#like when he’s covered in blood and has that giant goofy fucking smile on his face and she just look genuinely so happy to be covered

[babymorte]

Are you excited for terrifier 3 ? I actually love that it is doing so good at the box office right now! That actor is so fuckin good at physical acting dude! He's so creepy without a single line.

IM SO PUMPED i have to wait till it’s on streaming though unfortunately 😞 my entire ig feed is just terrifier shit right now and honestly it’s the only positive escape i’ve have lately im actually watching the first one on tubi right now while im on break 😅

[shorkbrian]

Okay so pro hero kiri has this big fat crush on his co worker! Reader who unintentionally rejecting his moves on her because she is so shy and awkward but slowly she shown some signs that she is into him so he changes tactics and acts more romantic which adds bonus points once he sees her blush when she reads the note attached to a deep red rose! fast forward to a couple of months of pinning and he is getting very frustrated especially with her enticing soft curves of her body so (1/2) 🌠 anon

oof okay listen!!!! open ur ears!!! I have something to say

(Warnings - stalking, Somnophilia, dubcon, NSFW, unsafe sex, blood from a bite wound but it’s very brief lol)

You’re a little paper pusher at his agency, you barely even interact with the big man, but he always makes time to swing by your desk and chat for a bit before he heads home.

Unfortunately, you’re about as smooth as a piece of burnt toast. His casual flirting goes right over your head, and you keep rejecting his advances and it’s so fucking frustrating. Can’t you see how hard he’s fallen for you? Kiri doesn’t understand why you look away whenever he bends down to rest his elbows on your desk, giving you the perfect view down his shirt to see his fat pecs (the man knows he’s got a banging’ body okay). He doesn’t get why you shy away from his touch when he tries to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.

Kirishima can’t comprehend why you always turn him down when he mentions going out with you and some other co-workers (to make you feel more at-ease, he knows he can be intimidating) for drinks or a bite to eat.

He’s stressed - the man really wants to get to know you, but it’s like you’re completely oblivious to his intentions. He’s pretty sure you just see him as a goofy extroverted coworker that loves people. After all, he does stop and say hi to several other people every day as he makes his way over to your desk.

So Kirishima decides to up his game. Starts making his feelings obvious. He gets more touchy, perching on your desk to reach and rub your shoulders, laughing at your jokes and (gently) smacking a hand against your leg like a giggly schoolgirl. He talks about his workout routine and asks you if you think his muscles have been getting bigger. Could you check? Just with a hand around his bicep of course.

He buys a few gifts here and there; a cup of coffee for you with his number on the lid, a new pen when he noticed your favorite one broke, cute socks because he’s seen you wearing cute ones before, and he saw them and thought of you.

Each and every gift is accepted with the biggest blush he’s ever seen. You turn beet red, flush stretching down your neck and disappearing underneath your shirt. Kirishima chides himself for wanting to see how far the flush went, for wanting to rip off your shirt and bend you over right here and now.

But he didn’t like you just for your body, and he was willing to wait. 

Kirishima feels emboldened by the success of his other gifts, so he decides to write out his feeling in a note, get you a bunch of flowers, and present them to you Friday night. That way, you’d have time to think things over and process your own feelings before you saw Kiri again on Monday. To him, it seemed like the perfect plan.

And god, you were so cute when he gave you the flowers, he wanted to kiss you on the nose and then taste your lips, right then and there. 

But he didn’t.

He gave you a soft pat on the back before walking away. He was around the corner before he heard you gasp, which immediately made him backtrack and peek his head out so he could see you. Was it a good gasp? Or a bad gasp?

You had a little smile on your face, eyes twinkling as you read the note.

Kirishima pumped his fist, heart soaring. He finally got through to you.

Except he hadn’t.

On Monday, you didn’t say anything to him, hardly even looked at him. When he came by your desk to ask what you thought of the note, all he got was a fierce blush and mumbled sentences, before you bolted off to the bathroom.

It’s like he was back at square one. 

It made Kirishima feel... inadequate. His old middle-school insecurities came creeping back into his life. Was he not good enough? Was he just too boring and dull and you didn’t know how to tell him without hurting his feelings? What was wrong with him?

But he was an adult now, he could handle rejection.

The thing is, you weren’t rejecting him. 

You baked him cookies, dropping them off in his office while he was out, but they had your name on them and the most adorable little note, and Kirishima’s heart almost exploded. Plus, they tasted delicious. 

He got a text from you one night, a cute picture of a spiky red dog and a “this reminded me of you... Sleep well! <3″ and he spent the rest of the night imagining your wedding.

You kept showing signs that you were interested, yet you wouldn’t even look at him in person. Kirishima concluded that you were just too shy.

That was okay. He realized that the more time he gave you, the more you opened up to him. Maybe in a few months, the two of you could go on a date or something!

In the meantime, the man liked to check up on you, make sure you were safe. He was invested in you now, subtly following you home some nights to make sure nobody looked at you wrong.

He broke into your apartment quite often, but it was entirely justifiable! He wasn’t being a creep (okay, well, maybe just a little), he was just being a good friend, a good coworker. He had to make sure everything was safe, that no one could get in (other than him), that you hadn’t left a candle burning or the stove going. 

You slept like a rock, staying asleep even when Kirishima accidentally knocked a cup off your counter and broke it. To his surprise, there was no awakening, no screaming, yelling for him to get out or that he was a weirdo. Just you, snoring in your bed, a tiny bit of drool at the side of your mouth.

It was such a domestic scene, it warmed Kiri’s heart.

Sometimes the man liked to slip into bed beside you, frame creaking under his weight. It was a tight squeeze-he was a large man and your bed was made for one (1) person, but Kirishima didn’t mind. It just meant he got to press close to you, feel the warmth of your smaller body, hear your quite little huffs and snores and mumbles as you slept. 

He let himself relax, sink into the mattress. The next time he crawled into your bed, he let himself wrap an arm around you. The time after that, Kirishima felt brave enough to scooch under the covers, squeezing his eyes shut tight as he found that your pajamas consisted of a giant shirt and panties.

Bare legs.

Glad that he wasn’t a teenager anymore, he didn’t have to worry about cumming in his pants. Still, he found himself leaving your apartment with a chubbed-up cock more often than not.

You were just so soft. He wanted to touch all of you, to lick all over and get your plush flesh in-between his teeth. He wanted to bite into your shoulders as he fucked you into the mattress, pumping you with load after load of cum, until your stomach was swollen and you cried because you felt sick.

But Kirishima also wanted to hold you close, take showers together and wash your hair for you, make coffee in the morning and talk about last night’s episode of “Chopped”. He wanted to give you sappy smooches before getting to work, make you laugh with goofy jokes and give you hugs, pick you up and twirl you around whenever he saw you after being apart, no matter if it were days or minutes.

The nasty, dirty thoughts warred with the soft, gentle ones. Sometimes they mixed, Kirishima daydreaming of sweet, romantic sex. 

He just wanted you so bad.

One night, he’s crawled into bed with you like usual, rubbing a sock-clad foot over your bare legs, pressing chaste little kisses to the top of your head as he draws you into his arms. It was nigh impossible to wake you, so he felt no fear or apprehension in taking such bold actions.

Shuffling in your sleep, you throw a leg over his hip, snuggling deeper into the solid warmth that is his body. Kiri sighs, contented.

And then you start making noises.

Little huffs of breath, tiny whimpers, and when Kirishima looks down, your eyebrows are drawn up. You twitch against him, against the thick thigh that you had slung your leg over, and then repeat the motion. 

You’re.... You’re having a wet dream.

Kirishima lets out a shaky breath, trying to focus so he doesn’t crush your arm with his excited grip. You’re rutting against him steadily now, dragging your damp cunt against his leg, sighing at the friction, lips parted. 

His cock is rapidly hardening, and he wants to rub himself against your stomach, feel the cling of his shirt as he rucks it up with his rhythmic humping. But he doesn’t.

He’s a gentleman, he wouldn’t take advantage of you like that. You’re just having an unconscious reaction to a man being in your bed. Maybe further down the road, when he’s taken you on many romance-filled dates, then he can lay you down and whisper into your ear how much he loves you while the two of you make love.

The man is so taken with that fantasy that he almost misses the gentle gasp of a name falling from your lips.

But he didn’t, because it was his name.

A shiver ran through him; excitement? fear of you waking up? He didn’t know. When he checked your face, you were still asleep, letting out those little whimpers and moaning his name quietly.

God was real.

God was real, and he had made angels, and you were one of them. 

And lord forgive him, because Kirishima was about to sin.

How could he hold himself back? You were humping his leg, moaning his name and panting, in your sleep. You wanted him, you were just too shy to initiate or accept Kiri’s advances. 

Theres no way he’s holding himself back.

Covers are thrown off, Kirishima quickly detaching from you (oh how he missed your warmth immediately) to shuck off his clothes, almost falling on his face as he ripped off his socks. 

Then he’s looming over you, quickly pulling up your shirt, lifting your head gently, guiding your arms out. Your panties came off next, slid down your legs with shaky, excited hands.

Kirishima wanted to worship you. You were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, laid there on the bed, whining in your sleep for him, thighs rubbing together. He felt himself salivating, jaw itching to open and clamp down, to eat you whole. He wanted all of you.

Climbing back on the bed, Kiri pumped his cock a few times, precum flowing from the tip helping to smooth the way. He was going to fuck you now. 

No preamble, the man just spread your legs, settling between them. A quick rub of your pussy with his fingers had him finding it already drenched, and he groaned quietly, the hand around his cock moving faster. 

He shifted back slightly, only far enough to lift your legs, pressing your thighs up and back towards your chest. Your breathing changed slightly, but Kirishima wasn’t paying attention to that now. He didn’t care if you woke up now, you had just been dreaming about him. He was your wet dream come true, you’d surely appreciate how good he was about to make you feel.

Lining up was a bit more difficult than Kirishima was used to - he’d never been this excited to fuck someone in his life, hands trembling, heart beating out of his chest, sweat slicking his skin. But then the tip of his fat cock slipped inside, stretching you open, and all was right in the world for Kirishima.

He wanted to slam home, to push and push until he was balls deep and his tip was kissing your cervix. But he held himself back - he hadn’t stretched you, and he didn’t like the idea of hurting you in that way, he wanted your first time with him to feel good.

So he went slow, pushing inside an inch, waiting. Pushing another inch, then waiting. Waiting waiting waiting, he almost couldn’t rein in his desires. But he did, for you.

“Kiri?” You mumbled, eyes fluttering open. Kirishima wasn’t expecting you to speak so clearly, hips jumping forward, seating himself the rest of the way inside your heavenly warmth as the man swore.

“Kiri?” Clearer now, with a hint of panic. Kirishima looked up, and you were fully awake now, looking at the man with wide eyes.

“Hey baby.” He whispered, smiling gently. Your hands rose, one resting against his bicep, the other settling on his chest, and he shivered at your touch, at the feel of your tiny little hands on his flesh. 

“What’s-? When did you....?” It was so cute, the confused scrunch of your face. You were still fighting the mist of sleep, blinking owlishly up at the man on top of you. Fear hadn’t kicked in, although it was simmering underneath the surface.

“Hey, shhh. Don’t worry, I’m here. Gonna make you feel the best, you’re my pretty little girl, know that? I’ve been waiting so long for you.” He whispered, swooping down for a gentle kiss.

You didn’t fight him, just accepted the lips pressing against yours with confusion. It probably felt like you were still in a dream, hazy and relaxed.

Kirishima couldn’t wait anymore, his cock was throbbing, your insides were molten and he felt like he was going to explode. He wanted, no, needed to move.

His first thrust was small, just a quick schlick out, and the same noise when he pushed back in. You were sopping wet, and the slide made it easy for him to move. Even more proof that you wanted this. 

You gasped, eyes fluttering closed as you pulled away from the kiss. Kiri huffed out a joyful, breathless laugh as he thrusted again, sparks of pleasure lighting up in his gut. 

“Mm, Kiri wait-” You moaned, nails digging into his bicep and chest. Kirishima ignored you, speeding up, trying to angle his hips to find your sweet spot. One of his hands held your hip, the other brushing your hair out of your eyes as he cooed at you. “Pretty baby, my beautiful girl. You’re making me feel amazing, love you so much. Feeling good? I can feel you trying to milk my cock. You want my cum?”

Dazed, assaulted by so many sensations straight out of sleep, you couldn’t exactly grasp what was going on. But Kirishima’s question snapped you fully awake, and you squirmed against his body. “No, no, don’t do that.” You mumbled.

“Shh, shh, you’re okay. I’m gonna pump you nice and full, you’ll feel all warm and round. Look so cute like this.” He grunted, going harder and harder with his hips.

Then he angled just right, striking your sweet spot, and you cried out in pleasure, bucking your hips involuntarily. “Mm, there we go. Feels good, doesn’t it honey?”

It was a rhetorical question - you were too busy writhing on Kirishima’s cock to answer, one of his hands pressing flat over your stomach to feel the subtle bulge of his cock as he fucked into your guts.

“Oh Kiri! Wait, I’m not-! Wait!” You whimpered, steadily reaching your orgasm. You didn’t want to cum, you needed to slow down and gather your wits, figure out what was happening and why Kirishima was here and when this had started and-

Kiri pulled out, quickly manhandling you as if you weighed nothing. He was so strong, it was easy for him to flip you onto your stomach, pulling you to your hands and knees. 

“Gonna fuck you full. You’re gonna take all of my cum, gonna get bred like a good girl, my good girl.” His teeth were clenched as he slid back home, hissing as your wet heat welcomed him. You whined at the pleasurable sensation, unable to stop your hips from fucking back, trying to take more of his cock. 

“Ohhh, fuck yeah, look at you. Knew you wanted this, wanted me. You’re so perfect, taking my cock so well. You like having my fat cock filling you up? Messing up your insides? Making you all wet and sloppy?”

His hand found its way to your clit, the area already wet from the copious amounts of slick and precum the two of you had produced. Kiri quickly began rubbing large circles over your button, thumb big and calloused and oh so good.

Kirishima’s other hand grabbed at your chest, attaching to your tit and pawing at you. He was quickly devolving into a feral man, animalistic in the way he fucked you, thrusts harsh and fast and too much but hitting you just right-

You cried out as you came, convulsing in the man’s arms at the strength of the orgasm he ripped from your body.

He didn’t take a second, spurred on by your orgams and the tightening of your cunt, and instinctively bit down on your shoulder, almost growling as he pounded into you.

“Fuck, fuck! Kiri ouch, fuck!” You yelped, his sharp teeth breaking skin.

The man paid you no heed, rabbiting his hips until he started to cum, his hot seed flowing into your pussy. His hips kept going, twitching as they slowed down until they stopped completely, both of you absolutely spent.

Nothing but the sounds of panting filled the air, and Kirishima finally unhooked his teeth from your shoulder, wincing at the stream of blood the started to roll down your back.

“Oh, baby m’sorry.” He mumbled, a bit drunk off the pleasure still coursing through his veins.  You collapsed forward, his arms no longer holding you up. 

Kirishima didn’t pull out as he laid down next to you, keeping your hips firmly cemented to his own so that none of his cum would escape, pulling you close to his body in the process. “Pretty baby, I love you. Thank you.”

It was just a dream, it had to be. You were left with no choice but to console yourself with that thought, unable (and unwilling) to think of any other possibilities. 

A wet tongue lapped at your back, Kirishima licking up the blood from the wound he inflicted. “I’ll be more gentle next time, I can be good with my teeth, I promise.”

You ignored him, letting your exhausted self flicker between awake and asleep, confused, disoriented, overwhelmed. 

What did he mean by “next time”?

[cannibalcreepers]

First kiss with the hiliker brothers separately

Aww first kisses with the booooois UwU 

4111 word count

 hopefully you guys enjoy it ^ ^  -------- One-Eye: 

Soft. 

He is so soft, his skin, his hair, his hands, his gaze and gosh his lips, those were the most softest part of this adorable man. But also stinky, sweaty and a little slimy that smelt of sour cheese, no matter how gross he was, One-Eye was like velvet, smooth and soft to the touch, very unlike his two brothers that seemed to be so hardy and covered in wrinkles and calluses. 

So it was no surprise to you when you first placed your lips against his, they were amazingly soft, gentle and inexperienced. You hadn’t really meant to kiss him at the start, it truly was an accident that turned into something you have secretly been desiring ever since coming across the three brothers and you were over the moon that the first of the three was One-Eye. The two of you were doing washing duties, usually you did it on your own or Three-Fingers would do the chore, but today One-Eye wanted to help you since there were some extra loads after the four of you took out a school bus filled to the brim with a college football team, which meant cleaning up any of their stinky clothing for the three boys to wear or use. You were arms deep in scrubbing some pants while One-Eye sat patiently beside you, only handing you dirty clothes and taking the wet ones to put into the other basket. He was such a helpful man, beaming all the while you talked about random stories from your past or some trivia you knew about, sure One-Eye didn’t understand but he was hanging on every word that left your pretty mouth. As you continued on rattling about the types of birds that collected items to woo their female counterparts, you wracked your knuckles against the side of the washing bucket and let out a hiss from how sore it felt, due to how raw and soaked up your skin had gotten from the water. You shook your hand and held it against your chest, having an annoyed look on your face, One-eye reaching over to touch your sore hand gently and let out soft murmurs, lifting your hand up to press a small kiss against the redness, making your cheeks just as flushed. “Thank you, you’re so lovely” You whispered to the cannibal, causing him to give you a large, goofy smile at being able to make you feel better. With your hand now better, being as it was not really that bad of a bump, you went to reach down into the water to grab the scrubber, not realizing One-Eye was doing the same to be helpful, you looked his was in surprise exactly the same time he did and bumping your faces together. Though not only did you smack cheeks but your lips had grazed over each other making you both lean back in surprise, shyness hitting you both at what just happened. One-Eye was first to react, letting out a small nervous snorted laugh, as though what just happened was a silly accident, his eye glancing away and then back at your face as though waiting to see how you would react to the incident. You had taken in a small sharp breath as so many thoughts rushed through your brain, but the loudest was screaming ‘Fucking Kiss Him!’ and so you did. You practically attacked the cannibal's face, hands lashing out and grabbing onto his cheeks, his face going from shy nervousness to complete shock at you coming at his face like this, eye going wide and his arms going up as though he was going to protect himself from an attack. Your lips pressed up against his, unmoving as you both were still against each other until you stopped to get a gasp of air. You had not yet kissed any of the boys since they took you, only just five weeks ago this man you were pressing up against almost ran a pole through your skull and now you were staring into his blue eye that looked surprised by your bold action. Sure you had fucked, or more like been fucked, licked, bitten, grabbed at and pushed around by the other two, with One-Eye not yet joining in possibly out of unsureness or shyness, you assumed as you really didn’t know why he didn’t at least attempt to fuck you like his brothers did. But none had ever properly kissed you either, so the fact that this gentle giant was now the first to kiss your lips was heartwarming, in a twisted way. The man reached up slowly to press his fingers against your bottom lip, tracing over the plumpness and across your cheek until he cupped it, his eye staring at your features as he leaned in closer and continued the kiss, going in soft at the start before pushing it into something more deeper and hungrier, as though he was pent up with need and want, hands moving from your face to your waist to drag you against his body. He was so soft, but his gentleness was starting to tighten and hurt, your pleased moans turning into pained gasps as his grip began to bruise your skin. You had to stop him, pushing back against his chest and speaking sternly “No!….no, not so rough ok”. Your tone surprised the man, his aggressive lusting melting back into his submissive, confused self, his head tilted and expression showing he didn’t understand what he did wrong. “Oh….hun, I…. you were just being a bit rough that’s all” you whispered “You just need to be more gentle, ok?” He nodded in agreement as you stroked his chest gently, leaning in to place a small peck on his nose which caused that lovely goofy smile to come again. “Going to be hard to not want to kiss you all the time now” After a few more kisses, this time more gentle and soft again, you two would return back to finishing the washing, not wanting to receive a stern chiding from Three-Fingers for slaking on the chores. --- Saw-Tooth: Itchy, rough and calloused, this man’s touch was always so intense, even just moving you around left small bumps and bruises on your skin. At the start of living with the three brothers Saw-Tooth would handle you like you were some toy, his expression so tense and he always scowled as he shoved and pushed you around whenever he wanted to have you do something, unlike his usually grunts and gestures to his brothers, mostly the reason he manhandled you so much was simply because he enjoyed feeling your softer skin under his damaged, rough hands. The large man had never kissed you, even when he placed himself onto you or touched you in any sexual manner, Saw-Tooth would always turn his head to the side if your faces ever came into close contact, eyes shifting down or to look elsewhere on your body, as though he was not ready for such an intimate act while you both were just letting out your pleasures. The closest he has ever gotten was running his slimy, fat tongue along your neck and up to your cheek, which may as well be a guilty pleasure of yours despite how grossly stinky their breaths were. It was now week 5, a whole month and 1 week had passed since you began your new life with the three boys and things were looking better than they were from week 1. You’ve proven yourself more freedoms, though there was always one of the boys by your side at all times, you were allowed a little bit of privacy when going to the bathroom or having a little nap inside the hut, but outside you were always watched and supervised. The pushing and bullying had gone down a bit, as though the excitement of a new plaything had died down and they were becoming comfortable with a fourth person living amongst them. Saw-Tooth was still forceful and gave you a bit of a stank-eye here and there whenever you did something odd or stupid, even if it amused the other two boys. You were mostly always watched by one of the younger boys, but today was the rare chance of Saw-Tooth watching you and it was purely not his choice. The large brute had gotten two make-shift spears through his thigh and hip thanks to some very determined hikers who fought back, though it was all in vain as all had ended up being slaughtered and stored to be the next few days’ meals. So now Saw-Tooth sat on the large wooden chair on the hut’s porch, a glass of unknown red fluids in one hand and his damaged leg covered in bandages, his eyes watching you craft some new arrows. You could feel his eyes boring into the back of your head, wondering why he couldn’t just stare into the scenery instead of making your feel scrutinized and judged, even if he was simply just staring it was making it difficult for you to work on the fletching of the arrows you were crafting, with a annoyed mumble you looked back at the staring giant and raised a brow. “Is there something you need or are your eyes just glued staring towards me?” You snarked, a little cheeky grin splattered on your face. The big cannibal let out a short huff and narrowed his eyes, but he kept his gaze on you as he lifted a hand and gestured for you to come over, in which you complied though you stilled let out a few annoyed grumbles that you were being disrupted, but it was better to do as you're told than anger a very wild beast, not that you think Saw-Tooth would ever kill or maim you for simply ignoring him but he sure would leave a large hand mark from where he may grab and pull at you. 

When you walked over and were at grabbing range, he reached over and took hold of your arms in a surprisingly gentle way, pulling you towards him so that you straddled his good leg, his hands moving from your arms to rest on your hips instead, thumbs pushing your shirt up to rub at your skin. “I don’t think your legs healed up enough for any rough action” You commented, putting your hands on his chest to keep yourself propped up, watching his expression to see how he would react to you slowly explore his features. He was definitely not a pretty man, he was always so sweaty and hairy, covered in scars, lumps and either drool or blood, it being his own or a victim you'd never know. Your hands would caress up past his neck towards that shaggy, tangled up beard of his, always dirty and filled with fluids or dirt, he smelt as bad as he looked but by now you were getting used to the scent, he would only close his eyes and let out a soft grumble when you pressed you thumb against his jaw and traced the bone structure towards his ear and past up into his messy hair, feeling how oily and tangled it was. He was silently enjoying the gentle caresses and affection, allowing you to run your fingers through his hair and drag your nails along his scalp causing him to let out a more deeper groan at how wonderful it felt. You were smiling to yourself at how much control you were currently having over the usually cruel giant, how he was just melting like butter under your touch. Biting at your bottom lip, you took the chance to run your hands back down towards his mouth, the exposed flesh and teeth from where his upper lip was so deformed it gave the man a forever scowling expression, pressing your thumb against his bottom lip caused Saw-Tooth to open his mouth and trace his tongue along your thumb, his dark eyes now open and stared into your own which made your breath hitch in surprise at how gentle he was being right now, considering every other time you felt like you were almost going to die with how rough he always was. You had to take the chance now, with how relaxed and sweet Saw-Tooth was currently being, you knew you would never get such a rare moment for a very long time. Removing your thumb from his wandering tongue and large bottom lip you placed both hands on the sides of the man’s face, checking his reaction to see if he was going to pick up on what you were planning and throw you off, but there was nothing other than a blank calmed expression.  So with sharp intake of breath you leaned in fast and closed your eyes as you were heading in towards his mouth, the large cannibal’s brows going up in surprise but he did not move away or make a sound as your lip clashes against his exposed teeth and enlarged bottom lip. It was not exactly the softest kiss, his taste was sour and oddly meaty, with how deformed his mouth was you didn’t really expect much action for a kiss, but when Saw-Tooth began to shift your eyes shot open and you were about to get off the man only to be stopped as he wrapped his large arms around your back and pulled you in deeper against his body and mouth, opening it up to drag his tongue along your lips, forcing it past them to get inside. You didn’t struggle against Saw-Tooth, you knew better than that, it was better to comply and welcome his advances, which to be honest was not really that bad of an idea with how sensual and intimate the large cannibal was being for once. His grip was usually so harsh and tight, but at this moment he was being so gentle, you were surprised that he wasn’t squeezing the life out of your body with how his arms enveloped you, his tongue rolling against your own causing you to let out moans, you eyes had once against shut as you soaked in the loving attention. But like all things in this forest, it was short lived.  A sharp, high-pitched laugh snapped you out of your hot and bothered state, almost causing you to bite down on Saw-Tooth's tongue as you pushed back off him and out of his arms in surprise at being caught by a snickering, grinning Three-Fingers and wide-eyed One-Eye. The eldest brother let out a displeased grunt and shot the youngest a frustrated look as he giggled and babbled in a mocking way before pointing to four dead bodies the two of them had just dragged from the forest, this catching Saw-Tooth’s attention enough to slowly get up and help the boys with the fresh meat. You were quite flustered and just as frustrated, letting out small huffs and muttering under your breath about their bad timing, but work was work and you had to return to crafting the rest of those arrows, plus you knew once the large man was finished helping he was going to give you more than just a kiss. --- Three-Fingers: Cruel, cunning and conniving. The youngest Hilliker was an evil little weasel, always skittering around and giggling his manic laugh, he was terrifyingly accurate with his kills and hunts, if you hadn’t been taken in you knew you’d be slaughtered like a pig. But now it was week 5 with living with them, you had proven yourself trustworthy enough to take on hunts and killing people, as well as basic chores to earn your right to belong in their strange mutant family and now you were currently on a walk with the thinly, small cannibal to check on the traps littered around the forest. The first time you went on trap checking with Three-Fingers, he was very pushy and snappy with you at times, though still showed patience as he understood you were new to this type of work and had to learn. Now though, you could handle the traps without being watched over, you were quick and diligent when setting them up and though you didn’t need it, you loved whenever Three-Fingers came over and praised you with shoulder pats and happy chittering noises. The two of you had spent almost four hours going around checking the perimeter of the forest, reaching the area of the large waterfalls, the sky was starting to darken with heavy grey clouds, you were looking up at them as Three-Fingers was tightening a trip wire. “Hey….I think we should start heading back, looks like it’s going to start raining” you piped up, looking over at the youngest Hilliker as he finished off with the trap and made his way over to you, glancing up at the sky as well, baring his teeth slightly as he nodded and let out a few incoherent grumbled words which you assumed was a ‘yeah, let’s go back’ You doubted you both would make it back to the hut in time, the clouds above growing darker and angrier to the point it had pushed both you and Three-Fingers to start running, but nature was not having it and heavy rains started falling from the sky, a crack of lightning following right after. The two of you were soaked like drowned rats and home was still another hour and half walk away, your shoes completely filled with water with mud all over your legs, you knew if you stayed out in the rain any longer you were definitely going to catch a cold. Three-Fingers was looking around frantically, grabbing your hand as he pulled you through the density of the forest, you trusted his sense of direction, but there was still a slight doubtfulness in the back of your mind saying that he got you both lost, thankfully that doubt was squashed out when you saw  the small cannibal had taken you both to a cave, pulling you under the rocky cover. The both of you were quick to start a fire and get your wet clothes off until you both were just in your underwear, which mostly consisted of you wearing a dirty undershirt and some fairly loose, dirty, boxers whilst Three-Fingers had the most nastiest tighty-whities on, or what should be whities as they were no longer white and now stained in multiple colours of brown, yellows and red, despite your attempts to washing their clothing the stains never came out. You were huddled around the fire, hands out to feel the warmth as you shivered, the rain heavier than ever with the lighting cracking across the sky, you were trapped until the storm passed, it wasn’t safe to travel in such a heavy storm in the mountain forest after all. The scrawny cannibal had settled right next to you, watching as you shivered from the cold so he scooted closer and reached one of his arms around you and pulled you in close to cuddle up. He was such a boney, thin and pasty man unlike his more plumper, larger brothers, but that didn’t stop his hugs and cuddles from being just as warm and soft. You leaned in close to Three-Fingers, feeling his oversized deformed fingers wrap around your shoulder and pull you in against his pasty chest which you placed your head against and stared into the fire. Despite the situation, it was almost romantic, sitting by the campfire and holding onto each other, the two of you rarely ever got to have such simple, quiet moments when it was always so hectic at the hut with the brothers and even when you both did get more private alone time it was always short lived, though at least with Three-Fingers, sex was much more gentler than with Saw-Tooth, but it was still just as intense, and just like his brothers, he never really gave you a proper kiss other than running his tongue over your cheek or biting your neck. A large crack from the lightning snapped you from your thoughts, looking out the entrance of the cave at the rain, Three-Fingers chittering softly and running his deformed hand through your hair. “I’m all good, it’s just cold” You said softly, looking up at the cannibal with a sweet smile who responded by leaning in and placing a small peck on your lips which was a surprise for so many reasons and by how the cannibal cackled your reaction must have been priceless. This cheeky bastard thought he could place his very first proper kiss on you so lightly and like it was nothing, oh no he was not getting away with it and you voiced that very loudly to him as you grabbed the sides of his face quickly “Oh no you don’t, we’re doing this now” You laughed, attempting to pull Three-Fingers down to give him a proper kiss, but the man was giving you a bit of a struggle as he bared his teeth in a playful manner and leaning as far back away from you as he could, letting out his signature laugh as you started to wrestle the man  for that good kiss. “Hey! Get your scrawny ass here and let me lay one on you!” You were trying to pin the wriggling Three-Fingers but only being able to land the kisses on his cheek or nose. You finally were able to pin him down long enough to narrow your eyes and go in for one more strike, if you missed this was going to be the last time and it seemed the man knew this too as he stopped struggling and accepted your smooches that you have been so aggressively trying to place on him. Finally being able to place a kiss on the toothy feral cannibal was satisfying, you would finally get to taste and feel him against your lips and to be honest it was not exactly the best but it was the best you’d ever get in your current situation. Just like his brothers, Three-Fingers taste so sourly disgusting, like you were kissing a rotten cheese carcass that had sharp teeth and a perverted tongue that was currently pushing itself into your mouth. He was making the kiss deep, his hands reaching up to tangle through your hair, his long pointed nose pressed up against your cheek. You laid atop of him, heart beating and face flushed, completely ignoring your surroundings for the passionate kiss with the deadly murderer that the both of you hadn’t even realized the storm had passed on. A deep moan lifted from your lips as Three-Fingers hands started to explore your body, his mouth leaving love bites along your jawline and towards your neck, forcing you to sit up more and straddle him. He grabbed the ends of your undershirt and you began to lift your arms up to allow him to take it off only to let out a yelp as something bit your thigh. You looked down to see what in the world was making your leg itch and feel sore only to see that during the passionate kissing you both had rolled onto an ants nest that had now gotten riled up and the ants began attacking by biting you both. You let out another ‘ow!’ as you got bit again and jumped up from the ground, swiping at your legs and helping Three-Fingers to his feet who was doing the same, scowling all the while at the mood being killed by a bunch of insects. “Christ…damn it.....” You hissed, looking around at the ground and then towards the fire by the entrance, noticing that there was no more storm. “well at least the rain stopped.” You pointed out, rubbing at your now sore red bite marks, the ants were harmless but their bites still itched. “Let’s get dressed and head back, rub some creams on these…” Though he was annoyed, Three-Fingers nodded in agreement, his poor bottom had gotten attacked by those little bastards and now itched like crazy, but the thought of you rubbing cream all over it ass cheeks lifted up his spirits. The both of you would put on your now, slightly drier, clothing and kick the fire out. It was a long walk, but you both eventually made it back to the hut and you both couldn’t wait to lay down on the bed and wrapped each other in the warm blankets, right after tending to your little ant bites. 

[chelsfic]

Leftovers - Part 12/12 - Nandor the Relentless x Female Reader Fanfic

For Previous Parts: WWDITS Masterlist

Summary: The reader shares her last night alive with her new family.

A/N: I realized as I was writing this that this whole fic could really be read as an elongated metaphor for my falling in love with this show and this fandom. I hope you guys like this ending and aren’t disappointed. 

Warnings: Angst, Emotions, Crack humor, Turning into a vampire

---

It’s an hour after sunset and you can hear your housemates stirring. You’re still lying in bed. The ceiling overhead is cracked and peeling in places. You suppose this probably won’t be your bedroom for much longer. Nandor will want you to move into his crypt. Will you have your own coffin? Or will he want to keep sharing? How does one even purchase a coffin for...personal use?

You know you’re stalling. Nandor is being uncharacteristically patient, but he won’t wait all night. You’re not afraid. Okay, you’re afraid. But, you’d be stupid not to be. You saw Guillermo during his transition. He looked like hell for about three whole days. But you know Nandor will take care of you. Well, strike that. You know Nandor will try to take care of you and if he fails, Nadja and Guillermo will be there. 

The night you met...the night you almost became a meal...was your birthday. So much has happened since then. You’ve been kept prisoner, fed upon, attacked, hurt. You’ve also fallen in love with every vampire in this crazy house, even Colin Robinson, bless his heart. Nandor and his bizarre mix of vicious lust and achingly sweet softness has somehow pulled you into this world, into a place you’ve always belonged without even knowing it. So, yeah, you’re afraid. But the idea of not spending every night for the rest of eternity surrounded by these beautiful, damaged, stupid idiots is even more frightening.

A knock comes at your door and Nadja’s voice trills, “Hello, human? May I come in?”

You roll onto your side and sit up, dangling your bare legs over the edge of the bed. You’re wearing one of your few dresses because...well, because you’re going to die tonight and shouldn’t you dress up a little?

Nadja slips inside looking resplendent and deadly as always. She gives you a sympathetic smile and comes to sit next to you.

“Feeling a little nervous about our unholy transition, are we?” she ducks her head and gives you that mama-vampire-knows-best look of hers.

You lean your shoulder into hers, taking comfort in her presence.

“Maybe a little…” you admit. “I’m not having second thoughts or anything it’s just…”

“A little spooky wooky, yes?” Nadja supplies. She wraps her arm around your back and pulls you closer. “Don’t concern your head off, darling. I don’t know if you realize this but I am considered a bit of an expert. I’ve turned many, many humans in my time. Including my dear Laszlo. I’ll make sure Nandor does not slip up and accidentally make you into a zombie monstrosity like my poor Topher.”

You rear back and stare at Nadja with horror stricken eyes, “That’s a possibility!??”

Nadja chuckles and tweaks your nose, “I am giving you sarcasm! To lighten the mood! It’s working, yes?”

You let out a long-suffering sigh that hiccups into nervous laughter.

“I love you, Nadja,” you say with sudden, overwhelming emotion. You dive forward and wrap your arms around her in a fierce hug.

Nadja is stricken for a moment and she pats your back gingerly, “That’s...very nice. You think you want to come downstairs now? Because Nandor is being a real donkey dick down there waiting for you, but his balls are too shriveled to come up here and get you himself.”

You laugh and pull back from the hug, wiping tears from your eyes, “Yeah, let’s go. I’m ready.”

---

“SURPRISE!” 

“HAPPY DEATHDAY!”

“SMASHLEY’S IN DA HOUSE!”

“What’s crack-a-lackin’?”

Nandor looks supremely put out when everyone yells something different as you walk through the door to the fancy room. Does no one listen to him? They had an agreed upon plan! He scowls at at the other vampires, especially fucking Colin Robinson, before sweeping over toward you and taking you from Nadja’s arm.

“Welcome to your Death Day Party! Do you like it?” Nandor looks down at you with those wide, sparkling eyes that make you forget he’s a centuries old blood-sucking fiend who once conquered nations and slaughtered thousands. 

You take in your surroundings with a look of wonder. There’s a giant glitter banner hanging above the fireplace that reads “Congratulations on your Dark Awakening.” You recognize it as Nandor’s handiwork at once. Also, Guillermo has obviously been to Party City because everyone is wearing pointed birthday hats with little Dracula emojis all over them and the whole room is absolutely covered in crepe paper. 

“It’s...so cute!” you squeal, grabbing him around the middle in an enthusiastic hug. This is...just want you needed. A little goofy, human levity before stepping off the edge of the unknown. Your eyes continue wandering over the room until they fall upon a long table set up against the wall. “Oh...my g--gahhhh--is that mac and cheese?”

The table is covered in dish after dish of all your favorite comfort foods. Macaroni and cheese, pizza, lasagna. Apple pie, blueberry pie, cherry pie! There’s a whole giant bowl of Reese’s peanut butter cups. You pull away from Nandor and dash across the room, launching yourself into Guillermo’s arms.

“You’re the sweetest monster I’ve ever known!” you cry, doing your best to squeeze the unlife out of him.

Guillermo laughs, “Listen, you’re going to be puking for days either way. You might as well have one last chance to enjoy human food.”

You roll your eyes, “Thanks for the reminder, Memo.”

“Alrighty!” Nandor is suddenly picking you up from behind and plucking you out of Guillermo’s arms. “That’s enough of that. Why don’t you have some of this--” he turns his head away from you and gags “--yummy food and then we’ll listen to some human musical arrangements that Nadja and Laszlo have prepared.”

Nandor hovers at your side, watching with a wrinkled nose as you pile food onto your plate. You’ve barely made a dent in the impressive spread and you’re feeling guilty about the waste when Colin Robinson ambles up.

“So, nervous about Nandor draining all your blood and killing you tonight?” he asks breezily.

You ignore the question and instead ask one of your own, “Hey, you think you can bring some of the leftovers into your office tomorrow? I’d hate to waste all this…”

Colin’s face lights with a maniacal grin, “Barbara’s on a diet...Yeah...this will be perfect!”

You settle onto one of the couches, sandwiched between Guillermo and Nandor. Both vampires look vaguely nauseated as you tuck into your food, but they’re holding it together.

Laszlo stands up with Nadja and starts strumming a guitar as he addresses everyone, “When I first met our human I assumed she’d soon be fertilizing my vulva garden--”

Nadja slaps his arm and Nandor hisses indignantly.

“But! But!” Laszlo continues, bowing with a flourish in your direction. “I came to realize that this particular human was something special. I decided to accept her into the fold. Mostly because she kept Nandor off my back and also my wife threatened to maim my testicles if I ate her…

“So, here we are, human. The last night of your life and we’ve got just one thing to say…”

The couple launches into a screeching, cloying rendition of “(I’ve had) The Time of my Life” from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack (blatantly stolen from Laszlo’s catalogue of compositions). Your face is frozen in horrified laughter and you flick your gaze to Guillermo’s to see that he’s covering his mouth to stifle his own laughs. On your other side, Nandor is clapping along and bobbing his head with the music. Yup, this is your tribe.

The party goes on for another couple hours. Laszlo and Nadja perform several more “hits” before finishing up with “The Girl in the Village with the Very Small Foot.” Nadja’s singing voice is still ringing in your ears when Nandor bends down to whisper, “It’s time, my human.”

The levity of the party has done a lot to calm your nerves, but you can’t help the sudden grip of anxiety around your throat at his words. You look up, falling, once again, into the fathomless depths of his lovely, dark eyes and you think, That’s what this is. You’re going to live in that deep, dark beauty from now on. There’s nothing scary about that. 

You both stand up to leave and say your goodbyes. Laszlo and Colin wish you luck. Guillermo hugs you and presses several quick kisses to your cheeks as Nandor murmurs warningly, “Watch it!”

When he releases you, you’re suddenly engulfed in the arms of a crying Nadja.

“I do love you, you magnificent, ruthless baby!” she sobs. “Nandor, if you fuck this up I’m going to make a hat out of your asshole.”

You laugh into her shoulder and Nandor complains, “Yeesh! Alright, calm down, Nadja!”

By the time you’ve pried yourself from Nadja’s grip you’ve joined her in crying and your face is soaked. Who knew vampires could be so sentimental?

Nandor grimaces in distaste as he brings his hands up to wipe away the tears.

“Ready!?”

---

Nandor’s crypt looks just as it always does. No crepe paper or glitter in sight. Just the warm glow of candles, the rich red and gold accents of the decor, and the solid familiar bulk of the coffin where you’ve spent so many nights wrapped in his protective embrace. He leads you over to the chaise lounge and you both sit, fidgeting nervously and darting shy glances at one another.

Nandor plucks at the fabric of your dress, “This is nice.”

You smile faintly, “Thanks, I--I thought maybe I should dress up for the occasion. Is that stupid? I guess it’ll just get stained…”

“No,” Nandor cuts in, looking earnest and serious. “No, I’ll be careful.”

You nod and fall silent again. The knowledge of what you’re about to do seems to hang like a thick curtain between you. The easy intimacy that you’ve shared is strained with the gravity of what is to come. Nandor finally huffs out an exasperated sigh and pulls you into his lap. At first you think he’s just going to bite the bullet, so to speak, and dig into your neck at once. But instead he grabs your face and pulls you into a searing, all-consuming kiss. 

He tangles his fingers in your hair, pushing his tongue into your mouth with a low groan. You stroke your hands down the long column of his throat, running them across his broad shoulders and down his back. How this man--this perfectly imperfect, wonderfully fragile, fierce warrior man--has come to choose you, you can’t begin to understand. For countless other human souls, catching the eye of Nandor the Relentless has meant grim misfortune. For you, finding yourself the prey of a murderous vampire is the best thing that’s ever happened in your life. 

Except maybe being MVP at last year’s championship bout.

Nandor’s lips fall away and he looks up at you, panting heavily with his hair mussed and tangled. His gaze flicks down to your exposed throat and you see him swallow in anticipation. He reaches for something on an end table and shows you the stainless steel travel mug containing his blood. You take it from him noting the strip of masking tape on the lid with Nandor’s elegant scrawl--his name and the date.

You snort, setting the container down on the cushions beside you and looking back up at Nandor.

“Prepare yourself, my mortal,” he growls, fangs elongating and eyes flashing with a predatory gleam. 

You turn your head, baring your neck for your vampire boyfriend, and answering lightly, “I have a name, you know.”

---

THE END

A/N: Hey, thank you so so so much to everyone who read and supported this fic from the beginning! Your comments and encouragement mean the world to me!

Tags:

@festering-queen, @kandomeresbitch, @strangestdiary, @glitterportrait, @scuzmunkie, @redwoodshadows, @sarasxe, @rileyomalley 

[snupy]

“It had been a great summer.

It had been a wonderful, lazy, relaxing summer, and my mental health felt all the better for it.

That's probably why, when a familiar voice called my name, I didn't freak out. I didn't scream, or bolt, or panic. I merely turned in the direction of that familiar sound and, eyes like metal drawn to a magnet, looked straight through the Saturday crowd on that bustling city sidewalk and into his gleaming eyes.

Right into their gleaming eyes, one set and then the other in turn. We said nothing for a moment, the three of us. 

But then Yusuke started grinning, and Kuwabara followed suit, and then I was grinning, too, and we were all staring at each other and smiling like crazy people who'd somehow escape the looney bin and were trying to start a boyband.

"Hi," said Yusuke.

"How's it goin'?" added Kuwabara.

They stood twenty feet down the sidewalk, side by weary side, covered in scrapes and bruises and dirt and who knows what else. Passersby stared at the banged-up boys without regard for subtlety, just as fascinated by the bandages on their cheeks and the blood on their clothes as I was—but I was the only one smiling, the only one whose eyes had started to well at the sight of them, at the gorgeous fucking sight of their numbskulls faces.It felt like a giant had wrapped its hand around my heart and squeezed—but in a good way, like my soul had become too big for my skin, overflowing with the love and affection bubbling from somewhere deep inside until it flooded every nook and cranny with thrilling, electric light.

