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greypentachoron · 1 year ago

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The thing about having sheltered over 300 cats and living with 13 of them is that CLEARLY some cats are neurodivergent but like... Not in a human way.

Cats overall have behaviors that can be similar to human autism, but that's common for their species. We have to pick the overall cat behavior and consider outliers to think about neurodivergent cats.

And I'm not talking about depression, anxiety or PTSD related to trauma, those are basically obvious when you foster a cat with a difficult past, I'm talking behaviors that even in a healthy environment they just Are That Way. I'm gonna add a break down here if you wanna hear more about my experiences, and I welcome anyone who have cats (or any other pet, really) with neurodivergent behaviors to share their experiences too because this is fascinating for me.

I'm gonna start with my first case of "huh. This cat is... Not what I expect." I sadly don't have pictures of him anymore, but I promise the next ones will have pictures as payment for a long post.

Paçoca was found inside a dumpster barrel as young as 2 weeks old. Back then I was fostering a momma cat who had just given birth, and when I introduced him to her she decided "yep, long lost baby. Come on in"

Other than having enough fleas to drain him in a day he was healthy and full of energy. I dewormed him, gave him flea meds and he was fed and taken care of, but he didn't... Know how to socialise with other cats. His adoptive siblings were around his age, they tried playing, but the little dude was just confused by the whole thing and usually ran to hide from them. He meowed loudly towards every cat, those throaty meows cats usually do during heat even before his sexual maturity (and he was spayed very early on).

We checked his ears and eyes and he was fully healthy. He showed happiness by wagging his tail like a dog, and loved to play tag like one even though he never interacted with a dog ever. When he tried to interact with other cats when he felt secure enough, most of them interpreted his mannerisms like a threat because of the throaty meows, the intense stare, wagging tail and running after them. He was never trying to attack, mind you, when he got near his newest cat fascination he tried licking, headbutting, grooming... I am not sure how his life was before he was 2 weeks old, but he had most of his major kitten sociability milestones around a healthy mom and siblings. He was just a weird lil dude I guess.

This little lady is Pompom. She came after Paçoca, but I haven't figured out cat behaviors back then and she was the most striking. She's very aggressively set in routines, cats usually are but it physically pains her to leave her routines. When I lived in my older house she would go to the kitchen window to greet my neighbour everytime he came from work. She hisses and growls at the doorbell because she knows it's something different. When I changed her eating behaviors after she got healthy she would not eat and I had to keep doing the same exact steps for a long while and reducing the "tradition" bit by bit until she was comfortable.

Let me elaborate on that. When she had liver issues I gave all the cats their food while she waited patiently even though she hated the fancy food she was eating, I filled her bowl on the kitchen counter, called her name, we walked towards my bedroom, I closed the door and let the good down. Everyday, three times a day. It took me six months to ease her into the new routine, took me over a year to ease her OUT of the routine. She would not eat if the steps were wrong, she starved herself. Sometimes she was making progress and then remembered her routine and "nope, I don't think I will eat with the door open today"

Starting a new job and moving houses was (and still is, as far as I'm seeing) a terrible experience to her. She became EXTREMELY dependent and desperate for attention. She sleeps on my arms like a baby after these changes, won't eat if me or my mom are not around and she hisses and hates other cats in her personal space. She became extremely antisocial with other cats after my life changed and, sadly, even with a vet accompanying her about her behaviors, nothing changed. She's now a very lonely cat when she was very social, but I'm letting my other cats around her more often bit by bit to open her up to her cat social life again.

I'd like to just add "that's Pirate, he's a baby, next" but you wouldn't understand how much neurodivergent this cat is.

Pirate Does Not Understand he's not a kitten. He has the manners of a kitten and he's been living with me for two years already. He was at least 5 months old when I rescued him and he lived with a small gang of strays. Zero self protection, no social cues, nothing.

This cat was rescued because he and his gang were stealing food from the kitchens of TWO local restaurants, people were throwing beer (drink AND bottles) on them, and I heard the neighbours talk about poisoning food to leave for them. The gang was easier, I just had to move them from the streets to our colony where they get cat food three times a day, but Pirate has this funny defense mechanism... When he feels threatened he SCREAMS. Also he kept trying to eat trash bags, but the screams are a menace.

Rain? He stands there, in the rain, and yells. Car noise? Stands and yells. Cat approaching? Yell. He doesn't move, and more than once I had to run during the rainy season to search for this silly little cat who was arms deep on a puddle yelling because woe is me. I was drenched like I just went swimming wearing clothes. He's a disaster.

And, as I said, he's a Baby. He sees other cats and he wants to play like a kitten, he wants to be groomed. He doesn't partake in the give-and-take of adult cat behavior because he Is A Baby. He meows on every cat's face begging for grooming like a tiny little kitten. He tries cuddling with other cats and knows no boundaries of personal space with other cats. He just wants to cuddle, nuzzle, pile on top, if you've seen a kitten with an adult cat, that's him.

And the last one is Rosemary. First of all he's afraid of wet food. Deadly afraid, sees wet food and runs away so quickly he slides on the floor. I've never. Ever. Saw anything similar. I know cats that don't care about it, but he FLEES. He and his mom are with me since his birth. No trauma on this little head. I tried many brands, tried many recipes of homemade wet food, and he is TERRIFIED of it. If there's no dry food he won't eat. He also does chirping noises instead of meowing to cats, and I know he can meow because he meows to me. The chirping seems to be an uncomfortable warning, a "leave me alone", and he is very nonconfrontational with other cats unless there's bullying. He WILL attack the bully to defend the other cat.

Any other social cues related to cat behaviors? None. Nada. He grooms himself and me when I pet him, but he is scared of others grooming him, and is afraid of his own cat mom. My cats are not aggressive or territorial with each other, so I'm not sure where this fear comes from. He also wags his tail to show happiness even though he never met Paçoca, full wag and not point of the tail flickering, so I'm not sure what to make out of it. I don't have much to say about him, but honestly he's a weird and finicky little dude. It's almost as if he's a little alien who tried to get cat behavior right but everything is kind of off.

Everything the other cats do is confusing, cat weed is terrifying, he doesn't like drinking water from bowls but he is confused how sinks and fountains work, plants are weird--- I see him struggle with normal concepts for cats and I'm not sure why, but my cat son needs more time to process than other cats. I've interacted with enough of them to realise he's a little different, but that's fine!

And that's all I remember for now. Again, if you like please reblog with your own "my pet is probably neurodivergent" stories. I'd love to hear all about it <3

And that's feeding time missing only 3 of them, Lynx eats by the living room table, Pompom eats in the bedroom and Maia is starting to accompany her to see if I can socialise Pompom back after the move!

#hyperfixation #cat #neurodivergent #pets

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timeoverload · 1 year ago

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Today wasn't too bad I suppose. It didn't start very well because I slept through all 20 of my alarms. It's kind of ridiculous that I have to set that many as it is but I have a bad habit of hitting the snooze button. I usually get up around 4:30 or 5 but today I didn't get up until 6:15 and that's when I normally have to leave on Wednesdays.

