#it's convenient we have a vending machine outside huh

[dustbon]

Well... yes

Besides the obvious makeover, Winter is now a super rare, showstopping, never seen before snow deity-like witch. Something really cool if you're living in Siberia or somewhere like that, because summer in Komorebi... eh, it can kind of kill us. Her. You understand me.

[self-loathing-angel-of-thursday2]

Beautiful Spouse’s Rewatch Thoughts SPN 09x18 Meta Fiction

“Let’s watch slutty men on TV”

Cain and Abel: The First Brothers

“They had the same daddy” “I don’t quite understand this human blood thing” He’s basically a junkie now

“What does it do to him? Makes him more human?” He gets feelings and shit. 

“I guess I would have figured it out if I waited 8 seconds”

That’s usually how it works

“CASA BLANK-A” “What’s up with the work boots?” “Does it say Packing Slip Encloser-ed? It’s es I guess” “I remember this guy dying” “That’s a good eye flick” “Is this how we’re going to paint our driveway?” IF you want to alienate our neighbors more, sure

Laughter

“Then just have like a little speaker with the exorcism being spoken every time there’s motion detected” “Who’s Snooki?” She was on Jersey Shore

“Is she the real one?” yeah

“Not a very good actor” “Idk. Not my thing. I guess everyone’s got a type” “It’s getting crazy” He’s reading Little Women

“That’s a lot of shopping bags” “So is a capybara a large rodent?” “I mean you’ve got a book to finish. Get back to work” “I suppose they’re on point with the music” ���Might be rehab time” “He’s not entirely accurate - the Challenger Deep is the deepest part of the Mariana Trench” “I mean he kinda is” “Don’t they want to fkn kill this guy? I suppose he doesn’t have the blade yet” “yeah” “excuse me?” Then laughter

“That would be a yes” “yup” “Isn’t that obvious?” “Can’t he just demon-punch the vending machine or something?” “that was convenient” “oh god” “Which one of them has a thing with the old ladies? I thought it was Sam, but she’s really giving Dean the business” I mean who wouldn’t give Dean the business

“Is the mint on the pillow for morning or evening? I just eat them when I see it” “Is any scotch good? I don’t like scotch” “people they kicked out then?” “Just him casually reading a porno. I mean, why not? He reads it for the articles” “the fuck is going on? Just walk into it. No worries” “Don’t bother asking question” “It looks like that one Russian museum we went to. Minus the vampires” “Is that a fkn word even?” “who else said that? Said they were all librarians” Dorothy

“Is there some sort of significance? You’ll tell me later right?” “the fuck? I need that spell. Just disappear people” gay

“Why’d you say that?” Companions are gay

“Oh shit he just got kidnapped. Nice” laughter

“Is he hulking out or some shit?” “cooking? Oh it’s a spell” I mean cooking is spellwork

“Just throw the bowl. It’s easy” “what the hell? He’s Men of Letters; you can’t use him for anything? Holy shit” “Is he going to stab him 37 times? Or 66 times? What’s the magic number?” “nope. Not going to stab him extra” “They fucked up the white balance. Unless it’s snowing out” “to be fair, repainting that would be a lot of work” “Donkey teeth. I like that” “that way he can carry a little ass around in his pocket” “

Beautiful Spouse’s Rewatch Thoughts SPN 09x17 Mother’s Little Helper

Bitch you could’ve made your own food

“Who’s killing who here?” “My question was answered in 2 seconds” “You better eat her fkn meatloaf” “It’s not hard to make a meatloaf, right? Outside of improper cooking” there’s a reason why I buy our meatloaf from the store

“Weird”

“Oh” 🎶saving people hunting things🎶

This is the one that Misha Collins directed

“Where the hell are they?” Illinois I think

“He sounds pretty Canadian to be in Illinois” “uh huh” “calling Crowley or what?” “what the fuck” “something definitely turned up before morning” “this is one of those cases where I’d leave the knife in the hand” laughter

“Huh” laughter

“Never caught that before” “what the hell” laughter

“God he’s weird as fuck” “am I supposed to know who she is?” SHe’s a famous lady that I don’t remember who she is

“Depends on the toast” “Does it say sluts on the pinball machine?” “I don’t understand how that’s complicated” Leaving the church is a complicated matter since it takes a lot to become a nun

“hahah”

“Apparently, they didn’t try sand blasting” “it’s because of shit like this, I just always assume there’s weird stuff going on in a church” “well fuck” “on the other hand, it could be propaganda for how cool it is to be a nun” “that’s some backstory. Idk if I ever remembered that” laughter

“How do you not laugh at shit like that?” “doesn’t he want Crowley dead? Or he’s still using him. Oh he doesn’t have the blade yet” laughter

“Quick enough for the first one but not the second one? Jeez” “panty waisted?” “ah there ya go” “well shit” “alright there we go” “this was a pretty good episode I guess. Almost felt like two” “what the fuck” 

“There’s like 3 story lines going on in this episode” “as if we need the music to make it more obvious”

Beautiful Spouse’s Rewatch Thoughts SPN 09x18 Meta Fiction

“Oh shit it’s Metatron” “It’s your mom” nipple

“On his arm?” No we saw his nipple! Lol

“Yup” “since when does Cas get distracted by anything? But I suppose it’s his favorite coat” “technology” “mixed in too many early reflections in the reverb” laughter

“I don’t know why that’s funny” laughter “oh that’s funny” “that was easy” “that’s a cool light fixture. Idk if I’ve ever want one but it’s cool” “is every hunter packing griffin feathers? I saw the sign on the door you must have griffin feathers” “what the hell” and laughter

“He says brother but I don’t know if he means by family” They’re angels so he’s like a big brother

“Is this season about parallel storylines? Each episode you catch equal of both sides. Idk if it’s correct or not” Every season is a parallel storyline

“It says OPEN.” pimpmobile

“You should know better than to bring denim to a leather fight” “oh got me” “I didn’t see that coming. That was good” “you can’t because we’re fucked if you do ? Or it’s impossible for you to fail?” “OHhhh. He’s reliving it” “isn’t that show kinda full of continuity errors? They’re not that bad, but I’m not good at picking up on them” “what the fuck” “underwear models” laughter

“That was good” “heh” “hair cut” “like a death cult or something?” “how are we supposed to trust an angel any more than a stupid demon?” “careful with your feet! Don’t break the thing” “the seven looked kinda like a symbol instead of a seven” “oh shit” “I still don’t understand why they’re mad at each other” “They keep lying to each other” “Gadreel just heard all of that” “is he just going to laugh it off somehow?” “where can I get me some holy oil?” “hell of a show” “Jesus fuck” “I don’t know what that means” You used to have to pay to make a phone call

“Oh payphone. Doesn’t this show take place in the 2000s? Why are we talking about payphone?” “This guy is so fkn full of himself” “what was that room set up for in the beginning of the episode?” Finding angels I think

“Is he working for Metatron?” No, Cas isn’t working for Metatron

“Fkn loud man” “is this the end of the season?” We’re getting close

[sneezefiction]

untouchable | vii

Atsumu x Reader

desc: in which an accidental run-in with pro volleyball player, Atsumu Miya, at a 7/11 leads to a strangers-to-lovers situation… but the catch is, you have no idea that he’s famous.

warnings: slight language, anxiety

wc: 3.2k

part 6 ⚬ part 7 ⚬ part 8 (coming soon)

untouchable m.list

—

“Here ya go.”

Osamu sets down a small cup of water, letting it clink against the bar’s granite surface. There’s no ice in it, but you can tell by the condensation on the glass that it’s cold. Osamu tosses a plastic straw toward you and it lands conveniently right next to your cup.

Throwing him a quick smile, you reach to take a sip but pause when you hear the click and gentle hiss of a drink can.

You’d know that sound anywhere.

It’s a reminder of street vending machines and roadside shops. Of summer walks on hot pebbled pathways and after-class escapades with old high-school friends. 

But, just to be sure, you glance over to study the object in the hands of the man next to you.

Yes, you confirm, Miya Atsumu has indeed brought a can of green tea into his brother’s restaurant. And, yes, you are quite amused.

You choke down the rising laughter in your chest, though you can’t hide the small smile creeping onto your lips. This is the dorkiest thing you think you’ve ever seen on a not-date before.

 “Where the hell were you hiding that?” You tilt your head, leaning toward him to get a closer look at the drink.

“You’ll see.” Completely unfazed, he reaches for his coat, which hangs on the back of the chair, and digs into the pocket…

And, if what you’re seeing is true, he’s just fished out a second can. The paper covering the aluminum has a pink, floral print and reads, “Matcha-” but his thumb covers the rest of the lettering.

“What? Did you want one?” Atsumu tilts his head and places the can next to your water glass.

You stare at it, curious about two things. 

The first thing being his massive fucking pockets. They must be something of a void for him to fit two whole cans in the same pouch. Well, it’s more like you assume they were contained in a single pocket. Otherwise, you would’ve noticed a sloshing, aluminum object bumping up against your side as you two walked arm-in-arm.

The second thing that struck you is that he actually thought to bring two. Did he plan on drinking both? Was it originally for his brother? Or did he intend to offer you one right from the start? 

You do happen to like this brand of tea.

Atsumu leans back into his chair, tossing an arm over the back of the seat. “My friend tells me it’s good for digestion,” he explains and takes a sip.

“My digestion is just fine, thanks. You can keep it.” 

Your eyes crease in mirth. He has some interesting friends, that’s for sure. And why does he care about digestion? He’s fit and muscular and... is he constipated or something?

Yeah, that’s not something you should ask about.

“I’m gonna try not to imagine what else you could be hiding in those pockets,” you say, twisting your face in concern and pinching your eyebrows together.

Atsumu grimaces, shifting in his seat. “Did ya have to say it like that?” 

“I think I have every right to say it like that. You could be a freak for all I know.”

“Um, I think it’s entirely possible that you’re the freak here.” He shoots right back at you through mock-judgmental eyes.

Your jaw drops in amused surprise. You shove his arm playfully, but his balance hardly wavers. He grins in response, golden eyes glimmering. Your hand lingers briefly as you mimic his smile, but you notice and drop it quickly.

“Gettin’ comfortable now aren’t we?”

A faint flush dances across your skin. Maybe you were being a little touchy… but flirting hasn’t been this fun in so long. Anyway, he was the one who had you walking arm-in-arm with him earlier.

That thought alone makes your heart jump.

You look away, grasping the straw in your glass and twirling it around. “You got all comfy first,” is all you can huff out.

“Well, yeah.” Atsumu places an elbow on the table and props his chin up with his hand, “I mean, this is a date isn’t it?” He takes another sip of his drink, acting as though what he said wasn’t headline news.

Huh?

So apparently this whole not-a-date but possibly-a-date situation had an obvious answer… to Atsumu that is. It still felt about as clear as rocket science to you though.

“Is it?” The words flow from your lips before you can stop them.

He blinks. “Hm.” 

You swallow, “Is this a date?” 

He gestures a hand at the two of you, “I mean... I thought it was.”

Well, yes. You’re both sitting across from each other. Neither of you knows the other well. Atsumu had taken you to his brother’s restaurant.

Everything that’s happened in the past hour screams, “date.”

And, yet, it’s all too strange.

Suddenly the wooden barstool is much less comfortable. You readjust, crossing your dangling legs. You can hear every uneven as it leaves your body - hopefully his ears aren’t too keen.

Did you really change the atmosphere with just a few words?

Should you have assumed that this was a date from the beginning? But you were protecting yourself… 

Thank God Osamu is in the back right now. You don’t think you could handle someone else (especially your date’s brother) hearing this conversation. The embarrassment would be way too real.

“But if you’re not okay with it bein’ a date, then that’s okay.” Atsumu is quick to speak, straightening up in his chair. “I probably forgot to clarify…” He searches your gaze for any change in reaction.

Yeah, he’s probably not adept at these sorts of situations. But neither are you.

There’s a noticeable tint to his cheeks. You’re sure it must burn because your own face has already burst into flames. Great, you’ve made him feel like he’s screwed up. 

Atsumu mumbles a quiet “shit” under his breath, which would’ve found funny if it weren’t for your own pounding heartbeat.

Dammit, how can you salvage this? You might as well be fanning a flame at this point. If you weren’t careful, you could burn this entire opportunity to the ground. 

“Ah, that’s not what I mean,” You respond, waving your hands out in front of you, “I just- I don’t know, you never said anything about it being a date over text, so I just assumed it wasn’t. Not that I would mind it being one...”

If you keep talking, the words will only get more muddled. You clamp your mouth shut so as to not say anything ridiculous.

Suddenly, the blank wall opposite the blonde is very interesting. Maybe if you survive the next 5 minutes you’ll suggest that ‘Samu add some art pieces to soften the stark white paint. It might also make avoiding eye-contact a little easier.

Despite not wanting to face him, you can’t exactly ignore the man sitting an arm’s length away from you. You glance back to him, bracing yourself for a face wrought with confusion.

But Atsumu looks… amused? Relieved? The lines of worry on his forehead have smoothed back out.

Well, whatever emotion he’s conveying, it’s better than the ones you saw earlier.

“Alright, then how about you tell me whether you want this to be a date or not?”

You bite your lip in thought. Partly because a male has just respectfully asked you if you’d like to go on a date (a date you’re already on.) That, in itself, is a rare sight indeed. 

But mostly because he actually wants to go on a date with you.

Did you really meet him only a month ago? Was he ever a stranger to you?

He’s a little too friendly for that. But friendly isn’t the right word. Atsumu is understanding. And simple… but in a good way. Things are smooth like velvet when you’re around him.

You, who’s been shit out of luck over the past few years. You, who had to frantically accept a less than ideal job after moving away from your entire support system. You, who tried to abate loneliness with blind dates and Tinder matches... but only ever ended up shoving breadsticks in a bag before escaping through the backdoor of a mediocre restaurant.

After all the tears and life changes and dating apps and heartbreak, you finally have a choice that you can make by yourself without any serious repercussions.

And it’s a simple yes or no question.

“I’m gonna say, yeah. This is a date.”

A grin that could light up the city of Tokyo spreads across his face. You don’t know why he’s so happy, but it’s making your heart do somersaults in your chest.

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” He grabs his drink, taking another sip.

Even you can feel the earnest smile on your face reaching your eyes. 

“So, can I ask ya somethin’?”

You sit up in silent anticipation. “Uh… sure.”

Atsumu clears his throat, looks away from you and runs a hand through the waves of his hair. Given Atsumu’s display of nerves, someone watching from the outside might think that this man was either about to break up with you or propose marriage.

Thank God it couldn’t be either of those things. But your hands clasp at your thighs anxiously anyway.

“Why’d you want to see me again?”

You find yourself holding your breath, letting his question sink in. 

It’s a good question. An important question. Why exactly are you here? With him?

You’re usually better about setting your intentions before you dive into something new. Plotting out big decisions has saved your ass a multitude of times.

But this opportunity fell into your lap at the most peculiar of times.

In all honesty, you didn’t give his request too much thought. Hell, you didn’t even ask him if he’d give you time to think about your decision. 

Thinking back, you really should’ve been way more careful… but you’re already here.

You lean back into your chair and meet his gaze head-on. 

“Do you want an honest answer? Or would you rather me make something up?” You ask, a glimmer in your eye.

“Oh, yeah I love bein’ lied to, go right ahead.” He throws you a look through squinted eyes.

You laugh, “I’m assuming that’s sarcasm.”

“And you’d be right.” Atsumu’s chin sinks back into his hand, awaiting your honest answer.

You give yourself a moment to breathe, leaning back into your chair and relaxing your body.

It’s best to keep things brief - you’d hate to overwhelm him with your own life. And something tells you he has his own complicated shit to deal with. 

“I’ve had a rough few years here and my social life is about as interesting as a brick right now.” You glance over to him, “Plus you seemed a little weird. But fun.”

This is all true. But there’s so much more you’d like to say.

Stuff like, 

“You’re so easy to be around.”

“Your voice is comforting.”

“I’ve felt like shit but you’ve given me something good to think about.”

“I feel a little less lonely lately and I think it’s because of you.”

But you know that would be overstepping some major boundaries. You’d play it cool and keep your thoughts to yourself for now.

“A bit blunt, but I’ll take it.” He quirks an eyebrow.

“Hey, you’re pretty blunt yourself.” You fake a frown, but can’t suppress your smile for long.

“Okay, sure, I’m not the most tactful… but you should’ve seen me in high school.” He sighs, eyes growing fuzzy with memories. 

But he’s quick to snap back to the present.

You snort. “I bet you were a hoot.”

Osamu’s voice rings from the back, “He was a lot more than that.”

So he was listening in, your cheeks burn a little at the thought. 

“Oi, shaddup, ‘Samu.” He lifts his head, calling back with a playful growl in his voice.

“I have video evidence, don’t tempt me to share it,” Osamu warns, but he gets back to business.

Your eyebrows raise. Now that’d be fun to see.

He notices your curiosity but is quick to furrow his brows. “Oh, no, no. I want you to get to know me, but not that well,” Atsumu says, slightly perturbed. 

“Not yet, at least.” He adds, after a few seconds.

Your eyes soften. 

That makes sense. 

Although, you hadn’t even expected him to show you the videos. You’d just wanted to tease him a little since that seems to be something he’s very comfortable with. You like that it’s a “not yet” instead of a “never,” though.

But instead of continuing this part of the conversation, you divert to asking his question back to him.

“Well, I think it’s your turn to tell me why you asked me out.”

And you swear you must’ve just said something ridiculous because he looks hilariously surprised. Like a deer in headlights. A jammed highway of car-headlights with the brights on full blast.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d guess that he hadn’t even thought about it. That or he didn’t want to tell you.

Either way, you deserve to know at least this much. You wait with your hands placed patiently in your lap and a trained indifference in your eyes.

—

Okay, so maybe he’s not the sharpest crayon in the box.

Atsumu knows he has a good reason for asking you out… he really does. 

But it wasn’t the kind of reason one could eloquently verbalize. I mean, shit, what does Atsumu do that is eloquent?

It was more of a gut feeling than anything else. 

But he’s sure if he told you that he wanted to date you based on “instinct” that you’d laugh and promptly flee the restaurant like a prison escapee jumping the walls holding them captive.

He pulls himself together because he’s sure you can sense his discomfort. He’s never been great at disguising his emotions - he’d only ever learned to mask them with nonchalance and angry outbursts… and that’s a no-go when it comes to the press. Atsumu had to drop those reactions like a hotcake.

“I…” he swallows but gives a wry smile, “Y’see… I live a bit of a complicated life.”

He scans your face like he’s searching for his next words within your eyes. But you’re must be a blank page because they don’t come to him.

“Okay, now, don’t go telling me you’re wanted for some sort of federal crime.” You tease him as your lips brush against your straw, lightening the atmosphere in the process.

Atsumu’s lips open to let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding in. “Ah, ya got me. That’s exactly what I was gonna say.” He responds dryly.

“That’s so sad. And I really thought this was going well, too.” You hum and take a sip of water.

He clears his throat, loosening his shoulder with a stretch. For someone who’s lived most of his adult life in the limelight, he hasn’t had to talk about it much. People either know he’s famous or they don’t.

You’re so kind. You listen well. There’s something about you that he’s magnetized by. Something that continuously draws him back in.

So if you were to learn about his life and see him differently? It would be a door slamming into his face, sealing his fate to be a really fucking lonesome bachelor. Which is a funny concept until you are the lonely bachelor.

So what exactly is he supposed to tell you?

Out of habit, his hand reaches for his hair… but he freezes before he can run his fingers through it.

Because the words are coming to him like a lone flower petal drifting to the ground. Soft and solemn.

He asked you out because his chest hasn’t ached like this in so long.

The warmth you’ve brought him in such a short time flares inside of him; why should those flames to die down anytime soon?

Because when’s the last time he spoke with somebody new and felt so normal? He’d never craved simple conversation back in high school. Even in his early 20’s, he’d just been searching for quick flings and easy getaways - those were easy to manage and feelings almost never got involved.

But being with you is like honey to hot, bitter tea. Like chowing down on a hot meal when he’s hungry.

No, it’s not easy to explain, but your presence is somehow satiating to his soul. Osamu even said that he’s been “less of a dick” since he started talking with you, so that must count for something.

You don’t need to know all of that. That’d be really weird. But if you were already being honest with him (even if you hadn’t spilled your entire life’s story) then he can be honest with you. 

But with this groundbreaking realization comes the hard part. Saying it out loud. And while he’s sometimes smooth in terms of flirting, he’s absolute shit at explaining himself.

The words come out slow and awkward. “I’ve been havin’ a hard time with… people.” 

Okay, that’s not at all what he meant to say. 

There are a million things you could’ve gleaned from that useless sentence. ‘I have a hard time with people?’ I mean, if that didn’t sound like a red flag, then what does?

“Oh, really?” Your eyes are wide and thoughtful and he swears he sees a glint of amusement flash through them. 

Shit, this would be harder than he thought. 

“Well, dating in particular, but that’s because my life is out of wack.” He presses on, but it only comes out worse.

Maybe he should’ve taken that communications class back in high school. It would’ve saved his ass in his interviews and, more importantly, here.

You nod along, folding your arms. “Mhmm.”

It’s both unfair and such a relief that you’re finding his verbal blunders funny. 

“Okay, gimme a minute, this is comin’ out all wrong.”

“Take your time,” you smile and your eyes crinkle. “I’ll be here all night.” 

But is it possible to soften what he’s about to say? To give you something to chew on rather than a bunch of information to choke on?

Being candid with you is the only fair way to do this. If he isn’t straightforward with you, you could end up getting hurt. Even being with you here at his brother’s restaurant is a risk — he should’ve thought through that decision better too. Not that he visits his brother there in person much, but it’s still not a gamble he likes to make.

Anyway, what’s done is done. He’s just got to tell you.

Atsumu sits up, resting his clenched fists on his thighs and knitting his brows together.

“Listen, I’m not sure how to tell you this…”

You shift in your seat, mouth closed and eyes fixed on his. There’s a tension in your posture, but he tries not to let it deter him.

“But I’m...”

—

[rintarous]

birthday week — kageyama tobio

SUMMARY: before kageyama finally joins the world of adolescence, you thought it would be nice if you showed him what it feels like to break some rules and that it’s okay to be reckless every once in a while. 

PAIRING: kageyama x reader; best friends to lovers!au 

A/N: happy birthday to my number one forever and always, kageyama! let’s pretend kageyama is turning 18 and i hope you all enjoy. feedback would highly be appreciated and this is inspired by jessica vu’s video, ‘my last week as a teen’ 

WORD COUNT: 4.4K

EXTRAS: huge huge HUGE thanks to @kkulbloom​​ and @tobiiok​​ for taking the time to proofread and help me with this!!! i dedicate this entire thing to you guys HAHA + gracie, i kept some of the shit you wrote hehe ++ I’M LIKE 2 DAYS LATE I’M SORRY LMFAO

“any plans on your birthday this year?” you asked kageyama as he walks you to class. “just the usual. eating out with you and my family” he shrugs, sipping on the rest of his milkbox. 

“wait, you’re not doing anything for your birthday this year?” you stopped your tracks and whipped your head to face a very confused kageyama. “what’s so special about my birthday this year?” he raises a brow at you. 

