#of course just a little cause this guy was a crazy stalker murderer so yeah don't be THAT unreasonable in love lmao

[mortalscience]

ten caps per episode - Law and Order Criminal Intent - s01e12 - Crazy

Goren: Nobody's reasonable when they're in love. That's the whole point of it!

[minjuwrites]

Penguin

A/N: Hey babies! I've been so terrible at uploading, I have so many unfinished stories that I like but haven't had any time to finish :( over break I will definitely have more time. Anyways, THANK YOU so so soooo much for the comments and likes on my posts. It means the world to me, you don’t understand the smile and happy dance I do when I see you guys enjoy what I wrote. Here's a short little story I thought of, since our little Hyuka is a penguin. HAVE A GOOD DAY!

Prompt: After one day a mysterious pebble shows up in your locker you find yourself and your new friend trying to find out who the “penguin” is.

Huening Kai x Y/N (gender neutral)

WARNINGS: A little insecurity from the reader? Other than that cute fluff :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There it was, another smooth shiny rock sitting in your locker. You smile picking it up and analyzing the pretty rock excited to add it to your growing collection at home. It was strange really, the little pebbles started appearing a couple months ago with no explanation. At first you thought it was some kind of joke one of your friends were playing, it seemed like something strange that Beomgyu would do. Yet, when you brought it up to everyone at lunch they seemed just as confused as you were.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Two months ago~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Okay, why are you putting rocks in my locker.” You ask slamming your lunch on the table.

Yeonjun follows behind already being caught up on the little joke.

“What?” Beomgyu looks up at you confused with a half chewed sandwich in his mouth.

“Oh come on, don’t pretend like you don’t know.” Yeonjun laughs.

“Don’t know what?” Soobin pulls out the chair next to you sitting down.

“Beomgyu keeps putting rocks in my locker.”

“I seriously have no idea what you are talking about.” His shocked expression makes you think it really wasn't him.

“Can you please explain what is going on?” Soobin asks unwrapping his own meal.

“Fine,” you sigh. “Since Monday, I keep finding these little rocks and pebbles in my locker. I assumed it was Beomgyu because… you know that's just something weird he would do.”

He looks offended at first before mulling it over and nodding in agreement. The kid knew he was a little strange.

“Anyways, I guess it’s not him. I just don’t know who else it could be or what the reason is.”

Soobin looks deep in thought before casually taking a bite of his bread. “Maybe the rocks are like a death omen, or maybe its a stalker or maybe-”

“Oh god, please shut up.” You groan not needing to think the worst of the situation.

Taehyun walks to the table sitting down with Kai right on his tail. His presence makes your heart flutter and you feel the tip of your ears heat. 

“What are you guys talking about?” Taehyun asks.

You would speak but Kai's presence makes you panic. Truthfully it was your own fault. You had a massive crush on the boy turning you into a babbling blushing mess every time he even happened to make slight eye contact. It was pathetic and it didn’t help that the boy was shy himself.

“We are talking about Y/N’s possible crazy psychopath stalker who is probably waiting to murder her while she sleeps.” Beomgyu teases.

You smack his arm with a curse. 

“Are you okay?” Kai looks at you worried. “If you want we can tell the staff or the police.”

“I-it’s okay, Beomgyu is just joking it's nothing like that it's just..” You sigh.

“It’s just what?” Taehyun asks.

You explain the situation to the two and Taehyun looks at Kai who looks away from the boy.

“Maybe this person is trying to tell you something?” Taehyun leans back in his chair.

“What do you mean? Like some kind of warning?”

“Maybe, or maybe it’s like some kind of confession.”

“Confession?” You feel confused, there wasn’t anyone you could think of that showed signs of interest towards you. “You think so?”

“Yeah, maybe they are too shy to say anything.”

“Okay, but why rocks?” Soobin looks questioningly. 

“You know, penguins actually give the smoothest pebble they can find to another during courtship.” Taehyun stabs his food before looking up at you. “Maybe this person is your penguin.”

You smile at the idea, the thought of someone having a crush on you was exciting and you couldn’t lie that the mystery of it all was interesting.

“Yeah, my penguin…” You look up, catching Kai’s eyes before he gives you a tight smile and looking away just as quickly.

After that day, you found yourself eager to find the cute little rock left in your locker. There was something else that made you more excited though. A couple days after you brought up the rocks to the boys Kai had offered to help you figure out who your “penguin’ was. You both would wake up early hoping to catch the culprit and would stay after school as well waiting patiently. Neither of you saw the person once, and a part of you hoped you never would so the two of you could keep meeting. Kai was determined to help, always waiting in the hallways or in front of the gate for you to come and investigate together. Sometimes after school you two would go and eat and he always made sure to walk you home after “just in case” which always made your brain turn to mush. It didn’t take long before you two got closer, although you were still a nervous mess around him you also felt comfortable around him. Speaking became easier between you two and you got to see more of each other's personalities. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Present~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Closing your locker you run your fingers over the smooth rock.

“Another one, huh?” Kai looks at the rock dancing in your fingertips. “You must be tired of waiting to see who it is…”

“Hm,” you smile at him slipping the rock in your coat pocket. “It’s kinda fun, you know? Trying to figure it out. Plus, we got to know each other more.”

Kai looks down with a smile nodding his head in agreement.

“Here I'll walk you home.” He smiles waiting for you to finish grabbing your stuff.

You thank him shutting your locker and following behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Next Day~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You open your locker expecting another rock but, you find nothing. It’s a little strange but, no matter what, the little prize was waiting there by the end of the day. As the lunch bell rang you met up with Kai and the others stopping by your locker. You swing it open excitedly only to find nothing there. With a pause you ignore the worry feeling in your head and grab your lunch.

“What did they leave today?” Beomgyu peeks in your locker.

 You look over your shoulder at him before shutting your locker, after taking another quick glance of course. 

“N-nothing yet.” You fake a smile. “It’s not a big deal.”

Taehyun squints at you before leading the way to the cafeteria.

“You okay?” Kai asks, walking at your pace. “You seem a little… disappointed.”

“It’s nothing really,” except creeping thoughts began to fill your head. “I guess they just got over it? Maybe they realized I’m really not that interesting.”

He makes a face. “But you are interesting, you shouldn’t think like that. If anything maybe they got the courage to finally ask you.”

You open your mouth to protest but he stops you placing his hands on your shoulders.

“You know anyone would be lucky to have you. Seriously, everything about you is amazing.”

“Yo!” Yeonjun calls, the group had gone ahead of you two waiting for you to catch up. “You lovebirds coming?”

You see Taehyun whack the back of the boy's head causing him to rub it with an annoyed expression. You smile looking at the scene before noticing Kai’s hands are still resting on your shoulders. He seems to notice too pulling away quickly and scratching the back of his neck.

“I guess we should catch up with them.” He juts his head in their direction before walking with you to the others.

You smile feeling the lingering sensation of his hands on your shoulder that spreads through your body.

At the end of the day you reach your locker pausing before swinging the door open. Your eyes immediately see the empty space where the rock usually lays causing you to inhale sharply. Nothing. Your heart sinks, and you shuffle your stuff around wondering if maybe it had fallen somewhere. 

What you didn’t notice was Kai watching you while he fumbles with the bright pink stone in his hand. He’s thought of (and acted out, although he will never admit it) a million ways to give you the silly little rock but, as the moment comes his palms sweat and his heart speeds at an unhealthy pace. With a nervous exhale he walks towards you before giving a nod to Taehyun who in turn gives him a thumbs up.

“H-hey.” He cringes at how much he stumbles over the single word.

His nervousness turns to worry when he hears you sniffle and you turn to him with tears threatening to spill out.

“Y/N…”

“Um, I’m sorry I just-” You run off not wanting to cry in front of everyone.

“Wait!” Kai shouts but, you continue to leave the building not even looking back.

It felt stupid, to cry over something so small. You never realized how much those little rocks meant to you. You never had someone confess to you, no one had even had a crush on you as far as you knew. Every morning that little rock managed to make you feel a little more important to someone, although you weren't sure who. You also had a creeping thought that maybe, since the anonymous person stopped being interested, Kai and you would hang out less. You sigh feeling ridiculous while you wipe the tears that were starting to leak. 

“Y/N!” Kai calls running up to you.

You look up feeling embarrassed at how you acted before.

“Are you okay?” He looks at your glassy eyes with a frown.

“It’s stupid.” You smile. “I’m sorry for just storming off like that.”

“Hey, don’t apologize. What happened? You know I’m here to listen to you always.”

You feel a pang in your chest. You wondered how the universe created such a sweet boy.

“It's just, I didn’t get a rock today,” You sigh covering your heated face. “It meant a lot to me you know? I always felt like the person that no one would ever have a crush on. So, when I started getting them I felt a little excited that someone was interested in me. And… I guess I was worried that maybe if they stopped showing up you wouldn’t want to hang out as much.”

Kai’s heart skips a beat, you were really worried about something like that?

“You know, the whole wanting to know who the penguin was is an excuse?” He smiles reaching into his jacket pocket. “The truth is Y/N, I’ve always had a crush on you but, I was too scared to say anything. Everything about you is interesting, I like the way your eyes always smile before your mouth or how you always think about everyone no matter what the situation is. I meant it when I said anyone would be lucky to have you.”

You stare at the boy in complete shock. Processing the idea that the boy you have been pining for has had a crush on you the entire time.

“You didn’t get a rock today because,” he takes one of your hands placing the shiny pink stone in the palm before smiling. “I wanted to give it to you in person.”

A rush of emotion hits you like a wave. “You’re my penguin?”

He flashes a bigger smile before looking at his shoes with a pink tint in his cheeks.

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way,” he chuckles. “I actually wrote you a note and used the stone to make sure it stayed there. I asked Taehyun for your locker combination but, before you got out of class I panicked and grabbed the note.”

You laugh as the feeling of butterflies and other warm things fill your chest.

“You just seemed so happy after that I just decided to keep leaving them until I got the courage to confess. I ended up trying to “help” you figure out who it was so I could make sure you wouldn’t find out it was me. Once we started to hang out more I started realizing more and more how much I liked you.”

You hug him, catching him off guard at first but, he wraps his arms around you.

“I like you too, I always did.” You say into his chest. 

As you two pull away you clutch the stone in your hand before sliding it into your own pocket.

“Do you want to go get ice cream?” He asks cutely.

Laughing you nod your head before he slips his hand in yours swinging it lightly. He looks away attempting to hold back the smile on his face causing you to squeeze his hand.

Like a soulmate, he's your penguin. 

[anna-justice]

Lost or Found - 15

Summary: As Jay, Hailey, Kim, Adam and Kevin start their junior year in the wake of a tragic summer, the past year of their lives comes back to haunt them. If you enjoyed Pretty Little Liars, this is for you! *UPSTEAD/BURZEK High School AU

...

15 - Glimmer ...

“Jay, this has to be perfect.”

Jay scoffed at his friend, who was attempting to paint massive letters on a blue sign. “This seems a bit extravagant Adam.” 