I stayed up way too late last night but I wouldn't have been able to sleep even if I had tried because it was too loud. The neighbors down the street were lighting off super loud fireworks until almost 1 in the morning. I was so pissed and I really wanted to go over there and tell them they were being rude but I'm not a confrontational person. I don't even remember falling asleep but I don't think I got more than 4 hours. I guess having 2 days off messed me up too and I also forgot I had to be there earlier. I work at 7 on Mondays and Tuesdays and 6:30 on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Luckily I still had time to get everything set up and get breakfast before cases started at 7:30. I had 24 today but I got done with them by 3:00. I had time to sit down and eat my lunch too. It definitely was better than last Wednesday. I had 31 cases that day due to add-ons and there was also an hour delay because one of the surgeries took longer than usual so I ended up having to stay late and I was already exhausted. I was so grumpy after that and Thursday sucked.

I also got mad last week because that creepy guy I work with that won't leave me alone tried hitting on me again in front of a bunch of people and I basically had to tell had to tell him to fuck off. It was embarrassing. After that incident, he left the department for a while and when he came back he was clearly in a bad mood and was banging stuff around. It felt like he was trying to be intimidating or something and he also kept trying to find reasons to talk to me. I told him previously that I thought it was weird that he kept calling me beautiful and amazing and I tried to make it clear that it made me uncomfortable. I haven't shown any interest whatsoever so I don't understand why he keeps trying. I don't trust him. He doesn't seem to show a lot of respect for women. He's very desperate for a relationship and I'm not the only girl he acts that way towards. He cornered another girl in the stairwell to get her phone number. I'm not sure why she gave it to him since she said that she doesn't like him either. I would never give him any of my information. Most of the girls are uneasy around him and he likes to go around trying to get hugs. If he tries to say or do anything else to me like that I'm going to HR. He says he's planning on working there a long time and I can't wait to get away from him. At least I don't have to see him at all this week since he's out of town. I don't want him to come back but I'm happy that I haven't had to see him since he did that.

I got to leave work a couple minutes early so that was nice. I went to the store to get cat food and more snacks for myself. I have been eating so much junk food. I think I have actually gained a couple pounds which is good news. Some of my clothes are fitting better. I hope I can continue gaining weight but I also need to eat a little healthier sometimes. I don't even know how much I weigh right now since I don't have a scale so I guess I will find out when I go to the doctor on Friday. I'm also still planning on asking for her to increase my dosage of lamotrigine to 175mg a day since I've been taking 150mg for a while now. I am going to see if she will give me ativan or something for my anxiety. I have taken anxiety meds before and I don't really like them but lately I'm having a really hard time managing it. I haven't had blood work done in a while so I should probably ask to have that done too.

I'm going to make some dinner soon and get ready for bed. I'm sure I will sleep a lot better tonight and hopefully I actually wake up on time in the morning. I'm glad I only have to work one more day this week and tomorrow shouldn't be too busy. I'm going to do my best to make it a good day.

#personal

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authorangelita · 2 years ago

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I posted 400 times in 2022

That's 298 more posts than 2021!

138 posts created (35%)

262 posts reblogged (66%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@rosieblogstuff

@impossiblepluto

@appalachianapologies

@rosies-writealong

@nativestarwrites

I tagged 370 of my posts in 2022

Only 8% of my posts had no tags

#macgyver 2016 - 105 posts

#ask ang things - 39 posts

#rosies june macgyver flashfic writealong - 24 posts

#wip wednesday - 17 posts

#cold open challenge - 12 posts

#foster mac au - 10 posts

#febuwhump2022 - 9 posts

#rosieblogstuff asks things - 8 posts

#white collar - 7 posts

#drabble challenge - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#also i learned a lot time ago that i have more of a chance to remember what the fic is about if i title it something like hand+table+knife

My Top Posts in 2022:

Random poll that in no way has any bearing on a possible WIP idea:

If Mac were to have a twin brother, would he be:

A: a blind man who works with animals

B: a professional athlete

C: a therapist who was paralyzed in the same car accident that killed their mother

D: a secret agent for a different agency who is wildly reckless and doesn't have a Jack to watch out for him

E: none of the above

17 notes - Posted May 27, 2022

Happy Saturday! I had this scene pop into my head a couple of days ago, and I don't quite know what to do with it, so I'm posting it here for now. This is in the Reunited verse where Jack was captive for 5 years because Kovacs and Mac and Riley have a son named Jay.

Jack let himself into Mac and Riley's house and quietly closed the door. He'd heard from Matty that Mac took the day off because Jay was sick, and Riley was out on an op with one of the other teams, so he'd high-tailed over to the house.

Rounding the corner into the living room gave him his first glimpse of the situation. The TV was quietly playing an episode of Spongebob – a show he'd become familiar with recently while looking after Jay – and the couch was occupied by a MacGyver men blob.

Mac was lying on his side with his back pressed against the back of the couch, and Jay was curled up in front of him with his back to Mac's chest. They were still in their PJs and sharing a blanket. Jay was clutching the plush horse that Jack had gifted him, but he barely looked over at Jack when he sat in the chair by the couch.

"Mornin'," Jack said softly. He eyed the bucket he'd just noticed was set in easy reach by the couch, but it was empty when he craned his neck to peek inside. "Rough night?"

Mac looked over at him with bleary eyes and nodded slowly. "Jay caught a stomach virus, but I think he's getting better. He's kept down some meds and Pedialyte this morning."

Jack spotted the half-empty Pedialyte bottle and a sippy cup on the table and nodded. "And you?"

"I'm not sick, just tired."

Jack raised an eyebrow, but Mac met his gaze calmly, if a little sleepily. He seemed to be telling the truth. "Do you guys need anything?"

"Coffee?" Mac asked hopefully.

Grinning, Jack stood and headed into the kitchen, where he started a pot of coffee. He made it strong, and Mac usually hated that, but if he'd been up all night with Jay, he needed the caffeine boost. He also dropped a couple slices of bread into the toaster and poked around in the fridge to see if there were omelet ingredients.

He was debating how much sugar to add to Mac's mug when Mac walked into the room, yawning and stretching his arms over his head. He grabbed the cup and downed it black, which was very unlike him.

"How long have you been up, bud?"

Mac glanced at the clock and grimaced. "Twelve hours, give or take."

"I can stay with him if you want to go and get some actual sleep in a bed."

Mac looked over his shoulder to where Jay was sleeping on the couch. "I might take you up on that for an hour or so. If he feels worse or his fever spikes, just wake me up. There's a thermometer on the coffee table."

"One that you haven't taken apart?"

Mac rolled his eyes but replied, "Riley says the child thermometer is off limits. Always off limits."

Jack narrowed his eyes and stared Mac down for a moment. "And how many have you replaced?"

"About five, but don't tell her."

"Secret's safe with me. And don't worry. Jay and I will be out here, watching TV and drinking our breakfast beverages of choice. Do you want me to try and get some food in him?" Jack grabbed a piece of toast that had just popped up.

"If he asks for something, you can give him some banana or applesauce. He doesn't like plain toast." Mac grabbed the toast from Jack's hand and took a bite as he headed toward the master bedroom. "Thanks, man."

Jack took a minute to fix himself a cup of coffee before heading into the living room to sit back in the chair beside the couch. Jay, now awake, looked over at him and waved with the hand that didn't have a death grip on the plush horse.

"Hey, cowboy. Are you feeling a little better?"

Jay nodded.

"Good. That's real good. You want some more of this?" He leaned forward to grab the sippy cup next to the Pedialyte bottle. It was about half-full, which Jack decided was good enough for now.

Jay nodded again. This time he moved, sliding off the couch, walking to Jack, and climbing into his lap.

