#maybe it'll be on clearance or something after who knows

[morayofsunshine]

i'm sad that the dnp cat calendar is limited buy bc my parents and i have a tradition of buying calendars for each other for christmas and i was seriously thinking of getting the calendar if my parents didn't get one for me

[everwitch-magiks]

OKAY EVIE. The epic rivalry between a flashy spellcaster and the person who has to complete all the restoration paperwork after the quest is complete. xoxo MJ/kiwiana-writes

Why, hello MJ! Wow, time flies. How about we don't think too hard about how it’s been five or so months since I reblogged this ask game and you sent me this ask.

There is something of a reason why this took me an amount of time: so I decided to make this one more fun by fleshing it out into a little story and also telling it in reverse order. The latter turned out a little challenging. But without further yapping, here it is. Five fun facts from (... more like parts of) a spellcaster/spell restorator (that's a word, right?) AU, told from ending to beginning. Enjoy! ♡

5. Except the very next day, Alex receives a handwritten letter sealed with wax. The seal is the Fox family's. The penmanship is delicate and measured, nothing like the radiant man Alex knows is behind it.

The letter contains both an apology and an invitation. Henry is asking Alex to meet him on the summit of the mountain.

(Alex does.)

4. It goes on like that for months. Henry keeps stopping by, keeps lingering, keeps laughing at Alex's jokes - even when they're mediocre. There's something there. Something beneath the surface. Something that's slowly blossomed this whole time.

One morning, Henry comes early. Before one of his quests. He wants to know if he may visit Alex late that evening, after his return. 'The sunset will be pretty at that time of day. Perhaps we could get up above the treetops to get a good view?'

Alex's heart races in his chest long after Henry has left.

But Henry doesn't come that night. Possibly, his quest went on for longer than he'd anticipated - or possibly, he found something more worthy of his time than Alex.

It'd make sense. Alex can't even claim he's surprised. A common restorator was never a good match for a legendary spellcaster.

3. Henry's pretty when he smiles. He's even prettier when he laughs. He's been spending more and more time simply sitting in Alex's kitchen between quests. It's a little unnerving. Henry has hundreds of admirers who'd happily entertain him during his time off - yet instead he's drinking tea at Alex's table, listening to Alex's rants about the incompetent archivists over at restoration headquarters.

'Anyway, I shouldn't bore you with the details-'

'I like it when you tell me the details.'

That's annoyingly sweet. 'Careful, Fox. I might fall a little bit in love with you.'

Henry's smile softens a fraction. 'I'm sure I shall find some way to bear that.'

Fuck.

Maybe Alex's fantasy of heading up the mountain with Henry could someday become reality.

2. Henry’s off on another quest. Something to do with a flock of wild unicorns inconveniencing a nearby village. Small stuff. If it'd been anyone else the paperwork would've been a piece of cake, but since it's Henry it'll probably take weeks.

Alex isn’t dealing with any of that today. He's off on a stroll up the mountain; the clearance to restore Henry’s most monumental mess hasn't come through yet, so Alex might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

Yet when Alex returns home, Henry is there. He's outside Alex's house. That's so odd. Henry hasn't deigned to stop by since they were first thrown together as partners from their respective guilds - even though, at the time, Alex had thought they'd hit it off pretty well.

Henry smiles bashfully when Alex says as much. 'Work has kept me very busy.'

Alex snorts. 'Yeah, well, me too. All thanks to you. You sure don't do things by halves.'

'... Maybe there's someone I've been trying to impress.'

Oh.

1. Alex has fucking had it.

He's knee-deep in trying to obtain clearance to reverse Henry’s latest disaster: a mountain moved from one side of the kingdom to the other while on a quest to save a young boy from a dragon. Moving mountains is a level five restoration. And moving it didn't even help with the fucking dragon. Ridiculous. Henry’s such a showoff.

Never mind that moving mountains is kind of impressive.

Never mind that the mountain is Alex’s favorite in the kingdom, and now the foot of it sits next to his backyard.

Alex’s whole life revolves around following Henry’s tracks and covering them up. And he’s damn good at it. Best in the guild. But sometimes, he wonders what the point of it all is if Henry always remains just out of reach.

Never mind that Alex told Henry once, in a moment of weakness, that he's always dreamt of being asked for his hand at the top of that very mountain. Henry probably doesn't even remember. And even if he does, it'll never be him who takes Alex up the mountain to make it a reality. That’s just a silly fantasy.

... There we have it! Thank you - belatedly - for the ask! ♡

[cowgurrrl]

It Will Come Back

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader (except this is all backstory)

Author’s note: now we’re cooking with peanut oil 🤠

Summary: “I get mean when I’m nervous, like a bad dog.” Cop Car by Mitski [3.3k]

Warnings: survival stuff, parental anxiety, PTSD symptoms, Jane being the best, some smoochy smooch

More survivors filter in. Slowly, but they still show up— nobody you recognize or care about. You still haven't seen Matt, and you're quickly losing hope. Not that there was much to begin with. Time crawls on, and suddenly it's been weeks since that September night. Adam and Jane are inseparable most days. She wants to be next to him and hear what he has to say or teach her, and she laughs. Full-bellied, air-stealing, big laughs at his jokes or a funny face. Seeing her interacting with someone, especially a man, like that hurts something deep inside you. The whole time you think, she deserves a dad. She wants a dad. She's worthy of a dad, but her mom can't ever fucking pick 'em right. He's not her father, and there's nothing you can do to change that, but to her, he's a safe person to be around. That's enough for now. 

There have been murmurings of a wall going up around the Quarantine Zone— nobody in or out without clearance or a death wish. After that, FEDRA will clear the rest of the QZ and get whatever survivors are here into apartments. Maybe even give us jobs again. May is still hounding you about coming around and helping at what is now the makeshift hospital, where she spends her days tending to new survivors and stupid FEDRA soldiers who take bullets to the shoulder for not paying attention. You don't care. The entirety of your attention is on Jane.

Is she eating enough? Is she sleeping? Is she getting nightmares like you are? Does she see the blood staining your hands when she closes your eyes like you do? Seeing your mom kill four people in front of you can't be good for your mental health. How do you help her get through it? What can you do to ease this aching burden you handed her without a second thought because at least she was alive? Is she happy? Would she even tell you if she wasn't? Would she still let you see that part of her, or is she aware of just how fragile you are these days? You're still in survival mode. You're not sure when you'll get out of it, if you ever will.

One night, before the last dredges of summer heat can slip away, Jane sighs as she lies next to you, staring at the ceiling. You look down and push her hair out of her face so you can see her better through the darkness. She leans into your touch, snuggling closer and throwing an arm over your abdomen. 

"What's wrong, bug?" You ask quietly as you kiss her temple. 

"D'you remember when we used to sit outside and look at the sky before bed?" She asks like it was years ago instead of a few weeks. In a way, it feels like it. You take a deep breath and nod. 

