#like like when the lunar one appeared i was like “oh alright! seems like its gonna take some work off of blood's shoulders :D”

[o-i-w-u]

not apart of the roleplay confession blogs (cause they are part that and besides lunar. The others didn't get confessions yet. I think?) I find them fun but I think they have their own confession tags.

I mostly have mind similar to bloods but a bit different and it's confession tag is like bloods but without a space between the words. - adam

ohh okay interesting,, feels like a tad of a pain for blockers but fair!

thank you for using the tags though, adam :)

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers DARK FATE ー Reiji Dark [Prologue]

ー The scene starts in the underground waterway

Yui: ( I’m sure Reiji-san will be upset with me if I follow after him. But even so, I... )

Uu...

ー She pushes open the portal

*Creaaaak*

*THUD*

ー The scene shifts to the forest in the Demon World

Yui: ーー I’m here...

( This is the Demon World...It’s as dark as ever. Even more so right now, with the lunar eclipse still ongoing... )

( Oh no. I don’t know the way...It’s pitch-black, I can barely see a thing. )

( Which direction should I go? )

( I want to meet up with Reiji-san as soon as I can... )

*HOOOOOOWL*

Yui: ...!!

( The howling of wolves...Don’t tell me, they’re nearby? )

( Those wolves which attacked Ayato-kun... )

ー A flashback ensues

Yui: Ayato-kun!!!!

Ayato: Fuck…That hurt! The fuck’s your problem!!?

ー The wolf continues its assault

Ayato: Guh…Chichinashi, don’t you dare move from underneath me…!!

Yui: B-But…!

Ayato: Shut up…Guah…!!

*RIIIIIIP*

Ayato: …Guh…Uu…!!

ー The flashback ends

Yui: Ugh...

( Oh no...I remembered, and now my body won’t stop shaking. )

( Perhaps I made a mistake by coming here all by myself... )

*HOOOOOOWL*

Yui: ...! Again...

( Also, I feel like they’ve gotten closer than before... )

( Either way, staying here is dangerous. I should look for a place to hide. )

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to inside the abandoned building

Yui: ーー There’s a house all the way out here...

( The building seems to be quite old and there doesn’t appear to be anyone living here right now... )

( Perfect. I’ll use this as my hiding spot. )

*Rustle*

Yui: ...Phew.

( I finally got to catch my breath... )

( However, I can’t stay here forever. Perhaps it isn’t too late to turn back after all... )

*Thud*

Yui: ...!!

( I heard a noise coming from outside right now...Don’t tell me, there’s someone here? )

( What should I do? Where can I hide...? )

( Ah! I can hide behind those curtains! )

ー Yui moves behind the curtains

??? 1: The noise was coming from here, right?

??? 2: Yes. I am positive.

??? 1: ...You’re right, it definitely reeks of something in here. Oi, search the room.

??? 2: Yes, sir!

Yui: ( ...Who could those guys be? Are they perhaps Vampires...? )

( Oh no. Who knows what they’ll do to me if they find me. )

( Please, don’t let them check here...! )

??? 2: ーー There doesn’t seem to be anyone around. Should we turn back?

??? 1: Hm...

Yui: ( Thank god. Seems like they’re leaving already. If I just stay hidden like this, I should be able to go unnoticed somehow... )

??? 1: ...?

??? 2: Is something the matter?

ー He opens the curtains

Yui: ...!!!

??? 1: So this is where you’ve been hiding. Hah, how naive.

*Rustle*

Yui: Ow! No, let me go...!

??? 1: A woman, huh? And a human, on top of that. Where did you come from?

Yui: F-From the human world...

??? 1: Why did you come here? Did you come with a specific reason in mind? Or perhapsーー

...Hm?

Yui: Eh...?

??? 1: What is this scent? For a human, it’s somewhat...

Oi, woman! Are you truly a human?

Yui: I am...

??? 1: Suspicious. Seems like we need to investigate you more thoroughly.

ーー Oi, take this woman to our castle.

??? 2: Roger!

Yui: No way...! Stop, please! I have somewhere I need to go immediately, so...!

??? 1: Keep quiet and follow us!

*Rustle*

Yui: Kyah...!

( At this rate, I’ll get taken with them...However, I’m no match for these people... )

( No...I’m scared...Save me, Reiji-san...! )

???: May I ask what you are going to do with her?

Yui: Eh...?

Reiji-san...!!

( This is the real one, right? I didn’t think he’d actually come for me...! )

??? 1: ...! You are Karlheinz-sama’s...

Reiji: Long time no see, Zweig-sama. I suppose it must have been since the last evening party.

Yui: ( Reiji-san knows this person...? )

Reiji: By the way, would you kindly let go of the lady?

Zweig: My sincere apologies! I was unaware of the fact that she is your prey...

Reiji: No. She is my lover.

Yui: Eh...?

( He said that like it was nothing... )

( But I’m happy. He’s willing to refer to me as his lover in front of others. )

Zweig: ...I see. In that case, I should return her to you.

Reiji: Thank you very much.

Zweig: However, what was she doing here?

This is the Demon World and on top of that, the lunar eclipse is still ongoing. It is extremely dangerous for a human woman to be wandering around the woods by herself.

Reiji: You are absolutely correct. This was a blunder on my part. ...I am extremely ashamed.

Zweig: No, I was not blaming you or anything...

Well, let us move on from that. In the end, nothing happened after all.

Reiji: Once again, my sincere apologies.

Well then, we shall take our leave now. ーー We are leaving, Yui.

Yui: Y-Yes.

ー The scene shifts back to the forest

Yui: ーー I’m so sorry, Reiji-san. I caused you trouble.

Reiji: Is that all? Nothing else you should say?

Yui: Well...I acted recklessly despite my promise to remain in the human world...

Reiji: My thoughts exactly. Good grief...I was right sending a Familiar down there to check just in case.

Who knows what could have happened if I arrived just mere seconds later.

Yui: ( He’s upset... )

( Of course he is. I caused him trouble because of my own selfish acts. )

Reiji: I doubt you are aware, but those men were part of the Snake Clan, also known as Vibora.

Yui: Snake...? So they’re not Vampires?

Reiji: Yes. However, that does not make them any less dangerous. After all, they are highly territorial.

They were patrolling around the abandoned building to keep an eye on possible intruders wishing to enter their territory which lies just past that area...

If one were to set foot inside their territory, not even a fellow Demon would make it through unscathed.

You were truly playing with fire.

Yui: ( I see... )

I really am sorry...

Reiji: Haah...Well, I suppose I can let it slide. Nothing happened this time after all.

Please use this as a lesson and refrain from being so reckless in the future.

Yui: ( Huh? He only scolded me. In the past, I would have received a severe punishment... )

Reiji: What is the matter? Making such an odd expression.

Yui: Uhm, I was just thinking you’ve kind of changed.

Reiji: Why would you say that all of a sudden...?

However, if I have truly changed, then that would be...because of you.

Yui: Eh?

Reiji: Well then, let us head home.

ー He offers his hand

*Rustle*

On certain CGs, little black roses will appear on the screen. If you click on them, you get an extra line of dialogue.

“Look at those flushed cheeks...Seems like my lover is quite the shy one per usual. Although that is part of what makes you so adorable.”

“You honestly are hopeless without me. I suppose I would be able to rest at ease if you were constantly connected to me like this.”

Yui: Ah...

( He grabbed hold of my hand... )

( His hand is so big...His fingers are long too, it really feels like a man’s hand. )

( I wonder why? This isn’t the first time he has touched me, but my heartbeat’s going crazy... )

Reiji: Why do you avert your gaze?

Yui: I-It’s nothing...

Reiji: I shall not allow you to keep any secrets from me. Answer me, Yui.

Yui: Well...I feel somewhat embarrassed...

Reiji: Embarrassed?

Heh. Why are you still flustered over this? We are lovers. Therefore, it is only normal for us to hold hands.

Or would you perhaps prefer another method?

Yui: Another method...?

Reiji: I will tell you if you so wish...But when I do, I assume your cheeks may turn an even brighter shade of red.

Yui: Uu...

Reiji: Fufu...You truly are a straightforward person.

Yui: ( ...I wonder if he’s teasing me? )

( However, even that makes me happy. )

( His voice is so gentle, therefore I can tell that he cares for meーー )

*TIMESKIP*

ー The scene shifts to the entrance of the Sakamaki castle

Reiji: Well then, we have arrived.

You are dirty, so you should take a shower first.

Yui: Yes. Uhm...Is Ayato-kun alright? If possible, I’d like to see him...

Reiji: Ayato has yet to regain consciousness. There is nothing you can do even if you go see him.

Yui: I see...

( Vampires usually have a speedy recovery. Yet, he still hasn’t woken up... )

( I wonder if he’ll be okay...? )

Reiji: ...Well, would you like to go take a quick look?

Yui: Eh? I can?

Reiji: It is written all over your face that you are worried sick.

I doubt you can relax and take a shower in your current state.

Yui: Thank you very much!

ー The scene shifts to one of the bedrooms

Yui: ...

Ayato: ...

Yui: ( He really won’t even budge. ) 

( I don’t want to think this way, but it’s almost as if he’s dead... )

Reiji-san, how’s his condition...?

Reiji: The wound on his left arm is the only physical injury. It is recovering quite well, but to this day, he has not shown any signs of awakening.

He might have hit his head hard on something.

However, I am not a medical specialist, so I cannot say for sure...

Yui: I see...

Uhm, do doctors not exist here in the Demon World?

Reiji: I believe I have mentioned this in the past as well, but the profession of ‘doctor’ does not exist here.

Aah, however...

Yui: Does something come to mind?

Reiji: Yes. There is one thing.

Father’s pharmaceutical department. If we go there, they could examine Ayato’s symptoms.

Yui: Really?

Reiji: Yes.

Well then, we have been here long enough, no? Let us leave.

I doubt you can relax in those dirty clothes.

Yui: Ah, just a little longer...Ayato-kun has some sweat on his forehead, so I’d like to wipe it off.

Reiji: I shall do that.

Yui: But...

Reiji: ...You are rather dense.

Yui: Eh? What do you mean?

Reiji: You wish to remain by Ayato’s side that badly? More so than spending time with me?

Yui: Eh...?

( Don’t tell me, is Reiji-san jealous...? )

ー Reiji steps closer

Reiji: Good grief. To think you would make me go this far...I assume you are prepared to get punished?

Yui: N-No way...I was simply worried about Ayato-kun, that’s all...

Reiji: Are we talking back now? In that case, I assume those defiant lips should be first to receive a penalty.

Nn...

*Smooch*

Yui: ...

Y-You can’t...Reiji-san...Ayato-kun’s right there...

Reiji: He cannot tell since he is asleep. Come on, keep still.

Nn...Haah...

Yui: ( They’re only light kisses, yet it’s making my head spin... )

( At this rate, I’ll... )

Reiji: Fufu...You look as if you are about to melt any second now. It would be troublesome if you were to collapse on me as well, so I will leave the follow-up for some other time.

ー Reiji walks away

Yui: ( Geez, Reiji-san...! )

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

<- [ Sakamaki Prologue ] [ Dark 01 ] ->

[kolachess]

DMBJ 2010 Nangongling Interview Translated

I’ve finally (poorly) translated the infamous Nangongling interview with Nanpai Sanshu (aka Xu Lei, author of DMBJ)! 

This is where that famous quote, ‘My lifetime, in exchange for you a decade of innocence and purity’ comes from. More on that here.

Interview Context: First off, in case you don’t already know, NPSS started DMBJ off as a fanfiction. And more on that here. Hence, his style of engagement with fans will be much more direct and why he’s very... knowing of the fandom world. And why the interview does not hesitate to ask about pingxie.

This interview seems to have been conducted somewhere on the internet in 2010 or nearing it. Although I couldn’t find more confirmation on its ‘authenticity’ so to speak, I also haven’t seen anything to the contrary that this might be made up. (Chinese internet is a strange, strange place...)

Here’s the version I’m basing this off of.

Translation Context:

Ok first, I’m a native Chinese speaker, but grew up in the US and not fluent in reading / writing. I am not at all familiar with a lot of idioms, let alone internet slang and pop culture references (of which there are a lot in this interiew), so there will be a lot of guessing. Anyone who knows better, free free to point it out.

Text Legend:

Parenthesis indicate actions / reactions. E.g. (smiles awkwardly)

[TN: ...] are my notes

[??? some words ???] indicate major uncertainty in translations

== or =w= and such symbols are emojis from the interviewer

Original text sometimes had random forward slashes in between what seems should be one word / term. My guess is it might be to skirt censorship?

Names Context:

They use a lot of different ways to refer to the various characters and NPSS

The interviewer calls NPSS ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Sanshu’ a lot. But Sanshu can also refer to Wu Sanxing... so it gets confusing a bit.

Zhang Qiling can be anything from Menyouping to Pingzi to Lao Meng to Meng... just... anytime there’s ‘Meng’ or ‘Ping’ or ‘Zhang’ it’s safe to assume they’re referring to ZQL.

Wu Xie is often just Wu Xie or Tianzhen

Nangongling is the name of the interviewer

Interviewer:

Interviewer: Your Majesty, come interview. After this, we’ve got to sleep.

NPSS: OK. Let’s go. Be gentle.

Interviewer: Oh Your Majesty, you’re so shy.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: If we may ask Sanshu, is DMBJ ultimately a tragic or happy ending?

NPSS: For some, a tragedy. For some, a regular drama. For some, a comedy. For some, an absurdity.

Interviewer: That’s no different from not answering! ==

NPSS: But that’s the correct answer.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: What’s the relationship between Tianzhen and ‘It’? Your Majesty, care to give a spoiler? ==

NPSS: No relationship. [TN: ‘No relationship’ and ‘No problem’ are the same phrase, hence the subsequent answer.]

Interviewer: Then go ahead and tell us. =w=

NPSS: No relationship.

Interviewer: … No relationship?

NPSS: Yup. No relationship.

Interviewer: … ==

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: If we may ask Sanshu about the plan for DMBJ, when might you finish it?

NPSS: 2010.

NPSS: The problem is…

Interviewer: What?

NPSS: There is an unexpected situation.

Interviewer: Don’t give us cliffhanger sentences. Just tell us. ==

NPSS: Maybe [??? Something about being possessed ???]. I might work on it till 2050.

Interviewer: Hey!

NPSS: It’s great.

Interviewer: Might as well make it a Gundam series. [TN: Gundam is referring to the Japanese anime series. I guess they’re making a joke about how he should turn it into a never ending universe / entire franchise.]

NPSS: Conan never grows up. Wu Xie will never get old either. [TN: Conan is referring to Detective Conan, another Japanese anime series.]

NPSS: Even when you all become old, Wu Xie in the book will still be pursuing the answer to all the mysteries.

Interviewer: And if it’s with Lao Meng forever mutually loving and caring, then we have no objections.

NPSS: Fifty years, Golden Wedding  [TN: Think he’s referring to Golden Wedding as the 50th anniversary].

Interviewer: Yes, yes. Don’t know if there will be a son. (Tea) (Silence) [TN: I guess the actions indicate ‘sipping tea awkwardly in silence’]

Interviewer: Alright, His Majesty has become shy. Let’s continue onto the next question.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: If we may ask what the Menyouping’s ending will be? Will he find his memories? Continue to live on? Your Majesty can’t because of Classmate 370 [TN: Rumors are this is NPSS’s classmate? Potential prototype for ZQL? See ref.] once scorned your [??? finger ???], you end up holding a grudge?

NPSS: Whether or not you can ‘fujoshi’ for 50 years is uncertain. [TN: Word is ‘fu’, which literal = ‘rotten’; but refers to fujoshi. AKA he’s questioning how long they’ll ship pingxie for.]

Interviewer: No worries. In the future, there will appear a lot of Li Yinhe grannies. [TN: Seems to refer to this LGBTQ activist.]

NPSS: Hands / feet have not fallen off, OK? [TN: I’m not sure what this is referring to lol. Maybe some play on the rotten nature of fujoshi.]

Interviewer: Hands / feet… the whole body?

NPSS: The meaning of ‘entirely not fallen off’ is ‘entirely not fallen off’. [TN: Idk I’m lost...]

Interviewer: … ==

Interviewer: Your Majesty, your resentment for 370 is too deep…

NPSS: Menyouping’s ending will definitely surprise you all. It’s definitely not something that can be conceptually considered at all.

Interviewer: Could it be that he really will be mutually loving and caring with Tianzhen? == It’s not in concept…

NPSS: Hn. That’s a nice thought. [TN: Tone reads a little like ‘ha, as if���.]

NPSS: Like, turn him into a woman or something. Or is it Wu Xie who turns into a woman?

NPSS: “Actually, I’m a flat-chested Mary Sue.” [TN: Lol, yes. They refer to Mary Sue omg.]

Interviewer: … hey now… == Speaking of Mary Sues, after Yun Cai is it Xiu Xiu? Your Majesty, you wouldn’t gift Yun Cai to Lao Meng, and Xiu Xiu to Wu Xie, right? ==

NPSS: Maybe I’ll write Lily stories. [TN: I think Lily stories refers to femslash / stories between two females.]

NPSS: Don’t underestimate my pervertedness.

Interviewer: I’ve never underestimated it… (serious)

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: If we may ask what Sanshu’s current weight is? Are you losing weight? Hahahah (Hands akimbo)

NPSS: Now it’s probably a little less than 200 jin. [TN: ~220 pounds.] I’m always in the middle of losing weight, but fat really likes me.

Interviewer: Your Majesty, you should continue to make effort to cosplay Pangzi.

NPSS: I think I will exceed Pangzi’s category soon, cosplay a huge monster instead.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: When will the DMBJ movie be released? Who will play Pingzi? To be honest, I don't want to watch. ==

NPSS: Probably around 2015. I don’t know. Hope it’s not [??? black people ???]. [TN: Yeah that’s what it says, but idk if it’s a reference to type of personalities or it actually is referring to skin color. Wouldn’t surprise me if it were a racist remark. China, sigh.]

Interviewer: Could it be there really will be a movie?

NPSS: Probably.

Interviewer: In America?

NPSS: I can’t say I understand / know Hollywood’s situation.

Interviewer: So it’s America… (Tears running) Too tragic!

NPSS: Hei Xiaoge [TN: Lol I think he’s saying a black young lad] is also not bad.

Interviewer: No! No! No!

NPSS: A-ning has already been designated the female lead by a foreign scriptwriter.

Interviewer: Oooh ~~~ We don’t want to see ghosts ~~~ [TN: Idk what this expression is…]

NPSS: Little D might be able to accept. [TN: Idk who Little D is… might just be a slang way of writing ‘little brother’, in which case, I still don’t know if that’s referring to himself or someone else.]

Interviewer: I guess he will squeak along with me. [TN: Again… I’m lost.] Nope cannot anymore. Next question.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Will there be romance?

NPSS: [??? Eloquent love ???] will have porn scenes.

Interviewer: … who and who?

NPSS: Not sure yet. One party should not be human.

Interviewer: Heavy tastes, Your Majesty.

NPSS: Tentacles.

Interviewer: …… Your Majesty, are you playing some XXOO games recently? [TN: I’m just gonna assume some hentai shit here.]

NPSS: Nope. Haven’t played in a long time. Got any good suggestions?

Interviewer: [??? The imperial doctor has ghost glasses ???] [TN: Guess it’s the title?] Try it (rubs hands).

NPSS: I’m currently still holding out strong.

Interviewer: Gee… what a pity.

NPSS: You can train your boyfriend.

Interviewer: He’s already very calm.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Pingzi is so good to Wu Xie, any particular reason? I mean deep underlying reason? For example, knowing the truth about Wu Xie’s life / existence or something. Or being entrusted by Wu Xie’s family or something. Or he thinks he’s brought Wu Xie harm and wants to redeem himself or something.

NPSS: Just doesn’t want to disturb.

Interviewer: Huh? What?

NPSS: Don’t want to disturb.

Interviewer: Disturb what?

NPSS: Tianzhen Wu Xie [TN: Remember, this means ‘innocent, naive, and pure’]. The prompt is very deep now. [TN: Sounds like he’s saying he’s given a deep hint now.]

Interviewer: Oh (Actually someone who doesn’t really understand). [TN: GLAD I’M NOT ALONE! IT’S NOT A TRANSLATION ISSUE!]

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Are there new Lunar New Year Celebratory Extras this year? [TN: NPSS writes occasional extras, and often will publish on special occasions like Lunar New Year.]

NPSS: 2010’s publishing work was too heavy. Can’t celebrate. I even wrote the outline already.

Interviewer: That’s such a pity. What about Tibetan Sea Flower. I’m still waiting for the lama that has JQ with Lao Meng. [TN: They use the term JQ here… seems like slang for something like bromance.]

NPSS: Ah little living Buddha… probably can’t write. [TN: Yeah idk what that really means…] Due to religious issues, living Buddha’s chrysanthemum is very sensitive. Huge crawling creatures will come and bombard. [TN: IDK BUT CHRYSANTHEMUMS ARE OFTEN EUPHEMISMS FOR THE ANUS AND GAY BUTT SEX SO IDK.]

Interviewer: Hey… ==

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Qinling Sacred Tree arc was too mysterious. Will Sanshu later be connected to the Sacred Tree? If so, how will you do it? I think DMBJ is not as thrilling / exciting as before. Can you still return to that previous style?

NPSS: There are no plans at present to connect Qinling. I need to settle Meng first. The core of what’s being written is his business. The excitement of DMBJ is not found in the novel but in the heart of the reader. The reader will upgrade / improve while reading.

Interviewer: Is that so… (Eats late night food) [TN: Idk what this expression means.]

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Will you still publish new books and dig new plot holes? == Besides this official vest of Nanpai Sanshu, do you have anything else? Like diving party? == [TN: Yeah idk what that means…]

NPSS: Doesn’t returning to the original style of writing offer you some thrilling / excitement? Your heart has already upgraded, it’s just that the novel is still like that.

Interviewer: Heart! ==||| [TN: Yes, this is another face lol]

NPSS: There’s still some more. Like Nangongling. [TN: Name of the interviewer, but I have no idea what this means.]

Interviewer: The watch drags me underwater. [TN: I got nothing *shrugs*.]

NPSS: Actually are we answering our own questions?

Interviewer: Haha, fun right?

NPSS: Indeed. Could it be a split personality? Never thought my hidden personality is a Fujoshi. Tragedy.

Interviewer: Hey I didn’t say my hidden personality was a perverted uncle yet. (Two bored idiots stare in silence for a few seconds) 

Interviewer: Enough. Next.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Pingzi’s age… is it ‘uncle’ or ‘grandpa’? Anyway, I know it’s not ‘brother’. [TN: They’re referring to which generation basically.]

NPSS: Taizu Grandfather [TN: Basically hella old… great-great-great-great-great-grandfather?]

Interviewer: Wow… paleontology relic?

NPSS: Age must be in the triple digits.

Interviewer: Old monster! I like it! Just afraid that next to Tianzhen, he seems younger (talking to self)

NPSS: Tianzhen is even older. Quadruple digits.

Interviewer: Really is younger? ==

NPSS: They all end up in the museum display.

Interviewer: Does it cost anything to visit? Museums are now free / open to visit.

