#it's tough enough to keep everything organized as it is & i'm quickly running out of space

[shopwitchvamp]

Please make a flare leg option for joggers. Some of us have fat calves we don't wanna show off :/

I've got one other request for flares recently, but even if I started on those today it'd take a lot of time & testing to get them to the point of being ready to actually put up into the shop. I've got a lot of other stuff in the works right now so unfortunately flare leg pants are pretty far down the list.

[scary-lasagna]

I LOVED THE VAMPIRE POST SMM. So like would Liu, EJ, BEN and Jeff let their vampire s/o bite them and drink their blood?

Homicidal Liu

Liu is squeamish when it comes to blood due to his past trauma of obvious reasons.

And even with a high pain tolerance, he wouldn't voluntarily allow himself to be bitten.

Many risks come with the first bite; An artery could be sliced, blood infection, too much blood loss, you hate the way his blood tastes so therefore you will hate him forever.

That last one was just Liu's imgaination running wild, but all together it's pretty risky.

He might offer a test bite, not a full chomp, but a little nibble on his arm to see how it feels. A pinprick was all he could describe it as.

But he quickly backed out once he caught wind of the blood trickling down his arm.

He might allow a second attempt, but not anytime soon. 

Sully, however, is a different story. He would let you drink this body dry, and force Liu forward in the middle of it just to be a sadistic asshole. 

Either way, they're both willing to try at least once.

Eyeless Jack

Jack doesn't think that you would enjoy his blood very much.

Much like the liquid that seeps from his eye sockets, his blood has a tar-like consistency. 

It wouldn't go down easy, and if your body rejects it since it's not truly 'blood', it won't come back up easy either.

Ultimately, Jack says no due to your safety. It just too big of a risk for Jack to feel comfortable letting you take a bite out of him.

Jelly donuts are better, anyway. Especially at 3am while everyone else is asleep.

BEN

BEN will act tough and dominant up until it's actually time for you to bite him.

He'll get squirmy and find excuses to delay the inevitable now that he's talked the big talk and agreed to do it.

You'll of course call him out on it, and will nervously sit down and away from his stack of DS games that he wanted to organize alphabetically. 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" You ask him, with a comforting hand on his knee.

"Yeah.." Ben sighs and rubs the back of his neck with a nervous tic. " I'm just afraid it'll hurt or I make a weird noise or something." He chuckles lightly.

"We can start, and if you want to stop we can and I won't judge you for it." You reassure. "Or we can do blood lettings which doesn't involve biting."

"It's that like plague doctor shit, though?"

"Well yeah but it doesn't invol-"

"Just take a bite, babe."

He trusts you with all of his heart. And he lets you take a bite.

And yes, he does make a weird sound.

Jeff

Oh hell yeah, fucking go for it.

No questions asked.

Jeff thinks it's hardcore, and frankly, he's not experienced enough to know the dangers of blood letting or blood biting. He just thinks your hot and that you wanna bite him.

And honestly? Go for it. He's probably got a few diseases lurking in there but you're immortal so it doesn't affect you.

He would urge you to keep going even after he feels light headed, just ot see how long he can stay awake.

Jeff can be an extremely convincing individual, but do not trust him.

He can and will pass out and then you will have to call Eyeless Jack and explain everything to him.

He will not be happy.

Jeff will try to kiss him thinking that he's you.

And then Jeff will get swatted away and start crying out of rejection 

[natashxromanovf]

I'm not sure if you write for Doctor Strange or Bruce Banner x reader but if so could I get one of those characters with prompt 7. “Are my eyes deceiving me or is that a smile, my love?” “Oh, shut up.” and 31. "I just cant see myself ever living without you.” Maybe something angsty? Reader gets really hurt? If you don't write for Bruce or Strange I don't mind any other marvel character. Thank you! Love your stuff

I Thought I Lost You

Bucky Barnes x gn!reader

word count: 1106

warnings: a lot of dialogue (as always), mentions of wounds and blood, typical MCU violence, they/them pronouns used, not proofread

A/N: thank you so much nonnie omg! hearing that makes me really happy :) also, i combined two requests! @sexysirius remember this request? it was initially meant for steve but i hope you don’t mind it being bucky! anyway, i hope both of you enjoy this piece :)

“Y/N! Y/N, can you hear me?” Bucky shouts as he runs up to you, quickly pulling your head onto his lap, urgently calling out to the other team members to immediately call an ambulance. All you can see is his blurry face, and those blue eyes of his staring at you, full of panic. You can’t hear anything either - the ringing in your ears is still too strong.

Here’s what you do know though; a bomb just exploded somewhere near and all you can think about is how your whole body hurts, how everything in you is telling you to let go, to close your eyes, and let the darkness take over. But you know that if you do that, it’s game over. You’ll never see your family again, your friends… and Bucky. Oh, God, the love of your life is sitting right there beside you, watching as the person he cares about most slowly dies in his arms. So no, you can’t give up, not yet.

“Hey, baby, keep your eyes open, okay? C’mon, I want to see those beautiful eyes, love,” he urges, tears rolling down his cheeks as he looks around, noticing some of the team members quickly approaching.

“How are they?!” Tony shouts, kneeling down beside you in a matter of seconds.

“I don’t know. Conscious but I don’t think they can hold on for much longer,” Bucky replies, still tightly holding you in his grip.

“James,” you say with a rusty voice, immediately snapping his attention to you.

“Shh, don’t speak, darling, save the energy,” he quietly mutters, loud enough for you to hear since the ringing stopped a couple of moments ago.

“Bucky…” Steve says, concern evident in his tone.

“What, what was is it?!” he questions, looking at his best friend. All Steve can do is point to your stomach, a large piece of glass stabbed into it. Bucky’s eyes widen, all color leaving his face.

“Oh my god,” Natasha whispers, a tear rolling down her cheek.

“Where are the doctors?” Bucky then shouts, just as Doctor Cho steps off a jet, standing by your side in a manner of seconds. She watches the piece of glass for a couple of seconds, trying to determine the damage and figure out how she could help, while Bucky stares at her helplessly.

“They’re going to be okay,” Helen determines, a sigh of relief escaping everyone present. “The glass missed all the vital organs but if we don’t get them some help soon, they will bleed out,”

“Yeah, yeah, of course, do what you got to do,” Natasha affirms once she realizes Bucky won’t say anything.

“Thank you,” the doctor says as she nods to her accomplices, signaling them that it’s time to go.

~

It’s currently 10:30 am, two days after the accident happened. Bucky has not moved from beside you the whole time, only occasionally getting up to get some water or let someone else be with you for a couple of minutes. He wants to be there when you wake up, letting you know that he’s not going anywhere, that he’ll stay by your side through the healing process. It’s tough, seeing you like this, laid unconscious on a hospital bed, knowing that if the glass that hit your abdomen would stab you three centimeters upper you would have been dead at the scene.

He hasn’t slept much either; he can’t get the image of you almost dying in his arms out of his head, and even if he does manage to get some sleep he’s soon woken up by the same nightmares. It’s taking a toll on him and he’s getting other members of the team worried - the amount of times they have tried to drag him away so he could eat something is unbelievable. But he wouldn’t budge. They tried to convince him that you would want him to take care of himself yet he still wouldn't stop being so damn stubborn.

“Well, you look like shit,” you dryly mutter as you open your eyes, seeing the sitting form beside you. He’s pale and the bags under his eyes tell you that he hasn’t slept much while you were out. His head snaps up to you, concern evident in his eyes.

“Water?” is the first thing he says as he registers what’s going on, already on his way before you could even nod. “Here you go, sweetheart,” he whispers as he comes back, helping you slightly lift up your head while his other hand tilts the glass so the clear liquor can leave the cup.

“Thank you,” you smile once your throat isn’t as dry anymore, taking his hand in yours. “Have you been here all this time?”

“Well, I couldn’t just leave you here all alone,”

“James,”

“Yes, I’ve been here the whole time,” he confesses, looking down at your interviewed fingers.

“Oh, James… You know that just because I’m injured you can’t ignore your own health. I mean, when was the last time you’ve slept or eaten?”

“I know,” he mutters, now actually feeling the hunger in his stomach. “I guess I was just so worried, you know. You were here and I couldn’t do anything and I- I thought I lost you, Y/N,” he croaks, pressing a soft kiss against your palm.

