that you couldn't say it over the phone?" he asked as she followed him deeper into the apartment and around into the kitchen where a sleepy looking Agnes Keen sat in her high chair playing idly with cheerios.

"The infamous Agnes?" Nez asked instead and the little girl turned to look at her curiously.

"Yeah," Tom answered, breaking out into the proud smile that always accompanied the mention of his daughter. "Agnes, you wanna say hi to Nez?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. Eight AM was apparently too early for the one year old.

Tom shook his head, heading for the fridge and beginning to dig, pulling out what looked like pancake mix. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No?" Nez managed, having a hard time picturing the man she'd run ops with cooking breakfast.

"Liz hates them, but Agnes loves them, so they come after Mommy leaves for work, right baby girl?"

That pulled a smile from the chubby cheeked little girl and she giggled, pounding her palms against the food tray excitedly and babbling in response. Apparently she knew exactly what was coming.

"Did Dumont find something?" Tom prompted, pouring the batter onto the large skillet in several places. Apparently she was getting a pancake too. "Nez?"

"Sorry. I think I slipped into a parallel dimension or something," she managed. "You got an apron and everything?"

"So funny," he grumbled.

She took a breath. She'd promised to trust him if he trusted her. It was time to do that even if it was hard. "Listen, there's no easy way to say this." She watched him flip the smallest pancake expertly and pressed her lips together. "Dumont has been following a lead from Trevor Sanders' phone that led to a meet he had with his employer. The satellites weren't in range for it, but he was able to hack footage from security feeds in the area."

"We've got a positive ID on his employer?" Tom asked, flipping the other two pancakes and shoveling the small one off on a plate to cool. "That's great. Who is it?"

"Howard."

She watched her partner freeze momentarily, his grip tightening around the spatula and after a long moment Agnes started to fuss, apparently picking up on her father's tension. Nez cleared her throat and he jolted out of it, flipping the pancakes before they burned. "Dumont wiped the computers?"

"I brought jump drives with copies. How do you want to handle this?"

Tom shuffled the food off onto the plates and passed one over to Nez. She watched him, his expression unreadable, as he started to cut Agnes' pancake up into bite sized pieces for her. He finished in silence, moved to the fridge, and put butter and syrup on the table, taking a heavy seat. Nez cautiously mirrored the action.

"Some… stuff has happened recently and Liz needs me here. Honestly, I'm good, but I don't know if I could look Howard in the eyes right now."

"Yeah," Nez acknowledged quietly. She new the feeling.

Her partner looked up, catching her gaze. "That doesn't mean he's going to get away with using us and killing Kat."

"So what are we going to do."

Tom closed his eyes and pulled in a deep breath. "I'm going to reach out and let him know I'm staying in DC to help Liz. It should buy some time away without drawing attention. I can't go into a ton of detail because it's not my secret to tell, but I'm going to need to find a reliable Halcyon lab to have some forensic work done. It'll take time and I can tell him that you and Dumont are helping me with it. It'll buy us time and take us off his immediate radar if he thinks we're letting Kat's case sit for a while."

"Makes sense," Nez murmured. "Sanders is dead, Kat's dead. If we weren't looking at Howard we wouldn't be on a time crunch."

He nodded. "Keep your search going with as much security on it as Dumont can handle without making it look like that's what he's doing."

"Martinez."

Tom straightened, confusion flashing across his features. "Who?"

"She's a forensics expert that works for Halcyon. Trustworthy as far as I've seen. I mean, she won't keep the information from Howard, but if anyone else comes sniffing around, she won't budge on it."

"And who do you think is going to come sniffing around?" Tom asked, an amused sort of look in his eye. It was better than the cold calculation that had been there just a moment before.

Nez smirked. "Your wife's a fed in a specialized task force with high level clearance. If you're running forensics on something that you can't give me the full story on, it means that you guys are either hiding it from the feds or Reddington or both." She shoved a forkful of pancake into her mouth, feeling a bit more at ease than when she walked in. "These are really good, Keen. I think you missed your calling."

"Try telling my wife that. She hates them."

Nez tilted her head, thinking there must be more to that story than he'd said. She shook her head and watched him. "You okay?"

