#but it is SO hard at my “grown age” to get the courage to go out by myself TAT

[aphrosheir]

>>> Red Hair, Red Wine, Red Handed Pt. 3 <<<

[A/N: Last part, darlings! I hope you enjoyed!]

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

"So... Melissa and I kind of got into a fight earlier."

After a couple of hours, a whole barrage of shit hitting the fan, and a handful of longing stares while they were sure that the other wasn't looking, (Y/N) and Melissa arrived at the penultimate task of cleaning up.

"Y'know, I used to spend my Christmas with my family."

The shorter woman's ears perked up, sneaking a glance at the woman who seemed all too preoccupied by the rug on her hands, wiping down the rest of the grease on the counter top.

"I—yeah, same." (Y/N) admits with a soft sigh. "I hope we didn't ruin your plans this year though?"

She shook her head, red curls shifting slightly, "I stopped comin' after the divorce. Didn't need to give my ma and Kirsten Marie any more ammunition than they already do."

Just then, Melissa's mood seemed to have shifted. Something akin to joy, relief, or being hopeful, radiating off the small smile tugging at her lips. "I think we're actually done, (Y/N)."

"Yeah! I think my kitchen got its fair dose of lovin' today. I don't go in here as much as I used to. Being on a teacher's salary and all, you cross fresh produce and hot meals off your list."

"You tell me," Melissa chuckled. "But, it's been nice to cook with someone for a change. These gabortz can't usually be allowed in the kitchen without full parental supervision."

"Usually, my dad and I are the ones bustling around the kitchen. But, lately he's been busy and all." (Y/N) nodded solemnly as she put her utensils in their proper bin, grabbing a glass of wine and a bottle to share with the redhead. "Says I got to find my own kitchen bud since I'm all grown."

"Please, couldn't even get my ex Joe to step foot in the kitchen unless it's for a beer," she says as she graciously accepts the finely aged Sauvignon that (Y/N) handed her.

"What, with a woman like you? If that were me, I'd be sittin' at the counter tops, mopping the ceiling if it meant getting to spend time with you."

"That guy was a real dud, you know." she mutters, raising her glass to Melissa. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say your taste was non-existent."

"I wouldn't say so." Melissa swirled the wine in her glass, staring at the red mark she had left on the rim. Then she gulped it back like she was trying to swallow something sharper.

Meanwhile, (Y/N) had already downed her liquid courage, looking like she was planning on something more than pre-gaming. "I'm just saying, if it were me, I'd even learn how to tackle and do a touchdown thingy. All for you, Schemmenti."

"Calm it, shortstack. Wouldn't want you hurting yourself," Melissa quipped with a laugh—sharp enough to cut. "Cut the BS. It’s just you an’ me."

"It's true, though." (Y/N) stared hard at her fourth glass of wine, clearly a little more drunk than sober.

And those words? Well, they sounded a bit too true to Melissa's liking.

"Alright, enough," she said, her voice dropping to that dangerous tone that tells (Y/N) that she's toeing the line between being fucked senseless or half-beaten to death by the woman in front of her.

Right now, (Y/N) couldn't care less and happily skipped over that line. "Enough? Enough of what?"

"You don't gotta pretend with me. Ain't no friends here to laugh at your cute little jokes, an' I sure as hell won't be your practice target for the next girl you decide to fall for."

"I meant what I said Melissa."

(Y/N) shot back her fifth glass with conviction.

"That's the thing! You don't know what you're saying."

Melissa followed suit, slamming the glass down soon after, almost breaking it on the marble top.

"What does that mean," she whispered, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.

"You're a sweet little thing who's drunk on too much wine and shit like 13 Going on 30, thinkin' that love is just a little fairytale wish come true. Well, you won't find that here, because in the fairy tale, I'm the Wicked fuckin' Witch that everyone wants dead!"

"Melissa, I’m young. Not stupid." (Y/N)'s voice was quiet, steady. "And I’m not blind either. I see someone worth loving."

Melissa stepped closer. Too close. She snatched the bottle from (Y/N)’s hand, drained what was left like it burned.

"Yeah? Well, that's what Joe thought too."

"Well, I'm not Joe."

Melissa laughed again, but this time it stuck in her throat. She stared hard at (Y/N), red-rimmed eyes wide, chest heaving.

"Exactly, (Y/N)," she whispered, voice cracking for real now.

"You're not. 'Cause you actually make me feel like it's real."

It's 8 pm, the party revs up. The plan is in order. Barbara and Ava are in their places. Gerald has arrived a few minutes ago and is quite confused as to why his wife's 30-something, white co-worker is talking his head off about types of wines. O'shon is setting up the karaoke machine, Abbott-proofing it to prevent the Great Mic Blackout of 2024 from happening again. Gregory and Janine are talking to Melissa and (Y/N). And Mr. Santa Johnson Claus is getting his holiday glee awn.

"We are gathered here today, loved ones," Barbara starts, tone pointed. It makes Gerald's eyebrows knit.

"Did I... Did I do something wrong?"

"To celebrate the birth of our beloved saviour, Jesus. He who lived amongst us and died for our sins."

Barbara continues, voice steady but with the faint tremble of unhinged resolve, “And in His spirit, we come together to reflect on love, forgiveness… and the courage it takes to stop being cowards about our feelings."

Gerald blinks. "Dear. What is happening?"

Ava steps forward, taking the microphone from Barbara's hands. "Alright, Abbott family! Who's ready to get their game on?"

Cheers erupt from the room.

"First, we shall enjoy a dinner, prepared by (Y/N)—our host—and our local Italian, Melissa. Would the both of you please step forward so we can applaud your hard-work properly."

"I don't think that's necessary, Ava. And plus, you all brought your own dishes, right? We are all to celebrate here."

"Yeah, yeah," Melissa raises her eyebrows with no trace of glee on her face, "Get on with it, Ava!"

Gregory huffs, clearly frustrated. "That's strike one. I just—why can’t these two follow one simple direction," he shrieks.

Jacob takes the lead on the second plan, "Alright, party people! The dance floor is now open."

"Trust me. You cannot go wrong with a little boogie."

"Operation Happy Feet, Happy Lips is a go," Ava whispers as she is hitting the shopping cart to the Cha Cha Slide. She electric slides up to (Y/N) to pull her into the dance circle.

"Criss cross~" the speaker booms as Barbara shuffles behind Melissa.

"I don't see you criss crossing, Melissa," she reminds her in a sing-songy voice, her honey voice laced with poison as she coaxes the redhead deeper into the makeshift dance floor.

"Damn. Barb can criss cross. Her cha cha is real smooth." Ava brags to the camera.

"Cha cha real smooth~"

Thud.

The record scratches. Everyone is frozen. (Y/N) is basically making out with the floor.

"Ouch."

"Damn it, alright," Melissa's voice carries through the living room, sharp and pissed. "That's enough cha-chaing for now."

She waves everyone off the middle of the living room as Jacob and Janine immediately carry their friend over to the couch.

Janine and Jacob are on either side of (Y/N), who now has a pillow under her head and a cold peas bag on her forehead.

"It’s okay, you just—uh—really committed to that slide." Janine comforted her.

"Did the floor kiss me back?"

"Unfortunately."

"If I hear “criss cross” one more time, I’m going to criss cross my way into therapy. The floor was freshly waxed! (Y/N) went down like a white girl in a horror movie." Jacob rants.

Barbara storms off the dance floor towards Ava who is still dancing in the corner with zero self-awareness. She is sweaty, and her lips are smudged. This is not the Barbara Howard everyone knows, and certainly not the Barbara Howard they'd want to meet.

"I blame Jacob. She took over the mission and turned it into a 2016 flashmob. Tragic."

"I told you not to let her lead! The boy couldn’t direct traffic at a four-way stop!"

"Strike two."

Jacob is now close to crying.

"I am... So tired. My perfect Christmas plan has been hijacked. Nothing is where it should be. I cannot take this anymore. Everything has gone wrong."

"Up next, (Y/N) versus Melissa!" Janine declares with the energy of a game show host.

"Okay, I've figured it out!" she beams, turning to the camera like she’s cracked a government code. "Everyone's been forcing the two of them to go to each other—but why would I do that, when they basically jump at each other's throats when they're arguing?"

"This is the final round of charades," Janine explains, clipboard in hand. "Teams are tied. Ava has been disqualified for cheating—"

"I wasn't cheating!" Ava shouts from the couch, mid-sip of someone else's cider.

The entire group turns slowly to stare directly into the camera.

"Alright, Mr. Johnson, start the timer in 3, 2, 1—go!"

"What just happened?"

"Hey, it's polish, not Polish, (Y/N)," Jacob argues. "Tell her, Mel!"

"Eh... No. It's Polish. Capital, see?" Melissa flips the card around. "My fault."

"The world is doomed. Melissa just apologised. Well, not really. But she admitted it was her fault? Instead of punching (Y/N)? This is strike three. Barbara is about to snap."

Everyone is buzzing, from the alcohol? From the anger? From the exhaustion? Who knows.

Barbara clinks her wine glass, a strange calm washing over the dishevelled woman. “Everyone, settle down. It’s time for the Secret Santa exchange.”

"If I get socks from any of y'all's broke asses, I'm burning this house down." Ava groans.

(Y/N) looks at her with fear, "Please, don't."

They gather around the tree. The large stack of gifts standing beneath the tree with pride.

"I shall go first," Barbara states, picking out a small box from the pile, wrapped neatly with a golden bow on top. "This is for a person that I deeply admired, especially as I've seen her persevere today."

"This gift is for Ava Coleman."

Slowly, Ava reaches out for the box, shock filling her from the woman's words. She tore the wrapping off carefully, opening the box, and revealing a custom journal.

A maroon principal logbook, AC embossed in gold, and a sticky note reading: "You might not be the glue of this school, but you are the glitter. Keep shining."

"Barbara. You didn't."

"I did, Principal Coleman."

"Well, in that case. It's a good thing that I got you too, right?"

"Oh, dear."

Ava pulls out a large box from underneath the piles, almost dropping it a couple of times before setting it down in front of Barbara. "Heh. Open it!"

A plush robe that feels expensive, masks of various kinds, teas, serums, crystals, scented candles, and other relaxation items that felt almost all too much. And in the corner of a box is a pad of "Ava-Vouchers".

It read stubs like: One hour no nonsense from me, tea time, TEA time, no one is allowed to interrupt Barbara for this period, etc.

"Ava, this is truly too much." Barbara, for the first time today, smiled genuinely.

"No, Barbara. I am too much. This is the least I could do, because I know you stressed after havin' to handle all our crazy behinds!"

"That is true."

The rest of the gift giving had proceeded smoothly, the tension in the room finally dialing down.

Janine got Gregory who gifted him a white hoodie with her lipstick marks all over. Gregory wore it the whole night. The first day of school. The second day. And then the day after that till the day before laundry day.

Gregory got Gerald. Man to man, a gold watch that matched Barbara's. "I hope I can be a great husband like you someday."

O'shon received Ava's favourite perfume on a man from Gerald—data from Barbara, of course, and an advice to always stick by your woman, even when they've gone cray-cray.

He then took the weirdly shaped gift under the tree to give to Mr. Johnson, producing a taxidermy squirrel with a mustache and a monocle, affectionately named Mr. Davis and rightfully placed on his desk.

"Huh," Melissa lets out a dry chuckle. "So, you rigged this whole thing, didn't you?"

Ava and Barbara react violently to the accusatory finger being pointed their way, Ava looking offended while simultaneously trying to hold back a furious and distraught Barbara from murdering her best friend in cold blood during Christmas.

"What do you mean?" Barbara asks, voice dangerously low.

"Me and (Y/N) are the last two ones," she sticks her tongue to her cheek. "We got each other. What a coincidence, seeing as all y'all knew that we liked each other and decided to meddle like it's some middle school dance."

Barbara took a deep breath and raised a finger, "Yes, I have meddled—"

The redhead threw her hands up, "I knew it! Unbelievable, Barbara."

“Let me finish, woman. Or so help me, I will sin on the day of the birth of the Lord's son.”

"Honestly, Barbara for principal." Ava shrugs.

“I have meddled today more than I have ever wanted in my entire life. I climbed and fell off a ladder. I destroyed countless amounts of Christmas decor— may the Lord forgive me. I was coerced into ruining my perfectly non-sticky and non-hard sweet potato pie—" she glares at Ava. "—because you two are about as emotionally intelligent as this piece of tissue! You baboons can’t string together a sentence that wasn’t dipped in fear and sarcasm.”

Melissa and (Y/N) stared at Barbara, who has now gotten right in Melissa's face.

“Don’t you know I’ve blamed myself? Every time your heart breaks, mine does, too. I’m your best friend, Melissa. And I’ll be damned if I let you throw away the one person who actually looks at you like you hung the Christmas star just because you think beer and running away from your problems will solve it.”

“I have risked my dignity. My morals. My sanity. We all have!"

They stare at the exhausted faces of their co-workers, pity settling deep in their stomachs.

"It's a good thing that Ava actually took the initiative—which is more than I could say for either of you two—and gave me the push I needed to scream at your face to just kiss already! If that’s so wrong, so be it. But this is what friends do."

Melissa is teary-eyed, staring at Barbara in awe and respect. But through her tears, she had managed to let out a laugh. A genuine one.

Beside her, (Y/N) grinned at the two of them, clearly endeared at Barbara's speech.

"I love you, Barb." Melissa choked out.

"Have I finally gone insane in my pre-frontal cortex?" Barbara stares at the camera.

"But, seriously? Kiss already? We already did, ya gabortz!"

The scene cuts back to earlier that day, a few minutes of charged silence after their fight.

It was clear as day to (Y/N) that no words would satisfy the redhead. That the looks that she gave her—one that made her feel holy, something that she'd gladly worship, even if it meant her damnation. That would only light the flame further inside Melissa.

So, she did what came next to her clouded mind.

A soft and gentle hand behind her neck, just enough for Melissa to pull away if she had wanted to. Slow and deliberate, and a slight pause just as their lips were about to meet.

It wasn't hesitation, no. It was a silent promise that (Y/N) intended to keep.

And then, they kissed. Simple as that.

