#honestly just so obsessed with him even though he suck really bad at throwing bread into a toaster 🩷

[jinikaris]

HYUNJIN // skz code ep.62 neighborhood watch #2

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Who is more powerful Bella or Renesmee? They both managed to manipulate the situation in their favor from what I realized, things like Bella surviving Edward, becoming protected by the Cullens, forming a friendship with the wolves, overcoming Victoria's army with the allies and becoming a vampire, while Renesmee probably he used hers present to ensure his own survival. Both are powerful, but who is more and why?

I feel like I just got asked Bear vs. Shark: Who Would Win?

Well, I’ll do my best.

Clarification on Bella’s Gift

First, all of what you list isn’t what I think Bella’s power does. Bella is extremely powerful, but she does not seem able to actively manipulate reality or even the feelings of others.

Why do I think this? If Bella had power on that scale her life would have gone very differently.

Edward’s obsession is actively bad for Bella’s health, it’s very up in the air throughout the entire series whether or not he’s going to eat her. As it is, even without eating her, he puts her in dire peril many times over and it’s very touch and go even in “Breaking Dawn” whether he’ll turn her into a vampire (thus following a direct order from the Volturi and saving Bella’s, his own, and his coven’s life) or not.

While the Cullens do protect her, they also do things like abandon her in New Moon, unintentionally leaving her to the mercy of Laurent and Victoria. Had the wolves not existed or had it still only been Sam, Bella would be in Laurent’s belly. I’m not saying the Cullens knew this would happen or had an imperative to stick around (as it is this was Bella’s only chance of getting out of becoming a vampire) but it does not point to them protecting her above all else.

The wolves are sacred warriors and protectors of their land. They consider Forks under their protection. Not all the wolves are enamored by Bella, notably Leah, but they protect her all the same as they are honor bound to do so. It really had very little to do with Bella as a person.

Bella did nothing to overcome Victoria’s army. She stabbed herself because she heard it in a story, Victoria gave her a weird look, then Edward spewed hot gossip until Victoria killed herself. The army itself was defeated by the wolves and the rest of the Cullens, who were in part able to do so because Riley and Victoria had no idea what the fuck they were doing,  created an untrained army too large and too young, and it all went to hell as soon as they were on the battlefield.

Bella’s becoming a vampire was extremely hard won. Edward dutifully avoids that possibility at every angle.

First, Alice up front tells him that either Bella will become a vampire or she’ll die (and by die Alice means most likely Edward will eat her). Edward says, “No, Alice is wrong!” and plans out this meticulous, ridiculous, fantasy in which he’ll bask in Bella’s presence but inevitably leave her to live a normal human life. He then also fantasizes about murdering her future human husband in graphic detail, but never mind that.

Then we get James, Alice tells Edward that the surefire way she knows to get James to back off is to turn Bella. He’ll get bored and leave. Edward refuses in horror, likely condemning Bella’s entire family to death (if Bella hadn’t rushed to James, then James very likely would have taken Renee then Charlie hostage). As it is, Bella nearly dies, is nearly turned into a vampire then and there, but Edward sucks the venom out. He almost kills her, but thank god, she’s not a vampire.

Then Edward gets to leave in New Moon, as we all know, that doesn’t work out.

Bella then tries to get Alice to turn her, Alice makes a tentative offer but doesn’t have the control required. Aro nearly turns Bella, but chooses to be nice to Carlisle but notes that Bella’s time on this Earth as a human is now extremely limited. Carlisle lays down the law and says he’s turning Bella, Edward throws a fit in the other room. He still refuses to turn Bella into a vampire.

In Breaking Dawn, he begins the novel either delusionally believing that Bella remaining human is totally fine and the Volturi (who have clearly been keeping close tabs on Bella, we see this with the wedding, and Jane saw human Bella not a few months earlier and implied they’d be coming back shortly) will never notice (nineteen, forty, what’s the difference?) or else is gaslighting Bella into thinking she has a future as a human. 

Neither option is good, and Bella nearly does agree to college, she’s tempted on the honeymoon.

Then of course, Bella gets pregnant with Rosemary’s Baby and the issue is forced. Even then, Bella very nearly doesn’t survive and Edward... well, had he not been the only one in the room, he probably would have let Carlisle do it. As it is, a part of him I’m sure was very much holding out for Bella’s humanity. That he was discussing Bella surviving her pregnancy, even if he and Jake forced the abortion, with Jake is very telling.

Point being, Bella becoming a vampire was not at all a surefire thing and not influenced by a gift. If it was, she probably would have been turned in the James incident.

And wow, that got long.

What do I think Bella’s power can do? It can shield her from other, mental, vampiric abilities and there’s some aspect of precognition. It’s still very very powerful, but not quite reality warping.

A Note on Renesmee

As clarification, I think Renesmee’s gift is more than showing people pretty pictures.

Renesmee vs. Bella

Well, in a sense both of their gifts ensure they’ll never fight.

They’re all about defense, rather than offense, Renesmee especially. Renesmee’s gift is such that people want to a) protect her and b) fight for her when necessary.

Presumably, were Bella to wish to harm Renesmee, Renesmee’s gift would say “Unthink that thought” and then Bella would think Renesmee’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.

This is essentially what happens with Edward, Jacob, and perhaps Bella (who despite never wanting children and having the world’s most terrifying pregnancy does not choose to abort). 

As for Renesmee, I believe she has a deep and near unconditional love for her mother. From Renesmee’s perspective, Bella is the only one to unconditionally love and protect her. Yes, there’s Rosalie and Esme, but Renesmee doesn’t meet them until she’s born and Rosalie projects the human child she never had onto Renesmee. I imagine Renesmee, who is decidedly not human, picks up on that. More, Esme and Rosalie don’t face the same trials that Bella does. Renesmee puts Bella through hell, unwillingly, and knows that she’s hurting her mother in the womb. Bella loves and protects her anyway, risking losing everyone and everything she loves in her life, and I imagine Renesmee has never forgotten that.

Even when Bella abandons her to go have tepid sex in a cabin with Edward. 

So it’s hard for me to ever picture a Renesmee vs. Bella fight, because I just can’t come up with a scenario where Renesmee would ever want to harm Bella. I mean, Bella too, but honestly I think Renesmee loves her mother more than Bella loves Renesmee. Renesmee’s nice and all, but while the latter half of Breaking Dawn focuses on her, it’s also about Bella prancing around being an amazing vampire.

But I guess if they ever did fight...

I really want to cop out and say I don’t know because Bella’s power is so damn unpredictable. If Bella’s under direct threat from Renesmee, who knows what the hell will even happen. 

However, if you’re going to make me choose I say Renesmee is the winner. Her gift might make it such that, if they must fight, then Bella will become convinced that she must sacrifice herself for Renesmee’s survival. Given this is Bella, this is hardly out of line with her usual thinking. 

As it is though, I think both their gifts would just make the fight not happen in the first place.

[therainroguefanfiction]

⁂ In WAR✘ and LOVE ♥ (Alfred Jones/America) Perfect

📑 Table of Contents

Genre: Slice of Life, Office AU, Fluff

Word Count: 1,752

Pairing: Reader x America

World: Axis Powers Hetalia

Author’s Note: I’m not sure if this went quite the way I was hoping lol but I hope you enjoy it!

☂ R a i n d r o p from [@karenusia​] ➧��� “Hi! Can I ask for America with “Love isn’t about finding the perfect person, it’s about seeing an imperfect person perfectly ” from the In War and Love prompt list?”

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In this world, many people spend their whole lives chasing after this perceived notion of perfection, whether that’s in their own life or with their partner. They’ve wasted decades of their life trying to achieve something that simply does not exist. You’ve witnessed this so many times in your life, but people refused to listen to you when you attempted to explain how dangerous such thinking could be.

Perfection means having no flaws, being the very best at everything you do, which leaves no room for growth. And what kind of life would that be if you don’t make mistakes and learn from them? That is what it means to live as a human being – learning, making mistakes, and growing.

Unfortunately for you, your best friend and co-worker, Skye, was obsessed with being the best and finding the perfect partner. When things didn’t go her way or she got too overwhelmed, she would vent to you and, being the good friend that you are, you patiently listened to her cries, doing your best to comfort her. More than anything, though, she was jealous of you because, in her eyes, you had the perfect man in your life.

