#i still want to turn it into a matchbox or a poster

[bathtimejournals]

I had devoured Giovanni’s Room on our first day in Venice. The next day I was left bookless. Though there are many days I don’t read, there is never a day I don’t have a book that I’m lugging around, or that lies tauntingly on my night table. Call it accountability, call it guilt, call it hipster signaling, call it the capitalist compulsion to order something on Amazon, call it whatever you want really. It’s my pet, my comfort object. I’ve given up vaping and my hands require a smooth square familiar object that represents social reprieve and externally identifies me as a sexy mysterious intellectual etc. 

One of Venice’s best qualities is its arrogance to such American conveniences as wheeled transportation and doorstep delivery. It seeds out the awful gauche tourists who rely on Uber and electronic maps to navigate European streets made specifically for strolling, judging and smoking. So while my family had grown utterly exhausted from this lifestyle of leisure and sulked home to snore holes through our linoleum AirBnb walls, I split off with a singular mission in mind. I took like a fish to water and dove into the nearest canal, with perfect form from my days of competing in diving contests adjudicated by my oldest cousin on hot summer afternoons. It turns out the pencil dive is much more suited to a body of water deeper than 4 feet, and so after a sprained ankle and a few shocked (admiring?) looks, I flounced out on the slimed steps and lounged on the Ponte to dry off, in a perfect leaned back mermaid posture. 

Once my pesky mermaid tail had shed and I had regained most of the feeling back in my feet, I set my sights on a book store that was supposed to have an English selection according to a quick Google search. I was still in high spirits, grateful for the ease with which I shirked off my family and had the afternoon to myself to feign melancholy, thoughtfulness, and exasperation, miming the Italian attitude. 

The first two bookshops I had pinned were simply non-existent, unless perhaps in a secret passage way that required me to tap three times on the third brick and wait for a pidgeon to poop on my hand. It was charming, in a way, that updating Google on the the coming and going of stores was not a priority. The pre-modern, village simulation was an uncanny. Yet I had an itching suspicion some devilish medieval sprite was playing a trick on me, because there was really absolutely no remnants of a store where indicated. The second time it happened I was left very untrusting of my phone’s directions, so I popped into a quill and stationary store to ask the clerk if she had ever known a bookstore to be right in front of her establishment. She nervously laughed at my predicament, and kindly directed me towards a bookstore that was supposed to have a few English books. 

Still hopeful, I continued on my mission and walked about 10 minutes until I arrived at the Libreria Alta Acqua. I might as well have stumbled upon the gates of heaven. There was a 6 foot stack of vintage tomes that looked like the kind Shakespeare might have written. Upon entry, my eyes ricocheted off of every surface so as to create a quasi stroke like effect. It was delightfully colourful, and with each new step, a gemlike book niche sparkled -- vintage Italian postcards, 1950s collage cards, bins of your uncle’s basement film photos, first edition comic books, records, movie poster matchboxes-- leaving me in a state snake charmers probably spent decades training to induce. I Though there were an abundance of lowlit dusty corners that any cat would sacrifice their 7th life for, the main salle orbited around a black Venetian canal boat that stored whatever couldn’t fit on the walls.

Not only had I found a shop that tickled everyone of my depraved senses, I tripped on an Italian version of The Little Prince, a childhood book that my best friend and I have always had a soft spot for. 

at the register... ozzy, bookmark

[pudupudu]

This baby was done for a uni project that didn’t see the light in the end, but I still like it!

[vad-hander]

• Pairing: Jaebeom x reader

• Genre: smut, fluff

• Warnings: established relationships, dom!Jaebeom sub!reader switched positions, teasing, orgasm denial, unprotected sex

• Words: 10k

“My kink is you wearing these jeans and a dress shirt, why’d you make me suffer from orgasm denial in the past 4 hours?” you moaned quietly to not make anyone else hear it in case someone was behind the door. “I didn’t know you were this needy.” he smirked pecking your lips quickly. “Want to see?” your hand landed on top of his palm, trying to slide it down to the center of your body.

Youngjae’s generous invitation for Jaebeom & you to visit his musical made you more excited than you ever thought it would. The two of you just got out of a 14 days quarantine you had to undergo after returning to Korea and this was meant to be your first post-quarantine event, let alone the fact the two of you haven’t been anywhere in what felt like ages.

You watched Jaebeom put his tight black jeans on, which itself was an event for you. He didn’t let happen too often with wearing baggy pants but you never really cared what he wore, you never even had the thought of commanding him on what to wear and what not, but the view of his legs wrapped in a black jeans material gave your body and ecstatic shock wave making your core throb from a single glance. Before meeting Jaebeom you never thought the view of someone’s legs could make you feel the things you felt but the reality of being in love hit you every time you caught yourself finding things that were normal to you regarding other people but were filled with sexiness when it was about Jaebeom. These thoughts always gave you a mental reminder you never were in love with anyone as much you were with him. The slight smirk on your lips was caught by his stare and he turned around to face you, moving his, actually long, legs towards you.

“What’s up with the smirk?” he gifted you a smile trying to lightly pinch your cheek by sliding his middle and index finger over it. “You’re ready?”

“Yes boo.” the nickname made Jaebeom smile wider and his hand slid onto your neck, gripping lightly to move your head closer to press a small kiss in the corner of your lips.

“You’re cute.” he smiled letting go.

“The urge of taking these pants off your legs is making me act up.” you joked making him chuckle.

“We can’t be late, you’ll have to wait.” Jaebeom slid his hand down your shoulder to intertwine your fingers and pull you to come with him.

“I know you’re lying, nothing would stop you usually. You don’t like me?” you mixed up a dramatic and cute looks making Jaebeom laugh at your obvious bad acting.

“You know this was bad, right?” you simply nodded chuckling lightly agreeing with him.

“Want to punish me?” you gave it one more shot getting a disappointed nod from your boyfriend.

“Now don’t expect to peacefully go to bed when we get back home.” he pecked your lips for the final time dragging you to go to the exit.

The musical was good, you liked going to theatres the only issue here was the fact you barely spoke Korean, and at first Jaebeom was trying to interpret a little but soon he gave up due to all those people around you constant staring and hissing. “It’s okay, you’ll tell me after it’s over, let’s see if what I guessed is any close to what it actually was.” you chuckled allowing Jaebeom to rest in his sit to fully focus on his friends acting.

A staff came crawling over your raw just a few minutes before everything ended asking you in a polite manner to follow him backstage and you two, excusing yourselves and bending as low as possible, exited the hall to a light corridor. The room was completely empty and Jaebeom took your hand in his. You held onto his fingers tightly appreciating him seeking for contact at any giving chance you had. Touching and any form of informal interaction was something you held back from doing due to Jaebeoms status in life. You always planned to pull the staff or the friend card if someone suspected anything and in order of doing it successfully you needed to act accordingly, you always acted accordingly. The only person to break the rule was Jaebeom and there was nothing better in life than feeling the adrenaline run through your veins when in a sudden move he’d take your hand or pull you in for a light kiss. You loved these moments and you lived for these moments. You lived for the moments when you could tease him to the state where he could barely hold himself back, to the state where he dragged you to the bathroom multiple times to bend or kneel you down to release the tension in his pants. He rarely acted bold but when he did he drove you insane. Light moves of his thumb over the skin on your palm were like the moves of a match on a matchbox, striking sparks down your core but he seemed casual about it.

“I think he’ll want to go to eat after this, will you want to go with us?” he drew your attention to his face.

“If I won’t go, you’ll come back late, I’ll be asleep already and then you won’t keep your promise, and your promise is the only thing I could think of through this whole time.” you said quietly in case the man that was leading you spoke English aswell.

“No, I would keep it even if I’d come at 3am.” light chuckle of his whispered tone was interrupted by the staff that finally told you to come into the room to wait for Youngjae.

“I wish we could go on other dates too. I’d like to see Jinki, I like him a lot.” you commented looking at all those posters hanging all over the walls.

“I’ll ask Youngjae about that.” he chuckled and pulled you to seat beside him. “So are you coming?”

“Did you agree with him to go without me?” you squeezed your eyes suspiciously.

“You’ll be bored, that’s it.”

“I won’t be, I’ll eat deliciously and then I’ll just stare at your beautiful side profile until you’d want to go home and get your beautiful profile deep between my legs. I won’t understand you two for the most part anyway, you can share your little secrets calmly.” you booped him on the nose finishing your sentence cutely.

“The more you say things like that the less I want to go anywhere except for going home and getting on top of you.” Jaebeom grabbed your neck moving you closer.

“That’s what I told you in the first place. My kink is you wearing these jeans and a dress shirt, why’d you make me suffer from orgasm denial in the past 4 hours?” you moaned quietly to not make anyone else hear it in case someone was behind the door.

“I didn’t know you were this needy.” he smirked pecking your lips quickly.

“Want to see?” your hand landed on top of his palm, trying to slide it down to the center of your body.

“No, no, no.” he moved back suddenly. “Don’t turn me on like that, don’t. Youngjae will come any second and I don’t want to have a boner in these tight jeans.”

“Well, not good for you.” you chuckled trying to get from Jaebeoms grip, and he only let go of you when he licked into your mouth multiple times.

Jaebeom was obviously right about the dinner and now the three of you were sitting at the private booth in the restaurant not too far from the place where you watched the musical. The food was good and it was the greatest gift you could receive in the time being. You were slowly running your eyes over Youngjae and Jaebeom, not really having much to add to the heated conversation they had. Mostly, due to the fact you barely could catch up on what they were saying, but as long as the food kept you occupied you were good. Inner urge to fish your phone out and just entertain yourself while scrolling was something you fought harshly, finding it a tad bit inappropriate and disrespectful. In search of things you could entertain yourself with you remembered your teasing game, which wasn’t initially a game, it was just your pure will, but since Jaebeom denied you, you had no other option left other than tease him to the state where he wouldn’t be able to fight back anymore.

Placing your chopsticks back to their designated place when you finished eating you sat back a little moving your legs closer to Jaebeoms. You bumped your knees accidentally , getting a warm smile from him before turning his attention back to Youngjae. Thanks to the seating with chairs Youngjae wasn’t able to see your legs and you were able to quietly put your palm over Jaebeoms knee. Your featherlight touch drew his attention back to you.

“You’re good?” his tone changed 180 from a casual one he spoke to Youngjae with to a caring sweet one when he spoke to you. A smile lit up your face and you guessed you looked like two disgusting idiots to Youngjae, you really didn’t want to be the annoying girlfriend that ruined the bros hang out.

“Yeah.” you pouted slightly and expected Jaebeom to give you a light peck, because he always did when you pouted, but he just nodded a quick no, saying sorry with his eyes. You moved a bit more closer to Jaebeom, resting your head on his shoulder, blinking blindly with your eyes running over the room. None of the boys paid any attention to what you did, so you just rested for a couple of minutes, listening to the words that left their mouths. The moment Jaebeom relaxed his body, that he tensed up the second you touched him, you knew it was the time to make him tense up again. Your hand lightly ran over his knee and it took all in you to hold back from chuckling at how fast Jaebeoms reaction to it was. He didn’t stop you and he didn’t give any visible to Youngjae reaction, so you just continued stroking his knee calmly, feeling him get used to and chill under the touch. Running your fingers up his leg you felt Jaebeoms hand on your thigh, gripping lightly to signal for you to stop. He still acted as if nothing was happening under the table, so you had to just bite your cheek to not draw attention. Jaebeom’s fingers ran up your bare skin, with the robe-like dress you wore he easily snaked his hand up without lifting your dress up, rubbing with his thumb your sensitive skin. The light touches of his fingers mixed with the feeling of cold metal from the rings he wore send warmth down to your core. You dug your nails into his thigh through material of his black jeans, trying to stop yourself from reacting too vividly.

“It’s your birthday?” Youngjae asked in English drawing your attention to him. You lifted your head from Jaebeoms shoulder, moving your head around confusedly trying to get yourself back together from those pleasures feelings.

“Huh?” you were taken aback by the sudden question and it showed on your face.

“You had your birthday a couple of days ago.” Jaebeom said with a slight smile on his lips from your reaction.

“Yeah, yeah. It was my birthday.” you ran your eyes from Jaebeom back to Youngjae.

“I have a gift.” he said in a cute tone, reaching out to his bag to find something.

“What?” you exclaimed excitedly. “You didn’t have to.” Youngjae straightened his back expanding his hand towards you. There was a small box that said ‘Gucci’ on it. “No, I can’t take it!” you exclaimed taking the box out of his hand. “What’s in there?” Jaebeom asked Youngjae the same question in korean for him to understand.

“Open.” Youngjae simply commanded and you pulled the top of the box up, revealing to you the gift wrapped in paper with a Gucci sticker on. You laid the box on the table to rip the sticker off and finally see what he got you.

“Thank you so much!” your hands revealed to your curious eyes a pretty card holder. “Look!” you exclaimed shoving it in Jaebeoms face. “This is nice.” you smiled at him and he nodded lightly taking the holder from your hand to check it out “Wow, Youngjae, thank you so much.” you ran your fingers over the material of the holder before letting go of it. “Can I hug you?” you asked politely in Korean. Youngjae nodded gifting you a light chuckle, before moving to stand up. You moved your chair too, noticing how Jaebeom moved his hand from your thigh to the back of your chair. His hand ran through your spine when you stood up and with Youngjae expanding his hands towards you there was no time for you to react to your boyfriends movements, hugging Youngjae tightly. “Thank you so much, you really didn’t have to.” you spoke in Korean again, using up all of your skills and knowledge for the sentence.

Right when you felt like the hug took longer than the both of you intended, you felt Jaebeoms fingers on your elbow, pulling you back to him. He coughed in his ordinary manner making you chuckle at the absurd display of jealousy and possessiveness as if you and Youngjae were showing any affection towards each other at all. Youngjae let go of you quicker than you expected, making you fall back into embrace of the guy that suddenly was in the mood to mark his territory. You felt his hand on the back of your chair again, lightly tapping your shoulder. You gave his knee a light punch as if telling him to stop and with Youngjaes silent chuckle they began talking again.

“Oh, I need to go, Coco is waiting for her walkie.” you heard Youngjae speak, turning your head to see Jaebeoms reaction.

“Yeah, you’re right, it’s pretty late.” he checked his lock screen “ I guess my pup is in need of a walk aswell.” he chuckled referring to you and Youngjae made a loud throaty laugh, making it die quickly when he noticed your death stares towards Jaebeom.

He kept his little game even after you paid, getting up and leaving he patted your head and said ‘let’s go’ with tapping his knee as if you were an actual pup. Jaebeoms face lit up with happiness when he heard Youngjaes laugh and you played along sticking your tongue out and bending your hands for two seconds when Youngjae turned away gaining an approving smile from Jaebeom, rolling your eyes at him afterwards.

Jaebeoms hands landed on your waist the second his feet entered the elevator behind you. His hands pushed you to turn around and before you could even see his face expression in the elevators mirror you were facing Jaebeom. Your eyes ran over his face noticing how he really tried hard to keep it expressionless. You smiled lightly, biting your lower lip. His hands were glued to your waist and you ran your hands up his, resting them over his neck.

“What?” you asked and he opened his mouth to answer, but the sound of the elevators door closing made you jump in his hands out of surprise and Jaebeom chuckled at your reaction.

“We didn’t press the floor button, did we?” he said letting go of you to do so. You nodded lightly and Jaebeom pulled you to his chest hugging tightly. You rested your head on his chest, snaking your hands over his warm body. “Where’s your gift?” he asked you suddenly making you realise you left it in the car.

“Da-a-mn.” you growled into his chest and Jaebeom’s hand squeezed your neck lightly.

“Are you tired or what?” he said, turning around when the elevator came to the needed floor. You chased after Jaebeom, catching his extended towards you palm, walking with holding on to his hand with both yours. He punched in the passcode to your door, pulling you to walk in with him and letting go of you to close the door.

You stood in front of the door watching him take his shoes off expecting Jaebeom to pay any attention to you, but he just walked forward, turning around to take a look at you. “Why you’re standing?” he made a real surprised face expression looking you up. You frowned, quickly taking the shoes off your feet. Walking in a quick pace past Jaebeom who was still standing and watching you, you punched him lightly into his side with your elbow, getting a light chuckle from him. Jaebeoms hands grabbed you by the waist mid-action, pulling you close to his back. “Needy.” he murmured into your shoulder, giving it a light bite.

“I thought we had an agreement.” you tried to push him off, but Jaebeoms grip was obviously stronger.

“I can’t even tease you for a second?” he chuckled lightly, caressing your stomach with his fingers. “You had fun through the whole evening and I’m not allowed to do it for a slight moment?” he whined to make you feel bad about your behaviour “That’s selfish.” Jaebeom turned you around in his arms, resting both of his palms on your cheeks. “Since when are you selfish?”

“Since when the only time I’m allowed to rule is when I’m teasing you in front of someone because you don’t like to pay attention to me in these circumstances. All other times you act like an insufferable dom, there’s nothing I’m allowed to do.” you sighed, licking your lips.

“I’m not... that much of a dom...” he said sounding like he might’ve doubted it himself.

“You are...” you nodded lightly and Jaebeom bit his lower lip with an apologetic grimace on his face.

“I’m sorry but I guess you should’ve told me two years ago you don’t like it. What took you so long?” he sighed lowering his hands back to your waist.

“I never said I don’t.” you tilted your head to the side, resting your hands on Jaebeoms broad shoulders.

“I see.” he chuckled lightly trying to contain his smile making the cute little face expression you liked so much. His cuteness made your heart clench at the same time with making your entire body warmer.

“So what?” your hands slowly made their way over to his stomach, caressing it with your fingertips.

“You wanted to rule, so rule.” Jaebeom suggested. You stayed silent to see his further actions but he just stood calmly staring back at you. “Come on, my patience won’t last forever.” he teased.

“Let’s go.” you grabbed his hand, pulling him to walk behind you towards your shared bedroom.

Entering the room, you noticed how the lights from the streets of Seoul were blocked by the black-out curtains that were weighing on the ledge. The only light in the room was coming from the side where the curtains weren’t properly closing the window. Small glimpses of light jumped over the walls from passing-by cars. You loosened your grip on Jaebeom’s hand, letting his fingers naturally slide from yours. Your eyes were too focused on the light, and when you didn’t move for quite a while, Jaebeom moved behind you. You felt his fingers move your hair away from your shoulder, feeling fresh air run up your neck. He leaned in closer to your ear, resting his fingers on your shoulder. Jaebeom’s lips left a kiss at the base of your neck making you shiver immediately. His touch was intoxicating to you, no matter how much time had passed, you still were getting goosebumps from whatever he said or did to you.

“Are you coming up with a grand plan to torture me?” he chuckled into your neck, running his lips up to your ear to move his face forward and rest his cheek against yours. Jaebeom’s hands snaked over your body, intertwining your fingers. He hugged your body tightly with both his and yours hands. You closed your eyes relishing the moment, rubbing your cheek lightly against his. You felt his lips on your jaw, leaving light pecks and *maybe* signalling you that you’re slow at giving him what he wants you to give him the most. You weren’t able to open your eyes though because Jaebeom’s light pecks turned into tiny sloppy kisses that just forced you to rest your head against his left shoulder, allowing him more access to your sensitive skin. With each feel of his lips on your neck, with each little sound he made when his lips met your skin you felt how your body relaxed more against his and you felt how your heart was trembling as if it was the first time he touched you at all. One of his hands left your waist only to rest against your cheek the next moment. His hand pulled your head by the neck to the side, holding on to it. Jaebeom’s lips moved back up to your jaw, nibbling on the spot under your ear. His light actions forced a moan escape your mouth, a moan that got you back into reality and got strength back into your feet.

“Wait.” you tried to tell him normally but your voice was weak and sounded more like a moan.

“Yeah?” he stopped drawing his attention to you. You turned around in his arms to face him properly. Thin laces of light ran over Jaebeoms face, giving you an opportunity to see his beautiful features for the nth time. You felt your heart clench when your eyes landed on his lips, unconsciously raising your hands to caress his cheeks. One of your hands slid down onto his neck, hooking it around it to hold on. Your free hand ran a line up his nose with your index finger, feeling how Jaebeom’s hand held tighter on your waist.

“I love you.” you sighed, pulling his face down closer to yours.

“I know baby, I love you too.” his tone was soft and low, you could barely hear him, he was practically murmuring. Jaebeom rested his forehead against yours, allowing for you to decide on what you’ll do next.

Moving your hands back to Jaebeoms face, you pulled his face a tiny bit closer, finally intertwining your lips. The kiss that you were waiting for for the whole evening quickly changed from a soft and slow one into something passionate, something that took both of your breaths away. Jaebeom’s hands ran up and down your side, making your head go dizzy every time he squeezed your butt before running his hand back up, pushing your body harder against his. He had to pull your face from his when it felt like the both of you could lose consciousness from the lack of air in your lungs.

“I still want to take these pants off your legs.” you murmured into his lips, pulling him more towards you.

“I won’t protest.” he chuckled and guided you towards the bed. You gave in, because its what you usually did. You obeyed and listened to what Jaebeom said and you both enjoyed it very much, but he said it’s up to you tonight and you weren’t planning on giving that completely up.

“Sit down then.” you demanded, and Jaebeom chuckled at your serious voice but obeyed diligently, walking with you to the bed. He didn’t break eye contact, sitting down and running his tongue over his mouth. Jaebeom sat down in an arrogant pose, spreading his knees but crossing his ankles. He switched his body weight to his hands that were keeping him up behind his back. “Move.” you commanded him with your hands, showing for him to crawl deeper onto the bed. He listened again, straightening his long skinny legs in front of you. The bulge, that was always visible through tight material of his pants, drew even more of your attention to it now that he was slightly turned on. You pressed a knee into the mattress of the bed, and Jaebeom lifted his body on his elbows, expectant of what you’ll do. You quickly got to his lap and Jaebeom’s hands quickly found their place on your thighs. “What should I do with you…?” you smirked at him, placing your hands on each side of his head.

“You pick, I don’t know.”

“I’m drowning in the ocean of possibilities, I should’ve prepared myself.” you chuckled lowering your face in front of him.

“Want to switch it up?”

“Never.” you kissed him, slowly rocking your body against his. A low groan escaped Jaebeom’s throat giving you a boost of confidence you never knew you needed. You broke off the kiss, moving your lips to his neck. The feeling of your wet mouth made him groan again and the vibration that escaped his throat and passed to you through your lips settled down in your core. You felt your insides clench and the only thing you could think about from now on is how good he’ll feel inside of you.

“Remember you told me once things you liked about me?” you moved back up to his face to be able to see his eyes.

“Of course I do, it was last week.” his hand ran up your waist.

“I want to do the same thing.” you licked his lips, slowly running your tongue over his mouth.

“Okay…?”

“Can I?” you asked out of habit.

“You know you can do anything you want, baby.” he let go of your leg, finding your face to caress your cheek. “Don’t make me feel bad with questions like that, now you’re making me believe I’m a conceited bully who’s keeping you in slavery.”

“Not true.” you opposed “One of the things I like about you…” you began slowly “…is the fact that you can control me but respect my views and needs at the same time.” your lips landed on his cheek. “You’re caring even though controlling and I have no idea how you’re doing it like that and to be fair that’s super sexy. But this is not what I wanted to tell you.” your lips found his once again.

“Okay, okay.” he chuckled, pulling you closer.

“Promise to just shut me up and just fuck me if I’ll get too sentimental, okay? I don’t want to be a crying mess.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you, you were grabbing onto my thigh through the whole evening I can’t even think straight right now, I want you.”

“I’m sorry.” you chuckled “But now I just want you to know that I’m so glad you asked me to stay with you when the rent at my place was due and I wanted to go home. I’m so glad I didn’t protest too much to stay at your place with you two years ago and now I’m here with you in this bed, and I love you so-so much. Fuck…” you sighed feeling that you already were emotional. This wasn’t even what you wanted to tell him in the first place, but now that you began you weren’t able to stop yourself from saying all those things. “We probably wouldn’t have lasted long if we went long-distance, I would’ve sulked and missed you so much.” you sighed and smiled lightly at him when you saw his cute little smile. “This is not even what I was planning to tell you. I wasn’t planning to make myself sob.” you chuckled and Jaebeom’s warm fingers on your cheek made your heart clench once again. “I love you a lot, I don’t want to ever not be able to tell you that I love you.”

“I swear, you won’t.” Jaebeom reassured you when you weren’t expecting him to speak at all. “Don’t cry. We’re good, no, we’re great. I love you, and you love me. We’re almost never fight, we’re on the same page, we’re there for each other. I don’t want to let go of you, in fact I want to build a family with you, I told you that. Baby, remember how you told me earlier you wanted me? Come on, show me, don’t cry, you’re upsetting me. I’m the insufferable dom, obey.” a smile lit up his face “I’m ordering for you to rule me, even though this sounds weird to say it like that.”

“I’m sorry, I think I’m just tipsy from what I drank at the restaurant. I was ready to fuck with you in that waiting room and now I’m on top of you and what am I doing? Sobbing.” you chuckled.

“Come here.” Jaebeom said seriously, pushing your hair to your back from hanging in front of his face. His hands pressed you towards his head, making you two kiss. Jaebeom’s lips moved quickly demanding the access into your mouth swiftly. You found balance by each side of Jaebeom’s shoulders, pressing your hands into the mattress. Jaebeom’s hand ran up your neck with a featherlight touch, going back down. His thumb began caressing your collarbone, sending shivers down your spine. Jaebeom’s other hand left your waist as well, sliding towards inner side of your thigh. He ran his hand under the hem of your dress, drawing circles over your bare skin. When his hand was right at the line of your underwear, he ran his fingers over cotton material of your underwear, lowering his fingers and running them up and down your clothed heat. “Do you feel better?” he asked running his fingers past the thin material of your underwear to touch you there.

“Wait.” you moaned into his mouth and he let go of you the next second. “I didn’t tell you.”

“You’ll start crying again, I just got you back.” he sighed.

“No, I won’t now, I just want to hold you back for as long as possible for you to cum harder, do you want that?”

“Baby…” he made a throaty sound.

“No, you have to say it with words, that’s your own rule, follow it.” you smiled making him clear his throat.

“Yeah, I do.” Jaebeom’s hand squeezed your thigh.

“Good. Don’t touch me unless I’ll tell you to. Should I tie you up?” you crooked your neck to look at him from the side.

“No, no, I’ll obey.”

