#really funny bit for sure but if I cant breathe or speak without pain by tomorrow morning im going to *** lol<3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[dragonji]

painstakingly forcing yourself to eat dry cereal piece by piece when ur sick just seems so Fitting. like u already feel like a wounded animal chewing on old cardboard and now thats ur reality too👍

[dasomlimie]

Heyyy! I hope ur doing okay if ur requests r open can l request reader asking if she can see whats under sanzu’s mask like that one scene in naruto where he tried so hard to see kakashi’s mask something similar and funny like that take ur time l love ur work <333

%% BEHIND THAT MASK! #!/

characters : aged up!—Sanzu Haruchiyo

a/n : i cant believe im rewrtiting this sorry if this is half assed tumblr didn't save my draft earlier, enjoy ig

Sanzu Haruchiyo..... your masked bf sometimes you were wondering what behind that mask but ofc you wanted to respect his boundaries and dont want to make him uncomfortable, but curiousity start to eat you alive so you have a little plan in your mind

sometimes there's a lot of idea in your mind on why Sanzu didn't remove his mask, maybe he have big lips that unmatched with his face future? or maybe he have crooked teeth? or even worse he doesn't have mouth! but you scratched the last idea since how did he speak if he doesn't have mouth? his nose? yeah that idea once stuck in your head but you decided to remove it because it doesn't make sense at all

you called Sanzu to meet you up infront of a restaurant which he agreed since maybe you were hungry and he is too, you greet Sanzu before taking his hand and walk into the restaurant with him

"today is my treat" you said smiling he raise an eyebrow you were cheerful more than usual "did something good happen?" he ask you shook his head "nope i just wanted to spend time with my lovely boyfriend" you said he nodded start looking at the menu

"are you ready to order?" he ask after a few minutes you nodded letting him call the waiter, you both said your order as the writer write down your order, you noticed Sanzu's order was a heavy meal he probably going to remove his mask

you smile to yourself before mentally patting yourself for coming up with this idea as soon as your food arrived you stare at Sanzu causing him to raise an eyebrow "whats up my love?" he ask you shook your head "nothing eat up" he nod "you too" you nod

you stare as he was about to remove his mask until your phone start ringing you look at the caller ID noticing it was your boss you look at Sanzu "eat first i have to answer this call" you said he nod as he watch your figure walking out from the restaurant

you listen to your boss rant about how her husband keep cancelling their date and how she think he was cheating on her while you were wondering why the hell your boss telling you all of this as she finally hang up you walk into the restaurant only to be greeted by Sanzu scrolling through his phone you blink

"oh baby! what took you too long? oh and im sorry i finished my food first i haven't eat since yesterday" he said giving you closed eyes smile you nod sitting "did you forgot to eat again?" you ask he nod "im very busy yesterday and just go to sleep as soon as i got home" he said you nod

attempt 1 : failed

"want some?" you ask offering your food he shook his head "im full already" he said you nodded visibly deflated "whats up pretty girl? you were all cheerful a while ago" he said chuckling you shook your head from side to side finding a reason and decided to use your boss phone call as your reason "she did it again" you said he pat your head

"did she start ranting to you again? what was is about?" he ask you sigh "about her husband this and that you know the usual why don't they just divorce?" you said leaning to your chair

"maybe you should find a new job if you were that sick of your boss personal life rant" he said you nodded "yeah i should" you said

the second attempt might make him mad but what is life without a little thrill and spice right? right.

you took a deep breath before apologizing gripping the tray in your hand you walk inside the room smiling at Sanzu you walk toward him then purposely trip yourself

you watch everything happen in slow motion how the juice flew and wetting his mask you cheer silently before your face kiss the floor you groan but being muffled by your carpet Sanzu gasp ignoring his wet clothes and mask

"y/n?! are you okay? oh my why are you suddenly become clumsy?" he ask as he help you to get up you have to swallow your image its not even 6 month into your relationship here you are doing stupid things just to what behind his mask

he hiss when he saw your red forehead with a little bloody lips "we should get that lips treated" he suggest you nodded "let me put this away your hoodie was in my closet along with extra mask" you said silently before walking out from the room leaving a little space for you to peak in

you feel your cheeks heat up as you watch his half naked body you silently cheer as he was about to remove his mask when your doorbell rang causing you to curse silent

you keep debating either to look and discover what behind your boyfriend mask or to answer the door you were deep in thought when Sanzu clear his throat his cheeks tinted with rosy pink just like his hair

"i didn't know you're that type of person" he said clearing his throat again you look up before cursing yourself "oh no you got the wrong idea let me go and answer the door ok?" you said walking a little bit too faster "be careful!" Sanzu called as he look you who almost tripped twice

attempt 2 : failed

you look at Sanzu as you keep following—more like stalking—him you tried to make sure you didn't lost him maybe he would remove his mask at the most random time especially when he's alone? yeah thats what you think ,you were now dressed in all black outfit paired with black cap and black mask

yup much like a stalker

you watch him keep turning and leading you to a dark hallways wondering what he was doing here, little did you know he noticed you following him but didn't have any idea it was his girlfriend

"fuck" you curse silently as you lost him you were about to take another turn when someone pull you to opposite turn you yelped both in suprise and pain when your back make a harsh contact to the cold and dirty wall you hiss from how strong someone's grip on your hands is

"who are you and why are you following me?" he ask you stay silent too scared to answer him, Sanzu chuckle "why are you all silent? acting all scared are we?" he said you shiver under his sharp gaze

"i ask you questions" he said you shut your eyes he sigh annoyed and start to loose his patients then decided to remove both your mask and cap you felt his grip on your hands loosening

"y/n?" he said in softer voice than earlier you still shut your eyes tightly slightly trembling "darling look at me" he said as one of hand slither to your waist while the other cup your cheeks thumb caressing your cheeks "open your eyes my love im not going to hurt you" he said you open your eyes slowly meeting his soften gaze

"why are you following me like that? i thought you were one of those people who tried to get me again" he said chuckling you didn't answer instead hugging him burying your face into his chest

"did i scare you that much?" he ask you shook your head as a no, you were actually embarassed of yourself for doing dumb thing to get him to remove his mask

"then why?" he ask hugging you close to him "im sorry" you said he raise an eyebrow "why?" "im sorry for doing dumb thing lately and following you like earlier" you said he chuckled you look up to him

"i get it now" he said removing you from him gently then cup your cheeks with both of his hands "you know you can just ask right?" you pout "i just dont want to make you feel uncomfortable" he shook his head

"you will never im actually waiting for you to ask me by yourself" he said you nodded "then can i uh you know" he nod letting you remove his mask

heart beating loudly Sanzu was prepared from any insult from you yet nothing came our from your mouth, does he freak you out? he was about to apologize when you whispered out a very unexpected word he expects you to say

"beautiful" you said he froze not believing what he just heard "what?" he ask for confirmation "i said beautiful" you repeat before caressing his scars with both of your thumb he sigh in relief

"really? i thought you were going to freaked out" he said you shook your head with confused face while your attention was still on his face "why would i?" you ask

"people always told me its disgusting i thought you would too but apparently not im relieved" you heart broke a little from his words "who the hell said your scars is disgusting?! let me beat them up" you said with determination he shook his head "its okay you were an absolute angel i cant imagine you beating people up" he said pressing a kiss on your forehead

"you look hotter without mask" you whisper he smile "is that so?" he ask you nodded then cover his face with his mask "and only me can see you my beautiful and handsome and hot boyfriend without his mask no one can see your full face they would fall for you" you said he chuckled before ruffling your hair

"whatever you say angel" he said you smile as he lead you out from the hallway just so your know he would use your silly attempt to tease you in the future

attempt 3 : successfully failed

!%! © HNEULWH— i did not allow my work to be used or adapted in any form without my permission !#//

[passable-talent]

Is this even necessary? Yes please part 6!!!

and so we return, one whole month later

| part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 |

After Azula’s attack, and the forced flee from the Western Air Temple, you spent a few days being pissed at Zuko. Like, really pissed. You didn’t speak to him at all. This was something that concerned and confused the prince, because it had seemed like the two of you were making real progress only a few nights before.

What had happened?

He didn’t try to fix it before he left with Katara. Partially, he thought, to give you space, and because he assumed that your issue would be easier to fix than Katara’s. So for a day or so you simmered, just like you had back at the Western Air Temple, rage as always masking your hurt.

When he returned, and things with Katara settled down, he found you perched among the jagged stones that lined the pathway up to his family’s old vacation home. You were still hidden here, but felt even excluded from the team, which let you think, and sulk.

“Y/N,” he said, announcing his presence as he climbed up the rock. You had your back to him, and your shoulders tensed up. You didn’t face him.

“What do you want,” you asked, giving him a shoulder so cold he’d lose his firebending.

“I want to know why you’re angry with me,” he said, and you looked up at the sky, frustrated, as though he should clearly know without you needing to tell him.

“That so?” You spat, and as you weren’t wearing shoes, you sensed as he walked closer to you, arms at his sides. It seemed he was attempting to be non-threatening.

“Yes. I realized I’ve done a lot of explaining, and not much listening. Whatever is keeping you so angry at me, I’ll listen.” You fixed your gaze to the stone in front of you, glaring, before you shut your eyes tightly. Your fists tightened up, and you brought your arms to your chest, and it was like your body was contracting to prepare for an explosion.

It was.

“You want to know why I’m angry with you?” You shouted, turning around while throwing your hands down to your sides, “it’s because you’re so stupid!” Your gaze avoided his, but not purposefully, instead because your anger manifested in rapid movements while you spoke. “You get ambushed by your psychopathic sister, who has been known to manipulate you, and you- you go after her anyway?” You held up your hand, four fingers shown to him, just in case he’d forgotten how to count.

“She had four airships. And you had nothing. No backup. You didn’t let Aang or I follow you, and you charge off into battle.” You leaned forward, a snarl on your lips.

“I watched you fall. I thought you died!” With the final exclamation of your anger, you stepped forward and shoved him backwards, but with a twist of your planted front foot you moved out of the way some of the jagged rocks he might’ve stumbled or fallen onto. Anger finally released, your expression turned to one of pain, of fear, of sadness.

“You told me you’d make it up to me. You can’t do that if you’re dead.” You turned to the side, now avoiding his gaze as he collected himself from the ground, and felt tears begin to fall.

“For so long I mourned Lee, right? Thought that the guy I loved was gone, because who you are isn’t who he was. And I finally figure out that that’s not true, that you are almost as good as I thought you were, and then I think you’ve died...” you trailed off, wiping the wetness of your face with a roll of your shoulder.

“I’ve already mourned Lee, I cant mourn Zuko, too, okay? I don’t want you to die, especially not by something stupid, like charging into a battle you couldn’t win.” You turned your eyes back to him, and found him staring at you, an expression you’d never quite seen on his face. It wasn’t a clear expression that you could pin, other than that he looked so... young. Surprised, almost.

“What?” You asked, voice still a bit jumpy from being choked up.

“You said you loved me.” It took a mental backtrack through your words to realize that you had, indeed.

“Zuko...” you breathed, and you turned toward the horizon, where the sun had long ago dunked into the ocean but still it reddened the sky. You brought your hands to the other’s bicep, as though it could help you protect your heart, and you forced some of your own hesitation away as you breathed out.

“Zuko, I loved you,” you admitted, finally, and that rush of it almost made tears re-emerge. “I did. You were sweet and funny and we got on so well.” You heard him step toward you, and you looked away from where he was near to being. “But the reality I thought I was living in... the floor fell out from under me. The Dai Li were secretive, and they weren’t what I thought they were. Iroh wasn’t just a kind old man, but was a fire nation general. The new leader of the Dai Li wasn’t a brilliant young soldier, but was a fire nation princess. A manipulative and snakish warrior who wanted to topple the earth kingdom. There was a war going on I’d never even heard of!” After the volume of your statement drained away, you hung your head, closing your eyes before your gaze could find the ground.

“And I wouldn’t have minded finding out you were the prince of the fire nation. Some part of me says I should’ve figured it out myself. What hurt me was that... you had so much more anger than I thought you did. Sure, you could be moody, but when we found you in those catacombs, the way you looked at Aang...” You let out a breath, and opened your eyes to look out over the ocean.

“I didn’t know you could be so... malicious. It was something I’d never seen from you before.��� You turned your gaze to him, and let your mind wander to the moment when you stood between him and Katara, when Aang was dying. You remembered that predatory look in his eye.

“Did you even see me, that day? Or could you only think about getting to Aang?”

He didn’t answer, and you spared him from needing to. You didn’t think you wanted to know his answer.

“I think that I’ve blamed you for everything that went wrong that day. Aang’s death, your betrayal, the Dai Li’s betrayal. And I guess that isn’t fair. But I can’t seem to let it go.” You felt tears well up again, and Zuko slowly slipped his hand into yours.

“I want to forgive you,” you said, squeezing your palm around his fingers, “I want to let go of all this anger, and grief, a-and confusion, but I look at you and I... I see this boy who made the wrong choice. And that’s so frustrating, because you’ve made the right choice, again and again, you’ve defended us and helped us and fought alongside us. It’s not fair of me to focus on your mistakes when you’ve been making up for them.” You took a deep breath, and with its shaky exhale, let go of some of the sadness still clawing at you.

“I just want to let it go, so I can love you again.” There was an instant’s pause, when the prince took in your words, an instant’s pause in which the waves crashed on the shoreline and a bird cawed overhead. An instant’s pause, and then Zuko tugged you by the hand into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around you. You hugged him back, tightly, almost squishing his torso into yours while a final few trembling breaths fought their way out of your lungs.

“I’m sorry,” he said to your shoulder, and you could hear emotion in his voice. “You deserve so much better than me. I’m so sorry. I- Y/N, I loved you then, too. If it weren’t for you, I might not have had the courage to leave the fire nation. You helped me change, and you didn’t even know it. Please, please don’t be mad at yourself.”

“I’m glad I met you,” you whispered, when a few moments had gone by.

“Me too,” he said back, laying his face down and into the crook of your neck.

You could’ve stood there and hugged him forever. You could’ve stayed in his arms, where you knew it was safe to be conflicted. He understood, and didn’t ask you to change, or make a decision. Maybe Zuko was better than Lee after all- he was flawed, but he chose to overcome those flaws and be a better person in spite of them.

It made him stronger. And, you thought, it would make you stronger.

Your heart had been broken. You’d been lied to, and cast aside. But you found it in yourself to forgive him, and to be honest with him, and to keep him close to you.

“Zuko?”

“Hmm?” You pulled from his chest, your eyes dry of their tears but heart still raw and open. You were ready to forgive him, and to move forward.

But there was one more thing.

“I need you to tell me what happened to Iroh.”

request for pt 7

edit: pt 7 requested!!

edit: | part 7 | part 8 |

-🦌 Roe

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[slashingdisneypasta]

Inkubus x Vampire!Fem!Reader || Oneshot

Title: Always There

Notes:

I think outta all Englund's characters on this blog, I like writing for Inkubus the most. Which is criminal seeing as I write for him the least. I need to change that haha.

Plot: You meet up with a very old friend of yours and you spend some time catching up. And he's so clearly in love with you, its unbelievable and torturous to him that no matter what he does, you don't notice.

Warnings: A very unreliable narrator (In terms of particular other peoples clear feelings for her), BLOOD, DRINKING BLOOD, DRAINING SOMEONE OF BLOOD (But in a sort of polite way? Hah), MENTIONS OF AN ABUSIVE EX PARTNER, vampires and incubus'.

The smell of iron and petrichor fills your nostrils, disgusting and refreshing and also, just... relieving... in equal measure filling you up as you kneel by the victim - the man you'd chosen, - for tonight; A needle and tube attached to a blood bag between your fingers and digging into the poor mans neck.

You hate doing this, knowing this guy will be weak and sick feeling for the next day - maybe two depending on how much you take from him, - without understanding why. But, its for sure better then the alternative- which is just digging in right here and now with your teeth. That's messy, and the marks you leave behind aren't easy to explain away as 'animal attacks' anymore.

You need the blood, but you aren't a savage, jeez. You always catch any new vampire movies or shows together with your daughter and watch those actors with blood all over their chins, and think... How old are these vamps supposed to be?? 300 hundred years old!?

And they don't know how to eat without getting it all over their face?

Pfft! Rolling your eyes, you gently shake your head at the memories of bloody Edward Cullen and Lestat and Damon Salvetore swimming around in your head as watch the man's breathing. To be fair, you love them all - Twilight, Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Diaries, Nosferatu, Vampires Vs the Bronx, etc, - but that's just because its more fiction then truth- and that's coming from an honest to goodness bloodsucker.

Finally deciding you've taken enough without truly hurting the man, you put pressure on his neck and pull out the needle, carefully wipe away any mess with a cotton ball from your bag and put a band aid on him.

"Now," You talk firmly, softly, as you look into his eyes - which are dull, almost sleeping. A nice touch to the docile state you put your victims, in so they can at least not feel any pain or fear while you're collecting your feed, - , hands on his shoulders. "You're not going to remember this, or me. You're going to get a taxi home," You tuck some money in his shirt pocket, a thank you for his service; Its the least you could do. "Then get into bed and have a wonderful sleep with lots of lovely dreams. Thank you so much."

After you watch the man get up, still in a bit of daze but shaking it off - and not even noticing your presence, crouched down by where he's standing, - and leave the alleyway, you carefully pack away the blood bag and the tube and needle (In a separate plastic bag, for you to clean and sanitise when you get home) in your satchel and finally get back up, wrapping the strap over your head and resting it on your shoulder.

Brushing a hand through your hair, you turn to leave the alleyway and go home- when a familiar voice speaks up from the very back of the alley- and immediately your hopes rise.

"You look even more beautiful every time I see you."

You smile, peering into the darkness. "Oh, that's very sweet... but you and I both know I look like trash. I haven't eaten for a week!" When he just chuckles back, you tilt your head and waive him over. "Come out here so I can see you!; When did you get into town?"

Gracefully - more so then even you can manage, being a goddamn vampire, - Inkubus slips out of the darkness and you're happy to see he looks well. Its been forever since you say him last - 40 years? 70? - and you always have it in the back of your head for some reason that next time you see your friend, it'll be the last time. So its always lovely when he turns up and looks just as healthy as he always does.

"Oh I just got here; Thought I would come see you immediately. Otherwise you might nag at me." This time you chuckle, rolling your eyes. His eyes flicker to your satchel. "Collecting our dinner our we?"

"Yep! Smells like A Negative, my favourite. When was the last time you ate?"

"Ohh, a couple weeks ago. I'm due for my next fill soon, though... any suggestions?"

"No," Scrunch up your nose, you put a lot of emphasis on your response; See, you don't subscribe to the notion that monsters like the two of you have to act all blasé and cocky about the terrible things they must do. Apart from these night time trips to find breathers to bleed, you live a... mostly... normal life! So no- you definitely don't know anyone he can make his next victim.

And Inkubus knows this, which is why he laughs and you roll your eyes again at him, fixing the satchel on your shoulder. "So- " Again his eyes flicker to your bag, this time with meaning. A cheeky grin flits across his lips. "Want to get a drink?"

Smiling, you turn on your heel, you loop your arm through his and lead the way. "So have you been?"

___TIME SKIP___

4 hours later and the two of you are still stewing at a 24-Hour-Diner you frequent - seeing as you don't really sleep that much, - and are onto your 9th drinks at this point. You two may not see each other too often since the 1400's and went your separate ways in the world, but you never go longer then a hundred years - preferably 80 maximum, - without seeing each other and when you do- you have a lot to say. Filling each other in on what you've missed in each others lives is always a... disorientating experience, at times, but you must do it. You couldn't survive in a world where you didn't know what was happening in your best friends life. That would just be too lonely.

See, Inkubus is the only one you know - still, to this day, - who knew you when you were human, aside from the man referred to very nearly exclusively as 'Dick for brains' - being your daughters father, - and while having human friends who can make you feel normal again, is wonderful... so is feeling normal, in what you actually are currently. And that's not human. That's thousands and thousands of years old and a mystery to scientists. And, seeing as he's a literal demon... that's a very easy service for him to provide.

A waitress walks by to pick up you empty glasses and looks oddly at your personal tumbler. You clearly weren't meant to notice, but you do of course, and unassumingly shrug. "Bloody Mary... don't tell." You give her a conspiratorial wink, and she chuckles, walking off.

When you look back to Inkubus, he looks ready to make a joke so you give him a timid shrug. "Well, there is vodka and Tobasco sauce in it!... " He smirks, but lets it go- seeing as your words were funny enough.

"And how is Bethany? Has she seen her father lately...?" Your eyebrows arch, hearing Inkubus ask about him; Dick for Brains, Beth's father and the bane of your long, long existence. Obviously, seeing as the bastard impregnated you with his literal spawn of hell causing you to die during childbirth at age 26 so he could then turn you into a vampire, made you raise your daughter alone- and then returned 20 years later just to turn Beth into a vampire as well and claim that you can all be a 'proper family now'... you aren't a huge fan of the guy. And talking about him you don't do often, as it causes a horrible clenching feeling in your stomach and heart. Luckily, Inkubus is one of the few people who is allowed to make you feel that way. Him, and Beth.

You sigh, taking a slow sip of your drink through the matching metal straw and metal tumbler set Beth got your last mothers day (So as to hide the fact that its blood inside), you wonder what to say... "Beth's great, as always... she's fallen in love with a human, though. That can only end brilliantly." Shaking your head, you look to Inkubus to see his reaction and catch him rolling his eyes, smirking. Yep. "Um, and... yes. There has been contact with Dick for Brains... He recently, like... 20 years ago? turned up at her place in Egypt, and wouldn't leave till I had to fly down there and shoo him away." You grit your teeth. There is so much wrong with that man- you do honestly with you had never met him sometimes. That's horrible, you know, as if you hadn't met him you wouldn't have had Beth and she's the light of your life, but... at times like that instance? When he troubles her?

Its hard to not wish his existence away.

"Do you want me to speak with him?... Again... ?" Your gaze returns to Inkubus again, feeling at ease the moment your minds back in the diner with him and not in your head with Dick for Brains; Eyes softening. The idea is tempting, unbelievably tempting... And it would keep your friend around awhile longer. "That always seems to win you a couple hundred years of reprieve."

Taking a deep, needless breath - an anxious habit, - you set down your tumbler and shake your head. "No, that's okay... thank you for the offer, though. He seems to be giving up, slowly, finally. But damn, its taken him long enough to get the hint, huh?"

"Far too long." Inkubus' voice is bitter and dark, talking about your ex- and his eyes are reading much different. You know if you let him, he would kill Derek... but you cant do that. If anyone's going to kill him, it would be you or Beth, and neither of you are there yet. Inkubus takes a deep breath, relaxing again like a chameleon changing its colours. "Anyway, love; Onto prettier business. How did that thing go, that you had with that Djinn half a century ago. You seemed quite optimistic about that one."

A fluttering of laughter immediately comes out of you and Inkubus' truly cheers up at the sight of it, and you just look at him and shake your head; An awkward toothless smile on your lips. Ha! No.

His brows arch, laughter in his eyes. "Didn't end well?"

"That ended up being the shortest affair I've ever had and that's saying something." Brushing hair back from your face, you chew on your bottom lip. "You'd think after nearly 10 centuries, I'd learn... Oh- wait- make that 10 and nearly a half, centuries... Boy, am I clueless."

"Clueless about what, love?" You're just breathing in to respond, when a cheeky look crosses Inkubus' familiar face. "I mean, you are quiet clueless- about plenty of things. But specifically, this time."

You scrunch up your nose at him in response, grinning, before once again chewing on your bottom lip. "... I'm just not the woman that gets proposed to." You shrug, as if its no big deal; Even though your heart bleeds saying it out loud for the first time, to someone that matters and not just your ex-therapist, Julie. Setting your drink on the table in front of you, you idlily twist it. "Obsessed over and stalked, yes." You grin, a tinge of sadness to it. "Fucked, yes. Dated even, yes. But married?... Ha, no... "

His eyebrows climb up his forehead even more, before he softly smiles and pats your hand. "I asked you to marry me, all those years ago, sweetheart. Remember?" He reminds you gently, and you cant help giving a soft smile back at your well-meaning friend.

"Oh, yes of course I do. That was very sweet, but... I mean for love, you know? Not because I'm pregnant and alone."

Inkubus sighs, slightly frustrated, and leans back in his seat. "Mhmmm... " Rubbing a finger under his nose, he quickly clears his throat. Then he reaches his hand further up your arm to lay it on your forearm, running his thumb comfortingly across your skin. "Love, I'm sure that you'll find someone. Perhaps multiple someone's. Or, maybe, you don't need to find anyone new."

A little smile twitches at your lips as you pick up his hands and hold it on the table in both of yours. "... Maybe." For a split millisecond, your friend smiles. Sighing wistfully, you shrug. "Maybe I can learn to be happy alone. I mean, I like my life. I like my daughter, I like my job, I like my patterns... Maybe I don't need a man." Immediately his smile disappears and he rolls his eyes.

"You definitely don't need a man." He sighs, frowning. "But one can be good for a few things, no?"

"Hey." You set him with a stern look. "I thought we were making me feel better, about not having one?"

"Oh, you're right. I rescind my comment."

"You better." A cheeky grin crosses your face.

He looks back at it, the cheeky grin of yours, and the smile returns to his face.

~

The sun is warming up when you're on your way home, Inkubus beside you with his arms folded carefully behind his his back and your hands stuffed in your leather jacket pockets; One arm linked affectionately through his. You're an odd sight, you're sure, to any early morning commuters. You, and your barely-out-of-college looking self walking so close - and so domestically. A fact that is lost on you but not on the smug demon walking beside you, - to a man that currently looks to be in his 60's-70's age-wise.

Not that either of you care.

"Well, this is my place! Whatdaya think?" You ask, letting him go in order to unlock the door or the townhouse apartment and push open the door. He walks on in past you, looking around and you watch a soft smile grace his handsome features. "You like it?"

"Much better then the hole in the wall you thought was a good idea to show me in Transylvania- took everything in me not to sweep you away somewhere safer... with fewer mould spores... " He turns to look at you over his shoulder, a mischievous smirk on his mouth as you scrunch up your nose at him, before smiling.

"Well then, Mr Judgmental... I guess you don't want to know, that I chose this wallpaper cuz of you."

That definitely catches his attention, more then anything else you've said. He turns around in a full 360, assessing the wallpaper before looking curiously at you. "You... you chose this wallpaper because of... me? How so?"

You shrug, still leaning back against the open front door- sunlight filtering through the doorway. "The colour is very you. Its got 'Inkubus' vibes. You know," Raising your brows at him, you smirk. "Eccentric, full of itself." At that cheeky remark, he says 'Ha ha', sarcastically. "And, I guess, I missed you. Sooo... yeah... wallpaper."

"Hm... " Looking really far too pleased about this, looking a lot more engrossed by the home then before- but mostly the wallpaper. "This place is looking better, suddenly... "

"Like I said- Full of itself." You roll your eyes, laughing. Then you push off the door, push it closed with your foot and then go to pass by Inkubus to hit the livingroom. "Oh! The book! The one we were talking about at the diner- I'll find it for you! Come on- "

"Y/N." A hand curls gently around your arm, at the perfect moment so that you don't get yanked back with the force of your travelling and instead you just coat to a careful halt at Inkubus' side.

Blinking up at him curiously, wondering what he needed you for so suddenly, you tilt your head to the side. "Yes?"

For a good moment, he just looks at you whilst you become worried. What is happening? Every second that passes by, more and more ridiculous ideas cross your mind.

Finally, the man tilts his head slightly in sincerity.

"Sweetheart, are you ever going to see how ridiculously in love with you I am?"

And... for all of the disastrous and ridiculous possibilities that came to mind when he was saying nothing, you had a response. To this, you just stand their dumbly, your shoulders dropping and just looking at him in total shock. "... wel- uh- um... a few more hundred years?" You feel like a ton of bricks has just been dropped on top of you. "Maybe?" You squeak. You actually squeak.

And of course, you squeaked. You'd be surprised if you had managed to keep your composure after a confession like that. Here's this beautiful man, who against all foreseeable odds understands you, and cares about your kid, and whom you love... and somehow he's telling you that he loves you? That, for some reason, he wants you?

Is there something wrong with him?

There must be. Something terribly, horrible, irreversibly offensive that you aren't already aware of.

But you rack your brain and theirs nothing. Nothing, at all, that you can figure that would make you turn away from him right now.

He smiles a little bit at your awkward reaction, and lets go of your wrist in favour of tucking some hair back behind your ear. "Do you quite mind if I kiss you now?"

Your breath hitches, it actually hitches, like a tiny shy anime girl who's giant crush just got down on his knees in front of her for whatever reason, and you have to fight to pull yourself together; Rolling your shoulders back, hands on your hips. Totally, and translucently fake confident. "Um- you know? I don't?"

God, you are a centuries old vampire; Your vernacular should be yards better then this.

And then kisses you.

Oh god- And then he kisses you.

Because you're suddenly struck hard in the face with a million words and phrases, from current to boomer-speak to old fashioned to forgotten, to describe it but mostly you're just wondering why in the world you hadn't been doing this the whole damn time. Your hands find the sides of his coat in order to steady yourself, and pull him closer as you carefully tilt your head into the kiss. It comes so naturally, the kissing does. Between you and him. Its like, despite the bounds of your relationship never having reached this level before, you know exactly how to kiss each other. There's no awkwardness or searching. You just fit.

When finally, you slowly end the kiss, you fail to open your eyes for a good moment, before cracking them open slightly, half lidded and flickering up to his eyes.

And you take a deep, unnecessary breath and step away, torturously out of Inkubus' personal space. "... holy shit." You have so many questions... None of which touch on how exactly you're feeling because you get that much, at least.

But you cant help but wonder why- and for how long this has been brewing and how long exactly that you missed it- and how the hell this is going to work-

He follows you, thank god, a roguish yet soft look on his face. "Maybe we should take this to the livingroom, love. I promise, I can explain everything to you."

[negandarylsatisfaction]

[SUMMARY: Blade is a fearless woman out in the apocalypse on her own when she comes across Negan in the woods. Quickly feeling a connection with him, Negan learns Blade does not like to share him.]

Smut

Negan and Blade

It had been eight months into the apocalypse now, you had no shelter, little water and only squirrels left to eat. Being by yourself wasnt much of a strain for you as most of your life you spent alone before the apocalypse. Standing by a fire you made in the woods, you cooked a few squirrels you had caught earlier in the day sharpening your knives leaning against a tree. Suddenly hearing the sound of crunching leaves not to far from you, you instantly stopped what you were doing. Putting your hood over your head you slowly began to turn, your knife ready for aim when a man appeared through the trees.

"Shit," you whispered looking at the fire behind you. Not trusting anyone, you didnt want to cause any attention on yourself but it was too late.

"What do we have here?" A mans voice made you turn back quickly ready for defense.

"Dont come any closer." The man could barely see your face hiding behind your hood. Noticing the knife in your hand the man lifted up his hands with a lazy smile.

"Come on, sweetheart. Put that down before you hurt yourself."

"Oh arent you quite funny." The sarcasm in your tone he actually liked. Observing what you had around you the man frowned noticing squirrels being cooked behind you.

"Ho-ly shit. Squirrels? Really, sweetheart?"

Right away you could tell this man was one who liked to play games, arrogant and slick. A man who thought he had a alot of charm thinking he could distract you with his little pet names.

"Stop speaking. Where the hell did you come from?"

"More like where the hell did you come from, darling. As far as I'm concerned your on my side of the woods." The cockiness in his tone made you scowl, he didnt seem intimated by you at all.

"Says who?"

"Says me. Negan."

"Well, Negan. I dont give a shit who you say you are. This is free land now get out of my face before you get hurt."

"Well shit-" Negan observed you from head to toe raising his brows.

"You do look like a you can give a mean fight." He noticed your buckled up black boots, your black ripped jeans, black top and a leather jacket, just like him. Yet, he couldnt help himself. With a smirk he slowly put his hands down and started to walk towards you.

"Dont push me, I mean it." You warned him waving the knife in his face when he suddenly caught your wrist in his hand. Still, you moved too quickly for him. Negan didnt expect you to get loose so quickly and next thing he knew you now had the knife pointed sharply against his neck. Looking up, careful not to move he laughed in disbelief as you held your place.

"Well look at that, a little tougher than I thought after all." Still with a cocky tone yet a look of surprise in his eyes, Negan did not move.

"Listen, darling I've got a sanctuary not far from here." He looked around at your surroundings with the knife still pointed at his neck.

"You look like you could use some help-"

"I dont." You responded stubbornly, truth be told you definitely needed help. But, having always found a way out of your struggles you were sure youd find a way.

"Listen to me. I have a sanctuary, I can give you a place to stay. You can have real food, shit we can use a girl like you on our side. What do ya say?" You couldnt believe even with a knife to his throat this man still had the urge to smile down at you. His offer did not sound bad at all, after all it was getting cold and you were running low on food.

"Where is the place?" You asked as he responded by pointing in the direction he came from. After a moment of uncertainty you slowly pulled the knife away from his neck leaving a red mark. Negan cracked his neck with a sigh.

"And if I dont like it. I'm leaving."

"Whatever you want, woman." Negan stood back as you gathered your belongings and pulled your hood back. For the first time Negan got a glimpse of the woman whom he had just had a confrontation with. Long dark hair lay over your shoulder as he noticed the other side of your head shaved.

"Mmm." A sound of satisfaction escaping his lips making you look up.

"What?" You asked with an attitude that he couldnt help but want to see more of.

"Nothing, darling. Nothing at all."

"Well, are you going to lead to where the hell this place is?" Placing your hands on your hips you asked with very little patience.

"This fucking woman." Negan muttered under his breath with a chuckle before leading the walk before you. Usually you would've never trusted a strange man this way but desperate times called for desperate measures. Plus, you knew how to defend yourself, you had faced worse before.

After a bit Negan and you walked side by side, his eyes helplessly drifting to you here and there. Your style attracting him, your fearlessness intriguing him, Negan wanted to know more.

"Do you have a name?"

"Of course I do." You responded sarcastically.

"Well are you going to tell me it, darling? Or are you going to make me fight for that too? I mean unless its cause you like the nicknames I've given you-"

"My name is Blade." Your interruption quickly silencing him.

"Blade..." he repeated as he looked you up and down.

"It sure fits."

Negan led you into what he called the Sanctuary. A heavily guarded space with many others, you had no idea how close you were to so much life all along. Right away you noticed each person having a job at the Sanctuary as everyone looked busy working on something. It was clear they didnt stay here for free. Introducing you to who he called his 'right hand man' Simon, Negan showed you around. In a room you entered, sat a few ladies clearly dressed differently from everyone else.

"These here are my lovely wives."

"Wives?" You looked at him strangely before looking back at the women. They were dressed in tight short black dresses, all wearing heels, you wondered where they found any of this. Raising a brow at him you crossed your arms wondering what he had in mind.

"If you thought I came back with you here to play a role of one of your wives, your sadly mistaken." Your loud voice making the women turn to you wondering who you were. Negan right away blocked their view of you, standing before you as he leaned one hand on the wall behind you.

"Easy, sweetheart. It wasnt a thought but since you mentioned it-" he bit down on his bottom lip.

"You would look damn good in a tight little dress."

"You wish," your tone just as arrogant as his and he liked it.

"Just a little bit." He whispered before you moved out of the small space he cornered you in and left the room.

"Just show me where I'm staying." Walking off Negan followed you closing the door behind him. Showing you the room you would stay in, it was nice to see a bed. You couldnt remember the last time you slept in a bed, it had been months. Negan noticed the way you looked at it and wondered how hard you must've had it all alone. He wondered how long you were all alone.

"This good enough?"

"Its great," your attitude quickly changing back to a nonchalant manner.

"Tell me, Blade-" Negan took a step in front of you wanting to be face to face.

"How long you been on your own?"

His question making you throw your head back with a chuckle, it had been so long since you last saw your family.

"Since I was seventeen," Negan frowned with your response a bit confused.

"Oh I been on my own long before this apocalyptic world ever took over. This is nothing new for me having to fend for myself, Negan. That's why I said if I have to leave I will, nothing I haven't handled before."