The boys are back in town, I sang inside my head, but no words came out aside from their names. "Yusuke," I said, eyes travelling between them. "Yusuke. Kuwabara.""Long time, no see," Kuwabara said. His hair had gotten long, curls nearly falling into his dark eyes—but his eager, goofy grin hadn't changed a bit, even though he had a nasty split lip. 

"Did you miss us?"

"Maybe she did," Yusuke said out of the corner of his mouth, "but why's she staring like that?" His hip jutted out, cocky as all hell. "Forget what we look like or something, grandma? Didja go senile? It hasn't been that long!"

Error. Keiko.exe has ceased to function. Snappycomeback.exe has likewise become unavailable, and cuttingretort.exe is nowhere to be found. The only option available in my stunned programing was bigalbatrosshug.exe, which my CPU performed with gusto. I darted through the crowd of staring onlookers and launched myself straight at my boys, throwing an arm around each of their necks. Yusuke whined in protest as I pulled him to me, but Kuwabara put an arm around me, too, and mumbled something about how good it felt to be home when I buried my face into his shoulder. They stank the way teenage boys stink when they play outside too much and don't give a crap about basic hygiene, but even though my eyes watered, I didn't even make fun of them, because it didn't matter.

"You're back," I said, because that was what mattered. "You're back. I'm so glad you're back!"

"See, Kuwabara?" Yusuke gloated. "I told ya she'd get mushy."

"Yeah, yeah, you win," Kuwabara said. I felt his face press against my hair when he said, "We missed you too, Keiko," and I hugged him all the harder.

"Aw, now you're getting mushy, Kuwabara?" Yusuke whined. "I don't have the strength for both of you to get all weepy!"

"Neither of us has the strength for anything," Kuwabara shot back—and then a tremor went through him, and a tremor went through Yusuke, and somebody's knees buckled and our three-headed Cerberus of friendship magic staggered, boys falling forward, their weight on me instead of mine on them. I shrieked as my own knees bowed. Yusuke's devious chuckle sounded in my ear, and I knew exactly what was about to happen.

"Good point," Yusuke said—and he let his weight go completely.Kuwabara followed suit, of course, and the next thing I knew, both of them had collapsed on top of me right there on the sidewalk. I shrieked and gibbered under the onslaught of boneless, smelly teenage boy, berating them for embarrassing me in public like this, but then Yusuke started laughing, and Kuwabara started after him, and I was helpless to resist the tide of humor. 

We lay there in a gigantic heap of guffaws and giggles, gloriously uncaring of the looks we garnered from the innocent bystanders, living wildly in the moment without a thought to the future ahead.There would be a journal entry about this later, I promised myself.I'd go home and write it all down.

 Every last scrap of information, every last emotion, every last detail. I'd describe what it felt like to see them, touch them, be near them (and even smell them), etch all of it on paper and into memory as indelibly as words carved in stone. I'd crystallize the moment for eternity, take it out and treasure it when times got tough and the world seemed bleak—because the moment was just that perfect and good, a golden bookend to a golden summer, a shining memory I vowed to never let go.

My boys were back.

My boys were back. 

Lying there under their reeking weight, laughing as tears rolled unchecked down my cheeks, the future didn't seem so scary after all.” - Lucky Child Chapter 51

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@luckystarchild

I knew I had to draw this when I read it, that was such a great way to end a chapter. It left me smiling and sniffling sdjshfdjfk It was just so wholesome, I could not help it :) I tried drawing the background but digital art...LOL I’m still learning. It looked bad with it so I decided against it and instead left it blank, but the imagination that I had UGH just imagine the red-orange-pinkish sunlight and a busy street, people walking while these three just stare at each other with huge dorky smiles SO DAMN WHOLESOME

hopefully one day, I can draw what I had envisioned 

ignore the hands pls 😭😭😭

[protezioni]

SORRY FOR SENDING THIS SO LATE but “Grief is natural they say. So is death. I don’t want either.” Ko/Rika and “Wow, that is a ridiculously big watermelon. I love it.” Shoya/Zuro (This one was way too hilarious to pass up sdjfndsiofnds)

IT’S OKAY!! But here it is and thank you for the ask!!

Ko and Rika

It may have been too quiet, and it was never this quiet between the two. There would sometimes be exchange of words or the like, but this may have been the effect of witnessing a person's death right in front of you. Her eyes were covered with her hat, and the smoke from the gun was still roaming around the air.

She refused to look at the target, but she knew that the person was dead by the sound of the body falling on the floor and the puddle of blood that was reaching her feet. Despite being the boss, she wasn't too accustomed to this, and this surprised the young man.

His eyes were focused on her, how she still didn't want to see the corpse laying in front of her, and how she trembled because of what she did. He broke the silence by coughing. "Miss Rika, it's over now." He stated bluntly, still staying in his place. "The man is dead, it's mission over." Before he could react, she placed her hat and gun away before turning away from him. He paused briefly before tilting his head.

"You're right… But Despite that, I'm not sure if I did the right thing." She mumbled, and he could only hear the uncertainty in her voice. Once she kept the gun in its holster, she only sighed softly. “I know I want to reduce crime, but I always double check before I actually pull the trigger. I realize that even I’m not sure if I did the right thing or not, and that thought alone scares me.”

Ko shrugged slightly at her reply. Ever since he joined the mafia, he never really thought about who dies, he always believed that whoever gets killed were the weak links. No matter where you look around, it would always end up as a bad man at the end. No person in the mafia was pure hearted, but the reason why he joined Protezioni…

Was all because its ideals were far off possible, but it was too different to ignore.

“Miss Rika, we did a background check on the man already.” He pointed out the fact that they already did such. “He was in the mafia for several years and he killed countless fathers of different families, including people who have no connections to the mafia.” He took steps closer to see if this eased down his boss, and it seemed to do the trick. “He killed innocent people, and he even caused harm to innocent bystanders during such. By command or not, he’s inherently evil.”

“... Sorry.” She smiled slightly at Ko and he only smiled a bit before nodding his head. “It might be quite new to you to see a boss this pathetic. You’re even more well known than me.” She tried to lighten the mood with a self-deprecating joke, and he shook his head in response.

“It’s not being called pathetic, it’s what we call thinking before and after pulling a trigger.” He responded before looking back at the man. “Not a lot of people do it anymore, including this man.” He turned on his communicator to get in contact with an advanced member to clean up the mess. 

Rika stared at the person who she just shot and looked back at Ko. “I can see where you’re coming from, but I may have forgotten… Thank you, Ko dear.” She smiled at him and he smiled back at her.

“Of course, Miss Rika.”

It has only been a few months since he joined but he sometimes questioned her kindness and consideration. He should have expected this from a person who wanted to lower crime despite being in the mafia. However, there were moments he would want to question her personally, just to know where she was coming from.

She never spoke a word about her past, but one thing she did was talk about everything else, her goals and even her friends and allies. Maybe this would be the time that she’ll pry in a bit deeper than usual.

Once they were in the car to leave the scene and leave the clean up to Peyton and Crispino, he started to talk again, even if Hiyaro was there to hear the whole thing. “What triggered Protezioni to start?”

“Well…” Hiyaro slowly turned his head to Rika during the red light and she only patted his shoulder, telling him that she can do it. 

“I’ve witnessed some things in my life, and training under Hiyaro made me realize how the world is.” She stated, trying not to give the full idea of her past to Ko, but also making sure she answers. “While I was with my family, I witnessed the suffering of people, and these were all caused by my father. I’ve seen the people weep over the death of a good father, a loving mother or even an innocent child.”

Ko had flashbacks to some moments of his own past, but he chose to continue listening. “Do you want to change that?”

Rika gripped her hand tightly before looking back at the city lights. “I want to try and change it, or at least try lessening it. I don’t want the innocent to be affected by this.” She frowned at the mere thought of a family who has nothing to do with the mafia experience such a traumatic experience. ““Grief is natural,'' they say. So is death. I don’t want either.”

He understood her perspective, and he now realized the reasons why she was always so careful with who they choose to eliminate. “Thank you for answering my question.” Those were the last words he said before reflecting silently.

Highly impossible, he admitted. But if it were for the world to be cleansed, he’d give this impossible a chance.

Shoya and Zuro

It was in the middle of summer and Zygos and Protezioni decided to go to a beach for fun. It was suggested, but it took some time before agreement. Once they arrived, they began fixing the things that were brought. Of course, there were some beach umbrellas, a couple of goggles and the like. The first thing that was grabbed by a certain shark wasn’t any of those, it was...

“Ah yes. Me. My brother. And this watermelon.” Zuro snickered as he carried the box which contained some deflated things, such as floaters and even a beach volleyball. Shoya, on the other hand, still held the watermelon in his hand, and there was even a bite mark on it already. Yes, he ate the green part too.

Shoya grinned before taking another bite of it. “Hell yeah it’s your brother and a watermelon!” He punched Zuro on the shoulder before walking ahead. “I’m gonna bring this watermelon to the hut over there.” He ran to the hut and Zuro chuckled slightly.

Will that watermelon still be there the moment he arrives? He doesn’t doubt he could finish eating it in a couple of minutes. He continued bringing the things over at the correct place, and he noticed how some people already rushed to the water, and how some continued to prepare.

“I wonder if Shoya can swim like a shark.” He muttered to himself as he stared at the ocean, but the moment he turned around to get back to work, he saw Shoya with another watermelon. “Seems like ya finished the first one, bro.”

“Yeah, bro.” He lifted the watermelon he was currently holding. “You know, I was looking at the watermelons and when I saw this one? It was love in first sight.” He brought the watermelon down again before patting.

“You seem attached to that watermelon, it doesn’t even have a bite mark yet.” Zuro grinned playfully and Shoya only told his story, a more detailed version of it to his brother while Maemi was staring from afar, quite confused on what was going on, but mostly disappointed and tired of whatever bullshit they were talking about.

“So when I took a look upon this baddie over here? You know what I said?” The two were currently sitting down on the sand as Shoya was still telling the lore of how he started to love the watermelon.

“Whatcha say, bro?”

“Wow, that is a ridiculously big watermelon. I love it.” He reenacted the whole scene in front of him, and some people were now staring. “So yeah, love in first sight, it was such an incredible feeling.” He nudged Zuro before smirking a bit. “But I know that you felt it so bro, I get you now.”

Well the difference was Sepheir wasn’t a watermelon when they first met, but sure.

“Yeah, you get me! You do you!” 

“Enough of that bullshit, you two!” Someone yelled from afar, and it was no other than Junko, who was already holding a baseball bat. “Those watermelons were going to be used for this game, but Sho ate everything but that one!” She gestured to the watermelon. “AND IT LOOKS LIKE EVERY OTHER WATERMELON! I DON’T GET IT!”

Shoya hugged the watermelon in his arms in a protective manner, but there was still a goofy grin on his face. “Well, it’s big and tall, and like you can easily see it.” He stood up from the sand. “Unlike you, Jun. You’re not that easy to spot and you can’t even reach shelves!”

Junko twitched at his comment and swung the baseball bat. “THAT FUCKING WATERMELON CAN’T REACH ANYTHING, IT DOESN’T EVEN HAVE HANDS!”

“Don’t insult her because I’m giving more attention to her, Jun!”

“WATERMELONS CAN’T EVEN HAVE GENDERS!”

Zuro watched the two of them and he was still sitting down, but he was rather amused by all of this. “Well, yeah, but to be fair, some people call their cars a “her” and sometimes even babe.” Zuro added a comment and Junko turned her glare to him.

“See, my bro understands! We can totally call a watermelon a she!”

“Alright.” Junko prepared the baseball bat. “Fine, since we only have one watermelon left, I’ll do this game myself.” There was an obvious glare that can be seen, and they could both sense an eerie aura around her. “I’ll fucking kill her.”

With no further words, she began running to their direction and Shoya began running around the beach with a giant watermelon while Zuro stood up and brought his hands up. “Baseballing a watermelon became a monkey in the middle!”

“HEY BRO, I’LL THROW IT HIGH BECAUSE SHE CAN’T REACH IT!”

While this ruckus happened, Maemi only sat under an umbrella to read a book and sigh at the mess that was yet to come.

[parkaiur]

The Dark Hour - Seunghun

❀ Fantasy, fluff, & action 

❀ Word Count: 9.2 K

❀ Every day at midnight, Earth opens up a portal to an unknown underground lair that leaks monsters: demons, goblins, hellhounds and more. The catch? It only happens for one extra hour after midnight, called the Dark Hour and it’s only open to a handful of people, the same people. One night, you find yourself snuggling up to your Winnie the pooh blanket, only to be greeted by a rabid, three-headed dog shooting through your window.

❀ A/N: .. I didnt mean to write this much but omg i hope you guys enjoy this cuz it took a while !! :D tell me what you think of it ! :)

-------

11:35 pm

“Did you take out the trash? It’s almost the Dark Hour.” My mom hummed. I rolled my eyes and spat out the toothpaste in my mouth.

“Mom, don’t be so dramatic, the Dark Hour is only open to a small group of people who are like freaky mixed martial artists or some weird whatever.” I said while tying up my hair into a high pony.

I walked out of my room and saw my mom sitting at the dinner table knitting a scarf. She slapped my butt as I walked past her. “I’m not dramatic! It’s still scary knowing that for one hour, we disappear as other people can see the entire world.”

I just sighed and grabbed a jacket. I pulled out all the trash and slipped on my shoes. “Ok mom, think whatever you want, I’ll be back in like 5 seconds and no monsters will be in my way.” I shut the door and walked into the cold winter air. I whistled on my way, feeling calm.

As soon as I could think, I knew the world I was living in. Every day at midnight, Earth opens up a portal to an unknown underground lair that leaks monsters: demons, goblins, hellhounds and more, The catch? It only happens for one extra hour after midnight, called the Dark Hour and it’s only open to a handful of people, but only the same people.

My mom was one of the many people who were afraid of portal opening up to normal humans as well.. Somehow, those who were chosen to hunt these monsters were trained. Most of them who went through the Dark Hour came back alive. They had hid the Dark Hour for a long time until more and more people were being called to fight.

But normal people never get sucked in. All the Hunters know they would be called, so they prepared for it. No one knows why this happens, but I wasn’t about to argue about why normal humans weren’t called.

I tossed the trash away and looked around. I sighed as I saw nothing spooky, just the normal neighbors who had not yet taken down their Christmas lights. Mom is scared for nothing.

I walked back in and dusted my hands off. “Yeah mom, totally fought off a seven foot demon, such hard work.” I faked yawned and stretched out my limbs to add to my act. She tsked and threw piece of string at me. “Whatever miss sass, just go to bed, you have a long day at work tomorrow.” I sighed, but knew she was right.

“Ok, ok, night mom. I will see you in the morning. Sleep, soon, alright, so that the monsters don’t get yo-” She picked up her stuff and walked into her room, sick of my sarcasm. I chuckled but knew she was just being dramatic. There were absolute zero cases of normal people attending the Dark Hour, so what was she so scared of?

I shrugged out of my jacket and straightened out my bed. I pulled my winnie the pooh blanket closer and shut my eyes.

I listened to the soft sound of the wind blowing outside. It was a peaceful night: no rain, no snow, no anything. I was grateful because I had a long day tomorrow.

I lulled off to bed, feeling myself falling into a dream. 

*BOOM*

My eyes shot open.

What was tha-

Before I could finish my thought, a loud crash erupted throughout my room, waking me up fully.

“What the fuck!?” I screamed. I grabbed the pepper spray and turned.

Bad idea. As I turned to face my window, I saw blood and lots of unknown liquid surrounding it. And on the ground I saw a rabid, three-headed dog glaring me down. I screamed and fell back into my bed, dropping my pepper spray.

“GET DOWN!” I didn’t know where the voice came from, but I was acting purely on instinct now. I jumped off my bed and into the corner of my room. I heard loud gunshot noises, but as I looked up, I saw lasers shooting through the air.

I shut my eyes and huddled against the wall. What is going on? What is happening-

“HEY! What are you doing?!” I heard the same voice yell at me. I heard footsteps nearing me, making me gasp in surprise. I grabbed my pepper spray and raised it, turning my face away from the intruder like I was taught in self-defense class. “What the...” The person, who I recognized as a male, grabbed my spray, and tossed it.

“Don’t hurt-”

As I turned my face towards the intruder, I was shocked. I was staring at a tall, brown-haired boy with warm and serious eyes. He was wearing all black and had a some sort of vest over him, similar to a bulletproof one. If this was another situation, I would be very happy about a hot guy standing in my room, but I couldn’t because I was almost killed.

“What were you planning to do with that pepper spray? Kill me? What a lousy weapon!” The boy exclaimed annoyedly. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Well excuse me, it’s not like I carry guns in my room or something!” I spat back, suddenly irritated with his behavior. He shot me a look, saying I was dumb.

“You definitely should start doing that, what do you plan on fighting with? Did you just forget to get in uniform before midnight? And were you just sleeping? How irresponsible of you.” He spat while cleaning off his knives as he paced around my room.

I squinted my eyes at him. All black uniform. Guns and other weapons on his person. Intense gaze. Killed a three-headed dog.

“Fuck... it’s the Dark Hour.” I whispered. He scoffed and shook his head.

“Well, duh, it is midnight. Wait...” He stopped speaking and stared at me intensely. “This can’t be...” He started walking over to me and grabbed my wrist, pulling me close to him. “Is this your first time in the Dark Hour?”

I nodded, scared of what was going on. “Yup. Very first.” His eyes widened in surprise, dropping my wrist.

“How old are you?”

“I’m eighteen.”

He then kicked a desk and yelled, “Shit!” I flinched at his kick, but I still was numb. How could I be here? I’m not a Hunter-

“So you’re not a Hunter?” I shook my head slowly. His gaze turned distraught and he groaned in distress loudly.

Then, he turned to look at me very seriously.

“If you’re not a Hunter, you’re going to die out there.” He pointed outside to where I saw numerous monsters walking around. Blood was oozing all over the streets and I saw other quick, agile, strong, Hunters fighting them off. That was not me. 

I really was going to die.

“Well, fuck, I can’t go out there then!” I protested.

He shook his head. “You have no choice! They will come here and find you, only more will come. They are addicted to the smell of blood, we only have a short amount of time until the Hunters down there lose track of one and it comes back up here.” I could tell he was frustrated as he paced around my room, wondering what to do with me.

Then, he stopped and looked at me seriously once more. “Ok, my first priority is surviving. My second is dealing with whoever you are, but if you were called to the Dark Hour, then you must have some fight in you.”

I shrugged and caught the gun he threw in my hand. “Or so we hope.” He scoffed.

“Yeah, or so we hope.”

❀ ❀ ❀

It’s like the whole world was cracked open. None of the streetlights were on, yet I could see perfectly fine.

“No electricity works in the Dark Hour.” He informed like he was talking to a child. Suddenly, I saw a glimpse of some skin as his long sleeve caught in the wind.

“You have lots of tattoos.” I noted. He glared at me.

“You have the same ones. Everyone in the Dark Hour has them. It acts as protection from the monsters.” At his words, I rolled up my hoodie and saw the same black swirls he had all over his arm. I gasped and yanked it back down. “It’ll fade when the hour is over. Now, if you see a monster, shoot it. If it doesn’t die, shout my name.”

“And what would that be?” He smiled and shook his head.

“It’s Seunghun.” I nodded. “I’m y/n.” Before I could say anything else, a dark and shadowy figure appeared out of nowhere. I raised my gun and shot it, five times in the head. I felt shaky as it fell to the ground.

“Oh my god, I just killed someo-”

“Don’t finish that sentence.” He snapped. I nodded and shut my mouth. I wouldn’t anger a Hunter. “You just killed a demon. Something that would have killed you if you hadn’t killed it first.” He gripped my shoulder, pulling me together. I nodded and hid my fear. He then gave me hard pats on the back. I tried not to cough as he started to run towards something.

I held my gun to the ground in fear I would accidentally shoot him.

“Seunghun, who’s your new friend?” Someone shouted over to him. I looked over and saw another boy who looked a bit younger than Seunghun. I noted his smiling face and goofy nature. I wondered how he was a Hunter.

“Her name is y/n, and she’s not a Hunter. I’ll explain later but first we need to protect her.” The other boy’s jaw dropped.

“Woah woah woah wait, you’re normal?!” He basically screamed. I nodded while his face turned to an ash color. “Oh shit, is this is what the government are resorting to? Great.”

Wait..

“Did you just say government?” The two boys looked at each other and laughed.

“We’ll explain later, but the way, I’m Jihoon.” I reached out to shake his hand, but realized it was covered in monster juice. I cringed and pulled my hand back. “It’s fine, I forgot you were new here.”

As Jihoon was talking, he turned and took out his sword simultaneously, slicing the monster in half. I gulped as monster guts splashed everywhere. The childish boy turned and smiled. “A giant cyclops, hah.”

Seunghun rolled his eyes and took on another monster making a mad dash at him. Soon, chaos erupts. Multiple monsters came out of nowhere, running at us and other Hunters.

“Oh shit, Jihoon-”

“Got her.” The boy pulled me close to him while shooting other demons and monsters I couldn’t even recognize. I saw a monster run at me and I raised my gun to shoot it down.

It kept getting closer and closer to me. I kept shooting, but it seemed like it had no damage on the monster.

Suddenly, I saw Seunghun run front of me and rip out the heart of the monster. My eyes widened in surprise. “The only way you can kill that thing is ripping out it’s heart, it has no name but we call it the Ripping.”

“Why the Ripping?” I asked as I raised my gun to shoot a normal demon.

“‘Cause it’ll try and rip off your head if you don’t rip out it’s heart first.”

Seunghun then threw a dagger right by my head, hitting a monster I assume.

I let out a sigh of relief as he chuckled. “Don’t worry, you’re not strong enough for me to kill.” I glared at him, but he was right. I had no skill whatsoever. I just needed this hour to be over.

Soon, my wish came true as the monsters started to disappear.

“Finally, I just wanna sleep.” Jihoon said while stretching his arms in the air. Another Hunter smacked him on the head. “Shut up, Jihoon. You gotta enjoy the fight.”

Jihoon glared at the other boy and stuck his tongue out. “Byounggon, not all of us were born fighters.”

“Actually, we all were, that’s why we’re here.” Another Hunter pointed out. This one was quite short and had bright blonde hair.

“Actually, Hyunsuk, the girl isn’t. It’s her first Dark Hour and she’s never even picked up a gun before.” Jihoon laughed while the two Hunters started at me in surprise.

“Wow... how did you even survive.” I tried to shrug, but I could barely move my muscles.

“Probably only because I met Seunghun first and he gave me a gun. And saved me from a three-headed dog who tried to kill me.” The boys let out a bark of laughter as if I told a really funny story.

“Ah, Seunghun, our local prince, always helping girls in distress.” Byounggon teased while poking him on the side. Seunghun shook his head, tired of their teasing.

“Anyways, y/n, the hour is up in about one minute. You are going to wake up in your bed, which I presume your last location was before you were pulled in. No one else will remember this except us and the other Hunters.”

The others nodded as if it was weird to explain this once again. “You are not allowed to speak of the events to any normal people, ever. Of course, the normies know of us, but they really have no clue what Hunters do or what we fight.”

I nodded, trying to soak up all of this information.

“Will I still be here tomorrow night?” My question silenced him as he had no response.

“You may be, you may not, to be honest, this is as new to us as it is for you.” Hyunsuk noted carefully.

“Will I see you guys again? Do you guys see each other in real life?”

The boys shrugged. “I’ve never seen one of these guys in the normal world. We are sometimes transported to different locations if it’s busier, so it’s always changing, and-”

Before Seunghun could finish, I felt myself being pulled by an invisible hand. I held in my gasp as I felt the covers underneath my body. I shot up from my bed and turned on my lamp. I grabbed my phone from my shelf and checked the time.

12:00.

❀ ❀ ❀

I couldn’t sleep all night. How was one to sleep after they had just fought in the Dark Hour? And had no experience whatsoever.

My mom was right to be worried. If I was pulled in, I wondered if anyone else was in danger. Or if those normal people had survived. I wouldn’t have if I had never met up with Seunghun.

But I couldn’t dwell in it. I was back in reality and had a job to go to at 9am. Too early for anyone to get up.

“You look like shit.” Was the first greeting I heard from my co-worker, Mashiho. I glared at the pretty boy and flipped him off.

“You are shit.” I snapped back. I pulled on my apron and tied up my hair. He made claw movements and meowed like a cat. “Wow, someone is catty this morning.”

I resisted the urge to backhand the boy against the wall. “Not in the mood, Mashiho.”

Every day, Mashiho and I would bicker about something. Mostly because he an annoying prick and I was sarcastic and snappy.

Mashiho laughed and started fill the cases with food items. “Why? Late night with a lucky fellow?” He wiggled his eyebrows as I flicked him on the forehead. “OW!”

I sighed and started to fill the case on the other side of the cash register. “No, just I couldn’t sleep, ok? Just one of those nights I guess.” My words came out more sluggish than usual as I had gotten virtually only one hour of sleep.

“Well, be careful not to fall asleep today. It’s holiday season and people will want cakes and pastries for whatever reason.” I rolled my eyes and nodded.

“I’ll be fine.” Confused at his kindly spoken words. I probably looked worse than I thought if Mashiho wasn’t annoying me.

Soon, the clock hit 9 and I flipped the closed sign to open.

I sighed at the long shift ‘til 5 was about to begin. I knew I shouldn’t have worked during the holidays.

❀ ❀ ❀

The day was going smoothly, despite the business. Even though I constantly had the urge to punch Mashiho in the face, we worked well together.

The shop started to slow down as it neared 5pm. “I need a coffee.” Mashiho whined while walking into the break room. I rolled my eyes and kept at the cash register.

As no one new was coming in the shop, my thoughts drifted back to the Dark Hour. Seunghun danced into my mind as I pictured him in his attractive Hunter uniform.

Stop, you cannot think about a boy who you met in the Dark Hour. If life goes right, you’ll never see him ever again.

Suddenly, I heard the bell on the door ring, making my head shoot up.

“Hi, welcome to...” My voice trailed off as I saw the person in front of me.

His eyes widened in surprise as well. “Seunghun.” I stated. He gave me a kind and surprised smile. “Y/N.”

“Hey, David is asking where the mop is? Where did you leave it?” Mashiho asked me quietly since a customer was in front of me.

“Uhhh it should be in the closet.” Mashiho nodded and then looked to Seunghun who happened to be still staring at me. Mashiho looked at me, then to Seunghun, then back to me.

He smirked and patted me on the back. “He’s a good one.” He winked, hinting to our conversation earlier. I turned bright red and pushed him away.

Seunghun furrowed his brows, confused at our interaction. Before he could ask questions, I spoke first. “So, first things first, what would you like?” He smiled and took a look at all our choices.

“Oh, I came to pick up a vanilla cake with buttercream frosting for my grandma’s birthday.” I nodded and went to pick up the cake that was waiting for him.

“Is the name under Ahyoung?” He nodded. I handed him the cake. “Since you paid online, that should be it. Thanks for ordering from us.” He took the cake, but he didn’t walk away from me.

I kept my stare locked on him as he didn’t turn away. Suddenly, I heard a loud snap in my ear.

“Hello~ No eye sex in the bakery please. That’s a home activity, y/n.” Mashiho said while raising his brows at me. I blushed and pushed him away.

“That’s not-” I sighed knowing no one would care what I would have to say. “Mashiho, can you just... like leave for a quick second?” Mashiho’s jaw dropped.

“Wow, ok, I’ll be gone 5 minutes, you better not be having sex on the table when I come back-”

“Just go.” I snapped. The boy stuck his tongue out at me and walked away. I turned to face Seunghun who was already smiling at me.

“Does he think we’re having sex?” I was mortified at this conversation. “Well, uh, sorta, I mean, he wouldn’t believe my story of being unable to sleep last night so.” I shrugged. Seunghun nodded and understood what I meant.

“Anyways, on the more important issues besides my sexual adventures, we need to like... meet up. What are you doing right now?” He pointed to the cake. I sighed and rubbed my face tiredly.

“Ok, but the party will be done at 11. Then, I’ll come to you. What’s your address?” Usually, I would wait longer before giving a boy my address, but this was a different circumstance. “Great. See you then.” He winked at me which I couldn’t lie, I found it attractive. But I couldn’t let him know that. I rolled my eyes and waved him goodbye.

“Wow, he’s hot.”

“Shut up, Mashiho!”

❀ ❀ ❀

Eleven never came so slowly. Thankfully, my parents were already asleep so I didn’t have to explain why there was a very attractive boy in our home.

I heard a soft knock on the door and I jumped up to answer it. Seunghun was already in his Hunter uniform. My eyes widened and I rushed him inside.

“Why are you already wearing your uniform? That’s so weird! Did you come here in that?” The boy rolled his eyes.

“Calm down, I changed in the car, I am very professional at this. I have been doing it since I was 16.” I raised a brow.

“How old are you now?” Seunghun chuckled boyishly and gave me a flirty smile.

“Are you flirting with me?” I turned a bright red and led him into my room. “Your mouth is going to get you in trouble one day.”

Seunghun smiled as I shut the door quietly. “Says the girl who just locked my in her bedroom.”

I turned to him in anger, but I knew I couldn’t hit him since it would do no damage. “I-you. Ugh.” I stuttered out while he barked out laughter.

Then, he pulled out something from his bag I didn’t notice him holding. “Here is a Hunter uniform, I’m assuming you didn’t have one since you didn’t even know you were going to be in the Dark Hour.” I took the outfit and stared at it.

“Do you think I’ll be pulled in again?” He scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t know. Better to be safe than sorry.”

I went to the bathroom to change and stared at myself in the mirror. I looked like the definition of a Hunter. But I didn’t have the confidence or power as one of them.

“Everything ok in there?” He called out. “Y-yeah.” I spoke out as I exited the bathroom. I noticed Seunghun scanning me, examining how I looked in the uniform.

“What?” I snapped. He raised one brow and gave me one of his flirty smiles that sent shivers down my spine.

He leaned back in my bed that he had gotten comfy in. “Nothing, it’s just that you look really good in that outfit.” I saw him lick his lips nonchalantly, making me wish we were alone in my room for a different reason than talking about the Dark Hour.

I slapped him on the shoulder to hide my attraction. “Shut up, anyways, tell me everything you know about the Dark Hour. I need to prepare myself.”

His joking expression faded as I mentioned the Dark Hour. “First of all, let’s talk about how I’ve never seen you before this. I thought you said you’ve never seen any of the other Hunters in real life?” I bombarded him with questions.

Seunghun sighed and shook his head. “I’ve never met any of my friends who were Hunters in real life, but really, I wouldn’t know if I met a Hunter in real life. There’s nothing that sets us apart from the rest of society.”

I bit my lip and tapped my finger on my lip. “Ok, then why have I never seen you before if you went to the bakery I work at.”

“Oh, that’s because I’m in town from college, visiting my grandma. It’s her 80th birthday so it’s a big thing.” I nodded, working the pieces together in my mind.

“And what does the government have to do about the Dark Hour?” At my question, Seunghun tensed. I glanced over to him; he adjusted his vest and stared into space.

“So, no normal person knows this since the government hides it pretty well. But, there is a reason for the Dark Hour. Monsters keep rising from the Underworld, since it is becoming too popularted. The government has been in contact with Hades, the God of the underworld--”

“Woah, woah, woah, wait, Hades? You mean-”

“Yes, that one. Anyways, it’s almost midnight and I need to tell you this.” I nodded and listened carefully. “So the government is in contact with Hades who says he can’t control, even though he can, the monsters that are rising out. The human government was furious, saying he couldn’t just let out monsters.”

“So they compromised.” Seunghun nodded.

“They compromised. Groups of trained humans work together to defeat all the monsters that Hades lets out at midnight for one hour. Since he’s a God, he has the ability to monitor it and make sure no normal human gets hurt. And the tattoos? The government bargained for it so that they had to explain less murders.” Seunghun gave me a crooked smile, but I wondered if he lost any friends along the way.

He glanced over at my clock. “We have five minutes.” I took a deep breath as my heart race picked up.

Suddenly, he piled a bunch of weapons on my bed. “Here, keep these. They’re easy to use.” He gave me some fancy looking guns and other weapons. “This one, you press this button, and it shoots out mini bombs. Highly effective.”

“Thank you. Like truly, I would be so dead without you right now.” I whispered softly. Seunghun lifted my face gently to stare at him.

“I believe in you. Most normal people wouldn’t have come outside with me. You were brave. I’m sure you were chosen for a reason.”

He tried to look casual, but he kept glancing at the clock. “One minute.” He whispered. For a moment, I thought, he was going to kiss me.

But he scooted away and stood, watching the window.

“Stay on guard.” He demanded. He was much more serious during the Dark Hour than in the normal time. “Remember, we might be separated as I don’t know where I will be transported.”

I stood and held my gun close, listening for any movement. All I heard was Seunghun’s steady breathing.

The night was pitch black but I couldn’t see outside the window. “y/n, the streetlamps are off now.”

I sucked in a breath, understanding the true meaning of his words.

It was officially the Dark Hours.

❀ ❀ ❀

“I guess I should say welcome to the squad then, right?” I rolled my eyes but I couldn’t help but be sort of happy that I got to spend more time with Seunghun and his funny friends.

But that happiness didn’t last long as I heard a rustle outside the room. I jumped back and got father away from my door, my run still pointing at it. Seunghun watched his back as the window was behind him, he pointed at the door.

“Wait.” He mouthed. I nodded. I heard something that sounded like footsteps, but I knew some monsters had a similar foot structure to us. I aimed my gun high and waited for a noise.

Nothing.

“Don’t let down-”

As soon as he said that, the door burst opened and I aimed to shoot.

“WAIT! IT’S JUST US!” At the sound of a human I dropped my gun and saw Jihoon with his hands up. I raised a brow as I saw Hyunsuk, Byounggon, and a few other Hunters there as well.

“What the fuck is going on?” One of the unknown one said. 

“I have no idea, Yedam. But whatever is going on, it seems suspicious.” Seunghun looked frazzled and ran his fingers through his hair.

“What are you guys talking about?” Seunghun barked. Byounggon came forward and looked right at me and then the window.

He walked towards my bedroom window and flung it open, revealing a dark, empty street. Seunghun’s eyes widened. 

“No monsters.” Seunghun muttered. They all nodded. 

“No monsters? What? Has that ever happened?” I exclaimed. They all shook their heads. 

“Never. Sometimes there are less, but never zero. Until you showed up.” Hyunsuk said it casually, but I could feel the tension in his words.

Seunghun was about to jump in, but I could fight verbal battles myself. “Hey, don’t act like I made this happen. I’m just as confused as you are right now, and probably more since I have no idea why the fuck I’m here.” I barked, stepping closer to him. The boy came to meet me in the middle, but Jihoon stopped him.

“She’s right, we can’t blame each other. But besides all the monsters not being there, why were we all transported to this house?” 

I froze at his words. “W-what?” 

Byounggon nodded. “Yeah, I was sitting in my room, waiting for the Dark Hour and then I ended up here. Then I saw Hyunsuk, Jihoon, Junkyu, Yedam and Doyoung appear.” Seunghun brought his hand to his mouth to hide his gasp. 

“That’s never happened before. The most we have in one spot is 3 and even then it’s in the streets, not a house.” A boy I didn’t know explained. I noticed he was around the same height as Seunghun and had black hair. 

I looked around my home, but saw nothing different than the people in it. “Well if we’re all here, there’s gotta be a reason for it.” I set down my gun as I felt there was no threat and walked out of my room and into my living room, where the rest of the boys were called. I felt Seunghun appear by my side; he was still tense despite there being no threat. 

“What are you doing? He asked quickly. I scanned the entire room like a mad man and examined everything closely. “Y/N-” 

“This is my house. That means I know what it’s supposed to look like.” I hinted at him while walking deeper into the kitchen. 

Seunghun looked at me with a confused look until someone else spoke up. “She’s looking for a clue why we’re all here; if something is misplaced in her home, it might mean something.” A young boy with black hair spoke up. I nodded towards him and he gave me a small nod back. 

“Oh wow, good job, Doyoung.” Byounggon said patting his back. The younger boy nodded and looked serious once again. 

There was nothing different about the living room. I walked into my mom’s room, but I was rarely in her room, I didn’t know where what went. I searched and searched, but I didn’t know what I was looking for. 

I turned to leave the room. “Nothing?” Seunghun said sadly. I shook my head, but as I turned my head slightly, I saw something weird. My eyes widened in surprise and Seunghun caught notice of my expression. He gripped his gun and stepped to my side. “On guard.” The rest of the boys pulled out their respective weapons.

“She’s looking at a god damn strawberry recipes magazine, what’s wrong with that?” Hyunsuk spat. I glared at him and kept a hold on my gun.

“My mom is allergic to strawberries.” I stated loudly. The boys looked as uneasy as I felt. Why would she have a strawberry recipe magazine if she’s deathly allergic to strawberries?

I reached before the magazine, but before I could, the magazine started to move on it’s own. Seunghun stood in front of me, but I felt the urge to look at the magazine so I side stepped him. 

“Careful.” He whispered for only me to hear. I nodded slightly but I wasn’t paying attention to him. The magazine soon stopped on a page, making me anxious to read what it said. 

“Watch their backs.” A boy with dark black hair said. The boys nodded and followed his orders. Seunghun stepped closely to me and turned to me. 

“Together.” I caught the hint of his words. He took my hand and squeezed it, making me feel safe. Together, we walked slowly towards the magazine, unsure if it would make a sudden movement. 

Once we got close enough to read it, my heart dropped as I saw a page with no strawberries on it, but a small line written on it. I leaned down to read it.

The end is tomorrow. There are more of you. There are more of them. Use the girl, the normal one. 

Good luck, and don’t let the darkness take you. 

Shivers ran through up and down my spine. The girl, the normal one. I was the only normal girl in our group, meaning I was screwed. 

“What are you doing?” Seunghun asked softly. I looked up at him and raised my brows. “I’m reading the message.” I answered back slowly.

“Y/n, there’s nothing on that page.” Seunghun said quietly, almost like he didn’t believe his words. T

he boy who gave ordere earlier walked over and peered down at the magazine.

“Yedam, be careful.” Doyoung told him. Yedam glared at the boy, but looked at me curiously. “Seunghun is right, there’s nothing there.” 

I looked down at the page and saw the black writing very clearly. The rest of the boys were now huddled around the message. 

“There’s nothing.” A boy whose name I think was Junkyu, if I had remembered clearly. 

“Y/n, do you see something?” Seunghun asked me firmly, peering into my eyes. I felt all eyes on me and I grew nervous. I mustered up my courage and nodded. 

“Shit, this is so creepy.” Hyunsuk said while pacing around the room.

Seunghun didn’t move from his spot and continued, “What does it say?” 

I looked down at the pages and read them once more. “The end if tomorrow. There are more of you. Use the girl, the normal one. Good luck, and don’t let the darkness take you.” 

As soon as I said those words, the rest of the boys erupted into sighs and shivers. “Oh god, what is going on?” Junkyu wondered out loud while sitting on my mom’s bed. 

“Use the girl? What does y/n have to offer, no offense.” Jihoon said. 

“It doesn’t say what for. That’s all the message says.” I glanced over at the clock which wasn’t working. 

“We have one more minute before the Dark Hour is over." Doyoung announced.

No one had an answer for the confusing events, yet none of us could formulate a question. 

“Rest well today, it seems like we have a lot ahead of us tomorrow.” Seunghun announced while finally relaxing. 

Before anyone else could answer, I felt myself being pulled out of the Dark Hour and back into reality. I fell against my room wall and saw Seunghun standing firmly. I could see he was used to it and I wasn’t. 

Use the girl, the normal one. I see the message flash once more in my eyes, but I truly had no idea what it meant. I was a normal person, what did I have to offer? I was a nobody. 

“Are you ok?” Seunghun asked, concern laced in his voice. His hands went to cup my face and I nodded, dazed by the previous events and the intensity of his eyes. He pulled away, but I felt the urge to pull him back.

So I did. He grew surprised at my bold actions but let me pull him, even though I knew he was much stronger than I. “Are you going to be safe when you’re alone?” At my innocent words, he laughed loudly. 

“Y/n, I should be asking you that, I’ve been training since I was 10 years old for this.” 

“And how long ago was that?” I had never gotten his age, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious. Seunghun gave me a small smile.

“It was 9 years ago.” I smiled widely. “So you’re 19.” Seunghun shook with laughter. 

“Wow, good math skills you have there.” He gently tapped my forehead with his knuckles. 

Our conversation came to a stop and my only focus was on his face that was so close to mine. My eyes flickered to his lips, wondering how good he was with them. His eyes were taunting, like he didn’t believe I would do anything. 

He was wrong.

Before I knew what I was doing, I pulled him close to me, closing the gap between our lips. He responded quickly, his arms wrapping around me in a matter of seconds. He kissed me softly at first, but then I felt him bite my bottom lip softly, making me melt against his body. My hand wandered under his shirt, feeling his toned upper body. He sighed at my touch. 

Somehow, I had pushed him onto my bed and I was now on top of him. At our scandalous position, he grabbed my waist and pulled me aside so that I was sitting on my bed. 

I felt cold without his masculine warmth, and I was also stunned at his actions.

Oh shit, what did I just do? How did I get so lost in my feelings that I thought I could get down with a Hunter? 

I guess my face of surprise and shock was obvious because Seunghun started to talk before I could. “Y/n, I’m sorry, it’s just we only met each other yesterday and I know you’re in a confused state right now.” He talked as if he was talking to a piece of glass, which I wasn’t. But I already was embarrassed enough.

He has probably met so many female Hunters who so much stronger and prettier than me. I want to smack myself silly.

“I know, yeah, you’re right, um, I’m like, frazzled whatever. My emotions are running high. Um...” I felt myself stutter out. I felt tears brimming at his rejection, but I knew I couldn’t force him to do anything.

“Y/n, it’s fine, I just, I don’t want to... right now at least.” The was every nice guy’s way of rejection. And I couldn’t even be mad at him.

“I’m sorry, it was my fault. Um, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then. Bye.” He didn’t make a move to leave.

“Y/n, I didn’t mean to hurt you-”

“Seunghun, I’m sorry, but can you just leave?” I asked quietly, unable to look him in the eyes. Seunghun nodded, and stood, sparing me one last glance before he left, leaving me to slap my face and think about what I had just done.

Even though I was hurt in the moment, Seunghun was right. I wasn’t in the right state of mind to be anything intimate with anyone. Of course I was attracted to him, I mean who wasn’t, but I was in for about the biggest fight of my life tomorrow. 

And so was he. 

“Y/n, you’re the biggest idiot I know.” 

❀ ❀ ❀

“Looking better today, y/n, did you finally get some sleep?” 

I was immediately greeted by Mashiho’s taunting tone. But I was too upset and stressed to fight back.

“Yup, slept like a baby.” I lied. I had listening to self-deprecating music before I went to bed and then cried myself to sleep from Seunghun’s rejection and the fate of other Hunters in the palm of my hand.

I tied my apron on peacefully and said nothing else to him. Mashiho peered at my face and squinted his eyes. “What are you doing, Mashiho?” He scooted away from me.

“You seem different today. What happened with that boy?” I rolled my eyes even though he was a partial reason to my mood. 

“Nothing happened, we were never a thing nor did anything happen between us.” I stated clearly. Mashiho tsked like he didn’t believe me. 

He then stopped and leaned against the corner of the shop. “Look, y/n, I know you have no friends. So if you ever wanna tell me what happened, I’ll listen.” I started to roll my eyes, but it was kinda true, I really had no close friends. I had acquaintances and whatever, but never a friend that I would talk to into the late hours of the night. 

I felt myself tear up at his words as no one had told me that they would listen to my concerns. “Oh my god, are you crying?” At Mashiho’s blunt statement, I started to cry harder. Surprisingly, he pulled me into a brotherly hug and patted the top of my head like a child.

“Tell me what happened.” He whispered. I wiped my eyes and tried to speak calmly. 

“I tried to sleep with him, but he pushed me away saying that we both weren’t ready and we both just met each other.” I conveniently left out the Hunter thing, but I guess it wasn’t too important. Mashiho pulled away from the hug to give me a judgy look.

“Well, I didn’t think you would be the first to make a move, but damn girl.” I laughed at his goody statement but pulled away from him to wipe my tears. “Why are you being so nice to me?” I asked softly. He gave me a soft smile and shrugged.

