#suddenly struck with wanting to change my life and not having the daylight nor the physical/mental ability to get it done right then

[samuraisharkie]

girl help I’m experiencing that common yet elusive late night motivation to get my life together knowing it will fall apart in the morning </3 girl fucking help me

[ga-yuu]

~Kurama~Main Story Chapter 25~Part 2

Warning!! Sexual content below because it's the avatar challenge story. And Kurama is too cute.

Part 1

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-------Part 4-----

Kurama: “Do you know what I’m thinking now, Yoshitsune?”

Yoshitsune: "Somewhat likely I do."

Likewise, Yoshitsune-sama does not look at Kurama."

Kurama: "Yoshitsune! Let's me make break our deal and the promise I made to you."

Ibuki: "-----No way."

Ibuki's eyes widened in realization.

Yoshitsune-sama smiled faintly and held out his hand to Kurama.

Yoshitsune: "You're not breaking our promise. You're asking me for a favor for the first time. The power you have given to me, I'm willing to give it back to you with grace."

(....They're breaking their pact!)

-----Kurama's plan is about to come to fruition.

A moment later, Kurama took Yoshitsune's hand and dazzling light-flooded around us.

Ibuki: "So, that's why."

For the first time, Ibuki backed away impatiently, but with a smile still on his lips.

Ibuki: "The power of love and friendship. I didn't expect you to use it as a trump card. How did you learn to do that? Kurama."

Kurama: "Not really. I'm just using what I already had in me."

Kurama then opens his fan.

Kurama: "----You know, Ibuki, I've never understood why I was able to control such an enormous amount of magical power to break Yoshino's spell."

Ibuki: ".....Oh, so now you understand?"

Kurama: "Yeah."

The air around Kurama distorted like a daylight tower, swirling and kneading into one solid mass.

(Kurama.....)

Kurama: "Because I wanted to protect her at all cost. This desire along with my power will be my new strength."

His magic which was twice as much power after breaking his deal struck Ibuki like a shockwave and attacked him.

Ibuki kicked the ground and created a huge sand shield but it was quickly destroyed.

Kurama: "Repent, Ibuki. You woke me up."

Ibuki: ".....Haa...what a boring end."

The light enveloped Ibuki and blew him away, from where he was too dazzled to see anything.

Yoshino: ".....Did we win?"

Kurama: "Yeah, it's over."

Tamamo: "Haa...I'm tired Kurama. Remember, you owe me one for this."

Kurama: "I don't remember."

Kurama and Yoshitsune's eyes meet and Yoshitsune smiles faintly.

Yoshitsune: "I'm glad you're safe, Kurama."❤

Kurama: "----It's only natural."

(Yoshitsune-sama rushed here to find out everything, he even went with Kurama's plan to break their deal without a second thought.)

(But that means that Yoshitsune-sama will lose a great weapon against the Shogunate in this war...)

When I think of his fierce determination, my heart is struck.

(I wonder how much trust there is between them.)

Yoshitsune: "Also, thank you. Tamamo, Yoshino."

Yoshino: "Eh?"

Yoshitsune: "For protecting Kurama."

Tamamo: "You should thank Yoshino in particular."

Jokingly, Tamamo let his long hair flutter in the wind.

Tamamo: "Let's go. Yoritomo must have achieved something by now."

.....................

In response to a night raid by the Imperial Court, Yoritomo led the main body of troops to meet them. At the end of it....

Akihito: "Nice to meet you, Minamoto no Yoritomo."

Yoritomo(fake smile): "As a Shogun, I have a problem with killing a nobleman of the Imperial Court."

-------Part 5-------

Yoritomo(fake smile): "As a Shogun, I have a problem with killing a nobleman of the Imperial Court. But no one will be able to charge you with killing a ghost that isn't supposed to be there now, Your Majesty."

Akihito: "Oh dear, I was supposed to be in the back of the line, but I got dragged out. Samurai's skill in battle is quite remarkable, isn't it?"

Akihito gives out a troubled laugh on his horseback.

Divided between his allies he is left with only a dozen private soldiers around him.

Akihito: "Well, you've got me cornered."

In spite of the hopelessness of the situation, Akihito's face never changed.

Akihito: "Go fast----"

On the horseback, Akihito waved his sleeves and several white dolls fell from his sleeves to the ground.

Shogunate soldier 1: "Be careful! He's doing something weird!"

The paper dolls swell to the size of a human and attack the Shogunate soldiers.

Yoritomo, who was in command smiled sarcastically.

Kagetoki: "Those paper dolls are Onmyoji magic. It must have been made by Yasuchika-dono."

Yoritomo: "Looks like it. We can hold out a little longer with few men. But that's only going to buy us time."

Akihito: "................"

Akihito's calm eyes captured Yoritomo and Kagetoki at a distance.

Akihito: "Neither soldier nor general will let this degree of deceit create an opening. It's not a good time to be on the offensive. In the end, I had to rely on Ibuki....but he seems to have disappeared. That's it."

With one hand, Akihito rolled up his sleeves and removes his bracelet from his hand.

Soon the air around him suddenly became heavy.

Akihito: "....Yasuchika, forgive me. I had to break our promise."

He didn't care that the soldier around him was spooked.

Akihito turned his horse's head in the direction of the Shogunate.

Akihito: "It's been a long time since I've used one of these."

The hair of Akihito turned to golden from black in a matter of seconds.

Akihito: "Sleep---"

Yoritomo: "What the---!?"

The Shogunate's soldiers, who were close to Akihito began to fall off their horses.

Kagetoki: "Kotodama? No----"

Yoritomo: "It's clearly not something a human can do. All back! Don't listen to him!!!"

Yoritomo's calm voice brought the Shogunate's soldiers to their senses.

Akihito: "....There are too many of you. Samurai are all so strong-willed and I'll have to use a strong Kotodama."

Akihito sighs and opens his mouth when-----

Akihito: "....Die-----"

Yasuchika: "DON'T DO THAT!"

Akihito: "Yasuchika!"

Yasuchika on his horse rushes up to Akihito and grabs his hand.

Yasuchika: "I've cleared our way of escape. So please come with me."

Akihito: "I was...."

Yasuchika interrupts Akihito.

Yasuchika: "I'll do anything. Anything no matter how dirty it is. I'm used to it. But don't take away from me the task of keeping your hands clean. Otherwise---For whom did I become an Onmyoji for?"

The blood-curdling words of Yasuchika caused Akihito's beautiful face to contort slightly.

Akihito: "....I'm always weak to that kind of face. Okay, Yasuchika. Let's retire for now."

Akihito and Yasuchika, both kicked their horse and runs out of the battlefield.

The soldiers hired by the Court, unable to grasp the situation clearly, rushed after him.

....................

Thus the long time on the battlefield has come to an end.

But-----

Kurama: "Yoshino, why are you running away?"