Negan squinted his eyes as you spoke, he could tell you've had it rough.

"Well let's hope you dont have to....I think it'd be nice having you around."

Was that a genuine compliment that didnt involve your looks or any sarcastic remark? He could tell you almost cracked a smile.

"Well, I'll let you get settled in. Theres food in the next room, make yourself comfortable." Negan began to walk out before you quickly turned towards him and called out for him.

"Hey Negan?"

"Mhm?" He turned to you leaning on the door way.

"Thanks," without saying a word he winked at you and left the room.

The next few days you began helping out the men by securing the fences surrounding the sanctuary. No one had put you up to this job but you knew you could do it.

"Well well well, I dont remember assigning you to this." Negan showed up behind you watching you twist the wires securely.

"I'm good with my hands, didnt think you'd mind."

"Good with your hands huh?"

Rolling your eyes you turned to him making him laugh.

"I'm sorry, some times I cant help myself."

"Well learn how to, or save that energy for all those wives."

Negan raised his brows at your quick come backs. A man who always enjoyed giving sarcasm yet rarely was ever on the other end.

"God you're fun to tease," you couldnt help but laugh along with him. You knew he purposely picked at you just to hear you come back at him. He enjoyed the feistiness you gave him, he enjoyed you not giving a shit to what he might think.

Just as you finished you went back inside to grab something to eat and Negan followed. He watched as you prepared yourself a sandwich, reaching across the table making your shirt go up he noticed a tattoo on your hip.

"What's that you got there?" Standing back straight you looked down to where his eyes were and pulled your shirt down.

"A tattoo. What never heard of one?" You responded defensively making him smirk.

"I got a few myself. Rarely come across women with them, especially in such a....sensitive spot." His voice was low as he came to realization that maybe you enjoyed a little bit of pain.

"Can I see it?"

Hesitantly you pressed your lips together before slightly lifting up your shirt and revealing a tattoo of a rose wrapped in barb wire.

"Mmmm.." he leaned in looking at it closely.

"Mean anything?"

"My middle name is Rose," you explained as he his eyes squinted.

"I take it the barb wire means pain," he continued looking up into your eyes.

"You can say that," you responded softly.

"How old are you, Blade?"

"31," you sat down across from him and began to eat.

"So you've been on your own since 17, shit wheres your family?"

"Hopefully dead," your response was blunt before you took another bite.

"Surrounded by assholes huh?"

"Real big assholes. They didn't care for me so I dont care for them, I've been better off alone anyways."

"I cant argue with that," Negans eyes wandered over your features.

"Done a pretty good job with yourself."

Not really knowing how to take a compliment without some form of back handed comment you looked away.

"Yeah well you gotta do what you gotta do," you responded confidently.

"What are you doing here anyways? Wont your wives wonder where you are?"

Negan chuckled at the mention of them, he could tell you were enjoying his company and didnt want him to leave.

"I wont go anywhere if you dont want me to, darling." His unexpected response making your cheeks turn red.

"I never said-"

"Do you really think you can lie to me?" He leaned in close staring directly into your eyes across the table.

"Why the hell do you want to stay anyways?"

"Maybe I like spending time with you too."

What the hell was this man doing? It was hard to deny that you did indeed like spending time with him but, this was the last thing you needed. The man had multiple wives, an arrogant way of thinking but God he was so sexy.. His style attracted you to him, his voice, his eyes whenever he spoke to you.

"What are you thinking about?" Negan bit his bottom lip with a smile, he could see right through you.

"Nothing. I'm exhausted and I'm full and want to go to bed soon."

"Oh yeah? Is that what's going through your head right now?"

"Yes. That's it." You stood up picking up your plate and taking it to the sink. Negan stood up with you eagerly following you by the counter.

"You sure that's what you're thinking about?" He asked again with a grin leaning his face close to yours.

"I think you're thinking about something that involves me....and you just cant admit it." His voice was a deep whisper, the way he spoke sent a tingle to the pit of your stomach.

"No the hell I am not. What the hell makes you think that?" You walked past him rushing into your bedroom as he quickly followed behind.

"Look at you, you could barely stay still. You're fidgeting, getting all nervous. Am I making you nervous, baby?" He teased.

"Dont call me baby," you turned to him with frustration.

"Fine," he stepped close to you and spoke very slowly.

"Then look me in the eyes and tell me you're not thinking about what I could do to you." Your lips parted as you smelled his scent so close to you. You couldnt speak, you couldnt move and Negan knew he had complete control. Looking down at your lips he slowly caressed your face and leaned in for a soft kiss. Not fighting it you felt his lips sensually move against yours, his tongue slipping through the crack of your lips to tease yours. Moaning against him, Negan didnt separate his lips from you as he reached behind him and shut the door. Taking off his jacket and quickly unbuttoning his pants Negan threw you back on the bed. Continuing to kiss you down to your neck, you felt his tongue make swirls on your skin making you squeeze him.

Negan pulled off your clothing and aggresivly turned you around. The tattoo of the barb wire rose continuing from your side to your lower back made Negan lick his lips in satisfaction.

"Get up," he spoke hoarsely as you got on your knees and positioned yourself in front of him. Feeling his large hand on your lower back you felt him easily slide in you. Negan wasted no time in grabbing your hips and making you slam back against him. Moaning you grabbed the covers tightly, it had been so long since you felt this pleasure. Negan could tell by the way you cried out when he first entered you. The sound of longing to be touched, the sound of your needs finally being met.

"Give it to me harder," you spoke seductively only arousing him more. Negan grabbed you by your hair pulling you back up against him. His hand grabbing your throat as he pressed his lips to the side of your face and kept thrusting. Groaning, he gave your throat a tighter squeeze. Gasping for air, you could hear him breathing erratically against your ear.

"Oh Blade," you rolled your eyes back at the sound of his voice, he couldn't hold himself any longer. Negan pushed you back down before he quickly pulled out and released himself all over your back.

"Fuck.." he moaned as he stepped back out of breath. Cleaning yourself up as he got dressed, you stood up and walked towards him

"You should stay here tonight," your suggestion making him look up at you with half a smile.

"Oh darling I would. I've got some business I need to take care of but-" he stood up and ran his hands up your thighs and hips.

"I promise I'll come by as soon as I'm done." Negan grabbed your face and kissed you passionately. What the hell was going on with you? Why was this man getting a hold on you so quickly? Without saying anything more Negan left your room leaving you to think over what just happened. Leaving you to think over the way he looked at you, the things he said to you. He actually admitted to liking to spend time with you, the thought made you blush to yourself. You couldnt wait for him to return, it being so late at night you wondered what business he had to take care of. A little while later you stepped out of the room with a smile still on your face when you looked up and suddenly felt a crushing feeling in your chest. Negan was coming out of a room with two of his wives laughing. Of course you knew he had wives but after having touched him and slept with him, the thought of another woman with him made you burn with anger.

"Some business you got going huh?" The smile immediately left Negans face as he looked up at you before him.

"Blade, darling-"

"Dont 'Blade darling' me, what the hell I was thinking?" Angrily you walked off back to your room leaving the two women confused as Negan sighed. Following you to your room he entered right behind you slamming the door shut behind him.

"What the hell is your problem with me?"

"What is my problem? Taking care of business huh? Business with those girls?"

Negan frowned with a puzzled expression.

"Pardon my french, sweetheart but wait a fucking minute, are you jealous?"

"No! I'm not jealous," you denied the truth as you turned your back to him.

"I just dont like sharing what's mine."

Negan raised his brows surprised with your response.

"So I'm yours now huh?"

You scoffed at him turning to walk passed him before he blocked your way.

"Hang on now, Blade. I actually kinda like the sound of that. So does that make you mine now too?"

"No, why would I want to be yours when you have all those women, "you spoke in disgust before raising your brow as if you has just come up with an idea.

"Well since you get to have your fair share, then I should too. Simon looks-"

"Oh I'd be very careful where you're going with that, sweetheart." His expression turning very serious as he stepped closer to you.

"Why cant I have my own fun, it's not like I'm one of your wives who have to abide by your selfish rules while you do as you please." None of the women Negan had met had the nerve to argue his way of being.

"I dont want you to be one of them," he shot back.

"Good, cause I didnt want to anyways."

"You know what the fuck I want?" Negans voice rose as he took a step closer to you.

"I just want you to be mine and shit, I'll be yours the way you want me to." Negans words catching you completely off guard, so unexpected it left you speechless. There was something Negan couldnt explain that pulled him to you in a way he had never felt with any of the other women. Negan may not have been a one woman man most of his life but when someone caught his eye, it was hard for him to look past it.

"You dont even know me," you muttered.

"Shit, you dont even know me all that well but I know you have the same damn feeling I have." The two of you looked at each other in silence, you couldnt deny the connection you felt with him.

"You dont want the wives? Hell, they dont have to be there but-" he unexpectedly pulled you close to him aggresivly.

"I expect there to be no one else on your side either."

"I'm not looking for anyone else," your response was quick and spoken with confidence.

"Good," a smile slowly spread across his lips as you felt his hand slide down your back and grab your ass.

"You're lucky I like you," you squinted your eyes up at him making him laugh.

"Shit, well I am honored, doll."

"Dont patronize me," you scowled at him.

"Not at all, Blade, not at all."

Negan leaned in and took your lips with his feeling content with the thought of you being the only woman for him.

[flamingo-writes]

Untitled — Ushijima Wakatoshi x Reader

So, I kinda wrote this out of the blue, so, atm I can’t think of a title, but when I do, I’ll edit it. I...I also cant think of how o summarize this and make it sound cool vsivs sorry for the simple summary fjdsnvs

Summary: Ushijima isn’t the best at handling emotionalpeople, but he tries his best to soothe his s/o. 

A/N: this fic is dedicated to my lovely friend @serenitystar2002​ you are one of the kindet people I know, and also so very funny, you deserve all the good things happening to you! 

Word Count: 1K words

Posted: 12.08.2020

Warnings: a little bit of angst with fluffy end. Post-time skip, though there are no mentions of spoilers. 

The habit creature, Ushijimaa Wakatoshi, immediately noticed something was wrong. Having returned from his training in the afternoon, he’d usually come home to find you cooking something for dinner, for the both of you, greet him warmly with a hug and a peck on his cheek despite Wakatoshi telling you he was all sweaty and stinky. As much as he “complained” about you hugging him when he got home all dirty from training, he still felt his heart melt at your welcoming embrace regardless of his state.

However, this afternoon he came home to a quiet place. There was no music playing, nor your voice singing, nor the smell of food inviting him. There was something wrong.

He called your name several times as it echoed through the house as he walked to the master bedroom leaving his stuff on the floor next to the door. He called yor name once more before approaching the bed, where you were lying on your side, facing your back to the door. 

It was so unlike you.

“My love, is everything alright?” Wakatoshi asked upon hearing the silent sobs coming from your mouth. “What happened?” 

“Nothing, I’m...I’m fine” You sniffed. 

“Then why are you crying?” Ushijima was definitely not good at reading people, but spending so much time with you, and being so infatuated, you were the only one he could easily read. “Hey, my darling, come here” 

The pain in your heart was too much to handle. Overwhelmed , you started crying once more as the insecurities buzzed in your ears. 

“Babe, please. Come here” 

Reluctantly, having the echoes in our head remind you of everything that had been haunting you and hurting you, you didn’t want to face Wakatoshi. Not now. Not like this. 

However, his strong arms quickly wrapped around you. Tightly, as you started crying hard against his chest. As if it was his arms what kept you from breaking into a million pieces. One of his hands went to the back of your hand, and his fingers began brushing your hair delicately. 

He felt his eyes grow teary, and did not know why. Somehow, your pain was permeating into him. God, he loved you so much, he didn’t like seeing you like this. His arms tightened around you as he breathed deeply, trying to come up with something to say. How badly he wanted to help you feel better.

“You don’t have to tell me what happened. But, if I can help you in any way, please let me know” He purred.

“I don't think you can help” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

“Not really” 

“Okay then" Wakatoshi began "Listen, I love you okay? Just know that I’m here for you. Whatever it is that happened, it’ll get better. You’re strong, and you’re clever, you’ll get through this. 

You were about to say something but completely went against it, as the lump on your threat threatened you. 

You remained quiet for a while as he hugged you tightly against his chest. His words hurt, and at the same time soothing your ache. Your insecurities were still bugging you, but, knowing how he felt definitely made you feel better. You wondered just how true his words were. But right now, it didn’t matter. Ushijima had spoken his mind, the only way he knows. Plainly, speaking his mind without filtering his words. That much was true. Everything he had said was true. 

You couldn't bring youself to speak, to tell him you loved him back. Althoigh, Ushijima knew that all too well. You simply sobbed.

“I don't know if you need to hear this but, I really love you. I've never been this in love with anyone before, and I doubt I ever will be. Even if I spend the entire day out, training, busy with volleyball, just know, that you’re always in my mind. I know you’re always there, taking care of me, making sure I eat well and sleep enough, cooking such delicious food, it’s always a blessing to come back home and be with you. You keep my mind at ease when things get stressful. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you so very much, okay?” 

After a short while of hugging in silence, his hand continued to play with your hair. He noticed the way your breath had turned back to normal, and you had been quiet for a while. You weren't crying any more. Whether or not you felt better, remained a mystery to him. But he was willing to keep trying to lift you up, even if it took him all day long. 

“You stink,” You said, breaking the silence as Ushijima chuckled.

“I know” He said amused “But I also know you don't care” He added. 

Hearing you chuckle softly felt like a win. He broke the hug, now his hands cupping our face as his tender look scanned your face.

 “Hey, how about I make dinner tonight?” Ushijima said as you looked away from him.

“Not hungry…” You answered.

“You have to eat. It's healthy” He said lifting your chin up so you’d face him once more “I’ll shwer real quick and cook something for the both of us. And while I cook, you’ll take a shower” 

“Ushi...I…” 

“Please,” He cut you off gently “It’ll make you feel better, I promise. Do it for me, yes?” He said kissing your forehead. “Listen, I love you. Everything about you. You have no idea how in love I am with that cute little smile of yours. I didn’t get to see it earlier when I got back from training, and I miss it already” 

“O-okay…” You answered hesitantly.

“You’re gonna feel better, I promise. I’ll help you through it, okay?” He said holding your hand. “I’m here, and not going anywhere” His hand gave yours a gentle squeeze as you squeezed his hand back in response. 

“I love you, Ushi” You murmured. 

Wakatoshi smiled and wiped away the silent tear sliding through your cheek before kissing your forehead. 

“I love you too, my darling. Very, very much” His voice purred against your ears as you locked stares for a few seconds. 

His tender smile soothing you as he packed your lips so softly and so tenderly, you felt your heart stop. He then kissed your forehead one last time before heading to the bathroom. You looked at him disappear behind the bathroom wall as his words kept replaying in your head. What a warm and somehow painful comfort his words brought to your heart. 

[worstloki]

Part 1

--[official naming and legal rights ceremony for Morgan]--

Tony: you know what would be really funny? Pepper: Tony... Tony: THINK about it Pep- how can you say no to this once in a lifetime opportunity? Pepper: Rhodey and Steve. We already decided. Tony: ok fine. FINE! I'll just give up the chance for our daughter to have two literal powerhouses watching over her Pepper: one of them isn't even alive! Tony, signing the paperwork: he was the dodgy one anyways! Pepper: oh g*d tell me you didn't Tony: too late. our daughter's got 1 thunderer and 1 deceased trickster listed as her ~*godparents*~ and no punishment you come up with will ruin this moment for me Pepper: its fine, this is fine, it wont even be legally binding since you can't have two male godparents listed so its invalid anyways, haha this is fine, everything is fine,,, Tony: i actually heard from Thor that Loki could be female if they wanted... Pepper: ... Pepper: TONY!! -- [later] -- Rhodey: dude did you seriously put LOKI down as a legal guardian for your kid instead of me Tony: well I wanted Thor but he insisted that I put Loki down too... something about honouring Asgardian tradition...? Rhodey: tradition is fine but isn't he DEAD? Tony: sure Thor thought he was dead 5 years ago, then again 4 years ago, and then again 2 years ago... but if he was alive he would have already, statistically speaking, shown up by now Rhodey shaking his head fondly: okay i forgive you for replacing me with Thor and his deceased brother, but the next kid has my name on it. I've already called dibs with no takebacks, okay? Tony: one kid is already keeping me busy enough, honeybear... 

---[3 years later]---

Tony: And. I. Am. Iron Man... *snaps* Thanos' army: *disintegrates* Tony: *taking his last breathes* Pepper: you can rest now... Loki: *shoves Pepper aside and pulls the gauntlet off Tony* Pepper and Rhodey and Peter who were standing around tony: LOKI ?!? Dr Strange: no SToP you cant juST do THAT- Loki, taking out the time stone: why not Dr Strange: if you change anything now it'll ruin the timelines!!! Loki, reversing time on Tony and bringing him back to life: that's not how time works, Dr. Supreme Dr Strange: It’s Strange, and- Loki: Yes, I agree, it is strange that you decided to let Earth's best hero die when literally every infinity stone is rigHT HERE Dr Strange: but its wrong to misuse their pow- Loki: Then it’s a good thing I'm evil and don't care Dr Strange: buT- Loki: no need to worry, I'm only helping you heroes out this one time because apparently while I was stardust Tony chose to give me partial ownership over his child so now i am bound to care for it  Pepper, remembering that Loki is legally Morgan’s godparent: oh my g*d   Rhodey: well, I bet Tony didn't expect this Tony, speaking in his sleep: frickity frackity Loki, looking at Tony disapprovingly: I agree.  --[a week later]-- Tony: okay, so like, i don't want to seem ungrateful for you saving my life, but i only wrote your name down to get Thor - Loki, annoyed: Yes I figured as much Tony: -yes but if you've saved my life I was wondering exactly how bound you are to help and how far you're willing to go to watch over her Loki: does this have anything to do with the 18+ end-of-the-world-celebration party at the end of the week? Tony: maybe Loki: *stares at him* Tony: ...okay, yES… do you think you could make sure Morgan is alive and well and safe while I go? It’s clear you don't appreciate being forced to be her godparent so if you do it I'll even get your name off the legal documentation by the end of the week and you can leave after Loki: If you so much as try to remove my name when it is THOR that has been neglectful of his duty and has been ignoring the implications of having a child under their name then I will have no choice but to hit you over the head with stormbreaker Tony: oh. okay. no name removing then that's cool i guess just please don't smite me or i'll dob to thor that you're going to try touching his shiny axe and have are regressing on your journey to goodness  Loki, pulling stormbreaker out of his pocket dimension: I’m afraid you’re too late to warn him about the potential theft of his favourite beer opener. I will, however, watch Morgan over both days of the party, IF I also get put in charge of the spider child and Wakanda's princess Tony, doing his best to ignore the huge axe: how do you even know about them, weren't you snapped for the past 5 years?? Loki: I understand that they're not allowed to attend the party either and will not have any parents or guardians available to care for them at the time... Tony: you're not going to try any funny business right...? even if you wont hurt Morgan how do i know you wont lay a hand on the others?? I cant just trust you to watch over a bunch of kids no matter how much bruce and thor vouch for your sanity Loki: you can trust I wouldn't risk scarring Morgan like that if you don't trust i wouldn't intentionally attack a bunch of literal children Tony: hmm okay I guess I’ll just cross my fingers and hope you don't relapse into villainy  Loki: wonderful. inform the children that I will pick them up 2 hours before the time of the party. Tony: need me to get you a ride? Peter lives close but Shuri lives just a tad bit out of walking range Loki: no thanks I'll be fine

---[at the party]---

Pepper: YOU LEFT HIM ALONE TO CARE FOR MORGAN?! Tony: he’s been doing a fine job of it while we’re around, and besides, it’s not like I left her with him alone or anything! Pepper: No, of course not Tony, that would be too simple, no, you left LOKI in charge of not JUST our child but also Peter, and the PRINCESS of Wakanda too Pepper: do you have any idea how badly this could work out?! putting aside the political disaster that would occur if something happened to Shuri the ethical considerations alone make strangling you very tempting right now Rhodey: Pepper, Tony would never do anything to put Morgan or Peter or even Shuri in danger... he knows they're kids, right Tony? Tony: Peter can benchpress a mag-lev and Shuri can design one in 60 seconds flat. I’m not concerned because they'll be fine even if he does try to pull off anything even 2% evil! Pepper: *not impressed* Tony: some sort of Asgardian binding magic was involved so he literally cant try to inflict any harm on Morgan, and that includes emotional distress just for the record, believe me, i checked Rhodey: what do you mean 'i checked', what did you do man Tony: Morgan wanted ice pops the other day so i told her to ask Loki Pepper: TONY he's a WAR CRIMINAL Tony: so anyways Morgan went up to the ally we’re kindly hosting - who literally takes residence on whichever couch is closest to Morgan by the way and it’s super funny to watch him move between couches every time she leaves the room - and he's reading when she asks if he'll get an ice pop with her Tony: and I've tried talking to him when he's reading and it does NOT end well Pepper: and you sent MORGAN to do it anyways?? Tony: and he said no at first, which was predictable, right? but then Morgan got sad and a bit teary-eyed and she asked again and when he saw she was sad he literally jolted in pain and he put the book aside and got up so fast to immediately lead her to the freezer to get some  Rhodey: so, what? he physically cant say no to Morgan or some wacky voodoo thing compels him? Tony: That is the conclusion I have come to with my findings, yes. It seems he can’t intentionally do anything to hurt her in any way. So Morgan and her new friends are completely safe, sweetie. Pepper: I'm leaving to make sure she's doing okay... Tony: I also installed cameras just to make sure no one gets murdered without thorough evidence to convict him, if that helps? Pepper: If you can get the live feed to go to my phone I'll consider staying Tony: deal.

--meanwhile, in Tony's house--

[Peter Shuri Morgan and Loki are wrapped up in blankets and watching The Hobbit. Loki is doing some paperwork and Morgan is drinking orange juice while Peter and Shuri share some popcorn] Peter: so are we going to talk about how we're watching a movie with the person who attacked New York with an alien army a few years ago or not Shuri: he was not acting of his own volition so i thought we were excusing that Loki, looking up: you are literally the first person to have mentioned that Peter: but Mr. Stark said that-- Shuri: footage of the 2012 attack conclusively showed that his eye colour changed before and after he had been subdued the final time, which was a phenomenon associated only with being under the influence of the sceptre containing the mind stone  Peter: he does magic though! it could be a trick or the cameras could've been too grainy to tell Shuri: They weren't. But the changes in his behaviour and speech patterns also indicate that he was being controlled or at least coerced to some extent. He's also sitting next to us doing paperwork and watching Bilbo sneak around a dragon. Loki: Congratulations, you are officially the only person from this planet for whom I can confidently vouch is not a- *covers Morgan’s ears* -complete imbecile. Shuri: Thank you. Peter: well, she is a genius Shuri: Yes I am, in fact I'm a genius that has the approval of Loki, which is even better, because I'm assuming he'll have some neat ideas on how to make a fool of T'Challa in my lab on camera more often Loki: I may have some experience in the making-a-fool-out-of-my-brother department Shuri: wonderful! we can brainstorm after the movie :) Peter: I don't have a brother to prank :( Loki: I can fix that Peter: ...what Shuri: yeah, what?? Loki: oh I meant that if you wanted I could legally become your godparent and then you'd have Harley and Morgan as prankable siblings Peter: you know what? I'm actually considering it Shuri: how angry do you think T'challa would be if I made Loki an official Wakandan by saying he's my godfather because I think that would get a hilarious reaction out of him Loki, nodding: According to Asgardian tradition claiming a godchild forms an irrevocable bond and he would have to accept that his sister has someone who pulls off legendary pranks keeping her safe from any attempts at his retaliation Peter: that’s so cool and i'm definitely accepting your offer Shuri: and I'm joining in because i have a folder filled with evidence that Loki was mostly innocent of the New York attack but some videos of us together pulling off harmless pranks would make fine contributions to it Loki: wonderful! Loki, holding out documents and a pen: just sign here, there, and there, Peter: wait you've been sitting next to us filling out godchild adoption forms this whole time??? Loki: well actually I started out filling out the godparent-removal forms because Thor is an irresponsible buffoon and i refuse to share custody with him Peter: do you think i could get ~*Thor*~ to adopt me- Loki: Nopity nope. Too late. You've already signed the forms so you're stuck with me, and I refuse to share any of my friends with him Peter: aww you called us your friends Loki: you have no proof i said that Shuri, pointing to the camera in the corner of the room: but that hackable camera does >:) [peter jumps over the sofa and is going to retrieve the camera for shuri to get the blackmail material when he gets hit by a pillow. shuri says 'hey that was not nice' as she hits loki with her pillow. peter throws the pillow he has at loki. morgan yells 'PILLOW FIGHT!!' before joining in, and by the time they settle down again all of them have missed the ending of the film and have to rewatch the last 20 minutes before drifting off to sleep together on the floor in a patchwork of all their blankets]

---[later at the party]---

Tony: sorry pal, I'm a certified genius and even I don't know how she managed to carry around and slip Morgan’s papers to you when that dress has no pockets and her purse is barely large enough to fit a small-to-medium-sized wrench Rhodey: it was probably the same way she switched your drink for Thor's godchild renouncement forms when you weren't looking Tony, whispering: I think she has CEO paperwork powers Rhodey whispering back: you're only noticing now?

[pepper and tony get home the next day]

Pepper: i still cant believe you left Loki near the kids Tony: and i still cant believe you didn't know how to check the live feed and decided to ignore me the entire night instead of bothering to ask. clearly deep down you trusted my judgement and the decision to leave the kids in Loki's capable, mischiefy, slightly-insane but apparently reformed hands.

[yelling is heard from the living room and Tony and Pepper run in to find Loki Peter Shuri and Morgan sitting around wrapped in blankets and playing Mario Kart and exclaiming their thoughts very vocally. when they are noticed all the kids freeze and stare at Tony. Loki mumbles something about telling Tony he lost the bet since he did in fact manage to keep everyone alive and at that point even Pepper is staring (glaring) at Tony.]

Tony, realising the kids have bonded™: oh no. what have i done.

[thatlesbianbitch]

Bubblegum Pink (Poppy x MC)

Book: Queen B

Pairing: Poppy x MC (Dahlia)

Word count: 1,450

Rating: M (n*fw, explicit sex)

Summary: smut. it’s smut.

A/N: uhhh....yeah. constructive criticism is very welcome as I haven’t written anything in years... hope you enjoy :)

~*~*~*~*~*~

After basically humiliating her in front of the entire school, Dahlia never expected that a mere two hours later, she’d be lying under one Poppy Min-Sinclair.

But there she was. Wrists pinned to the mattress, Poppy looming over her, eyebrows drawn together in determination (or was it anger?), huffing from the exertion of harshly thrusting her strap-on into Dahlia’s wet heat.

If Dahlia was being honest, she had no recollection of how she and Poppy went from yelling at each other on the football field to frantically tearing each other’s clothes off. All that stood out in Dahlia’s hazy memory was a text message that read: meet me in my room right now.

How did Poppy get my number? And how did I know where her room was? How—

Dahlia glanced down between her legs; a flash of the glistening bubblegum pink strap-on was revealed each time Poppy drew back, and it only increased her want. She couldn’t remember the last time she was this turned on, the last time she had wanted someone to just pound her into a mattress this badly.

She looked back up and saw Poppy’s eyebrows were still knitted together, the corners of her small mouth curled downwards. A quick chuckle escaped her lips. 

“What’s so funny?” Poppy snapped immediately, her grip on Dahlia’s wrists tightening.

She almost laughed again at that. It’s cute how she thinks she’s actually strong enough to pin me down.

“I’ll stop if you laugh again,” Poppy snarled.

Dahlia smirked. “Yes ma’am.”

And suddenly, Poppy’s hands left her wrists and landed on her hips, pushing her further against the mattress. That wiped the smirk right off Dahlia’s face.

“Fuck,” she moaned. “Poppy…”

It was Poppy’s turn to smirk. “Good?”

“God, yes…” Dahlia was surprised she was still able to speak a coherent word, let alone two.

“Do you want more?”

Dahlia simply closed her eyes and groaned.

“Look at me,” the blonde commanded as she slowed down her thrusts. Dahlia forced herself to open her eyes, and tried to cant her hips upward, but Poppy just pushed them back down.

“Do. You. Want. More?” she repeated, punctuating each word with a sharp thrust.

“Please, Poppy.”

Dahlia couldn’t even bring herself to care that Poppy had her begging within seconds.

Poppy reached under her pillows and oh fuck—suddenly the strap began vibrating inside her.

Dahlia’s back arched off the bed as she moaned in surprise.

“Oh god—Poppy—” Whatever else she had to say was cut off when she felt Poppy’s slick lips latch onto a nipple, sucking just hard enough that the sensation danced on that deliciously fine line between pleasure and pain.

“Poppy,” she moaned again, helpless to do anything else.

The other woman released her nipple with a pop, her lips curling into a sinister smile that made Dahlia frantically roll her hips forward.

“I love it when you say my name like that.”

Dahlia just moaned again. This was all too much. Too much in the very best way.

Poppy began to pick up the pace. Her hands were back on Dahlia’s hips, her nails digging into the soft skin. They were quiet for a few moments, listening to the squelching of the shaft as Poppy snapped her hips back and forth.

Suddenly, Poppy’s thumb nudged its way between Dahlia’s lips and into her mouth. She only had a few moments to suck the digit before Poppy pulled it out and began rubbing her clit.

She gasped sharply. God, Poppy really knows what she’s doing.

Dahlia spread her legs wider, allowing Poppy to drive the shaft deeper into her, and giving her more room to caress every millimetre of her clit. An obscene moan escaped from deep within her. The blonde smiled down triumphantly at her, but Dahlia couldn’t even bring herself to care.

“Harder, Poppy…” she pleaded.

She was surprised to hear Poppy moan. Then, like a jolt, it occurred to her that Poppy must be able to feel the vibrations as well. The very thought made Dahlia clench. Fleetingly, Dahlia wished Poppy’s fingers were inside her so she could feel just how wet she was for her, but there would be another time for that.

Without any preamble, Poppy began thrusting in earnest. The feeling was immaculate. The strap-on was curved perfectly, and the angle Poppy was thrusting at allowed it to reach the exact place within her that made her vision go blurry. The thumb on her clit was still there, rubbing the swollen nub in tight little circles.

In-out, in-out, Poppy showed no signs of slowing down. Dahlia was sure she had ruined her sheets. She could feel her wetness spilling out from her, could feel how it was smeared along the inside of her thighs.

“Poppy,” she moaned again, her voice thin and needy, almost a whine, really. The desperation sounded foreign to her own ears, but she loved it.

“You close?” Poppy asked, her mouth open, panting.

Dahlia nodded frantically. She began to palm at her breast with one hand, twisting the sheets beneath her with the other.

“Do you want to come?”

Dahlia nodded frantically once more. She pinched her nipple, rolling it between her fingers.

“Then ask.” That commanding tone was back, the low timbre of her voice tugging at something deep within her.  

“God, fuck—” Dahlia bucked restlessly against Poppy, desperate for release.

“I said ask,” Poppy repeated, her voice even lower. Fuck.

Dahlia was not beneath begging. The problem was that she seemed to have lost all ability to speak. But somehow, she managed to choke out,

“Make me come, Poppy…please…”

Poppy smirked, then leaned down and pressed open-mouthed kisses around the other nipple she neglected earlier. After, she moved up to Dahlia’s neck, eagerly sucking at the unmarked skin.

Then finally, blessedly, Poppy began driving into her even faster. Dahlia could feel the hard metal ring of the harness each time she bottomed out, the roughness of it all only driving her closer and closer to the edge.

Poppy was no longer being quiet either. She was moaning into the crook of Dahlia’s neck, the vibrations borderline ticklish. Poppy’s thumb increased its speed against her clit.

“Fuck, Poppy—” She didn’t know when it got there, but Dahlia’s hand tightened in Poppy’s hair as she shamelessly rolled her hips up to meet each thrust.

It all felt so good, too good—

“Fuck-fuck-fuck-fu—” Dahlia’s back arched off the bed as she clung onto Poppy, trembling as her walls squeezed down on the shaft still moving within her. She was vaguely aware of Poppy’s moans increasing in pitch, but it was hard to hear over the roar of blood rushing to her ears.

Poppy was relentless, not slowing her pace one bit as Dahlia continued to cry out beneath her, her voice raw and ragged. Suddenly, Poppy’s thumb caught the left of Dahlia’s clit in the most wonderful way and all that tension that had been coiling so tight within her finally reached its peak, and blissfully—

Dahlia jolted awake.

What.

What the fuck.

Did I just have a sex dream? About Poppy?

The dampness between her thighs was all the confirmation she needed.

Well, no sense in letting a dream like that go to waste, she thought was she slipped her hand under the waistband of her underwear. Her mind was acutely aware of the throbbing between her legs and refused to focus on anything else. I’ll unpack whatever the fuck this means later.

When she dragged her middle finger through her folds, the sheer amount of wetness she encountered told her this wasn’t going to take long.

She closed her eyes, her finger moving in tight circles against her clit, just like Poppy’s thumb did in her dream.

Poppy.

Poppy and her air of superiority. Poppy and her dumb, incredibly hot voice. Poppy and that stupid little smirk that was almost permanently on her lips. Her lips… Soft, plush… Covered in the perfect shade of dark pink gloss—

Dahlia had to bite her lip to stop herself from moaning Poppy’s name as she came. She bucked against her hand, breathing hard, her other hand clutching uselessly at one of her pillows.

“Fuck,” she whispered to herself as she came down. For a couple of seconds, she just laid there, her hand cupped around her centre, her thighs squeezed together. Finally, she pulled her hand out of her underwear and hastily wiped her fingers on the inside of her shorts.

Dahlia closed her eyes, taking a moment to steady her breath. Seconds later, they sprung open as a realization hit her:

Did Poppy’s strap-on match her fur coat??

[squeeneyart]

Breathe in the Salt - Chapter 18

AO3

Beta reader is @thesnadger!

Communication is established.

Martin has a job to do.

After months of near constant solitude and a week of above-average social interaction, Martin had to deal with an unhappy middle: Peter, with no warning or pattern, would appear at the lighthouse at whatever time seemed to suit his fancy. Bright and early one day, late lunch the next, twice already on Thursday, all for reasons Martin couldn’t wonder aloud at for fear of seeming too curious.

No alone time meant no poking his nose around. Not that he was supposed to, keeping his head down and all that, but sitting around wasn’t doing his nerves any favors.

It was easy to imagine Peter hiring someone to tail him home, so Martin never dared to take a new path or turn for that whole week. When he got home he stayed home. When he got to work he stayed at work. And when he walked in either direction he most certainly never took the sharp turn toward the Fairchild home, no matter how intensely curious he got.

So, once the group text was actually formed early in the next week (Tim: it was a promise not a threat!), Martin had taken part in the first of many nearly identical conversations. They boiled down to:

Martin: peters been weird, cant predict when he’ll be around

Sasha: we’re still pretty locked up, will let you know if things change

Jon: Elias has been elusive but I’m working on it.

Tim: can’t keep us busy forever

Besides some scattered thoughts and jokes primarily from Tim that got Martin through the more tedious aspects of the work day, the messages were all vague statements telling him “soon, we promise” and random tidbits from him of Peter being weird. The whirlwind of progress from the week prior was over. Waiting and sitting on his hands was all Martin had left.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

Jon had a lot more to say over phone calls than text. That much was clear by Tuesday night as Jon called to elaborate on his frustrations with Elias and continue other topics they’d discussed the conversion prior. The burden of starting the call and coming up with a topic was blessedly off Martin's shoulders, and it made the idea of regular conversations seem more possible.

While it was a relief to still talk to someone at length, Martin knew he would run out of things to say before long. He had no stories from the university he never attended, and Jon had been witness to Martin’s strangest place of work. The more he could deflect personal questions and get Jon to talk about himself, the longer it would take for Martin to be revealed as... well. Dull.

Still, he hoped that Jon would call again soon. If Martin was around for it.

It was Thursday. Peter had been around twice already with no warning. It was getting to be mid-afternoon and he still had a duty to perform. That part of his contract hadn’t changed.