“I hope so.” you felt Jaebeom let go of you, resting his hands on each side of his body. You leaned in to kiss him, softly moving your lips against his, he kissed you back, yet being able to not boss you around. He waited patiently for you to slip your tongue into his mouth, sucking on it lightly. “Mmmh.” he forced a moan out of you with the way his mouth was moving. You pulled back and Jaebeom lifted one of his hands to push you back down, but stopped himself half-way, dropping his hand back on the mattress. “Good boy.” you chuckled. “You know that I love your lips, right?” he nodded, mumbling quiet ‘yes’ afterwards. “I can’t hold back from kissing them all the time.” your fingers ran over his lower lip “And you’re always making me struggle, always forcing me to cry from want. Always making me beg for you. Why do you like me begging for you so much?” you asked rhetorically, kissing him again. Your lips moved slowly to his jaw, getting closer to his ear. “You know when I like your lips the most?” you sighed into his ear.

“I can probably guess.”

“Okay, guess.” you moved back to see his face.

“No, you tell me.” he quickly replied.

“When you get them between my legs.” you exhaled.

“Yeah…” he moaned in your ear “Do you want me to do that now?” you felt your insides clench at the unexpected suggestion. Temptation was way too strong and it took all in you to kindly decline it.

You moved your body a bit lower, now properly resting your lower part against Jaebeoms groin. Your fingers landed on his neck, stroking it lightly up and down. Softly touching his lips with yours, you snaked your fingers behind his neck, trying to wrap your hands around it. “Just taking a look at your neck is making me clench. I’m obsessed with your neck, its so thick, I can barely wrap my hands around it. And your Adam’s apple is moving so sexily every time you swallow.” you paused and he swallowed “Baby, yes, like that.” you whispered when Jaebeom’s Adam’s apple bobbed under your thumbs. “Can I bite it?” you paused to hear a reply from him but quickly changed your mind “Whatever, I’m going to bite it anyway.” running your lips over his neck mindlessly, you found a spot you liked to bite onto so much, tasting the skin, pulling it lightly between your teeth. Your tongue lightly nibbled on the bitten spot, right before your lips sucked in air, leaving red mark on his neck.

You moved your head back, eyeing the red stain you left. Your hands landed on his chest, helping you to find balance and Jaebeom’s hands landed on your hips, reminding you of the no-touching rule. You found his hands with yours, pulling them from you, moving them up, and then making him lower them above his head.

“I’m sorry, I won’t do that again.”

“Too late.” you stated. The only thing that came to your mind that could hold his hands in place was the belt that he had in his jeans, so you tried to hold both his hands with one of yours, expanding the other one to undo his belt somehow.

“You want to tie me up with my own belt?” he made a weird sound.

“Yeah, there’s nothing else I can come up with.” you smiled at him apologetically.

“Come on, I’ll be good, I won’t touch you, I swear.” he begged but you knew it was only to last up until you actually touched him and made him wait. You shook your head no, signalling for Jaebeom to lift his butt a bit, for you to be able to get your new handmade leathery handcuffs from his pants. “Baby…” he sighed.

“I know you’re not good at controlling yourself, i need something to ensure myself you’ll obey.” Getting the belt in front of his arms, you freed him to properly put it around his arms with both of yours. “Wait, we need to take off your shirt first.” you realised that you won’t be able to do that if you’ll tie him. Your hands got back to his chest, running your fingers over to where his buttons were already unbuttoned. You played with his yin-yang necklace that was peaking and teasing your eyes through the whole evening, unbuttoning more of the buttons on his shirt. Getting more access to the skin on his stomach, you pulled the shirt from under his pants, finally finishing with those buttons. You let both halves of the shirt lie down on Jaebeom’s sides. Your hands ran over his chest, lowering your head to plant a kiss on his abdomen. “Do you want to know how much I love your stomach?” you forced him to lift his shoulders off the bed, to let you pull the shirt off them. “Or your shoulders?” you tossed material to the side, getting your attention back to the belt. You wrapped it around his hands, forcing him to pull them back up, passing it in between his wrists afterwards, fastening the belt over it. He pulled lightly to test it, and it held his hands in place, making him drop his head back on the bed disappointed. “Pretty.” you said more to yourself than him, running your fingers from his shoulders to the waist of his jeans. “Even prettier down here.” you mumbled under your breath, squeezing him through the jeans. His body jerked in response, and you chuckled lightly because he pointlessly tried to free his hands. “You won’t mind if I’ll lick your stomach, right?” you asked, lowering your face in front of his abs. You extended your tongue, lifting your eyes to watch Jaebeom’s face expression. He bit down onto his lower lip, watching how you lowered your head, making your tongue meet his stomach. His body made a wave from the sensation. You began drawing small circles over his toned muscles, making your tongue move between every cube of the six-pack. Your chest was moving against his cock, stimulating Jaebeom even more, forcing a low groan out of him. “You know you can tell me what you want me to do?” you kissed a line up his stomach to his chest “I’ll consider your suggestions.” you got your tongue back out, sliding it up his chest to Jaebeom’s neck. You crawled over him, giving you an ability to properly look him in the eyes. “Do you have any?” you licked your lips, lowering your face closer to his.

“No, I’m good.” he coughed lightly, lifting his head from the bed to kiss you. You shot your body back up, pressing his shoulders back down to bed with your palms. “Come on.” He growled disappointedly.

“Weren’t you good just a second ago?” you chuckled. He shielded his eyes as if he was suffering from pain, lifting his head up to look at the bed behind him. “I know baby,” you ran your fingers from his armpit to where his hands were held hostage “it’ll hurt your pride if you’ll beg me for something, but I promise, you won’t die from that.” your hands ran back down, stroking lower, getting through his sides to the waistband of his jeans. The band of his underwear was showing from under his pants, letting you know the brand he wore. You ran your fingers over the band, getting them under it to run back to his left side. You noticed how Jaebeom’s hands grabbed onto the bedsheets above his head, fisting them harshly. “Sure you don’t want to try it?” you moved your hand away, only to drop your fingers over his crotch. Your fingers ran up and down lightly, stroking him with subtle motions. His hips twitched under you, trying to lift them and get more friction which you obviously weren’t about to give him. “No, this is not what the deal was, isn’t it?” you moved your hand away and Jaebeom stopped.

“I’m sorry.” he mumbled under his nose, turning his head away to close his eyes once again.

“The more you break the rules, the longer I’ll take, you get it?”

“Yeah.” He sighed. You got your hand back, palming his crotch slowly. Getting your face once again on the same level with his, you finally kissed him, making a low moan, when Jaebeom bit your lip due to your hands stronger stroking. You moved away to breathe in air, getting your free hand to stroke Jaebeom’s cheek.

“Be a good boy for me? Can you be good for me?” you mumbled into his lips “Just be good, don’t you want to cum?” you pecked his mouth but instead of replying he moaned quietly as a reaction to you squeezing his cock in your hand “you really should start using words.”

“I’ll be good.” He said with his mouth only, giving you an idea of how difficult it is for him to even be under you.

You using same words and tactics as he usually did probably gave him an idea of what it felt like from your side, when he’d rule you and made you be his submissive, when he’d make you speak at the peak of orgasm with the condition of not letting you cum if you didn’t. The difference was that Jaebeom had real issues with begging, he didn’t quite like the idea of begging for anything, so Jaebeom crying and moaning for you to let him cum was something you’d pay for to watch, and you were about to get a free ticket to that.

You tried to undo the button on his jeans with one hand, but you failed miserably, sitting up and undoing the jeans properly with both of your hands. He lifted his hips immediately, predicting you to take off the pants. You decided not to do it the way he wanted it, unzipping the zipper, and just unfolding his jeans to the side, allowing his bulge to get free. The only thing that now divided your palm from his cock was the thin cotton of his underwear. You stroked him multiple times, giving him more pressure than before. You felt Jaebeom’s thighs tense up under your legs, twitching yet again from your hand. You paid all of your attention to his member that was poking the underwear making a droplet of pre-cum smear over the material, soaking it. Your hand left Jaebeom, getting a light whine from him, only to hear him groan a second after, when your hand snaked under his underwear, finally making you meet his warm cock. You stroked him, moving your hand up and down, squeezing him lightly at the base.

“Don’t stop, please.” His voice sounded high-pitched. “Baby, I beg you…” he sighed and you got your hand tighter over him, squeezing more “Yeah, like that.” He sighed again.

You watched his face expression, his eyes were shut tight, small droplets of sweat were forming over his forehead. When your hand wrapped tighter around him he squeezed his eyes in pleasure, making a wave with his body. You weren’t quite sure if Jaebeom was already on the edge, but he acted as if he already was, so you had to let go of him just in case.

“Why?” he asked angrily.

“Did you try to trick me? Did you want to cum?”

“No.” he sighed. “You wouldn’t let me anyway.”

“Right, and now, I’ll have to be even more strict with you.”

“Y/n, come on… I understood already.”

“Understood what?”

“That it’s hard to play by my rules.”

“But I was just doing what you told me to do, I was just making you feel good.” you replied. Your hand ran back down to his cock.

“I want you.” he sighed “I want to get inside of you, I can’t with the teasing.” His voice sounded tired.

“Baby, I only began.” You chuckled and got rid of any contact you had with Jaebeom. He shot his eyes open anticipating what you’ll do next.

Your hands landed on the belt of your dress on your waist. You pulled the ribbon, making the material of the dress fall on both sides of your body, allowing Jaebeom to see your underwear. You felt his eyes land on it immediately, eyeing your underwear, stopping his eyes on your breasts. He paid more attention than expected to your half-see-through garment, lowering his eyes down to your stomach and lower to your clothed heat. You lowered your head too, trying to see what drew his attention, noticing how your underwear was soaked from all the rubbing against Jaebeom. You lifted your eyes back up meeting Jaebeom’s hungry stare.

“Come here.” He commanded and for a slight second the tone of his voice made you want to do it. “Please.” He sighed when you shook your head no.

You pushed the dress off your shoulders, tossing it somewhere to the floor, next to Jaebeom’s shirt. Crawling over his body, you rested yourself against him, wrapping your hands over his neck, hugging his waist with your legs. You felt the phantom of his arms around your body, and your heart cried to feel him around you, but the strength and power you had in your arms right now was way too poisoning to let go of. You intertwined your lips with his, kissing him passionately from the first second. You rocked your hips slowly towards him and Jaebeom did everything in his power to press him against you in return. You twitched when Jaebeom dropped his tied hands on your back, immediately squeezing bare skin of your back with his fingers. You moaned at the feeling into his mouth before you could even understand what he did. He just lowered his tied hands to hold you in place because he had every possibility to do so. You didn’t tie his hands to the headboard of the bed because your bed didn’t have bars, you didn’t even expect he’d do that. His hands burned the skin on your back with the sensuality they gave you. He squeezed and caressed and just held and pressed you closer to him, as if there was any more space for you to get closer to him. You kept kissing him for a minute or so, enjoying the feeling of his hands on you, the feeling you didn’t realize you missed so much until he touched you. The kiss became a mess from all the feelings the both of you felt and gave to each other and you put it all in you to let go of his neck and get his hands from your back to move them back above his head.

“Baby, please.” he made a loud cry leaving you surprised. “Didn’t you like me touching you, don’t you want me to touch you? Please, let me.” he begged now and your insides clenched at the view.

“Don’t make me feel bad.” you moaned into his mouth, sitting up once again. You slid down his legs, getting your hands to the waist of his jeans. Now you pulled the material slightly down and Jaebeom lifted his hips to allow you to do what you wanted. You moved lower taking his jeans down his long limbs, freeing him finally.

Now that the both of you were left in your underwear, you had no intention of not having him inside of you. You dropped his jeans to the floor, crawling back up his legs.

“Bra on or off?” you simply asked, allowing him to pick.

“On.” his reply was quick and you nodded with a light smile on your face. You pulled your underwear down first, tossing it to the side, before your fingers pulled his by the waistband, with him bending his legs and helping you to get rid of it. His pulsing cock bounced up to his stomach, giving you an idea of how turned on he was. Even in the dark room you could see how engorged it was signalling to you that Jaebeom was about to struggle badly. You stroked him a few times, getting a sense from the way he felt and acted you had to be careful. Lifting your hips you guided his cock to your coated with want entrance, sliding him up and down your slit. He jerked his hips up, crying breathlessly at your actions. You felt the entire of your body clench from just the feeling of him being this close. You lost control and allowed him to enter more, causing a loud moan from the both of you. You moved your hips back up because it wasn’t something you planned to do this quickly, getting a low cry from him once again.

“Baby, please, let me get inside of you.” the loud moan that escaped his mouth when you teased him against you once more gave an idea that he possibly could be on the verge. You sank down on him slowly, squeezing your eyes in pleasure. Jaebeom was breathing heavily, and when you jerked your hips up only to sit back down with a quicker speed the room filled up with a low loud groan from Jaebeom that lasted for at least 10 seconds. You never heard him make that sound before and on the second move of your hips you clenched around him. You definitely weren’t expecting from yourself to get to the edge this quickly but it really never took you long to cum when it was Jaebeom, so you really didn’t have to be surprised. “I’ll cum if you’ll do that once more.” his eyes were squeezed and he barely contained himself.

You knew you’d be able to hold back once you maid up your mind on it, you had a great teacher who trained you for two years, but you weren’t sure he’ll last as much as you wanted to. You got your hips back up, quickly sliding down his length, clenching on purpose this time. Jaebeom shot his eyes open, even though he couldn’t focus his vision for a few seconds for sure. “Take this fucking belt off my hands. Let me fuck you, I beg you.” he was finally there to beg and you wanted to tattoo these words into your brain, they were like music to you.

“No, baby, we had a deal, I’ll fuck you and you’ll just be under me to enjoy.” you smiled at him and stopped everything you did.

“Don’t, no, don’t stop, please. I beg you, I beg you, I swear, don’t stop.” he began mumbling quickly but it was too late now, that his orgasm disappeared for the second time.

You slid down, leaving wet trail of kisses over the lower part of his stomach, fighting in your head if you should take him in your mouth or not. You left a few red marks, licking and kissing them afterwards, deciding on not giving him head, you weren’t sure he’ll last long with the feeling of your tongue on him.

“Ready to cum?” you asked him when you felt like he calmed enough to take more teasing.

“Yes, please ride me. Baby, please.” You began moving your hips slowly, getting into much quicker pace in no time. Your nails were digging into the skin of Jaebeom’s shoulders now that your body found some sort of pace that he tried to match with his hip thrusts. “Fuck.” he mumbled under his breath, fisting the sheets vigorously. “Free my hands, I’ll get deeper inside of you, please, let me fuck you. I don’t think I can do it like that anymore.” he moaned again and this time you almost missed a slight twitching of his cock that signalled that Jaebeom would cum in the closest minute.

You just stopped. You even let him leave you empty, watching his cock throb and pre-cum drip down its side. “It hurts, baby, I swear it does. Please let me cum. Y/n…” he squeezed his eyes again only to shoot them wide open and look at you “what do you want me to do? I’ll do anything. I just need to cum. I’m in pain right now, I swear, it does really hurt, I’m at my maximum, please.”

“Move closer to the headboard.”

“Huh?” he looked as if he didn’t hear you “Yeah, okay.” he said in a second, probably working out what you told him to do. You lifted your body off him to let him freely crawl backwards.

“Sit up.” you watched him reach out his hands to the headboard, grabbing it and pulling his body up to sit. He left his hands above his head, holding on to the wooden material and watching you. You crawled up and reached out behind Jaebeom to get pillows from behind him, allowing him to sit more straight.

One of your hands hooked around his neck, leaving couple millimetres between your faces. Your other hand found his cock under you, guiding him to slide inside of you immediately. He gasped into your mouth and you leaned in to kiss him, rocking your hips steadily. You closed your eyes in pleasure, pressing Jaebeom’s body closer to yours with both hands. You broke off the kiss, resting your head on his shoulder. Your hand moved to his waist, holding on to him there. Jaebeom’s little whimpers and cries into your ear made you closer to the edge and you were trying to contain yourself but your clenching just took Jaebeom closer to the edge. “If I’ll free your hands, promise you won’t flip me over?”

“I won’t.” he replied way too quickly making you doubt if he even understood what you said.

“Did you hear me?” you stopped moving and he tensed up.

“I did, I won’t, I promise, just move.” you nodded in response, biting down on your lower lip and beginning your moves again.

You moved your hand to his cheek, caressing it with your thumb. Jaebeom stuck his tongue out for you to kiss him and you gave in, crying silently into the kiss when you lowered yourself on him more than before. Your other hand let go of his neck, crawling over to his tied hands, trying to undo the belt with one hand. It took you longer than expected, and the second Jaebeom heard the sound of it being undone, he roughly freed his hands, making you startled by how quickly he got the belt in his hands, throwing it into the dark of the room. You felt his hands on you the next second, Jaebeom roughly but carefully at the same time got his palm onto your face, pressing your mouths into each other’s. His other hand found your hipbone, grabbing onto it to move your hips quicker and deeper. Your arms were chocking him with how strongly you wrapped them around his neck, but Jaebeom wasn’t really noticing it, being focused on where you connected, making you roughly sink on him and get back up. His mouth let go of yours, trying to kiss a line down your neck, but you noticed him lose the rhythm that he just built up and you knew he’d cum this time for sure.

“Cum, baby.” you moved his head back up to yours, kissing his lips slowly. You purposely clenched around him multiple times, finally feeling his seed fill inside of you. His hips jerked up and he made many tiny noises you never heard before. You waited until he calmed himself down.

“I’m sorry…” he rested his head against the headboard and you lied down on his chest. “I should’ve let you cum first.” you chuckled, leaving small kisses over his chest. A couple of minutes later, when he partially normalised his breathing, you felt Jaebeom rub your shoulder for you to lift your head up. “Come here, I can’t leave you like that.” his hands pulled you closer to his face, kissing your lips quickly. His fingers stroked your sides and his leg hooked around yours, letting you know he’ll flip you over. You didn’t protest knowing he’s only doing it for you.

Now you were in your usual position, feeling his lips move down to your neck, sliding his cock out of you, making you feel empty. Not for long though, as his lips trailed down a line of kisses, his hand got to your breasts, pulling them out of your bra without undoing it. You moaned at the cold sensation he left on your nipples with his tongue and you arched your back towards his body. His hand slid down your stomach right to your entrance, rubbing his palm against it. He moved his finger deeper, making your lube and his cum mix more inside of you. Teasing you multiple times he moved his finger over to your clitoris, rubbing it in circles against it. You whined and Jaebeom’s moves became stronger and quicker. His tongue was swirling over your collarbone, entering you at the same time with his finger.

Next few minutes went in agony, you were trying to squeeze your thighs, and held onto his hand strongly to stop him from doing what he did and make him do it quicker at the same time. Your body was going crazy, your hands were roaming all over the sheets, trying to find something you could hold on to. He stopped kissing you and moved his body away from yours, only keeping contact where he worked with his fingers.

“Jaebeom!” you moaned expanding your hand to his face, and he leaned in to peck your lips quickly moving away afterwards.

His hand left your body and you opened your eyes in disbelief. You didn’t think he’d try to play now, and the only reason he could’ve let go of you is to tease you. You watched him angrily but he didn’t look up at you, he slid his body lower, only to get his face in front of your entrance. You felt your heart tingle, getting a sense of what was going in his head. He spread your legs wider, lowering his head in front of you. The slight feeling of his tongue on you made you jerk your hips up, and he grabbed your hips, moulding his fingers into them to keep you in place. Making a couple of light motions he went all in, running his tongue quickly over the spot he knew was the most sensitive, he ran his tongue down, sticking it inside of you, sliding it flatly back up. Your hands grabbed onto his head not being able to take it you just wanted him to let go, but he didn’t pay any attention to that, sucking in your last cells of sanity. It didn’t last long, with another vigorous lick he pushed you over the edge, not stopping your body from arching closer to him. Jaebeom pressed small kisses over your thigh waiting for you to at least get back into reality. When your breathed more calmly he moved back up, resting his body next to yours. His hands snaked over to your waist, pulling you to lay over his chest.

You closed your eyes trying to calm yourself down and find any strength to tell him anything, but you failed, only finding it in you to rub your face against his chest and hug him tighter.

“See, that’s a tiring job to take over me in bed, you should’ve listened when I told you I’m doing it for you.” he chuckled, brushing your hair behind your ear. His fingers tried to lift your face up to face him, and you let him do it.

“I liked it.” you sighed quietly and he smirked.

“So now I can just rest for the rest of my life while you do the job?”

“No, I liked it, but I guess being a pillow princess is still better.” you smiled at him and a throaty laugh escaped Jaebeom’s mouth. “I won’t give that up to you.”

“Good.” he nodded.

“Why?”

“It’s just better when you’re under.”

“Is it though? You rarely cum that hard.” you chuckled finally feeling more alive. You found balance on your elbows, watching his face expression.

“You teased me forever, that’s expected.”

“Oh, come on, you could’ve just said ‘baby, there’s something about you riding me, that made me lose myself completely, I thought I’ll go crazy if I won’t touch you’.” you furrowed your eyebrows. Jaebeom’s palm pulled your face closer to his.

“Baby, there’s something abo…” he began repeating what you told him with a slight smirk, before you slapped his shoulder.

“Back off.” you sighed, trying to get away from him to take a shower.

“You know I’m bad with words.” he hugged you from the back, pulling your back to rest against his chest. You laid back, resting your head on his shoulder. Jaebeom kissed your cheek, playing with your fingers. “I can write you a song to tell you everything.” he mumbled gifting another kiss to your jaw.

“You know when you need it, you’re doing perfectly fine with expressing yourself.” you made your hands intertwine.

“You know that this goes right back at you, but just because you did so much I won’t fight with you about it.” you made a cute sad face expression and he sighed “Okay…it’s crazily sexy what you did, I didn’t think you’ll actually have the stamina to finish it off the way you began. But you did… and it really pissed me off when you teased me and I couldn’t just do it my way… but yeah, it all washed away when you made me cum. Nice for a change, would never let you do that regularly because you under me is just another type of pleasure.”

“Yeah, insufferable dom, I told you.” you bit down your lip to prevent yourself from laughing.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” he let go of you and you took it as a chance to get up.

“I’m going to shower first!”

—

my first got7 fic, I hope you liked it! please let me know 🥺

[wolfs-hunt1]

Soaring Love 2

Pairing: Severus Snape x reader

Word count: 2645

Warnings: none so far, sorry for any typo

A/N: I did this mood board for this fic because I thought it would look better if we had some visuals to help, and I had a lot of fun doing it.

Part 1

--- --- --- --- ---

Breakfast is a breeze, compared to the cold shoulder Severus gives you all the time since then. But all the rest of the faculty treated you warmly since most of them had been your teacher from the year you had had in Hogwarts.

You go back to your room, to start unpacking. You look around for a few seconds, accessing the room, and well everything could go. You reach inside your bag and rummage for a few moments until you can feel your fingers brush over a rectangular wooden object, pulling it out to reveal a bookcase. You walked to the wall that had a window, and put the tiny toy-sized bookcase on the ground, taking out your wand and performing an enlargement charm to restore the bookcase back to its original size.

Taking a step back to look at it, and make sure it fitted in that corner, you start to take the rest of your furniture out and placing them on the ground before enlarging them back to normal so you could decorate your room before the school term would start. After all, you would be living here until the term of the year, so you wanted to make it feel as homey as you could.

Books were flying out of the bag, floating themselves to the shelves with a swish of your wand. and your clothes were folding themselves in the air, before neatly laying themselves at the bottom of the drawers. The room looked like chaos if someone were to walk in, but it was little by little getting tidier, looking like a proper room and not an empty dusty space.

It took you the entire day to finish, but once you did, the room resembled a better-looking copy of your previous apartment, and it also seemed to be bigger as well, wish wasn't complicated since it was an overpriced matchbox.

Once your room was fully furnished and all you had packed before coming to Hogwarts was fully stored away you walked down your tower, to go to one of the many school courtyards to soak in the sun and enjoy the rest of the afternoon exploring the castle grounds and getting reacquainted with them. The school was bigger than what you remembered, even more so now that you had more places you could go to without getting into trouble since you are no longer a student. So many new shortcuts and hidden passages you were afraid to get lost eventually. Maybe you should get a map of the place, just as a precaution.

During the two next weeks you still had before term started you spend most of it with Madam Pomfrey, getting to know the Hospital wing like the back of your hand and where all the potions and salves were stored. She also showed you to the teacher's ingredients cupboard, where you could take all ingredients you might need for anything at all, and the staff room where you would spend your free time between classes to rest and prepare for the next one.

--- --- --- --- ---

The term has started but for a week, and already you could hear all the students complaining about the potions master and his classes, dreading the times they had to go to the cold damp dungeons to have potions. You never minded your potions professor when you had been in Hogwarts in your time, but from the small amount of time you had known Severus, you could see how the kids would dread him for his cold demeanor.

Your first year's classes hadn't started yet, so you had a bit more time to prepare them for next week when the easily impressed youngsters would be having their first flying class. You had prepared a simple first day, to just teach them the basics, and let them have a bit of fun at the end of the class. If they all behaved.

The older years had started their flying classes though and they were taking it pretty well to the fact they had a new flying instructor. They already knew the basics of flying, so they really enjoyed the practical classes where they learned different maneuvers and how to play quidditch. They were all extremely excited, especially second years, since they would have the opportunity to try out for the teams in a few weeks, so they were all showing off their moves and speed on the brooms to try and impress the team's captains.

In the meantime, you were being kept busy helping out Madame Pomfrey, that had asked you to help her with bandaging and healing some students that seem to attract trouble since day one. One second year, in particular, that seemed to have been pricked repeatedly in an herbology class by a particular spiteful Spiky Prickly Plant, that kept shooting its thorns directly at him, no matter how far he backed away.

With both classes and helping out in the hospital wing, you were being kept pretty busy, often time getting to your room existed and ready to sleep right away. Especially after the night, you had night patrol walking the corridors at night to make sure no student was out of bed after hours. Waking up after those days was harsh, and often time you wished you didn't have morning classes to give, so you could stay in bed for a few more minutes to soak in the warmth of the heavy blankets, that were a welcome addition to your bed once the temperature in the castle started to drop on the last months of the year.

Often you found yourself, in your free time, down at the quidditch pitch, just soaring calmly in your broom, letting it float in the gentle breeze, laying down in your broom while looking up at the passing clouds. Sometimes you timed yourself, racing around the goalposts and back to see if you still had in you to do all the maneuvers in a timely manner. Trying to beat your own personal best times. All this made time pass so quickly that it was almost Christmas break when you blinked next.

It's been a tiresome week, so once you reach your room you basically pass out from exhaustion in your comfy four-poster and sleep on. At least until you are rudely awoken by the shooting pain in your leg and back, causing you to almost jump from the bed because of it. You try to take deep calming breaths to try and clear your head long enough to get up and limp to your desk where you kept your spare potions, only to find all the bottles empty, the pain giving an extra jolt through you as if mocking you for not being prepared.