Stubborn as they may be, love finds a way.

Melissa kissed back with hunger and fear and want. She tasted wine and something terrifyingly real. Something she didn’t know how to name yet—but she craved it. She needed it. And when breath finally became necessary, she pulled back with a reluctant gasp.

"(Y/N)."

"Yes?"

"You don't know what you've just done."

"I don't. But I intend to find out."

A pause.

"Are you sure about this? 'Cause you break my heart, I'm breaking your knees, dolcezza."

"I'm damn sure, mi amore."

"Then kiss me again, you gabortz."

So, they kissed once. Twice. A couple more times. Who's counting, really?

"You... Kissed."

"Yep. Maybe we're not as stupid and emotionally unavailable as you thought we were."

"I guess not." Barbara says, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. "But why were you avoiding each other?"

"I guess we just... Got freaked out? But we did talk it out, and yeah." (Y/N) chuckles, "So, can we go back to giving our gifts? I really cannot wait to show you—"

"Slow your roll, dolcezza. I'm going first."

"But—"

Melissa's lips land on (Y/N), and it immediately shuts her up. "No buts."

[augustjoy]

Without You

Sneak Peek: Aaron and you have been dating for over a year now…the thing is, the BAU team has no idea. When Aaron does something reckless that could cost him his life, will you expose the relationship you have worked so hard to keep under wraps?

Aaron Hotchner x BAU Fem Reader

Angst/Fluff

Word count: 2371

Warnings: One use of y/n, age gap, mentions of anxiety/anxiety attack, some language, canon typical violence, mentions of death, explosion, BAU case details (similar to those of s7e23), severe emotional pain, mentions of Haley’s death, mention of Jack, secret relationship, JJ is still the media liaison (it just fit better for the plot) if I missed any – let me know!

Not edited - please be kind.

I do not consent to having my work translated or reposted to any other site. That being said I do not own the characters portrayed in this story.

Aaron Hotchner had very quickly become your best friend. Your friendship had come so naturally, despite a pretty significant age gap. After two years of what could only be described as painfully obvious yearning from both parties, Aaron finally gained the courage to ask you to dinner. Even though it took two weeks before you could actually act on that invitation, the date had gone better than expected. Aaron had been a perfect gentleman; bringing you flowers, opening your door, holding your hand, paying for your meal, actually listening when you spoke.

That’s why it had been so easy to fall in love with him. Things with Aaron truly had been effortless, falling into a comfortable routine in which you would drive to his place after work, relieve the babysitter, get Jack started on homework while you got dinner going. Since meeting Jack, back before you’d even begun dating Aaron, you were one of his favorite people. You had spoiled Jack since you’d met the boy, he was just so sweet, and he’d reminded you of your nephews…it was easy to spend time with him. Aaron would come home to Jack helping set the table and you plating up the food. He’d wrap you up in an embrace and the three of you would sit and enjoy your meal while discussing how your days went (mostly Jack talking about school).

The one thing in your relationship that had not been effortless was keeping it a secret from your team. There had already been much speculation as to whether or not Aaron and you had feelings for one another amongst the agents. Dave was the one who pestered Aaron the most, constantly encouraging him to take a chance on love, that it wouldn’t always end like it had with Haley. In your case it had been Penelope, she and you had grown close over your time at the BAU, and she could see the tell-tale signs of a blossoming crush for your superior.

The two of you hadn’t initially planned to hide your relationship, but after many late-night conversations about it and a lengthy pros and cons list, you had determined, for the time being, keeping things quiet was the best option. That was nearly eleven months ago. You and Aaron had been together for about a year and a half, living together for four months…things had not been easy. You guys had to work hard to keep your feelings at bay on tough missions. There had been an instance of you getting stabbed by an unsub, thankfully the wound was superficial, and you were fine, but it had taken everything in Aaron not to run to you and take you into his arms. That was one of many hardships you had faced, but none of those would have prepared you for today.

A call had come in to the BAU at 9:53 am. The call rang to Aaron’s direct line, which meant it was a time sensitive case, usually a child abduction or in this case, a hostage situation. Aaron came out of his office swiftly, calling everyone’s attention without even speaking.

“There is a hostage situation at First Union bank. We’ve been called in by Virgina PD, who is already on the scene and SWAT is currently on their way as well. Everyone needs to gather their things and head to the garage” Aaron gave his orders, and everyone sprang into action.

As you all made your way to the government issued SUVs, Aaron continued briefing everyone and he gave out assignments.

“Alright Garcia and Reid, I want you two in the mobile command unit digging into our unsubs, we need to identify them. JJ, I need you to control the media with this, I don’t want any details getting out without my approval. Morgan and Prentiss go check in with SWAT and go over our plan. Y/N and Dave you will take point on the negotiations. Understood?” Aaron looked to everyone for confirmation.

There were collective nods, and everyone went to their separate posts to get started. You and Dave made your way over to one of the command center tents, discussing with the officers there that you would be in charge of the negotiations. They filled you in on what had happened thus far, and you worked to devise your initial approach. Dave and you had made contact with the unsubs, they were demanding a helicopter and one million dollars (a truly ridiculous request on their part). Approximately fifteen minutes later, Garcia and Reid rushed to where you, Dave and Aaron were standing.

“We have identified the unsubs! The two men are brothers, Michael and James Snyder. They are connected to at least eight other bank robberies around the northeastern United Staes. The woman, her name is Katiya Kuznetsov she is not connected to the robberies, but she is flagged under the FBI’s most wanted. She’s thought to be the mastermind behind dozens of explosions in North America from the last nine months.” Garcia explained. Aaron radioed to request the bomb squad.

“Why would she be working with these two? Robbing banks isn’t quite the same M.O. as blowing up buildings.” You questioned.

“We looked into it, and it seems that she may have connections to someone who owns a safety deposit box at this bank. We don’t know what is in it, but we were able to narrow down the list of potentials.” Reid answered.

“This changes things, we need to get in there and apprehend them. We need to get the civilians out. I think our best option would be for us to breach with SWAT and local PD.” Aaron explained.

“Hotch, that seems a little drastic don’t you think? If we just barge in there, who’s to say they don’t just start shooting the hostages. Dave and I were making progress and now that we know who they are, perhaps we can get them to break.” You could feel your anxiety eating away at you, the thought of Aaron barging in there terrified you.

“Sorry kid, but I’m with Aaron on this one. We were making some progress, but not enough and given this new information, I think it is safe to assume that there is probably a bomb in the bank somewhere, the sooner we get the hostages out, the better.” Rossi shut your idea down.

You could feel the bile rising up your throat. Your palms were starting to sweat and your pulse quickening. You knew what was about to happen, Aaron was going to give out assignments which meant he was diving headfirst into danger while he ensured your safety.

“Alright here’s what we will do, Morgan and I will go in the front, try to talk the unsubs down. Prentiss and Reid you will go through the back, with SWAT and the bomb squad try to locate the explosive and disable it. Garcia, I want you to keep eyes inside the bank the whole time, keep us posted of everything you see through comms. Dave and you can stay out here and monitor the phones, I want you to call in to distract them while we enter, I think it might buy us some leeway.” Aaron gave the assignments.

You gave Aaron a pointed look, one that expressed all of your nerves and anxiety. He looked back at you, it was stern as far as any onlooker could tell, but you could see the softness flash across his features. He was silently telling you that everything would be okay, and for a moment, you believed that it would be.

Time seemed to slow then. Everyone was moving, following orders hastily. But you, you were glued to your spot…Dave’s hand on your shoulder is what finally snapped you out of your thoughts.

“He’ll be okay kid.” Dave tried to soothe your nerves.

You called into the bank to try and steal the attention of the unsubs as Aaron had requested, all the while agents were moving through the bank. Suddenly Garcia’s voice rang over the comms.

“One of the unsubs slipped away. I’m assuming to get to the explosive. I am working to get the blueprints of the bank so we can figure out where it is set up.” Garcia rushed.

Gunshots echoed through the air, the comms were buzzing with shouts from Aaron, Morgan, Prentiss, Dave and some other voices you couldn’t pin down.

The fact that you could hear Aaron’s voice helped to calm your nerves as he clearly hadn’t been shot. His next words soothed your mind even more so.

“We have Michael and James in custody, Morgan is walking the hostages out now. I am going to go and assist the others in finding Katiya and the explosive.” Aaron called over the comms.

Dave could see you tense at Aaron’s words; he once again laid his hand on your shoulder in hopes to ease your mind. Morgan walked over to you and Dave after placing the unsubs in the police cars that were standing by.

What happened next brought your world crashing down.

The silence over the comms had been eerie. Everything paused and then it happened. The bank had exploded, right before your eyes. You had been far enough away that the blast hadn’t knocked you over, but it still left your ears ringing.

Had Morgan and Dave’s ears not already been ringing they definitely would have been after the scream that ripped through your body.

“NOO!!!!!” You screamed.

You couldn’t form a coherent thought; you sobbed and lurched your body forward in hopes of going to find Aaron. Before you could make it three steps, Morgan had his arms around your waist holding you back. He turned you around and held you while you pounded your fists against his chest.

��Sweetheart you can’t go in there. I know we have people in there and waiting for them to get out is going to feel like an eternity. But until we get any sort of confirmation, we need to try and stay positive.” Morgan explained.

Garcia and JJ joined you, Dave and Morgan, tears streaming down their faces, all of them silently hoping your team family would make it out unscathed.

You could feel it coming on, the more time had passed. Your breaths were shallow, body clammy, your vision was going blurry, you were having a hard time keeping yourself upright. Dave was the one to notice and lead you away from the group, he held your hands and was saying something about you needing to match his breathing.

“Dave I…I c-can’t. W-what if he doesn’t make it out? I w-would d-die without him Dave!” You hiccupped.

“He’s going to make it out. But remember that you are strong and no matter what happens you will make it through this.” Dave reminds you.

“No! Dave, you don’t understand without Aaron, sure, the rain would fall, the children would play, the tides would change but I-I would die.” You looked away from Dave momentarily “I die without you.” You whispered.

You saw heads start turning in the direction of the alleyway that was adjacent to what was once the bank, as you followed suit, the bile returned – easing its way up your throat.  A body bag, with no other signs of Aaron. Your mind jumped to the worst-case scenario and your legs finally gave out. Dave tried to catch you as you fell to the ground, another gut-wrenching sob ripping its way through you.

You didn’t register the loss of Dave’s arms around your shoulders, not until he moved to pull you up off the ground and turn you in the direction of the group of agents making their way towards you. You tried to protest, telling Dave that nothing mattered anymore, until he physically turned your chin towards them.

“Aaron?” It came out as an exhale, below a whisper.

“Aaron?” This time was a bit louder, gaining your voice back.

“Aaron!” A shout this time as you could see his eyes scanning the crowd for you.

His gaze snapped to you as you ran towards him, looking him over to ensure that he is unharmed before you launch yourself into his arms. He lifted you fully and allowed you to wrap your legs around his waist, he could feel your tears soaking the collar of his shirt. He gently shushed you assuring you that he was okay and that everyone was safe.

“T-the b-body bag, I-I thought it. I thought it was you, Aaron.”

“It was Katiya, she was trying to detonate it when we found her, we had just enough time to get to some sort of vault, but when it went off, the debris trapped us in. Honey, I am so sorry I scared you. I’m alright though, not even a scratch.” Aaron brushed his hand over the back of your head as you brought your feet back to the ground.

He looked into your eyes, he could tell that your brain was trying to process everything, all the emotions you had just been feeling, along with the relief you must be feeling now. He couldn’t help himself when he leaned in and kissed you. It was a kiss that said I was terrified of losing you but we’re safe and here together now. As he pulled away, you rested your foreheads against one another’s.

You knew that there would be tons of questions from the team but honestly in this moment you couldn’t care less because Aaron was safe and back in your arms. This moment that you were sharing allowed a few things to become clear for you and Aaron. You knew that he was the one for you, nobody else, and you were sure you wouldn’t survive losing him. He came to realize that it was time for him to pull that ring from the back of his sock drawer and finally ask you for forever, he thought that maybe it was time for him to step back and take that promotion Strauss had continuously offered. All he knew was that he couldn���t risk what you two had. Without you…he couldn’t even finish the thought because that wasn’t even an option.

[maxdibert]

Was Severus smarter or more powerful than Sirius or James? We know he fought back but did he ever manage to back up his courage or did he do it simply out of pride and hate? We know he was powerful, I mean Voldemort taught him how to fly, but if Sirius never went to Azkaban could these two rival each other? I would love for Snape to actually be slightly more stronger or smarter than these two but canon doesn’t really prove that.

I think people sometimes forget that Sirius and James came from pure-blood families. That means they came from a magical lineage of generations, and from the moment they were born, they were surrounded by magic. They were raised in the wizarding world; their parents and relatives used magic all the time, their cultural references were purely magical, their environments were magical, and everything they knew revolved around magic. This already gave them an advantage over any classmate who didn’t come from the same background. What many had to learn from scratch, they probably already knew because they had seen it at home (basic spells, basic potions, basic charms, and even magical history).

It’s like if, for example, I wanted to dedicate myself to horseback riding but had never been around horses, and when I signed up, I had a classmate who not only had talent for riding but also had grown up on a horse farm and had been around them since birth. Logically, that person would have an advantage over me.

I think James and Sirius were talented and powerful wizards, but I also believe that, academically, they had an advantage over those who didn’t come from a magical family and/or cultural background. They must have already known many things that others didn’t, which is why, as mentioned in the books, in some subjects they barely had to try to pass or get good grades. For example, I came from a very intellectual family and read advanced philosophy books for my age because my parents instilled that in me. As a result, I excelled in those kinds of subjects without having to study or pay much attention in class. Did I have talent for it? Yes, but I also had a solid foundation on the topic that others didn’t.

I believe Severus was a genius, and I think this because there is genius in creating your own spells and especially in being able to take a textbook and literally correct and improve it as a teenager. I also think that his talent was probably on par with James and Sirius, but he likely lacked the foundational tools and therefore had to work harder than they did because he grew up in a Muggle environment, in a house ruled by a Muggle father. As much as he knew more about magic than Lily, for example, I highly doubt he knew more than Sirius, which would be illogical considering their backgrounds.