Setting his coffee on the side table, Jack helped Jay get settled in the crook of his arm. He could feel the heat of the little boy's fever and worriedly pressed the back of his hand to Jay's forehead. He was warm but not as bad as Jack first thought he was. He handed Jay the sippy cup and picked his coffee back up.

Jack stared at the TV, not really paying attention to it, while he thought about how good Mac was with his son. Jay adored Mac, and Mac cherished every moment with Jay.

See the full post

18 notes - Posted November 5, 2022

WIP Wednesday 9/21

Thanks for the tag @rosieblogstuff :)

A little more FosterMac here. I know where this first story is going to end, so I have a goal! :)

Jack glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Mac staring out the window. He was fiddling with something in his hands, but Jack couldn't see it from his angle. "What you got there?"

Mac held up a paperclip that had been twisted into the outline of a car.

"That's impressive, bud. What other shapes can you do?"

Riley looked over and rolled her eyes. "He does that all the time."

Mac glared at her. "It helps me stay focused. The paperclips." He slipped the car sculpture into his backpack and pulled out a new paperclip, which he quickly started to bend.

"Gives you something to do with your hands," Jack said with a knowing nod. "I knew some guys in the Army who twirled pens or made origami animals. Helped them think and kept them sitting still."

Mac dropped his paperclip and looked up at Jack in surprise like he'd never known anyone who understood it when he explained it.

Jack smiled and pulled into his parking spot in front of the Dalton-Davis house. Diane's car was in the driveway, and Jack was glad she was home. The three made a mad dash for the front door through the increasingly worse rainstorm.

If you have not been tagged yet and have a wip snip to share, please do!

18 notes - Posted September 21, 2022

I was rewatching Scissors (S01E11) tonight. Can we talk about how Mac got Jack a Snuggie for Christmas? Is Jack cold a lot during movie nights at Mac's? Or did Mac want to give him something that was soft and comfortable? Because Jack is so often jumping in front of whoever is after Mac and getting banged up, so he's sore and surly unless he has a nice soft blanket. Or was it a joke gift because Mac didn't know what to get Jack? There are so many possibilities!

25 notes - Posted March 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Meta: Mac's Army Service Uniform

I've been meaning to post this for a while, and I was finally able to finish up the last bit of research. I did a deep dive into Mac's Army Service Uniform because I was super curious what it would say about his Army service. These observations are based on screenshots from S05E05 Jack + Kinematics + Safe Cracker + MgKNO3 + GTO.

Beret

The flash is blue with white stars, which represents the Department of the Army. Source

The distinctive unit insignia on his beret is for the 1st Armored Division. The 1st Armored Division is an active unit of the US Army located in Fort Bliss, Texas. Known as the “Old Ironsides” and consists of over 17,000 soldiers. Source More info

See the full post

31 notes - Posted July 13, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #i'm trying to be consistent with tagging #also i'm not surprised my top post is a meta post #they tend to generate a lot of feedback #but i'm surprised by the others #i should go back to that twin idea thing

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d-noona · 3 years ago

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BARTERED BRIDE - Chapter 4

Ch 04 - Lunch Meeting

Kim Namjoon is a ruthless financier used to buying and selling stocks, shares and priceless artifacts. But now Namjoon has his eye on a very different acquisition - Park Han Byeol. Left destitute by her father's recent death, Han Byeol walks into Namjoon's bank looking to extend her overdraft. As Han Byeol needs money and Namjoon needs a wife, he proposes the perfect deal: he'll rescue her financially if she agrees to marry him. But in this marriage of convenience can Han Byeol ever be anything more than just a bartered bride?

Masterlist

"I nearly kept you waiting," said Namjoon. "I came back from the bank at eleven to go run in the park. As I was coming home I saw an old man on a bench who was obviously in need of medical attention. That held me up."

"Do you run everyday?" Han Byeol asks.

"I try to. Are you a runner?"

Han Byeol shook her head. "I play tennis and ski. I don't do work-outs."

He slanted an appraising glance at her figure. Today, in place of a black suit, she was wearing a designer outfit bought on a holiday in Italy. It consisted f a fine jersey-knit top in lilac, a waistcoat in violet, and swirling chevron-striped skirt combining those colors with pink and pale pistachio-green. The audacious color combination was perfect with Han Byeol's dark hair and brown eyes. "You look in great shape," he remarked. "But people in desk jobs like mine need some kind of fitness regime to stave off the bad effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Come and sit down. What would you like to drink before lunch?"

She remembered his remark about the wine she had been drinking when he forced his way in the previous evening. Was he one of those people who drank only mineral water and made everyone who didn't feel on a lower plane? Han Byeol had no intention of allowing him to intimidate her. "A Campari and soda, please," she said firmly.

Namjoon said to the butler, who had been following them at a discreet distance, "A Campari for Miss Park and my usual, please, Curtis." With a silent inclination of the head, the butler withdrew.

"Let's sit over here, shall we?" Namjoon steered her towards a group of comfortable chairs near one of the windows. "Have you finished your packing?"

"Almost"

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep, she had worked on it till long past midnight. At half past nine this morning a dealer whom she had ought a lot of furnishings had come round to buy them back. Luckily Han Byeol had paid for them out of her bank account. Although the money in it had come from her father, technically they were her property, not his. As soon as his business had been forced into receivership, everything her father had owned, including the family home belonged to his business creditors. But the cash the dealer had handed her could go in her pocket. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing if, when Namjoon spelt out the terms of his trade off marriage, she found that she couldn't accept them. Looking up at the elegant cornice around the ceiling and the two crystal chandeliers, their chains swathed with coral tassels at the tops of the heavy cream curtains.

"Are you interested in architecture?" He sounded faintly surprised.

"Sometimes."

The butler came back with their drinks, hers a slight more vivid red than the coral linen slipcovers on some of the sofas, Namjoon's colorless except for a twist of lemon floating among the ice cubes. It could be in or vodka, or it could straight mineral water. Namjoon said, "This was my grandparents' house. My paternal grandmother still lives here when she's not staying with her daughters". I moved here when my father died. We had been living in Ilsan. I have an apartment near Gangnam but I thought you would feel more comfortable being entertained in the main house," he added with a gleam of amusement. After a slight pause, he added "I shall move out when I marry. The province is better for children, if their parents can choose where to live. Most people can't of course."

"Where are you thinking of moving to?" Han Byeol asked.

"I haven't decided." His expression was enigmatic. "Where would you choose to live, given a free choice?"

Han Byeol considered the question. Once the answer would have been "Wherever Yoongi wants to live." She said, "Ideally I'd like more sun than we get in this city. I wouldn't mind living by the sea, getting some fresh air...or a lake would do as long as it has mountains round it. I'd like to look out on mountains...big ones with snow on top."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Sounds as if New Zealand would suit you."

She shook her head. "I'm sure it's a beautiful country but it's too far away from Korea. Have you been there?"

Namjoon nodded. "The scenery's magnificent...when it's not raining. Unreliable weather. I went with old friends, you might know them since they run in the same circles you do. Where have your travels taken you?"

"Mostly to holiday places...the Caribbean in winter...resorts round the Med in summer. My mother's a passionate gardener. She doesn't like travelling alone, even in a group. I've been on some garden tours with her...the south of France, Ireland, California. Where do you for holidays?" Han Byeol takes a sip of her Campari.