You made up your mind and start walking to the supply cupboard, many many flights of stairs below you. You curse every step of the way, cursing whoever thought having that many stairs were a good idea. thirty painful minutes later you find yourself searching the cupboard in search of the correct ingredients only to find that there was no dragon liver in it. You sighed and started to walk over to the potion classroom down in the dungeons, there should be some in the storage of the ingredients there, or… you though, if you went directly to Severus office, he would have some for sure.

Taking the solution that provided you with certainty and not a 'might have' you decided to walk to Severus office, a crushing pain in your leg almost rendering it useless, making you have to clutch at the walls for support so you wouldn't collapse.

You walked down the corridor and knocked on the door, not expecting at all the gruff voice that came from the inside, sounding tired and annoyed to be getting disturbed at this late hour. You opened the door and walked in, slowly, taking in all the details of Severus' office. You could see him at his desk, buried behind heavy potion tomes, reading them diligently and taking in its knowledge.

"Good night Severus." you say in a low voice.

"(Y/N). It's late, should you not be asleep?"

"I would, but I ran out of my potion for the pain. And ingredients were missing in the teacher's cupboard… so I thought you might have some here in your office. I just wasn't expecting you to still be awake at this time working." you could hear his sigh and the scrape of his chair while he rose, pointing at the chair in the corner of his office for you to take a seat.

"You do seem in a lot of pain, is everything alright?" despite his blank facade, there was worry in his voice when he asked it, walking to a small cauldron in the corner and lighting a fire underneath it and pouring some ingredients inside of it, starting to turn a murky grey color.

"It's from an old injury that never truly left. Sometimes the pain comes back, and I usually have potions to take, but my stash has run out without me noticing and replenishing it back. You know you can just give me some dragon liver and I'll be on my way back to my room where I can brew the potions myself, no need to burned you with it."

"No need for that, I am after all the potions master in this school. I am more than capable of making you the potions and it would be no burned what so ever." he interrupts you, making you sink down further into the plush of the chair you were seated on.

"Very well then." you concede, while you keep watching him move around his office collecting all the ingredients he would need to make the potions, and then adding them to the steaming cauldron, the liquid inside changing colors occasionally.

"You know, you can let me be the one brewing them from now on, that way you would make sure you always have a reserved stash brewed on time, whenever you might need them." the offer surprised you. Severus was willingly offering himself to go out of his way to brew you your pain potions whenever you would need some more, and that seemed so out of character for him that you just stared blankly at him for a few moments before nodding in agreement, not trusting your voice to make itself be heard with the amount of pain you were still on.

"Very well then." he said, getting his attention back to the potion bubbling away in his cauldron. The pain had subsided a bit, but not enough to let you go back up the stairs to your room. "Dumbledore said you used to be the greatest player on top of a broom Hogwarts had seen for a while." was he really trying to make small talk?

"Hum…. yes, I guess. I left Hogwarts in my third year, so I was only here for a little while. It was enough to get me noticed by some quidditch teams. But after my accident, no one would take the chances."

"Accident?"

"It was in my last year of school in Ilvermorny, I had already been invited to make the team of Haileybury Hammers once I finished the school year, when it happened. I was playing a school match when a rogue bludger came hurtling at me and made me fall from my broom." he was intently looking at you, while stirring the cauldron, not wanting to lose any part of the story.

"What happened next?"

"I broke almost every bone in my body, spent the rest of the school year in the hospital wing in a coma, recovering. I was at risk of never walking again, let alone pick up a broom, so the team revoked their invite, and after I recovered, no other team would take me in, they didn't want to risk it."

"And the pain?"

"It resurfaces once in a while, there's only so much magic can heal. So I use the potions to numb the pain so I can go on with the rest of my day." he was now searching his shelves for an empty bottle to pour the liquid potion inside of it, having one vial to you right away so you could take it. "Thank you, Severus." the potion took a few minutes to start working, but once it did, you could feel all the pain ebbing away right away, instead of just numbing it like your potions usually did. "This one is quite a strong potion."

"Well, I wouldn't be much of a potions master if I couldn't make the potions stronger. Besides you seemed about to pass out from the pain, so I thought something stronger could be of help."

"Thank you, once again for it."

"I'll have new batched ready for you every week, if you need more sooner let me know, for now, I'll bottle the rest of the cauldron and deliver it to you in the morning." he walked to the door to open it, so you started to rise from the chair so you could leave the man alone, he was clearly done with your presence bothering him so late into the night, when he surprised you by supporting your back with his arm, accompany you to the door and out to the cold dungeon. "I'll accompany you to your room, to make sure you don't fall."

"You don't need to, I'll be okay…" he interrupts you by making a dismissive sound and waving his other hand around.

"It's no big trouble, I couldn't sleep anyway, so maybe having a walk before going to bed will help. So… is that why you took the flying instructor's position here?" he asked after a long pause of somewhat awkward silence.

"Yes. Flying was my everything, my parents were always on the move, so I learned how to fly in a broom from a very young age, being up in the clouds was my safe haven. Flying was one of my only constants, I never keep many friends since I rarely stayed for even one year in the same school. Hogwarts was the only one I stayed more time. Once I woke up, and they told me I might not walk again I wasn't worried about it, really, I was more worried I would have to give up on flying in my broom." Severus looked at you once you said that, almost like he understood the pain of what had to give up on something that you loved doing did.

"Dumbledor talks highly of your skills, he even said he was most pleased that you took the position, and he could see you teach the first years with all the knowledge you had." that made you smile. The students were taking your classes very seriously and because of that, you always let them have little games at the end of your classes, like dodgeball, but on a broom, training their fast reflexes on the broom, and letting them have fun in the process.

"I'm glad I took the position. I missed the bustle hustle of quidditch, so teaching it is the next best thing. And the students make it worth it."

"They could do with more discipline and attention in classes." he complained, making you stifle a giggle by the annoyed look he had on his face while talking about the students. But you could still hear the fondness he held for teaching them. The two of you reached your door and after helping you inside, and making sure you wouldn't fall off, Severus walked to the door slowly. "Good night (Y/N)." he said and left without much noise, leaving you to think about all that happened since you walked down to the dungeons a couple of hours before.

[unholyhelbig]

Red | #HW204

Prompt: Possession 

Summary:  Aubrey and Beca take their youngest daughter to a child Psychologist when weird things start happening around their new house.

Read on Ao3 Here!

Aubrey Posen had expected a lot more from the tiny office that rested on the third floor of a business park. The door had a frosted glass pane with fancy gold writing and dark stained wood, but the little waiting room that rested right behind it was cold and dark. It made her skin itch. This place was meant for children- wasn’t it?

The only indication that anyone younger than fifty-four attended sessions here was a small box sandwiched between two leather upholstered chairs. It was a forest green and contained a couple of picture books and markers that had long ago run out of ink. Aubrey instinctively pulled her daughter flush against her and passed her a phone to keep her occupied while Beca checked them in.

Her wife was just as nervous as she was, though, she hid it better. Beca had always been the positive one in the relationship. Though they both saw the world through the same colored glass, Beca admired while Aubrey shattered. She had a way with her words and made the unpleasant receptionist crack a charming smile.

Beca said a few more things that she couldn’t hear over the low hum of the game that Marley had stumbled upon. It was something with bright colors to captivate her, other than the slate grey walls and dying plant in the corner. It needed to be watered. 

Beca finally flopped down into the chair next to them. She smiled nervously at their daughter, who had the same stormy blue eyes. She smelled of melted snow and vanilla lip balm. She had grabbed one of the informational pamphlets from the counter; Your child and their emotions.

What it really boiled down to was ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions that ruled out if Marley was a sociopath. Aubrey didn’t want to look at it and Beca shoved it into the pocket of her coat, blanching because she had realized her mistake. Their daughter had switched to another app on Aubrey’s phone.

“What are you coloring, Monkey?” Beca asked, trying to keep things light.

“A tree,”

“That’s neat. Can I see it?”

Marley nodded with a wide grin and passed the phone over to her mother. Beca zoomed out on the picture; it was a nice scene that reminded them fondly of the home they had moved into a few months ago. While it was still summer, Beca had put up a tire swing much to Aubrey’s safety objections.

The photo had a white picket fence and a large oak like the one in their front yard. It didn’t have a tire swing, but two long sections of rope connecting a plank of wood to one of the limbs of the tree. Beca let out a silent sigh of relief. It looked fairly normal. She praised Marley and handed the phone back.

Aubrey shrugged apprehensively at her and gave a weak smile. Maybe things would be alright. Though, both of them were thinking, as they breathed in stale office air, that they weren’t going to be. They had been to a couple of specialists that lead them here. Doctor Beale was one of the top-rated child Psychologists in the area.

“The Posen’s?” They had all glanced up at once, Marley quickly going back to her coloring while both parents stood from the seats. The leather made too much noise and Beca glanced back at it nervously before her cheeks blanched.

A woman with a mane of copper hair stood in the vacant hallway. She was dressed casually in a navy blue sweater and a pair of black slacks. She had a kind face and striking ocean eyes. Aubrey instantly relaxed in her presence and forgot about the state of the office in an instant.

“I’m Beca,” her wife extended a hand first “This is my wife Aubrey, but you probably already knew that.”

Chloe chuckled sweetly “Yes, I did. And this must be Marley?”

Their daughter was shy. She had abandoned the task on her phone and clung to Beca’s pant leg instead. She blinked up at the pretty stranger and tucked her face into the fabric. Doctor Beale didn’t’ seem deterred by this at all.

“If you guys would like to follow me, we can get started.” Chloe didn’t’ wait for an answer. Instead, she turned and they began to walk down a hallway that was much like the main lobby- devoid of color. Beca had scooped Marley up, she pressed her cold nose against the nave of her neck. “I’m assuming you haven’t done this before?”

“No, never,” Aubrey answered.

They passed a few doors that were the same solid oak as the one upfront. They had been to a lot of pediatricians, and neurologists. Neither of them could find anything wrong physically. They had had a long conversation about mental health before they were pushed in this direction.

All four of them stopped in front of another similar door. This one, Doctor Beale, had keys to. She turned the lock and pushed it open. The lack of color in the waiting room had been culminated and thrown in here; it was a large room with every type of toy and art supply imaginable.

The walls were a friendly yellow and little foam puzzle pieces made the flooring under their feet malleable. Beca’s mouth was propped open almost as wide as Marley’s and Aubrey couldn’t help but smile easily at that. There was a large mirror propped up on the side of the wall and posters of animals and mountains around the space that hadn’t been taken up.

“She can play for a while if she wants, we still have a few things to discuss before we start.”

Marley still looked apprehensive, so Beca worked her usual magic. She had a soft, yet commanding voice. “Marls, do you want to play for a couple of minutes?” Their daughter whimpered and dug her nose further into her neck “Oh, come on now, look at all those cars. Don’t you want to check them out?”

It took a couple more seconds, but she eventually let Beca set her down before moving over to the large rug in the corner that had a grid of maps stitched into its fabric. She quickly grasped at a white matchbox car and started driving it around the sharp corners. Chloe leads them closer to the door without exiting into the hallway.

“Which one of you is Marley more comfortable with?” Chloe asked in a hushed tone.

Beca made her stance rigid while Aubrey lifted her chin towards her wife. “She’s the fun mom.”

“Right,” Chloe smiled despite herself “Beca, would you be alright with staying here with Marley while Aubrey and I watch from the other room?”

“Sure?” She shrugged apprehensively “You just want us to play?”

“That’s exactly what I want you to do. The biggest thing we can do here is observe her behavior. From what I’ve seen so far she’s a normal, highly functioning five-year-old. From what your file describes, that tends to change drastically in certain situations. Am I correct?”

Aubrey had suddenly gotten cold in the small little room. Yes, Chloe Beale was right more than she would like to admit. Their daughter was a sweet and loving girl. She was outgoing and confident, but every aspect of that could flip on a dime.

“We thought it was because of the move,” Beca sounded out, looking over at Marley. She had grabbed another car from the shelf and slammed them both together, making a crashing sound “But she’s gotten violent.”

“She hears voices,” Aubrey said.

“Voices?”

“We chalked it up to an overactive imagination at first. Both of us were so tired from fixing the place up that we didn’t’ see the warning signs, I guess. She didn’t like her room. She said that was a tall man with a funny hat that would bother her at night.”

Chloe nodded and shoved her hands into her pockets as she had suddenly gotten cold as well. “Has this stopped?”

“Eventually she didn’t talk about it anymore.” Beca explained “We thought we were doing the right thing by making her stay in there instead of sleeping in bed with us. But that’s when the weird behavior started.”

“What kind of weird behavior is she exhibiting?”

Aubrey looked over at the young girl as she played with a few more cars. She had created a traffic jam and spoke silently under her breath. They couldn’t hear what words she had been forming and Aubrey figured that that was a good thing.

“She gets this vacant look in her eyes sometimes… that’s all it was at first, and we thought she was just getting distracted. She started standing at the foot of our bed and just staring, for hours.”

Chloe quirked a brow “You set up camera’s?”

“We had no choice. Things were vanishing around the house, expensive things like power tools and then little things like keys. We had just moved in so we figured we might have an intruder or something. But it was Marley every single time. That’s why we decided to get her checked.”

The psychologist thought for what seemed like a while, they listened to the squeaking of the car wheels and Beca started to trace her eyes along the posters. She felt like she was in trouble. Instead, she was seeking help.

“Right. Aubrey, if you would come with me.” The woman nodded and glanced at her daughter for a sparing moment “Beca you just have to keep Marley playing. If you can, direct her to the little table in the corner.”

“Yeah, I can do that.” She said nervously.

“Good. Is there any way you can get her to talk about her room?”

This would be a little more difficult, but she nodded nevertheless. Beca knelt down next to Marley and pointed to the nearest car with question in her eyes. Aubrey watched for a few more moments before Chloe touched her shoulder gently and navigated her back into the depressing hallway.

They walked a couple more feet to the next door. This one, Chloe didn’t’ need a key to; it was smaller and darker than the lobby and the colder than the room they had just exited. There were two chairs facing a glass window and a little table that attempted to be spruced up with bottled water and a plant that was in even worse condition than the one she had seen before.

Aubrey wandered up to the window and stared through the glass. It was in the same position as the mirror had been. She could see her wife and daughter talking quietly by the rug that they had left them at. The psychologist took a seat in one of the chairs and waited for Aubrey to do the same.

“This doesn’t feel a bit… invasive to you?” Aubrey sat down, the wood was frigid.

“I’m a psychologist, Mrs. Posen, it’s my job to be invasive. We need to figure out what’s spurring your daughter's recent behavior.”

Aubrey supposed that’s why they had paid for the hour. She was hypocritical, worrying about sitting behind two way glass when they hid a camera between the stuffed animals on Marley’s dresser. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched carefully. Beca had somehow coaxed their daughter to the small table closest to the wall.

She went to the wall and grabbed a handful of markers and paper before struggling to sit in one of the little chairs. Her knees were nearly up to her ears, and in any other situation, Aubrey would have laughed.

Beca uncapped a brown marker first. She started to sketch the outline of a tree, stretching it to the top of the paper. It was nearly identical to the photo that Marley had been coloring earlier. She began to use that classic charm of hers.

“This looks kind of like the tree out front, huh?”

Marley was focused on dragging a navy marker against the page “Mm-hm,”

“Do you like the new house, Marls?”

Their daughter stopped the tip of the marker, and a large circle of ink started to spill from the hard-pressed gesture. She frowned and drew in a shallow breath. Beca had stopped coloring too. She watched with apprehension like they were sitting at the kitchen table once more- a steak knife within reach for them both.

“Was that fear?” Aubrey asked, sinking further into her seat. Her mouth was dry and it would have been easy to reach to her left for one of those water bottles, but she didn’t.

“No, it was anger. Does she get that look often?”

“Everyday.”

Beca slowly brought her eyes back down to the paper and started to color in the sun at the corner of the page. She was pressing too hard, hard enough to almost rip the paper. It was like she could taste the charged energy in the room.

“The house is nice. I like my room. I didn’t, but I do now.”

Marley never took her eyes away from the woman. She was speaking through a clenched jaw. Aubrey didn’t even know that a child could do that, that they had enough stress to show it like this. She understood nightmares and normal phobia’s, but this felt too… adult.

Chloe was writing something down on her notepad, but she leaned forward in her seat as if they were watching a movie. Aubrey could read the sudden fear that rolled in waves off of Beca. This wasn’t her normal energy, and Marley smiled wickedly at this.

“Yeah? Do you… still see that man?”

Beca had pushed it as far as she could. She had abandoned her picture altogether and focused her entire attention on their daughter. These past few months had been filled with exhaustion and odd fear, and prying sharp objects from little fingers.

One of them had slept in the rocking chair by the door each night. It was uncomfortable and made them stiff, but they had a keen eye on the door to their bedroom. That same steak knife that was nearly grasped from the table earlier had been close to Aubrey’s throat one night. She woke to the feeling of cold metal and then a thin line of warm blood.

They hadn’t told Chloe that. It wouldn’t be in the file that she had gotten of them. Everything else had been disclosed but that one night, the night that scared them the most would remain right where it was forever.

Marley nodded slowly, “He’s my friend. I like his hat.”

“What does the hat look like?” Marley squints her eyes, and Beca tried again “Can you show me?”

Marley looked down at the art supplies in front of her. It was a random pile of markers and a few colored pencils. She grabbed a clean sheet of paper and searched over her options with new vigor. She had been given a task and Beca was watching her with keen eyes.

“No, I can’t do it.” She whispered with frustration.

“Why not, sweetie?”

Marley slammed her little hand down on the table and the markers and pencils and little cup that held them jumped with the extra force. Beca tensed up her shoulders but figured quickly that this was better than something being thrown across the room.

“There’s no red.” She growled out, gripping the cheap plastic table “I can’t draw my friend if there’s no red. It’s his favorite color, he’s always wearing it.”

“I can get you a red, Marley,”

“No. It’s too late.” Their daughter glanced up from the white paper, her eyes filled with that same primal anger as the night with the knife. Marley turned her eyes towards the mirror and Aubrey felt herself freeze. Chloe gripped the note pad until little dents marked the lines neatly.

Marley moved her small little finger against the length of her neck, somehow staring directly at Aubrey with a vacant expression and a truly vile expression. “He has red here. He has red everywhere.”

[possiblyimbiassed]

The Science of Reduction

In my view, John’s blog and Sherlock’s website both represent a more realistic version of what might actually have happened in the BBC Sherlock narrative; a believable kind of ‘reality’ that doesn’t need extraordinary explanations or complicated assumptions to make sense. As opposed to the big Drama we see in the actual show, these online versions - slightly childish as they may be - tell a kind of story that appears to be at least plausible. But maybe they’re also a bit more limited and therefore boring?

It goes to show, I think, that “Poetry or Truth”, which Lestrade claims are the same thing in TAB, indeed are very different concepts. As an enhanced version of reality, enriched by human creativity and emotion, Poetry can give far more interesting results than any attempt at approaching Truth ‘scientifically’. But it can also derail into absurdity, as shown by S4. 

Sherlock’s website is, in a sense, ‘scientific’; very logically constructed and categorized, brief and minimalistic. No superfluous information to be found, no dramatic embroidery of the facts. Occam’s razor. 

On the surface, the only hints of emotion being involved are Sherlock’s whining about people being stupid, predictable and boring, showing us how lonely that makes him feel. The contrast to how he comes across in the show, and its display of his ‘inner life’, is striking. But now the website has - unlike John’s blog - been taken down, which I suspect might reflect the fact that Sherlock has left ‘reality’ and chosen to go deeper into himself.

But after realising from this post that The Science of Deduction is actually still there, saved on the Way Back Machine (thanks for that, @khanhizon1999!), I took to look a little further into it, and noticed several interesting things:

1. Sherlock seems to be a very lazy ‘blogger’, who has reduced the info on his own website to a minimum, since he has only written down one single case for his readers to look at: The Green Ladder. Not even his analyses of tobacco (referred to in ASiB, dismissed by John) or perfume (referred to in THoB, when he encourages Mrs Hudson to look it up) are actually posted. For the rest of the ‘new’ cases - The Blind Banker and ‘The Serial Suicides’ (A Study in Pink) - he simply refers to John’s blog. And for The Aluminium Crutch and The Great Game he doesn’t even bother to do that. 

TBC under the cut. 

2. So, what was so special about The Green Ladder for Sherlock to both do the effort of writing it down, and then not erase it like he did with the tobacco analysis? I mean, since this case is about a guy who actually gets killed for being both superstitious and predictable (a bit like Lord Carmichael’s idiocy in TAB, perhaps), what could possibly raise Sherlock’s interest about it to the point of discussing details on his website? I bet it’s out of nostalgic Sentiment. ;) It definitely seems like this was the case Sherlock was working on when he first met John. Which we can deduce by the text message he left on John’s phone:

I’ll also speculate that he deleted the tobacco study because John didn’t like it, while he kept this one because it just might impress John. 

3. It also strikes me, however, that nowhere on this website can we read about how Sherlock can identify “a software designer by his tie” or "a retired plumber by his left hand” (PILOT) or “an airline pilot by his left thumb” (ASiP). Did Sherlock delete that as well, just because John seemed incredulous? :) Or were these claims parts of the now archived cases, for example ‘The Laughing Pilot’? 

4. The names of the cases. I used to believe that all the fanciful titles of John’s blog posts were due to his own creativity. But here we have a whole bunch of inspiring case names created by Sherlock himself:

Some of these titles definitely seem to be little nods to canon: 

The Man With Four Legs - The Man With the Twisted Lip (TWIS)

The Crooked House - The Crooked Man (CROO)

The Missing Jars - The Missing Three-Quarter (MISS)

The Abernetty Family - The Abbey Grange (ABBE)

The Purple Woman - The Red Circle (CIRC)

The Confusion of Isadora Persano is reduced to a mere title, but it’s actually taken directly from canon’s The Problem of Thor Bridge (THOR), where Watson tells us: “A third case worthy of note is that of Isadora Persano, the wellknown journalist and duellist, who was found stark staring mad with a matchbox in front of him which contained a remarkable worm, said to be unknown to science.”  

Which immediately makes me think of John’s blog post The Inexplicable Matchbox: “The situation with Isaac Persano hit the headlines, obviously. He was found, in a hotel room, surrounded by matchboxes. And he couldn't speak”. A case which Sherlock included in his Best Man speech in TSoT: “A French decathlete found completely out of his mind, surrounded by one thousand, eight hundred and twelve matchboxes – all empty except this one”. 

We never got to know what this matchbox contained, though. In the show, there’s only one worm I can think of (and no - I don’t count the maggots Sherlock shows Archie in TSoT, or the ones crawling out of Emelia Ricoletti’s dead body in TAB; they’re larvae, not worms, and they’re not new to science :) ). The one I’m thinking of is the ‘earworm’ of Eurus’ suggestions that drives Doctor Taylor mad enough to kill his family, according to the Governor of Sherrinford in TFP. I don’t know if such a thing is ‘unknown to science’, but it’s certainly quite unlikely, isn’t it?

But what about the rest of the cases? What’s with, for example, the Subdivided Crooner? :))) It’s also interesting to know that there’s a ghost at Barts’ hospital. Is that supposed to be a premonition about Sherlock? :)

5. There’s also a (supposedly) ongoing case called The Major's Cat. How many majors do we meet in the show? Well, there’s Major Barrymore in THoB, Major Reed in TSoT and Major Sholto, also in TSoT. But none of them comes across as a cat lover, though, do they? :) And this case happens before we get to know either of these majors. An interesting piece in this puzzle is a client, a poster called T Thompson who wants help with a missing cat.

OK, so this is the major - a famous boxer named T. ‘The Major’ Thompson! Clearly something more than a missing cat is going on in this case. Sherlock deduces brilliantly that his client is secretive because he wants to avoid a scandal; thus, he’s probably famous. Cats are also linked to Greenwich in the title The Killer Cats of Greenwich, which in turn makes me think of “the bloody Greenwich pips” in TGG - the episode in which the naked cat Sekhmet figures. Lots of cats here. ;)

Eventually, Sherlock posts a new comment  - possibly having to do with the case of the Major’s missing cat:

“Ha! Brilliant! Oh, very very clever! I love it when a criminal knows what he's doing. The cat was in the television! Fake screen. Brilliant.” I’d love to know what this case was actually about (apart from cat abuse) - it’s not often we see Sherlock expressing that kind of emotion :) But, anyway: more cats?! I can’t find a single dog on Sherlock’s website, which surprises me, since the show is full of them, and there’s also a few on John’s blog.

It’s also interesting to see Mike Stanford tell Sherlock about John’s blog, shortly after he’s moved in to 221B. Pretty soon Sherlock also starts to get anonymous threats on his website, combined with some ciphers, which Sherlock uses to entertain his readers. 

6. The three encrypted messages sent to Sherlock’s website by an anonymous reader - *cough* Moriarty *cough* - bring rather scarce information. I’ve tried to apply all three of the ciphers to seemingly meaningless words like “UMQRA” or “AGRA”, but of no result this far. Just like Sherlock’s declarations of the case solutions to Moriarty in TGG about Carl Powers, Ian Monkford and Raoul de Santos, I think these ciphers are the least interesting items on the website. But I might be proven very wrong of course! :)

7. Then, finally, we have the Forum, where the most substantial message is from little Kirsty Stapleton who lost her glowing rabbit to science (fully investigated in THoB). One thing that strikes me is that Kirsty asks about John “Is he a real Dr?”. Which very much reminds me of TLD, where Culverton asks John: “Are you really a doctor?”  

Also the rest of the Forum’s old comments do have some interest, even if they’re usually reduced to exchanges of a few words between Sherlock and the people who knows him: John, Lestrade, Molly, Mike Stanford, Sarah Sawyer, the fan Jacob Sowersby and long-term poster Moriarty ‘theimprobableone’. First of all we learn that Sherlock moved out from Montague street due to “disagreement with landlord”. Very strange indeed, seeing as Sherlock must be such a lovely tenant. ;)) 

We also learn that Moriarty ‘theimprobableone’ is flirting with Sherlock via his website from start; he tries to ask him out and even offers Sherlock to move in with him! In this context maybe we should remember that the last time we heard from Moriarty ‘theimprobableone’ was after John’s wedding, when Sherlock had hacked into his blog and tried to find some company online. The answer was: “i am interested but I am going out on a date”.

