#but not enough to not sell him off to the clan he did everything to escape from

[astrowaffles]

Since the release of S2 I've seen a shocking amount of people tell me that toji was a good father. Personally I think needing a high schooler to go rescue your six year old son from being SOLD OFF to your abusive family means you probably weren't a great father, but ok

[gatorbites-imagines]

Kinktober day 20

Satoru Gojo + Recording

I didn’t really feel like writing this, for some reason Gojo just wasn’t Gojoing today. Thought that Reader not really liking Saturo but fucking him would be fun. Enjoy my pookies.

2024 kinktober masterlist

It was no secret that Satoru had an ego, and a big one at that. Some may even call it a god complex, with how above everything he saw himself. So, you weren’t shocked when he started mentioning wanting you to record him when you fucked him.

You couldn’t even remember when you two started fucking. You weren’t friends, at least you didn’t see Satoru as a friend. He was annoying, childish, and did you mention annoying? But he had a nice body, and an even tighter ass when he finally let infinity fall, at least enough for you to push inside him.

And sure, he was pretty, not that you would ever tell him that. That just meant hed start hanging around your place more than he already did, and there was no way you wanted to add to his already way too big ego. It shocked you at times that he was able to fit into a room with how big that ego was, or that he let you fuck him.

You weren’t anyone special, you didn’t even come from a sorcerer clan. Maybe that’s why he let you fuck him the first couple of times, as some kind of rebellion against the expectations put on him by his clan or the elders.

Nowadays you blame it on a moment of weakness, as your partner at the time had just dumped you for always disappearing for days to weeks. Of course they didn’t know you were out fighting curses, instead they thought you were cheating. So, when Satoru offered you just kinda shrugged and went along with it, treating him as shitty as you were feeling, hoping it would mean he wasn’t gonna come back.

Apparently, the weirdo liked how badly you treated him, enough to start showing up on your single missions or in the tiny closet sized apartment just to get his rocks off. You blamed being too busy with sorcerer work to get a boyfriend or girlfriend, so you took what you could get. Looking back, you wanted to smack a younger version of yourself, since you were stuck with the guy now.

You had no interest in recording you two going at it, even if Satoru whined and begged, blinking those borderline freaky blue eyes at you in what he thought was a cute display. It was hard to find a guy like him cute when you knew what he was really like, so it didn’t work on you. the huge stack of cash he offered did though.

Hey, you weren’t selling yourself. If anyone asked, he was your benefactor or sugar daddy. Or was he the baby, since he was younger than you and the one getting railed? Being a sorcerer without a clan meant you always got the shittiest jobs, the ones that paid the least or the ones most likely to end in death. The elders didn’t want to lose important bloodlines, so why not send the expendables. So yes, you took the cash which amounted to what you made in the last year, which you bet wasn’t even lunch money for Satoru.

Satoru had been so excited about it, almost jumping all over the place and talking, mostly to himself instead of you. he wanted the best setting, so your apartment wasn’t good enough, leading to you two having to go to whatever love hotel he bought a room in.

For the most part, you simply had to sit there, holding the camera at face level and turned towards him. You knew he saw your eyeroll as he did a slow skimpy strip tease, something he had never done before so you knew it wasn’t for you. the blue lingerie stood out against his pale skin, almost making you scoff at how he had expected you to go along with it one way or another.

It wasn’t the most interesting roll in the hay you two had done, but you still got hard, even if the way he was blowing you was way too performative to feel as good as when you just got to fuck his face. This just meant it wasn’t hard to hold your noises in, letting the slick wet noises of Satoru’s mouth working your shaft filter into the video.

This whole thing felt like the kind of videos you’d find on the cheap adult video dvds you used to steal when you were younger. Some cute girl or guy in lingerie or just their underwear, giggling and looking up into the camera as what they did was more performance than carnal desire. Watching Satoru drape across the bed felt like that, his hips wiggling in the air as he arched his muscular back.

You blew a short breath out your nose at his clear show for himself, something he could look back on later and probably jerk it thinking about fucking himself. The thought made you grimace a little, but you were good enough to stay quiet as Satoru made a whole show about sliding the stockings off and throwing them at you.

Finally, he seemed to want to move on, putting his chest against the sheets and lifting his hips, showing off the plug hed most likely put inside himself before showing up at your place. It had blue gem on the hilt, something you had a feeling was the real deal and not a plastic one, because of course it would be.

you truly only had to stand there, letting Satoru fuck himself back onto your dick as he moaned and whined louder than any amount you had ever gotten him to do. Some of it did sound pretty fake though, with his voice kept at a high sultry pitch, whereas when you fucked him good, he was groaning and making noises that sounded like a dying animal.

It still felt good of course, just not as interesting as when you didn’t have to focus on catching the right angles of his muscular back and arching hips, or how his thighs twitched and he would slyly look over his shoulder at the camera.

The scoff that left you as he came all over the sheets was impossible to conceal, mocking insults about his ego and self-worth on the tip of your tongue, but you were able to contain yourself for now. Wouldn’t want to ruin his video and all.

Satoru seemed to bask in his own orgasm, yet also seemed worked up about the fact that you hadn’t finished too, making the white-haired sorcerer move his hips more erratically, until you finally came too. He whined a noise closer to the ones you were able to draw out of him as you spilled inside him, his hips rotating before Satoru pulled himself forwards.

Seeing his arched back had you turning the camera down like he so clearly wanted, zooming in to watch how his hole clenched and your spend spilled out onto the sheets. Normally you preferred going raw like this, since getting to soil up someone like Satoru Gojo did things to your own ego, so it did make you huff a little.

You kept the camera rolling until Satoru reached back to grab it, his grin wide and borderline feral as he started looking through the video, downright kicking his feet as he watched the recording of himself. That was your cue it seemed, as you just wiped yourself off and pulled your pants back up again. The jingle of your belt was loud as you closed back up, making Saturo whine.

“You not gonna stay?” he cooed, looking up at you with lidded eyes, his lashes added to what others might call angelic allure. To you he just looked the same as always, making you snort. “You only paid for the video” you shoot back, already patting yourself down for your smokes as you made for the door, flicking your fingers over your shoulder at him as a goodbye.

His laugh was loud as you closed the door behind you, making you roll your eyes for what had to be the hundredth time this evening. Truly a weirdo, but weren’t you all. nobody normal could be a sorcerer, so it came with the territory. At least you could splurge on some expensive food when you got home.

[devoureddreaa]

diary of a mad black woman

i’m totally not projecting in this /hj. buuuuuut, i love love love the movie: diary of a mad black woman. probably the best piece of fiction tyler perry has created. but, i hope you enjooooy!!

cw: toji is an asshole (mb…), you’re gonna be kind of a bitch too if you squint, relationship issues, infidelity issues (on both sides), an established relationship coming to an end, you’re not getting back with him….. (sorry not sorry), uhh y/n is black woman coded (hii ting at the title). lemme know if i forgot anything !!!!

five long, draining years.

five years ago..you married toji right after you two graduated. don’t worry, your clan didn’t sell you. marrying toji is what you wanted to do. only god knew how bad of a decision you were

toji fushiguro, had his owns dreams and aspirations. ones that most possibly didn’t involve you whatsoever, but you forced yourself into them. the first year was just fine, it was like you were laying on cloud nine.

that was until you were pushed off that cloud.

he moved you away from your home. he wanted to “forget about the past” he said, and leave everything behind. and that included your own family..you didn’t know how long it had been since you last heard their voices. now you were isolated, and that only made things worse cause toji knew what sort of power he had over you now.

you did anything in your power to stay in his vision. whether that was dealing with his manipulative behavior, or even his infidelity..you sticked around.

cause you loved him??

or cause you didn’t have anyone else to go to?

weird, cause then you got kicked out of your own home and he got a divorce. he packed all your shit in a truck and replaced you for some hooker. bet enough booger sugar and lube got her to stay. you drove that truck back over to your grandmothers house…who almost shot you since it was the middle of the night. you got over it after a few months. got a job, made friends, reconnected with family..even your mother, and maybe even found some newfound love.

that’s until toji got injured and he was temporarily paralyzed. the hooker he wanted so badly wanted to leave him for dead, but you..were still legally his wife. so you made the last call.

to keep him alive.

as you sat there, thinking about picking up the pieces of what used to be your life..you realized something. every room in this place that you used to call home held a painful memory for you. even though toji’s suffering…something in you wants him to suffer even more. few months in a divorce can take a person through just as many emotions as five years in a marriage. oh, and you’re starting to feel all of them at once.

but the one that is clear…is rage.

now here you were, in your old home, in the office looking for old bill files for him. while he sat in his wheelchair…quietly.

shuffling through the stake of papers, you started to shake your head. “i don’t see it..”

toji’s head perked up, “you don’t see it?” he repeated, in somewhat of a mocking tone..

“no.”

he scoffed, “you really are good for nothing.” here he goes again. “find my bank statement and get the accountant on the phone.”

you looked up from the stack of papers and looked up at him. into those dead cold eyes, those eyes that used to give you so much love..but now…they just give you a whole lotta hurt.

“then call somebody, anybody and you can leave.” toji motioned down to the wheelchair he was sitting it. “this, is not gonna beat me.”

“oh really?” you’re tone was cold, ice cold. you were watching a grown man, that was fully capable of finding his own bank statements, throw a fit cause you couldn’t find it.

his legs were paralyzed, not his fucking arms.

“yea, and whatchu staring at?”

“you get stabbed in the spine, and you’re still the same.”

“i am who i am, and im gonna die that way. toots.” toji gave you a dirty, damn near disgusting look as he looked you up and down. “i don’t even know why you’re here, i’m not givin’ you shit. matter fact, where are my kids?”

“you done, toji?”

“yknow what bitch, just get out.”

you could feel your jaw clenched up when he said that.

he pinched the bridge of his nose, “i ask you to do one simple thing, and you can even do that after five— get out!”

you dropped the papers that were in your hands, you got up from the rather comfortable leather seat. grabbed your things from off the desk and proceeded to take your exit back home quietly.

but then you stopped.

who the hell is he? the man who hasn’t dont anything but hurt you. and now…you were about to let him keep doing exactly that? keep letting him control you like some toy. nah…that ain’t gon slide. before you could even think about it, your arm swung forward then swung back..the back of your hand connecting with toji’s face.

you turned yourself back around and leaned down to face him, placing your hands on the arm rest of the wheelchair..practically caging him in.

“let me explain something to you.” your tone of voice was sick, nasty. it was damn near like you were spitting pure vemon. “old y/n..is gone. and you will not talk to me like that.”

“now i came here..to help you. but now, i’m here to get even.”

“y/n, you—”

“shut up!” your yell echoed through the quiet home, the rain outside just barely being able to heard over it.

“you want your whore..” you walked over and grabbed the picture of toji and his little hooker..that was framed in a pretty little frame. “and your damn kids?”

you raised your arms up and threw the picture onto the ground, shattering the frame. “do you see what you left me for?!” you bend down and quickly picked up the picture, shoving it in toji’s face.

“this..is what you left me for!”

you started to rip the picture to shreds right in front of him, letting the loose parts fall to the floor. “she didn’t give a damn ‘bout you toji, she told them to let you die.!”

you walked back over by the desk, using your arms to sweep the top of it clean..everything falling on the floor, some of it even breaking.

“and yknow what’s funny? hm?” a condescending smile grew on your face. “i fucking gave you life boy, even though you took it from me.”

you’ve never seen toji so quiet and still before for how long you’ve known, but oh, that didn’t mean you were about to let up. you grabbed a play bat that was sitting on the floor..

“ya kids..your boys.” you swung the plastic bat and hit toji in the head. “i wanted children toji! and had you not been a public sex-stop, we would have them!”

you backed away and anger started to consume you. it showed in your face, your body movement, even in the way your heart was racing. you didn’t know if this felt good or not..

“got me all stressed out, my hair fallin’ out, my weight up ‘n down, can’t keep anything down! two miscarriages! you took life from me, and you never even said ‘i’m sorry’..”

was that it? the end of your rant.

hell nah, you walked out of that office. and you let toji sit there alone for a few days. when you can back it smelt rancid.

“god..” you groaned and covered your nose. walking up behind him. “ya smell like shit.”

you grabbed the handle bars and started to walk, then you started to run towards the bathroom.

“y/n. hell are doing?” toji asked, a bit afraid (that’s a new one.)

you ignored his concerns, barging through the bathroom doors to reveal a tub filled with water and a little bit of bubbles.

“y/n, stop—!”

the wheelchair hit the edge and toji was flipped over into the water. you pushed the wheelchair back and watched him, in silence for a bit.

“bathe him, feed him, clothe him..they say.” you say on the edge of the bathtub just watching him. “what bout me, huh? and jesus, stop lookin’ like an idiot.”

you begin to light a cigarette while toji just laid in the slightly cold water. “you try and..kick me out of our house, and keep me away from our money? hell nah. fuck nah, at that.”

you looked back over to see that toji’s head was started to submerge under the water. you quickly got up, dropped your cigarette in the water, and practically dragged toji back up to the surface.

“remember toji, i was there..when all you had was me.”

you stepped out of the tub and left him there.

later, you both sat at the oddly long dinner table. you on one side, and toji on the other. weird thing was you had a plate with a salad on it, and toji? he didn’t have a thing in front of him.

meanwhile, you were eating like it was the best salad you had ever had.

suddenly, toji had..started to cry? “y/n..”

your eyes perked up, “awe, you hungry?”

maybe he was. but who fucking cared? “hm..maybe you should go into the kitchen and get yourself something to eat then hm?” the smile on your face was brutal

“christina..” toji quietly cried out.

you looked over your shoulder, confused. “christina?!” you looked back over at the pitiful man in front of you..trying to hold back to boiling laughter. “christina’s gone…”

you smiled wildly, “your little tramp didn’t have any money to her so she left.” looking back down at your plate using your fork to pick up for more food. “just like your slut.”

“she packed all her shit, and some of yours toji fushiguro..and went on her merry way.” you started to laugh. “come to think of it..she cleaned out your bank account. all of it!”

“oh, sweetheart, you tried to keep from me? and she ended up taking it all..huh?!” you started to laugh even harder, throwing your head back and slamming your fist on to the table.

this was even better then therapy.

“toji..you are like soooo many men.” you paused to get a good look at him. “you’d rather lay with dogs then make it work with a women.”

“you’re a bitch ass, toji..a coward.”

you forcefully pushed your plate of food, sending it flying across the table towards toji. it ended up landing on his lap and some fell onto the floor. but you sure as hell weren’t gonna pick it up, you got up and went upstairs to go to sleep.

toji ended up getting better, and you let all your anger out on him..later forgiving him. you took that divorce as a blessing, the thing you used to see as curse. he still loved you, but you didn’t love him the same. you didn’t want to be back with him. pain can hurt someone, but it won’t change anybody; and toji is a perfect example of that.

but you? oh you knew better. and anyone that would cross you in the future would learn that.

signed,

a mad black woman.

did it well…and did it good. PLSASE WATXH HIS MOVIE, I LOVE IT!!! anywho coming with the content..smash that like button for more bangers!!! /lhj but, hope you enjoyed!! love you baaaaaaai (if you saw any typos..not you didn’t)

[redux-iterum]

Charred Legacy: Chapter Eighteen

(AO3 counterpart here.)

The rest of the night passed, but the snow did not. Flakes turned fat and even whiter, somehow, and they stuck to the ground like they had been glued there by sap, with no inclination to melt even with the experimental warm breath of Brackenpaw fanning them. Some of the snow even made it into the Barn; the Clan retreated into the furthest corner away from the door and slept together in a massive lump of fur whose many-colored patches occasionally shivered.

With the sky so darkened by the clouds, it was hard to say when night arrived. It didn’t help that the humans of the farm turned on several lights around the houses that reflected an ashen yellow on the snow, which was situated just so that it woke Fireheart up earlier in the evening than usual, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut and turn onto his side, his back to the intense shine. By the sounds of muffled grumbling, he was not the only one.

Soon enough (perhaps too soon for Fireheart), the sky went blue-black and the Clan awoke to calmer weather, but snow deep enough to hide their paws and some length of their legs. The kits were intensely curious until they actually patted the stuff with a paw, to which they responded by yelping and scampering back into the depths of the Barn.

“At least it won’t get any deeper,” Cinderpaw said, and she had the audacity to look a little disappointed by that. “None of you will find anything to eat out there, but you might as well check.”

“Did a vision tell you that?” Brightpaw asked, awed.

“No, I just know it.” Cinderpaw gave her a smug look. “That’s seer life.”

“That’s logic, fool girl.” Yellowfang scowled at the outside world. “We’d be blessed if, even in this wretched house, we find food.”

Cinderpaw stuck her tongue out at her mentor—though, Fireheart noted, she did it when the old cat’s back was turned. He didn’t sell her out, only twitched his whiskers and looked away.

In the end, it was the younger cats who braved carving paths in the snow. Some poked their heads into the doubled-over cornstalks and sniffed around, others scraped along to the right to see if anything was hiding near the house. Fireheart went out with Greystripe, Ravenwing and Snowpaw, not really picking a direction, just shuffling around and tasting the air.

“It’s no good,” Ravenwing said at last. “I can’t smell anything but cold earth.” He turned to Snowpaw and twitched his nose with a tilted head. Snowpaw shook his own with an unusually sour expression, his mouth stretched back to one side.

“Funny how snow just muffles everything, isn’t it?” Fireheart lifted a paw high and placed it down again in untouched snow with the smallest sound of compression. “Smells, sounds, sights…”

“Not you, though,” Greystripe said, flicking a droplet off his tail and landing it on Fireheart. “Your voice is echoing.”

“Pardon me,” Fireheart sniffed. He flexed his freezing toes, grateful for what fur was between them and his pawpads. “It’s just interesting, that’s all.”

Ravenwing sighed, his legs twitching like he was doing the same. “I’m just glad I spent my first winter in the nursery. This would’ve been awful to be an apprentice during.”

“Oh, I don’t think it’s that bad—” Fireheart started.

“Yeah?” Greystripe scooped fresh snow with a huge paw and swung it. “This isn’t bad?”

The snow hit Fireheart’s shoulder, making him shout in surprise. What little conversation filtered out of the corn and around the corner petered off as Fireheart tried to dust the snow off of him.

“It’s fine!” he said, his words a little higher-pitched than normal at the cold. An idea struck him and he turned with his back to Greystripe. “Here, you try it!”

He kicked hard like he was covering dirt, aiming for Greystripe’s face. He heard a quack of shock and turned with a beam of self-satisfaction; he had hit his target perfectly, Greystripe stumbling back a bit. He tripped on something and fell onto his rear, the snow enveloping his haunches.