“So did I,” you confess, finally letting the memories in. “But you didn’t. I didn’t die, I’m still here, safe and sound,” you quickly add, trying to comfort him the best you can.

“Yeah and I’m so grateful for that. I just can't see myself living without you,” he mumbles, a tear rolling down his cheek but you’re quick to wipe it off.

“Shh, I’m still here, darling. And I’m not going anywhere. C’mon, did you really think you can get rid of me that easily?” you joke, a slight smile painting itself on his face. “Are my eyes deceiving me or is that a smile, my love?” you tease, just happy to see him smile.

“Oh, shut up,” he replies, genuine relief evident in his eyes.

“See, that wasn’t so hard,” you grin, slightly squeezing his hand.

“I thought I heard some noise,” Natasha says as she walks in, a bright smile on her face.

“Tasha! You’re okay,” you softly whisper, mirroring her expression.

“Yeah, everyone else is fine, don’t worry,” she affirms, a sigh of relief escaping your lips.

“I’ll leave you two alone for a little,” Bucky mutters as he stands up, pressing a sweet kiss against your cheek. “I’ll be back soon,” he states, a nod from you letting him know that it’s okay to leave.

i hope you enjoyed this! please like, reblog and/or comment, it really helps writers with motivation <33

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[ishipdestiel-lovesofmylifeistg85]

The tension is thick between the Dean and Cas. They've been arguing for over an hour, both stubbornly refusing to give in. Caught up in the feud, neither one realizes that Sam has been in his room, purposely packing as slowly as humanly possible waiting for the bickering to stop.

 

The aroma of buttery popcorn lingers in the room from the night before. The calm, relaxed atmosphere from their family movie night is long gone as they pace angrily around the kitchen. Dean's hands are tightly fisted at his sides and Cas' lips are pursed as they glare at each other wordlessly for a long moment.

 

Cas is the one to break the silence, as he turns to leave the room barking out, "I'm done talking about this. I'm GOING, and you can't stop me." He has every intention of heading to pack his bag, whether Dean likes it or not.

 

Dean's heavy footsteps echo as he rushes toward the former Angel. He crosses his arms and clenches his jaw just as Cas crosses the threshold. "Wanna bet?" he growls, blocking him.

 

Cas pulls at his own hair with a frustrated groan, before swinging back around to face the infuriating man and stepping back into the room. "Goddammit! You and Sam never had any powers and you've accomplished unimaginable things! Why can't you have the same faith in me?"

 

"For the last time, that was all because of Chuck! For fuck's sake, you're gonna get yourself killed out there and I won't stand for it!"

 

"It's not up to you!"

 

"Like hell it isn't!"

 

"I'm not a child! I know you don't think I can handle myself with my powers gone but I deserve the chance to prove you wrong! Besides, if Chuck really was the only reason for you and Sam's excellent hunting, then you're BOTH being stupid by continuing to hunt now that he's gone! So tell me, how is me going too, any different?!"

 

"You're not coming with us Cas, and that's final!" Dean snarls.

 

At that, Cas feels what little patience he had left immediately disintegrate. "What do you want from me, Dean?!" he demands, "I can't just keep sitting around the bunker doing nothing. I can HELP! I'm done being useless!"

 

"You can't really believe that. You think you're useless to us? To me? Just because you're human now?!"

 

Cas' gaze drops to the floor and he doesn't answer, his expression unreadable.

 

Dean licks his lips and sighs, softening his features along with his tone, as he steps into Cas' space. "Cas-"

 

"Give me one good reason why I can't go and fight alongside you and Sam," Cas says, his tone less biting now. Dean can see the anger now mixed with something else in his eyes.

 

Scrubbing his hand over his face, Dean grunts. "Because I fucking love you, okay? Is that reason enough for you?!" he yells again, unintentionally.

 

Cas opens his mouth, then shuts it back. His thoughts are racing now, like his pulse. His eyes shift as he struggles with a response.

 

Taking the opportunity, Dean softens his tone once more. "I won't watch you die, Cas. I can't lose you. Not again," he explains. He looks away, shutting his eyes, attempting to hold back tears from filling his eyes.

 

"Oh, right, because I'm ' family' . Don't give me that bullshit, Dean. Sam is your family too but I don't see you trying to forbid him from going on hunts!"

 

You still don't get it do you? How the hell can I make it any clearer?" Dean asks, genuinely searching for an answer.

 

Cas scoffs. "What is it you're 'trying to make clear', Dean?" he mocks, "How incompetent you think I am? How you still don't trust me?"

 

Dean sighs, the last of his anger leaving him as tiredness takes its place. He roughly massages his temples before answering. "No, Cas. If after everything, you still don't understand how I feel about you... then I'm all out of ideas on how to clue you in."

 

It takes a moment but then hopeful realization strikes. Cas lets out a broken sob as his lip quivers. His eyes sting with threatening tears before he grabs a fist full of Dean's shirt and crashes their lips together in a bruising kiss overflowing with raw emotion. It's a combination of anger, eagerness and need.

 

Dean desperately kisses back as if Cas' mouth is his only source of oxygen. Their arms cling to each other's bodies as suddenly the kiss deepens, sending a thrill through both men.

 

The next thing Cas knows, his back is against the wall as Dean's mouth pulls away to suck marks above his collarbone.

 

"I didn't think you wanted me," Cas confesses, eyes closed as he buries his fingers in Dean's hair. "Didn't think you loved me. Not like I love you."

 

"I was an idiot," Dean admits, looking Cas in the eye before capturing his mouth again. "I should have said something as soon as we got you back from the Empty," he adds, mouthing up Cas’ neck.

 

Cas gently guides Dean back to his mouth by his hair, quickly deepening the kiss once more before slowing. Overwhelming elation and contentment take the place of urgency and need. He stops pulling Dean against him in favor of finding both his hands and lacing their fingers together lazily.

 

Dean pulls back a little to rest his forehead against Cas'. They both try to catch their breath as their pulse begins to slow. He swallows and licks his lips. "I'm sorry," Dean says, leaning back enough to look Cas in the eye again.

 

Cas smirks, cocking an eyebrow at him. He slips a hand out of Dean's in favor of cupping the side of his face. "About not telling me how you feel.. or about trying to boss me around?" he teases.

 

Dean drops his head in shame. "Both."

 

Cas gently tilts Dean's face back up with his fingers now curled beneath his chin. "I'm not fragile," he says, softly kissing him again. "And I know how to defend myself," he adds before another lingering kiss.

 

"I know you do," Dean admits, letting go of Cas' hand to wrap his arms around him. A simple intimate embrace as he closes his eyes, breathes in Cas' scent and simply enjoys the warmth and comfort of having Cas in his arms. He rests his head against Cas' shoulder and runs his fingers through the hair at the back of Cas' head.

 

"I fucking love you too, by the way," Cas says after a moment.

 

Dean chuckles at that, pulling back to look at him again, taking Cas' hands in his once more. "Way to ruin the moment," he jokes, winking at him.

 

"Fucking finally !" They hear Sam say from down the hall.

 

They both laugh, faces beaming as they smile at each other.

 

"Does this mean you're going to stop fighting me about going on hunts?" Cas inquires, searching the other man's face despite already knowing the answer.

 

Dean nods, lovingly caressing Cas' knuckles with his thumbs.

 

"Good. Then, I forgive you," Cas tells him before leaning in and pressing one last lingering kiss against Dean's lips. "Guess I should grab my stuff."

 

"Yeah," Dean agrees, gingerly kissing the backs of Cas' hands before letting go. A moment after Cas leaves the room, Dean pokes his head into the hallway. "I still don't like it, though," he calls after him.

 

"Yeah well, tough shit," Cas replies.

 

Dean can't help the grin that spreads across his face as he nods and heads to pack.

[that-crazy-five-foot-two-chick]

I've been so excited to write for the Mystic Messenger Reverse Big Bang 2021 (go check out other amazing fics and art in the collection at @mysme-rbb), and it's the first fanfic/art event I've participated in! @madiebelleadventures and I teamed up to brainstorm this beast, so her art is at the very end (because I ain't spoilin nothin)!

-

Rating: T

Word Count: 5.1k

Summary: One day after the end of a work week, Vanderwood surprises MC with some husband-wife baking time—with a twist. Inspired by his agent training, he suggests that they bake as a team but have MC blindfolded. In order to make a cake that's actually edible, she must follow his directions to the letter. All that's left after that is chaos, banter, and spouse-flustering. And figuring out how to actually make a cake.