And - back to Sherlock’s website - there’s also Molly, trying to get Sherlock’s attention by claiming she found a tie at Barts that might be his. We also see Lestrade getting desperate over the serial ‘suicides’ and wanting Sherlock’s help, which the latter deflects. Hard to see how Sherlock is ‘married to his job’ here. :)

Sherlock’s reaction to the ‘Bond night’ is also quite entertaining:

He calls Bond ‘ridiculous’ until ‘theimprobableone’ butts in, then he suddenly begins to appreciate it more. ;)

And we do get a possible explanation as to why Sherlock takes on the dubious Belarus case of Barry Berwick: John needs the money! :)

Finally, I think an interesting little detail is that, once again, an ambassador is mentioned in BBC Sherlock - a recurring theme! ;)

Tagging some people who might be interested:

@ebaeschnbliah @sarahthecoat @raggedyblue @gosherlocked @the-signs-of-two @loveismyrevolution @sagestreet 

[elliotthezubat]

DEATH CITY DAYS CHAPTER 125

[[cont from part 124]]

 Crow: *perched on Misaki's shoulder*

misaki: ....*small smile* would you like a name?

Crow: "CAW!"

misaki: *strokes under the crow's neck* how about 'Alistair'?

Alistair: *closes eyes* =w=

misaki: ^^ *starts preparing supper*

Alistair: *flies to a bureau...there's a photo on it*

-it shows a young girl with a man and a woman. they look to be happy-

-the bureau has various knick-knacks, such as an astrolabe, a butterfly display, a mortar and pestle, and various books on anatomy, ornthology, botany, astrology, the occult and more-

Alistair: "..." *head tilt*

-it still looks overcast outside...lightning strikes in the distance*

misaki: !!......(i hope mr pumpkin is keeping dry.....)

-meanwhile-

creature: .......

Pumpkin: *wrings out his coat, hanging it up* -_-# "..." *stares at the Creature* "Don't you get drenched either--" *sneezes--a brief stream of fire escaping his nostrils* =~=#

-it's quiet, save for the sound of rain outside-

Pumpkin: "..." *curls up against a wall* "...I wonder if she avoided the rain walking back."

{sister: *turns around* oh. it's you again. *smiles*}

{Pumpkin: ._. "H-Hi?" *steps in* "Am I bothering you?"}

{sister: not at all. ^^ i see that you've gotten a better handle on speaking now. hehe. ^^}

{Pumpkin: *clutching a book* "Th-This helped. I am returning it..." *holds it out*}

{sister: oh! why thank you. *takes it* ..... *looks around* well, the abbot isnt here right now, perhaps i could help you with this?}

{Pumpkin: ._. "Y-You would?" *looks around...sees chairs*}

{sister: of course.}

{Pumpkin: "...Is that a 'chah-air'?"}

-THUNDER STRIKE-

Pumpkin: "?!!!" *swings around, shrinking back against a wall*

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: *holding an ice pack to his head, lying down in the back of the Matchbox* =~=;

Takehisa: *driving* "..."

Arthur: "..."

shinra:....*ahem* s-so commander...

Akitaru: "Don't try to out-drink Honda..." *sits up* "How you holding up?"

shinra: im fine, sir. but i was asking. *ahem* well, iris suggested that we have a party? n-not to celebrate commander arg's death! it's awful that happened! it's just- well things have been tense for all of us and, well... maybe this could help to build morale?

Akitaru: "...Iris is really smart."

shinra: yeah, she is. *smiles*

Akitaru: "Just let me sleep this off, then we'll get pretty balloons..."

shinra: thanks dad.

Akitaru: *yawns* "You're welcome, son..."

-elsewhere-

hinata: konro's back!

Konro: "Hello, Hinata. You keep the home safe while I was out?"

hinata: yep! we sure did!

hikage: ooooh beni's gonna get soooo scolded for not going!

hinata: 500 yen says he's gonna get spanked!

Konro: "Well, can't settle that unless I know where he is--where'd he go?"

hinata + hikage: he's over by the pond!

Konro: "Then I'm on my way..." *walks to the pond*

Benimaru: *feeding koi*

Konro: "..."

Benimaru: "..."

Konro: "So..."

Benimaru: *grunts*

Konro: "..." *kicks Benimaru into the pond*

hinata + hikage: OOOOOOOHHH!!!

Benimaru: "?!!" *COUGH COUGH* "What the hell?!"

Konro: "You didn't even show up. A man is dead--"

Benimaru: "A man that couldn't even be here for us."

Konro: "...Is that what you think?"

kirei: what happened? i heard a splash- ah!

Benimaru: "..." *stands up, his feet squishing in the mud as he walks* "...He wasn't here when you needed him." *walks by Kirei*

kirei: ah-....konro?

Konro: *scratches the back of his neck* "Sorry...The master was being an ass again."

kirei: ....should i go talk to him?

Konro: "I think that'd help."

-elsewhere-

maki: we're back!

Viktor: *stuck to the wall by scalpels*

argit: *drinking a soda can* oh great.

Akitaru: "You been celebrating?"

argit: eh.

Takehisa: "I suggest we start charging him rent."

nozomi: tamaki! what happened?!

tamaki:....just fell....that's all....

Komori: *patching her up*

Arthur: *stares* "..."

argit: oh yeah, that happened. it was pretty funny.

shinra: NOT COOL, MAN!

argit: ok! ok! cripes, im sorry for laughing! there? ya happy now?

Arthur: "...In this castle...you will not insult or mock anyone in it...or I will slice your tail off and feed it to you."

argit: yeesh! what's your deal?!

shinra: you just shut the fuck up you shitty sonic the hedgehog knockoff!

Arthur: "Yeah, what the demon said, vile rodent!"

argit: D8<

Akitaru: "!!! Boys!"

shinra: *shuts up*

Arthur: >_>;

argit: heh.

Akitaru: "..." *sighs* "We all need some rest--go to your quarters." *pats Argit on the shoulder--and grips him* "Let's talk. In private."

argit: QwQ; *gulp*

-elsewhere-

yuuji: *looks at a box full of posters* are these for me?

Aizawa: "Yeah--figured you need something for the walls."

yuuji: t-thanks....oh sweet, grateful dead!

Aizawa: "??? Something you've listened to?"

yuuji: yeah, i like listening to classic rock from time to time.

Aizawa: "Hmm...Yamada may have some to borrow. Just don't mention 'Stairway' in front of him."

yuuji: i'll...keep that in mind, sir....are....um...are you sure you dont mind?

Aizawa: "I wouldn't be giving them to you if there was a problem--I wanted you to have them."

yuuji: n-not that, i mean...you know...me living here?

Aizawa: "...Ah. ...Not going to lie, a lot of things have ruined my status as the 'longer Pro Hero who looks like a homeless man' vibe. But that kind of disappeared when Midnight tricked me into teaching here."

yuuji: i see.....still, cant help feeling out of place, me being an ex-villain and all...

Aizawa: "...Even heroes come out of unexpected places."

yuuji: ..t-thanks...i suppose.

Aizawa: "No problem...After all--" *unrolls one poster--and tenses up*

{Oboro: "--then this checkerboard room shows up with this little dude dancing around--" *handing Aizawa a VHS tape: 'Twin Peaks'*}

{Aizawa: "Hmm. Not sure this is my thing."}

{Oboro: "Dude--give it a shot already!"}

Yuuji: sir?

Aizawa: *looks at the poster, showing a light signal and mountains* "...Could you knock that 'sir' stuff off--'Shota's' fine."

yuuji: um o-ok s-... mr aizawa.

Aizawa: "..." *head pat* "Sure."

-elsewhere-

greg: *sniffs* it smells delicious, bugbear! ^^

Saria: "You really think so? I'm still trying to perfect this recipe..."

saria's dad: well, you worked so hard on it, so of course it will be great!

Saria: "..." *sighs* "I'm not sure about that...What if it's not hard enough..."

greg: well, if you put your all into something with love, it will turn out well, and even if it doesnt, it's still good because you at least tried.

Saria's Dad: *nom* =w= "So tasty..."

Saria: "..." *sighs* ("That's what they always say.") "May I be excused? I want to do more reading?"

greg: you go do that, we'll save some for later if you get hungry, ok?

Saria: "..." *nods, gathers her books, leaves*

Saria's Dad: "...Did we upset her?"

greg: i hope not...

Saria's Dad: "...Let's put away the leftovers and start on the dishes..." *picks up a plate, one crumb rolling off onto the table*

greg: hmm...

Saria's Dad: *scraps crumbs off the plate into the trash...*

*the crumbs settle at the bottom of the can before the lid closes...then start to shift*

*in saria’s room*

Saria: "..." *checks her phone*

lei-lei: [hey sari! u ok?]

Saria: [worried about tomorrow]

lei-lei: [nervous?]

Saria: [incredibly -~- ]

lei-lei: [understandable.]

Saria: [can we meet up before class? i want to have enough time to put the ingredients away]

lei-lei: [sure! ^w^]

Saria: [thnx. i'll finish reading recipes then head to bed]

lei-lei: [k! C U tomorrow~ \(^o^) ]

Saria: [night] "..." *sighs, opens the 'recipe book' again--* "...What the heck is a 'Black Mercy'?"

-the next day-

Monica: "Mornin', losers."

yolanda: ...

Zarya: "Shh...She's focusing."

Monica: -_-; "Hmph. She's got this in the bag."

lei-lei: *has her apron on*

Saria: *puts some prepared dishes into the fridge* "..." *looks down*

lei-lei: hey, we got this! ^^

Saria: "I hope so--I wasn't feeling confident. But if these recipes work out, maybe I'll be surprised."

lei-lei: that's the spirit!

Saria: *closes the fridge door, smiles lightly*

-the food shifts a bit...then blinks*

Duncan: *looks inside the kitchen* "??? You're doing it wrong--you really should separate the yolks--*

-meanwhile-

yukiko: thanks fer invitin' me as a judge, azusa-san! ^^

Yumi: "We're happy to have you. Have you met Lunch Rush before?"

yukiko: i've heard of 'em.

Lunch Rush: *waves*

Rin: *drooling over the proposed menu* "I am so blessed..."

yukiko: easy there, kiddo. *hair ruffle*

Rin: =_=;

Yumi: "That leaves...Wait, where's Tsubaki?"

-meanwhile-

tsubaki: ._.;

Black Star: "I can't believe they moved the hallways around again! ...Wait, I know a short-cut..." *punches a hole through a hallway wall*

-back at the contest-

Yumi: -_-# "We're going to need a replacement judge--and where am I to find one at this late hour--"

Mephisto: "Hello~"

Rin: *chokes*

lord death: oh! i was half expecting stocking.

Mephisto: "Unfortunately, she's tutoring students--it came up at the last minute."

lord death: i see.

Mephisto: "So, how about Arg's death?"

Rin: ("WHERE IS HIS FREAKING TACT?!")

yukiko: i just want it on record the 7th had nothing to fucking do with that, alright?

Yumi: "No one is accusing anyone, and the internal investigation has concluded that it was a suicide." ("Not that any of us believe that for one second...")

yukiko: tch- i oughta give that department a piece of my mind...

Mephisto: "By the by, Death, I think you have problems with your basement--lot of rats getting into the works down there, if you know what I mean..." *HINT HINT WINK*

Rin: "..." ("He wants an exterminator? What the heck is he talking about?")

lord death: *sigh* we'll see what can be done, but they're elusive little bastards...

Mephisto: "I think you'll need to consider out-sourcing. Rin, for example."

Rin: "?!!! What?!"

*students start entering, dressed like chefs*

Kanin: "Thanks for your help with the vegetarian option--I wanted to offer something that maybe others wouldn't..."

kenji: of course! ^^

Kyoka: *STARING AT THE DISHES* "..." *stomach growl*

Axel: "Mountain Dew chicken and rice FTW!"

Duncan: *grimaces* "You have no class..." *sets down a Jell-O mold*

kyouko: they better not waste anything...

Ragnarok: "Dibs on leftovers!"

Saria: *shakes a bit, but manages to set the dish down carefully...it looks like a very well put-together and delicious quiche*

izumi: it looks delicious!

Saria: "Th-Thanks...I hope I did it right..."

Monica: *pushing people out of the way*

-and so-

Rin: *samples the vegetarian option* "Hmm! This is quite good!" *holds up a sign: 8 out of 10*

yukiko: *nom nom* eh, not terrible. *7/10*

Mephisto: =_=; "Pedestrian. Had better." *holds up a sign: 1 out of 10*

Kanin: ^^; "Worth a shot..."

izumi: wow...

Monica: "Go up and present, girl."

Saria: *watching Yolanda* "..." *gulp*

Lunch Rush: *signing* <What have we here?>

yolanda: well, i decided to make a gumbo that my grandma used to make when we would visit.

Rin: "Oh, cool. I had to make dishes at the church since everyone else's cooking sucked."

-meanwhile-

Fujimoto: "...FFFFFFFFFFFF--"

-back at the contest-

Lunch Rush: <It's good to see dishes with a history!>

Mephisto: =_= "Hmph."

yukiko: *nom* this is really good! i can really taste the spices in it! *9/10*

Rin: *nods* "I think it's super!" *10/10*

Mephisto: "Eh." *2/10*

nagisa: hmm, tough competition.

Crona: "Everyone looks like they put in a lot of work..."

mami: indeed.....*notices someone in the crowd* hm?

Poe: *holding what looks like a stick* "..." *points the stick in different directions*

mami: (what are they doing?)

Mephisto: =~= "How many more entries are there..."

Yumi: -_-# "Just a few more--could you fake interest?"

Mephisto: "I've eaten every dish around the world--five times. Little impresses me..."

Saria: *gulps* *walks up* "H-H-H-Here?"

Poe: "Nothing here..." *points towards the judges' stage*

Karl: *growl wimper*

yukiko: *sniff* smells good enough.

Saria: .~.;

Rin: "That's a unique spice--tastes kinda good!"

Lunch Rush: <Very unique!> *thumbs up*

Mephisto: "..." *tugs on the spoon--and it sticks* "??? ..." *sniff sniff* *eyes widen* "?!!!!!"

Poe: *pointing at Saria's dish* D8 "OH NO!"

izumi: ?!

Saria: Q_Q "Is it really that bad?!"

Quiche: *GURGLES...THEN BLINKS* "..." *SCREAMS*

rowena: !!!! oh no, we're too late....

mami: !!! *soul gem out*

yukiko: shit! *transforms*

Mephisto: "...Okay, I admit, I did not see this comin--"

Quiche Monster: *SWALLOWS MEPHISTO* "..." *BURP*

Yumi: D8

Rin: "...BWHA HA HA HA--"

Quiche Monster: *whips Rin into the wall*

Saria: *stunned*

-people are running away while others join the fight-

kyouko: what the hell is going on?!

Hyde: *snapping pics* "Don't know. But the effects have really gone up this year..."

rowena: sterling rodgers.

Poe: *nods*

Asher: "...The hell is a Sterling Rodgers? A gem?"

rowena: he was a necromancer that hid his spells in cookbooks.

Axel: "People actually do that?"

Yumi: "..." *glares at Poe*

Poe: "It's not my fault! I was moving books, and it was the Nihilque Omnino Liber a Daemonibus Inita--"

Axel: "...That's really wordy."

Asher: "So it's a Food Necronomicon?"

lei-lei: either way, it's a mouthful!

genny: now isnt the time for that!

Poe: "We need the book! I need to apologize to the girl I bumped into and caused all this mess!" >~<

lukas: saria!

*The space where Saria was standing is vacant*

lukas: !!! dammit! *goes to look for her*

yukiko: *fighting the monster*

Axel: "!!! Bro! This is totally going on the bucket list--fighting giant food monsters!"

zeke: hell yeah!

Rin: *stumbles off the wall* "Okay, you quiche bastard! I'm gonna--"

*the Quiche has infected other food, as a spork stabs Rin in the nose*

Rin: "... ... ...AAAAAAAAAAAH--"

Rin: *charges blue flames along his sword* "Now you're gonna get--"

*NOM*

*Rin is now swallowed whole*

kyouko: *slashing at the monsters* RIN! *ATTACKS*

Asher: "...This turned into vore so gradually that I haven't noticed."

hibiki: how do you know what- on second thought i dont want to know.

Asher: >_>; "...Izumi, just hit me against a monster--"

*a flying spaghetti monster lunges at Izumi*

izumi: *dodges out of the way*

-meanwhile-

Saria: *hiding under stairway, sweater pulled up to cover her face*

lei-lei: sari! there you are! come on, the others need us!

Saria: "...This is all my fault..."

lei-lei: sari...

Saria: *whimpers* "I hated it. I hated everything...I felt like I wasn't good enough..."

lei-lei: .....*hug*

Saria: TT~TT "I didn't want to fail and be left behind..."

{Saria, younger: *looking at a recipe book* "??? What's this one, Daddy?"}

{greg: it's a souffle. ^^}

{Saria: "That's sounds funny--" *looks it over* "It looks fluffy!"}

{greg: why dont we make one, all three of us? ^^}

{Saria: 8D "Can we?!" *reaches for the book--but knocks over a glass of water* D8> }

{greg: oh- *chuckle* it's ok bugbear, it was an accident.}

{Saria: "..." *sniffle* "I didn't mean to..."}

{Saria's Dad: "Every problem has a solution--" *shows a roll of paper towels with little ducklings on them* "So we just got to wipe this off and keep going!" *smiles*}

{Saria: "..." *nods* "O-Okay..."}

{greg: *head pat* right!}

Saria: "..." *pulls down the sweater* "I made this mess..."

lei-lei: then let's fix it! ^^

Saria: "..." *nods--and transforms*

lukas: HEEEEELP!! *stuck in the spagetti monster*

lei-lei: *TOSSES SARIA*

Saria: "Lukas!"

lukas: !!! *reaches out*

*good catch!*

nagisa: *attacking the monsters* mami, im about at my limit!

Crona: *swinging Ragnarok into pudding--*

Ragnarok: *SWALLOWS* "..." *burp* "...Hey, this one got tinier!"

*a soup monster crawls on all fours--*

Janitor: "...Soup on all fours? I thought soup would be bipedal..." *desperately trying to clean faster*

Saria: "..." *LIGHT BULB* "That's it! Crona, you're weapon is a genius!"

nagisa: *attacking, when her soul gem darkens, and something comes out of her mouth*

charlotte: MOGEGEGEGEEEEE!

Axel: "...What."

kyouko: shit!

Quiche Monster: *still infecting other food*

Yumi: "There's no spot to fire at!" *keeps shooting*

charlotte: *starts eating the monsters*

Saria: "Do what the worm thing is doing--eat them!"

yukiko: the fuck? that wraith is _helping_ us?

Quiche Monster: *doubles over, groaning* *looks like it's turning blue?*

kyouko: !!!

Quiche Monster: *gurgles--before it gets cooked--and explodes, revealing Rin and Mephisto inside*

Rin: *wielding his blue flames* -_-# "Ugh--nothing worse than overcooked food..."

Mephisto: *licks his finger* "Mmm! Not bad!" *holds up a sign: 6/10*

Ragnarok: *sliding along the floor, mouth opening and closing as he eats* "WAKA WAKA WAKA WAKA--"

kyouko: *cringes* this better not go to waste!

Axel: "Five second rule!" *eats a monster mini-bagel pizza*

-and so-

charlotte: *dissapates*

Yumi: *intense stare at the NOTers and the Occult Club*

nagisa: mmmn... ugh...*RAINBOWBARF*

Crona: ._.; *offers a napkin*

yukiko: what the hell?!

Lunch Rush: <This reminds me of the Austin chili contest fiasco--they still haven't gotten the scent out of the canal...>

Poe + Saria: "I'M SO SORRY!"

lord death: *sigh and tiny chop to them both* next time double check on these things.

Poe: TT~TT "Yes, sir..."

tsubaki: we're he-... ._. what on earth?

Saria: "Please don't fire Mr Poe! It's my fault..."

Black Star: "I told you my shortcut would-- ...YOU STARTED A FOOD FIGHT?! WITHOUT ME?!"

izumi: it's a long story.

Kaoru: "Lord Pheles! I came as soon as I got your alert!"

Mephisto: "There you are, Tsubaki!"

tsubaki: im right here though?

Kaoru: "??? No, I'm Tsubaki."

naho: .w.

Black Star: "..." *PUNCHES KAORU* "STAY AWAY FROM MY WEAPON!"

mahiru: just how many tsubaki's are there?!

Kuro: =_= "This is the stupidest thing I have been involved in all month."

Hyde: "Oh, what up, bro?" *covered in red stuff*

Kuro Cat: *walks in, leaps on Rin's shoulder*

Kuro: "... ... ...Nope."

izumi: you know, i think i learned something today....

Asher: "Cooking was a mistake?"

Axel: "Wash your hands before dinner?"

izumi:.....actually i got nothing i was hoping i'd think of something. ^^;

Monica: "Yolanda is the only one we should let cook."

Mephisto: "We still need to decide a winner...Which dish was not infected by the demon?"

Yumi: *holds up a Jell-O mold*

Mephisto: "Fine, this thing wins."

Duncan: "Ha!"

lei-lei + hibiki + others: WHAT?!

Duncan: "What do I win?!"

Janitor: *hands Duncan a mop* "Clean up duty."

Duncan: 0n0#

-elsewhere-

Todoroki: *staring at a text message* "..." *sets down his phone* "..." *sets his arms on the table, thinking*

fuyumi: ?? everything ok?

Todoroki: "...I got a text from someone claiming to be Natsuo's classmate."

fuyumi: did something happen?!

Todoroki: >_>; "...They said their sister wants my autograph."

fuyumi: ...^^;

*Fuyumi's phone has a text message*

fuyumi: *looks*

Unknown number: [sis someone stole my fone so ignore weirdo messages]

fuyumi: [it's 'phone']

Unknown number: [thats how u know its me :P ]

-elsewhere-

All Might: *coughing, doubled over in the teachers' lounge*

midnight: .-.

All Might: *waves* "I'm fine..." *wipes his mouth* "Just need to take five..." *sits on the couch, reaching for his bottle of water*

midnight: maybe head home for the day, i'll handle the rest of your workload-

All Might: "I-I can't--I'm trying to finish up a training schedule for--" *collapses*

midnight: !! shit! recovery girl! get in here!

*a small siren is heard--as Recovery Girl drives in on a scooter*

-elsewhere-

Shinsou: <So support students don't go on training trips like the hero students?>

mei: nope! besides, i couldnt just leave my babies unattended all summer!

Shinsou: ._.; <I see...So, no science fairs after I-Island blew up?>

mei: alas, not this time. but it'd be nice to see the blonde angel again~<3 huh? oh right!

Shinsou: (" 'Blonde angel'?") <"Oh right" what?>

mei: i wanted to show you something! follow me!

-elsewhere-

NOS: "Absolutely appalling security parameters--I'm asleep how long, yet what advancements have I seen..." *thumbing through psychological profiles of Pro Heroes*

himiko: *brushing the hair of a doll*

Dabi: *looking stuff up on his phone* "Says the 'bot who's running on DVDs and 8-trax."

twice: BUUURN! *hand up for a high five*

Dabi: "..." *back to his phone*

NOS: -_-# "I have upgraded to SSD and cloud storage. So watch it, before I share your search history with the entire group."

shaula: ok boomer.

NOS: "YOU'RE OLDER THAN ME, YOU TROLLOP."

shaula: =3= ruuude.

Kurogiri: "Please do not squabble." *offers Shaula a drink--and passes motor oil to NOS*

kurome: *sips her orange juice*

NOS: "..." *whispers to Himiko* "How old is the child?"

himiko: 4-5 i think?

NOS: "..." ("Do I even want to know how this happened? Or where the mother is? Is there a mother?")

kurome: *looks up* *offers her juice*

NOS: "Um...No, thank you."

-elsewhere-

Kota: *kicks a rock up the path to the cave* "..."

sphinx: there you are, kouta!

calico: mandalay was worried about you.

Kota: "?! Were you following me?!!"

calico: more of we were following your footprints-

sphinx: *elbows her*

calico: >~0

Kota: "?!!! Jerk!" *stamps on Calico's foot*

calico: OWIE! >~<

Kota: *starts running*

sphinx: *runs after him*

calico: ok I’ll just be here. on the ground. hurtin'.

Kota: *trying to get through the trees--*

*SMACK*

*hits a tree branch*

sphinx: *picks him up and carries him back*

Kota: @_@ *looks like his nose is bleeding a bit*

calico: heeeey...

sphinx: *dragging her by the arm*

calico: thank you.

-elsewhere-

Monica: *lifting Saria up by the collar* "YOU APOLOGIZE FOR THIS MESS!"

Saria: TT~TT "I've said I'm sorry, Yolanda--twelve times now!"

yolanda: come on, monica, let her go already...

Monica: "...Tch." *sets Saria down*

Saria: TT~TT "I just look forward to going home after today..."

lukas: mind if i walked you home?

Saria: "I-I'd appreciate that, thanks..."

lukas: *nods and walks with her*

Saria: "...I really screwed this up."

lukas: saria...

Saria: "I just felt like I wasn't good enough...Sometimes I wonder what we're all doing here--the DWMA is not an easy school..."

lukas: ....*hug*

Saria: "...?!" .\\\\\\.

lukas: im not really the best at giving advice, so...i thought this would help...

Saria: "..." *hug* "Th-Thanks..." *sniffle*

lukas:.... .///. well....

Saria: "I-I...I--"

*CRASH*

lukas: ?!?!?!

Saria's Dad: "I got another one!" *holds up a mini-Waffle Man on a fork*

Waffle-Man: "UNHAND ME, MORTAL--"

greg: EEEEP!! >~<;;

Saria's Dad: *nom*

Saria: D8>

greg: BUGBEAR, HELP!! DX>

Saria: O_O; "I am so grounded...Lukas, will you do the honors?" *transforms*

-elsewhere-

Charon: *rubbing his shoulder* "Take five." *walks away from a bloodied Hood*

hood: *groan*

arrow:....

Charon: *walks into the infirmary, opens the freezer for an ice pack*

Sho: *hiding behind Arrow* "..." *looks around her at the victim*

arrow:......

Sho: *cringes, holding his chest*

arrow:......*looks at sho, worried*

Sho: "I-I'll go back to my room now..." *walks to leave--and bumps into someone*

Hood 2: "?!!!! I'M SO SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" *bows in front of Sho*

arrow: ??

Sho: "No, it's fine--"

*slice*

Hood 2: *falls down, unconscious*

arrow: !!

Haumea: "Hmph." *steps on Hood 2* "No courtesy from these lemmings. Get this one back to the infirmary."

arrow:......

Sho: "..." *grabs Arrow's hand* "Take me back..."

arrow:....of course, my lord....

