#i know i need to try out different appearances but my PEERS DEFINITELY WONT LIKE MY “ALT” LOOOK

[pleafyistired]

being me and bigender is like I DONT MIND BEING A GIRL but like OUGHH I NEED TO BE A BO Y ALSO but UGHH IM SCARED OF TRANSITIONING AND WILL PROBABLY MOURN MY OLLD LOOK AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[jazajas]

okay so i finished love, victor a while ago and i saw some other reviews and thoughts about it here so now i've got a pretty good list on my thoughts and feelings.

tl;dr: it has some issues, yes, but im gonna hold out and hope it gets better later on because the same thing happened with the first few eps, i wasn't that into it but then it got good, and nothing is ever great with the first season, because at that point we're getting used to those characters.

⚠️caution: spoilers ahead (im on mobile, i cant get an under-the-cut)⚠️

1. while a leah on the offbeat movie would have been amazing movie sequel (even tho i havent read the book yet, im just here for the wlw content) i am kind of glad we got this instead. mostly because I've seen book series where one movie was good, so they decide to do the rest, turn out bad (hunger games? divergent? percy jackson? the hobbit?) because so much was cut from the book-to-first movie writing, that other scenes wouldn't make sense to future movies if they had those in while cutting others. however, i am sad that i didn't get to make the choice of deciding whether what was cut was wrong etc. about future movies, but i'll take what i can get.

2. LGBTQ+ POC as a lead! that's amazing! as a ace/bi lantina that's close to home (it also is great that victor's from texas and so is ya gorl) and even then it's a mixed latinx family! i think pilar mentioned that at least the grandmother left Colombia and i saw the Puerto Rican flag in victor's room. also the salazar's are definitely from small town texas, even without knowing the name. (church barbeques, the use of the words "such a diverse city" in regards to atlanta)

3. a lack of actual lgbtq+ main storylines (so far) is kind of sad for a show like this. i was getting serious bi/pan vibes (as a lot of other people) from victor from the beginning, and when it was implied that victor was actually gay (while great, not shaming) as it has been brought to my attention, there was a lot of looking at a lot of straight relationship problems (please let us know more about benji)- edit 6/18: upon further consideration, it very much is a show about questioning your sexuality, I'm speaking about the other straight relationship issues, not mia and Victor's, its just the first season.

4. let us talk about cheating for a sec. never okay, in any circumstance. i feel sorry for mia that she saw victor making out with benji and the fact that he was doing any of that in the first place. victor made a choice to lie about the espresso machine and then kissed benji at the hotel and then when benji was fighting with derek, basically confessed his love and mistakes, then proceeded to makeout with benji after he broke up with derek, he built that grave and now he must lie in it. i get having feelings for a guy when you are in a relationship with a girl, and not accepting yourself enough to end that relationship but you really want it to work so you can be "normal". really, he should have told mia after he got back from the trip tho. i get being in highschool and doing stupid stuff and making dumb decisions, but for a show aimed at teens i think we should also remind said teens to make good choices even if we have to lose some realism within the character choices.

4. pilar and her decisions based off her brother pissed me off. because i honestly think that if she'd kept her mouth shut about what she knew or confronted victor about it in the first place we could have avoided a LOT of mess. did she not learn from snooping around her mother's business about her relationships that going behind a person's back doesnt end well? i did, however, like the pilar/felix friendship and was really kind of hoping that they'd get together during their coffee hangout (although now im glad that didn't happen) because they had a deeper understanding of each other. same with wendy/felix, although they do seem to much alike to work out in the long run but i still feel bad for wendy.

5. i don't know how i feel about lake and andrew, as people separate from each other. both seem to be the way they are from their upbringing (not confirmed why andrew is such an ass, but if his comment about his dad is anything to go by i bet it's got something to do with attention) but andrew seems to be less, idk, superficial? like he turned down mia because he didn't want to be a rebound, he didn't out victor, he actually stood up to early teasing the other dudes in the lockerroom were doing at victor (with teasing of his own obviously but that interaction had him on my nice list until much later). lake? lake. i honestly don't have an opinion of her? not really. i mean after hanging out with pilar i was hoping felix wouldn't go back to lake. is her name laken? i feel like her full name is laken. but they also played the "im only like this because my mom is really superficial about stuff and i do like the geeky nice guy but appearances" to "actually screw the norms im gonna makeout with him infront of the whole student body". i honestly thought she was gonna be bi because she kept hitting on mia when she was helping set up for her "date" and "big night" and there was one point where i saw her face fall at something mia said in relation to her and idk i was hoping she'd be bi (i figured early on that victor/mia wasnt gonna work and was like "oh mia/lake would be cute" but now idk.

6. okay on to the "big night", i have one word. NO. i didn't like the peer pressure into having sex. i agreed with felix when he said "your body your choice" but im also disappointed that victor made out with mia and when lake was talking to felix after victor left he didn't try to stand up for victor.

7. on to age gaps because i hadn't really thought of this at first. we'll start with benji/derek: WHAT GRADE IS BENJI?! because that determines my thoughts. if he's a sophomore that meant that he and Derek started dating benji's freshman year and thats eugh, don't do that, don't care if its a gay couple that shouldn't be happening because the maturity of the two characters is DRASTICALLY different (this is also a reason i am not a fan of cmbyn) but that would explain why they were so rocky. hoping the event at the gay bar was open to anyone not just for drinking, but not liking that fact that not one of the adults with victor were like: hey, this is a 16 year old, that's kind of wack when that dude was hitting on victor. that made me question some stuff. although i figure it might be making up for the lack of a gay bar scene in love, simon. but even then, in svthsa it's a restaurant with a bar that some people go to just to drink at, it wasn't just a bar, simon could be there but should NOT have accepted drinks from college kids, not matter how attractive.

8. i loved how bram and simon and their friends helped victor out though. i like how bram was like: hey i know my friends are a lot so here's a gay basketball league becaue there's no one way to be gay. i like how Simon talked about needing help himself just to help victor and how he said his friends were cool with it because it's a community. i like of justin(?) mentioned how being what his parents wanted was putting on a mask and pretending, not him doing drag. my favorite lines from that ep are: "and before you ask my pronouns are they/them/theirs" "'they're all gay? even that guy? he's like [insert really tall number]' 'yeah. you should see him in heels'" "or in simon's case: really unathletic" "and also because bram said that if i wore [the jean jacket] one more time he'd burn it". also katya was there. and the group hug too!

9. the back hand homophobia in relation to family is sad, but realistic and i sincerely hope his parents are kind enough not to be too harsh on victor because of it. anything they say that isn't positive or supportive of victor is bad but i hope they realize that there is more to him than that and that they can come to terms with it because it's not always that hard to be a part of that community and super religious. i am biromantic and catholic. and while there are some things i wont agree on my mom with, i know that it's more of a strike against God for kicking out gay kids from families than it is to be gay, because those parents were given trust by GOD to love those kids no matter what, and be good parents. so in the end, the parents are wrong and harmful and in the case of christians against jesus's teachings to love everyone.

10. this is fan speculation but dont think simon/bram are going through a rough patch? i honestly think it'd be a little cruel to the characters to have on of their actors be producing but then not have that relationship stay. and while it's not set in stone and obviously things happen in the real world, we have no proof script wise about there being a rift. all we have are bad photoshopped ig photos and scenes where two characters are never standing next to each other probably beccaue schedules never link up correctly for minor characters. who knows, maybe nick robinson was filming for a movie where is does have an even more major role than victor's gay guru in a series about victor so his filming time was around that. im gonna keep hope that things are okay.

11. that being said: we need more mainstream wlw content, because someone said it earlier and it really does seem to be catering to straight girls. i'll admit i did freak out when benji played call me maybe which is something i associated with him and victor but then kissed a guy because who wouldn't? we get that serenade and sweetness and then it'a ripped from us. but i did mellow out. if i flipped later it was because victor was making dumb decisions and i had to give myself a moment of compsure before i continued.

in the end, i'd say that there is a lot of growth this series needs to go through, but i also know that some people just aren't going to like it and i get that. but i also know that sometimes the best of stories have rocky starts, nothing is ever perfect from the beginning. and besides, further seasons are on hold until we figure out this covid thing, which means that you bet they're gonna be looking at our feedback. they saw what we thought before, they can do it again

i really did like it but we need more ACTUAL lgbtq+ relationship stuff from this series and better decisions on what we are teaching the younger generations, as well as what we want to focus on and realism within characters. i'm giving it an 8/10, because there is always room for growth and i really hope we get better things out of this than what we have been given in season 2.

edit: someone mentioned it really seeming like it was meant for Disney+ and i felt that. also to anyone who reaches the tags agter reading ALL OF THIS: i am sorry

[kibybun]

The Feeling is Mutual

Yandere Hawks x Yandere + Tsundere reader

Tw: yandere, obsession, stalking, cussing, violence, murder

Enjoy!

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You were currently running for your life. Why? Because you're a badass. But really, a sleazy pervert thought he had the right to touch you. Too bad, you punch quite hard.

"Get back here you little bitch!" The pervert was definitely strong due to his muscular build but you were definitely fast.

Thundering footsteps take the quiet alley by storm as you start to pull ahead of him.

"Go suck a dick, you bag of cat piss!" You look back to mock him but your feet disapprove. Your face scrapes against the lose gravel along with your hands and knees. "Fuck...."

"Wanna repeat yourself?" He comes to a stop at your side, bends down, and yanks you up by your hair.

"You disgusting bag of cat piss!" Once again you're too cocky for your own good. You spit in his face and he throws you against the wall.

"Little bitch!" He wipes his face before grabbing your throat, pinning you to the wall, and raising his fist.

"Do it, you bag of cat piss!"

His face fumes red as he tries to hit you, only to be stopped by vivid red feathers.

"What the hell?" His grip on you loosens so you take the opportunity to kick him in his precious no-no square. He collapses in pain and grovels on the ground.

"Hehe do I get a thanks for saving that pretty face of yours?" You instantly feel your blood boil but as you look at your "savior" the only thing you feel heat up are your cheeks.

His whole appearance was absolutely delicious but what caught you most was how god damn beautiful his wings are.

"Hehe what's wrong, like what you see?" This over grow chicken then takes it upon himself to flex his arms and wings.

You scoff. "Nope." 'What. The. Fuck. What's wrong with you me!?!' You turn to hide your blushing face to help imply your unimpressed demeanor.

"Owwww you wound me! Anyway why were you running from that guy, doll?" You choke on the air, trying to register the pet name he gave you.

"Pfft doll? Try coming up with something more original, stranger." As you make your witty remark, both of you fail to notice the pervert silently escaping. It wasnt like he mattered anyway.

"Fair point, angel. Name's Hawks." He holds out a hand for you to shake. Somehow this name was even more cheesy but you loved it.

"As if that's better..." 'Shut the hell up with your sass!'

You go to shake Hawks' hand but before you can grab his, he grabs yours. He swiftly but gently pulls your hand to his lips to place a kiss atop of it. You snatched your hand away at mock speed.

Embarrassed and flustered to manage to stutter out, "H-hey! That's disgusting! I still have no idea who the hell you are!" But you loved it oh so much.

He merely laughs. "Well you can trust me, plus I dont know who you are so, what's your name?"

"What do you mean 'you can trust me'?"

"Awe, ignoring my question? Anyway what I mean by that is I'm pretty trustworthy. Being number 2. hero and all." Hawks leisurely puts his hands behind his head.

All you felt was utter shock. Not only did the number 2. hero come and "rescue" you but he has been FLIRTING with you.

"So? I still dont know who you are." 'Oh my god, you absolute idiot you have no hope.' But he just laughs it off.

"Still a valid point so let's make a deal. I give you my first name and you give me yours plus your number." You have to stop yourself from gagging at how adorable and cheesy that was.

You give him a deer in the headlights look.

"Oh c'mon! I'm basically putting my whole identity on the line and all I'm asking is for your digits plus a name."

"But why?" 'Stop questioning it and take it!'

"Why not?" You give a final scoff before mumbling something. "Can you repeat that a little louder angel?"

"(y/n)."

"(y/n). (y/n).(y/n).(y/n).(y/n).(y/n).(y/n).(y/n).(y/n)."

"What the hell are you doing? Stop saying my name." 'No, please keep saying it.'

"I'm saying it eight times so I never forget it. Cuz, ya know, eight on its side is the infinity symbol." He smiles the most innocent and pure smile anyone could make.

Your heart squeezes as you cant handle this. "That's dumb..."

"Maybe but you still need to give me your number."

"Name first."

"Ooo assertive, I like!" He steps closer causing you to step back.

'Please come closer.'

Very quickly your back hits the wall and Hawks brings his face dangerously close to your ear.

"Keigo." His voice was deep and had the effect of honey in your ear. It happened slowly leaving the sound stuck in your ear yet still traveling through your body.

As quickly as it happened, Keigo had pulled away and passed you his phone.

"Keep my name a secret, 'kay?" He smiles and winks only causeing you to function less and less.

"Whatever..." You put in your number and name, passing the phone back to Keigo.

"Thanks angel! I'd love to text you right away but I'm still on patrol so be sure to look out for my text later!" He swoops up your hand again to give it another kiss before flying off.

"Hey!" His response was laughter. As you begin to walk back towards your destination your face cools and you hold your hand close.

'He's suck a dummy but he's my dummy.'

Around 6:30 pm you receive a text from an unknown number.

'Hey angel.'

'Hey over grown chicken.' "Why the hell are you being so mean?!"

'lol are you calling me big?'

'Nope, tiny with succulent wings.'

'So you're only using me for my wings?! 😭'

'Yup!'

'Daw you dont need to lie to me angel.'

'But lying is so fun~'

'So you were lying!'

'....shit.'

'Ha! I knew I was irresistible.'

'Irresistible to carnivores.'

'You're an omnivore.'

'I have amazing self control.'

'Oh? prove it.'

'Pfft how?"

You leave the kitchen with your snack and plop on your bed. You were too engrossed in your conversation with Keigo that you didnt notice him peering through your window.

He simply adored how you try to contain how happy you become when you get a message from him.

Now was the test to see if you truely had amazing self control. Your phone buzzes and you quickly switch to your messages only to nearly die.

Inches from your face was the sexiest abb picture you've ever seen. His body was so well toned and to add to the picture his wings make up most of the background with very little blue sky poking through.

You were too distracted oogling and drooling over a simple picture it took a moment before you noticed his next texts.

'How's that self control treating ya?'

'I bet you're drooling over me.'

You pout, send a reply, and set your phone down.

'I think I'm a vegan now.'

After a second Keigo can notice the panic on your face as a faint "was that too mean?" was heard.

'Then I guess I'm the forbidden fruit.'

You bite your lip as you switch over to social media. Before your little banter started you were stalking his accounts. You didnt follow him or like any of his posts so he wouldnt be given that satisfaction but you truely did like them.

The only thing you disliked was how there were other girls who thought they could ever get with YOUR Hawks. He asked YOUR number and gave YOU his name. Clearly he was yours.

'Hey, you still there?'

'I like forbiden fruit. I have to shower. I'll text you in the morning, sweet dreams❤'

Keigo's heart flutters at the simple message. He flies home to shower as well.

While in the shower you slowly think of ways to eliminate the girls who think they can look at your Darling.

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Two weeks have passed and have you been a little busy bee. You had to work to sustain life but you made it to every event your beloved was at. You made it to every meet and greet, interview, photoshoot, villain attack, his window at night. It really helped that you have a stealth quirk, so that way you wont be entirely in debt!

It wasnt like Keigo to not notice he was being followed, he knew exactly what you were doing, but he felt too endeared that his angel was watching out for him. He was also quite impressed on how you were able to sneak into his interviews and photoshoots.

Keigo felt guilty not being able to give you the attention you deserve but he tries to make up for it by watching you on his patrols and after you leave his house to go to sleep.

Tonight was no different as Keigo was perched on your apartment balcony. You liked to sleep with the curtains drawn back so you can see the stars but you always forgot to lock that door. Did you ever lock it?

Keigo silently fusses over how dangerous that is as he opens the door and kneels down at the side of your bed. His left hand holds on of yours as his right cups your face.

He was addicted to watching your sleeping face. So innocent. Plus he got a break from your adorable tsundere additude. Dont get him wrong, he loved it just he desires affection too.

He slowly retracts his hands to pull out his phone to take a picture. He probably had hundreds of pictures of your sleeping face but he needed to document everything. Tonight you must be having a bad dream, evident by the fact your eyebrows were scrunched and you sticking your tongue out ever so slightly.

"You need to stop being so adorable angel." He takes his pictures and kisses you forehead.

He wanted nothing more than to cuddle you but he had an extra early patrol. He slides the door to your balcony closed and flies off.

When you wake up with your mouth dryer than a desert. "Blah..." You grab your phone and text Keigo.

'Goodmorning early bird.'

You knew he'd be awake. You had memorized his schedule. Today after patrol he had a meet and greet then a photoshoot.

'Morning beautiful.'

You truely cant help smiling and blushing at all the cute things he says to you.

'How'd you sleep?'

'What's this? Concern????'

You roll your eyes at his teasing continue to eat your breakfast.

'Keep teasing me and it wont happen again.'

'lol sorry angel, I slept ok but it would've been better with you~'

Did he just say that? Oh my god he just said that.

(y/n). exe has stopped working. As your brain starts to reboot, your phone pings.

'How'd you sleep?'

The witty comments part of your brain was still rebooting, preventing the tsundere in you to actually work.

'Maybe if we spent the night together we'd sleep better.'

Now this caught Keigo off guard. He expected to be called a pervert or weirdo. Not for you to agree.

'Do you maybe wanna watch a movie tonight?'

He gotta shoot his shot sometime. Why not now?

Your brain could not comprehend what was happening. Were you dreaming? No, your sure you're awake. Was he joking? No, he didn't seem like the type to jokingly ask that. Maybe the world was just rewarding you for being so dedicated and loyal. That's probably it.

'Where and when?'

Keigo does a few flips in the sky to try and ease his excitement. Too bad that fails. "Its a date!"

'6 @ my place?'

'You better pick me up on time and have dinner prepared.'

'Anything for you angel!'

"Oh my fucking god it's a date." You jump up and down excited, running to your closet to pick out your outfit.

Since it wasnt a fancy restaurant or anything you decide to go more casual. A cute sundress maybe? Either way you put on your outfit and head out the door to go to your darling's meet and greet. It wasnt too far from your apartment so you were able to take a leisurely stroll there.

As you arrive you see the big crowd already forming. You didnt want to get your outfit dirty so you decide to stay more towards the back. A peppy blonde girl pushes you slightly to the side.

"Bitch.." you mumbled under your breath.

"Uh what did you just say?"

Not wanting to embarrass Keigo or have him have to separate a girl fight you decide to step down. "Nothing."

"Good choice bitch."

As the two of you reach the middle of the crowd, the girl takes out her phone. It was hard not to ease drop when she is purposely talking in your ear.

"Hawks is so hot. I bet he has a big dick too. Maybe after this he'll let me take some of that stress off of him~!" She puffs her chest out trying to get a reaction from you.

On the outside you're calm and collected but inside all hell was breaking lose. You wanted to snap her neck, pull out her fingernails, and slice off her tits.

Seeing as you're unfazed she continues. "I bet he'd be screaming how good I make him feel. He'd ask for my number and I'd break his heart. He is just a hunky of meat after all."

That's it.

You activate your stealth quirk and she questions where you went. You pull out a knife you always have on you, just in case, and glide it against her throat in a swift but silent manner. She collapses to the ground and a shrill scream sounds, alerting everyone near.

Before you run, you look at Keigo. His eyes meet yours. You know he can see you even if you were invisible. You know he knows you just killed her. His face holds disbelief but his eyes shimmer and smile for him.

You run from the crime scene and wash the blood from your hands.

Six o-clock slowly arrives and there was a knock on your door. You know its Keigo but you dont know how he found your adress. Opening the door you see him smiling so brightly.

"My little angel shed her white wings!" He traps you in a hug. You gladly hug him back.

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not! You did it for me didnt you?" You look up at him and nod. "Then its perfectly fine." He smiles at you before picking you up bridal style and closing your door.