“I’m not that big of a dick to make fun of a girl crying.” He shrugged, but I could tell something else was bothering him. Soon, the clock hit 9, and it was time to work. “Go wash your face, I’ll be fine up here alone.” I nodded. As I turned away, I gave him one more hug which surprised him.

“Thank you.”

He crinkled his nose as I pulled away. “Don’t get too soft on me now.”

❀ ❀ ❀

Mashiho and I had closed early today as it was new years eve. 

“Happy new years, y/n, try not to jump any more guys while I’m gone.” I slapped him on the back of his head, but I laughed. 

“I promise. That was my first time and last time.” He waved me goodbye and we went out separate ways. I got in my car, but I realized I didn’t want to sit at home all day and wait for midnight. I felt myself being compelled to go to the library for some reason. And not the library near my house, but the one that was out of the town I was in. I drove 30 minutes to the vaguely familiar library I had only visited once or twice. I preferred the one near my house, but this library was giant and beautiful as well. 

As I walked in, a strange man approached me. “Are you y/n?” Out of instinct, I had nodded, but then I realized I shouldn’t have told him the truth. But too late.

He smiled and nodded towards one of those private rooms. “Great, your spot is being saved in there.” I thanked him, even though I felt suspicious to walk in.

I gathered my courage and opened the door. I was shocked at who I saw. 

“Oh wow, look who came late to the party.” 

❀ ❀ ❀

“H-hyunsuk?” The blonde boy nodded and twirled a knife in his hand. I gasped and shut the door quickly. “Why are you holding that?” 

As he moved out of the way, I saw all the Hunters that I saw last night here tonight. “Why are you all here? I thought you guys said you never saw each other in real life!” I exclaimed, tossing down my bag I brought to work each day. 

“We didn’t. Until now.” Doyoung informed.

“We all heard a voice in the back of our minds telling us to come here, that we needed to come here. So we did of course.” Yedam 

“And now you’re here, so it makes sense.” Junkyu said cheerfully. 

I looked around the room, staring at all the weapons. “Why did you guys bring those though?” I asked, worried that we would be arrested for bringing those in there.

“That’s what were going to ask you.” Seunghun informed, leaning forward in his chair. As he spoke, he made eyecontact with me that I awkwardly avoided. 

“Well, I have no...” I didn’t finish that sentence as I saw a message appear on the wall.

The Dark Hour is early tonight. It will begin at 5pm. Good luck.

“Y/n?” Doyoung asked, startled at my behavior. I then realized I was leaning forward on the chair and the rest of the boys had stood in confusion. I stood up and nodded.

“Just peachy. There’s a message on the wall and it reads ‘The Dark Hour is early tonight. It will begin at 5pm. Good luck’“ I restated.

The boys froze and checked the time. It was six minutes til 5. 

“What the fuck is going on? All of this is so confusing!” Hyunsuk muttered loudly. 

“No idea, but that means we have to prepare ourselves. Put on your uniforms.” All of a sudden, they started to strip and I caught a glimpse of Hyunsuk’s abs as he threw it off carelessly. Hyunsuk was sort of an asshole, but I couldn’t help but stare. 

Suddenly, a large body covered my line of vision. I peered up and saw Seunghun who was raised a brow at my red face. “What.” I whispered harshly. 

He then leaned in closer and shrugged. “Mine is better.” He randomly said, but I knew what he was talking about. 

“Well, I could’ve....” seen them last night. I didn’t finish my sentence. Girls always got shit from boys when they didn’t want to have sex, the least I could do was wait for Seunghun to be ready. Or be fine if he never wanted me like that. I had to respect that. “Nevermind I’m sorry.” I muttered quickly, stepping away from him.

Before I could leave, he pulled on my wrist gently, making me face him once more. “One day, y/n, when all of this is over.” He promised. Before my face could light on fire, I felt someone else approach me.

Byounggon plopped an outfit in my hands. “I know you didn’t bring one, so I thought of to bring an extra. I hope it fits.” I nodded in shock.

“Thank you.” I whispered gently. He gave me a fatherly smile and patted my head. “Don’t thank me, thank whoever gave me the urge to give me an extra.”

“Two more minutes!” Doyoung called out. I realized that they all had changed and were now waiting on me. I glared at them and did spinning movements.

“Can you guys like.. turn around?” The nodded respectfully and did as I told. I stripped quickly and slipped on the fitting uniform. It was a perfect fit. “Done!” I called out. They turned back and gathered at the small table.

“Do you think there will be other Hunters there? They said there will be more of ‘us’, whatever that refers to.” Jihoon asked curiously. No one answered.

“No clue. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” Yedam responded. All of a sudden, I felt the familiar pull, meaning this time I was transferring somewhere else. 

I landed on my ass, confused of my surroundings. “Get up!” Someone called out to me. I felt someone pull me up. It was Seunghun. 

I felt relief flood my body as I saw a familiar faces all around me. 

“Y/n!?” I heard a familiar voice say. I jumped back from Seunghun’s hold and turned around.

“MASHIHO!?” I exclaimed. His doe eyes narrowed at me.

“What are you doing here? Are you Hunter?” It was weird to see him in a tight fitting long sleeve and such edgy clothes when he had always worn preppy clothes. 

“Um, not really. It’s complicated.” I responded lamely. 

Another boy stepped forward. “She must be the the girl the message spoke about. The normal one.” 

Suddenly, they started to converse in an unfamiliar language I recognized as Japanese. 

“MASHI!” Suddenly, Junkyu appeared out of nowhere and tackled Mashiho in a hug. They hug was childish and passionate.

I looked to Seunghun. “Did you know he was a Hunter?” I asked accusingly. He shook his head. “I swear I’ve never met him. I’m usually transferred to the same spots so I probably never ran into him. But I know all his friends.” 

“That’s Yoshinori, Kotaro, Asahi, and Mahiro.” I waved to them awkwardly as they gave me awkward smiles. 

Suddenly, I heard a loud explosion outside. 

“Guards up!” Seunghun yelled as I reached for the gun in my holster. “Let’s jump down!” He then broke the window and started to jump out. 

My eyes widened as he just flew down to the ground from my second story. The rest of the boys followed him. 

I felt someone grab hold of me and carry me. “Hug my chest so we can fit through the window.” Mashiho said sternly. It seemed like everyone got a bit more serious in the dark hour. I did as he told and suddenly we were falling out of my window. I held onto him harder and Mashiho landed smoothly. “I’m never going to let you live this down.”

“Shut up.” I jumped off of him and took out my gun. 

There was nothing at first.

Then it came.

“A-are those humans?” I whispered to no one in particular.

Hundreds and hundreds of humans started piling towards us with blank eyes and dirty faces. Some had clothes, some did not; skin was falling off of them, dragging in the streets. 

I felt someone grab my face and pull me close to them. “S-seunghun-”

“Look at me. Those are not humans, those are zombies who will try and hurt you. They will use psychological warfare on you, they will tell you things that aren’t true. Do not fall for that, ok? Kill them as fast as you would kill a fly. Do you understand me?” I nodded hurriedly. He stared at me a little longer before pulling away. “Good.”

“Well, stop trying to make us jealous.” Hyunsuk teased by slapping Seunghun’s shoulder. 

“Look.” Doyoung said calmly. The zombies started to run faster and soon the battle had begun. The boys, who I had known to be funny and boyish, became fearless killers as their enemies came closer.

“Watch her please.” Seunghun pushed me back to Mashiho.

“Damn I’m stuck with the burden?” As zombies came running at the both of us, I held up my gun and shot five of them in the head. He stared at me with wide eyes.

“Such a burden.” I snapped.

The zombies kept going down, coming steadily at us until one latched onto me. I grew afraid as its droopy eyes and skinny body held onto my arm with a tight grip.

“Help me!” It called out. “Help, I hate it down there, it’s terrible and scary! I’m just a girl, please!” She called out to me. Her features still looked slightly human, making my heart hurt. “I swear I just want to live more!” 

“I-I’m sorry, I can’t.”

Suddenly, her eyes turned black as she lunged for me. I took out my gun and shot her in the head.

“Fuck.” I spat. 

Suddenly, all the zombies stopped coming, leaving the large group to stand there in silence. “Is that it?” Hyunsuk called out, sitting on the ground to rest.

Seunghun was still tense and held his knife in his holster. “Stay ready.” 

All of a sudden, a streetlamp turned on, revealing a man standing underneath the solely lit lamp. I gasped and instinctively stepped back. “What? What do you see?” Seunghun whispered in my ear.

I looked up at him with concern in my eyes. “Do you not see it?” I whispered.

“See what?” Jihoon asked, looking into the distance. I gulped and stepped out of Seunghun’s hold. 

“There’s a man over there. Underneath the streetlight. And the light is on too.” 

“Is he moving? Are any other lights on?” I shook my head at Byounggon’s rapid questions.

I started to walk towards the man until I felt a hand pull me back. “No, what if he’s dangerous.” I shook my head. “I need to do this. I feel it.” 

Thankfully, Seunghun let go of my hand. “Fine, but I’ll be behind you.” I nodded and we both started to walk towards him. I felt the tenseness of the dark air, but I felt like whoever the man is was important. 

“y/n.” He called out. “y/n, don’t be scared.” I expected Seunghun to pull me closer, but I remembered he couldn’t hear him. 

“What do you want?” I asked boldly. Seunghun then tensed and pulled out his gun. The man laughed. 

“Interesting.” He commented. “He’s gotten soft for you.” 

I glared at the man. He was tall, not taller than Seunghun, but tall. He had dark brown hair and had an average looking face. No sense of crime or anger in his eyes. 

“What do you want?” I demanded once more. 

He went silent for a moment, but looked me in the eyes. “It’s over. Congratulations. The Dark Hour is no more.” He confessed. My eyes widened in surprise. 

“What, why?”

He shrugged. “You humans have done well, Hell is now not as crowded as it used to be, there is no reason for me to keep letting creatures out.”

My head spun with all this information. “Why am I here then? Why call me when the fight as almost over?” I snapped. The man shook with laughter.

“Why do anything?”

My jaw dropped at his sarcastic remark. “Well, good that it’s over then. I’m not cut out for this.” 

The man looked at me sadly. “You were way better than you ever thought you would be. That is why only you can see me and none of them can.”

“Why can I see you and no one else can?”

Before he could finish his sentence, his body to fade. “I can’t give you all the answers, honey. That would be no fun.” 

He then tipped his head down as his body faded away. “Goodbye, y/n.” 

As he faded, I felt myself being pulled back into the real world.

❀ ❀ ❀

I woke up the next morning to my alarm. I sighed and shut it off, feeling a headache from the last night. 

The Dark Hour was no more, but I didn’t even get to tell all the guys before being pulled away. I wonder if they felt it too, I wonder if they knew. 

I shimmied into my clothes and got ready for another day at work. 

The bakery was empty, with only Mashiho swiping up the floor. “Hey, Mashi.” I teased as I walked into the shop. He raised a brow and chuckled awkwardly.

“How did you know that was my nickname? Only my mom calls me that.” Now I was the confused one. 

“What are you talking about, Junkyu called you that last night.” I reminded him as the large boy had run and basically flung Mashiho around. 

“Who’s Junkyu? And you and I weren’t together last night...” He walked towards me and placed his hand over my forehead. “Are you sick?”

My jaw dropped as he truly didn’t remember. 

What happened that night? Why does Mashiho not remember what happened? Did that mean no one remembered...

Does that mean Seunghun no longer knows who I am?

My heart dropped at the realization.

“Are you ok, y/n?” Mashiho asked with concern in his eyes. I nodded and turned the bakery sign to say open. 

“I guess I have to be.” 

As soon as the bakery sign was open, we heard someone enter. 

“Hi, welcome to Treasure Bakery, can I...” My voice faltered as I looked up from the register. He was wearing dark black pants with a white button up. His hair was messily combed through, like he had just woken up. 

He smiled widely at me, making my heart pound faster at his kind greeting. 

“Hey.”

[morphituu]

Bell Peppers Ch. 17 (Final)

“Endlessly”

Archive of Our Own: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17

tumblr: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15- 16 - 17

She watched him over the tops of her glasses, unmoving, and staring critically at it placed on the countertop beside where she perched on the edge of his tub. Her eyes moved around, her ankles shifting over one another, but he still didn’t move, even when she cleared her throat.

“You haven’t blinked in like a minute,” she stated, and his eyes finally shot to her.

“It’s only been a minute?” he asked, shoulders slumping. She nodded, glancing down at her phones timer.

His hands pulled down his face with a low groan, sliding down the wall until he landed on the tile floor.

“Longest three minutes of your life, huh?” she simpered, seemingly unconcerned. He nodded, his head bouncing back against the wall. “It’s gonna be negative, don’t worry,”

“That’s not what I’m worried about, I just wanna know,”

“Minute and a half left,” she sighed, flipping her phone in her hands.

Nick looked over her, picturing a distended belly beneath her T-shirt and popped shorts, wondering how off balance she’d be what with her short stature. He rubbed his eyes with his palms, smothering the thought. Since that morning, he’d let his imagination get the better of him, all the way to the drug store to pick up the pregnancy test then all the way home, and now here, waiting endlessly for it to finish.

“Done,” she said, quickly grabbing for the test.

He rushed to her side clumsily, and they both stared down at the negative test.

“Told you,” she murmured, obviously deflated and handing it to him. He studied it closely, turning it this way and that, thinking maybe it could’ve been a trick of the light. “My only chance came and went,” she added, and he looked at her.

“You don’t know that,” he tried, tossing the used test in the trash.

“Feels like it,” she mumbled, but Nick caught her arm when she moved to walk out, and brought her into a tight hug, kissing her cheek in attempt at eradicating the visible frown on her face.

“It’ll happen, baby,” he assured, squeezing her until she returned the gesture.

“Kinda thought it would’ve been inevitable with how much we did it this week,” she said into his chest. “All that mess’a blood for nothing,”

He chuckled. “Still worth it,”

“Gonna start coming after me every time I’m on my period now?”

Impishly he nibbled her jaw. Another forceful kiss under the partly healed bruise on her face, and he let her go, smacking her ass before walking out. “Okay let’s eat now,”

Callie followed him out sluggishly, bumping into him when they wandered into the kitchen. With little energy, she went about throwing a breakfast together, often slumping against Nick when he stepped in to help. He’d chuckle and curl an arm around her neck, dragging her around as they shuffled between stovetop and fridge, and even took both their plates packed with chorizo con huevos and tortillas, his elbow still hooked around her neck as he pulled her over to his new table.

“When’s your job interview?” he asked, stuffing a hearty bite into his mouth.

“Tuesday,” she said around a mouthful of food, opening a cold can of soda. “I’m nervous as fuck,”

“You’re gonna own that shit. Do those big number equations in your head and I bet they’ll hire you on the spot,” he grinned.

“Computers do everything at banks now- they wouldn’t need my hidden talent,”

“But how often do they have a human computer that can double check their work?” he tried, bumping his knee against hers. She smiled, smacking his arm lightly.

“I need to go buy some cover-up. Can’t go in with a black eye,”

Nick nodded, sucking his teeth, and now expertly pinching a bite of the chorizo with his tortilla. She was perking up a bit now, like he knew she would when she found the Dr. Pepper he’d stashed for her in the fridge, but sensed unloading his next big surprise might send her reeling into panic.

“So you said earlier that Rosie canceled tomorrow?” Nick asked, and Callie rolled her eyes.

“I knew she wasn’t gonna go through with it- I’m getting my money back for those tickets,”

Nick swallowed his bite. “Keep the day open then,”

Her brow kicked up. “Why?”

“My parents wanna come over,”

Outwardly, she remained calm, but inside he knew she was frantic- like a person caught in a house on fire. She looked at her food, poking it absentmindedly with her tortilla. “So I need to buy cover-up today,”

“You don’t have to,” he told her. “They know what happened,”

“With me?”

“Everything. They’ve been asking how you’re doing-”

“Wait,” she interrupted. “Even the miscarriage?”

“I told them,” he stated, and she retracted, leaning back in her chair.

“You said you wouldn’t,”

“I couldn’t lie about it. Felt like it’d be a slap in the face to you- like it’d be disregarding something you battled through,” he explained.

She twisted her thumb in her other palm nervously. “How’d they take it?”

“They were pissed. They’ve been on my ass about dying without grandkids for years so when they heard it, they were about as angry as you. And they’re also very sorry,” he relayed, playing with her lithe fingers. “My mom asks about you a lot,”

Callie grinned. “Grandma by nature?”

He nodded. “Little ball of love like you,”

With a steadying breath and her shoulders rolling away some of the nervousness, she seemed to be capable of this next step in their relationship that admittedly should’ve happened months ago. She moved her hair from her cheeks, her fringe pinned back by her glasses still, and carefully poked her healing cheek.

“Doesn’t look too bad?” she asked, and he shook his head, flashing a goofy grin.

“You’re pretty no matter what,”

Another slap on his arm, and she spun her soda between her palms. “What’re they like?”

Nick leaned back in his chair now, exhaling as he chewed. “Mom comes off as mean at first, but she’s just a quiet observer, I think is the best way to put it. Really hard worker, never really takes days off. Can be super blunt, but crack her open and she’s really the best mom. Put up with all my shit and never complained,” he told her with a small smirk.

It warmed Callie’s heart to see him speak so affectionately of his mom; clearly he’d been raised right. “And your dad?”

He rolled his eyes. “Smart- like really smart, but never short for some kind of raunchy joke,” Nick explained. “But he’s a gentle giant. The kind of person who can walk up to anyone from any walk of life and start a conversation,”

“You sound more like your mom than your dad,” she simpered, and he nodded in agreeance.

“Got my mom’s height, too,” he grumbled.

“You’re still my big guy,” she toyed, reaching to playfully trace the shell of his ear. It twitched, his cheeks turning a darker shade as he gently slap her hand away. “So I suppose we should stop by the store when we’re out today,”

“Yeah, after we go to the station though,” he stuffed the last bite in his mouth. “Don’t know how long it’ll take,”

“How convincing did you sound when your captain called?”

“There’s no doubt in my mind that he has some suspicions about the whole thing. I genuinely forgot to act surprised when he called- in my head I was like ‘yeah I know he got the shit beat out of him,” Nick snickered, carrying their plates to the kitchen.

“Did they tell you where he is now?” She followed him in.

“Nah, we should get those details about that today,”

“But we won’t have to actually see him right?”

“No, not at all. They only want our statements,” he reassured, holding her face when she looked here and there nervously. “There’s no chance he could show up after those blows you landed,”

She snorted softly, her head dropped and walking into his chest for a hug. Nothing else besides the anxiousness he could smell coming out of her pores showed her apprehension, and it started to affect him. He knew they’d be in separate rooms for their questioning- how would she handle it without him?

“Should we go and get this over with then? Make it a date afterwards?” he asked against her hair, and kissed her lips when she looked up at him with a quick nod. “Noodles for lunch?”

“Oh fuck yeah.” She grinned, another kiss, and the two of them moved to his room.

It was decided that it was best for Callie to wear a long sleeve over her blood stained cast, despite their best efforts to wash it out with hydrogen peroxide. It bothered her some- every time she reached for something or twisted her arm, she had to pull it back down, and that in itself could raise suspicions.

But with them both bundled and clad in black to avoid any extra attention drawn to them, Callie held Nick’s hand in her lap nervously as he drove, often looking at her from behind his dark Clubmasters to find her knee bouncing or adjusting her glasses nervously, repeatedly cleaning the lenses. All the way to the station, and when they stood beside his truck after parking, he reassured she’d be okay and there was no part of Gerrald she’d have to face that day.

She clung to him in a fleeting hug before finally inhaling deeply and grabbing his hand tightly as he lead her to the front, her shield against the bad that inevitably awaited inside.

Her face remained angled down while her eyes did the back and forth, recognizing faces she’d seen sneer or glare before. But now people looked in confused awe, probably not having expected to see the Orc no one liked who was beaten within an inch of his life walking through the front lobby, a fiercer glare across his scarred features to ward anyone off.

It occurred to Callie that looking so weak and beaten beside him would only draw more assumptions, so she lifted her chin, her hand sliding up his arm to hold securely as they approached the front desk.

“Jakoby,” the woman in uniform acknowledged, her platinum blonde locks pulled back into a sleek bun.

“Here for Heig,” he only answered, hanging his sunglasses over his collar. I’m here to talk to no one but Heig, was what his tone really said though, and Callie squeezed his arm, enormously proud of her Orc.

The tall woman, McCann, only nodded absently as she moved away, leaving the couple at the counter to wait. A few more were still there, looking on how they figured was covertly, but Nick only flashed a passing glance with a cocked brow, unbothered as long as he didn’t hear them utter any foul words in regards to Callie.

“You alright?” she asked lowly, and he nodded, still doing once overs of the area.

“Forgot how welcoming this place is,” he mumbled, and she snickered.

“Jakoby,”

They both turned, and there was Heig, followed by investigators in bland suits, files and folders in hand. That was when Callie tensed beside him, and he rubbed her back, silently comforting her.

“Sir,”

“Gonzales here will accompany Miss Flores for her statement and I with you and Amar,” Heig instructed, stepping aside so the Hispanic detective with lines beside his eyes from smiling could greet her.

“Miss Flores, pleasure to meet you,” he introduced himself calmly, clasping his other hand over hers when he shook. Callie only nodded, and Nick kissed her head before she followed Gonzales to one of the private rooms, twisting her palm around her thumb nervously. Nick wanted to run after her, but knew she’d be okay. It would most likely end in an anxious night at home after their visit, but Callie was strong. She could handle this on her own, he told himself.

It all started from the beginning. Back to when Nick and Gerrald had any sort of contact, even passing comments when his attacker had first joined the force. There was no specific time they could pinpoint when the harassment turned from bothersome to hostile, but from the statement Callie gave them, he could’ve been planning this for years.

Judging by charges on Gerrald’s hidden credit cards from his wife, he’d been a frequenter of Two Hands and from Jakes willingness to provide details and documents, he’d booked private dances from Callie at least once a week when she was still a regular working there, which was 4 years ago. Booths were dark, and dancers kept their distance. All this time she’d performed for him, unknowing of the obsession he held for her. Years and years, building a covet unbeknownst to everyone; a dangerous, sick fascination verified by kept receipts upon receipts of his visits to her club. Who knows how many times he could’ve followed her home or lingered nearby, unnoticed.

The catalyst was Callie’s visit to the precinct that first time, and Nick could remember his face perfectly.

What he thought was a sour, defeated glare was actually, probably, one of glaring realization that by some astral and amazing coincidence, Nick had scored the girl he so desired. Gerrald couldn’t stand seeing his favorite dancer in the arms of the Orc he despised, and it sent him over.

Verified, and to Nick’s dismay, Gerrald had started to lash out at his wife and children. Screaming, breaking things, disappearing for days at a time and always with a chunk of their money withdrawn from the bank. Money that had been given to the Belye Volki in return for their muscle. The same muscle that had been used to attempt Nick’s murder. As long as money kept rolling in with the aid of his police connections, the rival Orcs gladly sent their biggest.

Gerrald only showed his face when his chance at getting his hands on Callie presented itself, resulting in her injuries and the death of their albeit very young fetus. But that brought a new edge to the charges they were pressing: manslaughter on top of attempted, and assault, not to mention breaking and entering and the class 2 felony he faced for stealing guns from the station.

By then, it had all come together. The long obsession, the careful planning, and the attacks. Hours later, and Callie and Nick had given every detail they could recall, but admittedly and horribly given their best shocked response when news ‘broke’ that Gerrald had been the victim of a grizzly attack, by unknown assailants, of course.

Heig, judging by the way he studied Nick and had questioned any involvement he might’ve had with Fogteeth, obviously had suspicions when the Orc denied having any knowledge of Gerrald’s deadly attack, but couldn’t withhold commenting on his delight knowing he got what was coming.

But it was all written, and recorded, and with a final signature, Nick rose to scope out Callie when he was told they’d be in shortly to discuss further details.

She was also finished by the time he found her, and she visibly relaxed when she turned to see him walking in, kissing her head and then forehead as he sat beside her. Any little boosts he could give, he would.

“If I’d known we were gonna be here for 2 hours I would’ve taken them up on that drink offer,”

“Don’t- the sodas here are like 2 years old,” he teased, eliciting a giggle from her. “You doing okay?” he asked.

“Um… yeah. I don’t know how to handle knowing he’s been around for so long and I didn’t know, but I’m generally okay. They didn’t tell me where he is now, though,”

“They will when they come back in,”

“Are they compiling evidence?” she asked.

“At the copying machine actually,”

“Wait what?”

The door opened behind him, and Heig along with the three dressed investigators came in, all either sitting or standing on the other side of the table and handing over their own packets.

“These are copies of your statements and the case number attached,” Heig explained, and Nick bumped her knee with his. “Jakoby you know what happens next,”

“Yes sir,” Nick nodded, thumbing through the pages.

“But you don’t,” he looked at Callie, lacing his fingers together before him. “Both of your statements with additional statements and evidence will be sent off to a prosecutor's office and once they review it, it’ll be determined whether or not there’s sufficient enough evidence to send off to a judge for an arrest warrant,”

“How long does that take?” Callie asked.

“About 3 days,” Nick answered, and she glanced at him before looking back at Heig.

“And Gerrald? Where is he?” she pressed, tensing.

“Hospital. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon,”

“Give me a number,” Callie demanded, and Heig sighed.

“I can’t release that information to you-”

“And what if he gets out and isn’t charged with anything?” she lashed out, panic rising in her blood.

“He will be,” Heig maintained, and Callie reclined some, having not realized she was on the verge of standing. “I can’t say how it’ll hold up in court or when that could happen, but this is more than enough,” he explained, and Nick was a bit surprised. From all people, his racist-ass Captain seemed more or less in Nick’s favor of the situation.

“So go home and wait for the call. And I expect to see your ass here on Tuesday without a doctors note.” Heig pointed at Nick, and he nodded, fighting back an aggravated sigh.

Nick stood before Callie did, grabbing the reports and ushering her out of the office, both eager to be done with this visit.

“I really thought he wasn’t gonna be an asshole this time,” Callie said through the corner of her mouth, and Nick snorted.

“Surprised he didn’t slap cuffs on me for being the victim,” Nick came back, Callie now snorting. “Lunch now?”

“Yes and then we can walk it off at the store.”

He was pulling his sunglasses from his shirt when his line of vision met another Orc, clad in the infamous 79 and standing with a couple others at the front, speaking with one of the receptionists. Ernie- he’d been on Nick and Callie’s patrol team quite a few times. A quiet Orc, never one to really tag along in the jokes they’d made when Nick was in the thick of his heat.

It was natural now to raise his arm and bump his forearm with other Fogteeth, nodding at one another before they went back to their business.

The sparse cops around the lobby watched, confused, their eyes lingering as Nick walked with Callie under his arm. It would’ve come out eventually, but until they had any hard evidence, no one could persecute Nick for being Fogteeth.

↠

Her hands skipped over the clearance items, snatching a bottle of bouillon. They shuffled mostly, already exhausted from navigating a supercenter earlier that day and stuffed from pho, and often either of them would stop and stand with a hard exhale, and arms hung, ready to sit down and succumb to the food coma.

“What if he wanders out and attacks us in a delusional state?” Callie asked, waiting beside Nick at the meat deli with a basket hung on her arm. “I’ve heard that when people aren’t completely conscious that they’re stronger,”

“He looked like hamburger when we left,” Nick intoned, critically eyeing the choices before him before pointing to a pile of thick steaks, asking for 2 pounds. She hmph-d, chewing her inner lip.

“What if there’s still other Orcs he hired?” she whispered, and he dropped the bag of meat into the basket.

“They won’t do anything without pay,” Nick pulled her along, tossing in spices she didn’t recognize and a few packs of spiral noodles, trading the heavying basket for a long baguette. “Volki aren’t the most efficient but they’re never ones to make themselves known. They know they’re compromised and if anything, Gerrald will be their target for the exposure, not us,”

She pursed her lips, following sluggishly until he had his arm around her waist, tugging her along.

“Three days,” she scoffed.

“And then it’s gonna be off to a judge, and everyday that passes we’re safer, so calm down, okay? Nothing else can happen,” he implored, bumping her chin with his knuckles.

“Am I annoying you?”

“No but you’re tormenting yourself. We did everything we can and that fucker very well might never walk again. You saw how crooked his legs are, and baby,” he pulled her a little closer. “His jaw was barely hanging on when you were done with him,”

She fought the little smirk, hitting his firm chest. “I wasn’t exactly done with him,”

He cackled and kissed her cheek, keeping her in his hold as they wound up and down the isles of the supermarket, grabbing items for the dinner the following day and snacks. It was nice to return to some kind of normality, but a heavy thought saddled Callie’s mind despite the wide smile splayed across her face when they’d whisper jokes or pick at one another.

Nick would return to work, healed, and Callie would return home. If anything, they’d still spend most of their time together, but why did it feel like she would never see him again? Had she grown so comfortable at his house, in his company all day and night? How lonely would her bed feel without him there? Even when she was sleeping on his couch, he was so close. Could she ask to spend the night as often- was he looking forward to having his own space back?

She shook the intrusive thoughts. All that would change is returning to everyday life, hopefully with a new job under her belt.

“What exactly are you making for tomorrow?” she asked, peering into the basket after he grabbed two thick stalks of leeks.

“S’like a creamy, meaty pasta dish. Orc staple,” he grinned.

“How come you’ve never made it for me? Huh?” she poked her elbow into his side.

“Cause you don’t like these,” he retorted, grabbing a few fat cap mushrooms. She rambled out disgusted, blubbering mumbles as her hands drew in, veering a few steps away as he tried to hand them to her playfully. He went about picking the more favorable ones as she wandered on, her hands ghosting over veggies.

When her touch slid across firm peppers, she grinned, turning to find him pulling a bag from the spinner.

“You know, I’m still waiting on my truck load of bell peppers,” she pressed, dropping one of each into the bag.

He frowned with his brows kicked up. “Stop by Costco and fill the bed up,” he said smartly, earning a light smack on his arm. “Need more time,”

“More than a year?” she asked, and he blinked.

“It’s been almost a year already?”

“10 months in a couple weeks,”

He followed as she moved backwards, flicking her head to toss aside her fringe that was in need of a trim. He couldn’t see her eyes as well anymore. But watching her move away brought him back to a humid night in the dead middle of summer, and her once long hair whipping around her freckled cheeks as the waves crashed below them at the Santa Monica pier, the glimmer in her brilliant eyes lighting up the night.

“Good thing I have you before I turn my back on the world,”

Callie closed the gap between them, and he had her sides just as she’d stretched to kiss him. “Always.” she devoted softly, kissing him again.

10 months from then to now, and nothing in his unwavering intensity for her had lessened or changed, and through it all, she’d remained at his side, even when the world had seemed to tear them apart.

Nick was gazing at her, he knew it, but he couldn’t help the incredible blessing he felt washing over him. How had he been so lucky to land Callie?

“Couple more months and I can ask you to move in,” he said softly.

Her heart thundered, and she suppressed a wide, relieved smile. “I still have 8 months left on my lease,”

“I’ll ask again in 8 months then,” he caught up to her, holding her tight to his side. “Until then I’ll fill our garden with bell peppers,”

“A lifetime's worth,” she grinned, and met him halfway for a kiss.

“Only if you stick around that long,” he kissed quickly against her temple.

“My god just propose already,” she toyed dramatically, and he tugged on a lock of her hair to silence her, but only evoked a string of giggles. “Okay let’s go home, I want out of this bra,” she grunted, wiggling her arms against her chest. “Bandage is itchy as hell.”

They didn’t leave without a six-pack of Modelo’s; it was Callie’s turn to choose the ale, but only smirked when Nick groaned. They ambled through the long check-out lines they never could seem to avoid, bumping each other back and forth lazily with the basket in Nick’s grasp. The cashier looked at Callie sympathetically when she moved her glasses down to count her change and hand it to him, but Nick just scoffed. No longer did the need to prove himself alarm in his heart. He was done trying to be friends with a world no one wanted him a part of.

But accepting that was easier. Why did he need the thrill of a nod from a stranger instead of a glare if he had Callie, and Ward, even a few friends by his side? Could passing hello’s from strangers like he wasn’t branded a freak ever match up to what he had in front of him?

He watched Callie, chatting idly with an older woman bagging her items beside her, a small smile curling her full lips.

Nearly 10 months of bliss, and fighting, and misery and blood… but such a deep, and endless love.

Next 100 years would be easy.

Right?

↠

“I’m so full,” Nick exclaimed, his head craned back as he waddled from the kitchen with Callie behind him, at last pulling the loose shirt off her body to give the sore bite under her breast some time to breathe.

“Not in the mood for desert?” she said against his skin, her arms thrown around his waist. He chuckled as they made it to his bed before he spun and threw her against the mattress, crawling after her.

Callie pulled him down with a smile, peppering his face with sweet kisses as he grunted and shifted over her before finally flopping on his side.

“Too full,” he groaned, but caressed her thigh when she rolled, holding her cinched waist.

“Why did you let me eat so much?” she groused, and he snorted.

“I can’t be held responsible for that,”

“Cause you were stuffing your face too,” she giggled, shrieking when he dug his fingers into her ribs. He let up quickly knowing if he watched her uncovered boobs jiggle around too much he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from finding his way in. “You bastard,” she said sleepily, and sighed when he massaged her hip, moving down her thigh and back up.

The bruises on her stomach were finally improving, but that meant darkening before they’d eventually fade. He traced the edges of them around her belly button, catching the length of her scar on his journey, and folding his hand to trace circles with his knuckles against the spot a bump would’ve started to show if she’d still been pregnant.

Nick pulled his hand back.

To anyone else, there was so much wrong with her. Cuts, bruises, a cast- yet she seemed so unfazed by it all. It seemed to only hold her thoughts hostage when she’d catch sight of her flat stomach in the mirror, or when she was washing her face, her touch lingering over the gash on her lip or temple. Not to mention the considerable worsening of her vision; she could hardly text now without her arms outstretched.

The soft graze of fingertips against her chin cracked her eyes, and she gave him a lopsided grin with her face pressed into the sheet, her brows twitching in discomfort when the gash on her lip stung. He traced her bruised jaw, endearment stirring the warmth in his heart when she held his knuckles against her lips, kissing softly.

Callie pulled his hand under her chin, the fingers of her casted hand lacing awkwardly with his as she scooted closer across the mattress.

Their foreheads touched, and his hand slid across her cheek to push her hair away.

She held his hands there, sighing in content when his thumbs caressed under her eyes, featherlight over the blemish.

“This is nice,” she whispered, the two lost amongst the blankets scattered about their bodies.

“Mhm,” he hummed. His heart fluttered, watching her blink into focus on him, pulling his thumb to kiss his palm. “You’re so beautiful,”

“Your face looks better than mine,” she rasped, burying her face farther into his hand.

He shook his head, wiggling so they were up against one another. “You’re always so beautiful,”

“Shut uuup,” she whined, hiding her face.

“Nah lemme look at you,”

“That’s not creepy at all,” she rolled onto her other side, but he scooted over, pulling her back against his chest and smooching her shoulder.

“I’m imagining what our kids would look like,”

She paused, and for a split second he thought he’d over-stepped, but she shimmied onto her back, looking up at him. “I think about it all the time,”

“Yeah?” he asked, resting on his elbow. She nodded.

“I wonder who’s nose it would’ve had, or if it would’ve looked more human than Orc, but I’m pretty sure it would’ve had your eyes,” she explained. “And your ears… probably your nose too- I think they would’ve looked nothing like me, honestly,”

“A boy would’ve looked like you,”

“That means you’d make pretty girls,” she mumbled, and then her brows curved up. “Oh my god can you imagine having little daughters chasing after you? Calling you daddy?”

“Okay stop,” he whined, dropping his face against her chest. Now she pulled him in tightly, caressing the back of his head as he embraced her. He stared down at the fresh bite, tempted to pull his touch over it but knew it must’ve been tender as hell.

“Nick, what if I can’t ever give you a baby?” she asked suddenly.

“Don’t go there,”

“I’m serious-”

“Don’t,” he leaned over her, clapping a hand over her mouth, her brows furrowing slightly. “Don’t do that to yourself. It’ll happen but even if it never does that doesn’t mean I’d be less inclined to follow you wherever you go the rest of my life,”

She mumbled something unintelligible, but still he nodded, removing his hand. “Yes, we can adopt 10 pitbulls if it doesn’t work out,” he assured, and despite a gloss filming over her eyes, she grinned, holding his face.

“You’re so perfect,”

“Oh stop,” he kissed her, moaning when she curled around his neck. “Wait,”

She waited, one of her thighs already having slid between his.

He thought over his words before speaking. “I don’t want to actively… try, until we know he’s behind bars,”

“Oh- duh, Jesus I thought you were gonna drop a bomb in my lap,” she exhaled, moving her hair from her face.

Another kiss, and he was sitting up on his knees, parting her legs until he found his place between them. She turned boneless in his hold, her body arching deliciously as he pulled from underneath her, bringing her chest carefully against his open mouth.

“Isn’t this actively trying?” she breathed, rubbing his shoulders as he swirled his tongue around a standing nipple.

“Think of it as not not trying,” he said quickly, rocking forward to catch her lips in another lock. “Is that okay?”

She nodded eagerly, yanking him over her, her hips raising to meet his in a firm rut. He chuffed against her jaw, giving into a few leisure thrusts with her body raised like that. “It’s gonna happen, Cal,” he paused, holding her jaw gently. “I’m gonna give you a kid one day.”

“I’m holding you to it.” she grinned, and exclaimed when he rolled, admiring her body as she moved above him.

She’d gone back and forth between the kitchen and table at least 5 times since he’d been standing there for no more than 3 minutes, and he suspected it’d keep happening until he resorted tying her to a chair.

Callie was at the table, poking the tableware into neater arrangements, glancing nervously at him and flashing her best ‘don’t-worry-I-won’t-have-panic-attack-in-front-of-your-parents-but-I’ll-have-five-beforehand’ smile. And here she came, back into the kitchen to peer over his arm and down at the simmering pan.

“I keep stopping myself from telling you it looks done cause I have no idea how to cook this,” she rattled, leaning her butt against the countertop to steal some sips from his beer, most likely. Hers had been thrown back hours ago, when she was only a fraction of the nerves she was now.

“Give it about 10 more minutes,” he nodded, setting the spoon beside the pan. “But you need to calm down. They’re gonna think you’re high on something with how fast you’re moving,”

“Pfft I wish I was high at this point,” she groaned, pushing her hands back through her hair. “I don’t even know why I’m so nervous, it’s not like I’m guilty of something,”

“Yeah they’d smell that,” he joked, and she looked at him, horror paling her face.

“Oh my god they’re gonna smell that we fucked last night!” She cried, holding her own cheeks. “They’re gonna know I was upside down!”

He shrugged indifferently, weighing his hands. “You were more folded than anything-“

“They’re gonna think I’m a skank for having sex after just losing a baby,” she complained into her palms, and Nick chuffed.

“See now you’re just making bad assumptions,”

Callie looked up at him, and frowned, dropping her gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that,”

“It’s fine. But you seriously need to calm down. I can’t keep giving you beer,” he grinned, opening his arms for a tight hug. Callie rushed into him fast enough that he almost lost balance, but with a good squeeze, she was already calming and reaching under his hold to pick up the spoon and stir the creamy food.

A round of solid knocks on his door had her spinning in his arms, and he squeezed her shoulders with a kiss to her cheek. “It’s gonna be okay.”

She followed slowly as he walked to the front door, opening it calmly after shooting her an encouraging, goofy grin.

“Hey Ma,” he said happily.

“Yah, ‘hey Ma’ like you invite us over enough to act all non-chalan,” she stepped inside, the colorful head wrap fanning around her shoulders like silky hair pairing beautifully with the burgundy sweater she wore. Her accent was definite and Callie was surprised she was donning a Russian one at that. She smacked his shoulder when he opened his arms to hug her, so he pouted, his ears twitching, but nevertheless she hugged her son securely. “How’re you feeling, ukmall?”

“It’s nonchalant- I’m better. Hi dad,” Nick unwound from his concerned mother to quickly hug his dad, who from a fleeting, previous glance before, was much taller than Nick. Callie stiffened when his head turned right towards her, looking at her through glasses similar to Nick’s Clubmasters.

No wonder he liked those so much…

“Hello there,” he also had an accent, but not nearly as thick as his mothers. He moved past Nick whose mouth opened to protest, but it was too late. “I’m Oleg, I’m assuming you’re Callie,” Oleg grabbed her hand to shake gently, clasping his other over their connected palms, and she had to remind herself to shake back as she literally looked up at him.

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you-,”

“Come, come meet Nick’s mother,” he gently pulled her along with a wide hand on her back. Nick shrugged as she passed, a playful frown on his face.

“This is Dinara-”

“I can introduce my’own, Oleg,” Dinara snapped, but he only smiled sheepishly, his impressive tusks flashing. Her bright golden eyes softened when flickering back to Callie, and she took Callie’s hand from her husbands, simply cradling it. “I’m glad to finally meet you, Calista,”

“I’m so happy to meet you too,” Callie replied sweetly, observing the sudden shift from ferocity to reserved concern.

“After months and months apparently,” Dinara turned on her son, motioning her hand in anger in his direction.

“Ma come on,” Nick groaned, head cocking and eyes rolling. Oleg snickered, and Nick elbowed him, sparking a playful glare-off between them.

“Think she was gonna eat her alive like the other ones, ah?” his dad teased, and Callie’s brow cocked.

“Other… ones?” she asked hesitantly.

“You make me sound like a monster,” Dinara hissed.

“He said it!” Nick defended.

“It’s okay, human doesn’t taste that good,” Oleg said lowly as he passed, but winced and exclaimed when Dinara smacked the back of his head. “Hispanic might not be as bland though-”

“DAD,” Nick hollered, stepping towards Callie who was biting back a wide smile with her fingertips against her lips as she watched his parents move into his house, and how Dinara chewed him out quietly in Orkish, but he was only a tower of laughter as he lovingly held his wife's shoulders.

“That’s them,” Nick muttered.

“I expected different from what you told me.” she grinned.

“I told you exactly what to expect.” he shrugged, motioning to follow him into the kitchen.

“You’re lucky he’s calm now. When he was a child? Couldn’t keep him still. He’d climb trees and run into traffic,” Dinara recounted, her hands animated and motioning as she recounted old stories of Nick’s younger days.

“And he would fight other kids! He was a little animal,” Oleg said around a mouthful of food.

“Okay you said I was 4 when that happened,” Nick tried defending himself, his knife pointed at Oleg.

“4, 16- what’s the difference?” his dad grinned. “Couldn’t handle another demon like him. One and done,”

Callie chuckled. “Where’d all that feistiness go?” she asked, pushing him a little.

“Left it behind in my twenties,” Nick mumbled, chuffing when Callie rubbed his arm.

“Ai, mi viejo,” she cooed, but he pushed her back, scooping his food into a bite.

“What’s that?” Dinara asked.

“My old man,” Callie answered, earning a flat glare from Nick and a booming laugh from Oleg.

“What’re you laughing at, you fossil?” Dinara defended him, and Oleg’s face scowled some.

“I’m still in good shape for 77- Callie would agree,” he retorted, puffing his chest and squaring his shoulders.

“Really? 77?” Callie asked, eyes wide in amazement. His parents both nodded, Oleg sitting up proudly.

“Wanna know something interesting though?” Oleg asked, and Nick raised his fork the same time Dinara flicked his hand.

“Oleg-”

“Orcs perform 20 years younger in bed. He should still be going like he’s in his twenties, ah? Smell it in here like the 70’s,” Oleg harassed mercilessly, smiling, warding off Dinara’s attacks as he tormented his son who had his face buried in his palms. Callie followed suit, hiding, but giggling madly. She knew they’d know how active their sex life was, but didn’t expect to be called out so harshly.

“Can we be done with the embarrassing stories?” Nick whined, finally uncovering his flushed face and throwing back the rest of his beer.

“Ahh, you have no humor, boy,” Oleg groused, evoking an argument between the two that Dinara wanted nothing to do with, so she turned to Callie.

“Callie,” she said, and Cal looked at her, lowering her drink. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m- I’m good,” she grinned.

“I mean how are you feeling?” she asked again, and for the first time that night, she could feel her looking at the bruises coating her features instead of Callie as a whole, and assumed she was asking generally about her condition.

“Um…” Callie pondered, swirling the drink in her glass. “I go back and forth,” she started, and Nick had stopped bickering with his father to look at her, listening quietly. “Some days I feel okay and others I feel like I did something wrong, and that guilt won’t lessen,”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Nick said quietly, and she shrugged indifferently.