Hood 2: *dragged to the infirmary, blood spread down the hall...*

Sho: *shaking*

arrow:......

Inka: "Yo, Sho!" *waves*

Sho: *hides by Arrow's side*

arrow: inka, he's not in the mood for this.

Inka: "Come on--he's rarely makes any appearances anymore! How about we go pester the moles a bit more--" *starts poking Sho in the cheek--*

*CHOMP*

Inka: "... ..." *screams*

arrow: !!

Sho: *lets go of Inka's finger*

Inka: "WHAT THE HELL?!" *clutching her hand* "...At least do the other one, too--"

arrow: *glares at her before walking off with sho in tow*

Sho: "..." *starts crying as they near his door*

arrow:.......

Sho: *falls onto his bed, face-down in his pillow* *muttering* "I wish I was..."

arrow: with your brother....right?

Sho: "Dead."

arrow:.........*hugs him*

Sho: *sobs into her shoulder* "I'm a monster..."

arrow: *rubs his back*

Sho: *hiccups and cries himself until he passes out*

arrow:.....(we cant....stay here anymore.....we'll likely be on the run for the rest of our lives, but he cant...he cant stay in this place.....)

Sho: "Zzz..."

arrow:.....(we'll leave this place....even if it kills me....)

-elsewhere-

Vector: *at a burger stand* <You ever seen this man?> *holds up a photo of Luke*

kid: <wasnt he on TV a while back?>

Vector: <He was in that Robot Fight in IC Prefecture--before that terrorist attack.>

kid: <oh yeah...i think he died or somethin?>

Vector: <...Yeah, sure, that's it.> *groans* <Do you have a veggie burger?>

-elsewhere-

Rin: =_=# "It was such a mess..."

kyouko: TT~TT

Fujimoto: "So let me get this straight--someone who wants to become the next Paladin got eaten alive by a demon foodstuff. ...Excuse me." *turns away--and starts laughing uproariously*

Rin: >_<# "IT'S NOT FUNNY, YOU OLD FART!"

kyouko: so much wasted food....

Fujimoto: "What, didn't anyone eat the leftovers?"

-elsewhere-

nagisa: *laying on the couch, clutching her stomach* =~=

mami:.....

Crona: "Would you like more ginger ale?"

nagisa: *nods*

Crona: *pours some*

Ragnarok: *stomach expanded* =w= "We were eating fine today~"

mami: *thinking about how charlotte appeared as nagisa's soul gem was darkened* hmmm...

sayaka: and you're sure you dont remember anything?

nagisa: *shakes head* not really, i just kinda blacked out...

sayaka: hmmm, i think it's like what happened to me in hoozuki...only i didnt lose consciousness...do you think it has something to do with that marble we got off those white hooded twins back then?

mami: perhaps....

Crona: "..."

Ragnarok: *nods off*

mami: homura mentioned something about a dream she had the other night. a dream that said to go to kamihama city...

sayaka: KAMIHAMA!? the magical girl capitol of, like, the whole world probably?!

Ragnarok: "Ngh, be quiet..." *tosses a couch pillow at Sayaka*

Crona: ._.; "May be worth a look?"

mami: perhaps.....from what i've heard, similar cases have been happening in kamihama in recent years as well...

Crona: "Want to call in assistance?"

mami: a good idea...

-elsewhere-

Pumpkin: *pulled in against the rain*

-footsteps are heard-

Pumpkin: *alert, conjures a shield*

misaki: mr pumpkin, are you in?

Pumpkin: "...You."

misaki: *small smile*

Pumpkin: "...Why are you here? It's miserable out."

misaki: i was....i was worried for you.

Pumpkin: "Hmph. There's no concern for that--" *his arm, wet from the rain, falls off*

misaki: oh!!

Pumpkin: "...It-It grows back...I swear." >_>;

misaki: *picks up the arm and hands it to him*

Pumpkin: "..." *nods, reattaches it...* "..." *sniffle*

misaki:....*offers her umbrella*

Pumpkin: "...Thank you."

misaki: *smiles*.....say.....if you wanted....you could stay at my house for a while.....s-sorry, that was a bit forward, wasnt it?

Pumpkin: "...How the hell am I supposed to do that? I stick out like...do you have 'sore thumbs' in this dimensions?"

misaki: it's quite alright. i live alone...well, there is that crow, alistair, but....

Pumpkin: "YOU NAMED THAT WINGED BEAST?"

{Imaginary Alistair: "CAH HA HA HA~"}

misaki: ^^;;

Pumpkin: "I assure you, I need no chari--charit--AH-CHOO!" *sneezes fire--then collapses*

misaki: !!!! *helps him up*

Pumpkin: *he looks barely conscious*

misaki:......*helping him walk*

-in asunaro-

???: *running through back alleys while two hooded figures are in pursuit*

???: "We're getting closer."

-the person reaches a dead end-

???: SHIT!!

???: well, you dont have anywhere to run now, so you may as well join us. right tsukasa?

Tsukasa: "Please say 'yes'--it makes things more pleasant."

???: tch- you really think im willing to go with you after you attacked me?! fat chance!! besides, what you're talking about, it's crazy!

tsukuyo:....well, that is rather unfortunate...wouldnt _you_ agree?

???: i said- *freezes as she feels something in the shadows behind her*

Demongo: "Hello~"

???: !!! g-get the hell away from me!!

tsukuyo: my apologies, akane sumire, but you made your choice...

akane sumire: s-stay the hell back you freak!!

Demongo: *his skull-mouth opens wide* "AAAAAAAAAH--"

-sumire can barely let out a cry for help-

-VREEEN-

tsukuyo:.....nn...

Demongo: =w=

Tsukasa: "Well..."

tsukuyo: that was unfortunate....oh well, whats done is done....let's go, the magius will be expecting us back in kamihama by tomorrow...

Demongo: "Give me a second--got to walk this off...Need to jog more..." *follows*

-not too far away, a figure watches them-

???: "My, my, my; what lovely gems~"

-morning-

mirai: uuuugh, it's too hoooooooot!! =~=

Umika: "Yes, summer tends to be warm."

kaoru: let's go to the beach!

niko: im not fond of sand. its gritty and it gets everywhere.

Saki: "Okay, Anakin."

mirai: i agree with niko, the only swimsuit i look ok in is a school swimsuit and people will laugh at me!

Satomi: "How about camping? We could even see wildlife up close and personal."

mirai: good idea, saki, umika?

Umika: "Beach."

Saki: "Beach."

niko: it appears we're at a tie, then...

Umika: "I guess that leaves it up to Kazumi."

kazumi: leave what up to me? *her hair is complete bedhead*

kaoru: *SNRK*

Umika: *clears her throat* "We were thinking of a summer trip. Would you prefer the beach or camping?"

mirai: we're half-and-half on what we want to do.

kazumi: ...well, summer break is until september, right?

Saki: "Uh huh?"

kazumi: it's july right now, so there's no reason we cant do both, right?

kaoru:....she's got a point.

Saki: "...I suppose so?"

niko: that still doesnt answer the question.

kazumi:..... .n.; coin flip?

Umika: "Heads beach, tails camping...Who has a coin?"

niko: *holds one up*

Saki: "Flip it.”

-HEADS-

kaoru: wahoo!

Saki: "Neat!"

mirai: *siiiiigh* i'll go get my stupid swimsuit then. =A=

niko: at least the water will cool you off. plus better wifi.

Umika: "Kazumi, we should get you a new swimsuit as well."

kaoru: and a haircut! *laughing*

kazumi: really?

Saki: "Wouldn't it make you feel a bit better?"

kazumi: ...i guess so.

toto: *pokes head out of her hair* mrow?

Umika: "..." *stifles her laughter*

-elsewhere-

Yumi: *dialing on a mirror* "...Marie? You there?"

marie: yes?

Yumi: "Hello. I wanted to follow up about an official report from your trip."

marie: honestly, it feels like we havent gotten anywhere.

Yumi: "I'm sorry to hear that. Have you found witnesses to the crimes?"

-elsewhere-

Anya: *curled up in bed* "..."

mio:....hey....anya?

Anya: *grunts* "Yeah?"

mio: you doing ok?......i brought you a baguette.

Anya: "..." *STOMACH GROWLS* "...Thank you." *sad nom*

mio:......sooooo....

Anya: "...I grew up without siblings, so the thought of even having one never crossed my mind! Now I'm supposed to think, 'Oh, so I may have a sibling'?! HOW AM I TO DEAL WITH THAT?!!" *angry nomming*

mio:...i think i get it, suddenly having a sibling can be a shock. it sure as heck shocked me when my little brother was born.

Anya: "Hmmm...What was that like? How old were you?"

mio: well, my-....hmmm, let me do the math on that...

Anya: -_-; "In any case, at least you knew your sibling from the beginning--I know next to nothing about...mine."

mio:.....im not sure what else to say....

ao: you're afraid.

Anya: "WHAT?!" *shivers*

ao: suddenly everything is different for you and you're beside yourself on what to do...would this be an accurate assessment?

Anya: *shaking* "I-I think so..."

ao: i see. i suppose that's reasonable. if i were in your situation, i'd probably feel the same way, unsure of who to confide in or talk to...

Anya: "...I don't even know how I would talk to _him_."

mio: w-well you dont have do talk to him _now_.

Anya: =_= "I suppose...Not like I was going to dial him up." *gestures to...a phone that looks like it was made by Alexander Graham Bell*

-elsewhere-

Black Star: *packing an overnight bag*

naho: whatcha doin?

Black Star: "Got a mission! A quick one!"

naho: cool!

Black Star: "Yeah! There's been all these disappearances in Seoul!"

tsubaki: otogiri, shamrock, you'll look after things while we're gone?

Belkia: "D'aw, why don't you ever let me be in charge?" *has Sakuya tied and hanging from the ceiling*

-elsewhere-

Kid: *appearing on a mirror in Soul's apartment* "We have to talk."

soul: sup?

Kid: "There are missions piling up after the Kishinites incident--so Father wants to send out as many available people as possible. Unfortunately, some are already on missions overseas."

soul: ah. let me guess, one of these missions is for me?

Kid: "Perceptive, as usual. We have a few options. Perhaps a visit to France?"

soul: i take it no bringing the kids?

Kid: "...Given the circumstances of this case, I think it would be best not to."

soul: thought so. im sure blair will look after them till i get back.

Kid: "Good, then. I have to travel as well for a mission."

-elsewhere-

Nirvana Employee 1: "He's been...less pleasant than usual since the first madness spike."

luka: *sigh* perhaps i should talk to him.

Nirvana Employee 1: "Try this." *hands a box of chocolates* "Also, don't extend your hand out." *has an arm entirely bandaged*

luka:....i doubt he'll be amused, but whatever...

*there's one door where humming is heard*

luka: *shudders* *touches her necklace before entering*

Asura: *resting his head on Mikan's lap*

mikan: *looks up* hm?

Asura: *groans* "What now." *the energy is radiating off of him*

luka: am i interrupting?

mikan: as a matter of fact, yes.

Asura: "I already told the last flunky--my head is killing me. Or do you want a 'manicure,' too?"

luka:....would you care to explain _why_ your head is killing you?

Asura: "If I knew that, I would have stopped the pain already. I only feel this much pain when around another with a powerful soul wavelength..."

luka: like your wife?

Asura: *pierces the wall by her head with a scarf* "We are compatible."

luka: right, she's the only thing keeping you from going on a rampage.

Asura: "...These are brave words from someone with a death wish."

luka: im just stating the facts.

Asura: "...These are amateurs, playing with a madness wavelength that is discordant with my own. That is all I can determine. Go tell that to your supervisors."

luka: very well then. *exits*

heibito:....daddy? what wrong?

Asura: "..." *pats his head* "Just a headache."

-elsewhere-

Akane: "Good day. Sorry that Clay made us late. I brought donuts."

Youta: ._.

Sid: "Have a seat. We were going over intelligence."

clay: so what's up?

Sid: *shows a map with Kishin Symbols all over it*

clay: dang....

Cho: "The Kishinites were targeting Death City, likely as a distraction for global efforts...Sid was telling me about certain Magic Tools that would assist them."

clay: and the sages?

Sid: "They're doing the best they can--but that's like using a hammer to smash ants. Our work is more precise. So while Zubaidah and others help with the flashy stuff, we're going to be working in shadows."

-elsewhere-

shinra: *YAAAAAAAAAAWN* =~=

Relan: "Zzz..."

shinra:....*pats his head before getting up*

Akitaru: *already making coffee in the kitchen*

shinra: morning.

argit: yo.

shinra:.....why are you still here?

argit: eh, just felt like it.

Akitaru: "I've tried getting him to leave."

{Akitaru: *spritzing with a water bottle*}

argit: *shrugs and eats his bacon*

Viktor: -^- "This is so annoying--some newbie showing up at random out of nowhere, uninvited." *eats toast*

maki:.......

Komori: <Are you fucking kidding me?>

shinra: -.- (i'd rather have schop here...)

Arthur: "In times of famine, desperate people often turn to consuming the vermin present to satiate their hunger. I propose we eat the mongoose."

argit: hey fuck you!

maki:.....so shinra, you feeling any better?

shinra: y-yeah, i dont know what came over me last night...

Akitaru: "...You going to be ready for today's tasks?"

shinra: of course!

Akitaru: *nods* "Keep your phone on today to check in. This is going to be an important one."

nozomi: good morning everyone.

tamaki: *following behind her*

Akitaru: "Howdy! Just about done with the eggs."

Arthur: "..."

tamaki:....thank you.

Komori: *holds up a sign at Argit*

argit: hmn?

Komori: *small print for only Argit to see* <Talk shit about either of them, and you'll wake up in a bathtub without your kidneys.>

argit: o-o tch- *grumble grumble*

-elsewhere-

Australian Park Ranger: "My people found the nest without its eggs. This job was too clean to be a predator--at least, not a non-human predator. These were poachers."

janine: damn...

marie: how awful, the poor mother...

Ranger: "What bugs me is that no one ever sees 'em--it's like they're invisible. Not even footprints."

janine: hmmmm *looking around*

*the nest has feathers in it, as would be expected--except one does not look like the others...*

janine: hmm?

*the feathers in the nest are white or gold...this one Janine sees is purple*

janine: well look at that...

Ranger: "??? What's that supposed to be?"

janine: not sure....a clue most likely.

-elsewhere-

*a Tennessee purple finch eats sunflower seeds before hopping back onto its owner's shoulder*

Poacher: *rubs the bird's head* "You got them locked up?"

???: yeah, these lil bastards wont be causing trouble anytime soon.

Poacher: "Can't wait--Blanche here can't stand this heat. Ain't that right, Blanche~?" *pets Blanche the finch*

Blanche: =w=

*something big rattles in a cage*

-elsewhere-

tsukasa: *playing DDR*

Tsukuyo: *sips a soda, watching*

Demongo: *posing as a shadow*

tsukasa: *stomach rumbles* im hungry, tag out!

Tsukuyo: *sets the soda down, leaps in*

Demongo: "Pick me up something, too!"

-the door opens and a girl enters and approaches-

tsukasa: ??

souju: *takes a seat at their table* ^u^

tsukasa: uhhhh may we help you?

Demongo: "???" *observing Souju*

souju: *offers hand* ayase souju, at your service! please, call me souju~

tsukasa: erm... ._.;

Tsukuyo: *finishes up* "Ta-da!" *looks back* "???"

souju: you two are magical girls, yes~?

tsukasa: ?! h-how did-

souju: i saw you both last night.

tsukasa: !! *looks at tsukuyo* (do you think she's onto us...?)

Tsukuyo: *goes stone-faced* "Hm. And what would that be?"

souju: i'd like to invite you to my house for tea~ ^^

tsukasa: ?? that's it?

Demongo: OwO ("WITH LITTLE COOKIES--")

Tsukuyo: "I don't know..."

Demongo: =_=;

souju: you mentioned something about 'joining' and it got me curious...

Tsukuyo: "?!"

tsukasa: *looks at tsukuyo*

Tsukuyo: "..." *shakes her head*

souju: pretty please~? i'll make it worth your while~

Tsukuyo: "...If you're serious..."

souju: wonderful!

Tsukuyo: *looks at Tsukasa* ("I got a bad feeling about this...")

-elsewhere-

*in a hospital in Seoul*

Doctor: <Another one...>

Patient: *staring up at the ceiling...with eyes that are white, blinded*

nurse: <what do you think happened?>

Doctor: <I would have said it was cornea failure, but...> *gestures to rows of patients, all with the same affliction* <This is too coincidental...>

-elsewhere-

Pumpkin: *snoring*

-smells like toast?-

Pumpkin: *groans, opens his eyes...* "...Where am I?"

misaki: oh, you're awake. *smiles*

Pumpkin: "...Oh. Right. Hello. Has the rain stopped?" *looks around*

misaki: *nods* i made some toast...

Pumpkin: "..." *stands up, looking where he slept*

Alistair: *eating from a bowl of seeds*

-the couch seems a bit old, but not uncomfortable-

Pumpkin: "..." *tries to fold up the blanket*

misaki: *making tea*

Pumpkin: "...It was a comfortable sleep."

misaki: im glad to hear that.

Pumpkin: *takes a seat at the table, looking around the kitchen*

-there are various spices and cooking tools about, as well as a few herbs and a cookbook-

Pumpkin: "You cook much?"

misaki: usually for myself, i dont have guests often.

Pumpkin: "I see..." *spots a textbook on the table* "???'

misaki: toast is ready.

Pumpkin: "...Thank you." *takes a piece* *nom* "...It's good."

misaki: *smiles*

Pumpkin: "Is that cinnamon on it?"

Alistair: *hops onto Misaki's shoulder*

-elsewhere-

Hirotsu: "Here are the crayons, the paper, the paste, and the glitter. Have fun, kiddos."

Tachihara: *seated at the kiddie table* "...WAIT A SEC!"

miyuri: yaaaay!! ^o^

Tachihara: *grumbling* "Why's that old fart treating me like some kid?! I ain't a child--" *doodling on paper* "Yo, Sonia, could you pass the yellow crayon?"

sonia: *hands it to him*

Tachihara: "Yeah, thanks--WHY'S HE GOT TO BE LIKE THAT TO ME?! What if it was your pops treating you like that?!"

sonia:......

Tachihara: "..." *grumbles* "I'm sorry for yelling..."

sonia: you're frustrated.

Tachihara: "You're daaaaaaaaa--...darn right I am. Sometimes I feel like I'm treated like the misfit."

sonia: im sure you'll prove yourself someday.

Tachihara: "...Maybe. I'll...I'll just get back to drawing...What you drawing?"

-elsewhere-

Meme: "Tsugumi, look at this email!"

tsugumi: hmm?

*it looks to be from Marie Mjolnir*

tsugumi: oh!

Meme: "She seems really busy with poachers!"

tsugumi: gagantous!

Meme: "She is reaching out to anyone available to help..."

tsugumi: hmm....

Anya: *packing*

tsugumi: anya?

Anya: "We should help Miss Marie! It would give me something to focus on..."

mio: good idea.

Maid: "Princess, I am afraid you are not permitted to leave."

tsugumi: eh?

Maid: "It would be dangerous to have you go running out so abruptly..."

Anya: "?!!!" *shuts her suitcase, marches out of the room* "Then I know with whom to speak..."

tsugumi: wait, anya!

Anya: *heading into the throne room...*

kathleen: ?? anya?

Anya: "What's this about me not being allowed to leave?!"

kathleen: !! *looks at charles*

Charles: "Anya, now calm down--"

Anya: 0n0 "I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! I am my own adult, and I get to make my decisions--"

*cooks are setting out an extravagant dinner...*

kathleen: anya, please-

Anya: "WHY WON'T YOU LET ME FINISH A SENTENCE--"

Cook: "Excuse me, Princess--will you be having the beef or the pork?"

Anya: "Beef please, thank you. AND ANOTHER--...What."

kathleen: we just.....wanted one more family dinner before you left in the morning...

Charles: ^^; "I suppose we should have clarified to the maids that it would be dangerous for you to leave on an empty stomach..."

Anya: "... ... ..." T\\\\T;

-elsewhere-

kazumi: woah!

Umika: "Impressive, isn't it?"

kaoru: *in a sporty swimsuit* heck yeah it is!

Satomi: >_>; *watches a hermit crab*

mirai: *staaaaare* 0n0

Saki: "Ah, come on--try to have some fun."

mirai: IM NOT CRYING AT ALL!

kazumi: the sand feels so funny!

Umika: "Hang on--let's finish your sunscreen..."

kazumi: o-ok.

Saki: "But then we're going seashell hunting, and swimming, and snorkeling, and--"

Satomi: *curls up under an umbrella*

nico: -.-;

Umika: "The camp will be waiting for us--now, it's fun and sun. There, you are successfully blocked."

kazumi: thank you!

Saki: "What do you want to do first?" *holds up a bucket* "We can also make sandcastles?"

kazumi: yeah!

Saki: ^^ "Okay!" *buckets up sand*

kaoru: umika, lets play some volleyball!

Umika: "Very well--maybe go a bit easy on me..."

mirai: *sulks under the umbrella* T^T

Satomi: "My sympathies..." *opens a book, puts on sunglasses*

mirai: *stares at her* (IM NOT CRYING AT ALL!!)

Satomi: *offers a tissue* "Here."

nico: *looking around*

*looks like an ice cream stand on the boardwalk*

nico: *checks her wallet*

*big sign: "FREE SAMPLES"*

nico:.....hey, anyone want something from the ice cream stand?

Saki: "Yes, please!"

mirai: parfait.

Umika: "Kazumi, want anything?"

kazumi: shaved ice for me!

Umika: "And sorbet for me, please."

Ice Cream Vendor: *ringing the bell*

-elsewhere-

Flight Attendant: <Welcome to Seoul.> ^^

Black Star: *yaaaaaaaawns* "I need coffee and a donut."

tsubaki: ^^;

Pilot: "???" <Fancy DWMA logo on that scarf, ma'am. You looking for the regional office?>

tsubaki: <yes.>

Pilot: <You're going to want to speak to the police station in Terminal A, first floor. They'll provide you an escort.>

Black Star: O_O; ("I hate being behind the language barrier...")

-elsewhere-

Cabbie: *speaking French* <You from around here, young'un?>

soul: <not locally, no.>

Cabbie: <I could tell from the accent--you from across the pond?> *driving by a shipyard...looks like an airship docked there*

soul: <more or less, yeah.>

Cabbie: <Got ya. Well, there's the spot...Kind of a rundown chateau, you sure this is the address?>

soul: *checks phone*

*that's the address--looks like there are some text messages, too*

soul: <yep. this is the place.>

Cabbie: <Alright. That'll be 50 euros--I'll get your bags.>

soul: ......

{Kid: "We've had a serial killer. I warn you, the scenes are...reminiscent of work you've seen before, in Stein's classes."}

{soul: ok....i'll keep an eye out.}

soul:....

*it looks like someone is loading crates off an airship into a van labeled "Haijima"*

???: <Careful--those are rare specimens.>

soul: ...*walks up to the house*

*inside are two elderly women*

soul:...*ahem* <good afternoon, ma'ams.> *nods*

???: <Ah, hello, young man. Are you Mr. Evans?>

soul: <and if i am?>

???: <We got the call to set up your room. I'm Sami Champlain, and this is my wife, Françoise Du Pont.>

Francoise: -_-; <Death is making his kiddos scrawny now...> *pokes Soul's arm*

soul: ^-^;

Sami: <Stop teasing the boy, Franny. Here, I'll help you with your bags...> *moves fast but is taking such small steps with such small legs that she is nowhere near his bags...*

soul: <i can handle it, ma'am, really...>

Francoise: <You don't even look like you could lift a feather!>

Sami: <I'm sure it's just jet lag, dear.>

soul: *lifts the bags*

Francoise: <MAKING FUN OF ME, EH?! I bench-press a sea-cow every morning! Feel this arm!> *flexes*

-elsewhere-

nico: the barbeque is ready.

Saki: "Thanks! I'm starving!"

kazumi: *nom* *shiny eyes* woah! this is good!

Satomi: "It sure is!" *bites into roasted corn*

kaoru: *nom* mmm!.... huh, looks like someone's shooting discs.

nico:.....

{*BANG*}

{-screaming is heard...-}

umika:...co...nico?

nico: !!!

Satomi: "You okay?"

nico:....i-im fine. just...zoned out for a moment.

Satomi: "Maybe you need something to drink?"

nico: y-yeah..

-elsewhere-

Demongo: *staring at tiny cakes*

tsukasa: .w.

souju: dig in~ ^w^

Tsukuyo: "..." *hesitantly picks one up*

souju: ^w^

Demongo: *whispers* "Pst--I want the strawberry one..."

tsukasa: 7n7

Demongo: "Come on--do it!"

*looks like a door is opened a bit nearby...*

Tsukuyo: *looks at the door* "???"

souju:....want to see something amazing?

Tsukuyo: *looks at Tsukasa* "Want to?"

tsukasa: hmmm...

souju: please, i insist~! ^^

Tsukuyo: "O-Okay?" *stands up*

Demongo: *following in shadows*

-inside of the room is magical girl merchandise. all over the walls. the floor, bed, everywhere-

tsukasa: um....wow...

souju: isnt it wonderful~?

tsukasa: yooouuuu really like magical girls, dont you?

souju: oh i absolutely ADORE them!

Demongo: ("...Not wrong, mostly?")

Tsukuyo: *backs up* ("Something isn't right...")

souju:...you know, im rather jealous of you two...being able to know your sister.......i was supposed to be a twin as well, but my sister, luca, died in childbirth.

tsukasa: !!

Tsukuyo: "Oh dear--I'm so sorry..."

souju: indeed....i was quite lonely, and the fact my parents were always at work didnt help matters.....but when i discovered the world of magical girls, it was true love at first sight...so i began collecting.

Tsukuyo: "I see...It is an impressively exhaustive collection..."

souju: indeed....but it wasnt enough....i wanted to collect more....authentic, merchandise, shall we say.....*takes out a box, full of soul gems* even if the donors were....less than willing~

Tsukuyo: "?!"

Demongo: "OH SHIT!"

tsukasa: are those.....actual soul gems?

souju: but of course! sadly, i had to get my hands a bit dirty to get them, but arent they just beautiful? they say soul gems are connected to their souls themselves.

tsukasa: you're....you're insane.

Demongo: "I agree--and that's saying something..."