“it's your eighteenth birthday; you dummy” you poke his chest. “it’s the year you finally turn into a wholeass adult and you’re not gonna do anything?!” you continued, standing in front of him with your hands on your hip. 

before he could say anything, the bell rings indicating that lunch break was over. kageyama hurriedly walks you to your classroom. “i’ll see you later,” he waves off, walking away from your classroom to head to his own. 

you watched his silhouette slowly disappear by the door frame before an idea popped into your head. kageyama never strayed far from his routine and was always a stickler for rules even as a child, and this part of him hasn’t changed since. you were always more mischievous and outgoing; you were dubbed the troublemaker while kageyama was treated as the model child. 

you wanted to take this opportunity and show him that breaking the rules could be fun. 

you sat inside their infamous volleyball club gym, waiting for him to finish up their daily practices. 

you were on your phone, listing the possible ideas that you and kageyama could do that were reckless but also deemed as “kageyama friendly” as you liked to call it- basically stuff that are just within his comfort zone, but at the same time not. 

you thought long and hard about the things kageyama likes and dislikes. only to end up with five possible things you two could do on such a short notice which are sneaking out late at night, sleeping on the top of his roof, and lastly driving around sendai and going shopping.

“what are you doing?” kageyama sneaks up behind you, peeking over your shoulder to see what you were so serious about. “huh?! nothing!” you yelped, flailing your arms around and almost dropping your phone in front of him. 

kageyama cocks his head to the side. “... okay” he holds his hands out in defense before shrugging. “i’m done for the day. c’mon let’s go home”

—

“oh yeah, didn’t you say you wanted to talk about something?” kageyama brings up to the conversation you were having with him. you looked at him for a moment before your lips formed an ‘o’ shape. 

how could you forget your own plan? 

linking your elbows with his, a terribly old habit of yours that formed throughout the years of friendship with him you’ve gotten from the day you met him. you bat your eyelashes in front of your best friend. “say, how about i show you a good time” you wiggle your eyebrows suggestively..

kageyama makes a face and pushes you off of him, making you laugh. “i’m kidding” you hiccuped, latching onto him again. “what i’m saying is, do you kageyama tobio,” you run up in front of him and got down on one knee, 

“allow me, y/n, to show you how to have fun for once in your life?” you hold your hand out dramatically, covering your eyes with the other as you waited for his answer. kageyama simply slaps your hand away and tells you to get up from the ground. 

you pout as you walk beside him again. “c’mon dude, you’re always in your own bubble” you tried to explain, “let me be the first one to pop it, your highness” you joked, tugging his arm. 

kageyama sighs before looking down at you. “what will we even be doing?” he questions, looking at your pouting face. “i’m not helping you hide a body or anything illegal like that,” he adds, pointing a finger at you.

you looked at him weirdly before shaking the thought away. “just simple things like sneaking out late at night” you shrugged, peering over to watch his reaction. “i know you don’t have the balls to do it”

kageyama scoffs, shocked that you actually said that. “you know what..” he starts, the desire to prove you wrong getting the best of him. “i’ll prove to you that my life isn’t just in a bubble” he quotes. you can’t help but smirk at his answer. maybe provoking him was the right choice after all.

“alright tobio, you got yourself a deal.” 

3 days before his birthday...

it is thursday, december 18th, there were three days left before kageyama’s birthday and not to mention, this week is also the last week of school before winter break starts. for your first plan of action on giving kageyama the best week of his life was to pop his late night escapade cherry.

“i’m outside” you texted kageyama at 11 o’clock sharp. you shove your phone back into your pocket and looked up at kageyama’s window. you see the window open slowly and kageyama’s leg thrown over. you smirked proudly at your best friend who found the courage to do this and ruin his meticulous sleeping schedule just because you said he couldn’t do it but we all know he did this out of pure pettiness.

kageyama silently closes his window, in hopes no one in his family heard but then again, they were already out like a light. he carefully climbs down off his balcony and lands on the grass patch in front of his house. he then jumps over his own gate and jogs over to you.

“wow THE kageyama sneaking out in the flesh” you applaud, teasing him. kageyama scowls and looks away to hide the embarrassed blush on his cheeks. “now where are we going this late at night?” he grumbles, putting his hood on. 

“the convenience store of course!” you grinned, leading the way to your favorite store that was still open. kageyama feels a vein pop on his forehead upon realizing that he did all of this just to head over to the convenience store you two nearly visit everyday after school. 

—

“want some?” you hold out a plastic spoon, offering him some ice cream. kageyama shakes his head no as he stares at you. he was kinda mad at you for ruining his sleep schedule just to get some ice cream. “why are you staring at me like that?” you asked, savouring the sweet delicacy that was on your mouth as you speak. 

“you made me sneak out just to watch you eat ice cream” kageyama deadpans, dropping his head on the table. “i asked you what you wanted but you didn’t say anything!” you furrowed your brows. “that’s because i want sleep!” he argues, flicking your forehead. 

“you have to stop flicking me all the time” you point your spoon at him menacingly, trying to sound as threatening as possible but it comes out as a choked cry as you tried not to laugh. kageyama bites his lip in attempt to stop himself from smiling. he was supposed to be mad at you but why wasn’t it working?

“whatever you dumbass” was all he could say before he snatches your spoon from your hand and takes a bite out of your ice cream.

—

“what time is it?” you ask kageyama who was dozing off to sleep in the middle of the park. kageyama grunts, blinking the sleepiness away. “you’re weak” you comment, grabbing your phone to check the time yourself. it wasn’t even half past twelve and yet he’s already sleepy. 

“we have school today you know” he says, leaning his head on top of yours. “so?” you shrugged, scrolling through your phone. you wanted to skip anyways since it was the last day before winter break. “i still have practice” kageyama notes. 

you huffed knowing he was right. even if you wanted him to fuck around, you know how important attending practice is for kageyama as he is the vice captain of the team. ‘he wins this round’ you think to yourself. 

“keep an eye open when you sleep later. we’re not done yet with this thing we have going on” you say loud enough for him to hear. kageyama grunts again and yawns, “yeah whatever you say y/n” he stands up and stretches his limbs,

“let’s go home”

 2 days before his birthday…

you figured you wouldn’t see kageyama this morning and you were right. shrugging, you headed downstairs tot the vending machine to get yourself some canned coffee to wake yourself up. 

today’s agenda is to have a sleepover at his place and go on top of his roof to go stargazing but if he wasn’t having any of that, you already have some movies in mind to watch with him inside. 

taking a sharp left, you were surprised to see kageyama at the vending machine. you crept up behind him and jumped on his back. “good morning!” you exclaimed. kageyama spits out the milk he was drinking as he balances himself (and you for that matter) from face planting on the cold hard floor. 

you giggled as you ran around him to take a good look at his tired face. his eye bags were already prominent on his flawless face even if he just slept late once. you also took the leisure to notice how his hair seems to be unkempt today and how his uniform was wrinkled. It was as if he just rolled out of bed and went straight to school.  

“oh shit you were late for school too?” you gasped, covering your mouth to prevent yourself from laughing. kageyama narrows his eyes, clicking his tongue in annoyance. “this is your fault” 

“well i gave you a choice and you agreed to it” you countered, crossing your arms as you look up at him with a devious smile. “anyway, i’m staying over at your place today” you mentioned, moving past him towards the vending machine, clicking the button for canned coffee. 

kageyama continues sipping on his drink as he watches you grab your canned coffee from the machine. you walked up to him and offered him some. “drink some of this so you’ll feel less tired” you say, handing the drink to him. 

kageyama reluctantly takes a sip. he’s not particularly fond of coffee but desperate times call for desperate measures. he still had after school practice after all.

he handed you back your drink when he noticed your cheeks have gone pink. why were you blushing? 

“we just shared an indirect kiss!” you gushed, your hands on your chest as you dance around him. kageyama felt blood rush to his cheeks. “no we didn’t” he immediately denies, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

no way in hell was he gonna let himself slip like that in front of you.

“i’m just kidding, tobio” you wipe a tear that was escaping your eye from laughing so much. it was always fun to tease kageyama especially when he reacts like this. it was so easy to make him feel flustered and sometimes he wouldn’t even fight back. 

“i’m coming around yours later, okay? see you” you wave off, leaving a blushing kageyama standing still near the vending machine. what is this effect you had on him?

—

you were finally at kageyama’s house just like you mentioned earlier today. you were on his bed, waiting for him to arrive from afternoon practice. 

you’ve already set up the shit you two would need for tonight such as extra blankets and throw pillows that you brought from your own home and some movies you had downloaded in case kageyama gets bored from stargazing. 

it was all ready just for him. 

kageyama comes home an hour later after you. when he walks in his room to sees you sprawled out on his bed taking a nap. he smiles softly to himself seeing your state. that’s what you get for sneaking out with me late at night, he thinks to himself, placing his gym bag on the floor quietly, careful not to wake you. 

“tobio?” you mumbled, waking up from your nap. you sit up and wiped your mouth in case you drooled. “good evening” kageyama replies, whacking you with his sweaty shirt. “kageyama that’s gross!” you grimaced, shielding yourself with his pillow. kageyama laughs, grabbing his shirt from the end of the bed before ruffling your hair. 

“i’m gonna take a shower. wait for me”

it was time for dinner by the time he finished showering. after you helped his mom with the dishes, you and kageyama finally went back upstairs to his room.

“any plans tonight?” kageyama asked, closing his door. you plop down on his bed, snuggling closer to his blankets before nodding your head. “we’re sleeping on your roof tonight.” 

kageyama looks at you skeptically. “i’m not hauling your ass up there” he says, crossing his arms. he looks around for something and grabs the pillows and blankets you’ve brought from home. “let’s just build a fort here like we used to,” he tries to convince you but to no avail, you didn’t say shit.

—

after having a heavy argument and him having to drag your ass up onto his roof, you two were finally settled in your little makeshift fort you built for yourselves. which basically just consisted of a messy pile of blankets and throw pillows on top of each other but nevertheless, it looked and was cozy as fuck. 

“what now?” kageyama breathes out, a bit exhausted after everything. you lie down next to him and pointed towards the night sky. “we watch the stars!” you exclaimed, pulling a pillow close to your chest. 

you began babbling on about the stars you were looking at and if kageyama was being honest , he didn’t know what the fuck you were talking about. he didn’t have the heart to tell you because of the way your eyes lit up and how genuinely excited you looked just by stargazing with him. 

he could stare at you like this forever if he could but he won’t. for now at least.

you turned your head slightly to the right to see kageyama fondly staring right back at you. your eyes’ both widened as you two quickly averted your gazes from each other, cheeks heating up in the process.

“so... where were we” you coughed, breaking the awkward tension. “i don’t know, wasn’t listening” kageyama admits. “of course you were” you say sarcastically, “that’s why i prepared some movies for us to watch.” 

the next morning arrives after what just seemed like watching a handful of movies. you don’t even know how you ended up sleeping on top of his chest but you weren’t complaining at all. 

you tried recalling the events that happened last night but all you can remember is that it started out as platonic cuddling as he was lying down with his hands behind his head. it got chilly in the middle of the movie marathon, so you cuddled up next to him for some warmth. he even offered his arm for you to lay on. 

little by little his hands were creeping up your arm until he pulled you right on top of him like it was nothing. your legs were entangled with one another and if anyone saw you, it would look like a couple laying on the roof watching some cheesy romcoms. 

“kags?” you murmured, looking up to see him fast asleep. he stirred in his sleep and unconsciously pulled you closer to him, like he’s afraid of letting you go. kageyama grunted, burying his head into the crook of your neck. “just a little longer...” he croaked in his morning voice. 

it wouldn’t hurt to stay in his arms a bit longer so that’s exactly what you did. 

1 day before his birthday…

kageyama didn’t bring up the incident that happened between the two of you earlier today and you were glad he didn’t. you don’t want to remember the fact that you deliberately stayed in his arms until he woke up. not to mention the growing sexual tension between the two of you, it was better if it was swept under the rug. 

it’s the day before his birthday and the third and final thing on your kageyama list was to drive around sendai and spend a shit ton of money with no remorse.

“wanna drive around with me today?” you asked kageyama as you two ate in silence. kageyama scoops himself some cereal before answering your question. “do i even have a choice?” he rolls his eyes. it was true though, it’s not like he had a choice to begin with anyway.

“... good answer”

—

“think of this as my advanced birthday gift to you” you assured, as you two walked around the streets of sendai. “just tell me what you want and i’ll buy it for you” you added, showing off your credit card.

“anything i want?” kageyama repeated, racking his brain for anything he needed. you nod your head as you looked around for some good shops to start with. “need clothes? or anything like that?” you pondered, trying to help him decide.

in the end, he asked for some new knee pads and a new volleyball along with it. 

after doing some shopping, you two were currently resting on a bench in a park nearby, while eating some crepes he bought. “is this all?” you look up at him, kind of thrown off by how short his wish list was. kageyama holds up a finger to signify that he was still chewing his food. “there’s really nothing i want at the moment,” he answers, looking at your face. 

his eyes fell to the corner of your mouth where there was a bit of chocolate syrup smeared. kageyama uses the pad of his thumb to wipe it away, completely catching you off guard. you felt your face instantly heat up at his gesture before you jerked your face away from him, toying with your car keys.

“let’s go for a drive.” 

— 

after mindlessly driving around sendai, past his old middle school, to shiratorizawa, you two somehow ended up in the middle of nowhere with a cliff side that you can see a clear view over sendai. you got out of your car and sat on the hood with kageyama beside you. 

“it’s so pretty,” you commented, staring at the bright lights emitting from the buildings down below. “it is,” kageyama agreed. “where did you even hear about this place?” he asked, sipping on a drink he got at some gas station.

“tsukishima told me about it,” you shared, fumbling with your hands. kageyama scoffed, shaking the drink in his hands. “of course he did.” he looked down at his ground before glancing at you. “did he bring you up here before?” 

you shake your head no, “we broke up before he had the chance to bring me here.” kageyama hummed at your answer before lightly punching your shoulder. “what’s with the sour mood all of a sudden” he taunted.

you glared at the boy beside you, “that’s because you brought up this shit again,” you hissed, crossing your arms and shifting your body away from him. kageyama laughed at your reaction, using the hem of your sweater to pull you into his embrace. “i’m just joking.”  

“doesn’t sound like you are,” you murmured against his chest. you pulled away from him and stared up at him again. “but i am,” he assured, smoothing down your hair. “technically, i brought you up here first” 

you rolled your eyes at his attempt to be cheesy and pushed him away. “whatever loser” you stuck your tongue out at him. you grabbed your phone from your pockets to check the time. “it’s getting late. we should go home” you say, unlocking your car. 

before you could actually go home, kageyama suddenly asked if it would be alright if he could be the one to drive the two of you home. so now you were in the passenger seat, belting out to your playlist that kageyama saved on his phone as he drove. you took your phone out and started recording everything. just for keeps you tell yourself as you filmed kageyama singing along to the songs that were playing on your stereo. 

kageyama was genuinely having the time of his life with you right now, that’s for sure. he was laughing and singing along with you without a care. it was a rare sight to see him so carefree, no restraints from himself and that made you really happy. 

you’ve known kageyama way back since middle school. being in the same friendship group with him and all. in a nutshell, your relationship with kageyama is what kunimi is to kindaichi. you are his anchor, you keep him grounded and above all,

you will always be there for him even if the rest of the world would be against him.

maybe that’s why you treasure kageyama so much. you don’t want him to ever feel like he’s all on his own like he was once in his own team again. 

you snapped out of your little trance when you noticed that this wasn’t the route from earlier. kageyama saw the look of confusion on your face when he took a quick glance at you. “we’re taking the long way home” he tells you as the car comes to a stop at a red light. “you’re telling me this now?” you huffed, crossing your arms

kageyama suddenly places his hand on your thigh, making your eyes pop out of their sockets. you freeze under his sudden touch, obviously not used to this type of shit from him. 

“just relax,” kageyama mutters, tapping random beats on your thigh. “o-okay...” you choked out, feeling your face heat up again. you resisted the urge to put your hand on top of his. snap out of it, you think to yourself. you aren’t supposed to think like this. he’s your best friend! and definitely not your lover! 

your head was spinning, were you overanalyzing this? you squeezed your eyes shut as your brain was racking every single moment that led to this until he gives your thigh a firm squeeze making your breath hitch. 

fuck it, you think to yourself. you unbuckled your seatbelt, grabbed his face and pulled him in for a kiss. 

for once in your life, you were glad he chose the long way home.  

the day of his birthday…

it was finally the day, his 18th birthday. you were honestly pretty proud of yourself on how your week long plan was going smoothly and was finally coming to a close. kageyama now has stories to tell his grandkids about his teenage years. how he sneaked out for once in his life, slept on his roof, drove around his hometown and kissed the girl of his dreams.

speaking of which, there’s no denying that there’s something going on between the two of you now. not that you planned all of this just to confess to your best friend or anything like that. it was anything but that. 

“what are we..” you mumbled quietly after you two pulled away. kageyama intertwines your hands with his. “whatever you want it to be” 

it went silent after that. maybe he was right for making you take the lead. the last thing he wants is for you to feel uncomfortable for taking things too fast.

kageyama ended up staying over at your place last night. by the time you two arrived at home it was already quarter to 12. he couldn’t make it home anymore because the gates were already locked.

which is why he’s in your room cuddled up against you. “so what are we doing later?” kageyama yawned, pulling you closer to his chest. you threw your leg over his torso before answering. “it’s a secret” you tell him, suddenly feeling drowsy over the warmth he so conveniently provided.

kageyama turned around to look at your clock on the bedside table. “wanna sleep a bit? it’s getting late” he proposes, running his hand along your arm. you shook your head, “we won’t be needing sleep for now” you hummed, tracing random shapes with your finger on his chest. “what?” he asked, yawning again. 

“anyways” you changed the subject, “i’ve been meaning to ask you,” you paused momentarily before looking up at him.”what are we?” you look up at him. “what about us?” kageyama questions, looking down at you with curiosity written all over his face. 

you scrunch your nose, “we’re best friends, kags” you start, breaking eye contact with him to look up at your ceiling. “and best friends don’t kiss each other” you breathe out, the heavy feeling slowly being lifted off of your shoulders. 

“maybe some do” kageyama muses, completely disregarding whatever you were hinting at him. you let out a scoff, “like who?” you scowled, glaring at him. “like us” he shrugs, rolling his eyes at your overreaction. 

“how bold!” you faked gasped, a hand on your chest. kageyama was still on top of you, his eyes never leaving yours. “i think it’s pretty obvious what our status is now” he comments. “a couple..” you murmured. kageyama felt his heart swell at your statement. “a couple of besties!” you laughed out loud.

“fuck you” kageyama growls, rolling off of you. he shifts his body to the side where he isn’t facing you and started sulking. “kags” you laughed, shaking his arm. “oy kageyama” you whined, trying to catch his attention

kageyama shoos you away and continues to sulk. you take notice of the clock which read 11:58 PM. you had exactly two minutes to do something before the clock hits midnight.

clicking your tongue in annoyance, you rolled on top of kageyama, “what are you doing-” you hear him say. you support yourself with your arms in between his head, trapping him in the middle. you leaned down, your nose touching as he felt your breath fan his face. “happy birthday, tobio” you greet, as the clock hits 12, closing the distance between the two of you.

this was probably his best birthday gift yet. 

[shinydelirium]

Kiro’s Rumors and Secrets: Discarded Light (Season 2 Chapters 6-9) Translation [CN]

***SPOILERS*** THIS POST CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS FOR CONTENT NOT YET RELEASED ON EN SERVER!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!***

So I lied when I said I was gonna translate and post Kiro’s Season 2 chapter 12, lol. But rest assured, it will be next. Just wanted to include this R&S after translating chapter 8-9 to provide some more insight into Kiro’s character from an outsider’s perspective. Although it’s also a pathetic excuse to delay the chapter 12 translation cuz I know it’s gonna hurt just as much as the first time I read it T_T

Anyways, enjoy~

This “superstar” is always beyond everyone’s expectations.

[Chapter 1]

The giant, reinforced concrete extends high into the sky, and the spotlessly wiped glass reflects the neon and dilapidated crescent moon in the distance.

Ah Liu perched on the top of the building, aiming at the silent building opposite him.

Soon, the 8 o’clock bell and a sound in his earphones rang at the same time.

“It’s time to start.”

Ah Liu tightened the rope harness, confirmed the safety of the landing point, and jumped down into the bottomless abyss between the two buildings.

Ah Liu is a bartender, a kind of superficial meaning.

Although he is indeed employed by the owner of Mondlicht bar, his work is not just about bartending and wiping glasses.

“A guest will come in the afternoon, and you will be in charge of collecting it.”

In the bar, the man behind the counter hummed a small tune and placed the wine glasses on the shelf as usual, attached to the task at hand without raising his head.

Ah Liu nodded and when he got up, he heard the man add another sentence.

“This time it’s a long-term big deal. The employer’s status is a bit special, so be more cautious.”

Ah Liu has done many assignments, but the boss reminded him as if this is first time.

This means that the employer is really not good at talking.

The owner threw a report from the counter. Ah Liu took it and looked up in surprise after a few glances.

“What is this person?”

The owner knew what he was thinking, and smiled amusingly.

“When you see him, you will know how kind and compassionate my reminder is.”

Ah Liu put the file on the table suspiciously. The knife in his hand gave off a silver light, feeling a bit funny.

The man on the file has brilliant blonde hair and his blue eyes seem to reflect a clear lake along with a pure smile.

Even Ah Liu, who doesn’t know the entertainment industry at all, knows the person in the photo.

Kiro, the most sought-after superstar of the Inverted Smile Film and Television Company.

His smile appeared on the electronic screens in the streets and alleys as well as on the packaging bags of the new potato chips in the convenience store, making it difficult to miss for anyone who passed by.

Why would such a person who stands at the top, shining and dazzling, pay a big price for a piece of information?

Ah Liu glanced at the file. The paper listed the employer’s request and the price.

The price is irresistible, and the request is worthy of this astronomical price that is suffixed with many zeros.

“The work content of other people has already been arranged, so please prepare.”

Ah Liu made a rough estimate of the time and energy required to take this big arrangement, and then thought about his fortune, and neatly put the file into his pocket.

“It seems that for a long time, we have to work for this Mr. Kiro.”

Soon the appointed time arrives.

When the door of the bar was pushed open, Ah Liu involuntarily glances over.

The person who came in wore a black hat and was dressed up very simply. He walked straight to the bar, threw an envelope to the owner, and then reached out and took off the hat, revealing his golden hair.

“As agreed before.”

He said the words briefly, as if he didn’t want to say more.

If he hadn’t already known his identity, Ah Liu felt that the star’s temperament at the moment was more suitable for this bar than him.

The owner nodded, put away the envelope, and raised his chin towards Ah Liu.

Ah Liu leaned against the bar, turned the knife in his right hand, raised his eyebrows at the guest in front of him and said hello.

In fact, generally speaking, the attitude towards guests should be a little more polite, but Ah Liu was inexplicably teasing. Perhaps because of the other person, or perhaps he was just curious about the true appearance of the superstar hidden under his handsome face.

However, Kiro’s expression was plain and straightforward.

“My request, you should know everything.”

It was completely different from the reaction he expected. Ah Liu pulled back his shoulders and put away his knife.

