#he took a backpack with some of his most precious items along with some money and ended up in Gotham

[nelkcats]

Coffee-scented kisses

Tim fell in love with a barista. At first he had wondered if it was simply a mistake, to transfer his love for coffee to the person who produced it, but slowly he realized it was a little more than that.

Danny, the new barista, didn't really criticize him when he ordered 8 coffees a day, as long as he was on shift. He also didn't ask him about his health insurance every time he ordered Death Wish, and even made sure to make small talk every time he delivered his coffee.

It had only been a few days since he was hired but Tim fell in love with his small talk, his care, and of course, his coffee.

Then, when Danny was suspected of working with Two Face he was heartbroken. The boy was probably innocent, but he couldn't get out of his head that nothing in Gotham was simple, everyone kept secrets, including himself. So he made up his mind to stay away from Danny, for his sake.

Danny, for his part, was Harvey Dent's assistant and a part-time barista, he just wanted to distract himself and Harvey was strangely sympathetic after telling him about running away from home. Kind of like a guy you stay with during the vacations, but more permanent.

The halfa started to worry when the cute boy from the cafe stopped coming, maybe he was in danger? Danny couldn't help but worry, but when his coworkers told him Tim was coming in on other shifts he wondered if the boy was avoiding him.

[writers-blogck]

Animal Crossing Cuddles ( Kenma Kozume x Reader )

Warning(s): This is literally just because I am so addicted to Animal Crossing right now. I am doing a full makeover of my island. 

Title: Animal Crossing Cuddles Pairing: Kenma Kozume x Reader Fandom: Haikyuu! Word Count: 1,518

        "Come on, that is like the third one in a row! I just want to find some furniture but all I'm getting is bees!" You yelled at the small screen on your Nintendo Switch Lite, hands clenching the console tightly. If it wasn't something so near and dear to you, there would be a slim chance that you would just throw the torture machine against the wall. Yet, the light pastel colors of the custom Switch your boyfriend had got for you made you keep just enough of a level head to keep from breaking the precious item. Who would think that Animal Crossing could make you so angry?! It was supposed to be a relaxing game. 

        You had woken up this morning with a pounding headache and sniffles that no matter how much you tried, wouldn't stop. Where was your body getting all of that gunk?! How many tissues had you used today? All you could see was the mountain of white fluff hidden in your trashcan. 

        At least you were warm, that had to be a plus. You were wearing one of your own hoodies but Kenma had sprayed his cologne on it last time you spent the night at his house. How considerate. He knew that your hoodie fit you comfortably so instead of giving you his hoodie, he made your own smell like him. He thought it would be better in case his hoodies were too big or small on you. But your hoodie wasn't enough so you were wrapped up in your fuzzy cat blanket which made it perfect. 

        Well, it would be perfect if these bees didn't keep falling out of these trees!

        "Get out of my way Stitches or else you will be getting the net too!" You grumbled, your back sliding against the warmth of your sheets. Only a hint of your face and hands could be seen as you hid in your fortress made of blankets and the wonderful smell of your long-term boyfriend. A sick burrito perhaps. 

        Kenma's cologne was something burnt in your memory. The two of you had been dating since the beginning of middle school and have been going strong since. It started out as a simple puppy love relationship but as the two of you got older, the relationship grew with you. Kuroo had joked that the two of you were already a married couple and you would be lying if you said that it didn't make you happy when he said that. Kenma may not show it but you think it makes him happy too. It was fun to daydream about a future together.

        One way that the two of you bonded in a domestic sense was with Animal Crossing. It was a way for the two of you to bond when you couldn't visit each other. It was hard at times, especially with Kenma's overnight volleyball trips, for the two of you to meet up in person as much as you would like. Still, your relationship together was strong enough that those issues were nothing more than simple bumps in the road of your relationship. At this point, dealing with the times the two of you had to do long-distance communication was normal.  

        During one of the overnight trips with the team coming back from Karasuno, the two of you spent most of his trip home on Animal Crossing. He holed up in the back of the bus with his phone, face timing you with just enough light so you could see his cat-like eyes. That trip had been filled with silence save for the rumble of the bus in the background but it still was one of your favorite memories. Animal Crossing had made a special place in both of your hearts. 

        Kenma had both a normal Switch as well as the Lite version way before the game came out. You had never been as into games as your boyfriend but you had always liked playing Animal Crossing on Kenma's old DS. When the two of you were younger, he would let you borrow his DS during free-time. You were one of the rare people he let use his systems. He had even let you take it home with you when you had a hard week. He said that it would help to play over the weekend. The sweet music of Animal Crossing truly did help you relax after a tough week.

        Kenma decided to go all the way and more when he commissioned someone for a custom Nekoma Pastel Switch Lite just for you to be able to play the game with him. Animal Crossing meant so much to him and with the promise of being able to play it with you, he was willing to do anything he had to. He was great at giving gifts that he put a lot of thought into. HE could have just bought you a normal Lite (which would already be a huge thing) but then that sweetheart had to go and get you one specially designed. He was so casual about it too: 

        - So, I got you the new Animal Crossing.          - Oh, that's sweet but I don't have anything to play it on.          - I got you a Switch Lite too.          - Kenmaaaaaa         - It's customized too.          - KENMAAAAAAA

        "It sounds like you are having a hard time in here." The calm voice of your boyfriend made you look up from your current gaming issue in shock. You were surprised to see him standing there in your doorway, he shouldn't be here. You didn't want to get him sick. Before you could say anything, he was already shutting the door to your bedroom and walking in with his backpack slung over his shoulder. He didn't seem to be worried in any way about that as he sat down on the edge of your bed. Your eyes glanced at your phone and just now noticed the blinking notification from his message(s). Dang, that cold medicine was really getting to you. 

        "Puddin'-head, you shouldn't be here," You were surprised by how whiny your voice sounded as you spoke. You were just worried about your boyfriend, he didn't have time to get sick. He was needed on the team, he was their setter after all. You would never hear the end of it from Kuroo if Kenma got sick because of you. Never! Rooster head would spam your phone with annoying texts as revenge. 

        "I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I brought my notes over for you to copy since you weren't able to make it to class today." His monotone voice was calming and had you believing everything was fine. How was he able to get you to go along with anything he said?! With the lack of sleep in your system and the cold medicine in your veins, it was easy to believe his words. Kenma had a good immune system, he wouldn't catch whatever you had. ( Kuroo would be ranting in your group chat together for the next three hours when he heard about Kenma going over to your house. He sounded more like a worried mother than even Sugawara from Karasuno ).  

        Before you could abject any further, your small console was swiped from your hands as Kenma took the space next to you on your bed. He began to play your game as casually as he would his own. You were about to open your mouth to complain about his theft when he continued to talk - 

        "I can go island hopping for you to get you some money while you do your work. I know you don't want to but you need to get those notes copied. You can have this back when you are finished. This way you won't be behind when you get back to school." Kenma's fingers moved over the buttons just like an expert, which you would be tempted to say he was. You had never met anyone that played games as much as he did. If he could, you bet Kenma would play games even when he was asleep. Kuroo already had to take his console away to make sure the blonde ate. 

        "But it's Friday! I have all weekend to get it done. Why do I have to do it right now?" 

        "Because you and I know that you won't do it if I'm not here and I won't be able to come over for the next few days. That means that you need to get it done before we can do anything. When you finish, maybe we can even watch a movie but you first have to get caught up on what you missed." 

        "Can I at least lay on your lap while I do it?" A pout graced your face and Kenma couldn't keep himself from smiling. He wasn't sure how he got so lucky to have someone like you in his life. 

        "You never have to ask. I'm always going to be here for you, whether it is for you to copy notes from or to be a human heater."

[txladyj-blog]

This Time Around - Chapter 1

This is posted with permission from @xmistressmistrustx, the amazing writer who helped me bring a story I had in my head into the world.   She’s been an inspiration and has become a dear friend, one I hope to meet in person someday.

A Daryl Dixon x OFC collaboration written by @xmistressmistrustx​ by request of @txladyj-blog​

Rating: Explicit

Relationship: Daryl Dixon/Original Female Character

Tags: Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Awkwardness, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Crush, Fluff and Humor, Angst and Humor, Mild Smut, Strong Language, Eventual Sex, Eventual Romance, Slow Burn, Canon Divergence, Some Canon Scenes and Dialogue

Chapters 23/?

Screaming. High-pitched, desperate screaming, piercing the air and echoing all around, bouncing off the trees like rubber balls, ricocheting and growing louder with every thud of her boots on the dry, cracked ground. Or, was that her imagination? Her heartbeat thrummed in her head as she sucked in breaths to try and propel herself forwards, her chest burning with every gasp and her feet aching after each rapid step. She scolded herself for every single excuse she’d thought up to stop herself from going to the gym, or for a jog, or to the tennis courts. She really wished she wasn’t so inclined to sitting inside and gaming or reading. If she’d known she’d need such stamina to save herself from the jaws of another human being, she’d have jumped on a treadmill occasionally.

Twigs broke under her boots as branches snapped at her sweat covered face but still, she pushed on, further into the woods, away from the screaming. The snarling grew quiet as the inferno in her lungs grew hotter, her breathing became labored and she stumbled, her hands shooting out and grabbing at a nearby tree. Bark and dirt filled her mouth and obscured her view. She blinked, only to find her vision blurred by mud. It took a few precious seconds for her to realize that she’d fallen before she quickly hauled her body upright and carried on along her jagged path through the woods.

She thought there had to have been at least ten people behind her when she had flown off into the tree line from the highway, all terrified with eyes bulging and hearts hammering. Now, her surroundings had fallen quiet and it occurred to her that she was wandering alone in the thick darkness, meandering between trees with no weapons or idea where she was headed. She stopped in her tracks, leaning against the trunk of a tree and trying to catch her breath. Her ears strained to hear the slightest sounds around her so she could sprint off at any hint of danger. Her hands found the straps of her back pack, tugging it from her shoulder and swinging it around to her front. Inside, she selected a torch and quickly flicked the switch. A bright, beam of light shot through the velvet dark, illuminating her surroundings and proving that she was now alone. She swallowed hard and gradually edged around the trunk, shining the torch between the surrounding trees and listening, above the sound of her own breathing for the slightest snap of a twig of a distant groan.

She was walking the highway after being unable to drive any further. The city saw thousands upon thousands of people flee when the chaos hit and spread like wildfire. She watched from a distant hill as the roads filled up with panicked, angry refugees that were offering each other money and all manner of expensive and luxury items for passage out of the highly populated area that had fast become a death trap.

After losing her companion shortly after fleeing into the woods, she was forced to shake off the shock of what she had witnessed. Her best friends throat ripped out in a split second, a river of crimson blood flooding over his bright, white clothing, the contrast somehow making the horrendous scene even more macabre. With no time to cry, no breaks in which to grieve, she raced off with blurry eyes into the night with her friend’s assailant hot on her heels, snarling and snapping its jaws until the sound was gradually replaced by the terrified screams of others, dotted about in the trees around her.