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Lunchtime had arrived, but you were still planted at your desk, sorting through a stack of reports that needed to be completed before noon the next day. With your attention focused solely on the computer screen, you didn’t notice your boyfriend stepping off of the elevator, a picnic basket in hand. Skye, who had just stepped out of the bathroom down the hall, rushed over the second she saw him, a flirty smile upon her lips.

“Hello, Alfie!” Her eyes scanned the blue suit he wore, clinging to his strong frame. “How have you been?”

The blonde grinned brightly. “Heya, Skye! I’ve been awesome, what about you?”

“Actually,” she frowned, her bottom lip jutting out a bit. “I’ve been feeling quite lonely and sad lately. I just wish I had someone by my side, you know?”

“Man, that sucks.” He mimicked her frown before an idea struck him, blue eyes shimmering brightly. “Oh, I know what’ll help!” His fingers curled around her wrist before tugging her over to your desk. “Babe!”

You glanced up at him, smiling softly at your boyfriend. “Hey, darling. What are you doing here?”

He lifted the hand that held the basket, grin tugging at his lips. “Let’s have a picnic on the roof!”

“That sounds lovely,” you clapped your hands, glancing back at your work. “Just let me finish this report, okay? I’m almost done.”

“Sure! Oh, by the way, babe, can Skye join us?”

Skye’s eyes snapped over to you, expecting to see disappointment on your face, but you only sent her a genuine smile, not the least bit bothered by her intrusion on what could have been a romantic date between you and the blonde. For some reason she couldn’t understand, that really frustrated her.

“We’ll go get it set up for you!” Alfred pecked your cheek before tugging the woman toward the elevator.

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Nearly ten minutes passed before you completed the report, stretching your arms above your head as you stood up, quickly signing out for lunch. The elevator only went to the eighteenth floor and from there, you had to take a single flight of stairs to reach the roof. When you pushed open the door, you were greeted with a cool breeze that ruffled your clothes and the sun napping behind a fluffy cloud. Skye and Alfred were sitting at the end of the roof upon a white and red checkered blanket, the basket sitting in the center.

Skye, who sat facing the direction of the door, noticed your approach and suddenly laughed exaggeratedly, her fingers curling around his bicep. “That’s such an interesting story, Alfie! Won’t you tell me more?”

You sat down across from them and Alfred sent you a loving grin, angling his body so he could start unpacking the food. He then continued his story, glancing at her every moment or so to make sure she was paying attention, to which she nodded frantically. While she hung onto his every word, she kept finding herself glancing at you, hoping to find jealousy within your eyes, but you weren’t even paying attention to them, having heard the tale hundreds of times since first meeting the blonde.

You carefully peeled back the plastic wrap that covered the cheeseburger, taking a bite and savoring the wonderful flavor. Alfred was honestly a shit cook but, for some reason unknown to you, his burgers always came out tasting immaculate. It was the strangest thing, but it was part of what made him so incredible.

Skye followed your example, taking a dainty bite because she didn’t like hamburger meat, but her eyes lit up in surprise. “Wow, this food is wonderful!”

Alfred grinned proudly at the comment, swallowing down the burger before speaking. “Thanks, bro! It’s my own personal recipe.”

“Oh, really?” She looked up at him through her lashes. “Can you teach me how you do it?”

“No can do.” He shook his head, blonde locks shifting from the movement. “Y/N is the only one that knows my secret!”

Her smile faltered at that. “Right, that makes sense.”

“It’s a really strange recipe, too,” you commented, glancing at your boyfriend. “To be honest, I think he’s the only one that could make such a thing work.”

“What do you mean, ‘strange’?” He pouted at you, tossing a piece of bread your way, but you laughed, easily dodging the small bread ball. “It’s brilliant!”

“I’m sure it is, Alfie,” Skye encouraged, leaning closer so that she could rest her hand on his knee. “You’re a really incredible man. Y/N is so lucky to have such a perfect person in their life.”

You snorted at that, nearly dropping the cheeseburger. “Alfred is far from perfect, Skye.”

Her eyes narrowed at you, a scowl upon her lips. “You only say that because you have him already! You don’t even realize how lucky you are and it’s not fair. The perfect man is sitting right in front of you but you don’t even care. I know you’re not stupid, yet you don’t even react when I flirt with him right in front of you! Does it not matter if you lose him?”

You considered her words for a moment, setting the half-eaten burger onto a paper towel. “You’re right, to a degree.”

“What?”

“I do feel quite lucky that Alfred chose to be with me, but I can say he’s not perfect because I have him. I get to see the most intimate parts of himself, his flaws and his mistakes. I get to see what makes him human like when he tries to cook anything that’s not a burger or fries, he always burns them to a crisp. Or how when he has an idea, he refuses to give up on it no matter how many times he fails and, believe me, he fails a lot. And yes, I do know that you’re flirting with him. I’ve known since day one, but I also that, for all of his imperfections, Alfred is not a cheater. So long as we remain in a relationship, I know he won’t touch another person.”

“You’re so full of it, my god.” She huffed, folding her arms over her chest. “You’ll say anything to disregard the notion of perfection, but I think you’re just jealous.

“You’re wrong,” Alfred stated with a serious expression upon his face. This surprised her because she had rarely ever seen him without some degree of a smile. “Perfection was created by humans who listed after the power that they believed a god possessed. It isn’t real, bro.” And then he stood up, stepping over the basket so that he could settle down beside you. “If I would have realized that you were hitting on me, I would’ve put a stop to it instantly!”

An incredulous look came to her face. “Are you kidding me? You were flirting back!”

“Not a chance, broski.” His nose wrinkled as if smelling something foul, his hand reaching out to find your own. “I’m the hero of this story, and heroes don’t cheat! I just thought you were being nice!”

You sent her a look. “If he were truly the perfect man, don’t you think he would have been able to tell that you were flirting? Alfred is completely oblivious to such things.”

Skye didn’t know how to feel. It was as if everything she believed in was dissolving before her very eyes. Could it be… were the two of you right all along?

“You should leave,” Alfred told her before snuggling closer to you.

Without a word, the woman stood up and started toward the door, her shoulders slumped. Feeling bad, you jumped up, calling out her name. She paused, but didn’t turn around.

A moment of silence passed between the two of you and you chewed on your lip, trying to find the right words. “Love isn’t about finding the perfect person, it’s about seeing an imperfect person perfectly. I really hope you can find that one day, truly.”

Skye bit her lip to keep from crying. Even after being such a bad friend, you still wished the best for her. With a nod, she left the roof, leaving you wondering if you could have done or said something differently.

Alfred came up behind you, his arms wrapping around your waist as he nuzzled your cheek with his face. “You always have the best advice, baby.”

You hummed, leaning back into his embrace. “I had a good teacher.”

“Really? Who?”

“Arthur.”

“No way!” He pouted, turning you around so you could see his eyes. “Why are you taking advice from him?”

“Because the last time I got advice from you, you told me to throw a hamburger at them.” You deadpanned. “Something tells me my boss would not appreciate that.”

“Who wouldn’t appreciate a free burger?” He grinned wolfishly, his fingers digging into your hips as he brought you closer, his eyes shimmering behind his spectacles.

“There’s a big difference between giving someone a free burger and smacking them in the face with it,” you chuckled, brushing his bangs away from his eyes.

“You can smack me in the face with a burger any time you want!”

“You’re such a dork.”

“But I’m your dork~”

“Yes, yes you are.” You smiled warmly, tugging him down so you could claim his lips.

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📜 Read more by checking out my masterlist 📜

[tillman]

hi i ranked every single dark souls 1 character by who i think is the most kissable . its 79 characters all with a description of why theyre at the place theyre at with images for reference :-) its all under cut for u to enjoy.. thank u

this is all my opinion cus hehe im making the list but also im god so this is fact now . 

counting down because u know what ! buildup is fun and i have to start off with everyones most favorite:

GWYN - 79

im kidding. fuck gwyn and everything he stands for. he wouldnt even be a good kisser he doesnt have FUCKING LIPS

SEATH - 78

oh you really wanna kiss the incel dragon who kidnaps ladies for his weird experiements?? yeah?? who are you, big hat logan?

EINGYI - 77

heres one i wont get hate for: this fucking asshole . die bastard . he cant even kiss his face is all infected and gross!