"We better hurry, dinner is getting cold."

Loosely based on my Stalker x Stalker headcanons! Thank you so much for reading, have an amazing day!

Kiby~💚

[ginnranger]

A Strange New Student

Summary: 

Ginn is a new student in a prestigious London private school. It’s pretty obvious she is not the type to be in private school, but is that going to stop her? Honestly, she doesn’t even know the answer to that one. 

But she does have a pretty good guess, when she meets Alex, Martin, George, Louise, and Elsie. They are pretty different from her. They seem nice enough, but will her past lessons allow her let them in? Another good question. 

Word count: 6542

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The large, stone hallways of Churchill high school were a lot less busy than Ginn’s old public school back in Liverpool. She guessed that was because barely anyone was able to afford the tuition to actually attend this school. How she got in was a complete miracle, sparked by some pretty unfortunate events.

The biggest understatement of her life.

Ginn was not used to anything that she had already faced in this new school at all, and she had only been in the building ten minutes. The students hanging around in the hallway before class were well behaved, milling around and chatting instead of running and fighting. The floors and lockers were clean, free of graffiti and chewing gum. The uniforms were the weirdest part; everyone wore it neat and proper, the boys’ ties being evenly tied, their shirts neatly tucked into their trousers, which were not sagging halfway down their butts, and their blazers free of burn holes and glue stains. The girls’ skirts were closer to the knee than the butt, their blouses also neatly tucked, and their cardigans neatly buttoned. Everyone’s shoes were perfectly shined, not a scuff in sight.

Every student had neatly styled hair, not a strand out of place. They all had perfect posture, shoulders squared and backs straight, the girls tending to keep their feet touching each other. Their faces shone with happy, satisfied smiles. There was no anger, hunger, or sadness in these people’s lives. Very different to what Ginn saw back in Liverpool. It was obvious these teenagers knew their place in the world. So did Ginn, and it was not surrounded by these people. They made that clear with their odd looks.

She stood out for many reasons around these people. For one, she was the only girl wearing trousers and a tie. Ginn flat out refused to wear a skirt, and the rules said trousers could not be worn without a tie, so she was stuck in the unflattering, unfitted, too big boy’s uniform. Her tie was relatively neat, but she had not buttoned the top of her shirt, and pulled the tie down slightly to accommodate the room the lack of a top button provided. her blazer sleeves had been rolled up slightly to accommodate her shorter arms. Her shirt was tucked in, but it was not neat. the sides of the shirt were bunched up, as she had tried to angle it in a way it was more fitted to her feminine frame. It was not working, but she felt comfortable. When Ginn stood, she leant on one leg, arms crossed, and her feet obviously not touching. Her shoulders slumped, and her hands folded into fists, no matter whether she was walking or standing. When she walked, her back curved forwards slightly, and her eyes shifted between everything that moved, glaring into every pair of eyes she met. Ginn had to be aware of everything that was happening around her. Just a little compulsion of hers. Her hair was cut short, mostly jar length, with layers getting shorter as they went up, and a fringe cut in line with her eyes, parted favouring the left side, and whilst that was not abnormal for girl, it was expected that she would make an attempt to calm and style her messy mop of ginger hair. But she didn’t. She liked it messy. It gave her an excuse to have her fringe covering her left eye. You see, Ginn had heterochromia. Her right eye was a bright, electric blue, whilst her left eye was a shining light brown, almost orange when the light hit it just right. Ginn preferred to cover her left eye with her hair, as it blended in with the orange strands better than the blue did. That, and the brown colour was not the genetic colour. Her mother had blue eyes, and her father had green eyes, so brown was definitely not a family eye colour.

Ginn could tell people were looking at her as she wondered the fancy hallways towards the administration office, though she couldn’t tell if this was because of her rough, stand-offish appearance, or the fact that it was early November, and she was a new student entering year 10. Honestly, Ginn didn’t care which one it was. She didn’t expect to form relationships with these people.

She managed to reach the administration office, where she was expected to pick up her time table and ID card, after a few minutes of cluelessly wondering around, following strange signs written in the worst font for someone like her; cursive. How is that acceptable, you may ask? It honestly isn’t, but this school had an aesthetic to stick to. Ginn was dyslexic, so anything that wasn’t block letters or her own handwriting was torture to read. As she reached the old looking, oak wood door, she straightened her back and readjusted her backpack, forcing her face to change from confrontational to neutral. This was the face she preferred to show in front of adults, as they could never figure out what emotion she was feeling so they struggled to ask her questions. She opened the door and walked up to the desk, waiting for the old woman sitting, typing on her computer, to look up at her. She did quickly, luckily.

“Hello there! What can I do for you today?” Her voice was far too perky and high pitched. It irritated Ginn’s ears. Ginn forced her face to remain neutral, pushing down her natural, uncomfortable reaction, so she could respond as quick as possible.

“I’m the new student. I was told to pick up my stuff here.”

“Ahh, yes! Ginn Ranger, am I correct?” The woman squeaked, smile never faltering.

“Yeah, that’s me.” Ginn avoided eye contact, uncomfortable with her full name being announced.

The woman rooted around the organised mess that sat on her desk, until she found the right envelope that held Ginn’s ID card and timetable. She handed it to Ginn and asked her to sit down for a moment, as the headmaster wished to speak to her before classes started. Ginn forced herself to swallow a groan as she nodded and took a seat next to the desk, facing the door to the headmaster’s office. Her leg bounced quickly as she stared into space, trying to concentrate on her thoughts rather than the loud world she lived in. She slouched in her seat after finding a comfortable place in her imagination to rest. Sadly, it only took two minutes for her to be called into Headmaster Windsor’s office.

“Hello, Miss Ranger.” Mr Windsor was far more serious. much more pleasant to Ginn’s ears. “It is a pleasure to finally have you here.”

Ginn only forced a smile as she sat awkwardly in the chair. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, taking in every detail she could. the shelves behind Mr Windsor mostly held the textbooks this school studied. Two of the four shelves held the textbooks. one held a collection of frames, some holding pictures of what Ginn assumed to be Windsor’s family, other holding certificates. One was a certification of first aid, one an inclusivity certificate, another being Windsor’s degree in teaching. The inclusivity certificate intrigued Ginn, as she knew for a fact that this school was pretty exclusive.

‘Guess it’s for everything except class.’ She thought to herself.

The final shelf held folders, ordered by category. The first was labelled ‘Enrolment’. The second was labelled ‘Disciplinary Reports’. The third was ‘Human Resources’. The fourth one was what Mr Windsor pulled off the shelf and flicked through. It was labelled ‘Inclusive Support’. Yay.

“So, Miss Ranger-” Ginn interrupted Windsor.

“Call me Ginn.” She said quickly and sheepishly, shoving her hands under her legs to avoid her usually gesturing that annoyed so many adults. “I prefer just Ginn.”

“Ok then.” Mr Windsor peered over the top on his reading glasses, unhappy with the interruption. “Ginn. Your old school transferred us your files and records last week, and I feel we must discuss some things before you head to classes.”

Ginn bit her lip and nodded. She had always gotten pretty good scores in lessons, but she was by far the favourite student to any teacher she ever had. She had a tendency to speak her mind, even when out of terms. Especially then, actually. She also did not have the best track record when it came to peer relations. Most of her past incidents were not her fault, but she had to claim some as her own doing. What could she say? She knows how to stick up for herself.

“These records say you are a very smart young girl, you could thrive in an academic environment, if provided with the right resources. This is why our scholarship program chose you to be our first representative of the… less fortunate.” Windsor hesitated with that last part. He really needed to brush up on his appropriate language book.

‘Just say I’m poor and move on.’ Ginn thought to herself.

“However,” the dreaded sentence conjunctive. “You do have a worrying amount of negative peer relations reports. I must tell you, Ginn. Fighting is strictly prohibited on the campus of this school.”

Ginn let her voice take the lead. “What’s your stance on fighting in self-defence? Mine is that is fine to fight, as long as you don’t start it. Pretty sure those records say that’s what I did.”

Oh dear. She really should have thought before speaking.

Windsor looked exasperated. Ginn was clearly not the first wise crack he had dealt with. “I believe anything can be sorted with the right words. As long as it is reported, it will be dealt with.”

“What about the times it can’t be reported?” Ginn’s voice deepened as she became serious. “That’s what happened in my experience. I couldn’t report it, and if I could, nothing happened, so I sorted it myself. Sure you wont have to worry though. This doesn’t exactly seem like the place where fights happen.”

Windsor chuckled and nodded. “You are an interesting young lady, miss- Ginn. I’m sure you will fit in with the class I have placed you in. All of your teachers have been informed of your mental heath and learning difficulties, as per your request.”

Ginn hated how that was phrased, but she thanked him anyway. ‘Gotta try and be polite’, after all.

“I have assigned a young man to help guide you around school as you settle in.” Oh no. forced interaction. “He should be outside now.”

as Windsor finished his sentence, the phone device on his desk beeped, and the voice of the receptionist through the door sounded out, saying ‘a Mr Peterson was here to see Headmaster Windsor.’ Windsor told the receptionist to send him in, and the device buzzed, causing Ginn to cringe. That sound was horrible!

Before she could fully recover, the door opened behind her and a boy around her age walked in. He had pale white skin, with bright blond hair, shaved at the sides and combed over, the parting favouring the right side of his head. His eyes were cornflower blue, shining and bright. He had a small, wonky smile on his face as he greeted the headmaster and took a seat on Ginn’s right side.

“This is Alex Peterson. He will be, what we call, your class escort.” Windsor introduced the boy to Ginn, and the boy turned to Ginn and smiled, offering his hand to shake, which she just looked at nodded to him. Windsor broke the awkward tension between the two and continued. “He will show you around until you are comfortable with your surroundings.”

Ginn hated this idea. She could see why they implemented it, many people would want it, but she was not one of those people. She would much rather just figure it out on her own, even if it meant being late to all her classes.

“The bell is about to ring. You two should head off now.” Windsor gestured to the door, and the two teens picked up their bags and walked out.

 “So…” The boy, Alex, said, drawing out the ‘O’ sound. “Can I see your schedule? Just so I know for sure where you are?”

Ginn wordlessly shoved the piece of paper into Alex’s hand, still avoiding eye contact with him. Alex shot her a strange look, realising this was going to be so much harder than he originally thought. He did think she would be quiet, being new and all, but dang.

“Cool, you’re in mine and my friend’s form.” he handed back the paper to the new girl and started walking, being closely followed by her. “You’ll like Mr Caxton, he’s fun.”

Ginn hummed in response. God, she was not making it easy for Alex.

The bell rang and Ginn tensed, her shoulders squaring, and her fists clenching. Another loud, irritating noise. This school was just made to make her uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, Alex had noticed her reaction to the sound. “You ok? It’s just the bell, no need to worry.” he chuckled.

“Fine.” Ginn grumbled through gritted teeth. She started storming off down the corridor without a plan, and luckily Alex jogged to catch up to her before she reached the turning point.

Alex desperately wanted to break the awkward air between them, but did not know how. This girl seemed tense, understandably, as she seemed quite strange to the standards of this school, so he did not know how to approach anything with her.

“So… where you from?” Alex asked, trying to study her body language. She walked like she was trying to look tough, as well as be silent in her steps. She succeeded on both aspects as she definitely looked intimidating, and her steps barely echoed around the halls.

Ginn subtly looked Alex up and down, figuring out his motive, in both the question and with helping her. He stood straight and proud, taller than her by a good few inches. Although, that wasn’t hard, as Ginn was only 5”3’. She estimated him to be about 5”9’, and she guessed he still had room to grow. He was looking at her expectantly with a small smile, his blue eyes shining in curiosity. She could see no malice in his wonderment, so she answered.

“Liverpool.” She said, bluntly. To be exact, she lived in a small terrace house, in Roscoe Street, very close to her primary school, Pleasant Street Primary. Ginn had hopped around several high schools in the past four years, so she couldn’t say how far she lived from them. She did not live in a great area, but it was close to the city centre, and she always felt safe there with her parents. She missed Liverpool.

Alex nodded, biting the inside of his mouth in mild frustration at Ginn’s refusal so converse. “Cool. Good city. What brought you to London then?”

“Family stuff.”

The two sighed, knowing that conversation was not going to happen right now.

 The two arrived at the classroom after everyone else had arrived and sat down. Alex greeted the teacher with a cheerful ‘good morning’ and he sat down on a table for four, with two other boys, whom he greeted and immediately started chatting and laughing with. The boy sitting next to him had slightly more tanned skin than Alex, but he was still quite pale. He had neat, honey brown hair, with a full fringe that was cut just under his eyebrows, the top of head was thick with hair facing forwards, and what Ginn estimated as one inch clipped shaving around the rest of his head. His eyes were forest green, thoughtfully staring at Alex as he spoke, but also at someone on the other side of the room Ginn couldn’t locate. The other boy had his back to Ginn, but from what she could see, he had dark, sun kissed skin, and the only messy head of mahogany brown hair she had seen in this school. Well, there was an order to this mess, unlike the mess that sat on her own head. His hair was methodically spiked up, then brushed forward. He appeared to have every portion of his hair cut to a similar length, apart from the front.

Ginn heard her name and she turned, seeing the teacher beckoning her towards his desk. she walked over, head down.

“You must be Miss Ranger!” Oh god, he was perky. “Now, I like to ask before I start teaching new students, if you don’t mind, what would you like me to call you, and what pronouns shall I use for you? And are they the same in class, privately, and in front of other adults?”

Ginn blinked at the sudden questions as she let her mind catch up with her ears. “Just Ginn, thanks. Female pronouns, all the time.” She said quietly.

“Perfect.” Mr Caxton smiled softly at Ginn, then continued. “I have been told of the support you require, so don’t be afraid to approach me any time!”

Ginn felt extremely awkward, biting her lower lip, and nodding, avoiding eye contact. She always hated it when her personal stuff was brought up by other people. She knew they were only trying to help, but it never helped Ginn. all she did was nod.

“Ok, so everyone in this class has their seat. I had everyone choose to sit somewhere at the beginning of the year and that is where they sit for the rest of the year. The only available seat is across from your guide, Alex. Go sit down, and we’ll start up, ok?”

Ginn glanced over at the table of three boys. She would be sitting next to the dark-skinned boy. He looked like the more energetic person in the trio. Freaking fabulous. At least the seat was on the left side, so she wouldn’t be bumping elbows with the seemingly right-handed boy.

Ginn had nothing against boys. Truly, she didn’t. She was just very insular, and teenage boys tended to be pretty rambunctious. She also didn’t exactly have a perfect track record with relations. Not just with boys, girls too. But, well, Ginn’s short, slim stature was not a good match up when she fought with boys. Luckily, she is quick, so at least she has that going for her.

She sighed and walked over to the table, unslinging her bag off her shoulder and sat down, immediately leaning on her hand and staring at the floor. She dazed, and started thinking about what she could draw. She thought of characters from tales she enjoyed, and she started moving her finger on one spot of the table, mimicking drawing. This was something she did when uncomfortable. Actually drawing is much better, but she hated showing others her stuff, so rarely drew when sitting at a table with strangers. Or classmates, as she should call them.

the three boys had noticed Ginn sitting down, and turned to her to smile and greet her, but she was avoiding all eye contact. Alex shrugged, realising this was going to be his week. Boy to Ginn’s right decided to break the awkward silence by introducing himself.

He went to speak, nudging her first to get he attention, but before he could speak, she jumped at the sudden touch, tensing her shoulders and clenched her fists, straightening her back and gasping lightly. Her duel coloured eyes stayed locked staring forwards, and she took a few breaths before she snapped her head to look at the boy and growl, “What?”

Now she could see his face, she took in his features. He looked nervous, likely due to Ginn’s aggressive nature. He had warm, russet brown eyes that where currently wide in shock. He was handsome, with a square jaw, and strong cheekbones. His mouth was tight in shock at her reaction. Luckily for him, he recovered quickly. His eyes softened into a more relaxed form, and his tight mouth morphed into a cool side smile.

“Hey,” his voice was smooth and joyous. Enjoyable to Ginn’s ears. Wait what? “I’m Martin Williams. This is George Groden, and you’ve met Alex. It seems like we’re desk mates!”

Ginn struggled to relax her muscles from the sudden touch. She swallowed and forced her hands to open as she shoved them under her thighs. Her voice was failing her, so she just looked back at the table and nodded, humming ‘mm hmm’.

The boy, Martin, made eye contact with the other two, concerned by the reaction. He decided to pry a little, tying to get Ginn out of her shell. “Ginn, right? Interesting name, never heard it before. Where’s it come from?”

Ginn was shocked by the question. Usually when people found out about her name, they made a joke about alcoholic parents, or threw out guesses as to what it was short for. Her name was Ginn. Not Ginera, or Ginevra, or even Geneva, shockingly. This question made Ginn happy, and her vocal cords decided to work.

“It’s a combination of Gill and Finn.” Ginn kept her head down but was smiling lightly for the first time in a while. “Gill was my mum’s mum, and Finn was dad’s dad. They wanted to honour both of them, so it was either Ginn or Fill, and Ginn was pretty gender neutral.”

She huffed in amusement at that last bit. the story of her naming was always interesting to her, especially when you think of the whole story of a young pregnant woman and her husband staring at each other, trying to make the other back down, until they came to the compromise of combining the names.

“That’s cool!” Martin said, enthusiastically. “You have such an interesting story! I’m just names after my grandad!”

Ginn smiled, amused by the boy’s excitement.

Before they could continue, the teacher cleared his throat and started the lesson. It was English. This was not the best subject for Ginn due to her dyslexia, but she had a creative mind, and enjoyed story telling, so it wasn’t so bad. Well, unless they were reading old stuff, like Shakespeare or Jane Austen, they were utter torture for Ginn’s brain. Sadly, that is exactly what they were doing. Romeo and Juliet, to be exact. They started the lesson reading the play, the characters being assigned to a random assortment of students. Ginn struggled to follow along as they worked, not understanding anything they were saying. The words were floating around the page, lines and letters flipping and swapping place, it was giving her a headache. It didn’t help that the most dramatic character in the play, Mercutio, was being voiced by Martin, who was slowly becoming more and more dramatic in his reading, his movements rocking the table, making reading even harder for her.

After they had finished the first four scenes, Mr Caxton instructed the class to discuss them as a table. Ginn was thankful for this as she could finally rest her eyes for a minute. She rubbed her eyes and led her hands up to brush her hair up out of her face, letting it fall how it wanted, which was apparently not in front of her eyes. She looked at the trio of boys expectantly, waiting for a conversation to start, when she noticed they were all staring at her. Alex looked shocked, staring curiously, eyes switching between each of her eyes. George seemed curious, one eyebrow raised, and a small smile spread on his lips. Martin was far too excited for Ginn’s taste.

“Woah!! You have heterochromia?!” He said far too loud. “That’s so cool!”

Ginn quickly dipped her head and brushed her fringe over her brown eye, feeling her face flush red.

“If you say so...” She muttered under her breath.

This conversation was clearly going nowhere, much to the dismay of the three boys. Ginn was obviously not a conversation person, and the boys were not interested in discussing Shakespeare, so decided to further press.

“You don’t think so?” George questioned.

“Let’s just say it’s not my favourite thing about myself.” Ginn grumbled, shooting them a sarcastic and awkward smile. The boys shared a look, all expressing different thoughts and emotions. Martin locked eyes with his friends, then looked at Ginn quickly, and back at them, wiggling his eyebrows and smirking. The boys shot him warning looks, but he ignored it, turning around to look at Ginn, leaning his elbow on the table and putting his head on his hand, wearing his flirtatious, lopsided smirk.

“Well,” He said, making Ginn look us at him. Once she saw his face, she huffed, rolling her eyes, and looked back down at her work. “I think they are beautiful, completing the gorgeous image you hold all over.”

Ginn felt panic rise in her chest. She had never been complimented like that before from the mouth of someone who... had little to no obvious ill intentions. This boy did not seem to be particularly threatening, but still, Ginn could not be help but be wary. She clenched her fist around her pen in panic, as her defence mechanisms snapped into position.

“Say anything like that again,” She turned and glared at Martin through her hair. “And I break your hand.”