Snowpaw made an odd, drawn-out breath that shook as he stared at Greystripe. It took Fireheart a moment to realize that he was chuffing in his own way. His mentor wasn’t much better, lips tight to hide his amusement.

“See?” Fireheart said to Greystripe. “It’s nice, right?”

Greystripe gave him a look like he was about to catch a bird. Too late, Fireheart realized what was about to happen, and he didn’t have time to jump out of the way before Greystripe lunged and tackled him. He was buried deep into the snow, his ears stuffed with cold and wet, unable to completely parse Greystripe’s retort.

He responded by kicking his back legs again, this time straight up into Greystripe’s gut. The weight lifted off of him and he rolled back onto his feet, shaking his entire body as hard as he could to get the snow off of him. Greystripe coughed, like the wind had been knocked out of him.

“If I had even a small chance against you,” Fireheart said, “I’d tackle you back. Ach—” he shook his head again. “There’s snow in my ears.”

“Sorry,” Greystripe said, and coughed again. He straightened up before scooping up more snow and flinging it at Fireheart, who ducked just in time.

“What in Mirra’s teeth is going on over here—?” came Mousefur’s voice, followed by a splutter. All of the toms looked behind Fireheart to see that the molly had just emerged from the cornstalks and now had snow on her face. Brightpaw, standing beside her, flinched and stared up at her mentor with wide eyes.

No one moved for a long moment, watching the snow slide off her muzzle and out of her eyes. She blinked slowly, took a few steps forward past Fireheart, then scooped up snow and flung it at Greystripe. It made its target, hitting him in the shoulder.

Brightpaw cheered and jumped after Mousefur, scattering snow everywhere as she tried to swat it at her brother. At the top of her lungs, she shouted, “SNOW FIGHT!”

Snowpaw didn’t make a sound as his sister started throwing waves of snow at his face; he just attacked back, ducking away from her and kicking with his back feet like Fireheart had at Greystripe. The apprentices’ aims were not particularly precise, resulting in Ravenwing getting pelted repeatedly despite his attempts to skitter away from the action.

Meanwhile, Greystripe and Mousefur were not much more dignified than the apprentices. They were now flinging snow at each other, chuffing and shaking their fur out pointlessly as they turned whiter and whiter. Fireheart watched, marveling too much to be aware of the shuffling of snow between paws behind him.

“Wa’s happ’ning?” Thornpaw asked as he passed Fireheart, just in time to be knocked into the snow by Brightpaw with a yowl. Brackenpaw, just behind him, wasted not a breath in avenging his brother by bowling over Brightpaw. Snowpaw swiftly joined them, leading to a thrashing pile of gold and white making an impressive cacophony of joyous shrieks at the coldness of the snow.

“Don’t fight each other!” Mousefur called to them over the noise. “Come help me soak Greystripe!”

“You’re the older warrior,” Greystripe countered. “You have the advantage. If anything, they should be helping me.”

“With you being as big as you are?”

“Yeah!” Greystripe looked over to Ravenwing. “In fact, why aren’t you helping?”

Ravenwing, standing a good distance away, made a face. “I don’t need to get covered in snow.”

Driven by a compulsion Fireheart couldn’t ignore, he raced forward and swiped at the snow, sending it Ravenwing’s way. “You’re going to! Come have fun!”

Ravenwing choked a yelp and ducked away, the snow passing him harmlessly. He stared at Fireheart. “Are you serious?”

“Deadly!” Fireheart’s tail wagged behind him. “Come on, enjoy yourself!”

“Thornpaw, where—” Dustpelt emerged from the cornstalks like he had just ran through them looking for his apprentice. He caught sight of the apprentices and shuffled over to them, trying to split them up with a long paw. “Will you four stop that? You’ll get sick.”

The apprentices paused in their chaos just long enough for Brightpaw to yowl, “GET HIM!”, and as a unit they leaped over each other and crashed into Dustpelt, sending him rolling. Sure enough, he stood up and had to shake both them and snow off of himself.

“What’s happening here?” he asked, more stunned than sharp.

“Snow fight,” Fireheart said. “Want in?”

“Come play!” Brackenpaw said, crouching excitedly and wriggling his hind end.

Dustpelt had an expression of annoyance until he looked at his apprentice heaving breaths with sparkling eyes and a rare joy on his face. He then turned to Fireheart and, awkward at the prospect of non-productive fun, asked slowly, “I mean, are there teams, or…?”

“Oh, we’ve just been throwing snow at each other.” Fireheart looked back at the warriors, who had paused in their game. “Should we have teams?”

“Sure,” Mousefur said. “Everyone against Greystripe.”

“Hey!”

“Right, Fireheart and Ravenwing won’t go against you.”

Uneven snowsteps turned heads towards the Barn, where Cinderpaw was limping out alongside her brother, Swiftpaw’s own steps more quick and ginger.

“I heard everyone having fun over here without me,” Cinderpaw said. “And frankly, that is unacceptable. What are we doing?”

“Snow fight!” Brightpaw called as she shook her fur clean, then swatted what had fallen off at Dustpelt, earning a squawk. “We’re picking teams!”

“Ooh!” Cinderpaw looked eagerly at her brother. “Let’s do it. I’m with the apprentices.”

Swiftpaw, amused, tilted his head. “Apprentices versus warriors, then?”

Fireheart made a vague estimation as he looked over the growing players. “We don’t have enough warriors, I think…”

Cinderpaw hummed, considering, then turned her head to the left and hollered, “SANDSTORM! LIZARDTAIL! Get over here!”

Confused, indistinct words answered her, and in a moment the pale gold molly and brown tom (who were already speckled with white) appeared from around the corner.

Before they could ask questions, Cinderpaw said, “We’re teaming up the apprentices against the warriors for a snow fight. The warriors need more members.”

Lizardtail squinted at her. “Is that what all this noise was about?”

“Wait, are we fighting?” came Teaselfoot’s voice, popping out of the corn. “You didn’t include me?”

“Now that’s too many warriors,” Greystripe said. “Who’s going to be the traitor and side with the apprentices?”

“I didn’t say I was playing—” started Lizardtail.

Sandstorm bumped his shoulder hard enough to push him forward. “You are now. What’re the rules? Can we throw rocks?”

“We’re throwing snow, not risking lost eyes,” Greystripe said. “You’re in, then?”

“I’m in!” Teaselfoot pushed out of the corn, excited. “Who’ll be with the apprentices?”

“I will,” Fireheart said, so quickly he surprised himself. “I’m the youngest warrior anyway.”

“Then let’s GO!” Brackenpaw shouted before swinging a paw and sending snow sailing straight into Lizardtail’s face. The warrior had no time to complain or get mad before the apprentices cheered and charged the adults.

It was chaos instantly. Dustpelt was now fighting off Thornpaw, and Cinderpaw and Swiftpaw teamed up on Greystripe, Mousefur kicking one last bit of snow at him before running to fight her apprentice. Sandstorm started digging and flung snow with pebbles in it at an advancing Brackenpaw, who ducked and danced around the barrage with surprising grace. Ravenwing tried again to get away from the battle, but Snowpaw ran to him and outright tackled him with another wheezing chuff.

Fireheart, meanwhile, caught sight of Lizardtail standing there stiffly, watching the insanity, and couldn’t resist running at him, just to skid to a stop at the last moment and spray a wave of snow into the warrior’s face. Lizardtail spluttered and almost reared up on his hind legs, shaking his head.

“Come on,” Fireheart said, giddy with the rush of fun. “I bet I can beat you again.”

Lizardtail gave him a glare that quickly failed to hold, then swung snow Fireheart’s way. Fireheart jumped out of the way. Soon, the pair were circling each other, throwing snow and trying to keep from getting hit themselves. Fireheat faked Lizardtail out by jolting towards him, which beautifully resulted in him almost falling onto his side to get away.

“I cannot believe that got me,” Lizardtail grumbled, his eyes somewhere past Fireheart. “Stand still for a moment.”

“So you can hit me—?” Fireheart started, only to have the wind knocked out of him as he was bowled over and sent face-first into the snow. Weight lifted off of him just enough for him to roll onto his side and stare up at Teaselfoot.

“Gotcha,” the tabby said cheerfully.

“Fireheart’s down!” Cinderpaw shouted.

Several high yowls answered her. Teaselfoot didn’t have a heartbeat to celebrate his victory; apprentices were shoving him off of their oldest teammate and burying him himself.

Fireheart jumped to his feet with a cough and nodded thankfully to the youngsters. The warriors that had been abandoned closed in on their rival team like they were hunting a rabbit as a group.

“What do we do?” Swiftpaw asked Fireheart, entirely too gleeful for the question.

“Attack together!” Fireheart said, not quite shouting, but louder than he expected. “Push them back!”

The apprentices, bunched together, launched forward in a wave, Fireheart at the lead. The slinging of snow was now forgotten in favor of just tackling the older cats and trying to wrestle them to the ground. Greystripe was not budged by Fireheart’s barrage, obviously, but most of the others fell easily. Apprentices and warriors rolled and thrashed, yelling indistinctly.

Greystripe shook his head until Fireheart fell off, but instead of attacking back, he looked up and lost the happiness on his face. Fireheart followed his line of sight.

Speckletail, Bluestar, Yellowfang, and Whitecloud had come out of the Barn and were standing, watching the chaos, with varying degrees of sternness.

They were quickly noticed by the rest of the group. One by one, the warriors and apprentices, completely covered in snow, stood up silently.

Speckletail spoke first. “Care to tell me what’s going on here?”

“Nothing,” Fireheart said, and the rest echoed him to varying degrees of quiet and convincing casualness.

Whitecloud had a look like he was trying to hide his amusement for the sake of a narrowed-eyes Bluestar. “Seems pretty loud and…messy…for nothing.”

“We’re just hanging out,” Cinderpaw said.

Yellowfang snorted. “And rolling in snow, fool girl?”

“Snow’s great,” Cinderpaw said. “Very cooling. Here—” She used a good paw and swung the stuff at Yellowfang, hitting her neck. A wave of gasps and gawks followed.

The old seer growled and stomped forward. Before anyone could blink, she had her apprentice’s ear in her wide mouth and was dragging her along back to the Barn, muttering curses. Cinderpaw, even though she was larger, stumbled with her mentor like she had no way to get loose.

“A dog could hear you all and get curious,” Bluestar said, a little faintly. “Come inside and be safe.”

“After you get the snow off,” Speckletail added. She and Bluestar turned and walked off after Yellowfang and Cinderpaw, Speckletail whispering something that sounded encouraging to Bluestar.

Whitecloud’s eyes creased as he looked over the young cats cleaning their pelts. “I hope you’re warm now, at least.”

Fireheart had to admit that he hardly noticed the chill around him. He tilted his head apologetically to Whitecloud as he shuffled past him, but Whitecloud simply purred and led the pair of armies back towards the Barn.

In all the strewn-about snow, in the dark, no one noticed a set of large, clawed footprints leading around the cornstalks. They were fresh.

[writingpages]

crossing the threshold

[first chapter] [previous chapter] [master list] [next series] [read on ao3]

Summary: crossing the threshold signifies that the hero has finally committed to the journey. he is prepared to cross the gateway that separates the ordinary world from the special world. the crossing may require more than accepting one’s fears or a map.

Rating: T

Ships: Yuesi Fudo/Aki Izayoi

Warnings: canon typical violence, all the warnings that come with calamity ganon

Epona is taking the lead on the journey - Yusei isn't sure where he's should go. With two main objectives - regain his lost memories and free the Divine Beasts - he should know exactly where he needs to go. Instead, he felt lost and overwhelmed. With how big the world around him is, he isn't certain how long it'd take him to do either of those things. In fact, he isn't sure where he is supposed to go next. She is leading him, and he decides he's comfortable with that. Hours seemed to slip by, until Epona suddenly comes to a stop - a cliff drop off with no where to really go next.

Yusei glances down and saw a Guardian Stalker glancing around. His heart kicks into overdrive, and at first he thinks he is dying. Perhaps the Guardian Stalker has seen him. Except... he isn't dead and it can't have possibly seen him. It takes him a while to try to reorient himself - and yet... it still feels like there is ice in his veins and he is unable to regulate his breathing. The closest feeling he could use to describe how he felt was fear - he is genuinely afraid of what this beast could to do to him. He slides off Epona, pulling away from the cliff as he tries to catch his breath. How could he possibly calm down when the reason he died was still wandering around?

He doesn't even know if the one that had killed him is still roaming about or if it's one of the many defective ones laying about. What makes him spiral even further was the hull of the ones that laid about. What had the sort of power to destroy a mindless soldier, designed to continue killing no matter what? It is fear that is starting to choke him, and he needs to fight back against that. He needs to remind himself that as scary as it is, he needs to keep moving forward. He sees another person in the area, and it is enough to ground him. He heads over to the man, intercepting him to warn him about the Guardian Stalker.

"Ah, another traveler," the man says before Yusei can say anything. "I am a merchant. Can I interest you in anything?"

"Ah, er, I have some topaz that I was hoping to sell," Yusei replies, thrown off by the merchant's cheerful demeanor. Was the man like the Yiga Clan and this was a trap? Or perhaps the merchant really was unaware of the Guardian Stalker in the area?

"Ah, my wife would like that," the merchant says, considering the offer. "I can give you 180 rupees for it. Sound fair?" Yusei nods, and they make the trade. "You know I'm selling as well."

"What are you offering?" The man explains his wares, and after a brief negation, Yusei purchases three fortified pumpkins and two hearty truffles from the man. It was then that Yusei remembers the reason he had approached the man in the first place. "There's a Guardian Stalker in the area."

The smile slides off the man's face as he realizes that they were in a dangerous position. "We should leave the area. Now. Thank you for your warning, kind traveler. Stay safe."

The man runs off quickly, and Yusei is grateful he'd came across the man when he had. Who knows the danger he could have found himself in if Yusei hadn't come across him when he did? It is possible that he could have wound up dead. That, in itself, is a helpful reminder what he is doing here - what he is supposed to do. Everything came down to the people of Hyrule and that is enough to sustain him. He could do this. Night had fully hit, and Keese are now flying about. As he heads back to his horse, he winds up attacked by them, and they force him off the cliff in attempts to dodge them. He grips at the cliff, adrenaline sustaining him from hitting the ground. He gets shoved off again, and he pulls out the paraglider in hopes of lessening the impact.

As for the Guardian Stalker - he hopes that it did not see him. He couldn't even begin to imagine the timing on parrying the laser back it like Anzu claimed he used to do. However he used to it was gone - replaced by nothing more than wisps and buzzing. He glances around, trying to figure out where he is now. There is a ruined building next to him - he isn't certain if it was simply age or the Guardian Stalker nearby that destroyed it. Either way, there was a lot of implicit horror in the mere existence of those ruins. A shimmer catches his eye, and he takes it in. It is circling around a ruined well and the building, and a strange tinkling sound coming off it. He swears he hears laughter, and he steps into the path. A Korok smacks itself against his boot, and whines "ow" as it stares up at him. "Mr. Hero!"

Yusei frowns. "What are you doing out here?"

The Korok giggles and doesn't answer his question. Instead, it points to something in the distance - and Yusei examines what it could possible be pointing to. A strange light was glowing in the dark and he realizes very quickly what it is - a shrine. "Mr. Hero should go over there!"

Before Yusei could ask any further questions, the Korok vanishes before him. He isn't given long to muse over this, as a sparking Keese makes it way to him. Instinctively, he stabs it before it could attack him. He isn't sure what it would have done to him, but he was glad for his instincts either way. He examines the land further - it was flooded with handfuls of tall grass that poked out. He isn't sure how far the shrine is, but he figures he might as well make his way to it. He scopes it out every few feet, seeing the Lizalfos in the area. He is certain he could sneak his way in without the creatures spotting him. At least, that's what he'd been certain of.

However, the Lizalfos spots him and Yusei is forced into the offense. It doesn't take long, however, and Yusei emerges from the battle victorious. He heads into the shrine, more annoyed that he was forced to fight than anything else.

The shrine, however, was a difficult one. Magensis was required to move some strange items in a deep pool. Scooping it out with the use of it was irksome as it kept sliding out of the metal plate. When he finally manages, he lets out a breath of relief as he heads into the next room. Immediately it is clear that he needed it for the next room, and he sighs as he heads back to the other room. He retrives it with maganesis, and wonders what this sort of puzzle could possibly prove to anyone. Why did they need him to jump through hoops to obtain these spirit orbs? Who is watching? Either way, he solves the puzzle and notices there is no chest in this shrine. So not only was it a waste of his resources, he got nothing but the spirit orb in return. Either way, he is grateful that the monks at least have the decency to restore his vitality.

Exiting the shrine, a glimmer of light in the distance catches his eye - another shrine. Considering his Slate hadn't started buzzing to alert him to the shrine, it can't be close. He wasn't expecting just how far it was, however, once he scopes it out. The map implies that it would be most like a day's walk, and he is starting to get exhausted. He has been up for longer than he normally is, and figures he might was well see about a stable soon. Thinking of the stabel reminds him about how Epona is currently up on a cliff that he slipped down from... and it was raining. It would be too slick to climb back up in this rain. He wasn't sure how to get her back, but figures he might as well reach out to the stables. He looks through the pictures he's gotten with a sigh, trying to figure out if he recognized any of them.

And then he spots one detail: the Dueling Peaks in the distance in one of the photos. The photo was of a lake, overlooking some ruins - so wherever it was, it was a place already in ruins one hundred years ago. It seems close to the Great Plateu... and well, he still needs the map for Central Hyrule. It was as good a place any to start when tracking down his memory. He might as well head to the Dueling Peaks stable first. So he taps the shrine near the stable, and feels the strange feeling of being compressed into a tiny ball, then shattered, then reassembled at the shrine. A wholly unpleasant experience he isn't sure he cares for. He swallows hard, shaking off the feeling as he heads to the stable.

"Hi, Tasseren, I'm back."

Tasseren grins. "Glad to see you're still safe," he says, nodding. "How can I help you, sir?"

"Please, call me Yusei," Yusei says, feeling an instant involuntary shudder at being addressed so formally. He didn't know who he is, but he knew he is not a man who enjoys formalities. "I was wondering if it'd be possible to board Epona with you guys for a bit."

"Not a problem at all."

"I did leave her kind of far out," Yusei admits, furrowing his brow. "She was on a cliff last I saw her, and I wasn't able to get back to her."

Tasseren has a mysterious grin as he winks. "Not an issue. Wait there." Tasseren walked off, and Yusei waits. It isn't even ten minutes later when Tasseren comes back. "Praise to the Horse God, your horse is in our care. We will have her at the stable safely. Is there anything else we can help you with?"

Yusei shakes his head, amazed at their ability to track down a horse. "I'll be back for my horse in a bit. There's something I need to do first."