NPSS: After hour events charge fees. There are special programs, but the TV station will not allow them to be broadcasted.

Interviewer: Strip tease / dancing?

NPSS: No. It’s the old monster [TN: Probably referring to ZQL]  performing Xiangsheng [TN: Some Chinese duo comedy schtick]. Xie Ling [TN: I think this is Wu Xie + Zhang Qiling?] social / not-famous Xiangsheng actors.

Interviewer: Looks like it will be Two-Person Turn Opera [TN: Idk if there is an English term for this… but another type of skit it seems.]

NPSS: Wear the dancing shoes. [TN: I think it’s just this?]

Interviewer: … It’s so cold… Your Majesty…

NPSS: Zhang Wenling, Wu Wenxie [TN: Lol I guess this would be their comedy stage names. It’s extra / intentionally stupid because all he did was insert ‘wen’ which means ‘literature’.]

Interviewer: Enough… Don’t worry about this anymore. I’m gonna move onto the next question.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Is Wu Xie the most tragic character in the entire novel? Is it inevitable that, between him and Pingzi, one of them will have to die in the end?

NPSS: Wu Xie’s fate as the most tragic is a set tragedy, but Lao Zhang doesn’t have it easy either.

Interviewer: And then?

NPSS: Delayed the inevitable tragedy.

Interviewer: And then they encountered tragedy together?

NPSS: Using [his] own lifetime to exchange you another decade of innocence and purity.

Interviewer: … (wailing) (too stunned) Lao Meng [??? became the Virgin Mary???] (smashes wall)

NPSS: I also want to get a cult.

Interviewer: Does Lao Meng really not have a crush on Tianzhen? It can’t continue like this. DMBJ is still a serious / proper drama after all.

NPSS: Nah. It’s serious / proper.

Interviewer: But what you said is crooked.

NPSS: Alright. Then let’s put it this way.

Interviewer: How?

NPSS: Comrade Zhang Qiling sacrificed his own time to save and prevent the disillusionment of a youth who was about to go astray. [TN: Yeah… not too sure about the implications of this.]

Interviewer: …. Your Majesty, you [??? use soulmates ???] [TN: I’m really not sure about this… context and definitions I found seems to indicate it’s a soulmate like thing, but also used kind of queerbaity?]

NPSS: I’ve been working real closely with soulmate recently.

Interviewer: We can tell. Next question. Best leave some room for free thought.

NPSS: It’d be fine if you just don’t post it.

Interviewer: This is iron proof of JQ! [TN: Again, some internet slang for bromance / malexmale CPs or something.]

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Interviewer: Are all the incomprehensible things that happened so far man-made? Or will it be explained by the supernatural?

NPSS: There’s nothing incomprehensible.

Interviewer: Probably in reference to Qinling.

NPSS: Oh. Doesn’t that count as a spoiler?

Interviewer: … then let’s skip again. Actually, I thought you already forgot about Qinling.

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Interviewer: What is Pangzi’s little secret?

NPSS: Xiao Pang’s [TN: Little Fat’s] tragic past.

Interviewer: What… Pangzi is also quite tragic.

NPSS: Probably a ‘fought with his best friend over a woman and was hurt very badly’ kind of relationship.  Pangzi had a very simple but tragic love.

Interviewer: Sad…. == You really can’t tell…

NPSS: A woman he promised to take care of for a lifetime and a brother he can’t help but save.

Interviewer: Pangzi has sublimed (victory fist] [TN: I assume ‘sublime’, which literally means converting from solid directly to gas, is just representative of a massive promotion or rise into awesomeness.]

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Interviewer: I’m always thinking of Ershu’s mysterious air. Does he know a lot of things that others don’t? I also want to know what Wu Xie’s dad does.

NPSS: [??? Location scouting ???]

Interviewer: Ershu?

NPSS: He knows some.

Interviewer: Then what about his dad.

NPSS: Location scouting. Totally innocent. Just like Jesus’s old man.

Interviewer: What kind analogy is that… == Next.

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Interviewer: Hey Sanshu, on Dec 9, 2009 at 02:58 in the morning I dreamt of you. Did you dream of me? …. == Your Majesty, your fans [TN: Yeah idk.]

NPSS: That night I seem to have pulled an all-nighter. I wouldn’t mind dreaming again tonight.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Will Pingzi eventually return to being a normal human? Live on from the age of 18? Has he had a lover / children before? Yun Cai? Is Pangzi the boss or the person coming to supervise the boss (Tianzhen)?

Interviewer: Lao Meng… I’ve long since been speechless towards him. By the way, was he always this kind of stone in the latrine? [TN: I guess a saying about how he’s stuffy and expressionless per usual.]

NPSS: No. It used to be really bad.

Interviewer: …How bad…

NPSS: Like a Tibetan horse. [TN: Lol this is the literal translation but when I Googled it, Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho came up and hahaha I guess it kind of makes sense as an analogy?]

Interviewer: Your Majesty, your definition of really bad is Kurama’s level huh…= =|| So he wasn’t born latrine stone… [TN: Ok, so background on Kurama - an infamous fox demon thief escaped into the body of a newborn child because his spirit was weakened after being hunted, and so he cohabits the body with this boy… I’m not entirely sure of the reference jousting here.]

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Interviewer: What happens to Pangzi in the end?

NPSS: Dies of old age.

Interviewer: How mundane!

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: We want to know when DMBJ 7 will be finished?

NPSS: 3/15-20 complete.

Interviewer: (Recommends to everyone not to believe… ==)

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Sanshu, will someone die at the end of DMBJ? (Alright I only care about MengMeng and Tianzhen and believe Pangzi will definitely not be killed off). Also, just how many volumes will there be?

Interviewer: How many die, I also want to know. [TN: Lol they also use the counter word not for humans, but… something else?].

NPSS: There will be someone half-dead. Because it’s a grave-robbing novel, dying completely will never happen. A-ning died and still comes around often, right? [TN: Lol I’m not entirely sure what this is in reference to… first part he’s making a joke that people can become zombies, but second part… I don’t really recall A-ning coming back? Unless he means in mentions? Then again I’m still making my way through the novels.] Just that you go from hero to villain. I still haven’t decided how many to kill off. Anyways for the last volume, with the exception of Wu Xie, [??? anyone can be killed ???].

Interviewer:  …Just kill everyone why don’t you; it’s easier. (self-destruct) ==

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: May we ask Sanshu, will Pingzi have emotional drama in the future?

NPSS: No. No time / effort for that, and communication skills are limited.

Interviewer: Ahaha….

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Interviewer: Normally, will Sanshu come check out our Tieba? [TN: Kind of like Chinese reddit I believe?] Do you know the Warm Fox? [TN: I did a quick search, seems like a big fandom name that interprets a lot of the DMBJ stuff.]

NPSS: Don’t know.

Interviewer: As expected…

NPSS: It’s your husband?

Interviewer: Hey don’t involve me in everything. (Flips table)

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Just out of personal interest… I really want to know if Xie Lianhuan likes Wenjin?

NPSS: Uh, yes. Very much so.

Interviewer: Then what about Wu Sanxing?

NPSS: Also likes her.

Interviewer: So it turns out to be a crime of passion… (awakened)

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Is Yun Cai just an inconsequential character? Those Huo family Forbidden Ladies won’t have some sort of emotional development with Pingxie, right? [TN: It does say Huo family Forbidden Ladies… I guess they might be referring to Huo Xiu Xiu, but not sure why there’s multiple. Also, recall that the Forbidden Lady is that tomb creature.]

NPSS: Huo family really did become Forbidden Lady professional household [TN: Maybe like a ‘firm’?]. Yun Cai’s ending is also quite tragic.

Interviewer: Indeed. If transmigrating, don’t transmigrate into DMBJ. [TN: Transmigrate is the common c-drama trope where someone in modern times / average suddenly wakes up in the body of some one in the past or something.] Female beings all have no good outcome.

NPSS: If you’ve already died once, then there’s no need to be afraid.

Interviewer: Oh yeah, will that pink-shirt show face again? (Xlaugh) [TN: Idk this expression, but I think pink-shirt is referring to Xiaohua.]

NPSS: Yes. [??? Young Lord of Solutions ???] Grave-Robbing Prince.

Interviewer: Ahhhhh~~great~~~ >///<~~ The Old Nine Gates [??? Admirals ???], right? … Then Xiao Hei [TN: Hei Xiazi / Hei Yanjing] also has a role?

NPSS: Yup.

Interviewer: The descendants of the Old Nine Gates [??? Admirals ???] are nine golden men? =w=

NPSS: One isn’t. 8 men. 1 woman.

Interviewer: The female is Huo family Forbidden Lady, right?

NPSS: Yup. Counting her.

Interviewer: So that means Tianzhen still has 7 in his harem… Damn, catching up to Cracked Pot’s bunch of shiny guardians. [TN: Idk what that is in reference to.]

NPSS: Cracked Pot? What’s that? [TN: Yay I’m not the only one!]

Interviewer: Cough Cough. Your Majesty, you don’t need to know.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: Will Sanshu come to Nanning for an autograph session?

NPSS: Nanning? Need a Nanning bookstore to invite me.

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Interviewer: If we may ask Lao San [TN: Still referring to NPSS], from Wu Xie’s (or Pangzi’s) perspective, where does Menyouping stand? Just a ‘person who stands on our side’? [TN: Refers to when ZQL told them he was a person on their side.]

NPSS: Now it should be like a son’s role / part.

Interviewer: What? Son? ==

NPSS: A very promising son.

Interviewer: Is Wu Xie having the ‘My son has grown up’ old mother mentality?

NPSS: Not really. More like, my son has bad memory or something.

Interviewer: Wu Xie he is indeed [??? person wife ???] [TN: Uh... term used was 人\妻 which when Googled had the first link to pornhub lol. But I think the slang used is actually this.]

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Interviewer: In Sanshu’s day to day, how often does you use code words? Or is it scrunching your feet and thinking on it for a month or two before coming up with something? [TN: I think they’re referring to Sanshu as in NPSS and not Wu Sanxing Sanshu?]

NPSS: It’s usually simultaneously [??? buckling ???] and eating and typing.

Interviewer: Does it taste good?

NPSS: Often get stomachaches.

Interviewer: …Very toxic huh…

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Interviewer: Can you fill the bit plothole of Sanshu’s storytelling? Your Majesty, do you have any filled pits? == (Hides face)

NPSS: I promised my father I would fill them before he turns 70. 

NPSS: [??? New Year’s Eve pieces ???]

Interviewer: How old is his esteemed Majesty’s father?

NPSS: 60.

Interviewer: …. (speechless)

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: What kind of person is Wu Xie’s mother?

NPSS: Wu Xie’s mother is probably a strong / great woman.

Interviewer: I think so too.

NPSS: Beautiful but strict and fierce, which is why Dad is rather pathetic / a good-for-nothing.

Interviewer: Queens are great. Queens usually marry good-for-nothings. [TN: The ‘queen’ here is literally ‘female king’, so more implies a female ruler.] ==

Interviewer: In the end, did Wu Xie inherit his dad’s genes?

NPSS: Wu Xie also has a very dark personality.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

NPSS: I’m nearly at my limit…

Interviewer: Same here… (sleepy)

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Interviewer: If we may ask Sanshu, if excluding psychological factors, in terms of human nature, do you think Pingxie is suitable?

NPSS: I think, the two of them together. Neither can earn money. Parents on both side would not agree.

Interviewer: Can it not be one steals and the other sells stolen goods?

NPSS: At the very least, Wu Xie needs to get admitted to a civil service position. [TN: These are stable job positions lol]

Interviewer: Looks like Lao Meng eats soft rice! [TN: A saying that refers to men who lives off of women lol. Basically that the woman supports the man instead of the expected vice versa.]

NPSS: And also will need to buy a house in Hangzhou.

Interviewer: … Too realistic… == [TN: Lol no joke this is exactly how couples get ‘permission’ to marry each other by the families… Hangzhou housing prices are not cheap either. I was born there and visit often… those prices have gone uuuuuuup.]

(And the two are dozing off)

NPSS: Let’s end it. I can’t hold on anymore.

Interviewer: Ok…

(The physically / mentally exhausted two rolled off to sleep, interview unfinished… ==)

~ End Interview

Whew that was a long ride. NPSS is such a troll lol... 😅I don’t know nearly enough Chinese slang / internet speak to parse this properly, but the general gist is there.

[skeeter-110]

A Twist in the Tale (That’s as Old as Time)

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. As punishment for his actions, the young prince is transformed into a monstrous beast by a mysterious enchantress. Only condition is if he can learn to love someone and earn their love in return, the curse will be lifted. The prince - now turned Beast - felt doomed for eternity; until he met a little boy with a heart of gold.

AKA: a Beauty and the Beast Irondad AU

Chapter One: Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold.

Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within.

And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there.

Ashamed of his monstrous form, the Beast concealed himself inside his castle with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world.

The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 21st year. If he could learn to love another - and earn their love in return - by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken.

If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

*   *   *

Peter skipped on out of his home and straight into the village, smiling and greeting everyone he passed as the village town quickly became more and more alive.

"Good morning, Peter." The village baker greets as he brings his tray of rolls over to his bakery.

"Morning, Monsieur." Peter addresses, walking over with the baker.

"Where are you off to?" The baker asks.

"The bookshop. I just finished the most wonderful story about a beanstalk and an ogre and-" Peter excitedly begins to explain, only to be cut off.

"That's nice." The baker responds absentmindedly, clearly not hearing a word Peter was saying, before yelling. "Marie, the baguettes! Hurry up!"

Peter just shrugged before putting his book back in the basket he was carrying and continuing on his way; hopping on the back of someone's carriage to get to the bookshop faster.

Peter quickly ran into the shop, the bell above the door ringing and announcing his presence to the bookseller.

"Ah, Peter." The seller acknowledges.

"Good morning. I've come to return the book I've borrowed." Peter says, handing the seller the book he was carrying around.

"Finished already?" The seller questions, sounding a bit impressed.

"I couldn't put it down. Have you got anything new?" Peter asks as he climbs the ladder and begins scanning all of the books.

"Not since yesterday." The seller laughs.

"That's all right. I'll borrow... this one." Peter says, going and grabbing a familiar book off of the shelf and handing it to the seller.

"That one? But you've read it twice." The seller amusedly says.

"Well, it's my favorite. Far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise." Peter excitedly says, swinging off of the ladder.

"If you like it all that much, it's yours." The seller offers, making Peter gasp.

"But, sir..." Peter goes to protest.

"I insist." The seller presses creating a huge smile on Peter's face.

"Well, thank you. Thank you very much." Peter expresses his gratitude, instantly opening up the book and reading as he began to walk home; completely oblivious to the man following him. That was until the man jumped right in front of him.

"Hello, Peter." The man greets.

"Bonjour, Monsieur Osborn." Peter responds, not even bothering to take his eyes off the book. Norman, not liking not having the attention on him at the moment, quickly swiped the book out of the boy's hands.

"Monsieur Osborn, may I have my book, please?" Peter asks, making Norman scoff before flipping through the book.

"How can you read this? There are no pictures." Norman scoffs.

"Well, some people use their imaginations." Peter retorts, Norman rolling his eyes at the prospect and throwing the book over his shoulder.

"Peter, it's about time you got your head out of those books and paid attention to more important things. Like working for me." Norman says.

Ever since Norman found out that the only reason the Parkers were able to earn money was by Peter making and selling different inventions, he's been all but begging Peter to work for him. And clearly, he refuses to take no as an answer.

"The whole town's talking about it. It's not right for a little boy to be reading fantasies all the time." Norman disapproves as Peter reached down and grabbed the book up off of the ground.

"Monsieur Osborn, you are positively primeval." Peter says, looking at Norman in confusion when the man looked proud of the dig.

"Why, thank you, Peter. Now, what do you say you and me take a walk over to my workshop and take a look at some of my work." Norman says, trying to pull Peter in the direction of his workshop.

"Maybe some other time." Peter says, pulling his arm out of Norman's grip when it seemed like the man wasn't going to be letting go anytime soon. "Please, Monsieur Osborn, I can't. I have to get home to help my Aunt. Goodbye." Peter bids farewell.

"That crazy old loon. She needs all the help she can get." Victor Von Doom, Norman's right-hand-man, says making both him and Norman laugh.

"Don't talk about my Aunt that way." Peter yells at them, making Norman sober up.

"Yeah! Don't talk about his Aunt that way." Norman whirls on Victor.

"My Aunt is not crazy. She's just old." Peter defends, his argument falling short when something in his kitchen exploded, making Peter run towards his house, completely ignoring the laughter that was in the background.

Peter quickly ran inside the house, coughing due to all of the smoke floating around in the air.

"Aunt May?" Peter calls out, still coughing and waving away all of the smoke.

"How on earth did that happen?" Aunt May grumbles, trying to free her leg from the wood and wires that it was trapped in.

"Are you alright, Aunt May?" Peter asks.

"I-I don't know what happened. I think I accidentally turned this contraption on." May says, pointing at Peter's recent invention that was sitting there in the middle of the house.

"I'm sorry. I'm about ready to give up on this hunk of junk." Peter huff, clearly disappointed with how slowly the new invention was coming together.

"You always say that." May tuts fondly.

"I mean it this time! I'll never get this boneheaded contraption to work!" Peter angrily says, making May cross her arms.

"Peter, watch your language." May chides, erasing Peter's look of anger and turning it into him looking fully reprimanded.  

"Sorry, Aunt May." Peter mumbles out an apology.

"And you will get this to work." May encourages, taking Peter's face into her hands. "And it will win first prize at the fair tomorrow. And we won't have a thing to worry about this winter." May says, gently brushing Peter's cheeks with her thumbs.

"You really believe that?" Peter asks.

"I always have." May confirms, making Peter grin real big.

"Well, what are we waiting for? I'll have this thing fixed in no time." Peter exclaims, climb underneath the contraption. "Can you hand me that... the dog-legged clincher there." Peter asks May, the woman being quick to do so.

"So, did you have a good time out in town today?" May asks once Peter had his tool.

"I got a new book." Peter tells his aunt before tightening a few things. "Aunt May, do you think I'm odd?" Peter decides to ask.

"My nephew? Odd? Where would you get an idea like that?" May scoffs.

"Oh, I don't know. It's just that I'm not sure I fit in here. There's no one I really can talk to." Peter sighs.

"What about Norman? He seems like a nice fella, and he likes inventing things like you. He could be like your mentor." May says.

"Yeah, he seems nice, but he's actually rude and conceited and... oh, Aunt May, I would never want to work for someone who treats people so terribly." Peter tells his Aunt.

"Well, don't you worry, 'cause this invention you're working on is gonna be the start of a new life for us." May reassures as Peter rolls out from underneath the machine.

"I think that's done it. Now, let's give it a try." Peter says, pulling the lever and causing the machine to whistle and whir.

Both May and Peter stepped back a bit, covering their faces just in case the machine blew up. Thankfully, instead of blowing up, the machine began to do its intended purpose, swinging an ax down and chopping the log that was in front of it.

"It works!" May exclaims.

"It does?" Peter asks in shock, watching as the machine continued to chop wood. "It does!"

"You did it. You really did it." May proudly says, pulling Peter into a tight hug. "Hitch up Philippe, boy. I'm off to the fair!"  May says, Peter quickly running out of the house and hitching their horse, Phillippe, to the carriage.

May quickly pack up as many supplies she needed for the travel before getting her coat and throwing it on while Peter took the invention and placed it in the ack of the carriage.

"I love you, Peter." May says as she comes outside, planting a kiss on Peter's forehead.

"I love you too, Aunt May." Peter repeats the sentiment.

"Take care while I'm gone." May says as she hops up onto Phillippe.

"Always." Peter responds, watching as his Aunt began to ride off down the road.

Tag List: @spideyspeaches​ @joyful-soul-collector​ @lost-lunar-wolf​ @hatakehikari​ @thatcrackheadsadbitchtm​

[inanotherheadspace]

The Adventures of Team Lune - Chapter Three: The Tale of Two Kitties

Summary: A dragon slayer, a demon slayer, and a god slayer walk into a Guild Hall… and all goes to hell

Pairings: Natsu x Fem OC, Gajeel x Fem OC, Gray x Fem OC, Sting x Fem OC, Laxus x Fem OC, Loke x Fem OC

Word Count: 2,817

Previous Chapter - Masterlist - Next Chapter

“How long are we talking about?” Gajeel quipped as Calypso poured the Jasmine tea into two matching mugs.  

“Well, I should probably start with how Team Lune was formed-”

“I just wanna know about Astria’s damn cat.”

“That’s the thing, she’s not just Ria’s cat. Opal just likes Ria the best.” Calypso smiled softly to the gruff dragon slayer as she placed his mug in front of him before taking her seat.

“Thank you.” He mumbled before picking up the pale pink mug and blowing on its hot contents. “How’d you join the guild and meet them then?”

“Oh, the wolves set me free after mastering my magic and I just kinda stumbled into the guild hall.” Gajeel almost choked on his tea at her statement.

“Wolves?”

“Yeah, the only way you can learn Moon magic is from this one eternal wolf pack. Like how you, Ria, and Natsu were trained by dragons. Funny enough, because of my training, I also have a good sense of smell and hearing. My nose isn’t as strong as my ears are though.”

“Just like we do,” Gajeel mumbled, more so to himself than to anyone else. The plumette across from him simply nodded before taking a sip of her tea. “How’d you end up with the wolves?” Calypso’s eyes dropped to her hands as she began to play with her fingers.  

“I don’t know much more than what Leto told me. Apparently, my mother was killed, there was a battle, maybe even a war – all I know is that our home was destroyed. My mother was a student of the wolves when she was a kid, so she left me with them while she fought.”

“Leto, is that your wolf?”

“Hmm, in a sense yes. She’s the pack leader. I have the same loyalty to her and my pack as you dragon slayers have to your respective dragons.” After a momentary pause to drink more tea, the mage continued. “Ria came to the guild with Natsu, and May was found outside the Guild’s doors as a newborn. For the longest time, Ria stuck to Natsu and May was oddly drawn to Mystogan. Both were very shy – all of us were as kids. I became friends with Cana, the two of us would go on the jobs Master approved of. The three of us never really became close until Mystogan left on an S-Class quest. Master demanded that May stay back, that was a dark day. This strong kid that I always looked up to just, broke.” Gajeel kept his eyes on Calypso as her eyebrows drawn together as she focused on the cup in her hands.  

“Master eventually got tired of May’s attitude and moodiness. He decided to take Ria away from Natsu and me away from Cana. Without telling any of us, he sent us out individually to the same job. We all left mere hours apart no less, none of us caught on until we all showed up at the same door for the requested meeting time. It was a simple job – just to find a lost item. Gramps figured we could find it easy. Between mine and Ria’s tracking skills and May’s all-around bossiness – it was done by nightfall. We’ve been together ever since.”

“Thats nice and all, but I only want to know about the cat.” Gajeel grumbled before finishing his tea.  

“A good story is informative and well rounded. It’s a form of art and in this house, you’ll respect it.” She quipped back; her eyes flicked up to meet his in a demanding stare down.  

“What are you going to do if I don’t?” He matched her intense glare as the words left his lips. A sinister smirk spread across Calypso's face, sending a slight shiver down the Iron Dragon Slayer’s spine.  