Perhaps as teenagers, they were ahead of him due to that same advantage, in the same way that I believe they were more talented in practical matters while he was better at theoretical and intellectual things.

Clearly, the 33-year-old Severus is more powerful than the post-Azkaban Sirius because Sirius has a significant setback from being locked up for so long. If they had been on equal footing, would they have been equals? It’s hard to say, honestly. I also think it depends a lot on their strengths and what they excelled at. I don’t see Sirius or James being better than him in Occlumency, Legilimency, or Potions, even if they had lived normal lives, but I also don’t see Severus being better than them in Transfiguration, for example.

In that sense, I think it also depends on their talents and interests as wizards and in what fields they developed. I do think he would have been a rival and that, in a one-on-one fight, it would have been pretty difficult to knock him out. I also believe that Severus had to hold back a lot at Hogwarts, mainly to avoid being expelled, but in a free fight and on equal footing, with no risk of going to Azkaban, would he have left them half-dead? He probably would have surprised more than one person.

[torturedpoetsdepartmentemployee]

I have an alternate universe Buggy that's been ratallng around in my head. A female Buggy that's like Taylor Swift, so she got into music and wants to be a singer. She spent most of her time on the Oro building up her guitar and piano skills. She stole the guitar from the musician(was aware but let it happen) and begged Roger to get a piano. She didn't inherently have the greatest vocals and got teased, specifically by Shanks. Dreams of being in front of a crowd cheering her on and singing her songs. Those dreams are what drive her. It goes hand in hand with canon Buggy’s inferiority complex and constantly seeking attention to be a star.

The reason I can imagine it is because Buggy would be the kind to right the most unhinged lyrics that TS is known for. Also a lot of her lyrics reflect Buggy.

Mirrorball - And they called off the circus Burned the disco down When they sent home the horses And the rodeo clowns I'm still on that tightrope I'm still trying everything to get you laughing at me I'm still a believer but I don't know why I've never been a natural All I do is try, try, try I'm still on that trapeze I'm still trying everything To keep you looking at me

Me! - I know that I'm a handful, baby, uh I know I never think before I jump And you're the kind of guy the ladies want (And there's a lot of cool chicks out there) I know that I went psycho on the phone I never leave well enough alone And trouble's gonna follow where I go (And there's a lot of cool chicks out there)

Karma - ‘Cause karma is my boyfriend Karma is a god Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend Karma's a relaxing thought Aren't you envious that for you it's not? Sweet like honey, karma is a cat Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me Flexing like a goddamn acrobat Me and karma vibe like that Ask me what I learned from all those years Ask me what I earned from all those tears Ask me why so many fade, but I'm still here (I'm still, I'm still here)

peace - Our coming-of-age has come and gone Suddenly the summer, it's clear I never had the courage of my convictions As long as danger is near And it's just around the corner, darling ‘Cause it lives in me No, I could never give you peace

long story short - Fatefully I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me Misery Like the war of words I shouted in my sleep And you passed right by I was in the alley, surrounded on all sides The knife cuts both ways If the shoe fits, walk in it 'til your high heels break

Never Grow Up - And no one's ever burned you Nothing's ever left you scarred And even though you want to Just try to never grow up

So here I am in my new apartment In a big city, they just dropped me off It's so much colder than I thought it would be So I tuck myself in and turn my nightlight on Wish I'd never grown up I wish I'd never grown up

Endgame - I hit you like, "Bang" We tried to forget it, but we just couldn't And I bury hatchets but I keep maps of where I put 'em Reputation precedes me, they told you I'm crazy I swear I don't love the drama, it loves me

The whole of Dear Reader and most of Anti Hero. New Romantics just sounds like a pirate anthem. So definitely something Buggy would write.

Here are the albums that would be about different exes. The exes that had a lasting impact on her.

Red Hair Shanks - Debut, Fearless, and Red

Donquixate Doflamongo - Speak Now, a little of Fearless and Red.

Charlotte Katakuri - Speak Now

Sir Crocodile - 1989

Sakazuki/Akainu -folklore, evermore

Dracula Mihawk - reputation, Lover, folklore, evermore

Midnights is a mix of them. Also she falls back in love with Mihawk and Crocodile after they form the Cross Guild.

Her exes have a hard time forgetting her and its made even worse by their enemies using the songs about them to torment them. It also doesn't help that their subordinates and families listen to her songs too. I'm still figuring out the timeline. Akainu happens before Mihawk but she is so hurt by him that she wasn't able to write any songs about him until much later.

None of this is a commentary on Taylor Swift or her personal life. Just my interpretations and how they'd fit.



[salty-scars01]

Shopping Carts

Kaiju no. 8 Crackfic

Characters: Kafka Hibino, Kikoru Shinomiya, Reno Ichikawa, Iharu Furuhashi

A/N: Came up with this while playing Fortnite to be real honest, and now this is something that lives rent free in my head.

A/N: Don't judge me for this one please </3

-•-

Shinomiya, Kafka, Ichikawa, and Furuhashi were out on a rare day off, where Hoshina's whole squad got to relax for a day.

Shinomiya insisted on going shopping at least once during their outing and the men agreed.

Now they stood outside at a nearly empty mall parking lot while Shinomiya crossed her arms at her co-workers antics.

"You cannot be serious," she sneered at Kafka, a 32 year old grown man excitedly pushing a stray shopping cart her way.

"Oh hell yeah!" Furuhashi exclaimed as Ichikawa returned with a shopping cart of his own.

"I promise, it's fun. Even if we get in trouble for it." Ichikawa smiled as Furuhashi climbed into the cab of the cart.

Furuhashi pointed his finger to the sky and yelled, "LET'S GO!!!" And with that, Ichikawa took off running. It was rare to see him so laid back like this, but it was far from unwelcome.

Kafka turned to face Shinomiya now as Iharu's contagious laughter rang out throughout the parking lot with a few stray onlookers. "See? It's fun! C'moooon Shinomiyaaaa, just one run around the parking lot!"

Kafka pleaded with his best attempt at puppy eyes that his old age could muster and Shinomiya sighed.

"Fine, just stop making that face." She retorted as she approached the shopping cart.

The smile that crossed over Kafka's face was enough to send a shiver down her spine.

She carefully mantled the cart, hopping into the cab whilst Kafka held it still for her. She crouched in the cart and looked back at Kafka, who still had a goofy smile across his face.

"Ready?" He asked, making sure she felt secure.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

Kafka started off slow, but quickly sped up as he noticed Shinomiya smiling briefly.

He began to move at a run, then he broke off into a sprint.

"K-Kafka!" Shinomyia exclaimed as she felt the cart wobble against the pavement.

"It's fine! We just got a rusty cart is all!" He moved his left foot onto the lower shelf and continued to push with his right. He kept his torso folded over the handle of the cart to keep the balance as they continued to glide around the lot.

Shinomiya moved her hands to hold onto the edge of the carts as Kafka caught up to Ichikawa and Furuhashi, though she wasn't excited about the fact that they nearly crashed.

The two teams decided on a race to see who could finish one lap around the parking lot first. And by the teams, I mean Kafka and Furuhashi individually.

Kafka and Ichikawa continued to skate around the parking lot while Furuhashi laughed maniacally, standing proud in his cart with his foot on the rim as if he were a pirate leading a ship.

Shinomiya eventually found the courage to stand as well, if only to remain crouched afterwards.

Kafka took a hard swerve into the next street and nearly ran into a goose who was wandering around.

The creature honked at him ferociously and flapped it's wings in anger, which caused a spot of trouble for Ichikawa as he had to slow to maneuver around it, allowing Kafka to take the lead.

~

By the end of their run, Kafka was out of breath and leaned heavily on the side of his shopping cart while Shinomiya climbed out, and big smile on her face for only a second as she fixed her windswept hair.

Hardly a moment later, Ichikawa brought his cart to a stop next to Kafka and paused to catch his breath as well. Furuhashi hopped out of the cart, still laughing.

"Man, I haven't done that in forever!" He shouted proudly.

"And we probably won't get to for another while," Ichikawa reminded him.

Shinomiya turned to Kafka, who was still bowled over from their activities.

"Hey, old man." Kikioru snickered at him.

Kafka looked up at her with a furrow of his brows. He wasn't that old.

"That was fun." She flashed him a smile and a flick of her ponytail.

Kafka beamed at her and started laughing. "See? I told you!"

-•-

Bonus video of what conspired to make me write this.

Also imagine relentless giggling and autistic "Shopping cart?" "SHOPPING CART!!!" back and forth between two people while two others are sitting in silence judging us menacingly.

[ellzilla]

An extreme warning for everyone in the Creepypasta community, especially the Creeps Comic sub-community

This is a post 6 years too late, but I've finally gained the courage to speak up. Trigger Warning for: Pedophillia, child grooming, suicide and beastiality There are two manipulative pedophiles in the creepypasta community that go by the name Kori [Konpeito-Starfox on tumblr, korgifemboi on discord] and Michael [kitsuneaniki on discord] who have: Dated a minor, have been sexual in the presence of minors, exposed minors to hardcore pornography and have drawn pornography FOR minors. When I was 15 back in 2018, I was invited to a creepypasta discord after I was found because of my Old LJ ask blog. I remember Kori and Michael [Trixi at the time] were 21 and 24-25 and were 'tame' at first, but they slowly became more and more sexual as months went by. A few raunchy jokes turned into full on porn posting. They talked about sexual situations with Creeps characters with two 16 year olds and a 17 year old. I felt uncomfortable with it, but I couldn't get why. This next part may be worded poorly, as it's extremely emotionally hard on me to bring up the memories, but I'll try my best and will be the most coherent I can make it. As a dumbass 15 year old, I didn't get the difference between being gay and being sexual due to the homophobic town and family I've grown up around I had never been told otherwise, so I thought it was fine, that lgbt people in their 20's being highly sexual around and directly to lgbt teenagers was fine! Everyone was happy! And me bringing up the uncomfortableness was just me brining everyone down! But then Kori and Michael made porn for a 16 year old's oc having sex with their sonas. And something in me finally shouted "Something is wrong." I didn't know how to word it, but I approached my family [good!] and said "My friends are being a little too gay, what should I say?" [bad!!!] and so I was told "tell them to stop that." And so, in I said "can you stop being gay?" in an attempt to say "hey stop being sexual" [I know, I know, point and laugh at 15 year old me for being confused] and obviously got kicked out for that. There was shit said by them that made me want to commit suicide [thought I must stress they never directly told me to kms] And then got death and rape threats that MIGHT have been from them on my old LJ ask blog after that, but that's a side note. In the same year, the 16 year old who was given porn of their oc, [who I will refer to as Victim 1 and censored in black] started dating Kori and Michael. Note: Victim's 1's birthday is in October and this screenshot is from September

It is of note that Kori and Michael are extremely manipulative and hav convinced Victim 1, that it's better to lie to me and tried to say they were 17 when they started dating, despite me knowing their age and not correcting another [I will refer to as Victim 2 and censored in red] mentioned it in a conversation. There are two other victims who I will also censor the names of.

Below is a continuation of this conversation to show that Kori and Michael have convinced Victim 1 that them showing porn to minors is okay.

I also showed Victim 1 that what Kori and Michael did is VERY ILLEGAL, let alone immoral, but was brushed off. Granted, I should have showed him more but I was rushing to the hospital because of my heart issues and was not thinking straight due to the stress.

Michael has also been proven to quite literally speak for Victim 1 as well. [The sibling comment was because they thought Victim 2's [trans] sister was Victim 2 referring to me]

This is the end of the post, and I hope this is enough to show how much of a threat Kori and Michael are to minors, but I physically cannot show the mountain pile of trauma without putting myself in a medical emergency. There is far more receipts of Kori and Michael's emotional manipulation, but again, if this post went on for too much longer I could end up in the hospital because of them and I don't want it to be a fourth time. If you or someone you know are friends with Kori and Michael, please distance yourself from these pedophiles and show your friend this post. If I could, I would personally report them to the police, however they are in America and I am in Australia with no knowledge of how to report across-seas. If you can, please report them to the proper authorities, although I do not know if they can get into legal trouble for what they did to us years ago, it will stop any on-going child grooming. Please note, I will not be mentioning this or replying to anyone specifically IN MY INBOX until AFTER I recover from making this post. Do not send me anon messages if you're going to tell me something private, instead, message me. If you have a public issue with this post, say it with your chest and off anon. Before this hell is through, I have three more screenshots to share. One of Victim 2 being shown drawn Beastiality while they were still a minor [I have been informed Victim 2 was still 16], one of Kori [with a pfp of LJ having sex with Will in a server full of minors] mocking me while I was still 16 and against them being sexual [and mocking me for my LJ design and having a non-sexual lizard hyperfix], and a miscellaneous message of Michael admitting he likes dog genitalia and mocking me for not liking porn but being fine with gore. WHILE I WAS STILL A MINOR. I will put them under the cut as two of them are censored but still visual images of nsfw. IF YOU ARE A MINOR, DO NOT CONTINUE THE POST AND PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE.

Grown ass adults talking to and about children...

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Phantom Grin

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: Bruce Wayne visits his son's grave on the night of his resurrection. Will it change Jason's fate, or is it all simply inevitable?

Chapters: 8/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain

Relationship(s): Jason Todd/Original Character

Additional Tags: Canon Divergent AU, Jason Todd Has Chronic Pain, Jason Todd is Disabled, Barbara Gordon is Oracle, Resurrected Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne Get Along

Chapter Eight: EMDR

Bruce found Jason in the cave with Tim, sparring. "Jason, you have an appointment with the—." Jason took a hit to the chest before knocking Tim off his feet. "Jason, you have—."

"I know... I'll be ready in ten," Jason interrupted. He didn't like going to therapy. Remembering was almost always upsetting, and talking about things was even worse. He knew it worked, but the process itself was exhausting. He rolled his shoulders back and patted the sweat from his brow. "Sorry, Tim... See you later?" Jason asked.

It'd been nearly six months since he'd met Tim, and they'd grown close. It was nice to talk to someone about average things like school and girls. When they both had free time, Jason would spend the night at Tim's house and watch movies.