“Almost. Although it’s a bit tricky, it can be done.”

It was probably the first time Kiro saw someone who dared to speak so directly. He raised his eyes and reminded him not to be serious.

“Think carefully, don’t accept the task so quickly.”

“We are in this business, and we have to do it to the end after receiving the customer’s order. Although this task is not my responsibility alone, but since it’s within the scope of my work, I will definitely do it for you.”

Ah Liu was frank and extended his hand towards Kiro.

“I will follow you in the future.”

Probably out of respect, Kiro held the hand that was stretched out, but that’s all. He didn’t seem to want any contact other than trading with the person in front of him.

“How it’s done, I will tell you later.”

After he said this, he didn’t stay any longer, so he turned and left the bar.

“Why did you find this star? He’s a bit different from what I thought.”

Ah Liu turned around, tapped his index finger on the table, making a clicking sound.

The owner slowly handed him a glass of wine and smiled meaningfully.

“He’s really not any ordinary star.”

“As for what kind of person, you will know soon enough.”

[Chapter 2]

Ah Liu is a practitioner with a sense of professional ethics.

Although he found it very difficult to understand the employer’s, Kiro’s, request, he paid enough for Ah Liu to add ingredients to the menu shamelessly. While eating instant noodles, he made preparations very rigorously.

When Ah Liu completed all the preparations, Kiro also came as scheduled, with a laptop computer.

Ah Liu didn’t think Kiro could help him with his work, but half an hour later, his impression of Kiro was completely overturned.

Kiro asked for some relevant information, then turned on the computer with familiarity, tapping the keyboard quickly with his fingers.

Soon, lines of complex codes flashed across the screen like some kind of fluorescent green tide with special beauty.

Ah Liu stared at Kiro’s movements dumbfounded and couldn’t help but utter a hometown dialect.

“Yo, how are you so good?”

Ah Liu knows that when employers choose a place like theirs, it means that they need to deliver a little more or less of their own secrets and trust.

But….it’s already hard being a star right now, do you have to have to work part-time on the side too?

The security system on the screen was easily hacked, and the red warning turned into a green traffic sign. Kiro stopped typing until he locked a certain area on the outskirts of Loveland City.

“Found it.”

He stretched his waist and habitually reached near the computer as if looking for something to drink.

When he didn’t feel anything he gave a soft “huh”. His extended hand stiffened for a second, and then quickly retracted it, speaking nonchalantly.

“I have locked a few addresses that appear to have logged in to the server, but the specific locations need to confirmed.”

“How is it on your end?”

Although shocked by Kiro’s hacking skills, Ah Liu did not forget his work, and pointed to the surveillance screen in front of him.

“The monitoring software is installed, but there is no movement yet.”

“I suggest waiting for another two or three days to take a look.”

Kiro nodded, put away the computer, put on his hat and mask, and left quietly.

Ah Liu stood up, moved his shoulders and inadvertently walked towards the window.

Next to a vending machine on the corner downstairs, Kiro, wearing a black hood, was bending over to drop coins and soon a bottle of green soda rolled out.

He was a little far away, but Ah Liu still saw the drink clearly.

The green apple flavor is very high in sugar, and young girls are unwilling to buy it, so they are always not able to be sold.

Kiro finished drinking in one breath. His eyes raised slightly, showing a satisfied look. He threw the plastic bottle into the trash can briskly, then turned and left.

Ah Liu once again became curious about Kiro.

[Chapter 3]

He didn’t meet Kiro again until a long time later.

During this period, Kiro did not take the initiative to contact Ah Liu, and he has been diligently monitoring the marked area while waiting for Kiro’s news.

The days of waiting were a bit boring. It wasn’t until one time, on the convenience store TV news that Ah Liu learned that Kiro was involved in a “wounding incident” and revealed his identity as an Evolver.

Ah Liu slurped the instant noodles. On TV, Kiro looked directly at the camera and generously admitted his hidden identity.

He swallowed the instant noodles, wondering what he was doing.

Although he didn’t have much contact with Kiro, he knew very well—this person would not be so reckless and willful, and that he might have his own reasons behind this incident.

After that, a while later, Kiro’s company also underwent some trouble, and he himself claimed to retreat for creation purposes.

In the silence, Ah Liu disassembled and reassembled the pistol bought from the black market in the dark. The screen beside the pistol showed clues that he finally tracked down.

Hunter game.

It’s time to contact his employer, he thought.

In the dark, the cheerful and broad bells rang—

The so-called hunter game, even though Ah Liu never heard of it before, Kiro specifically called him to investigate since it was also related to what they had checked before. Naturally, Ah Liu concentrated all his time and energy into it.

When following Kiro’s clues, he slowly became more aware that there was a behemoth showing his minions in the darkness.

But it paid off, and finally someone bit the hook that had been cast before.

Ah Liu stuffed a pistol into his waist, holding his cell phone, and dialed Kiro.

The phone picked up after a few rings.

“What’s up?”

“I found a building where the other party had been active. I’m going to explore it tonight. If I’m lucky, I might find something.”

Kiro on the other end paused for a moment, inhaled and quickly stopped talking.

It seemed that Kiro was not the only person on the phone. Ah Liu vaguely heard another person speaking to Kiro and his voice rose naturally.

“Savin, I’m really not stealing snacks. If you don’t believe me, then come and see for yourself.”

“Hey—wait, come back later. Now I’m bitter. As soon as you interrupted, the melody of my new song is gone.

“I never told anyone that you hid my three boxes of snacks and two refrigerators of carbonated drinks. So inhumane….”

The voice gradually became quieter, and it was probably the person named “Savin” who finally left Kiro alone.

Ah Liu felt that Kiro was really weird.

Obviously, he has the warmth of light that ordinary people can’t touch, but he had to turn around and go to the darkness.

He wanted to ask why, but held back.

Employers have their own secrets to some extent. Keeping to their duties and not asking too much is the best way to stay out of this circle.

After a while, Kiro’s calm voice came from the phone again.

“Send me the address and I’ll find you.”

“I’m fine by myself. You don’t trust me when I say this?”

Ah Liu felt that Kiro didn’t trust his capability. He repeatedly emphasized that his business potential was very good. His performance ranking has been ranked first.

But Kiro still insisted on working with him and Ah Liu couldn’t help but send Kiro the location of the building.

[Chapter 4]

Under the endless night sky, Ah Liu received Kiro’s signal.

He stood up and flung himself into the opposite building with the help of the rope. After he rolled into the room and came to a stop, Ah Liu suddenly held his breath.

There were no clues left as expected. The whole room was empty. The huge glass windows were opened and the cold moonlight showed the man’s brilliant blond hair and the timed explosive device in front of him.

“Was it successful?”

“It seems that someone expected this visit and left us a gift.”

Kiro’s expression was very calm but when Ah Liu saw the detonator under his feet, he couldn’t help sucking in a cold breath.

Kiro seemed to be indifferent, tapping quickly with both hands on the computer and laughed coolly.

“Although the internal structure is complicated, it is still flawed…”

“How long will it take?”

‘Five minutes.”

Ah Liu glanced at the time displayed on the screen and the countdown just reached five minutes.

“The risk is too great.”

Ah Liu crouched down, took out a wire from the portable tool bag beside him and gently inserted it into the bomb.

“Leave it to me, it will be done in a minute.”

He specializes in surgery. Ah Liu is best at disassembling and reassembling various complicated equipment. He moves cautiously.

Kiro didn’t say anything, he stopped hacking and switched to another interface.

There is nothing in this world that can come and go without a trace. No one can be completely invisible.

The ability of top hackers is to dig out some seemingly and completely irrelevant content from the vast data stream, and continue to piece together and combine them until they restore the trajectory of something generated, assembled, grown, and disbanded.

Every day, the flood of information carries everyone’s joy, anger, and sorrow, surging through the city and no one can stay out of the matter.

The people who had been in this room carefully avoided all information channels, but it was precisely this carelessness that allowed Kiro to find their exact address.

The computer snapped shut and Kiro briefly breathed out. At this time, Ah Liu also successfully analyzed the data of the detonator and shut it down perfectly.

“It’s done.”

Ah Liu stood up and looked at Kiro.

“What are you going to do with this thing? Take it away or keep it here?

“Since they gave such a ‘big gift’, how about a ‘return gift’?”

Kiro turned and walked towards the door hidden in the dark. Ah Liu picked up the device that had turned into a pile of scraps on the ground, and walked to catch up with Kiro.

After coming out of the building, Ah Liu stopped when he passed a small alley.

“Hold up.”

He shouted to Kiro and dropped a few coins into a battered vending machine.

With two crisp ‘plops’, accompanied by mechanical electronic sounds, two cyan bottles of carbonated drinks were held by Ah Liu.

He handed Kiro a bottle but didn’t move to take it. His voice was a little cold.

“I don’t like being spied on by others.”

Ah Liu laughed a few times, trying to pat Kiro’s shoulder, but was subtly averted. He didn’t feel embarrassed, so he touched his head instead.

“Shouldn’t a celebrity be used to being watched by others?”

Probably when he was immersed in darkness, no one would exactly associate him with the dazzling star on stage.

Kiro froze for a moment, then took the carbonated drink from Ah Liu’s hand.

“By the way, when the device was dismantled, how could you be sure that I could do it? Weren’t you afraid we would all be blown up?”

The person in front of him showed a slight smile. Although it was shallow, it was indeed Kiro’s smile.

At this moment, he seemed to be covered with light and shadow, and the sun and moon were equally magnificent.

“It was just a gamble.”

“It turned out that I was right.”

He finished his drink in one breath and walked around the corner with his hands in his pockets.

Ah Liu suddenly felt that Kiro was very interesting. If he worked with him, he would probably gain a lot of things that he hadn’t encountered before.

Thrilling enough, but also exciting.

For men, true friends should be like this.

In the bottom of his heart, he listed Kiro as a friend who had already had a “friend for life and death”, so he shouted to him.

“I’ll study the internal structure of the device when I go back. I’ll tell you the results but it will take several days.”

The person in the distance did not answer and disappeared into the depths of the night.

[Chapter 5]

It took a lot of effort to crack the device, and several days had passed by the time Ah Liu got all the analytical data.

Kiro sent the other party’s real server address. Following this clue and the special materials of the installation, Ah Liu has been busy for a long time. He also managed to get a sense of the so-called “Hunter Game” in his mind.

At this moment, perhaps somewhere in this world, a silent survival game is being staged.

Although he is used to fighting and killing, the nature of the incident is completely different. He feels it is necessary to tell Kiro immediately.

But the phone call couldn’t get through.

After waiting for a while at Mondlicht, Ah Liu got up and decided to go directly to Kiro.

One minute late, one more minute for risk of exposure.

However, Kiro had a deal with him, and the less people knew, the better. Instead of alerting the security guard, Ah Liu walked to the gate of the backyard with his waist bent.

The security system of the gate is complicated and difficult to understand.

When Ah Liu was scratching his head to study how to crack it, he suddenly heard Kiro’s voice.

He was sitting cross-legged in the yard with a mobile phone, a golden retriever in front of him.

Not knowing what the person on the other end said, Kiro spoke briskly, with a smile that could not be contained:

“Wait for me to show you the mushrooms I’ve grown these days! This one on top of my head is new!”

“I wrote a song at home these last few days and I will send it to you when I make the demo.”

“When the ban is lifted in a few days, I must have a big meal!”

“Do you have anything you want to eat?”

……

He naturally exudes the aura of a “little sun”. The grand light not only comes from Kiro, but it also seems to come from the person on the other end of the phone.

It turned out to be so, Ah Liu suddenly realized.

He has always wondered why Kiro had so many contradictory points, but the bright star walks in the dark, intersecting with people of his identity.

Now he found the answer.

Because even the stars that live above the clouds have a future that they want to gaze at and protect forever.

Suddenly, there was a shattering sound—

Ah Liu looked forward immediately. He didn’t know what was said on the phone. Kiro stood up instantly, holding the phone tightly, his eyes were full of fear and anger.

Next to him was a glass that has been broken into pieces.

This was the first time Ah Liu saw this look on Kiro’s face.

He seemed to have noticed something and without hesitation, he pushed aside the branches of the tree and walked straight out.

Since seeing Kiro’s first side, Ah Liu has not been accurate in all of Kiro’s predictions. But this time, he confidently wants to try again and he has a hunch that he will not be wrong.

And that is—

Kiro is a person worthy of his trust.

[lnarizakis]

i found you! | b. koutarou

hey @bokutokoutarou ! you were my recipient for the summer exchange fic. i really hope you enjoy this, and that we can become friends after this!

pairing: bokuto koutarou x fem!reader

word count: 3.1k

look out for: soulmate au, tooth-rottingly sweet fluff, pining

“...You’re hearing voices in your head?”

“No, no, there’s just one... and they keep going on and on ‘bout whatever! And it sounds like they’re trying to talk to me, too, and I’m getting a little scared!” Bokuto complained to his junior, Akaashi, about this voice he had been hearing in his mind for the past week. It was unrecognizable at first; he paid no attention to it, but throughout the course of the week the voice had been growing louder and louder. It slowly became unnerving for the ace.

“Oh, I see,” Akaashi glanced outside the window. He then turned back towards Bokuto, face still in evident distress. “It’s your soulmate.”

“My... my what?” Bokuto was appalled. His soulmate?

Akaashi, too, was appalled. “Have your parents never told you about what a soulmate is?” Bokuto shook his head, signaling a negative response. Akaashi widened his eyes in apparent shock.

“Wow.” Akaashi was rendered speechless. Looks like he’d have to tell Bokuto what a soulmate was. “Well, a soulmate is someone you’re destined to be with. You’re bound to them for life. Everyone is bound to their soulmates in different ways. In your case, Bokuto-san, you can hear your soulmate’s thoughts.” The setter glances down at the timer on his wrists. Still several more years before he could meet his own soulmate.

Bokuto “ohh”ed in realization. He then pulled a face, one that Akaashi knew all too well. It was his thinking face, usually worn by the former during their volleyball games. He stayed in that position for some time, until his face lit up with excitement.

“Ah! Akaashi, I did it! I talked to her!” Bokuto exclaimed. Akaashi gave him a small smile, proud of his upperclassman.

O N E .

“Oh no, a quiz?! We have a quiz today?! I didn’t study for it at all!”

Bokuto panicked. He sat at his desk, sweat forming on his forehead. He was so afraid for this quiz specifically, because if he were to fail it, God forbid, he most definitely would not be able to take part in the Spring Interhigh Tournament. His mind raced with the same thought over and over again. In the heat of the moment, he hadn’t realized that he was pounding his soulmate’s head with the thought.

(Y/N) was currently in class (and conveniently just a couple classrooms down), trying her best to focus on the lecture in front of her. But it was difficult. So, extremely difficult.

“Could you please, with all due respect, shut up? I’m trying to learn right now,” she communicated to Bokuto. In an attempt to make peace with him, she added on, “Good luck, though.” At that moment, Bokuto came up with the best idea.

“Wait a minute. Do you think you could help me?” Bokuto’s heart raced. Depending on his soulmate’s answer, he may or may not be able to attend the tournament.

“Sure, I guess. What is it on?” (Y/N) gave up on trying to listen to her teacher, who was droning on about a topic that was completely unrelated to the lecture. It looked like she would have to do extra studying after school. Oh, the things she would do for her soulmate.

“Classic literature. It’s my worst subject!” If it was possible to whine and complain in one’s thoughts, Bokuto was doing exactly that. (Y/N) couldn’t help but smirk a little bit. With the willpower she had, she was able to contain her chuckle.

“Alright, I’ll help you; I think I’m alright in that subject.”

—

“So, how’d you do?” (Y/N) asked him a couple days later. The substitute for her class was running late, so she made use of her free time by talking to her supposedly-unknown soulmate. She looked down at her notebook that she had taken out, sketching rough, small portraits of what she thought her soulmate looked like.

“My teacher’s handing them out right now,” Bokuto replied. Through his thoughts somehow, (Y/N) could identify the worry laced in his thought. There was a hint of confidence, however, since the answers that his soulmate provided him seemed right. At least right enough to turn in his quiz with some confidence.

After a string of “Oh, no”s, Bokuto rejoiced. Thanks to his soulmate, he was able to participate in the Spring Interhigh Tournament!

“I’m so glad I was able to help you!” Despite not knowing who in the world her soulmate was, she couldn’t stop smiling. There was a little bit of a hint she learned about him too— he played volleyball.

T W O .

In the time that (Y/N) got to know her soulmate, she learned how comforting he can be at times. Despite how he came across as an idiot at times, he was perhaps the one person she could talk to whenever she needed comfort. His simple words were enough for her.

One night, (Y/N) found herself staring at the ceiling of her bedroom. She couldn’t sleep. No matter how much she tossed and turned, or set the right conditions for maximum comfort for sleeping, she just couldn’t go to sleep. It was like the universe was keeping her awake. And for what?

The thoughts of not being able to sleep swirled around in her mind, and soon enough, Bokuto asked her if there was something wrong. She replied that it was no big deal, and that he shouldn’t worry much about it. Despite this, Bokuto insisted for her to confide in him. And so she did.

“I’m not too fond of the idea of soulmates. I really hate to tell you this, but I just... I don’t want to be destined to be with someone, you know?” It pained her to tell this boy, and she could tell it pained him, as well.

Bokuto, who had been awake for quite some time as well, lay in bed with a blank stare. He looked all around his room, trying to find at least some answer to her thoughts. (Y/N) had more to say, however.

“...And I don’t even know who you are. I mean, I know some things about you, but I don’t know-know you. I don’t know your name, or what school you go to, or what you would like to do after you graduate high school, or—“

“Bokuto Koutarou— that’s my name. You don’t have to tell me yours if you don’t want to. But... that’s something about me. To help you get to know-know me. And I go to Fukurodani High School. And I think I’m gonna continue volleyball after high school... Is there anything else you want to know about me?” Bokuto interrupted (Y/N)’s train of thought. He began to open himself up to his soulmate so that she would be able to open herself up to at least the mere concept of soulmates. It would take a bit more time, he thought, before she would want to begin to open herself up to him.

“Okay, well,” (Y/N) began, “Tell me what’s the first thing you do when you wake up, and the last thing you do before you go to sleep.” She giggled; she was curious to know what he’d say.

To hum in his thoughts was something typical of Bokuto, and he did just that: “Hm, I think the first thing I do when I wake up is... I mean, after I open my eyes, is jump outta bed! And the last thing I do before I go to sleep is...” He hummed again, “close my eyes. And then I think a ‘lil bit. About everything, really! Sometimes I begin to dream about my soulmate... you, and what you look like, and when we’ll meet, and how we’ll meet, too, and—“ Bokuto exhaled out loud. He’d love to meet his soulmate one day.

“Well, thank you, Bokuto-san. Hopefully we’ll meet someday. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Good night,” (Y/N) told him as she dozed off to sleep.

Bokuto Koutarou, huh...

T H R E E .

“Favorite color?”

“I’d say gold! The color of my eyes!”

Another boring lecture meant another day of playing 20 Questions with Bokuto for (Y/N). She had just asked her seventh question, which, along with the past six questions, had been entirely superficial. However, they weren’t quite as ridiculous as the questions he had asked her.

Case in point: “What are you going to have for lunch today?” He asked. Without context, it probably would have been pretty ridiculous to ask that, but given that lunch followed after the current period and that Bokuto was insanely hungry, it seemed probably reasonable to ask that question.

“I think I’m going to have what they’re selling today in the cafeteria,” (Y/N) pondered. Though, she was probably going to stick with her usual whatever’s-available-in-the-vending-machine. She looked down at her notebook, doodling a very rough image of the volleyball ace that everyone at school knew.

Ever since that one night—that night when she couldn’t go to sleep for the life of her, she had been in utter shock at the fact that Bokuto Koutarou was her soulmate. Everyone knew about him— from how he’s absolutely impressive at pretty much every sport he played to his overwhelming presence that made the general atmosphere of wherever he was so much lighter. He was like a light in her eyes, but he didn’t know who she was at all.

“Can I go again? It’ll count for my next question,” Bokuto asked. (Y/N) complied, and he followed her response with “You don’t think I know who you are?”

So she was thinking out loud. “I mean, you know me only because we’re soulmates. Other than that, I don’t think you know anything else about me—“

“My next question! What makes you think I don’t know anything about you?” Bokuto asked again.

“I mean—“

“I know that you’re my soulmate, which means you’re the one for me! I’m supposed to help you. With everything,” Bokuto continued, “because you’re my everything.”

(Y/N) looked down in embarrassment, her face turning red.

“You’re embarrassing,” she thought. “Don’t you realize what you’re saying right now?”

From Bokuto’s classroom, all he could do was smile softly. “I don’t realize most things I say,” He jokingly stated. His own embarrassment started to creep up on him, making him begin to regret what he said, or thought, to his soulmate. “Sorry if it bothered you, or something.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it; let’s just keep playing,” (Y/N) responded, guilt weighing down on her for unintentionally shaming him for his embarrassing words. “It’s my turn now. Let’s see... what position do you play in volleyball?”

Bokuto’s mood instantly lightened as he proudly answered, “I’m a wing spiker! The ace!”

—

Several questions later, it was once again Bokuto’s turn. He was on his nineteenth question when he asked (Y/N), “Do you think there’s ever a chance I could show you a soulmate’s really worth it?”

“Bokuto, I—“

“My last question— my twentieth question. Can you give me the chance to show you why soulmates are destined for a reason?”

(Y/N) hesitated for a moment before she said, “... Okay.”

F O U R .

“Huh?! You’re still awake at this hour? I just woke up!”

Bokuto had jumped out of bed to begin his morning run. As he was changing from his sleepwear to something new for running outside, he heard muttering similar to white noise in his mind, which meant that his soulmate was awake and, somehow, barely thinking.

(Y/N), having been restless the entire evening, decided it would be a good idea to pull an all-nighter. Currently, she was lying in bed, watching the sun peek out through the blinds of her window. The brightness illuminated her once-dark room, and she felt a wave of guilt wash over her for not properly taking care of her body by sleeping.

“I’ve been awake. What are you doing right now? At five in the morning?” (Y/N) snapped back. The tiredness was getting to her.

“I’m about to go on my morning run! Now, what are you doing?” Bokuto replied. He was so genuinely curious to know what his soulmate was doing at this time, why she was up and awake, before he noticed that he disregarded the harsh and tired tone she used on him.

“All-nighter. Couldn’t sleep at all.”

“Oh! My friend Akaashi pulls those all the time. He’s always tired, just like you are right now!” Bokuto beamed, hoping to get at least some positive reaction out of her. But all he got was a dry laugh—if it was even possible to laugh in one’s mind— along with an obviously sarcastic “thank you, I know I’m tired right now.”

“Well, since you’re awake right now,” Bokuto continued, “why don’t you talk to me? I’d rather listen to you instead of my music.” To his surprise, (Y/N) complied, but, as she claimed, the only reasons she had were that she was tired and had nothing else to do.

—

After a conversation about Bokuto’s favorite kinds of breakfast foods followed by the sports that (Y/N) enjoys watching, the ace took a rest, sitting down underneath a tree in a park near their school, watching the sun paint the sky different shades of purple and red.