“Well, for starters, you wouldn’t ever make it out of this house. What happens after that – probably a few broken ribs, lots of chains, and maybe a whip.” She broke eye contact with him as an almost undetectable trace of blush speckled her face. Gajeel’s trained eyes picked up on it quickly, before a faint blush appeared on his own face after her words sunk in. The slight silence became unbearable for Calypso, her hands began to fidget with her mug once more.

“We got Opal as a reward from a quest. It was weird – they gave us this light pink egg with silver and black sparkles and swirls on it. None of us had any clue what to do with it. When we got back to the guild, we found out Natsu and Lisanna had found one in the forest as well. Ria, May and I joined them in the woods to hatch the eggs. Well, whenever May was actually around the five of us kept the two eggs warm – that was really Natsu’s specialty.” As Calypso spoke and reminisced, a smile stayed on her lips. A small laugh escaped her as she thought more on the story before continuing.  

“I was no help at all, and the others realized that pretty quickly. They put me in charge of gathering firewood and food. I mostly just avoided the place; they were holed up in the same woods my wolves are usually in too. So, I just hung around them more than anything. After about two weeks, Happy and Opal’s eggs hatched. They’ve been with us and a part of the guild since.”  

Before either of them could get another word in, the front door opened, and three voices could be heard. Calypso’s face lit up as her friends had arrived home, her tea and Gajeel completely forgotten. Gajeel looked past the plumette and out the kitchen window, the sky was pitch black.  

“I didn’t realize it was this late, I'll head out.” His gruff voice brought Calypso’s attention back to him.  

“Huh?” She asked before whipping around and looking out the window. Pieces of plum-colored locks fell from her bun, framing her face as she turned back to face him. “Sorry about that, I rambled on for too long. I’ll probably have to cook for the others, do you want to stay for dinner?”

“Depends on what you’re cooking,” Gajeel said as he got up from the table, Calypso followed suit and walked behind him towards the front door. Opal was resting in Astria’s arms as the three of them chatted in the living room.

“Hey Gajeel!” Astria called out with a wave.  

“Thanks for holding down the fort, Gajeel.” Natsu offered a small grin, as he turned to Calypso. “So, what’s for dinner?”

“Noodles and chicken thighs.” Calypso offered a shrug in response.  

“I’ll see you four at the guild.” He turned to Calypso and gave he a gentle pat on the head. “See you later brat.” Gajeel headed out the door as Calypso’s face turned bright red.  

“Wait, so you aren’t staying?” The plumette looked offended for a swift second, before her composure regained.

“Nah, I forgot I was going to train tonight since the weathers gonna be alright, since it’s supposed to rain tomorrow.” Gajeel grinned before slipping out the door and past Natsu.     “Did you two have a date? Are we interrupting?” Astria pouted momentarily, before the mocking tone dripped through her second question.   “He likes herrr!” Happy’s snarky comment broke the short pause. “It was nothing like that!” Calypso paused before biting back at her friend, “Did you and Natsu go on a date?” This caused the light blue haired dragon slayer to blush just as heavily as Calypso was. Astria waved her hands in the air as a way to dismiss Calypso’s question.   “Hey! We were training!” The pink haired dragon slayer crossed his arms over his chest before huffing.   “Aye Sir! We were training really hard Calypso!” Happy shouted along. “No yelling in the house! Indoor voices!” Opal folded her arms, before snuggling against Astria’s leg. “Lucy stopped us from training anymore for the night.” “I see, did you guys do that much damage?” “No... Not really...” Astria mumbled, patting Opal on the head softly. Opal offered a small smile in return before simply nodded, “It was some hefty damage, but it was a remote forest.” “Yeah, that sounds like you two. Dinner will be ready in half an hour, go wash up, you all smell disgusting.” Calypso offered a small grin, suppressing the disappointment that she wouldn’t have her company tonight.

◊◊◊◊

The guild hall was filled with noise, booze and the heavenly scent of food – even at 8 in the morning. Astria, and Calypso sat at a table closer to the bar, all still with sleep in their eyes.  

“Do you think I can grab a drink with breakfast?” Calypso asked her teammate.  

“Calypso Lunar. No!” Astria scolded the oldest member as Gray and Loke took up seats at their table.  

“May still hasn’t come back and I’m worried. I need something to take the edge off. What about a splash of something in my coffee? That should be fine right?”

“Okay Cana.” Gray teased the plumette, causing Astria to choke on her water.  

“Hey man, leave my Caly alone.” Loke said as he threw his arm around her shoulder. “Both her and Cana are hot and have huge boobs, if they wanna drink this early in the morning we shouldn’t stop them. Why you ask? Because us hot blooded men benefit from it in the long run. Especially since they both tend to strip when they drink a lot.”

“If you’re so worried about May, why don’t you just go look for her?” Gray asked the two mages. The two women in question just shared a look and nodded once before turning back to him.

“She’s seemed stressed since she’s come back from her mission. We want to give her some breathing room and not harass her about it. She’ll tell us when she’s ready too” Astria sighed before turning away from the guys and letting her eyes wonder around the guild hall.  

“That makes sense at least. How long has she been gone?” The slight worry in the ice mages voice caught Calypso and Loke’s attention. Both had a devious smile cross their lips and a dark look tinted their features.  

“Awwww is ice boy worried about my May?”  

“I think he is Caly. He’s worried about a hot young woman who’s kicked his ass time and time again. What’s the score now Gray? 132 to 0?” Loke added on, poking fun at his tsundere of a friend. Gray scoffed at the two before leaning back and crossing his arms. Before he could give his own witty remark back, the guild hall doors opened. A cross-breeze of wind carried the familiar scent to the Dragon Slayer’s nose.  

“Hey Caly, May’s back.” Astria pointed out as she kept her eyes on their short blonde friend. Caly’s head whipped around and saw her make her way over to them. “She looks unharmed which is good.”

“Her stomach just rumbled; I'll flag Mira down.” Calypso added as she waved over to the white-haired barmaid.  

“Hey guys, what can I get you?” Mira asked in her usual joy-filled tone.  

“Two breakfast specials, a thing of smoked salmon, and three extra strong coffees. Can you put something in one of them for me?” Calypso ordered easily, with her being the oldest of the three she always took care of the others.  

“Of course! I’ll be back with the drinks soon.” She walked back to her spot behind the bar as May finally arrived at the table.

“Hey...” The blonde spoke softly before taking the empty seat next to Calypso and across from Opal. Before the other two could speak, May pulled out two flyers from her pocket and showed them to her teammates. “The two of you should join the Miss Fairy Tail pageant. You guys have a better chance of taking home the gold if there's more than one of youse.”

“Jason’s a judge so I’m guaranteed top three.” Calypso said as she looked over the paper she snatched from May.  

“Didn’t he judge last year too, and Mira still won?” Gray snipped to get back at her from earlier. Loke and Calypso stared daggers at the ice mage.  

“Don’t listen to him. He’s ugly and unlovable, while you’re sexy and powerful. Which to be fair, is the best combo in a woman.” Loke complimented Calypso as her face continued to darken.

“I’ll skin you both alive if either of you continue to speak.”

“And on that note, I’ll be leaving.” Loke took his leave from the table, leaving Calypso’s death glare to Gray.  

“All I have to do is whistle, and I can have a pack of wolves maul you to death.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah I know. You need a new threat Calypso; you’ve used that one too many times already.” As Gray spoke, Mira silently placed the drinks on the table for the three women and scurried away. She valued her life too much to get between the bickering mages.  

“Probably as much as you take your clothes off.” Astria added as she shoved the ice mage away from her in a playful manner.

“As the leader of Team Lune, I need you all to behave while we’re at the guild.” Opal said sarcastically.   “Yes, I’m so sorry, oh great master Opal.” May said as the three mages bowed to the light pink feline.  

“What the actual fuck is your team?” Gray asked with scrunched eyebrows. In a split second, May was behind Gray as her palms were placed on both of his ears, applying a light pressure as she looked to her friends.   “Speak like that again and I’ll blow you up so badly they’ll be piecing you back together for weeks.” Gray hunched back a bit at her words, before sighing.   “Yeah yeah, whatever,” he let out with a huff.

“And we’ll feed your body parts to my wolves.” Calypso added with a smug smile.  

“Do you not feed them? Isn’t that animal cruelty?”

“I do feed them, they just like people meat. And they like it fresh too.”  

“You need psychological help.”

“Everyone in this guild does.” Astria added to as she was looking over Mays shoulder at her pink haired best friend.  

“Open your mouth again and see what happens ice stripper.” May threatened once more.  

“I’ll be taking my leave now too.” Gray sighed as he pushed the chair back and left the table. Mira made her way back to the table with breakfast as May took Gray’s seat.

“Enjoy Ladies!” Mira called as she turned and headed back.  

“So, to confirm – you two are joining the pageant and we’re going on this job.” May stated as she cut into her food.

“Job?” Calypso and Astria asked in unison.

“Oh yeah I forgot to explain that since ice box interrupted us. It’s a simple one for 100,000 jewels. We just need to capture a bandit, so it’ll take us what, an hour at most? Easy money.” May explained as Calypso downed her alcoholic coffee.  

“Yeah, we’ll be fine. When do we leave?”

“Give me two hours to drink a bit more and nap.” Calypso stated as she let out a yawn.

“You can nap on the train.” Opal spoke softly as she snacked on her salmon.  

“This is why you’re in charge!” The three mages said in unison to the cat.  

“Does it have to be a train though? Can’t we fly?” Astria asked with sadness in her voice.  

“Opal can’t carry all three of us Ria.” May stated softly as she picked at her breakfast. The four sat in silence for a few seconds before Calypso spoke up.

“I’m gonna go threaten Gajeel. Do we think I can convince him to let me braid his hair?” Calypso asked as she stood up from the table.

“Maybe if you challenge him to something and use it as your prize.” Astria pitched to the plum haired mage.  

“Say less.” Calypso sauntered over to where Cana, Gajeel and Juvia were seated and sat next to her best friend.  

“So, uhhh. May I'm not going on a train so you’re on your own. I love you!” Astria said as she skipped out off with Opal following behind.  

“Well then, I see how it is.” May spoke to no one before letting out a sigh. She silently continued to eat her meal before heading out on her now solo job. As she continued to pick at her food, she looked over to her friends – Caly was shoving a beer in Gajeel’s hand with a smile on her face. While Ria was happily sitting across from Natsu and Happy with Opal in her lap. The four of them were laughing happily as May sat by herself. They really would be okay without me, May thought to herself with another silent sigh.

[meikos-realm]

Six Moons (CH.1)

Lunar awakens rather startled, a horrific nightmare plaguing her once again.

“Fucking…” Wiping her eyes from the tears as she rolls off the sofa to start her day. She heads to the kitchen, eyes lingering on the knife block for a little longer than they should before making her morning tea and breakfast.

“It’s been 5 years. Why are you fuckers still in my head!” Slamming the counter in anger before recomposing herself and taking a few deep breaths. She heads to her bedroom, turning the radio on as she passes it. A little background noise to break the deathly silence. Lunar gets changed for school before heading back to the kitchen to actually have breakfast. “Bastards” Muttering through gritted teeth. “I know I’m going to hell, but at least I took you fuckers with me.” She stops herself again, taking a few deep breaths before grabbing her bag, mask, and helmet. The cool air is apparent as her visor almost immediately mists up as she closes the door. “Great. Can this morning get any bloody better.” Today was definitely not a good day for Lunar. Her usual quiet and calm demeanour replaced with a rather vicious amount of spite and anger. Wiping her visor she starts her motorbike and enjoys the gentle hum of the engine ticking over before setting off, taking a bit of a longer route to school just to enjoy the ride.

Ahead on the road she sees a very vibrant yellow beetle that can only belong to one person, Six. Wanting to have a bit of fun with her friend she pulls up behind Six’s car and revs her engine really loudly before popping a wheelie and riding past, engine still revving loudly. Hearing the car horn go behind her gave her a small smile as she pulled into the parking lot, shutting down her bike and waiting for the yellow beetle to peel in. It pulls up along side as Six steps out.

“You cheeky little bitch!” Jokingly thumps her arm still chuckling. “But in all seriousness, getting rev bombed is better than any cup of coffee” Six grinning like a cherisher cat at Lunar.

“Thought you’d appreciate the little shock to the system” Her voice seeming up beat but still obviously down trodden. Popping her visor open, the dark bags under her eyes very apparent. Six’s expression changes to one of concern, stepping closer to her. “Nightmares again?” Lunar only nods in response, hanging her head a little. “Hey, it’s fine, I did stop by the shop on the way here so here, have this.” Hands Lunar a drink with a reassuring smile, Six’s unusual teeth a little visible. “I’ll meet you up on the roof. I know you wanna get your mask on.” She heads off after patting Lunar on the back reassuringly.

Heading into the school building, Lunar darts for a bathroom allowing her to swap out to her mask before depositing her helmet in her locker and heading to the roof. Whilst on her way to the roof one of the known bullies shoves her into a wall causing a yelp from her whilst deep in thought .

“Well well well, if it isn’t our favorite little psycho.” Lunar tries to hurry to the roof to get away from them but is quickly grabbed by the bully, pinned against a wall in the corner. “Oi! I was talking to you!” He barks in her face, the mask hiding her terrified expression. “Tch, disrespecting me. I should break that stupid fucking mask of yours.” He speaks while raising a fist. ”LUNAR! DUCK!” She does as she is told rapidly hitting the floor as someone slams the bully on the top of his head with a chair, before getting barged away. Keeping her eyes slammed shut, and arms protecting her head, a familiar touch gently rests on the back of her head. “Come on, let’s get out of here before the teachers show up” Helping Lunar back to her feet, Six leads her to the roof and their usual little spot overlooking the sunrise.

“You alright?” Lunar nods taking a minute before replying.

“Yea, just shaken…and my shoulder hurts. Shoved me in a corner again.” Her voice still wavering a little, adrenalin still coursing through her veins.

Six pulls her close rubbing her arm to try and help her calm down somewhat. “I am still sticking what I said that night. Whenever I’m around no one is hurting you again. Ever.”

--- 5 Years Earlier ---

“Just sit here, and we will have someone here for you shortly.” An officer tries to offer a gentle tone to the blood-soaked girl, shaking and still clearly terrified. He walks back to the people at the desk asking them to keep an eye on her.

Across another kid, wearing a yellow raincoat is sat swinging their legs watching the newcomer with curiosity. She hops out her chair and sits on the bench next to the bloodied individual. “What happened to you? You look like you have been through hell and back.”

The kid looks up at her, eyes almost nothing but tears, her now stitched slash on her face still very apparent. She just stares at Six for a few moment before looking back down at her hands, dried blood clinging to every nook and cavity in her skin. The weight of the crimes she had committed still fresh in her mind. Six just watched her for a while before noticing the shaking and tears dripping from her face. As if the kid was a sibling she pulled her into a hug and just started soothing her the best she could. It took a long while but she eventually fell asleep on Six, probably the safest sleep they have had in a while.

The lady at the front desk noticed this and went over to see what was up. “Everything okay?” Six nods looking at the now sleeping Lunar, still occasionally shaking. “What…happened to her? She looks like she was in a warzone” The lady rubbed the back of her own head before speaking. “Her parents tried to kill her, and killed her brother. She…shot them both dead” Six’s eyes opened wide in shock before looking back down at Lunar. “She must have been so scared…” The lady stood back up, heading off and bringing a couple of drinks and a snack for them each before heading back to the desk.

A few hours had passed when Six’s parents had arrived to pick her up. “Come on, let’s head home.” Six didn’t move, keeping Lunar’s head on her lap and still idly stroking her head. “I don’t want to…she needs someone to keep her safe” They keep going back and forth for a while before one of the officers pull Six’s parents to one side explaining what happened to Lunar. ”Ma, Is it alright if I stay with her until she is okay… I don’t want anyone to hurt her whilst I’m here…” A sense of duty and determination in Six’s voice as she speaks softly to not disturb Lunar. Her parents relented, and the pair spent a night in one of the cells, door left open so that they can roam freely.

During the night Lunar had managed to cuddle into Six, waking her up but giving her a small smile before settling back down.

“As long as I am here, No one will hurt you again.”

--- Present Day --- Lunar smiles having flipped her mask up to drink, leaning against Six quietly. “It seems you have kept that promise…And I’m glad you did.” She checks her phone, making note of the date, a bigger smile creeping up on her face, noticed by Six. ”What’s got you all happy all of a sudden?” Curiosity killing the cat as she looks at Lunar’s expression.

“Just…a plan sort of falling into place in my head.” Looks up at Six, the smile still there.

“Well whatever it is, I hope it works. Especially if it’s keeping you this happy.” The pair go back to watching the sunrise and drinking what remains of their cans before heading to class.

--- End of the day ---

Lunar sits waiting outside the detention hall playing a game on her phone, waiting for Six to get out. As she finishes another round a notification pops up.

[Feb 14, Valentines Day, 1 Reminder Set]

The smile she had earlier re-appears bigger than before. Staring at the phone screen as if in her own little world until a gentle thump noise from her mask being flicked shakes her out of it. ”Earth to the moon, we okay Houston?” Six chuckles at the bad joke she cracked before helping Lunar up onto her feet again. “Sorry about the wait, apparently one of your bullies squealed like a piggy.”

Lunar laughs at the pretty bang on description of her bullies before replying. “Heh, its okay. Just my plan came back into my head.” They start heading toward one of the bathrooms so Lunar can swap back to her helmet. ”Still not telling eh? Must be pretty big if you won’t even tell me about it.” Lunar nods in response. “Okay now I am really damn curious.” Lunar giggles at her before booping her nose and zipping into the bathroom, leaving the startled and confused Six in the hall. She pulls her hood up hiding her blush as she leans against the wall softly feeling the letter in her pocket and letting out a long drawn out sigh. Her own cowardice annoying her at the moment.

“Ready to go Six?” The chirpy voice spooking Six out of her thoughts. “Hehe, now who’s day dreaming.” ”Yea yea, come on. I’ll race you back to the village!” Trying to hide her annoyance in confidence and competitiveness.

“Oh you are gonna so lose. 3, 2, 1, GO!” They both bolt to their vehicles, Lunar being the first to get her engine started but almost stalling as Six gets her engine started and peels off, tyres smoking. Lunar rapidly catches up with her and rev bombs Six on her way past before the pair get stopped at some traffic lights. Fingers on the trigger waiting for the lights to go green. The minutes feeling like eternity as Lunar takes off immediately as they go green, causing a wheelie in the process. Six hot on her tail as they race towards the village sign, neck and neck passing almost at the same time and stopping at the burger van just on the outskirts. ”Who Won?” Six steps out laughing still unsure. Lunar can only shrug as she doesn’t know either. Six goes ahead and orders their usual Friday after school grub as Lunar changes to her mask in a secluded part of the car park before rejoining Six. ”I think you may have won by a headlight Six.” She says walking to the benches and plonking herself down opposite Six.

“Nah, I think you won by a mud guard.” Pushing a portion of chips over to Lunar as she tucks into her own. ”Draw? Again?” The pair go quiet for a moment before letting out a few laughs and digging in to their Burgers and chips.

They sit chatting as the sunsets, deciding to head out as it gets a bit chilly. “Hey Six... You busy tomorrow?” ”I don’t think so, why?”

“Want to come over and chill for the day?” Lunar hoping quietly she accepts, the final piece of her plan falling into place.

“Sure! Only if I get to finally beat your ass at XGIII. I’ve been practicing.” Six again using bravado to hide her nervousness, but in the back of her mind thinking this might be her chance. ”Sweet! Guess I’ll see you tomorrow then toothy.” Lunar smirks under her mask at the little jab. ”Watch it big ears. Hehehe” The pair share a hug before setting off home. To them both, tomorrow was a big day should all things go to plan.

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

based off of the LN School AU by @becauseimgabbeh-blog

[inu-jiru]

The Tiger And The Zebra

Chapter Two - Passing The Time

If there was anything positive I could say about the Gem Rebellion, it was that it forced Gemkind to vastly improve its ships and weaponry. I had less than pleasant memories of the days of Era 1, and the decades-long journey it took to reach Earth during the war. Now, thanks to warp speed technology, we’d arrive in less than a lunar cycle. For that amount of time, I’d need to find a way to occupy myself. If only past me had had the foresight to store a few books in her gem...

The first few Homeworld rotations were uneventful. When I wasn’t sifting through the ship’s archives for an interesting report to read, I patrolled the halls of the warship, hoping to White Diamond that those disgustingly bright yellows and greens wouldn’t blind me. One three areas of the ship were of interest: the bridge, the prisoner’s dock, and the training bay. 

I visited the prisoner’s dock the least. The Lazuli had been moved there since the interrogation. Once we returned to Homeworld, her final punishment would be decided by her own court. Personally, I thought it was a waste of time. A traitor like her only had one use: to be harvested. Still, she was the ship's prisoner for the time being, and prisoners needed to be checked in on. The prison bay contained three long hallways lined with prison cells. When in use, the a would have a forcefield that would destabilize the physical form of a Gem. Normally, this made it so that a prisoner could be left alone, but there was always that one desperate Gem who'd attempt to escape, usually dissipating their forms in the process. The Lapis Lazuli, fortunately, showed no signs of such foolishness. At least she had that going for her.

"Mmph," I'd often grunt in disgust, eying the terraformer as I passed her cell. She would only press herself deeper into the corner, burying her head in her arms and knees. She resembled one of those small, crawling Earth creatures: small, pathetic, and begging to be crushed under my foot. 

The bridge was next, though my visits were very brief. The Peridot piloted from there and never seemed to stray from that area. How dull. The Peridot herself was very professional, always saluting to me and treating me with the utmost respect. Without Jasper around, she wasn’t nearly as snippy as I thought she’d be. She was growing on me.

“Tell me.” I decided to strike up a conversation during my most recent visit. I stood beside the technician, gazing out into the starry void that was space. “I’m quite curious. How exactly did you cross paths with the traitors?”

“Well, as I said before, I was assigned to monitor the incubation of the Cluster,” she explained. “A geo-weapon, one that would destroy the Earth from the inside out.” I felt my brow raise in interest. I’d overheard the Cluster’s name from Peridots in White Diamond’s court, though I’d never looked into it. How fascinating, and how clever of the Diamonds to turn something as messy as the Rebellion around in their favor. Oh, if only I hadn’t needed to bring Rose Quartz to Homeworld; I would’ve loved to imagine the look on her face when her precious Earth suddenly crumbled away beneath her feet. Oh, well.

“As for the Crystal--I mean, traitors...” I smirked at my own reflection in the glass. She remembered my anger at the Lazuli when she used that juvenile name. How cute. “I was just starting to remotely reactivate the Prime Kindergarten's control room, when they showed up: three gems and a...a Steven.”

...A what?

“Pardon?” I asked.

“That’s what it called itself.” 

“How odd…” I paused for a moment. “No Rose Quartz?”

“Just her lackeys, I’m afraid,” the Peridot admitted. “They destroyed the power supply and disrupted my connection. I made the request for an escort immediately after.”

“Well, Rose Quartz and the fools who follow her will be dealt with in due time, Peridot,” I said. I stood up straight, hands behind my back as a surge of confidence flowed through my physical form. “Her Clarity has complete and total confidence in us. I’ll personally see to it that they’re all shattered, even if I have to testify and each and every one of their trials.”