Yoshino(blushing): "B-Because...no one told me we're going to sleep together..!!!"

~~~~"I Will Love You, Forever." (Normal Story)~~~~

Kurama: "Yoshino, why are you running away?"

Yoshino(blushing): "B-Because...no one told me we're going to sleep together..!!!"

Kurama: "Why are you acting like this is the first time?"

Yoshino(blushing): "I know everything happened at the last minute...but still!!"

As I pushed and shoved my way through this pointless debate, I tried to remember why it had happened.

The war came to an end with the disappearance of Akihito-sama and Yasuchika-san.

Ibuki was knocked down by Kurama, and his life and death remain unknown to this day.

Since then, Yoritomo-sama and Yoshitsune-sama held a meeting lasting several hours and agreed on a temporary truce.

......It was only later that a small but significant problem arose for me.

-------FLASHBACK------

Kurama: "Then we'll going to my tent. Yoshitsune, are you ready?"

Yoshitsune: "Yeah, but...."

Yoritomo: "Kurama, are you seriously going to carry 'that' around with you all the time?"

Kurama: ".....? What are you talking about?"

Yoshino(blushing): "Ummm....Kurama. I don't understand why are you carrying me like this. Also Yoritomo-sama please don't address me like I'm some kind of thing."

Kurama, who had been carrying me in a bridal style as a matter of course, had a disapproving look on his face.

Kurama: "What? Do you want me to hold you up vertically? You're a selfish woman."

Yoshino(blushing): "It's not a question of orientation."

Kurama: "....? Then? I can't carry you on my back, there are wings back there."

Shigehira: "That's enough!!"

Shigehira-kun, who had been looking at me with a scornful expression, interrupted us as if he couldn't bear it.

Shigehira: "We hadn't see Yoshino in a really long time. But I don't get it. Why are you, the enemy, carrying her like that!?"

Kurama: "Because we're in love."

(He said it....again...without any hesitation.)

Shigehira(blushing for literally no reason): "Haaa!!!!????"

Sure enough, Shigehira-kun's face turned red and he stopped moving.

(I can't complain, I'm even embarrassed than Shigahira-kun...)

Kurama: "At first, I thought she was just my toy that I'd eventually let go. But I love this woman and she loves me too. There you have it----is there any reason not to touch?"

Yoshino(tomato red): "K-Kurama!! please don't say those kinds of things in public..."

Kurama: "I'm taking you to Hiraizumi tomorrow. Everything will be fine if you just look at me without worrying about other people."

Yoichi: ".....Awww, you two are making me blush"

(I can't stand this atmosphere. I'm so embarrassed!)

Then a calm voice interrupts me as if hearing my wish.

Kagetoki: "But, isn't Yoshino's official owners here? If Yoshino, who is the fox princess is removed from the Shogunate, won't our strength fall?"

Benkei: "Come on, man. It's a matter of how two people feel. Don't shove your rules and regulations onto them."

Yoichi: "He's right. Also, Yoshino spent a fair amount of time in Hiraizumi, so maybe she actually likes us better, right?"

Shigehira: "Don't count the time when she was a prisoner."

Yoichi: "I'm just stating the facts, FACTS."

Then Morinaga-san looked at me and gave his usual soft smile.

Morinaga: "I was also surprised by the news of Yoshino and Kurama being together...and I also know that you've been through a lot."

(Morinaga-san...)

Morinaga: "So I think we should all respect Yoshino's opinion."

Everyone's eyes were drawn to me and I opened my mouth shyly.

(I know it's hard to say, but it's the right thing to do, so I have to explain it properly.)

Yoshino: "As you may have guessed, I fell in love with Kurama. I am sorry to the members of the Shogunate."

Kurama: "..............."

Yoshino: "We decided to fight each other as enemies, and then things changed.... and he saved my life. So, if I'm allowed, I would like to live with Kurama."

(My life is limited, so I always want to be close to Kurama.)

Yoshino: ".....But I don't want to cause trouble for the Shogunate."

I say the best I can and kept my mouth shut.

Kurama: "It's no fun. Asking the Shogunate members for permission to live your life how you want. In fact, Yoshino is not even a fox princess anymore."

Yoshino: "Hm?"

Kurama: "Tamamo, why aren't you telling them?"

Tamamo: "Hm? Ohhh that...."

Tamamo who had been listening silently smiled mischievously.

Kurama: "The battle with Ibuki would have accumulated the amount of magic power needed to break your deal, right?"

(Really...?)

Tamamo: "I'm just sad to leave Yoshino's side. I just couldn't bear the thought of giving her to you."

Tamamo's red tongue was peeking mischievously.

Yoritomo: "What the hell do we do now? We all love Yoshino, don't we?"

Kurama: "So that's it. Should I just kill them all?"

Shigehira: "Control your emotions!!!!!"

Yoshino: "I'm sorry I'm sorry for that!!"

-----After that, Tamamo told me he likes the Shogunate and would be staying there.

We broke our deal and-----

Tomorrow, I will be going to Hiraizumi with the Rebels.

------FLASHBACK END------

(.....But, I didn't know about this arrangement.)

Kurama: "Are you out of your mind? Get over here quickly."

Yoshino: "!!"

He pulls me close and makes me sit on his lap.

My heart thudded as he puts his arms around my back to confine me.

Kurama: "----You're alive and warm."

(Kurama....?)

Yoshino: "It was Kurama who kept me alive. Remember?"

Kurama: "---Yeah, but one wrong move and I would have killed you. If I hadn't realized how much I loved you."

I can't read the emotion in that quiet voice, but....

(Maybe he's still worried?)

And when I think about it, the tension is gone.

I boldly put my arm around Kurama's back.

Yoshino: ".....I would still be alright."

Kurama: "What do you mean?"

Yoshino: "Because Kurama always gets things right, even if he doesn't know it....probably without even knowing it. I've felt that."

(And that's how he forcefully takes my hand and makes me aware of unfamiliar landscapes.)

We have been through a lot, from hurting each other to getting lost. But all that was necessary.

Yoshino: "Kurama."

Kurama: "What is it?"

Yoshino: "....I love you."(〃＾▽＾〃)

Kurama: "................you're full of sunshine."

Yoshino: "That's because I'm so happy."

Kurama frowns and pinches my cheeks with both hands.

Then his face finally approaches.....

Yoshino: "Mm...."

After a gentle kiss, Kurama separates and sighs painfully.

Kurama(blushing): "Seriously, who are you? How can you excite me so much so easily? It feels so unsettling now that I know about it too."

(....So, that's what you're thinking?)

Yoshino: "I feel the same about Kurama. So we bother are the same."

Kurama: "But it's still not enough. I might feel better if I take all of you and make love to you until you cry and beg for me."

This low voice sweetly echoes and had a dangerous scent to it.

Yoshino(blushing): "Mm..wait...."

Kurama: "I like that voice. I want to make you cry like that more."

Yoshino(blushing): "Ohh....Mmm...Ku..rama..."

The tip of his tongue tickles my earlobe and then crawls down to my neck.

A shiver ran down my spine and I instinctively understood it.

(Tonight, Kurama will not let go of me, no matter how much I complain.)

Yoshino(blushing): "Mmm....you also wanted to do..this...even before you realized...you're love for me..."

Kurama: "Yeah, and you'd always stop me without letting me go all the way."

Kurama scoops up my chin with his fingertips and laughs.

Our kiss deepened, and his soft tongue enters through the slightly opened thin lips.

Yoshino: "Hmm....Nn..Mmm...."

(Ohh..he..already knows...my weaknesses...)

He stroked my hair, tickling the nape of my neck, and his tongue traced the back of my mouth probing the sweet moans to easily escape from my lips.

Yoshino: "Ha...ah...."

The kiss ended with a wet sound and I fell against Kurama's chest.

My obi was already loosened, and his fingers enter through my loose collar.

Kurama: "You're body is begging me to torment you more, even if you try denying it with words."

Yoshino(showing her orgasm face): "No..such..thing...."

Kurama: "Then why is your body reacting to everywhere I touch? And why are you making that face?"

His finger follows down to massage my breasts....

Yoshino: "Ahh.....Nnmm...Mm.."

As soon as his fingers lightly touch me in a scratching motion, my body jumps...

Yoshino(Orgasm face): "Ku..ra...ma....n...more..."

Kurama: "Do you want more?"

Yoshino(Orgasm face): "No..more..."

Kurama smiles and kisses my eyelids, while I glare at him in tears.

Kurama: "I like the way you resist despite having a fragile body."

Is was horrified but at the same time happy to see his lovely smile.

(Does Kurama knows that he's smiling now?)

Kurama: "You are the one who clings to reason at the very end while squirming. Before, if I got the heat up to this point, you'd stiffen up, so I'd pull back."

Yoshino: ".......Why was Kurama being so much considerate before?"

I wince at the kisses on my neck and say a few words of resistance, but....

Kurama: "Ohh?"

Yoshino(blushing): "No! Nothing!"

I look away in embarrassment when I saw those ferocious red eyes.

Kurama: "I was overlooking it because I didn't find fun in simply robbing everything from you."

He purposely whispers into my ear and I shiver at his giggles.

Kurama: "Now that you have come forward and cleared that you liked all of that? Are you ready now?"

Yoshino(Orgasm face): "Ahh...I...."

He quickly uncovers my skin.

(.....Why have I fallen in love with such a troublesome demon?)

(But I never thought I'd be so happy to even be drowned.)

I could just feel the heat in my cheeks in the moonlight.

Chapter 26

[razorblade180]

Twin snowflakes part 24: Date Night.

Part 23 here! <-

Still exhausted, Veronica flopped back onto her bed with the help of Nick. The girl let the mattress steal all tension from her body, letting out a sigh of satisfaction. “Aaahhhh! That’s the stuff. Appreciate the help.”

“Don’t mention it. Especially after what you just did. Frankly I had no plan to get Summer to cooperate.”

Veronica chuckled the best she could. “Hehe, not often Nicholas Schnee doesn’t have a plan. I guess you owe me then? Lucky for you I take words of affirmation as payment all the time.”

Nick smiled. It was nice to see Veronica joking. Encountering Shiva always put a dread over him, but she seemed to not care much. That’s Veronica alright, refusing to take crap from anybody. “I could praise you, or how about I praise you over a nice dinner?” Nick quickly responded.

All the neurons in Veronica’s brain suddenly came to a screeching halt. Her body immediately came flinging forward to sit upright to stare at the smiling boy. “What…?” She asked, still processing the question.

“Let me take you dinner.” He said again, “I have a reservation at this place in Atlas tonight. I was gonna cancel but we could just have a night out together. You still haven’t tried much food from here right? Plus I know you still have to be hungry. This works out.”

Veronica couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Did Nick just ask her out on a dinner date? That didn’t sound right, even if it was a thank you gift. As quickly as her eyes lit up, they began to squint at him with skepticism. “What happened with Valerie?”

Now his eyes got big. He wasn’t expecting that response. “Uhhhh what?” His voice gave away his nervousness and Veronica could clearly tell.

“Don’t play dumb with me Nick. I’m not gonna call you a liar or anything, but I know you, and you know me; as well as my feelings.” She said that last part sheepishly. “You aren’t the kind of person to play with my emotions or offer a dinner date when you’re crushing on Val, so what’s up? Be straight with me”

It was becoming clear to Nick that he apparently could be read like a book. This is the third person within twenty four hours to look at him and automatically knew to ask about Valerie. This was ridiculous! His life had many things that made him bummed out. How are people guessing right on the first try!?”

“Uhhhhh” he scratched the back of his head and sighed. No point tip toeing around it. Not like it was a secret or anything, yet his stomach felt queasy all the same. “I ran into her yesterday. She was pretty upset that I didn’t tell her I got sick. I apologized and tried to smooth our recent bickering over with dinner. It was going okay, but then…Val immediately started to brush me off. I got upset, she started deflecting, people started staring, then she really started saying some things that really got me upset; kinda made a little scene out of it before walking off. Nor really princely, huh?” He tried smiling at the self jab, but failed. “Anyways, next time we meet per her request more a less will be at the tournament. We currently aren’t on speaking terms. Something she should be fine with since distance was what she wanted in the first place.”

Veronica could hear a little venom in those words. Val really did have Nick upset. He’s never this openly bitter. Though maybe it was being behind closed doors that allowed him to drop the facade of being consistently pleasant. Frankly, that made Veronica a little happy for him, in an odd way. However… “I see. So I assume that this dinner reservation was for you and her?” An answer wasn’t needed. Nick’s moment of sulking was replaced with a guilt ridden look on his face the moment she asked. “You know, kinda shitty you’re asking me to a dinner meant for another girl that turned you down. Not a fan of being someone’s second choice.”

Nick closed his eyes and let in a sharp breath like he had just been hit. “Oooo yeah, yeah that was pretty messed up for me.”

“Mhmm, big time. No girl wants to hear that you know?”

“I didn’t mean- I wasn’t trying to...sorry. That was tasteless and selfish of me.” He looked down, shamefully and with genuine guilt. It was only when Veronica’s hand lifted his head by his chin did he see the girl stare at him with an observing gaze and lips pouting to the side. She then crossed her arms and looked away from him, ears tucked and a tinge of red visible on her.

“You’re lucky you’re a good person and I am hungry. I…guess you could apologize with a good dinner?” Veronica knew he wasn’t trying to be insensitive. Still, she was more than a little ticked off at herself for letting him off easy. Darn his good qualities! Being mad towards him for long was never gonna happen. Not to mention having a calm outing together is a golden opportunity. No way she wasn’t gonna capitalize off of Valerie’s mistakes. Her eyes shifted towards Nick to see a relieved smile that only made staying upset harder.

“This place better be good! Also I’m gonna order every expensive thing possible!” Veronica declared, attempting to save face.

“Hehe, thank you, and go right ahead and order anything you want. It’s not until around nine so please, get some rest.”

“I should be saying that to you. Isn’t going out at night in the cold while moody only gonna give you more sniffles?”

“Pfft, I’m sick anymore. Just focus on healing and rest. Not that I have to tell you this, but you gotta dress nice for where we’re eating.”

Veronica smirked, pointing at a closet of designed outfits. “Careful. I may not be worth billions but I’ll make you look like a pocket change if you don’t wear you best.”

The boy let out a cocky chuckle before walking to the door. “For your information, I’m two billion.” He said puffing out his chest playfully, leaving on that note. He could hear her gentle laughter behind the door. At least he could lift one girl’s spirit. As for the other, Nick looked at his sister’s locked door. He couldn’t help himself. He wasn’t going to knock, but he had to at least walk to it. Come to think of it, Nick had a hard time remembering when this door remained open. Most days it kept either the warmth in, while shutting others out. Slowly he rested his hand against it. The wood, cool to the touch.

“Tell me what you need.” He thought, “I’m not a mind reader…” Nick could only sigh. He removed his hand and stepped back. As he began to walk, the door moved. As if something was pressed against it from the other side.

“I know you’re there.” Summer said from the other side. Nick quickly walked back to it. Somehow he could imagine how she was on the other side. One leg extended while the other was bent as she pressed her back to the door. Nick took a seat himself, mimicking the pose he envisioned.

“You okay?”

“Far from it, but that’s par for course…” Summer looked over her shoulder as if she was actually resting against her brother’s back. “Honestly I feel so fucked up some days that therapy feels like a joke. I think I need a break.”

“What kind of break?”

“The usual…” Summer let her words draw out lazily. The back of her head rhythmically tapped the door. “Care to join me?”

Nick tugged at the carpet fibers, mulling it over. “Mmmm sorry, I’m not in the mood for that kind of relief. Besides, I already have plans. I’ll cover for you though. I think venting could do some real good for ya. Just don’t stay out too long. Leave around… half past nine.”

“Will do, thanks Nick.” Even though a door separated them, Summer could feel the care from the other side. Veronica’s words back in the forest about Nick and how Summer treats their relationship struck an all too sensitive cord. “I promise not to worry you. Have fun with whatever you’re doing tonight. I’ll keep you updated and everything.”

“Don’t stress about it. I believe in you. Anyways, I gotta get going. I think I’ll do a bit of distressing in my own way.” Nick stands up. “Better go while there’s daylight.”

“Gonna pay respects?”

“Yep. Enjoy your outing. I’ll see ya tomorrow if I don’t see ya tonight before I leave. Love ya.” He walked away after that, not expecting a response. Didn’t need one. After all, Summer coming to the door said enough.

All in all, things felt okay. Life felt okay. By no means was it perfect, but Nick was thankful he had blessings to count. He’d feel better after the tournament. What should’ve been an exciting time was getting more troublesome. Training, performing, fighting Darren in the duos, and now a not so friendly rematch with Valerie. At least Eliza still had a sportsmanship attitude. He still needed to ask her favor as well. By the end of this she would certainly be sick of him. Nick was surprised she didn't block his number yet. That would royally suck.

His slow walk took down the stairs and back to the front of the manor. He heard dishes clanking from the door to the far left while he grabbed his dark blue winter coat off the rack. “That you dad?” The kitchen door swung open to show Jaune drying a cup and Yang waving in the background as she held a slice in her mouth while talking to Blake. How they managed to swipe pizza out of Veronica’s room was beyond Nick.

“What’s up?” Jaune said, noticing his son put his jacket on. “Heading out? Your mom and aunts should be back soon. Pretty sure they’d want-”

“Veronica and I are going on a dinner date later.” Nick interjected. As planned, his father was derailed. Stammering footsteps came plopping out of the kitchen in the form of a very wide eyed blonde, and a shocked ninja. Blake’s ears even did the little twitch Nick as seen Veronica do whenever she’s caught off guard. “Yeah I thought you all should now. I’d say don’t bug her about it and let her rest, but considering Yang’s feet are already pointed towards the stairs…”

Yang looked down. “Huh...how about that?” She said, walking up the stairs with Blake trying to stop her.”

“Let her rest Yang!”

“But I wanna say stuff~” she whined, “I guarantee you she’s listening to us right now.”

Yang was right on the money. Veronica was currently judging how much strength it would take to lock the door. Her odds were bad. “Okay I don’t care how cute he is. This was cruel!” Veronica thought loudly to herself.

Jaune watched Blake slowly get dragged up the stairs by trying to stop Yang. Without looking, he leaned forward and reached out to grab Nick’s shoulder, who was trying to slowly back up to the door. He faced forward and smiled. “Good attempt, but you’d need a better distraction than that.”

“Eh it was worth a shot…” Nick sighed. He was pulled forward and fell into a surprise hug. He stood silently for a minute before wrapping his arms around his dad. “You needed a hug?”

“Not really, but you looked like you did.” Jaune said, squeezing tired. “You know you’re growing up into a fine young man. Better than me by a long shot at your age. I hope you know your entire family is proud of you.”

“I know dad…” Nick said, his voice getting stuck in his throat a little.

“I know I can’t relate to some of the pressures you feel. Honestly being a part of a household with this much attention and expectation still gets me anxious from time to time. So don’t hesitate to vent to me. You’re a young adult yeah, but I’m still my son and sixteen. Weiss and I would much rather see you yell at an annoying cameraman or get scrappy with a bully than see you try to hold it in for the sake of family image. Remember that.”

