#ember hinata

[aidendh]

Ember H: HELP! I TOLD SHOTO I'D COOK DINNER TONIGHT BUT I CAN'T COOK!

Goro H: *pouring milk directly into the cereal bag* And you thought I could help?

[kuzyachan]

I really enjoy doing silly crossovers.

Well, just Ember and Wade for my soul

Great movie>:3

[animc]

how the haikyuu characters fall out of love — part 2

semi eita falls out of love like an unfinished song, melodies that once hummed through him, now broken, half-formed verses left hanging in the air, notes that never find their resolve. each chord, once full of meaning, now drifts aimlessly, as if searching for a place to land, but never does. the rhythm stumbles, then stops, a harmony that slips out of reach, fading into silence before it ever truly ends. what remains is the echo of something incomplete, a tune that no longer moves him, just stray sounds, half-remembered, no longer played but never entirely forgotten.

ushijima wakatoshi falls out of love like coffee in the morning, once warm and bold, filling the air with promise. but as time stretches, the heat fades, leaving only a cup half-sipped, a bitterness that lingers on his lips. what was a ritual now feels like a routine, the steam that rose in comforting swirls now dissipates unnoticed, like conversations that drift into silence, words growing cold as time goes on.

tendou satori falls out of love like chocolate melting on a tray, slow and inevitable, the warmth of yesterday dissolving into a quiet, bittersweet pool. what was solid becomes soft, then shapeless—familiar yet distant, a memory of sweetness that lingers but no longer holds. each passing day, he watches the edges blur, feeling it slip, first subtly, then all at once, like the fading taste of something once savored, now just a trace on his tongue, a comfort disappearing into time.

oikawa tooru falls out of love like a bird finally leaving its nest. being with you was comfortable, like a sigh of relief when reaching home. you're etched onto every part of his body and woven into every chapter of his story, but in the warmth of your embrace, he knows there's something missing. he finds a house but not a home. and so he spreads his wings, and off he goes, to challenge the unknown... all alone.

iwaizumi hajime falls out of love like a sparkler lit up during a festival—brilliant and dazzling for a fleeting moment, casting radiant light and joy, only to fizzle out as the night deepens. the sparks that once ignited his heart with hope and warmth now dissolve into the cold, empty darkness, leaving a trail of shimmering memories that quickly fade. he stands alone, watching the last embers flicker and die, realizing with a heavy heart that sometimes the most beautiful moments are those we can't hold on to, and letting go is the only way to honor the brief, breathtaking beauty they once had.

hinata shoyo falls out of love like an impulsive tattoo that was done during vacation—exciting in the moment, but soon an indelible mark of a fleeting whim. the allure fades, replaced by a permanent reminder of a decision made in haste. what was a bold declaration now seems out of place, a memento of something that no longer fits. he sees your smile, now more like the ink on his skin—something to move past rather than cherish.

[delugedecade]

"Wake up, Hinata~" Ember growled gently into the Hyuuga beauty's ear. The draconian having broken into her home. Having just finished tying her wrists to her bed.

"MMMMmmmmm~ Whaaaaaa-HAH?!?" She moans, slowly rousing from her slumber all tied up. "W-What is this~?!"

[imissnanami]

hello & welcome <3

Welcome to my writing blog! I post NSFW so MDNI & AGELESS blogs too please!!

I'll be posting lots of different fandoms and such!

Hi I'm Nana and I've been on tumblr forever but never have gotten the courage to share my writing! But here I am lol I also wanna make more friends so hello!! 👋

24 | sagittarius | she/her

Lord of the Rings is literally my fav thing ever. I also have like so many chaptered long fics planned so get ready for that

Characters I currently write for include :

JJK | nanami, gojo, geto, choso

HP & MARAUDERS ERA | severus, remus, james, sirius, adult!harry, adult!draco, adult!fred, adult!george,

TIMESKIP!HAIKYUU | hinata, daichi, ushijima, atsumu, osamu, ukai jr.

STARDEW | sebastian, elliot, sam, harvey, shane, alex, everyone really (i got a longfic planned)

LOTR & THE HOBBIT | legolas, thorin, kili, fili, dwalin, bard, thranduil,

ONE PIECE | luffy, zoro, sanji

🌸MDNI please!

🌸Please be nice! I'd love to meet new people but I will tolerate ZERO HATE in any form.

🌸feel free to come say hi! Again please be nice!

🌸I write hcs, aus and x readers (no ships) with f!reader/afab, probably won't change much but we'll see!!

🌸this is an ADULT BLOG that will feature NSFW content including adult fun time & serious themes like depression/angst. Individual posts will have tagged and/or content warnings ⚠️.

🌸YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN MEDIA CONSUMPTION & by interacting with my blog/posts you agree to this.

STARDEW | Hi Farmer Girl! (f!farmer x bachelors)

HP ERA | Teacher! Teacher! (severus x reader x remus)

MARAUDERS ERA | My Neighbour's a Werewolf (remus x reader)

MARAUDERS ERA | Catch Me if You Can (sirius x reader x remus)

THE HOBBIT & LOTR | Ashes to Embers (reader x multi inc. thorin, fili, legolas, bard)

my writing is tagged #nana writes + char & fandom

KINK!tober '24

Thank you so so much for taking the time to read this & supporting! 👋*jazz hands*👋 I'm so excited to write more!

P.S. interaction will aslo come from @mmmcnuggies as this is a sideblog😊

Also the cute text dividers are from @cafekitsune tysm for making them!!

[thebeckster]

Ooo I would love to see some cute kiss scenes for trio of towns weekend! How about

Prompt #4 An accidental brush of lips followed by a pause and going back for another on purpose, with Wayne and Hinata?

Another prompt for the Trio of Towns weekend!

This one was fun! I've never written Hinata/Wayne, but they could compel me as a ship. Might have to explore this one a little more.

💋💋💋💋

They had been looking for a reason to get together for a bonfire. The season was perfect for it. Summer was beginning to turn to autumn and while the days were warm, the nights held a slight nip in the air. Nothing uncomfortable, but perfect for getting chased away by a warm drink, or a crackling fire.

When Hinata had been cast as leading man in his next play, Wayne suddenly found the perfect excuse fallen into his lap. A small celebration to congratulate a friend was a good enough excuse to get their friends together for an evening.

He prepared everything, gathering the firewood, preparing snacks and drinks, passing around invitations to their friends. It wasn’t a formal party, people could come and go as they pleased, or as their schedules demanded. All in all it was a successful evening. Plenty of laughter and song. The food never ran low, the drinks were always cold, and the company was most excellent. There were even some congratulatory toasts to Hinata, which the aspiring actor accepted with the grace (and speech) of one winning a Tony. Spurring some thrown popcorn and joking heckling from his audience.

Now, the bonfire was almost burnt down to embers. Nearly everyone was gone, the early risers heading off for a reasonable bed time. Wayne and Hinata were the last two left, neither having to work the next day so they could stay out later than usual. They sat on opposite sides of the fire, lapsed into comfortable silence.

Hinata stretched and leaned back. “Great party, Wayne. Thanks for putting it all together.”

Wayne smiled, poking at the fire. “Thanks for giving me an excuse to have folks over. Been wanting to do this for a while now.” He looked skyward and his smile broadened. “Gorgeous night for it too. Not a cloud in the sky. Perfect night for stargazing.”

“Yeah?” Hinata looked up, staring at the sky. “Never got into stargazing, much. My brothers used to tease me all the time about having my head in the clouds. Didn’t need to go chasing the stars too.” He chuckled. “Turns out I decided to chase stardom instead.”

Wayne sighed contentedly. “One of my favorite parts of livin’ out here is how clear our night sky is. No light pollution to speak of.”

“I think I remember a couple major stars… that’s the North Star, right?” Hinata pointed into the sky.

“You’re pointing south, bud.” Wayn laughed. “Polaris is up behind you.”

Hinata turned, trying to see which of the many stars overhead Wayne was pointing at. They went back and forth for a minute, Wayne trying to tell him how to find the Big Dipper and then find the North Star from it, but Hinata just could not see it.

“Hang on, scooch over. I need to see from your perspective.” He walked over and sat down next to Wayne, scooting as close up against him as possible, propping his chin on Wayne’s shoulder and looking straight up his pointing arm. “Show me again.”

Wayne tilted his head to try and match Hinata’s angle, and then pointed out the stars again. “See those four stars, you can draw lines and make them into a box. Now from this corner, follow the line of stars up, there’s the handle. See? That’s the Big Dipper.”

“Oh! I see it now!” Hinata breathed out in excitement.

“Great! Now, from the opposite corner of the top of the dipper, draw a line straight out to that bright star. That’s Polaris. It makes the end of the handle for the Little Dipper.”

Hinata gasped. “I see it! Oh man, that’s so cool! I’ve never been able to –”

He had turned his head at the same time Wayne had turned to look at him. Given their closeness, the fact that they were practically cheek-to-cheek, close enough they could feel the scratch of each other’s stubble and the warmth of their breath on their skin. And when they’d turned their heads, their lips brushed. Just a touch, just enough contact for them both to realize what had happened, and then jerk away.

“S-sorry,” Wayne muttered. In the low light of the fire, he knew the blush creeping across his cheeks wasn’t visible, but his face felt hot all the same.

“No, it’s okay,” Hinata quickly insisted with a small smile and laugh. “Not the first guy I’ve kissed. Even on accident.”

And a thought occurred to Hinata in that moment, as he watched Wayne deal with the flustered moment. There was no denying Wayne was a handsome man. Women flocked to him, and even resolutely straight men couldn’t help but admit there was just something about the postman’s charm they found hard to resist. Hinata had thought more than once about how he’d take the opportunity to kiss Wayne, if the opportunity presented itself, but it had never really been more than a passing fancy. As far as he knew, Wayne was not inclined to kissing men, though truthfully, he seemed disinclined to kissing anyone. He didn’t mind the female attention he garnered, but he never reciprocated the attention beyond what good manners required.

But goodness, now that the opportunity had presented itself, Hinata could think of nothing else but leaning in again and cupping his hands around Wayne’s face and pulling him in for another kiss.

And in that split-second pause of thought, that moment between breaths when time stood still while the mind raced, Hinata saw something change behind Wayne’s eyes. A shift from surprise to curiosity to desire, and if he was a betting man, he would have put money on Wayne having almost the same train of through Hinata was having.

And he would have been correct. Wayne was having his own rapid flashes of thought, of how he’d always admired Hinata, how they were good friends, how he made Wayne laugh, how his boundless optimism constantly endeared Hinata to Wayne. And how very suddenly, he realized that he might quite like to actually kiss him for real this time.

And at the same time, they both spoke.

“D’you?”

“Can we?”

And they smiled as they realized what they were both asking, and the answer was an enthusiastic ‘yes!’ And they leaned into each other. Hands bumping awkwardly as they both reached for the other, pausing just a hair’s breadth away. And they kissed. Once more with feeling.

[saturniasxenos]

FIRE NPT PACK!!

Down below, you'll find firey pronouns, burning hot titles, ignited names, and all the alike fire/flame/lava genders!