She kept walking until her heels ached and her knees grew weary and her stomach grumbled so loudly, she wrapped her hands around it to muffle the sound. Knowing she had to get some rest, she chose the sturdiest looking tree she could find and began to climb, her hands gripping the harsh bark and heaving her weary body up the structure until she was perched on a thick branch that was wider than her own body. She settled against the trunk. The contents of her backpack dug into her spine but she cared little for anything except being able to rest someplace that meant she wasn’t about to be consumed by what once was somebody’s son or daughter, somebody’s husband or wife. Now, just a ravenous, monstrous shell of what they were.

When she awoke, light shone through the trees, a slither hitting her face and heating up one cheek. She blinked and shook her head before leaning over the edge of the branch and checking it was clear to climb down. Finding nothing, she was soon ambling back over the leafy ground in search of some semblance of shelter.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Carol watched as her young daughter gently plucked at the fabric of her doll. Such delicate fingers poised over the cloth face of an effigy she’d become attached to ever since she was a baby. She was a quiet child, even more so since they’d arrived at the camp. She’d seen things no one of her age should have, the same things that other children across the world had now seen. Not to mention the violence she’d witnessed before the turn. Violence at the hands of her own father. Carol’s heart hurt for her and not only the memories she would have to carry, but the new, even more brutal things she was unavoidably going to have to endure in her bleak and uncertain future.

Her dirty blonde hair glistened in the sun and her skin, still so young and flawless, had yet to display the pallid gray that some of the others had. Her freckles were still noticeable and each one reminded Carol of the times when she’d cradle the girl in her arms, counting the subtle dots across her nose and smiling to herself.

“Mom?” Sophia squeaked from the waters edge.

The quarry boasted a deep, teal body of water that provided the camp with a means to wash clothes, bodies and was a much-needed source of drinking water once boiled of its impurities. The blazing sunshine, intense temperatures and picturesque view from the top made it the ideal place to set up and stay for a while and most of the camps population had no designs on moving anywhere.

“Yes, sweetheart?” Carol cooed back.

“There’s a woman up there.”

The small girls tiny finger extended, pointing out a lone figure stood, buckled over at the top of the quarry. A red backpack was hanging from the woman’s shoulders and she used the front of her black T-shirt to wipe sweat from her forehead, exposing a pale stomach. Carol squinted and slowly got to her feet, shielding her eyes from the sun in order to gain a better view. Her brow furrowed and her heart began to race in her chest.

“Shane!” She suddenly shouted, her voice thrown around the quarry and traveling up the hill to the main camp. “Come on, Sophia. Come with me. We have to go and get Shane.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

She had been at the camp for three days before she summoned up the courage to talk to anyone. An introvert by nature and traumatized by her experience, she chose to retreat into her tent and sleep while others went about their daily tasks. She ate alone, sat alone and read her books alone. Carol was the woman that first approached her at the top of the quarry, flanked by a group of four men. She didn’t remember the names of any of them at the time, only Carol’s as she backed away like a frightened deer. Coaxed along to the camp on the promise of food and a tent, she hadn’t breathed a word then and still hadn’t as she sat, hugging her legs and peering up at everyone on the third evening.

She flinched when a man crouched down in front of her and offered her a square, metal camping bowl of food. She didn’t care what it was, her stomach protested loudly at its emptiness and she slowly took the bowl from his hands. Carol had been the one to make sure she ate, it was always Carol. Nice, non-threatening, motherly Carol. Now, it was this man with his sunken eyes, dark, military haircut and thin lips.

“How you doin’?” The man asked.

She half shrugged, not able to manage much more for fear of having to get into a conversation.

“I don’t know if you remember, but I’m Shane. Over there…” He pointed to a man dressed in a sheriff’s uniform. “…That’s Rick. Then ya got T-Dog next to him and then Glenn. That’s just some of us. You’ve been pretty quiet; just thought I’d let you know who people are. You need anything, just ask anyone, OK?”

She nodded a thanks and leaned forwards, taking a small sniff of her food. Some kind of meat stew, laden with herbs. It was the most amazing thing to grace her nostrils in four days.

“You got a name?” Shane asked.

“J-Jess.” She uttered through chapped, cracked lips.

“Well, Jess. I know you’re scared n’ all. We all are. But you’re safe here.” He assured her.

“OK. T-Thank you.” She stammered, picking up a spoon from the bowl and beginning to stir her food.

When Shane left her, she hungrily demolished the stew and picked up her journal from beside her. She knew she’d soon run out of ink for her pen and resigned herself to the fact that she would at some point, need to ask someone to fetch her a new one from one of the supply runs they seemed to frequently go on. As she scribbled, jeering from the other side of the camp caught her attention and she glanced up to see two more men emerge from the trees, one was carrying a crossbow, his sleeveless arms shiny in the light as he approached the glow of the fire with a string of squirrels hoisted over his shoulder. He wore a leather vest and his expression was sour, despite the cheering and jokes being cracked by his companion. The other man was visibly older, bald  and also wore a leather vest, he swung a dead opossum by his side as he walked, soon throwing down in front of the fire with a dusty thud and laughing.

“What would y’all do without us, huh?!” He cried with a voice louder than any of the others Jess had heard so far. From his body language and his attitude, she could tell this one was going to be trouble.

Jess saw Shane get to his feet and whisper to the man to keep the noise down, but he was met with nothing but a snarl. The man with the squirrels was already stalking over in the direction of Jess’s tent, suddenly veering off and slamming the dead animals onto a makeshift table and propping his crossbow against the structure at his feet.

“Merle, get ya ugly ass over here. I’ma get to skinnin’ these.” He announced.

Jess retreated back into her tent in an attempt to stay out of the sightline of both men, judging them both to be the kind of people she would have steered well clear of before she found herself running through the woods for her life.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

In the time it had taken for Carol to persuade Jess to emerge from her tent and meet some of the others, her presence at the camp was now being noticed by just about everyone. She had briefly conversed with the younger members of the group; Carl, who was Rick and Lori’s son and Sophia, Carol and Ed’s daughter. Children were altogether less intimidating and energy draining than adults could be to Jess, especially in such a setting, where noise and rigorous activity needed to be kept to a minimum, as were the rules.

There were two other girls of Jess’s age which she deliberately steered clear of without hesitation, Sarah and Jodie. Initially met with outwardly false smiles and raised eyebrows, the transparency of the two females that peered back at her was evident and enough to make sure she knew her place was not with them. Her history with female friends not being one to shout about, other women never seemed to take to her due to her obscure and nerdy interests and quiet nature. Constantly a source of ridicule at high schools she'd attended, she kept herself to herself and spent her free time at comic book stores and conventions with her handful of close, male friends she would undoubtedly make eventually. All of which were now dead.

The loud man from the previous night, whose name she had learned was Merle, had already proved that her suspicions about him being trouble were correct. Jess always knew to trust her gut; it hadn’t let her down yet. Walking past her as she hurried along behind Carol, he slowly looked her up and down, running his tongue along his bottom lip and rubbing his chin. Beside him, was the other man in the leather vest, his younger brother; Daryl.

“Ain't she a meaty one? Lil’ more cushin’ for the pushin’, huh, Daryl?” He sneered.

His brother merely glanced up and caught Jess’s eye as she passed, his blue irises flashing before her. She had never seen such icy blue eyes before.

“Shut up, Merle” She heard him mutter in response.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Since arriving at the camp, Jess hadn’t seen any of the dead ones. She figured she’d wandered so far up the mountain, that hardly anyone alive, let alone dead would be likely to follow her. She noticed that they had coined the name ‘Walkers’ by those around her and felt safe in the knowledge that no one had seen one enter the camp for weeks due to the surrounding makeshift alarms comprised of tin cans and other noisy materials. Whispers around the campfire had indicated that the city was full of them and they were now starting to run out of food and disperse into the surrounding areas.

Sat in her usual spot just inside her tent, she jotted down what she thought was the date at the top of the next page of her journal, although she couldn’t be sure if it was correct or not. Giggling in the distance caused her to look up, where she clocked the unmistakable sight of Sarah and Jodie making fun of her from across the clearing. Jess couldn’t help but lift an eyebrow in disgust at the typical nature of their body language. Hands deliberately blocking mouths as they spoke, eyes intermittently locking on her and childish giggling that she expected from the likes of Sophia or Carl, but not from two women in their twenties. She shook her head and sighed, turning her attention back to finishing the date on the page when her eyes lowered further, to the extra flesh around her middle, her thicker thighs than the other girls, even her fingers. Bigger, softer. She flattened her hand on the page and sighed. Then, screaming rang out across the camp.

Everyone seemed to move simultaneously, grabbing at everything that could be used as a weapon. Jess froze to the spot until she saw Carol making her way towards the children with several others and whisking them away. Curiosity fueled her to move and find out how high the threat was, knowing she needed to keep a safe distance but still get close enough to see what the fuss was about.

Just inside the tree line, Dale, owner of the groups RV and resident, straw hat lookout was busy beating the hell out of a single Walker with Rick and some of the others with blunt objects, bats and even a broom. Jess looked on in disbelief at the Walker that had eventually fallen to the floor and quietened, beside it, lay a deer with an arrow in its rear end and a myriad of bite marks taken out of its side. The small huddle of people exchanged glances, their chests all rising and falling.

“Never seen them this far up the mountain before” Dale commented.

“Well, they’re running out of food in the city” Carol remarked to the cluster of concerned and sweaty faces.

“Son of a bitch!” Came another, angry voice from further back. “That’s my deer!”

Daryl emerged from the bushes, crossbow in hand, sweat beaded on his chest and forehead, yet more dead squirrels thrown over his shoulder and ripped the crossbow bolt from the deer’s rump with one swift movement.

“Look at it, all gnawed on by this filthy, disease-bearin’, motherless, poxy, bastard!”

With each new word, his boot collided with the Walkers body on the floor, Jess sidestepped slightly to gain herself a better view of him in his entirety through the bushes.

“Calm down, Son. That’s not helping” Dale scolded.

“And what do you know ‘bout it, ol’ man?! Why don’t you take that stupid hat and go back to ‘on golden pond’? I been trackin’ this deer for miles!”

As he finished his sentence, the Walker at his feet began to writhe and gnash its jaws. Jess felt her throat constrict at the thought of it not being dead and wondered just how the hell they were meant to be stopped if gunfire emitted too much noise.

“Oh my god” Glenn groaned as he resumed beating the corpse with a stick.

“C’mon, people! What the hell?!” Daryl exclaimed as he aimed at the Walkers head with his crossbow and pulled the trigger. A neon bolt embedded in its skull and instantly, the threat was eliminated. “It’s gotta be the brain. Don’t y’all know nothin’?”

Retrieving his bolt from between the Walkers eyes, he huffed and threw everyone an exasperated look. Before she could even think, Jess found herself face to face with him as he stormed through the brush, unexpectedly running into her. She quickly stepped back and tried to drop her gaze, but his stare was so intense that she found herself rooted to the spot while he paused to take in the view of her. She swallowed hard and finally managed to step aside and let him pass. When he did so without a word, she almost tried to blink the shock from her eyes as she turned on her heels and made her way back to her tent.