"I don't know," he admitted softly.

She didn't envy him. She was having a hard enough time with the emotional runaround, and Howard was her mentor, not her father. She had planned to tell Tom about Solomon while she was there, but the exhausted look on his face stopped her. "Listen," she said slowly, "I'll reach out to Martinez. I know her. Worked with her before. I'll get everything set up. You enjoy a day or two with your family."

He looked a little startled by the offer, glancing over briefly to Agnes who had managed to make a mess out of her breakfast. "Thanks, Nez."

She offered him a lopsided smile. "I've got your back, Keen."

"And I've got yours."

"Good to hear." She stood. "I'll let you know when it's set up. Can I tell her what she's looking into?"

"Bones. Maybe about thirty years old?"

"Never a dull moment around you people, is there?"

"Wish there were," he chuckled.

Notes: I used to try to keep a schedule for updates, but that kind of went out the window with the Hargrave Drabbles and how sporadically those went up for a while, and now they're pretty much daily. I plan to put a chapter of Demons in the Dark up as as long as I have at least 3 chapters written ahead. I finished writing chapter nine last night and started in on chapter ten today, so I thought I'd go ahead and put this chapter up. Hope you have a great weekend everyone and a fun Father's Day. I may try to write a Tom and Agnes Father's Day one shot... not sure yet.

Next Time - The Keens, Reddington and Dembe, and most of the Task Force attend a funeral.

[readbookywooks]