KAATHE - 76

he sucks.

SMOUGH - 75

not only is he too big to kiss! hes a cannibal!! hed eat you!!!! thats no kiss i want!

MANUS - 74

listen i know yall love daddies and all that but hes manipulative and not a nice person so id watch out. i GUESS hes kissable as he was a human before but def not a good kiss

BED OF CHAOS - 73

its just some vines that sometimes set on fire!! If it were still the witch of izalith she would be probally in the 20s as shes a good person who tried very hard to help the world but in this state... u cant even kiss her!

FRAMPT - 72

better than kaathe but the whole no lips and being a manipulative snake monster really throws me off and shoves him down at the bottom

FINA (GODDESS OF LOVE/BEAUTY (?)) - 71

(mentioned character - no image sorry :-( )

Listen as much as im all for love, this is love u dont want ! just trust me dont be lautrec dont do it you dont want to kiss fina listen to me. please dont kiss fina.

VINCE AND NICO - 70

way of the white members are NOTABLY unkissable but these guys. are just so boring. theyll be your white bread boyfriend as neil would say... bad kissers and bad people!

LAUTREC - 69 

aw fuck wait can i make another character 69 he doesnt deserve it. anyways not only is he not over his ex (fina) hed probally gut you and steal your lunch money half way through the kiss anyways so whats the point . thats not how u treat a lover idiot

CENTIPEDE DEMON - 68

it eats your face and you die. next pleaaase

PETRUS - 67

another way of the white cleric. he at least starts off nice and he says fuck rich people but also he let that happen to rhea and i fucking hate his guts so no.

PALADIN LEEROY - 66 

out of all the way of the white idiots hes the best in that he wears armor and seems cool but its the way of the white man.  i cant get past that. sorry leeroy at least your armor is cool. he probably hasnt kissed someone in hundreds of years anyways 

MOONLIGHT BUTTERFLY - 65

delicate ... but beautiful! i dunno how to smooch it but i def would if i could ! i dont think it can kiss back but, o well! we all have flaws

IRON GOLEM - 64

it cant kiss back but its COOL and can throw me like a javelin so like . yeehaw id smooch its little face place 

UNDEAD MERCHANTS (BOTH) - 63

between moss and yulia i think they got enough on their plates! plus since theyre so hollowed, i dont think they have any lips to kiss back with! 

INGWARD - 62

hes not like . bad persay but also i dont trust him after he helped with new londo. cool design tho. i wanna kiss that bird beak mask

JEREMIAH - 61

was a bullfrog, and never took off his crown long enough to kiss another person...... i feel like if he did though! oh boy!!!

Asylum Demon + Demon Firesage + Stray Demon - 60

more kissable than some bosses, but still not the greatest lips. good butts though on all of them.... so i guess thats fr u kinky people 

SNUGGLY THE CROW - 59

(no image shes a crow) 

please stop drawing her as an anime girl shes literally just a grow that likes warm things oh my god you freaks be nice to her

BIG HAT LOGAN - 58

hes hard to kiss around the hat! and on that note hes pretty much taken with his obsession with seath. good luck! hes nice though so better than most of this list so far

GAPING DRAGON - 57

ranked so high because past its giant underbelly of teeth and destruction is this very tiny head which i think is so funny i cant help but want to kiss its little snoot.... hehe baby

PRINCE RICARD - 56

oh now were actually getting into kissable range! ricard is a prince (maybe even of astora... kissability increase.) so his high ranking might get you some kissability points, but the hollowing is gonna lower that. 4/10 no kissable lips!

4 KINGS - 55

whats better than a prince..... a king... whats better than a king..................  4 KINGS! just watch out for their overly anime spiky armor and the fact their in a never ending void nightmare but they do have faces so thats points above the rest!

SALAMAN - 54

(mentioned character only! sorry!)

hmmmm we dont learn much about him other than he was close with quelana and he was ............ hot!  hes a pyromancer.  being of the great swamp pushes him down a bit because he prolly smells like his name sake but u know what ! maybe hes cute! we cant be sure! hes in the running at least!

TAURUS DEMON - 53

hmm... bad lover.... good kisser................................................... the things i do for big beefy demon love.

GOUGH - 52

While you cant kiss gough cus all the sap in his helmet i cant bare to put him lower than he is hes just so sweet. a kiss on his helmet because i love him so much

NITO - 51

while he cant kiss back, nito deserves a kiss or two! plus he has a lot of hands so u can hold his hands and be hugged at the same time and u know what that might be just as good as a nice kiss. good on you nito!

STONE DRAGON - 50

again a non kisser........ damn beaks! the stone dragon does need a kiss though. they havent seen another living soul in years down in ash lake! so im giving them points on that alone.

VAMOS - 49

like the last two.... no lips! vamos though makes up for it in his charm and wit, and his exceptional skill in smithing! so even without lips to kiss, you still should kiss vamos! hes a good friend

ARIAMIS - 48

(mentioned !)

wow... a painter! and a skilled one at that! this man created the painted world used to keep priscilla safe and that is so noble it gives him points right off the bat! i feel like though, as an artist, he might be a bit weird about it. so watch out and be safe, but in the end, get free art and some free smooches out of him!

ELIZABETH - 47

thats my mom ... of course she gets a good cheek smooch for all her hard work keeping dusk safe!

DOMHNALL - 46

i love domhnall hes a good guy whos trying his best but also his mask is so fucking goofy i dunno if i can do it .

RICKERT - 45

as much as i think rickert would be a good kiss (hes smart, cute, and skilled!) he is trapped behind some bars willingly and probably wont let you in. i can dream though!

CEASLESS DISCHARGE - 44

if theres any boss that NEEDS a kiss its him. poor dude lost all his family and was turned into this laughing stock of a creature. youd probably burn your lips but .... please just be nice to him :-(

SHIVAS BODYGUARD - 43

ooo a strong yet silent type.... hes even cute under his mask! good kiss, but i feel like he might just care more about his actual job than a kiss ! hes dedicated !

CIARAN - 42

putting aside me knowing shed be a good kisser, i just understand she probably doesnt want a kiss right now, shes grieving over the loss of her friend and i respect her comfort. maybe a good pat on the shoulder and a cup of nice tea with her would be nice though! 

PINWHEEL - 41

may seem like a weird choice to put a necromancer up so high on the list but.... honestly pinwheel needs some love. dude lost his whole family and in trying to revive them accidentally fused them to himself. while he might not be the best kisser, i honestly just wanna tell him everythings gonna be ok.

KIRK - 40

ok if you know me you KNOW how much it pains me to put kirk so low but. hes a busy guy! not only is he doing so much work to help out where he can with the fair lady, but you might just get pricked by his spiky armor while youre going in for the smooch! so, as much as he deserves a kiss for all his hard work, maybe pass until another time!

SIEGLINDE - 39

were getting there! she is just so strong... and so brave........ she may not even be undead! sieglinde is so strong and wonderful doing all that just to deliver a message to her unruly father, she deserves so many kisses! Shes got a lot on her plate though so please respect her......

BERENIKE - 38

(just mentioned!)

implied to be a huge strong knight who made it to even sens fortress! yes please ! 

BELL GARGOYLES - 37

hmmmmm,.......... if u can get past the whole lighting your face on fire, these are two loyal gargoyles! that seems pretty good to me!

BEATRICE - 36

a wonderful helpful witch friend! she is so nice to help you defeat flying bosses with her magic!! i love her so much! shes even cute to boot! 

GIANT BLACKSMITH - 35

HE HELP ANYTIME................... I HAVE TO GIVE HIM A KISS FOR ALL HIS HARD WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LEGALLY I HAVE TO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RHEA - 34

putting aside my hatred of the way of white.... rhea really is just a babey.... shes adorable and kind and just wants everyone to be ok so im won over. maybe a little forehead smooch for being such a good person!

OSCAR - 33

oh oscar. a noble, heroic, and cute knight but in the end. would he be a good kisser........ i feel yes, but maybe not so much so! hes busy focusing on being a hero you know! hes a good friend and i cant help but fall in love with nice guys

THE FAIR LADY - 32

she deserves the entire world and all i can give her is my humanity and a kiss........... sobs. i wish i could do more to ease her pain but she is so strong and wonderful! please give her a nice smooch! 

