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[trnsfrmtn111]

"Please...I don't want to be stuck here like thi-"

"Tersenyumlah untukku!"

As he heard the man in front of him bark an order, he felt himself flex, smiling as his brain numbed over any thoughts of resitance.

This was his life for the past few days since being transformed into an Indonesian bodybuilder while on vacation. He didn't want to start the fight that led him to this spot, but he couldn't do anything.

Every time he remembered, it was as if those two words helped remind him of who he truly was. Every flex and every smile eroding more and more of his old self.

He is Hasan, not Steven. He is 45, not 32. He is a bodybuilder, not a teacher. He is dull, not sharp.

And everyday, this reminder kept coming back. Slowly, the Steven inside of him dissolved. Even as almost all his memories were rewritten, it would still come back.

"Ubah saya kembali!"

"Tersenyumlah untukku!"

Until eventually, all that was left was Hasan. A muscled Indonesian beast, who was madly in love with the owner of the gym he called a second home.

Hasan was a new member of "Transformasi", a new gym in the outskirts of Bali.

All he had left to do was to just smile, and flex.

[rd0265667]

Sana x Reader: Under the moonlight

Permanent Taglist: @cwpiqwon @justme-idle

A/N: Second of the Misamo fics

“My Lady, you must hurry. The other generals are growing impatient.”

Sana did not turn to face the urgency in her squire’s voice. Instead, she remained kneeling before the child, a small figure with wide eyes that shone like polished stones.

“Is there anything else you need?” she asked, her gentle smile a balm against the harshness of the world outside.

“I want to go home,” the child whispered, his voice scarcely louder than the flutter of a sparrow's wings.

“Will you beat the bad people?” The question hung in the air, filled with hope and fear, as the child’s gaze searched hers for reassurance.

“Of course, I’ll end this. Then we can all go home, okay?” With a scrunched nose, she patted the child’s head, feeling the weight of his dreams resting on her shoulders.

Standing, she placed her left hand on her saya, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she shook her head, the burden of command ever-present. Her squire, a silent shadow, followed closely behind her.

As she parted the cloth that served as the door to the Commander’s tent, Sana stepped into the flickering light, her playful smile contrasting sharply with the grim atmosphere.

“Ah, all of this for little ol' me? How generous of you all,” she quipped, taking her seat at the table, her voice laced with mischief.

“This is no joking matter, Lady Minatozaki,” Lady Miyawaki interjected, her tone sharp as the steel sheathed at her side. “We are at war, and you still treat this like a game.”

“I understand that, Lady Miyawaki,” Sana replied, her tone unfaltering as she twirled her fan with an elegant flourish. “I merely sought to lighten the mood. It is dreadful to sit through another meeting where we all frown and dance in circles of hypotheticals and possibilities.”

Just as the tension threatened to ignite into an argument, the figure at the head of the table—a woman clad in the regalia of a queen—slammed her hand down upon the oak, the sound echoing through the tent like thunder.

“Sana, play nice,” Mina commanded, her voice low and fierce, a tempest contained within a fragile shell.

“As you command, my queen,” Sana replied, dropping into an exaggerated bow, a smile dancing on her lips as she met Mina's stormy gaze.

“Oh lord, that was dreary.” Sana groaned as she stretched, walking out of the tent. “Pod?” Sana called out, her squire approaching. “Bring this back to my tent, I’m going to take a short walk to clear my mind.” Sana said with a smile, handing her katana to him. “As you wish.” He said with a bow, turning to head to her tent. With her fans in her hand, she lightly fanned herself as she roamed the camp, soon settling on a leisure prowl around the camp’s borders. As she strolled, her eye twitched, noticing movement in the forest, like a light gust of wind, or a spectre in the night. “You there, the one in the dark. Step out, let us share a cup of tea, and have a nice conversation.” Sana spoke, though her grip tightened about her fan. “Leave, we don’t want to hurt anyone, we’ll just take what we need and leave.” Your gravelly voice emerged from the foliage. “Well, that’s unfortunate, I was looking forward to making new friends. So many stuffy generals around here. Anyways, it's unfortunate to tell you but our resources are scarce, and they’re needed by every single one of our people, so I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Sana sighed, her fan opening with a flourish. “I’m giving you one last chance to leave. We outnumber you, you’re alone, and unarmed.” Sana smirked, a light tilt of her wrist allowing the moon light to reflect off the metallic ridges of her fan. “It’s called a tessen, honey, it’s my favourite.” Sana smiled. “And, well, I’m not sure how you think this is going to go down. Sure, there may be, hmm, let’s see, about 10 of you, but I guarantee you, none of you could take me. You’d eventually kill me of course, but at the cost of how many of you? By then, I’d have attracted enough attention, and the soldiers will be here before any of you even have a chance to steal a bag of seeds.” Sana bemused, her smile still bright as she slowly fanned herself “Maybe, but my men are desperate.” “I understand that, and I feel for you, but I can’t let you just waltz into my camp, and take what we have, so please, this is the last chance, leave.” Silence filled the air, before Sana heard some light shuffling, before the presence left. A sigh escaping Sana’s lips, she closed her fan, walking back to camp. “Who was that? Were those monsters? Or bad guys?” Sana heard the same child from earlier run up to her, clearly having seen the potential intruders. “No, No, no monsters, no bad guys, just some poor scared and desperate people.”

“Hey, Cap.” One of your men approached you, a grim look “How are they?” You asked with a sigh. “Hanging in there, they…we trust you, but morale isn’t looking good.” “I’m sorry, Fran, I’ll think of something alright? Get the fellas to hit the hay, we’ll go out and check our traps tomorrow, in the meantime, I’ll try to think of something.”

The fire was guttering out, snapping weakly at the night. Smoke drifted in lazy spirals, too thin to hide the cold. You squatted close to the embers, rolling the tension out of your shoulders while the rope claws coiled around your arms like a second skin. The hunger sat heavy in your gut, clawing up through your bones, but you pushed it down. No time for that. Your men were worse off. “Morale doesn't look great.” Fran had said. No shit. Starving men and hope didn’t live long together. This was almost an invitation for mutinous thoughts.

You flexed your hands, letting the claws rattle against your wrists. The ropes felt heavier tonight. Everything did. You needed food. Fast. Something. Anything

Then, a voice drifted through the darkness, cool and smooth like a katana from a Saya

“It’s a shame you hid in the darkness earlier. Should have let me see that gorgeous face of yours.” “Is this where you hide?” she called, her playful tone cutting through the night air. With a flick of her wrist, she snapped open one of her tessens, the steel glinting in the firelight .She stepped into the firelight with that easy, loping grace, her smile sharp and knowing. “Not much of a welcoming committee, Captain.” Her dark eyes glittered as she tilted her head. “Miss me?”

You narrowed your eyes, silence filling the space between you. Without warning, you lashed out with your right claw, the rope darting toward her.

“My men were hungry! I had no choice!” You shouted out as you sent your claws at her

But she was quick—deflecting the strike with her fan and sending it careening harmlessly aside. “Almost had me!” she teased, effortlessly twisting away.

You advanced, launching both claws in rapid succession—one aimed high, the other low. Sana danced between your strikes, her fans cutting through the air and redirecting each attack with ease. She was agile, a shadow among the trees, but you were relentless.

With a flick of your wrists, you pulled the ropes taut and swung one claw toward her midsection, aiming to catch her off guard. She sidestepped just in time, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Getting warmer!”

You followed up with a quick thrust of the other claw, but she ducked low, her fan slicing toward your legs. You jumped back, barely avoiding the blade. 

“Come on, precious, have some fun!” she winked, spinning gracefully to avoid your reach. You stayed silent, a continuous rampage forward, wild slashes in an attempt to close the gap, but Sana remained tantalisingly out of reach, every parry, block, counter, all one fluid motion that moved like a tsunami “You’re no fun.” Sana pouted, jumping up onto a tree branch, lazily perching as one of her legs dangled lazily. “Not to worry, I’ll have the fun handled, don’t worry so much.” Sana winked, blowing you a kiss before leaping down from the tree with all the grace of a dancer, like a droplet of water sliding off a leaf.

With a surge of determination, you lunged, slashing with both claws in a high-low attack. She leapt back, her fans fanning out as she deflected one of your strikes, redirecting it with effortless grace, the sparks from the clash of the metals flashing between them.

As you pressed forward, you pulled the ropes tight, swinging one claw around to pin her down. But she was already moving, her laughter mingling with the night air. “You really need to think outside the box, my lovely!”

You narrowed your eyes, feigning a right jab with your claw before quickly spinning and thrusting the left one forward. This time, she wasn’t quick enough—her fan collided with the claw, but the force sent her off balance.

Seizing the opportunity, you closed in, aiming for her midsection. But she pivoted, using the momentum to flip back onto a low branch. “Nice try, but you’ll have to be quicker!” she called, balancing effortlessly as she taunted you.

You felt frustration simmering beneath the surface but also something else—intrigue. “Enough games!” you growled, shaking off the distraction.

With a sudden burst of energy, you propelled yourself off the ground, using the claws to launch yourself higher. The rope coils unravelled in the air as you aimed for her again. But she was ready, springing from the branch and darting between trees like a whisper.

You didn’t waste a second. A claw shot from your arm, the rope hissing through the air—but Sana twirled aside, the fan snapping back open to knock it off course. “Ooh, feisty!” she teased, blowing you a kiss. “You really do know how to make a girl feel special huh?” You swung both claws at her, a flurry of strikes, but she ducked and weaved with astonishing agility. “You really should work on your reflexes, handsome!” she teased, her laughter ringing out as she dodged your blows.

The fight escalated, the air thick with the sound of steel clashing against steel, punctuated by Sana’s playful taunts. With a sudden feint, she kicked off the ground, launching herself over you, using the momentum to throw dirt and ashes from the campfire toward your face.

You instinctively shielded your eyes, heart pounding. “You think that’ll stop me?” you shouted, wiping your face clear.

But when you looked up, she was already perched on a high branch, watching you with a mischievous grin. “A little smoke never hurt anyone! But if you’re feeling hurt, I can give you a kiss to make it all better?”

Determined to keep the momentum, you shifted your stance and thrust both claws up at her, trying to pull her down. But she leapt higher, flipping gracefully into the air, landing on another branch just out of reach.

With a flick of your wrist, you sent one claw darting toward her, the rope shooting out like a whip. But she caught it with her fan, using it to swing down and spin around, landing just behind you.

“You’re getting a little predictable, I was hoping you’d show me a good time, make me sweat a little, but I see I overestimated you” she said, her voice low and teasing.

You turned quickly, swinging your claws wide in an attempt to corner her. But she dodged, rolling to the side, then sprang up, tossing one fan at you with deadly accuracy.

You barely caught the blade with your claw, redirecting it, but that split second allowed her to dart in close, catching you off guard. Her second fan sliced toward your ribs, grazing your side.

“Nice moves!” she exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement. “But I’m not done yet!”

You thrust both claws in a crisscross, but she slid to your blind spot with a playful chuckle. “So serious! Relax a little.” She winked, tossing her other fan up mid-spin before catching it perfectly. “We’re just having fun.”

But in that moment of chaos, with a flourish, you used the rope claws to swing from a low branch, catching a glimpse of her silhouette among the trees. With a flick of your wrist, you sent the claws out again, targeting the branches around her, sending them crashing down around her

As she dodged and weaved, you pressed the advantage, closing the distance.

But Sana was quick—she kicked off a nearby tree, flipping over the barrier and landing gracefully beside you. “Nice try, but you’ll have to be faster than that! Besides,  trapping me? A little desperate to spend some time with me aren't you? Not that I mind, of course.”

Determined to finish this, you surged forward, claws slicing through the air. She danced around your strikes, moving with an ease that made it seem like she was born for this.

Finally, after a series of rapid exchanges, you found an opening—her foot caught on a low branch as she tried to dodge. With a swift motion, you lunged, aiming for her waist.

“Got you!” you exclaimed, feeling the thrill of victory. But just as your claws came within inches, she twisted away, using your own momentum against you and flipping back onto another branch.

“Almost,” she laughed, her voice echoing through the trees. “You’re getting better!”

With each move, you felt the tension building, both of you pushing your limits. Finally, in a desperate bid, you sent one claw spiralling toward her, the rope coiling to pin her down. She sidestepped, but you were already retracting, bringing the second claw to bear.

She laughed, her eyes gleaming. “This was fun, gorgeous! But I think I’ll leave you to think about what’s next.”

With a sudden burst of speed, she disappeared into the shadows, leaving you standing among the trees, breathless.

“Tomorrow night,” her voice rang out, teasing and light. “In the woods about 5 clicks north. I have a proposition, you’ll want to be there.”

The forest clearing was quiet, save for the crackling fire and the rustle of night leaves. You stood opposite Sana, her dark eyes glinting in the firelight, a playful smile tugging at her lips. Twin tessens rested in her hands, folded shut but ready. They looked delicate—fans for a dancer—but you knew better. Her sweet smile hid the razor sharp edge of her fans. "Glad to see you sweetheart. No doubt you came in pursuit of my endless charm and beauty?” Sana teased, her voice almost a purr

You ignored her, but the grin she gave in response told you she enjoyed the silence. Then the forest shifted—the sickening squelch of boots on mud. You snapped your gaze to the tree line just as figures stepped from the shadows, their armour catching the moonlight. Thirty soldiers spread out in a wide arc, swords, spears, and even the errant axe gleaming in their hands. They moved with precision, circling you both with the confidence of men who assumed they’d already won. But assumption was the mother of all failures.

You tensed, claws uncoiling from your forearms with a metallic hiss. The ropes writhed like serpents at your sides, ready to lash out. “Your men?” you growled, not looking at her.

Sana chuckled, unfazed by the threat. She flicked a fan open with a lazy snap, the steel ribs catching the light. "Please. If I sent thirty men after you, they’d come with wine and roses." Her voice dipped into a playful murmur. "Unless you prefer it a little rougher?”

"Focus."

“Oh please, you’re such a buzzkill,” she teased. “I promise I don’t bite, unless you want me to, of course.”

Her laugh was soft, teasing, as if the two of you weren’t already surrounded by blades. “These are soldiers from the eastern kingdom.” She shifted closer to you, her breath warm against your neck. “I’ve been a pain in their asses for a while. Maybe after this fight, you can be a pain in mine. Though I suspect I’d enjoy myself quite a bit.” Before you could respond, a spear thrust toward you. Your claw shot out in a blur, rope whipping through the air to catch the shaft mid-thrust. A hard yank pulled the soldier off balance, and as he stumbled forward, Sana twirled into his path, her fan dancing across his throat. Blood spurted like a rainbow, the rainbow after the hurricane.

 “One down! If this keeps up, I might just have to reward you with a little extra fun later, I don’t see a need to walk tomorrow anyways”

Two more soldiers charged in, swords raised. You lashed your rope claws forward, the talons catching both men by the arms. A sharp twist, and their weapons clattered to the ground. Sana darted in, a whirlwind of steel and silk, cutting one man down with a flick of her fan and sending the other crumpling with a sharp jab to his temple, seeming almost a primordial force

"Nice teamwork," she called, blowing you a kiss mid-spin. “You make me look good, our kids will be smart and beautiful. We’re calling the first girl Cheryl by the way.”

You rolled your eyes, but you felt a smile tugging at your side.

One of the soldiers lunged at you. Your claw shot out, the rope uncoiling and wrapping around the man’s sword arm. A hard pull yanked him off his feet, and as he crashed to the ground, Sana danced through, her fan gliding across his throat. She tossed you a grin over her shoulder.

“My my, has anyone told you how hot you look when you’re fighting?”

You lashed out with your other claw, sweeping a wide arc that forced three men to jump back. Sana flowed into the opening you created, her fans snapping open like the wings of a hawk. One slashed across a soldier’s face; the other folded shut and cracked against another’s jaw.

“This feels like a date honey, though I insist you ask my parents first,” she said with a sly grin, ducking under your arm as another attacker swung for her head, the razor edge of her tessen making quick work of the attacker’s neck. "Careful, though—if you keep saving me like this, I might start thinking you like me."

"You wish," you muttered, spinning both claws in a deadly blur to create space.

Sana laughed as she deflected a spear thrust, the metal blade sliding off her fan. “Oh, I don’t have to wish. I know you do honey.”

The soldiers pressed in tighter, more cautious now. Despite your technical superiority, the sheer number of attackers was beginning to overwhelm you both. You whipped a claw at a man with a sword, but another rushed in on Sana’s flank. She caught the movement, snapping her fan shut and slamming it into the side of his head with a bone-cracking thud.

“Close one.” She shot you a playful glance. “Don’t tell me you’d miss me if I got hurt.”

"Stay focused," you muttered, twisting your claw free from an attacker’s armor. But she just grinned wider, clearly enjoying herself too much.

"You are worried about me, how sweet." she teased, flipping one fan shut and blowing you a kiss mid-fight.

The relentless assault gave you little time to reply. You spun your rope claws in wide arcs, forcing the soldiers to step back. But their numbers began to tell—they pressed in from all sides, trying to split the two of you apart.

“Sweetie,” Sana called out, "I think we might be in trouble."

You saw it too: fatigue creeping into her movements. For all her skill, her tessens weren’t made for battles like this, a relentless assault where the numbers were woefully stacked against her. You snapped a claw around a soldier’s ankle, yanking him off balance just in time for Sana to dart in, her fan flicking across his throat.

“Nice catch,” she whispered, brushing past you. “Keep it up, and I might just keep you around, for muscle, or some…extra curricular relaxation.”

But then, a sword slipped through your defenses. You dodged the blow by inches, but the soldier on your left lunged before you could recover. Sana was there in a flash, deflecting the strike with one fan while slashing with the other.

