#had i not seen it when i first looked up ssm i would never called jat as harry here

[squireofgeekdom]

i am absolutely cackling at the realization that james arnold taylor, yknow, clone wars obi wan, voices harry osborn in the spectacular spider man. and who voices harry osborn in ultimate spider man? matt lanter. yknow. clone wars anakin skywalker. 

THE DUALITY OF MAN

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 074 Octopus and Owl (SSM 72-77)

MASTERPOST

I'm gonna watch TASM 2 in theaters later today and I'm excited. I've never seen it on the big screen!

Anyway.

Today, we get to see more of Doc Ock (?), the Owl (who even is that?) and some much-needed conclusion to the soap side of things.

A long-time coming indeed!

The first issue of this post has a really cool cover.

So our story begins at a super-villain fan-club. *snickers* They mention that Doc Ock broke out of prison, and the Ock wannabe wants to party to celebrate. Frustrated by his friend's mockery of Ock, the Ock wannabe, Ollie, goes out in the night to join his idol. Methinks the kid has a crush.

Meanwhile, Peter goes home and finds that he's been robbed! He quickly catches up to the robbers, but then a police alarm leads him to another robbery. What an eventful night! Turns out the Ock wannabe stole comics. He later breaks in a toy store and accidentally knocks out the guard. Frightened, he calls for his mom.

A thought comes to me. This issue's called "Waiting for Octopus". It's a reference to "Waiting for Godot"... so I'll assume Octopus won't actually appear in this issue.

Anyway, Spidey stumbles upon the Ock wannabe and they "fight".

This is wild, but I like it! It leads to creative panels, just like when Mysterio gets involved. Then Spidey acts overdramatic.

Yeah, sure, you almost killed him... when you dodged dumbbells?

Ollie goes back to his parents and seems like a changed man. In secret, he's working on another project... web fluid! Oh boy.

Ock does appear (on the first page too, but I'd forgotten about that). He's a bit confused, but oh well.

Meanwhile, Debra's at her therapist and says she can't distinguish dreams from reality. Alright... sure.

Same.

I wish Ollie had met Ock, it could have been interesting.

#73 time!

Okay, this is a good start.

That guy is Bailey Kuklin, Debra's psychiatrist who appeared last issue. Finally, FINALLY, someone confronts Peter about his treatment of Debra.

I'd argue he's more than "partially responsible".

So Bailey suggests that Peter fakes being Spider-Man to convince Debra that she's delulu.

Look, Peter, this is your opportunity to stop acting like a jerkass.

Robbie calls Peter at that moment and says Boomerang comes up before the grand jury today (see, uh, whatever previous post Boomerang was in). Would be nice to have some pictures. Peter's very happy to have a reason not to think about Debra.

The one constant is that Peter's always fine as fuck.

Boomerang tries to leave his trial but Spidey quickly intervenes. He notices that three men tried to make Boomerang escape, and puts a tracer on them.

So... the Owl and Ock are at a meeting. The Owl wanted to free Boomerang to get his intel on the Kingpin. He wants to take over New York City! Ock doesn't want a partner though. And then Spidey gets there as well, and a fight starts, because when Spidey gets there, his ennemies usually agree to fight together to get rid of him.

(Give me the soap! Where's the soap?!)

Them being in a science museum gives way to a nice fight, some panels are really beautiful.

Ock leaves, because he really can't be bothered to deal with our two idiots.

The Owl gets away too, and for Peter, there's only one thing left to do...

So... 74 time!

Peter listens in on Debra's session with her psychiatrist, then is upset when the latter asks him again to act as Spider-Man.

SEE, THIS IS YOUR ISSUE RIGHT THERE!

Spider-Man IS a soap opera. It is! And that component has been missing ever since Conway left. Dear Lord, Bill Mantlo, don't think yourself so above this!

Now, Peter's right in that Debra doesn't need to be gaslit further, but still.

Leaving the office, Spidey doesn't notice a shadowy lady following him... No, his attention is turned toward Ock and the Owl's goons fighting each other. The Owl flies away with a plot-relevant object.

At ESU, Peter asks the dean about Debra. The dean tells him he actually hired Debra right after she left the hospital, and suggests Peter asks Biff Rifkin about his time with Debra in college.

Meanwhile, Ock and the Kingpin are having a tête-à-tête.

For a moment, the Kingpin laughs. He'd planned this already and replaced that thing with a fake. Then someone else snatches it hahaha.

At the health spa where Biff works, Peter talks to him to show how masculine and straight he is in this hormone-fueled environment.

So turns out Debra was abused by her ex-husband, Mark Whitman. Biff rescued her!

I need to see the real Biff, because that character is increasingly interesting. (And that pose is very gay.)

Finally, we get backstory. See what that gave us? I'm already much more interested in Biff and Debra!

Ock and the Owl briefly fight but we don't care about that. I'm getting my soap fix, and I'm enjoying it!

Debra's at home, "talking to her stuffed animal", which is supposed to be weird, but that doesn't strike me as particularly scary.

She has a Snoopy and a teddy bear, she's alright in my book!

Spidey gives his true identity to Debra...

This is a beautiful panel, I love it.

Debra's in shock, then she starts to laugh. She thanks Peter for putting on this masquerade for her.

HAHAHAHA OH GOD. There's absolutely nothing good in this panel. Too many issues! Oh Lord. No, Debra, no! The best friend you've ever had?!

The next day, Debra leaves for the Midwest to resolve her past, before she can move on.

I can't with these two (but Peter looks very comfy, I love that outfit).

And with Debra out of the picture (until, at least, a quick apparition during Civil War that will vindicate her), Black Cat comes back.

On one hand, I really enjoyed this issue for the amount of soap it provided me, but on the other hand, that resolution absolutely stunk.

Our friend Bell Lectar is oddly more enthuastic than me:

I feel like Peter does have good development in this issue, but it comes crashing down near the end when he just lets her believe that he masqueraded.

Anyway, it's a few days later, I watched TASM2 in theaters, it was great, now let's finish this and then meet the Hobgoblin next post.

SSM 75!

Spidey's relieved that Black Cat's alive, and he immediately kisses her, like, the same day he kissed Debra. Our man gets around!

Felicia asks for another kiss but Spidey's immediately like "Hey, i'm still shocked you're alive, give me a break". Weird timing, but sure!

So how did Felicia survive?

HAHAHAHAHAHA. Sorry, I actually burst out laughing when I saw her removing the web to show her underwear to the reader.

I can imagine Roger Stern turning a wheel for each step: "So Black Cat... got naked... but people caught her... and she met... Doc Ock!"

At least it's a fun way to tie her return to the ongoing arc.

So of course, Felicia reveals she stole the real device that can destroy the city, and Spidey's like, "Well, I've got no other lady so YOLO" (sure, Debra literally left hours ago, but it's not like she mattered very much, did she?) even though he takes the time to remind us for the umpteenth time that he has exams and should study and that this time, really, he'll be in trouble if he doesn't succeed.

I don't think we've seen Peter succeed at a single exam, folks.

She's hilarious. And I love their relationship, I love me some angst men.

They're about to get to some sexy times when Ock barges him, captures Felicia and offers an ultimatum to Spidey: the activator to get her back! Ock's particularly pissed that Felicia "abused his hospitality" hahaha

He becomes even more pissed when Spidey calls Felicia "my lady", but Felicia loves that so much she slips from Ock's tentacles.

There's a really great fight scene, but Ock escapes with Felicia. Spidey then barges in on the Kingpin, who accepts to answer Spidey's questions because he's afraid of Octopus. Surprising, but nice!

He notably says that he's already reallocating his resources. He's terrified!

Really cool panel.

In the end, Spidey saves the day. It's a really cool fight, and a really cool issue. Also, it's almost 40 pages, which is insane.

In #76, peace, uh, doesn't last long.

At all.

I really like her expression on the right, in the penultimate panel. This is really good. I love this. Oof. It's painful.

But Black Cat also cheated death many times already.

Spidey throws Doc Ock (who's responsible)'s arms in the ocean and takes BC to a hospital.

When the sun rises, it seems like BC will be alright, but then Spidey remembers he has EXAMS. He's almost late at it, and it's clear once again that Peter has ADHD. Issues with discipline, you say? Yup.

Look, it's time for the side character's cameo of the week! Isn't that nice?

As soon as he finishes the exam, Peter rushes back to the hospital, where he sees... Captain DeWolff. She's bringing amnesty papers for Felicia, yay!

And Felicia wakes up.

Doc Ock too, and he's determined to make her and Spidey pay.

In #77, Ock goes to the hospital and warns Spidey that they'll die 24 hours later. Okay dude. The Captain's still here and insists that Spidey should call her Jean. That's lovely, I'm just getting worried because I know her name thanks to a popular storyline, and I don't doubt that it's coming soon...

I expected the Doc Ock storyline to conclude there, but instead, Spidey stumbles upon thieves and the Gladiator. They have a really cool interaction that, while it's definitely here to stall for time, makes for a solid issue. I loved it.

If you're curious, Bell Lectar is overjoyed at Peter's recent development and has regained faith in the magazine, yay!

Now: let's see the famed Hobgoblin!

[amuelia]

Wonder how Rickon and Osher are doin.. I find it hard to believe Ramsey would get through Osher and Shaggy Dog, never mind even find them, like in the show

I also think that this is a TV show invention... The Show did not adapt Davos' travels or his time in White Harbor, so they shortened the story by having Osha and Rickon show up in Last Hearth which the books suggest in early chapters:

Thinking of Osha made Bran wonder where she was. He pictured her safe in White Harbor with Rickon and Shaggydog, eating eels and fish and hot crab pie with fat Lord Manderly. Or maybe they were warming themselves at the Last Hearth before the Greatjon's fires. - Bran II, aSoS

They likely looked for a way to cut Rickon's story, so that they have less characters to focus on (later seasons culled a lot of characters to make the story smaller, like Mance Rayder or the Tyrells). As you see in a later quote, they did not have a lot of interest in adapting Rickon from the beginning.

However in the books, Davos is sent to Skagos to retrieve Rickon.

Grrm has promised unicorns, so we will likely have some chapters on Skagos (since they live there):

Martin: “I have an interesting take on unicorns coming up in the new books. [smiles] Oops.” - Grrm in an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson

And yes, there will be unicorns… of a sort… - Notablog, May 20 2019

And he also hints that we will see Osha again:

The only actress who’s really made me rethink a character is Natalia Tena as Osha. She’s younger, more attractive and more dynamic than I had initially written that character. And, when Osha comes back into the story, as I hope that she will, I’m definitely going to take that into account. - Grrm for Collider

Grrm also said that he had big plans for Rickon, so likely there is more in store for him, since he still did not really have his time to shine in the books:

"The biggest thing was Dan and David called me up and had the idea of eliminating Rickon, the youngest of the Stark children, because he didn't do much in the first book," [...] "I said I had important plans for him, so they kept him." - Grrm for Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon

And he also promised more Rickon pre-aDwD:

[Willl Hot Pie, Gendry, Nymeria, Rickon and Shaggy be seen again or mentioned in A Dance with Dragons, or later in the series?]

Later in the series? Yes, to all of them. In DANCE? Yes to some, no to others. - SSM April 6, 2008

It is a little hard to guess what exactly will happen in this storyline in tWoW, since the TV show completely left it out. We do have some buildup for Skagos (It features especially prominently in an aFfC Sam chapter), and it seems like mainland Westerosi generally have a bad opinion of it:

The island sat at the mouth of the Bay of Seals, massive and mountainous, a stark and forbidding land peopled by savages. They lived in caves and grim mountain fastnesses, Sam had read, and rode great shaggy unicorns to war. [...] Some songs said the Skaggs were cannibals; supposedly their warriors ate the hearts and livers of the men they slew. - Samwell II, aFfC

The galleys Oledo and Old Mother's Son had been driven onto the rocks of Skagos, the isle of unicorns and cannibals where even the Blind Bastard had feared to land [...]. - Davos I, aDwD

"The Umbers keep the first night too, deny it as they may. Certain of the mountain clans as well, and on Skagos … well, only heart trees ever see half of what they do on Skagos." - Reek III, aDwD

I believe grrm then wants us to see the "true" Skagos, similar to how Wildlings are stereotyped as "savages" and enemies but Jon then gets a view into their culture. We will likely get at least a chapter or two on Skagos that gives us the worldbuilding Grrm came up with, as well as the Unicorns. The Skagosi are a highly isolated people with a fearsome reputation, so since Osha saw it as a good idea to go there for shelter, she likely has some connection to the people there.

One hint for what might happen with Rickon and Davos is the fact that Rickon's wolf is named Shaggydog, which is also the name of a literary trope where we have a long story with many turns that has a meaningless/anticlimactic ending. Interesting to me is the alleged archetypical story after which the trope is named:

According to Partridge and the Morrises, the archetypical shaggy dog story involves an advertisement placed in the Times announcing a search for a shaggy dog. In the Partridge story, an aristocratic family living in Park Lane is searching for a lost dog, and an American answers the advertisement with a shaggy dog that he has found and personally brought across the Atlantic, only to be received by the butler at the end of the story who takes one look at the dog and shuts the door in his face, saying, "But not so shaggy as that, sir!" - Wikipedia article on the Shaggy Dog Story

If we apply this to asoiaf, the aristocrat searching for his dog is Wyman Manderly, and Davos is the man who finds the Shaggydog and personally brings it to him across the ocean. However at the end of the original story, his travel was pointless because they do not want the Shaggydog that he brought them. So perhaps, when Davos finally finds Rickon and brings him home through many dangers, he will not even be needed anymore, because there are already some other Starks in the north (maybe Sansa and/or Jon). And so Rickon's story, where people thought he might be an important political tool as the Stark heir and potential puppet leader, comes to an anticlimactic ending.

I find it unlikely that Ramsay is going to be involved in Rickon's story, since Davos is likely going to spend a while on his travels. It seems to me like Davos and Rickon will reenter the northern story much later.

[pain-somnia]

ssm 2k20 day 10: colors of you and me Title: when eye see you Rating: T Disclaimer Day’s Notes: are y’all sick of soulmate AUs? ‘Cause i’m not! Here’s a soulmate au where everyone has heterochromia until they look their soulmate in the eye. And yes there is some inspiration from Jun’s Kitchen in this. It’s my favorite YouTube channel. Minor pairings: ItaKarin and SasoObi. I could have made this longer but I needed to make it shorter lol this fic was impossible to end it was actually meant to be shorter than it is

Sighing to himself, Sasuke brushes his hair out of his face, moving his bangs aside to reveal the vivid sea foam green eye.

Unlike his own dark gray eye, the green one has perfect vision. The optician marks the measurements for both eyes, noting that he needs a slightly stronger prescription for his own eye and a false lens for his partner eye. It was suggested that he switch to contacts so that he would wear one on the eye that truly belonged to him, but Sasuke hates putting things in his eyes.

Some thought he was lucky. The color of his soulmate’s eye is uncommon and that supposedly meant that it would be easier to find them. If he wants to, he can hire one of those people who made a living off of locating people with matching eye colors, but Sasuke doesn’t care about any of that.