QUELANA - 31

i didnt wanna separate them ........ her wonderful sister! who even taught humans pyromancies! shes smart and nice, and honestly probably needs a kiss. 

MILDRED - 30

uh my notes from last night are just

so yeah! thats mildred!

CRESTFALLEN MERCHANT - 29

hes sad as fuck but also... kinda handsome! he was a knight of berenike and made it almost all of the way through sens fortress showing how skilled he is! a strong man like this (inspired by maybe the best kisser in demons souls, boirr) has to be a good kiss!

SIEGMEYER - 28

hes going through a lot right now but... how could u not think siegmeyer is kissable. thats on you man. thats your own character flaw.

OSWALD - 27

ok this might be slightly controversial but i feel like oswald would be a good kisser. if you got past his slightly weird love for velka who well get to (thats just carimites (carimians? carimfolk???)) hes nice and kind and maybe the funkiest character in dark souls

KALAMEET - 26

another cant kiss you but.... kalameet is just so cool ! very shadow the hedgehog and u know what that is NOT a bad thing. you might have a rough time trying to get there, but..... aww whos a good dragon.....

DARKMOON KNIGHTESS - 25

alright the final stretch! the darkmoon knightess is the anor londo firekeeper, and a friend of gwyndolin! shes supposed to be “ugly and shit” (real quote. i would never lie to you) but her model is so cute! defiantly kissable as fuck!

 SANCTUARY GUARDIAN - 24

GOFH ITS JUST A WIDDLE KITTEY CAT........... I GIVE IT A WIDDLE KISSEY ON ITS FOREHEAD AHOWHWWAWWW BABEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALVINA - 23

AWHAHWAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW SHES H(FADOESAGVFOSDHFSO CUET EIFEDKC LKOFIE JS I LOVE YOU FJEADFIDASHCODEUFCUSFKSDHFKSUHFC

DUSK - 22

oh yes!! the princess of a lost land...... will you be her knight in shining armor.......... oh i just love her so much. shes sweet and nice and cute and deserves a kiss or two!! please be nice to my daughter!

SHIVA - 21

hottie with cool armor and a cooler sword. since they cut his whole sidequest i can with all certianty say YES he is super kissable and is probably a great kisser 

QUELAAG - 20

IGNORIGN HER GIANT SPIDER LOWERBODY........... SHES JUST DOING THIS FOR HER SISTER SHE JUST WANTS TO HELP HER POOR SISTER WHOS IN PAIN HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE HER SO MUCH!! PLEASE KISS QUELAAG! 

GRIGGS - 19

im putting griggs so high cus hes kissable in a factor unseen before...... baby factor. hes soft and nice and is just trying to find his dad! just tuck him into bed and kiss him goodnight! its what he deserves! 

ARTORIAS - 18

everyone already KNOWS why artorias is a good kisser. hes nice, strong, brave, and most importantly. cool as FUCKING HELL ! HE DOES SICK ANIME FLIPS!! if you can look past the abyss slowly taking him over, youll find a good good boy who deserves a good kiss.

ANASTACIA - 17

the good firekeeper who we spend most of our time with in 1! YES of COURSE Shes kissable. she deserves SO MANY kisses for all of her hard work in keeping the firekeep shrine lit! good job anastacia im sorry lautrec is like that

VELKA GODDESS OF SIN - 16

(just mentioned!)

if her title alone doesnt bring you in, youll be pleased to know shes implied to help watch over priscilla (who well get to hold your horses) and keep the poor girl safe! a strong sense of justice and a love of crows, shes probably an amazing kiss if you can find her! 

ANDRE - 15

were closing in on #1 and i just have to throw andre in here. hes so nice and strong! just . please kiss andre! he deserves some he does so much work! 

PRISCILLA - 14

poor priscilla. called a monstrous crossbreed and has to hide in a painted world to stay safe from those who would hurt her. including the internet! leave her alone you freaks shes not your fetish fuel!!! she deserves a good kiss on the cheek and a hug for all she has to put up with

 CRESTFALLEN WARRIOR - 13

its my list i get to put the crestfallen warrior where i want. and u know what? he would honestly be a good kiss. hes kind and helpful and never once wishes you harm, he just needs to be held tightly and kissed passionately and u know what. dont we all. 

GWYNEVERE - 12

she is beautiful but .... 1 shes married and 2 shes not even real! whatever. her husband the flame god flann is at least.......... hot! haahgdaefshdfcdhswfe im so fucking funny

BLACK IRON TARKUS - 11

listen i see a big beefy dude i go “hey thats hot please kiss me” so of course tarkus is this high up hes the beefiest dude around.... right?? anyways all knights of berenike are kissable hes just the MOST kissable of the 3 named ones!

ORNSTEIN - 10

this dude kisses the son of gwyn you KNOW hes a good kiss. the golden lion armor just helps so much. we love you ornstein .....

HAVEL THE ROCK - 9

HERE HE IS ... THE BEEFIEST GUY AROUND ... this bitch uses a DRAGONS TOOTH as a huge club to bash people with if that isnt big dick energy i dont know what is. armor made of stone. heart made of gold. havel the rock please god kiss me passionately under the moonlight .

SIF - 8

oghfoghfohg puppey..................................... SMOOCHIE THE PUPPY>...........

NAMELESS KING (!?) - 7

(hes just mentioned in ds1!!) 

I KNOW HES A DS3 BOSS BUT LISTEN TO ME THEY TALK ABOUT HIM SO MUCH IM ALLOWING THIS.  he defected from his awful dads team to go help the DRAGONS!! thats so cool hes so kissable. would be more kissable if he wasnt kissing ornstein but thats ok . i respect them both.

MARVELOUS CHESTER - 6

this MAY just because i have a huge crush on him but also here are some good kissable things about him: his fasion, his voice that sounds like a purr, his laugh, his malice, his funny mask, him. thank you for your time.

GWYNDOLIN - 5

FINAL FIVE! heres gwyndolin. the most kissable of all of gwyns children for the sheer fact of how much work they put in to making sure people stay safe and happy. they are so kind and wonderful they deserve SO MANY kisses! good on you gwyndolin....

LAURENTIUS - 4

now heres a fun one! laurentius is one of the nicest guys u will EVER meet in any souls game. he genuinely cares about you, he loves and respects u even if u dont respect him or his skills, hes nice cute and above all: i love him . please kiss laurentius he is a nice guy who just wants the best for u..... dont be mean to him.....................

CAPRA DEMON - 3

the highest one that cant kiss back and thats for the capra demons SHEER HORNY ENERGIES. this is a demon you can fuck! thats it i have nothing else to say i just think the capra demon is funny

SOLAIRE - 2

do i seriously have to explain why solaire is so high up. not only is he nice and cares about you, hes handsome, passionate, and just a good fucking person. he is hands down one of the most kissable characters in any souls game ever! fuck yeah! go off you funky little lover boy! 

and finally.

its patches.

[today-we-will-survive]

Disney Jin

BTS au one-shot

Jin x Reader Y/N

Fluff

Word Count: 2,919

A/N: This one and Indiana Jimin belong in the same au and are meant to be read in the order they’re posted.

gif made by me

“I'm sorry, I have to cut the line off here,” you say and watch as the many excited expressions of the guests in line staring up at the ferris wheel are replaced with looks of disappointment. “We're closing early tonight for a special event so if you all could make your way toward the exit, we'll be open again at eight o' clock tomorrow morning.” You can't help but feel a bit bad as you watch the line slowly shrink away, parents pulling their saddened children along and irritated teens muttering under their breath.

It's not my fault BTS chose this evening to experience Disneyland and California Adventure for the first time, you think to yourself. 

Who could blame them for wanting the whole place to themselves? You don't even want to imagine the awful things that would happen to the boys if Big Hit allowed the public to be there with them. You shudder at the thought.

It sucks that everyone has to leave but it's definitely better this way. Being a Disneyland/California Adventure cast member has its perks, especially being an ARMY.

You've only been a fan of the K-pop group since hearing last month that they were coming. Heck, before Youtubing their music video for Blood, Sweat & Tears for the first time, you'd never even heard K-pop before. But ever since that fateful night as you sat in your car in the employee parking lot, face lit up by the glow of your phone screen, watching these men that most certainly have to be ethereal beings in disguise, you haven't been able to listen to anything else but their mesmerizing voices and their addictive songs.

