#or will he quit like Jaxson did and start from the beginning

[shinystealingbirb]

genuinely adore that fact that Robin is so damn good at everything he tries EXCEPT beyblading, and that’s the one skill he wants to learn with all his heart, and the only skill he gives a damn about.

“But he should focus on what he’s good at!”. Seeing someone who sucks at beyblading trying so hard is a major point in the show. He’s got so many other skills he’s naturally good at, but rather than choosing based off that, he chose what he’s passionate about.

i don’t know if you can tell but I love this children’s show so much

[mysteryideasgroup]

MSA X Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island Chapter 7: They are found the Ghost of the Pirate in the video camera clip tape rewind/Shaggy and Scooby gets foods and drinks are put on the picnic basket/Discovered hidden words of wallpaper in the kitchen

Later we watched the clip that Fred had recorded when the wind was suddenly blowing in and the writing occurred. We were trying to catch how it happened during the shot and where the ghostly aura came from. Finally, Sarah spotted something

Sarah: Play it again, Fred, I think I saw something

Fred: Sure

Fred rewinded the clip one final time and pauses the part when Daphne shouted out "Who opened the window?".

Sarah: There! Could you enhance the shot?

Fred presses a couple of buttons to enhance, sharpen, and brighten the shot. Finally, they uncover something--a pirate ghost!

Marco: That looks like a ghost

Starla: You mean the guy this island's named after?

Simone: It is the ghost of Morgan Moonscar. Here, let me show you

Simone went to the nearest bookshelf and take out a book that contains Moonscar's portrait

Simone: This is the portrait of Morgan LeCrite. The moon-shaped scar is why he became better known as Morgan Moonscar

Josh: That's him, all right. And he really wants us out.

Shaggy: Like. We'll be happy to get out

Scooby nodded in agreement

Daphne: A real pirate ghost! Fabulous! I can't thank you enough for opening your haunted house to us, Simone!

Simone: So, you're not going to heed Moonscar's threat?

Daphne: Are you kidding? We don't get scared off that easy

Shaggy: Like. We do

Fred: Besides. It's probably a hologram or some guy in a pirate suit.

Marco: Then, why did it only show up on the tape?

Velma: That's the mystery

Fred: But there's always a logical explanation for these things

Suddenly, they hear a mysterious and suspicious growling.

Simone: What's that?

Icy: What noise?

Shaggy: Like, there's a logical explanation for the growling from our stomachs. We're hungry and we're gotta get some food to go!

Scooby and Shaggy rushed back into the kitchen and Josh and Jaxson decides to go with them, so they won't get into any trouble.

Shaggy and Scooby are prepping the picnic basket, filling up with various goods, from homemade potato salad to a couple jars of pickled peppers, and one 20 feet long sandwich. However, the sandwich didn't fit the basket, so Scooby and Shaggy ate up each side of the sandwich into a smaller 5 foot sandwich

After they prepped the basket, they are about to leave the kitchen, only to bump into Albert and Velma.

Josh: What brings you back here, guys?

Albert: We're here to take another look at the wall

Shaggy: What's to look at? It's better to clear that the ghost wants us out. C'mon, boys, let's go

Velma leans against the wall and starts picking at it. Albert did the same thing and the wall starts to peel off. Velma sees a spatula and begins scrapping it. Albert backs off and watch Velma peel off the wall and sees dull red letters appearing one at the time.

M...A...E...L...S...T...R...O...M...

Lena comes in with a tray of empty glasses and gasps in horror.

Lena: What are you doing to my kitchen?!

Mima: Oh my god... you are doing?!

Velma: Jinkies

Velma: Looks like I got carried away

Later on, Velma, Albert, Bart, and Vicki read the page that contains Morgan Moonscar's portrait. However, Simone, Lena, and Daphne, Icy, and Mima are very upset with the ruined wall. Fred captures a shot of the wall that says MAELSTROM.

Simone: Would you mind telling me why you destroyed half my kitchen?

Velma: Well

Velma reading the book

Velma: According to this book, the MAELSTROM was the name of Morgan Moonscar's pirate ship

Simone: I'm not surprised

Simone: Parts of this house is quite old. The pieces of the pirate ship could've been used for construction. Morgan Moonscar was rumored to have buried treasure of this island, though it was... never found

Albert: Never found?

Albert walked towards Bart and Josh and whispers

Bart: Boys, I'm beginning to have a bad feeling about this. I fear that we might be getting too deep in this place

Vicki: Too deep? Don't worry about anything, Albert. If the ghost decides to pop in right in front of us, we got your back

Fred: Treasure? AHA! I knew it! It's some guy disguised as a pirate ghost trying to scare everyone off the island!

The silence came in the room, staring at Fred blankly.

Lewinn: Really, Fred?

----

For @laurasanchez36

All belongs to my Msa ocs sonas and new Msa ocs sonas Teams/Groups/Gangs/Squads/Crews and Team/Group/Gang/Squad/Crew

All belongs to her Msa ocs sonas and new Msa ocs sonas Teams/Groups/Gangs/Squads/Crews and Team/Group/Gang/Squad/Crew

Scooby-Doo belongs to WB (Warner Bros) Animated Movies

[ugly-anastasia]

The Last 10 Years | Oneshot

Note: for the October Jekyll and Hyde task (write a one-shot featuring your character as first the protagonist and then the antagonist) I had an idea to try and tell Annie and Charlie’s story in the style of the musical The Last Five Years, since that is kind of the goal of that show’s storytelling style. Basically the premise is the same story told from two different perspectives, one in chronological order and the other in reverse-chronological order. Just wanted to clarify that in case the format is confusing. Enjoy!