A/N: Fyi MC is definitely more of her own character than a reader-insert on this one. Also as per usual with me, I headcanon Vanderwood as British, so I tried heavily to align his phrasing accordingly, despite being an American myself. Enjoy seeing exactly how much fluff I can possibly cram into 5k words!

MC sighed happily at the feeling of the wind in her hair as she drove home from work one Friday evening. Windows down, jacket off, music blasting—the air itself felt like freedom. She had nothing against her job—in fact, she enjoyed it for the most part. She prided herself in a job well done, she liked being able to manage a team of her own, and the paycheck and benefits were good. Nothing extravagant, of course, but enough to comfortably support a couple newlyweds.

And that was the real reason MC nearly jumped out the door every day when everything wrapped up at the office. Who wouldn't, with a husband as unfairly hot as Vanderwood? Completely unfair how he could make leopard print and what was practically a mullet actually look attractive. Thank goodness his fashion sense had mellowed out over time, if only a little bit. With Vanderwood's past being what it was, they had mutually come to the conclusion that it would be best for their well-being if he stayed at their apartment during the day to keep the household running. He was very particular about how he cooked, cleaned, and did the laundry, and he handled their finances conscientiously and precisely. Admittedly, she did have to occasionally remind him that as sleek as that new top-of-the-line taser was, there was no real need for it, but that was just part of her husband's charm.

And boy, was he charming.

She truly couldn't wait to get home, past this rush hour traffic. She'd get home and be pulled in for a deep kiss moments after walking in the door. Maybe he'd slip a gentle but insistent hand into her hair. Maybe they'd take it a little further. Or a lot further.

"HOLY FUDGE NUGGETS ON BACON ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME???"

MC swerved to avoid a collision and waited for her heartbeat to settle down again. There was no freaking way she was going to die in some stupid car wreck before their date tonight. A surprise, he'd said. No matter how hard she'd tried to weasel more out of him, he wouldn’t bend. Darn agent training. Good thing it wouldn't be a surprise for much longer. Within minutes, the streets got smaller and quieter as she neared her apartment building. Another minute, and she flung open the apartment door and leapt on her husband.

MC's fantasies were soon replaced by an even better reality when Vanderwood's lips landed on hers. Kissing back enthusiastically, MC wrapped her arms around his middle so tight that a less sturdy man would be coughing for air. Vanderwood snatched her keys and purse and hung them by the doorway, never breaking his focus for a second. His kisses grew slower, but no less fervent, as he smoothed her wind-strewn hair. Eventually, their lips reluctantly parted, and MC broke the silence.

"How did I manage to snag the best kisser on earth on top of marrying the most insanely attractive man on earth?"

Vanderwood smirked. "Good taste, I guess." He kissed her once more soundly for good measure.

"Maybe. Will my insanely attractive husband tell me what our surprise date is now?"

"Perhaps."

"No perhapses! I've been dying waiting!"

"Very well. Start by changing your clothes, because I am not scrubbing stains out of your good work clothes."

"Do I otherwise have to wear anything in particular? That's not a lot to go off of."

"Doesn't matter to me. Now go change before I do the job myself."

"I wouldn't complain."

"This is not that kind of date! Go!"

"Fine, Sir Panties-in-a-bunch."

MC went to the bedroom and took stock of her clothing options. She had to choose something practical that could be easily washed, but she still wanted to look a little cute. After all, it was a date. It was a tough balance to strike. Eh, she could always stick an apron or an old shirt over it. She grabbed her oversized paint shirt just in case before snagging a light pink shirt. Now for the bottoms. She debated on a simple skirt, but decided to go for it. After all, if it didn't fit with Vanderwood's plans, he would tell her. MC changed quickly and weaved her hair into a side braid, slipping a tendril out on each side to frame her face. Mirror-MC nodded in approval. Time to see what on earth her husband had been planning.

She cracked open the door and peeked through before skipping over to Vanderwood, who had made himself comfortable on the couch. His amber eyes widened in interest.

"You have no business looking this pretty for a baking date."

MC grinned. "Ha! I did get it out of you! A baking date sounds cute. What made you think of that? Are you just really getting into the whole house husband gig?"

"It was my agent training, actually." Seeing the puzzled look on his wife's face, Vanderwood continued, "There's a bit of a twist to it, you see. I will hardly be doing any of the actual baking. You, my dear, on the other hand, will be completely blindfolded. You will have to follow my instructions explicitly, or else the result will be completely inedible."

"I still fail to see how the setup doesn't sound like 'that kind of date', but it sounds like fun! What does this have to do with your agent training, though?"

"Various exercises used similar techniques. Many times in the field, we had to follow orders to the letter with no questions asked if we wanted to make it out in one piece. We also did training to be able to operate blindly or in the dark if our vision was compromised. But none of it was as enjoyable as watching a beautiful woman bake a cake by pure trust."

"You're such a flatterer. Keep it coming," MC smirked.

"At least get into the kitchen first," Vanderwood said, handing her a blindfold that looked suspiciously like his nap mask.

"Okay, but if you don't want me in the kitchen until I'm blindfolded, you're gonna have to get my apron yourself."

"I thought I was the one giving out orders tonight?"

"A girl's gotta get her kicks somewhere."

"Such a docile wife I have. Never difficult, never demanding."

"You think it's sexy. Don't even try to deny it."

"I would have filed for immediate divorce if the description 'docile' actually fit you." He stepped into the kitchen and emerged a moment later with the apron. MC slipped it on and, after ducking briefly into the bathroom to wash her hands, covered her eyes with the blindfold.

"I'm at your mercy now. Don't abuse that privilege."

He materialized behind her, winding his arms around her waist. "I wouldn't dream of it," he murmured into her ear before attacking her stomach. MC burst into uncontrollable giggles.

"I swear—!" she giggled "—I swear I'm going to punch the living daylights out of you!"

"You're certainly welcome to try. You know I wouldn't even feel it."

"But I could try. How am I supposed to trust you to give me decent directions to bake whatever the heck we're making if I can't even trust you not to tickle me?"

"You don't. That's the thrill of it."

"You'd better have me make something actually edible for all our trouble."

"That all depends on how well you follow my instructions."

"And how decent your instructions are. Let's not forget that tiny detail," she reminded.

"Hmm, we'll see," The smile was evident in his voice. "Now if we're going to start, we need to go ahead and do it."

"Probably."

He guided MC by her upper arms into the narrow kitchen.

"Fortunately," he said, halting and holding her in place, "we're only baking a cake and not an entire meal, so it won't take an eternity."

"I sure hope not! It's pizza night and I'm already a little hungry!"

He wound his hands around his wife's waist, lightly patting her stomach. "Well, the faster we start, the faster we can eat. I've already laid everything out for you as best I can, so you just have to follow my directions, all right, love?"

"Got it."

"All right, can you feel the worktop?" A nod. "Raise your right hand just a bit...and over…now grab the box with the cake mix, because heaven knows neither of us knows or cares enough to make it from scratch. Got it? Now open it up. The mixing bowl is straight to the left. Go ahead and pour it in."

"Just so you know, if I spill anything, you're the one taking responsibility."

"And why is that, darling?" Vanderwood asked, feigning shock.

"Because you're the one who had this idea in the first place! Not to mention if I make a mess it’s because of your faulty directions."

Unfortunately, MC failed to prove her point, pouring the mix into the bowl and barely spilling a few crumbs.

"Looks like we may not have to worry about that," Vanderwood smirked.

"You have met me, right? You know something's going to get spilled, right?"

Ignoring her, he moved the empty box toward the back and continued, "The milk should be right around where the cake mix was, if you can remember where you just were. The measuring jug is right next to it. Do you think you can pour it in correctly?"

"We'll see, now won't we?"

"There you go. Just try to take it slowly, just in case, and stop when I say so."

MC obeyed, gradually tilting the milk jug until a thin stream hit the center of the measuring cup.

"Brilliant! Now careful, careful, slightly to the left...that's it! Now slow down...almost done...stop!" He kissed her cheek. "That was amazing. Now pour it into the bowl."

MC felt around for the mixing bowl again. She managed to find it and poured in the milk. "Where's the cap for the milk jug?"

"Hm...where did it go? Oh, there it is. Right by the sink."