There was a man and he had eight sons. Apart from that, he was nothing more than a comma on the page of History. It’s sad, but that’s all you can say about some people. But the eighth son grew up and married and had eight sons, and because there is only one suitable profession for the eighth son of an eighth son, he became a wizard. And he became wise and powerful, or at any rate powerful, and wore a pointed hat and there it would have ended … Should have ended … But against the Lore of Magic and certainly against all reason-except the reasons of the heart, which are warm and messy and, well, unreasonable - he fled the halls of magic and fell in love and got married, not necessarily in that order. And he had seven sons, each one from the cradle at least as powerful as any wizard in the world. And then he had an eighth son … A wizard squared. A source of magic. A sourcerer. Summer thunder rolled around the sandy cliffs. Far below, the sea sucked on the shingle as noisily as an old man with one tooth who had been given a gobstopper. A few seagulls hung lazily in the updraughts, waiting for something to happen. And the father of wizards sat among the thrift and rattling sea grasses at the edge of the cliff, cradling the child in his arms, staring out to sea. There was a roil of black cloud out there, heading inland, and the light it pushed before it had that deep syrup quality it gets before a really serious thunderstorm. He turned at a sudden silence behind him, and looked up through tear-reddened eyes at a tall hooded figure in a black robe. IPSLORE THE RED? it said. The voice was as hollow as a cave, as dense as a neutron star. Ipslore grinned the terrible grin of the suddenly mad, and held up the child for Death’s inspection. ‘My son,’ he said. ‘I shall call him Coin.’ A NAME AS GOOD AS ANY OTHER, said Death politely. His empty sockets stared down at a small round face wrapped in sleep. Despite rumour, Death isn’t cruel-merely terribly, terribly good at his job. ‘You took his mother,’ said Ipslore. It was a flat statement, without apparent rancour. In the valley behind the cliffs Ipslore’s homestead was a smoking ruin, the rising wind already spreading the fragile ashes across the hissing dunes. IT WAS A HEART ATTACK AT THE END, said Death. THERE ARE WORSE WAYS TO DIE. TAKE IT FROM ME. Ipslore looked out to sea. ‘All my magic could not save her,’ he said. THERE ARE PLACES WHERE EVEN MAGIC MAY NOT GO. ‘And now you have come for the child?’ NO. THE CHILD HAS HIS OWN DESTINY I HAVE COME FOR YOU. ‘Ah.’ The wizard stood up, carefully laid the sleeping baby down on the thin grass, and picked up a long staff that had been lying there. It was made of a black metal, with a meshwork of silver and gold carvings that gave it a rich and sinister tastelessness; the metal was octiron, intrinsically magical. ‘I made this, you know,’ he said. ‘They all said you couldn’t make a staff out of metal, they said they should only be of wood, but they were wrong. I put a lot of myself into it. I shall give it to him.’ He ran his hands lovingly along the staff, which gave off a faint tone. He repeated, almost to himself, ‘I put a lot of myself into it.’ IT IS A GOOD STAFF, said Death. Ipslore held it in the air and looked down at his eighth son, who gave a gurgle. ‘She wanted a daughter,’ he said. Death shrugged. Ipslore gave him a look compounded of bewilderment and rage. ‘What is he?’ THE EIGHTH SON OF AN EIGHTH SON OF AN EIGHTH SON, said Death, unhelpfully. The wind whipped at his robe, driving the black clouds overhead. ‘What does that make him?’ A SOURCERER, AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE. Thunder rolled, on cue. ‘What is his destiny?’ shouted Ipslore, above the rising gale. Death shrugged again. He was good at it. SOURCERERS MAKE THEIR OWN DESTINY. THEY TOUCH THE EARTH LIGHTLY. Ipslore leaned on the staff, drumming on it with his fingers, apparently lost in the maze of his own thoughts. His left eyebrow twitched. ‘No,’ he said, softly, ‘no. I will make his destiny for him.’ I ADVISE AGAINST IT. ‘Be quiet! And listen when I tell you that they drove me out, with their books and their rituals and their Lore! They called themselves wizards, and they had less magic in their whole fat bodies than I have in my little finger! Banished! Me! For showing that I was human! And what would humans be without love?’ RARE, said Death. NEVERTHELESS ‘Listen! They drove us here, to the ends of the world, and that killed her! They tried to take my staff away!’ Ipslore was screaming above the noise of the wind. ‘Well, I still have some power left,’ he snarled. ‘And I say that my son shall go to Unseen University and wear the Archchancellor’s hat and the wizards of the world shall bow to him! And he shall show them what lies in their deepest hearts. Their craven, greedy hearts. He’ll show the world its true destiny, and there will be no magic greater than his.’ NO. And the strange thing about the quiet way Death spoke the word was this: it was louder than the roaring of the storm. It jerked Ipslore back to momentary sanity. Ipslore rocked back and forth uncertainly. ‘What?’ he said. I SAID NO. NOTHING IS FINAL. NOTHING IS ABSOLUTE. EXCEPT ME, OF COURSE. SUCH TINKERING WITH DESTINY COULD MEAN THE DOWNFALL OF THE WORLD. THERE MUST BE A CHANCE, HOWEVER SMALL. THE LAWYERS OF FATE DEMAND A LOOPHOLE IN EVERY PROPHECY. Ipslore stared at Death’s implacable face. ‘I must give them a chance?’ YES. Tap, tap, tap went Ipslore’s fingers on the metal of the staff. ‘Then they shall have their chance,’ he said, ‘when hell freezes over.’ NO. I AM NOT ALLOWED TO ENLIGHTEN YOU, EVEN BY DEFAULT, ABOUT CURRENT TEMPERATURES IN THE NEXT WORLD. ‘Then,’ Ipslore hesitated, ‘then they shall have their chance when my son throws his staff away.’ NO WIZARD WOULD EVER THROW HIS STAFF AWAY, said Death. THE BOND IS TOO GREAT. ‘Yet it is possible, you must agree.’ Death appeared to consider this. Must was not a word he was accustomed to hearing, but he seemed to concede the point. AGREED, he said. ‘Is that a small enough chance for you?’ SUFFICIENTLY MOLECULAR. Ipslore relaxed a little. In a voice that was nearly normal, he said: ‘I don’t regret it, you know. I would do it all again. Children are our hope for the future.’ THERE IS NO HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, said Death. ‘What does it contain, then?’ ME. ‘Besides you I mean!’ Death gave him a puzzled look. I’M SORRY? The storm reached its howling peak overhead. A seagull went past backwards. ‘I meant,’ said Ipslore, bitterly, ‘what is there in this world that makes living worth while?’ Death thought about it. CATS, he said eventually, CATS ARE NICE. ‘Curse you!’ MANY HAVE, said Death, evenly. ‘How much longer do I have?’ Death pulled a large hourglass from the secret recesses of his robe. The two bulbs were enclosed in bars of black and gold, and the sand was nearly all in the bottom one. OH, ABOUT NINE SECONDS. Ipslore pulled himself up to his full and still impressive height, and extended the gleaming metal staff towards the child. A hand like a little pink crab reached out from the blanket and grasped it. ‘Then let me be the first and last wizard in the history of the world to pass on his staff to his eighth son,’ he said slowly and sonorously. ‘And I charge him to use it to-’ I SHOULD HURRY UP, IF I WERE YOU . . . ‘-the full,’ said Ipslore, ‘becoming the mightiest-’ The lightning screamed from the heart of the cloud, hit Ipslore on the point of his hat, crackled down his arm, flashed along the staff and struck the child. The wizard vanished in a wisp of smoke. The staff glowed green, then white, then merely red-hot. The child smiled in his sleep. When the thunder had died away Death reached down slowly and picked up the boy, who opened his eyes. They glowed golden, from the inside. For the first time in what, for want of any better word, must be called his life, Death found himself looking at a stare that he found hard to return. The eyes seemed to be focused on a point several inches inside his skull. I did not mean for that to happen, said the voice of Ipslore, from out of the empty air. Is he harmed? No. Death tore his gaze away from that fresh, knowing smile. HE CONTAINED THE POWER. HE IS A SOURCERER: NO DOUBT HE WILL SURVIVE MUCH WORSE. AND NOW -YOU WILL COME WITH ME. No. YES. YOU ARE DEAD, YOU SEE. Death looked around for Ipslore’s wavering shade, and failed to find it. WHERE ARE YOU? In the staff. Death leaned on his scythe and sighed. FOOLISH. HOW EASILY COULD I CUT YOU LOOSE. Not without destroying the staff, said the voice of Ipslore, and it seemed to Death that there was a new, thick, exultant quality to it. And now the child has accepted the staff you cannot destroy it without destroying him. And that you cannot do without upsetting destiny. My last magic. Rather neat, l feel. Death prodded the staff. It crackled, and sparks crawled obscenely along its length. Strangely enough, he wasn’t particularly angry. Anger is an emotion, and for emotion you need glands, and Death didn’t have much truck with glands and needed a good run at it to get angry. But he was mildly annoyed. He sighed again. People were always trying this sort of thing. On the other hand, it was quite interesting to watch, and at least this was a bit more original than the usual symbolic chess game, which Death always dreaded because he could never remember how the knight was supposed to move. YOU’RE ONLY PUTTING OFF THE INEVITABLE, he said. That’s what being alive is all about. BUT WHAT PRECISELY DO YOU EXPECT TO GAIN? I shall be by my son’s side. l shall teach him, even though he won’t know it. I shall guide his understanding. And, when he is ready, l shall guide his steps. TELL ME, said Death, HOW DID YOU GUIDE THE STEPS OF YOUR OTHER SONS? I drove them out. They dared to argue with me, they would not listen to what I could teach them. But this one will. IS THIS WISE? The staff was silent. Beside it, the boy chuckled at the sound of a voice only he could hear. There was no analogy for the way in which Great A’Tuin the world turtle moved against the galactic night. When you are ten thousand miles long, your shell pocked with meteor craters and frosted with comet ice, there is absolutely nothing you can realistically be like except yourself. So Great A’Tuin swam slowly through the interstellar deeps like the largest turtle there has ever been, carrying on its carapace the four huge elephants that bore on their backs the vast, glittering waterfall-fringed circle of the Discworld, which exists either because of some impossible blip on the curve of probability or because the gods enjoy a joke as much as anyone. More than most people, in fact. Near the shores of the Circle Sea, in the ancient, sprawling city of Ankh-Morpork, on a velvet cushion on a ledge high up in the Unseen University, was a hat.