Enjoy my firey loves! ❤

Pronouns:

Ar/Arso/Arson/Arsons/Arsonself

Ab/Abla/Ablaze/Ablazes/Ablazeself

Ar/Ardo/Ardor/Ardors/Ardorself

Ca/Cand/Candle/Candles/Candleself

Fer/Ferv/Fervor/Fervors/Fervorself

Fi/Fir/Fire/Fires/Fireself

Fir/Firestro/Firestorm/Firestorms/Firestormself

Fir/Firebo/Firebolt/Firebolts/Fireboltself

Fir/Firebu/Firebug/Firebugs/Firebugself

Fir/Firebo/Firebomb/Firebombs/Firebombself

Fir/Fireshi/Fireshine/Fireshines/Fireshineself

Fir/Firestri/Firestriker/Firestrikers/Firestrikerself

Fir/Fireba/Fireball/Fireballs/Fireballself

Fir/Firewo/Firewood/Firewoods/Firewoodself

Fir/Firepro/Fireproof/Fireproofs/Fireproofself

Fir/Firecra/Firecracker/Firecrackers/Firecrackerself

Fir/Firebre/Firebreak/Firebreaks/Firebreakself

Fir/Firef/Firefly/Fireflys/Fireflyself

Fir/Fireli/Firelight/Firelights/Firelightself

Fir/Firewa/Firewalker/Firewalkers/Firewalkerself

Fie/Fier/Fiery/Fierys/Fieryself

Fla/Flam/Flame/Flames/Flameself

Flame/Flamethro/Flamethrower/Flamethrowers/Flamethrowerself

Flame/Flamma/Flammable/Flammables/Flammableself

Fla/Flar/Flare/Flares/Flareself

Fur/Furna/Furnace/Furnaces/Furnaceself

Kin/Kind/Kindle/Kindles/Kindleself

La/Lav/Lava/Lavas/Lavaself

Ma/Mag/Magma/Magmas/Magmaself

Vol/Volca/Volcano/Volcanos/Volcanoself

He/Hea/Heat/Heats/Heatself

Hell/Hellfie/Hellfire/Hellfires/Hellfireself

Hot/Hotco/Hotcoal/Hotcoals/Hotcoalself

Spa/Spar/Spark/Sparks/Sparkself

Bu/Bur/Burn/Burns/Burnself

Bla/Blaz/Blaze/Blazes/Blazeself

Bla/Blas/Blast/Blasts/Blastself

Bo/Bonfi/Bonfire/Bonfires/Bonfireself

Ig/Igni/Ignite/Ignites/Igniteself

In/Infer/Inferno/Infernos/Infernoself

In/Infer/Infernal/Infernals/Infernalself

Incin/Inciner/Incinerate/Incinerates/Incinerateself

Obi/Obsid/Obsidian/Obsidians/Obsidianself

Oxy/Oxyge/Oxygen/Oxygens/Oxygenself

War/Warm/Warmth/Warmths/Warmthself

Wild/Wildfir/Wildfire/Wildfires/Wildfireself

Wood/Woodfir/Woodfire/Woodfires/Woofireself

Sco/Scor/Scorch/Scorchs/Scorchself

Ser/Sera/Seraphim/Seraphims/Seraphimself

So/Soo/Soot/Soots/Sootself

Smo/Smok/Smoke/Smokes/Smokeself

Smo/Smoul/Smoulder/Smoulders/Smoulderself

Py/Pyr/Pyro/Pyros/Pyroself

Py/Pyr/Pyre/Pyres/Pyreself

Phoe/Phoen/Phoenix/Phoenixs/Phoenixself

To/Tor/Torch/Torchs/Torchself

Com/Combust/Combustion/Combusts/Combustionself

Ca/Campfi/Campfire/Campfires/Campfireself

Co/Coa/Coal/Coals/Coalself

Char/Charco/Charcoal/Charcoals/Charcoalself

Cre/Crem/Cremate/Cremates/Cremateself

🔥/🔥's

💥/💥's

🐦‍🔥/🐦‍🔥's

❤️‍🔥/❤️‍🔥's

☄️/☄️'s

🌋/🌋's

🏜/🏜's

🕯/🕯's

☀/☀'s

🌟/🌟's

⭐/⭐'s

Titles:

(X) Who Burns

The Pyromaniac

The Phoenix

Risen From The Ashes

Born From The Flames

Born From Hellfire

Dancing In The Flames

The Firestorm

The Incinerated

(X) Who Commits Arson

The Fire Dancer

The Lava Dancer

The Volcano Guardian

Guardian of The Flames

The Flame-Winged

(X) Who Will Never Burn

Names:

Fem: Aine, Adara, Alinta, Anala, Apollonia, Aguya, Arpina, Brenda, Bedelia, Caldia, Cyra, Cemre, Cinder, Enya, Fiamma, Fiametta, Helene, Homura, Hinata, Hinoka, Helia, Hestia, Kenina, Kaede, Kyra, Keahi, Kamala, Kalinda, Kenna, Mirri, Mehri, McKenna, Narine, Noora, Pele, Pyraxia, Pyrena, Piret, Oriane, Seraphina, Starfire, Savita, Sunniva, Solana, Tana, Tinna, Vesta, Zinara,

Masc: Afi, Aodh, Ashbel, Apollo, Anatole, Aarush, Aidan, Aiden, Blaze, Blayze, Blaise, Brando, Brantley, Branton, Brent, Brenton, Conleth, Conley, Cole, Cyrus, Egan, Eilidh, Elio, Finlo, Fintan, Fuji, Flint, Haco, Hagan, Hakan, Hayden, Heilos, Heulfryn, Horus, Hugh, Hugo, Ignacio, Ignatius, Inigo, Ishaan, Kai, Kindle, Kaen, Kenneth, Keegan, Kiran, Kwasi, McCoy, Pyrrhus, Ra, Rhys, Sampson, Tyson, Vulcan,

Neu: Ardere, Aizel, Adan, Akosua, Ashfall, Aithne, Agni, Adish, Azar, Ash, Baskara, Brigid, Cymbeline, Ember, Eldis, Edan, Ignus, Iskra, Liekki, Mashal, Nuri, Pheonix, Pyro, Pyre, Surya, Sulien, Solaris, Sol, Seraph, Seraphin, Sol, Soleil, Sunfire, Tanwen, Uri, Ugnè, Xipil,

Genders:

Lavanatomic - A gender under the anatomic system(link), related to lava, anatomy, the "anatomy" of lava and molten rock, the anatomy of something or someone being made up of lava, having anatomy made of lava and so on.

Firegender - Firegender is a xenogender identity in which one's gender is in a constant state of change but never truly extinguishes. It is aesthetically linked to fire as a visual metaphor or symbol.

Fiergender - Fiergender [fier coming from the word 'fiery'] is a gender related to the colours red and orange, fire, foxes, anger, and heat. This gender may feel hot, angry/annoyed, and fiery.

Infernvambatic - A gender identity related to fire and vampire bats; vampire bats that are on fire; vampire bats with fire magic; the emoji combo 🔥🦇🔥; etc...

Burninglogic - .+ a gender related to the log/wood emoji (🪵), and the fire emoji (🔥) in some way. could be the emojis on their own, the smell of campires/burning wood, the aesthetic of wood and fire, etc.

CandLitScentic - A scentic gender related to the aroma of lit candles, scented or not, the smell of a burning wick and melting wax is heavily tied to one's gender.

Firedeity - a gender connected to fire and deities, a deity associated with fire, or a deity of fire.

Ragefiric - a gender relating to raging fires, of course! one may also connect with fiery tempers or things getting burnt

Sunfiregender - a gender related to the sun and fire somehow! could be about how the sun is sometimes called a ball of fire, could be related to setting fires with sunlight, just suns and fires separately, whatever! 

Volcanogender/Lavagender/Magmagender - A gender that is dormant most of the time but sometimes erupts with extreme heat and intensity, similar to how volcanoes erupt. It can be used by itself or combined with other terms, e.g. volcanoboy, volcanogirl, volcanononbinary, etc.

Pyrapanthic - A combination of pyrogender and catgender, in which your gender is connected to big cats, fire, and the way that both are violent/aggressive in nature but aren't "bad" for being that way, they just are.

Lavagender - For a few days it’ll be a stable gender, nice and consistent. But after a while it turns into something completely different. And then that something will change into another thing that’s completely different after a few days time again.

PyromaniEnigmatic - an -enigmatic gender that relates to ones pyromania, being hard to fully understand and deal with, smoke and flames from the urges of pyromania obscuring clear vision and understanding of ones gender and ones pyromania being so deeply tied to ones gender that t becomes hard to understand it from any other angle but by the light of a burning flame.

Pyrofluid - A gender defined by a strong fire aesthetic, like pyrogender, but in this case a person can change between feeling “warm” and feeling “cold” about their gender. A pyrogender person always "feels warm" about the gender, it may just dwindle but never extinguish. Pyrofluid people can “feel cold”, and when that happens it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be agender or on the agender spectrum. It may just mean that they end up feeling apathetic about their gender, not wanting to think about it.

[otomiyaa]

Hi all! 31 fics are finished for this year's Tickletober: Miya & Mia's Tickletober, prompt list together with @ticklygiggles! An overview of my finished fics can be found below. Thank you to everyone who participated and used our list. I hope you didn't struggle too much, or curse our names like a certain @lovelynim did 🤭

Special SPECIAL thanks to precious @wertzunge 💕 for helping me retrieve my fics after I lost my account. I didn't back them up, and thanks to his help I could get them back and post them on AO3.

Note: not all fics are uploaded on tha tumblrz.

Day 1: Trap | Rengoku x Tengen (Demon Slayer) AO3 | Tumblr

Day 2: Claws | Josh x Lucy (The Hating Game)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 3: Villain | TodoBaku (BNHA)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 4: Mask | Itto x Heizou (Genshin)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 5: Disguise | Rei x Kazuki (Buddy Daddies)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 6: Movie | Sawako x Kazehaya (Kimi ni Todoke) AO3 | Tumblr

Day 7: Playtime | Miyo x Kiyoka (My Happy Marriage)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 8: Haunted | Dani x Jamie (The Haunting of Bly Manor)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 9: Mirrors | Hobie & Miles (Across the Spiderverse)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 10: Cloak | Peter 1 & Peter 2 & Peter 3 (MCU)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 11: Pumpkin | Beidou x Ningguang (Genshin)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 12: Wolf | Garu x Eiden (NU: Carnival)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 13: Prank Call | Enola x Tewkesbury (Enola Holmes)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 14: Roleplay | Lyney x Wriothesley (Genshin)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 15: Babysitter | Sengoku & Miyamura (Horimiya)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 16: Sweets | Ariel x Eric (The Little Mermaid 2023) AO3 | Tumblr

Day 17: Closet | NSFW - Yiyoung x Daehyung (Work Love Balance)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 18: Spiderweb | Jean x Marco (AOT)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 19: Dark | Tokoyami x Shoji (BNHA)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 20: Cursed | Suzume x Souta (Suzume no Tojimari) AO3 | Tumblr

Day 21: Horns/Fangs | Sariphi x Leonhart, King of Beasts (Niehime to Kemono no Ou)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 22: Tail/Wings | Tighnari x Albedo (Genshin)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 23: Party | Momose x Shirosaki (Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 24: Spell | Maleficent & Aurora (Maleficent)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 25: Boo | Reader x Solomon, Barbatos, Simeon (Obey Me) AO3 | Tumblr

Day 26: Thunder | Scara x Childe (Genshin) AO3 | Tumblr

Day 27: Monster | Link x Zelda (TOTK) AO3 | Tumblr - Collab with @dokidoki-muffin

Day 28: Silence | Wade x Ember (Elemental) AO3 | Tumblr

Day 29: Zombie | Hinata & Miya Twins (Haikyuu)  AO3 | Tumblr

Day 30: Fantasy | Simeon x Solomon (Obey Me) AO3 | Tumblr

Day 31: Halloween | Neuvillette x Wriothesley (Genshin) AO3 | Tumblr - Collab with @ticklygiggles

[curryfury13]

The Forgotten Traveler Ch41

Hello! Fanfic.net servers are down for a bit, so I wanted to share my new chapter here. Keres is on her own in Hawaii, her powers slowly returning. She isn't sure where to go from here.

All the while, Sam is on a personal journey to find her father. She and the rest of the Highwind crew are on Montressor, trying to figure out the truth behind her father's disappearance. There's no length Sam won't go to find him.

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

Chapter 41

Try Moving Forward

Words: 10846 --------------------------------------------------------

Waves swept across the shore, white foam bubbling over sand and Keres’ toes. She remained still, her knees bent and hands at her sides. Sand gathered between her fingers, creating tiny mounds. If she closed her eyes she could convince herself she was back on Destiny Islands. But she wasn’t. 

Hawaii wasn’t the island, not her island anyway. Hearing the waves made her miss it, but it was likely she’d never see it again. Even given the opportunity she wouldn’t take it. Not with the darkness inside her. Regardless, she wondered how much the islands changed. Was the paopu tree still sturdy enough to hold her? Would the sunsets be the same? 

“How long are you going to keep us here?” The darkness’ voice crept through her mind, filling her thoughts like an invasive mist. 

She didn’t reply. Instead, she breathed in through her nose, the tinge of salt and flowers melding together as a calming wave. Then she released her breath and looked up at the stars. Their light shimmered weakly between the clouds. Any of them could be her next destination. Her fingers twitched in the sand, the tingle of darkness prickled across her palm. It was eager, hungry for its release. All it needed was permission and a Corridor would form. 

Keres remained still. Where would she go? Hinata’s promise remained in her heart, despite the darkness’ greatest efforts to snuff it out. It settled in the back of her mind like a dying ember, still there, flickering with warmth and possibility. She didn’t know what Hinata planned, if she even had anything in mind other than blind determination. Perhaps that was all she needed. Keres wanted to believe that, but the darkness mocked the very idea. Blind determination wouldn’t make up for everything Keres destroyed. Hinata may be able to look past her monstrous form, but would the others? 