“I appreciate that, ma’am,” said Peridot. Despite her monotonous voice, I could hear some genuine gratitude. I flashed her a quick smile before making my leave, calling back over my shoulder:

“As you were.”

Finally, there was the training bay, where I spent a good chunk of time, for obvious reasons. Jasper was very much like Peridot in that I never caught her in any other part of the ship. No, Jasper preferred to spend every waking moment training. Even when I was nowhere near the training bay, I could swear I could hear her roars echoing in the distance. I was intrigued, yet also wary. Gems might not have needed sleep, but enough physical exertion was enough to dissipate any Gem’s form. Either Jasper wasn’t aware of this, or she simply didn’t care.

Each visit, I would quietly take my place near the wall, observing Jasper’s progress with an expressionless mask. Her favorite piece of equipment seemed to be the punching bag, and she was relentless with it. First, she’d assault it with a flurry of punches and kicks, barely giving it a chance to swing back to her before she attacked again. Then, equipped with her helmet, she’d tuck herself into that signature spinning attack (a “Spin-Dash, as I’ve heard some call it) and deliver blow after blow. It was nothing short of genius engineering that the punching bag hadn’t been torn to pieces. Once Jasper was satisfied, she’d stand up right, hands on her hips, head held high, her chest heaving, her toned muscles drenched with sweat…

Oh, dear. One of these rotations, she was going to catch me staring. 

“Have you heard much about the Cluster?” I dared to break the silence. This was shortly after my talk with Peridot. Jasper paused in mid-swing, the punching bag getting a brief reprieve from its beating. She looked towards me, clearly caught off-guard. She recovered quickly.

“The pipsqueak mentioned it,” Jasper replied, a growl in her voice as she referred to Peridot. “I didn’t ask for details, mostly because I don’t really care. Rose is my top priority.”

“That’s fair,” I said. “I just thought it might be of interest to you, considering...well, you know.” Jasper frowned. She then struck the punching bag with her fist, a noticeably half-hearted strike.

“Well, that isn’t a bad memory at all,” she grumbled. Sarcasm dripped from her words. 

“...” I should’ve realized how sensitive of a topic that must’ve been. I mentally cursed my own foolishness. I, of all the Gems on this ship, should’ve known better. “My apologies. I just assumed that it wouldn’t be nearly as painful to talk about after 6000 years.”

“As if that,” Jasper gave another punch, a slightly stronger one. “...makes it better.” I let out an annoyed huff.

“My judgement was faulty,” I admitted. “I get that. That’s why I’m apologizing. It’s not that hard to understand, is it?”

“Of course it’s not.” This time, it was a kick. “I’m a Quartz, not a Ruby.”

“Alright, alright,” I began, sighing. “I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry, really. I promise I meant no offense.”

“Hmph,” Jasper snorted. She lowered her fists, bringing the punching bag to a halt with her hand. I could see her glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. “I guess I accept your apology.” I didn’t realize it until that moment, but I’d been holding my breath. 

“Well, if you guess,” I said, attempting to mimic Jasper’s tone. I saw the corner of her mouth twitch. “You know, another Agate might call you insubordinate for that kind of talk.”

“Oh?” Jasper now turned to me, a brow raised and a hand on her hip. “And not you, eh?”

“Not at the moment, no. Though I would advise you not to try my patience.” The Quartz only stared at me for a moment, before shrugging.

“Alright, sure.”

“Is something bothering you?” I asked curiously. I walked a bit closer as Jasper looked at me, confused. “You seem...upset by something.”

“Wha…? I--” Her eyes darted off to the side. “N-No. No, ma’am. Why would I be upset?”

“That’s why I’m asking,” I explained. I stopped in front of her. It was by now that I realized that she was a bit taller than I was, and I had to look up at her if I wanted to look her in the face. “Going to Earth after all of that happened...I admit, I’m not too thrilled about returning myself. It’s not just you, you know.”

“I’m fine,” Jasper said hotly. She looked down at me and I could see a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. “Why are you acting so...concerned? Agates don’t do that.”

“Well, I do,” I shot back. “I look out for my Quartzes. And until we return from this mission, you are my Quartz, Jasper.” I saw her stiffen. Her blush deepened, and her eyes widened as if she’d just emerged from her Kindergarten. Stars...How could someone gemetically designed to be a brute be so cute? “Am I a bit lenient for an Agate? Perhaps. It depends on the Gem, really. I just believe that a Quartz is at her best when she is physically, mentally and emotionally sound. Now…”

I brought out my arms from my sleeves, pushing them up and out of the way. Jasper’s eyes followed the movements of my hands. I grinned.

“As skilled as you are, Jasper,” I started. “Watching one Quartz smack a punching bag around is painfully dull. Perhaps you’d do better with a sparring partner?”

“You?” The soldier met my eyes again. 

“No, the Lazuli,” I scoffed. “Of course, me. Are you interested?”

Jasper didn’t respond at first, instead, resting a hand on her chin in thought. It didn’t take her long to come to a decision, and soon, she smirked.

“You know what? Sure, why not. Heheh, this should be fun.”

“Oho,” I cooed. I felt excitement rush through me. Battling the Ultimate Quartz? When would I ever get another chance to do this? I held out my hand, summoning my crook, slowly as not to startle my new training partner. “I hope you don’t expect victory to come easily. I’d like to be something of a challenge for you.”

“Good.” I heard a purr edge into Jasper’s already rumbly voice, as if it wasn’t already sending delightful vibrations into my gem. She summoned her crash helmet, grinning in anticipation. “I wouldn’t accept anything less.”

I was prepared to make some sort of witty reply, or, at the very least, put some distance between myself and Jasper. I hadn’t taken into account Jasper’s enthusiasm, however. She’d barely finished her sentence when she suddenly charged at me, aiming a punch at what was probably going to be my face if I didn’t move. With only milliseconds to react, I dove to the side, feeling her fist brushing against my hair. She wasted no time, swinging again. I dove back, narrowly avoiding a blow to my stomach. An unexpected twinge of fear pulsated through me as I now found myself dodging an onslaught of punches, all while Jasper laughed.

“What’s the matter?” she demanded. Her smile indicated that she was enjoying this a bit too much. “I thought you were gonna give me a challenge!”

With a shout, I launched myself backwards, landing far out of Jasper’s range. It did nothing to deter her, and Jasper rushed to close the distance between us. Now that I was expecting her, though, I was ready for a counterattack. With a tight grip of my crook, I dashed towards her, swinging the hooked end and catching her by the neck.

“Uh…?” she muttered, but it was all she had time to say before I tugged my crook and dragged her along. I grunted; her body might’ve been made of light, but it felt like pulling solid rock. She dug her heels into the ground, which definitely didn’t help. With effort, I spun her in a circle and flung her back in the direction she came from. Before she could land flat on her face, she pulled herself into a Spin-Dash and spun around, aiming at me again. She was relentless, and I didn’t have time to marvel. 

I took a deep breath, feeling energy coursing through me. It traveled to my crook and charged it to the point where white bolts of energy spiraled around its length. With both hands, I brought up my crook and slammed its base on the ground. The electricity now traveled towards the Spin-Dash, meeting it and giving Jasper a mighty zap.

“Grah!” I heard her cry out. I gritted my teeth, feeling some guilt. I hadn’t wanted to hurt but, but it seemed like she wanted a genuine fight. Jasper broke from her Spin-Dash and was on her feet again. Smoke rose from her body and I noticed her stagger. 

“Oh, stars…!” I shouted in alarm. Without thinking, I started towards her.

“Heheheh...” the Quartz suddenly chuckled. froze, staring at Jasper with wide eyes. She looked back at me, panting hard, yet still smiling smugly. “I was starting to think you were rusty or something. Guess not.” My face grew hot. No Quartz had ever given me this much trouble. 

“I wasn’t ready,” I said irritably. My infatuation with the warrior Gem was forgotten. She made a fool out of me. At least no one else had been here to see it. “I thought we’d have a countdown or start on “Go” or...something other than that.”

“There’s no countdowns in a real fight,” said Jasper with a chuckle. “Your enemy’s not gonna wait for you to be ready. You know that, right?”

“This isn’t a real fight,” I sighed. “At least, I hadn’t planned on it being a real fight. And I’m not your enemy. We could’ve hurt each other.”

“Like I said. Holding back isn’t my style. Besides, you’re gonna need to do a lot more than that to hurt me. But if you can’t handle it, I can just go back to using—“

“I can handle anything you throw at me,” I interrupted. I angrily pointed my crook at her. “And you need to be careful with how you talk to me. I’m still your superior, both in rank and in court. Am I understood?”

“...” Jasper’s smile fell. A long and uncomfortable silence lingered between us. In that time, I began feeling guilty. It was the one instance where I didn’t feel pleasure from asserting my authority. I wasn’t sure if she’d been enjoying my company as much as I was enjoying hers, but we had been getting along. My anger subsided quickly, and with a sigh, I allowed my crook to vanish in a flash of light.

“I…” I heard Jasper say. She was quiet. Unnaturally quiet. Hands at her sides, crash helmet disappearing, and eyes shut, she stood at attention before me. “I understand. I’m sorry.”

Her voice sounded strained. I couldn’t imagine apologizing was something she did very often. Still, I appreciated it.

“You’re forgiven,” I replied, giving her a polite smile. “At ease, soldier. She opened her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, but her body still seemed rigid and stiff. It was finally sinking in that this Jasper was the most battle-driven Quartz I’d ever met. 

“You know…” I started. “You’ve been training non-stop for a while now. Perhaps you should take a break? You could sit in the Extraction Chamber for a bit.”

“A “break”...?” Jasper echoed, looking confused. I blinked. Did she really not know what a break was? How had she not shattered herself from overexertion?

Without another word, I walked to Jasper, took a hold of her shoulder, and began walking with her to the ship’s Extraction Room.

“Do I really have to do this…?” she pouted. “I’m fine; I don’t need a “break”.”

“Well I think you do,” I responded playfully. “Let’s say...an hour?”

“But—“

“Two hours, if you start.”

“Mmph…”

“Very good,” I chuckled, patting her shoulder gently. I’d sit with her, just to make sure she didn’t try sneaking off. Besides, I wanted to see how much she glowed after her impurities were steamed away. Maybe I could convince her to change out of her usual attire. Something more...revealing. I felt hot under my robe just thinking about it. Oh...this was going to be interesting.

[cryoculus]

Lunaris [3/11]

Navigation

Chapter Title: First Quarter Pairing: Yokai!Akaashi Keiji/Reader Word Count: 2,557

***

A few days passed by in a blur after your fainting spell at training. 

When you came back to school once you've fully recovered, Itsumi practically bawled her eyes out, sputtering apology after apology as if the reason for your absence was because she'd untied your laces. You could only console her awkwardly, explaining that, no, the untied shoelaces weren't the cause of your domino effect of misfortune.

For missed school work, your classmates had been kind enough to share their notes from the previous lessons you'd missed, filling you in on some of the upcoming requirements for the week. You only had two days' worth of backlog, but it was a lot. Thank god you were generally a likeable person.

"Yo, (Surname)!" 

In the middle of rewriting some missed notes, the familiar glee in Bokuto's voice sang in your ears. Your body reacted before your mind could, sending jolts of heat creeping up your face before you could even face him. The ace stood by your desk, and when you looked up, he was grinning like he'd just won the lottery. You weren't even classmates. What was he doing here?

"Bokuto-san," you breathed, hoping he won't comment on your flustered appearance. "Do you need anything? Ah, belated happy birthday, by the way."

Bokuto waved away your concern. "Thanks, but it's nothing. Heard that you blacked out the other day and I didn't even notice." His words were followed by the ace reaching a hand to scratch the back of his head apologetically. "If I'd known, I would've helped out."

You could feel your heart rate doubling at the sight of him apologizing for something that wasn't even remotely his fault. Why? Why was the universe orchestrating this interaction? Were they seriously trying to make you like him more?

"You don't have to feel guilty, you know," you chuckled, putting your pen down to face him directly. "You looking out for me is nice enough of you." 

"Heh, really?" A sheepish smile stretched across his mouth. "Akaashi kind of guilt-tripped me for being so dead-set with going home that day, that I was totally oblivious. And then..."

Akaashi. The mere name was enough to trigger a dull throb in your temples. Your memories of that day were still muddled, but there were a couple of things you recalled with striking clarity: your glowing charm, and Akaashi's apathetic gaze turning blood-red feral in the blink of an eye. 

When Fujimoto explained that you got hexed by a yokai, you didn't ponder about it too much—total recovery being your top priority during the past two days. But now that the topic of the seemingly ordinary second year had come into light once more, your instincts told you that he was, indeed, the cause of your so-called affliction. 

"You alright, (Surname)?" 

Blinking, you realized that you spaced out in the middle of Bokuto's rambling. He's gazing at you, golden eyes wide and head tilted to the side like a curious owl. 

"Um, yeah!" You followed that up with a nervous-sounding laugh. "I'm just swamped with all this school work, and I just don't know how to manage them all." 

"Ohhh," he drawled, nodding in understanding. "Well, I won't eat up any more of your time. See you around!"

Once that force of nature stepped outside of your classroom, you noticed that some of your classmates were casting you curious stares, whispering among themselves. Itsumi, who was grinning at you like a fox, just happened to be one of them.

You sighed, occupying yourself with your notes. Who knew what kind of ideas Bokuto's little chat had planted in your best friend's head? You didn't want to know, nor did you have the time for it. 

*** 

"You really didn't have to lead today's laps when you just got back, you know?" Coach Yamamoto told you off with a hint of a scolding in his words. "If you relapsed, I think the Amatsuki shrine might just have my head offered at the lunar festival." 

You humored him with a soft laugh as you squeezed what's left of the contents of your water bottle in your mouth. Wiping the excess moisture from your lips, you turned to your coach with a reassuring look. "I'll see to it that it doesn't happen, coach."

When he politely excused himself out of the conversation, you headed straight to the gym, where the rest of your teammates have just about finished showering. You looked around for a bit, and it seemed that the volleyball team finished early because it was only their manager and coach left inside along with the track team. You refused to acknowledge that the bite of disappointment that pricks your heart was because Bokuto wasn't around.

"Hey, (Name)! You gonna shower?" Itsumi called out from the bleachers as she towelled her damp hair. 

You shook your head, slinging your gym bag across your shoulder. "I just came in to check on you guys. Could you make sure everyone gets home safely? Oba-san's making me run errands for the festival."

Your best friend nodded. "Sure. I'll tell them to send updates to the group chat so you can see, too."

"Thanks. I owe you one, Sumi. Bye guys!" 

"Bye captain!" was the singsong response of the rest of your teammates who were waiting on the others. You smiled before turning on your heel to make your exit. 

The walk from Fukurodani to downtown Tokyo didn't take very long. You knew each nook and cranny like the back of your hand, and wading through the abundance of evening commuters didn't hassle you as much as any other person. Your grandmother had only told you to meet with her middleman somewhere near Ikebukuro station, and that you would definitely recognize the man when you see him. 

That didn't really offer enough clues about the middleman's identity, but as you neared the station, you were able to spot a middle-aged monk in traditional Shinto robes, carrying with him a gilded crate similar to the ones you've always seen in the shrine's offertory hall. He certainly stood out from everyone else in the vicinity.

"Takahashi-san?" you asked once you got close enough to speak to him.

The monk turned to you questioningly, but his eyes shone with recognition the following second. "Ah, Amatsuki-sama! The elder mentioned I would be meeting with someone who wore a charm." 

You blinked in confusion before glancing at the bell on your wrist. It tinkled with the slight motion, and you realized that he was talking about your bracelet. 

"Oh, I'm not an Amatsuki," you corrected sheepishly. "My grandmother just sent me out to get the...?"

"Omamori amulets?" Takahashi continued, chuckling as he turned the knob on the crate and lifted the cover. Inside, dozens upon dozens of omamori or protection amulets were safely sealed in bubble wrap packaging. Each pouch came in a plethora of colors and patterns on the fabric, and you found yourself gaping slightly at the beautiful designs.

When Takahashi sealed the crate shut once again, he handed it to you like its contents were fragile. You half-expected for it to be quite heavy, but it was lighter than you thought!

"I apologize for mistaking you for Anri-sama," he said, the name catching your attention. "You're her daughter, yes? You do look very much alike." 

The mention of your mother made your heart sink, but Takahashi probably had a long way to go back. Your grandmother did say he was from one of the sacred shrines in the Fuji mountains. He didn't have the time to hear your tragic backstory. 

"Thank you for going all the way here, Takahashi-san. Our shrine is looking forward to giving these to our visitors." You bowed politely. "I'll be on my way, and I hope you make it safely back, as well."

"May the gods favor you," he imparted with a gentle smile. 

***

When the weekend rolled by, you found yourself climbing up the moss-coated pathway that led to the highest point of the hill. You'd just finished eating dinner with your grandmother before excusing yourself to go up to the cemetery to do some contemplating. The worried look that creased her brow once you said the words was an expression you'd prefer for her not to make, but you've been itching to go back up here since meeting up with Takahashi last week.

The rusty, metal gates creaked with age when you nudged it open with your foot. After, no other sound followed. It was just you under the watchful gaze of the half-filled moon, standing before the grave of several of your shrines followers. 

You breathed in the rich scent of the earth before treading forward. 

Most people would be unnerved to be walking alone in a cemetery at night, of all times. You understood why. It was like time simply stopped flowing for both those buried beneath the ground where you stood, and the area itself. The air was stale and the leaves underfoot fell apart much quicker than those scattered in the lower parts of the hill. The grass seemed like it's been a while since it was last watered, leaving the shrivelled up blades decaying at your feet.

But not once did you ever feel a surge of fear whenever you paid your parents a visit. 

"I'm back," you said, kneeling before their graves as you clasped your hands together to offer up a quick prayer. There were no incense sticks to light up, no offerings to be made. Your grandmother said that her daughter hated receiving things she couldn't give back to, and you respected that preference up until now. 

Amatsuki Anri and (Surname) Kazunari died in an accident about sixteen years ago—too long ago for you to remember. You'd been in the same car with them on that fateful night, but you miraculously survived; having been protected by your mother until the very end. Though you had no actual attachment to your parents, you were still grateful to them for bringing you into this world, and for saving you as well. 

Lost in your thoughts, you didn't notice the way a gust of wind rustled the nearby trees; didn't notice the figure emerging from the forest your grandmother warned you to stay away from. Akaashi observed you with rapt attention, blue eyes never missing a motion made. You were speaking to a couple of stones, and though he found the practice quite useless—for lifeless objects did not have the capacity to speak back—he's witnessed hundreds of humans in his lifetime do the same thing. 

When the demon announced his presence, you were quick to identify where he was. Akaashi frowned. For a human, you were awfully perceptive. 

"Y-You..." your voice trembled, and for the first time, dread settled in the pit of your stomach, creeping up your skin in the form of gooseflesh. "You were the one who hexed me!"

Akaashi cocked his head to the side. "Hexed you? Yokai do not have such capabilities. It seemed to me that your body simply reacted to my presence is all. Oh, and so did that little warding charm, I suppose."

Your arm jerked away instinctively when you felt the familiar heat searing your skin. But the sensation wasn't as severe as the last time—the charm's glow having been contained into a small prick of light. With a grimace, you turned to look up at Akaashi, who seemed so normal, so unassuming that you never would have guessed what he actually was.

"Why are you pretending to be a human?" you asked, knowing full well that further interactions with yokai would only lead to your demise. "Is there something you're after?" 

In lieu of an actual response, Akaashi took it upon himself to walk closer to you. However, the closer he got, the hotter and brighter the charm glowed on your wrist. You hissed, attempting to undo the knots of the bracelet until the bell simply stopped glowing. You muttered a confused, "what?" before turning to Akaashi, who was barely a meter in front of you. 

"Were you really about to take off your only line of defense in the face of a yokai?" he chuckled. "Humans really are strange, indeed." 

You inched away from him slowly, but each step you took back, he closed the distance with a step forward—trapping you in between him and your parents' gravestones.

"We've been going to the same school for two years," he began, taking your hand in his. "Didn't you ever wonder why that charm of yours never tried to repel me before?" 

You were too stunned to take your hand out of his grasp, but you took note of how deceivingly smooth his skin was. When you didn't respond to his question, Akaashi heaved a sigh, tracing each of your fingers with a gentleness that yokai shouldn't have.

"I can conceal my demonic presence so warding charms like that do not react to me," he explained. "The only reason it did the last time was because I wanted to alert you of my presence."

"Y-You still haven't answered my question," you told him, praying to the gods that he didn't hear the terror in your voice.

Akaashi sighed, carding his free hand through his messy hair. "Impatient little creatures, aren't you all? But I suppose it's fair. Your time on this earth is awfully limited." He then lifted your hand up to his chest, flattening the palm on the firm surface. For someone who seemed slender, Akaashi's chest was certainly toned underneath his shirt. You could feel yourself flush at the idea of feeling up an athlete like him, but there was something amiss—something that should be there but wasn't.

"You don't have..." The realization dawned on you, turning your gaze frigid. "You don't have a heartbeat."

"That, I do not," he affirmed, loosening his grip on your hand so that it fell to your side. 

You were gaping at Akaashi like he's grown two heads. Though yokai were an entirely different race, they still needed a heart to be able to use their powers. If Akaashi was able to conceal his presence at will and assume the form of a human all without a heart, then he must be someone powerful; someone you never should have involved yourself with.

"Who are you?" you whispered, almost fearing to hear his answer. 

Instead of morphing into his original form to kill you on the spot like you expected him to, Akaashi spared you a lopsided smile. He shoved his hands in his pockets, turning around while waving a hand in farewell. 

"If you want to know, meet me here tomorrow night, where the moon shines brightest." His words were obscured by the sudden breeze that howled in your direction, but you managed to understand, still. The wind cut through your face sharply enough for you to shield it with your hands, screwing your eyes shut. It roared in your ears, and you genuinely wondered if you were ever going to go home tonight. 

Suddenly, the gale died down. When you lowered your hands and opened your eyes, there was no trace of the boy who'd been here just a minute ago.

It was just you under the watchful gaze of the half-filled moon. 

[raywritesthings]

Death and Taxes

My Writing Fandom: Doctor Who Characters: Eleventh Doctor, River Song, Clara Oswald, Kate Stewart Pairing: Eleventh Doctor/River Song Summary: River wants a house now that she's out of prison, and the Doctor must embark on the dreaded task of personal finance. / Canon Compliant *Can be read on my AO3 or FFN, links are in bio*

He took Professor Song to see the premiere of the Galactic Federation Symphony. The musicians consisted of Draconians, Alpha Centaurians, and humans, with an Ice Warrior serving as conductor. It was a pleasant evening, music and champagne — the latter of which he did not partake in, content to watch his wife sip at her flute with a smile curving her lips. Much better than the first time they’d met after Manhattan. Even so, they carefully danced around the subject of his travels or companions. It hardly mattered; Clara was home with the children again, so he may as well have been alone.

“So then, back to the Luna University? Or perhaps dancing under the Karaveen Nebula? The night is still young,” the Doctor remarked as he led them arm in arm back through the TARDIS doors.