Adam rolled his eyes, dropping his paint brush. He had asked Jay to come over a few hours prior to help him. It was Sunday, the day before spirit week and Adam was planning on asking his girlfriend to the homecoming dance the following weekend. The plan was simple: Jay (and Kevin, who ditched because he had an extra practice) were going to help Adam make all the shit he needed while Hailey kept her away from his house. Then after school Monday, Jay and Hailey were in charge of distracting Kim until he was ready. The only problem was, Adam’s ability to paint was about as good as his handwriting and the letters on the sign were equal to chicken scratch. 

“I mean, you are already dating.” Jay continued.

“So,” Adam said, standing. “You are telling me that when you ask Hailey you won’t be holding a corny sign and a bouquet of flowers?” Jay began to speak but Adam kept talking. “Because I guarantee you, you will look like an idiot when every other girl has a cute story to tell.” 

Jay shot his friend a dirty look, “Who said I was going to ask Hailey?”

“I hate you…”Adam muttered, groaning in defeat. He was sick of watching Jay dance around his feelings, especially since he knew Hailey felt the same way. He knew that he was the one that told him it was a bad idea in the first place, but he had retracted the statement a million times since then. 

“Adam stop stressing, you know she will say yes.” Jay said, changing the subject.

Adam shrugged, “I know. That’s not the point. I just want her to feel special.”

Jay grinned, it was fun to watch his usually dickish best friend get all sentimental. “You know, sometimes you have these moments where I forget how much of a sarcastic little smartass you are.”

Adam glared at him. He then put on a fake smile and put his hand over his heart. “Really Jay? That means so much to me.” 

Jay rolled his eyes and laughed as Adam got back to work. And even though Jay had dismissed him just a few moments earlier, he had planned to ask Hailey. He was right, it needed to be special, and Jay had the perfect idea.

…

Going back to school on Monday was a bit of an adjustment for Hailey. It was exactly the same as before, Jay picked her up (she really needed to start giving him gas money) and they met their friends in the parking lot and she went to her first block as normal. Except she had had heart surgery, and everyone knew that she was the girl that got trapped in a garage with a running car. That alone made people's stares a little more intense, but she also couldn’t seem to forget about the scar running up her chest. 

It was crazy, she was wearing a t-shirt, no one could even see it. But she still felt like she had something she was hiding. It was all too familiar, she flashed back to just a year earlier when she began to hide the bruises caused by her father. There was something scary about her situation (other than the obvious facts), she moved to Chicago to escape the danger she was in, but somehow she had walked into something worse. And now she was a 16 year old with a pacemaker and a stalker, and she wasn’t a fan of either.

Hailey and Jay were walking to first block together, since they both had Criminal Justice. Hailey was still nursing the cup of coffee that Jay had brought her that morning, and she would admit that it made her morning much better. The two ways to her heart were coffee and pizza, and Jay had gotten pretty good at buying her both. 

They settled into their seats (of course right next to each other) and Hailey pulled out her textbook. She noticed the sheepish look on Jay’s face and pushed it between them, it wasn’t the first time that he had forgotten his. 

Jay smirked as he watched Hailey pull out her notebook and pencil pouch, the girl was a bit of a control freak when it came to her notes. Not that he minded, his looked like a five year old did them, so he’d be studying with hers anyway. 

That’s how they spent the whole class: Hailey listening attentively and taking notes and Jay watching her listen and take notes. By the end he couldn’t remember one sentence their teacher said. He looked down at his own blank paper and chuckled, he hadn’t realized how out of touch he had really been. 

“Mr. Halstead, did you find something more important to do than paying attention in my class?” Their teacher, Mr. Chavez asked as he stared him down. 

Jay was about to respond with a “yes” but Hailey beat him to it, “He has a headache sir, I told him he could copy my notes later.” She explained. 

“That’s very kind of you Ms. Upton. Great work as always.” He looked to Jay, his smile faltering. “See to it that you get those notes, don’t throw away Ms. Upton’s kindness.” 

Jay nodded his head, stifling a laugh as he walked away. He gathered his things, preparing for the bell to ring and Hailey smirked beside him. “The next time you want to stare at me for an hour and a half, pick a class you aren’t close to failing.” 

As soon as she finished her sentence, the bell rang and Hailey jumped up. “Hey! I’m not failing.” He called after her, but she just threw a grin over her shoulder at him and exited the room. Jay shook his head and grabbed his backpack, pulling the strap over his shoulder. That girl was going to be the death of him. 

He made his way to his next class, Advanced Physics, which he unfortunately didn’t have with Hailey. He felt a little pathetic if he was being honest, but his happiness at the moment completely revolved around her. When she was around, the air felt a little lighter and he could breathe easier. 

It was crazy to think that something so good came out of all of the shit they were dealing with, but it did. Hailey Anne Upton was his best friend, what more could he ask for?

…

Hailey sat in Psychology next to Severide, keeping her eyes locked on Kevin who turned around every five seconds to check on her. It was hard and she spent the whole class a little on edge, but they couldn’t risk Severide knowing that they were onto him in any way. Which meant Hailey had to spend 90 minutes every other day pretending to be his friend. 

“How are you doing?” He asked, grabbing her attention. 

Hailey looked back at him, startled. “I’m good, thanks.”

Severide nodded, glancing back down at her paper. “Uh, do you have number seven?” 

“Yeah, it’s cognitive.” She said, looking at her own.

“Thanks.”

Hailey grimaced at the awkwardness of their conversation. “No problem.”  She needed to get out of there. She raised her hand, “Can I use the restroom?” Her teacher nodded and she jumped up and grabbed the hall pass before high tailing it out of the room. 

She let out a breath as she entered the bathroom, taking in her disheveled appearance. She hated how riled up Severide made her, but everytime she looked in the mirror she pictured the bruises that once covered her neck. 

A toilet flushed behind her and she quickly got herself together. She gleaned in the mirror to see Nadia exit the stall, they made eye contact and quickly looked away. Hailey’s second uncomfortable interaction of the day. “Hailey right?” Nadia asked. 

“Yeah.” Hailey said, she patted her legs nervously and gave her a small smile. “We haven’t officially met.”

Nadia gave her a cautious smile, “No we haven’t, but I don’t doubt you know everything there is to know about me.” Her tone turned darker at the end, her facade giving out. 

“I’m not one to judge.” Hailey said, hoping to give her some solace.

“I’m not either.” Nadia turned towards the door, “Be careful with Jay, he’s not all he’s cracked up to be.” 

“We’re just-” The door slammed shut, leaving Hailey alone to her thoughts, “Friends…” Not that she would be opposed to something more, but she wasn’t sure that was a secret. She ignored Nadia’s jab at Jay, if Hailey was her she would have said the exact same thing. Nadia didn’t know that Jay only ruined her because his mom’s life was at risk.

She grabbed the hall pass off the sink and made her way back to class, against her will. She was ready for the day to be over and she was barely halfway through. 

…

After school, Hailey stood at her locker waiting for Jay, something else that had become normal. She was scrolling through instagram, not paying attention to anything going on around her. She was trying to keep her mind off the amount of AP Chem homework she had,but the tactic was proving to be unsuccessful.

“Hey,” a voice said, pulling her out of her trance. She looked up to find Kelly Severide standing over her, and she practically jumped out of her skin. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” 

Hailey laughed nervously, removing herself from between him and the locker. “You’re good, what’s up?”

“Uh, nothing really I was just wondering if maybe you would want to go to homecoming with me?” He asked and Hailey stared at him blankly.

She figured she was going to be asked, but not like that and certainly not by him. She stood there in silence, trying to figure out what to say. She was 100% sure that she had watched this movie and the probability of her ending up dead at the end of it was high. Who else could say that the guy who choked them in the middle of their living room at one in the morning was also their homecoming date? Not many, probably because everyone who could check yes for that box was either murdered or missing. 

She was about to respond when she felt a presence behind her. “Sorry man, she can’t go with you.”

Hailey sighed, Jay.

Severide gave Jay a bored look, sighing. “Why’s that?” Hailey looked up at him as if to ask: Yeah Jay, why not?

Jay smirked, glancing down at Hailey and the to Severide, “Because she’s going with me.”

...

@lissethsrojas @fuckyeahkillianemma @puckluck28 @chilly7188 @thebigapocalypsewolf @karihighman @upsteadheart @ruzek-halstead

[gb-fics]

Chocolate Mystery

Fanfiction:

Kiryuuin Shou x Kyan Yutaka (Golden Bomber)

Note: A chocolate mystery is like a murder mystery, just that the stakes are way lower. Have a happy Valentine’s Day! (^-^)

Valentine’s Day was a waste of time, that was Shou’s opinion on it at least. Especially since they still had so much to plan and organize until the tour started in March. Mere weeks and they would start their program with two shows per day, not knowing how that would work out at all. They had more important things to do than act lovey-dovey with someone.

Shou felt that way, because he was a responsible adult, to whom the fans were more important than anything else, and not because he didn’t have a significant other to spend the day with.

His bandmates were a different matter of course. Jun was spending Valentine’s Day with his family and Kenji hadn’t passed on a single opportunity to bring up the hot date he had secured for himself. Yutaka hadn’t bragged, but Shou knew, that he always had a date on Valentine’s Day. Most years, he wouldn’t shut up about it.

So, Shou was the only one sitting at home on his own today; not because he was sad and lonely, but because he was the only one dedicated enough to make the sacrifice to ensure their tour would work out as planned. He was angry at the others for leaving all the work up to him - as always. He wasn’t jealous, because Jun had already found the person, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, nor because Kenji would certainly get laid tonight with these obscene good looks of his, nor because of Yutaka.

The doorbell interrupted his negative thoughts.

Shou furrowed his brows. He was not expecting anyone. Absolutely everybody he knew had better things to do today than show up on his doorstep. Didn’t people know it was Valentine’s Day? They were supposed to be smooching or canoodling, or whatever you did on this day when you weren’t Shou.

Suspiciously he went over to the door.

“Yeah?”, he asked over the intercom.

“A delivery for Kiryuuin Shou”, a male voice said.

Shou hesitated. He wasn’t expecting anything. He hadn’t ordered anything online lately and when he did, he usually used his real name, since it was the one showing up on the bills as well. But it wouldn’t be the first time he had ordered something to the office and then forgotten about it. The staff usually forwarded the packages to him using his stage name.

He buzzed up the delivery guy and opened the front door already, so he wouldn’t have to ring again at the apartment door.

The young guy coming up the stairs wore a blue jacket with a logo patched to the shoulder, that looked somewhat official, but clearly didn’t belong to the regular postal service. He carried a small white box in his hand that seemed too delicate and quite frankly too clean to resemble a regular package.

“Mr. Kiryuuin?”, he asked.

“Yes, thank you”, Shou said and bowed his head lightly without taking the box. “What is this?”

The delivery guy looked down at the box in his hands in honest confusion. He looked so young, Shou guessed he was a college student working parttime.

“Well, it’s chocolates”, he pointed out dumbfounded. “It’s Valentine’s Day. I’m working for this start-up. We offer a delivery service especially for today. So, people can send chocolates to their loved ones. I’ve got a delivery for you.”

Shou stared at the box as if it might contain something poisonous. He sensed a cold and hard knot forming in his stomach. It was a very unpleasant feeling.

“Who sent this?”, he asked.