"Yeah, I remember."

"I miss the moon," she mumbles. "Is it still there?"

"The moon?" You ask, and she hums. "Yeah, the moon is still up there. It'll always be in the sky."

"Do you think Daddy looked at the moon like we did?" She asks, and you freeze. She rarely brings him up, if at all. She doesn't know why he's not around but understands that most families have two parents. Still, you know she thinks about him, and you've told her it's okay if she does. You just didn't expect her to ask you that.

"I don't know," you admit. "What do you think?" She looks like she thinks for a moment before reaching out to play with the ends of your hair. 

"I think he did." She says, and you smile. She doesn't say anything else, falling asleep in your arms not even ten minutes later. You do your best to follow suit, closing your eyes and snuggling her to your chest, but your mind floods with memories of sitting on the balcony of your apartment with her, looking up at the night sky. 

It was her favorite thing to do. She would smile as you pointed out constellations and listened when you told her stories about the formations. You told her that the Big Dipper was the Little Dipper's mom, so they were never far apart. You told her that the Big Dipper loved the Little Dipper so much that they were put in the sky for everyone to see their love forever. You told her they were like you two. Before you finally fall asleep, you start coming up with a plan. 

Over the next week, you take notice of the patrol shifts. You figure out when and where they patrol and when they change shifts. For the most part, it's the same rotation every few days as a few FEDRA soldiers patrol the perimeter of the QZ. However, most of them are focused on where they're building the wall, protecting the workers, and making sure nothing gets in or out. You figure if you stay away from the building site, you're in the clear. When you're alone, you pull your bag from under your and Jane's bed to check your gun. The grip still has blood, but it's loaded, and you have extra ammo. You glance around before tucking the gun in your waistband, the weight of the metal a comfort against your skin. 

That night, you almost decide to change your whole plan. In the past few days, FEDRA has gotten especially jumpy, and in turn, they've gotten brutal. They've recently implemented a curfew, making everyone get off the streets and stay in their shelters from the hours of nine pm to six am. At first, the punishment for being caught outside after curfew was a slap on the wrist. Then, it became a fine that nobody paid because nobody had money anymore. Now, it's time, ranging from hours to days, spent in lockup. You've seen May helping a few people once they leave lockup, bruises and cuts littering their skin. As if fighting Infected wasn't threatening enough, now we're living under constant fear of getting the shit beaten out of us by FEDRA. 

Waters doesn't even look at you when he walks through the shelter. None of them look at any of us. Their eyes are hollowed by whatever they've done since the beginning of the end. You would feel bad if you didn't know he and other FEDRA soldiers lived the most lavishly out of any other survivor. Rumor has it they spent our food budget on ammunition, and rationing will start sooner rather than later. Empathy is hard to find on both sides these days. 

Still, you quietly slip your shoes on and rouse Jane awake. When she opens her eyes, she blinks at you several times like she can't comprehend that you're sitting up instead of lying next to her. "Wanna go see the moon?" You whisper, and a huge smile breaks out across her face. She sits up and puts her shoes and jacket on before tiptoeing out of the room behind you. The hallways are empty, so you sail through the old high school and to the double doors leading to the street without any issues. As you approach the door, you put a hand on Jane's shoulder, pull your gun from your waistband, and keep it low before opening the door to check that the streets are clear. Jane gets the silent message and stays back until you wave her on. She looks up the second there's no roof over her head and marvels at the vastness of the sky.

There aren't as many stars visible as usual, but you chalk that up to the new crazy amounts of pollution let off from the bombings and the building of the wall. Still, the moon is full, bright, and shining across Jane's smiling face. She's looking up, but you're looking at her, watching how she takes in the rare sight and lights up when she spots the Big Dipper. You want the joy in her eyes to stay there forever, but she quickly turns pensive as she looks at you, her eyes shifting nervously from you to the empty, dark street.

"Are we gonna get in trouble?" She asks, keeping her voice quiet so it doesn't echo across the buildings. You hide your gun away again and walk over to her, putting your hands on her arms.

"No, we're not gonna get in trouble. I know how to keep us safe, and we're not going far," you say and point to the fire escape ladder leading to the roof on the side of the high school. Still, you can feel Jane's anxiety as you hold her. You nudge her to make her look you in the eyes and smile when she does. "Do you trust me?" You ask. She thinks for a minute before nodding. "Then, let's go look at the stars."

She clings to your neck as you climb up the fire escape, not even looking down at the creaky metal under your shoes. You shush her gently and rub her back as you get higher and higher, assuring her that she's safe and you would never let anything happen to her. When you finally get up to the roof, you can see more of the night sky and even what's left of the city around you. Much of it is rubble or half-toppled over buildings, but there's still a lot left in the heart of the QZ. You wonder if that was on purpose. Jane gasping stops you from unraveling that thought anymore, and you quickly look down to see her wide-eyed and pointing at something on the horizon.

"Mommy, look," Jane breathes quietly, afraid it'll disappear if she speaks too loudly. It takes your eyes a second to adjust, but when they do, you can't help but smile at how the little flashes of light flit around. "Fireflies," she says. "Did you know fireflies light up like that so they can talk to their other firefly friends?"

"I didn't know that." You say, amazed at her intelligence, but she just giggles at the thought of knowing something you didn't. You guys lie on the roof together and gaze up at the moon. It looks bigger and brighter than you remembered. Maybe you've fully lost your mind and forgotten what the moon looked like. Either way, you're happy just to lie next to Jane and look at it with an appreciation you certainly didn't have before Cordeceyps took over your life. 

The night is cool and still a product of the transition between seasons. It always fascinated you how the world seemed to pause and take a breath before switching from summer to autumn. The cicadas are still out in full force, and you can hear them from wherever they took shelter after the bombings. A bird flaps its wings overhead and lets out a desperate call, practically begging for another bird to return its song. Distantly, you can smell cement being poured in an effort to keep you safe. You think you can smell the blood on the gun digging into your side too. The blood you spilled in an effort to keep her safe. How much farther will we each go to keep up the fantasy of safety? 

You're not sure how long you're out there, under the stars, with her, but you know your eyes get heavy, and your body relaxes for the first time in weeks. Jane rolls over to be closer to you, her fingers intertwining with yours, and you turn to look at her. She takes a deep breath and stares at you, the gears in her mind working overtime as she thinks. You wish you could peek inside her brain to understand how it all works, how she is as amazing as she is, but you can't. So, you wait her out. After a minute of just staring at each other, she squeezes your hand and smiles.

"I love you, Mommy." She says. Your breath catches in your throat, and for a second, you think you'll choke on your emotions. You lean down and kiss her forehead, squeezing her back.

