#he feels like a shoot the messenger type person

[paradoxbeta]

blooming flowers in winding roads if he could say a few words to the concealed bioweapon he got sent that one time

[sofiareidings]

Coffee Runs

Summary: The guy who's been coming to the cafe you work at finally asked why you've never called him by his name.

A/N: I'm sorry this story is so late, especially since I missed Monday's post. School has been so busy this week and I've also had a bunch if extracurricular lately. I'll try and be more on time from now on (Don't hold me to that) Also! I got the idea for this one shot from @hanllo-kitty

Word Count: 0.8k

Song Suggestions: Invisible String - Taylor Swift

It was a good job, a great job really. The cafe was in a nicer part of town and people would subconsciously give nice tips so your pay was good. Rarely were customers terrible. Most people that came in were students or really busy people rushing in and going.

There were a few regulars. Like Joe, Joe was an eighty year old man who came in everyday for a coffee and a sandwich. While he waited he would talk about the lotto numbers and how his kids were doing. There was also Lola, she was a journalist who spent most of her day sitting in the corner of the cafe while refilling the same cup until closing.

But there was only one regular you would think about while getting ready for work.

Come on, I don't know his name. Don't shoot the messenger.

He'd been coming in for the past three months almost everyday, right after the cafe opened for a coffee. He always looked a little tired and acted like it too. He barely made conversation and normally shuffled out of the store in the same fashion as the other overworked people; quickly.

You hadn't learned his name yet. He always seemed to forget to say it when you asked, which resulted in you making up something.

"Guy with the sweater vest!"

"Guy in the purple!"

"Guy with the scarf!"

You get the point.

He was your favourite regular because of his looks. God, even when he was incredibly sleep deprived he looked beautiful. He had brown hair that fell just below his sharp jaw. Brown eyes that always happened to be in the light from the cafe window, making the small gold flakes in his eyes shine. He was normally dressed in a sweater vest and neutral pants, he probably worked at some type of office. The one part of him that stood out in his outfits were his converse, odd for the rest of his outfit. You could've sworn a few times you saw brightly coloured mismatched socks.

***

The sound of the cafe bell echoed through the nearly empty shop, having only opened half an hour ago. Smiling in the direction of the person walking in you quickly noticed it was 'Guy with *whatever he had on*" who came in. Something was different, he had thick glasses on. That was new.

"Hey, just the regular coffee and donut?" You put the order into the computer, looking back up at him. Taking in the new look.

"Yeah, thanks." His lips creased into a line, you called it a tired smile, the same one he made everyday. He handed over his money and poured the change into the tip jar then stepped back to wait for his order.

A couple minutes later you came back to the counter with his order. "Guy with the glasses!"

He did his usual, smiled and grabbed his order saying bye. But just when he reached the threshold of the door he paused and turned. "Why do you do that?"

Having already turned around you paused, this was the first time he'd talked to you in a clear voice. You weren't really sure what he meant. "Do what? Did I get your order wrong?"

He cleared his throat and seemed a little frustrated. "You never say my name, you just call me guy with something. Is it just to annoy me?"

"What? No, you've just never told me your name." Laughing a little, realising the misunderstanding.

"I didn't?" His face changed to confusion, "Oh my gosh, I didn't." He realised his mistake then his face flushed a shade of red.

"Don't worry, it's okay. Guy with the glasses." You laughed, looking around the cafe for a minute, strange it was still pretty empty.

"I am so sorry, I thought I told you and you just wanted to annoy me. I feel like a jerk, you seem so nice." Genuinely sorry he apologised profusely. "Can I make it up to you?"

Deciding to take the chance, you'd been daydreaming about this guy for months. "Well, maybe you could take me on a date." A little shocked by your own boldness, your face went up like twelve degrees.

"Uh, yeah…" He trailed off, clearly flustered. "Yeah, I would really like that."

"Well then, it's a date." You beamed, internally jumping up and down out of excitement. Since when were you so forward? He made that smile he made everyday before turning towards the door again.

That's when you realised.

"Wait!" You shouted, louder than you expected. Causing your coworker to drop a cup. "You still haven't told me your name."

"It's Spencer. I'll make sure to be back tomorrow." He nodded again and chuckled lightly before finally walking through the door.

God could tomorrow morning come any quicker.

[thesweetestdevotion]

Sunghoon idea type tarot readings please?🤗❤️

Sure!!

Sunghoon Enhypen Ideal Type:

Dice: Taurus, Moon, 6th House

Tarot: Two of Wands Reversed, Three of Swords Reversed, Queen of Coins, Page of Swords, Eight of Swords Reversed, Ace of Wands Reversed, Judgement Reversed, The Tower, Ace of Cups, Six of Cups Reversed, Three of Coins Reversed

Okay… I’m bout to clock his tea real bad so don’t shoot the messenger 😭. He’s looking for… a mother replacement, LET ME EXPLAIN!!! Idk why i feel this vibe from eyebrows over here (I’m not being mean 😭 they’re very good eyebrows ok?) but I don’t think his upbringing was very easy, especially with the relationship with his mother. He honestly probably has an afflicted or debilitated moon (Capricorn, Aquarius, Scorpio, affected by Saturn, etc…) When someone has troubles with the moon, they probably had an inadequate or lacking relationship or connection with the people who nurtured them. I could be assuming stuff but i just felt i had to say it. With the Taurus moon 6th house dice coming up I’m seeing he seeks a partner that has those stereotypical motherly qualities and is nurturing and comforting. Taurus moon is an exalted moon, the best moon placement one could have. When a person looks for a partner they usually are drawn to the things they are unfamiliar with, something in their energy has to complement yours and they usually bring in the things that you lacked in your parent-child relationships. This is very true for Sunghoon, he seems to be naturally drawn to someone who will complete him and have the things he lacks. Im not seeing he’s the type to dump all his issues on his partners, but he does seek comfort and affection from them. He doesn’t like the cold type, he’s drawn to stereotypically feminine and grounded and emotional people. I think he wants someone that is completely different that the people he grew up around. He probably also doesn’t want to date within his industry, which is surprising, because of the ace of wands reversed and the three of coins reversed. He’d prefer to keep his work life and romantic life separate so he wouldn’t be drawn to another artist imo. He wants someone to bring him out of his shell emotionally, someone he can feel safe and comfortable around. With Taurus, he appreciates beauty and luxury in his partners, maybe he also likes good cooks. Queen of coins is the perfect archetype to describe his type tbh. He probably wants someone to come in to his life and shake it up all the way, someone who will surprise him and show him new perspectives and take away the negativity in his life. lol this is kinda cute not gonna lie!! He really like the open and emotional types, but also someone who can match him intellectually and mentally. Someone who will shower him with praise and love and bring warmth in his life hehe.

That’s all I’m getting from him right now!! Hope you guys like it xxx!!!!

[torialefay]

imma finish some SPICEY TIME listening to yandere stalker ASMr bCOZ I LOV THE IFEA OF SOMEOBE BEING LOWKEY OBSESSRD OVER THIS PUSSAY HAGAGA

gotta get me that hawk tuah energy it's been so long!

who in skz would have that possessive energy and would be borderline obsessed/low key stalker like 'I need to be inside of your pussy and heart' all the time kinda ENERGY???

And LOIKE HOW WOUKD THEY SHOW IT?? *kisses*

OKAY WHAT EVEN IS THAT?!?! pls drop the link bc i am so intrigued.

but for your question, my top 3 possessive/obsessive/stalker skz boyfriends are chris, lee know, and i.n. (also changbin in a way but like in a diff way).

chris: he's legit so lowkey about it you probably won't even know. i've talked ab it before, but he's the type to analyze everything you say & plant little seeds in your head. he's possessive to the point that he's trying to manipulate you into also being obsessed with him. like he will absolutely (veryyyyyy subtly and veryyyyy slowly) try to make you feel like he's the only person you need in your life & that you should depend on him for literally anything you could need. that's not to say he doesn't want you to be independent- he does! but he loves to watch it crumble away for him. pls don't shoot the messenger.

lee know: this man is outright possessive and wants you to know that. he's just blunt about it. like yeah, he wants you all to himself. and what's so wrong with that? you're not gonna do that? kind of vibe. he prob wants to know where you are all the time and it wouldn't surprise me if he demanded you turn your phone location on for him or idk puts a damn tracker on your car or some shit. like he literally has to know or he will go fucking crazy. one thing he WON'T do to you is lis about it. you know he's possessive... but you also know he's got you right where he wabts you :((((

innie: baby bread no more. there's just smth ab i.n. these days that is almost like... cocky in a way? not completely, but he's grown now & he knows that & he knows the power he has now. i feel like he's so the type to want to control you & know where you are, it's not even funny. he's in the middle of chris & lee know on how he expresses it. like he probably won't outright say it, but he's wayyyyy more obvious than chris & wayyyyy less obvious than lee know. i think he'd be pretty vocal though ab things like "i don't really want you to go there" or "why is so-and-so there?". like you know he has a lot of opinions ab what he wants from you, but he tries not to be too mean ab it. he's gonna get upset if you don't follow along with it though 😭😂 and probs will show up wherever you are to check in on you if you dob't respond & he's mad 🙃

*bonus*: baby changbin. he's more posessive in like a protective way. he loves and trusts YOU, just not everyone else 😂 so he's probably gonna have your location & shit so that he can come to you when you need it.

[whamgram]

It needs to be said Under My Skin is the best Radiobelle fanfic I have read so far! Everything in it is a 10 for 10 the characterization the plot, the slow burning romance it’s just so good the latest chapter had me somewhere between cackling, with giddy enjoyment and incoherently squealing at everything that happened.

Firstly, let me just say, Alastor’s mini shadow minions cuddling, and loving on Charlie was pure genius. It’s like he can’t be honest with himself so his powers find another way to release those feelings, and once again, it is thrust into his face how he really feels. Then the ending with the delivery with the flowers and him destroying the delivery man’s truck quite possibly killing the delivery man. Clearly, he’s never heard the term don’t shoot the messenger shoot the sender. His jealousy is definitely believable. We see it as clear as day because we’re getting a glimpse into his feelings, but he reacts to it subtly when other characters are around so they don’t take notice.

Now, for Vox’s scheming I like how you didn’t make Charlie, so naive as to believe that they wanted to sponsor the hotel without something in it for the vee’s. It was definitely a nice touch and refreshing to see Charlie being kind but not stupid. I feel like a lot of people don’t understand that just because a person is naïve does not mean that they’re stupid. Meanwhile Vox is trying to be cunning, but he can’t hide his physical reactions towards his animosity with Alastor but at the same time he subtly invades Charlie’s personal space not enough send her running for the hills but enough to give off a false sense of charming not that Charlie is fooled by it she’s obviously weirded out by his attempts. It’s clear that he wants to achieve something, but as what it is at the moment, I’m not entirely too sure he could be planning to put a false story out there of himself charming hell’s princess, in order to get under Alastor’s skin. But that’s just a guess. I feel like that’s not it though because it’s too obvious. I can’t wait to see Lucifer‘s reaction to all this because it seems like he knows something is brewing. He’s just not clear on what it is yet. And I’m all too eager to see Alastor lose his temper again

The sparring oh my God, the sporing was everything I hoped for and more it was just delicious just everything about it the mood, the tone, the teasing the banter that was just right and the the unintentional striptease!!! I had to be revived while reading the striptease! How did Alistair not realize that Charlie bit her lip so hard that she cut it? Alastor I understand you’re a massive emotion and you’re sweating through your feelings but you’ve got to pay attention. Your woman is literally thirsting over you. I also love that he’s training Charlie, because I feel like it adds to him saying what he said before about her having potential that he can guide.

My theory is on the awkward Boner tag is that it’s gonna happen if/ when Charlie loses her shit over something because he already checked her out before when she went into her full demon form over, losing her temper about the whole Gloryhole situation. But that was just her losing her temper for a quick second, if she were to actually harness that anger towards a person I think Alastor will be like Oh. Oh deer I need to excuse myself for a quick moment. All in all the chapter was fantastic. The whole story I could read four times and read it again it’s just so good may you continue to write I can’t wait to see what chapter 13 holds.

Oh my gosh, thank you so much! 🥰 This message has made my entire week!

I’m so glad you liked the cuddly shadowy minions! I just loved the idea of Alastor losing control over parts of himself because of his growing feelings for Charlie. He’s a guy who’s always in control of his emotions but he’s never had to deal with these types of emotions before. And he’s very ill-equipped to do so. That also causes these bouts of anger and jealousy that he also can’t control. It’s all he can manage to at least have these outbursts in private.

I agree about Charlie’s naivety! She’s kind and overly trusting but she’s not stupid. She’s willing to give Vox a chance because she’s willing to give everyone a chance. But she definitely went into the meeting feeling cautious and also picked up on his bad vibes. Plus Vox was very much trying to charm her in the same way Alastor does and she was like “Mmm no, that only works on me when Alastor does it.” 😉

I love the “training together” trope and couldn’t wait to write it for Charlie and Alastor! So much delicious potential for banter and sexual tension. 😏 And Alastor was too busy fuming over the insinuation that he lost to Adam because of his fancy clothes (which of course Charlie doesn’t actually think), that he totally didn’t notice her undressing the rest of him with her eyes.

You are very close about the awkward boner tag. 😉 I’ll just say it’s coming up soon.

[coniangray]

Whos watching life in Hawkins??

This hit me earlier when I realized all four stories of st4 had someone/ something being a know-it-all god or a heterodiagetic narrator watching and knowing everything all at once.

But not everywhere (pun intended)

All four storylines have both types of narrators:

A homodiegetic one, this being a character involved in the story and showing their prescription of things

A heterodiagetic one, aka the know-it-all god, recording and watching all the other characters.

Homodiegetic:

For the Hawkins plot it was max. For California it was Will and Mike. For the lab it was eleven, and for the prison it was Hopper (and I think Joyce on her way there, since the prison plot is somehow separate from Joyce and Yuri's plot).

I can tell, because we SEE all of those characters feelings displayed on screen in one way or another. Max was curious during the curse, therefore bringing the whole team together, Wills lingering in California was also shown through him only, Hopper's desparation and fear for joyce not making it safe ect.

The only one I'm on the fence about is Mike, since the last time we got a scene from his prospective was in s2 or at the rain fight in s3 I think. Aka, Mike's pov was not shown enough in s4, but it was there.

Heterodiagetic narrator:

This might sound tricky at first but it's not. Even though this narrator is not supposed to be a character at all: instead, they're just a messenger who convey the story from the writer to the reader (as all narrators do). They're a ghost, an entity, aka the camera of the characters.

But in this case, the narrator is in the show. Each plot has its own one, and that's what considered a god of their own nature.

I realized this from the security cameras and the memory storage of Brenner in Nina scenes. He was keeping and choosing which ones to show to El, aka choosing her path instead of her, which becomes clear in the show later on.

In Alaska, there was also security footage to which jopper had also access to later on.

As for California, they were also recorded/watched at some point. When? Right before the shooting.

The jokes about house arrest in this scene made me think the guards that were supposed to keep them same weren't just sitting, they were most likely recording the activity in the house due to protocol (at least i wanna believe it, considering Mike's house was anf might still be bugged since the end of s1 and the flashbacks in s2).

Also, in the van, they were most likely watched by El after she gained her powers.

And if all of these plots were watched by someone, then who was watching Hawkins?

Vecna.

I realized it from this video; vecna was legit searching for a source, another mind to curse in order to complete his plan.

The camera panning made me think he had access to anyone he wanted to. He could've chosen literally anyone in replacement of mike, but he went for Patrick instead.

Why? Because he knew he was in the same group with Lucas and Jason. As we saw, attacking Patrick triggered not just these two, but in total five people and the entire Hawkins team.

And became the wirters chose to plot wise.

My point is, the dynamics changed after his death, even in the slightest, bringing Lucas closer to max.

Now, because these gods are characters too, their own thoughts may interviene with what we see/ are shown, therefore leading everything back to homodiegetic or 1st person pov.

The main occupants here are Henry and of course, Brenner. Its like a domino effect, once brenner was watching one and now one is watching hawkins.

Their motives also beg to differ; Brenner was focusing more and only on logic, hence one disobeyed that rule and only relied on emotions, especially anger, to get his powers to their fullest potential, and thats what he also taught eleven.

But the main know it all god; The Mindflayer.

It literally watches everyone. Dustin said it himself:

A five star general that can open gates and watch. Tell us just His side of the story, messing with others memories, especially Wils, and everything related to him and el.

Aka, he can just change every detail he wants simply because he was watching.

Because his lenses were stronger than the other characters, and becuase he had and still has a devoted spy. A spy that can absorb information from inside.

And that spy is Will. even in season 4, even in the byler scenes, EVERYWHERE.

That kiiinda sounds like a hyperboly, but because the connection was there, it doesnt mean it was strong. The closer he got to hawkins, the stroger it got, thats why he felt him so intenesely at the cabin.

And here comes the unreliable narrator.

Most scenes are not shown excactly how things happen. Theyre not objective, theyre subjective, given how at least one persons pov is always involved.

This is also why there are a lot of variations of just one memory, why the void version of their timeline is slightly differrent, and why even though will saw mileven happy during the rinkomania skating scenes, an outsiders pov showed how they actually felt, dissapointed by everything.

One other thing id like to add, will MIGHT be playing the god role here too, taking in mind his ongoing connection with vecna and how this could eventually be displayed in vecnas mind if he wanted to. Hence the whole spy thing.

There was a post i read about El trading places with max and exchaging herself with a variant from another timeline, and that adds another layer to the unreliable narrator imo, thinking how the two days later el has different memories and knowledge than the el we knew from before and is now possibly dead.

The thing is, this unreliable narrator thing has SO many layers, and therfore shapes somewhat smalll plot holkes within scenes, especially in s1,2 and 4.

And it got even messier im 3 given hoe focusing solely on the mainstream 80's summer slasher movie vibe, some characters arcs were lost or outshined by others that had the chance to change their arcs for the better.

Yes, im talking about will who was sidelined a lot and then this was decided to be used as a weapon for the connection between him and the ud.

All the arcs are intertwined, but i CANT solve this untill we get s5. Its honestly frustrating like GIMME THE SOLUTION BRUHHHH

[crownedtargaryen]

RIBS : Aemond x Reader x Lucerys Ch. 1 - Newcomer

A/N: This story is in the same universe as ABOUT YOU! Jacerys X Reader written by @tmbm123 PLEASE read their story, it's magnificent and I'm obsessed. Thank you for granting me the opportunity to write this story in the same timeline as your story.