“You know,” she murmured, sidling up beside you again, “if you keep letting them get this close, I’ll think you’re trying to show off.”

"I thought you liked a challenge," you shot back, fighting off a smirk while twisting your claw to disarm another attacker.

She giggled, spinning away from an oncoming spear. “I do, I do! But maybe not so many, hmm?”

You didn’t answer, twisting your rope claws to wrap around a soldier’s leg. With a sharp tug, you pulled him off his feet, sending him crashing into two more attackers. Sana followed through, slicing across their necks with a playful hum.

“You know,” she whispered as she slid into your space again, “I think we’re much too good together.” Her breath brushed your ear, even as her fan knocked aside a sword mid-swing. “Is it just me, or do you just adore being this close to me?”

A soldier broke past your defences, lunging toward Sana. You lashed out instinctively, rope claw wrapping around his sword arm and yanking him back. Sana pivoted smoothly, her fan slicing across his throat in one fluid motion, a smirk on her face as she flicked her fans, the blood accumulated on them splattering onto the mud.

“You’re so protective,” she whispered, her voice dripping with mischief. “Now I’m really sure you’re in love with me.”

Another wave of attackers surged in. You lashed both claws in sweeping arcs, the ropes hissing through the air. The claws slammed into two soldiers’ weapons, tangling them in place, and with a sharp twist, you disarmed them both. Sana slipped through the chaos, her fans flashing like twin blades of moonlight, cutting down anyone who got too close.

The tide, however, wasn’t turning. The soldiers were closing in again, surrounding the two of you despite your best efforts. Sana’s breath was coming faster now, her movements just a hair slower.

“Gotta say,” she huffed, blocking another blow with a flick of her fan, “I think I liked it better when it was just us. More will they won’t they, less bloody murder” She twisted her wrist, slashing a soldier across the face, but even as she turned for the next one, you saw it—her movements faltered just a second too long.

A soldier slipped through her guard.

"Look out!"

She raised a tessen, but the man's blade smashed against her head with a sickening crack. The impact sent her stumbling backward, her smile fading for the first time that night.

“Don’t worry,” she murmured, voice soft and hazy. “I’ve—got…” Her knees buckled, and the tessen slipped from her fingers as she collapsed.

Anger flashed through your eyes, you were already moving.

With a growl, you snapped both claws wide. The hooked blades shot through the air, coiling around the legs of two soldiers. A vicious tug sent them crashing to the ground. You reeled them in without hesitation, slamming your knee into one man’s face while your claws dragged the second soldier across jagged rocks.

Another charged from the side, but you spun smoothly, claws slicing in opposite arcs. The first blade caught him in the throat; the second hooked his ankle, yanking him face-first into the dirt.

The few remaining soldiers hesitated now, their ranks thinning and their confidence shattered.

In one vicious movement, your claws flew like a predatory hawk, striking the last few stragglers, almost simpler than a hot knife through butter, their bodies thudding to the ground

They didn’t get back up.

The clearing was quiet again—just the crackle of dying flames and the ragged sound of your breath.

With a sigh, you turned, eyes on the collapsed figure.

Wrapping a cloak from a fallen soldier around her, you pick her up in a bridal carry, then looking around to find the route back to camp.

“Cap! What’re you doing? Isn’t that the general from that camp?” Fran asked, spear held up in a defensive stance. “We’re better than this, Cap. What did you do to her?” Fran questioned. “She had a proposition for me, and I went to entertain her. She got ambushed by her enemies, and I fought alongside her. She got knocked out. I’m going to care for her till she’s well, then hear her proposition. Afterwards, I’ll send her back to her camp.” You explained, setting Sana down in a private tent. “Stand watch over her, I’ll go get some water.” Fran nodded, grabbing a seat near Sana. Walking to the lake, your eyebrows furrowed. 

She was unlike anyone you’d ever fought beside—brilliant, reckless, and as unpredictable as the flip of a coin. In the chaos of battle, you could never tell if she’d pull off some audacious manoeuvre that would save your lives or plunge you both into the abyss. She had the kind of wild courage that seemed born from the folly of gods, laughing in the face of death like it was an old friend, inviting it to share a tankard of wine.

And then there was the flirting.

It was maddening. Every word from her lips dripped with a playful challenge, an innuendo wrapped in silk and shadow. Sana wielded her teasing remarks like weapons, sharp, swift, and aimed to wound. It was not enough that you fought side by side, shoulder to shoulder, with your life hanging by a thread. No, she transformed the battlefield into her stage, throwing glances and barbed words at you as if they were daggers meant for a different kind of combat.

You clenched your fists, your jaw tight with frustration. Her words clung to you like a cobweb, ensnaring your thoughts long after the battle’s dust had settled, pulling you in with every innuendo. It was maddening, the way she teased you, every flick of her fan a deliberate enticement meant to draw you closer. It was not merely combat that she sought to conquer; it was something far more dangerous, a realm where reason faltered. And the worst part? You found yourself responding. Against every shred of wisdom, you wanted to meet her flirtations with your own.

It would have been easier if she were just another soldier, a fellow blade to respect and leave behind once the blood was shed. You could understand that kind of camaraderie: admiration for skill, the bond forged in the heat of battle, and when it was over, you could part ways without a second thought. But no. She did not play by those rules. She didn’t just fight the battle in front of her, she pressed close to you, toying with your heart like a puppeteer would, exploiting weaknesses you didn’t realise you had, and what frightened you the most was that you began to relish it.

You exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down your face, splashing water to bring you back to your senses. You had responsibilities, and she was trouble. Trouble wrapped in a storm of steel and silk. Every aspect of her, from her wild grin to her sharp tongue, exuded danger. A danger you couldn’t afford to keep near, a danger you should cast away as far as you can and never look back.

Yet here you remained.

Your men were starving. Villages lay in ruins, their ashes scattered across the land, corpses piled high like forgotten burdens. Somewhere out there, entire cities had been lost to the horrors of war, their screams echoing through the night. You and your band of merry men had made it a mission to find and protect those who had survived those sieges. You should have been thinking of strategy, of survival, of finding the resources to carry on. Yet your thoughts circled back to her—her, of all people.

You fetched her water, wiped the blood from her brow. You knew how it would go: her dark eyes would flutter open, that sly, wicked grin spreading across her face the moment she saw you. And of course, the first thing out of her mouth would be some absurd remark, sharp and playful, like always—something flirtatious that would slide beneath your skin and linger like a wound.

And the worst part? You knew you would want to hear it.

“Did you miss me, or were you just hoping I’d wake up to your pretty face?”

The war raged on, but in those fleeting moments, when it was just the two of you, it was hard to think of anything else other than her. She was a siren in the storm, tempting you to abandon all sense of duty and dive into the depths of something unknown. But you had a duty, you told yourself, and she had a duty too. As one of the generals in the senseless war between the 8 kingdoms that serves only to spill innocent blood and destroy lives

It would be easier to fall. Fall into whatever game she was playing. But could you really? Sana was a general. You were a captain. She had responsibilities to return to. Could she just be playing some sick game to keep herself entertained. You should hope that was the case, she’d get bored, leave, she’d fight her war, you would fight yours. But deep down, you wanted it to be real. You wanted to fall. It was a dangerous game you played, and with each passing moment, you found it harder to resist the call of her laughter and the pull of her charm. You sighed, shaking your head. You should have stayed away from that camp.

As you trudged back to your camp, you noticed something awry, Fran’s spear laid on the ground. From the tent, you could hear a faint voice. “The person I was with, where are they? Answer me now, or I’ll open your throat.” Eyes widening, you charged in, seeing Fran tensed up, Sana’s fan held against her throat. The look on Sana’s face was terrifying. You had been used to seeing her smile, her dauntless smile in the face of whatever odds. You were glad she was so smiley. Her anger was, to be frank, terrifying. “You’re okay!” Sana’s face morphed back into her signature smile, dropping her fan as she jumped at you, throwing you into an embrace. “That’s Fran, my second in command.” You clarified, pointing to the grumpy soldier who picked up her spear. “That was a good takedown,” Fran grumbled, stepping out of the tent and trying to shake off the tension of the moment.

Sana, still glued to you, turned her attention back with a playful glint in her eye. “So, I know your second in command’s name, but what’s yours? I’m Sana.” Her voice lowered to a sultry purr.

“Y/N L/N,” you said, trying to keep your composure despite the allure radiating from her.

“Oh? Sana L/N. Sounds like a beautiful name, don’t you think, love?” Sana teased, leaning in so close that you could feel the warmth of her breath against your neck.

“Enough,” you grunted, handing her the pouch of water, grateful for the distraction.

“Strong, gorgeous, and considerate? You really are the whole package, aren’t you?” she teased, taking a sip from the pouch, her eyes glinting mischievously.

“What was your proposition, Sana?” you asked, determined to keep this conversation on the battlefield, not in the realm of flirtation.

“Oh, right. Your men need food and supplies. I can provide that for you, but—” She paused, running her fingers lazily through her hair, “—for a price.”

“I’m not sleeping with you, Sana.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter!” she laughed, a sound like chiming bells. “Though I like where your mind is at, that’s not what I need from you.”

“My queen needs more men in this war,” she said, her tone turning suddenly serious. “Bend the knee, and I’ll see to it your men are fed.”

“My men are not sellswords,” you affirmed, resolute. “We fight for the good of the people, not for any king or queen.”

“Don’t worry, I know all about it. I assure you, my queen is not a warmonger. She seeks only to reclaim her maiden home, after which you and your men will be free to leave and fight your battles. But you may choose to stay and serve. I’d very much prefer you take the second option.” She bit her lip, the gesture rife with innuendo, drawing your gaze against your will.

You fell silent, deep in thought, yet Sana seemed to revel in your deliberation, taking it as an invitation to cling closer. Her proximity muddled your mind, drowning you in a sea of desire and distraction.

“You can sleep on it, sugar,” she purred, her voice dripping with temptation. “For now, how about I reward you for a job well done? Like I said, I don’t need to walk tomorrow.” She leaned in, whispering the last words as if casting a spell.

Frustrated, you turned, your hands raised in indecision as you moved forward, cornering Sana against the tent's fabric. She could escape without breaking a sweat, of course, but there she remained, a sultry smile playing on her lips.

“Mm, aggressive. I like that. It’s about time you took some of the reins. My safeword is Ivy,” Sana purred, and your resolve wavered as her words hung heavy in the air.

But before you could respond, a distant horn echoed through the night, no doubt some battle that would leave only death in its wake, breaking the spell that hung between you. The moment was pierced by the harsh reality of your situation. The war loomed like a dark cloud on the horizon, and your men relied on you to lead, not to be distracted by the dangerous allure of a flirtatious ally.

You took a step back, forcing yourself to breathe. “This isn’t the time for games, Sana. My men need me. They’re hungry, desperate.”

Her smile faltered for a heartbeat, the mask slipping just enough for you to catch a glimpse of the worry behind those playful eyes. “I know,” she said softly, the teasing lilt fading. “But this isn’t just a game to me either. I’m fighting for something real.”

You could see the flicker of sincerity in her gaze, and it softened your heart even as it pounded against your ribs. “I’ll consider your offer,” you said, choosing your words carefully. 

Sana nodded, and for a moment, the flirtatious mask slipped completely, revealing a fierce determination. “Then I will make sure your men are fed and taken care of. I swear it. But do not think for a moment that this, that you and I are over.”

You stepped away, mind racing with the weight of your choice. As you turned to leave, you heard her call after you, her voice tinged with something deeper than mere flirtation. “I’ll await you at my camp, I’m sure you know the way. I look forward to seeing you again, Y/N L/N.”

[i-cant-sing]

Saya want know how Qasim look,are you have proposal?(≡・x・≡)

(pics below) Qasim, the brother, is older than reader by 5 years. He has chocolate brown hair, thick messy locks, and green eyes. He's gifted with eiditic/photographic memory which made him excel in school and he obviously had a high IQ as well. Doesnt mean reader thinks he's intelligent. Sure, Qasim is book smart, but he's not- street smart. Y/n has been the one to often make him realise that his friends were taking advantage of him by making him do their homework, or that they were laughing at him not with him because of his intellect. But reader chalks it up to his sweet nature, her goody-two-shoes of a brother who was hafidh (memorised the Quran) would always be the forgiving person. Its not that he was a pushover, he just... preferred to be the bigger person. Always. He'd chuckle and ruffle your hair "so what if I cleaned up their mess? it only took me 5 minutes and the job was done. Its okay, Y/n." He's always so selfless. You used to worry that he'd get hurt because he's too kind, you used to think he couldnt stand up for himself because he just didnt know when to- but no. Qasim was quite protective over you. When he saw you trying to tackle one of his so-called bullies, the boy towering over you (but you dont consider the height advantage, not when youre a raging kitten), Qasim stepped in and landed a single punch that knocked him down. (then big bro had to spend the rest of the day consoling u because you made him fight someone- and in ur head, that was the biggest sin u made him commit).

Qasim in Arabic means "the generous one" or "the one who shares", and being the older bro, he took his name quite literally. You were the younger sibling, the spoiled brat, the princess! But Qasim never had any problems with sharing anything with you, be it materialistic things or advice or even knowledge. You memorised Quran by his help (because u were competitive) and he had the extraordinary patience of a saint. You two would often participate in competitions at the local mosque just to get the cash prize and help your parents a bit (they never took ur guys money, encouraging u to either save it or spend it on something). Since both of your parents worked long hours, you two were left unsupervised for a long time and that only meant genius yet chaotic shenanigans, including prank calls to the pentagon hq.

Qasim grew up to get a lot of full ride scholarships from top colleges, and once he did his masters (a STEM major), he decided to start his own travel agency, surprising everyone because it seemed like something he wouldnt do? Everyone expected him to go into sciences, but he said he liked to travel and see the world, and Qasim told you that he enjoys running his own business, being your own business.

You supposed it made sense because he was a polyglot and he did enjoy learning new things and seeing new places, their history, etc. Due to his job, he would be gone for long months at a time, but he never returned empty handed. His arms full of souvenirs and sweets and BOOKS! Its not that he bought them for u, no. He bought those books for himself, but once he read them- he's already memorised it and he doesnt have anymore space in his home for more books, so he's always dropping them by your place (as kids, u made him memorise the phonebook before hiding the entire neighbourhoods phone books and had people pay to use your brother's memory for contacts, which was a good business until your father busted it down).

Qasim is the softest, kindest, most generous person. Even though he has a busy schedule due to work, he always made time for you. Whenever he came by, especially during your finals season, not only did he help you study, but he would also stock up your fridge and made sure to do some maintenance around your house. Fridge not working? Qasim has the tools, and if you werent so tied up with studying, you wouldve freaked out over him disassembling your fridge like lego. Sink clogged? No need for the plumber, Qasim knows the right potion of chemicals to unclog it. He's always been the one to prefer to do things himself, by his hand rather than relying on help.

what do u guys think???

[s33th1ngg]

Hello!

Movies I like: Buffalo 66, Speak, Good Will Hunting, A Clockwork Orange, American Psycho, Fight Club, Virgin Suicides, Jennifer's Body, Girl Interrupted, IT movies, The Love Witch, The Addams Family both movies, Priscilla, Mysterious Skin, Matilda, the X trilogy, The Phantom of the Opera, Coraline, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Promising Young Woman, Silver Linings Playbook, The Babysitter both movies, Lolita both movies, the Ginger Snaps trilogy, Lady Bird, Black Swan, Alice in Wonderland all three movies, 500 Days of Summer, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Scary Movie four movies, But I'm a Cheerleader, Heathers, Possession, Last Night in Soho, The Bikeriders, Zero Day, My Skinny Sister, Christiane F, The Craft, Thirteen, Nightcrawler, Tesis, The Silence of the Lambs, Gia, The Menu, Ready or Not, Hot Fuzz, Wicked Little Letters, Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, Gone Girl, Leon The Professional, Les Mis, Cabaret, Psycho, Prozac Nation, Donnie Darko, The Substance

Series I like: Killing Eve, The End of the F***ing World, Skins, Everything Sucks, I Am Not Okay With This, GLOW, Shameless, Baby Reindeer, Fleabag, Orange is The New Black, Family Guy, American Horror Story, Queen's Gambit, Bojack Horseman, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Euphoria, Russian Doll, Ever After High, You, Scream Queens, Arcane

Stuff on my list: Dead Poets Society, Carrie, The Shining, Scream movies, White Oleander, Marie Antoinette, Emma, Repulsion, V For Vendetta, Beetlejuice, Requiem For a Dream, Helter Skelter, Nana, Uptown Girls, Twin Peaks, Elvira, Yellowjackets, Haunting of Bly Manor, Palo Alto

Bands, Artists, Soundtracks in my playlist: Lana Del Rey, Deftones, Nirvana, Hole, Unloved, Boy Fantasy, Slipknot, Korn, Picture Me Broken, some Skeeter Davis, Isabel LaRosa, Flyleaf, Kittie, Lady Gaga, Dazey and the Scouts, Melissa Auf der Maur, Christian Death, Bikini Kill, Phantom of the Opera, Heathers, Totono, Song of Saya, Killing Eve, Lolita, Love Never Dies, Cabaret, Psycho

Will add some more stuff!!! Please please please recommend whatever media you like or send me opinions 👹<3

[eponastory]

Beads

There was silence all around Zuko as he sat alone by the turtle-duck pond. The sky was filled with rainclouds, but not a single drop had fallen just yet. Still, he could feel it brewing, gathering up in the sky just like in his old soul. The deep feeling of nostalgia that came and went with every breath always called up memories of times that he cherished.

Times with the only friends he had ever had and then the woman he loved more than life itself.

He was the last one now. Somehow, he outlived them all. It was not supposed to be this way, but as time kept ticking on, his body refused to give up on life. All he had was memories that were slowly fading in detail as the days, weeks, and months went on.