How did he do it? It was unfair, downright cheating almost in Nick’s eyes. How could so many people easily call him out? “What’s the point of enduring if everyone I wanna reassure sees right through the act? So much for a brave face.” He muttered. Jaune finally let go of him. The compassionate father poked Nick right where his heart was.

“Enduring an ordeal for the sake of others is pretty brave in my book, but who said you couldn’t endure hardships and still be open to those who matter? Have you meant your friends and family? Besides your sister I don’t think there’s a soul close to you who isn’t an expert of seeing past masks. Val and Vee live with bleeding hearts and the rest have had to put up with me!” He chuckled, “Just like I’m sure you know when someone is upset.”

Nick had his doubts. “Mmmmm, starting to think I might not know them as well as I think. Val is...ugh, I don’t know she is. Learned about Vee’s traits recently for the first time, and Summer-”

“Okay, I see your point. But! Learning new things about them and knowing there’s things you don’t know, doesn’t erase what you did. Y’all are teens. There’s a bunch of things to sort through. At the end of the day though, you know them where it counts. Does that make sense?”

“....Yeah, I think I do.” Nick nodded, thanks dad. Seriously. It’s kinda scary how good at talking you are.”

“Comes with practice, specifically learning to listen and just watch closely. You may not realize it but you do this plenty. It’s a big reason people gravitate towards you. Well… people who are just money hungry anyways, but that’s more of a rich person policy than a Nick-ism. I digress! You better get going before your mother comes back and give you her own talk.” Jaune said. He opened up the door for Nick to leave. “From the way you’ve been acting I assume you’re heading to pay your respects?”

Nick nodded, “I’ll try not to be terribly long. Don’t tell mom unless she asks. You know how she gets?” Nick walked through the door, fist bumping his dad on the way out.

Jaune closed the door and went back to the kitchen. Somewhere above him he could hear giggles and a few squealing. “Hopefully nothing catches on fire up there.”

“You are starting a fire!” Blake yelled, trying to contain Yang’s excitement so the blonde’s hair would stop flaring up. “Use your words.” Blake laughed.

“Please…” Veronica groaned. This level of energy was higher than usual. “You’re more excited than me. It’s just a dinner date. Barely even that. More like a thank you gift I suppose.” That being said the blush coming to her face clearly sung a different tune. “Can we please talk about anything else? I mean mom, you’re here!”

Blake crossed her arms. “So I heard you got into a fight? Let’s talk about that.”

“Ummm, so this date, any suggestions on what to wear?” Veronica poorly deflected. Blake didn’t even respond and Yang was smart enough not to. There was no choice but to talk about it unfortunately. “Sigh….I know okay? Ma told me I should’ve eaten and I didn’t listen. I should’ve, or learn to walk away from-”

“I’ll stop you right there. Don’t think for a second I wasn’t okay with a person getting hit when they were clearing harassing you.” Blake took a seat on the bed. “Expecting you to balance instinct, emotions, and logic here in Atlas was never in the cards, because frankly we don’t know what that balance is. Not to say I assumed you’d fight here. All I wanted was for you to try and...take a break from the norm.”

“If that’s the case then school should’ve been removed right off the back. It doesn’t matter the location, people act the same. Different faces, same insufferability. Only difference is these bozos are rich and human.”

“You make it sound like you aren’t crushing on a rich human whose parents are allowing you to stay in their manor.” Yang deadpanned. “Not making you go to school would only leave you bored and gods know what you’ll do with too much time on your hands. Then again you managed to stir things up already by stealing a spot on the cheer team.”

Blake did a double take. That wasn’t mentioned earlier. “Cheer team? How did that happen?”

“A girl got cocky with me so I out performed her. Honestly I was more than a little surprised by it all. Holding pom-poms, doing flips on mats, and even the couch blowing the whistle, kinda forgot what those things were like until I was in the moment.”

“See? That’s a change from norm.”

“Pretty sure that counts as a return to form.” Veronica countered. “It’s whatever though. Just a temporary thing. Although I’ll admit that Eliza chick, Marigold’s kid, she’s pretty decent.”

Blake wasn’t expecting that easier. “Oh? Well that’s nice. Sounds like that could be not so temporary?”

“Eh, whatever happens, happens.” It was a nice thought. Veronica couldn’t deny that. “Any other thing you wanted to discuss with me? I’d like to lay down for a bit longer.”

“How’s it feel to discuss all this genetic stuff with Nick and Summer? Call it what you want, but telling them was no different from a therapy session if it made you feel better.” Blake stated.

Veronica frowned. “Not how I see it. I’m pretty indifferent for the most part I’d say. Haven’t thought deeply about it. Veronica plopped her head on the pillows and turned away.

Blake and Yang took their scrappy daughter’s hint to leave. Blake got off the bed and was more than fine revisiting the discussion later. Yang briefly bent over Veronica’s covered face and kissed her head.

“Muah! By the way, I’m pretty sure Nick would love to see you in his colors. No heels though. He’s a little touchy about his height.” Yang left after that, closing the door gently. Veronica could only lay there pondering the advice.

“Hmmmm that could work.”

xxxx

While the youth finally got some rest, Adults were hard at work trying to piece together all that’s happened. Ruby and Weiss scoped out the undisturbed frozen lake along with Winter, Nora, and Penny most importantly. Though there wasn’t much to go on. Just crushed rocks, claw marks from ferocious grimm, and a mix of blue and red blood that made Weiss particularly uncomfortable. Ruby sensed that uneasiness and quickly began rubbing her partner’s back.

“Your daughter’s fine.” Ruby reassured. “If what she said is accurate then she never actually lost control.”

“Yeah but the blue dyed snow before us means she just barely held on. That’s too close for comfort.” Weiss held her hands together gently. “It feels like things are getting worse.”

“Because you’re in the thick of it.” Nora spoke, projecting her voice to get their attention. The strong and prideful woman made her way over to them. “Every day you’re worried for her and wake up knowing your daughter is a few rooms away upset. A parent is only as happy as their saddest child, and seeing Summer so distant makes it difficult to see the good stuff. This situation is trying, yes, but Summer still fought back. Your daughter fought Shiva off and killed grimm to protect someone. Determination like that is a sign Summer isn’t done fighting by a long shot, so that means you shouldn’t mope. I mean she gets all that strength to defy assholes from you.”

Ruby gave a big smile. She couldn’t have said it better herself. “Yeah! Nora’s right. We’ll turn this around.”

“....Geez, you two ever stop being helpful?” Weiss said, smiling gently. She was happy to have them here. “Thank you, especially you Nora.”

“Considerate my way of apologizing if Valerie really upset Nick. I told her she needed to call him, especially after him having the decency to call me so I could keep her in the loop about this. Apparently she wasn’t very pleased that he was ill and didn’t mention it. She’s….a lot sometimes.”

“Hey, so were we. I’m sure she means well and I’m not oblivious to the fact Nick can be...a lot as well. I’m partly to blame. I enable some of his actions towards her from time to time. I think I’m projecting a bit. Maybe I should tell him to move on?” Weiss sighed. Perhaps she played matchmaker too much and misread things.

Nora could only chuckle. “Hehe, I wouldn’t. Believe me when I tell you Valerie doesn’t hate having Nick look her way. A little forwardness is the only way she’ll acknowledge problems she doesn’t want to deal with. I can’t say for certainty what those problems are but I don’t pin any of it Nick. Val has a way of wanting her cake and eating it too. She’s gotta learn hard ways that’s not how life goes. I just hope Nick finds it in himself to not hate her because of this.”

“Pfft, I don’t think hate truly exists in his vocabulary.” Weiss laughed. She could count on her hand how many times Nick truly despised a person. “He’ll be petty about it I’m sure, but that’ll go away. Space between them might be good. At the end of the day I at least want them to still be close. Val has a way of motivating him that I like. He actually has fun.”

“Yeah, my Little Thunderhead excels at moving people, that’s for sure. Her semblance would be pretty mediocre otherwise if she wasn’t.”

The three continued talking lightly until Penny eventually walked up with Winter. “Okay, so I’ve finished running some tests of the area and the deposit of Diamond Dust. I have….unique results.” Penny said, a bit baffled.

Ruby wasn’t a fan of that statement. “Ummm that doesn’t sound great coming from a person who reads books written in binary. What did you find?”

“This dust is less volatile than the samples in my lab, even though it’s been untouched for longer. By all means it should be more refined.”

“Well isn’t it a good thing that it isn’t?” Weiss asked. “We barely handle what we have.”

“True, but it’s strange. There’s a couple possibilities that may explain this. Summer may have used up some unintentionally, or maybe Shiva herself was syphoning it.”

Winter folded her arms, “Not a fan of that second option. Based on the story though, what if it wasn’t touched at all?”

“Panic attack.” Penny said immediately. “She hasn’t been here since the accident, right? It’s entirely plausible that Summer’s mind and body remembered the trauma. Repressed memories or outright fear and anxiety could be the basis for this entire event. I tried contacting Oscar if he’s noticed anything different in Summer’s behavior, but I can’t get in contact with him. The seas have been rather violent lately due to weather changes.”

“So what you're basically saying is we're as lost as usual?” Weiss said, falling backwards into the snow. “Juuuuuust great. I’m going to assume the pain attack option then. That’s something I can work on with her. If Shiva is by any chance stronger now then the only thing we can do is what we always do. Brace ourselves.”

Ruby looked down at Weiss. “And option one actually means we have less dust to deal with. That’s a plus!” She knew it was a small amount of positivity but every bit helped. Weiss smiled at her and sat up.

“Here’s hoping for option one as well I suppose. We should probably head back. This place creeps me out a bit.”

Ruby helped Weiss up and everyone began leaving. Penny kept staring at the data she collected and trying to call Oscar. Unfortunately the man wasn’t answering. Her displeased sigh was heard by Winter, who rubbed the girl’s back.

“Not to be insensitive, but your son and Qrow wouldn’t do anything too crazy out a sea would they?”

Winter laughed nervously. “Hehehe….I’m sorry.”

“That doesn’t inspire confidence!” Penny yelped. Now she was only going to think about them being stranded by the gods or in a storm. Hopefully she would hear from him soon. “I guess a deeper study will have to wait. Ruby, can I stay at your place with Whitley for a bit? I don’t wanna go home yet. Too lonely.

“Sure thing! Door is always open. Though I bet you’ll have a livelier time at the manor these days.”

Penny tried her best to act like that would be a good idea. “Tempting, but a certain blonde teenage girl wouldn’t like that much, considering her parents so desperately want my husband to be her therapist. Summer also sees me enough as is. Nick would be happy I was there.” She said in a happier tune.

“He’s not home if I know him well enough.” Weiss frowned. “Times like these, I’m sure he’ll visit the graveyards.”

Truly, her son was easy to read.

xxxx

Right now the boy in question walked through an alley of tombstones and snow, his and covered in pollen. Atlas’s central graveyard had become a place for Nick over the years. The wide space and solitude became a welcoming barrier that blocked out most strangers from approaching him. Even the paparazzi had enough tact to not disturb a person here. His feet carried him down multiple lanes towards an old tree barren of any leaves looming over a grave with no actual tombstone. Standing before it was Eliza, wearing a dark blue winter coat and deep in thought. He wasn’t expecting to see her today.

Nick kept approaching until he stood beside her silently. A cool breeze went by them as the air itself felt still. Eliza eventually shifted her gaze to him, completely aware he was there. She looked down at his dusty yellow hands before speaking. “Talking to your grandma again?”

“Yeah. She says I should eat more sandwiches. Afraid I’m a little too then.”

“Heh, always witty. Visited your gramps yet?”

Nick shook his head, “No that’s halfway across Atlas from here and further from my home. It’s the next stop. What about you? Didn’t expect you to be here today.”

“Haven’t been in awhile.” Eliza waved her hand to cause a brief gust that blew away the snow from the grave and several others. “It needed cleaning and I was in the area. So what brings you here specifically? You only visit here on anniversaries, holidays, and when you’re moody. Last time I checked this is a random day, soooo”

“Eh don’t worry about it. Everything is alright now. Just decompressing.”

“Fair enough.” Eliza put her hands in her pocket and went back to thinking, until she realized Nick was looking at her again. “Uhh can I help you?” She said a little confrontational.

Nick got a little defensive and spoke quickly. “No, just surprised you’re not pressing me to open up.”

“Why? Your business is your business unless you make it my business. Something you’ll do if your attitude negatively affects the preparation for the tournament.”

“Ouch...well if that’s the case then the favor I’m about to ask you shouldn’t refuse.”

That peaked her interest. Eliza actually turned around fully. “You’ve been asking a lot of favors of me lately.”

“I’ve asked like two favors, and you’re the one telling me to directly involve you if-”

Eliza covered his mouth, irritated by him being right. “I know what I said! Sigh… what’s up?”

Nick looked down at the hand on his mouth, getting Eliza to remove it. “You’re lucky I didn’t lick it.”

“You’re lucky I don’t beat you up on hollow ground.”

Nick smirked. “Oh, so you think you can finally take me?”

Eliza squinted at him as her face got a little red. Why the hell did he have to be like this sometimes!? “The next words you speak better be your favor, or I’m walking away.”

“Well I wouldn’t exactly call it a favor but if you’re training by the harbor tonight, I’d appreciate it if you swooped by the seventh dock. The one with the huge building they rarely put cargo in. Summer is going to be there blowing off some steam. I don’t think anything will go wrong but you know, if you got the time…?”

“Hmmm I guess that’s not unreasonable. Wait, how do you know I train by the harbor!?”

“Did you forget my cousin literally owns a ship? If I’m correct, one time he said his sail caught on fire when a random bolt of lightning came down one day.”

“......” Eliza put her hand back in her pocket and began walking. “You’re really annoying Nick.”

“I’ve done nothing! Also I’m not done talking! I actually do have a real favor I’ve been mulling over for about a day!” Eliza kept walking away from him. “Hey! Don’t just- Can you train me!?” He shouted, hoping to gain her interest again.

It worked wonderfully. Eliza stopped mid-step and pivoted around. “Excuse me?”

“Training, yeah uh there’s this thing Schnee’s do called the candle test. Helps with our glyphs. Long story short, I’m ass at it hehe. Summer has stuff going on and it’s not really clicking with my mom or aunt. Since your magic is sorta like what I have to do, I thought maybe-”

“We are in a contest against each other, Nicholas.” She said firmly. “You are my opponent! One of two people currently in my way from reaching the top. Why on Remnant would I help you?”

Nick’s eyes avoided contact with hers. He began to scratch the back of his head as if he’d been caught red handed in a lie. “Because… you value sportsmanship?” He looked at her to receive an unamused blank stare that was colder than the snow. “Uh, and also you helping me in any capacity will let you in on a proposition that you’d find very intriguing. But I’ll only tell you when we’re training.”

“Tsk, I would think a Schnee would know better how to do business negotiations. Why would I make a deal when I don’t know if I even care about it? You tell me now or not at all.”

“I can’t say it now! I gotta smooth out details.”

“Then I guess we’re done here.”

“Fine, then I guess you don’t want a shot at gold with a sure fire way of at least getting silver!” He boasted, catching Eliza off guard. Nick slicked his hair back and crossed his arms to intimate his uncle’s calm yet assertive demeanor. “Yeah that’s right. I’m saying I have an idea crazy enough to benefit you and I. Everyone wants gold of course. However, you got a little more riding on this, don’t you?”

Eliza remained silent. Nick began walking a little closer to refrain from speaking too loud. “Last year was your real debut to the public eye and it was pretty good one at that. Third place is nothing to snuff at in the singles bracket. However...trust me when I say I know third is the worst seat in the house. That’s where the pressure and stress is. One mistake and you're off the podium and that feels terrible when people finally start looking your way.”

Eliza began tapping her foot. He wasn’t wrong. Not by a long shot. Confident as she was, Eliza was aware of her only two options. Do better, or hit the same bar. Winning was the goal but no one was gonna give her shit for losing to the top two contests. Nick and Valerie have been dominating for about three years now, and here he was saying he can get her to second. “Get to the point.”

Nick unfolded his arms. Time to be gentle again. “I cannot get into specifics at this time, but if you wanna show up at the manor anytime this week to help me, we can talk. I can get you second at minimum in King of the Hill.

His eyes burned with eagerness. Eliza had so many questions but obviously he wouldn’t answer them. This plan clearly had to be in his favor to get first, which neither of them had earned before. However, Valerie was first. How did she fit into this? What was going through his head!? Eliza had to know what regardless if she’d actually be okay with it. Her eyes narrowed at him. “Tsk, I take back what I said. Guess you are a Schnee. I will see when I can come over and help. Now, any other obnoxious request before I get driven away from this conversation?”

“Well……” Nick could feel just how dangerous this situation was. “It’s quite a walk to the other cemetery from here….hehe.” Laughing was hard when someone’s nostrils were flaring at you in frustration. Getting closer might’ve been a terrible decision.

Eliza closed her eyes briefly, then turned around to walk away. She went a few steps before briefly stopping. “Knock the snow off your shoes before you step in.”

Nick lit up like a Christmas tree. “You’re the best!!!”

“Why did he get more votes than me!?” Eliza internally screamed.

xxxxx

The day seemed to drag on. It had taken some time for Weiss to return home with the company of her sister and Ruby. Nora had departed earlier to check in on her family. Penny had opted to head towards Ruby’s home before her. They would’ve gone together but Ruby did want to see her niece and Blake. Penny had yet to properly see her friends. Though she wanted to, she thought it best to hold off for now.

The trio walked into the house and were assaulted by the strong scent of what had to be Jaune’s amazing cooking. They could practically see the aroma of spices dance in the air. One spice in particular hit Ruby. It was subtle but sharp at the same time. The kind of spice that sent a zing through your nose and hit your tastebuds. A mouth watering smile spread on her face and her stomach growled.

“Mmmmmm” Ruby hummed, “Somebody brought spices with them from Menagerie.” She sang. Ruby and Weiss wasted no time heading to the kitchen. Inside was an apron-wearing knight stirring a pot of stew, and their favorite faunus in the whole wide world in an apron cutting vegetables.

Blake didn’t even need to turn around to know what giggling pair just entered the kitchen. She put the knife down all the same and turned around with her arms wide open. “Well-” she couldn’t even say her boastful introduction before her two cheecky smile teammates dove in for a hug. All three of them just became a choir of happy laughter as they embraced one another.