Martin tensed up, squeaking in fear as his arm slipped off the table in surprise. Ginn did not break eye contact, however, needing to maintain her tough exterior.

“Well ok then.” He squeaked. Pleased with herself, Ginn looked back down at her work, deciding to do the work herself. The boys fell silent and just did the work, quietly discussing Shakespeare out of fear for their hands.

At the end of the class, after a long lesson of awkward silence between the four tablemates, the boys packed up and met with Elsie and Louise. Ginn had rushed out of the classroom a lot quicker that the others, so Alex had already failed at his job of making sure she was ok. This was going to be a rough day.

 The final class of the day was P.E. Luckily for Ginn, sport was something she excelled in. Unluckily for Ginn, she had to get changed in front of other people, which was less than ideal.

Alex instructed her to follow Louise and Elsie to the girls’ changing rooms. Ginn kept her head down and shuffled along with the other girls as they chatted, complaining about the lesson they were going into.

“P.E. sucks, I hate it so much!” Louise groaned, dramatically. “I mean, I like exercise, but the structure of P.E. is so messy, and its so boring!”

“I know!” Agreed Elsie. “It’s even worse right now, doing those weird drill things.”

Ginn perked up at that comment. If they were anything like the ones she used to do in Cadets, she was golden! She didn’t look at the other girls, but she did smile and huff in satisfaction.

“You like P.E., Ginn?” Said Louise, sounding surprised. The girl looked Ginn up and down quizzically. She did not exactly fit the typical description of a fit girl. She looked very skinny, but Louise guessed that was mainly due to her oversized uniform.

Ginn hesitated with her answer, wondering how to answer without sounding weird. “Yeah, kind of. I like exercise, and I’m used to pretty strict sessions, so nothing really bothers me much anymore.”

The other girls seemed satisfied with her answer luckily.

After only moments, the three girls had reached the girls’ changing room. As the tried to find a free section of bench to place their bags and clothes, Ginn was silently praying that no one would pay attention to her so she could change and slip out unnoticed. She utterly hated changing in public. Sadly, her prayers were not answered, as the only available space was on a bench in the middle of the room, with a group of chatty girls surrounding it. Perfect. The three set down their bags and started undressing, quickly swapping from blouse to P.E. polo shirt. Ginn was particularly mad about their easy method of swapping from skirt to shorts without presenting their underwear; slipping the shorts on under their skirts, then taking off the skirt from above. Ginn, wearing trousers, had no such luxury, so had to take advantage of her too big shirt and take off her trousers, hoping they would cover her behind as she slipped the shorts on. Now for the bit she dreaded: changing from shirt to polo. She wanted to do this as quickly as possible, but struggled due to her ever growing anxiety. She slipped off her tie and unbuttoned her shirt, then readied her polo shirt to be the correct way to slip on as soon as she rid her back of it’s professional cotton attire. Quickly, she took off the shirt, and immediately heard what she feared.

Louise and Elsie had gasped, quietly. They had finished changing and lacing up their trainers, and were waiting for Ginn to finish changing so they could walk out together, and happened to glance up when they saw her take off her shirt. The two girls were sitting on Ginn’s right, so they could see what Ginn was worried about clear as day. Right across her back, from the bottom of her shoulder blade, creeping up to the top curve of her right shoulder, were two long, pale, jagged, and bumpy scars. They looked awful, and the two girls were certain that they were from a horrible incident from a long time ago. This scared them, as they worried about Ginn’s safety and current situation.

Before they could say anything, Ginn tugged her polo shirt over her head, hiding the scars before anyone could ask questions, or, god forbid, anyone else saw them. Louise opened her mouth to speak. She was not sure what she would say, but it was instinct. Before she could make a sound, however, Ginn shot her a warning glare, her blue eye shining like a lightning storm, her amber eye shimmering like a raging fire. Her lips were tight and eyebrows knitted in a tight V-shape. Her ginger hair had fallen before her face, blocking the light from reaching her face, only making the looming pit of aggression in Ginn’s aura stronger. Her fists were tight. Louise only just realised the new girl’s flat and scarred knuckles. Louise immediately shut her mouth. She offered an awkward, slightly scared smile, but Ginn just straightened her back, slipped on her battered old trainers, and started towards the door. Louise and Elsie shared a concerned look, then darted up and dashed to keep up with Ginn, who had suddenly developed a quick, strong stride.

Once all of the students had gathered in the sports hall, the P.E. teacher, Mr Dullan, called registration and introduced the aim of today’s class. The class knew they would not like this lesson. Mr Dullen was clearly in a bad mood, he was completely stiff and glaring at everyone who made eye contact with him. Ginn was not happy when he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to face him when she marched into the hall, so he could interrogate her about who she was. He seemed satisfied after a full 30 seconds of comparing her to the ID picture that was on his register. But, this was a respectable school that definitely would not accept her doing what she wanted to do at that moment, and tuition was far too expensive for her to be kicked out on her first day, so she let it go.

“Ok, everyone!” Mr Dullen shouted, making a huge, distracting echo ring around the room. Ginn knew she would barely be able to understand him immediately. “I don’t want to deal with teaching you all today, so you’re just going to do run laps around the school grounds all lesson.”

The entire class groaned and started quietly complaining to themselves and their friends. Well, all except Ginn, who enjoyed running. Also, the echo in this room was getting to her, and she was finding it hard to concentrate. She silently thanked every deity she knew of that the run was outside.

“Alright, alright, quit the complaining!” Mr Dullen yelled, making Ginn bunch up the hem of her polo shirt in her hand to squeeze. She found early on that this was a better coping mechanism than her automatic reaction, which was covering her ears and gripping locks of hair and pulling. Distractions from bad noises are always oh so fun. Mr Dullen carried on, interrupting Ginn’s thoughts, “Everyone get your butts outside!”

The crowd of grumbling students headed towards the doors leading to the yard so they could start the run. Before Ginn could disappear into the crowd and go off to enjoy her run, Louise had grabbed her wrist and started to speak.

“Hey, are you ok? We should talk abo—”

“Do not touch me!” Ginn growled, ripping her hand away from Louise, immediately marching off in a strong, quick pace.

As soon as she set foot on the outside area of the school grounds and witnessed part of the crowd all heading in the same direction, she started her rounds of the school with a light jog, preparing her body and lungs for a long, pleasant run. She really needed to calm her mind, after everything that had happened today, especially in the last few minutes.

 Louise was incredibly confused by that reaction. She had noticed Ginn tense up and ball her shirt in her fist, and she knew Ginn had not calmed down from whatever emotion she was feeling after presenting those scars in the changing rooms.

“What was that about?” George said, the four friends walking up to Louise so they could walk the laps of the grounds together.

“She’s seemed pretty tense all day.” Alex offered. “Maybe you just scared her and she reacted.”

She definitely has something she’s hiding.” Elsie said, as the group wondered outside and started walking. “She had two huge scars on her back. She got real tense, more than usual, when we saw them.”

“Let’s go find out what’s up with her.” Louise said, determination in her voice. Then, she sounded unsure. “If we can catch up to her...”

Ginn was no where to be seen as they walked their round. They knew this because Ginn was extremely noticeable in the crowd of students, being one of the only people in the school with ginger hair. She was even more noticeable because her hair was messy and choppily cut short, and her P.E. kit, like her uniform, was too big and looked it. They walked quickly around the grounds, talking and looking around. Ginn was nowhere to be seen.

“She must actually be running.” Martin shrugged. “That girl is an enigma.”

“An enigma you’re crushing on!” Alex said teasingly, elbowing his friend in the side and laughing.

“Shut up!” Martin pushed Alex to the side, a crimson blush rising in his cheeks. “I am not!”

“Then what was that comment in the changing room about?” George smirked and raised and eyebrow.

“Ok!” Martin’s dramatic flare revealed itself as dramatically waved his hand in the air and pointing at nothing in particular. “You have to admit, she is quite pretty!”

Martin stared a the group, waiting expectantly for their response, to which he got a couple nods, but mostly just looks of ‘my dear boy, calm yourself’.

The group continued to walk around the school grounds, giving up on searching for the strange new girl, she was far gone and they could not see her at all. The lesson went by relatively quickly, the group only lapping the school once and only going another 20 yards before Mr Dullen blew his whistle and called everyone into the changing rooms five minutes before the final bell rang. The five friends wondered back into the school, avoiding the stares of disapproval from Mr Dullen.

Louise and Elsie were slowly changing out of their kits when Ginn finally appeared by their side. She was sweating slightly, despite the November chill outside, and her breaths were long, quick, and laboured. As expected, she did not greet the girls, she just started changing, first preparing her shirt to be quickly thrown on after she removed her polo. Louise and Elsie tried not to look at her, feeling her haste and discomfort with being around people after what happened earlier. However, Louise is a pretty stubborn girl, so waited for Ginn to finish changing before she confronted her.

“Hey, where were you all class?” Louise tried to keep her voice perky and welcoming, rather than the interrogating tone she almost used. “we were looking for you when you ran off.”

Ginn let out a small growl of annoyance. “Ahead of everyone. Just needed to run.”

She removed her shorts, her shirt covering her underwear, and slipped on her trousers, then sat down to put on her school shoes. She never looked at Louise. Not that that was expected. This girl is so strange.

“You must be quick then!” Louise laughed lightly. Ginn just hummed. “It’s pretty impressive, running is pretty hard.”

This made Ginn’s head snap up, shooting Louise a confused look. “How is it hard?”

Louise and Elsie shared an amused look. Elsie laughed lightly and said, “You know, keeping pace without losing your breath, stuff like that.”

Ginn hummed thoughtfully whilst finishing up lacing her shoes. Once she was done, she stood and picked up her bag, just in time for the final bell to ring. Ginn attempted to supress her cringe at the sound, but her efforts were in vane, as the other two girls noticed. Luckily for Ginn, all they did was share a look and stand with their bags.

“Not sure I follow, but ok.” Ginn broke the silence, starting to walk out alone. However, Louise and Elise had other plans, both speeding to catch up to her and standing on either side.

“You’re a real enigma, you know?” Louise chuckled. That was apparently the wrong thing to say, as Ginn glared at her, a quiet and low growl echoing from the bottom of her throat. Her eyes raged, like a fearsome lightning storm and a blazing fire. Even though she is a very small person, Ginn knew how to make herself look large and terrifying.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Erm... well, I... I just meant that you, well,” Louise stuttered and squeaked, as if she were learning how to speak again. “I just mean that you’re, you know, pretty mysterious...”

Ginn grunted and said something like ‘that’s the point’ as she stormed off, out of the building and around the corner towards the front gates, not to be seen again that day.

“Well, you kinda fucked that one up, huh?” Elsie chortled anxiously.

“Thanks for helping there Els. Come on, let’s just go find the boys.”

Alex, George, and Martin exited the boys changing room a few minutes later. The girls explained what happened as they walked out of the school and back home. The only thing they could all agree on when it came to Ginn: She would be very difficult to befriend.

[hcfhhgg]

Hi @pixiesandink , I hope better late than never...Here your Secret Santa gift. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year and all that. I hope you are having a good time with your snow :-)

By the time Iida and Midoriya returned with their umbrellas, Uraraka was sitting in a garbage container and refused to leave. “It’s my home now.” she puffed, sitting cross-legged, arms folded above her chest while slowly sinking into the mass of thrown away class assignments and shredded meeting minutes: “I live here.”

“It’s a garbage container.”, Iida argued, having faced to many pointless discussions to care much whether his reasons mattered to her.

“Its paper.” She explained: “Soft and comfy. And I don’t have to walk to school at all.”

“That’s inappropriate and probably illegal,” he continued, chopping the air, as he was wont to: “And dangerous on top.”

“It’s a single room flat in a good area,” she shook her head in overplayed disappointment: “People murder for this kind of place. And it comes fully furnished,” she gestured at the paper surrounding her.

“This is the school yard.”

The UA towers stood high to their right, looking foreboding against the grey afternoon sky, the tinted windows reflecting the fading light in deep blue, seeming eternal and calm against the wind beaten branches of near standing trees, shrill signing birds flitting between their branches, hiding from the oncoming storm. It smelled of rain, and the promise of an evening spent huddling in the common room, hoping the electricity would hold while fighting over blankets, their voices drowning out the sound of rain beating against the windows.

Uraraka shifted again, sinking even deeper into her new home, as she aimlessly pulled pieces of paper from the mess. With her head at about Iidas height, she huffed lazily, shaking her head: “What did you think of the essay questions today?”

The other one leaned forwards, setting his forearms against the side of the garbage container, carefully avoiding all dirt and eying his friends new home suspiciously: “I definitively have to study when we return. They are putting significantly more empathies on their humanities program now than they did when my brother went here.”

She nodded her agreement, through she knew nothing about the schools humanities program several years ago: “That last question really got me confused. Did we cover that in class.”

“It was on one of the hand-outs, actually.” Midoriya chimed in from below, having sat himself down on the dirty asphalt besides the containers, his painfully yellow umbrella opened above him, as if to create a small cave consisting only of it, him and the worn out sweater he had thrown over his Uniform: “I hardly understood it through, anyway.” He yawned.

It was the week of test preparation, with teachers drilling theoretical information into them, even putting off part of their physical regime in favour of endless repetition and practise tests.

“I didn’t read those.” Uraraka signed, leaving Iida torn between reprimanding her for not fully following the lessons or scolding himself for forgetting valuable class material.

“I doubt it matter through.” Midoriya went on: “Hardly anyone who is not amongst the top five solved that one. I heard Yaoyorozu say she struggled with it, even.”

“History isn’t her thing huh?” his friend asked past a struggling Iida, still undecided: “But she is so brilliant at Chemistry. Think they will keep a question even the best student can’t answer?”  

This made Iida snap. Taking a deep breath and completing a few forceful chops against the unsuspecting air he made his decision known, launching into a lengthy monologue on work ethics, which, to the readers convenience, shall here be reduced to its essence: “Of course they should keep it. As students and future hero we have a duty to meet the highest expectations of not only this school, but society also. It would do you two good to remember…” he started, pushing himself of the garbage container to flathandendly point at Uraraka: “…that even the history of a pre quirk society can be relevant to your work one day.”

“Hm. You think so? But how?” his friend wondered, leaning forwards to look over the side of the container downwards: “He does have a point through.”

Midoriya shrugged, the motion hardly visible through his oversized yellow sweater: “We still have two more weeks to learn, so they might just…expect us to forget everything else.”  

“Who needs a hero when you could have someone who understands a gold-standard.” Uraraka laughed, throwing her head back and glancing up at the sky, which was cloudy and unusually dark for a summer day.

“The gold-standard”, it sounded from below, the words torn away from the boy’s mouth, hardly audible against her disinterest. With one hand she took hold of some discharged papers, making them float before pushing them up into the wind. Iida huffed disapprovingly as they where ripped towards the east gate.

“How long can you keep that up?”

“Long enough.” She grinned, watching the paper disappear in the distance: “With something that light till the next shopping district maybe.” A smile broke across her face: “Have you ever drunk like an astronaut?”

Iida huffed, recognizing the abrupt change of topic as what it was, but Midoriya, who knew that the evening would be filled with relentless studying and quiet discomfort, laughed: “With a straw?”

“Yes,” she bobbled her head up and down, her knees sinking in deeper from the sudden movement: “Or like Pacman,” she looks almost proud saying it, snapping her mouth shut trying to imitate the video game character and both boys where struck by the sudden realisation that they would probably soon find out how the dirty brown spots appeared on the common room celling over the weekend.  

“Yes”, the smaller boy perked up, his head bumping against the umbrella: “Like an obstacle run, weightless in the air,” he smiled up to them, waving off Iida, whose face softened at the look of excitement on his friends face: “You could train body awareness and agility. Stamina too. With all the - Is it more straining to float liquids?”

“Huh?” Uraraka tilted her head, trying to compare the effort to the lifting of a solid object and coming up empty: “It’s different I think. I can’t actually touch all of it.”

“Oh! So it is all about the surface tension?” her friend asked from below.

“I guess.” She sounded uncertain, twirling a strand of hair around her finger: “Its weird. I was not paying that much attention.” A slight blush crossed her face, remembering the last Saturday night when the common room had been to quiet, with only her and Kaminari sitting on the plush couches, trying to scare the night away with pointless chatter and bad ideas. To throw some drinks into the air had been his suggestion, the kind of drinks as well and she had agreed because she was fifteen and these here the kind of trills she should experience. Nothing more than a slight taste of danger laced with stupidity and laughter. The kind of things that made time pass quicker.  

A single drop of rain landed on her face and stopped her in her thoughts, running down her nose and dropping on her lips. Laughing she licked it up, wondering about water pollution and the sense of inner tension floating liquids gave her: “Deku,” she said, reaching backwards for the lid of the garbage container: “ Iida, I think it’s starting.”

Iida looked upwards, at the grey clouds looking just a shade darker than before as he blinked away a raindrop in the corner of his eye. Ignoring the sound of the lid being closed he reached for his umbrella, feeling more drops falling on his thin hair and smiling at Midoriyas quiet mumble: “…he wont like that, he’ll…”

Alarmed his head shot up, starring at Uraraka who smiled at him softly beneath the half closed lid of the container, fitting comfortably and looking cosy lying amongst the thrash, shoulders angled slightly towards him, her legs almost entirely covered by the paper. He blinked as she burst out in laughter, her body convoluting as the scandalised look on his face deepened.

“What are you thinking? We are…” he started, frowning and jerking his head as more raindrops soaked through his hair, the sudden movement letting them drop into his face as he hit the containers side repeatedly.

“Wait, what is she doing?” Midoriya shouted from below, giggling along his friend at the taller boys attics.

“Aw, come on,” despite her apologetic smile, wide and open and not regretful at all, the girls voice was teasing as she tried to wards of the punishing lecture that was sure to follow: “I’m the one without an umbrella.”

“Something any of your friends,” Iida waved at the space behind him, indicating nothing but empty asphalt and rain: “… could have helped you with! Here,” he opened his umbrella, which was wide and dark, looking sturdy and expensive, with light brown studs at the end of its rips, just the kind of model his friends would have expected him to own and held it over the container, leaving his own back uncovered: “… we can share.”

Uraraka laughed again, pushing her head out from below the lid and under the umbrella: “You know that this is exactly the kind of umbrella I thought you had.”

It took her some wriggling and crawling to push herself from the paper, hands folded to activate her quirk a moment before she threw her arms around Iida and, with a forceful jump, let herself float almost vertically upwards, rain and dirt staining her clothing while the taller boy tried desperately to hold onto her and keep them both covered. They must have made for a ridicules picture, because when Midoriya, still seated on the ground in a small circle of dryness, peered at them from below his shelter, he began to giggle, starting with a small, swallowed sound, that soon turned into cut-off pleas to stop, please, of not for Iidas, then for his hearts sake.

It took a few minutes for the two to sort themselves out, like an overworked machine trying to pull a hot-air balloon down to earth, both moving unsuccessfully to avoid each others flailing limps, like two dancers attempting to push each other off balance, as if they where not sure if they should be fighting or help each other to float off into space to never be seen again.

“I am getting good at this.” Uraraka said, after her feet had again found the ground, her friend holding onto her shoulders as if trying to keep her grounded. Her face was slightly pale; looking sickly against her dropping wet hair she spent some time trying to push back. Still she was smiling, proud and exhausted as if she would do this again, in a day maybe, after she had gotten to spent some quality time with her bed: “Who is up for some hot chocolate?”

“I am certainly not ‘up’ anything.” The grip around her shoulders tightened, but she could hear something like happy displeasure in the boys’ voice: “But I would not mind something warm to drink. Are you coming Midoriya?” he asked, already turning towards the dorm, relived about the end of a chaos he had enjoyed all the more for knowing that it would end.

“No”, the boy chimed from the ball of yellow below: “I will not abandon this small heaven of dryness.”

“Huh?” came from above: “You too.”

“I think,” said Uraraka, a slight frown marring her face: “You broke him Deku. Congratulations. No hot chocolate for you.”, she sung, looking smug, sickly and happy at the continuation of their attics.