Tim nodded, and they bumped fists. "If I don't get grounded before tomorrow night, yeah. I'll see you," Tim joked. Jason chuckled and waved as he went back upstairs to his room.

He showered and dressed for therapy, taking the time to look himself over in the mirror and dry his hair. His hair passed his shoulders, and he often pulled it into a long, low ponytail. He wasn't sure how he'd look if he cut it. He noticed bits of grey peeking out of the front of his hair, and he sighed. Sometimes his appearance seemed unreal, still, after all that time. Jason forced himself to smile before exiting his bathroom, and he ran into Cassandra. "W- what—?"

"Have a good day," she whispered. Cassandra knew how drained he felt after therapy. Most of the time, he'd lock himself in his room, and other times he'd come home feeling as if he were someone else. Jason stood still for a moment, wordlessly, before mustering up the courage to hug her. Cassandra didn't mind the hugs, but Jason worried that he burdened her with his feelings.

"Tell Barbara I said hi," Jason replied. He made his way down the stairs and met Bruce at the car. Bruce leaned against the hood with a smile on his face. "What?"

"If you want, you can get your license before your eighteenth—. What's that face?" Bruce asked after Jason started to frown.

"The 'e' word," Jason mumbled as he got in the car and turned his face towards the window.

"Right... You're going to be fine. Your childhood isn't over, you know? Cassie turned eighteen this year, and that meant nothing to her—."

"Yeah, but she was conscious during the whole aging process. I woke up taller, my hair's different, my voice, my life was completely missing, and on top of that, I'm gonna be eighteen soon," Jason complained, "It just—. It sucks, Dad."

"It does suck," Bruce whispered, and Jason smiled. "What?"

"I just wanted you to admit it," Jason grinned, "You don't have to be so positive all the time. It drives me nuts."

"Would you like me to tell you what sucks?" asked Bruce.

Jason laughed. "Yeah, go for it," he answered.

"Waiting rooms. Waiting rooms suck," Bruce replied, and they both laughed. "And the way people say, 'get well soon,' like you have a stomach bug or something."

"Oh, I hate that! 'Get well soon.' Fuck off," Jason blurted out. He gasped and covered his mouth. Bruce let out a giggle that built into a laugh so hard that he cried.

"Fuck off," Bruce repeated before taking a deep breath. "Oh, that's good... I feel like I can finally breathe with you."

Jason softened and looked at Bruce. "I'm glad. That's all I want from you. Loosen up, laugh, cry, curse... It helps," Jason whispered, "I'm not fragile. I swear." As they parked in the lot, they sat still for a moment. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Jason," Bruce whispered. It was the first time Jason ever said he loved Bruce. Jason led Bruce to the office, and they signed in and sat, staring at the fish tank on the wall.

"See the blue one? Iggy? That's the fifth Iggy they've had since I've been here," Jason whispered. Bruce held back a laugh. "Finding Nemo, the darkest timeline."

Bruce chuckled and nudged him. "Cut it out," Bruce smiled, "Jason, are you nervous?"

Jason shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Uh-huh... It's what I gotta do," Jason mumbled, "I only need like eight more sessions before I'm done, though." Jason shut his eyes and leaned his head back.

The doctor called Jason's name. They had a conversation about their stop signal and Jason's past history, and the doctor asked, "When you hold that image of Willis raising a hand to you, are there any negative beliefs you have about yourself? No feelings, just 'I am' or 'I am not...' statements."

Jason readjusted in the easy chair. "I'm a burden," Jason whispered.

"Is there a positive belief that you would like to have about yourself in the place of that? What would you like to believe about yourself?" she asked.

"That I'm wanted... Maybe even needed," Jason replied.

"Okay... Jason, if you were to hold that image of Willis in your head and say to yourself, 'I am wanted, maybe even needed,' how true would that feel on a scale of one-to-seven? One is completely false, and seven is true... What's your gut feeling?" she questioned.

"Uh... I don't know. Three maybe... Shit, I'm not-. One if we're being honest," Jason answered as he pulled a curl loose from his ponytail.

"That's alright, Jason... When you hold that image of Willis and say to yourself, 'I am a burden,' what do you feel right now?" she asked.

"I feel unsafe, edgy," Jason whispered as he bounced his legs.

"Where do you feel that in your body?" she questioned.

Jason took a deep breath and pulled himself together. "My stomach... And my shoulders... And in my head like I'm—. Like I feel dizzy," Jason whispered.

"Remember Jason, we can stop anytime that you want to," she whispered.

"No, I don't want to stop... I can handle it," Jason replied. He swallowed hard.

"How strong are those feelings on a scale of one to seven?" she questioned.

"I dunno, maybe a seven. I don't like to talk about him," Jason mumbled. He couldn't look her in the eye.

"I need you to take the edginess and the unsafe feeling of being a burden, and I'm going to ask you to carry that along with the image of Willis raising a hand to you," she whispered as she tested the speed of her hand movements as she waved them back and forth. "Can you follow my fingers? Or do you need—."

"No, it's fine," Jason whispered as he followed her fingers with his eyes. He thought about Willis raising a hand to hit him, and it felt as if he were there at that moment. She stopped suddenly, and he took a deep breath in.

"What came up for you?" she asked. Jason closed his eyes and let his hair down.

He took a moment to catch his breath. "Pins and needles. I feel like I'm there and I—. I need a minute. Can I get something to drink?" Jason asked. He hated feeling panicked, but he couldn't help it. She said it was a normal part of the process.

Somatic symptoms, that's what she called them. Jason wasn't really paying attention when she explained it, but he knew that's what he felt. He could recall how it felt because that's how he felt every time he focused too long on the thought. "You can take—." Jason got up before she could finish speaking, and he stepped out into the hallway to get a drink of water.

It took him several minutes to go back, and when he did, he sat for the rest of his hour going through the process. When he was done, he met Bruce in the waiting room. "You alright?" Bruce asked. Jason embraced him. "I've got you... You wanna go get curly fries?"

"Waffle fries... With chili," Jason mumbled into Bruce's shoulder. Bruce chuckled.

[valentineheart14]

Masterlist

Hello! I'm Valentine! You can call me Val though :) I'm currently in college but that doesn't stop me from wasting away reading, writing and watching edits of my fandoms<3

This is my first time making a master list of my fics. I actually had help from @sereia1313 as she told me how to make this so thank you to her<3 I hope you check out my works and enjoy them. Please let me know your thoughts<3

Updated: May 1, 2025

Total Works: 33

Inuyasha

Eternal Devotion to his Shikon Miko: Approaching the age of twenty, Kagome has matured both in body and mind as she has worked hard to improve her skills since the disappearance of Naraku after their last confrontation at Mount Hakurei. In the two years since then, Kagome has caught the eye of the Great Dog Demon.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 159k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

Loving the Great Dog Demon Eternally: Approaching the age of twenty five, Kagome had grown into the woman she was meant to be. Once reunited with the Great Dog Demon, she now has to face a whole new set of challenges that has her wishing she was fighting demons and facing Naraku instead.

Status: Ongoing

Word Count: 105k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

Mistletoe And Snow Angels: Now in the feudal era, it’s Christmas time and Kagome is feeling loneliness more than ever since she returned. With everyone moving forward in their lives, Kagome is left on her own. However, a certain Inu daiyokai has made a point to keep her company and she isn’t quite sure what to make of it.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 11k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

Pup in denial: In which Sesshomaru and Kagome find themselves enjoying each others company.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 40k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

Riding my Professor: I recommend reading the first one first, however you don't need to since they are both stand alone. They are just alternate timelines of one another. In which Kagome gets drunk one night at the club and wakes up in the bed of a handsome stranger. Only to find out he is her new History Professor.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 43K

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

Under the Veil: When the Shikon Miko is promised to marry a young Demon Lord to ensure peace for demon and human kind, however there are those who wish to live in chaos.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 11K

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

X-box out the balcony: Kagome reflects on her relationship with her boyfriend that started when she had tossed an x-box out the balcony and nearly killed him.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 22k

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

Yours forever: A young maiden who lives near the edge of the dark woods encounters an old demon in the woods who has been enamored by her for years.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 11k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

Zeal: A girl cursed to wait for true love's kiss, however the beast that guards her tower makes it hard for anyone to come save her from the curse that plagues her. With her only companion, she waits for the day that she will meet her true love. That is until she finds herself never wanting to leave her tower on her 20th birthday.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 14K

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

Fairy Tail

Accordance with her lust: Gray has been finding himself in a mental battle concerned his gorgeous blonde teammate that he couldn't get out of his head for a long time now. A mission alone with her might be just what he needs to have the courage to confess and woo said beauty.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 10k

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Gray Fullbuster x Lucy Heartfilia

Dangerously Fallen: She was only bait. He was only her predator. Falling in love was not in his agenda, it wasn't him. Finding love was something she never thought she would find. He fell in love with her. he fell hard and now he was going to cherish her. She finally found love and now she is going to keep it safe no matter the consequences. They fell in love with each other and no one will stop them.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 26K

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Midnight x Lucy Heartfilia

Giving into Temptation: In which Lucy and Natsu are captured by Dimaria, that is until E.N.D comes out and she finds herself giving into him in unexpected ways.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 7k

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Natsu Dragneel x Lucy Heartfilia

I think I'm dying...: Following the events of Fairy Tail disbanding and everything that follows after, Lucy rots away in her apartment drinking and eating as she falls deeper and deeper into depression.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 2k

Rating: Mature

Natsu. You've always been Natsu.: Only after the events of Dragon Cry, Natsu and Lucy stay back in the Kingdom of Stella as Natsu has something to confess. At night, Natsu finds it hard to not be vulnerable and give into his new baser instincts and give into the woman that is his partner.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 5k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Natsu Dragneel x Lucy Heartfilia

Quiet in my Heart: Mystogan reflects on his feelings for a celestial wizard

Status: Complete

Word Count: 2K

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Mystogan x Lucy Heartfilia

Secrets we keep: Six months since Lucy left Valentine, she has returned to Fiore and has spent that time moving forward, training to be stronger and slowly developing her relationship with a certain Light Dragon Slayer. However, the rug is pulled out from underneath her when her old partner returns to take her back and Queen Hisui comes to her requesting her assistance in regards to communication being cut off from Valentine for two months now and needs her to infiltrate the continent and find out what is happening.

Status: Ongoing

Word Count: 4K

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Lucy Heartfilia x Sting Eucliffe, Rogue Cheney x Original Female Character, Natsu Dragneel x Lucy Heartfilia x Sting Eucliffe

Veiled Threats: Lucy Heartfilia is picking up the pieces of her life after Fairy Tail has disbanded. Months later, she receives an unusual request that has her traveling to another Continent where she discovers secrets in her past. While protecting the Queen, she takes this time to heal and come to term with everything that happened with Natsu leaving, losing Aquarius and Fairy Tail disbanding. All while falling in love with a blonde dragon slayer while still being in love with her old partner.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 133k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Rogue Cheney x Original Female Character, Lucy Heatfilia x Sting Eucliffe, Lucy Heartfilia x Natsu Dragneel, Natsu Dragneel x Lucy Heartfilia x Sting Eucliffe

Woke Up Late: Lucy meets a handsome blonde stranger during Levy's bachelorette party. Will Lucy take a chance with this stranger and still make it on time for the bachelorette luncheon the next day? **Inspired by Woke Up Late by The Drax Project**

Status: Complete

Word Count: 6k

Rating: Teen

Pairing: Lucy Heatfilia x Sting Eucliffe

My Hero Academia

Fierce Wings, my Savior: Before the Paranormal Liberation War, the granddaughter of Recovery Girl was kidnapped. Five months after being kidnapped she is saved by the Number Two Hero, Hawks. Acting as her personal body guard he is unable to stay away from her, even as the war looms over them.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 25k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Hawks x Original Female Character

Her small family: In which Shouta meets his target and wife and what follows after. (Told in present and flashbacks)

Status: Complete

Word Count: 21K

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Shouta Aizawa x Original Female Character

My idiotic cupcake stealing, ponytail pulling best friend: They always said that boys were mean to the girls they liked. It wouldn't be until their first year of high school that Miko would find out how such a statement could be true.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 25k

Rating: Explicit

Waiting: Dabi/Touya x Original Female Character

Murder by Love: When a house intruder attempts to use Miko as leverage against Katsuki.

Status: 14k

Word Count: 14k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x Original Female Character

Orchid Encased in Flames and Ice: Shouto meets a girl that makes him feel things that he hasn't felt before.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 23k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Shoto Todoroki x Original Female Character

The Pretty High Elf and The Rogue Dragon Prince: Katsuki finds himself in a rundown tavern where his path crosses with Rosie, a beautiful pink haired elf. After a chance meeting that results in her saving his life, they become partners and grow their party. Katsuki finds himself falling in love with Rosie. Yet, their relationship is tested by the weight of Katsuki's past—a legacy steeped in war, fractured loyalties, and the death of his mentor. While her own past catches up with her that threatens to tear them apart further. However, something more ancient and powerful lingers in the back of his head. **Updates every 2-3 days**

Status: Ongoing

Word Count: 653k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x Original Female Character, Ochako Uraraka x Izuku Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki x Momo Yaoyorozu

Strawberry lipgloss and Black coffee: Entering his second year of University, Katsuki expects the same as every other year. However, on the first day he finds himself immediately paying attention to the girl with obnoxiously long pink hair and distracting strawberry lipgloss. The problem? She is the daughter of his professor, Mr. Aizawa. The other problem? He is dead if Aizawa finds out he is dating his daughter. **(Updates Daily)**

Status: Ongoing

Word Count: 424k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x Original Female Character, Ochako Uraraka x Izuku Midoriya, Shoto Todoroki x Momo Yaoyorozu and many others

Harry Potter

Their Lost Innocence: "What would you do without me Black?"

"Don’t you know Donoghue?” He smirked, “Be careful of the strays that you take care of… you might never get rid of them.”