She batted at the air around her right side to find the inside of the sink. Instead, her hand bumped the side of the milk jug. Vanderwood's hand shot out to catch it, but a small puddle had already sloshed onto the counter. MC's hand shot up to take off the blindfold, but Vanderwood caught her wrist first. She sighed.

"Vandy, give it to me straight. How bad is it?"

"Not bad at all. I caught it before much got out. Stay put for a moment while I wipe it up so it doesn't start to smell or dry up."

"Not to say I told you, but I definitely told you."

Her husband stuck out his tongue at her—one of the few ways he had begun to let himself be childish lately. Then the obvious dawned on him. "I'm sticking out my tongue. I thought you ought to know that."

"Crucial information. Are you done yet?"

"Yep. You ready to get your hands a little dirty?"

"Isn't that expected in all this?"

"That's probably a large part of why you demanded an apron first, yes."

"You would be right about that, also yes. And you're so dramatic. I did not demand."

"Up to interpretation. Reach up to the left of the mixing bowl and just grab it off the plate and toss it in."

As instructed, MC reached over and let out a tiny shriek when her hand came into contact with the soft butter. Vanderwood guffawed.

"I was waiting for that."

MC gasped. "You did this on purpose!" She flung the butter into the bowl with an extra dash of vindictiveness.

"Maybe so. I like hearing your reactions," he purred.

"Don't try to be all smooth when you're being a twit. It doesn't suit you," MC sniffed, then muttered under her breath, "actually it totally works for you but it doesn't make me less ticked at you."

"By the way, don't bother trying to wash your hands just yet. The next part is probably going to be the messiest. I'll go get the bin so it'll be close by for you."

"Appreciated. What's the next part?"

"Eggs."

"Yikes, okay. That's why I needed the trash can, then. And where are the eggs?"

"To your left. You're going to need four of them. I read somewhere that adding an extra egg makes it better, hypothetically."

"You're the one giving the instructions."

"Alright, the bin is to your left, whenever you're ready."

"I could hear the thunk when you set it down, but thank you," MC said wryly.

"I live to serve."

There was silence for a moment as MC cracked the first egg into the bowl, and a soft smile rose on her face like the dawn. "Not anymore, you don't. I thank God every day that you and Saeyoung were able to free yourselves from the agency. I never could have forgotten you even if you hadn't, but I never would have known the immense joy I've gotten to have by being your wife." She sniffed, then laughed. "Sorry for being so sentimental all of a sudden, I don't know what got into me. It's just that knowing how many things could have gotten between us makes me that much more grateful for what we have."

"Ah!" Vanderwood shot a hand out to correct the second egg's trajectory into the mixing bowl.

"Oops, thank you."

"No problem, love. We're a team." He settled against her back, rubbing her arms lightly and placing a tender kiss on her cheek. "And never feel sorry for your so-called sentimentality. In fact, I really think you hold back sometimes. You shouldn't. I know that I used to scoff at these things, but locking out your emotions for job after job really takes a toll on a man. The agency had no room for love of any sort, and I've long come to the realization that every person is hardwired to desire love of one kind or another. I know I'm still unlearning all of my coping mechanisms, and I know I'm still sharp with some people, but with you?" He smoothed a hair back from her face. "I'll take whatever love you can give me."

She cracked the third egg into the bowl and threw out the shell. "I always knew you could be a softie, very deep down. I'm just glad that I get to be the one to see it."

After the fourth egg was in the bowl, Vanderwood directed, "Okay, time to wash up. The next thing is mixing for two minutes. While I love you, I do not trust you to use an electric mixer while blindfolded, so you're going to use a whisk for that job."

"I suppose that's fair. Can you put away the trash can while I wash my hands?"

"Already on it."

"Where's the whisk, again?"

"I kind of put it toward the back, so either be careful or wait for me to move a few things."

"Oh, I've got it. Don't worry," MC waved a hand in dismissal and groped around for the whisk, but her arm was a bit too low, and she dipped her clothed elbow in the plate where the butter had been. She sighed. "What did I just decorate my elbow with?"

"Butter. Try it. It might be tasty," he teased.

"Come on, Vandy, this is not the time. Help me get it off before it soaks in too much."

"Alright, alright, I just had to pick on you a little bit for not listening to me." He carefully scooped off the top layer of the butter with a paper towel before trying to absorb the rest. "I'm going to roll up your sleeves a bit more so that this hopefully won't happen again."

"Well, not until I slosh half the cake out of this bowl trying and failing to mix it."

"You'll be fine. Just stick to mixing the center and bringing the outside of it toward the center so everything gets mixed. But mix it well and mix it fast. The timer starts...now!"

MC held the bowl against her stomach to steady it while she mixed the batter vigorously. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one trying to mix furiously while keeping it all in the bowl on top of being blindfolded!"

"Calm down, you're doing great. A couple drips, maybe, but it's staying in."

"So far, anyway. But that's good, I guess."

"No guessing. It's quite good." Vanderwood leaned against the counter. "We've got a minute and a half to kill. Should I spend it telling you how you look right now?"

"Oh gosh, do I even want to know?"

He shook his head in near disbelief, smiling. "Magnetic. Adorable. More delicious than the cake we're making."

MC cackled. "You cannot be serious. I've got to be a mess right now."

"You act as if that's a contradiction. It's the mess that makes you more beautiful. Is every single hair of yours in place? No. But they fall around your face in the most delicately beautiful way. Even the places where the ingredients got smudged on you somehow add to your charm." He leaned in so that his lips touched her ear, his voice lowering to a gravelly timbre. "Did you know that your cheeks are all rosy from the effort you're putting into stirring? It's unbelievably attractive. And the way your lips press together when you're concentrating? It makes me want to kiss them apart. In fact—"

"Vanderwood, how much time is left?" MC interrupted, suppressing a vivid blush and a shiver.

"Our entire lives," he said, happily ignoring the real question.

"The timer, Vanderwood. How much is left on the timer?"

The sound of the timer going off answered the question for him. "None," he grinned. "I'll go spray the cake pan while you rest for a moment. You've earned it."

She exhaled, set the mixing bowl aside, and stretched. Then a thought made her panic. "Vandy, we forgot to preheat the oven."

He held her face in his hands. "MC. Darling. Breathe. I set the oven when I grabbed the apron."

Her breathing gradually slowed. "Sorry, love. I'm just really hungry and kind of tired and I think not being able to see is doing weird things to my brain and you kind of flustered me a minute ago with what you were saying and I'm sorry, I—" her voice cracked, but Vanderwood cut her off and held her close.

"Hey...hey...you're alright. There's nothing to be sorry about. I kept you going after a long day of work without feeding you first. I should have known better." He smoothed her hair and tucked it into her braid. "I'll tell you what. How about we get this cake in the oven and then order some pizza and watch another episode of Cucumber Fish?"

MC sniffled and hummed in agreement. Vanderwood loosened his hold around her and gently brought her hands to the bowl again before grabbing the cake pan. "Okay, all you've got to do now is pour it into the pan that I've put just to the left of the bowl. Just take it nice and easy. There you go. Perfect. You're almost done. Now let me get a spatula to scoop the last of it out." After he finished, he slid the cake pan into the oven and started the timer. "There. All done." He slipped the mask off her eyes and gave her a peck on the lips as she blinked to adjust to the light. "I'll clean all this up, alright? Go ahead and relax on the sofa. You can order the pizza and get Cucumber Fish queued up while I finish up in here."

"Okay," she murmured. Another peck, and she curled up on the couch. She pulled out her phone to order the pizza and smiled at the notifications she'd gotten from the RFA chatroom. They were up to their normal antics again. Hopefully, Saeyoung wouldn't exasperate Saeran too much with his crazy propositions. But there was nothing she could do about that, and she was starving and in desperate need of pizza. Once it was ordered, she turned on the TV and selected the episode, making sure to let it run past the ads before pausing it.

After Vanderwood joined her on the couch, the next forty-five minutes was filled with lots of cuddling and pizza devouring, more kissing than watching the show, a few glances at the cake's progress, an agreement to actually watch the episode while they ate the cake, and several minutes of cooling time after the cake was removed from the oven. Vanderwood emerged from the kitchen after a few minutes of setting up to decorate.

"Are you sure you want to put on the mask again?" he asked. "I don't want it to mess with your head like it did last time."

"I'll be fine, babe. I'm pretty sure it was like that last time just because I was starving."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes."

"If you say so. Go ahead and get them on, then," he said, handing MC the apron and mask.