I haven't read all the books in forever, so please keep in mind it will not stick to the books. I do not feel like re-reading the entire series. Also, considering Lucerys dies I will have to improv the plot. Thank you!

TW: THIS STORY WILL INCLUDE INCEST, SEXUAL CONTENT, ANGST, ABUSIVE TOPICS, EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION, POST PARTUM.

NOTES ARE APPRECIATED! (SHARES, LIKES, COMMENTS)

Word Count: 1857

Type: Semi-Slowburn (romantics will start early but things will happen to tear them apart)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: 18, Lucerys is aged up to around 18-19 as are the other boys.

MASTERLIST ( < this has more parts that can be found here!)

Chapter One

Newcomer

It wasn't uncommon to have political inquiries here in Storm's End, though due to the lack of anchoring ground on our farthest walls, no one showed up. Usually it was by letter, a messenger, so it was a shock to see a visitor in person. A shorter man, fluffy black hair that curved around his rounded face, doe-like eyes with a sincerity in his soul. Though, another had come before him for alliance. 

Aemond Targaryen, the younger brother of Lord Aegon, a tall man with a stern and face colder than Winterfell itself. His one-eyed gaze gives him a mysterious aura, making you almost recoil at the mere thought of contact. 

My father was Lord Borros Baratheon, his tongue as sharp as his sword. He made a good ruler, not as much a well-rounded father. My stomach churned as I peered around the corner, pressing my figure against the cold stone of the kingdom's walls. Biting my tongue and shooting my three sisters a glare as they shuffle anxiously. The idea of any offerings unsettled us; these men may bring our father land, and we were knowing of the fact we would be the trading prize.

The echo of the dim haired man's shoes filled the room, immediate tension growing in the air as the more unapproachable dragon rider gazed at his dear nephew. I felt sick, something wasn't right. Slowly, I leaned in, and peered into the throne room, growing curiosity tingling in my chest. 

"Lucerys Velaryon," Borros said in a dissatisfied tongue, his fake smile only adding to the crushing tension in the room. "To what do I owe this visit. I was just discussing you with Prince Aemond."

I watched the boy shrink slightly, clumsily, taking out a scrolled piece of paper. He went to open it, but father stopped him with a clear of his throat. Lucerys' eyes widened, swallowing hard and speaking up.

"My mother has sent me in regards to Storm's End's loyalty towards the Iron Throne, your pledged allegiance to her," He said, eyes trailing to Aemond. Lucerys puffed his chest slightly, trying to seem bigger than his fellow blood, who merely glared daggers at the smaller. He was here to pledge alligence to Aegon; now someone else was here to pledge my home to their side of this war.

Father sent a nearby messenger to retrieve the letter. I watched as they grabbed it, making their way back and whispering the contents of the page. Borros laughed softly, raising a brow at Lucerys.

"Aemond has blessed his hand for alliance with my kingdom. What do you bring, Lucerys Velaryon?" He growled, Borros' tongue like poison as he spoke the boy's name. I quickly looked to the man in question, who shuffled and glanced around. He swallowed hard, biting his lip and inhaling shakily. I felt bad for him; father was quite the pressuring soul.

"I too offer my hand. As the second rightful heir to the Iron Throne, after my brother Jacerys Velaryon, I will ensure your daughter is kept in good hands and bears strong children whomst will inherit the throne as dragon riders and storm chasers," he says with faltering confidence. My eyes widen, a panicked chattering from my sisters behind me. Swiftly, I shush them. When I thought he was done, he continued. "My father in marriage, Daemon Targaryen, is one of the best dragon riders to walk these grounds. I will make it be fully ensured your army will learn to become dragon riders in the moons to come, and we will secure our victory before the war had begun." 

I watched my father's face grow from amusement to consideration. A loud thundering boom echoed through the castle from the outside, informing us that the gods had sent more negative weather upon us. Aemond seemed to grow anxious, gripping at his tunic with a heavy huff of breath.

"I will consider both offers," he spoke carefully, making sure to articulate every word. "We will host a feast for the arrival of the princes as the storm clears. Your dragon's needs will be tended to for the times being. Any protests, speak now. You are free to flee Storm's End at any moment, but you cannot come back with your tail between your legs." He spits out the last sentence with disgust, signaling for the two to be taken from his sight.

My sisters scramble as the women lead the related to their appointed rooms; Aemond growing angrier with the woman by the second, his angered yells echoing through the corridors. 

I catch the gaze of the anxious boy, a small twinkle growing in his gaze when he spots me. I smile gingerly at him, to which he returns gratefully. That must be the kindest action he'd been gifted since he arrived. I wanted to guarantee he was comfortable.

After hours of not hearing a word from any side of the kingdom, I decided to take it upon myself to check on our visitors. I was surprised to see my dear sister Ellyn slipping from her chambers as well, blinking in surprise at the sight of me.

"(Y/N)! Dear sweet child, what are you up to?" Ellyn blurts out hastily. I rose a brow, frowning slightly.

"I'm off to check on our guests, make sure their quarters are full of nothing but comfort. What of you?" I question, crossing my arms. She sighs heavily, moving a strand of her black hair from her face.

"I'm set to wed Prince Aemond," she spoke weakly, making my heart ache for her. "I craved to know more of him if the marriage was to be set in stone. I hope you may not think less of me, dear sister." She smiles, I give her a smile in return, moving in to hug her. We embraced, the warmth contrasting the coldness inside the castle from the heavy rainfall outside. "Prince Lucerys' chambers are this way. Please, follow." She holds my hand, leading me to an elegantly carved door; the story of Storm's End rested on the wood. I smiled weakly, the engravings reminding me of my morals and purpose.

I knocked gently onto the wood, careful not to chip. Behind the door is scrambling, dropping of items and ruffling of cloth. The door swings open faster than I can react, hitting me in the face and making me stumble back. My vision blurred and I looked at the man who hit me, focusing slowly on him as he grew frantic. 

"Princess (Y/N)!" He spoke frantically, looking around to see if anyone saw our mishap. "I apologize sincerely your grace, I wasn't aware how fast the door would open." He rushes to me, my face sore but no chronic damage. He looked like a scared puppy, cowering slightly. "What can I do to make this up to you?"

I think for a moment, unable to think of anything clever. Slowly, I begin to laugh. Lucerys grows tense, looking at me with confusion, but then softening up when he realizes I'm not as angry as he thought. 

"Its quite alright, Prince Lucerys," I chuckle out, making him sigh in relief. "Just be more careful next time, alright?" I step into his chambers, his eyes following me as he nods slowly. "You may close the door, Prince." 

He steps into his room as well, closing the door behind him and standing a good distance from me. 

"I don't bite, no need to seem so petrified," I tease, Lucerys' muscles slowly losing the tenseness inside them. I look around the room, spotting a book that is in a tongue I don't understand. He must've brought it with him; it couldn't have been from our collection; we don't own anything of the sorts. My fingertips trace the cover and yellowed pages; it must be old. "How are you settling here in Storm's End?" He seemed to be trying to think of the most proper thing to say without offending me. I smiled, turning to him and patting the comforter beneath me. "My father can be quite the hard ass, I saw how tense you were." I try to ease him into being himself, watching him sit next to me and scanning my features to check if this was some sort of trap. When realizing it isn't, he leans back and groans quietly. 

"Is he always that scary?" He whimpers, making me laugh softly. I notice when my laugh hits his ears, he perks up with pride. It's quite adorable. I nod and watch him grumble and fall back into the sheets. I followed, laying next to him and flipping to my side, eyeing him sincerely. He would make a good friend. His presence was intoxicating. "I thought you were him, I was in such a rush to please I hadn't even thought for a second that it could be someone else."

My eyes grow wide, a giggle coming from me. "Prince Lucerys, you do realize this means you'd have hit my father rather than me?" I acknowledge, making his breath hitch as he realizes what could've happened. He laughs, a sweet and intoxicating laugh. I can't help but smile.

"Could you imagine? He'd have my head!" Lucerys says in a semi-panicked tone, making the realization settle in for me as well. I sigh in relief; it was only me. I could only imagine my father being the one struck by his inconsideration. "Well, I'm settling in quite nicely now. I thought you came to tell me he was sending me home. Hitting you with a door would've ensured my leave if that was the case." He drags his hands down his face, making me sit up and eye him curiously.

"You really need this, do you?" I ask, watching him search for the answer.

"I feel it's not my place to speak of this," he says, a sadness filling me. I understood he didn't trust me, since we had just met, but I was a curious person. I wanted an answer that was better than that. Slowly, I rose from the bed. 

"Well, I hope you can grow to tell me eventually," I smooth my dress as I speak, smiling a fake smile I've learned to perfect over the years. "My father is holding a feast for you and your blood when morrow arrives, I hope to see you there. As much as I hate to say, I must be taking my leave before father thinks I've been abducted." 

I watch as he sits up, nodding, and getting up to open the door for me. "It was nice meeting you, Princess," he speaks, watching as I step into the doorway before turning to him. 

"It was nice meeting you as well, Prince Lucerys," I say softly, giving my best curtsy. He thinks for a moment before grabbing my wrist as I begin to step out.

"Lucerys. I don't crave such titles with you," he swiftly said, my gaze softening.

"Lucerys," I repeat to correct myself, his gaze softening.

"See you when morrow comes, Princess (Y/N). I'll be looking forward to it." 

And with that, I left.

[an-au-blog]

(I think enough time has passed so I can speak the truth!)

Hello and welcome to my TED talk where I will prove that all MHA characters falling into one(or more) of three categories!

Welcome to ✨"Are you a real man, a pony, or a muppet!"✨

A while ago I noticed that there was something that bothered me about the style in some of the characters, and i thought it was just because the side profiles of most of them look like mlp characters (proof:(don't shoot the messenger I'm just saying what I'm seeing I'm so sorry))

but then i realized it was more than that! There are a few that just looked so normal like I would look at them and say "yes, that person probably exists" and then there was the ones that were just... muppets (easily would be passed as a muppet doll and/or has the type of face that just... fits.) + there'll be a small analysis about appearance ig.

So, for EVERYONE'S CONVENIENCE: me and my friend made a tier list to categorize them.

A few sidenotes:

1. Aizawa is put in his own category of "shapeshifter" because when he's serious he's a real man, if he smiles he looks like a muppet but in some moments of the animation, he has the same mlp side profile as his kids...

2. You might notice some of them are featured twice (such as Allmight, Kirishima, Mic, Twice and AFO) and that is because depending on the forms/outfits/the way we are supposed to perceive them in a certain setting, they change their appearance. For example! Allmight in his buff form is drawn like an early Marvel comic character, but in his skeletal form, he's more casual/fragile and... well, you get it. On the other hand, Hizashi in his civilian get-up is more true to himself, so he's allowed to have human emotions and feel real, while when he's in his Mic persona, he's putting this "showman" appearance (hence the cartoonishness).

2.1. In that regard: forget that all when you look at Kirishima's hardened form in the muppet or pony, he's there only because his mouth starts from one edge of his face and ends in the other, that is very muppet core to me. (NOT ALL of the placements have a deeper meaning in regards to appearance==characteristics)

3. Twice in his mask is in the muppet tier because of pure vibes

4. Shigaraki gives the vibes of (as my friend said) an edgy mlp fanart

5. IF YOU SEE ENDEVOR IN LAST PLACE WHEREVER HE IS PUT IT IS BECAUSE I HATE HIS GUTS AND DOES NOT DESERVE ANYTHING

6. Denki is in "real man" because when i argued that he should be a muppet because he looked like this face

my friend said that "exactly, that's the realest man" and I didn't feel like arguing (regular denki is still mlp tho dw)

and finally:

7. Something that my friend opened my eyes about that i wished had stayed shut for. But I had to witness it and now so do you.

[ermbabyel]

Hey!!! I was looking over your profile after I got your second request, so I wanted to shoot you my info and see your matchups!! I love reading other people's work! If you are too busy or swamped, though, you don't have to do mine!

I would like to be matched with Mystic Messanger ( I just got into this) and Obey Me!

Your name/nickname

Luna, course, you can also make it a Y/N for other people's enjoyment, I do not mind.

Age

23 in June! Gosh, I feel old, but I am not that old, lol

Sexuality

I am Pansexual; I love them all with no specific preference; I am currently dating a man, though.

Pronouns

She/Her

Preferred age range for your ship

No one under 18, and also for Obey Me, no Luke. I read him as a child so he is a child in my head I know he's an angel and probably hella old but no.

Likes/dislikes

I love to read and write. I am big into celeb gossip mainly cause I like to psycho-analyze everything. I graduated with my bachelor's in psychology and love the human mind. Due to this, though, I have been told I am very manipulative and read people too well, so I am off-putting. I like people who love to help others and be reasonable. I love an open mind.

Hobbies

Studying especially psychology or technology. Writing stories or reading romance novels. Nature walks, especially in national parks. Magic the gathering. FPS video games.

Love languages

My most extensive love language is Physical Touch

The second would be Words of Affirmation

Ideal type

I don't have a 'type'; I love people for their personalities. If I had to hammer down who I am drawn to, it would be mysterious people. I think they are fun to get to know, and I love to be an outlet for them to express themselves.

A summery of your personality

I am a big goofball; however, I am very serious when I need to be. I work first and play later 90% of the time. I do take breaks, though, to allow myself to fully relax and just be me. I have lived in my mother's shadow my whole life, so I work hard to make a name for myself outside of the name she gave me and her name. I am driven to succeed and help those around me. I tend to be so overly considerate that I end up being walked on, however if I realize I am being walked on I will psycho analyze which is where the rumors of me being manipulative and off putting come from.

astrology sign

Gemini, I know they have a bad wrap, but some are good. I at least hope I am not considered bad.

Aesthetic/style

I have shoulder-length brown hair, pale skin, and light blue eyes, but everyone in my family says they are gray. My style depends on where I am; if I am at work, I wear jeans, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes, and my hair is up in a bun. If I am at home, I wear boho clothes and have my hair down. If I am out on the town, I am super girly with heels, a skirt or dress, and full makeup with curled hair.

Anything else you can think of

I suffer from a speech impediment, and though I have managed to control it better with time and practice, I still lisp whenever I am angry or really, really tired. I also suffer from Dyslexia, so I have to use Grammarly to help with my spelling and grammar.

Thank you so much for your requests from me. I really appreciate them and love writing them. I hope to have your match-up within the next day or two!

Hello~! I’m so excited to do a match up for you as well! I hope you enjoy your matches :3 Also a fellow Gemini, how exciting! ♊️

Your Mystic Messenger Lover Is…Jumin Han~

You like mysterious people? Jumin is your man! Plus, Jumin is a libra and they are very compatible with Gemini’s. Jumin might be a hard nut to crack because of his upbringing and has been instructed to be the next heir to his father’s company since a young age. But, you are able to see through all of that, which might catch the CEO in line off guard…but he will definitely keep it calm and collected. No one has ever been able to crack right through him as easily as you have. And he’s impressed.

This intrigues you even more. It will take sometime, but little by little Jumin will feel much more secure with your presence around him. He feels confident in your ability to analyze situations and the human mind, which will come in handy when he needs consideration on a business venture/opportunity. “Luna, what do think about this new cat business I’ve been thinking about? I trust your judgment.”

Even though he seems cold and distant, this man gets attached very fast to most people’s surprise. And you’re not an exception. I get a sense of a calming presence while reading your description and I think that’s something Jumin would absolutely love about you. Being in charge of a company can be very grueling and draining at times. So, when he comes home to you after a long day he won’t say much but give you a sweet tired smile and gently lay his head on your welcoming shoulders. He just wants to feel your touch and presence.

I think you and Jumin are very similar too. He especially understands being in a parent’s shadow as well and would confide in you with that as well. I can see you two being each other’s support system.

Definitely the type to call you “Dear” and “Darling”…..”Darling, would you like to accompany me to a restaurant and wine for dinner this evening? I’ve had a long day and I just want to be in your presence.”

Jumin would also ask you to read him some of your stories you’ve been working on. Hearing your voice relaxes him so much to the point where it’s a nightly routine for you to read him to sleep~!

Jumin would find your speech impediment endearing and would be so loving and patient with you. He doesn’t want you to stress out about it and gives you all the time and support you need. Most of the time you think he reads your mind as well.

Also your biggest supporter. He think you are the most exquisite woman he’s every seen! He’ll even help you pick out your night on the town outfits. “Here Darling, I think this necklace will look stunning with your dress…you just look delectable tonight~.”

You’ll definitely be the one to loosen up Jumin with your bubbly, playful nature. He can help but crack a gentle smile when he see you and seven joking around with each other. The RFA are like a family to him are equally important as well. So seeing his love for his love and second family getting along with each other warms his heart~!

I love this pairing so much~! 😍

Your Obey Me Lover Is…Lucifer~

Honestly I was debating between Lucifer and Leviathan, since I think you and Levi share similar interests. So I think you can be a good match for him as well~

Another mysterious man for you. Lucifer is the eldest brother and with that comes with a sense of responsibility for his younger brothers. Because of that, he has to keep a stoic and harsh attitude when it comes to dealing with his brothers. Even though his brothers tend to be a pain in the ass and sometimes a burden, he still loves them with his whole heart and want to do his best to make sure his brothers are taken care of. But he only shows that side of himself to you~.

He’s also very shocked that a mere human is able to read right through him. It makes him feel puzzled, how were you able to do that? And in turn, that aspect of you intrigues him!

I can see you trying to convince Lucifer to show a little more warmth towards his brothers, but this man can be very stubborn! “I don’t have the time or interest of giving Mammon a cookie for getting a high score on his test, Luna”. But after sometime he comes around. With your help of course as being this vulnerable and sweet if very difficult for him.

He’ll be taken aback when you give him a hug for the first time or holding his hand on one of your many nature walks together. But Lucifer loves it, he’ll even gently reach for your hand when you least expect it and gingerly place a sweet kiss on said hand.

You are the only person in the whole entire Devildom to make this stoic man smile and laugh. And the brothers think you are some Devine creature because of it lol. They are SO perplexed and ask you what your tricks are to get him to smile. Truth is Lucifer just has a soft spot for you and can’t help but to smile when he gazes at you.

Definitely more of a private lover and prefers to show his love for you when others aren’t around. Only in private will he call you such sweet names like “Darling” and “My Love” being the main names for you.

I can see him being interested in a game you’re playing with Levi and wanted to try it out himself. I have a feeling Lucifer is very competitive and he started the game so confidently that he was going to win. But to his surprise, you were the only to beat him. He is DUMBFOUNDED LOL. He might even get a little pouty, you’ll just giggle and peck him on the lips and remind him to not be such a sore loser LOL.