Warnings for: alcohol, references to hazing, lots of messy/unhealthy relationship dynamics, misogyny, some nsfw topics

2021, Annie

The last time Anastasia Tremaine saw Charles King, he was shimmering. 

The morning light got in her eyes, Tennessee June out in all its glory as Annie loaded the last box into the Uber that would take her to the airport. Out of the corner of her eye, Annie could see Charlie bending down to give Harlynne and Jaxson each one last hug. The early summer sunshine seemed to sparkle on his Dri-Fit Vanderbilt Tennis shirt because of course it did. The world seemed to part for Charlie King and everything that made Annie squint and stumble and fall just painted him in brighter glory.

It was what she had always liked about him, wasn’t it? That she could look at him and see the sun? Annie’s life had always been defined by the people she surrounded herself with. Rodmilla Tremaine’s screechy daughter, Ella Ashbourne’s bitchy stepsister with the bad fake tan, and then Charlie King’s perky young wife. 

Maybe that was her mistake from the beginning. How was she going to define herself now?

2011, Charlie

The first time Charles King saw Anastasia Tremaine, she was shimmering. 

Literally. Covered in silver sparkles. The glitter bomb was a new ritual to welcome the Alpha Phi pledges, replacing the traditional surprise Jägerbomb after a lengthy hazing investigation that left the sisters scrambling to replace their traditions with those less explicitly related to alcohol. Of course, it was the first mixer of the year, so alcohol of all kinds was flowing through the Kappa Alpha house, just with enough plausible deniability to say that technically nobody underage was encouraged to drink. 

Luckily for the majority of the attendees at this mixer, they tended to have the kind of connections to get a good enough lawyer to get out of that stuff.

Charlie saw Annie sparkling as she stood on the coffee table and glitter rained down on her, shrieking in disgust (but maybe soaking up the attention just a little bit). And he knew that was his girl. She was attractive in a self-conscious kind of way, with her long legs and big nose, like maybe she was afraid she stuck out too much. It was easy to see through fake freshman confidence, and Charlie could already see her posh British accent impressing his parents. 

He hung back. He didn’t say anything yet. But Charlie had a feeling he would run into Annie Tremaine again.

2019, Annie

It was really quite plain and simple: Charlie was cheating.

Annie believed she was justified in going through his phone, because he was cheating. The signs were everywhere. He was always “going out to happy hour” after work even though he hadn’t been interested in “happy hour” since he’d started at the accounting firm six years ago. He seemed distracted lately. And his little icon always dropped off of the map on Find My Friends the same time every day. 

So when Charlie was in the shower, Annie reached across the bed and unlocked his phone. Unknown number.

Tonight again?

No, not tonight

When??? 😩😩😩 

Tomorrow?

Ur gonna make me wait until tomorrow

The anticipation will make it sweeter 😉

And there was her proof. “CHARLIE!” Annie roared, jumping out of bed and pounding on the shower door. She was justified. She had-- what was it they called it on those police procedurals? Probable cause? Annie had probable cause. Charlie came stumbling out of the shower, wrapping the towel around him and looking at her blearily. “Whaa-”

“Explain this!”

Charlie just stared at her. “Did you go through my phone?”

2013, Charlie

The plain and simple explanation was that Annie asked Charlie out. 

Two years after that first party where they locked eyes, after Annie had attracted a few whispers for stumbling through some on-off relationships with the more sensitive of the KA brothers, Annie went right up to Charlie at homecoming and asked him out. Charlie didn’t plan on getting tied down to a college girl right after he graduated. And no, he didn’t leverage any kind of power he might have had, because Annie had just applied for an internship at the accounting firm he and his father both worked at. That was her choice. Wasn’t that what feminism was all about or something?

Annie asked Charlie out with the brazen confidence of a brand new Co-Chair of Philanthropy, a confidence she would confess, taking a sip of her cosmo, actually came from Charlie’s encouragement. Last spring, right before graduation, Charlie had told Annie to go after her dreams, and Annie had decided that her dreams lied with Charlie King.

That was what Charlie had to explain to people when they raised eyebrows at his relationship with Annie. She had asked him out. It was even possible she was playing him to get her foot in the door at the firm. Right?

2015, Charlie and Annie

Charlie and Annie had a fight the night before their wedding. It started at the rehearsal dinner, when Charlie’s best man, a lanky KA brother named Ross, got into a tiff with Drizella over something political, and then Annie whispered to Charlie to shut him up, and Charlie didn’t, and now they were in their individual hotel rooms, shouting at each other on the phone.

“He’s my friend, Annie, I don’t control him!”

“I’m not asking you to control him, but you could have pulled him for a chat! Told him to tone it down!”

“Annie, why would that--”

“You have no problem doing that with me when I’m being a bitch! And I’ve done it with you when you’re being stupid! What’s the difference?”