Soon after that, you discovered the amazing community of ARMYs on Tumblr and Twitter and have never looked back. You see all of these posts about people fawning over their biases and bias wreckers and whenever you stop and try to choose just one of the boys to love the most, you can't bring yourself to do it. Each of them are special. Each are so talented and adorable and amazing and to pick just one would be the death of you. No. You are an OT7 stan through and through.

“Alright, everyone—” the general supervisor's voice crackles into the earpiece in your ear, “—security will be doing a sweep for the next two hours before our special guests arrive. You're all free to take your lunches and breaks and then please return to your stations half an hour before their arrival so we can do a few run-throughs of each of your rides.”

***

“Alright, cast members, our special guests have entered the park. I'm sure I don't have to tell you all to give them your very best to make this the most memorable experience possible for them.”

Your heart hammers in your chest. BTS are here. In the park. Breathing the same air as you...kind of. But then your shoulders sag and you look longingly at the entrance to Pixar Pier.

With all of the rides in the Disneyland park and other areas of California Adventure, they probably won’t even make it over to your area. Who would want to ride a Mickey Mouse ferris wheel when you have the Incredicoaster and Radiator Springs Racers and Grizzly River Run? Not to mention Space Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and all of the other classic rides in the other park.

You let out a heavy sigh as you look up at the ferris wheel, Mickey Mouse's giant face bright and shining like a moon hanging over Pixar Pier. This is going to be a long night.

“Hey, Y/N!” You rip your eyes from the ferris wheel and turn around. One of your fellow cast members, Jada, waves at you from her post in one of the many little shops along the walkway. “Isn't BTS, like, your new obsession?”

Your mouth curls into a shy grin and you shift on your feet. “Yeah,” you say with a chuckle. “You could say that.”

“Why aren't you more excited then?”

“I'm trying not to keep my hopes up. We're pretty much anyone's last stop when they come to the park. I doubt they'll make it this far before my shift is over.”

Jada shrugs. “You never know,” she says then gets back to straightening the display of Inside Out plushies next to her.

***

A few strands of hair have slipped out of your ponytail and are tickling your nose. With an irritated huff, you manage to blow them off your face, then watch as they slowly float back down to reside on your nose again.

It's been over two hours and there still hasn't been any sign of the boys. How long could it possibly take for the seven of them to ride all the rides? It's not like there are any lines or anything.

“Y/N!”

You look up to find Jada standing in front of her store, well, maybe standing is the wrong word. More like, jumping up and down jabbing her arm in the direction of the entrance to the pier like a crazy person. You recognize the excited look on her face and immediately you race up to the walkway, scrambling over and under the rails, cutting the quickest path to the entrance of your ride. By the time you make it up there, you catch just a glimpse of a white t-shirt and a tanned arm before it disappears from view into the entrance of another ride. You run across to Jada, your hands clasping hers tightly as the two of you jump up and down squealing.

“Which one was it?” you ask excitedly, craning your neck in the direction the member disappeared, even though you know you won't be able to see him.

“There were four of them,” she says. “They were kind of far away so I couldn't really tell who was who but I think it was the rappers and the oldest one.”

Your shoulders bunch up by your ears and you squeeze your eyes shut. You can't believe it. This is really happening. BTS are here in Pixar Pier, just on the other side of the lake from you. You let out a sigh and open your eyes again to look at Jada. “Well,” you say, “I only have about forty minutes left of my shift anyway and they probably won't get to this side of the pier by then.”

“You're such a negative Nancy,” Jada scoffs giving your hands another squeeze. “If they come this way, I'll direct them to your ride.”

You smile and throw one more glance across the water before letting go of her hands and making your way back across the path to the entrance of your ride. To pass the time, you weave slowly through the elaborate line leading to the loading area, humming the entirety of BTS’s Love Yourself Answer album in order. You've made it about halfway through Trivia: Seesaw before you hear voices traveling on the warm breeze.

Loud voices.

Non-english speaking voices.

Shoot.

Again, you find yourself scrambling back toward the entrance, stumbling over the last rail just in time to make eye-contact with Mr. Worldwide Handsome himself, Kim Seokjin. The straw from the soda he's holding sits wedged between his lips and when he gives you a warm smile, you see the tip of it trapped between his teeth.

“Hello,” he says with a small wave.

You open your mouth to respond but only manage to let out a pathetic squeal. The three members of the rapline have their backs to you as they make their way slowly into Jada's shop. Your eyes flick to her for just a second and she looks back at you from her post, eyes wide and smile wider.

“Can I ride?” Jin asks pointing up at the big ferris wheel.

At last you find your voice. “Of course!” you crack and immediately you feel your face getting hot.

Jin gives you another grin and a nod before walking past you into the maze of barriers. You clear your throat and take a deep, shaky breath as you try to calm down enough to not act like a crazy person in front of this beautiful man. The last thing he needs is to be harassed by another fan.

He's just a person, Y/N, you tell yourself. A beautiful, perfect person...

“Would you like a stationary carriage or a swinging one?” You ask once the two of you have made it to the loading area. You gesture with your arm to the two choices. One carriage is attached to a track so it swings as it goes around while the other one is attached to the ferris wheel itself.

Jin bites the straw on his cup thoughtfully as he looks between the two cars. Then his eyes trail down to the image on the front of the swinging one. “Wah!” he exclaims. “Lightning McQueen!”

You giggle as he jumps into the carriage with the Cars character on it. Then he looks back at you and your stomach drops.

“What's your name?” he asks, his brown eyes fixed on yours.

“Uh.” You gulp loudly. “Y/N,” you say.

Jin nods and holds out his hand. You take it, your clammy palm sliding against his own soft one. “Nice to meet you, Y/N,” he says giving your hand a small shake. “I'm Jin.”

I know, you want to say. “Nice to meet you,” you say instead. “Uh...please keep your hands, arms, feet and legs in the carriage at all times.” Then you carefully close the carriage door and latch it securely.

Jin gives you a thumbs up before taking another sip of his soda. You push the button on your control panel and the ride lurches into motion. Jin grabs the edge of his seat and looks at you with wide eyes before letting out a laugh. You watch as his car starts making its way up and around.

You still can't believe it. You honestly didn't think when you woke up this morning that you'd actually get to meet one of the members of BTS. You knew they were coming. You've known for a month. But the parks are pretty big, especially in comparison to seven people. Seven perfect people, but people nonetheless.

You keep your eyes glued to his carriage, his yell cutting through the mechanical sounds of the ride as he starts to swing on the track.

“Hey Y/N!” Jin callls when his carriage rushes by.

You're eyes lock on his as he waves at you, the ferris wheel continuing its cycle. He passes you again.

“What noise does toaster make?”

Shell-shocked you just stare, jaw slack, eyes still following him as the ride makes another go round. Once again, he waves his arms to get your attention then cups his hands around his mouth and shouts “Bread!”

What?

The joke runs through your head several times as you try to connect it with the punchline but no matter how hard you try, you can't figure out the pun. Even from where Jin sits at the peak of the ride, his windshield wiper laugh can be heard all the way from the ground. You press the button on your panel to slow the ferris wheel and then watch him still with your dumbstruck expression as his car slows and then comes to a complete stop in front of you.

“That makes no sense,” you finally say as you watch him step carefully out of the cage and roll his shoulders.

His shining eyes are drawn into slits from the amused smile still plastered across his face. “It does in Korean,” he says with a shrug.

You can't help but smile and shake your head. Everything you've heard about him is true. He's an absolute ham.

“Jin-hyung!”

You and the oldest member of BTS turn your attention back up to the boardwalk where RM stands with Suga and J-hope. Ugh, how do they all look so flawless? The leader yells something down to Jin in Korean and Jin turns to give you a smile.

“Nice to meet you, Y/N,” he says, touching your arm gently. “Thank you for the ride.”

“No problem,” you whisper even though he's already weaving his way back up to where his bandmates are waiting for him. “My pleasure,” you add under your breath.