He’s secretly super cuddly and will cuddle up with you in bed after a long day of babysitting his brothers lol. I can see him being passed out on your chest while you’re gingerly playing with his hair. Slowly lulling the most feared demon to sleep. Sure he’s the most powerful and dangerous demon, but in moments like this is when you fall in love with Lucifer even more~.

[silverefflux]

Some Beginning

Chapter 4 of my König x Fem!OC fic, Rush

See Chapter List

Photo by Moon & Honey Travel

Summary: Let’s bring the spice levels up a little. Just a little.

Warning: sexual tension, making out, sexual innuendos

. . .

Melting // Kali Uchis

5:30 AM.

Kate adamantly swiped her thumbs at her phone screen as she sat on a worn-down, wooden dining chair. Meanwhile, Dominik is pacing back and forth across the large archway that divides the dining room and kitchen from the living room of his country home.

“Where are you?” Kate texted Hong-jin.

About an hour away from Dominik’s house, Horangi replied from his hotel room. “Sorry Kate. Feelin sick today.”

“Ah shit,” Kate sighed and called out to Dominik, “He said he’s sick.”

He stopped himself in his tracks and stared pensively at Kate. Then he took the chair across from her, sat down, and began typing in silent fury.

“Fuck you man i know you’re not sick,” he wrote.

Hong-jin sneered from the comfort of his couch. “Lol you got this.”

Dominik gulped, sending down his annoyance with it. “You said you’d join me here,” he texted him.

Hong-jin only left a thumbs up emoji. Putting his phone down, he rested his hands behind his head. Well, I’m out of this. Time to watch the love story unfold, he told himself.

Meanwhile, back at Dominik’s house, Kate looked at Dominik and pulled a tight-lipped grin. “Guess we have to go without him,” she told him. I hope it won’t be too awkward now that it’ll be just us. 

“Ja natürlich, he said he can’t go,” he responded curtly.

She tilted her head and peeked at his face, sending an expression that read, “I know it’s annoying but don’t shoot the messenger.” He glared at her—then suddenly realized he almost lashed out at the only other person who actually came through with the invite.

The only other person he’ll be spending the next four or more hours with. “Sorry,” he spoke meekly.

“It’s all right, I know it’s a bummer. But oh well, next time when he’s feeling better.”

If only you knew what Jin was trying to do, he thought.

If only he knew that if Jin wasn’t “sick”, Kate gladly saw this as an opportunity to get closer to him.

. . .

After a four-hour hike up a gorge, Dominik and Kate sat a foot apart from each other at the backmost pew of a church. There were only two other people inside, sitting across distant rows. The place was laden with gilded ornaments that swirled across some parts of the walls and ceiling. An organ was softly playing a hymn. Neither of the two bothered to say a word, sitting comfortably in their own musings. While she beheld the altar, he leaned on the backrest with one hand on his lap, the other fidgeting with a small bump in the seat.

Kate tilted her head towards Dominik. “Is it true that churches are safehouses when there’s a war?” she murmured, breaking the silence between the two.

“Well…they are. Holy places, museums, monuments. It’s a war crime if you attack any of those. But realistically, if you’re facing terrorists, they don’t really follow the rules that the rest of us do,” he softly responded.

“Ah, of course,” she affirmed, “But it’s interesting that they take on that sort of…"open" role? Like a universally welcoming role during war. As they should.”

“Yeah," he replied, "Regardless of what side you’re on, they'll let you in. Are you religious?”

Touchy subject, but okay. We're in a church anyway. “Depends what you mean," she began. He met her eyes with a slight turn of his head and a raise of a brow, subtly letting her elaborate.

With a plain smile, she continued, "With the exception of funerals, the last time I’ve been to church would be when I was around 18. But the faith is there. You?"

He pondered over his response and hummed. Many, if not most of the people he's met who had a strong belief had…questionable behaviors. His mother. A few unpleasant folks he's met growing up. The people he's fought on the field. While he believed there must’ve been some good left in the world, the things he’s been through made it hard to believe in an omnipotent, benevolent deity.

"Not really. I don't know," he stated, crossing his arms, "Not that anyone's exposed me to it."

She puckered her lips and gave a small nod, returning to her side task of examining the carvings of the altar from a distance. "Interesting."

He narrowed his eyes. Such a small talk-y remark for a topic that's the least bit shallow. "Why?" he said rather sternly.

"Huh?" she faced him again.

"Why is it "interesting"? he queried.

She paused to think. "It doesn't seem to come from a place of hate, whatsoever. And also maybe…" she tilted her head and eyed her side, "I just want to know you more."

Cha-cha real smooth. We're flirting on holy ground baby.

Dominik raised his brows at that and shifted his feet. Do you now? Is that flir—nah—do you mean well, is that still small talk, or are you trying to convert me?

Kate felt her eyes almost want to widen. She wanted to be forward, but not too forward. Ops, okay. Divert, divert.

She shrugged and went on, “Eh—For the whole religion thing anyway, I grew up around the idea that it doesn’t matter much. All equally respectable. As long as you believe in something. If you look at all their books, it just boils down to ‘love others’ anyway.”

He laid his hands down on his sides, easing off any unnecessary tension in his body. “All equally respectable.” Someone definitely hasn’t met a cultist or other extremists. But I appreciate the optimism and the simplemindedness. Rare sight these days. A refreshing one too, he thought. He had a bit more to say, but didn’t want to go too deep and heat up the conversation. Not when everything was already going fairly well.

There was a couple more minutes of comfortable silence and altar-gazing before Kate inched a bit closer to Dominik, raising her head subtly to try matching Dominik’s height, and flashed a cheeky smile as she spoke again in a hushed tone. “You know what? I like you.”

Dominik felt his stomach flip over. His heartbeat felt like it tripped over a rock then proceeded into a sprint. He turned his head slightly to look at her. “What?”

She sat up straight again. “You make silence comfortable. Back at home, when the convo turns silent, it feels awkward. Sometimes they’ll even point out jokingly that nobody has anything to say anymore.”

Oh. He let out a phantom sigh of relief. “Is that how it works for other people?”

She scratched her head. “I guess some cultures are more quiet than others. But there’s some that really make sure there’s zero dull space between sentences. I find that a little overwhelming sometimes.”

“If you have nothing to say, just don’t say anything.”

“Right?” Kate bobbed her head and leaned over, displaying as much enthusiasm as a solemn place would allow. She set her hand down the bench in the act, but in a split second, she gasped over a realization that was confirmed by the lack of firmness under her hand that she would expect of wood, and the look of pure shock painted on Dominik’s face.

That wasn’t the bench. It was Dominik’s hand.

As if they were electrically shocked by each other’s skin, both of them immediately pulled away from each other.

“Sorry!” she chirped.

“It’s—it’s all right,” he faltered.

His head was still reeling from mistakenly thinking that she was going to drop an L-bomb, and now this. His mind started running again.

Is she flirting? Nein, stop assuming.

Her hands were so soft and—stop it.

Why am I sweating under my shirt? It’s just an accidental touch. Or was it?

Scheiße, get out of this situation now.

He cleared his throat. “We should probably head out now,” he suggested. Please agree. Get me out of here before I fuck something up. Why am I like this?

Fortunately, Kate wanted to shift their attention to something else too. While she was trying to be playfully flirty around him, that hand touch was not intentional and caught her off guard herself. “Yeah, let’s go. Wanna try their cafe outside?”

Okay, you kinda match my tempo, but I’d rather go home. “Five euros for beer is unreasonable. We’re better off at home.”

And so they headed out of the church and began the hike back down to the carpark. But not before they stopped at a long wooden bridge just after the church, as Kate realized she needed a remembrance for this trip. “Hey Nik, can you do me a favor?”

“Yeah,” he replied.

She took out her phone, “Can you take a pic of me walking here?”

He raised his brows. “Okay,” he said flatly.

Her eyes glistened when he agreed to taking her picture for her. “Okay awesome, here,” she beamed, handing the phone and explaining what she wanted, “Just keep the phone low. To make it easier, you see the gridlines, keep me at the center and if my foot’s on this line and my head’s about here, you can snap the photo, yeah?”

“Got it,” he replied.

As she slowly walked away across the bridge, Dominik raised the camera to match her body to the gridlines of the camera, snapping photos once she matched the lines. His thoughts were still rather uncooperative though, but he did his best to push them down and remain casual.

She looks nice walking away like this.

You’re trying your best not to look at her ass. Stop it.

No malice—she just looks nice. Really nice—gott, am I this deprived? All this from a few ambiguous lines and a small touch? Get over it.

Kate froze in her steps and turned her head to the side, holding a semi-candid pose in case it was hard for Dominik to take a photo while she was moving. “Got your shots?” she called out. That broke him from his turbulent reverie.

“Yeah, I’m good,” he called back, walking to her with the phone held out to her as she met him halfway off the bridge.

“Thank you,” she lilted, “How about you? I’ll take your photo.”

His eyes darted at her. “No thanks.”

“Come on,” she drawled, “You gotta have at least one nice picture from this hike.”

He gazed down at her, his eyelids drooped at her persistence. “I can just come back here and do that.”

She wasn’t buying it. “You don’t seem like the selfie-loving type.”

“Do I really have to?”

“Just do what I say!” she whispered with a harsh voice, though still with a playful hint to it, clenching her fists and pressing her teeth into a gritted smile.

This woman has a talent for trying to annoy me…and failing. What a gremlin. I can’t take her face seriously. 

“Fine,” he gave in.

“Nice,” she grinned. “Go, I’ll send it to you later,” she ordered. Dominik walked on half-heartedly, and she took his photos.

After a few seconds, she told him to stay in place. “Hold the straps of your backpack,” she instructed, “And shift your weight on your right leg.”

“Are you done?” he asked in mocking impatience.

“Almost,” she replied in a tone that was similar to an adult reassuring a toddler.

He turned around, crossed his arms, and let out an exasperated sigh, which only made her giggle internally. The back muscles, the sculpted chest, the sturdy lookin’ arms. Not gonna lie, he’s pretty hot like this, she thought.

“I think you have more than enough photos,” he told her in a serious manner. But just as he was about to walk back to her, she interrupted him.

“Ey—hold that pose, don’t move! You look good like this!” she pleaded.

I…look good like this? Standing? Verdammt, that’s gonna be stuck in my head.

Once she was satisfied, she gave him a thumbs up, “Okay, I’m—”

“Excuse me?” a third voice chimed in.

Dominik and Kate turned their heads towards the voice. It belonged to a lady who appeared to be in her sixties. Another hiker, albeit dressed more casually. Her warm smile revealed wrinkles on her cheeks and the corners of her eyes. She spoke with a Southern accent. “I can take the picture for you two,” she offered.

Kate and Dominik stared at each other, hoping for the other to decide what to say. But he was too stunned to speak, not expecting some random stranger to do this at all. “Okay, thank you,” Kate replied, handing the phone to the woman.

The woman gladly took the phone and told the pair to move backwards and center themselves on the bridge, counting to three before snapping a photo. “All right, move closer!”

The two awkwardly sought each other’s confirmation again as to whether it was okay to do just that. Kate took a half-step to her side, closing in the gap between her thigh and his. Meanwhile, Dominik’s mind was close to being sent into overdrive.

“Oh put an arm around her, darling!” the old lady touted.

Both immediately swooped in with their justifications, speaking at the same time.

“We’re not together!”.

“We’re just friends.”

The old lady simply raised her brows and pressed her lips, as if to suppress a blush and a knowing smile. “All right, all right,” she conceded, taking the last photo and returning the phone to Kate. “You two take care.”

“Thanks, you too,” Kate responded as they parted ways.

As she and Dominik walked back down, she said, “That was awkward,” followed by a muffled giggle. Dominik only shook his head.

“You sure you’re not just trying to save photos of me?” he teased.

“Nah, I’ll send it to you,” she waved a hand at him.

He tilted his head. “Really? How?”

Huli pero di kulong. ”Uhhh…your socials?”

“I don’t have social media and you know that. Unless you’re sending it to Jin—” he probed.

“Good idea—”

“Do. Not. Send. It. To Jin.”

She snickered. “Fine.”

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Okay. Maybe.”

“Hä? Maybe what?”

“Maybe I’m enjoying the benefit of keeping photos of you while waiting for a proper medium to send it to.”

After that, even on the car ride back to his place, there was an indelible smirk etched on his face. She was flirting, all right. He didn’t need much more confirmation after that.

Or maybe a bit more. A direct one, for good measure.

Kate fell asleep on the car ride back to his place. Though he believed that distracted driving is unsafe, he couldn’t help but cast little glances at her as she dozed off while they traveled the highway. She leaned her head on the side of the car, her arms wrapped around a pillow that she insisted on bringing that morning.

She likes me, his brain kept telling him over and over.

She likes me.

She likes me.

When they were close to getting home, he woke her up. After he parked, they unloaded their things and settled on the couch.

“Wait a second,” Dominik stood up and made a beeline for the kitchen. As he opened the fridge, he asked her, “You want any beer?”

“Yes please, thanks,” she gladly obliged, crossing her legs and getting herself comfortable. He came back with two bottles and opened the first one with the second bottle. “Here you go,” handing the second one to Kate.

“Thank you. Got a bottle opener?” Kate asked.

“You gotta be creative with opening that,” Dominik challenged her.

She raised her brows and accepted the dare, searching for something she can use. She then stood up, walked towards the door with the bottle in her hand. She opened the door and gave him a smug look, then opened her beer bottle with the strike plate of the door. He smirked in amusement but gave a small nod in approval anyway.

“You could’ve opened that with the table too,” he shared.

“Well, you can teach me next time,” she replied as she sat down beside Dominik, “Beer in the middle of the day, huh? Tryna get me drunk?”

“Well, if you get drunk after one beer, that’s just…unfortunate,” he quipped. Kate let out a loud cackle, to which he smirked.

Heh. I made her laugh.

“Don’t worry, I won’t. Actually, we could have these with the Pancit Canton noodles I told you about. Wanna go boil ‘em with me?” she offered, to which he agreed.

As they waited for the water in the pot to boil, they chatted more about the prior hike and other spots they could see next time. When the noodles were ready, they mixed in the packets of seasonings and carried their plates back to the living room, the aroma of the flavors wafting through the house.

“Smells nice,” he commented.

“Right?” she beamed, “This was a huge part of my childhood. Too bad I couldn’t find it anywhere around here besides Innsbruck.”

“I suppose a movie goes with the beer and the noodles too?” he said as they returned to the couch, and she accepted. As they were carefully picking whatever they would watch on the screen, a thought interrupted Dominik.

“Kate?” he fretted, placing his drink on the coffee table.

“Nik,” she answered, her attention still glued to the screen and her hand moving the remote control.

“Do you like me?” he asked.

Her heart leapt to her throat and her stomach fell into a whirlpool of emotions. She almost widened her eyes in surprise, but she knew what she was doing all along and tried to play things cool, despite being close to having to admit how she feels about him.

Breathe, Kate. Inhale. Exhale.

She stared deep into his sapphire eyes, looked him up and down coyly, and rolled her eyes, smirking as she turned her gaze back to the movie choices. If it doesn’t get any more obvious than that…

He cocked his head back. What the hell was that?

“Kate,” he called her attention again, this time more assertively.

She turned to him again, placing an arm on the backrest of the couch, eager not to let the feeling of uncertainty betray her guise.

Lord give me strength—or I suppose forgive me—for what I’m about to do.

She placed a hand on his cheek, delicately running her fingers from the middle of his scar up to right behind his ear, the sensation almost making him melt into oblivion. She observed his eyes some more, noticing that the expression on them had softened but were clearly fixated on her in anticipation. As she was about to inch closer to him, she stopped herself, giving a short glance to his lips, then momentarily catching sight of the wall, pondering if she was doing the right thing.

I don’t want to be disrespectful…or, given what I’ve seen last time, I don’t want him to freak out or anything. Best be clear with things.

She let out the breath that didn’t realize she was holding, then looked back at him. “May I kiss you?” she spoke barely above a whisper.

“Is that a ‘yes’?” he softly said back. 

She took another deep breath, her lips forming a timid line for a smile. “Yeah. It is.”

His mind was reeling in disbelief as they cautiously drew themselves in by an unspoken force, taunting at their curiosity to know what the other tastes like. They took one last glimpse into each other’s eyes, before closing them and finally allowing their lips to gently touch.

A second of empty silence. Then the mind registers that it is in such close contact with another that it sends a rush across the body, making one either want to claw to the surface for control or devolve further into one’s instincts.

There was a faint bitter taste of beer on his lips that matched his rough exterior. One of Kate’s hands ran across Dominik's hair, the other caressing his neck, learning the feeling of his skin under her palm. Meanwhile, his hands savored the softness of her face and traced down her spine. For a moment, he considered the possibility that the small of her back was made to fit his touch, with the way it arched enough to rest his hand on.

Then she pulled back, still dazed by the warmth she felt creeping across her chest and twisting at her core. He paused too, seeing if she wanted more. But the very second Dominik opened his eyes, he was lured into the deep, drowning ebony hue of her irises. It pulled enough to make him bring her to his lips again, this time colliding in a more passionate exchange.

There was no more pretense or tiptoeing around how the other might’ve felt. Kate tugged at him by the neckline of his shirt, urging him to follow along as she rested her back on the couch. She brushed his lips lightly with her tongue as he caged her body between his arms. He mirrored it in response as she parted her lips slightly, then deepened his kisses further. Her lips were soft and pillowy against his slightly chapped ones. Her scent was beginning to intoxicate him—peacefully in the first few moments of realization, then rousing him to crave more of her.

She clung onto whatever piece of fabric she could grasp to bring him closer, as he was far too big for her to wrap her arms around. Yet no matter how she wanted to feel more of him, he was careful not to bring much of his body weight down on her.

She ran a hand up his chest and guided him to kiss her along the hazy ridge of her jawline. From there, his touches still remained gentle but grew more desperate. He soon found a spot that made her throat let out a whimper and her hips jerk up, feeling his erection brush against her. He smirked at the sound she made, and like a lion finding an opportunity to strike, he gave more attention to the same spot on her neck, threatening to make Kate’s eyes roll back. She pressed her face onto the couch and was brought halfway back to reality by what she saw on the table beside them.

The food was running out of steam.

She tried to regain control. “Nik?” her voice creaked.

He only hummed in response, still intent on hearing her whine more.

“Nik.”

“Yeah?” his head rose up, face clearly spelling out “love drunk”.