“Annie, I--”

“I know why. It’s because you care more about fitting in with your stupid friends than you care about me! Grow up, Charlie, you’re getting bloody married!”

“Annie!” 

Silence.

“Look, Annie, I don’t know what you want me to say. I can’t travel back in time and do it different.”

“I want you to say you’re sorry!”

“Alright, Annie, I’m sorry.”

More silence. For a moment, Annie had a burning feeling that something might not be right. On the other side of the wall, Charlie had the same feeling.

They both wrote it off as cold feet. And the next day, they had a beautiful wedding, and it even made the society pages, and Annie had never gotten so many likes on Instagram. And Charlie’s mother was proud. And the fight was forgotten.

Until it wasn’t. 

2013, Annie 

Annie asked Charlie out because her mother said she should, and because her friends said that he was a sweet guy but he would never make the first move, and because a cute self-help book she had read said that if Annie didn’t take control of her destiny now, destiny would take control of her. Annie was a strong woman, and Charlie was cute and well-connected, and maybe he was a lot older, but that was the kind of man Annie wanted, anyway. Someone mature. Someone who wouldn’t walk out when things got hard. Charlie seemed steady.

And yes, maybe she told him that she had gotten her confidence from his little drunken pep talk that he gave her right before he graduated, even though that wasn’t really true. And maybe she faked it the first time they hooked up... and the second and third time, too. And maybe Annie swore she listened to all of his mixtapes, even when she found them quite boring. Men had fragile little egos, and Annie knew she could use that to her advantage. 

It didn’t matter, because at the end of things, Annie knew that she and Charlie would be perfect together. What was a little white lie here and there, a little corner cutting? It was destiny and she was just helping it along.

2019, Charlie

Cheating didn’t look good. It never did. Charlie had a kid, and another on the way, and a wife who was perfect on paper. Ross’s stare across the table at Buffalo Wild Wings (an old heartbreak haunt from the Vandy days) said all of that. But Charlie believed he deserved some sympathy. 

“She’s crazy, man!” Charlie argued.

“Charlie, you’re not supposed to call women crazy anymore. Erica--”

“I don’t care what bullshit Erica read on TheSkimm!”

“Charlie! That’s my wife you’re talking about!”

“Sorry,” Charlie grumbled, biting into his buffalo wing morosely. “But I think if she was paranoid enough that I was cheating on her that she had to go through my phone, then there’s a bigger problem. And, I’m just saying, she could’ve just asked me.”

“And you would have told her the truth?”

Charlie hmphed and threw the bone down on his plate, reaching for another wing. 

2011, Annie

The first time Annie saw Charlie, it was from behind.

But what a glorious back of his head it was! Thick chestnut-brown hair, gelled into a perfect side part but not too much that it couldn’t be tousled a little. A pink golf shirt-- there was nothing like a man who knew how to dress. And he was moving with purpose, with animation, like he knew he was the brightest star in the room and everyone around him was so lucky to bask in his light.

He was the shimmering outline of a boy you could fill in with all your hopes. And the other girls had told Annie to stay away from the older boys, that they would play with your heart and drop you by Christmas to ring-by-spring a girl more their speed. But Annie could see the pieces clicking into place. She had been raised to believe if you worked hard and wanted something badly enough and if you weren’t afraid to get your hands a little dirty, you could have whatever you wanted. And Annie wanted this. Badly.

Annie was tired of standing in the shadows. She wanted to attach herself to a boy who commanded the light, so she could shine, too. And she had finally found him.

2021, Charlie

The last time Charlie saw Annie, it was from behind, as she climbed into the car and didn’t bother to give him one last wave before speeding down the highway with the life he had spent the past ten years building.

Annie had gotten everything she wanted in the divorce. It was hard to sympathize with a cheater, especially one who already seemed to have a backup life ready to go as soon as his ex wife and kids were out of the way. Charlie didn’t really feel that way. He mostly resented Annie for blowing this up the way she had, turning one little affair into a marriage-shattering event, fleeing the country with both kids in tow. Charlie didn’t care what Ross said. She was crazy.

Mostly, Charlie mourned what could have been. He could have gone on having it all. He was doing a good job of balancing it. And he had been raised to believe that if he just managed everything tactfully enough, he could skate through life unencumbered, with nobody to say no to what he wanted. For the first time, he couldn’t. And it made Charlie livid.

But maybe it was time for a fresh start. He had Jenna, his beautiful girlfriend. He had his house, still. He had his Nashville friends, who had eventually come around to agree with Charlie that he was in the right (and Charlie believed that they liked Jenna better, anyway). 

The worst thing that Annie had done, Charlie decided, was think too highly of him. He wasn’t a man of principle or honor, he just projected that image in the settings where it was necessary. And she had been naive enough to believe in that. 

Charlie went back in the house and pulled up Jenna’s contact on his phone. From now on, he wasn’t going to lie about the kind of man he was. And hopefully, that would prevent him from repeating this whole mess over again.

[keichanz]

You Rescued Me: Chapter 7

Sorry it’s a little late guys, but I’m hoping you’ll be able to forgive me after reading this chapter. ;D 

There’s also the possibility you’ll all be pissed and come after me with threats of dismemberment, but hey beggars can’t be choosers lmao.

Enjooooyyy! 