The delivery guy shrugged apologetic.

“Well, you’re the one who has to figure that out, dude. No girlfriend?”

Slowly Shou shook his head.

“I want to know, who sent this”, he inquired. “Can’t you check your records?”

“No, sorry, can’t do. Most girls pay cash and don’t leave a name. It’s not necessary.” He shrugged.

“Do you know what’s inside?”, Shou wanted to know.

Now the guy furrowed his brow. He looked annoyed. He probably had other deliveries to make. Maybe he had a quote to fulfil.

“It’s probably chocolates. What else would it be?”

“What if someone sends a bomb?”, Shou asked.

The poor boy looked seriously troubled now.

“Why would anyone do that? We just deliver chocolates and flowers and stuff. Just take it.”

Briefly Shou considered to just outright decline it. But then, they would probably just throw out the box and he would lose every chance he had to find out who had sent it to him.

“Fine”, he said warily and took the box.

The guy held out a paper for Shou to sign and he did it absentmindedly, before he took the box inside with him. It really looked pretty and had doted ribbons wrapped around it, too. It seemed like something you would send your crush chocolates in on Valentine’s Day. Even if it were chocolates, it was still troublesome.

Shou placed the box on the kitchen counter and stared at it. He tried to breathe calmly. Just in case, he had locked the front door from the inside.

Whoever had sent him this box knew where he lived. A strange person – someone, who could literally be anyone – knew his address. They could be watching the building right now. There was nothing scarier than an anonymous present send to your private address, when you were a celebrity.

No matter how much Shou tried to fight it, he felt the panic rising in his chest, the anxiety drilling his stomach. He remembered all the trouble it had caused, when his address had gotten leaked the first time: The rushed moving, having to find a new place within a short period of time, organizing the transport of the furniture, while not being able to stay at his own apartment. He had crushed on Yutaka’s couch for more than a week and even after he had finally moved, Yutaka had needed to stay over the first night with him, because he had felt too tense to fall asleep alone at the new place.

More than the stress of moving, it was the feeling of being unsafe at a place that was meant to be his home – his safe space – that Shou dreaded. He didn’t want to go through it again. Constantly scared that someone was staring up to his window, while he packed up his things, scared to leave in the evening, because someone might be waiting on the street for him. Honestly, it had taken Shou months to settle into his new apartment. He still made jokes about being pissed, because someone had forced the trouble of moving upon him, but truth was, that even now, years after, he still felt his chest tightening occasionally whenever he came home late in the evening, not being able to shake the feeling of someone watching him as he unlocked the front door.

He turned around and drew the curtains, although his apartment was up too high for anyone to look in through the window anyway. Instead, he switched on the light overhead and felt a little bit calmer instantly.

He was still anxious, but at least the panic didn’t make him want to throw up anymore.

He considered taking the box over to the next police station. Maybe there were fingerprints on it. Maybe they could send someone back home along with him to watch the door to make sure no creepy stalker was sneaking around his neighbourhood while he slept.

But then the police might just laugh in his face, because a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day wasn’t exactly much to go by. And he didn’t want to risk any publicity, before he had talked to the management. But could he really call them right now? It was Sunday and everyone was out of office, on Valentine’s Day for sure. Not that he wouldn’t be able to reach anyone, but he would feel bad for bothering them today. It would be better to inform everyone on Monday. No one had dropped dead animals on his doorstep after all. He probably wasn’t in any acute danger.

He really needed to talk to someone, though. Even if it was just to calm himself. Someone, who would understand and who was also affected, because a threat to Shou posed a threat to the entire band of course.

Shou took up his mobile and was about to dial Yutaka’s number, when he stopped short.

Would Yutaka really be okay with it, if he just called him now? He would probably scold Shou for bothering him. On Valentine’s Day moreover, when he had a date for sure. A small, mean part of Shou wanted to call him even more so. It would be the perfect excuse to ruin Yutaka’s date and take his revenge on him for being out having fun, when Shou was sitting home alone, working on the tour for all of them. But then he knew that he would never bring himself to be that much of a jerk. No matter how bitter he was, he didn’t want Yutaka to suffer because of his pettiness. The same went for Kenji, actually. He couldn’t call either of them and disturb their dates for selfish reasons. After all, they might be out with their future spouse this very moment. He couldn’t risk their chance of finding the right person.

So, he called the only person, who already had.

“Hello?”, Jun said after the fourth ring.

“Hey, Jun, it’s me, Shou”, Shou muttered.

“Oh, what’s up?”, Jun sounded tense, as if he dreaded the answer. Maybe he was scared Shou would make him work on his day off.

“I got Valentine’s chocolates”, Shou said. “That means, it’s supposed to be chocolates. It’s really just a white box. And I’m completely freaking out. I mean, it was an anonymous delivery. Jun, I think my address got leaked. Some crazy fan found out where I live and sent me this box and now, I’m not sure, if I should call the management or go to the police or …”

“Shou, calm down”, Jun interrupted him.

Shou took in another deep breath, trying to remind his body that he was not in physical danger right now.

“I’m scared”, Shou said quietly.

“You’re just being paranoid”, Jun said. “Those chocolates could be from anyone.”

“Exactly!”, Shou agreed.

Through the phone he heard Jun sigh.

“I just mean, they could be from the office. Or from someone you know. Have you opened the box yet?”

“Hell, you think I’m crazy?” Shou’s voice sounded too high-pitched in his own ears. “I’ve been sent teeth in the mail before. Fucking teeth. And those were sent to the office. Someone, who is crazy enough to sent it to my private address could be sending a severed ear, or a poisonous spider or whatnot. There is really no way I’m going to open this box.”

“You should just open it”, Jun said. “Didn’t you talk to the others yet?”

Shou stayed silent for a moment, clenching the phone tightly in his hand. He knew that Jun was really just asking about Yutaka, because he was always the one, whom Shou called first.

“I didn’t want to disturb them on Valentine’s Day”, he admitted weakly.

“Oh, but you could disturb me?”, Jun asked huffily.

“A sudden phone call can really ruin a first date”, Shou pointed out. “Your wife is not going to divorce you, just because you picked up the phone.”

Jun sighed once again.

“Okay, Shou, whatever you do, don’t take the box to the police, before even knowing what’s inside. I don’t think you should bother the management with it today either. Just take a look inside and if it’s something weird or dangerous, call me again and we’ll work it out. Okay? Just try to stay calm.”

“You’re just going to hang up on me like that?”, Shou assured in disbelief. “While my life might be in grave danger?”

“Well, it is Valentine’s Day”, Jun reminded him. “So, I’ve got to go. Open the damn box. Talk to you later.”

“Thanks for nothing”, Shou mumbled into the speaker, but the dial tone told him that Jun had already hung up. His bandmates really were useless.

He eyed the box again. Was Jun right? Was he overreacting? Maybe he should just brace himself and open the box. Not that he was going to eat the chocolates, if there were any inside. They might be poisoned. Or filled with a magic love portion. Or make him go bald. But at least he would know for sure what was inside the box.

He shook his head. No, he couldn’t do it. He just wasn’t brave enough. He needed to calm down first.

Turning his back on the white box as if he could trick it into thinking he didn’t care, Shou started pacing the apartment. He wasn’t sure if the movement actually helped to calm himself, but at least it gave him the feeling, that he was doing something. He stayed clear of the windows, though. You never knew who might be watching.

He got out his phone and checked it, although he didn’t know what for. He wasn’t expecting any calls.

Catching some fresh air would be nice. It would certainly relax him to go for a walk outside. But he didn’t dare to leave the apartment. He felt the anxiety rising in his chest almost physically. Moments ago, he had still considered consulting the police, now he couldn’t image going out on his own anymore at all. Eventually he would need to get new groceries. Maybe he could order something online? But how would he known whom to answer the door safely?

Shortly Shou closed his eyes.

His fears were getting irrational now. Maybe it would be better to stay inside today, but even if the box turned out to be from a creepy stalker fan, the management would come pick him up by tomorrow the latest. For that, he really needed to check what was inside the box, though.

There was really no point in avoiding it. He had to take a look inside, before he drew any conclusions. And really, how bad could it be? He had received teeth in the mail before and he had survived that, although it had freaked him out quite a bit. There was a fair chance it wouldn’t get worse than that, even if the circumstances were more frightening this time.

He went back over to the box and stared at it challengingly. It was just a box presumably filled with chocolates. It would not get the better of Shou.

Hesitantly he reached out.

The doorbell rang.

The sound was so loud and unexpected, that Shou flinched so hard, he hit his arm against the kitchen counter. He winced.

Who might that be? The stalker themselves? Were they testing him? Playing mind games?

But then, the explanation didn’t have to be so dark. Maybe Jun had changed his mind and come over to check on Shou. Quite a bit of time had passed since their call. Enough time for him to get here, if he hurried.

Shou walked over to the door and turned on the intercom.

“Yes?”, he asked warily.

“Buzz me up, you fucking moron”, a familiar voice shouted through the speaker.

Shou felt his whole body relaxing instantly. It was alright now. He didn’t know why Yutaka had shown up at his apartment, but it didn’t matter. Important was only that he was here now and just hearing his voice made Shou feel almost safe again.

He pressed the button to allow Yutaka into the building. This time, he waited before opening his front door, though. He stood behind it, until he heard Yutaka’s aggressive knocking. He never rang the doorbell like a normal person, but had to use his fist as if he was trying to pick a fight with the door.

Shou unlocked the door and yanked it open. The desire to just throw himself into Yutaka’s arms was almost overwhelming. He just wanted to be held for a moment, he just wanted to no longer feel alone but physically safe, and it would have been his reaction with any of his acquaintances showing up on his doorstep right now. Yutaka wasn’t special.

Yutaka’s facial expression stopped him short, though.

The lines showing on his forehead made him look grumpy, but he kept his eyes on the floor as if avoiding Shou’s gaze, which was pretty weird for someone, who usually never dodged a confrontation.

“What are you doing here?”, Shou asked.

Yutaka exhaled soundly and he finally looked up. He seemed oddly relieved, as if he had expected a different greeting.

“Jun called me to give me a heads up. He told me your paranoid ass was stressing over Valentine’s chocolate.”

Shou waved him in and made sure to lock the front door again. It made Yutaka roll his eyes visibly.

“It’s just weird”, Shou defended himself. “How would anyone know my private address? It’s scary they were delivered here.”

“The only thing weird about it is that anyone would send you chocolates to begin with. What a strange choice”, Yutaka muttered and went into the apartment without waiting for a proper invitation. He moved like he was at home here, too. “What’s with the curtains?”

Without waiting for an answer Yutaka went over to pull them open and let the daylight in again. He remained standing next to the window.

“Shut them again”, Shou asked. “I’m worried someone might be watching the apartment.”

“God, Shou, it’s probably someone you know. That’s how they knew your address. That’s the most reasonable explanation and what any normal person would assume first.”

Shou didn’t know why Yutaka sounded this angry. He usually had an aggressive way of talking, but at least with Shou he was normally patient. Maybe he was annoyed that Shou had ruined his Valentine’s date. The thought made him feel giddy and gleeful inside, but he tried not to pay attention to it. He was happy that Yutaka had chosen him over his date, but not in an inappropriate way.