Tsukuyo: *backs away*

souju: oh, you arent leaving now, are you~?

tsukasa: yes, we are! you're nuts! even _she_ isnt this bad!

souju: that's a shame...i really wanted to add you to my collection. *transforms* it seems i'll have to dirty my hands again. oh well~<3

Tsukuyo: "?! Tsukasa!" *transforms*

tsukasa: right! *transforms*

Tsukuyo: *prepares her shinobue flute*

-elsewhere-

*an elevator in Lotte Tower is taking Black Star and Tsubaki up to the top floor*

DWMA Agent: *passes a security badge* <It's not our usual policy to have patients brought to the offices, but this was a rare exception given their condition.>

tsubaki: <i see.>

Black Star: =_= "I don't suppose you speak anything else?"

DWMA Agent: ^^; "Sorry about that--just a bit flustered with these cases and, well, we heard a lot about both of you."

-ding-

*doors open to a skull-shaped hallway, with glass walls showing out over Seoul*

tsubaki: wow...

Black Star: *face pressed against the glass* "No wonder Lord Death wanted this thing up here--you can see everything!"

Agent: "Tallest building in the city!" *leads them down the hall* "I have to warn you, this might get a bit intimidating..."

tsubaki:...*nods*

Black Star: "How bad can this be?" *spots the door* "I'll go first!" *kicks the door open--*

???: "OW!"

tsubaki: D8

Black Star: "???" *looks behind the door to see a very annoyed physician*

Physician: -_-# *pokes Black Star in the eyes with two fingers*

Black Star: "GAH!" *clutches his face* "WHAT THE HELL?!"

tsubaki: black*star!! *goes over to him*

Agent: "How's the patient, doc?"

Physician: "Their aura got worse. Bring the weapon, leave the meister."

tsubaki:....

Black Star: "HEY! I'm plenty useful too--"

Agent: *leads Black Star into a briefing room*

Physician: "Weapon Nakatsukasa, how familiar are you with medicine?"

tsubaki: well, i do know first aid at the very least. and please, call me tsubaki.

Physician: *a shorter person, looks up at Tsubaki* "...Hmph. That won't be enough to understand the physical condition of the patient, but your connection to the Nakatsukasa may help..." *opens a door, revealing the patient in bed...their eyes are blank, pure white, just staring up blind at a ceiling*

Patient: "..."

tsubaki:......<hello.>

Patient: *sniffles, crying* <H-Hi...Who are you? You don't sound like the doctor--you sound actually friendly.>

Physician: -_-#

tsubaki: <my name is tsubaki. what's yours?>

Patient: <...Bong.>

tsubaki: <it's nice to meet you, bong.>

Bong: <Th-Thanks...I want to go back to work--but I'm like this now. That thing came out of nowhere...>

tsubaki: <what thing?>

Bong: <It was hideous--it pulled me into an alley and had this eye growing out of its forehead...>

tsubaki: !! *listening*

*a man in a business suit enters*

???: <Don't tell me you're lecturing our guest upon their arrival, Doctor!>

Physician: -_-# <Director.>

tsubaki: um...

???: *offers his hand to Tsubaki* <Lee Sang, Seoul DWMA director. A pleasure to meet you, Weapon Nakatsukasa.>

tsubaki: <likewise. and please, call me tsubaki.>

Sang: <Of course! I should've made it clearer to Kro to have you and Black Star brought to me first! Oh, Bong--how's it goin'?>

Bong: *whimpers*

Sang: <Hm--still that bad, eh? Hang in there, soldier.> *pats Tsubaki's shoulder* <Let's talk in my office--Kro brought Black Star there already.>

tsubaki: <right.>

-elsewhere-

Damon: *staring at the phone Soul left for him and Becky* "...Still nothing."

becky: at least he didnt leave us home alone...

Damon: "Yeah, but they seem kind of busy..."

Blair: *flipping through a magazine*

Katai: *hiding under a blanket*

nagisa: why dont we play some jenga?

Blair: OwO "Yes, please!"

Katai: "O-Okay...I hope I don't topple it..."

Damon: "..." *shrugs* "Sure, Nagisa."

-elsewhere-

Sami: *holding out a spoon* <Here comes the helicopter--VROOM!> *puts the spoon up to Soul's mouth*

soul: =_=;;;

Francoise: <WHAT?! HER COOKING NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YA, STRING BEAN?!>

*the doorbell rings*

soul: i'll get it. *sits up*

Sami: ^^ <Such a polite young man.>

*at the door is someone holding boxes up over his head*

soul: <can i help you?>

Max: <Hi, Mrs. Champlain--I got your deliveries--> *looks around the boxes* <??? Oh! Sorry--should've recognized by the voice you weren't her...Could you take some of these--they are too heavy.> >_<;;;

soul: <oh, sure thing, dude.> *carries some boxes*

Max: *groans* <Thank you, sir...>

Sami: <Maxie! Pull up a chair! How's your Grandma?>

Max: <Busy, ma'am...> *rubs his back* =_=; *looks at Soul* <??? You look familiar...You a musician?>

soul: <well...no?>

Max: <Hmm...Guess you got one of those faces!>

Francoise: <How many albinos have you seen, Max?!>

soul: o-o

Sami: <He's from Death City, dear.>

Max: <Oh! I have friends over there now!>

soul: <ah.>

Max: <I haven't kept in touch, though...I don't suppose in a big city like Death you've run into them.> ^^;

soul: <maybe i have, maybe not. who knows.>

Max: <...Well, that was suitably cryptic.> ^^; <I better finish these deliveries before my lab shift--bye, ma'ams! Good to meet you, sir!>

soul: *small wave*

Francoise: *opening a box* <Finally!> *pulls out a giant shield*

soul: ._. um....

Sami: <Franny collects weaponry for historical purposes--and combat training.>

Francoise: *poses with it* <How's it look?!>

Sami: =w= <Beautiful, dear.>

soul: <i see...>

Francoise: <I can't wait to get some practice in! Boy, when you're done with your investigation for the day, we're brawling!>

soul: ummmm....

Sami: <I would say yes, or Franny will withhold meals from you.>

soul: D8> (WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN INTO?!)

-elsewhere-

*an assassin is on top of a building in Death City...their eyes narrow to follow a target*

Assassin: <Target spotted.>

*the target exits a grocery*

???: *pulls out a phone, dials* "...Izumi? It's Papa. Running a bit late."

izumi: are you alright?

Assassin: *holds up a red bow, aiming an energy arrow at him* <Steady...Ready...>

Spirit: "Yeah, sorry, the grocery was just more crowded than usual and is out of milk, so I'll need to make another stop."

izumi: ok. should i get started on dinner?

Spirit: "Sure thing! Let Cassidy know I did manage to find your mom a surprise dessert!"

*someone is walking down the sidewalk--and bumps into Spirit*

Assassin: *stops* <?!>

???: "Oh, dear--sorry, sir!" *is looking at a map* "I can't find anything around this city..."

Spirit: -_-; ("It's like Marie or something...") "No problem, buddy--where you heading?"

???: "I was trying to find 'Rest in Pizza'?"

Spirit: *points* "Around that corner."

???: *smiles* "Merci!" *hurriedly runs away*

Assassin: -_-# <Tourists...> *aims again--*

Spirit: *reaches into his pocket for his keys--then stops* "..." *rapid movements* "...Izumi? I'm going to be a little late--BECAUSE SOME ASSHOLE JUST PICKPOCKETED ME!"

???: *heads into an alley* "Hee hee hee!" *calls out* <Peppino! We are eating well tonight!>

peppino: <yay~!> ^w^

Vampa: <Indeed! So, I was thinking a large with cannolis--> *opens the wallet--and pulls out $400* ._. "...I was not expecting this much...Dude was loaded!"

peppino: *SQUEEE* <let's go somewhere fancy!>

Vampa: <Sounds good to me! We could-->

*tap tap on Vampa's shoulder*

Vampa: "???" *turns* "Oh? Do you have a recommendation?"

Spirit: OnO#

peppino: oxo;;;

Vampa: OwO;

Spirit: *slams Vampa into the wall, aiming his scythe blade at his forehead*

peppino: !!! *SHOVE*

Spirit: *turns on her* "You want some of this, too, thief?!"

peppino: !!! *ducks and covers* >~<;;;

Spirit: "..." *groans* "You petty thieves...Just give me my wallet, and I'll be on my way..."

*a laser dot appears on Vampa's forehead*

peppino: !!!!!!! *tackle*

Vampa: "?!"

*an energy arrow collides with the wall, obliterating it!*

Assassin: -_-#

peppino: >~<

Spirit: "What the hell--"

Assassin: <Actually hit him this time.>

bow: <oi, its not my fault that girl caught me off guard!>

Assassin: <Whatever.> *aims at Spirit--*

Spirit: "This is not my day. You two, get back--" *turns--and sees they both ran off already* "HEY! YOU DIDN'T EVEN LET ME BE HEROIC--"

Assassin: *releases the bowstring--*

Vampa: *pulling Peppino away* "What the hell was that back there?!"

peppino: i thought you were going to get shot!

Vampa: "Thanks for saving my butt back there! And I know how to get us out of here..."

Spirit: *dodging in the alley, before throwing a garbage can at the Assassin*

bow: <SHIT!>

Assassin: *blocks with the bow* <He's wily.>

Spirit: *running down the road* ("I need to get to my car and--") *checks his pocket* "...AGAIN?!"

*Spirit's car comes down the road*

peppino: *waves and blows a kiss* ^w^ bu-baaaai~

Spirit: D8< "THAT MOTHERF--"

*an energy blasts right by Spirit's ear*

Assassin: "Do not move, Red."

Spirit: "..." *holds his hands up*

bow: *shift* well look how high and mighty you are now, death scythe.

Spirit: "You're two to talk. What is this about? Please tell me I didn't make a pass at your sister or something..." -_-;

Assassin: "You posed a significant problem for us some time ago. The Crimson Lotus wants retribution. And eliminating one of Lord Death's soldiers is a start."

bow: *chuckles*

Spirit: "What? Oh, you mean when you two got your asses handed to you mere children? Yeah, that was pretty hilarious."

bow: *WHAM*

Spirit: *knocked to the sidewalk* *spits blood* "That was rude..."

Assassin: "Easy...I'm sure the boss would like this one alive..."

bow: nyeheheheh~

*a courier bike parks*

bow: eh?

Spirit: "...Well, I don't have a ride, but let me help with that--" *SCYTHE LEG SWEEP*

bow: WOAH!

Assassin: "?!"

Spirit: *tackles the Assassin, then flips them into the wall*

Assassin: "GRK!"

*the bicyclist looks up*

Ox: "?! Mr. Albarn?!"

Spirit: "Ox! I'm borrowing this!" *takes Ox's bike--and pedals off*

Ox: D8

bow: HEY YOU GET YO ASS BACK HERE, PUNK!

Assassin: *rubs their head* "Not so rusty for an old timer...Let's go." *leaps up to the rooftop, following Spirit*

-meanwhile-

Vampa: *leisurely driving* =w= "Nice wheels, eh?"

peppino: hmmhmm~ you knooooow~ i heard there was a 'lovers lane' not far from here~<3

Vampa: =\\\w\\\= "Oh ho ho~" *switches the radio to love songs...*

*thump on Peppino's window*

peppino: *looks* OxO;; ohhhhhh biscuits.

Spirit: *pedaling like a madman* "GIVE ME BACK MY CAR AND MY WALLET, YOU THIEVES!"

Vampa: "Hey! We stole this free and legally! Go harass actual criminals!"

Spirit: "OVER MY DEAD BODY!”

peppino: that can be arranged~<3

Spirit: "...Oh biscuits--"

-VERRRN-

Vampa: "Watch the wheel!"

*the car is pulled towards the bike, nearly colliding into Spirit*

Spirit: "!!!" *turns his feet into scythes, leaping off the bike to skid along building walls*

Hyde: *running a hot dog cart on the street with an umbrella* "That'll be five dollars--"

*SLICE*

*the umbrella is sliced by Spirit's feet*

Hyde: *a hot dog smashed into his face* =_=#

bow: LOL

Assassin: "Focus." *rooftop running* "We only need the Death Scythe--the thieves are expendable." *aims...*

Ox: *running over sidewalks, huffing and puffing* *calling on his cell* "Yeah! Two assassins! I--" *trips over the hot dog stand* "...Ow."

Vampa: *steadies the wheel--then glares at Peppino*

peppino: QAQ

Assassin: *aims at the hood of the car...*

Spirit: *reaches through the window--and leaps into the car, landing over Peppino and Vampa*

peppino: *SCREAM*

Vampa: "GET OFF OF ME!"

Assassin: *FIRES*

*the energy arrow hits the hood--and the car flips up and through the air, towards a familiar building...*

Vampa: *HIGH-PITCHED SCREAM*

Spirit: *slow-motion* "NOOOOOOOO--"

peppino: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-

-meanwhile-

Lucy: *sitting in the Agency office* "Hmmm...Kenji, I can't figure out this crossword. The clue is 'blank blank goose.' Four letters. You got any ideas?"

*outside, Spirit's car is flipping through the air towards the window Kenji is looking out of*

naomi: DUCK!!

Lucy: "Oh! That fits..." *starts writing it down--*

Kenji: .w.; "...SIR!"

Fukuzawa: "..." *sighs* "Kunikida. Lucy. Kenji."

Lucy: *looks up* "?!"

Kunikida: "On it!" *grabs Naomi*

Fukuzawa: *stands in front of the oncoming car* "..."

*slow-motion, the car goes through the wall of the Agency...*

Vampa: "FUUUUUUUUUU--"

Fukuzawa: "..." *swiftly swings his blade, slicing the car down the center in half...*

Kenji: *catches the half with Peppino* "Hello!"

Lucy: *sends the other half with Vampa into Anne's Room*

-outside the door-

Kyoka: *walking to the door with Atsushi* "I hope there's work for us to do soon..."

atsushi: *opens the door*

Kunikida: *protecting Naomi from debris*

*the entire wall of the building is destroyed*

Spirit: *hanging from the ceiling, blades dug into the ceiling, his clothes sliced* Q_Q

atsushi:.....yep, just another normal day.

Kyoka: "...I'll get the dustpan."

Assassin: *across the street* "...You have to be kidding me. What rotten luck."

bow: awww maaaaan....

Assassin: <No way I'm going against Fukuzawa today. Let's head back to base.>

-elsewhere-

Vampa: *sitting at a tea set with Anne* O_o; "...Are you going to eat me?"

-elsewhere-

Asher: "Yo. What did your dad say?"

izumi: he mentioned getting dessert for mom.

Asher: "Seems to be taking his time--think he did something?"

izumi: i-im sure he's fine.

-elsewhere-

Spirit: *seated at a table in the police department--across from Vampa and Peppino, handcuffed to the table*

peppino: QAQ;;;;;

Vampa: "It's all a setup! It wasn't us! It was two people who look just like us! One of them, how do say it in English--'double gangers'! Two gangsters!"

Spirit: "..." *reaches into Vampa's pants*

peppino: D8<

Vampa: "HEY! NO TOUCHING WITHOUT DINNER FIRST--"

Spirit: *pulls out a wallet*

Vampa: "..." *sneers* "Good luck finding the money, mister--I kept that in my safe spot! HA!"

officer: ...

peppino: 7//w//7 nyehe~

Vampa: "See? She knows what I'm talkin' about--"

Spirit: *not looking up at them, looking through everything but the money pocket of the wallet* "You have kids?"

peppino: e-eh?

Vampa: "??? No? I mean, I don't think so?"

peppino: why do you care, mister?

Spirit: *opens his wallet, as a roll of photos falls out...they seem to be photos of a baby, then that same child a little older along 4, 10, and 13...then there are photos of another girl and her mother...*

peppino: these your kids?

Spirit: *nods* *points to the girl in most of the photos* "This is Maka. That's my daughter."

peppino: she doesnt look it.

Spirit: "...She takes after her mama, a bit."

peppino: can we get to the point of this now?

Spirit: *slams one hand onto the table--extending his blade*

peppino: OwO;;;;;;;;;;;

Vampa: "!!!"

Spirit: "These photos are some of all I have left of her! I hope you never have children, because I'd hate to see you running scared of losing what little you have left in your pathetic waste of a life! I don't give a shit about the damn money--keep it if you want!"

Vampa: "...Sweet! We earned a profit!"

Spirit: *FORMS ALL THE BLADES*

officer: MR ALBARN, please calm down!

Vampa: "EEP!" *struggles to put Peppino behind him as he shields her from Spirit*

peppino: ...*mutters* not like i could have any on my own anyway.....

Vampa: Q~Q

Spirit: "..." *knocks the chair back as he stands, picks up his wallet* "Enjoy collecting the evidence, officer--I have to go recycle my car for scrap metal!"

-elsewhere-

Stein: "I'll be back in about an hour--he asked me to pick him up." *picks up the keys* "The new paint job should get a reaction out of him."

valentine: just try not to scare him _too_ much.

Stein: "I promise, he will survive." *opens the doors, as a modified ambulance is parked in front of the Lab*

-elsewhere-

kazumi: *yaaaawn* im tired...

Umika: "But you had fun, right?"

kazumi: mmhmm! i want to get to experience more fun things like that.

-BANG BANG-

nico: !!!!

kaoru: what the heck?

Saki: "?!" *holds her whip*

-looks to be a fight between 3 magical girls and a 4th figure...-

souju: see? your demon collects magical girls as well! we arent any different from each other, right?

tsukasa: shut the hell UP ALREADY! *kicks her in the nose*

souju: GRK-

Tsukuyo: "Contain her!"

Demongo: "I'M TRYING!"

souju: hehehe~ my face is all bloody now...that's not very friendly~....*slashes behind her, bisecting airi anri, who then evaporates and returns to demongo*

mirai: what the hell?! t-that was-

nico: a wraith? no....this one seems....different...

tsukasa:...sis, we have company.

Tsukuyo: "Shit!"

Demongo: "...Lot of girls--dang. Is this a convention?"

tsukasa: dont get any funny ideas, stupid demon!

souju: ahh~! the pleadies saints! this is such an honor!

mirai: just who are you girls anyway?

Umika: "Looks dangerous...Summon weapons just in case?"

Saki: *nods*

nico: that girl just now, she was airi anri, wasnt she?

tsukasa: and what if she was?

kaoru: QUIT BEING SO CRYPTIC AND ANSWER THE QUESTION!

souju: *charges at tsukuyo*

Satomi: "?! Wait!" *tries to use her wand for protection*

Umika: "Damn it! Kazumi, stay behind me..."

Demongo: "HANDS OFF HER!" *summoning...*

akane sumire: *KICK*

souju: OOF!

akane sumire:.......

Satomi: "?!!! What on earth?!"

kaoru: !!! sumire-chan!

akane sumire: ..... *charges at them*

kaoru: sumire-chan stop! it's me, kaoru maki! we play soccer together!

-she doesnt reply-

nico: her eyes.....

kaoru:...*growls* WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!

Tsukuyo: "Now may be a good time to make some distance..."

kaoru: why YOU!!! *charges*

kazumi: kaoru!

???: *GRAB*

kaoru: !!!

"Yuuri": *stares with dead eyes--aiming a gun at Kaoru's neck*

nico: !!

kazumi: NO!!

-kazumi then transforms and sends and energy blast-

souju: !!! GYAAHH!

Tsukuyo: "Maybe that'll shut her up."

-'yuuri' was also evaporated-

kaoru: holy shit, i thought i was seriously gonna die!

Umika: "What is going on?!" *glares at the twins*

souju: *unconscious, her magical girl outfit torn up*

Satomi: "Why did she attack? Who is she?"

souju: *her eyes snap open as she stands up* ....well....that's certainly annoying.....

Demongo: "WHY CAN'T SHE JUST DIE ALREADY?!"

Tsukuyo: "Quiet..."

tsukasa: (she seems....different somehow)

souju: *takes out a second soul gem and transforms*

mirai: ?!?!?!

kaoru: what?

souju: allow me to introduce myself proper. my name is Luca Souju. im sure you're all well acquainted with my twin sister, Ayase.

Tsukuyo: "?! Sis...What the hell..."

tsukasa: but...ayase told us...you died....

luca: yes. it's true that my physical body died in infancy. however, my soul continued to live on in ayase's body as a 'secondary conscious' of sorts. It's said that twins are one soul in two bodies, well our situation is reversed; two souls in one body.

tsukasa: one soul.....

Tsukuyo: "...Then we have to contain this second soul, too."

luca: now, with all due respect. please die. *charges*

Demongo: "Hoo boy..." *tries to summon--*

kaoru: *ATTACKS*

tsukasa: oh shit- RETREAT!

Tsukuyo: "Damn it!" *grabs Demongo* "Come on!"

Demongo: O_O;

luca: ....

kaoru: GET BACK HERE!!

Umika: "Kaoru! Focus before--"

luca: ......*looks at kazumi* you. you've lost your memory, right?

kazumi: eh? w-well....

luca:....go to the museum of the teddy bears. you'll find the answer in the basement. *flees*

Satomi: "Get back here!"

kazumi: .....

Umika: "...Kazumi? Do you know what she meant?"

mirai: museum of the teddy bears....ah! does she mean angelica bears?

Satomi: "Probably our best lead?"

Saki: "..." *nods*

-elsewhere-

Lucy: *directing Anne* "Okay, set the wall over there..."

Kenji: *picking up debris in the office*

Kyoka: "That sounds like quite a mess..."

sylvia: s-scary...

Fukuzawa: "This is why we have contingency plans in case of any attacks on the office."          

atsushi: ...

Kunikida: *holds up a binder* "Multiple plans." *hands one to Atsushi*

atsushi: *looks* fire...flood...... ._. geese?

Dazai: "Sharp tooth-filled feathery monsters." *munching on chips in the corner*

-elsewhere-

kazumi:.....

kaoru: what do you think we're going to find?

mirai: i dont know, i just have the deed to the building!

Satomi: "Sh-Should we be in here?"

kazumi:.....i think we have to...

Satomi: *sighs...nods* "Where do we start exploring?"

nico: she said the basement....

Satomi: *takes out a flashlight*

mirai: *opens the door leading to the basement* well....here goes....

Umika: *follows...sniffs* "Ugh--really dank..."

-they head down the stairs, that seem to go on endlessly-

Satomi: "It's like something out of a horror painting...Like Esher..."

-soon, they reach a corridor-

Umika: "Cover our bases..." *takes position before they open the door...*

kaoru: *defensive stance*

Satomi: "!!! What the hell..."

kazumi: *eyes wide in shock* w..wha.....

-there is a lab.....with several incubator machines containing copies of kazumi-

Umika: "My God..."

Satomi: *looks around...spots a set of photos on a desk*

kaoru: mirai, did you know-

mirai: of course not!

kazumi: *collapses to her knees, stunned*

Satomi: *picks up one photo* "Wait...I know this...Michiru..."

mirai: ?!?! what?

nico: why would there be a photo of her here?

kazumi:....mi....mi....

kaoru:....well, i guess we should explain.....

Satomi: *looks back and forth between the photo and Kazumi* "...Y-Yeah..."

{Umika: *dials on her phone...*}

{???: yes?}

{Umika: "Hello? It's me, Umika Misaki? I had sent my manuscript to you and--"}

{???: yes yes, how can i help-}

{Umika: "Why was my novel under someone else's name?!"}

{???: ah, miss misaki! good to hear from you! when can we look forward to your next work?}

{Umika: "..." *drops the phone* "...Some idol..." *falls back in her chair, next to a book review, praising some idol credited for writing _her_ novel*}

-...-

{kaoru: nnngh....huh? wha...what happened?}

{Nurse: "You're awake..." *sets down a chart, holds a flashlight to one of Kaoru's eyes*}

{kaoru: ...}

{Nurse: "Do you remember what happened? Do you feel any pain in your legs? Do you need more pain reliever?"}

{-the sound of footsteps are heard-}

{Nurse 2: "Clear the way!"}

{*someone is attached to the gurney being run in*}

{kaoru: what's going on out there?}

{Nurse: "...You were in a soccer game with that girl..."}

{kaoru: !!}

{Nurse: "You collided in your match, breaking your legs...They found your opponent int he bathroom when she...tried to..."}

{kaoru:.....ah-.....*sobs*}

-...-

{mrs usagi: happy birthday, satomi!}

{Satomi: OwO "Yay! What do I get?"}

{cat: mii!}

{Satomi: *tiny gasp* "Kitty..."}

{cat: *hops into her arms* mii! ^w^}

{Satomi: *hugging and petting* "Awww, you're so cute!"}

{cat: *nuzzles and purrs*}

{Satomi: *opens the front door*}

{sare: *laying motionless on the floor*}

{Satomi: "??? Sare? ..."}

{-...-}

{vet: im sorry, there's not much we can do now...}

{Satomi: *covering her face* "I did this...If I had paid more attention..."}

-...-

{mirai: *sitting in class* .....}

{Classmate: *talking to another student* "Let's check out the new crepes at the bakery!"}

{mirai:....(who needs them. as long as i have my teddies, im fine!)}

{Classmate 2: "Sounds good!" *bumps into Mirai's desk* "Ugh--hey, four eyes, can't you ever put your desk in the right spot?!"}

{Classmate: *staring at Mirai's teddy bear* >_>; }

{mirai: s-sorry.......*holds her bear close*}

{Classmate: "Aren't you a little old for stuffed animals?"}

{-...-}

{mirai: *sewing her bear's arm* stupid classmates......i....*weeps* i want friends....}

-…-

{niko: *laughs* over here!}

{Neighbor: "Slow down! I need to catch up!"}

{neighbor 2: you'll never catch me, coppers! *laughs*}

{Neighbor: "Oh no you don't!"}

{niko: bang!}

{Neighbor: *fake scream* "Eeek!"}

{niko: BANG!}

{-BANG-}

{Neighbor: "?!!"}

{*it sounds like something shattered*}

{niko: ah-}

{???: what was- !! NIKO! WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?!}

{Neighbor: "!!!" *runs away*}

{niko: *trembling as she drops the gun* i....i didnt.....}

{???: "Call an ambulance!"}

-...-

{???: big sis look!}

{???: "Oh--what's this that you've found?"}

{-the girl holds up a lily of the valley flower-}

{???: isnt it pretty, saki?}

{Saki: "Oh so incredibly..."}

{???: when i grow up, i want to have lots of pretty flowers like this so i can have a bouquet for when i get married!}

{Saki: "Aww, but I find it hard to believe there's someone out there good enough for someone as amazing as you!"}

{???: hmm... *hug* then i'll marry you, saki! >w<}

{Saki: ^^; *hug*}

{-...-}

{-in the remnants of an accident, the girl lays on the ground, glass lodged in her throat as she chokes-}

{???: someone! get help!}

{Saki: "M...M-Miyuki..."}

-...-

{-the girls stand at a bridge-}

{kaoru:.....}

{mirai: *holding her bear*}

{niko: *holding a newspaper article on the shooting*}

{Saki: *holding the lily*}

{Umika: *holding a manuscript*}

{Satomi: *holding a cat toy*}

{-before they can jump, a magical net seems to catch them-}

{Satomi: "?!"}

{kaoru: !!! wha- what was i just....?}

{???: *phew* that was a close one. you girls just sit tight while i take care of this bad boy.}

{-a young woman in a witch's outfit appears-}

{Umika: "What...What are you?"}

{???: a magical girl. *leaps up to fight the wraith that has appeared*}

{Satomi: "A...Magical?"}

{Saki: "How does someone do that?"}

{-...-}

{???: perhaps i should introduce myself, my name is Michiru Kazusa.}

{kaoru: that was so awesome! you beat that...whatever it was like paper!}

{Umika: 'What was that thing, exactly? A demon?"}

{michiru: a wraith. a creature that brings misery and suffering...}

{mirai: that...it tried to kill us!}

{Saki: "Th-Thanks for not letting us get killed?"}

{michiru: of course.}

{kaoru: if things like that exist, then we need to stop them!}

{Umika: *still holding her manuscript* "..." *nods*}

{niko: but where can we even start?}

{michiru: you've heard of the incubator gardens, right?}

{mirai: i think so?}

{michiru: you can become a magical girl there, as well as have a wish granted.}

{kaoru: for real?!}

niko: she was the one who helped us form the pleadies saints.

mirai:.....she was almost a second mom to us.