Read on AO3 || Fanfiction.net

Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 || Chapter 8 || Chapter 9 || Chapter 10 || Chapter 11 || Chapter 12 || Chapter 13 || Chapter 14 || Chapter 15 || Epilogue 

After dropping Kagome off in front of the house via horseback about half an hour later, he led Rain into the barn to remove the tack and brush her down before picking her hooves once more and sent her into her stall with a pat on the rump. His mind was on autopilot as he gave the horse fresh water and her feed for the night with a few flakes of hay, thoughts of Kagome and their ride together thoroughly distracting him. In spite of her reassuring words that she didn’t blame him, he was still kicking himself for leaving and not being there to prevent Rain from freaking for whatever reason and making her fall.

He frowned as he paused in sweeping the barn floor of loose hay and debris, remembering how she’d been staring at something with avid interest, but when he’d looked, nothing had been there. She assured him it was nothing, but for a moment, something flashed in her eyes too quick for him to discern, and he could have sworn it was…fear? Apprehension, maybe? Whatever it was he didn’t like it, and even though his protective instincts had surged forward, wanting to destroy whatever had caused her to feel scared, her health was more important to him and he’d wanted to see to that before anything else. But it had disappeared as quick as it had arrived and she’d assured him it was nothing. Strange, but since he’d been focused on her wellbeing, he hadn’t bothered to question it.

Thinking back on it now, he hadn’t even smelled anything dangerous, no lingering scent to suggest anything had even been there to begin with. So what had scared Rain enough for her to take off?  He was pretty familiar by now with the mare’s behavioral patterns and personality; as many times as he’d ridden her and left her standing by herself for one reason or another, she’d never run off like that even if there did happen to be some sort of small rodent, or reptile close enough to startle her.

The only thing Inuyasha could think of that would spook her to the point of fleeing would be if something had, as Kagome had suggested, snuck up into her blind spot and physically touched her.

Which begged the question once more: what had touched her?

Sighing, Inuyasha shook his head and decided to think on it at another time. It was late, Rain was taken care of, he was just about done in the barn, and Kagome was waiting inside. That last one made him smile and hurriedly he put everything back in its rightful place before shutting off the lights, bidding the barn’s occupant a fond goodnight, then closing and securing the large sliding door behind him as he left.

He jogged to the front steps and cleared them in a single jump, in a strangely good mood as he entered his house and closed the door behind him. And stupidly the first thing he saw were Kagome’s boots, the ones she borrowed, sitting neatly against the wall bench in the open mudroom and the sight was…well, it was a really good one and his heart clenched in his chest as he kicked off his own, set them next to hers, and crossed the kitchen into the living room where her scent was originating.

He found her sitting on the floor in front of the lit fireplace with Jaxson lounging at her side and her hands in her hair as she tried to extract the troublesome burrs from the thick waves, her eyes closed and her face scrunched up into a cute expression of concentration. Raising a brow, Inuyasha quirked a grin and leaned his elbows on the back of the couch, wincing in sympathy whenever she did, his ears flattening whenever she tugged too hard and a soft whimper of pain escaped past her lips. Dammit, but he couldn’t take this.

At that moment, as if she felt his presence, Kagome’s eyes fluttered open and her gaze instantly found his. She blinked, and then offered him a strained smile, fingers still buried in her hair and her posture hunched over slightly. “Hi,” she breathed, then hissed when she tugged a little too roughly on a strand of hair. He bit his lip hard to stifle the whine that rose up in response to her pain.

“This is…a lot more difficult than I remember it being,” she admitted with a dry laugh and released a heavy sigh, slowly and carefully detangling her fingers from her hair and dropping her hands in her lap. “At this rate I’m probably just making it worse.” She huffed. “I hate that stupid plant.” Pouting, Kagome glared into the fire, no doubt cursing the prickly bush that had gotten her into this predicament in the first place.

Chuckling, Inuyasha shook his head, rounded the couch and lowered himself onto the floor, leaning back against it and gesturing her over with a wave of his hand. He supposed he should have been offended by her narrow-eyed look of suspicion, but all he felt was amusement as he raised his eyebrows expectantly and once more beckoned her over to him with a jerk of his head. She hesitated for a moment and the way her lips twitched told him she was making him wait on purpose – cheeky little thing, wasn’t she? – then finally her smile broke free and she scooted the scant distance between them and eased herself between his bent knees, turning so her back faced him.

Inuyasha allowed the pleased grin to surface on his face as he brought his hands up and carefully started combing his fingers through her hair, his claws deftly untangling the burrs from the ebony tresses with practiced ease.  

Unpredictably, Kagome noticed this and she piped up, “You’re good at this. I can hardly feel you pulling at them. Are you sure you’re not a closet hair dresser?”

“Cute,” he grunted and she snickered. Rolling his eyes, he explained, “Let’s just say that a certain four-legged creature of the equine persuasion likes to frolic in less than desirable places and so getting these damn things outta her mane and tail is something I’m unfortunately used to.”

“Mmm,” Kagome hummed and brought her knees up to wrap her arms around them and rest her head on her raised knees, closing her eyes with a sigh as a little smile curled her lips. She felt more than heard Inuyasha’s deep chuckle behind her and she blushed, but didn’t move, enjoying the closeness with the man she was quickly developing feelings for.