Since the seven boys are the only guests at California Adventure—unless they suddenly decide they want to ride the ferris wheel all night—you're in for an extremely uneventful rest of your shift. With a heavy sigh, you turn and look out across the water toward the Little Mermaid ride. The air is still muggy even though the sun has set and a breeze is rustling the leaves of the expertly shaped trees lining the walkway. You tug at the stiff collar of your polyester uniform before glancing down at the work sanctioned Mickey Mouse watch on your wrist. Only twenty more minutes until eleven o' clock. Twenty minutes until you can make your way back down into the underground grid of tunnels made up of employee parking garages, break rooms, locker rooms and other corridors considered Disney's “backstage” area.

“Hey!”

Your head snaps back around to find Jin standing back at the entrance to the ride up on the boardwalk. You can't help the smile that spreads wide across your face. “Hey!” you yell back.

Jin holds up his wrist and taps his finger against it. “What time?” he calls.

“What? Right now?”

The boy drops his hands and lets out a dramatic sigh as he turns his head first to the left then to the right. “RM!” he yells.

Your eyes dart farther down the walkway to where RM has stopped on his way to the Incredicoaster. “What do you want?” he yells in English.

You giggle at the exchange. It's even harder to contain your laughter as Jin goes on to yell back something in Korean, his voice cracking from the sheer exertion he's putting it through as his words have a lot of ground to cover. His face has turned an amusing shade of pink and you can see a vein bulging in his neck.

At last, you hear a defeated cry before RM comes jogging into view. He stops just in the corner of your eyesight and waves down at you. “Jin-hyung wants to know what time your shift ends!” he yells.

Now your mouth falls open again as you glance between the two members. “Uh, well, the park closes at eleven so in about twenty minutes.”

The leader turns back to the older and relays what you said in Korean before Jin gives you a big smile and says something back to him. With an animated flail of his arms, he points at you, urging RM to translate again. RM rolls his eyes but the smile on his face says he's not actually annoyed.

“He wants to know if you'd like to join him over at Disneyland after you get done.”

You let out a laugh. “What?” you ask. “Seriously?” Then you look back at Jin and he gives you a nod and another smile. “I mean, I look kind of gross right now and I don't really have anything cute to put on—”

“Oh, Y/N,” Jin says with a thumbs up. “You look good! Very beautiful!” Then he presses his palms together. “Please come!”

The butterflies in your stomach have flapped themselves into a whirlwind and you can feel heat blooming in your already warm cheeks. Did Kim Seokjin, Mr. Worldwide Handsome himself, really just call you beautiful? Better yet, did he really just ask you to hang out with him for the rest of the night?

“Please?” he asks again.

You nod vigorously, making sure there's no possible way he could misinterpret the gesture. “Yes, I'd love to!” you say back.

“Yah!” he exclaims throwing his hands in the air in victory. “Okay! Thank you!”

“I'll meet you at the entrance in thirty minutes!”

Jin looks to RM again and the leader quickly tells him what you said.

“Oh! Yes!” Jin says. “See you then!” Then the two boys disappear back down the path again as you stare after them in disbelief.

Your hands fly up to hold either side of your head. “No way,” you whisper to yourself. “No way, no way, no way.”

“Y/N!” You look up again and this time it's Jada standing at the entrance to your ride. “What just happened?” she asks.

You're still standing there, hands on your face, your mouth gaping open. “Kim Seokjin just asked me on a Disney date,” you call back.

Jada squeals, clapping her hands together excitedly as she jumps up and down. “Are you serious right now? Holy crap, he’s cute! Are you okay? Are you freaking out?”

“I think I just died.”

“Y/N!!!!!” she cries as she continues her victory dance.

“I gotta sit down,” you say and slump against the guardrail.

Jada runs down through the line until she reaches you then grabs your shoulders and shakes you as she continues her excited squealing.

“What just happened?” you ask.

“Kim Seokjin of BTS just asked you, Y/N Y/L/N, to hang out with him in Disneyland.”

“So, I wasn't dreaming?”

“I heard the whole thing,” she says.

“Holy crap.”

[myaekingheart]

51. Slumber Party Night: Boys vs Girls!

read the scarecrow and the bell on ao3

index | from the beginning | < previous | next >

               Rei turned the little slip of paper over in her hands, trying not to spill glitter on the floor. A smiling blonde chibi girl stood before a backdrop of pale blue polka dots, announcing a celebratory slumber party. The occasion? Naru’s one year anniversary of joining the ANBU.

               Quite frankly, all of this was a little…much. But Naru was a little much, and Rei could honestly say this sort of thing was expected. She wondered who else she had invited, even though she likely already knew the answer. Ever since she had become a part of the black ops, Naru had seemingly tracked down every female ninja in the organization and tried to make friends with her. She was, in a way, assembling a clique that Rei logically knew she was a part of but didn’t feel like she belonged in.

               “So, are you going to go?” Kakashi asked later that night, carefully handling the bedazzled invitation.

               “I don’t know” Rei sighed. “I should, but do I really want to?”

               “She is your best friend” Kakashi mused.

               “I know, and if it was just the two of us then it would be fine, but I know it won’t be” Rei replied. “I don’t know if I want to deal with all of the people. Plus, it would mean spending a night away from you.” It was bad enough their time together was already limited on account of their careers. Rei really didn’t want to give any of it up.  

               “I think you should go” Kakashi then said. Rei abruptly whipped around to face him, a questioning expression on her face. “I doubt it will be as bad as you think” he added. Truthfully, at least for him, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. He needed her gone just for one night. There were things he needed to do without her presence. Important things.

               Rei was silent as he began walking her home to pack. He could tell she was disappointed and it broke his heart, but he knew this was far more important. He reached for her hand but she unresponsive. All she gave him was a brief kiss on the cheek and a murmured “I’ll see you tomorrow.” The minute they parted ways, Kakashi booked it down the hallway toward Guy’s apartment.

               When he answered, Guy could tell something was definitely off. Despite having most of his face covered, Kakashi’s expressions were not lost on him. Sucking in a deep breath, Kakashi finally spoke. “Guy, I need your help.”

               Rei was uncharacteristically cautious as she packed her things for the night. She would only be right across the hall—she didn’t really need to bring anything—but that meant nothing to her compulsive procrastination. Packing required concentration and calculation, to prepare for every possible scenario. She glanced to the clock and deduced that she would need to work even slower.

               Just as she was refolding her underwear for the fifth time, there was a knock at the door. For a split second, Rei almost expected it to be Kakashi coming to save her but when she answered, it was none other than Naru herself.

               “I thought you were dead!” she exclaimed. “Everyone else is already here, what’s taking you so long?” She didn’t even give Rei a chance to answer. Rather, she grabbed the redhead’s hand and dragged her across the hall and that was the end of that. Rei had officially been thrown into the snake pit.

               Naru’s apartment looked like every preteen girl’s slumber party wonderland. Large bowls of snacks lined her desk, blankets were strewn across the floor, and upbeat music blared from a stereo hidden somewhere beneath the plush mess. Tenshi sat in the center of it all, guiding Mikazuki through some long-winded story about a mission she had recently completed. In the corner, Sekkachi laid on her back with cucumbers on her eyes attempting to keep her distance from the crowd.

               “You know” Rei said, sliding in next to the blue-haired kunoichi, “I think those are for after you put the face mask on.”

               “Yeah, and they’re for before the entrée in a three course meal” she snapped back, plucking one off her face and flicking it at Rei. The redhead frowned and wiped the cucumber juice off her cheek.

               “What are you doing over here being all antisocial?” she then asked.

               “Slumber parties aren’t really my thing” Sekkachi said bluntly.

               “Ah, yes” Rei smirked, leaning back. “Because a night in a room full of women in skimpy pajamas is totally not your speed.”

               “You can shut the fuck up” Sekkachi snapped, throwing the second cucumber at Rei.

               “I suggest you start acting a lot nicer to me, you know” Rei said matter-of-factly, taking a bite of her comrade’s ammo. “Or else I might just tell everyone here about your trip to the bookstore the other day.”

               Sekkachi’s eyes widened as she sat up, a fury rising within her. As she opened her mouth to speak, however, the room went silent and all eyes fell on her. Naru was the first to finally say something. “What happened in the bookstore? Tell us, please!” she begged, scooting nearer. In her face was all the intrigue and hunger of a small child at story time. Sekkachi eyed her cautiously, recoiling, her cheeks burning red. Anticipation hung in the air.

