#he’d probably be simultaneously so SCARED of being separated from his family and accidentally losing himself…

[turtleblogatlast]

[ cw: trauma / ptsd / violence / brainwashing / ]

I’m not done talking about Raph and Leo yet because you know what kills me? How the beginning of the movie with Raph very angry at Leo to the point of lashing out at him is paralleled with how the end of the movie has the Krang very, very angry at Leo and beating him horrifically.

Both Raph and the Krang are so much bigger than Leo, both have been very angry with him, and both deem him responsible for ruining their respective missions.

To make matters worse, Raph’s body was used to hurt Leo. So it’d make sense for Leo to just…flinch, sometimes. To have his body reflectively brace for a blow that will not come because Raph would see this and just be horrified. Their fights, their roughhousing, their existing together all have a newfound and unwanted extra layer to them.

And Raph? Raph is traumatized enough having been brainwashed the way he was, turned into a monster in a way he always dreads in general. To be made into the antithesis of a hero and instead be a villain’s pawn, made to hurt his own family…poor kid, to say the least.

Can’t imagine what it must feel like, the first time post invasion that Raph gets mad at Leo and they fall into their old dynamic only for Leo to see the Krang and for Raph to feel like he is the Krang.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Forty-Four: Do Not Tell ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Of Monsters and Men ] [ AO3 Link ]

...she really needs to stop running into this guy! What, is he following her? Stalking her? Keeping tabs on her? Because...to be fair, she ran into some other trouble first.

Though Hinata’s had some close encounters with the other side, as her mother called it, it’s only gotten worse as of late. While she’d see things other humans just...didn’t seem to see, she never reacted to it. Or, she tried not to. It would only draw attention to herself, after all. And that might have gotten her killed.

But now she’s gone and done it. Landing herself into trouble, and then ending up bailed out by none other but one of the most infamous of monster kind: a vampire. And not just a vampire, but one tasked with keeping their kinds - Nightwalkers, as they call themselves - safe from encroaching and curious humans.

Then she’d gone and accidentally used magic on him. Something she’d, admittedly, never done before. She’d never had a chance. Her encounters with monsters had never been so severe as to need it. And before she’d had an opportunity to use it on her actual aggressor, the Enforcer had shown up. As per his laws, the mandates as they call them, he’d tried to drug her, get her to forget...but she’d stopped him. And simultaneously freaked him the hell out, because her kind is to monsters as monsters are to humans: myth.

Hinata is one of few that’s a strange...in-between. Monsters call humans Daywalkers. And they took their own title as Nightwalkers: trapped in mankind’s shadow as they get to enjoy the sun. But she, and others like her, have another name: Hinata is a Twilightwalker. She’s one that exists between the two planes. Not a monster, but not really a human, either.

Because Hyūga Hinata is a witch.

Her mother had been one too...when she was alive. Typically a talent passed only from mother to daughter, magic - as many call it - traveled from Hanako’s veins to Hinata’s.

Once, long ago, the Hyūga had been regarded as powerful miko - shamans who would speak to the gods. It was rumored that they could see the future. But then the miko were ousted, their temples robbed, and their reputations tarnished, forbidden from their arts.

But better than being burned, as many of their western sisters were.

Since then, their bloodline - once tracked and carefully tended - has spread, and thinned. Those with the talent are rare. Hanako had professed to having only partial ability. She would get the occasional headache that would predate a blurred, vague vision. But her skill in foreseeing what was to come was only part of her gift.

Nightwalkers can manipulate what lies within. It’s what gives them their ability to Shift, to change. But witches? Twilightwalkers? They grasp at what lies outside. Elements, usually. But also other beings. Namely Nightwalkers. The old folktales of witches and their familiars were...dumbed down. Glorified. While some monsters would forge contracts and do so willingly...that was rare. Most witches that ordered an inhuman creature did so by force.

And that was exactly how Hinata escaped her memory being fogged.

The vampire - she didn’t even get his name - had been clearly rattled. It had been quite some time since witches - or, in Japan’s mythology, miko - had been anything more than legend to anyone. To him, it was like a human catching sight of him draining another person’s neck. Witchcraft, magic...was just as terrifying and startling to see. Because losing one’s freedom to the will of another is, indeed, a frightening thing.

But he’d let her go, despite being the equivalent of a policeman in his world. She’d broken a law, in technicality: humans aren’t allowed to observe their kinds. But, she supposes she’s not exactly human. Whether or not the mandates were written with her people in mind, Hinata isn’t sure.

It’s been three weeks since that encounter in the alley. The bruises had brought alarm from her roommates at university. She’d told them she’d been mugged, but saved by a policeman. Not...technically a lie. But not the whole truth, either. The more they’d begged for details, the more nervous she’d gotten. Keeping what she knows secret isn’t easy when you’re surrounded by humans most waking moments.

Thankfully the marks faded quickly, and with them, most of the rumors and discussion. She’s been far more careful about her time out and about after dark since then. In fact, it’s practically nonexistent now.

But something always comes up, it seems.

A night out with friends to see a movie after a series of exams has run rather late. And yes, they’re traveling as a pack. But Fate, it seems, just has it out for her.

A crowded station means plenty of bodies. And given Hinata’s short stature and lack of forward action, she gets separated, unnoticed in her absence due to her typically-quiet nature.