Martin groaned into his desk. It wasn’t fair to have his most mindless and daydream-conducive task twisted into something horrifying. Some little part of him hoped that Sasha’s reasoning from the week before would hold some water, that his knowledge of what was coming would somehow keep him aware of his surroundings.

There was one way to find out, as much as it made his stomach squirm, and the thought of doing so with Peter around was enough to propel Martin out of his chair and toward the cleaning closet.

He began to mop the main floor with a fervor. If Sasha was right and he managed to avoid getting sucked into a wall, Peter absolutely could not witness it. He would have to move fast, even if it scared the shit out of him. And really, was it so scary? It wasn’t something he remembered, and it never hurt him. Probably. He would at least feel pain if something had happened, right?

He had always been fine. A bit sore from lugging things up the stairs, but otherwise nothing had harmed him as far as he knew. What was he afraid of? A person that could watch him as he went about his work in a haze? Or the wall refusing to release him after he entered, trapping him without ever releasing his mind from-

Oh, no, his heart was racing, his hands shaking more by the second. Swallowing had become more difficult, dry throat and a tongue that felt three times too big. Martin walked toward the stairs, trying to keep water level in the mop bucket. The water level was the only evidence that he’d lost time, and he wasn’t going to do this without something to show for it.

Letting out a breath that sent shivers down his arms, Martin placed the mop down and took out his phone.

Martin: so im going upstairs now? to do the mop thing?

Martin: gonna try and use an old analog tape recorder like you all said. any final thoughts would be appreciated

He waited, growing more concerned by the second that he would get no answer, but finally someone responded.

Jon: Sounds like you’re all set. Be sure to send a message here once you’ve gotten back out again, or if you don’t go in at all.

Tim: yeah any situation where your feet are on solid ground really

Jon: You said before that Peter was around. Is it safe to assume he’s left?

Martin: ok will do. he’s not here now so im getting it over with so he wont see anything weird

Jon: Okay, good luck and let us know when you’re out.

Martin: thanks

Sasha: if things start to seem off, retreat back downstairs and call us immediately

Tim: ^^^

Martin: okay, talk to you all soon

Before Martin pocketed his phone, he saw Tim leaving a string of thumbs-up and broom emojis, and as he began up the stairs the occasional vibration in his pocket revealed that something was happening past his goodbye. It wouldn’t be good for the recording if he kept it on like that, but he had no intention of silencing the phone or the people on the other end. He clicked on the tape recorder, placed it in his pocket, and began his climb.

The bucket and mop were as unwieldy as ever, and for not the first time he thought about how nice an elevator would be for his knees before shaking his head. This was a time for focus. Drifting thoughts were a one-way ticket to lost time in a much more literal sense than usual.

He was walking up a rather repetitive staircase, but every once in a while there would be an imperfection that reminded him of where he was in space. A crack here, some chipped paint there. Looking around there were plenty of place markers. His feet were on stairs that were the same as they always were.

About a quarter of the way up, this method began to make his stomach flip. Once, he looked too far ahead, too much up. So he kept his eyes down. He’d been keeping to the inside of the stairs, but his gaze drifted too far and oh, no, another spiral leading down which was worse.

This building, he thought, didn’t appreciate him looking too hard. Fine. He could stay present without a visual anchor. There was still buzzing coming from his pocket, thought less often than before. At least they were still around. If anything happened, they would know quickly and be able to do something. Sure, he hadn’t seen them solve any problems yet, but there was enough confidence between the three of them that they had to have some level of competence.

Martin looked down at the bucket in his hand and held back a scream.

Instead, he hissed at the thing, “When?! We aren’t even halfway up! I let myself think for two seconds and- oh, dammit!” He dug into his pocket for the tape recorder, but it was nowhere to be found.

Martin turned toward the wall, any fear being quickly replaced by petty indignation. “Hey! I paid for that! You can’t just- as if you even need to pick my pockets when you’re a big, stupid voice recorder all on your own!”

Besides the echo of his own voice bouncing up and away from him (mocking him, probably) nothing bothered to respond. He had half a mind to toss the bucket and mop down the stairs for the sake of his aching arms, but he resumed his walk with a quickened pace. If Peter hadn’t come back yet, and it didn’t sound like he had, Martin would do something while he had the time.

At the top of the stairs, Martin opened up the group chat just long enough to type one message.

Martin: lighthouse stole my tape recorder

Then he stuffed the mobile away and made a beeline for the horrible machine he’d been faced with every day that week. His phone buzzed with incoming messages, the motion in his pocket slowly becoming more of a reassurance.

First, he took the time to look at it as a whole. The back couldn’t be reached with it pressed up against the inner wall. Did it make sense for it to be put there? Unsurprisingly, when he’d finally looked up how lighthouses were supposed to work, the panel itself was nowhere to be found as part of the process. What a surprise!

When he’d started the new order of button pushing that past Friday, he’d tried to listen for the mechanisms behind it, but he didn’t know enough about normal mechanics let alone whatever this was to make any judgments. He’d cursed himself then for not paying attention and asking more questions at the start, but there was no helping it.

Really, the fact that he’d been hired at all should’ve been a dead giveaway.

The dial that had once allowed Evan to speak was entirely cut out from the process, a disconnected thing that gave no feedback after being twisted. Did that mean the entire cause was lost? Or had its function been moved to another piece, or a series of pieces-

“Ah, Martin, thought I might find you up here.”

Martin was going to die.

It was a thought that came unbidden, the only clear thing in his head as he turned to find Peter Lukas climbing the last stair without a sound coming from his less than newly polished leather shoes. The soles should’ve made a clicking sound.

Peter looked at him and smiled. “Scared you, didn’t I? Always been told I have quiet feet.”

“Yeah, you did. Wasn’t very nice.” He couldn’t keep the slight shake out of his voice. His hand reached out and grasped the mop’s hand.

“Not for you maybe, but the look on your face is very funny.” The smile grew just a little more cheerful.

“Sure. Well, I’m-”

“Cleaning, right,” Peter said, pressing a hand to his forehead as if remembering something. “Glad to see the last smudges from them wiped away, if I’m honest. More people, more mess for you to clean up later.”

“I suppose, yeah. Need to clean anyway, though.” To emphasize his point, Martin began to clean the floor around and away from the panel. “Did you…”

“Oh, no, nothing really. Just wanted to check in a bit more after all the... disruption from before. And to make you jump a little. Need to make my own fun, sometimes. The week has been dreadful, Martin.”

And you’re spreading the feeling around. “Hm,” Martin replied, as dismissive and uninterested as he could muster.

Martin could hear the smile in Peter’s voice and knew he’d failed to dampen the man’s strange energy. “Yes, well, I’ll be off. When-” And then Peter was interrupted by a prolonged buzzing in Martin’s pocket. “Need to answer that?”

Shrugging, Martin continued to mop and kept his eyes to the ground. “Weird spam call, probably. Mum wouldn’t call my mobile.”

“Mm, good answer. Company time and all that.” With an odd stretching motion, Peter glanced out the window. “Oh, and what were you doing when I came up?”

“Stretches,” Martin replied abruptly. He coughed and evened out his voice. “The walk up is terrible.”

“And that’s why I have you do it for me!” Peter’s laugh came out rough and strangely quiet, a noise that settled under Martin’s skin. The old man’s face twisted into an unreadable smile, something that underneath the mirth felt like a taunt. “But enough of that. Don’t know if I’ll be back again today. And keep that thing quiet if you’re not expecting work calls. Nothing worse than being contacted from anywhere in the world at any time, truly.” The smile seemed to sink into a genuine, almost childlike frown, and Peter slinked back down the stairs without another sound.

After about five minutes of mopping, Martin released the hand and collapsed on the couch. Stupid, stupid, of course he would come right as he was about to fiddle with things.

The prolonged vibrations had ceased some minutes ago, and Martin finally opened the group chat to see what he’d missed. There were several messages from earlier in which Tim and the others had continued to chat. Then his message and general confusion and concern which Martin had expected. Finally, a missed call from Sasha, followed by a text.

Sasha: do we need to get over there?

Blinking, Martin considered the message. Was that an option?

Martin: no everything is over

Martin: peter came in, had to lie about it being a spam call

Jon: of course he did

Sasha: well, call when you think it’s safe

Tim: and maybe check your pockets

Immediately, Martin patted himself down, though nothing seemed amiss. His phone was of course still on him, and there was nothing new.

Martin: everything else is the same. the lighthouse wasnt nice enough to trade something for my tape recorder

Tim: :(

Jon: Sasha is right. We’ll do better if we talk over the phone later when you’re sure to be out of Lukas’ sight. Keep inventory of your things and call us when you can.

Hesitating for a moment, Martin looked down at the winding stairs.

Martin: if you had to get here how long would it take

Sasha: about two hours if i’m driving

Martin: right

Martin: okay. ill call you soon

--

The same conclusion was made as before, only moreso. Martin would keep his head down with exactly zero poking around. The lockscreen of his mobile would show no notifications to mitigate the risk of eavesdropping (what if his phone was stolen by his evil workplace?), and unless there was some sort of emergency no messages or calls were to be made during his work hours.

Peter certainly knew something was going on. There was no point in pretending otherwise. Martin would have to hope they were both committed to playacting their routine for as long as the others needed to get back and do something.

The thought dug a pit in his stomach. Pretending that everything was exactly the way it had been was just... being alone for most of the day. He’d enjoyed receiving random messages at work and the sudden movement in his pocket that meant someone was around. It was a normal thing for people, texting when they’re supposed to be working. Pity he’d mucked it up so fast.

Long after he’d prepared for sleep, Martin sat on his bed with mobile in hand. His contact list was so short that he didn’t even need to scroll to find Jon’s name. It was right under an old manager he’d never deleted from his contacts.

His thumb twitched over the call button. He wasn’t going to do it, but it was a nice thought. They’d already spoken at length today, with everyone showing enough concern that Martin had needed the alone time afterwards to breath.

That being said, enough time had passed for him to be itching for any conversation he could get, and he wanted to talk to Jon because he still didn’t quite get Sasha, and conversation with Tim tended to run short because Martin didn’t know how to keep things going after he’d dumped all of his grievances on the guy the week prior.

And he liked talking to Jon. And maybe it was because Martin understood a topic Jon cared deeply about, but Jon seemed to like talking to Martin, too.

There was no call that night, and he was out 20 pounds for that tape recorder from the resale shop.

[miu-miu369]

DabiTwiceWeek day 6, proposal

(Doing the spoiler dance with this one, so beware because you're gonna be spoiled oop) ((also headcannons because hey, we don't know any outcome of the manga yet)) (((this came out longer then expected so enjoy lol)))

Dabi knew that when he and Twice kissed for the first time that he wanted to be with him forever. Even just standing shoulder to shoulder was so intimate for him from years of abuse. The fact that he let Twice hang onto him really said something about how he felt. He felt like he could be his own self around him, and he felt so safe doing so.

And when he thought that Twice was dead, he felt everything crumble around him. When he and the remaining survivors of the LOV were arrested, he just wanted to die in jail. As if the disappointed looks that Fuyumi would flash at him whenever she visited weren't painful enough, he didn't have his other half with him.

Fuyumi was visiting again today. He watched her texting someone on the other side of the glass. He missed the shit out of her, and he felt like he was being sucker punched whenever she looked at him. Finally, she looked back up and set her phone down. She took a deep breath before speaking up.

"Sorry, I was doing something for work," she sighed, "You getting beat up in here?"

"Yeah," Dabi was desperate to get her to laugh, "You could probably do worse though if this glass wasn't between us."

She smirked. It wasn't a laugh, but it was something, "Wanna see if I can break it?"

Dabi shook his head, "I'm good sis."

She laughed lightly. For once, a comfortable silence sat between them. Fuyumi went back to her phone for a few minutes before shock filled her eyes.

"What," Dabi leaned foward.

"One of your little buddies is in the hospital," Fuyumi looked back up.

Suddenly, the room started to spin. Dabi thought he was going to throw up, cry, and jump for joy at the same time, "Who?"

"Jin Bubaigawara."

"Take me to him!"

"What," Fuyumi gasped, "I cant just sign you out Touya!"

"Sure you can! Just tell them I'll wear these anti quirk cuffs and take me to see him! Please sis! I have to see him!"

Fuyumi bit her lip, "I don't know..."

"I'll do anything," Dabi felt like they were kids again and Fuyumi was threatening to tell on him after he 'accidentally' kicked her.

"Like go to therapy?"

"Only if you go too."

"Shut up," Fuyumi stood up, "I'll go talk to someone, maybe throw in dad's name to pressure them."

"Don't forget to fake cry, you've always been good good at that!"

Fuyumi flipped him off before leaving.

**********

Dabi always knew his sister was twisted in some way. Before he knew it, they were pulling up in front of the hospital that Jin was at. He nearly jumped out of the car and ran inside to get him.

Fuyumi and him walked in and before the woman at the front desk could say anything about Dabi, Fuyumi spoke up.

"Hi, Jin Bubaigawara?"

"Room 3H," the woman wouldn't stop staring at Dabi.

Fuyumi quickly pulled him away and went into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, they each let out a breath they were holding. Dabi looked over at Fuyumi who was anxiously fiddling with her shirt.

"Thanks Yumi," Dabi bumped his shoulder against her, "You're the best."

Fuyumi smiled up at him, "I missed getting into trouble with you."

Before he said anything else, the doors opened up. His mind went blank and Fuyumi practically had to steer him in the right direction. Before he knew it, they were in front of Jin. He was asleep and attached to so many wires.

"I'll leave you two alone," Fuyumi patted his back before going to sit down.

Dabi walked in and sat in a chair next to the bed. He couldn't believe that Jin was still alive. He was all stitched up, and his heart beat was perfect. He still looked so, fucking good.

Dabi reached out and held Jin's hand, "Hey buddy, glad to see you're okay. I know you're asleep now I just....I just wish that you were awake right now. You look great by the way, I'm sorry for burning you. But hey, now we can twin."

"We're all in prison now. I'm able to see the guys but Himiko was sent to the woman's prison. I'm terrified for her, but there's this one guard who updates us about her. She's safe for now. The gangs just not complete without you," Dabi ruffled Jin's hair.

"I'm sorry man," Dabi kissed his hand, "I should have gone with you. You wouldn't be in this situation if I was. I love you so much, I cant wait for you to wake up. I love you, I love your alter, you both complete me, and I never thought I deserve that. I still don't."

"I wanna marry you. Being with you forever is everything thing I want. You're smart, funny, kind," Dabi used his free hand to rub Jin's face, "You're handsome. I just love everything about you. I don't know how we're gonna do it, but we're gonna be together forever. I can't wait."

Dabi stood up, "Anyway, I have to get going. I'll see you soon Jin."

Dabi gave his hand one last squeeze before walking away. He was just about to walk out the door when-

"Yes," Jin groaned from the bed, "I'll marry you."

Dabi whirled around and when he saw Jin smiling at him, he nearly broke down. He ran over to his bed and held his face.

"Oh my God, Jin," Dabi held him, "How much did you hear?"

"Everything," Jin tried to hug him back.

"You shit head," Dabi laughed.

"I wanna propose too though," Jin said.

Dabi sat back down, "Go for it."

Jin held his hand and squeezed it, "Dabi-"

"It's Touya. Touya Todoroki."

"Touya," Jin smiled, "Will you marry me?"

Dabi spang forward and kissed him, "Of course! I love you Jin!"

Dabi ended up staying much later, and for once, his smile was genuine, and he missed this feeling so much.

[mrs-i-have-too-many-biases]

HCS// Wonho as your best friend

Scenario: basically what Wonho would be like as your best friend.

Tropes: Best friend to Lovers

Genre: fluff/ humour / Teeny tiny bit of angst

Type of content: Headcanons

Pairing: Female Reader X Wonho/ Lee Hoseok

Word count: 4,3K

Warnings: Loads of gifs <3

It’s actually a pretty funny story at how you and Wonho had met

You were one day just casually shopping for groceries

When you accidentally overheard a conversations between what you assumed two friends

“Really man you should find someone.”

“I know I just want someone to cuddle with.” The other replied with a heavy sigh.

Let’s just say, that Wonho got something different than someone to cuddle with.

You mumbled a

‘Me’ under your breath

Not realising how loud you were actually speaking

You saw the two male figures turn your way

And heat immediately rose to your cheeks

“Maybe you should talk to her.” The male with dark hair suggested to the blond male.

“Hi, I’m Wonho and you may be?”

“I’m Y/n, I’m sorry for overhearing your conversation.”

And your friendship took off ever since that day.

You didn’t see Wonho that often after that day

But you accidentally ran into him again at the grocery store two weeks later

“Hey, it’s you again, Y/n right?” He said with a smile

You noticed how muscular he was and it had you shocked

‘What In the world is he so big for- who hurt him-‘

“H-Hi, yes. So we meet again.”

“If we keep meeting like this, we might as well just exchange numbers and meet up.”

He suggested, taking you by surprise.

“I-I mean sure.”

You were very nervous and flustered in the beginning of your friendship with Wonho.

He’s a very attractive person and very sweet.

It would almost be impossible to not fall in love for him.

And somehow you didn’t.

Years went by and you officially got the title of best friend.

Yes, the friendzone, not the best kind of zone to be in, but you were satisfied with just that.

Wonho was a great friend

Which is what he often told you to tell others

Or else that muscle pig would sit on top of you or something

He could really be a pain in the ass sometimes

But he would always deny that

Ever since Wonho became a successful and worldwide artist

He unfortunately had less time for you

You didn’t mind of course

Respecting and supporting his career

Nobody out in the public knew you were so close with Wonho

You had decided alongside with his company to keep your friendship more in the shadows

Just to play it safe

And that the group wouldn’t receive any bad attention

Wonho would always call you from wherever he was

Wanting to hear your voice and missing being around you

His members knew about your friendship and supported it Hyunwoo, who was with Wonho when he met you for the first time, often teased Wonho for being a little whipped for you

his members agreed

“Seriously Y/n, he has been talking about you all day. I really feel like this kid is not functioning without you. We should take you on tour just so we can have him acting normal.” Minhyuk joked, making Wonho laugh

‘‘Don’t listen to him-”

“Why are you lying to, why are you even lying? You know fully well that you can’t live and function without her. I’m honestly surprised that you were a sort of normal human being before you met her-”

“RESPECT YOUR ELDERS BRAT!”

“I’M TELLING YOU THE TRUTH ELDER DEAL WITH IT!”

You were watching the two bicker on your screen as you felt the feeling of missing them grow.

Weeks went by and the boys were back in Asia now

for the last part of their tour

You were invited by their manager to visit them during the tour

they were in Indonesia at the moment and you got a message

or well

multiple to be realistic

that Wonho hadn’t been doing too well

He has been a little sulky

and snapped at people

He basically was homesick and he just wished that someone other than the boys were beside him

You were now on your way to him

He had been texting you a lot

and you couldn’t help but feel sad that he was sad

‘I really just wanna go home.’

‘I miss you, I’m not gonna lie.’

‘Can you come with me in my luggage next time?’

‘I’m so tired, I love touring, but I wish that it was just over by now.’

You shook the sad burden off your shoulders and prepared for the hours left that you had to fly to get to your best friend.

Hours passed and you arrived at the same hotel where the boys were staying

Their stylist, who was a great friend of yours as well, picked you up and brought you to Wonho’s room.

Their manager gave you the spare key he possessed and let you lend it to surprise Wonho

Their manager spoke loudly to announce to Wonho that he was entering the room

of course not wanting to walk in on an inconvenient moment

but when there was no sound coming from his room you just decided to enter. 

The room was dark and there was a small bed light on next to a laying figure, who was obviously Wonho.

You stood on one side of the bed and saw him playing with the small stuffed doll you got him before he went on tour

Your heart ached a little at his sad state

“Hyung, don’t be so quite. You’ll scare me.” Wonho muttered

The sadness in his voice made your heart ache even more and you sat down next to him.

“Well that was the original plan, but I guess this will be fine too.” You replied, making Wonho shot around and look at you in shock.

When Wonho realised that it was you

he shot up and tackled you onto the bed with a hug

“YOU LITTLE SHIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

“I missed you too?”

The night went on and the two of you caught up on each other whilst having dinner together

the boys also came into Wonho’s room

claiming that you had some kind of superpower

since Wonho changed back to his normal being

as if he had been under a spell all along

The next day the boys had a planned day off and Wonho wanted to take you shopping

you weren’t too sure about it

since your friendship was basically hidden

but the company assured you that even if you would get caught

that it wouldn’t really matter

the company liked you

you were responsible and you were a good influence on Wonho

You made sure he eats healthy and doesn’t stuff himself with instant ramyeon

When it came to working out you didn’t had to worry since he was kind of like a gym-rat

The company trusted you and they knew you wouldn’t take that for granted

Wonho and you took a cap to the nearest and nicest mall where the two of you could spend the day together

“Is there anything you need?”

“Not that I can think of as the moment, why-”

“Good, because that means it’s time to eat!”

Wonho happily dragged you through the big building

not even bothering to put on a face mask to hide his identity a little

he did make sure that you hid yours subtly

The food was great 

and Wonho kept bothering you as usual

but you didn’t mind

because he was happy

and you didn’t like seeing him sad

“Are you sure you don’t need anything?” Wonho asks after two hours in the mall

“Well I do need underwear.” You mumbled as you stopped right in front of a lingerie store

“W-well, I guess-”

“You don’t have to come in you know. You can just wait outside or go to a different store-”

“No, I’m coming with you. I don’t know if there are any fans or other people who will bother you, besides we are in a foreign country Y/n, something could happen to you.”

“Wonho, I’m literally going to buy a bra, I’m not going into a secret mission or something.” You laughed before you entered.

Moments later Wonho strolled through the store

a little embarrassed and taken back

“WHY ARE THESE SO TINY?”

He whisper yelled at you whilst pointing to a pair of mini g-strings like a little kid

“because we don’t have balls and a penis like you to be put away in our pants-”

“Y/N-”

“WHAT?”

“YOU CANT JUST SAY THAT-”

“WHAT-ITS TRUE”

You also loved to mess with him at a moment like

He was turned away and you had a big red laced bra in your hands

“Wonho look at this.” You said

as soon as he turned around you put the bra on his chest.

“Yeah I think this is your size. You definitely need one or they will get soggy.”

you joke making him gasp.

“HOW DARE YOU YOU LITTLE BRAT-”

“WELL I’M SORRY THAT YOU HAVE BIGGER TITS THEN ME-”

The two of you started laughing before you went to pay for your stuff.

The day went on and you enjoyed your time together

little did the both of you know that you were being followed that day

the day after your fun platonic date

the two of you were all over the internet.

‘Monsta X’s Wonho being spotted with a mysterious lady’

‘Monsta X’s Wonho is dating?’

‘Lee Hoseok/ Monsta X’s Wonho EXPOSED!’

When you woke up that morning

and saw all the headlines

you got worried

you didn’t bother changing out of your pyjamas

as you rushed your way to Wonho’s room

you were panicking and you didn’t know what else to do

As soon as he opened the door for you in his sleepy state

you started rambling

and he just stared at you

not exactly knowing what’s going on

but when he saw you breaking down into tears he realised that it was serious

“W-wait, are you crying, no don’t- come here.”

Wonho pulled you into his arms

you let his big arms wrap around you as you tried to stop crying

“It will be fine, remember?”

You hugged him once more before you went back to your room

later that day

their manager called you and Wonho together to talk about the current situation

He told the two of you to make a Vlive and explain the situation to the fans

so that is what you did

Wonho went live

and as soon as he did

fans started bombarding him with questions

of course wondering who you were

you were sitting a little further away from him on a chair

when he suddenly slid you into frame

making you at him in shock

both bursting into laughter right after

“Guys this is my best friend Y/n.”

“Hi.”

Wonho burst out in laughter at how awkward you were being

“You guys remember this little bear? Well, Y/n got it for me.” 

Long story short

The fans weren’t too font of you at first

Some were jealous

Some were a little weirded out

The two of you have been friends for years

And your friendship is only revealed now?

Others were worried

That you only used him for fame

Which Wonho of course knew you didn’t

And he assured the fans that that wasn’t the case

As time went on

They started to see more of you

Of course they were annoyed

Because they wanted to see more content of their favourite idol

But Wonho wanted to show his fans a different side of him

That usually only came out when you were around

“WONHO GET YOUR ASS OUT OF THE FRAME!”

You laughed when Wonho went to get something behind him

“SHUSH I KNOW WHAT MY FANS LIKE-“

“WAIT WHAT-”

You also were the person to upload a lot of extra content of Wonho online

You of course asked for permission to post it

Due keeping comeback spoilers to yourself

But most of the time they were fine with you uploading the content

It showed yet another side of Wonho

And the fans slowly started loving you

Eventually

Whenever Wonho was live

They would ask where you were and it made him laugh

“You guys really are going to start being her fan and stop being mine.”

He claimed dramatically.

And the more the fans saw you

And the more they started to love you

The fans started to notice that they weren’t the only one who were loving you

You were mentioned quite a lot as well in interviews

And the fans saw how smiley Wonho got as soon as he heard your name

Wonho was in love with you and they knew it

Wonho himself also started to be aware of his feelings

He first started noticing it a little when you hadn’t had time to pick up his calls

He would be on tour and you would be at home on the other side of the world

He was sad and sulky once again

The second time where he noticed that he has started to develop more feelings for you

Was when the two of you were going out on a dinner date

It was something the two of you did monthly

It used to be a weekly thing

But he had been busy with his idol life

And you were of course working yourself

It was a fancy dinner where Wonho was taking you

And you had decided to dress up nicely

Since you hadn’t seen him in ages

You wore a nude coloured skirt and a nice simple blouse on top of it

When Wonho went to pick you up

His jaw almost hit the ground

You looked absolutely beautiful

The outfit was quite simple

But to him

You couldn’t look more gorgeous than ever

“Y-you look- Wow.”

“Well thank you handsome.”

That moment

That moment right there

That’s when he realised that he had seen you more than just a best friend

And it made him nervous

He was stumbling and stuttering

And he felt pathetic

‘You’ve known her for years, get yourself together man.’ He would say to himself

You sat across of him, smiling as you told him a story

He couldn’t even pay proper attention to what you were saying

Without being distracted by the way you lips moved as you spoke

‘I wonder what they’d feel like against mine?’ He thought to himself

He was quite shocked by his own thought and slightly jumped

“Are you okay?” You asked him as you noticed him do so

“Y-yeah! We’re good! We’re totally fine.”

In the restaurant, the waiter seemed to have interest in you

As he checked in on you all the time

Trying to start small conversations with you

Wonho hated it

He felt jealous

And also very stupid

“This food isn’t even that good.”

“Really, you don’t like it?”

“No, I like ramyeon better.”

“I can make you some at home?”

‘Fucking hell Y/n what are you doing to me?’

He knew he wasn’t your boyfriend

But as someone who had known you for so long

He felt protective

And since he had discovered that he had stronger feelings for you

He had to make sure that you weren’t falling for that other guy’s tricks

Wonho had taken off his jacket

Now only sitting in his almost skin-tight turtleneck

Showing off his well earned muscles he had worked hard for

He found this moment perfect when he saw you shiver a bit

And right when the waiter came back

Wonho got up from his seat

And placed his jacket over your shoulders

Your heart fluttered a little at the action

And you stared a Wonho with big, shocked, eyes

You were catching feelings as well

And it made you a mess

But not as much of a mess as Wonho was for you

Your heart started to skip a beat every time you saw him

When you even simply thought of him

You felt your heart swell

One day Wonho was sleeping at your place

Since the two of you drank just a little too much

And Wonho was too intoxicated to travel back home

So he crashed at your place

Which was honestly fine

He had done that all of the time

You woke up to him not being by your side

You got up and to your (not so) shock

He was shirtless in the bathroom, brushing his teeth with a toothbrush he always left at your place

You didn’t know what had gotten over you

But you kind of freaked out and shut the door harshly

“Y/n, what happened?”

“I-I saw a spider?”

More moments like this came into your life

Whenever one of you would extra attractive

The other would freak out

And the both of you would be too oblivious to notice one another’s behaviour

The members, the staff and even the fans were getting tired of it

They knew by now that the two of you had fallen for each other

And somehow

The two of you

Had NEVER seen the fans comments

About you two potentially liking each other or potentially dating together

It was as if your brains had filtered those comments automatically out

After a while

You started to believe that you were not good enough for Wonho

Or well at least not his type

A couple of so-called fans had gone to your head with their toxic words

Telling you had no chance of being with Wonho

That you were a bad friend to him

In the back of your head you knew that you were a good friend

But you just couldn’t help but believe them

That’s when you started talking less and less to Wonho

And started talking more to Changkyun

He was someone you could easily talk to and joke around with besides Wonho

You had shared your problems more often with Changkyun as you started to avoid Wonho

And he started to notice

He was feeling sad and confused that you had started to avoid him

Since he had no idea why

The comments that you had read were pointed towards you

So Wonho never really came across them

He started to feel angry as well at you

Because you just kind of stopped talking to him out of the blue

He felt like you were in love with Changkyun

He noticed how you smiled at him

How you suddenly wanted to spend more time with him

And there couldn’t be a different explanation to himself other than that

The boys had noticed the change in Wonho’s behaviour

But this time

They didn’t know what to do

Because Changkyun advised them to leave Wonho alone for some time

They were surprised by the youngest statement

But they listened to him anyway

Wonho was furious at this point

He was tired of you ignoring him

He missed you and he wanted nothing more than to be with you

One day he had tricked you into his room

Making you think it was Changkyun’s room

But he knew that if you knew it was actually his that you would try to avoid him all over again

You were shocked when you saw Wonho in front of you when you entered the hotel room

“Are you avoiding me?”

Wonho wanted to go straight to the point

Taken you by surprise

“I-I, no.” You stuttered

“Then why have you been making it seem like you have? You’ve been talking more to Changkyun lately, do you like him or something?” Wonho’s heart hurts more and more the longer he speaks with you

“I do.” You blurted out

Which you regretted instantly

Wonho’s eyes started to brim with tears and he couldn’t help himself

You didn’t know what was happening

As you froze in front of him

“I support you in whatever you do, whatever you feel. But please don’t shut me out like that. I want to be there for you. Even though I wished that it was me you loved. I will continue to be by your side as your best friend as your feelings evolve for Kyun.”

You were still in your frozen state

And for the umpteenth time you were surprised.

‘He loves me?’

Wonho kept rambling on as you tried to process what was happening

“…I never though you would return the feelings that I have for you. I just felt like I had to get this off my chest. Let’s just forget this and get you and Chang-“

You didn’t let him finish as you pulled him closer

Holding his cheeks as you cut him off with a passionate kiss

Wonho stiffened in his seat and didn’t know whether to hold you or not

He wanted to cherish this moment and brought you closer to him

You could taste the salty tears that rolled down his face not moments ago

“What?”

“I don’t like Changkyun. Well I do like him, but not in the way I like you.”

Wonho’s head shot up to you and looked at you

This time it was his turn to be surprised

“Y-you like me?”

“No.” you replied serious

His gaze fell down again, the feeling of disappointment filling his gut

“I think that after all these years of knowing you, that I can surely say that I love you.” You whispered whilst caressing his cheek softly

Wonho bit his lip before smiling brightly at you

His hands were still on your waist as you sat on his lap

“I love you too, fuck. I love you so much and for so long. I didn’t know what to do.”

“I know what we should do now.” You said with a smirk as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

“And what’s that?”

“Be officially together.” You wiggled your eyebrows, making him laugh loudly.

Sooner enough he would pull you closer into his chest and hugged you tightly as he twirled you around, your legs around his waist as he did

“My beautiful love, finally mine.” Wonho sighed happily, before kissing you once again.

Right now it has been months since you and Wonho had revealed your relationship to the public

The fans were relieved and finally content after being so frustrated that the two of you are actually meant to be together

You continued to upload more content of your now-boyfriend, Wonho, online to give the fans a little extras as a gif for being supportive of your relationship

The boys were also relieved and very glad for the two of you that you two finally got together

“I remember the day where the two had met, they grow up so fast.” Shownu joked

Sometime’s Wonho would be a pain in the ass to others when you weren’t around

“Since Y/n isn’t here I might as well just run away.” 

“Wonho you have to get back on set.” His manager would state.

“Y/N ISN’T HERE I MISS HER I DON’T WANNA WORK.” He would whine back

Remember when I said that you posted extra content of your boyfriend for your Fellow Monbebes?

Well, you meant it

and it was ‘EXTRA’

“Here you guys have a wild Wonho trying to impress his girlfriend with his rapping skills.” You voiced behind the camera as you filmed your boyfriend.

“Do my skills impress you baby?”

“I like Changkyun’s better.” You joked, hearing Changkyun cheer in the background whilst your boyfriend on the other hand started to pout.

“BABE WHY~” 

“I LOVE YOU~”  You quickly say before you ran to him and pressed kisses all over his cheek.

You also remember the first time where Wonho would call you ‘baby’ for the very first time

It was over a videochat when he was overseas

“So baby how was your day?”

You almost had a spasm when you heard the pet-name leave his lips and you hid your face in your hands, making him laugh

“Do you like me calling you baby?” Wonho asked in amusement

“I’m just not used to it.” You mumbled back.

“Well get used to it babe, because I will be calling you that a lot.” He said with a wink.

That little shit often would tease you as well

when you would ask him for his help he would be like

“Of course you would ask your strong boyfriend. You couldn’t survive without these guns on your side.” 

And besides him being a little shit

you loved waking up next to him

you two had shared a bed before

but being in a romantic relationship together it just was different

You would wake up to Wonho’s strong arm wrapped around your waist

you being almost suffocated in his muscular chest as he had his face nuzzled into your hair

He would sight in content as he pulled you even closer to him as if that was even possible.

He would kiss you softly on your forehead

then your cheeks

then your nose

and lastly your lips

sometimes he was in the mood to kiss you all over

those were your favourite mornings

Wonho was an amazing boyfriend to you

he made sure you eat well

that you take good care of yourself

and that you have something nice to look at at home

In general he is a sweet, loving boyfriend

who loves you more than anything

and he couldn’t be happier than to be in love with his best friend

Gifs aren’t mine

[ossy-p-art]

*kayae west voice* anotha one

DIMENTIO

TWO WEEKS

You feel less than good.

You kneel in front of the poor creature you had attacked; an innocent star sprite, dazed on the ground. You had injured it by simply whacking it with a branch as hard as you could. Admittedly it was pretty funny. Like hitting a baseball. Fortunately it didn’t soar very far; you had chased it into a secluded forest, away from prying eyes, before whacking the snot out of it.

You outstretch your hand and grab the little thing by the foot, lifting it up to your face. Awfully heavy little thing. Should be more than good enough.

You lightly lick your lips and pull up your mask.

You hear an unusual click as the bones in your jaw lengthen and unhinge. The chaos heart’s magic lets you manipulate your body in truly awful ways. Youve done this before, but it still gives you shivers. The heart grows cold in anticipation for more cosmic energy as you psyche yourself up.

In a grotesque, monster-like fashion, you easily slide the spite past your unhinged jaws and into your throat for the chaos heart to do whatever it pleases to it. In a fashion similar to a black hole, the sprite is suddenly dragged down with absolutely no hindrance. You didn’t even swallow. It was just gone in less than a second.

A chill runs through you.

You only do this on rare occasions. About three times in the past two weeks. Too many in a row would be telling. On the nights that you do treat yourself and the heart like this…it feels like you’ve taken a step in the right direction. The heart is more willing to sit patiently if it knows the longer it waits, the better the reward will be. You’ve formed a wordless alliance with the heart in this way, and thankfully this means it has stopped boring into your side.

On these hunting nights, you have to wear a blindfold and earplugs. If not, your body behaves strangely. You are subject to sudden thrashing and convulsions. You can navigate just fine without either sense- you can identify the imprints in space and time from every physical thing around you. You practically echolocate. Its a mystifying ability that the chaos heart gifted to you upon your transformation. The biggest problem, however, cannot be avoided.