               This was the most anxious Guy had ever seen Kakashi in perhaps his entire life. The bushy-browed jonin watched as his eternal rival paced the room with brows furrowed in focus. “I’ve never done something like this before” Kakashi said. “I don’t know how to do this. Dinner sounds right, but where? If I take her someplace too fancy, she’ll suspect something but it won’t feel as special if I take her somewhere that isn’t fancy enough.” It was so strange seeing Kakashi so unhinged, as if his body had been taken over by a completely different person.

               “Well, you have a ring” Guy offered. “That’s a start.”        

               Kakashi nodded—Guy made a good point. The copy ninja approached his closet and dug around inside, fishing out the little box in which the engagement ring had been stored. He propped it open, hoping a peek would help calm his nerves and remind him why he was really doing this, but his heart leapt into his throat when he found the box empty. The ring was gone.

               Oh my god, the ring was gone. Kakashi’s mind started racing—how could this happen? How did this happen? There was no way anyone could’ve known what he was planning. The only person who had any idea was…he slowly turned to Guy and blinked. Guy immediately raised his hands in surrender.

               “Kakashi! Do I look like the kind of person who would just steal an engagement ring?” he asked. He wrapped an arm around Kakashi and pulled him close, resting his other hand dramatically on his chest. “I, your eternal rival, have only ever wanted what’s best for you! I will search alongside you for this ring even if it kills me, so that you can get down on one knee and ask for your beloved’s hand in marriage, ride off into the sunset together, and live happily ever after in a cute home with lots of adorable babies!”

               What is everyone’s obsession with us having babies? Kakashi thought to himself. Guy was getting all choked up just thinking about it. It was clear that he definitely was not the culprit here. Kakashi glanced back down to the empty box and sighed. This was not the way he wanted tonight to go. And in the back of his mind, his only thought was who?

               Naru and the other girls all crowded around Sekkachi begging her to tell them what the hell happened in this bookstore. Sekkachi, however, refused to budge. She crossed her arms and pursed her lips, even threatened to walk home but Naru clung to her forearm and begged her to stay. As their inquiries reached a fever pitch, pounding in Sekkachi’s head, Rei finally did the unthinkable.

               “Sekkachi has a crush!” she shouted, clapping her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter. The whole room fell silent. Naru’s eyes widened with wonder and desperation, scooting closer in hopes that Sekkachi would finally spill the details. Naru was an addict and this was like hitting the jackpot.

               “No, I don’t!” Sekkachi insisted, socking Rei hard on the arm. Rei wouldn’t listen.

               “She came into Kaminoki the other day looking for this guidebook: A Girl’s Feelings” the redhead explained. Naru squealed with delight.

               “This is incredible!” she shouted. “You have to tell us who she is! Or else I’m going to explode!”

               Sekkachi glanced from Naru to Tenshi to Mikazuki and back, as if trying to find some way out of this. A part of her knew she was trapped, though. The only way out would be through.

               “It better not be me” Tenshi commented, all the while working on painting her nails.

               Naru shook her head. “No, I think Sekkachi would go for someone plain and domestic” she mused. “Maybe someone who knows how to make homemade bread, someone she can come home to at the end of the day to a hot meal and some scented candles. Someone sweet and thoughtful, but absolutely not a ninja!”

               “You think so?” Rei asked. “I always got more of a partner in crime vibe. Someone she could fight alongside who challenged her to be the best she could be. Someone who takes no shit, who would be strong and passionate, someone Sekkachi could be herself around.”

               This was all just too fucking much. Groaning, Sekkachi gripped at her hair. “Can we all just stop brainstorming my ideal match like I’m some basic bitch in a shitty novel?” she asked.

               “Well, if you would just tell us—” Naru started, but Sekkachi quickly snapped a harsh no at her. Truthfully, she didn’t need this. She wasn’t obligated to be there. The only reason she showed up in the first place was because Naru begged her, and she couldn’t stand to see her disappointed. She never could. But what was the point if everything she was dragged into for Naru’s sake only ended up making her feel worse and worse? It wasn’t worth it anymore. She was done.

               Sekkachi opened her mouth to verbalize all of these harsh thoughts and make her exit but before she could speak, a meek voice spoke up from within the crowd. “I think we should just drop it and leave it alone” Mikazuki said. Sekkachi blinked, dumbfounded. She hadn’t expected her, of all people, to defend her. She barely even knew this girl. The others looked to her, apparently just as shocked with her sudden outspokenness. “She clearly doesn’t want to talk about it” Mikazuki continued, “So I don’t see any point in pressing the matter further.”

               The others sat in silence a moment, trying to piece together the dizzying array of emotions as they came down from their high. Mikazuki crawled over to her backpack in the corner and, in an effort to further diffuse the tension, pulled out a deck of pastel tarot cards. The others slowly gathered around her, attempting to redirect their attention to the mystical stack. All the while, Sekkachi was speechless.

               Guy and Kakashi raced around the entirety of Konoha searching for the missing ring but were met with little success. By midnight, Kakashi was defeated. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and sighed tiredly. If he hadn’t found it by now, he was sure he never would. Some looter had probably broken into his apartment with expert stealth, stolen it, and sold it on the black market for a lumpsome. It was probably on the fat finger of some wealthy snob as they spoke. It wasn’t even high quality gold. Financially, it shouldn’t have been worth anything. Emotionally, however, it was the key to his entire future and now it was gone for good.

               “We can’t give up now!” Guy exclaimed, trying to remain positive.

               “We’ve already looked everywhere” Kakashi replied. “Where else could it have gone?” Just then, a terrifying thought crossed both of their minds. There was one place they hadn’t looked, and it was perhaps the most nerve-wracking option of all: Rei’s apartment.

               Sekkachi leaned against the balcony’s railing and took a long drag of her cigarette. She excused herself from the party under the guise of needing fresh air, though what she was breathing in now was anything but fresh. The air felt cool and clear as a full moon shone overhead, bathing everything in a silver glow. Smoke billowed from her lips with a sigh.

               “You know” a voice then called, “You should really quit those things.” A chill ran down Sekkachi’s spine, turning slowly to find Naru in the doorway.

               “What are you doing here?” Sekkachi asked, on the defensive. Her hands were starting to feel numb.

               “I wanted to make sure you were alright” she said. “I know things got pretty tense in there.” Sekkachi rolled her eyes. Tense couldn’t even begin to describe it. She had trusted Rei, perhaps stupidly, and now the anticipation of her secret hung thick in the air like fog. She knew she would never truly get away without them squeezing an answer out of her. Naru scooted closer and leaned against the railing beside her. “It’s a beautiful night” she mused.

               “Yeah, I mean, it’s fine, whatever” Sekkachi said, taking another drag. Naru then sighed and shook her head, placing her hand atop her friend’s.

               “Hey, Sekkachi” she said, and her voice seemed quieter now than before. Sekkachi’s heart leapt up into her throat, pounding in her ears. She wanted to run away. “I just want you to know that you can tell me anything, okay? And I promise not to judge you. I’ll be here when you’re ready to say who it is you like, and I promise I’ll keep that under lock and key. No gossip, no rumors. Nothing. Just you and me.”

               Oh god, this was the absolute worst. Sekkachi’s vision was growing hazy, that smile on Naru’s face mocking her. And then, before she could even stop it, she felt something rising up in her throat. “Actually…” Sekkachi choked out, “I actually have a crush on—”

               “Hey, Sekkachi!” a voice called from below. Naru immediately removed her hand and leaned over the railing, finding Guy waving up at them from the street. Sekkachi wasn’t sure if she wanted to hug him or slap him into the next century.

               Naru bid Sekkachi a sweet smile and whispered, “I’ll give you two some privacy” before sneaking back inside. And that was that.

               Throwing her head back, Sekkachi groaned and shouted down to Guy, “What do you want?!” Guy seemed completely unphased by her aggravation. He motioned for her to come down, and she begrudgingly obliged.

               “Sekkachi, we need your help with something” Guy explained when she finally made it to the street. Her eyes shifted to an anxious Kakashi by his side and her curiosity piqued.

               Tenshi cocked a brow as she studied her tarot card. Staring back at her was a woman in robes seated with a scale in one hand and a sword in the other. “What the hell does this mean?” the brunette asked, flicking the card around between her index and middle fingers so that Mikazuki could see.

               “That’s the Justice card” she explained. “It represents truth and fairness. Maybe it’s trying to tell you something about the attention you feel that you need or serving as a warning sign for things you’ve done in the past.”