That night she braved sitting around the campfire with everyone else at dinner, although she sat further back than the rest. Nibbling on strips of squirrel, Jess didn’t follow any conversations that were taking place. Opposite her, sat even further back than her in the shadows, was Daryl, who had just finished up licking excess meat from his fingers and was now watching her over the flames, his arms draped over his bent legs. She was aware that his attention was firmly fixed on her and grew increasingly uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Why was he looking at her like that? Why was he looking at her at all?

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

After another two days, Jess was still finding it hard to settle in amongst the masses at the camp. Only speaking briefly to a handful of people, she decided that Carol was the easiest person to converse with, except Rick, who never seemed to give her a choice but to answer when he asked after her welfare. Her days were spent reading, writing or tagging along with Carol by the water and helping with the laundry. Her knowledge of certain historical periods meant she knew how to wash clothes without the aid of a washer dryer and was able to lend a hand in getting through the huge piles of dirty clothes that appeared in the crate at the start of each day.

Carol wasn’t shy about encouraging Jess to learn new skills and on one particular occasion, caused a great deal of anxiety when she handed her a knife and a pile of dead squirrels and told her to start skinning them. Before Jess could protest or express her ignorance on such a subject, Carol had vanished from sight, summoned by her aggressive and overbearing husband, Ed. Her hand shook as she looked down at her fingers clutching the knife, Daryl’s presence on a rock behind her niggling away in her mind. If anyone knew how to skin squirrels, it would be him. She turned her body slightly so as to block his view and began prodding one of the small animals with the sharp end of the knife.

Daryl, able to see over her shoulder from his higher vantage point, furrowed his brow and threw his smoke away. He climbed down from the rock and approached her.

“Kinda shit show is that? Give it here.” He snapped, reaching for her knife. She stilled, wide eyed and tried to focus on what she should say.

She slowly looked sideways at him with the squirrel in her hand. She still gripped the knife and he beckoned with his fingers for her to pass it to him along with the dead animal. She gingerly handed him him both and stepped aside, letting him take up her spot. Before he set to work, he noticed her discomfort and awkward expression.

“She uh-she left before I could tell her I have no idea what I’m doing.” She said quickly.  

He grunted and turned his head to see Carol with Ed, whose voice was raised and echoing around the quarry. Shane stood nearby, arms crossed, keeping a very close eye on the arguing couple. Ed’s arms were flailing in the air as Carol stood meekly in front of him. Daryl bit his bottom lip for a second and decided to leave them to it, getting involved in other people’s drama wasn’t something he made a habit of. He turned his attention back to Jess.

“What exactly do ya do around here?” He asked her.

It was a good question and one she didn’t have much of an answer to. Since she’d arrived, she slinked about in the shadows, folding her collectible superhero T-shirts that she happened to have bought on the day the world went awry and scribbling in her journal. She’d only recently started to lend a hand with the laundry but other than that, she could honestly say she’d been nothing but a leech.

“Um… I got a pretty loud scream. It’s like a…Walker alarm. Just haven’t used it yet.” She said with a small smile.

He huffed, unimpressed and figured she would be even more useless unless he showed her what to do with the knife and the squirrel.

“Pay attention.” He mumbled, motioning to the animal with the knife. “Gotta start right here, cut up to the tailbone”

As he spoke, he physically showed her what to do, pointing out each part and showing her exactly how to angle the knife in the process. Jess winced at the sound of the knife slicing through the flesh and tried to act as though the blood didn’t bother her. But she was never a good liar and her stomach flipped at the sight. Her face paled and she took a deep breath.

“Then, down each leg. Gotta make a flap of skin on each. Can grab it and yank it right off, cut as ya go.” He explained, focused on his task and missing Jess’s pained expression. He ripped the skin from the animal and tossed it aside before holding the bloodied knife out to her and finally noticing her pallid skin and sweaty forehead.

“R-right.” She stammered, slowly taking the knife from him.

“Practice. Make ya self useful.” He said, his tone now less antagonistic and more akin to someone with a helpful suggestion.

“Right. Yeah.” She mumbled, taking the knife back and dragging the back of her wrist across her forehead.

Relief washed over her when he finally departed, leaving her to her task. While it took her probably double the time it would have taken Daryl, she eventually finished it and cleaned up with a sense of pride and accomplishment welling in her chest.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

'I'm not entirely sure I’ll ever fit in with this group. I know I don’t really fit in anywhere else either, but no matter how hard I try, I always seem to get left behind. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been thinking a lot about mom and dad and my asshole brother who I miss so much. Seeing people that still have their families, I hope they know how lucky they are. I know I never really fit in with them either, but they were my blood.

It’s a miracle I survived on my own, I see that even more now I’m around people with actual survival skills. There are fighters, hunters, people that are good with weapons, even people that think more strategically than me. I feel kind of useless. I’m slower and a liability compared to these people. A guy called Daryl had to teach me how to skin a squirrel today. I almost hurled on the table in front of him and I felt like an idiot at first but at least he took the time to show me instead of making fun of me. If I’m honest, I was really expecting the latter.'  

She closed the journal. Shoved it back in her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Then, she picked up the bunch of skinned squirrels and made her way to the top of the hill. The heat from the sun was starting to lessen and she was grateful for it, she wasn’t used to building up much of a sweat, so her new surroundings up in the sky, a top a mountain had been a shock to the system. People wandered about the camp and children played quietly as the fire in the middle started to intensify, ready to provide warmth from the sudden cold snap that came as soon as the sun vanished below the horizon.

Jess spotted Merle on the outskirts of the group. He sat with a tree stump in front of him and a large knife, dissecting meat and driving it onto skewers for cooking. Jess took a deep breath and made tracks towards him, passing the RV in the process, where Daryl sat on the roof, watching her. She kept her head up when passing Sarah and Jodie, Sarah brushing through her blonde hair with her fingers as they ambled along.

“Better get in quick before she eats every scrap. Girl definitely isn’t starving.” Jodie whispered to her friend.

The comment hit Jess’s chest like a bulldozer but outwardly, her reaction was minimal. She carried on walking and handed the squirrels to Merle wordlessly before turning on her heel and stalked off back to her tent. She could hear Merle chuckle to himself behind her but paid him no mind. He wasn’t the one that could stamp on her feelings so easily. It was other girls. Always other girls.

Daryl was noisily chewing on some beef jerky when he heard Jodie’s scathing comment and saw Jess hesitate as she walked, her head dropping and her shoulders slumping. Sarah and Jodie rounded the RV on their random path and as Daryl looked down at them, his eyes fell on a cup of water set down on the roof of the RV, near to the edge. The temptation proved too great to ignore. Dale must have left it there. Convenient. He kicked the cup, sending water flying over the edge and onto the heads of the two girls below.

“Hey! Watch it, Redneck!” Sarah shrieked as she flicked her hands out, ridding herself of any water droplets. Jodie merely stood there and seethed, her jaw clamped shut and her eyes narrowed up at Daryl. Her sweater was splattered with a dark and no doubt, cold stain.

“Sorry” He smirked.

Rudely awoken by a cooking pot being thrown against the side of her tent just before sunrise, Jess startled and considered herself lucky the foreign object that had collided with the canvas had missed her head by inches. She crawled out of her sleeping bag and poked her head out of the zipper to the sounds of Merle and T-dog shouting obscenities to each other and brawling in the middle of the clearing. Curse words were yelled and a plethora of racist remarks left Merle’s mouth as he swung another punch in T-dogs direction. Jess winced at the sound of some of his comments and thought herself grateful she’d been brought up in an accepting and open-minded family and didn’t have to endure the seething hatred Merle seemed to feel every time he set eyes on someone that didn’t share his skin color.

The two men wrestled on the ground, dust kicking up and clouding their air as more and more people filtered out from their tents to observe the spectacle. Jess could hear the moment T-dog’s fist collided with Merles face, a kind of sickening thud followed by a loud grunt and a roar as Merle launched himself up and ran at his assailant. Bowls and utensils flew through the air as they thundered through a nearby table and took out the peg of a tent in the process. The shelter sagged and Jess felt a stab of panic as they neared her. She stepped back in an attempt to put some space between her and the fight as Daryl shot out of nowhere and drove himself between them, taking a hard right hook from Merle that made Jess jump with the loud crack that it made. But Daryl simply emitted a loud grunt and shook it off and she suspected that this was far from the first time he’d been punched in the face.

“Back up! C’mon! Back up, Man!” He instructed, hovering in front of his brother with his hands on his chest. Shane arrived seconds later, just in time to catch T-Dog and pull his hands behind his back in true cop style. Jess raised an eyebrow.

So much drama. She thought.

“Leave it. Just leave it. What the hell is wrong with you?!” Daryl was now hissing at Merle, who was desperately trying to skirt around him. But wherever Merle was, Daryl was firmly in front of him. “Let it go, Merle.”

She bit her lip as she witnessed Daryl manage to de-escalate his brothers rage and she knew that no one else in the entire group would have been able to handle him in quite the same way. His leather vest flapped at his sides in response to him shifting all of his weight into his muscular arms in order to hold his brother still. With one leg placed in front of the other, he leaned forwards, a stable grip on each of Merle’s shoulders. Shane was busy dragging T-dog off and whispering in his ear when Glenn’s voice startled her, snapping her away from an image that had suddenly become a little easier to look at.

“You alright?” He asked. If he’d been there the entire time, she had no idea after having completely missed his presence. “Thought you might have gotten hit in your tent.”

“It just missed my head.” Jess replied with a small smile. “Just.”

“Lucky.”

“Yeah. Just glad I wasn’t up and sitting by the fire.” She expressed.

“You and me both. Those two have been gunning for one another for days now.” He told her.

She responded with a thin smile and turned her head back to where Daryl was now shoving Merle towards them. As they passed her tent, Daryl’s eyes managed to meet hers. He looked furious, unsettled. Uncomfortable. Taking it as her cue to make herself scarce, she climbed back into her tent.

It was almost a ritual now, everyone sat down to eat at the same time, like a giant, dysfunctional family. As far as altercations were concerned, everything was usually forgotten about in time for dinner, food being on the top of everyone’s list of priorities. It wasn’t surprising to Jess to see Merle and T-Dog sat in the same vicinity after such a violent fight, both of them seeming content enough with devouring their food than having any more fights. Merle had situated himself slightly further back than everyone else and made a few un-classy remarks under his breath that had so far been ignored by everyone. Jess heard every word but pretended she didn’t as she finished up her meal and made her way back to the cooking pot. Spooning the rest of the stew into a bowl, she dunked a plastic spoon into it and set off to find Daryl, who was the only one absent from the dinnertime ritual.

Sitting far away from the group, on a fallen tree on the edge of the woods, Daryl could hear both Jodie and Sarah making fun of Jess as she passed. Anger simmered in his chest and he grit his teeth at the sound of their incessant, immature and annoying giggling.  

“Here”

Jess’s voice cut through his thoughts and he peered up at her with suspicion. He threw the piece of bark he was picking at on the floor in front of him and locked his gaze on her.  

“You haven’t eaten. Your brother has. So, I took this before he noticed there was seconds.”

“Why?” He grunts.