Weiss finally let her friend go to get a good look at her. “Look at you! Traveled all this way and you’re helping make dinner!? I don’t deserve you!”

“Well I saw Jaune breakout a pot and I figured he’d enjoy some help without fear of something burning.” Blake jabbed. Ruby immediately tucked her lips to stop herself from snickering at the diss.

Weiss’s jaw dropped. She still smiled however, crossing her arms. “Oh ha ha, I’ll have you know my cooking is leagues better than what you remember since last time you had it. I can cook amazing meals all by myself!”

“As long as it doesn’t involve a fryer.” Jaune added, walking over to kiss his wife’s cheek really quick.

Weiss’s face got a little flushed. “Grease is bothersome.” She mumbled. Blake could only chuckle at the remark while walking to the pot and dumping the vegetables inside. The smell of the stew intensified and reminded Weiss she is still very much the weakest in her friend group when cooking was involved. “How are you going to outdo me in my own home? Why’d you bring spices in the first place!?”

“Don’t question it!” Ruby shouted. Her body went on autopilot to grab the plates and cups for the dinner.

“Ruby, aren’t gonna make dinner at home?” The room said, thinking about Whitley.

Ruby then proceeded to grab one of Jaune’s tupperware containers. Apparently they were now feeding Whitley as well. Ruby knew they wouldn’t mind, so she felt no remorse when filling it. Her boldness knew no bonds.

“Ruby, how do you know they aren’t making enough food for the people in this house?”

“Because this household would crumble anytime Jaune did a mission and didn’t make enough food for weeks.”

“I can cook!!!!” Weiss yelled.

Jaune playfully rolled his eyes and patted Weiss’s back. “Ruby isn’t completely wrong. Anyways she can take as much as she wants. Nick and Veronica have a dinner date tonight so they won’t be joining us for dinner. Then I don’t if Summer-”

“Nick and Veronica have a date!?” Weiss and Ruby shouted.

“Oh yeah… that happened while you left.” Jaune tried to reach for the ladle for the stew but Weiss swatted his hand before turning his head back to her. Fortunately Blake swooped in to continue stirring. “Yeah so they’re going on a date tonight. I don’t know details.”

Weiss turned to Blake who shrugged. “I didn’t press Veronica too much about it. Yang should be upstairs with her trying on dresses.

“Behold! A beautiful sunflower in the snow!” Yang cried out from outside the kitchen unexpectedly.

“Or I guess she’s downstairs now.” Blake turned off the burner on the stove and moved the pot before following her friends out to the main hall. Outside was Yang standing proudly with her hands on her hips and staring up the stairs proudly. Jaune and Weiss’s eyes went wide while Winter seemed….impressed? As much as she could be. Her feelings towards Veronica in general were mixed. The girl was definitely beautiful though. That was just a fact.

Blake looked up to see her daughter all dressed up at the top of the steps. She wore a white, thin strapped dress that had a light blue sash around her waist. The skirt portion went down to about knee level and the flats she wore were also white. The bottom of the skirt brought more color in by being an intense light blue that faded to white half way up; lace snowflakes were intricately etched on to that portion to break the color up. Gloves that went just passed her elbows followed a similar scheme but started white at the hands before transitioning to blue. To top it all off, a pretty little light blue ribbon formed a bow on top of her head. It was that accessory that made Blake notice that not only wet her ears gone from sight, but so was her tail.

Veronica’s face was stricken with a decent shade of red. Her feet shuffling in place a little as she rubbed her left arm. “So….ummm thoughts?” She said anxiously. “This is just one of several ideas so no need to hold back.”

“Several? What, did you make these in a couple hours?” Winter asked.

“No. I’ve been working on a Fire and Ice collection recently. This dress in particular was already put together for the most part. Although the snowflakes at the bottom was a last minute decision I made half an hour ago.” Veronica swayed to make the skirt flow side to side. “Normally I’d say adding flames or snowflakes is a bit heavy handed since the colors of the outfit already speak fire and ice, but I don’t know. Felt appropriate. Especially since the white lace is on the blue. I even have them on the upper rim of the gloves. Made sleeve versions too.” Veronica inspected the stitching to make sure it was okay. “Hmm not my best work, but I kinda like it.”

“I kinda love it!” Yang proudly said. “Oh it takes me back to the Beacon dance a little. Back then another Schnee was outdone by a Xiao Long wearing white.”

“Ha, no! Your dress didn’t even look done!” Weiss shot back, refusing to take such slander. “This dress is ten times better than what you wore.”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah sis, your dress was pretty plain. Didn’t even have a bow.”

“I couldn’t find one!” Yang defended.

Judging by the banter, Veronica was getting positive vibes from the dress. She looked at Winter since the woman was there. Surprisingly, a thumbs up was given. “Well that was more positive than I expected from her.” Veronica thought. The only person who remained silent was Blake. Veronica turned to see her mother assessing what her daughter had on. The silence she gave made Veronica a little concerned. “What’s up mom? Not a fan of how thin the straps are? It’s not a low cut anywhere.”

“No, all that is fine. I just have to ask, why-” before Blake finished, the front door opened once again with Nick coming through it this time. Everyone froze in place by his sudden entrance. Including him!

“Uhhh why is everyone just standing in the front of the house?” Nick questioned. It was only when he looked up the left staircase did he get his answer. “Oh, that’s why. You look...wow.” He said, rather clumsily. “I didn’t think you’d get ready three hours ahead of schedule. I still gotta wash up from the grav- I mean my walk. Yeah, walk, around town. With no real location stopped at.” He had no idea why he kept saying things. The deadpanned look on Winter and Weiss’s face clearly showed they knew where he was.

Weiss gave a reassuring smile and poked his forehead. “No need to lie, especially so poorly. If talking to them brought you some form of clarity then by all means have at it.”

“Yeah it’s not my business either.” Winter added, ruffling his hair.

Veronica wasn’t exactly sure what they were discussing, but it looked like things were going well. Nick even looked like he was in a better mood then when he left. His eyes went back to Veronica and made her fidget a little. The gaze he gave her was focused, deliberate even.She didn’t know how to feel about it until Nick began to look a tad displeased. “I-Is something wrong?” Veronica asked hesitantly.

“Not wrong, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cover your ears. Tail yeah, since it can get in the way a bit, but why the bow?” He asked, pointing at it from afar. Everyone looked towards her for an answer, especially Blake. Nick had beaten her to the question.

Veronica looked down at her feet for a moment before looking at her family, crush, others. She never really knew what to call Weiss or her siblings. “Well normally I wouldn’t cover them, but while you were gone I kept thinking about this date…and how I wanted it to be a simple night out.” Heat began to rush to her cheeks. “So you know, people will stare and judge less if I’m like this. Not that their opinions matter, but I’d like to keep things peaceful as much as possible tonight. That’s all.” She looked at Blake who was looking right back at her. The answer didn’t seem to upset or surprise the mother. Veronica played with her a bit. “Is...that okay?”

“Hmm? You’re asking permission? It caught me off guard seeing it. Whether it be for aesthetic or personal reasons, I won’t dictate how you wanna design your clothes as long as it’s appropriate. After all, ribbons and I have a history. Couldn’t judge you if I wanted.”

That was a relief to hear. Veronica had completely forgotten her mother wasn’t a stranger to trying to blend in. “Well if that’s settled-”

“Hold on.” Nick softly said, his calm footsteps walking up the stairs to meet her. Everyone fell speechless as they watched him. Veronica for some reason felt as if the mood had changed. The room was quieter, air completely still. The face of the boy in front of her began to look more earnest than it has ever been as it got closer, stifling her breath. Nick extended his hand out slowly till his fingers clasped a corner of the bow, then unraveled it.

The ribbon flowed slowly into his palm and then was brought down towards Veronica’s. “If a calm night means you have to hide, then is it really a calm worth having? Like you said, those people don’t matter. Besides, I like your ears.”

Burst, Veronica felt like her heart could’ve burst. The blush on her cheeks deepened greatly and her eyes went wide from the shocking words. She had barely remembered to breathe. If she paid attention to the audience below then she would’ve been embarrassed by the grins that went ear to ear but no. Veronica only noticed Nick and his gentle smile that matched his words. Her mind finally caught up with itself and Veronica grasped the ribbon ever so slowly.

“O-Okay…” she said without thinking. Anybody else may have gotten more of a debate on it. Not him though. Not after words like those. “I’ll...make a few adjustments then.” She said, flattered and flustered as she walked back to her room without any more words.

“Take your time. You still have about three hours like I said, plus I gotta wash up.” He reminded her, not realizing just how sweet his words were. He turned back around to see smug faces and contained laughter. “What?”

“Nick…” Winter said, smiling with her hands on her hips. “And you wonder why girls flock to you obsessively. You’re too much.”

“I’ll say.” Blake said, admiring the boy. “But you know what? There’s something perfect about that. Nicholas, thank you.”

He wasn’t entirely sure what he did but he got embarrassed all the same, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. At least things finally felt relaxed in this house. “Umm you’re welcome?”

With teasing done and the mood lightened, everyone went back to doing their respective things. Jaune and Blake went back to prepping food. Weiss went with Ruby to set tables and properly catch up, while Yang decided to keep Winter company since both her son and Qrow were off adventuring. The chatter filled the hallways and even reached upstairs to not only Veronica, but Summer, who finally managed to fall asleep peacefully. Even Nick found a bit of proper rest in the bath. The soothing warm water filled with epsom salt was more than enough to make him doze off. Time steadily went forward and the adults began winding down. However, the kids were just getting ready for the night.

xxxxx

Dusk finally came. Winter leaned up against the main door waiting until she saw Nick coming walking down the stairs looking dashing. His crisp white suit, ice blue tie and handkerchief were perfectly in place along with his slick back hair.

“Hey Whitley jr.”

He groaned, “Please don’t. This is why I do nothing with my hair. One minute I look like dad, then the next I’m uncle.”

“Grow it out more then.” Winter suggested.

He shook his head. “That’s a slippery slope. Too long and I’ll be compared to you, mom, and sis. I guess my face is just too great.”

“Pfft, you just know you can’t compete with all this.” Winter sassed, turning her head to sway her hair. Nick would have objected if she wasn’t right.

“Whatever hehe. Anyways, everybody still here?”

“No, Ruby eventually headed home, but everyone else is strung about. I’m heading out myself but I figured I could drop you and Veronica off for your date.”

Nick gave her aunt a huge smile. “Awww, auntie!”

“Oh hush, don’t make it a big deal. It’s convenient, that’s all.”

“Well I appreciate it nonetheless. Veronica will too.”

Winter mumbled,“She better show it by not getting you or sister into trouble.”

“I heard that.” Veronica called from up the staircase. Winter and Nick looked in that direction to see her walking down. Nick wasn’t prepared.

Veronica had switched the gloves out for detachable sleeves that still exposed her shoulders. They also followed the same white to blue pattern. What really changed was she used the ribbon to make a high ponytail and now dawning jewelry. A pearl white necklace rested around her neck and complemented the pearl earrings she wore. Slowly she approached Nick with her hands holding each other in front of her. Veronica’s face was still a healthy shade of red. This close, Nick couldn’t help but smell of peach nectar. An interesting and oddly refreshing choice for perfume.

“Well...ummm...you weren’t kidding when you said you would out dress me.” Nick said, captivated. “I’d say you’re one billion, easily.”

Veronica chuckled nervously. “Hehe,th...thanks. I wouldn’t go that far, but I appreciate it.” Looking at him was harder than usual. Men’s dress shoes had a bit of heel, so Nick actually was a bit taller then her now since she chose flats. It could only be by an inch or two but it made a hell of a difference to her. “I had a little help near the end. These are actually your sister’s pearls.”

“Really? Oh, that’s right! I think the only reason she got them was so this other rude girl couldn’t. I don’t remember the specifics.”

“Wow. You two are….extremely petty at times.” Veronica said. Yeah pettiness was nothing new to her, but she’d never bought something to spite someone else. That’s the lifestyle in Atlas she supposed. “Anyways, if you’re ready to go then I am too. I’d really like to avoid-”

Click! The sound of a camera cut her off. The two teens looked back to see their parents all taking photos. Trying to stop them would be impossible. The only thing they could do is quietly wait for the clicking to stop, which was thankfully over in seconds.

“Gee I didn’t realize I lived with paparazzi.” Nick quipped. Another flash came from up above the second floor. Summer and her bed head leaned against the railing. “Summer!? You too!?”

“I came down to eat and saw we were embarrassing you. How could I not?” She took one more photo and then made her way down to the kitchen. “Have fun. I’m gonna eat and go right back to bed.”

Nick knew she was lying of course. That was the real reason she came down now, to announce she’d be sleeping in her room so nobody would disturb her. Summer, never missing an opening, also collected everything she needed from upstairs without anyone noticing. It was scary how far she’d plan ahead sometimes.

Winter finally decided to open the front door and head out. “Let’s move people. Rich or not, it’s rude to be late for reservations.”

“So strict. Almost think that you’re about to go drill instructor on me.” Veronica jokes, walking out the door.

“Don’t think I won’t make you drop and give me twenty just because you’re in a dress.” Winter shot back, closing the door as Nick walked out.

“The sad thing is she isn’t kidding…” Weiss nervously said. “That’s gonna be a long car ride.”

Summer came out of the kitchen with a bowl of stew and an evil look in her eye. “Why are there less left overs than usual? Who had seconds?”

“Ruby took some for Whitley. As well as had seconds…”

Summer squinted as if Ruby was there to actually receive the grumpy look before putts spoonful in her mouth and walking back upstairs.

“Ma’am, the table. Not your room.” Weiss said, using her mom voice.

Summer did a heel turn to the dining room. “Who made this stew!?” She said annoyed. Jaune and Blake both raised their hands. “It’s fantastic!” Was all she said as she continued walking.

Blake and Yang looked at each other confused before looking at their friends.

“Hangry.” Was all Jaune said.

“Ah…” the couple said together.

The moment Summer was out of sight from everyone she put the bowl down and searched around the living room quickly until she found her guitar case. Quickly, she grabbed it and opened a window towards the side of the estate and tossed it on a set of glyphs that hopefully propelled it right into her open room window. She then ran back to the dining room to sit down and eat comfortably.

“Phew! That was the last thing. And now I wait.” She took another bite of the stew happily. Nothing tastes better than an escape plan coming together.

[restlessmaknae]

Walking on thin ice // V. (Un)controllable

Baleful powers and icy hearts collide and no one knows what would come out of it. A girl who doesn’t want to be seen and a boy who desperately wants to be seen.

❄ Pairing: Jack Frost!Yoongi (BTS) x Elsa!Joohyun (Red Velvet’s Irene)

❄ Supporting roles: Joonmyun (EXO) as Santa; Kibum (SHINee) as Easter Bunny; Hayoung (APink) as Tooth Fairy; Mark (GOT7) as Sandman; Yerim (Red Velvet) as Anna; Myungjun (ASTRO) as Daylight

❄ Basics’ post: setting & long summary & cast

❄ Genre: angst, drama, fluff, fantasy

❄ Chapters: I. ❄ II.  ❄ III. ❄ IV. ❄ V. ❄ VI. ❄ VII.

Joohyun was more terrified than the first time she had been to the hospital.

She would need to see her little sister because she had promised to take her home once she’s discharged. She hadn’t seen her for almost three weeks because she avoided seeing her since the incident. Since she hurt Yerim.

The only thing she had the courage to do was to answer Yerim’s messages because that was the only way she could make sure that her little sister was doing okay. Consequently, they had kept in contact only through messages. Joohyun didn’t have the heart to let Yerim down but she wasn’t ready to face her. Instead of visiting her in the hospital, she texted her and always found an excuse, so that she wouldn’t need to see her. Her doctors kept Joohyun updated anyway.

Luckily, Yerim wasn’t in a critical condition anymore. Even though the doctors had no idea what might have caused the accident because Joohyun merely told them that she slipped on the icy street in front of their house and fell to the ground, unconscious. She couldn’t tell them what happened. How could she? They would have put her in jail or even worse, a madhouse. Who would believe that she possessed a power that allowed her to create ice and snow and bolt someone in the heart with her explosions? They would have outright humiliated her or called her names. Joohyun herself couldn’t believe it at first either.

However, knowing that Yerim was well again didn’t make things easier. In fact, it made everything even more difficult. The thought of having to see Yerim face-to-face was too much for Joohyun to bear. She had tried to prepare herself for every scenario but she had no idea what to expect.

Small wonder Joohyun was on the edge when Yoongi decided to interrogate her about a possible near-death experience she might have had in the past on the exact same day she was supposed to meet Yerim.

“What does it have to do with anything?” Joohyun huffed in disbelief, not knowing why it was so important for Yoongi to know so much about her past. Joohyun trusted him, at least she trusted him more than before but that didn’t mean that she was willing to share everything about herself. Especially not something so hurtful.

“Because you may have got your power when you were dead for a certain time and it may have remained when you came back to life. It’s not uncommon but extremely rare for someone to possess a power after they’ve been through a near-death experience.” Yoongi shared with her everything he had managed to find out about the topic since the gathering with the other Guardians.

“So do you say that it has happened before?” She raised an eyebrow in question, something unpleasant already settling in her stomach. Her heart was beating a bit too rapidly and she wasn’t sure if it was a good thing. Being the odd little human who was suddenly struck by this weird power was a role he hated but the possibility of others living like her also scared her. How many of them were living ordinary lives while having extraordinary powers? Who were them? Where were the others?

“Well…” The Guardian scrunched his nose, apparently uncomfortable to answer her question.

“Yoongi…” Joohyun said, her full attention lounged at the boy in front of her. Her impatient tone was her first warning. The next would be raising her voice at him.

“It happened only once.” He admitted, the icy blue of his eyes turning a shade darker after his confession.

Joohyun gulped. She sensed that something was fishy because Min Yoongi would never be hesitant to answer her questions if it wasn’t something he really didn’t want her to hear.

“What happened?”