The "something else" was getting a better view of where he thinks the memory might be - all the way from the Great Plateu's tower. The tower was the highest that he could think of, and it allows him to glance over all of Hyrule. Far in the east, past the Dueling Peaks, he now knew there was a sea over by there. There were more mountains, and at least two settlements. To the west was a strange bird circling around in one spot, and more mountains. If he looked to the south west, there were strange mountains in the shape of steps. To the direct south, a jungle. And finally, to the north, the castle with the beast that he was destined to face. The entire kingdom was foreign to him - and he suspected that it would be even if he did have his memories.

He scopes out down towards where he suspects the memory might be, and instead he spots two people in a fight with some Bokoblins. He never was able to resist helping a stranger in need, so he paraglides down to spring to their aid. The Bokoblins are more annoying than they are a genuine threat to him. It doesn't take long until the monsters are taken down, leading him to now stare down a very angry redhead. "Um, hello, no one asked for your help," she said with her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "I know that my big brother Jounouchi thinks that I can't take care of myself, but like, I totally can." She sighs, shaking her head. "Whatever, thanks, I guess. Here."

She shoves a sneaky mushroom skewer into his hands, still glaring at him before turning away from him. "What Shizuka means to say is that we are very grateful for your help, even if we could have handled it ourselves," Jounouchi says with a genuine laugh. "Thank you so much for keeping my sister safe."

"Whatever! You helping us doesn't mean we're going to help you find any treasure," she says with a stomp of her foot. "With all the monsters around, it totally scared off any other treasure hunter. Where there's monsters, there's treasure." Shizuka takes a deep breath, composing herself. "Tell you what. Since you helped us out, I'll give you a free tip: don't go near Hyrule Castle. Everyone agrees there's a bunch of good treasure probably hiding in that destroyed castle, maybe even some good weapons from the long dead guard. But those Guardians that swarm the castle make it a near suicide mission to go near it!"

"Really," Yusei asks. "Has anyone ever fought one and lived?"

The two siblings exchanged a glance before the two of them laughed. Not exactly the most promising reaction. "Once a guardian catches you in its sight, you don't have long live," Jounouchi says, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, man. I get that it's a tempting hunt, but listen to my sister. There's no point in going to the castle. I heard even if you manage to sneak past the Guardians, the entire place has the strongest monsters you've ever seen. Some say ghosts haunt the place too. Ain't nothing worth your life, dude."

Except there might be something worth his life in there. If one of the pictures is to be believed, a piece of his memory was in there. Princess Aki herself is in there, battling against Calamity Ganon - someone he had risked his life for one hundred years ago. If he'd been willing to risk his life then, why not now? He doesn't care about the treasure and he didn't even care about the weapons - he cares about the possibility of books in there that told him more about his past. He cares about the potential memories he could unlock in there. And if ghosts haunt the palace, it didn't matter because he is certainly haunting Hyrule himself.

He isn't sure where he is going now. The green and gray of Hyrule pulls him through it, as if he is being led by some invisible force through the wild. The rustling of animals, the scene of dew on the grass, and the clear air coming off the trees. The wind rustles through his hair, and Yusei closes his eyes, taking it in. He feels the crunch of leaves underneath his foot, and when he opens his eyes, he is staring down the exact view in the photo. He looks around, and at first, he thinks nothing will happen. And then it feels  like he is falling through time: a memory as if he was in that moment.

Princess Aki talked to herself, muttering under breath something about how they needed to go to Goron City. Yusei wondered if he should speak up, but it felt like there was a weight on his chest. Anything he wanted to say died in his throat before he could even open his mouth. He knew why he had done this: the pressure to be the perfect soldier. A perfect soldier doesn't contradict their leader, even when they're certain that they were wrong. One thing that struck him was how heavy the sword on his back felt - had it always felt this heavy? Did he always feel this uncomfortable when he was in his tunic and chain mail? All he knew was that he couldn't show any discomfort. He was several feet behind Princess Aki, and even still he felt uncomfortable.

She suddenly stopped, and turned to stare at him - and he was stunned to see there was a barely contained rage. Except then... he wasn't surprised by it. His past self's feelings of resignation, of awareness, of expecting this warred with his current self's shock. "They say the sword that seals the darkness has a spirit that dwells inside it," Princess Aki said, an odd look on her face that he couldn't read then, but his current self could full understand: there was pain. As if she was suffering then. "Tell me, hero, can you hear it?"

There was a twinge of mockery upon the way she said "hero" and Yusei had bowed his head. He had nothing to say in response - he couldn't hear it then, and he couldn't hear it now. Whatever she asked him to hear, he couldn't possibly do it. "You were planning on going to Goron City, Princess," he said quietly. "Should we make our way there?"

"I told you before, I don't need your protection," she said, stomping her feet as she turned away from him. It was obvious: she hated him. She hated him so much that she didn't want anything to do with him. In this one memory, he remembered how she was always sneaking away from his guard and telling everyone how he was bad at his job for it. "Seriously, just go back to the castle. I can get to Death Mountain on my own."

"Princess, I really think -"

"Oh, now you have something to say," she snarled, starting to jog and forcing to pick up his pace to keep up with her. "Leave me alone! I can take care of myself!"

The memory ends, and Yusei blinks in confusion. He doesn't understand it. He puts the Slate away, glancing towards the castle. Does she still feel that way about him? His entire world feels off kilter, and he knows there was only one person who could answer what this meant: he needs to speak with Lady Asuka again.

[weministertomonsters]

Gone Rogue - 1

This song carries the whole story, I tell you.

This story is set in: ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴛ ʟᴀɴᴅs

Others stories set in this world are Deathsinger & The Desert Clans ━━━━━━━━━━━━

"My Lady!" The gruff voice of your bodyguard sounds so far away as you stare in horror at what is left of your home.

And then it hits you. Your parents are in there. You have to get them out, the whole place is on fire! You have to hurry- You don't even realize you're running forward until your bodyguard stops you with an arm braced around your middle.

The air puffs out of your lungs and you let out a hoarse scream, struggling to free yourself.

"I have to do something!" You shriek. "My parents are in there!"

"They are gone," your bodyguard says quietly.

You try once more to free yourself, then slump against his strong body. He's right. The house is not much more than scorched bricks and glowing embers, collapsed in the middle like a soft cake. There is no way there are any survivors. Bodies of servants litter the courtyard. They were loyal till death; their throats are cut in neat lines, pooling blood. You choke on a sob and stare in disbelief.

"Why?" You croak. "What did they do?"

"Such questions will never find answers," your bodyguard murmurs. "My Lady, it is not safe for you here."

Despite the truth of his words, you do find one answer to a question you hadn't even asked yet as your foot crunches down on something. You lift your foot and find a broken rune-circle, symbols spiraling out in an intricate joining. You reach down and take it in your hands, thinking. You have seen symbols of this likeness in your study books. This is an Ishari rune.

"The Ishari did this!" You gasp, poison bitter in your heart.

Your merchant father traded with the Ishari most of all and this is how they repaid him? By cleaning the house of goods and torching it with them inside?

"My Lady," Your bodyguard urges. "You have not been accounted for. No doubt they will return for you."

"What do I possibly have to offer them now?" You snap angrily. "They have taken everything."

He tries to steel his expression but you have already seen that he knows something.

"Kalen, what do you know?"

"I am honor-bound to say nothing of it to you," he murmurs.

"That honor is broken," you hiss, gesturing to the house. "Spit it out."

"The Isharin who visited frequently wanted you. I overheard many conversations where your parents pleaded their way out of selling you to him."

"What?" You gasp. "My parents would never sell me."

"That's what they told him. He offered them great sums anyway."

"Why? I know I have some merit, but most Isharin girls are far more educated and far more beautiful."

Kalen lowers his gaze to the ground. "I don't know why, my Lady."

You can tell he's telling the truth. You turn to look at the ruins again, sucking in a breath to say something, but Kalen is suddenly swooping forward, nearly pushing you off of your feet as he drags you.

"They have come back," he hisses. "Hide."

He guides you to a broken, scorched wall, and together you take refuge behind it. Thankfully the bricks have cooled just enough to be safe, but the heat in them still has sweat beading on your skin almost instantaneously.

The Ishari pull up on their horses, conversing. You can hear the voice of that particular Isharin your parents often had transactions with, ringing clear and high as a bell.

"Search the immediate area. They may yet be close by."

You press closer to Kalen, gripping his hand tightly.

If these bastards could kill my parents like this, they will not hesitate to do the same to me, you think with your heart pattering wildly.

Kalen pulls your head against his chest and strokes your hair, breathing evenly. You feel a twinge of sadness that one of the rare moments you are close would be at a time like this. Things are never going to be the same.

You hear the trod of footsteps coming closer, and you stiffen. Kalen's free hand rests on the handle of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. However, the Isharin doesn't come close enough to look over the short wall, turning and shouting,

"I don't think they have been here."

"Then," the Isharin tells him, "They have fled."

"Shall we go after them?"

"Yes. We will head north. It is the only direction they can go."

"And if they are fools enough to flee into the desert?"

"The heat will kill them before I do," the Isharin replies. "Let's go."

The sound of horse hooves fades into the distance but Kalen keeps you there a few minutes more until he is sure they have left. You clamber out from behind the wall, sucking in a sigh of relief as cool air grazes your sweaty body.

"What are we going to do?" You ask Kalen helplessly.

"We're going south into the desert."

"But you heard him! The heat will kill us," you protest.

"We'll travel at night," Kalen says. "I have crossed the desert many times before and I have survived, have I not?"

"Yes, but where will we be going?"

"We will seek refuge with my clan," Kalen responds.

"Didn't they cast you out?" You ask and regret it when he tosses you a look.

"Let me worry about that," he replies. "We have a headstart now, but it won't be long till the Isharin ask around and realize we decided to take our chances in the desert."

"And then?" You ask, and his response lets you know just how bleak the situation is as he says,

"And then we die."

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Find Part 2 here

[asktheahogesandblondes]

(pd) saw that's sweet at least you know better now Mr. jime it's Good at least your with the one you love in other worlds she's dead! So I guess that ingrained ultimate luck payed off so I feel others will ask so it's best I ask now howed it happen?

((Apologies for taking so long with this one too, If I omit a detail or two assume it's like in canon))

Hajime:Well, I'm glad Natsumi in this universe is alright...I don't know what I would do if she actually died.

Natsumi:Well...it all started when I entered the reserve course and met Hajime, while he initially looked like all the other losers in there to me, although he certainly was much more good looking, I could tell there was something different about him...and I also found out Sato was there, which also led to some troubles down the line.

Hajime:We talked for more times after this and we got a little closer everytime, but we were busy with other things, like talking with Chiaki and...the Kamukura Project. I was beginning to doubt if I should go through it due to Chiaki's words and my talks with Natsumi...until the accident happen.

Natsumi:I got into a fight with Sato, we said some...very hurtful things that lead up to worse things down the line, Hajime tried to console me and...it helped, just not enough, so I went away to sulk...and then Sato got me...I didn't die, but ended up in a coma.

Hajime:I was devastated when I found that out, I wanted to do something, I wanted to help...but the security guard kicked my ass and told me that without talent I wasn't worth shit...and after what happened with Natsumi, I decided to finally go through it, becoming Izuru Kamukura...and basically lost all will to do anything, because when you're so perfect and can predict anything...wants the point? Which led me to be easily manipulated by Junko. Who then killed Chiaki and brainwashed Class 77 into Super High School Level Despair to wreck the world.

Natsumi:I woke up eventually...together with Sato, turns my brother to take revenge put her in a coma too, we woke up, we fought each other before deciding to call it quits for a while and try to find out what happened...then we were approached by Makoto, Despair Bitch and their survivor friends. After explaining everything that happened we were shocked...and angry with Despair bitch too. A few murder attempts later we calmed down and they explained to me that they were coming up with a plan to undo the brainwashing on my brother and his friends, so they sought us out to help them with it since we're friends with quite a few of them too, especially my brother and Mahiru...so reluctantly me and Sato teamed up and we agreed to help, not like we have any other place to go anyways...

Hajime:I was not pleased to find out Junko had been beaten by Makoto and given up on Despair, because not only did she prove to be all talk in her Despair and wasn't as unpredictable as she tried to sell it as, but it also means I was pretty much used by her...for nothing, I wanted to get back at her...but once I found her I realized she wasn't the same as before, not only was she already defeated, but she also found out she did everything for nothing, I couldn't get back at her like that...though that was left to the say when I met Natsumi again, alive and well...

Natsumi:I was fucking pissed at Hajime for everything, why did he help Junko do all that? Why didn't he stop her? Why did he throw his life away to become just an emotionless husk? I know he was desperate for talent...I understand that feeling very well, but it still hurts that he did that...and especially cause he was unrecognizable at that point, he was something else now...and it didn't help that I was so alone then, my mom and dad are dead, my brother and Peko were not themselves at the time, they took the clan with them, so I had nothing at the time...

Hajime:I did feel bad about it, even if I couldn't understand why at the time. But I was told of the plan and decided to help...because I had one idea to get back at the Junko who manipulated me. I helped round out Class 77 to Jabberwock island, and before we got into the Neo World Program, I slipped the Junko AI I got from Shirokuma and Kurokuma...I wanted to see which was truly unpredictable:Hope or Despair? Also to have my revenge against Junko before she changed, though I got a little cocky since I wasn't gonna be my talented self, instead I was me before I ever entered Hope's Peak.

Natsumi:Me and Sato joined too to help the AIs (which was a recreation of Chiaki and a rabbit called Usami) in the system reform my brother, Mahiru, Peko and the others. We didn't know about the mess we involve ourselves into, it started a bit rough at the start because everyone would be nervous to be suddenly be teleported to a tropical island...we actually were having a good time at first, my presence put my brother in a better mood so he was less on edge, me and Sato tried to not fight to not cause problems...although people found it weird that me and her were there even though we didn't have talents and the ones that do know us found it weird that we were acting different now...and I also took my chance to hang around with Hajime.

Hajime:I woke without any memory of what I went through, I ended up meeting Natsumi and the others again for the first time, she tried to hang around me and get to know me better alongside Nagito who introduced everyone to me, I also didn't remember anything of the reserve course, so I thought I actually had one I just didn't remember...oh, the irony. But we were having a good time together...until Monokuma showed up.

Natsumi:Me, Sato, Chiaki and Usami had no idea what was going on, why Monokuma was there, I thought Junko had betrayed us...but I felt there was something telling me that was wrong. But what mattered then was that not only Monokuma was there, but he got control over the system, even defeating Usami and turning her into Monomi, then proceeded to make this calm rehabilitation trip into another fucking killing game, which put everyone on edge and on danger...And then revealed that not only where they were missing one year worth of memories but also that there was three traitors among us.

Hajime:So everything went from bad to worse, everyone was on edge, including myself. Natsumi and Nagito hanged around me and were trying to clam me down, eventually impostor, who was disguised as Byakuya at the time, suggested we have a get together to relax...but it actually was to stay vigilant of everyone since he knew a murder would happen, Fuyuhiko didn't feel like going and Natsumi decided to stay with him to protect him and calm him down, Sato hovered over Mahiru so I was mostly with Nagito...we were having a good time...until that blackout...and the murder of Impostor happened.

Natsumi:So everything was going to shit, luckily me and Sato saw some re-runs of the Killing School Life, so despite admittedly being nerve-wracking we knew what to do, especially cause that Nagito guy knew what to do...which was not a very good thing. Cause at the class trial we found out he set everything up to kick-start the first murder, the bastard had a sick obssesion with "Hope" and Despair, like a sick combination of Makoto and Despair bitch. But he wasn't the one who murdered Impostor, it was Teruteru who took the opportunity to murder and get away with it. We decided to tie Nagito up for the time being since he was way too dangerous to be left alone to do as he wishes.

Hajime:So as you can see I wasn't in the best of moods after finding out Nagito's true nature and the death of Teruteru, Natsumi stayed close to me trying to cheer me up, I guess to repay for all the times I cheered her up before this mess started. The second island became available because Monomi managed to defeat the Monobeast guarding it, in the second island we were given the second motive:A bastardization of Twilight Syndrome, at the start we didn't want to play it but eventually we found out what it was...It's about Natsumi and Sato's feud that led them both to be in coma.

Natsumi:Naturally we weren't happy when we found out about this, me and Sato decided to play it without people knowing and yeah...it pissed us off, especially cause Monokuma tried to make it seem like we died there, probably to make us look suspicious and make us seem like the traitors...which we were, but obviously without context it made us look bad...we also ended up...Bonding? I mean it's hard to believe but literally having an entire game about our stupid fights knowing what it caused down the line made us realize we made everything worse by it...also dunking on the game was fun. But anyways, we tried to stop everyone else from playing the game...but my brother sneak out with Peko to play it, which caused him to become distant of me and even more suspicious of Mahiru and Sato. Until he tried to confront her about it which almost turned out ugly cause Mahiru also got involved somehow and things were getting heated...but we remebered what happened everytime emotions go the best of us, me and Sato calmed everything down to the point were able to stop them by explaining that Monokuma lied to them and telling them...part of the truth, enough that they could believe and understand us, so things finally were patched up and no murder or coma happened...again.

Hajime:As that had happened Nagito had been set free and investigated the game alongside us, he managed to uncover the truth about the game but decided to keep it to himself since neither he, me or the others knew all that was going on at the time. During that time I came across some ruins that would become important later, but Monokuma did tell me it belonged to the "World Ender" organization that "Ended the world as we know it" which does make sense when you look it from the angle of SHSL Despair...leaving that aside, we finally we're able to access the third island after Monomi defeated another Monobeast. We looked for more clues while Fuyuhiko decided to finally open up to us and reveal that he and Natsumi knew Peko from before, Natsumi didn't tell me out of respect for them which I don't mind at all. After that I managed to discover information about the tragedy and Nekomaru sacrificed himself to save Akane who choose to fight Monokuma...Then Sato, Nagito, Ibuki and Akane contracted the Despair Disease, a blatant chea-I mean just another way for Monokuma to try and kill us.

Natsumi:The Despair Disease made people act the opposite of how they usually are, in Sato's case it made her despise Mahiru with all her soul and talk to her like she was trash...which was surprising to see not gonna lie, but me, Hajime, Mikan and my brother stayed behind to take care of the sick while the others remained safe, me, Hajime and my brother bonded more although I still kept the full truth away from then...then at one point Hajime had a nightmare about his time in the reserve course and...I tried to cheer him up the same way he tried to all those years ago, not just because it lead to this mess but because I genuinely wanted to...but then Ibuki died. Luckily this time the Nagito guy wanted to help us completely and we managed to discover who it was:Mikan, who contracted the Despair Disease and made her remember her time as a SHSL Despair...she wasn't too happy cause she loved Despair bitch and then found out she...was basically a side bitch. So she found no hope in living or love...which would explain why she was so off once she contracted the disease...still, I feel bad for her.