Inuyasha worked in silence to remove the prickly plant from her hair, being very careful not to pull or accidentally scratch her with his claws while also trying to avoid having to cut any of the raven strands. He managed to free two burrs within a few minutes and set them on the floor beside him but the last one was giving him a bit more trouble. Still Inuyasha worked diligently, determined to remove every trace of the bothersome plant from her hair without causing unnecessary pain.

Thankfully it was only five minutes later that he successfully cut away the last of the spiky residue and he combed his fingers through her hair, searching for any he might have missed and yeah, okay, he was selfishly using that excuse to feel the tresses sift through his fingers like cool silk. He didn’t know how long he sat there, running his fingers through the soft locks and enjoying the feeling of it against his skin and he didn’t even realize Kagome had started to doze from his soothing ministrations until he heard a delicate little snore and he paused.

He blinked, and then leaned forward slightly to try and catch a glimpse of her face. “Kagome?”

He heard an ineligible sound come from the woman before him and then suddenly she fell back against him and he grunted softly in surprise. Her head rolled into the crook of his shoulder and neck and as a soft sight whispered against his skin, Inuyasha discovered that she had indeed fallen asleep on him. Quite literally.

Staring down at her face relaxed with sleep, Inuyasha’s own expression softened and without thinking he reached up to gently brush her bangs away from her face, his fingers sweeping across her cheek and along the bruised line of her jaw. It looked bad today, stark against the smooth paleness of her skin with shades of yellow, blue and dark purple, and even though he knew bruises always got worse before they got better, it still sent a surge of anger through him.

But despite the nearly overwhelming need to track down the piece of trash on legs that was responsible for it, Inuyasha merely let loose a soft growl and dropped his gaze to inspect the contusion circling her neck like a morbid necklace. While still painful to look it, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the one on her jaw and he brushed his knuckles against the blemished flesh at the base of her throat.

Kagome suddenly stirred against him and he darted his gaze to her face, holding his breath, not particularly wanting to explain why he was touching her so intimately. But she remained asleep, emitting another sigh and settling more comfortably against him before going still once more and he released the breath he was holding.

Shifting around himself to achieve a more comfortable position and being sure not to disturb the dozing woman against him, Inuyasha stretched out his legs and propped his elbow on the couch behind him while the other rested lightly across her legs so he could continue to idly play with a strand of her hair. Maybe it was a little creepy, and he didn’t even have the right, but he didn’t want to stop touching her, craving even the most minuscule of contact with her, and for some stupid reason Inuyasha felt his throat get tight.

Here she was, this amazing woman who a mere forty-eight hours ago escaped from her abusive boyfriend with evidence to boot, and she already trusted him enough, a complete stranger, to sleep peacefully against him. This woman that was so strong she still managed to laugh, and smile, and joke around like someone hadn’t used her for a punching bag.

But despite the angry bruises darkening her jaw and neck, she was still so goddamn beautiful to him, and not just on the outside. This woman, she had a beautiful soul too, and perhaps that’s what attracted him to her so much. She was brave, pure, innocent, and…

…And way too fuckin’ good for the likes of him, wasn’t she. He had no right to be so drawn to her like he was, he knew a dirty half-breed like himself shouldn’t be thinking about wanting to kiss her until she was flushed and breathless, especially considering what she’d gone through, but, dammit, he couldn’t help himself even if he wanted to. Maybe it was because he knew she felt it too, the intense chemistry between them, the mutual understanding that there was something between them that was getting harder and harder to ignore, or maybe it was something as simple as loneliness, but whatever the case, he wanted her like hell and there wasn’t a goddamn thing he could do about it.

His ears wilted and he swallowed hard, his hand moving without his permission to tenderly brush against the softness of her lips, tracing the Cupid’s bow outline and imagining what it would feel like having those lips pressed against his own.

Without warning her lips parted beneath his touch and the breath hitched in his throat as a wave of yearning hit him square in the gut. But then Inuyasha forgot how to breathe altogether as her eyes fluttered open, focused sleepily on him, and she regarded him with lazy contentment as a soft, warm smile slowly curled her lips upward.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed his name and he was gone.

Releasing a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a growl, Inuyasha dipped his head and promptly covered her mouth with his own, finally kissing her like he’d been wanting to do all goddamn day, and when she gasped in surprise he deepened the connection, instantly addicted, greedy for the taste of her.

For several heart-stopping seconds she didn’t respond to him and Inuyasha was beginning to think perhaps his feelings were one-sided and he’d fucked up big time but then her mouth softened, she melted against him before she kissed him back and the sound that echoed in his throat was something akin to joyous relief.

He felt her hand in his hair and he growled against her lips but the fear of going too fast tempered his desire and he was able to keep the connection slow and tender, but it was no less passionate. Inuyasha tilted his head, slanting his mouth over hers, dragging his tongue across her bottom lip to steal a taste but venturing no further. Urgency was roaring through his veins, heating his blood and making his heart pound, but he ignored all of it on favor of reveling in her sweetness, cherishing the precious gift she was unknowingly giving him and keeping a tight leash on his overzealous passions. She was soft, fragile, and just so goddamn pure; he didn’t want to take advantage of her loving heart.