You keel over slightly as you feel bile rise in your throat. You swallow it back down, irritated. Its like your body can tell when you’re doing these awful deeds and rejects them outright. The blindfold and earplugs do a decent job of keeping you calm and collected, but as soon as you can feel those sprites in your mouth, its a nightmare. You’d be fine with cutting up a sprite if it meant avoiding this, but unfortunately dead star sprites return to stardust immediately. A shame.

You clasp your hand over your mouth as you gag again. This kind of behavior really doesn’t suit a sophisticated individual such as yourself.

For the most part, you’ve been gathering sustenance for the chaos heart by other means- mainly normal power stars. They aren’t exactly appetizing, though…they taste metallic, and don’t sit well in your stomach. Pretty hard to discretely nab, too. Another alternative is ghosts and other spirits, but you think if you swallow one more boo this month something is going to come banging down your door to kill you.

Just a hunch.

You take slow breaths to try to calm your nerves. It seems impossible to keep your pulse steady lately.

“LAD WERE’VE YAE GONE OFF TEH?”

Your breath hitches in surprise as you catch wind of a familiar voice- one so loud you can hear it through your earplugs. You remove the plugs and pull away the blindfold.

You cant call out to the man yelling for you- your throat is in shambles. But you can knock a few times on a nearby tree to alert him.

“THAT YOU?”

O'Chunks comes through the brush and you give him a slight wave. He seems a little bothered, but still smiles lightly.

“Yae gotta stop wand'rin off like that, lad. Yer awf'ly far from tae gard'n. Thought yae were jus’ goin’ fer a short walk? Had me worried.”

He offers you a hand, and you place yours in his. It kind of shocks you how gently he carries your palm.

You never did this kind of thing before.

You were pretty worried at first that your old menagerie of ‘friends’ were going to pummel you the second they saw you. You know, the backstabber? The traitor? The fool? …They’ve all been surprisingly mild-mannered. You’ve been completely unable to speak from the damage done to your throat, but you’ve conveyed a few ideas via writing- most importantly the concept of redirecting the chaos heart’s violence.

Nastasia has been the most help thus far, navigating where power stars may be located to sate the chaos heart’s monstrous appetite. You really owe her a lot.

Mimi has been keeping a constant eye on you, practically babysitting you at any given time, keeping you captive in a small home she 'borrowed’ from some unlucky fellow. Normally you’d find annoyance in this, but for some reason, seeing her face brings you a distant feeling of comfort.

Unusual.

O'chunks sometimes arrives to carry you to and fro, as well as help you nab said power stars from any individual who may be guarding them… you haven’t told him about the star sprites yet. He may not like it.

Everyone is so… kind. You don’t know if a mass case of amnesia swept over everyone, but they’re all patient towards you. It feels…nice.

Your heart is warm.

You don’t know why they keep calling you 'Ell’. Maybe that was a side effect of the amnesia. Its not like you can correct them just yet.

LUIGI

TWO WEEKS

You walk while holding O'Chunks’ hand. You feel horrible. You don’t know whats wrong with you, but some kind of force, every so often, keeps driving you to go outside- to find innocent and tiny creatures of power- and to just-

You grab onto O'chunks’ arm suddenly and shudder. He pauses, looking you up and down with a worried expression. He bends down on one knee, and with a startlingly soft voice asks you if you need 'tae sit down.’

You shake your head no. You don’t want to be a bother.

You’ve been trying not to blame yourself for these things- its got to be the chaos heart manipulating you, or something. You don’t know what else it could be. The only bright side to these incidents is that after they’re over, your stomach doesn’t hurt at all- just feels cold.

O'Chunks seems slightly bothered with the silence, and decides to speak up.

“Er…yae know, Nastasia wan’s tae speak abou’ somethin’ with yae.”

You look up at him, trying not to come off as miserable.

Apparently hes not buying it.

“We’ve been hidin’ stuff from yae, don’ wanna put yae into a bad place.”

You give him a questioning look through your mask. You’ve BEEN in a bad place for two weeks now. Ever since you came to your senses in that broken castle.

“…We jus’ think yae should know. I cann’ do it alone.”

He squeezes your hand very lightly.

“…jus’ hope it doesn’ put yae in as bad of a state as yae were in tha’ cas'le.”

…you feel unsettled that whatever information he could offer to you would be that bad.

DIMENTIO

TWO WEEKS

You’re having a panic attack. Its not even yours.

Your conference with Nastasia went…pretty poorly, to say the least.

Your unwilling hand grabs tightly onto O'Chunk’s shirt as a part of you makes haste to form words you don’t even want to say.

“Gh- get-”

You cough. Its painful. You can taste the blood from wounds in your throat

“Get him- o-out-”

Your heart is going a million miles an hour. You feel like you’re damn well about to have a stroke.

Nastasia adjusts her glasses.

“We cant. If you let me finish my sentence-”

You go into a coughing fit, painting the inside of your mask with red.

Mimi quickly scampers over to you, putting a hand on your leg in sympathy before whipping her head at a sharp 90° angle to scowl at Nastasia.

“I knew they needed more time! But you didn’t listen, Nass!”

You fall to your knees, breathing heavily. Your mask slips off. You move your hand to pick it up, but a scream escapes you before your fingers can wrap around it.

“DH- DON’T MOVE ME!!”

The pain in your throat is horrible. Your vision is getting hazy from how disoriented you are. You’re losing focus.

You had suspected this. You didn’t need Nastasia to tell you. Apparently Luigi did, though. The man is as dense as a plank of wood that was raised by a family of hillbilly rocks. Its blatantly obvious in hindsight- moving against your own volition, Luigi missing, people being strangely nice to you… you kind of put the pieces together, thought 'well I’ve had worse done to me, and this may not even be true’ and put that thought on the back-burner to cope with later.

You put a lot of thoughts on the back-burner to cope with later. The metaphorical back-burner is pretty cluttered. Some thought-pots and concept-pans look like they might fall over at any second, but you keep that copper-ware well balanced in a precarious Jenga tower of undealt with emotions. Surely this is perfectly healthy and nothing bad could come of it.

Where were you? …Oh, yes, you’re about to faint.

You grab your chest and keel so your forehead is touching the floor. Your vision is fading to black from how quickly you are breathing.

You close your eyes as you take a slow breath in-

-and a deep exhale out.

You remain in a little panic-ball as you practice breathing. You’re shaking terribly against your will. This is humiliating.

A large hand strokes your back. O'Chunks.

“…I'tl be ok, lad. We won’ let anythin’ happen to yae.”

Words for Luigi.

Well. That explains the kindness they were showing you before.

You were finding a bit of joy in it, admittedly. It felt like you were all a crew again.

But it was only sympathy for him.

Well. That’ll go on the back-burner too.

[madamsixx]

Beyond The Leather Chapter 24: Valentines In London Found Me In The Trash

Friday, February 14, 1986

Today was the big day. I slept in Jess's room last night because I needed someone to be with instead of being alone in my room. I received calls of encouragement and excitement from Tamara and my family. I wished that they could be here but everyone is busy with school and work. Also it's my moms birthday so I did get to wish her a happy birthday. I got out of the shower and got dressed ready to go. Jess made a few calls before we left so I told her I would be put in the hall way waiting for her. When I stepped out and walked to the elevator pushing the button. I heard Nikki's door open. Nikki came out of his room with his hair in a bun wearing no shirt and black ripped Jean's. He's up pretty early. We looked at each other for a bit until I turned away hearing that the elevator has come. I then heard Jess come out of the room and lock her door and walk down to the elevator. Nikki started walking down to the elevator too. I held the door open and they both got in. It was silent and very awkward. He leaned on the elevator wall and glared at me.

"S...so are the other girls downstairs already by the limo?" I asked Jess trying not to look at Nikki.

"They should be. If not the limo will leave without them." She chuckled.

"Are you a model?" Nikki spoke up still shooting daggers at me.

I tensed up when I heard Nikki speak. He was still angry about yesterday. I didn't even check to see if what I wrote was still on his door. Anyways he already knows I'm a model so I don't know what he's playing at.

"Yes she is. She's also an actress, a very talented one." Jess spoke proudly.

He nodded his head. "Oh really! I thought she was a hall cunt. It was written on her door, my mistake." He grins smugly.

I grinded my teeth together, I shot him a dirty look. He's just lucky Jess is in the elevator or I would have used my heel to hit the smug grin off his face. I know violence is never the answer but in Nikki's case I would make an exception. The doors opened and we all got out.

"Wow that guy is rude." Jess points out.

I looked back at Nikki who went to the front desk asking the clerk for something. I guess this was the end of what ever we had going on.

________

We arrived at the actual venue and it looked amazing. People weren't here yet because we were still setting up but I could tell there was going to be a lot of people coming in. This was definitely different than New York fashion week. It was smaller and less chaotic. New York was hustle and bustle and people were running around all over the place non stop. But here everyone was calm and relaxed.

"All right ladies head to the back and start getting your outfits and make up on." The director shouted.

We all went to the back and got our clothes, hair, and make up did.

"Hello ladies and gentlemen welcome to our February London Fashion week. London Fashion Week takes place twice a year in February and September, showcasing over 250 designers to a global audience of influential media and retailers. It is estimated that orders of over £100m are placed during LFW each season. We hope you all enjoy your self and after the show, we hope you will all attened the reception. Thank you.

The show began and the models started the individual cat walk. I was so excited to see the reaction on everyone's face as we walked. By the end of the show all the models came out together and we wore the same outfits. The show was a hit everything went as planned and I was very happy about it. After the show we attended the reception. I took a lot of pictures with the designers and staff. And all us models took a group picture together. _____ Back at the hotel 12:33 am

The girls all came over to my room and we celebrated the first day of fashion week.

"One day down 4 more days to go woo!" Rachel shouted jumping on my bed.

Jade and a couple of the other girls were drinking wine. But not too much to get themselves drunk.

"Come on ladies we need to toast." Hilary says while pouring wine in the glasses. "Rach, Iman I know you two dont drink but for tonight we got to celebrate." She hands us a glass.

We both look at each other and start giggling. I mean I already got drunk before but it wasn't my fault. I guess I could have a tiny sip.

"Alright Iman how about we link arms and do this together." Rachel laughed coming to me.

"Ok but not too much." I giggled.

We both linked arms and sipped a bit of the wine. All the girls started cheering. We ended the night by taking several pictures with each other, telling funny stories, and exchanging phone numbers with each other. It was a night I would never forget.

2:30 am

I heard banging on my door. At first I thought it was just a dream when I heard it the first few times but now I realized it was really someone banging. I got out of my bed, turned on my bedroom light, and walked to the living room. The banging continued, so I went to the door and looked through the peek hole and noticed a familiar face that I have seen before. The man looked like he was holding someone up. I was a bit scared so I didn't want to open the door.

"W....who are you? I'm going to call the police if you don't get away from my door." I whispered shouted.

"Iman it's Andy...Andy Mccoy. I have Nikki with me he's in pretty bad shape. Please open the door love." He shouted.

I opened the door and in tumbled Nikki and Andy both falling to the floor.

"I...Iman help please." Nikki whimpered.

"Oh my God Andy what happened?" I asked getting down to help Andy pick up Nikki.

"Hang on love let's get him into your room." We both picked Nikki up. God Nikki is very heavy I felt like my back was about to break. We carried Nikki into my room and as we were getting him to the bed he threw up on my carpet.

"Here lay him down on my bed." I directed Andy while moving my blanket.

Nikki is layed on my bed whimpering and moaning in pain.

"What happened Andy?" I asked with worry.

"Motley were playing the first of two concerts at London's Hammersmith Odeon. And me and the boys in my band Hanoi Rocks came to watch the performance, and so did Brian Connolly from the Sweet."

As Andy is talking, Nikki gets up and runs to the washroom and starts puking in the toilet. We both run after him, and I pull Nikkis hair back to keep it from getting in his face.

"After the show, Nikki and I grab a taxi in search of scoring some hero... um drugs." Andy stutterers and scratches his head.

He's obviously not being truthful.

"We ended up finding a dealer on the street that shoots Nikki up inside a house, because he was already feeling too wasted to inject."

"Wait what? What do you mean shooting up and injecting?" I snap and grab Andy by his collar shaking him.

"Nikki passed out and I tried to wake him up by putting ice in his pants." Andy panics.

"I...Iman my body hurts fuck." Nikki whimpers falling on the washroom ground.

I turn around letting Andy go and try to pick Nikki up. "Help me put him on my bed again Andy!" I yell.

We pick Nikki up and bring him back to my bed. Nikki smells like a dumpster, mixed with alcohol, sweat, and barf. His clothes had barf on it so I start ripping it off. That's when I notice he had huge bruises all over his chest and shoulders. My eyes went wide and I looked at Andy.

"What the hell happened to him Andy? Who did this?" I was furious at this point.

"The dealer tried to revive him by hitting him all over with a baseball bat." Andy mumbled.

I wanted Andy to stop talking cause at this point he was only fueling my anger.

"When that didn't work, the dealer carried him outside on his shoulder to throw him into a trash dumpster. But Nikki vomited on his shoes and woke up." Andy mumbled again.

I looked at Andy and saw red. I cant even remember my fist connecting with Andy's jaw. All I saw Andy do, was fall back into my dresser and hit his head on it. I winced at the feeling of my knuckles in pain after I punched him.

"Iman I'm sorry." He pleaded as I started punching him while he was on the ground with my other hand.

"Get out! Now!" I shouted in anger. He got up and ran out the door.

"Iman it hurts, oh God my body hurts." Nikki whimpered.

"Ok hang on Nikki." I say walking to him.

I started stripping off his clothes until he was fully naked. He whimpered and groaned in pain as I touched the bruises on his body. How could someone do that to him. I put my arm underneath the back of his neck and my other arm behind his back and pulled him up to me in sitting position.

"I...Iman ffffuck!" He groaned in pain.

"Nikki I need to get you in the shower ok. Please try and stand up." I pleaded.

"O..ok." He breathed out.

He wrapped his arm around my neck and I wrapped my arm around his back. I lifted him up and we walked slowly to the washroom. I put the toilet seat down, flushed it while I was at it, and sat him down on the toilet seat while I turned on the shower. I could have easily just let Nikki sleep on my bed but he really stunk and I had to make sure that he had no open cuts on his skin. And if he did, they would need to be cleaned.

"Ok Nik I need to get you in the shower ok." I wrapped my arms around him and lifted him up.

"Iman my fucking chest fuck." Nikki groaned.

"I'm sorry Nik." I calmly mumble.

I get him into the shower and I grab my sponge and start to scrub him down. I turn off the water and grab my towel and wrap it around him and get him out of the shower. We walk back into my bedroom and I sit him down on the bed. I grab some of my Aloe lotion and start to lotion his skin with it. Especially where he has the bruises to make sure they dont get worse. As I'm lotioning his skin I notice on his arm that his cephalic vein had been punctured with what looked like needle marks. There was dry scabbing but also a fresh needle mark. I rubbed that part with a lot of Aloe. I walked back to the washroom to grab listerine. I grab Nikkis mouth and pour the listerine into his mouth. His breath really smelt like barf.

"Hang on Nik let me get the garbage so you can spit into it." I say running to grab the garbage. When I get back he has already spit out the listerine on my carpet. I sigh and put the garbage down.

"Ok Nik let's get you into bed."

I help shuffle him properly on to my bed so he can lay down. I move off the bed and take off my t-shirt that's wet from showering Nikki. I walk to the washroom and grab more towels. I spread one down where he spit out the listerine then spread one where he barfed. I walk over and pick up his clothes, I start feeling around his pockets for his room key. I finally find them and turn to grab my robe. I put it on and leave my room to head to his room. When I get to his room I open the door and his room looks like a war zone. Clothes were every where, dirty dishes were on the side of the wall, and the stench was overwhelming. I dropped Nikki's dirty clothes and walked to his suitcase pulling out clean clothes. I grabbed his clean clothes then left his room making sure to lock the door behind me. I enter back into my room locking my door and walking into my bed room.

"Iman...please.... I need you." Nikki let out a muffled moan.

I climbed on to the bed and cuddled with him. "I'm here Nikki." I whispered and kissed his chest where he had the bruise.

He was shivering and sweating so I lifted the blanket so it would be covering him and I wrapped my arm tightly around him.

"Please dont leave me." He groaned in pain.

"I won't." I whispered and kissed his chest again.

He rolled us over so that I would be laying on my back and he would be on top of me. He rested his head on my chest and wrapped his arms tightly around my back. I then wrapped my arms securely around him like he was a child that I had to protect from the monsters out in the world.

[mysmedrabbles]

Broken - [Yoongi x BPD!Reader]

requested: by @edgythiccboi (request is pictured above)

a/n: long overdue and with about the most rough drafts ive ever written for something, its finally here! i hope you enjoy and it takes your mind off of some of the hurt from your past and present. know that the whole of the bpd/ptsd community knows what you're going through and supports you (even though we're all just a bunch of bamboozled and 3dgy kids)

warnings: quite realistic description of a bpd episode, tiny self harm mention, some splitting, self deprecation (it ends in fluff i promise)

-ghost mod alex

-hollowed lungs took struggling breaths in the condensed room, steam and water droplets covering every surface like a disease, a disease from which you could not get away from. you sat on the edge of the bathtub, wheezing into seemingly nothing, chest heaving as you strained against invisible bonds, tying you to the tub, restraining you in your own mind, a prisoner of war against your past.

-a familiar pounding in your head clouded your thoughts, and you could feel yourself spiraling through various personas, each personality you'd tailored for everyone in your life; it hurt too much, it felt like you were being pulled in a hundred different directions.

-who were you today? the bubbly friendly girl in the back of the class? the dark, almost suspiciously angry person, hiding in the shadows? maybe just a quick witted friend, always there with a funny rebuttal, making everyone laugh but yourself. what was the point of "being yourself," and "living life," when you didn't even know who that person was? that person you could have grown into died that day, the day,,, the day it happened. 

-you'd been lucky enough to have survived, to live to today, but what was the point of it all really? 

-you stared at your shaking hands, and for a second you see blood, draining you of your life as all you can do is sit there and watch; but you blink and its gone, only a thin white line serving as a memory. 

-you'd promised him you'd never hurt yourself again, and a part of you knew that you should call to him, for he was only in the other room, no doubt writing another extraordinary song. he was always so smart, so sure of himself and an absolute genius. it wasn't an exaggeration when people complimented him on his music, it came naturally to him, he had a passion and he pursued it. 

-unlike you.

-who were you but a stain on his life? he'd be better off without you anyway. 

-a wave of rage came over you, and all you could see was red, red red red. How dare he not notice how in pain you were, not be here to comfort you and take care? Did he not care? was it all just a joke to him? did he even...did he even love you?

-you felt yourself spiraling further, physically bending over to the point of pain, the muscles in your lower back stretched from the lack of support. tears had started to pool in your open hands, and staring at them blankly you were only vaguely aware of choked sobs reaching out the doorway, small whimpers mixed in with cries as you tried to feel anything beside the pain.

-a small knock distracts you, cautious and questioning, and you know immediately that its yoongi. yoongi your sweet angel, the one who always made you laugh when you were feeling down, played card games with you when you needed a distraction, sung to you when you couldn't sleep, kissed your tears away no matter how many times they fell. you didn't say anything, rather let him open the door himself to see you sitting there hunched over, looking up at him with puffy eyes. 

-he assessed the damage first, scanning the bathroom for anything sharp, any blood or a wad of suspiciously thick toilet paper shoved forcibly into the trash can. upon seeing nothing of the sort his eyes soften, seeing you in your fragile state. he never thought anything less of you, in fact he always thought you were so brave to be alive, to still be fighting after all you'd been through. you were a pair of survivors, people who bonded not only over trivial things like favourite band and your shared humor, but the experiences the two of you had gone through added an extra layer of understanding to the relationship.

-he sits next to you quietly, letting you take a breath before speaking, his voice softer than usual, and yet still with edges of his usual roughness, but he's kind. He looks at you, and you can tell it's taking him all of his energy to not to reach to your face, wiping away your tears and holding you in a tight embrace. he knew the drill, and his main priority was your comfort. 

- "can I hug you?" 

-it's a small thing, but it's enough to bring you back to tears as you nod shyly, too afraid to speak. you close your eyes and you can feel his arms wrap around you, holding you securely close to his chest, steady rhythm of his heart beating against your own chest like a metronome. steady, present, there. he's whispering tiny comforts to you, affirmations of his love and your worth, that everything was going to be okay. you lean into his touch, closing your eyes hesitantly as your head falls on his shoulder, hiding in the crook of his neck. 

-he smells fresh, faint smell of laundry detergent intermingled with his pine shampoo, and something else; he smells like home, the smooth cotton of his plain black shirt on his thin frame under your fingers just adding to the notion of comfort, and your own sobs cant help but die down, calming under his soothing presence. you start registering his voice, his hand tracing soothing circles on your upper back.

- "it's okay," you hear him say, "you're going to be okay. it's over now baby, nothing can hurt you.. i love you so much... i wont let anything bad happen to you.. it's okay... you're going to be okay..."

-his voice drills a hole in your chest, striking a cord and unable to get it out as you struggle to catch your breath. He pulls away, making sure you see where his hands are clearly before cupping your cheeks, stroking away any stray tears. he examines your face soundlessly, giving you a chance to speak if you so choose. you study him right back; he looks tired, like he hadn't slept in a while, soft hair a very definitely natural shade of silver. He saw you revisiting the dark circles under his eyes with your own, and as if reading your thoughts he replies, "work has been a bit long, nothing else princess."

-you open your mouth to make a counterclaim, but he cuts you off gently, "I promise," he says, and yet you struggle to believe him.

-a small pause settles over the two of you, and you could see his sincerity in his words, mirrored by the gaze that falls upon you. sweet kind yoongi with his easily irritable self and cutting humor, his stoic side and his adorable smile which you swear could light rooms.

-did you really deserve him? how could someone as amazing as him be in love with someone like you? Even as you began to speak, you could already feel the guilt washing over you, shame at the notion of manipulation as you asked, 

-“Why do you love me?”

-yoongi smiles, just the tiniest bit as he pulls you closer to him, kissing your forehead, taking your hand in his before responding, “why do i love you? ah well thats a complicated question with too many answers,” he looks at you, hoping to notice a change in your expression, but seeing no results he presses on, “I love you because you’re you, because you get up every morning and face the world even though its told you repeatedly to stand down,” he brushes a stray hair behind your ear as he goes on, carefully as to not set you off in some way, “I love you because even though you’re characterized by a mental illness thats seen as horrible and dark you constantly show up with your brightest smile and kindness in hand, and theres never been a day where being by your side hasn’t been a gift. I love you because of the way you’re attentive, how kind you are to complete strangers, your smile when you think no ones looking. the way you doodle in the corners of my lyrics sheet and fall asleep next to me at the studio when im up late working.”

-he shifts, fully facing you, tilting your chin up so you’re looking him directly in the eyes, piercing into your soul, trying to bring back any piece of hope you have to the surface, “I love you because theres that insatiable force pulling us together,” he playfully tugs on your arm, earning a teary chuckle from you as you look away, feeling the tears start up again. damn him and his talent with words.

-he’s just saying that because you asked him that

-your brain, a genius

-guilt courses through you at his words, a stab to the heart marred by the sweet tone of lies. this was manipulation. great. you’d manipulated your way to validation was an excellent girlfriend you were, truly inspiring. You feel the headache start up again, but yoongi catches you, placing his hands firmly where your shoulders connect to your neck, seriousness overcoming him as he cuts off your thoughts, sword at the ready, “I’m a logical person y/n, you know this, you say this to me all the time, and I wouldn’t have said any of this if it weren't true.”

-he searches your expression for anything, a twitch or a change, and is surprised to have you curl up in his arms, burying your face in his chest as you breathe for seemingly the first time since the conversation started, letting a full sigh as you try to clear your head, willing to pay anything to just believe his words. yoongi pulls away, hand running softly through your hair as he admires you. he slowly leans in for a small kiss, not passionate, leading to nothing, but just a kiss to let you know he’s there, and he’s not going anywhere and for now, just knowing he’s here is enough

-after what seems like forever of him holding you, the rim of the tub digging into your thighs, he presses a gentle kiss on your temple, intertwining your fingers with his before he stands up, extending his free arm to help you up. “come on princess, lets go to sleep,” is all he says.

[fightevilandthengetblownup]

CHAT: Anna+Ruby ALL

#1 - Anna and Ruby post Grey and Anna fighting in the alleyway; starts with Ruby and Lilith arguing, followed by Ruby targetting Anna

<Anna> *Lilith smirks at her leaning back against the wall* “You know it was cute seeing you trapped like that and by that fallen angel no less.”

<Jo> “What can I say, I learnt cockiness from somewhere not altogether bright, Lilith.” *Ruby gives a silent sigh* “What are you doing here?”

<Anna> “Oh nothing just watching you huff about. What’s the matter can’t find her?”

<Jo> “Why do I truly not believe that? And as a matter of fact I can’t. Seemingly the angel or whatever is left in her has disappeared.”

<Anna> *In a sing song voice* “I know where she isssss.” *Lilith smirks even more at Ruby.* “Infact I know that right now, the angel is laying in the emergency room of hospital after someone found her laying in an alley.”

<Jo> *Tilting her head to the side, Ruby looks at Lilith skeptically* “You’re saying that that scheming little bitch of an angel is lying useless and vulnerable in some hospital without that crazy watchdog keeping guard and you just happen to know where? That sounds almost too good to be true, Lilith.”

<Anna> “Gray’s twin found her and she mouthed off to him. It was an amusing show, very much a bonus since I was only after him.”

<Jo> “The other shadow? Mr. Weak-Monster-Eater himself took out the angel.” *Ruby smirks slightly, pondering to herself that she didn’t end up with a complete weakling on her blackmal cards* “What were you after him for? I would have thought you’d be after some Heavenly revenge after Gabriel had you pinned for so long.”

<Anna> “Oh I’ve taken care of Gabriel. I was celebrating and going to have some fun with the monster. Instead I got to watch him drain that little angel and kick her around a bit.”

<Jo> “Uh huh. …Any chance you’ll tell me where I could go kick her around myself?”

<Anna> “Normally I wouldn’t but since Grey said he wouldn’t feel bad if you killed her, I want to see if that’s true.” *Smiling Lilith tells Ruby the town name and the hospital, that the nurses had contacted Jo and they were waiting for the hunter to get there*

<Jo> “Of course you do. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go see what amounts of revenge I can get out before the little blonde slut shows up. And if I’m walking into a trap Lilith…” *Ruby shoots the other a look even though she can sense the other is back up and fighting, before zapping away to Anna’s bedside*

<Anna> *Lilith chuckles leaving, there was a daycare near by and she felt like having a snack*

<Anna> (So cute Ruby is paranoid of traps now)

<Jo> *Ruby comes in easily to find Anna in an empty semi-private room, something hunters seemed to try and get a hold of so it was understandable whatever Anna was covered with would do the same* “Wake up angelbitch. Or maybe I’ll try out my defibulator skills.” *Ruby flicks through the chart saying Anna wasn’t in a coma at least, as she waits for the other to react*

<Jo> (Lol she is just a tad. Damn Anna)

<Anna> *Anna remembers when someone found her, she had tried to get them to not call 911 but she was slurring and the fact she couln’t stand up and walk made it useless, a few hours later and a few shots of sedation she had been cleaned, changed into a gown and examined..she was simply waiting for the last shot to wear off enough she could run when she heard Ruby, reaching weakly for the call button*

<Jo> “Uh uh uh, not this time.” Ruby moves around to catch her wrist, noticing the slight purplish bruising and giving it a nasty tug before jerking the bed rail down and the bed away from the other option* “You and I need to have a little conversation about just where you think you are on the food chain. And I mean that literally.”

<Anna> *Swallowing Anna pushes herself up, the drugs still in her system to numb her she blinks at Ruby..* “You’re trapped..” *She says slowly like she hasn’t fully figured it out that Ruby is actually here and this isn’t some after effect of Grey feeding*

<Jo> “And down came the rain and washed the fires out, so then incy wincy demon came out the devils trap.” *If she were Lilith she would have been singing, but Ruby just speaks boredly, leaning her forearms on the end of the bed now Anna cant call for help* “Now, it’s your chance to get a little taste of your games.”

<Anna> “Jo..they called her, she’ll be here any moment.” *Anna isn’t sure when Jo will be here, she moves to try and stand up wincing as they braced her ankle where she twisted it trying to get away from Grey.* “Nurses and doctors will be in soon too.”

<Jo> “Unlikely. See, I, unlike a lot of demons, happen to know the score between you two and I don’t think Barbie will be rushing any time soon to help you Kelley.”

<Anna> “Go back to hell” *Anna looks around for her bag, reaching to pull the IV out of her arm.*

<Jo> *Ruby shakes her head, barely containing a cruel laugh at Anna’s attempts to move before going to the side not tugged down and reaching for the velcro straps holding the mattress to the bed frame and quickly rips them off and straps down Anna’s wrists together to the railing* “Not so fast. Like I say, its your chance to realise what you do to others. Or maybe the little monster did that for you

<Jo> already, hmm?”

<Anna> *Anna struggles are weak as Ruby forces her back down and she can’t help but feel her heart race as she straps her arms down, the heart monitor giving away her fear as it beeps faster.* “I don’t do anything, you all get what you deserve..demons..monsters..”

<Jo> “Angels.” *Ruby snaps back at her, whipping out a hand automatically to hit the other woman across the face before turning to the heart monitor and pulling the back out of it to avoid a passing nurse hearing for the time being, expecting one to come in soon enough to find out the issue* “Maybe we wouldn’t treat you so bad if you’d learn /you’re/ place and what /you/ deserve.”

<Anna> *Anna’s head jerks to the side feeling the blow, she can taste blood in her mouth and takes a deep breath* “My place? Even at it’s lowesst is above you.” *Twisting her wrists she tries to get the velcro to come loose but it isn’t and she looks around the room for anything she can use, kicking out with her leg, knocking over a table, hoping to make enough noise to get someone’s attention*

<Jo> *Giving a sigh, Ruby snaps out her hand again to grab Anna’s chin and cheeks with one hand, looking blankly at her* “That’s right, I’m just a demon. Which means any human that comes in here to check on you will be dead before they can let a scream out, because I just don’t care. But that doesn’t mean I’m below an abomination like you.”

<Anna> “Just kill me, get it over with.” *Anna glares at Ruby, her head more clear now as she jerks again at the straps* “Angels are pure, humans are pure..you’re the abomination, a perversion of everything God made. Filth, trash..” *Anna thinks that if she can talk long enough she will be able to provoke Ruby to killing her*

<Jo> “And yet you’re neither an angel or a human. You’re /nothing/.” *Looking blankly back at the other, Ruby moves around to open and shut the draws of the little medical cart in the room, obviously looking for something in particular* “And that’s worse than what I am.” *Turning back to the redhead, Ruby approaches, pulling the safety cap off of a scalpel and pressing her thumb against it to test it*

<Anna> <Jo> “And yet you’re neither an angel or a human. You’re /nothing/.” *Looking blankly back at the other, Ruby moves around to open and shut the draws of the little medical cart in the room, obviously looking for something in particular* “And that’s worse than what I am.” *Turning back to the redhead, Ruby approaches, pulling the safety cap off of a scalpel and pressing her thumb against it to test

<Anna> (woops, making a fan mail lol)

<Jo> (LOL its cool)

<Anna> *Anna watches Ruby, breathing deeply, trying show herself as calm like an angel would be.* “I’m still better than you, I’ve been greater than you. Remember what Alastair called you, just a slut, a whore.. Even demons think you are nothing.”

<Jo> “And yet I’m alive, and he is dead. Funny the way the world works.” *Pulling her thumb off when it starts bleeding, she presses the pad of it against Anna’s forehead before dragging it along her nose in a disjointed line much like a surgical marker* “You play the angel card, but really you’re closer to something worse than I am these days. Fuck enough beasts you’ll start acting like one.”

<Anna> *The touch of a demon is digusting but the feel of the blood is worse, the corruption of the human the demon is in and it makes Anna shudder* “Already an abomintion according to you.” *Kicking out she bites her lip, her ribs sore from Grey kicking her as she tries to kick Ruby* “How many years did you last in hell before you started throwing yourself at your torturers to get free?”

<Jo> *The second Anna kicks out, though it lands against her hip bone in a way that /would/ have hurt if it werent for the awkward angle and lacking force, Ruby spins the blade to poin downwards in her fist before stabbing it into the top of Anna’s thigh and twisting, as she continues to dot blood line down her chin and onto her neck* “You are indeed. And much longer than you lasted against the

<Jo> weakling monsters. And seemingly Crowley if your neck means anything.”

<Anna> *Anna screams  as the scalpel enters her leg and it gets louder as Ruby twists it. She hates Ruby bringing up hte marks Crowley made on her as she pants through the pain, feeling Ruby making her trail of blood dots, her skin crawling with each one.* “Crowley has never touched me like that.”

<Jo> “Maybe not like that, but I’m sure he’s touched you. Not as thoroughly as that monster has, but then again, I doubt anyone has.” *Jerking the scalpel out of Anna’s leg, Ruby vanishes only to appear on the opposite side of Anna’s bed where the railing was down and she could see the neck mark clearer* “How about I do you a little favor and fix that up for you, hmm?” *Without waiting, she grips onto

<Jo> Anna’s jaw and presses the blade against her neck cutting lightly in three lines across the word, just enough to break up and scar over the scars rather than cut a vein*

<Anna> *Anna tries to jerk her head, to drive the blade deeper, still believing if she was dead it would be better.* “Fucking bitch, I hope Crowley knows you are breaking them and comes to kill you. Maybe I’ll call for him, sure he would want to know that some trash demon is messing with his favorite pet!” *Blinking Anna glares up at Ruby through tears that are starting to run down the side of her face*

<Jo> *That finally gets a chuckle out of the demon, shaking her head as she works and gives the ‘angel’ a cold grin* “I think you vastly over estimate his interest in worn out toys. If his last little pet was able to break you so bad, I doubt he’s going to really care about a few scratches here and there. 'Course, trying to kill yourself isnt going to help either.”

<Anna> *Anna jerks again hard, Ruby’s expression starting to make her angry and she pulls at the straps holding her wrists before starting an exorcism, maybe this she thinks will provoke the demon to killing her*

<Jo> *The second she starts up with the exorcism again, Ruby slaps her hand out again and again across the others face before pausing a second and reaching to grab the others tongue* “Stop those infernal attempts to exorcise me or I will make it so whatever your little monster likes using you for will be a waste of his time.”

<Anna> *Anna stops long enough to bite as hard as she can onto the fingures Ruby has in her mouth to grab her tongue, the moment she can she begins again, it’s not the fast exorcism but it’s the most painful she knows and she glares up at Ruby*

<Jo> *Ripping her fingers away, she lets out a snarl as the exorcism starts again, having been ignoring it last time before she jerks her hand down and stabs the scalpel into Anna’s stomach with a painful jerk from the attempts* “I’d shut up before.. I carve you like.. Lilith does babies on Thanksgiving. You’re in a hospital, you’ll get help before you could die.”

<Anna> *The pain in her stomach stops her as Ruby screams at her about Lilith and she chokes some gasping as she wants to put her hands down to stop the bleeding feeling the blood soak into the grown, adding to the blood that’s already on the gurney from her leg* “Did..you fuck Lilith too? Or just Alastair?”

<Jo> “Demons lie, you fucking bitch.” *Ruby shakes her other arm to get rid of the pain from the exorcism before pulling the scalpel out of the other with a slick noise.* “Make up your mind, you want me gone or you want me to talk about Lilith and Alastair?” *She reaches out for Anna’s hospital gown, wiping as much blood off the blade as she can*

<Anna> *Anna whimpers feeling the blade slide out of her stomach, she’s shaking now and she swallows looking at Ruby.* “Want you to kill me. Course listening to you talk is a slow death and torture combined. When you were manipulating Sam, was it to free Lucifer or did you enjoy making him into a fool?”

<Jo> “I’ll think about it, though slow and tortuous is soundly lovely.” *Ruby sneers down at her for a moment before setting the scalpel just out of Anna’s reach, as though testing her to see if she’d try to attack her or try to kill herself first second she gets to escape* “I did what I did because it kept me alive. I’m not Lilith or Alastair, or Azazel or even his Golden Girl Meg, or any of the other

<Jo> big namers. I’m just a demon whose the best at staying /alive/ through any means necessary and who could outwit, outlast, out-you know the rest any of the other demons on the island that is Earth alongside the hunters. I was the only one who would live through it, and it was the only way I was going to continue living.”