[bountyofbeads]

For Andrew Luck, football had wrecked his body and stolen his joy

https://wapo.st/2Pe8UwS

Do you blame Andrew Luck for retiring from the game? I think the blame should fall on his coaches and team mates who should have done more to protect him. The NFL needs to do much more in protecting quarterbacks from injury. No one wants to live their entire lives suffering from injures and chronic pain just for playing a few years of football in the NFL. That's why fantasy football is doing so much better than the NFL

For Andrew Luck, football had wrecked his body and stolen his joy

By Jerry Brewer | Published August 25 at 6:44 AM ET | Washington Post | Posted August 25, 2019 2:55 PM ET |

For all of Andrew Luck’s emotion and tears, for all the shock over his bombshell retirement, he exited football in a rational and calculated manner. This was no impulsive act born of fleeting frustration. He knew it was time.

The superstar Indianapolis Colts quarterback had to say goodbye during an impromptu interview session with reporters late Saturday because the news leaked, and the sports world flipped end over end, and he could not stick with his original plan to save the stunning announcement for Sunday. But as he spoke, you sensed little spontaneity in his explanation.

He had known for more than a week. Even though he has been unable to play most of the preseason because of a strange injury to his left calf and ankle, he had mustered the pain tolerance to take the field before an Aug. 17 preseason game against Cleveland and make a few practice throws. Some considered it evidence that he might return soon. But for Luck, it was closure. As he grinned and threw spirals, he was quietly letting the game go.

“I was thinking, ‘This is the last time I’ll throw the ball at Lucas Oil Stadium in a Colts uniform,’” he admitted.

A week later, his decision became official. Luck called it a hard decision — “the hardest of my life,” he said — but it was also a clear one. He is only 29 years old, but football has wrecked his body and stolen his joy. Over the past four years, his injuries have been brutal and relentless: shoulder sprain, torn cartilage in the ribs, partially torn abdomen, lacerated kidney, concussion, torn labrum in his right shoulder and now the calf and ankle problem that hasn’t healed.

Luck has missed a season and a half of playing time because of injuries. He awoke one morning after a game and noticed blood in his urine. He lost the entire 2017 season because of a difficult recovery from shoulder surgery. But he returned in 2018, threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns, led the Colts to the second round of the playoffs and won NFL comeback player of the year.

He was back, and so was Indianapolis, which felt it had put together a Super Bowl-caliber roster for this season. Then another injury made Luck reassess everything.

“For the last four years or so, I’ve been in this cycle of injury, pain, rehab — injury, pain rehab — and it’s been unceasing, unrelenting, both in-season and offseason,” Luck said Saturday night. “And I felt stuck in it, and the only way I see out is to no longer play football. It’s taken my joy of this game away.”

The delightful thing about Luck always had been his love for the sport. He graduated from Stanford with a degree in architectural design, and he could have been great in various jobs related to engineering (maybe he still will be). He didn’t play football out of necessity or simply because he was so good at it. He didn’t use the game as a way out of a tough life. He loved it, really loved it. He geeked out on football. He learned it from his father, Oliver, a former NFL quarterback, athletic director and accomplished business executive who now serves as the CEO and commissioner of the XFL. At Stanford, he helped Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw turn the football program into a powerhouse and became one of the greatest NFL quarterback prospects ever.

Luck, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2012 NFL draft, proved worthy of the hype. He succeeded Peyton Manning in Indianapolis and took command in a manner that Aaron Rodgers, who followed Brett Favre magnificently in Green Bay, could appreciate. The Colts finished with an 11-5 record during each of Luck’s first three seasons and advanced to the AFC title game in 2015. Luck had a 53-33 record in 86 career starts and made four postseason appearances. He was on a Hall of Fame track. Given his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame, you figured he could play for 8-12 more seasons.

But from the beginning, the Colts may have asked too much of him. He amassed 627 pass attempts as a rookie in 2012, an average of 39.2 per game. He was sacked a league-high 41 times that year. For his career, Luck averaged 38.3 passes per game. He came back last season and threw a career-high 639 passes. He had come from a balanced system at Stanford with an intricate run game, and while it was apparent in college that Luck was capable of directing just about any offensive system, it’s rare for a team to put so much pressure on a quarterback so early in his NFL career. He won and thrived, but eventually, his body paid the price.