“Actually, Doctor, I’ve got a matter of business to discuss with you,” River countered in a way that surprisingly enough did not at all sound like an innuendo, and he was getting rather good at picking those up from her.

“Oh?”

She slipped her hand into his, and they walked past the console, up into the corridor and through a door which today led into his study. He perched himself on the corner of his desk, arms folded and legs crossed at the ankle.

“Well, Professor Song, what can I do for you?”

She smirked. “I was hoping you'd ask.” Then she pulled out a stack of paper and files far too large to have fit in an ordinary clutch and set them down just to the right of him with a very heavy thud.

The Doctor blinked. “What’s this?”

“It's what I need you to do for me,” she answered. “I’m buying a house near the university, and there's a lot that needs filled out as far as mortgage payments and property taxes are concerned. Not to mention the loan I’ve got to take from the bank. You’ll have to co-sign on that, by the way.”

The Doctor, whose lip had been curling in distaste with every word she spoke, looked at her with wide eyes. “Co-sign?”

River gave a well-worn sigh. “Yes, Sweetie. I get a better deal if someone does, and you being my husband makes you the ideal candidate. Joint filing.”

“Taxes?” He echoed numbly, thumbing through the stack once. There were all sorts of official looking titles and tiny boxes and very fine print he would most certainly need Amy's glasses for. The Doctor shook his head. “No. No, I haven’t done taxes in — well, er, come to think of it I’m not sure I’ve ever done them. I won’t start now.”

“And what am I supposed to do then? Sleep in my office?”

“Well, no,” he acknowledged. “Couldn't you just — I mean it's not like you haven't before — couldn't you, ah, find some money somewhere?”

“Oh yes, that’ll go over lovely. Paying off my mortgage with undisclosed income. Then they can arrest me again for tax evasion — that’ll be twenty life sentences at least.” Her unimpressed look morphed into something a little more earnest, a little more beseeching. “I’m only trying to get a life after prison started, Doctor.”

Oh. Well, that just wasn’t fair. There really was no faulting her, was there? After all she'd done for him in saving his life, River Song was just asking for a little aid in getting the next chapter of hers going. The last chapter, of which he could never tell her even as it drew ever nearer.

The Doctor stared. River stared back, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched imperiously.

“So, you’ll bring it round the next time you stop by? Lovely.” Without another word, much less waiting for his response, she turned and swept from the room.

“River. River!”

When after a moment she did not return, the Doctor was forced to half-run to catch her up in the console room, where she was already working the controls.

“River, I am homeless. Stateless. Planetless, even! My estate consists of a Type 40 Time Capsule, and it's stolen property.”

“You think my credit’s much better, honey? I'm an ex-con.” She glanced back at him, curls falling in a wave down her shoulder. It was quite the look. “Seeing as we both know how that happened I shouldn't think it’d be that unreasonable of a request.”

The Doctor’s mouth fell open, but nothing came immediately to mind.

River smirked. “I didn’t think so.” The time rotor pulsed once more, then quieted, about the only indication they’d landed whenever his wife was the one driving. Then she continued down the ramp to the doors.

“You could always stay.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and yet hopeless as he knew it was he carried on. “Keep a vortex manipulator onboard, pop over to the University whenever you felt like teaching, then back here. You’re welcome here.”

You’re wanted here, was what he wished to say.

River had paused in front of the doors, and when she turned around this time she looked pained. “Thank you, Sweetie. But we both know that isn't what we are.”

How could they know without ever having tried it? That, at least, he managed to reign in. She already thought him enough of a sentimental old fool, after all.

“I’ll have to have a look around the place sometime,” he came up with instead. “Seeing as it’ll be half mine.”

“Oh honey, that's a promise,” River replied with a wink, and he dredged up a smile just for her. Then she was out the doors and out of his life once again. The Doctor bowed his head briefly, then reached for the dematerialization lever to head back into the Vortex.

Returning to his desk, the Doctor eyed up the stack that waited for him. To his view, it appeared to tower over everything else, particularly once he’d taken his seat. His Everest. He blew out a breath and took out her mother’s glasses. “Right then. Taxes.” The Doctor shrugged. “How hard can they be, really?”

—-

Taxes, as it turned out, could be very hard.

The forms were printed as tiny as he’d suspected and were twice as tricky. To fill one out, he needed to know something called a credit score. The Doctor did not know what a credit score was, and when he asked Clara her eyes went the biggest he’d ever seen them.

“Why do you want to know something like that?”

“Idle curiosity.”

Clara snorted and turned away. He never actually got an answer.

There was a helpline number in incredibly small print at the bottom of the phone. The Doctor liked helplines. A helpline had directed his new friend into his life. Or back into it. He still didn’t know exactly how he had met Clara twice before without her remembering it.

Nevertheless, the Doctor called the number. There was a funny automated voice someone had tried to make sound like a human but seemingly gave up halfway through, and it listed off a whole lot of options and numbers to press accordingly. The Doctor waited until the end of the list, where it told him that if he stayed on the line a real person might actually talk to him. That was much better.

He was tapping his toes along with a very mellow xylophone playing a repetitive verse for several minutes before the music abruptly cut off.

“This is Keisha with Lunar Revenue, how may I help you this morning?”

The Doctor jumped and nearly fumbled the phone. “Keisha! Ha! Yes, you can help me. I need to know what a credit score is.”

“What a credit score is or what your credit score is, sir?”

“Both, preferably.”

There was a pause.

“Uh, well, a credit score is a number a person’s given based on their financial history, and depends on factors like bill payments or outstanding loans,” she explained slowly, as though waiting for him to stop and assure her he understood at any moment. “And to get your credit score, I’m going to need some information from you, sir. Can I have your name?”

“The Doctor,” he readily supplied.

“Alright, and first and last name, sir?”

“No, no,” he said, waving a hand cheerily though it presumably made no difference to her. “Just the Doctor.”

“I’m afraid that’s not a name, sir.”

“Well, of course it isn’t just a name. It’s my name. It’d be silly if you had multiple people running around calling themselves the Doctor — there’s already enough of me doing that.”

There was another long pause. “Well, sir, I will try to find your information in our system, but it might take some time.”

“How much?”

“If you could please hold.”

“Er, yes? Hold what?” He pulled the phone back to look at the receiver. “Keisha? Hello?”

Keisha’s voice had been replaced by the xylophone. And maybe some strings.

“Keisha,” the Doctor grumbled under his breath. He sighed and set the phone down on its side, where he could still make out the music. The Doctor paced around a bit on the main platform, then up on the second level. He went down below to do some maintenance, then came back up.

The music was still playing. He hated waiting.

“Right, okay. Time to jump the line.”

The Doctor hung up the phone. A short trip through the Vortex later and he was striding out into a very tiny cubicle in which was sat a very startled woman with very nice, intricate braids woven into her hair.

“Keisha, right?” The Doctor checked. “I was on the phone with you an hour and a half ago. The Doctor, remember?”

“How did you—”

“I was in the neighborhood. Listen, the way I see it, the faster we get this all sorted out is the less time we have to spend on it, right? So let’s sort it out.” He dropped the files on her desk and gestured at them. “That’s everything I’ve got so far, but I can’t get anywhere without the credit score.”

“This is to co-sign for a house?” She asked after briefly skimming the top form. She was either very clever or just very literate. Possibly both.

“Yes, my wife wants one. It seems very tedious, but her 150th is coming up, so.” He shrugged.

“Right…” She rolled her shoulders and opened up a new window on her computer, which was a flat screen embedded into the cubicle wall. “This is your first time filing with us?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll need to open an account. Let me see what I can find in terms of identification.”

After some tapping on the screen interspersed with checking some of the things he had written down, she turned back around in her chair.

“We have on file here that you’re dead.”

“Ah. Yes. Well, that would be spoilers for me. See, I clearly haven’t died yet.” The Doctor splayed his arms wide in demonstration. It wasn’t as though he could tell her that what they had on record was his fake death. That just wouldn’t do.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” said Keisha.

“Neither am I, most days. But since I am not dead, could I have the information I need to fill out the paperwork for my wife?”

“I’m afraid not, sir. Even if I ignore the claim that you’re dead, you don’t seem to have a record of any credit.”

He rocked back on his heels, hands planted at his waist. “Well, how exactly do you go about getting one?”

“Making purchases and paying them back,” She answered blandly. “Loans. That sort of thing.”

“That’s what people do?”

“Yes. Usually with money they make at their jobs, sir.”

Well, there was a thought. “I’ve had one of those! Maybe they can get me a credit score.”

“Maybe, sir.”

“Alright, then, I’ll be back in a mo’,” he told her, seizing the stack of papers River had given him once more, though he staggered under the additional weight as Keisha through another heavy-looking file. “What’s this, then?”

“Life insurance policy. You may want to take one out before you are dead, sir.”

The Doctor considered, then shook his head. “I’ll be dead before I’d have sorted it out, I expect.” At least he hoped.

Just a quick trip, and then he might soon have all this bureaucratic nonsense out of his life. If the Time Lords could see him now.

The things one did for love.

—-

Kate Stewart had been enjoying a cuppa at her desk until the peace and quiet was shattered by the sound of a wheezing engine, and the papers in front of her were scattered in a sudden strong wind.

She looked up to find the TARDIS materializing right in her office doorway.

“Kate!” The Doctor came bounding out the doors in a purple coat and vest this time, though the bowtie, it seemed, was a constant. She mentally made a note to add that to the file.

“Doctor, this is a surprise. Are we under attack?”

“Not at all, just looking for a bit of assistance.”

Kate raised an eyebrow. “With?”

“Taxes,” he answered plainly. Kate nearly fell out of her chair. “River’s eyeing up a house near the Luna University, and there’s a whole thing about payments and whatnot that she’s asked me to sign on for with her, but I haven’t got much in the way of financial history.”

Kate scrambled for a pen and a notepad to start writing this down. At the top of the page, she labeled River? with a large circle surrounding the name.

“See, as of now I have absolutely horrible credit because there’s very little way for me to establish a record of buying and paying for things,” he continued on. “But then I thought, you know who has records? UNIT has records! Loads of records. Records by the bucketful! Surely if anyone has a record of me holding a steady position where I incurred expenses and compensated them, it’ll be UNIT.” The Doctor paused and looked at her. “So would you happen to have something like that?”

“Er, yes, I imagine.” Kate placed a call down to their records keeper, then asked for a pot of tea to be put on while they waited. Her own cup, she requested to be made particularly strong.

“So, you’re buying a house?” She asked to make conversation.

“River’s buying the house,” he corrected her.

“Still, not very like you.” He had lived on Earth for years while working full-time with UNIT and had, by all accounts, slept in the TARDIS parked in his lab.

“Yes, well, River has a habit of making me do things not very like me,” he said, in a tone that was as exasperated as it was fond. He perked up as their records keeper entered with a very old cardboard box. “There we go. Excellent! Give the man a raise.”

“You won’t be getting a raise, Jeremy,” she informed the records keeper matter-of-factly. He nodded and left the room.

The Doctor had popped the lid of the box and was thumbing through the papers. “Credit, credit… not actually sure where I’m meant to find it. Ah well, Keisha will know.” He replaced the lid and hauled the whole box into his arms. “Thanks very much, Kate.”

“Actually, Doctor, since we’re on the subject and if my recollection serves me, we don’t seem to have an accurate date on when you held the lab position with us. Would you be able to—”

The Time Lord was already walking back into his box, and he waved a hand over his shoulder. “Oh, just pick one.”

Kate’s sigh was covered by the departing TARDIS engines.

—-

Clara entered the TARDIS Wednesday morning with a skip in her step. “Mine turn to pick, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Chin Boy agreed, stepping away from the controls as though ceding them to her. She wasn’t actually going to fly this thing, mind. No matter what he’d said about the old cow starting to warm up to her. “Where to?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Clara lifted her old book out of her satchel and hugged it to her chest for a moment. Then, just as she’d opened the cover, the phone rang outside.

“That’s odd.” She knew she’d called him on it, before, but just how many people knew that number anyway? Apart from that woman in the shop, she supposed.

“Ah, hold the thought, Clara,” he said, hurrying around her with a slide of the heels and leaving the ship. “Hello? It has? Approved? Keisha, I could kiss you!”

“Not a snog box, my arse,” Clara muttered under her breath. She hurried to the doorway and leaned out. “Oi, mind not shouting for the whole street to hear?” Artie and Angie were getting curious enough about where she always went on her days off, especially since the latter claimed Clara never used to go anywhere at all.

The Doctor put his hand over the bottom of the phone. “Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry in the least. “Just got some very good news for one Professor Song.”

Clara raised her eyebrows. “Friend of yours?”

He nodded distractedly, then half-turned away as he continued to speak into the phone. “Yes. Yes, I can stop by. I’ll take the papers over myself to have them signed. You’ve been a saint, Keisha, you’ll do great things. I’m sure of it. Keep working wonders. Yes, bye-bye.”

He hung up the phone and dropped back against the doors with relief as though he’d just completed a marathon.

“You okay?” She asked wryly.

He popped right back up. “Okay? I’m more than okay on this day of days.”

“Right, this day where we’re apparently going to fill paperwork with professors?”

The Doctor paused. “Er, no. I’ll take care of that. Alone.” He tugged at his ear, looking uncomfortable with twitching limbs.

“Something the matter?”

“What? No, nothing. Just, best for me to pay a private visit.” He nodded to himself. “Yeah.”

Perhaps Professor Song didn’t like unfamiliar visitors. Clara pictured a stuffy, studious bloke surrounded by bookshelves and nodded to herself.

“Well then, I suppose I will pick after all. Any further expected interruptions?” She asked, fixing him with a mock arch look.

“None whatsoever.” He gestured back inside of the box. “Lead on, Clara.”

The leader, was she? She quite liked the sound of that.

—-

River did not like being led places. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” was all he said, his breath tickling her ear while his hands rested over her eyes. Oh, he was infuriating sometimes.

“You know I can get out of this any time I like.”

“Yes. And you can get out… now!” He pulled his hands back, and River stood blinking at a front door.

Not just any front door. Her front door. The one she wanted.

“You just fancied a look, then?” He hadn’t brought up the favor she’d asked of him, though she knew by their diaries that he had been asked, and River hadn’t brought it up either. She didn’t want to be too pushy, or else he’d get his back up. It was his way. 

“Nope,” he told her, then withdrew a pen and a form from his vest pocket. “Sign here, please.”

His signature was already affixed under where she was meant to. “Is this…?”

“It’s yours. Already is, actually, I’ve jumped us ahead a few days after I’ve filed the papers, which I’ll do after you sign them. You are the proud owner of four walls, a door and the dimensionally-proportional space contained therein.”

River numbly took the pen and paper and signed her name. It hardly seemed real. It felt like a dream.

She’d never had a home of her own. There was the TARDIS, of course, but no one owned her. Her mother’s childhood home had been Amy’s house and same as her dad’s. Her parent’s place — well, there had been a guest room she’d used now and then. So had other people. They all knew she didn’t live there with them.

But this… this was a space for her to be and to do with as she pleased. She could put things up on the walls or in a drawer without worrying about them being monitored by the Silence or taken during a cell inspection or missing the next time she met up with a younger version of her husband.

“Why anyone would want to be is beyond me, of course,” he was saying now with an exaggerated sniff. He was putting on a show to hide how secretly pleased he was as she gazed on him in wonder.

A part of her had thought he’d never do it.

“You have the keys?” A second later, they were dangling in front of her face, and River snatched them out of the air. She hurried to throw open the door and entered. A sitting room, kitchen, table with chairs. A hallway leading back towards a bed and bath. Tiny and utterly mundane and beautiful.

“You don’t have to go and file those right away, do you?” She asked, reaching back blindly for his hand. He grasped hers loosely in his, twining their fingers.

“No, not right away. Why, have a celebration in mind? We could watch telly, pick out new paint colors…”

River looked back at him with a smirk. “I was thinking we could break in the rooms, honey.”

It was her husband who smirked right back at her. “Now you’re talking.” He kicked the door shut with a ridiculous flail of one leg and was in her arms the next breath.

“Home, Sweetie, Home,” River whispered against his lips.

—-

The Doctor waved goodbye to Clara as she exited the TARDIS once more. They’d had an interesting time of things in the Sombrero Galaxy which, disappointingly, had not included sombreros. But they’d made it back in one piece; frankly, he counted it a mark of success each time Clara came back in one piece. He wasn’t sure whether the third time really was the charm in her case or not, but he was very sure he couldn’t lose her the same way he had lost the other two Claras. Not when he’d already lost so much.

Before he could take off again, there was a flash of light that caused him to duck down under the console for a moment before realizing it wasn’t coming at him. Instead, it hovered across the room, slowly taking shape.

Ah, a delivery. He occasionally received deliveries — perhaps that fez he’d ordered was finally here — but when the light faded, it was not a mechanized courier who stood there, but a letter that dropped to the floor.

The Doctor hurried round to that side of the console and picked it up. It was labeled with the logo of Lunar Revenue. He pinched the bridge of his nose and opened the envelope, bracing himself for what new form or inquiry he needed to fill.

Inside was a single sheet of paper. It read:

Dear The Doctor,

Lunar Services was notified June 7th of the passing of Professor R. Song, the borrower of an outstanding loan on a residence. While we are deeply saddened for your loss, as co-signer you have inherited the remaining balance of that loan. If you wish to have the property taken as collateral to settle the debt, no further action need be taken. Please be advised that this may harm your credit score.

If you would like to continue paying the remaining balance and retain the property, please contact one of our Customer Care Reps at the following number.

He didn’t read the number, for the letter slipped from his fingertips and fluttered to the floor. His hand went to his lips. He had known, yes, that this day was coming, but he hadn’t thought- he’d never expected—

He’d never realized he would be notified of his own wife’s death with such an afterthought.

Anger flaring up within him, he kicked at the letter. It skidded across the floor and stopped, the outline of the tread of his boots printed over one corner. The envelope went next in the opposite direction. It looked rather pitiful and useless, which matched his mood.

He sunk down on the steps and didn’t hear the door opening again. But he heard Clara’s voice. “Everything alright? You haven’t gone yet.”

The Doctor leapt up as if scalded, spinning on his toes as his face contorted in an effort to force the water welling up in his eyes back down. Clara was bending down towards the letter from Lunar Services.

“Don’t touch that!”

She jumped back as he tore it from her grasp, pressing it to his chest. “No need to get tetchy,” she snapped, though she seemed taken aback when their eyes met. “Chin Boy?”

Clara reached towards him, but he stepped back, turning to brace a hand on the control panel as he tucked the letter away.

“Sorry. Just some… private correspondence,” he muttered to the buttons and levers.

“Was it from Professor Song?”

His head bowed, bracing himself.

“I only saw the name, I didn’t read anything else,” Clara hurried to say.

A breath released. She hadn’t seen. He didn’t have to talk about this, this thing he had never talked about ever. “yes, it was from Professor Song,” he lied, and the lie came easy.

“Okay. Well… I guess I’ll leave you to answer it.” She said, and he could hear her drift one foot back towards the door.

“Thank you, Clara,” he said, and he looked once at her over his shoulder. “See ya Wednesday.”

“See ya,” she echoed, the barest of smiles gracing her lips, a mark that he’d at least done a little to reassure her. When the door closed a second time, he immediately pulled the lever to dematerialize. He couldn’t afford to stick around again by mistake.

Once safely alone, the Doctor took out the letter again, eyes scanning over the words. If you would like to continue paying the remaining balance and retain the property… Retain the property?

It had been River’s house, not his. River would be in every room. Her things and the scent of her perfume and the sound of her laugh — just thinking of it was enough to fill his lungs and head so much that he could hardly breathe, could hardly think.

If you wish to have the property taken as collateral to settle the debt, no further action need be taken. Please be advised that this may harm your credit score, the letter said, and that felt better. No action could be taken. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could change.

The Doctor marched back to his study and opened a drawer. He placed the letter inside as far back as it would fit, then shut it. He knew already that he would never open it again nor speak to anyone from Lunar Services, tax evasion and bad credit be damned.

He’d never wanted the score or the house. He just wanted her. Now he would have none.

[imagine-organization-xiii]

How would the Members react if their s/o brought back a little bunny rabbit they found back from a mission?

Another one from Sam! She’s really taking the initiative now that I’m so busy at work. It’s trial time for our attorneys so everyone’s going crazy, so everyone give her some love for picking up the slack!

Also, I ended up doing the Luxord and Marluxia ones since she wasn’t able to finish!

Xemnas

He is NOT pleased. Like, his expression stays the same as it almost always does, but you can clearly tell how displeased he is with you. Of course he doesn’t say this outright. 

”Hmmm….” the Superior’s low voice echoed through the hall. “What made you think that bringing a creature like this here? To the Castle that Never Was?” You suddenly regret bringing the creature anywhere near this place. When you answer, your voice shakes. The rabbit was hurt. You brought it back with you to try and help it. 

”Well… If it’s injured…” the Superior paused. “Maybe it isn’t fit to survive.” The superior took another step towards you and the rabbit and summons his glowing blade. You knew what was going to happen next and it horrified you. You quickly turned to run out of the room, but before you could reach the door, within a flash, then Xemnas appeared in front of you. But instead of striking down his wrath, the larger figure swooped in and got within inches of your ear and whispered. “Make sure the creature is gone by the next time you are within my sight, or I will do what I must.” 

Of course, you weren’t one to listen to rules. So you decided to instead, hide it and help heal the bunny yourself without getting caught and releasing it when it was healed. Some rules were meant to be broken, anyhow. 

But it doesn’t last long until Xemnas finds it and after a long argument, your stubborn ass gets the mighty Xemnas to agree that you may keep the rabbit, but it must be as FAR away from him as possible. Rabbits stink, after all.

Xigbar

As soon as he sees the little ball of fluff in your arms, Xigbar can’t help but start to laugh. “What is that you got there, kiddo?” he snickers. When you say, ‘it’s a rabbit’ like any normal person would respond, he shrugs “Well yeah, I can see that. What I meant was why do you have it?”

You tell him ‘why not?’ and explain that you want to keep it. And you are immediately given a taunting ‘tsk tsk tsk’ as Xigbar crossed his arms. “Hmmmm, the bossman isn’t gonna like this…” You sigh. He was right but.. “I’m in.” Wait what? You ask if you heard him correctly and he nods. “Yeah, sure, What the hell? This could be worth a few laughs to keep around for a while. Plus you seem pretty into it, so why not?” You smile and give the free-shooter a big kiss on his scarred cheek.

”Does this mean we also have to do it like rabbits, in the spirit of everything?” He gives you a playful smirk before punching him in the arm. What an ass.

Xaldin

”Why hello… What have we here?” The lancer peers down at the small fuzzy creature you’re holding in your arms as you entered your shared quarters. You tell him how you found this bunny alone in the woods and how it was much too small to be full grown and how you were hoping to do something to help it.

Xaldin reached down and picked up the small creature from your hands and looked it over. As he placed a finger on the tiny bunny’s head and gave it a small pet, he couldn’t help but smile. “Well you’re a sweet little thing, aren’t you?” The lancer cooed to the rabbit as he continues to pet the baby’s soft fur. It was actually incredibly sweet to see the usually hard faced lancer fawn over a baby bunny.