“They hate you.” The darkness’ voice sent chills down her neck as if it were whispering right in her ear. “Find a world we can make our own. You will be untouchable. Safe. No one will stand in your way. Isn’t that what you’ve wanted?”

Darkness seeped through her. She felt it moving through her veins like ants forming their tunnels in the earth. Her heart accelerated, her breaths stuttered. 

“Anywhere you want,” it promised. 

Keres raised her stained hand. It trembled, her fingers curling. 

“You want Lilo to be safe, don’t you?” it asked. 

Gritting her teeth, Keres lifted her other hand, gripping her wrist with enough force her knuckles went white. 

“You’ll finally be happy.” Its words dripped like honey. “Stop fighting us.”

Tendrils of darkness sprouted in front of her. Its black inky vines writhed over the damp sand. A Corridor flickered to life, wavering in and out. 

“Where do you think it leads?” it asked. Keres could hear the grin in its voice. 

Her chest heaved. “STOP!” Her scream tore through the night and she collapsed on the sand in a heap. 

The Corridor shattered, pieces disintegrating into pure darkness before hitting the ground. Keres curled in on herself, her breaths deep and hoarse. Chills crawled over her and the once sweet tone in the darkness’ voice turned sharp and low. 

“You will regret this…” was all it said. 

Keres knew she would. She laid there, allowing the white foam of the waves to sweep around her. Behind her, she heard a chitter from a creature, but she didn’t move. A wet nose sniffed her, just inches away from her arm. Then a furry paw rested there. 

“Leave me alone,” Keres muttered. She stared blankly at the ocean, unmoving.

Soft steps moved around her. She saw the indents of prints appear in the sand, but not the one creating them. 

“Houdini, right?” she asked, and the invisible creature paused. “You need to stay away from me.”

Houdini whined and the sand beneath him sank. Faint warm breaths tickled Keres’ arms, then soft fur pressed against her hand.  

“Please,” Keres pleaded.

White, shimmering magic sparked to life, revealing Mr. Fluffy Bear in Keres’ hand. She sat up with a start, staring at the worn stuffed bear. Paw prints imprinted the sand as Houdini respected Keres’ wishes and went away. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Her vision blurred and with a sudden release of breath, she hugged the bear tightly to her chest.  --------------------------------------------

Time passed. Keres’ eyes were heavy with exhaustion. She laid on the beach, curled up and drifting in and out of sleep with Mr. Fluffy Bear tucked beneath her chin. Heavy footsteps thudded against the sand, approaching from behind. Keres twitched, the darkness flashing to attention, but Keres tensed, intent on remaining still. She listened, making out a faint set of scuttering steps. They were familiar, leading the larger one to her. 

The darkness’ laugh rumbled through her, beating against her heart with a sickening drum. “That rodent came back for you.”

Keres dug her fingers into Mr. Fluffy Bear’s plush back. “Stay back.”  

The steps paused. 

“Ah, we-ah thought you were asleep,” a voice, thick with an accent, called back to her. 

She knew that voice. The memories of him showing up with his creatures in the midst of battle rushed to the forefront of her mind. So this was Jumba. Had Houdini led him to her? Why hadn’t he listened to her?

Her muscles ached, convulsing with minute tremors that only showed a fragment of her fight for control. One finger straightened, then another. They bent back with unnatural flexibility, urging the rest of her fingers to follow. Mr. Fluffy Bear fell to the sand. The darkness breathed into her, its chill settling over her bones and she sat up, her head lolling forward as even then, she continued to resist. 

Jumba talked. His words fell on absent ears. The darkness was the only thing Keres heard. It cursed her. Sharp waves of pain throbbed through her, starting from her heart and coursing across her limbs. She’d put off leaving for too long and the darkness was tired of waiting. 

Keres' voice tumbled out of her with words she didn’t choose: “You should have listened when you had the chance.” She laughed, the sound stilted. 

“Now!” Jumba yelled and a needle pierced through Keres’ neck. 

Unknown serum streamed into her system and the darkness shrieked. Keres covered her ears, as if that would dampen the cries of terror and rage inside of her. The corners of her vision darkened, the edges of her tunneling vision swirling together into a dizzying display. Jumba stepped in front of her, his four eyes peering at her with curiosity and suspicion. 

“Thank… you.” Keres managed the words before her eyes rolled back and everything went dark. ------------------------------------------------------

She woke up. Her eyes couldn’t see anything beyond blurred light. Her lungs burned. The crisp air flicked against her lungs like sparks of a flame. She wheezed for a full breath, hot tears forming at the corner of her eyes. 

Her fingers curled against the floor. It was cool to the touch, smooth. Metal. Jumba had taken her somewhere. She turned her head, her neck stiff. Reflection of light bounced off the glass wall. Through it she could make out the fuzzy forms of computers and medical equipment. Another lab. 

After everything, she ended up right back where she started.

She focused on her battered reflection in the glass. Grains of wet sand clung to her. It mixed with her hair and coated her skin. A thin line of dried blood trailed from her neck where the needle pierced her. Her icy fingers pressed against it, feeling the heat radiating from it. Whatever they injected her with, it didn’t blend with her as well as the Organization’s serums did. 

Except, perhaps it did. She closed her eyes and listened. Machines hummed, equipment beeped out of sync with the other. Jumba muttered to himself somewhere out of sight. Houdini’s claws clicked across the floor, still invisible. There was nothing else; no whispers or threats coating her subconscious. Whatever they put inside of her, it silenced the darkness. 

Keres grinned, her breath releasing. She sat up, her head wobbling softly side to side until she steadied it with her hand. “Jumba?” she called out for him. 

Heavy footsteps approached, followed by Houdini’s tiny quick ones. “Aha!” Jumba clapped his massive hands together. He walked in front of the glass, wearing a vibrant unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt that took Keres a moment to take in. “The girl has woken up! How do you feel?”

She hesitated before answering. “I… don’t know yet. What did you put in me?”

“Ah, it was a neural neutralizing serum.” He waved his hand in a circular motion, recalling, “I developed it to pacify my more, uh, unruly experiments.” He motioned towards her, his large mouth spreading into a wide grin as he chuckled. “But look at how fast you woke up! I could have used a much stronger dose than that.”

Keres didn’t say anything in reply. Her eyes flitted around, absorbing the information. The Organization used serums on her to sedate her, but none of them made the darkness fall completely silent. 

While Keres pondered this, Jumba turned away to a nearby monitor. A diagram of Keres’ body appeared on the large screen. It showed an outline of her, dark matter swirling around inside as lines of alien language popped up in thinly rimmed boxes. Jumba held his hand to his chin, his voice ridden with pride: “You are quite an impressive monster. Whoever made you really knew what they were doing.”

Keres flicked her eyes to him. She didn’t tell anyone what she was. “How…”

“You’re a clone, no?” Jumba zoomed in on the diagram, smaller white particles appeared. “Your telomeres are a dead giveaway. But, how say, alarming how much darkness they fused into your cells.” He looked over his shoulder towards Keres. “They must have wanted a real killer beast!” He guffawed, the sound ricocheting off the walls and surrounding Keres. 

Her hands tightened in her lap, her eyes shutting tight to block out his laughter. She hadn’t worried before, but now she wondered what exactly Jumba wanted with her.  

Wiping his eyes, Jumba asked, “Who made you? Was it old Kido? I didn’t think he was this good yet!”

He enjoyed this. That’s all she was to him, to any scientist, an experiment to toy around with. All the destruction she caused, all the death, the pain, and he had the gall to be amused. He continued working at his monitor, his back to her. Whispers echoed in her mind: “Kill him...”

So the darkness wasn’t completely gone. Keres looked away, her nails dug into her palm to distract herself from the intrusive urges. He only suppressed the darkness, she was a fool to believe it was actually gone. Still, he was different from the Organization and once upon a time, helped her fight against them. 

“It…” she hesitated. Jumba paused his typing and looked over his shoulder at her. “The Organization made me.”

He turned around to completely face her, his four eyes blinking. “Not… Organization Thirteen?” All Keres managed was a nod before Jumba’s entire disposition changed. He threw up his arms and roared, “Those amateur upstarts?!” In a rage, he flipped a chair, careening it across the lab. His chest heaved and he rubbed his hand over his head. “What sort of trick do they think they are pulling? It explains the mess! Sloppy, unprofessional!”

Keres scrambled back. Whatever rage she unlocked wasn’t what she intended, but it at least showed the distaste Jumba had for the Organization. He continued on his rant, throwing anything within reach. Everything he praised about Keres’ creation suddenly turned into flaws. How quickly the tables turned. She watched him pace, listening for any bits of information she could glean about the Organization and their methods, but it quickly dissolved into nothing more than cheap pot shots. She wondered if the comments should offend her, but they really only confirmed what she suspected: she was a flawed creation from the start.

“Jumba…” she said his name. “Jumba?” He didn’t stop and she sighed. “Are you done insulting me?”

Jumba stopped just short of throwing another seat, blinking as he came back to his senses. “Ah…” He rubbed his head. “No, no, I am here to help you. It is fortunate, in fact, that they were sloppy. Makes it much, much easier for me to help.”

She looked away. The concerns about his intentions with her withered down slightly. 

“The little girl, ah, Lilo, told me you are unable to control yourself.” The excitement in his voice filled the lab, getting louder and more confident with each word. “Soon I will have a device that will suppress this excess darkness. See, your cells are self replicating the darkness. No matter how much you use, more will come.”

“So this… device. It would let me keep control?” Keres asked. 

“Exactly!” Jumba motioned towards her. He reached up to his upper arm. “It will attach here. Buttons will control the amount you allow through. Darkness keeps replicating, but with this, you only react to certain amount at a time.”

Keres nodded, eyes narrowed in thought. “But wouldn’t that be dangerous? It keeps making more of itself and I’m not using any to get rid of it. At some point, wouldn’t it be too much?”

“Ah, yes, yes, good point.” He wagged a finger, about to sit down before he realized he’d thrown his seat a few minutes prior. “You will come back here. Use this chamber to release the darkness.”

She looked around the large confining room.

“It is my testing chamber,” Jumba explained. “Each of my creations experimented with their powers here. It is indestructible!”

Keres stood up, her legs shaking. She stumbled to the side, but balanced herself. Holding out her hands, she took in a deep, long breath. Sparks of electricity flickered around her fingertips. Meeting together, the sparks arched into a violent bolt. Red hot metal burned, its ashy metallic scent suffocating the room. As quick as it appeared, the lightning flashed away and Keres looked around at the blackened scorch marks along the walls and floor. 

“A moment,” Jumba advised before Keres could speak. 

Thick clear ooze seeped out from between the tiles. It globbed over the walls, turning black as ash and burned bits of metal mixed into it. Then it slunk back into the seams, leaving the walls pristinely clean. 

“Do you have anything else?” Jumba asked and Keres spun around to face him. “Your darkness should return to full power soon. Then you can really show me what you can do!” 

Keres nodded, at a loss for words. She looked around at the room, a sense of ease washing over her. No matter how powerful, she’d be kept at bay in here. Jumba went back to work at the monitor while she took it all in. She attempted more spells, even attacked the glass directly. Any crack, any marred surface, the ooze repaired it. Houdini watched with fascination. Keres could see the prints of his paws pressed against the other side of the window, his body still rendered invisible. 

It didn’t take long for Keres to reach her limit and she sat back down, sweat gleaming on her skin. “What do you think, Houdini?” she asked, looking over at the paws against the glass. “Do you think Jumba can really make something like that?”

With a sparkling magic, Houdini appeared. His big glassy eyes stared back at Keres and he nodded, his ears bouncing. Keres smiled softly. 

Jumba glanced over his shoulder. “Your body produces a large amount of darkness on its own, thanks to that amateur Organization tampering with your cells. It shouldn’t be hard at all to make a device to filter out this excess and keep you more in balance.” He turned around, leaning his back against his desk. “I tell you. In the old days, I would have much rather modified you to make such a thing impossible - then no living creature in the universe could stop you!” He cackled, his back arching as he laughed maniacally. “Ah,” the laughter died down and he wiped tears from his eyes, “but I am reformed.”

“You really were an evil genius, weren’t you?” Keres asked, starting to become amused by his antics. 

“Still am!” he countered, offended. “Just, not as devious as before.”

Keres let out a huff of breath, the corner of her mouth smirking. 

“So, you know this Organization well, then, yes?” Jumba asked. 

She hesitated before nodding, her smirk falling. “You?”