"Just make sure to lead me into the kitchen again."

"Hmm, we'll see."

"We'll see?" she repeated, but shrieked soon after when she no longer felt the ground beneath her feet. Vanderwood had scooped her up to carry her into the kitchen bridal-style and sank his lips against hers with intentionality. He bumped into the counter but managed to avoid any damage to his wife. He deposited one last kiss on her lips before setting her down.

"What have you done to me, woman? Years and years of agent skills, undone in a moment. If it were anything or anyone else, I never would have bumped into that worktop. But when it's you kissing me, you're the only thing that exists." He grinned. "It's a shame, really. I thought my dexterity was an impressive skill, but I don't even have that anymore, it seems."

"Shame indeed," MC parroted, trying to steal another kiss from his lips and stealing one from his nostrils instead. She made a face, causing Vanderwood to laugh.

"Well, at least I still have the ability to order you around." MC smacked him in response, and he continued, "Alright, alright, let's get to it then. This is where it'll get really interesting, since decorating requires more precision. Which, no offense, is a skill you don't have, since you're not exactly used to being blind."

"Now wait just a—okay, I can't argue that," MC sighed. He placed a spatula in one hand and a jar of frosting in her other.

"Turn around. Can you find where the cake is?"

"Ye—wait, Vandy! I thought you said you cleaned up!"

"I did…sort of." Before she could protest, he interjected, "I wiped the worktop! I just pushed all the dishes to one side so we could put all of it in the dishwasher at once when we were done!" He added with a mumble, "I just wanted to get back to you."

"You think you can charm your way out of anything," MC responded airily. "Well, you're right." She squared up as best she could with a frosting jar in hand. "I found the cake. I'll try to do my best."

"Well, in this part, I won't let you go completely solo. I can rotate the cake for you as you go, if you want."

"Please."

MC scooped a large helping of frosting from the jar and started spreading around the perimeter. Her spatula made a slight detour for a moment to donate some frosting to the top of the cake, and Vanderwood halted and reversed his rotation slightly to avoid confusion. A few seconds later, she went for another, slightly smaller, scoop to finish frosting the circumference of the cake. Another scoop, added to the deposit from the first, finished off the top.

"Is there a big corner around the top edge? Or any dry spots?" she asked.

"Just a slight corner. Grab a little bit more frosting to round it off a bit and thicken the top."

She did as directed while he helped rotate, and stepped back. "Better?"

"Much better. Maybe we can add a little artistic touch by making some...what do you call them? Swoops? Around the sides from the top?"

"Sounds great. You're definitely going to have to help me, though."

"Alright, I'll rotate again and stop you when you're done. Then you can smooth off the top edge again quick."

Six slightly lopsided arcs later, he stepped back for a moment, observing. "This is certainly not the prettiest cake I've seen, but it all adds to the fun, yeah?"

"I guess," she laughed.

"Now here's the part that'll really get a laugh when you take off the blindfold. I've got a bowl over here with some frosting for smaller decorating, and you get to pick the food coloring that goes in it."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes," he snickered while guiding her over to a trio of colored bottles that she couldn't discern. "Take your pick," he said cheerily. MC gingerly selected one, and he suppressed a snort poorly. "Excellent choice!"

MC groaned. "I'm going to regret all my life choices, aren't I?"

"Of course not! Only your decision to marry me."

"Hey." She squeezed his wrist. "I could never regret that."

"You might reevaluate that statement when you take off the blindfold and see the cake. Or at least my ugly mug."

"Vanderwood. Don't you even start with me. You're so hot that if we were working with chocolate instead of a cake, we wouldn't need the microwave to melt it."

"You're so hot that the beach would need sunblock instead of you."

"You're so hot that the sun goes to you when it needs to warm up."

They collapsed against each other, gasping for air. Vanderwood caught his breath first. "Let's get this food coloring in the bowl, shall we? The spoon and frosting are already in it. All you have to do is put a few drops in and stir until I say so. The bowl's on your left."

"As you wish," she said as she did so.

After a few moments, he spoke. "That's enough. Let me get you back over to the cake, and I'll get the frosting in the decorating bag. Which is really just an ordinary plastic bag, but I did pick up some cheap decorating tips when I got the ingredients."

"Splendid. How am I going to decorate, though? Even if I could see, I don't know the first thing about cake decorating. Oh yeah, and I can't see."

"Don't get your 'panties in a bunch,' as you like to tell me so often. I'll do it with you this time."

"But you don't know how to decorate cakes, either!"

"Ah-ah-ah!” he chided. “Do you trust me or not?"

"Not particularly."

"Hey!"

"But! We should just go ahead and do it anyway, because even though neither of us knows what we're doing, we're the only ones in this apartment who can. And the frosting smells too good not to eat soon."

"That's my girl." Vanderwood curled around her. He molded one hand around hers and slid the other over her stomach. As they formed a few swirls on the top, he murmured, "We did this whole thing together. How impressive is that? Was it as fun for you as it was for me?"

MC smiled. "Of course it was. I know I got a little hangry for a bit there, but I know how much thought you put into this. None of my old deadbeat ex-boyfriends ever would have cared so much, let alone shown it. These are the things that make me love you that much more."

"I never experienced any permanent love until you showed it to me. And it's been so...world-altering—that I've been trying to wrap my head around it ever since. I still can't. But I swear I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to give you the same love you've given me. I certainly don't deserve it, after the things I've done. But you do. You deserve all the happiness a person can have."

MC paused and blushed slightly. "Vandy…" She exhaled. "We've gone over this whole 'not deserving it' thing. Whether you deserve it or not doesn't matter. To me, what matters is your heart. You have such a beautiful heart, Vandy. I love the kind of man you've become. I've seen you strive every day to be better than you were the day before, and that is so inspiring."

"Well, whether or not I deserve happiness, I would choose to be happy every day if my being happy made you happy." He squeezed her hip affectionately and pulled her in for a tender kiss.

"It would." She kissed him back. They added one last swirl and a border before they set down the bag of frosting. He uncurled her fingers and fiddled with her wedding ring.

"Are you ready to see it?"

"Sure."

He slipped off the blindfold, and she gasped.

"What have we done?" she exclaimed as her laughing grew louder by the second.

"Whatever do you mean, dear?" Vanderwood asked, feigning ignorance.

"The cake is bright flaming orange, Vandy!" She let out a snort, then covered her face. "Hey, wait! All the food coloring was the same color too, you little twit!"

He shrugged innocently. MC sputtered. "Nuh-uh. Don't you shrug at me, mister. Saeyoung has rubbed off on you way too much."

"Has not."

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe the tiniest bit."

"Uh huh, that's what I thought. Now are you as ready as I am to eat this cake and watch Cucumber Fish?"

"Let me take a picture first. And another one with you in it? You look so lovely, I can't not have one with you in it."

She tried desperately to keep a frown on her face as he snapped a picture but couldn't quite hold back the quirk at the corner of her mouth. He cut a slice for each of them and handed one to her. He curled the paper plate around his slice, and she did likewise. They looked each other in the eyes, both knowing exactly what would come next. Vanderwood solidified his stance. "Ready...steady...GO!" The couple raced to the living room and took a running jump onto the couch, ready for the wonderful night ahead.

[funtimebunnyblog]

Diamante d’Italia: Chapter 6

(Chapter 6: Fools fly where Angels fear to tread...)

Narancia rather liked solo missions.

Sure, a mission with Mista or with Fugo was always a wild time too, most espescially when they got to kick the shit out of someone, then laugh about it, before blasting the shit out of them if the target didn't cooperate.

Those missions were ALWAYS chaotic, VERY explosive, PACKED with action and punctuated by the voices of six shrieking bullets but most of all, they were the most memorable.

Missions with Bucciarati could be a treat, a little on the more rare side however as the man almost always paired himself with Abbacchio when not flying solo (he and the others swore those two were a thing but lacked any evidence to prove that just yet).

Just watching how many times the man could unzip someone to pieces and make unusual objects spill out of their mouth before they finally cracked was just always funny to Narancia. Not to mention, listening to Bruno talk and stir up a plan so easily on the spot was something akin to dazzling in the boys eyes.

It always made him feel like he was invincible and he could feel himself glowing from the inside out when the man praised him for doing a good job, Bucciarati was his hero afterall.

Sometimes he'd even get treated to some gelato afterwards.