"I used to go with my father who also liked someone with him. We went to Japan together and other Pacific Rim countries. I travel a lot for the bank. For pleasure I usually go to France, Greece or Spain. Where would you like to go for our honeymoon?"

The question, tacked on to innocuous small talk, took her by surprise. "I haven't agreed to marry you," she said coldly.

"If you found the idea unthinkable, you wouldn't be here," he said dryly. "Let's be straight with each other Han Byeol. I need you...you need me. It's a sensible, practical arrangement."

She knew that at least the first part of what he said was true, but she wasn't about to admit it. Was it pride that made her reluctant to fall in with his plan too readily? She said, "I'm not clear why you've selected me."

"You're very attractive...as I am sure you're aware." he smiles at her gently.

"Is that all you want from a woman? An acceptable face and figure? Don't you care what I'm like inside?" Han Byeol scoffed.

'I can make some intelligent guesses. People can't hide their characters," he told her casually. "Even in repose a face gives a lot of clues to its owner's temperament. Apart from yesterday's evidence that you have a short fuse, I haven't detected any characteristics I wouldn't like to live with."

His arrogance took her breath away. In that moment of shock, she was struck by the thought it would be both a challenge and public service to bring this man down from his lofty pinnacle and convert him into an acceptably unassuming person. But perhaps it was already too late . One of gran's favorite sayings was, "What's bred in the bone must come out in flesh." Namjoon with his long-boned thoroughbred physique and his handsome features, looked a descendant of generations of men who had felt themselves to be superior beings and never experienced the doubts felt by ordinary people.

In a different, more rough-hewn way, her father had been the same. Probably somewhere far back in Namjoon's ancestry, there had been a man like her father: a rough-diamond unscrupulous go-getter who had founded the Park Fortune. Perhaps if Mr. Park had married someone better equipped to handle him than her quiet and easily cowed mother, her father might have been saved from becoming an overbearing braggart. Whether, at thirty four, Namjoon's essential nature could be modified was problematical. But it could be interesting to try.

She said, "I don't find you as transparent as you seem to find me. It takes me longer to make up my mind about people;"

"You haven't had as much experience of summing up people as I have."

The butler reappeared. "Luncheon is ready when you are, sir."

They ate in a smaller room with a view of a large garden, an oasis of well kept greenery in the heart of the city. The surface of the round Regency breakfast table had a gleaming patina resulting from years of regular polishing' It reflected the colors and shapes of the red-streaked white tulips arranged in a what Han Byeol recognized as an antique tulip pot, its many spouts designed to support the stems of flowers which had once been costly status symbols. The meal began with potted shrimps served with crisp Melba toast, tiny green gherkins and white wine, which they continued to drink with the main course, chicken with minty yogurt dressing.

While they ate Namjoon talked about plays and art shows he had been to recently. It was the kind of conversation made by strangers at formal lunch parties and although his comments were interesting Han Byeol thought his choice of subject was irrelevant to this particular situation. When the butler had withdrawn, leaving them to help themselves to a fruit salad with fromage frais, or to selection of more substantial cheeses, she said, "Why do you want a wife when you could go on having girlfriends and a change them when you get bored?"

Offering her elegant Waterford compote, its apparent fragility emphasizing the powerful but equally elegant form of the hands in which it was cradled, he looked at her with unexpected sternness. "I have a responsibility to my line. I need sons to carry on the traditions established by my predecessors."

She found this solemnly irritating. "Are you expecting me to provide proof of my fertility?" Before she could add that, if he was, he could forget it, Namjoon said, "No, I'm prepared to chance that."

"Big deal!" Han Byeol said sarcastically.

She had a feeling that Namjoon wouldn't hesitate to divorce her if she failed to live up to his expectations in some way. But although he struck her as a monster of cold-hearted self-centeredness, she couldn't deny that he was extraordinarily attractive. Every movement he had made since they sat down had heightened her awareness of the lean and muscular physique inside the well-cut suit and the long legs under the table. His hair was dry now but still had a sheen of health. There was nothing about him suggestive of stress or tension. He seemed entirely relaxed. Yet why did he need to arrange a businesslike marriage instead of falling in love the way people usually did?

Wondering, suddenly, if he might be in the same situation as herself, heartbroken, although it didn't seem likely, she said, "When did you dream up this scheme?"

"It's an idea I've had for some time...probably since my contemporaries started divorcing. I have about a dozen god-children, most whom now have step parents, some official, some not. I don't want that for my children."

"Did you parents stay married?" she asked.

It seemed to her that his face underwent a change. His lips didn't tighten. His eyebrows didn't draw together. But there was a subtle hardening and chilling, reminding her of the impression she had received that morning when they sat on opposite sides of his imposing desk/ Now they were at a table designed for a more intimate and relaxed conversation. But she sensed a change in the atmosphere and knew she had trespassed in an area of his where she was an unwelcome intruder.

"They separated. They were never divorced," he answered.

Han Byeol wanted to ask hold he had been when the separation happened, but something made her hold her tongue. Later, going back to the flat in the taxi he had laid on for her, she regretted her curiousity.

When-in-two people were going to marry, there shouldn't be any "No go" areas between them...or at least none of that nature. His past girlfriends were not her business, but his family life certainly was. She shouldn't have allowed herself to be put off. From now on she wouldn't be, she told herself firmly.

#bts #bangtan sonyeondan #kim namjoon #joonie'#RM #bangtan army #rm x reader #rm x original character #rm motherfuckers

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otome--fantasy · 5 years ago

Text

Of Demons and Dragons

Ikemen Sengoku Imagine: Being able to turn into a dragon.

Ch.5

Warnings: Swearing, depictions of depression

Several weeks had passed since you had attempted to flee the castle, almost three months, and it was beginning to take its toll. Since then, you've kept to your room - emerging only to bathe and go to the restroom, while you had maids deliver food to your room at set times. These past few days had been especially hard however, you hadn't bathed in days, and the maids have been returning to your room to pick up a full trays of food more often than not. At first, you enjoyed the silence and the time to yourself, but after the first two weeks you started becoming stir crazy. You would pace your room, reorganize things again and again, clean even when your furnishings weren't dirty, and you preened to the best of your ability, constantly.

While grooming was essential to keeping your dragon scales healthy, strong, and of course clean - too much of it could be detrimental. Dragons were much like birds in that sense. Lack of interaction, stress, and boredom lead to obsessive grooming which lead to plucking, but for you it simply ment your scales fell out on their own. You realized you had an issue when you woke up this particular morning, sat up, and scratched the back of your head, only to pull a dragon scale the size of your finger out of your hair.

"Milady?" Kinu opened the door, assuming you were still asleep as she was normally the one to wake you, "Oh Princess, where did you get that?" She had noticed the scale in your hand. Luckily because of its size she didn't know what it was, and luckily for you, you weren't in so bad of a condition that they were just falling out without you doing anything.

She walked closer, "It's so pretty!" You would have been flattered had you not been embarrassed by the condition the scale was in. Normally dragon scales were iridescent, polished, sleek, smooth, and hard so they could protect the softer skin underneath, but the one you had shed was dull, and rough from constant licking, as well as a bit brittle.

"I found it when I went out into town."

She reached for the scale and you hesitantly gave it to her to examine, "Careful it feels a bit fragile."

She nodded before cupping her hands together so you could place it in the center, and she gawked at the [in her eyes] vivid coloration, "You found it? Just laying around?"