“If they know me, they could have given the chocolates to me in person”, Shou said. “If we’re speaking of what a normal person would do.”

“Maybe they were scared of your reaction”, Yutaka said and crossed the arms in front of his chest. It looked funny how he remained standing next to the window instead of sitting down anywhere.

“If they knew me, they should have considered, that it would frighten me this way”, Shou insisted.

He smacked his lips, angry at Yutaka for scolding him instead of offering him the comfort he craved. But then he reminded himself, that Yutaka had probably given up on his date to be here in the first place and he should be less strict with him.

“Maybe they are just stupid”, Yutaka answered, his voice a lot louder than it had to be. “They have to be for liking you in the first place.”

“Why aren’t you on your date?”, Shou asked.

“My date?” Yutaka sounded so baffled, that he forgot to shout this time. “Who told you I had a date?”

Shou shrugged uncomfortably. He didn’t want Yutaka to think he had spent a lot of time picturing him on a date or anything.

“I just assumed”, he said vaguely. “That’s why I called Jun and not you. You always have a Valentine.”

Yutaka sighed.

“Well, this year I don’t. I messed up big time.”

“That doesn’t surprise me”, Shou mocked, more cheerful immediately. “I’m just surprised it never happened before.”

Yutaka gave him a dry smile and nodded over to the box.

“Now, just open the goddamn box already, so we can put that behind us. Whoever sent it probably left a note inside.”

Shou looked at him dumbfounded. He had to admit, that he hadn’t really thought of that yet. Just because the delivery boy hadn’t been able to give a name, he had assumed the box had been sent anonymously. He hadn’t really considered, that it might contain an actual confession.

“Alright”, he agreed sheepishly and turned towards the box. He waited for Yutaka to join him.

He didn’t.

Shou looked up. Yutaka had turned his back on him and was looking out the window as if he didn’t care at all, what Shou was up to. He had lowered his arms again and seemed unable to decide what to do with his hands. That was unusual for him. Normally Yutaka seemed very much at ease with his own body. Briefly Shou considered, that in spite of his dismissive words, Yutaka wasn’t entirely convinced that nothing horrible was inside the box either. Maybe he was also scared of Shou finding a severed ear inside and just tried to act tough to not worry him any further. He had the habit of acting more chill than he really was, just for Shou’s sake.

“Are you just going to let me do it alone?”, Shou asked incredulous.

“What do you want me to do?”, Yutaka asked and scoffed. “You need me to hold your hand?”

Shou felt his cheeks heating up and he lowered his gaze onto the box fast. Actually, he thought that it would feel nice, if Yutaka held his hand to comfort him, but he wasn’t going to admit that out loud.

“Of course not”, he said quietly and reached out to undo the ribbons around the box. With Yutaka by his side, he felt a whole lot braver than before.

Slowly he lifted the lid of the box.

There were chocolates inside indeed. Small, dark pralines that looked like they had been purchased from an actual chocolatier. The expensive kind.

Yutaka had been right about the note, too. On top of the chocolates sat a folded piece of white paper.

Shou took it up and unfolded it. His heart was beating very quickly. He felt scared, but strangely enough not in a dreadful way. He felt nervous.

His eyes fell onto the handwriting.

Shou, the note read. No “dear” or “beloved”, that would indicate a confession. The Valentine’s note started like an announcement. I don’t like admitting this, but I have romantic feelings for you. Since no one else will want you as their Valentine anyway, would you be mine?

The note was signed, too.

Shou put it back down onto the kitchen counter and licked his lips.

“You gave me a scare, idiot”, he said and looked up.

“I didn’t know you wouldn’t even open it”, Yutaka said and finally turned around to face Shou, although they were still several metres apart. “I’m sorry, though. I came here to miniate the damage. I wasn’t meaning to scare you.”

Shou nodded slowly. Yutaka looked lost as if he didn’t know what he was doing at Shou’s apartment any longer.

“Apology accepted”, Shou said.

“You don’t seem surprised”, Yutaka observed.

Shou smiled.

“Well, when you pointed out that the sender would have to be extraordinary stupid, I kind of figured. After all, you’re the dumbest person I know.”

“Alright”, Yutaka said and clapped his hands together. “I just wanted to assure there was no reason for you to be scared. Your address didn’t get leaked. You can sleep peacefully tonight. So, now that that’s settled, I’ll be on my way.”

He finally took a step away from the window to move towards the front door.

“Don’t you want to hear my answer first?”, Shou wanted to know.

Yutaka stopped short and looked at him wide-eyed. His face seemed to mirror the fear Shou had felt only a short while ago. Finally, Shou understood how much he had needed to overcome himself to show up here and face Shou, while he opened the box. He must have wanted to comfort Shou badly, if he was that scared of his reaction and had come here anyway. But then, it was very much like Yutaka to put his own worries behind himself only to take care of Shou – while being a total jerk about it at the same time.

“I think I better … I should …” Yutaka pointed towards the door helplessly. He looked like he wanted to just run out the door, before Shou could answer; like an animal in flight mode.

“Yes”, Shou interrupted him hastily to put him at ease. “Yes, I do want to be your Valentine.”

“Really?” The word came out incredibly soft and the tension disappeared from Yutaka’s shoulders visibly.

“Absolutely”, Shou confirmed and walked over to the window. Yutaka still looked like he could need some comfort. “I’m so happy the chocolates were from you.”

Gently he reached out and put his hands against Yutaka’s neck.

“I’m happy too”, Yutaka whispered.

Shou leaned in and rested his forehead against Yutaka’s. He sensed his body relaxing instantly. Being this close to Yutaka put him at ease like nothing else.

“I’m happy I’m no longer in danger of getting arrested by the police for having shitty taste in men”, Yutaka clarified.

Shou chuckled.

“And I’m happy that I won’t have to move”, he said. “It’s such a hassle.”

Yutaka laughed quietly. Shou sensed his body trembling softly against himself. The sound of Yutaka’s laughter made him feel safe. He leaned in and kissed him right in front of the window.

He didn’t even care to draw the curtains first.

[daily-dose-of-imagines]

𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘝𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

Hi, so I wrote a story. Well, the first chapter of a story. I hope that you guys enjoy. And thanks to Admin Ko and Brando for helping with the production~~and for future help~~

Tags/warnings: nothing as of right now, but that will change once more chapters come out, but for now- MATURE AS FUCK.

Next~

Enjoy!

>Admin 𝕋

꧙꧙꧙꧙꧙꧙

The sound of bass boomed through the club, bodies of all sizes grinding against each other, sweat coming off them in waves. But none of them paid it much mind, too immersed in the music to care. A typical Saturday night, where crowds of people came together from all kinds of backgrounds to forget about their daily hardships and just have fun. But, this wasn’t any old club with just music and booze. No, this was a mix of burlesque, stripping, and clubbing. Audiences will come and enjoy themselves, but in the back of their heads, if known, they’ll be waiting for the real show to begin. 

“Welcome, ladies, gentlemen, and those who are neither! This is the place for dreams to come true and where your wishes become realized! For the regulars, I hope you appreciate another wonderful show by our amazing dancers, and for anyone who’s new here--” a pause of anticipation rang out into the crowd, “welcome to Silent Voices.” 

꧙꧙꧙꧙꧙꧙

Chapter 1: Meetings and Regulations

⸻

The apartment was quiet and serene, perfect for getting that extra five minutes of sleep. The young woman didn’t care about that however, and she pulled open the curtains, letting the morning sun pour in. Hands on her hips, she turned around to face the lump on her couch.

“You know,” the brunette scolded, pulling the blanket off of (y/n) in one quick motion, “you are going to be late if you don’t get going now. And look, you aren’t dressed or anything.” The sudden brightness startled (y/n), making her groan into the couch. 

“Please let me just, not go to work for once. Maybe a tornado will come and sweep me off to a place where magic exists.” (y/n) begged, unmoving from her face down position.

“Okay, this isn’t Kansas, and there is no magic, so you better get up and go. To work. Before you get fired.” (y/n) groaned again, louder this time, and kicked her feet onto the floor. She stood slowly, stretching and offering her friend a confident smirk. 

“You and I both know that they wouldn’t fire me. I am the best they have.”

“Uhuh, sure, whatever you say. Just hurry it up already.” Exhaling a defeated sigh, (y/n) walked to the front door, grabbing her shoes. As she put them on, her beloved friend tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to turn around and come face to face with a blueberry muffin.

“Oh, how nutritious, a blueberry muffin. With blueberries. And muffin.”

“I swear to god if you don’t take this muffin, I will make you eat it right here and now. Also, you didn’t get dressed--”

“I am already dressed.”

“In your pajamas!”

“Yeah, well, I am going to get dressed again when I get there so there really is no point in wearing actual clothes.” (y/n) argued, smirking in victory when she saw the look of exasperation on her friend’s face.

“You-- I-- ugh-- I hate the fact that you aren’t wrong. Whatever, do what you want. Take your muffin and get out of my house.” Her friend shouted, pushing her through the front door of the apartment, (y/n)’s shoes not even fully tied. “And you better have a fantastic day!” She added with an affection yet oddly strong door slam.

“Thanks Uraraka, you too.” She responded, giggling at her best friend's aggressive affection. Biting the top of her muffin, (y/n) set out of the apartment complex. She looked up at the sky, clear and blue and beautiful, a perfect day for a walk. She had a car she could take, but the bus stop was right there and her job was just a few stops away. Also it would be much better to save the gas money for more important things, she thought. After the moment of silent contemplation, (y/n) walked to the bus stop. She sat at the small bench, but she didn’t have much time to relax. Like clockwork, the vehicle came driving up the street and came to a slow stop, opening its doors to let her in. (y/n) stepped into the familiar, slightly too air conditioned vehicle and surveyed the scene. There weren’t many people on board today, save for: a couple of old people sitting next to each other, seemingly to be together, a mother and her child who was sleeping in her arms, a middle aged man who looked like he just wanted to go into a coma (relatable), and a man about her age sitting where she usually sat, staring out the window with the hardest glare she had ever seen.

Not to exaggerate, but he had to be the world’s angriest looking man. Even his hair looked angry, the blonde spiky updo adding to his already fearsome physique. And the worst part was, he was sitting in her favorite spot on the bus, where the sun hit the window just right to give her some warmth in the cold winters. As much as she wanted to stomp over to him and tell him to move, he would probably murder her without regret, and (y/n) really didn’t need death today. So, as any sane person would do, she sat down in the very back, far away from the scary looking man. She shot a subtle glare to the man, still grumbling about her spot. He turned his head just in time to lock eyes with her for a brief second, (y/n) jumped slightly, turning her head as fast as possible the opposite direction to avoid his gaze. She sighed, already exhausted.

(y/n) gently rested her head against the wall of the bus. Life wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. She was supposed to have a career that paid her six figures. She was supposed to be a CEO of a renowned company and shoving it in the faces of those that thought she wouldn’t make it big in the world. But, as life would have it, here she was. Living on her best friend’s couch, thousands of dollars in debt, and nowhere near where she wants to be.