Missions with Abbacchio could be fun, being also on the rare side and only sometimes chaotic. Watching Abba beat the absolute shit out of a dirtbag (whether it was their actual target or just some chump who made the mistake of telling the Mafioso that makeup was for Women) was always entertaining, but the mission itself really depended on the Goths mood and their target.

His favorite memories with the stone-faced man however would be when they drove down the highway, blasting some sort of loud and unholy music from a strange screaming punk-rock band Abbacchio liked while sipping on fizzy sodas, whether to or from said mission.

Yes, going on missions with his friends were fun and all.... but he absolutely loved going solo once in a while.

Aerosmith circled overhead, high above the buildings of the street and trailing behind Narancia like a tamed hawk would with its master. Narancia walked the streets casually, keeping his eyes out as he compared the man in the picture he had been given to the other bystanders on the street around him making their morning commute.

Today would be simple enough; find the asshole, get the info out of him where a recent traitor to the Boss was and if he refused to cooperate, use "gentle persuasion".

He hoped it wouldn't come to that of course, he didn't quite like to torture-... er.... "persuade" people himself and hopefully the idiot would be smart enough to know that if he fought and perhaps even got away he'd be hunted down by someone else much, much more powerful than Narancia or even Bucciarati for that matter and be given a more unmerciful and much crueler demise than just being shot by a small bombing plane.

There was an entire organization above their little team afterall. A big, BIG organization of thieves, thugs, hitmen, dealers and Mafiosi alike all working under one Man.

Narancia was quite literally just a snowflake resting on the very tip of an iceberg.

Still, being out on his own was always exciting. It always made him feel important when Bucciarati trusted him with these things.

He could go about things how he wanted it, put his own mind to the test and then proudly brag about his skills when reporting back.

Bucciarati always treated him very well after a successful solo mission of course.

He could hardly contain his excitement when he finally spotted the bastardo ducking into an alley off the street ahead, he couldn't have chose a better place to go in behind because it was right behind the spindly teens favorite Gelato spot.

The stronzo matched the picture alright; olive skin (check), strange yellowish hair thats texture sort of reminded him of rice (double check), scar on the cheek (checkaroo), wonky looking left eye (checkity-checkcheck).

"Bingo." He grinned, casually stuffing his hands in his pockets, tucking away the picture along with one, as he shuffled down the street. That intel was already as good as his.

The only thing he had to worry about now was what flavor Gelato he was in the mood for when this was all over.

☆☆☆

Once in his life Josuke believed that there was absolutely nothing better in this world than treating yourself to some Icecream on a warm sunny day.

Now however, he knew better.

Because if there was anything better than that, it was treating yourself to some Gelato on a warm sunny day in Italy.

Christ, he never knew how rich and smooth this frozen dairy treat could be.

All this time, he and Okuyasu had been scammed into being sold the now seemingly regular-old-not-at-all-exciting Icecream when he could've been tasting this absolute delicacy all along?!

He felt like he had been robbed, cheated even, dare he say betrayed, his whole life and didn't realize it until now!

The place he had stopped at wasn't quite like the shop he frequented back in Morioh before school on Monday either, not a cheep little stand on the sidewalk where you grabbed your cone and had no choice but to keep walking for fear of the guy running the place shoving you along with a broom for "loitering", this place was a store in itself and right out in the open too!

A sea of flavors and colours coating the entire counter, all scrumptious frozen dairy treats that absolutely dazzled the eye.

It was like finding an Oasis out in the scorching desert to someone who was dying for something sweet and cold on such a hot day like today.

They even had an area out front of the counter to sit and enjoy everything. The tasty treat, the sights and sounds and smells of the streets and all.

Italy just kept getting better and better by the second.

'Why on earth would someone ever leave here? Or even want to leave here?' The teenager couldn't help but wonder as he finished the last delectable lick of his Vanilla Gelato.

Tonio was always very vague on the topic of his move from Naples to Morioh and usually didn't say more than a simple "I wanted to fulfill my dream!" Or "I needed to see the world!" Before quickly changing the subject to his food and the art of his cooking.

None of them ever pressed the man for the details but now that he was experiencing this place and all its wonders himself, Josuke found himself wishing that he did know why Tonio left.

Maybe one day he'd be lucky enough, or perhaps close enough to the man at least, to find out....

A low hum rang in his ears, coming from right overhead.

His metaphorical thought-bubble was promptly popped with the sharpness of the noise and his attention was ripped away from his reminiscing of Home.

It sort of sounded like-

"A plane?" He muttered to himself, bringing a hand over his eyes and squinting to block out the bright golden sunshine of the late morning.

A tiny little red spot circled overhead, for something so small it puttered really loudly. No one else around seemed to notice it however.

It flew closer into his sights, it was a plane alright with wings a propeller and everything.

It swerved through the air, rolling over once as it sharply turned and disappeared behind the building suddenly with an almost obnoxious whirr.

Was it a toy? He had seen some pretty sweet remote control toy cars and helicopters much like that plane before when passing toy shops or flicking through store magazines that came with the loads of junkmail every week.

He glanced around, hoping to spot the kid who might be holding the remote control (he wouldn't admit aloud that he wanted a turn with it if you perhaps asked him).

'Not a toy.' Came a voice from the corner of his mind, he could feel the phantom of Crazy Diamond standing by his side, though not manifested. 'That was a stand, I could feel its energy.'

In an instant, Josuke was out of his seat, his eyes growing more and more huge by the second as he remembered Moody Blues and all their glory from yesterday.

Another stand? And a special one at that! Non-Humanoid stands were even cooler than the normal ones. And this one was a PLANE!

He looked around, no obvious signs of a user from what he could see, the streets held a few passerby's but nobody seemed focused on the stand like he was, so presumably the plane was following them into the alley?

"Oh wow!" Josuke whispered in excitement. "I gotta take a closer look!"

He would never forgive himself if he never saw the little plane again without finding the wielder of it. He started off down the street, turning into the alley, keeping his ears open and his eyes on the sky.

☆☆☆

"I'm tellin' ya kiddo, I don't know nothin'!" Osso Bucco, a much taller and more built man in size than Narancia, said putting his hands up with a helpless smile. "I don't even know what you're askin' about."

Narancia rolled his eyes, folding his arms as he glared down the man. They had been going back and forth for a few minutes and this was just getting tiring.

"Yeah sure, you don't dipshit." He snapped. "So I'm gonna help you jog your memory."

Osso was always a man of keeping himself in check, keeping your cool was a sure fire way to getting out of a mess like this.

He knew this spindly little shit was a stand user under that damned Passione but as long as he kept himself calm, he would be walking away without a worry and could get back to helping his new Boss organize some things.

Starting a rival Organization was tough under the threat of the one already in motion but as long as he stuck to the plan, his Boss assured him everything would work out in the end.

Osso liked to follow a stronger side afterall, it was just the way you survived out on these streets.

The beefy man barely even twitched when a deep puttering whirr came just inches about his head, clenching his hands into fists when a little plane hovered at Narancia's side, the teenager already had his radar out over his eye.

"I'm gonna ask you again, cazzone. What. Is. His. Name?" Narancia growled out, giving it his all to seem like a brooding threat (all his time watching Abbacchio being his bitter self really helped with that) as Aerosmiths gun turrets appeared, locking right onto its target.

It seemed like a neat trick, having a working plane at your own whim and all, but Osso knew he had an even better one up his sleeve.

Or rather... set in stone.

The corner of his lip twitched as the unmistakable vibrations of oncoming footsteps passed through the stone beneath his feet, someone was headed this way, a street rando was now at his disposal.

This was going to be easy for him to give the runt a slip. Chances were this little stronzo probably didn't even know shit about Earth Angel, the stand of his own possession.

His Boss ensured the discreet nature of all his workers, most especially their abilities.

"Y'know kid. You shouldn't be playin' with guns." The big man said as casually as he could, keeping his hands raised as he waited with all the patience in the world to feel the footsteps come within his range. "You could end up hurtin' someone."

Narancias brow twitched, he had him now.

Ossos lips curled up, it was time.

☆☆☆

Josuke had barely rounded the corner before suddenly, his foot caught on something.

Or rather... something caught his foot.

The teenager fell forward, right down into the hard stone pavement, skinning his hands in the process as he yelped.

For a split second he thought he had tripped over his own feet in his hurry (he knew he was clumsy afterall), but nothing could prepare him for when he rolled over to see a hand made of stone stretching out of the very ground, fingers wrapped tightly around his ankle.