<Anna> *Anna gives a painful laugh* “So your'e nothing..just..doing whatever you can to survive. A useful piece of trash that knew how to get into a desperate human’s pants. Pathetic..” *Anna smirks weakly at Ruby eyeing the scalpel and she pulls on the straps seeing if she can reach her fingers out to it.*

<Jo> “I’m better than all of them though, don’t you get it? I was the best, I /am/ the best. Because I’ll keep existing while they all drop like flies. I win the game, which you’re going to join the pile of losers soon enough.” *Ruby gives a shake of her head, zapping across the room to the medical cart again, digging through it for a few items, stashing them in her coat, before zapping to the bed end*

<Anna> “Best who gloated and got herself killed with her own blade.” *Anna breathes slowly through the pain in her middle, she coughs and it hurts, she can’t tell if the blood she tastes is her own or Ruby’s where she bit her, the taste of demon hasn’t left her mouth yet.* “You should have did your duty and enjoyed the victory from a distance.”

<Jo> “Learn from your mistakes, also, like I gave a fuck. I’d already outlasted all but Meg - and that little viper is likely to see the next Apocalypse come and go with the way she spreads herself about. Course, I’ll see it with her this time around.” *Sighing, Ruby crosses her arms and slides a hand out to catch one of Anna’s ankles and jerks her towards her as a way to twist the others wrists*

<Anna> *Whimpering as Ruby jerks her down, leaving her in a awkward position, painful as the stab wound in her stomach is pulled on.* “You’re still boasting…didn’t learn the lesson well enough, you need to be taught it again”

<Jo> “Maybe, but you’re not going to be the one to teach it.” *Giving the other a small glare, Ruby digs into her pocket, pulling out another scalpel and driving it into the side of Anna’s uninjured ankle, right towards the back behind the ankle socket and bone, with a small look of glee*

<Anna> (did she just cut the tendon??)

<Jo> (I believe so yeah.)

<Anna> (ILU RUBY)

<Jo> (LOL WHY?!)

<Anna> (she’s making lilith all warm and dewy)

<Anna> *The pain explodes up the back of her leg, Anna tries to jerk her foot away but it doesn’t move, hanging limp as Ruby stands there holding it off the bad, the scalpel scraping against the bone.* “I hope you live..I hope that when everyone is done with you they keep you in an eternity of agony!” *

<Jo> “I hope you live too, angelface. I hope you live through your monster being torn apart by Crowley and his dogs, I hope you live through every friend you know getting burnt alive to a crisp by Lilith in a jealous rage that she didn’t get to finish your prized possession off, I hope you live through your siblings being summoned and slaughtered like the dumb sheep they are, and I hope, more than

<Jo> anything that when this is all over and you have nothing left, that somebody keeps you alive and breathing so you’ll never know the sweet nothingness and escape of death again. Just like you want to get right now.” *Ruby speaks calmly to begin with, her face twisting and voice getting harsher as she goes on, digging and twisting the scalpel in Annas ankle against the bone and what muscle was left*

<Anna> *Anna is twisting, on the bed, her body jerking everytime Ruby digs the blade into her leg.* “Kill myself first..” *She can’t speak, her breath catching as she screams when Ruby digs the tip of the scapel in between the bones, finding the nerves, her leg jerking as she tries to get it away*

<Jo> *Giving the metal another sharp twist, she jerks it out before moving around the side of the bed, running a hand up Anna’s calf as she does until she’s at her knee, gripping it tightly and angling the scalpel just against the gap between the join and her knee cap* “You say that like you’ll be allowed to die.”

<Anna> *Shaking her head Anna closes her eyes, fighting down the feeling of being sick. She wonders if this is what it would ahve been like had the demon ever captured her the first time as she feels Ruby’s hand run over leg, picking it up* “No one cares about me enough to bring me back..”

<Jo> *Trailing the edge of the scalpel around her knee cap, pressing hard enough to break the skin, Ruby gives Anna a withering look* “Some of us hate you enough to.”

<Anna> *Trying to move her leg away from the blade she looks at Ruby* “Good thing you can’t..demons don’t work that way. Get in line behind Crowley if you want to keep me to torture.” *Her breathing is fast as the pain radiates up her leg the muscles spasm as she tries to move her foot*

<Jo> “Careful, careful. You might damage yourself, and that wouldn’t be good at all.” *Ruby gives something which would look like a smile on anyone elses face as she continues to circle Anna’s knee even as her leg jerks, cutting out of the line occasionally like a child’s very focussed attempts at drawing* “As for that - who do you think would keep you alive long enough for that all to happen?”

<Anna> *Ruby’s chiding tone makes Anna cringe, she bites her tongue to stop herself from telling the demon to go fuck herself. The blade is still tracing around her kneecap and everytime  Ruby presses down her leg jerks* “No one would..like you said..not that interesting”

<Jo> “Good thing I have friends in high corrupt places then. I could even convince it was for your own good, I mean, who wants their siblings to die when they could stop it from happening?” *The look on Ruby’s face turns into the widest smirk thus far, the scalpel not leaving Anna’s skin as she moves the blade back down Anna’s calf - pressing deeper the further she gets down*

<Anna> *biting her lip Anna can feel more tears running down ehr face as Ruby runs the blade her leg, feeling it going deeper and deeper but she can’t help but give a broken laugh as Ruby suggests she has an angel on her side.* “Now I know you’re lying..you can’t corrupt an angel, not that good.”

<Jo> “And yet a no-talent monster corrupted you. It’s amazing what you can do when you know how.” *Smiling coldly, Ruby pulls the scalpel away before dropping it on the side of Anna’s bed not near her bound hands before moving towards the heart monitor and turning it back on, the blaring beeping making her scowl*

<Anna> “He didn’t. Wanted him, was tired of trying to live like I was still an angel, wanted to just live.” *Anna is laying back on the bed, her eyes half closed now, her leg where Ruby dropped it not moving as she flinches from the blaring of the heart monitor*

<Jo> *Ruby walks around the head of Anna’s bed, pushing it forward a few inches from the wall as she bend forward over the pillow to look Anna directly in the eye, smile still in place though a little more ferral* “Sound like any brothers of yours we know? Give it time, you’ll see.”

<Anna> *Glaring at Ruby with as much anger as she can summon Anna spits in the face of the demon as Ruby leans over her head* “Gabriel ..you are delusional if you think that.”

<Jo> *Wiping her face, Ruby’s face contorts for a moment before she smirks back at her* “Maybe. But then again, there are plenty of angels in the sky. And you saw how far big brother Lucifer fell, how had do you think it would be to drag another one down, hmm? I think grandly, not delusionally, though like I say - give it time, Anna. Give it time.” *With a flick of her wrist the velcro holding Anna

<Jo> captive vanishes and the rail on the other side of the bed pops up, as there seems to be something the pushed the nurses button* “Good luck, bitch, you’re going to fucking need it.” *And as the nurses start heading in, Ruby vanishes away*

<Anna> *Anna’s nearly unconcious from blood loss on top of the feeding from Grey. She doesn’t fight when the nurses come in only weakly protesting with they start yelling at her, asking her what she had done, how had she managed to go it. She felt them grab her wrists, pads going around them, attaching them to the bed again. She won’t remember the doctors coming in or them taking her off to surgery*

#2 - Anna decided to target Ruby for entertainment and got more than she expected.

<Anna> *smacks Ruby*

<Jo> LOL She’s giving you a grumpy look

<Anna> lol

<Anna> *smacks her again*

<Jo> “….What do you want?”

<Anna> “I’m bored and I figured after you fucked up my leg you owe me some entertainment.”

<Jo> “I figure otherwise. You brought that on yourself, Anna, don’t try to get me into more hit list with your moronic counter part or big brother, okay?”

<Anna> “if I wanted you on a hit list I would have already done it and I don’t have a counter part.”

<Jo> “Oh really? That’s news to me.”

<Anna> “Next time I break up with someone I’ll make sure to tell you first..”

<Jo> “Glad to hear it. What’d you end up doing this time, huh? Did you screw around on this one too? Or was it a case of getting a little too broken the last time we spoke?”

<Anna> “Try none of the above. The honeymoon ended is all.”

<Jo> “So you finally screwed your brain back in the right way? Maybe that little drug spell I heard about actually recorrected that mind of yours”

<Anna> “He was the one that decided it needed to end, I just tossed him out.”

<Jo> “Role reversal then, Anna? What really happened that broke the magic spell, hmm.”

<Anna> “Oh geez you sound like Jo, just more bitchy and that is hard to do.”

<Jo> “Guess that means you’ll be falling in love with me next then. But aside from that, I’m going to go ahead and guess that Prince Charming really was you dressing the toad in a crown and cape yourself before fucking him.”

<Anna> “You know I could just send you back to hell now..”

<Jo> “But you won’t. Because you’re bored and you’ve alienated anyone who even remotely likes you so all that’s left is blind hatred.”

<Anna> “I’m starting to rethink that bored thing..”

<Jo> “No you’re not. You’re enjoying this, and you know it. We used to get along, if you don’t remember, before you joined me in sleeping with a Winchester that is.”

<Anna> “You mean when you were still fooling Sam and feeding him blood to set lucifer free which led to my death.”

<Jo> “When i was still fooling everyone, get it right.”

<Anna> *Anna rolls her eyes*

<Jo> “Oh whatever Anna, either way you don’t want me to go and leave you to be bored and alone once again. You’ll take whatever kind of interest someone can give you. /What ever/ kind.”

<Anna> “You know that I’m not that desperate, I’m going to assume that you’re sticking around because Gabe is through with your skank ass.”

<Jo> “Gabriel has had nothing to do with my ass, I’m sticking around because it’s way too amusing to watch you suffer.”

<Anna> *Anna says the first few words of an exorsicm* “Careful, while you can blow hot air, I can actually make my words sting”

<Jo> *Cringing, Ruby glares at Anna* “Yeah, maybe, but I can make your body hurt much much worse” *With that she directs a kick to the underside of Anna’ foot, right over the ankle*

<Anna> *Anna breathes in as the pain radiates out* “Get in line behind Crowley.”

<Jo> “Crowley? Whats the big bad wolf doing skulking about now, Anna? Did he like my handiwork in slowing down his pets running?”

<Anna> “Oh he wants to thank you specially.”

<Jo> “Well thats just super. Next time you see him, let him know that if he wants something to be his, he should piss on it first, just like the rest of nature. Not sure you’d enjoy that though”

<Anna> *Anna begins to say more of hte exorcism* “"or maybe you should think twice before going around and pissing off the demon with all the souls.”

<Jo> *Giving Anna a look, Ruby kicks at her foot again before stomping her boot down across the top of Anna’s foot as well* “Keep the exorcisms up and I’ll see what fun I can have with the other leg, you get me? As for pissing off demons, he hasn’t caught me yet.”

<Anna> *Anna moves back, stumbling till she’s sitting on her bed, rubbing her hand over the cast.* “Right, like you would be stupid enough to try and break me further knowing Crowley is already unhappy over this”

<Jo> “Who knows, maybe he’s just upset there isn’t any symetry..” *Ruby smirks slightly, following after Anna and quickly jerking her hand up, pulling at Anna’s unharmed leg with her powers before catching her ankle in her hand*

<Anna> *Anna glares at Ruby* “Or maybe I’m just going to  use you as present to him when he comes back.” *She tries to pull her leg away from Ruby, keeping her expression calm even though she can feel her heart racing*

<Jo> *At Anna’s jerking, Ruby digs her fingers into each side of her ankle, fingernails popping the skin with the force as she looks down at the other’s glare with a smirk* “Maybe. But I’m thinking this might be to your advantage as well.”

<Anna> *Anna hisses as Ruby digs her fingers in, she’s starting to shake and she can’t hide it* “How is this to my advantage?”

<Jo> *Her smirk widens at Anna’s shaking, running her other hand up her calve and back down, knowing just how much the angel hated touch from a demon* “Easy. If you’re broken, then Crowley isn’t going to want to play until you’re back to better. It gives you some time from his highness.”

<Anna> *Her skin crawls as Ruby runs her hand over her leg, swallowing as the demon talks about being broken and Crowley’s idea to simply remove her leg.* “Somehow I don’t think it realy matters to him if i’m broken or not.”

<Jo> “Oh but it does. Unlss he really doesn’t care who plays with his toys and how.”

<Anna> “Why don’t you ask him yourself if he cares then?”

<Jo> “Because, you’re more fun to play with, of course.” *Ruby grins back at Anna, digging her fingers in again after relaxing them as she gives the small apartment a once over with a frown*

<Anna> *Anna stiffens as Ruby digs her nails into the skin again.* “You don’t like the decore? You should get comortable, you’re going to be seeing it for a while till Crowley comes back.”

<Jo> “I don’t think so, Anna.” *Ruby gives the ankle in her grip a firm twist before moving back towards the small kitchenette area, flicking through some drawers* “Whatever trap you made, you made a deal with me to break it.”

<Anna> *Anna gasps as Ruby twists her leg and then drops it to go rummaging through the drawers. She doesn’t think anything is in them since she hasn’t stocked the kitchen* “I did agree to break it. I never said when though.”

<Jo> “I can make you agree.” *Ruby slams the drawer back in when nothing shows up, turning around to approach her again instead, clenching one hand* “I could make you agree to let me out easier than anyone has ever made you agree to anything. I will be allowed out of here before any of your little plans to trap me with Crowley work and theres nothing you can do but let me.”

<Anna> *Anna sitting on the bed she’s pushed herself back to lean against the wall.* “Why are you so special? You think that i’ll agree to you faster than I would Crowley who is a real threat? You really do think high of yourself.”

<Jo> “Oh I do. And do you know why? Because if you don’t, whatever little plans you have going to stop that bastard are to waste. I am the /only/ one who knows about the barbie hunters plan to find that little spell of Crowleys that can get into and out of Hell without capture, and if you keep me here for Crowley to waste then you’ve just fucked over your one chances of stopping this whole ordeal”

<Anna> *Anna tilts her head to the side and she smirks* “What makes you think I want him stopped? That I haven’t said screw all of you and have decided to go with the side that is the sure side to win. I made that mistake before, fighting against the Winchesters, maybe I have learned.”

<Jo> “Because, you wouldn’t have that little broken leg still”

<Anna> “Your logic amazes me.” *Anna shrugs at Ruby.* “Crowley enjoys the suffering but just maybe the more I turn to him the less I suffer and the more you do in my place.”

<Jo> “My logic is correct though. Because you wouldn’t be this nonchalant, and you certainly wouldn’t be speaking as though the whole world is screwed including yourself if you were Team Crowley all of a sudden.” *Ruby sneers down at her, catching her ankle again and twisting sharply* “Though you do seem to jump sides when you jump from cunt to cock … to cock?”

<Anna> *Biting her lip hard as Ruby grabs her again she breathes slowly.* “You’re the only one that sleeps with your enemies whore.” *She’s learned more from Ruby right now though than she’s learned from anyone else about what the plan is and she keeps prying. “So if you’re so important why are you doing the lap dogs work fetching spells?”

<Jo> “That’s true, I still /remember/ they’re my enemy.” *Ruby smirks slightly, usign her other hand to force Anna’s foot back at a bad angle as she looks about for something with enough force for some blunt trauma* “Who do you trust to get the important information? Not the stupid sheep or drones. If you want something done right, do it yourself or get someone better than you to.”

<Anna> *Anna can’t help but yelp as Ruby pushes her foot back and she kicks trying ot get her leg free, the only thing in the apartment is the bed, her bag and the table Jo kicked and broke* “So your the head sheep, the one that goes running off a cliff first in blind panic or who stands there bleeting while you’re stabbed to death.” *Anna refers to her gloating as Dean killed her*

<Jo> *Letting her foot go, Ruby notices the broke table leg, snapped off underneath the rest of it and grins widely* “No, I’m the wolf hanging around with the rest of the bleeters, but unlike the fairy tale, I’m not trying to hide it and I’m not going to get shot again.”

<Anna> “Sure you’re not, you’re going to help do away with Crowley and everyone is going to throw you a parade..” *Anna shakes her head, wondering if ego is a part of every demon or just the type of person that becoems one.* “I’m sure you’ll be dead as soon as Crowley is.”

<Jo> “Who says I will be around then? I’ll drop barbiedoll or your big brother the memo of what they need, and then disappear as always. And by then, they’ll have to watch out for /someone else/ instead from what I’ve heard.”

<Anna> “What do you mean..someone else?”

<Jo> “I mean, why do you think I’m not siding with Crowley?”

<Anna> *Anna starts another part of the exorcism* “What do you know Ruby that you aren’t telling the others?”

<Jo> *Ruby hisses at the exorcism starting again, lunging for the broken chair leg before spinning around and slamming the piece down on Anna’s uninjured knee with a snarl* “What makes you think I’m going to tell you?”

<Anna> *The pain stops her leaving her laying back gasping as Anna blinks trying to breath through the pain.* “Because if you don’t I will give you over to Crowley and this time I’m not bluffing!”

<Jo> *Ruby grins, swinging the makeshift bat with one hand into the other, watching Anna writhe and choke on her breath before shaking her head* “Lets just say, big brothers spells don’t work so well when they’ve been destroyed. And somebody is going to pay for it, sure I might be up there, but I’m too useful to be killed - at least those smart enough to realise it know it.”

<Anna> “Who is going to pay for it? What is this spell Gabe has you looking for?” *Anna is breathing hard, she hadn’t heard anything about this from anyone and she’s feeling even more bitter about being kept in the dark by everyone.*

<Jo> “Completely unrelated, Anna.  Gabriel tried to trap my old boss, and thanks to your master that’s broken again, and while everyone thinks its safe once Crowley is gone - she’ll strike.  And hard.   I personally plan to stay out of her way.” *Ruby swings the wooden leg down on Anna’s leg between sentences, before sighing and giving the other a look* “Barbie has me looking to stop Crowley. So does

<Jo> Gabe, but /he/ wouldn’t pass on any other information like huntress did.”

<Anna> *Anna screams as Ruby hits her leg again and she’s confused, it’s not just the pain making her blury* “Lilith has been free, why would things change once Crowley is gone?” *Her knee is on fire,  she can feel it throbbing with her heart beat as she tries to move away from Ruby*

<Jo> “Because, Lilith was trapped in her meatsuit for /months/.  She’s not going to be happy but isn’t stupid enough to act while Crowley’s around, of course.” *Ruby grins at Anna’s twitching, when she shifts away startng to hit along her calfbone instead* “Or! Maybe I’m just talking out of my ass for the fun of it?”

<Anna> *Anna screams with each hit, she moves her leg in the cast over her other leg in a desperate attempt to protect it.* “Lilith is just a demon, she can be dealt with, Gabe can deal with her.” *Laying on her side she can feel the tears run down her face, she’s not sure if Ruby has broken a bone yet or not, there’s nothing but a radiating pain going up and down her leg*

<Jo> “Just a demon, maybe. But your brother is just an angel, at the end of everything.” *Ruby snorts at Anna’s attempt to protect her leg, smashing the wood on edge down on her casted toes before jerking that leg to the side and instead giving a hard hit to Anna’s ribs instead* “I havent heard any cracks yet, be thankful.”

<Anna> *The blow to her ribs steals her breath as she lays there, her arms wrapping around her gasping for breath. Curling up, her leg starting to show an impressive bruising she breathes hard.* “Angel none of you can kill, angel who you are beating up on his little sister..”

<Jo> “Do I /seem/ frightened?” *Ruby leans in over Anna, grinning widely at her as she presses the end of the leg leg harshly against her ribs*

<Anna> *Gasping Anna quickly starts to say the last of the exorcism, trying to get Ruby to back off* “No but you do seem stupid.”

<Jo> *Ruby gives her a sharp look, bringing the leg down on Anna’s mouth as the painful prickling from the exorcism grows and wracks through her, before throwing caution to the wind and trying to vanish, almost surprised to find she could*

<Anna> *Anna jerks her head back seeing Ruby aim for her head as she feels the wood slam into her mouth just as her head hits the wall. She watches a blury Ruby vanish and she sags down, the taste of blood filling her mouth*

#3 -  Anna tries to sic Ruby on Grey. Ruby plays along...and then does nothing to Grey because #demonyo

<Anna> Anna is thinking about seeing if Ruby wants to go kick Grey’s ass

<Jo> LOL Ruby would prefer kicking Gray’s ass to Grey.  Grey’s on her payroll in contrast. Though she’d not be completely against ruffling his feather’s a little, but she doubts thats what Anna wants

<Anna> no she wants pain and suffering

<Jo> “That I can do. Death however, I won’t be handing out. I might need him”

<Anna> “Whatever, I just want him as useless as he think I am.”

<Jo> “So pretty much like he is now? That’s not asking much”

<Anna> “No I want him suffering.”

<Jo> “…Can I go through Barbie? No I don’t suppose you’d like that. Suffering though, what scale are we talking, your invalid foot for the forseeable future suffering or I no longer have the will to truly live suffering?”

<Anna> “No you can’t touch Jo or anyone else..and will to live, he thinkings hurting now sucks, he hasn’t suffered yet.”

<Jo> “Well thats going to be fun then.. …Any messages I should pass along or just say their from the redheaded witch who can’t stand to do it herself?”

<Anna> “Tell him that Crowley isn’t the one he should be afraid of.”

<Jo> “Speaking of, I’m not going to have him on my tail about breaking both his toys, am I?”

<Anna> “No I’ll make sure Crowley doesn’t go after you.”

<Jo> “Well then. What am I getting in return, Anna?”

<Anna> “I’ll owe you a favor.”

<Jo> “… …/Any/ favor?”

<Anna> “Within reason. What are you thinking?”

<Jo> “Oh, I don’t know. I just like having them up my sleeve. I’ve got a few favors still owed from your brother as it is.”

<Anna> “Well good for you.”

<Jo> “So… a favor if I ask it in future is my end?”

<Anna> “What?”

<Jo> “Did someone knock you around the head? Oh wait, yes I did. In return for making the little monster cry for the next however long until he’s as well suffered as you, I get to ask a favor some day, correct?”

<Anna> “Yes.”

<Jo> “Well then.. Sign me up.”

<Anna> *Anna smirks*

<Jo> “We done here? I have tasks to take care of and you’ve got a bed to be ridden in.”

<Anna> “Oh screw you the bruises hurt but not that bad.”

<Jo> “Oh yes? How about you stand up then? Give us a twirl”

<Anna> *Rolling her eyes Anna stands up looking at Ruby with a raised brow.* “Happy?”

<Jo> *Ruby considers her, stepping back a few paces* “Walk across the room and I’ll leave you be. Even organise someone to.. look out for things for you if you like.”

<Anna> *Anna glares at Ruby, taking several steps, the more she takes the more shakey she becomes but she does it.* “I don’t need anyone. I’m fine..”

<Jo> *Letting out a laugh, Ruby circles around her before pressing a finger right between her collar bones with a smirk* “Okay, back into bed with you. Damage yourself and whatever favor you might be able to do will go bye bye. How about I fetch that knucklehead researcher to keep you company? Or just round up some dumb monster to do so.. I think thats easier.”

<Anna> *Anna turns around and goes back to the bed, sitting on the foot of it, her legs aching now* “Jo’s been coming by, I’m fine.”

<Jo> “Call it insurance.” *Ruby grins a little too wickedly, before holding out her hand* “So, we’ll shake on it this time, okay?”

<Anna> *Anna rolls her eyes again reaching out and shaking Ruby’s hand.* “Fine, we’ve shook on it. Now go make the runt suffer.”

<Jo> “Gladly.” *Ruby lets out a laugh, vanishing away*

#4 - Anna and Ruby making a deal...

<Anna> *Anna spent the morning getting over her hangover at the hospital, she thought the sound of the saw they used to cut the cast off was something they created in hell but then everything seemed better once they looked at the wounds, they had healed but not how they had hoped. She suspected that was Crowley’s doing and she just nodded as they worked with her and fitted a plastic piece around the fron

<Anna> of her leg that would let her walk almost normally. They had set up appointments she wouldn’t go back too and when she left she breathed out, walking slowly. When she got home she thought about Ruby and Jo and she set everything up to summon the demon*

<Jo> *Ruby had been sleuthing about finding just the right pawns for the rest of her plan, double checking everything in such a way she could get this plan to unfold with her seeming innocence in tact when she feels the pull of a summoning. Staring at Anna when she arrives, she gives the other’s worse appearance a look* “So.. want to add another person to your little revenge route now?”

<Anna> *Anna is leaning against the wall when Ruby appears, she’s spent enough time in bed now that the cast is off and she shakes her head.* “No I want you to not go after Grey. I’m going to assume you haven’t because Jo hasn’t screamed at me.”

<Jo> “But, angelcake, I’ve already got everything set up. Ready to go. And I doubt Barbie would be screaming at you about it.” *Ruby almost sulks, not enjoying the idea of being told she needs to abort another game before her eyes flash back to Anna* “Would I still get my favor from you?”

<Anna> *Anna rolls her eyes as Ruby seems to sulk.* “Yes you still get your favor. Just things have changed and it’s for the best right now if you don’t go after him.”

<Jo> *Ruby smiles widely at the confirmation she still gets something, now out of doing nothing, before giving Anna a quizical look, moving around the small space to look out the tiny window* “So… just what has changed that sparked this change of heart? Not fucking the little monster now instead?”

<Anna> *Anna glares pushing off the wall walking away from Ruby.* “No I am not. I was asked to not do anything to him for right now and at risk of loosing hte last person willing to talk to me right now I’m doing what she asks.”

<Jo> “Jo, then. Interesting.” *Ruby lets Anna get a few feet away before disappearing and reappearing in front of her with a smirk* “You know.. my plan was going to include her. Just enough that she’d be a little too shaken up to even think about where this all came from. You’d have been free as a bird, and she might even prefer your company again over that of men.” *Sliding past and around her, Ruby

<Jo> adds quietly, her chin hooked over Anna’s shoulder and whispering in her ear* “Sure you want this over?”

<Anna> *Anna stops wincing as Ruby appears and she listens she breathes deeply..the idea that Jo wouldn’t want Grey around is what she wants and she’s thinking hard about letting Ruby do it but then  she feels Ruby’s chin on her shoulder and the demon is whispering in her ear and she’s snapped out of it.* “Yes I’m sure.” *Shoving Ruby away from her she crosses her arms*

<Jo> *Ruby laughs at the reaction, stepping back with her hands on her waist, smiling widely* “Absolutely sure? Because it’s costing you either way”

<Anna> “Yes I’m sure. Jo has made it clear that the first one of us that does anything else is going to be shot and so far that’s the one thing I’ve never experienced and I would like to keep it that way.”

<Jo> *That answer surprises her, raising an eyebrow at the redhead before nodding her head once* “Okay, sure, I won’t start my little plan. But if you change your mind.. your going to have to pay again”

<Anna> “And what would be the price for next time?” *Anna sighs wishing she had put down traps as she walks back towards the kitchenette, running a glass of water*

<Jo> *Ruby moves freely about the apartment, moving to sit down on the small bed, crossing her knees as she watches Anna* “Protection. From you. Forever.”

<Anna> *Anna laughs as she comes back sitting in the chair that goes to the broken table.* “I think I need more protection from you.”

<Jo> “True, but who knows. Big brother might give you a reboot if you ask him and then maybe you’ll want to get revenge for those little legs of yours. Which I’d rather a gaurantee that that’s not going to happen.”

<Anna> “That won’t happen. Angel isn’t in my future and as for my legs..I’ll get my revenge on you in time.” *Anna takes a sip from the glass*

<Jo> *Ruby smirks slightly, her lip curling up wider as she runs an eye across Anna;s little plastic tubing sticking out from her jeans* “I was just worried about your legs actually. Gabriel would be unlikely to want to make his sister so upset about the whole Grace and falling thing /again/. As for the revenge.. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

<Anna> “I’ve already cashed in all my favors with Gabe. And as far as everything else..well..”*Anna shrugs taking another sip of the water.* “You can try but unless I want to make another deal with you. You won’t get protection from me.”

<Jo> “Glad to hear it then.” *Ruby sighs at Anna’s confirmation that she’d need the other to make another arrangement with her, but figures it was only a matter of time before she’d be interested in starting her little plan on the monster again* “We’ll see then, Anna.”

<Anna> “I’ve already warned Jo to watch out for you so don’t think about doing it anyway Ruby.” *Anna raises an eyebrow at Ruby with a bit of a smirk*

<Jo> “She wouldn’t know it was me if I did anyway, Anna.” *Ruby sneers back at her with a laugh*

<Anna> “Well she would now since I warned her.” *Anna counters right back*

<Jo> “What makes you so sure I was even going to be around when it hapened?”

<Anna> “What makes you so sure Jo wouldn’t summon you and I wouldn’t be around to let you out of that trap. Have you seen what Jo does to monster’s when she’s pissed?”

<Jo> *Ruby stands up, approaching the other and leaning down to look the seated woman straight in the eye with a smirk* “Again, what makes you think she’d know it was me?”

<Anna> “Because I’ll tell her.” *Anna raises a brow not understanding how Ruby is this stupid.*

<Jo> “And I’ll tell her it’s because you asked me to. Otherwise, what reason would I really have to fuck with her and her little boytoy since both are on my payroll?” *Ruby continues smirking, raising an eyebrow in response*

<Anna> “Jo already knows idiot that I started something.” *Anna stands dumping the water she blessed over Ruby’s head.*

<Jo> *Ruby lets out a shout at the water, jerking away from Anna with a scowl before scratching and shaking at her head to get it off before grabbing the corner of the sheet on the bed and using it to dry at her hair* “Doesnt mean you know what you started. And trust me, you wouldn’t like her knowing it was on your original incentive that that was going to happen.”

<Anna> “I’m not sure you understand how beyond caring I’m starting to be right now Ruby. Grey already wants to kill me and that’s fine and if Jo ends up hating me, well that’s just my luck and I haven’t even got to how bad things are with Crowley.” *Anna can’t help but enjoy watching Ruby smoke for a moment as the water burns the demon.*

<Jo> “Well then princess, how bout you tell me and I’ll see if I can’t actualy help out. What with our mutual hatred of that demonic pain in the ass.”

<Anna> “And what is the price for your help with that?”

* STATUS: Online

-

<Jo> “The same price I said, protection from you.”

<Anna> “No, I’m no threat and you know it.”

<Jo> “Doesn’t mean I dont think you may be in the future.” *Ruby shoots her an almost nice smile, though her snide tone betrays it*

<Anna> “I think it’s flattering that you think I have a future.” *Anna sits back down rolling the empty glass in her hands*

<Jo> *Shrugging a shoulder, she sits back down on the end of the bed, continuing to dry her hair and head with a sneer* “What can I say? I think you’d give the guy a good enough kick out of ruining you that he won’;t kill you yet.”

<Anna> “Oh you mean like you tried to do?” *Watching Ruby using her sheets she rolls her eyes* “There’s a towel in the bathroom.”

<Jo> “I tried to what? Kill him? Not likely, I’m not that dumb. Or ruining you? I think you’ve got your papers mixed up, Anna.” *She shoots the other a look at the suggestion, continuing to use the sheet with a smirk*

<Anna> *Anna gets up walking to the bathroom, she can’t believe she’s making small talk with the demon..this is a new level of low for her. Grabbing the towel she throws it at Ruby as she comes back into the room* “I’m refering to the hospital. I assume that one reason you just didn’t kill me. More fun for you to watch me.”

<Jo> *Ruby laughs at Anna fetching the towel, catching it with one hand and looking temptedly at the sheet still before using the towel instead to just triple check she wasn’t going to continue smoking* “Ah. Well, that is true. But more it was a case of your being more useful while still alive.”

<Anna> *Anna shakes her head, the demon thinks she’s still useful. She’s sighs as she sits back down* “So soon as my use is gone then you kill me?”

<Jo> “Why would I bother wasting my time doing that? I just wont talk to you, easy enough.”

<Anna> “True though you’re the one that can be summoned.”

<Jo> *Ruby sighs, tossing the towel behind she’s sure she’s not still got any water on her, giving Anna a sharp look before laughing* “But then you would be annoying. And worth killing.”

<Anna> “Not if you are trapped. I said I would let you out of them, I never said when.” *Anna smirks at Ruby*

<Jo> “I..” *Ruby frowns, staring at her for a second before laughing* “Well well well, you worked out the loophole. Here I thought those drugs might have scrambled your brain enough that it wouldnt have”

<Anna> “Why do you think I agreed to that to begin with?” *Anna glares at her just a  bit for thinking her that stupid.*

<Jo> “Sheer need? Either that or maybe you just wanted a kiss.” *Ruby smirks, leaning back on her hands as she looks about the room again* “So, any reason your face is all rearranged, angelcake?”

<Anna> *Anna reaches up touching one of the bruises from where Gray kicked her and she shrugs.* “Gray and I aren’t talking right now.”

<Jo> *Ruby’s brow shoots up, looking at her interestedly* “Really really? Well. That’s an interesting way to decide upon that type of thing.”

<Anna> “It’s better than the first date you might say. Sorry your weren’t the first to try and take my leg off.” *Anna chuckles some*

<Jo> “Well, looks like we’re well on the way to your being my willing bitch, right?” *Ruby smirks back at her, trying not to laugh again*

<Anna> *Anna glares and crosses her arms* “Keep talking and I’ll start exorsing you just to cause you pain.”

<Jo> “Oh, exorcisms. I like it when you talk dirty to me.” *Her tone is completely flat, looking back at the other*

<Anna> *Tilting her head Anna smiles sweetly and starts to talk to her in Enochian*

<Jo> *Ruby snarls, twitching and holding up a hand* “No. Okay, no thank you. I can’t understand you and that really hurt to listen to.”

<Anna> “It’s Enochian, listen closer” *Anna chuckles*

<Jo> “Doesnt mean it doesn’t hurt, good lord is that what you guys pass off as a language?” *Ruby laughs, shaking her head, not dropping her hand*

<Anna> “What, you never heard your daddy speak it? Alastair and Lilith know it, I guess you weren’t important enough to learn it.” *Anna keeps speaking in the angelic tongue*

<Jo> *Ruby rolls her eyes at her, shifting her hands and lying back, pressing the palms of her heels against her ears at the others talking, getting a few words here and there but little else* “That whole thing is archaic. I’d think if Lilith knew how annoying that damn well sounded she’d be turning all of Hell into a giant sound system playing that gibberish.”

<Anna> “Archaic but effective for sending demons back to hell.” *Anna grins as she speeds up, talking faster now, hoping to reach the end of it before Ruby realizes*

<Jo> *Ruby jerks upwards, looking at her with a snarl* “You want me back in Hell? Fine. I’m going.” *She sneers at the redhead for a second, calling her bluff and wondering to herself what she’s going to do with the broken shell of a girl she was sticking inside of if she continues*

<Anna> *Anna shrugs as she keeps speaking* “Call this payback for the leg.” *She can deal with the body, she’s got used to cleaning up after Gray and resumes her speaking*

<Jo> “Don’t bury the bitch will you? I like this one.” *She shudders slightly as Anna keeps talking, struggling to stay in her body now more than before as the other gets closer to fully springing her out, before Ruby feels the final tug and lets out a scream as she’s pulled out in her true form and sent back down with a burst of lightglobes*

<Anna> *Anna watches the body fall and she wonders how long it will take Ruby to find her way from the bottom pit she sent ehr too. Grabbing a hand she checks the body to see if she’s dead and she sighs barely finding a pulse..dragging the body out to the parking lot Anna calls 911 saying she found the girl coming back from dinner*

#5 - Anna and Ruby discussing collars

<Jo> *Getting out of Hell was getitng both more and less difficult as time went by, Ruby finding more paths blocked but new gaps popping up all the time, and while it took her what could be considered a few weeks to fight and sneak her way out, the time it took to locate her current prefered body ‘up top’ was more frustrating. Smoking out of the intensive care ward, she finds her way back to the

<Jo> angel’s apartment, hell-bent on getting a bit of revenge. The redhead is laying passed out on the bed when she arrives, an occurance Ruby hadn’t had the fortune of seeing yet and kicking her foot sharply against the heel of Anna’s feet she snaps nastily* “Rise and shine, bitch, I wanted to let you know how bad your little plan worked out.”