"I love you, too, Janey." You say, but before the words can even leave your mouth, you hear the unmistakable sound of metal scraping metal. Someone is coming up the fire escape. You sit up and shield Jane's body with your own as you pull the gun from your waistband. You flip the safety and aim the barrel toward the noise. Your heart thrums in your face, and your ears ring as the scraping sound gets closer and closer. Jane whimpers behind you, and you reach back to touch her shoulder but stay laser-focused on the person coming for you. When the person comes over the ledge, your finger twitches to hit the trigger, but you stutter as you make out familiar features. His flashlight also helped protect him from catching a bullet.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Waters asks as he lowers his own gun that was pointed in your direction. You're not as quick to waver. "Lower your weapon," he says like it's a nuisance even to have to voice. "Don't be stupid about this, sweetheart." There's enough of an edge to his voice for you to comply, and he watches you as you put the gun on the ground and raise your hands. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"I could ask you the same thing. I got a call about some movement on this side of the QZ and was sent to check it out," he says. "You're lucky it was me. Anyone else would've shot on sight."

"Oh, so I should be thanking you?" You ask. Jane clings to your legs and shyly buries her head in your thigh, and you sigh as Waters glances between her hands and your eyes. "She wanted to see the stars." You answer his unspoken question and his Adam's apple bobs. 

"I should put you in lockup for breaking curfew. Not to mention you're armed." He says. It's more of a statement than a threat. He doesn't seem like he likes the thought of separating you two, even though he was more than keen on it when you first got here.

"So, do it," you say. "Do whatever you have to do, but you're not gonna touch her." He takes a deep breath as his radio crackles with someone asking for a report about your movement. He meets your eyes and holds your gaze while pressing the talk button.

"Nothing here. Must've been a cat or something. Circling back now. Waters out," he says, and you let out a shaky breath. He nods almost imperceptibly at you, and you nod back— a silent agreement. "Let's go." He says once the moment has passed. You grab your gun but show him how you release the magazine and pull the slide to spit out the bullet left in the chamber. He doesn't try to take the firearm from you. In fact, he turns his head when he sees you tucking it in your waistband again. Jane all but jumps in your arms, and the three of you silently climb down the fire escape. When you get to the bottom, you tell Jane to go inside and lie down. 

"I'll meet you in a second, okay? Adam is there if you need anything before I get back." 

"But, Mommy," she whines, and you shake your head.

"No but's. I need to talk to Mr. Waters. I'll be there in a second. I promise," you say, and she huffs but complies, disappearing behind the high school doors. Through the cracked glass, you can watch her walk down the hallway until she turns into the classroom/bedroom where you've been sleeping for the past few months. Once you know she's safe, you turn back to Waters. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"The world ended. I can't be a little nice sometimes?"

"Not when you wear that uniform," you say, and he chuckles. "If you're expecting something in return-"

"I'm not." He says, and you throw your arms up in defeat.

"Then, what? You had no problem throwing someone from our shelter in lockup for breaking curfew. Why is it different for me?"

"Do you want me to put you in lockup?" 

"Obviously not."

"Then, let it go." He says, and you roll your eyes before walking away from him and up the stairs. 

"Goodnight, Waters."  

"Owen," he calls, and you turn around to look at him. "My name is Sergeant Owen Waters." 

"Well, then, goodnight Sergeant." You say. With that, you slip back into the school and down the hallway, leaving him in the street. You sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose, fighting an impending headache as your adrenaline finally starts to leave your body. You almost scream when you collide with another body in the hallway, your nails digging into the person's arms as they reach for you. 

"What happened?" Adam's voice pulls you from your shock, and you sigh as you push away from him.

"Why are you even awake?"

"Did you get caught out past curfew?" 

"It's none of your business."

"It is when Jane tells me about it." He says, and you scoff. It could be the leftover anger from your interaction with Waters or your frustration with this entire situation, but you can't hide it anymore. 

"You know, I got along just fine on my own for years. So, I don't need you to play Dad to my daughter just because the world ended, alright?" You spit, trying to push past him to crawl into bed with Jane, but he grabs your arm. Your nails dig into his skin until he lets go of you with a short cry, and you grip his wrist tightly as you back him into a wall. It would only take one quick turn for you to break it. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"Just because you don't want to see it doesn't mean people don't care about you and Jane," he says. "You didn't want help from anyone even before all this shit happened. You don't know how to handle it when someone cares about you, so you just push them away."

"What? You want to be the one to take care of us?"

"What if I did?" 

"Give me a fucking break, Adam."

"I'm serious," he pushes. You let your guard down enough for him to slip his wrist out of your grasp, but he doesn't make any other move to get away from you despite the fire seething in your veins. You're suddenly all too aware of how close you two are. You can make out the freckles littering his cheeks and the scar on his upper lip he told you about on your date a few months ago. You can't remember the last time you were physically this close to anyone else, let alone a man. "Something awful happened, and a lot of people died, and we did a lot of horrible things to stay alive. I know you get nightmares from it because I do, too," he says, and you clench your jaw. "But we survived. We survived and ended up in the same spot, and I care about you and Jane. I did long before any of this. Shouldn't that count for something?" He asks. Your mind is swimming, and you shake your head. His heart beats against yours, and you're close enough to smell the cigarette he smoked before bed. It's annoying how fast you lose track of the conversation when he's looking at you like this.

"If you ever grab me like that again, I will snap your neck. Do you understand me?" You ask, and he swallows hard.

"Yes."

You have no idea who moved or blinked first, but you know you were kissing him against the wall of an old high school before you could even realize it was happening. He tasted like cigarettes and mint and something familiar. 

And Jesus fucking Christ, if you didn't crave something familiar like that.

[thefoxtrot008]

The Readers Blog

Here is part 4 of the dialogue prompts! Just had a bit of inspiration for a new story, so there are a LOT OF THEM. Enjoy! :)

"So, who do we have then, if they're dead?"

"I've heard that expression before."

"Is that a threat?"

"These concerned parties need to have themselves heard otherwise I can't give you clearance."

"How uncomfortable are we talking?"

"He's a nice kid, love. Not too bright though."

"It was easy. Almost too easy."

"I'm a very busy woman. Okay? Next time, make an appointment."

"Get straight to the point detective."

"This is quite an establishment that you've got going here."

"Well, we both know that's bullshit."

"Give me one good reason as to why I should do that."

"You should let them go because it's the right thing to do, but I doubt that means anything to you."

"And that's how you did it."

"You come into my facility, you lie to me, you make threats and you low ball me? Please, I've got better things to do than to waste my time with you. Get out. Get out now!"

"You don't get it do you?"

"How could we have messed this up this badly?"

"Do I look like a person that would do that sort of thing?"

"We got away with it!"

"They don't have any evidence? No fingerprints? Nothing?"

"We don't even know why they were attacked."

"And no one is asking that question!"

"I mean, I'm being framed here, but it's not like anyone cares."