“Well, you’re right…” He sighed. “This little one is much too small to survive on it’s own.. Do you know anything about raising a baby bunny?” You grin. “I’ll Moogle it.”

Vexen

At first the scientist is absolutely thrilled to see you carry the rabbit in to him. “Oh wonderful, Y/N! You’ve found us a new test subject!! How intuitive of you! Now bring it here!” But as he reached out to take the rabbit from you, you pull back.

You explain that the rabbit was not for experimentation but because you wanted to keep it as a pet, and as soon as you do explain, Vexen is not pleased. He then explains exactly how many rules you are breaking for bringing such a filthy creature into the castle and how much trouble you could be in if you are caught.

As he gives you the riot act, he starts to he how upset you become, eyes filling with tears as he scolds you. And as soon as he does, the words stop. And now the scientist feels bad. Good going Vexen. But as you cry with the rabbit in your arms, he speaks again.

“Okay, alright. No - no tears.. Okay? You can keep the creature here for now.. And I’ll promise not to experiment on it… But you need to bring it back to where it came from by the end of the week. Alright?” You nod and give him a kiss on the cheek as thanks, knowing how much doing such a task would be for him.

Lexaeus

Oh man. You’ve brought this rabbit to just the right person. As soon as you come through the door and he sees the fluffy ball, the silent hero’s hardened featured soften immediately. Ans without a word, looks at you questioningly.

As you move your arm to better show the small bundle in your arms, the tiny creature pops it head up and looks up at Lexaeus. The larger man then reaches out and you place the bunny in his arms. Such a tiny creature looks even smaller as it sits in his giant hands. He pet the rabbit softly and smiled as he ran his fingers over the rabbits soft fur before speaking again. 

”You should bring it back,” he said, as he continued to fawn over the rabbit as if he didn’t just tell you to take it away.

“What? What do you mean bring it back? You love it!” You ask, but the silent hero only sighed.

“It won’t be happy here,” He said in a low tone looking sadly at the bunny. And then it clicked and you realized what was going through the mind of the silent hero. He knew how unhappy the rabbit would be in a place like this, and he didn’t want it to suffer. You sigh and place a kiss among the giant mans head.

“Okay… Let’s go bring it back.”

Zexion

Zexion doesn’t pay the rabbit much mind at first, not even looking up from his book when you come through the door to the library. It may have been your track record with these things, but it was as if the boy already knew that you were up to something. “What did you bring back?” he asks, refusing to tear his eyes from his reading to see what you had brought back this time. 

”Why don’t you look for yourself?” you smirk as he slowly looks up from the book to see the fluffy bundle in your arms, and as soon as he does, the boy’s expression changes completely. His eyes immediately grow soft  and his mouth opened just enough for a silent gasp to pass through. The bundle was so small. And he couldn’t help but look at it in that way.

”Where… Where did you find it?” He asks, in a much softer tone than he had moments before. You tell him how the rabbit was in the forest and seemed to follow you. You mentioned how you thought it wanted to come with you so you could take it home.

As you explained what had happened, the wonder in the boys eyes started to fade. He placed a hand on the rabbits head, caressing the soft fur before speaking again. “You took it from it’s home? To bring it here? Y/N… We should bring it back It doesn’t belong here with us…”

You knew he was right. As soon as he worded it that way, you suddenly realized the thing that you thought was right, wasn’t really a good situation for anyone. However, that didn’t stop the two of you from holding the rabbit a little longer and letting it hop around the library a short while before the both of you released the creature back where it belonged.

It wasn’t long after, however, that the two of you decided that the rabbit was so fun to have with them that day and you both traveled to the local Radiant Garden pet shop and looked into getting a domestic rabbit of your own, one that needed a new home.

Saix

”What is that?” The Lunar Diviner looked down on you with scrutiny as you held the little bunny in your arms. You pull you hand away and the tiny creature pops its head up and looked up and returned Saix’s gaze. He didn’t react much as the rabbit’s nose twitched and sniffed the air. He really didn’t show much of an expression at all. He just stared down silently for a moment, looking at the rabbit with stern disapproval before speaking. “It can’t stay here. It needs to go.”

Your mouth hangs open a moment before you start to object, claiming how it wasn’t safe for such a small bunny to be out on it’s own and how he wasn’t giving the opportunity a chance and was being unfair, but with one glance up into your eyes from him silenced you greatly. His golden eyes felt like they had pierced your soul with a single glance.

With that glance, you knew he had made his decision. Sadness wells in your eyes as you agree that little rabbit needed to go and agreed to take it home, but before you could open the dark portal, he spoke again.

”Not now,” he stated with a commanding tone. “It is late, and you must rest. We can go return the creature tomorrow. For now… we can keep it. I will make the necessary preparations.” With the omission, you smile and place a kiss on the Diviner’s cheek before making your way to your shared quarters with your new friend.

That night, you played with the rabbit as it scampered across the floor and giving it pets and all around having a good time, but as much as you urged him, you could not get Saix to come near the rabbit let alone even pet it. He simply watched from a nearby chair in the room as you and the rabbit played. And as you went to sleep that evening, you sighed, knowing that you and the bunny were going to be parting ways the next morning. But you were happy to have had the chance to play with the bunny that you did. 

Sleep came quickly for you, but you had the strangest dream that night. It felt as you awoke in the night but instead of sleeping next to you, Saix was sitting in a chair across the room, holding the rabbit close to him and gently stroking the creatures soft fur. And you could swear he was… talking to it.

“You have made her so happy, little rabbit, and for that I thank you. I wish I could bring her as much joy as you do, but we are beings that can’t provide such comforts. Not that you understand me…” You quickly fell asleep again after that, but awoke the next morning to see Saix asleep in bed as he was before. It had to have been a dream… Right?

Axel

As soon as you bring the bunny through the door, the guy’s expression breaks out into a cheeky grin. “Aw hey! You got yourself a friend!” he chuckles as you continue petting the little bunny. “Where did you find this one?” As you sit next to him on the sofa in your quarters, you explain that you had found the little guy out on a mission and that you had decided to bring the little guy home with you until it’s injury healed and it could survive on it own. The redhead can’t seem to help himself but chuckle.

”You really are a good person, you know that?” he smiles, but the smile almost seems sad. “You always are bringing home injured animals and helping others when they need you… You ever think that… you’re in the wrong business?”

You look at him, confused, before you place a gentle kiss on his cheek. “My place is here, with you!” you smile back, and Axel lets out a soft laugh, one different from the chuckle before. This one was almost… more vulnerable.

”Yeah… Right. With me.” He pauses, assumedly lost in thought to somewhere you couldn’t go. He would seem to go to this place often in recent months, but whenever you would ask if he was okay, he would ask you to not worry and quickly shift back to the Axel you knew, and this worried you. This time, instead of asking what was wrong, you decide to change the subject.

“Axel? Do you wanna hold him?” you ask, and it’s as if you calling his name brings him back from his thoughts.

“Oh, uh. Sure? Sure. Why not?” he shrugs and holds his hands out to take the rabbit as you gently place the fuzzy little thing into his arms. The bunny settles into the redhead’s arms with little struggle and quickly gets comfortable as Axel starts to stroke the rabbits soft fur with his free hand. As he continued to pet the rabbit, the pain and worry in his face started to relax, as if this simple action was enough to soothe his worries, at least for the moment.

“This is… really nice.” Axel smiles softly, and it was a smile you knew was genuine. It was soft, and almost carefree. But then, the smile disappeared and a face of fear.

“Is something wrong?” you ask swiftly, fully prepared to take the rabbit from him at a moment’s notice.

“I– I think it peed on me?!” Quickly you scramble up and take the rabbit from Axel and sure enough, right there on the redheads coat a nice little wet spot from where the rabbit peed on him.

You tried to be nice, but you could not help laughing hysterically as Axel stood up and tried to wipe the pee from his coat.

”Aw man!! No This isn’t funny!! Aaghhh Now I’m gonna smell like bunny pee!!” But your laughter doesn’t relent and soon enough Axel is laughing right alongside you. This bunny pet project is going to be really fun.

Demyx

“Hey welcome ba– Whoa! Oh my god, is that a rabbit?” The musician excitedly asks as soon you enter the door after a long mission, but before you can enter the room any more, the boy had already swarmed to you, staring quizzically at ball of fluff in your arms. “Can I pet it?”

You nod enthusiastically as the boy reaches out a hand to pet the soft little rabbit, and as soon as his hand presses against the soft fur, another excited noise escapes his lips.

“Woooow!!! So soft!!” He exclaims as he continues to pet the rabbit as you hold him in your arms. You urge Demyx to be gentler with his petting as the rabbit is soft and delicate. You then ask if he would like to hold the bunny and it was as if every star in the sky appeared in his eyes. You quickly took his expression as a yes and instructed him how to hold the rabbit before placing it gently in the musicians arms. And as soon as the rabbit settled in, Demyx made another excited squeal.

“This is… SO COOL!” he exclaimed but you quickly hushed him, saying how the rabbit is still a skittish animal and could be easily startled. “Oh! Sorry!” The boy replied in a loud whisper. He was trying his best. “I just was so excited that I forgot that we needed to be quiet!” And with his explanation, you couldn’t help but laugh.

You both broke out into silly laughter as the rabbit simply twitched it nose in confusion, but within a flash Demyx’s smile disappeared. Before you could ask what was wrong, the answer became perfectly clear as Saix’s voice erupted from behind you through the doorway. Oh yeah. You forgot to close the door.

“Is that what I think it is?” The blue hair wasted no time staring Demyx down with that piercing stare of his. And of course the soft boy holding the bunny couldn’t do much more than stutter.

“I— Uh– This is–”

“That was a rhetorical question, Demyx. I can see that there is a wild animal in your hands.” The Lunar Diviner slowly reached down, and picked up the rabbit with trying to make as little contact with the creature as possible and placed it in your hands. ”Y/N, would you kindly send this creature back to where it belongs while I escort number IX to his new position for the next month on dish cleaning duty?” He asked as he grabbed your partner by the arm and harshly dragged him out of the room.

”WHAT? BUT THAT’S DUSK WORK!!!” He objected. 

”Not anymore.” Saix retorted before disappearing down the hall with the small musician lagging behind. Demyx never ratted you out for being the one who brought the rabbit into the castle in the first place and took his punishment in stride. That was just like him. And even though you had to send the rabbit home, you were still kind of happy the three of you got to have those moments together.

Luxord

You didn’t expect Luxord to be in your shared quarters when you walked inside, but he was. He looked up from the table where he was sitting and smiled, eyes flickering down to the fluffy bundle you carefully cradled in your arms.  You followed his gaze and glanced up. “I can explain.”

“I’d more prefer if you explained how you managed to get it past Xemnas,“ he said. He stood and walked over to you, hovering as he examined the rabbit. He reached out and rubbed behind its ears with the tips of his fingers.  “It’s adorable, but he’d never let you keep it.“

“And that won’t be a problem if we all keep our mouths shut, right?“ you warned, almost as a threat. “The poor thing was shivering in the cold outside and I couldn’t just leave it there.“

“You and your bleeding heart,“ he replied, chuffing you playfully under the chin. “I won’t cover for you if you get caught.“

“Noted.“ There was a pause. “I hope you realize that this means I’m keeping it in our room for the unforeseeable future.“

“Yes,“ he sighed. “I figured you would. Just make sure it doesn’t reproduce. I don’t think I’d have the patience for that.“

Marluxia

Marluxia was always prone to overreactions, but whatever response you were expecting from him when you brought the adorable little bunny into your room, it certainly wasn’t anger.

“What... the fuck... is that?“

“Uh...“ You were wondering if it was supposed to be a trick question as you looked down at the rabbit in your arms.  It curled up into your sweatshirt and shut its eyes sleepily.  “A bunny?“

“Where did you find it?“ he demanded.

“... In your garden? I found him under one of the shrubs. He was -“

“That little bastard has been eating my plants for the last six weeks. GET RID OF IT!“

Wide-eyed, you protectively cradled the animal to your chest as if Marluxia would just reach out and snatch it from your arms. “No! It’s not his fault if he was hungry!  He was just looking for something to eat! He’s just a baby!”

“A little baby that destroyed my begonias!“

“Well now he’s my pet,“ you scoffed, gently rubbing your face against the soft fur.  “Look, he’s cute and he likes you!“ You lifted the bunny in your arms, holding it up dangerously close to Marluxia’s face. It sniffed at his nose and let out the most adorable sneeze you ever heard. “Aw, isn’t that nice!“

Marluxia wrinkled his nose in what you were sure is disgust, but he just shook his head and scowled.  “I take it that there’s nothing I can do to get you to bring it five hundred miles away from here, isn’t there?”

“Absolutely not.“

Larxene

”AgH!! What is That THING?!” Larxene squeals, jumping back 20 feet from where you were standing holding the rabbit in your arms. “Is it a rat? A big rat? And you’re holding it?!?”

You look at her, seriously perplexed. “Uh… No? Larxene, it’s a rabbit… You do know what a rabbit is… right?”

”What? Of course I know what a rabbit is!” She snaps. “I just… Haven’t seen one in person before.”

You let out a little gasp. Did she really just say that? This needs to be remedied immediately. You sit down on the edge of the bed and inch closer to where Larxene sat and urged her to pet the bunny.

At first she refused, but she stared at the little harmless creature in your arms with skepticism before slowly reaching an arm out and hesitantly placing her fingertips on the rabbits head between it’s long ears. And as soon as she felt the bunny’s soft fur, the fear on face disappeared.

”Whoa! It’s so… Soft.” She says with surprise as she continued to pet the rabbit.  You smirked as she quickly gave in to the temptation of the rabbit’s soft fur. At first she only allowed the pads of her fingertips to touch the ball of fur but eventually found her hand stroking the tiny beast from it’s head and down its back. It was obvious that both Larxene and the bunny were enjoying themselves. 

”You want to hold it?” You ask and she looks at you with shock.

“Can I?” You nod and slowly place the creature on her lap, and within a second, the rabbit snuggles itself in the nymphs lap and looks very pleased. Larxene’s mouth falls open as she softly gasps.

”So… We’re keeping it, right?” She asks. 

With a chuckle, you nod. “Absolutely.”

Roxas

As the rabbit hopped closer, Roxas’ eyes went wide and looked to you in question, almost pleading with his eyes. ‘Can I pet it?’ With a grin, you wiggle a nod and urge the boy on. Cautiously, his hand came up, and landing in front of the bunny, allowing it to sniff his hand. It sniffed for just a moment before sliding it’s head against the boys hand and allowing a pet.

As Roxas’ hand touched the fur, he gasped quietly to himself, maybe even unaware he did it. But his wonder just made you feel so good. If you had a heart, you knew it would have been swelling in your chest. It just made you so glad that you could do something like this for Roxas.

”Oh, cool!” Roxas smiles as you bring the rabbit into the room, its soft little face sniffing the air and examining this new place. You shut the door behind you and place the small bunny loose on the floor as Roxas stepped closer to get a better the little creature.

He sits on the ground near the bunny, watching it hop along the floor and you soon join him.  You both sit quietly on the floor a minute, watching the tiny fluff hop and explore its new surroundings. 

”Look at it check the place out…” The boy points out as the rabbit sniffs a nearby table leg. You look over to Roxas as see that for the first time in weeks, that he is smiling. To see him having fun and enjoying something as simple as this. Well it was cathartic. As the bunny finished it’s romp around the room, it moved closet to Roxas, sniffing the boy’s foot curiously before coming closer.

Xion

She had never seen a rabbit up close like this before and this fact is very apparent that she is trapped in wonder as she steps closer to you upon realizing what you are holding. “Can… Can I touch it??” She asks, just above a whisper, almost afraid of scaring the little thing. 

As soon as you nod in approval, her hand is reaching out to gently touch the bunny’s soft fur. And as her hand makes contact with the fur, a tiny gasp escaped her lips. 

“It’s so soft!” she whispers excitedly as she continued to pet the bunny. Watching her be so happy and enthralled was enough to be worth any kind of trouble you were going to get in for bringing the rabbit into the castle in the first place.

[psmdnuzdad]

Pip Story Chapter Three

It was early in the morning, really early. Pip was having a frustrating sleep. Trying to shake off the annoying Pokemon and the ones that made her feel awkward. She sits up hearing a noise in the next room. She carefully peeks around the doorway to see...Nuzleaf writing something on a piece of paper.

He put it on the floor then left the house. Pip quickly reads the paper. Then leaves.

She was a child.

A curious child.

So naturally she wondered where Nuzleaf was going.

-

Pip mysteriously had disappeared for a few days so surprised to see her walking up for school.

"Pip, what's with those papers in your bag? We're not THAT kind of school." Meg meant in a teasing manner, but Pip reacted with panic, shoving the papers fully in her bag.

"It's nothing."

Pip wandered into her thoughts on her way to school.

There was a small crowd of Pokemon apparently talking about honey. A Budew had stepped forward, wondering about. Pip didn't blame her, she was curious too. But school awaited.

The next day while Pip was nervously glancing at her papers, either someone might see what's on them or the teacher talking about health. She froze in her seat when she said the word 'evolving'. Something about the word nerved her. Fuzzy images, but she couldn't see them clearly. She zoned out of everyone's talking to focus on the faint images. Maybe her memories were slowly coming back.

"E...Excuse me."

Pip looks up, a Roselia had spoken. Pip does not recall seeing her around, then again she's not in the village for long.

"I'm sorry, but have you seen Budew today?"

"Huh? Little Budew? Here? No I surely haven't. Isn't it still another year before Budew is due to start school?"

"Oh...what am I to do? I've searched all over our neighborhood but found no sign of her."

Goomy reacted first. "What? You mean Budew has gone missing?"

"I'm sorry for interrupting your class like this."

Roselia began to walk away but nearly fell over.

"Oh my! Are you alright?"

"Yes...It's just I've been getting so dizzy lately..."

"You come with me sweetie, I want you to rest a bit."

They watched as Roselia was led to the nurse's office.

Pip was looking at her desk.

"What could have happened to Budew?"

"It makes you worry, doesn't it?" Deerling spoke next.

While Deerling was getting angry over Pancham's insensitivity over a child, Pip came to a horrifying realization.

Budew. She was interested in the topic about honey...

And if her mother couldn't find her...

Pip shot up, "Budew! She's in Nectar Meadow!" She's off before anyone can comment. Lunar and Meg look at each other.

She huffs, making sure she didn't lose any papers.

"Pip!"

She looks over to see Lunar and Meg running after her.

"You...can't get through there by yourself!" Meg panted.

"So we're going too!"

The Piplup didn't say anything but didn't object.

-

Those honey makers weren't going to hurt Budew on Pip's watch.

"You put one scratch on that kid and I'll tear you to pieces!" She switched one of her blades out.

"Pip, we can do this-without really hurting anyone." Lunar didn't dare to try to grab her blade.

She continued to give her most fiercest glare. "Budew, get behind us so you don't get hurt!"

After that fight, she was sure more fighting would go on.

Pip did not expect the Vespiquen.

"Your opponents are mere children! They are not thieves."

Pip made sure to hide the knife.

"I hope you can forgive such a rude welcome. This happens to be our honey-making season. We are terribly busy this time and everyone's emotions tend to turn hot."

Pip was surprised at Budew's explanation of why she wanted some honey.

Sweet.

But amazed how Budew got through the dungeon. It was rather tough.

-

Pip was so happy to see Budew back with her mom, she was tearing up a bit. Not that she would admit it.

"Thanks to you three, my child is safe."

Though Pip felt some sort of...jealousy.

But why?

Did she have a bad mother in her memories?

Pip just did not have the answers.

"Pip, it was amazing that you were willing to skip school to save Budew and that you cared so much-"

Pip holds her flipper up to silence Meg. "Don't...do that. It makes me embarrassed. But I'm glad Budew is safe."

On the way home (since they lived close) Pip pulled her papers out and shuffled through them, pulled a pen and note something next to a sentence. Meg only saw what Pip had wrote.

Ask Nuzleaf about it.

Meg was curious, but Pip was a private Pokemon and didn't even like sharing her own name. So fat chance on asking her about the papers.

-

"Hey Pip!"

Pip quickly puts her papers away when she heard Lunar. "What?"

"Why do you disappear a lot?"

Pip blankly stares at Lunar and Meg. "Um, to help Nuzleaf."

"Oh is that why you have those papers you keep hiding? You're some kind of nerd?" Lunar laughs, Pip folds her flippers.

"I'm not a nerd, I'm the QUEEN of nerds. If there was a galaxy of smart Pokemon, I'd be the mastermind." After that Pip ran off.

"She's really weird." Meg comments.

"Tell me about it, but I guess she is helping him since she's going the way Mr. Nuzleaf went when he left."

-

"I'm sorry, you all want to what?!"

Pip had been updated on the ghost mystery and seriously unamused at Pancham's idea.

"What, are you too scared to go?"

"NO, it's because ghosts aren't even real! Everyone faints because it's hot! The dark place the teacher ended up in, obviously a trick of the mind! Everyone hearing a 'ghost' talking? Hearing things!" Pip sounded very confident about her idea in ghosts.

"If you're so sure, prove it." Meg sweat drops at Pancham's probably winning trick to get Pip to come.

"Fine! I'll sneak out...to prove you all wrong!"

Meg shakes her head as Lunar clings to her.

I thought you didn't like to prove things.

-

Pip knows she should be looking over the papers, not these stupid fake mysteries. But her pride has been challenged and as a Piplup, they have pride. So in her angry mind, she was going to sneak out. And show everyone, ghosts aren't real.

After arriving in their seats, everyone was wondering what they were supposed to do.

"Wait for the ghosts to appear!"

"You mean the supernatural that doesn't exist?"

Pip presses a flipper to her face hearing Pancham yelling for the ghosts.

Hot...

Pip's face goes blank.

Ugh obviously a prank.

"Shelmet? Did you say something?"

"It wasn't me."

So hot...

It's a prank.

"Was that..."

"There's someone here! Someone besides us!"

Pip rolls her eyes at Deerling. "Yeah, who are pranking us."

Hot...It's so hot...

"Who is that? Who's there?!"

Pip is surprised when a blue flame appears.

We're...seeing things.

"The...Blue flames."

All of a sudden, there was a lot of blue flames.

Pip's head had gone blank of excuses.

Was it you?

Was it you that summoned me?

You have some nerve!

The area grows purple and dark.

"Uh...This is uncomfortable...unsettling..."

Come child!

I'll give you a taste!

Come and learn...

What true fear tastes like!

"UGH! PANCHAM! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

GHOSTS AREN'T REAL!  It's surely a Pokemon of some kind!

Everything seemed to go dark and she hears Pancham scream. She waves her flipper as if trying to brush away smoke. Everyone seemed to have fainted. Meg was the first to slowly wake up.

"Guys! Shelmet and Pancham are gone!"

"Espurr too!"

After Lunar got updated, surprise Espurr was completely fine. Then she told them all what she saw.

"Still, no ghosts." Pip muttered to herself as she followed everyone where Pancham and Shelmet had been dragged.

-

They could hear them...but then the shadow.

Pip squints up, it looked like...a Pokemon she's seen before, maybe in a book...

Pip didn't know what she was more shocked by, Lunar's outburst, that the blue flames were really Litwicks, or...that a legendary Pokemon could be here.