Kagome, however, was having none of it. Surprising the hell out of him, she made an impatient little noise and deepened the kiss, lifting her head and kicking things up a notch by sneaking her tongue inside his mouth and sliding it sensually against his own, eliciting a gasp and then a heady growl. And just like that all coherent thought was scattered to the four winds as he took control, rising a hand to spear his fingers into her hair and tilt her head, plundering her mouth, and he might have stopped at the startled gasp she gave, but the way she kissed him back just as ardently suggested she liked what he was doing and so he didn’t stop, eager for more, wanting to make her as hungry for him as he was for her.

Kagome moaned and one of her hands snagged his ear, dragging a rough groan from him. Inuyasha retaliated by taking her chin in his hand and angling her head for better access to the sweetness of her mouth, the steady growl thundering in his chest growing deeper as the passion climbed. His desire for her knew no limits, had no boundaries, and on an impulse Inuyasha shifted his grip, cradling her jaw as he pressed a series of hot, fervent kisses onto her soft mouth and she returned each one, her little whimpers of pleasure nearly drowned by his eager growls for more.

He couldn’t get enough; just one taste and he was already hopelessly addicted, the taste of her sweet, exquisite, like nothing he had ever experienced before and it was as if she was put solely on this earth for him to hold, to cherish, and to protect. Her lips molded to his perfectly like they were made for his kisses, the soft curves of her body as she turned around in his arms and threw her arms around his neck fit to his solid frame seamlessly and the way she responded to him, to every touch, every caress, every heated growl and moan…

She was made—no, she was born for him, and he for her.

Locking one arm tight around her waist, Inuyasha urged her up so she knelt between his bent legs, nudged her knees apart so she was pressed as close to him as possible, and then she was the perfect height for him to drive forward and attack her neck with his mouth. Kagome gasped and she tilted her head back; he rumbled his approval and cradled the back of her neck as he laved her throat with licks, kisses and gentle tips, moving upward along the delicate line of her jaw, forgetting himself for just a moment as he scraped his fangs against the sensitive flesh—

Kagome hissed through her teeth as her tender jaw protested the touch and all at once Inuyasha stopped as he was suddenly reminded why this was a very bad idea. Just as abruptly he released her with a quiet curse, shoving himself away and shooting to his feet before putting some distance between them.

He stopped at the dining room table and gripped the edge hard, bowing his head and gritting his teeth, hating himself for giving in so fucking easily. What the fuck was wrong with him? Kagome was vulnerable right now, still recovering from a traumatic experience, and he goes and fucking takes advantage of that vulnerably like some kind of pervert who only thinks with his dick. God, he felt lower than dirt right now, like the filth he was always accused of being because of his demonic blood. How could he swear to protect her one minute and then turn around and do that the next?

His ears swiveled behind him when he heard her get to her feet and walk around the couch to stand behind him. He visibly tensed and forced himself not to look at her because he knew his resolve would crack if he did. He still wanted her too much, his body humming with energy, coiled, ready to pounce, and his jeans were feeling considerably tighter.

Behind him, face flushed and lips still tingling from his kiss, Kagome tried not to let the disappointment from his abrupt departure be too obvious in her voice as she asked, “…Inuyasha? Is…something wrong?”

The half-demon was silent for so long Kagome was beginning to think he wasn’t going to answer her but then she saw him lift his head and turn it slightly however not enough to determine his expression. “You should…get some sleep.” His voice was gravelly and he was gripping the table so hard his claws dug into the wood. Had she done something to upset him? “I—” He cut himself off, then fell silent.

Kagome wrung her hands nervously in front of her and studied his back, uncertain, and then decided to bite the bullet and try again. “Why did you—”

“Goodnight.” Inuyasha rounded the table and stalked into the kitchen, only pausing to snatch his hat off the table before storming out of the house and Kagome flinched as the door shut a little more forcefully than was required.  

The blatant rejection stung, probably more than it should have given how long she’d known him, and Kagome fought back the tears that threatened to make an appearance. Something warm pressed into her leg and she looked down to find Jax leaning against her as he stared at the door, no doubt wondering why his dad had left so suddenly and without him.

Sniffling, Kagome sighed and knelt down to wrap her arm around the dog and kissed his nose. “Don’t worry, boy,” she murmured and ignored the way her heart ached as she said, “He’ll be back.”

Jax huffed and turned his head to give her some kisses of his own, drawing a smile from her, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “C’mon,” she said and stood back up. “I could go for a nice hot bath right now and I don’t want to be alone. Will you keep me company?” Kagome smiled down at the dog and had to laugh when he gave a soft woof and started wagging his tail, obviously happy to be getting attention again.

“Good boy,” Kagome praised, and after Jax expressed his joy by dancing in circles a few times, the sight of it instantly making her feel better, she started for the stairs with her loyal companion at her side and hoped she hadn’t just messed everything up with her handsome half-demon host.

...Didja see what I did there a;oiehjli;hEWIFAH lOL shuddup Keiz.

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[ecotone99]

[TH] Nursery Crime

Logline: A preschool teacher is being blackmailed to help kidnap one of her students, she goes along until the kidnappers have taken it too far.

_____________

Sienna Harlequin has a feel-good story, a troubled girl who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, she turned her life around, and now she's a posh, upscale, preschool teacher on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, at a school named Radcliffe Preschool for Young Excellence. Sienna is good at what she does; she would die for those children, always encouraging them to be creative, but what really makes her special is her ability to come up with nursery rhymes on the spot that teaches children a lesson.