Yeah, it was annoying that his eyes were unbalanced when it came to visual impairment and maybe it was ridiculous how often people told him his match had such a beautiful eye color, but Sasuke wants nothing to do with society’s obsession with soulmates.

Riding the train home, Sasuke hides his partner eye behind his bangs. The color catches attention wherever he goes and he’s tired of it. People always want to see the contrasting colors, how vivid it is against the dark colors of his eye and his hair.

It is said that green eyes are lucky, that when people meet their green eyed match that their union would be blessed with great happiness.

Sasuke doesn’t feel very lucky about it when he has relatives fussing over him about finding his match.

Walking into his family home, his nose is invaded with the stench of burnt vegetables. Slipping out of his shoes and tossing his bag next to the genkan, Sasuke opens up the screen door that opens up to the engawa and backyard.

“Karin?” He calls out towards the kitchen from across the informal sitting room. His phone chimes with the arrival of a message and he opens it, not bothering to walk into the other room to check on her. “What are you trying to do now?”

“It’s called cooking!” He heard her shout back from somewhere in the kitchen.

“Oh, gods…”

Karin is his older brother’s match. Originally just a classmate, then his friend—and now most likely his future sister-in-law—Uzumaki Karin is one of his closest friends and, truthfully, the worst cook in the world.

But that’s okay because Itachi is one of the best cooks in the world and spoils her by feeding her and her ridiculously large appetite.

When Sasuke first met Karin, he hadn’t thought anything about her russet color eye paired with a dark gray one or of it being just like the combination his brother had. It’s a common coloring pair, nothing special. But when Sasuke brought her home with two of their friends and she looked Itachi in the eye, they witnessed the moment Itachi’s partner eye shifted colors to match his actual eye and when Karin’s eyes shifted to a matching russet set.

And then they all winced when she shrieked in discomfort because Itachi's prescription for his lenses is a lot stronger than her own.

He really should have known that Karin is his brother’s match. Karin said that her mother told her she was born with her partner eye and Itachi’s had manifested when he was five years old. And then there were the anecdotes of her life that matched with some of the visions Itachi had shared with him.

The ability isn’t as common as their color pairing and it catches more attention, but it’s usually negligible as most sight sharers are not given any visions that help them locate their matches especially because it is an ability more common in children.

Karin’s line to him on their first day of high school was: “I swear I’ve seen you somewhere before. But like as a kid.”

They call it sight sharing and that strong emotions are required for it to work. That is why children who are more free with their emotions and are having new experiences to react towards are able to send visions to their matches. Due to their age, most children aren’t even aware that they are sight sharing.

Sasuke has seen his own glimpses. Blurry images impeded by tears and a long fringe of pink hair. A blonde girl with a blue-green eye and one inky black eye holding out a red hair ribbon. The largest bowl of anmitsu he has ever seen in his life. A harbor with boats rocking where they were docked, the water choppy and the sails flapping wildly in the middle of a storm.

He still gets glimpses, even this late in his teens, and he’s not sure how he feels about having a match that felt so strongly, whose emotions were as vivid as fireworks on a clear night sky.

“How did you convince my mother to let you cook in her kitchen? Alone?”

“She loves me.”

And it’s the truth. Uchiha Mikoto has always been a sucker for soulmates finding each other. She showers Karin with affection whenever possible and even Sasuke’s cousin’s match—a short redhead named Sasori with hazel eyes, a curious combination of brown and gray with flecks of gold and green—is subject to her doting.

Sasuke couldn’t describe what Itachi and Karin have as love. There is a fondness his older brother has for Karin that cannot be hidden when he’s giving her soft smiles and treating her gently. It could be love with time, but Sasuke can’t help but wonder if Itachi would have opened up to a relationship with Karin even if she wasn’t his match, or was the opportunity to become more only presented because the universe had forced them into it.

He is told he is lucky because of the color of his match’s eye being uncommon and thus easier to find. He’s lucky because his soulmate is close to him in age, his partner eye not having formed until he was still a baby of only eight months. But Sasuke believes the truly lucky ones are his parents who share the same eye coloring and are in love. They could be soulmates or maybe not. But they love each other despite the odds and it’s not something the universe can say it had a hand in.

Universe or not, Sasuke wanted more of a choice.

.

.

Blinking her eyes, Sakura waits for her contact to settle in her partner eye. It was unfortunate that she had needed to adjust the prescription, but at least she saved money by only needing a contact for a single eye.

Grabbing her eyeliner, Sakura traces her lash line delicately, first over one green eye like seaglass and then over the eye with the color reminiscent of storm clouds. Her partner eye has always reminded her of those clouds, fat and heavy with rain, rolling over the sea and waiting to unleash over her harbor hometown.

It’s a beautiful eye, but Sakura had the misfortune of being born with her partner eye. It made it impossible to age her match. They could be someone only a bit older or a grown adult. With the state of their visual impairment, Sakura wonders if her soulmate is someone that is elderly.

It’s something that she perhaps will never know. She isn’t as lucky as her cousin who found his soulmate while he was bar hopping so Sakura’s decided that it’s probably best that she doesn’t search for her soulmate, not to put her hopes on someone she may never find.

It makes it easier to forget them considering she’s so sure she’s in love with her online friend.

It’s strange but she loves him, she really does. She’s never seen his face because they agreed that it would put a strain on their relationship if they knew about each other’s eyes. What had started as a simple exchange with a boy from Tokyo about a photo she had posted to her blog ended up becoming so much more.

His name is Sasuke but he went online by Taka. He wouldn’t give Sakura his last name and asked that she didn’t give him hers so that they wouldn’t be tempted to search for each other online. He had just turned eighteen in July and was planning on going to Handai for university not even an hour from Tsuji Culinary Institute.

Sasuke is going to be so close.

The two of them had been talking to each other ever since they had entered their respective high schools and after two and a half years of conversation they had decided that the time to meet in person was approaching. Sasuke was going to visit with his cousin and his cousin’s soulmate during winter vacation to look into apartments and the area that Sasuke would make his new home after he graduated high school. It was presumptuous that he would pass the entrance exam and be accepted but she knew how confident Sasuke is and about his test scores. Sakura is supposed to meet with him when he is able to shake off his cousin and his soulmate. They played games together and streamed shows and movies but mostly they streamed the same music and listened together sending messages or talking softly on the phone, but they didn’t call them dates so that their first official date would be one where they were face to face.

More often than not, Sakura falls asleep listening to Sasuke talk over the phone. She is an early riser and he is a night owl so she tends to drift off in the middle of their hours-long LINE calls. She enjoys listening to his voice, the deep timbre of it is soothing.

She can’t wait to hear it and see if his face matches the wonderful sound.

.

.

He found her through a video his brother had been watching to learn a new recipe.

Sasuke had found it unusual that Sakura━or “Cherry” as she went by online━didn’t show her face. It’s easier to find one’s soulmate if one’s eyes are exposed, but she never showed her face. Even in her social media accounts she never posts selfies. Sakura’s photos are always of locations or foods she made or of food spots she visited.

She had told him she didn’t want to be bombarded with messages from people claiming she was their match. She didn’t want strangers bothering her and raising her hopes up for nothing and that the only thing they cared about was her eyes.

Sasuke doesn’t care if it’s abnormal to feel affection for someone that he’s never seen. It started with a curiosity that led him to looking through her blog and then he saw it. He saw a photo of the sea before a storm hit over a harbor and it looked just like the glimpse he received a few years ago.

All he wanted to know was where the photo was taken.

And now he’s in a relationship with the person that took the photo.

Sasuke knows the odds of finding his soulmate are low and there’s no guarantee that he would even like them. His cousin Obito had gotten lucky and even Itachi who is fond of Karin despite their differences and Karin’s comparatively high energy levels. It is a gamble and he doesn’t care for the odds. He would rather grow to love a stranger that isn’t his match and be like his great-uncle Madara who never found his soulmate and when his soulmate died, his partner eye turned milky white and blind.

It is much preferable to be blind in one eye and happy than perpetually alone simply because he couldn’t be with his soulmate.

“Here you go.” His older brother interrupts his and Karin’s study session and offers her a small tray with a glass bowl that was leaking a cool mist. Karin squeals and takes out her phone, taking a video as she reveals the smaller bowl inside with a chocolate lid that is cutely decorated with flowers made with icing and berries.

“Did...did you really use dry ice for this?” Sasuke looks on as Karin takes a bunch of photos before digging into her sweet treat.

Itachi shrugs and hands Karin a spoon. “Cherry posted a video about a blueberry cheesecake made with homemade yogurt, so I had to recreate it.”

“I’ll tag her on Instagram when I post these photos.” Karin shoves her books away and pulls the cheesecake closer so that she could dig in. “Ohmygawd this is so good.”

Of course it is. Sasuke looks over Karin’s study materials for Todai. His parents want him to go there, but he made his decision to be closer to Sakura.

.

.

She wonders how he would feel about her accent. The Kansai dialect would be something Sasuke has to get used to if he is going to live in the area. Her cousin is still thrown off at times when he hears the dialect.

Sakura has invited him out to eat some tecchiri at Zubora-ya in Dōtonbori because it’s the best place for fugu despite it being almost an hour by train from Handai. Luckily his cousin has a car and is able to drive them around just so she doesn’t cause Sasuke any trouble before he even gets to meet her.

Snow is swirling around her, flurries landing in her long lashes as she waits under the giant blowfish lantern. She’s never been good with the cold but it’s keeping her grounded as her stomach tumbles with anxiety.

Would Sasuke see her and decide he would prefer to wait for his soulmate?

Will three years of conversations come to a halt when they sit across from each other and are unable to carry on the conversation in person?

Sakura is tempted to walk over to the Lawson and grab something hot to drink and use the walk to calm her nerves. She’s just about to make a break for it when she spots a trio heading towards her. The person standing in the middle is roughly the same height as her with rusty red hair—the red Sasuke had told her to expect from his cousin’s soulmate. Red that belongs to—Sasori?

What was he doing here? Her cousin hadn’t mentioned anything about traveling to Osaka. And now he was walking towards her with his boyfriend, Obito, and a pretty boy she has never seen before.

For a moment Sakura can’t breathe properly and it takes her a few seconds to realize it’s because her inhales and exhales are at too fast of a rhythm for her to actually be intaking oxygen. Hyperventilating will have her passing out right when she’s supposed to meet Sasuke—right when he’s potentially in front of her.

Her hair is pink, a soft shade he couldn’t miss, so when the attractive boy makes his way to stand in front of her, Sakura knows that it’s Sasuke.

Inky black hair frames his angular face. Why hadn’t he warned her that he was pretty? Sakura’s eyes rove his face, taking note of the curve of his lips, the point of his nose, and his high cheekbones that are kissed by eyelashes just as inky black as his hair when he blinks.

Those eyelashes frame one visible eye—the other hidden by hair—and what a beautiful eye it is. Shielded by a pair of glasses, his eye is gray and stormy and oh so familiar.

And the moment she looks at it directly, her left eye stings in discomfort.

.

.

“Shit!”

Sasuke’s eyes widen as the pink haired girl clutches her left eye. She’s cursing as she messes with her eye and throws something on the ground.

A contact.

His feet had moved and his hands had raised to steady her and help in any way he could before he had even processed what just happened.

“Ow…” She grumbles as Sasuke examines her red rimmed eye. His hands freeze from where he’s cupping her face as he looks into a matching pair of seafoam green eyes.

It’s at that moment that he realizes his left eye’s vision is blurry behind its false lens.

“Are you Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asks—because of course she’s Sakura, how many pink haired girls would be waiting under a giant blowfish and asking for someone with his old fashioned name?

“Sakura?”

“Well, that’s a little forward,” Sasori scolds him, attempting to shove him out of the way. “No honorific? Already getting handsy? Tsk, tsk.”

“Sasori-niisan?” Sakura’s attention is stolen for a moment and she turns her focus on Obito’s boyfriend despite the fact that Sasuke is holding her face in his hands. “What are you doing here?”

“Fugu. Why else?” Sasori snaps his fingers and gestures to Obito who is pulling eye drops from his messenger bag and ready to play nurse.

“What were the fucking odds?” Sasuke mutters under his breath, taking the saline solution from his cousin and dropping it into Sakura’s irritated eye. Fortunately, all of her poking hadn’t done much damage.

She’s crying, but with how she’s smiling it can’t be anything bad and he always knew his soulmate was an emotional person. Sakura’s brushing his hair away from his left eye and letting out a watery giggle at what she sees before covering her mouth with her hands to suppress the sob that leaked between her laughter.

“You have no idea how happy I am that it’s you.” Sakura looks up at him in awe but then her eyebrows draw down into a frown. She was going to make him dizzy with how quickly she flickered through emotions. “Gosh you’re tall.”

“Good thing your hair’s pink.” Sasuke cards his fingers through her hair and teases her. “With your height, I might have never found you.”

Sakura pouts, narrowing pretty green eyes at him, and it makes the moment all the sweeter. A small part of him cheers at how lucky he got that Sakura ended up being so cute but mostly he’s still in shock at the discovery that his online girlfriend ended up being his soulmate. He had given up on the idea of finding his soulmate just for them to be the person he chose over the idea of the universe’s match for him.

But, with the coincidences, did the universe actually have a hand in their connection? His older brother was a fan of her cooking vlog and his cousin was paired up with hers.

And speaking of her cousin...

“Are we getting fugu or what?”

“We’re having a moment here.” Sasuke should have just asked his older brother to come with him on his apartment scouting trip. He had no one else but himself to blame for letting Obito and Sasori come along. He should have known better.

“Have your moment inside.” Sasori pushes at the back of Sasuke’s knee with his heeled boot. “It’s cold and I want the fugu I was promised.”

“Wait a minute…” Sakura’s voice is low, and she eyes her cousin suspiciously. “You knew Sasuke-kun this whole time, Sasori-nii?”

Straightening up, Sasuke turns to glare at Sasori as well. He has been dating Sasuke’s cousin for five years and not once had he mentioned having a cousin with the exact eye pairing that Sasuke has—had.

A rare color pairing that’s supposed to be lucky. Sneaking a glance at Sakura with her green eyes and with the knowledge that she’s the person he’s been growing attached to all of these years, Sasuke’s ready to admit—if only a little—that maybe he is lucky.

No one let his family know that he had that thought.

“You guys didn’t want to know,” Sasori answers, opening up the door to the restaurant. “So, fugu?”

Sasuke and Sakura exchange a look and she smiles up at him encouragingly. Sasuke didn’t come here looking for his soulmate. He came to meet Sakura—just Sakura. He now had a matching set of eyes but it didn’t change anything, not really.

He had already made his choice and it was just luck that the universe had dealt him a winning hand.

“Let’s go find out why this place is so great.”

“Well, have you ever had blowfish before?” Sakura asks, allowing him to guide her inside the restaurant with his hand on the small of her back.

“No, but I kind of like not being potentially poisoned.”

“It makes me feel alive,” Sasori interjects, raising four fingers at a server to signal how many are in their party.