Jumba sighed. He slumped to the ground, sitting down with his back against his desk. “They have been trying to get their hands on my experiments for a very long time. I often wondered who would capture me first, the Galactic Federation or the Organization!” He laughed. “After coming to Hawaii, I thought I finally lost them. But I was smart and cautious. And I invented a scanner to be alerted to their presence. I believe the last time they were here was only a year ago. Well, until today.” He motioned towards her. “I was looking into an alert when little girl tell me you ran away.”

“I set off the scanner?” she asked and Jumba hummed, wobbling his head back and forth. 

“I am unsure,” he admitted. “But you are their creation. So you setting it off is not unlikely.” 

There were enough of the Organization’s fingerprints inside her to be recognized as them. Or maybe the scanner sensed something else. She hadn’t the slightest idea where Saix disappeared to. His Corridor might have been enough to set off the scanner. Since she arrived, she hadn’t been sure why Saix would lead her back to Hawaii, but now, she found it possible he knew of Jumba’s abilities all along. He knew she’d find help. But why would he want that for her? He was part of the reason she was created in the first place. 

“But I wonder how you arrived,” Jumba said.

Keres snapped her attention back to him. 

“Are the Organization somewhere here on the island?” he asked. 

“I… don’t know,” she replied, her finger picking at the cracks in James’ bracelet. “One of the Members, Saix, released me and opened a path for me. It led here. I don’t know where I was before. Just a lab.”

“I see.” Jumba rubbed his chin. “This pathway led you out of the lab. Is this lab in Hawaii? It can’t be! My scanner… Unless they were settled there before my scanner was created. My device watches for incoming visitors, not ones already here.” With a groan, he stood up and went further into his lab. “I must change the scanner's parameters.”

“The path might not have been made in Hawaii,” Keres called after him. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s a portal that can travel across different worlds.”

“Eh, it is still good to double check!” Jumba replied, already gathering his tools. “Better safe than sorry I always say!” He carried his large bag of tools to the desk across from Keres’ chamber. Houdini scurried and grabbed one of the tossed away chairs, bringing it over for Jumba to sit. “Thank you Six-oh-four.” Jumba patted Houdini on the head. He spun his seat around and began taking apart the scanner. 

Keres watched him work. He muttered to himself, holding out his hand for tools that Houdini quickly retrieved for him. Sparks flew, the walls flashed with blue light. The entire lab felt different from the Organization’s. Large, colorful devices stood at varying heights around the space. The walls curved towards the vaulted ceiling, where lines of electric lights brightly illuminated the room. Above the desks, Keres spotted hand drawn pictures taped to the wall, as well as printed photographs of what appeared to be random people at the beach. Despite all the lab equipment and seemingly sterile environment, stuffed animals poked out from under desks. There was even a rag doll sitting on top of a seat, its limp stuffed arms on the keyboard as if it were another scientist along with Jumba. 

“Does Lilo come in here?” Keres asked. 

Jumba paused, he lifted his protective metal mask to look around the lab. “Ah, yes, little girl enjoys seeing my work. She come here to learn about my experiments. She and Six-two-six have captured many of them!”

“Six-two-six,” she repeated. “Is that Stitch?”

“Yes, yes, Stitch,” Jumba waved his hand, getting back to work. “He left shortly after the Organization did. They’ve tried to capture him many times!”

“Lilo said he was helping someone.”

“I do not recall man’s name,” Jumba told her. “Six-two-six seemed to believe he could help him stop the Organization. Haven’t heard much since. It must be going well.”

It was reassuring to know there were others aware of the Organization. Though, Keres wondered what would become of anyone that tried to threaten them. The only ones she trusted to succeed with the venture were Sora and Riku. Perhaps Sora was the man Jumba referred to. She could only hope. 

Jumba tossed aside his tools and picked up the scanner. “Finished!”

“Already?” Keres asked. “How did you-”

“Shush, let us try it out.”

He reinserted the scanner in its designated console. The computer monitor above it blipped on, a map of Hawaii appearing. White pulsing rings swirled around the map, until an opaque circle blinked and everything zoomed in on the location.

“AHA!” Jumba slammed the desk with both of his hands. “There they are!” He pointed to the dot, looking back at Keres with wild eyes. “What did I tell you?! They have been here the whole time!”

Keres got up to her feet. She walked up to the glass and pressed her hands against it, getting a better look at the map. There it was, a base hidden beneath a mountain.

“What do we do about it?” Keres asked. 

The darkness in her mind hissed, its voice returning. “We burn it to the ground…”

“We burn it to the ground!” Jumba repeated the words unknowingly, hitting the desk again. He laughed brutishly. “Let this be the last time this Organization messes with me, Jumba Jookiba, Evil Genius!”

He ran further into the lab, his feet thudding heavily against the floor. Excited ramblings filled the lab as he began gathering supplies and making a plan. Keres didn’t say anything. He agreed with her darkness, and she couldn’t deny the temptation to do the same. The whole time, the Organization had a base here. Was that where Xigbar and Saix were trying to take her initially?

“What are you called?” Jumba asked, standing right in front of the glass. 

Keres startled out of her dazed stupor, seeing him standing there with arms full of supplies. “I-I’m Keres.”

He nodded in acknowledgement. “You will come along, Keres.”

“I… Oh, okay.” She took in that information as Jumba went right back to gathering things. 

He yelled back at her while he paced around the lab. “We will need a team! A select few of my experiments will do. We just need to find where little girl put them. And one we will have to convince. He works with Gantu and Dr. Hämsterviel, but his hacking abilities will be just what we need to bleed the database dry!”

Keres nodded, absorbing it all. The darkness festered with excitement in the pit of her stomach, making her sick. “What about the device? Will that be done in time?”

“Ah, yes, yes,” Jumba assured her. “You will have everything you need. But ah! You will also need your energy. Six-oh-four!” Houdini rose to attention. “Ready her room in the chamber.”

With a chirp, Houdini scurried over to the monitor by Keres’ chamber. He climbed up onto the stool and pressed a few buttons. The tiles in the floor rumbled. Sections lowered, sliding away as furniture raised up in its place. A small bed appeared, along with a bedside table and a lamp. In the other corner rose a shower and toiletries, before being concealed by folding walls. 

“How often do you keep people here?” Keres asked. 

“I have six hundred and twenty-seven experiments!” Jumba reminded her, but somehow that didn’t quite explain it enough for her. “Now, get your rest. We will begin the hunt tomorrow!”

Before Keres could even reply, the lights to the entire lab dimmed to black. She hadn’t even noticed Jumba and Houdini slipping out towards the door as she was too taken aback by the appearing room around her. Two lights remained. The bedside lamp carried a warm golden glow, but it couldn’t touch the dense blackness on the other side of the glass. The other light bloomed underneath the makeshift bathroom, causing silhouettes to show through the folding walls separating it from her bedroom. 

Now alone, the darkness talked freely, teeming with anticipation for their upcoming ‘hunt’, as Jumba put it. Keres didn’t know what to think. She swayed side to side, exhaustion weighing heavily over her. She didn’t entertain the darkness’ whims as it chittered about all the things it wanted to do to the Organization Replicas. If she tried to focus on any one thing it said, she was overcome with a dizzying sensation that made it difficult to think. She was too tired, that’s all it was. She hoped. 

Dragging her feet, she went to take a shower, detangling her hair and washing away the bits of sand still caked to her skin. The heat of the water helped clear her mind. She wasn’t sure what Jumba had in mind for the following day. Recruiting specimens and tracking down the Organization’s lab, she was starting to get excited. Her heart fluttered at the prospect of joining a team, even if for a little while. 

Cleaned up, she made her way to the bed. Mr. Fluffy Bear sat on top of the comforter. Keres laughed breathily. It seemed Houdini and Lilo were set on making her keep that worn down thing. She picked it up, running her thumb along its fuzzy cheek. Then she got into the bed, her muscles releasing a wave of praise for finally having something soft and welcoming to rest on. She looked out at the lab from beyond her chamber. Thin streaks of moonlight streamed through far away windows, attempting to illuminate the lab, but to no avail. Bits of dust danced in its light, sparkling like stars. 

Keres watched them dance, her eyelids heavy and body drifting into a deep trance. It didn’t take long before she fell asleep.

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

Starlight illuminated the dirt path to the Benbo Inn. The air was crisp, fresh from the drizzle of rain earlier in the evening. It was a beautiful night, different from the way Sam remembered Montressor. She recalled the thin layers of dust painted over every surface and the murky clouds of exhaust from ships flying past. A small part of her believed Montressor was different from the distaste she held for it. As if her pain masked its true qualities. 

She walked along the path with Ben and Hinata, trailing two steps behind. The Benbo’s silhouette appeared on the horizon. Golden light warmed its windows, beckoning weary travelers into its walls. Sarah had been doing well for herself since the reopening. Even with closing time approaching, the restaurant bustled with life. 

Coming closer, Sam recognized her mom through the window. She stopped midstep, allowing the others to go on ahead. Her mom delivered meals to a window side table, unaware of Sam watching her. She smiled at the customers, even laughed. Sam’s jaw tightened. Even without being inside, Sam could imagine the sound. It’d been years since she’d heard her mom’s laugh, but the memory of it rang in her mind with pristine clarity. All that time, no matter what she and James did, her mom withered away. It was as if she’d forgotten anyone else existed. But there she was, working, laughing, doing something with herself. Sam should have been happy for her, and a small part of her was. Another, larger part of her couldn’t understand what she’d done wrong. Why wasn’t she able to make her mom happy?

A sharp, chilling breath filled her chest and she looked away. Tears glistened in her eyes and she cleared her throat, roughly wiping them away. 

“Sam?” Hinata approached her.

“Just,” Sam put up her hand, “give me a minute. Alright?”

Hinata nodded, deciding against saying anything else. Instead, she waited beside Sam, looking up at the stars. Ben already disappeared inside, getting them a table. It left the two of them in comforting silence. 

“It’s dumb,” Sam sniffed, wiping at her nose, “after I left here I tried to convince myself it didn’t exist anymore. Mom, the shop, James… I was too far away for it to catch up to me.”

A long stretch of silence went before Hinata replied, “It’s not dumb. I think… it’s what you needed to do to keep moving for a while.”

“Maybe.” Sam ran her hand through her hair. “It didn’t last though, did it?”

Hinata looked towards Sam, then towards the Benbo. “We don’t have to do this.”

Sam shook her head. “As much as I want to forget this place… I want to find my dad more.” She took in a deep, long breath. “I can do this.”

“Then I’m right behind you,” Hinata told her. A soft smile spread across her face when Sam looked back at her. “Let’s find your dad.”

Sam returned the smile and nodded. 

Together, they went towards the Benbo and went inside. Instant warmth greeted them with a cheer from the patrons. They recognized Sam and she waved a half salute in response, surprised at the bustling excitement. Her mom wasn’t in the dining room at the moment. Sam took the opportunity to acclimate to the surroundings and followed Hinata to their table where Ben awaited them. 

Once seated, Sam pressed her earpiece. “Hey, Lupe?”

Only a moment passed before Lupe’s voice came through. “I’m here. What do you need?”

“I was just… wondering if you’d be able to take notes or something when I’m talking with my mom,” she explained.

“Sure thing!” he replied. “I was planning on it already anyways.”

Sam’s mouth twitched with a short smile.

“You got this, Sam,” he encouraged and Sam huffed out a short laugh. 

“Thanks,” she replied, removing her hand from her earpiece. 

Her fingers drummed against the table. Ben tried to keep the spirits up, suggesting things on the menu and asking about them. Hinata took care of answering his curiosities while Sam looked around the inn. The kitchen doors swung open and Jenna walked through them with a pitcher in her hands. Sam’s chest ached, her heart drummed out of sync with waves of nerves. This was it. 

She got out of her seat, her legs heavy and slow. Walking over, she dragged her feet, forcing them to move. Jenna’s back was to her and Sam stopped an arm’s length away. Her throat went dry, her tongue swelling. “Mom,” she forced the word out, her voice dull and short. 

Jenna froze. She turned around, her eyes flickering with a range of emotions at the sight of her daughter. The rest of her expression remained unchanged and she let out a shaking breath. “Jane. It’s… good to see you.” 

“I need to talk to you after work,” Sam told her, unable to hold her mom’s gaze. “Alright?”

“Y-yes, of course,” Jenna stumbled over her words. Sam noticed her hands trembling around the pitcher. “Anything you need.”

Sam twitched. Anything she needed… She swallowed the cutting remarks in her throat and nodded. Without another word, she turned around and went back to the others, letting Jenna continue to work. She slunk back into her seat, only then releasing the breath held captive in her chest. Ben and Hinata both watched her, until Hinata directed Ben’s attention to something on the menu, giving Sam a moment to collect herself. 