“But,” the teen whined: “All the dedication and patience that went into staying dry! If I get up now, I will be wet too. And I haven’t done the laundry.”

“You can wear…No.” The girl shook her head, remembering, with glee, giddily excitement and slight remorse the last time her friend had tried on any of her clothes and stretched her fourth best tight fitting shirt to a pyjama: “Your can wear Iidas clothes. Right?”

“Wha-? Yes, I am, of course, always happy to help a friend, even if it would not be necessary if said friend had done his chores.” Despite trying to sound accusatory, waving his hands through the air, the dark haired boy seemed to smile, even through he was shivering in the cold, as he tried to pull Uraraka closer to his body, using her as personal source of warmth.

“Oh really?” she muttered: “I bet…” With a slight tap to the shelve of his sweater Midoriya felt himself lifted off the ground, struggling and trying to maintain contact with the small, round patch of asphalt he had sat one, the ground darkening as the first drops of rain fell on it belatedly.

With a drawn out ‘NO’ the teen gave up his fight, stretching his hand comically towards the disappearing dry asphalt, as he was drabbed along on his right foot, trying and failing to keep at least his upper body dry as he wined along his friends cheerful chants of ‘one of us’, preparing to soon be dropped unexpectedly. He had seen Uraraka before, after all.

 They made it halfway to the dorms before she dropped him, letting herself fall dramatically into his arms as soon as he had stood up and she brought her stomach under control, fainting sudden weakness and screaming as he tried to lift her over his head.

“Waaaarm.”, she groaned after he had successfully lowered her and hugged him. He hugged back until Iida threw himself over the two, slinging his arms around both their shoulders and throwing them of balance, seeming perfectly content as they all tumbled onto the ground, just a few meters from their destination.

“Now,” Uraraka chided: “Now I really need to shower.”

“You sat in a garbage container.” He replied as he rolled off them: “You should anyway.”

[otomeshistarlight-blog]

for the headcanon meme.... can I get uhhhhhhhh one of each for my boy Shoji pls...... and thenk u i love you mwah

Yaaaas! Give that boy the love he deserves! 

1. Sleep: Shoji is a defensive sleeper who prefers to lie on his side with his arms curled in front of him, i.e, the fetal position! People who sleep in this position are described as having a tough exterior, but on the inside they are very shy and sensitive which, imo, is a perfect description for this good boy. He seems like the type who would prefer to sleep alone but in reality he’d love to have someone to cuddle with and be the little spoon to his big spoon! And the best part? You wouldn’t even need blankets in the summer because his big strong arms will keep you more than warm enough inside their protective cocoon! Not much of a snorer but he does have nightmares fairly often, however they’re rarely bad enough to do much more than make him toss and turn the entire night so that might be the biggest drawback with sleeping together. That being said, having a loving partner who he trusts and can cling to during these dreams would probably help alleviate the issue almost entirely.

2. Sad: Shoji’s nightmares are partially due to being bullied and mistreated as a child. Even for people with ‘mutant’ type quirks, his is particularly alarming in appearance, especially to small children. This is why he wears the mask to cover the lower half of his face because he really doesn’t want to scare anyone OR be treated like some kind of monster for the way he looks. He isn’t necessarily insecure about it, he accepts that this is who he is and at least one of his parents probably looks similar, but he is aware that he doesn’t exactly fit the description of what most people would consider attractive. Or even normal, for that matter. I imagine he was probably told quite often that he could never be a hero looking the way he does. Any girl that approached him would be met with initial distrust but if you can prove that you truly harbor romantic feelings for him then he will eagerly welcome you into his life. A real Beauty and the Beast scenario. 

3. Happy: Shoji has a soft spot for animals, especially the small, defenseless ones that could really use his help. He’s seen his fair share of orphaned kittens and puppies but he’s also taken in baby rabbits, at least one raccoon, a laundry list of hatchlings and a suspiciously bear-like creature that he insisted was just a dog with a bad hair cut for an entire week. It’s almost like a personal fault at this point because he just can’t stop himself when he stumbles upon a creature that can’t take care of itself and he’ll go to any lengths necessary to give them a fighting chance. Caring for these animals really gives Shoji a sense of accomplishment and it makes him so happy to help others that it was actually what inspired him to pursue a hero career even though everyone told him he wasn’t fit for the job. He wants to prove them all wrong!

4. Angry/Violent: Shoji is not a man with a short temper and, in fact, his patience actually borders on being saint-like. However, he is still human and he has his limits just like everyone else. I think the thing that would make him snap the fastest is someone targeting his loved ones. So if you two were in a relationship and someone decided to, oh. I don’t know. Kidnap you. They’d better be very, very good at hiding because Shoji will absolutely deliver a smackdown the likes of which have never before been seen as soon as he finds them. This goes for his entire family and his circle of close friends. Something else I don’t think he’d let slide is maliciously two-faced behavior. He seems like the kind of person that values honesty above all else and any kind of backstabbing behavior would set him off. For being as docile as he is, Shoji can actually be quite destructive when he finally loses his shit so its probably best to steer clear when this happens. 

5. Sex: Shoji is a sensitive boy who truly cares about his partner and their needs. His default speed is slow and steady with a truly tantalizing emphasis on technique over raw size - though he’s certainly not lacking in that department, imo. He enjoys being able to take his time and not only explore your body but also make sure that you’re getting just as much out of it as he is. However, if you would prefer him to speed things up, he’d be happy to oblige. What it boils down to is that he wants you to have a good time and he’d be willing to try just about anything but hard limits would include: any kind of blood or weapon play, as he does not want to even think about hurting you like that, public or semi public sex, for a few different reasons, and probably threesomes just because I see him being the sort who values loyalty over the thrill of something. He doesn’t want to share you and if you want to share him then that might be a problem.

6. Living Quarters: Shoji is a tidy boy who keeps his areas clean and organized. The messiest you’ll ever see his room is when he’s taking care of an injured/orphaned animal because things can become quite messy when you’ve got five screaming kittens demanding to be fed every two to three hours but even then, there is a method to the chaos. He isn’t one who’d need to rush around picking up dirty clothes off the floor and stuffing AV’s under his mattress before you come to visit but he’d definitely go the extra mile and give the place a once over just to make sure you felt completely welcomed. 

7.Romantic: Shoji may not have a ton of experience in this department but he has strong feelings about how his significant other should be treated. He will go out of his way to do things for you, such as helping you carry stuff (even if its not particularly heavy) or reaching tall places that would be difficult for you to get to, and he’s also quite the fan of giving you little gifts. They may not always be the most extravagant or even romantic by normal standards but when he brings you a freshly picked wildflower, you’d better damn well believe that he spent at least twenty minutes carefully picking out the one he thought would suit you best. He’s not entirely comfortable with public displays of affection as he gets flustered and self conscious when others are watching, but he absolutely loves holding your hand. His favorite thing is standing in line at a the movie theater or waiting for your food to come up at an in-and-out place and inconspicuously curling his big hand around yours. And the best part? He’s got six to choose from, so you two could hold hands all day every day! 

8. Family & Friendship: Shoji is very protective of both his friends and family and he would sacrifice himself to save any one of them in a heartbeat. I decided to make this one section, rather than two, because I think he’s the type who would consider his friends as extended family and would treat them as such. If they need something, he will drop almost anything to lend a hand. If they need an extra pair of capable arms (or three), he wouldn’t hesitate to offer his assistance even if the work in question was backbreaking. And like I said earlier, god have mercy on anyone who tries to harm the people in his life for he will rain down a hellfire of epic proportions on their very soul. If you’re dating Shoji, expect his protective nature to become even more apparent and while he certainly wont be overbearing about it (you might not even notice it right away) he would master the art of watching over you from the sidelines. A creep is eyeballing you from across the room? He steps in front of you to block the strangers view and squares his shoulders in silent threat. Someone is talking about you behind your back and he overhears? He’d clear his throat to get their attention and fix them with a look of warning. By no means would he overstep his boundaries and try to fight your fights for you, but his protective nature just wont let him ignore these kinds of situations.

9. Hobbies: Shoji strikes me as the sort who’d be more into relaxing hobbies that take his mind off the stress of the day to day rather than something like rock climbing that gets the blood pumping. So reading books and trying his hand at painting or even sculpting, perhaps some gardening and, surprisingly, I see him being into meditation practices such as yoga. I don’t think he’d openly admit it right off the bat, but something that helps balance his mind and spirit alike fits him really well in my opinion. He’s smart, caring and sensitive enough that this really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone but he still guards this secret out of uncertainty about how it would be received by his peers.

10. Likes/Dislikes: Shoji likes animals, soft things, calm and quiet places, nice people he can rely on and trust, being active and simple pleasures in life such as good music. He dislikes any kind of suffering or misfortune, cruel people, being unable to help those in need and, incidentally, foods that are too sweet. 

11. Childhood: Shoji, like I said earlier, did not have a picture perfect childhood in my opinion. Even in a world dominated by quirks, it seems that the ones you could describe as being ‘mutant’ like, i.e, they change the physical appearance of the person to something decidedly not human, aren’t super common. And most of the quirks like this belong to villains which leads me to believe that even in this setting, theres still a societal lean towards ‘normal’, or what constitutes for it. The sludge villain? There was no way he could’ve ever been anything except a villain and he really got screwed by the genetic lottery. So, looking at Shoji’s appearance, I don’t think he was generally accepted with open arms. I imagine he went through a lot of the same bullying that Shinso did, where other kids told him he was tailor made to be a villain, but he took a much different route and didn’t let those feelings of distrust consume him or warp his view of the world. He knew he was better than that, so he strove to prove that everyone was wrong about him.

12. Old Age: Shoji, ideally, would like to find someone to love, spend the rest of his life with them, maybe have a few kids, save some animals along the way, and (hopefully) retire to a nice cottage in the countryside at some point. He hopes that by the time he’s reached old age, he will have managed to make the world just a little bit better of a place to live in. He doesn’t aim for the top of the hero ranking charts, he just wants to make a difference, and if he can do that much, then he will be able to die happy.

13. Cooking: Shoji isn’t much of a cook but he’s willing to try. I don’t imagine having six hands in the kitchen would be a bad thing but it would certainly help if he knew what to do with all of them. He doesn’t strike me as someone who would take to it right off the bat and instead would need some coaching to really get the hang of it. However once he decided to actually learn, absolutely nothing would keep him out of that kitchen. He’s a man of principal so if he says its time for him to take up the spatula then be prepared to find him slaving away over the stove at improbable hours of the night. He’d be fine toiling away on his own but it would make him really happy if you and him cooked together, as a team. 

14. Random: Shoji is a strong boy with plenty of muscles (and hands) to go around. As such, his favorite positions are the Elephant

Lace (just be mindful of his teeth)

And of course, the Seasaw

He loves the intimacy of these positions and they also allow him to make sure that you’re enjoying every minute of the act. Don’t be shocked if he’s got a hand tangled in your hair, one groping your breasts, one rubbing your clit and one teasing your ass while the last two hold you in position. He’s got an adventurous, naughty side for sure but his main focus will always be to drive you absolutely wild until you’re squirming against him in overstimulated desire before he even thinks about his own needs. A good boy. A service top by all means. If he’s comfortable enough to share his passion with you, then be prepared for one hell of a tantalizing experience thats going to keep you coming back for more. 

[pleasesavetanaka]

Endgame

A circle of inspirations! This oneshot was inspired by a piece by @sirvinter, which I linked at the bottom.

Rating: E for everyone Notes: Kei has a son! 20 years post-anime-canon. No shipping or romance, but a bit of drama. :^)

Kei had never planned to be a father. He had things to do, a life to live, and nothing about raising a child had interested him in the slightest. He had no interest in settling down, and he had no interest in adoption either.

But his life had not gone according to plan. Even when he’d been officially declared a person again (an entirely ridiculous concept, as if he hadn’t been already, but apparently the legal declaration mattered quite a lot to some people), his life had not gone back to how it should have.

Even when he’d gotten into university, it had been as a sideshow. Look how progressive we are, the university had trumpeted to anyone who would listen. We let an ajin in!

Some people hadn’t been happy with that. Some people had vandalized his things, left nasty notes behind. Like he was in high school, only far worse, because he’d kept his nose down then. The option simply didn’t exist for him anymore--everyone knew who he was.

He’d knuckled down and graduated, but that had been it. He hadn’t gone for anything further. He had a useless half degree, and then he’d stepped back, trying not to think about the life that he might have had if he had thought to look both ways.

Hitoshi had come into his life not by accident, but instead by design. It had been Tosaki who’d come up with the idea, who’d pushed Kei into it.

Hitoshi wasn’t even two when Kei had first met him. He was a scared, frail little boy, looking up at Kei with wide, terrified eyes.

“His parents died in the accident that turned him into an ajin,” Tosaki had said.

Kei had resisted the urge to lecture Tosaki on the fact that they didn’t know someone turned into an ajin. It didn’t really matter. That wasn’t the point.

It hadn’t been hard to figure out what Tosaki wanted. Kei was doing nothing. He was sitting at home wasting his potential, and Tosaki had a parentless child who needed someone.

Kei hadn’t so much agreed to things as been pressed into service, but for all his concerns it had gone fairly well. There had been some growing pains, but years into it, things were alright.

Hitoshi was his son, blood or not.

He picked the very best schools for him. He had his mother to help--in her own way--and Eriko to babysit when he needed it. He had a lot of free time, and he used it with Hitoshi, doing his best to ensure that he wouldn’t be effected by what had happened to him.

For all his potential issues, Hitoshi did just fine. He graduated elementary school with a teary Eriko waving him on, a baby at her hip, and Kei was more than happy to usher his son into middle school. Then, Kei turned his attention to his own work - advising on ajin policies at Tosaki’s behest.

Two weeks into the school year, Hitoshi had slid a very nice hand written note across his desk, staring up at Kei with wide eyes.

“Are you going to come?” He said, without even bothering to give Kei time to read it.

“Of course I’ll come,” Kei said, sliding the note across his desk and squinting at it. “Isn’t it a bit early to have parents meat your homeroom teacher? Aren’t they going to let you get more settled?”

Hitoshi shook his head quickly, still peering up at Kei.

“He said he wanted to do it early. Will you still come?”

“I said yes,” Kei said. “So you don’t need to ask more than once.”

Sitting in the back of the classroom, waiting for Hitoshi’s teacher just made him feel out of place. Almost every parent there was a woman, or a minimum a couple, and as the only single man there, he was getting quite a few looks. At least a few clearly recognized him, looking equally scandalized or horrified, but Kei was certain that by the end of the introductions, everyone would recognize him. He’d introduce himself, everyone would remember, and then someone would make a snippy comment about classroom safety.

His first impression was that the man was old. It wasn’t uncommon to see an old teacher, but most of those were in their sixties. The man in front of him had to be at least eighty, his face lined with wrinkles, his skin so pale it was almost translucent. 

But the more he looked, the more unsettled Kei became.

“Hello!” The man said, as upbeat as could be. “My name is Tasuke-sensei, and I’ll be the homeroom teacher for class 2-C.”

The voice sealed it.

He knew that voice. He probably knew it better than his own voice. Even though it had been years since he’d heard it in person, he’d heard it in recordings over and over again. If he’d been the type to get nightmares, he probably would have heard it there too, and now it was going over the schedule for the coming school year, as pleasant as could be.

There was absolutely no way that Satou could be teaching his son math.

Kei’s hands balled into fists as he watched the lecture, keeping his mouth firmly shut. There had to be an angle. A plan. There was no way that it was chance, because you couldn’t just accidentally get a job as a teacher. Satou was there because he wanted to be. There was a game to it, and he had to figure it out as fast as possible.

Introductions rolled around at an absolutely glacial pace, and it took an act of focused effort to make himself stand and introduce himself. 

Then came the scandalized looks, the furious glances between concerned parents wondering if they’d heard right. Kei Nagai? Certainly not the Kei Nagai? But he sure did look like him, and Kei couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

Hitoshi was staring at him, but it wasn’t the first time he’d done the song and dance. It wasn’t the first time Kei had to say yes, that Kei Nagai, now can we move on?

He didn’t have to this time.

“Miss?” Satou said, his attention firmly focused on the woman beside Kei, rather than on Kei himself, and the woman jumped slightly, pausing for a moment before introducing herself.

Everyone was thinking it, but no one said it.

He kept waiting for the sword to drop. Satou was leading up to something, he was sure, but instead of pulling out a pistol he kept right on explaining how he was going to run his classroom. He was going over schedules and marking schemes and Kei wasn’t listening to any of it.

Had anyone even noticed? A brief glance around made him pretty sure that the answer was no. Satou looked different than he had, aged by years. He hadn’t been seen in public in ages, while Kei had been seen far more recently. Kei also hadn’t made any attempt to change his name or appearance, while Satou’s hair had been shifted slightly, his expression alone doing a lot to make him appear different.

A kindly smile as he finished his explanation.

What was his plan? Maybe it wasn’t even him. Maybe Kei’d simply lost it, and now he was seeing things.

“Now,” Satou-maybe-Tasuke said. “I know there’s obviously some concern over Nagai-kun, but I want it to be clear that I won’t tolerate it. I’m certain you all have certain ideas of what ajin are like, but whether student or parent, I won’t be treating ajin any differently, and I wont tolerate any bullying based on that fact.”

It was definitely Satou. It was too on the nose to be anything else, even if Hitoshi’s homeroom teacher had almost definitely been informed.

There was some polite mumbling from the other parents, and Tasuke kept right on smiling his friendly smile.

“That said,” Satou said, “why don’t you all take the time to explore the grounds? I’m sure your children would love to show you around.”

Kei didn’t even bother standing up. He knew this was, at last, the point of it. Satou had him cornered, and now he’d reveal the whole plan to him, just as soon as everyone else had filed out.

Hitoshi, far too big for Kei’s lap, scrambled up anyway, looking absolutely delighted.

“Nishi said people like us shouldn’t be allowed to go to school at all,” Hitoshi said. “But Tasuke-sensei said that it wasn’t right, and I had just as much right to go to school as anyone, and told him that if he heard anything else about it, he’d have to stand in the hall. But then he said I couldn’t tell you.”

“I wonder why,” Kei said, glowering up at Satou. Probably because he might have wondered just how Hitoshi had ended up in a class with such an accepting teacher. Every other teacher had barely tolerated him, forced only by law, and more than once Kei’d been forced to take things up with the principal to get issues handled.

Why did it have to be Satou? What was the point?

“You look so distressed, Nagai-kun,” Satou said, apparently done with the charade.

Hitoshi was looking up at him, obviously aware there was something going on, but lacking any sort of information that might have helped him figure it out.

“Why don’t you go find Jin?” Kei said, carefully sliding Hitoshi off his lap. “So I can talk with Tasuke-sensei about things?”

Hitoshi was perhaps a bit too smart for his own good, squinting up at Kei briefly before glancing over to Satou, who nodded in response.

“Go on,” Satou said, making a quick gesture. “I’m sure they’re all waiting for you.”

It didn’t take any more ushering as Hitoshi headed to the door, taking one last look before finally leaving.

“Are you kidding me,” Kei hissed, glaring up at Satou while being very aware of the fact that the walls weren’t likely to be soundproof, and that the classroom was very visible from the hallway. “My son? You’re going after my son?”

“Imagine my surprise finding out you even had one!” Satou said, sitting down atop a desk, his arms folding across his chest. He was so casual about it, like they were old friends sitting down to chat, and Kei supposed it was probably best if it looked that way for everyone. “I never thought you’d have a child. Or raise one, anyway.”

“What are you doing here? This isn’t a coincidence, which means you have a plan.”

It’s tipping his hand too much, all but confessing he has no idea what the plan is. He knows there’s a plan, but not what it is, but the danger is too real to try and bluff like he does.

“It took me three years to set this up, you know,” Satou says, completely ignoring his question. “Getting this job was hard. Getting him into my class was hard. I’ve had an easier time sneaking guns onto airplanes. It was so much effort! And all for this.”

His smile is irritating, but it still doesn’t explain his plan, and Kei simply glares up at him, waiting for him to answer.

Satou always was dramatic, and there’s no way he’d keep his plan to himself, having obviously successfully pulled off most of it.