Well, at least I am making a decent amount of money and looking good doing it, she thought, stepping out of the bus. (y/n) shook the tension out of her shoulders and set forth to her destination. Like the walk from the apartment to the bus, this one wasn’t very far either, just a couple blocks away and she would be where she needed to be. She playfully inspected the scenery of the neighborhood, being so familiar with the area that she could walk there in her sleep. Most of the time, however, nobody was in this part of town at this time of day, but this time, someone was going in the same direction as her. 

Trying her best to remain calm and collected, (y/n) took a quick peek behind her to see who was following her. To her surprise, it was the same angry guy from the bus, his hands in his pockets and the same scowl on his face. It seemed that he was going in the same direction as her. It even seemed like he was...Staring at her. Probably her imagination. But those red eyes of his felt like they were glaring daggers into her back.

What if he wanted to kill her? Or worse, try to have a light conversation with her? She shuddered from the thought of it. Picking up her pace, (y/n) shoved her hands in her pockets and gripped the little can of pepper spray that was latched on her keychain and kept an eye on the man behind her.

He was even more suspicious, the blond man now speed walking, getting closer and closer to her. She knew these streets weren’t the best, but seriously? He couldn't kill her in a more clean place, but whatever, right? Since when did murderers have standards? Never. 

But instead of giving in to her fate, she saw the doors to her workplace. Looking back, (y/n) stopped in her tracks, almost colliding with the stranger-- who was surprised she stopped and couldn’t stop himself from his fast pace-- and promptly kicked him in the crotch area, effectively ceasing his chase. “Hey fuckface, learn some decorum and method before trying to kill someone or you’ll never be a good murderer!” she yelled before opening the doors to Silent Voices and quickly walking in.

Shutting the large doors before her, (y/n) let out an anxious breath, proud of herself for standing up to a stalker or murder. “Didn’t think I had it in me…”

“Didn’t think you had what in you?” 

“Gah! Kirishima! Where did you come from!?” the girl shouted. The man, Kirishima, chuckled and shook his head. 

“I came from the break room. I was actually just about to call you. Nemuri is pissed, and I really think you should go pray.” Kirishima told her, to which (y/n) grunted and hit her head against the door she was leaning on.

“Of course she is. I’m like, five minutes late, and she hates when people are late.”

“Yeah, so why were you late?” Her friend asked, curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

“I woke up late and had to eat a muffin.” that was all she was going to disclose. As much as she would love to tell him about the crazy stalker that was following her, Kirishima was a bit too protective, so she decided not to say anything. Hopefully, it doesn’t bite her in the ass. 

“I see. Well, that isn’t going to work for her, so might as well count your blessings while you still have them!” Kirishima exclaimed, “Now if you could move from the doors, I have to go out and set up before we open.”

Moving from the mentioned entrance, (y/n) gave Kirishima a goodbye high five and started towards the break room, where she knew she was going to get eaten alive. Going to the very back of the club, where only employees are allowed, (y/n) pushed the bead curtain out of the way and saw Nemuri--or Midnight, as she likes to be called-- standing in the middle of the room, with the other dancers already getting ready for the opening. The gorgeous choreographer was obviously angry at (y/n), her arms crossed over her chest and her brows furrowed in irritation. “Hey. I know I’m late and I’m sorry I--”

“Nope! I don’t want to hear excuses! Do you know how important this night is, (y/n)?!” Nemuri exclaimed, glaring harshly. “Tonight is the night you finally get to do your solo! The one I choreographed specifically for you! And it’s great!”

“It is, and I am so appreciative that you did that--”

“You better be!” There was a moment of silence between them before the older woman huffed out a breath and uncrossed her arms, adjusting her uniform. “I’m glad you made it, just in time. But next time, do. Not. Be. Late.” she warned before walking off to talk to the stage manager. (y/n) sighed, guilt weighing on her shoulders as she walked to her personal vanity. She set down her belongings on the chair and groaned. 

“You doing okay?” one of the other dancers asked-- Mina-- asked. She was clad in a skintight black dress, showing off her assets beautifully, her hair in curls and her makeup was dark and seductive. It seemed she was all ready to go. Probably since she is the first act. 

“Yeah I’m. Fine. Just late, overslept and all that.” (y/n) explained, pushing her bag to the floor and sitting down. She then opened her makeup box, taking the needed appliances that would compliment tonight’s costume. 

“That happens to all of us! So, don’t look so down! Here, let me do your makeup for you, so you can just rest for a bit.” Mina said, taking the foundation away from (y/n) started to apply it for her. 

“Thanks, Mina. I have been a bit more tired lately.”

“Don’t mention it. We gotta stick together, keep each other happy! Isn’t that right?”

“You got that right.” (y/n) laughed, closing her to let Mina do some of her makeup magic. It didn’t take very long, seeing as Mina was one of the best with makeup, and soon enough she was done.

“Okay, look in the mirror and tell me what you think!” blinking her eyes open and shifting her weight to look into the mirror, amazed at how well Mina did her makeup. She didn’t look like a different person, but the makeup did enhance her features for the better, and it felt great. 

“Wow, it looks great. Thanks so much, I would’ve messed up so bad.” she said to Mina, who giggled and patted her shoulder.

“Anytime. I’m gonna go up to the stage and get some practice in before we open.”

“Don’t slip on the pole!”

“Like hell I will!” 

(y/n) chuckled and got up from her vanity to put her costume on. It was a sparkling blue bikini that only covered the important bits. What one would expect from a strip club. At least there was a long silky robe with a fake fur lining, so it wasn’t that bad to walk around in it. Putting on the bikini like attire, (y/n) decided to just put her hair in a ponytail and spritzed some perfume on to complete the image. “Welp, I hope this is good enough because I am not in the mood to do anything extra.” she told herself, moving to the exit to leave the break room and headed toward the bar. “Todoroki, do me a favor and get me a shot of tequila. Maybe four. I don’t want to remember tonight.”

“I’ll give you one, and a glass of water.” the bartender responded, making (y/n) groan in indignation. 

“Fine, whatever.”

“What’s up with you?”

“Ugh, why does everyone keep asking me that!” she shouted, hitting her head against the table of the bar. “Sorry for yelling.”

“It’s all good.” Todoroki muttered, amused by her exasperation, though his face didn’t show it. 

“It’s just--I woke up on time for work, but I didn’t want to come, but I need the money. So I got my happy ass up and walked to the bus stop, which was all fine and dandy, the sun was out and it was bright and warm; great for a walk--” she inhaled to continue-- “but I saw a really weird guy with really spiky blond hair and big fucking muscles and a glare that could practically kill someone. He got off the same stop as me and started to follow me and it was really creepy--”

“By creepy guy, do you mean that one?” 

“Oh yeah, him! Anyways--” she stopped mid sentence, and turned back again to look at the man Kirishima had brought into the club. “Oh my god, it’s the creepy murder guy.” she whispered, to which Todoroki heard.

“The what?”

“That’s the creepy murder guy that I kicked in the crotch before I got here.”

“You did what?!” Todoroki’s shout of astonishment caught the attention of Kirishima and the blond man, and the way the stranger went from “What the hell was that,” to “Oh, it’s the person the kicked me in the balls,” was astounding for (y/n) to see. And (y/n) did nothing as she watched him move straight from the entrance to the club, dodging all the tables, until he was right in her personal bubble, taking her by the robe and scrunching it up. His eyes held murder and his fist was way too close to her throat.

With a low, menacing-- albeit kind of attractive-- voice, he muttered, “You.” 

Yeah.

It bit her in the ass.

[iya5rt]

Kalopsia Project [Bakugo Katsuki x Reader – Tokyo Ghoul AU]

Chapter 7 – Cold Villains and Villainous Colds

Chapter Summary: A creeping cold, an unexpected savior, and yet another day of trouble after trouble.

Kalopsia Project Masterpost

***

“No, no, no – this time I will get it right, I promise!”

“You sure, [Y/N]-chan? You’ve been saying that for the past three days.”

“W-well… I… I’ll try my best today!!”

“Hmm, I’m sure Recovery Girl-san will be pleased to hear that!”

“Huh? Recovery Girl?”

“Oh, yeah – I forgot you probably didn’t know,” Uraraka chuckled, motioning for you to come inside, as the two of you finally finished cleaning the outside tables. Opening time was soon, but you seemed to be ahead with the routine preparation today, so you had a few minutes left to simply chat away.

You both moved to put on the aprons of your standard Yuuei uniforms, and sat on two of the bar stools, as you excitedly awaited Uraraka’s story.

“You see, the old lady whose order you’ve been messing up for the past few days-” The remark made you blush a little but Uraraka only giggled and patted your shoulder. “It’s okay – she said she didn’t mind, remember? Anyway, you know how the CCG gives ghouls nicknames? Well, hers was Recovery Girl!”

You paused, trying to connect the dots in your head. You failed though. That old lady with that name? You’d heard of a handful of ghouls from your parents, but Recovery Girl was an unfamiliar name to you. It didn’t sound all that threatening, so perhaps that was the reason why.

“Yeah! And you know why she was called that?” Midoriya chimed in, emerging from the back room. “Her regenerative abilities were crazy fast! Like, the fastest we’ve ever seen! Of course, that was back in her prime.” He paused to stack a few trays on the counter. “Now she mostly avoids hunting by herself. This is why we help ghouls like her here at Yuuei by providing food!”

“I see… Hey, have you guys been given fancy nicknames by the CCG too?” you perked up, curiously glancing at Midoriya and Uraraka. The two looked at each other, but laughed and shook their heads.

“Nah, we’re pretty careful with not drawing attention to ourselves. A lot of ghouls at Yuuei are. We’re just trying to blend in with society – we don’t wanna have some hunters on our tails all the time.” She briefly paused, and looked around the room, as though to make sure someone wasn’t within earshot. Then she leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper. “You know who here does have a nickname though? Aizawa-san!”

“He does!?” you exclaimed, but Uraraka motioned for you to keep quiet. You cleared your throat and asked again, this time lowering your voice like she had done. “He does? What is it?” Uraraka grinned.

“Eraser Head! And they called him that because-”

“The people he attacked always seemed to vanish without a trace, almost like they’d been completely “erased” out of existence,” a new voice interrupted, and both of you turned to see Bakugo walking through the front door. He moved to close it and looked at you. “Ya know, you’re not quiet at all. Be grateful Aizawa ain’t around.”

“Ah, sorry,” you mumbled, and, seeing as how the time had passed by pretty quickly, you stood up and went to turn around the front door’s sign, officially signaling the start of the work day. With that, you opened the door and the chilly air that suddenly hit you made you sneeze a few times.

When you turned around, you found all eyes were on you.

“What? The weather’s been all weird lately, I’m fairly certain I’ve caught a cold…” Bakugo cocked an eyebrow.

“You should just take the day off then?” Though you only shrugged.

“I’m fine and I promise not to get anyone else sick. I’ll manage for today. I can always rest tonight and take it easy for the next few days, I guess.” Bakugo didn’t look convinced, though before he could retort anything back, the sound of someone making their way down the stairs caused all eyes to snap in its direction.

He probably knew everyone was staring at him, not to mention the sudden awkward silence that had come along with his arrival, but he seemingly pretended not to notice.