A tale as old as time. Boy meets girl. Girl likes boy. He has been given the task to befriend said witch as his duty of being Heir. Except said witch has her own agenda.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 100K

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Sirius Black X Original Female Character

Strange Mad World: "I didn't mean for any of this to happen, you know," Sirius said earnestly. "I never wanted to drag you into the spotlight or make you feel uncomfortable. Parker meant nothing and I–”

“What you do is your business,” she started. “Leave my name and my reputation out of it.” Gwen sighed, her eyes reflecting a mixture of emotions.

It’s their second year. While girl and boy have overcome some obstacles in their first year, they still have quite a long way to go, especially as a war is brewing and secrets are revealed testing their relationships.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 104k

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Sirius Black X Original Female Character, Remus Lupin X Lily Evans

Filthy, Dark Magic: "You have not just one, but two hearts," Jackie mused, her voice filled with wonder. "This signifies that you will experience two great loves in your life, the one broken in half indicates heart ache. And look, there's a star next to the one that is broken in half, indicating immense happiness associated with one of these loves."

As Jackie continued to scrutinize the patterns and shapes left behind in the tea leaves, her expression grew more serious. "Ah, but there's more," she said, her voice lowering. "I see a pair of crosses, a symbol of trials and suffering. And there, right beside it, a skull, a forewarning of potential hardships and even death”

Two great loves?

Was she speaking of Sirius Black and Vladimir Romanov?

Boy had broken Girls heart. Girl picks up the pieces. Boy grows jealous of the new attention Girl receives. Girl and Boy get caught up in snogging, snogging, and puberty.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 148k

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Sirius Black X Original Female Character, Remus Lupin X Lily Evans and many more

Killing Pure Beauty: Gwen's voice was a mixture of fury and heartbreak. She took a step closer to him, her fists clenched at her sides. “You always do this, Sirius. You charm your way into people's lives and then leave them shattered!”

Sirius’s eyes darkened, his own anger bubbling to the surface. “You think I wanted this? You think I enjoyed seeing you with someone else, pretending like it didn’t kill me every time I saw you laugh or smile with someone who wasn’t me?”

Girl and boy have gone through their fair share of arguments but after some time apart, they struggle to find where they stand as they begin to take separate paths that lead them to opposite sides of the war. Will they be able to survive the war or will the be the death of one another?

Status: Hiatus/Abandoned

Word Count: 51k

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Sirius Black X Original Female Character, Remus Lupin X Lily Evans and many more

House of the Dragon

Courtship of the Dragon and his lamb: With an arranged marriage between the only daughter of House Stark and the youngest son of House Targaryen comes her introduction to court. Upon her introduction she is thrust into the dark secrets and shadowy corners of the Red Keep. Here, secrets and information are the currency of the realm, especially in the time leading up to the King's death and the brewing war within House Targaryen.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 111k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Original Female Character

Just take my hand: When Claera Targaryen, the daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon, returns to court after five years in the North, much about her has changed. Now a woman grown, she draws the attention of many, but none more so than her uncle, Aegon. Meanwhile, Aegon, at twenty, faces the pressure of marriage and responsibility, something he has long avoided. Alicent and Rhaenyra, seeing a chance to strengthen the bond between their two families, conspire to unite their eldest children through marriage, hoping to solidify their families' alliances and secure the future of House Targaryen

Status: Complete

Word Count: 27k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Aegon Targaryen x Original Female Character

Star Wars

Beautiful seduction by the darkness within: A deal made with the devil is what leads Mari to the dark side of the force. The longer she tries to stay true to her morals and beliefs, everyday she finds herself falling into the darkness. The same darkness that every force user faces and overcomes, but will she find herself seduced by the darks side? Or by the man that promises to fulfill her secret desires?

Status: Being Rewritten and Edited

Word Count: 136k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Kylo Ren/Ben Solo x Original Female Character

Dead By Daylight/Silent Hill

I will always belong to you: In which Violet is searching for the only one that makes her feel safe. After reuniting, she comes to terms that she must have been born to belong to him and him for her as she learns to live in the Realm at his side, exploring one another.

Status: Complete

Word Count: 14k

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Pyramid Head x Original Female Character

[ur-fav-inactive-writer]

𝐀 𝐒𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 & 𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞

Pt: Two Three | Prince Phillip III x shy!reader | Request

(omd I hate the name but whatever)

WC: 1681

It was a pretty average day in Amber Beach. The sun was shining bright as usual and you and the rangers were hard at work in the café. You were stood in the kitchen, huffing as you tried with all your might to scrub a mark off of the counter. It was a busy day in the café, plenty of people sat at tables and waiting for food. Tyler came and stood next to you,

"Hey, (Y/N/N), can you take this to table 7 for me, please? Shelby's on break and all the other servers are busy."

You turned to him, nodding as you took the tray. Tyler was your closest friend. You'd known him for many years, him being the reason that you moved to Amber Beach. You hung out all the time, gave him advice about his massive crush on Shelby and acted like siblings. You and Tyler had known one another since you were just little kids, both your dads' being friends and going caving together. You both lost your fathers in the caving accident so many years back, and as devastating as it was, it bonded you and Tyler in ways you didn't even think were possible. Heck, if that hadn't happened, you don't think you and Tyler would've been friends. You were always shy and reserved, not being very good with new people. But once you were familiarised with Tyler, you became closer than ever. So when many years had passed and you had both grown up and Tyler packed up to go to Amber Beach in search of Sampson Cave, you happily accompanied him. That's how you ended up working at the café and being a ranger, and you wouldn't change a single thing.

You turned on your heel, taking the tray Tyler had provided you with to the corresponding table. You placed down all the plates to each person, serving them their drinks before turning and returning to the kitchen. Going over to the sink, you began to scrub the dishes before hearing a loud commotion. You heard the sound of many teenage girls shrieking and fawning over something. Confused at the fuss, you turned around. Your eyes widened as you saw the prince, your boyfriend, walking into the café. Your feet began moving without you even realising as you began to run to him. The security guards didn't even attempt to stop you, being very familiar with you. Flying into his arms, he held you tightly. It had been weeks since you'd seen him, he was busy with his royal duties and you were occupied with your job and being a ranger. That left very little time to be seeing your dear boyfriend. So, when you had finally seen him, you didn't hold back. You held him tighter than ever, your coworkers 'awwwing' from the kitchen. Phillip smiled as he held you.

"Miss me, my love?"

You remained silent but nodded vigorously. He was surprised how you had ran to him, considering how shy you were and how you didn't like to make a scene. You didn't let go for ages, only pulling back briefly to lean in for a kiss. Phillip was whipped, he adored you more than anything. He felt like a foolish schoolboy with a crush, he just loved you so so much. If it was possible to have a crush on someone while dating them, Phillip definitely did. He was there on ranger business, the two of you and the rest of the rangers going to the base.

~*~*~*~*~

You sat in the base, Kendall discussing something with most of the rangers. She was showing them their new dino chargers. She hadn't been through with you and Phillip yet, but she knew you'd want more time with Phillip, so she decided on going through it with you later on. You were cuddled up next to Phillip, his arm around you and your head on his shoulder. You were quietly conversing and enjoying the peace. He began getting quiet and looking troubled, as if he wanted to ask something but couldn't muster the courage. You looked into his eyes, silently telling him it was okay to ask whatever he was going to. He sighed softly and began to speak,

"(Y/N), would you like to accompany me back to Zandar? I could show you the country, it's truly gorgeous."

You smiled at him, desperately wanting to say yes. Your smile faltered slightly as you responded meekly.

"Phillip, of course I'd want to but I don't know if Kendall would let me have that much time off work and there's are the ranger duties and-"

Phillip cut you off with a small but passionate kiss, catching you off guard. Your eyes widened, feeling shy since you were kissing right in front of all your friends, but you quickly leant into the kiss. He broke away after a few moments.

"My love, I've already consulted Kendall, she has agreed to let you accompany me back to Zandar, so, will you?"

You nodded eagerly at this, excited to finally see the country that your boyfriend rules over. Tyler looked over, smiling at the fact you and Phillip were happy. He'd always be happy for you.

~*~*~*~*~

A week later and it was time for you and Phillip to leave for Zandar. You had packed a bag and bid goodbye to all your friends and were now in the car on the way to the private jet that would take you back to Zandar. Your head was rested on Phillips shoulder, his arm once again wrapped around you with him occasionally leaning down to kiss your forehead.

~*~*~*~*~

You had finally landed in Zandar and the maids had taken all your bags for you and taken them to the room dedicated to you in the palace. You'd never even been there before and there was already a huge room for you! You were sure it was Phillip who had persuaded them to set the whole thing up. You smiled softly at the thought, thanking the maids who had brought your bags up for you. Phillip persuaded you to go shower and change before you went on your tour around Zandar. You happily complied, wanting to make use of the huge bathroom and fancy products waiting for you in your room. You dried off from the shower and before you could even fully dry yourself, maids came into the room. They held out many outfits in front of you, asking if you'd like any of the options. You felt overwhelmed by the amount of strangers in the room and by the amount of options. You looked around yourself, feeling surrounded and on the verge of panicking. The door opened and in came Phillip, ushering the maids out of the room and telling them to attend to other business. As they all left, Phillip approached you. He placed his hands on your cheeks, pressing his forehead against yours.

"Its okay, my love, they're all gone now and you can have some peace," he softly kissed your forehead before finishing "I'll be waiting in my room across the hall, just come in once you're finished changing"

You nodded, appreciating the gesture and smiling at him softly. He left the room, allowing you to choose which clothes you wanted to wear that day. You settled on an oversized jumper and a plaid skirt with tights, perfect for the autumn weather. You loosely braided your hair and put some shoes on before approaching Phillip's room. You knocked softly on the door and he opened it within moments. He stood in the doorway, admiring your beauty. He fell silent, just focused on how pretty you looked. He snapped out of it and took your hand, guiding you out of the palace to begin the tour of Zandar.

~*~*~*~*~

You roamed the gorgeous streets of Zandar, holding onto Phillip's arm whilst admiring the country. Each street you passed through, he gave you detailed accounts of the stories that had taken place there. Hearing him speak so passionately about his country made your heart melt. You looked up at him, smiling contently. Camera flashes snapped you out of the moment, making you jump. Desperately looking around for the source of the flash, you spotted paparazzi coming round a corner. You stared at them flustered, your grip on Phillip's arm tightening in panic. He looked to you with concern, noticing how worried you were about the paparazzi. Your shyness made you prone to panicking in situations like this.

Instinctively, Phillip pulled you into his side, allowing you to conceal your face from the cameras. Reporters also appeared and began making their way to the two of you. You began to shake from nervousness, holding onto Phillip tighter than before. He kept an arm around you, and began to speak to the reporters. Politely, he requested that they leave and allow the two of you to have some privacy. They kept asking questions, much to your dismay. His grip around you tightened and he sternly told the reporters that they must leave and that they were making you uncomfortable. Not wanting to upset the Prince, they complied and eventually left. Phillip took you to a concealed corner in a street, allowing you to come out of hiding. He kissed you softly, reassuring you that everything was okay now.

~*~*~*~*~

You woke up in the morning groggily. Turning over sleepily in the huge bed and reaching for your phone. The light practically blinded you as you squinted at it. There was a message from Shelby with a link attached to it. Upon opening it, you saw the message reading 'You've gotta see this!!! You are like the top news story in Zandar!!!' Confused, you opened the link. Your eyes widening upon seeing the headline and photo attached. The headline read 'THE PRINCE'S GIRLFRIEND REVEALED TO PUBLIC EYE' and attached was a photo of the two of you sharing a kiss in that secluded corner. You blushed upon seeing the photo. It was the number 1 news story and the people loved you.

You smiled at your phone before turning it back off and rolling back over, contently drifting back into sleep.

(A/N) I loved writing this!!! hope you guys enjoy reading it!!!

[talonslockau]

Forest of Secrets - Chapter 1

Prologue || Index || Chapter 2

Fireheart’s paws felt like stone as he carried Quickflash’s body into Thunderclan camp. In the tunnel behind him were Graystripe, Longtail, Dustleap, and Tinyfrost - all mourning the loss of yet another deputy in only two seasons.

And he knew exactly why.

His blood boiled as he saw Tigerclaw across camp, chatting nonchalantly with Bluestar. As they turned to see the returning patrol, the dark tabby’s face turned into a perfect expression of shock - one, he could imagine, the cold-hearted murderer had been practicing for ages. But he kept quiet, partially because he had no proof and partially because he was still carrying Quickflash.

He gently laid the deputy’s body in the center of camp as the Clan began to congregate around him. “What happened?” Bluestar was the first to ask, grief filling her eyes even as she stood tall in front of them.

He glanced at those that had actually been on the Shadowclan border patrol to answer. Graystripe had buried his face into his father’s fur, blind and deaf to the outside world, while Dustleap stared empty-eyed into the distance. It was Longtail that finally responded. “He was laying in the middle of the Thunderpath. A Monster must have hit him.”

“What was he doing out there?” Patchpelt, the newest elder, asked as he gazed down at the too young deputy’s body.

“I don’t know. He must’ve seen something - maybe a Shadowclanner-” Longtail’s voice was rising rapidly, and he blinked gratefully to Bluestar when she raised her tail to quiet him.

“This is a horrible accident. Quickflash was a fine warrior, full of energy and courage. He dedicated himself to his Clan wholeheartedly.” She shook her head mournfully as she stood above him. “I was certain he would have led Thunderclan to a great and prosperous era.” 

Unspoken words hung in the air as she crouched down, murmuring her own thanks to her fallen deputy for serving her. One by one, Thunderclanners came up and paid their respects to Quickflash. Just as Fireheart was approaching, he heard a burst of noise from nearby.

“Quickflash! No!” A silver blur rushed by him, and he realized after a moment it was Willowbranch, the deputy’s mate. She nosed under his chin, as though trying to wake him up, but it was already too late. His body had grown cold in the late leaffall breeze. “Oh, my darling…” She whispered softly as she blinked back tears. “What am I going to do without you?”

He found it hard to breathe as he watched the grieving queen whisper words only meant for her mate’s spirit to hear. He could have prevented this. He should have prevented this. He raised his head to see Peppermask and Dewpaw approaching their father as well, their expressions horrified. So much unnecessary grief, all for Tigerclaw to get his way.