“The noodles. Still haven’t had ‘em,” she said in between breathy chuckles.

“Right,” he uttered as he sat up and immediately pulled a pillow onto his lap, “Sorry, were you hungry?”

“Yes…to whichever kind of ‘hungry’ you were referring to,” she jested.

In their haze, still reeling in a way from the intensity of what spun earlier, they tried going back to picking what to watch while eating.

Taking the first mouthful from his platter, Dominik raised his brows and stared at his plate as he gathered his thoughts on the food.

“What do you think?” Kate asked while she twirled noodle strands on her fork.

“Spicy,” he replied.

“Hopefully not too hot for your liking, no?”

“No, not at all’, he smirked, “Whatever ‘hot’ means.”

She muffled a snicker and shook her head. After taking a bite from her food, she began searching on the app on the TV.

“I suppose…” she drawled as she typed with the remote control, “Given what might end up happening today, we need a show that has a long enough run time, is nice to watch, but also okay to leave as background noise. You seen The Office before?”

Dominik gawked at her, amused by her increasing directness. “No. But I’m good with whatever you’re picking.”

“Cool. The Office it is, then.”

. . .

Translation:

Huli pero di kulong - Filipino expression, literally translates to "caught but not jailed", when you do something bad or mischievous and get caught but don't suffer consequences from it

More A/N:

You know how when you compliment a guy on something with their appearance, they'll keep it in mind forever? Ye side theory, König poses with weight on one leg during his character previews because he got a compliment from Kate standing like that for a photo.

Maybe I dug too deep into it. Maybe I'm kidding. Maybe not.

Oh and they went to Wolfsklamm for the hike in this chapter.

[itsuki-minamy]

"AYAKA – SIDE STORIES 07": RETURN

TRANSLATION: NARU-KUN

* List of Chapters

(1)

(Please give me a break.), Taihei Makita lamented.

He must have been a poor bento maker. Although he didn't make much money, he had a decent reputation and his proud bento burger had quite a loyal following.

Although he was skilled in handling part-time jobs, he did not dare to expand the scale of his business because he was picky about the taste he made with his own hands. He was completely satisfied with the feeling that people were happy with his work, as far as he could see.

How was that.

Due to a promise he had made to himself without his knowledge, he was forced to incur debts to people he had never met before and, just as he was making steady payments, he became trapped in a shady scheme to make money.

Although he had many relationships with the yakuza and the mafia, he still managed to move tactfully and before he knew it, he was considered a messenger and a fixer.

The following week, after he decided it wasn't good and gave up, he found himself shaking at the shooting range, where bullets flew and screams mingled.

He really wanted to be given a break.

He slipped away for a moment. However, much to his dismay, the person at the center of that case seemed to be none other than him. Unbeknownst to him (or, to be honest, he had a vague idea) someone related to that type of business was trying to punish Makita for organizing a large amount of weapons smuggling. Of course, he was not a professional lunch box maker, nor was he a police officer or lawyer.

To make it simpler...

He didn't want to say it, but...

They were murderers.

He really wanted to be given a break.

But to be honest, the reality is harsh and cynical. Then Makita ran away. He fought desperately.

Of course, professionals don't care about the efforts of amateurs.

"Ah, damn...!"

He measures more than 1.90 centimeters tall. The constant muscle training he performed while making bento boxes and the protein contained in the prototype gave him a seemingly "soft" physique. No matter how thick his muscles are, they are no match for pistol bullets. No, if he tries hard enough he might be able to get away with a 22 gauge or a 32 gauge, or even a 9mm Parabellum if he tries really hard, but that's not the problem.

He could die.

In a corner of a warehouse district in a deserted port where he doesn't even know the name of the place.

"What kind of B movie is this?"

Panting and sitting against the outside wall of the warehouse, Makita cursed his bad luck.

"Haa haa...", his own turbulent exhalation pressed against his earlobe. And beyond that, he could hear the sound of several shoe soles hitting the asphalt. For some reason, he could hear a voice disturbed by anger. He never dreamed that he would provoke so much hostility from someone.

If he doesn't run, they will kill him.

However, he no longer had the strength or energy to flee.

He never expected his life to end like this. No matter what he says, it sounds like a lie. He doesn't feel it. Well, he figured he might soon realize it, even if he didn't like it.

"Ah~ Damn. If this was the case, I should have eaten something more delicious."

After complaining, a sarcastic smile appeared on his thick lips.

The joy of eating for oneself does not come close to the joy of feeding others.

That's why he uses luxurious ingredients and puts in as much effort as he wants.

He wanted to feed all the hungry people. He wanted to see that face.

"...Ah. Now that I mention it..."

A delicious burger recipe that takes advantage of his signature hamburger steak.

He should have done it at least once. It would be a challenge in terms of cost, but it would have been worth a try. He wanted to give that to someone. He is so gluttonous that anyone would be surprised. As many as he wants to his heart's content. At that time, what kind of food would he show? He wondered how fun that would be to watch.

"Hey!"

"There is he!"

A pursuer with a gun appeared in front of Makita, who smiled deceivedly. Apparently that was the end.

One of the men in front raised his hand and pointed his gun at the motionless Makita. Perhaps it was a relief that there was still no sense of reality at that stage. Looking at the death that was soon to come, Makita managed to catch his breath.

But...

"Death" never came.

He can't understand what happened. What he discovered was that a heat wave suddenly hit the area. The pursuers screamed and fainted. Furthermore, for some reason, the scene, which had no true reality, suddenly began to seem real.

The understanding that this was not a dream or a joke, but a shoddy reality.

"What...?"

Just as he was mumbling in shock, a man entered the alley.

An elegant and dynamic silhouette. His steps are calm and firm.

"Taihei Makita?"

The man confirmed with a brusque gesture.

A young man. He is still a young man. He is an attractive young man who seems more like a host than an assassin on that battlefield.

However, he has the power and dynamic beauty of a wild carnivore.

After being fascinated by the young man for a while, Makita exhaled and inhaled.

"That's right."

He answered.

The young man nodded.

And...

"I came to find you as a messenger from "Kinari". I am Ibuki. If you want to get up, come with me."

(2)

"Hmm, I see. It's a shame, but I guess I'll skip it this time... No, there's no rush. There's a chance... Yes. That's right. Thank you for your hard work."

After speaking in a calm tone, Sanji Inou hung up the phone.

He let out a sigh.

The contact he received just before the scheduled time was about the Ayaka Island mascot character, which he had been working on. The project was to create characters called "Yuru-kyara" as part of Ichinoshima's tourism public relations, but the outsourcing company changed its attitude just before the contract was signed and the company ended up going bankrupt. It's not a common occurrence, but it's also not something to make a fuss about. He personally was disappointed, but as he said on the phone, there were no special problems.

However, he was a little worried about the reason for the outsourcing company's sudden change of attitude. The person who commissioned it was a contractor from the mainland, but he had apparently "seen" something when he visited the island.

What the other party "saw" on the island seems to be some kind of strange phenomenon. Inou couldn't laugh. In any case, he had many worries.

"Fortunately, nothing serious seemed to happen..."

Ayaka Island is different from the mainland. In the words of a former friend, it is a place "abundant with the blessings of life" on a level rare anywhere in the world.

However, the blessings of life do not only bring good things. The best example is the existence called Aramitama. The Mitama that emerge from the life line are originally harmless beings that are difficult for ordinary people to see. However, when the life force that constitutes the Mitama becomes cloudy and becomes Aramitama, it causes various damages. Unfortunately, on Ayaka Island, where life is rich and there are many Mitama, there are many opportunities for an Aramitama to appear.

In particular, Ichinoshima, which is in the process of being redeveloped as a tourist destination, has a high flow of people and goods. This is how many "bad things" arrive from outside the island. First, the liveliness of large numbers of people creates biases, both positive and negative. The active mud current produces thick turbidity even in a short period of time. Although most are bubbles that burst and disappear quickly, there are still quite a few that "hit" them.

Since ancient times, on Ayaka Island there have been people called "Myakutsugi" who use the power of life to calm the Aramitama. That hasn't changed, but... the recent number of Aramitama outbreaks has exceeded the amount that can be suppressed by the number of connectors that are decreasing year by year.

"I can't rely solely on Haruaki-kun, but..."

In the past, on Ayaka Island, there was a great master known as the "great hermit" and he was able to single-handedly pacify most of the Aramitama on the island. He was a close friend that Inou will never forget. After his death, his number one disciple, Kurama Haruaki, took charge of the Kaizumi Shrine and worked hard to harmonize the life cycle of Ayaka Island. He is humbled by his dedication.

However, the increasing appearance of Aramitamas will end up disturbing the harmony of the island. No, it is not a question of "someday", it is an urgent question. There just aren't enough hands. And the rise of Aramitamas is likely to accelerate from now on.

However, the development of Ichinoshima could not be delayed. Finally it is a revival. It hurts, because of the tragedy.

"It's been five years..."

A considerable amount of time has passed since that day when his friend died.

It's still too early to seal it in the past.

However, it is too long to let himself be bound by the regrets of those days. That kind of indulgence cannot be tolerated.

They must face the future. Overcome difficulties.

"I'm worried about the Aramitamas, though. Jingi-kun is a bit more... Oh, no. This is also "bad". What are you telling a fifteen-year-old boy?"

He slapped his forehead.

Think about measures to develop the island while avoiding its bankruptcy. Isn't that what the mayor is there for?

"For the moment, it may have been a good thing that "Yuru-kyara" failed. We need to take action before the island gets a bad reputation. Now, what should we do?"

Leaning his body against the back of the chair, Inou closed his eyes and frowned.

And...

His phone vibrated again. Inou opened one eye and looked at the display on the screen. There is an incoming call. However, it is from a number he does not recognize. He had doubts about it, but he didn't find it suspicious. He is still the mayor. Sometimes, he may suddenly receive a call from someone he doesn't know. Inou answered the call and asked, "Hello...".

"It's been a long time, Inou-san."

At that moment, his breath caught in his throat.

Inou quickly stood up and shouted into his cell phone.

"Aka-kun!"

+++++++++++

His steps were heavy.

Both Ibuki and Kurama were shocked with wounds all over their bodies.

Still, neither of them offered help and they simply continued walking.

Although the eruption had already subsided, the ground near the crater was still hot and slowly burning the atmosphere. One night since then. The surrounding area bears the scars of a fierce battle. A large excavated hill with cracks running through the ground. Even now, the spirit of life is turbulent like a storm.

However, the sense of urgency from the night before was gone. It may seem terrible, but all that has already been done.

The two were walking.

They searched as they walked.

Both of them were already out of breath. Before he could recover, he visited Shinoshima. Holding on to a little bit of hope. He hoped maybe...

And... he understood it.

Ibuki raised his head, which had been somewhat downcast, and smiled reflectively. An awkward smile, something like "no way". Thus, he began to run as if he attracted him.

Kurama noticed the same, and although he was not sure, he still ran with unsteady steps.

Where were the two going...

The sanctuary that had been erected on the edge of the crater was completely destroyed.

But to the side, there was a figure sitting with his back leaning on the sacred spear inserted into the ground.

"Master!"

The relief that seeped involuntarily belonged to Ibuki.

As expected. There was an emotion on his face that convinced him. On second thought, that couldn't be true. There is no way he would have died. After all, it was Yanagi. He was very worried, but all those fears were unfounded. He was fine. He was really good. Ibuki said that to himself from the bottom of his heart.

But...

Kurama noticed it first. The smile that had appeared on his face froze and his gaze fell to the ground, as if he had given up.

"Master?"

Ibuki muttered.

Yanagi laughed.

But he didn't move.

Ibuki's voice should have reached him, but he didn't show the slightest reaction.

His strength was gone. Ibuki knelt down and put his hands on the ground. His toes trembled as he grabbed it, scraping the floor with his toes.

Thoughts and emotions swirled in his head. As he spun, he lost his sense of balance.

"Shit. Damn!"

A thick feeling of passion twisted deep in his stomach. Kurama next to him said nothing and lowered his head.

In front of them, Yanagi died with a smile.

Ibuki raised his head and looked at the sky sadly.

(3)

"I see. It's been five years since then... five years, huh."

As the sun shined softly and the wind blew, Ibuki didn't murmur to anyone else.

His gaze was sharp and clear as he looked at the tombstone in front of him.

His calm voice and demeanor were like nothing he had ever had before. He grew and his body became bigger. It's not that he has grown unnecessarily, but you can tell that he is full of youthful vitality. Furthermore, the thin dark suit that covered his body greatly altered Inou's impression of him.

He became an adult.

Inou's heart warmed at the boy's growth.

The two are in a cemetery on a hill in Ninoshima. In front of the tomb where Makoto Yanagi, Inou's friend and Ibuki's mentor, is buried. His grave, beloved by islanders, still bears flowers even five years after his death. Offerings include sake, which he loved, and fruits grown on the island.

Inou himself used to visit the tomb whenever he had free time.

However, this is the first time he meets Ibuki. Shortly after Yanagi's death, Ibuki left the island.

And today he finally returned.

"...It seems that leaving the island was the right decision."

"Eh?"

"I have changed my mind. You have become more admirable."

Inou said that to Ibuki, still smiling. He thought it was an old-fashioned phrase, but it didn't bother him. It means he's at the right age to have that kind of conversation. Ibuki and him too.

Ibuki, on the other hand, smiled wryly for some reason. Maybe it was just his imagination, but his reaction was like enduring pain. It was a wry smile mixed with self-mockery, as if he had been exposed to some harsh irony.

"...Inou-san. As always, you are a talker."

"Huh? What? I honestly wanted to praise you, you know?"

"So, no, it's fine. At least, I think it was the right answer."

He laughed as he said that. It was a strangely dark smile, different from the bitter smile before. Inou stiffened a little, but the hint of a smile quickly disappeared.

He had a similar reaction before he got there. On the way, he asked him a question about where he had been and what he had been doing for the last five years.

Ibuki's response was: "A family member took care of me." That was also written in the few letters he sent him after leaving the island.

However, in the past, Ibuki was supposed to have become Yanagi's apprentice because he had no relatives to trust. So what does it mean that a family member cares for him? However, when Inou asked Ibuki a question, he refused to give a detailed explanation, even if he didn't say so explicitly. Inou also believes that pursuing the matter now is a bad idea. Although Ibuki has become an adult, he is still a young man of twenty. That's what he should be worried about.

First of all, Inou seemed to be nervous about meeting him again after so long.

And it must be the same for Ibuki. It's been five years since he left the island without telling anyone.

It was natural to feel uncomfortable. There was no need to forcefully deny that feeling of distance.

Inou warned himself that he should not rush.

Ibuki has returned. All he has to do is befriend him again, who is right in front of him. He shouldn't rush, just take it slow.

"So... Aka-kun? This return home is not temporary and you will live on Ayaka Island again, right?"

"...Ah. I came back with that intention."

"Great! Does Momoko-san already know?"

"No."

"In that case, show your face after this. I'm sure she'll be very excited. I can't help but think about it."

Inou himself said that with the desire to have fun.

Then, Ibuki smiled again. The smile has a different nuance than before, an exquisite mix of cynicism and naivety.

"...I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Eh?"

"Thank you for contacting me without telling anyone."

Of course he knew who Ibuki meant by "nobody". Normally, that's the person Ibuki should contact first.

Haruaki Kurama, Ibuki's brother.

"You still can't forgive him?"

Ibuki doesn't answer Inou's question. However, the gloomy expression that suddenly appeared on his face said it all. "I see." Inou murmured briefly.

The reason Ibuki left the island was Yanagi's death. And there, he and his brother Kurama, are closely involved. Of course, it wasn't Kurama's fault, and Ibuki should have understood that, at least in his heart. Still, there seems to be an inevitable dispute between the two.

So...

"Hmm. I know she'll probably get angry later, but I guess I'll just say hello to Momoko-san another time. It's a bit painful to ask her to stay quiet."

Momoko Amamiya, the former owner's granddaughter, is like family to Ibuki. And the same goes for Kurama. If everything is not going to be as before, he will not bother her with secret compulsions.

"Honestly, that would be helpful. I made the right decision by contacting Inou-san first."

"Haha, you're embarrassing me. But I'm going to stop for today, okay? Momoko-san and Jingi-kun will be very happy if they find out you're home."

"...Now that you mention it, what about Jingi? I guess he's gotten a little better."

"He is mischievous and has perfected himself."

"I see."

Ibuki laughed. Yanagi's third disciple, Jingi Sagawa, is currently 15 years old. His unrestrained behavior was one of the headaches Inou had, but at that moment, he was grateful to him.

In fact, there is another family member that he wants to return to the island.

However, he still lived in a facility on the mainland. That is the result of following Yanagi's will.

Will they ever be able to laugh together again in the same place? Wait so. That's why he must do the best he can.

"...Well. From what I see, it seems like you don't intend to cause trouble for Momoko-san like you used to. So where are you going to live?"

"I'm thinking about Ichinoshima."

"Okay, then I'll help you find a good property. The rest is work. I won't skimp on helping you, but now that you're an adult, you can't afford to do nothing. Is there any hope? If you need it, I can prepare you for a job in the government office..."

When Inou spoke, Ibuki's expression suddenly became serious.

"About that... I have a request and a query, Inou-san. It's about business."

"Oh, you came here on business. This is making me nervous."

"Don't make fun of it. It's a serious matter. We are already making preparations and have no intention of going back to the drawing board now. However, if possible, I would like to obtain your permission, Inou-san, and if we can collaborate formally, it would be ideal. I want you to ignore your personal feelings towards me and consider this as a job."

"I don't care about that, but what exactly is your job?"

"It's decided. It's a connector."

After saying that casually, Ibuki looked at Inou with a strong gaze.

"The Aramitamas in Ichinoshima. They're increasing quite a bit, right?"

He opened his eyes involuntarily. He remembered when he received the call from Ibuki. At that moment, Inou was worried about that very issue.

"By any chance, are you the one fighting the Aramitamas? But you..."

"Although I have been away from the island for five years, I have continued to improve my skills. Especially when it comes to handling the Aramitama. It is different than before. I will show you."

"But..."

"The life cycle of the island is in trouble. It is due to the influence of the fire dragon in Shinoshima. My master has suppressed it, but has not sealed it completely. However, the current Ichinoshima is an area that is especially under renovation. That area has the perfect conditions for Aramitamas to be born. That may not be a problem on the continent, but it is not the case here."

Ibuki stated flatly, but Inou couldn't respond.