"And yet, I'm not allowed to see my client."

"This is a wrong accusation."

"You have a witness?" "I do."

"Did you see that video?"

"And there's always that one family member that shows up late for everything."

"Not to worry. I have a backup plan."

"I'm going to keep asking, until you give me a good answer."

"It's because it seems like this whole universe is against me!"

"You ain't even from here are you?" "All you've done is lie to these good people."

"You can't tell me who I can and can't sleep with. You are not my mother!" "I might as well be."

"We're not taking any visitors at the moment."

"Let me see what I can do. The full works. Make some phone calls, talk to people. You know, stuff that you don't do."

"I saved your skin here, let's not forget."

"You know, maybe we should run. Pack up our things and go."

"It's not against you or anything."

"It was too late. They had gotten to me first after you left."

"Now, they're after me. Not you darling."

"I'll go!" (everyone: "NO!")

"Oh, I'm not ignoring what happened between us earlier. I'm using it to my advantage here."

"You do understand that if they catch you, they will kill you."

"I'll be down the hall if you need anything."

"You won't do any of that."

"Go after her. GO!"

"I hate seeing you like this... so, we're going to do you a solid mate."

"Those traitors! I'll get you back for this!"

"You still remember how I take my tea?" "Of course, I do. It's you."

"Why'd you disappear on me, all of those years ago?" "It's not that simple. If it's any consolation, it didn't have anything to do with you." "That makes me feel loads better. But it's still not an explanation!"

"This calls for a celebration!"

"It'll be an in and out job, love. I'll be back before you know it."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe she doesn't want to be found?"

"It's none of your business!"

"Oh shit, I grabbed the wrong one." "It better be a damn good funeral."

"I am... a freaking genius! LETS GO!!!"

"What kind of organization are you running here?!"

"I am asking you, because I know that you can handle it."

"I want to read the card."

"You didn't have to make a big deal out of it."

"Give me the keys, I'm leaving."

"You know what?! Maybe I should take the transfer!"

"Can I say something?!" "NO!!"

"Waste of time, huh? Guess who got these documents, from him? Oh, wait. It was me. All me! You're freaking welcome."

"Cancel everything! I have an important announcement to make!"

"I want to do it on my terms." "I was thinking about this earlier."

"We're considering all options." "Like what? Like handing over the kid?" "I told you. We're considering every avenue."

"This is where it all starts." "I haven't told them yet."

"We did give you a bit of a warning."

"You knew?! All of you knew? How come she didn't tell me about it?!"

"Because we'd knew you'd react like this, that's why!" "Fine then. Let's go the extra mile, shall we? I forbid you from seeing him!" "You can't do that!" "I believe I just did!"

"Don't you have anything to say about this?" "I think he's got a point."

"Oh, sure! Way to side with him."

"I should be able to make that decision, I'm older than you!" "Not by much though."

"I can have it reversed if I need to."

"And that's a major if okay? All of this isn't going to be enough. We need hard evidence! Not something that you stole!"

"Way to piss her off man."

"You really have to tell that story again?"

"That was so rude of me. I do apologize."

"She's listening to that song again! It's been nonstop for hours! Make it stop!" "Go talk to her!" "What do you expect me to say, huh?"

"I think you're making too much of this. You do have a tendency to overthink." "I do not. Okay, fine, maybe I do."

"Hopefully it gets a little bit better for you."

"I know. I'm just teasing." "Welcome to my world."

"Yea, but I didn't want to see that." "He didn't seem to have a problem with it."

____________________________________________________________

And... that's a wrap! :) For now at least!

[newgenog]

REVENGE

Notes: This is part three of chapter four. If you're just stumbling across this, and haven't already done so, please stop and start by reading part one of chapter one.

This #Batwoman AU is based on the ABC tv series #Revenge. Ryan Wilder made a choice to be a hero on Batwoman. What happens when she chooses a different path?

Part 3 is short, but remember I've got parts in total for your. A lot happens in this chapter, so it'll be worth it, I promise!

Enjoy this snack.

CHAPTER FOUR - DUPLICITY (Part Three)

Ryan goes after the psychologist who evaluated her after her mom’s death, and determined that she should serve out her time in a youth correctional facility.

JUNE 30TH, 9:00AM, THE HOLD UP

At ten minutes before 9am, Sophie was the first one at the bar, but not for long, because Tyler was right behind her with his laptop bag thrown over his shoulder and a coffee in each hand. 

Sophie: "Morning."

Tyler: "Wasn't sure how you take it, but figured you'd have milk or sugar here, anyway."

When he reaches the bar, he hands her a cup, and she nods in thanks. Her sister and Angelique walk in, next.

Sophie: "We can work in the office. I just need a minute."

Jordan: "Tell me why we're here two hours early, again. And why is there a Crow in our bar?"

Sophie: "If you want more freedom, you're going to have to train Angelique to do more than bartend."

Jordan: "Isn't that your job, boss?"

Sophie: "Actually, my job is to tell you what yours is, and this morning, it's training Angelique. Tyler, let's go."

She spares herself Jordan's eye roll and any forced small talk with Angelique by quickly turning and heading towards the office without checking to make sure Tyler followed her. He said he followed the chain of command…If they were going to work together, he might as well start falling in line now. When she sits behind her desk, he's already begun taking the seat in front of her.

Tyler: "I can't believe you hired that ex-con. And isn't she an addict?"

Sophie: "I didn't, my mom did. And she's recovered. Also, what if we judge the system that failed her instead of the person who fell victim to it. And I thought you weren't here about my restaurant management skills."

Tyler: "Okay, didn't mean to offend your bestie."

Sophie: "Wrong again. I think I'm starting to see why Jacob Kane needs my help if this is your people reading A-game."

Tyler: "Wow! You're really not a morning person are you?"

Sophie: "Tyler…Before we travel beyond the point of return, why don't we discuss what you came for?"

Tyler: "Fine with me. You were so closed to the idea of working with us the other night, we never settled on your terms. I need an agreement and NDA signed before I can show you anything."

Sophie: "I'm five grand a week. Take it or leave it, if you even have the authority to make that decision."

Tyler smirks.

Tyler: "I do."

Sophie: "And since you came to me, we do things my way. I need access to everything. You guys are the ones with corruption, and if I'm going to find out what's going on, it won't be by piecemealing information together because your boss wants to keep secrets. You never know what's relevant, so I need it all. If I ask questions you won't answer, I'm out."

Tyler: "Be reasonable. Even I don't have that much clearance."

Sophie: "And maybe that's why you're failing. I'll sign whatever is required, but get me the clearance, or there's no point."

Tyler takes a beat to think, not breaking eye contact with her. Jacob had a lot of conviction around Sophie Moore, and her reputation from her time with the DOD in National City did precede her. He pulls out a Crows branded folder, opens it and writes something on a sheet of paper. He turns it around so Sophie can read the print. He's written the date and her fee onto a contract on the lines that were left blank. The file already has Jacob Kane's signature on it, and there are other pages behind it."