“Hm, I have a question for you. Why are you so adamant about wanting to show me the wonders of a soulmate? I mean—without me in your life, you’re pretty much free to fall in love with whomever you want,” (Y/N) spoke truthfully. Her question made Bokuto raise an eyebrow, but mostly because of the large words she used in phrasing it.

“... What does ‘adamant’ mean?” was all he could say. From the comforts of her bedroom, (Y/N) laughed heartily. The thoughts that came with her laugh were positive, as she commended Bokuto on saying the first thing that made her smile that day. She soon let him know what it meant, though, and Bokuto “ooh”ed in his mind, earning another laugh from (Y/N).

“Soulmate,” Bokuto called her this since she still never told him her name, “my friend Akaashi said that we’re soulmates because we’re bound together. There’s gotta be a reason why we’re bound together, right? Why our souls are destined to be with each other, right? Or else we’d just be... mates, and not soul-mates.”

“...I see.”

“And...I got nothing.”

“Bokuto, why don’t you try finding me?” (Y/N) suggested. “If you’re so adamant about the fact that because we’re soulmates means our souls are bound together—that our souls are destined to be together—you should easily find your way to me, right?”

Bokuto stayed silent.

“Look, this is what I’m saying. Why don’t you act on your belief? Find me, and if you do, I’ll know that our souls are not meant to be apart.”

(Y/N)’s soulmate remained silent for some time before he responded.

“I’m going to find you, soulmate. I’m going to find you one day!”

F I V E .

She stared blankly at the vending machine in front of her. She tried not to reveal that she was currently thinking about whether to choose between strawberry or banana milk, so as not to reveal her location, if Bokuto were to find out she went to Fukurodani High School. Little did she know that he had a bit of help from his volleyball teammates in deciphering who exactly she was.

—

“What’d she think now?!”

“Ah! Uh, she doesn’t know if she wants strawberry or banana milk!” Bokuto exclaimed. The Fukurodani third-years, along with Akaashi, were gathered around Bokuto’s desk. On top of it was a notebook, opened to a half-covered page of scatter-brained notes of his soulmate’s thoughts.

Konoha hummed, and placed a hand on his chin. “Okay, from that we know that she’s also out at lunch. Maybe she goes here!” In Akaashi’s mind, he thought that it was awfully quick (and definitely extremely convenient) to assume that she goes here, but he did not express this disagreement of his.

Bokuto agreed with his logic, and in the notebook he wrote, “Probably goes to Fukurodani.”

“Does she have any new thoughts, Bokuto-san?” Akaashi spoke up.

“Um, yeah. Okay, uh, she’s thinking about who to eat with,” Bokuto replied. He picked up the pencil he dropped from excitement, and began to write down keywords from her thoughts. Sarukui looked on, noticing that Bokuto was writing the names he recognized.

“Bokuto, you wrote down Suzumeda-san’s name!” He called out. The ace leaned back to look at what he had written down, and sure enough, he had written one of the two managers of his club’s names down.

“She goes here!” Everyone in the huddle exclaimed. Bokuto’s other classmates who were also in the classroom slowly turned around in questioning curiosity, wondering what in the world they were doing.

“Bokuto-san! I think you should just go look for her. What was it that you said again...?” Akaashi questioned him.

Bokuto stared blankly at Akaashi for a brief second to recollect his thoughts from the recent shock, and soon after he came to his senses he responded that his soulmate said that if soulmates really are destined to be together, he should go look for her. With that in mind, his teammates ushered Bokuto out of the room and cheered him on to go find his soulmate.

Adrenaline rushed through Bokuto as he was pressured by his teammates to go find his soulmate. He was going to meet her today!

He dashed down the third-years’ hallway to go outside, nearing the closest vending machine. For a moment he pressed his face against the clear glass, to check the contents of the machine. He could see a row of strawberry milk boxes and next to it a row of banana milk boxes. Gears inside had ceased whirring, signaling to Bokuto that someone had just used the vending machine.

Bokuto’s heart stirred, and instinct told him to run out into the courtyard. Following his instinct, he sped out of the hallway in which the vending machine was, and opened the door that led to the courtyard. He had opened them so quickly that he didn’t see the figure of a girl in his year on the other side about to open the door, despite the large window in front of him that made up a huge component of the door’s upper half.

He walked straight into the girl, and the sudden shock pulled them back, to see who they had run into.

“He actually... He found me!”

“I found you!”

[crystu-cii]

OF COURSE!!!! I'd say you're hella close to it!!! Definitely closer than I am XDD ���💞💝💕💝❤️💕💕❤️ A G R EED /hj XDD

Yeah ;w; oohh that sounds super interesting!! I can understand not pursuing a story tho, stories are d i f f icult-- XD fun, but difficult, and you need an attention span for them! (Why do you think I only write one page stories??)

OMS yessss that's so accurate tho-- like I haven't changed much if I'm being honest (I spend a LOT of time inside.. XD) awww-- I can understand that- in japan we didn't have a backyard, so I stopped going outside much at all-- occasionally I biked to convenience stores or walked to vending machines, that was cool, but no backyard :/ having no backyard sUCks, like where am I supposed to scream into the void?? INSIDE?? /j

OMS-- CRYS XDD what a Mood™ tho- "oh I'm gonna continue this thing!!" *does something else entirely*

XDD It was done Against My Will™ (get Against My Will on the album I Haven't Awoken Well Rested Since I Was A Child by the band The Bags Under My Eyes Aren't Makeup! XD) MOOD-- I spent the quarantine summer doing nothing but staying up until the sun rose and sleeping until it was at its peak- where did the time goooo

I AGREE HOW DARE HE- LIKE EXCUSE?? YOU TINY HEATHEN??? anyways now I'm trying to go back to squirting him with a squirt bottle to startle him(even tho he's a fan of water, the harsh spray startles him) but anyways thank you crysss I'm never getting a cat in my life now bc of this rude child (dogs are superior anyways /hj)

(and now time to reply to the OTHER ask cause I'm efficient and not going to send two separate asks to respond to things that can be responded to at the same time.. ....why did I even ramble about that wtf henry(huh I never refer to myself by name that felt weird))

Okay!! No worries dude, you can always take your time with replies, I just don't trust tumblr XD 💞❤️💕💝💝💖💕❤️💖 of course!!! Thank you!!! 💖💕💕💖💞💕

Oooh!!! That sounds super fun!!! Man I miss hanging out with my friends-- but my closest friend(lives in my neighborhood) has a parent who works in other people's houses, so high risk, and the rest live several hours away :)) but anyways yeah that sounds hella!!!! I love that y'all were just like "okay well. we're gonna hang out anyways." XDD

Aww-- I'm glad you are!! My brother and his bf were supposed to come but I think we have to postpone that cause someone in his workplace tested positive for covid :( YESS FOODDDD-- oooh cheesecake?? I've never heard of having it on Thanksgiving!! Usually we have pumpkin, cherry, apple, and pecan pies!! (We're having pumpkin and cherry ones this yeah!! Two pumpkin pies, a cherry pie, and a cherry cobbler--) I... Have never heard of pineapple pie in my life! Sounds like it would make pineapple-on-pizza haters burst into tears tho--

YOURE WHAT-- CRYS YOU HEATHEN IT IS NOVEMBER!!!!! /j I can't stand Christmas music, being a choir student made me not be a huge fan of it-- too much Christmas music.. ugh. (Straight no chaser is tolerable at least. And Pentatonix. And covers by artists I like. But if I have to hear Jingle Bells ONE MORE TIME--) YESSS BESTOW UPON ME THOU'S PRESENCE AND PRESENTS... Ooh nice!! Pfft XDD Yess- I have multiple on my wishlist-- mostly for the switch-- OMS I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T ASK FOR THSC-- MAYBE IM THE HEATHEN--

Okay, it's January 5th! Literally not even two weeks after Christmas-- Feel free to scream happy birthday at me :3 XDD now I'm curious, what's yours?

awhhh thank you ;w;; 💕💞💕💞💞💕💞

and legiT- and omg- also what i do a lot is thinking i have a story all in control but then i realise that i only focused on the main parts and nOT the transitions and all that shit and then i end up last minute thinking them- XDD and ngl one page stories sound SOO much better- imo- not just for writing- but for reading as well- whenever i go to see a fanfic I always read the ones that has one chapter- dunno how to fully explain it- possibly cause its satisfying to see a story actually have its end other than a long lasting series that will never end- XDD oneshots are my FUEL

buT WoW omg this topic has now made me realise how i barely go outside- XDD i wish there would be other thingd around my neighborhood other than a "park" that has DEAD GRASS and the sprinklers go off like every hour for some reason- duNNo what the builders were thinking but i guess i dont mind- i stay in my house a whOLELE lot xD

and YESS IT GETS ME EVERYTIME- "hey lets draw-" *-WRITES-* XDD AND ABHAHAHAHA (NOW ON YOUR LOCAL MUSIC STORES- XDDDD) and omG MEEE- the times i would usually sleep would be around 3 am to 6 am- ironically my mom has a more screwed up schedule than i do- and SHE STILL HAS- last night she told me that she hasnt slept in 48 HOURSSS- MaMAAA PLEASE SLEEP

GO AWAY CAT HEATHEN- XD and omG a squirt bottle of water yes XDD and awh i definitely understand now how youll not get a cat- sounds like a hecka pain ;0;; i never even had a pet before (or not that i would recall- oh wait i think i had fish but i have an embarrassing story that made my mom ban fish from the household- OH MAN the shame)

and yeahh oh man- i hope you are okay with all these topics XDD and thank you!! 💕💞💕💞💕💞💕💞

awwhh i see- i wish you can hang out with your friends without it being too risky! that reminds me of that one time where my friend said "hey so uh you guys can hang out at my house since at my parent's workplace someone was positive for covid" and then immeadiately after they were like "SO WE NEED TO GO TO ONE OF YOUR GUYS' HOUSE" and Im LIKE- UH- NOO??? nOt AfTEr you just say THAT- nuh uh- thankfully we didnt hang out that day- better safe than sorry xD

and omggg those pies sound AWWESOMEEEE- i always wanted to try pumpkin pie before but when i asked my mom that she was like "nO iTS diSGusTing" and im like "*visible confusion*" and lOwKEY SAME- pineapple pie just sounds a bit off but my mom was really hyped to make it xD i'd actually say its not that bad! but im still not a fan of pineapple so uhhh xD (aNd YEAH IT DOES feel like it would make those haters cry-- XDD)

and PFHAOHFA IM A LIVING HEATHEN- XDD omg at this time of year- it gets CRAZYY for me- first off- Tree is a true filipino- right when it was the first day october- youd hear them say "FUCK HALLOWEEN"(and id just whine to them like "BUT HALLOWENENENEN") and then their family set up a whole christmas tree and over-the-top decorations- and omg- if you hate christmas music- you would despise the philippines sO MUCH- when the FIRST day of SEPTEMBER hits- CHRISTMAS MUSIC ON ALLLLL THE STORES- it will drive you WILDDD ( yeah its actually a normal filipino thing- not that i ever went to the philippines myself at tHAT time of year- but my friends and family tell me all about it- filipinos are the true christmas maniacs XDDD)

and awhhh choir must be a pain ;0;;; that would remind me how on one concert- the beginners class of choir screamed on purpose even though they werent supposed to- the teacher got so pissed XDDD and YESSS PRESENTSSSS- and awh man- i actually dont own ANY consoles at all- so the only things i can ask for is steam games- last year for christmas i got just shapes and beats- which was WORTHHH

and oo YAY- now i shall mark that on my calander- XD and mine is february 7!

[seraphine16]

Red Strings of Fate - Part 1/6

Prompt: Beginning

Summary: Soulmates are tied by red strings. You can cut yours if you want to, then you’ll be reassigned to someone else, someone who’s perhaps- better. But beware; If you cut it three times, you will end up alone for the rest of your life.

Rating: T for now, will be mild M in later chapter

Words: 2403

Notes: This will be a short series of prompts instead of one-shots. Publishing one chapter per day is not my style so I’m pushing myself a bit here, I might repost the better version on my AO3 or FF.net account when I have the time. Enjoy and let me know what you think! :)

Soulmates are tied by red strings. The string would only appear once your soulmate is nearby- within your town area. Once it appears, it will never disappear even if that person went far away. Only you could see it, no one else could- except for your soulmate, of course. However, even if you could see it, it tangles, and leads to an invisible path, you would only be able to see the end of the string once your soulmate is right there, in front of you.

Kirishima Touka’s red string appeared recently, but she didn’t really care about it. She was only 17 years old- still a high school student, she had no time to think about having a soulmate. Plus, with doves roaming around and other ghouls constantly threatening Anteiku- soulmate matters should be the last thing on her mind, heck she may have died first before even meeting him.

She had just returned to the counter after serving a cup of Americano to a customer when her first red string appeared, twirling around her pinky finger and tying itself into a cute ribbon before her eyes. It was thin, but strong yet stretchable. She was able to touch it, tug it, and even curl it, but she could not undo the knot that kept it tied to her finger. It stayed there securely, like a complete dead knot.

Nishiki noticed her silence and the intense gaze that she held on her own pinky finger.

“It finally appears huh? Took the cupid long enough.” He teased while crossing his arms across his chest.

“Shut up, shitty Nishiki. I’m not interested in it.” She retorted, immediately went to wash the dirty cups near the counter. She was surprised that the string didn’t even get wet when in contact with water.

“Why? Look at Kimi and I, we’re getting married next year.” A grin of smugness displayed all over his face as he wiggled his fingers in front of her face to show off his silver engagement ring and his red string, but of course she could not see the latter.

“Tch. I know you’re excited but stop showing off you bastard!” She hit his arm causing him to yell in pain. “Anyways, you’re much older than me, so it’s normal for you to get married soon. I’m still in high school, you know?”

“Huh, chill out, it’s not like you’ll meet him soon anyways. It means that he’s nearby, that’s all.”

“Which makes it even easier for us to encounter each other, now that we’re nearby. Yours appeared when you entered Kamii, am I right?”

“Yeah, on the first day, since that was the first time we were in the same area as each other.”

She stopped washing the cups and turned around to properly interrogate him. She couldn’t help but feel curious of how his red string worked.

“When did you finally meet her?”

“Kamii is huge, you know? I met her on our second week of the semester. Not bad huh?” He grinned, remembering how he met her at the vending machine. He was planning to eventually eat her despite being his soulmate, but before he knew it- he fell hard, mainly because she accepted his ghoul side wholeheartedly.

“Yeah, that’s… good to hear.”

“Yours might appear today, or tomorrow, or next year. No one knows.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe you can walk around 20th ward just to search for him.”

“Whatever. I don’t give a shit. If he asked me for a date, I’ll just turn him down.”

Nishiki’s eyebrows furrowed hearing her statement.

“Hey, don’t just decide that on your own! What if it’s his third string? He’ll end up alone for the rest of his life!”

She took some time to process his words. It’s true. Should I really sacrifice someone’s love life because of my selfishness?

“But if he’s a human… then I have to. Else, you know…” I’ll kill him, then eat him afterwards.

Nishiki sighed heavily, his gaze landed on the ring and the red string around his fingers, a soft smile plastered on his face.

“I gave Kimi- a human, a chance. I think you should too.”

Three weeks had passed, and Touka had somehow forgotten about the bright red string tied to her pinky finger.

Until one fine day, when she heard the chime of Anteiku’s doorbell which made her greet ‘Welcome~’ as usual, she felt something tugged her lightly. Or, to be précised, something tugged her pinky finger.

Her string tensed and straightened out, forming a visible line towards the person who had just entered the café. In that moment, for the first time in three weeks, she could finally see the end of her string. It was no longer tangled and led to a transparent end. It was straight, and at the other end of the string it was tied to another finger that belonged to someone whom she could see from her own two eyes.

Her heartbeat echoed loudly in her ears as she slowly looked up at the owner of the string on the other end, and once her eyes landed on his- she smacked her own forehead, disappointment painted across her face.

He wasn’t what she expected.

He seemed weak, nerd, yet gentle and kind. Not that she liked bad boys, but she was at least expecting someone who looked… a bit stronger. He even had an eye patch on his left eye.

Is he trying to look cool? Well, too bad, he looks pretty stupid.

The guy, however, seemed surprised at the discovery of his string leading to her finger, but he bowed slightly and gave a polite smile to her anyway.

She waited for him to approach her, and probably- ask her out. She had always thought that she didn’t have time for this trifle matter, but when she was finally able to see her soulmate, she couldn’t help but feel a bit… thrilled.

Even though she was planning to turn him down afterwards.

A deep scowl etched on her face as he did nothing of the sort. Instead, he headed to one of the empty tables, sat down on a chair, and skimmed through the catalog menu to decide which coffee he should pick.

The scowl on her face deepened.

Is he playing hard to get? Seriously??

 “Oi.” She approached him, as she got closer and closer, she realized that the string contracted- becoming shorter and shorter.

She waved her right hand in front of him.

“You can see it, right? The string.”

He stared dumbly at her hand for a moment, then at her scowling face.

“Ah, yes. I can see it.”

He was a little too polite and it somewhat pissed her off.

“So?” She asked irritatingly as she crossed her arms.

“…So?”

“Aren’t you going to… ask me out or something? My best friend’s soulmate asked her out the moment they met each other.” Her eyes landing everywhere but on him, too embarrassed at the fact that she had just asked him to ask her out.

“I see… That’s what I did too.” He murmured softly, but it caught her interest.

“Did? What do you mean?” she pulled out the chair in front of him and sat down, waiting for his explanation.

“This is my second string. My first one was with a… ghoul. She cut it herself though. Right before she was trying to eat me.”

“And you survived?” She raised her eyebrow. “Are you making this up?”

He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Her eyes narrowed as she studied his expression carefully, trying to search for any hint of lies, but couldn’t find any. It doesn’t seem like he’s lying… but how did he survive? A dove helped him?

Well, whatever. I will not date a human.

“Should we cut it?” She asked bluntly.

“Eh??”

“You’re clearly traumatized by your first soulmate. And you’re not even my type. I think we should cut it.”

“No, don’t.” He grabbed her wrist out of panic. Her eyes followed his grip awkwardly, and he quickly let her wrist go. “I- I’m sorry. I just… I was scared.”

“You should.” Because I’m a ghoul too.

“Let’s- let’s give it a try. One date. If it’s horrible, then we’ll cut it. Okay?”

She thought for a while, staring hard at him, trying to imagine any future with him.

“Nope. I don’t think I will fall for you.”

He was taken aback by her answer, and it showed evidently on his face.

“But, if- if it doesn’t work out then I’m left with my last string… I don’t want to end up alone for the rest of my life… Also, I heard that for some people, they ended up alone even after the first cut. Which means the person they cut their string with was their only soulmate.”

Oh. She didn’t know that. Despite feeling sorry for him, she couldn’t afford dating a human.

Fine, I’ll treat you badly to make you cut the string yourself.

“Alright then, one date. But to be frank I prefer to stay single for the rest of my life rather than falling in love with you.” Because we can’t coexist.

She noticed the hurt in his grey eye as his gaze flickered to the red string that connected their fingers together, his lips pursed in a straight line.

“That’s so mean… But thank you, for giving me a chance.”

“Yeah, whatever. My shift is ending in half an hour. You wanna wait for me?”

“Sure.”

“Okay. I’m Kirishima Touka.” She took out her right hand, the string contracted as she did so.

“Kaneki Ken.”

The date was horrible.

At least- for Kaneki.

Touka was obviously not interested in him. So she kept on teasing him saying she’s a ghoul and she’ll eat him by the end of the date which scared the shit out of him. She wasn’t intending to eat him though. But he looked so cute when he was scared, so she had a lot of fun throughout the date.

Kaneki on the other hand was trying his best to get to know her, but she simply brushed him off, not feeling comfortable enough to share about her personal life with a stranger, albeit the stranger was none other than her own soulmate.

She stood outside a convenience store, waiting for her date to buy some ice creams when two guys appeared out of nowhere and pulled her into an alleyway beside the building.

“What are you doing here all alone, little girl? Wanna play with us?” One of them was tall and fat, and the other one was slightly shorter yet well-built.

“Shut up. Let me go.” She weakly pulled her arm, couldn’t risk using her ghoul strength when her date might see her and worse, report her to the CCG.

Tracing her would be easy since they were connected by the red string, and to cut the string, both parties must present at the scene, a proof of agreement on both sides.

“Come on~ We just wanna play~” The slightly shorter guy pushed her against the wall, yanking her dark hair so that she was facing him.

She was planning to spit on the guy’s ugly face, but the voice of her date stopped her from doing so.

“Let her go!” Kaneki appeared with plastic bag in his hand containing their ice creams. She couldn’t read the expression on his face. He looked… scared? Afraid, even, as if he might end up doing something he would regret later on.

“Ohho~ your soulmate, eh? What a waste to have someone like him as a soulmate.” He lowered his gaze while shaking his head, pretending to sympathize her. “Why don’t you cut the string? You deserve someone way better than this nugget.” They started to laugh loudly which sounded very much infuriating to her ears.

“S-shut up!” Kaneki made a move to punch the rude guy who was holding Touka, but the taller guy started to hit him from behind.

He lay helplessly on the ground while they kicked him mercilessly.

Touka just stood there, she was in a dilemma- whether to reveal her strength, or just acted as a weak young girl. Kaneki looked so weak, and those guys were beating him using their full strengths.

However, before she could even decide, kagune emerged from his back- knocking down the two guys, saving both of them.

He had a horrified look on his face as he stood up, perhaps he was expecting her to scream or cry for help, or maybe run then call the police to report him to the CCG.

But she just stood there, surprised at what had just occurred right in front of her eyes.

“You’re a ghoul too?”

Kaneki started to work at Anteiku, learning more about the world of ghouls with Touka and the rest of the café members.

They weren’t dating. But she did not dislike him anymore.

They grew closer and closer each day, with her teaching him how to fight, and him trying his best to meet her expectations.

When he said he would be sad if she died, after she was badly injured as a result of her own brashness, she couldn’t stop the warm feelings building up inside her.

One day, he gathered up his courage to ask her out on a date, for real. She said yes, and he was so excited, continuing his work while grinning stupidly all the time.

Four months ago, she stated that she wouldn’t fall for him, that she’d prefer to stay single for the rest of her life rather than falling in love with him. Fate, on the other hand, proved her wrong; his delicate side made her wanted to protect him, his nerd part helped her with her difficult school exams, his gentleness and caring side made her happy, and his kindness melted her icy heart, allowing him into her life.

She had fallen for him, slowly but surely.

A smile blooming on her face as she stared at the red string on her pinky finger which led to her soulmate. Maybe this is a good beginning, she thought.

However, fate seemed to be cruel to her, mocking her own words back then, giving her a taste of karma.

Their relationship ended before it even started.

The date never happened.

He was kidnapped by Aogiri.

[pafsins2]

Everything Wrong With Everything Wrong With Across the 2nd Dimension

…Well, this is different. Over on Deviant Art, I’ve started doing Sins post for Sins video/posts because why not. Also, it’s fun and I got the idea from CinemaSinsSins and others.

And since I’m the most sinful person I know, I figured I’d sin one of my posts. I did myself in general, but it’s time to attack a full post. I picked the movie since it’s longer and thus has more problems. Time to see how wrong I am!