He tried to scream but it barely came out, turning into more of a loud inarticulate grunt, and frantically tried to pull his leg from the hand in blind panic.

The fingers crackled as they tightened into even more of a vice-like grip, they were hard like any rock but undeniably humanoid and mobile.

The hand pulled and Josuke clawed at the ground in a momentary desperate attempt to fight back.

He realized that the pavement was swallowing him up suddenly, not like he was falling down a hole but akin to being dragged into water, the hand pulling him further and further down.

His final cry was drowned out as he was swallowed whole by the stone, along with the last bit of sunlight he could see.

His hand was the last thing in sight to the world around him before he vanished completely.

☆☆☆

Narancias head snapped in the direction of the sound of someones voice coming down from towards the end of the alley, leading out to the street.

Someone had screamed, almost as if crying out for help but it had cut off suddenly. Narancia blanched at the feeling of a shiver creeping up his spine, the deafening silence that followed was absolutely haunting.

His focus faltered for a moment, alarm bells ringing in his head as he realized someone was in danger.

His focus snapped onto place again as Osso began to laugh. Narancia opened his mouth to yell for his stand to fire at will before jumping back, the command dying in his throat as a figure shot straight up from the ground between them, effectively blocking Osso.

Two figures that was.

Josuke had no absolutely idea what in the Hell was happening once again. One second he was running, next he was on the ground, then he was underground and now he was here?!

He squirmed, the realization his arms were pinned tightly at his sides hitting him as he tried to scream again, only to have a hand made of stone clamp tightly over his mouth.

Narancia gaped, staring in shock at the squirming teenager trapped in the vice-like embrace of a tall Angelic statue.

Earth Angels expression was stoic, somehow bearing that sweet sadness feeling of nostalgia when looking upon a carved memory of an ancient one in the soft, yet chiseling, features of its stone face and body.

The way it moved was almost mesmerizing, so mobile and unstiff as if it were completely human but carried that hard and undeniable look of stone, the sound of rock grating and clicking as it moved.

"Now, ya'wouldn't want to be shootin' a kid now, would ya?" Osso grinned, peering around the neatly tucked concrete wings of his stand to take a look at the helpless Josuke, whose eyes were darting around frantically in wide sockets.

"You BASTARD!" Narancia roared, clenching his fist as his chest started to burn with rage.

He hated this cheep fucking move, it was nothing but cowardness to have to threaten the life of an innocent and unaffiliated person just to make a quick getaway.

It happened only a few times to him on a mission, but only when he had been with one or two of the others, and they barely succeeded each time.

Once there had been a VERY close call, where their target threatened to throw a lady he held hostage off a bridge. Thank goodness for zippers and the  portals it opened that day.

But that was then and this was now.

And Narancia was all alone.

The young Mafioso tried to move, ready to pounce on the fucker himself so he could get out of that poor confused teenagers way and get a clear shot at his ugly mug, but stumbled slightly.

His violet eyes went wide as he looked down at his own legs.

They were becoming one with the ground, rooted to the very spot he stood but worst of all, turning to stone.

It was almost up to his knees now, his legs looking very much like he had gotten the great Michelangelo himself to carve him a set of ampute limbs.

He whimpered unconsciously as the stone started to creep higher, he could feel a horrible stiffness in his knees and thighbones already, worse than any arthritis he may ever experience in his later years.

That spindly boy, the weilder of the little plane, was in trouble. Josuke knew this and his heart screamed for him to do something, however Earth Angels grip was powerful and unrelenting.

The soft grating of stone clicked close to his ear as the statue turned its head to look at him with its pupiless half-lidded eyes, their soft carved expression never changing.

If he wasn't being attacked by it, he might've actually been comforted by the ethereal beauty perfectly captured in marble they radiated.

Josuke knew he had to stay calm and focused. Whoever this big guy controlling the statue was, he seemed like bad news.

He now fully knew how that poor lady being held hostage felt that time he and Okuyasu witnessed that convince store being robbed.

The plane started to circle by Narancias command, looking for a place to open fire on Osso.

However, the alley was very narrow and there was no open space for the stand to make a full circle, forcing Aerosmith to have to fly up one end and round back quickly.

Josuke almost screamed again as it came barreling back down the alley, gun turrets ready, before the statue moved (dragging Josuke along with it) to block the man from his exposed side once more.

If Narancia hadn't reacted half a second before he did, Josuke would've been packed full of bullets.

"Nice try, kiddo." Osso grinned. "You don't give up, but you ain't gonna win today."

The teenage Mafioso now started to scream as stone crept up his body more and more, faster by the second. It was up to his hips now and starting at the tips of his fingers as well.

Josuke watched in silent terror of it all, his heart wrenching a little as Narancia actually started to cry.

Josuke wracked his brain, trying to formulate a plan, readying to summon Crazy Diamond at his side. Maybe he could break the statue and then get a good shot at the asshole pulling the strings for torturing this other kid.

Narancia Ghirga was sure he was going to die and he didn't want to die, he really REALLY didn't! There was so much stuff he still wanted to do with Fugo and Mista and Abba and Bucciarati!

A thousand things flooded his head as he stared in utter terror down at his marble legs.

Mista still owed him a soda. He had tutoring with Fugo at 3:00 today. Abbacchio had promised him he'd teach him how to properly do make-up. He was going to show Bucciarati the Sailor Moon series this weekend.

He wished Bruno had paired him up with someone, he really did, because he couldn't do this on his own.

He needed help.

He desperately needed his Family!

And worst of all, this other kid was gonna die too! Narancia bit back a sob as the very thought of it came to mind.

"You're gonna be one hell of a statue kiddo." Osso laughed cruelly, indulging in Narancias loud reactions almost as much as he enjoyed watching him continue to try and shoot him. "Ya got no choice now, if you keep tryin' shit, it'll just go faster. Or worse, the freak with the mop gets it."

Josuke froze solid, the plan he had been trying to scrap up his head suddenly getting wiped clean from the slate.

The world around him seemed to slow and the sounds of the lean teenager crying out in fear deafened as his ears rang.

His heart started to pound, thumping so hard in his chest you could see it rattling his collarbone.

What did he just say?

What did that fucking piece of shit just say?

Josuke was unaware of his teeth grinding painfully in his mouth, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles shined white, his own face burning hot red like a knife that had been thrust into fire.

'He called your hair a mop.' Came the bitter answer, whispered in his head.

The soft grating of stone in his ear as Earth Angel turned its head to stare at him again wasn't heard to Josuke.

Osso had even stopped laughing, tilting his head to listen closely to the low growl the kid was emitting, that animalistic look in his unfocused blue eyes made him raise his eyebrows in question.

What the fuck was wrong with this weirdo?

Narancia had even stopped screaming, the dread he felt now forgotten as he watched with apprehension and interest.

Oh shit... he had definitely seen this before.

This guy was MAJORLY pissed off.

Far, FAR too many times had be been on the receiving end of this look with Fugo before to know what exactly was happening.

There was practically steam coming out of his ears, this stranger was going to blow! The sight of a bright fire emitting off the pompadour sporting teen almost didn't phase him because it fit how fucking pissed he looked.

'He called my hair a fucking mop...' came the only thought and it rang in his head over and over. 'HE CALLED MY HAIR A FUCKING MOP!!!'

Josuke didn't see. He didn't hear. He didn't think.

He didn't even feel it when his own fists tore through stone.

[To be continued ...》

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[naturezoneunite]

Elemental Wars Book Of Wishes Chapter IX: Hoshino Labyrinth|Zero Astaroth On A Rampage

Saturday morning at the entrance of the unknown place, Junis asked Sally a important question about the place. "Uh Sally, What is this place?" "This place is called Hoshino Labyrinth."

"How to enter it?" "The only way to enter it is this." "What is that device used for?" "To Blend in because there are Guards called Shadow Lynx."

"They are guarding the book called The Book Of Wishes." Junis was surprised when Sally mentioned Book Of Wishes. "You don't mean that book." "Yes that book, why?" "It's the book that the mystery man is after."

"Where is the book?" "In the Last Tower." "There are Seven Sacred Stars located here, you need the Star Senor to find all seven sacred stars." Sally gave Junis the star senor.

"Also two more things, there are seven Towers that is same color as the seven sacred stars." "there are 7 Onyx knights guarding each star in each tower."