Hajime:Then after that we found out Nekomaru came back as a robot called Mechamaru, we also gained access to the fourth island after Monomi defeated another Monobeast, we had fun at the roller coaster because we could also gain a prize which was the Future Foundation File of the Killing School Life. Then after some discussion with Monomi we rode a train to the Funhouse...which was a trap to lock us on there and let us starve until we killed someone...if it's looking like Monokuma is just looking for any excuse for us to die at this point, that's completely intentional and you'll find out later, what matters is that we ended up trapped in there starving until we killed someone, we ended up having a very miserable time there...eventually Nekomaru was killed and this time "for good"...and during the investigation Nagito managed to clear the Final Dead Room, uncovering the secrets of the Funhouse, how Nekomaru was killed...and because he played Russian Roulette on Super Hard Mode he ended up winning the biggest prize:The sequel to the Future Foundation file we got earlier, containing everything from our memories, our identities as SHSL Despair, everything we did during and after the school, the truth about Natsumi, Sato and the virtual world we were in...he didn't take the news well, which being honest I don't blame him too much.

Natsumi:The guy approached us later through the secret passage he gained access to for completing the Final Dead Room. He explained what he found out but didn't say squat about most of the info he found about the file, he ripped that info out and just started shitting on Hajime for being a reserve course...and also for being part of the SHSL Despair, because he certainly hated him far more than he hated me and Sato...but despite that I got angry and told him to fuck off, that to me Hajime was amazing even if he didn't have any talent. He decided to leave for now and focus on the case...and yeah, he didn't like the others after learning the truth. But regardless of that he did help us crack the case open and out Gundham as the culprit, who collaborated with Nekomaru to kill one another so we didn't starve to death. After that we finally managed to escape the funhouse and the next morning Fuyuhiko and Mahiru asked what did Nagito mean with calling Hajime a Reserve Course Student. He explained that to them and, predictable, they didn't have a problem with it, they're not that type of people...but I knew Hajime was going to be bothered by and no words of acceptance was going to suddenly make him feel better, not just because I knew what happened...but because I could relate to him.

Hajime:Natsumi made me company during the trip to the new island Monomi uncovered, she said she understood how it feels to not have talent, I didn't really believe that at first because she was a person with plenty of amazing qualities who could have become the SHSL Yakuza if she wanted...but then turned that back on me saying the same applies to me in her eyes...it was one of the few times people believed on me aside from Chiaki and Nagito before our relationship soured, it helped even if that feeling of inferiority didn't go away...and I think my forgotten crush on her started to resurface because of that. But leaving that aside after seeing how weird Nagito started acting after the third class trial we choose to come up with a plan to capture him because he was getting too unpredictable and dangerous...it didn't went well, he concocted a plan to kill everyone but one of the traitors, in a way to stop the SHSL Despair from ever raising again and he did it via relying on his luck...it involved bluffing about blowing up the island while he set up an elaborate murder/suicide to get one the traitors to indirectly kill him and become the blackened, although it was also to engineer a conflict between Hope and Despair like he loves to do so much...eventually...and despite how much we didn't want to...we managed to discover Chiaki was one of the traitors and Nagito's killer, she and Monomi were executed right after...

Natsumi:After that, Nagito left one final message for all of us telling us to go to the ruins from the second island and the code form Netsumi's castle, said some personal things and then told us there was a next part that could only be heard by me and Sato. We decided to respect his final wishes and he told us that he knew everything about this world and us, told us we should tell the others the truth so we could face what's ahead of us...and even though we didn't met eye to eye, we accepted. So we went to the ruins while the simulation was starting to glitch and collapse on us. Everyone that didn't know at this point realized that this was a simulation and we ended up teleported to a recreation of Hope's Peak Academy where the Killing School Life took place, Monokuma showed up to tell us to find every secret on there and...me and Sato finally decided it was time to tell the truth, first I went with Hajime and then Sato went with Fuyuhiko, Mahiru, Hiyoko and Peko, along the way we started to investigate I started revealing Hajime all that's been happening, the truth of this world and what they done...naturally he didn't took it too well, but I told him that regardless of what came ahead...we would take on it together, I wasn't gonna turn away from it and neither would he...but there was still things even I didn't know, like why Monokuma showed up in the fist place, but turns out we found out through a message from Alter Ego and Makoto someone implanted a Virus in the program that turned it into a Killing Game...and it wasn't Despair Bitch, as everyone made absolutely sure she couldn't tamper with it and even she was surprised by this...but that would come to light very soon, cause the final class trial started...

Hajime:Most of us already arrived knowing what was going on, it was still shocking but I guess absorbing the information earlier gave us time to assimilate for the final trial. We realized that the ones that died here might never wake up again, Monokuma gave us the choice to either graduate or stay in the island forever...then Makoto appeared for the first time in front of us trying to convince us to graduate...however given what we knew of them, especially Natsumi and Sato, we realized this one was a fake and eventually Monokuma revealed to be AI Junko, an artificial intelligence created from the same technology as Alter Ego and based on Junko before her change of heart (or well, retirement to be more accurate), the trial kept going and then the real Makoto showed up, alongside Byakuya and Kyoko while the others didn't have time to enter yet and Junko stayed behind for certain reasons. They told us about the emergency shutdown sequence that needed at least 8 people to trigger it. We had more than enough for that, AI Junko told us about her nonsensical plan for Junkoland...not gonna spend much time on it because even the real Junko told me she was probably just making shit up as she went along and that plan was dumb...Then she revealed that I was the one that caused this by uploading the AI while nobody was looking...yeah, not my smartest move looking back. Then she told us if we shut down the sequence we will lose memories of what happened, so we were stuck in what's basically an impossible situation and we were breaking down, she even infected us with Despair to try and break us, it might have worked for a bit...but...

Natsumi:I'm not exactly sure how I did it or what happened, but Chiaki pulled me in into a dream sequence with Hajime, I was just as confused as she was but once she started talking I understood:We told Hajime that his past and lack of talent doesn't define him or anyone, that he can create his own future as long as he believes in himself...and I knew that well, not only because I genuinely believed he could do it, but because I finally believed in myself too, if I could finally accept that I could stand side by side with my brother then we both could stand side by side against whatever the world threw at us, so Hajime finally started to believe in myself and...well, I don't know what is with boys, class trials and being so utterly awesome towards the end. But Hajime did the coolest thing I ever seen.

Hajime:I finally managed to reconcile with myself and merge with Izuru, becoming awakened in the process. I managed to rally everyone present to shut this game down and make our own futures. Because everyone can do that, even the real Junko could pull through that pit of despair she thought she would never get out...and if she could do that, then there was no reason to listen to this one, not that I needed that to convince them, because nobody was going to go through this alone. We shut the game down and finally awoke in the real world, after getting used to the real world again, the others left for business they had to take care of...which was good because Junko was there and weren't in the mood to have a confrontation there. Natsumi and Sato stayed with us as we worked in a way to wake up the ones that died from their coma, which I was able to do thanks to my talents...and it felt so good to do so, to finally make something good with them.

Natsumi:After that we helped the others from one mess they got with the Future Foundation and then decided to live in Jabberwock island together...since most of them are still not well liked there and don't want to be in House Arrest like Despair Bitch, we get help from the Future Foundation to live there, me and Sato still go help in mainland and go help there, we even have jobs there...and after we fully settled there, me and Hajime finally confessed our feelings for each other and promised that whatever we faced now, we will do so together and nobody but us will decide our future.

Hajime:So there you have our love story. I did many fuck ups during it and things I regret...but nowadays I just keep looking into the future with the people I love.

Natsumi:Same here, I'm going to stand proud with the people I love and face our future together, talent or no talent...

[lemony-snickers]

@eyesofsilver404 - ficti-gram for you!

to: @eyesofsilver404 from: @super-kame-love message: To my dear friend Snoot. A tribute to your dedication to writing and beauty. You're the Jiraiya to my Kakashi! characters/pairing: kakashi hatake & jiraiya word count: 2,540 prompt: the smell of coffee

Jiraiya stared at the sign over the door, face contorted into an expression of half-confusion, half-displeasure.

“The Steeping Mantis,” he muttered, wondering why in all the Lands anyone would choose that as a name for a borderland rest stop.  The last time he’d been here, the place had been called something different, vaguely sinister and off-putting… the Broken Tanto or the Hollow Senbon, something like that, though he couldn’t quite remember.  Still, he shrugged and pushed his way past the bright green curtain at the front.

The interior was small and dim—a few round wooden tables in the center and several booths along one wall.  But what caught the Sannin’s attention were the plants.  There was greenery on every surface—dangling from the rafters overhead and climbing the walls on nails pushed haphazardly into the wood.  And when he looked closer, Jiraiya noticed some of them appeared to move.

When he inspected the phenomenon, he realized there were praying mantises hidden in the leaves—hundreds of them—and he shivered.

“Gross,” Jiraiya said, making a face of disgust as he pulled away.

“You’re welcome to go elsewhere if our establishment is not up to your standards, Shinobi-san.”

Jiraiya hid his startle well, he thought, flicking his long ponytail over his shoulder to disguise the way he flinched.

Few people could sneak up on him, but when he appraised the strange man who caught him off guard—a  praying mantis resting on his shoulder like a pet—everything made much more sense.

He squinted, noting the strangely opaque glasses which hid the gentleman’s eyes, the scarf wrapped high enough to reach the ridges of his cheekbones.  “You’re an Aburame, aren’t you?”

The man nodded and Jiraiya swore the insect on his shoulder did as well.  “When I found shinobi life no longer suited me, I moved beyond the village in search of other opportunities.  Lucky for us”—the mantis fluttered its wings happily and Jiraiya suppressed another shiver—“this establishment’s previous owners were quite eager to sell.”

Jiraiya hoped his grimace looked enough like a smile to fool the Aburame—the fact that he came from a clan so little known for emoting likely helped his case.  The Sannin turned on his signature charm perhaps a little too enthusiastically, “Well, I’m happy to be a patron of any business with ties to Konoha!”  Out of habit, Jiraiya nearly brought his palm down on the man’s shoulder, but the mantis there flared its wings and lifted its front legs in a defensive stance.

Jiraiya recoiled.  “I’ll just… take a seat,” he said, “and order in a bit.”

The Aburame nodded and walked—terrifyingly silently—away.

Jiraiya let out a long, slow exhale, relieved.  He shook off the discomfort that lingered in the man’s wake and surveyed the tables.  There were only a few people inside the establishment, which left plenty of open seats.  Jiraiya preferred a booth, normally, because it allowed him to spread out a little more than the small rickety chairs at the tables in the middle of the floor.  He was a large man, and one who desired comfort above most other things.

As his eyes scanned the far wall, Jiraiya was surprised to find a shock of familiar silver hair tucked into the corner of one of the booths.

It had been several years since he had last seen Kakashi Hatake, but he would recognize the White Fang’s son anywhere.  The Copy Ninja wore his Konoha uniform unabashedly, the headband tilted over his left eye to hide the sharingan eye which had been so heavily bestowed up on him during the Third Shinobi War.

The last time Jiraiya had seen him, Kakashi had been much younger; perched in a tree outside Jiraiya’s window all but begging for help.  What he’d needed, Jiraiya realized all too late, was his father.  But Sakumo had been dead a long time by then, and the Toad Sage would have been a poor substitute even if he’d been able to muster the courage to say anything half as heartless as what he’d chosen.

His palms itched uncomfortably and Jiraiya clenched both hands into fists.  He considered for a moment simply leaving.  Kakashi knew he was there already, of course, there was no way a shinobi of his caliber wouldn’t.

But certainly, he had come to this place—so far off the beaten path it looked like it was about to be swallowed by the forest it was nestled in—for similar reasons as Jiraiya.

It was difficult to find time to be alone when you were a famous ninja.  People wanted to talk to you, wanted to fight you, wanted to sleep with you.  And while Jiraiya rarely minded the first two and never minded the third, there were occasions upon which he found himself desirous of quiet.  Of solitude.

Room to breathe and think and write.

The establishments he chose for such purposes always shared one thing—they lingered in the spaces between villages where bandits and missing nin could be frequently spotted.  This meant they were typically poorly lit, discreet, and a good place for Jiraiya to melt into the seedy background because no one wanted to make eye contact with him long enough to be recognized from whatever Bingo Book they were currently featured in.

The Steeping Mantis had all these traits.  And though Jiraiya would have preferred a less insect-friendly establishment—and one that served more booze as opposed to tea and coffee as was apparently the case—he sauntered over to Kakashi’s booth, resigned to a few minutes of awkward small talk before he could attend to the editing and re-writes he had planned for this particular sojourn.

As he approached, Jiraiya tried to conjure the air of a man who knew what the hell he was doing.  But he’d never been good with kids, and though Kakashi wasn’t a kid—that much was obvious from his broadened shoulders, the newly-refined cut of his jaw beneath his mask, and the hard glint in his visible eye—he also wasn’t quite an adult, either, despite all the bloody missions he’d surely undertaken since they’d last seen one another.

And to Jiraiya, of course, he would always be that frightened boy on a tree branch, the small bundle of blankets in Sakumo’s arms the first time the White Fang introduced him to his son, beaming with hope and love and pride.

“Yo, Kakashi!” Jiraiya tried to imbue as much cheer in his greeting as was possible.  A useless endeavor, apparently, based on the bored flicker of Kakashi’s gaze in his direction, as if lifting his eye from the page took some monumental effort.

“Hello, Jiraiya-sama.”

Ouch.  Who knew being treated with deference could sting so harshly?  But the way Kakashi leaned into the sama made it clear how he felt.  Jiraiya’s skin prickled with discomfort and as a mantis flitted from one plant to another, his stomach rolled uncomfortably, and he wanted nothing more than to leave even quicker than he’d arrived.

But he was Jiraiya, legendary Toad Sannin.  And no petulant teenager was going to dissuade him from his purpose.  Nor were a bunch of creepy crawlies going to diminish his appetite.

Steeling his resolve, Jiraiya buried the shame he felt at having let Kakashi down before and slid into the booth across from him without waiting for an invitation, keeping a pleasant smile plastered on his face even as Kakashi’s cold glare followed his every movement.  “So,” he said, “how have you been?”

Even with three-quarters of his face covered, it was obvious Kakashi was unimpressed with Jiraiya’s inquiry.  He arched a silver eyebrow all too gracefully as he replied, “Oh, just wonderful, thank you for asking.”

Again, Jiraiya lamented that the Broken Senbon or whatever the hell this place had been was no longer in operation.  No amount of green tea and sweets could replace the burning need for sake at a moment like this.

He changed tactics slightly, “It’s good to see you.  Been a while.”

Kakashi said nothing, and continued to level his tablemate with a cool, detached ire that radiated from him almost as strongly as the scent of his beverage, which wafted up to Jiraiya’s nose to insistently prod at his senses.

“Since when did you start drinking coffee?” he asked, collapsing his weight against the rigid wood of the booth and draping one arm casually over the back of it, hoping his strategically relaxed posture might fool Kakashi.

It apparently didn’t work all that well because a flash of annoyance raced across Kakashi’s features, resulting in a rolled eye and the quick snap of his book closing before he flung it carelessly onto the table.  “Since when do you care about my beverage preferences?”  Jiraiya opened his mouth to answer but Kakashi cut him off with an acidic, “In fact, since when do you care for me at all?”

It seemed Kakashi was not very keen on letting Jiraiya’s past missteps go unacknowledged, then.

Jiraiya sighed, weighing all the things he could say.  His usual approach called for flippancy, a shirking of accountability.  How often had Tsunade lectured him about his inability to take responsibility for his actions—both good and bad?  How often had he laughed in response?  Teased her before turning away without any further acknowledgement?

But as he stared at Kakashi across the table, all Jiraiya could see was his long-dead friend Sakumo; his strength and determination, the love in his gaze when he introduced Jiraiya to his son for the first time.  He recalled painfully how the birth of Kakashi had softened the White Fang and wondered if that softness had, ultimately, contributed to his downfall.

In another life, if Jiraiya were another man, perhaps he might have been brave enough in the aftermath to step into that vacancy, offer support, at least, even if love remained well beyond his reach.

His eyes drifted to the table, to Kakashi’s half-eaten meal and the steaming cup of dark coffee before him.  Then, his gaze trailed to the book Kakashi had tossed away and it took all Jiraiya’s shinobi training not to crack a smile, let his laughter spill into the too-quiet café.

“You like that one?” he asked, nodding toward the well-worn copy of The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.

Despite the dark mask covering most of Kakashi’s face, Jiraiya spotted a slight pink stain as it peeked out from beneath the edge.  The reaction filled him with pride, to know that such a dedicated and accomplished ninja of Konoha enjoyed his book.  That Sakumo’s son, the late Minato Namikaze’s precious student, had read it enough times for the cover to curl, the pages to fray at the corners.

“It’s fine,” Kakashi said lowly, “it was just the first one I grabbed from the shelf.”

Jiraiya hummed, for once able to push his ego aside and focus on his task rather than digging for more praise.

“It’s probably my best work,” he said, “though not very popular.”

“Most people have no taste,” Kakashi offered, pulling the book off the table and shoving it into an interior pocket of his flak vest with a little more force than necessary, “I wouldn’t take it personally.”

One of the mantises climbed off the wall onto the table and Jiraiya’s nose wrinkled, watching the brown bug as it inspected the menu on the table, using its front pincers to scratch at a picture of a flower before it found its way back to a waxy green leaf and climbed back up into the jungle-like tapestry.

“There are a lot of things a shinobi shouldn’t take personally,” Jiraiya finally said.  “Like the death of a comrade or a dull assignment.”

Kakashi nodded. “All part of the shinobi life.”  He picked up his coffee and took a sip so quickly Jiraiya almost missed the flash of a mole at the corner of his mouth.

“Indeed.”  Jiraiya leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as he folded his hands together.  “It’s also important to remember that just because someone is older doesn’t mean they are any wiser or more equipped to deal with the harsh realities of our line of work.”  It took every bit of Jiraiya’s cultivated strength for him to hold Kakashi’s dull grey gaze, to make sure what he said next could not be missed.  “Sometimes, those we should be able to rely on will fail us.  And even if they regret it, no jutsu I’ve yet learned can erase the errors of the past, no matter how egregious.”

Something shone in Kakashi’s dark pupil—the faintest spark—and then it quickly died again.  To anyone else, it would seem like a trick of the light, but Jiraiya knew it for what it was.  Understanding.  Acceptance.