"Yes," you lied, "it was on the ground and it caught my eye, so I took it."

She carefully lifted it to eye level with her thumb and index finger, "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," you shrugged, "For now just a pretty keep sake." She smiled and nodded before handing it back to you, "Right well," once you had taken it back her smile widened and she gave you a bow, "What would you like for breakfast this morning, Milady?"

You once again shrugged, "It doesn't really matter."

Kinu frowned at your lack luster answer, though she noticed that the past few weeks your personality seemed to be dimming, "Is something wrong, Princess?" She knelt beside you, "You haven't quite been yourself as of late..."

You looked up to meet Kinu's gaze. To be honest you felt quite tired, and you definitely weren't looking forward to another day of being trapped in your room. Perhaps you should just forget about breakfast this morning and go back to bed. It wouldn't really matter either way anyways.

"Milady?" Kinu's brows furrowed, and her ordinarily chipper expression contorted into one of sadness and concern, "Do you feel ill? Should I call Ieyasu?"

"No," you sighed before you slumped back down into your mat, turned your back to Kinu, and pulled your blanket over you. She had no idea what was wrong, whenever she had seen you wandering the castle or heard about you sneaking out to see the town that one time - you always seemed so bright, but now...

"Princess?"

"Hmm...?"

"Maybe we could have Ieyasu check your wounds? Maybe he can clear you, and you and I could go out into town today?"

What a brilliant idea, how had you not thought of that sooner? Well the answer to that was simple - you thought it would look too suspicious for you to heal so fast.

"It's been three months, Milady, I'm sure you're well enough to at least get out of your room, and maybe even the castle."

Yes some fresh air and more sun than what your balcony could offer would probably do the trick. You turned over in your mat to look at Kinu, "That's an excellent idea Kinu." While you hadn't immediately brightened like she had hoped, you at least sounded a bit more alive than before.

"Wonderful!" She smiled and hopped up onto her feet, "I shall go fetch Lord Ieyasu immediately!" She bowed quickly before running out of your room with an accidental slam of the door to rush to the medical experts med bay. With a grunt you sat up again and began inspecting yourself for any loose scales that showed through your skin. You rubbed your arms and lightly scratched the back of your head, before patting down your sides and legs. A few emerged and slid off you as your hands glided over your skin and you sighed in frustration. Nothing else seemed to fall after that - for now. Hopefully, a nice stroll outside would do you some good.

You got out of bed and straightened up to the best of your ability - getting rid of your fallen scales by crushing them and throwing them out the balcony doors to let them scatter to the wind, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, smoothing out any creases in your sleeping robe and running your fingers through your hair to get out whatever knots you could, before tying your hair up into a lazy bun with a ribbon Kinu had gotten for you the last time she went out into town. Perhaps you could buy a brush and a comb when you went out today, maybe even a mirror. Sure you could ask the servants and they would bring you one, but you wanted something that was yours and didn't feel borrowed.

You were standing out on the balcony when Ieyasu and Kinu emerged through the door to your room.

"Milady?" Kinu was the first to speak of the two as she attempted to get a reaction out of you. However, when she didn't receive one she turned to Ieyasu and whispered, "This is what I was talking about, she hasn't been quite herself lately..."

The blond made his way over to you, gently grabbing you arm to bring you back inside. Ieyasu released you for a moment to close the door behind you and him before leading you back to your sleeping mat and guiding you into a sitting position.

"Hey, woman," Ieyasu was so eloquent with words. You looked up to meet his gaze with an almost blank expression, "I'm going to have to take off your sleeping robe to check your injuries okay?" You wordlessly nodded.

Your silence made him uneasy. He was so used to you being loud and talkative, always having something to say, but now you were almost eerily quiet. He cleared his throat and slowly untied the knot of your robe, before pulling the collar slightly to reveal the side if your neck. There were no signs of injury, it was like you'd never been shot by arrows. He leaned in closer to better examine - not even a trace of scar tissue. With a small subconscious gasp, he moved around to sit behind you and pulled the rest of the robe away.

Nothing.

No scabbing, no signs of inflammation or infection, not even a scar. He was glad your wounds hadn't worsened but he was expecting to at least see a scar. With a hard swallow, Ieyasu slowly and gently ran his fingers down your bare back in an attempt to confirm that there was indeed nothing there. The light ghost of a touch sent a small shiver up and down your spine, causing you to flinch and turn your head slightly to the right to get a better look at the medic through the corner of your eye.

Again there was nothing, no smooth, pink, shiny, or soft skin that would come with a scar being there. He furrowed his brows and pressed on the areas where your wounds used to be, "Let me know if you feel any pain or discomfort."

You moved your head back forward and focused to his hands. They traveled up your back at a snail's pace, pressing down here and there - starting off easy before applying more pressure. It felt more like a massage than anything, and the contact was nice enough to have you close your eyes and let out a deep breath.

The action made Ieyasu stop, thinking your actions were an attempt to mask some pain you felt, "Are you okay?" He asked while simultaneously pressing down on the spot.

"Yes," your monotonous voice caught him almost as off guard as your behavior thus far.

"You don't feel any pain or discomfort?" He continued to apply the same constant pressure as he rubbed your back up and down, before his hands migrated to your side where you had sustained the most injuries from the battle, and he repeated his actions.

"No."

"Okay then," he wasn't sure what more to say as he pulled his hands away from you before pulling your robe back over your shoulders and straightening it out as best he could. "You're injuries have obviously healed," he stood up from his spot behind you and made his way over to your door, "I see no more reason to confine you to your room anymore."

That was all he said before he left, leaving you and Kinu alone in your room. "Oh Princess!" She was ecstatic, "This is wonderful news!"

The maid walked over to you and kneeled by your side to gauge you reaction. You simply nodded and turned to look at her, adjusting and tying your robe back up, "I guess I should have a bath before we go."

"Of course, Milady," she smiled sweetly, "And I'll be sure there is a beautiful kimono laid out for you for when you return!" With a small bow, she stood and left the room to head to the bathhouse. She decided at that moment that she would add some extra bath herbs, salts, and oils to hopefully perk you up.

News traveled fast among the servants that you had officially recovered as Kinu could hardly contain her excitement that she would be accompanying you out into town today. That being said you hadn't been expecting to hear a knock on your door so soon after Kinu left, it normally takes a while to prep a bath especially in the mornings.

"Princess."

Your head quickly turned to look towards the door when it opened and you were greeted by the sight of a familiar face, "Hideyoshi."

He smiled as he entered your room, placing a hand on your head before ruffling your hair like one would a younger loved one or a dog.

"No!" You lightly smacked his hand away, not meaning to harm him, just get his hand out of your hair.

He pulled back and looked at you quizzically as you covered your head with your arms and hands, "I haven't bathed in days, my hair is disgusting."

The brunette chuckled, "Is that all?"

"Is that all?" You huffed, "I have had little reason to leave this room and the past few weeks have been especially difficult..."

"I know," Hideyoshi knelt down so he could look at you at eye level, "That's why I came to offer to take you into town today."

"Kinu already beat you to that."

"I know," he laughed slightly, "I'm sure she's told everyone in the castle about it by now, she's happy you're well again."

You couldn't imagine why, you must have been the worst person she'd ever been assigned to service. You know in the months you've been here you hadn't been exactly friendly towards everyone, and sure you hadn't been nasty to Kinu, but still - you hadn't exactly been looking to make any friends during your stay here.