Saki: *looks downcast* "Until..."

kaoru:.....

Umika: "...When she passed away...."

niko: *looking through notes left behind*

kazumi: *unable to speak*

niko: ?? i think i found something.

Umika: "??? What is it?" *looks*

Saki: "!!! These papers mention Michiru..."

-michiru came by again today. we decided to go to the natural history museum for a while. i swear, her smile could light up a room. she told me she got a report from the doctors this morning. the tests came back negative. i was heartbroken for her. she really wanted to start a family, and so did i. i promised her that i would find a way. ~Kazuhito Asakura-

Umika: *tenses up* "...You mean...They..."

mirai: i didnt know she had a boyfriend.

niko: *skimming notes*

-she's gone. this evening she stumbled into the lab in terrible shape. i tried to get medical help, but her wounds were too severe.-

*it looks like there are dry tear stains on the paper*

-if soul gems really are connected to souls, maybe there's a way to save her using the clones. if i can find a way to do a transfer-

Saki: "Wh-What is he talking about? 'Clones'? Soul gem transfer?!"

-test 1; failure-

-test 2; failure-

-test 3; failure-

Satomi: "Th-This is insane--this is too much..."

mirai: i think im gonna be sick....

-test 13; i think i succeeded. i'll name her 'kazumi'-

*the rest of the notes are torn out*

kazumi: ah.....ah......

Umika: "Ka-Kazumi...It's going to be okay..."

kaoru: where even is this guy- whoever he is....

???: im afraid that wont be needed.

Saki: "!!!" *spins around, weapon ready*

souju: dr asakura has been dealt with already, my benefactor made sure of that~

Umika: "Everyone, arm yourself!"

souju: *hits a button, causing the incubator machines to open and release the other clones*

Clones: *groan...*

kazumi: *shaking*

clone: KREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Saki: "!!!" *blocks*

kaoru: shit!

Umika: "Don't let that fiend get away!" *aims at Souju*

clone: *lunges at kazumi*

Satomi: "!!!" *attacks the clone*

kaoru: *picks kazumi up* come on!

Satomi: "..." *tries to reach for papers on the desk--*

-elsewhere-

izumi: ....

*the front door opens*

izumi: *looks up*

Spirit: *enters, staring down at a set of photos in his hands*

izumi: welcome home.

Spirit: "H-Hi..." *his tie is loosened, he looks like a mess* "I'm sorry I couldn't pick up everything..."

sachiko: what on earth happened?!

Spirit: "...We better sit down. C-Can I get some water?"

-and so-

Spirit: "--then I told the police."

izumi:.....

Spirit: "I'm speaking with Lord Death in the morning."

-elsewhere-

Kro: *flipping through pages of a sketchbook* "And this is of our HQ! And this is of my neighbor's parrot! And this is of a bowl of fruit--"

Black Star: TT~TT ("The one guy who speaks English here...")

Kro: *flips a page to a giant multi-eye monster*

tsubaki: !!!

Kro: "Oh! This is what the victim reported seeing before their eyes went--" *passes a hand over his face back and forth* "--blind. Wild, right?"

tsubaki: *looks at black*star*

Black Star: "FINALLY--SOMETHING WE CAN FIGHT! Where'd that monster go?!"

Sang: *covering his ears* ^^; <"He's certainly energetic...>

tsubaki: <that's one way to put it.> ^^;

Kro: "Oh! Um..." *flips through paperwork, all covered in doodles* "Ah! Bong had encountered the monster in an alley off of Jung-gu at the Dongdaemun Vegetable Market--"

Black Star: "WE'RE ON OUR WAY!" *runs...then walks back in* "Which way is that?"

tsubaki: -.-;

-elsewhere-

kabo: y'all got plans for the summer?

camie: malibu, baby!

Inasa: "Awesome! You going to get some TRAINING done for our LICENSES?!"

camie: yeaaaah that too! ^^;

Seiji: =_= "You both should take this seriously--or you'll never get your licenses at this rate." *bites into his burger*

camie: =3= mood killer.

Inasa: "AW, HE'S JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE HE CARES!"

kabo: sure has a funny way of showing it.

Seiji: "No, I'm serious--I doubt either of you will get your license with the way you're carrying on."

Inasa: QwQ; "Ouch, buddy."

camie: i bet that rock's gonna make a fine diamond when it comes out.

Inasa: "??? I don't get it."

Seiji: -_-; "Kabo, what will you be doing?"

kabo: im gonna be helping my fam out with the farm.

Nagamasa: "How is your family doing?"

kabo: we're doing pretty well. weather's been nice.

Inasa: "What's in season? You got peppers?"

kabo: yep, plus we got zucchinis for ma's famous zucc pie!

Inasa: "YOU HAVE TO MAKE SOME FOR US BEFORE YOU LEAVE US BEHIND!"

Seiji: *hair blown back* ._.

-elsewhere-

*it's nighttime in Seoul...the downtown area is starting to disperse as people head home...*

*one woman is walking with her service dog*

Black Star: "IT'S THIS WAY, RIGHT?!"

tsubaki: not so loud...

Black Star: "Sorry--just wanted to see what was there to find a clue--"

*BUMP*

Woman: <Ow!> *knocked over*

tsubaki: ah! <sorry!>

Woman: <Ow...That really hurt...>

Black Star: "Hey, watch where you're going next time!"

Woman: "... ... ...What the hell did you just say to me?"

tsubaki: oh.

Dog: *helps her up*

Black Star: "... ... ..." *light bulb* ._.; "Oh shit--sorry!"

Woman: "Yeah, thanks a lot--OW!" *she has a cut along her arm*

tsubaki: ah! you're hurt!

Woman: "Ah, it must have been when I fell over..."

tsubaki: *taking a mini med-kid out of her bag*

Dog: *kneels down next to her*

Woman: "Do you have a bandage?"

tsubaki: here...

Woman: "Ah, thank you, ma'am..." *applies the bandage* "Bae, the groceries?"

Bae (the Dog): "WOOF!" *picks up the bag*

Black Star: " 'Bae'? Ha! That's funny!" *pets Bae*

Woman: -_-# "Could you not pet my dog while she's on duty?"

Bae: *growls*

tsubaki: ^^;

Bae: *barks--and runs into the alley*

Woman: "?! Bae! What is it?"

tsubaki: ah! *follows*

Black Star: "!!!" *picks the woman up* "I am really sorry about running into you, Miss--"

Woman: "Chul. Don't you know how to follow directions?"

Black Star: "I know where I'm going! Why don't you--...Oh, nevermind! Wait here..." *runs into the alley*

Bae: *chasing after something*

tsubaki: here bae! *whistles*

Bae: *corners something under a dumpster* "BARK BARK--"

*CRASH*

Bae: *knocked into a wall*

tsubaki: !!! *runs over to her*

Bae: *struggling to get up--before something whips at her leg...something covered in eyeballs*

tsubaki: !!!!!!

Bae: "WOOF!" *bites into the whip--ripping it off*

???: *inhuman scream, before it reveals itself, sliding along one snail-like tail...a giant creature, covered in eyeballs, just like Kro's drawing*

tsubaki:....*blade arm*

Eye Creature: *gurgles, its eyes shifting all over...*

*Tsubaki's eyes start to glow...as her vision starts going dark*

tsubaki: *SCREAMS*

*two new eyes start to form along the Eye Creature's body--*

*SLAM*

*Tsubaki's vision is restored*

tsubaki: ah!

Black Star: "TAKE THAT!" *slammed a dumpster on top of the Eye Creature*

Bae: *holding the Creature's tentacle in its mouth* "RAUR?" *head tilt*

tsubaki: black*star!

Black Star: "Hey! I caught the monster--"

*an eye-tentacle whips out, grabbing Black Star by the ankles and swinging him around*

Black Star: "WAAAAAAAH!"

-SLASH-

Black Star: *lands against the alley wall* "Thanks, Tsubaki! Let's kick this thing's ass--" *kicks the dumpster--revealing a giant slimy hole underneath it...and no creature* ._.

tsubaki:....

-elsewhere-

Sami: <Will you be needing anything else before beddy-bye time? Some sleepytime tea?> *literally tucking Soul into bed*

soul: =~=;

Francoise: <Stop babying the boy, Sami! You! Go to bed!>

Sami: ^^; <Good night, Mr. Evans!>

soul: <good night.>

Sami: *turns off the lights*

Francoise: *slams the door behind them*

soul:..... (well this has been a weird day.)

*phone vibrates on the nightstand*

soul: *checks*

Blair: {they're so cute >w< } *photo attached of the kids asleep on the couch*

soul:...*smile*

-morning-

-it looks a little damp outside, like it rained a bit-

Izuku: *jogging*

jirou: sup, midoriya.

Izuku: "Oh, Jirou--hello! You're getting an early start!"

jirou: guess so.

Izuku: ^^; "Sorry--just trying to keep my training up before the summer trip."

jirou: yeah, thats like, any day now.

Izuku: *nods* "I had to finish shopping from online purchases after--...Well, after." *slight shiver*

-elsewhere-

Asher: "Thanks for the alternative ride this morning, Mrs. Albarn."

sachiko: no problem. you got your lunch all packed?

izumi: yes, mom.

Asher: *holds up a bag*

-elsewhere-

Gen: =_= "...I try to run a nice clean facility..."

Spirit: *crying over the remains of his car, scattered all over Gen's workshop*

Gen: "And you ruin that for me. Why."

Spirit: *sobbing*

hakuno: come on, albarn, suck it up!

Spirit: "My baby! Those crazy assassins and damn thieves ruined my baby! Please, re-build it!"

lord death: *ahem*

Spirit: Q~Q *wipes his nose* "R-Right..." *clears his throat* "The police identified the two thieves as two-bit hoodlums, but the assassin definitely was from that Crimson group."

lord death: hmm...

Gen: *examining a sliced fender* "Gee, no wonder you couldn't out-run them in this old jalopy--"

Spirit: OnO#

Gen: *whistles innocently* >_>;

Spirit: "But why would they target me--I'm lovable!"

hakuno: -.-;

lord death: given the position of power death scythes have, it would make sense they would be targeted by an enemy faction.

Spirit: "But to kill me? That's a bit much for some assassins to show themselves!"

hakuno: ....

Gen: "Things are getting more desperate after those Kishin people showed up. Everyone's skittish--and thinks they can make a power play."

-elsewhere-

*there is a dungeon...*

Twice: *walks up to the jail bars with a tray of food* "Mornin', sunshine~!"

Queen: *locked in the cell, emaciated, bandages on her arms* "..."

Twice: "Hey, Banshee--take a break, it's my watch."

Queen: *growls*

banshee: *nods and exits*

Dabi: *standing in the hallway, looking irritated*

banshee:.....?

Dabi: "...It's quieter here than the noise upstairs with those loons."

banshee: i suppose so.

Dabi: "...I finished errands. Your meal is in the fridge."

banshee: thank you.

Dabi: "..." *grunts, goes back to leaning against the wall*

Twice: *heard yelling inside the dungeon* "No, you're supposed to _eat_ with the fork!" *pokes his head outside--with the fork jabbed in his forehead* "Dabi, be a dear and help? THAT'S AN ORDER!"

-elsewhere-

mirai: .......

Umika: *carrying a tray of food* "...You eaten yet? I was hoping to get Kazumi to eat..."

mirai: saki got me some french toast.

Umika: "..." *nods* "Okay. Please try to be patient with Kazumi--this is a lot of information to take in."

kaoru: no kidding, i mean, if i were in her situation....

Satomi: *overhearing from the hall before she steps in* "All we can do is be supportive and listen to her--it'd be more useful than just sitting around."

-elsewhere-

Saria: "Morning! Was that your mother dropping you two off?"

izumi: yep.

Kanin: "He was crying and saying something about 'my darling red and sleek baby.'"

izumi: ^-^; yeah, his car... it got kinda totaled.

lei-lei: golly! i hope he's alright!

Asher: "He was pretty shaken up."

Axel: "Did someone say a mechanic?" *pulls out a wrench*

-elsewhere-

Anya: *in outback attire and carrying a giant bug net* "I am ready to confront the Australian wilderness." *swing swing*

mio: Q-Q

Meme: "Relax, we're not even out of the airport! It's not like there's some wildlife already--"

*a crocodile is sitting in the back of a Jeep to pick them up*

crocodile: yo.

Anya: *smug look* "Don't you hate being wrong all the time?"

ao: i dont know, dont you hate having a spider in your hair?

Anya: *LOUD SCREAM, rips off her hat, smacking it against the side of the Jeep*

ao: made you look~ ^^

Anya: OnO#

Meme: ._.; "Um...We were expecting a ride to see Miss Mjolnir?"

driver: hop on in.

tsugumi: so no one is gonna acknowledge that the crocodile just spoke?............no one?..........just me?.........ok then.

-elsewhere-

Iida: "Forward, forward! The bell will ring shortly!"

Bakugo: "Jeez, the stick up your butt must be extra rigid today..."

Iida: "THAT IS A LIE AND YOU KNOW IT!"

kaminari: *snicker*

Izuku: *runs into the room*

Eijiro: "Morning!"

Aizawa: *already in the classroom...asleep*

ochako: im here! *coming in through the window* my alarm clock broke.

Mina: "Wow, swinging in like Spider-Girl! Training must be paying off!"

tsuyu: *also comes in through a window*

*tick tick--DING*

Aizawa: *bolts up awake* "In your seats."

-everyone's seated-

Aizawa: "We're finishing up your training camp route. Be present at 5 AM, as we're leaving bright and early...So early..."

*the blackboard behind him has a chart on it*

Aizawa: "This also should prepare you for your daily training schedule--" *he taps the blackboard--and the electronic portion lists a daily schedule--including one marked "REMEDIAL" with the names of Mina, Eijiro, and others*

kaminari: owo;

Eijiro: "Aw, man..."

Mineta: OnO# "WHY AM I LISTED?! I DIDN'T FAIL THE EXAM--SERO DID!"

Sero: "Hey!"

Aizawa: "I can answer that..." *disappears behind the desk, and a grunting sound is heard*

ochako: ??

Aizawa: *lifts up a very heavy binder folder labeled "WHAT MINETA DID"*

Mineta: ._.

jirou: *almost falls out of her seat*

Mineta: "B-But I still passed the exam!"

Aizawa: "Yes, you did. And yet the complaints keep coming in about conduct. Need I remind you of the Sports Festival? Or the locker room incident?"

tsuyu: let's not forget last thursday.

Aizawa: "...I don't have a record of last Thursday." *pulls out stationery and pen*

Mineta: Q_Q *trying to inch out of the room*

jirou: you stay and face your crimes, coward.

Mineta: "..." *sighs* *turns, faces the class* "Part of being a hero is having the courage to face your fears."

Izuku: "Aw, Mineta..."

Mineta: "The other part IS KNOWING WHEN TO RUN FOR SAFETY!" *bolts*

Aizawa: *flings his scarves* "New assignment--capture the coward."

tsuyu: way ahead of you.

ochako: omae wa mou shindeiru.

-meanwhile-

Shinso: *walking down the hall--*

Iida: "GET BACK HERE!"

Mineta: "NEVER!" *runs by Shinso*

Shinso: "... ... ..."

ochako: dont just stand there, get him!

Shinso: "..."

Mineta: *cornered in the other hall, turns, runs back--*

Shinso: "..." *holds out his foot--*

-le trip-

Mineta: *slow-motion* "NOOOOOOOOOO--" *face-plant*

jirou: time to pay for your crimes.

Shinso: <What did he do this time? Is this about the fly paper and rubberbands?>

Mineta: D8 "SPARE ME, JIROU! REMEMBER THE GOOD TIMES WE HAD TOGETHER!"

jirou:.....you know what, i've thought about it....

Mineta: 8D

jirou: and i've decided....im going to destroy you twice as hard now.

Mineta: Q_Q

Aizawa: "I said capture, not 'destroy.'"

-what occurred next was far too heinous to depict here-

Aizawa: ._.;;;; ("Oh, the principal is going to rip me for this one...")

Shinso: "..." *tilts his head* <I didn't know it could bend like that.>

Mineta: *horrifying shriek*

-elsewhere-

Customer: "--and I don't appreciate people like you showing up where I live! This used to be a nice community before your kind showed up!"

Cashier: *has a Quirk* =_= "Sir, this is a Death Mart."

mitsuki: *checking the wine rack and humming*

Inko: "Mitsuki?"

mitsuki: oh hey girl!

Inko: ^^ "Hello! How's it going?"

mitsuki: oh the usual. and yourself?

Inko: "The same. I was trying to find something for Izuku's workout diet. How's Katsuki?"

mitsuki: oh, you know how he gets. ^^; *mutters* beingalittleshit...

Inko: "Oh dear...I was worried after Izuku mentioned their last exam...It sounded far too violent." T~T

Customer: "IF I HAD A FACE LIKE THAT, YOU MUTATED FREAK, I'D STAY HOME!"

Cashier: =_=#

mitsuki: ! you got a problem with quirks, buddy?!

Customer: "I got a problem with ones that turn people ugly! This asshole didn't give me the right change--probably because his stupid eyes are on either side of his head."

Cashier: *blinks in annoyance*

Inko: "...Well, it takes all kinds, _sir_."

Customer: "Did anyone ask you two old hags?"

mitsuki: HOW ABOUT WE TAKE THIS OUTSIDE, BUDDY?!

Customer: "Well, Dad raised me never to hit a woman--too bad I don't see any here!"

Inko: "... ... ..." *sets her purse down in her shopping cart*

mitsuki: you know what's gonna happen if you dont shut up, im going to punch my fist through your teeth, down your throat, grab you by the BALLS and PULL YOU INSIDE THE FUCK OUT!

Customer: "Probably the only action you've gotten in the last year."

Inko: *rolls up a sleeve...*

mitsuki: WHY YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!!

Manager: "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to--"

Customer: *swings his fist towards the manager*

-WHA-BAM-

Inko: =_=# "Some people nowadays are so inconsiderate, aren't they?"

mitsuki: *has the customer in a chokehold*

Customer: *high-pitch squeak* "Ow! Let me go, please! Owie owie owie!"

Inko: "Hold him still, Mitsuki--I don't want to have to deal another one..."

Manager: ._. "..." *dials the cops*

-elsewhere-

Black Star: "AND IT WAS SUPER GROSS--EYES EVERYWHERE!"

tsubaki: ^^;

Physician: =_=# <It is really pathetic that you two needed a dog to procure this sample from the creature...> *keeps it under glass* <Where did the dog even disappear to?>

tsubaki: <they left before you got here...>

Black Star: ._. "???"

Sang: <What a shame--we really could have gotten more information.> *smiles, pats Physician's back* <Good thing we have an excellent forensics team! I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this!>

Physician: =_=#

Sang: <Why don't you two see the town? It would help to acclimate yourself.>

tsubaki: that sounds like a good idea.

Black Star: "Yeah! Let's go find that blob monster in the sewers!" *has not heard of word of this in Korean*

Kro: "Oh! I can give you the tour!"

-elsewhere-

Vortex Cafe Master: "We heard the crash all the way down here...An entire car, through your window?"

Kunikida: =_=

cafe master's wife: did anyone get hurt?

Kunikida: "No, thank goodness. Our team was able to stop the vehicle."

Lucy: =_=

atsushi: and the consultation office was nice enough to offer their office temporarily while we do repairs.

Kenji: "Their plants are so friendly!" ^w^

*the cafe door opens*

Cervantes: "GOOD DAY!"

frances: hello dears~

Kunikida: *nods* "Ms. Burnett."

Kenji: "Hiya! Did you finish watering already?"

frances: indeed i have, young kenji. *looks at the cafe master* i'll have my usual please. *hands him the money*

Master: *smiles* "Right away." *begins brewing*

-elsewhere-

Blair: "AW, YOU LOOK SO ADORABLE IN YOUR UNIFORMS!"

Damon: ._.

becky: -_-; did dad approve this?

Blair: "He wanted you to have a busy and productive summer! I heard the Death Scouts do all neato activities! First aid, weaving, build campfires..."

becky:....i guess i've always wanted to do scouts. 7.7;

Damon: "I was hoping to stay indoors and read?"

Blair: "You can read the Scout Guidebook--" *pulls out a pocket-size book*

Damon: "???" *opens it* "Oh, a bug guide!"

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *fanning himself* "I just want to figure out something to keep busy, you know?"

naoya: i feel ya.

Chuuya: "And with the girls, that's a challenge, to keep them occupied, you know? It feels like I haven't had a night off..."

naoya: i could look after them for a day if you'd like.

Chuuya: "Oh, that'd help--thanks! What would you like to do with them--anywhere you'd want to go?"

naoya: i could take them to the zoo or mephyland or something.

Chuuya: "Not bad choices--although I'll have to ask Sonia first...That clown on the Mephyland logo is creepy."

-elsewhere-

stocking: zzzz....

Kid: *holds her, gently rubbing her shoulder*

stocking: *nuzzles up to him* =///w///=

Kid: *yawns* "Love you..."

stocking: hmhm~ ^^

Kid: "Want to just stay in bed?"

stocking: yus.

Kid: *smiles* "I love summer breaks..." *nuzzle*

stocking: mmmm~<3

Kid: *kisses her shoulder*

-elsewhere-

[romcomathon2016]

Just Friends (USA, 2005)

Predictions: Alex thought she had maybe seen this movie before and half-remembered it was crass. Based on this, Kat predicted it would be disappointing and not nearly as charming as the title might lead one to hope.

Plot: Oh god. WHERE TO BEGIN. We open on Ryan Reynolds in a fatsuit -- always a good sign. He is an unpopular high schooler who is somehow miraculously best friends with Amy Smart, the hottest girl in school. Of course, he is secretly in love with her. He decides to confess his love for her by writing a long letter in her yearbook, because WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG???? Naturally, this ends in humiliation.

Ten years go by! Ryan Reynolds grows up, gets hot, and doesn't return home or speak to Amy Smart or any of this other friends for the next decade. He becomes a music producer in Los Angeles, learns to play hockey, sleeps with all the ladies, etc. One Christmas, however, his boss wants him to go to Paris with Anna Faris, an up-and-coming totally insane starlet that Ryan Reynolds once slept with. Ryan Reynolds, while not thrilled, agrees.

Unfortunately, Anna Faris doesn't know you can't microwave tinfoil, so, long story short, their private plane has to make an emergency landing not far from Ryan Reynolds's hometown, and here Ryan Reynolds is, staying with his mom and his brother...and psycho Anna Faris. And guess who's recently moved back in with her parents?! We'll give you no guesses; it's Amy Smart. ZOMG, a second chance for Ryan Reynolds! Because he's Regular Ryan Reynolds now, not Fatsuit Ryan Reynolds!

Eager to prove he can get any lady, and possibly exorcise his high-school demons or whatever, Ryan Reynolds decides to seduce Amy Smart. But as it turns out, when it comes to Amy Smart, Ryan Reynolds still has no game at all. Many shenanigans ensue, which...do not bear getting into, but basically, it becomes clear that Ryan Reynolds still has feelings for Amy Smart, and she has feelings for him as well. However, this would-be romance is impeded by several things. Anna Faris, for one. Also, the other local nerd made good, now a hot EMT who goes around seducing women with one horrible original song, is also pursuing Amy Smart. Also, Ryan Reynolds is just constantly getting in his own way with nerves, overthinking, overcompensating, having random outbursts of anger at inopportune times...knocking over children…

Oh-so-very-much happened in this film. Anyway, eventually Ryan Reynolds finally manages to express that he both values Amy Smart's friendship on its own merits (WHAAAAT?! SHE'S NOT JUST A PIECE OF ASS???? CRAZY TALK) and has romantic feelings for her. The end.

Best Scene: This movie was nice for about a hot second, after Ryan Reynolds got over himself but before shit hit the fan. He and Amy Smart, having gotten back to a legitimate friends!place, are hanging out in his childhood bedroom. She makes fun of him for his earlier rampant name-dropping, offers to stay the night, and PUTS ON ONE OF HIS BUTTON-DOWNS TO SLEEP IN. And then he, like a human person, gets too in his feelings to make a move. It was all kind of sweet, and for a whole like three minutes, we did not hate this film.

Worst Scene: GOD. How to choose?! Between Anna Faris trying to seduce Ryan Reynolds's teenaged brother, the truly horrible personality of the other friend-zone-obsessed nerd made good, and the nonstop hilarity of people getting electrocuted and things catching on fire…!

Best Line: “I'm Chris Brander. I hang out with Good Charlotte and Pink. I go to Jay-Z's birthday party…" -- Amy Smart, mocking Ryan Reynolds in the aforementioned bedroom scene. Also, nothing more obviously dates this movie to the mid-'00s than the mention of Good Charlotte, wowwww. (Although! Apparently Good Charlotte is still playing! Who knew.)

Worst Line: “The truth is, I'm -- I'm afraid to be your friend, because I'm always going to want more. But then I got to thinking, that I'd rather have you in my life as a friend than not at all." -- Ryan Reynolds, making up with/confessing his love to Amy Smart. While we sort of appreciated this sentiment (although he basically walks it back in like the next sentence), it was...just...such a bad scene. We covered our eyes in embarrassment for him.