Kakashi knew all too well how flawed a person could be, even if they had only the best intentions.  He’d seen as much in his father, his sensei.  Even in himself.

Jiraiya stretched, yawning loudly enough that the Aburame looked up from tending his plants to stare across the café at him.  “Are you going to order anything, Shinobi-san?  Seats are for paying customers only.”

Jiraiya considered staying, but another glance at Kakashi—at the pinched, thoughtful expression barely visible beneath his carefully curated façade—told him he should not overstay his welcome.  That he had infringed enough upon the young Hatake’s desired solitude.

“Thank you, Aburame-san, but I think I’m in need of something stronger than coffee today.”  He shuffled his way out of the booth and clapped Kakashi on the shoulder, grateful there was no mantis there to bristle at him this time.  “Take care of yourself, Kakashi.  Hopefully our paths will cross again soon.”

Kakashi nodded, just the barest tip of his chin, and it felt like the weight of four worlds lifted from Jiraiya’s chest.  Like he could breathe the coffee-scented air more freely.

The Sannin could not help smiling to himself as he made his way across the café toward the exit, all too aware of all the eyes of the café—human and insect alike—following his every movement.  Just as his hand reached out to pull the door open, Jiraiya’s thoughts finally drifted back to his original purpose and he reached inside the front of his yukata to tug out a small orange book, which he launched across the room without looking, smirking only a little at the way everyone in the room startled.

He knew Kakashi would catch it without issue, and so he didn’t turn around as he said, “It’s an advanced copy only,” he said, “But keep a lookout for the finished version when it’s published next month.  I think you’ll find it quite… compelling.”

Jiraiya allowed himself only the briefest glance back at the White Fang’s son as he pulled the door of the Steeping Mantis open and stepped back outside.  He watched Kakashi smooth his fingers over the cover and then peel it open slowly.

By the time the door swung closed, he was already on page two and Jiraiya had a feeling he had at least one fan of his new series—one he would be sure not to disappoint again.

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

The only other thing I can think of that they might keep Volo around for, besides being a good salesman when he actually bothers, is that maybe he goes so far off the beaten path that he occasionally finds pockets of people they can sell things to. That doesn't quite work well in Hisui since there's just the three groups, but who knows, maybe he isn't actually a native and they picked him up as a stray elsewhere.

I feel like it'd be especially scandalous for wardens in the mirelands and icelands to be in a relationship with a warden of the opposing faction, because those are where the clans are. They have people from their own clans nearby they could pick from, unlike in, say, the coastlands, where they're the only ones around so getting cozy with the other human there is pretty common. What makes it even funnier about it being Gaeric is that by necessity they'd have to meet up indoors, since I'm sure that there's no way a regular Diamond Clan member is gonna be as cold resistant as he is. Which leaves like two, maybe three, options: Gaeric's dwelling in the Pearl Clan, the temple, and maybe the other warden's tent if they have one and aren't living in the temple. Which would make it a little hard to be surreptitious, considering that iirc the temple has a Pearl Clan member guarding the door. I do wonder how the other warden would pull off explaining where they got their kid though, other than maybe "oh I had a liaison with a Ginko Guild merchant one night."

Who would she have borrowed them from though?? Especially considering they're so powerful. No idea when or why she'd have gone to the volcano, but hell, maybe she was in the highlands one day and found one in a distortion bubble. Her rhyperior is the highest level by a good amount, and that's easy enough to get if she takes a quick flight over to the highlands to pick up a rhydon (or it's gifted to her, like Lian's goomy probably was), and she can get any of the electivire line in the icelands especially once she has a ground type. The question then would be where is she keeping them when she's out flying around??

Ohhh, that's true. Adaman would have the incentive to ask Irida right after Sabi was appointed, whereas Irida would likely have waited for a while to see if Ingo was able to thrive once he was out of the freezing cold or if it still wouldn't be enough. Sabi is also somewhat of a more immediate concern, given that she's a child who, precognition or not, likely won't really know how to fend entirely for herself. If Ingo was like, actively dying, that'd be one thing, but since it's a fairly slow decline she probably would wait to see how he does before taking the issue into her own hands. I feel like he probably would go straight to Irida, since he figures she's honestly more likely to take offense to him not bothering to ask her to her face than she is to him asking her to keep an eye on Sabi lol, but if he did go for a warden it'd probably be Ingo bc he's closer, Adaman can actually go to the highlands without serious prep, and also he's also probably easier to find far enough away from the Pearl Clan settlement to avoid being seen by Irida, bc otherwise what's the point lol (not that Gaeric doesn't go far afield from the settlement, but it's really too cold for Adaman to spend potentially hours wandering around trying to find him, especially with a partner that's weak to almost everything up there).

Wait, that's a good point that they probably historically are pretty well acquainted to hares, so Ingo would be even more concerning to them. That might have actually helped get him sympathy from them too on top of him saving baby sneasler, if they've never seen another type of hare before so from a glance he looks like a shaved, starving, off-color arctic/showshoe hare lmao. And then when they see him out in the wild and he acts so off... well, it just raises a lot of red flags, is all.

ooh that's an interesting thought! i do think ginter's group isn't hisui-specific and wanders around like, johto-kanto-hoenn as well. and the ginkgo guild as a whole is global which i think i've talked about somewhere before. so he probably would have ample opportunity to bother other regions, lol. though i do think he has to be from hisui though, bc otherwise his viewing himself as the rightful champion of arceus (and even knowing anything about arceus at all to start with) starts to make No sense. not that anything about volo's motives or decisions makes sense to start with.

mmm that's a good point re: it being more taboo for icelands/mirelands wardens to have any relationship with the other clan. and them not having a lot of opportunities for privacy. though i doubt braviary's warden lives in the temple considering it really doesn't seem set up for habitation that we know of. ...sidenote, what even is the deal with snowpoint temple in pla?? i mean it contains regigigas, but iirc it doesn't seem like the clans. know? that? so what do they think it's for? why are they maintaining it?? usually temples are For Things! (now i'm getting really off topic but i DO think there's a connection/parallel btwn snowpoint temple in the icelands, and solaceon in the mirelands. they're both temples/sacred sites, located in the region home to one clan, seemingly under the domain of the opposite warden despite that.) anyway yeah, the ginkgo guild is probably a lot more socially acceptable than the pearl clan, even if it's not strictly approved of per se.

yeah this is why i'm not convinced they're strictly canon in a non-gameplay sense, bc of a) where did she get magmortar and b) whare are the LOGISTICS of this tiny child who rides a giant bird around all the time somehow keeping three big grounded pokemon as partners. it would make WAY more sense for her to have more flying-types or icelands mons! but that's besides the point

i could see adaman thinking that irida might be more offended at his avoiding her. whereas him actually asking her, specifically, about his warden might be seen as sort of a gesture of trust? like, we're both cooperating now, let's open this new connection between us by lowering the clan divides for wardens somewhat. which, in turn, would definitely make irida way more comfortable asking the diamond clan about ingo.

yeah!! i wonder if, if the mirelands don't see a lot of lagomorphs, that might be yet another reason that they see him as Theirs. like he's a weird hare that makes everyone nervous, yeah, but he's still a hare, which means he's pearl clan and theirs to look after. if that makes sense?

[the-firebird69]

Florida's Condominium Market Is Becoming A Disaster Zone

Condominiums are starting to bottom out and some mystery it's a much more pleasant way to live than an apartment you can have ownership and you just pay the fee and people are upset they're saying this is a screwy way to do business and the fees are going up and the taxes and they don't seem to stop and forces people to sell and they want to turn it into apartments and have a turnover and screw around with people and try and make money and they keep doing it to our son and they get clobbered and they're stupid people and we are attacking them and they serve it.

There's too many condos it's not the case there's not enough and the ones that are there they're trying to push people around and push them out. This is a terrible place hateful people they're very mean they're terrible to be near and to wake up to someone like this idiot next to her is a very mean thing and we should think more about it and they want to keep torturing him with it and we'll keep on doing what we're doing and getting ready to stop the max and others called Satanist to from destroying everything but yeah there's a condom issue and it's all over the world and we are going to take them over one by one we're going to be the managers usually it's a larger association and they're getting beat up by tenants and no more of this foolishness. As it is we have about 33% of the condo association business outside of these Central area and we are going after it it's right now too

-there's a large number of people who are on our case all the time we are going to stop them from doing that

-evacuation continues and the population of Florida is 16% of what it was and 3% are up and getting ready to leave right now so far today it's been about one and a half percent have left last night was about 1% and it is starting to move

-around this time usually people start noticing if they're getting smaller and it's kind of hard for these guys cuz they're crushed into an area. As it is they are segregated that's not very easy they're beginning to segregate war

-we are putting warnings and alerts out on John remillard he is not to be near our son we're reviewing story after story after story and you know what hardly anybody else has a story like his and it's time for us to stop this abuser. He's in college abusing our son like it's nothing and he did the surgery because of his experience with the tape measure I mean that stupid mother f***** has to go he told them too he said if you don't handle it we will and we're going to take everything you can stick it up the max ass too and I did and they said you can't say that to us and they said it to them and they saw his reaction and they said this we're in a lot of freaking trouble and these people are killers and just said it didn't stop not one bit when he thought that the clans took over he says the clans are going to polish you off and they're going to keep track of you and he said oh yeah and also Dan is the one who knows you and it turns you into The Golden throne and you're a dead man oh yeah our son says that last part back and he's a wise ass this little s*** you're firming and you're a low life but you're bothering me and it's a big deal so I'm going to get rid of you and Dan's going to do it sucks for you huh.

So if he is a race you say finally cuz he lives like a bug he doesn't have a real life and people know it too I just say thank you and his suicidal and that's good we need them out we're going to it right now and we're going to publish and we have some more announcements

Thor Freya

Olympus

Zues

Now he's saying the backstreet boys bye bye bye bye and it's one of Trump's bands and it's back at him I really need to put up your s*** for a long time you're going to have to listen to ours stupid crackhead boy you are a freaking loser I can't believe I thought you could ever do anything you're in that case a nut case and boy you lost all these businesses in like minutes if there's no way that the macs say that you were doing something. You're an utter child a massive loser and we hate you we ate your face what you sound like your body is stink we don't want you nearest if you come near us we'll kill you and he's saying that I need to get rid of this puke for our family everyone's afraid to come near me but this stupid a****** we're not really physically here I sort of get something I didn't start working on that I can't ignore this idiot anymore

Hera

She hits you and stuff but she needs to get rid of you to shut you down and she's done it before on other people are tougher and you're a smile it's just nasty so goodbye you a loser

Zues

I'm sick and tired of this s*** we should get rid of that piece of s*** Trump oh f****** a****** he was president to show the maximum power okay we're going to check that you have me say your night put him in because of that they're like I don't think I put you in there at all I figure you attack my dad threatened me by killing him or something I'm going to check into that s***

We're a magical beans and our head cut off and he'll still kill people that's good too

Maxs

Oh shit ok

Mac daddy

Olympus

[writing-and-rebloging]

I'm so sorry for dog piling, BUT. Gojo fucking Satoru, right? This is incredibly messy though. Sorry.

—

He didn't save Megumi for his cursed technique. He took Megumi in the way he took Yuuta and Yuuji, in a sense. All three are children that would otherwise have had no life, no childhood, no precious teenage years, and as someone who had all that denied until the frail years he had in the school, Gojo strives to shield them from that. Canonically. He says he hates the higher ups for that reason at least twice, and that he wants them and that mentality gone.

As op said, Megumi wouldn't have had much choice, and the choice of going with Gojo was one he took with the limited information and places to run he had. And effectively based it off of the fact that "he could 100% assure him, Tsumiki would not be happy", which is selling it short.

Now, let's start with a simple thing, why Megumi was in that position in the first place. Toji's awareness of his incapability to take care of Megumi, and his flawed logic that while he had a shit time, little Megumi, a prodigy, someone gifted and strong with so much potential, would probably be okay. Probably. He had enough of a doubt to tell Gojo about it, though. And from what we see in Shibuya, Gojo did what Toji sort of wanted, and got him out of the ordeal.

Gojo approaches a young Megumi, with a little hatred still bubbling, and actually explains the situation, asks him what he wants to do. Megumi's "I would slaughter them" face is enough for Gojo to say that "he'll take care or the situation". Now, iirc, the deal was already on. He had to barge in the Zen'in household and say, hey, you know this kid you wanted? I'm keeping custody, bye. Megumi still attended school with Tsumiki, something that is plot relevant during the bridge arc, he had a more or less decent shot at having a life considering his circumstances, and I think that compared to the other clan kids we see, it says a lot. Noritoshi didn't had a childhood at all. Mai and Maki didn't had a childhood. There was an actual probably child in the Zen'in corps. Gojo was raised as a weapon. Megumi had to worry about girls fanning over him and tests, and yeah, cursed spirits too, and probably so did Nobara, who already had a good level of skill before going into Jujutsu high, and Gojo even comments on it when he denies Megumi from fighting (curses in the capital are different from curses of the countryside). Going on missions (probably fitted for Megumi's level and with the support that Gojo could and would save his ass) was likely to train him. Not the best, arguably, but a hands on approach. And probably part of the deal. As he said, Megumi was going to have to step up a bit, and personally, I think it has more to do with arranging his freedom than being an asset.

Hands on approaches are also a Gojo thing. He does that with Yuuta, who he sends to a mission with Toge with the instructions of "don't let Rika out, or we'll both get our heads chopped off". Or when he drags Yuuji to a domain battle. Is it the best thing to do? No. But alas. He's shit at explaining things, but he can show them instead.

There's also that thing. They're all child soldiers. Toge, Miwa, Aoi, Hakari. It's also likely what keeps them alive for a little longer since sooner or later a curse would have hunted them. Knowing what kind of world they live in gives them a shot. Megumi was given a shot at a regular life tough, unlike Mai, for example. Gojo, on the other hand, wasn't raised as a mere child soldier. He isn't disposable, he's the prodigy among prodigies, a singularity if you will, with both limitless and the six eyes, he was completely cut out of everything in favor of knowing fully well that he's a mass destruction bomb and the greatest sorcerer of current times. The best weapon in their world. That he would have to carry everyone and their mother because he's better. He never placed the kids worth on their strength, but he did remind them that not being strong enough in their line of work could mean death.

If Megumi had been raised by the Zen'in, chances are he would have ended worse than both Toji and Naoya. He would have been the despised golden child, the son of the deserter, the kid who's seeing his sister be abused daily, and probably viciously as a way to get to him. We know Naoya would have done that, and probably his brothers too, if the hints of the power struggle say anything about their behaviors as a whole. He would have been spiteful, and probably a little egocentric, thinking he's better than he is, and he would have been in literal militar organizations like the rest of the men of the family, cut out from civilization. Point is, he dodged a bullet, even if the thorns aren't perfect.

Now, Gojo isn't a father. He's a 20 long year old dude still trying to get back his youth because he wasn't allowed one. At best, he's an older brother. He outright says he's seeing Toji in Megumi, because they are physically alike. You know, the man that almost killed him, his best friend, and actually did kill the child they wanted to protect. The man he probably blames for what happened to Suguru. It's not the best to try and raise a child who reminds you of such things, but it is a good reason as to why he's emotionally distant from Megumi.

That's also another thing about Gojo to take into account regarding relationships. He has a thousand walls, a hundred locks, and you have to peel him off like an onion. He's distant and shielded from people, and will find the most annoying asshole way to tell them to be safe so that he doesn't has to admit he cares. Because he can't. More so after loosing his "one and true friend". He doesn't want to feel vulnerable. He doesn't want to loose people. So he doesn't bond with them beyond a superficial level. He doesn't interact with Megumi because he's not willing to get attached. He sent Yuuta with a nanny Miguel because he was getting sentimental. He sent Yuuji with Nanami because he was getting too close. And because he knew his limitations, as exposed by Nanami every time he genuinely forgot to teach something to Yuuji, but that's it's own post.

When the prision arc happens, he's pissed off that they did that, and that they sent Yuuji to a death sentence because they couldn't go forward with the execution. An execution Satoru stopped, because Megumi asked him to. And they were, funnily enough, sent when he was away. Almost like those three were children he cared for in Satoru's eyes, not disposable soldiers to carry out orders no matter what.

I just want to put emphasis on this because I can, but Satoru recognized Yuuji as a threat. He was willing to risk it, yes, but he didn't save him just because like with Yuuta, or to be his pawn. He asked for Megumi's opinion and input, and since Megumi asked selfishly for Yuuji to live, he moved heaven and earth to grant that request. Because while not stated, the two assassination attempts are proof enough that convincing the higher ups to drop the immediate execution wasn't easy. And we can easily assume that half of the reason he put the effort in was because he was asked to by Megumi, who he feels responsible for enough to agree to one on one training the second he asked for it. Because that's what he outright states, and we don't really get any indication that that wasn't true, even if Yuuji could turn to be a good ally to change the current status quo. It's a stretch, maybe, but due to the fact that he's a cube rn, there isn't much else of a choice than take "I'll do my best because it's a request from my student" at face value. And I, too, would take that interview with tweezers, considering it lowkey contradicts canon. But to each their own.

He also seems to, to a degree, feel responsible for Megumi due to the fact that, you know, he killed his father, and never hid anything from him (if I wanted to manipulate him into doing my bidding, lying is the first step), instead he was open and told him to ask if he ever wanted to know anything. Megumi never asked, but Gojo didn't deny him the possibility of knowing who exactly Fushiguro Toji was even if it was a biased perspective.

When it comes to Megumi's suicidal tendencies, though... He addressed that is not the way to win, and that it was holding him back to think like that, but, and this is a personal opinion, I don't think Gojo realizes what exactly all of that implies. He's a born and raised sorcerer. Everyone is a little crazy, and everyone is always more or less ready to die, because that's their life, right...? We know he has a lot of unhealthy coping mechanisms (playing clown to regain his youth, sugar addiction to deal with his own head, not trying because he doesn't see the point of it nor does he want others to compare himself to him), but I don't think he's even aware of the full connotations of those either? He is smart, but he's also a stupid sheltered kid, so... Could he have done better? Yes. Should he? Probably. Did he had the awareness to? Unlikely.

Tl:dr: this got long, I missed several things but point is, it's late, he's a flawed character, but I do think he does care about Megumi and all of the other kids, and that he didn't just save Megumi so that he could serve a purpose. But those are both valid takes and good points to raise discussions and character analysis with.

On an unrelated note, Gojo seems to be saying that about himself. He was the one not strong enough to stop Toji from fucking Suguru up (which would result in facing the cult, which would result in Geto going bananas) and got left behind as a result :) he's supposed to be the strongest, and carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, after all :)

Not here to dogpile! I promise!