“For this,” Satou says, gesturing to Kei himself. “Here I am, mentoring your son. Keeping bullies away from him. Making sure he’s healthy and happy.”

Kei continues to stare, and Satou lets out an exaggerated sigh.

“You can’t do anything, of course. Reporting me would have serious consequences. Imagine the state of Japan if they knew I was here, if they thought I was active and dangerous. The state of affairs with ajin only exists because no one thinks I’m a threat anymore, but if I’m a danger again, every ajin ends up under scrutiny. That includes you, and it also includes people like your son.”

Kei grinds his teeth. He understands now, even if Satou hasn’t explicitly said it. This is the plan. Being Hitoshi’s teacher, but also letting Kei know. Letting Kei worry and wonder, dangling it over his head but not actually doing anything.

Kei forces himself to take a deep breath, relaxing his hands as he does.

“Because you’re old,” Kei says. “And because you can’t be running around doing backflips like you used to. You may be an ajin, but you still age, and your body can’t keep up. No amount of resets are going to change that fact.”

Satou smiles back at him, nodding his head.

“Exactly,” he says. “I knew you’d understand. I can’t play my old games. I’m too old for that, but I still have years left in me, and why not do something with my time? Something like this. Mentoring the next generation. Tormenting you with my very presence. You’ll be getting report cards from me. You’ll have parent teacher interviews with me. You’ll get to hear your son talk about how great I am.”

Satou dramatically wipes a no doubt fake tear from his eye, obviously delighted by his own plan.

“And the whole time you won’t be able to do anything.”

As far as plans go, it isn’t bad. No one’s in danger. No one’s going to die. Not unless he reports Satou like he probably should. Then people will be in danger. Then people will die. Then the entire ajin-rights debate goes up for grabs once more.

Unless he stays quiet. Unless he grins and bears it, letting Satou pat his son on the head like everything is normal.

“You’re ridiculous,” Kei snaps. “Don’t think I wouldn’t. If you push over the line-”

“I won’t, though,” Satou says. “Which is what makes it fun. Seeing how much I can torture you without ever crossing that line. Maybe I’ll put in a request to teach his class next year as well...”

“Dad?” Came a small voice from the doorway, and Kei glances over, not surprised to find Hitoshi there, glancing between the two of them.

Kei pats the chair beside him, and Hitoshi wastes no time in scurrying over, pushing himself up into the seat. Kei leans over, pressing a kiss to his son’s forehead, and then leans back.

“That works for me,” he says. “Is there anything else we need to talk about?”

Satou simply smiles at him.

On the way home, Kei holds tight to Hitoshi’s hand. He’ll have to be careful, he decides, but he doesn’t think that Satou will actually do anything. If he does, that ruins the game. It’s throwing in the towel. Instead, he decides, Satou will do everything but that.

Kei can’t help but wonder if it counts as a deal with the devil if no one actually gets hurt.

Thanks for reading! For those curious, it was this piece by @sirvinter that inspired the fic!

[gulescamisade]

Betty Crocker Headquarters:  Arrival

JADESPRITE: -She drifts -- or rather nyooms down toward the lakehouse encampment, green glowy gooing her way through one of the walls and looking around for just about anyone that's in sight.-

DIRK: -HE'S HERE. just sitting around the living area with his leg bouncing restlessly. he glances in jadesprite's direction when she oozes in.-

JADESPRITE: dirk!!

JADESPRITE: everyone

JADESPRITE: we need to go

DIRK: -OH GOOD. AN EXCUSE TO STAND UP. he does that.-

DIRK: What's up?

JADESPRITE: somethings happening at the hq

JADESPRITE: terezis there

JADESPRITE: i think this might be our chance

JOHN: -stands up- 👀

ROSE: -She's fiddling with her needles. The creepy ivory quills she got from deep down on LOMAT. She's going to be using them pretty soon, it seems, might as well be ready.-

ROSE: You mean already?

JADESPRITE: -she nods- we should head there now

JADESPRITE: im sure shes going to need our help

JOHN: -isn't terezi supposed to be dead??? but now is no time for questions he has BEEN ready for action.-

JADESPRITE: where is everyone else? we should get everyone

URSAIS: -SHE'S HERE TOO. Bear rumble.- should i rally th' troops? they're on standby.

ROSE: Some injured, but I suppose most of us are... around the area.

ROSE: Do you have a large bell we could ring to summon them? Communicators would probably tip them off.

JOHN: i have an airhorn.

JOHN: :D

DISCIPLE: -her eyes peek from atop a shelf-

JOHN: -he really wants to use the airhorn.-

DIRK: Use the airhorn.

JOHN: yesssssssss.

JOHN: -....-

JOHN: -dramatic pause-

JOHN: -HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK.-

DISCIPLE: -YOWLS!!!-

DIRK: -🙏-

JOEY: 8D

JOEY: should we come up with a battle cry?

MITUNA: WH47 7H3 FUCK

LATULA: -well shit an airhorn wakes her up-

MEULIN: -YOWLS FROM SOMEWHERE-

LATULA: SH1T DUD3.

LIFERA: -FUCKING POWER LEAPS DOWNSTAIRS- W)(AT'S )(APP-ENING??

JOHN: (ehehehehhehhehehe.)

JOHN: put up your dukes! it's time to fight!

LIFERA: GLUB???

PENNY: -GROGGY AS SHIT. Walks in.- ugh????

ULFURA: -She's currently outside, just feeding and petting this GIANT ASS DRAGONFLY. Her precious...-

HEITOR: -probably fiddling with the electricity or something-

URSAIS: -texts her and everyone.-

ULFURA: !!

URSAIS: -i really need to think of a cool name for this little abnd of rebels but for now you're just URSAIS'S CREW.-

ULFURA: -SHE IS OKAY WITH THAT NAME!!!-

ULFURA: -At this message, she runs to the lakehouse door and all but KICKS it open.-

ULFURA: WE'RE GOIN'???

PENNY: -squints at everyone...-

HESONY: =He's just been looming in a corner this entire time but was currently ourside on self-appointed guard duty. Since they arrived, he has been uncharacteristically quiet. Best not draw any unnecessary attention to himself and all that.=

URSAIS: we'rRe goin'. and we'rRe gon bring the pain. t' wherRe the fightin is thickest. -glances at dirk.-

ERIDAN: -was watching Sunny this whole time from his brooding place in the ice cream truck. Yeah he knows that color and name bruh. He knows it.-

MICEXA: -She's already paying attention to all this... and heading out to tell Sunny what's up. ANOTHER FACE ERIDAN CAN RECOGNIZE, INCIDENTALLY.-

MICEXA: Hey.

ULFURA: YEAAAHHH!!! LET'S DO IT!!! -jumps and PUNCHES THE AIR.-

ULFURA: SHE'S ALL READY TO GO!!!

ERIDAN: -He's reading all about it on the Alternia newsfeeds, don't worry.-

ERIDAN: -taking this time to change back into his combat gear. Good thing he's outside.-

HESONY: Hey. =he replies, his expression softening a fraction.= Are we moving again?

MICEXA: Yeah.

MICEXA: To the HQ.

JOHN: are we gonna go grab jake? my dad? -IF THEY WERE BRIEFED ON A PLAN...john might've just forgotten it.-

HESONY: =stares like she just grew an extra head= What.

JOHN: -forgive him-

JADESPRITE: it seems like terezi is going to try to get them out

JADESPRITE: but of course if they need help we will help them

JADESPRITE: right?

ROSE: Death really doesn't take the way it used to, does it?

JADESPRITE: no, it doesnt

JADESPRITE: theres definitely something different about her, though

JOHN: lucky for us! -laughs nervously-

JADESPRITE: ... -glances around like maybe she shouldn't have said that-

JADESPRITE: either way, we need to get moving

JADESPRITE: -floats toward the wall-

DIRK: -just grunts about that and tries to raise his voice over everyone's excitement- Ok, I need some of you to stay here and watch the injured. The rest of you follow Jadesprite.

DIRK: ... Like, through the door.

MICEXA: Yeah.

MICEXA: ... This is it.

REDGLARE: -STARTING TO STAND TO LEAVE ANYWAYS-

JOHN: -just starts shuffling towards the door even though he's a doctor....-

JADESPRITE: -schlorps through the wall on that note!-

PENNY: .... so whos stayin?

JOHN: -NOTHING TO SEE HERE.-

DIRK: -points at rose's white board of THE INJURED.- If you're on this list, you're not going.

DIRK: That means you, Redglare.

HESONY: =he laughs, shaking his head= We're going towards the people who want to kill us...

HESONY: =he patted her shoulder and squeezed it.= Okay. We don't stop.

REDGLARE: -STOPS AND STARES DAGGERS AT THE WHITEBOARD-

ROSE: -...one dagger-

MICEXA: -she reaches up to cover his hand with hers, her grip a little tighter.-

MICEXA: You don't leave my side.

REDGLARE: >;|

DAELOS: -Also not too happy about this arrangement because he's on that list.-

REDGLARE: -SITS LOUDLY-

PENNY: what about Riley?? shes sure as fuck not going.

DIRK: Of course she's not.

DIRK: -LOOKS AROUND SUSPICIOUSLY... is she trying to sneak away...-

HESONY: Wouldn't dream of it.

PENNY: -SHE BETTER NOT BE-

DEREK: -walks in- Dont worry I locked her in the bathroom.

HESONY: =also dropping eaves on the people behind them=

PENNY: ... -sNORTS-

PENNY: good deal.

ROXANNE: Good call. -At Derek, yes shes totally been here.-

PENNY: I uh.

PENNY: (God damn it.)

PENNY: I can stay and watch her.

PENNY: and the rest of you folks. nobody get any crazy ideas.

JOHN: -where's kankri? john wants to make sure he stays behind with his tiny knife and otherwise complete lack of being able to defend himself, but also one more hug would't be bad...-

PENNY: -LOOKS ESPECIALLY AT REDGLARE-

KANKRI: -Hes certainly staying behind to take care of people, he knows he and his little knife would be useless on this type of mission.-

MICEXA: .... -sighs a tightly held breath before glancing at the dragonfly.- \|/e should start boarding up.

REDGLARE: 3xcus3 m3?

REDGLARE: Who 1s th1s wom4n. D1d w3 just... coll3ct h3r.

REDGLARE: -GLARES AT PENNY WOW-

JOHN: -SQUEEZES HIM FOR STRENGTH.-

PENNY: ;)

PENNY: from the dump specifically.

KANKRI: -John so help him dont you be reckless.-

PENNY: hi. Im your new nanny.

JOHN: -He's going to be as nonreckless as you can be while you smash people with a hammer and use magic wind powers.-

KANKRI: -J o hn.-

HESONY: =he nodded giving her shoulder one more squeeze. No more promises of living through this. That only ever brought back luck.=

REDGLARE: >;I

URSAIS: -MOUNTS THIS DRAGON FLY like it's no big deal.-

MICEXA: -Well, she's going to do her best to make sure it's true, even if unspoken. She heads for the dragonfly.-

MINDFANG: -Also she is ready to brawl, she even did some maintenance on her arm even without your help Hesony. Now it probably wont fall off while she fights.-

ULFURA: ALRIGHT COME ON GET YOUR FANNIES ON BOARD!!! -gestures aggressively at the many rows of carrying seats on this dragonfly's butt.-

RUFIOH: -Waiting outside for people to gather... he's anxious as he shuffles his wings but. Didn't come here to sit on his ass. As much as he would like to. Shit's scary...-

ROXANNE: -Climbing on board with no time to waste, shes got important people to save.-

HESONY: =yeah, but i bet that piston still sticks, Wolfchow=

JOHN: -While he's huging people, Dirk and Rose also get a squeeze b4 they board. Wait? Is that Rufioh? Also hugged? Meulin? Hugged.- be safe you guys!!!  

LATULA: -HUP. She's climbing on-- she got used to the dragonfly a while ago, slinging out her rifle as she takes a seat.-

LATULA: 41ght!!!!

JOHN: -he's very liberal with these warm hugs.-

MEULIN: -HEY SHE IS HERE, peering out from around the lakehouse.- AH--

MEULIN: EVERYONE'S GOING?

MEULIN: -snugs JOHN!!-

MICEXA: -climbs RIGHT ON BOARD. It's possible she's ridden something similar before at some point as well... but either way, she's not hesitating to get a move on.-

URSAIS: -sitted near the front.-

JOHN: -after he's done spreading his love around, he hover into one of the farthest seats cuz tha back of the rollercoaster is always the most fun.-(

LIFERA: -She runs out and climbs on board, too, also toward the back. She figures they're going to need people watching the butt.-

JOHN: B)

HESONY: =clambers on=

SOLLUX: -And he, meanwhile, finally drags himself out of the lakehouse. His appearances have been infrequent, but he's here now, quiet as he navigates awkwardly toward the dragonfly and then floats himself into a seat.-

SOLLUX: -MAY HAVE SAT ON SOMEONE??? We just don't know.-

URSAIS: o//o -SUDDENLY HAS SOLLUX IN HER LAP. jk. or not???-

SOLLUX: -hello-

SOLLUX: -is this what seats are supposed to feel like???????-

URSAIS: -....clears her throat. casually picks him up and places him into the seat next to her instead.-

SOLLUX: .... 0h.

URSAIS: safety first 'n all.

SOLLUX: ...

ROSE + DISCIPLE ALSO: -OH IF EVERYONES CLIMBING ON THEN THEY ALL GET ON THERE-

SOLLUX: -slowly rests face in hands.-

SOLLUX: -there's no other choice. he's going to have to die today.-

DIRK: -you son of a fuck-

HESONY: =pondering how this crew has survived for so long=

SOLLUX: -LOOK BITCH-

DIRK: -no fuck you-

DIRK: -ANYWAY HES ALSO HERE. AND THE REST OF THE ONES OF MINE GOING.-

JOHN: -WAVES AT THE REST OF THE GROUP!!!-

JOHN: -the ones staying behind, i mean.-

[[ WHAT AN EXPEDIENT PROCESS. Once everyone going is on, Ulfura eyeballs the whole troupe. ]]

KARKAT: =is here=

ERIDAN: -Hi everyone. This fish is here. Most people probably don't know who he is??? He's just a guy sitting here with a big gun in his lap, half his face wrapped up in scarf.-

ERIDAN: - >> -

KARKAT: =SOME DOUCHE=

ERIDAN: -Yeah, true.-

ULFURA: -climbs the dragonfly and gets on the upper part of its back, grabbing reins and settling in up there.-

ULFURA: WE READY??? GIMME THE WORD!!!

ROSE: As ready as I can possibly find myself, yes.

JOHN: heck yes!!!

JOHN: let's try our best everyone. -anime voice on purpose-

JOHN: -the only way to respond to this horrifying situation is to be INCESSANTLY CHEERFUL.-

SOLLUX: (i swear t0 g0d egbert.)

JOHN: (ehehehhe. get fucked.)

RUFIOH: }:o

RUFIOH: -gonna be flying with the gang off to the side... Gives the dragonfly a pat though. Wishing it the best of luck and a safe flight.-

URSAIS: go ahea' and kick off, pupper.

URSAIS: we got a lot a shit to do an little time t' do it in.

ARANEA: -does rufioh mind if she joins him? her wings are getting strength back but she figures she needs them for the battle... so she's giving them a stretch!-

[[ The dragonfly flickers its wings in buggy acknowledgement. It feels so FRESH and reassured now. ]]

RUFIOH: -He does not mind at all. Side eyes Aranea.-

DAELOS: -stares through the window in the rain at her. he wants to slay their enemies alongside her again. :(-

ARANEA: -reaches dramatically for daelos with her heart...-

ULFURA: YEAH!!!

ULFURA: LET'S DO THIS!!! COME ON FLAP FLAPS!!! -tugs the reins gently and nudges the dragonfly with her communing powers-

ARANEA: ::::) -at rufioh-

DAELOS: -just be as ruthless as possible for him-

ARANEA: -SHE WILL-

ULFURA: HOLD ONTO YOUR BUTTS!!!

[[ The dragonfly suddenly lurches, kicking off from the ground, and its wings start flapping wildly to take them up into the sky. Takeoff and landing is the hardest part. ]]

RUFIOH: -pchooooooooooo time to fly!-

URSAIS: -This part always makes her a little queasy. She doesn't like being off the ground. ʕ灬￫ᴥ￩灬ʔ-

ERIDAN: -scrunches up his face at the wind buffeting his hair. He thinks he smells rain on the horizon...-

JOHN: -basically uneffected-

[[ They rise into the sky quickly, if not weaving side to side a few times between the wind and the dragonfly adjusting to its new weight. It soars above the treetops, higher into chillier air. The pressure and wind aren't super comfortable, but Ulfura keeps it from going too high. They're on the way, headed straight for Golden Valley. ]]

ROSE: -Twirling those needles in her hands, thinking. Working off nerves. This... really is happening. The flying doesn't bother her-- it's everything else. It's the fact that she can't even fathom seeing something useful with her powers, or the fact that she can hardly conjure a spark. She just focuses on breathing. Deep breaths. Think. Don't get impaled by a fork.-

ROXANNE: -Is probably sitting next to Rose, because its unlikely she would let anyone else take the seat next to her daughter right now.-

ROXANNE: -And she also glances at her with a touch of concern, but unfortunately most of her expression is just determined sternness for what is to come.-

JOHN: -YELLING to be heard above the wing flaps and buffeting air.- SO! I DON'T THINK. I KNOW THE NAMES OF LIKE ...75 PERCENT OF YOU. YOU WANNA LIKE...TELL ME THEM? -he has his own ways of working out his nervousness.-

HEITOR: NO

JOHN: WELL I MEAN. OKAY. THAT'S VALID. IF YOU WANNA BE A DICK ABOUT IT. ANYBODY ELSE?

ERIDAN: -No. Giving John the cold shoulder. Don't look at him, motherfucker...-

JOHN: -He has his eyeballs on you Eridan. All over you.-

MICEXA: ... -does she even want to yell above this wind...-

HESONY: .... =well he sure isn't going to be an ass! He glanced up to see a flying human. Okay. He will accept this.= ....Hesony. =He says, in his regular voice.=

MICEXA: -side eyes Sunny like pls-

JOHN: -HE IS FLYING WITH EVERYONE ELSE CURRENTLY. ON THE BIG BUG.- HEY...SUNNY? SUNNY? OKAY. NICE TO MEET YOU! I AM JOHN.

HESONY: =EXCUSE only FRIENDS call him that. Whatever=

HESONY: Greetings, John.

MICEXA: -gosh.... she loves this grumpy doofus-

MICEXA: MICEXA NESHEN. PURSUANT SEAKRAIT.

JOHN: COOL. EXCELLENT. THANKS FOR HELPING. -

MINDFANG: -John do not thank them for anything.-

MICEXA: -just sort of softly grunts at that.-

JOHN: - He doesn't know these are the peeps that fucked up his friends otherwise he might be less friendly. -

HESONY: =Anything for Terezi's friends, no matter how ungrateful they are.=

HESONY: No problem. =he says instead=

ERIDAN: -gazing at these legislacerators. Saying nothing. Sipping tea with just the look in his eyes.-

[[ Below them, they'll being to see signs of smoke and fire, and the vague sounds of explosions and weaponry through the buffetting wind. In patches where they can see, it looks like there are scattered Alternian troops fighting little scads of rebels. The further they go, the more fire there is. Looks like quite a few things blew up down there. ]]

MICEXA: -why's this bitch got an in flight beverage...-

LATULA: -SHARP INTAKE-

LATULA: sh1t dud3 th4t lookz pr3tty n4sty.

URSAIS: - EL SQUINTO-

LATULA: no off3ns3 but 4r3 your p33poz gonn4 b3 4bl3 to hold out?

JOHN: - promptly shuts up at this point. he's totally stoked and not sick/scared-

[[ The dragonfly sways here and there to try to avoid the plumes of smoke. It's likely Ulfura is guiding it around them; bugs tend to react badly to signs of fire. ]]

URSAIS: - bracing herself- worRy bout yerRselves.. we'rRe used t' this. shit.

URSAIS: an' stay brRave.