               Tenshi narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “What a load of bullshit” she said, tossing the card onto the floor. She leaned back, crossing her toned legs, and shifted her tank top to better accentuate her breasts. “I deserve all the attention that I get and have never done anything wrong in my life.”

               “I find that hard to believe” Rei commented under her breath. Mikazuki turned to her then and a card was drawn. Upside down, the image looked strange and somewhat abstract, but when she turned her head she saw a naked man and woman under the protection of an angel. “What does this one mean?”

               Mikazuki peered forward and bit her lip. “That’s the reversed Lovers card” she said. “When you draw that one upside down, it means conflict or communication problems.” The young ANBU didn’t have to say in what aspect of life for Rei to fully understand. Now it was her turn to stew in denial. Rei stared down at her draw, considering Mikazuki’s words. She couldn’t see any issues in her and Kakashi’s relationship as far as she could tell. Despite the few minor speed bumps in the previous months, it had been smooth sailing. Their communication bore no flaws.

               Shaking her head, Rei set the card down. “Don’t you guys kind of think this is all a load of bullshit?” she asked. Mikazuki looked back at her with a sharp gaze, her third eye burning though her wispy bangs.

               “I wouldn’t disrespect the tarot if I were you” she warned. “They have far more power than you give them credit for.”

               As she said this, Naru’s card was drawn. She never broke the smile on her face despite flipping the card around to reveal an image of a skeletal knight upon a white horse. A harbinger of change. She giggled and settled the card into her lap, bemusing “This must be a sign that I should definitely change my hairstyle!”

               Across the hall, Kakashi’s heart pounded as he and Guy ripped apart Rei’s apartment. The thought of her having found the ring herself, and having done something about it, horrified him. There was no way she was allowed to know what he was planning. “Anything yet?” he called over his shoulder. Sekkachi, standing guard at the door, shook her head. Dammit, he thought, we’re running out of time. Even worse than Rei returning to a destroyed apartment would be finding them as they were now, soaked in suspicion.

               Then the door to Naru’s apartment creaked open, and everyone froze. Sekkachi narrowed her eyes. “Can I help you?”

               Tenshi met her gaze with equal intensity, jutting her hip out and crossing her arms. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize we a had a hall monitor now” she said, voice dripping with sass.  

               “Shouldn’t you be down on the street offering blowjobs?” Sekkachi fired back.

               Tenshi rolled her eyes then sauntered over to peer into Rei’s apartment, grinning wickedly at Guy and Kakashi paused mid-search. “I’m sure the only thing you’ll find in here is moldy food and dirty laundry” she called.

               “As a matter of fact” Guy started, leaping to his feet, “We’re looking for a ri—” Kakashi slapped his hand over Guy’s mouth before he could finish his sentence.

               “You’re looking for a what?” Tenshi asked, condescending.  

               “Nothing” Kakashi replied. “It’s not important. You don’t need to get involved.”

               “Oh, what a shame” Tenshi pouted. “I was so willing to help you boys out, too.”

               “Why would we ever accept help from you?” Sekkachi asked, staring her down.

               “Because” Tenshi replied, getting a little too close for comfort, “I think I could help you find what you’re looking for.” There was something about the way she said that, about the look on her face, that sparked something sinister in Sekkachi. It was an inappropriate sense of knowing, a taunting secret.

               “You don’t know” Sekkachi accused. Tenshi looked her in the eyes and smiled sweetly, an instigation. After a few moments of tense silence, however, Guy finally broke down.

               “It’s a ring!” he shouted as soon as Kakashi released his mouth. “We’re looking for a ring!”

               Tenshi’s eyes illuminated. “Oh!” she squealed with pleasure. Then, reaching into her bra, she pulled out a tiny circlet. “You mean like this?” Gold with pearl inlay. It was the ring.

               “Where did you get that?” Kakashi growled, but Tenshi held up an index finger and threatened to drop it back into her cleavage if he came any closer.

               “I have ways of getting what I want, Kakashi” she cooed.

               “Yeah, well so do I” Kakashi said back. His voice was low and dangerous. He gripped his headband, threatening to break out his sharingan. He really didn’t want to break out into a fight here of all places, with Rei just on the other side of the wall, but he was willing to take that risk. Tenshi laughed and swayed her hips sexually.

               “That eye of yours doesn’t scare me” she said. She pushed past Sekkachi so she could lean in real close, her breath hitching against Kakashi’s neck. “If anything, it makes me excited.”

               “I’m not going to play games with you” Kakashi replied, unaffected by her sensual approach. She refused to give it up, however.

               “You seem so desperate” she said slyly, running a hand down his arm. “As if you would do anything to get it back.” In response, Kakashi lifted his headband up to reveal his sharingan, a threat akin to cocking your gun. A devilish smirk touched Tenshi’s dark lips. “You know, you could save yourself the trouble and just let me hang onto it. I’m sure I could make much better use of it” she then said. She held it up to study the way the pearls’ iridescence responded to the light, a happiness welling up inside of her. Then, she added with a paralyzing gaze, “I could be your ninja bride.”

               Before Kakashi could even do anything, a green flash went flying across the room and Tenshi stumbled to the ground. She proceeded to exchange blows with Guy, demonstrating expert technique. This had gotten so out of hand. Kakashi knew he couldn’t let Guy fight alone, but Sekkachi blocked him from joining the brawl. There was a wickedness in her eyes that Kakashi wasn’t entirely fond of but before he could protest, she was already making her way into the fray.

               Tenshi leaned back to avoid a punch from Guy and as she did so, Sekkachi spun her around into her arms, then knocked her to the ground and climbed on top of her. “What the hell are you doing?!” Tenshi shouted, squirming beneath her. Sekkachi shushed her and rested a finger to her lips, then did the unspeakable. She silently prayed that fate was on her side, that Naru would not open the door and see her doing this, or else the rumors would spread through Konoha at warp speed. She couldn’t stomach the pain. With a hungry expression, Sekkachi leaned down and pressed her lips hard against Tenshi’s.

               Guy and Kakashi watched in awkward awe before quickly realizing the plan. She was creating a distraction. This was their only chance. Kakashi leapt over the two girls, prying Tenshi’s hand open and stealing the ring. He escaped quickly and tucked it someplace safe, then sighed in relief. It was finished.

               It took a few moments for Tenshi to officially push Sekkachi off of her, though even Sekkachi herself picked up on a strange tinge of resistance. “What the hell was that for?” Tenshi asked, standing up and straightening her pajamas out. She glared at Sekkachi, then turned her gaze to Kakashi and Guy. “That was dirty” she growled. “But this isn’t over. I’ll get my hands on you one way or another, Kakashi.”

               Just then, the door to Naru’s apartment creaked open. The blonde herself peered out in confusion just as Tenshi pushed past her back inside. Blinking, Naru asked, “What’s going on here? I heard shouting.”

               Guy wrapped an arm around Kakashi with a triumphant grin. “Just a couple of eternal rivals fighting for love and justice!” he announced. Kakashi buried his face in his hand, shaking his head. As embarrassing as he was, he had to admit that Guy had been a huge help. He was truly grateful to have him by his side, whether he was just his rival or truly his friend.

               Naru cocked a brow in suspicion, glancing back to Tenshi angrily packing her things, and slowly closed the apartment door. She would get the full story sooner or later. For now, she was just grateful all the noise had stopped. No one had any business being that loud at one in the morning.

               The moment she was out of sight, Kakashi’s shoulders dropped and he sighed in relief. He dug the ring out of his pocket and stared down at it proudly, lovingly. Funny how loss can make you more appreciative.

               Guy slapped him hard on the back and laughed. “See, Kakashi? I knew everything would work out in the end!” he said.

               Laughing tiredly, Kakashi turned the ring over in his hands and replied, “I better ask her soon before something else happens.” He couldn’t afford to take any more chances. The risk was far too great.

               Just as they turned to head back down the hallway, however, they found Naru’s apartment door swung wide open and standing before them was Rei herself. She had a curious expression on her face, doe eyes blinking and eyebrow cocked. Every bone in Kakashi’s body froze before he frantically shoved the ring back into his back pouch. Rei looked to the two of them suspiciously, then the horrifying question fell from her lips.

               “Ask me what?”