<Anna> *Anna getting home had went back out after hours of trying to work out a way to get the collar off, coming home again with a bottle she drank until she passed out, shutting her mind off from everything. The kick to her foot barely phased her and the sound of someone’s voice in the room with her has her blinking slolwy as she pushes herself up on her elbows.* “What?”

<Jo> *Ruby frowns at the slow reaction, before noticing the mostly-drunk bottle beside the bed and the blurry reaction, smirking slightly* “Oh I’m sorry, did you not hear me?” *Her voice gets louder as she speaks, a sneer on her face as she moves around near to Anna’s head, almost shouting* “I said, rise and shine you fucking whore.” *She spots the shiny metal around the other’s neck almost instantly

<Jo> once she was closer, though holds off questioning it as she starts tapping the others temple with a finger harshly*

<Anna> *The screaming in her ears is enough to sober her quickly and she tries to push Ruby away, her movements uncordinated and sloppy.* “Go back to Hell, leave me alone Ruby.” *Anna doesn’t want to deal with the demon, she can still hear Grey’s words from last night and she squeezes her eyes shut trying to bat Ruby’s hand away*

<Jo> “Hmmm, only if you come with me too, angelcake.” *Ruby smirks, volume still slightly higher than normal as she avoids the others attempts to avoid her easily* “Now I wonder what sent you to the bottle, Anna. Maybe the shiny new neck piece?”

<Anna> *Anna groans hearing Ruby’s loud tone and she tries to shove the demon away* “Crowley, there happy? Please leave.” *Sitting up she rubs her eyes trying to clear them, she’s not sure if still isn’t a bit drunk as the room sort of spins slowly*

<Jo> “Not in the slightest. You sent me back to fucking /Hell/!” *She shouts again, even if the redhead’s actions worked in her favor, she had no intention of letting her know that, reaching out to slip a finger into the very thin gap between metal and skin, pressing harshly back into Anna’s neck rather than actually being able to fit it, and tugging her forward*

<Anna> “Your the idiot that set there and let me!” *Anna snaps as her head throbs with every word Ruby shouts. She grabs Rubys wrist trying to push her hand away as the demon reaches for the collar, wincing as Ruby’s fingers dig into her skin, nearly falling off the bed at the tug.* “Leave me the hell alone!”

<Jo> *Ruby laughs cruelly at Anna’s flailing, smirking as she catches her with her other hand, twisting the metal ring slightly in curiosity* “But I want to know what’s so interesting about you that crazy fucker gave you a ring. Is your tongue action really that good?”

<Anna> *Anna winces as the collar twists her head leaning to the side* “Crowley is an ass. I’m not that interesting. He did this to Grey too so it’s nothing special!” *Digging her nails into Ruby’s wrist she tries to pry teh demon’s hands off of the collar*

<Jo> “Oh? I’d have to disagree given he kept that monster for quite some time - must be something of use that you both have.” *She smirks slightly, brow raised, beforeshe digs her finger back towards Anna’s throat* “I wonder just what this collar does..” *Ruby’s eyes widen in amusement as she decides to test it, scratching at the inside of the collar with her finger and powers alike*

<Anna> *Whatever Anna is about to say stops as the collar does exactly what Grey said it would do and she tries to scream as her body arches, the shock running down her spine, leaving her seeing stars for a moment in her hungover state*

<Jo> *The second she feels the jolt, Ruby’s tugging her hand away, watching Anna tense and bend as she lets out a strangled scream. Waiting a second, she laughs loudly* “Well. /That/ looks like something /fun/.”

<Anna> *Sitting on the bed, she holds onto the edges as she breathes hard, it only lasted a second but it felt like someone hit her hard and she looks up glaring at Ruby* “Fuck off”

<Jo> “I wouldn’t be getting angry with me right now, angelcake. I could set that off again in a second” *Ruby laughs again*

<Anna> “Fine, what do you want?” *Anna resists the urge to rub her temples, her head is throbbing now and her throat feels sore, like she’s starting t come down with something from the shock*

<Jo> “Well, I was coming for a little revenge, so…” *Ruby doesn’t so much trail off as reach out to press a finger against the metal again, pulling and scratching at it with her powers again, a dark grin on her face*

<Anna> *Anna tries to move away and the next thing she knows is she’s laying on her back blinking up at the ceiling breathing hard* “Fuck you Ruby* "Wincing her throat hurts even more and she glares up at the demon*

<Jo> "No, Anna, thats what that collars supposed to symbolise. Youre the concubine and you’re going to give one hell of a blow job seiving like that in the middle.” *The glare and words basically roll off, Ruby smirking down at Anna almost gleefully* “Your going to be even worse than that little monster ever was, arent you? Cause he delluded himself while youre going to get off in reality, am I right?”

<Anna> *Anna rolls over getting to her feet trying to shove past Ruby unsteadily.* “I’m not listening to you.” *She tries to block Ruby out, to not listen but she can’t and she tenses.* “That’s right I’m going to be a good fallen angel and I’m going to lay on my back and spread my legs because that’s the only way that I know how to keep people safe. There? Happy?”

<Jo> “Is that what you were doing with the other monster all this time?” *Ruby looks at Anna almost knowingly, smile twitching to show as she shoves her back down on the bed with one hand*

<Anna> *Anna looks up at Ruby before looking away* “What other monster?”

<Jo> “Don’t play coy, it’s not befitting” *Leaning down, pinning Anna with a stare, Ruby grins cruelly before speaking as though to a child* “Was that what you were doing with Gray all this time? Laying back and spreading to keep your little friends safe. I’ll bet that was part of it, wasn’t it? If he didnt hurt your pals, you’d let him fuck you til morning light.”

<Anna> *Anna’s fist comes up as Ruby leans down over her and she hits the demon in the mouth* “Shut up! You don’t know anything about what went on with Gray and I. It was never ever like that! *Anna’s pissed, she closes her eyes wiping them as she thinks about Gray.*

<Jo> *Jerking back, she rubs at her mouth before laughing* "I think I hit a nail hard on the head. Even if you can’t admit it. But oh well, I think I’ll leave you to your moping, angelcake, you’ve still got a fair bit of a bottle there” *Smirking, Ruby touches at Anna’s collar again, powers attacking harder this time before she vanishes away*

<Anna> *The pain hits Anna and she lays gasping, glad Ruby is gone and hating everything at the moment. Her hand reaches up feeling the collar and she crawls up into bed, crying herself back to sleep*

#6 - Anna and Ruby make another agreement, this is when Ruby discovers Jo’s knife

<Anna> *Anna sat in her apartment, she had the meds that Jo told her to get for Gray but she hadn’t gone back yet and she hadn’t seen Crowley again. She rubs her hand around the collar and she wonders if Crowley is as powerful as God or if there was a true limit to his power. Standing up she salts off an area and she summons Ruby.*

<Ruby> *Ruby was hoping the further away from Anna the less her collar would shock her - sadly that theory didn’t work, but the people in South Africa were dull enough given she couldn’t understand a word that she didn’t particularly mind staying there. Right up until the summons which has her snarling at Anna the second she appears hissing at the salt line across the part of the room she was in* “What.”

<Anna> *Anna looks at Ruby, she’s openly hostile and she  starts to question it but then she doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.* “I want to talk about finding a limit to Crowley’s power and I need a demon.”

<Ruby> “And I want to fry your ass for whatever bullshit you’ve been doing recently. If I let you do yours, can I do mine?” *Ruby glares back at the other woman, crossing her arms as she tries to work out what on earth she was doing there. if she needed a demon, she could have called endless faceless masses in all honesty*

<Anna> “What is your problem? I haven’t called you in ages.” *Anna stands at the salt line, arms crossed as she stares at Ruby. “Do you want to keep Crowley around? If so I’ll leave you here.”

<Ruby> “My problem is the cat and mouse you’ve been playing with someone - be it Crowley or Sparky or the other one. Quit getting your ass shocked to kingdom come.” *Ruby shrugs a shoulder, not answering as to whether she wanted the supposed king around*

<Anna> “What? What does my being shocked have to do anything? I haven’t talked to you because last time you decided to try it. Why do you think I’m behind a salt line?” *Anna rolls her eyes at Ruby, the demon had worst moodswings than her she thinks. Whatever Ruby’s been doing it’s not her issue.* “Now do you want to work on Crowley or do you want to stay here for a while?”

<Ruby> “Because it’s annoying and painful as all hell that’s what. You can get rid of the salt though, I’m not going to shock you any time soon. Or at all.” *Glaring still, Ruby pokes her foot as close to the salt line as possible, giving Anna a glare* “What did you want, Anna?”

<Anna> “Crowley didn’t like you playing with his toy did he?” *Anna smirks for a moment as Ruby talks about it hurting.* “Crowley once told Dean that deals can do practically anything, it’s basically the most power tool a demon has. I want to know if you can deal away his work.”

<Ruby> *Ruby raises an eyebrow at Anna’s suggestion about her not enjoying the playing, automatically lifting a hand to her neck before dropping it like she’d burnt herself even thinking about the collar around it. The question about deals makes her pause, staring at the other* “Deals /can/ do practically anything, it’s all in the wording and knowing your way around it. What did you want?”

<Anna> *Watching Ruby raise her hand to her neck and she tries to not smile, it’s the first thing in weeks that’s made her actually feel amused about anything.* “Did Crowley give you a presant Ruby?” *She doesn’t elaborate anymore about her idea, if Ruby was wearing a collar then maybe things changed in her original idea.*

<Ruby> *The look of smug amusement sets her teeth on edge, glaring across at the other woman with a heavy sigh* “What did you want, Anna? Anything to fuck over that pompous waste of energy is good in my books.”

<Anna> “Answer the question first Ruby? Are you wearing a collar?” *Anna raises a brow, still smiling as Ruby avoids the question. Bending over she tries to look at Ruby’s neck closer.*

<Ruby> *Anna’s approach just makes the demon step backwards, away from the other woman as the idea her interest might get the better of her little salt lines* “You answer mine.”

<Anna> “I can find out for myself, all I have to do is try and remove mine..” *Anna threatens tapping her collar, she’s not above it and she lifts her chin up as she waits for Ruby to call her bluff.*

<Ruby> “Touch it and I will never help whatever deal plan you have going on. And trust me, other demons won’t touch you with a ten foot pole. I’m your best shot, angelcake, and if you do that I guarantee I will do everything in my power to screw you and your little bitch over.”

<Anna> “So you are wearing one. Interesting.” *Anna smirks as she wonders just how many time Ruby has been shocked. It made having woke up the floor a few times a bit more bearable, the only times she didn’t think it was ever worth it was when Crowley had started her training.* “Do you think deals can undo what he’s done. Angel magic and brute force hasn’t worked on these, I tried for about a week”

<Ruby> “Oh, I know you did.” *Ruby mutters darkly, thinking it over but thinking it would probably end up not working, at least on the collars* “Collars, no. Probably not.”

<Anna> “What about unlocking them? Or giving us the way to unlock them?” *Anna wants to look at Ruby’s to see if it’s different but she can’t se it.* “Let me see yours.”

<Ruby> “No way in Hell, Anna. Mine’s just a little less… possessive than yours.” *Stepping away further until she’s as far as she can go, Ruby hisses the words out, crossing her arms under her chest* “And again, probably not. These are blocked from my abilities, otherwise I would have cracked it off before now. During whatever crazed attempt to kill yourself you were going through.”

<Anna> “So then you’re a coward not even willing to see if we can deal you’re collar off.” *Anna feels herself growing agitated at Ruby’s reluctance, if she can deal these collars off and get Ruby to break the deal she can try again to break what Crowley did to Gray.*

<Ruby> “I’m just not stupid like you. I’ve checked in with the leading expert on getting to walk about looking like a trained monkey, and the only way these things come off is through Crowley. Deal with it.” *Ruby raises an eyebrow at the other, not quite getting how thick the other must be to not understand what she was saying - it’s not going to work*

<Anna> “So you’re great demon powers can give people the ability to find Death, get his scythe but you can’t even try to unlock a piece of metal? Or was that it Crowley was just better than you even as a demon?” *Anna stands at the edge of the salt line as she tries to provoke Ruby into trying.*

<Ruby> “In case you haven’t realised from these babies..” *Ruby points towards her eyes, flashing them black and keeping it that way as she steps closer towards Anna again* “I’m not a crossroads. Sure I can make deals, but I don’t have to - and I sure as hell already know you’re little idea WONT FUCKING WORK ON MY COLLAR SO WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I!” *That Anna was still pushing her was pissing her off enough to scream into the other’s face, glaring darkly as her face flushes in anger*

<Anna> *Anna runs her hand through her hair and she huffs.* “Fine then you’re no use. You won’t even try and to deal for a way to unlock them then get out. Oh wait, you can’t and Crowley will be back eventually.”

<Ruby> “Hold up a second missy. You were trying to suggest to deal /off/ these, not a way /to/ get them off.” *She’s still frowning, voice lowering back down again as she heard the change in proposition, though it also set off another round of anger through her* “Learn to fucking speak and suggest your ideas, angelcake, because to get a way /to/ unlock them, not unlocking them themselves..”

<Anna> *Anna shrugs at Ruby, stepping back from the salt line* “I did speak, getting them off instantly or getting a way to get them off all end in the same result, the collars off. There’s not guarantee that if Crowley dies these come off, if you want to live with them for eternity, go for it.”

<Ruby> “You… you have no fucking clue about deals do you? It’s all in the words. Getting them off is not something I can do, I told you that. And that’s not the same as getting a way to then get them off - which is something I /can/ do. Fucking Lucifer, I thought you angels were supposed to be /smart/.” *Ruby glares back at her, shaking her head in something between exasperation and amusement*

<Anna> *Anna chuckles, she’s amused at Ruby’s frustration. She knows very well about deals and how the wording works.* “So are you willing to work with me on a way to get them off? Or should I get you a chair to get comfortable and while I’m out I’ll leave the tv on infomercials for you.”

<Ruby> “Maybe you should make yourself absolutely clear as to what /your/ end of the deal will be, Anna. Given I can choose to completely ignore you and get some more unknowing creature to do it for me..”

<Anna> “The collars and something else I don’t want to talk about yet till I see if we can remove the collars. Of course, I make the deal and you break the contracts right away since I know you can do that.” *Anna gets serious as she walks back over to the salt line, she’ll break it once Ruby agrees.*

<Ruby> “What do /I/ get?” *Ruby just stares back at her, not sure Anna even understands how little she has to deal with* “I don’t get your soul, you don’t have one - and from what I can tell you’ve sold basically everything else. What do I get for helping you, rather than just finding some schmuck and getting them to ask for whatever will break these?”

<Anna> “I don’t turn you over to Crowley and tell him you came to me with this idea.” *Anna smiles at Ruby*

<Ruby> *That makes her laugh, shaking her head* “No deal. I highly doubt he’d be anything but amused at my trying to escape, he probably already knows I went to ask his little shadow toy about it. That’s not a good enough incentive.”

<Anna> “What do you want then Ruby? How about you tell me that instead.” *Anna can feel the frustration creeping back up, she’s so close to getting a real chance of finding a way around all of this and Ruby’s being greedy, she thought getting the collar off would be good enough.*

<Ruby> “Your sword.” *Rubys says it plainly, smirking slightly at the frustration showing up on Anna’s face* “Your angelblade.”

<Anna> “Why would you want that? And if you haven’t noticed, I don’t have one anymore.” *Anna doesn’t trust the demon with something that can wound and kill angels.*

<Ruby> “Oh really? You don’t have yours stashed away somewhere? You go and get it, and bring it back - and I will come with whatever it is that will get us out of these things. Deal?” *Ruby continues to smirk knowingly, quite sure that Anna would decide it was worth it in the end* “This is the point where we kiss and take off.”

<Anna> “No I don’t have one, haven’t had one in a while.” *Anna rolls her eyes at Ruby, she never expected Ruby to want an angel blade and she just isn’t sure that she can give her one even though she knows there are some at the bar.*

<Ruby> “Quit lying, Anna. You want that collar off, don’t you?” *The hesitance was making up for much more than it wasn’t, as Ruby waits for Anna to just agree*

<Anna> *Anna sighs kicking the salt line* “Fine, I can get one more than likely, why do you want it. Only angles can kill another angel.”

<Ruby> “Again with the lies. Or at least, it will be. So we have ourselves a deal - an angelblade for the way to unlock these.” *Ruby doesn’t bother waiting, keeping the words as short and untwistable as possible, before reaching over the broken salt line for the other getting more enjoyment out of the way the sharp kiss will probably freak out the other*

<Anna> *Anna would have been freaked out months ago but after everything recently, kissing Ruby isn’t even close to the top of her list of horrible experiences and she breaks it looking back at Ruby.* “Now get out.”

<Ruby> *Frowning for a second, Anna’s reaction brings out a mean laugh - realising that whatever must have been happening to the other must be pretty bad that she didn’t get more than a bland reaction* “Yeah yeah, you just get that blade” *Giving another laugh, Ruby vanishes away, searching the way the deal was tugging at her to try and find her end of the bargain*

<Anna> *Anna turns once Ruby is gone heading back to Gray’s hotel. She didn’t tell the demon that she had one in ehr bedroom at the bottom of her bag. She didn’t use it and hadn’t used it in a long time but it was a still a comfort to have.*

#7 - Ruby tells Anna about how to get her collar off from Jo, and Ruby gets her ARCHANGEL BLADE!!!! 

<Anna> *Anna has been to see Gray and she’s come back, she doesn’t trust staying for long for a number of reasons, Crowley mostly but it’s hard to be around him like he is and she’s almost the point of praying for something to help him. She still hasn’t heard back from Ruby and she’s getting close to summoning the demon to find out what she knowns.*

<Ruby> *It had taken a few days before the blonde hunter had left her house, but Ruby had caught her the second she stepped outside, explaining the situation, their own joint efforts and garnering an agreement and test on the demon’s own collar before getting the other to agree to help the angel. She’d found a way to get rid of the collars, and now she was set on getting payment. Appearing in the same corner as before, Ruby smirks as she announces* “Where’s my angelblade Anna?” *Her own collar was dangling, open and useless, from her hand*

<Anna> *Anna looks over hearing Ruby’s voice and she looks at the collar hanging in her hand.* “How did you get it off?” *Walking over to Ruby she moves the demons hair, looking at her neck to make sure that it isn’t a trick, she’s having to push down the hope that she can soon get Gray back to normal.*

<Ruby> “Our little hunter friend has a very special knife. She won’t hand it over, understandably - but as per our arrangement I just had to find a way to get these off.” *Ruby smirks, not reacting at all to the invasion of her space, tossing the collar far off to the other side of the room* “Barbie said she’d get yours off for you too, just so long as she keeps her little toy.”

<Anna> *Anna steps back blinking as Ruby tells her how she got it off.* “Jo..has a way to remove them?” *She wonders if her hearing has gone out on her because Jo hasn’t been in contact since she ran into her at Grays and nothing was said then to her about a knife.*

<Ruby> *Nodding, the demon leans back against the wall behind her, tilting her head to a said as she takes in the other’s shock* “She didn’t seem aware that she could, but I knew as soon as we made our little deal.”

<Anna> *Anna just frowns as she walks away to the bedroom, wondering why Jo has something like that and why she hasn’t said anything to anyone.* “How did Jo react when you said something to her about it?” *She asks as she comes back into the front room a few moments later, blade in hand.*

<Ruby> “Surprised. Very surprised. And she seemed reluctant to get it out as it was.” *Ruby’s eyes catch straight onto the blade in the other’s hand, smirk growing on her lips* “Though was happy enough to agree to help you out provided her little monster isn’t around when she does.”

<Anna> “So Grey doesn’t know either..” *Anna shakes her head she doesn’t know whats going on but she wants to find out. Closing her hand tighter she doesn’t want to give the blade over to Ruby and she hesitates.*

<Ruby> “Either that or she doesn’t want you around him for some reason.” *Shrugging her shoulder, the demon pushes forward, holding her hand out for the blade* “My end’s been done, time to cough up or get your runners on, Anna.”

<Anna> *Anna flips the blade around and offers it to Ruby, she’s still frowning at the fact Jo hasn’t said anything to anyone.* “We know it works on collars, will it work on anything else Crowley’s done? Do we know that or did Jo say anything about why she had it?”

<Ruby> *Quickly snatching the weapon before Anna could take it off of her, Ruby vanishes and appears behind her, the point of the blad pointing directly into Anna’s back while her other hand grips tightly around Anna’s hair, jerking tightly* “Oh I don’t know, frankly I don’t care why the little hunter is getting /actual/ presents from Mr. Almighty - she seemed pretty shut up about it at the time though. What I care about is you thinking a pathetic, featherless ex-angel like yourself can push me around.”

<Anna> *Anna steps back as Ruby grabs it and leaves, she’s not surprised at the demon and she’s about to step back when she feels the sharp point press against her skin and then the pain of her head being jerked back suddenly by her hair makes her yelp in surprise as Ruby talks behind her.* “You got your part of the deal and out of the collar!”

<Ruby> “True, but that doesn’t make up for the other times - and trust me, track this back and you threw the first stone. I’m not trying to destroy the world any more, and yet you yelled against me the same thing you did. So.. what’s to stop me from just killing you here?” *Ruby hisses, twisting her hand at Anna’s head sharply* “Especially now the collar’s off.”

<Anna> *Anna reaches back trying to get Ruby’s hand out of her hair, gasping as the demon twists it harder. She’s not going to admit it but feeling the blade against ehr skin doesn’t unnerve her but the kind of blade is making her nearly panic. It’s an automatic response that she can’t control even though she’s sure that it would just be like any other stab wound now.* “Nothing..”

<Ruby> “And what’s going to stop me in future from not just whipping this out and driving it through you?” *The way Anna was struggling made her smirk, the control definitely back in her corner and for once the both of them knew it*

<Anna> “Means that you plan on not killing me now if you’re threatening to stab me later with it.” *Anna winces feeling it scrape against her skin, something ironic and humilating to die as a human to an angelblade she thinks.*

<Ruby> “It does, doesnt it. Or maybe this little thing won’t kill you if I aim it just right - stab now, kill later.” *She shifts the blade so it was pressing at an angle against Annas shoulder blade, so if Ruby felt inclined it would slide cleanly underneath and out without hitting anything vital* “But whats stopping me, Anna? What power will you have to stop me? Ill give you a hint, it starts with ‘n’”

<Anna> *Anna whimpers feeling her move the blade and she swallows* “What is it with you demons and listening to the sound of your own voice..” *She’s not sure she can get rid of Ruby with an exorcism before the demon stabs her or if that would just prompt Ruby to kill her and she shakes her head.*

<Ruby> “Let’s call it over compensating, or at least most of them are. I, on the other hand, just want to point out trying to hurt me to get some benefit or exorcising me, is not a good idea. Just for future reference.” *Giving Anna a sharp shake, the tip of the blade pushing into Anna’s shoulder almost half an inch before she smokes back to her previous spot, letting the other go. Ruby sneers at her* “Go talk to Jo. And don’t fuck with me in future, alright?”

<Anna> *Anna breathes in sharply feeling the blade sliding into her skin before it stops and she’s left nearly falling when Ruby lets her go and she staggers back, her hand reaching behind her as she can feel the blood flowing down her skin. Glaring at Ruby she smiles* “Wonder what Crowley’s going to have to say about you playing with me again and getting his collar off…”

<Ruby> “Wonder what he’ll say about your little blonde friend helping me. I’d guess /she’s/ putting more on the line helping both me and /you/ than I have.” *Ruby sneers back, crossing her arms as she tucks the blade into the belt loop of her jeans until she can find somewhere safer* “I guess we /both/ should keep our mouth shuts unless we want all three of us on the chopping block, hmm.”

<Anna> *Anna just glares at Ruby, her shoulder aching and she’s not sure she’s going to be able to reach the spot on her own.* “Leave.” *Anna waves a hand dismissing Ruby, turning to walk away from the demon.*

<Ruby> “Gladly. Go talk to Barbie.” *Ruby grins, running a hand over the hilt of her new weapon before she vanishes, set on hiding low again*

#8 - Ruby and Anna make an agreement about getting the brands off of Gray

<Anna> *Anna stands in the apartment..she’s debating putting down a salt like after the last time but she wants to get Ruby to agree and if she starts out hostile it may just make Ruby leave so she lights the match and throws it in the bowl.*

<Ruby> *She’d been enjoying the freedom without the regular shocks the redhead must have been causing, but when she feels the pull of a summonings, Ruby is surprised that there isn’t a line or trap as she looks about the apartment* “You ever think of going bacl to your little protective den, angelcake? Got to be better than here.”

<Anna> *Anna shrugs and moves back sitting down.* “One place is as good as another.” *She chews on her lip trying to decide how to word what she wants from Ruby.*

<Ruby> “Right..” *Ruby gives the other a scrutinizing look for a second before leaning back on the wall nearest to her, arms folded* “So, what did you want /this/ time?”

<Anna> “Jo has a way to free Gray but she won’t. I want to make a deal to unbind him now that we know there is away.” *Anna looks at Ruby and she takes a breath as she watches the demon, her eyes scanning the body of the woman she’s wearing to see if she can see her angel blade.*

<Ruby> “Oh really? Got any idea why she won’t, because Barbie seems to be pretty comfortable these days - maybe Crowley doesn’t want him unbinded and the princess is listening to daddy dearest.” *Ruby sneers slightly as she speaks, internally rolling her eyes that Anna seems to think that she has anything of use to her to deal with or that Ruby’ll just jump into them.*

<Anna> “I don’t know, I don’t care. Screw what Crowley told Jo and screw Jo’s reasons.”  *Anna stands up and she walks over to Ruby.* “Why do you care about protecting Crowley’s orders? You should enjoy the aspect of getting Barbie in trouble with him.”

<Ruby> “Don’t tell me what I should and shouldn’t do, Anna. You’re the begger here, not a chooser.” *Anna’s approach sets off alarm bells, especially with the words she was saying as Ruby looks at her. One hand reaching behind her, she makes as though she’s reaching for what’s now her angelblade, a warning heavy in the action* “I don’t care about it, I just need to think on how to actually get something /out/ of this.”

<Anna> *Anna doesn’t move, if she stabs her again stepping back won’t exactly stop her.* “I know I’m the begger and I’m willing to pay at this point whatever you want.” *She smiles at Ruby, wondering if the demon is willing to deal, she’s beyond caring what price the demon names, it can’t be worse than how things are now.*

<Ruby> “Well…” *Ruby rolls her neck, looking skywards as she runs through her mind what she might need. Letting loose the psychopath should be fun enough, and if she can cover her tracks then she’ll be able to get out with her agreement with the blonde still in tact. It’s just a case of working out how to fix this* “For your complete and utter silence on my participation, that should you reveal which demon dealt with you for this - your little monster will go back to being the powerless little twerp he is right now. Because that’s the only way I will get a single iota of worth out of this” *Or at least as much as she could right now.*

<Anna> “You’ll do this for my never mentioning your participation?” *Anna raises a brow at Ruby, this seems far to easy but if that’s why Ruby wants then she can easily never mention her to anyone about this.*

<Ruby> “Not to anyone, not at all. And I will.” *Ruby smirks back at Anna’s almost confused look* “Like you said, getting Barbie in trouble is fun enough.”

<Anna> “Fine I won’t mention a single word to anyone.” *Anna shakes her head but she can live with this deal. It’s simple enough and she can do this easily so she smiles.* “You have a deal.”

<Ruby> “Let’s just hope the little monster or the hunter doesn’t try to get it out of you.” *Ruby sneers, as she reaches out to grip the back of Anna’s head - barely taking the smallest amount of time necessary to make the deal official. The second she lets Anna go, the briefest flashes of the suggestion of what needs to be done -the image of Grey like the other currently and Gray’s back slashed across- left up for her to interpret fill her head, sneer shifting into a knowing grin* “Well, now we know why hunter barbie wouldn’t play ball. You’re going to have to move the iron on your monster’s room, angelcake, and for what I’m going to do you might want to put him under.”

<Anna> “What do you have to do?” *Anna nods, moving the iron won’t be a problem and she can probably get Gray to take some pills to help him sleep since Ruby seems all the pleased with what she’s going to have to do to him.*

<Ruby> “You might want to find him some proper food too, while you’re at it. He’s going to need to heal some things, but like you said - you’re willing to pay any price.” *Ruby is already trying to formulate the best way in and out for her, with as little damage control for her own image as possible - not really caring what it might do to the monsters*

<Anna> *Anna nods, not sure if she should let him fee from her or maybe pay prostitute to be waiting the the room for when he wakes up and let him take it out on her.* “You didn’t say what you had to do to free him?”

<Ruby> “What makes you think I’ll tell you?” *Ruby smiles vaguely, shifting her weight as she moves away from the other - thinking that jumping suit for the other monster might be the smartest move*

<Anna> “You’re right don’t tell me, that way as you said if people try and get it out of me, I won’t know.” *Anna walks off, picking up a bottle of water and rinsing her mouth out from the kiss.*

<Ruby> *Ruby laughs at Anna’s rationalising why she shouldn’t know, even if the curiousity and desperation rolling off her to know what might happen to her precious little monster said otherwise. Still laughing, the demon appears beside Anna and pins her with a look* “I’ll be ready the second you move that iron - so you better hop to it, angelcake. Boyfriend’s going to be back.”

<Anna> *Anna jumps when Ruby just appears and she glares at her now starting to understand why humans find it annoying from angels and demons* “Fine, it’ll be moved tonight.”

<Ruby> “Good. I’ll take care of the rest.” *With that Ruby disappears away, automatically heading to storage area Jo was keeping the dagger in - figuring on her way the easiest way to convince the middle aged, balding owner*

#9 - Ruby meets with mindwiped!Anna

<Anna> *Anna hadn’t got the nerve up to go see Grey again, she had walked halfway across town to where the house was he shared with Jo but then she changed her mind. She couldn’t shake the idea that Crowley had changed the minds of him and Jo and she really didn’t want to think about it with Gray. Turning around she starts down the side walk, keeping the sweater pulled up around her, hiding the bruises on the side of her face that Crowley had left her.*

<Ruby> *Ruby’d been meaning to go prod the blonde hunter about getting her ass into gear over Crowley, when she noticed the redhead walking away from the house. The demon didn’t think Anna would have known where they lived to be able to be there at all, and deciding to see how her little arrangement went, Ruby appears in front of her with a snarl and slam of the other woman back into a nearby tree* “So.. Little Miss Angel all happy now her dirty works been done?”

<Anna> *Anna doens’t pay attention to the people around her, she guesses she should but she’s not a hunter and she doesn’t think anything dangerous would be in a town where hunters come to rest and drink. The appearance of a woman infront of her makes her jump, her mind instantly jumps to Gray and before she can ask if the woman is a monster she finds herself against a tree, the breath knocked from her as the woman snarls something about  dirty work. Blinking as she see’s stars she gasps trying to form a solid thought.* “Who..what are..”

<Ruby> “Don’t play dumb with me, Anna, because I’m really not in the mood. Your little game has obviously set /my/ plans to get rid of that psychotic crazy calling himself the king of all back a few fucking weeks - which I didn’t realise at the time, so seriously.. don’t try to fuck with me right now, Anna.” *Ruby sneers back at her struggling and blinking, finding the reaction amusing even as the anger at how badly hell is going to shit for her with Crowley’s psychosis still happening rolls over her*

<Anna> *Anna doesn’t understand, she pushes back against the tree trying to get away from this woman. She doesn’t know what plans there are and she tries to move around the tree, if she can maybe she can run or someone will see what’s going on and help her.* “I don’t know you! I don’t know anything about a game. I’m not trying to mess with you, I promise!”

<Ruby> *When Anna struggles and keeps squirming it just makes Ruby sigh, focussing for once on using her powers to keep Anna in place and stop moving* “What the hell are you on about you crazy bitch? I though Barbie stopped forcefeeding you the magic pills.”

<Anna> *Anna shakes her head quickly, watching Ruby. She knew she was a demon that she had a history with her, that she tortured her and she tries very hard to not make the woman angry.* “I woke up in a hospital, thought I had been in a wreck that messed me up. I..I’ve been learning that wasn’t true from others like Gray and Jo. It’s some kind of training or something from Crowley.”

<Ruby> “And you’re still talking to Barbie and the Beast. Intruiging.” *Ruby smirks to herself looking at the other curiously* “So you’ve got no recollection whatsoever other than what they tell you?”

<Anna> *Anna shakes her head again. Barbie must be Jo and Gray..* “No, I was told that I knew you before but that’s all. I’m not a danger to you, I promise.”

<Ruby> “Youre right you’re not a danger. You’re just some shriveled up ex-power whose had her brain sucked drier than a wraith on a bender.” *Ruby laughs to herself at Anna’s reaction, shrugging a shoulder at the others promises - figuring a promise from the redhead meant next to nothing*

<Anna> “So just let me go then..” *Anna tries to pull away from the tree but the power keeps her there and she doesn’t understand so many things that people say now.* “I was never anything, just a college girl..I grew up in a church, I don’t know why everyone is so interested in me, I know I did things I don’t remember and I’m sorry!”

<Ruby> “You are far too amusing right now, Anna. Now tell me..what do you remember? Actually remember.” *Ruby grins widely, moving around to stand before Anna with a wicked grin*

<Anna> *Amusing is hte last thin she wants to be so she tries to make herself as boring as possible to the demon.* “I was in college,  my parents were killed and I had a break down at their murder. I dropped out of college and found myself working in this city at a bar.”

<Ruby> “Cute… I remember you when you were like that. So cute. So naive. Absolutely terrified of me until we became best buds.” *Anna recollecting what Ruby remembered sending Sam and Dean to go and pick up makes her laugh, tilting her head to the side* “And what have you been told?”

<Anna> *Anna doesn’t want to be cute, she doesn’t understand what Ruby means by what she was like that before and it makes her feel sick to her stomach.* “That I’ve done bad things, that I’ve had relationships with people..”

<Ruby> “Oh come on, don;t be coy.” *Ruby snickers, prodding the others shoulder to see if she’d react like she used to to her touch*

<Anna> *Anna flinches back at Ruby’s prodding.* “I don’t know what you want to know..I knew Jo, Grey hates me, you don’t like me, Gray doesn’t want to be with me because of Crowley and Crowley says I need retrained thanks to Grey telling him that we..slept together..and trying to make me believe that. So I don’t know what I’ve been told!”

<Ruby> “That’s all I wanted to know. …And who do you believe, red?” *Ruby grins wider, tilting her head to the side as she notices a few people wandering past and mutes Anna until theyre gone*

<Anna> *Anna starts to answer but then Ruby squeezes her throat, silencing her till the people are gone and once they are out of sight she’s allowed to speak.* “Gray..I believe him and Jo..I don’t know to believe Grey and Crowley..he can make me think whatever he wants me too if he wants..”

<Ruby> “You know the monsters can too, right? They can make you think things and do things that they want you to.” *Anna’s words about Crowley and obvious trust in Gray makes her want to cause trouble, especially after Ruby’s plans to debunk Crowley have taken their sweet time*

<Anna> *Anna didn’t know and she just stares at Ruby* “I..didn’t know. I..know about Gray, what he is and Grey. That one of them kills, one doesn’t..but they can’t do anything to your memories can they?”

<Ruby> “They can if they want to. Those boys are.. they’re very dangerous when you realise just /what/ they can do.” *She almost hisses the words out, moving around the tree and almost reappearing beside Anna’s other side, smirk still in place* “Why couldnt they do things to your memories if they wanted to? They give impulses, desires, ideas. They plant a thought in your head..”

<Anna> *Anna jumps when Ruby appears on her other side, she doesn’t like the expression on the demon’s face, it made her feel like mouse being played with before a kill and she bites her lip, speaking quietly.* “Gray..wouldn’t. I don’t know about Grey..he..really hates me and I could see him doing it.”