“Can’t help how I feel,”

“It’s not strange,” Dinara commented, her chin rested atop her knuckles, her small shoulders drawn in. “A piece of you was taken away,”

Nick ran his hand down the back of her hair when Callie looked down, leaning over to kiss her cheek without waver.

“Ahh, you must see the squishy side of our son quite often,” Oleg cooed, and Nick’s head snapped in his direction to glower.

“Squishy?” Callie repeated, relieved the subject was shifting. But with a final glance in Dinara’s direction, her warm eyes said everything she might’ve wanted to say before her husband interrupted. Only compassion and understanding came from that look and small nod, and Callie wondered what she had ever been worried about in the first place.

“He’s such a grump- never showed any kind of affection for his other girlfriends. He’d sit there like a plank, wouldn’t even hold their hands or smile,”

“Those little witches didn’t even bother chewing with their mouths closed,” Dinara added in quickly.

“How many did you bring to meet?” Callie asked, eyeing Nick suspiciously.

“Okay first of all-” Nick started.

“Ffffour…?” Oleg counted, thinking back critically.

“Shut up. None of them lasted more than a month,”

“Hama was the worst. Her tusks were nearly black and she drew on crooked eyebrows,” Dinara shuddered, and Nick was hiding his face again as Callie leaned in, completely enthralled.

“There was Glasha,” Oleg held up two fingers now.

“Kept calling him Opal,” Dinara exclaimed, jabbing her thumb in Oleg’s direction.

“Shel,”

“Shel was mean,” Nick said, despite hiding. “She ghosted me after I told her I wanted to be a cop,”

“Well I can’t blame her entirely for that one,” Dinara mumbled, and Nick’s arms raised in defeat, leaning back in his chair.

“Here we go again…”

“Why do you want to stand up for a people who look at you like you’re infected?” his mother questioned, inclining over the edge of the table.

“None of the reasons you think I wanted to,” Nick snapped, crossing his arms.

“What about you, Calista? You mind if he’s the Orc cop?”

Callie faltered a bit, but looking at Nick’s downcast eyes and stiff shoulders stirred the protectiveness in her heart, even if it was his own mother berating him.

“I don’t mind, actually. I never saw Nick as just an Orc, or just a cop, or the Orc cop. He’s always just been Nick to me,” she explained, nervously reaching for his hand under the table. “I worry about him all the time, but I think Nick will bring change with him where he goes. I think it’s only a matter of time before people gain courage like him and start pursuing dreams that are usually unreachable,”

Callie’s cheeks heated when it remained silent, but Nick had pulled her hand into his lap and squeezed, silently thanking her.

“You look like the bad guy now,” Oleg whispered loudly to Dinara, and she smacked his hand again as he chuckled.

“I suppose I do,” Dinara sighed, holding her own cheek. “I worry for you, ukmall. What if something happens to you when you have children?”

“Then I’m really not gonna let anything happen,” Nick replied coolly. “Especially not to any of my kids,”

“Planning a family already?” Oleg asked, taking another massive bite of the food.

Callie and Nick looked at one another. Callie smirked, almost unnoticeable, and he did too.

“I want all boys. Bunch’a little Nick’s running around,” she simpered, and Nick kissed her hand, rolling his eyes when Oleg whined ‘Awww’.

“You wouldn’t be bothered having Orc children?” Dinara asked, and when Callie’s eyes flashed to hers, she couldn’t restrain some of her annoyance. Ultimately, she understood his mother's hesitance to let anyone near her son who’d received bitter lashings most of his life, but also wished she understood that Callie felt the same way. She didn’t want anyone near Nick who could harm him, and her heart had decided long ago that there would be no other she wanted raising her children then him, assuming she could eventually bare life.

“Halflings deal with twice the normal hate than Orcs,” Dinara added.

“Mom,” Nick said firmly, but his mother was resolute.

“You wouldn’t be bothered having hafling grandchildren?” Callie bit back hotly, but Nick saw her knee bouncing. That was a wide leap to make.

Dinara nodded, the corner of her mouth finally kicking up a bit. “Good girl. Teeavh ukavayun barun,”

Callie’s brows flickered in confusion, but Nick and Oleg’s satisfied nods silenced her. Something was transpiring here, and she didn’t want to ruin it.

“Expect your kids to be tiny assholes like this one, though.” Oleg interjected, and Dinara and Nick both rolled their eyes while Callie laughed.

The conversation winded back to lighter topics as the long dinner dragged on, but after standing her ground, Dinara didn’t blister Callie with questions most likely meant to shake her foundation; to make her prove exactly where she stood beside Nick. Children didn’t come up again, but Oleg made it a point to draw out Nick’s embarrassment at any chance he could snatch, always resulting in Dinara stepping in to fend off the teasing as Nick hid away, sometimes leaning against Callie while she hid her laughter behind a napkin.

It jumped here and there, ranging from examining some of Callie’s tattoos and Dinara telling how she’d always wanted a few all the way to how Oleg had been a chiropractor before teaching at the university. “I used to smoke joints before I cracked them.” he teased, and even Nick almost shot drink from his nose when he heard that one.

Somehow they made their way to the backyard, and with sweaters wrapped tightly around their frames, the women sat at the table with mugs of tea as Nick and Oleg wandered around his garden. His dad always had something to point at and correct, which always stirred more arguing, but Dinara rolled her golden eyes and waved them away.

“Those two never end,” she groaned, sipping her tea, and looking over to Callie as she grinned at her lover. “Calista,”

“Callie, please,” she corrected.

Dinara nodded. “I’m sorry for picking at you. I could see fire spitting from Nick’s eyes everytime I asked a question,” his mother explained, looking back to her men.

“I think I’d be the same,” Callie assured.

Dinara sighed, her head tilting. “I worry about him greatly, yet somehow after years of hate and bitter humans he’s remained my sweet boy. I’ve so longed for him to find someone so he’s not lonely,” she went on softly. “I’d always tell him- just show them how kind you are, my love, and he’d say Ma, I have! Humans hate what they fear,”

“It’s true,”

“You didn’t though. You befriended my son who’s usually a wall,”

Callie giggled. “It was the other way around, actually. I don’t usually like talking to people but he was just too damn cute in that uniform,” she admitted, and Dinara laughed.

“You better not be telling her more stories,” Nick grumbled as they walked up to them, placing their own mugs on the table before flopping back into their chairs.

“You two should join the ballet with that kind of choreography,” Callie piped, and Dinara laughed again, earning sour stares from Nick and Oleg.

“You will have to rub my back tonight, I’ve eaten too much,” Oleg groaned, and Nick looked at Callie with a pout, nodding in agreeance with his father, but his silent plea was shot down with a hard shake of her head, but winked before he looked from her.

“I suppose we should go then,” Dinara declared with a sigh, looking at Nick. “I have to take care of that,” she mumbled, eyeing his father; Nick snorted.

“You act like you don’t have any use of me when just last night you were begging-”

“Oleg.” Dinara snapped, and Callie was struggling not to choke on her tea, but Nick was covering his ears, yelling at his father to shut up. Oleg didn’t seem to understand why so much trouble had suddenly befallen him, with his palms raised and the mischevioused of smiles across his face.

Dinara hugged Callie this time, her thin arms strong around Callie’s shoulders. “Make him call us.” Dinara whispered, and with a light chuckle and nod, Dinara stepped back, holding Callie’s face a chaste moment before hugging Nick.

“Take it easy on her.” Oleg winked, flinching when his wife flicked his cheek.

She thought it precious when she watched his parents walking down the path, Oleg’s elbow hooked around Dinara’s neck and her arm around his waist, chatting silently as they left.

Nick stretched fiercely as she locked the door behind them, immediately maneuvering her bra around to relieve some of the pressure on the bite.

“So?” he asked, his arms dropping.

“Your dad is fucking hilarious,” she smiled, and he rolled his eyes, pulling his hands down his face as he turned away.

“He’s a handful,”

“Nah it’s funny,” she insisted, walking into the kitchen as Nick collected the plates across the table. Before anything however, Callie pulled her bra from underneath her shirt, exhaling in great relief when the bite no longer itched manically.

“Your mom totally has that mama bear thing,” Callie mentioned. “I’ve never met a mom so protective of her baby boy,” she cracked, and he blew a raspberry as he walked back to stack the dishes beside the sink.

“She likes you- she wouldn’t have been mean if she didn’t,” he explained, and her brow cocked. “Glasha, one of the exes? When I brought her around, my mom was silent the entire time and let her go on and on, all disrespectful, and when I apologized to her she said- ‘it’s okay ukmall, she won’t be around very long anyways,’”

Callie made an ‘O’ face, giggling the more she imagined how Nick must’ve looked when his mother dropped that bomb.

“I’m glad then. I really like your mom,” she nodded. “What does ukmall mean?”

“Tiny,” he intoned, his mouth in a straight line.

“Oh! That’s like what Rosie call’s Joaquin! She calls him ‘nano’ cause he’s small,”

“I’m only small compared to some,” he guarded.

Compared to her, Nick was a thick man, given just enough height to still intimidate humans, but to other Orcs, he was rather small. It got Callie thinking, and wondering what genes would carry on to their kids, but she shook her head stiffly.

Stop getting ahead of yourself.

“So what’s next? Cousins?” she asked, rinsing the plates as Nick nibbled on the last piece of toasted bread.

“I suppose. Next family reunion. You’ll need to make a list to remember all of them and my aunties and uncles,” he chewed. “Most of the from my dads side,’

“They like him too?” she grinned, and he nodded, his eyes rolling back in exhaustion.

“All a bunch of animals,”

“So that’s where you got it from in your younger days?”

“Probably,” he threw back the last of another beer, groaning when he leaned against the counter.

There was a pause, and then she was suddenly stepping towards him to kiss his cheek, then a sweet one on his lips as he looked at her curiously.

“What’s that for?”

“I was thinking about what your mom said,” she explained, continuing with the dishes. “That when you brought your other girlfriends around you didn’t show affection, or much of anything. It made me feel like you’re really in for this,”

“I wouldn’t’ve asked you to meet my parents if I wasn’t,”

“Well what about the others? Sounded like you introduced them pretty quickly,” she eyed him.

“That was different. I was lonely,” he intoned, his arms crossing defensively.

“Didn’t have any friends back then?”

“Well sure, but not that kind of lonely,” he mumbled, searching for the right words.

“Touch starved?” she asked, and he nodded. “I get that. Before I met you I hadn’t been with anyone for like a year and some change,”

He grinned. “Found each other at the right time,”

“Wish it would’ve been sooner,” she simpered, leaning against him when he pressed to her side, his hand against the back of her neck so he could place a few kisses on her temple.

“We have time to make up for it,” he said contently.

“Long time.” she grinned, craning her head back to kiss him.

“Endlessly.”

He’d just walked into the bathroom with her favorite mug in hand, filled to the brim with hot tea as she was pulling the curler through the last lock of hair. She quickly ran her fingers through it, reaching for the hairspray to coat her head. He coughed, leaning back from the small plume of chemicals.

She fluffed the ends around her shoulders, looking back at him in the mirror.

“Why aren’t you dressed?” she asked.

“My uniform is in my locker,” he chimed, and she sighed, looking back at her reflection. “You look so pretty,”

She shrugged, pulling on the thin collared blouse before she did the black collared jacket, rolling the sleeves up to the white dress shirt beneath accented it nicely. “If I get hired there it’s gonna be expensive keeping up with the dress code,”

“Gonna miss wearing jeans and sandals?” he grinned.

“So much. At least I’ll be in air conditioning.” She smoothed her hands down her hips, over the fitted pencil skirt that brought the entire outfit together. Callie turned this way and that, constantly tugging on ends of the clothing and fixing her neat fringe, all the while Nick watched her with a grin in his pullover and sweats.

He steadied her as she slipped on her heels, even raising her hand to spin her slowly before him, holding her own face when pink dusted her cheeks. A final spin before the mirror and a flick of her head to move her hair from her eyes, and she exhaled, satisfied with her interview outfit.

“You look nervous,”

“I am for you,” she mumbled, digging in her makeup bag to pull out the deep shade of red lipstick she often wore. “Are you sure you’re okay to go back?”

“I’m okay baby. I don’t hurt anymore. Plus, I don’t think Heig would let me waltz in with anymore doctors excuses,”

“Fuckin’ dick,” she said, smoothing her lips together after applying the lipstick.

He nodded, sipping the tea he’d originally made for her. “I guess you’re heading home today after the interview?”

At first she didn’t look up when she shrugged, but eventually she turned to face him, her heels clopping against the tile. “I guess?”

He ran his tongue over his clipped tusks. “It’s gonna be weird not having you around all the time,”

“Will you still come over? Probably tonight when I inevitably get too lonely?” she asked quietly, peaking at him from behind her bangs.

“I was gonna come over anyways. It’s gonna be too empty here,” he grinned, and held her jaw delicately to kiss her a few times as she approached him. “Ready to go?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” she grumbled, reaching to grab her bags, but he scooped them up first.

“No glasses… no, I think I’ll wear them,” she put them back on, patting her thighs a couple times. “I still can’t see,” she sighed, defeated, but couldn’t rub her eyes.

“Keep them on if they help,” he decided for her, his wrist rested over the steering wheel. A curt nod, and she fixed her tresses again before turning to him. Her big eyes were a deep, warm ocean of worry, and it in turn made him frown.

“Baby,” he whined.

“Text me? When you can and be safe?” she croaked, clutching his hand tightly. He pulled her over the center console, kissing the worry from her stressed frame. He held her tightly against his chest for a little bit, mindful of her neat hair and smartly pressed outfit, willing her anxiety to reel back enough just for today.

“I’ll be in touch, okay? Go in there with a clear head,” he kissed her again. “And I’ll be over tonight with pizza and drinks to celebrate,”

She nodded, blinking the moisture from her eyes before grabbing his face to kiss him again, lingering, committing this to memory when her heart demanded it. The rampaging fear he wouldn’t return to her at days end was suffocating her, but she wouldn’t say it out loud. She wouldn’t acknowledge her demons.

“I love you Callie.” he told her, his forehead against hers.

“I love you so much.” she sighed, her thumbs tracing his cheeks before she finally let him go.

She left her bags behind since she was going to see him again later, but had her purse tight at her side, her hands fiddling before her as she walked up the curb. Callie faced him as the engine turned over, flashing a nervous smile before walking into the bank.

He knew she’d do good. He knew from the very depths of his heart that she could nail this, and that going back to work would bring her back into routine and take up her time so her thoughts didn’t have space to drag her down. Even if it meant seeing her less, this was good for her.

He drove to the station in silence, the radio a soft lull, and the seat beside him empty.

That was going to take some adjusting to.

The precinct was as unwelcoming as ever, and he parked in the back lot like always, grabbing his warbag before walking to the entrance. Nick went generally unnoticed as he wound his way through the halls, only meeting a few unsavory glances from fellow officers that obviously would’ve preferred him not returning. Nick dished out his coldest glares, his chin lifted proudly as he made his way to the lockers.

Fuck who ever doesn’t like you.

The target poster with his name written crudely across the top had been taken down, and when he wrapped around the isle of lockers to find his, Ward was already changing.

“My man!” Daryl said cheerily, the men clasping fists and hugging quickly. “All healed up?”

“Pretty much. Little help from Callie last night.” Nick said quieter as he opened his locker. The photobooth strip was still there; he’d never taken it down, and now fixed it beside the small mirror.

“Good t’have you back.” Ward clapped against his shoulder.

No one bothered him or made snide remarks as he changed, but he knew it was only a matter of time before someone said something. The uniform was a tad bit loose; he needed to bulk back up after six weeks of laying around. The vest was pulled over his chest, his badge pinned over that, but now his cleaned Clubmasters hung off his collar, his watch finding its place around his wrist since Callie had taken it to be repaired.

All in all, he felt good. There was a sense of accomplishment coming back here. The world had tried bringing him down again, but he’d fought his way back to the surface.

“Let’s bounce, Fogteeth.” Ward cracked, but Nick only rolled his eyes when a few heads turned.

There was no warm welcome from his captain in the briefing room, but Nick preferred it that way. Standing alone didn’t bother him the same any longer. He counted the people by his side, and that was all he needed. They sat slacked in their seats as morning briefings were announced, and they rose when their routes were given, and with idle chatting they made their way to the kit room, grabbing their shotguns before making their way out of the building.

Nick’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he opened it to find a message from Callie.

2 things: 1- i forgot to pay my rent 4 days ago and now i owe an extra $450. 2- ya girl got the job

He snickered. Might as well renege on the lease. I knew you’d score that job, i’m proud of you baby

“Callie got a job,” Nick announced, slipping his phone back into his pocket as they approached the cruiser.

“That’s what’s up. Don’t you two go actin’ a fool again,” Ward quipped, both of them taking their sides in the car with Nick behind the wheel as usual.

“Nah, I’ve been thinking of asking her to move in,” Nick exhaled, reacquainting with all the controls and adjusting his seat.

“Already?” Ward asked, leaning against the door comfortably.

Nick put his Clubmasters on, nodding after he questioned himself.

Fuck yeah already.

To be continued . . .

There it is, the ending to Bell Peppers! To everyone who has come along on this journey with me and stuck around for ride; to the likes, kudos, comments and feedback on the story and art, thank you so much from the deepest corners of my heart! You all kept me inspired to keep writing and keep uploading! I would also like to take a moment to thank @rfitzhugh74 for beta-reading this monster!! I was incredibly nervous to hand over my writing, and she’s been an absolute blessing and so patient with me, so thank you love!!! 💛

Milagro is already in the works, so keep a lookout for Nick and Callie's return!

Translations: Ukmall - "small"

[lightsandlostbells]

Skam Austin season 2, episode 1 reaction

Finally, Skam Austin returns, this time without Julie Andem behind the wheel. Honestly, no matter your opinion on this version of Skam, I’m actually quite curious as to where they’re going with this. Noorhelm, American-style? In the #MeToo era??? Will this season be a pleasant surprise and a sensitive rewrite of the original season, or will it just raise my blood pressure? 

Episode 1

Clip 1 - Less dance, more cupcakes please

Big establishing shots of Austin and Bouldin High, a “national outstanding high school” according to a banner. Abby talking a selfie with her girls. Tyler and his boyfriend sloppily kissing??? Congrats on being the first gay couple to get the S2 opening clip makeouts! Also, just gotta say, nice that a gay couple can engage in the same PDA as a straight pairing at a high school in a red state, although Austin’s less conservative than a lot of Texas.

Megan and Grace observe the makeout, as well as Shay sitting by herself on the stairs. Megan feels bad for Shay. When Grace asks why, Megan says she’d feel bad if Grace had a boyfriend. HMMM FORESHADOWING. Also, gay. Megan, the solution is to go be Shay’s girlfriend so she’s not alone. (For real, I have kinda mixed feelings on Megan and Shay actually getting together, because while I love their longing looks and hand holding, Shay betrayed Megan’s confidence in a huge way that would require tons of effort to repair the relationship, and I can only really buy it during a Shay season where there’s lots of focus on them. And I think it’s more likely they’ll give Shay an Even who’s brand new. But I wouldn’t object if there was a good story arc for Megan and Shay!)

Grace thinks Tyler’s boyfriend has a long tongue, Megan thinks Marlon’s is longer … well, that statement feels loaded. Like, we-won’t-need-Jonas’-Blue-Monday-power-walk kinda loaded.

Megan and Shay exchange an awkward wave. Almost a year later and things still aren’t normal, I guess. Shay fucked it up. 

Josefina has tried to do her own hijab, I guess? Zoya helps her do it properly. It’s really cute. Jo is my MVP of this show. I adore her. They need to make sure to do Shay and Zoya seasons on time so we can squeeze in a Jo season before they graduate.

Kelsey runs up. She made it onto the Kittens! I guess that’s one way to not have a dance team anymore. Some of the Kittens got busted for cheating on tests and got kicked off the team and L M A O obviously this wasn’t planned but I love this development happening now with the college admissions cheating scandal featuring Felicity Huffman and Aunt Becky.

Jo wants to tattoo Kelsey’s eyebrows, continuing the thread of her using Kelsey’s face as her cosmetic guinea pig from the first season.

Kelsey is excited because she can be on both the Kittens and the girl squad dance team. LMAO, so that WAS a thing. Did they actually dance??? It sounds like it. Apparently the team unofficially disbanded when Grace stopped going to the games and parties to focus on the school newspaper.

But I do love Grace being on the school paper; I worked for my campus newspaper so I am unreasonably excited to see where that goes. I’m assuming Noora’s Constitution Day article will become a column that Grace/(Daniel) writes for the newspaper?

Grace says she loves working at the newspaper and Kelsey tries to guilt her because it’s junior year and it’s the year colleges look at, you need to have extracurriculars. You can’t just be good, you have to be amazing. Well, that’s true, junior year is a big deal and the pressure to have a million extracurriculars is real. But lmao, newspaper is an extracurricular, as Grace points out. Kelsey thinks Grace needs more than “repetitive feminist essays” and OK, rude, and I also feel personally attacked. But if you’re going to get on Grace’s ass, Kelsey then what are your other “amazing” extracurriculars? By the same logic, wouldn’t you need more than dance teams? (I should not expect logic from Kelsey when it comes to dance teams, I know. Or Daniel.)

Jo gives this conversation the attention it deserves, which is minimal, because she has a cupcake. Her priorities are accurate. She says it’s the best cupcake in Austin so her search is over. Lmao, that Instagram content paid off. Now she should take on her quest for other top desserts. Megan can assist her in finding the best smoothie in Austin.

They’re talking about spring break. Kelsey needs to get her body ready, a hint toward her body image issues and concerns over her weight. Then Daniel’s voice comes out of nowhere to tell Grace that juniors can’t park in the senior lot. Grace says it’s not a big deal, Daniel says it is. Zoya, BLESS HER, is like, “So what are you going to do? Kick our ass?” YESSSSSSS someone besides Grace is not taking Daniel’s shit. 

It is downright uncomfortable how much Kelsey is trying to cozy up to Daniel playing hall monitor and how Daniel just ignores her when she’s right there to flirt with Grace. He says he hasn’t seen Grace in a while. At first I thought they did have their infamous date during the long hiatus - can you imagine not including that scene in a Noorhelm remake - but as it turns out, it still hasn’t happened. He asks about Grace’s boyfriend, and Kelsey blows Grace’s cover by saying Grace doesn’t have a boyfriend. Grace tries to save it by saying it’s her ex. So that’s how she got Daniel off her back. You know, if you lie about a fake boyfriend, that should be a giant clue to back off, dude. But instead Daniel knows she’s single so you know he’s gonna go after Grace again.

Kelsey tells Daniel she’s a Kitten and wants to take a pic with him. God, this is cringe-worthy. Someone stop Kelsey from doing anything. Ever. And it is so deeply awkward how the girls just stop and watch as Kelsey snaps some selfies of her with Daniel. In front of Grace.

Something super interesting in the comments: a few people commented how it didn’t feel like a Julie Andem clip. I assume people who recognize Julie Andem by name are fairly involved in the fandom, but I’m not sure how widespread the knowledge of Julie’s departure was. I wonder if they guessed it on their own.

Clip 2 - First rule of being an Eskild: never lock your door

Grace is cutting up vegetables for dinner. And dancing. I like they had her do this, it’s goofy and humanizing, and in line with her characterization from season 1. Noora would sing to Justin Bieber, Grace loves dancing like a fool. The irony of course being that Grace doesn’t give a fuck about the dance team, lol. She dances for herself and HERSELF ONLY (and sometimes Megan, when Megan needs a pick-me-up).

She talks to Megan, who is with Marlon. Megan told Marlon about what happened with Grace and Daniel, so errrr, thanks Megan? But Grace says she’s going to tell Kelsey everything, presumably about her and Daniel’s deal, so Daniel won’t have anything over her head. Daniel holding something over Grace’s head? Grace thinking Daniel might tell Kelsey something incriminating? Trust is an essential foundation of a relationship, just saying. 

Megan asks Marlon for his opinion and this dude clearly could not give a single shit about Grace and Daniel and Kelsey, he just says that if a girl isn’t into you, you just leave her alone. Not looking at the phone (and Grace) at all, just giving Megan some Looks, in my opinion. Based on later clips where he’s got a new girl, I think he’s trying to communicate that he no longer has feelings for Megan, but that Megan keeps hanging around and clinging to him. That would go along with Megan not getting it and saying maybe the guy doesn’t want to be left alone, showing she doesn’t get it (right after Marlon says “I don’t see why he doesn’t get that”). Also Marlon seems to be checking his phone during this chat so he’s not fully invested - my mind went to Jonas looking up other girls with Eva during the original version of this clip.

I will say, good on Marlon for knowing to leave girls alone if they don’t want you. Which is more than I can say for some characters in the Skam universe. Marlon’s probably my least favorite Jonas so this is a point in his favor, even if it is a low bar, lol. 

But also IDK if he’s being Woke or if he’s just swapping out Daniel and Grace for him and Megan and hoping Meg gets the picture.

Megan thinks Grace doesn’t want to be left alone and Grace goes into a rant about how Daniel isn’t her type, he’s not smart, doesn’t read, needs to check his white male privilege etc. Tbh it’s kinda cringy and on the nose in execution, like all of that is true and they’re solid reasons for Grace to not want Daniel, but I feel like they’re just stacking up ideas to be debunked about him. We’ll probably learn that Daniel is actually some sensitive dude who reads books and has political opinions and is a secret genius or whatever.

Grace notices her pasta is gone and waltzes into her cousin Eve’s room while Eve is engaged in some foreplay with her lady guest. Gee, Grace, that’s awfully bold considering you didn’t know what state of undress they’d be in. At least their underwear is still on … and Eve’s shoes … why does she have shoes on?? 

Anyway, LESBIAN ESKILD. Eve immediately establishes that she is some sort of hipster artist and kicks out Grace so she can go back to hooking up with her girl.

Daniel texts Grace that she’s cute when she gets caught, and thanks her for sending him her class notes when he was in the hospital. What was he in the hospital for? I don’t think that was stated on SM, or did I just miss it? (It’s on the Bouldin Beat Instagram: he had a football injury.) Grace said there’s no need to thank her because the teacher asked her to. He makes a joke abut football players not being able to read, which makes Grace smile, so you know ... she’s not so opposed to him as she lets on. But then he suggests they hang out tomorrow and her amusement fades, because that’s pushing things too far. We end before Grace answers.

Clip 3 - Why are we still talking about Daniel? Zoya’s words, not mine

They’re at SXSW for Marlon’s show. The banner says SX Sessions. I was confused as to why Marlon’s garage band would be playing here but looking at the banner for the event, I see something about all Austin bands, so if it’s an event featuring local talent, it makes more sense as to why Clout is playing.

A girl is talking to Marlon. Grace notices and seems to check in with Megan. Who does look great, by the way, in her leather jacket, her peer-reviewed ensemble. Megan’s still hung up on Marlon after almost a year, it seems. But also … lol, barely anyone wants them back together. They’re one of the least popular Eva/Jonas pairings. Possibly the least.

Kelsey is still talking about Daniel because he texted her and invited them to Penetrator Jo’s beach house for spring break. Grace is like mmmm … that sounds far away. I mean, would you want to be in her shoes, stuck at a beach house with the guy who won’t take no for an answer, where people will be drinking, where you probably couldn’t relax and even go swimming because that dude is definitely going to be looking at you in your swimsuit? Megan tries to help Grace by saying Marlon invited them all to a party. Josefina wants to go to be around mostly naked guys while they are also mostly naked. Kelsey and Zoya do not seem to be happy with the mostly naked part. Grace is like, we can just stay at my place and bake cookies instead! That would be my preferred option.

Kelsey wants some quality time with Daniel (is any time with Daniel quality time)and guilts Grace into going. I love that she’s like “We can talk about the dance team in the car” as if that would make Grace want to go. Grace reluctantly agrees and Kelsey tells Daniel the good news. He responds right away. He also texts Grace right away that they’ll be hanging out. No one notices the suspicious timing of the texts.

Kelsey wants to know if Daniel might like her, Zoya wants to know why we’re still talking about Daniel. THANK YOU. Megan goes off to talk to Marlon and block that girl from getting too close to him, like she literally squeezes between them. Zoya lays out what a rude ass Daniel was to Kelsey and Kelsey is like, but he genuinely apologized!!! And she’s a Kitten now!!! Kelsey loves how direct Daniel is and how he knows what he wants. Yeahhhh, about that. He does go after what/who he wants. It’s just not you.

Also, lol, they conveniently didn’t have to film an actual concert for this scene. 

Clip 4 - Newspaper time!!!

Grace is doing newspaper stuff at school with a guy (Nic) and Poonam. Poonam!!!!  That girl spoke her first line and I remembered how much I enjoyed her overachieving ridiculousness.

Kelsey texts the girls that she had a dream where Daniel asked her to prom. She was wearing her Kittens uniform in the cafeteria and Daniel came up, knelt, and offered a dozen roses. Lol, I don’t think Daniel would do that shit even if he did like Kelsey. But also … Kelsey. Dear. You’re so embarrassing. Being a Kitten is not going to make you a Daniel magnet.

They talk about the launch, so I guess the newspaper is a new thing? Or they’re adding a new feature? Poonam is nervous about the launch and what people will think of her. Grace says she doesn’t care what people think of her. (Or so she thinks ... I think Grace certainly wants people to think she doesn’t care and that she’s strong and independent, for example.) Poonam says if it fails she’ll pretend not to know Grace. Lmao, classic Poonam.

Grace slides over to Nic, the dude who’s there. According to the Bouldin Beat Instagram, he’s the cartoonist for the paper, but their conversation makes me think he does some graphics design, too. He’s listening to a Hamilton mixtape. Grace didn’t know he likes Hamilton, so she obviously didn’t see that Bouldin Beat IG post where it says Nic has the Hamilton soundtrack on heavy rotation. She brings up that her friend Kelsey likes the Hamilton mixtape. (I’m sorry but LMAO, because on the one hand I do find that totally believable, but on the other hand, my God, imagine someone with Kelsey’s level of racial sensitivity being a Hamilton fan.) Nick knows Kelsey and thinks she’s funny. So I think either he’s going to be the Magnus, maybe, as far as being Kelsey’s eventual love interest (although ... lol, see above comment about Kelsey’s level of racial sensitivity), or Grace will see him as a potential love interest for Kelsey and try to hook them up to get Kelsey’s mind off Daniel.

Shay comes in. It is instantly awkward. Grace: “I like your hair.” Shay: “It’s not real.” Lmao. I missed you, too.

However! In the most depressing development ever, Shay is here to see Nic. He gets up and kisses her on the mouth. It is bleak. Shay looks so not enthusiastic. She was staring at Grace in a pretty hard way, too, what’s that about? Did she know Grace saw her texts and showed them to Megan?

Shay’s “BYE” is passive-aggressive as hell. Grace sits there in shock as Poonam is like, they seem like a cute couple. LMAO GOD.

Just throwing this out there: best acted scene of the season so far, however brief. The power of La’keisha Slade.

Anyway. NOOOOOOO. Shayyyyyyy. It’s not unexpected, considering the trajectory of the Isak character in S2, but I thought, since Shay seemed to have an awareness of her sexuality at the end of S1 - she knows she likes girls and she was OK with telling Tyler about it - that maybe we could skip this stage. There’s something really dark about this, too, because Tyler is out there making out with dudes, it’s not like she thinks her friend group is completely homophobic (and yes, people can view gay guys and lesbians differently and have varying levels of acceptance, but I doubt that’s the case with Shay’s friends) so it’s not just about putting up a show for her friends.

What does Tyler think about Shay dating a guy? He’s not the nicest guy overall but he does care about Shay, and he knows she likes girls, possibly that she likes only girls depending on what she told him in the past. Now I’m wondering if Shay started dating Nic in part because Tyler has his boyfriend now, and Shay presumably feels like she’s left out, as Megan said. Damn. Shay needs a hug in any case.

Clip 5 - Cookie baking

Grace’s J. Didion (as in writer Joan Didion) sweatshirt is a nice touch and exactly the kind of thing I think her character would wear.

I enjoy Eve on principle because lesbian Eskild fuck yeah, but I also feel like her delivery is very ... TV-ish. Like someone who has watched a lot of teen dramas and is channeling the same flow/energy of how those shows present dialogue. I don’t think she’s bad, it’s not that, it’s just more when watching this show I feel like I am watching a typical scripted TV show rather than the very natural Skam style - not just with Eve, a lot of the show, even compared to the first season. I just thought of it with Even because when she entered here, it felt more like a wacky TV neighbor kinda entrance, like she was Kramer or something. Is that because Julie isn’t working on the show anymore?

Anyway, Eve tells Grace about some girl who is lighting dildos on fire and that’s the real story here, I want the clip about the dildo pyre.

Eve sees a text from Daniel on Grace’s phone and says he sounds like a blast. I refuse to believe this lesbian would be impressed by Daniel in the fucking slightest.

He did send a cute dog picture to Grace so that’s one thing he has going for him. Grace has a cute dog, too. If their romance was just them walking their dogs, I could warm up to that. Gradually.

Grace says Daniel is some stuck-up asshole and Eve looks him up on her phone, saying she knows him. His brother was in her grade, a wild athlete who broke records, and his sister had some tragedy attached to her. The mention of tragedy gives Grace pause.

Actually, a point in Skam Austin’s favor: if they talk about toxic masculinity and rape culture in high school/college athletics and how jocks are favored and get let off the hook for heinous actions, that would be extremely culturally relevant. I mean, a football player in Texas? Treated like a god. And there have been some high profile rape cases involving athletes. Daniel’s brother has likely graduated and gone on to college, maybe playing college football if he was that good, but it would be a way to make the S2 sexual assault storyline even more suited to American culture.

Clip 6 - Daniel’s going to be on Investigation Discovery one day, mark my words

The girls are at Grace’s house. They must have had a sleepover. There’s a nice nod to OG when the girls mention using a Ouija board the night before. So I guess we’re not getting that cabin episode (understandable because American school timelines would not allow for it, probably). Jo was afraid the ghosts tried to pluck her unibrow. NOOOOO GHOSTS, LEAVE IT ALONE. IT’S MAGNIFICENT.

Grace comes out with nachos and offers them to the girls. Kelsey looks at that plate and is like, shoot, I can’t do cheese, or chips, or beans. And I know this is Kelsey and she has an eating disorder, but like … people have legit problems with cheese and beans, lol. To her credit, Grace doesn’t make Kelsey eat the nachos or call her out. She offers to make Kelsey a kale salad or a turkey wrap, but Kelsey shuts that down, too. (She was also doing jumping jacks while the other girls were reminiscing about ghosts, just saying.)

Megan is upset because Marlon left her on read, probably because he has that new girl, not that Megan knows yet, and Daniel is texting Grace about when she’s leaving. Daniel then texts Kelsey the same thing. Grace texts Daniel to stop using Kelsey to get to her. Daniel is like, wouldn’t have to if you’d answer me! Grace says he’s messed up. I mean, yeah. He is messed up. Grace doesn’t owe him a response, sorry. 

While the other girls are talking, Kelsey mentions that she didn’t pack a swimsuit because she doesn’t like swimming, while Jo says Kelsey loves swimming, so another hint about Kelsey’s body image problems.

Daniel tries to call Grace and she declines the call, so then of course he immediately calls Kelsey. Oh my God, it IS messed up for him to do this. It’s so damn manipulative! (I know this all happened in Skam but we get to live this mess all over again, yayyyy.) And of course Kelsey is excited, but then he wants to talk to Grace. Ughhhh.

Daniel says Grace is messed up, and he knows what he’s doing is also messed up, but they had a deal. Oh my God. YOU NEVER OWE SOMEONE A FUCKING DATE. This is such a dangerous idea! You should always be able to back out of a romantic commitment! If Grace had been like “I will buy you something off the Taco Bell value menu if you apologize to Kelsey” and Daniel was calling Grace to be like “I want my fucking cheesy rice and bean burrito already” then I would find that more sympathetic than this. But dating is something you should NEVER have to set in stone, sorry, and I think this is where some of the split comes between Daniel/William defenders and his haters, because some people think a deal is a deal and some people (like me) think a date should not be ironclad under any circumstances. That mentality contributes to rape culture. (The disconnect between S2′s sexual assault storyline and William’s behavior is wild, tbh. But this is discourse that has been hashed out a million times already.)

Daniel whines that he apologized to Kelsey almost a year ago and that Grace made up an imaginary boyfriend so she didn’t have to hold up her end. No, actually Grace making up a fake boyfriend is what women do to get men off their backs because said men will not leave them alone and it’s a sad fact of life. Because men respect other men’s “claim” on their property (aka women) more than women’s ability to say no.

Daniel sounds like a goddamn serial killer when he’s all “just keep your word and go on a date with me.” Grace sounds downright defeated when she agrees. And of course when Grace hands the phone back to Kelsey, Daniel cancels on them for the beach house. Jesus, so we didn’t even get cute girl squad beach antics? Boooooo.

And actually, how shitty is it that he uninvited them to the beach house? I get that William uninvited them to the party, too, but that was just a party. These girls got packed and ready to drive several hours to a beach house, like imagine if they were on the road when Daniel called, or if they’d already spent money on gas and other stuff for a beach trip, or canceled other Spring Break plans with their families or friends to go hang out with these dudes. Beach house was a bigger time/money commitment for them than just a party, and he uninvited them (via a completely obvious lie that he took no effort to hide on social media) just because he got his date out of Grace. Selfish as hell, dude.

Jo complains that there’s too much girl juice happening and not enough sausage, and Megan is like, “You had sausage this morning.” Lmao. Literally all of these girls should embrace the “girl juice” because there is not a single viable male option so far. Nic from the newspaper seems nice but he’s bearding for Shay at the moment.

Good closing song, though (“Nail in My Coffin” by The Kills).

One of the best things about Skam Austin are the comments, and this clip did not disappoint. Some of the highest-rated comments were things like (paraphrased):

“Daniel is being manipulative” 

“Grace doesn’t owe Daniel anything” 

“you can see the fear in Grace’s eyes when she’s talking to Daniel on the phone, red flag” 

“Daniel sounds like he’s threatening her life”

And my utter favorite comment from this clip, verbatim: “daniel reminds me of those guys in criminal minds who call people on the phone and tell them what to do otherwise someone they love will die - aka a creep lmao”

Social Media/General Comments:

I don’t know what the big holdup was with S2 - probably having to do with Julie’s departure - but it was a big mistake to wait so long, imo. I don’t think it was great for building fan momentum, although I notice that the first full episode of S2 has more views already than some of the episodes from last season that have been out for almost a year (not sure if Facebook was hyping this season or not like they did with the series premiere). They’ve also minimized time for future seasons. We can get Shay and Zoya seasons if they get one in for this fall and next spring, provided the show is renewed for those, obviously.

Anyway, Julie’s no longer the director. The director is Phillip J. Bartell, who has a pretty interesting track record: he was the editor on To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, Dear White People (both film and TV series), and G.B.F. Feels like a decent background for someone to take on Skam; he has experience with teen films and with more diverse fare than just straight white people. He also edited a shit ton of low-budget gay films, most notably the Eating Out series, including directing and writing Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds, and I have to include this excerpt from the Wikipedia plot synopsis: The five then start scheming to out Jacob, the closeted leader of the ex-gay ministry, to his mother by tricking him to have sex with Octavio, another member of the ministry, in a portable toilet on wheels. Jacob finally comes out to his mother (after he inadvertently ejaculates on her coat as his sexuality is revealed), and flees with Octavio. 

I did get more of a traditional teen drama vibe from this episode, and I do already miss Julie’s style of filmmaking: it was one of the best things Skam Austin had going for it. However, I’m going to give the sloppy seconds guy a shot. Although admittedly, this season of all seasons is one where I’m most apprehensive about handing the material over to a male director, no matter his track record. (Then again, a woman created Noorhelm in the first place, soooooo.)

I feel like Skam Austin more than other remakes has a large percentage of the viewers who watch the whole episodes rather than the clips, or who don’t understand the real time structure (correct me if other remakes have drastically more viewers for the full episodes than the clips). Each clip is flooded with comments telling the show to make the episodes longer or asking where the rest of the episode is. Tbh I find that really interesting because no doubt Facebook wants Skam Austin to be the hip new way to consume media in real time (I mean, assuming you have not seen the original show) but a large portion of the audience does not want to consume the show this way, lmao. And a lot of them cannot figure out how to watch the show! I blame some of that on the confusing Facebook video format, like the original Skam website felt so clean and easy to follow compared to Facebook’s ... everything.

Prior to the season’s start, there was a lot of SM stuff that set up stuff for this season, such as Jo’s epic quest for the best cupcake, Daniel’s car, the Kitten scandal, Abby is dating some football dude who’s one of Daniel’s friends, etc.

They made a point of it being Daniel’s birthday and him turning 18, I wonder if that will be relevant to the plot at all? Because now he’s legally an adult. Maybe if he beats the crap out of someone, like with the Yakuza guys, it’ll matter because he’ll be charged as an adult vs as a juvenile.

Abby’s new football player boyfriend is named Hunter. He has his own Instagram. I’m not sure why so much focus on this guy? I have nothing against him, just not sure why he of all people has an Instagram, compared to like Poonam or another supporting character. Would he be the Niko character since we already know Daniel has a brother? I guess maybe Daniel could hypothetically get in a fight with him over some Yakuza dude? Will Hunter end up dating one of the girl squad instead of Abby? Or does he not have much of a role except to be another of Daniel and Pen Jo’s social circle, lol?

Some information from the Bouldin Beat Instagram: 

Grace is a staff writer, Poonam is a researcher (???? do they mean copy editor? if she’s researching stuff wouldn’t she just be a staff writer since ... they all do research ...) and Nic is a cartoonist. And Poonam’s full name is Poonam Para, love me that alliteration. (There’s also a Sullivan Smith and a John Jackson.)

Poonam does write the advice column. She manages to include a reference to Frozen in at least one piece of advice, to no one’s surprise, lmao. 

In between reminding students about the 2018 midterms and an active shooter drill, the newspaper took the time to do the most important piece of all, Who Knows Daniel Williamson The Best.

His favorite movie is Dumb and Dumber which is not so subtly a connection to Grace’s IG name (Mary Swanson is a character from that film). So either it’s a thing they genuinely have in common, or he’s been trying to get on Grace’s good side. Or I guess he stalked her, watched the movie, and legit enjoyed it as Isak did with Romeo + Juliet for Even.

Penetrator Jo knows Daniel the best out of those questioned. Hunter does not know Daniel that well. Foreshadowing? Hunter’s a fake friend?

There are lots of horoscopes but I don’t know how to connect them to the characters since I don’t think we know their birthdays.Oh, except Daniel’s a Pisces, but I don’t know if him being so sensitive and “feeling all the feels” fits his personality that well.

The girls took part in the climate strike on March 15 and I do like the show acknowledging youth activism. I’m not sure it’ll play a huge role in the show itself, although frankly it would be a huge missed opportunity to ignore #MeToo considering the content of this season (based on the original).

Meg posted a pic of her with Grace captioned “me and wifey” and I don’t even ship them compared to other Eva/Noora pairings, but that’s just cruel.

There’s a text message and it confused me at first because Daniel says he apologized to Kelsey, and my eyes had glazed over that it was from last June, at the end of season 1. We get a rare glimpse into older texts that happened during a prior season - usually don’t see that with Skams, letting us see what was happening when the previous POV character couldn’t see it.

Anyway, back in the day, Daniel invited Grace for a picnic, she called him a cliche, they bantered, but it seems like she was a little torn about not being into him. He told her he apologized to Kelsey. Eleven days later he asks about their date and Grace says she’s in Dallas all summer and he says that wasn’t part of the deal. She asks if he seriously needs a date as incentive for baseline human decency, GOD, THANK YOU. A Noora finally said it. (Or at this point, it might not be the only Noora who said this. I’m still elated that Grace did.)

In September he texts her “shame about that boyfriend” so either she had a real BF and broke up with him at some point, or she just lied about it. I think it’s possible she said she had someone in Dallas which would be an easy way to keep up the lie. The “my girlfriend who lives in Canada” of Texas. And so that brings us up to now, where he notes she got caught and asks her out again. Daniel, fucking LISTEN to what she said about baseline human decency.

The girls’ group chat is Los Losers, an obvious reference to OG Skam’s girl squad. I got nostalgic as hell reading that, it was a sweet gesture.