“You’re going to have to be more adventurous.” Sakura flashes a mischievous smile in his direction as they follow their cousins to a table. “I’m going to drag you everywhere and make you try lots of different food.”

“Tough talk from someone that can’t eat spicy food.”

Sakura splutters, cheeks burning red. She hides behind a menu and mutters something about “an abnormal dislike of sweets.”

He’s only seen her face for less than twenty minutes, but he’s decided that he likes how easily her feelings come across it, especially when she flushes from embarrassment.

“It will be nice to video call you from now on,” he casually mentions from over his own menu, watching from his peripheral as her fingers tighten around her menu.

“Your weird flirting is going to spoil the taste of the fugu.” Sasori glares at him over his tea, taking a prim sip.

“You don’t even have taste buds,” Sasuke mutters, wishing even more now that he hadn’t asked Obito to drop him off. “You shouldn’t even have any fugu rights. How could you not know that we were meeting your cousin?”

“Sakura is a common name, don’t try to come for me. I still haven’t given my blessing to this union.”

Sakura snorts from behind her menu and says, “Okay, sure dad.”

She sets her menu down and smiles so sweetly that Sasuke’s tempted to stand up and make a run for it with her, just completely abandon their cousins. Sasori is distracted by the promise of raw blowfish and he’s sure whatever punishment Sasori could come up with would be worth it.

“Video calls would be nice,” Sakura offers, ignoring Sasori’s forced gagging sounds. “But maybe tomorrow we could go out and fix your glasses situation?”

“Yeah,” Sasuke clears his throat and adjusts the pair he’s wearing with only one true lens, “that would be helpful.”

“Then it’s a date!” She chirps. Her eyes gleam when she’s happy and green really is such a nice color, especially on her and not in his reflection. 

“Awwww,” Obito coos, pinching Sasuke’s cheek. “You two are adorable.”

“We’re leaving Obito and Sasori behind tomorrow,” Sasuke snaps, slapping Obito’s hand away.

“I don’t care,” Sasori waves a hand dismissively at him, “just let me eat my fugu and you can keep my cousin for the day. Just return her how you leave with her.”

“You’re incorrigible, Sasori-nii.” Sakura rolls her eyes but she smiles fondly at her older cousin as he steals slices of blowfish from Obito’s artfully decorated plate.

Sakura chats cheerfully with his cousin and talks about how one of the things she wants to do in the future is learn how to prepare fugu properly. Sasuke’s seen the stuff she’s made for her vlog and he doesn’t doubt that one day she’ll be able to prepare it and even make the slices of blowfish into the flower shapes the restaurant forms for their plating.

It’s then that Sasuke is hit with the fact that in a few months that he won’t be watching her from a monitor, that he could be in the kitchen with her if he asked and she was okay with it. He’ll get to spend afternoons with her the same way Karin and Itachi do and go on day trips like Obito and Sasori.

And he made that happen. It was his decision to message her. It was his decision to continue talking to her and get to know her.

Maybe the universe had a hand with all of the coincidences, but it was Sasuke that Sakura wanted. Not his eye but him.

“What’s up?” Sakura asks him as she polishes off the last bit of her serving of tecchiri.

Just thinking about how the universe works.

“Were you ever told that green eyes were lucky?”

Sakura’s eyes widen at the question. Her lips part in shock but she quickly closes them when Sasori snorts behind his napkin. Leave it to Sasori to find a way to snort primly. Even his chuckling has an air of superiority to it. It’s no wonder he didn’t link him and Sakura as familial relations.

Sakura elbows her cousin in the arm to silence him and he throws a glare in her direction.

“Actually,” Sakura’s face flushes once again, “in my family the superstition is that gray eyes are the lucky ones.”

Heat travels up Sasuke’s neck, and the pleasant feeling in his chest can’t be stifled even with Sasori’s smug expression—probably brought on by the fact that his eyes have splashes of gray in them.

“But if it’s green in your family, I guess that means we’re doubly lucky, huh?”

Sakura’s eyes are bright and with the way they sparkle when she’s feeling so fantastically happy, he can’t help but think once again that her left eye was definitely wasted on him.

Sasuke smiles fondly at her cheerful expression and has to suppress the desire to roll his eyes at his own thoughts when he remembers his mother’s stories about green eyes bringing joy.

“Guess that makes us triply happy then, Obito,” Sasori interjects yet again. “I’ve got green and gray in my eyes and you have gray eyes.”

“I guess we are,” Obito cheers, tapping his pint of beer against Sasori’s glass.

“We were having a moment here,” Sasuke grumbles over his cousin’s chortles.

He’s definitely ditching them tomorrow.

[redcameleon]

SSM 2020 Day 2

Prompt: Gravity

Summary: There’s only one force strong enough to break his chains: love. Curse mark AU where Sasuke was being locked up because he would go on rampages.

Rating: T.

A/N: I was trying to write this prompt from a different perspective. I probably could’ve made this into a multichaptered story, but I didn’t think it had that much potential. Ok, this is way longer than I had intended hehe. Regardless, hope you enjoy it! As always, feedback is welcome!

Sasuke tries to climb up the sides, as slow as he can, but he can never go past two steps before being dragged back down. He doesn’t know what is tying him down, but it feels heavier than gravity. He can’t remember how long he’s been trapped in this large pit.

The curse mark on his shoulder starts to activate, spreading though his whole body. His hair becomes longer, fangs protruding from the edges of his mouth, eyes landing on a darker shade, nails growing into claws, and wings sprouting from his back. He tries to fly out of the pit, but again with no avail, only manages to hover in the air three feet from the ground, feeling a force strong enough to hold him down. This has to be the nth time he’s tried to escape, always ending up with the same results.

He sinks back down on the ground in defeat, body shifting back to his normal human form.

.

.

Sakura carries a basket in her right hand as she treads through the forest, in search of a medicinal berry plant that is supposed to grow around the area. She peaks behind trees and bushes only to find other kinds of fruit plants or poisonous ones.

She kicks a pebble in frustration before she starts hearing a voice.

Please. Help me. She turns around and nobody is behind her. She walks a few more steps and hears the same voice.

Help me. She turns around again, examining the area around her, but again no sign of anyone.

As she’s lost in thought she accidentally missteps her foot and tumbles down a small hill, hitting branches along the way before stumbling into a large pit. She lies face down on the ground before she slowly gets up. She dusts her knees and hands when she hears a voice of a man.

“Who are you?” She immediate shoots up, looking for the source of the voice. She sees a silhouette cautiously approaching her from the dark. She gets up slowly, trying not to agitate the being. As the man approaches her, she’s able to trace his figure, wings spreading wide behind him, hair longer than his shoulder. As he steps into the light, she’s able to get a good look at him and widens her eyes.

“Did the universe graciously award me with free food?” The man tilts his head to the side, grinning sinisterly. He walks around Sakura, eyeing his prize.

“But you don’t eat people.” There’s no way a human would eat another human. At least that’s what Sakura believes.

“You think I won’t kill you?” The man threatens as he leans over to her ear. Sakura looks indifferent and it bothers him. All the people that’s seen him would either display fear or terror. But she doesn't seem to show any evidence of that. He quirks an eyebrow and walks away.

“What are you?” Sakura inquires. The man chuckles in amusement.

“You tell me.” He turns around to face her. He notices how she eyes him carefully.

“Were you the one crying for help?” He’s surprised by her question. He’s surely been trying to get out of this hole this whole time, but did he ever cry for help? Not that he knew of. “Your voice sounds familiar. I kept hearing pleas for help earlier.”

“Hn.” Deciding that she’s just a nobody, he shifts back to his normal form. Sakura watches in awe as the man standing before her now looks just like any other man. His dark raven hair just long enough to cover his ears, his skin white but just a tad bit tanned, his eyes as dark as onyx, muscles toned.

“Woah you can do that?” There are millions of questions swimming in her head. He takes a seat on his previous spot, leaning back on the wall. He’s definitely got little to no energy to harm her. She notices how weak he seems and offers him an apple she managed to pick before stumbling down. She walks over to him, carefully as to not give him any bad ideas.

She extends the fruit towards him. He eyes it carefully, debating whether or not he should take her offer. Before he could even decide, his hands accepted it. She kneels in front of him.

“Do you have a name?” A name? Sasuke can’t remember the last time someone calls him by his name.

“Sasuke.” Sakura gives him a warm smile.

“I’m Sakura.” Sasuke notes how interesting of a name it is. Sakura.

“Why are you down here? Can’t you get out?” She notices how large but relatively shallow the pit is. Surely a person like him would be able to get out easily.

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?” His frustration starts to grow from her lack of understanding. Does he have to articulate the state he’s in? He abruptly stands up and summons his wings. He tries to fly out and as always, can’t seem to hover more than three feet above the ground before he gets pulled back and falls.

“I can’t.” He puts extra emphasis on the last word. Clearly, she should understand what he means by now. She doesn’t say a word as he sits back down and slumps.

“I’m sorry.” She suddenly perks up and jolts. “Wait I have an idea! I’ll go out and go back to my village to get some help!” Sakura beams up and starts to get up to climb. Sasuke chuckles dryly.

“They won’t help you. No one will.” As if ignoring his words, she begins to climb, and not long after manages to pull herself out of the pit. She looks back again at Sasuke, still sitting on the same spot.

“I’ll be back! Don’t worry!” She quickly runs back to get some help. Sasuke goes back to devouring the fruit in his hand as one thought comes to mind.

So naïve.

.

.

Panting, Sakura finally arrives at her village and walks up to the first person she finds.

“Please you have to help me. There’s a man stuck in the bottom of a pit and we need to help him get out.” The man’s eyes widen at her words.

“At the bottom of a pit? You mean in the woods?” He violently points towards the direction of the forest.

“Yes yes! Now you need to help me! I’ll try to find another person to help us.” Suddenly the man stops in front of her path.

“Are you crazy? That’s no man! It- it’s a monster! He killed so many people!” Sakura’s excitement now turns to confusion before shifting to disbelief.

“No, that can’t be true.”

“Oh and have you seen this monster?”

“Yes! But he was-“

“It’s all just an illusion! Last thing you know, he’ll get on you and slash your throat!” Sakura subconsciously touched her neck. “I am not gonna let him get out of there!”

That can’t be true. Sakura isn’t gonna believe in what he says. There must be something more to it. Deciding that she needs answers, she goes back to find him. To find Sasuke.

She keeps repeating the man’s words. She runs back to the pit, and peeks over the ledge.

“Sasuke?” She sees him still sitting on that same spot, knees bent and head held down. He looks up when he hears her call.

“Well are you gonna help me?” He gets up, excitement is evident in his face.

“Um I have a question. How did you end up here in the first place?” Sasuke’s frown sets back in place. He looks at her and straightens himself. He tries to read her expression, and the way she’s crouched on the ground, just barely peeking over the ledge, as if she’s shielding herself. She doesn’t even bother to come down and talk to him. Instead, resorting to talking from a safe distance where she knows he can’t get to her.

“You’re afraid of me.” He concludes.

“What? No! I just have some questions that’s all.” He notices how flustered she is, way different from how she acts the first time they met. If she wasn’t afraid of him then, she’s clearly afraid now. Sasuke clenches his hands.

“Tch. You’re just like the rest of them.” He retreats back to the darkest part of the pit, the one that’s covered by shadows, and takes a seat.

Sakura realizes that man might have been wrong anyway. Sasuke is not a monster. It’s true that he might look like one when she first found him, but he hasn't shown any sign of intentionally wanting to hurt her. She’s not going to let that man’s words get to her. At least not until she hears Sasuke’s side of the story.

She slowly slides down the steep wall and lands with a thud. She confidently walks over to him and takes a seat beside him.

“Look, Sasuke. I’m just a little confused, that’s all. The way people call you, they called you a killer. I don’t want to believe them.” Silence fills the gap between them. Sasuke lets out a long sigh before he starts to explain himself.

“I never meant to kill them. I was just trying to protect myself. Two men were trying to rob me, and I suddenly was itching to kill them. The bad side of me came out and did it. Ever since then, that part of me would sometimes take over, even though I told it to shut up. So I was locked in here.” Sasuke brings his knees closer to him, sounding defeated.

Now that she knows his story, she only has one question left for him.

“Well, do you wanna get out of here?” Sasuke looks at her and struggles to find the answer himself. Should he? Maybe it was right for them to keep him here. So that he won’t be able to hurt anyone else. Sasuke thinks to himself

“I don't know.” She’s finally beginning to understand where he’s coming from. He’s the one who’s afraid. He’s afraid of hurting people, of not being in control of his own impulses.

Now that Sakura understands, she can finally make her decision. She stands up, resolve clear in her eyes.

“If no one’s gonna help you get out of here, then I’ll do help you. I’ll do whatever I can to help you.” Sasuke chuckles in amusement. This girl is surely still naïve that for a second, she makes the impossible sound possible.

“Tch. Good luck.” Sakura kneels back down in front of him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

“I don’t believe you’re a monster. And I’ll make everyone believe that. But you have to work with me.” Sasuke takes a good look at her. He tries to guess what she’s thinking. Her eyes, filled with determination and courage, suddenly make him believe that she’s capable of doing so. That he might not be a monster after all. He dismisses any positivity from his mind and shifts to face away from her.

.

.

True to her words, she tries everything she can to help him. And that begins by bringing him food. Visiting him from once to twice a day, she’d bring any food she can find. Meat, berries, fruits.

They’d make a small firepit in the middle and enjoy their meal together. She’d tell stories of her childhood, of the village where she grew up in, of her family, of her dreams. And he’d always listen.

Once or twice he’d be brave enough to share his childhood. How he lost his parents pretty early on. How it was always just his brother and him against the world. How he misses him.

Sakura takes note of how deep his emotions are. How he feels and observes things. How he’s very much a human being unlike what everyone says.

Some days, he’d transform to show him his other side. A part of him is always worried that his impulses would kick in and try to harm her. But Sakura would always argue that he’d only do that as self-defense. She always believes he would never try to hurt her. At least intentionally.

She’d admire his long hair, the skin that make up his wings. She’d bravely touch them, and he’d feel every small touch of her fingers, sending electricity through his body.

Other days, they’d be lying underneath the clear sky, stargazing. Even though their vision is blocked by the trees overhead, they can still make up the small beads adorning the sky. They notice the moon always shines the brightest, lighting up their surroundings, never leaving them in total darkness. As they lay there in silence and admiration, Sasuke instinctively looks over to her, marveling at his star. How could a small woman have all the courage in the world? How could she suddenly walk into his life and bring so much warmth? How could she have the power to chase away his darkness?

He doesn’t know when, but he knows his heart is no longer beating for just himself.

.

.

Sakura is just on her way to see him when she’s approached by four men. She’s barely at the ledge that leads to the pit when they warn her.

“Sakura. Step away from the ledge.”

“Sato-san. What are you doing here?” She notices how one of them is carrying a machete, while the others are carrying similar weapons. She suddenly changes her stance to a defensive one.