And while I definitely think Geto wasn’t the greatest at raising Nanako and Mimiko since they do have this unhealthy codependency thing. It should be noted that Geto didn’t have anyone from the cult/family to raise Nanako and Mimiko.

The author stated in the internet that it was only Geto himself that raised them. And it was only Nanako and Mimiko’s decision to join because of how much they love him. It’s unhealthy yes, but Geto is the type who can’t really say no to his precious daughters.

I mean. I definitely think it’s way better than what Gojo did with Megumi. Gojo did not raised him. He literally only “save” him due to his curse technique and thinking he would be a strong ally growing up.

Do I think Gojo cares about Megumi? To a certain degree. But definitely not in a family way. Gojo views relationships a bit too transactional. I mean Gojo was aware about Megumi’s suicidal tendencies, but not completely understanding where it stems from. And plus, there was a flashback in the manga of Gojo literally had him dragging a young Megumi on a mission already. Definitely not dad material.

Gojo basically only “raised” Megumi as a child soldier essentially. I mean, you can’t blame him. Because that was how Gojo was raised, so he thought it was the best for him. Overall. Geto = Dad (not the best but he still raised them with love and care). Gojo = Not Dad.

OH MAN ok so first i must preface this by saying that some of this really depends on what you make of their interactions, because not all of this is stated in the text. in the end, we may just have different interpretations ^^

so while it does not seem that geto directly raised nanako and mimiko as followers in his cult, he is still a cult leader himself and it doesnt seem that he makes much of an effort to shield them from what hes doing and what his ideologies are. its very clear that the two worship him as a father figure and greater & both of the twins subscribe to his movement. nanako and mimiko are directly involved in the sorcerer's side of his plans, acting as some of the key players in his plans and even willing to assassinate other sorcerers in his name.

in the end, even with how much geto loved mimiko and nanako, he was subjecting them to incredibly harmful ideology and indoctrinating them into a genocide effort. all in all, that is abuse, no matter how much he loved them.

on gojo's side of things, i really cant claim that he was the best father figure either, but i dont think he was trying to be in the first place. when geto breaks off from jujutsu tech and takes the girls and takes over the star religious group, gojo instead goes to the fushiguros, whom he was either previously ignoring the existence of or he was putting off confronting toji's last words until geto's defection prompted it (we really don't have confirmation of his thought process here and if he had already planned on going to the fushiguros, so this is all speculation).

in any case, the main thing is that gojo and geto practically swap ideologies by the end of the past arc. where geto turns to a violent and drastic solution, gojo instead carries out in the spirit of geto's previous ideals, while also trying to secure a better future for the next generation of sorcerers. interestingly, its right after geto assumes control of the cult in the manga we are shown gojo meeting megumi.

what it seems to ME from their interaction, is that gojo is considering tojis last words and is giving megumi a choice. megumi rejects the idea of going to the zenin clan on the basis that it would make tsumiki unhappy (i wonder if gojo says this because he knows how they would treat tsumiki as a non sorcerer, or because he as a clan kid has some prior experiences. who knows). to be honest, i dont think that megumi had a plethora of options. he could have gone to the zenin clan with tsumiki and been well trained but unhappy, or he could have tried to evade the zenin clan for as long as possible, which wouldn't have been possible to keep up forever without having proper training on his techniques. gojo offers megumi a third option, presumably acting as a buffer and helping to train megumi. it IS possible that gojo could have offered megumi protection from the zenins and to lead a normal life away from sorcery indefinitely, but theres debate if thats even possible. megumi was going to be sold for an [unknown] large amount of money because of the strength of his sorcery, which likely means that the zenin at least knew he could be an incredible asset. maybe someone they didnt see as impressive or valuable might have been able to get out if they fought hard enough, like maki and mai, but that probably wouldnt have been possible for megumi. the sheer strength of his sorcery puts him in trouble in the jujutsu world, whether hes targeted or recruited for it.

i dont think that gojo was specifically training megumi to be a child sorcerer and an asset to him, because his parting words to me imply more of gojos own issues with geto (of course, speculation) than wanting megumi to be a strong ally of his, especially because gojo is not looking at megumi and has a kind of melancholic smile.

i have seen the interview that gege did where he claims that gojo did it to "seek human resources", but i do think that its an incredibly strange setup, especially with having the contrast with how geto is solidifying his own beliefs in how to move forward in the jujutsu world.

part of the reason im iffy about stuff like this is because gege will set up and have gojo act as an adult who is actively trying to help the children he meets and change the jujutsu world starting with the younger generations, and then he will turn around and say that gojo doesnt care as long as the kids are strong. i know that gege is known for being harsh on gojo and hating his character, so i wont lie, i dont put as much weight into stuff like that....

dont get me wrong, gojo was definitely not "dad" material! in reality, i think he was more of a mentor figure than anything else. we know that he gave financial support, he helped megumi train, and he also helped give him advice, but he definitely wasn't there 100% of the time. in fact, im not entirely sure he would have been able to do that at all considering he would have likely had to take up even more missions than he was already doing to take up the slack from geto defecting. in contrast, i dont think that geto should have assumed being their father figure at all, especially in the way he did, considering hes also gojo's age when he takes the twins in (assumed around 19-20s) because he posits himself to the twins as self assured and morally superior to nearly everyone else around them, which is also very unhealthy because at that age you yourself are still learning, and if youre taking care of young and impressionable kids who are willing to take anything you say as the ultimate truth, you should definitely let them know that youre not like. a god on earth. NOT THAT HE SAID THAT but like you get what i mean

[yinlikesbooksandtea]

Yandere Megumi tries his absolute HARDEST to keep his sweet oblivious and very beautiful mother from everyone else, but they just can't get enough of her(Slight yandere Gojo, Nanami, Itadori, Nobara)

Hi hi :))))

I'll be writing her a year younger then Nanami (27)

I'll be switching things up a bit I hope you don't mind ;-;

I'll be writing Megumi's mother as his sister instead . That protected him ever since he was young and ever since their parents died . She has barely any cursed technique but she knows how to use reversed cursed technique .

Y/n : 26 years old

Megumi : 15 years old

The rest : same in anime

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

Ever since you were young, you never remembered having a father figure. Toji was the closest thing to being a father figure towards you. Occasionally giving you a lollipops or buying you some candy but that was all. All you remembered was seeing your mother and Toji laying on the couch exhausted and covered in blood from working and hunting curses. No matter how long of a shower they took, the smell of death always lingered on them.

- "Y/n this is your younger brother Megumi. Say hello to him."

The first time you saw Megumi was when you were 11. Sure biologically he wasn't your brother but with how often your parents were working, he practically lived with you. How his tiny hands wrapped around yours, as Toji's wife let you hold him. He was so tiny and so fragile, those pure black eyes that seemed to hold everything in them. You were scared of hurting such a young precious thing. It was the first time you've ever saw uncle Toji smile.

That was the last too. In just a blink of an eye, mother, uncle Toji and aunty Fushiguro disappeared. You were abandoned. The realization only set in when a month came and they never came home.

"They don't want us anymore . They left us."

"Where's mom ? Where's dad ? Where's aunty?"

Leaving two defenseless children behind. One was 14 barely in highschool and another was a mere toddler. What else could you do but bite the bullet and drop your education. It was between school and Megumi. Of course you were going to pick the latter option. Picking up any jobs that were willing to hire you, working day and night to put food on the table. Some nights you would sob silently, whilst you tucked Megumi into bed petting his back trying to stop him from crying. A child trying to calm another child. The nights that were especially hard were when Megumi would sob, eyes filled with big fat tears cruely asking you

- "You're brother is getting sold to the Zenin clan."

He would wail whilst he rubbed salt into the wounds of being abandoned. All you could do was wipe his tears and tell him they were working. Was it to comfort him or was it to comfort yourself? You couldn't tell. One day, returning from work to find a tall stranger in your living room sitting opposite from Megumi. He was intimidating with how tall he was. Most of all how did he even get into your house? The first words he uttered from his mouth were

-"Would you like a glass of tea, sir ? "

It felt like the whole world had crashed on you for a moment. The Zenin clan ? Wasn't that the clan your mother and uncle Toji hated ? This man is selling him to them ? Gojou was a threat in your eyes and a threat you had to get rid off. You smiled at him gently, trying to hide your fury and mostly your fear.

-"Yes, please !"

God, did his voice annoy you. You wanted to punch him in the face seeing that stupid smug on his face. You walked calmly into the kitchen preparing a cup of tea and grabbing a bottle of cooking wine hiding it behind your back, exiting the kitchen calmly. Only one agenda on your mind. Get rid off him. Walking calmly behind the man, mustering all the strength you had, swinging the bottle of cooking wine at him.

You were dumbfounded. He had already grabbed the bottle of cooking wine out of your hands and grabbed the top of your head. Inching his face closer to yours, practically feeling his breath on yours. What just happened ? Your brain was still registering what was happening, small footsteps could be heard running towards you. Little Megumi kicking his leg.

-"That's not very smart of you, young girl . Before you do something stupid at least hear me out. The kid and I got an agreement, Megumi won't be sold and in exchange both of you will be coming with me to Jujutsu kaisen tech."

-"I promised to go with you so why are you bullying her you jerk !?!!"

-"Stop that you brat that hurts."

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

The upcoming week you and Megumi were picked up by a fancy looking car to head to a place called Jujutsu Tech. Megumi was allowed to go to primary school till he was old enough for Jujutsu Tech. Whilst you studied and graduated becoming the official doctor there.

( Megumi , nobara and yuji are platonic yanderes )

Yandere Megumi tries his absolute HARDEST to keep his sweet oblivious and very beautiful sister from everyone else, but they just can't get enough of her

Student / Younger Gojou Satoru + Toddler Megumi

• He would always remember you as a fiesty girl . ( After all you did try to hit him with a bottle of cooking wine )

• Young Gojou Satoru would go on to treat you like his younger sister from now on.

•You once invited him over for dinner and he gladly obliged. Ever since inviting him over once he's been coming over more.

• No one has ever treated him so kindly, especially in the Jujutsu world. Seeing how naive you were letting a man that could easily kill you enter your house and greet him with a smile. That scared him a bit.

• What if the Zenin's found out about this place and decided to come for the two of you one day ?

• Megumi would get annoyed seeing him over so often and would get a bit scared that you were going to leave him after all he was just a little kid.

• Deep down Gojou enjoyes playing house with you and Megumi. He's never had someone treat him so nicely without having any intentions towards him.

•Often comes over after school to check on the two of you. Tends to overstay even when you've tell him he should leave.

•Likes annoying you and teasing you. You're younger then him so he's gonna take his chances. Probably tease you for any girly things you have.

•Shoves cash into your hands whenever he see's you hesitating to buy something. Giving you s quick wink and saying "my treat."

• Megumi would only ease on the tantrums if Gojou had given him a treat or he had just woken up from a nap.

• Would start hogging you everytime Satoru came over. Throwing his toys at him,biting him and straight up throwing temper tantrums at Satoru.

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

Adult Gojou + Teen Megumi

• Satoru is the most powerful sorcerer after all so he would be quite busy and you wouldn't see him as often as you used too.

• Often blows up your phone sending messages , memes, tiktoks or just simple messages saying he misses your food and etc

• But when he does come visit , he will never stop annoying you.

• Megumi gets very annoyed whenever he barges into your apartment uninvited, whilst you and him are having movie nights or sleepovers

• Always clinging around you and randomly appearing in your apartment or office with some snacks or souvenirs from wherever he went.

•It reminds him of the good old days when it was just you two and Megumi was a little brat. He won't say it but he's sentimental in that way.

• If he so happen appears, Megumi will waste no time kicking him out .

.

-"Is it so bad I want to spend time with my student and his sister?" Satoru complains dramatically, whining and annoying Megumi.

-"You're a grown man, go get yourself a girlfriend and stop bothering us."

-"Yes, now get out your weirdo !"

Megumi said clearly annoyed at the older man . His demon dogs appear beside him , baring their fangs at Satoru .

-"Fine, fine. See you next time Y/n chan~"

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

Nanami Kento + Megumi

• Sometimes he would drop by checking on the both of you, especially if it's been a rough day for you.

• Kento has always wanted a sense of normality after what he's been through.

• And you gave him that sense of comfort. He still remembers the first day he met you. The sweet freshmen that always brought homemade sandwiches and snacks for them.

• Nanami was never one to talk much, but he could listen to you ramble for hours. You were the only person in the world that he could see himself in the future with.

• Nanami is a reliable man and ever since you've met him he's nothing but responsible. Naturally your guard is often down when you're with him.

• Feeling sick or tired ? No worries he'll take care of you. Need groceries ? He ordered them off a delivery app already. He'll find a way to spend all the time he can with you.

• Often times Nanami comes to your apartment uninvited and you wouldn't bat an eye. While if it were Gojou, you would roll your eyes at him.

• You'd both have a quiet dinner and pass out from exhaustion. Those days where you fall asleep on your couch, Nanami likes pretending he's your lover and simply carrying you to bed.

• Megumi is the most fine with Nanami. He would rather it be him then Gojou that's the one that's visiting you randomly. After all he does respect his senior quite a bit.

• He starts leaving personal items at your apartment. An extra pair of shoes, toothbrushes, some clothes clothes. Anything that tells others that she's seeing someone. When in fact you weren't.

• At first he suspected nothing thinking maybe you both were dating but it didn't seem that way. After all you were always so naive, Megumi could clearly sense Nanami's intentions.

• Megumi starts getting suspicious. Nanami was dropping him off at your house and he pulled out a key from his pocket and let himself him.

• He starts getting a big passive aggressive towards the older man. Simple things like when you're asking for help, Megumi butts in and helps you instead .

• If you guys are spending time together he tags in being the third wheel purposely making Nanami feel like an outsider.

• Of course it annoys Kento but all he could do was sigh after all Megumi is your little brother. And children don't know any better.

.

-"Nanami can you help me carry the groceries? I can't carry them all."

-"You shouldn't even be carrying them in the first place. You have me anyways why are you calling for him."

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

The black haired boy sighs, whilst lifting all the groceries from your arms. The older male tried to help him but Megumi was determined to do it on his own. Nanami could do nothing but stare helplessly.

Nobara

• Megumi doesn't mind his friends spending time with you after all he cares about them a lot.

• You'd often bring them out for dinner or make meals for the kids to eat together. In a sense you were like their cool aunt.

• Nobara likes spending time with you a LOT. Often times asking you to get your nails and hair done together. Occasionally having girls night with you and Maki too.

• Kugisaki sees you as her older sister often times asks you to go shopping with her. Someone that she can go to for girl advice. It bothers Megumi a bit with how close Kugisaki links her arms with you.

• He starts getting mad when she starts calling you her older sister instead of calling you teacher.

• Nobara seems to notice that it bothers Megumi. So she doesn't call you sister in front of him but only when the two of you are alone

.

-"Sure ! We can go with Megumi and Yuji too. The two of them need some new training shirts."

-"Neesan, can you bring me shopping next week ? I saw a cute blue dress that would suit me."

You smiled not thinking much about it. Meanwhile Nobara could feel Megumi's gaze burning holes into her back.

-"Is Thursday fine?"

• The two kids always complain to you whenever Megumi was harsh on them during training. If Megumi gave them a cut or bruise they'd pout and whine for you to fix it.

The ginger haired girl looked a Megumi , slightly annoyed . The younger boy nodding his head. Caught up in filing some reports, you nodded your head in agreement.

-"Yup, I'm free."

• Megumi feels so betrayed whenever you scold him. The kid would be so dejected the whole day and would only cheer up if you bought him food.

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

Yuji :

• Yuji is fond of you and he does want to spend time with you. You're like a mother to him. When he does spend time with you he'll be the bestest boy.

• Helps you with chores, massages your shoulders when they hurt, make funny jokes and make you laugh.

• Megumi doesn't like when Yuji is close to you . Yuji is fine, but Sukuna isn't and he doesn't want Sukuna near you.

• After all you have a rare curse technique to heal others. It terrified him knowing what the King of Curses would do finding out you had that technique.

• In order not to hurt Yuji's feelings and not for you two to get close, he distracts him. Asking if he wants to go eat, watch a movie or do anything together .

• He doesn't like it when you pet his head complimenting him after he helps you with something. After all isn't head pats only reserved for him?

• But deep down is the fear that you prefer Yuji over him. Itadori is a sweet boy that always thinks of others. After all who wouldn't like someone kind.

• You were someone like that as well. So it made Megumi feel a little threatened thinking you'd like Yuji more as your younger brother.

• Yuji whines a bit saying how it's unfair Nobara and Megumi get lessons from her from time to time but he only gets Gojou.

• So he finds ways to avoid you two being alone. Yuji doesn't pick it up, but Sukuna does.

• Little does he know Megumi specifically told Gojou about his worries of Sukuna finding out your technique. When it actually is more about him not wanting you to spend so much time with Itadori.

• Of course, Gojou obliged. Only assigning Yuji missions or lessons with him or Nanami.

• Sukuna doesn't talk much but a sinister smile appears on his face, every time Yuji approaches you. He appears on his cheek saying vile stuff

• The poor boy has to smack his cheek to shut him up and that's when Megumi gets wary not just of Yuji but Sukuna too.

.

-"Good morning, sensei !"

-"Good morning, Yuji."

Itadori smiling brightly as he waved to you from across the hall way. You replied to him with a smile, carrying a bag of food in your hands. Megumi beside you giving Yuji a small wave. Sharp teeth emerged from Itadori's cheek, a deep voice erupting from it.

-"Oi women , what do you have there in your hands."

• Megumi does feel grateful whenever all three of you go out together. If there were any dumbass that dared step near you the three of them would be overprotective of you immediately.

Megumi stepping in front of you immediately. Whilst Yuuji slapped his cheek apologizing for Sukuna being rude but you simply brushed it off. Not giving it a second thought, before waving off Yuji and Megumi's worries of Sukuna.

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

Hi hiii everyone it's been a while :)

I wrote them yandere but not at the same time ? I edited the whole thing after a while so there might be some changes here and there!

Suggestions are open^^

Have a nice day - 🌸

[cillspropertea]

Flipped

Chapter 16: The Cottage

Warnings: Angst, tense situations, mention of past trauma, mentions of human trafficking, blood, gore and some sensuality 

This fic might have dark themes which may irritate or offend some readers. But if you’ve seen Peaky Blinders and are familiar with Thomas Shelby, you’ll be okay. The story, plot, character histories and back stories might not be relevant to the original “Peaky Blinders” . Warnings will change per chapter. This is my first fic. Hope you all like it. English is not my first language.

Do not hesitate to comment, reblog and engage. It works as fuel for my writing. 😉💙💙

Synopsis: Her father’s one mistake shall alter her life’s direction forever.