One day, at lunchtime, a couple of students were throwing their lunches around the cafeteria, Miss. Harlequin stopped them,

"Come here, you two," she said.

"Are we in trouble?" they asked. Miss. Harlequin replied,

"No, I just want to tell you a quick little story," she said as the students sat and listened.

"There were two monkeys who climbed banana trees; they played banana jokes, they did as they pleased; then one day, it became cold, they had bananas no more; they thought they would starve; they wished it was before; it went on for weeks, their tummies hurt so much; what they wouldn't give for any food or such; but soon it was warm, and bananas returned again; new respect for bananas they had gain."

The students smiled.

"Are we going to be wasting food if you in the cafeteria anymore? Or are we like monkeys, and grateful we have food to eat?"

"We're going to be grateful, Sorry, Miss. Harlequin," the two students said.

The Radcliffe Preschool was recently in the newspaper, Jaxson Hutchinson and his family recently moved to the upper east side, the Hutchinson's were the third most affluent family in the United States. They picked the Radcliffe Preschool for their youngest, Betsy Hutchinson. She was set to start next Monday, Jaxson was in with his daughter taking a tour. The article described the principal of the school, Dr. Rollins, who was obsessed with security. Always saying,

"No stone will be left unturned when it comes to the safety of our children." The school was like Fort Knox, they had two security gates, non-family members needed background checks before picking up any student, and visitors were not allowed past the main office, which was guarded by security personal.

Despite the low pay and spending most of her days with those who still peed the bed, Sienna got great satisfaction from her job; she was known to stay late, working on creative lesson plans for the next day.

Sienna made the trek from Williamsbridge, Bronx, every day. That night, as she went to enter her apartment, her brother Lucien was waiting for her.

"Hey, Sienna," Lucien said, startling her.

"Lucian, oh my God, you scared the ever-living legos out of me," Sienna said, as she invites him in.

"I need your help sis, I'm in deep this time," Lucian admits.

"Gambling? What are you in for this time?" Sienna asks.

"It's bad, over a hundred grand in gambling debts, and I don't mean to the right people, they'll kill me!" Lucien says in a panic.

"I don't know what you expect me to do, I'm just a teacher, I don't make any money at all?" Sienna admits. Lucian holds up a copy of today's newspaper, the one with the Hutchinson article.

"Your school, it's where the rich kids go," Lucian says.

"Absolutely not, we're not doing anything to that school or those kids," Sienna adamantly says.

"You're not giving me any options here; I'm going to have to tell the school about the jewelry heist," Lucian threatens. About ten years ago, before Sienna was a teacher, she ran with a tough crowd that held up a jewelry store. An old grandmother that ran the cash register was shot in the heist; she died two days later in the hospital.

"You would do that; you would turn in your sister? It wasn't even my idea; I was just a lookout," Sienna says, frustrated. Sienna knows that if she ever got charged with something like the heist, she could kiss her job at the preschool goodbye.

"So, just help me out, all I'm asking is that you help me take one kid, the Hutchinson girl, we keep her safe for a week or so, we get the money, and we send her on home," Lucian explains.

"No, I'm not doing this, I don't want any part of this," Sienna says as she opens the front door to let her brother out. Lucian pushes Sienna out of the way and slams the door; he pulls a gun from his jacket pocket,

"Why do you have to be so difficult Sienna, this is happening, or life might start to become really difficult for you," Lucian threatens. Sienna begins to cry and, finally, agrees to help. At the end of the day, she figures, the child will be safer if she's involved anyway.

The next week, Miss. Harlequin is giving a lesson on letter sounds when the fire alarm goes off. The students line up single-file and exit the building on to the street, as is the standard procedure for the school. They wait on the sidewalk for a few minutes, then the bell rings giving all the students and teachers the signal that it's all clear. The students start to march back into the building. Miss. Harlequin calls Betsy Hutchinson over to her,

"I thought you did a perfect job with the fire drill today; I just wanted to tell you that," Sienna says to Betsy. "Oh, your shoelaces are a little untied," Sienna says as she bends down to tie the child’s shoe. Taking her time, the rest of the students are back in school. Sienna waves over a van that is parked across the street. The van speeds towards Betsy, with her back to the road, she is grabbed by two men in the van.

"No…" Betsy says as the sliding door closes, and the van takes off down the street.

Sienna, holding back tears, returns to the classroom as if nothing has happened. Sienna waits ten minutes to report that Betsy was missing after the fire drill, giving the van a head start. Principal Rollins jumps into action, appearing on all the news channels, coordinating school lockdowns, and searches everyone as they leave for the day.

The police searched a three-block radius for the missing child, with no luck, as Sienna knows, the van is already back in the Bronx by now. School is cut short that day; the students are dismissed. Sienna returns to the Bronx and goes directly to Lucian's 5th-floor apartment. As she enters, she sees that Betsy has been put into a soundproof, windowless bedroom. The room has a bed, a lamp, a television, and nothing else. Sienna leans her ear against the door; it sounds like she's been crying for hours,

"I'm going in there," Sienna says.

"No, you can't, she can't see any of our faces," Lucien says.