When the train pulls away, she’s the only one not on it.

Panic.

True, she can wait for the next one. But now she’s alone, surrounded by strangers. Surely no Nightwalkers will try anything here. It’s too visible, unlike a dark alley. But that doesn’t stop her mind from conjuring horror stories.

“Hey.”

Nearly jumping out of her skin, Hinata barely restrains a screech as a hand finds her shoulder, spinning her around to reveal wide, pale eyes. And what do they meet but a familiar pair of dark irises that look to her cautiously.

It’s him…!

He lifts a finger to his lips. “I saw what happened. If you’d like, I can give you a ride.”

Mind reeling, she automatically retorts, “W-why, so you can try to knock me out again?”

“That’s when I thought you were a Daywalker and a liability. Now I know better.”

“...why do you want to help me?”

“Because you’re the first like you I’ve met, and that makes you valuable.”

Hinata’s nose wrinkles. “...what is that supposed to mean?”

“Look, we can stand here and half-shout at each other in a crowded train station and risk being overheard, or I can start driving you back to your dorm, and you can ask whatever you want in the quiet. Okay?”

She eyes him for a moment, weighing her options. At the very least, she knows she has at least some sway over him. If things get bad, maybe she can order him to stop the car so she can make a run for it. And given that things only seem to be piling up...maybe it’s a good idea to talk to someone who might know more, and be able to tell her what on earth is going on. “...okay.”

He nods, and then leads their way back out to the streets. A sleek black car lets them in, engine purring to life.

“...what’s your name?”

“Uchiha Sasuke,” he replies without hesitation, checking his mirrors to pull out into traffic. “I’m a vampire, as you...probably already guessed.”

“And you’re...an Enforcer? Is that what you called it?”

“Mhm. Think of it like...special police for Nightwalkers.” A glance to her. “...monsters. Vampires, werewolves, harpies...that sort of thing. The man who attacked you was also a vampire. He broke a very strict law, so...I had no choice but to take him down. I thought you were human, and that he’d revealed himself to one. There’s few bigger crimes than that.”

Hinata goes quiet, thinking that over. “...I’m -”

“Hyūga Hinata. I already know. I...did a little digging after I met you. Trying to figure out more about you, and...what you are.”

A suspicious glance is thrown his way. “...and w-what did you find?”

“Not much. You’re an average student, come from an average family. Father, younger sister, deceased mother.” He pauses. “...was she like you?”

“...yes. But not very strong. I...I’d never done that before I met you. I’d never needed to…”

“You caught me by surprise, but still...your power is impressive. Not many are around who know - let alone believe - that those like you exist. I...wasn’t expecting it.”

Realizing her actions likely wounded his pride, Hinata can’t help a hint of a smile. “...I didn’t hurt you.”

“No. And I didn’t hurt you. We just...startled each other.”

“...mhm.” For a moment, she stares out the window. “...so...am I in any trouble…?”

“...not directly. The relationship between Nightwalkers and...your kind has been off and on in the past. But after the shifts in history that scattered us both, any traces of it - good or bad - have been pretty much wiped out. Most of our kinds don’t even believe yours exists. It probably goes without saying, but…” He gives her a pointed look, and Hinata pauses as she finds not black eyes, but crimson. “You do. Not. Tell. Anyone...about what you know about us.”

“O-of course not! Everyone would think I was lying, o-or deranged if I started talking about m-monsters, anyway.”

“I know. But our existence is still precarious. I can’t afford to let anything slip. You’re a stranger - I can’t just trust you...but I guess I don’t have much choice. In return...know I’ll do what I can to help keep you safe. Despite popular belief, we protect humans, too. It’s a balance that has to go both ways. Just...try to stay out of trouble, if you can help it.”

“Believe me, I try. It just...has its ways of finding me.”

“That’s probably because of what you are. There’s not a lot of information left on your kind, but...I get that impression from what little I’ve found. Just be careful. I’ll try to handle the rest.”

It’s then they pull up to the university grounds, Hinata directing them to the proper building. Moving to get out of the car, there’s a pause as he takes her wrist. “...what?”

“...you probably already know this, given what happened to you. But there are dangerous Nightwalkers out there. Most are just as scared of humans as you are of them. They don’t want to be seen. But some...well, they don’t really mind. So if you suspect someone’s...like me, just avoid them. It’s safer that way - for you both. They’re not all as honorable as those of us who serve the Senators.”

Senators…? Before she can ask, Sasuke relinquishes his grip, and she takes that as a sign to leave. “I’ll...keep that in mind.”

He nods. “...be safe out there.”

Hugging herself against the night chill, Hinata watches him go before heading inside. It looks like the others aren’t back yet...she might as well wait.

And start thinking up another alibi.

     Welp, so much for my 'upload before midnight' streak, but...today was kinda long, and a lil stressful. But hey, done is done!      Another Nightwalkers piece! This one a sequel to Day Thirty-Five! Both Hinata and Sasuke have a lot to learn about each other, and what they are. But at least they have a kind of truce...for now. But that might depend on if anyone else discovers Hinata's secret :3c      Anywhoozle, that's all for tonight - thanks for stopping by! And I'll see ya tomorrow, as always~