“He’s far too dangerous to be left alone. We know you’ve been trying to get him out.”

“But he’s not dangerous at all! He’s just misunderstood.”

Sasuke notices the commotion from up ahead and peers his ears to listen.

“Please, he’s a human being just like the rest of us!” She truly believes every word she says. Sasuke can’t believe what he’s hearing. She’s actually defending him. She’s the only person in the world who’s truly on his side now. He can’t describe the warm feeling in his chest.

“I’m sorry Sakura-san, but you need to step aside. We don’t want to hurt you.”

“No! I won’t let you get to him! You’ll have to go through me!” All fired up, she drops the basket she’s holding to the side.

One of the men sets aside his sword, afraid he might hurt her, and starts swinging his fists at her. Having received some self-defense training, she’s able to dodge every attack gracefully and lands a blow to his stomach. Staggering behind after her blow, he and another man starts lunging at her. She ducks to dodge a punch and jumps to the side to avoid the other man’s machete.

She’s able to get in a groove and dodge every single attack they throw at her, frustrating them even more. That’s when another man comes up from behind and swings his sword at her feet. He scrapes her ankle, succeeding in wounding her. She yells in pain before she falls back, blood oozing out of the wound.

“I’m sorry. You brought this on yourself.” Sasuke hears her scream for pain and his blood starts boiling. He’s not going to let them hurt her for defending him. He feels so hopeless being down there and not being able to protect her.

He transforms and starts flapping his wings. He manages to ascend for a few feet before he’s held back by that mysterious force. He uses all his strength to break free but it just keeps holding him back even stronger. His desperation grows when it starts pulling him closer to the ground. But he refuses to concede. He needs to get out. To get to her.

That’s when he gives a final push, and is finally able to break free. As if a rope has just been snapped, he flies out of the very pit that’s contained him for years and soars through the sky. Sakura and the four men watch as he flies up above their heads, awe never leaving her eyes.

Sasuke lands in front of her, covering her from their line of sight. Anger is now seeping through him. The men all fall to the ground, trembling in fear.

“You’ll pay for this.” He takes a step towards them. He hasn’t even noticed that Sakura has made her way to his side, grabbing his hand.

“Sasuke don’t!!” She tugs him forcefully. He glares at her. “Please stop.” He sees desperation in her eyes. But not just that. He sees sadness as well. But never fear. His expression softens and he transforms back to his normal self.

The four men take their chances and run from there as fast as they can. Sakura drops back to the ground, pain shooting up from her leg.

“You're hurt.” Sasuke eyes the gash on her ankle.”

“It’s fine.” She rips a part of her skirt and ties it around the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Now that that’s taken care of, her attention falls back to Sasuke.

“Sasuke! You- you were able to get out!”

“Aa.”

“But how?” He’s at a lost for words. He himself doesn’t know how he managed to get out.

Sakura tries to get up but almost trips at the pain that shoots up her leg. Sasuke steadies her.

“You need help.” He instinctively tells Sakura to get on his back, swinging her arms around his neck and grabbing her legs behind the knees. He begins to walk towards her village.

“I’m proud of you.” She manages to whisper. He plays the words in his head over and over again, feeling a tug in his heart.

When they reach her village, they are greeted by a mob of people, all carrying swords, sticks, and fire. Standing in front of the crowd is the four men from back there.

“Not a step closer.” One of them pointed his sword at them. Sakura gets off Sasuke’s back and limps towards the villagers.

“Wait! Look, I know you guys are afraid of him. He might’ve attacked some people back then, but that’s not him. That’s not his true self.”

“He’s cast you under a spell, hasn’t he?” One of the villagers claims.

“No! I’m not under any spell. I’ve gotten to know him, his true self and he’s just a human being like all of us. He’s not some monster you can cage. He never meant to hurt any of those people. Please, just give him a chance. I promise he’ll never hurt anyone ever again.” Sakura pleads in front of everyone. A part of Sasuke feels calm now that someone has his back. But a part of him feels pained to see her like this, being casted out by her own village. If this is what his freedom means, then he’s willing to spend the rest of his life in that retched pit.

“Sakura.” Sasuke slowly steps towards her. Just then, an old woman appears from the back of the crowd. She slowly makes her way to them.

“So you managed to break free.” Their gazes turn to her, all equally confused. Except for Sasuke. Sasuke begins to flare.

“You! You locked me there!” He points at her, anger or something softer than that starting to become evident in his voice.

“I did. But you managed to break free.” Sasuke lowers his finger. “You’re only able to break free from your shackles the moment you learn how to love.” Sasuke’s eyes widen at this.

The old woman’s gaze turns to the pinkette standing next to him. Sasuke follows her gaze and can see how confused Sakura is.

“Dear, it’s you who has set him free.” How is that possible? Sakura questions herself over and over again. “You showed him who he truly is. And helped him learn to love. You were even able to control his emotions.” Sakura remembers then at the forest, when she was able to stop him from hurting those men. Sakura doesn’t realize the impact she has on him. She turns to face him.

Hearing all this, the villagers start lowering their weapons.

True to her words, Sakura did help him. She’s able to free him from his shackles. And she did it in the most selfless way possible.

.

.

end.

[robuttsinyourthighs]

Anybody have lawyer friends looking to work on medical negligence cases? Long post.

Dr. Donald Levy is an Opthalmologist who saw me 3 times earlier in 2020. $150 in copays. He did a basic exam that involved checking the pressure of my eyes, checking if I could read a chart at different levels, and a look at the surface level of my eyes.

During the surface check, the most basic check to make sure there are no scratches, the doctor used a dye that will react to a COBALT BLUE light. The machine used to cure this comes with a standard light and a Blue light so that the doctor can switch between blue and standard.

I never once saw the blue light during this exam, nor was there any change between brightness or hue. I did not have issues with light registering, meaning I could tell when something was dimmed or brightened. I also did not have any issues telling colors apart.

The doctor had made remarks with concern for my weight and potential underlying issues immediately. It is an understandable concern, but generally speaking of there is a major concern for weight loss for a patient they would recommend a specialist for that and not recommend Keto offhandedly to someone with a thyroid issue like this doctor did to me.

This doctor could not find anything over the course of the first two visits and recommended me to get an MRI, believing my blurred vision was something deeper and still repeatedly mentioned concerns that it was related to my weight because he never saw anything surface level.

The MRI showed NOTHING unusual.

This doctor then sent me to a retina specialist who saw NOTHING unusual. During their surface level check if my eyes before looking deeper there was also NEVER a shift in light from any standard white or off white to BLUE. They then recommended me to Washington University to see a Neuro Opthalmologist.

Upon going to Washington University I went through a screening with another doctor to help determine severity of my vision issue before recommending a date. During this exam, the same kind I had sat through multiple times with Dr. Donald Levy, a COBALT BLUE LIGHT was switched on. I explained to the doctor I hadn't seen this light before and she explained that it was standard during this exact type of exam.

She immediately found a corneal abrasion. A surface level issue. After prescribing a contact lens bandage and the course of a month or so refilling the prescription once my eye is almost 100% back to normal.

I finally spoke with Dr. Donald Levy today.

He states he DID use a blue light and that he suspected it to be some type of Neural necropsy. When I reminded him that it never showed on the MRI even though my vision was still blurred he said that sometimes it heals itself enough to not show up on an MRI. If my vision problem was still that bad during the MRI, that would rule out necropsy. I asked what other issue could be INTERNAL that would NOT show up on an MRI that could heal itself at the same time as my corneal abrasion treatment? He said that was what a Neuro Opthalmologist could answer. I'll be calling Washington University to throw some questions their way to see if there are potential situations where this could happen to see if there could have been the possibility of a dual underlying issue.

If there isn't any logical potential underlying condition then this would mean that Dr Donald Levy FAILED to do a basic surface level exam not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES by simply not turning on a COBALT BLUE LIGHT.

(He also believes that he is wholly justified in recommending diets because he is a doctor even though nutrition is not something he specializes in.)

I NOW OWE OVER $2000 in medical bills to SSM. I cannot file a complaint with them because although Dr Donald Levy is only AFFILIATED with them, he does not work with them.

I feel like I actually have a case but it is my word VS his. Any suggestions?

TL;DR eye doctor didn't do basic eye exam because he seemed convinced that being a big fatty mcfatterson was probably the base of my issues so he didn't think it would be surface level after one poor check ;3 now I owe money to a radiologist with a strangely similar name.

[scripturient-writings]

Overload (SamBucky)

Summary: Bucky discovers another symptom of his PTSD when he and his new almost-friend go for a walk in Central Park.

Warnings: panic attacks, self-harm (not graphic, literally just a couple sentences)

Pairing: Sam/Bucky (can be read as platonic or romantic)

"Why are we doing this, again?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'why are we doing this'? It's a walk in the park, Barnes. There is no 'why'. There's no mission, no objective, it's just... relaxing."

"I don't... I'm not enjoying this, and it is not relaxing. I'd like to go home." The sun suddenly seemed brighter to Bucky, and the barking of a nearby dog seemed... not louder, exactly, just... sharper. More grating, harsher. And... yeah, maybe a little bit louder.

Sam laughed, and the sound seemed to echo in Bucky's ears. "You're just saying that 'cause you don't feel right without a gun in your hands. You gotta let yourself go, man. Quit being so... y'know... Winter Soldier-y. Learn to relax and enjoy things."

Bucky wasn't listening. Sam's voice didn't usually bother him, but right now it was piercing. The previously pleasant smell of autumn leaves was becoming overwhelming. The feeling of his clothing against his skin was so very irritating, almost unbearable. But it was mostly the sound. The birds and the dogs and the people and the wind and Sam.

Bucky, had he been thinking rationally, would have realized that going elsewhere would accomplish nothing in alleviating the problem. But he wasn't thinking rationally, and his instincts took over. He turned on his heel and bolted in the opposite direction.

Sam was right in the middle of another jab at the ex-assassin when Bucky bolted.

"What the hell, Barnes?!" He ran after him, not entirely sure what Bucky was playing at. Was he mad at him? Probably not. In Sam's experience, when Bucky was angry, he tended to channel that anger through his gun, or, in the absence of a firearm, his fists. So if he wasn't angry...

Sam nearly stopped in his tracks when he thought of the next possibility: that Bucky was trying to recreate the relationship he'd seen between Sam and Steve. The races in the park, the friendly competitive spirit of their friendship... did Bucky think they weren't friends? Was he trying to be more like Steve because he thought it would make Sam like him more?

The thought of Bucky feeling that way motivated Sam, and he found himself sprinting, fast enough to get in front of Bucky. He put a hand on the other man's shoulder, stopping the super-soldier in his tracks. "Barnes, look at me."

Bucky did, and when Sam saw the panicked look in his eyes, he realized that he had completely misread the situation. This wasn't him trying to be more like Steve. He was having some kind of panic attack.

Ssm silently scolded himself for not seeing the signs. He'd been so busy making fun of Bucky, he hadn't even noticed. He was supposed to good at this stuff, it was literally his job.

"Alright. Here, sit down." Sam guided Bucky to a nearby bench. "What's wrong, Barnes?"

"T-too must... too much of everything, too much noise and it's all too bright and my skin is too tight and I wanna- I wanna get out- and- and-" Bucky was clawing at his flesh arm with the fingers of his metal arm. Sam grabbed the hand, forcing it still.

Sensory overload. Okay.

"Okay. First of all... we're gonna talk about the logistics of your skin being too tight when you're calmer, because that's, like, not physically possible. Right now, I'm gonna need you to stop scratching yourself, alright? You're gonna do some real damage if you're not careful."

Bucky slowly moved his arm so it was resting on his leg, away from the danger zone. Sam realized that Bucky had already drawn blood. He was gonna have to bandage that later...

"Alright. Just give me a minute, alright. I've got some things that can help you." Sam unzipped his bag, pulling out some noise-canceling headphones and a pair of shades. He gently placed the headphones over Bucky's ears, helping him put on the sunglasses.

Bucky's breathing slowed, and he seemed to relax. Sam smiled.

"That's it. You're doing great, Bucky. You're doing great. Just breathe for me, alright? It's gonna be okay."

Bucky looked up at him. "...you called me Bucky. You've never called me Bucky before... I've always just been 'Barnes' to you." A tear rolled down his cheek. "I know why, Sam. I know you don't actually like me. You only put up with me because you know that's what he would want. I... I've known for a while. I don't want to be a burden to you, Sam. Clearly we want different things. I want a friend, and... you just want to avoid disappointing Steve. You should go. Live your life, don't worry about a broken old man like me."

Sam's heart broke. "Listen, Bar- Bucky. You're... you're right. At first, that was how I felt about you. I didn't like you, at all. I kinda hated your guts, actually. But... that's changed. I do see you as a friend, Bucky. And I don't wanna 'go live my life'. Not without you in it."

[yangssunglasses]

For SSM 2019, Day 10: Fox’s Wedding

Rated T

Summary: AU. When love turns into pain, all trust is gone, and the demon is at the gates demanding its pound of flesh, is there still some hope for salvation?

Available on FFnet

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The Maiden and the Fox

Chapter 1

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In the times of peace, Konoha became a prosperous village filled with joy and laughter. Walking down a street you’d encounter many happy inhabitants. Just an hour ago, Haruno Sakura had been one of them.

Not anymore.

When she headed off to meet with Sasuke, she was almost skipping. She was going to confess her feelings to him. On the return, her gait turned into an unsteady shuffle, her shoulders slumped forward and head bent down as she stared at the ground through the pink hair covering her blotchy, wet face.

There’s no reason for me to love you and surely there’s no reason for you to love me. It’s impossible for anything to happen between us.

Sakura shuddered and sobbed, thinking about those cruel, damning words coming from his perfect lips. The rejection burned her so badly, it was rendering her soul apart. She really thought they were getting closer, that he was showing her interest that wasn’t a mere courtesy, but came from a place of affection. Did she really imagine those covert glances he gave her when he thought she wasn’t looking?

Stupid! Sasuke could never love her. She was so ashamed of herself for presuming that he would that she wished for the ground to swallow her up, never to be seen again.

And despite all the shame, the humiliation, the heartbreak, she still loved him with every fiber of her being, with every shard of her broken heart.

Sakura wiped her eyes and let out a choked laugh. She must be crazy. Or a masochist.

There was no hope in sight for her. The love for Sasuke was in her blood and she had no way to free herself from it. This pain was going to stay with her for the rest of her life and she couldn’t even fathom how she’d be able to withstand it in the days to come.

Weeks turned into months, spring gave way to a summer, and Sakura still suffered. She didn’t see Sasuke much, but every time she glimpsed his regal profile on the other side of the street, even his proud silhouette in the distance, a fresh torrent of pain took her breath away. Her heart throbbed and bled, while she gritted her teeth and carried on with her day, as if pretending she wasn’t hurting would make it better somehow. She had nothing else.

There was no cure for unrequited love.

The worst blow came unexpectedly from the mouth of her best friend.

“Did you hear? Sasuke-kun is getting married!” Ino exclaimed with excitement when they saw each other one morning.