No wait, that's impossible. THAT Pokemon lives in a dimension-not our world. It would only leave it on necessary terms.

After that fight, the explanation, Pip got into a happy mood. Not because their two classmates were fine now.

"I told you guys! Ghosts don't exist!"

...It wouldn't last for long.

"You...You little fools!"

Pip was hiding Nuzleaf, scared out of her wits.

"What do you think you're doing, running around in the middle of the night?!"

Nuzleaf tried to soften the situation...but Lunar's Pops parenting method were obviously different.

"When a child steps out of line, a scolding is what you use to get 'em back in line! Now step up to the task!"

"EEP!" Pip wishes she could disappear.

"Um, Pops I'm really sorry..."

Meg glares at him.

"I don't know, maybe its all the nerves...but I'm suddenly bushed...so I'm going to sleep...goodnight!" Just like that, Lunar fell asleep on the spot.

"Lunar!" Meg huffed.

"N-Now just a minute, Lunar! We're not done talking about this! Wake yourself up!"

Lunar doesn't respond.

"Argh! Convenient time to pass out!" He looks at Meg. (He couldn't get Pip in his sight since she refused to budge from Nuzleaf's side) "I guess you and Pip get the pleasure of being lectured by me!"

"EEK!"

Meg winces at Pip's frightened squeal. Guess this is one of the things Pip actually fears.

"I hope you two are ready!"

Pip squealed and squeaked during the whole lecture. (Meg thinks she started crying out of fear too) Meg's head just hurt from the lecture.

[tenyatrash]

Galtean Klance AU Meet-Cute

Hello! I’m going through my GDrive and uploading all the pieces that I wrote for apps and then never posted.

Here’s my first ever Klance piece, which is a short one-shot of two guardsmen from different species meeting in an Altean courtyard after a tree-climbing expedition goes awry. Come for bored Galran Keith, stay for smarmy Altean Lance’s attempts to flirt (with mixed results).  

Read it here or below the cut:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19781197

Keith flicks through the security report as his foot skims the purple flowers in the garden below. He’s been ordered to be polite, to be open, to make himself available to their Altean hosts. He wouldn’t half mind, but all the sunshine and pastels are a tad much, and he’s pretty sure he’s developing a pollen allergy.

Still, he’s heard the speech enough times not to bother protesting.

“Guardsmen, you stand in the legacy of Voltron! Voltron: a shining symbol of the peace and prosperity that we can all experience when our races stand together, united by bonds of brotherhood and love.”

Yada, yada, yada.

Look, it’s not like he has anything against Voltron, or the concept of cooperation (at least in theory). But no matter how many speeches the top brass gives or how many weapons they allow the Honor Guard to carry, nothing can change the fact that this is diplomatic duty, and his sworn oath iss...to defend an Altean courtyard.

“To the death,” he snorts in a mock salute to an overly curious honey-catcher that has decided his hair might be some special new flower, worthy of investigation.

A pair of boys with cotton candy hair enter the peaceful enclave, screaming in childish joy as their shared kite takes to the wind (before promptly getting tangled in a tree). They’re soon followed by an older girl who seems more seafoam than Altean, so wild and overwhelming is her gauzy dress and loose-bound hair. The boys pull on her hands and entreat her to rescue their kite from its new home in the iridescent leaves of the Balaa tree. Keith sees her point in his direction and he has to suppress the sudden and intense urge to flee, dereliction of duty be damned. Sure enough, moments later his relatively peaceful existence is shattered by two chattering boys, who fall over themselves as they beg him to retrieve their paper dragon.

“Uh, that’s not really-”

Big eyes look up at him. Holy flames, are they crying? Over this?

He imagines the security debriefing, where he has to explain why Senator So-and-so’s child was weeping about evil Galra, and admits defeat. With his luck, these are probably royal princes and that kite is actually some sacred treasure.

“Alright. Let’s...go climb a tree, I guess.”

The boys scream in ear-splitting joy as they grab two gauntleted hands and drag him to his quarry. This is not what he intended when he joined the garrison and declared his intent to become a great protector. ... Climbing the tree takes an embarrassingly long time.

The Balaa is taller and smoother than it appeared on first glance, and when Keith pulls a dagger to help with his ascent, Ms. Mermaid nearly faints before the boys, (brothers, it turns out), explain to him, as if he’s very young and very stupid, that the Balaa tree is very sensitive and very special and he can’t, under any circumstances, damage it.

Because of course the kite had to get caught in a magic tree. Because that’s Keith’s luck.

He ends up having to give up his weapons, his boots, and his gauntlets before he’s allowed to continue his valiant efforts at conquering the tree. At some point, his audience offers to let him give up, their faith in their hero dwindling with each failed attempt. But Keith is stubborn. This isn’t about the tree or the kite anymore, it’s about his honor. As a Galra. As a man.

That’s how he ends up alone and stuck in a Balaa tree as the sun sets and the moons rise. Soap-bubble leaves seem to giggle at him as he gives up and lays flat on his back, waving his prize in the air, making laser sounds with his mouth as he imagines it’s one of the Empire’s fighters instead of a pastel toy.

“Need some help up there, Ace?”

Keith looks down and locks eyes with one of the Altean guardsmen, a tall man with dusty lilac hair, softly shining armor, and brilliant, luminescent markings that shine like stars in the fading light of the walled garden.

Keith coughs and tries to hide the toy behind his back, which necessitates sitting up, which upsets his balances which...is how he ends up falling directly into the arms of the smarmiest Altean he’s ever met.

Look, mistakes were made. He just hopes none of the other members of the garrison are seeing this.

“Wha-? How?”

He blinks up in confusion, something his rescuer takes full advantage of as the Altean fires off a dazzling smile and leans in close, whispering:

“I’m Lance, and you’re right here in my arms.”

Keith wonders if punching counts as rudeness in this situation. He sighs. Probably. Instead, the grumpy Galra reaches forward and pinches his rescuer’s cheeks, the surprise attack giving him time to find his own feet and to enjoy the positively undignified (and very un-Altean) squeak that Lance lets out as he rubs at his markings and glares at his not-so-grateful comrade.

“Oh, come on! What are you, part snick?”

“Yeah. It’s an ancient Galra secret. We all have secret pincher powers.”

Keith sets down the kite while Lance pouts. If the kids care about it, they can come find it in the morning. For now, he turns away from Lance and starts putting on his discarded armor, hopping awkwardly on one foot as he tries to force a boot back on. Lance, cheeks and self-confidence rapidly re-inflating, tries to make small talk with the very cute, very distant Galra Honor Guard. He’ll woo him right here in a stunning adaptation of the beloved romance opera, “Rielle and the Forbidden Meringue.” This is his chance to showcase his intellect, his ardour, his way with words:

“So...you like gardens? Altean gardens, I mean? You...come out here often?”

Keith, newly rebooted, looks up and quirks an eyebrow. Smooth Lance, real smooth.

“Well, it’s my duty station. So yes, I’m here often.”

Lance waits for a continuation of the conversation, maybe some playful banter, but he’s bound for disappointment. That’s okay though. He’s a stubborn man, according to everyone who knows him and several who don’t, which he considers a point of personal pride.

“My posting too, but I guess our shifts don’t overlap.”

“Lucky.”

“Huh?”

Keith sighs and looks around as he picks up the abandoned security report and looks out across the darkened courtyard, enjoying the way the moons bathe the sleeping foliage in hues of plum and cerulean.

“This is my first time seeing it, but...I like it better at night. The colors, the sounds...it’s more like home. You’re lucky to be alone under the stars instead of suffocating in the sun.”

He blushes faintly and looks away while Lance restrains himself from breaking into song and dance at getting a multi-syllabic reply. He’s the smoothest in the garrison. He knew it!

“Huh..Well, do you want me to show you around, then?”

Keith hesitates.

“Come on, you might like it! And after all, what kind of guardsman would I be if I didn’t try to make you feel more at home?”

There’s a long pause as Keith weighs his options and his interests.

“Fair enough. What kind of guardsman would I be if I didn’t accept the chance to learn more about my post?”

The two men walk in a lazy and winding patrol, their stride occasionally broken by Lance’s antics. First, it’s the way Lance casually slides his arm through Keith’s while explaining the history of a particular birdbath. Then, it’s the way he pulls Keith down to smell a moon-blooming Orva, soft but insistent that his new friend/hostage just has to take a sniff. Keith’s not sure if these are pre-planned or the result of genuine puppy-like enthusiasm, but he finds he doesn’t mind, either way. He’s...enjoying himself, against his better judgment.

They’re at the far side of the garden, where the smooth walls and manicured lawns give way to the trees, when Lance grabs Keith’s hand and pulls him into the forest, heliotrope eyes locked on some small and fluttering thing.

Any protestations that Keith might make die on his lips as he’s pulled into a glade, where a small lunar moth rejoins its fellows, creating an undulating vortex of bioluminescent wings that beat softly around the two guards. Keith feels his mouth tip open as he lets his eyes follow the dives and glides of the creatures against the night sky, their gentle glow tricking his eyes into imagining them reaching all the way to the heavens. Lance has seen the dance of these moths for decades now, but he can’t help but be swept away anew as he watches the way the Galra’s eyes shine like molten gold, the way his lips part in awe as he watches.

He feels Keith’s hands squeeze into his, eyes still bewitched by the patterned and swirling wings.

“It’s...beautiful.”

Lance keeps his eyes on Keith.

“Yes, beautiful.”

Something in the other man’s tone breaks Keith’s focus. He looks down from the moths and the fog clears, pink slowly spreading like a bruise under mauve skin. He’s here, in a glade, in the moonlight, in Altea, holding hands with a stranger, surrounded by…

Wait a second…

He leans in close and can’t resist smirking at the way Lance’s eyes widen at his approach. He’s never been one for romance, but he tries his hand at a seductive whisper all the same:

“Hey, Lance?”

“Un- Yeah?”

“Is it just me, or is this straight outta ‘Rielle and the Forbidden Meringue?’”

And….the spell is broken.

Lance blushes all the way back to the barracks, spastic hand movements and insistences that it was just a coincidence continuing to the unguarded doors just off the side of the garden.

As Keith continues to smirk, Lance jams his hands into the pockets of his cape and mumbles about stupid Galra Diplomatic Envoys and how rude it is to show sacred films to young cadets and ruin the romantic overtures of the native population.

Keith hums to himself as he inputs his security code and turns back to the still pouting Altean. He clicks his tongue good naturedly and reaches out a hesitant hand, first planning to reach for his cheek but panicking at the last minute and instead settling for a head pat.

The rollercoaster of emotions that that simple action incites is enough to break Lance’s mumble-rant.

“Uh?”

Keith gently ruffles the other man’s hair and smiles good-naturedly, hoping he’s not giving himself away too easily. Wow, his hair is soft.

“Film or no, thanks for the tour. Honestly.”

Before Lance can come up with a charming response, Keith leans over and presses a quick kiss against the side of his mouth, nerves and low-lighting throwing off his intended trajectory just a smidge.

While Lance’s brain short circuits, Keith slips into the safety of the barracks, his courage not lasting quite long enough to see how his clumsy attempt at romance was received. It’s a shame, because it means he misses the way the Altean traces the memory of the kiss with trembling fingers, the way he leans up against the wall and smiles up at the moons like a man reborn.

Keith, huh?

[thebiscuiteternal]

Promised this to @thewondersomethingorother before I leave.

Luna held back the urge to sigh as she looked around at all the empty stalls of the market. It reminded her just a little too much of the nights before, when all of the towns would completely shut down at sunset. 

But more importantly, it seemed that their search would have to wait until-

“Ahai, kind miss! May I interest you in a blanket? A softer, more comfortable blanket you will never find!”

Startled out of her morose thoughts, she blinked and found she had wandered nearly to the gate of the city’s upper ring. One lone stall still had its awning open, and behind the wooden panels-

“I wouldn’t have expected to find an Abyssinian here,” Luna said to the merchant before she could catch herself.

If the merchant cared about her faux pas, she didn’t show it, her orange and black stripes seeming to crinkle and her whiskers lifting as she laughed cheerfully. “If we moved here in my lifetime, I do not remember it. Marembai has always been my home as far as I know.”

“Hm.” Luna looked over the stall and its barker, seated among a loom and dozens of thread spools all as colorful as their owner. But there weren’t any- “I see no blankets for sale.”

The merchant extended her striped paws and claws sprang forth, softly glowing reddish-orange. “Made while you wait! And every blanket is perfectly matched to its owner, I guarantee.”

Before Luna could answer, she had to close her eyes against the sudden flash of polka-dotted light that burst beside her. When she opened them, Discord was leaning against the stall, a wide grin on his face and bird claw extended for a shake.

“I’ll take that bet.”

Luna rolled her eyes slightly. Of course he hadn’t bothered with his disguise, that would make too much sense. 

The merchant -weaver- surprisingly offered her own paw to accept, apparently not put off at all by the strange mismatched creature that had appeared out of nowhere. “It will be done, kind sir! My gift never fails!” she said, perky nature not faltering, and then several spools floated out of her collection and over to the loom, guided by movements of her glowing claws.

Luna couldn’t help but be somewhat impressed by her working speed. Discord, on the other hoof, frowned at the eight-leafed design that had taken shape, with all its rigid corners and sharp patterns. "I'm not seeing the perfection."

The merchant simply smiled her toothy smile again. "Please do trust me, kind sir, I assure you that it will suit you." Then she took up new spools and began to embroider in the colors, and Luna winced and had to look away. They didn't clash, exactly, but they were so riotous in their brightness that she was sure even her sister would have had trouble looking at them full on. 

Rather than repulsed, Discord looked absolutely besotted. "Neon!" he all but squealed, clapping claw and paw to his cheeks. "How did you know all my favorite colors are neon?" 

The merchant paused and blinked in confusion at the term before regaining her momentum. "That is my gift, kind sir, as I told you. I know my customers."

“Interesting. Is the weaving technique part of your ‘gift’ also?” Luna asked.

“Oh, no, not at all. This skill has been passed down through many generations of my kin. I am the seventeenth spellweaver my family has produced,” the merchant replied, her fur fluffing up with pride. Finishing the last burst of color, she delicately cut through the threads holding the blanket to the loom with a claw, then knotted a short fringe with them before presenting the blanket to Discord.

Quite literally beaming, the Lord of Chaos accepted, tying his new prize around his neck like a cape and puffing out his chest before stretching himself over the stall to give its maker an entirely-too-close eyeball. “Alright, now level with me, Stripes. What’s with all the fancy lines?”

The merchant’s smile only grew. “The eight-point blossom is the symbol of renewal!” she chirped, and Luna had to cover her muzzle with her hooves to muffle her laughter at the gobsmacked look that crossed Discord’s face.

“Oh, you are good,” he muttered, before reaching into his mane and producing a large bag of gold coins, which he dropped into the paws of the startled merchant.

“Those better be real,” Luna replied automatically.

Discord gave an offended sniff. “I know how to appreciate art. Of course they’re real.”

“Are... are you sure about this, sir? This is far more than I-”

“Art!”

“Very well,” she said, clearly smart enough not to argue the point. Luna watched as she pulled a small wooden box out from under her loom and dropped the bag in alongside what wasn’t even a hoof-full of silver.

A slow smile crossed her face. They’d originally come to the market for information, after all...

The merchant yelped at the glittering blue bubble of power that enveloped the three of them, her tail bottle-brushing and rounded ears laying flat. “What in-?!”

“Do not fear,” Luna said softly. “This is a simple privacy bubble. As far as anyone outside can see or hear, you have simply stepped away from your stall.”

“Well, I could break it, but the half-rate unicorns the consulate employs wouldn’t be able to do squat,” Discord added, and Luna resisted the urge to elbow him.

“The... the consulate?” the merchant asked, no less nervous for the reassurance and beginning to toy anxiously with her head scarf. “What does my work have to do with the consulate?”

“Nothing,” Luna replied. “But you are the first creature outside of the inner ring to actually engage with us. We merely seek some perspective.”

“Um-”

“Moonbutt means we want to know what it’s really like around here.”

Luna did elbow him then, as even if her unicorn disguise did have a lunar cutie mark, she didn’t need him possibly giving her away. He razzed her in return, and the exchange seemed to calm their potential informant somewhat.

“If- if you are very sure no one will hear...” At her nod, the feline took a deep breath. “The city is fading. All of this-” she waved a paw at the empty stalls, “-used to be alive every hour of the day and night. I used to have to give out reservation times, I had so many potential customers. But you have been only my third this week.”

“Do you know why?”

More fidgeting with the head scarf. “Honestly... the consulate’s trade decisions are starving us. With so many countries no longer willing to import to us or export from us... food is very expensive and the taxes even more so.”

Now that Luna looked more closely, she could see how the weaver cat’s robe hung off her, and she pursed her lips as she and Discord glanced at each other. This was definitely what they had been looking for. “What about the farms just outside the walls and their production?” Luna asked. “We were told that there was surplus with no exports.”

“It all goes to the inner city. Anything worthwhile, that is. The farmers are still allowed to sell here in the market, but nothing above a certain quality. And even that costs very much because they are given so little for the acceptable goods. And for us few who need meat... there is only one butcher left in the lower city after the last tax raise, and to visit him would take me away from my stall for over half a day. With so few customers, I cannot take the risk of missing any.”

Luna shook her head, biting back the heat of anger that rose in her chest. “Thank you very much,” she said, summoning her purse and floating out several gold coins.

“Those better be real,” Discord said with an impish grin, and she gave in to the urge to stick her tongue out at him as she deposited the coins in the merchant’s paws. 

“Ah- but Miss, I haven’t made-”

“You’ve given us some much-needed insight,” Luna said as she turned away. “If you choose to move, I hope that helps. If you choose to stay, I hope it keeps you through these lean times.”

“Weeeelllll?” Discord asked as they walked away from the stall, the privacy bubble following them to cover their conversation.

Luna sighed. “You were right,” she said, staring at the ground. “Perhaps it was naive, but I shared my sister’s hope that the Consul’s posturing was just that. This is clearly not the case if he’s willing to drain his own city-state to save face.”

Discord pulled his blanket around him, snuggling into the soft fibres. “So what now?”

“Now we contact Tia. As much as I’d love to be able to solve this by punching him in his smug face, the situation remains delicate.”

[zutaraverse]

Lunar Eclipse

Day 2 In which Katara has two things on her mind: the possible assassination attempt during the lunar eclipse, and the undeniable feelings she had for the Fire Lord. The latter was far more worrying. @zutaramonth  

Apologies for the quality - this was written literally two or three sentences at a time while life got in my way... so I don't think it flows at all! But don't have time to rewrite it! Am working on the others...

AO3  |  FF

- Worldcrawler

They say that a Lunar Eclipse isn’t a huge event. They say you just lose your bending for a while and then it passes. But Katara had been apprehensive for weeks. She’d been there, at the North Pole when the Moon Spirit died… and she was not in a hurry to repeat the experience. It felt like part of her soul had been ripped out, like she was drowning and unable to breathe… no. If the Lunar Eclipse was one tenth of that she still would not like it.

To make matters worse, she was staying at the Fire Palace for official Southern Water Tribe business. She hadn’t realised until she hawky brought her a message from Sokka, telling her to be careful. And now she was here, again. She swallowed thickly and found her way outside to one of the palace’s many courtyards so she could feel that night’s moon and reflect on what she would do the following night. She would ask Zuko but things between them had been… off.

Katara angrily brushed away a tear. Every time she was at the Palace her and Zuko would be inseparable, and it hadn’t taken many moons for her to realise her feelings. Last time… last time she had thought - had hoped - that Zuko would reciprocate, would ask her to stay with him. Long nights talking in the gardens, sparring in the mornings, meetings during the days, dinners, teas, lunches… lingering touches and hitched breaths and… nothing. He had simply bid her farewell formally and left her to board her ship with the other dignitaries and leave.

“You know, there is no war now…” came Zuko’s rasping voice from the door to the courtyard. Katara stiffened further and took a deep breath. He could tell she was tense by her stance - but strangely, she wasn’t bending.

“There is no war in Ba Sing Se,” she mocked quietly in reply, turning to look at him. Zuko snorted.

“You think somebody is trying to harm you?” he guessed. “You can tell me Katara - I can deal with them…Why are you so on edge?”

He walked towards her, trying to read her expression in the moonlight, but Katara had it tightly under lock and key. Right. She would focus on the easier of the two things she had been thinking about - her would be assassin.

“No. But if there were - and there is no guarantee that there isn’t - then they would do it tomorrow night, during the lunar eclipse.”

“Oh.”

They stood in silence for a while.

“You will stay with me tomorrow night,” he murmured finally, nodding his head to himself. “I don’t want you separated from the guards and the palace. We won’t tell anybody but I’ll make sure to stick by you during the day as well. Then come to stay in my rooms at night.”

“Until the eclipse is over?” She asked, half hopefully, half bitterly. Zuko shot her a look of mild confusion.

“Yes. Until its over.”

The next day flew by in a whirl of duties and tension - clearly palpable from the Fire Lord and Master Katara. Their meetings were full of half spoken sentences and furtive glances into dark corners of the room, their easy manner from the previous trips gone completely, They dined together and staged Katara’s exit to her room, doubling back to go to Zuko’s instead.

And so they found themselves sitting across from one another sipping chamomile on silk cushions, listening carefully to the sounds of the night. It was not unfamiliar, but other times there would be laughter between them and an easy atmosphere. This time, Zuko’s dao swords lay by his side, and he wore his training gear, ready for action. Katara thought it was a little odd he kept the same clothes he had joined them in - he was the Fire Lord now, he could have any clothes he liked. But instead, he insisted on having these ones patched up over and over again. She tried to stifle a laugh at the memory of the painfully awkward boy who appeared to ask for their forgiveness at the Western Air Temple.

“Why do you keep them?” asked Katara finally, startling him out of his pensive silence. She motioned her hand to his outfit.

“Oh. This outfit… it reminds me of why I am here… who put me here… what we fought for.” He shifted uncomfortably, as he always did when he was being honest or revealing in anyway. Usually he had no issue opening up to her but something was… off… between them.

“And what did we fight for Zuko?” she asked quietly, feigning not to notice his discomfort.

“Peace,” he replied simply, locking eyes with her and allowing her to look into his heart. He was being honest. He sighed and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sometimes, when I practice, I can forget why I’m doing all of this, who I’m doing it for. The long nights and the infuriating councillors sometimes make me want to burn everything down! But I need to stay calm, stay ready. We all lost in the war. We also won, but I don’t want to forget what we lost either…” he trailed off, flashes of the horrors he had seen during the war flashing through his mind. One particular flash that was not meant for him, one that still had the power to wake him up in the middle of the night sweating and shivering like a child. The fear for his uncle. The refugees… The voice of his mother before she left.

Katara’s hand reached up to touch her own mother’s necklace, the familiar pain of loss coursing through her body.

“Mine too,” he murmured, bowing his head.

Katara instinctively reached out to hold his hand, giving it a little squeeze. His fingers followed hers as she pulled away, and were consciously pulled back.

They sat in silence again, listening to the sounds of the palace and both secretly savouring the short contact they had just had.

Suddenly, Katara sucked in a breath.