So now we must place Luck in his own category of ephemeral quarterbacking greatness. The NFL hasn’t seen anyone quite like him. He didn’t make it to his 30th birthday, which is three weeks away, but he still played long enough to amass 23,671 yards and 171 touchdowns. Through 86 starts, his production was on pace with some of the most prolific players in history at the position. His career feels like a flash, but it wasn’t. He was halfway to immortality.

We’ve seen legends leave too soon: Jim Brown, Barry Sanders. We’ve seen injuries and ailments cut brilliant careers short: Gale Sayers, Kenny Easley. Recently, we’ve seen a concerning cluster of great ones bow out shockingly: Luck joins linebacker Patrick Willis and receiver Calvin Johnson on a growing list. But despite advancements in brain research and the anecdotal evidence of football’s many debilitating effects, there are still 100 NFL players who plan on playing “until the wheels fall off” for every one athlete who seriously worries about the game shortening his career. And if you’re a quarterback — in a league that keeps adjusting the rules seemingly to keep quarterbacks healthy — you’re far more likely to fantasize about Tom Brady-esque longevity than to anticipate a premature ending.

Does Luck’s retirement represent a watershed moment for NFL players to be even more thoughtful about the dangers of the game? No, not necessarily. It will take about a dozen players on the level of Luck, Willis and Johnson to quit around the same time to spark a dramatic shift. Right now, we’re inching toward a moment, and perhaps Luck’s decision moves the conversation an entire foot. But currently there is no urgent desire from players to escape.

It’s a slow process to change the mentality. Nevertheless, teams would be wise to consider the situation dire. The NFL should feel desperate to improve the way it trains and cares for athletes and how it manages their workload. It should also increase the resources to help the players recover mentally from injuries. In their reactions to Luck, current and former players transition quickly from shock to understanding the physical and mental toll of grinding out a football career.

In the middle of a tweet about Luck on Saturday night, Jacksonville running back Leonard Fournette said “ … man y’all don’t know much we put in for this sport.”

They put in so much that one of the game’s brightest young quarterbacks walked away from perhaps $250 million in future earnings when you factor in the remaining three years of his contract and at least one more mega-extension that likely would’ve been worth more than $40 million per season.

“I’ve been stuck in this process,” Luck said. “I haven’t been able to live the life I want to live. It’s taken the joy out of this game. After 2016 when I played in pain and wasn’t regularly able to practice, I made a vow I wouldn’t go down that path again. The only way forward is to remove myself from this cycle. I came to the proverbial fork in the road and made a vow if I ever did again, I would choose me, in a sense.”

That’s not a selfish choice. After all Luck has been through, it’s understandable. And wise.

Andrew Luck says boos ‘hurt,’ and Richard Sherman, J.J. Watt have his back

By Cindy Boren | Published August 25 at 10:48 AM ET | Washington Post | Posted August 25, 2019 3:25 PM ET |

Andrew Luck isn’t the first NFL player to retire at the height of his career. But, unlike Barry Sanders or Calvin Johnson or Rob Gronkowski, he was booed as he left the field at Lucas Oil Stadium for the final time Saturday night.

The news that he would retire before his 30th birthday had leaked during the fourth quarter of the Colts’ 27-17 loss to the Chicago Bears and Luck, the man tasked with replacing Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, admitted in an emotional and impromptu news conference afterward that it stung.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I heard the reaction,” Luck said. “It hurt. I’ll be honest, it hurt.”

It was part of a surreal scene, one that Luck and the Colts could not control. They’d planned for him to address teammates after the game, with a Sunday afternoon news conference following. But news leaked to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and immediately overtook the Saturday night game.

One fan in the stands removed his No. 12 jersey while others just looked stunned. It was an ugly response for a player who had given so much physically to play the sport, winning 53 regular season games and four playoff games along the way.

Richard Sherman, the San Francisco 49ers cornerback, called the fans’ reaction “disgraceful.”

“This is a very rough game,” he tweeted. “Most people who have not played at this level will never understand what we put our bodies through season after season. We don’t need the sympathy because this is what we signed up for but to ‘boo’ a man that battled for that city is disgraceful.”