She licked her lips and exhaled, her shoulders sagging.

“Saved us all from getting caught in the middle of a pretty nasty fight earlier.”

A grunt was all she received in response. Expecting him to react in any other way would have been futile, it was written all over his face that he was not in the mood to socialize.

“How’s your face?” She asked.

His right eye was beginning to swell and she knew that by morning it would be fully blackened. She wished she had a bag of frozen peas or an ice pack to offer, but figured it would only be met with a snappy remark or shrugged off anyway. But Jess wasn’t one to give up easily on something she believed in and in that moment, she believed that Daryl could use a distraction from his bad mood. Shoving away her doubts and shyness, she kept her eyes trained on him.

“Had worse.” He mumbled.

“You should eat, here.” She offered him the bowl again, telling him in no uncertain terms that she was not about to give up. After a small huff, he looked back up at her, slowly dropping his vision to the steaming bowl of food before eventually taking it from her.  

“Thanks.” He grumbled, taking hold of the spoon and shoveling stew into his mouth without any regard for manners or decorum. Jess sat next to him and ripped up a handful of grass from the ground, gradually picking through the blades and discarding them in the breeze.

“Actually, it’s you that deserves the thanks. You hunted the food and then showed me how to skin it instead of just doing it yourself or showing me up in front of the others. So, thanks.”

“Ain’t nothin’.” He dismissed with his mouth full of food.

“Don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Jessica.” She told him.

Why didn’t I just say ‘Jess’? No one calls me Jessica. What am I doing?!

“Jess. You can call me Jess.” She corrected.

He turned his head, quickly scanning her from head to toe and swallowing the contents of his mouth.

“Daryl.” He stated.

“S’nice to meet you. I mean, as nice it can be, What, with corpses wandering around trying to eat us. That’s not exactly nice. But, there’s nothing like an apocalypse to bring out the best in people. But then again I guess some people are just crappy by nature.” She rambled.

He stared at her for a moment before shoving more food into his mouth. He was animalistic, almost feral somehow and he had an aura of unpredictability that made Jess nervous. Like a lion that appeared tame and calm but just below the surface lurked a danger that she didn’t want to see.

Jess was by all accounts, a self-declared introvert that didn’t actively seek out social interaction and felt the need to withdraw from situations or people that sapped her energy. Daryl was obviously not like everyone else and she would have hazarded a guess at him also being introverted, which meant that they possibly had something in common. It was unheard of that she made a marked effort to talk to someone that appeared so outwardly hostile, but the end of the world had brought with it a new found attitude in Jess; Just try it. See what happens. It was a philosophy that had kept her alive so far.

“It’s cold tonight, huh? I mean, I have enough blankets and stuff but it still gets through. It’s like ever since the world went to shit the nights have gotten colder” She expressed.

He finished up his food and dropped the bowl on the ground between his bent knees.

“Ya always talk this much?” He asked.

She wasn’t expecting such a question and didn’t know if she should be offended or amused.

“Uh… yes? No? I’m not sure.”

And she wasn’t. Not anymore. Now everything had changed and apparently so had she. If someone had told her she’d be sat beside a violent redneck and attempting to make nice during the apocalypse, she’d have laughed in their face.

Remaining at his side for half an hour more, she’d refused to move partly out of defiance. She braided grass into patterns and watched Carl and Sophia play at the side of the group while Daryl smoked and sulked, about what, she wasn’t sure. But he hadn’t got up and left, nor did he ask her to leave and she took that a small success.

Since she was a child, Jess always poured her deepest thoughts and feelings into a journal. Each entry left her feeling like she’d been cleansed and was ready for whatever the next day held. Sometimes, if she wasn’t in the mood to write huge paragraphs, she’d write, poetry, haiku’s or draw simple pictures in biro. Even with everything else destroyed and gone, Jess still made sure her journal was not neglected.

That night, in her tent. She opened up the thick, black leather-bound book and began writing.

'Daryl intrigues me. He has a brother that made himself known to me way before Daryl did. In fact, Merle leered at me as I walked by and told me I had ‘more cushin’ for the pushin’.” He’s vulgar and rude. I’m pretty sure he’s a raging racist too from what I’ve seen. I’m not sure Daryl is like that although there is a possibility. He just seems quieter, more thoughtful somehow. He’s kind of cute. In a dangerous kind of way. He broke up a fight between Merle and T-dog today. I have no shame in admitting I was impressed by his courage, even if he did get punched in the eye. I took him some food and tried to talk to him but he now just thinks I talk too much. I don’t think I said too much to him though, he’s just super quiet. Or did I? Oh god. I don’t know.

I’m not sure about everybody else. Rick seems like a nice guy; he’s checked in on me a few times. Shane too, although he’s a little… odd. I think there’s something going on between him and Rick’s wife. I keep catching them whispering to each other. But I shouldn’t make such assumptions. I could be very wrong. I like Carol, she’s the safest person to be around and I think I trust her, when she’s not with Ed. I don’t like him one, little bit. He’s a bad egg. I can tell. Rick’s kid, Carl is pretty cool. He sees a lot more than people give him credit for and he’s smart. He reminds me of me when I was his age.

I’m making an effort to stay away from Sarah and Jodie. They don’t like me and I don’t like them. My fat offends them. Good. I hope it makes their empty heads explode. It seems that no matter what happens in the world, those types of girls are everywhere. Like a disease or a bad smell that won’t go away. When they’re around, I just feel like I’m back in high school and I wouldn’t go back to high school if I was paid.

I could be in worse places. I could be dead. But I can’t shake this overwhelming urge to just be alone. I know it’s not safe and I know it’s not wise. I thought maybe if I talked to someone, tried to gain a friend, it’d help. So, I’m trying with Daryl. Out of everyone, I think he and I might be similar. What am I even talking about? The world ended and here I am, worrying about my social anxiety.

I should sleep. I rarely sleep more than a couple hours at a time now. I can’t stand the nightmares anymore.'

NEXT CHAPTER

[stories-mostly]

Starks Bug

Tony Stark x son!reader (this chapter more Rhodey x nephew!reader ;) )

Words: 2150

I'm sorry this took so long as an apology I'll post chapter 5 tommorow after that it should be once a week again :) enjoy!

Chapter 4

Today was a Rhodey and you kinda day.

Your dad had some business trip to attend to where he couldn't take you with him. So instead of being quiet and polite with a bunch of strangers, you were loud and polite with Rhodey.

You had stayed over at Rhodeys several times with Tony but never alone. So both men were anxious to see how you'd manage.

It's only been two hours since Tony had dropped you off and you had been greatly entertained by your uncle the whole time. Playing with toys and building blocks. He even told you a funny story about your dad getting his head stuck somewhere while they were in college together. There really wasn't anything funnier than that story and the pictures to go along with it in your 3 and a half year old mind.

Rhodey looked up at the clock on the wall before turning back to you.

"Let's stop playing." He said standing up. "We need to buy some groceries before we get hungry,"

You, although reluctantly, began to put your toys away. You had brought all your favourite toys with you so you wouldn't get bored while staying over. Though Rhodey would never let that happen. Within a few minutes you were dressed and strapped into the car seat in Rhodeys pretty little vehicle.

It wasn't really what you were used to. Your father had either really well maintained old cars or rather new high tech expensive cars. So sitting in a well aged small car that isnt extremely uncommon to see driving around town was different but not at all in a bad way.

Rhodey threw a big shopping bag in the back and started the car up. Pulling out of his driveway for the short trip down to the nearby supermarket.

You were more interested in the scenery you passed than talking so Rhodey put on some music and strummed along to the beat on his steering wheel. You started listening to the quieter tunes that you're used to. Your dad had a slightly different taste in music than the songs that were playing.

"So, what do you wanna eat?" Rhodey asked driving around a corner.

"I'm not hungry." You turned to him a slightly confused look on your face. Rhodey chuckled.

"I mean when you're hungry, buddy. What would you like to eat then," he clarified.

You thought for a moment. "Pizza! I want pizza,"

"What kind?" He asked pulling into the parking lot.

"The one I always eat." You pulled at your seat straps still not fully knowing how to unclasp them on your own. Rhodey reached over and opened them for you.

You jumped out the car, with a lot of effort, before he could stop you. "I can show you!"

Rhodey just nodded and followed you out.

You tried to pull out the cart yourself but it was still connected to the other one with those little seatbelt like clips. You took the coin your uncle was holding out and put it in the thing that let's the cart go from the other one. Once the cart was out you were placed in the seat and your store adventure could begin.

You kicked your legs about and looked in every direction as you were pushed through the store. As you were passing the candy isle you looked long at a bag of gummy worms. They were one of the few candies you had been allowed to get and your absolute favourite.

"Uncle Rhodey I want gummy worms." You said pointing at the colourful bag of artificial worms.

"I don't know sweetie. I don't think you asked all that nicely for them." Rhodey replied to your plea. Scratching his chin like he was deep in thought.

"Can I pweeeease have gummy worms?" You tried again drawing out the please and using your "I am a cute and innocent child which only desire in this cold cruel world is this small cheap bag of precious gummy worms"-voice.

Rhodey chuckled and handed you the bag with an "Alright alright".

You didn't go to stores a lot so everything was very fascinating. And needed to be explored and asked about.

"What's that?" You asked now pointing at a big display of raw meat.

"That's meat," Rhodey answered "We actually need some." He reached in and grabbed a big piece of meat indistinguishable from the other meats to your young eyes.

"For what?"

"Dinner tommorow."

You nodded and moved on to ask another question about another thing.

Everything went smoothly from then on out. You showed him which of the pizza's you liked the most and answered whether or not you wanted some apples. All was well until you passed a big tank of lobsters.

You let out a big gasp as you saw the both big and small animals sitting together in the bare tank.

"Look uncle Rhodey! Crabs!"

"Those are Lobsters. They're really big arent they?"

"Yes! Can I have one?" You asked without looking away from the tank. Rhodey frowned.

"Since when do you eat lobster?" Your head snapped back in Rhodeys direction at the speed of light.

"NO not for eating! It's for pets!"

"You want to pet a lobster?"

"Yes! And keep it!"

Rhodey was stunned silent for a moment.

"Y/n, you can't have a pet lobster. They're sold here for people to buy and eat them."

Not even a few seconds later after Rhodey had said those words he regretted them. Your eyes first grew big and then your lower lip started to quiver. And that was when Rhodey knew he fucked up big time.

Within a second you were crying loudly about how people can't eat the lobsters because you love them while Rhodey was desperately trying to calm you down. People were starting to stare and Rhodey could feel every single gaze on him.

He then suggested something he would have to thoroughly explain to your father later.

"Y/n, kid, listen. I need you to calm down. I promise you that none of there lobsters will be eaten okay? I'll talk to your dad about getting you one of them. But you have to behave," he explained having placed his hands on your much smaller shoulders. Without much fuss you stopped crying. It made sense to you that your dad would save the lobsters. He is a great person after all.

You were okay with that and even helped your uncle place the items on the conveyor belt and back into the cart once you were done shopping.

With a sweet smile you handed the nice cashier lady the money and she gave you a piece of her chocolate.