In fact, if that is Ninoshima or even Ichinoshima and it is not a tourist area... at least for now, there is no particular problem. For the people of Ayaka Island, the Aramitamas are a threat, but not a source of despair. They have been "accustomed" to its existence since childhood.

Even if an Aramitama appeared, the islanders would not see it as a particular problem as long as it was dealt with correctly.

But...

"It's fine if you are a resident of an island, but if a tourist from another place is attacked by an Aramitama... it would be a big problem if it were widely publicized on the mainland. That situation should be avoided at all costs. Isn't it?"

Ibuki spoke calmly, but there was a strong light in his eyes. His enthusiasm is palpable.

However, he wondered if it was Inou's imagination that he felt a kind of unpleasant attachment to his enthusiasm.

"...You know this too, right? Even people who can't see the Mitama can see the Aramitama, but the memories of the Aramitama fade quickly over time. Especially people outside who haven't been familiar with this kind of thing since ancient times, like the people of this island."

"So they don't have to find out? Even if someone from outside the island gets into an accident, do you think it won't be a problem as long as the cause is unknown?"

"No, that's..."

"If Ichinoshima becomes a tourist destination, interest in Ayaka Island will increase even more. Even if we try to hide information, there is no way things will remain as they are."

That was something Inou was worried about, but had turned a blind eye to.

Ayaka Island is different from the mainland. In other words, it is a mysterious island. Until now, it had not attracted much attention as a secret area known only to those who knew.

But from now on, that won't be the case. And in a sense, it is inevitable.

"We live in a time where the world is so information-based that individuals can communicate to the world what they see and hear. It is of no use if we are the only ones who reject it. I don't think you can hide things about the Aramitama or the line of life. And it's not just us. There are places around the world where the power of life is strong."

Exchange with people outside the island cannot be restricted. That's not limited to the redevelopment of Ichinoshima. It is a much larger trend: the flow of the times.

The mysteries will eventually be analyzed digitally. Rather than secret activities closely linked to everyday life, they are directed towards a systematic rationality that has been scientifically clarified.

Just when...

"Everything else doesn't matter. What I'm talking about is this topic."

After saying that, Ibuki straightened up, as if he was trying to clear things up once again.

"We must understand the "importance" of eliminating the damage caused by the Aramitama in the tourist area of Ichinoshima."

"Of course... that's not something I could expect, but..."

"Then let me do it. I will."

Ibuki declared as he looked directly at Inou. The expression on his face showed his determination not to give an inch.

Inou exhaled and opened his eyes again.

"I understand. In any case, it is true that we do not have enough pulse connectors. If you, Yanagi's disciple, could lend me your strength, I would simply appreciate it. Of course, assuming you can deal with the Aramitama, right?"

"I told you, right? I'll properly "prove" that point to you."

Ibuki smiled fearlessly and extended his right hand. Inou shrugged and shook his hand.

"Does that mean the deal is done?"

"Ah. That's right. Thank you very much."

"Good. So... right now, there are some matters I would like to clarify legally. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Yes?"

+++++++++++

The big, muscular man was shrinking, looking regretful. At the moment, he seems to be aware of the "insane" situation that lies ahead of him. However, what appeared on his face was a careless business smile, as if he had apologized too much and opened up again. Although he is aware of that, he probably doesn't want to take it personally.

Ibuki's business partner, who called himself Makita, said to Inou, who was speechless.

"Bullets are different from real bullets, right? I don't know much about that yet either... Is this a Myakutsugi technique or something? It seems like some kind of hidden manipulation has been done to it... at least its lethality should be pretty low... hahaha!"

Makita smiled, as if he was disappointed. Honestly, Inou also felt like laughing. Seeing the countless firearms lined up in the warehouse made him feel like he couldn't help but laugh. Well, it wasn't funny at all.

Instead...

"I see."

Inou murmured and nodded.

Then he grumbled in his heart, mixing 80% sadness and 20% joy.

In fact, Aka-kun was his disciple.

In the back of his memory, Yanagi was laughing and trying to trick him.

(4)

"...It seems like something is going to go wrong, right?"

Ibuki laughed and snorted at Makita's grim line.

"That's what this business meeting is about. Why do you seem so upset?"

"I went from being a courier to being an arms dealer. I am very dissatisfied."

"Hey, be careful with your words, Makita. This is just a "curse" tool. At least for now."

Saying that, Ibuki looked at the gun in his pocket. He watched with amusement as Makita hurriedly looked around him.

A bar in Ichinoshima. Makita looked bitterly at his new business partner, a younger man who was only twenty years old, who was sitting at a table in the back.

He let out a sigh and sat in the seat across from him.

"Who is that mayor? Although he is a familiar face, he is too flexible."

"Inou-san is used to it. After all, my old master and him were friends since they were young. From what I can see, he is in a lot of trouble. In many ways."

"He seems sincere."

"I guarantee he's honest, okay?"

"Then I think we'll get along well. And I sympathize with you."

After letting out a deep sigh once again, Makita ordered a whiskey from the waiter at the counter. Ibuki narrowed his eyes as he shook the rocks glass and rolled the ice cubes inside.

He's unusually talkative, but he seems a little drunk. However, thanks to that, he seems to be in good spirits. It was unusual for Ibuki to be in such a good mood, since he usually had a gloomy appearance. Although his eyes are as sharp as ever, there is no fear in his eyes.

Furthermore, the relaxed expression on his face corresponds to Ibuki's true age, since he is only twenty years old. Makita couldn't help but think that now he should be able to carry a gun.

The young man in front of him, Aka Ibuki, is Makita's lifeguard. It was easy to understand and saved him from a desperate situation. However, that did not mean that he rescued him from that situation for free. In fact, it seems that Ibuki was more interested in Makita's firearms sales route than in him. It is said that his current master, not his former master, recommended Makita as someone who would meet Ibuki's needs.

That master was a person named "Kinari Rika".

Speaking of "Kinari", it is the name of a "shredder" who is one of the most dangerous people Makita knows, and who he only occasionally whispers about. It's like an urban legend of the underworld, but still, when mentioning that name, the higher up people were, the more they paid attention to their surroundings.

"However, the teacher-student relationship has already dissolved."

These were the words Ibuki said to him, as if he didn't care, when Makita persistently searched for various explanations.

Of course, Makita himself doesn't know Kinari. Apparently, he was nominated based solely on the information that "there is a person who fits Ibuki's wish". In short, he was selected as a business partner because he was a "trustworthy and knowledgeable person in firearms distribution". More of an urban legend. He can't help but think that something is wrong in the world. Makita would like to say many things, but he was aware that it was completely true to say that his main job was to be a lunch box maker.

However, the story did not end with just a firearms transaction.

A lot of things happened after that, but Ibuki seems to have taken a liking to Makita and considered him a business partner instead of just a temporary partner.

However, he was actually a useful "subordinate".

"I just need a little help."

That's the phrase he used when he requested staff, which didn't convey any sense of sincerity or enthusiasm.

However, Makita accepted Ibuki's invitation.

He was grateful because he saved his life and, most importantly, he had no choice. He agreed to that with the intention of jumping off the stage of Shimizu and destiny. However, he never expected to be taken to such a remote island.

To make matters worse, that island has also changed drastically. Ichinoshima, where he is now, looks decent at first glance, but only in some areas that are undergoing redevelopment. When he saw an Aramitama for the first time, he couldn't help but think that it was some kind of photo shoot. He heard that there were people on other islands and that a volcano had erupted five years ago. No, he's sure it's not just the firewood field that makes him think that.

However, the reason Makita teamed up with Ibuki was probably because he was different in the first place. The "Myakutsugi" techniques that that slender, host-looking young man showed him shattered and expanded Makita's common sense. He made him realize, much to his chagrin, that something really is wrong in the world. That's why he managed to adapt to the various things that come with Ayaka Island.

"I wonder if anyone will congratulate me?"

Ibuki responded to the words he blurted out: "Hmm?" Makita shook her head and said it was nothing.

The clerk brought the whiskey. Makita took it, and after the employee walked far enough away, he asked Ibuki, "So?"

"What happened to the "bullet"? Is that convenient?"

"Ah. I was worried when I heard that someone had replaced him, but fortunately the next owner also seems to have solid skills. To be honest, the situation in Ichinoshima is worse than expected. We will need more people soon, but if that is the case, we can take care not only of the bullets, but also of the adjustment of the gun itself."

Ibuki said that as if he had left a coat for him to try on, as if he had sent it to the dry cleaners. Makita frowned as he took a sip of whiskey.

"It's surprising that even on such a rural island there are people who know how to adjust weapons."

"I only adjust it as a "cursing tool"."

"I am regretting the mentality of being trusted with a weapon as if it were a "cursed tool" and I simply accept it without hesitation."

"Well, I've been working with that store since my former master was there."

"You said "former master" again. I feel like that's the culprit behind everything."

"Not everything. At most 80%."

To Ibuki, who was acting calm, Makita said, "That's enough.".

Now that he thinks about it, he has come a long way from having a good bento shop. Both in distance and position. Where will his life go from now on?

No, he has decided where he is headed for now.

It's starting a business.

"Are people likely to gather?"

"For now, I'll go while you're here."

"...I'm telling you, I won't be there."

"You learned how to use a gun, right?"

"Does that mean you can fight monsters?"

"I can fight. That's why I took an extra risk and chose a weapon as my magic tool. Even ordinary people who are not related to that can fight against the Aramitamas and exterminate them on their own."

When he answered that, Ibuki returned to his usual self, showing a dark and cold presence. His true nature is unmistakable even when he is drunk. He could see the hatred towards the Aramitama.

It seems that Ibuki's previous master lost his life fighting a dragon.

That past remains the driving force that drives Ibuki. The new business he's about to start is probably part of Ibuki's revenge. Makita gets caught up in Ibuki's revenge.

However, even so, the one who decided to get involved was Makita himself.

Either a demon or a snake will appear... the annoying thing about this island is that there is a real chance of both appearing. Rather, it is a flow in which a dragon appears at the end. "Oh, my God." Makita said with a Whiskey. He couldn't do it without drinking alcohol.

"...By the way, have you decided on a name?"

"Yes, "Ayaka Security"."

"You came here to work as a security officer. I think your job will probably be as an exorcist or peacekeeper."

"I will take charge of the security of Ayaka Island. Isn't that appropriate?"

Seeing Ibuki's lips curve into a smile, Makita tilted his head.

It is clear that Ibuki's interest is not in the safety of the island, but in eliminating the Aramitama.

However, if his "work" ends up benefiting the people of this island and the people who visit it, then...

There had to be a meaning in that.

Makita raised the glass from him.

"For the future of our business."

Ibuki raised his glass in response.

He gently pressed the rim of the glass.

"For the success of "Ayaka Security"."

+++++++++++

Ichinoshima is the most populated of the Ayaka Islands. Although the influx of people increased due to the redevelopment, the number of residents was large because the island was large and had the most active interaction with the mainland. Currently, the main area is an area that is undergoing redevelopment, but many islanders also live in the surrounding area.

In a corner of that ancient cityscape that reminded him of Ninoshima, there was an old antique shop that seemed to have existed for a hundred years.

The name of the building was "Kumogaido".

Local residents recognize it more as a second-hand tool shop than an antique dealer, and its skills in repairing and restoring broken tools are most valued.

On the other hand, it is an unusual store and many customers come from the mainland just to see it.

A man dressed in Japanese clothing was standing in front of the store.

"Hello, Kumoi-kun. I'm sorry to bother you."

"Huh? Kurama-sensei!"

"I already told you to stop, right?"

Kurama Haruaki smiled calmly as he spoke to the shopkeeper at the back of the store. The merchant stood up from his desk in a panic and then quickly covered the desk with a cloth. Kurama felt a little uncomfortable with that gesture, but he pretended not to notice.

The shop owner, who had a deceptively friendly smile on his face, said that his name was Kyouji Kumoi. He is a lanky young man in his 20s, wearing glasses and a jumpsuit that doesn't match the atmosphere of the store.

There's something about him that makes him seem unreliable, but there are actually quite a few parts of him that are unreliable, but... his abilities are reliable. After all, "Kumogaido" is a long-established shop that only those in the know know it as a magic tool. Kurama's master, Yanagi, was also a close friend of the previous owner and often entrusted him with his own magical tools.

His successor, Kumoi, was the one who decided to take over the store at just 20 years old.

"How is the store? Have you gotten used to it?"

"Well, yes... I usually have free time and my daily routine is to deal with the old men and women who come to make fun of me. I just play with magic tools every day."

"So training every day."

"That's not the case... I have no other abilities... I don't have any talent for manipulating magic tools, but I have nothing else to do anyway..."

He humiliated himself as he looked away.

The magical tools Kumoi wields are clearly on a different level in Kurama's eyes, and his skill is unmistakable. However, for some reason, he is the only one who stubbornly refuses to acknowledge his own abilities. "I have no talent." was his favorite phrase.

However, the previous owner was Kumoi's mentor.

"When you get drunk on that, your mind gets bigger, and you still think you're a genius, right? It's a fact, so if the quality is bad, you won't remember the slightest thing when you wake up. It's already interesting, so I'll let you do whatever you want."

That's what they told him. Kurama hid a bitter smile towards the young magic tool craftsman who had a strangely low self-esteem.

"Well, I had some business to do today, so I stopped by to stretch my legs. What about the token I asked for now?"

"I have everything ready. Do you want to check it now?"

"Everything already? As expected, you work quickly."

"Well, it's a simple task that anyone can do."

It must be a meaningless line, but for some reason it seems outdated, which is Kumoi's fault. Kurama continued with a smile on his face, "No way.".

"If anyone could do Kumoi-kun's job, magic tool craftsmen across the country would go bankrupt."

"Even if you compare me to the little ones out there... oh, no? I don't know what someone like me would say about the rest!"

"I know. Anyway, I appreciate your help."

"Ah, but the barrier is still... Sorry. I had an unexpected job to do."

"Of course it doesn't matter. Originally that was something I was forced to ask for."

Kurama responded to the invitation, but his expression darkened slightly as he continued to say, "It's just...".

"Please continue with the preparations. It seems I will need it sooner than I thought."

"Is it Ichinoshima?"

"Yes."

Ayaka Island is a place blessed with rich life. As a side effect of that, Aramitamas often occur. That's why pulse connectors like Kurama exist.

However, recently, Aramitama's appearance has been steadily increasing. The cause is not well understood. The Shinoshima fire dragon that Yanagi suppressed is slowly regaining its power and freedom. As a result of that, the life cycle was interrupted and the redevelopment of Ichinoshima combined with that, creating the soil in which Aramitama could easily be born.

On the other hand, the number of connectors decreases year after year. During Yanagi's lifetime, he had subdued most of the Aramitama, so there was no particular problem, but in a sense, Yanagi's presence was a sign of the lineage of connectors on Ayaka Island, which was already in place decline and had become even more depleted. Today, there are only a few people left on the island who can pacify the Aramitama.

As Yanagi's disciple, Kurama has the duty to protect the island. However, Kurama basically can't leave Sannoshima, where Kaizumi Shrine is located, and he can't stop monitoring and sealing the fire dragon in Shinnoshima, which is the root cause. There were limits to how well they could deal with the growing number of Aramitamas.

"I have to try harder... but it's not worth it."

"Kurama-sensei, you're doing your best, right? It's thanks to Kurama-sensei that the island is at peace even after Yanagi-sensei is gone."

"That's so..."

When he was about to deny it, Kurama remembered Kumoi's attitude in front of him, laughed and shook his head.

He can't say anything about Kumoi if he is too condescending. Perhaps his predecessor is the standard for a magic tool craftsman. If that's the case, his low self-esteem is somewhat understandable.

When you meet great predecessors, you can't help but compare them with your immature self. However, complaining doesn't help. They have no choice but to act where they can.

"A magical barrier tool. Thank you for your help, Kumoi-kun."

"I understand, sir."

Kurama finds Kumoi trustworthy and nods firmly.

He's only twenty years old.

Now that he thought about it, he must be twenty now. If only he were there right now... next to him...

He wondered how reliable it would be.

"Anyway, I'll bring you the spell you asked for."

"Hmm? Oh, yes."

Kumoi seems to have misunderstood something when Kurama answered him and let out a low laugh.

"Well, it won't be that bad, Sensei. Your worries about Ichinoshima might disappear sooner than you think."

"Oh, why?"

"Huh? Oh, ah... well, I guess you could say it's just a hunch... I wonder if something like that will happen."

By suddenly turning his face away from him and letting his gaze wander around him, Kumoi clearly tricked him. Seeing the shop owner's drawn mouth, Kurama once again remembered the discomfort he felt before.

Kurama's eyes fell on the work desk that Kumoi had covered with a cloth. He hid it in a hurry when he visited, which means there must be something he doesn't want him to see. It is against etiquette to inquire about the work of an artisan. However, at that moment, something similar to intuition passed through Kurama.

Unconsciously, his hand reached out to the desk and lifted the cloth. "Hey!" Kumoi exclaimed in surprise, but the moment he saw "it" hidden under the cloth, the craftsman's protest went unnoticed by Kurama.

On the work table there were several disassembled pieces of iron. However, even in his disassembled state, he was able to understand what it was about.

It's a weapon.

A black, opaque and shiny pistol in maintenance. However, it was not the weapon itself that stole Kurama's consciousness, but rather the remains of the pulse grafting technique he had placed on it.

It belongs to Yanagi.

No, not exactly. Although it belongs to Yanagi, it was not created by the master himself. Someone else had introduced a technique based on the same principle into a weapon. A person from the same school.

Of course, it's not Kurama. Furthermore, it cannot be the work of his youngest disciple, Jingi Sagawa, who is still in high school.

In other words...

"Aka...?"

Facing Kurama, who was muttering in shock, Kumoi crouched down silently without responding.

(5)

"Why did you run away?"

Kurama's face stiffened at Ibuki's question.

Five days after his master sacrificed himself, the two faced each other head on. Facing Ibuki, who was showing his anger, the brother stiffened, but did not collapse.

Kurama answered slowly without taking his eyes off Ibuki.

"It was my master's instructions."

"Don't say that!"

If he loosened the reins even a little, it seemed like he would attack him. Ibuki breathed deeply as passion radiated throughout his body.

"You should have known that the master was going to die, right? And yet! You!"

His entire body felt hot and his vision became blurry.

He couldn't forgive him.

Shouldn't the brothers have been encouraged to take the initiative and fight together? If so, how happy would he has been? Was it something he would be proud of? Together with Kurama, whom he adored as his older brother, he would do everything possible for his master. If he could have done that then, he would not have regretted it even if he had lost his life as a result. In fact, he would have proudly told his deceased parents that he survived to that very moment.