You honestly couldn’t believe you had to go along with this. No one really asked you if you agreed or not but…

The moment Monoma’s eyes briefly glanced at you, you immediately looked away. No way were you going to get caught staring at him. He let out a chuckle.

“What? Is that the warm welcome of Yuuei’s staff? I’m not so sure about this idea anymore.” You could practically hear Bakugo gritting his teeth beside you.

“I never agreed either so here’s what I say – let’s just settle this here and now, huh?” The two took a step towards each other, twisted snarls on their faces. They were just about ready to throw hands.

“You act all high and mighty but a surprise entrance is a cheat, you know? If you wanna beat me, do it fair and square, Bakugo.”

“You wanna go? I still think we should have just killed you in the first place so let me do that real quick, hm? Asshole.”

The two continued arguing for a few more minutes, until the first customers walked in and they were forced to settle for murderous glares instead.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad everyone else is also here this time but… it still doesn’t feel right.

For the remainder of your shift, you remained wary.

He’d gotten the better of you twice, and you weren’t about to let him do so a third time.

***

You mentally cursed the weather and whatever was going on with it these days. Wrapping the jacket tightly around your shivering body, you clutched the small plastic bag of medicine closer.

If you were so insistent on me getting some meds, you should have just come with me, Bakugo-kun, jeez. I am freezing, ugh.

“I hate being sick,” you muttered under your nose, sneezing not long after. You were starting to feel worse and worse by the hour, and at this rate you wouldn’t have been able to get out of bed tomorrow.

I guess I’m pushing myself a bit too much. A lot has happened these past few days, so my body’s probably taking some time to cope. Maybe being around ghouls makes you more prone to colds?

You gasped.

What if every time you get a cold, that’s because you’ve had close contact with a ghoul!? …

You shook your head, chuckling a little.

That’s ridiculous. Seems like the cold’s making me delusional. I promise to take it easy starting tomorrow! I don’t feel like worsening my suffering…

Your thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of whispering, alongside hurried footsteps, coming from somewhere not too far behind you. Upon rounding a corner, you managed to briefly spot the source of it too, and your heart almost stopped.

Great, someone’s following me now? Gosh, how do I keep getting myself in these awful situations!? Okay, okay, calm down – just find a more crowded street to get to Yuuei and you’ll be fine!

I.. hope…

Although, as fate would have it, perhaps you were a tad more screwed than you thought you were. You glanced around, only to realize that there was no way to get to the cafe without passing through some weird dark alleyways from where you stood right now.

Great. If I get myself killed by weird stalkers instead of ghouls, at least that would be a change. Haha, look at me, joking about this stuff…

Your furrowed your brows. Despite playing it as a joke, you were actually scared. It was kind of becoming the norm for you lately, so you weren’t nearly as scared as you had been that first time you’d been attacked by Monoma but… death was still something you feared. You couldn’t die just yet. Or let yourself be attacked by weird creeps following you out of nowhere, for that matter.

You almost screamed when a hand was placed on your shoulder. You could swear the men had been too far away from you to reach you in such a short time, you should have had longer, you would have been fine, you-

“Well, hello there!”

You froze, though the hand on your shoulder ushered you to continue moving forward, forcing you to only gulp as you were lead ahead. He must have noticed how your shoulders tensed up however, and he faked a pout.

“Aw, not happy to see me, hm?” Monoma joked. You weren’t in the mood for jokes though. Or in the mood to see him at all in the first place. Despite his words however, he leaned down and lowered his voice, whispering in your ear. “There are two weird guys following you, you know that?”

You growled quietly and turned to shoot him a glare. Meanwhile, he only looked back with a raised brow. You could swear he was just trying to hide his smirk though. It was almost like he was expecting you to be grateful.

Well, sucks for him.

“Yeah, I know,” you retorted, trying your best to stress how ungrateful and unimpressed you were. “As a matter of fact, I was trying to avoid them.” You made an attempt to shake him off. “Now would you mind getting your hands off me!?”

Monoma shrugged but complied anyway. Even so, it’s not like you could have just run off either. He would easily catch up to you, not to mention that you’d have to deal with three people on your trail in that case. You did have a slight suspicion as to why he was acting the way he was though.

“What, you’re just keeping your prey to yourself then…?” you frowned, turning to look anywhere but him. This time, Monoma remained quiet for a few seconds. You almost had a heart attack, thinking that he was mad now. A single chuckle followed, then he leaned in closer. Only now did you notice the two men were walking dangerously close to the both of you.

“Are you crazy? If that Bakugo guy found out that something happened to you while I was nearby, he might just kill me for real this time.” When the two of you were forced to a stop while waiting at a red light, Monoma turned to look back. Not long after, you heard hurried footsteps rushing away.

Did… did he chase them off?

“If they see you’re with another ghoul, they probably won’t attack you.” Your eyes widened.

“Ghoul? How would they know?” Monoma laughed.

“Aw, come on – I’ll have you know, I’m quite famous around here. This was my feeding ground before I moved to the Second Ward. Anyway.” The light turned green and you crossed the street. Monoma had let go of your shoulder, though he was still walking practically beside you and casting you frequent glances to make sure you wouldn’t run. “Don’t flatter yourself like that – I just don’t feel like dying quite yet, so we’re heading straight for Yuuei. You can thank me later.” That annoying smirk was back on his face. You scoffed.

“As if.”

The remainder of your walk to Yuuei, however short it may have been, was… awkward. To put it mildly. And who could blame you – getting along with the one who almost murdered you twice in the span of a single week wasn’t exactly possible. You still couldn’t quite place his motives for chasing away the two men from earlier, though you would think twice before easily believing him again. Not after what happened last time anyway.

Even so, he did get me out of potential trouble… However selfish his motivations may have been.

You glanced at Monoma, trying to discern what his reasons were. Before you could look away though, he caught your stare and raised an eyebrow, at which you promptly pouted and looked away.

Walking into Yuuei was not something you were exactly looking forward to either. Especially if Monoma planned to come in with you side by side.

And true enough, your worries turned out to be quite reasonable. Lunch break was going to end soon (you cursed your weird stalkers for slowing you down), and upon opening the door, all eyes in the cafe turned to stare at you. Most took a second to process everything and remained still. You didn’t dare look up to see their reactions. One person however, didn’t even give you time to explain.

In the blink of an eye, he had rushed past you and was gripping Monoma’s collar.

“Oi, you really have a death wish, huh!? The hell were you doing!? Answer me, asshole!!” Bakugo growled, not actually giving Monoma any time to answer.

See, normally you would have rushed inside the cafe and let him handle this. It’s not like you felt sorry for Monoma. But…

Damn it, I’m becoming such a softie…

You cleared your throat and a pair of crimson eyes suddenly looked at you. At least, you assumed they did, since the profanities spilling from Bakugo’s mouth also stopped, though you yourself were looking somewhere off to the side.

“Bakugo-kun, it’s… it’s okay… I- He, um...” You glanced at Monoma, then turned to look at Bakugo, whose eyes were wide and trained on you. “He, uh, kinda helped me? I-I think?” The ash blond stood frozen for a moment, then took to frantically looking back and forth between you and Monoma.

“He did!? You sure!?” he raised his brows. You slowly nodded, first at Bakugo, then an Monoma (this was the best expression of gratitude he was getting from you). Seems like it wasn’t enough for him though, as you watched him stick his tongue out at Bakugo, who in turn pushed him, making him hit his back in the door.

Surprisingly enough however, even as Monoma was busy grunting from the small pain and rubbing at his back, Bakugo stepped back and drove a hand through his hair. You took that as your cue and walked to the counter, finally dropping the bag of medicine and digging through it to find the first vitamins you were taking for the day.

After you fetched a glass of water and swallowed them, Bakugo leaned back on the counter beside you, shooting you a curious look, at which you only shrugged.

“Don’t ask me,” you said, clearly noticing all the questions on his face, though he refused to speak them out loud. “I was just coming back and some weird guys started following me. He showed up out of nowhere, saying you would get mad if I got hurt? I’m sorry, I’m sure that’s probably all too much.”

“You bet it is.” He leaned his head even further back, staring at the ceiling lost in thought for a bit. “Guess we gotta make sure you’re not going out on your own until we figure out what’s up with those stalkers of yours, huh?”

“They’re probably just some random creeps from the streets, don’t worry about it. I’ll be more careful from now on anyway.” The teasing thought of Bakugo being worried about you crossed your mind, though, noticing you going to change into your uniform again, he stopped you, speaking up before you could even bring it up.

“You’re not gonna eat something? It’s your lunch break, you know?”

You shook your head and sighed, frowning.

“This stupid cold seems to have killed my appetite too.” With that, Bakugo watched you with furrowed brows, as you disappeared upstairs.

There was a weird sinking sensation in his stomach. Something was wrong. Something had been wrong for a while now. Yet he had no idea what was causing him such worry.

Too bad he was going to find out, whether he liked it or not.

***

The day had been pretty slow, perhaps the slowest you’d experienced in your short time working at Yuuei. There were barely any customers, yet most of the staff was there. You mentally blamed it on the weather, convincing yourself that you weren’t the only fool who got sick at such a weird time. Then again, maybe people just had better things to do.

You know who apparently didn’t have better things to do though? Kirishima, Ashido, Kaminari, and Sero. A mere half an hour or so after your “lunch break” (which, let’s be real, had been anything but a break, not to mention that you didn’t even have lunch during it), the four had walked in with wide smiles and taken the same table they’d chosen when you’d first encountered them a few days prior. The inside of the cafe was empty, so it seemed like that was just their preferred place.

You waved them hello and went to fetch their drinks. Much like Midoriya, you already had them memorized. With one last look around the place, you decided you weren’t needed anymore and sat beside the four.

That’s exactly what I need right now. I feel like crap, so hopefully this will distract me enough.

You spent the next few minutes catching up on everything that had happened over the past few days, and, at long last, began making plans to meet up soon. Ashido had mentioned how cool their arcade night had been (of course not neglecting to say how she had been the sharpest shooter out of the bunch, only for Kirishima to lean in and whisper that she had actually been the worst at it), and the thought of going out with them resurfaced in your mind. Even though you had to insist on putting it off a bit, so your cold could pass by then, you were already trying to figure out where you wanted to go.

“[F/N/-san, the hot cocoa is ready!” Midoriya called out, quickly disappearing into the back room yet again.

“Oh, excuse me then, I’m gonna have to bring that over real quick,” you smiled, and walked over to the counter, raising a brow at Bakugo, who seemed to be frowning an awful lot tonight.

Waving a hand in front of his eyes, you called out.

“Hey, you okay? You look more grumpy than usual,” a small smirk rose to your lips. Bakugo’s frown deepened even further and he waved you off.

“It’s nothing, go back to the loud dumbasses.” Your smirk fell in concern. Something wasn’t right with Bakugo, but you knew you had no right to pry. With a sigh, you turned your back to him.

“If you say so. But,” you turned to give him one final look. “If there’s something wrong, please don’t hesitate to tell someone, okay?” He mumbled a small “Whatever”, as you took your first few steps towards the table.

A loud crash came next. Accompanied by the sound of breaking glass.

In the blink of an eye, your vision went pitch black. Your knees gave out a mere moment after and you fell to the floor.