You thanked her and waved her goodbye as you left the store.

All the way back to Rhodeys house you were in a happy mood thinking about how you'll soon get a pet lobster if you behave. Oh and you'll behave. You'll behave so good that no one will think that you were even capable of misbehaving. As least until you had your lobster.

On the drive home Rhodey made a call to a very confused Tony Stark about the possibility of getting Stark Jr. a pet Lobster.

Later around the same time as you were helping Rhodey unpack the groceries your dad was frantically researching on how to care for a lobster and how long they lived the same with how much space they need and more. He even called a zoo and a lobster farm.

He'd organize the build of a tank for a crayfish, a big one. You won't be able to tell the difference until you were much older and did some research yourself.

But you'll never eat a lobster, or any crustacean for that matter, until your eventual demise.

The rest of the day went by without a problem. You helped your uncle with everything you could, cooking, cleaning, washing dishes and doing the bed were all completed with the clumsy help of a 3 year old.

You crawled under the covers next to Rhodey, insisting on sleeping in the same bed. During the night you kicked him several times and somehow ended up with your feet on the pillow while the rest of your body was hidden beneath the covers.

The second day of your week long vacation was not all that different than the first. You played together inside and outside, cooked, ate and then sat down to watch some DvDs before your afternoon nap. A mistake as the series Rhodey turned on hyped you up incredibly. It was the first episode of "The Incredible Adventures of Captain Magic". You had never before watched this series but your young mind was hooked in an instant.

The episode was all about how she became a super hero, introducing herself and her friends. Your mouth couldn't have hung open any wider. The second the episode was over you started jumping around in excitement. Holy heck that was too cool for your young mind to comprehend. You started fighting villains no one could see and Rhodey couldn't get you to fall asleep for another hour. He himself was incredibly tired at that point.

The next two days you wouldn't shut up about how cool and strong Captain Magic is. Rhodey didn't say anything discouraging about it. Though it was clear to him that the hero was obviously heavily leaned on Captain America. Not that you'd know who that was.

Friday, Rhodey suggested a trip to get you off your Captain Magic high.

"Where are we going?" You asked kicking your legs and clutching the tiny backpack you had taken with you.

"Its a surprise. But you'll like it I promise,"

You nodded and turned back to look out the window.

"Look look a puppy!" You excitedly pointed out a few minutes later.

As Rhodeys car pulled to a stop you looked around with squinted eyes having almost fallen asleep.

"We've arrived."

"I know this?" You mumbled a bit dissapointed. You had visited Rhodey while he was working numerous times in the past. This wasn't anything exciting.

"Yeah you do, but I bet you've never sat in a jet before!"

"What!" You screeched and jumped around happily in your seat waiting on your restraints to be opened.

Rhodey greeted a few people on your way to the hanger. Some people seemed surprised while others knew about his plans.

The hanger was empty of any people but stored several huuuuge jets. You shouted "Hello!" and "AAAAH" Into the hall to hear it echo back.

"Is this cool or what?!" Rhodey said marching towards one of the planes which had a staircase ladder thing next to it.

"SO COOL!" you screeched running around and under the planes. Rhodey called you over and threw you on his shoulder while he carried you up to the now opened jet and place you inside. It was like sitting in the driver seat of a parked car, just ten times cooler.

You asked a thousand questions about the planes and Rhodey was happy to answer all of them.

"What's that?" You said pointing at another switch over your head.

"Uhh it's," Rhodey leaned closer to get a better look at what you're pointing, "it's switches all the communication on an-"

"And that?" You said pointing at another thing not letting him finish.

This went on like that for about 10 minutes before you started your fake flight. Even getting to wear the headset which was a few numbers to big for you. Your uncle took a few pictures while you were playing which he'd later send to Tony.

You didn't get bored for a full hour, you were so enthralled with making little noises and flicking on and off switches (which all did nothing) that you didnt even notice that Rhodey got himself a cup of coffee and was talking with some strangers now instead of standing on the rolling staircase next to you.

The rest of the trip you got shown around by Rhodey and introduced to a few of his colleagues.

You tired fast and fell asleep a few minutes into the drive back. You woke up later on the couch with Rhodey cooking in the kitchen. The nice smell of something tasty that you couldn't quite place wafting through the air into your nostrils.

On your last day in Rhodeys pretty house you helped him pack some of your stuff up and just generally did stuff together. Like having a water pistol fight, playing super heroes, and watching Captain Magic and whatever else was on TV. It was a laid back Saturday which was only laid back because you didn't run around the house screeching while you played with your toys.

That evening you fell asleep on the couch next to Rhodey, sort of clinging onto his clothes while your breath evened out and the soft strokes over your little head of hair gave you a deep sense of security.

You woke up later at night while being carried by a tired looking Rhodey.

"Go back to sleep, sweetpea." He whispered as he placed you inside your car seat. You nodded slightly and  said with your voice barely above a whisper.

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too." You faintly heard before falling back asleep after the car door shut.

You woke up the next day in your fathers bed next to his snoring form. Very confused on how you got there. But very glad that he was back.

Tags: @shannonr2003 @art-estrange @nicholasbich @tater-thottie @tonystanktheirondad @gaylemonshark

[lilacmoon83]

Dreaming Out Loud

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 10: That Still Small Voice

"So...I'm sure you've heard by now?" Jefferson said, as he joined them in behind the counter.

"That that bastard is walking free again?" David growled.

"I warned you. Regina will never let one of her cronies be locked up. Circumventing the law in this stupid town is easy for her," he said.

"There has to be something we can do," Charming said in exasperation.

"Well, aside from killing him, I don't see what other option there is," Rumple said.

"We tried that back in the Enchanted Forest. How did he survive that? I watched him burn," David replied.

"I know of only one way to bring someone back from the dead," Rumple revealed.

"Wait...you always said there wasn't a way. It defies the laws of magic," Jefferson said.

"It does...but if Hades wanted to revive him, he could make it happen," Rumple revealed.

"Why would Hades want to bring Deimos back to life?" David asked.

"Deimos is his most evil nephew and is a very loyal henchman. As you know, he's kept Hades in business and sent many to the Underworld," Rumple replied.

"No...there's more than that," David said.

"And when the curse is broken, the time for you and your wife to know everything will come. For now, he's still Damon Tromera," Rumple stated.

"And he's still obsessed with my wife. He wants to hurt Mary Margaret and I don't care if they do throw me jail, I'll stop him by any means necessary," David said.

"Yeah, I have a feeling it's a good thing the curse happened to give you a license to practice law," Jefferson drawled, looking at Gold.

"I do still own most of this town and will be ready to go head to head with Regina when the time comes," he said. David saw the time on the clock and sighed.

"I'm going to go surprise Mary Margaret at work and try to take her mind off all of this," he said.

"See you later, lover boy. I won't expect to see you home again," Jefferson teased.

"You tease me, but he's the one that just gave Belle the library," David teased back, as he and Wilby left through the back way. Jefferson smirked at him.

"Not a word," he growled.

"The Dark One's got game," Jefferson commented.

"Get out," Gold spat. Jefferson chuckled and made his way to back exit.

After Regina called him about the shuddering that was rippling through town, he had received several more calls and it was determined by several citizens that the source of the rumblings seemed to be coming from the old mines.

"What's the Emergency?" Emma asked, as she arrived, joining Graham at the mouth of the old mining tunnels.

"I didn't call for you Miss Swan," Regina snapped.

"But I did...she is my deputy," Graham replied, as the curious townspeople gathered around.

"What happened?" Emma asked.

"One of the old mining tunnels had a cave in," Graham explained.

"Yes, I want you to petition this whole area off," Regina said, as she turned to the people.

"These mines are no longer safe. I plan to have them demolished and paved over. Then there will be no more danger," Regina explained. Emma took out her phone and stepped away for a moment, dialing her dad.

"Hey...some of the mining tunnels caved in. Queenie wants to demolish them all and pave over them. Any idea what she might be trying to hide?" she said when he answered.

"It could be anything. The mines were the source of all the diamonds the dwarves used to mine and then the diamonds were ground into fairy dust for the fairy wands. She could have hidden any number of things from our land in there. Losing the mines could be very bad. If Regina ever got her magic back, we'd have no way to combat it other than relying on Gold," David explained. Emma sighed.

"I'm not sure I can stop her," Emma lamented.

"Well, if the mines are anything like the ones back in the Enchanted Forest, they go for miles. It might not be a bad idea for me to go in and see what's in there," David said.

"That sounds way too dangerous, Dad. But I think I might have an idea. You said that you met Belle the other day and that she's a bookworm, right?" Emma asked.

"Yeah...Gold gave her the library. She's going to be opening it up in a few weeks," David replied.

"Do you think you can ask her to read up on the town charter? The mines might be a landmark," Emma said.

"I'll call her, but what exactly does it mean if they're a landmark?" he asked.

"Well, in some towns, especially small towns, sometimes things like old mines or rock formations or other things along those lines are sometimes declared landmarks. If that's the case, a landmark has to be preserved and cannot be destroyed. It's not exactly an official law, but demolishing landmarks is a very unpopular thing to do," Emma explained.

"Okay, I'll call Belle and ask her to look up landmarks in the charter," he said.

"Thanks Dad," she said quietly.

"Anything for you, princess," he said, as they ended the call and she went back to helping Graham partition off the area.

As Mary Margaret finished up her lesson for the day and dismissed her students, she wasn't too surprised to see that Henry lagged behind.

"Henry...is Emma picking you up today?" she asked.

"Um...Mom told me I'm supposed to take the bus straight home. She's making me go to my appointment with Archie tonight," he muttered.

"Oh...well, the bus is going to leave without you if you don't hurry," Mary urged. Archie was a nice man, but Mary would be lying if she didn't think putting Henry in therapy was unnecessary. So he had a wild imagination. So he thought she was Snow White. It was cute...he was a child. She was positive that Regina saying he was crazy was far more damaging to him than his insistence that fairy tales were real. She didn't dare voice those opinions. Regina had only been too happy in the past to tell Mary that she had no idea what was best for Henry, because she was alone and had no children of her own. Regina loved to point that out as often as possible.

She watched the boy fidget though and started to get the feeling that his reluctance to leave had little to do with Archie.

"Henry...what's really wrong?" she asked.

"I...what if that bad man comes back and tries to hurt you again?" he blurted out. She felt her heart break at his concern.

"Oh honey...I'm going to be fine," she tried to assure him.

"I heard some of the older kids talking and they said Mr. Spencer made Sheriff Graham let him go though. How come he isn't getting punished? He did a really bad thing," Henry said.

"He did...but sometimes things aren't quite that simple. He's...he's a very rich man and though it's a hard lesson to swallow, sometimes when people have money or they are in positions of power, they can use that money or power to make their problems go away," Mary explained.

"But that's wrong," Henry said. She smiled and had to fight the urge to brush his messy brown hair away from his forehead.

"I know sweetie...life's not very fair sometimes though. It doesn't always have a happy ending. That's why I gave you the book, because happy endings start with hope," Mary explained.