But that didn't happen.

And now he feels miserable.

He can't forgive him.

Ibuki's entire body was pleading as he cried. Although he survived by sacrificing Yanagi alone, he could no longer accept that situation. He couldn't help but face his irrationality.

But...

"Aka..."

Kurama didn't move. There was an expression of determination on his face, like that of a monk in training, carrying a heavy load on his back as he embarked on a faraway journey.

"The fire dragon is alive and well. There is someone who must protect the island. That's why the master taught us..."

"Shut up! If we had stayed, the master might not have died?!"

Ibuki yelled at him as if he wanted to knock him down, but Kurama said:

"No."

He responded calmly.

Kurama's face distorted slightly.

At the same time, a bandage peeked out from under his disheveled neck. It is a bandage that covers Kurama's back. The same scar is also etched on his shoulder.

Wounds received from the fire dragon. That is the injury Kurama received while he was protecting Ibuki. If it was true, it was proof of his own failure.

If Kurama hadn't protected Ibuki back then, he might have died.

And if Kurama hadn't been injured at that moment...

Did the brother just follow the master's instructions?

Would the master have given the same instructions as him back then?

"......!"

Heat and anger swirled and sparked in the back of his mind. Ibuki let go of the hand he was holding and looked away, gritting his teeth.

The focus of his simmering anger shifted from Kurama to himself.

The master's judgment. That's definitely true. In the end, what Ibuki cannot forgive must be his own weakness in allowing his master to make such a decision.

A little time for the master. He was immature and couldn't even prepare for it.

In the end, that burning shame was the result of Ibuki Aka's ineptitude.

"Aka...?"

Kurama spoke softly to his younger brother, who remained silent, exposing his face and shaking his shoulders.

His typical, loving voice. That consideration passed through Ibuki's entire body.

"I..."

Ibuki seemed to be cutting back.

He killed the heart and carve the words.

"I... will get stronger."

"Aka..."

Kurama's voice softened. It was as if he had finally convinced himself that his younger brother had the same determination as him.

"Ah. It's not just you. Me too. Master bought us some time, but the fire dragon has not harmonized yet. The same thing will happen again in a few years. By then, we must acquire the ability to quell the dragon of fire. That's why we..."

Kurama appealed sincerely, with a somewhat painful tone, but firm and focused on the future. Even now that he has lost his master, he still needs to move on. To put everything in harmony.

But...

"Calm him down?"

Ibuki's voice in response was extremely cold.

Ibuki looked at Kurama. Kurama couldn't help but gasp at the dark look in his eyes.

"Then... you should do that. I... I'm sorry."

Ibuki's response contained more disconnection than words. Instead of pushing him away, Ibuki turned his back on Kurama, as if he cut everything off.

Ibuki turned his back on Kurama and started walking. Kurama extended his hand towards his back, but...

His right hand, which he had raised slightly, hung weakly.

Ibuki began to walk with Kurama on his back.

He no longer looked back.

+++++++++++

The finished weapon was satisfactory.

"Just because you like it, are you going to order them all? It's a ridiculous amount, right?"

"It is an expense."

"Don't you think that's a magic word? Expense doesn't mean free, right?"

"Is different?"

"You...?!"

The old town of Ichinoshima. In front of the rows of firearms lined up in an old warehouse, Ibuki and Makita communicated about their progress.

Leaving Makita in agony, Ibuki stared at the gun and bullets that had returned from "Kumogaido".

He was a little worried because his attitude at the time of the delivery was suspicious, but it seems that his fears were unfounded. To be honest, it's more than he expected. The piece of iron that fit in his hand clearly had "power". That's what Ibuki seeks as top priority. No matter what Makita says, he had no intention of letting him go. He returned to Ayaka Island for "power".

"It's essential equipment for business. Of course, it will cost money."

"It's just a matter of degree. Although there is no one to use it... I mean, if the number increases, labor costs will increase..."

"It's true that getting staff is an urgent matter. However, as long as you have this, it becomes a "job" even if you are not a connector. It is not difficult."

"I'm talking about what happens after you hire them."

After complaining, Makita let out a heavy sigh. Ibuki's mouth went slack.

It's a real inconvenience that he nags a lot, but Makita was an encouragement. They believed they would eventually need someone to support the organization's operations at the administrative level, but expected it would be difficult to hire immediately due to the skills and personality required. It was a happy miscalculation that was decided very easily.

He especially liked the fact that he has a scar on his arm. Although their personalities and character were completely different, Ibuki felt a strange sympathy for Makita, whom he could call "a dog from the same hole". He was very grateful to have met him and intended to make the most of it.

Also, if you think about it, it would have been convenient for Ibuki to replace ''Kumogaido''. Yanagi's previous partner, who had a long relationship with him, would not have been able to cooperate with what Ibuki was trying to do now. At that point, Kumoi, the new owner of the shop, basically has no interest in anything but the magic tool itself. It's not that he doesn't have a good work ethic, but when you compare it to his interest in magical tools, he's the type that easily leans towards the latter. Even in response to Ibuki's request, which was considered a gray area for a traditional connector, he displayed his abilities with almost no resistance.

Of course, Inou's efforts as well. He had been counting on that to some extent from the beginning, but the fact that the conversation was progressing at a rapid pace was proof that he was worried about the deteriorating situation in Ichinoshima. And... for Ibuki personally, the increase in the number of Aramitama cases, which are not good on the island of Ichinoshima, was a desirable thing.

The flow was coming.

Although the progress was faster than expected, there was no way they could ignore that trend.

"We also need to arrange a location. It doesn't look good that the base of the organization responsible for the city's security is a warehouse in the middle of nowhere."

"I think the problem is that the organization in charge of the city's security has a large number of firearms."

"It's a damn tool."

"Yes, yes."

He assumed that he had gotten used to it and Makita didn't touch the matter further. Alright. Everything was going well.

"Ayaka Security" will become a mechanism that will bring even more "power" to Ibuki. Not even his aunt, who opposed the plan when he found out, could have imagined it.

And... after gaining enough "power", he will start over. This time he will achieve victory. He will take revenge on that dragon that he stole from his master.

Until then he has no intention of stopping.

"Eh?"

He received a call.

Ibuki took out his cell phone and checked the person on the other end of the line. It's Inou. He clicked immediately.

As soon as he started the call...

"Oh, Aka-kun? Now."

"Is it out yet?"

"Ah! That's right. It's an Aramitama. I contacted other connectors just to be sure, but I haven't contacted Haruaki-kun yet. However, it seems to be a big problem for me."

"There's no need."

Ibuki stated that clearly and stood up, smiling as if he showed his fangs.

"I'll go. Find a place. Okay. I'll finish it right away."

+++++++++++

Upon seeing it, just as Inou feared, the Aramitama was "a pretty big fish".

Ichinoshima Redevelopment Area. At the corner of the alley, he was kneeling.

As if he noticed Ibuki approaching from behind, he straightened up and turned around. His eyes widened and he looked at Ibuki with an unpleasant expression on his face.

A beast-like figure with fur-covered limbs. That is the effect of the object that was used as a substitute. Probably a dead stray dog or cat. Under his feet were several crumpled plastic buckets. Apparently they were rummaging through the trash for scraps of food. The figure that glided and turned towards him was taller than Ibuki.

The fact that his stagnant life is leaking out is proof that he has recently become an Aramitama. However, the amount that was leaked was considerable. If someone from outside the island couldn't tolerate it, simply being exposed to it could cause them to faint.

A monster that would have been a big problem if he had appeared on dry land, and even earned his own nickname.

But today, in Ichinoshima, you can relax and scavenge in the back alleys. It was exactly the vibe Ibuki was looking for.

"It's perfect for a test shot."

Yes, the moment Ibuki smiled, the Aramitama kicked the asphalt and jumped without making any preliminary moves.

A giant body flew through the air and attacked Ibuki. Ibuki took a step back. At the same time, he took out the pistol that he had just received from "Kumogaido" with his right hand.

Shooting.

At that distance and with that size, it is more difficult to remove. The fired bullet fell on the Aramitama. At the same time, the technique contained in the bullet opened and tore the Aramitama's body.

The Aramitama let out a silent scream. A happy smile appeared on Ibuki's lips.

"It's good. Very good."

Second shot. Third shot. Ibuki pulled the trigger in quick succession. A gunshot was heard and a gunshot flashed. The Aramitama twitched after being shot. Fourth shot. Fifth shot. His forearm was shattered and his life force scattered.

It was a great job.

The bullets he is currently using are not bullets that he has prepared to use with anything other than Ibuki's special pulse gun, but rather they are specially made bullets that he himself has applied his own techniques to depending on the situation. Furthermore, Ibuki relentlessly amasses life force and fires it.

However, the gun in his hand was strictly controlled by the "power" Ibuki had put into it. As expected, Kumoi's ability seemed to be reliable. It is strong enough and has enough lethal power to be used as Ibuki's main weapon in normal times.

"This guy needs additional compensation. Kumoi is suitable for the "Kumogaido" sign."

Ibuki continued shooting in a good mood. It was one-sided.

Eventually, the Aramitama lost most of his body and was unable to move, crawling across the street and convulsing.

He now appears to be on the verge of death. However, even if it is in that state, if he leave it alone, it will recover and cause damage again. The threat of the Aramitama will continue to exist unless it is dispelled through the pulse graft technique.

However, Ibuki took his finger off the trigger.

"...Without damaging the core."

He followed his master's words and murmured them softly.

Laughing, Ibuki slowly approached the motionless Aramitama.

His legs stopped.

All expressions disappeared from Ibuki's face. With an icy look on his face, Ibuki slowly turned his body and looked back.

When Ibuki turned, the air shook and spun into a small vortex. In the blink of an eye, the vortex grew larger and turned into a whirlwind, as a figure floated from above.

He land in the back alley. Then the hem of his robe fluttered.

A familiar face appeared. He is Ibuki's fateful partner, someone he can never forget, no matter how hard he tries.

"Aka..."

Ibuki looked at Kurama, who was muttering in shock, with a cold gaze.

(6)

It was his first meeting in five years. Although his impression had changed drastically, he still recognized him at first glance.

Ibuki Aka. A younger disciple who grew up with Yanagi. And the boy who left Kurama with the death of his master. In front of him, he turned and looked at him silently.

Nostalgia for the past welled up in his chest. Days spent in the same place. The conversations they had countless times. Warm memories of happy times.

However, before his thoughts could be expressed, they were interrupted by another thought.

Caution.

"Haruaki..."

Ibuki blurted out Kurama's name.

It was the first time he heard his brother's voice in five years. However, he still felt more cautious than joyful.

Ibuki's voice was harsh and emotionless. But that didn't mean he didn't have emotions.

The rough and harsh response in his voice was like magma that had cooled and solidified. It is simply the old passion changing form.

Eventually...

A sharp grimace, like a razor cutting through skin, passed Ibuki's lips.

"I didn't expect to find you at a time like this. I should have guessed when Kumoi's behavior was strange."

"No, Aka. Admittedly, Kumoi-kun hasn't spoken."

"Then why are you here... ah?"

Ibuki lifted his chin and looked up.

"Huh? Looks like you were too excited. I can't believe you overlooked it."

His somewhat self-deprecating words were proof that he had seen through Kurama's "jutsu". He tried to use a hidden way, even if it was simple, but it didn't seem to work on Ibuki.

Kurama wordlessly raised his right hand, palm facing up. Then, across the night sky between the buildings, a small white shadow flew through the air like a bird and descended. It looks like origami or a paper airplane, but it is a magical tool called a doll made of cut-out pieces of paper. Kurama was flying that and exploring the surrounding area.

"...It's a technique my master often used."

The sound of Ibuki's voice as he murmured those words seemed to have a hint of thick emotion melting away. Kurama's caution grew minute by minute.

In fact, ever since he saw the weapon in "Kumogaido", he felt that wariness like an invisible thorn. Why is Ibuki's technique on Ayaka Island? Also, does that apply to "weapons"? He questioned Kumoi on the spot, but, although he felt humbled, he did not answer Kurama's questions. Needless to say, the owner of "Kumagaido" would never reveal information about the client. Not even Kurama could make him do it.

First of all, the fact that there is evidence of Ibuki but no information about him has reached him is proof that he is acting secretly, at least without him realizing it. It was the same as when he disappeared without telling him five years ago.

Then Kurama changed his policy and used the pulse graft technique to release multiple dolls in Ichinoshima.

To find Ibuki.

He didn't even know if he wanted to find it or not.

But he found him.

So what should he tell him?

"...Aka. Since when have you been on the island?"

"...I think it was about ten days ago."

"Where have you been so far?"

"On the continent, with a relative."

"Then why didn't you contact me?"

It was different. Even before he asked that question, there was something he wanted to say.

He was glad to see him.

He was worried and waiting for a long time.

The breakup five years ago was painful. That's why he wants to do it again. Once again, as a disciple of Yanagi. Like a family living under one roof. Kurama's true feelings, without lies.

But...

Suspicion that sprouts like thorns and continues to swell does not allow for an easy attitude. The sight that was still visible was setting off Kurama's alarm.

Ibuki laughed.

"You're still as indirect as ever."

Saying that, Ibuki ostentatiously displayed the weapon he was holding in his right hand.

"Quickly, ask me. What happened to that weapon? What about the Aramitama behind you? Why did you leave it there unfinished?"

A dark smile appeared on Ibuki's face. A smile full of venom. And yet, the way he looked at Kurama was like cold steel.

Kurama's expression distorted.

Of course, there was no way he could turn a blind eye. However, Kurama straightened up as he faced the truth.

As a result of being hesitant and condescending to the other person's circumstances, they failed to communicate, misunderstood each other, rebelled against each other, and lost five years of time. He does not intend to repeat the same mistake.

"...Then let me ask you. Aka. What are you doing here?"

"You know that, right? I'm defeating the Aramitama."

"It's a job for the connectors who live on this island."

"It will be different from now on. As far as Ichinoshima is concerned, I will be in charge."

After coldly telling him that, Ibuki shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm telling you, I have permission from the mayor."

"Inou-san? I see. I guess you ran into Inou-san."

"Don't hold a grudge against him, okay? I asked him to keep quiet."

"I guess so."

The rise of Aramitama and the lack of connectors in Ichinoshima have long been a headache for Inou. If Yanagi's disciples were willing to help, it wouldn't be surprising if he welcomed them with open arms.

On the other hand, Inou knew Yanagi's "family" very well. The reason he accepted Ibuki's silence was probably because he considered it "still too early".

It was still too early for him to meet Kurama.

However, it seems that that concern was in vain.

"Aka. Now I know that you have the power to defeat the Aramitama. That in itself makes me happy. I'm sure our master would be proud too."

"I hope so..."

"But what is the method? Why do you make the Aramitama suffer unnecessarily while using the master's technique? If it is a technique to pacify the Aramitama, then you must be familiar with the master's method."

The alley in which the two meet is filled with the life force that escapes from the Aramitama. There were no signs that he had been purified. Only traces of devastation remain. If that continues, it will not be possible to return the life force to the life line. It is poor quality work that disrupts the harmony of life.

Furthermore, the core of the Aramitama, the eyeball, is still there. If that happens, the Aramitama will eventually come back to life and deal even more damage than before. As a connector job, it was a complete failure.

However... Ibuki "overwhelmed" the Aramitama.

In other words, it should not be a result of immaturity. Ibuki "dared" to choose that method.

"Why?"

Kurama and Ibuki... Ibuki, in particular, always paid attention to his master's purification ritual. He must have seen in detail the method of doing it, Yanagi's style. He perhaps had learned the etiquette of ignoring the Aramitama even better than Kurama.

But why? He cannot understand Ibuki's intentions. He can't imagine what is thinking his younger brother. That was not the case in the past. But now...

"Because that's how I do it."

Ibuki replied arrogantly. When the brother answered that, he seemed even more distant than the actual distance between the two.

"I will exterminate the Aramitama. Quicker, more definitively. So that they never come out again."

"Exterminate? The Aramitamas do not cause a plague. If you look at it from a different perspective, it is also part of the life cycle. What is needed is proper treatment..."

"It is a difference of opinion. It is precisely because of such naive ideas that Ayaka Island is causing the rise of Aramitamas."

"Even if you eliminate the Aramitama, you won't be able to prevent new Aramitamas from forming."

It is significant to suppress the appearance of an Aramitama.

However, once an Aramitama occurs, it must be suppressed and returned to the life line. Simply removing it will only make the resulting bias even greater. As a result, the harmony of the entire life cycle will be disturbed.

Of course Ibuki should know that.

"Aka. You're wrong."

Kurama flatly denied it. It is not in his best interest to overlook Ibuki's mistakes. Based on that belief, Kurama appealed to Ibuki.

But...

"No. At least, this is fine with me."

Ibuki responded unperturbed. He reflexively rebelled against his irreverent words.

"Do you disobey our master's teachings?"

"Makoto Yanagi is dead."

Ibuki's response made Kurama's chest go cold. Then, before distrusting Ibuki, he was filled with fierce anger.

No matter who else had said it, Kurama would have accepted those words as mere fact. The five years had given Kurama the strength to do so.

However, the words that came out of Ibuki's mouth broke Kurama's composure like it was paper.

"Aka! Are you trying to say that he lost his life because the master was wrong?"

"I won't say that. However, the master was also "naive". Isn't that true?"

Saying that, Ibuki looked at Kurama provocatively. A dangerous light began to flicker deep in his eyes. It is a faint flame that has not changed for five years.

"For example, if the master had annihilated all the Aramitamas, the fire dragon's power might have been weakened as a result. If he had tried seriously without worrying about harmony, he might have reduced the fire dragon's power. And... If he had simply "exhausted" us properly, perhaps the master would not have died."

The moment he spoke the last word, the pressure seeping out of Ibuki jumped.

After all, he is there.

Kurama was able to get over Yanagi's death in five years, but apparently Ibuki couldn't. No, he rejected it himself. Make Yanagi's death a thing of the past and let him sleep in your memories.

"Stop it, Aka. Master would never want you to be trapped in the past."

"You are as smart as ever, Haruaki. But I am different from you. I will not let go of the anger and misery I felt back then. This is my core."

The atmosphere between the two became tense.

A tingling sensation ran over his skin, as if the atmosphere was electrically charged.

However... Kurama was the first to retreat.

Kurama took a deep breath and slowly relaxed his entire body.

It's not like he's been waiting for something like that for five years. He doesn't think he's wrong, and he doesn't think Ibuki is right, but at least the current situation is "different".