That was the final nail in the coffin. Sakura felt as if a poisoned arrow pierced straight through her chest. She was dealt a mortal wound. She smiled and nodded mechanically as Ino narrated the story of the upcoming Uchiha wedding, but on the inside she was completely numb.

For days after, Sakura contemplated what she should do. The last vestiges of hope she’d unknowingly harboured were now gone. Countless times she fantasized about dramatically stopping the wedding. “If anyone has cause to object to the forming of this union, speak now or forever hold your peace,” the pries would say and she’d swoop in, declare her undying love and make Sasuke realize that he loved her back after all. Of course, in reality interrupting the ceremony would be inexcusable. Instead, she thought about a thousand times about going to him, then confessing again like a madwoman, as if repeating the same thing to him would somehow change his mind.

In the end, she did nothing.

Until something happened, a catastrophe so monumental that it shook the fundaments of the village’s existence, threatening the peace and happiness of its inhabitants.

The Nine-Tailed Fox attacked Konoha.

The distant rumble was the first warning; then the quakes; then, bringing a storm like nothing the village elders had seen before, the raging beast came, burning down anything in its path—crops, cattle, and people.

Their leader, the Hokage, had gone to stop the monster before it entered the village walls. Whatever he’d said or done had been successful because the Demon Fox halted his rampage.

The Hokage returned with a grim look on his face and gathered the village assembly in the central square.

“I talked to the Nine-Tailed Fox,” he announced.

“What did he say? Is he going to leave?” called the impatient voices from the crowd.

The Hokage raised his hand. “Let me speak.” When they quieted, he continued. “The Fox agreed to leave Konoha in peace and without further damage, but on one condition.”

“Well, what is it?!” someone shouted.

The Hokage took in a deep breath. “The Fox demands a human sacrifice. A virgin bride.”

The crowd exploded into shouts of disbelief and fear, followed by loud protests. No young woman wanted to be picked, no one wanted to sacrifice their daughter, sister, niece, or friend.

“Before any of you ask if anyone else would do, the answer is no. I offered myself as a sacrifice, but the Fox didn’t want me,” the Hokage told them wryly. “I hate to do this, I really do. I swore to protect you all from harm. I can’t in a good conscience pick one of the girls to do this, but we have until the dawn or the Fox will destroy Konoha. So I can only ask you to look at your friends and families, at the village we all love. Look into your hearts and make a decision that you feel is right.”

A hand rose into the air, surprising everyone. It belonged to a long-haired, immaculately dressed stern man. He was one of the clan leaders—Hyuuga Hiashi. “I volunteer my daughter Hinata. Her sacrifice for the sake of Konoha will bring a great honour to the Hyuuga clan.”

“Are you sure about this? This is your daughter you’re talking about. You will never get her back,” the Hokage warned.

Hiashi nodded. “I am certain,” he said solemnly. “It is also a duty of the Hyuuga clan to protect Konoha.”

“Very well.”

Sakura watched as Hiashi pulled his daughter to come along with him to the Hokage. She looked deathly pale and her body was trembling, but no one was paying attention to her. Some people were already leading a relieved and cheery conversation, convinced that the danger was as good as gone. Sakura didn’t know Hinata, she’d spoken to the girl less than a handful of times, but she had seen her around the village, shy and quiet and modest, always falling into the background. Now Hinata’s pale lips quivered as she cast around pleading, wild looks. This was not how a willing sacrifice looked like. Sakura also knew from Ino’s gossip about the strained relationship between Hinata and her father. It wasn’t hard to infer that Hiashi jumped at the chance to honourably get rid of a daughter he considered unworthy of the Hyuuga name.

A spark of rage ignited in Sakura’s chest and grew into a raging inferno. Before thinking of the consequences, she yelled out on the top of her lungs, “Wait!”

People turned to look at her in surprise. She stepped forward, eyes solely on the Hokage. “You don’t have to take Hinata. Take me! I volunteer!”

“It’s already decided. Hinata volunteered first,” Hiashi interjected with a frown.

“I didn’t hear her saying that. You volunteered her, Hyuuga-san. Hinata didn’t say anything at all,” Sakura rebuffed, an icy calm overtaking her, then she turned to the Hokage. “Surely I’m a better option? I made this choice on my own, without any coercion. And I guarantee that I am untouched. If someone has to be sacrificed, then pick me, not her.”

Hiashi glared at her with his unsettling milky white eyes. “You dare to rob my clan of the honour-“

“Enough,” the Hokage cut him off. “Are you certain? You have a whole life ahead of you,” he told Sakura gently.

She gave a sharp, decisive nod. “I will do this.”

The Hokage turned to address the assembly again, when she spotted Sasuke standing next to his father. Sakura averted her gaze almost instantly and put a hand over her twisting, tearing heart. “I have nothing to live for anyway,” she whispered to herself with a pained little smile.

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AN: I couldn’t finish this idea in a oneshot, so this is going to be a multichapter. Sorry for low Sasuke content in the first chapter, I promise he’s going to be in the story more, even if Sakura is the main character. Let me know how you liked it :) Until next time!

[yeniayofnymeria]

Dance of Dragons and Players

Will be happened second DoD? Short answer; yes.

-GRRM

Hi, short question. Will we find out more about the Dance of the Dragons in future books?

The first dance or the second?

The second will be the subject of a book. The first will be mentioned from time to time, I'm sure. - SSM

-Book

“ Dragons ?” said her mother. “Teora, don’t be mad." “I’m not. They’re coming.” “How could you possibly know that?” her sister asked, with a note of scorn in her voice. “One of your little dreams?” Teora gave a tiny nod, chin trembling. "They were dancing. In my dream. And everywhere the dragons danced the people died.” (TWoW, Arianne)

History repeats itself and GRRM knows it as a history lover. That's why he does the same in his books from time to time. Events can be based on the same root cause and similar points, but each has specific conditions and roles in itself.

Therefore, it will not be correct to search for one-on-one similarity while distributing the roles of the second dance that will take place(afterall GRRM will not copy and paste) but still, I want to talk to you about this.

According to you, which players of the second DoD can match the players of the first? How will the sides be separated? Greens and Blacks or something else? Hints from books? Reasons?

I'll start first. In my opinion, not all players match, but these are the ones I think match.(Some characters fit more than one person.)

Criston Cole - Jorah Mormont

Otto Hightower - Jon Conn. and Doran Martell

Corlys Velaryon - Tyrion Lannister

Dalton Greyjoy - Victarion Greyjoy

Larys Strong - Varys (Almost same name :D )

Erryk Cargyll and Arryk Cargyll: Well, these are twins Quenn/King's Guard, one was on Rae's side and the other on Aegon. In fact, they don't have a very important role, but a "tragic" sibling relationship. There are two separate rumors that they love and hate each other. These two brothers reminded me of Jaime and Tyrion; love and hate each other and i believe they will be two different sides in the first place (later, will change probably).

Also in books, Olenna Tyrell's has twins guards, their name are Erryk and Arryk too but I can not see them a role in this war.(for now)

Addam and Alyn Valeryon - Aurane Waters

Daemon Targaryen - Euron Greyjoy

The Shepherd- High Sparrow. In fact, the current High Sparrow also looks like the Sparrow in the time of Maegor and Aenys. We can say he is the mix of all of them.

This is the role distribution for me for now. Let's come to the leading roles.

How are the sides separated? A name, a color, a coat of arms ...

In fact, before the first Dance, divisions began in the form of the Rhaenyra party and the Alicent party, but then they were divided into blacks and greens because of the clothes they wore in a tournament.

No doubt there is no tournament. For the Dance of the Dragons, it is right to look at the colors of the dragons.

Rhaegal - Green (Jon)

Drogon - Black (Dany)

Viserion- White (Aegon?)

The first dance was between two sides, so it might be thought that the second dance would be the same. Readers often assume this way. Could be true. But we have three dragons and three colors. Also three of our throne candidates; Jon, Dany, Aegon.

If the dance is between the two sides, we will wait for them to separate as blacks and greens. If it will be experienced among three sides, it will be necessary to add whites.

Even Tyrion's eyes are a sign of this; green and black. He will play both sides like Moqorro's said.

"Someone told me that the night is dark and full of terrors. What do you see in those flames?"

"Dragons," Moqorro said in the Common Tongue of Westeros. He spoke it very well, with hardly a trace of accent. No doubt that was one reason the high priest Benerro had chosen him to bring the faith of R'hllor to Daenerys Targaryen. "Dragons old and young, true and false, bright and dark. And you. A small man with a big shadow, snarling in the midst of all."

"Snarling? An amiable fellow like me?" Tyrion was almost flattered.

And also he has dream. It is a sign too for Dance 2, i believe.

That night Tyrion Lannister dreamed of a battle that turned the hills of Westeros as red as blood. He was in the midst of it, dealing death with an axe as big as he was, fighting side by side with Barristan the Bold and Bittersteel as dragons wheeled across the sky above them. In the dream he had two heads, both noseless. His father led the enemy, so he slew him once again. Then he killed his brother, Jaime, hacking at his face until it was a red ruin, laughing every time he struck a blow. Only when the fight was finished did he realize that his second head was weeping.

It should not be forgotten that Tyrion is Jon's friend, and he has relatives with Stark as he is married to Sansa. (A bitter marriage, but ultimately a marriage.)

Some readers think that Jon cannot be part of this Dance because he is not interested sit the iron throne. I think we're looking at it from the wrong place. The sole aim and sole focus of this war will not be the throne itself. There are too many variable factors in the Second Dance that are not in the first.

What are those?

Starks and Targaryens hate the Lannisters, Targanyens (Dany) hate the Starks, Lannisters and Baratheons. Dany wants revenge. Lannisters cannot easily approach anyone this time, everyone hates them. But Tyreller wants to have power. Marg's being a queen means that Tyrels have power. So for now, there is an alliance between these two households. (Lannister-Tyrell) An probably there is this Blackfyre issue. There are the Others beyond the North. The battle of Ice and Fire will take place. Jon doesn't have zero ambition, as in the show. We know that he will experience a serious change after his resurrection. He will become a darker character. Anyway, even Arya can have an influence on Jon, as she turns into a vengeful spirit. (My “the champion” theory)

This dance will most likely be in the last book. In the last book, it is not possible to commit both the Dance and the Others war at the same time. This always makes me think. So I thought GRRM could nest these two battles.

As a result, Jon will be drawn into this war, even if he doesn't want to. Some things are inevitable, especially after deciphering his true identity. So, if the parties are going to be greens and blacks ... And if the colors of the dragons decide ... Then it seems inevitable that Jon is the leader of the greens.

If Aegon is truly a Blackfyre, Jon is the prince's only child. Is it wrong to wait for Jon to ride the dragon named after his father?

( I can't imagine Jon riding Viserion even if Aegon is the real Targaryen. Viserion name? Really? Püfff If the name of the white dragon was Rhaegal, okay but not. Actually, there is this too. If GRRM would not make Jon the leader of the greens, why he did call the green dragon as Rhaegal ? The white dragon would have given this name. Or he would have given the white dragon a more appropriate name. Since the dragon is white, we would think that Jon would ride this dragon. White-headed sword, white wolf arm and white wolf. It makes sense. But the green one was called Rhaegal and the white one was called Viserion. We need to think about that. )

One of the reasons I think the dance's main sides will be Jon and Dany is this.

A blue flower grew from a chink in a wall of ice, and filled the air with sweetness. . . . mother of dragons, bride of fire . . .

Jonerys fans believe this is a FS for "love". No it is not. First of all, the symbol of love is red rose, not blue rose. The blue rose symbolizes Lyanna and Jon. Another name for the blue rose is the snow blue flower. This flower is the symbol of the north and Winterfell. The sweet smell was presented as a death sign in this books many times.

Example:

He never left his bed, though, and the smell of sickness clung to him day and night, a hot, moist, sickly sweet odor. (Ser Darry's moment of death.)

A foul, sweet smell rose from the wound, so thick it almost choked her. The leaves were crusted with blood and pus, Drogo's breast black and glistening with corruption. (Drogo dies)

There was a smell of death about that room; a heavy smell, sweet and foul, clinging. (Cat's father's room)

Another important detail is that Undying ones showed her important things. The things and people threatening her, her enemies ... They tell her to be careful. In summary, Jon is a "death" threat to Dany, directly or indirectly. Ever since I noticed this detail, I waited for Jon to cause her death. I don't need to tell you the result. :D Of course I was waiting in the books ...

In order for this to happen, these two have to be enemies; greens and blacks.

Well, if there is a third side? Then it is Aegon. Whites. Blackfyre. Tyrion had a relationship with all three dragons. (He will meet Dany.) Moqorro actually counted all kinds of dragons.

3 number is important for Targaryens. Aerys had 3 living children, Jon is third child. Dragon has 3 heads. There are 3 dragons. Dany's prophecies and this Moqorro's dragon prophecies: old and young, true and false, bright and dark.

Generally, we thought that every word in a sentence describes a person, but so many dragons should not be expected. Besides dragon has 3 heads :D

Old-Young is 1 person.

True- False is 1 person.

Bright-Dark is 1 person.

All dragons are fighting, and Tyrion is in the middle of this war and is stuck in between them.

The white cyvasse dragon ended up at Tyrion's feet. He scooped it off the carpet and wiped it on his sleeve, but some of the Yunkish blood had collected in the fine grooves of the carving, so the pale wood seemed veined with red... He tossed the bloody dragon in the air, caught it, grinned.

This is an interesting detail. Perhaps the white dragon (Aegon) would die first in this war. If the dance is going to die between 2 sides (greens-blacks) then Viseron will probably never come to the west. (If this is a FS for Viserion. Viserion was the dragon that was frequently seen in this pov and took action. 6th book.)

What do you think?

[theredconversegirl]

Ink and Paper | SSM Day 17

SasuSaku Month 2019 Day 17: “Ink and Paper” Rating:  M

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A/N: This is Part II, following the “Prayers” prompt written by my friend @birkastan2018 . This lovely lady was kind enough to bring to life one of my most embarrassing stories. ❤️😂

Check Part I first to get the full story, it’s hilarious! 😆😜

This two-part story was based in real life events that were adapted for SasuSaku month. There is also an intro on @birkastan2018 ‘s post, and if anyone is curious, feel free to send me asks too.

I have also posted this two-part collab on FanFiction and Ao3 :)

~ Happy Reading!

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It was like a magnet.

Sakura Haruno found herself in yet another awkward situation. It seemed that they kept coming – these uncomfortable and embarrassing situations – especially after she finally got together with her crush, the love of her life, her one and only Sasuke-kun.

He was her boyfriend – finally!

Sasuke Uchiha, THE Sasuke Uchiha was her boyfriend. Hers.

It was not like she didn’t expect that ever happening, but considering the pace and mixed signals she received, she’d thought he either wasn’t that serious, or he’d take a few more years until he approached her in a more than friendly way.

And when it finally happened, it seemed that the universe conspired against her happiness. Like when she tried to have a single moment alone with her boyfriend, something prevented it.