Highlights of the Watching Experience: This movie...had some serious ups and downs. It was...so bad. And then for like a minute, it was the movie we wanted it to be. And then it was awful again. It was also heavily mid-'00s in its obsession with the "friend zone." Which…sigh. While there were some okay moments, and we ultimately came away feeling that Ryan Reynolds did appreciate their friendship and care about her as a person, there was also SO MUCH GARBAGE. How dare Amy Smart be alive and not sleeping with all these men?! How dare she exist in the world, having conversations and being friendly?!

How Many POC in the Film: One Asian guy that Anna Faris was racist to. Perhaps one or two other POC who did not speak. Not great.

Alternate Scenes: We just...wish the entire film could have had the tone of that one bedroom scene. We would very much have enjoyed watching Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart be friends who secretly mutually wanted to bang, each of them angsting about whether the other wanted to bang, for an hour and a half. (Anyone? Anyone? No? Just us?)

Was the Poster Better or Worse than the Film: Worse, which is saying something. The poster looks like we will have to endure an entire film of Fatsuit Ryan Reynolds and the subsequent jokes. Hard pass.

Score: 3.5 out of 10 name-dropping smooches. Avril Lavigne! John Mayer! Matchbox Twenty!

Ranking: 126, out of the 162 films we’ve seen so far.

[mintaka14]

Stars and Fire

A Fushigi Yuugi fanfiction

By Mintaka14

  Opening the Book

 Falling too fast to prepare for this

Tripping in the world could be dangerous

[Whatever It Takes: Imagine Dragons]

 Daisuke Sukunami felt a heat wash through him as he strode past the neon-lit shops, and he missed a step, involuntarily clutching at his chest as a sudden pain pulled at him like a demand. He had just enough time to think Eighteen is too young to die of a heart attack, and then it was gone as suddenly as it had clawed at his heart.

He stood there, shoulders hunched and dark red hair falling over his eyes, one hand still clenched in the t-shirt over his heart, until the lighter he’d been toying with caught his fingers and singed them. It dropped from his hand and bounced into the darkness of an alleyway. For a second, he was distracted by the brief, tiny arc of red-gold light as the lighter tumbled and spat little sparks that glittered and died before it had even hit the ground. Then there was a soft crunch as something crushed it underfoot and shifted.

The figure muttered, “What is this place?” The voice was oddly accented, and all Daisuke could make out in the shadows of the alley was the dark, angular shape of a man about his own height. “There is no god here, just this boy.”

A deeper shadow whispered harshly, “He must be tied to the Priestess, or else we should not have been drawn to this place to find him.”

“Are you sure he is why we’re here?”

A third voice hissed in sharp reprimand, and Daisuke casually eased his hand into the pocket of his black leather jacket, and out again. Any sane person would be running by now; Daisuke’s brother would have said that the inference of that should be obvious. There was a faint snick as he flipped his butterfly knife open.

“Let us end this, so we can go home,” the third one commanded.

When three dark, birdlike figures flew at him out of the alleyway, Daisuke was ready, loose and balanced with his blade in his hand. There was a flurry of robes in the sickly yellow glare of the streetlights and Daisuke faltered for one brief moment as he got his first clear look at his assailants. Their black eyes and beaky noses were almost human, but the feathers sprouting from their arms, which Daisuke had initially mistaken for ragged black coats, were definitely not.

Daisuke jolted into action and spun out of the way as nails like claws raked the air. He brought his knife up to meet the first one in a smooth movement. There was a hiss of pain. His foot snapped into the creature’s side, smashing it against the pole of the streetlight. There was the grinding sound of bones breaking, and another one flew at his face, catching him before he could react. Daisuke hit the ground, rolled, and came up breathing hard. His hand moved swiftly, shooting out to smash into the jaw of the second bird-man, his foot sweeping around to drive it to the ground and it stayed there, unmoving. And the third was above him, claws drawing blood as Daisuke quickly twisted out of the way. He felt blood drip down the side of his face, and ignored it, watching the creature with narrowed eyes.

“Where is He?” the creature demanded savagely. “Where is Suzaku?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Daisuke said, his eyes still fixed on the crow-thing.

With a strange, fluttering sound, it rushed upon him, and Daisuke stood his ground. He faced it, watching. Then his hand shot out, driving the knife deep into its ribs. The thing fell with a sick crack and an explosion of black crow feathers.

Daisuke stood immobile, watching the rain of feathers without any expression in his hazel eyes for a long moment. As the last few black feathers drifted into the gutter, he stared down at the crumpled remains of three crows lying in the street. He prodded one cautiously with the toe of his sneaker, but when a stray breeze ruffled the feathers of its broken wing he pulled back abruptly. Daisuke turned on his heel and broke into a fast walk. He refused to run.

The tiny, dilapidated shops and neon signs that flickered and zapped in the warm summer air gave way to narrower streets and close stone embankments spilling over with creepers and flowering vines. Houses perched over the steep flights of steps as he hurried down them, leaping several steps at a time and swinging around the steel railing. Light shone down from the windows as the shadows outside grew deeper. Without looking, Daisuke turned abruptly in at one of the gates, letting it slam behind him as he hurried up the narrow path and into the front door.

Leaning against the doorframe to pull his shoe off, Daisuke touched the cut at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. His hand was shaking a little.

"Ow," he muttered. He kicked the other shoe to one side and closed the door, frowning as he glanced at the other pair of shoes placed precisely together in the entrance. Hikari was home, which meant that dinner would be a series of disapproving lectures from his big brother.

"Daisuke?"

He winced. "I'm home, Mama," he called out, and managed to reach the foot of the stairs before she came to the door of the kitchen. He froze.

"Dinner's nearly ready," she told him brightly, blowing a hunk of toffee-brown hair out of her eyes as she wiped her hands on her apron. "You are planning on eating tonight?"

"Later, Mama." He grinned at her, and winced as the cut puckered. She reached up to touch it, frowning. The frown deepened as she got a good look at the dried blood on his cheek.

"Oh, Daisuke," she said reprovingly. "What kind of trouble have you been getting into this time? I thought you were going to try and stay out of fights now." She absently tidied her son's red hair, straightening his collar, and he pulled a face.

"Mama!"

Her fingers found a feather caught under the collar of his leather jacket, and she pulled it free, staring at it. “Where did this come from? What exactly have you been up to tonight?”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine, really.”

He turned back to the stairs, not wanting to deal with the weirdness himself, let alone try to explain it to his mother.

“And don’t think I don’t know you’ve been skipping school again,” his mother called after him. “Dinner in five minutes, young man. Your father will be back soon, and Hikari’s home for the weekend. I want the whole family together tonight.”

He lifted a hand in acknowledgement and kept going. Once inside his room, he shut the door firmly and leaned his back against it, tipping his head to rest on the cool wood.

“... Help me ...”

Daisuke’s head lifted abruptly at the words, startled into a swift glance around his room, but of course he was alone. He stilled, listening for the girl’s voice that had called for help, but there was nothing. No sounds came from the street outside, or the neighbours. He couldn’t even hear his mother clattering around in the kitchen, as she would be before dinner. Everything was unnervingly still. He considered his room more slowly, looking for something out of place.

At first, he didn't notice the book on his desk. Everything else was as it should be, his schoolbag slung in one corner and a trail of clothes scattered across the floor where he’d left them that morning. The poster of the constellations over his bed was as it had been since he was five. The jumble of matchboxes and lighters he’d collected spilled across the shelf beside his bed. A notebook, fallen open on the beginning of a story sketch in his hand, lay half-hidden under his pillow.

And there was a book on his desk that had most definitely not been there that morning. It looked old, and the cloth cover was faded red, with black script trailing down it. The brown leather binding was frayed and cracked in places.

Daisuke stared blankly around the room with a queer sensation of dislocation, shaking his head to try and get rid of the cry for help that seemed to be echoing through his mind. He reached out to touch the book's thick cloth cover.

“... Help me! ...”

He looked up sharply as the words breathed through his skull again, sending chills down the back of his neck. Unthinkingly, he lifted the book and its pages fell open in his hands as he turned.

“HELP ME!”

The girl’s voice screamed in desperation, and the world exploded into fiery red light, blinding him and ripping through him like glass. Daisuke felt himself cry out in fear as the world was torn away from him and flung him into the roaring void. Fire poured around him and through him for an eternity as the flesh was burned from his bones. There was nothing left but pain, searing along his nerves…

And then there was cool stone under his hands.

He crouched there for a moment longer, waiting for the ground to stop feeling like it was rippling under him. The fire faded.

Daisuke blinked, lifting his head slowly as his vision cleared to stare at the red wood and white stone columns around him, and turned his face up to the vaulted rafters above.

"Well, fuck," he said.

[itsworsethanthat]

It was like a burnt matchbox in the sky. It was black and long and burnt in the sky. You saw it through the flowering stump of trees. You saw it beyond the ochre spire of the church. You saw it in the tears of those who survived. You saw it through the rage of those who survived. You saw it past the posters of those who had burnt to ashes. You saw it past the posters of those who jumped to their deaths. You saw it through the TV images of flames through windows Running up the aluminium cladding You saw it in print images of flames bursting out from the roof. You heard it in the voices loud in the streets. You heard it in the cries in the air howling for justice. You heard it in the pubs the streets the basements the digs. You heard it in the wailing of women and the silent scream Of orphans wandering the streets You saw it in your baby who couldn’t sleep at night Spooked by the ghosts that wander the area still trying To escape the fires that came at them black and choking. You saw it in your dreams of the dead asking if living Had no meaning being poor in a land Where the poor die in flames without warning. But when you saw it with your eyes it seemed what the eyes Saw did not make sense cannot make sense will not make sense. You saw it there in the sky, tall and black and burnt. You counted the windows and counted the floors And saw the sickly yellow of the half burnt cladding And what you saw could only be seen in nightmare. Like a war-zone come to the depths of a fashionable borough. Like a war-zone planted here in the city. To see with the eyes that which one only sees In nightmares turns the day to night, turns the world upside down. Those who were living now are dead Those who were breathing are from the living earth fled. If you want to see how the poor die, come see Grenfell Tower. See the tower, and let a world-changing dream flower. Residents of the area call it the crematorium. It has revealed the undercurrents of our age. The poor who thought voting for the rich would save them. The poor who believed all that the papers said. The poor who listened with their fears. The poor who live in their rooms and dream for their kids. The poor are you and I, you in your garden of flowers, In your house of books, who gaze from afar At a destiny that draws near with another name. Sometimes it takes an image to wake up a nation From its secret shame. And here it is every name Of someone burnt to death, on the stairs or in their room, Who had no idea what they died for, or how they were betrayed. They did not die when they died; their deaths happened long Before. It happened in the minds of people who never saw Them. It happened in the profit margins. It happened In the laws. They died because money could be saved and made. Those who are living now are dead Those who were breathing are from the living earth fled. If you want to see how the poor die, come see Grenfell Tower See the tower, and let a world-changing dream flower. They called the tower ugly; they named it an eyesore. All around the beautiful people in their beautiful houses Didn’t want the ugly tower to ruin their house prices. Ten million was spent to encase the tower in cladding. Had it ever been tested before except on this eyesore, Had it ever been tested for fire, been tried in a blaze? But it made the tower look pretty, yes it made the tower look pretty. But in twenty four storeys, not a single sprinkler. In twenty four storeys not a single alarm that worked. In twenty four storeys not a single fire escape, Only a single stairwell designed in hell, waiting For an inferno. That’s the story of our times. Make it pretty on the outside, but a death trap On the inside. Make the hollow sound nice, make The empty look nice. That’s all they will see, How it looks, how it sounds, not how it really is, unseen. But if you really look you can see it, if you really listen You can hear it. You’ve got to look beneath the cladding. There’s cladding everywhere. Political cladding, Economic cladding, intellectual cladding — things that look good But have no centre, have no heart, only moral padding. They say the words but the words are hollow. They make the gestures and the gestures are shallow. Their bodies come to the burnt tower but their souls don’t follow. Those who were living are now dead Those who were breathing are from the living earth fled. If you want to see how the poor die, come see Grenfell Tower See the tower, and let a world-changing deed flower. The voices here must speak for the dead. Speak for the dead. Speak for the dead. See their pictures line the walls. Poverty is its own Colour, its own race. They were Muslim and Christian, Black and white and colours in between. They were young And old and beautiful and middle aged. There were girls In their best dresses with hearts open to the future. There was an old man with his grandchildren; There was Amaya Tuccu, three years old, Burnt to ashes before she could see the lies of the world. There are names who were living beings who dreamt Of fame or contentment or education or love Who are now ashes in a burnt out shell of cynicism. There were two Italians, lovely and young, Who in the inferno were on their mobile phone to friends While the smoke of profits suffocated their voices. There was the baby thrown from many storeys high By a mother who knew otherwise he would die. There were those who jumped from their windows And those who died because they were told to stay In their burning rooms. There was the little girl on fire Seen diving out from the twentieth floor. Need I say more. Those who are living are now dead Those who were breathing are from the living earth fled. If you want to see how the poor die, come see Grenfell Tower. See the tower, and let a world-changing deed flower. Always there’s that discrepancy Between what happens and what we are told. The official figures were stuck at thirty. Truth in the world is rarer than gold. Bodies brought out in the dark Bodies still in the dark. Dark the smoke and dark the head. Those who were living are now dead. And while the tower flamed they were tripping Over bodies at the stairs Because it was pitch black. And those that survived Sleep like refugees on the floor Of a sports centre. And like creatures scared of the dark, A figure from on high flits by, Speaking to the police and brave firefighters, But avoiding the victims, Whose hearts must be brimming with dread. Those who were breathing are from the living earth fled. But if you go to Grenfell Tower, if you can pull Yourselves from your tennis games and your perfect dinners If you go there while the black skeleton of that living tower Still stands unreal in the air, a warning for similar towers to fear, You will breathe the air thick with grief With women spontaneously weeping And children wandering around stunned And men secretly wiping a tear from the eye And people unbelieving staring at this sinister form in the sky You will see the trees with their leaves green and clean And will inhale the incense meant To cleanse the air of unhappiness You will see banks of flowers And white paper walls sobbing with words And candles burning for the blessing of the dead You will see the true meaning of community Food shared and stories told and volunteers everywhere You will breathe the air of incinerators Mixed with the essence of flower. If you want to see how the poor die, come see Grenfell Tower. Make sense of these figures if you will For the spirit lives where truth cannot kill. Ten million spent on the falsely clad In a fire where hundreds lost all they had. Five million offered in relief Ought to make a nation alter its belief. An image gives life and an image kills. The heart reveals itself beyond political skills. In this age of austerity The poor die for others’ prosperity. Nurseries and libraries fade from the land. A strange time is shaping on the strand. A sword of fate hangs over the deafness of power. See the tower, and let a new world-changing thought flower.

Grenfell Tower, June, 2017, by Ben Okri

[s-nnyd]

all of the ask me meme :) please stop talking about naruto

i think that was this one?

rose: what makes you feel beautiful?

man, hmm, when my hair falls just right and it looks like the hairstyle that could be used in like a romcom drama oh or when the sun starts to set because everythign just starts to feel like the right color and it makes it just about everything right

lace: how would you describe your best friend(s)?

complete idiots i love hanging out with

wish: what are your favourite memories?

oh fuck dude my favorite memories? okay so back in middle school when there was the open house and i signed up for one of the shifts i just stayed in ms. dean’s room and like it was raining and pouring and i was just kinda fooling around with some friends before our shifts started and like we ordered pizza and my goodness it was cold and wet as fuck but it was such a genuinely nice memory of just the feeling during that time also when were painting murals for  art ds like shit man that was like the time of my life and i genuinely get all these heartfelt feelings each time i think about it (oh oh oh oh and like mrs q said that like shes trying to make things work with walker about doing a mural inside the class and im like holy fuck please like im legit gonna cry if that happens) and although its super embarrassing just like all the times ive ever really had talks and hung out with mrs q like they were genuinely nice memories and esp friday too like she told me stories about the previous schools she went to and the types of students she had and i love hearing stuff like that and yesterday was truly enjoyable

heaven: describe your ideal date

hhhhhhhh okay okay okay okay so its raining out but we still were supposed to meet up and im standing outside with a cup of hot choco with extra whip cream just the way she likes it cause i wanted to get it for her and when she comes to meet me she also has a cup of hot choco with extra cocoa for me and its just the kinda heart and chest swelling kinda moment cause we both were thinking about each other and then we head over to watch the movies first something stupid yet enjoyable and after going to have some lunch at like a really good tofu house and then after going to an art museum and then ill say somethign cheesy like man im surprised you dont live here ‘why?’ cause youre a work of art  or you know whats the most beautiful piece of art out of this whole exhibit ‘ooo was it the ______ or the _____ one or maybe its the ______?” nah its you and thats the main commentary im making through out the whole exhibition and like after that we head over to my place and the rains still coming down my head on her lap and her fingers through my hair as watch a movie both of us has seen far too many times already that it this point its just for the sake of background noise and like we swap spots where shes on my lap now adn eventually she falls asleep i carry her to the bed and let her nap for a bit and she wakes up after a while and comes into the kitchen and im cooking fried rice at like 3 in the morning and its just lazy hugs and bad singing but all in all its just relaxing soothing loving and everything i really want

angel: what is your dream aesthetic?

oh man like okay have you seen that godzilla jacket that was floating around on tumblr for a while like like that specific aesthetic where its super cool stitching and japanese words that i can actually read for once OH OH OH or like just absolute artist like just paint splatters and charcoal and pastel that wont wash out and jean jackets with patches and just yeeeeeee

wings: list five things you love about yourself

hmmm i think my determination to always be improving, my loyalty, my ability to think from multiple angles of a situation, my creativity and the multitude of ideas that come as a result of it , and mmm prolly the fact that when i love someone or got a crush like more than anything id love to give them the absolute most like id give them the world if i could if it would make them happy and like they dont gotta accept my feelings or anything but jsut please dont reject my gifts like i just want you to be happy and i wanna see you smile and laugh and like even if this aint gonna turn anything im glad i got to love you and have this experience

marble: what do you look for in a partner?

oh man okay so like ive noticed that every single person ive ever had a crush on like  i dont necessarily got a type in the sense of like looks or anything like that cause they all look super different and there is no one “type” but like its a lot closer to a “type” as in a type of person like someone whos generally super open minded and caring and gentle someone who even though they dont believe so theyre changing and helping so so so so many people around them someone who has the best laugh that id do anything to hear and the prettiest eyes and the most amazing smile that id truly do anythign to see someone whos usually loved by many but even in close relations theyre extremely close heart to heart and very attentive someone whos got a great head on their shoulders and the mindset to keep moving forward and improve someone who rlly pushes the idea communication, trust, and honesty and like man theyre people with the most beautiful minds and hearts and like it ends up being a case where theyve got the most beautiful face too

velvet: describe your dream home

oh fuck dude i couldnt even talk about this for my project for japanese i cant do it here

pearl: what is your favourite: scent, flavour, sound, texture?

shit dude ive really gotta say that my favorite scent is prolly the art and the ceramics room like really its super calming my fave flavor would maybe be honey? (i just had a honey stick rn so) my favorite sound is the sound of my crush’s voice and laugh, fave texture has def gotta be my paint like fuck i love sticking my hand in that shit

sunlight: list five things you find to be beautiful

link, zelda, my crush, the specific color of cerulean blue, okay and oddly enough that scar thats on my leg from when i fell off my skateboard

cherry: what words of advice would you give to a stranger?

if you think someone’s got a cool shirt, pretty eyes, a nice laugh, the cutest button nose, a soothing voice, or is just in general attractive to you, just tell them like the smile on their face is worth a whole lot and i promise you that it could make their day

blush: describe your ideal future

oh fuck okay so its one where i got a like four big dogs (cause these are my faves), a samoyed a husky a german shepard and a pit bull, and im living in a nice decent place with my loved one i have a job either at one of the major animation studios or im working with a huge game company (preferably Nintendo so i can work on some loz games) and ive also got a seperate place thats a block or two away from my home and its my own personal studio a place that is just a whole floor dedicated to working on my art whether it be two dimensional traditional or digital and i also got a throwing wheel and a place to put my ceramics and ive made some movies and games that ive dedicated to mrs q and mrs y because theyve brought me so far in my art career and also played such a big role in my life in general and id love to make them proud and like honestly that soudns like the absolute shit to me

sea: what music, art and/or literature brings you peace?

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh man just seein loz fanart is the best but also like fuck dude like mmmmm when i see an art style i really love that has literally the best fuckign composition and color usage like fuck thats my shit like theres some specific ones that i dont know how to describe

wine: talk about something you are looking forward to

working on that mural if mrs q can make it through cause that is legit what i really wanna do like i fucking love working on murals oh oh oh also when we can finally order the new j shirts cause i finished the design and i really wanna see everyone wearing them im really proud of this year’s design aalsososoooooooo like im really excited to work on the next project for ceramics like were makign slab boxes and we can basically tell a story and do whatever the fuck we want with it and man im just so excited for that (wow i legit realized that like everything ive listed that is part of my dream or makes me excited or happy is like art related like wow)

honey: what do you do to relax?

i watch shitposts oh that or i talk to my cousin lynnette cause really shes super understanding and its really easy to talk to her

silk: describe your most recent dream

man i forgot the bulk of it but i think like it was one where i didnt finish my charcoal portrait or my coil pot in time and then i woke up in a cold sweat

matte: what is something you are proud of?

hmmmm at current im proud of the presents i gave to mrs y and mrs q cause it made the both of them really happy and like i really wanted to show them how thankful i am to them and like they genuinely liked the posters and the flowers

gloss: list ten songs you love right now

lmao shit uh

feelings - hayley kiyoko

maple - hayley kiyoko

redbone - childish gambino

forrest gump - frank ocean

shes so mean - matchbox twenty

perfect - ed sheeran

and legit just like all of the soundtracks for all the loz games

satin: what never fails to make you happy?

oh oh oh oh oh when i give a present to my crush or i do something nice for them and they just give me the biggest smile or the best laugh ive ever heard and theres just the crinkle at the corners of their eyes from smilign so hard and because theyre trying so hard to keep eye contact with me while but theyre laughing really hard and they can only keep one eye open and like just the genuineness of joy and all

opal: talk about your interests and passions

hhhhhhhh dude dude like mannnnnn like hhhhhh okay imma talk about loz for a sec and like i know i brought it up before but i love like so much okay like oot was my first time playing time playing any loz game and my lord it was the shit like the storyline the characters the graphics the sound track the quests and side characters liek everything really made it feel like so much mroe and like i feel so much for it like heres link growing up and hes like what around ten or so and hes got some friends and he finally gets his fairy and then his tree dad goes and dies right after telling him lmao sorry but you kinda gotta save the kingdom k bye and like this kid this kid literally knows jack shit about anything but he goes on and does it anyways he goes and helps zelda he goes and helps the people who are in trouble along the way and plays some rad ass tunes on his tiny lil ocarina of time while doing it and like even when he gets put into the future like he sitll has the mindset of a ten year old hes still as innocent and earnest and pure hearted as when he first started and like holy fuck dont get me started on sheik like shit sheik is so damn cool and like knowing that it was zelda all that time like fuck yeah zelda can kick ass fuck yeah zelda got muscles for days fuck yeah she can punt you across the kingdom and like at the end when she thanks him and sends him back and time so he can enjoy the lost time like shit dude i know zelda meant well and all but like hes experienced so much with and for her hes done so much give the kid a break and then even then navi in the end like leaves and then eveything continues in majoras mask and again hes in his ten year old body but now wiht the experiences and knowledge and basically memories from being seventeen like hes got so much mroe than what his body and mind should handle at this point and he wanders into the forest again all in search for an old friend to look for navi and like when he gets sent to termina after trying to chase after skull kid and like havign those nightmares witht he scrubs like hes gone through so much and i only want more for him and like he doesnt have to save termina he doesnt he doesnt need to do anything he can let termina get smooshed to smitherins by the moon for all the work hes already done for hyrule but he does it anyway and he rewinds time again and again and again and again so he can fix all of these problems for all of these people he does all of this to bring some sort of proper ending for these people who have the last three days of their lives the last three days before their deaths repeat over and over and over and over and over again and he saves them each and every time he rewinds time and he goes through all this shit i mean this ten year old mother fucker is doing olympic bakc flips and twirls and shit after oot like shit boi and then like oh myy gooddddd like damn botw like fuck dude that game means a whole lot to me like its lacking a lil bit in the presence of an evil and i mena i know its ganon and all but like shit i could ignore that motherfucker for all eternity if he wasnt being such a total asshat to zelda and like i mainly beat that motherfucker up just for zelda like for once in a game ive never wanted more to save her like they went so much into detail abotu her and like dude those memories thos cutscenes? like that shit made everythign and i truly love her she works so hard and shes held up to this image of being extremely spiritiually adept because of all her ancestors ebcause of all the other zeldas but she jsut cant she jsut cant do the same thing and so she tries in other ways she tries to udnerstand and get a grasp on sheikah and ancient tech so she can at least be prepared to stand against the calamity when it does come and like the champions all worry about her like the girl nearly got herself killed in the process of trying to awaken her so called spiritual powers and like dude finding out that in the beginning zelda legit hated links ass like they put so much mroe into her like she she hated seeing that he was a prodigy that he didnt have a single trouble in the world and then finally link speaks up and he tells her he talks to her about why he keeps quiet and like the two finally bond and like the two dorks love each other so much that it really does go beyond friendship and romance like they legit would die for each other that one time that zelda was this fucking close to getting her ass handed to her on a silver platter and link was beat the fuck up like he went to save her and then the time when link was basically on his death bed and a guardian was about to pulverize him zelda stood between him and the guardian this bitch wasnt even thinking about having her spiritual powers she was legit ready to die for him if it meant he could run away and get to safety and i mean luckily she her spiritual powers did come out but she legit realized it when she was so genuinely scared but chose to stand up cause she cared for him so much and like these two kids fight so much and have gone through a lot both on their own times and also together but like i love them so much no matter what timeline theyre in

kiss: what do you want from life right now?

my lord i want life to point me in the right direction tbqh or at least give me a mentor for some help like please ive been guiding and doing everything myself this whole time give me a break like after reading all the stories for lang and lit like it makes me feel so lost in what im doing like after catcher in the rye and playing the role of holden caulfield and denying that i fit any part of the role and then realizing how similar i was to him and then reading death of a salesman and relating to biff and reading raisin in the sun and relating to beneatha like shit i really felt lost like ive been talking about it with my therapist lately and like yeah i think i really need some direction or reassurance or a mentor or at least something in my life thats consistent cause right now im a complete mess