There was a minute of silence that covered them like a gentle blanket on a winter night. Even though they were both creatures who were capable of manipulating ice and snow, Joohyun never liked the cold tension that fell upon them when they were arguing or merely hiding their real emotions in case the other would get hurt. It was the kind of cold that she didn’t prefer; stern, unbreakable and suffocating. She never liked neither winter, nor anything that was associated with it but she had to accept her fate and make peace with the fact that she was chained to winter no matter how much she disliked the thought.

“He died.” Yoongi finally broke the silence, his voice deep and raspy.

Joohyun would lie if she said that she didn’t expect such an answer. However, the thought still made her blood run cold. No matter how many times she hurt himself and sadistically liked being hurt, she didn’t want to die. Dying and being hurt were two sides of the same coin. Yet, one was reversible while the other was irreversible.

Or maybe not. Death can be tricked too.

“What exactly happened to him?” She persisted, not willing to move until she got the answer she wanted. Despite Yoongi’s apparent frown, he didn’t back away.

“His name was Myungjun but he was known as Daylight within us.” He started but paused right away to let out an agitated sigh. Whoever this Myungjun was, he must have meant a lot to Yoongi because his voice was uncharacteristically gentle when he talked about him. “He was a human being just like anyone of us before we got our powers. He was a firefighter but his bravery costed him his life. Once, he was so badly injured that he was sent to emergency immediately, yet he died while they were trying to resuscitate him. He was dead for around three minutes and while he was unconscious, he was chosen by the Man in the Moon as a new Guardian.”

“He was supposed to be a Guardian immediately?” Joohyun casted him a questioning glance because she couldn’t put the pieces back together.

“Yes.” Yoongi nodded with a half-smile. “He was a really gentle soul, always trying to save others and sacrificing his life but no one could save him from such a fate. Besides him, only Joonmyun and Hayoung were Guardians right after their death, Mark, Kibum and I, we had a period of probation before we were chosen one.”

“What was the reason for that?”

“Would you have trusted me with the responsibilities of being a Guardian right away?” He asked seriously without a hint of mockery in his voice. “The Man in the Moon has his own reasons to choose someone as a Guardian right away or merely guide them through the initial challenges of their powers. I didn’t know what to do with my powers either and my lack of knowledge slowly turned into pranks and jokes as I discovered what I could really do. I wouldn’t have been a good example for anyone. That’s why I stayed as Nightlight and questioned the Man in the Moon why I was created and why I couldn’t get to know anything about my past.”

“If you were Nightlight and Myungjun was Daylight, you must have had a special bond, right?”

“We can say so.” The Guardian of Fun smiled at the choice of Joohyun’s words. Then, as if he was suddenly being remembered of the past, his features became solemn and unreadable again.

“Myungjun was able to create or merely make flowers bloom and radiate sunshine and warmth. I was the one who was supposed to help him how to control his power but I didn’t know anything about his abilities. Luckily, he believed in me and it turned out that the will-power and mental strength you need to create heat is the same one you need to create cold, so things were looking up for a while. He was still a human but he couldn’t go back to the fire brigade because he wouldn’t have been able to explain why he was in one piece and why he didn’t have any burnt bruises, so he was studying to be a teacher until one day his own power consumed him.” He gulped as the memory of the said Guardian hit him hard and though he looked like an ice prince, Joohyun could see the remorse and pain in his light-blue eyes.

Yoongi told her about how he became a Guardian, about the fight with Pitch but never did he mention anything about a human who had opposite powers and had a similar reason she might have gotten hers. Though now that he told her that his own power consumed Myungjun, she was starting to understand why he didn’t want to tell her about Daylight.

“Go on!” Joohyun bobbed her head, gesturing him to finish the story. It could be seen that Yoongi was in conflict but the girl’s persistence prompted him to continue.

“Just as you are able to hurt yourself or others when you can’t control your power, he could do too. It was the first and the last time he let go of control and it cost his life. He burnt himself to ashes and because he wasn’t an immortal Guardian and had his own human body with his beating heart, he died on the spot.” He visibly flinched as he recalled the memory that still stung him at his heart. As an immortal, he was used to seeing people die while he didn’t change at all and didn’t age at all. However, mostly they were people whom he didn’t know well or whom he didn’t have a special relationship with.

On the contrary, Myugjun was his first pupil and his complete opposite. For so long, he waited for a mate because he felt alone and abandoned. People couldn’t see him, people didn’t believe in him. He was Jack Frost (or at that time Nightlight was more well-known), an immortal creature who could control snow and ice but had no one to share his accomplishments with. No one had a power similar to his, thus they didn’t understand him. He was goofy and loved causing trouble while messing around in towns and triggering snow fights. But he had no one until that year’s spring when he was chosen as a Guardian and found friends (to be precise, a family) in Bunnymund, Santa Claus, Tooth and Sandman. Before them, he only had Myungjun.

Myungjun was the perfect role-model, small wonder he was a Guardian right after his near-death experience. As opposed to Joohyun’s case, Myungjun knew he was a Guardian because he had talked with the Man in the Moon and he told him about his powers and responsibilities. If he wanted to protest, he wouldn’t show it. Myungjun was the epitome of joy; always smiling, giggling or chattering nonsense. He was the human embodiment of happiness, the way his lips curled into a smile resembled the sunrise itself. He was so full of love; he was always willing to give rather than take away. The world couldn’t have asked for a better Guardian. He brought joy and light into humans’ lives; not only with his power but with his smile too.

Truth to be told, Yoongi was jealous of him at first. He knew he wouldn’t make a great Guardian (at that time, he was more curious about the reason he was created in the first place, the thought of being a Guardian didn’t even cross his mind) but Myungjun was already one when he couldn’t even control his power. The Man in the Moon may have had his own reasons but Yoongi could never decipher him. Daylight was a Guardian but he was taught by a mere immortal being – Jack Frost. Why? It was a question left unanswered even after Myungjun’s death. The fact that Daylight didn’t abandon him, nor belittle him when he should have spent most of his time with the other Guardians made Yoongi want to hate him more. Yet, he couldn’t. It wasn’t possible to hate Myungjun. No one could hate him.

The sudden flashbacks made Yoongi dizzy, yet he tried his best not to show any sign of insecurity. Myungjun was closer to him than anyone ever before and he died because of his own power. Joohyun was already closer to his heart than he would have admitted and she had made a huge progress but Yoongi could never be sure she wouldn’t end up the same way Myungjun did. That’s why he tried to push her away and that’s why he was so impatient with her training. He wanted her to learn faster, so that they would minimize the chances of her being consumed by her own power.

Joohyun sensed that it was a sensitive topic to Yoongi, so when she spoke up, her tone was as gentle as possible.

“What about the Man in the Moon? Couldn’t he help him?” She looked up at him, her similarly blue eyes shining with questions, doubts and fears. She wasn’t as scared as she was the first time they met but she was far from confident either. Especially after knowing about Myungjun’s fate.

“He couldn’t.” Yoongi shook his head, sadness written all over his face. “Once a human Guardian is died, he can’t bring them back to life. If he wouldn’t have been a human, he could have saved him, but he was a human being with a beating heart.”

They were both silent for a moment. Joohyun needed time to process everything she had heard. She might have assumed that the Man in the Moon was some kind of almighty god-like creature who defended the Guardians and took them back to life whenever it was needed. Yoongi didn’t mention anything about that. She was sure they were immortals and undefeatable. She wouldn’t think that the Guardians could die. To be precise, only human Guardians could. It seemed so cruel to her. The ones who work on the balance and joy of the world didn’t deserve to die. Ever.

“Do you want to tell me about your near-death experience, so that we could figure out if it has something to do with your power?” The boy muttered quietly, not wanting to shake up Joohyun even more.

That day’s training was already a mess because her emotions were overshadowed by her fear concerning the visit to the hospital, so he didn’t want to push her further. On the other hand, if they wanted to find an explanation, Yoongi needed to know if she had been through something similar to Myungjun’s case.

“I can’t really believe it myself but…” Joohyun cleared her throat to regain her usual cold façade but Yoongi was already good at seeing through her. She was vulnerable and fragile in that moment even though those were the only sides she didn’t want anyone to see. However, if it was something about her parents, she couldn’t keep a stern face.

“When my parents had the car accident, we were in the backseat with Yerim. It’s already bad enough to know that we’ve survived and they didn’t, but the fact that I also had a near-death experience and yet I was able to come back is worse.” She continued shakily, trying to hide her trembling hands by clenching them into fists.

She remembered every single detail of that night in February like it was yesterday. She remembered the last patch of light she had seen before everything went dark. She remembered the heart-wrenching scream of her mother’s before the car hit the ground. She remembered the excruciating pain that was rushing through her body the moment she woke up. Yet, she remembered something more; the way her heart broke into tiny little pieces when she heard that both her parents died. It felt as if someone had stubbed her with a knife, right through her beating heart, still pushing through while it was already bleeding.

“The doctors say I was in a critical condition when they transported me to the hospital because I was on the side the car flipped. I had a serious brain concussion and they tried to resuscitate me but to no avail. I was dead for five minutes and they thought they had lost me until I started coughing up blood and came back to life.” Joohyun literally coerced herself to speak because the words felt heavy. Her tongue was tangled as if her senses were also connected to her emotional state.

Everything regarding the accident felt like a dream. She was still hoping to see her parents’ smile in person, she was still waiting for them to show up at their flat’s door. She wasn’t ready to let them go. She couldn’t. It would mean that she was really all alone with Yerim by her side. No matter the amount of affectionate she felt towards her little sister, she didn’t know if she was doing the right thing. She couldn’t replace the mother Yerim had lost. Joohyun was a mere twenty-one-year-old university student, she didn’t know how to take care of herself, let alone her thirteen-year-old little sister.

Yet, after moving away from Busan and settling down in Seoul, Joohyun had to realize that she had no time to mope and question her abilities. She had to try her best, if not for herself, then for Yerim. Her little sister didn’t deserve to lose her parents at such a young age, they should have had so many more years together. However, that extremely cold, snowy winter day changed everything and turned their perfect little family life into a mere shadow.

“Maybe that could be it.” Yoongi pondered, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to put the pieces back together. Joohyun nodded a bit, although she wasn’t sure if it could be possible. However, after finding out about her power, then meeting Min Yoongi who was also known as Jack Frost and learning that there were Guardians on Earth who could only be seen when people believed in them, nothing seemed so impossible. Her life turned upside down but she wasn’t so sure that her life changed in a good way.

“Maybe.” She agreed as she let out a weary sigh. If Myungjun’s story wasn’t tragic enough, her near-death experience was definitely something she didn’t want to talk about. “Can I go now?” She turned to Yoongi, trying to cover her agitated state with impatience.

“Where do you want to go?” The Guardian squinted his eyes at her. Joohyun completely forgot that she hadn’t told him about her visit to the hospital. To be precise, she hadn’t told him that she would go that day.

“I’m going to the hospital. Yerim is discharged at 5pm today.” She admitted as she knew he would see through her anyway. There was no point of lying. Min Yoongi could read her like an open book or at least she supposed he could.

“You don’t want me to come?”

“No, thank you.” She shook her head. No matter how heart-warming Yoongi’s offer was a few days ago, she was convinced that it was her fight, her duty and for that reason she should face the situation without Jack Frost’s help. Also, it was highly unlikely but not impossible that Yerim would believe in Jack Frost and that she would be able to see him. The last thing they wanted was an overexcited teenage girl who jumped up and down in front of the doctors, saying that Jack Frost was in the room with her. Let’s face it, if Yerim believed in him, she would react the exact same way.

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“You don’t have a phone.” Joohyun reminded him uncharacteristically cheekily, earning an exceptionally wide grin from Yoongi.

“I can’t argue with that.” He admitted in defeat, pouting like he was the most disappointed person on Earth.

Joohyun couldn’t help but boast a childish smile seeing his little antics because Yoongi wasn’t usually playful around her. He could be with any children in the world but adult Joohyun was always an exception. She hoped there wasn’t anything more to it than the fact that she couldn’t initially control her power. It was true that she didn’t remember their childhood memories because according to Yoongi, once someone doesn’t believe in a Guardian, they lose the memories they have made together. Even if they start believing in them again, the flashbacks will stay hidden in a locked part of their hearts.

However, she hoped that was all why he was acting so cold towards her. Of course, he changed a lot during the weeks they had spent together but they were definitely not the teasing type. They needed time to open up about more serious topics, being childish and cocky around each other was on a whole new level.

“Maybe you’ll feel if something’s wrong with that Guardian detector of yours.” Joohyun snickered even though she was aware of the fact that Guardians didn’t have real detectors, only their guts could tell them if something was wrong.

“Maybe.” Yoongi played along, watching with a gentle smile as Joohyun walked away.

 It turned out that going alone wasn’t a good idea after all.

Joohyun couldn’t even make it to the hospital. When she was near the building, so close that she could already saw the silhouette of the white painted wings with giant glass windows towering over the parking lot in front of it, she froze. Her legs became numb and her hands shaky. She felt as she was trapped in a cage, unable to think about a way to escape because she knew there wouldn’t be any. She was trapped in the cage that her soul-crashing anxiety and overwhelming fear established and even though its borders were invisible, she could feel that she would get hurt if she moves.

She stopped dead in her tracks in a nearby alley, her body trembling in fear. As panic rose from the bottom of her heart, so did the constant urges to use her power to make it all stop. She cursed under her breath when she realized she wasn’t wearing her gloves as she had left it at the warehouse and didn’t pick it up when she left. She always remembered to bring it with her, except that day. She was so immersed in that rare smile of Jack Frost’s that she didn’t cast a cautious glance before she stepped out of the rusty old building.

Joohyun felt the waves of her power rushing through her body. It felt similar to being nauseous; when you feel like you could throw up anytime soon, but you don’t exactly know when it’ll happen yet when it does, you are unable to hold it back. She felt her power in every cell of her body, every nerve was filled with its intensity, yet she didn’t know how to make it stop. She was trying her best to follow Yoongi’s instructions and she could keep it under control for the time being.

Truth to be told, she wasn’t afraid of meeting Yerim, she was more afraid of being in the hospital again. When she was taken to the hospital after the incident with Yerim, the adrenaline was keeping her alarmed in a good way. She didn’t have anything else to worry about, it was enough that her little sister was hurt.

On the other hand, now that she was supposed to go back, her mind was preoccupied with the flashbacks of the days she spent in the hospital. When she was informed about her parents’ death, when she was resuscitated, when she came back to life… Joohyun walked down the memory lane again but it wasn’t intentional. The memories came back all at once and she couldn’t stop them from being played in her head like scenes in a movie; one after another, sometimes not in the right order, sometimes seemingly unrelated. She heard her mother’s scream again, she saw the sight of blood on her hands before she lost consciousness, she felt the pain in her fractured ribs. She could feel, see, hear and smell it all.

“Where are you going all alone, little girl?” A raspy voice asked from afar, causing Joohyun to jump in surprise.

When she turned to the owner of the voice, she came in sight with a creepy middle-aged man with a croaked nose and a devilish smile. Something in her guts told her to scamper away as soon as possible but her legs were still numb. She was trying to overcome her panic and keep her power at bay, so the man’s sudden appearance didn’t help at all.

Joohyun didn’t know if she should answer or not. Her tongue felt heavy when she wanted to speak up, her thoughts fuzzy. She didn’t know how she managed to speak but she did, and it might have been the worst thing she could have done.

“Please leave me alone!” She asked as patiently as possible, keeping her voice muffled and low. The man’s lips raised into a rather unpleasant smile.

“What did you say?”

“I said leave me alone!” Joohyun’s voice rose as she found a sudden jolt of confidence rushing through her. Maybe it was thanks to the mental training she had received from Yoongi but she found it easier to talk back to him when she didn’t even think about the consequences.

“I don’t want to go so soon. I just want to play!” The creepy figure wiggled his eyebrows, making her feel actually nauseous. Joohyun wasn’t one to tell someone off but she was already on the edge because of her panicky state, she didn’t want to make it worse. Plus, Yoongi’s words rang in his ears: If you can escape a situation that would make your power go out of control, do it without giving it a second thought.

Joohyun immediately turned on her heel, her fear of the man’s next move greater than the fear the flashbacks created. However, as she started walking towards the end of the alley, the man grabbed her wrist and turned her around. His grip was strong and firm, the kind Joohyun couldn’t break out of because she wasn’t strong enough. She tried to do it nevertheless and when a car honked not too far from them, the man suddenly let go of her hand a bit, probably suspecting that the car was approaching them. She used this tiny bit of time to yank her hand away and when the older male wanted to reach for her again, she kicked him in the balls and started running away.

Even though her move was hurtful enough to make her opponent wither for a few seconds, he didn’t give up, in fact he got angrier than before. As she was running away, trying to look for anyone near them or any store, restaurant, café she could rush into for help, the man grabbed her by the collar this time and turned her to make her face him. Joohyun fidgeted and kicked and screamed for help, trying her best to escape. Her hands were free ,and she wanted to make use of them by pushing the man away. As soon as her hands made contact with his skin, she felt a cold sensation in her fingers and the next thing she knew was that the man in front of her dropped to his knees, a giant icy spot forming where she placed her hands.