"Hey," Hideyoshi placed a hand on your shoulder with a small frown on his face. You looked up to meet his gaze, and what he saw seemed to be a shell of the girl he'd come to know the first few days of your stay, "Alright, that's it," he stood and helped you to your feet, "Were going to get you to the bathhouse so you can clean up, get you dressed, and then get you some food before we head out okay?"

"Kinu already beat you to that." You had ment the bath, but Hideyoshi thought you were getting delusional, which to be fair, he probably wasn't completely wrong.

The day you fully healed and fled the castle, was the day you had decided to lock yourself up. First it was the lack of sun, and lack of activity that began to wear on you mentally. Then the lack of stimulation began to wear on you emotionally, leading to the depression you had been feeling, and that lead you to not having the motivation to do much of anything - like eating and bathing. All that on top of your body trying to recoup from a speedy regeneration left you feeling weak, even with all the sleep you had been getting.

"Hideyoshi," was all you were able to get out as he attempted to lead you down the halls of the castle before you collapsed.

"Hey, hey!" He rushed to catch you and keep you from hitting the floor.

"Princess!" Kinu must have been heading back to your room to get you for your bath because she had been in the same hall when she saw you collapse, "Milady! What's wrong?!"

Hideyoshi was quick to pick you up bridal style and rush you to the castle sick bay where Ieyasu studied and practiced his medicine during his stays in Azuchi. He should be there at about this time.

"Ieyasu!!!" Hideyoshi called for the blond as he ran down the halls, as if that alone would be enough to summon the healer before him, "I swear if it isn't one thing with you it's another. You really are like a troublesome little sister."

"I'll inform Lord Nobunaga, he'll want to be updated!" Kinu broke off from him, heading in the opposite direction.

All the yelling got the attention of those who were in the rooms that lined the halls. Mitsunari and Mitsuhide poked their heads out from the library as Hideyoshi approached with you in his arms. Both their eyes widened.

"What happened?" Mitsunari was the first to step out of the room and follow after Hideyoshi, with Mitsuhide on his heels, "Did she try to run off again?"

"No, she collapsed- Ieyasu!!!"

The blond in question slammed open his sliding doors with a deep frown on his face, "What-" He almost lunged out of his room, but stopped as soon as he saw you weak in Hideyoshi's arms.

"Is she conscious?" Ieyasu pulled the taller warlord into the room and lead him to a matt on the floor closer to the back of the room, allowing the others to fall in behind him.

"I'm not sure maybe," Hideyoshi placed you on the matt as gently as he could while also maintaining a sense of urgency. Ieyasu placed a hand on the side of your face to make you look at him. He tsked. You were definitely awake but most likely weren't aware of what was going on. You produced a groan as your eyes opened only to roll to the back of your head every now and then and flutter shut before opening again.

"She's awake," he confirmed, "But going in and out of conciousness," Ieyasu flittered about you, straightening your position on the matt so your posture wouldn't get in the way of his work, "Move, Hideyoshi."

The brunette was practically shoved out of the way as Ieyasu took your pulse rate, breath rate and checked your temperature with his hand.

"Her breathing is erratic, pulse rate normal but a little weak, and her temperature is-" he wanted to double check because your temperature was, "Abnormally high."

One of the servants who worked under Ieyasu and had seen him rushing to your aid returned to the room with a bowl of water and some towels as well as a few jars of herbs, "My lord!"

He placed the jars on his desk and moved to put the bowl next to Ieyasu, folding a towel and putting it into the water to soak, before placing it on your head in and effort to cool your temperature. Meanwhile, the blond immediately made a beeline for his table, took some water into a separate bowl and began to crush a few herbs and roots in it to create a mixture.

"What's that?" A new voice next to Ieyasu made him jump slightly.

"Damn it, Masamune!" He huffed and shook his head before continuing to crush the herbs and mix them, "It's a mixture of several different roots, herbs, and vegetables packed with vitamins and anything else she might need to boost her strength."

The one eyed warlord's eye narrowed, "Why?"

Ieyasu rolled his eyes at his colleagues persistence, "Kinu has been keeping me updated on her progress, as I asked her to. It seems our princess hasn't been taking quite good care of herself." Once he was done mixing the concoction into a slurry he poured it into a tea mug for you to drink out of, "She's been excessively sleeping, and eating little to no food for the past few weeks - she's also probably dehydrated."

"Weeks?" Hideyoshi chimed in from the spot next to you he reclaimed when Ieyasu stepped away to mix your medicine.

"Did I stutter?" The response was tense and if not a little snappy, "Help me sit her up."

Hideyoshi snaked his arm underneath your shoulders and wrapped the other around your midsection, shuffling his position slightly so he could easily lift you and then let you lean back against him to sit you upright.

"Hey, hey," Ieyasu tapped your cheek three times rapidly to try and get you to stir enough to drink the medicine he had made. You groaned and shook your head. With an impatient sigh he grabbed your chin and made you look at him, "Hey, woman, look at me."

You were able to open your eyes, but they felt heavy, the light filtering in through the windows was entirely too bright, and all the noise made your head pound.

"Drink this." Ieyasu's voice sounded muffled, far away, and had a bit of an echo to it. It took your brain a moment to register what he was asking but it clicked when you felt a warm ceramic cup touch your lips. When you finally opened you mouth slightly, he tilted the bottom up to let the medicine pour into your mouth.

"Drink," he coached you, "easy now." You face scrunched up when your tongue tasted the elixir, "I know it doesn't taste the best but you have to drink all of it."

Worst smoothie ever.

You wanted to spit it out, but you were coherent enough to understand what the blond wanted and begrudgingly drank every last drop before finishing it with a gasp.

"Here," the servant from earlier passed Ieyasu another mug, which he then held up to your lips. You shook your head, not wanting anymore of the vile medicine, "It's water," he reassured you, "Wash it down."

You some how gathered enough strength to grab the mug yourself and practically chugged the fresh, clean water down before you shot up into a proper sitting position instead of leaning against Hideyoshi. He let you free from his grasp but kept his hands on your shoulders, should your strength falter again.

"Good girl."

Your digestive system was making quick work of the concoction. The medicine being pre-smashed, and easily digestible ment your body was able to more easily and more quickly absorb all the nutrients it had been deprived of these past few weeks.

Once you had calmed and quieted down, you leaned back again - forgetting Hideyoshi was still their, "Easy there," you quickly turned to look at him at the sound of his voice.

"I need to lay down," you held your head with one hand and shakily lowered yourself to the mat with Hideyoshi's help. The speed at which you had moved to drink the water gave you a bit of vertigo and left you feeling dizzy.

"Honestly," Ieyasu scoffed, "This will be the last time we trust you to take care of yourself when you're injured."

You chuckled as you settled into the mat to get comfortable, "Hopefully it will be the last time I get injured. Period."

"What part of 'I want you to stay by my side' do you not understand," a familiar deep voice cut through the room like a sharp knife. The warlords stopped what they were doing to look to the still open doors as Nobunaga stormed through them with a nervous Kinu at his side.

"That was an order, not a request," he barked grumpily as he took a seat next to you beside Hideyoshi, eyes gazing at you with a hard glare.

You gave him a smug smile and chuckled, "I'm not good with following orders."

"Obviously," Nobunaga crossed his arms and huffed, "What good are you to me if you're dead."