"Finally, there are all 7 sacred stars in order, 1st Sacred Star is Amber, 2nd Sacred Star is Ruby, 3rd Sarced Star is Emerald, 4th Sacred Star is Jade, 5th Sacred Star is Ametrine, 6th Sacred Star is Amethyst, and 7th Sacred Star is Pearl."

"Any questions before you get the book?" Junis shook his head, puts on the Lynx Virtual Reality Headset (LVRH), and puts the Star Sensor in his right pocket. "Another thing, when you obtained the Book Of Wishes, bring it to me so I can turn everything back to normal."

"I won't let you down, Salina Hoshina, see you soon." Junis said. He looked at the sensor, he went West, reached to the Amber Tower, and entered the Amber seeing the 1st Onyx Knight guarding the Amber Star.

He took out his blade, fought him, and defeated him. He obtained the Amber Star and left.

He went Southeast, reached to the Ruby Tower, entered the Ruby Tower, he saw the 2nd Onyx Knight guarding the Ruby Star, he defeated him, obtained the Ruby Star and left.

He went Southwest, reached the Emerald Tower, went inside and see the 3rd Onyx Knight guarding the Emerald Star.

He defeated him, obtained the Emerald Star, and left.

He went East, reached to the Jade Tower, went inside and sees the 4th Onyx Knight guarding the Jade Star.

He had a tough time defeating him because he's very difficult than the previous knights. He figured his weak spot, defeated him and obtained the Jade Star and left.

He went Northwest, avoided the two Shadow Lynx, reached the Ametrine Tower, he saw the 5th Oynx Knight, defeated him, obtained the Ametrine Star, and left.

He went Northeast, avoided the two Shadow Lynx, reached the Amethyst Tower, he saw the 6th Oynx Knight, defeated him, obtained the Amethyst Star and left.

He saw the gate opened, he rushed to the last Tower that was located North. He reached to the Pearl Star, he saw the 7th Onyx. "There's the Book!" "He's going to be a pain in the ass."

Few moments later after he defeated the last Onyx and obtained the Pearl Star. He placed all Seven Sacred Stars at once, as the Book and Seven Sacred Stars combined into the Book Of Wishes.

"Finally did it, I have to return to Sally before the Shadow Lynx find out I'm pretending to be on of them." Junis said after he took the Book Of Wishes and left.

He was altered by the All Shadow Lynx, The siren was loud enough to alter them. "INTRUDER ALERT!" "INTRUDER ALERT!" "INTRUDER ALERT!" "INTRUDER ALERT!" "INTRUDER ALERT!" "Son of a bitch."

Few moments later after Junis killed all Shadow Lynx, he carried the Book Of Wishes to the Hoshino Shrine. He saw everything burned to the ground, He also witnessed a horrible sight, Salina Hoshino is unconscious, in terrible condition.

Junis freaked out and ran to her while holding the Book Of Wishes. "Sally!" "Please get up!" "It's too late kid, she's unconscious." Junis gasped and looked up at the unknown enemy that looked similar to the man who killed his family 2 years ago.

The unknown man descended in front of Junis, walking to him to get grasp on the important item. "Who...are...you?" "My name is Zero Astaroth, I'm the replica of the man who murdered your family." "You was behind this tragedy!?" "That's correct you dragon pest."

Junis was angry and put Salina against a tree, far away from the battle. "I'm the Demonic Beast of Destruction." "You have something i require, hand it over or else." Junis backed away really scared of Zero, he refused to give him the Book Of Wish.

Zero smirked at Junis and charged at him. "Then I'll take it by force!" He attacked Junis, bruising his body, Junis coughs blood and crashed into the forest, he lost the Book Of Wishes after he crashed.

Zero used Unholy Plasma (Unholy plasma is a deadly laser that can destroy more than one enemy, no human or monster can survive the blast.) on Junis, crushing him and the building before getting what's his.

The explosion was huge enough to destroy the city of Japan. "Now that he's out of my way, I can get my prize." Zero said laughing evilly. He opened the Book Of Wishes and the Mythical Genie rises out of the book. "Who have summoned me?" "Oh it's you, I am the Mythical Genie of Book Of Wishes." "I will give you three wishes."

"Fascinating, then I have a brilliant wish for you." "My first wish is to become an immortal demon!" "Your wish is granted." Zero laughed evilly completing his goal becoming immortal, he transformed into his final form.

Zero wished for the scythe, taking the grim reaper powers, he had everything on his list except killing Junis. "Now to eradicate the dragon pest.

Junis came out of the building bleeding a lot, Zero used the same tactic again to make sure he's dead. Kimichi came just in time and reflected Zero's Unholy Plasma, kicked Zero far away in the forest.

"Ishikawa San...?" "Are you okay?" "N....No, I'm not." "You shouldn't be here." "You have to run..." Junis said. "I'm not leaving without you!" Kimichi said. "If you stay here..." "Zero will kill you...damn it." "I don't care!" "I refuse to leave your side!" "I have to take you somewhere." "I got an idea..."

A half hour later, Junis told Kimichi his insane idea, it was insane but genius at the same time. They arrived at Mount Fuji to fulfill his insane plan. "Are you sure is this a good idea Yakamura Kun?" "Positive..." Kimichi put him down close to the inside of Mount Fuji. Junis got up slowly and looked down inside of its core.

Zero reappeared a bit far from Kimichi, Kimichi turned around seeing Zero a bit far from her. "I have to admit, you have the guts to knock me far into the forest." "I hope a weak imbecile like you have the confidence to take one a overpowered demon like me, because that's the last mistake you have ever make in your life you insufficient, powerless imbecile!" Zero said very angry.

"Good Luck, Yakamura Kun." Kimichi pushed Junis inside of Mount Fuji, Junis fell inside of it, he was covered in intense heat, he opened his mouth, devoured all of the intense flames. "This is my last chance to put an end to Zero's terror, and see everyone's faces again." Zero and Kimichi fought for a while. however, Zero strike her in the back with the scythe, causing her to lose a lot of blood, She screamed in pain but she cut his left eye using Aero Slash.

"Son of a bitch!" "My perfectly left eye!" "That's it, you are so dead!" Zero punched her really hard, she coughed a lot of blood, he kicked her really hard into the building. "Good riddance, now to..." Zero left eye got burned by a lucky magma bomb, he screamed in massive pain. "My damn eye!" "Who did this to my perfect eye!?" "Hey asshole!" "Look up!"

Zero looked up and got burned by Junis secondary magma bomb, Zero got annoyed and tried to cut him, Junis dodged it quickly really being careful. "You are a pain in the ass Yakamura!!!" "There's more where that came from, How about some explosions!?" Junis threw 18,000 magma bombs directly at Zero. Zero lost the grip of the scythe and caught in the explosions. Junis yelling in anger trying to stop him as fast as he can.

Junis was at his limit, and thought it was over, Zero grabbed the scythe and cuts junis in the back. Junis screamed in pain, unable to move, his organs was crushed. "I....c...a....n...n...o...t..move" "Well well, you failed to kill me, you are a failure." "I'm.....a....f....a...i...lure....?" "A pathetic being like yourself couldn't save your family." "I couldn't....s....ave?"

Kimichi got in front of Junis, she was angry at Zero and point her blade at him. "Shut up!" "You are wrong!" "Yakamura Kun isn't alone!" "He will save everyone!" "What in the hell do you know about anything!?" Kimichi said. "More than you can imagine child, why do you intend to get in my way by protecting a pathetic hero like him?" Zero said. "Because he means a lot to me!" "He is the world to me!" "I would do anything to keep him safe from you!"

Zero and Kimichi started fighting, she gave in her all to protect Junis, Junis got up slowly breathing so hard. "Ishikawa...San.." Kimichi struck Zero five times, leaving cuts on his neck, and his vitals. "I will protect him with my life because I love him!"

Junis gasped and had to think a way to face his fears. (Ishikawa San is fighting him to keep me safe, she expressed her feelings for me, I don't want to run anymore, I have to end Zero but how? I can't do this alone...Mother...Father...I need help...please...anybody...)

Kimichi on the ground at her limit, Junis was freaking out, he was too terrified to do anything. (I'm sorry everyone...I'm sorry Ishikawa San...I'm sorry Mother....I'm sorry....Father...I'm sorry brothers....I'm sorry....sis...I'm sorry Uncle Rocco....)