“Oh my gosh!” Joohyun whispered as she looked at her hands then back at the man who fell to the ground, clutching his chest like he was suffering from some kind of fatal rash. Then, after some seconds struggling, he didn’t move again. No matter how frightened Joohyun was, she checked his pulse. To her horror, the creepy man stopped breathing.

She killed him.

Joohyun knew no another solution than to run. Run until her lungs would give up and her legs would give out. Run until her tears would dry and her heart would be pacified. Run until she would be herself again.

Having a power can be a curse and a gift at the same time. However, being able to kill someone is worse than a curse. It comes with a life-long fear to live your life as you would like to.

[bbulmeintea]

Typical.

Romantic Pairings: Ae x Pete (crush), Pete x Trump (established).

Platonic Pairings: Ae x Pete.

Genre: Retelling Love By Chance Ep 1 Plot W/ Slight Changes.

Warnings:

Contains: Alternative Perspective.

Word Count: 957 words (according to A03).

Summary: “Ae thinks he's gonna have a typical day of endless amounts of soccer practice, but just the chance of meeting love on a spring day is high, but so is accidental murder... Or at least, a cute bike accident.”

A/N: “Disclaimer! This is a fanfiction meaning it is a work of fiction and not intended to be imitated, offensive, or impose danger on anyone, including those involved in the following story. Thank you for reading!” "I do not own LBC nor the original story it's based on. This is NOT a translation of it, but simply a fanfic/one-shot story."

Alternative: AO3.

Today was different for Pete. Usually, he'd be shaking and shivering while the spring breeze ran through his neat brunette locks. Perhaps, he'd even be complaining to his best friend, Tin, about now. Instead, the brunette's absorbed into his phone with a growing smile as his newfound boyfriend, Trump, showers him in compliments.

Life couldn't be sweeter for Pete than it seemed to be this past week or so as his heart finally calmed. Sure, his negative thoughts, dreams, and fears often came crashing down onto his fragile body unexpectedly like a plane crashing from the sky. Still, Pete could trust in his family, friends, and boyfriend to keep him somewhat sane and of course, the comfort of money did enough for his psyche.

However, for the rest of the world without instant comfort blankets of money, life could be typical, sometimes. Today, Ae found life like that, typical as he pedaled down a familiar street to his usual university on his rusty old bike. Even the spring wind seemed average as he embraced it, ruffling his jet black hair with a smirk and rapid speed.

Life couldn't be more common for Ae than it seemed to be this past week as the days repeated themselves. At least, the jet-black-haired teen had soccer practice under the hot sun. Still, deep down, Ae wished for something more exciting than a suntan. Perhaps, a new face around like the new redhead girl in class or a random check of money falling from the sky, just anything not-so-typical.

“Asshole!”

HONK!! HONK!! A car not only rushed Ae off the empty school roads but also wiped Pete's dopey smile off his face as a bike immediately came crashing into him. Which not only knocked the brunette's phone onto the ground but also Ae's backpack off his shoulder.

"Gosh, are you driving straight to hell!?" The teen shouted after the vehicle before facing the boy. "Hey, are you trying to get yourself killed or what? Because if so, you're doing a great job at it."

The brunette tilted his head, heart pounding. "I... I'm sorry...? I was trying to cross the street and-"

"Forget it." He sighed, removing the bike from the both of them. "Are you okay, though? Sorta don't want to get charged with murder."

The other replied. "What...? What do you mean?"

"I mean, luckily, I own a bicycle," Ae stood. "And not a car... Guy?"

"Pete. My name is Pete."

Suddenly, Ae's brief looks became steady stares at Pete, causing his ears to flush despite the chills running down his backside and the sidewalks' consistent shade.

"Something wrong?" Pete muttered, noticing the looks directed towards him.

Ae's eyes dropped to the ground. "No, just... If I owned a car, you'd be dead by now, Pete. Yeah, like a squashed ant or something."

Oh, a squashed ant, great! Exactly how Pete's arm squirmed as he reached for his cracked device, leading to small winces to pour out his mouth, catching the attention of the other, who might've gotten glanced a bit more.

"Uh, you okay?" Ae questioned to no response. "Pete? Are you-"

The brunette forced a smile, stopping his quest for the phone. "It's just a little scratch, no big deal."

"No big deal?" He scoffed out a chuckle. "You look like you're about to cry."

Ae isn't a good liar. He always finds a way to spill out the truth or his truth. So, it'd be a lie to say Ae hadn't chosen to lean back on his knees, knowing it'd ruin his slacks, even after fixing them and balancing his bike. Also, it'd be another lie to say he hadn't noticed the tomato-bright flush spreading across his cheeks each time Pete looked between his equally red elbow and Ae.

"Here. I'll help you." Once more, the jet-black-haired teen was greeted by those subtle head tilts and big brown eyes as he wrapped an arm around him. "You need help standing, right?"

Pete only nodded as his heart raced loops in his heart. Perhaps, it was the bent-up anxiety or the fact their faces could touch at any moment. Or even better, the brunette could see the stars in Ae's eyes and strawberry colors against his cheeks, which unknowingly matched his own.

Ae repeated the other's nods as they rose to their feet, still locked together with a growing warmth between them electric as Ae barely held back his smile, but Pete didn't have one to hold back.

Oh.

"Thanks for the help." Ae released his arm from the other as Pete's voice grew strong and confident. "Really."

Pete straightened himself up to avoid the quietness the other had engulfed himself in as he hopped onto the old rusty bike with a sudden lack of expression.

Ae said, "hop on."

"Why? My car isn't too far away from here." Pete replied.

He answered. "I wanna give you a ride to a clinic. Besides, an almost murder case in broad daylight doesn't seem good."

"A bike case."

"Same thing, Pete."

“I don’t-”

“Don’t what? Never ridden a bike before?”

“No. Never.”

Life is full of surprises, like today being different for Pete. Right now, he could've been complaining to Tin about the weather while sipping on out-of-season Hot Chocolate. Instead, he's on the back of an unsteady bike hanging onto dear life as a cold stranger turned friend keeps him company. However, that cold stranger's heart burned each second for him as if he got struck by Cupid's Bow or worse, with love. Instead of being struck by Captain No's intense soccer practice like a typical day.

Honestly, Ae can’t tell which one is worse as the breeze passes through his hair.

Maybe today won’t be exactly typical.

[jackdaw-lines]

The Ivory Devil [1]

Virginia Drake is a paranormal investigator. She is used to dealing with ghosts, poltergeists, and errant spirits. Her newest contract, however, has sent her out into the eastern forests of Leurain. There has been talk of a beast prowling the hallways of an abandoned castle, and now, a young girl has been found murdered with strange markings on her neck.

— —

It was neither a dark nor stormy night but rather a dismal gray with a misting drizzle that fell in gentle sheets. By the nature of the job, it was a fairly consistent setting; evil beings and frightful spirits rarely frequented sunny holiday retreats.

As far as paranormal locations went, the quaint town of Southlark was a poster child case. The cobblestoned streets were near-empty save for a few lurking drunkards. The only color in the twilit scene was the yellow glow of streets lamps. Curious and cautious eyes peered through curtained windows.

Virginia Drake was used to the stares. It, too, came with the job. She clicked her tongue to her horse, urging the beast to plod along the uneven road a little faster. As the last remaining dredges of daylight faded away, so did the rest of the day’s warmth. Her destination sat like a squat toad at the end of the street, its crumbling roof sagging beneath the weight of its own decay and mildew. The Olive Goose inn. Virginia wrinkled her nose in distaste but pressed on. She had stayed in far worse accommodations.

The inn was cheerier inside, a crackling fire bringing a life to the place that the rest of the town seemed to lack. A few patrons were scattered throughout the small common area, and their conversations lulled as Virginia pushed her way in from the misty grips of the night.

At least the woman behind the bar seemed to recognize her, if only for the strange curve of Virginia’s wide-brimmed hat and the odd weapon strapped to her hip.

“Ah!” the bartender cried and hurried from behind the bar to greet Virginia. “You are the beast-slayer, I take it?” She gripped Virginia’s hand and shook it vigorously.

Virginia pinned on a wan smile and extracted her hand from the woman’s. “That would be me. Virginia Drake, best paranormal investigator my employer has to offer,” she introduced herself. The patrons’ gazes felt sharper at the words.

“Excellent,” the bartender said. She grabbed Virginia’s hand again before she could pull away and all but dragged her to the bar. “Come, I’ll tell you about the beast that’s been plaguing us over a nice glass of the valley’s finest wine. On the house, of course.” She released Virginia’s hand to go scurry behind the bar and fix the aforementioned drink.

“I’m more of a whiskey gal, myself,” Virginia put in. Her words fell deaf on the woman’s ears. Virginia sighed and settled herself on the nearest barstool. Hopefully, the wine was as good as the woman touted it to be. Moments later, a glass was pushed in front of Virginia, filled with an ample helping of dark crimson wine. Virginia gave the liquid a sniff before sipping at it. It could be worse, she considered.

Her host was silent, and Virginia looked up from the glass to find her staring expectantly. “It’s good, thank you,” she said. The assessment pleased the woman, and she dipped her head with sudden bashfulness. The moment passed, and the woman was back to her friendly self. She settled herself against the bar, perched up by her elbows.

“Now see,” she began, “it started probably five years ago, although some folks will tell you it’s been a decade. There’s an old, really big castle about an hour up the northern road—just about the only thing up that way really—and it used to be the shining jewel of the valley. All the noble court gathered for parties and lavish galas that us common folk weren’t privy to, ‘cept for servant business. But, as I said, about five years ago, something changed and now there’s nary a soul up there.”

She paused to let the words sink in. Her eyes searched Virginia’s face. Virginia chewed at her lip and allowed herself another sip of the wine. “So, like a ghost or a spirit moved in?” she asked.

“Well, not quite,” the bartender hesitated, “I said nary a soul, but I guess there’s one soul—unless you believe the rumors that it’s a devil living up there.”

Virginia cut in with a raise of her brow, “Devil?”

The bartender hummed in assent. “I don’t quite believe those rumors myself because people like to talk and you can’t always take those words at face value. But one day they were having parties and next thing you know, everyone’s gone and there’s a beast roaming the halls. Some say it’s a big ol’ bat, crawled straight up from the Down Below. Others’ll tell you it’s a blood sucking devil. Like I said, I don’t believe the devil rumors myself, but recently, well, people have been telling tales of being attacked of late. Near midnight, in the dark alleys where they can’t see two feet in front of them.

“They’re always telling of a sharp pain, like a needle straight through the skin, and waking up hours later woozy like they’ve been drinking. But they all swear that they’d not touched a drop of the stuff.” She pointed at the wine in Virginia’s hands for emphasis. Virginia grimaced, suddenly struck by the desire to set the drink aside. “And of course there were skeptical folk. Hell, I didn’t believe the half of it. Not till that poor girl was found.”

“Alice Greneth, right?” Virginia set the wine down and pulled out the little journal stashed in her shirt pocket. Finally, they were getting to the part of the story she was familiar with. Young girl found dead behind the old paper mill, throat cut clean through.

The bartender nodded. “The butcher looked her over before they buried her. Said that she had these awful markings on her neck, little pin pricks everywhere. Suddenly everyone was believing the folks about getting attacked. If there is some beast or devil up in that castle, I’d bet money on it that it’s the thing to blame. That was about a week ago, and folks are getting real antsy now that the beast’ll strike again, now that it’s got a hankering for killing. That’s why I wrote to your employer. Soon as I heard about you people, I knew I had to reach out.”

Virginia wrote down the new information and beneath it scrawled: demon? vampire? She snapped the journal shut and placed it back in her pocket. “Would the butcher be available to answer some questions in the morning, do you think?” she asked.

“Oh, most definitely. We all want this beast to be dealt with as soon as possible. Her place is just down the way on Hill Street. Corner shop, you can’t miss it.” The bartender rocked back on her heels. “And if anyone gives you any trouble? Send them my way. I’ll knock some sense into them.”

Virginia gave the woman a smile. “I can take care of myself, but I’ll keep that in mind, thanks. Do you have a name I can call you by? In case I have any other questions?”

At the question, the bartender beamed. “Rose, but everyone calls me Rosie.”

“Rosie,” Virginia repeated and downed the little wine that still resided in her glass, “I’ll keep you updated on the investigation, but for the meantime, do you have a room open for rent?”

Morning came with little fanfare and even more misty drizzling. Virginia spent the hour after waking reviewing the notes in her journal and nursing a steaming mug of tea beside the inn’s fireplace—at Rosie’s insistence. The butcher did not usually open shop until mid morning, so Virginia burned a few hours before she dared out into the dismal weather.

Virginia tucked her hat onto her head as she stepped out into the drizzle. Much like the emptiness of the inn, the streets were devoid of life. A few people scurried between the various shops. Their steps were hastened as they passed by the yawning alleyways. Only the cheerier individuals greeted Virginia as she passed, although it was little more than a curt nod. Sure as Rosie had said, the Hill Street sign came into view, and just beyond it, nestled on the corner of the cobbled street, was the butcher shop. Thick billows of smoke arose from the chimney stack; the owner was in.

Virginia pushed open the shop door and was instantly greeted with the smells that accompanied a butcher shop. The scent of curing meats and woodsmoke filled the little front room. The counter was empty, but a brass bell sat beside the register. Ring for service! the placard beside it read. A shrill tinkling rang around the room as Virginia pressed the bell, and a shout emerged from the back room.

“One moment!” An ox-like woman bustled up to the counter, wiping the back of her hand across her cheek. She swept her gaze up and down Virginia. “What can I do you for?” she finally asked.

“Are you the butcher?” At the woman’s nod, Virginia continued. “I’m here about the… devil.”

“Ah, I heard Rosie was calling in an exterminator. Good, we don’t need that kind of thing around here. Bad for business.” She paused. “And for lives.”

“Rosie told me that you examined the body. Is there anything you can tell me about the markings on the neck?” Virginia pulled out her journal, pencil held at the ready.

The butcher considered the question, her gaze wandering to a corner of the shop as she fell into thought. “They were definitely odd. If it weren’t for the big knife cut going across the poor girl’s neck, I would’a considered the punctures to be what kicked her off,” she said, “Lots of them, real thin, like a needle—”

“Or a fang?” Virginia looked up from her writing.

“Yeah, now that you mention it.”

“And what do you know about the castle?”

“The one north of town?” The butcher huffed. “Nothing much. I’m a bit of a newcomer to Southlark; came here two years ago. It’s always just been some haunt to me. The rest of the townsfolk tell me that’s where the devil lives. I take their word for it and stay away.” She returned her gaze to Virginia. “Why, you thinking of going there?”

Slipping the journal away once more, Virginia shrugged. “If needs must. This job tends to take you into the belly of the beast.”

“Sounds like one hell of a lifestyle,” the butcher said, “I’d tell you to keep safe, but I’ve got a feeling it won’t amount to much.”

Virginia cracked a half smile. “I’ll take what I can get.” She bid the butcher goodbye and exited the shop. Outside, the misting rain had lessened, and a few watery rays of sunlight reflected off the sodden cobblestones.

“If that’s not a sign of luck, I don’t know what is,” Virginia muttered to herself. She headed back towards the inn. In the morning light, it looked a little more presentable than it had the night before. The roof tiles were still molding and drooping off the eaves, but the white plaster walls were almost cheery, and wildflowers and weeds cluttered up the overgrown garden beside the stables. Virginia said hello to her horse, promising to be back soon, and entered the inn.

Rosie greeted Virginia as she neared the bar, pausing in her vigorous scrubbing of a cup. “How did it go at the butcher’s? I know Harriet can be a bit… well, uncouth. Can’t hold it to her, though. She spends most of her day with dead things rather than people.”

“You make her sound like a gravedigger,” Virginia chuckled and admitted, “It was rather refreshing. Most people dance around death. It makes it hard to get information out of them.”

Rosie smiled. “I’ll remember that for the next time I’m being questioned about a murder.” She paled and ducked her head. “Sorry, now I’m sounding uncouth.”

Virginia waved off her concern and sat on a stool. “Uncouth doesn’t bother me,” she said.

Rosie tittered something between a mumbled thanks and another apology. She cleared her throat. “So, where next for you?”

Virginia leaned against the bar top, eyeing the little coal oven behind the bar. Her stomach rumbled at the thought of food. “Lunch first, then… I’m off to a haunted castle.”

Rosie stilled her hands on the cleaning rag, and she worried at her lip with her teeth. She opened her mouth then closed it. She brushed off whatever she was going to say, instead saying, “Be safe, I suppose is all. Nothing good has come from that place for a long while. People don’t tend to return when they go knocking; the one man that did came back stark raving mad.” Bit spoken, she turned half on her heel before pausing again. “I’ll go get you a bite to eat.” She strode off to the larder.

A tension had grown in the inn, cold and fragile, and it only thickened as Rosie set a plate of steaming potatoes and a small helping of stew before Virginia. “I’ll add it to your tab,” she said and walked off before Virginia could get in a word of thanks. Virginia stared after her, confused by the odd shift in attitude from the once-talkative bartender. At least the food tasted good despite the discomforting atmosphere.

Virginia could not find Rosie again before she left. She left the empty plate on the counter, letting it act as a paperweight for a little note she tore out of her journal. Be back by tomorrow night - V, she wrote.

After saddling and mounting her horse, she picked her way to the northern edge of the town. The northern district was scattered with much more lavish buildings, and they were all in some state of disrepair. The only people she saw among the crumbling window frames and ivy-shrouded alleys were squatters. As the castle had gone quiet, so had the noble district, it seemed. Virginia urged her silver mare to go just a little faster.

The town fell into wild country and abandoned farmland the further northward Virginia pressed. Autumn had stolen any color from the trees, and now as winter drew nearer, the forest that bordered the northern road stood barren and gray. Any sight of civilization was as dead as the northern district of Southlark had been. A blight had swept across the land, and the castle was at its heart.