Ieyasu came around to your opposite side and placed down another mug of that terrible mixture he concocted. You flinched away from both him and the mug, causing you to press into both Hideyoshi and Nobunaga's laps with a hiss. The blond raised a brow at you before rolling his eyes, "Calm down. I just want you to drink it after you've had breakfast and with every other meal for the next few days."

"Days?!" You whined, opting instead to bury your face into the pillow.

"Oh be quiet," Ieyasu crossed his arms, "It's the fastest way for you to regain all your strength," he placed down another, slightly larger mug full of water next to it, "And I want you to drink one of these full of water every hour."

You supposed you couldn't argue with him, he was the doctor, and it was your own fault for not eating. You groaned, "Fine, but I've already drank some of that stuff for the morning, so can I not for breakfast?"

"No."

Shot down so easily. You groaned again.

"He's only trying to help you, lass," you hadn't realized Masamune was in the room, and you took the opportunity to examine the rest of its occupants. Everyone was here, including Kinu and a few other servants who had been helping Ieyasu.

You immediately swallowed your stubborn pride and slumped back into the sleeping matt with a defeated sigh. You felt guilty, you had worried everyone with your carelessness - at least when your were physically in danger you knew you would be alright, and that their worry stemmed from a lack of knowledge as to what you were, but in this case...you had truly been reckless.

"I'm sorry."

The others turned to look at you, stunned expressions on all their faces, "I should have asked for help when I needed it. I knew I wasn't doing well, but instead of saying something I chose to let myself rot." You really had done it to yourself, locking yourself away, letting your health deteriorate the way it did, as well as not eating.

Hideyoshi placed a hand on your head, and ruffled your hair, "Don't worry about that, all that matters is you're going to get better."

"I should have never trusted you to look after yourself," Ieyasu hid the pang of guilt he felt for not checking in on his patient, with a snooty attitude, "I should have known you weren't capable of providing yourself with the care you needed to get better."

"Excuse me?" Kinu's mousey voice piped up from behind the others, and she stepped forward, "Would the princess still be able to go out into town today?"

"No," Ieyasu wasn't harsh, but his answer was absolute, "Not today at least, maybe tomorrow or the day after."

She nodded solemnly, "I understand, I do not want her to strain herself."

After everything was said and done, and you were set up to stay in Ieyasu's sick bay for the next few days, the others cleared out - leaving you in the room with Ieyasu to keep an eye on you, and Nobunaga, "I'm suprised you said nothing the night I summoned you to my quarters. You're usually so vocal when you can't or don't want to do something."

Ieyasu glanced up at the both of you from his place at his desk as he made more of the mixture you would be needing over the course of the next few days. His eyes narrowed in suspicion before he shook his head and continued his work.

"I knew I could handle it, your aren't that difficult to deal with," you snickered.

Nobunaga raised a brow at you, taking that as a challenge, "If I remember correctly you were the one who-"

"My lord," Ieyasu interrupted, walking up to stand beside him before bowing, "I don't mean to interrupt, but the princess really must get as much rest as possible."

Oda looked up at Ieyasu as he spoke, and gave you a glance before he stood, "Very well." He turned his back to the both of you before walking towards the sliding doors.

"I expect updates on her progress," he stopped just before the exit and turned to look at Ieyasu before continuing on his way out.

The blond medic slid a plate of food over to you once Nobunaga shut the door behind him, "Eat."

You looked, it was a small simple breakfast, but what did you expect of the times you were living in currently? Right now you would kill for a larger breakfast, it felt like your stomach was prepared to eat you from the inside out. You suspected Ieyasu may have also included something in that elixir to jumpstart your appetite again. Slowly, you sat up in your mat and took the plate before you began eating.

Ieyasu gently placed the other mug of elixir and another of water next to you. You watched him when the 'thud' of the glasses being placed on wood flooring got your attention, before looking back to the half eaten food infront of you.

You swallowed whatever food was in your mouth before reaching to take your first sip of the elixir, "So, doc," and placing it back next to you, "What's the verdict?"

The warlord huffed, "You collapsed from exhaustion and dehydration, on top of that, due to lack of food intake- your body didn't have the strength for whatever it was you were doing when you collapsed."

You finished up your plate of food and threw the elixer back like you were taking a shot of alcohol till you finished it. 'You aren't supposed to taste it,' as your party animal friends back at home used to say, "Oh that's disgusting." You then drank your water till the glass was empty and placed it on the floor next to your empty plate and the medicine cup.

"Hopefully by the end of tomorrow you should be well enough to be up and walking around again," Ieyasu took the mugs and stacked them on the plate before taking it and standing up, "But we'll play it by ear."

Without another word he exited the room to do whatever it was he did. You were sure he would be back to check on you in an hour and make sure you were drinking your water. A sigh left you lips as you laid back down and stared at the door. Your eye lids felt heavy, and for the first time in a while your body actually felt relaxed as opposed to the stiff weight you had become accustomed to the past few weeks.

You were drifting off when the sound of a knock on the cieling caught your attention and your eyes shot open. You rolled on to your back to look at the cieling and saw one of the tiles shift before being lifted slightly, and then opened all that way.

"I am so sorry I haven't been able to get into contact with you sooner."

"It's okay Sasuke," you didn't bother sitting up, you were quite comfortable to be honest.

"I see you are still playing the part of the wounded princess?" A good guess, but a wrong one no less.

"No," you sighed, "Turns out locking myself away and avoiding contact with other people as much as I could took its toll on me, and I slipped into a small depression."

Sasuke looked at you suprised.

"Ieyasu cleared me this morning for my wounds," you continued, "But since I, like the rest of my generation, have a horrible habit of neglecting myself, I collapsed in the hall."

Sasuke lowered himself from the cieling and walked over to your place on your matt, "I take it that's why you're in the sick bay now instead of your room? Ieyasu wants to keep a closer eye in you?"

"Yes."

"I for one, am jealous." You scoffed at Sasuke's statement, "Why?"

"Because, the Ieyasu Tokugawa is looking after you. He was one of the Sengoku periods leading doctors, if you will." Sasuke adjusted his glasses and took a seat next to you, "However, that does also mean that this meeting must be short. Ieyasu strikes me as someone who is very thorough."

"Well you would be right about that, he's probably going to be checking on me every hour or so, maybe less."

"When did he leave?"

You shrugged, "About ten minutes or so ago, give or take."

The brunette nodded, "Well I just wanted to inform you that I will be leaving Azuchi for a little bit due to an assignment I've been given by my employer, but I have asked Yuki to keep an eye on you should you go into town."

"Okay, thanks," you nodded, "I feel like I don't need to tell you to be safe, because you should know, but I'm going to tell you anyways. Be safe."

"Thank you," Sasuke smiled at your kind gesture, "I shouldn't be gone for long, maybe a month or two if all goes well."

"Bring me back a silvaner," you chuckled.

He smiled in return, "I don't know if that will be possible, but I'll do what I can."

Sasuke stood to take his leave, "Oh, and I have yet to receive any signs that a wormhole will be opening up any time soon, but I'll be sure to keep you updated."

You sat up to look at Sasuke's retreating figure, before giving him a nod. Without further word, he skillfully jumped up through the ceiling tile he removed before placing it back as if it had never been disturbed, and not a moment too soon.