<Ruby> “What makes you think Gray hasn’t? He might have tampered so much you can’t remember that he hasnt.” *Ruby smirks wider, reaching out a hand to brush the other’s neck tauntingly* “I’ve known you longer than all of them, every single one of them. I knew you back in the hospital days, actually. And I never thought you’d ever want to be with a monster like that.”

<Anna> *Anna tries to move away from Ruby’s touch, closing her eyes as she tries to shut out the words, everyone is telling her that memories could have been messed with and she’s not sure what to believe from anyone now.* “How did we meet, why would I talk to you, you’re a demon..”

<Ruby> “I sent some friends of mine to get you out of the hospital. You were in danger there, and I sent them your way to save you. It’s..kind of their job. And don’t be such a racist.” *Ruby smirks to herself as she moves back from the other, still not releasing her*

<Anna> “Sent friends?..Danger? Why was I in danger.. I don’t even understand how I became involved in any of this, I’m nobody, I come from a simple family..why me?” *Anna watches as another couple walk by, biting her lip as she thinks about calling out but she doesn’t want to get them hurt.*

<Ruby> “Because Anna, you’re special. But no one is going to tell you why at all.” *Ruby lets out a loud laugh, staring back at the other as she seems to realise the predicament she’s in*

<Anna> “Why? Why won’t they tell me anything?” *Anna looks at Ruby, almost pleading. The fact that everyone is talking around subject with her is wearing her down.  Only Gray had been open and blunt but maybe Ruby would tell her.* “Please..”

<Ruby> *Ruby sighs, looking at the other before smirking again* “Well, think about what people have called you, Anna. Really think about it. Their nicknames, their taunts, or just greetings. Try and find the connection about what it is about /you/ that makes you so so special. Because trust me, no one can keep their mouth shut about it, and you never could either.”

<Anna> *Anna hits her head against teh tree in frustration, fighting the hold that Ruby has on her. She’s doens’t know what Ruby’s talking about she’s been called angelfish, Ruby greeted her with angel..* “I’ve been called everything from bitch to angelfish to angel..but that’s just names people use.. I don’t understand what you mean.”

<Ruby> “…really? You can’t understand at all when something is being repeated, and I’m guessing from different sources too. Did Crowley take awya that brain of yours as well, or was that your monster?” *Ruby shakes her head, rolling her eyes at Anna*

<Anna> “I’m just a human!” *Anna practically screams at Ruby, she’s nothing more than that, there’s no way she could be anything else, she passed all the tests the hunters did on her.* “I’m just human..I don’t understand, I don’t.. I hate this..I hate all of you knowing and I’m not the kind of person that tortures demons or monsters. I don’t do bad things to people!”

<Ruby> “If that’s what you want to believe, Anna, go for it.” *Ruby snickers, dropping down the forces holding Anna back*

<Anna> *Anna stumbles forward when the powers let her go and she looks at Ruby.* “When you appeared..you said dirty work, what dirty work? I want to know, why were we working together?”

<Ruby> “Oh no, we weren’t working together. You were threatening and blackmailing me to help you. Theres a difference. I /work with/ Barbie, but you /made/ me do your dirty deeds.” *Ruby sneers back at her, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow*

<Anna> “How could I make you do anything, you’re a demon..” *Anna shifts from foot to foot, something is screaming at her to stop but she can’t and she keeps asking questions.* “What dirty work Ruby?”

<Ruby> “Easily, you /really/ like being Crowley’s favored pet. It means you think you have liberties that the rest of us don’t.” *She snarls the words out, tilting her head to the side and shaking it with a laugh* “You’ve probably already heard about it, especially if you’ve spoken to Mr Grumpy Pants.”

<Anna> *Anna runs her hands through her hair in absolute frustration and she glares at Ruby* “If I knew would I be asking! If I’m dense it’s because someone’s messed with my brain, what’s your excuse?!”

<Ruby> “No, you’d be demanding that everyone bend over and do as you say. I don’t have an excuse though, I’m not dense. Infact, I’m possibly the greatest mastermind around. Who happens to be very busy, so if you’ll excuse me.” *Ruby sneers back at her, letting out a laugh as she disappears away*

<Anna> *Anna looks on where the demon was before making a sound of total frustration, walking back home as quickly as she can, really thinking about how she’s starting to dislike everyone.*

#10 - Ruby being Ruby

<Anna> *Anna hadn’t heard from Gray sincce they last talked, fought, whatever and her last conversation with Jo only helped her in her choice. She came home, took up the iron chains, swept up the salt and she tossed away everything but the cell phone from the bar. Everyone else could live like this stuff did exist, she could too. She went to scanning the paper for a new job and once she had one she would ditch teh cell phone she had from the bar, cutting the last ties she had to it.*

<Ruby> *Ruby’d been bored, Hell was a shambles and she wasn’t wanting to hang around down there or near any olther demons until she knew what was going on - what plays Lilith or the other demons were going to pull out next. So she went back to spying on those she had indebted or tied in some way to her - except the hunter-monster house was empty and that just spelt boredom, so she turned towards the redhead’s apartment, appearing over her shoulder and peering down at the newspaper* “You should give the seedy looking advert for ‘female assistants’ a call. You’re good at selling yourself, might as well be for money now, angelcake.”

<Anna> *Anna jumps at the sudden sound of a voice over her shoulder and she stands up quickly turning around, already turning red at what Ruby had said to her.* “Go away. I don’t want anything to do with you, any of you.” *She didn’t like what Ruby had said about selling herself and she just glares at the demon as she grabs the paper folding it back up quickly*

<Ruby> “Oh, don’t be a child. Let’s have a looksy.” *Ruby smirks back at Anna, reaching over her to yank the paper from her hands, opening it flat on the table in front of her, keeping the other woman pinned in her spot with a hand over either shoulder, scanning the paper* “Table dancer, not your style. Admin assistant, well - I’m sure you’d be /very good/ at getting your work done, lets circle that.”

<Anna> *Anna closed her eyes in sheer frustration. Shouldn’t demons be afraid of angels or whatever she was supposed to be.* “I said go away!” *She couldn’t stand up and the feel of Ruby standing over her was making her skin crawl*

<Ruby> “And I said, don’t be a child.” *She snaps back, flipping a page of the paper over far too gently for the angry tone, before turning her head to look at the other woman* “Or I’ll have to punish you like one. We’re looking for a bogus job for you, so lets try to behave like adults for a few seconds, okay?”

<Anna> “Punish..maybe you should go into the porn industry. I’m sure there’s plenty of girls there willing to sell their souls to you.” *Anna doesn’t look at that paper as Ruby turns the pages.“ "Why are you here?”

<Ruby> “Deano did want to see the both of us, so how about if you join, I join.” *The sarcasm comes easily as Ruby keeps flipping without looking away from the other, far too curious trying to work out what the other was thinking taking down the iron and salt, and looking for work* “What are you trying to do here, Anna?”

<Anna> “Find a job what does it look like.” *She doesn’t know who Deano is and she doesn’t care. She huffs slumping back in the chair not fighting Ruby’s hold. It’s like waiting out a child to get bored she realizes.*

<Ruby> “Why would you bother doing it /this/ way though? Why not try to sell off what you have instead of a shiney bright soul for whatever dream job you could make?” *Ruby smirks slightly as the other stops fighting to get rid of her*

<Anna> “Because there’s nothing to sell. You know that and I just want to go back and be normal. I’m done with this life and the people that come with it. I want..I want the life that I remember back.” *She’s aware of just how much she sounds like she’s whining and she crosses her arms.* “So just leave me alone.”

<Ruby> “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Dave.” *Anna’s petulance at wanting to ignore the bed she’d made before and forgot about amused the hell out of the demon, moving one hand from the table to ruffle at the other’s hair with a mocking smirk now that there was nothing to fear of Anna getting pouty and calling either of her big protectors* “You see, you’re not supposed to be normal. Never were.”

<Anna> *Anna slaps the hand away and runs her hand through her hair straightening it back.* “I can try. We control our lives. I just want to find a job, get away from the hunting.” *Glaring at Ruby she stands up crossing her arms.* “Why do you even care?”

<Ruby> “No actually, you don’t. Silly little humans think they do, and your trying to be a human makes you want to too. But really? You’re all just.. little clogs planned from birth until death.” *She speaks like she’s talking to a child, letting out a sigh, before continuing to talk as she turns her attention back to the paper* “Course, the whole Apocalypse being subverted kind of messed with that. But things always sort out - I’m sure one of your brother’s or sister’s will have started writing out a new book just so the whole place doesn’t go to anarchy. I should ask your brother next time I see him.”

<Anna> “I don’t have any siblings. I’m an only child.” *Anna reaches out grabbing the paper and ripping it in half before throwing it down. She feels childish right nowbut she just feels nothing but frustration and anger at Ruby’s taunting her.*

<Ruby> *Ruby lets out a laugh watching Anna tear up the paper, the reaction far quicker than she expected* “Don’t go pretending you don’t know what I’m talking about, featherless.”

<Anna> “That angel crap or whatever..I might have been one but I’m not now that’s obvious because you aren’t like running in fear or anything of me and I just don’t care. I’m done with it, I am. I’m done with Jo, with Gray..everyone can take their problems and just leave me out. I just want a life that I understand..” *Anna sits back down in the chair taking the pen on the table, fidgeting with the top*

<Ruby> “And that life would be, what, working in a crappy job all your life just because you don’t like being out of control of everything? For shame.” *She smirks down at the other woman* “And angels are only scary when you don’t know how to stop them. These days? I’ve learnt, so unlike the others of my kind, I’m not so fearful of the divine wrath. As for you… I’d suggest you take off your baby panties and go back to playing the big leagues with the squeaky little monster who might have a chance of scaring my kind off from bothering you.”

<Anna> “Yes I want a crappy job and crappy hours and maybe just the idea that nothing strange is going to come out of teh shadows at me or appear behind me! That monsters and demons are just not real!” *She hates that Ruby makes sense and she doesn’t want it to make sense.* “I’m not an angel, I’m not anything just a human and I don’t even know how to play with the monsters as you put it so what good would it do for me to stay in this life?”

<Ruby> “Oh please, you don’t want that. If you wanted that then the second you came back from the dead all free-willed and strong-willed up you would have regardless. You do what you want, Anna, always do - and you /don’t/ want to be a nine-to-five girl. Unless it’s pm to am.” *Ruby shakes her head at the others defense, moving around to lean her hip against the table* “You know how to play with the one monster you /actually/ like. The rest… are pretty much the same honestly. Such fickle, boring little things that lot. Not that demons are any better.”

<Anna> *Anna bristles at the continued jabs at her selling herself and she’s even more angry at Ruby’s attempt to talk about Gray.* “There’s no monster that I like, like that..not anymore and there won’t be another and you can go to hell with your continuing to call me a working girl!”

<Ruby> “Been there done that, lots of call girls down there.” *She snickers slightly at the other getting angry, the change in colouration on her face making it far more amusing than it would be otherwise* “I’ll quit with the working girl commentary when you stop lying. You wouldn’t get so angry if I wasn’t hitting a nerve.”

<Anna> “You’re very being here hits a nerve!” *Anna snaps throwing the pen at Ruby’s head.* “I’m not lyin about what I want! Everyone in this life is so screwed up including you and I just don’t want to deal with it!”

<Ruby> *Ruby catches the pen as it bounces off her cheek, twirling it between her fingers as she listens to Anna screeching thoughtfully before replying* “So, if your little old monster showed up at that door saying he was sorry for reacting like he did, and wanted to have a rational discussion about things, you wouldn’t want to deal with it? Even though you’re just as screwed up as all of the rest of them?”

<Anna> *Snorting she looks at Ruby before sitting down away from the demon* “It wouldn’t happen. Every is so stubborn and just I don’t know.” *Anna run her hand through her hair in frustration.* “I know I’m screwed up but I want to change, that’s why I want to be normal.”

<Ruby> “You’re really pathetic, you know that right?” *Ruby just stares at Anna as she moves about, obviously getting frustrated at the demons presence and questions, but that was all part of the point.* “You think being normal isn’t screwed up. That’s sheer idiocy I’d only expect… well.. of you.”

<Anna> *Anna just huffs.* “Right, I’m pathetic because I’m not runningback to the crazy that got me in this mess to start. Bite me Ruby. I’d be more pathetic if I spent all my time whining about Gray wanting to sleep around or the fact Jo’s supposed to be my friend but just mean.”

<Ruby> “Why don’t you just let him? Not like he’s going to revisit them. Or even actually do it if you don’t say no on request. Crazy thing about guys - put them on a leash and they’ll work out how to hang themselves with it to get off, leave them without a collar and they’ll stop growling at the other dogs, stick to their owners side - or failing that come bounding back when their master calls. And by their master, I mean their bitch.” *Ruby sneers back at Anna, shaking her head at the other’s assessment and honestly finding the chance to possibly screw about with the making up, again, to be worth the sappy talk now to see what happens after later down the track* “As for the bitchy hunter, unless she’s trying to roll you in oil and set you alight, she’s being nice. You both have all the right in the world to wanna kill one another.”

<Anna> *Anna doesn’t even know why she’s trying to justify herself to the demon but she feels defensive of the way Ruby makes her sound.* “I didn’t say he couldn’t! I just said that if he did I could as well..because it’s only fair. And then it just went down hill because it just seemed like all we had in common was sex and this is stupid, you need to leave. Just go !”

<Ruby> *Ruby lets out a louder laugh when Anna tries to shoo her offer, shaking her head shifting to sit atop the table rather than just lean on it, looking at the other* “Why should I? You can’t make me. Just a normal girl now, bet you don’t even have a gun lying around anywhere. So, I don’t think I will. Your hatred of practically everyone else but one another is another thing you have in common, Anna.”

<Anna> “I don’t hate anyone!” I just don’t like anyone. Everyone is stubborn and pig headed and just stupid!“ *Anna walks over to the kitchen grabbing the table salt, unscrewing the top.* "I don’t  a gun but I have salt..so you should go before things get uncomfortable for you.”

<Ruby> *When the other grabs the salt, Ruby lets out a laugh, disappearing only to reappear behind Anna, one hand grabbing the wrist holding the container* “And I can crack your wrist in an instant. Or see if the trick I did on your ankle would get the same reaction doing it to your hands as well.” *Tutting, she smirks back at the other* “You’re just as stubborn and pigheaded and stupid, Anna. it’s why you all really belong together. No one else sane enough would.”

<Anna> *Anna drops the salt container when Ruby grabs her wrist, she glad she doesn’t remember what Ruby did to her leg, the scars looked painful and the threat to do it to her wrist is enough to make her stand down.* “I don’t wnt to be like that! Why aren’t you listening? People can change, I want to change!”

<Ruby> “No they can’t. They just think they can. Delusion is one of the greatest parts of humanity, and you’re trying to very hard to be like them. Same as the other little monster - both decieve yourselves that playing human long enough will make you one of them, or that you can be like one.” *Ruby sneers at the other, pressing the front of her boot against the back of Ruby’s ankle with a growl before adding* “People don’t ever change. What they’ve done in their lives is what they’ll always be and will never be taken back. Why do you think even with the whole mumbo jumbo Sick Anointing that more and more people come and do the firey rumba? Get over your delusions Anna, you’re not changing again.”

<Anna> *Wincing Anna turns looking at Ruby* “What was your life like that you sold yourself to the pit. Is that how you know so much about being a whore? Just one more diseased girl, begging for pennies on their knees from men?”

<Ruby> “Not even in the slightest, and you don’t know a thing about the word diseased - least not any more. Don’t attempt to turn this mind game back on me, angelcake, we’re talking about you and how your dumb crusade to change yourself is pointless and futile beyond all else.” *Ruby grins darkly, twisting the others wrist*

<Anna> *Biting her lip she stares at Ruby* “So if people don’t change then you’ve always been a manipulative bitch. Coward that hides in the background. What did you get out of your deal Ruby?” *Anna hadn’t ever given much thought as to how old Ruby was but now she wondered about it.*

<Ruby> “I said we’re talking about you, Anna. Not me. I didn’t make a deal like you think, so if you’re that interested you can go snooping about for what it could have been.” *Ruby cocks an eyebrow back up at the other, looking blankly at her*

<Anna> “So you went down stairs through good old fashioned sin?” *Anna shrugs trying to pull her wrist away from Ruby.* “Did you kill your kids? Husband? How many times did you comit adultary like the town slut?”

<Ruby> *Anna’s attempts at narrowing down how se ended up downstairs makes her laugh, shaking her head in a fake sign of good nature before twisting harder* “D, none of the above. Really, you’re quite interested in what happened to a demon and with Hell for some normal girl, Anna.”

<Anna> *Anna yelps this time, her hand spasming as Ruby twists it.* “I..you won’t leave and if you’re going to hang out. Might as well get to know you. You enjoy knowing more about me than I know about myself.”

<Ruby> “This is true, I /do/ enjoy knowing more about people. I just don’t take kindly the the same being returned.” *Ruby hisses before dropping Anna’s hand, now that the salt was gone, before disappearing and reappearing back on the table top* “You don’t need to know anything about me. I’m not your /friend/. Maybe you should try turning that interest and 'get to know you’ attitude on people who actually /like/ you.”

<Anna> *Rubbing her wrists she can see the faint bruises already appearing she rolls her eyes.* “No one actually likes me. They tolerate me, it’s not the same as liking. And I tried to get to know people but all I keep getting is attitude. I’m sorry I don’t remember being a bitch..”

<Ruby> “If they didn’t like you, you’d be dead by now. No offense, people monsters or hunters don’t like tend to… disappear.” *Ruby smirks back at her, grinning widely when she notices Anna rubbing her wrists* “Let me put it like this, Red - your little friends, the ones you say you don’t like but for some reason feel like you do? If they didn’t like you, they’d have either killed one another or been fucking like rabbits for the last year long.”

<Anna> “Whatever Ruby.. Nothing that happens now matters. Everyone is just going to keep holding it over my head whatever I did before and I’m never getting past that with them.” *Anna sinks down into a chair, the fight going out of her as she shrugs her shoulders.*

<Ruby> “Maybe you should just try to find out difinitively what it is instead. Or tell them to shut the fuck up about the old Anna, because new Anna is here to stay and they should just suck it up that the numerous beatings and tearful screaming matches were all the renumeration they were going to get.” *She smiles cheerfully at the other, shifting to start picking at her nails now Anna’s not yelling*

<Anna> “Yea right..I don’t think any of tehm will let go of it and no one want to talk about it. Gray snapped finally and turned it back on me that I hurt him and I don’t even know what I did.”

<Ruby> “He got depowered, you reacted badly and treated him like his brother. It’s a point of pride for them /not/ to be one another, just so you know in future.” *Ruby continues cleaning at her nails, not caring whether sharing any bits of information for once aren’t getting her automatically something in return. She’s willing to wait for the profit later on.*

<Anna> “Treated him like his brother?” *Anna looks at Ruby, watching the demon cautiously.* “How did he get his powers back? Why did I react badly?”

<Ruby> “In case you didn’t get the memo - you and the little one hate one another. Another thing for you to know in future. And you made a deal with a demon for them to do what Barbie wouldn’t - cut up her little monster and free yours in exchange.” *She raises an eyebrow as she looks back at Anna, turning her attention to her other hand* “Dont know why you reacted weirdly though, probably because he got neutered power wise just to be able to be with you for a little while, and he wasn’t the same wanna be badass he usually tries to be. Freaked you out or something.”

<Anna> *Anna listens quietly, watching Ruby with her head tilted.* “So I made a deal, with Crowley? Is that why he says he owns my soul? or whatever I have?” *She’s not sure how much she can trust with what Ruby is saying but it goes back to what Gray said some and she feels bad for him.*

<Ruby> “Nah, you and Crowley had a different arrangement - bit fuzzy on the details of that actually. You don’t have a soul, you traded favors with whichever demon it was.” *Ruby carefully avoids mentioning which demon, shrugging a shoulder* “I found out because the damn thing couldn’t keep its mouth shut about torturing the other monster and waving about a super powered knife that belongs to Hunter Barbie.”

<Anna> “And what did we bargin for? What deals have we made? You keep talking about selling myself so I’m going to guess that we have made some kind of deal.” *Anna doesn’t trust Ruby and she wonders if this means she isn’t going to Hell then.*

<Ruby> “Us? We’ve had our exchanges. I’ve scratched your back, you’re required to free me from every Devil’s trap I find myself stuck in. Pretty good system, you and I.” *Ruby smirks back at Anna, not sure how she jumped to that conclusion that they’d made a deal but agreeing none the less*

<Anna> *Frowning she doesn’t like the idea that she has to let the demon out of a trap and she just nods.* “And what did I get out of it? What did you do for me?” *Anna wants to knock that smirk of Ruby’s face but she doesn’t know how.*

<Ruby> “I stepped into some.” *Ruby lets out a loud laugh at that, knowing that the other was never the most focussed on getting the words of a deal down and how much that one has come around to help her out*

<Anna> “No, what did you do for me?  There had to be something I wanted bad to make a deal to let you out of any trap you get into. You like talking so talk Ruby.” *Anna stands up walking closer to the demon looking at her as she dances around the subject.*

<Ruby> “I told you - I stepped into some traps for you. You needed a tester, I agreed on the condition you let me out of any trap I get stuck in.” *Ruby smirks widely at the other, not getting how the other didn’t understand her the first time* “You’re not very good at keeping track of the wording of things.”

<Anna> “Right.." *Anna sighs walking away, glancing back at the bedroom.* "Should I put you on the lease? Are you going to be moving in here or something?”

<Ruby> *She quirks an eyebrow at Anna’s looking about and comments, letting out another laugh as she shakes her head* “I thought you were done with the girly bits with your last landlady, angelcake. If we’re done playing Twenty Questions, I think I’ll leave you to your pathetic dellusion of normality for now.”

<Anna> *Anna rolls her eyes* “Please..don’t come back. You really don’t have to talk to me, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if you’re the one person I never hear from again besides Crowley.”

<Ruby> “And here I thought you never wanted to talk to your friend and fuck again.” *Ruby snickers, before sending a glance about the house disinterestedly as Anna tries to shoo her off and gets impossibly boring now* “But I guess I’ll come back and annoy you in a few weeks. When you’ve finally either gotten drier than the Sahara desert or are back to being monster playfood.” *Ruby lets out another laugh\ before vanishing*

<Anna> *Anna sighs going and flopping down on the bed..she hates the whole ability of everyone to just randomly appear and disappear.*

[bunchamunchafaunus]

The Rise of a Ventian Queen [2]: The Next Step

“So, Peri.”

Hearing her name got the worried woman’s attention drawn from her bedridden friend to the man behind her. A raised brow curious what he wanted, such only getting stronger seeing him pat at the floor beside him.

“Come tell me some stories of Team Empress while we wait for her to recover.”

Such a simple request actually got the Komodo laughing. She wasn’t sure why she had expected anything else, but for some reason it caught her off guard. It only took another glance back to the slumbering Qilin to realize they were going to have to wait for a fair while before she’d wake. They definitely had time to relax, especially given she was sure the NeverCondor would take to the skies to get away from the canyon once it could.

So she did just that. Stepping back till she felt her back eased to the wall by her tail keeping her from just outright falling against it, she found herself on the metal ground beside her friend’s father figure. Taking in a breath to relax herself as she let her shoulders drop at last. Tail curling round to fit it’s thinner end under her legs.

“Well to start, I think I gotta mention she was the most awkward person out of everyone in the room the night before our entrance exam. No lie, she just kept looking over everyone in some awestruck state for about an hour at least while people came in and out of the room.”

The two laughed some, Peri recalling the silly look that had been on Emma’s face back then, Umbir imagining it.

Knowing they were in for some fun chatter, they made themselves comfortable and began. Not too long after would they feel the engines of the NeverCondor roaring to life and the large metal vessel leaving the ground and beginning to soar.

                                                   - One Day Later -

P - P a p a...

S h i t! E m m a!

Ringing.

L a y  h e r  h e r e!

Silence.

Darkness.

Was she?

No, no, she was still hearing noises here and there. So very faint and muffled, but they were there. Familiar voices, laughter, beeping... snoring? She was still so warm too. She had to be alive, right? Yeah, yeah, she had to be. From everything she knew, she’d be cold if she wasn’t.

For some time it was just this empty void. The odd sound so faint and muffled here and there, but nothing all too loud or obvious. Just the constant wonder of what might have happened to her and what would come to pass. It got to the point she was actually starting to worry, trying her best to have something, anything change. Yet nothing did, no matter what she tried.

Though something eventually changed, a small, tiny little dark orange light breaking the darkness. One that would change to fit a form, a humanoid figure. Instantly she knew what it was, and felt herself calm with it’s presence quickly. But that calm would suddenly be shaken up, hearing a voice. One that was clear, one she never heard before. A woman’s voice, low, echoing, comforting. One single sentence being spoken by it.

“I am proud of you”

The source of this voice disappearing soon after, leaving her alone in the quiet darkness once more. But this would not last long before the Qilin felt herself falling. Such a sudden sensation causing fear and panic to fill her, making her body jerk and flail for a single second as she sat up and found herself awake, staring at a wall judging by what she could now see her aura flowing up. Her breathing being long, deep breaths as she took in the situation.

Aching and sluggish body, left leg felt better but right knee still stings, a slight pinch in left arm, the sudden moving form of a person with a blue aura running past her view. The left side of which showed nothing defined when they saw the other living being, just a messy uncontrolled pattern of blue spread across a whole half her vision. Blinking a few times, she could tell her aura was switching from it’s default navigational assistance to the protective layer and back each time. Eventually stopping, closing her eyes, and focusing it to it’s defensive capabilities before letting it ease back to it’s usual sight-providing action. Finally staying as such whenever she blinked afterward.

“Emma!”

The Princess’ head turned immediately upon having the ever so familiar voice register to her, seeing the umber form of her father figure standing in what seemed to be a doorway. Plus some slight peek of a friendly red aura just around the door-frame beside him though it would duck back to be hidden as she saw the man draw closer. Soon after feeling his arms wrap ‘round her upper body and his cheek against the top of her head.

She wanted to return the embrace, but her body felt slow, heavy even, much more than she was used to. It even hurt some to try and move anything beyond how her body was now after having awoken so suddenly. Though she was sure she could manage speaking at the very least, so she cleared her throat before attempting to.

“Papa?” Her voice a little rough, but she still spoke. Not getting an answer right away, she could feel his arms move and saw his form begin lowering some. Soon seeing the shape of the man’s head as he had dropped to one knee in front of her so she wouldn’t have to turn her own head up so high.

“Yes, Lil’ Filly?”

That nickname again, she wasn’t sure whether to feel comfort hearing it again or to be annoyed by it and say she wished she hadn’t woken up as a joke. Quickly deciding against the later.

“What-... What happened? After what I did?”

“Well, assuming you remember up to the point I signaled the NeverCondor to fire, they got the two shots off. The destroyed rocks and trees from the blast on the cliff and the mountain began falling down into the canyon, but I’m pretty sure you somehow managed to stretch out your Semblance’s range because it all stopped mid-air and began spreading out across the width of the canyon itself. Once the Goliaths were getting right under the debris, it began dropping. Some hit the first two, the rest began falling on the next two, but all the stuff that you had circling the three of us quickly sped up and began being loosed in the direction of the front two Goliaths. The barrage forced them to start moving backward, thus suffering the rest of the falling debris like the two behind them. Four Goliaths were pinned beneath all sorts of rocks and trees, likely dead, and the Grimm on the far side were blocked off.”

Hearing it back from Umbir, Emma was sure she had been awake for the events he recalled. Her own mind replaying the sounds she had heard at the time. The thunderous gunfire from the Airship, the trumpeting sounds of the Goliaths, stone hitting stone, she was sure of it. “What about after that?”

“After the wall of debris settled, you collapsed. You had exhausted the vast majority of your aura to the point that you couldn’t stay awake. The Dust crystal you had used fell from your hands, depleted, and the winds around us started to die down. With the remains of the Grimm horde that were on our side starting to move again, I had Peri take you and get you into the NeverCondor.  I ran back on my own, the turrets were manned, cannons recharged or reloaded, and the majority of what we still had to worry about of the horde was destroyed. Once enough was gone, we took to the skies. We’re settled above the ocean right now.

“How long was I out, Papa?”

“I wasn’t exactly paying attention to the time, but judging by the position of the sun compared to how it was when you lost consciousness, it’s almost been a full twenty-four hours.”

Twenty-four hours, it felt like she had been in that dark space for so much longer than a single day. One shaky inhale later, the name he had mentioned snapped back to her mind, making Emma move in sudden worry, despite the pain she felt by doing so and the wince it earned from her. A noise which got her father figure immediately rising to stop her from moving too much and carefully lay her back down.

“What about Peri, where is she?”

“She’s fine, Emma. Your teammate’s a wonderful young woman who cares a lot about her friends. Peri was actually by your side for the first few hours, it took telling her about how strong you were during your recovery after Samuel grabbed your neck that one time to get her to calm down, eat, and get some rest. She’s still asleep since she used up quite a bit of her own aura against that horde as well.”

To hear the Komodo was safe and resting eased the Qilin’s worry for the other. Sighing with relief as she let her head press back against the pillow.

“I’m gonna have to face them now that I’m here aren’t I? Make sure all those people aren’t scared about him finding them and ruling them like Manus did so they don’t attract Grimm like that again.”

Umbir chuckled a little. “It’s actually kind of funny that you mention it. There’s some soldiers who were loyal to Cres, now loyal to me, out side this room right now. They insisted on standing guard outside the Medical bay to make sure you’d be safe while you were out.”

This revelation was... odd... to say the least. Emma was so sure she would never be able to successfully fill any Royal role for so long in her life. Then she announced herself to dozens of Nobles as the Princess she was by blood, making word spread of her living state after having been thought dead for a good while. Now, she had people looking to her to be their Queen. People from her own place of birth. Ventian civilians and soldiers both. She didn’t feel ready to accept the role they needed her to play, but if she didn’t, she knew the events of the previous day would eventually happen again.

Maybe even to a much, much worse degree.

“Either way we look at it, I can’t really move right now can I?” She remarked with a little chuckle behind her words. A sound which Umbir repeated on his end at the inquiry.

“No, not really. Not without it hurting a lot since you’re body’s still recovering from such a heavy dip in aura. Maybe tomorrow you’ll be able to move around better again. Plus your legs could use just a bit more rest. The cut on your left was shallow, but it was long, and the scrape to your knee was a lot worse, so even with another day of your Qilin genetics healing that up it’s going to be sore when you try to walk on it again.”

“Okay ‘DAD’. I’ll stay in bed...!” A joke reply, but one that both parties laughed at.

“It’s nice to know you’ve still got that childish side to you after all this time and all the hardships you’ve faced, Emma. I’ll go get you some water.”

The Qilin simply nodded in thanks for the man’s concern and care, letting herself relax and her eyes close for a moment while she listened to his footsteps leaving the room. A shuffle of a couple other metal clad feet outside the room moving to clang together before stepping to what she assumed was a basic defensive stance for the Soldiers she had been informed of.

Over the next few hours, Umbir would come and go from the room. The two speaking over various different topics and points of her experiences ever since she had left Ventus so long ago. At one point even getting Peri up and visiting Emma to see how everything was going. The three of them conversing and interacting for a fair while longer before one-by-one people left the Medical bay for the night leaving Emma to rest on her own.

It was about noon the next day when the Qilin’s friend and teammate would enter the Medical bay with a set of new, clean clothes in a bag for her.

“Big day today for ya, Em’.” The woman remarked making her way toward the Qilin’s bedside. As she did, she watched the young woman atop the bed adjusting to an up-right seated position with a smile across her face. “Roy and I made sure to get something that looks real fancy.”

“Roy’s with you?”

“Well not right now, no, he went to talk with Umbir about something, but I did drag him along for the clothes.”

“You didn’t get something that’s all show without any comfort did you...?”

“Oh hell no, I know well enough that we tailed Faunus need clothes that are comfortable over everything else. Stuff’s real soft on the skin and still looks nice. I’m not gonna say you’re going to be comfortable mentally or emotionally while you’re up in front of your people, but at the very least you will be physically.”

Lifting the bag in her hand, Peri placed it down into Emma’s lap. “A nice white button-up top with a black knee-length skirt that has purple floral patterns, some white thigh-high socks, and a purple ribbon that can be tied into a bow under your collar or you can tie back your hair with it. I’ve got you~ Now go ahead and get dressed, I’ll be waiting outside.”

“Thank you, Peri.” Emma spoke with a soft thankful tone  while the Komodo was close enough to still hear. Watching on afterward while the woman’s red form would leave the room, leaving her alone in it again. Taking a second, she made sure to pull the curtain by the foot of her bed ‘round to hide her from view of the door to the room.Once with more privacy provided, she shifted to get off the bed on the far side to begin changing her clothes. Taking a second of pause noticing her necklace was absent from around her neck.

About five minutes would come to pass before Peri and the four soldiers standing ‘round the door as protective guard for the Royal within the Medical Bay would hear the door open. A second later seeing the Qilin step out from the room within the newly provided clothing. The bag in hand containing the clothes she had changed out of, and the purple ribbon in her hand. Tail behind her finding itself dropping low and pressing against her leg with uncertain worry about the situation.

The four Soldiers, upon seeing her come to a stop, would turn to face her directly. A single stomp being done as they would, unknown to Emma, salute to her. Peri on the other hand could see that the three men and one woman had their right hands raised and placed diagonally across their chest while their left was tucked behind the small of their backs.

Taking a second, the Royal looked around to the four unfamiliar aura forms that surrounded her. A rather nervous smile present upon her face that all present could see clearly. After a couple seconds of silence, one of them would clear their throat before speaking. The sound drawing Emma’s foggy eyes to the unknown person immediately to her left before their pale yellow form in her eyes would lower to a knee.

“Your Highness, Melo Grove, I used to serve the late Queen Cres rather closely.” A soft woman’s voice quickly introduced herself. “I’m unsure of whether Sir Dew has mentioned it directly to you yet, but Cres truly did regret forcing you out of Ventus. For the past few years especially she searched for any sort of sign that you were alive in hopes of eventually meeting you in person and apologizing for her actions. When word spread among nobles across Remnant that you were present at the Duke of Coste’s charity event, she was ecstatic to know you were alive and well.”

What the Soldier said, while not entirely new to the Qilin as she had, indeed, heard some of it from Umbir, was appreciated. If not for the fact it contained some new information, then because it came from a voice which sounded so genuine and confirmed what her father figure had told her. Still, even with how she felt, there was the whole fact that being treated the way she was by these four was entirely new territory. A short glance to Peri for some sort of assistance just earning a shrug to the red shoulders of her friend’s figure.

“I-...” Focusing her attention back to Melo, she swallowed a nervous lump that had formed in her throat. Stepping closer to the kneeling woman, she shifted the lone ribbon to the same hand holding the bag as to clear one up for freedom of use. Then bringing that same hand up to gently rest on the woman’s shoulder, which caused their head to rise and she could feel their eyes on her once more. She noticed now a soft vibration of anxiety in the pale yellow form. One she attempted to ease by giving a soft, more confident smile.

“Th-Thank you, Melo. It-uh... it comforts me knowing Queen Cres wished no ill will towards me during the last years of her life. I-... I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to fill her shoes since I honestly never really expected to be doing... well.. any of this honestly, but I hope that we may work together as well.”

It was obvious to the four that the Royal they were currently looking to wasn’t exactly used to any of this. That despite how unsure of herself she sounded, the Qilin was trying her best. They could all respect that, immediately feeling much more comfortable with her as the one they would soon follow. Melo herself now giving a wide smile as she looked up at Emma.

“I would be honored to work alongside you, Your Highne-”

“Emma, please...”

“Emma... I look forward to serving you.”

Seeing the woman’s head bow again, the Royal watched her soon rise to her feet again.

“Is there anything we may do for you... Emma...?” The tone of Melo’s voice made it obvious she was going to have to get used to using a proper name instead of a title while addressing her superior.

For a short bit, things were quiet on the Qilin’s end, looking between the four soldiers again, this time in thought. “C-Could I maybe get some more privacy with Peri? We’re in a safe place, I really don’t think I need four guards here...”