Sarah arrived shortly after, ready to take their orders. As she retrieved Sam’s menu, she smiled gently and said: “I’m glad you’re here, Sam.”

Sam strained a smile, looking away. “Thanks for taking her in…”

“I was happy to,” Sarah told her, tucking the menu under her arm. She looked over to where Jenna was serving another table. “It’s good to see her trying. She’s done well for herself here.”

There wasn’t much Sam could say to that. It hurt to hear, even though she knew it shouldn’t have. She nodded, following Sarah’s gaze towards her mom. Sarah put her hand on Sam’s shoulder, giving it a small squeeze before walking away. A lump choked Sam’s throat and she breathed in deeply. 

“Do you want us here when you talk to her?” Hinata asked and Sam nodded before the words even left. 

Hinata accepted the answer without saying anything else. Their late dinner consisted of very few words shared between them, even Ben quieted down and seemed preoccupied inside his thoughts. An hour passed before the final patron left the Inn and Sarah locked the door. She and Jenna got to work cleaning the dining room while Sam fidgeted in her seat. Hinata got up and offered to help with the cleaning, recalling her time working there even though Sarah didn’t remember such a thing. With the extra help, everything was taken care of and Jenna approached the table. 

She untied her apron and carefully folded it over the back of a chair, before sitting down. Her thin hands folded in her lap and she sat with her back straight and poised. Sam shifted in her seat to face her, trying her best to keep her expression leveled. 

She took a breath and reached into her pocket, pulling out a metal locket. Its bluish tint shone under the firelight of the hearth, accentuating the engraving of Montressor’s planet symbol on its surface. It clinked against the table and Jenna’s eyes drifted from Sam towards it. 

“It’s about dad,” Sam told her. 

Jenna didn’t speak. Her shoulders released a tension that cascaded over the rest of her body. The straight posture curved into a slump, like losing most of its will to keep her up at all. Her gaze flitted away. 

This was the version of her mom she remembered. Sam bristled, as if all the previous tension from her mom went and wormed its way into her. Still, she needed information and her mom was the only person that could provide it. “Did James ever show you this?” she asked, sliding over the locket. 

Jenna hesitated before picking it up. Her slender fingers traced the indentation, but she didn’t open the clasp. “Yes.”

Sam waited for more, but there wasn’t. She chewed on her tongue. Resentful remarks swirled in her head, each one biting at the bit to be released. Instead, she closed her eyes and took a breath, spreading out her hands. She could get mad later. Opening her eyes, she pressed further, “Did anything in the recording stick out to you?”

Nothing. Sam sucked in her lips, then opened her mouth. She could see Hinata watching her mom, a mixture of confusion and pity in her eyes. That’s all it ever was for her mom.  

“Breathe.” Lupe’s voice came through the ear piece. 

Sam breathed in deeply, desperately trying to ground herself. “Clarisse said you seemed to recognize her world when she told you about it. And she said the droids in the recording are from her galaxy.”

Jenna’s brow furrowed, a deep sorrow washing over her eyes. “We shouldn’t talk about this.”

Sam’s hands slammed against the table and everyone jumped. “Like hell we won’t! You know something!”

“Sam!” Ben exclaimed, but Sam pushed her hand against his face to shut him up. 

“If you know something, you need to tell me right now.” Sam’s eyes burned with passion and resentment. “I’ll find him with or without your help, but you could make it a hell of a lot easier if you just got over yourself!”

“Jane, please,” Jenna said with a soft, shaking voice. “I… there is nothing I can give you.”

“Why?” Sam pressed. 

Jenna looked up at her, eyes hollow. “Your father made his choice to leave.”

Sam scoffed. “You don’t know that!”

Jenna stood up from her seat, her entire body trembling. “I’m sorry.” She turned to leave, her hand steadying her against tables as she walked. 

“You can’t stay like this!” Sam got out of her seat, yelling after her. “Do you even care how much we’ve lost? I’m trying to get something back and all you say is ‘sorry’?!”

Jenna paused. She leaned against a table for support, head drooped forward and hand over her mouth. Sam waited, her face flush with anger and eyes stinging with tears. Her chest heaved and she swallowed hard, trying to reign herself back in. 

Hinata’s hand settled on her shoulder. A warm comfort spread through her and it took everything in Sam not to break. Hinata walked past and went around to be in front of Jenna.

“I know you’re trying to protect her,” Hinata said. 

“She’s all I have left…” Jenna whimpered into her hand. 

“Then why do you keep pushing me away?” Sam asked, her voice shuddering with sobs. “All I’ve done since dad left is try to make you care. But you never have!”

Jenna shook her head. “I’m so sorry…”

Sam rubbed at her eyes, sniffling. “I’m done. I can’t keep doing this with you. Every damn time I keep expecting you to change. If you’re not going to help me find dad, then I’m leaving and I’m not coming back.”

“No, Sam,” Lupe said with a firm tone that shook Sam out of her tunnel vision. “We need that information. Don’t close the door yet.” 

Ben stood up and walked up beside her. Lupe’s voice came out of him. “Let us talk to her.”

Sam looked over at him, both impressed and embarrassed he intervened. It was the perfect interruption to take her out of the moment and she nodded, getting her leveled thoughts back. She took a few steps back and lowered into a seat. 

“Jenna, we want to help,” Hinata said. She gently grabbed Jenna’s arm and helped her sit down. “I don’t know if you realize but Jarith might be trapped in another galaxy right now.”

Jenna listened, her gaze distant. 

Lupe joined, using Ben’s body to kneel in front of Jenna. “We think he might be on a world under a Separatist Blockade. Have you heard of that before?”

That got Jenna’s attention. She blinked, looking up at them. 

“Which could mean he didn’t get a choice in whether he could come back or not,” Lupe continued to explain. 

“If you have any idea where he could be, we could help him,” Hinata added. “He might even be able to come back.”

Jenna’s shoulders heaved and she broke. Her sobs filled the inn. Lupe stood up, giving her space while Hinata rested her hand on Jenna’s back, gently running her thumb back and forth. Lupe looked back at Sam and made his way to her.

“All this time,” Sam muttered, “she actually thought he abandoned us.”

“Can you blame her?” Lupe asked. “Clarisse said the blockades keep communications from going through. Anything from either of them got intercepted. She might have thought he died until she saw the recording with him alive.”

“Then she assumed the worst,” Sam finished the thought and Lupe nodded. She let out a long breath and shakily moved to stand, until Lupe offered his hand to help steady her. Going over to the table, she grabbed the locket and went back to her mom. “Look… Mom, I…” She knelt down in front of her where Lupe was before. “I don’t know what dad will be like now or what will happen, but I know he never would have left if he knew he couldn’t come back. And I think you do, too.” She held out the locket again and Jenna looked at it through her reddened eyes. “Please.”

Jenna turned her hand over, accepting the locket. She ran her finger over the indentation once again, but this time undid the clasp. The hologram of the vision flickered to life. The domed underwater world came into view, sea life swimming just outside the confines of the gel-like walls. Droids walked past, their feet clanking against the marbled floors. Then Jarith came into view, gazing out into the sea outside. Jenna reached out to touch him, her finger going through the hologram. 

“Anything you can tell us,” Sam urged. 

Jenna nodded, closing the locket. Her tears dried against her cheeks, unwiped. She stared at the closed locket, before curling her fingers around it and holding it close. “Glee Anselm… his homeworld. That is where he is.”

Sam grinned, then it fell. “You knew. This whole time.”

“Yes.” Jenna replied. “He promised to be back…”

“And you just kept waiting,” Sam said and Jenna averted her eyes. Sam stood up. She backed away, unsure what to feel. Her mind hurt with all her thoughts pulling in different directions. With a nod, she simply said, “I’m going to get him back.”

Jenna didn’t reply. She retreated back into her mind, her eyes going distant. Sam let out a breath, recognizing the look. The anger in her chest sparked, but fizzled out almost immediately. She was too tired to fight anymore. 

“Thank you,” Lupe said to Jenna, still getting no response. 

“We’ll leave tomorrow morning,” Hinata told everyone. “Sam, you can stay here tonight.”

Sam wordlessly nodded, already moving to head upstairs. 

“Jane.” Jenna said. Sam paused at the stairwell and Jenna held out the locket. 

Sam waved her hand dismissively. “Keep it. I-um, I made it for you.”

Jenna blinked and looked down at the locket as Sam went up the stairs. ---------------------------------------------------

Back in the synthetic Twilight Town, Sam lounged on Lupe’s couch. Metal shards and wires covered the coffee table, each one precisely placed in line with the hologram above them. Blue light dusted over them and along the walls in the dimly lit room. Sam idly picked up a piece, laying on her back as she half heartedly added it to the partly created device in her hands. 

She could hear muffled voices from Lupe’s room. He listened in as Hinata and Ben went back to Clarisse to settle the details of where to find Glee Anselm. Then they’d be off. Though another galaxy meant a long trip, an anxious one at that. Sam already felt restless. 

Chirithy toddled into the living room and hopped up onto the couch beside Sam. “Can I be of any assistance?”

Sam huffed out an amused breath. “You already organized everything. I think I’m good.” She paused and glanced over. “But, thanks.”

It took the decline rather well and watched as Sam worked. She didn’t put much thought into her movements, her mind instead replayed the evening before over and over again. It kept her up all night. Once she got her dad back, things would change. She’d be able to prove to her mom that they weren’t given up on. Maybe that’d get her out of the god awful slump. Or make it worse since she’d realize all the time she lost. Sam’s grip tightened and a screw careened to the other side of the room. 

“I’ve got it,” Chirithy assured her, disappearing and reappearing around where the screw landed. It hopped around, searching, while Sam sighed and ran her free hand over her face. “Aha, here it is.” It turned around and tilted its head. “Sam, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she muttered. 

Chirithy hummed, reappearing on the couch. It placed the screw back in its rightful place on the table. “You’ve made good progress on the tracker. I think it’d be ok if you wanted to take a break.”

The device slipped from Sam’s hand onto the table with a thud. “Thanks.”

Chirithy watched her for a moment more, its round head tilting this way and that. Then it disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. Sam heard it talking with Lupe, whispering something or other about her. Lupe’s head poked out from his room and Sam lifted a hand in greeting. 

“Don’t just look!” Chirithy whispered loud enough for Sam to hear. 

Lupe slipped back into his room. They talked a moment more and Sam sighed. 

“You guys know I can hear you, right?” Sam called and they quieted down. 

“Oh yeah?” Lupe asked. “What’s the last thing I said?”

Sam hesitated, before snorting and throwing up her hands. “Ok, I don’t know exactly what you’re saying, but I know you’re talking about me.”

Lupe snickered and walked out of his room with his hands stuffed in his coat pockets. “Nah you’re hearing things. Hina and Ben should be back soon, then we’ll be on our way.”

“Great,” Sam said in a way that sounded sarcastic, but it wasn’t meant to be.

He looked over the table, nodding. “Looks like you got a bit done. I think.”

She snorted again. “You have no idea, do you?”

He scrunched his mouth and shook his head. Sam rolled her eyes with a scoff. 

Lupe looked around the apartment, puffing his cheeks and blowing out air. Then it seemed like an idea came to him and he walked over, smacking Sam’s knee. “Come on, I’ve got an idea.”

She peeked up at him, but didn’t move. 

“Come on,” he laughed, motioning his arms despite them being in his pockets. “It’ll be great.”

“Fiiiine,” she groaned, getting up. 

They left the apartment and went down the stairs, each step rattling and vibrating the entire stairwell. Twilight Town was calmer than usual. Whatever festival they’d been celebrating finally seemed to end and things were getting back to normal. Sam followed after Lupe, her gaze settled on her feet while Lupe smiled at nearly every person they passed. 

“There you are!” a girl’s voice jolted Sam’s attention. She looked up to see a slender blonde link her arm with Lupe’s. She smiled sweetly, but had a layer of worry in her green eyes. “I was beginning to think you were sick.”

Lupe chuckled, rubbing the back of his hair. “Yeah, sorry about that Anise. I hadn’t meant to make you worry. I’ve been a bit busy.”

Anise giggled and assured him it was fine. She didn’t even acknowledge Sam there beside him. Normally, Sam would have assumed it meant the girl was trying to show off, mark her territory with a guy or something stupid like that. The type of thing Sam saw all the time when she was in school. But this didn’t seem like that. The longer the interaction went, the more stilted it felt. Anise’s eyes weren’t quite right. They lacked a certain life about them. Did Anise even know she was there?