"Grandfather?" His silence was interrupted by his grandson, Iroh. He cracked his unblemished eye open and grunted at the halt in his thoughts. "It's about to rain. Mother said you need to go inside before it starts pouring down." Izumi was not one to fret over him in public, but behind closed doors, she was on him about his health.

"I'll be fine. I don't mind the rain." Zuko closed his eye and took in a deep breath before settling himself again. Rain made him think of her when she was much younger, alive, and full of fury. "It brings back memories."

"I don't think Mother sees it that way." He could hear Iroh crossing his arms. His grandson was so much like him in so many ways, yet there was a lot of his grandmother in him too. The way he sighed reminded Zuko of her so much. "I also think Uncle Koda said something about a game of Pi Sho later." His eldest son was only in the Fire Nation for a little while for some trade agreement or something like that.

"Tell, them both I will be in soon if they are that worried about me." Zuko told his grandson.

Then he was left in peace again with his memories.

It was Zuko's idea to have four children, but how she had gone along with that idea was beyond him. All four of their children were bothersome now, but he still loved them and made sure they had everything they needed even though he had little to give them now.

As soon as Izumi was old enough and able to take on the mantle of Fire Lord, Zuko was quick to relinquish it. After the formalities and Izumi's coronation, he took his wife on a very long trip across the world. Just the two of them traveling alone had brought back a new flame of love between them. Of course, at this point, Zuko's hair was only graying at his temples. Katara's on the other hand, had yet to show any change.

"Let me braid your hair." He felt her hand on his bare shoulder as he sat at the edge of their bed. They had been in the South Pole for a total of four days when she decided to buy some carved whalebone beads.

"Why?" He turned his head to look at her with his eyebrow raised. He knew that look on her face when he saw it. "You're up to something."

"Can I not braid my husband's hair for once?" She had already grabbed a lock of his graying hair behind his good ear with her other hand. "I just want to braid it."

"Fine." Zuko sighed out before she slapped his arm playfully earning his glare.

"You're so grumpy today. Is it because we have to go home in a few weeks?" Katara asked as she stood on her knees behind him and started on a small braid. "We could stay as long as we want."

"I'm fine with going home. We have grandchildren that require our attention." He thought about his young granddaughter, Saya, who was only four years old and her younger brother Kai. If there was anything Zuko loved more than his children, it was his grandchildren.

"Then why are you grumpy?" If Katara did not know him so well, he would say he was fine, but he knew better than to deny her. "You've been in a mood all morning."

"It's your brother." He felt a tug on the braid she was working on.

"What did Sokka do this time?" There was a huff from behind him as she pulled on the braid again, only a little harder this time. "Don't tell me he wants to take you hunting, we all know what happened last time."

"He wants to 'sword bend' again." There was a giggle from his wife as she slid her fingers up the newly made braid. "In front of everyone."

"I'll make sure to hide his boomerang this time, if it makes you feel better." He felt her thread the braid through something before tying it off and letting it hang on his shoulder. "There, all done."

He picked up the new braid to see what she had done to it and found she had threaded three whalebone beads onto it. One of them carved with a dragon like Druk that sat between two lotus beads. Zuko looked at her when she wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"Happy Birthday." She kissed him on his cheek. "I love you."

When he felt the first drop of rain on his cheek, he opened his eyes with his fingers wrapped around the beads still hanging in the braid she had woven together years ago.

How he missed her.

[hashirun]

I’ve been here in Malaysia for close to four months now, and I’ve been studiously trying to learn the language because I feel that it adds depth and texture to how I perceive and experience my life here. Words give shape to thoughts and emotions, and whenever I am able to attach a Malay word to my thoughts and emotions, it somehow feels like I am experiencing them for the first time.

Whenever I look at the KL sunset I think, “That’s merah” - red. Whenever I eat something delicious, I think, “Sedap.” Whenever it’s hot outside, which is everyday, I think, “Panas.” 

When my family visited me here in KL last February, I took my brothers out to eat late dinner at a local restaurant. I was super proud of myself when I ordered food in Bahasa Malaysia. “Makan sini, dua ayam goreng, satu nasi goreng, satu nasi putih, satu mee goreng, tiga kopi.” My brothers were impressed, and I silently thanked my local friends for teaching me how to order the previous week. 

After my family went back to the Philippines, I came home from work one night and I thought “Saya penat dan sedih” - I am tired and lonely. “Sakit hati” - my heart ached. For my family, for my friends, for my dog. 

I learned that when speaking with friends, you refer to yourself as “aku” instead of “saya,” and to the other person as “kau” instead of “awak” because it’s more casual that way. “Saya” and “awak” are reserved for polite conversations, and of course I would take any chance I can to be impolite with friends. But when a local friend gifted me with baju kebaya, a traditional outfit in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries, for Hari Raya, “Saya terenstuh” - I was touched. I couldn’t bring myself to think “Aku tersentuh” because it felt rough, and the emotion that welled inside me that time was just so soft.

It hasn’t been easy for me living in a foreign country.  Being away from my family and everything I’ve known my whole life. And yet, “Aku rasa gembira” - I feel happy. I AM happy. Sini dan sekarang. Here and now. Sebab - because - for the first time in years, aku boleh rasa. Aku rasa hidup. I can feel. And I feel alive.  

I just need more words to describe this new way of life.

[chalkchapel]

Saya no Uta: Thoughts/Review

Finished the game last night, hopefully I'm not forgetting any key points in my review.  Beware of spoilers!

Saya no uta is the most utterly disgusting shit of a media, but in the same time it is painfully beautiful and paradoxically boundless. I am simply amazed by it. I enjoyed all the hours i spent playing it. This is probably one of the best and most impactful visual novels of the decade. At some point I couldn't sleep because of it, all i could think about is the game. The scenario played on repeat in my mind, etched into my brain. The opening scene captured my attention with its vivid imagery and dissonant music. The game quickly dives into the main story without any wait. It is a world gone mad, a love story between an inhuman organism and a man. A required love, mandatory for Saya. She is a fast adapting and learning organism, created to conquer and assert control. The concept of "song" for Saya represents her understanding of attachment and love, a lesson taught to her by her father. Ruling of this realm was her duty to fulfil.. Her purpose, that all life shares, to reproduce. Her song heralds the coming of the new world and the destruction of the old. All she's ever known is dysfunction. All she's ever known is survival. Once she had used her father to acquire a deep understanding of humanity, she should've began her invasion. Her only flaw was her own humanization. She was taught that creating a family happens when one finds love. Love is something she can not share with a human. Without love's blessing, she is unable to populate this desolate world with her own kind. Not until she meets Fuminori.

A man whose view of the world drastically changed after being in a car accident. Fuminori perceives his surroundings as if they are drenched in blood and entrails, with worms squirming under his feet and all humans appearing as terrifying abominations. That is, all but one. In the hospital, he encounters a young girl who becomes his source of stability and comfort in a world that has descended into madness. She introduces herself as Saya, and Fuminori's immediate attachment with her is the sole reason he refrains from succumbing to despair and taking his own life. Her cuteness is amplified by the stark contrast between her and the bustling environment around her, creating a sense of dissonance as she stands out like a delicate flower in a chaotic city. She seeks pleasure in scaring the other mentally ill patients, but becomes captivated by Fuminori when he reveals that he doesn't find her particularly scary. He sees her as a beautiful girl. Hence in her eyes, he is a man that can give her what she demands. Love. As he comes to terms with his new existence, they quickly grow attached. He wants her to move in with him and live in the home that he inherited from his parents when they died. Slowly she begins revealing her true form (metaphorically) , undeniably, Fuminori has no choice but to reconcile. She is his only support in this grotesque world. His anchor. At the same time, he is supporting her in fulfilling her true wish. His and Saya's bond evolves from being roommates to a romantic mere relationship.. Maybe, if Fuminori saw Saya's true appearance and continue to love her, I would consider it an even purer form of love. The story continues as the humanity within him leaves his body, transforming him into a carnivorous beast. He doesn't understand where fiction ends and reality begins, making him a significant threat. It is disgusting how child-like she is and how he finds it cute while having intercourse with her. (Ignoring the fact she's not a child, not a human or even from this dimension..) It was very messed up at the beginning, prior to any information coming to light. Fuminori is dedicated to shielding Saya from the outside world, and in return, Saya is equally committed to safeguarding Fuminori. Together, the duo kills one of Fuminori's old friends and makes an attempt on another's life while probing into his current life. They literally embodied a humanoid monster and a monstrous human.

Koji is probably my favorite character.. He was so normal when he faced down the truth about his girlfriend's death. It's insane.. He insisted on interfering in Fuminori's distorted reality too much. Becoming ensnared in matters that surpass his comprehension, leading to the ultimate sacrifice of his sanity in the name of uncovering the truth. His primary intention was to help Fuminori, but it was soon overshadowed by hatred and despair. All he demanded was vengeance. The danger they present to the people in their vicinity is significant, particularly Saya, whose power to alter the minds and bodies of humans is continuously growing. Though I feel compassion and sympathy for Fuminori, I fully support Koji's decision. It's the morally right choice. It’s also impressive how the reader can feel sympathy for Fuminori, despite his deplorable actions, it is truly remarkable. It was clear that Fuminori would inevitably lose his emotions and humanity :/ making it impossible for anyone else to save him except for himself. In the end (world's sanity), Saya began to approach Fuminori one last time, but Koji refused to allow it. This truly highlights the strength of their friendship. No matter what has transpired, all he desires is for Fuminori to return to normal.

(At this point, i'm kinda tired of writing so I'll just quickly add a few more short comments.)

Omi and Yoh were necessary for the plot, but the characters were annoying and pointless. Yoh came off as brainless and surface-level to me, just an empty-headed hot body. She has been put in a comatose by Saya, destroying her mind. Omi died quickly, nobody really noticed. Her boyfriend seemed indifferent. They probably thought she spontaneously chose to go somewhere without telling them?? It felt like she was a sacrifice. Then we have Ryoko, a doctor at the university Fuminori was treated. She's also Fuminori's physician. Her identity as his caring doctor is just an endearing act. Outside her job, she's actually a badass chick with a double barrel shotgun. She's so fucking cool, I love her. A middle-aged woman that has 2 options: either to save humanity from eternal exctinction and doom or to drink alcohol till the world starts to rot (World's sanity and Final ending). She is definitely not talked about enough..

Personally, the way in the Bloom ending, the most horrific event imaginable is reversed in appearance into something beautiful through a distortion of perception is probably the most creative approach to beauty I've ever read. It stands out as one of the most beautiful works of art i've witnessed. The World's Sanity ending tore my heart as well. Saya became a human. She embraced love and death, as her body suffered and ultimately gave in to demise. She wanted to be with Fuminori even in death. The music was absolutely amazing and beautiful. It served as the perfect finishing touch. The way the music combines with the imagery really creates this hopeless, oppressive sense of despair and heaviness.. Creating the perfect atmosphere, it truly transported me into Saya's world through the screen and my headphones

I'm definitely looking forward in hearing other people's thoughts and POVs!

[enhashoutout]

Meet Me At The APT (Marcus Lopez Arguello x reader)

Inspired by APT by Rosé and Bruno Mars because the song has been stuck in my head and on repeat since it was released :)

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Cussing, mentions of suggestive content, smoking, drugs, domestic violence between Maria and Chico, derogatory terms, fighting, weapons, mentions of death, typical Deadly Class violence (let me know if I missed anything to update this section)

___ used in place of Y/n

I always write my mc/reader with female pronouns and physical features because that is what is easiest for me but if you do not identify with anything that I write please feel free to change that up to fit you!

If you haven't seen Deadly Class before, the show is based off of a graphic novel set in the 80's. King's Dominion is a secret/private school that trains teenagers in Deadly Arts. These kids are basically trained to become a new generation of assassins. Some of these kids come from big crime backgrounds like Yakuza, Cartel, Dixie Mob, etc. Some of these kids just had bad pasts and find themselves at King's Dominion such as Billy who is forced to attend King's by a gang that his dad owes money, or Marcus who tried to expose the owner of the boy's home he used to live in but the plan backfired so now he's labeled as a psychotic child-mud3r3r but he isn't.

Legacy refers to the students at King's Dominion who are a part of a power and established group already such as being a kid who is from the Yakuza or Cartel. (Maria, Chico, Saya, Brandy)

Rat refers to students at King's Dominion who don't have powerful affiliates. (Petra, Billie, Marcus, Lex)

𝔻𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕞𝕖, 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕓𝕒𝕓𝕪? 𝔻𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕞𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕀 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕟𝕠𝕨?

The one where reader has a crush on Marcus, the new student at King's Dominion and is being very open but also very secret about it.

It was another day at King's Dominion. Petra and ___ were putting their books into their lockers before class started. Billy rode his skateboard through the halls, a soda in his hand, stopping next to the two girls.

"I am so tired." (Billy)

"Why?" (Petra)

"I spent all night chasing a new student. It was an assignment from Lin." (Billy)

"Did you bring them in?"

"Nope. Saya did." (Billy)

"Go figures. Says is the top student at King's."

"You're not far behind her ___." (Petra)

"In grades not at all, you're best out of Rats and just second right behind Saya. Status on the other hand..." said Billy in a teasing way. ___ and Petra both smacked his arms.

"Owww." (Billy)

"Very nice Billy." (Petra)

"It was a compliment! You are the second in student ranking in terms of grades ___. That's why you're the only Rat that's part of AP Black Arts." (Billy)

"That's good enough for me. I don't think Rats make valedictorian anyways. So who is this new student you were chasing down?"

"Marcus Lopez Arguello. Psycho. Apparently he killed all the other boys he lived with in his old boy's home and then burned the place down. He'll be joining Rats. Hey you'll finally have a friend in AP Black Arts now! Marcus is enrolled into it also."

"Ohh okay," said Petra and ___ as they listened to Billy.

"He's that one right over there," said Billy as he pointed to a boy with curly hair standing by his locker and trying to open it. The trio watched Marcus open his locker and pull out a little plush with a knife stuck into it with a note reading "child murderer" taped to it, he angrily threw it back into the locker with his books. They watched Maria walk up to him, flirting with him.

"How much you guys want to bet that if Maria is here, Chico isn't far behind her?"

"Not betting you anything because I know you're right," said Petra.

Before ___ or Billy could respond, they heard the sound of someone being shoved up against the lockers. The 3 turned around and sure enough, Chico had Maria pinned up against the lockers, his hand around her throat and threatening her and Marcus. Marcus tried to intervene causing a scene with one of the school monks stepping in see what was happening.

"That's our cue to get to class," said Petra. The other two agreeing as they all began walking to their respective classes, unfortunately having to walk past Marcus, and the other Soto Vatos to get to class. As they walked by, Chico grabbed Billy's drink and poured it over Marcus.

"I was still drinking that!" exclaimed Billy.

"Don't care," said Chico as he grabbed Maria and left for class, the other Soto Vatos following behind them.

"I'll buy you another soda Billy," said ___ as she put her arm around him to get going. "Hey, hurry and clean up and change your shirt. There are usually spare white shirts in the closet right by the restrooms. Master Lin doesn't like it when kids are late to his class," ___ said to Marcus before her, Petra, and Billy went to class.

"Thanks," said Marcus.

ᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚ

Petra and Billy split off to go to their class while ___ entered AP Dark Arts, sitting in her seat. The seat next to her was often left empty because the Legacy kids preferred to sit together.

Marcus entered the classroom, noticing that only two chairs remained empty. He chose what he thought would be the better option, walking up to ___ and tapping her on the shoulder. "Hey, can I sit here?"

"Hey, you made it to class on time. Yeah, go ahead."

"Thank you," said Marcus as he slid into the seat next to her.

"Don't mention it."

"Awww the little rats are sitting together," said one of the Dixie Mob girls sitting next to Brandy.

"Leave us alone Dixie Mob," said ___.

"Or what rat?"

___ reached into her blazer jacket, pulling out her butterfly knife and throwing it at the Dixie Mob girl, the knife landing in the wall and a chunk of her hair falling to the floor. The Dixie Mob girl let out a loud gasp, looking at ___ in disbelief.

"This time it was your extension. Next time it'll be all of your real hair Dixie Mob."

Master Lin walked into the room before the conversation could continue, pulling ___'s butterfly knife out of the wall and walking up to her desk. "Miss ___, it is too early to be throwing your knife around. I don't want to see it again you hear me?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Let's start our lesson," said Master Lin as he walked back up to the front of the classroom. "World war I was started by a teenager with a pistol, a Serbian peasant who chose to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Set in motion the chain reaction culminating in two world wars and today's Cold war. Character is revealed through choice. Consider for a moment-"

Brandy slid a note onto Marcus's desk, Master Lin's cane coming down on the note.

"Sorry, I was just-" began Marcus. Master Lin's cane flew into Brandy's face, making her nose bleed. "Jesus!" said Marcus.

Everyone in the room let out laughs at Marcus's reaction.

"Who would be the recipient of your rage; A thief, a child molester, a world leader? This one decision betrays all secrets and unveils true motive. Ask yourself. On that dark ledge, poised to strike with clean opportunity. Who would you kill?" The school bell rang, dismissing the students to their next class. "Your homework tonight, half your semester grade, will tell me who you really are. Use your training. Search the city for a worthy target. Someone you think deserves to die, and kill them. Discard the body, hide all evidence. Bring me proof," said Master Lin as students began filing out of the room.

"No problem for a killer like you," said one of the boys sitting behind the two.

"Shut up and get your next class," said ___ with a sneer.

"Um, is everyone like that?" (Marcus)

"Yeah. People here tend to not be friendly, don't think too much of it. Everyone who is a Legacy has a stick up their ass because of family relations and a good amount of the Rats drown in self-pity and depression, it's nothing personal."