You were vaguely aware of the frantic cries that suddenly seemed to come from everywhere around you. Though even those went quiet in another second or two.

Or so it sounded like to you. After that, you lost consciousness.

***

[CLASSIFIED INFORMATION]

Protocol K78152112

Subject #35

Real Name: Bubaigawara Jin

Background: Volunteered as a subject; Left an orphan after parents were killed by ghouls.

Results: Subject suffered almost unbearable headaches; Personality seems to have been affected – borderline bipolar.

Full sync with the kakuhou was achieved in a few hours. Subject lived and showed no further signs of deterioration.

(scribbled in pen) Two in a row? We’re on a roll this months, aren’t we? This one had severe mental damage, so perhaps we should try and avoid that in the future.

***

Author’s Note: An early update today because I have other things that need to get done during my usual update time! Though I doubt anyone’s going to complain, haha!

Hmm, to those who guessed Monoma was going to join Yuuei – you were right! Aizawa’s much softer than he’d like to think, so they decided to give him another chance! Hope you’re excited to see where this is going to go!

And it’s official now – the real plot begins! I can’t wait, aaah!! Anyway, the Classified Information files are becoming very easy to guess, though a lot of you got last week’s correct too! Thank you guys so, so much for reading! Your support on this story means the world to me, please drop a comment with more predictions or just shocked gasps (I had to make up for the lack of a cliffhanger from last week, after all), I’d really appreciate it! I love you all so much and I’ll see you all next Wednesday! Bye~

(Psst, @afuckingunicornn  @creativedogs  @chims-kookies  - you know the drill by now - thank you for the support and here is the next part!)

[sweetpea666]

My creepy stalker story

So I was at school and had a 5 hour gap between classes and wanted to go home but I have no car so I take the bus. It was noon and the bus drivers go on an hour-ish long lunch break around then. I met up with my roommate and walked downtown to grab some Starbucks with her before she had class so I could kill time. Was at Starbucks for like 20-30 min. Walked with her back towards campus, then parted ways and sat at the bus stop. The place where my bus picks up from is by this little corner at a parking garage where the handicap spots are so not too many people go there and it was the middle of the day and people were in class so no one was around except for one girl a ways away with headphones on. I sat down on a ledge and started to pull out my headphones when a man approached me. He said something along the lines of “Excuse me, I don’t mean to sound creepy but I saw you from across the street and just had to tell you that I think you are absolutely stunning”. I just did like a haha thanks weirdo, I’m not but cool bye type of laugh. He then goes “My name is ___________ whats yours?” and I’m like “My name is Lauren.....” and he goes “Well Lauren, maybe we could exchange numbers and hang out sometime? Maybe grab a cup of coffee? I would love to get to know you better”. And I was like “Hahah sorry, I have a boyfriend”. And he goes “Of course you do, you’re gorgeous. Well, maybe we could just be friends and still hangout”. And I just kinda nervously laughed and said maybe. He had started inching closer and closer to me, to the point where if I were to text or call someone for help or whatever he would have seen. It was at this point that I realized this guy was not about to go away. I did not want to upset him cause I had no idea if he would be violent or if he would do something bad so I felt like I just needed to go along with it but give no indication whatsoever that I was interested. Be cordial yet clearly distant. He asked if he could sit next to me and I was like uhhhhh sure. So he sat weirdly close to me and began to pry into my life, asking me what I’m doing in town, what school I go to, what my major is, where I work, how old I am, where I live, and I of course lied about it all cause why would I give him that info like it was dumb enough of me to give him my real name. He then went on to tell me that he was just graduating from community college and was getting a scholarship to my school to come play basketball and that he also knows lots of famous basketball players and also works at a hospital and also runs his own barbershop and just went on and on telling me more and more things that seemed really made up. He tried bragging that lots of girls try to get at him since he has a basketball scholarship and knows famous sports players and that he was just looking for someone real who he could have a meaningful relationship with. Kept hinting that I could be that girl. He was saying he was in his early twenties when in reality his face and his clothes looked like thirties. He also told me “Yeah, I was really nervous about approaching you” and I was like “Yeah that was a pretty bold move” and he was like “Well I saw you earlier with your friend with the colorful hair and did not want to come up to you when you were with her cause I did not want to interrupt, you were laughing and smiling and looked so pretty so I just waited till you left Starbucks and came back here alone”. HE LITERALLY STALKED ME FOR THE HALF HOUR THAT I WALKED TO STARBUCKS WITH MY FRIEND, SAT IN STARBUCKS AND ATE AND DRANK COFFEE, AND THEN WALKED BACK TO THE BUS STOP, ALL SO THAT HE COULD APPROACH ME WHEN I WAS ALONE. I told him that my friend would have called him crazy, hoping that he would realize how INSANE that was and leave but no he said “Wow, glad I waited then!” He sat with me there, asking more and more about me, even when I purposefully went silent and tried to come off as boring and awkward (as if I have to try to do that anyways) and he just kept at it. He did that for THIRTY WHOLE MINUTES until my bus came. At one point he even pulled a bug out of my hair cause I’m a gross-ass bitch and apparently things live in my hair but I was SO creeped out when he touched my hair. I even tried bragging about my boyfriend and talking about how the two of us met so that he would take the hint and go away but nope. I saw the bus pull up and was like oh thank god “Well it looks like my bus is here, sorry gotta go but it was nice meeting you” and he legit goes “Oh I’ll ride the bus with you!” and I was like “Uh are you sure?” and he was like “Yeah! I got to get home anyways” and I was like “Uhh where do you live” and he said he lived on the same street that I actually happen to live on and I was like well shit now he's coming on my bus fuckkkk. So he got on the bus, sat right next to me and trapped me in the window seat so like I had no way out unless he got up and left. While we were on the bus he kept saying how pretty my smile is and how badly he needs friends and kept trying to get my number over and over again. Finally he suggested he just give me his number and later if I choose to I can contact him. I just agreed so he could finally shut up about it. I got really worried that he was going to wait until I got off the bus and see where I live or even try to get off the bus with me and follow me home. Like I was full blown starring out the window, making as little eye contact as possible, clenching my phone and wallet and keys hoping that one of the now many people on the bus would see what was going on and how uncomfortable I was but nope. He continued to be creepy out loud, I continued to be scared shittless, and people just sat and minded their own business. Luckily he got off the bus before me and my street was around a couple corners so he couldn’t see where I got off at but I was so freaked out that I ran home and slammed my door and just stood in the kitchen hyperventilating for a good 20-30 min. I legitimately thought this man was going to try to rape or murder me or follow me home. I was very scarred and still am. What if I see him again? What if he sees me and continues to stalk me? What if he gets mad that I never contacted him and he tries to find and approach me? I am really freaked out and have contemplated reporting this to the police but in reality there is not much they can do. Anyways that is my creepy stalker story and please if you are still reading, leave me some advice on what to do cause I honestly don’t know.

[calliecat93]

RWBY V5, CH5 Review: Necessary Sacrifice

(Repost Form My Now Defunct Review Blog)

I have fallen SO BEHIND. Sorry guys, November was a crazy month. Along with holiday stuff, my dad had a seizure and while he is fine now, that… kind of killed a lot of my resolve since I had to shift to taking care of him. But things are better now and on the upside, the delay gave me more time to look over the recent episodes. This one in particular… doesn’t have a lot of fans due to it’s slower pace and being exposition. But does that really make it bad? Well lets find out.

Overview

We start in Menagerie where Blake and Sun are attempting to gather recruits for the Haven Defense. But… they aren’t getting many results. It’s not hard to see why either. They are asking these citizens to essentially enter a war that doesn’t actively involve them for a side that has oppressed them. As Blake explains later, the Faunus who weren’t born on Menagerie came to the island to get away from the oppression. Why would they risk their necks for a species who only made their lives harder? Even not taking that into account, most of them are likely untrained in combat, have families, and don’t want to die. This would scare anyone. It’s easy for Blake, who has faced the oppression and knows that the White Fang will cause the Faunus problems regardless, and Sun who probably hasn’t faced as much oppression as the Menagerie Faunus and even if he did, doesn't’ agree with the WF’s extremism.

During their one on one though, Sun asks Blake about Adam. He does retract when he sees that it makes her uncomfortable, which I’ll go into later, but the catgirl is willing to talk about him. She mentions about defining a person by one word and uses her teammates as examples. For Ruby, when she first met her, she viewed her as the embodiment of purity due to her idealistic, but good-natured intentions on helping people by becoming a Huntress. For Weiss, Blake grew to see her as defiance, most likely due to wanting to break away from her family’s negative influence and to make the Schnee name better regardless of what gets in her way. And for Yang, Blake defines her as strength, both due to her fighting abilities and her emotional strength, which she came to see after Yang opened up about her own childhood and about Raven. It was really interesting to see how she views the girls and, while she’s still contemplating on it, she describe Sun as earnest. Given how far he went to help Blake both when they first met and now, I think that’s pretty fitting.

With Adam however, Blake’s definition changed several times. First she saw him as justice, likely admiring his resolve to better the Faunus. Then she saw him as passion due to her feelings for him. But now? Adam is spite. This speaks loud and clear on how Blake feels about her former partner. She saw him become filled with hate and is now no better than what he fought against. If he gets his way, then regardless of where the Faunus each stand, it’s going to make things worst. His level of hate is contagious and he’s sorea dit over the rest of the White Fang, including Ilia. Blake opens up about her, having admired her for choosing to fight for the Faunus even though she could easily pass for human. It even led to Blake deciding to remain in the White Fang after her parents pulled out. She had Adam and Ilia after all. I still want to know what happened that got Blake to finally realize that things were going too far, something that I don’t think we’ll get until we see what caused Adam to turn into an extremist One thing at a time, I guess.

Regardless, Blake doesn’t want to give up on Ilia yet. She believes that her former friend can still change. How does she intend to do that? Well she decides to use Sun’s example. Despite how angrily Blake treated Sun, the monkey boy still never gave up on her. He knew that Blake needed someone and he chose to go after her due to it. It annoys me when people call Sun a stalker, he isn’t. Yeah Blake didn’t want his help, but it’s what she needed to pull herself back. And Sun did so because he cares about Blake. It doesn’t matter if you view it through a platonic or romantic glass, Sun saw a friend in a bad place and decided to help, even if he knew that she may not accept it. So Blake wants to follow that and try to help Ilia, even if she doesn’t want it. It’s something that the chameleon girl needs before she does something unforgivable, and Blake plans on being that something.