(Posting it here instead of DA cuz why not)

ORIGINAL POST: https://pafsins.tumblr.com/post/146397916776/everything-wrong-with-across-the-2nd-dimension

 1.I messed up the formatting and instead of taking the time to fix it, I just linked to someplace else I put this up on. Fixing it turned out to be easy so why didn’t I  do here?

2.”Wasn’t a Goozim a lot smaller in Doof’s flashback, or are they just bigger in this dimmension?” Likely the latter. Either way, it doesn’t matter.

3.”That’s the most abrasive alarm clock ever” Not really, it seems like more of a light prodding. Besides, I’d love an alarm clock that does that, to be honest.

4.”Candace just forgot she put a picture on a beloved stuff animal?” A Flaky teenager forgot something? I’m so surprised.

5.”How many Platypus themed sports are there?” That’s the joke.

6..”Yikes, Monogram did not age well.”That is not a sin, that is stating the obvious.

7.”It’s set up like this thing with the saftey on will be important, but it never is.” Again, that’s the joke. Also, not really.

8.”A woman of science who hangs out with kids that frequently defy the laws of physics” Jokes, do you understand them?!

9.Also, you forgot the quote you’re replying to, anyone who hasn’t seen the movie or doesn’t remember the line won’t know what you’re talking about.

10.”This whole thing starts because Doof wants a couch” Besides that being the joke,not really. I imagine he would have stepped into the portal to see what is on the other side even if the couch wasn’t there.

11.”Ballon-y can be seen all over the place, even though he shouldn’t exist here since Doof made him because he he had no friends, and that didn’t happen in this world”.

When did they ever say that? We just know things went better for Doof-2 and he lost the train, but they never state that this exact thing didn’t happen. There’s plenty of reasons he could have better Balloon-y in this world.

12.”“Just in case, vending machines become the dominant race!” You know some nut out there actually thinks this, thanks to thism ovie” Funny joke but not a sin.

13.”I see they save the “charecter finds out the big secret” plot for this movie.” I get how the use of the cliche is a sin but how is saving it for the movie a sin?

14.“You could have been cleaning your litter box this whole time?” That’s one of your biggest concerns about this?” Joke, that’s the.

15.”I’m with Doof, something as simple as that caused all this?” Sigh.

16.”This bit with Phineas-2 and Perry is so sad it’s sin because shut up.” Translation: It’s been more than a minute without a sin so I listed a random thing as a sin because reasons.

17.”Don’t think you can outlaw a season. You can outlaw Summer vacation though. Choose your words carefully, guys.” Oh shut up, you’re just being pedantic.

18.”Perry could find a way to explain to Phineas why he’s doing this, but whatever, this works too.” Phineas didn't exactly give him much of a chance to do. That should have been the sin here.

19.”Once again, good thing a Tv was here so they could see the news update.” In this case, it’s the TV Turning on that was convenient, no the TV itself. Yes that’s pedantic, shut up.

20.”It’s convincent that time works the exact same way in the 2nd dimension, not a second off.” Spongey is fine with a parallel dimension, but when that parallel dimension’s time works the same, that’s crossing the line Dammit!

21.”Candace-2 is a dick to the first dimmension people.” That’s the point

22.”The first scene is repeated, but with dialogue that clearly wasn’t there before.” Do you get points and jokes at all?

23.”How do half of these dimensions even work?” Doesn’t matter, these are just quick gags.

24.”These Citizens see crazy crap all the time but a bunch of robots has them running?” Robots coming out a portal is more alarming than anything P&F have done.

25.”I’m not sure how to word this but I’m sure this whole bit where someone planned out all this crazy stuff in adance that will now help the heroes get ready for the climax is a cliché. It’s also convenient.” Yes, but given how they set it up by establishing they clone Doof’s inventions, it at least makes sense.

26.“But it was obvious in Retrospect” “Buford is now smarter than most of the other kids. Huh.” He’s shown to be slightly smart before and after, how is this a sin?

27.”Quickest Villain Reformation ever.” You know the drill.

28.”How did Monogram and Carl get here so dang fast without anyone noticing?” The first part is fine but the 2nd part doesn’t matter.

29.”. I’d iked to hear Doof’s thoughts on all this. Guess he doesn’t agree cuz he’s locked in that Hannib Lector thing” You just pointed out why this is not a sin.

30.”Both this and the other Vanessa scene feel like those kind of deleted scenes that wouldn’t affected the film all that much if they were left in. The nature of them makes me think they were made FOR this  DVD, almost.” But that would have made Wannessa’s absence later on even more of a sin.

31.”If this was in the movie, it would be the first sign something is up as Doof-1 is pretty okay with her boyfriends usually, while Doof-2 is the “Boyfriend hating Dad” cliché” Yes. You’re point is…

32.”Guess this explains why more memories weren’t erased, but are they really that stupid?…Don’t answer that.” Too Bad: Yes.

SINS POST SIN TALLY: 32

SENTENCE: …

BONUS ROUND: Spelling/Grammar Errors!

(Errors in bold)

33.“or are they just bigger in this dimmension?”

“Wait, so Phineasc just wars a bland shirt-”+2

36.“Phineas looks way older then he did in the Flashback-”

37.“spoiling the twist/joking-”

38.”I don’t to remind but I’ll do it anyway” (Missing the “Need” in there)

39.“It’s set up like this thing with the saftey on will be important, but it never is.”

40..“Ballon-y can be seen all over the place-”

41.“You know some nut out there actually thinks this, thanks to thism ovie.”

42.Too many dumb visuals refernces too count..+

43.“I can’t help but notice that you’re scar goes over your eyepatch”

44.“If he truly meant Leorzna Llamas-”

“I see they save the “charecter finds out the big secret” plot for this movie.” + 2

47.“Gee it’s Trap” (Should be  A trap)

48.“It’s convincent that time works-”

49.“Candace-2 is a dick to the first dimmension people.”

50.“The bat head being from another dimension makes to much sense”

51.“I’m not sure how to word this but I’m sure this whole bit where someone planned out all this crazy stuff in adance-”

52.“Somethng from outside is mistaken for 3D” cliché”

53.“Add a sin of the WOLVERINES bit being a reference-”

54.“(who now has a change of clothes for some reson)”’

55.“. I’d iked to hear Doof’s thoughts on all this. Guess he doesn’t agree cuz he’s locked in that Hannib Lector thing.”

56.“Damn it, I don’t it do this so soon after the last one but…”(Should be “don’t usually”)

SINS POST SIN TALLY: 56

SENTENCE: Eaten by a Goozim

…Well, that was different and fun. For those who don’t follow my DA, check it out for more Sin Sins. Otherwise, head on to SpongeBob Sins next week for the return of it.

[woods2006gal]

There Will Be Blood

Addison sighs as she stares at her computer screen. She was confused; confused about what Sarah had told her and about what she had read in Patrick’s journals. Nothing was making any sense and what little did make seemed to contradict something else. “Okay, man, I have read this more times than the Playboy I found in Dad’s duffel,” Dean says, breaking the silence over the cabin. He was stretched out on the couch, with the notebook containing the translated word of God in his hands.

“Anna Nicole,” Sam questions.

“Anna Nicole. Oh, the good, they die young, huh.” Dean runs a hand over his face. “Look, we can read this till our eyes bleed. It ain’t getting any clearer.”

“So, then what does it mean,” Addison asks, closing her Macbook.

“Uh, cut off the head and the body will flounder. Well, I think we all agree that, uh, the head is Dick. Right?”

“Right,” Sam agrees.

“So, bottom line is, we go grab the stuff and we mix ourselves a weapon. End of story,” Dean tells them, grabbing a beer off the coffee table and taking a swig.

“Look, I’m all for killing Dick. I’m just saying, what then,” Sam argues. “I mean, what about the rest of the Leviathan? What? Are they just gonna drop dead?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Maybe? Maybe is good enough for you right now?”

“One problem at a time, all right?”

“Okay. But it's not a crazy idea to try and figure out what the catch is before we go crashing the gate.”

“Maybe this is the catch. God’s not telling us every detail. You know? The word is from God. I don’t know how much better it’s gonna get.”

Addison stands up. “I’m gonna go for a run. I’m going stir crazy sitting in here.”

“I’ll join you,” Sam says, shutting his laptop.

Dean shakes his head. “You two are a couple of freaks.”

“Says the man who has Dick on his mind,” Addison retorts, walking out of the room.

~*~

“So, you want to tell me what is bothering you,” Sam asks, as he and Addison walk back to the cabin. They had done a three mile run. She shoots him a confused look. “I know you, Ads. There’s something bothering you.”

Addison sighs and grabs his arm. She bites her lip for a moment. “If I tell you, you have to promise to never tell Dean,” she says.

“Ads—”

“I’ve kept your secrets, Sam. You owe me.”

Sam lets out a huff, not okay with lying to Dean. “Okay. I won’t tell.”

“Sarah told me there were other tablets. An angel tablet, a demon tablet, and one about us.”

“Humans?”

Addison shakes her head. “No. On Sarah…and me. She…Sarah said I could have powers. The tablet on her and her decedents probably has the spell to activate my powers.”

“Powers like Sarah’s?”

“Yes! I think we should find it. And do the spell. Sarah doesn’t use hers. So, we don’t know what the full extent of them.”

Sam sighs. “Ads, that’s a bad idea.”

“Why is it a bad idea? If I have these powers, then think of all the good that will come of them. We don’t have to worry about going to hospitals or running out of wine. What if I can touch a monster and it’s gone. Just poof.”

“It’s a bad idea. There’s a reason you don’t have powers in the first place. Let’s not mess with it,” Sam says, then walks past her.

~*~

Addison rolls her eyes as she sits on the couch watching a video on Sucrocorp on Sam’s laptop. Sam was sitting next to her. “Little FYI,” Dean says, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. “Bobby’s officing out of the john these days.”

“That’s awkward,” Addison replies.

Dean sits down in a nearby armchair and puts his feet up on the coffee table. “Yeah, you’re telling me. Uh, he does have some ideas about the weapon though.”

“Really? Well, uh, he may be just time,” Sam tells him, bringing up an article about Dick Roman and how he had just brought another company.

“Roman acquires…” Dean trails off. “What’s Sucrocorp?”

“They made food additives, namely high fructose corn syrup. That shit is in…well, it’s in just about everything. Um, soda, sauces, bread.”

“Don’t say pie.”

“It’s definitely in pie,” Addison says.

“Bastards. So now what? Roman’s moved past restaurants?”

“And into grocery stores, gas n’ sips, vending machines,” Sam explains.

“What can we do about it?”

“Short of going Al Qaeda on their trucks and plants, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Like I said, uh, Bobby’s got some ideas.”

~*~

Addison stands back, watching as the boys set up a table to do a summoning spell. Dean had filled them in on everything that Bobby had told him and they had done the easiest part, which was filling a vial up with Addison’s blood. Dean steps back from the table after slicing his palm and letting his blood drip into the bowl. Sam finishes the spell, then lights a match and tosses it into the bowl. Flames shoot up and Crowley appears in the room. “Hello, boys, Ads,” Crowley greets. The trio sets to filling the king of Hell on what had been going on with Dick Roman. “So, that’s what all the ‘rumble, rumble’ was about.”

“Who translated it for you,” Dean questions, then shakes his head. “Never mind. You gonna give us the blood or not?”

“Happily. But not quite yet. I’m all for chopping Dick, but I can’t have you running around with a vial of my blood, now, can I? You know the sheer number of nefarious spells my enemies can use that blood for?”

“Well, then when?”

“Last. After you’ve got all the other components. Most difficult, the angel part, I’m assuming. Given your role in their little apocalypse, I can’t imagine the choirboys upstairs are wetting their vestments to do you - what’s the word - a solid. Unless, of course, you have an angel up your sleeve.”

“Well, that’d be convenient, but, uh, no.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sam tells the demon. “We’ll get the angel blood one way or another. We just need you to be ready next time we call.”

“Fine.” Crowley smirks. “Oh, here’s a tip. I have it on good authority there’s one Alpha still among us.”

“Whose,” Addison questions.

“Mine. Wily character, that Alpha vampire. Somehow made good his prison break before Cas went nuclear on the place.”

“How do you know this?”

“Keep your friends close, your enemies, blah blah. Needless to say, I keep tabs. He moves around quite a bit. But I have an inkling I know where to start the Easter egg hunt. Happy trails.”

Crowley vanishes. “Okay. Where, jackass,” Dean shouts.

The flames on the table rise and die down. “Hoople, North Dakota,” Sam says, reading the words craved into the table.

“Piece of paper would have worked.”

~*~

Addison frowns as she looks around the gas station. Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary when she had entered earlier to use the bathroom. But she was now noticing the people around the small store. She spots the boys enter the gas station and makes her way over to them. “I’m talking pure hatred, Dean,” Sam says. “No humanity. I mean, he could…kill, possess people. I mean, Bobby could burn this fucking building down. Look if he goes off the rails—”

“Do the people in here seem out of it,” Addison interrupts. “Look at the guy.” She motions to where a man was pumping a large amount of mustard onto a hot dog.

“I - I don’t know,” Sam replies. “Maybe.”

“And what about the lady who is staring into the cooler of beer?”

“Yeah, they…they look like, uh, like those turducken people. It’s starting.” Sam picks up a can off a nearby display. “Its the corn syrup. Everything in the store is laced with it.”

“Everything,” Dean questions, looking around the store. “Hey, guys, I’m gonna go into toxic shock, okay? I - I need my road food.”

“And I’m sure that’s exactly what Dick Roman is counting on,” Addison counters. 

“Hey. Hey.” Dean picks up a container with a slice of pie inside it. There was a bright orange sticker, proclaiming that it was ‘natural.’ “This one says ‘natural.’ That means it’s safe. Right?”

Sam takes the pie out of his older brother's hand. “I hate to break it to you, but corn syrup is natural. Technically.”

“Well, then what the hell are we supposed to eat,” Dean argues. Addison grabs a banana and a bottle of water and shoves it at his chest, with a smirk.

~*~

The trio is parked outside of a large house at the address Crowley had given them. Dean was looking through a pair of binoculars while Sam and Addison try to see if there’s any guards. “It’s totally dark,” Dean tells them. “I can’t see inside.”

“Well, should we wait for daylight," Sam asks, looking between Dean and Addison.

“Hell no,” Bobby says, appearing in the backseat. “We’re not waiting. I’ll scout it. See if we need to bring in the big guns.”

“I don’t know,” Sam counters. Bobby disappears as Sam turns to the back seat. “Look, Bobby…” He trails off after seeing the hunter was gone.

“Okay,” Bobby says, reappearing. “Place is clear. But there’s something you’re gonna want to see.”

Addison shakes her head, grabbing her machete off the floor. “Let’s go.” The trio climbs out of the car and makes their way into the house. As they enter a room, they find three bodies stretched out over a table.

“Careful,” Dean tells them, leaning over to look at one of the bodies. Vampire teeth were visible, along with burn marks around the mouth. The body next to it was the same way. “You know a way to kill vamps with battery acid?”

“Only way I know is beheading,” Bobby answers.

“Yeah, well, these vamps ate something that didn’t agree with them,” Addison says.

“Hey,” Sam says. He motions to the wall behind them. “Check out that. Something seem weird to you?”

“Yeah, see if you can find a switch or a lever or something,” Dean replies.

“Don’t need one,” Bobby says and walks through the wall. 

The trio searches the wall. Sam picks up a book and discovers a button. “Hey.” Sam presses the button and they watch as a hidden door opens up. They enter the room to find Bobby and a young woman. The woman moves closer to the fireplace, tightly clutching a teddy bear. “Dean, Ads. Machete.”

They hid their machetes. “Hey,” Dean greets. “Look. We’re not gonna hurt you. Okay.” They trio shows the woman their teeth, reassuring her that they weren’t vampires. “No fangs. See.”

“We just want to talk,” Addison softly tells her. After getting the young woman a cup of tea, they group sits down in the room.

“I was eight,” the young woman says. “My mom left me at the playground while she ran to the store. A man approached me and said I was the prettiest girl there. And I’ve been living with these…things…ever since. At least until now.”

“Do you have any idea why,” Sam questions.

“I’m one of his special girls. All the others, it was their job to make sure I was ready for the Alpha, whenever he came. Wash me, give me my IV bags every day. It’s my only food. So my blood’s pure.”

“And they’ve been doing this for almost twelve years,” Addison asks.

“Virgins are a delicacy. He always has at least one of us on hand.”

“Well, don’t worry, okay,” Sam tells her. “We’re gonna get you back to your mother.”

“Think she remembers me?”

“Of course she does. Don’t you remember her?”

The young woman shakes her head. Dean motions to the vampires on the table. “Hey, these, uh, these guys, they, uh friends of yours,” he asks.

“They take care of the Alpha when he’s here. Or did.”

“What happened to them,” Sam questions.

“A week ago, they came back from what they said was an easy hunt. Three humans just came, didn’t put up any fight. But when they started on them, the vampires screamed in pain. The ones who ate died immediately.”

“And the ones who didn’t?”

“There was only. When he saw what happened, he moved to animals. He’s out hunting as we speak.”

“Never heard of vamps being allergic to humans before,” Dean says, turning to Sam and Addison.

“You think maybe it’s the corn syrup,” Sam asks. “I mean, think about it. The Gas n’ Sip was lousy with stoners. All ripe for the picking.”

“She did that it was an easy hunt,” Addison reminds.

“Do you know where the Alpha is now?”

“I don’t know,” the young woman answers. “Maybe. He has a place he goes when something’s wrong. He call it his retreat.” Sam pulls out his phone. “What is that?”

“That’s, uh, that’s Sam douche tracker,” Dean replies. Addison shoots him an incredulous look. “Helps up find the Alpha. All we need’s an address.”

“I don’t know. But I remember things that maybe can help.”

“That’s okay,” Sam reassures. “Just do the best you can.”

~*~ 

“I can’t do this, guys,” Dean complains as they walk out of the grocery store. Sam was carrying a bag of fresh vegetables and fruit. Addison rolls her eyes. “I can’t live on rabbit food. I’m - I’m a warrior.”

“You’ll be fine,” Addison tells him.

“You don’t know that, Ads.”

“So, what’s next on the list,” Sam asks.

“Well, if we’re bum rushing the Alpha, then we’re gonna need dead man’s blood, which mean a morgue. Or…”

“Or what,” Sam and Addison asks.

They follow Dean’s gaze to where a man was sitting on a bench, drinking a Big Gulp. “You fucking kidding me,” Addison says, shaking her head.

“Forget the morgue. We are swimming in vamp poison,” Dean tells them.

“No, we can’t just walk up to someone and ask for their blood,” Addison argues. She turns to Sam, hoping he would take her side. She finds a contemplative look on his face. “Seriously?”

They walk over to the man. “Excuse me, sir,” Sam says. “Hi. We’re with the…Red Cross? See, we have an emergency shortage.” He pulls out his FBI badge. “And we’re gonna need you to…” Sam trails off when the man looks up at him with a blank look. “You’re not getting a word I’m saying, are you?”

“Hey,” Dean says, snapping his fingers in the man’s face. He sits down next to him. “Hold out your arm. We need your blood.”

“Dean,” Addison snaps as the man holds out an arm.

“All right, Sam.” Dean pulls out the syringe and hands it to Sam. “Tap the keg.”

“Here,” Sam disbelievingly asks.

“Yeah, Sam, look around. It’s fucking Woodstock. Everybody’s hopped up on the brown acid. We don’t need the song and dance. Give him a little prick.”

Addison shakes her head as she sits down next to Dean. Sam sits on the other side of the man and pushes the syringe into the back of the man’s hand. “Ow! That hurts. This is for Hurricane Katrina, you said,” the man asks.

“Yes. Yes. I did.”

“So, look, uh, when we get there…” Sam trails off.

“Yeah?”

Sam glances back at the car where the young woman, whose name they learned was Emily, was sitting. “Bobby’s gonna have to hang back. Do you disagree?”

“He ain’t gonna like it. I mean, he helped us in getting Emily.”

“Look, I’m Team Bobby, too. Okay? But there’s a reason we left him in the car with Emily. You know that. The more action he sees, the more chance he gets to spin out.”

Dean turns to Addison and she sighs. “I’m with Sam on this one,” she softly tells him.

“All right, fine. So, we’ll keep him off the front lines and he can just, you know, keep calm and carry on, right.” A police car slowly drives by them, with ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends’ blaring from the speakers.

“Well and if he can’t,” Sam asks.

~*~

"When they hauled you off to vamp camp, do you remember how long the drive was,” Dean questions Emily as their latest piece of junk car speeds down the dark highway. Emily was sitting in the backseat with Addison.

“We left at night," Emily tells him. “Got in before dawn.”

“Maybe six or seven hours,” Addison asks.

“I think so, yes.”

“Do you remember any highways,” Sam asks.

Emily shakes her head. “No. We only took back roads.”

“Okay. So, figure they averaged forty-five miles per—”

“Couldn't have been more than three hundred miles,” Dean interrupts.

“Right.”

“What direction were you going?”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“You’re doing fine, Emily,” Addison softly reassures. “Is there anything else you can remember?”

“Bells. As we pulled up, I heard these loud bells.”

“What it still dark out?”

“You thinking church, Ads,” Dean asks.

“That’s too early for mass. More like a monastery. Monks get up at four a.m. to pray.”

Dean shakes his head. “Can’t get laid. Can’t sleep in. A fucking tragedy. Okay, so, Alpha’s camping next to, a, uh, monkey house.” He glances at his younger brother and finds Sam glued to his phone. “How many we got in range?”

“Looks like one. Just outside, uh…” Sam trails off as they speed past a sign declaring they were entering Missoula, Montana.

They drive to the nearby monastery and park in front of the gates. “This is where he took me,” Emily tells them, looking around.

Sam frowns, noticing that someone appeared to be patrolling the area. He notices another person standing guard on the roof. “Are you sure?”

Emily nods. “What now?”

“We’ll get you someplace safe. Circle back and Ginsu these leeches,” Dean says.

~*~

Addison raises an eyebrow as the TV host talks about the details of a house. The trio had checked into a nearby motel in order to leave Emily somewhere safe. Addison turns as Dean holds out one of the syringes filled with blood from a stoner. “All right, here we go,” Dean says, handing a syringe to Sam. “Ten ccs of vamptonite.” Sam and Addison shoot him annoyed looks. “It’s a thing.”

“What’s a Kardashian,” Emily asks.

“Oh, that’s, uh, just another bloodsucker.”

An alarmed look appears on Emily’s face. “He’s joking,” Addison reassures. “Dean isn’t good at making jokes.”

“What,” Dean replies, walking over to the safe. “I’m hilarious.”

“Here,” Sam says, holding out a piece of paper to Emily. “If we’re not back by dawn, call this number. Jody Mills. She’s a friend. She’ll take care of you. Here, use this phone.” He also hands her an older flip phone.

“You gotta hang here,” Dean quietly says as he puts Bobby’s flask in the safe. “For your own good. Capiche?”

“Sam,” Emily says, standing up. “Thank you.”

“You bet.”

Dean opens the motel door and it slams shut. “It was wind,” Dean tells an alarmed Emily. He shoots her a smile that didn’t come off as reassuring. “Chill out, Bobby,” he whispers. “We’ll be back soon.”

Dean opens the door and the trio walks out. “Well, he didn’t take that very well,” Sam says.