Well, he should start over. Be persistent, again and again.

Kurama took care of his own life.

Ibuki mocked his brother.

"I guess you're going to take a step back after all. You're the same as before."

"...Aka. What about Momoko-san? And also Jingi."

"There's no reason to hide it anymore. I'll go see them tomorrow."

"I see. Then let's talk again."

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time for that. I seem to be busy."

When Ibuki said that, he turned his back on him as if the conversation was over.

And...

"For starters, it's not over yet."

Why? The moment Ibuki murmured that, his skin felt cold. Ignoring Kurama's shiver, Ibuki returned her weapon to his holster and approached the remains of the Aramitama's core, which was convulsing on the road.

Facing Kurama's gaze, he casually picked it up.

"Aka?"

For some reason, the voice that called him was a little hoarse. He didn't even know why.

For a moment, Ibuki's back felt unsteady.

However, Ibuki overcame his hesitation and raised the Aramitama's eyeball.

It crushed.

The core was crushed and the roiling life force poured out. And Ibuki, as expected, opened his mouth wide and grabbed the vitality of him. As if he were devouring a fruit, he sucked, chewed and swallowed the core of the Aramitama. Each time, Ibuki's back shook violently, but he didn't stop.

Kurama's mind was completely blank.

He had glassy eyes, tight lips, and stiff limbs.

He couldn't believe the sight in front of him.

"Aka... Aka! What are you doing?!"

Ibuki didn't respond. He continued to eat silently and, after absorbing the core completely, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

He looked back. The moment he saw his face, his hair stood out. He had a devilish expression on his face, different from before.

"What? It's training. It's to gain power."

"Don't be silly! You... what are you doing? What were you thinking when you put the Aramitama core into your body?!"

He was so angry and upset that he couldn't speak.

"Spit it out right now! No, no, I'll just clean it up from the inside!"

"Hey, calm down. It doesn't seem like it, right?"

"Freeze!"

Kurama shouted and made a hand seal.

Ibuki laughed again. It was a smile of joy that seemed to split his lips.

"Ah. You finally looked at me properly. You've always been running away from me, running away towards "harmony". In that case, I'll be with you a little longer."

After saying that, Ibuki brought his right hand together and raised his fist in front of his face.

He breathed and sang.

"Shimeisho Zan!"

He opened his closed fist and placed his palm on the ground. With a bang, cracks appeared in a radial pattern on the asphalt beneath Ibuki's feet.

"A warrior is a warrior. War is anger. Victory is given and people behave arrogantly. The height of evil!"

A wave of life ran through Ibuki's entire body. It is not an unusual amount. It is not of real quality either. His entire body was trembling, especially his right hand, which he held on the ground, was trembling violently. Ibuki grabbed his right wrist with his left hand to restrain it.

A violent right hand. Five fingers extended like claws.

There was a cut on the instep. His skin was torn and something slimy white appeared inside the flesh and his pupils twisted into black circles.

An eyeball.

It is the core of the Aramitama.

In front of a horrified Kurama, Ibuki's right arm enlarged and the sleeves of his jacket and shirt were torn. Red-black streaks, like cracks, appeared and crawled all over his body like snakes.

"Aka... you...?"

In front of him was his younger brother who had completely changed.

The skin on his right arm had swollen abnormally, turning an earthy color, and red-black veins were twisting on it. His hands were thick and enlarged, and his fingers had thick and sharp nails. On the back of his hands, there were eyes that looked around him unsteadily, as if he had a different will.

Red-black veins ran down his face, giving the appearance of blood. And his eyes had changed shape. He has blade-shaped pupils that extend sharply vertically, resembling the core of an Aramitama.

"Are you absorbing the power of the Aramitama? What...?!"

Ibuki's vitality mixed with the Aramitama's vitality. A figure that should not exist as a connector. It's a taboo.

"Have you tried any evil tricks? You... idiot!"

However, the voice that insulted his younger brother sounded like a scream. Ibuki was arrogant, but somehow smiled back.

"Well, I admit I'm stupid, but that's okay. It's always the stupid ones who open the door."

In response, Ibuki slowly waved his right arm at him. The resulting impact turned into a gust of wind that blew towards Kurama. "Shit!" His entire body was pushed forward, giving in to the pressure and being pushed away.

"What do you think? This is the "power" I obtained. With this "power", I will avenge my master. I will exterminate that fire dragon!"

"Idiot!"

Kurama denied it. However, Ibuki realized that he was serious. It's just a connection from the past. After all, Ibuki is still living the "continuation" of that night five years ago. The result of the mistake five years ago is bearing fruit there. Kurama was very aware of that.

At that moment, just before Ibuki left the island, when the two clashed, Kurama must have stopped him by force. Without making him say yes or no. Or maybe he should have followed Ibuki right after he left the island. Not waiting for him to come back.

A feeling of bitterness overwhelmed Kurama.

But now is not the time to repent. Evil laws undermine the user. If that continues, the Aramitama will swallow Ibuki. If that happens, there is no turning back.

"Man, earth and sky!"

Kurama exclaimed, tying the seal.

"Nothing is called the beginning of heaven and earth, and existence is the name of all things."

"It's warm!"

A technique to purify Aramitama. However, before Kurama could use his technique, Ibuki kicked the asphalt and approached him. He raised his now giant right arm. Kurama immediately changed his technique. He created a wind, ride the wind and escape into the air.

But...

"That's why it's warm!"

Ibuki jumped and raised his right fist. He quickly wrapped himself in the wind and blocked it, but the impact sent Kurama flying backwards and crashing into the wall of the building.

He couldn't breathe because the pain ran through his entire body. Still, Kurama didn't let go of the technique from him.

"Existence is named the mother of all things!"

Manipulating the life force that the wind created, he created a technique to purify the Aramitama again and threw it at the transformed Ibuki. Ibuki immediately received the technique on his right arm. However, when a dust of light wrapped around his arm, he stepped back and shook it, saying, "Damn it!".

It was working. So that was fine. As Kurama fell from the wall of the building to the street, he continued to weave techniques in rapid succession, with the intention of dispelling Ibuki's Aramitama.

Of course, Ibuki wouldn't allow it either.

"Don't fuck with me!"

He ran forward and raised his fist. However, this time, Kurama prioritized purification more than defense, keeping his eyes on the blow that could be fatal.

Ibuki also felt his determination to die.

Instantly, Ibuki's movements slowed down.

And...

"Man, earth and sky! Nothingness is called the beginning of heaven and earth, and existence is called the mother of all things!"

He used the technique again.

Immediately after, Ibuki attacked with a right hand that knocked Kurama sideways.

He flew away. His vision became hazy and shock rebounded through his body. Kurama was thrown helplessly onto the asphalt.

On the other hand, Ibuki received the technique correctly and was still chasing him.

The movement stopped.

Ibuki's gaze focused on the scar on Kurama's back that peeked out slightly behind his neck.

"Guh!"

Did he feel relaxed? Ibuki's face distorted due to the effect of Kurama's technique that had been applied to his entire body just before, and he staggered back. "Damn it.", he cursed as his eyes, which had popped onto the back of his right hand, slowly closed their eyelids.

"Haaa! Haaa!"

Ibuki's change was revealed. He was losing blood and had sweat all over his body.

"Aka..."

Kurama, who was lying on the road, forced his body to stand up. He immediately felt a sharp pain, but he gritted his teeth and sat up. Ibuki, on the other hand, staggered and leaned against the wall of the building, still breathing heavily.

Kurama has done a lot of damage, but Ibuki seems to have reached his limit. However, the vitality within his body, although still disturbed, had regained a minimum level of stability. The moment he thought that was a good thing, the strength that was barely holding him up gave up. Kurama sat on the road, unable to move anymore.

After a brief but intense encounter, only Ibuki's breath resonated in the alley. The two clashed seriously and remained silent for a while, saying nothing.

And...

"Aka... are you planning to repeat that action?"

Ibuki did not immediately respond to Kurama's bitter question. After repeatedly gasping for breath, he forced himself to catch his breath and climbed out of the wall of the building he was leaning on.

"I'm going to follow my own path... Don't get in my way, Haruaki."

Ibuki responded without looking at Kurama and slowly took a step forward. He turned his back on Kurama and walked away with unsteady steps. Just like five years ago, he never looked back.

At that moment, Kurama tried to approach Ibuki as he was leaving, but in the end he couldn't do anything.

Even now, he didn't have the strength to stop Ibuki from leaving.

Just when...

"I refuse, Aka. I will definitely stop you."

He told him clearly.

Ibuki stopped for a moment and immediately started walking again, without turning around. Kurama continued to stare at Ibuki until the end as he disappeared into the alley.

+++++++++++

"Hey, did you get robbed or something? How did that happen to you?"

When Ibuki returned to the warehouse, Makita's wide-eyed reaction finally reminded him that he was wearing a torn suit. He clicked his tongue. But right now, he didn't even have the energy to get irritated. He walked over to an empty chair and sat down.

Immediately, his entire body felt like molten lead fatigue. It was no joke, the entire chair looked like it was going to explode into pieces. Ibuki moaned as he corrected himself once more.

His thinking became a little clearer.

However, the only thing that came to mind was the mistake he had just made.

"Shit."

He couldn't win.

Although he used evil methods, he still could not subdue his brother.

He doesn't believe he lacked strength. Probably what was missing was determination. On the other hand, it is because of the sweetness that still remains within him.

Without realizing it, a hand approached his shoulder.

He grabbed his shoulder and dug his nails into it. Anger and remorse roared deep in his stomach like a hungry wolf.

"...Give me some alcohol."

"Hey. You drank it all."

"Then it will be food."

"You ate all that too."

"Then go buy it. Immediately."

"Huh? Just... wait a minute."

Makita raised his eyebrows at his domineering partner, but when he saw Ibuki's expression, he let out a sigh and stood up. Then, as if he remembered something, he rummaged through the plastic bag that rested on the lid of the wooden box next to him.

"Look. I found this. For now, eat something sweet and calm down."

After saying that, he handed it to Ibuki.

Ibuki reflexively took it and confirmed it.

His face looked like he was crying and laughing.

Complex and extremely bitter. His expression was mixed with anger.

"What? It's quite delicious. It's a potato."

Ibuki stared at the potato he received while Makita looked suspicious.

Throw it away, he whispered to himself. But he could not. A memory that felt like a surprise attack entangled the exhausted Ibuki.

Makita finally started to worry and asked, "Hey, are you okay?" Ibuki didn't respond.

It was something incontestable.

Biting his back teeth with a broken expression, Ibuki continued to look at the past in his hands.

[pamenan]