“Its starting,” she said, bringing a hand up to her head. She tried to bend the tea from her teacup and it fluttered pathetically before stopping all movement at all. She let go of the breath she had been holding - there was no gut wrenching pain, she didn’t feel any part of herself die like she had at the North Pole. She just felt… a little odd…a little on edge with all the adrenaline. Somehow, bolder.

Zuko, however, was on his feet, pacing the room. He paused at the windows, looking out at the dark sky now that Yue had been covered, and again at the door, listening for the steady step of the guards as they patrolled the corridor outside.

“Zuko!” burst Katara finally, “Please just calm down! We don’t know anybody wants to harm me, its just a hunch! Nothing is going to happen alright? You’re really putting me on edge!”

“Well good!” he snapped back, resuming his patrol with renewed ferocity. “Maybe next time you warn me of these things so I can put proper precautions in place instead of this ad hoc madness!”

“Proper precautions?? Are you that convinced somebody wants me dead?”

“There have been uprisings,” he threw over his shoulder. “In support of Ozai. What better way to prove their power and start another war than assassinate the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador - the War Hero, the Avatar’s friend - while she is under my protection? So yes, they could very well want to kill you - to get back at me!” His voice had been steadily rising, a small reminder of a Zuko of the past.

“I didn’t know there were uprisings,” said Katara quietly, looking down at her hands.

“Yeah not exactly doing to advertise that to the international community am I? You think the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes are about to make trade deals with an unstable Nation?”

“Zuko STOP!” cried Katara, jumping to her feet and grabbing him by the shoulders, forcing him to pause his march and look at her. “We can help Zuko! If you’re having trouble, we can help!”

“I don’t need your help,” he growled, trying to push past her. The situation felt to incredibly familiar it boiled her blood.

“Yes you do! Why are you being such a … such a stubborn idiot?” she growled back, exasperated, banging her fists on his chest in frustration.

Zuko easily caught her hands in his own, holding them firmly in place.

“You almost died once because somebody wanted to get to me. I can’t let that happen. Ever.”

“Zuko…” she breathed, eyes wide. She felt a sensation of falling as things seemed to click into place - the looks, the touches, the way he always pulled away, never let it get too far, the rough formalities of goodbyes but the genuine greetings…could he feel the same way? “Is that… is that why you didn’t stop me leaving? Last time?” Her voice wobbled but didn’t break.

Zuko dropped her hands and turned his head away. She could almost see him counting his breaths.

Katara raised a hesitant hand and placed it on his scarred cheek, gently turning him back to look at her, waiting for an answer.

“Its too dangerous here for you Katara,” he told her finally, voice thick with an emotion he usually kept buried. He brushed a strand of her from her face and offered her a wistful smile. “Its better to know you are safe somewhere else…”

“I think thats for me to decide, don’t you?” he looked down at her, bewildered by her response. “If I stayed… would you… would we maybe…would you like to…” She was blushing furiously, but refusing to break eye contact.

“No. Katara. No.” He looked pained, she thought.

“Is that what you feel?”

“It doesn’t matter what I feel! What don’t you understand about that! And… and it doesn’t matter how you feel either… Yes, I want… I want to court you properly, I want you here by my side every day, so much it h-hurts… but it would put you in so much danger … even if you did decide to … even if you did want to��� and you really shouldn’t want me and you probably don’t so….AHHHH” Zuko was propelled into the nearest wall by a jet of water and frozen there unceremoniously.

“Oh, look, my bending is back!” exclaimed Katara, smirking and turning to bow to Yue. The moonlight was growing through the window, sending energy through her veins, heart hammering with power.

She sauntered over to him, glad to see that the shock had stopped him thinking of melting himself free.

“I disagree. I think it does matter what I want, and what you want, and quite frankly your Nation will have to get used to it. In fact, let them come to me! You’ll capture them and root out the Ozai supporters… although you’re not particularly good at capturing people,” she giggled, setting him free with a flick of her wrist.

Zuko’s shoulders sagged and he groaned, opening his mouth to say something but startled as he felt a warm finger on his lips.

“Don’t Zuko,” she whispered, tantalisingly close to him. He couldn’t help looking at her lips - lips he had dreamt about tasting for far longer than he remembered, lips closer to his than they ever had been…

A loud knock ran through the room, pulling a curse from his own lips as Katara winked at him and pushed him towards the door.

His Head of Guard walked in, dragging two men in chains behind him.

“Fire Lord, we found these two men climbing into Master Katara’s room but she was nowhere to be … found,” he stated, the last word leaving his mouth as he set eyes on the very alive water bender standing behind Zuko.

“Thank you. Take them to the dungeons, they will be interrogated later,” commanded Zuko in his Fire Lord voice, eyeing the two assassins with utter disdain. The two glanced at one another with barely contained fear at the force in the Fire Lord’s voice, and glanced back towards the stoic monarch with no pity in his hard gaze.

The door swung shut, the clang echoing around the room.

“Huh, I guess I was right. The plan is going fantastically, don’t you think? Already two down!” came Katara’s voice from behind him, striking a note of false positivity.

“Katara…”

“No Zuko, I can’t do this anymore, I need to be with you alright? I go downright crazy every time I leave…”

“Katara please…”

“And I am strong! You can teach me to sword fight if you like, I’ll learn! But I can protect myself and…”

“For Agni’s sake Katara!”

“I’M NOT LEAVING!”

“KISS ME THEN!”

Katara blinked, finding Zuko right in front of her, holding her hands tightly in his, a look of defeat drawn on his face but his eyes more alive than she’d seen them in a long time. A smile spread across her face as she leaned towards him and their lips, finally, met.

Yue smiled down at them through the window. Sometimes you needed to take something away for people to take advantage of it when its back.

[jboitmbd-blog]

Banshee Prime Bio

Banshee Prime:

"Hey, wait up!", Seleki yelled at her friends as they began to disappear into the large crowd of people amassed before the concert stage.

It seemed as if the entire moon had gathered for this event. There were spectacles of light and color dotting the landscape. People from cultures the world over had stationed here for this annual event. "Moshdragun" as the local governing body had dubbed. It roughly translates to "Divine Circus". Living on Lua was almost like being in a circus on the daily. The large, golden trusses that encapsulated the moon made that comparison even more prevalent.

Seleki navigated through the swath of entertainers and thrill-seekers to regroup with her friends. They had a bad tendency to leave her in the dust during their adventures. She never was a fan of rushing straight into the limelight. The notions that directed her life were a bit more cautious than that. She was one of the few people  on Lua her age that hailed from elsewhere. Her parents were very successful diplomats, making their application for a residency that much more plausible. Lua was a breeding ground for excellence, and the powers that would be abstained from anything less than impressive. Typically families with pre-existing children were discouraged from applying, but there were a few instances where a child could be subjected to rigorous testing in order to gain entrance. Seleki managed to power through the tests with few hardships, but it placed a seed of doubt in her mind that would continue to grow. She may have been accepted into the grand society, but ever looming was the possibility of expulsion. With her parents' careers constantly carrying them to distant planets, she was more or less on her own. Even her friends had made a note of this from time to time. Her social sphere and dedicated studying were her only tethers to solid ground here. A rather burdening prospect to endure for someone going through puberty. Still, she carried on like everyone else. Trying to balance her social and professional lives. She didn't care much for large crowds of people. Too many factors to weigh in, too much chaos to control.

She began to reach the epicenter of the event. Large, decorative pillars sat with a billowing tapestry hanging off of the tops. The tapestry was handcrafted, depicting a scene of explosive grandeur. There were figures of men and women all striking various poses. It seemed to be a recreation of some great communion. There was an overlaying figure of some strange, humanoid creature. The face bore no notable features, yet stared straight into the viewer. A gaze uninterrupted and captivating. Seleki preferred not to look at it with too much effort, as her friends were still roaming about. She moved past the tapestry, but was intercepted by a parade of cosplayers all dressed for battle. The lead figure was adorned with ornamental armor. Underneath her golden scales was a silky linen that seemed to float just above the ground, allowing her the appearance of levitation. She moved like a wraith, leading into a flurry of interactions with the rest of the trope. Her weapon of choice was a whip fashioned from a lunar pitcher. As she swung the small pod, a plethora of vibrant flora erupted from the casing. There were a few glowflies that remained on the plants as they careened through the air. Their presence made time halt for Seleki.

Her heart began to beat faster and faster as the flowers transformed into bullets that hammered the side of a great, myopic beast of a machine. The area around her was a tattered version of the once proud Lua. The scars upon the ground told a vicious story of continuous strife. In the background was a fragmented truss; still enormous by proportion, but now leaves little to no impression. The skies were littered with bright projections emanating from various landscapes. The once beautiful showstopper of a woman was now a macabre soldier dressed in a patchwork uniform. Their gun had started to jam, and before they could react the machine rushed through them leaving only a bloodstain on the ground. Seleki looked down at her hands to see robotic prosthesis struggle to move. She didn't panic. She looked over to the machine and raised a hand towards the vicinity. It reacted like a dog being beckoned by its owner, rushing over to her hand. She balled a fist and the machine roared with an aggressive tone. Hatches popped open and small turrets peeked out, sparking with an unstable energy. She looked over to her right and saw more soldiers moving in on their position. With her other hand she flung three fingers towards the landscape, forcing the machine to jolt forward with a volley of hellfire and mayhem. The crowds were annihilated in seconds, leaving only ashes in the midst. Seleki started to move towards the machine, but her body began to shiver uncontrollably. Her ears began to ring with an increasing pitch, and the ground cracked at the seams. She held her hands to her head, looking in every direction for the source. The machine began to spaz out; running in circles before it fell on its side. The noise kept beaming through her mind. She looked down to see blood dripping steadily from her mouth. She began to whimper before falling to her knees. She closed her eyes and the ringing stopped.

When she opened her eyes, she saw the familiar ground of the festival. She was on her knees, panting and sweating. Her friend, Nyla was consoling her.

"Are you going to be okay?", she asked with dire concern, her eyes rapidly inspecting Seleki's body.

"Yeah," Seleki responded, wiping the tears from her face. "I'll be fine."

She took a deep, labored breath and stood up.

"Alright, let's get back to the fun and excitement. You'll look much better crying on your knees with us around," Nyla jested awkwardly.

Seleki held onto Nyla's arm as she moved out towards a bustling circle of people. Seleki began to fondle her arms, trying to figure out the strange sensation she felt.

"Having fun?" Nyla asked with a grin.

"What? Oh, no. I just had an odd feeling."

"It's alright. Most people don't even notice I have prosthetics. Thankfully here on Lua they are pretty much indistinguishable from the real thing."

Seleki felt a hint of nausea wash over her, but kept holding onto her friend.

"It's still you. And that's all that matters," Seleki sighed and nuzzled up to Nyla even more.

"Jeez. Don't let Ingoya see us. You know he has a crush on you, right?", Nyla chuckled.

"Yeah, maybe I'll give him a chance," Seleki smiled as the rest of their friends came into view.

All rights reserved to Julio J. Ramirez (ramirezjj72195)

[hpbayushi]

Chapter 01

https://hpbayushi.tumblr.com/post/166194326050/chapter-01-wat-da-bloody-fuck-harry-potter#notes Chapter 02

The very last night of the cycle was always the worst. Harry could feel his body at the brink of collapse. Every bone on his body hurt. His hypersensitive senses made his head feel like it would explode.

But the worse was the thirst. His mouth and throat were so dry that he could feel the cracks on his lips. Even opening his mouth to breathe was hard.

He was in the dark, inside the little shack at the backyard. The first rays of sunlight coming through the cracks of the door. He listened, unable to move just yet, as the locker was unlocked, and the door opened. He smelled, a smell he had known all too well even before his enhanced senses take place. The smell of excitement coming from the enormous man in front of him. It was nauseating, Harry felt even weaker.

“Well, well, look at you” Vernon Dudley said, Harry could almost feel his smile through the words “I didn't think you could become an even bigger aberration that you already were… but look at you” his breath speed up, as Harry listened to him unlocking his belt buckle “you know, the other freaks, your friends, paid  good money to get my permission to build this monstrosity here” he was rolling his belt on his hand now, breathing even faster “but no one told me about the noise… no sir… I couldn't get a minute of sleep this night, with all your crying and howling” now he was panting.  Harry was sure the man had an erection “And poor Petunia, so scared… that woman gave you everything… I think you deserve the buckle of the belt today, to learn a little gratitude, don't you agree?” Harry found some strength to look up, only to see a smile on his uncle face, and the belt coming in his direction.

Fleur had just finished packing her things for the school year in two large trunks. One containing her books, quills, parchments and other practical materials, like the potions kit and her broom. In the second, her robes, both for day to day classes and the more formal ones, for special occasions, an assortment of casual mundane clothes (she always loved muggle fashion, specifically concerning lingerie) and for this year, a bigger number of cold weather garments, as England were famous for its winters. Completing the space, she was also taking some things she was sure Gabrielle would forget to take with her, as always.

She closed her trunk with a smile, Fleur once again though about the wolf.  The dream kept coming every night now, maybe it has some meaning, she was lost in thought when she heard a knock on the door. Apoline came in, looking as stunning as always with her high couture clothes.

“Everything packed my little dove?” She asked “Yes mama” answered Fleur, smiling at the nickname her mother used. “Say Fleur” her mother continued “I try to stay out of it, but let me ask, anyone in particular you are looking to see again this year?” Taking by surprise, Fleur blushed for a second, but answered with resolution “Only Regine mama, and as a friend. You know I tried, but was to no good. The boys can't see past the damn allure, and most girls can't overcome their jealousy. And the ideas people have about us are simply disgusting. So no, I had fun for a while, but not anymore” to her surprise, Apoline just smiled. “I know how hard it is. It took me a long time to find you father”

“Ah, now we are getting to the point” Fleur tough to herself.

“I assume you already talked to your father” Fleur nodded and her mother took a deep breath “then, here goes” she extended her hand, and in it was a photograph “It is not without pain I give this to you, but is for the best” Fleur didn't understand, but grabbed the picture and looked at it.

There was, smiling and waving at the camera her mother and father, to the left she could see the man she met early this month, Remus Lupin, to they're right there was another young couple, Fleur tough the green eyes of the redheaded woman looked familiar, and more to the right the man she now knows as Sirius Black. But what really caught her was the kids. On the ground, side by side, smiling like she didn't even know she could. She recognized herself, and a little boy, no much more than a year old, with green eyes and messing hair. She looked into them, hypnotized for some seconds.

“Why?” she asked.

“My dear… let me tell you about when your father and I were young…”

“Here, the books you asked” Daphne Greengrass said, giving Hermione Granger a stack of 3 books. “I still don't understand what you want with it. I thought you found the magical world to be too backwards”. “Actually they are for Harry” Hermione said putting the books aside. “He told me about a plan of his on the end of the last term”

As weird as it looks, both girls had become friends on the previous year, after the broom incident, that had divided the Gryffindor golden trio. But, after this summer, said trio may be no more…

Hermione looked around nervously, looking for Harry, she hadn’t seen her friend for almost three months now, three lunar cycles, she didn't even know what to expect.

She saw Hedwig’s first, inside her cage. Then she saw the mass of black hair and couldn't contain herself. She ran in his direction and dove into his arms, tears rolling down her face. She could feel his surprise and hiss, like something hurt on his back, but he embrace her back and didn't let it go. “Oh Harry” she started, sobbing, “I am so sorry, I tried to call several times, your aunt would not pass you the phone!!! It’s not right to leave you like that!!” She left his arms, a little blushed, and looked at him.

He was a mess. He looked thin, with big black bags under his eyes, and he was pale… but his smile was the most sincere and warm thing she saw in months “how can you be a mess like that and still beautiful” she caught herself thinking and blushed even harder.

“Please, don't look at me like that Mione” Harry said looking at her, she bit her lower lip, sending shivers through his body, “you know I had some bad nights… I will make up to it in the train. Had you seen Ron?” She looked at him with a weird expression, and he took the clue. “Never mind, let's find a cabinet on the train”.

They entered the express and moved to their favorite cabinet on the back, the Weasleys were late and Hermione was thankful for that. Neville joined then a couple minutes later, and they started doing small talk about the summer and the new school year. Hermione felt Harry's head leaning against her shoulder and realized he was asleep, a warm fuzz ran through her body, and before she realized, her hand were running through his hair. That was the moment Rob showed up, his face becomes almost the same color of his hair, and he turned away. Ginny entered the cabinet and looked at them. “He doesn't look well…” she said in a low voice.

Harry woke up, or rather was awaken next to the arrival. “Believe it or not, I am actually feeling better” he said to the other occupants of the cabinet, while putting his robes, and some color had actually came back to his face. “Where is Ron?” Nobody seems to know.

They exited the train and got to the carriages, Harry could see Ron some feet way, with Seamus and Dean. He was about to ask Hermione with was happening when they heard a loud voice. “Arry my lad” they could see Hagrid approaching. “So good to see you” he gave the boy a big hug, sending Harry to a world of pain for some seconds, only Hermione seem to notice. He released the teen and continued “but I am getting carried away, I'm here to pass a message from the headmaster. He want you to meet him at his office to discuss you new… eeeer… condition” Neville and Ginny looked at him, worried, and he nodded his head as if saying “later”.

“Also” Hagrid carried on “we will have a biiiiiig surprise for you all this year!”

As they entered the carriage, Neville asked “What you guys think is that surprise?” “I don't know” Harry said “I just hope is not something that tries to kill me” he said with a grim. “Prat” Hermione said slapping him on the shoulder.

The great Hall was all laughs and greetings, friends meeting each other.  Hogwarts was a prison alright, but at least a good one, Harry though. He complimented his colleagues both from Gryffindor and from other houses, after a long and solitaire summer he had decided this year he would try to make a change. To hell with house rivalries, he remembered the Heir fiasco all too well. It was an uphill battle, but one needed for his plans.

He sat at his usual place at the table, Hermione sat at his right side, and he felt really good when their legs touch, she smiled at him. Ron decided to sit at the other side with Seamus and Dean, leaving his left side empty and Harry sighed, another uphill battle ahead. Angelina and Katie were passing, giggling at his back when the Katie suddenly stopped. Angelina looked at her, while a big grin appeared on her friend’s face.  

“Hello Harry” Katie said touching his shoulder and sitting at the empty space on his left, to his big surprise. They had been friends and played quidditch together, but that was new. As Angelina sat on the other side of the table, looking somewhat amused by the shy boy, Katie took what to Harry seemed like a really deep breath and continued. “I am betting you had a really, really interesting summer” “What do you mean Katie?” He asked confused, but secretly enjoying the attention, the brunette was beautiful, and there was something in her eyes. “I don't know Harry, you… look different…” Katie looked at a confused Angelina and a somewhat bothered Hermione. “So, this year championship…” she changed the subject and let the conversation flow.

After the sorting, Harry took a good look at the professor’s table. Up on his feet, in a corner he saw the weird man full of scars, holding a strange looking walking stick, like an old worn out soldier. But what really caught his attention was the magic eye rolling on his socket. The eye stopped at Harry, looking directly at him, and the man took a sip from a small bottle.

Hermione was trying to make sense of what was happening in front of her. She knew Katie always had a crush on Harry, she heard the older girl talking to Angelina once or twice, but the same was true to many other girls. What made her act like that, with so much courage was the mystery, and although she would not admit to herself, Hermione was a little envious of that. Katie was practically leaning on Harry's shoulder, and Hermione was pretty sure, by the way he was tense, that the girl's hand was on his knee or thigh. But it was over when Harry and Katie, as well as Angelina and many others on the great Hall said almost in unison “WHAT!!!”

“Yes” the headmaster master continued “there will be no quidditch championship this year, as Hogwarts has been chosen to host the Triwizard tourney” he go on to explain about the tournament, as most of the things wizards do, most of it sounded unnecessary convoluted and dangerous to Hermione, but the prospect of getting to know students from other magical schools around Europe was fascinating.

After the initial shock, Katie came back to talk really close to Harry, he was cute all clumsy and blushing this way, she thought. No, she was the only one that knew what happened and that he needed help. Library first thing tomorrow!

Fleur stood at the desk after organizing her things at her dorm in Beauxbatons. It was a cozy double bedroom, with mirror sides, each one consisting in a four post bed with a trunk at its foot, a big closet and a writing desk. Fleur had the side with the window and her best friend Regine has the door's side. On the opposite side there was also a small door that leads to the common upper year girls’ bathroom.

“I didn't know your family was friends with “The Boy Who Lived”” Regine said after entering the room and looking over Fleur's shoulder. “What do you mean?” “Here, those are your mom and dad right? Those two here are James and Lily Potter, and I assume those beautiful kids are you and Harry Potter!” Fleur looked at the picture once again, she couldn't remember. Regine had family in England and past some time with them almost every year, so the blonde decided to ask. “Do you know how he is like?”

“That depends if you believe the English media” she said after a while, studying Fleur's face “They say he is a mentally unstable boy, with delusions of grandeur and attention seeking issues…” she could see by the looks on her friend's face that this was close to home for her, and she didn't buy it. “My cousin plays quidditch with him…” she finally said. “Angelina always talks about him with some kind of awe, she said that almost nothing the tabloids had written about him is true, that he is a passionate and courageous person, an incredible seeker, and if half of the things she thinks happened really happened to him then he is more incredible than people can even imagine. She says he even killed a basilisk when he was twelve or thirteen” “That is a little hard to imagine, non?” Fleur said with a smile. “True, but as I see, this boy had gone through hell and back, and for things he didn't even choose, I mean, if you believe my cousin and her friends” she finished laying in her bed. “It is incredible that your father didn't used this on his campaign, people would kill for this kind of connection with the Potters” “Friendship and respect were always more important to him” Fleur said a little annoyed “I know, that is the reason he will win” Regine finished.

Fleur though for some time, looking at the picture, there was something there, she wanted that smile back… then she got a piece of parchment, a quill and started writing.

Albus Dumbledore watched as the boy entering his office with attention, looking for signs of the curse.

“Good night Harry, would like a lemon drop?” “No, thank you headmaster” “please, have a sit Harry”. The headmaster looked at him over his glasses, with a grandpa expression on his face. “First of all, let me apologize for the somewhat clumsy solution we could arrange for your summer, we had to do it in such a short notice, also I understand that you got upset about losing the quidditch world cup, bit been the smart boy you are, I believe you understand the reasons” he said in a rather patronizing tone that he could see annoyed Harry. “I do understand, professor…”

“Good, Harry, Remus has studied at Hogwarts for seven years, and we never had any dangerous incident, and I wish to keep this record. All the relevant professors had already been informed of your… condition…” Harry sighed “I am glad to inform you that at the school, you will at least be allowed to run free during the cycle, all the school wards had been updated, you will not be able to enter any building during those nights, so that the other students will be safe. Also Hagrid will be responsible for monitoring you during and after your… changes… and Severus will provide you with wolfsbane every first night.” Harry was astonished with that much information. “Well, any doubt we can discuss later, people are perfectly capable of living with this curse Harry and you will be too.”

Harry directed himself to the door, and turned to Dumbledore before opening it. “Professors, what about Sirius…”

“It is been taking care, my boy”

Harry exited the office and the headmaster leaned on his chair, the boy looked tired and defeated, he may even lost some weight during the summer, in other words, he looked great for him.