I mentioned above that they didn’t stage the actual concert from Clout, which on a practical level I completely understand. But in-universe, it’s pretty far-fetched that there were no concert pics or videos from any of the characters on social media. I guess one of the hazards of Skam’s realism and social media format is that sometimes realism is too expensive to film, lol.

Daniel, Pen Jo, and their crew were all about the beach/spring break selfies this week so LMAO at how people were expecting the girl squad to chill at the beach later and just … that didn’t pan out.

Instead of going to the boys’ beach house, the girls did sheet masks, which is way more fun and also yields terrifying pictures.

If you got this far, thank you for reading!

[sometimesimawriter]

The Day He Died (pt 1)

Hey everyone! This is my first imagine: basically you were a late addition to the Academy and you control blood! Pretty cool! Lots of mentions of Ben and switches from past to present back to past. You talk about how you met the academy and what happens leading up to the reunion of the Academy. Let me know if you like it and feel free to reblog it, or don't read it- whatever.

Warning: description of blood; minor language

You first came across the Umbrella Academy when you were 16. Your (step)father was a high-ranking politician, a US Ambassador, who married your mother, a famed social justice fighter. Together, they made a great team that aimed to change the world, and you as their prodigy. So, it was at this boring, A-list, political "party" you came across the Umbrella Academy. The party itself was impressive. A large ballroom with giant, shiny, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A pianist struck away at some chords, filling the room with a sweet melody that blended beautifully with the roar of chatter from the hundred or so politicians that flouted about the room. Men were dressed in their finest of suits, eager to shake one another's hands. Women wore elegant dresses that fluttered as they walked. Their earrings reflected the bright light of the paparazzi's cameras. Gentle laughter floated through the air and voices overlapped one another. It kind of sounded like the relentless crashing of waves along the shore. You were sitting on a decorative, high backed leather chair, that stuck to the royal blue silk of your ball gown dress. Your mother forced you to dress your finest at these events, saying that one day "you'll be a professional in this field, Y/N!" Your father insisted that you left your phone at home, saying it was "unprofessional" and you had to "socialize", and so you were people-watching.

So far, you had seen some senator walk in with his wife and leave with his mistress, a really old Democratic presidential nominee get very drunk over two shots of whiskey, and a Republican House Representative make fun of a Democratic Representative's ugly yellow blouse. Really professional. What an exciting life these people led, one that you wished never to be a part of.

But you scanned the room one more time and noticed a group of kids around your age walk in, following a man that seemed old as dirt, who was wearing a monocle.

Who the hell wore monocles anymore?

Five kids walked behind him in a single line, each wearing what looked like a school uniform, along with a mask that hid their eyes.

The paparazzi left their respective scandal of the night and swarmed the school children. Cameras clicked away and the flashes looked like fireworks had erupted around the mysterious group.

What really peaked your interest was all the major political heads came rushing over to shake Monocle Man's hand.

"You know who they are, right?"

You jumped a bit and looked over to the only other guy around your age here. Jackson was 18, but he acted more or less like a 40 year old. His brown hair was always shaved to a militant buzz cut, but he was fairly attractive- all cut features and soft brown eyes, and he towered over you. If you two weren't so close, you'd call him cute. You two met years ago when your parents decided you were old enough to attend events with them. Jackson had three years under his wings by the time you joined him, but he was ecstatic to have another kid there with him. Together, you two grew up, surrounded by press conferences, political affairs and bombshells, and both experienced what little of a normal childhood you could have.

Back to the present.

"No, but it looks like the Speaker of the House is about to start squealing like a little girl."

Whoever these guys were, they attracted lots of attention. All eyes in the room looked at them and the journalists swarmed them, snapping pictures at every angle.

"That is the Umbrella Academy," Jackson said, flourishing his arms.

You gave him a blank look. "That's a comic book, Jack."

He clenched his jaw at the nickname. He hated it, so you used it to tease him.

"It's not just a comic book. All those kids were born on October 1st, and get this- their mothers weren't pregnant before they gave birth. Total mystery."

"It's total bullshit. That's not possible."

You looked over to the kids again. They seemed to be around your age. October 1st was your birthday as well, and you never knew your biological father, but that was all coincidence.

You felt Jackson nudge your leg. "I think one of them noticed you."

You looked closer and saw one of the kids, a boy with messy black hair, was staring at you. Well, it looked like he was. You couldn't really tell with the mask covering their eyes. What a weird thing.

"You should say hi."

You looked back up at Jackson. "Why would I do that?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. Make some friends. You cling to me way too much anyway."

"I do not!"

He gave you a bland look. "You haven't spoken to anyone else here."

"Because they're all old and political and boring."

He smirked a bit. "I'm glad you think that." He grabbed you arm, lifting you up. "Come on, lets go make friends."

Jackson dragged you across the room towards the Academy kids. He stopped ever so often to shake hands with a senator or stop to playfully flirt with some old governor's wife. Gross.

Eventually, you both made it to the other side of the venue. Before Jackson pulled you over to the group, he turned and faced you.

"For President's sake, fix yourself."

He fussed with your hair, patting down the strays, and pulled your dress down a bit to flatten out the wrinkles.

"There. Presentable."

Again, he ushered you over to the Umbrella Academy. Jackson approached the tall, blond guy first and playfully tapped his shoulder. The blond turned around and his impressive stature made Jackson look tiny.

Jackson extended his hand. "Hello! My name is Jackson Henderson. This is my acquaintance (Y/N) (Y/L/N). We wanted to formally meet you all!"

The blond smiled a bit, and quietly said hello, then turned back to the curly haired girl he was previously talking to. She was utterly gorgeous and she made her uniform look fashionable. You were a little jealous.

You saw her huff at the blond and she moved past him, extending her hand towards you.

"Hi Jackson and Y/N, my name is Number Three, but you can call me Allison."

I shook her hand. And she continued.

She jabbed her thumb towards the guy, "This is Number One, but we call him Luther."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

She moved down the line.

"This is Number Two, or Diego."

He intrigued you. He was around your height and he was your age, but the scar on the right side of his head and his eyes made him seem way older. Like an old soul. Diego said nothing and just nodded at you. You returned a small smile.

"This is Number Six, Ben."

Ben seemed very timid, raising a hand to you in a small gesture. He kept his chin tucked and shied away. The poor kid was probably freaked out by this boring political party, you thought.

A boy with the ruffled black hair ran up and flung his arms around Ben's shoulders. Ben winced at the touch.

"Who's this, Benny Boy?" He asked.

You extended a hand to him, putting on your diplomatic face. "My name is (Y/N) (Y/L/N). And yours?"

He released Ben and looked you up and down. His eyes settled at your hand and he shook it. "Name's Number Four, but please, call me Klaus." He bowed his head towards you, unable to conceal his grin. "It would be an honor to know you." He put on a fake British accent, his tongue rolling with the words.

He was funny. You liked that.

Klaus's goofy smile quickly faded as he looked behind you. A cold hand clasped itself over your shoulder. It turned you around and you were face to face with the man with the monocle. He looked angry- unless that was just his neutral face- and his eyes studied you.

Your father popped out from behind him, all cheery and kind like he normally was.

"Y/N! So happy you decided to join the party! This is Sir Reginald Hargreeves, and Sir this is my daughter: Y/N!"

Hargreeves continued to stare at you, his hand tightening around your shoulder.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. Now please, you are beginning to hurt my arm." You nodded your head towards his grip. You hated unsolicited contact.

Your father's mouth gaped at you. You could just hear him bitching at you in the car later:

Be nice. Be friendly.

His cold hand slowly released you. "Your father has told me much about you. Your birthday and lack of resemblance to him is remarkable."

What?

You glanced towards Jackson and he shrugged. This dude was weird.

Hargreeves continued, "I think it would be beneficial if you returned to the Academy with my children and I."

You stepped back from him, shocked. "Excuse me?"

He began to repeat himself, "I said, I believe-"

He was cut off short by the ringing of a loud bang, like a giant balloon had popped. The chatter in the room stopped and you frantically looked around the room. Everyone stood still, wide eyed.

Then, a second shot. You heard a woman scream and people began to run. You tried to take a step forward, but something felt hot on your stomach.

You looked down and saw the front of your blue dress begin to turn black with blood. Your father pushed Hargreeves to the side and grabbed you, lowering you to the ground. His hands pressed into your stomach and he was yelling something, but the ringing in your ears drowned him out.

Jackson appeared above you, concern drenching his face.

Your head lolled to the side a bit and you saw Hargreeves staring down at you, as if he were studying you, and he calms adjusted his monocle.

What the fuck was he looking at?

Anger pierced through the fear. Your father tugged your head back towards him. His eyes were pleading, and you reached up to him.

Before you could reach his face, he was thrown to his side. Your head slammed against the floor from being dropped, and through your daze, you lifted yourself up a bit. Jackson sat on his ass, staring at your father, who lied in a puddle of his own blood that was seeping through the white of his suit, eyes fixated on nothingness.

No no no no. This wasn't happening.

Panic flooded through your veins. Jackson pushed you back down onto the floor, his body pressing down on yours. He yelled into your ear.

"Stay down!"

Life was going by in a blur.

Jackson suddenly was off of you, landing a few feet away.

A man in a mask stared down at you. The lower portion of his face was covered by something that looked like a skeletons mouth, all teeth poised in an eternal smile.

He held a military grade gun and pointed it down at you. You stared down the barrel, remembering a similar gun that hung on the wall of one of your father's business associate's office. Time felt like it slowed down. The chaos in the room subsided, and all that was left was the barrel of the gun, the man in the mask, and the blood surrounding you. Who would have known your final moments would be so tragic? A politicians daughter, who died in a dress she hated, at a party she hated, but died next her father whom she loved. You closed your eyes, and an image of your father's puddling blood appeared in your mind. So much blood. So much...blood.

Why hadn't he pulled the trigger?

You opened your eyes and the man still stood above you, shaking violently. Whenever he shuddered, it felt like some ripple of it went through you. So you embraced the ripples, like it was natural. The ripples crescendoed into waves, and the man shook even more violently. Blood began to drip from his nose. Then his eyes. And finally, through red tears, he looked down at you and red dripped through the skeleton teeth of his mask. He finally collapsed, the gun clattering next to your head. The waves came to a halt, and the pain you should have felt earlier came crashing down on you like a tsunami. Your stomach was on fire, but the rest of you was cold. Screams of politicians wives pierced your ears, and the glaring lights of the banquet hall grew brighter. Then, it all turned black.

You awoke the next morning. Early sunrise flooded through the slated blinds and your eyes blinked open, adjusting to the light. The bed you slept on was very soft and molded itself to your body. Silk pajamas rubbed against your skin. Perfume flooded your nostrils and you felt like you woke up in a Bath and Body Works. You tried to sit up, but pained stabbed at your stomach, forcing you back down.

"Oh don't move too much, darling. It will ruin the stitches."

You whipped your head towards the doorway of the room. A blonde woman, dressed in 1950's housewife attire, stood there. Her red lips turned upwards into a dazzling smile and sweetness and kindness emanated from her. She took a step into the room, her heels clicking off the wood floor. You tried again to prop yourself up on your elbows, but the woman moved to your side and propped pillows behind you.

She brightly smiled again and patted your head.

"My name is Grace, but feel free to call me Mom, all of my children do."

You were still dazed from sleep. Did she just offer for you to call her "mom"?

"I apologize, but where am I?"

She clicked her tongue in a playful way.

"You are at the Academy, home, whatever you would like to call it. I don't believe I got your name?"

"My name is Y/N Y/L/N. Why am I here? What happened?"

She sat on the bed next to your legs and crossed her legs. She then clasped her hands together above her knee.

"Oh darling, there was an accident at that party you were at last night. Some bad men came in and hurt you and some others. The other children fought off a bunch of them, but from what I hear, you have some abilities! Yay!"

Her cheeriness was soothing, yet something didn't sit well with you.

"Abilities? What does that-"

You cut yourself off. An image raced through your mind. Your father. The blood. The man. The man's blood. The gun. Jackson.

"My father- is he okay? Where is he?"

[shadedscar-blog]

so now yeah about the skinwalker alert because apparently what houston needed was also those fuckers at this point when im going to have my dinner with a wendigo and have a fucking tulpa tell me my sense of fashion is ugly really im fucking waiting

besides yeah i went out to research on those inscriptions from the post i made a few days ago about the shit happened at the plaza especially after talking with my friend about that untranslatable inner circle of ciphering which apparently is voynich and we all know that shits been a massive case of question marks over question marks for something like a bazillion years but besides im a resilient man and with the help of the internet and a good chunk of good will i decided it was the case to venture myself to the nearby public library to collect some more info since ive seen that a few texts that i cant apparently get on amazon are actually in there

now i know the guy working at the library his names tobias hes your typical gentle giant with so many freckles you could draw the entirety of the known constellations on him and hed probably pinpoint that one obscure constellation in some remote angle of the milky way youve missed with a big goofy grin and boy if he looked like shit he was pretty much me after an awful run of cal screaming and nightmares combined when i entered he barely gave me a wave because he kept checking behind his back and was really snappy

so i look at him and im like trying to get some smalltalk yknow because its not that i can barge in with a hey youre looking fucked up bro... whats poppin... so i tried to see about those books i needed and hes like shrugging and checking the database and all of a sudden hes like

“hey dave listen youve seen those weird things going around right” 

and im like sure its not that i cant avoid that dude so he really gave me that freaked out gaze and started telling me about how theres this thing in the residential area where he lives that just has been causing some good capital h for havoc and not just little things okay were talking about beyond the streak of goopy blood and weird writings over the entrance doors smelling like rotting cadavers because he was all about how lately at night hes been having this weird humanoid thing with piercing white eyes and tattered clothing following him and this thing apparently had this wobbly stance and would try to go after him while also having a serious case of convulsion

and i was like wow it seems we got a serious case of /x/walker are we back on fourchan or what and he literally was “dude im serious i have pictures because apparently it stops something like roughly 100 meters from the crossroads all the time and i managed to take a shitty ass blurry photo” and that

thats where things get freaky

ON THE POST: clearly blurry and trembling because it was taken by a person scared shit, but there’s indeed the almost sharp clean profile a hunched black figure right in front, with the traits of a distorted, blackened face barely recognizable within the tatters and whatever else is covering the creature. the eyes are lidless and white, piercing, and the smile showing a line of jagged, sharklike teeth.

honestly after seeing that if i ever have to go around the residential area id make sure to have a rock salt rifle with me but i dont know you

[bastionkeeper]

Taako somehow gets hurt and he's on the good shit. Taako just watches Joaquin play games usually because the colors are bright and pretty and the TV makes funny noises while he plays. Joaquin Doesn't mind, he however made the mistake of playing a Kirby game First. Joaquin had to drag Taako's giant Kirby pillow (basically a bed) down so he could give Kirby a hug while he played. Taako slept through most of the gameplay, but Kirby has good music, so when he was awake he liked it lots

2) Joaquin just pats Taakos head while he relaxes and saves dreamland. When he beats it he tells Taako Kirby wants to sleep for a while, and that pacifies him before he starts to ask questions. Honey is just sitting on Taako's lap, making sure they don't move too much and upset their stitches. Joaquin plays a lot of Overwatch too, and Taako just asks Joaquin why Kravitz is on the TV and so Grumpy. Joaquin fucking loses it and just quietly tells Taako "because he doesn't get any kisses"

3) Taako fully accepts that and asks Joaquin if he can tell Kravitz that he can have as many kisses as he wants when he gets home. Joaquin, trying to compose himself, just nods before going back to playing. They have lunch (stew for Taako, A couple of sandwiches for Joaquin.) and Taako just fucking sleeps for the rest of the afternoon after that. When he wakes up he's confused because he's hurting, but he's on his Kirby pillow? Joaquin is here? Why does he hurt????

4) (sorry for the gap) Honey just goes to get Joaquin, and Angus who's home from school now, and Taako is really confused because he doesn't remember getting hurt? Or anything from yesterday to be honest and that's worrisome to him because his memory is already fucked. Joaquin and Angus fill him in with what happened, apparently Taako fell down the stairs and Dex or not he had a nasty land and fucked up his leg. Kravitz gets home a bit after and is glad to see Taako is Lucid.

5) Taako however tries to still cook, Kravitz is all like "Dove, no, you're hurt please rest or at least sit down and watch me make dinner please?" Joaquin and Taako walk him through the steps, while Taako focus's more on helping Angus with his homework because this boy is smart but he worries about tests so much. Joaquin takes a picture because Taako's smiling happily and he knows Kravitz will want that for the family scrap book. It hits him that he's been adopted by a Wizard and a Reaper. Huh.

Sorry Honey didn’t make an appearance I forgot all about her until I was nearly done!!! :(

Not even cleric magic could completely cure a stabbing that bad. Luckily modern medicine was on the rise in Faerun, so after Taako was run through by a rather angry fighter, the moonbase medical team managed to get him stitched up in time. 

Kravitz had been so angry hearing about the bandits that had nearly killed Taako just for a couple of his rings, that once he was sure Taako was stable and back safe at home, he rushed out to find the bastards and make them wish they’d never been born.

That left Joaquin with a rather drugged up elf with a gaping stomach wound who had strict orders not to leave the couch or bed unless absolutely necessary. 

“Wh’sat?” Taako asked, leaning over Joaquin’s shoulder and gesturing towards the Earthen setup. The teen had brought his playstation and television from the plane of thought, something that was now possible thanks to Lucas Miller bringing electricity to most of the upper class. 

“I’m gonna play some Overwatch,” Joaquin explained. 

“Wha? Dude you’re....you’re speaking...wha’s the word....gibberish,” Taako groaned, rubbing at his temples. He slumped back onto the couch, hissing with pain and clutching at his stitches. 

“Uh-uh, don’t touch those,” Joaquin pulled Taako’s hands away quickly.

“But they itch,” Taako complained. 

“Do you want me to put you in a cone?” Joaquin joked. 

“Cone of cold....s’level five evocation...” Taako murmured. Joaquin shrugged, the wizard wasn’t exactly all there at the moment so it wasn’t fair to expect him to make any sense. 

He played his game for awhile, making sure to keep a glass of water where Taako could reach and ushering him back to the couch whenever he tried to leave, which wasn’t often to be fair. Taako was pretty tired, he dozed off more than a few times. It didn’t help that he was on round the clock pain pills that Joaquin guessed where the fantasy equivalent of oxy. 

“Hey.”

Joaquin looked up. He was sitting with his back against the couch so Taako had room enough to stretch out. The elf was laying on his side, and had lightly patted Joaquin’s curly hair with one hand to get his attention.

“Yeah?”

“Wha’s Kravitz doin’ in your game?”

Joaquin snickered, this wasn’t the first time Taako had made such a joke about Reaper, but it was certainly the first time he’d actually believed it was Kravitz in the game. 

“Oh you know, reaper stuff,” Joaquin said, casually using his ult as he explained. If he didn’t get play of the game for that one he’d sue. He was channeling wifi across the planes that alone was play of the game worthy. 

“He looks so grumpy,” Taako hummed. “He gets like that when he’s hungry or when he’s tired.”

“Nah, it’s not that, he just needs kisses.” Joaquin said with a grin. 

“Oh shit, dawg...listen...” Taako grabbed Joaquin’s cheeks, squishing them. “I can do that.”

“Yeph you shure cahn,” Joaquin said through squished lips. 

It was at that moment that a portal opened into the living room and Kravitz stepped out, looking vicious with a glare and blood covered clothes. Joaquin shivered. It was easy to forget his two goofy fantasy dads were actually...you know...a powerful wizard and a grim reaper who killed people as easily as he killed video game characters. 

“How are you feeling, my dove?” Kravitz asked Taako, running a hand through the elf’s hair. The other hand went to cup his cheek softly. 

“C’mere!” Taako insisted, and Kravitz complied, kneeling down next to the couch and putting his face close to Taako’s. Taako immediately started covering the man in kisses until Kravitz was giggling and kissing him back. 

“What’s this all about?” he asked. 

“S’cause you were grouchy, nerd,” Taako slurred. “Lemme kiss the smile back onto ya.”

“Only if I can kiss you back,” Kravitz beamed, kissing Taako several times. 

Kravitz went to change out of his bloodied clothes, meanwhile Joaquin paused his game so he could go and get Taako’s pills for the next dose. He was paused by a knock at the door which turned out to be Angus home from school. 

“Do you knock everytime?” Joaquin asked as he let the kid in. He was pretty sure Angus was living with Taako and Kravitz now, whenever he wasn’t staying in the dorms or visiting Magnus and Merle. 

“I just prefer being polite,” Angus said, blushing slightly. “Is Taako doing okay?”

“Ango!” Taako was at the door, silky bathrobe swaying like his usual trademark cloaks, dragon slippers shuffling on the tile. “Welcome home, kiddo.” He kissed Angus on each cheek and ruffled the kid’s hair. “After school snack?”

“I can make one for myself, sir!” Angus piped up. “You should really be resting!”

“Nah, ol’ Taako’s head is clear for the first time all day, I’m getting bored. Let me cook you something.”

“Taako, come on you know what the doctor’s said,” Joaquin said, but Taako was already on his way to the kitchen, humming happily. 

Angus sat down at the kitchen table, emptying his bookbag and opening a journal that was full of notes way more complicated than anything Joaquin had seen in twelfth grade algebra. Taako appeared to be fixing up some grilled cheeses, and Joaquin guessed that was simple enough that it was okay for him to do it. 

Kravitz disagreed once he came back downstairs and saw Taako at the stove-top. 

“My dove, we talked about this,” Kravitz said, gently pulling Taako away from the oven. “I can make the meals while you’re recovering, okay?”

“Awww, but I wanna cook for my man and my boys,” Taako said, teasingly poking Kravitz with the spatula. 

“Nope, you’re on bedrest, you shouldn’t even be up from the couch,” Kravitz took the spatula from Taako and took over the grilled cheeses. “If you take it easy I’ll let you stay in the kitchen with us but anymore rushing around and I’ll carry you straight up to bed.”

“Tough guy, huh?” Taako chuckled. “I don’t remember this concern when we first met and you tried to crack my head open like an egg.”

“There’s still time for that if you prefer,” Kravitz joked back with a smirk. Taako stuck his tongue out at Kravitz before turning to Angus. 

“Whatcha got there, kiddo?”

“Oh, it’s theory of magic homework,” Angus showed Taako his notes, and the wizard nodded seriously at them. 

“Here, this part, you’re overthinking it,” Taako said pointing to a sigil Angus had drawn. The rest of what he said flew right over Joaquin’s head as the two got into the magic talk. Angus scooted his chair up close to Taako’s and put his elbows on the table, leaning in close to the elf. Joaquin grinned and snapped a few quick pictures with his cell phone, he knew Kravitz would like to see them later. 

It was a nice atmosphere in the kitchen, it had all the feeling of a lazy Saturday afternoon. Kravitz was humming symphony music as he served up sandwiches, Taako and Angus shared notes, Joaquin took pictures and interjected now and then with jokes and puns. 

A couple hours passed before Kravitz insisted Taako get some more rest. 

“I’m fine, y’treating me like glass...” Taako said, only to groan with pain as Kravitz helped him stand. “Okay....maybe...m’a little bit glass...”

“Come here, love,” Kravitz lifted Taako into his arms, careful not to brush against the stitches. “Angus, Joaquin, thanks for helping today.”

“No problem Mr. Kravitz,” Joaquin nodded. “Same time tomorrow?”

“I’ll be home tomorrow to take care of him,” Kravitz said. “....but, I could use some extra help. He is a handful when he’s ill.”

“I’m a handful all the time y’baby,” Taako stuck out his tongue, and then because he was still high as a kite and lovey dovey as always, licked Kravitz’s cheek and giggled. Kravitz gave Joaquin a deadpan look that seemed to say: you see what I mean?

“If you come back tomorrow, it’s my day off, you can teach me how to play your game!” Angus said excitedly. 

“Oh hell yeah,” Joaquin said, ruffling Angus’s hair. “Same time tomorrow then.”

The three locals said goodbye to Joaquin (Taako gave him a peck on the forehead) and the outerplaner headed home, sure to come back to his second home tomorrow.

[rudemaidenswrite]

What Now?

part 4

By @pusantheamazonian

part 1: https://rudemaidenswrite.tumblr.com/post/168537414261/what-now

part: 2: https://rudemaidenswrite.tumblr.com/post/169998134801/what-now

part 3 https://rudemaidenswrite.tumblr.com/post/169998376276/what-now

“So, if you are supposed to be making dinner, why are you eating pasta?”  Loki inquiries.

“I’m pre-gaming dinner, bitch.” Lucine finishes off rest of the pasta off quickly.

“What she means is that she is eating a snack beforehand so she will not be eating as she makes dinner. She is always snacking.” You look at Loki explaining before untangling yourself to start dinner.  You gather most of the items and place them on the counter.

“I’m just a slut for food.”

“So, you do anything for food?”  Loki is repulsed that Lucine would go that far for food.

“No, I have some standards.”

“Don’t let her lie to you.” You stare at Lucine in annoyance.

“I don’t blow people in parking lots for tacos. So, there are some standards, just not a lot.”

“I doubt it.” Turning to the counter you start slicing the chicken into stripes.

   Well I haven’t yet… Also, how big is Loki? Is he circumcised or uncircumcised? I have money and food riding on it.

 “Ew! No Lucine, why would you even ask that?” Embarrassed at the question.

“Cause I need to know! I told you I have money and food riding on it! $50 to be exact.” She slaps her hand down hard on the counter.

“Wait what just happened?” Loki interrupts.

“I just asked Ana how big your cock is and if you are circumcised or uncircumcised. I made a bet against Frankie about it. It was never settled because we didn’t have proof until now.” Lucine gestures at Loki.

Loki is genuinely flabbergasted. “You made a bet on that information?”

“Yes! We got into the debate if Thor was circumcised or not. But Norse mythology is the foundation of the North Germanic people stemming from Norse paganism, the Christianization of Scandinavia and Scandinavian folklore. We then compared that time frame of origin to other religions that do have the tradition of circumcision. Then also compared it to what countries are the most popular to have this performed. In the end we agreed that Thor is uncircumcised on the basis that Vikings and the Scandinavian people of that time were also uncircumcised.” Lucine babbles on as if it is nothing.

“You two are perverts. You really did all that research just to know is Thor was uncircumcised?” Loki not so sneakily, wraps an arm loosely around your waist. As he continues to engage Lucine.

“Duh! We’re girls, but you. We could not agree. I argued that you are circumcised based solely on the fact that jötun are intersex; you are gender fluid and classy. Frankie argued that you are uncircumcised because you were raised in Asgard, and that their customs is what you would have followed.”

“How?” Loki almost fumbles.

“I told you she was going to be all sass and in your face.” Chuckling you give Loki a soft smile.

“I have a Master’s in Norse Mythology and Minored in Old Norse language. Sweet cheeks.” Lucine smirks wiggling her eyebrows.

“Wow, I have my very own stalker.” Loki gloats in pride.

“Maybe, maybe not. I would rather be stalking Steve.”

“You mean Stars and Stripes?”

 She has a huge hard on for Steve.

 “Why become Miss America when I can become Mrs. America.” Lucine acts as if she is defending her honor.

“You like him that much?” Loki is disgusted.

“Loki, I would kill the whole planet if it gave me the chance to mount Steve.”

“I see that you both have evil tendencies.” He glances back and forth between you two.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Lucine acts innocent.

“Yeah right you are extremely salty. After your last boyfriend, you destroyed his car with a baseball bat.”

“It was never actually proven that it was I who Lucilled fuck twat’s car.” Lucine stuck her tongue out.

“Uh-huh.” You roll your eyes, nudging Loki to the side so you can wash your hands.

“Hold on. We skipped something. The original question was never said. Solana reacted and you said that you had asked her something.” Loki points at Lucine suspiciously.

“You didn’t tell him?”

“No. Honestly I forgot.” Turning around in Loki’s grip. You face Lucine.

“You forgot? How could you forget?” Lucine is confused.

“Excuse me, that it only works within a one-mile range.”

“What only works within a one-mile range?”  Loki demands.

“Oh well…Loki you remember when Tony accused me of being telepathic and I denied it?” Loki nods his head.  “Well I lied.”

“What?”

“It’s more like twin telepathy.” Lucine chimes.

“Twin telepathy?” Loki repeats making sure he heard right.

“Twin telepathy; well more like a psychic link. Scientifically there is no proof but it is speculated that twins or multiples are more likely to have a psychic link. Studies have suggested that it is because of the closeness and intimate connection that these people have starting from conception and living inside the womb.”  You rattle off the information quickly, not pausing for a breath.

When you do stop for a breath Lucine picks up. “But none of these studies tested to see if these multiples have the X-Gene. It is possible for a person to be a carrier of the gene and not know it or the gene has not been activated yet. So, to say that they are telepathic. They must be mutants whose X-Gene is activated.”

“How do you normally activate it?” Loki’s interested now. He wasn’t able to read much on mutant DNA. With the new enlightened information that you are a telepath, adds to his curiosity.

“Well there are several ways; being exposed mutagenic like chemicals, radioactive rays, while in the womb because the mother was put through extreme stress, or at birth, puberty, stress, trauma, fear, and starvation.” Lucine responds first.

“But the most common is puberty and emotional trauma.” Placing a hand on top of his, you give a small squeeze.

“So, you are saying that you two are telepathic?”

“In a sense yes.” You give him a goofy smile.

“It’s a closed-circuit link. Only me and Ana; just within a one-mile radius though.”

“But I can respond to the Professor and you though.” You mumble.

“The Professor is the Professor. Anyone can respond to him.” Lucine sighs.

“This is why you took it better than I expected when I used telepathy on you.” Loki eyes you with a mischievous smirk.

“Yeah, I thought it was a little weird the first time but I just ignored it.”

“You two are mutants?” Loki double checks.

“No, more like a subsect of mutants.”  Lucine starts to play with the empty bowl.

Pulling your hair up you continue. “When we four, we had to have blood transfusions. Hank says that our psychic link was caused by the radiation from the X-rays. The X-ray bonded the X-Gene from the blood transfusion to our DNA.”

“Hank suspects the we had the same donor who didn’t know they had the X-Gene. The professor said that we don’t even register on the map when he searches for new mutants.”

“We are as normal as twins can get.” Winking you turn back around to peel the onions.

“1. Who is Hank? 2. Don’t tell Tony.” Loki orders.

“I don’t plan to tell Tony. That would be crazy.” You look at him like he is nuts. Telling Tony would only cause more problems.

“You mean Dr. Hank McCoy the world-renowned biochemist, a brilliant intellect, who is a giant blue teddy bear.” Lucine is offended that Loki doesn’t know who Hank is.

“Lucine how do you know he is a giant blue teddy bear?” You question her suspiciously. Wondering if she has been stalking the X-mansion again.

“Cause 1. He has blue fur. 2. Lana told me. And if I get rejected by Steve I’m going to go love Hank a bunch more.” Lucine winked.

“Blue is her favorite color.” You whisper.

 *slam*

“Dad’s home. Time to look busy.” Lucine jumps off the stool. And pushes you out of the way, taking over the process.

Bumping into Loki he wraps his arms further around you as he steps backwards. Holding you away from the probably danger, Lucine with a knife.

“Still pulling that trick?” Laughing you cover you mouth with a hand.

“You know it.” The sass starts to ooze out of Lucine again.

Then the back door opens. In walks dad, hanging his baseball hat on the hook. The man is 6’1” with silver spread out through all of his black hair, goatee matching. This mountain of a man is a sweetie in disguise. He barely looks up but notices the way Loki is holding you. Before suddenly dropping his hands to the side and standing straight.

“Hi daddy. I’m making fajitas for dinner.”

“Hi dad!” You jog over and give him a hug.

“Ah so you finally brought someone home. When’s the wedding?”  He teases hugging you back.

“Dad, stop trying marry me off.”

“Well it’s a step closer than Lucine. She has scared all the boys away. There’s no hope for her.” He gives a fake sigh, gesturing towards Lucine.

“Thanks dad. Love you too. But you are forgetting that I haven’t scared Lukas or Newt away.” Lucine pauses to wave the knife around.

“Friends only by association.” You point out.

“Hey, I brought Lukas into our group. It’s Newt that is friends with us by association because he’s Lana’s brother.” Lucine glares at you.

“Dad, I brought someone home. His name is Loki and Lucine has already started her threats.” You try to change the subject.

 *chop*

The knife in Lucine’s hand comes down harshly beside Loki’s hand that is resting on the counter.

“Hey that was almost my hand.” Offended Loki tries to reprimand her.

“I missed.” Lucine says cold not bothering to look at him.

“Lucine Adelia, stop threatening him.” Dad grumbles staring at the two.

Lucine wretches the knife up and scowls. “Loki would you be a dear and fetch me the peppers from the fridge.” Lucine over exaggerates politely.

Loki vigilantly backs up and opens the fridge door. Maintaining eye contact with Lucine the whole way, in case she decides to throw the knife. After handing the peppers over. Loki is immediately grabbed by the arm as your dad drags him upstairs without a word said.

   What the hell?

 Ah…..You on your own. Dad probably wants to have the talk.

 The talk?

 The talk about us.

 “Ooh I hope it goes better than when I brought fuck twat over.” Lucine hums.

[placetobenation]

As many of you are aware, WWE Network is pretty packed with all sorts of content. And as you may also know, we here at Place to Be Nation love long term, in depth projects. So, as part of this initiative, members of the PTBN Staff are choosing programs at random and after watching each program, they will share their thoughts, notes and recommendations with our readers. So, settle in and enjoy this epic ride through wrestling history!

Roddy Piper’s Greatest Hits

Run Time: 98 Minutes

Why Jacob Why???: 

BECAUSE JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHICH SHOW I’M GONNA PICK, I CHANGE THE ANSWERS

I figured if we were going to go on this Network voyage, there’s no better way than to start with one of the earlier tapes, especially one focused on such an icon. Along with that, I knew this would give us a nice mix of matches, promos, and random segments, even if they all center around one guy.

Best Segment

Breaking down barriers since 1984!

Aaron George:  Bob Orton going for a checkup on his much maligned arm. I hold no pretensions that Doc Stevens is in any way a licensed physician, but when he was introduced as the resident TNT Doctor I was already in stitches. Straight man Vince is incredulous that Orton’s arm hasn’t healed yet and Piper’s conviction in the face of Bob’s “Your arm is fine” diagnosis is wonderful.  Special points to the “doctor” too who incredulously wondered aloud that the arm should be stronger by now.

Brian Bayless: The Piper’s Pit segment with Jimmy Snuka is one of the most memorable segments in wrestling history and with good reason. This never dragged and was explosive and shocking as anything shown on WWF TV at that point.

Jacob Williams: I have to go with the Mid City Health Club meditation session, just for the pure goofiness. I’m a sucker for these early to mid 80s campy vignettes. I love it all–from Ace as the PR rep to Orndorff’s hot pants,  to Piper hissing at Gene.  Everyone takes the entire premise so serious, and it makes it that much better. To top it off, they beat up some random guy on the street, which actually feels real and gritty. The entire crew just completely sells themselves as some weirdo transgressive tough guys.

Calum McDougall: Tuesday Night Titans with Piper and Bob Orton visiting the doctor. I though the middle of the tape dragged on a bit due to the lack of matches, but this was the highlight of the long talking segment section of the tape. Piper’s mannerisms from the start were outstanding, giving Orton nervous glances throughout and his interactions with the doctor and Vince were fantastic.He had an answer for everything that was thrown at him, and when all else failed he just started quacking at the doctor to end the segment. Excellent stuff.

Dave Hall: Piper’s Pit with special guest: Roddy Piper. This segment was hilarious.  I really loved the smooth editing that made it seem like a genuine interview.  Piper’s comments were awesome, and very ahead of their time.  It was full of one liners from start to finish, from “I had Andre on.  I brought him a Johnny brush to brush his teeth”, to “When I shoot a gun, someone gets pregnant”.  It seems only fitting that Piper’s greatest guest would be himself, and he really pushed boundaries with this segment.  Piper at his very best.

Best Match

You did WHAT to Andre the giant???

Aaron George: The problem with this set is there isn’t a match that has anything resembling a proper finish. The one that stood out for me was Piper and Dr. Death against Andre The Giant and Snuka. It was super interesting to not only watch Andre carry the babyface segments of a tag match, but then to see him beaten bloody by Piper and experience him in legitimate peril was tons of fun. The image of Roddy Piper sitting on the top turnbuckle covered in Andre’s 1.7 BAC blood is a perfect snapshot of the character. Sure Andre comes back later and they do the fuck finish but for every second Hot Rod is in the ring the crowd is LIVID!

Brian Bayless: The final match on the card, Piper & Orton vs. Snuka & Tonga Kid, was a lot of fun. The crowd went crazy and it was a chaotic match with lots of brawling.

Jacob Williams: This was tough because the Hogan match had so much heat, but I have to go with the Andre tag. It told a better story, and the reaction when Andre comes out with the bandage is breathtaking. Piper looks like such a warrior with the Giant’s blood smeared on him. I wasn’t very hyper aware of this feud between Piper and Andre. This was excellent.

Calum McDougall:  Piper & David Schultz vs. Andre The Giant and Jimmy Snuka. I thought this match was a lot of fun. It was good to see and Andre match when he could still go at a good level, and I lost it when he did a drop down. Admittedly, it’s not the most athletic of maneuvers but it was amazing to see Andre do it given that most of the matches of his I’ve seen are post-WrestleMania III, when he’s really broken down. I loved the ending with the bloodbath, then transitioning into the handicap match only for Andre to come back out. The heat that was on Piper and Schultz was unreal, and the visual of Hot Rod sitting on the top rope covered almost head to toe in Andre’s blood was the best shot of the whole video.

Dave Hall:  Roddy Piper vs The Tonga Kid. There are lots of really great matches on this presentation, and one could argue that the Piper vs Hogan match at War to Settle the Score could be the best, but I really enjoyed the Piper vs Tonga Kid match.  This match surprised me with it’s quick offense and the heat that it had.  Piper calling for the time out and then selling a ton for Tonga Kid really made it seem that Tonga Kid was a genuine threat to win.  The interference from Jimmy Snuka and Bob Orton did not detract from the match, and really added to the heat.  A really enjoyable match.

Most Cringeworthy Moment

Explain your actions you fat, bald-headed little oaf.

Aaron George:  Any time Hot Rod spouts off “Just when they think they’ve got all the answers, I change the questions.” It never made any sense in context to what he was doing and it’s just lame. I know we’re supposed to revere it as a classic Piper line but to me it always sounded forced and was a weak spot in an otherwise strong promo game.

Brian Bayless: Gene Okerlund, who did the introduction to this video, listed Piper as 6’3 and 252 lbs. Even in pro wrestling where size is exaggerated it was ridiculous.

Jacob Williams: Frank Williams attempted to speak into a microphone, and it was a complete disaster.

Calum McDougall: Piper’s Pit with Jimmy Snuka. Well, this hasn’t aged well has it? I completely understand that this is a legendary and memorable segment, given that its between two Hall of Famers. Snuka was one of the most popular men in the company at the time, and Piper was quite possibly the most hated man in the WWF. In 1985, it’s a licence to print money. In 2018 however, its uncomfortable viewing, with Pipers taunting in the run up to the coconut shot, right up until the end where he is whipping Snuka within an inch of his life. It’s easy to see why the would only show the coconut attack in more recent clips. It was a different time, but this is certainly not a 2018 segment.

Dave Hall: Everything involving Mean Gene Okerlund. With so much quality stuff on this presentation, I was really disappointed with Mean Gene’s introduction, and his linking statements throughout.  The intro was really cringe worthy, as he bagged out Piper and almost made it feel like anyone who had “purchased the video” was a loser for doing so.  His negativity is understandable, but after seeing how enjoyable the whole thing was, it ended up looking really stupid.

Funniest Line/Moment

Have you ever heard of a Kiss song called Love Gun?

Aaron George:  During an episode of TNT Vince grills Roddy as to why he didn’t let Jimmy Snuka speak before cracking the coconut on his head; Hot Rod loses it and screams something to the effect of “I DID BUT HE JUST SAT THERE LIKE A BUMBLING IDIOT LIKE THIS GUY!!!” He then points to a dour Lord Alfred Hayes, sitting there with his hands crossed, decked out in a pompadour suit refusing to say a word at the obvious truths Piper was spewing; a look of sadness overcomes his face quickly hidden behind a false smile and a shame-filled stiff upper lip.

Brian Bayless: Piper quacking as the doctor on TNT said that Bob Orton’s arm was fine cracked me up. Also, Orton beating up a guy on the street after Okerlund was kicked out of Piper & Paul Orndorff’s private training session for their WrestleMania match was classic.

Jacob Williams:Piper hissing at the camera out of nowhere, and the ensuing shot of him hissing, is comedy gold.

Calum McDougall: Roddy quacking at the doctor at the end of the TNT segment above. Excellent stuff.

Dave Hall: In a tape full of actual greatest hits and moments, and multiple one-liners from Piper, the funniest line for me was when Piper looked at the cameras and said “When I shoot a gun, someone gets pregnant.” I laughed out loud and even replayed the line just to hear it again.

Highlights

Forgiveness or massive concussion?

Aaron George:  Every single match had CRAZY crowd heat. Piper was clearly a master of the chaos filled match. His frenetic energy was incredible and if Michael Cole was calling his matches he would no-doubt be screaming lunatic fringe every ninety seconds. The promos were quite good and even something as hokey a concept as interviewing oneself is pulled off well by the Hot Scot. The meditation promo was great and had Piper and Orton not visited the doctor would have walked away with best segment. Every time Piper read a letter from someone’s family “i.e. Hogan’s mother writing him pleading to stop beating up her son,” was spectacular. Gloria Steinman was at the War To Settle The Score! I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the AMAZING Coliseum Video opening declaring that for 5000 years this bullshit has been going on, all the while the precursor to Hercules’ music blasts as we get shots of jobbers being murdered. Love T getting the shit beat out of him and adore Paul Orndorff screaming at Arnold Skaaland.

Brian Bayless: The matches featured all had a ton of crowd heat and the segments that focused on Andre the Giant, Jimmy Snuka,and Hulk Hogan were great. Plus, we saw the classic Pit segments with Jimmy Snuka and Frankie Williams.

Jacob Williams: It’s hard narrow it down when so much of this is made up such legendary matches and moments. I absolutely loved any interaction between Piper and Andre. Andre’s innate charisma compliments Piper’s manic energy well. Piper busting Andre open to show that he could back up his big mouth, then Andre stumbling back the ring with crude head bandage, was all so great.

Calum McDougall:  

*Andre’s performance in the opening tag team match, as I said before, it was good to see a match before he starts to break down

* The red hot crowd when Snuka is on offence when the opening match transitions to handicap, what they’d do for a sustained reaction like that nowadays.

* The bagpipe entrance for the War to Settle The Score match, although I am legally obligated to say this.

Dave Hall: This whole tape is a bunch of genuine highlights.  There is so much good stuff on here I don’t know where to start.  Two things that did really stand out for me: the Piper’s Pit with Andre the Giant, and watching Andre lift Piper in the air by his shirt.  Piper looked genuinely worried at that moment.  Then we saw Andre totally sell an assault from Piper, including bleeding.  It made Piper look like a total badass. I had never seen the War to Settle the Score before, and really enjoyed it.  The Piper’s Pits were all great, and the Tonga Kid and Jimmy Snuka stuff was really entertaining.

Lowlights

Why no one care about my eyes no mo?

Aaron George:  It would have been nice to have a match that had a proper finish, but I get the impression Piper didn’t have many of those. I don’t like Real American being dubbed over Eye of The Tiger but it doesn’t bother me nearly as much as Hulk Hogan slumming it with noted fat sloppy pig Lou Albano. Why on Earth does a guy named Frank Williams struggle so heartily with the English language?

Brian Bayless: For some reason there was an episode of Piper’s Pit that had Samu as the Tonga Kid. Samu had noticeably less charisma than the original Tonga Kid. The segment with Piper interviewing himself started off amusing enough but did run out of steam by the end.

Jacob Williams:Piper interviewing himself overstays its welcome a bit. The stuff with Samu was fine, but it didn’t match the intensity or epic feel of the other feuds covered on this tape.

Calum McDougall: 

* The awful dub over of Real American. You could tell that the crowd was going crazy for the Hulkster but the dub job silences them, which took something off this match for me.

* Mean Gene and Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary, I didn’t enjoy this team at all.

* Tonga Kid mocking Piper’s kilt. (It’s not a skirt!!!!)