,, BREAKING NEWS "

~~~ ☆ ~~~

SAVIGABLE ATTITUDE FROM THE TRADING MINISTER FLOWS TO DISPERS AGENTS

----------

MESSENGER OF THE PEOLLE : Government Observer Shows to all levels of civil government members, Give to the People Included in me by your civil members you must Give from the results of your good performance to be accepted by the people thoroughly in the arms of the Indonesian state. I have already been in disbursement, I said, if it was not subsided complaining about the lives of my nation's nation's lives and me. You from the ranks of the civilian government will get language ethics and not be beautiful to hear Pubelic of me as a journalist observer of the Indonesian Government Movement. If your behavior in the record of losing money for my people is definitely affected by the actions of your priceless in the report card notes worth the color of the color of the ink. And I don't care you humans eat well or you drink soda Apply I don't take care and don't take it about that. What is as you know the people are not forced yourself to work in every Istan of civilian government.

And you work in the government paid for your salary money and your allowance money using the country's money, it is, there is my money in the body of the government so I need to take out the results of all your performance members of the civil government, even the existence of the government's body, but the state's state and establishment of the government The country of Indonesia is not my father who has a personally. Rough and loud times the wisdom of our rebuke is, because if you don't reprimand you, your attitude of your civilian members is like a dog, it is also available to eat taik, can't exchange eating patterns with other types of food, because it feels sweet for those of you civilians sense sense. I have given a hard reprimand on you guys, you don't respond why for me, but I will disburse the blasphemy for you because I don't accept you to harm myself from the results of your performance using my money in the APBD / APBN fund.

We recommend that you reprimand your friends from the Minister of Trade, to the Administrative Minister (Disperundamak), do not take the thief of your people's money Kong Kalikong worked with the time to lead to a good attitude not to work with you to rebuke to civilians who misunderstand. Not news of the news of the Hoaxs that I convey about the attitude of trader entrepreneurs shooting on a horse by the way they buy items listed as subsidies for the poor are bought by entrepreneurs who have money and the subsidy items are sold at the price of their stomach. The fact that I took the beginning of talking from Bunda Sri Mulyani Indrawati, this Mulyani Inderawati Mother's Engineering Minister and had been the best director of the Center in the World Bank. Don't you talk to this mother Sri Mulyani Indrawati is like talking Poniem Pecel Lontong seller at Tugu Longan Pancoran. There is no speech that Hoaxs because if he talks hoaxs is not in accordance with the title he needs. - Editor by The Best Journalis MKN. Online profile of Rambun Pamenan.

[thoughtvomit19]

My messiest hoe days experience was when I was reconnecting with my ex (K) on a friends only level (which he may have had ulterior motives but I wasn’t interested in him anymore) and he wanted to go get lunch, and took us to the restaurant the guy I was at the time in a situationship with (B) worked at.

I panicked upon pulling into the restaurant, too afraid to say we should eat somewhere else, desperately pulling up fb messenger (bc if B was active then I could pray that he wasn’t working today and I’d be in the clear)

At this point, B had already known about K. He would tell me that I shouldn’t talk to him, because he seemed like a douche who didn’t really care about my feelings (ironic lol). He would spell his name wrong every single time he mentioned him. He didn’t know what he looked like, but he knew I was reconciling my friendship with him.

We walk into the restaurant, and B walks out of the kitchen to greet us. I look down in shame hoping he doesn’t see me. “Oh. Hey.” Of course he sees me. I grimaced, K has zero clue who this guy is.

One of the servers comes out after B returns to the kitchen (he probably told her to take care of us for him), she greets us and brings us to a table, presumably in a different section than B’s.

K asks me, “is that the guy? Does he work here?” My head is resting on my palms. “Mm-hm….” I croak out, glaring into the table. K shifts uncomfortably in his seat, “should we go somewhere else?” But it’s too late, our server comes up to us, handing us menus. I glance up at him, thinking that he looks familiar. He’s an older guy, but not anyone I’d seen at work.

It’s B’s dad. Apparently he started working at this restaurant too. Luckily he has no reason to know who I am.

I’m an anxious mess, I can barely eat my food or focus on the stories K is telling me. I glance up from my macaroni to see B making his way around the tables, stopping out of view of K, behind him, but makes eye contact with me. He shoots me a huge dorky grin, and I melt inside, both from embarrassment and love.

I finish as much of my food as I can stomach, and K pays, and we head towards the door. Right before leaving, B pops out of the kitchen again and says “See you guys later!” which apparently was very sarcastic in tone.

K says, “he’s acting jealous.”

“Is he? I didn’t notice.” I’m too busy trying not to throw up.

“If that guy thinks he’s prettier than me, well he’s right.”

In the car, I message B. Apologizing and assuring him that I didn’t come to his place of work on purpose, and hope that he would recognize that I am not the type of person to do that kind of thing.

He messages back, “honestly, I was pretty pissed that you seemingly came here with another guy to get a rise out of me. But if you say you only came here to eat, then don’t worry about it.”

Things were already rocky at the point between us. Even if he did believe me, this pushed him further away from me. My high school ex was baffled by this story, “I can’t believe you have these guys fighting over you.”

In the end I ended up with neither of them lol

[moonshine-nightlight]

Don’t Shoot the Messenger: Part Two

Despite how it might seem, being a messenger for the feared sea-demon pirate, Admiral Satrasi, infamous far and wide for having an entire fleet of raiding vessels  who answer to him alone, is a relatively safe job. After all, no one knowingly crosses the Admiral. However, it seems the most recent captain looking to join his fleet hasn’t gotten that bulletin yet.

Fantasy, pirates, male monster x female reader, male demon, M/F, Part 2 of 9

Warnings: violence (choking), misogynistic insults

Story Status: COMPLETE

AO3: Don’t Shoot the Messenger Chapter 2

[Part One] Part Two [Part Three] [Part Four] [Part Five] [Part Six] [Part Seven] [Part Eight] [Part Nine - NSFW]

You’re not sure what makes Critchley get out of your face or stop squeezing your throat—although he certainly doesn’t let go. Maybe it’s the look of rage in your eyes. Most likely it's the silence that spreads out through the room in a rippling wave as everyone notices what he’s done. You’re certain that silence being broken by the drawing and cocking of flintlocks helps.

As your left hand reaches down to your holster, murmurs and growls fill the room from your newly attentive audience. You cannot believe the nerve of him, the audacity. He’s doing this in one of the places you feel safest. You don’t feel afraid though, that sense of sanctuary isn’t shattered. 

You’re just furious.

“Oi!” one man shouts from nearby. “That’s a Marlin you’re knocking about.”

“Haven’t you any sense?” another admonishes.

“Too blitzed to know any better,” someone says to their neighbor, a snicker to her voice that says she knows what’s to come of it.

“His funeral.” That one is bored, with a hint of teeth. “Wonder if we can scavenge the leftovers.”

“They letting the brainless in these days?” someone wonders.

“Admiral ain’t gonna like this.” 

And that’s why you still feel safe. He might think he’s in charge, but you know you are.

Captain Critchley’s drawn his own gun, as have the majority of his crew, on pure instinct. Instead of fear though, he’s mostly pissed off as he looks around the room at the crowd of disapproving onlookers. “Can’t a man deal with pompous jabbermouths without it becoming every lookie-loos business?”

You take the opportunity to bring his attention back where it belongs. In one smooth motion that doesn’t betray your anger or the fact that you still can barely breathe, you bring your blade down to rest against his arm. The sensation is light, but the edge is sharp enough to slice through the fabric of his jacket and his shirt. He turns his head at the sensation, his movement and the jostling of his arm against the blade is enough to score a line in his skin.

Your voice is raspy and harsh from his treatment of your throat, but your job relies on your words so you make yourself clearly heard. “Let. Me. Go.”

His lip curls in a sneer before he realizes exactly what blade you’ve got in hand and he goes pale.

“Don’t you know all Marlins got demon blades?” an onlooker jeers. “What a scut.”

Demon blades are the sharpest blades to exist. A curved blade of typically dark metal, they are fashioned from demon bone or claw and then honed and fixed to a hilt. Sharp as anything and well, say somethin’ about the person who’s got one. But more than that, demon blades fall into two main types beyond material—those made by a demon, possibly from their own body, and bound up with demon blood magic and those made by a human or lesser demon without anything special.The latter are infinitely rarer and infinitely more valuable as they are bonded to their wielder and will be dull in another’s hand. It is only if the bond person is killed that it can be rebound to a new owner.

While demons are slightly more common in remote areas and of course deeper in the Unbroken Sea, they are far outnumbered by humans. Between the rarity of the material and the rarity of the knowledge needed to make true demon blades, they’re highly prized. Yours was given to you by Satrasi himself, of himself—one of his teeth—and it is bound to you. 

And a demon blade can slice through anything—anything—with practically no effort. You can see that thought flash through Critchley’s mind. He lets you go the moment he realizes you can cut through his arm like you would water.

You drop, even though you hadn’t technically been held off your feet, down to one knee, bracing yourself with your free hand. You gulp in air even as you keep your blade pointed at Critchley, who has lost any self-preservation he had gained with your knife to his skin and smirks down at you.

The room is no longer silent, filled with nervous murmurs and tension, no one quite sure what’s going to happen next. No one has ever had the audacity or stupidity to attack a personal messenger of the Admiral on hallowed ground such as the Saucy Siren before.

You aren’t confused about what’s going to happen next. You’re going to finish delivering your message tonight and then deliver your reply in the morning to Satrasi, as is your mission. This scum will get what’s coming to him then, as it should be.

With your breathing returning to normal, you make to get up, only for a mottled brown hand to enter your field of vision. You grasp the hand offered by the first mate of the Hungry Serpent and allow them to help you back up to your feet.

“What’re ye doing?” Takis asks, staring incredulously at Critchley, their hair adding to the effect as multiple snakes join them in staring. Any other of the crew from the Hungry Serpent that had been mixing with the Lux Lady’s crew have distanced themselves, as if worried the consequences of Critchley’s stupidity might be contagious. 

“What’s it to you?” Critchley snaps, obviously disliking being questioned and on edge from the number of guns out and looks pointed his way.

“This is Admiral territory and you just attacked a Marlin,” Takis replies, folding their arms. “Can’t do that here.”

“I can do what I fuckin’ please,” Critchley replies tetchily. 

“No,” Takis leans forward, their expression hard. “Ye can’t. Ye ain’t one of us, yer a guest. An’ we’re willing to excuse all manner of fumblin’ on account of not knowin’ the codes ‘round here. This ain’t one of ‘em. Don’t care where ye are or where yer from—ye don’t assault a personal messenger of the Admiral.”

“The cracknob girlie is fine,” Critchley rolls his eyes and takes a swing from his bottle. “If she were doin’ her job right and taking my message down as she should, I wouldn’t have had to get so close and personal-like.”

“You haven’t given a proper answer yet,” you take this moment to speak, resisting the urge to rub your throat and grimacing inwardly at how rough it still sounds. “When do you wanna meet with the Admiral?”

Critchley swallows another mouthful of gin, confident now that you’ll not be retaliating. The lack of menace on your part has clearly reinforced his own belief in either your incompetence or weakness. “And you’re still not listening—I’ll see him tomorrow. If you don’t wanna bring him my answer, that’s your problem—not mine.”

You narrow your eyes at his careless grin and look over his crew. Those closest to him and therefore you, all seem to be of the same mind, sniggering and drinking as they look dismissively away from you or glare resentfully at the still on edge other pirates around them, for all most of them are back to their own games given Takis is speaking with you and with you back on your feet. 

Some of the others though, ones that are still clearly from the Lux Lady but standing further back, are much warier, drunk as they are, and look twitchy, seemingly trying to decide if Critchley is the bigger threat or the specter of the Admiral. They seem to think that for the moment, it's better to stay by their captain’s side, but you wouldn’t be surprised if they spooked away just as easily.

Never a good sign, when half a captain’s crew doesn’t trust him. You look over Critchley’s coat and spy the cut-off bits that signify he might once have been a navy man, an officer. Those always make the worst sort of pirate captain, as they feel eternally cheated and eternally entitled–resentful. They only manage to stay captain if they’ve got muscle to back them up, which he seems to have. They’re always outnumbered in the end.

“Alright,” you say evenly—noticing his surprise at your even keeled answer. “If that’s what your answer is, so be it. Let me know if you change your mind.” You don’t bother telling him how to contact you if he does, because well, you know his type.

He scowls. “I won’t.”

You stare at him for an extra moment before you shrug. You’ve delivered your message and you’d prefer to have a real answer from him, but you don’t mind—he can dig himself as deep as he’d like. Your gaze flickers over his crew and you can see they’re unsettled by your lack of reaction too. 

Good.

You deliberately turn your back on Captain Critchley. You no longer have any designs on staying here for the evening. Instead, you’ll be retiring to your cabin early. You only make it a few steps before Takis reaches for your elbow. They say your name even as you deftly move away from their hand. You glance at them from the corner of your eye, silently telling them to speak their part.

“What are ye gonna do?”

You raise your brows and frown. “Do? I’m not going to do anything.”

“He attacked you,” Takis says, as if worried you might have missed that. “Here. Ye gotta do something.”

“No,” you reply, shaking your head only to wince at the strain it puts on your neck which is aching something fierce and feels almost as if there’s something stuck in it though you know there isn’t. “I don’t. It’s not my code he broke.” You don’t grin, don’t let anything show on your face, but you have no doubt justice will be served on your behalf. Satisfaction is what flows through your veins when you say, “Admiral Satrasi will be most displeased.”

You brush off Takis’ offer to walk you out, refusing to say anything more on the matter when you don’t have to. You make your own way back to the carrier, turning your collar up and moving with the right amount of speed and confidence that no one can get a good look at your neck. You didn’t particularly care who might see or what they might think, you simply didn’t want to have to speak or explain. You are patient when it comes to Critchley���s punishment in the morning, not now when you just want to retire for the evening with a soothing tonic.

Your cabin on the carrier is near the stern, only two floors below deck. You have a private lavatory and study as well as a bed chamber. None of them are furnished extravagantly—and you have seen some of the fanciest ship personal chambers through your duties—but it’s still the finest set of rooms you ever had, ever dreamed of, mostly likely because you were homeless a great of your life. It’s taken time for you to earn these rooms and longer to furnish them as you see fit, but they have long been home to you.

You feel a weight drop from your shoulders as you cross the threshold and deadbolt the door shut. You carefully lift your satchel over your head, not wanting to jostle your neck any more than you need to. Meticulously you remove your various other accessories, unbutton your overcoat, your waistcoat, and remove your pockets. Clad in your white undershirt and billowy trousers, you head over to your desk. Next to it, you open up your chest of precious medical balms and remedies.  

By now your throat is hurting something fierce and breathing is harder than makes you comfortable—not to mention the throbbing headache you have. Thanking the creator of this carrier for their foresight, you pump water into a basin, drinking some delicately. Soaking some rags in the cold water to drape around your throat, you find that does help soothe it, although you’re careful not to wrap them tightly. 

You’re used to patching yourself up when you can, normally forgetting you have access to a physician these days. Even tonight, you know you could go to one, but you’re sure you can manage on your own. Besides, you don’t want to explain the situation and potentially have to talk someone out of telling Satrasi right now—especially when it hurts to speak. 

According to your medical book—the most precious book you own—you carefully measure out doses to help with your throat. Only after taking those do you reluctantly duck down to the closest kitchen storeroom for some ice.

You were able to move swiftly enough, you’re back,curled up under the warm blanket you bought after a particularly successful negotiation with Commander Hart soon enough. You prop yourself up in bed to sleep, glad that since the carrier is anchored up tonight, so you can use the bed frame for the stability rather than your hammock. Weariness rushes over you in lazy waves and you succumb easily, content in the knowledge that all would be set right in the morning. 

It’s deeply comforting to know with iron confidence that someone has your back, is on your side, and perhaps that's why your dreams are full of memories of your first meeting with Satrasi—the first time you ever felt that way.

[Part Three]

[dancingisdangerouss]

When u said that ur sure the ghost kids in Into the Black r trying to contact (Y/n) it made me so sad bcoz I can picture that when the Grabber left after groping her legs sexually the ghosts all sat with her wanting to give her a hug 😭

That leads to my question that other than giving her survival tips, if the kids could contact her what do u think each of them would say to comfort her?

I can totally picture Vance being like “damn that fucking sucks, he’s like the last person you’d want as an admirer”

Oh yeah, they all seemed like sweet kids, so I imagine they’d probably all be gathered around, wishing they could offer her support. I feel like if they could communicate somehow, the younger ones would be more just “we’re sorry miss, we know it’s hard” kinda deal, and I think she’d genuinely appreciate the company.

I think paperboy would talk to her about his golden retriever—Y/N would be delighted to discuss dogs with him I’m sure. I think with the others she might just like to talk about The Hobbit or Star Wars and such; Reader is really just a big kid herself, so she gets along with them.

Though I also feel like Y/N might feel slightly worse, too, knowing that they’re all trapped down there and unable to move forward. She’d probably try to figure out how spirits work and if there was a way she could help them to move into the afterlife.

She probably brings the kids some amusement, given her proclivity for always talking to herself and yelling at her books, and giving The Grabber shit every chance she gets.

Lol, I can definitely see that with Vance. He’s a tough kid, but he strikes me as the type to mostly just put up a front, so I think he’d have the “damn that sucks” kind of compassion. I also get the impression that he would use Y/N to communicate with Al since he doesn’t pick up the phone anymore.

“Hey I got a message for ya.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s from Vance. He says to tell you that your birth certificate is an apology letter from the condom factory.”

“….”

“I would say don’t shoot the messenger, but he’s got a point y’know.”

[mrstsung]

⚡💙Raiden sfw abc hcs💙⚡

Cw: none really,it's pretty tame. uwu

These are just my personal interpretations. So plz don't shoot the messenger ok? It took me a couple of days to write this up. Because I've been doing other writing and kontent creating. Oof.

💙⚡💙⚡💙⚡💙⚡💙⚡💙⚡💙⚡💙⚡💙

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?): Raiden is more physically affectionate in private than in public or in front of others. However he isn't above holding hands,an arm around yours or your waist. Gentle but respectful praises and soft and knowing glances are what you'll get the most of. It's not that he isn't affectionate or is embarrassed to say i love you. Far from it. He just wants to keep his composure. Especially since i hc he is a hella empath and gets overwhelmed by his emotions sometimes. As a god of thunder and lightning this is especially important. Especially being a protector of earthrealm too. But his most trusted friends and allies. They know. They know the real raiden. Him a softie. He just has to put a front to deal with the bullshit and burdens. Tho he will let you be physically affectionate if that truly is your love language.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?): oh raiden is the bestest friend you could ask for. He is a big bro type. Honestly any relationship may or may not be started by training under him in general or being protected by him specifically. (Which is how my au self insert starts out. She is a warrior mortal chosen by the elder gods to help give raiden aid and grounding.)

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?): raiden is hella cuddly. He loves to hold you from behind with his arms around you. He feels more protective of you this way. His other fave way,is to have you lay on his chest with one arm around you. Either way he's holding onto you.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?): of course raiden does. But only if you are absolutely certain you are comfortable with knowing the fact that he,will indeed,outlive you. (I assume you are mortal. So yeah) but i assumed you already know the drill beforehand anyways. Raiden is fair with chores. But he doesn't usually need to do so as most of it's taken care of before you even think about it. Being a god has benefits. But he still prefers to do it himself.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?): oh honey why? Why would you ever wanna do that?! But if he had to it would be hella formal but you can hear a crack under his voice. Truly only way i can see this truly happening is by death because like hell I'd let it get that bad. But knowing raiden he would probably wanna do it to protect me. But again raiden has his brother and allies to help too. So this wouldn't likely happen. So again only death would separate you. But oooooh boy would it hurt like hell for raiden either way. Also why do you want this to happen again?

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?): ok look raiden WANTS to as soon as love strikes hard at the god of thunder. But he may take a while to get the guts to even get to that point. Because of his fears,his walls,and honestly i feeeeeel raiden deeply on that shit. Being an empath sucks sometimes but it's a gift too. But once he gets over himself. Oh he's in for life. Or as long as yours is that is. Marriage to a god is quite an event. This means you have a choice to either be a muse(a lesser power but more or less a partial of raidens power would be also connected to you. You has long life as well but you are still mortal. Muses can be connected to anyone mortal or gods they kind just follow them around as a retainer. They can travel to any realm and not lose powers but they are stronger in their main realm however) a kami (higher up than a muse. You will be immortal like a god but have heavier responsibilities and a tad less freedom than a muse. But you only have 3 domains at max. And one realm only) or a full God. Or remain mortal. Either way you have a ride or die man ok?

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?): he is somft (tm). Not to say he can't get rough. But he is very gentle with life. Especially yours. He would never try to harm you on purpose. He'd never forgive himself if he did.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?): ok raiden hugs are a blessing. They are comforting af. And also you always feel safe in his arms. He can be a bit reserved at times but overall. He'd let you hug him if that's how you show affection. He won't complain. He actually loves hugs and needs them more often. But he reserves his best hugs for you.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?): it may take a bit. But once you hear it. He means it. Genuinely. From the bottom of his heart. I'd say at most....give him at least a year or two to figure it out. But honestly this depends on y'all. He'll show it before he says it tho. But again hearing raiden say "i love you" or even "aishiteru" . Be still my heart if he ever said that. Like holy shit. He'd have all my uwus.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?): eh he ain't the jealous type. At least lasting jealousy. Like its extremely fleeting. And if anything,its more of beating himself up over it. "Why do they get to see her everyday,meanwhile I'm stick here in the temple?" Type thing. But it's fleeting like i said more just passing thoughts.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?): electric. Lol. Jk,kinda. His kisses are passionate,gentle,full of love and that kind of kiss that is reassuringly sweet. But sometimes....you may get a saucy raiden. This raiden...oh boy lemme tell you. That is something absolutely heavenly. No pause. His fave place to kiss you besides your lips. Is your hand,a chaste kiss on the cheek or a reassuring kiss of respect and love on your forehead. Bonus points if you short. Its so cute. But then again raiden tol af canonlly. Sooooo. Everyone is shorter than the god of thunder n lightning. (My fave place to kiss him is under his chin or a cute quick kiss on the cheek, may blow a kiss too. If it's on the lips,well there may be a steamy storm coming thru. But anywhere is fine by me tbh)

L = Little ones (How are they around children?): raiden loves children. He's a good dad figure tbh. Canon and fanon. Like him dilf material. He is very protective. And also a lot more playful and even childlike himself around young ones. This brings out the raiden that many don't see. It's not that he doesn't show it. He does. It's just he's been through hell and back so much. But to see him like this,it warms your heart. Because this is the true raiden.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?): Raiden usually just has short rests,he don't really sleep like we do. Unless he is in mortal form. Then he is more likely to sleep. But even then,he has a hard time sleeping. However with you by his side,he sleeps or rests a bit more comfortably. But mornings with the thunder god is just sweet. A morning kiss. He makes tea quietly as to not wake you. In fact he often just likes watching you peacefully slumber. Knowing you are safe with him and in a gentle state like this is enough to melt his heart. Overall,a calm morning.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?): As i mentioned he rests more than sleeps,but he loves to have you sit in his lap while he reads old scrolls or tells you storys or tales about liu kangs and kung laos early days or the days where he and fujin were young gods,playing among the clouds. He'll read or talk to you till you fall asleep.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?): well it may take a bit as raiden while he deeply wants to share everything with you. He is cautious about letting people in. He has many enemies and is very protective of those he loves and the realm he protects. But once that ice is broken,and trust is gained. He is absolutely 100% honest with you. No secrets,nothing to hide. (There are exceptions and certain scenarios where he might hide something from you but he'd never ever lie to you. But this has to be something that is important. Or it's to protect you. He actually hates doing this tbh)

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?): Ok let this be a warning. NEVER EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EVER PISS OFF THE GOD OF THUNDER! EVER!!!! Do you have a death wish?! He rarely gets that pissed. He has excellent composure. He has the patience of a well...god. However,when he is pissed? Run. RUN FOR YOU LIFE BOIIII! Don't mess with the Thunder God's Wife/Spouse

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?): He remembers pretty well. However sometimes he gets caught up in things. So plz be easy with him. He doesn't mean to tho. But he's pretty observant.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?): Tbh when he first brought you to the sky temple. He loved the look on your face. To him it's not as huge of a deal. But to you. It was everything. And he just wanted to see you smile tbh. Raiden's such a sweetie.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?): very. Not overbearingly so. But in a "don't touch my Wife/Spouse or you are gonna eat lighting bolts for days". He would wrap a hand around your waist and hold you closer. Or hold your hand,especially if you need reassurance. But it only takes a glance from raiden,a tiny flash across his eyes to the other person as a warning. "Don't even think about it" . He would definitely defend your name. I know you'd do the same,we all would. I mean we'll call it like we see it. But honestly,i don't think many people would dare go against the god of thunder like that. Cept maybe shang but he's like that with everyone.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?): he tries to do as best as he can. But more just the simple things matter most to him. And tbh this depends on the individual. But if you are more like me and just want a simple alone time with some nice food and a hot bath type thing. Then he's all for that. But if you need a bit more,raiden will accommodate. Either way he does little things to make you smile. ♡ again sweetest thunder god ever.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?): beats himself up. Raiden plz,it's not your fault. Shit happens. You may have to reassure him a lot. He may be wise,composed,chill,etc. But even he has moments. Gods aren't perfect. And you have to sometimes help him with that in reminding him to breathe and forgive himself. Poor rai.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?): he takes good care of himself. But he isn't vain. A reasonable amount. But if he just is not feelin himself. Then oh boy scruffy,hair tousled and unkempt,this raiden you don't wanna cross. The clouds are exxtra heavy today. Oof. But for the most part,he's chill.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?): well yes but also no? Life would go on. But oh boy would he be depressed af.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.): raiden keeps the small trinkets left to him by children at his shrines. A whole box of them sits in his temple.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?): well besides the obvious things you shouldn't want in a partner. I dunno really. He's a pretty accepting guy. I guess as long as you are patient with him. And take care of yourself for the most part. And all that junk. He's pretty chill. Honestly he doesn't have a "type" he just wants genuine love as any other person.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?): he loves to have a breeze on him when resting. Windows and or doors would be open when sleeping. If you get cold however,he will get more blankets or cuddle closer. He will only shut them during the winter months. As to not bring snow into the temple. Lol.