Fireheart dipped his nose down into the pale tabby’s short fur. The tom still stank of the Thunderpath; the elders had had no time to put the mourning herbs into his pelt. “I promise I’ll make sure this never happens again.” He whispered, hoping that like Redtail, Quickflash’s spirit could hear him. He glanced up, wondering if he might see either of them, but there were no spirits lurking at the edges of camp.

At last he moved away, padding over to the healer’s den where Yellowfang was watching. “We need to talk.”

She flicked one torn gray ear. “I know.” She dipped her broad, flat face towards where Tigerclaw and Darkstripe were conversing, staring at the corpse in camp. “I’m sure all of us that know are having the same thoughts. But the children will need time to grieve, as well.” She nodded to someone behind him, and he turned to see his old mentor approaching. “Tinyfrost. Do you need something?”

“It’s Fireheart I’m here for.” The little tom’s icy blue eyes were burning with barely contained fury, and he could see on his white paw that his claws were partially unsheathed. “We need to speak. In private.”

“Yellowfang’s seen Redtail’s spirit.” Fireheart murmured quietly, careful to keep Tigerclaw from overhearing. “She knows.”

“Ah.” The two regarded each other for a moment, gauging intentions, before Tinyfrost sat down beside him. “Then you know we must do something. Now, before Bluestar names the next deputy.”

Yellowfang shook her head. “We have no proof. As far as anyone knows, Quickflash had a tragic accident.” She nodded to the littermates sharing tongues for the last time with their father. “And we should include them. It’s their father; they’ll be furious if they’re not allowed to avenge him.”

“But there’s a chance-”

“No.” The grizzled healer gave him a hard glare, one he reflected back. “I will talk to Bluestar. She will likely want to see me anyway, for Starclan’s guidance.” She looked around camp, slowly appraising each warrior. “Believe me, I have no desire to see Thunderclan fall to the reign of a cat all too like Broken- Brokentail.” She swallowed hard at the thought of the tyrannical tabby’s reign. “But we must not act rashly, or we will fall right into his trap.”

“Just like Quickflash did?” Tinyfrost growled. From near the warriors’ den, he could see Tigerclaw flick an ear towards them.

“Tinyfrost.” Fireheart hushed him quickly. He nodded towards Tigerclaw, who was now slyly listening to them with one back turned ear. “You’re right, Quickflash would want us to go hunting while the Clan mourns. The freshkill pile is far too low.”

His old mentor was still glowering at the giant tabby from across camp. “Fine.” He spat out, his claws flexing in and out of the dirt as though he were imagining the ground beneath him to be Tigerclaw’s neck.

“I’ll go tell Whitestorm, then.” He mewed quickly, bounding off before the little warrior could change his mind. Normally, he would tell Bluestar, or the deputy, but neither were in a position to listen to him, and everyone knew that Whitestorm was essentially third in command within the clan.

The snowy tom was sitting next to his mate under the Highrock, his yellow eyes sorrowful as he gazed at the body in camp. He slowly raised his gaze to see the other warrior approaching. “Fireheart. Did you have need of us?”

He shook his head quickly. “I- I just wanted to say that Tinyfrost and I are going hunting. The Clan will need freshkill tonight, and with so many cats grieving…”

Surprise flashed in the senior warrior’s gaze, which quickly turned to gratitude. “That is an excellent idea. I am sure Bluestar and the Clan will appreciate your initiative.” Lionheart nodded slowly beside him in agreement, though his own green eyes were listless. As he bounded away, Fireheart felt guilty for not feeling the same; but already, the grief he had felt had turned to determination to make sure this never happened again.

Tinyfrost was already waiting for him at the entrance, and together the two padded through the bracken and into the greater territory. Wordlessly, they headed back towards the Thunderpath; none would be willing to go near the scene of the crime so soon.

“We can’t let him get away with this.” The older warrior interrupted his thoughts as they moved through the forest. “Not again. If he succeeds in becoming deputy-”

“Do you think Bluestar would choose him?” Fireheart asked, tilting an ear towards his former mentor. “Yellowfang said she would try to dissuade her, but surely there are better choices. Dappleshine, Whitestorm… You, even.”

He glanced to see what the other tom thought of that, but his mentor didn’t show any emotion on his face. “You’re only saying that because we’re not murderers like he is. To the rest of the Clan, Tigerclaw is a strong, formidable warrior; many in the Clan would support him becoming deputy.”

The ginger tom wrinkled his nose in disgust. “And they wouldn’t support you?”

Tinyfrost glared at him, though he could tell the warrior’s anger wasn’t directed at him. “Do you really think the Clan would support a former kittypet potentially becoming leader?” 

The new warrior hesitated. “They’ve been accepting of me…” Mostly, he thought bitterly, thinking of Tigerclaw’s two warrior children back at camp. 

“They’ve accepted you because Starclan supposedly gave a sign to accept you.” Tinyfrost growled. “And as you told me yourself when we first began training, not everyone did so. What do you think they think of me, the runty kittypet that was only accepted on a technicality?”

Fireheart wanted to deny that, but he knew Tinyfrost spoke the truth, or close enough to it. “What about Lionheart? He’s just as strong as Tigerclaw.” In a battle to the death, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to pick which mighty warrior would survive such a confrontation.

The little tom twitched his whiskers. “Most of the Clan still thinks of Lionheart as reckless and hot-headed. Besides, his apprentice only just became a warrior, like mine; I’m not sure Bluestar wants to choose an inexperienced deputy again, especially not one with his reputation.” 

This was the first he’d heard of the golden-furred warrior being considered so negatively. “Really? He’s always been so level-headed around me. Especially compared to you.” The ruddy warrior paused, not sure if his old mentor would take offense to it, but thankfully his companion just chuffed in amusement.

“Back when we were apprentices, he thought himself invincible. Redtail couldn’t keep him out of trouble.” He paused, glancing out into the forest. “I think his mentor’s death came as a shock to him. It reminded him that we’re all mortal.”

Fireheart slowly nodded at that. He understood; he couldn’t imagine what state he’d be in if Tinyfrost was killed so unexpectedly. “There are options, though.” He pointed out after several moments of silence. “We have to have faith that Yellowfang will guide Bluestar into making a good choice.”

Tinyfrost wrinkled his nose, but didn’t reply. It didn’t matter if he did; the roaring of the Monsters announced that they had reached their destination. The giant creatures raced by, oblivious to the two Thunderclanners lurking on the side of the road. He could see smears of blood and fur on the Thunderpath even from here. This was the scene of Tigerclaw’s treachery.

“I can’t smell anything with this stench.” Fireheart muttered to Tinyfrost, who grimaced and nodded agreement. “And I doubt any of that fur is Tigerclaw’s, either.” He grumbled. If only it could be so easy.

“The verge here is so thin.” Tinyfrost growled. He was right; from where the forest concealed them, it was only a tail-length at best until the thick, dark stone of the Thunderpath. “It wouldn’t take much to shove a cat out there, even if they were struggling.”

“And any claw marks that he might have would be hidden by the Monsters’ tracks.” Fireheart responded, heart sinking. He wasn’t sure what either of them had expected from coming out here. He glanced around, hoping to find pawprints, fur, anything that would link the dark tabby to the scene, but there was nothing. Tigerclaw had been careful, and they both knew it.

They were silent, gazing out at the bloody mess, before finally Fireheart forced himself to turn away. “Come on. We should at least try to bring something back for the Clan.” He tapped his former mentor on the shoulder, and after a long pause the senior warrior turned and followed him back into their territory.

Their tails were low as they returned to camp, Tinyfrost with a robin and Fireheart with a mouse. It was a pitiful catch, even for late leaffall, but none challenged them as they deposited their kills on the freshkill pile. 

He turned to see Quickflash surrounded by mourners - Willowbranch, his children, his siblings, One-eye, and even Dustleap. Even with only those closest to him sharing tongues for the last time, it was still nearly half the Clan that was gathered around him now. The impact of the deputy’s death would be felt by all in the Clan for many moons.

Only a few cats were watching now. None of the queens were in the clearing; most, he imagined, would be in the nursery, making sure the kits didn’t interrupt the vigil. His eyes narrowed as he saw Tigerclaw and Darkstripe talking with the elders, but he did his best to hide his disgust and anger as he followed Tinyfrost over to where Lionheart and Sandstorm were sitting.

“Tinyfrost. Fireheart.” Lionheart nodded to each of them, and even though Sandstorm’s gaze lingered disapprovingly on Fireheart, she didn’t say anything as they sat opposite her.

“Has Bluestar announced the new deputy?” Tinyfrost wasted no time in asking as he sat down beside Lionheart. Compared to the giant warrior, he was comically small, looking almost like a kit. Still, he didn’t seem intimidated as he gazed up at the other warrior - his nurserymate, Fireheart remembered.

“No. She’s talking with Whitestorm and Yellowfang now.” His green eyes were hard as he stared at the gathering of cats in the clearing. “She had a tough time deciding last time. And there are even fewer candidates now, with Patchpelt’s retirement.”

“Did Whitestorm say why she chose Quickflash last time?” Fireheart asked, his ears perked. As his mate, Lionheart would be the most likely to know what Whitestorm had discussed with her.

The golden tabby stiffened for a moment, before sighing and relaxing himself. “You are new to the ways of the Clan. I suppose you must not know much about how a deputy is chosen, beyond what the Code teaches you.”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “I know they’ll be leader one day, if Bluestar passes on to Starclan. And that they have to have first mentored an apprentice.” He bowed his head. “I’m sorry if my question was too forward. I- I was just curious, is all.”

The giant warrior nodded. “I understand. I cannot say what Whitestorm has told me in confidence, but I can tell you what I would say to any inquisitive apprentice.” He gazed up at the sky, where the moon was starting to rise. “In choosing a new deputy, Bluestar is looking for a worthy successor to her legacy. She is wise, and just; she knows when to fight, and when to seek peace. Her deputy must be willing to consider each in equal measure, for the good of the Clan she has stewarded for so many seasons.”

They were silent as the youngest warrior mulled that over. “Not someone like Dustleap, then.” He finally said, remembering the fight he’d had with the brown tabby his very first day in Thunderclan.

Sandstorm growled at the mention of her brother, but Lionheart twitched his whiskers in amusement. “Yes, precisely. Nor someone that would seek peace above all else, even to the detriment of our Clan.” He gazed across the clearing. “There is nothing wrong with either, in moderation; but learning when to stand your ground and when to flee is a skill that only time can give. But we have lost so many of our greatest warriors in recent seasons…”

He bowed his head, and Fireheart knew that he was thinking of his lost mentor, Redtail. If only he knew that the culprit for this murder was the one and the same as his mentor’s. How might he react? Still, he didn’t dare say anything negative about Tigerclaw; not in front of his daughter, anyways. “Who would you pick, then?” 

Lionheart paused, finally looking back up to the ginger tom. “I don’t know. That is why this decision is so hard for her.” He shook his head bitterly. “While inexperienced, Quickflash had all of the qualities that make the greatest warriors, just like Redtail before him. Who could replace them now?”

Silence hung in the air for a few moments. “What about you?” Fireheart ventured, ears perked for the other warrior’s answer. “You’re one of the greatest warriors of all the Clans.”

The golden tom chuffed as though amused, but the way his brows furrowed suggested otherwise. “Bluestar would never choose me.”

“Why not?” The youngest warrior tilted his head in confusion. “Surely-”

Bluestar suddenly burst forth from her den, Whitestorm and Yellowfang on her heels. Though their leader’s tail was bushed as though in fear, her eyes were bright and her ears were forward as she jumped onto the Highrock. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!”

“It’s rather early for a decision.” Sandstorm murmured to Lionheart as they all padded towards Bluestar. “The moon has only just begun to rise.”

Fireheart turned his attention towards the other two that had been in Bluestar’s den. Whitestorm looked troubled, but sat down to the side and wrapped his tail over his paws nonetheless. Yellowfang, however, looked furious, her eyes almost vanishing in her scowl. His heart dropped at the sight. That couldn’t mean-

“I had hoped that I would never have to do this again.” Bluestar’s mew was solemn as she looked down on the body of her fallen deputy. “I saw in Quickflash a great warrior, and a greater leader - one, I know, would have led Thunderclan to a new era of prosperity.” 

She bowed her head, and the rest of the Clan joined her. “But it is Starclan’s will that a new deputy be chosen. It is through their guidance that I choose Quickflash’s successor, and perhaps one day the cat that will lead Thunderclan in my stead.” The silver queen raised her head to the sky, where the stars were just beginning to shine. “I say these words before Quickflash and Starclan, so that they may hear and approve of my choice.”

A long, agonizing moment of silence hung in the air as every cat waited for Bluestar to speak with bated breath. “Tigerclaw will be the new deputy of Thunderclan.”

“NO!”

Fireheart’s yowl was drowned out by the cheers of cats around him. Sandstorm and Darkstripe were among the loudest, though nearly every cat looked on approvingly. He glanced over to Graystripe and Peppermask, who were staring up at Bluestar in abject horror. Tinyfrost’s spine was bristling, and for a moment he was sure his former mentor would throw himself at the new deputy as he stood up.

“Bluestar, I am truly honored.” The scarred tabby’s amber eyes were glistening with dark satisfaction as he spoke, and Fireheart’s stomach churned to imagine what the tom was thinking. “I had never dared to hope that I would be allowed to reach such a high rank. And yet, if it is Starclan’s will, I of course must accept.” 

Starclan’s will? Fireheart snarled at the thought. There was no way that Starclan had chosen Tigerclaw! He looked to Yellowfang, whose own tail was lashing in anger. It was clear she hadn’t wanted this either. Yet, without her input, how could Bluestar believe that Tigerclaw was Starclan’s choice?

“By the spirit of Quickflash, I promise to serve you - and Thunderclan - in any way that I can.” Tigerclaw continued on, interrupting his thoughts. “May I be worthy of Starclan’s eternal gaze.”

“May Starclan light your path.” Bluestar sounded proud as she leaped down from the rock, briefly touching noses with the new deputy before going to say her final goodbyes with Quickflash. She nestled in close to Willowbranch and Mousefur, her murmurs impossible to hear over the celebrations surrounding Tigerclaw.