Word count: 2967

Thomas Shelby

    It was a rare moment. Thomas Shelby was speechless. Esmeralda knelt down and examined his face and body, worried if he had any fatal injuries. His temple and mouth was bleeding and the way he was crouched and clutching his midriff, she was sure he had injuries on his ribs and chest. “Are you okay? Are you okay Thomas? Answer me!” Thomas looked into her worried gaze in which she held a weird sort of wilderness. Almost as if she wasn’t there at all. “What the bloody hell is happening?” he asked, his voice husky from the pain Aberama’s blows were causing him. Esmeralda worked on his bounds and handed him a gun. “Just… Trust me…” She stood up with Thomas and helped him to the chair behind him. Then she took off the ring from her ring finger and threw it towards Luca. The man just lying there on the floor, with eyes wide open, while thick blood pooled around his head and body. The men from the Gold clan pointed their guns to the Changrettas, making them abandon their weapons and grit their teeth. Shooting could be heard from the outside as well. Shooting and screams of men.

    “What are you doing!? All of you! Kill these three assholes! These Shelbys are the fucking enemy!” Aberama shouted as soon as he recovered from the shock of the unexpected turn of events. The man on whom his whole plan was relying on, was lying near his feet, dead. “Everything is going according to the plan Mr. Gold, what do we do with these men?” Iris, one of Aberama’s right hand men, walked forward, dragging a Changretta on gunpoint with him. “Have you lost your mind boy? I never ordered this!” Aberama turned to shout at Iris, who was ignoring him as if he was invisible when he heard from the stage, “He is talking to me!” Bonnie Gold, stepped forward after handing a gun to Arthur and Polly, whom he had freed already when he’d acted to check their bounds while his Father had his fun. “What is the meaning of this son? Have you gone insane?!” Aberama yelled, moving to strike his son but started coughing profusely. Before Bonnie could say anything Esmeralda stepped next to them, “The meaning is, dear father, that you and your mother’s bloody, unjust and cruel reign is over... My brother is the new Gold clan leader!” Esmeralda put an arm around Bonnie’s shoulder. All the Golds hooted and whistled in agreement and then Iris said, “We don’t agree with your business strategies anymore. We can’t be a part of the human trafficking business you’ve involved yourself into. The Golds cannot be a part of it. Selling children and girls is just too far beneath us Aberama!” the others chanted, “Ai Ai!” “And this also means that the Shelby’s are not the enemy anymore. They saved my sister when nobody else did” Bonnie announced loud enough for every Gold clan members ears, in every corner of the wide space. He turned towards Tommy, Arthur and Polly, “And for that I’ll forever be in debt of them.” He nodded to Tommy who nodded back at him.

    “And that means your time is up…” with that she pointed her gun to his temple. “You bloody Shelbys! What have you done to my daughter?” He barked at the Shelbys, “My Emmy never talked to me this way, hell! She never even raised her eyes at me! You all have corrupted her! All of you!” he turned to Esmeralda once again, “Emmy? Love? listen to me. Stop this nonsense this instant! You were supposed to get married to Luca! Can you imagine the power I…” he cleared his throat, “We would have gained?” His eyes were empty. He had literally gone insane. The hunger for power and money had made him go crazy. “Your Emmy is dead! She died that day in the ground where you left her to alone and helpless Father! You destroyed her!” Bonnie spat at his father and pushed his shoulder. “And I can’t let you destroy the lives of my two baby sisters as well!” Aberama coughed again, this time so much that he had to bend over. And when he got back up, blood was streaking down his mouth. Esmeralda smiled, “I see… the curse is working!” Aberama’s eyes widened as blood drained from his face, “What curse? What bloody curse?”

   “It doesn’t matter…” She said frowning. It was time to kill him. Time to kill him and take her and Sybill’s revenge but she noticed how her hands shivered, after all he was her father. Aberama noticed the hesitation as well, “let me live my child! Let me live.” He pleaded with clasped hands as he walked towards her, “I’ve made mistakes, I admit that, but please, give me one more chance…” Esmeralda’s demeanor faltered. She knew the curse was in place. Maybe leaving him alive was the better option, watch him die slowly. But Aberama took advantage of that single moment of weakness. He suddenly snatched the gun from her hands and grabbed her, holding her neck from one hand while pointing the weapon at her head with the other. “No one fucking make a move or she dies!” Esmeralda struggled to get free, scratching his arm as hard as she could, trying to bite him as well, but Aberama knew if he let her go right now he was done for. No one would hesitate to shoot him. He twisted and saw each and every Gold man, the men who he thought were loyal to him, would risk their lives for him, stared at him with disgust and fury. Some of them were pointing their weapons at him too but the others had to keep the Changretta’s in control so they watched him helplessly. “No one shoots! No one fucking shoots danm it!” Bonnie screamed at his men, fearing for his sister’s life. Polly and Arthur too gradually moved towards him. Aberama was trapped as he gradually stepped backwards towards the exit.

    But then he felt something hit his head. “Going somewhere Gold!” It was Tommy with his gun to the back of his head. No one had been paying attention to the injured Thomas Shelby so he had made his move, sneaking behind them without making a sound.“Playtime is over!” He said before firing but Aberama had already pushed Esmeralda away and shot his weapon. The bullet hit Esmeralda and it went straight though her shoulder, getting out of the other side. “Esmeralda!” Everyone rushed towards her as she tumbled on her knees. The pain was excruciating, “I’m okay, I’m fine!” She mumbled. Looking up she saw Polly was holding her. She smiled, “Always saving me Poll, aren’t you tired?” Her breathing jagged, “How could I get tired? I’m a mother of a trouble-maker, she keeps me on my toes you see…” she shook her head, “You little devil!” Esmeralda smiled and then her eyes looked for Thomas. He wasn’t there. Neither was Aberama.

-----

The firing had started because some of the Changrettas, in all the fumbling and tumbling, had found weapons and the theatre had become a cross firing ground in mere seconds. It looked like they were going to lose after all. The Changrettas knew they were done for, and had nothing to lose or gain. A man truly becomes invincible when he stops fearing death. They simply wanted the enemy to die and if they died in the process it didn’t matter. They wanted to avenge their boss. One of them shouted, “Let us kill the girl, and you can kill us all after that!” they wanted Esmeralda. They knew how their boss had feelings for her and that she was the main reason he was dead. The Golds fought bravely under their new young leader but Luca’s men had become ruthless. The dim light wasn’t helping either. “Fucking hell! I am tired of this shit! I want to go home!” Arthur grumbled. And then men came from the outside. At first everyone was confused at who these men were, and whose side they were on. Within minutes they had fired and killed all of the Changretta’s. The smell of gunfire was thick in the air when a female voice called out, “Oi! Where you motherfuckers at?” a tiny figure with wild hair squinted and walked further into the cinema. “It’s about fucking time!” Bonnie stood up and ran towards her. “Esme? What the fuck are you doing here?” Arthur stood up frowning with a hand shading his eyes trying to make sure it was actually her. “Am I late?” Esme asked Bonnie frowning and squinting. Bonnie kissed her, holding her in his arms and twisting her around as she squealed. And then he smacked her hard on the shoulder, “Ow, what you did that for?” she rubbed her arm, “You had one job Esme, one bloody job!” Bonnie screamed at her. “What could I have done eh? There was a whole fucking army outside! We had to kill them to get in, dumbass!” She smacked him back, harder. “Are you okay though? Really?” she examined him suddenly remembering this could have gotten really bad, as he searched her form for any harm as well. “I’m fine my chi shugra I’m fine!” Bonnie cradled her face in his hands before shoving it in his chest, hugging her as tight as he could.

    Arthur’s jaw was about to hit the floor, “I think I’ve died and this is hell!” everyone laughed out loud. The Golds and Lees shouted and hooted. “Did you know about this?” she asked Esmeralda still smiling at Bonnie and Esme. But when she twisted she saw Esmeralda wasn’t there.  

-----

      Thomas had followed out Aberama. He had to run through the ruckus that was happening outside. Whose men were fighting the Changretta’s he didn’t know and didn’t care, as long as they were against Luca’s men they weren’t enemy. Aberama was found a few miles away from the abandoned cinema, too weak to run, literally crawling with a blood sputtering mouth on the ground. Thomas grabbed his collar and punched him in his face. “You fucking bastard!” every blow Thomas landed on his face, it took his own pain away. Knowing all the horrible things this man had done to people, to Esmeralda, to her mother and all the girls and women he had been selling. God! It felt good. “You love her don’t you?” Aberama mumbled. Thomas stopped, “You love her. But you will never have her. She’s too good for you. I hope you rot in He’ll Thomas Shelby. I hope you rot…” His hand hit the ground and out rolled a golden coin. The same coin he had flipped that day Thomas realized. He must have brought it to throw it at Thomas’s dead body. Thomas chuckled. Then he stood up and walked back towards the theatre.

----

Esmeralda Gold

    Esmeralda had been travelling for hours and her shoulder felt like hell. The burning pain was so bad that she couldn’t even hold the lead of the horse from her left hand anymore. And the bleeding hadn’t stopped too. But she didn’t care. She knew what she had to do and she’d do it, even if it meant it would be the last thing she ever did. The horse was tired too, “Just a little more love, just a little further…” her words slurred as she cooed and encouraged the poor horse to move in the dark of the night. Arriving at the border, she slid down from the dark mare and made the rest of the way by foot. She walked past the punishment ground and all the horrible memories flooded back to her. The tree and the little platform still stood erected where the Golds liked to punish the faulty. She had to shake her head a little to get out of the flashbacks she was having. Every face of every person who had been involved in her wrongful conviction was etched in her mind. She’ll never forget them. The scars on her body were the witness of the pain and anguish she had bored that day.  

   She walked behind the tree and followed the path Bonnie had told her about. Way back, almost out of the territory stood a small cottage. It was old and in a pretty bad shape. The wooden walls might have been white at some point but the paint seemed scraped off of them due to time and weather. The door creaked as she walked in, the smell hit her first. It was so bad that she had to cover her nose. Inside, on the bed, laid Malaiah. Arms and legs contorted at odd angles as she numbly stared at the ceiling.

    Bonnie had told her how she had gotten sick all of a sudden. She had started having nightmares first in which each and every person whom she had ever harmed intentionally, came and poked her body with razor sharp knives. She actually felt the pain and that is when she stopped sleeping. The people only chanted one word while doing it, “Confess, confess, confess!” It took months, but eventually she confessed in the town hall, in front of everyone, about every bad thing she’d done in the past. It included the deaths of the children she had blamed Esmeralda’s mother Sybill for. It hadn’t been a curse placed by Sybill, but a poison she had fed them in the shape of sweets.

    She confessed to all her misdeeds, including what she had done with Esmeralda, just because she was half Lee, and How Aberama had made the mistake of betting on her and then blamed everything on her to get out of it. The people were furious but she had been a leader of their clan and was the mother of one of their current leaders as well. So out of respect, they’d decided not to kill her but gradually started to retreat from her. They stopped talking to her, stopped looking at her and gradually forgot she even existed. And then one night she slept and woke up with paralysis over all of her body. With no one to take care of her Aberama, her own son, for whom she’d destroyed so many lives and futures, shifted her to this abandoned cottage as the sounds she made ‘disturbed his sleep’.

   Malaiah’s eyes moved towards her as she heard the door creak. They went wide, “Hello Granny.” She said, looking at her. It seemed her cloths hadn’t been changed for days and she was probably laying in her own feces. She started gurgling, making deep sounds, which Esmeralda had no idea meant what. Her lips were dry and cheeks hollowed out. Bones poked out from her whole body. Esmeralda was there to kill her. One last thing, she had thought, meant to happen by her hands, was her killing Malaiah. The anticipation of the satisfaction from the act would give her goose-bumps. She had imagined several different ways in which she could do it.

     She pointed her gun at her, swaying, feeling lightheaded. Finally that day had come. She could kill this devil of a woman and avenge her mother and what she did to her. ‘And finally the fire inside of me will cool down!’ Loading it she felt someone behind her. “Stop Esmeralda.” She stiffened. She hadn’t expected that voice here. Maybe she was imagining it, hallucinating the voice she craved to listen to all the time. It was Thomas. She swayed once more as her eyes started to droop, but she tightened her hold on the gun as well. The blood had made a small pool near her feet by then. Malaiah moved her contorted arms and hands. It seemed like she was clasping her hands together, to ask for forgiveness? Or in pleading to kill her? Esmeralda couldn’t tell. It seemed like she was putting all her effort into the action as she grunted to keep her hands clasped in front of Esmeralda. Her eyes were spilling with tears as she started sobbing. Thomas slowly put his arms around Esmeralda’s midriff, speaking softly into her ear, trying not to startle her and do what she was about to do. “I need to do this Thomas. Just let me…” She said, her voice strained and weak “It’s not worth it Esmeralda. Look at her.” His voice sent shivers down her spine as his lips were literally touching her ear. He’d noticed the blood dripping from her arm and knew he had to be fast “She’s enduring the punishment anyway. This is what she deserves. Why get your hands dirty when it’s already happening any way.” Esmeralda leaned into him, loving his arms around her and his mouth at the shell of her ear. He then kissed her shoulder, thrice moving from her shoulder to her neck. And gently twisted her to face him, clasping the weapon in her tight grip “It’s not worth it love… It’s not worth it.” He repeated looking in to her hollow tears filled eyes. She looked at him. His eyes held so much emotion and passion in them. She knew she had to be dreaming. “I love you Thomas Shelby.” She murmured wrapping an arm around his shoulder while the other one caressed his cheek, streaking it with her blood. Their faces inches away,“I love you too, more then you’ll ever know” he kissed her forehead. And as soon as the gun was out of her grip she dropped like a ragged doll into his embrace. Her head hitting the center of his chest before he picked her up in his arms and walked out.  

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN ー Kanato Dark [07]

ー The scene starts in the living room of the Sakamaki manor

Kanato: ...! Haah, haah...

...Uu...

Monologue

I’ve had enough.

Of everything. All of it. Every single bitーー 

Nothing makes sense anymore. 

Everything is going wrong.

I am struggling to keep my own emotions in check,

even more so than before.

The whole time, I feel irritated. 

Of course, I know exactly why.

These powers ーー meant to rule the World,

which Father made me inherit. 

Because of these powers, Iーー

Kanato: ( If only I didn’t have these... )

( Then I would have nothing to worry about. )

( It could be just the two of us, surrounded by a bunch of delicious sweet treats... )

Kanato: Why...Why did this have to happen...Sniff...

ー Somebody enters the room

Kanato: Yui-saーー

Reiji: ...

Again, really?

Please stop acting like a lunatic. Haah...Just look at how much of a mess you made out of the living room...

Kanato: ...Shut up...Don’t talk to me...Uu...

Reiji: ...You are a disgrace.

Crying will not solve anything. You need to realize that you are now the head of this household.

...If you keep this up, you will never be acknowledged as a ruler by those around you. 

Kanato: ...I never asked for any of this...!

You can have these stupid powers!

Reiji: ...

ー Reiji grabs hold of him

*Rustle* 

Kanato: ...! You’re hurting me! Let go...!

Reiji: Face reality, Kanato!

Kanato: ...Uu...

Reiji: You can no longer turn back. There is nothing that can be done...!

Father chose you as his successor. Said reality cannot be altered. 

So make up your resolve already!

*Rustle*

Kanato: ...Coff, coff!

Reiji: ...I shall have the Familiars clean up. Meanwhile you go and cool down.

*Snap*

*Flap flap flap* 

Reiji: I am counting on you all. 

*Flap flap flap*

ー Reiji walks away

Kanato: ...

I’ve never seen Reiji snap like that before...

( However...He also does not understand. )

( He can only say that because he has never had to deal with these powers.... )

( How dare he talk like he knows everything, when he’s not even in the same position as me...! )

ー The scene shifts to the park

Yui: ...Haah.

( Just like I thought, the cake shop was closed... )

...I’m sure they sell cake at the convenience store over there but...

...That won’t do, huh? 

Kanato-kun said that he’ll only accept the exact same one. 

( Besides, I’m sure that... )

( I doubt his mood will get any better, even if I buy him a new cake. )

Monologue

Me simply being there for him,

will not get us anywhere. 

I came to the realization,

that unless Kanato-kun starts working on changing himself,

we will be stuck in this same situation,

forever. 

As cruel as it may sound,

but if Kanato-kun is simply unable,

of giving his powers to someone else...

Then he has no other choice but to make up his mind and accept his fate. 

To learn to control his powers,

as well as develop a self-awareness of his role as a ruler,

so he can rule over the entire Vampire clan ーー 

That is exactly,

what Kanato-kun needs right now.

Because if things stay as they are,

he will only have to suffer...

Yui: ( But I wonder if Kanato-kun will be able to pull that off? )

( He is already incredibly unstable as is, so to accept his powers... )

Selection

→ It might be impossible

Yui: ( It’s impossible, isn’t it...? )

( I do believe Kanato-kun realizes that himself as well... )

→ Let’s have faith in him (❦)

Yui: ( Let’s have faith in him. )

( I’m positive...Everything will be fine, surely. )

Yui: ( ...Or rather, I guess there’s no point in me fretting over it by myself. )

( I know I should be discussing these kinds of things with him but... )

...Haah...

???: ーー Did you know that every time you sigh, a little bit of happiness escapes? 

Hey there! It’s been since our bathroom encounter, hasn’t it?

Yui: ( Kino-kun...!? )

ー Yui gets up and starts walking away

Kino: Eh? Hold up! You’re giving me the cold shoulder!?

ー She keeps on walking

Kino: Oh come on, I’m sorry about last time! So don’t run away...!

ー He grabs hold of her wrist

*Rustle*

Yui: ...

Um...Do you need anything? 

Kino: My smartphone ran out of power so I’m bored out of my mind. So let’s have some fun together!

Yui: ...I’m sorry. I’m busy right now.

Kino: Eh? Why? How so? You don’t have some time to spare? 

Yui: I have a lot on my mind too, you know!? Right now that’s the least of my concerns... 

Kino: Least of your concerns? Did something happen? 

Why not try talking about it? I don’t mind listening.

Yui: I-It’s fine.

Kino: Eh? But...Hm?

How did you get this wound? Uwaah! Looks super painfulー

Yui: ...Well...

Kino: Come on, tell me. I’m curious now. Please?

Yui: ...Kanato-kun did it...

Kino: I see, I see. Makes sense. So Kanato-kun is the thing that’s weighing heavy on your mind. 

Yui: W-Well...

Kino: It’s fine! No need to try and cover it up now.

If I recall correctly, the explosion he caused the other day was pretty impressive too...

Actually, according to what Yuuri and the others told me, he’s pretty much deranged as of late, isn’t he? 

He became the head of the household, and on top of that he’s struggling to use his powers correctly. ...Fufu, must be quite rough.