Tyler: "We're giving you a ten thousand dollar sign on. Boss said to double your rate for that. The NDA is behind it. Sign that, and I'll let you get started looking through what I was already working on while I make a call about your clearance. Worst case, you were paid for your consult today."

Sophie really can't fathom walking away from ten thousand dollars for two hours of her time. She quickly scans the documents, and then grabs a pen and signs. She looks up, and flips her palm out so he can give her whatever he needs reviewed. He drops a flash drive into her hand. 

Tyler: "Password is question everyone. Question mark, capital E for every, the number one."

Sophie gives him a grimace instead of a smile as he turns and walks out of the room, she assumes to call Jacob. She calls out to him before he's out of earshot.

Sophie: "I'm making copies of this."

She puts the drive into her computer and starts scrolling through the files and folders. One folder quickly catches her eye, and compulsion completely wins out over her ethics for a moment. She opens the file, which has very little in it, and prays her semi-photographic memory doesn't let her down this time, as she tries to retain everything her eyes can see.

She hears footsteps approaching and quickly closes out of the file she was reading, just barely resisting the unexplainable urge to delete it. 

~~~~~

12 HOURS LATER 

Mary takes a seat at the bar, big sister sitting again, and Jordan comes over to greet her.

Mary: "You look beat."

Jordan: "Sophie's had us here all day, and she's barely come out of that office."

Mary catches a glimpse of a petite, latinx looking, late-twenty something with a high pony, shuffling around in a hurry behind Jordan and raises a brow.

Mary: "Us? Who's the new girl?"

Jordan: "Her name's Angelique. My mom hired her. She's cool, I guess."

Mary: "Still deciding, eh?"

Jordan cracks a small smile. She's always liked Mary. 

Jordan: "Do you want me to try to get Sophie to come out?"

Mary: "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. She's gotta pee or something eventually, right? And, I can bug you for a while instead."

Jordan laughs while shaking her head no.

Jordan: "I think they taught her how to forget she has a bladder at Point Rock."

Mary: "Even soldiers have to go at some point. I'll bust her out of there eventually if she takes too long."

Jordan: "You are pretty good at convincing her to do stuff. I'll have to remember that."

Mary: "Depending on the ask, I'm happy to lend my services. She doesn't always know what's good for her."

Jordan: "Girl…! You know what? I'll be here all night if I start on that right now. Let me go see what your evil not-twin and her lackeys want to order."

Mary: "I'm following up on that other part when you get back!"

Jordan walks over to the cartoon crew, who seem like characters of themselves, and asks if they want their usual. They barely acknowledge her, because they're being too rowdy. She notices Tatiana is missing and likes them even less. So she takes them basically ignoring her as a yes, and walks off. 

Tatiana is returning from the restroom and catches Jordan heading back behind the bar. So, she takes a seat at it instead of going straight back to the table. When Jordan notices her, she walks over before entering the table's order.

Jordan: "Thought maybe you finally realized there are better people to hang out with than those Lord of the Flies wannabes."

Tatiana: "Throwback! No, I haven't ditched them yet."

Jordan: "Why is that again?"

She shrugs.

Tatiana: "They keep inviting me out, and I don't like to say no."

Jordan lifts her eyebrows, implying, 'if you say so…'

Jordan: "I was just about to put their usual order in. Want anything different?"

Tatiana: "You don't like us, but you have our order memorized?"

Jordan: "I remember everyone's order. It's like remembering a nickname for me. And why'd you group yourself with them like that?"

Tatiana: "Because you never came out again after that one time. Thought maybe I pissed you off too."

Jordan: "Oh, um…my mom got sick the night I went out with you guys, which felt like Karma telling me to chill. So, I've been trying to help out a little more. But you and I are cool. I do wish you had different friends though."

Tatiana: "You could invite me out with your friends sometime."

Jordan: "As soon as I make some, you'll be the first to know." 

Jordan salutes Tatiana, and then turns to finally place the order. It wasn't that Jordan literally had no friends, but she was never the type to go out. She took a year off of school because she thought she should live a little prior to tackling even greater education.

School, running, volunteering, and activism were her life. She liked long distance running because it didn't feel like a team sport; she could be as good at it as she wanted all on her own. And she was smart, but she wasn't a straight A student because she'd rather go to a protest than go to class, so she missed assignments here and there. In fact, one teacher called her "a missed opportunity." 

So while she was accepted everywhere she applied, she wasn't getting any full rides to college. And even though she was more or less a good kid, she was too busy to help out at the restaurant throughout most of high school. All the work she'd been doing around the bar recently wasn't exactly the "living," she imagined she'd be doing though. The temptation to cut loose was sometimes strong, and the wonderland gang almost made it too easy, so she'd given herself one night off of loathing them to see what the hype was about. It didn't end up being worth it.

Mary calls her over after she's done keying the order into the computer. She'd watched the exchange with Tatiana, and is curious.

Mary: "So, are you guys, like, friends now or something?"

Jordan: "I don't know. She's not exactly like them, but she doesn't seem bothered by them, and that makes her questionable."

Mary: "So you inherited that 'save the girl' Moore thing?"

Jordan: "What's that?"

Mary: "Even without the career, Sophie will put herself in harm's way for someone she thinks might be worthy enough to have their back. That's Tatiana for you."

Jordan: "You saying I have some sort of savior complex?"

Mary: "I'm saying you're a good person, but make sure your back is covered when you're busy watching someone else's, too. Not everyone worthy of being saved can or wants to be saved. It might be trying to help them that causes you the most harm."

Jordan nods in understanding, and agreement to think about what Mary said before heading back out to check on her other tables.

~~~~~

To be continued...

Happy Week of Lesbian visibility (wildmoore represents us so well)

All #Batwoman things I do now are in the name of #SaveBatwoman. Go follow all the social handles and support the cause, please.

[sacredflorist]

He knows he absolutely should not be here. This is above his clearance level; after all, being in charge of making Shinra look good and acting as liaison between the company and the rest of the world has nothing to do with their experiments. But sometimes, his connections in other departments slip him bits of information that urge him to do a bit of snooping around.

Even if it is at risk of death -- or worse, when it comes to the science department.

Ignoring the surveillance cameras overseeing every area of the laboratories, Elwin carries onward, determined to see his mission through. To his relief, no one has come to arrest him yet; in fact, he knows full well that security knows he's snooping around. But in typical fashion, no one stops him -- maybe because they believe he isn't a threat, or maybe because they're compiling evidence against him to use all at once. Or maybe, just maybe, his connections really are just that good at pulling strings in his favor.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter why he isn't being shot on sight or apprehended to become a guinea pig for Hojo. He'll not look a gift horse in the mouth.