“Hey,” Sam greeted slowly, her brow arched when Anise took a moment to see her. 

“Oh! Hello!” Anise replied, her eyes finding Sam’s. “I didn’t see you there. Are you a friend of Lupe’s?”

“Something like that,” Lupe replied before Sam could engage more. He slid his finger under Anise’s chin and tipped her face up. “I’ll check in with you soon, ok?”

Anise giggled and clasped her hands together in front of her, beaming an incredibly sweet smile. “Sure! That sounds great.”

Sam blinked. It was like Anise didn’t even react to the affection. Lupe continued on and Sam took one more look between him and Anise before following after him. 

Catching up, she asked, “Sooo, is that the girlfriend Hinata was telling me about?”

Lupe chuckled. “Hina spotted me with her, huh? Wonder when that happened?” He noticed Sam still looking at him expectantly and he shrugged. “We’re not dating. Anise is just a friend.”

Sam leaned forward, brows raised. It was nice to have something else to talk about besides Montressor. “You sure? Cause I don’t see a lot of people doing whatever you did to just a friend.”

He ruffled his hair, blowing out a breath. “It’s, ah,” a suave smirk curved his mouth, “it’s complicated.”

“Hah! Sure.” Sam rolled her eyes. “Well it sure seems like she’s into you.”

She didn’t see the way his smile fell slightly.

“Yeah?” he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 

“I mean, it was like she didn’t even see me until I said something and I was right there.” 

Lupe hummed. He seemed thoughtful for a moment before perking up and changing the subject. “So about my idea…” He sped up to be in front of her and walked backwards. “How do you feel about training?”

Sam groaned, throwing back her head. “Please tell me that’s not your idea. You’re like Hinata. Finally get free time and the first thing she wants to do is spar.”

Lupe snickered. “Let’s make a game out of it. You win, and I’ll tell you anything you want about Anise.”

She perked up at that idea. “And if you win?”

His brow raised as if it were obvious and Sam looked away, annoyed. 

“Do I look like I want to talk about my mom?” Sam asked. 

“Then you better make sure you win,” Lupe goaded, grinning when she glared up at him. 

“Can’t we train Avan some more or something?” Sam asked.

“Come on, just give it a try,” Lupe said, nudging her with his elbow. He spun around on his heel and led the way. “I’ll even let you get the first move.”

“Oh wow, can’t wait,” she grumbled, still following him regardless. 

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

Sam set up the training console. DiZ liked to have them training in the coliseum mockup, but that seemed too massive for what her and Lupe were wanting. Behind her, Lupe whispered with Chirithy, going through strange medal trinkets and attaching them to Lupe’s Keyblade. She didn’t know what they were going on about and tried to tune them out while she searched for a new arena. 

She flipped through a forest environment and even one set under the water, but settled on a simple round room. It was larger than the sparring room on the Highwind, but small enough to not feel overwhelming. They’d have their space to move around without things in the environment getting too distracting. With a few select buttons, the arena through the window glitched into a new setting. 

“This ok?” she asked, turning around.

Lupe got up, his Keyblade at the ready. He looked through the window at the arena before rustling her hair. “What, you didn’t like the underwater one?”

Sam swatted him away. “If you’re going to be so picky, why don’t you pick one?”

He snickered. “Nah it’s fine. Simple works.” He swung his Keyblade over his shoulder. “Ready?”

She nodded, then glanced back at Chirithy putting the medals away in its bag. “What were those things?” she asked, motioning her head towards it. 

Lupe held out his Keyblade, showing five slots beside the hilt. A distinct medal settled in each slot, shimmering with different colors of aura. “They’re my spells. They basically enhance the blade.”

“Huh,” Sam looked at them. Each medal had intricate art decorating its surface with either gold or black metal trimming it. “Cool.”

Pressing the button, a white light encapsulated them and they reappeared in the center of the arena. Sam pulled out her staff, clinking the two halves together. She went to the far side of the room while Lupe did the same on the opposite end. They turned around, facing the other. Sam’s heart accelerated. She hadn’t been nervous about sparring before but realized she’d never battled a Keyblade Wielder before either. She shifted her weight. Now wasn’t the time to be getting cold feet.

“As promised, you get the first move,” Lupe said, motioning towards her. 

Her mechanical arm whirred to life, the crystal’s light seeping out from the seams. A burst of energy shot from her palm and Lupe leapt into action. He sidestepped, the shot blasting into the wall. Sparks and chunks of rock spewed into the arena. Lupe's Keyblade ignited with magic. A ball of sparking electricity formed in front of him, shooting out an arch of lightning. Sam stood her ground, smirking. She reached out her hand and captured the bolt in her palm. It absorbed into her arm, circling it with blinding light. 

She grimaced, sliding back from the force. Seeing her distracted, Lupe fired another spell, this one swiping with a blade of wind. It slammed Sam’s waist, throwing her across the room. The remaining power of the lightning boomed against the floor. Scorch marks laid in its wake. Sam rolled back to her feet, aiming and firing a barrage of blasts in Lupe’s direction. His blade came up, blocking each and every shot and sending it flying in another direction. 

Sam growled, ducking to miss one of her stray shots. “Can’t you even get hit?!” 

“I’m sure at some point I will!” Lupe replied with a stupid grin that only spurred Sam on. 

She swung her staff, separating it. Lupe fired another spell. Several bolts of lightning spired from the ceiling. Sam weaved between them, ice crystals covering half of her staff. Coming out from the storm, she yelled, throwing her staff towards him. As expected, he spun out of the way and it pierced the wall behind him. Shards of ice formed around it, crawling across the ground. Lupe’s foot slipped forward, realizing all at once that he now stood on a layer of growing ice. He smirked towards Sam, impressed. 

The staff shook, crystals shattering around it before it flew back into Sam’s hand connecting with the other half of her staff. Another spell swirled through the air, dark clouds surrounded the room, shrouding the lights. Thunder rumbled, concealing the sounds of footsteps. Sam’s arm helped her see, but only what was directly in front of her. She turned as she walked, a charged shot at the ready. 

She stepped on the ice, gasping and sliding forward. Lupe snickered, the sound giving Sam just enough to go off of. She fired at the sound, clouds billowing out of the way and revealing the walls. At the sight, she went haywire and shot in every direction, dissipating the clouds. She didn’t see Lupe.

Her chest heaved and her fingers tightened around her staff. He had to be somewhere. 

“On your left!” Lupe yelled and Sam spun around, lifting her staff and clashing it against Lupe’s Keyblade. 

She skidded back, the force of the blow more powerful than she ever would have expected from him. “Why’d you tell me?” she demanded, barely having the chance to defend for another blow. 

“Just making it fair!” Lupe countered with a strain in his voice, unrelenting with his attacks.      

One attack, then another, each one destabilizing Sam until she fell to the ground, her staff clanking away.  She scrambled back, arms burning. A shot fired from her palm and Lupe hit it away about to come in for another hit. Sam winced, waiting for it to come, but it never did. She opened her eyes, looking up. He stood above her, Keyblade limp at his side. Sweat dripped down his face, his chest heaving, but he smiled, shrugging. 

“You did good,” he told her.

She looked away. Of course he won. And now he stood there expectantly for her to pour her heart out. The last few puffs of the dark clouds wisped away, leaving the room visible again. Shards of the wall lay scattered across the floor along with blackened scorch marks scarring every place a deflected shot landed. It really had been quite the battle. 

Wiping the sweat off her brow, she fell onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Entire lights were blown out, raining a trail of sparks from the severed wires. 

“What are you expecting me to tell you?” she asked, breaths labored. Lupe didn’t say anything and her chest tightened. “You dragged me out here and put me up to this. You don’t have anything to say about it?”

Still no reply, though she heard Lupe walking. 

She groaned. “I don’t know what you’re looking for. My mom never cared. You saw it last night. That’s it.”

“Was she always like that?” Lupe asked softly.

“What does it matter?” she asked, blinking back a mixture of tears and sweat. “My mom stopped living the moment my dad left. Didn’t matter what happened to me or to James, she didn’t do anything. She might as well have been missing along with him.” She scoffed and laughed bitterly. “She didn’t even come and see me when I lost my fricken arm. Took two years before I finally left.”

Lupe sat down and laid back on the opposite side of Sam, their heads barely touching. “You had to drop out, didn’t you?”

Of course he already knew. Sam sighed. “Someone had to keep a roof over our heads.”

“But you’re still a tech genius,” Lupe said and Sam choked out a half laugh. 

“Mostly cause of my dad,” she replied. “School didn’t really teach anything like that. And it’s not like I made a lot of friends there anyway. Humans aren’t exactly popular back on Monstressor.”

Lupe hummed. “You and Sarah seemed to be doing pretty well for yourselves.”

“Yeah, well we both happened to know people that went on that Treasure Planet Expedition,” she said.

“Hinata for you,” Lupe said. 

“Jim for Sarah,” she finished. “Without them, both of us were sunk.”

“But you managed to keep the shop going for a while before Hinata got there.”

“Barely,” she admitted. “Sometimes James would get his hands on some money that helped out. But we were scraping by until Hinata showed up.”

Lupe was quiet for a while and Sam almost thought he’d gotten his fill, before he said, “You had to grow up on your own.”

Sam nodded. “Yeah. Yeah I guess I did.”

“And you resent your mom for that.”

Sam’s eyes stung and she cleared her throat. “Wouldn’t you?”

“I… don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I don’t really remember my family.”

Her gaze flitted around the wrecked arena. “Not even little things?”

“I know I had one,” he replied. “Siblings, maybe?” He let out a breath. “I know I miss them.”

A tear streamed down Sam’s cheek. “I… I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t mean to make it about me,” he said. 

“You didn’t.” Sam shook her head. “I miss my family, too.” 

They sat in silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts. 

“I think that’s part of the reason I get so mad around my mom,” Sam broke the quiet. “I grew up thinking she cared about me. About all of us. Then… turns out the only one she really loved was my dad. Rest of us didn’t matter anymore. Not enough to do anything about it.” She ran her hand over her face. “I know she’s broken. And I know she’s finally trying, but why now? Why not then? It feels like the only thing pulling her out of it is the fact my dad might be alive. Which… only makes things worse.”

Lupe hummed. He didn’t seem to have an idea of what to say in reply and Sam didn’t blame him. Talking things out about her mom hurt, her body ached and eyes burned, but it also relieved a tension inside her. Someone knew, someone even possibly understood. She breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes. 

“Thanks… for listening,” she whispered.

“Of course,” Lupe replied with a smile in his voice. He let the quiet linger before saying, “You wanna know how I met Anise?”

Sam smirked. “I thought I had to win to learn such privileged info?”

Lupe snickered. “This one’s on the house.”

She chuckled too. “Well alright. Tell me how you met her.”

“It was a while ago before I met you guys. I didn’t know what to do with myself when I first woke up in Twilight Town. Chirithy and I had no idea how we even showed up there or who we were before. So one day I was just wandering the streets and this girl from the candy shop noticed me and offered me a free candy.”

“And that was Anise?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” he replied with a fond laugh. “It made my day, honestly. Someone reaching out to help a stranger. After that I started going to her shop to buy candies whenever I felt sad and eventually we started talking. I offered to help out once and carried a heavy box into her shop, and she offered me to stick around and I hung out inside the shop with her. She taught me how to serve the customers and put me to work,” he laughed. “She even made fun of me when I messed up. But it was fun and a great way to kill time. I… think it’s cause of her I was able to land on my feet and get on track before I met you guys.”

“Wow,” Sam said. “And you’re not dating her?”

Lupe snorted and Sam sputtered into a laugh with him. “You’re not letting that go, are you?”

“Definitely not,” Sam told him with amusement still heavy in her voice. “But she seems nice. I’m glad you had her.”

“Me too,” he agreed. 

An intercom flickered to life, Ben’s voice coming through it. “Hello? Check, check… Is this thing working? I don’t see the light.”

“Oh my god.” Sam pressed her hands against her face. 

“Ah! There we go,” Ben cleared his throat. “We’re officially on our way to Glee Anselm! We will be arriving in approximately… fifteen hours. So make yourselves comfy, put on a movie, and enjoy the ride!” The hum of the intercom switched off and they were left alone again. 

Fifteen hours until they reached her dad. The nerves surged inside of her and she let out a shaking breath. She pushed herself to sit up, hissing at the way her muscles throbbed. 

“I’m going to spend the entire time in a hot bath,” Sam said and Lupe chuckled. 