Dave Hall: In a tape filled with so much great stuff, I found the “Piper’s Workout” clips preparing for WrestleMania to be a little dull and drag a bit.  Piper did very little in these segments, and Gene came off as a goof.  This really could have been left off, especially as the WrestleMania main event is not covered on this presentation. The other lowlight to me was the layout of the presentation.  They cover the Andre segments early 1984), jump to the War to Settle the Score (1985), and then go back to the Snuka/Tonga Kid stuff (1984 again).  I think it would have been better if they had run the events and matches chronologically, and finished with the War to Settle the Score.

Wild Card BABY!!!

I’M YOUR MAN!!!

Liar Of The Night:  Forgive me for a fucking second if I can’t picture Mr. T rocking out to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.  If Mr. T can name ONE other Cyndi Lauper song I will eat a shit sandwich.  He enjoys her music… PUH – LEASE – I wonder how many takes it took to get that line out. – AG

Best Tidbit: According to Piper, the coconut he used to hit Snuka was not gimmicked and Snuka himself was unaware he was going to be getting hit with anything of the fruits on the table. Piper even claimed that Snuka tried to go after him that night at the hotel. The segment was filmed on 3/28/84 in St. Louis but did not air until the 6/9/84 edition of “Championship Wrestling.” – BB

Excellence in Medical Practice Award: This one goes to Doc Stevens.  No matter how much Piper yells and quacks at him, he never strays from calmly delivering his diagnosis. – JW

What’s The Point Award:  Piper’s Pit with guest Roddy Piper. This should have been really good, and for 1985 technology this was impressive. But it didn’t go anywhere, was too long for me and by the end I was just baffled at the whole thing. A good idea on paper which just fell short on execution for me. – CM

Most Nosey:   Gene Okerlund. If guys are meditating and hissing at you while sitting on the dirtiest floor I’ve ever seen stop asking questions at take your bald headed ass out of the Mid City Gym FOR MEN. He interrupts Orndorff as he attempts a sexy deadlift, he stops Piper from transitioning to snake. Get outta there you oaf! The guy who asked if Gene needed help deserved to get his ass beat. – AG

The Sympathy Award: On a tape with some of the biggest names in the history of wrestling—Piper, Hogan, Andre—we get a cameo from Frank Williams. Piper can destroy nearly anyone on the mic, so when he goes against poor Frank Williams in the Pit, I kind of just felt bad. Williams can barely utter a coherent sentence, and Piper just humiliates him. – JW

Again! What’s the point???: As I just mentioned, I felt that without any coverage of the WrestleMania main event there was little point in showing the workout video of Piper and Orndorff.  It just added nothing to the presentation.

Most Random: Lou Thesz as special referee. When Mean Gene threw to this match and mentioned there was a special referee the last person I expected to see was Lou Thesz! Even more surprising is that they actually acknowledge him as a former World Champion. I’m assuming this is because Thesz was well known in the Minneapolis area where this match happened and they know him as a legendary champion (rightfully so) but this was a head scratcher nonetheless. – CM

Final Thoughts

Aaron George:  This was a fun set but don’t go into it looking for some classic matches. Because of the lack of variety in the programming of it I found myself struggling to get through it. Still there’s some classic MOMENTS, and after watching you couldn’t ever argue that Piper wasn’t one thousand percent effective in the ring. RATING: 6/10

Brian Bayless: Piper was arguably the best heel in all of wrestling from 1984-85 and this tape did a great job of capturing everything that made him great. Sure, the matches themselves were not masterpieces but you saw a lot of crowds going wild to go along with many memorable segments and interviews. One of the best Coliseum Home Video releases you can get. RATING: 8/10

Jacob Williams: Every match on here felt so epic and meaningful. You had guys who were insanely over coupled with crowds that are just buying into absolutely everything that’s happening. I know there wasn’t much variety, but it was amazing to watch a snapshot of a guy firing on all cylinders in his prime right as the WWF was catching fire. RATING: 8/10

Calum McDougall: The tape started off hot, with opening tag and the Hogan MTV match but it took a nosedive with the long section in the middle. That being said, I still thought it was a decent video, due to the good stuff being great. RATING:4/10

Dave Hall: What a way to start the reboot of the Network Adventure.  This was awesome.  Knowing the history of the Colliseum Home Video stuff, I was really worried there would be a lot of crap mixed in with some good stuff.  But this was great moment after great moment.  The matches all had heat and moved well, and really showcased Piper’s ability in the ring to make his opponent look good.  The Piper’s Pit were all memorable ones, you have the classic Bob Orton and Piper visiting the doctor, which was really fun, and then you have Piper interviewing himself which was simply brilliant.  While Mean Gene may have mocked the title at the start of the presentation, never has the phrase “Greatest Hits” ever been more warranted. RATING: 10/10

And we are out! Where will the Network Adventure travel to? Which Coliseum will be conquered next? Which of these assholes will quit the project in an indignant rage??? Find out in TWO WEEKS!

Reg?

[elliotthezubat]

DEATH CITY DAYS CHAPTER 90

as hell breaks loose in the slums, shinra and company face a powerful foe

later on, the practical exams for class 1-A take place

Adam: *carrying a grocery bag* "...Is something burning?"

Gogol: "It happens--someone microwaves popcorn too long--" *turns the corner, sees smoke everywhere* "...Big bag of popcorn..."

Adam: .____. "...This seems..."

*The face of someone with eyes missing appears*

Adam: "Gah!" *covers his face*

Gogol: "??? What's with you?"

Adam: "I-I...saw something?"

Gogol: "..."

-elsewhere-

sasori: .........

panda: im telling you, lets go home already, you agree with me, right sancho?

Sancho: *nods* "_We_ aren't fire people, Inka! _We_ can't do this!"

Inka: "……Fine...I survived one fire, I can survive this. Sasori, let's go..."

sasori:......!!!!!

*Someone tall, hulking, and wearing a bandanna over his eyes appears*

Charon: "Long time, no see...Inka."

panda: ??!!! um.....

Inka: *freezes, tenses...turns...* "...Oh no..."

sasori: *defensive stance* who the hell are you?

Charon: *bumps into Sancho* "Inka, you saw her, didn't you? Did she tell you that you are the new Pillar?"

Inka: "Wh-What the hell...How did you--"

sasori: ??? pillar? what are you on about?!

Sancho: "Hey! Watch where you're walking--" *reaches for Charon's arm* "That's really rude--"

Inka: "!!! Wait!" *sees a fire line--*

*SPLURT*

*--piercing through Sancho*

sasori: !!!!

Sancho: "..."

panda: !!!!!!!

Sancho: *blood pours from his mouth, his chest and arm not just torn but eviscerated...he collapses, blood draining from him*

Inka: *stares blankly*

panda: *too paralyzed by fear to move, hyperventilating*

sasori: (this is bad.....)

Inka: "...How?"

Charon: "Oh, that? You get used to it."

-SCORPION TAIL SLASH-

sasori: ....INKA! *grabs inka's wrist* LET'S GO! *runs with her*

Inka: *too stunned to do anything but follow*

Charon: "?!! Hey! Come back with the Pillar!"

???: OH NO YA DONT!

Charon: "??? Who--"

-KICK TO THE FACE-

shinra: owned.

Charon: "..." *just tilts his head* "..."

shinra: .w. eh?

Charon: "..." *pulls back his fist--and slams it into the side of Shinra's head*

shinra: !!!! *knocked back* um...what the hell?

Charon: "Ah, Shinra Kusakabe. Excellent. This shortens my work. You're coming with me to the Preacher."

shinra: um. yeeeah that isnt gonna happen, buddy.

*It sounds people are marching up behind Shinra*

shinra: *rolls eyes* oh great.

*There are Hoods lined up behind Shinra, marching*

Hoods: *chanting* "One, overwhelm! Two, assault! Three--" *howl*

shinra: what is this a parad-

Charon: *slams his elbow into Shinra's side*

shinra: OW!

Charon: "Now, come along quietly, then we'll pick up the other Pillar--"

shinra: fuck no, you guys are assholes!

Charon: "Perhaps--but we have God on our side." *marches towards Shinra...and something explosions behind him with each footstep*

shinra:.... *nervous smile* (uh oh)

Charon: *reaches for Shinra's head*

shinra: OxO *gulps*

Charon: *clutches him by the head, lifts him up--thne flings him forward through the slums*

shinra: *SCREEEEEAM*

-elsewhere in the slums-

tamaki: =~= *now without the habbit hat*

Takehisa: "They are awful creatures..."

nozomi: *setting up equipment* on the bright side, you didnt have any lewd incidents.

tamaki: *cold stare*

nozomi: oxo.... ^^;;;;

tamaki: *grumbles* lets just get this overwith- *trips and faceplants* OW!

iris: *helps her up* ^^;

tamaki: today sucks.

-elsewhere-

nea: what the hell is going on here?!

Burns: "Stay back, please. We are dealing with this fire..."

nea: my friend is in there! if you wont go after him, i will! *storms past him*

*The homeless shelter is burning down*

Bystander #1: "He's still in there! He pushed us out and held up the roof so we could escape!"

Bystander #2: "He's going to die!"

Burns: "?!!! Hey!"

nea: *runs in* SHOWTARO! SHOWTARO WHERE ARE YOU?!

Burns: *stops at the building, trying to pull her out--*

nea: *GUT PUNCH*

Burns: "UMPH!"

*The fire is roaring inside...There is debris...*

Burns: *lets go, knocked back*

nea: SHOWTARO YOU LITTLE SHIT YOU BETTER NOT BE DEAD!

*Is that debris...on fire? Not from outside...but inside?*

nea: ?!

*A moan...or bird caw...comes from under the debris...*

nea: showtaro?!

*An arm pops out...it has talons...and is on fire*

Shotaro: "Help..."

nea: !!! hold on! *moving debris*

*Shotaro is...on fire! And kind of looks like a bird...He has a bone in his 'beak'*

nea: that's-

Shotaro: "I...may have found a phoenix bone?" *weak laugh*

nea: how did-...n-nevermind. *lifting him up* lets get out of here... *flees*

Shotaro: "Thank you..." *passes out*

nea: !!!!....(at least he's breathing....)

-elsewhere-

Infernal #1: "UUAUUUUUU..."

karin: *FISTICUFF PUNCH* return to the flames!

Infernal #1: *moans*

*Infernal #1 starts shattering...*

karin: how're things on your end, commander?

Akitaru: "Working on it!" *slams the spiked Halligan Bar into another Infernal*

nozomi: we just got word that other brigades have sent squadrons out to the slums!

Akitaru: "Great! Where are--"

*An Infernal breaks through the building behind him*

-TENTACLE PUNCH-

lisa:...*shaking* *pant*

Infernal #3: *knocked back*

Vulcan: "Lisa!"

lisa:...i-im ok....commander?

Akitaru: "..." *smiles* "I'm fine. Thank you. Can you hold up?"

lisa: i-i think so....

-elsewhere-

haumea: *whistling*

Hood #5: *radio signal* "Lady Haumea, this is the 27th person we have turned. They are not a Pillar--but they are now an Infernal."

haumea: well damn.

Hood #6: "We may have a Flame Demon coming..."

guruna: on the bright side, i managed to recruit some followers, kururu~@

haumea:....*smirks and turns the corner*.....!!!!!!!!!!

Gogol: *walking* "--and so I said, 'Every short-cut is just a journey you haven't appreciated--'" *spots Haumea* "...What a goofy outfit..."

haumea: ASSAULT?! WHAT THE FUCK?! I THOUGHT YOU DIED!!

Gogol: "???" *looks at Adam*

Adam: "... ... ..." *opens his mouth* "...Who are you?"

haumea: dont play funny with me you little shit! get over here this instant!

Adam: "..." *looks at Gogol* ._. "...She seems to know me?"

Gogol: "Yeah, but she's kind of cranky. Plus, I think she's blind--"

haumea: you incompetent OAF!! *electro shock at adam*

Adam: *shocked* "GAH!!!!" *clutches his head*

*Something hits his brain...an image in a mirror*

Adam: "A-As-Ass--"

haumea: YOU! who are you, and why do you have assault with you?!

Gogol: "?!!! What is she doing to you?!" *turns to Haumea* "He's my buddy! Sort of! Kind of! Wait, who are you anyway? Are you from the museum? Did you steal from the Egyptian exhibit?"

haumea: did _you_ run away from the circus? and get a shitty braid to boot?

Gogol: "IT IS AN AWESOME BRAID, AND SCREW YOU!" >3<

Adam: *groaning, clutching his head* "Ass...Ass...ault..."

-SHA-SHOCK-

Gogol: *shaking for a few seconds* "..." *coughs up smoke* "Hmm...You vape, too, then?"

haumea: I AM GOING TO SKIN YOU AND WEAR YOU AS A WINTER COAT!!

Gogol: "Fool!" *leaps, landing on a rooftop* "No one makes a coat but me! Or my name isn't Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin!"

haumea:.....what?

Gogol: "AND IT'S NOT!" ^w^

haumea: .....this is stupid. assault, let's go home. you're grounded when we get back.

Adam: "Assault...Assault...ASSAULT!!!" *lights up on fire*

Gogol: OwO "Oooooo~ That's new."

haumea: good boy....finish him off, will you?

Adam: *summons a giant fire bullet* "ASSAULT..."

Gogol: OwO;;;; "..." *leaps down, holds Haumea in front of him* "Now you see me..."

haumea: ?!!

Adam: "DAMN CAT GIRL!!!" *flings the bullet...towards Gogol...and Haumea*

Gogol: *opens his coat--and a steam roller explodes out at Haumea*

haumea: O_O …well cock.

*BOOOOOOM*

Gogol: *stands, the fire blast blowing by him...along with an eyemask* "Oooh, souvenir!" *pockets it, takes out a tea tray, sips fresh brewed tea*

haumea:....*covered in soot*.....*cough*......*cold glare at them both, but covering her eyes*

Adam/Assault: *panting* "Assault...kill...nun!" *looks at Haumea* "...CROWBAR!"

Gogol: ^w^ "I think Ass-y is not happy with either of us~"

-SLAPS-

haumea: START. MAKING. SENSE.

Assault?: "... ... ..." *looks* "...Lady Haumea? ...Why are you underground? And on fire?"

haumea:...................*GLARE*

Adam?: "..." *smiles* *waves* "Bye, Ratman!"

haumea: *drags him away by the ear*

-elsewhere-

shinra: rrk-....ugh....what the hell....*sitting up* THAT....WAS OP! NOT COOL MAN!

Charon: "Stand down, boy...or I'll make it hurt."

shinra: *flips him off* *RAPID KICK*

Charon: *no reaction* "...Time to discipline you..." *grabs his ankle* "Then find where that girl took Inka--"

shinra: !!!! LET GO OF ME, YOU BOULDER!!!

Charon: "Haumea said I had to bring you in alive..." *grins* "She never said whole..." *tugs on his leg* "Discipline..."

shinra: !!!!!!

-FIRE FEATHER BULLET-

Charon: *lets go* "What?!"

ryuuko: *fires another row of feathers*

shinra: THANKS RYUUKO!

ryuuko: no problem! go find that girl!

shinra: WILL DO! *flies off*

Charon: "What manner of bird or human are you? You're not an Adora Burst, are you?"

ryuuko: no. just a soldier protecting people.

-elsewhere-

sasori: *pant pant* i dont think...we were followed....

Inka: "..." *falls back against a wall* "Wow...Sancho..." *puts a hand over her heart*

sasori: inka come on, we have to keep going!

{Charon: "You get used to it..."}

Inka: "What did he mean?"

sasori: lets worry about that later and get out of here.

shinra: hey

sasori: *SLASH*

shinra: *dodge* yikes!

Inka: "?!"

sasori: what do YOU what?!

Inka: "..." *looks down* "No shoes?"

shinra: heard you guys were in a bit of a pickle, well, im here to help you out and get you somewhere safe. ^^

sasori: how can we trust a fire brigade member?

shinra: uhhhh cause fire brigades _help_ people?

Inka: "...'Help'? ...What you charging?"

shinra: im not charging anything. scouts honor. ^^

sasori: .....

shinra: it's dangerous to stay here now, so let's get you somewhere out of harm's wa-

Inka: "No fun, no thanks."

shinra: ._. pardon?

Inka: *her hand is still over her chest, as she smiles* "It hasn't stopped beating..." *silly laugh* "This...is exciting."

shinra: ma'am? are you ok?

sasori: inka....

Inka: "Back off, soldier-boy!" *looks at Sasori* "You don't trust this guy, right?" *takes Sasori's hands* "Let's get out of here! Let's keep running!"

shinra: h-hey wait!

sasori:..... *follows*

Inka: "Ha ha ha!"

shinra: *runs after*

-elsewhere-

maki: ok, that takes care of this section-

-SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH-

tamaki: ??!!

karin: what the hell?!

*From the smoke...a horned figure is seen*

-elsewhere-

dahlia: it appears a demon has awoken...

Jonah: "Neat!"

guruna: kurururururu~@ how exciting~@

Jonah: "What next? I could disguise some Hoods..."

guruna: let's see how the handle-..... O/////w///////O TAMAKIIIIIIINS~<3 SHE'S SO CUTE IN HER NUN OUTFIT I COULD DIIIIIE~<@3

tamaki: *cringe* i just felt a chill up my spine....

Jonah: .w.;;;

Vulcan: "In this heat?!"

horned flame human: *CHARGES*

Vulcan: *aims a sonar ball--but the Demon smacks it out of his hand* "Gah!" *clutching his hand*

???: "Freeze."

tamaki: ??!!

*An ice blast encases the demon*

???: "Come on!" *someone picks up Tamaki*

tamaki: WOAH!

Yotsuba: *carrying Tamaki* "Long time no see, bestie!"

tamaki:.... oh greeeeeeeat. just who i wanted to see =_=#

guruna:....who....the fuck....is..._THAT_?! OvO#

Yotsuba: "No worries! Your commander called ours, then Burns said, 'I'm not doing that! Send Fulham and that annoying girl--' He's so funny like that!" *giggles*

nozomi: father fulham, miss yotsuba, glad to see you.

tamaki: =_____= *siiiiigh* (at least burns and i agree on _one_ thing)

Fulham: *nods* "You as well." *looks at Tamaki* "...You had no other nuns?"

tamaki: ........i had the habit hat.....a bird shat on it.

iris: we're still recruiting. ^^

Yotsuba: OwO "I can help!" *holds up...matching...bedazzled...habits*

iris: .____.

Yotsuba: ^w^ "I carry these for just such an emergency."

guruna:.....i'm going to burn that little sow until she's nothing but ashes. hehehehehe....i wanna kill her so muuuuuch~

Jonah: *changes his face into Fulham's--and starts making Muppet mouth movements* "MAH MAH MAH! I'm frigid and make dumb ice puns!"

guruna: HAHAHA im gonna go murder that bitch now.

dahlia: guruna, no.

guruna: GURUNA YES!

Yotsuba: "It looks super!"

Fulham: "...They look like the 1980s vomited. Ziggy Stardust weeps."

Jonah: "Guruna, no! ...We need ropes and razor blades."

guruna: *POUTS* i want sparkle bitch and knight boy dead.

Jonah: "I know...but first I want to cut off their faces for my collection~ Knight Boy already unmasked my GLORIOUS ART, AND I STILL HAVEN'T FORGIVEN HIM!" *stamps his foot*

dahlia: children, lets not be too hasty with obsessive crushes-

-another vehicle pulls up; the firefly-

miwa: we late to the party?

misora: =3= this heat is frizzing my hair up!

Jonah: *heart eyes* "...Oh yes."

dahlia: .........................................................................

Vulcan: *clutching his hand* "Yeah, we could use more help..."

Fulham: "And that ice is not going to hold against a Demon..."

Victor: "WE NEED THE SEVENTH! WE NEED MONSTERS TO BEAT MONSTERS!" *shaking*

nayumi: woah there, lay off the bull.

misora: nice outfit, tamaki.

tamaki:............................

Victor: "BUT THE FLAME DEMON TRADITIONALLY REACHES TEMPERATURES STARTING AT 800 DEGREES CELSIUS, INCREASING EXPONENTIALLY AT .1 DEGREE PER SECOND--"

sayu: *KICK TO THE BALLS* CALM DOWN MR!

misora: ._.

tamaki: ._.

Yotsuba: "Hello, new friend--I'm Tamaki's friend, Yotsuba!" *stares* "...Are you a bitch?"

Victor: .____. "..." *collapses*

misora: who are you talking to?

sayu: im not a doggy.

Yotsuba: *points at Misora* "The bitch."

misora: EXCUSE ME?! i mean. nope~ just everyone's favorite idol, forever 17 years old, misora hina~<3

tamaki:.................

Yotsuba: "...Yeah, I don't like your music~" ^w^

misora: ^w^........ OwO# the fuck you say?

Yotsuba: ^w^# "Yep."

guruna: OH SHE DID NOT JUST GO THERE!

Jonah: "...Oh, I want her head now."

guruna: let's murder her.

Jonah: "YES!"

Fulham: -__-# "No wonder you need our help...And no wonder Burns punishes me with this 'good luck' charm..."

miwa: time out everyone, lets focus on fighting the flame humans instead of each other, ok?

tamaki:...*sigh* she's right. iris, nayumi, help me with this nun stuff.

nayumi: any time

iris: right.

Fulham: "I need muscle to tackle any Demons, someone who can provide me cover, and some shields..."

-elsewhere-

fang-hua: *throws a bomb at a flame human*

-BOOOOM-

fang-hua: damn, this is a lot of them.

Tsukiyo: *hops down next to her, pants* "I saw...10 more...or maybe 15...up ahead..."

fang-hua: darn. commander?

Benimaru: "...It'd be easier if we were back home--we could just burn it all down."

fang-hua: tsukiyo and i will check for survivors and evacuate them.

Tsukiyo: =n= "This is exhausting..." *follows*

Benimaru: *cross his arms, looking at the fire*

fang-hua: tsukiyo, did you want to try out your new weapon?

Tsukiyo: "..." *smiles* "Yes!" *opens her shoulder bag--and somehow pulls out a mallet three times as big as it*

flame human: o_O

Tsukiyo: *pulls back* "Let's dance!" *swings*

-several flame humans are knocked back-

-elsewhere-

shinra: darn, lost them again....

ryuuko: *flying over* d-damn..he's relentless....

*Someone is...running _through_ buildings--slamming through their walls*

*The ground is shaking*

shinra: ._. oh no

*BOOM*

ryuuko: !!!!

shinra: !!!

ryuuko: i'll handle him from above! you take the ground!

Charon: *knocks into Shinra*

shinra: GRK-

ryuuko: not what i meant!

Charon: "You are coming with me, Pillar!"

shinra: DUDE! STOP PUNCHING ME! it's rude.

Charon: "Fine--" *lifts his foot*

shinra: *HELLFIRE KICK*

Charon: "?!!! What the h--"

*Charon is knocked back*

shinra: HA! how do you like me now!?

Charon: *knocked down* "..." *sits up...his jacket is on fire* "..." *stares at Shinra*

shinra: OH COME ON ALREADY!!

Charon: *stands...flings off his jacket* "STEP!" *puts one foot forward--and an explosion snakes up towards Shinra*

shinra: !!!

-something lifts him up-

shinra: eh?

tao: *lifting shinra with a monkey tail* hiya ^^

shinra: you're that one girl from the 6th, right?

Charon: "?!!! Get back here--" *sees something pass him by* "..." *looks*

*it's...a bubble?*

Charon: "Wha--"

*BUBBLE GOES BOOM*

shinra: WOAH!

vivian: cheers lovelies~ the cavalry has arrived~<3

Kishiri: "Sorry..." *holds up a convenience store bag* "Needed to get my ammo."

takeru: .~. s-scary..

ryuuko: be careful, he's not natural...

Kishiri: "What, and we are? We're awesome!"

Charon: "GIVE HIM TO ME!"

vivian: we can give you the bird if you'd like~

Charon: "What?! I wanted pillars! What bird do you even have?!"

vivian: *flips him off* ^^

ryuuko:....*glares at kishiri...punch to the arm*

Charon: "!!!! Vile!"

Kishiri: "OW! What was that for?!

ryuuko: you're a bad influence.

-elsewhere-

sasori: *slashing at hoods* damn. there's no end to them...inka? how're you holding up?

Inka: "..." *points at one* "You! What do you want?"

hood: our mission is to bring you back to the preacher, 5th pillar.

sasori: i dont know who this preacher is, but im not gonna-

Inka: "Why do you keep calling me a 'pillar'? Why do you want _me_? Why am I so special?" *starts seeing something around one Hood...it looks like...light?*

sasori: they're talking nonsense! let's just go alread-

Inka: "Wait! Charon--that guy from earlier...Why did he kill Sancho?"

sasori: i dont know...all i know is he's dangerous and we should stay away from him or get ourselves murdered.....

Inka: "... ..." *smiles* "It's exciting."

sasori: ??

Inka: "...I'm not going to escape them, am I?" *sees something around the Hoods...a light snaking through them...but then a word appears* "??? 'Start'?"

sasori: 'start'?

hood: ??

{???: "What you doing, kiddo?"}

{Five-year-old Inka: *has a coloring and activity book in front of her* "Playing maze!" *smiles*}

Inka: "..." *points at 'Start,' and follows it--*

hood: ???

Inka: "Aaaaaaand 'Goal'?"

Inka: *taps 'Goal'*

hood: wait-

*BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOOOOOOOOM*

Inka: !!!!!

hood: *SCREAMS*

Hood #2: "MY EYES!"

sasori:....inka wha-what the hell did you just do?!

Inka: "I-I don't know! ... ... ..." *smiles* "Heh."

sasori: ......

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: "How you holding up?"

padma: that takes care of those ones. now we just have to take out the horned one.

Akitaru: "But we need more help with evacuation..."

Relan: *bandaging bystanders*

nozomi: anyone have any ideas?

???: "There they are! Commander Obi!"

Akitaru: "???"

nozomi: ???

taguchi: *salutes* it's a honor to be working with you sir!

Akitaru: *salutes* "Great...Um, I don't know you?"

Tokuyama: "Captain Tokuyama, sir! Company 5! Big fan! You are not the gorilla Commander Hibana says you are!"

Akitaru: "...Hibana has male captains?"

Tokuyama: "Ha! Good one, sir!" ^_^

taguchi: ^^;

himari: *shivering* Q~Q k-keep it together, himari....y-you can do this....

Akitaru: "..." *goofy grin* "Yes! The Fire Forces got our message!" *spots Himari* "???"

himari: Q_______Q noooooooo i cant do this! there's too many people here! im gonna pass out!

Akitaru: "Commander, it's gonna be okay..." *shoulder pat* "You command the Third. And I appreciate your presence here."

himari: *shaking* t-t-t-THANKYOUMROUBI!!

Akitaru: ^^; "Now, then, let's get to work! Tokuyama, Taguchi, please evacuate, and get Relan and my soldiers more medical supplies. Himari, you're with me--we're holding the front!"

himari: y-y-yessir!!

taguchi: got it!

Tokuyama: "Angels, lead survivors to the ambulances!"

angels: on it!

Victor: *counting the fires on Vulcan's tablet* "Too many, too many..."

misora: what's the hold up, scruffy?

Victor: "At this rate, the slums will be destroyed--then it will spread to the other sectors, then take over the city--"

*CRACK*

misora: OxO what was that?

Victor: "Oh, yeah--and that Horn Demon will get out of the ice in 13 minutes, 27 seconds."

*CRACK CRACK*

Victor: Q_Q "...I forgot to carry the 2. 2 minutes, 21 seconds."

Fulham: "Shit..."

*defensive stance*

-elsewhere-

shinra: damn, he still wont go down.

Charon: *pants* "STEP!" *moves forward--but no explosion*

ryuuko: *observing*

shinra: ideas?

ryuuko: physical attacks seem to increase his damage....for now, let's just watch and see.

takeru: >~<;;;

Kishiri: "We could encase him in gum--but he'd rip it off pretty quickly."

Charon: "..." *walks to a wall--and starts banging his head against it*

Kishiri: .___.;

shinra: well, we're pretty much in a rut. anyone have any ideas?

tao: maybe we can trap him?

shinra: hmmm but how?

Kishiri: "...More gum?" O~O

Charon: *roars* "That's the stuff!" *slams his foot* "STEP!" *explosion in front of Shinra and the others*

vivian: O.O;

shinra: >~< (GIVE SOMEONE HERE AN IDEA! LITERALLY ANYONE HERE!)

tao: i ever tell you the story of the carp that swam up a waterfall and became a dragon?

shinra: what does fish have to do with-....(fish....fishing....bait...bait!) guys, i may have some part of a plan. it's gonna sound crazy, probably suicidal, but hear me out...

-outside-

Charon: "PILLAR! I am bringing you with me! Our leader demands it!"

shinra: *steps out, hands up*

Charon: *smiles* "Good...You are surrendering."

shinra: *he says nothing*

Charon: "Step over..."

shinra: *one step forwards*

Charon: "CLOSER!"

shinra:...*step to the side*

Charon: "?!"

shinra: *RAPID KICK*

Charon: "!!!" *knocked down*

shinra: *grins*

Charon: *slams into a building--through its wall* "..." *a dress falls on his head* "..."

shinra: that was easy...

Charon: "..."

*The ground shakes--exploding a window behind Shinra, sending glass shards behind him*

shinra: ACK!

ryuuko:.....sir, you are a 3rd generation, yes?

Charon: "..." *smiles*

ryuuko:.....second generation, then?

Charon: "How'd you guess?"

ryuuko: i didnt. you told me.

Charon: "Hmph...Just a matter of subterfuge..." *slams his foot--ripping another hole in the ground*

ryuuko: fascinating. how _does_ that ability work? asking for a friend who researches abilities.

Charon: "Ah, trying to ask me questions to extend your life before I kill you and take Kusakabe with me?"

ryuuko: you didnt exactly answer my question. please?

Charon: "Hmph...Isn't it obvious? I _absorb_ fire-related attacks, store it, then release it with my attacks." *marches forward, the earth trembling under each footstep*

ryuuko: i see.

shinra: .....*glances at a glass shard* .....*picks it up*

Charon: "I told you mine...What is yours? It'll be part of our song of the dead when I return to my people..."

shinra: *sneaking up*

ryuuko: is that literal or metaphorical?

Charon: *cracks his knuckles* "Literal song...Your literal death..." *pulls back his fist--*

shinra: *stabs charon with the glass shard*

Charon: *he yells out in pain* *looks down at his abdomen, where he's been stabbed*

shinra *SLASH*

Charon: "You...stabbed...ME?!"

shinra: so as long as we dont use fire, we can beat you?

Charon: "..." *smiles* "Yes...if there weren't other fire users nearby..." *puts his fingers in his mouth--and whistles loudly* "ASSEMBLE!"

shinra: oh shit-

-no one arrives-

Charon: "... ... ... Well...Crap."

vivian: oh, those were friends of yours? it seems they've had a....shocking revelation, fufufu~ ^w^ *fans herself*

Charon: "...You weaklings are more shrewd than I gave you credit..." *turns to face Shinra*

shinra: *already flying off*

Charon: "GET BACK HERE!" *shifts, ready to leap after him--*

tao: *jumps out the window, using her bowstaff as a propeller before slamming it down onto charon*

Charon: *SCREAMS*

vivian: *FAN SLASH*

Charon: "AH! AAAH!" *swings his arm*

-elsewhere-

taguchi: keep firing!

soldiers: *shooting at the horned infernal*

karin: damn, this one's a tough customer.

nozomi: any ideas, victor?

Victor: "CRAP CRAP CRAP! We needed the Seventh! We don't have them! They are the ones who have _the ONLY PEOPLE WHO PUT A HORN DEMON LIKE THIS TO REST_! The First didn't! Not the Second! Or the Third!"

karin: damn.

maki: that'd be a lot of fire power...

Victor: "...Fire..." *looks everywhere* "Fire, fire, everywhere, and not...not... ..." *points at Maki* "MAKI!"

maki: yeah?

Victor: "That fire tornado story you told me about!"

tamaki: oh yeah, i remember that.....and it came to bite me in the ass *mumble mumble*

maki: what about it?

Victor: "WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A FIRE TORNADO!" *waving his arms*

maki + tamaki: eh?

Victor: *drawing on the tablet* "Get me every Second Generation in this city!"

padma: what are you planning?

Victor: "We...are going to put out every last fire in this sector _and_ put that Infernal to rest ALL IN ONE GO!!!"

-elsewhere-

maki: *focusing*

padma: ....

Tokuyama: *over incom* "We are in position, over."

taguchi: in position!

Vulcan: "Both teams, in position!"

Akitaru: "Draw him out, Hinawa!"

Takehisa: *firing*

horned infernal: *ROARS*

Victor: *over incom* "Maki! Second Generation! Everyone! Begin, now!"

maki: HAAAAH!

padma: *concentrating*

-all the other 2nd gens are focusing on the center until.....-

-FIRESTORM-

fang-hua: huh....looks like you got competition, commander.

Benimaru: "...Hmph."

Tsukiyo: "Translation: 'Not terrible.'"

-elsewhere-

horned infernal: *CHARGES AND SCREEECHES*

Takehisa: "!!!" ("Bullets are not slowing it down--")

Akitaru: *roars, tackles the Infernal*

karin: commander!!

miwa: what the hell is he doing?!

Akitaru: "...HOOOOOOOOOOOT!" *his mask his catching fire*

-STEAM ATTACK-

horned infernal: *SCREEECH and backs up*

miwa: what were you thinking, man?! this isnt playtime!

Akitaru: *flings off his mask* "I was taking matters into my own hands!"

Vulcan: *calling in on radio* "Hello? Is anyone there?"

karin: what's up, vulcan?

Vulcan: "We're on our way--clear traffic!"

lisa: *honks on the horn*

Takehisa: "??? What is the plan?"

Akitaru: "..." *Excalibur face*

-VRRRRRR-

Vulcan: *points* "Park it there!"

-epic drift parking-

Vulcan: "Awesome! Lower the anchors!"

yu: you got it!

Vulcan: "Lisa, stay on the wheel. Yu, the controls." *kicks open the door* "Grab the Commander!"

Akitaru: "Wait--what?"

-le yoink-

miwa + karin: *pulling him in*

Akitaru: "Hey!"

Vulcan: "Commander, you're on top--you'll aim the water cannon."

Akitaru: "WHAT?!"

miwa: *teasingly* like you havent used a big ol hose before.

karin: *snickers*

Akitaru: >\\\\\< "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!!"

yu: ??? am i missing something here?

Vulcan: -_-#

lisa: HORNED INFERNAL, 10 O CLOCK!

Vulcan: "Commander, get up there!"

Akitaru: "St-Stop pushing me!!!"

karin: want one of us to do it?

Vulcan: "No, the Commander is the best bet--given the blow-back on the cannon. And with my hand injured, I can't help..."

Akitaru: O~O *staring at the controls* "UUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMM..."

miwa: need help?

Vulcan: "He shouldn't--Yu is handling the controls in the cockpit so--"

Akitaru: "STOP ANSWERING FOR ME!!!"

Vulcan: .___.

miwa: yeesh. _someone_ didnt get enough sleep last night.

lisa: *driving forwards*

karin: you got this commander!

miwa: yeah, think of it like a game from the carnival?

{ami: *trying to use the water gun game at a fun fair*}

{chitose: you got it?}

{ami: it's heavy mommy.}

{chitose: there's a trick to these things, you just got to aim and hold 'er steady.}

{ami: holder steady?}

{Akitaru: "Yeah, hold on, and don't move." *smiles*}

{ami: ok papa! *pulls the trigger*}

Akitaru: "...N-No..."

lisa: COMMANDER!

ami?: you can do it, papa!

Akitaru: "...YES!" *grips the water cannon* "HOLD 'ER STEADY!"

lisa: HORNED INFERNAL DEAD AHEAD!

Akitaru: *aims* "Locked on!" *shivering over the trigger*

horned infernal: *ROOOOAR*

lisa: FIRE!

Akitaru: "FIRE!" *presses the button*

-FWEEEEEEEW-

-the infernal is knocked back into the fire-

lisa: GOT 'EM!

Takehisa: "Cannon loaded..." *aims* "Fire!"

padma: *FIRES*

*The cannon shot fires, Takehisa guiding it*

Takehisa: *focused* "Almost..."

maki: ok good. lets finish this off quick, im not gonna be able to hold on much longer!

*The shot follows the Infernal--and strikes!*

pearl: karim! now!

Fulham: "Leave it to me!" *fires a cold blast*

-ICE PILLAR-

maki: success!

Fulham: "...Great. A lifetime supply of ice."

pearl: you did it!.............*hugs him and...*

-smooch-

Fulham: "..." .\\\.

pearl:....s-sorry. i got...carried away... ./////.;;;

-the radio on the matchbox plays 'everybody loves somebody' by dean martin-

Fulham: "..." *smiles* "Don't be."

pearl:... .////.

Vulcan: "???" *looks at the radio*

karin:...thought i'd set the mood ^^

Vulcan: "Sneaky, but apt."

karin:.....*ahem* *turns the radio off* good job everyone.

lisa: *sweatdrop*

-elsewhere-

sasori: what the hell was that?

Inka: *looks* "...Heh...Dangerous city, huh?"

sasori: this whole place is insane....

???: ooooi!

-shinra lands next to them-

shinra: pretty cool, right?

Inka: "...Sasori, who is this dork?"

shinra: D8< we just met several times today!

Inka: "But what's your deal? Sasori seems not to like you."

shinra: well, it's a bit of a long story.

-he explains the situation-

sasori: adora burst? i think i heard hibana mention that during my time in her custody...

shinra: (she knows hibana?) yes. these hoods are very dangerous people. we can keep you both safe from them.

nka: "And we're supposed to go with the guy who did..." *gestures* "...this to Sasori?"

shinra:....(oh, she must be....) look, i understand you have beef with hibana, but she's different from when you met her...mostly.

Inka: "..." *looks at Sasori*

sasori: ...as much as i dont like you, you have a point.....if you really can keep inka safe, then you're our best bet...right inka?

Inka: "...Hard pass."

shinra: ?!

sasori: what?!

Inka: "What, you think you tell me some 'hero' story, I go with you? I'm not some damsel in distress."

shinra: im not saying that you are, but if the hoods capture you, a lot more people are going to get hurt! they took my brother and are using him like a weapon. dont let them do that to you!

Inka: *suddenly up in Shinra's face* "BORING."

shinra: !!!

Inka: "I. Want. Freedom! I go with you, what happens? 'Fire thief arrested, forced to repay money, goes to jail'? No. Thanks!"

shinra: it'd be a hell lot better than being possibly killed!

Inka: "... ..." *her eyes widen--something appears in her pupils...*

*She sees something...*

shinra: *reaching out for her* he-hey...kiddo?

*There's someone...crawling on the floor, her body mangled*

Inka: (It's...me?)

{Vision!Inka: *reaches up a hand* "..."}

Inka: "..." *goofy grin* "Dangerous."

shinra: ???

sasori: inka?

Inka: "I...can't get away from either the Hoods or the firefighters...So which is more exciting?"

shinra: what are you talking about? the hoods caused all this to get to you! they dont care who gets hurt! men, women, others, children, the elderly, it doesnt matter to them!

Inka: *grips Shinra's shoulders* "I don't care!"

shinra: ?!

Inka: "I care about _my_ life!"

-PUNCH-

sasori: ......

shinra: !!!

Inka: O_O(\\\) "...Sasori?"

sasori: *grabs inka by the neck* ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO YOURSELF?! you're talking about risking your life to some cult....i dont trust either party, but at least the fire brigade will protect you!

Inka: "And I don't want protection! I want to live life to the fullest--I want to put myself in _danger_!" *grabs Sasori's cheeks, pulls* "Why are you fighting me on this?!"

sasori: .....when my parents saw me like _this_? they called me a monster.....you're the first person that actually accepted what i became....*she's crying* dont you DARE take that from me!

shinra: .....

Inka: "..." *stares* "..." *turns around...walks*

sasori: where are you going?!

shinra: ??.....!!!!

Inka: "I see the line...where it takes me." *points to a fire line she sees--* "It's like...electricity--"

*Electricity crackles along the floor, missing Inka--and striking Shinra*

shinra: GAHH!

sasori: ?!?!? *scorpion tail*

*Haumea walks out*

Haumea: *smiles* "Hello~"

sasori: *glares*

Haumea: "Hello, Pillar. And Pillar."

sasori: i guess even the hoods arent safe from their own flames.

shinra:...*getting up* RUN!

Inka: "..." *smiles* "Someone really fucked you up, huh, Charon's friend?" *walks up*

Haumea: -_-# "You have no idea..."

Inka: *bouncing* "Was it exciting?!"

sasori: INKA WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

Haumea: *sneers* "Incredibly~"

Inka: "...Could I die?"

sasori: INKA PLEASE DONT DO THIS!!

Haumea: "Hmmm...Not yet. But you may be a little worse for wear when we're done."

Inka: "..." *holds out a hand* "Let's go."

sasori: INKA!!

Haumea: *grips Inka's hand* "Let's~"

Inka: *smiles...tears falling*

sasori: …..HEY! BAG LADY!

Haumea: *grips Inka's hand harder, frowning* -_-# "My name is NOT BAG--"

sasori: i'll go with you! under two conditions.

shinra: you too?!

Haumea: *smiles* "I'm listening..." *turns Inka around to face Sasori*

Inka: "?!! Wh-What?"

sasori: condition one; help me kill hibana and the scorpion witch shaula.

Haumea: "Hmm...I know Hibana, but not the other. Still, we can certainly get rid of Hibana easily enough~"

sasori: as for the second condition; if i join your ranks. place me as inka's bodyguard.

Haumea: "How can I trust you'll do a good job?" *smiles* "Do you love her?"

Inka: "Sasori..."

sasori: as stubborn and insane and stupid as she can be, im not leaving her side.

Haumea: "...What say you, Pillar?"

Inka: "..." *looks away* "I protect only _my_ life. Whatever she wants is none of my business."

shinra: DONT LISTEN TO HER! JUST RUN!! BOTH OF YOU RUN!!

Haumea: "WE ARE TALKING, PILLAR! Scorpion, first order: bring Kusakabe with us--"

???: d-dont....m-move...

panda: *holding a gun, shaking and crying*

Inka: *looks* "Panda?!"

Haumea: "...Who's this weirdo?"

sasori: so that scrub didnt die? to be honest, i never liked him. or the other one.

Inka: "..."

panda: d-dont you DARE talk about my bro like that!

Inka: "...If they want me to run...the lines would've told me...but all I see...is a line around him."

panda: ???

sasori:....

shinra:....!!!!

Inka: "I guess it's my destiny...I have to cut loose the dead weight..." *points at Panda*

panda: inka-

Inka: *smiles* "Goodbye." *drags the finger along the line, and--*

*BOOM*

panda: *SCREEEEEAM*

Inka: "I'm ready, now. Haumea, lead me."

shinra: !!!!! shit! *runs over to help him*

Haumea: "Excellent...Come along, bodyguard."

sasori:.......*follows*

shinra: wai-

*They're gone*

panda: *SCREAMS*

shinra:....FUCK! *grabs panda and tries to snuff out the flames*

Artur: "Shinra! Where is the plasma woman--" *spots him* "?!!!"

shinra: help us out, will ya?!

ryuuko: *flies in* that man escaped......??!!!

shinra:......

Arthur: "..." *takes out a fire-proof blanket*

-and so-

shinra *in hospital waiting room* ............

Akitaru: *walks up* "..."

shinra: i...i failed....i couldn’t convince her to-....all this went for nothing!!

Akitaru: "Shinra!" *puts his hands on his shoulders*

shinra: *looks up at him, teary eyed*

Akitaru: "Think: how much worse would this have been without you? Without all of us? That boy back there--you saved him."

shinra:......still....

ryuuko: dont blame yourself for failure. if you do that, then you'll only tear yourself to pieces.

Akitaru: "I know...We'll find her. And Sho."

shinra:...yeah....thanks, ryuuko.

ryuuko: any time.

shinra:....h-how's everyone holding up?

Akitaru: "The others are continuing evacuations until new temporary housing is available."

shinra: i take it that ice pillar was commander fulham's doing?

Akitaru: *nods* "And...it's kind of become a new Death City attraction." ^^;

ryuuko: at least 7 people have gotten their tongues stuck to it. -_-;

shinra:... *chuckle*

Akitaru: "We'll have a briefing when you get back to HQ. Take your time."

shinra:...r-right.....

Akitaru: *pat pat* "...Doctors see you yet?"

shinra: j-just wanted to make sure that guy survived....im ready to go home now...