“How’d you think he was gonna take it?”

Sam bumps into a cleaning cart being pushed by a maid. “Excuse me,” the maid says and continues walking down the hallway.

“Sorry,” Sam apologizes.

~*~

“Well, this time of day, most of them would be catching z’s,” Dean says, parking the car outside of the monastery. “They won’t know what hit them.” Dean looks between Sam and Addison when neither of them say anything. “Hey. You guys with me?”

“Yeah,” Sam replies, turning from looking out of the window.

“But?”

“Are you sure you just want to charge in there, machetes blazing? Last time, it took a dozen hunters to take down the Alpha. And most of them didn’t make it out.”

“I’m with Dean on this one,” Addison says.

“Can you say that again? And slowly,” Dean replies, smirking.

“Shut up. But, yeah, most of them will be asleep. It’s the best plan we have. Unless you can think of a better one, Sam.”

“Actually I do,” Sam says, looking between them. He tells them his idea and Dean and Addison exchange a look.

Addison nods. “All right then. Let’s go.” She climbs out of the car and the boys follow suit. They quietly make their way to the main entrance of the monastery. Sam pushes on the door and it easily opens.

“Maybe we’re too late,” Dean quietly says.

“Or it’s a trap,” Addison softly replies as Sam starts to enter the monastery. A force jerks him inside. “Sam!” Dean lunges through the door and is grabbed. Addison steps through the door and is also grabbed. The vampire bares it’s fangs at her.

The vampires lead them through the monastery and into a dining room. At the end of the table was the Alpha. “The Winchesters. I’m intrigued,” the alpha greets.

Emily enters the room and stands behind the alpha’s chair. “Emily,” Sam states.

“Hi, Sam,” Emily replies, placing a hand on the back of the alpha’s chair.

“Wow. For a girl raised in a basement, you’re a hell of an actress,” Dean says.

“You were gonna hurt my daddy.”

“Wow. You got a trophy in Stockholm Syndrome. And sorry to burst your bubble, but, uh, we weren’t. Sam here had a better idea.”

“We’re here to talk,” Sam says. “That’s it.”

The alpha scoffs. “Now that my guys have taken your blades and your syringes of tainted blood. Is that what you mean?”

“Well, we, uh, figured you might hold a grudge,” Dean defends.

“And why would I? Because you captured me, tortured me, sold me to the king of Hell?”

“That was more our grandpa.” A vampire slams Dean against the table and he falls to the ground. He groans as he pushes himself up. “Thank you. That was awesome.”

“I’m going to peel off your faces and drink you slowly.”

“Look, you need us,” Addison says.

“Oh, yes. I am thirsty!”

“The plague,” Sam says. “We know what it is! What do you know about Leviathan?”

“A bit.”

“You know they’re poisoning the food supply?”

“Roman didn’t mention that when we met for dinner last fall. We made lots of plans. We are on excellent terms, he and I.”

“You sure about that? Did he mention that he was going to Maui wowie the human population?”

“Oh, of course. He said grabbing a snack would easier than ever.”

“He said you’d all live together, didn’t he,” Sam asks. “You really believe him? You think your children are dying by accident? There is pesticide in the formula!”

“It suits you to think so. You need me on your side.”

“Hey, we’re not the ones that are burning from the inside whenever we eat,” Addison argues. “Think about it. Whatever deal he made with you was bullshit. And you know it. You can trust us.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because we can stop Dick,” Sam answers. “Stop all of it. We just…we need your blood. For the weapon.”

The Alpha scoffs. “So now you want to prevent the extermination of the vampire race.”

“No,” Dean replies. “But it beats going down with you.”

The door opens and they turn to see a young boy enter the room. “Allan, darling. Come.” The boy walks over to the Alpha and stands on the other side of the chair.

“Well, the creep gets creepier.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Edgar’s here,” Allan informs.

The trio exchanges a look as Allan walks out of the room. “Wow, what a funny coincidence,” Dean says. “All right, we need soap, uh, cleanser, anything with borax in it. We need knives.”

“Put them in the study,” the Alpha orders.

“What? No, no, no, wait,” Addison says as vampires grab them.

“Word of advice. You do not live through centuries of fire and ice and continental divide by jumping to conclusions.”

The vampires push the trio out of the room. “You’re making a mistake,” Sam shouts. “Listen! Wait!” They’re shoved into a nearby room and the door shuts behind them. Addison sighs as she looks around the room. There were a couple of desks and bookshelves in the room, along with a refrigerator with blood bags hanging in them.

Addison turns when Dean walks over to the door and tries pulling it open, only to find that it’s been locked from the outside. “Anything,” Dean asks, turning back to them.

“Nothing,” Sam replies. “You think Edgar’s here for the same reason we are? I mean, look, if they figured out that we’re here to get Alpha blood for a weapon…”

“I think any way you slice it, you got Pac Man and True Blood in the same room and that’s bad news. I mean, he’s not stupid. Why the hell do you think he locked us in here?”

“Dean, we’re his enemy. I mean, they’re like monster cousins or something. Who would you give the benefit of the doubt to? Man, you know what? Maybe the Sucro is poisoning the vamps on accident. Maybe they’ll fix it.”

Addison scoffs. “Sam, one of the planet’s oldest monsters is thinking that he can take the leviathans because he’s always been able to.”

“Edgar’s gonna eat him alive.”

“Yeah.”

“Hey,” Dean says, holding up a needle from one of the blood bags. “You think one of you could pick a lock with this.”

Addison takes the needle out of his hand and walks over to the door. “Dean, we gave up all our vamptonite,” Sam reminds his older brother.

“Did we,” Dean counters, pulling a syringe out of his boot.

“Hey,” Addison softy calls. The trio slips out of the room and makes their way downstairs. A vampire grabs Addison and pulls her against his chest. Dean injects some on of the vamptonite and the vampire instantly releases Addison. They watch as the vampire lets out a scream and falls to the ground with his skin burning.

“Wow,” Dean says, examining the dead vampire. He stands up. “Fucking vamptonite. All right, we need knives. There’s got to be a prep room or a kitchen somewhere. Come on.”

After finding a repair room and grabbing some machetes, the trio makes their way back to the main dining room. When Edgar’s mouth opens to reveal his true teeth, Dean walks up behind him. Edgar turns as Dean swings his arm and stops Dean from slicing his head off. The machete falls to the ground. Edgar grabs Dean’s jacket and yanks him forward. Sam walks up behind the leviathan and slices his head off. “Grab a glass,” Dean says, walking over to the Alpha. “We’re juicing this freak.”

“No,” Emily screams, protectively standing in front of the Alpha.

“Stay back!”

The Alpha sends Dean flying across the table. “Leave her alone,” the Alpha snaps. “She’s been through quite enough.”

“Now, that’s rich,” Sam replies. “Coming from the guy who took her off the swing set.”

“Do you want to do this fight? Or do you want my blood?” The trio remains silent as the Alpha sits down in his chair and slices his wrist with a long fingernail. The blood drips into a glass and the Alpha holds it out to Addison. “For taking care of Edgar. Now go.”

“What about the little boy,” Sam asks.

“Are you joking?”

“Do we look like we’re joking,” Dean argues. “How many other kids you got in here, you freak?”

“At the moment, just him. Emily, help Allan with with his coat. He’s living with Sam and Dean. Now, take it.” Addison picks up the glass and starts to walk to the door. “What? No ‘thank you?’ Oh, right, right. Your flesh is crawling. All you really want to do is kill me now. You hate having to wait and come back and try again.”

“Pretty much.” Dean motions to the Edgar’s body. “I wouldn’t leave that head too close to that body for too long.”

“See you next season.”

“Looking forward to it.”

~*~

After dropping Allan off at the nearest police station in town and having to deal with the questions from the police, the trio had made their way back to their motel. “Let’s never do that again,” Dean says as they walk down the hallway to their room. “Cops through we took that kid.”

“Long as he gets back to his folks, I don’t care what they thought,” Sam counters.

“Sam, we had to jump out of a window,” Addison reminds, rubbing her shoulder. She bumps into Dean when they reach their room. The door was slightly opened. They each pull out a gun before slowly making their way into the room.

The mirror above the sink was cracked. “Bobby,” Dean calls out. “Bobby?”

“Dean, Ads.” They turn to see Sam standing by the safe. It was open and empty. Sam pulls out his EMF meter and turns it on. “I’m getting trace bits of EMF, but it’s fading fast. And Bobby’s probably been gone three or four hours. He’s got the flask, Dean. How the hell are we supposed to track him? Look, I hate to say this...”

“Well, then don’t,” Dean snaps. “He’s gone. How could he do this...now? I mean, we’ve got half the fucking weapon, we’re almost there.”

“He’s not thinking clearly, Dean,” Addison reminds him.

“So, what, we just keep going while he’s out there like this?”

Addison exchanges a look with Sam. “I don’t think we have another option. It’s what Bobby would want us to do. Right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, him and Frank and Cas, if his marbles were in the bag. It’s a good thing we got Crowley in our corner. Right? Seeing as how it all comes down to him.” Dean scoffs. “What could possibly go wrong?”

[forkanna]

[AO3 LINK] [WATTPAD]

Spring vacation was kind to the pop idol formerly known as Risette. She and her friends spent a lot of time in the park or at Junes, hanging around at each other's houses. It was never the same with Narukami gone but sometimes they could come pretty close, and that was worth doing.

Though she had hoped to see Ebihara in town, maybe check in with her again despite the way they left things, apparently the priss had taken off with her family or something. Oh well. It wasn't exactly that she desperately wanted to interact with her, she just didn't like knowing a friend was hurting and she couldn't help. No matter how new and rocky the friendship was.

She also wound up being busy throughout the end of March because she was trying to restart her career. At first, her agent and the agency she had belonged to were resistant to the idea of letting her back in; it seemed they had some sort of issue with putting a lot of time and effort into an idol who would only abandon them. But her putting on a sugary sweet tone and telling them she missed them so much, while also saying she would be so sad if she had to work for a different agency instead, did the trick. Never underestimate the effectiveness of flattery and a veiled threat when used in tandem.

Logistics and singing lessons had kept her busy for most of the remaining break. Three days remained until the new school year started up. They had all been anxious about going into their final year — well, the older students. Rise and Kanji and Naoto would just be starting their second year.

"Boring Friday in boring Inaba," Yosuke was sighing as they slowly walked into town.

"Yep," Chie groaned.

"Not for one of us," Naoto mentioned. "How did your audition go, Rise?"

The teen idol huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "Can you believe they actually made me re-audition? They know I can do the work! This was just a power play to make me feel bad for taking a break in the first place."

"Sure," Yosuke snorted. "They probably thought you were past your prime. They don't know what we know."

"And… what do 'we' know?"

"That you are still the mega-hot Risette that we all know and love. Like, you haven't even gained any weight or anything!"

While Yukiko and Chie were groaning and Kanji was face-palming, Rise smiled sweetly and bounced closer to Yosuke's side. "Aww, you knew just what I needed to hear! Thanks, sweetie!"

His entire face turned red, and his floppy brown hair seemed to twitch back and forth. "S-s-s-sweetie!"

"Don't encourage him," Chie grunted with a firm shake of her head. "You know he's too dumb to figure out you're just messing with him."

"Yeah, I am! Wait- I mean, I'm not- she's not! You…"

"Give it up, man," Kanji sighed heavily, pounding him on the back so hard that he staggered.

"Oh, I'm gonna get a melon soda," Rise piped up before the argument got out of hand. "Anybody else want one?"

"If it's fizzy," Yukiko said with a modest smile. "Chie wants orange with pulp."

"Hey! You don't know that for sure," Chie yelped… with a highly suspicious blush breaking out across her cheeks. Yukiko only giggled.

By now, Rise was walking over to the vending machine in front of Souzai Daigaku. She was starting to get a little suspicious of Yukiko and Chie… but she definitely didn't want to accuse them of anything. Especially considering how uncomfortable Naoto still seemed surrounding the issues of gender and sexuality. Kanji talked a big game about being over all that stuff, at least, but Naoto got very quiet and nervous when the topic came up. The last thing she wanted was to make her friends uncomfortable.

As the heavy steel can bumped into the dispenser below, she bent down to retrieve it… and the glint from something caught her eye. She looked over to see it was a pair of sunglasses — adorning the face of someone she had been hoping to see for two weeks now.

"Ebihara?!"

The other girl started, then grimaced as she gripped the lip of the table outside the restaurant. She looked very put together — on par with something Rise would wear. Long summery white skirt that was partly see-through, strappy pink sandals that matched her pink cardigan. And also matched her choker, which was almost always around her neck like some part of her official uniform. Every nail manicured, not a strand of hair out of place, lips glistening from a fresh coat.

And she was not happy.

"Oh God, it's you."

"Wha- hey! Just what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I don't know. Do you maybe not remember trying to make me feel like an asshole in Aiya?"

"That is not what I was doing. Geez! I was only pointing out that you have to put yourself out there if you want to-"

"Hey, I don't need a lesson in friendship from Risette. Go get preachy on TV for your little fans."

She almost let that scare her off. So very almost. But she decided to give it one last shot before she left Ai to her own devices. "Well then, I… I apologize for sounding preachy. It was not my intention."

That finally made the other girl take her sunglasses off. "Did you rehearse that long? Because you sound like the lady on my voicemail."

But Rise didn't really take those words in right away. She was too distracted by the dark circles under her schoolmate's eyes. Was Ebihara not sleeping very well? Why not? She wanted to ask, but she was at least smart enough not to try it for fear of being snapped at again.

"I… I didn't. You just got really mad at me last time for no reason, and I'm trying to be careful with my words. Or whatever."

"It wasn't for no reason. You made fun of me."

"What? No!"

"Yes, you did, you cunt. You told me I could come hang out with you guys, and then came into the bathroom while I was… indisposed, and told me I was doing it wrong!"

Rolling her eyes was the only way she had to vent her feelings other than throwing the melon soda at this girl's head. And she didn't want to dent her skull — for now.

"I said I was sorry, and that I didn't mean to piss you off, so can you stop yelling at me?"

"THAT'S-" After that single word, Ebihara grabbed her purse and started to stand up… then stopped. Took a deep breath. "No. I promised him I'd be better, I am better."

"U-uhhhh…?"

Expression still fiercely angry, hands on her hips with her purse dangling down past her knee, she stomped over to glare daggers straight down into Rise's eyes and causing the shorter girl to gulp. Wow was she tall — had to be at least ten centimetres taller! No giant, but tall for a girl, especially compared to her and Chie and Naoto; Yukiko was always so tall and poised… but her attention was wandering, and she had missed what Ai was saying.

"Huh?"

"I said," she snapped impatiently, "do you want to join me for tea?"

"WHAT?!"

"I SAID DO YOU-"

"No, no, I got it!" she yelped, hastily covering her ears to stop them from ringing thanks to how loud Ebihara could get. "Sorry, I'm just shocked! You really acted like you hated me!"

Ebi's lips pursed for a long moment as she turned to stare at the rest of the team. By now, they had figured out their friend was not returning right away, and were watching with detached interest. "You and Narukami-kun… you were trying to tell me something. I'm only good at manipulating people or bossing them around. No one has ever wanted to be my friend before, not my entire life. The reasons just changed. So…"

"Soooooo… is this you asking if we can be fr-"

"Don't make it awkward, bitch," she hissed over Rise. "Let's say we'll make this a trial run. You probably won't be able to stand me and I probably won't be able to stand you, but you're the only one giving it a shot."

At least Ebi wasn't trying to say it was all Rise's fault. Plus, it was obvious this was the best she could do in terms of asking politely and being friendly. She knew from her years in the entertainment industry that some people just didn't seem to be born with friendliness in their DNA. But that didn't mean they didn't deserve friendship.

"Of course! We're just heading to Junes if you wanted to tag along."

But Ai instantly looked a lot less thrilled with that idea — and she had already looked less than thrilled. "I have class."

"Huh? I mean, school doesn't start until Monday…"

"It's not that kind of class." As she pushed off from the seat, she yanked the melon soda out of Rise's hands. "Thanks."

"Wha- hey! Oooh, you're paying me back for that!"

"Isn't this a favour? Don't friends do favours?" Then she slid her sunglasses back into place, waved over the edge of what was now her can, and strutted away.

It wasn't until she was half a block away that the idol ground back to life and ran after her, shouting a few metres behind her, "HEY! When are we getting tea?"

Ebi looked almost panicked when she turned back around. But it only lasted a second; then she was thoroughly embarrassed and grimacing as she quickly walked back to the other girl's side.

"Keep it down! Why are you so noisy? Do you have to remind everyone that you're a vocalist every day?"

"And do you have to conveniently forget to set the time and place?"

"That's… shut up." But she still looked embarrassed, even if only because her cheeks were a little rosy. She took out her phone and said, "Numbers?"

"Yeah," Rise sighed wearily as she took out her own. They touched them together to share contact information, then checked their screens to make sure it had worked. "Cool. Ebi."

"Ugh…"

"Oh, you don't like that nickname?"

"I dunno, it's fine. I'll just keep calling you Risette, it's not like I'm going to mix you up with some other Risette."

Rolling her eyes, she said, "Guess not. But that's not how my friends talk to me."

"Fine — Rise. Only because I am definitely not a fan." Then she walked away.

Leaving Rise wondering why the hell she bothered. Couldn't Ebihara at least make a half-hearted attempt to be kind?

                                            ~ o ~

Rise almost gave up on her potential new friend. She certainly didn't want to be the first one to text after all that cold-shouldering and denigration, and as kept being pointed out to her, she was famous and had plenty of friends. So why should she bust her ass to be warm and welcoming to a frigid asshole?

All that changed late that night.

EBI: Hey Rise?

She almost ignored it. Almost. In fact she tossed her phone aside in disgust and finished rinsing off so she could get in the bathtub, burgundy-hued hair carefully up in a towel-turban so she wouldn't have to mess with it too much the next day. But once she had settled into the hot water, she thought better of it and reached for her phone.

RISE: Hi

EBI: Okay so ur pissed

EBI: We can call tea off if you want

RISE: I didn't say anything did I?

EBI: You don't have to

EBI: Listen

RISE: Ok…?

But there was no response. She had watched the screen for a minute or so before giving up, laying her phone aside and trying to relax again. Not that she had any success. And eventually, about five minutes later…

EBI: I promised Yu I was going to change. Stop being this horrible bitch to everybody. But I can't stop, I don't know how to stop. Maybe it was stupid but I thought I would just figure it out if I kept trying but every time you talk I start thinking of how I can cut you down… I want to "win" the conversation. Idk. I'm stupid and you deserve better and I don't think I can do better so if you want to call off our tea time I won't even be mad, not really

EBI: I'm sorry I'm like this.

"Whoa," she found herself breathing, heart lurching in her chest. Yes, she had seen glimpses of this version of Ebihara, but had never expected to see more than that. Now she was really, truly opening up to her, and she had no idea how to respond.

But she made herself do it. Maybe mostly because she felt bad about ignoring the first text, but she definitely didn't want to leave this girl hanging the one time she really opened up.

RISE: Atzrbucks?

EBI: What

RISE: For tea. I'm more into coffee but whatever, they have both

EBI: Are you brain-damaged? I'm giving you a chance to get out of this toxic ass friendship

EBI: Free of charge

RISE: You said this was a trial run didn't you? Doesn't that mean if it doesn't work out we can walk away then?

EBI: Well yeah

EBI: But I figured that shit was over. God I even stole your soda

EBI: Are you a masochist?

RISE: Hey I know I look like a spoiled brat because I was a 15 yr old idol but I'm not that weak

RISE: And I'm not 15 anymore UwU

EBI: ...why are you telling me that

EBI: Nevermind

RISE: Lol

EBI: Your funeral I was just trying to be nice and let you off easy

EBI: But I mean you've seen how bad I am at that

RISE: Nobody said you have to get it perfect right away :)

EBI: I guess

EBI: Tomorrow at 10?

RISE: Yeah~! See you then!

EBI: K

Only once she had finished her long soak, smiling slightly the entire time, did Rise get another message. So she paused in her toweling off to check her phone.

EBI: Thanks

RISE: ❤️

                                              ~ o ~

"So you're really going through with it?"

"I guess so. I mean, Ebi seems like she's really hurting but doesn't want to admit how bad it is. She needs somebody and I guess it's me."

"Weird," Yukiko's voice responded from her phone where it lay on the vanity. Rise was just putting the final touches on her makeup before heading out. "But I do think it's very nice of you to try to help her."

"Hey, that's me! Just the nicest girl you could ever know!"

"Right," she giggled. "So… may I ask you a question? It may sound a little strange."

"You may," Rise replied with a snort, making fun of how formal her friend was being.

"Okay. So Chie got me a very nice gift recently. And… um, her birthday is coming up. Eventually."

"Yeah?" She wasn't getting the whole truth. Rise could tell — mostly because she was pretty sure Chie's birthday was in July, which was still quite a ways off. But she decided it would be cruel to call Yukiko out on hedging around the facts; if she didn't want to be completely honest, there was probably a valid reason.

"Y-yeah! And, well, we already gave each other necklaces. But I'm trying to think of a really good gift to get her for this occasion. Something special. I'm just not sure… I mean, I know Chie very well, but I'm nervous. And you seem like someone who is very good at giving gifts."

Rise had to laugh at that one, shaking her head as she started putting most of her makeup away. "Right! I mean, who am I getting them for? My grandma? She just tries to give the gift back or tell me all she wants is to 'see me happy'. Can't even give her soap on a rope or whatever."

"Awwwwww," Yukiko cooed. "What a sweet woman."

"She is." Then she cleared her throat. "Okay, so. You wanna get Chie something spicy, or sweet?"

"O-oh, I don't really know. I just know I gave her jewelry for… Christmas." Another lie. "So I think this gift should be something different, but I'm not sure what."

Rise wanted to flat out ask if they were a little bit more than just friends, as she had begun to suspect. But she didn't want to embarrass either of them just in case she was wrong. "Right. Well, uh, I know she's really into kung fu. Maybe you could get her some DVDs? Or hey — who's her favorite action star? Bruce Lee, Jet Li?"

"Oh, I… think it's Sammy… something? Sonny? Her favourite movie is 'Project A', I remember that much."

"Don't know it. But yeah! Why don't you see if you can track down a poster of that movie? Or I could try to help you, I guess; I wouldn't mind."

"O-oh, you don't have to do that! This isn't your responsibility! I just need to learn how to be a better girlf… fr… a better friend, yes."

Well, that definitely seemed to be confirmation. Rise's eyebrow went up, but she very delicately kept herself from asking a question right away. "Yeah, girlfriend, I get you." There; maybe that would make Yukiko feel less awkward.

"R-right! Yes! Hahahaha… haaaa…" The junior innkeeper cleared her throat before saying, "Alright, I u-um, I should let you go so you won't be late to meet up with Ebihara-san."

"It's not that crucial," she laughed easily. "But I mean, good luck? You got this. And I'm sure whatever you end up doing for her birthday is gonna be magical; you're super nice, and super thoughtful like that. Won't even be an issue."

"Oh, I really hope you're right. Thank you, Rise. And have fun!"

"I'll do my best!"

But as she hung up and stared at herself in the mirror, Rise had to wonder just how much fun she was about to have. What would they even have to talk about?