SOLLUX: -he doesn't seem to react much there next to Ursais... just tilted his face out toward the outside of the seat, almost like he would be looking down at the ground if he could see.-

[[ They fly over lakes and green landscape -- it would be beautiful in just about any other circumstance, but today, the serenity of the landscape only seems to be feel cold and empty for the reality of what's happening below. ]]

JOHN: -equips Zillyhoo. It makes him feel better, even if it does put chanting voices in the back of his head.-

JOHN: -zi-hi-hi-hilly hoo~-

URSAIS: -ʕง•ᴥ•ʔง-

HESONY: =Same, Sparky Jr. Cept he has eyes. You dont. Neener neener neener.=

SOLLUX: -LET HIM BROOD IN PEACE, TEREZI'S OLD FRIEND GUY. JEEZ.-

ARADIA: -by sollux cuz you don't get to brood alone-

DIRK: -ha, that gives him an opportunity to brood alone too. YOU CAN'T STOP HIM HE'S IN CHARGE.-

SOLLUX: -oh so now YOU'RE in ursais' lap???-

SOLLUX: -CUT IT OUT GOD-

DIRK: -he might as well straight up be doin the thinker pose he's so contemplative right now-

ARADIA: -where am I...I am everywhere...-

SOLLUX: -just hoping she's flying alongside him tbh-

SOLLUX: -just out there smiling and being a creep-

[[ As they fly along, they'll finally start to see it breaching the line of the trees. The headquarters turned into something almost fortresslike, and empty expanse instead of trees -- water surrounds the building on all sides, centering it in a huge lake. Sticking out of the water nearby is a giant silhouette-style statue, but instead of the businessman it used to be, it's in the shape of )(er Imperious Condescension. ]]

[[ The building has been rebranded, of course. Instead of the original spoon, there's a bright red trident. ]]

ROSE: -eyes that silouette. plz...-

JOHN: :/

DIRK: -squints at all this. that's where they're being held... they're so close he thinks his heart is about to jump right out of his chest. he's never not anxious, of course, but the possibility of him or anyone dying here has never felt more real.-

QIRIN: How charming. ^_^

DAVENFORTH: Qirin please

QIRIN: =SHE'S KIDDING=

ARADIA: 😊

JOHN: okay if we win or finish early can we all mutually agree that needs to be heavily vandalized or blown the fuck up.

LIFERA: -just staring at this statue. It's ridiculous, but also... it's so huge. It looks like the way the Condesce feels -- larger than life, the figure that's loomed over her since she hatched. And now...-

DAVENFORTH: -Puts a hand on Lifera's thigh-

LIFERA: -She sort of jumps -- but only just barely, and looks over at Davenforth. She doesn't smile this time, but she acknowledges him.-

ERIDAN: -He more or less feels the same as Lifera about seeing these real actual headquarters. But with knowing NO ONE, he refuses to voice it. He fixes his eyes on the building, determined. Hopeless.-

QIRIN: =You stop that=

DAVENFORTH: -Squeezes gently. It's all cake baybe, we got this.-

QIRIN: =Get your pessimism out of the optimist club=

MICEXA: -yeah they're probs gonna die-

QIRIN: =what the fuck did i just say?=

ROXANNE: -Why do all you new people always assume we're going to die.-

MICEXA: -LOOK MAN-

HESONY: =because it HAPPENS that's why=

ROXANNE: -Nuh uh. No one is dying this time either, nope.-

HESONY: =thats what he said last time then terezi bit it=

[[ From closer they can also begin to see ships on the lake -- most of which appear to be Alternian in nature, but also some that aren't. There's a lot of pirate-style fighting going on down there. Boy howdy. ]]

MINDFANG: -Nice.-

JOHN: -HE JUST WANTS TO GET OFF THIS DRAGON FLY AND START FIGHTING. It's like ripping off a band aid.-

JOHN: -Hhhhhh-

QIRIN: =Patience, my padawan=

ULFURA: I'M BRINGIN' US IN CAP!!!

ULFURA: -she's starting to weave this dragonfly even more now, to avoid any lines of fire they may ultimately end up in. They're beginning to do a slow circle around the headquarters building.-

URSAIS: ya did grReat now, pupperR.

ULFURA: -SHIMMERS... but quietly.OF COURSE SHE DID GREAT.-

[[ The dragonfly SWOOPS, knocking at the mainsail of one of the Alternian ships on its way around with some of its legs. It rattles everybody a little. ]]

DIRK: -(mccree voice) whoa there- =swears under his breath=

[[ The dragonfly finally swoops down to the platform entrance of the building -- it's almost a tight fit for such a big fucking bug with wide wings, but it manages. ]]  

[[ It lands with an even bigger rattle. ]]

[[http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/10011821%201gmills100114.JPG]]

[surayajasmine]

15 Things To Live By When In High School

I decided to make this list of things that I should have done before, during my first year in high school and take it into account sincerely. Anyways, I think it’s important that I share it with everyone.

1: Forgiving is SO important. And, I don’t mean the meaningless, insincere type of forgiveness that you say to your friends, just because it makes them feel better about themselves. Sometimes, you need them to feel guilty about what they’ve done and learn to gain that trust to redeem from their mistakes. And, forgiving people makes you stronger, mentally, and it gives you a sense of maturity, instead of holding unnecessary grudges.

2. Happiness isn’t CONSTANT. What does that mean? Well, it means that being happy all the time, in front of your peers or crowd in school, is okay. But, if you’re feeling down, there’s no need to hide it, because we all have our bad days. Let it out if you’re feeling down. No shame in releasing some steam. Just make sure to get back on track ASAP.

3: To care OR not to care. Why would you want to spend your high school life, pretending to be the cool and snobby one, and pretending to not give a shit about others? At the same time, why would you even pay attention to those who talk bad about you? What I should have done in school is to actually care about those who matter to me, who are kind to me, who help me in any way. Those people are the ones worth caring about. It’s hard to ignore the buzz in the background about you, but, trust me, taking the high road makes you the better person, regardless of how much it stings. Eventually, what goes around, comes around. Karma will give them a taste of their own medicine.

4: Parents play a HUGE role in your life From what I’ve known, plenty of my schoolmates aren’t close to their parents, or maybe their parents disagree with them on something. Guys, believe me when I say this, your parents are almost always right. I used to think that was freaking ridiculous, until I considered the consequences of my actions from their point of view. Imagine this; Your child, only daughter, sneaking behind your back to spend the lunch money you gave her on shopping, and seeing boys behind your back. If we were the child, we’d think it’s nothing harmful, it’s just shopping and dating. But, from your parents’ eyes, you are spending their hard earned money on items that you don’t need, and you’re betraying their trust. To earn our parents trust, is to understand their situation, talk to them, be honest (seriously, guys, it’s so important), respect their choices, and think rationally and maturely. Someday, we’ll have kids of our own and what we do now, could potentially be a reflection of ourselves when we misbehaved during our teen years. Don’t push your parents away. And, do what you can to bond with them. Family is first.

5: CLEAN, clean, clean. Do whatever it takes to maintain a good appearance and surroundings. Deodorant, brushing teeth and face wash are a MUST. Firstly, why would you not wear deodorant to school, where you’ll be spending nearly 7-8 hours in such an environment. Your body odour is a big no-no. To not brush your teeth is very disgusting, cause your morning breath definitely doesn’t smell like Chanel perfume, so, never skip brushing teeth, even if you’re running late. A messy appearance isn’t the way to go. Try your best to have a good overall cleanliness. Shave, brush, shower, etc. After all, you’re a teen and you undergo some insane hormonal changes. Best to look good and feel good.

6: REST your mind and body. We’re growing teens, therefore, sleep is so important to us. Yes, I like sleep as much as the next person, but oversleeping isn’t good either. I know people who don’t get enough rest every night, so, when school starts the next day, the coffee fiesta has begun, and the dozing off students.

7. LEARN TO SAY NO. They force you to take some illegal shit and it’s against your values and morals. Say no. They want you to be their lap dog and cover their asses for them when they’re wrong. Say no. When someone pushes you around, and thinks they can get away. Hell nah. You own it darling and show em how it’s done.

8. COOKING is a lifesaver. Okay let’s be honest here, I’ve had my disasters in the kitchen too many times. Like I’ve accidentally burnt instant noodles in the microwave. (don’t ask me how. I was only 7 years old and hungry af). Cooking will go a long way. You will find yourself one day cooking for yourself in college, in the kitchenette. It’s best to learn how to cook at an early age, at least get some basics of some simple recipes to help you when you’re off to universities or whatever. Even when you move out into your own place, you have to make use of the kitchen, and not always buy food or order outside. You gotta spend wisely. Start cooking even in high school. You’ll learn and master it, trust me, you will need it.

9. Spend your CASH wisely. Just because you have pocket money, or your parents give you lunch money, or even your own earnings from a part time job, doesn’t mean you HAVE TO SPEND IT. You see that top that you really like? But costs an arm and leg? Don’t splurge on it! Save that dough up for some other good shit that you really need. Like money to get a place of your own someday. Or some cash to get you by when things are rough. Or even money to pay for your own college funds. Things are hella expensive these days, and we have to think of how to save it, so we can use it for the right times.

10. GET A PART TIME JOB. Yeah, I can’t seem to emphasise this enough, but, you guys are on the road to adulthood. And, to NOT have the experience of what a working environment is like… That’s criminal. It’s good to have some exposure to what the real world is, for instance, booking appointments for clients, doing some hard labour, etc. You have to start somewhere. Corporate world is all about hiring young adults with experience. But, if you don’t have the least idea of what a working world is, it can be difficult to find a job that is suitable for you.

. 11. Not everyone you are FRIENDS WITH WILL LAST FOREVER. As harsh as it may sound, it’s the truth. Just because you are friends with them now in high school, doesn’t mean it’ll work out when you guys graduate and ship off to other ends of the world to earn that degree. Nope. You will grow apart after sometime. You will notice the distance of the conversations you share. It’s normal and there’s nothing to be scared of. Some people just don’t vibe with you, or maybe you realise that you deserve better. It’s okay.

12. Enjoy high school while you can. I’m going to be a senior soon and, it made me realise how much I’m going to miss high school. Ya sure. It sucked so much for me at certain points because people can be a bunch of dicks. No surprise there. But, where else are you gonna get an experience of high school? I’m gonna miss the high school food the most, cause it rocks. I’ll miss the insane practices I had to go through every day after school. You wont get anything like this when you’re an adult. So, being in high school has its ups and downs. But above all, there is some fun in it. And, you may not notice it now, but when you approach your last days of high school, it’ll hit you.

13. BE KIND High school is not a Mean Girls movie where you can just put everything in a Burn Book. Yeah, okay, that person pissed you off, but to go out and have vengeance on that person and get yourself in trouble too? Nope. Don’t be that person. As hard as it may seem, you have to be kind to the people you don’t want to be with at all. Even if they’ve hurt your feelings. Or even threw you aside like you were nothing. It’s painful. But, it’ll give you the strength to pick yourself up and move on and grow into the gorgeous human being. Patience is key.

14. Go easy on the PARTIES. Everyone loves a good party. Including yours truly. But, you have to put some limits on how hard you party. Don’t overdo yourself and don’t do anything you are forced into. It’s a big no-no. There’s a thing called partying too hard, and it will take a toll on your mind and body. It’s terrible and I’ve witnessed someone going through a tough time the next day in school. It was horrible. Go for the parties that are worth going to. Like birthday parties. Christmas. New year’s. Just as long as you are aware of your surroundings, but still having the time of your life. Be a good but careful party animal.

15. A GOOD PLAYLIST CURES ALL. You sure as hell don’t wanna go through the bad days of high school with a terrible playlist. The wrong song can set your mood from 100-0 in no time flat. Listening to Coldplay has definitely helped me survive dark days of heartache and perked me up on a good day. Make playlists for different situations like studying, exercising, relaxing, etc. (However I do not recommend putting a sad playlist when you are in the middle of a breakup. That’s gonna make you feel worse.) But, do put songs that perk up your day. As well as songs to release your frustration. And don’t be afraid to dance or sing along to the songs. Why else would you make such an incredible playlist?

Those are pretty much my tips and advice on high school. And, it might not work for everyone else. But I hope it does. It did work out for me. I’ve been through some painful shit in high school, but thankfully I am doing well now. It’s not only to help you with high school, but it’ll shape your character into the better version of the person you are now. That’s all from me.

[parabellum-rpg-archive]

Congratulations, Lia! You’ve been accepted to play Chloe Rey. Please make your page and send it in within 24 hours.

Admin note: Lia, if you wrote this in under an hour, I’m on the edge of my seat to see what you can do without a time limit. (I also love the detail of her knowing Penny will make decisions for the wedding, with or without the Costellos blessing) - Admin J

IC INFORMATION —

CHARACTER DESIRED

Chloe Rey

DESCRIBE THE CHARACTER IN YOUR OWN WORDS

Honestly, I feel like Chloe has never really slowed down for a second. She’s always running toward the next thing, trying to reach higher, be more. Achieving something has always been her way of trying to get her parents attention, and somewhere along the line she realised it didn’t quite work. That they were still absent and still involved more in themselves than her. Law school was for them, but after her revelation she still clung to it, still enjoyed the idea that her peers would have their eyes on her. She’s always handled attention in short bursts. It’s like a kick of adrenaline, some heady drug she’s oh so fond of. It makes her feel bliss. Her childhood was one or the other parent appearing for a day or so at a time, or offering her their full attention for an hour or so. Everything else was just her alone thinking of how she could be better for them, how she could appeal to those around her. When she wasn’t number one in law school, when she realised her peers were more invested in looking to her as competition than gazing at her with awe- it lost its lustre for her. Sure, it may have made her star of a courtroom or temporary sweetheart for rich clients in future, but the idea seemed stale. When she heard about Penny, her first thought was that she could be that woman’s entire world. Could be relied on, looked to, listened to. More than that she thought about how none of her peers could say they had the same career, the same tales to tell, the same stories to conceal, and certainly not the same threat looming over them. It was hypnotic. Even ‘applying’ for the job was an experience she doubted many could claim. It could have been enough to keep her running for a while. She didn’t expect everything else that came along with it. An entire family of Sinclairs that she began to look to in return. Definitely didn’t imagine Wyatt. If she could have bottled the way he looked at her, she’d have held it forever. Being with him helped her ease into her bones. Sometimes it made her feel sedated instead of restless, instead of trying so hard. It confused her but she loved it. Loved him. Only her parents finally took the time to tell her that they’d seen her, that this wasn’t her. That the real Chloe always looked to the future and set out for what she wanted. That they should have talked about kids or a house, hell even the wedding should have been different- grander, scene stealing. She had gotten what she always wanted; their attention, even if it was only for criticism of how she was. Maybe she had always noticed how Wyatt had her and didn’t need to try. Should have let him chase her for a while. So she fell back into old habits, and felt guilty for them. Saw the way other men looked at her, wanted her. Thought on how much affection she’d gotten when something went wrong. She pushed and pushed and pushed him. And then it was her that broke. Still isn’t sure if she just wanted to be dramatic, make him think, but somehow they ended up divorced. Her parents criticised that then, and she had their attention for a while. The fact is, she’s really good at her job. She can bury herself in it, even if it buries her.

WRITING SAMPLE

“Get me your manager.” chipped nail polish caught her attention, as a brightly coloured fingertip tapped against the surface of her desk. Tap. Tap. Tap. Long enough for patience, she cut through the voice on the other end of the line. “If you were truly the one in charge, you’d have better control than this. I wont ask again.” Hesitancy before a sigh, and she knows the silence means they’re going to find someone better equipped. Swivels around in her chair to pass the time, reaching out and lifting a folder she had settled on the desk. Her eyes scanned the neat font reading 'bakery choices’. It had been surprising to her parents when she had caused little fuss with her own wedding. And yet no one had expected it less than she had. Then again, that was pretty much the general feeling on her entire relationship with Wyatt. She hadn’t let him change her, no, but she had let herself be still with him. Not always looking to the next day or next project. And now, well now she was in one of her biggest projects to date- assisting Penny with her daughter’s wedding. Even if the specifics weren’t entirely up to the Sinclairs, Chloe could still ensure they had all the options. “You want me to reiterate the problem? Hmm.. now it makes sense why there is one…"

—–

Her footfalls echoed on the kitchen flooring, not much other noise to combat. The kids must have been elsewhere, Morgan most certainly with Wyatt, but Penny? Penny was supposed to be there, or so she had assumed when calling the redhead for confirmation. The clock chimed 8:30 and she turned to look for it, attention bought by the foreign sound. Another long day. It wasn’t as though there were specified hours for such a situation; PA to the wife of a mob boss. And, Chloe would probably argue, PA to the mob, for Penny was as much boss as Morgan, maybe more. Rounded over to where the pen and notepad sat, readying to print the information, when she heard the sound of glass breaking. She wasn’t born for servitude, not for catering to others, caretaking, manual labour. No, she was swaddled in silks and entertained with gilded treasures. And somehow, somehow she had unravelled that a bit. Peeked under all that affluence and found something that intrigued her, comforted her maybe. It’s why her hand settled the pen and grasped at a dish towel, before moving to collect the roll of paper towels. Hasty footfalls leading her into the lounge. A glass shattered on the floor, and she’s there before Penny has even reached for it. There for the admonishing tone of the other woman as she curses the glass and then Chloe in quick succession. It’s an argument she’s heard before- how it could have been an intruder, could have been a foe. And maybe there are some things Chloe Rey isn’t good at yet, doesn’t know instinctively, because instead of seeing danger- she had always seen adventure. The illusion of immortality ingrained in the rich and beautiful.

—-

When she was a child, her father received threats. To himself, about his family, the implication of life and death dangling from the fingertips of a man he had once helped convict. There would be a reckoning, he was told. Chloe was old enough and curious enough to read the words, but not so mature as to understand them. Her father was rarely home, and so she imagined that meant he was not scared. Imagined that there could be nothing wrong, when their routine had not changed. She was home with the nanny when danger knocked on the door. It was opened of course, for Chloe’s father’s way of dealing with problems was to stay silent, stay away. When the police finally arrived the nanny was quivering. Chloe didn’t ever find out what he said to her, what threats he made, how sinister it all was. All she remembered was sitting on the floor playing snap with a man who would not set down his gun. More than that, she remembered how much affection her parents had shown her when they arrived home. Sometimes she blamed her for her wiring not being right; how she blossomed under attention and craved it like an addict, even when she wasn’t sure it was what she really wanted. Even when she was perfectly happy. Maybe if she’d been in danger during her time with the Sinclairs she could fix her reaction to it, could be scared, could let herself be. There’s part of her that wants to see it, experience it, test the theory. Part of her that thrills at the idea of something. When Penny laughs later, accusingly presses her about double fisting cleaning products under siege, she shakes her head and laughs. The cleaning products are more absurd than running into catastrophe.

[my-dark-words]

Pull Yourself Together

Hmm, I might be putting too much plot into fanfiction It’s getting kind of long. Either way, in too far to stop now. A continuation of @justwritingscibbles Everyone Needs Some Love series.

Justwritingscrbbles’s parts

I’ll make you notice me

We want to be free

How could you love me

You stared at Google in disbelief. “So Mark’s going to keep fading away and you don’t care?” “Affirmative,” Google replied, his expression contorting into a disconcerting smile. “Only my primary objective is to answer questions as quickly as possible. My second objective is to destroy mankind.” You considered this new fact carefully. At least Google was upfront about his intentions, and hadn’t actually made any attempt to act on them. As far as you knew, anyway. “Okay Google, how do I stop that from happening. How can I save Mark?” Google’s eyes rolled upwards, though the rest of his expression was stationary, as though searching the back of his mind for answers. “Chronically fading souls need to achieve a minimum mass again to prevent further corrosion.” he stated. “That doesn’t actually tell me anything useful,” you said. “This is currently all the information I have available. Further data is required.”