A knock at the door caught you by suprise. Surely it hadn't been an hour already? The last person you had ever wanted to see, poked his head through the door, "Hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

It took everything in you not to growl at Mitsuhide, or throw a book case at him. "Not at all," you spoke flatly, "I was just here, sitting in this dim room and staring at the wall."

A knowing smile crept on to his features before he stepped in and closed the door behind him, "Were you now?"

"Yes, what else would there be to do?"

"I must admit," he walked closer to you, "You play the part of a damsel in distress well."

"That whole thing wasn't an act," you snapped at him with a low voice, "I have been too stressed to care for myself properly these past few months."

"Oh do tell," he sat next to you, so he could look you in the eye, "What makes you so uneasy?"

You. But you weren't going to give him the pleasure of knowing that, even if he was already aware. Maybe you could try to scare him off, if actions can't maybe words will. You briefly remembered the resolve you reached with Sasuke when you attempted to escape three months ago.

Just pretend you know nothing.

"Sorry," you sneared and turned up your nose at him, "I try not to make it a habbit to tell my struggles to those who can do nothing for me."

His smile only seemed to widen at this as he reached forward to move a strand of hair and tuck it behind your ear, "Well how do you know I have nothing to offer if you don't tell me?" The action caught your attention and made you whip around to look at him.

"Well you could go away for starters," you shuffled to pull away from him, "That itself would make my situation so much better- infact if you stayed as far away from me as possible that would make my life so much better."

"Hard to imagine little old me could frighten someone like you." Mitsuhide pulled his hand back.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't?" He didn't bother to hold back his grin, "Perhaps when you're well again, I can take you on a tour of the castle and show you the pillar you nearly destroyed."

"You're crazy."

"Am I?" His head cocked to the side slightly in question, "Is that what that vision I saw of you with serpents eyes was?"

Pause.

"Maybe you should stay," you gave him a smirk of your own, "Ieyasu could have a look at you and determine if you are no longer mentally stable."

He frowned and his eyes narrowed at you. You weren't budging, "I don't know what you are, but it obviously isn't human."

You remained silent at that remark, not sure what more you could say to throw him off.

"Your eyes, your strength, Ieyasu's tea that one time you were cross with him, and the castle gate-"

"Why, Mitsuhide, I had no idea you were so taken with me," you scooted closer to him again - bending your knee under your blanket so you could prop your elbow on it and rest the side of your head against your knuckles, "I'm flattered, you've been paying such close attention to me."

At this point maybe you should just play along like its a joke. "Perhaps I'm some sort of Demoness," you shrugged. His scowl didn't falter at your words, and you lowered your leg in favor of leaning in towards him till he was a breath away, "In which case, you should be careful."

His breathing became heavy when he felt your lips brush against his, but other than that he gave no visual sign that your words had managed to get to him, "Because we feast on male flesh."

There was a small moment of silence as you examined his expression before a wide smile caused your lips to part and you gave a mischievous giggle, "I'm kidding."

However, as you pulled away, Mitsuhide grabbed your lower jaw rather roughly with his hand. His eyes seemed to be searching you for some sort of answer, "If you are here to infiltrate our ranks, and harm Lord Nobunaga-"

"Ah, so you and Hidayoshi are the same, just with different methods," You took his hand in yours and pried it off but continued to hold it. That must have been why he was watching you so closely - the others had already determined that you ment no harm, but Mitsuhide -having already pieced together that you had abilities of some sort- still wasn't so sure.

Your expression turned deadly serious, and you shifted so you were on your knees as opposed to just leaning towards the white haired fox. Your grip on his hand became painfully tight before you yanked him closer to you - your free hand stopping him when he was just an inch away by grabbing him by the throat.

You felt the cold steal of a blade at your neck, "I assure you, Mitsuhide, I mean no harm to your Lord." You growl at him, baring your fangs as your pupils became slited and your irises changed color. His eyes widened.

"If I had," you easily forced him to the floor and felt the blade press slightly harder against where your jugular was located. You released his hand to loosen the knott of your sleeping robe, and allowed yourself to partially transform, "I would have done so a long time ago."

Mitsuhide couldn't remember the last time he was so caught off guard or frightened that he shook. It must have been back when he was a child. Yet here he was, shaking as he took in your alien form.

You were indeed a dragon. There was no doubting that, but your partial transformation had allowed you to remain small enough to comfortably fit in the room. You towered over him, his knife was no longer at your neck but instead rested against your breast bone as you continued to hold him down with a taloned paw. With a snarl you snapped at the dagger, taking it between your teeth and snatching it out of his hand before throwing it to the other side of the room, "And there would have been nothing you could do about it."

You huffed, a deep rumble reverberating from the depths of your throat as you lowered you maw to his face and parted your teeth - a hiss with a puff of hot condensed air escaping from your mouth.

A knock at the door caught your attention, making your head snap up to look at the entrance. In the blink of an eye you had turned back to normal before Mitsuhide could even comprehend what was happening. You swiftly fixed your robe, plopped back down on to the mat before throwing the blanket over you, and closed your eyes to pretend you had been sleeping.

Mitsuhide, meanwhile, practically scrambled back into a sitting position and composed himself as best he could before letting out a shakey breath, "Come in!"

Ieyasu walked in through the doors, "Mitsuhide?" His browns furrowed at the kitsune, "Are you harassing my patient?"

Mitsuhide quietly swallowed the lump in his throat before turning to look at the blond, "No," he stood up, glad he was able to maintain a calm visage, "I thought I heard her grumbling," he waved off Ieyasu's concerns, "I simply thought the girl was having a terrible fever dream and came in to check on her."

His answer only made Ieyasu suspect him more. Mitsuhide once again waved him off before moving to leave the room, "Do be sure the Princess is ready for tonight, Lord Nobunaga wants to have a feast to celebrate her recovery."

"Tsk," Ieyasu clicked his tongue when he disappeared from sight and went to wake you up, mug of water in hand.

"Hrm..." you grumbled while taking in a deep breath and turned to face Ieyasu. You rubbed the 'sleep' from your eyes and looked at him with squinted eyes, "Yes?" Your voice sounded soft, like you had just woken up from a deep sleep.

"Drink your water," he handed you the mug and you slowly pushed yourself up into a sitting position to drink it, "Kinu will be here in a few hours with a light lunch, and then to take you to the bath house and get you ready for tonight. Lord Nobunaga is hosting a feast to celebrate your recovery."

You nodded before finishing your glass of water.

"Dont eat too much," Ieyasu instructed, "If you really haven't been eating like Kinu tells me, too much food will make you sick."

"Okay."

Then, just as quickly as Ieyasu had came, he left. You sighed, once again left alone in silence, you plopped back on to the mat, fully intending to actually sleep, but you couldn't.

All that sleeping you had done, and now you body actually had the energy to do something, but you once again found yourself trapped. You glanced at the large jar you recalled seeing Ieyasu pour your herbal medicine in, and contemplated downing the entire thing. Your body could handle it...maybe, and maybe you would get well faster, or maybe you would just make yourself sick like Ieyasu warned. Either way you couldn't do that right now, you had to save room for tonight.

Maybe you could preen, the med bay was much larger than your room since it was ment to house at least a little over half the Oda army.

No. Your scales needed a break.

But then again, how could your new scales grow in with the old worn ones still in place?

Without a second thought, you removed your robe and shifted. Fully. The room wasn't taller than yours but width wise you could spread out and have some wiggle room. You practically purred in delight before getting to work - using your incisors to gently scratch off your old scales.

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