                                               To Be Continued…

[heroes-writing]

Omg! You're back😆! I'm so glad you are, how have you been? I am honestly so excited to see you are writing!❤️❤️ Can I request a scenario where Saitama and his S/O are out doing the groceries or something and his S/O gets all riled up at something some random guys said and they end up in this awkward (yet funny) and embarrassing situation? Thank you so much😘😋

I’ve had a crazy year since I left! But I’m well now! 8D 

I hope this is okay lol, the idea I went with came out of left field, and I’m writing at 6am. Please enjoy! <3

Word Count: 1873

As you and Saitama grew as a couple, you experienced a lot offirsts together.

You were his first kiss, and he was the first guy you sawtruly and properly butt naked.

Only Saitama knew of your secret love for French fries dippedin chocolate pudding, and you knew just how ticklish he was between his thighs.

Saitama was your first long-term relationship, your first love…and while loving each other was something you both found absurdly easy. Youoften heeled your desires to conform to what others expected out of yourrelationship since the way you loved each other worked so well.

It’s a long story, but you knew Saitama before he startedtraining to become a hero, back when he still lived in that crappy apartmentcomplex filled to the brim with crooked people.

The two of you hung out at each other’s apartments for thelongest time, you spent the night often, squeezing next to each other on yoursingle futons and often laughing at how cramped it was.

Those plush shikibuton’s were all well and good, but it wastime for the two of you to move up in the world.    

Since Saitama’s home was too small, you decided (pretty muchon your own) that you would invest in a proper bed. You wanted at least, aqueen size mattress that the two of you could sleep in when you were at yourplace.

It was around Midday when you made your way to the huge mattressoutlet in H city. Big signs were plastered all over the storefront screaming “SALE”and “LOW PRICES GAUREENTEED”. It put Saitama at ease since he was a huge suckerfor saving money.

As you walked up the steps you continued your conversationwith your bald boyfriend—he was trying to tell you that he once fell asleep whilefighting a 4 eyed pillow monster.

“I guess in the end, you don’t mind what you sleep on huh?”You giggled as he held open the door for you.

“I could sleep anywhere I think.” He shrugged, and followedyou into the air-conditioned megastore in his usual nonchalant manner.

To your immediate right, a tall sales representative smiledat you, and only you.

“Hello miss—“ His voice was rather oily, and it made youinwardly wince. He stepped up to you real close, his tall height putting you atedge, “Looking for anything particulartoday?”

Almost out of second nature your hand shot out to the spaceSaitama always occupied at your side. You tugged him close without even lookingat him, till you could feel his heat at your hip and his hand settled against yourback.

Now that he was properly into frame so to speak—you forcefullyexpanded the world view of the man talking to you.

For some reason people pointedly ignored Saitama’s existence,and it irritated you to no end.

“Yes, my boyfriend andI—“ you raised your eyebrows assertively, “Are looking for a queen sizedmattress.”

In tandem, you and Saitama stared and smiled in a picturesquemanner.

The oily man snapped his eyes between the two of you, andobviously didn’t know what to think. Saitama looked like an average joe, so youcouldn’t be after him for money to buy you expensive things.

Was it pity?

After a moment of pause where he wisely chose to not say anyof his theories, he offered a confident hand towards the back of the store, “Rightthis way, please~”

Eh, he was still giving you the creeps.  

“Care to tell me the price range you’re going for today?”

You really didn’t have too much of an idea, “I’m not surewhat beds go for these days actually. We both have used Futons since getting ourown places...”

He hummed, “I see I see! I’ll keep that in mind for what Ishow you today!”

With a shake of your head, the two of you looked to the salesassociate as he took the lead. He seemed like he wanted to either gouge you ofyour money, or hover around to make sure you didn’t damage anything.

Oblivious to it all Saitama smirked to himself, “We’relooking for the cheapest mattress you’ve got!”—and you recoiled.

“Nooo, we’relooking for a regular mattress, to INVESTin. I’ll pay whatever!” You clutched onto Saitama’s arm tightly to remind himof what you had already told him before. The mattress would have to last thetwo of you for YEARS before you got another.

You served him your biggest pout and he wilted under it as healways did.

“I was just joking, [Name]~” He scratched his cheek with hisdark eyes darting away from your own quickly.

“That’s the thing, you are not joking! I know your game Tama!” You tutted.

“…Did you two just recently get together?” The Sales Repchuckled to himself, “You two have a freshly hatched love bird vibe aheehee~”

“Um…” You looked at Saitama thoughtfully, “It’s been around 4years actually?” You weren’t the greatest with dates, and you looked to yourboyfriend’s doughy face for help.

His eyebrows tented, “It’s been that long huh?”

You nodded, “Well it was around my birthday when we gottogether. I know that much.” You gave him a knowing look and a sweet smile thatmade him tug you a little closer.

The sales rep stammered to a halt, “A-Ah—4 years? You surefooled me!”

You tried to play along for his benefit, “I guess we stilllook like a new couple?”

He laughed, but his expression was strained, “Don’t you thinkit’s time for you to get married? Or maybe move on from each other? Your manneeds to make a move before you get swept away by someone else~”

Oh goodness, he was not giving you a flirty look.

Was he implying you should break up with Saitama??

Did he mention marriage???

To Saitama’s wonderful credit, he did not freak out, and hedidn’t miss a beat.

“Ah I guess I should ask [Name] eventually. We’re basicallymarried anyways.” He said bluntly—as you blushed and sputtered.

One half of your heart was so utterly moved by Saitama’swords, and the other was flaring to the bait the Sales rep had placed at thelatter half of his sentence. Would you have to hang all over Saitama for him totake a hint??

“Tama…” Was all you could manage, as the Sales Rep finishedleading you to a corner of the store filled with discounted beds.

“Ah, I didn’t want discount!“ You began to bite off acomplaint before Saitama ooh’d at thenearest plush bed (conveniently 50% off) and fell into it.

“This one is comfy.”

You sighed in defeat, your tone softening, “I guess I’m notpicky either but..” You crossed your arms and implored to his prone body, “Wehave to find a bed that can take a beating you know?”

Monsters tended to gravitate to your man, you knew that much.If your house got wrecked you wanted to be able to salvage your bed from therubble and still use it, damnit!

The Sales Rep sat down on a neighboring mattress as youstood, STILL wanting to get out of the discounted section—The man only chuckledhaughtily as he pinned you with a knowing wink.

“Aheehee! That’s a new one dear, but I know just the thing!”

“Huh?” What was he saying? Did he have an extra durablemattress for sale? You got your hopes up for just a moment, before his nextwords bewildered you further.

“You two won’t want a spring mattresses, they make far toomuch noise! Foam will allow you get down and dirty without the neighborshearing. I’m also sure you won’t make a dent in memory foam even if you get toowild aheehee!”

…

You went dead silent. Dead still. Brain waves stalled into stagnantlines.

Saitama sat up on the mattress, like a vampire out of acoffin, a confused expression on his face.

“What?” You both squawked.

“Oh!” The man raised a hand to his mouth, scandalized, “Forgiveme if you two are, perhaps not yet sexually involved--YET! I just figured, 4years—Oh don’t worry! Silly me!” The Sales rep was trying to play some ditzycharacter as he laughed to himself at your expense.

“That’s not—we- we—“

“Waiting for marriage maybe! I get it, really! But goodnessyou two have such self-control to be sleeping side by side~”

He turned to Saitama, the first time he focused on him sinceyou both walked into the store.

“Sir, we need to find you a mattress that you can break inwith your girlfriend here! It’s the least I can do~ I can even give you a fewtips for your first time together.”

You didn’t want to sayit!

Your firsts clenched into balls of irritation. To admit thatyou and Saitama weren’t huge virgins to this man was nasty, but your pride waskilling you—You loved Saitama with all your heart, you seriously adored him, andsome people just made assumptions off the cuff cuz they were—

Extremely stupid? Or rude?

BOTH??

“Sir, I’ll haveyou know, my boyfriend and I bone a ridiculous amount!!” Your voice was louder than you expected to bein the cave like store. It echoed and reverberated, and what little sound therewas from other customers hushed to listen to your incoming tangent.

“[NAME]!!” Sputtered Saitama, shocked, with a little bit ofblush on his cheeks.

“It’s true!” You insisted, “I don’t know where YOU get offMr.—“ You finally took a gander at his name tag, “Burei! But I need to make onething clear—my boyfriend and I need this mattress for SLEEPING, not JUST OURRAMPANT SEX LIFE, so I don’t want a discounted BED, and I want it durable ANDstain resistant! PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!”

.-.-.-.-.

…Next thing you knew, you and Saitama were sitting outside afew streets over. Your butt’s squat on the curb as you hid your face in yourknees.

“I’M usually the one who gets kicked out of stores [Name]!”Saitama, with a very amused smile on his face cracked open a perspiring soda hegot from a vending machine. He set your can down in front of you as you shiedaway.

You were rather ashamed of yourself, and embarrassed. “…Hewas really pissing me off—“ Just the thought of that man’s face was making youseethe.

“I could tell.” He chuckled good naturedly.

His arm curls around your shoulders in a sweet gesture. It’swarm, familiar, and comforting.

“Why don’t we just stick to Futons? We can splurge on a bigone and get a dozen pillows. Then just keep it at your place like we wanted.”

..You tried to hide your grin at his thoughtfulness. Theblooming of love in your chest made you sway into Saitama. You kissed his cheekgratefully as you picked your head up from your slump.

“Okay…Butonly if we can break it in as soon as we get home~”

He choked on his drink.

[nol-overwatch]

Writer’s Callus, Chapter Two

Fandom: Durarara!!, Baccano

Pairing: Shizuo Heiwajima / Original Female Character

Tags: Mystery, Romance, Drama, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, not too sure what else to put without it spoiling too much.

Synopsis:  A foreigner visits Ikebukuro for the first time. She’s only supposed to be there for a few days and then return home, but this is Ikebukuro after all. The city of gang violence, flying sign posts, and unorthodox sushi. Those aren’t the only things keeping her entranced; it’s when she met a certain blond in a bartender’s outfit, that she started wanting more out of her mundane life.

You can read it here on AO3 and FanFiction.

—

‘My memory is not like the other one

Turn to strike my face

Always second place’

The young woman calmly turned off the alarm clock. She would’ve let it play for a bit longer, but the events of yesterday came rushing back at her, and she smiled at that.

She slowly sat up, her green eyes blinking slowly as she surveyed the hotel room she’s staying in. Her hotel, Sunshine City Prince, was a little too fancy for her tastes, despite it being a 3-star hotel. She very much preferred staying at a local bed and breakfast, but of course, her family wouldn’t allow it.

The sky outside her window was a pale blue color, with a slight pink tint and light gray clouds dotting the distance. ‘It’s a nice day to go out exploring,’ She thought as she carded fingers over her messy auburn locks. As she stretched her limbs, her hand landed on the familiar leather bound journal she kept at her side.

Her fingers skimmed the surface; the large print on the cover read ‘READ THIS’ and she figured ‘no, there’s no need this time’. Not with how the day started like this. With a satisfied sigh, she picked up the book and set it aside on the table next to her bed.The time on the clock read 7:03 am. She can grab her breakfast at the convenience store by the park, as she wanted to eat while watching the people of this city.

Ren turned on the TV, managing to catch up to a local morning show, while she washed up, changed out of her negligee and into her usual shirt and slacks. She packed light, knowing her family would provide her some appropriate clothes for the funeral, but she also thought of shopping for clothes here, as well as the souvenirs she’s bound to bring home.

“...the Slasher has claimed two more victims—”

The young woman looked up from the sink just in time to see a glimpse of the TV through the bathroom mirror. ‘A slasher? In a place like this?’ She wondered as she dried her face and let the towel rest on her neck. She then leaned on the doorway of her bathroom and watched the news.

What looked like a pixelated mess was first shown on the screen, until Ren realized it was just a close-up shot of the victim’s bodies. “I’m here at the west entrance to Ikebukuro Station where the crime happened.” There was a reporter in front of the ambulance, and behind her was a haphazard mess of yellow tape and police officers. It might be the camera angle, but Ren knew the place must be swamped with commuters and onlookers, especially since it’s situated at one of the busiest subways in the country. Traffic must be a pain in the ass right now.

She sat back on the bed and picked up her journal out of reflex. She was already rifling through the pages when a frown creased her face. The news of a slasher in the area worries her a lot. Should she write that down, just in case?  ‘Might be a good idea. Who knows, it might save my life.’ She thought as she reached over her bedside table for a pen, when the telephone rang.

She tilted her head, curious as to who would call her at this time, and reached for the phone instead. “Hello?” Ren said, then realized she spoke in English rather than in Japanese. She coughed awkwardly and apologized in the appropriate language. “Sorry, do you need something?”

“Good morning, Miss Shiori. This is the reception desk of Sunshine City Prince. We hope you’re having a wonderful stay.”

“G’morning. You have something for me?”

“Yes, you have a call from Mr. Masa Shiori, shall I refer the line to you?” Ren suddenly gripped the phone a little too tightly. ‘To think he would be calling already.’ Her eyes narrowed as she resisted grinding her teeth. Right, this is something she’s bound to face since coming here anyway.

“Miss?” She clicked her tongue and forced herself to smile. Yeah, it’s inevitable, but that doesn’t mean she has to face them right away. “...No, tell him I went out.”

“Understood, miss. Have a pleasant day.” There was a soft click, and the call ended. Ren then threw the phone on the bed with more force than necessary and massaged her temple. What an awful start to what should be a nice day. The family meeting’s not until the day after tomorrow, but not even a full day has passed and that annoying miscreant of a brother of hers is already ruining it for her. She wanted at least a few days to herself, but now she has to figure out a way to avoid him until then.

“Okay, first things first.” She said as she grabbed her journal once again. It’s imperative that she must write this down. At least, she was about to, when a loud growling sound from her stomach distracted her thoughts. Ren sheepishly smiled to herself; weirdly enough, that seemed to calm her nerves a bit.

“First things first,” She instead grabbed her coat, her wallet, and most importantly, her journal, and strode out of her hotel room. “Let’s get some breakfast.”

—

It didn’t matter that he turned in early, Shizuo was still late for his job.

He chanted a mantra in his head, urging himself to calm down before he’d get infuriated over something as trivial as a delayed train. Honestly, he should’ve just walked in the first place. Then he wouldn’t have to think of turning the place upside down, that would make things a whole lot worse.

Shizuo stalked the streets with a half-lit cigarette, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. He already texted Tom, but even that guy’s also late because of the delayed trains. ‘What a shitty day.’ He bitterly thought as he impatiently waited for the pedestrian light to turn green.

Sunshine 60 shopping street is just as busy as it usually is. The morning rush was starting to die down, despite the chaos that happened this morning regarding the Slasher. Shizuo thought, since it’ll be awhile til Tom-san meets up with him, he might as well get something to drink. Ah, right, he should stock up on his cigarettes. A few nights ago, he once smoked through a whole pack after chasing a certain flea out of the city. That really stressed the hell out of him.

Shizuo slipped into the first convenience store he saw, right across the usual place he and Tom would often meet. “Welcome,” The store clerk greeted him just as the blond nodded and immediately headed over towards the vending machines selling his favorite brand.

It was then he saw that person again, his whole world slowing to a momentary pause.

They were still wearing the same outfit as yesterday, though it looks like they didn’t style their hair properly; it was tousled to the side revealing more of their face. Now that he’s standing so close, he can see that they’re probably a young woman, around his age. She looked as if she was contemplating something, and stood in front of the vending machine he was aiming for.

‘Her eyes are closed again.’ Thought Shizuo, and immediately he shook his head. The hell was he thinking all of a sudden? Who gives a damn whether he can see her eyes or not. He sighed loudly, moving to the next vending machine so he could get his cigs then get out. This day’s not going into his favor, huh.

He started punching in buttons, when suddenly, he heard her speak up. “...Blue American Spirit.”

“Ah?”

He swiveled his head to her side, and he was shell-shocked once again. Frankly, she wasn’t even looking at him, but at the vending machine he was using. And it was only then he got a clear view of those pale green eyes of hers, ones that continue to stop him in his tracks for god-knows-why.

It really was a question that has plagued him since last night. Why? Why is he acting like this towards a complete stranger? It was a surreal, almost familiar feeling.

Kinda like...the first time he met Celty, his mysterious transporter friend. No, he’s quite sure, it felt exactly like that feeling.

Unaware of the emotional turmoil brewing at this guy’s head, the young woman tapped her chin and continued to stare at the row of different cigarette brands in the machine with remarkable interest. “That brand seems to be incredibly popular here. That must mean their investment would do well then.” She said quietly, her gaze unmoving.

‘What a weird woman.’ Shizuo concluded. This city is full of strangers and weirdos, and this one didn’t seem to be an exception. “Lady, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He grumbled as he adjusted his blue sunglasses. “But lemme just buy my shit, alright?” He turned to face her, but suddenly flinched when he found her looking at him directly.

What, did he assume wrong? Is she actually a pretty boy? He mentally shuddered. Tom, and even that oddball Shinra, did tell him to be careful when addressing someone based on their looks. A lot of people would take offense if they were addressed wrongly, however this one didn’t seem the slightest bit offended. Rather, her lip curled into an apologetic smile as she slowly shook her head.

“Mhm, go ahead then. Please excuse my rambling.” She bowed politely and walked off to another aisle. Shizuo slowly went back to buying his pack, his mind rewinding back to what just happened. That was definitely a foreigner; her Japanese is perfect but there’s an underlying accent there that he can’t quite place. Unlike Simon, his Russian friend who works at a sushi place and has a distinct accent, she sounded American.

His brow ticked in annoyance. There he goes again, thinking about this stranger. He should tell Tom when they meet up, ask for his advice on what to do before this becomes a problem. Shizuo finally got his pack, and went towards the back where the refrigerated drinks were kept. He grabbed a carton of milk, and sauntered over to the counter to pay for it.

That auburn-haired woman was there too, having her items checked out. She got a carton of milk as well, albeit it’s the fruity one, and three spicy tuna onigiris. It also looked like she was rummaging wildly into her pockets, “That’s odd. I swear I brought it along with me…” She muttered to herself as she started emptying her pockets. Both Shizuo and the store clerk deadpanned at the stuff she was placing on the counter: candy wrappers, spare change, a book, a brochure for a museum, two subway maps, and what looked like hotel keys.

‘Why can’t she just use a bag to hold her stuff?!’ The both of them had the same thought.

“Ah! Here we go.” Finally, she procured a small, colorful card with a flourish. “I can use this point card here, right?” She beamed as the clerk hesitantly separated her stuff from the food on the counter.

“Y-yes, miss…”

The cashier started putting her items in a plastic bag just as she began cleaning up the mess she made. If Shizuo didn’t think she was unusual before, now he thinks she’s got a few screws loose. ‘Not the first time I met someone like that. ’ He thought as he silently watched their exchange with a bored expression.

“Here you go, miss. Please come again.”

Plastic bag in hand, she thanked the cashier and, to the blond’s surprise, tilted her head to face him once again. Still that apologetic smile on her face, but a little wider and much more relaxed, she gave him a small, informal salute. “Sorry to keep the line waiting!” She chuckled before quickly leaving the store. The man stared after her, eyes blinking in confusion.

‘That a tourist thing?’ He wondered as he paid for his pack of cancer sticks and his milk. He declined the plastic bag, deciding to consume it immediately after buying it. That, and Tom must be waiting for him at the usual place.

“Oh,” The voice of the cashier snapped Shizuo from his thoughts. “That woman forgot this.” He said, holding up a worn-out, leather bound book. The blond recognized it as the one she was digging out from her pockets, and it looked like the same one she was reading last night too.

Without thinking, he grabbed the book out of the cashier’s hands and bolted out of the store. He almost bumped into someone in his hurry, but Shizuo didn’t give it any thought as his gaze swiveled up and down the shopping street, looking for that particular auburn head. He’s tall enough to look over the heads of the average person, but damn, there’s still so many people walking by this way. “Damn it…” He cursed as he squinted at the distance. She can’t have gone too far, but…

“Huh, Shizuo?” He heard a familiar voice and he followed it to one Tom Tanaka, who was curiously looking at him in front of the store. “What’s up? What are you—”

Shizuo interrupted him. “Tom-san, did you see someone walk out just now?” His sudden question made the man in the dreads scratch his chin in contemplation. “Huh? No, not really. I just got here myself.” He replied as Shizuo continued to look up and down the street. No good. There really is no sign of her. Usually by now he would have noticed that certain hair color, or that mysterious aura of hers.

Or even just the uncanny way her eyes would stare, as if she’s seeing the depths of his soul.

Sighing, his shoulders drooped while he rubbed the back of his head. Tom frowned at him, then looked down towards the book he’s holding. “Does that...belong to them or something?”

“Yeah...idiot forgot it on the counter.” He clicked his tongue as he tucked the book under his armpit. He and Tom stood by the shade of a newspaper kiosk as the blond explained the situation to his boss.

Now, he’s stuck with that person’s possession. Should he return it to the store and have them take care of it? He pondered over the thought until the older man spoke up, “Well, if it bothers you so much, why not try and read it? Their name might be in there, or maybe an address.”

“Oh, yeah. You might be right.” Said Shizuo, who grasped it on hand again and rifled through the pages. His eyebrows then shot up above his glasses, and the next, frowned deeply. Tom was in the middle of checking out a magazine from the kiosk stand when he noticed his bodyguard’s alternating expressions.

“What’s wrong? Is it not there?”

“...No, it’s just...” The blond then held the book wide open and showed it to him, who peered at it carefully then did a double take.

“Don’t suppose you can read english, Tom-san?”

“Hell no, I didn’t even take it seriously during high school.”

“Me neither.”

He forgot he was dealing with a foreigner here. He sighed as he gingerly flipped through the pages. Even though it’s written entirely in english, what surprised him the most was the content of this book. He couldn’t understand a single word, but every page, every line, it’s written and filled completely to the point that the page started thinning under the weight of the ink. He figured, that person must’ve cared for this book a lot. She’s written on it so often to the point that it's sagging under the weight of overuse. When she finds out it’s missing, would she remember that she left it here? Is it actually a good idea just to leave it to the convenience store staff then?

Shizuo reached the last page, or what he thinks is the first page considering it’s a western book, and there on the very bottom of the page was a single line, two words. This must be her name, and he racked his brain trying to remember how to fucking read it.

Tom watched him glare at the page with intense concentration and sighed. He tried hiding an incoming smile, so as not to embarrass his subordinate. “We’re gonna be in Sunshine 60 for the whole day, so when they come back looking for it, you’ll spot them right away. Sound good?” He said in a reassuring tone, causing the other to finally calm down. Some of the tension left Shizuo’s face as he looked away and awkwardly adjusted his glasses.

“...Sounds good.”

—

It did sound like a good idea, until the sky darkened to a burgundy orange, and soon night would fall over the city of Ikebukuro.

And there’s still no sign of that weird foreigner lady.

He and Tom went through their usual routes. The pachinko parlors, the manga cafes, nondescript bars and clubs, each time had the same situation as the last. His boss would inform their clients of their debt, they’d bargain for another day or two, Tom would persist, and they would bring out some sob story explaining why they couldn’t pay today. And that’s where Shizuo would finally step up, at least, Tom would mention his name first, and if they didn’t budge, then yeah, he would step in and wreak havoc. He always hoped their clients would finally start thinking with their brains first and just pay up front already, but then again if they keep doing that, he might not have a job anymore.