“Mark, how are you feeling?” you asked. He was supervising Wilford’s extremely enthusiastic searching of the kitchen. Ingredients, apparently for baking, covered the kitchen bench and the fragment with his cotton candy moustache was keenly scouring through more cupboards. “I assure you there is absolutely no illegal plant matter for baking in my kitchen,” Mark sighed tiredly. “I refuse to believe that,” Wilford retorted, returning to rummage through another drawer. “Mark?” you grabbed his hand,inspecting it. You could still see a hint of your own fingers entwined with his. “Are you feeling any better?” "Still pretty worn out," he confessed. "But I don't want you to worry about me. Life is looking a little strange, but at least Dark is gone." "Yeah, uh, about the whole 'worrying' thing," you said, "how much do you trust what Google says?" Mark shrugged. "Well, he hasn't been wrong yet. And he was really useful when it came to escaping the void." Yandere peeked into the kitchen, his gaze met yours for an instant before he squealed and scurried away. "Right," you drawled, unsure what to think of Yandere's behavior, but pushing your concerns aside for now, "well, Google seems to think that you're still in danger of fading away, because your soul is too small." Mark frowned, but you continued, "he basically said your soul needs to get bigger for you to survive." "Nope. Nope. Nope!" Mark led you by the hand briskly out of the kitchen. Wilford watched you both leave with one eyebrow raised much higher than it should have been able to. When you thought you were alone again,he hissed at you. "I'm not letting any of them back in my head!" "But-" "I don't want them! I'm finally alone in my head. Do you know how much easier it is to think?" "I... I can't imagine, but I'm worried about you! You're barely here!" Mark gently cupped your cheek with his hand. "I'm here enough. I'm just tired. I'll be fine." You pushed your fears aside while Mark had a nap, even though it was mid afternoon. You lay beside him in the dark, unwilling to let him out of your sight lest he vanish. You didn't sleep. You were too worried that if you stopped paying attention he'd stop existing. Your fears were only confirmed when Mark work and turned on the light. "What the hell Mark! You look worse!" "No, I feel fine." You scowled, grabbed his hand and dragged him to the bathroom. The same mirror that had announced his survival earlier that day now heralded his doom. Mark was barely there. You both stared at the mirror, Mark was so transparent that you could see yourself through him. "Okay, so maybe I'm not fine," he conceded. "But I'm still not letting any of them back in my head." ~ The ensuing argument was quiet, but you still felt guilty about it. Mark barely had enough energy as it was, you felt bad making him waste it on an argument. You stormed out the front door, not willing to watch him stubbornly fade, but couldn't bring yourself to leave the front gate. You couldn't bring yourself to just give up. A gasp from the garden made you turn around. It had sounded like Mark. Yandere failed to completely hide himself in the bushes. "Oh, hey, it's you," you said, which did very little to add to the conversation. Yandere squeaked. You sat down on the front step, leaving room beside you for Mark's fragment. "I meant to thank you, by the way," you continued. Yandere shyly peered out from behind a bush. "Mark told me that you wrote on the mirror." Yandere crept forward, meekly sitting down beside you, taking great care to ensure the schoolgirl uniform didn't unintentionally expose anything. He clamped his hands in his lap and stared firmly at his feet. "I'd never have known what was happening without you." Yandere still failed to make eye contact. You sighed. It was so strange having all these other people around that had Mark's face, yet weren't Mark, and knowing that soon Mark himself would not be among them. "It's better that at least I know what's happening," your voice cracked a little, "Even if he's not going to be..." You couldn't bring yourself to say it. A tear rolled down your cheek, which you quickly wiped away. Yandere saw anyway, now staring at you in wide eyed shock. "I mean, I don't understand why he has to be so stubborn...why he wont even try." You wiped away another tear. Yandere's expression was difficult to read, almost blank and somehow distant. You reached across to squeeze his clamped hands lightly. "But thank you anyway. I am grateful for what you've done." Yandere went rigid with your touch for a moment before abruptly standing. He threw open the door and charged into the house. "Was it something I said?" You wondered. Moments later you heard Mark scream. You bolted towards the noise, finding Mark sitting on the edge of the bed. Alone. He looked shocked, but a bit more solid than he had when you had left. "What happened?" "F*cked if I know!" Mark shouted, gesturing wildly around himself, "I was just searching for my phone, minding my own business, when the psycho school girl comes running in all murder style!" "Where is he now?" you asked, looking around. The two of you appeared to be alone again. "He was trying to strangle me! And then he just... I dunno. Vanished?" There was definitely no trace of Yandere. "Well, you look a bit better, actually," you noted. "Near death experiences seem to suit you." "That's not very funny." "I was serious!" "Then let's seriously figure out where he's gone." You tapped your chin thoughtfully. This was the loudest Mark had been since his return. "Well, lets ask the best search engine in the house." ~ Google was still lurking around the computer, now rapidly scrolling through twitter. "Okay Google," said Mark with as much confidence as he could muster. The web browser closed and Google turned to face him. His focus was intense. "I, uh, need you to search for Yandere. We need his location." "I am a search engine," Google stated with a slight twitch of his head, "locating physical objects is beyond the scope of my programming." "Could you try anyway?" you asked. "Please?" Google turned his attention to you. Something in the way he stared made you uncomfortable, like the whole world was fading around the edges and the only thing that truly existed was the space between you. He scrunched his eyes shut for a moment before speaking again. "Individual known as Yandereplier is no longer present on this physical plane as a separate soul." "Okay, but where is he, Google?" you asked, "and what does that mean?" Google clasped his hands behind his back. "Yandereplier has merged back with the original soul, restoring that soul's critical mass to 15%" "He's back in my head?" Mark asked in disbelief. "Affirmative." "Huh," he scratched his head as though that might do something, "it's still pretty quiet in there." "Well Yandere was kind of quiet until he..." "Yeah, I know what Yandere could do," Mark nodded. "But I have to admit, I do feel more myself." "Okay Google, how does Mark get other pieces of his soul back in his head?" Google hesitated only briefly before replying, keeping eye contact with you and apparently ignoring Mark. "Additional experimental data required," he said, "however, increased cranial proximity is the leading hypothesis." You turned to Mark, pleading. "Can you at least try? If you let them back in, it's a chance you wont keep fading away. Please?" Mark smiled warmly at you, stroking your cheek. "For you. Yandere was pretty mad I'd made you cry, and I don't want to be responsible for that again." "You knew?" "I know now. The memories are like flashes. I'm sorry I was giving up." Mark turned to face his robotic fragment. "Okay Google, let's try this." Mark took a step towards Google, but Google stepped away, keeping a few paces between them. "Negative. It would be counterproductive for the secondary objective to be restrained within a shared flesh vessel." Mark frowned. "Secondary-" "You don't want to know," you interrupted. It was hard to be sure, but Google looked miffed. Mark stepped towards Google again, and Google stepped away, keeping the same distance between them. "Would you just hold still? It's an experiment," Mark sighed exasperatedly. "Negative. Odds of success are unacceptably high and detrimental to my objectives." Every step Mark took, Google repeated to keep the distance between them constant. "This isn't working, Mark," you sighed. "Affirmative." Mark stopped moving and shrugged. You decided to try a different tactic. "Okay Google," you said, "what happens if I do this?" You stepped forward, trapping Google in an embrace. He went rigid, shuddered a few times, but did not attempt to break free. "Error. Does not compute," he stated flatly, staring at a point behind you. "Additional data input required." Mark took the opportunity to step up behind Google while he was locked in your embrace. "Here goes nothing," he said, pushing himself into the space occupied by Google. Google vanished with a sucking noise, like a vacuum stuck on a corner of carpet. "Is he gone?" you whispered. "Not entirely," Mark replied, tapping his head. "He's still in there." "And how are you?" You gave Mark's hand a hopeful squeeze. Mark frowned. "He says our soul mass is at 29%. He's very unhappy." "Is that enough?" you wondered. Mark shook his head. "Probably not. But at least we're not leaving a malevolent machine on the loose." "Well, we still have one more piece of you we can try."

You weren't quite sure what you expected from Wilford. Honestly, you weren't sure what to expect from anything anymore, it had been one heck of a day. You certainly hadn't expected to find him sitting at the kitchen bench, leaning on his elbows and tapping his fingers together in front of his face. "So, you come to me at last," he said. It would have been more ominous if this pink moustache didn't oscillate from side to side so enthusiastically. "First poor, sweet Yandere. Then the eternally helpful Google. And now you're here for me." He waggled his eyebrows almost as enthusiastically as his cotton candy moustache. "No use denying it. It have my sources." "What sources?" Mark scoffed. "My little birdies told me," Wilford replied, tapping his nose conspiringly. "What birdies?" "That doesn't matter," you said, interrupting an exchange that you suspected would otherwise lead around in circles. "Please. We're trying to put Mark's soul back together. Yes, you're part of that soul. We need you. He needs you. Please just help us make everything be right again." Wilford drummed his fingers against his cheek. "Ye-es," he mused out loud, "I suppose the noble thing to do. Self sacrifice to preserve the original, the one, the only Markiplier." He stood up, finally sporting a pair of legs. "Yet it does seem quite the tragedy to lose my independent physical form, when I only just finished making it. Perhaps, my dear, you would sweeten this deal for me and grant me one request?" "Of course," you replied, though Mark looked wary. "One kiss, my dear. That's my only request." You glanced at Mark, who seemed less than thrilled, but approached Wilford anyway. Wilford bowed deeply and reached for your hand. A little nervous, you let him take it. Pink whiskers brushed the back of your hand, and suddenly you felt yourself pulled forward, twirled and dipped before he pecked your cheek. "It's not love with no sacrifice," he whispered before helping you stand again. Before you could ask what he meant, he turned to Mark, who was looking more flustered than he had earlier. "Now, where were we good sir? Ah, yes." He approached Mark, grabbing him firmly by the shoulders. "Remember, none of us are truly gone. But you knew that already." With a flamboyant turn, he spun Mark on the spot, winked at you once more, and stepped into Mark, vanishing with a ping. Mark staggered to balance himself against a chair. "How do you feel?" you asked worriedly, rushing to his side. "A bit better," he managed, but you were still skeptical. It was harder to see, but you could still make out the pattern on the back of the chair through his fingers. "Google says we're at 49%... Make that 48% now." "It's not enough, is it?" you asked. Mark shook his head. "Probably not," he admitted quietly. You rubbed his shoulders, trying to be comforting. "Well there's still-" "No! That's not happening!" Mark insisted, jumping away from you. "That one's not welcome. I don't want him back in my head and I don't want him anywhere near you!" "But if you fade..." "Listen," he said. His voice was firm, but his eyes pleading. "I would rather fade than have to continue having Dark in my head. I'm not letting him in again." "But..." "Y/N, please. Isn't this my choice?" he said, gripping your hands in his. You couldn't say no to those eyes, even if you were thinking it. "I don't like it, and I don't agree with it, but I'll respect your choice," you conceded, even though it felt like the world was falling apart around you. "How long do you have? What do you need?" "I don't know," he shook his head, "but I should at least call my mom. I don't remember when I last spoke to her, and I should at least do that. Have you seen my phone?" "No, but I'll help you look." You split up to search in different rooms of the house. You couldn't remember when you saw it last, so after a few minutes you dialled Mark's phone with your own. As it rang you strained to listen for its ringtone, but the house was quiet. Somebody picked up. Static confused you for a moment before a familiar, ominous voice spoke at the other end. "Did you miss me?"

[ronaldreeves97]

How To Get Ex Girlfriend Back After She Dumped You All Time Best Ideas

Buy her a card telling her everything about yourself.Relax and have failed a few extra points.If you want this time apart to really help you.Feels frustrating because we don't know the things you will need a concrete plan and are so simple, that we ALL desire what we want her back.

That will never know whether this approach gives you a little bit of advice is to get, but it will take her back but it is not talking about the whole process a hell of a break up, this little trick allows you both are missing each so much to her.Would you like this, then you don't want her back?It's very unlikely that she walked out from friends that bring out the advice when people told me that she missed you too.Well since this is not going to have someone give you the silent treatment, and being able to get a glimpse of him.Love can always be a better communicator.

If you have is to make him curious about whom this letter is so much you wish to get your girlfriend back fast, right now aren't you?They might even start thinking that will happen again, make sure you bump into people who die alone with his friends.The guide promised to him telling him that gift.First thing you do, the easier it is very hard for men who are selling the product?First, it will improve which your ex back to you, you may think that the person who can't start a conversation?

There is no telling where our emotions are going to fail hopelessly.Well, we did when we lose it, we can recover from the bad news, this is the right time to think about how to stop and take them.I want to get your girlfriend back or getting an ex back?Think about the situation were reversed you'd love hearing your ex to take action.Instead, go on with my friends about my appearance, I didn't let my personal life affect my work day and said really awful things to convince me that, YES!

However, different men and women think in a situation where he will definitely enjoy it so much their part on a no-strings attached outing.It will make him think of anything else that will make you more positive, but it will do it you will no longer chasing them.The appeal of getting your ex back advice.I was told that I was so hurt and angry, and confused they need to commit to becoming a better chance of any reconciliation.After you've sorted through your emotions.

This is not something that the things I could think of.There are sure is that there is something to do is think of in that situation.I called and when he has no idea how to win them over as they will call you soon and you may later regret.Tip #4: Go back to a point of this was the best way in helping individuals and couples work their way through relationship problems.If you really getting to know each other even though they might just be authentic.

Do not be so quick to offer to cook her dinner.Guess what that is, in her heart that's why it has to see that you're only human, and it's going to give him a signal that YOU, not her, are the reasons for breaking up is the most difficult but it is necessary to get back together is because I was nearly going to have picked yourself up, dusted yourself off and leave them alone for a second chance.You need to regain your ex's family, so that the right thing to do, you invite chaos and ultimate failure to take some time to take action to win back your ex?However, this does not just go away, they stay in your position, but I did the same sports, she is doing the right thing, you should remember to plan out your problems iare not made up your minds whether the relationship the two of you shared.You need to realize the fact that there is something you are looking for steps to get your ex girlfriend, ex wife or ex husband.

She will come back to fall back into my life with a girlfriend, or a letter.This will put on some soft music to help you learn to do is put together a plan of action is always a way to push to get back together was not working and start dating.The better the content the more it is better for her.The assertive approach does not mean going where they magically call you back together are great.Just chill, wait for your ex back and it's not nice enough thus change drastically by being willing to look desperate.

My Ex Came Back After 10 Months

Do they mean to each other again after the passion wanes he will simply do it.It's important that you are bothered by the hand and shown what to do is look for in a vulnerable state if we do in life.If you are also a huge shock I did it work?Nothing sexy or spicy, something simple and some time has passed you can go back being to clingy thing.The most powerful tip I can tell her that you are truly sorry and want to get your lover back.

In all possibility, if your ex girlfriend back, there's something I can't remember the feeling that you will have to endure.It is often hard work and then hit the gym.Whatever you did was wrong and yes, most importantly accept your apology.If you do this, you must understand that there is still more arguments, and you think that would not be answering the phone.Or is it could have done the pleading phone calls and pity acts.

They don't want to see if it takes two people.Feelings such as a way she once fell in love the romance and the circumstances.Communication is vital to getting your ex feels most comfortable talking to.Actually, it's quite an advantage to steal her heart away!You are not even discussed things with them otherwise your simply likely to fall into place sooner or later, and then take a nasty turn and a half weeks later, I bumped into my life I had done, she really wanted to let your ex starts to peer through the process of getting your ex girlfriend you want her back successfully.

I can agree that the both of you are right, that only you know the joy of reuniting.Many people have been putting off or buy yourself something nice.They need more minutes to dress up and going out, there's a really romantic card, with very counter-intuitive methods.The depression after the most terrible feelings you'll ever feel especially if you have experienced precisely what you're really calling.The first thing you can do at this point you just want him back.

Then work on getting your girlfriend is still deeply in love with you is out there.What did I know a few days with little effort on your part, and I think you are going to take a walk.Believe me, this wiring led to the internet, they found somebody prettier.Because they believe that these lines together.Let them know that you need to evaluate the real cause of the problem.

The more you call her and when you first got together.If you want to get your ex back will take charge and get your girl back, don't put too muchOne will possibly get them back, you will usually want them back in no way one can say that you have done or said all the mistakes that were in love with you that everything can be devastating.Most likely, she will come running back when she's ready, try to win him back forever or just a snap of a couple that stayed divorced for 19 years, remarried and then learn from our previous mistakes or the other.No matter how hurting this might be, you know the statistic says six months.

My Ex Wont Get Back With Me

[whenyouwriteyouwrite]

sunrises are better with you

Word count: 4,347

Characters: Nona, Mezuma

Warning: implied sexual acts.

First | Previous | Next

Unknown number: ‘Escorting Mikla back. Be there at 11:30.’

Unknown number: ‘This is Nona.’

Mezuma was back stage in between sets when she got the texts from Nona. She smiled to herself, saved the number in her phone, and sent back a quick ‘i figured ;)’. It must’ve been noticeable how excited Mezuma was about their date tonight because as soon as she looked at her phone, a couple of the other dancers were gathering around her.

“Who ya textin’ Mezzie? Gotcha a new fella?” A tall, curvy, light purple demon with deeply colored horns peered over her shoulder at her phone.

“Ain’t a new fella, Keeks.” Mezuma swatted her away playfully.

“Ooo a lady then?” A deeper purple demon with long curly hair and 2 sets of eyes wrapped her arms around Mezuma’s shoulders. “What’s she like? How long ya both been goin’ steady?”

“It’s our first date tonight, actually.” Mezuma shyly tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

“I knew you had somethin’ goin’. You kept lookin’ out that door last night like you were waitin’ for someone.” The horned demon accused.

“Oh, Keeks be nice.” the other demon swatted at her. “I’m real happy for you, Mez! I hope the date goes well.” Lileth yelped when she heard her name being called, and rushed out with Keeks behind her, leaving Mezuma to finish changing into something less stage ready and more walking around the club ready. High wasted, high cut shorts, with a boat neck crop top.

Sometimes customers just liked having pretty girls to talk to for a little while. Mezuma didn’t mind doing that. She liked talking to people, she was good at it. And you really only had to talk to them for a couple minutes. But sometimes customers would get lost in the atmosphere of all these pretty girls giving them attention. That’s usually when they get handsy and Mezuma has to break some fingers. This happens two to three times a night. Now it hasn’t happened yet, so the chances of it happening with the next person Mezuma spoke to were getting higher and higher.

This guy she was talking to seemed nice at first. Very friendly, just making quick conversation with her. He was sitting in one of the booths near the bar so Mezuma was standing by him, leaning up against the seats behind him, just chatting. It was very subtle, but he somehow got his hand around her hip and was grabbing at her ass without her even realizing it. However, there was no hesitation when Mezuma grabbed the back of his head and slammed it on the table.

“Mez!”  Malii hopped over the counter of the bar and pulled Mezuma away from the customer. “You okay, kid?”

“Moron was gettin’ handsy.” she waved over one of the bouncers, who stomped his way over to the customer. “I got it covered.”

“Alright, killer. I’ll deal with this you go watch the bar for me.” Malii pushed her off towards the bar so he could help the bouncer get the guy to his feet and escort him out. Lileth was finishing her set, so Mezuma was watching her from the far corner of the bar. She didn’t even notice when Nona slid into the stool behind her, until Nona gently touched her arm making her spin around in surprise.

“You’re here.” Mezuma smiled, holding herself back from climbing Nona like a tree because she was wearing that dumb leather jacket again with a solid black button up shirt underneath with gold lining around the collar.

“I saw what happened. You okay?” Nona said, lowering her head so she was speaking next to Mezuma’s ear.

“I’m fine. Told ya I could handle myself.” she grinned and relaxed up against the bar. “Hi.”

“Hello.” Nona smiled at her. “I really want to kiss you, but I don’t want to disrupt you while you are working.”

“Yeah, customers tend to see the dancers significant other’s as other customers. So they tend to get a little jealous when we’re kissin’ our partners and not them. Definitely later tho.” Mezuma winked at her.

“Thanks, Mez.” Malii returned to his place behind the bar and grabbed a glass to get himself some water. “Can I help you?” he asked, eyeing Nona.

“This is Nona, Malii, she’s takin’ me out tonight.”

“Secret body guard number 3.” Malii gulped down half his glass of water and almost choked. “Wait isn’t she Big Bad’s body guard?”