"You're not going to stop me; I'm going in there," Sienna insists.

"At least wear a mask," Lucien says as he hands her a ski mask.

"And make the child more afraid than she already is? I don't think so," Sienna says as she opens the door to the bedroom.

"I want to go home, Miss. Harlequin," Betsy says through the tears.

"Don't worry about this, can I tell you a little story?" Sienna asks.

"Yes," Betsy says.

"There was once a little bird who could fly so fast; It didn't make any trouble, and it did as it was asked; But then one day, it got stuck in a trap, don't worry little bird; you'll be out as quick as a nap; so the bird was patient, and waited for its time; for when it was free, an escape it would climb; that day came, fly little bird fly; back home, where you don't have to cry."

Sienna tucked Betsy into bed and turned off the light to the bedroom. As Sienna came out to the living room, Lucian was about to make a phone call, to the Hutchinson home, using a voice disguiser.

"Hello, we've got your daughter, Betsy, if you want her back, put three million dollars in unmarked bills in a bag, go to the 42nd Street, Times Square Subway Station, and wait for 6:07 p.m. northbound train, Friday afternoon. When the train arrives, leave the bag on the platform and get on the train. If we see any cops, you'll never see your daughter again," Lucien says, then hangs up the phone.

"I can't wait until this is over, I can't sleep nights," Lucian says.

"You can't sleep, how do you think the Hutchenson's feel?" Sienna asks.

The kidnapping is a huge news story in Manhattan, and around the country. Everyone at the school is brought in for an interview with the investigation team, Sienna included.

"Did you see Betsy Hutchinson on the fire drill?" the investigator asks.

"I did, I marked her in my attendance book as being present for the fire drill, when we got back to class, she wasn't there. I reported it, and we all assumed that she wandered off during the drill," Sienna answers.

"There's not much to your resume before you came to Radcliff? What did you do before you came to the school?" The investigator asked.

"I did various jobs, a cashier at a supermarket, a receptionist at a dentist office, and I was a waitress at a bar, that kind of stuff," Sienna defends.

"Your brother, what's his name, Lucien, has quite the rap sheet, he got in trouble with a loan shark six months ago for excess gambling debts that he couldn't payback," the investigator says.

"I don't know too much about my brother's habits. Do you think he's involved in this?" Sienna asks.

"No, nothing like that, we just thought that a desperate gambler could resort to something like this. But we looked into it, and your brother has been placed a bet in six months, we figured he was back on the wagon, you're free to go," the investigator says.

Sienna couldn't believe that her brother lied to her, Lucien hadn't placed a bet in six months, then what was all this talk about owing money? She went straight to his house to confront him.

"You lying piece of, the police just told me you hadn't placed a bet in six months, I thought this whole thing was about gambling debts? what's going on here?" Sienna says before she’s cut off by Lucian.

"Hold on hold on; it's not what you think," Lucian tries to explain. All of a sudden, the toilet flushes, and out of the bathroom comes Dr. Rollins, the principal of Radcliff Preschool.

"What are you doing here?" Sienna says, surprised.

"Do you know how much a principal makes, only about $10,000 more than you do, these rich jerks just drop off their upper east-side, snot-nosed kids every day, while you and I ride on the germ-infested, crime-ridden, trains from the Bronx," Principal Rollins says.

"Those people trusted you with their children, how could you do this?" Sienna calls him out.

"Hey, I'm not the one who showed my face, now we've got to kill the child, what were you thinking," says Principal Rollins, looking at his knife.

"What?! No, you can't," said Sienna.

"Sienna, I told you not to let her see her face, you went in anyway," says Lucian.

"My God, it can't happen," says Sienna.

"Priority number one, we've got to get that money, you know what to do, Lucien," Rollins says, pointing to the door.

"Well, she's already seen my face, might as well, say goodbye," Sienna says as she unlocks the bedroom, Betsy's scared. Lucien leaves the apartment, and Principal Rollins approaches the bedroom, "Time to say goodnight, Betsy!" Rollins says.

"Are you ready to run little bird," whispers Sienna in Betsy's ear. Sienna takes a lamp and smashes it over the head of Principal Rollins as he enters the bedroom, and he falls to the ground. It's just enough time for her to take Betsy and get out of the apartment. Rollins is giving chase.

Sienna plans to take Betsy to the police station; they're 100 feet in front of the station when Rollins pulls up in his car. Sienna stops and puts Betsy down. Sienna knows what she's got to do.

"Ok, little bird, I'm going to take care of the man with the knife, you're going to run to the police station as fast as you can, okay?" Sienna says, and Betsy nods. Sienna sacrifices herself by launching onto Principal Rollins; he stabs her several times in the abdomen; she bleeds profusely. Betsy runs as far as she can, Rollins comes to his feet and chases her, closes in on her, easily, she just makes it to the police station. Rollins and Lucien have been arrested, and Betsy has returned to her family, they have changed schools.

That night, Sienna died on the sidewalk, protecting one of her children. She considered her students to be her children; she loved them all. The school ended up dedicating a section of the library devoted to nursery rhymes to Sienna Harlequin, a plaque read,

"I just want you all to know; before you all get big and grow; I love you all, you are so strong; this is a place where you belong; and when that day comes, you have to leave; I will be there in spirit, you just have to believe."

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