Take last month’s incident for example, where Sakura tried to sneak out to meet her boyfriend – alone for once – only to be busted by her overprotective father in a very embarrassing way. She’d been avoiding the manga kissa like the plague since then.

When her father got home that night, he told her that he had a good talk with the Uchiha boy and that she was grounded. However, it seemed that whatever ‘talk’ that was, her father had eased his murderous glares whenever her boyfriend’s name came up.

After three weeks, Kizashi finally caved in and told his little girl (not so little anymore), that she could visit her boyfriend on Sundays, if only his parents were at home. Sakura was dumbfounded, as she never imagined this development in such a short period of time.

She had asked her Otou-chan several times about these visits before. Sasuke was constantly at their porch ever since he introduced himself to her parents as her boyfriend. Although he’d never go inside and only sat with her on the porch until the sun went down enough to tinge the sky with pink and lilac hues, at least he was there with her. Sakura had never stepped inside – or outside – his home before, then there was the T7 incident, and even Sasuke’s visits were limited. They were also laying low, not sneaking out for a while.

So, when her father said those words, eyes contemplative and gauging her reaction, she’d thought it was a prank.

“Where’s the camera, Otou-chan? This is not funny!” she’d said, and Kizashi only laughed.

🍅 🌸 🍅 🌸 🍅 🌸

One true fact about Sakura Haruno: she was a terrible liar – and everyone knew it.

She couldn’t lie to save her life. And the one time she was successful, the blunt lie didn’t do her any favors at all.

It was the third Sunday that she spent at the Uchiha’s that she noticed it. While Sasuke was helping Mikoto-san with the dishes, Sakura went back to Sasuke’s bedroom to pick up her bag when something shiny caught the corner of her eye.

The window was cracked open, allowing a stream of sunlight to enter the room. The partial opening created a holophote straight to Sasuke’s desk, beckoning to a rolled magazine beside his printer.

Curious like a cat, Sakura turned around to peek through the hallway and checked if she was safe. Not hesitating, she jumped back to the other side of the room and picked up the magazine, unrolling it in the process.

At the sight of the cover, she flung the offensive object out of her grasp, dropping it to the floor with a sharp thud.

Astounded, she glared at the splayed pages by her feet as if that alone would burn it from her sight.

Three questions popped into Sakura’s mind then: WHAT? HOW? WHY?

Because how did her Sasuke-kun, reserved and polite, have such an object in his possession?

Her face flushed as pink as her hair, the temperature rising and burning her skin. Her breathing hitched when she imagined what he used that item for. Why else would a teenage boy have such magazine in his bedroom?

She scooped the magazine up and closed it quickly before she could accidentally peek at anything she didn’t want to see. Holding it closed, she stared at the title, her thoughts racing and moving from possibility to possibility.

“Icha Icha Bunnies…” She whispered.

Why would Sasuke have such a perverted magazine in his bedroom?  

Eeek!

Realization dawning quickly, she rolled the item and stuffed it beside the printer again, swiping her hands up and down over her sundress.

Deciding to not intrude further, Sakura grabbed her bag and flew downstairs, ready to forget what she saw. She’d rather die than bring that up with Sasuke now.

So, she pretended nothing happened, omitting the fact that she knew his little dirty secret.

🍅 🌸 🍅 🌸 🍅 🌸

Several Sundays after the “zine incident” as she called it in her mind, she was again alone in Sasuke’s bedroom, waiting for him to finish his shower.

They had gone swimming earlier, as the weather was pleasant and the lake at the border of the property gleamed and reflected the sun, forming an alluring summer image.

Mikoto found them running back to the house all wet, as they had jumped into the lake with their clothes on.  She ushered Sasuke into her master bedroom to take a warm shower while Sakura used Sasuke’s bathroom.

Sakura didn’t want to impose, so she warmed up quickly, and put on the clothes that Mikoto had brought for her when she picked up Sakura’s wet ones with the weak whispered excuse of, “You can’t go home in different clothes or poor Sasuke’s really done for this time.”

Sakura flinched inwardly and only imagined that the woman was going to take her wet clothes to the dryer.

Once again, she was left alone, and she knew that her boyfriend was a Princess. He liked to take long hot showers, and then take his time to get ready. Sighing contently, she stepped inside his room and sat by his desk, enjoying the recline of the expensive office chair he had.

She was looking for some distraction, sweeping her eyes around the room when her traitorous eyes looked for a confirmation she didn’t want to see.

But there it was! Still by the printer…

To her surprise, she noticed the volume of the degenerate roll had increased exponentially. Scooting closer with her chair, she poked the pile as if it was a scared animal and it would jump and attack her at any moment.

Dragging a couple fingers, she swiped a little until the roll was half undone and she noticed there were new additions to the roll. Two more additions!

He now had three volumes! THREE!!!

How dare he?

They had gone to third base already, and things were only heating up! And he still needed to look and think about anything else – anyone else – other than her? Wasn’t she enough??? Sakura thought disturbingly.

Because even though she tried to keep an open mind, she’d expected him to share his little secret with her, or at least, that he’d stopped leaving it in obvious places after she started to frequent his house and his bedroom as often as now.

For God’s sake it was on his desk! His mom cleaned that desk!

That was it! She couldn’t take it anymore, because she could only stay quiet about this for so long. She would need to eventually come up with little lies to cover up the fact that she knew something about him, and he had no idea.

She would need to do the only thing that came to her mind - she would need to confront him and just ask. Otherwise, the questions would keep coming and the guilt that was building up – the one that pointed to her hiding something from him – would catch up with her.

With a newfound resolve, Sakura rolled the three magazines back and held them tight, tapping them to her crossed thighs as she waited for her boyfriend to return to his bedroom.

🍅 🌸 🍅 🌸 🍅 🌸

The picture that she painted was terrifying.

Barefoot and legs crossed, resting on top of his desk, Sakura reclined on the comfortable chair, clad in one of his black shirts and borrowed cotton shorts that were possibly too short – or were her legs that long?

Resting half of her weight on her elbow over the armrest while her head was nestled on the cushion of the chair, Sakura’s posture screamed relaxed and calm, if not for her maniac scary grin and her holding of sinful magazines.

SHIT. SHIT. SHIT.

Her eyes shifted into two tiny slits when she caught him flinching slightly after entering the room.

Calculating, she followed him with her jade orbs as he slowly approached her. Sasuke ran the tips of his fingers over her calves and knees, trying any tricks to get her to melt before she’d explode.

He travelled the length of her smooth leg, stopping mid-thigh only to draw little lazy circles before the hem of her cotton shorts. Usually by now, Sakura would be a mess of shivers and pants, anticipating the next touch, and asking him to just kiss her already.

But not today.

Today her eyebrows creased, and her frown deepened, her lips curled ready to snarl, and though her skin tingled with gooseflesh, her breathing only indicated how distraught she was.

Sasuke’s hand slackened and stopped its ministrations, he locked eyes with her after glancing to the fisted magazines by her lap. Wrong move, friend, his mind supplied.

“I-I can explain—” he started.

By the look on her face, a look that he had seen not so long ago, he thought – aimlessly – that her father would never need a paternity test in his life, for she had the spitting image of his murderous glare – and again he was on the receiving end of a Haruno’s wrath.

“You can now, can’t you? Mr. ‘I have an explanation for every question’.” She challenged, voice laced with heat and impatience. He wondered how long he had left her alone to dwell over her clear discovery in his room, and if she was at this point already – spitting fire and ready to pounce – he could only think it was long enough.

“They are not mine!” And this time, he glared because Sasuke Uchiha detested lies but he detested even more when he was telling the truth and the receiving end didn’t believe him.

“Oh? These—” Sakura shook the rolled magazines towards him, “—are not yours? These magazines that were rolled and tucked beside your printer, in your room? That’s a rich excuse even for you, Uchiha!”

“They are not! They weren’t there before—”

“Yeah, they weren’t—” Sasuke sighed, as it seemed she had listened for once, “—they were in the store before! How’d you get to buy 18+ magazines huh? This screams Kakashi all over it!”

FUCK.

“That’s not what I meant—”

“I know what you meant, Sasuke.” She whispered his name without the suffix, and he shivered, in excitement or fear, he didn’t know.

“Miss May over here,” Sakura unrolled the Magazine and picked the corresponding one without even checking and Sasuke swallowed then, because he knew she had spent a lot of time looking and overthinking this, “—has been on your desk since last month. Now we have Miss June and July. So, how long until I can expect Miss August to join the party?”

“WHAT?! Saku—"

She didn’t let him say anything else, lifting a finger while she tossed the promiscuous ink-and-paper bundle on the table. Uncrossing her legs slowly, she stood up and place a hand over her hip.

With the finger still mid-air, she extended her arm to push it against his chest, and he took a step back.

“Tell me Uchiha, what do you think when I touch you like this?” Sakura slid a finger through the thin material of his shirt, down to the planes of his stomach, stopping to play with the waistband of his boxers that peeked through his shorts. With a single finger, she had him panting in anticipation.

“Better yet,” she continued, crouching between his legs, and running her fingernail over the bulge prominent over his shorts, “did you think about me or Miss July over there earlier by the lake? Tell me...”

That snapped him back to reality, because as much as he was enjoying the minx before him, he could never let his Sakura believe that there was anything else – anyone else – in his mind while she was the only one that could render him speechless like this.

She was the only one that could set his skin on fire and burn him with desire. She was the only one that made him do crazy things like dry hump in public – images of them sneaking out to a private booth at T7 filled his mind and he groaned remembering the thrill of doing unspeakable things to his girlfriend and almost getting caught.

He couldn’t let her assume anything else.

Swiftly, Sasuke snatched her wrist, stopping her tantalizing movements. He snaked his free arm around her waist and hoisted her up, flushing her tight against him.

Cautiously, he dropped his forehead to the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply her scent if only it would give him enough courage to pour what he felt into words. He laid an open-mouthed kiss before inclining to reach the shell of her ear.

“It’s you. Only. You.” He whispered, punctuating each word with finality, feeling proud when it triggered a shiver that ran through her spine and she writhed in his embrace.

The silence following it faltered his tenacity, and Sasuke grasped her chin between his two fingers, raising it firmly to look in her eyes. When obsidian met viridian, he searched for that spark that she reserved for him but found only insecurity.

She didn’t believe him.

“You don’t believe me.” He stated softly and she parted her lips but instead of saying anything, she tried to mouth a question timidly. “They are my father’s.”

Sasuke saw three emotions passing through and morphing his girlfriend’s face then: Surprise, which switched to disbelief, and then indignation.

She needed to believe him. No, he needed her to believe him.

Stepping aside from her, he grabbed the magazines harshly, forming a stack of paper. “I will prove it to you then.”

If his version of pouring his heart out didn’t work, he’d have to do something else.

🍅 🌸 🍅 🌸 🍅 🌸

He didn’t turn the table, he flipped it.

Sakura saw a puppy turning into a wolf – in a span of two minutes – as Sasuke switched from inquisitive to mortified and then possessive. Her spell was broken – one second, she had him in the palm of her hand, and the next he had her panting at his mercy.

Lifting the pile with a hand, he used the other to grab her tiny wrist, tugging it to have her follow him.

She was still in shock, as if his determination and statement could ever make any sense right now. Fugaku-san’s? Pffft.

Everything was happening so fast, and Sakura knew she might have swung from emotion to emotion like a monkey swings from tree to tree – overestimating actions and assuming things, as much as Sasuke did.

It was stupid – childish and stupid. She cursed herself under her breath, muttering an intelligible string of colorful words regarding her stupid jealously, her stupid self-conscious moment, and her stupid teenage hormones.

Her boyfriend continued to march downstairs, tugging her along with his resolve and that pile of magazines.

When they reached the living room, Sasuke called his father a few times, until he heard the click of a door opening by the end of the hall. Not wasting any minute, he spun around and gestured her to follow him. And Sakura followed him, like a lost puppy followed a stranger, curious to see where he was going but afraid to see what they were going to do.

By the time they turned into the hallway, Fugaku opened his office door, a hand holding a stack of papers and the other a sleek black pen, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose and eyes down cast at the ink spreading and marking white.

The Uchiha patriarch continued to emblem his consent on paper and only huffed as his son called him one more time, confirming that he had heard him, despite the fact that he hadn’t replied or made eye contact yet.

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. Her mind working quickly, she had an idea of the disaster she was about to step in.

Although she had been dating his son for months now, Fugaku was still a mystery. Sakura had no idea where she stood with him – did he even like her? Or her presence in his home? To be honest, Fugaku Uchiha intimidated her and she didn’t want to impose on his home, much less cause any commotion.

Green-green eyes swept from Sasuke to the stack of magazines, to the serious concentrated gaze of her possibly-future-father-in-law, and her presence in the middle of the hallway, dressed in Sasuke’s shirt and Mikoto’s short shorts, dumpy haired and barefoot.

She confirmed then, it was like a magnet; trouble followed Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha was the push and pull force that kept her on the edge of that magnetic field.

Everything went down like this:

Sasuke paced firmly, stopping in front of his father. Without any hesitancy, he shoved the infamous Icha Icha monthly magazines on Fagaku’s chest. “Here,” he had almost yelled, “you can have all your magazines back.”

She could see how distressed Sasuke was; shoulders moving up and down heavy with trepidation, pants leaving his parted lips, and strands of dark hair sticking to his neck.

Sasuke took his father’s silence and frown as a sign to go on – that was his second mistake in a row. “I never actually paid attention to them, and now I don’t need ’em either.”

No. No. No. No. No.

Sakura paled and then turned beet red. The smug tone added to the last part of her boyfriend’s sentence only fuelled the situation with insinuations and discomfort.

Trying not to make any sound, she backstepped gently, trying to go back from where they came from, so she could turn on her heels and just run, run, run – run far away from this mess! And then, when her dumbass boyfriend caught up, she’d pummel him into next Sunday.

Before she could place another foot behind her and continue her escape plan, there was a clunking noise where metal met the floor.

“What did you just say, young man?”

Behind Fugaku, stood Mikoto, flushed with anger or embarrassment, she didn’t know. By their feet, Sakura could see the cause of the loud noise she heard as a tray bringing Fugaku’s afternoon tea rested now on the floor.  

The Uchiha matriarch marched towards them, stepping in between her husband and younger son. By her lack of composure, Sakura could imagine that Mikoto had either understood everything that just happened, or she had at least picked up parts of the father and son’s interactions.

Sakura could see how both men’s necks turned red when Mikoto glanced between the two and caught sight of what caused the whole commotion. Fugaku tightened his hold on the stack of papers and magazines over his chest and Mikoto narrowed her eyes.

“What’s this?” Mikoto whispered, but her voice was anything but soft.

“Miko—”

“That’s why I kept finding T7’s receipts, even after Sasuke had stopped—” The incredulous look her husband threw her way made her pause the detective binge. “Don’t give me that look, who do you think does the laundry?!”

“It’s not what you think,” Fugaku started while Sasuke walked backwards towards Sakura.

“No, it’s what I see! Save it, Fugaku, I’m not that naïve—” Mikoto spat back, and then with some hurt she added softly, “—and young, it seems.”