The afternoon drew into evening as the forest finally split into rocky moorland. The meager sunlight that had graced Southlark’s streets earlier was hidden behind thick clouds, and the angry dark gray of sky promised weather more torrential than just a drizzle. Hopefully, the castle was not far off. Virginia wanted to reach it before the storm broke.

As if summoned by her thoughts, the ground grew rockier until it built into a craggy hill. Perched like a crooked raven on the hilltop, built of weathered stone and gates of iron, was the castle.

[dynamics-of-an-asteroid]

You said you collect pastiches where Holmes and Moriarty work together - do you have a list? Because that’s very relevant to my interests.

Some of the ones that I can remember poking through my collection:

The Professor Moriarty series by Michael Kurland - I’m pretty sure the whole reason I got into seeking stories where Holmes and Moriarty work together is because of this series. This Moriarty is one of my favorites, the dynamic between he and Holmes is equal parts hilarious and witty yet heartfelt and profound, and the cases aren’t too shabby either. Almost all of the stories in this series focus on them teaming up, but I’ll post a sample from “The Great Game”:

Sherlock Holmes looked incredulously at Moriarty. “A kite?” “Just so. A large kite.” It was two in the morning. Madeleine and Jenny Vernet had gone to their well-earned sleep, leaving Moriarty, Holmes, Watson, and the prince and princess sitting around the table in Prince Ariste’s railroad car drinking tea and discussing the impending rescue of the Barnetts. Professor Moriarty had a plan. Sherlock Holmes was not amused. “A man-carrying kite?” “It’s been done before,” the professor commented dryly. “By whom?” “By me.”

“I have some experience using a kite of a modified Burmese design, constructed for me in London by Prince Tseng Li-chang. In addition to his usual trade of creating Chinese antiquities for the European market, the prince aids me in the construction of astronomical devices. We found that a tethered kite can be quite stable for long periods of time. Usually I loft special dryplate cameras, or recording manometers and thermometers, but on occasion I have permitted a man to go up.”

“It must be quite exciting,” Princess Diane commented.

“So I believe,” Moriarty said. “As the kites will bear the weight of only a very light person, I have never been able to make the experiment myself.”

“Yes, but in the middle of the night?” the prince asked. “Isn’t it considerably more dangerous in the dark?”

“Many of my experiments have been conducted in the middle of the night,” Moriarty explained. “Most of them are designed to further my astronomical research, although a few have had other purposes. Some things cannot easily be accomplished in daylight.”

Holmes gave the table a resounding slap. “Well, I’m damned!” he said. “The Tainsburn and Belaugh Mint robbery—that’s how it was done!”

Everyone turned to look at him, and Holmes explained: “it was a year ago February, I believe. I was called in to investigate a robbery at the Tainsburn and Belaugh Mint, a private company that engraves and prints the currency of many small countries that don’t possess the facilities for such precise and delicate work themselves. On this night four specially constructed trunks full of Maldavian currency had been prepared for shipping the following morning. Someone—some gang—broke in during the night and made off with all four trunks, taking currency to the value of about two million pounds.”

“I remember that, Holmes,” Watson said. “It was one of your few failures, I believe.”

Holmes glared at Watson silently for a moment, and then went on: “You will also remember, old friend, that the Scotland Yard refused to act on my suggestion. I cannot affirm that the case would have been solved if they had, but as they did not, I take no responsibility for their failure.”

Watson wrinkled his brow. “Your suggestion? Oh, yes, I remember. When Inspector Lestrade asked you what you thought of the robbery, you replied: ‘I call your attention to the footsteps on the roof.’ ”

“Indeed.” Holmes turned to the others. “You must understand that the building housing the mint is, of necessity, a fortress. Six stories high, and standing alone on its block. All the windows are barred and, at night, securely locked from the inside. The trunks were taken out through a side door which was kept secure by dropping steel bars into slots on the inside. There was no possible way to open it from the outside as it had neither handle nor key. Nonetheless it lay open the next morning and the trunks were gone. The night watchman was found trussed up on the floor of the manager’s office. He claimed that he had been struck on the head from behind while he was making his rounds.”

“The footsteps on the roof?” Princess Diane asked.

“I discovered the marks of some footsteps in the dust on the roof—marks that must have been made on the day of the robbery as there was a heavy rainfall the night before which would have removed them.”

Princess Diane raised an inquiring hand. “Why was there dust on the roof, so soon after a heavy rain?”

“It’s London, your highness. There is dust on everything within hours of its being cleaned. Some attribute it to the coal fires burning in every hearth.”

“And Scotland Yard failed to act on your information?” Prince Ariste asked.

“Inspector Lestrade arrested the night watchman. He said the footsteps could have been made by anyone. I pointed out to him that they began abruptly in the middle of the roof, as though someone had dropped from the sky, and went straight to the roof door.”

“That’s right, Holmes,” Watson averred. “I remember. Lestrade said that if you wanted to go crawling about on the roof looking for footsteps, that was all right with him, as long as you left him alone to do his job.”

Holmes pointed his forefinger at Moriarty. “There was no way anyone could have climbed up to the roof,” he said. “I thought of a balloon, remembering that you have a fondness for balloons, but a balloon couldn’t be controlled that finely. Besides, a balloon large enough to carry a man would surely have been seen. But a kite! That never occurred to me.”

“I remember Lestrade’s remarks were particularly pointed when you said that you detected the hand of Professor Moriarty in the crime,” Watson added. “‘When has there been a crime in which you didn’t see the hand of Professor Moriarty?’ he asked you. And perhaps with some justification.”

“You and Lestrade do me an injustice, Watson,” Holmes said, leaning back in his chair and tucking the interlaced fingers of his hands under his chin. “I don’t see the hand of my friend the professor in every crime. Only in those which elude solution and show a degree of cunning way beyond that of the average criminal.”

Moriarty chuckled a hard-edged chuckle. “Confess it, Holmes,” he said, “whenever you walk down a country lane, you see my minions crouching beneath every bush.”

The two men glared at each other. Prince Ariste raised his hand as though inserting a barrier between them. “As pleasant as these reminiscences must be for both of you,” he said, “we do have something of rather pressing importance to discuss.”

My Life And Crimes by Michael Hardwick - Holmes and Moriarty are recruited by Mycroft to be spies for the Queen to see what the Germans are up to, so they spend a majority of the whole book working with each other in some way. Parts of the dialogue can get repetitious and uninspired (they are literally quoting canon word for word sometimes), but it’s filled with some great original moments and it’s almost worth it for those because they totally embody that enemies to lovers trope without even realizing it istg.

“But to get back to our reason for being here, have you thought hard whether there might not be something, however small, to show for our failed mission?’  

I had to admit that for most of the wretched night in the cell my mind had been busy with recriminations, based largely on hypothetical assumptions, in which he himself figured. Since then, I had been too occupied for constructive thought.

‘In any case,’ I admitted, ‘what could there be? I know where the laboratory is situated inside the Schloss, but I had virtually deduced that in advance. I have only a vague recollection of its appearance and its contents.’

Tell me,’ he urged. ‘Focus your memory’s eye and think hard. Any detail whatsoever.’

Haltingly, I dragged back what detail I could from those few seconds’ perception within the room. Since our mission began I had naturally read up what little I could find about the production of electricity, and seen diagrams of some of the quite rudimentary apparatus used for experiments. It had enabled me to recognize the zinc plates with their polished brass rods and spheres, together with the copper-coated Leyden jars and their wiring, as constituting an oscillatory circuit. 

Moriarty shook his head. ‘Formulae are the apparatus I understand,’ he said gloomily. ‘The great composers did not require to work at the keyboard to create even the most striking and complex of their effects: they did it in their minds, and with pencil and pad. That is the way I work, too. If a thing is capable of being formularized, it can be made to work.’ 

‘There was what I took to be an antenna,’ I added, groping on. ‘Just an arm attached horizontally to an upright rod, with various wires attached.’

'Well, we had taken it for granted that they were looking for means of sending waves directionally. That is where the antenna would come in, so it tells us nothing in itself. The room was at the top of the Schloss, no doubt at the rear, where there would be an uninterrupted field over open country.’ 

I hesitated, closing my eyes for some moments as I strove to recapture what I had seen. Suddenly my searching gaze seemed to lift away from the dimly-remembered details, to take in the room itself. It traversed it, as my first glance must have done, upon the opening of the door and the switching on of the light.

I opened my eyes again and stared at Moriarty, who was watching me, hunched in his seat, his head resting against the cushion and for once almost still.

'No,’ I said. 'No. There was no uninterrupted field. The room had no windows.’

He shot forward almost with a spring, the nervous movement of his neck reasserting itself immediately.

'You are sure?’ he demanded. 'No windows at all? They were not merely closed or concealed?’

It was my turn to shake my head, and firmly. 'Where a window had been there were metal sheets. I can visualize them quite plainly on every wall, in fact. Sheets of metal, covering the greater surface of every wall.’

Slowly, on Moriarty’s countenance, there appeared once more that cunning, closed-mouth smile which, together with his oscillations, had led me in the past to term him reptilian.

'Mr Holmes,’ he said, and his eyes gleamed with rekindled enthusiasm; 'You saw precisely what we needed to see. Our mission has been successful.’

Lock and Key: The Initiation by Ridley Pearson - Definitely the strangest book I have on my list, it features 14-year old Holmes (Lock) and Moriarty (Key aka James Keynes Moriarty) going to Baskerville Academy as roommates in modern times. Their story is told by the latter’s sister Moria who tracks Moriarty’s fateful decent in to wickedness and the beginnings of the Holmes/Moriarty rivalry. Chalk full of somewhat embarrassing pop culture references and an American Moriarty from Boston, Massachusetts (with Baskerville Academy located in Connecticut), I almost didn’t include it on this list because it was so far out there (to be fair, I think it’s for tweens). But Shrlock is so adorably persistent in trying to make James his friend that I couldn’t resist:

“Nothing more than the art of observation, I promise.”

“A real charmer with the ladies, I’ll bet you are.”

“You are projecting hostility toward me because you feel inadequate. You mustn’t! I’m quite certain you possess a good number of skills and abilities in your own right. That I have no interest in lacrosse or team sports in particular is a matter of personal preference. I prefer to swim and run track, where I don’t have to rely upon the poor performance of others.”

“Of all my luck,” James mumbled.

“I am quite adept at detecting sarcasm, James. I might remind you: opposites attract. I would estimate there’s a high probability we will establish a keen and lasting friendship.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

“But I must. The alternative is unthinkable.”

“I suppose I don’t have any choice but to hear it,” James said, bordering on nasty.

“Isn’t it obvious? If not dear friends, then, given our differences, sworn enemies. I don’t think that would suit either of us.” The boy smiled, his pointed face and big ears reminiscent of a Russian wolfhound. “Certainly not me.”

“Sworn enemies, eh?” James made a point of making it sound as if he found this an attractive possible.

and of course when he needs him to help solve this family mystery

Sherlock returned with two pair of white cotton gloves used by altar boys to clean the chapel silver and handbells. “Why are you being nice to me?” Sherlock asked.

“You’re annoying, but you’re helpful. I need you.”

Sherlock nodded.

“I believe what you told me in the tunnel. I’m on a mission, here, Holmes. It may or may not include you. For now it does. That’s me being honest, in case you don’t recognize it.”

Sherlock laughed aloud.

“How … why do you think … how can you always be so sure of yourself?” James sounded at once both impressed and upset.

“I lay no claim to anything found,” Sherlock said. “The clues were intended for you, James, not me. They end here. Now. Through that door.”

“Okay, then. Let’s get this over with.”

Failing to find a latch to open the wall panel, Sherlock stepped back to examine it from a distance. His frustration palpable, James commented again that he was ready for “it to be over.”

“Sadly, my boy,” Sherlock said, “I sense it’s only just beginning.”

“How do we open it?”

Sherlock moved the wrought-iron candle stand aside and placed his weight onto the toe of his shoe. He had to point his toe like a dancer in order to deliver his weight only onto the keystone. It moved down under the pressure. The wood panel sprang open. The size of a narrow door.

“That was a lucky guess,” James said.

“An educated guess, but yes. Tread carefully, my friend,” cautioned Sherlock. “We’ve arrived to the end of the road, and sometimes that takes the shape of a cliff.”

Inside the cloistered space, hundreds of metal organ pipes stood like soldiers from short to tall. Row after row of them. Stair-step landings provided access to the rows of pipes on either side. The only light came through acoustic fabric panels that during services allowed the organ music to reach the chapel’s interior. A quick look around failed to reveal much of anything.

“Maybe more of a dead end than a cliff,” said James.

“Look for a key or tree branches carved into one of the wind boxes or perhaps the pipes. I’ll take this side, you take that.”

“More clues?” James groaned.

“They didn’t make it easy for you.”

“Me? I doubt that.”

“Yes, you, James. Legacy. The family Moriarty.”

Less than a minute passed. “It felt better when I hated you,” James said.

Lock and Mori (series) by Heather Petty - It’s a Sheriarty teenlock modern au with a genderswapped Moriarty. Do not go in to this series thinking that means this is going to be a cutesy YA novel to relax with. It’s not. It’s very dark and very grim with very few light spots, one of which being their budding relationship as a couple oddly enough, but even that is still every bit as angsty and doomed as you should expect from a Holmes/Moriarty pair. I am emotionally compromised because I’ve read this series and I don’t appreciate it j/k i love it fuck me up

He seemed twitchy as we walked. He kept taking turns staring at the path ahead and down at my hand. This left me feeling more than a little self-conscious about my bloody hand of all things. I kept wondering what he was seeing, what scar or smudge or chip in my polish would give him insight into my heritage, personality, or personal grooming habits.

About the time I expected him to declare that I had eaten salmon last Wednesday and would become an ardent Catholic in my seventies, I decided that this “observe and judge” quirk was his most irritating quality. I sighed and was just about to ask him what on earth was so damned fascinating about my hand when he reached across the gap between us and took it in his. He instantly calmed, and, despite my surprise, I felt my own inner tension soothe as well. I even smiled a bit. There was something wretchedly endearing about Sherlock’s manner. Even when he was irritating.

He, of course, had no idea what to do with my hand once he held it, and quickly returned to his twitchy ways. Luckily, I had only a few steps left to tolerate his grasping and swinging until we reached the window outside the café, where boats could be rented. All the while, I was determined not to acknowledge the familiarity I felt when we were together. I sometimes wasn’t sure if I was compensating for his awkwardness, or if this strange boy actually made me feel … whatever it was that makes one feel at home with a stranger. Like I’d known him forever. As payback for this inner treachery, I made him struggle for almost a full minute with trying to remove his ID and money from his wallet one-handed before letting go of his hand, a thought that clearly hadn’t occurred to him.

Our boat was a blue fiberglass thing with a light wood floor, two blue benches, and orange oars. Number 28.

“Any thoughts on our case?” he asked, once we were out on the water. I, in fact, had many, but I covered with, “You first.”

“How shall we start our little game?”

“I’m not sure I want to play yet.”

His eyes practically lit up with the news. “Oh, well. I can’t blame you for being intimidated, having so much less experience with these things.”

“Oh? Solved a lot of crimes, have you?”

That was evidently the exact right thing to say. I hated how much he was enjoying this. “I meant with deductive reasoning. The crime is incidental to the puzzle.”

“Our schoolmate’s father is dead, but, yes—incidental.”

He shrugged off my sarcasm. “Still, I’ll understand if—”

I knew what he was doing. He couldn’t have been more obvious, and still I interrupted his smug ridiculousness with, “You worry about you. I’ll worry about me.”

I watched as his lip twitched, but he managed to suppress whatever expression might have escaped.

“I thought you weren’t going to play.”

“I’m not.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I thought you should know there’s to be a memorial. Tomorrow at two. I’m invited.”

He couldn’t have known it was a lie, no matter how high his brows raised after I’d said it. “You may tag along if you’d like.”

I was pretty sure that his next expression was mocking, but he only said, “How kind of you.”

“So …” I looked out over the lake and watched the swans for a bit.

“We should probably get started.”

“And how would we do that?” I tried to act bored, and then added, “Were I to decide to play along. Which I haven’t yet.”

“As you said.”

My expression dared him to comment further. He did not. He was perhaps wiser than first impressions would indicate.

“We should probably recognize up front that this will likely be some sort of mundane puzzle.”

“Why?”

“Because most puzzles are horribly mundane.”

“Then why bother?”

“Because until we have the data to prove otherwise, there is still the possibility that it will fascinate.”

“And what’s so fascinating about a stabbing in the park? I’m sure they happen all the time.”

I knew the answer, of course. I knew it before he smirked and leaned in closer than I would have preferred. I could have mouthed the words as he spoke them.

“His hands were in his pockets.”

The one clue that shouldn’t have meant anything, yet meant everything, because it didn’t make any sense at all. “It’s impossible.” I’d spoken aloud unintentionally, and couldn’t seem to stop once I’d started. “There must be some alternative explanation. Perhaps the killer put his hands back in his pockets after the fact. It has to be something like that.”

“Why in the world would he do it? There’s no reason.”

“But it has to be,” I countered. “There isn’t a single scenario where a person being attacked would leave his hands in his pockets.”

“If the killer was very close before he pulled out the knife, maybe Patel didn’t see it.”

“After he was stabbed, then. It takes less than a second to rip your hands from your pockets. He would have tried to cover the wound. It’s in our nature to do it, even when we’re too late to stop the knife and it’s useless to stop the bleeding. We try. Until our last breath, we try.”

Sherlock studied my face. Again. But I wasn’t willing to leave my train of thought, not even to indulge my irritation. 