"You're nice though."

"That's because I think the hierarchy shit is dumb. We're all getting trained to be the next generation of shitty people who disrupt regular civilians' lives. Some of us are gonna be rivals but a good amount of us are gonna be allies once we graduate, might as well start good relationships early right? And technically I don't care what anyone actually does unless we're friends and I stay out of everyone's business unless I have to step in. What class do you have next?"

"Martial Arts with Miss De Luca."

"Same, let's go together. Hurry she doesn't like tardy students either and we have to change," said ___ as they walked to the Martial Arts gym room.

"You said that you only step into things when you have to right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"So why didn't you step in to help Maria this morning?"

"I don't step in for Maria anymore. I did when we were younger, got a gnarly scar on my arm, my torso, and a few on my back from Chico for challenging him though. Maria knows that Chico is a possessive asshole and continues to flirt and sleep with other guys in school. She knows he'll actually harm people because Chico could not care less who lives or dies and she does it anyways so that's on her. I'm not stepping in for someone who continuously makes the same dumb mistakes and gets caught making the same one over and over again. We also aren't friends so... Go get changed and get to the gym. Don't challenge Miss De Luca, she likes to make a student's humiliation to teach the others."

Before Marcus could answer, ___ was off to change.

The class sat kneeling on their knees as they listened to Miss De Luca. "The world respects those who can protect themselves. Every opponent has a weakness. Pick a partner. Find theirs."

Marcus got up, ready to head over to ___ but was stopped by Maria so he paired up with her. ___ paired up with Petra. The two fought and ___ was able to pin Petra down to the mat.

"What's my weakness ___?"

"The fact that you don't actually put up a fight in this class so I could put in no effort and still pin you down. What's mine?"

"The fact that you are scared to put hands on people who are your friends. I know you're stronger than that but you didn't use all your strength because your opponent is me. You should try fighting Viktor next time, I think your results will be better."

"Oh shut up Petra." The two girls laughed when Petra tapped ___'s leg and nodded behind her. ___ helped Petra up and looked behind her to see Marcus and Maria looking at her. Maria said something to Marcus before they went back to fighting.

ᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚ

Lunch time came around eventually. Petra and ___ sat on the rooftop together waiting for Lex or Billy to eventually show up, the two were laughing at Viktor's misfortune in Poison class.

"Yeah. Billy snuck some into his drink and then his insides were gone to shit." (Petra)

"I wish I had Poisons with you guys to see that happen what the heck."

"What you ladies up to?" said Lex as he entered through the door.

"Nothing," both girls answered him. Lex and Petra engaged in a conversation about explosives while ___ looked out at the San Francisco skyline. Billy and Marcus came through the door, Billy explaining your hang out spot to Marcus.

"Petra, Lex, ___, meet Marcus, the new Rat. Well, I think ___ already knows Marcus but still." (Billy)

"Yeah we had AP Black Arts together and we all had Martial Arts together remember?"

The four of you continued to talk when Marcus made it known that the person he wanted to kill most was the President. The other 3 laughed, deeming the task to be undo-able. Marcus stood next to you by the railing.

"I don't think it's dumb or un-doable."

"What?" (Marcus)

"The person you want to kill. I don't think it's un-doable. I think if you strategize correctly, you could assassinate anyone. I don't know your full story but I'm sure whatever you did at the boy's home was carefully thought out and executed, that's why Lin was looking to recruit you in the first place."

"Thanks... We didn't get to finish our conversation earlier." (Marcus)

"I told you to change for Miss De Luca's class, I don't think that conversation warrants a continuation."

"No. You said that you don't step in for Maria anymore." (Marcus)

"Yeah... what about it?"

"Why not?" (Marcus)

"I remember telling you that Chico fucked me up for trying to step in earlier. Did you want to see the scars to believe me?" ___ asked as she began untucking her white button up shirt.

"NO! No. I'm good. I believe you. I just don't get why people don't help other people in need you know?"

"Because you're at King's Dominion Marcus. These kids are all trained killers and manipulators. No one here is wired to help other people, only themselves."

"But you are. You've been helping me all day." (Marcus)

"I've been helping you today because it's your first day and I remember my first day at King's being shitty as a Rat. It's gonna take me about 48 more hours to determine whether or not I want to keep helping you or completely ditch you and throw you to the wolves."

"Oh...okay. I'm gonna go talk to Billy," said Marcus as he walked away. Petra walked back to ___, getting back up on the rooftop railing to sit with her for the rest of the duration of lunch. ___ continued to take glances at Marcus, the glances not going unnoticed by Petra.

"I know that look. You're plotting. What are you plotting? And who are you plotting against?" (Petra)

"I'm plotting... for myself. I'm gonna get Marcus to come to the apt."

"The apt?! Your apartment?! Why?!" Petra whisper-yelled.

"Because I want him, and the mob that is forcing me to come to King's Dominion in the first place bought me an apartment nearby for a reason, I might as well make more use of it."

"Doesn't it usually take you like 72 hours to decide if you like someone enough to even be friends with them? So how did you determine that you want to get laid by him within one school day?" (Petra)

"One, because he seems to be different from other people here. Two, I have a feeling Maria is after him too... and I want to get to him first."

"You're gonna challenge Maria?!" Petra whisper-yelled at ___.

"Yeah. Why not? It's about time someone challenge the Legacies don't you think?" ___ asked with a mischievous grin and glint in her eyes.

Petra thought about the idea for a few moments in silence before she sighed and looked at ___, "Okay. I'm in."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. I still stand by the point that we as Rats should stay out of the Legacy students' ways for safety, but I want to see someone finally challenge Maria when it comes to boys so I'm down. What should I do to help?"

"Help me put little notes into Marcus's locker, bag, and then eventually get him to come to the apartment?"

"I got you."

The two girls high-fived and giggled to themselves at the plan that was about to unfold.

ᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚ

Throughout the next two weeks, Marcus began receiving little pink notes in his book bag, his locker, and the notes would even get slipped under his dorm room door once in a while. He was determined to find out who was leaving him little love letters, but was always a step too late to catch whoever was leaving them.

The Rats were sitting on the rooftop during lunch again. Petra and ___ sitting on the rooftop's railing and Marcus, Billie, and Lex sitting in their own spot, huddling over Marcus's love notes trying to figure out who sent them. The kicker here is that Billy knows exactly who these are from. No one else likes pink as much as ___ does within the other Rats, and he recognized her handwriting because he has borrowed notes from her multiple times. Billy had confronted the girls after the first time Marcus showed him one of the notes.

A week ago

Billy was sitting in his dorm doing homework when Marcus burst into his room. "Okay jeez Marcus, don't even knock or anything. I could've been in my underwear!"

"Billy I need help." (Marcus)

"With what?" (Billy)

"These!" said Marcus as he pulled a handful of pink papers out of his book bag to show the other boy. "Someone keeps leaving me love letters and it's driving me insane trying to figure out who is leaving them in my bag and my locker." (Marcus)

Billy took one out of Marcus's hand and looked at it, reading the words neatly written in cursive. "'I'm tryna kiss your lips for real', with little red hearts around it. Awww that's sweet. Someone has a little crush on you Marcus."

"BUT WHO?!" (Marcus)

Billy looked at the boy in disbelief, not knowing how it wasn't obvious who wrote the note. "Are you serious?"

"Do you think I would be here asking you for help if I knew who it was?! Do you know who it is?!" (Marcus)

"No." Billy was lying. He could tell from the handwriting that it was definitely ___ but figured she had a reason behind the notes rather than telling Marcus to his face, so Billy kept quiet. "Do you have any idea who it is?"

"I have an idea of who it isn't from if that counts for anything." (Marcus)

"Let's hear it." (Billy)

"It's not Brandy or anyone from Dixie Mob. It's definitely not Saya. I feel like the pink could mean it's from one of the other Kuroki girls. Those girls like cute pink things right?" (Marcus)

Billy stared at Marcus in disbelief. Marcus was already half way there with the "cute pink things" and was still dumb enough to get the answer wrong. "Absolutely not Marcus. Kuroki doesn't fuck around with Rats."

"Saya talks to me." (Marcus)

"Because you're her pledge Marcus. If she could avoid you all together I'm sure she would. Try again." (Billy)

"Okay so it's not Dixie Mob or any of the Kuroki girls. Is it Maria?" (Marcus)

"I did not think there would ever be a day where someone at King's Dominion out-stupids me and yet here we are." (Billy)

"WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME STUPID?!" (Marcus)

"Because it's obviously not Maria! For one, Maria's color is RED okay? Not pink. And she's been all over you since you got here with no problem even with Chico trying to kill you both so why would she be leaving anonymous notes?! Even if she was the one leaving the notes, she wouldn't have gone this long without exposing herself to you so that you guys could have sex in her dorm room. Think harder."

"You're no help, I'll go ask Willie," said Marcus as he left Billy's dorm room for Willie's.

Billy waiting for Marcus to be far enough to not hear him, and left his dorm room to visit Petra and ___'s dorm. He knocked on the door, being met by ___. "Hi Billy! Whatcha doing here?"

"I got questions for you," he said as he invited himself in and sat on ___'s bed because if he sat on Petra's bed he would get smacked. ___ closed the door and sat next to him while Petra sat on her bed and looked at her other 2 friends.

"So... why are you leaving Marcus little love notes?" (Billy)

Petra and ___'s eyes widened, both attacking Billy to cover his mouth and shushing him. "You can't just say that shit out loud!" Petra whisper-yelled.

"How do you know it's me?!" ___ whisper-yelled at Billy.

Billy lightly smacked their hands on top of his mouth for them to let go. Once the two girls got up off of him and everyone settle back onto ___'s bed he looked at the two in disbelief. "Hello? The pink paper? The little red hearts? The handwriting? No one writes like that except you."

"How would you know that?"

"No one likes pink the way you do and because I borrow notes from you all the time. I think at this rate, I would know your handwriting." (Billy)

"Okay so how come Marcus doesn't know then? He borrows notes from ___." (Petra)

"Because he's dumb," Billy and ___ said at the same time before laughing.

"He is! He thought it was a Kuroki girl or Maria and I realized that he did in fact out-stupid me for not knowing it was you." (Billy)

"You can't tell him yet Billy. Don't tell him at all actually."

"Why?" (Billy)

"Because our plan isn't finished yet. We're gonna get him to ___'s APT." (Petra)

Billy stared at the two girls, jaw dropped to the floor. "The APT?! Your apartment?!" Billy whisper-yelled back at the two.

"Mm-hmm."

"Why?" (Billy)

"Cause I want him."

"Are we forgetting that Maria also wants him? And that we are Rats who probably shouldn't test a Legacy?" asked Billy.

"That's what I said when ___ first told me. But she's determined so I said I would help." (Petra)

"I just think that if I want something then I should have it. Screw Maria, she can have all the other guys who are begging to get into her bed, I want Marcus," said ___ with a nonchalant shrug.

"I'm in. What do I do to help?" said Billy after some contemplating.

"Steer him away from the correct answer until I'm ready to reveal that it's me?"

"Will do. But why exactly are we dragging out the process?" (Billy)

"That way Marcus gets antsy about who is behind the letters and agrees to meet at the APT no questions asked." (Petra)

"It's a full proof plan don't you think?"

"Yes because he's actually going insane trying to figure it out." (Billy)

"That's good."

Back to the present

Petra looked at the group of boys standing over Marcus's pile of pink love letters, trying not to laugh because Lex has no clue, Marcus is clearly stressed trying to figure it out, and Billy is being of no help to the boys in favor of helping the girls.

"How long do you think it'll take if I just kept this going until Marcus figures it out?" whispered ___ to Petra.

"Too damn long that's for sure. If you want him first we gotta stick to the original plan." (Petra)

"I guess you're right... tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?!" (Petra)

"Ssssssshhhhh!" said ___ as she looked over at the boys to see that they weren't paying attention to the two girls and the noise they were making. "Yes, tomorrow. It's a Friday night tomorrow so we won't have classes the next day and Lin won't look for us because it's the weekend. Plus, Marcus has been hanging out with Maria more often and I want him first."

"What makes you think they haven't already-" said Petra as she made an explicit gesture with her hands.

"Because Chico has been on Maria's ass more often. The only times he's not watching her like a guard dog I when she has classes without him in it."

"Oh okay. When should I deliver the last note?" (Petra)

"Slip it into his backpack during Poisons tomorrow. I'll tell Billy the plan later on the way back to the dorms."

"Okay, I will do that." (Petra)

ᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚ

Tomorrow during Poisons, Petra slipped the last little pink note into Marcus's book bag on her way to her seat. Class went on as usual, dealing with everyone else who was insufferable.

Class thankfully did come to an end. Marcus opened his bag to see another pink note, grabbing it and putting it into his pocket and then putting his books back to head to lunch.

Marcus stood on the rooftop waiting for the others, pulling out the note to read. He noticed the note was larger in size compared to the others. It read, "Sleep tomorrow but tonight go crazy, all you gotta do is meet me at the APT" with an address and directions how to get there underneath.

"OH SHIT!" yelled Marcus after reading the note.

"BLOODY HELL WHY ARE YOU YELLING?!" Yelled Lex as he walked through the door, the others following behind him. Billy and Lex joining Marcus to see what was going on, and Petra and ___ going to their usual spot on the railing.

"She wants to meet me tonight." (Marcus)

"Who?" (Lex)

"Mystery love letter girl." (Marcus)

"I thought they were love notes, not really love letters, you know what I mean?" said Billy just to irritate Marcus and Lex a little since he already knew what was happening.

"Who cares what they are?! Just go meet her tonight! Tell us who it is after and if she's hot." (Lex)

The three boys celebrated Marcus somewhat figuring out who this girl is and getting to meet her.

"What did you put on that note?" said Petra as she laughed at the boys' reactions.

"'Sleep tomorrow but tonight go crazy', plus my address and directions."

"Are you guys gonna actually..." (Petra)

"Yes. Only if he wants to though, I'm not that mean."

Petra looked at ___, jokingly judging her.

"Hey, hey, hey. You don't get to judge me, you fucked Viktor at the last party."

"Because I was curious!" (Petra)

"So am I!"

"Tell me how it goes afterwards." (Petra)

"If you want my opinion I think it'll go better than you and Viktor."

"Oh shut up."

The two girls laughed at their conversation, pivoting it to a different topic as to not get caught by the boys.

ᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚᰔᩚ

Marcus did in fact arrive at the APT to find ___ behind the door. And ___ did in fact get to Marcus before Maria did... if you know what I mean.

You made it to the end! This is just a small story I worked on during my lunch break today, nothing too serious or well thought out but I hope you liked it anyways. This piece isn't proof-read so there might be typos and grammar errors etc.

I don't own any of the characters from Deadly Class and take no credit for them. All credits go out to the correct people.

© This work is copyrighted by enhashoutout. I only post my work on this Tumblr account. I do not allow people to repost or translate my work without my permission. If you do see anyone doing so, please let me know. Writers work hard on their stories, please don't be a crappy human and take our work. ♡

[rockermybuddie]

Jump scare

Eddie x Buck

Summary: Buck tries to make Halloween a fun holiday for Eddie since Chris is in Texas with his grandparents. But Eddie isnt the easiest to scare so Buck has to get creative.

Click here to read my Tevan Halloween story!

———————

Buck opens his eyes, “its halloween!” He says excitedly to himself carful not to wake Eddie who is asleep next to him.

He knows Eddie is bummed that Chris isnt here for Halloween, still mad at his dad. Which is understandable hes young and trying to understand his feelings.

Hopefully he comes home for Christmas.

Buck gets out of bed and goes into the living room grabbing the creepy mask he picked up from the Halloween store yesterday.

He put the mask over his face and laid back in bed facing Eddie.

He stared at Eddie through the mask hoping that Eddie would feel something staring at him and will wake up.

What was only three minutes but felt like hours, Eddie finally opened his eyes. He furrowed his brows together looking at the strange plastic face staring at him with familiar blue eyes.

“What are you doing Buck?” Eddie asks his voice still deep and raspy from being asleep.

“Oh come on!” Buck whines when he didnt get the reaction he wanted from Eddie. He takes off the mask and tosses it to the side out of frustration.

“I knew it was you Buck. I dont think anything or anybody would look at me the same way you do.” Eddie tells him giving him a quick kiss before getting out of bed.

Buck had to come up with a new plan. He was going to scare Eddie, he knew it.

While Eddie was in the shower Buck quietly opened the door and put a cardboard cut out of Micheal Myers right outside the bathtub.

He then went outside and cut the power off from the breaker box.

He waited for a scream.

Nothing.

“Buck! Turn the power back on!” He hears Eddie yell from inside.

“Damn it.” Buck mumbles to himself turning the power back on.

When Buck walked back into the house Eddie was making a pot of coffee.

“So what are you afraid of?” Buck asks. He feels like he should know what Eddie is afraid of since hes known him so long but he cant think of anything.

“The one thing i was scared of already happened Buck.” Eddie says pouring two cups of coffee.

“Oh, Eddie.” Buck says looking down at the table. He knew what he was talking about without saying it.

Christopher.

“It is what it is Buck. At least i have you here still.” Eddie sat and took a sip of his coffee.

———

Buck still didnt stop trying to scare Eddie. There had to be something.

He jump scared Eddie any chance he got rather he went to the bathroom, the bedroom, kitchen, but all times failed.

By this time he knew what he had to do.

A serious scare.

Buck walked into the kitchen and made sure he was out of sight from Eddie.

He grabbed a knife, the fake blood, and the fake finger from the bag he hid under the sink.

“I’m going to cut up an apple, do you want one?” He asks Eddie from the kitchen as he prepares the scene. “No thanks.” Eddie replies.