Within his palm are four colorfully wrapped candies. The fact that Ifalna and little Aerith are being kept here to be poked and prodded and tormented with experiment after experiment disgusts him more than words can express. Really, all of Shinra's actions revolt him -- but this one hits closer to home, likely because of his lost family. (Joshua would be around Aerith's age now, wouldn't he? Perhaps in another life, Clive, Joshua, and Aerith could have been friends.)

And so, mindful of where he steps and being as quiet as he can be, the man seeks out the mother and child, or at the very least one or the other. His offering to them is meager and does nothing to alleviate their suffering... but it's a start, a chance to get to know them -- and see what he can do for them from there.

Unprompted Ask | Always Accepting | @phoenix-flamed

Aerith knows nothing of the world outside of Shinra building, of course. She has to rely on the many stories Ifalna is telling her about her ancestors, but also about the world around them. Her people are close to the nature, to the Planet itself. She wonders if, someday, she will see the world outside of these walls. Her room is fine. When she's here, she feels free, somehow, even if the little girl has no notion of freedom. The only thing she can do is dream about the day she'll leave this place, without even knowing if it'll ever come.

She worries about her mother more than about herself, though. Hojo hasn't experimented much on the girl yet; he's focusing on the mother. Aerith doesn't know what she's doing, but she can hear her mother scream sometimes, and she often looks exhausted. Even when she smiles at her, the half-Cetra can tell something is wrong. She just doesn't know entirely what it is. She's too young to understand, and Ifalna always does her best to comfort her.

When she first hears someone approaching, Aerith can feel her heart start beating loudly inside her chest again. There's not a lot of people who visit them, of course, and most of the time, it's Hojo himself. She sees other people sometimes, too, and she even wants to talk to them sometimes because Aerith is not a shy child, but it never works much. People are working here, even if she doesn't know what they're doing at all.

When she sees Elwin, though, Aerith can't help but smile. She can tell he's not bad, so she quickly approaches, keeping that radiant smile on her features. She raises a curious eyebrow at the sight of the candies. "For... For us ?" she asks, not sure of what it means. This man is so kind. It's obvious that there are nice people working for Shinra, but Hojo is not one of them. "Thank you very much. Mom is sleeping, but I'll give some of them to her later." She pauses for a short moment, hesitating slightly. "... I wish there were more people like you who visit us. I'm sure it'd make Mom happy, too."

[diah-the-demon]

yeah this really feels like we're somewhere on stage talking into a microphone as people pass by and can listen, but yeah agreed, it feels weird when it's not tumblr skljdlsk

ooh I hope you can go there then!! I've had one in my area for a few years that was star wars, star trek and doctor who focused and it was so much fun,, unfortunately with covid coming around it has ended </3 missing it greatly

and oh no D: yeah unfortunately the kids toys break so easily which surprises me ngl,,, you'd expect kids toys to be a bit more sturdy given that kids will play around with it wildly and ksljdslk omg that sounds adorable ngl!! I think I know which masks you mean, I still see kids wearing them every now and then around halloween or carnival

yeah,,, I've gottten a tiny bit better by now (and by that I mean: I will get it but feel bad about it instead of not getting it and feeling sad about that klsjdlsk) I hope you'll eventually get better with it as well! it's so sad how much stuff like this can linger on your brain TT-TT

yeah I think it said 7 more days, so I hope I'll have enough time bcs her shedule changed and now she's at work so I can't ask her TT-TT hopefully it'll last til the weekend when we could order it (if she says yes skldjslk I doubt she wouldn't but still skjdlsk)

okay, yeah, your bookshelf is definitely already cool! But yeah the helmets are going to make it even better, no matter where exactly they will be placed klsdjl

yeah you coudl probably figure it out on your own once you get the basics, even if it is for another set of armor at first! With the basic understanding that should definitely be doable!!

and hmm, I've not build armor yet myself (will have to do so eventually tho,,, I wanna cosplay one of HI3 Himekos battlesuits after all ksjdsl) but it does already sound like a solid idea!! but yeah until you know if it works or not you have an idea at least so that's a good start!

yeah im still not used to it but i think its quite nice to have smth like a constant conversation like this thats lasted almost a full day now jdsljkds, i think its a nice change of pace jdsklkjds

hopefully i can get there when its being held! im not sure when it happens each year but il look that up later and see if i can find dates (hopefully im not gonna be busy when it happens dsjlkkdsj) and awww that sucks, i hope they come back eventually it would suck if it died off forever </3

yeah idk why they were so fragile, they weren't big so i think they were probably childrens sized ones that we had, it doesnt make much sense to expect kids to not hit 2 lightsabers together in a duel like come on

IT WAS! i dont think i have any pictures of it sadly </3 i wouldnt have even had a phone yet probably i think so pictures would probably be on my mums phone

the mask was so cool, it even had a voice changer in it! it was fucking awesome, when you breathed it would replace it with the darth vader breathing sound AND it would even make you sound like vader when you spoke!! idk how something from when i was a kid was able to do something like that but it was awesome. sadly the voice changer in it died a while ago, it still slightly worked but not consistently last time i put it on D:

yeah hopefully we both fully get over it eventually, i probably start to until either her or i move out, but yeah its so weird how it stick in your head so long, i need to refresh my brain so i can get it out lkdsjdjsl

dont want to make you feel like you need to do it sooner but it said 7 days yesterday and also today.. i didnt check how long it was when i bought my stuff (i bought the stuff on the 5th) but it might've been 7 days still.. altho i guess by the weekend it would still be 7 days after that.. hopefully it is still on by the time you talk to her!! (just checked and it might be going on until they completely sell out?? its a clearance sale so maybe? idk id probably do it sooner rather than later just incase tho)

Oh btw when you do place your order they will email you to verify the card (send a picture of the last 4 digits to confirm. It is a little bit sus but ive seen no one say this one is a scam so i dont think it is, plus they cant rlly do much with only the last 4 digits)

thank you!! it will def look so much cooler when i get the helmets in! still need to figure out where i can put the 2 extras apart from ontop of the bookshelf cause too many on there doesnt seem too good idk

yeah that sounds like the plan il do for this, try the basics, might try doing clone trooper armour to begin with if its not harder than mandalorian cause il have captain rex's helmet! imagine a female clone trooper tho that'd be so cool (totally not so i can check out her tits shush jdskls, i mean there was a female clone of jango but she isnt a trooper, and is a child since i dont think she had the accelerated growth the others did? idk not that caught up in that bit of lore)

i think its probably what they are going to say to do, i doubt they would stitch/pin it right to the bodysuit cause that would be a pain to take off (imagine having to go to the toilet after putting it on that would be so annoying to take off skdjdslkj) if it all goes well il share the progress so you can take some tips on building the armour for himeko jlsdkdjs!!