Fireheart didn’t feel like joining them, instead padding over to Yellowfang. “What in Starclan’s name happened in there?” He hissed at her. “You promised-”

She shook her broad head, quickly silencing him. “Tomorrow.” She replied quietly to him. “I’ll tell you all everything that happened - tomorrow.” With that, she stalked back to her den, disappearing into the rocky crevice before he could call after her.

As he turned back to Tinyfrost, whose tail was rattling in pent-up frustration, part of him felt hopeless. What could they do now that Tigerclaw was one step away from leading the Clan? At the same time, however, he knew that none of them would allow this to stand. The murderous warrior would not be allowed to lead Thunderclan into darkness; not as long as he was around.

[purplesimmer455]

Iseul ordered a cake for the four of them as well, and asked Amna and Samuel about themselves. "How did you two lovebirds meet?" She said. Amna blushed, which Grace ribbed her for, and said, "Well, I was studying at Simford University and after a grueling study session, I went to the nearby Cafe to eat sugary sweets and relieve my stress." Iseul nodded. "I saw this rather handsome man around my age with brown hair and he was eating pastries and drinking coffee. I didn't know how to talk to boys, since my parents were strict on no dating, so I just would observe him." Amna blushed again as her husband gave her a teasing look. "But I got up the courage to talk with him, and he was so pleasant and kind, and I found out he was from Simerica but came here for work. I told him about growing up in Pakistan, and he told me about his childhood in Simerica, and we became friends. Eventually, I started to develop romantic attractions towards him." Iseul bit back a smile and nodded. "So I asked him to court me." At Iseul's confused look, she added. "I felt it was appropriate for him to court me, meet my parents, and then we could start going on chaperoned dates and eventually get engaged and married." Iseul nodded. It wasn't her cup of tea or something she'd want to do, but she respected it. "We ended up getting married, had our Gracie who we named after his mum, and the rest is history." Iseul smiled. "That's kind of sweet." She said. "I know it might seem old fashioned for you and Grace, being two modern youths." Amna said. Iseul shook her head. "No, no, I respect that it's what you wanted and felt comfortable with." She said, and Amna smiled.

Amna and Samuel insisted on paying for the bill, and then while Grace headed to the bathroom, Iseul turned to Amna. "Mrs. Siddiqui, I plan on marrying Grace one day, and I was wondering if I could I get your and Mr. Siddiqui's blessings?" Samuel nodded. "You have mine." He said, gently nudging his wife, who mulled it over. "You have my blessing too, Iseul." Amna said. Iseul sensed hesitation. "I would just prefer if you two marry before moving in or pursuing romantic attractions towards each other." Iseul blushed. "I understand, Mrs. S. Grace and I are taking it slow but I don't think we'll be ready to wed before we even live together and get to know each other, you know?" She said. Amna sighed but nodded, and Grace came out of the bathroom then. Grace put an arm around Iseul as they said goodbye to her parents. "Gracie, do you want me to drop you off at your place?" Her dad asked. "Oh." Grace blushed as Iseul tried to hide a grin. "Iseul's coming over to my flat so we're going back together." Her mom turned pink too and couldn’t look at Iseul, and Iseul tried hard not to laugh at the scandalized look on her face. "Mum, we're adults." Grace said half jokingly. "I know, bheta. I'm just not used to these modern dating things. Listen, auntie Nimra's daughter lives next door to you so just keep things private, I dont want her to think 'What all is Amna's daughter doing?' And tell her mother who will then ask me." She said. Grace rolled her eyes. "Ammi, she doesn't care what I do. She's a grown adult and mostly focused on her wife and daughter." Amna sighed. "Grace bheta, it's about tahzeeb, good manners. Whatever you and Iseul do in private is fine but it would reflect poorly on me and your father if you act too romantic in public while unmarried." She said. "Amna." Samuel said gently. "With all due respect, Mrs. Siddiqui, Grace would never disrepect you guys, and we haven't even woohooed, we just kissed. Plus, Homaira is pretty cool and she doesn't care if she sees us kissing, I mean she kisses her wife in public too." Iseul said. Amna sighed but smiled politely. "Alright. Well, it was nice meeting you, Iseul." Iseul smiled. "It was nice to meet you too, Mrs. Siddiqui, and you too, Mr. Siddiqui." Samuel smiled at Iseul. "You too, dear." He said, and Grace and Iseul headed out.

[doublegoblin]

9 people tag

Thanks again @gummybugg for the tag!

I'm going to do something a little different, as I've already answered this kind of thing before and I am a dull bitch who does not often change. I am going to answer for an OC from a WIP!

As for who I tag, I'll leave this mostly open for anyone but I'll specifically tag @asterhaze (I know I just tagged ya, but I'll do it again because like an elderly family member you have displayed an interest in something therefore I will hyperfocus on it to bring joy!) @tisiphonewolfe and @tailoroffates but other than that anyone can have fun!

I"ll be answering these for Rico from Abnormal Analytics, because he is an imaginary man who makes me smile.

[Hey thanks for reaching out to the Ric-meister! Despite being newer I appreciate the courage to try and get to know your coworkers lol! Now I'd hold off sending this to D or T, sticks in the muds they are lol! Maybe send this to V next? She's quite the social butterfly ( no pun intended) and well...between us, the other guys aren't the most chatty or personable or approachable or even the nicest!

Thanks again - Rico]

LAST SONG: So I was having a case of the Mondays, you know how it goes! So I had to put on the soundtrack to Tarzan, or should I say Phil Collins' greatest music video! He hasn't made much since the fire though...

Anyway! I was chair dancing in my little office to Stranger Like Me.

LAST MOVIE: I just introduced V to the wonders of Wes Anderson! Her and I sat down in the conference room (yes all signed out and everything it was great!) and watch Fantastic Mr.Fox. She had a hard time grasping the stop motion but I think next week I'll show her Nightmare Before Christmas.

CURRENTLY WATCHING: My life slowly trickle away like the grains in an hourglass...kidding! I'm actually in the process of processing and exporting the latest recovered data for [REDACTED]. In the debriefing/transcription circulation keep an eye out for when the [REDACTED]! Sooooo wild, shame about all the {REDACTED] though.

CURRENTLY READING: It's a bit of a comfort thing, but, as a grown adult man I am going back through the Goosebump books. You know they still hold up! I just finished this one where the boy turns into a dog. Maybe skip that one...

CURRENTLY CRAVING: My mother's cooking! It has been ages since I last had a bowl of her Broccoli Cheddar soup. If I can get in touch with her I'll see if she can't make extra for the crew. I swear once you taste her stuff you will NEVER buy from [EXPUNGED] again!

LAST THING YOU SEARCHED FOR WRITING PURPOSES: The life cycle of Varesus. Had to know if they really have this parental instinct or if that is still just a "theory" amongst biologists. I learned quite a lot about them! Did you know that [REDACTED]? Spine tingling!

[candyconstellation]

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Need Your All Love

Ch.11:

A/N: Boyfriend co-wrote this chapter. Many thanks. <3

Lee had told Sakura where she could find Guy. He conveniently lived in an apartment on top of the gym. She remembered how to get there, fortunately. It was hard to forget considering her first car ride there was full of mixed emotions. She hadn't been back since Tenten's match against Temari.

She shuddered at the thought.

Poor Tenten, having to get caught up on all this all because of someone she was friends with.

Would she too end up that way if she continued to see Lee?

Sakura's hands gripped the steering wheel. She made a choice to help him and his friends. She can't just back out now. It'd go against her morals. Besides, in the short time she had gotten to know Lee, she began to grow fond of him.

"Please be my girlfriend! I will protect you with my life!"

His words replayed in her mind over and over again since she drove away. She wasn't sure if she could agree to it. It was way too soon.

Maybe he was just saying that because she had indirectly called him cute, desperate to connect to another human being on a personal level. A romantic one. Sakura couldn't pretend she didn't understand that. At one point, she had been in his place. She couldn't judge too harshly.

Finally, Sakura pulled into the parking lot in front of the gym. Lee had a spare key to the place, attached to his car keys. Otherwise, there would be no way to get to the apartment. She made her way inside, deciding whether or not she should skulk about or loudly stomp around to make her presence known.

Either way, Guy Sensei could think she was an intruder.

Oh great, now she's calling him sensei in her head. She really was spending a lot of time with Lee.

Sakura decided that she was going to walk normally. No need to overthink it. Now, to find the stairs.

The interior of the gym was dark, as it was after hours. No fights going on currently. The quiet was deafening. It was strange to think how a place that was once so full of shouting people could be so empty. It gave Sakura the chills.

She used the flashlight from her phone to find her way and ascended up the stairs. On the top floor there was only one door in a hallway. Some framed photographs littered the walls. Pictures of Lee and his family when they were younger.

Photos of Lee and Tenten winning sports competitions in middle school. Sakura lost count, but it appeared like they joined every club possible. Anything from kickball to wrestling, the two dominated every sport they decided to be a part of.

Neji didn't start appearing regularly in photos until she saw the same photo that Lee had in his room with the three of them and Guy. Even in some photos with Neji in them, Neji had medals and trophies from sports competitions. He even smiled. Just a bit.

A lot of framed photos came from more recent times, Sakura recognized. Pictures taken from matches the three of them have won in this very gym.

Hair sticking to their foreheads with blood and sweat, bruised faces, crooked noses, bloody gums staining their smiles. Every win was a proud moment.

It was clear to Sakura that Guy loved his students very much.

Then she saw the most interesting photo of them all. It was of Lee when he was a little baby. Guy had him in a baby sling attached to his chest, giving a thumbs up to the camera. They were in front of what looked like the gym, before the exterior began to show its age. Even little, Lee still had very prominent eyebrows, even if his hair hadn't grown in just yet. It was adorable.

Cheeks rosy, eyes closed, not a care in the world. His whole world was right there, Guy Sensei. That was his world. Not this crime filled world that was Konoha City.

Sakura briefly wondered who took the photograph before she shook her head to dispel the thoughts. She didn't have time to look at pictures all night, she was on a mission! She worked up the courage to step up to the door, but before she could put her knuckles to the wood, it opened.

"Miss Haruno?" Guy looked pleasantly surprised to see her. "I thought I heard someone waltzing about in here... Are you with Lee? Only my students have the keys." He doubted that she'd be here with Tenten and much less with Neji.

Sakura gulped. "About that. Lee gave me his keys. Your students," she said, fighting against her own voice as it began to waver. "T-they're in trouble."

Guy's face darkened as he processed Sakura's words. "Tell me everything."

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

The head of the Hyuga Clan, Hiashi Hyuga had seen enough and made himself shown. All of the Hyuga’s except Neji would bow, he instead glares at his uncle. “Uncle, you would stoop this low just to get my attention? I’ve told you before, I refuse to return to the Hyuga Clan. Now return Tenten to us safely-“ Neji would get in a fighting stance, challenging his uncle. “Or I will have to get her myself.” Hiashi laughs hysterically at Neji’s words, walking closer and closer until it was only the two of them in a spread out area. “I got you to finally come home though, did I not? You’re still a child Neji, come home where you belong, I will let both of your friends walk out safely, but you must stay for that to happen.” He wasn’t asking for Neji to agree to these conditions. He was setting demands on his nephew and Neji just as ever, rebelled and challenged his uncle’s words. “Or, I beat you and you let all three of us walk out here safely.”

Hiashi raised a brow at Neji’s own demands, his words definitely hit a nerve. However he remained composed, Neji has been gone and seemingly trained with others, he witnessed his new skills in his previous fights and chuckles. “Okay, Neji. If you want a fight with me, then I’ll give you what you want.” The rest of the Hyuga gasps and gossip with each other. “Hiashi is going to fight Neji?” “Could Neji even win?” “Hiashi’s not going to go easy on the boy…” this could be heard by Neji, Hiashi, and even Lee. Lee himself knows Neji has been preparing for this day, now it is time to see if all he’s learned is enough to beat his uncle. Hiashi would get in a fighting stance, the Hyuga’s traditional fighting stance, his palms facing Neji as they circled each other, waiting for who would be the first to strike.

It would be Neji who would strike first. He went for a right hook to the head in which Hiashi would easily deflect it, but Neji wasn’t done yet! He then quickly attempts a left jab to the body in which would be caught by Hiashi, his reflex speed and defense were that of equal to Neji’s so far. But Neji pulled a quick one that the Hyuga hasn’t taught him, he would pull Hiashi towards him due to his arm being grabbed and would throw a knee to the body which did get blocked, but it was all to leave Hiashi defenseless for one moment which caused Neji to headbutt Hiashi right in the nose! Hiashi stumbles back and holds his nose as Neji is freed and recovers into a defensive stance.

Neji could hear Lee cheer him on as the Hyuga members were whispering loudly to each other. “Neji got a clean hit on Hiashi!” “No way Hiashi let Neji catch him off guard…”

These words would fuel Hiashi’s anger as he turns to the Hyuga members. “Quiet! You bastards!” He shouts angrily at his family before turning to Neji and wipes the blood off his nose. “Good attack, Neji. You’ve learned to use our traditional ways and mixed it in with your street fighting…clever boy.”

Now Hiashi would be on the offensive as it was his turn to charge and throw a strike at Neji. He would attempt to deflect his uncle’s attacks but it seemed to do nothing, his uncle’s attacks were still connecting, it was as if Neji’s arms were the one to be deflected and before he knew it now Neji was the one with a bloody nose, as while the Hyuga usually fought with open palms, Hiashi balled his fist and punched Neji square in the face.

Neji never got hit that hard, ever. Even when fighting Lee in an actual sanctioned match, who he knows gives it his all in the ring, never hit Neji this hard. Before he could recover Hiashi would hit Neji with a spin kick to the side of Neji’s head. Causing Neji’s ears to ring and his vision get blurry as he fell to the ground, he saw two of Hiashi’s talking to him. He thinks his uncle is talking smack, but he doesn’t know for sure due to the ringing.

He shakes his head and sees that his vision is clearing as he stands to his feet and tries to charge at his uncle, but Hiashi easily deflects Neji away, or so he thought as Neji would throw a kick at Hiashi in the body which sent Hiashi stumbling back and Neji would leap into the air and wrap his legs around Hiashi’s neck in a horizontal position where he would flip Hiashi onto the floor and onto his back.