"Are you going to have your happy ending with Mr. Nolan?" he asked bluntly and Mary couldn't hide the blush that colored her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip.

"Well...I really hope so. That would be wonderful I think," she admitted.

"You will, Miss Blanchard. He's your Prince Charming, I know it!" Henry insisted. She cocked her head to the side, looking at him affectionately.

"I really hope you're right, Henry. You better scoot though. I don't want you to get in trouble with your mother," she urged.

"Okay," he grumbled, as he gathered his things and she helped him put on his backpack.

"Bye Miss Blanchard," Henry called.

"Goodbye Henry," she called.

Outside the classroom, Persephone had heard the whole heartwarming exchange and she watched her great grandson go with pride in her eyes.

Adapting to this world so far hadn't been too difficult, though it helped that she had educated herself through books for the last twenty-eight years. Athena's temple was full of books from all the realms and she made it a point to know how this world worked.

Before she left, Athena had gifted her with all the necessary items one needed to integrate into this world. A new identity, a career, complete with a college degree. Being the goddess of vegetation afforded all the knowledge and then some to pass easily as a Professor of Botany. Slipping her name into the employee roster as the part time high school botany teacher had almost been too easy. It was perfect. The town wasn't that big, so the school housed kids from K-12 grades, She would be on the other side of the building from her daughter and since there were only so many teenagers in a student body that never moved or got bigger, it meant she would only have two classes a day, leaving the rest of her time free to forge a relationship with her daughter. She took a deep breath and went inside the classroom.

"Excuse me...are you Miss Blanchard?" she asked. Mary looked up to see a beautiful woman with raven colored hair, much like her own, though this woman's hair cascaded down her back in waves. She also had green eyes, behind a pair of smart looking black rimmed glasses that seemed to fit well with her pressed pantsuit.

"I...I am," she said. The woman smiled.

"I'm Stephanie Kore, the new high school botany teacher," she introduced herself.

"Oh...it's nice to meet you. I can't even remember the last time we got a new teacher," Mary said with a smile.

"It's lovely to meet you too. I am going around to the other classrooms to introduce myself. I only have a couple classes a day and so I've been looking for more students to help with the gardens I want to plant on campus. Unfortunately, none of the other teachers seem much interested in devoting precious class time to such," she said. That was a fib. Mary's class was the only one she had been to so far.

"Oh that's too bad...but I'd love to volunteer. Planting a garden sounds like a wonderful experience for my students," she said. Stephanie smiled.

"Wonderful...I'm so glad," she replied, as David peeked his head into the room.

"Oh...I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" he asked.

"Not at all. I need to get back to my classroom. I'll e-mail you and we'll figure out times," she said. Mary smiled.

"Okay, it was nice to meet you Ms. Kore," she said.

"The pleasure was mine, Miss Blanchard," she replied, as she passed David and Wilby.

"Hey…" she greeted, as he closed the distance between them and eagerly welcomed his lips on hers.

"Hi…" he said, as their lips parted.

"This is a wonderful surprise. I didn't think I'd see you until later," she mused. He smiled.

"It was my early day at the shelter so I thought I'd come surprise you," he replied, as he kissed her again.

"Mmm...this is the kind of surprise I could get used to," she said.

"Good...I was hoping that if you're ready to go, then you'd join me on a walk with Wilby. Then maybe...dinner?" he asked. She smiled and grabbed her bag.

"I'd love to," she said, as they joined hands and left with Wilby trotting along in front of them.

Henry pouted, as Regina drove up to Archie's office. She sighed and turned off the engine. He didn't need to see Archie. He wasn't crazy. Emma not only believed him, but she knew everything about the curse. And David...he had his real memories. He knew Emma said they had to be patient and very careful, but Henry was getting impatient. He just wanted the curse broken and he wanted to be with his real family, especially after Mary Margaret had almost been hurt and nothing was being done. With the curse, the villains would always win and Henry was anxious for the heroes to win.

"I'll pick you up after your appointment. Maybe we can get ice cream," Regina suggested.

"No thanks," he muttered.

"Don't mumble Henry and what's with the attitude? You love ice cream," she responded.

"Not with you," he said sourly, as he got out and started up the stairs to Archie's office. Regina sighed and then drove off.

Ten minutes later, Henry came running down the stairs, in tears, and headed for the old mining tunnels. Archie had told him he was delusional; that there was no proof to the curse. But Henry knew he was wrong. As long as the curse was active, the villains would always win and Henry needed to find something to turn the tides in the heroes' favor. He had to find something to help Emma in the mines…

Ten minutes earlier

"Henry...how are you?" Archie asked, as he let the boy into his office.

"I'm here," Henry answered, as he dropped his backpack and went to pet Pongo. Archie saw the book that was believed to be the source of Henry's problems poking out of his bag. He was well aware of what the mayor wanted him to do, but he wasn't in the business he was to crush a child's dreams. The Mayor was very clear though. If he didn't do what she wanted, she would ruin him.

"Henry...I think we need to talk about deciphering what's real and what's fiction," Archie said, easing into the conversation.

"You mean where I tell you the stories in my book are real and you tell me they're not?" Henry asked bluntly. Archie allowed himself a small smile. This was truly a bright child and he should have known better by now than to attempt subtly with him.

"Henry...you are a very smart boy and I know that you must understand why we worry about the damage these fantasies may be doing to you," Archie said.

"It's not fantasy if it's the truth! Emma and David believe me!" Henry blurted out, but then suddenly realized his error. He was supposed to say quiet about that, but he had forgotten. He had just been so happy to finally meet, not just David, but his Grandpa Charming. But it was supposed to be a secret; Emma had been very adamant about that. Spending those few moments with Charming and having that interaction had made him all the more determined for the curse to break so they could finally be a real family.

Having that confirmation from Prince Charming himself made everything all the more real. He wasn't crazy. He had been right all along. But now if his mother found out that David had his real memories too soon...or worse found who Emma really was...it could wreck everything.

"David? David Nolan?" Archie asked.

"Um...I saw him at the diner with his dog yesterday," Henry said, trying to think of a way to diffuse this conversation.

"Henry...I don't know why Emma or Mr. Nolan have chosen to indulge you, but it can be very harmful," Archie chided.

"They were just being nice! Which is more than I can say about you and my Mom!" Henry blurted out.

"Henry…" Archie started to say.

"You won't believe me, because you're cursed and it won't let you. But it's real! It's all true!" Henry pleaded.

"Henry…" Archie pleaded back.

"You're Jiminy Cricket and your best friend is Geppetto, but he goes by Marco here!" Henry implored.

"Henry stop!" Archie snapped angrily, watching the boy's eyes widen. He had never raised his voice to anyone, let alone a fragile child like Henry.

"This is all very damaging to you and believe me, I'll be having a discussion with Miss Swan and Mr. Nolan about indulging such delusions," Archie said sternly. The last word slipped out before he could stop it and he quickly saw the damage it did. The look on Henry's face was soul crushing.

"You think I'm crazy too," Henry said sadly.

"Henry…" Archie said, realizing he had done exactly what Regina wanted and crushed him belief...or so he thought.

"Fairy tales aren't real...as much as we would like for them to be," Archie said gently. But Henry stared back.

"They are real...and I'm going to prove it!" Henry announced, as he got up and rushed out of the office.

"Henry! Henry...come back!" he pleaded. He was nearly panicked now. Regina had gotten under his skin so much that he had not only hurt Henry deeply, a child he cared for so very much, but he had done exactly what Regina wanted, as cruel as it was.

He knew he should call her, the boy's legal mother first, but something inside implored him instead to dial the Sheriff's station. He had a feeling Emma was the only one that could make this better.

Mary walked along the path by the lake with her hand hooked on his elbow and he smiled over at her. It was still surreal to her at times. She had been so alone for so long and then he had quite literally swept off her feet by him. Maybe Henry was right. Maybe he was her Prince Charming. Still...in the back of her mind, she was waiting for something to go wrong. She was waiting for Regina to do something to make sure she ended up alone again.

"Hey...are you okay?" he asked. Mary looked over at him and smiled.

"I'm fine...but if I'm honest, I'm kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop," she admitted. His brow furrowed in confusion.

"I'm happy...so I'm wondering how long it can last," she said sadly. He reached over and caressed her face, causing her to look up at him.

"Mary...I promise I'll never hurt you. I'd rather die than hurt you," he said. She nodded.

"I think I know that...I do know that. I don't think it's you hurting me is what I'm worried about," she replied.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

"Is this about Damon? Because I'm not going to let him touch you again," he promised.

"I know...I think that's part of what worries me. He'll try to hurt you," she fretted.

"Hey, I promise I'll be fine," he tried to assure.

"And Regina...she's not going to let me be happy. I mean...she hates me. I have no idea why, but she hates me," she added. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"The only way Regina can keep us from being unhappy is if we let her," he insisted. She gazed at him uncertainly.

"I'm not saying it will be easy. I'm sure she's going to throw all kinds of things at us, but we don't have to let her win. I know we can overcome anything if we do it together," he said. She smiled.

"Together," she agreed, just as the ground shuddered beneath them.

"What was that?" she wondered, as he held her close and his phone rang.

"Hey Emma," he answered, but his smile quickly fell, as he listened to her explain the situation in a near panicked voice.

"Okay...we'll be right there," he said, as he hung up.

"What's happened?" Mary asked.

"It's Henry...he wandered into the mines," he said gravely. She gasped.

"But they might cave in!" she cried. He grabbed her hand and they started running.

"Come on Wilby...we're going to need you," he called, as Wilby ran alongside them.

Henry climbed through the mine tunnels with his flashlight.

"There has to be something," he mumbled, as he searched. Suddenly, he heard crunching beneath his foot. He looked down and saw that it was a piece of glass.

"I knew it," Henry said, as he carefully picked up the shard and put it in his backpack. He was about to descent further into the cavern when the ground shuddered violently beneath him and he cried out, as he slid down a slope, the ground caving in around him.

"Henry!" Emma called into the mine shaft.

"Oh God...Henry's in there?" Archie asked, as he arrived.

"Yes...I've got to go in after him," she said.

"This is my fault," Archie admitted.

"What do you mean?" Emma demanded to know.

"I didn't want to...but Regina pressured me. She wanted me to find a way to make sure Henry stopped with his delusions about fairy tales. But his belief is just so steadfast and I'm afraid I was cross with him. He ran out of my office saying he was going to prove he was right," Archie confessed. Emma looked horrified.

"He's just a kid! I'm pretty sure him believing in something is not nearly as bad as telling him he's delusional!" Emma snapped angrily. That word struck a painful chord in her. How many times had they told Emma she was delusional over the years, before she learned she had to be quiet about her dreams.

"Hey guys...get this. Emma says she sees her parents in her dreams," the boy called in amusement.

"I do see them!" a six-year-old Emma cried back.

"Really? Is that why they left you on the side of the road like trash?" he asked, as the other kids laughed.

"They didn't mean to leave me! They're trapped by a curse, but they love me!" Emma shouted. This only caused all the kids to laugh harder at her.

"Wow...you're more delusional than I thought, Swan,"

"Emma...we got here as soon as we could!" David called, snapping her out of that painful memory. She looked at him and pushed the tears that were threatening to fall back. She didn't have time for this right now. She had to save Henry.