Buck pours the blood carefully over the counter, floor, knife, and himself. He takes in a deep breath to get into his acting mode.

“Ow!” Buck screams, he drops the knife and falls to the floor.

“Buck?!” Eddie panics hearing a loud thud coming from the kitchen.

“Buck!” Eddie screams when he sees the bloody mess everywhere. He quickly kneels to Bucks side as he turns him over.

Blood. Everywhere.

“Oh gosh.” Eddie saya as he runs a frantic hand through his hair. Hes a medic hes literally trained for things like this.

But its Buck. Bucks hurt.

“Buck open your eyes.” Eddie says grabbing a hand towel.

“Eddie?” Buck says weakly opening his eyes. He holds back a laugh as Eddies expression shows fear. “Just stay awake Buck.” Eddie says. “Oh no! Your finger!” He yells when he sees the floor.

He quickly grabs it to put it on ice, when he stops all of sudden when he feels the rubbery finger.

“Seriously Buck?!” Eddie says through his teeth. Buck sat on his spot on the floor with an evil grin on his face.

“I scared you!” He shouts. “Not funny Buck! I really thought you were hurt!” Eddie snaps at him, he tosses the fake finger somewhere across the room.

“I had to scare you some how, its Halloween!” Buck gets up and washes the fake blood off of him.

Eddie walked into the living room and sunk into the couch.

When Buck walked into living room and saw Eddie he felt a little bad about his way of scaring Eddie.

“Are you mad at me?” Buck asks standing in front of Eddie. “N-no Buck.” Eddie says grabbing Bucks hands with his.

He looks up at Buck and can see some of the Halloween spirit has washed away a little.

“Come here.” Eddie gently pulls on Bucks hands as he takes a seat next to him on the couch.

Buck drapped his long legs over Eddies lap as he rested his head on the back of the couch next to Eddies.

“I grew up with two sisters constantly trying to scare me. Thats why all your little jump scares and turning the lights out didnt scare me.” Eddie starts to explain to Buck. “But what scares me is seeing the ones i love the most get hurt or loosing them.”

“So…. You are mad at me?” Buck asks again. “At first i was a little. But then i realized that you are just trying to help me get in the Halloween spirit since Chris is in Texas and i havent been the easiest.” Eddie places his rough soft hand on Bucks cheek.

“So how about we watch all the scary movies intill we are too scared to watch another?” Eddie suggests with a smile.

Buck smiles back at that idea. “Sounds like a great idea right after this.”

“Right after wh-” Eddie was cut off when Buck leaned in a kissed him.

His hand moved to the back of Bucks head as Buck adjusted himself on Eddies lap.

This is going to be the best Halloween yet.

—————

A/n: Happy Halloween everyone!

[sleepydhanie]

Imagine Filipino!reader waking up in the past

them having to adjust in the new environment

Having to wear barong/saya

Getting addressed as binibini/ginoo

Having strict rules and have to act base on the past behaviours of people there

Filipino!reader having to act very gentlemanly/ladylike to the binibini/ginoo's and avoided having even a slight skin/eye contact with any other binibini/ginoo's.one wrong move and they'll get married

Filipino!reader trying to learn and understand fan languag

Filipino!reader having to speak with very much formalities and understand some poetic things or riddle like words people say back in the days

Will they find their way back home or will they find romance?

Alperes:*grabs readers wrist and pulled them by the waist*

Filipino!reader:!!!

Alperes:"inaaresto kita sa pagnanakaw..."

(you are under arrest...)

Filipino!reader:"ha?inosente ako wala akong ninakaw na kahit ano man yon,mali kayo Ng bintang"

(what?....i-i didn't do anything,I'm innocent)

Alperes:"sandali Di pa ako tapos magsalita, inaaresto kita sa pagnanakaw Ng asking puso,bilang parusa dapat mong gampanan ang responsibilidad na Ito SA pamamagitan Ng pagiging kabiyak...*grin*

(let me finish,you are under arrest for stealing my heart,and the punishment of it is that you should take responsibility for it and become my other half)

Filipino! reader:"...ang corny mo naman..."

(you are so corny)

★★★

Alperes:"ikaw ay may angking kagandahan na Hindi ko makikita kanino man.ikaw ay parang araw na nakakabulag ngunit ayaw Kong ibaling ang tingin ko,ang aking atensyon ay pagmamahal ay nasa sayo Lang aking binibini"

(your beauty stands out the most among the others,you are like the sun that is so blinding yet I cannot avert to look away,my love and attention is only yours to receive)

Filipino!reader:"*tucks her hair*...luh,pereng tenge nemen to hehe"

(You're so stupid)

[I tried my best to translate tanga in my understanding]

"hmm ano ho?"

(hmm pardon?)

"!!!...ay esti... maraming salamat ako ay nagagalak SA iyong sinabi ginoo napatibok mo lalo ang aking puso"

(ah I mean...thank you my lord, you've made my heart flutter even more)

"*chuckled*...tunay ngang iba Ka SA mga binibining aking nakasalamuha,ikaw ay marahuyo binibini"

(you truly do stand out among the rest of the ladies I've interacted with,you are enchanting my lady)

Ps.i tried my best to translate them specially the tanga one

[sayahomesgoldavenuenews]

Saya Homes is a leading real estate developer, known for premium projects like Saya Gold Avenue, Saya Piazza, and Saya SouthX Studio Apartments, offering luxury and modern amenities. Stay updated with Saya Homes News for current and upcoming projects. Saya Zion News and Saya Zenith News have gained positive media coverage for quality and customer satisfaction, while their upcoming project, Saya BIZTOP, is highly regarded in the business community.

[lisutarid-a]

[Gakuen K] Munakata Reisi Route Translation

Grade Check

LIST OF CHAPTERS

[Translation under the cut]

Ichigen: So, tomorrow is the start of summer vacation, please spend a meaningful time as students.

Ichigen: Now, please return to your classrooms and receive your report cards from your homeroom teachers.

Saya: (Once I receive my report card, it's finally summer vacation)

Saya: (Come to think of it, what will happen to the club activities during the vacation?)

Ichigen: Well then, everyone, have a good summer vacation.

Kukuri: Club activities will run as usual.

Kukuri: The school is empty except for the Bon festival, so for dormitory students, it may not be so different from usual except for those who are going back home.

Saya: I see. Summer vacation, huh? I wonder what I should do…

Kukuri: First of all, why don't we go shopping tomorrow?

Saya: I want to go! I want some new clothes.

Saya: Oh, but there might the Blue club activities, so I'll check it out first.

Kukuri: No problem at all. Call me on PDA?

Saya: Uhm, understood!

Saya: Ah, Munakata-senpai. Hello.

Kukuri: Hello~

Munakata: Hello to you two. Konohana-kun, please drop by the club room on your way home today.

Munakata: I have made a printout of the club activities for the summer vacation, please read it.

Saya: Okay, got it.

Munakata: Ah, right. Would you mind if I check your report card on that occasion?

Saya: Eh…Ehhh!?

Munakata: It's also the President's responsibility to control the grades of the members of the Blue club.

Munakata: You may think that I'm not a teacher, but this is a regular event, so I would appreciate your cooperation.

Kukuri: Are you all right? You look pale.

Saya: U-Uhm. I'm okay. I was just a bit surprised.

Kukuri: After all, being in the Blue club is tough…

Saya: (I hope my grades are a bit better!)

Saya: Printout of the club activities for the summer vacation…

Saya: (Wah…There'll be a training camp. Fireworks festival? I wonder if we're all going together)

Saya: (There's quite a lot of different plans)

Saya: (Ah, there are no club activities tomorrow! What a relief…I'll call Kukuri-chan)

Saya: (But still, all these club activities sound like a lot of work even though it's summer vacation…)

Saya: (Ah, right. I was going to show my report card to Munakata-senpai)

Saya: Munakata-senpai, excuse me. It's Konohana Saya.

Munakata: Please, come in.

Saya: Ah, I saw the printout. There's a camp, isn't there?

Munakata: Yeah. Please look forward to it. We are planning to go to the sea this year.

Saya: Okay.

Munakata: By the way, did you bring your report card?

Saya: …Y-Yeah. I'll give it to you now.

Saya: (I still have to show it…)

Saya: (My grades aren't bad, so I don't think he'll be mad at me)

Saya: (But it's not something you can show to others…)

Saya: (Ah, enough of that!)

Saya: Yeah, here!

Munakata: Let's take a look. Hm…

Munakata: …

Saya: (I-I wonder what he will say…)

Munakata: Konohana-kun.

Saya: Y-Yes.

Saya: (This silence is heavy…)

Munakata: Heh…You did a great job.

Saya: Eh…? Thank you!

Saya: (I got praised by senpai…!)

Munakata: Don't lose focus just because it's a long vacation.

Saya: Okay!

Munakata: That's all. Well then, I will return your report card to you.

Munakata: Let's have a meaningful summer vacation as the Blue club.

Saya: Yeah. I look forward to working with you during the summer vacation.

Munakata: I look forward to working with you, too.

[Prev chapter][Next chapter]

[latentillusion]

OFFICIAL PROFILING -- my OC's edition!

Kanji name: 狡噛紗也 Romaji Name: Kougami Saya Date of birth: August 16, 2084 Age: 36 (currently/by season 3), 28 (season 1) Blood type: O

Birthplace Kanagawa-ken, Sagamihara-shi

Height 173cm

Weight Secret

Eyesight Both eyes 1.6

50m running time 6.8 seconds

Sports that she is good at Ice skating (good is relative), archery

Current hobbies / What she does in her spare time Singing at karaoke, ceramics, watching shows, pilates, online shopping

Currently desires A pet cat, new high heels

Current sleeping hours 6

Favorite role she’s played A doctor: she liked learning random medical facts

Favorite item in her home Wall-length display dedicated to awards, endorsements, and gifts

Favorite food Street foods, snacks

Least favorite food Cucumbers

Strengths Looks and charm, confidence, fashion sense, empathy

Weaknesses Shhh.

Something she wants to improve on Writing

Favorite authors None in particular...

Favorite books Mostly comics, fantasy novels (occasionally), fashion magazines. She also likes reading mystery novels with Ginoza to guess outcomes with him.

Favorite type of person Someone calm and compassionate (who truly cherishes her)

Go-to karaoke genre Anything upbeat and loud

Beauty tip for beginners A fun lip color will change your life

Advice for people making a career change Make sure they understand the sacrifices they’ll have to make

Favorite things about her job As a celebrity, traveling, making people happy, and trying out all sorts of clothes and accessories. As an inspector, helping people find closure and protecting them. 

Something she struggled with when she first became an Inspector Grasping the reality of her job (i.e. seeing victims, knowing she is responsible for them) She was naive, but determined.

Favorite thing about her brother/being a twin Knowing that she can talk to him about anything and everything

You can read more about her here! I'll probably periodically add to this, but I wanted to share it now while I still have the motivation. 🥹

[himebushou]

A very bad ending for Buddy Daddies; lots of angst under the cut.

Misaki reappears in Episode 11 or 12. It's December. Her career has finally taken off, but something's missing. She wants to see Miri again

Miri instantly bonds with her mother and is happy to see her. She shows Misaki all the progress she's made. Misaki is proud... and then regretful

Meanwhile, Kazuki and Rei have a conversation about whether it's immoral to keep Miri and Misaki apart — after all, Miri is Misaki's daughter. "Without Unasaka Misaki, there would be no Unasaka Miri," Kazuki says. Rei stares out at the sky, miserable

Rei confronts Misaki and asks if she really loves Miri. Misaki says that, for so long, Miri's laugh irritated her — but when she could no longer hear it, the silence was painful. Rei says that she has to commit to Miri properly, this time. Otherwise, she shouldn't bother coming back into the picture. Misaki swears that things are different now

Then, Kyuutarou delivers the news: the hunters are to be hunted and there's a hit on Kazuki's head. Kazuki panics and says that they have to get Miri to safety. Rei remembers what his father said: "It's kill or be killed."

For safety, Misaki whisks Miri away. Miri and her papas have a tearful goodbye, but both Rei and Kazuki swear that they will not be apart forever. There are many promises of love

There are two separate fights in Episode 13: Ogino vs. Kazuki and Rei vs. Suwa Shigeki. Kazuki learns, for the first time, that Ogino was responsible for Yuzuko's death. The revelation sends him into a tailspin and he fatally shoots Ogino... but not before getting shot himself. Kazuki thinks, "I want to go home... with Rei and Miri..." and then faints

At the same time, Rei battles his father, denouncing the organisation and saying that he doesn't want to kill anymore. Shigeki saya he's useless and asks what could be more important than serving the Suwa name? Rei whispers, "Being a father."

Shigeki laughs — Rei uses the opening to shoot him. Like a Shakespearean character, Shigeki manages to choke out a whole monologue before finally dying

Rei's phone rings. It's Kyuutarou. Rei answers — and Kyuutarou tells him that Kazuki's dead

Rei is so shocked that he doesn't realise that his father's lifeless form is not so lifeless. Shigeki musters enough strength to stab Rei

Rei's life flashes before his eyes — but he only sees happy memories of himself, Miri and Kazuki. To treat the viewers, the images we see from Rei's final moments have never been seen in the show before. The last thing that Rei remembers is a shot of the pair holding Miri's hands, one on either side. With a soft smile, Rei dies.

Timeskip. Several years have passed. An older Miri is standing in front of a row of three graves: Yuzuko's, Kazuki's and Rei's. She crouches down and runs her fingers over the names

"I love you, papas. I'll love you forever."

[mozillavulpix]

a bunch of hugtto plotlines that had absolutely no reason to go that hard

aka “the parts that emotionally devastated me”

apparently it’s 5 years old now

Homare having like honest-to-god PTSD after an ice-skating injury, and not being able to become a Precure in the first episode because she was terrified to jump to reach the thing she needed to transform

just, fucking, absolutely everything about Henri. An androgynous ice-skater who likes wearing women’s clothes, has a whole arc about being tempted by the villains because he’s terrified of the onset of male puberty, snapping out of the villain’s control, and then getting to be a Precure himself

also Emiru’s brother is the conservative guy who rejects Henri’s behaviour but then they say actually he was just like that because he’s super-closeted gay and they end up having a relationship

One day Hana is feeling inadequate compared to her friends and those feelings prevent her from transforming. which then makes her self-loathing even worse

That night she starts bawling her eyes out to her mom, realising for the first time that it’s totally possible to dislike yourself and how you turned out as a person

so the mascot characters don’t come from a magical world, they come from the future. the future is also a dystopia and they came back in time to prevent that from happening to the present too

there’s one episode where two girls arguing with each other fuels the bad guy to turn them into a monster of the week, but then they manage to make up from within that state which stops the monster from fighting

they have a robot girl who slowly starts to develop emotions and help the precure and so the villains just shoot her. she lives, they can just reboot her, but

they have a whole song Emiru makes about how much she loves her new friend that she sings to her with her guitar and it’s super wholesome

there’s an episode where they go to a night pool, while Hana is shaken up by the revelations of who the new bad guys are and tries to hide her anxiety from her friends. They never catch on.

homare’s parents are divorced. It’s briefly mentioned a few times and no one treats her differently because of it.

the silly hamster mascot who can turn into a bishonen was also cruelly experimented on by the bad guys and can turn into a monster

they have an episode about a woman going into labor

they also have an episode about a woman having a caesarian section and telling people how that’s totally normal and nothing to be ashamed of

in that episode, a toddler runs away from her parents crying about the new baby, worried that it means her mother will stop loving her

there’s an episode where they meet Hana’s grandmother. she injures her back and has to go to the hospital. she’s okay, but

They have a romance plot where Homare learns and accepts that her love is unrequited. Including The Little Mermaid metaphors

We find out the robot girl was built partially because the doctor that made her had a dead daughter

the mascot’s backstory is that his fucking home burns down, and that’s what makes him realise he needs to join the evil team because he has nowhere else to go

there was a precure team in the future. they got defeated, and the last member got turned into the magical baby from travelling to the past

they spend like the last few episodes before the final battle just accepting that their friends from the future are going to leave forever once the final battle is over. They have a whole group cry about it so they (hopefully) won’t cry when it actually happens. (They still do)

Saya’s mother has an emotional breakdown realising her daughter doesn’t want to follow in her footsteps. Saya goes into her mind and embraces her, thanking her for giving her life

actually the apocalypse in the future was caused by people’s collective fear of moving forward causing time itself to stop. There’s no evidence that it won’t happen again and that won’t be their future

also in the future timeline hana dies and the bad guy is actually her husband from the future who doesn’t want to see that happen again. He never tells her this, but seeing her younger self so ready to face the future, even if it leads to her suffering, makes him realise he shouldn’t try to stop her

they have a future epilogue that shows that the events of the future aren’t going to repeat themselves. Probably. I think they must have created a new timeline or something. time travel is complicated

Emiru and Ruru do meet again in the future. But only because Emiru helps the scientist who created her in the future make her in this time. They finally meet again after like 20 years but this time Emiru is the older one and Ruru is the little one.

like any one of these makes you go “I’m surprised they got away with this”, but there’s so many.

[debbiechanclub]

Hit Me Like Bang (and Now I'm Never Looking Back), Part 2

A "Take My Hands, Wreck My Plans" fic

Pairings: David Finlay x OFC / past!Jay White x OFC Word Count: 11k Warnings: Language; alcohol use; radioactive levels of angst but also fluff; and a little smidge of smut so 18+

On the road to Dominion, Nellie's past and present converge to solidify the truth of what's been in front of her all along.

TMHWMP Timeline | Masterlist

Read it on AO3

A/N: Herein is the end of Nellie's story, and I am emotional :') Don't worry―there are more prequels forthcoming that will go more into her previous relationships and how she got here, but this is her happy ending.