[m-jelly]

hihi lovely!! i’m so in love with your writing so i thought i’d request something if that’s ok :)) k so reader and levi are married and are both in the scouts, you’re both about to go into a titan battle but maybe doing different things so you won’t be together. ur both sad and saying goodbye but suggests you give each other your wedding rings for when you’re apart hehehe then maybe for some angst one of you gets really hurt but ends with fluff and y’all giving your rings back to each other? idk idk <333

Ugggh! Why do you lot always come up with such cute little things? <3 You're all adorable. I see you like my little jellies who I will protect and love. I will stab people for you. I'm happy to do this cute concept. :D Gonna be a lot of grumpy kitten style Levi.

Symbol of my love.

Pairing: Levi x Reader

Genre and tags: Married couple, canon universe, loving Levi, grumpy Levi, needy Levi, come on we know this guy is pulling this face being pulled apart from you ^^^, promises, being in love, happy ending.

Concept: Levi is unhappy that there is an expedition that you both have to go on, meaning he has to stop holding you in his arms in his room. When you both go on the mission, your teams go in separate directions. You go with Hange and Mike as medical support and Levi takes the frontal assault team with Erwin. You both don't want to part, but you swap wedding rings to stay connected. When it's time to return, Levi is informed that you are trapped under a building with a scout who was hurt. Levi runs to your rescue and finds you. You both swap rings and make choices for the future.

Levi read the reports and proposals, but he found himself filling up with anger. He slammed them onto his desk, then glared at you sat on his sofa working on some papers.

Levi was even more pissed off.

You flicked the paper and hummed. "Levi, use your words instead of staring a hole into me."

He leaned his cheek on his hand. "Tch, how did you know?"

You glanced over at him and smiled a little. "I know my husband well."

Levi got up from his chair, then slowly wandered over to you as he thought of all the things he wanted to do to you. "About that hole."

You crossed your legs. "My hole is off-limits. We have work to do, but you can explore it tonight."

"I can't."

You lowered your papers. "Something wrong?"

He sat on the sofa next to you, then flopped down onto your lap. "We have an expedition to go on. Titan clearance." He rolled over so he faced your stomach. He sighed, then hugged you and pressed his face against your stomach. "I don't want to go. I want us to be here together."

You put your work down, then rubbed Levi's back as you played with his soft hair. "Well, the sooner we go our the quicker we can come back together."

Levi hugged you tighter. "I don't want to."

"Levi."

He leaned up and pouted at you. "You've forgotten something."

You smiled, then cupped his face and kissed him. "I love you, my sweet dear husband."

He hummed and kissed you over and over. He nipped your lip, then pushed his hot tongue into your welcoming mouth. He explored your perfect lips and your soft tongue. Levi didn't usually start kisses, but he loved them. He often made noises, or lightly touched you to give you a hint he wanted to kiss.

Levi pulled from your lips when someone knocked on his door. "Tch, shit." He hopped off the sofa and opened the door to see Erwin. "Yeah?"

Erwin smiled and waved at you. "Dr Ackerman, lovely to see you."

You waved at him. "You too." You got up and walked over. "We off out?"

Erwin nodded. "That's right. We need to go, now."

You slapped Levi on the bum. "Let's go."

Levi watched you walk down the hall with his best friend. He raced after you, then slowed down when he caught up. "Tch, this an in an out situation?"

Erwin nodded. "We go in, clear our the titans and return. Once the titans are gone, we can explore the area and move people back into their homes." He sighed and stopped by the horses. "We can only hope."

You smiled. "I know it'll happen."

Erwin smiled, then sighed when he went back to Commander mode. "We'll need to split up. Levi, your squad and mine will be focusing on the titans up front." He said your name. "You'll be with Hange and Mike with the intel squad. I need you to provide medical support. You'll be at the back. I suggest you say your goodbyes when we get close to the town."

You nodded, then checked your medical things on your horse. You climbed on, then let out a long sigh. You glanced over to Levi and gave him a little smile of encouragement. He rode next to you as you both travelled across fields to your location. The closer you got, the more nervous you were because you both would be apart this time.

Levi called your name as Erwin shouted to the scouts. "You owe me cuddles and kisses."

You hummed a laugh and jumped off your horses. "I do."

Levi slipped off his horse, then walked right up to you and hugged you tightly. "So, you better give them to me when this is over."

"I promise."

He pulled back, then kissed you a little. "I'll miss you."

"Me too." You gasped, then took your wedding ring off and offered it to Levi. "Swap rings with me."

Levi handed his ring over. "Why?"

"Because then we'll have to survive because I need my pretty ring back."

Levi smiled at your sweet suggestion. "Deal." He slipped your ring on his pinky. "It won't fit anywhere else."

You put Levi's on your index finger. "Perfect. I'll be back, I promise."

Levi watched you leave, then he turned to his squad. He led them all behind Erwin and made sure the Titans were taken care of. He was surprised at how easy this mission was, which meant something was going to go wrong. He returned with his team only to hear shouts that a titan had run straight for the side of the town where you, Hange and Mike were. He knew Mike would protect you, but Levi needed to be there.

Levi flew across the town as fast as he could with his heart racing. Levi's head assumed the worst and kept showing him terrifying images of you dead, or being eaten. He needed you to be alive. He couldn't live without you. He saw the titan being killed by Mike, but there was new damage to buildings. He listened to people shouting and calling out, then he heard people mentioning you and one other scout.

He moved over to the worried group. "What happened!?"

The scout saluted him. "Captain! The titan came running in and smashed into a building, which caused a knock-on effect. Dr Ackerman was inside one of the buildings with an injured scout."

"Where?"

"This way!"

Levi followed the scout to a house partly falling away. He assumed the worst that you had been crushed. He screamed your name and listened carefully. He screamed again and heard the faintest reply.

You coughed and wafted the dust away. "Levi! Levi, we're in here!" You pushed parts of the broken building away, then stuck your arm through a gap and flapped your arm. "Over here!"

Levi saw your arm and landed right by you and held your hand. "I've got you."

You sighed. "We're pretty much trapped in here. If you move too much the roof is coming down. I need a path to be made so we can crawl through."

"I'm on it." He let you go and waved the scouts over and Hange. "I need help!"

Hange landed next to Levi. "We have to be careful, one false move..." She hummed and assessed the structure. "I have it. I need everyone to move these parts over here. That should give her a window to get out."

Levi shouted for you. "Hold tight!"

You sighed. "Thank you." You helped the scout up to their feet, then moved them over to where you heard the activity. As soon as you saw a gap big enough, you helped the scout through. "Move it!"

Levi yanked the man out, then reached through. "Now you!"

You crawled through the gap as the building groaned. "I'm coming!"

As soon as Levi saw your hands, then grabbed them and pulled you out with all his might. "I got you." He hugged you tightly and sighed. "I've got you."