Sakura couldn’t see if her possibly-future-mother-in-law was actually hurt or feigning it to get a thorough explanation. Sakura was a woman, too, and she knew many persuasive tricks after watching her own parents’ ridiculous fights over the years.

“It’s not only pictures,” The Uchiha patriarch said securely, and glancing over Mikoto’s shoulder, he continued in a lower tone, “where do you think all those new tricks came from, woman? I’m not that creative!”  

Forget about running, Sakura wished the ground would swallow her up.

She felt Sasuke freezing beside her, and the choked sound that came from his throat could only be his gag reflex upon hearing such a comment from his parents.

A can of worms was opened in front of him – poor Sasuke-kun!

Taking the engrossed whispers happening between the older couple as a cue, Sakura snaked an arm around Sasuke’s middle and guided him away, back to his room. When he sat on the edge of his bed, shoulders slumped and limbs slackened, Sakura thought how adorable defeat and astonishment looked on him, even though there was a slight possibility of permanent trauma after such a series of disastrous events.

Stepping between his legs, Sakura hugged him affectionally, bringing his head to nuzzle her neck. She patted his head, threading her fingers through his dark locks, whispering sweet nothings as she told him everything would be ok.

🍅 🌸 🍅 🌸 🍅 🌸 

10 YEARS LATER

“You disappeared today.”

Sakura approached the edge of the bed while pushing one of her husband’s t-shirts over her head. She climbed in on all fours and cat walked playfully, a hint of mischief in her green eyes that were locked with onyx ones.

“Uh—this afternoon you mean?” She said, while pulling the duvet aside and sliding her legs under it. “Ah, I had to get away for a moment,” she remembered, “I ended up having another interesting, yet awkward conversation with your father.”

“Did you now?” Sasuke asked amused, with the nostalgia that her words brought.

Sakura nodded and tried to get comfortable in her husband’s embrace. He held the corner of the duvet up while she twisted and turned. With his free arm, he scooted her closer, cradling her lower back.

Impatient that his plan was not as successful as he imagined, he huffed, curling his lip into a pout. Sakura raised a manicured eyebrow, questioning his silly behaviour.

“I’m trying to get closer, but this little one,” he brushed her swollen belly gently, “is not letting me.”

Amused, Sakura chuckled as he tried to turn her around to have her back against his front. Sasuke knew by now how his wife loved to fall asleep whispering quietly in his embrace, brushing their noses and nuzzling his neck. Normally, they wouldn’t be spooning until later in the night when both were fast asleep.

“Wait, I want to finish this conversation looking at you, then you can man-handle me as you please.” She teased and then narrowed her eyes, noticing something he hadn’t yet. “Isn’t it weird that we’re back in your old room after so long? I could swear this bed was bigger back then…” Sakura trailed off, arching her eyebrows suggestively.

“Tch.” Sakura could faintly see a blush creeping up his neck. He might be a tease when it comes to physical affections, but Sakura was a tease with words, her mouth could undo him quicker than anything else. And she enjoyed the power she had over him with such a simple act. “Calm down, woman. I don’t want a repeat of other things.”

By other things, her husband was hinting at the times they were caught in this same bed, but in some compromising positions – first by Mikoto, which they did not talk about it, and then years later by Fugaku, who threatened to bring back the open-door-rule for his nineteen year old son’s bedroom.

They both shuddered, probably remembering the same memories.

“What did you two talk about?” Sasuke broke the silence.

“Let me see, something about a desperate phone call Fugaku-san received years ago about a certain someone hiding in a washroom…”

Sasuke sighed, running the hand that wasn’t caressing Sakura’s belly over his face. “Of course, he’d bring something like that up.”

“I didn’t get the whole story yet, Sasuke-kun. It’s been years, I think the mother of your child deserves to know. Just saying…”

Flustered, Sasuke tried to hide by resting his forehead as close as possible of hers. When he was unsuccessful, she teased lightly “I always thought defeat looked good on you.”

“Ok, only because I – I mean ‘we’ – wouldn’t be here if not for what I said to your father after I left that damned washroom.”

Sakura squealed victoriously and squirmed around his embrace, trying to get ready for the rare occasion where her reserved husband was going to tell her a story, their story.

“Quiet! You don’t want them coming over and thinking things.” He reprimanded and Sakura mimic a zipper being closed over her mouth. “Ok, you know everything before you escaped. When I opened that door, your dad was there waiting for me.”

“Go on.”

“Tch, I’m skipping to the conversation.”

“Ok, ok, just tell me already!”

“When your father cornered me with accusations and a talk about dignity and reputation and what a young lady deserves, I told him...” Sakura reached a hand when he paused, cupping his cheek. She brushed her thumb in a soothing way as to encourage him to continue. “I told him ‘Sir, I love your daughter, and I want what’s best for her. I wouldn’t do anything to harm her or her reputation. I would never do something she wouldn’t want me to do, and I respect her and your wishes. I will try to keep my distance as you asked, but I can’t promise you that.”

Wide eyes and mouth agape, Sakura was stunned by her husband’s declaration. A soft sniff followed by several others filled the silence in the room, and this time, it was Sasuke’s turn to brush a thumb over her cheek, collecting the tears that kept running down.

“Shh, see why I didn’t want to tell you?” He whispered.

“You—You’re all stoic and cold around everyone, but me of course! —”

“—but you.” He agreed, a smile tugging his lips.

“—you went all Romeo and said you loved me to my father, before you even said those words to me?!” Sakura paused, pulling the hem of her shirt up to clean her face. “Wow, you’re a real softie, Sasuke-kun.”

“What?! Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Tch.”

“But you’re my softie.”

“Hn.”

“I wonder now what talk you had with your father after the 'zine incident'…”

A deep groan escaped him as Sasuke turned his wife around and tucked her under his chin, her back pressed tightly against his chest. All patience and fluff gone with the unpleasant memory of Fugaku Uchiha trying to explain himself to his son after such a traumatizing discussion involving forbidden sinful magazines and the reason to buy them in the first place.

“Sasuke-kun?”

“Shh, sleep.”

“I think I heard steps; you shouldn’t have groaned so loudly.”

[aegor-bamfsteel]

I don't know if it's a stupid question but why do you think Aegon was so sure he was the father of Daemon? I heard he was supposed to be in Braavos when Daena was pregnant and she hide the parentage but did he just claimed Daemon because he disliked Daeron and didn't want Baelor as king? Is that why he started rumors about Daeron but not Daenerys?

That’s not a stupid question at all, allyria! In fact, it’s one I’ve thought a lot about and it’s led to some tinfoil. 

Was Aegon in Braavos when Daena was pregnant? According to the SSM on Daena written in 2006, Daena escaped once in disguise “with the contrivance of her cousin Aegon,” although of course this information is from a long time ago; perhaps GRRM hadn’t come up with the ‘Aegon goes to Braavos on a diplomatic mission for a few years to keep from raping Naerys to death in childbirth’ reason for Daeron II-Daenerys’ 19 year age gap. In the 2014 World of Ice and Fire, it’s revealed that Aegon went to Braavos in 161AC and started an affair with the sea captain Bellegere Otherys that went on for 10 years, during which time she gave birth to three children. If the affair happened in Braavos and only in Braavos, then of course Aegon could not have fathered Daemon, but due to Bellegere’s itinerant occupation there’s no reason to assume they didn’t resume the affair in King’s Landing; in fact, that must be the case, since in 171AC Aegon VI openly took Barba Bracken as his mistress, meaning he was in KL at the time he and Bellegere broke up. So it’s possible that the SSM of Aegon helping Daena escape is still canon, thus Aegon came back to King’s Landing (maybe in the late 160s) from Braavos and perhaps had an affair with her. Considering there were rumors about Aegon being Daemon’s father before he was even acknowledged, I suppose the timeline must’ve worked out for some members of his court.

Now here’s where the tinfoil comes in:

Why do you think Aegon was so sure he was Daemon’s father? I don’t think he was, and only acknowledged Daemon as a last resort. I mentioned in a previous meta that acknowledging Daemon meant acknowledging seducing a princess without intent to marry her (which would’ve brought the wrath of the court and her powerful family, as seen with Saera/the Stinger in F&B), and Aegon wanted to avoid a scandal that could trigger his removal from the Throne. He would not have acknowledged Daemon had his own non-Daeron sons proved so disappointing. 

Aegon IV is unique in Targaryen history for having mistresses as opposed to paramours. (Aegon II and Aerys II had illegitimate children with unnamed [nice one, GRRM -_-] and presumably not-noble paramours, but they did not take them openly as mistresses.) He is also an aberration in real life history, since most kings did not choose unwed teenaged (by which I mean: a 16, a 13, a 15, and a 14 year old), relatively highborn girls to be their mistress; it was considered sacrilegious to defile a virgin, especially a lady, so most kings chose married women with husbands who’d look the other way. Doing so also saved kings from having to care for illegitimate children, since their offspring by married women were legally her husband’s unless acknowledged by the king in writing. It would seem logical for Aegon IV to keep to the lowborn/unimportant in Westeros paramours he had before his ascension (ie, women like Megette and Bellegere), or shift to married women, but he chose 4 Westerosi ladies and an impoverished Essosi aristocrat. Now it could be he was just reveling in being king and bedding highborn girls without consequence, or it could be that he wanted illegitimate sons whose mothers’ were ladies, and giving these unwed girls the ‘mistress’ title essentially ensured that those sons were without a doubt his, (since they had no legal father to cast doubt on his paternity). I suppose Aegon IV took high-but-not-too-high-born mistresses to have sons (who would at least have their family’s support) who could oppose Daeron later on, while not creating too big of a scandal.

It’s bad luck for this supposed plan of Aegon’s that both of his acknowledged, without-a-doubt-his sons turned out to be unsuitable. According to the MUSH RPG Melissa Blackwood was the daughter of a war hero (Bloody Ben) and a Baratheon (the Storm Ellyn) and the granddaughter of a Lannister, and was a beloved mistress besides, but her only son was born with albinism and thus thought cursed; this likely caused Aegon to “lose interest” in her shortly after Brynden’s birth. Aegor also had high birth, but there was no way Aegon was going to show favor to the grandson and nephew of the people he executed out of spite. Instead, he sought suitable sons in Jeyne Lothston and later Serenei of Lys, but then Jeyne got the pox and Serenei died in childbirth with a daughte, so I guess the barely-mobile Aegon figured he’d never have anymore kids by that point, and had to make do with what he had (note: twoiaf is not at all clear when Serenei died and Shiera was born, but I’m putting it around 179-181 because I don’t want Aegor and Brynden potentially “”falling in love”” with an 11-14 year old). So between the son with albinism, the son with traitorous blood, or the son who might not be his son but was the son of a princess who didn’t remarry (so no legal father/husband to dispute the paternity) who was brought up in the Red Keep and was an accomplished fighter at age 12, he was going to bite the bullet and call Daemon his, giving him Blackfyre as a token of favor. Helping his cause was that Daena had probably died before the acknowledgment (again there is no record of when Daena died, although the SSM indicates she lived long enough to raise Daemon, although according to Bran Stark eight/nine is “nearly a man grown” so who knows when childrearing is apparently done), and thus was not around to continue to refuse to name her child’s father.

Is [Aegon IV’s hatred of Daeron] why he started rumors about [his dubious paternity] and not Daenerys’? While I believe Aemon was Daeron’s father after all due to circumstantial evidence (parallel what Viserys I did to Aegon’s lover Falena Stokeworth with what he could’ve done to Naerys’ lover Aemon; send them both away from his child in a position befitting their birth), I do think that Aegon’s dislike of his son (or rather, what he believed Naerys, Viserys, and possibly Aemon and Baelor “turned him into” while he was separated from his child in Braavos) first made him consider that Daeron wasn’t his. However, I also think that the circumstances around Daenerys’ conception must’ve proved without a doubt that she was Aegon’s. Remember that she was born very soon after Aegon became king. Perhaps Aemon could’ve been sent on a scouting expedition to the Dornish marches in preparation for erecting those siege engines, meaning he was separate from Naerys for a time. Another theory with canon precedent is that the High Septon ordered a public re-consummation of Aegon and Naerys’ marriage some time around Aegon’s ascension, similar to Maegor I and Ceryse Hightower’s second consummation; it’s a prince exiled to Essos for a few years who ignored his legitimate wife in favor of younger, “more fertile” women, leading to their estrangement, then coming back together upon his return and their ascension as rulers. If Daenerys was born nine moons after a public consummation while Aemon was away from King’s Landing, then that would explain why there were no rumors about her paternity. Of course, a female child would not have, under the recent court logic that disinherited Queen Daena and her sisters, been able to challenge Daeron in the way a son could’ve, so the rumor mill simply may not have thought she was worth gossiping over.

I hope my response was interesting and coherent, in spite of all the tinfoil :)

[thespookysideshowman]

The Beginning/End of a Legend... Part 1

The Beginning/End of a Legend Part 1

The audience fell silent as I, Thaddeus Percival Floyd, entered the center ring.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” my voice boomed. “WELCOME! To the strangest show you’ve ever seen with the weirdest performers on Earth! THE FLOYD HOUSE OF CREEPS!”.

The audience erupted into applause, and their cheers sounded like thunder. Every week a new city, every day a new audience, and everytime, they loved us. I spun my jet black cane ,and it landed on the ground with a thud, my hand firmly grasping the golden knob that rested on top.

“Introducing our first act: On an expedition deep into the jungles of the Amazon, an explorer stumbled into a dark cave. Having lost his torch, he couldn’t see a thing, but a small green glow emanated from the darkness. He reached out his hand to grab at it, and with a blinding flash of light, he was never the same! The spirits of the animal kingdom have changed him! INTRODUCING...”

I grabbed my feathered top hat,flipped it of my head, and caught it mid-air by the rim, gesturing towards the entrance. “...THE ANIMAL KING!”.

He scurried on stage like a mouse, the spotlight following him, and perched on a small painted stool like a bird. The spotlight took on a red hue, giving his costume a mystifying look. It was important that we kept lighting exactly right during the Animal King act because, as I announced the various animals that he would mimic, he would fold over a layer on a part of his costume and contort to match the animal he’s imitating. The lights had to change to match the pattern, or the whole effect would be lost.

“He is in one of his more docile forms right now: Corvus corax, more routinely known as the common raven,” I announced to the audience. We always started with the raven so he could enter wearing all black.

“Let’s spice things up, shall we? It’s not called the Floyd House of Mundanity! So let’s say he became... a LION!”

Just then, he leaped from his perch, somersaulting in mid-air; as he did this, his clothing folded over to reveal bits of genuine lion skins that, when he contorted a certain way, covered his entire body. As he landed on all fours, his back arched, and his knees bent in the opposite direction. As the light switched to yellow, he snarled and roared, and then, as if on cue, the audience gasped. He prowled towards me and lunged, and I leaped back, smacking him with my cane.

“Back!” I shouted.

He then began lapping the center ring, running exactly like a lion. The audience cheered; they always loved that part.