“Can’t say I blame you.” He stretched his arms. “But if you get out before then, the offer’s still up to train Avan. We should probably get him ready since it’ll be his first mission.” He stood and offered his hand to Sam, helping her up. 

“Good call,” she said, looking around. “I should probably call Jim, too.” She blew out a breath. “Guess it’s good we have such a long ride till we get there.”

Lupe smiled softly at her, then looked out towards the glass window that led back inside the lab. “Hey Chirithy! You can bring us back when you’re ready.”

White light covered them and they reappeared back inside the lab. Sam thanked Lupe for the training and made her way back to her room. She glanced back at him once before she left completely, smiling to herself. 

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

**Author’s Note: Thank you so much for reading!

I forgot to mention in the previous chapter, but everything on Hawaii with the experiments is all based on the Lilo and Stitch tv show! You can find the whole thing on Disney+ it’s super cute. Houdini is from ep23 in the first season. And Mr. Fluffy Bear appears in ep2. There will be a good handful of experiments in the next couple chapters, I’ll make sure to cite their episodes (if they have one) in the author’s notes. It’s just fun to see where they came from!

And in case anyone is curious or confused about Stitch’s whereabouts, he is indeed helping Sora out right now. Remember when you find him in KH2 in Hollow Bastion? He falls onto Ansem’s computer and then becomes a summon. So in this story, he left to try to find a way to stop the Organization and ran into Sora along the way. So they are working together to do it. 

I’m really enjoying going back and forth between Keres and the others. This has been something I’ve been nervous about, but now that we’re here, I’m having a lot of fun. Keres is blossoming into her own and everyone else is diving deeper into themselves and growing from it. 

Glee Anselm is coming up next for our Highwind Crew and it’s going to be such a blast. I’ve been brushing up on my Star Wars for it and I think I’ve got things outlined. Jarith is going to be interesting too. 

Anyway, thank you again for reading! If you enjoyed it, please don’t forget to leave a comment with your thoughts! 

Have a fantastic week!**

[asena-graywolf]

Lost Him

When you came back to the gym years later, you felt like you had gone back in time. There were memories of you and Hinata in every corner of the gym. Hinata's endless desire to pass, the motivation and enthusiasm she gives to her team, stubbornly continuing to push her possibilities...

It was as if you could see him everywhere. His voice echoed in his ears

“Y/N…Can you throw it one more time?”

“Oh Hinata! Which one is this?”

“I swear this is the end!”

"You just said this is the end"

"Ok. It really is the end”

Her sweet smile came to life as soon as you closed your eyes. Even if it was just a memory now in the past, it still lived in you.

You startled when you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turn your head and look in that direction.

“Kageyama? What are you doing here?"

“I thought you might be here. Isn't it…anniversary today?”

Kageyama didn't even have the tongue to ask. You, on the other hand, had a knot in your throat at this question. You swallowed hard and tried to keep your eyes from watering

"Yes"

"How many years passed?"

“It's been 6 years today”

Kageyama looked just as dejected as you. Because even though they fought, you lost your precious teammate, and you lost your boyfriend, whom you love more than anything.

Today it has been 6 years since Hinata passed away this world. You visited his grave an hour ago. You talked to him. You described what happened in your life. Of course, you said how much you missed him. After that, you came to Karasuno High's gym to reclaim the past.

You missed everything about Hinata. You continued to live with your memories, but it never replaced the times he was here.

Kageyama approached the pile of balls in the basket and picked one up and started bouncing it on the floor.

“I wish he was here, if he still pissed me off with his stubbornness. He was a very valuable teammate. He was the soul of the team. She taught us that if we don't push our resources, we'll never succeed.”

You remembered that Hinata never wanted you to cry for her, even if your eyes filled with tears. Even if he died, he wanted to remember you always smiling. That's how you remember him. Even as he struggled to survive in the grip of a deadly disease, that familiar smile remained on his face. No matter how much storm raged inside her, she still loved to live. Hinata was always full of life.

“I wish he was here…again…asking us to pass until we were all fed up.”

Your voice trembled as you said this.

"This is life. Anything can happen at any time. But why? Why are we such ungrateful people? Why is a person loved more when he dies? Even those who don't love him mourn his death? Is the only thing that makes a person valuable, leaving this world?”

Kageyama was also trying hard not to cry. She grit her teeth.

Neither of you was able to support each other anymore. You wanted to shout as loud as you could, cry loudly and knock yourself to the ground.

In the end, you couldn't help yourself and you sobbed. Your voice echoed in the empty hall

“WHY DID YOU GO SO EARLY, HINATA! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!”

You got down on your knees and started punching the floor

“HOW CAN YOU LEAVE THIS TEAM? HOW WILL WE WIN WITHOUT YOU?! I'M SO ANGRY WITH YOU FOR LEAVE EARLY"

It was the embers of pain you felt that made you say all this.

Kageyama knelt down beside you to support you and placed his hand on your back, stroking your back.

“Hey y/n! Please calm down. Wouldn't Hinata be so upset if she saw you like this?"

You never broke your temper. You didn't try to get up.

“He can't be sad anymore, Kageyama-san. Because he's not here. He was relieved of his suffering.”

Your chest was constricting, your heart was constricting. When you remember your boyfriend you lost six years ago today, you couldn't believe how you survived six years without him. Hinata was your whole world and without her your world was destroyed

You felt like you were in the dark. You were all alone and it was like everyone had their backs on you

Kageyama slowly lifted you up

“Believe me y/n. I feel the same pain as you. We all feel. If only I could do anything to bring Hinata back, do you think I would stop for a second?"

Tears kept pouring from his eyes. It was like your mouth was sealed. You couldn't say a word. You couldn't do anything but look around pointlessly.

"Come on. I'll drop you off at home,” said Kageyama as he picked you up from the ground.

"Thanks. Please don't go to the bother. I'll come back by taxi" you said while wiping your tears with your runny nose

“I have already come by car. It's on my way anyway. I'll leave you as I go"

"Thank you"

Kageyama drove you home and showed that he was considerate before he left.

“Call me if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Kageyama.”

"Take care of yourself please" she said before starting the car

You nodded yes and waved after him as he left.

You entered the house. You've been in that house longing for Hinata's cheerful laughter for six years. The house with the memories of the two of you around every corner.

For a moment you had the feeling that Hinata was going to show up to greet you in the hall and jump into your arms. It was your habit. Because you were so used to the way he greeted you every time he came home.

You missed his voice, you missed his cheerful laughter.

If he were here now, what would he say to you when he saw you sad? He'd comfort you like he always did, give you a kiss to make you feel better

6 years ago, Hinata was diagnosed with cancer. He had managed to hide his illness from everyone, including you. He went to chemotherapy every week, and when he needed to be hospitalized he would lie to you that he went to labor camp.

You noticed that his hair was starting to fall out from the chemotherapy, and he was often nauseous from the heavy medication. When he asked the reason for all this, he was passing it off by saying that it was from the stress of the match.

You believed the lie he made up for his nausea in part because he usually got too excited before games and that made his feel nauseous.

You suspected he was hiding something from his constant vomiting and hair loss

One day, while Hinata was in the shower, you heard her phone ringing persistently and you picked up the phone thinking it was an important call.

"Hello?"

“Hinata. I expect you tomorrow at 13.00 for chemotherapy treatment. You may only need to be hospitalized permanently. How long are you going to hide this from your girlfriend?”

You were devastated after hearing the explanation of the voice on the other line. You felt like ice water had been poured over your head. Your hand was shaking. Hinata has been hiding from you all this time that she is being treated for cancer. You were so angry with him and your heart was shattered

From that day on, you went to therapy sessions with Hinata. For her to heal faster, Hinata needed to be in high spirits.

You had to let your friends know as well so they could support her and make Hinata feel empowered.

You used to visit Hinata together at every opportunity and have fun from time to time as if there was no sickness.

This allowed you to forget all your despair, if only for a short time.

Hinata had become even paler during the treatment process. Not a single strand of hair remained on his head. His lips were as dry as the soil that was always dehydrated.

Hinata also knew that his days on earth were numbered. He agreed with the doctor because he didn't want anyone, including you, to know that there was a high chance of succumbing to the disease. That's why the doctor said that when you and her teammates are with Hinata, the treatment always goes well.

He tricked you again. And his other teammates.

When you came out of the hospital that day, you were unaware that it was the last time you saw your boyfriend. His smile as if nothing had happened that day is still in your memory, and even today, when he closed his eyes, that smile came to life before his eyes.

You couldn't hug for the last time, you couldn't kiss. You couldn't even kiss goodbye. The damned disease had already prevented that enough.

Even though you regretted not being able to inhale his scent for the last time, even if the smell of the hospital had permeated him, you were sure that Hinata's scent was still the same. Coconut and vanilla scent. You were always miss too much him.

You got the news of his death the next day. That same night, after you left, his fever was very high. Although the doctors did their best, they had not succeeded in lowering his fever.

His body, weakened by cancer, could no longer resist the high fever. He eventually succumbed to the disease.

Learning all the facts shook you worse than Hinata's death. You knew now that you had instructed the doctor to lie about Hinata's condition. From the very beginning you were consoled by false hopes and lived in a great lie.

It was too much to carry on your back and you felt doomed to be crushed under it.

But the doctor gave an important detail. Hinata remembered you with her last breath and saw you as the angel of death

“Y/N. Have you come to take me, my love?"

This was his last sentence as he left the world.

You lost your lively boyfriend who lied to you enough to remember you with your last breath and couldn't stand a single tear.

He left this world without hugging, smelling, kissing for the last time.

After Hinata died, you swore that you would close your heart to love until the judgment day. You would be faithful to Hinata for the rest of your life and patiently wait to meet her in the next world.

You crossed the hall and exited through the back door to the garden. The seedling you planted in your garden with Hinata years ago has now grown into a huge tree.

He said that he would build a swing under this tree when you have children in the future. But that dream never came true. It would no longer happen.

You came under the shade of the tree. You ran your fingers over his thick, dry body.

You two had hopes and dreams for the future while you were planting this tree and living in this house. Until the cruel life takes the person you love most from you

“God…why are you testing me with this pain?”

Your voice trembled and you could not contain yourself

You went back into the house and went into the bedroom and lay on the bed. You always lay on Hinata's side. You inhaled as if there was still Hinata's scent on the pillow, though not anymore. You were used to the smell of that pillow and it always smelled the same to you.

You were happy for the days you slept together in that bed until Hinata was gone.

The way you hug each other and sleep, falling asleep in Hinata's warm bosom with her scent… your passionate, lovely lovemakigs. Your skin to skin cuddles

It was all going through your mind and before your eyes.

After a tear fell from your eye to your cheeks, you cried as hard as you could.

You missed your boyfriend so much. You especially missed the smell of it. It was the only thing you couldn't forget about him.

A few days after Hinata's death, you were so angry with your housekeeper for washing Hinata's clothes that you fired her.

It had Hinata's scent on it, and you couldn't breathe that scent forever anymore.

Your heart was burning with pain. You were so deeply injured that you were too tired to stand up.

You finally got rid of all of Hinata's belongings. You donated to charities that help the orphans. But you gave his uniform back to Karasuno High School. You wanted them to always remember Hinata

It was like he was still here, still with you.