One small note: there's quite a bit of flashback scenes in this chapter, and they're not in chronological order to each other, so pay attention to the dates. That said, this fic and Nellie truly are my baby, and thank you for coming on this two-plus-year journey with me. I hope you enjoy reading her story just as much as I've enjoyed creating it for you <3

tags: @aussiearrow @cowboyslariat @knifepervert @sldghmmr @cardblade @missbrownstone @meteora-fc @bec0m @thatgirlforever5 @rocca09 @aussiespam

Friday, April 14, 2023 Tokyo, Japan

It took about seven minutes bell-to-bell for Nellie to dispose of Mariah May in their title match at Korakuen Hall. She hadn’t even broken a sweat. But she’d anticipated short work. She’d already planned to make up for it in her backstage comments.

“Alright, I’ll make sure this is short and sweet just like that match,” she started as she stepped in front of the camera. “Do you see this title?” She held up the championship in her hand. “I have been the SWA World Champion since May fifth of last year. Twenty-twenty-two. That is three hundred and forty-five days, just twenty days short of an entire year. And no one here at World Wonder Ring Stardom seems to give a shit about it, or the verifiable fact that I am the only person in history to hold this title more than once!

“But here’s the thing: I know exactly why they don’t care. Because I’m a gaijin. Never mind that I’ve been dedicated to this company since twenty-eighteen; that I’ve lived in Japan for over three years, through a fucking pandemic; that I’ve learned the language. Apparently, none of that matters, because I’m still not from here. I’m still an outsider. And God forbid a gaijin become the face of Stardom, so what do they do? They hold me in place with this title that they clearly don’t give a shit about and allow me to defend it once a quarter. And Mariah May?” She scoffed. “Do you know how many times I’ve already beaten Mariah in title matches? Tonight makes three, and the other two were in her home country for the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship. So please, someone enlighten me: if Mariah May couldn’t get it done against me in her home country, why the fuck did anyone think she stood a chance against me here, in Korakuen of all places? I might be from Philly, but Tokyo is my home. Stardom is my home. The Stardom dojo beat me down, built me back up, and turned me into the joshi I am today, and in return I made history. And I refuse to be held in place any longer.

“Saya Kamitani. You’ve made history, too. We have history. Because see, everyone associates you with Hayashishita-san and me with Torrance—but you and I were partners first. We were Goddess of Stardom champions together. We’re both champions now. And at All Star Grand Queendom, I want you in a winner takes all match for my SWA World Championship, and your Wonder of Stardom Championship. And it’ll be a gaijin from Philadelphia who puts an end to your history-making reign.”

And with that she walked off camera, the gauntlet thrown.

* * * *

Sunday, October 30, 2022 Tokyo, Japan

Nellie was in good spirits. She was fresh off defending her SWA World Championship against Mayu Iwatani in New York City. Halloween was tomorrow, and David had come over for a horror movie marathon. He’d brought takeout from her favorite sushi place and a six-pack of Sapporo. She intended to tell him how she felt. And she couldn’t have been more nervous.

“Is everything alright?” he casually asked. “It seems like something’s on your mind.”

She brought her feet up to sit cross-legged on the couch and pulled her soft checkered fleece blanket over her lap. Of course he could tell something was on her mind—it was David. He paid attention. He was perceptive; emotionally mature. It was one of the many, many things that drew her to him, something that set him apart from most guys she’d been involved with in the past. And now, after her few days away, she knew for certain.

“Yeah… I, um,” she started. “I just guess I realized something when I was in New York.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“Well,” she stalled, nervous. But there was no turning back now—and she didn’t want to. “I went out with a few people after the show, and… Kyle Fletcher kissed me. But all it did was make me realize that I have feelings for someone else.”

David wasn’t looking at her as she said it, queuing up the first movie on her TV. And Nellie quickly started to overthink, worried that maybe he’d focus on the fact that Kyle had kissed her and not what she was trying to tell him—

 But then the corner of his mouth quirked up. “Oh, yeah? Who’s the lucky guy?”

He glanced at her as he set down the remote. She pursed her lips at him. “Are you seriously gonna make me say it?”

“I kind of want you to, yeah.”

She bit back a grin. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she worried he could hear it. “Well… I don’t know how he feels, so I’m kind of nervous to.”

“Well, let me clear things up for you, then…” David said, and he pulled her in and kissed her. Nellie melted into him. His lips were soft, his kiss slow and sweet, and the way he cradled her head in his hands felt natural, as if they’d done this a thousand times before. And she already knew she wanted to do it a thousand times more.

He pulled back from her lips but still held her close. “I’ve been wanting to do that for the last three months,” he said.

 She grinned. “You have?”

“Yeah. And since we’re talking about it… I wasn’t sure how you felt. Sometimes it seemed like you were still hung up on Jay.”

Nellie sighed and leaned back into the couch. Admittedly, he wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Honestly, at the start of the summer, I was still hung up on him. And I think it was because I never got any definite closure when we broke up, and so when he showed up out of nowhere at Dontaku it did feel like there was still something there between us. And he made it seem like there was, too, which didn’t help at all. But then you came back for the G1, and we reconnected, and genuinely—you’ve put in more effort over the last three months than Jay ever put into our entire relationship. And that really put things into perspective for me. But then it was complicated, too, because I know how close you and Jay used to be, and sometimes I worried that getting involved with you after him would look… I don’t know… messy? As stupid as that sounds.”

“No, I get it,” David nodded. “No matter how you and Jay left things, there was a point in time when you cared about him, so of course you wouldn’t want to throw salt in a wound. I mean, there was a point in time when I cared about him, too; he was my best friend. But it’s not like you and Jay just broke up, and he and I aren’t as close as we used to be, either.” He reached up and pushed her hair behind her ear; Nellie’s skin tingled at his touch. “Besides… technically I went out with you first, anyway.”

She mirrored his grin. He wasn’t wrong about that, either. David had gone out with her first, on an awkward date back in 2017, the first time Nellie had ever set foot in Japan. Back before she’d met Zack, or Riley, or Kyle, or ever gotten involved with Jay—David had been first. But she hadn’t seen it then.

“Not technically—you did,” she confirmed. “And lately I’ve wondered how different things would be if I’d given you a chance back then.”

“Nah,” he returned with a shake of his head. “I was a clown back then; I don’t blame you for not giving me a chance. Plus, I’ve come to believe that everything meaningful happens when it’s supposed to.” He smiled to himself. “I was actually planning on telling you how I felt tonight. But you beat me to it.”

Nellie’s smile widened. “Oh yeah?”

He nodded. “Yeah. So, I guess I owe Kyle Fletcher a beer for kissing you and helping you figure shit out.”

“Ha!” she laughed, and he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, and she snuggled into him, moving the blanket so that he was underneath it, too. It felt right—a perfect fit. And as David pressed play on the first movie, Nellie knew in her heart that this was when it was all supposed to fall into place, and not a moment sooner.

* * * *

“God, you are a sight for sore eyes.”

Nellie smiled at David through her phone screen. It was only a few days ago that he’d left, and he’d only be gone a few days more, working Capital Collision in Washington, D.C., and then Collision in Philadelphia before flying right back to Tokyo—to her. But Nellie already felt the ache of his absence.

“You have no idea how bad I wish you were here right now.” She settled back into her bed pillows, getting comfortable. “I have some pent-up energy that could really use working out.”

David grinned, crooked and handsome. It didn’t help her situation. “I know you do. I just watched your backstage comments.”

She waited, expecting him to say something more, wanting him to. After all, his opinion was the one that mattered most to her. “And?” she impatiently pressed.

“And it took everything in me not to share the video wherever I could,” he said. “I’m proud of you, babe. You already deserved that match; I don’t see how they can’t give it to you now.”

The ache in Nellie’s core deepened. But so did the warmth in her heart. “Thanks, babe. I’m hoping it’ll be official by tomorrow, but… we’ll see.”

“Do you have a match tomorrow?”

She laughed shortly to herself; the expression on her face said it all. “Yeah… a best two out of three falls eight-woman tag match. Me, Tam, Poi, and Mina against Donna del Mondo. It’s the main event.”

“Shit,” David commented before she’d even finished. “That’s gonna be charged.”

“Tell me about it,” she lowly returned. And then, “Thekla thinks I should take the opportunity to leave Cosmic Angels.”

“I was just about to say. It’s the perfect opportunity, isn’t it?”

She drew in a hesitant breath. “Potentially? Actually, if the Cosmic Angels-Club Venus shit finally hits the fan like I expect it to, it probably will be the perfect opportunity. I could just say they’re too dysfunctional and walk out. That’s exactly how I left Queen’s Quest.”

“Then I say do it,” David returned. “You’d be better served somewhere other than Cosmic Angels, I know you would. You know you would.”

“I do know I would,” she agreed. “I’m just… I don’t know. Worried about hurting people’s feelings even though I know I shouldn’t be.”

“Torrance will be fine,” David dismissed; it went without saying that she meant her. “She has Mariah and Mina.”

“No shit,” Nellie breathed. “They’re three peas in a pod these days. Which doesn’t really surprise me… Torr and Mariah are basically the same person in slightly different fonts.” David laughed at that. “Well, it’s true!” she doubled down.

“No, it is,” he nodded. “But I could always just say you’re Bullet Club, too. I’m sure that would get the point across to Tam.”

A grin spread over Nellie’s face. It felt inevitable that she would be Bullet Club, and sooner rather than later. But he’d reminded her. “Speaking of Bullet Club, are you gonna tell me who Riley’s replacement is yet?”

He smirked and shook his head. “No. That’s privileged information.”

Her eyebrows arched. “And I’m not privileged to it? I’m your girlfriend!”

“You’ll find out tomorrow,” he assured her. “Don’t worry—it’s someone you like. I can’t have anyone in Bullet Club who doesn’t get along with my girl.”

“Well, there’s some people you need to kick out, then,” she returned—just as she heard a knock-knock-knock on the front door of her apartment. She glanced toward the sound in confusion. David noticed.

“What?”

“Someone just knocked on my door.”

He looked confused then. “Isn’t it almost 10 p.m. there?” he asked. But Nellie was already pulling up the live feed from her video doorbell—and she saw a familiar figure.

“It’s Torr.” She sighed. Something told her she wasn’t just dropping by.

“I guess you should go, then,” David figured. Nellie’s brow furrowed.

“Probably. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize,” he gently said. “I should probably get going myself, and you two are overdue for a talk.”

“Yeah… because I don’t want to have it,” she muttered.

David smirked. “Go, babe. I’ll talk to you later.”

She pouted. “Okay. See you soon,” she returned—and before they disconnected, she almost said it. I love you. She knew she did. But she wanted the first time she told him to be in person.

She left her phone in her bedroom and padded down the hall to the front door. She unlocked and opened it just as Torrance was getting ready to knock again. She quickly put her hand down, almost as if she was surprised Nellie had answered.

“Hey.” Torrance took in her appearance—pajamas on, makeup off. Her brow furrowed. “You weren’t in bed, were you?”

“Well, technically,” Nellie returned. “But I was talking with David.”

Torrance’s frown deepened. “Oh. I’m sorry, I should have texted—”

“No, it’s fine,” Nellie dismissed, and she opened the door wider so she could come inside. Torrance hesitated for a beat before she crossed the threshold. It was odd. They both had keys to each other’s apartments; it used to be that Torrance would just let herself in without so much as a knock. But a lot had changed over the last three months.

“What’s up?” Nellie asked as she shut the door. She noticed that Torrance was dressed for a night out in a shiny pink miniskirt and white bustier tank top, her hair and makeup done to perfection. And again, Torrance hesitated.

“Um, well,” she started with a bit of a nervous laugh. “I actually came over here to ask if you wanted to come out with us, but—”

“Who’s ‘us’?”

Torrance bit her lip. “Me, Mariah, and Mina.”

Nellie couldn’t help her laugh. “You’re joking, right?”

Torrance’s expression turned stony. “No, actually, I’m not.”

“Torr,” Nellie breathed out. “Come on. I literally just beat Mariah in a title match and then talked shit about her, you really think either of us want to hang out with each other?”

“Well, Mariah’s willing to put that aside because she knows you’re my best friend,” Torrance returned. She looked down at her hands. “And I feel like we’ve barely seen each other since… well, since the Triangle Derby started.”

So, since Club Venus became a thing, Nellie wanted to say. But she figured it wouldn’t help. “Because we haven’t,” she regretfully returned. “But it’s not intentional. You’ve just been doing your thing with Mariah and Mina, and I’ve been doing mine with Tam and Poi. Or I was. And I know I sort of went off into my own little world when David came back, so…”

Torrance looked back up at her. “Yeah, so are you and him…?”

“Together? Officially?” Nellie finished. “Yeah, we are,” she confirmed, and the mood lightened a bit. Torrance smiled.

“Took long enough.”

Nellie breathed a laugh. “I know. But I think it happened right when it was supposed to.”

“No, I think so, too,” Torrance agreed. “He’s good for you, I can tell. You’ve carried yourself differently ever since he came back; more confident.”

“Thanks,” Nellie genuinely returned. She’d noticed that change in herself, too. David was good for her. He was good to her. And she wasn’t the only one who’d changed. “You’ve been more confident with Club Venus, too.”

Torrance looked down again, the corners of her mouth turned up, almost as if she was bashful to hear that Nellie had noticed. “Yeah, they’ve really helped me come into my own. Mina really pushes me. And I don’t know… it just feels like we’re all on equal footing.”

Nellie nodded in understanding. “Unlike when we were a tag team?”

Torrance frowned again. “I wasn’t trying to imply—”

“No, I get it,” Nellie assured her. And she did get it. After she and Torrance had won the 2021 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League, throughout their entire reign as Goddess of Stardom Champions, people had said that Nellie carried Torrance. That Nellie was the better wrestler, that Torrance would never be champion without her. So, it was no wonder Torrance felt more confident with Mariah and Mina. People weren’t comparing her to them; instead, they were acknowledging how much she’d improved. And as much as Nellie didn’t care for Club Venus, she still wanted the best for Torrance.

“And for what it’s worth, I never felt like I was carrying our team,” she told her. “I should have told you that back then. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

“No, I know you never felt that way,” Torrance returned, and nothing else needed to be said. She and Nellie understood each other. They always had.

“But… I guess I can’t persuade you to get dressed and come out with us?” she added.

Nellie shook her head. “Not a chance.”

Torrance nodded. “It was worth a shot.” She started for the door. “Well, sorry for interrupting your call with your man.” She stopped. “I didn’t interrupt… something, did I?”

Nellie let out a laugh. “No, it wasn’t one of those calls. He’ll be back Tuesday; I think I can manage ‘til then.”

“Tuesday?” Torrance noted. “Okay, I’ll be sure to steer clear of here that whole day.”

She let herself out, and Nellie told her to have a glass of water for every drink—she had to work tomorrow. And as Torrance waved goodbye and Nellie shut the door, she knew that neither of them were the same people anymore. They’d grown. Professionally, apart. But not in their hearts.

* * * *

Sunday, November 20, 2022 NJPW/Stardom Historic X-Over – Tokyo, Japan

If anyone was surprised at how well Cosmic Queendom and Aussie Open worked together in the ring, it wasn’t Nellie, Torrance, Kyle, or Mark. It felt like they’d been teaming together for years, and the deeper they got into the match against Los Ingobernables de Japon and Fukuoka Double Crazy, the more Nellie knew they were creating something special for fans of NJPW and Stardom alike. But it wasn’t all serious. Nellie couldn’t help but mess with Sanada and Naito a bit—a callback to her days in Suzuki-gun with Zack. In the end, it was Torrance who got the pin over Koguma after she and Nellie surprised Mark and Kyle by doing Coriolis. And when their arms were raised in victory, Nellie almost wished that she and Torrance had joined United Empire like they’d half-joked about a year ago.

Almost.

More members of United Empire greeted them as they returned backstage; Jeff Cobb, Great O-Khan, and Aaron Henare’s match against Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, and Great Muta was next. Mark and Kyle exchanged “Crowns Up” with all their teammates—and then Jeff looked expectantly at Nellie.

“Come on, you know you want to,” he tempted, wiggling his hands at her.

“Fine; but only for you,” she reluctantly gave in, and she made a crown with her hands and touched her fingers to his.

“I don’t know,” Jeff teased, his voice raising leadingly. “After seeing that Coriolis, I think there’s definitely a spot for Cosmic Queendom in the Empire.”

“Ha!” Torrance bluntly dismissed. Jeff pressed his mouth into a line.

“Okay, maybe just a spot for Nellie, then.”

“Yeah, how long have you two been planning that?” Mark asked, tactfully shifting the focus away from the ghost of Torrance and Will’s relationship. Thank God Will was elsewhere.

“Not long; we only just thought of trying it a few days ago,” Nellie said. “You’re not upset we did it?”

She looked hesitantly between Mark and Kyle, but they both quickly shook their heads. “Hell no, it was perfect,” Kyle assured, and Nellie smiled. They’d talked everything out that night he’d kissed her three weeks ago in New York City, and there wasn’t any awkwardness at all between them. They’d had a fling a year ago that just hadn’t panned out, and that was that. They were just friends. Easy.

“Well, thanks,” she said. “But Torr and I are kind of a package deal, so if she’s not in, I’m not, either. Sorry, Jeff.”

“A package deal?” O-Khan slyly asked. Torrance’s eyes widened.

“Not that kind of package deal!” she proclaimed. And then, more under her breath, “Not that anyone hasn’t asked me that before, but.”

Nellie whipped her head around at her. “Wait, what?”

“Yes, please share with the class,” Jeff eagerly added, propping his chin on his fist. But O-Khan’s entrance music started to play and inadvertently gave Torrance the perfect out from answering.