Anyway, it was only after Tom told him it was the last client of the day that Shizuo then noticed the setting sun. He stopped by the same convenience store for the 5th time, and asked the clerk if she’s dropped by already. And every time, he received the same answer, “No, sorry she hasn't come back yet.”

Now he and Tom were having a late afternoon snack in front of the very same convenience store he kept visiting. Tom got himself a hot cup of coffee, and Shizuo with his usual bottle of cold milk.

He didn’t think this would already be a pain in the ass. Lugging it around was okay, but keeping an eye on it, making sure it doesn’t get lost, during their rounds, was something else entirely. Maybe he should’ve looked for someone who could understand the language. “Mhm,” Shizuo took a long drag out of the fifth cigarette he’s smoking today. “Does Celty know english..?” He contemplated out loud, as Tom started lighting his own after finishing his coffee.

“Why not try contacting her? As for me, I’ll see if anyone at the office knows the language.” The man in the dreads said as flipped open his phone, already typing in a text. Shizuo’s relieved that Tom’s on the same page as him; he didn’t even need to explain much. This is why he’s one of his few friends in this city.

The blond unflipped his phone, ready to text the Urban Legend herself when, just as quickly as the thought crossed his mind, he heard it. It’s the rush hour; people are coming home after a full day of work, or at least, hitting up Sunshine street. One would be hearing all sorts of things at this hour, the general conundrum’s almost deafening. However, he heard it immediately, the separate sound of running footsteps, light but hurried and obviously in a panic. Shizuo inclined his head towards that sound, and sure enough, it’s that woman again.

Her hair askew and matted with sweat, her green eyes were wildly looking around until she caught sight of the convenience store she stopped by earlier. She was about to run inside, when she realized too late she was going to crash into someone. “A-ah!” She gasped, stumbling over her feet as if she tried to stop herself, but in the end that person’s body’s becoming closer and closer she’s going to crash—

“Whoa, there.”

The woman blinked. For some reason, she was completely halted. She didn’t fall over too. What on earth..? “Hey, you okay?”

Shizuo gripped her shoulder, easily stopping her from crashing onto him. He crossed the street as soon as he saw that familiar auburn head, intending to call her out as soon as she’s within earshot, but saw instead that she might get into an accident with that kind of speed. Good thinking on him, to use his own body as some sort of wall.

Tom put down his phone, his bespectacled face surprised to see that the owner of that book is a woman, and a woman that seemed to make an impression on the blond as well.

She was panting, clearly out of breath from running, but she stared up at Shizuo with the mildest surprise. “Y-yeah, thank you…” She slowly said, finally standing up straight to look at him properly. The blond could see that she was scrutinizing every detail on him, and that drew a frown out of him. “Something on me?” He didn’t intend for it to sound menacing, but it did anyway, causing her to shake her head hurriedly.

“N-no, that’s not it! It’s just that….If I remember correctly, you’re that guy from this morning, right? Buying cigarettes at this store?” She gestured to the shop while he nodded along. “I know it’s far-fetched but have you seen a journal around here? It’s leatherbound, it has some printed letters at the front—” She went on to describe the appearance of the book, the very same book still tucked under his arm, and he wondered if she ever spotted it on his person.

She was still explaining, her voice growing frantic and weary. Doubts and hopeless thoughts were filling up her head, prompting her to trail away in her words. She looked as if she was on the verge of breaking down right in front of him.

Without another word, Shizuo handed her the book. She had stopped talking then, the mere appearance of the book sent her mouth agape, her lower lip quivering as she gripped it a little too tightly. “This...this is…” She started as she visibly shook.

The blond blinked. ‘Is she going to cry? Over this book of hers?’ He put up his hands, as if to calm down whatever’s coming, but then she looked up at him with a wide smile, tears pin pricking her viridescent orbs. “Thank you! Thank you so much..!” She exclaimed.

“Uh, I—”

“You have no idea…” He paused. “You have no idea how important this is to me…” She uttered as she brought the book closer to her chest. Shizuo rubbed the back of his neck. He always seemed to be tongue-tied around this woman. Not that she was a difficult person to deal with, rather it was as if he didn’t know how to interact with her. He looked at Tom for advice, but for some reason the dreadlocked man was looking away, his back turned on them while looking at some magazines on a nearby kiosk.

“Uh,” He awkwardly began. ‘If Tom won’t help me, then I might as well finish this on my own terms.’ “Sorry, I tried going through it.” She tilted her head at him, as he explained further. “I was looking for a name, or at least, an address, but then I couldn’t read english.”

She hummed thoughtfully at that. “Mhm, that’s okay. I know you’re only trying to help.”

She then rummaged into her pockets and procured a pen. Stepping closer to him, she opened the book right on the first page, where he thought the only two words there were her name. She calmly smiled at him, her otherwise spent appearance looking quite serene right now. “My name is…” On top of those two words, she wrote her own name in kanji.

Ren Shiori.

Shizuo read it over and over again. He thought that name fits her so well. “And you are?”

“The name’s Shizuo Heiwajima.” He replied bluntly. It’s been a while since he had to introduce himself, usually people in this city knew his name before he even got to do normal introductions. His name became a warning to those who are new to Ikebukuro, a warning to stay away from him.

So was it okay? For a foreigner or a tourist, to know his name so casually? That looks to be the case because Ren nodded at him with a tiny grin, the barest signs of apprehension visible on her face. “It’s nice to meet you, Shizuo.”

And in turn, she thought that name suited him well.

[ecotone99]

[SF] Where's My Mind

"You're not losing your mind, it's being stolen."

"I'm sorry, what? Who's this?"

A terrible night out, some shitty-ass drugs, and a weird phone call. At least Giles now had an explanation for the weird flashing images he'd been seeing.

"I'm Leyla. I'm with the government. We've been following—"

"Hey, no man. Leave me out of this. I didn't do nothing."

"We don't care about the drugs. Something worse is happening. More importantly, your life is in danger. You've been seeing clear visions of your memories, yes?"

"Um... yeah," Giles said. The images were getting to him, to be honest. Ecstasy wasn't supposed to do that.

"And you thought you were getting molly, yes?"

"How do you know this?"

"There's no time. We have one hour to get the drugs out of your system, and hopefully get some clues on who's doing this. Walk out across the street. There'll be a black van. Get in so we can save your memory. We'll need it."

"You're crazy, woman. Don't call me ever again." Giles hit the red circle icon and stuffed his phone into his pocket. It'd been a really weird night. That woman knew an awful lot about him. But there were some pretty intricate scams going on these days. Yet...

Giles walked back into the club and dashed across the dance floor, making his way past the poles and into the dimly-lit VIP section.

"Mike! Hey Mike!" Giles yelled. He pushed past the bouncer, who promptly stiff-armed him. "Let me in, man. I got a pass."

After seeing the circular glow on Giles wrist, the bouncer reluctantly stepped aside.

"Mike! Hey look here!" His friend's eyes were rolled back into his skull, and it took a couple of takes before Mike seemed to recognise Giles.

"Hey man! This is some pretty good shit!" Mike said.

"Where did you get our stuff from, man? Do you remember the dealer?"

"Huh? Man I'm so high right now. I love you, bro!"

"Listen to me. Things seem a little dodgy—hey, let me go! I told you I have a pass!"

The bouncer from earlier had a firm grip on Giles' tricep, one that felt impossible to shake off. The large-set man leaned in, almost as if he wanted to whisper to Giles, but then he proceeded to speak into the microphone on his jacket.

"Yes ma'am. I have him right here. I'll bring him out," the bouncer said.

"What are you doing man? Hey Mike! Tell him to lay off. Mike!"

Then the lights turned on—or at least they seemed to—and for a moment it was Katie, his girlfriend, who was holding his arm. What the fuck?

#

"Why do you always have to go out with Mike?" she asked. They were in his room. He was dressed up, ready to go out, and she was in her pyjamas. "He's nothing but trouble. And you, you promised me you'd stay in today!"

"I do whatever the hell I want!" Giles yelled. His memories again. This happened just a few hours ago. Every time he had a flashback, it was as if he was transported right back there. Even his acid trips from before were less vivid.

These were memories, not hallucinations, because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't change the course of his actions. It was as if his life was on replay, and he was just a first-hand observer.

He wanted to stay. Going out was a huge mistake, but the events continued to unfold out as they'd happened. He didn't want to say what was coming next: "You're just a bloody drag, do you know that? You're nothing but a nuisance in my life!"

The look on her face, those tears—his heart ached the first time he saw them. It ached even more now.

Giles slammed the door behind him, leaving the image of a hurting Katie—arms to her chest, hands scrunching her shirt, lips quivering—behind. The slammed door turned into a car door.

#

"I'm sorry we had to do this, Giles. We had to act quick."

A lady in a button-up shirt and slacks sat before him. They were in an SUV of sorts, the seats facing each other.

"Wha? What's going on?"

"I'm Leyla. You're losing your memories, bit by bit. We're here to help. I'm going to need you to trust me."

"No. No, let me out! What's wrong with you people? I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Giles reached for the door and yanked at the handle. Locked. That didn't stop him from trying again. Recognising the futility, he finally resorted to pounding on the tinted windows, yelling his lungs out while at it. Leyla didn't do anything to stop him as the vehicle sped off. He pounded, and pounded, and pounded.

#

"You gotta pound it right here," Giles said, as he hammered his fist on the vending machine. "Sometimes it acts up, but I know how to get around it."

The lady beside him giggled. Giles had had his eyes on her since she walked into the convenience store. He never believed in love at first sight, but one thing was for sure, he'd found the love of his life that day.

Honestly, this was his first time even seeing this damn vending machine. But when nothing came out after she'd stuck her dollar bill in, he knew that there'd never be a better chance to get to know her.

"Well," she said, "looks like I'm never getting my soda."

"Um, yeah. By the way, has anyone ever told you that you have the bluest eyes in the world? No wonder the sky's so grey."

The stranger continued smiling. That was a good sign.

"Terrible pick-up line," she said, "but I'll bite. Name's Katie. What's yours?"

"The name's Gi—"

"Paging for Denise Smith. Paging for Denise Smith. Please come to counter number four, I repeat, counter number four. Your son's looking for you."

#

"Paging for Doctor Richards! We've got another one!"

"Huh, wha?"

White lights blinded Giles' eyes, and he'd made the transition from moving car to moving stretcher with no recollection of anything in between. In his lapsing consciousness, all he could make out were masked faces and fluorescent lights zipping past him.

"Mister, Davis? Giles Davis?"

"Yeah, that's me. Where... where am I?"

"You're fine, Mister Davis. We're gonna need an emergency contact. Do you have anyone we can call?"

"Katie. Katie Wils—"

#

"Giles? What happened? Are you all right?"

"What?"

"It's me. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I... I don't know."

Giles turned around. He stood outside a duplex unit and it was dark out. He was Giles Davis, he went to Dougherty Valley High School, and graduated from the university of California. That's all he knew, for now.

"Let's go home," the woman said.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

"Giles," the look on her face turned dour. Somehow, it felt like he'd knew her for ages. "Giles, it's me, Katie. Someone called me to come get you, said you were in trouble. Giles, are you all right? You're scaring me."

"I'm sorry... I really don't know who you are."

"Giles..." tears streaked down her cheeks.

"Your eyes though... they're so blue. No wonder it's so dark out."

The woman cried even harder, much to Giles' confusion. But one thing was for sure though—he'd found the love of his life that night.

submitted by /u/stuartdanker [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/34rlbkV

[kuriboo]

Pepsi for TV-Game

(also available on ao3 @ tatersalad5001. i’m only just starting battle network 2 so this def would take place somewhere in the realm of battle network 1, no spoilers please, thanks)

“Lan, wake up! It’s time to get ready for school!”

Lan rolled over in bed without even opening his eyes. “Just five more minutes, Mom...”

“I’m not Mom, it’s Megaman!” Uh oh, MegaMan sounded annoyed. “And no five more minutes. If you don’f get up now, you’ll be late!”

Better listen to MegaMan and actually get up, then. Being late to school again was the last thing either of them needed. Lan sat up and stretched his arms as he glanced at the time. MegaMan was right, of course, he needed to get up now, but waking up this early was hard. Someone really needed to make school start a couple of hours later.

After he forced himself out of bed, Lan groggily went through his morning routine. Pretty soon he was dressed and ready to face the day. At least, as ready to face the day as he could be while still half-asleep. MegaMan gave him a short report: no new emails, no news he was able to find.

All that was left was to grab his lunch and go. His lunch, of course, included a nice refreshing can of Pepsi as a beverage. It was hard to go through the whole day without at least one.

(“Lan, do you even take lunch to school?” MegaMan asked. “And why Pepsi? Isn’t Pepsi supposed to be really bad for you? Would they even let you bring Pepsi to school?”

“Shh, try not to think about it too much,” Lan told him. “I just needed some reason to look for Pepsi.”)

All part of the daily routine, but one thing was off about this otherwise average school morning.

There was no Pepsi with Lan’s lunch.

“That’s weird.” Lan even lifted his lunch to look under it, as if the Pepsi would somehow be there. “I know Mom just got a whole case of Pepsi. We shouldn’t be out.”

“Maybe she forgot. Try checking the fridge,” MegaMan suggested.

Lan paused by the stove, secure in the knowledge it would not catch fire again, before opening the refrigerator. No Pepsi in sight. There wasn’t any Pepsi to be found anywhere else in the house his mom would keep it, either.

“Our Pepsi’s gone.”

“Hold that thought! You just got a message from Mayl.” MegaMan proceeded to read the message aloud. “‘Hey Lan, I don’t know what happened, but all the Pepsi in our house is gone! Weird, huh? Anyway, you better not be late for school again or you’re definitely gonna be in trouble.’”

“Mayl’s Pepsi is gone, too, huh?” Lan asked.

“Actually, it looks like a lot of reports are just coming in online that a lot of people in town are missing their Pepsi, too,” MegaMan reported. “We can think about that later, though. We have to get to school now, before we’re late.”

Lan shook his head. “We can’t go to school now. We’ve got a Pepsi crisis on our hands.”

“There’s going to be a real crisis if you’re not on time for class.”

Lan shook a fist into the air, as if MegaMan hadn’t just spoken. “I can’t face the world without my Pepsi, and neither can the other Pepsi lovers in our city. A crime has been committed, someone has robbed us of our Pepsi, and we have to figure out who did this.”

“Pepsi disappeared. This doesn’t involve any sort of technology at all,” MegaMan pointed out. “There’s nothing I can do about this.”

“We’re going to jack into a vending machine and bring back the Pepsi.”

“You’re the one explaining all this to Mom after we get in trouble for skipping class.”

There weren’t any vending machines near home. MegaMan wasn’t sure why they were bothering, because there was no way the Pepsi was actually worth it. But Lan stuck to his plan and went way out of his way to get to a vending machine, and he was lucky it was a machine they could jack into.

“Hey, all the Pepsi’s gone from this vending machine, too!” Lan observed.

“What a shame. If we go to school right now, maybe we’ll get in less trouble.”

“I don’t know what’s waiting for us in there, MegaMan, but we have to bring the Pepsi back and figure out what happened. We can do this.”

MegaMan didn’t even get the chance to point out that the thief probably wasn’t on the net in this one specific vending machine. Lan jacked in right then and there.

The net for vending machines usually wasn’t very big. There was enough space for the vending machine programs, and sometimes there was random chip data hanging around there as well. But for most situations Lan and MegaMan had involved themselves with recently, the net was much bigger and harder to navigate. So, MegaMan wasn’t expecting anything more than to jack in, see nothing was there, and leave.

He froze when there was an enemy NetNavi waiting for them in the net.

“...There is no way this should be happening,” MegaMan said. “This makes no sense at all.”

“Yeah, boy it sure is convenient, huh? So who’s in there with you, anyway? Who’s the criminal we’re here to stop?” Lan asked.

MegaMan frowned as he took a few steps forward. “I don’t think I’ve seen this NetNavi before. He’s silver and blue...”

“Oh my god MegaMan I think that’s PepsiMan.”

“Are you PepsiMan?” MegaMan asked the NetNavi.

He didn’t receive a response, but the NetNavi did dab, which MegaMan decided to interpret as a yes. This was in fact PepsiMan.

“Why is the enemy PepsiMan??” MegaMan glared up towards where the sky would be outside the net. “I thought PepsiMan was supposed to be a hero! I thought he was supposed to give people Pepsi, not take it away. This makes no sense! Why isn’t there any sort of explanation for this?”

Before MegaMan could continue to demand answers from the world wide web, PepsiMan shook a finger at him.

“Wait, are you not stealing the Pepsi?”

PepsiMan nodded.

“What are you doing in this vending machine, then!”

“Hey!” Lan yelled, interrupting MegaMan’s line of questioning. “The Pepsi in this vending machine reappeared!”

PepsiMan dabbed.

“You’re bringing back all the Pepsi for everyone who lost theirs, then,” MegaMan concluded.

“That’s great news, MegaMan!” Lan told him. “The Pepsi crisis is over! We can go to school now!”

“We’re already late for class, the damage is done. And we didn’t even learn anything! We don’t know who stole all the Pepsi in the first place, or why. The mystery still isn’t solved!”

“Don’t worry about it too much. All that matters is that our Pepsi is back, and we even got to meet PepsiMan!”

PepsiMan gave MegaMan a thumbs up and a nice, refreshing can of Pepsi.

[panucas]

The ‘straight’ girl and the library / It’s not easy being part of a family!

Had this idea *cough* dream *cough* about a girl falling in love with a librarian but librarian lady had a small daughter so now I'm trying to write it might take a big ass time but for a first chapter I don’t think this is bad (it’s 4 am excuse me for any mistakes made)

Komatsu was never that girly. Ever since she was little she liked boys things ‘But who doesn't at that age?’ she always thought. But she grew up and learned how to put on make up, dyed her hair, the usual teenage stuff, it didn't mean she liked it but she felt obligation to her parents since they always gushed at how cute their daughter was and how womanly she had to become. Get a good husband and give them grandchildren.

It was a particularly cloudy day with 76% chance of rain, the news said, when she decided to go out with her new boyfriend on a date. ‘I hope I didn't come too soon...’ Komatsu ended up sighing. 4 minutes till her date time and she already had waited 10. ‘But why do I have to come sooner? It’s not like guys mind if I'm a bit late, what’s their problem?’ her friends had told her it was cute and proper for a girl to show up early because it was... ‘cute’. Their wording.

‘Cute my ass!’ Komatsu thought ‘If they don’t like it it’s not on me! Just because I've been dumped...’ she started counting with her fingers as she was thinking ‘… 8 times was it?’

‘Komatsuuuuu!’

Great. Her date had arrived.

‘Hibiki you’re late!’ He was. 2 minutes.

‘Sorry, sorry the train was crowded. Did you see the news? It might rain today.’

‘I didn't really, is it bad? Can we still go to the park?’

‘I thought we could maybe hit the library instead? It’s a 76% chance of rain or something.’

‘A date? In the library? Are you crazy that’s so boring.’

‘C’mon, Komatsu that way I can also see the new sports magazine! Came out yesterday.’

So that was the reason he didn't mind the rain, his favourite sports magazine had come out recently.

‘Well ok we can go then. But! You owe me a decent date!’

‘Yeah yeah, thank you Komatsu! Love you lots!’

The walk to the library was somewhat dull and boring, Komatsu thought. Just holding hands and not much talking.

When getting there first thing to do was find an empty table but the only one available was near the counter, so it had to do.

‘Hibiki, I'm gonna grab some drinks from the vending machine we just passed through. Want something?’

‘Huh? Oh yeah sure black coffee would be great if you don’t mind, thank you.’ Hibiki was already reading the magazine and not paying much attention to anything else.

Komatsu gladly got up and made her way outside to the vending machines by the convenience store near the library. It had started to drizzle a bit but nothing serious, still far from full on rain, when she spotted a lady with her hand stuck in the snacks vending machine.

‘Wow she’s really getting in there huh? Looks frustrated to boot. Weirdly cute.’ Komatsu thought. A woman that looked in her early 30’s (maybe 20’s-ish) with brown hair in a ponytail, stripped sweater topped with a black apron was trying to take her hand out, or maybe it was the snack too? While whispering things to herself.

‘If she works at the store she can just ask for help from a senior. Wait maybe she can’t? Maybe she’s the senior and doesn't wanna be seen like that. I feel you lady!’

The closer Komatsu got the more she could hear the struggle.

‘C’mon! Get! Out! Here! I’m hungry! I just wanted to eat why did this thing had to get stuck? Who makes a bag this size and puts it in a machine in the first place if you cant get it out? And who even buys it? Me apparently… God!’

‘Do you- Can I help maybe? Is it just you on your shift? Or I can get someone from the store maybe?’ she offered. Didn't hurt to help since she also needed to use the vending machine.

‘What?’ The woman finally looked up. ‘Oh thanks I just… I can’t take my lunch out and really need to eat you know? Now is the only time I could come to the vending machine to grab something and the thing just! It doesn't want to give me my food even though it ate my money so well.’ She stuck the tongue out at the machine in a fit. Now that Komatsu looked better how was it that the ponytail was still hanging? And the glasses were almost falling out, but the woman looked young and cute all dishevelled like that.

‘Here let me help.’ Komatsu said while taking the glasses off and cleaning them with her shirt before putting them in the woman’s face again. She then crouched enough so she could put her hand in the machine herself and take the woman’s lunch.

‘Thank you so much! I would've given up eventually but I think the library isn't that full right now because of the rain.’

So she worked in the library not the convenience store.

‘I'm Komatsu.’

‘Oh sorry! Natsuki nice to meet you. And thank you once again.’

‘No problem, we've all been there. Want a drink? Came to get one for me and my boyfriend but might as well get you one too since you’re going to be eating. Truth is I don’t really want to go back inside right now since he’s going to be distracted with sports magazines and I didn't even bring my homework. It was supposed to be a date you know? But rain and stuff.’

‘Sure! Then let me buy you a snack too. As a thank you.’

The two of them kept themselves near the wall so the rain didn't hit them, amongst the interaction it started to rain fully so the best spot was there. They also had been talking for about 15 minutes before Natsuki had to go back to work and Komatsu followed her shortly after.

‘You know if you’re going to eat just that for lunch, in the afternoon no less, why not bring something from home?’ Tact was the one thing people said she didn't have and it was not girly at all, but Komatsu didn't mind, she could fake the rest but not her personality. ‘Sorry! Dumb question, you’re probably busy to make it. Or… laziness?’

Natsuki laughed. ‘Are you like that to everyone you just meet?’

‘What, amazing? I think like to think so.’

‘I meant direct. I have a daughter in pre-school so I can’t make it in the mornings, does that answer it?’

‘It actually does. But you still should eat at decent hours. And more than that. Buy something from the convenience store instead of the vending machine.’

They had arrived at the counter.

‘Well but isn't the vending machine faster? Is that your boyfriend over there?’

‘Yeah I’ll just give him the coffee give me one second.’

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking random things, getting to know each other and every time Komatsu glanced at her boyfriend she thought that, maybe he wasn't for her since he didn't even lift his head from the pile of magazines he had with him to check on his girlfriend.