You hugged him back. "I need a bath."

Levi laughed a little. "That's the first thing you think of?"

You stood up and limped away from the building. "I like baths." You smiled at the team. "Thank you, all of you for saving me and the scout. Hange? You're a genius." You hugged your dear friend tightly. "Thank you."

Hange squeezed you back. "I'm just glad I was able to save you in time. I'll leave you two alone."

You waved to her, then turned to Levi. "I have something of yours." You pulled Levi's ring off and gave it back. "It kept me going."

Levi gave you your ring back. "Yours gave me strength."

You grabbed Levi and kissed him. "Levi, I don't think I can do this anymore."

He squeezed your hips. "I'm not divorcing you."

You laughed. "No, sorry. I meant being a scout. I don't think I can do it. The fear of dying or losing you, it's hard. I'm not as strong as you, I know that and there is a chance that next time I won't be so lucky. Plus, you are the type to risk everything for me. So, I'm going to ask for a transfer or something. I'm thinking maybe just being at the base all the time in the hospital there. I'll look after the scouts who return."

Levi smiled a little and felt overjoyed you wanted that. "If that's what you want."

You nodded. "It is. It's what I want."

Levi hugged you against him. "I'll support you no matter what."

"You're happy about this idea, aren't you?"

"Very."

You hummed a laugh. "I knew it." You pulled back, then kissed your husband. "Let's go home and have a bath together."

Levi put his arm around you and walked with you. "Perfect. Oh, and I get to explore you as well? I have to check for umm...injuries...yeah..."

You snorted a laugh. "You can explore any part of me."

"Perfect."

[kreidenprinz-imagines]

ѕтяσηg αѕ α вℓα∂є | Chapter 2

ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: Kaedehara Kazuha/Male Reader

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: After uncovering the truth about (Y/N); the question to tell or not to tell lingers in Kazuha’s mind. He decides to tell (Y/N) the truth.

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: ANGST

ᴀ/ɴ: I have accidentally created a plothole about Kazuha that does go against the canon abilities because I forgot to make note of. He was taken by surprise/was not guard which means he did not sense any ill intention from (Y/N) when he got tackled. This is because (Y/N) does not have a direct presence as of now. The closeness of the other set prevents his human vessel to be ignored. (Also why Kazuha did not know of the yokai’s existence.)

ᴛᴀɢʟɪꜱᴛ: @genshinarchives @bouquetofrosehearts @creatorofstars

*✧･ﾟ:͙⊱••✩••̩̩͙⊰•*✧･ﾟ:

[ Congratulations User Kaedehara Kazuha. You have turned back to the closest save point. ]

[ Will you tell Tomoaki’s Yokai the truth about what befell on Tomoaki? ] 

⟿ ⎆  [ Tell him. ]

 ⎆ [ Don’t Tell. ]

Kazuha turned to the shoto before a deep breath escaped. He had returned in time, where he should have been truthful. “I have something to tell you about Tomoaki.” At those words, the wakizashi yokai turned to the ex-wandering samurai. “What about him…?”

Kazuha looked at his cup again, watching the liquid slightly shift with the tremble of his hands. “Tomoaki… He perished under the watchful eyes of the Raiden Shogun.” He slowly looked at the yokai. “There was a hunt to rid off the Vision welders and he took a stand. A duel before the throne.” Kazuha began to explain. "He fought against Kujou Sara for this duel and…" He gave a pause as he watched (Y/N) lower his head. "(L/N)-san… Are you okay?" Kazuha set down the cup.

"It's nothing." (Y/N) waved it off before he occupied himself with a second serving of tea.

Kazuha frowned before he gazed at the katanas. Despite (Y/N) had been calm, it was for sure a lot to take. Which meant that Kazuha should give him the space he needed. With that in mind, he began to rise from the tea table they were occupying to continue cleaning. Yet the front door was knocked as a familiar canine friend was heard. "Kazuha? Are you here still?"

"Come in, Gorou!"

Cold (E/C) eyes digged daggers into the new person. If Kazuha had been welcoming then he supposed there was no need for (Y/N) to be so alarmed. Shifting the gaze back to his teacup. He relaxed slowly. 

"Hm? Kazuha, I didn't know you had a new friend!" Gorou's tail whipped, making the dust rise up. "That's Tomoaki's friend, he's a youkai that lived in his wakizashi." Kazuha walked back to open the windows more. "(L/N)-san, this is Gorou. He also knew Tomoaki too." 

"Nice to meet you." (Y/N) nodded. 

"If you're the wakizashi, don't you miss the other part of your set?" Gorou asked softly. "Do you perhaps want to visit Tomoaki's memorial?"

With the clearance of those words, cloudiness began to clear in (Y/N)'s eyes. "Could I?" He asked softly. "Can I truly go to those grounds?"

"Of course you can!" Gorou smiled then turned to Kazuha. "You need a break anyway, my friend! Maybe it'll give (Y/N) some closure!"

Kazuha studied the youkai before exchanging a smile. "Of course." He grabbed his own katana before he gestured to the youkai to follow. 

Reaching the memorial wasn't too hard, with (Y/N)'s powerful aura most wandering enemies had stirred away. Now standing before it, he watched the youkai kneel down before the sword. Kazuha couldn't see the expression (Y/N) was making yet the view of tears slipping caught him off guard.

Kazuha looked over at Gorou who kept his tail dropped and his ears lowered. It was truly a sad sight. Kazuha still lamented his death but he had come to ease up on it. Unlike the youkai, he had seen death before his eyes.

In attempts to comfort the youkai, he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder only for a vision to come to him.

"Tomoaki! Master please! Please don't leave me! I can fight for you! Please!" (Y/N)'s hands gripped tightly into Tomoaki's attire, on his knees asking with tears in his eyes to be able to company Tomoaki to this dangerous desire. "(Y/N)... I want you to be your own person and to where I'm going? I can't bring you. If I bring you…" He trailed off.

"This master of yours is truly sorry. But I will come back, I promise I will come back to you." Tomoaki lowered himself in front of the Tsukumogami, kissing his forehead before wiping his tears. "You know I never break my promises so please don't cry."

"Please don't go. Please don't go without me. I need you. I need you!" (Y/N)'s hands gripped harder into the clothing, Tomoaki wrapped his arms around him, hushing him. "I can't lose you, (Y/N)."

Kazuha staggered back. Feeling woozy, he lowered to his knees. Gorou met his side as he looked over him. "What happened?" Gorou asked. Yet Kazuha wasn't truly there.

Kazuha reached the place where the duel before the throne had taken place. The severed blade struck into the concrete as his friend faced the Musou no Hitotashi. The Electro Vision flew past him, Kazuha reached for it as barely he had heard Tomoaki's last words.

"I'm sorry I broke my promise." Was said before the divine punishment truly took away his very own friend.