Yui: ...You’re a Vampire, aren’t you? 

Yet, why do you keep talking as if none of this concerns you in the slightest...?

Depending on what Kanato-kun does, it could impact the future of all Vampires...

Kino: I mean, there’s all sorts of Vampires out there.

Take the guy I killed the other day for example. We don’t always share the same beliefs.

Yui: ( Which he killed the other day...? I wonder who he’s talking about? )

Kino: Huh? Could it be you don’t know yet? He’s related to your much beloved Kanato, I believe. His uncle, if I recall correctly? 

Yui: ...Don’t tell me, you killed Richter-san...?

Kino: Yup, I did! Put him six feet under. 

Yui: ...

( No way...How can he say that like it’s nothing...? )

Kino: I mean, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Just one hit, like taking down an enemy in a game? 

Yui:  ( ...How scary...What if I suffer the same fate as Richter-san...? )

ー Yui runs away

Kino: Ah! You want to play a game of tag? I’m pretty sure I’ll catch you in no time though. Oh well then!

Monologue

A joyous laughter and cheerful footsteps,

echo from behind me. 

I wonder if in Kino-kun’s eyes,

taking another individual’s life,

is nothing but a game (ゲーム)? 

Will I perhaps...get killed off as well? 

I want to scream for help (助けを求めたい),

but Kanato-kun is not here with me. 

I desperately continued running through the darkness,

hoping he would not catch up to me. 

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[solarwriting]

guns and gifts

carl gallagher x fem!reader

request: Hey! I hope I can send you a request for Karl Gallagher of Shameless. Maybe Karl and y / n were a couple before jail, and after leaving jail he came to her to ask her for forgiveness. y / n doesn't forgive him and he starts giving her gifts and apologizing every day. Then everything is at your discretion. Happy ending please💛 from @powerpuffluuvv

genere: fluff + angst

word count: 2.1k

warnings: swearing, ooc carl

posted on april 18, 2021

puppy love. thirteen year-olds holding hands and sharing stolen kisses. it was a sweet relationship that could’ve grown and matured with the two teens as they did. instead carl found himself a job on the corner and when he got caught y/n was done. fiona tried to get through to the boy, asking him to apologize but he brushed her off.

“can i please just talk to him? maybe he’ll listen to me.” y/n pleaded with the lawyer.

fiona stepped in, “it wouldn’t hurt to try it.”

“five minutes.” the lawyer relented.

y/n thanked him and rushed into the room where he sat. he squinted at her through the glasses fiona gave him. “i’m not fuckin’ sorry. i wish i was smarter about it. i wouldn’t have used chuckie as a mule.”

“you know what. if you don’t tell that judge you’re fucking sorry and that you’ve learned from your mistakes i will never speak to you again.” y/n exited the room quickly letting the ultimatum hang in the air as the door slammed behind her.

during the hearing her eyes were trained on the back of his head, hoping she could somehow will him to do the right thing. she kept her arms crossed as she leaned back. kev and v were sat next to her, waiting anxiously to see what he’d say.

“i’m going to make juvie my bitch.” as soon as he said those words, y/n sighed, getting up from her seat, shouldering her back and slipping out of the courtroom as they hauled carl away. he caught her eye before she left, she froze for a moment before shaking her head and making her exit.

time passed and she still spent time with the rest of the gallaghers, she lived across the street so it would have been hard not too. she helped take care of liam when needed and she got a job at patsy’s with fiona’s help.

the day carl came back had been a surprise for everyone, y/n was helping fiona with making dinner after a shift at patsy’s. the front door had slammed shut and, thinking it was debbie, fiona asked if she got a message about hamburger buns. y/n’s eyes shot up when a much deeper voice responded, “nah, it’s just me.”

excited, fiona rushed towards the boy, wrapping him up in a hug. hugging back, he looked up throwing a wave to y/n who was rooted in place, “hey, y/n.”

snapping herself back into reality she lurched forward wiping her hands and grabbing her things, pulling her bag over her shoulder and gripping her keys tightly she looked back at the boy as fiona fussed over his new appearance. “fuck you, carl.” she spat, slamming the back door shut behind her.

y/n managed to avoid carl at school the next day, he was too busy with “his boy” nick and his new white boy carl personality and selling illegal weapons in the bathrooms to bother her anyways. she rushed to patsy’s as soon as school ended and began her shift.

she spent the afternoon rushing from table to table, taking orders, passing out food, and pouring coffee. she was pouring coffee for a couple sitting near the front door when the bell twinkled, signaling a new customer.

her back turned to the door and her focus pointed and the coffee she was pouring she greeted the customer quickly, “take a seat anywhere and i’ll be right with you darling.” she smiled at the couple before turning around, finding herself face to face with white boy carl himself. “get the fuck out.”

y/n rushed away from him, pouring coffee for a man sat at the counter. carl followed, “please just talk to me, y/n.”

“she doesn’t want to talk to you, man.” the customer spoke up as y/n placed the coffee pot on the burner.

“what the fuck did you just say to me?” carl asked the man.

he stood up, “i told you she doesn’t want to talk. so leave.”

y/n stepped in before a physical altercation broke out, “thank so much, sir, but i can fight my own battles.” she pushed carl towards the door, “out.” she kept pushing him despite his protests, “get the fuck out. go.”

the door slammed behind them, and carl began to speak, “no, you’re going to shut your fucking mouth and listen. i don’t want to listen to you. i don’t want to talk to you. and i don’t even want to see you but that last one might be a little fucking impossible since we’re neighbors and i work with your sister so i’m going to be civil towards you but i will only acknowledge your existence when it is absolutely necessary. clear?”

carl began to protest but y/n cut him off, “are we fucking clear?” carl grumbled an agreement and y/n sighed, “good, now get the fuck out if here. i have to go back to work.”

y/n rushed back into the diner, throwing herself back into work. hoping she looked busy enough to keep the nosy man from before to leave her alone, she poured more coffee, took orders, passed out plates. until her shift ended and she could finally take the l back home.

the next run in with carl happened two days later, she was walking home from school, thankful for the day off from work when carl and nick pulled up on a bike. “y/n! wait!”

sighing, y/n whipped around, “i thought i told you i didn’t want to talk to you.”

“i have something for you.” carl explained as he got closer, y/n ignored him and started walking again, the bike quickly catching up with her. “here.”

y/n scoffed, eyeing the bag, “whatever it is i don’t want it.”

“it’s a book, debbie told me you wanted to read it.”

y/n sped up, “no thanks, already read it.” she didn’t care what book it was, she didn’t want anything from him. she took this moment to cross the street, the passing cars making it difficult for the boys on the bike to follow.

she entered the gallagher house hoping carl would be too busy to come home for a few hours while she watched liam. “i get off at nine, if anyone else comes home you’re welcome to leave but i plan on bringing something back for dinner if you want to stick around for that.”

“of course i’ll stay. me and liam are going to have a great time. isn’t that right liam?” y/n asked the toddler who nodded enthusiastically. fiona thanked her and rushed out the door.

y/n put on a movie, which liam fell asleep watching about thirty minutes in. y/n got up and stretched when the movie ended, adjusting the blanket she threw over liam when he fell asleep. she walked in the kitchen, stiff from sitting for so long. she pulled out a can of pop from the fridge and leaned her back against the fridge, using to stretch her body more.

the door swung open and carl walked in, “good you’re hear, i have something else for you.”

“whatever it is, i don’t want it.” y/n sighed into her drink.

“it’s a necklace, here.” he opened the velvet box to show her an expensive looking necklace.

she turned away from him, “no thanks.” walking back into the living room. “go somewhere else please, i have to watch liam.”

carl sighed before exiting the house with nick, who had been hanging back by the door during the exchange. he nodded to nick and the two rolled out to go do god knows what.

that night fiona came home with food, the entire gallagher clan plus kev and v enjoyed. there were enough people that y/n managed to avoid speaking to carl the entire evening. every time he tried to speak to her she’d find someone to talk to, she talked lip about something she had to do for school, ian told her about trevor, and her and debbie talked about anything.

v even pointed out the strange behavior when carl was left looking slightly dejected to fiona, who just shrugged in response.

“thank you fiona, goodnight everyone.” y/n called as she stepped out the back door. she crossed the street quickly and made it home, which as usual was empty, the rest of her family nowhere to be found.

she sighed, grabbing a beer from the fridge and kicking of her shoes as soon as she made it to her room. she threw herself back on her bed yelping when she collided with something hard. she jumped up only to see the jewelry box and book carl had bought her. she set her beer down and pulled the box open, smiling at the necklace. it was gold, with a small tear shaped pendant that held some sort of crystal or diamond.

she set the box next to her beer, which she grabbed and took sip of as she grabbed the book. it was actually something she’d been wanting, she rolled her eyes before opening it to the first page.

the next fee days followed a similar pattern, carl would stop her at school and work and even his own house to offer her gifts, which she would refuse, which would always end up on her bed at the end of the day. on a particularly rough day, y/n had enough. she was walking home from school, carl (who was alone this time) behind her, like clockwork offering another gift.

“carl, please just leave me alone. i don’t have the energy to deal with you.” y/n said not stopping. carl made a comment and y/n snapped, “god i’m not going to forgive you because you chose to go to juvie. you could have just apologized and gotten parole but that didn’t happen. and i’m not going to be your girlfriend again because i don’t even know who you are any more, this thug personality doesn’t look good on you.” y/n sighed rushing away before he could answer.

she was suddenly thankful for the day off, deciding to spend it all alone at home. it was a friday and her weekend was also free so she spent the next few days home alone. her family was gone of course, they only only seemed to show up once a month just to leave again the same day.

sunday evening y/n laid in the couch watching what was on tv when there was a knock on the door. y/n groaned, getting up to answer it freezing when carl was revealed on the other side. he looked small, he was curled into himself and he looked sad. his braids were out, soft curls in the place. “hey, y/n.” he said softly. y/n wordlessly moved out of the way to let him in.

“i’m done. no more sell drugs, guns, anything. something happened, with nick and i don’t want that to be my life anymore.” his voice cracked and y/n instinctively wrapped him into a hug, squeezing protectively. he cried into her shoulder, holding her tightly, scared to let her go.

“hey,” y/n spoke softly, running her fingers through his hair, “you’re okay. i got you.” once carl calmed down, he pulled away but y/n held onto him, hands on his face.

“i really miss you y/n. and i know i was awful before but all i want to do is be with you. i love you.” he sighed, his hands holding her wrists.

y/n pulled him closer, “i love you, too, idiot.” carl gave her a lopsided smiled before surging forward to connect their lips in a hot kiss. y/n stumbled backwards before backing into the wall behind her. carl bit on her lip softly causing her breath to catch in her throat. she tugged on his hair and he squeezed her hips. she pulled away for breath, pressing her forehead to his, “my room?” breathless carl nodded pressing a quick kiss to her lips before they rushed to her room.

the next morning the front door slammed opened, “y/n! i’m going to kill fiona!” debbie stormed through the house bursting into y/n’s room where she was laying next to a topless carl, wearing only his t-shirt, “oh my god! ew!” debbie shielded her eyes from the sight before her.

“hey, debs.” y/n mumbled, sheepishly.

debbie groaned, “just get dressed, we have school.”

[mizumiii]

I will kill you - Attempt

First part - Previous part - Table of contents

Desha x Fem!Reader

Credit : .

Hello! Here is the end of that shorter Desha fanfiction :D Finally, I decided to merge the two problematic parts, and I'm pretty satisfied with how it ended up.

I hope you'll like it too! 😳

You were packing your things. It was no use staying here any longer. Even if it was hard to ignore the little voice that did not want to leave, it was too late for you. You had already betrayed the trust of the Underworld’s people and even tried to kill your husband. You had no right to be sad or anything, you had chosen to do it. You could have rebelled sooner and explained everything to Desha, but you had kept lying while selling information to his enemies. Until you learned that you had been manipulated since the beginning. You had been played, used and thrown, and now you were nothing. 

You had thought that you had lost everything the day you had hidden in that closet with the two babies you were taking care of. But, Lian had made sure you gave up all you could still have: a new place, a new chance at life. Maybe if things had been different… Maybe…

You frown, you were being unreasonable, it was best like this. Desha would be able to find a better wife, and you would atone for your sins somewhere else, far away from here. It was already enough that you were not sentenced to death for what you have done.  

“Where are you going?” A rough voice inquired behind you. 

“I am leaving the castle”, you simply answered, not even daring to look directly at the one you had once called your husband. 

He was not really injured, unlike you whose hands were still bandaged. He was angry, seeing you like this, packing your things as if he could simply throw you by the windows after having had his way with you. Did you really think so little of him? He scratched his old wound, where you had stabbed him while saying you wanted to kill him. Could you be flying because of that?

“Who said you could leave?” He finally scoffed, hiding his ache behind aggressivity. 

“I have to”, you pointed out, trying to look unbothered.

Why has he come? It was only making things harder for you. The shame and guilt were eating you away. You turned your back to him, finishing your luggage. What a shame, you had come here with less than that, but you still felt as if you were leaving everything else behind.

“You promised to take care of my siblings, it’s all I need”, you quietly added before trying to exit the room. 

“I will not keep you against your will”, Desha commented on your path making you freeze. “But answer me: being wed to me, was it only a bore to you?”

You could still not look at him, but just the sound of his voice made clear to you that he was not in a good place either. Because of you, again. When did you learn to know him that well? When did you start to feel for him? It would have been so much easier if it had really been only a bore to you.

“You know it is not true…”, you finally answered, unable to lie to him and yourself. 

“Then why?”

“I tried to kill you!” You suddenly snapped. 

You glared at him, trying to scare him off for good, but he was only looking at you as if he was just checking on you. His large mouth was ironically twisted while he had his arms crossed on his chest. But you noticed that he was frowning, and his eyes were mixed with pain and anger. 

“You call that scratch like that?” He sneered while shaking his arm. 

“Not only that”, but you also squeezed your own arm, your head down. “I tried other times too…”

“You’re really taking me for a simple-minded”, he groaned. “I already knew it.”

“What? Why did you let me then?!” You shouted, too shocked to show any restraint. “I read the letters, you’re not even responsible for what happened ten years ago!”

“I am as responsible as Satun or Lian. I should have been there, but I prioritise my own gain over your clan’s safety.”

 You saw in his eyes how he was still carrying the terrible weight of all the deaths induced by his father or the war between the two of them. You were angry against him because he had let you in the dark for so long, and for what? To satisfy his own self-loathing!

“You're stupid! What would have happened to your people if I had succeeded?!” 

“I’m a lot of things but not stupid”, he shouted leaning forward. “As if you could do more than scratching me!”

“You big pretentious”, you mocked, half smiling in front of his too-large ego. 

He scoffed, smiling too. The bad air had strangely disappeared between the two of you, but you could still not stay here. It felt good to know that Desha was not blaming everything on you, however, you could not forgive yourself. 

“For what it's worth”, you added in a soft voice, “I do not think you’re responsible for my kin’s death. And… I am very grateful for the time spent here with you. I was happy for the first time in a long time.”

You finally found the strength to exit despite Desha taking almost all of the place, by simply being leaned on the wall next to the door. You were not expecting any kind words out of him and simply walked away, a bit relieved to have been able to say what you had on your heart. 

However, you had only stepped outside the room when you were held back by your arm. You froze, unable to decide what to do, and what to think about what was happening. Was it really Desha who was holding your hand? His hand was so warm, you always liked feeling his raspy fingers interlock with yours… You realised a bit too late what you were thinking, and felt mortified by it. 

“Do not leave me alone”, those words were so genuine and hurting, they made you shiver and cry in your heart. 

You felt like choking, and tears gathered in your eyes. 

“Why do you want me to stay? I only hurt you…”, you whispered without turning. 

“I was happy too”, he simply explained.

You felt his big arms slide around you, taking you in a warm and soft hug. Your will faltered and you slowly turned to face him. The pain on his face was hurting you, you only wanted to see him full of joy. 

“I want to stay too”, you finally admitted, unable to hold on to your tears any longer.

“I will not allow my wife to leave at the first excuse.”

You smiled before laughing softly. Desha froze, he had underestimated how good it would feel to see you looking so lighthearted. 

“Does that mean that I am still allowed to call you husband?” You jocked with a mutinous smile.

“You have to”, he pointed, showing his pointy tooth in a menacing stance that had not exactly that effect on you.

“Husband”, you hummed.

His eyes slightly widened, while his smile became way genuine, and your heart melted. It was really too late for you, you were definitely in love. And it would only make it more agonising for you. 

*

You silently looked around for a long moment. There was not much left, mainly dust and ashes, the only leftovers of a whole kind. It was sad but you had no more tears left to shed over it. 

However, your memories of that fateful night were quite vivid. That pile of rumbles had been your workplace, the nursery where you were taking care of the babies. And behind one of the closets, there was a hiding place where you had hidden with the two newborns you had in your arms when the alarm rang like in the exercises. However, the exercise never ended, and you have heard all your family and friends die while holding the two little lives on your chest. 

Thinking about it made your chest hurt as much as before, but at that time you were feeling at least satisfied. The two people responsible for your kind death had been killed, and the two little babies had become teenagers with long and safe lives in front of them. 

As for you… You had been used, manipulated and almost ended up killing the man who had tried to help your kind, and who had been nothing but kind to you. You never knew that all Tieflings were able to withstand magic without consequences, certainly, only the guardians were aware of it while the others just went on with their life without knowing what threat they were to gods and magicians. 

Anyway, you hoped to at least make things right with Jian's death. You had trained a lot to be able to oppose him, and now your ability was not much since you had lost most of your hands' faculties. But it was only a small price to pay. At this moment, you had left Desha’s castle, hoping to redeem yourself somewhere quiet. 

He had already been so lenient by not executing you for your betrayal, and allowing your siblings to have a secured life in the Underground kingdom, therefore losing your place as Desha's wife was only logical. Then, despite the King's wishes, leaving the castle had been the right and logical thing to do for you. Even if it made you empty and hurting. Living by Desha’s side had shown you what normal and loved life looked like and it was only making it more painful to lose it. But you could not allow yourself to enjoy it after everything you had done. 

Your eyes started to burn and you decided to forget all about your past. It was far too late for regrets, you could only keep living, hoping to redeem yourself for your mistakes. 

“As much as the idea of a honeymoon sounds good for me, I am now questioning your tastes in choosing a fine location.”

You swiftly turned, surprised to suddenly hear someone else so close to you. Your eyes widened, and the tears you had been holding back started to flow. 

“What are you doing here?” You succeeded in asking despite your hoarse voice. 

“What questions is this? Did you intend on going on our honeymoon without your husband?” 

Warmth spread in your chest, and you smiled.