-elsewhere-

setsuna: *tightly hugs showtaro, crying* i was so worried that you were hurt....

Shotaro: ^^; "I'm okay, Mom--just burnt. But the Phoenix Bone and Nea saved me!"

nea: well, just glad you're not dead...

setsuna:...thank you so much, nea...

nea: =///=; hmph. you owe me a new jacket, kid.

Shotaro: "No problem! I saw a great one at consignment!"

-elsewhere-

george: *shaking* (that could have been the kids....)

higuchi:...gin? ryunosuke? you going to be ok?

Akutagawa: "..."

Death the Kid: Gin: "It's...certainly shocking."

hans:.....*her hand is shaking, but she holds it tight*.....

goethe:...hans, you're tense....come to bed with me, ok?

hans:....t-thank you....

Akutagawa: "..." *walks to the gym*

-elsewhere-

marie: *helping to set up rooms for the evacuees*

mami: so many of them....

Crona: *hands more blankets*

child: t-thanks.

Crona: *weak smile* "Y-You're welcome..."

mami: *she smiles* good job, chrona.

Crona: ^\\\^

-elsewhere-

yana: so you lost adam-er,...'assault' to the hoods?

Gogol: ^^; " 'Lost' is the kind of word that suggests this is my fault. I prefer to say 'misplace.'"

yana:....oh well, he's not a major priority. did you at least get those things you were instructed to get?

Gogol: *opens his coat* "Right here~"

yana: good.....*siiigh* damn, i need a drink...

Gogol: "Tea, then?"

yana:......sure....(oh right, i keep forgetting im younger than i think i am...)

Gogol: *pulls out the tea tray--and it's scorched* OwO;;; "...Darn."

-elsewhere-

Yumi: "More resources are coming in..." *looks up from her phone* "Funny how it's you already here to 're-build.'"

Fitzgerald: *smirks*

louisa: ^^;

Yumi: "Hmm...?!" *looks down*

Toby: *sniffing*

Yumi: -_-#

shiori: ??

-elsewhere-

Haumea: "Hello, troops~ And great success from you all."

guruna: =3= dahlia scolded us.

arrow: and you almost drowned assault when we got back.

Haumea: >w> "He's fine..."

{Assault/Adam: *glub glub glub*}

{Haumea: *holding his head under water, humming*}

arrow: how's charon?

kagu-tsuchi: *worried*

Haumea: "He's fiiiiiiiine~ Just a little cut up..."

kagu-tsuchi: WHAT?!

Haumea: "You know, broken glasses, stabby-stabby. Just a few knicks and cuts--"

guruna: sucks for him lol

Haumea: "And we got new recruits."

guruna: ^w^ your welcome, kururu~@

Haumea: "Of course~ As well as a new bodyguard for our special guest...the newly acquired Pillar!"

sasori: =~= my uniform's kind of baggy....dont you have anything smaller than this?

Haumea: "Well, leave it to soak in the wash--it'll shrink. Like you. Squirt."

sasori: .....

-elsewhere-

Kishiri: "We're back..."

ryuuko: *phew*

mikami: are you alright?

ryuuko: y-yes....

Kishiri: "..." *looks* "We did our best. And Tokuyama will have a report soon."

gabriella: glad to know.

Kishiri: *salutes* "Well, I'm going to eat..." *leaves*

-elsewhere-

Fulham: "..." *walks back to the First's courtyard*

foien: congrats today!

dia: an excellent job, father fulham.

Fulham: "Thank you. But it was a team effort."

foien: likewise.

pearl: *smiles*

Fulham: *looks at Pearl* "..."

pearl:.... .///.;

Fulham: "..." *clears his throat* "Well, Pearl and I have training to continue..."

dia: ...

Burns: *observing from afar* "I see sending a few of the First's best was enough."

amy: i saw...on the news.....it was cool.....i guess....

Emma: *smiles* "They did great! I wish I had gone along, too."

amy: maybe next time.

Emma: ^_^

Burns: "When you're ready. For now, we review procedures."

-elsewhere-

Honda: "LINE UP!"

-several soldiers have lined up-

hito: ...

takeru: >~<

Honda: "After the fight against those crummy no-goodniks, we will be re-organizing! Prepare for some changes!"

hito: ??

Honda: "More news is coming soon--but for now, we're on the move! Prepare the new rooms! Get the blankets! Pull out the translation books!"

-elsewhere-

Asako: "More injured coming in..."

kayako: thank you...damn those hoods...

Asako: "...It's like before..."

kayako: yeah....you did a good job today, girls.

vivian: ^^

tao: thanks commander.

Asako: *nods...still looks worried*

kayako:...*pat pat*

Asako: "S-Sorry...After Grandfather before..."

kayako: it's alright.

Asako: "I'm glad it isn't as bad as before--but this is still horrible." *wipes her eyes*

-elsewhere-

Tsukiyo: *collapsed on the floor, hugging her mallet* =w= "I'm exhausted...Good work, Mallet."

fang-hua: *siiigh* i dont want to see another of those hoods for at least a year....

Konro: "Given the great work you did, I'd bet on it."

kirei: ^^; *giving beni a shoulder rub*

Benimaru: =\\\\\\= *pleased grunt*

kirei: ^^

Benimaru: "At least the slums wasn't as wrecked as it could've been..." *pats Kirei's hand*

-elsewhere-

Vulcan: *pats Yu's shoulder* "Good work on the controls."

yu: ^^

Vulcan: *smiles at Lisa* "And for saving my butt."

lisa:...*smiles*

Vulcan: ^^

-elsewhere-

Kurogiri: "With so many of their hideouts destroyed, this is an opportunity to open our doors to those villains."

tomura: yeah...(and hopefully this whole _stain_ craze has phased out...)

-DOOR SLAM-

twice: ??

himiko: ~?

*Someone dressed like Stain enters*

???: "I AM HERE...TO BE THE BADDEST VILLAIN OF THEM ALL!"

twice: what-

tomura: the fuck?

???: "My name...is Spinner! Now, where's Stain? I came to meet Stain."

tomura:.....excuse me. *exits....and starts screaming violently*

himiko: you wanna meet mr stainy too? OvO

Kurogori: ._.

Spinner: *nod nod nod* "Very much so..." .\\\.

himiko: YAAAAAY NEW FRIEND!!! ^u^

fang: guba!

Spinner: ^\\\\^ "That kid yours?"

himiko: he's my son. ^^

Spinner: "Hey, Little Man!"

twice: ._. (he isnt even phased.)

kurome: *peeek.....staaare*

Spinner: *waves at Kurome*

kurome: *clings to kurogiri's leg*

Spinner: "D'aw, she's shy."

Kurogiri: -_-; *pats Kurome*

-elsewhere-

Inka: "..." *sneaks out of her room, enters Sasori's*

sasori: *making her bandana*.....

Inka: "Didn't know you could sew." ^_^

sasori: a skill i picked up, even though im not really good at it.

Inka: "Hmm...Looks like it's coming along..." *looks at her* "...Can you at least look me in the eyes?"

sasori: *looks at her*

Inka: "...Before everything went down, you didn't give me a chance to give you this..." *holds up a necklace, with some bead on it that looks like a scorpion tail*

sasori: ah....i've heard of these things, it's a magatama, right?

Inka: *nods* "Nicked it during a house call..." *puts it into Sasori's hand*

sasori:.... 7///7; t-thanks....

Inka: ^_^ "You're welcome...You cool with this?" *walks over, lies down on Sasori's bed, looks up at the ceiling*

sasori:...what do you mean?

Inka: "I mean, this is a cult. I'm _thrilled_ with it! But...Well, I didn't exactly welcome you along in the nicest way."

sasori:....i dont have much of an opinion.... (i dont trust those people...)

Inka: "...But you seem irritated with them. Don't you think we'll have fun?"

sasori:....i guess.

Inka: *smiles* "Good." *sits up in bed, hugs a pillow* "Want to have some fun? I was thinking of breaking into that Sho kid's room."

sasori: is that a good idea? he _is_ kind of the figure head here, at least that's what i heard.

Inka: *gets out bed* "And I'm a Pillar, too. They need me. And I'm going..." *puts an arm around Sasori's shoulder* "So I need my bodyguard with me at all times."

sasori:...*sigh* fine, but dont blame me for what happens.

Inka: "Great!" *leads her down the hall* "He should be right...here!" *puts an ear to the door*

-silence-

Inka: "..." *tests the door--it's locked* "Hmm...Sasori, tail it."

-SLASH-

Inka: "Why, thank you~" *pushes the slashed door open* "...Dark in here..."

sasori: *flips a switch*

???: "STOP THAT!" *someone suddenly pulls blankets over themselves*

sasori: ?!

Inka: "Huh...He's playing blanket fort, I guess." *walks up* "Hello, Sho--I'm Inka, the new Pillar."

sasori:....

Sho: *growls* "Go away...How do you even know my name?"

sasori: inka, maybe this is a bad idea-

Inka: "Because I fought your brother, Shin--" *suddenly, Inka sees a blast of light--which immediately disappears* "...Wait, what was--"

*BOOM*

sasori: !!!

*What Inka saw...was what was going to happen before she had time to react, when facing someone who can defy time itself…*

Sho: *stops time, picks Inka by her head--and throws her through the broken door*

Inka: “?!!” *smashes into the door* “FU--” *and slams against the hallway wall* “Grr…” *barely moving*

sasori: what the hell?!

Sho: "How dare you!" *suddenly disappears, now in front of Sasori, screaming, standing in sleepwear* "I’ll kill you!”

sasori: *scorpion tail*

Inka: "...Heh...Just what...I wanted..." *lifts a finger, aimed at Sho*

Sho: *pulls out a blade, aims at Sasori--*

Haumea: “Ha ha--no.”

sasori: ._.;

Sho: "HAUMEA! Give me back my--"

Haumea: *finger-flicks Sho's head*

Sho: "..." X_X *collapses into her arms*

sasori: ._.

Inka: ._. "...What? Do I still get to blow him up--" *still dragging her finger--*

Haumea: -_-; *sends an electrical discharge at Inka*

Inka: "..." X_X *collapses on the floor*

sasori: -_-;

Haumea: *looks at Sasori “...Bodyguard, take her to her room. I’m going to put Sho to bed~”

-elsewhere-

Relan: "Welcome back..." *standing with Iris*

shinra: hey. *rubs his eyes*

iris:...*pap pap*

shinra t-thanks...

Relan: "...We made some tea? Want to sit?"

shinra: y-yeah.

Relan: "...Any word about the injured person?"

shinra: he's....he's gonna make it.

Relan: "..." *nods*

-elsewhere-

Anya: "It's awful..."

tsugumi: maki was really cool, though. i should call her.

Meme: "Hm-mm! There's a clothing drive going on at school..."

Anya: "..." *walks into the closet--pulls out a stack of clothes 1.5 times her height*

ao: oh my. ._.

mio: how-

Anya: *holds up a princess dress* "Is this too common? It seems to be of poor quality."

tsugumi:... *sweatdrop*

mio: (these goddamn rich people...)

Meme: "...I think it'll be fine." ^^; "I'm still working on quilts..." *holds up hands, which have marks all over them* "But it's going slowly."

mio: i've never made a quilt before, or anything really but...do you want us to help?

Meme: "That'd be great! There are plenty of small tasks we can divide that are easy to learn but would go faster with more people."

tsugumi: project helping hands is *sentai pose* GO!

Anya: "..." -_-;

Meme: ^^ "Yay!" *poses*

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: "--then she picked this giant duck stuffed animal."

miwa: aww, cute.

serina: ^^

Akitaru: *smiles* "I think she was helping me back there with that goofy cannon..."

miwa: *smiles*

Akitaru: "...But now I need some help."

miwa: whats up?

Akitaru: "As long as we are only hunting down whoever the Hoods target, we're going to fall behind. I want to know how this all started."

serina: meaning?

Akitaru: "I'm going to assign my researchers to learn the origins of flame powers. And they need protection."

miwa: consider it done.

Akitaru: "Thanks...Keep an eye on Nozomi and Victor, then."

miwa: will do.

Akitaru: *nods, stands up* "I'll go tell them." *heads to the lab*

-elsewhere-

tamaki: um....iris? you have a moment?

Iris: "???" *sets down her book* "Yes, Tamaki?"

tamaki: i was wondering....*bows down* please teach me how to be at least a decent nun!

Iris: "..." *smiles, head pats* "You don't have to bow--I'd be happy to work with you!"

tamaki: QwQ thank you.

Iris: "Let's start with reading some prayers."

tamaki: *nod nod*

Iris: *opens her book, points* "This is the traditional 'Ratomu' prayer, but there are others, whether to put the Infernals' souls to rest, or to provide encouragement to us and our peers."

tamaki: *listening intently*

Iris: "This is one I had to spend a long time interpreting, after...well, after I left..." *clears her throat* " 'Let our fiery spirit be a light in the darkness.'"

tamaki: like a beacon of hope, right?

Iris: *nods* "Death City is a place for second chances. And much like other cities have been, I think, after something like what happened, this city could be one such beacon." *small laugh* "I didn't think an ice pillar would be that beacon, though..."

tamaki: ^^;

Iris: "How about you try one?"

tamaki: *looks*

Book's Page: "The rising sun allows us to start anew."

-elsewhere-

Joker: "Well, Victor had some interesting information..."

misora: oh?

Joker: "While the Eighth is off investigating how Flame Humans came to be, looks like the Hoods not only got a Pillar--but an experiment."

ivy: and with luck, they'll use it to kill hibana....not if i do it first...

Joker: "Heh...The Fifth...Hey, that's not a bad idea."

scarlet: let's see. 'Ria Marchelo' also known as 'Sasori'. age; 16, filipino heritage, 5'2"...

Joker: "And yet, after ruining this girl's life, Hibana is scot-free."

ivy: im going to find this girl and adopt her.

Joker: "That would require, first, finding the Hoods, and second, busting her out."

misora: i can get you to the hoods....but i risk seeing....*excalibur face* hiiiim....

scarlet: *smirk* your boyfriend?

misora: aww, i'd rather be dead~ ^^#

Joker: "Hmm...Well, we all have to take risks."

scarlet: and find out what you can about adora burst.

misora: you have a lot of interest in that.

scarlet:.........i have my reasons..

Joker: "..." *slow drag* "Misora, see if you can also learn where the Hoods are heading to next."

misora: can do, mr manager~<3

Joker: "Heh...Red, Ivy, I'm going to need to learn all you know about Hibana."

scarlet:.....yeah…

Joker: *opens a closet, pulling out a business suit* "Let's start with some of her favs. What does she look for in a job applicant?"

-morning-

Izuku: *sets down his notebooks* "Just about ready..."

-elsewhere-

Aizawa: *making a chart*

midnight: is this really such a good idea?

Aizawa: "It is not unreasonable that we will soon see more hero vs villain fights--they have to be ready."

ectoplasm: what do you make of this, headmaster?

Nezu: "I do not disagree with this argument. However, for the safety of the students, constraints must be put into place."

snipe: understandable.

Nezu: "And pairing students together will give them a better chance--once we apply physical limitations onto their opponents."

-elsewhere-

Iida: *walking, and spots--* "Momo?"

momo: ah! oh, t-tenya, you startled me. ^^;

Iida: "Sorry...How are you?"

momo: been well. studying for exams.

Iida: *nods* "Likewise. How is it coming?"

momo: a bit nervous, but alright.

Iida: "I hope the study group helped."

momo: i think so.

Iida: *nods* "...I was going to do a few more refreshers."

-elsewhere-

Shotaro: *bandaged like a mummy*

Emine: *finishing cutting gauze* "There. Done."

Shotaro: ._. "...Hee hee."

mana: comfy?

Shotaro: "Yep! I'm a mummy now!" *wiggles his arms*

-elsewhere-

sasori: *grabs inka by the collar* what were you thinking?!

Inka: "UMPH! What the hell?!"

sasori: you could have gotten us into serious trouble, and on day one no less!

Inka: "Yeah--it was dangerous. And why not test the rules on Day 1? Better to know from the beginning than get surprised later!"

sasori:... you really are crazy...

Inka: "..." *smiles* "A crazy genius. How else would I have kept us alive?"

sasori: you're unbelievable...

Inka: "Sasori...I'm, like, one of their chosen people. Do you really think they'd do something that'll kill me off that quickly?"

sasori: what if they do? do you know what happens when you're killed? you die! that's what happens!......wait.

Inka: "??? What?"

sasori: n-nevermind. but just remember this, im your bodyguard. and it's my duty to protect you, even if i have to protect you from yourself.

Inka: "..." -3- "You're no fun...What about you? You think you'll be able to actually kill Hibana? That doesn't sound 'safe,' either."

sasori: ......

Inka: "...You're scared, aren't you?"

sasori: ....*she doesnt answer*

-elsewhere-

Victor: *flips through a book, sets it onto one stack--flips through another books, sets it onto a second stack--flips through a third...and tosses it into the trash can* *sighs, spins his chair around* "Nozomi, find anything?"

nozomi: *examining history books*

Victor: "???" *looks*

nozomi: hmmm...

Victor: "Huh...East Asian history?"

nozomi: apparently the first recorded incident of the great flame disasters occurred in one of the chinese peninsulas.

Victor: "Oh? Was there a fire at that time at that location?"

nozomi: seems to be.

Victor: "..." *opens his laptop* "Let's coordinate instances of flame disaster by time and location--we might map the best place to start the search."

nozomi: right.

Victor: *typing over a map, showing dots* "The larger ones are where there were more instances...Now I'll add to the programming to show migration over time to follow paths these fire-starters traveled to..."

-elsewhere-

Sakuya: *carrying groceries* "Donation center, dead ahead."

naho: *humming*

Sakuya: *opens the door* "After you."

lilac: l-lots of people...

Sakuya: "...Would you rather one of us go in and one of us stay here with you?"

lilac: i...um....y-yes please....

naho: i'll wait out here with you, ok?

Sakuya: *nods* "I won't be long..." *walks to the counter*

mahiru: *helping out* hey sakuya. ^^

Sakuya: "Oh, hey! Didn't expect to see you here. How's it going?"

mahiru: pretty busy.

Sakuya: "Figures--getting used to the school still?"

mahiru: yeah. it's gonna take a lot of that. ^^;

???: *someone bumps into Mahiru* "Sorry." *they're wearing a hoodie*

mahiru: i-it's fine.

Sakuya: "???"

???: "..." *looks at the basket* "...They let you bring a cat in here?"

Kuro: *curled up in yarn*

mahiru: *awkward look at sakuya* o-o;;;

Sakuya: "Rather broad standards about 'service animals' in this town."

mahiru: y-yeah, that ^^;

???: "Hmm..."

???: *siiigh* so exhausting.

mitsuba: come on akane, it's not that bad.

hyakuya: i know, i know.

???: *tenses...glances*

shinoa: even in the heart of tragedy, it can bring out the best in some people.

hyakuya: i guess......

???: "..."

Sakuya: "Um...Did you want something, dude?"

???: "N-Nothing..."

mahiru: ??

???: "I have to go..." *pushes through*

hyakuya: ??

Sakuya: "Well, he seemed asocial."

-elsewhere-

Kid: *lifts Shiori*

shiori: *laugh*

Kid: "What can you see, Shiori?"

shiori: kiddo!

Kid: "Yep! And I see Shiori!"

shiori: ^o^

lord death: ^^

Kid: "And look who else is there?" *turns her to Lord Death*

shiori: paba!

lord death: hello~ ^^ *hug*

shiori: ^u^

Kid: *smiles* "Tickle hug!"

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: *hands a list to Shinra* "Up for getting some items?"

shinra: what all do we need?

Akitaru: "Well, quite a bit. Get your passport updated, some translation books--"

shinra: ??

Akitaru: "How's your Chinese?"

shinra: um....i'm gonna need to make a phone call. ^^;;;

Akitaru: "Sure, go ahead."

shinra: *dialing*

fang-hua: yes?

shinra: fang-hua we need you to teach us.

fang-hua:...eh?

-one explinaton later-

fang-hua: ah, well i'd be glad to. ^^

shinra: thank you, you're a life saver TTwTT

Akitaru: "???"

shinra: i scored us a teacher/translator.

Akitaru: "Oh, good! I am still figuring out the final team roster, but I know I want you, Arthur, Victor, and Nozomi, and we'll need a nun, so--"

tamaki: i volunteer!

Akitaru: "Tamaki? Oh...Um...Well, I was thinking of Iris--"

tamaki: i'm learning to be a sister too! plus i have good combat skills, so i can be like a battle-nun! *shiny eyes*

shinra: so like a war cleric then?

tamaki: see? he gets it.

Akitaru: "...Well, you would take care of two items on the checklist, which would save on travel costs, so, sure! I'll add you to the roster."

tamaki: YAY! ^u^ *peace sign* victory!

Akitaru: "Make sure you're fluent in the language, know how to put a soul to rest, can administer proper religious techniques so not to offend people abroad--"

tamaki: ok. i'm gonna do a lot of studying huh?

shinra: i got it covered. ^^

Arthur: *speaking Chinese* <I will be the best ambassador to a foreign country as possible.>

shinra:...not even gonna question it.

Akitaru: "Uuuumm...I didn't catch any of that, but okay. Get those supplies, we'll check in after."

-elsewhere-

Steinbeck: "Hello..."

oscar: ^^; we-welcome back, dearies! ^^;;;

lovecraft: there was a small incident.

Steinbeck: "??? What happened?"

lovecraft: i tried to explain a point to oscar by detaching a tentacle and as a result-

-a small, albino girl stares at them-

Steinbeck: "... ... ..." *shiny eyes* "You spawned!"

lovecraft: i've become a mother.

emily: ._.

baum: ...

twain: hey kiddo, what's your name?

girl:.........*INHUMAN SCREECHING*

emily: >~<

lovecraft: her name is lavinia.

oscar: *dead eyed stare* i've seen things that i can never unsee again.

Steinbeck: ^w^ "Neat-o!"

emily:......im just going to go to sleep now.

baum: same here, i'm bushed.

dorothy: try not to collapse in the hallway like last time.

Hemingway: "...I need a drink."

-elsewhere-

Victor: *setting up school chairs and a blackboard before taking a seat* "Okay...I'm ready to learn Chinese, teacher!"

fang-hua: <good morning.> good morning. i hope you're ready to learn everyone, because we have a lot of material to cover.

Arthur: *reading his textbook* "..." <I found a typo.>

fang-hua: *checks it* huh. well i'll be. <thank you> arthur.

Arthur: ^_^

shinra: *mumbling* 'teacher's pet'...

fang-hua: hope you're all still paying attention. because not only will we be learning the language, we'll be learning about chinese history and culture. hopefully these lessons show you there's more to know about china than kung-fu, chinese food, and pandas.

shinra: *nod nod*

Victor: "Excellent! We look forward to the education!"

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: "Sonia, lunch is ready."

sonia: ok papa.

Chuuya: *opens the refrigerator, spots an egg carton* "... ... ..."

sonia: *sitting down*

Chuuya: "..." *hums* "Piyo, piyo, piyo..."

sonia: *giggle*

Chuuya: *bows, serving the plate of lunch* "Nice to meet you, Piyo-chan's eggs!"

sonia: *laughter*

Chuuya: *smiles* "Okay, that constitutes lunch and a show--eat up!"

-elsewhere-

Rin: "...You know, they could probably make the biggest shaved ice in the world with that thing."

izumo: i'd probably not recommend it.

Bon: "It's been collecting a lot of birds..."

-elsewhere-

Dr. John: *sits down* "Some patients are getting released--some, a little more slowly."

sachiko: ah.

Dr. John: "That boy, Shotaro, is heading out."

sachiko: ...he's a good kid.

Dr. John: "Yeah--it's rare to see someone so innocent in this world."

-elsewhere-

Tanizaki: "And that makes at least 20 children missing."

atsushi:...damn....

odasaku: *his hands are shaking*

Kyoka: "...We've interviewed some teachers, trying to find descriptions..."

Lucy: "..." *pats Atsushi's hand*

atsushi: ....

Kyoka: "We'll be doing another search in a few minutes...I'm not sure police will continue."

sylvia: ....

Kyoka: "...Sylvia, maybe Tanizaki and Naomi need help with paperwork."

sylvia: o-ok...

Tanizaki: *smiles* "We can start with alphabetizing some files."

sylvia: o-o-ok!

Kyoka: *small smile* "Atsushi, coming?"

atsushi: yeah.

Lucy: "I'm going, too."

atsushi: the more the merrier!

Kyoka: *nods* "We'll divide up to question anyone who may know where the children are..."

-elsewhere-

Dazai: *petting Mii*

mii: *purrr* =w=

Dazai: *small smile* *sighs*

mii: o^o?

Dazai: "It's crazy...This city, life..."

*looks out the window at the ice pillar*

kirako: yeah, this is a crazy place to live. but never a dull day goes by here, huh?

Dazai: "True...Guess that's a good part to it...Where you wanted to settle?"

kirako: well, i was hoping to live in Los Angeles, but that seemed too problematic, so i moved here.

Dazai: "Ever wanted to vacation?"

kirako: there's a few places i've wanted to see. ^^

Dazai: "Maybe abroad?"

kirako: i guess Luxembourg is a place i've wanted to see.

Dazai: *smiles* "Maybe on a return trip to Germany..."

kirako: maybe. ^^;

Dazai: "...This time without getting pummeled..."

*smash-cut of Dazai's humiliation conga against Sturm*

kirako: yikes.

-elsewhere-

Bakugo: *pushes open the cafe door* "Where's our table?!"

tsugumi: um...

itsuka: *pats bakugou's hand* we made reservations under 'bakugou'?

tsugumi: ah, right this way.

Bakugo: -\\\^\\\- "Yeah, that's what I thought...Got to get some food and studying in..."

itsuka: ^^

Bakugo: "Where're the others..."

eijiro: we're here!

Bakugo: " 'Bout time! Sit down, open the book to Page 281!"

-elsewhere-

Kid: "I think you'll enjoy dessert."

stocking: oooh~ *shiny eyes*

Kid: "What would you say...to cake, with buttery frosting, topped with fruit and syrup?"

stocking: yes please~

Kid: *smiles* "Then..." *reveals a covered plate*

stocking: *mouth watering*

Kid: "Chambord raspberry Dutch chocolate cake~"

stocking: you know me so well.

Kid: "I strive to..." *cheek smooch*

stocking: hehehe~...arent you gonna kiss the other side too~?

Kid: "Oh, dear--are you asking me~?"

stocking: *smooch*

Kid: ^\\\^ "Mmm."

-elsewhere-

Mr. Uraraka: "I'm home..." *holds up take-out* "Sorry--work held us up."

ochako: hey dad!

hagakure: hey mr u!

Mr. Uraraka: "Hey! How are you, Toru?"

toru: doing good.

satou: studying hard, sir!

Mr. Uraraka: *smiles* "Good to hear it!" *hands Ochaco some food* "Make sure to eat healthy--you'll need the energy for the test."

-elsewhere-

Victor: @w@ "...So many words..."

shinra: still, the terracotta army sounds pretty cool, right?

tamaki: two languages....im gonna die.

Arthur: "I will confirm whether the army's remains rest inside the terracotta--"

nozomi: i wouldnt recommend that. ._.;

Mika: "..."

lacus: how was recon?

Mika: "Nothing...I mean, fine."

lacus: ??

Mika: "..." *rubs his eyes* "I have something to do."

lacus: oh?

Mika: *walks to his luggage*

lacus: need to change? gotcha. *exits*

Mika: "..." *doesn't close the door, pulls out a photo*

-it was of yuuichiro's first day at the hyakuya orphanage, some time before the vampires attacked. yuu seemed rather grouchy, while the others looked quite happy-

Mika: *sighs* "Why now..."

{Mika: "..." *nudge, smiles*}

{yuuichiro: *mumbles*}

{akane: doesnt say a lot, does he?}

{Mika: "Maybe not in so many words..." ^^; }

{yuuichiro: i can talk just fine. >n<}

{Mika: *laughs* "See? Although, doesn't hurt to say more than five words now and then."}

Mika: "...Why now..."

-elsewhere-

Pan: "Here is the mission summary..." *hands a folder*

ogun: overseas, huh? neato.

juria: *rolls eyes*

Pan: "The Commander is putting you through some language-development, cultural training, and a last bit of combat training--"

juria: *pulls out a cigarette* are they just seriously understaffed or something?

Pan: -_-# "The Commander considered you best for this job...Don't be rude, put that away."

juria: *snuffs it.....pulls out a cigar*

Pan: "THAT IS NOT BETTER!"

ogun: ._.;

Pan: "Put it out, then run 40 laps!"

juria: tch-

-elsewhere-

Benimaru: "...Why the hell should the Seventh send anyone?" ((Someone, convince him))

maki: well, a translator would be helpful.

fang-hua: plus i've already offered to help them with lessons.

Benimaru: "...Keep them out of trouble, and be ready to work twice as hard when you return."

fang-hua: understood, sir.

Benimaru: "Who is leading this overseas trip?"

maki: i believe the supervisor/chaperone will be captain pan of the 4th.

Benimaru: "Hmm...The Fourth are more traditional firefighters: they can put out a fire, but can they handle a fight?"

maki: well, from what i've seen. ogun and juria are pretty capable fighters. and pan makes a good support unit.

fang-hua: plus, shinra and arthur both trained at the 4th's school.

Benimaru: "...Fine. Maybe there's hope for this mission yet." *looks at Fang-Hua* "Be safe, Kohana."

fang-hua: *sweatdrop* will do, sir.

Benimaru: *nods* "Excuse me--I'll continue patrol."

-elsewhere-

Honda: "THIS WILL BE GOOD FOR YOU!" *pat pat* "Enjoy the trip!"

takeru: t-thank you sir! hopefully i'll get to see mom too.

-elsewhere-

Todoroki: *dragging a huge chunk of ice behind him...looks like someone is frozen inside*

jirou: ._. um....

Todoroki: "I can explain..." *points inside*

*Mineta is frozen inside*

jirou: perfect. good job, todoroki. *walks away*

Todoroki: *nods* "..." *looks at the ice* "..." *shoves the iceberg in front of some lockers, walks away*

Mineta: 0_0 *muffled yelling*

-no one helped him-

-elsewhere-

Tanizaki: *opens the car door* "Heading to your appointment, Haruno?"

kirako: yeah.

Tanizaki: "Well, buckle in--I'll get you there on time." *turns on the ignition* "How are you feeling?"

kirako: doing well.

Tanizaki: *nods* "Work keeping you busy?"

-elsewhere-

Akutagawa: "..." *sits in the corner*

sonia: ?? uncle ryuu?

Akutagawa: "??? ...Yes?"

sonia: *hug*

Akutagawa: "...Um...What is happening?"

sonia: you looked sad.

Akutagawa: "...Well, I suppose I am...Thanks?"

sonia: ....

Akutagawa: "..." *ahem* "I'll be fine...Thank you. You can go play..."

sonia:...*exits*

Akutagawa: "..." *curls up*

higuchi: that girl's a natural empath, huh?

Akutagawa: "...Yes."

sonia: *takes a seat and watches the others, not saying much of anything*

Jakob: *pushing a shopping cart*

Motojiro: *pointing flowers out to Leo*

Kafka: *furiously typing* "This damn budget..."

leo: ^///^

leroux:...? did you need something, young one?

sonia:...im good for now.

Walter: "We could make you a snack."

sonia: ok.

Walter: ^w^ "Many pizza rolls?"

-elsewhere-

Joker: "Hmm..." *looking over a birth certificate and ID with his photo on it*

ivy: how is it?

Joker: "Looking good...I think it'll pass."

ivy: thanks, i had a contact on the inside help me out.

Joker: "Good contact...Now to wait for Victor's report."

-elsewhere-

Fulham: "Good work...Take a break?"

pearl: yeah...

Fulham: *hands her a bottle of water* "..."

pearl: *takes it, accidently touching his hand slightly* .///. s-sorry about that.

Fulham: "...It's fine..." >\\\\>

foien: *whistling*

Fulham: -\\\\-# *grunts*

-one week later…-

ochako: *gulp*

denki + mina: *INTERNALLY SCREAMING*

Aizawa: "Take out your pens, keep the test face down..." *passing out the test*

ochako: ...

-later-

Izuku: *lets out a sigh of relief* "Well, that's done..." *looks around--* "!!!" O_o; "Um...You all okay?"

mina: im dead.

Koda: *signing* <It was too much...> Q___Q

denki: and then there's the practical exam later today. Q___Q;;

Izuku: ^^; "I mean, it'll just be like the entrance exam, right? If we could handle supervillains, we can handle that, right?"

-and so-

Aizawa: "Okay, you're all here."

Izuku: ._.; "...Why are all the teachers here?"

hagakure: there's like....8 of them? maybe more?

Aizawa'a neck: *muffled* "I'm afraid there's been a change of plans."

sero: what the-

*Out of Aizawa' s scarf pops up--*

Nezu: "Hello, students!"

ochako: *struggles not to laugh*

Thirteen: "...Um, cozy on there, sir?" *helps him down*

mina: must be nice...wish i had fur...

jirou: probably kind of smelly in there.

mina: i havent slept in days.

Aizawa: -_-# *Death glare at Jirou z

jirou: 737;;;

Nezu: "Quite. Now, then, I'm sure you heard the rumor you would fight robots--"

Denki: "Gonna zap them bots!"

Nezu: "Actually, no."

momo: eh?

Denki: "Say wha?" QwQ

midnight: you're gonna be fighting us~ ^^

mina:. .__________.

Nezu: "But the good news is we have made it more of a fair fight."

momo: how so?

Aizawa: "First, you'll be in teams of two. And no, you don't get to pick your teammate: yours has already been chosen."

everyone: (please dont let me be on a team with mineta, please dont let me be on a team with mineta)

Mineta: "PLEASE LET MY TEAMMATE BE HOT!"

midnight: QUIET YOU.

Mineta: "YES, MISTRESS!"

-death glares at mineta all around-

Aizawa: "You're paired with Sero. You can apologize to him later. Now, let's review who is teamed with whom and which instructor they are facing..."

*Looks cloudy...or like something is falling from the sky...*

tsuyu: kero?

Aizawa: "Let's see...Midoriya is paired with Bakugo--"

*It feels...hotter right now...*

Bakugo: *burning rage*

ochako: ._.;

Izuku: Q___Q

*A shadow looms...*

???: "Against me!"

*It hits the ground*

mina: woah.

*All Might lands...*

All Might: "...Sorry! Did I scare you?"

-and so-

momo: *following behind todoroki*

Todoroki: "Yaoyorozu, make small objects--it'll let us know when Aizawa is near..."

momo: r-right…

Todoroki: "...So, my plan is I'll draw him out, you run for the exit..."

momo: .....

-with bakugou and izuku-

izuku: kacchan, wait up!

Bakugo: "STOP FOLLOWING ME!"

izuku: listen, it'd be wiser to escape than to fight him! (and if all-might runs out of time before then, then it'd be bad....)

Bakugo: "Bullshit! Let's exhaust him, distract him, play possum--THEN END HIM AND WIN!"

izuku: ..still, e-even with the handicaps, this is all-might we're talking about, there's no way we can beat him-

*SWING*

izuku: *just barely dodges*

Bakugo: "You think I'm weak?!"

izuku: if we want to pass this exam, you need to listen to me, kacchan.

Bakugo: "No, I don't! I don't need you, your powers, or anything from you to win this! I'm going to stand out this time--for the right reasons! So out of my way!" *shoves him*"

izuku: *grips fist* QUIT BEING SO STUBBORN AND ACTUALLY TALK TO ME, BAKUGOU!

Bakugo: "THE HELL YOU CALL ME?!"

*Sounds like wind is blowing through...really quickly...*

-BOOOOOOOM-

izuku: ._.

Bakugo: "?!" *turns*

izuku: (aw, biscuits)

*All Might stands blocks away*

*All Might stands blocks away*

All Might: "Oh, are you two in for a bad time..."

izuku: come on, lets go!

All Might: *rushes*

Bakugo: "..." *frozen*

izuku: !!!!

All Might: *right in front of Bakugo* "YOU'RE DONE HERE!"

Bakugo: "..." *aims* "STOP UNDERESTIMATING ME! STUN GRENADE!"

*Light explodes into All Might's eyes*

All Might: "URK!"

Bakugo: *aims again--*

All Might: "..." *sniffs--then reaches, grabbing Bakugo by the face*

Bakugo: "!!!"

All Might: "Did you think I couldn't predict where you'd stand, boy?"

Bakugo: *muffled* "I expected that..." *shoves his hands at All Might's ribs, and fires small bursts of fire*

All Might: "Ow ow OW OW OW OW OWIE!"

izuku: (he's relentless...)

All Might: *swings Bakugo over his head--then slams him to the street, forming an outline in the pavement

Bakugo: "ACH!" *coughs up blood*

All Might: "Sorry about that! But those stung a bit...Now, where is..."

izuku: !!!! *full cowl, jumps back*

All Might: *goes to move--then stops* ._.; "Oh...This is going to be bad..."

???: "OUT OF MY WAY, NERD!"

izuku: ??!!

*Bakugo has already leapt...into Izuku's path*

izuku: !!!!

*CRASH*

izuku: GAH!

*They slam down onto the pavement*

All Might: "...Ouchie."

izuku: urk-

Bakugo: *gets up* "I'M NOT DONE!" *rushes towards All Might*

izuku: bakugou, i told you, you cant beat him head on!

Bakugo: "It doesn't matter! I'm gonna win--because heroes always win!"

izuku: ....

{young!izuku: *shiny eyes*}

{Young!Bakugo: "WAM! Look at him go! All Might's so cool!"}

izuku: i know, but right now isnt the time for tha-

Bakugo: "I said back off--" *looks up* "?!!! Guard--"

izuku: o____o (aw, double biscuits)

*All Might is leaping down from a roof, carrying a guard rail--which he slams down onto Izuku, trapping him*

izuku: !!!!

All Might: "You say run? I say STAY DOWN! BWA HA HA!"

Bakugo: "..." *facepalm*

izuku: (that just....killed the mood.) *sweatdrop*

All Might: "...Oh, right! Villain-stuff. Um--" *slams his fist into Bakugo's abs* "Does that work?"

Bakugo: *coughs up blood and more* *knocked down the street*

izuku: !!! KACCHAN!!

{boy: you saw that one, right?}

{Young!Bakugo: "Four against one--but nothing that All Might can't handle! Look, he knocked them down!"}

{young!izuku: wow!}

{Young!Bakugo: "No matter how bad it looks, All Might always wins!"}

Bakugo: *coughing*

izuku: *trying to get out* (you’re a real jerk, but it’s true…no matter the challenge, you always try to win, that’s what i…)

All Might: "I understand your frustration, Young Bakugo--but please, stop comparing yourself to Midoriya. I get it--he's advancing quickly, but he's still at Level 1, and you're at Level 50. Naturally, you'll have different rates of progress, so don't throw it all away. What you should focus on is--"

Bakugo: "SHUT UP...ALL MIGHT!"

izuku: !!

Bakugo: "If you're about to tell me to work with him, that I need _his_ help...I'd rather lose!"

Izuku: ………

All Might: "...I see." *pulls back his arm* "As long as you have no regrets..."

Bakugo: *stands, panting*

-PUNCH-

All Might: "?!!"

Bakugo: *knocked back*

izuku: 'you'd rather lose'? that's not the kacchan i know! *grabs him and runs*

Bakugo: "Let go of me!"

-elsewhere-

momo: *popping out matryoshka dolls*

Todoroki: "...Really, Yaoyorozu?"

momo: 7.7 i-it's sentimental...

Todoroki: "Hmm...Can't argue with that...Any change to your ability to produce them?"

momo: not yet...im amazed you came up with a strategy so quickly...im rather envious of your strong judgement.

Todoroki: "??? It was nothing special--"

momo:......we both got in on recommendations, but i've barely shown any practical hero skills...

Todoroki: "Yaoyorozu, I think--Wait...Your matryoshkas!" *looks around*

momo: !!!!

???: *above them* "You should've noticed sooner--"

momo: !!! todoroki!

Todoroki: *swings, trying to get out of the way--*

Aizawa: *sends scarves around Todoroki* "Too slow..." *eyes open*

Todoroki: "Yaoyorozu, run!"

momo:....*flees*

Aizawa: "That's the best you geniuses came up with?" *tightens the scarves, roping Todoroki up over the ground*

Todoroki: "When I get loose--!"

Aizawa: *tosses something along the street*

Todoroki: "...Caltrops? I didn't take you for a ninja, sir."

Aizawa: "I didn't take you as so oblivious not to listen to your classmate."

Todoroki: "???"

momo: (the gate cant be much farther, right? im sure he's fine, right? is this ok? can i really run like this? where am i even running to? what am i doing? is this ok?)

young!momo?: just where _are_ you running?

momo: ?!

*A scarf wraps around her wrist*

momo: !!!!

Aizawa: "Hook, line, and sinker.”

momo: *frozen*

Aizawa: "Still reeling from the Sports Festival?" *tugs on the scarf*

momo: !!! (wait...he's not blocking out my quirk....)

young!momo: this is your chance, take it!

Aizawa: "..."

momo: *wrist wheel and escapes, running to where todoroki is*

Aizawa: "...Still running off to Todoroki, huh?"

momo: ...

young!momo: you're really going to help him?

momo: (of course, he's my friend!)

young!momo: (you know he's better than you. you've seen him, and decided that, right? thus you lost your way, right?)

momo: .....

young!momo: you arent going to say anything?

momo: (just shut up. i know, he's better than i am...but that just means i have to improve myself, right?}

young!momo: now you're catching on.

momo:...*nods and runs*

Todoroki: *hanging around* "...Idiot...She was holding back, but I didn't say anything..."

momo: todoroki!

Todoroki: "Yaoyorozu? What are you--"

momo: im really sorry for getting distracted! *looking around*

Todoroki: "We can apologize to each other later--but Aizawa is coming back! You have a plan, right?"

momo: ....yeah, but if your strategy failed, then mine will-

Todoroki: "Then do it! I know you can! Remember the two votes you got for class president?"

momo: yes, but-

Todoroki: "I voted for you!"

momo: !!!! really?

Todoroki: "Yes! Because I knew you would be perfect for it!"

???: "You done?"

momo: ......*pulls something out* TODOROKI, CLOSE YOUR EYES!

Todoroki: "!!!" *closes them*

-MATRYSHKA FLASH BOMB-

Aizawa: "GAH!" *covers his face, but took late...*

Todoroki: "..." *slowly opens his eyes--can see fine*

momo: *helping him down* let's go! i have a plan! for now we need to hide. his eyes havent been well recently.

Todoroki: "...Right! Especially after USJ..."

momo: for now, we just need to escape his line of sight. So just keep using your ice.

Todoroki: "Trying, but he's following..."

momo: well, he's still human. he has to blink sometime...

Todoroki: "..." *his skin starts crackling* "Got some!" *launches an ice wall*

momo: *creating something from her stomach*

Todoroki: "??? Next step, yaoyorozu?"

momo: just got to finish this, then we can move to step two...

-they look like....bandages?-

Todoroki: "Aizawa's scarves?"

momo: sort of. i dont know the exact material, but i improvised with a little something extra...

-and so-...

-two cloaked figures dart for the exit-

Aizawa: *on rooftop, facing the ice wall, blocking the path to the exit gate* "...So, cloak themselves so I can't erase...Simple, but effective..." *leaps, wraps the scarves around the figures' "heads"*

momo: *ducks down, revealing a catapault*

-LAUNCH-

Aizawa: "?!"

momo: todoroki! now!

Todoroki: *blasts fire through the cloak--*

Aizawa: *leaps, dodging* ("They knew I would dodge...What kind of a plan is this?")

momo: ever heard of nitinol alloy? when heated, it temporarily reverts to its original form.

-SNAG-

Aizawa: "..." *drops like a lead balloon* "...Zzz..."

momo: .... ._. *check's pulse*....he's alive....*phew*....thanks todoroki......awkward fist bump?

Todoroki: "Uuum...Sure, after we get the cuffs on him..."

-elsewhere-

mina: OHCRAPOHCRAPOHCRAPOHCRAP!!!

denki: MOMMYYYYY!!! Q~Q;;;;

*BOOM SMASH CLANG*

mina + denki: *SCREAMING LIKE BABIES*

jirou: 0-0;

satou: that's...pretty terrifying.

Nezu: *pouring himself some tea* "Mmm...Something's missing..." *reaches for the sugar--knocking a lever in the wrecking ball* "Whoopsie!"