“Good luck!” she said, and the guys all groaned and booed after them as she and Nellie left. Nellie could tell by Torrance’s clipping pace that she was keyed up.

“You alright?”

“I need to get out of here and get a drink,” she returned. “How many more matches are there?”

“Um,” Nellie thought about it for a second. “Three, I think? But that reminds me—Gabe invited us out with the LA Dojo guys. I told him I wasn’t sure if you had anything in mind already and would let him know.” She shrugged. “I don’t know, it could be fun. Although that Clark guy seems like he might be trouble.”

“I don’t have anything in mind,” Torrance returned. “And honestly, I’m up for a bit of trouble.”

And that was how, later that night, they found themselves at a dive bar in Roppongi with Gabriel Kidd, Clark Connors, and Alex Coughlin. There had been more people with them at the outset, but one by one they’d dropped off bar after bar and called it a night. But not Nellie and Torrance. They were both familiar with Gabe from his time as a Young Lion, although they hadn’t seen him in a year-and-a-half. As for Clark and Alex, the girls barely knew either of them—but the guys seemed very keen on changing that.

“How the hell is it we haven’t hung out before tonight?” Clark asked Nellie, turning toward her as they sat together at the bar. “I know you were around when I was here in twenty-nineteen.”

“Probably because I was around, but I wasn’t living here yet,” she explained. “I moved here in twenty-twenty, right before everything shut down.”

“Yeah, Nell and I were in that same shitty boat,” Gabe said. “At least you weren’t stuck quarantined in fucking dojo housing.”

She snorted through her nose. “No, I was just stuck quarantined with my ex.”

“No shit!” Clark exclaimed. “Who’s that?”

“Jesus, Clark, mind your business!” Alex shot, his New York accent becoming even more pronounced. Torrance chuckled beside him.

“It’s fine,” Nellie dismissed with a wave of her hand. “It was Zack. Sabre Jr.,” she added, as if there was another pro wrestler named Zack living in Japan.

“Oh shit, you were with ZSJ, weren’t you?” Clark realized. “Actually, now that you mention it, I remember working a RevPro show with you, him, and Suzuki a few years back. Both of y’all were there too,” he said to Alex and Gabe.

They both nodded. “Yeah, bruv, I know exactly what show you’re talking about,” Gabe confirmed. “And clearly Nellie has a thing for Brits, so we should switch spots.”

Clark flipped him off. “You want another drink?” he asked Nellie.

“Nah, I’ll get it,” Gabe said, already flagging down the bartender.

“How about I get us all the next round?” Alex interjected. “You two are embarrassing yourselves.”

Clark and Gabe both let Alex know exactly what they thought of that, and Nellie took the opportunity to slide off her barstool. “Well, while you guys figure it out, I’m gonna run to the bathroom.”

“I’ll go with you,” Torrance said.

“It’s a one-stall bathroom,” Clark pointed out.

“Well, good thing I’m going just so we can talk about the three of you, then,” she sweetly returned, and Nellie laughed at the look on Clark’s face as they both walked away.

“Looks like you have your pick of Clark and Gabe tonight,” Torrance smirked once they were out of earshot. Nellie genially rolled her eyes.

“Come on… you know I’m not available.”

“Yeah, I know,” Torrance started—and Nellie could sense it coming.

“But?”

“But,” she went on. “As much as I want things to work out with you and David, you’ve already spent enough time waiting on guys, Nell. More than enough, more than you ever should have. I mean, speaking of Zack—he’s literally the only guy since I’ve known you who didn’t leave you in some sort of limbo.”

Nellie’s eyebrows arched. “Jesus, when you put it like that.” She tried the restroom door handle as they arrived, but it was occupied, and so they both leaned back against the wall on either side of the hall to wait.

“I’m just being honest,” Torrance returned.

“No, I know,” Nellie breathed; and, admittedly, Torrance did have a point.

David had left Japan less than a week after he and Nellie had finally told each other how they felt; and with no timetable for when he’d be back, they’d made the mutual decision not to put a label on anything. “That would make me no better than Jay, and I refuse to do that to you,” David had said. But it didn’t dishearten Nellie. Instead, it emboldened her. Because, to her, it confirmed that what she and David had wasn’t conditional. It was real.

“And I get what you’re saying, I do,” she told Torrance. “But it doesn’t feel like I’m in a limbo this time, Torr, and I can’t explain it other than to say I just have this deep-seated feeling in my soul that David and I have something real that’s worth waiting for. I mean, we’ve talked every single day since he left, and I sure as shit couldn’t say that about Jay when he was stuck in the States, and we were actually in a relationship.”

“I know,” Torrance nodded. “David’s a good guy, and I have a lot more faith in him than most, I do. But I’m just saying… I’ll still kick his ass if I have to.”

Nellie grinned. “I know you will. But I’m telling you you won’t.” The restroom door opened, and a woman smiled and bowed her head at them as she exited. “You go ahead,” Nellie offered Torrance.

“Okay, cool; turns out I do have to go,” she said, and she ducked inside and locked the door behind her as Nellie fished her phone out of her small crossbody bag. The clock widget on her home screen informed her it was after 10 a.m. on the East Coast of the U.S., but David was in Los Angeles filming an episode of NJPW Strong; ironically, he had an eight-man tag match against a team that included Jay and Riley. But she decided to text him, anyway. Even if he wasn’t up, he’d get back to her when he was.

She pulled up their text chain and smiled seeing their messages from just a few hours ago; he’d gotten up in the middle of the night to watch her and Torrance’s Historic X-Over match live. Torr and I are out with the LA Dojo guys, she wrote. I’m having fun, but it’s also just making me miss you.

She sent it off and switched over to Instagram, not expecting a reply. But then David’s name popped up on her screen.

Are you? They’re good guys, don’t let their antics fool you. And I miss you too, every day.

Butterflies. Meaningful ones.

They exchanged a few more texts before Torrance emerged from the bathroom, and Nellie told him she’d let him go to start his day. Okay, let me know when you make it back home, he wrote back. You know I’ll start to worry if I don’t hear from you.

I know, she returned, and she sent it off with a kissy face emoji. Because even though there wasn’t a label on her and David’s relationship, in every other way, every way that mattered, they were together.

* * * *

Sunday, April 23, 2023 Stardom All Star Grand Queendom – Yokohama, Japan

Doggedness and determination. That’s what Nellie was running on by the end of the winner takes all match against Saya Kamitani.

She’d been prepared, thoroughly. But as well as Nellie knew Saya, she wasn’t used to being opposite her, at least not one-on-one, and she realized early on that she couldn’t afford a single misstep. But the reverse was also true—and unlike Nellie, Saya had nothing to gain or prove. She’d surpassed the record set by Momo Watanabe for defenses of the Wonder of Stardom Championship, eclipsed Kairi by more than one hundred days to become the white belt’s second-longest reigning champion, her position as one of Stardom’s best and brightest secure. She had nothing to fight for outside maintaining the status quo.

But Nellie had everything to gain, everything to prove, everything to fight for. Despite being a long-tenured champion herself, despite being the older and more experienced wrestler of the two, she was decidedly the underdog. That was her motivation, her drive, her fire. And by the halfway point, there were more people cheering for Nellie in Saya’s hometown crowd than there had been at the opening bell. If she lost, at least she would have that.

But she won.

She knew she’d done it as soon as she hit her new finisher, a variation on a lifting reverse STO that she’d worked out with David and dubbed the Wit Hit. (“As in a cheesesteak wit onion, not as in like, a quick wit,” she’d explained. “Honestly, it works either way,” he’d smirked.) And when she hooked Saya’s leg and felt the referee count one, two, three, she knew she’d earned the crowd’s respect.

And she had Saya’s, too. All along.

As Nellie stood with tears in her eyes and the winner’s trophy in her hands, Saya fastened the Wonder of Stardom Championship around her waist. And after she raised her arm in victory, she pulled her into a hug and told her in Japanese, “You are always welcome in Queen’s Quest, Nellie-san.”

Nellie hadn’t expected it. It gave her even more to think about.

But she’d worry about that later. Right now, her priority was setting her intention as the new Wonder of Stardom Champion.

“What did I say?” she started as she stepped in front of the backstage camera; sweaty and worn, laden with gold. “I said I would end Saya Kamitani’s history-making reign, and that’s exactly what I did. And now a gaijin from Philadelphia is the 9th SWA World Champion and the 17th Wonder of Stardom Champion—and I intend to be a fighting champion.” She shook her head. “No more going five months without a defense. No more being placated and overlooked. Whoever wants a shot at either of my titles, just say the word. Kamitani-san had fifteen defenses of this championship? I want sixteen. Seventeen, eighteen, more. So whoever wants to try to take it from me, let Rossy know. He can’t ignore me now.”

She stopped to draw in a breath, collecting herself before she went on. “And now that I have proven just how un-ignorable I am, how much of an asset I am to this company, there’s another piece of business I need to address. For an entire week now people have been asking me nonstop backstage, online, stopping me out in the street—Who are you with, Nellie? Are you with Cosmic Angels or Club Venus? And frankly? The answer is neither.

“Tam and Poi, you welcomed me into Cosmic Angels without question. You gave me a place when I was suddenly without one, and I’ll never take that for granted. Torr and I won the Goddess titles with your backing, I won this SWA title for a history-making second time with your backing, the three of us nearly went the distance in the Triangle Derby. But despite all that success, we all knew I was something of a black sheep in your colorful, kawaii flock. It was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, and what happened? I wore myself down to try to fit.” She shook her head again. “Not anymore. My edge is back—and with all due respect, I’ve outgrown Cosmic Angels. And with no due respect, I’m sure as shit not joining Club Venus.”

She adjusted the SWA title on her shoulder. She was exhausted, and it was getting heavier by the minute. “But even though I know at the end of the day I can only really rely on me, myself, and I, I’m not really into the whole lone wolf thing, either. I recognize that there’s strength in numbers, and I’ll be taking my time to consider my next move. But for now, I’m gonna go put all this down because it’s fucking heavy, and then I’m gonna crack open a Sapporo and celebrate the sweet, sweet return of Two-Belt Nell.”

* * * *

Wednesday, May 3, 2023 Wrestling Dontaku – Fukuoka, Japan

The Stardom bus arrived at the Fukuoka International Center fifteen minutes before bell time. They’d had a show earlier that afternoon in Shimonoseki, and with Stardom running a pay-per-view in Fukuoka tomorrow, they’d loaded up and made the hour-and-a-half trip down for the NJPW show there that evening. And as soon as she could, Nellie shot off the bus like a bullet.

David had been back in Japan for two weeks, but Nellie had only gotten to spend a handful of hours with him. He’d arrived in Tokyo only to turn around and leave for the Road to Dontaku tour, and their schedules had kept them apart in separate corners of the country. And because of that, Nellie still hadn’t said those three little-big words.

They’d been on the tip of her tongue the day he’d come back. She’d felt them in the way he’d touched her, looked at her, in every breath during that abbreviated time they’d spent together before he had to leave to get on the bus. But she hadn’t wanted to say it only for him to be physically absent again. If she was going to tell him she loved him, she needed to feel it, live in it for longer than just a few hours.

And tonight, the timing was finally right.

She made a beeline for his dressing room, pausing impatiently when she ran into Aussie Open, and they both hugged her and congratulated her on winning the Wonder of Stardom Championship before she took off again. She knocked on the door when she arrived, and David called for her to come in. Her heart melted at the sight of his smile.

“Finally,” he breathed, and then his lips were on hers. Hungry, eager, heated, as if it had been two months instead of just two weeks.

But then Nellie had a thought. “Are you sharing this room with Kenta?” she quickly asked. She hadn’t noticed any other luggage around, but she hadn’t really looked, either.

David shook his head, a smirk on his lips. “Not tonight. We have this all to ourselves.”

That was all the information she needed. She pushed him down onto a seat and straddled his lap, and then they were the only two people in the entire arena again. David ignited her entire being in a way that no one ever had, mind, body, soul—heart. And before they lost themselves in each other, she needed to tell him.

She pulled back and looked down at him. His eyes were dark and hooded, full of desire. “What?” he softly asked.

“I love you.”

Nellie knew he felt the same, she knew he did—but there was still that anxious knot in her gut. Until a smile spread over David’s face.

“I was wondering when you’d finally say it.”

She let go of the breath she’d been holding. “Are you serious right—”

He silenced her with a kiss, and she melted into him like she always did. She loved him; he loved her. It was undeniable.

He pulled back, their lips still close, noses brushing. “I love you, too. I have since the fall.”

Butterflies exploded in Nellie’s stomach. “You have?”

“Mhm,” he nodded. “I spent that entire tour last year falling in love with you, and when I left Japan, it felt like I’d left part of myself behind. And then the night of Historic X-Over, when you called me after you got home from being out with the LA Dojo guys… I knew.”

Nellie’s smile lit up her entire face, her entire being. “I was drunk when I called you that night,” she remembered.

“Yeah, I know you were,” David grinned. “Which reminds me, I have to tell Clark he can’t take my girlfriend out and ply her with alcohol anymore.”

She laughed. “But it would just be a little Bullet Club bonding,” she innocently returned. It made him arch a brow.

“You saying you’re Bullet Club? Is that what I’m hearing?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know… that’s kind of up to you.”

He drew her closer on his lap. “It would be nice to have you out there with me when I win the title tonight…”

He trailed off and kissed her neck. She bit back a grin. “I don’t want to stir the pot just yet. I just won the Wonder of Stardom title; it probably wouldn’t be the best idea to ruffle any company feathers.”

David hummed against her skin. “Mm… yeah, you’re not ready. That’s not something someone in Bullet Club would say.”

Nellie playfully rolled her eyes. But he pulled her mouth against his again, and they let their bodies finish the conversation.

* * * *

Sunday, June 12, 2022 Osaka, Japan

For the longest time, this was all Nellie had wanted. To feel Jay again. To feel wanted by him again. And now that she’d finally gotten it, all she felt was uncertainty. Still.

She lay next to him in his hotel room, facing the other way, listening to him breathe. In and out, steady. Last night had been an intoxicating blur of adrenaline and emotion. She blamed Osaka, the romance of a different setting, the context of why they were there. Stardom and NJPW both had shows in the city; Jay had a match against Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Dominion that night. And last night, Nellie had felt like her body was a prize for Jay just as much as that title. Something for him to win, to take. Part of her regretted letting him have it. But another part of her still yearned to belong to him.

She felt him stir beside her, and then he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back against his chest. She closed her eyes and folded into him.

“Mm,” he hummed. “I missed this.”

He pressed his lips against her neck, and Nellie let him. But she couldn’t keep from asking.

“Did you?”

“Of course,” he easily returned. Almost as if he’d expected her to question him, as if he’d had the answer at the ready that he knew she wanted to hear. But then his mouth was working down her body, his lips leaving a trail of goosebumps over her skin, until his head was between her legs and his tongue inside her. And she gave into him, writhing and arching her back, curling her fingers in his hair until she came undone. And all the while, she didn’t stop questioning.

He kissed his way back up to her lips, his naked body hovering over her. His cock pressed hard against her inner thigh. She wanted it. She hated that she did. But she wanted him.

“Let’s get in the shower,” he breathed. And she let him pull her from the bed and lead her into the shower where he had her again, her back pressed up against the wet tile, legs wrapped tight around his waist as her nails left tiny moon-shaped marks on his shoulders. Because even though Nellie knew it wouldn’t last, that Jay would just be gone again come tomorrow, she wanted to pretend he was hers for just a little while longer.

* * * *

Saturday, May 27, 2023 Stardom Flashing Champions – Tokyo, Japan

Two defenses in just over a month. Nellie had said she’d wanted to be a fighting champion, and her challengers had quickly formed a line.

Natsupoi had been first, eager and determined. Nellie bested her in a main event twenty-minute battle in Fukuoka the night after David won the NEVER Openweight Championship. Tonight, it was Unagi Sayaka, defeated in just over fifteen minutes. Nellie wasn’t surprised that her former teammates had been the first to step up. They wanted to defend the honor of Cosmic Angels in the wake of her departure, even if there wasn’t any bad blood. But their efforts had fallen short—and Nellie was still an island unto herself. She was biding her time, weighing her options between Donna del Mondo and Queen’s Quest. This time around, the ball was in her court; she wasn’t going to fumble it.

She returned to the locker room after making her backstage comments and automatically checked her phone. David was flying in tomorrow after being back in the States for the last three weeks and change, returning early to spend time with her before Dominion and the next Stardom tour. She smiled when she saw she had a text from him.

Two down, fourteen to go. Proud of you, babe. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.

Tomorrow isn’t soon enough, she returned with a kissy face emoji.

But David wasn’t the only one who’d texted her. So had Clark.

Congrats, champ. We’re going out to celebrate, right?

Her brow furrowed. Who’s we? she sent back. She and Clark were friends, but he could get too friendly sometimes.

His response came quick. You, me, and your Stardom friends. The hot single ones.

She rolled her eyes, but her phone pinged again. He’d sent her the name of a bar in Roppongi; of course that was where he wanted to go. She pursed her lips as she wrote back.

My hot single friends might already have plans, she told him.

Alright but if Dave asks it was your idea for just the two of us to hang out, not mine, he returned.

Nellie breathed out. As irritated as she wanted to be, she had to give him that one. But she sent him an eye roll emoji and said, I’ll ask Torr and Thekla and let you know, and threw her phone in her bag to head to the shower.

* * * *

As it turned out, Nellie’s hot single friends did already have plans—to go to a different bar in Roppongi. But that worked just fine for Clark, and he told Nellie he’d meet them there. And honestly, she hoped he’d get there sooner rather than later, because the current company was a mixed bag, to say the least.