Neji would go on top mount and attempt to hit Hiashi while he was on the ground, but Hiashi was quite agile and swift in his old age. He would counter by attacking in the same ear where he kicked Neji, causing the ringing to return which throws Neji off and leads for Hiashi to throw an elbow into Neji’s nose, causing more bored and now Neji to lay on his back.

“You’re still a boy, Neji.” Hiashi shouted as he punched. Neji in the nose again, the bottom half of his face and his top covered in blood. “But you wanted to a grown man, right? Well this is grown up shit!” He says and swings his elbow at Neji now, Neji was defenseless, his arms were down and Neji couldn’t say anything as he struggled to breathe through his nose before he would exhale through his mouth, causing him to spit blood on Hiashi who’s anger only lasted longer now.

“You fucking stupid, selfish boy.” He growled and would stand up to grab Neji by the hair and dragged him across the room. Lee had enough of this as he could hear Neji screaming in pain. However, many of the Hyuga would step in front of him. “Sorry, we can’t let you step in. This is a one on one between two Hyuga members.” As this was happening Hiashi let Neji go and got on top of him once more and began to beat on Neji repeatedly, with everyone watching as Neji’s eyes closed shut due to swelling, his cheeks and lips puffed him, his nose continually bleeding as Hiashi kept beating on his nephew.

“Do you get it, boy? You are outmatched. Acknowledge me as your Chief and I will let you live, your friends will leave safely. You have my promise.” Neji would let out a raspy breath as he called for Hiashi to come closer. Hiashi was hoping to hear Neji acknowledge him so he leans in enthusiastically. “Yes, my boy? What is it?”

“Go…fuck yourself.” He would barely get out before leaning up to get a bite of Hiashi’s ear and as Hiashi punched, kicked, and pushed on Neji to get off. The way Neji got off was ripping Hiashi’s right ear clean off which would cause Neji’s uncle to scream in pain, seeing Neji’s brused and swollen face, seemingly smile at him with his ear in his mouth before he would spit it out and caused his ear to hit Hiashi, along with some more blood. Hiashi had his hands wrapped around Neji’s throat, he tried to be a father and mentor figure to Neji, he tried to forgive Neji for his rebellion against him, even after they fought he wanted Neji to return home. But after this level of disrespect, he couldn’t let it slide. His grip got tighter as Neji was gasping for air.

Just when Hiashi thought Neji was close to dead, the doors slammed open to see two figures he was familiar with, make that three actually as he would see Might Guy there, standing with Naruto Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake of the KCPD.

There was one more person with them, a pink haired and green eyed girl who looked around the same age as Neji. Was she a friend of theirs? He would immediately let go of Neji’s neck and holds his hands up, surrendering to the two policemen in front of him. Lee fought through the crowd of Hyuga members who tried stopping him earlier, only to see the state Neji is in which caused his eyes to widen in horror. He never imagined seeing Neji in this state and immediately looked up at Hiashi, rage filling his chest as he was ready to try and fight this man himself.

However, he would see the ones who stepped in, Naruto and Kakashi, Guy-sensei, and Sakura?! His anger was immediately replaced with concern as he rushed to Sakura, making sure she didn’t see the state of Neji and what was going on.

Guy had also seen the state Neji was in and attempted to walk towards Hiashi however, Kakashi would stop him. “I’m sorry Guy, I can’t let you hurt him. We need to take him in. Naruto, bandage his wound then put him in cuffs. Guy, I’m trusting you to keep your head on straight.”

[warningsine]

Charlotte suddenly felt queasy, which had nothing to do with her recent illness. And she knew it wouldn’t go away until she did something awful, something she didn’t want to do. But she had no choice.

“It was me,” Charlotte said. “I did it. I told them.”

The kitchen went quiet, except for the sound of Aunt Alison pulling crackers out of their crinkly plastic sleeve.

“Did what, sweetie?” said Alison.

Cosima was staring at her, face blank. “Oh … shit ,” she breathed.

“Charlotte … ?” said Sarah. Her face twitched with preemptive rage. “Explain. Now.”

“I contacted the press,” Charlotte said. “Well, Kira did. It was my idea, but I couldn’t, from the hospital, so she did the actual—”

The peanut butter jar crashed to the floor and smashed open.

“How dare  you!” Ah, now Aunt Alison had found her rage. She also had a peanut-butter-covered knife clutched in her hand, which made Charlotte nervous. “What were you thinking !”

“She wasn’t thinking,” said Delphine crisply. She looked like she’d bitten into a lemon. “She was delirious.”

“I wasn’t!” Charlotte protested. “Well, I was, that was why I found the courage. But I wasn’t wrong .”

All four adults stared at her in absolute shock. Delphine drew in an audible breath through her nose, opened her mouth as though to say something, and then just let out a gusty exhale.

“Delphine …” Cosima began.

“I know,” said Delphine tartly. “I know. I can’t—this is not my fight. Excuse me. I need to—” She didn’t say what she needed to do, but whatever it was, it was apparently in the office. With the door slammed shut.

Three, four … shut the door …  She was going to lose them all.

“I thought it was Rachel ,” Aunt Sarah said, her voice shaky with fury. “That was the only person I could imagine who would be enough of a cold-hearted, vindictive bitch  to—”

“Sarah,” said Cosima, turning to give Sarah a hard stare. “Calm down. At least give her a chance to explain herself.” Cosima turned back to Charlotte. “Charlotte. Why ?”

“You know why. We’ve had this conversation before, not that any of you paid the slightest attention.”

“I beg your pardon!” Alison interjected.

“No, it’s my turn to talk,” said Charlotte. “Just listen  for once.”

To her surprise, they did. The three of them stared at her like she’d grown horns.

“Do you have any idea what it’s like to say perfectly sensible things, over and over again, and be ignored simply because of your age? None of you would ever even bother to tell me why  what I was saying was wrong, you just refused to acknowledge it. As if nothing coming out of my  mouth could possibly be important.”

“Charlotte,” said Cosima gently. “I don’t think we ever—”

“You’re doing it again! Dismissing me, patronizing me, and why? What makes you so much more reasonable than me? You never gave me one  good reason for continued secrecy, never gave me a single positive for it. All you could say was that my  idea would cause problems. Really? Cause  problems ? ”

“Well, to be fair,” said Cosima, obviously making a herculean effort at calm. “It sort of has. Not sure how much you remember, but—”

“I remember enough. And yes, I agree, this sucks. But what about this whole situation didn’t suck already? Being a clone sucks ! No social media. No close friends. Don’t introduce anyone. Don’t talk about it. Don’t let your picture get published in the school paper.” She glared at them, letting her eyes move from Alison, to Sarah, to Cosima. “I know  you’ve all felt this way. It sucks ! Sorry to be the one to say it, but it’s true. And your answer is just to pretend you’re not one, and to hope the rest of the world plays along? Forever? It’s not going to work!”

She was yelling now, her throat raw. “Social media. Instant access to international news. Hundreds of clones who don’t know that they supposedly have  to be careful about where their image goes. Not even to mention  the new biometric security. You think they’re going to roll that back? You all want to keep hiding, even though it’s ruining your lives! And ruining my life, and Kira’s. We should have a say in what happens to us. That’s all we’ve ever wanted. That, and an actual future of our own.”

Charlotte ran out of breath, and maybe words. There was absolute silence. Alison suddenly noticed the knife in her hand and went to the sink to start washing it.

“Shite,” Sarah said softly. “Charlotte … You’re right.”

“Excuse me?” Alison asked.

For a moment, Charlotte thought she was hallucinating again. One of the clones had actually heard her, and agreed with her? And it was Sarah, no less.

“Are you just humoring me?” Charlotte asked.

“No, I’m finally listening. It’s long overdue, and I’m sorry.” Sarah patted the stool next to her. “Come sit. Let’s talk. Really talk.”

Sarah looked down at her hands. “You may not believe this, but I know how you feel. S not treating me like an adult is one of the reasons I ran away from her for so long. Of course, I wasn’t acting like an adult either, but that isn’t the point. I pushed her away and now …” Sarah closed her eyes and her voice trembled. “Kira’s doing the same to me.” She opened her eyes and looked at Cosima, Alison, and then Charlotte. “We need to listen more. All  of us. You and Kira are a different generation, with your own voice. And we can’t dictate how you live your lives.”

Tears sprang to Charlotte’s eyes. “Thank you.”

“But just like me running away wasn’t the right thing to do, telling the world our secret wasn’t right either,” Sarah said.

“I still disagree. Even though this screws everything up in the short term, in the long run it is  the right thing to do. The only  thing to do.”

“Now who sounds like a lecturing adult?” Sarah smiled.

“Things are going to get worse before they get better,” Cosima said.

“They always do,” Alison said.

“Aunt Cosima, you were throwing away your career,” Charlotte said. “Aunt Sarah, you might like living off the grid, but Kira doesn’t.” Sarah flinched. “Eventually we have to summon up some courage and deal  with what we are. So go ahead, punish me if you want. As if the world isn’t doing its best at that already.”

The others were quiet for a long time. Alison turned away, unable to look Charlotte in the eyes. But Cosima got up, reached for her. Charlotte was still tense, still in fight-or-flight mode, but she was so exhausted that she relented.

The hug felt better than it should have. She couldn’t find the energy to hug back, so she just leaned into it.

“This is going to need a much bigger talk,” Cosima said. “I may be angry with you right now, but that’ll pass. And I suppose the rest of this mess will pass too, one way or another. But I promise that I won’t ignore you ever again, okay?”

“Okay. What are you going to do with me?” Charlotte said wearily over Cosima’s shoulder.

“Well the first thing we’re going to do,” said Cosima, “is feed you. But the very, very next thing—we’ve got to get you in the shower. You stink out loud.”

Charlotte was surprised into a wobbly laugh.

She loved them, she couldn’t help it. Even with all their stubborn pride. They were probably never going to admit she was right to out them, not in so many words, so this was as close as she’d ever get. For now, she’d take it.

Orphan Black: The Next Chapter Season 1 | Episode 10 - Which Aspect We Embrace

[hortusmossii]

To New Begginings

Hello, everyone!

This is my first blogpost, and i have no idea where to begin. I want to say so many things, and at the same time thoughts feel so fleeting... But I shall try nonetheless.

I think I should draft a summary first, basically so I don't get lost. So, here is what we're gonna talk about:

What drove me to start this blog?

Where am I coming from?

What steps do I wanna follow?

1. What drove me to this?

Short answer? Capitalism.

Long answer? Well. I was a long time Twitter user. I had been on that site for over a decade, and it is linked to some of the most important parts of my life. That's where I found amazing people that to this day remain some of my best friends. It was my peaceful nook away from the hardships of daily life. It was a place where I could, during those challenging teenage years, figure myself out without unasked for criticism. It was, in many ways, home.

But then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. The Most Divorced Man Alive bought the site and carved its corpse into a hateful, fascist den crawling with ads, bots and Human Rights Violations. I couldn't see my friends anymore. My friends couldn't see me anymore. And, most importantly, I couldn't in good conscience keep being a part of a site from which the global face of Everything That Is Wrong directly profits. A single individual had killed a very significant part of my life. It was gone, and I couldn't do anything to bring it back. I felt (still do) defenseless.

While pondering all this, I started thinking about all the other Bad ThingsTM that the current mainstream social media had had me accepting as normal. For starters, I had grown accostumed to 140 characters as the default thought length, and therfore suffered extremely when expressing myself more extensively (appart from Academic contexts, but that's a whole different way of communicating, in my opinion). In fact, this is the longest I've written about what I think in ages. This connects with the other symptom I was feeling, perhaps even more starkly: My attention span was gone and not expected to return. I used to be able to focus on a book or a drawing for hours at a time. Now, I can't go 10 minutes without checking the phone. It was driving me insane and keeping me away from what I really want to do, which is learning, building, creating.

So yeah. Something had to change.

2. Where am I coming from?

I am old enough to have experienced the Old Web before the bleak, centralized Corporate dystopia we experience today, but not old enough to have participated in it as a creator. I do remeber, however, the feeling of entering a web and exploring it in detail, instead of skimming over it because the Infinite Scroll Abyss makes it impossible to do otherwise. I remember not needing an account for everything. I remeber experiencing the Internet through a single, unmoving device. As a quote that hit me hard when I read it says:

"The Internet used to be a place."

I thought that place was dead. But then I found out about the so called "Indie Web" and about the community of people still internetting for the sake of internetting, without thinking about money or engagement. And I thought: hey, maybe I can do that.

What steps do I wanna follow?

So. The choice was made. I uninstalled all socials from my phone, so the Internet is something I can only check at home, and the rest of my time my mind is free. I deleted most of my accounts everywhere (including Amazon and things like that because if I wanna escape corporate giants might as well go all the way). I am yet to delete my main Twitter account, even though I haven't used it in three months, it feels like the final step and I'm building up courage to do it. Then I plan on creating my own web where I can express myself freely, keep full control of all the things I post and not fear the moment a capitalist fucko will make me move again. Everything is perfect!

One problem is, I have almost no idea of coding, and definitely no idea about how the web, or websites, work. So I started learning! I'm going through freecodecamp's curriculum and hope to learn enough to start building my own functioning site as soon as possible. Another problem, though, is that i don't have the money to afford hosting right now, nor do I have the knowledge to set up a home server (altough this would ideally be the final step of the plan!). But in the meantime, I need to start writing. If I don't, I would end up with a shining new web with nothing to store inside. That's where this blog comes in. I will try to use it to write longer texts, about whatever I find interesting. I need to build up a habit, and that cannot wait until I have a web of my own. So, take this as an in-between place, a mansio on the road until I arrive home.

I think that more or less covers it. I have tried this before, and always ended up downloading everything again within a week. This time, tho, something feels different. I think this time it will work. And me writing this is kind of a way of commiting to it. I am excited about this new chapter of my life :)

That's it for today! I'm actually so proud of myself for writing all of this without checking my phone xd If you have any comments, any tips or wanna share your experience, I would love to read it!! Thank you for reading till the end. ^^

P.S.: I'll leave here this unrelated picture because I took it and thought it was really cool :3