“Let’s slow him down! Aldabrachelys gigantea!” I roared, and he flipped and rolled, pulling an enormous tortoise shell off his back and folding over the fabric on his forearms and shins to reveal alligator skin. His limbs pressed into his torso, and he waddled towards the center.

“Aldabra Giant Tortoise” I explained. “Let’s make this interesting,” I added, kicking him on his back.

The audience laughed, as he struggled and kicked. He eventually flipped over, and while he did so, he tucked away the shell. The alligator skin folded back to revealed black fur. The light turned green, and he puffed out his chest and beat on it.

“OOH OOH OOH OOOOH!” he wailed like a gorilla and began charging at me.

“Don’t worry!” I reassured the audience. “I can handle myself!”

I quickly pulled a bullwhip from my purple tailcoat, and I fended him off. Someone from the audience, caught up in the action, shouted “He’s angered the beast!”

The Animal King screeched, and the sound filled the tent. He turned to look at the audience and beat his chest. “I assure you that you are in no danger--- this is just an unprecedented change. RESTRAIN HIM!”

Two of my stronger carnies ran into the ring and grabbed each arm.

“Don’t fret I assure you we have the situation under contr-”

Before I finished, a member of the audience stood up and screamed, “OH MY GOD!”

She pointed at The Animal King. He was stronger than my carnies and knocked one of them to the side. The carny flew through the air and hit the border of the ring; he struggled as he stood up, and his fright makeup was smeared.

“GET THAT FREAK!” he shouted.

The audience began to murmur, scream, and cry. Some woman actually stood up and ran out screaming, while holding her son. The beast began to charge at the stands; truly, the amount of peanuts being dropped was absurd.

“DODGY!” I called.

Just then, a dart flew from across the tent and hit the charging freak mid-run. He moaned and fell over. The crowd released a sigh of relief as my two carnies walked over and dragged him out of the ring.

“Nothing gets your blood pumping quite like a near-death experience, eh?” I said. The audience laughed, and they calmed down quite a bit. “No better way to introduce our next act! The man who trained for seventeen years in the frigid Russian winters of Siberia, perfecting the deadly arts of crossbows, guns, and bows! Your hero: DODGY, THE SURE-SHOT CLOWN!” I boomed.

Out of the ring came Dodgy on a unicycle, rifle in hand, the spotlight highlighting every detail of his red target shaped face-paint. Blue hair fell down his back in a ponytail with a black and red jester outfit covering the rest of his body. As he did figure eights around the ring, he shot a balloon that was held by a carny standing just outside the ring, then a balloon held by a man in the audience, then ten balloons that we released. He shot every single one before they got to the top, never once stopping his figure eights. The audience cheered and clapped.

“I don’t know why you cheer; I could have done that” I joked, and Dodgy rode right by me and shot my hat off my head. The crowd laughed hysterically. I picked up my hat and put it back on.

“That’s not all he can do” I announced

He made two doves appear and let them loose in either direction. One brought back a crossbow and the other a satchel of bolts.

“What is he gonna hunt?” I asked the audience “Only one thing for a clown!”

Dodgy pulled a handful of balloons out of his pocket and began blowing them up. As he wrapped them together, he created a red bunny, then a blue one, then a green one, and so on till there was about thirty-five balloon rabbits in the ring. Then he shot one, reloaded, shot another, reloaded, and continued doing it more and more rapidly. By the time he had shot thirteen, you couldn’t see him reload anymore. All the while, he made concentric circles on his unicycle. Once there were no more rabbits, he jumped off his unicycle and took a bow.

“Let’s hear for the clown!” I said, as the crowd let out an applause. “Now for his final trick!”

He hopped on his unicycle and disappeared with a puff a smoke. He rode back in the ring on his unicycle with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. A spotlight reveal a wooden board that was hiding in the darkness, and Dodgy began to rapid fire arrows into the board in a seemingly random pattern. When he finished, it was revealed that he had written “DODGY AT THE FLOYD HOUSE OF CREEPS” on it. The audience erupted into applause as he exited the ring.

“For our next act, we have our classic TRAPEZE OF DANGER!”

This was always our midpoint act, because we realized that most people got concessions during the trapeze act anyway--- not that it was boring, but trapeze was something you could get at any circus, not just ours. Consequently, our acrobat, Rose, was more like a manager than a performer, in spite of her talent. Thus, once I announced trapeze, a number of people filed out of the tent to the concessions just outside. This gave me time to step out of the center ring, leaving the rest of the audience watching Rose and waiting for the next act…..

-SSM

Wow that was a longer than I thought it would be. Anyway this is the beginning to a little short story series I’m working on. Not much was actually going on in this bit but every story starts somewhere! Hope you enjoy It!

[redcameleon]

SSM 2020 Day 18

Prompt: Curses

Summary: Every time Sakura had gone to a blind date, she always got stood up, as if she was cursed to never find the right one. But things might just turn around when she met a certain man.

Rating: K+. some curse words.

A/N: Rewrote this day’s prompt because the story I had written didn’t really feel right with the prompt. 

Today will be different! I’m sure of it.

Sakura thought to herself as she arrived at the restaurant. The waitress escorted her to a table for two before pouring her a glass of water.

“I’ll order later. I’m still waiting for someone.” The waitress nodded and left to attend to a nearby table.

It was the fifth blind date she’d ever gone to, and she’s hoping, praying, that it won’t end the same way the other four did.

Fifteen minutes passed, and she’s trying her best to not be pessimistic. It’s only been fifteen minutes since their arranged meeting time.

Thirty minutes passed, and the hope of this guy actually showing up was starting to dwindle.

An hour and a half passed. By then, the waitress had swung by her table five times, and soon enough, she would have to be kicked out for just sitting there without ordering anything.

“That’s it.” Sakura had had enough. She stood up and left a few bills to compensate for her time there before exiting the building.

“Stupid date.” She murmured to herself. The night air seemed colder than usual, or was it perhaps because of her sullen mood? She couldn’t tell. She walked pass a bar, and convinced herself she deserved a drink or two. Oh what the heck. Tomorrow’s Sunday anyway.

She walked in and sat herself on one of the stools by the bar, a glass of martini accompanied her. She kept staring at the glass, tracing her finger around the rim.

“Rough night?” The bartender commented. Sakura could guess that her face gave it all away.

“Sort of. Got stood up on a date.”

“Ouch, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s only the fifth time it’s ever happened to me. No big deal. I’m probably cursed at this point and I’ll never find anyone.” The blonde bartender could tell she would need more than a glass to feel better tonight.

“You know what, this one’s on me.” He placed a glass in front of her. The color looked peachy red, but she couldn’t exactly tell what’s inside.

“What is this? Are you trying to take advantage of my wallows?”

“Oh no no, don’t worry this is my special concoction. I call it the break up make up. I put in some cherries, mango, lemon, and vodka. And don’t worry I’m not trying to drug you.” Sakura chuckled at his comment. She figured if this was supposed to make her feel better, then there’s no harm in trying.

She took the glass and tried a sip.

“Hm, not bad. I like the lemon you added in there.” The bartender smiled when he saw that her mood had lightened up a bit.

“The name’s Naruto, by the way.”

“Sakura. Nice to meet you.” Sakura couldn’t keep track of how long she was there, conversing with Naruto. But she didn't stop at her second glass. She kept ordering more, hoping that the bitter drink would get rid of the bitterness in her heart. Naruto was starting to get worried by the time she had her fifth glass.

“Hey, you should probably take it easy with the alcohol.”

“What do you mean?” Her words were starting to come out a bit more slurred. She’s definitely drunk. Naruto thought.

“Okay that’s enough, I’m not giving you anymore drinks.” Naruto took away the glass in her hand and threw away whatever’s left in there.

“Aww but I was just getting started!” Sakura was beginning to throw a tiny fit. Working at a bar, Naruto had seen countless number of people getting drunk, and doing stupid things they would regret.

“Do you have friends you can call to pick you up?”

“Hm? Friends? Sure.” She took out her phone and dialed her best friend Ino. The tone kept ringing for a while, but no one was picking up. To be fair, it was three in the morning.

“Tch. No answer.” Shit. Defeated, Sakura plopped on the table. Just when Naruto was starting to run out of ideas, his best friend decided walked into the bar. Naruto spotted him right away and started waving at him.

“Ah Sasuke! Right on time! I need your help!” Sasuke approached the bar and gave him a confused look.

“Help me get her home safely.” Naruto pointed at Sakura, who’s moments away from blacking out.

“What? Why should I?” To be fair, this was a complete stranger, who was drunk, and Naruto wanted him to ensure she gets back home safely? He probably didn’t even know where she lived.

“She just had a rough night and drank too much. I’m worried for her. Please.” Naruto pleaded. Of course, Naruto being the saint that he was, he wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt.

Sasuke didn’t exactly have the best night, either. He kept staring at Naruto, trying to win this staring contest that he knew eventually he would lose to.

“Please? I’ll buy you dinner next time.”

“Tch fine.” Sasuke tried waking Sakura up, to see how much she could actually function.

“Who is it? Are you my date?” Sasuke got flustered hearing her question. He eyed Naruto with a look equal to, what the fuck is she saying?

“Oh she just got stood up on her date tonight.” Sasuke didn’t even want the details. He tried shaking her again.

“Here let me take you home. Where do you live?”

“Go away! I don’t want to see anybody!” She buried her face deeper in her arms. Sasuke sighed. They’re not going anywhere at this point, and it’s almost closing time. It seemed that she was too drunk to even comprehend his question. At this point, he was starting to lose his patience.

“Fuck this.” He swung her arm around his shoulder, and guided her outside. She staggered a bit before he was able to properly prop her.

He couldn’t leave her on the streets like this, but he didn’t even know where she lived. Without a destination, there was only one option for him.

He swung his arms, calling for a taxi to come pick them up. When a vehicle arrived, he opened the door, gently helped Sakura sit on one side, and closed the door before getting in the taxi from the other end. He instructed the driver and they were on their way.

The drive home wasn’t terrible. Sakura had calmed down a lot, and was no longer flailing or saying incoherent words. Thank God.

The taxi pulled up in front of a tall apartment building not far from the bar. Sasuke helped Sakura get out of the car and up a flight of stairs and up the elevator to the tenth floor. He struggled to get his keys out from his pocket as his other hand was preoccupied trying to keep Sakura upright. He finally managed to open the door and plopped Sakura on the bed.

Sasuke was at a lost as to the kind of trouble Naruto had put him into. The night hadn’t been perfect for him either, he just found out that his brother had been admitted to the hospital, and now to add into his troubles, there’s a girl who’s completely out of it, sprawled on his bed.

He did what any decent person would do, he took of her shoes, positioned her head comfortably on the pillow, and covered her with a blanket. He set a glass of water on the bedside table before closing the bedroom door behind him. He’s had a long night, and frankly, he’s ready to fall asleep anywhere.

He plopped himself on the couch and decided to get some shut eyes. Tomorrow would surely be interesting.

.

.

Sakura slowly peered her eyes open. Sunlight was trickling in from the blinds. Sakura stretched a bit, mind still blurry as to what happened the night before. The last thing she remembered was seeing a handsome dark-haired man standing over her. She tried to take in her surroundings before she realized, this is not her own place.

She jumped from the bed and took the covers off. All clothed. She looked around the room but failed to find any identity as to who this room belonged to. She could see a desk with some books spread on it, no photo frames, no posters. The room could easily be one of those rooms displayed in furniture stores. She saw a glass of water with a note next to it,

Drink. No poison.

She chuckled a bit. I guess she should trust whoever this person was, after all they brought her here safely. She took a few sips before downing the whole glass, her throat seemed awfully dry and hoarse. She felt like her head was about to be split in half as the hangover started to kick in. She tried to stand up and stuck her ear to the door, trying to hear any evidence of life outside the room. She heard some metal clanging and assumed that whoever this person was must be awake.

She slowly opened the door and peeked through the tiny slit. The man was standing in front of the stove, cooking something. Sakura could feel her stomach growl when the smell reached her nostrils. She debated whether she wanted to greet this stranger and thank him, or she should just bail out of there as quick as possible. She found her purse on the bedside table and grabbed it before gently opening the door just wide enough for her body to squeeze through. She thought the sizzling sound should be enough to conceal her noises. Tiptoeing ever so slightly, she headed towards the entrance.

After just a few steps, the man spoke, “You’re awake.” Sakura froze in place and when she didn’t say anything else, he turned to look at her.

She was a bit surprised to see that the man standing in front of her was indeed the man she last saw that evening.

“Wait, you were at the bar last night!” Waking up in a stranger’s apartment and that’s the first words she said.

“Hn. Have a seat.” He motioned her to sit on the dining table. She thought her plan to escape had been compromised. At least, she could take his offer and put some food into her system. She just realized the last time she had eaten anything was before she went out to go on the blind date, which was a bad idea after all.

She set aside her purse on a chair before taking a seat at the dining table. She could see he’d two sets of utensils and two glasses of water. He placed a bottle of Tylenol next to her glass. He knew all that drinking would result in a dreadful hangover.

“Thanks.” She opened the bottle and popped a pill or two into her mouth. I should really stop drinking. She thought to herself. The man brought a bowl of soup and placed it in front of her, then proceeded to put some eggs and sausages on to his plate.

“Umm about last night.” Sakura didn’t even know where to start. She didn’t know if she should apologize first or thank him. She settled for the apology first.

“I’m so sorry I got you into this. I had too much to drink and I didn’t really have no one with me at that time. I’m so sorry I’ll make it up to you!”

“Hn. Just eat.” He started digging into his food. He barely spared a glance at her. She figured, he must be annoyed at her.

“Thank you. For keeping me safe.” She tried the soup and it was honestly the best thing she’d had since last night. They focused on their own meals, eating in silence, mostly out of courtesy for Sakura. She had a million questions. Who is he? Why did he bring me here? What does he want?

After they finished eating, he grabbed her bowl and his plate and placed them in the sink.

“Naruto told me to take you home, but I didn’t know where you lived, and you were too drunk to tell me.” He finally managed to explain to her.

“Oh..” She slapped herself mentally. Stupid Sakura, you should know better than to drink that much by yourself!

She glanced at the clock. 11AM. Oh shit! She was late to a breakfast appointment with Ino she had completely forgotten about.

“How do I make it up to you?”

“It’s fine.”

“No please, let me.” She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen laying around and started writing down her phone number.

“I’m sorry I can’t stick around, but here’s my number. I promise I’ll make it up to you! I hope I’ll see you again.” I don’t,Sasuke thought. One encounter was enough for him.

She grabbed her purse and hurriedly put on her shoes.

“I’m Sakura, by the way.”

“Sasuke.” He thought she deserved to know the name of the person who saved her.

“Thank you, Sasuke.” She opened the apartment door and left, leaving a click sound when the door shut behind her.

Fate had a funny way of thinking, and little did they know, their little encounter was only the beginning.

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to be continued?

*A/N: I’m thinking of turning this into a multichaptered story. Let me know what you guys think! Feedback is always welcome.