But that’ll be for another day. For now, we cut over to Mistral where Oscar is wrapping up training. Ruby comes to fetch him for dinner, complimenting his improvement over such little time. Up to now, Oscar’s only real combat experience had been against the occasional small Grimm, nothing like what he’s gong to have to face soon. Ruby tells him that at this rate, it won’t be long before he’s combat ready… and that of course makes her sad, a reminder of Penny. She gets ready to head back to the kitchen, but she is stopped when Oscar asks her something hat honestly, the fandom itself has wanted to know.. How is Ruby able to handle all of this? For Oscar, he’s already overwhelmed. Yeah he wanted to be something beyond a farmhand, but sharing a soul and being dragged into a secret war… well, that’s something that no one would ask for. Ruby tries to make him feel better, telling him that while all of them went to Beacon to help others, they didn’t sign up for this war either. But regardless, they have accepted it and have to move forward/

That… doesn’t help. It only causes Oscar to snap. He’s terrified, yet Ruby is standing there completely calm and assured. How is she able to be that way? How is she not scared?  How is she not fazed at all by all that’s happened so far? Once Oscar calms down, Ruby reveals why. And for the first time since V3, the hooded Huntress speaks of Penny and Pyrrha. Two good-hearted girls who Ruby didn’t knwo for long, but she knew that they were good people and they die under terrible circumstances. For Pyrrha, she was so desperate to help others that she went into a fight that she knew she couldn’t win, just to try and do something to save others. As a result,s he was killed. Penny got ripped apart, just so Cinder could make a statement. Salem doesn’t care who she kills or how, as long as it gets her what she wants. Ruby knows that she has to be stopped, so she’s going to fight.

Is Ruby scared? Yes. Of course she is. But she’s keeping it in. She’s taking her grief and using it to move forward, not be held back. She knows that if had been her who had died, then despite the pain, Pyrrha and Penny would have kept fighting. So Ruby has to do the same. As she leaves, she tells Oscar that the fact that he is where he is, trying despite his fears, says a lot about him. Once Ruby is gone, Ozpin points out to Oscar that while Ruby is a good Huntress in several ways, in others she is lacking. Ruby is like anyone, she has her quirks but she also has her faults. What she does possess is a spark, one that can incite hope into others, even in the darkest of times. But even so, it is hard on her. Will we see more of that later on? Well, only time will tell.

For now though, we cut back to Menagerie, but this time to the Albane Twins. Its from Adam, having given the Menagerie branch new orders. The brothers have summoned Ilia, confirming to her that Sienna has been killed as planned. So yes, the Albane’s and Ilia are in the know about this, Ilia even calling it a necessary sacrifice, even if she doesn’t exactly seem to be happy about it going off her body language. But regardless, Adam has taken over and the brothers tell Ilia the new orders, to kill the Belladonna family. You see, while the Menagerie citizens don’t know of Adam’s acension yet, once they do it’ll confirm what Ghira had said before and chances are, they’ll side with him. So in order to prevent that, he and Kali have to be killed. But Ilia’s job sin’t to pull the trigger, it’s to keep Blake away. You see, Adam doesn’t want Blake dead, he wants her brought straight to him. So while Ilia draws Blake away from the Belladonna home, the WF will make their move and assassinate the two.

Ilia is clearly shocked by the order, not wanting to hurt Blake. She also brings up that the people won’t exactly take their chieftain being murdered well. However the Albane’s assure her that the Faunus will come to understand and will be fine without a leader until Adam’s ascension is complete. It’s a necessary sacrifice after all, for what’s best for the Faunus. Ilia seems to accept it as she leaves, but going off her expressions, she’s not happy about it. Once she’s gone, Fennec does address that Ghira becoming a martyr could indeed cause problems. Bot Corsic says it’s a risk that has to be made as he replays Adam’s message. It’s clear that the extremist is becoming more unhinged, having to stop during the message to calm himself down. It’s something that the Albane’s notice and Fennec even questions if it’s really a good idea to follow him. But for now, Adam’s doing what they need, so they are willing to do so. The episode comes to an end as a Bat Faunus, Yuma, enters and confirms to the brothers that Ghira’s messenger to Mistral has been killed.

Review

This episode has received a lot of mixed reception. It’s this way because this episode has a lot of talking and not a lot of progress on the plot. Compare it to the previous four which have been fast paced and have been moving the story forward in different ways. Add to it feel like there was repeated info, like on Ilia, and yeah it’s clear why some were frustrated with this one, However that doesn’t make a bad episode in my opinion. This is a character development and reflection episode. Yeah these are slow and can feel kind of filler-y, but the are necessary. It lets us see where the characters are at this point in their development and get to see what’s coming at them next. I mean yeah it wouldn’t be a shock if the White Fang ambushed Blake and attached the Belladonnas, but their scene shows us that while they have control, there are issues like Adam’s growing instability and Ilia’s hesitance shows us more of her character. Blake talking lets us see where her head is at and as such, we understand her stance more and care more about her. Fight scenes and fast pacing are not all that makes a show You need a breath of fresh air once in a while, especially after an intense episode like last week’s. These episode set up the plot for the next beat, so no things DO happen, just as a set up so that we can get a payoff. So calling this episode bad because it was slower and exposition heavy is a reason to not have this one a favorite, but it’s not a bad episode due to it.

Okay, lets actually talk about things now. I’m not surprised that Blake and Sun are failing, again the Faunus are begin asked to risk their lives for a species who gave them Hell.. But it’s good to see that they are trying. Their talk was also really nice and lets us see how Blake has changed since the last volume. She’s not closed up or angry anymore She’s calm, friendly, and understanding of why the Faunus are reluctant to sign up. She’s also opening up finally, talking about her views of her teammates, Adam, and Ilia. It’s good to see that Sun’s words form the last volume have indeed helped her and that the difficulties, such as Ilia’s outburst two chapters ago, aren’t making her stress liek back in Volume 2. I’m gonna be honest, while I think that Miles and Kerry were right to write Blake how they did last volume under the circumstances, I did NOT like her in it. She was angry, hostile, ignoring the issue around her, and her running away felt like a degrading of her development. But again, I see why that was necessary and now that she finally understands that she doesn’t have to be alone and how she was selfish in hindsight, she’s calmed down and is mroe like her late V2/early V3 self again. Which I’m very happy about and it makes her likable again. It was necessary to let us see where she is as a character now and to see her using what Sun taught her to try with Ilia. So.. yeah I liked the Menagerie scenes.

Speaking of Menagerie, lets talk about the ending. As I said, the setup is necessary to both not come out of nowhere and to let us see where the bad guys are standing. Adam is becoming unhinged, but that’s not the point here. First, there’s Ilia. It’s clear to me that she’s not happy with where she is. She isn’t happy that Sienna had to be murdered. She isn’t happy about hurting Blake and her family. But regardless, she’s accepting it. She wants to help the Faunus. The greater good. And the greater good demands sacrifice and doing things that you don’t want to do. Think of how Pyrrha decided to become the Fall Maiden, despite what it would do to her, ultimately to save other people. But unlike Pyrrha, Ilia’s on a path of misguidance. She hates humanity. She wants them to suffer. She wants to make the Faunus’ position better, even if it’s through fear and bloodshed. If that means killing the Belladonna’s and hurting Blake, then it doesn’t matter how she herself feels. It’ll be done, for the Faunus. Now, can Ilia be redeemed? It’s possible. The fact that she has regret and is hesitant shows that she hasn’t lot her humanity yet. If Blake can get her to see that fear will do nothing for the Faunus, there’s a chance. But right now, Ilia is deep in the WF’s cult mindset and her own hatred, so it’s going to take q LOT of work. We can only hope for the best.

As for the orders, I’m not surprised. The Belladonna’s speak for equality and can cause Menagerie, the sanctuary of the Faunus, to turn on Adam. Add that to his hatred of Blake and his promise to destroy everything that she loves, and it’s no surprise at all. But even the Albane’s recognize that this is both risky and that Adam is becoming more and more unstable. They’re willing to go with it, but we do see that they aren’t blindly loyal. If it comes to a point where Adam becomes a liability, chances are they’ll turn on him. Whether that’ll amount to anything I can’t say, but it shows that Adam isn’t as in control as he thinks he is, For now though,t he odds are against Blake as the Albane’s have control of everything and they’ve ensued that neither Mistral nor Menagerie know about the current events. We’ll have to see what happens… well I’ve seen Chapter 8 so I know whats going to happen. But still, it’s setting up for something big and it’s hard to say whose coming out of this one unscathed,

Finally, lets talk Oscar and Ruby. This was THE big reason why I liked the episode. First there’s Oscar. We know that he’s scared about all of this, Volume 4 made that clear. But it’s good to see him talking to someone about it and how even though he’s accepted things, he’s still scared He’s new to all of this and he doesn’t know how to handle how he feels. It’s no surprise that it’s Ruby who he turns to about this. She’s so far accepted what’s come at her seemingly unscathed and has kept going without a change in her demeanor. How can she stills mile and think positively despite all that she’s gone through and what still awaits? Seeing Oscar talk about this with her allows us to see more of both characters and it’s good to see how the farmboy took Ruby’s words and seems to be inspired by her example.

Then there is Ruby herself. So there have been quite a few criticisms about her character, especially during Volume 4. How she never addressed anything about Penny and Pyrrha’s deaths. How she didn’t express any grief or anguish over the events of Volume 3. How she still feels like the same character and has felt very underdeveloped. I.. don’t agree. It always made sense to me why Ruby never addressed Penny and Pyrrha and why she kept up a positive demeanor. She wants to move forward. She wants to use the negativity that she felt form those events and use it to drive herself ahead. To do what they would do if it were the other way around and keep fighting to both help others and to prevent anyone form going through what she did. Yeah, maybe later on we’ll see it become too much for her, but right now isn’t the right time. Here, she was finally asked directly about it, hence why she opened up to Oscar about it. I imagine seeing how scared he is also provoked her into talking, in order to help him.

As for Ruby being underdeveloped… I wouldn’t say that. It’s more subtle and subdued compared to say Weiss. Lets put it this way, up until the end of V4, WBY were at a point where they were struggling to get over things and it kept them from moving forward. Ruby had already decided what to do with how she felt and to take that next step. There isn’t a lot of room for her to develop, at least not right now. But she HAS changed. In V4, she did express feeling guilty about endangering JNPR and dragging them into a dangerous situation. Her monologue in Chapter 12 also showed how she now understands that bad things happen. She understands that the world isn’t as ideal as she believed, but it doesn’t break her. it only furthered her resolve in becoming a Huntress But not just for idealistic reasons, she genuinely wants to help people because it is the right thing to do. Do I think that bottling up her fears and grief will get to her eventually? Probably. Do I think that Ruby is underdeveloped due to it? No. Ruby has always known what she wanted and has already accepted what’s happened to her. Shes; not the same girl in Volume 1 who desperately wanted to prove herself and was scared of making friends Shes stronger, has a more realistic view of the world, and is now trying to help others who are scared and nervous, lie Oscar. As Ozpin said, she is a spark of hope. A spark that spreads onto others. She inspired JNPR into following her because she kept fighting despite what she lost. She’s now inspired Oscar for similar reasons. Ruby is my favorite character ans this is why. No matter how bad things get and no matter how she feels, Ruby keeps fighting. She keeps moving forward. She is the embodiment of the show,and in turn Monty’s, message. And I am so happy to see this episode bring that into focus. Good work CRWBY!

Conclusion

This was a slower episode, but it was needed. I love character insight, what can I say? We get to see where Blake has grown, get Ruby to finally open up after so long, and get setup for the next part of the Menagerie plot. I don’t see where this episode was bad at all. Again, after four intense episode, the slower pace was necessary and again, we need the setup. Is this a ground-breaking chapter? No. it’s pretty plain, and I’m fine with it being that. It was a chance to breathe. and I thoroughly enjoyed it.