"Henry went into the mines and they're collapsing. I have to go in after him," she said.

"Not alone. Do you have anything that belongs to Henry with you?" he asked.

"He left his scarf behind in my office," Archie offered.

"Perfect," David said, as he took the scarf and put it to Wilby's nose. He barked and took off for the entrance to the mines. They followed and David removed his jacket, handing it off to Mary.

"I'm going with you," Emma insisted. He wanted to protest, because she was his little girl. But he knew it wouldn't do any good, for it was Emma's little boy inside that mine, so he could only nod.

"What the hell is going on here?" Regina shouted, as she arrived with Graham. Emma saw red.

"This is your fault!" Emma snapped, as she got in the Mayor's face.

"What the hell are you talking about? Where is my son?" she snapped.

"He's in the mines, trying to find proof about the curse! And all because you told or probably threatened the doctor to find a way to crush his dreams!" Emma shouted.

"My son needs to learn about the difference between reality and fantasy, Miss Swan and I won't take parenting tips from the likes of you," Regina snapped.

"He's ten! He's supposed to have an imagination! You two telling him he's delusional did more damage than anything ever will!" Emma screamed. David was nearly crushed by the pain on his daughter's face. She had told him what other people thought of her when she let it slip that she could see them in her dreams. This world had been so very unkind to his baby and he hated it.

He hated all of this. He hated that they couldn't be a real family yet. He hated that the woman that had made his wife's life hell was raising their grandson. He hated this curse and it's fake memories that kept everyone under her control. He hated most of all that he was very limited in what he could do about it. Emma was the Savior and he hated that too. He just wanted her to be Emma, their daughter. This world had been nothing but cruel to her and he hated it too.

Regina surprisingly shut her mouth after Emma's short tirade, as she marched to the opening of the shaft. They both started putting on the harnesses Graham had brought and Mary looked on nervously.

"Please be careful," she pleaded. She felt nearly panicked, for she didn't know what she'd do without any of them. The three most important people in her life were about to be down in that unstable mine shaft. If something happened...well, she was somehow positive it would kill her. She'd rather die than lose this little family they had made together. If the mine swallowed them, then she was pretty sure she'd beg it to take her too.

David briefly looked up and squeezed her hand, before pressing his lips to hers in a quick, but passionate kiss, missing the pure murder in Regina's eyes.

"We will. We'll get Henry and we'll come back to you," he promised, as he carefully followed Emma down the mine shaft...

[taotrooper]

Everlasting Flower: The marketplace by the sea

Anonymous said: Can you write a little thing from the everlasting flower AU where shinha runs into Kaya please?

Anon, I don’t even know if you even follow this blog or this fic anymore, but here it is. I’m so, so sorry for taking this long to write it! Also includes some 2000yo!Kaya and Zeno moments, and Ao being adorable.

Everlasting Flower is a fanfiction AU where Kaya obtains semi-immortality. The masterlist is here.

When she turned back again, Zeno was standing next to her, flushed cheeks and palm over the left side of his chest.

"Zeno just had a heart attack," he chirped with a childish tone.

"From the shock of him getting so close?"

"Noooo, from the cuuuuuuteness!" He gripped his robes inside a fist, as if he was hurting.

"How much, mister?" she asked with a smile, pointing at the herbs.

"Three hundred rin the pack," the salesman said with a bored expression.

Kaya blinked. That sounded excessive, so she asked once more to corroborate. The middle-aged man repeated the same price, so she hadn't misheard with the sounds of the marketplace.

She gave it some consideration. Keeping up with the times was perhaps one of the most challenging problems with immortality. Languages change, attitudes change, ways of thinking change... and faster than anything, economy changes. Currencies don't always have the same worth, and supply and demand affect the value of every item. What feels excessive one day could be, perhaps, a fair value at the time. There was an era when she could have bought a whole bag for only 5 copper coins, maybe back in the first rule of the Han dynasty. They were oval coins, much cuter than the ones in use.

However, she was sure she had bought valerian at 150 rin very recently. Zeno'd gotten a meatbun with the change, hadn't he? A piece fell to the ground and a hungry stray dog tried to snatch the rest. The puppy won, as her husband happily gave it to it. In any case, yes, that wasn't the usual modern price.

"How about 200?" she chimed in.

"No haggling in my shop, baby girl. Full price or scram."

"But... if I pay 300 I won't have enough money for rice and salt, sir."

"Not my problem. Go back to your parents."

Kaya's smile slipped off. One of those stubborn guys, huh? She really needed to stock on her valerian, but their budget was tight and that was the only stand with it in stock. She wasn't going to blame the child for overcharging as she didn't know the cause. Perhaps his supplier was selling it too expensive. Perhaps it was a rare item in this city. Perhaps his family was in a pinch and he needed the money urgently. Or he could just be an ambitious jerk, but that's a dull theory.

Time to rely on the parsley.

"D-do you accept trades?"

"It depends." He scratched inside his ear with his finger. "What you've got, brat?"

Kaya rummaged in her backpack, trying to look as anxious as she could. This plan usually worked better with Zeno as a backup, so hopefully it would be fine anyway. After a minute of moving things around, she took out a satchel with a disappointed face.

"This is the most valuable thing I have on me," she murmured while she opened the satchel, and waited in silence.

"That's fucking parsley. That amount's only like 50 bucks. No deal."

"I-It's not regular parsley, sir!" she cried. "It's Tenchouan parsley!"

"Do you think I'm stupid? Never heard of it."

"It's a variety from Kai Empire, mister. You've really never heard of it? It's really famous."

"I know where Tenchou is, like everyone in Awa. It stlll looks like our parsley, though."

"Look at the leaves; the green color is lighter and they're more star-shaped."

The salesman glared at the plant.

"Okay, it looks kinda different and it even smells stronger. So what? Why do you think that makes it as valuable as valerian?"

"You see," Kaya smiled again, since she loved explaining obscure facts about flora, "Tenchouan parsley is not only appreciated for its shape, but also for its properties. It's great for cleaning your kidneys and regulating your digestion." That part was true. "Koukan parsley is also a bit good for that, but this variety is superior and highly sought by educated healers. It's rarely imported to our country so we don't know all its virtues. Royal chefs have used it for banquets in Hiryuu Castle. Some say brewing it for tea is an aphrodisiac as strong as oysters, but I don't know what that last part means?"

"That's a very detailed answer."

"That's what the peddler who sold it to us said." She bit her lip. "Sir, please! I really need the valerian."

"Hold on here, kid. Hey, Re-jil! Come over a sec."

"What?" A bearded man in his thirties from the back of the stand approached them. Kaya crossed her fingers. This guy would either help or hinder further.

"Have you heard of Tenchouan parsley?" The salesman showed him a branch.

"Yeah, man! My gramps told me about it. It's super rare and supposed to be much better than parsley."

"Is this it?"

"I've never seen it myself but I think so?"

The salesman brought Re-jil aside and they whispered some words. From the older man's expressions, she imagined he had been informed about more rumors. It seems Zeno and her must have talked to this grandfather at some point. She waited, trying to keep a concerned face.

"Well, alright. Guess we can do a deal." Kaya kept her expression while fresh blossomed branches were being packaged, not showing any relief. After all, she always felt slightly bad whenever she traded 'Tenchouan parsley' with people.

"Kaya," she heard behind her. A warm hand was over her shoulder, and she turned around to see Zeno. He held a little paper bag. "What's wrong?"

"Z-Zenooooo. I'm so sorry, I had to trade the parsley for valerian."

"The Tenchouan parsley?!" Zeno's sweet smile disappeared. "But we needed that!"

"I know, I know." Kaya covered from her eyes to her mouth with her hands. "But granny had those pains again. We ran out of medicine!"

She heard Zeno take a deep breath. Then a bang against wood.

"Listen, mister. That thing has way more worth than what you gave my fiancée. It's at least two packages of valerian, maybe three."

"Not my problem anymore. The deal is done, brat. No refunds or changes."

"I'm going to come back and buy it again from you."

"It'll be a thousand rin then."

"W-what?" She heard a pause, and then a whine. "Fine, I'll come back when I get paid on Friday. Let's go, Kaya. Don't cry, okay? Grandma's waiting."

She let out some sobs as Zeno pushed her gently far from the stand. She uncovered once Zeno let her go. He was chuckling.

"Thousand rin for regular parsley with different leaves! And the funny part is that a gullible rich guy will probably pay that much."

"I was hoping to do the trick for senjusou, but it doesn't seem that any shop carries it anymore." Kaya put the valerian inside her bag and started walking along her husband. The sea breeze brushing her dark hair felt refreshing. "Odd, huh? This is Awa."

"Well, it is hard to get in the wild. I imagine any plantation is now under control of the corrupt lord or greedier merchants than this guy. Want some chestnuts? Got them for free!"

"Nah, I'm good. Hey, Zeno! Is it okay if I go to the cape to gather some senjusou while you watch over them?"

"The one with that awful cliff?" Zeno tilted his head as he took a roasted chestnut from his bag. "I'd normally be okay with that, but this time I have to ask you not to. Last time it took me a month to find you again."

"It was two weeks, silly husband. And I was only in the water for one day at most."

"Still, I can't comb the beach and the sea for you this time. The Miss and the others might leave any time soon."

"You're the last dragon, though. They'll come to you."

"Not while I'm hiding like Ryokuryuu." Zeno munched. Kaya wondered what else the poor princess had to do to win Zeno's approval, but he was right: he had to remain close and she could get the herbs in another place and another time. He swallowed and lowered his voice. "Besides, this town makes me uneasy. You should remain next to me, just in case."

"Uneasy? It looks like any port city to me."

"You haven't noticed?"

"Notice what?" Kaya shrugged.

"Oh well. Just don't wander off alone, okay?"

Since Zeno had a good nose for danger and darkness, Kaya decided to trust him. She grabbed his arm and cuddled against him, to his delight. It was better to spend this precious time together until it was the moment to serve Yona after all. She had no doubt it would happen soon despite his indecision.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched sound in front of them.

"Pukyuu!"

They both looked around and then below, blinking several times. It was a squirrel, and not any squirrel.

"It's Seiryuu's friend!" Zeno said. He smiled wide and crouched down.

"It must be lost. Oh gosh, it's cuter from up close! Super cute!"

"Hey there! Want some chestnuts?"

Zeno offered one and the animal immediately took it. They watched, mesmerized by the puffy full cheeks and the tiny teeth biting. Once she devoured it, the squirrel jumped and climbed  up his arm, reaching for the rest.

"How cheeky," he grinned. The squirrel had managed to jump inside the bag, only her legs and tail sticking out.

"How clever!" Kaya cooed and petted the furry back. "Not scared of humans at all."

"Yeah, this little miss is so frien— Ah!" Zeno froze, his eyes reacting. Then without a warning, he pushed the bag, rodent included, into Kaya's hands as he trotted away to other stands. So much for staying close in a dangerous town!