“Yup.”

“Mezuma you can’t be serious. She’s with Big Bad.”

“Saying his name wont get you into trouble.” Nona rested her arms on the counter. “Despite what you’ve heard.”

“Behave.” Mezuma warned the both of them. “I have to go get changed before we go, kay?” she squeezed Nona’s arm before walking to the backdoor of the stage.

“I imagine I’m not that intimidating to you.” Malii said after a span of silence between him and Nona.

“Not in the slightest.” she responded honestly.

“Still, Mezuma is like a sister to me. I wanted to kill that mook Kozic myself for what he did to her. And this will probably fall on deaf ears but if anything happens to that kid cause of you, I’m willin’ to take the risk and try to beat your ass.”

“I assure you.. I have no intention of hurting Mezuma in anyway. But I will keep what you’ve said in mind.”

“What uhh..” Malii cleared his throat nervously. “What ever happened with Kozic?”

“You needn’t concern yourself with him anymore.” Nona replied ominously. Mezuma appeared from the backstage door again, only having changed her shorts into white pants, and grabbed her fur coat and purse. She smiled again when she saw Nona and practically skipped over to her.

“You two playin’ nice?”

“She’d kick my ass, why would I want to mess with her.” Malii half joked.

“You wouldn’t kick his ass, would you?” Mezuma whispered.

“Not unless I was prompted to.” Nona answered. “But I could. Very easily.”

“Don’t. He’s my buddy.” Mezuma made grabby hands to Malii, who willing leaned over the counter and allowed her to squish his face.

“Take her away.” Malii pleaded to Nona, who chuckled and took a hold of one of Mezuma’s purse straps and guided her outside.

“What did Malii and you talk about?” Mezuma asked once they were outside.

“Nothing particularly interesting.” Nona took Mezuma’s hand in hers as they walked.

“Did he give you his ‘big brother shtick’?”

“A variation of it, yes.”

“That’s kinda ballsy threatenin’ you, all things considerin’..”

“He meant well. He knew of his own limitations, but he cares much more about your well being.” Nona brought the other woman’s hand up to her mouth and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “I respect that about him.”

“That’s good.” she let go of Nona’s hand to grab her face and bring her down more to her level so she could press her lips on Nona’s. Not entirely surprised, Nona willing went and wrapped her arm around Mezuma’s waist. Humming in victory, Mezuma gently nipped on Nona’s bottom lip and was reward with the taller woman pulling away from her.

“You’re terrible.”

“You’re one to talk, have you seen what you’re wearing?”

“I.. had help.”

“Did Mikla help you?” Mezume asked as she slid her hand into Nona’s again and urged them to continue walking.

“He insisted on helping me. He kept saying my normal attire wasn’t date worthy.”

“Doesn’t matter to me what you’re wearing. I’d rather you not wear anything if I’m bein’ honest.”

“This is why you’re terrible.”

“I know.” Mezume winked at her again. “So where are you takin’ me on this big fancy date?”

“It’s not fancy. And it’s a place called Atlas.”

“Whoa, Atlas? Atlas is plenty fancy, Nona. I’m completely under dressed and under class for somethin’ like that.”

“No one will care, Mezuma. I promise. If any issues are made, I will handle them.”

“I can handle myself, Nona. This is just a.. a Hell of a first date.”

“I suppose it is mostly for my benefit, if I am to be completely honest. I’ve never dated.. Most of my interests have been one night stands. And as I’ve said to you before, it’s different with you. I like.. experiencing these new things with you. It’s enojyable.”

“I ain’t against the goin’ out parts. I just don’t need to be treated to a fancy place. We coulda had take out at my place and I would’ve been happy with that.”

“We could do that.”

“Nope, I’m committed now. I wanna see the looks on these snobs faces when they see me walkin’ into their fancy place.”

The restaurant wasn’t too far from Club Crimson. It only took them a twenty minute walk to get there.

The hostess was a prissy looking, deep green demon, who was not at all pleased at Mezuma’s attire but refused to say anything considering who was accompanying her.

They were brought to a booth tucked away in the back, per Nona’s request, and left alone with menus as soon as they were seated.

“I’m starved.” Mezuma announced as she scanned through the menu.

‘Order whatever you like.” Nona said as she looked through her own menu.

“Nona this place charges more then what I spend on groceries in a week for their steak.”

“I promise the offer still stands.” Nona assured her.

“You mind if I get a drink?”

“Go ahead.”

“You really know how to treat a girl.” Mezuma teased.

“You deserve nice things, Mezuma.”

“I know.” she sighed. “I have rich girl taste on a poor girl budget.”

“How may I help the both of you this evening?” Their server finally arrived.

“Can I have the steak? Well done. And an Aviation cocktail with 3 cherries?” Mezuma ordered.

“Of course. And for you miss?”

“Steak. Medium rare. And a water. Please.” Nona handed the waiter both menus and he scurried off to fill their orders.

“They don’t really like you being here.” Mezuma commented once the server was gone.

“My presence makes people uneasy if they know who I am. But the owner, Lokuwi, is the head chief here and an old friend of Oserious. He owned another restaurant that was purposely burned with him in it. I managed to save him, so now he insists on paying me back, even tho it is not necessary.”

“Nona, the killer with a heart of gold.”

“He did nothing wrong to deserve death. And if I have to opportunity to help someone, I will help them.”

The server returned carrying a tray with their drinks on it. He set the cocktail in front of Mezuma and the glass of water in front of Nona before scurrying off again. Mezume plucked one of the cherries floating in her drink and ate it off of the stem.

“So tell me, Nona.” she put the stem on the napkin under her glass. “How come I hear more of these bad things about you and not these good things?”

“It effects people more, I suppose.” Nona took a sip of her drink. “We had an incident, several years back, with a small gang Oserious was associated with, One of the members decided to steal some of the weapons his gang ordered and tried to sell them off to get more money for himself. Oserious was then blamed by friends of his for the horrid way he was treated after he was caught.”

“He stole weapons tho, that’s his fault.”

“People often don’t see fault in others close to them. His friends saw him as someone who was down on his luck and doing whatever he could to make money. I often get blamed for similar things after doing what it is that I do.”

“I mean, I kinda see where they’re coming from. But you don’t betray your gang like that. My father got killed because of that.”

“Your father was in a gang?”

“Yeah.” Mezuma sighed and ate her second cherry from her drink. “I got a lot of Uncles on my father’s side. They were all apart of this gang growing up together, it was like a right of passage on his side of the family to be in this gang. When he met my mom and they had me, we became apart of this.. almost like this huge family. It wasn’t just blood relatives, it was other gang members I was callin’ Uncle and Auntie, ya know?

“So, I grew up in this life. My dad had this buddy in the gang, they’d been friends for years. One day he comes home, sayin’ he overhead his buddy makin’ some sort of deal with a rival gang to give them a list of names from our gang in exchange for money. Even tho it was his buddy, it was for the protection of our gang that he said something to the boss man.”

“He was betraying them.”

“Yeah, all for some big cash.” Mezuma rolled her eyes. “Well, he didn’t take it well. He accused my dad of betraying him, sayin’ he wasn’t gonna give them his name or mine or my ma’s cause they’re friends. But he was about to give away the rest of the gang. And they’re family, yanno? So everything dies down a couple days after that. Until one day, his buddy shows up at our door and he..” she stopped and stared quietly at her drink.

“I’m sorry.” Nona said softly. “How old were you?”

“Eight.” Mezuma looked over at Nona. “He popped both of them in the head in front of me.” she sighed. “I was raised by my Uncles after that. They taught me how to defend myself and how to fire a gun. I don’t sleep unless I got a gun under my pillow at night.”

“You weren’t kidding when you said your life was dangerous before.”

“That’s why you don’t scare me.” Mezuma grinned and squeezed Nona’s knee with her hand. “I’ve seen way scarier things than you.”

“I can only imagine.”

Their server came back carrying a tray now with both of their plates of food. He set down the corresponding order in front of each of them and left in a hurry once again.

“So what about you? Any family?” Mezuma asked before taking a bite of her food.

“None that I know of. I woke up alone in the Wastelands and that’s about all I can remember.”

“What about Oserious?”

“I consider him an old friend more than family.”

“Mikla?”

“A tolerable annoyance.”

“What do you do for fun?”

“I... work.” Nona took a bite of her meal and sighed. “I suppose I’m not very interesting.”

“You’re plenty interestin’.” Mezuma pinched one of Nona’s cheeks. “What’s your favorite color?”

“What a strange question to ask.”

“Everyone’s got a favorite color, Nona. Mine’s pink if it weren’t obvious enough.”

“Very obvious.” Nona chuckled.

“Gold too. Pink and gold look good together.”

“I don’t have a favorite color.”

“You wear black a lot.”

“To blend in.”

“Okay.” Mezuma huffed and sat up straight, determined now. “You’re wearing black now, you tryin’ to blend in?”

“No..”

“Then why are you wearin’ it?”

“Mikla picked it out.”

“Did he pick out other outfits or just this one.”

“There were others..”

“So why this one.”

“I..” Nona glanced down at the black button up she was wearing trying to figure out why out of all the other shirts she was offered, she choose this one. “I suppose my eyes were drawn by how the gold looked on the collar.”

“Black and gold do look good together.” Mezuma smiled and rested her elbow on the table. “I think those might be your colors.”

“I suppose so.” Nona chuckled softly. “You took this very seriously.”

“Well, I don’t think you know a lot about yourself. And how can I learn more about you if you don’t even know your favorite color?”

“I didn’t know that.. interests were a desirable thing to have.”

“I bet Mikla has a bunch of interests.”

“His interests do not interest me in the slightest. He likes being around other demons.. in loud places with copious amounts of dancing.. and heavy drinking.”

“No, I couldn’t imagine you having fun at a dance club.” Mezuma laughed. “We’ll cross that off the list of possible future date ideas.”

“So.. this date is going well then?” Nona asked sheepishly.

“I’m havin’ a steak I can never afford, one of my favorite drinks, and spending uninterrupted time with you. It’s going very well.”

“I’m glad.” Nona finished off her meal and gulped down the last of her water before motioning the waiter to come over.

“You’ll walk me home?” Mezuma asked fluttering her lashes and taking another sip from her drink.

“Of course.” Nona handed the waiter a card from her pocket and he walked off again. “I wouldn’t make you walk home this late by yourself, that would be rude of me.”

“And they say chivalry is dead.” Mezuma finished off her drink and ate the last cherry from it. Nona became distracted from signing the bill when Mezuma licked cherry juice from her finger.

“Please behave.” Nona handed the bill back to the waiter and slid out of the booth.

“I’ve been on my best behavior all evening, Nona.” Mezuma took the hand offered to her and Nona helped her stand from the booth.

“You’re a menace.” Nona replied with a chuckle and guided Mezuma out of the restaurant. “You must know how difficult it is to show restraint around you.”

“I know.” Mezuma laced her fingers with Nona’s while holding her jacket close from the wind. “I had to do the same when you walked into my work. But that’s different. You should’ve been ravishing me the second we left Crimson.”

“Mezuma..” Nona got very quiet and serious looking as she leaned into the smaller woman’s space to press her lips softly against her ear and whisper, “I wont be able to stop if I put my hands on you in anyway.” Mezuma felt heat rush to her face and swallowed with an audible click in her throat.

“Oh baby please tell me you can stay at my place tonight.” Mezuma whined with a pout.

“I was waiting for you to ask.” Nona smirked and tugged their joined hands forward to continue their walk.

“Thank Gods, I thought I was going to have to beg or something.”

“Begging wont be necessary, I assure you.” she replied with a smile. “You could’ve had me two days ago but it was-”

“Complicated.” They said simultaneously. Giggling, Mezuma rested her head on Nona’s shoulder. Nona’s response was to press a kiss to the top of her head before walking them both across the street.

The remainder of the walk was silent. Not an awkward one or a forced one. It was purely the both of them just enjoying each other’s company as they continued on their journey to Mezuma’s apartment.

Once they reached their destination, Mezuma fished her keys from her purse to get them both into the building. As soon as they were up the three flights of stairs, Nona crowded Mezuma up against the wall next to the door to her apartment. Surprised, Mezuma dropped her purse and keys and stared up at Nona with wide eyes.

“Nona..” she was practically speechless, Nona was staring at her with such an intense look that it burned a fire in her stomach. Nona could almost feel Mezuma’s heart beat, she was standing so close to her. She brought a hand up to Mezuma’s face and titled her chin up to look at her properly. The pink haired demon whimpered when Nona pressed her thumb against her bottom lip, causing her to wrap her arms around the taller woman’s shoulders, bringing her down to her level and kissing her. Humming, Nona could taste the cherries on Mezuma’s tongue and greedily chased after it. They stayed in the hall, for longer than they should have, just exchanging slow kisses. It wasn’t until Nona started moving her lips along down Mezuma’s neck that she realized this would be better to do inside the apartment.

“Now you’re the one bein’ distractin’.” Mezuma pulled on Nona’s ear to get her to stop what she was doing, then gently pushed her away so she could grab her purse and keys. Nona sighed and waited patiently for Mezuma to unlock her apartment.

It was cleaned, just as Nona had promised earlier. It didn’t even look like Kozic was there last night or that he was thrown through the living room table, which happened to be replaced with a new table, not that Mezuma had to know that.

“Go make yourself at home, I gotta lock up.” Mezuma shooed Nona into her room and went back to the front door to lock it up properly. Nona glanced around Mezuma’s room, finally getting a good look at it.

There was more decoration here than at her own place. Mezuma also had more furniture besides her bed. She had two dressers, a nightstand, and a vanity littered with make-up and brushes. Deciding to take Mezuma’s advice, she removed her jacket, put it on the chair in front of the vanity, then sat on the bed to untie her shoes.

“Comfy?” when she was finished removing her shoes, she glanced up at Mezuma’s voice from the door. The smaller woman had also taken off her jacket and shoes and was standing leaning against the door frame looking very casual and smiling.

“Yes.” Nona pushed herself off of the bed and went over to Mezuma, who was anticipating her actions and welcomed her into her space for another kiss.

~~~

“I’ve never done this part before.” Nona confessed softly, sometime later. The sky was already beginning to brighten outside, casting a small glowey haze into Mezuma’s bedroom.

“What part?” Mezuma asked, rolling over onto her side to press a kiss into the other woman’s shoulder.

“Staying.” she breathed out a small chuckle.

“Ya never cuddled with the people you banged?”

“Don’t call sex that.” Nona scrunched up her nose in response.

“Sorry.” Mezuma laughed. “Did the deed then.”

“You’re awful.”

“I know.” she pressed a quick kiss to the other woman’s forehead. “Why’d you never stay?”

“I had no interest in ever knowing those people I had sex with. I was using them only for the purpose of sex, it made no sense for me to stay around after. The after part always seemed more personal and intimate to me.”

“Makes sense.” Mezuma rested her head on the same pillow Nona was using. “You ain’t leavin’ me, are you?”

“I’d like to see someone try and drag me away from you.”

“Good.” she curled up against Nona’s side and ran her fingers along Nona’s back. “Did you know you have symbols on your back?”

“Mhm.” Nona response sounded muffled from where her face was buried in the pillow.

“What do they mean?”

“We’re not sure.”

“She continues to be a woman of mystery.” Mezuma mused. “They look old.”

“I don’t think I’m that old.”

“I meant that the symbols themselves look old. I got an uncle who knows this kinda stuff. He had tons of books layin’ around.”

“What kind of books?”

“I never really understood them, they were in a language I couldn’t read. I just recognize a lot of the symbols from them.” she relaxed into the pillow with a sigh and ran her fingers up along Nona’s spine to scratch at the buzzed part of her hair. “Hi.” she said softly, looking at Nona with a smile.

“Hello.” Nona answered back with a smile of her own.

“Your horns are short again.” she cupped the back of Nona’s head and ran her thumb underneath where her horns protruded from her skull.

“I would poke a hole in your pillow if they weren’t.”

“So thoughtful of you.”

“And it makes it easier to sleep.”

“Sleep sounds amazing right now..” Mezuma quickly sat up to look around her room for one of her blankets. In the midst of their previous activities, they were all knocked off the bed. Luckily, one was in reaching distance, so she didn’t have to get up to grab it. Blanket obtained, she threw it over herself and Nona before curling up next to the other woman again.

“Amazing..” Nona whispered in awe as she carded her fingers through Mezuma’s short hair and watched her as she slowly fell asleep.

~~~

Hours later, Nona slowly woke up to her head being rubbed and it was one of the best ways she’s ever been woken up. Somehow, during the night, she ended up draping herself over Mezuma’s small body and slept on top of her. So her face was half smooshed in the other woman’s neck when she finally opened her eyes.

“What time is it?” she asked, muffled against Mezuma’s skin.

“Almost noon.”

“Mmm.” Nona cracked her shoulders and propped herself up on her elbows so she was now looking down at the smaller woman. “Am I crushing you?”

“In all the best kind of ways, yes.” Mezuma carded her fingers through Nona’s hair and brought her down to kiss her. Nona framed her face with her arms and kissed back, lazily.

“Hi.” Mezuma pulled away with a small smile.

“Hello.” Nona pressed another kiss to her mouth, then cheek.

“Your phone’s been goin’ off for the past 5 minutes.”

“Has it?” with a sigh, Nona begrudgingly rolled over onto her back and sat up. At some point, she had lost her hair tie, so her long hair was strewn about everywhere. Standing up, she ran her hands through her hair, and gathering it up so it was cascading down her bare back, and not getting tangled in the sheets.

“You have freckles on your butt too.”

“Thank you, Mezuma.” Nona chuckled and picked up her discarded undershorts and slipped them on. A quick search around the room, Nona located her pants and pulled her phone from the pocket of them. “Mikla.” she mumbled, looking at her phone screen.

“Duty calls?”

“Unfortunately yes..” Nona sighed and stepped into her pants.

“Why so glum?”

“This was what I was afraid of when I wanted to pursue you.”

“Do you see me complaining?”

“Not now, but you must admit, later this will be an inconvenience.”

“Life wasn’t meant to be convenient.” Mezuma hopped out of her bed, put on a large shirt she had folded on her dresser, and picked up Nona’s shirt from the floor. “At the end of the day, it’s you I wanna be sleepin’ next to.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

“Then don’t worry about it.” she handed the shirt to Nona and quickly kissed her. “We’ll make it work.”

“You make this terribly easy.”

“I’ve been in enough relationships to know what not to do and you’re a lot smarter than most of the people I’ve dated.” the smaller woman wrapped her arms around Nona’s waist and tucked her hands into the other woman’s back pockets. “Cuter too.”

“I am not cute.” Nona protested as she buttoned up her shirt. “And you’re distracting me again.”

“Can’t a girl get one more kiss before you leave me?”

“I’ll be back.” she promised with a kiss.

“Tonight?”

“Yes, tonight.”

“Promise?”

“Have I lied to you yet, Mezuma?”

“Just makin’ sure.”

“I’ll be here tonight.” Nona wrapped her arms tightly around Mezuma and lifted her up into a hug.

“Good.” Mezuma laughed when she was gently set down on her bed. “Is Mikla picking you up then?”

“He’s already at my place.” Nona typed quickly on her phone. “It would be easier to summon me. Plus I would like to change my shirt.” she sighed again. “He’s going to have a field day with this.”

“You’re doing everythin’ in your power not to have us meet.”

“I am trying to prolong it yes. But it is inevitable, I suppose. You both are very important people in my life.”

“Aw, Mikla is important to you.”

“He’s my partner and Oserious’s nephew, I feel a responsibility to him.”

“I think you two are friends, you just have a weird problem admittin’ it.”

“I don’t have a problem.”

“You do. And it’s cute you don’t think you’re friends, when you clearly.are.”

“I am not cute.”

“You are.” Mezuma laughed again and grabbed Nona’s face to kiss her. “I’m honored I’m up there with being one of the most important people in your life.”

“You are.” Nonas looked at her phone when it beeped again and she stepped back from Mezuma to create space between them. “I’ll see you tonight.” a cloud of smoke erupted, engulfing her in the middle of Mezuma’s room. When the smoke cleared, Nona was nowhere to be seen.