*The wrecking ball knocks down a building*

hagakure: *she has a bandage on where her nose would be* do you think the others are having trouble too?

tsuyu: who knows.

Nezu: "Hmm...Well, there are no mistakes--just happy little accidents..." *sips* "...BWA HA HA HA!"

-meanwhile-

ochako: *hanging on for dear life* Q_Q;;;

Thirteen: "I really dislike to fight--I prefer waiting to catch prey..." *using Black Hole*

Aoyama: *hanging on next to Ochaco* "Oh, my~ That quirk certainly...sucks."

ochako: NOW ISNT THE TIME FOR BAD JOKES! THIS IS A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION! (come on ochako! think! ah, if i were on a team with todoroki, or deku, or momo, GAH! WHY COULDNT THEY PUT ME ON A TEAM WITH A GOOD TACTICIAN?!)

Aoyama: "Pardonne moi--"

ochako: aoyama i swear to-

Aoyama: "Let's see...You were thinking of Midoriya, and Yaoyorozu..."

ochako: what are you, a mind reader?!

Aoyama: "Aaaaand...Todoroki?"

ochako: 7///7; t-that's none of your-

{Todoroki: "You’re radiant."}

ochako: o////////////////o EH?! *her fingers slip* !!!!!!!!!

Aoyama: "Oh, no~"

Thirteen: "What?!"

{Gunhead: "Remember your attacks!"}

ochako: !!!! *takes a stance* *winces*

Thirteen: *throws off Black Hole, trying to swing an arm, but--*

*CRASH*

Thirteen: @___@ "Ow..."

Aoyama: *lets go, applauds* "Magnifique!"

ochako: *opens her eyes* ah...im...i....(im...alive....).....ah! cuffs! cuffs!

Thirteen: *coming to...* "Ugh..." *swings an arm, but--*

-le cuff-

-later, after all the exams were finished-

mina: Q-Q

sero: TT~TT we lost.

eijiro: *pap pap QwQ

Denki: *blue-screen-of-death in his chair* X~X

Mineta: *humming* ^w^

sero: *GLARE AT MINETA*

Mineta: "Hello, classmates. Wonderful time was had by all, was it not?"

Denki: *muttering* "He's wearing some fedora, isn't he?"

sero: WE FREAKING LOST, MAN!

Mineta: "True...but when we face off against a sadistic goddess, is that _really_ losing?"

jirou: *grabs him by the neck* ARE YOU EVEN _FUCKING_ LISTENING?! do you ever wonder why people dont like you? because you're garbage! you treat women like sex objects and follow your own perverted logic over any morals you might possibly possess! maybe, if you werent such a piece of shit, and started treating others with a shred of decency and respect, then _MAYBE_ we might take you seriously!

Mineta: "..." QwQ "B-B-But I love women! What do you mean I don't show them respect?! I admire, appreciate, and celebrate their beauty in all forms--"

jirou: NO YOU DON’T! what you call ‘respecting’ is just objectifying them for your dirty fantasies! if you want to be a hero, you need to check your fucking values. Society is gonna keep on changing. And its our job as the next generation to make sure it changes for the better…

Mineta: Q___Q

Denki: "..." *looks down*

satou: *claps*

-in the hallway-

ochako: *wobbling slightly* ...... *remembering how close she was to being sucked up into thirteen’s black hole*.....*shaking and collapses to her knees* i...im ok...im alive...im breathing...i..im....*cries*

Todoroki: *walking* "!!! Ochaco..." *kneels down*

ochako: !!! t-todoroki! *wipes her eyes* c-congrats on the exam... ^^ *trying to smile, but she's still shaking bad*

Todoroki: "..." *holds her shoulders carefully* "What's wrong?"

ochako: just....h-had a near death experience today.....

Todoroki: "...Ochaco..."

ochako:....*sniff* it was really scary...i thought i was a goner for sure... and....

Todoroki: "..." *hug*

ochako: !!!!

Todoroki: "I'm sorry...I'm glad you're safe--that shouldn't have happened."

ochako: s-still, i won, right? so that's something....

Todoroki: *nods* "...Um..." *pulls back* "Right. That's great news--so, surviving is just even better."

ochako: y-yeah.....

Todoroki: "...Maybe something to eat would help?"

ochako g-good call....thanks. *small smile*

-elsewhere-

tomura: *grumbling*

shaula: so that's basically what all went down.

Kurogiri: "No word on this 'project'?"

beatrice: nothing.

tomura: and we just keep getting run of the mill villains and stain fanatics....

himiko: lots of new friends!

Kurogiri: "Give them a chance--they at least increase our numbers."

tomura: hmph.

himiko: we got mr spinner, mr muscular, miss magne, lil mustard-

*knock*

Kurogiri: "???"

-a woman dressed in black with black eyes enters-

woman: this is where the league of villains is, yes?

Kurogiri: "Who are you?"

woman: *hands him a card, 'banshee'* i heard through word of mouth this is where all the villains are gathering these days.

tomura: this is a group for professional villains, not some evil employment agency-

Dabi: "Let her talk."

banshee: thank you, hun~ *wink*

Dabi: "???" -\\\\-

tomura: =____=# (pathetic) let me guess, another stain fanatic?

banshee: hmm? i've heard _of_ him. never met him myself. but that's not why i'm here. im simply looking for a place to stay and get on my feet, you see.

tomura:...she's tolerable.

Kurogiri: "Your quirk?"

banshee: the name 'banshee' should give it away.

himiko: do you like babies? OvO

tomura: too many people....im going to bed....*grumbling*

banshee:....well _someone's_ in a sour mood.

himiko: dont mind hiiiim, shiggy's a bit of a mr grouchypants.

Kurogiri: "He's fine--if he didn't kick you out, you'll be okay."

-elsewhere-

ochako: *sipping her slurpy*

Hyde: "How you holding up?"

ochako: a-alright. better, i think.

Todoroki: "It's okay...It's understandable."

Hyde: "..."

ochako: ....so, a-any interesting things happen today, hyde?

Hyde: "Usual customers--including someone hunting through the milk to find the latest expiration date."

ochako: ah.

Hyde: "So, Todoroki, you and Ochaco are in the same class..."

Todoroki: "...Yes, this has been established."

Hyde: "...Hey, Ochaco! How about some donuts, too?"

ochako: sounds good. *goes to get some* and i need to stock up on cocoa moo.

Hyde: "Ha! Good one..." *looks at Todoroki...takes off his glasses* "I see how you look at her...You like her, right?"

Todoroki: "?!" 7///7 “W-well-“

Hyde: *smiles* "If you hurt her, I'll hunt you down and cut out your liver."

Todoroki: "...You're a villain or something? If you hurt her--"

Hyde: *holds up his hands* "Nope! Just looking out for my buddy."

Todoroki: "...I won't. And you won't lay a hand on me. My power--"

Hyde: *absolutely calm* "--is nothing compared to mine." *smiles*

Todoroki: "..."

ochako: im back.

*Hyde and Todoroki are staring at each other*

ochako: is everything ok?

???: oi, shit rat, what are you doing?

Hyde: "Licht! Come on in and say hi to Todoroki!"

Todoroki: "..."

licht:....*up in todoroki's face* todoroki?

Todoroki: *serious face, but sweating* ("What the hell is with these two?")

licht: *hugs him to his chest* baby brother.

Hyde: OwO; "??"

ochako: um ._. i-i think you have the wrong todoroki family, mr licht.

Todoroki: "??? Uuuuuuuuuuum..."

licht: *pat pat* i'll keep you safe now, because i am an angel. and you can be an angel too, lil bro.

Todoroki: "...Thank you?" ._.;

Hyde: "A fire and ice angel?"

ochako: *looks at hyde* your BF is something else, hyde.

Hyde: >\\\\w\\\\> "I know..."

licht: *KICKS HYDE INTO THE CIELING* dont lie to your coworkers, shit rat.

ochako: D8

Todoroki: ._____.;;;

Hyde: "Not here in public, Licht~"

ochako:....*shrugs to say 'dont ask me;*

licht:....

-too violent to show-

Todoroki: "...I feel like as heroes we should have stopped this."

ochako: somehow....i feel like hyde was actually enjoying this.... im not gonna judge.

-elsewhere-

Bakugo: *unconscious in infirmary bed*

{izuku: ngh....}

{All Might: *lifting Izuku by his arm, while his foot holds down Bakugo*}

{Bakugo: *struggles to get up--*}

{All Might: *presses his foot down more*}

{izuku: !!}

{Bakugo: ("Damn it! I thought I could tire him--but no, he doesn't stop! His spirit is too much...") }

{All Might: "Well, Young Midoriya, that's a face that conveys fear--when you realize the best plan you had is not enough..." *tosses Izuku*}

{izuku: GAH!}

{All Might: "I'm sorry...but it's over. You've fail--"}

{Bakugo: "CRAM IT!"}

{All Might: "?!"}

{Bakugo: *opens his hand--releasing one of the last explosions he has stored up*}

{*BOOOOOOOOOOM*}

{izuku: !!}

{All Might: *shields himself*}

{*In the explosion's light, Bakugo grabs Izuku*}

{izuku: huh-}

{Bakugo: "Okay, fine! He's too strong for us! So this is our last shot..." *aims for the gate, pulls back, ready to swing Izuku*}

{izuku: WOAH!!}

{Bakugo: "If you screw this up, I'LL KILL YOU!" *toss with an explosive BOOM*}

{izuku: !!!!!!!!!}

{*Something is running very quickly towards Izuku*}

{izuku: !!!!}

{???: "New Hampshire..."}

{izuku: !!!!!!}

{All Might: "SMASH!" *slams his back into Izuku's*}

{izuku: URK-}

{*Izuku goes stumbling towards the Gate, just stopping in front of it*}

{All Might: "Too naive, Midoriya! You knew I would be too fast--"}

{Bakugo: "ALL MIGHT!"}

{All Might: *turns* "?!"}

{Bakugo: "You're right...We can't beat you...without taking risks..." *pushes off his shattered gauntlets*}

{izuku: kacchan-}

{Bakugo: "Run, you nerd! 'Cause without those gauntlets, I'm firing at full blast!"}

-...-

izuku:....nnggg...

{izuku: ... *watching*}

{Bakugo: *down on the street...his wrists look broken*}

{izuku:....*powers up a full cowl and jumps back*}

{All Might: "Now, to deal with Midoriya--" *turns--* "?!!!" ("He's...smiling?")}

{-SMASSSSSSH-}

{*All Might is knocked off his feet*}

{Bakugo: "..." *he's knocked out*}

{izuku: *hoists him up, and full cowl jumps for the gate*....(take it easy, kacchan...) }

izuku: *coming to* huh?

Bakugo: *he's breathing...his wrists are bandaged*

izuku:.......

???: "Don't wake him up..."

izuku: *looks up*

*All Might, in his depowered form, waves*

izuku: *wave*

All Might: "Where does it still hurt?"

izuku: still sore everywhere, but recovery girl helped out...

All Might: *nods* "...You unleashed a fully powered attack."

izuku: yeah....h-how did i do?

All Might: "Well, you made me cough up blood..." ^^;

izuku: sorry about that. ^^;

All Might: "And you got Bakugo and yourself out of the Gate: you passed."

izuku:...*smiles*

All Might: "You've done great...Looks like you're getting better control over your quirk."

izuku: thanks. *glances at bakugou*.....he really went all out....

All Might: "Yes...I suppose that, for all the differences between you two, that's at least one thing you have in common."

-elsewhere-

Iida: "Momo?"

momo: *smiles* hey tenya. how was the exam for you?

Iida: "Passed! You?"

momo: yeah.

-she explains what all happened-

Iida: "...Momo...I'm sorry. Do you feel more confident?"

momo: i think so.

Iida: *nods* "It's good to have teammates to remind you of your strengths."

momo: *smiles*

Iida: *smiles--then dirt falls off his armor*

momo:...you need a duster?

Iida: "...Sure." ^\\\^

-elsewhere-

Tokoyami: "Good work."

tsuyu: thanks.

hagakure: you did great, tsu!

tsuyu: ^^...what happened to you?

hagakure: mr snipe accidently hit me in the nose Q_Q

Shoji: "He apologized--and will probably be disciplined."

-elsewhere-

ao: you've been doing a lot of training lately, miss anya.

Anya: "I need to..."

ao: well, try not to over-exert yourself

Anya: *sigh* "I know..." *pushes her hair back*

ao: do you ever cut your hair?

Anya: "What?"

ao: in certain cultures, cutting one's hair is considered an act of changing one's self.

Anya: "...Huh. Really?"

ao: a way of 'cutting away past mistakes' as it were.

Anya: "...Have you cut hair before?"

ao: when i was younger, yes.

Anya: "Hmm..." *gets up, walks to the bureau*

ao: ...

Anya: "..." *picks up a pair of scissors...looks up at the mirror*

-her reflection stares back-

Anya: "..." *keeps staring into the mirror, as she grabs her hair, making it taut as she takes the scissors and--*

*SNIP*

tsugumi: anya? you up? ...oh.

Anya: "..." *sniff*

tsugumi:...new look?

Anya: Q_Q *nod nod*

tsugumi:....looks nice. ^^

Anya: T\\\\\T "Thank you..."

-elsewhere-

noriko: *looking at upcoming events for death city* hmm...

???: "What do you think?"

noriko: oh lord kishin...what is our best opportunity for us to perform your miracles and spread your message?

*silence*

noriko: *muttering a prayer*

???: *joins Noriko*

-red moonlight shines down through the gaps of the ceiling, shining on one article...-

noriko: ???

-seems to be a flyer for a spring festival-

???: "Hmm...Odd."

noriko: then it is decided...we will make our move then...

-elsewhere-

Hibana: *shiny eyes* "Shopping trip..." *holds up the Spring Festival article*

mikami: *smiles*

ryuuko: it's that time already?

Hibana: "Yes! And I think morale needs a boost here!"

-elsewhere-

Hyde: *his head is bandaged* "Hello! Is this where I can apply to work at the Spring Festival?"

nygus: why yes it is.

Hyde: "Super! Here's my resume! I also have letters of reference..."

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: "Zzz..."

{rain: *brushes her hand against his hair* *smiles*}

{Chuuya: =\\\\= "Stop that..."}

{rain: you look peaceful when you sleep.}

{Chuuya: "Well...knowing who's with me helps."}

{rain: hehe ^^ *nuzzle*}

Chuuya: *groans, pulls the sheets closer*

-...silence...-

Chuuya: "..." *sniffles*….. *hugs his pillow*

-creeeeak-

mito: *mew*

Chuuya: *sits up* "Mito?"

mito: *hops up onto the bed and nuzzles against him, purring*

Chuuya: "..." *pets her*

mito: =w=

Chuuya: *crying*

sonia: *pokes her head in*

Chuuya: *glances at her with tear filled eyes*

sonia:...*gives him a flower crown* we made these today.

Chuuya: *sniff* "Thank you, Sonia..." YuY *hug*

sonia: love you, papa. *hug*

Chuuya: *pat pat*

-morning-

chie: ^^

toru: gah!

Yohei: "Smile for the camera, Toru!"

toru: ^o^

chie: such a big boy! >u<

Yohei: "Yep! Wait until you get your presents!"

-elsewhere-

Hyde: *carrying his books--spots some girl with short hair at DWMA* "??? Huh. She looks familiar."

licht: good morning, princess.

Anya: O\\\\O "H-Hello, Licht."

Hyde: "... ... ..." *light bulb* "Oh, snap! New hairdo, Anya!"

-elsewhere-

Magaki: *nods* "Rowena."

rowena: how's everything adjusting for you?

alice: are you....comfortable?

Magaki: "Slightly better, thank you. Still getting used to the school given my...medical needs."

rowena: ah.. meet any new people?

Magaki: "Some...Not sure they all like me. Some seem a little scared."

rowena: want us to back you up?

Magaki: *nods* "Don't misunderstand--they aren't bullying me. I'm more worried for them--they sweat, turn...run really fast, sometimes into walls."

rowena: hmmm...

Magaki: "It's how I look, isn't it?"

alice: well, your eyes may be a slight bit off-putting.

rowena: *chop* alice!

Magaki: >_> "I didn't ask for them to look like this..."

rowena:.... ^^; m-maybe try contact lenses?

Magaki: "Hmm...That could help. Thank you."

-elsewhere-

Todoroki: "Many people are still absent due to injuries..."

fuyumi: sounds intense...

Todoroki: *nods* "I'm glad for some reprieve, though--the training for the next step will also be exhaustive..." *sighs* "Some people felt like they were going to die..."

fuyumi: i could imagine....

Todoroki: "...She looked on the verge of a breakdown..."

fuyumi: *listening*

Todoroki: "Ochaco had explained that she was facing Thirteen, the hero with the quirk Black Hole. She lost her grip and...almost got sucked in."

fuyumi: yikes.

Todoroki: *shakes his head* "If I lost her..."

fuyumi:...*pat pat* you like her, dont you?

Todoroki: "..." .\\\\. "Um..."

fuyumi: 7u7

Todoroki: "...Yes."

fuyumi: awww, how cute. my little brother's got his first crush! ^^

Todoroki: =\\\\= "Stop."

-elsewhere-

Bakugo: -_-# "I look like Mickey Mouse..." *his wrists are still bandaged*

itsuka: well, it could have been worse. *feeding him*

Bakugo: "..." *nom* =\\\n\\\= "Stupid Deku..."

itsuka: *pat pat*

Bakugo: "I wasn't even awake, and he's dragging me like some ragdoll. I don't need saving!"

itsuka:....*knowing grin*

Bakugo: "...What?"

itsuka: you still consider him a friend, dont you?

Bakugo: "A weakling like him?! Trying to steal _my_ spot as Number One?!"

itsuka: *raises a brow, grin still on her face*

Bakugo: "..." *looks away* "I'm not friends with him or anything..."

itsuka: then where did he get the nickname 'deku'?

Bakugo: "?!! He brought that on himself! I mean, it was so obvious! Look at the letters and who he is!"

itsuka: did he really?

Bakugo: "Well, yeah? Why, what are you saying?"

itsuka: i think part of you still cares about him, in one way or another...

Bakugo: "..." >\\\~\\\> "That's stupid..."

itsuka: *chuckle and cheek smooch* you can be really aggressive and kind of a dick, but i know you have your heart in the right place.

Bakugo: >\\\\\n\\\\<;; "...I'm not that much of a dick."

-elsewhere-

Kyoka: *looking over maps*

sylvia: *peeek*

Kyoka: "I can't find where they would have gone..."

sylvia: .....

Kyoka: "...Sylvia, if you were hiding, where would you go?"

sylvia: a-anywhere they wo-wouldnt find me? i used to hide a-a lot, but i always g-got found....

Kyoka: "...Sorry." *looks at her*

sylvia:....a-am i....gonna be a burden? i-im not really useful, a-and my ability just hurts people....

Kyoka: "We'll find how you are useful, whether through your ability or your other skills."

sylvia: i-i dont h-have any skills. e-except crying maybe..

Kyoka: "Well...you look innocent, so people may underestimate you."

sylvia: ....

Kyoka: "How about we try ways to trick someone into giving you information? Let's start with the puppy eyes..." *starts the puppy eyes*

sylvia: Q~Q;;;

Kyoka: "...Not bad. Now, let's try it on someone..." *points at Tanizaki...*

Tanizaki: *filing papers*

sylvia:.....Q~Q

Tanizaki: "...What are you doing?"

Kyoka: *stereo puppy dog eyes*

Tanizaki: "... ... ..." Q_____Q "Oh, no, what do you want from me?!"

sylvia:....*pathetic tiny crying*

Tanizaki: Q________Q *pulls money out of his wallet* "H-How about ice cream?"

yosano: ._.;

-elsewhere-

stocking: =w=

Kid: *smiles*

stocking: last night was amazing, kiddo~ *swirls a finger around his chest*

Kid: ^\\\\^ "I'm glad...I wanted to help."

stocking: *kiss*

Kid: "Mmm~"

stocking: *crawls onto his lap*

Kid: O\\\w\\\O

stocking: *tongue kiss* mmmn~<3

Kid: "!!!" =\\\\= *meets her kiss, his tongue passing along hers*

stocking: kid~

Kid *holding her* "Yes?"

stocking: im getting turned on again, you know~

Kid: "...Really?" *slides a hand, just barely touching the skin along her side*

stocking: *shudder* ahhh~

Kid: "You sound like it...But how do I really know~?" *he kisses her shoulder*

stocking: i want you to do me so hard that the sheets get soaked.

Kid: "Oh, damn..." *his hand rubs her inner thigh, as he pulls down the bedsheet*

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: "How's studying?"

tamaki: tiring, but interesting.

Akitaru: "And nun training?"

tamaki: coming along.

Akitaru: *nods* "It's a lot, but I know you can do it."

tamaki: thank you, sir!

Akitaru: *salutes*

-elsewhere-

Victor: *looking over news reports out of China* "Hmm...That's weird."

nozomi: oh dear. will we need gas masks?

Victor: "Looks like it--no idea what produced it. Maybe industry, or some natural--or supernatural?--event."

nozomi: well, it seems to have caused reason for evacuation to other areas, in any case.

Victor: "And if there are cops investigating, that'll make it more difficult to get there...Better check with the Commander about getting authorization to go in there..."

-elsewhere-

Motojiro: "PHOTO. SYN. THESIS!!!" *holds up a plant*

bessy: woooah.

philip: neat.

Motojiro: Yes, 'neat' indeed! By the power of the SUN--" *holds up the plant higher* "--its light is converted into energy to allow the chlorophyll--green pigment inside the plant--to generate its food!!! ..." *gestures at the grass* "And the chlorophyll puts happy smiles inside every blade of grass."

bessy: ^^

tom: wowzers.

Motojiro: "Now, let's take a look under microscope..." *sets one out, attached to his tablet* "This electronic microscope will let us all see what is in the plantlife!"

-the kids all peek-

sonia: ...

*Inside the grass are tiny smiling faces*

-the kids seem excited.-

Motojiro: ^w^

-elsewhere-

Poe: *hug*

rowena: ^^ *hug*

Poe: *awkward sibling pat*

rowena: how was work today for you?

Poe: "Okay...Just a bit draining."

rowena: ah. are you alright? did you eat well?

Poe: =~= "I was too anxious to eat..."

rowena: why dont we go to the hotel's restaurant then pick lana up from work?

Poe: *nod nod* "I would like that..."

rowena: *smiles* ^^

Poe: ^^; *opens the door, puts on sunglasses...pulls out an umbrella* "Too bright..."

rowena: i do have a friend with a similar problem. alice and i have been doing our best to help them fit in.

Poe: "Oh? That's sad...They have sunglasses?"

rowena: they're a bit sensitive to light...^^;

lenore: -_- _that's_ a way to put it.

Poe: "I think I could help--I know a lot about avoiding the sun!" ^^

rowena: im sure' they'd appreciate it.

-elsewhere-

Kid: *whistling, heating up food*

shiori: *drinking from her sippy cup*

Kid: "Hungry, little sister?"

shiori: ye.

Kid: "Let's have some carrots, then."

-elsewhere-

Aizawa: *pushing a cart of tissues*

namiko: TT~TT t-thanks....

Aizawa: "Any time...I needed some for when my students hear my decision about their exams."

namiko: you wont be too harsh on them, will you?

Aizawa: "I don't anticipate any problems..."

-elsewhere-

sero: TT~TT

mina: *CHUG CHUG*

Eijiro: "I have let down all who were counting on me!!!" T____T

Sato: *pat pat* T~T *not having milkshakes with the others--"designated driver" and not wanting to activate his Quirk*

sero: damn you minetaaaaa! TT~~~TT

Master: *watching* "..." *sets out another tray of milkshakes* "Here. On the house. You look like you need them."

mina: you're a kind person. TTuTT

Eijiro: "Thank you, Master..." *chug* "WHEN THIS IS OVER, WE'RE GOING TO DO BETTER IN THE NEXT EXAM AND BE THE MAJESTIC HEROES WE KNOW WE HAVE TO BE! And we're going to pound Mineta into the dirt!"

Master: *his hair is blown back by the shouting* "..." ("The manly youthfulness of heroes...")

sero: WE WILL BE AVENGED!!

Sato: "YES!" *smashes his fist down on another table--breaking it*

Hiro: Q_Q "...My sandwich was on that table..."

Sato: "..." *bawling*

mina: *pap pap*

Eijiro: *sniffles* "Maybe we at least passed the written exams...Then I would feel like I'm less of a failure."

mina: finger's crossed!

-elsewhere-

yana:....*spinning around in her chair*

Ivan: *dusting* *humming*

elizaveta: *with a bug net, looking around the wooded area around the house*

Gogol: *over her earpiece* "Find it yet?"

elizaveta: <not yet>

Gogol: <Just a bit more...>

-CATCH-

elizaveta: <i caught it!!> ^o^

Gogol: "YAY!"

lydia: ??

Gogol: "Show it to the camera!" *he had her wear camera-eyeglasses*

-snap-

Gogol: ^w^ <So proud...>

-elsewhere-

Katai: "I think that's the last box..."

keek: thanks a lot for this.

Katai: "Anything for a friend..." *sets it down* "That leaves setting up your bed, right?"

keek: yeah.

Katai: "I'll get on that--hold her for me." *hands Keek his futon*

keek: o-ok... ._. um....hello yoshiko.

Yoshiko: -silent, because she's a futon-

keek:... *sweatdrop*

-elsewhere-

Damon: *posing his doll* ^w^

becky: dad? do we have a camera?

soul: what for?

becky: pictures.

soul: ah.

Damon: "??? For keepsakes?"

becky: smile. ^^

Damon: "..." *nervous grin* "Um, cheese?"

-elsewhere-

Gin: *guarding the door* "..."

higuchi: has he said anything?

Gin: "Little. Requests for food, some books."

higuchi: *listening*

Mori: *muffled muffled--* "--Shizuka, why--" *muffled*

higuchi:....*peeeek*

Mori: *he hasn't shaved...he's holding something...*

higuchi:....*closes the door*

Gin: "...That bad?"

higuchi: define 'bad'

Gin: "...Is he dead?"

higuchi: unfortunately, no.

Gin: "Hmm. This is trying."

higuchi:.....

Gin: "At least it seems Goethe is containing him..."

higuchi: y-yeah....damn....i hate this.

Gin: "I know. For now, we can only make sure he isn't going anywhere..."

higuchi: he looked so pitiful....it makes me sick to feel sorry for him! after-....after all he's done...*shaking*

Gin: *holds Higuchi*

higuchi: *cries into her chest*

Gin: *strokes her head*

higuchi: *hic* r-rain...*hic*

Gin: *sniff* "I-I know..." ("I can't leave this post, unless I find someone else...")

naoya: want me to stand guard?

Gin: "Could you?"

naoya: sure thing. take all the time you need.

higuchi: t-thanks naoya.

Gin: *walks away with Higuchi*

-elsewhere-

[letterstoocean]

ocean,

another chapter out and done.  This hurts so much but i can feel the weight lifiting off me.  The pain going away... 

Chapter Seven

Searching for the music between the music.  Trying to find the notes between the notes he woke up from a dreamless sleep that was all him and him alone.

Something felt different as he tried to wake.

Like a weight that held him down was no longer there.

He was silent inside.

Just. Silent.

He sat up and in a half in half out daze of sleeping and not sleeping, he looked around at the studio and saw the carnage of what it took to get the story out.

“Ouch.”  was all he said.

He looked down and saw his shirt was covered in vomit, paint and what maybe looked like blood. The smell of sweat was coming off him like a dark onion rotting on a hot summer day. That just about gagged him in his state of mind. He ran his hand over his face to keep from puking and felt several days of stubble.

“Jesus, how long have I been in here?” he said as he got up and zombie walked to the shower.  

Contemplating time he stood underneath the hot water until he felt somewhat clean enough to not sit in his own filth and put the stopper in the tub.

Sliding down into the steam he felt like a serpent shedding a skin.  A heavy vomit covered paint stained skin.

He grabbed the tape recorder from the side of the tub, pressed play, tossed a wet handkerchief over his eyes and as he sat back took a deep sigh.

“Feels like I am floating. Like I am not me.  I am me, but a me I have never seen or felt before. Wait is that right?”

Pulling the stopper out with his toes he laid back and let the water drain.  Once it was gone he filled the tub with hot water again.   “For me, home has been a constant fire that keeps rolling downhill.  Sometimes I am chasing the flames trying to get some warmth. Other times I am running from the flames afraid I will get burned.  But now...”

He turns the water off with his toe and slowly slides into the steam.

“Now it feels like the flame is inside of me.   And I don't know if it is keeping me safe and warm or burning me up.”

He began to sweat then. A deep sweat that pulls out things you have held in for too long. Each drop sounded like a nail being removed from a closed coffin lid and felt just as painful.  Sweating it out he heard the creak and moan creak and moan as each nail  echoed and hit the still water and sending a ripple away from him.  

“Perhaps that is what you have been running from all these years.” she said walking into the room.  “Running from yourself.  Running from that fire.  Always afraid of the home that is inside of you.”

She sat on the floor, handed him his Winnie the Pooh cup filled with hot coffee, rested her head on the side of the tub and smiled, “Welcome back.”

“Hi.” he said with the typical nervous goofy smile.

“Hi.” she smiled back.

“I didn't think I would make it back from this one.” he said leaning forward and kissing her head.

“I knew you would.” she kissed him on the lips and rested her head on his. “You always do.”

“You are still here.” he whispered and sighed.

“Always, love.”  she sat up and slid the mug towards him. “You need to wash all of this away and move on. You seriously stink.”

She grabbed the sponge and peppermint soap and started scrubbing the paint of his back as he leaned forward and drank his coffee.  

“Wow.” she said laughing, “did any paint hit the canvass this time, love?”

He laughed.

“My grandfather used to say to me  'I hope you don't fuck like you create boy.”

They both laughed as she leaned in, bit his ear and whispered, “You do.”  She squeezed the sponge out over his head, “But that is a good thing.  Passionate. Full of fire.”

She threw the sponge at him and stood up, “Drain it again. Rinse off in the shower and I will climb in the tub with you. Going to get more coffee.”

With himself and the tub clean he fell back into the water and grabbed a pen and tablet off the floor.

That perfect precise moment when intimate moments refill our souls...

Under a steaming shower taking time to completely soap the  sponge with our favorite soap, you caress my entire body letting the soap, your hands and song work deep into my bones.

Standing under the water I lean my head back and let the day fall from me and down the drain.

Rinsing the sponge and working the soap like a sculpture to clay, I treat your body with the same care your hands did on mine.

Lingering in places where muscles are tense, tight and need a release, I stay there until they relax.

Loving the sounds you make I stay even longer in places where you moan and put your hands on my shoulders for support as your legs begin to shake.

Time is weightless as we embrace beneath the water.

Heads resting on shoulders as arms hold tight, close and we become one.

Distance keeps us from doing these things right now so I create them with my words and images. Sharing them with love, lust,  desire and all of my heart.

A powerful, beautiful song we share until I find the roads back into your arms again...

“Ready for me?” she asked walking in the bathroom.

“Always.” he sighed set the pen and tablet on the floor and smiled, “come join my weather for awhile.

She slid out of her clothes and tested the foot with her water.  

“Have I told you how beautiful you are.” he asked caressing her calf with his finger.

“You have not.” she stepped into the tub with a hiss of breath, slid down into the water and leaned back into his arms, “You should do that.”

“You are so beautiful”  he bit her ear gently and rubbed his nose against her cheek, “You are so beautiful that your beauty brings a light into my dark. You are so beautiful that with you my darkness is a comfort, not a fear.”

She sighed, leaned her head back against his shoulder.

“You are so beautiful that you still take my breath away and the flutter byes in my stomach fly with every touch and smile from you.”

He kissed her on the lips then.  “That is how beautiful you are to me.”

“Thank you.” she whispered.

“Anytime. Every time. All the time. For the rest of our lives.” he replied.

He grabbed one of the rose stems from the cup he kept them in and twirled in it is hand as his other one caressed her skin.

“I have never told you why I chew on these have I”  

“I figured you would get to it in time.”

“It was the same time and place as the Turtle incident...”  

Rose Stems and the Black Queen

After the turtle incident I felt so alone.  So weak. So scared.  No terrified. Just terrified of life. Terrified of mom leaving me with Bruce and never coming back. Terrified of Bruce cutting my throat in the middle of the night.

This fear made me school even worse.  I completely gave up and just stared off into space.  I stopped my schoolwork and just went away in my head.  

The sound of the kids laughing at me and calling me names vanished into the background.  Just an empty shell with choes bouncing around in it.

One day I was walking to school when I ran into a group of bullies that had been tormenting me since I arrived in Pearland. Bullies always have a leader and as I walked closer to them he smiled in anticipation of either chasing or catching me.  

I saw him mouth to his buddies, “look who it is.” They ran after me and I took off.  Knowing they were getting close to me  I ducked into the first door I saw.  They stood outside and waited; all good bullies know not to start anything in a building. Grownups always break it up or inform their parents.

I turned around and saw that I was in a small grocery store. I walked around hoping they would get bored and leave.

Eventually, a woman with blue hair, sparkling glasses on a gold chain and a big warm smile came from behind the counter and asked if I needed any help.

I’m not sure why but I pretended to be deaf and dumb. The lady gave me a sincere smile, grabbed a pen and paper and wrote the question down again.  I wrote back that I was hungry but not sure what I wanted.

She wrote back, TAKE WHAT YOU WANT SWEETIE.

I grabbed one of the homemade sandwiches from the cooler and fumbled around in my pockets pretending to look for money that wasn’t there.  

DON’T WORRY ABOUT MONEY.  YOU COME BACK WHENEVER YOU ARE HUNGRY.

Every day after school I would stop and write a poem, a story or give them a drawing and they would feed me.  All the while I pretended that I was deaf and dumb.  I wasn’t mean to the ladies.  I never took more than they offered but I did feel guilty about what I was doing.  It didn’t stop me from doing it.  I was hungry; and the bullies would never follow me into the bodega.

One day before school, the bullies were chasing me and I was nowhere near the bodega or the school so I ran into a Safeway grocery store to hide and to wait them out.  

I decided to make myself a sandwich while I was in the store. I opened a bag of Wonder Bread to get a couple of slices when I heard a woman behind me yell “hey!”  

Startled, I jumped and spun around expecting an employee to pounce on me. Instead it was one of the ladies from the bodega. I realized that I had jumped when she yelled and I ran out of the store and through the group of kids waiting for me.

I honestly believe that I ran faster from the smiling Bodega lady than I ever ran from the kids.  I really did hate lying to her and now I was caught.  I didn’t want to face that fact.  

I slowed down enough to walk into a barbershop to hide.

Never run through a doorway.

Always walk in with some sort of confidence.

Confidence is a damn good weapon to have.

Running through a doorway into someones world lets them know you are scared and don’t care if they know it.

That’s a secret you can’t afford to let out.

The lessons that Gary: The Convict Next Door taught me rang in my head and I stood in the doorway and smiled.  

“Have a seat, Come enjoy our weather for awhile.” Said a white  leathery old man sharpening a straight razor on a belt attached to the barber’s chair.

Sitting in the chair was a small black man that looked to be a hundred and ten years old.  He had a giant white afro with poofy sideburns to match.  There was a black pipe clenched between his teeth and white smoke drifted from between them every time the man took a breath.

Next to the big window that looked out on to the street, two men sat at a table staring at the pieces on a chess board. One of them looked exactly like the man sitting in the barber chair.  The other man was white; he wore a black suit with a string tie like the jazz musicians wore in New Orleans.  He was very tan with long black hair that was showing some gray.  He was bald with several scars on his head.  He looked to be squinting at with one eye closed more than the other. Chewing on a small stick with great focus on the chessboard he didn't even look up at me.

I looked at the door thinking maybe it was better to run after all; but after a moment, I decided old smoky men were safer than young angry bullies and walked over to the bench.

“Relax, we’re all friends here.”  Said the black man as he moved one of the chess pieces and then sat back and lit his pipe.  “So what brings you to the barber shop?  Since you should be in school?”

I began to elaborate one of the many lies that just seemed to roll off my tongue; instead I shrugged my shoulders and looked at my feet.

“I’m going to guess it was those other yard apes chasing you up and down the street all the time.”  Said the bald man with the stick in his mouth. His voice was harsh, dry,  and very deep.  Each word a voice to it as it came out.

“Yes sir.”  

“Well,” said the man moving a chess piece and sitting back, “You’re safe here.”

The barber brushed off his seat after the man got up and took a long look at me, “Is that him?”  

“That’s the little artist. Not a very good actor though.” Said the white guy.  He looked at me, the small stick moving around in his mouth as he talked. “The ladies know you aren’t deaf.  Felt sorry for you. I can see why. Seen you wearing those same clothes for a month now.”

The barber brushed the seat off, put a smooth white board across the arms and smacked it.

“Have a seat, get that mop cut.  Name’s Clive.  What’s yours?”

“Christophe, and I’m sorry, but I don’t have any money.”

“Didn’t ask for any.  Now hop up here.”

As Clive worked his way through my hair that hadn’t been cut in two years I watched the two men play chess.

“The black man is Anthony.  His twin over there is Timothy; call him Tim.” They both nodded at me. “The crusty Italian is Giovanni.”  Clive said as the scissors snipped away.

The scissors flew and my hair hit the floor as Giovanni and Tim played their game.

“I do believe we are at a stalemate.” Giovanni said leaning back.  

“All done.” Said Clive pulling the cape away with a swoosh and brushing the hair off my neck with a very stiff brush.  He brought a jar full of Dum-Dum suckers down from the shelf, opened it and offered me one. I took a green one, said thank you and returned to the bench.

I quietly sat in the barber shop and watched men come and go.  Some received haircuts; others sat on the bench chatting with me.   Around noon a large woman stopped by.  She unfolded a small poker table, snapped a checkered board table cloth out and draped it over the top. She then set out enough food to feed an army.

She counted the number of men around the room and got as many plates. She scooped out lunch and passed it around.  

Then she looked over at me above the rim of her glasses.  Sniffed, scooped some spaghetti out, looked me up and down and scooped some more.  She thrust the plate under my chin, “someone should have been feeding this boy.  Look how skinny he is.”

“That is my sister Gloria.” said Giovanni, “If you know what is good for ya, you will eat.”  

The plate had to weigh five pounds as I set it on my lap and dug in. Halfway through the meal my stomach felt like it was going to burst. The other men were taking their empty plates to the large woman to be cleaned.  I looked around for some help and no one looked me in the eye.  The woman shook a finger at the plate and I kept going.

Somehow, I finished it all and wound up falling asleep on the bench.  I didn’t hear the woman leave; I didn’t hear people come and go.  

I felt a hand shake me awake as a voice laughed.

“Wake up, dirty one.  Time to close shop.”

I sat up rubbed sleep from my eyes and looked around.  The lights were out and Clive stood at the front door with keys in hand.  Giovanni stood over me smiling.  

“My sister’s pasta has killed men.  If it didn’t kill them it made them stronger.  You stick around and she will either kill you or make you strong enough to take care of those lil bastards that have been chasing you.  But for today it’s time to head home.  Where do you live and I will give you a ride.”

I automatically began to lie.  I never told anyone where I lived in case they wanted to talk to my mom.  And if they realized she was never home they may wind up putting me in a foster home or worse.   I told him I could walk home.  

“I need to walk the food off.”

“I don’t believe you.  Tell me where you live.”

The look that man gave me told me people listened to him and obeyed him or else.

I told him.

For the next week I hung out at the barber shop and didn't go to school. I didn’t have to worry about school calling home because we didn’t own a phone.  

Every day at noon Gloria showed up with a pile of food.  They always kept saying the same thing.  Fatten me up to take care of the bullies.

“Now what you need to do.” Giovanni said in his scratchy voice. “What you need to do is just go fucking crazy!  Crazy is good at times.”

Slapping the back of his into his palm and that rose stem in his mouth he smiled, “Just. Fucking. Go. Crazy and beat the biggest one.  Bite him, rip his eyes out.  You do what it fucking takes to win kid!”

I would leave the apartment in the morning and hide in the bushes until the kids were almost at school and then I would go to the barbershop. But one morning I left too soon and the main bully and his crew found me.

The kids name was Derrick.  He had been held back twice and towered over ll the other kids.  He always had this evil grin on his face like he enjoyed the malice he inflicted.  There were four smaller kids that hung with him hoping to one day be just as mean as he was and followed everything he did.

I wasn't going to make it to the barber shop before they caught me so ran behind a taco bell hoping to get to the alley and to another street.

But the kids got smart and I didn't see them split up.  As I was running I saw one of them step out from behind the dumpster and tackled me so hard that it knocked the wind out of me.

I was on the ground gasping for breath when I heard the red wings on the concrete and derrick say, “Hold him down.”

The kids held my arms and legs, laughing as they did and Derrick sat on my chest.

First he grabbed my hands and hit me in the face with them saying, “stop punching yourself. Stop punching yourself.”  

Bored with that he then would get a trickle of spit hanging off his lip and let it fall to my face.  Right before it hit me he would suck it back into his mouth.

Then bored with that he started punching me.  Over and over and over.

“Keep him down!” he said as he got up and walked over to to a pile of dog shit and stepped in it.

He came back and as I squirmed and kicked and tried to get up he stood over me laughing and started to step on my head with his boot.  

All I can now remember is seeing that boot coming down over and over again on my face.

Then there was nothing.

I do not know how I got loose.  I don't really remember anything except hearing that scream in my head when Bruce held me over the sink. Then I was screaming and snarling and somehow I had knocked derrick down and fell onto this back, grabbed his throat, and bit down on his ear.  I felt his hot blood squirt in my mouth and that made me even angrier.

Screaming and snarling even more I grabbed his hair in my hands and pounded his head into the cement.

“Leave! Me! Alone!” I screamed with each smack of his head to the concrete.

I felt some one pull me off of him.

Then there was nothing.

I was sitting in the principals office crying.  I still had dog shit and blood all over my face as he stood over me sounding like Charlie Browns parents.  Incoherent and gibberish as he told me how horrible I was.

“You are getting popped. Do I need to call your parents?” he asked grabbing the paddle from behind his desk.

I shook my head no.

He wasn't even going to let me clean my face before he did it.

I placed my hands on his desk and he hit me ten times with that paddle then sent me to class.

I didn't go to class.

I ran to the barber shop and as I walked in they all stood up clapped and laughed.

Especially Giovanni.  He was laughing and imitating me smashing Derricks head in, “I told you.  I told you.  You did it kid.”

One of them grabbed me in headlock and rubbed my head gently with his knuckle.  Several pats on the back and Gloria walked up with a wash cloth and clean clothes.

After Gloria cleaned me up and fed me Giovanni motioned for me to sit at the chess board with him.

“It's time you heard a story.”

He tapped the table with his hand, staring at the chess board; gathering his thoughts before he spoke.  

“We all fall in love.” He held up a finger. “Once. Tru  Both souls involved.”  

He took the stick out and held it between his fingers.  “My love was Raquel.  We met in Italy as teenagers.  We fell in love, we danced through life and we married.  We were going to grow old together.”

He grabbed the black queen off the board and turned it slowly in his fingers.

“I took over the family business.  We moved to America.  We became rich. Every day of our lives together when I came home from the killing and corruption, I would pledge my love for her and give her a rose and whisper, “I made it my love. And I would kiss her.  Kiss her deep and she returned the kiss with even more depth.”

He grew silent and kept turning the queen around in his fingers.

“She died, didn’t she?” I asked, knowing the answer.

“Yes, yes, of course she did.  All good love stories have a death in them or they would not be good love stories.”

He passed the black queen over to me and gently slid the rest of the pieces off of the board.

“You win.”  Then with a deep sigh he said, “I chew on these because on her death bed she told me our love would not die even after she did.” He pulled the stem from his lips and held it just like he held the black queen.

“I chew on rose stems to remind me that love doesn’t die.  That love is always there on the lips to be said, or shared.”

He sat back and stared at then and was quiet for several seconds.

“You did good today kid. You need that fire and anger to survive.  But remember this.  Do not let that anger override the love in the world. It is all around you in different forms. Always keep love in your heart. Always always remember that.”

I told him I would.

Mom came home that night and woke me up with the usual whisper, “Wake up baby. We are leaving.”

I was so grateful that I think I jumped up from my sleep and ran to the car of the new boyfriend and didn't look back.

It didn't hit me until later that day that I did not get to say goodbye to the barber shop crew.  It seemed I never got to say goodbye to the people that were important in my life.

But now I realize I never really did say goodbye. They have been with me all this time and always will be.

Love is like that and always will be.