She didn’t see it, having been looking away from the one Guard who’s name she knew so far at the time. Melo’s attention moved between the other three, the group coming to an unspoken agreement before the trio of still unknown Soldiers would take their leave. Relaxing their forms and beginning down the hall of the Airship they were currently in.

Sighing once there was less attention on herself, Emma turned to the woman once more. This time bowing her own head as she voiced her appreciation. She received a bow in return. After which her attention moved to Peri as she fetched the ribbon from the hand the bag was in.

“Could you tie my hair back? Just want it all to be nice and neat behind me for when I do this.”

The Komodo, befitting her personality, chuckled  some at the request, but nodded none the less. Stepping to her friend, she took the ribbon in hand before physically encouraging a turn with a gentle push to the shoulder. Once such movement finished, she brought the ribbon between her lips to hold it while working on collecting the mass of near white hair that belonged to Emma. Every now and then working a hand down the length of it to try and funnel it all together better the farther down it went.

“Peri?”

“Yeah?”

“You possibly know where my necklace went?”

“Yeah, Umbir has it. Said he’d be giving it back later while you’re addressing everyone.”

Her answer made some sense to the Qilin, nodding a little in understanding as she fell silent for her friend to finish her work.

Once she felt she had a good enough control of her friend’s hair, Peri shifted hold to one hand as the other retrieved the purple fabric and worked it around the hair to replace her other hand. Finally being able to begin working on tying the ribbon tight to give a clean and proper finish to Emma’s appearance with a small bow holding her knee-length hair together at the bottom of the back of her neck. Looking to Melo, she earned an approving nod from the woman before looking back to it herself and nodding her own head.

“There ya go, ‘Your Highness’.”

The joking use of the title earned an elbow moving to impact with her arm. Laughter following from both the Faunus as Emma turned to face her teammate again. All this right before the shorter of the two would move to hug the taller, which was quickly reciprocated.

“Thank you, Peri, for everything you’ve done the past few days.”

“You’re welcome, Emma.”

The two letting their embrace last a couple seconds longer. Breathing in the comfort they shared knowing they were both alive and well after what they had gone through the other day. Once comfortable, both let go, Peri patting at Emma’s shoulder as one last gesture of fondness before she’d speak again.

“Now, you’ve got a crowd to address.”

A deep breath in and a sigh out would be taken by the Qilin. “That I do...” She glanced the two ways down the hall available to the three of them, brow furrowing some. “Um... Melo?”

“Yes?”

“D-Do you know what way we need to go?”

“That I do, just follow me.” Without missing a beat, the pale yellow figure Emma had turned her eyes to stepped side-ways. An outstretched hand gesturing the opposite direction than the other three had gone earlier. Quickly following up the gesture by turning herself in full and beginning down the hall.

The two Huntresses followed behind the woman for a minute or so, passing through the hallways and by some crew members here and there. Multiple different rooms they may have been able to turn into as well, yet Melo kept going. Eventually turning into a much wider hallway than the ones that they had walked through so far. One with a multitude of people seated along the walls, some standing, others walking between each other. The moment they did, Emma froze.

Looking down the hallway, the Qilin’s sight was filled with such a vast array of colors filling it. The initial viewing of so many people was too much for her with half being as messy as it was. It hurt her head to see all of them. She turned her head to clear her view and hopefully ease the strain it put on her. Peri’s red soon stepping into view as she felt her hand at her shoulder.

“Your eye bugging you?” Her question only received a nod from the shorter woman as her left eye closed and a hand rose over it.

“Her eye?” Melo stepping around to the Royal’s side with her question. “What happened?”

“A while ago Emma had an incident where she saw some odd aura that she said looked like a person. She called out to them, they didn’t respond, she tried to get closer but it just kept moving at the same distance away from her. She said it seemed to just slide around, never taking a step or turning or anything. Eventually it stopped, she got right next to it, then the next thing she knew she woke up back in her room at the Inn our team owns. Umbir said that he had been watching over her for a while, and when he saw what was happening he followed her, but when he caught up an Ursa had hit Emma into a tree, and she was unconscious on the ground. He killed the Ursa, brought her back and ever since she woke up, her left eye hasn’t been working the way it should.”

While Peri retold the events to Melo, Emma found herself shivering some remembering it all. Her mind calling back to the months where she felt unlike herself afterwards. It got her right eye closing as well as the discomfort of the memories from that time began setting in.

“Wh-What do you mean it’s not working the way it should? Can she not see with it?”

“She was born blind, Melo. Sometime during her childhood her aura adapted to allow her eyes to register visual sources of aura and give some semblance of sight. She sees everyone as generic humanoid forms of solid color based on what their aura’s color is, which ever since the old Great War tends to match with their name. Mine’s Peri, my aura is a dark red, I’m a red figure to her. You’re Melo, I’m assuming mellow yellow, so she sees you as a pale yellow form. Ever since what happened, she’s explained sight in her left eye as a repeating pattern mess of color whenever looking at someone. After being told what a Kaleidoscope is, she said that’s pretty much what it’s like.”

Hearing this, the somewhat absent gaze she had seen the young white haired woman had given to her and the other Guards earlier began to make more sense. “Ah...” This was new information that she knew she’d need at a later point. It was going to be a bit of a learning curve for how to handle things with Emma. “Maybe it’d be a good idea to get her some type of cover for her left eye then. Eye patch or something...”

Turning to look over the people filling the hallway, she could see some of them looking to the trio with curious eyes. A few even worried, one or two doubtful gazes from some older individuals. Gently grabbing onto Emma’s shoulders, she guided her back around the corner, gesturing for Peri to follow. “Just keep her here, I’ll be right back.”

The Komodo nodded before watching as Melo went into a light jog down the hallway to return where they had just come from. Carefully she helped Emma to lean against the wall after the form of the Guard disappeared ‘round the corner down the thinner hall. Afterward stepping close to the corner again and peeking around it to look over the civilians filling the area.

“E-Excuse me, miss?”

A young voice would register in the Komodo’s ears, guiding her attention down to see a boy standing next to her. A pair of small antlers growing atop his upturned head among dark brown hair and his bright blue eyes looking up at her. His arms were tucked ‘round behind his back. She stepped from the wall before lowering herself to her knees to be at a more equal level to him.

“Hey little man, what’s up?”

He seemed to be a little nervous with how he lowered his head a tad further than it already had to simply keep looking at her.

“Is that... Is she our new Queen?”

His question got Peri’s head turning to look to Emma. She could see the her gaze turned to focus to the boy beyond Peri’s form, hand now away from her left eye but the eye itself still closed. She turned her red eyes forward to the child again just after.

“Well. technically she’s not just yet, but she’s going to be soon. She’s just feeling a little under the weather right now, bit of a headache. You know what that’s like, right?” A soft smile came to her face seeing the boy nod in understanding.

“I- uh... M-My mommy helped me make a necklace... I wanted to make it for our new Queen after she told me about how she was ex-exhi-”

“Exiled?”

“Yeah, that word!” His hands finally came out from behind his back. In the one was a collection of a dozen small, smooth black stones that had been drilled through to fit them onto a braided silver and gold cord. None were exactly the same size as another, nor shape, but it seemed they were all sanded down to be smooth and rounded. Smaller stones being farther out and larger being closer to the center. “I collected these, whenever I found a black rock I picked it up. There isn’t a lot of them, but they always look so nice...”

Peri felt a familiar hand at her shoulder, looking up and back it was Emma. Shifting aside atop her knees, she gave enough space for her friend to get down beside her. Even offering a hand to support her as she took to her knees, a slight wince escaping putting as much weight as she did on her right. Still a little sore she guessed.

Now at eye level with the bright blue form of the boy, Emma could see an ever so subtle vibration to his form. She put on a gentle smile in hopes of calming his nerves

“What’s your name?”

“C-Cele.”

“Cele, very nice name. I would love to wear the necklace you’ve made for me, is there a clasp on it or is it a full loop?”

“My mommy tied the ends of the cords we used when we were done braiding it.”

“A loop, then, would you mind putting it on for me?” As she asked this of the young boy, she shifted closer to him and bowed her head forward. Closing her eyes she simply waited. It took a few seconds, but she soon felt his little hands brush against her hair some. A second more passing before the weight of the stones on the cord was fully present on the back of her neck. After a second more, she lifted her head, a hand moving to pull her tied hair out from beneath the braided cord then to fix it beneath her collar. With it fit proper into her outfit, she turned her attention to Cele again. The anxious vibrations from earlier now gone.

“Thank you, Cele. I’m glad to know there are such kind children like yourself from Ventus even after everything it’s people have been through.”

He was quiet a moment after before she could feel his arms suddenly around her neck. It was unexpected, but Emma returned the hug with a hand gently pressing to his upper back. The hug ending almost as quickly as it started, the boy ran back down the hallway to return to his mother who stood a ways down the hall. Taking her hand, he looked up to her and they began talking about something. Peri noticing a smile across the woman’s face as she crouched down to her son.

“Damn you handled that nicely.” Peri spoke up as she rose to her feet again.

“You did most of that though being the one to talk to him first.”

“The kid probably thought I was a body guard or something, so it was actually a pretty smart idea for him to come to me first. Gotta give the lil’ dude props for that.”

“Plus for working on this with his mother.” Em’s hand moving to let her fingers move over the stones now settled across her chest.

“So? How’re you feeling after doing your first Queenly act?”

“Queenly act?”

“Yeah! You just interacted with one of your Kingdom’s next generation, accepted a gift from them, praised them, and helped them feel better before sending them back to their guardian! You can’t see it, but that kid’s really happy and he’s even bouncing a little while telling his mother all about you and how it was to meet you.”

What her friend was saying... actually made a lot of sense to her. No matter what way she thought about it, what she just did was something a leader or hero would tend to do in stories. Stories both fake and very real. The fact she actually did something like that without realizing it, there was some confidence that filled her.

“I’m feeling like I can actually do this...”

“Hell yeah you can!”

Another pat of Peri’s hand to her arm like before occurred and the two of them laughed a little.

“Emma!”

The oh so familiar voice got the Qilin turning her head to look down the hallway behind her. Both the earthy aura of her father figure, the source of the call to her, and that of the pale yellow belonging to Melo were making their way to her and Peri. Poking at the Komodo’s leg got her attention, a hand lowering to help Emma return to her feet with her uncomfortable knee. Managing to get back up just as the two reached them.

“Hey, Umbir, where’d Roy go off to?” Peri called out to the man as he kept drawing closer to the two of them.

“Your brother’s talking with Captain Maho. I told him to show Roy where to go once they’re done so he can be present for whatever Emma’s got in mind.” He took a moment of pause to his speaking as he glanced over Emma’s new clothing. “Speaking of, It’s nice to see you on your feet again, Em’.” Her father figure spoke up, a gentle smile across his features.

“It’s nice to be on my feet.”

“Sir Dew bumped into me while I was on my way out of the Medical Bay.” Melo spoke up explaining his added presence. “I grabbed a cotton pad and some medical tape that we can use to cover your eye, Emma.”

“Emma?” Umbir’s tone a little confused turning to look to his underling. Such earning a shrug from the woman.

“She requested that I call her by her name and not using a title.”

Em’ could feel the man’s eyes fix on her, clearly looking for some confirmation. Nodding her head, the man did the same understanding the situation.

“Okay” Melo spoke up getting the Royal’s attention as she extended a hand with a small square between her fingers “hold this over your eye.”

The process took about a half minute. Emma taking the cotton pad and carefully holding it over her left eye, Melo unwrapped strips from the tape, tore them off, and secured it in place. One down the side of the square on the outer side of the Qilin’s face, one smaller piece across the corner by the top of her nose, and one last strip along the bottom above her cheek.

“There we go.” The woman turned her attention to Umbir again. “Could you return this to the Med-bay? I’ve been around the civilians more often than you have, I think it’ll be good for me to be with Emma while she’s around them.” Her hand holding the medical tape aside for him.

“Sure. If you three get to the catwalk before I catch up, I’ll meet you there.” Taking the roll from his underling, he turned and began back to the medical room of the Airship.

“What’s he talking about with a catwalk?” A confused Emma speaking up in question.

“There’s a catwalk in the room we’re heading to. High up, gets people in a noticeable spot, can let a voice carry through the room well. Best place to speak to your people and say whatever you need to.”

Emma nodded in understanding after it was explained to her what was meant.

Just before the Knight went to begin guiding the two again, she noticed something that got her to step closer and gently lift the necklace with a finger. “Did a little boy with antlers and blue eyes give this to you?”

Her question got a nodding confirmation from Emma.

“That’s actually really nice, Cele did good.”

“I know, right? Lil’ guy’s got a good eye and creative mind!”

“That he does. Gotta give him a high five while we pass by.” A smooth transition from the trained woman as she gestured for the two to follow her again. Stepping ‘round both to round the corner once more and begin down the crowded hallway. Looking ahead she could see little Cele being picked from the floor by his mother. Their eyes meeting and the trio sharing a smile as the distance between them was beginning to close.

Emma on the other hand, as she followed behind Melo, kept her had turning to look over the people around them. Seeing so many people, thankfully now only through her right eye, she was able to look over them more properly. Seeing so many whom appeared to be adults, others small and childish, a couple clearly elderly. So many auras of varying colors, but so many of them in different moods.

Some dimmed, others shivering, a few vibrating, a couple having shrunk even. Sadness, despair, anxiety, fear, so much negative emotions. Even if some of them seemed to be easing as they saw her. But a few brightened and glowing aura’s stood out to Emma’s sight. Most which she didn’t know, a lot being children whom she heard quietly asking various things about her to their guardians. Though one was a bright blue that she had met just a minute earlier.

As the three came up to Cele and his mother, Melo stretched out a hand and the boy quickly reacted. Reaching his own hand out, the two connected for a ‘high’ five. Afterward his attention quickly shifted to Emma, the Qilin could feel his gaze on her, and even if she couldn’t see it they shared a smile. Once it came Peri’s turn to pass by, he gave the kid a thumbs up and a wink. Waving with her tail as they passed and continued on.

It only took another minute of walking, passing by multiple more groups of people till they would fine themselves stepping into a much, much larger room. Within was the bulk of the Ventian civilians, dozens of them if not a hundred or so at bare minimum filling this room alone. There was still some space to move around and for some breathing room, but so many more people than what was within the halls leading here.

“Up this way.” Melo spoke up, stepping off to the side where, after a second, Emma’s aura would reveal a stair case as it began flowing through the room.

Turning her attention up the stairs, she quickly noticed a familiar aura, ever changing between seven colors and never staying as one of them for more than a few seconds at a time. Roy. His form bent forward, she supposed he was resting against the railing of what she guessed was the catwalk. Off to his side, however, stood two auras more. One she remembered from when she and Peri arrived in the canyon the other day, and one of a beige color. The red aura of the man from the canyon with his arm ‘round the smaller beige being.

“Hey there, Princess.” Roy spoke up as the trio got up onto the catwalk proper.

“Roy.” Emma greeted in return, making her way to hug him, feeling his arms return the embrace quickly.

“Hey, leave some room for me!” The sister of the Gaia duo stepping over to the two opening a space to welcome her into their hugging. As the three shared this moment, a breath of relaxation was taken by each. After which they broke apart, though Peri kept her arm round Roy’s shoulders as they set into a comfortable stance together.

The Qilin, however, would feel a tap at her shoulder. Looking to the source, it was Melo gesturing to step past her friends. Following her, the two stepped over closer to the two auras whom were unknown to the younger of the two. Seeing both of them move to turn to face her. Only now noticing that the beige shorter being had a pair of animalistic ears atop their head. Really, really tall ears.

“Emma, these are the NeverCondor’s Captains. Captain Maho Agna and his wife Captain Begi Vix.” The Guard introduced the two to the people to Emma. Gesturing first to the taller red form, then the shorter beige.

Before she could do much, she would see the man’s hand reach forward urging for a handshake, one which she took with a bow to her head. After which she saw that of the shorter of the pair bow her own head before hearing her speak up.

“It’s a pleasure to meat you, your Highness. Umbir’s been working pretty closely with us and he’s told us a lot about you. Actually kind of been looking forward to meeting the ‘Aura-Sighted Huntress’ for a bit now.”

“Please, just call me Emma. No need for titles between us. I’ve never really felt like I’d be able to fulfill the role, so this is all going to be new for me.”

“Well, if it’s going to be any bit similar to being a Captain, you can come to us if you need some advice at any time.” A masculine voice, she assumed Maho’s as she turned her attention to his aura form.

“Thank you, Captain. I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”

“Here.” Maho again, his arm moving, seemingly to retrieve something. “Whenever you’re ready, there’s a switch on the side of this headset that you can use to turn it on. Once you do, a microphone will fold out and you can speak into that. It will broadcast your voice through the entirety of the ship. Since the Ventian refugees we have on board are spread about the central area of the ship, this will let all of them hear you from where they are.”

The object held out to her, according to what Emma would see with her aura flowing over it, appeared to be a wireless thin headset. One side ending with a thinner stop she assumed would fit over or behind her left ear. The other with a wider and thicker section with a somewhat similar shaping as the other, just with an extra bit that she assumed would go inside her ear. Reaching to take it, she brought it to hold in both her hands across her front.

“Thank you, again Captain. For taking care of... my people... in their time of need. For bringing them to a safer place. I’m not absolutely sure about it, but I think I have an idea of a location where they can be housed for some time until we’re able to get some more proper housing set up. Just might take some time to get it ready for them.” A fairly obvious bit of nerves present as she said that second sentence.

“If you need any help with that, just let us know, alright? We’ve got some people who’re great with repairs and building, and there are actually quite a few of your people who’ve offered to help us with keeping the NeverCondor in good shape while they’ve been on board.”

“I’m glad they’ve been able to help with your travels since you’ve taken them in.

“Y’know” Begi again “for someone who’s unsure how well they’re going to do as a Queen, you’re already handling yourself pretty well just talking with us.”

“R-Really?” A somewhat disbelieving tone to Emma’s voice.

“Hey, that’s the kind of talk I’ve used to make some deals as Captain while Maho’s not been available before. There’s definitely going to be some hardships and some things to get used to, sure, but I think you’re going to do fine in the long run, Emma.”

A gentle smile came present to the Royal’s face hearing Begi’s words. “Thank you, Begi. It helps knowing so many people have been showing faith in me.”

Feeling a hand come to clasp onto her shoulder, Emma’s head turned to look for the source behind her. Seeing Umbir’s aura, she moved her own hand to hold over his. Now with her smile even brighter.

“We’ll have your back, Emma. You’re not going to be alone at any point in this stage of your life, I can promise you that.”

His words were a huge source of comfort to her in this moment on top of just him being present overall.  Though after hearing him, her head turned and she looked down over the crowd beneath them. Slowly feeling her smile weaken some, her nerves getting to her as she saw many of them moving closer, to look up at them.

“Despite all the support, I don’t even know what to say to them. I’ve not been in Ventus for years, some of these people are children who were born after my exile so they don’t even know who I am beyond a false Princess. They’ve lost who was likely their best leader since Manus, and now they either turn to Samuel and hope for mercy, or they look to an uncertain young girl who was raised to be a maid for her own half-brother. The only other time I’ve spoken to even a fraction of this amount of people was at the Duke’s charity event when I announced I was still alive, but I had Octavius Tyrian with me at that time. My closest supporter and friend on the Noble front, and he’s not here right now...”

“Hey” her father figure called to her to earn her attention “you’re going to do wonderfully. Breathe in,” he himself inhaling, Emma mimicking him “breathe out,” both of them exhaling “You’ve got this.”

The short moment the two shared was something they tended to do when they were younger. Any time young little Emma had been panicking or upset for reasons related to her disabilities, Umbir would come to her aid. Getting to his knees in front of her, a gentle hand cupping her cheek, another holding her arm or hand. Speaking to her, calling out the nickname she had given her, and getting her attention before working through the process with her.

Both remembered this in the moment, taking one more to hug each other with a single arm.

“Thank you, Papa.”

“You’re welcome, Lil’ Filly. Take some time to think over your words, and when you’re ready, you’ve got the microphone.” His hand patted at her shoulder, leaving it a second after to step over by the Captains to chat with them a bit.

Now on her own among the group, Emma stepped over to the railing of the walkway. Both hands coming to rest atop it, headset in hand. She could feel so many people looking up to her in the moment. It actually surprised her a fair bit just how many people filled the lower section of the room. Combining the number she could guess was present to those in the one hallway she had her eye act up in, she was sure it was a minimum hundred people. The fact there was even more though, that actually got her nerves acting up some.

Still, even with the nerves present within her, she set her mind to attempt to piece together some collection of words. Something she thought would be fitting for a new leader to say to those she’d watch other. She couldn’t really come up with anything all that fast, it was definitely going to take a minute or so at least. Stepping back from the railing, she backed herself to the wall behind her to rest against that instead. Hoping that clearing her sight of the multitude of people below would help her think.

The Gaia siblings glanced over to the thinking Qilin for a second after seeing her form move as it did to the wall behind. Peri, out of the corner of her eye, noticing Melo looking to the Royal as well with some worry present in her gaze. A flick of her tail off to the side getting her attention, after which the Komodo mouthed “Just give her some time”, receiving a nod in understanding. Watching the Guard then turn to join Umbir and the two Captains for the time being. The two of them, however, moved to the corner at the top of the staircase that lead up to the catwalk which they stood on. Further from the rest of the group and a tad more private for them to talk without interrupting their friend.

Remembering back to her time at the Duke’s charity event and the speech she gave there, some ideas did come to mind. Though really thinking them over, the ideas she had back then were meant for high-society people that could’ve provided support for her. This time it was a bunch of people who were scared and unsure of what their future held for them. People who looked to her for some sense of comfort or safety. Two very different things, very different wordings needed.

Working her mind to think of some sort of answer, her eyes lowered to look to the headset her aura covered with each pulse of it. Taking in a lip to nibble at it as she thought, and her tail beginning to swat gently against the wall behind her.

A few minutes actually ended up passing as Emma had her mind hard at work. Not noticing the people having moved around her, her mind having tuned out their voices to focus her own inner vocals. Having switched which side of her lip was being nibbled on every couple seconds, at one point bringing both in and just pressing them together. By now, she felt like she had a couple points she wanted to get across, but there was a lack of proper wording to use to get them out. It was actually a little stressful being unable to piece together words like she was needing to.

Suddenly feeling a hand to her shoulder, the Qilin nearly jumped as her attention was forced back to the world beyond her mind. Blinking a couple times over, uncovered eye glanced about. Noting Roy absent from Peri’s side to her left, Melo standing in front of her and just a little toward the right, then Umbir leaning against the wall beside her with the aura forms of the two Captains and the Gaia Brother standing some distance away.

“Emma?” The woman before her calling her name, getting her eyes turning to her pale yellow aura again. “You alright?”

“Yeah... Yeah, I’m fine, I just... I know what I want to tell them, but I’ve not been able to think of words I should use to get those messages across...”

“Why not wing it then?” The extremely familiar of Umbir’s voice spoke up, earning her attention immediately. “Some of the better speeches that Manus or Cres ever gave were mostly just them going out and talking.”

“I don’t know if I should be inspired hearing that my biological father, who was apparently a Tyrant most of his reign, had good speeches because he just ‘winged them’...” A doubtful response from Emma’s end at his idea.

“I’m not saying you should be, Emma. I’m never going to tell you to be inspired by anything Manus ever did with how horrible a man he was. What I am saying is that you don’t necessarily need to plan out every last word that you say. Just take what you’ve got, figure out how to word it all as you do.” His shoulders rising a little during the end of his sentence. Relaxing just a second later.

Emma had her head nodding for a short bit as she thought over the idea. It would work, she had the somewhat vague idea of what she wanted to say in mind and she knew what exact points she wanted to make known. Winging it would likely be her best option over all wouldn’t it?

Some bit of her was feeling a little more sure of herself when thinking of taking the plunge that would begin her role as Queen. Of making her voice present for the Ventian people to hear. 

She was still a little nervous, yes, but that was her worry that she’d be treated the way she was while leaving Ventus all those years ago. Plenty of the refugees were undoubtedly old enough to remember that day, some possibly having even been among the people whom had spit disgust her direction. as well.

Yet. really taking a second to think of it, there wasn’t exactly a reason for her to think of that... To think such a thing would be unavoidable. Especially not with how everything had been just days ago. At least she hoped that after what had happened it wouldn’t be that way...

“Y-Yeah... I think I can do this. Just give me another minute.” She could see the pale yellow head nodding in understanding. The woman then stepping away to lean over the railing of the catwalk and look to the people below. Something becoming clear to the Royal in this moment, Melo had a tail. A long tail with a rounded end that unfurled from ‘round the Guard’s waist to curl beside her leg.

Emma was a little surprised she hadn’t been able to notice the extra appendage on Melo before, but thinking over it for a second, she figured that she had kept it wrapped ‘round her waist till now. She’d have to ask what sub-species of Faunus the Knight is later. Too many things were much more important right now.

Thankfully it didn’t take much longer till she felt she was more ready to be able to do what she needed. Taking a deep breath, she moved herself away from the wall and stepped closer to the railing. Once more, she could feel the eyes of the people below fixing to her. Swallowing down the nerves that rose from the sense that most all of them were turning their eyes to her, she lifted the headset in her hands, fixing it atop her head and fitting the two sides so they felt right on her. One more breath, and with her hand rising to feel for the switch, she pushed it across it’s spot, and with a gentle click beside her ear, the microphone was now available.

A chime suddenly rang out in the room, three notes in a rising tone. The echo from beyond the room making it clear to her that this was, in fact, going across the ship. Bringing her hands to hold at the railing, she took one more breath.

“P-People of Ventus.” She could hear her own voice repeating, a somewhat electrical tone to it. “I am Emma Smoke Khromatos, Daughter of Manus Aescae Khromatos and Aligar Kaj. Due to my birth mother, Aligar, dying shortly after I was born, I was raised as a maid to the royal family under the name Smoke Kaj by the maid named Harley Nara. A woman who I assume a good sum of you know as she was a kind, wonderful woman that would frequently venture to the market along the main road for supplies. I would often be present with her, a young, scared little girl who rarely spoke when around people I didn’t know.”

She had to pause a second to breathe and calm herself, recalling her past having brought up various emotions which she hadn’t exactly expected. The breath she took to calm herself being just barely heard across the speaker system of the ship.

“Eventually... as I grew older, my Faunus trait began showing more and more. Thankfully with the maid outfit being as long as it was, it hid my tail for a long while. Though after a particular fall that I took, Queen Cress saw it. This ended up giving away my true identity. That I was a child of her King born out of wedlock. Angered by this, she ordered that I be exiled. That night I stole a weapon that was to be given to my half-brother Samuel the next week. Having been his training partner for a while under the watchful eye of Sir Umbir Dew, I had experience with the kind of weapon it was. I disguised it as a walking stick, and the next day I had it with me when I was escorted out of the Kingdom to the Solitas mainland to wander on my own.

One thing lead to another, I found myself on a boat to Sanus, and I traveled to Vale. Meeting with a teacher from the Hunter Academy of Vale, I expressed a wish I had developed during my travels to be able to keep other people safe during their own travels, as I had been helped by Hunters and Huntreses myself at various points on my own journey. Thankfully after displaying my capabilities with the Scythe and what little I could control of my Semblance, he was able to help me enroll in Beacon. I had to tell the headmaster my true name and my story, but he felt I had potential, so he let me in.

By the time I was one of the students and placed into a team fittingly called Team Empress, word had spread that a Princess had been exiled, and eventually killed by a Grimm. With the assistance of the son of a Noble family that supported me even back when word first got out of my situation, I was able to get in touch with some other members of Noble blood, eventually even being invited to a charity event held by the Duke of Coste. At this event, I spoke to settle the rumors of my death, and set word to be spread around that I still lived.

As Lady Melo Grove has revealed to me, Queen Cress had been trying to discover if I was still alive for a while before the Charity event. Wanting to contact me and try to welcome me back to Ventus with open arms to try and repair our relationship. I’m unsure, but she may have even been wanting to accept me as a proper member of the Royal family and an heir to the throne should Samuel have not been fit for it. 

However, at it was soon after I attended the Charity event that the attack on Vale happened. Beacon Academy was swarmed by Grimm, some of Atlas’ technology went haywire and starting attacking students and civilians, and the Cross Continental Transmit System tower of Vale was destroyed. Communications were hindered across all Remnant because of this, and Cres was unable to contact me in any easy way like she might have been with the CCT system up. Instead, she decided to get in touch with some of the Noble families based in Sanus who supported me. One such pair of Noble families was the Baron and Baroness of Montai, and the Duke of Coste.

A couple months back, after you arrived in Sanus aboard the NeverCondor, Umbir dew came to find me, and alongside a close friend of mine, Octavius of the Tyrian family, he showed us video footage of the meeting that Cress had with the three Nobles. I could only hear it, but what I heard made it clear that the Queen wanted the best for me. Asking the Montais and the Duke to take care of and support me in her place should she die before she’s able to meet with me and fix things between us....

Sadly... neither her request or her wishes could possibly be fulfilled... Just as their meeting was ending, a cloaked woman was let into the Quartz Stage by guards loyal to Samuel. This woman rendered the fully armored Umbir Dew incapacitated, killed the Duke of Coste and the Montais, and after my Half Brother took the crown and left the building, she killed Queen Cres as well. 

The sounds of gunfire and screams could be heard as background noise as Umbir began to recover control of his suit, and his body in turn. After retrieving the Necklace from around Cres’ neck and pocketing it, Umbir rushed outside, and the sound of raging flames and explosions became clear... The rest of this story you all know already.” 

Once more she’d pause, feeling a lump in her throat remembering how she handled everything when it was revealed to her that such tragedy had happened to her home.

“Now... when he came to me, Umbir left the Queen’s necklace with me and for some time I avoided wearing it. He told me that I needed to come talk to all of you... To give you some sort of hope by becoming the next Queen and leading you through this difficult time.... But I was unable to bring myself to do so, I was scared, doubtful, and felt I couldn’t possibly fill in the space left by the late Queen Cres... So I never came.

I left all of you scared, unsure of what the future held for you, and those emotions grew more and more each day. Growing to the point it drew the attention of Grimm. Too much Grimm for the NeverCondor to have been able to handle without help. At the time, Umbir called for me, for my team and any others I could get to help.

Initially, me and my teammate and friend Peri Gaia intended to call more people to help us confront the Grimm Horde which was assaulting the Airship. But something happened. 

I’m unsure how many of you know, but I was born blind. I am blind. Though at a point in my life, my aura began changing and adapting, interacting with my eyes in a way that removed it’s protective nature as a sort of default, and instead let me perceive auras. Right now, as I look at everyone in this room, I see you as a vast array of wonderful colors. Reds, blues, greens, yellows, even a couple more uncommon ones like grays and metallic shades. 

Back when I arrived, what happened to me was something that happened once before, but I saw what I can only explain to be a ghost. An aura figure that didn’t belong to any living physical body. One of a ghastly white color. Last time I had encountered it, I entered into it’s embrace and I felt at peace. Like everything was right in the world. Though it also distracted me enough for an Ursa to find me, which proceeded to hit me into a tree, injuring my head and damaging my left eye further than it already was.

Seeing the ghostly aura again, I knew something would happen if I went to it. I was unsure whether it would be something good or if it would be bad, but I had to know. , With some help from a crew member that I’m told goes by the name of Sprig, I was able to get to the figure and once again feel it’s touch. The odd aura was calming, pleasant, and for a short time it felt there wasn’t any horde surrounding me. Yet in it’s embrace, something happened this time that didn’t before. 

The being spoke to me. It’s words... I couldn’t understand them at all. Yet even still, there was some sense of understanding that came as I listened to it. I came to know what I had to do to help with the Horde, to have some confidence that I could lead you, and to know it’s identity. As crazy as it sounds... I’m not entirely sure of it myself, but I’m sure the name that it put into my mind was that of our first Queen. Of Giulia Khromatos. I’m unsure why Giulia came to me or how it’s even possible, but she was there, and even though she’s absent right now, I know she’s here watching over us.

Using the knowledge Giulia gave me, what seemed to be based on an experience she herself had with the Ventian People of her time, I was able to come up with an idea that would hopefully work to fend off enough of the horde. With a Dust Crystal in hand and Giulia’s help, I was able to use the Dust to stagger the Grimm horde, and my Semblance at a much stronger state than I have ever been able to in my time as a Huntress. The combination allowed me to successfully fend off what Grimm were more of a threat, block a large sum of the horde from being able to get to the NeverCondor should those closer to the ship be destroyed. 

Though I do have to give thanks for my friend and teammate Peri Gaia and the man who’s been my Father Figure for my entire life, Umbir Dew. Without the two of them, there were multiple points during the encounter where I very well could’ve died. A couple where they almost did themselves”

Turning to look back to the Komodo and the Armored man one after the other, the two both shrugged after glancing to one another and stepping forward to her sides. Emma herself looking between the two before focusing to the crowd again. A smile now present.

“Without Peri and Umbir, my effort in settling the rumors of my death would’ve turned out to be for nothing.” She could hear Peri chuckling, thus making her laugh a little alongside her. Not really even caring it would be broadcast through the entire ship. Though she did calm herself a couple seconds later.

“After what happened two days ago, I ended up losing consciousness due to severe lack of aura. According to Umbir, I was out for a full twenty-four hours. Over this time, the NeverCondor’s crew was able to clear out as much Grimm as they needed to have the time necessary for them to launch and take to the skies safely. To get all of you to safety. But this is only temporary... 

If I were to have left the instant I could instead of coming here to talk to all of you, it would’ve set the cycle in motion all over again. You would feel that same fear, despair, anxiety, and uncertainty still, possibly even worse, and eventually Grimm would’ve come again. The next time would’ve likely been worse, so much so than what this time was. 

But it’s because I know that and because of the faith that I’ve received from the people beside me right now, and because of the kindness of a little boy among you who welcomed the idea of me as your Queen so easily that I stayed. That I am right here, right now, speaking as I am, and addressing every single refugee. What I am about to say, I may sound unsure of myself, but that’s not because of how I’m feeling right now or because of you. It’s because of doubts I had harbored all my life and the fact that, just like all of you, I am scared to step into this unknown territory.”

Pausing, Emma took a deep, audible breath to ready herself physically, mentally and emotionally for what she was about to say. A part of her unable to believe she was taking this step, that with all the negativity that had filled her whenever she thought of herself as a ruler, she was about to set herself to such a role. There was actually a want to hesitate, to stop right now and just run, but she knew she couldn’t. She had to do this.

“I, Emma Smoke Khromatos, twelfth generation of the Khromatos lineage, will not hide any longer. Starting today, I will take upon myself the role of Queen of Ventus. As shaky as the road ahead may be with having to learn and adapt, to the best of my ability I will lead you all to a future where we can return to Ventus and free it of the legacy of tyranny which Samuel continues in his fathers stead. It may take some time to get there, but I promise you, I will get us there. I just need your faith and your trust.”

The intercom system would fall silent for a short bit. Emma quieting herself hoping for some kind of reaction from the crowd. She could feel eyes leaving  her and hear voices down below. For a few seconds she was feeling unsure of whether or not what she said was right. If the words she used didn’t work and the Ventian people wouldn’t support her. She could feel her tail curling ‘round her leg as worry began to settle in.

But then she heard something, cheering and clapping, all so faint from the hallway she and the others entered the room from. The quiet applaud soon growing louder while still muffled. Louder again, the opposite side now, just another second passing before the very room she was currently in began cheering up to her. Some merely clapping, others shouting words of support and positivity.

It actually took Emma by surprise a little bit to know they were accepting her. That after all of her self-doubting, people were able to believe the would be able to lead them. Finding herself choking up some just from the realization that so many people believed she could do what she was so sure she couldn’t for so long. The impact of the moment hitting her hard enough she could’ve sworn she couldn’t breathe.

Before she was able to say or do any more, she could feel a pressure against the side of the headset. Soon discovering it was Umbir shutting the headset off. Turning her head to him, she could see his hands raising with the aura-filled pendant necklace hanging between them. Moving it closer to her to set it ‘round her neck as his aura glowed bright with happiness. 

Moving to hug him, Emma felt his arms quickly return the embrace and his voice speaking one simple line that sent tears rolling down her cheeks..

“I’m proud of you.”