For Sherman, it was especially personal because he and Luck had played together at Stanford. “Thank you Drew for everything you gave this game!” he added. “You are an amazing teammate and an even better friend. Wish you nothing but the best in your next endeavor. I know you will be even greater in your next chapter.”

J.J. Watt called the booing “sad” and added, “I hope at some point those fans understand and put themselves in his shoes. He didn’t do it just to do it. It’s an extremely difficult decision.”

It’s also one that Watt, who missed most of the 2016 and 2017 seasons with injuries, said he understands, saying injuries “can have the ability to suck the fun out of the game.”

“It takes an immense amount of courage, immense self-reflection and guts to do what he’s doing,” he told ESPN’s Ed Werder. “Nobody goes though what he goes through, the rehab and injuries. They see the game days. I respect the hell out of it.”

Luck’s enthusiastic style of play cost him physically, with injuries and what he called “a four-year injury cycle” leading him to Saturday night’s announcement. The No. 1 draft pick in 2012, he suffered a lacerated kidney, a partially torn abdominal muscle, at least one concussion, and a shoulder injury (a torn labrum) that sidelined him all of the 2017 season. He fought back and was the NFL’s comeback player of the year in 2018, but had not played in preseason because of a nagging calf/ankle injury.

“Any athlete in any sport that has had a major injury understands exactly where Andrew Luck is mentally,” Torrey Smith, the Carolina Panthers wide receiver, tweeted.

Leonard Fournette, the Jacksonville Jaguars running back, added: “Taking this time sending my prayers to Andrew luck man y’all don’t know how much we put in for this sport, yes it’s draining but than we love it so much at the same time...... #LoveLuck”

Dez Bryant, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, called the booing “some disrespectful sick [expletive] on Twitter and added, “that’s not an easy decision to make. … I understand you 100% brotha … take your time … I wish you the best.”

Eric Ebron, the Colts tight end, tweeted a personal take: “Andrew Luck will be somebody I tell my kids about. The person & the player. Respect Andrew.”

Still, fans are going to remember the image of Luck standing with teammates and smiling during the game, not realizing that the news of his retirement had gotten out.

Bears tight end Trey Burton, who is recovering from sports hernia surgery, tweeted that he “was on the field when this happened. These fans are so sad for doing this. Y’all have no clue how injuries affect players. Not everyone recovers the same.”

One user criticized the timing of the news and Burton replied, “What if he didn’t know until now? What if [the] organization knew for a while and was hoping he would change his mind? Just because people don’t agree w timing still doesn’t mean they should disrespect him. ESPECIALLY after all he has done for them.”

Ryan Diem, a former Colts offensive lineman, called the reaction by fans and “keyboard cowboys” to be “downright disrespectful and mean spirited.”

“As a person that has been in his shoes, and had to make that decision to walk away from a game they love, and seen the long term effects the game on people close to them, I 100 percent support his decision and respect it. People that don’t understand need to recognize that we are paid entertainers,” he tweeted.

“I love and respect the passion for the game/city/home team, but when that game starts to affect your ability to function in the real world as a person, then it’s time. Obviously, the timing of this wasn’t great, but I truly believe he was doing everything he could to get back out there this season. The guy is beyond passionate about football, his teammates and the city of Indianapolis. You could see the heartache in his presser. Respect his decision, and quit the hate. He’s going to go on to do amazing things in this world."

Fans no doubt were disappointed at the timing, which arrived so close to the season opener, and unable to understand a player quitting in his prime with hundreds of millions of dollars most likely ahead of him. But with his 30th birthday looming Sept. 12, Luck has quit and owner Jim Irsay admitted that Luck had “spilled blood, sweat and tears” for the team. Of course, he also admitted that he doesn’t rule out Luck changing his mind. Neither does Luck, who said, “I can’t see the future, but I very clearly in my mind see that I won’t.”

Jacoby Brissett steps into Luck’s position and the Colts prepare for the Sept. 8 season opener against the Chargers in Los Angeles.

“For those people that booed tonight, it’s an emotional time and I understand that,” General Manager Chris Ballard said in the team’s news conference. “This young man had done a lot for the city of Indianapolis, and for the Indianapolis Colts. Nobody died. And we keep moving forward.”