Before she went to him, she glanced at the opposite direction. A figure taller than her was looking around with a fretted expression. Or so she thought, since a white fur and a mask covered most of his head. Seiryuu.

"Your ride is here," Kaya whispered to the squirrel. She walked to the boy and touched his shoulder. "Excuse me. Are you looking for this?" She held the bag up. The squirrel's head popped out, cheerful.

"Ao!"

The squirrel jumped up to his shoulder, piece of chestnut between her incisors. The young man's muscles relaxed. He mumbled an attempt of apology and took a bow toward Kaya.

"It's alright! I love animals and she's cute, so I don't mind."

The boy —recently named Shin-ah, Kaya remembered— nodded and turned around. He had taken two steps away when she reacted.

"Oh! Wait!"

Shin-ah stopped and came back. What now? She had called him out of a whim, really wanting to talk to him. They had been walking behind those children for so long! Kaya had other things to do so she wouldn't go to the group when the time would come. Zeno already knew about her decision and had reluctantly accepted the temporary separation. This moment with Seiryuu was her only chance to interact with either of them for a while.

But she was a stranger and he was too shy. Just striking a conversation... she had to be careful not to blow their cover. She smiled kindly, with genuine joy.

"You don't seem to be from around here. Is this your first time in a big marketplace?"

He nodded.

"I remember my first time! Everything was new and exciting, and the crowd was kinda overwhelming, but it was a special memory. Just like the sunshine making the sea sparkly." He just stared while she spoke. Kaya blushed, knowing there were piercing eyes behind. "Someone was really nice and bought me a present back then. So here, you should have something for free to remember today!"

She took his hand and put the bag between his fingers. His mouth opened in surprise. He didn't smile and Kaya couldn't see the look on his face, but she could sense the rising happiness regardless. It took him a couple of seconds to speak again.

"...Thank you." He held the gift with his two hands, like a treasure.

"No problem!" Kaya beamed. The salty breeze shuffled her short hair. "Share them with your friend and your family, okay?"

Shin-ah nodded furiously and bowed once more before running off. She waved goodbye, although not sure if he could see her. When she turned back again, Zeno was standing next to her, flushed cheeks and palm over the left side of his chest.

"Zeno just had a heart attack," he chirped with a childish tone.

"From the shock of him getting so close?"

"Noooo, from the cuuuuuuteness!" He gripped his robes inside a fist, as if he was hurting.

"He was really cute, yeah!"

"You both were really cute!" he corrected and raised his arms. "Cute!"

"Cute, cute!" she followed.

"Although he was just as cute when I first saw him," he said. "I'm glad."

Kaya hadn't gone with him to that trip sixteen years ago, but she had heard his recollections on the three little dragons constantly. She hadn't thought about that story when she gave him the chestnuts, but perhaps her subconscious had acted out. In any case, she was pleased with her gut feeling.

"Alright then!" Zeno grabbed Kaya's hand. "Seiryuu has met with the others now. Let's move on carefully before we miss them."

"Let's!"

In the end, she was glad she wasn't gathering expensive medicinal herbs by the cliffs. There were other places to buy senjusou, in other cities. But she had made a happy memory for a lonely boy who was already family, and she was thankful for the opportunity.

She heard the seagulls' cries from afar. She was certain Zeno would make a great big brother one day. And hopefully in the future, she could be that kid's big sister as well.

[wanderingourway]

reminders from the rain / a reflection of thailand

“Khobkuhn-ka!” I pleasantly spoke to the bus driver, thanking him as he took our bags and we boarded the bus. It was a tropical and arid early April day in Krabi, Thailand. My partner, Mitchell, and I were headed north to Bangkok on a fifteen-hour overnight bus trip. The sultry air undoubtedly made everyone scarcely more irritable than they should be when in such a stunning country to vacation. Sand was sticking to nearly every exposed part of my body, and my hair was knotted and crusty from the boat ride in. We couldn't resist going for one last swim in the ocean, for we knew we would not see it again anytime soon once we returned to America.

We had left America in the previous September, fleeing from the confinements of everyday life and society. We wanted freedom, and in those seven months we experienced more freedom then we knew what to do with. Life was grand; we had traveled to the other side of the world and seen the most awe-inspiring sights that we would have never imagined at home. We lived near the ocean, ate strange food with names we couldn't pronounce, slept in huts on the beach, and saw spiders larger than our hands.

At this point in time, we still had another two weeks remaining in Thailand before our visas expired. We settled into the bus, getting comfortable and making small talk with our fellow passengers. Like us, they had this wild look in their eyes from knowing freedom so intimately. There was nothing mundane about this bunch, we were carefree and knew not of the plague of worries that would await us the following morning.

Our bus departed for the long journey and the majority of us slept on and off. The bus made a surprising amount of stops along the way, and not for the passengers but for the driver's amusement and what seemed like a handful of errands. I could tell that some people were getting agitated after they noticed that the bus had stopped for the fourth time. Imagining the waves and my pineapple cocktail, I drifted back to sleep hoping that the morning would come sooner. Every time I woke up, I would look across the bus at Mitchell clenching our backpack, which housed everything of critical value such as our passports, wallets, visas, computer, chargers, and phones. He slept with the bag between his legs and touching his chest, ensuring that no one could get inside to take our most precious items. The rest of our belongings were placed in bags in the storage cabin below the bus. We had heard stories of travelers being robbed or pickpocketed in Thailand from a few different associates we came across while in New Zealand. We didn’t want to take any chances.

I still couldn't shake the sense that something was awry, so I continually woke up again and again until I saw the first sign of light early in the morning. The road became less like a roller coaster and more like a freeway as we neared the endless concrete jungle that is Bangkok. The buildings towered over the seemingly diminutive bus as we drove through the streets.

I woke up suddenly as the bus slammed to a stop and the driver began shouting with haste in Thai, ushering about half of us off for the first stop. We groggily got our belongings together and made our way to the sidewalk. The driver threw our bags in a big pile on the ground. His impatience alone should have been an indicator of his foul plan. But it was too late, and as he locked the bus door someone shouted:

“Wait! Stop the bus! He robbed us!” and the small sea of faces instantly went dark. As the bus began to screech off, I looked over to see Mitchell fighting for our backpack. A strap had been closed in the bus door, and he fought with all his might to keep a hold on the bag. Suddenly, the strap came loose and he fell with a harsh thud to the dirty concrete as the bus disappeared into the unending flow of morning rush hour. He victoriously raised the bag, still in one piece with our valuables guarded within. We looked around to see that everyone had been robbed, each bag torn apart and looted for valuables. A pit grew in my stomach, knowing that I had ignored my instincts from before. Nearly everyone looked devastated, some had even lost all of their money and passports. Despair hung over our group, as the city was slowly coming to life under a pink cloudy sky. I began to look through my bag to determine what went missing, but to my delight, the thief had been unable to open the locks on my bag. Mitchell was not so lucky. His bag had been raided and he was missing various trinkets he had purchased for his family, a watch, a relatively small amount of cash, some clothing, and... a shoe?

“Why would he only take one of my damn shoes?” he asked, flustered. “Sandles are not going to be ideal for where we are headed next, it looks like we will have to do some shopping before our flight tomorrow.” I nodded in agreement, dazed and still trying to piece together all the lunacy that occurred in the last ten minutes alone. The temperature began to rise and sweat slowly beaded on the back of my neck.

I felt terrible and sorry for those who had been on the bus with us, especially those who lost their documents and wallets. I imagined that this feat would now take up a large chunk of their time here, as they scramble to recover their missing documents. Trying to orient myself, I realized that we were dropped in a random part of town, far from our hotel. Someone from our bus came up and offered to split a cab, a wonderful idea considering the circumstances. Our new extension, Nico, was from Mexico City and had been in Thailand for a while. The incident that had occurred didn’t seem to phase him so much. We hailed a cab and the three of us squeezed into the airconditioned back.

Our cab driver spoke with broken English and a smile. He told us crazy stories of other people who he had driven around that were robbed in other fashions, some much more dangerous, and others, much more idiotic. We all laughed, forgetting the empathy we could share with those on the butt end of the tale. Even after this rapid escalation of events, the four of us rode through the city grinning.

“You, girl, I am going to give you Thai name,” I was intrigued, and ready to take part in the driver’s game.

“Okay, what are you thinking?” I asked.

He said two words in Thai and told me to choose one. The second word sounded like “fun” a little bit, so I went with the second option.

“Ahh, yes nice choice, miss. Fon.” I repeated the word back to him a few times until he was pleased with my pronunciation.

“What does it mean?” I asked curiously.

“I believe you say it... rain,” he replied, slightly unsure of his pronunciation. Rain. The thought comforted me.

Mitchell and I were the first to reach our destination, and our new friends dropped us off at the hotel. We unpacked our bags, exchanged contact information with the gentleman from Mexico City, and said our goodbyes.

“Sawatdii-khap, Fon!” the driver enthusiastically said before heading off to the next destination.

Fatigue was hitting us both like a wall as we walked into the porcelain tile hotel. Our room was far from ready, as it was not yet 5 AM in Bangkok. We reluctantly left our bags at the hotel desk and went out in search of breakfast. As we walked down the dusty streets, we found a moment of peace as we realized that the city had never been this quiet. With no particular destination in mind, we turned left off of the soi (street) and onto the main road. Within a several blocks later, we almost couldn't believe our eyes as Mitchell’s uncle was walking towards us.

“Kevin!” we shouted as we neared him. It was 5 AM in Bangkok, a city with over eight million residents, and we just so happened to walk right into the one person we knew. Life is sometimes funny in this way. He had been out for his morning walk and was sweating profusely as the heat crept into every corner of the city. We asked him where we could find American style breakfast, eager for some pancakes after two weeks of noodles and fish for “breakfast”. He gave us directions and said he would meet us there shortly after he washed up. The diner was like a small hall, with a bar in the middle and a few tables around the walls. Pictures of vintage American cars, Elvis, and baseball players hung on the walls. The familiar scent of bacon pleased our senses as we melted into the bar stools. Our food came out right when Kevin arrived, and told him our recollection of the last seventeen or so hours between gulps of orange juice and shoveled bites of pancakes. Kevin has been living in Bangkok for over ten years and was surprised by the craft of the bus driver and also proud of us for keeping our valuables on us.

I still look back on this morning and recall it with tender fondness, for we learned some compelling life lessons. Our preparedness, awareness of surroundings, and gut instinct kept us secure in a foreign country. We were on the safe and lucky side in comparison to some of the other passengers who were on the bus with us in this unfortunate scenario. As young travelers, this lesson comes to all, some harder than others. Today, the rain follows me with this reminder to laugh it off and to let go. We learned significant life skills in Thailand and much about the world around us, chiefly how lucky we are to have grown up in America. We knew to stay thankful and to appreciate the fact that things could potentially be much worse. Even when things are bad, your mentality can set you free and create a new perspective. Throughout all the craziness, Mitchell and I knew to keep our heads high and to count our blessings, not our losses. I suppose that the greatest lesson that comes out of this is just a reminder to smile and to be thankful for all you’ve got, and not to worry about all that is lost (or stolen). Sometimes life is all about taking a minute to dance in the rain.