You had to live for him. Even without him you should have moved on

Hinata knew you were a strong girl and he would want that too if she were alive right now

You would always know he loved you and you would love him forever

[aidendh]

BSD! OC! Atsushi Hinata | P1

--

Kanji: 日向 • 敦

Rōmanji: Hinata Atsushi

Also Known As:

Atsushi Nakajima (birth name)

Atsushi Dostoevsky (18)

Malen'kiy Tigr (former, nickname by Fyodor)

Malen'kiy Kotenok (Nickname by Fyodor)

The Intern (former, by Yozo Tsushima)

Atsushi Tsushima (Gifted War Arc)

Atsushi Hinata (Real Name)

The Recruiter (The Rats House of the Dead)

Atsushi Satoshi (Alias)

Namesake: Reference: Ayato Satoshi's referenced son

--

-:Personal Information:-

Status: Alive

Gender: Male (He/Him)

Sexuality: Straight

Birthday: 5th May

Age: 37 (BSD), 35 (Persona 5), 26 (Gifted War), 25 (Paris Arc), 18 (Tower/Casino Arc), 17 (Persona Arc), 7 (Assassin School)

Height: 172.12 cm (5'8"), 170 cm (5'7") [18]

Weight: 61.80 kg, 55 kg [18]

Blood Type: AB

Likes: Chazuke, plushies, his father, play fighting, his daughters

Dislikes: Getting wet, Yozo Tsushima, Akira Kurusu

--

-:Professional Information:-

Ability: The Moonlit Beast

Reference: Tales of Crimes and Punishment: Tiger Cub of the Moon (Тигренок Луны, Tigrenok Luny)

Occupation: School Councilor, Leader of The Krysa Foundation, Member of The Rats House of the Dead (former), Detective (former), Student (former)

Affiliation: Shujin Academy, The Krysa Foundation, The Rats House of the Dead (rebranded), The Resistance (former), Tower Detective Agency (former), Collège Françoise Dupont (Paris Arc), Wakaba Park Cram School (former)

--

-:Metaverse Information:-

Name: Atsushi Hinata

[Rerouted through Fyodor Hinata (former)]

Location: Shujin Academy

Distortion: Sanctuary

Treasure: Snowflake Hairpin

-

Code Name: Tigr (Tiger in Russian)

Theme: Caretaker

Mask: Tiger Masquerade Mask

Weapon: Clawed Gauntlets / Mini Gun

Persona: Byakko (Councilor)

[DPS/Healing]

Element - Ice

Absorbs - Ice

Resists - Curse

Weakness - Fire, Nuclear

Exclusive Skill: An unnamed damage dealing, healing attack

Book: Tales of Crimes and Punishment, Chapter: Tiger Cub of the Moon

--

-:Relationships:-

Family:

Fyodor Hinata (adopted father)✝

Nagisa Hinata (adopted sister)

-

Akira Kurusu (former foster brother)

Sayuri Kitagawa (former foster sister)

Kairi Sokolov/Goro Hinata (adopted brother)

Naoto Mori (honorary uncle)

Karma Hinata (adopted brother)

-

Ember Hinata (adopted brother)

Shoto Hinata (adopted brother)

Neito Hinata (adopted brother)

Galina Hinata (adopted sister)

Aoi Hinata (adopted brother)

Hazel Hinata (adopted brother)

-

Karma Akabane (brother-in-law)

Kyo Akabane (adopted nephew)

Cho Akiko (honorary aunt)

Radio/Mirabella Schmidt (honorary aunt)

-

Takeo Kagami (honorary aunt)

Chuuya Kagami (honorary cousin)

-

Archi Akabane (adopted nephew)

Juleka Hinata (adopted daughter)

Rose Lavillant (daughter-in-law)

Goro Akechi (adopted nephew)

Hinata Hua (adopted daughter)

Victor Hinata (adopted nephew)

--

-:Appearances:-

Manga Debut: Lost Souls, Kamoshida Arc

Anime Debut: Bungou Stray Dogs: Lost Souls, Kamoshida Arc

Light Novel Debut: The Hinata Family

--

-:Portrayal:-

Japanese Voice: Yūto Uemura

English Voice: Max Mittelman

--

"

""

Atsushi Hinata (日向 敦,, Hinata Atsushi) is Shujin Academy's school councilor and the leader of the Krysa Foundation. He possesses the ability The Moonlit Beast.

Personality: Childish, Caring, Protective, Friendly, Clever, Anxiety (7/18), Ruthless (RHTD)

Confidant/Arcana: Fool → Councilor

(Abel's Councilor)

[Continued in P2]

Atsushi Nakajima (7, orphan)

-

--

An Unwanted Orphan bullied by the Orphanage

Ability: The Moonlit Beast* Weretiger Transformation

Was found chained by his neck

--

Atsushi Dostoyevsky (7, adopted)

-

--

An Unwanted Orphan taken in by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Ability: The Moonlit Beast* Weretiger Transformation

Often hides under Fyodor's desk

--

Atsushi Dostoyevsky (18)

-

--

A TDA member with a Russian accent

Ability: The Moonlit Beast* Weretiger Transformation

Confidant: The Fool

--

Shadow! Atsushi (17)

-

--

A Plushy Weretiger with protective Family bonds

E: Ice /A: Ice /R: Curse

W: Fire, Nuclear

Treasure: Snowflake Hairpin

--

[tenshibeth1-writes]

I don't know if I'm up to date on what all I've written, so I'll just leave my AO3 handle here. Um, it's been a while. I've had a few deaths in the family, pressures of the holidays, and a permanent foot injury got worse, so I've been dealing with some stuff. But! I'm back in the saddle now, and about to start writing in full again. If you guys want to see a chapter of something specific, lemme know. I'm sectioning things off and writing specific chapters every month based on what votes I get. They are as follows:

Up For Revision-

Expect The Unexpected (KuraKags)

All That is Meant to Be (KuraKags)

Blossoms and The Abyss (SessKags)

Overprotective (HieiKags)

A Twist of Fate (KuraKags)

Dark Romance-

Monsters (Michael Myers/OC)

Curiosities (Michael Myers/Reader)

Beauty of a Different Kind (Vincent/Reader)

Arranged Marriage (Snape/OC)

Drabbles (New One-Shot)

Reactions (New One-Shot)

SessKag-

From Within

The Pact

Dancing With Your Ghost

MHA Fics-

MHA Chaos (New One-Shot)

The Facility (Shoto/Katsuki/Hitoshi/Eijirou/Izuku)

A Light in The Dark (Fatgum/OC)

A New Kind of Love (Shota/Hizashi/Toshinori/Reader)

Picture Perfect (Katsuki/Izuku, Shoto/Izuku, Hitoshi/Izuku, Eijirou/Izuku pick your own adventure style fics)

Fics I'm revamping and bringing to AO3 from other sites-

Butterfly (Shino/Hina)

Things That Go 'Bump' In The Night (SessKag)

Waiting For You (InuKag)

Hinata's Favorite Insect (Shino/Hina)

The Best Antiques (Sess/Shippou friend/comfort fic)

I'm going to try to to write from one of each section a month, in addition to making mini comic panels every month. Hopefully by February I'll have a Patreon going and voters can be better heard. At that point, I'll have to stagger updates by about a month if I get some Patrons.

This month I used dice to decide. The winners were:

Up For Revision -

Overprotective (HieiKags)

1 New Chapter of Each-

Monsters (Michael Myers/OC)

Dancing With Your Ghost (SessKag)

Picture Perfect (Hitoshi/Izuku's Route)

Revise & Bring In From FF Dot Net-

Waiting For You (InuKag)

And for Comic panels, I had:

Embers on the Water (BkDk Pirate AU)

Villain Vibes (Tamaki/Y/C Quirk Accident)

Our Rhythm (BkDk based off of the song Fire on Fire by Sam Smith)

The winner vote was for Embers on the Water

I also had a vote for a drawing-

OT3 redraw (NSFW Hizashi/Shota/Toshinori)

Tama Maid (Tamaki Amajiki as a Maid)

New Year Celebration (Eijirou, Izuku, Katsuki, Hitoshi, and Others)

The winner was Tama Maid, and I'll post it below. I hope to hear more of what y'all like and want more of. 💖

[thatonehajimefictive]

Introduction

Hello! I am the host of a OSDD system. I am a Hajime Hinata fictive however I’d much prefer if you called me Ember.

I use He/Xey pronouns, and I identify as genderqueer

This account is mostly for me to talk about source mems, repost random memes and just as a general blog!

Hope you enjoy your stay!

My tags

#🍊source mems🍊 to talk all things my source

#🍊music recommendations🍊 to share what music I like!

#🍊system things🍊 just when I repost sys memes or make one of my own

#🍊adhd things🍊 little creature thing (I forget the name of it) go BRRRR

#🍊daily journal🍊 what I do on a day to day basis! Probably won’t be daily

[kikaichuno]

This dream starts mundane at first, if heady for its sinful delight. Pale lilac eyes watch Shino wide and willing, soft, patient to learn, as Hinata lowers her head and places a chaste kiss on the bead of precum that tops Shino's cock. Just in that slight flavour of boldness, unique and rare, a face that Hinata shows so few people. Trust. She is more, with him, with her team. And slowly, she shows, here, she is willing; she wants to learn to please him. For him. Hinata laps at the prominent head of the Aburame's cock, not quite meekly, and her watchful gaze captures Shino's flushed response with a clear and simple returning blush of her own. Hinata swallows, and the motion pulls Shino deeper into her mouth. The air swims with the quiet, unspoken lust between them. Something glitters, on her. A piecework of tiny, pretty flecks on her shoulders. Embedded, natural, opalescent. It fits her so naturally. She blinks, and her eyes are diamonds when delicate lush eyelashes rise again. Hinata stares with eyes studded a million facets of endless, starlit glass. She envelopes him with hot tongue, scales as fine as carapace accepting her pale flesh. Her mouth draws him close. She loves him, pure and sweet as ice. Hinata goes to take him down into her again-

Send my muse a wet dream and they will rate it on how they wake up:

• Had an orgasm in their sleep

Like most dreams, there is no recollection of a beginning, nor is there any questioning to be made about the strangeness of it all. The subconscious makes the dreamer believe in the situation as if it was completely real and normal.

Laying on his back with his legs spread, half bare and vulnerable, Shino watches with fascination as Hinata, who’s looking up at him with so much adoration, sensually presses her lips to his cock. It tingles pleasantly, the sensations coiling in his abdomen faster than they realistically should. She gives him more, takes him deeper and Shino grunts breathlessly at the cheer intensity of the pleasure coursing through his unmoving body, incapable to move and quite frankly, unwilling to do so.

If this wasn’t purely a fabrication of his subconscious, Shino might have been alarmed by Hinata’s progressive transformation. Instead, he becomes entranced by the sight of her delicate wings, the sparkles on her shoulders, her eyes- The euphoria blinding his mind from how strange this is. She takes him deeper, again and again until he’s craning his head back and curling his toes. A sensation as intense as an orgasm sings through his every nerve, he cries out quietly – confused on whether he just came or not – Until it all comes to an abrupt end.

Shino wakes up gasping for air, a hand shaking his shoulder. The sleepingbag feels all too hot, sweat sticks his hair to his forehead and his clothes to his body. He looks around, disoriented and confused for a minute – until it all comes back to him. Right… He’s on a mission, the dying fire's ember barely lighting up the surroundings.

“You alright, Shino? I think you were having a bad dream.” The man on night watch mutters, removing his hand from Shino’s shoulder. Shino sits up slowly, expression coloring with embarrassment as he realizes how wet his crotch feels and how his mind so shamefully sexualized his teammate… And how he enjoyed it this much.

“Uh… Yeah… Sorry…” The Aburame rasps, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Wordlessly, he stands up, facing away from his current mission teammates - who are all strangers to him - and walks tiredly towards the woods. “I’ll be back, I need some air.” He especially needs to clean up the mess he made of himself and calm down his nerves from how mortifying the situation is.

[darkkakyuu]

Itachi shakes his foot gently to get Duchess to let go of his ankle but she wasn’t going anywhere so he quickly looked to you for help, frowning since you were still laughing at his current situation.

Not wanting to kick her away Itachi turned towards the cat and turned his face into something that even scared you. Any distinguishable features were gone and his eyes became two black holes, fangs protruding from his mouth.

Duchess cried out in fear and immediately ran to hide behind your legs for protection. “That was completely uncalled for you little devil.” He huffs as his face returns to normal in the blink of an eye, leaning down to wipe the droplets of blood off his skin with a handkerchief.

“As I was saying. If you don’t think a publisher will be interested in your work why don’t you sell it online. Y’know like on Devilzon* or Ember*. I’m sure you humans have something similar.”

*Devilzon -> Amazon

*Ember -> Kindle

"What the hell was that?!" I pick up my terrified cats and cuddle them both closer to my chest as I protect them from Itachi. "You are not going to just act like you didn't just scare the shit out of my babies, asshole!" He truly was a demonic creature from hell. I really should consider calling that priest as precaution.

"You no longer have cat privileges." I quickly go to put my girls in their room away from the demon that was invading my small apartment and closed the door behind me. Turning back to face him, staying at a relatively safe distance from him, I frowned at his lack of knowledge about becoming an author.

"It takes time and money to self-publish, something I do not have, plus self-publishing never gets good sells because those book don't make it on a best sellers' list." An idea formed in my head as I thought about a site that my friend, Hinata had told me about a few months ago when I told her I wanted to be an author. "Although, my friend did tell me about a forum I could use to see if readers would like my ideas, but I'm just too shy to post them."

I sighed. I'd never be an author if I couldn't get over my shyness. Sometimes I do think my writing was good, but I just couldn't bring myself to let anyone but Hinata to read it. An now apparently this demon has read some of it, too. I flop down on my couch, my arm covering my face. "I told you, I'd need a lot more help than you can provide."

[shinobilegend-moved]

tag gathering .