Thekla had come, along with Giulia and Mai Sakurai, the three of which were in a celebratory mood—they’d won the Artist of Stardom Championship from REStart that night. Torrance had also come; it was the first time she and Nellie had gone out together in months.

But she’d brought Club Venus with her.

“They’re really not that bad if you get to know them,” Thekla told Nellie over the music as they sat together in the booth; all the others were off dancing or getting drinks. It earned her a skeptical stare. “I know, I know,” she returned. “You’re Team Tam even if you’re not in Cosmic Angels anymore. But Torrance is your best friend, and Mariah is practically her clone. Her much taller British clone, but still.”

Nellie laughed, remembering how she’d told David almost the exact same thing. But then Thekla changed the subject.

“And speaking of you not being in Cosmic Angels anymore… when’re you gonna bite the bullet and join DDM?”

Nellie breathed out. She’d expected this to come up.

“It’s been over a month, Nell.”

“I’m aware,” she replied. “But Giulia doesn’t seem nearly as eager to have me in DDM as Utami does to have me back in Queen’s Quest.”

She sent Thekla a pointed look over her drink. Thekla’s eyebrows arched in understanding.

“Giulia is hard to read, I’ll give you that,” she admitted. “And I’ll be honest with you—you’d have to earn her trust because of how close you are with Tam. Which I mean, can you blame her? Tam shaved her head.”

“Okay, but she rocked that look, though,” Nellie pointed out.

Thekla grinned. “She did, but still. The good news is you’re already halfway there.”

“Am I?” she curiously asked.

“Yeah. Because Giulia trusts me and my judgment—and I want you in DDM, dammit.”

Nellie grinned. “And I appreciate that. And as soon as I make my decision, I’ll let you know.”

“Look who we found at the bar.”

They both looked up. Giulia and Mai had returned, and they had Clark with them.

“I wouldn’t expect you to find him anywhere else,” Nellie quipped.

He set a shot glass in front of her and Thekla each. “Here, I bought us all a round,” he said, and then, in a higher-pitched voice, “‘Oh, thank you, Clark, you’re so sweet and thoughtful and also incredibly handsome.’”

Thekla snorted. Nellie's expression was deadpan. “I already regret telling you where to meet us.”

“Scoot over,” he said with a nudge of her shoulder, and she and Thekla made room so he could sit down while Giulia and Mai did the same on the other side of the booth.

“What is this?” Nellie asked as she picked up the shot.

“Tequila,” Clark said. “I remember what you like.”

She ignored the comment and brought the liquor to her lips.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” he quickly stopped her. “We gotta toast!” He raised his glass and looked expectantly around the table. The girls all obliged. “To the success of Donna del Mondo,” he started, “and the restoration of fucking Bullet Club.”

A smirk pulled at Nellie’s lips, and they all toasted and kicked back the tequila, some grimacing more than others as it went down. “Okay, that one was for you, but we're getting whiskey next round,” Clark winced.

“What, can’t handle it?” Nellie teased. “I remember Gabe shooting tequila just fine.”

“A-heh-heh-heh,” he screwed up his face and mock-laughed in return. “But speaking of Gabe—I heard you’re gonna be at Dominion?”

Her brow furrowed in confusion; that segue didn’t make any sense. What did Gabe have to do with Dominion?

But before she could ask, Thekla interjected, “Wait, what? Isn’t Dominion the same day as our Korakuen show?”

Nellie nodded. “It is. But I told Rossy I want to be in Osaka to support David at ringside and that if he really wants to elevate Stardom’s global profile, he needs to start putting me and my two titles on NJPW TV.”

Thekla’s eyebrows arched. “And he agreed to that?”

“Mhm,” Nellie proudly returned. “I think he admired my nerve.”

“Hell yeah,” Clark grinned. “I cannot wait to see the look on ELP’s face when you walk out there with us.”

She gave him another curious look. Us? As far as she knew, Clark wasn’t booked to be at Dominion. “Okay, is there something—”

“What the fuck is this twat doing here?”

Nellie whipped her head around. She saw Torrance first, her face flushed from dancing. And then she saw Dan Moloney.

“I know you’re not talking about me,” Clark returned.

“Well, I don’t see any other twats sat at this table.”

Nellie shot a tense look at Torrance, asking with her face what the hell Dan was doing there. He and Clark had just tried to murder each other in their Best of the Super Juniors tournament match three days ago; the last thing she wanted to do tonight was pull apart another United Empire-Bullet Club fight.

Clark stood from the booth, and Nellie almost grabbed the back of his shirt—but then he greeted Dan like they were best mates.

“I didn’t know you’d be here tonight, man. You should’ve said something.”

“Yeah, well, kind of a last-minute thing. This one invited me,” Dan said with a thumb at Torrance.

Nellie, meanwhile, was at a complete loss. “I’m sorry—what?”

“I don’t know—men,” Thekla shrugged. “They beat the shit out of each other once and suddenly they’re best friends.”

Clark sat back down next to Nellie while Mai made room for Torrance and Dan on the other side of the booth, and Torrance and Nellie’s gaze connected again. Torrance tapped her phone; and no sooner had she than Nellie felt hers vibrate in the back pocket of her jeans. She pulled it out and read the text.

We may have hooked up. Surprise?

Nellie widened her eyes at her friend. She just shrugged.

Surprised and not surprised, she wrote back. I guess bro code doesn’t count for shit in UE.

She waited for Torrance to see the response. Her phone lit up—and she scoffed before quickly typing back.

Whatever, I don’t care. Will had already moved on to another warm body before my side of the bed was even cold.

Nellie read the text and gave her a look that said, “You’re not wrong,” before sending a written reply.

Maybe Dan isn’t even in UE anymore. Him and Clark acting all buddy-buddy right now is suspicious AF.

Torrance’s eyes went wide, and she typed quickly back. Don’t even joke. I’m so done fucking with Bullet Club boys.

Nellie just laughed; she’d thought the same after she and Jay had broken up. And yet, here she was, just days away from declaring herself Bullet Club, too—something that only she, David, and Clark knew.

As far as she knew, anyway.

* * * *

Friday, November 4, 2022 Osaka, Japan

Tomorrow would be David’s last show in Japan until he didn’t know when. It sucked—it really sucked. He and Nellie had only realized their mutual desire for something more than just friendship five days ago. But Nellie didn’t want to focus on their painfully poor timing. As it worked out, their schedules had synced up to give them a full day off together in Osaka, and they’d taken full advantage.

They started off with getting breakfast at an American-style diner, splitting chocolate banana pancakes and a bacon and cheese omelet because neither of them could decide which sounded better. Then they’d gone on the famous Osaka costumed go-kart sightseeing tour that Nellie had always wanted to try but never had the chance; she’d dressed up as Yoshi, David as Pikachu. Afterward, they’d stopped at one of the city’s numerous food stalls for deep-fried chicken and sticky-sweet rice balls before heading back to David’s hotel room, where they’d fallen asleep watching TV together on the bed. It felt so natural, so comfortable, so uncomplicated sleeping in David’s arms.

But when they awoke, it only made it that much more difficult not to think about how their time together was dwindling all too quickly.

“I don’t want to leave you at all,” David said as they still lay together, his arm around her, her head on his chest. “But I also feel like I need the time away for myself to reset; go back to the fucking drawing board. My G1 was shit; I really wanted that TV Title… I don’t know. I need to figure out what I need to do to stop just spinning my wheels.”

“Your G1 wasn’t shit,” Nellie gently returned. “Will won your block with what? Eight points? And you and everyone else but Juice finished with six. Most people finished with six this year. And if it helps at all, that TV Title is ugly as shit.”

David let out a laugh. “You’re right about that. And yeah, at least I did beat Juice. But it’s just one disappointment after another, you know?”

“I do know. You know I do. And I think you’re right. I don’t want you to leave, either. But even more than that, I don’t want you to get burned out from frustration.” She lifted her head to look at him. “So, take some time to do what you need to do, and then come back to me.”

He gave her a soft smile. “I know this probably feels like an uncomfortably familiar situation. But I promise, Nell—I’m not Jay.”

She shook her head. “I know you’re not,” she said, and she kissed him. She’d meant it to be just one, short and sweet, assuring; but neither of them wanted to stop at just one. David rolled her underneath him, and her hand unintentionally slipped under his shirt. Nellie wanted him; she wanted to cross that line. But she knew all too well that sleeping with him now would only make his absence hurt that much more—

And then her phone started ringing.

He pulled back. “Is someone calling you?”

She sighed. “Guarantee it’s Torrance.” Sure enough, when she retrieved her phone from the nightstand, Torrance’s name was displayed on the screen. David just laughed.

Nellie answered the call, and she and Torrance talked for a few minutes, figuring out what the plans were for the evening (“The Aussies and Jeff and Francesco want to get dinner with us, but I don’t want to be around Will,” Torrance explained). When she hung up, she looked back at David. The previous tension still hung in the air between them.

“It’s probably for the best she interrupted,” he softly said. “I don’t want to do that just to turn around and leave for I don’t know how long.”

Nellie sighed again. “I know. But you know you saying that only makes me want it more, right?”

He grinned. “Maybe that’s the point,” he teased, and he kissed her again. Once, tender and meaningful.

They got up from the bed, and David walked her to the door and told her to let him know when she made it back to her hotel—she wanted to shower and change before dinner—and Nellie made her way to the elevators. She looked down at her phone as one arrived with a ding; but when the doors slid open, a stone dropped into her stomach.

Jay.

He looked like he’d just arrived, luggage in tow, sunglasses on. He pushed them on top of his head and grinned. The cat who caught the canary.

“Well, fancy meeting you here.”  

He stepped out of the elevator, but his suitcase blocked her way and the doors slid closed. Not that Nellie could move, anyway. It felt like her legs had suddenly turned to lead.

“Is Stardom in this hotel?” he asked. “I thought your show was in Nara tomorrow?”

She tried not to think about why he knew that as she answered. “It is, and we’re not. I’m here with David.”

It was more gratifying than she expected to say that to Jay’s face. And even though his face didn’t give much away, she could see it in his eyes. Resentment. But then he turned them down and nodded.

“Are you? That’s kind of surprising.”

Nellie’s brow hardened. “What’s so surprising about it?”

He shook his head. “Nothing—well. It’s just that when you started hanging out with him during the G1… I thought you were doing it just to get back at me.”

Anger bubbled up in Nellie’s chest. Shock, disbelief, to the point that she felt ill. She looked him dead in the eye. “If you think I would use someone like that, then you really don’t know me at all.”

She hit the down button again.

“Nell, come on,” Jay breathed. “What else was I supposed to think? When I got back to Japan it seemed like you wanted to fix things between us, and then next thing I knew, you were out getting drinks with my old best friend.”

“I did want to fix things!” she burst. “Against my own better judgment, I did! And what happened? You fucked me one last time—here, in Osaka, to pump yourself up for your World Title match—and then you disappeared again.”

His eyebrows arched. “Are you joking? I had other bookings; that was two weeks before Forbidden Door.”

The elevator arrived, but Nellie didn’t get on. “Okay, but you didn’t talk to me! You didn’t show me anything, Jay—nothing changed! And you know what David did? He showed me that he gave a shit about me.”

The elevator doors started to close, and Nellie caught them with her arm and stepped inside. She looked back at Jay. The resentment in his eyes had given way to something else. Guilt.

“Nell… I don’t want to leave it like this.”

She shook her head. “Now’s not the time,” she told him, and the elevator doors slid closed, putting a pause on the one conversation that she knew, eventually, she’d no longer be able to avoid.

* * * *

Friday, June 2, 2023 Tokyo, Japan

“You remember the last time we were in Osaka together?”

David asked the question as they finished packing. The big weekend had finally arrived. They were taking the bullet train down to Osaka tomorrow for Dominion on Sunday, and Nellie was buzzing with excitement.

“Yeah, I was just thinking about that,” she said as she zipped up her suitcase and moved it with some effort from her bed to the floor. “It’s crazy to think how much has changed since then.”

Everything had changed. Seven months ago, she and David had been reluctantly pulled apart from one another, both frustrated and floundering in their careers, nothing but uncertainty on the horizon. And now, they were both champions; David the leader of Bullet Club, Nellie on the verge of making her membership known to the world. It felt like they had the whole world ahead of them. And they were doing it together.

“I know,” David returned. “I’d never wanted to board a plane less in my life than I did after that show.”

“Even more than this last time you left?”

“Oh, for sure,” he answered, no hesitation. “Because when I leave now, I know exactly when I’m coming back. It was the not knowing back then that really made it hard.”

Nellie didn’t reply as she climbed onto her bed and settled against the pillows, her thoughts turning inward. After Dominion, David didn’t have any bookings until the G1, over a month away. And they hadn’t really discussed that—if he would extend his stay to spend some extra time with her before heading back home to Florida, if he would come back early before the tournament, if he’d even given it any thought at all. It didn’t worry her, per se; they’d both been busy. But now it was right there in front of her.

“Which, actually, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

She looked back at him, pulled from her thoughts. “What is it?” she asked.

He settled next to her on the bed, and the atmosphere suddenly felt different. Not tense. But important. Nellie felt her heart pick up a beat.

“I know we’ve been moving kind of fast since I came back in March,” David began. “But truthfully—and I think you feel the same—I don’t see the point in waiting if we both know what we want. And so… I’ve decided that I want to move here, to Tokyo. And if you want, I’d like us to get a new place together.”

If Nellie had been buzzing before, she was positively vibrating now. “Are you being serious?”

He nodded. “Of course. I fucking hate every time I have to get on a plane and leave you again. I hate it. And this last time I was gone, I realized… it’s not just my career that’s here now. My life is, too.”

He looked her in the eyes, full of love and trust, and her heart grew wings. “I would love to get a new place together.”

David smiled. “Yeah?”

“Yes, of course,” she said, and she kissed him. She couldn’t contain her excitement. “Babe! This is a big deal!”

“I know, but it’s what I want,” he reiterated. “And plus, this timing works out because I have a month-and-a-half off after Sunday, so that’ll give me a good amount of time to sort everything out and get my place in Florida packed up and shipped over here.”

“That’s a process,” she told him. “Trust me, I know from experience.”

“I know. But to be honest with you, I already started.”

Nellie smiled at him. “You did?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I had a feeling you’d say yes, so I figured I’d get a head start when I was home.”

“Oh, you had a feeling?”

“I did,” he grinned. “Come here.”

He pulled her into another kiss, and Nellie had never felt so much love, so much trust, so much understanding, so much faith that this was right. That everything she’d been through, that they’d been through, had purposefully brought them exactly to where they were now. And she couldn’t wait to find out what else they would build—together.

“I love you,” David said against her lips, and Nellie smiled.

“I love you, too.”

* * * *

Sunday, June 4, 2023 Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall – Osaka, Japan

Nellie had thought she was the only surprise David had in store that night. Boy, had she thought wrong.

The first surprise came after the IWGP Junior Tag Title match. Catch 2/2 had staved off Intergalactic Jetsetters only for Clark to come strutting down to the ring—with a gold cap on one of his teeth and a too-orange spray tan, God bless him—and at first, Nellie hadn’t understood. No one had; he was outnumbered, what was he going to do? But everyone got their answer when Dan Moloney, who had been at ringside for the match, unexpectedly attacked Francesco and TJP, officially turning on United Empire and joining Bullet Club. And Torrance had texted Nellie almost as soon as it had happened.

Nellie I swear to God if you knew about this and didn’t tell me.

Dude I had NO idea I swear, I’m just as shocked as you are, she’d quickly sent back. But as Dan and Clark had walked back up the ramp, the sight of them together made a little too much sense.

“They’re gonna bring out the absolute worst in each other,” she’d noted. David had just laughed.

And then, the match after the next, there was another surprise.

After Bishamon had defeated House of Torture and United Empire to win both the IWGP Tag Team and Strong Openweight Tag Team championships, Alex Coughlin and Gabe Kidd had shown up in Bullet Club shirts and put the boots to them, declaring their intent and establishing their allegiance in one fell swoop. It explained why Clark had brought up Dominion after Nellie had mentioned Gabe last week. She had to admit—she was impressed.

But now it was her turn to be the surprise.

She’d never felt more confident than she did now in her BC Decade t-shirt, cropped to show off her figure; although, she wore her Wonder of Stardom Championship around her waist and her SWA World Championship diagonally across her chest, so she was mostly gold. David had explicitly told her to show off. “You’ve earned that,” he’d told her. “We run this fucking place.”

Excited butterflies teemed in her stomach as they all stood at the ready at the Gorilla curtain. David smirked down at her.

“Last chance to back out.”

She grinned and shook her head. “Not a chance,” she told him, and sealed it with a kiss.

His entrance music started. Clark and Dan went out first, followed by Gabe and Alex. They stood on either side of the stage, and then David went up the steps, followed closely by Nellie, Gedo behind her. She could hear the surprise of the crowd when they saw her, feel it course through her body, energizing her. It was a familiar feeling, but renewed. Different. Deeper.

They walked down to the ring, and while David’s focus was zeroed in on El Phantasmo, ELP was looking at Nellie. Except it wasn’t ELP; not right then. Right then, it was Riley.

“Seriously?” he said down to her. “You never once came out here with Jay.”

Nellie didn’t hesitate. “Jay never asked,” she returned, and David slid into the ring and attacked him.

Twenty-six minutes later, he was victorious. And Nellie hadn’t gotten involved; none of the other members of Bullet Club had. David didn’t need their help; he didn’t need them to interfere. This was a different Bullet Club than what it had been under Jay, a return to the original. And when they all joined David in the ring and raised up the Too Sweet above ELP, Nellie had never felt more like she belonged. Not in Cosmic Angels, not in Queen’s Quest, not even in Suzuki-gun. This was her home, beside David—and it just so happened to be in Bullet Club.