“It’s impossible. I mean, the man would have to have been dead almost the second the knife entered his body, and … oh.” I let the scene play out once more in my mind, the same that had played as I looked at the tarp-covered body that night in the park. At the blood on the tree, which had been at the man’s back. At the umbrella, which hadn’t been his at all. “If it pierced through to mark the tree, it wasn’t a knife.”

“A sword, then? But if you don’t buy him hiding a knife until the last minute, how exactly would he hide the length of a sword?”

“Perhaps along the handle of—”

Sherlock’s brow cleared before I could finish my thought, and he stood up, swaying the boat rather dangerously. “The umbrella!” he cried out. Half the lake was staring at us by the time I pulled him back down to his bench. 

“We’re brilliant at this.”

Moriarty Meets His Match by Anna Castle - An origins story of sorts for how their rivalry came about, but it’s not necessarily leading up to the Holmes and Moriarty you know in the canon because it seeks to muddy a lot of those assumptions. Kind of like the Kurland series it plays around with the idea that you hear pretty much everything about Moriarty from Holmes and Watson, so what if he wasn’t exactly the villain you were told he was? It’s not my favorite, but it’s interesting and includes this adorable scene:

“And now we come to the main business of the evening,” he said. “We have collected little evidence thus far, but may still profitably review what we have. We are investigating a death; therefore, we should properly begin with the body. Watson, would you oblige us with a review of the coroner’s report?”

“Certainly.” Watson took a folder from the table and opened it. “I received this late this afternoon. Quick work for that busy office, but when a peer of the realm has his head blown off at a public event, pressure is brought to bear.”

Holmes and Moriarty both chuckled at the inadvertent pun but quickly cut themselves off. Death was no laughing matter. Watson didn’t seem to notice.

and of course working together

The coach arrived punctually. Moriarty climbed in and greeted his fellow travelers. As they clattered across the metropolis, Holmes entertained them with a running account of the precincts through which they passed. His knowledge of London rivaled that of a senior cabman, if one with a morbid fascination for the more unsavory aspects of urban life.

Watson laughed out loud after one anecdote drew a frown on Moriarty’s face. “You must forgive my friend, Professor. His knowledge is profound, but narrowly focused. He can give you the details of every murder committed in a given parish while never mentioning the more salubrious fact that a famous poet once lived there as well.

Holmes smiled equably. “Poetry will not help me bring a murderer to justice.”

“You are a specialist,” Moriarty said. “It’s only natural to view the world in terms of your domain of expertise.”

“You see, Watson? Some men comprehend my singularity of attention.”

They arrived at length in Millwall, a respectable working-class neighborhood east of the Isle of Dogs. Holmes informed them that the area was favored by artisans and engineers whose skills were in demand in the nearby dockyards. The coachman stopped before a trim house at the end of a side road. They descended and Watson paid the driver. Holmes collected a large box from the boot. “What’s left of the engine,” he said. Moriarty hastened to grab the other handle and they carried it between them up the path.

Watson knocked on the green front door. It was opened after a short wait by a small girl clutching a toy train by one wheel. Her severe expression suggested they had interrupted her in some vital repair.

Moriarty observed a wrench in her other hand and smiled. Truly the daughter of an engineer.

Watson introduced himself and told her they had come by invitation to speak with her father.

“I know that,” she answered tartly. Without another word, she led them in single file straight through the house, out the back door, and across the garden to a workshop where smoke rose from a tall chimney. Its wide double doors stood open. The girl gestured toward her father, who stood on the threshold, and returned to the house.

“Welcome, gentlemen! I’m Ross Bruffin. Forgive me for not offering you my hand.” He raised his arms to display his bandages. His wrists and palms were well wrapped, leaving only his fingertips free. He ushered them into the workshop, directing them to set the box on a scarred worktable in the full light of the open doors.

The shop was crowded with tools, spare parts, and engines of various kinds in various stages of construction, but all seemed logically organized. Wrenches hung on one wall in order of size, gears on another with similar precision. Tall cabinets with labeled drawers undoubtedly held an assortment of bolts, screws, and other fittings. Two young assistants sat by the fireplace at the back, cleaning machine parts with greasy rags. Moriarty noticed the bright red hair spilling out from under their caps; Bruffin’s sons, no doubt, learning their father’s trade.

Holmes performed the introductions. Bruffin cocked his head at Moriarty with a quizzical smile.

“You’re the gentleman from the Patent Office.”

Holmes chuckled. “Professor Moriarty is assisting me in my inquiries. He has been present at all the critical junctures and knows a fair bit about engines, so I recruited him as an expert consultant.”

All the critical junctures? How many had there been? Moriarty said, “I’m happy to help in any way I can.” He wanted a conclusive explanation of how that engine could have failed so dramatically. He’d replayed his actions in his mind, attaching the indicator again and again. Each bolt, each valve, each narrow pipe. Could he have tightened the wrong thing or loosened something else? He thought not, but couldn’t bring himself to certainty.

Bruffin grinned nervously, plucking at the bandage on his left hand. “I do hope we can sort this to the company’s satisfaction, Mr. Holmes. This was a big chance for me. Lord Nettlefield and Mr. Teaberry even allowed me to purchase a share in the profits. I had so much confidence in my engine, I’m afraid I rather —” He broke off with a glance toward the lads at the rear of the shop.

The implication was clear: Bruffin had risked the family fortunes on this venture and faced hard times if his engine were proved to be at fault. Holmes rubbed his hands together briskly. “Then the sooner we get to the bottom of this business, the better. Certain knowledge is better than anxious doubt, eh, Professor?”

Why ask him specifically? Moriarty knew his doubts would not appear on his face. He had learned to maintain a stoic countenance at his father’s knee and had been renowned for it in college. On the other hand, both Sherlock Holmes and Mrs. Gould seemed able to read him like a freshly printed newspaper.

“Is that my engine, then?” Bruffin waved at the box on the table. “Or what’s left of it?”

“It is,” Holmes said. “And we can examine the remains in detail if you wish. But first, I wonder if you could identify this piece. I found it on the floor near the table. It doesn’t seem to match the other materials.”

He held out a flat circle of burnished black metal about three inches in diameter. Bruffin took it gingerly from his hand and turned it to view both sides. “This was certainly not part of my engine.” He frowned, drawing down the points of his red moustache nearly to his collar. “This is steel, to be sure, but it’s hammered, not cast.”

“Hammered?” Moriarty held out his hand for the piece and took it to the threshold of the door to inspect it in full light. “By gad, you’re right! Look, you can see the faint impress of the tool. Barely visible when viewed straight on.”

He handed it to Watson, who performed the same visual tests. “Could it be from someone’s belt buckle?” Watson asked. “Or a lady’s reticule?”

“Too large,” Holmes said. “And note the small holes around the edge. They wouldn’t serve either of those purposes.” He retrieved the piece of metal and held it up for them all to see.

“D’ye know,” Bruffin said, “that wee bit looks about the same size and shape of my sensor plate.” He went to the box and fumbled at the lid with his bandaged hands. He called to the back of the shop. “Could you lend me a hand, dearest?”

The taller boy came forward to assist him. As he approached, Moriarty realized with a start that the lad was in actuality a pretty young woman wearing coveralls and a rough cap. The spray of freckles on her cheeks were smudged with grease. She smiled shyly at the men and dropped an awkward curtsy as her husband introduced her. “My wife, Effie.”

Holmes affected to be unsurprised, but Watson crowed with delight. “The perfect helpmate for an engineer!” He tipped his hat to her. “May I be so fortunate in my future spouse!” Moriarty had a vision of Mrs. Gould sitting beside him in the evening, sharpening pencils while he worked out a mathematical proof. He shook the fanciful image from his head. She would be bored to tears and nagging to go to the theater. He had always known himself to be a bachelor born.

The Bruffins opened the box and removed its contents together, sorting pieces neatly across the tabletop as they went. Holmes watched the process with his usual intense focus. When they finished, Mrs. Bruffin went back to her work. Her husband turned to his guests and said, “It’s as I feared, Mr. Holmes. My plate’s not here. Someone must have switched it out.”

“Great Caesar,” Moriarty said, “that explains it!” Relief coursed through him like a tonic.

Holmes’s head snapped around. “Explains what, Professor?”

Moriarty raised his eyebrows at Bruffin, who answered. “You see, Mr. Holmes, Dr. Watson, the sensor plate is one of the crucial safety elements on a steam engine. It must be thin and flexible so it can rise up with increasing pressure and sink down when the pressure is relieved. If too much pressure builds up under it, the plate rises far enough to trigger a safety valve, which releases the excess steam.”

“Thus preventing an explosion.” Holmes’s eyes shone with excitement. 

“This plate in my hand is too thick, I’ll wager.” He tested it with his strong fingers. “Yes, it’s quite rigid. Devilishly clever, Watson.

This piece of iron could not have found its way into so critical a position by accident.” He flourished the piece of steel. “When I find the source of this false plate, gentlemen, have no doubt that I shall find our saboteur.”

And related but if anyone can find this one, I’ll be eternally grateful because I haven’t read it but I want to:

Simms, Bartlett D. ”`Elements! My Dear Moriarty’“ Baker Street Chronicle, 2, No. 2 (March-April 1982), 4-6.

Holmes and Moriarty join forces in this unlikely tale to solve the mystery behind an unknown element.

[smoothshift]

GT350 Roadtrip: 1 week, 9 states, 4400miles. Lengthy post, pics included. via /r/cars

GT350 Roadtrip: 1 week, 9 states, 4400miles. Lengthy post, pics included.

TLDR: It was a lengthy but short roadtrip. You're welcome.  

Ain't got no time for readin and stuff? I got you: http://ift.tt/2vmKRwc  

States visited: OR, WA, ID, MT, WY, CO, UT, AZ, NV  

Notable locations: Glacier National Park, Pike's Peak, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zion National Park, Shelby Museum/Factory/Store  

I left San Francisco on Saturday 8/12 at 5:30AM. Returned Saturday 8/19 at 11:45PM. Following are the notes I took on the trip and recollections after. I hope you enjoy. I certainly did.  

Northern California: Nothing notable, I live here. Took 80 East to 505 North, later merging into 5 North. Met two guys with built-out BRZs in Suisun Valley; they were headed to a meet. Cars were tastefully modded and I favored the burnt orange and black wing combo car. Didn't talk long, but the burnt orange guy wanted to know if I was "driving the ecoboost?" Nah, this isn't the ecoboost. Those are good cars, though, and I envy the MPG.  

Oregon: Fast-forwarding to the land of "thou shalt not pump your own gas." Really weird but whatever, Oregon has the most beautiful semi-populated back country I've seen. Didn't find any technical driving roads but the long straights and gentle sweepers were nice. Fantastic ranches you guys have, btw, wow. When the sun hits the golden fields as you're blasting by and the horses look up ya think, huh. I can dig this. P.S. your speed limits are terrible, not updated since 1912 or some such.  

Washington: Ah, crossing the border with that feeling of anticipation, the wonder of sights unseen, the joy of... 2 KA bands and 1 laser hit. WTF Washington, nice welcome wagon you got there. But you're not done, no sir or ma'am. Pasco, WA, aka interchange city. So. Many. KA. Bands. And. 2. Laser. Hits. I get it, you need the revenue. But not from me. Motored along merrily on 90NE/E to Spokane, crossing into Idaho.  

Idaho: Coeur d'Alene. Wow. Amazing roads; long sweepers in the mountains, gentle and lengthy elevation changes and fantastic scenery. You win, Idaho.  

Montana: I'm on the way to Glacier National Park. 3 things of note in this state:  

1 - "Keep Right Except to Pass." I've seen posts about this on r/Cars and never really "got it", but now I do. Montananians have this down to a science and it works. Granted the population is sparse but its a model of managing traffic flow and speed. Consider me a full-time convert.  

2 - I pulled in to a rest stop on Highway 2; it was 11:30 at night and the area poorly lit. A family was setting up a giant tent on the grass; it was just them, me and a semi parked in the lot. Blacked out the car windows (sunscreen and blankets) and made myself cozy. 3AM and I'm suddenly awake, its time to visit the facilities and take care of urgent business. As I approach the men's room I hear a noise, it's a loud buzzing and a man's booming voice. Montana rest stops have speakers playing the weather report ("The weather in Big Fork was clear, and the wind was..."). This speaker was blown due to the loud volume setting. Creepy at 3AM, moreso with dim fluorescent lighting. Good news though: Bathroom is clean and I've got my choice of two stalls. I take the luxury stall aka the doublewide aka the handicapped version. Oh. Lock is broken. NP, I switch to the economy stall and run down the checklist. Door locks, check. Floor and seat clean, check. Enough TP to build an assnest on the seat, check. We're locked and loaded and I'm going in, Cap'n. Except for one thing: The lone bit of graffiti on the door. It read: "8/11. Let's %$# or at least piss on me. Tap foot." Imagine its 3AM and you're groggy with so few hours of sleep and that's me, mouth slightly open, brow furrowed with squinty eyes trying to comprehend this lonely missive of love and bodily fluids. First thought: Is it the 11th? No, ok good. Second: I'm the only one in here. Third: I no longer have the urge to do anything but GTFO; the creepy factor went from 3/10 to 10/10. Not that it mattered to the disembodied man's distorted voice; he continued belting out the weather report as I left a contrail of relief denied.  

3 - Glacier National Park. My first must-see destination and it was so worth it. Lovely, narrow roads albeit packed with appliance cars. On the West Glacier Road there's a spot to park and take a shuttle bus up. Not for me but it's a popular thing. Some tourists get bored waiting and attempt to hitchhike; as I rounded a curve I saw a hitchhiker sorta gently shove his (I presume) SO away and say loudly in his Brit accent, "I know what I'm about!" Hey brother. You're ok hitchhiking in a park, but don't do that anywhere else. Unless you like the song Goodbye Horses in which case have at it. Anyway, GNP: Pictures can't convey it well, nor can they convey the batshit crazy old lady driving a minty green Fiat ... Fiat uh, not the Abarth but the lower spec model. Old lady, her Fiat and personal GNP Formula 1. Like everyone else she'd pull over for pics, but when I saw her coming I got out of the way.  

Wyoming: Plains. Plains as far as the eye can fall asleep.. I kid. Beautiful state, really. Pulled over and listened to a thunderstorm slowly roar across the open land. Amazing, spiritual, awe-inspiring. Congrats, Wyomingians. All 3 of you.  

Colorado: Colorado is amazing, and as a California native I'm genetically predisposed to moving there. But don't worry, Coloradorians.. eh, Coloradori, F it, lets just go with Pot Smoking REI Junkies and Rednecks. As I was saying, I won't move there, ever. Not me. Nuh uh. Well. Not unless I get bored, or ... wait. Wait a second. Huh. Zillow says I can buy how many bedrooms, with how big a garage and a backyard that's spacious in a good neighborhood for how much? Hmmmm.  

Pike's Peak. You've heard about it. If you've not gone, go. Don't expect a Hill Climb though, the usual appliance cars and Lifted Lambos (trucks) clog the roads - although I did get lucky in spots, and did a Matt Farah a few times by making a gap on the straights. 14k elevation, no big deal, I've done that before in Ladakh (India, Himalaya foothills). Think again, that 14k kicked my ass. Just taking pictures of the car was wearing me out. While at the summit some lady hiked down (apparently there's a trail) and needed rescue, she simply could not climb up. I believe it.  

Great Sand Dunes National Park. Yep. It's sandy. The approach road (well outside of the park) is minimal to no traffic, you can go 10 mins without seeing a car. I may or may not have done a triple. Or as I call it, 25 MPH in Mexican school zone. Because I'd never do that in the US. Not me.  

Small towns. We all know its common for small towns to be speed traps. Colorado small towns take it to the next level. Its dark, I'm in BFE, and 1-2-3 small towns in a row: K Band, X Band, KA Band, no apparent falses. In one case the local popo followed me about 3 miles out of town. My very first police escort, I'm so proud.  

Montrose, CO. I'm a coffee nerd so this trip has been mostly hell. The hell of McD's coffee or worse, gas station coffee. Swill. So what makes Montrose, CO, special? La Zona Colona Coffee off Highway 550. You're going to pass it when heading to Silverton, so stop. Clean outside and in, tastefully done decor and, crucially, outstanding coffee with what seems to be an extra dose of caffeine. I suspect this because it wasn't long before I was road raging pretty hard, I mean come on. LANE CAMPERS RADKJEKEJREKJFDKJ gargle scream do nothing but wait to pass. Yep. Road raging. Best coffee I've ever had.  

Silverton,CO. Quaint, preserved old-timey Western town. They even have a steam train and stagecoach, actual ones that move along and make old-timey choo choo noises and whatever sounds horses make. Popular place.  

Highway 550 to Durango. Rounded a curve and a blond guy with man bun waved me down. He and his GF were stuck, older Toyota with a dead battery and as it turns out, bad alternator. I had a battery charger but no cables (ugh) so he plugged it to the battery and we waited. I suggested waving down a truck as those guys must have cables. Cars go by, no one stops or acknowledges his waving. Weird; he's young, good looking and dressed in Mountain Chic - I mean, he's not scary looking and its full daylight. Finally a red F150 stops, older guy with cables. He's a little sauced, not drunk but he's had a few. Engine turns over and I follow the Toyota couple a while, and it dies again. This happened 4x til we made it to the guy's house in Durango. On the last pullover the red F150 guy shows up again. "I wanna see how fast this Shelby can go," he says, slightly slurred, "It's ok, I party with the cops in Durango." This was just not gonna happen, Durango's not a little town with deserted roads and I didn't see any signs for open track night. I politely ignored him and we got the Toyota couple home, wished them luck and off I went.  

Utah: I dunno, it's Utah. Mostly impressed with the people vs. the places, although those are nice too.  

Four Corners. Not sure what I expected, maybe something grand to commemorate 4 state borders, maybe some good dining and driving roads. Nope. You get a short dusty road (fine, its the arid desert), a $5 entry fee, signs saying cremated remains cannot be spread here (huh, who, why?), vendors selling Navajo-themed jewelry and stuff and that thing. That thing set in concrete marking the celebration of 4 state borders meeting. I was done before I got there and was walking back to the car when I saw her. No, not the love of my life. Rather a woman wearing an awesome tshirt which just then struck me as hilarious. Pic taken. Nice lady, she was a riot. She liked the GT350 too.  

Zion National Park. 105 degrees. Two European guys driving below the speed limit in a rental Focus. I get it, you're here to see the sights. But uh, pull over. Thanks bye.  

Kanab: Nothing notable here other than I stayed in the Quality Inn's "suite." But there was one cool encounter at the local car wash (I detail my car religiously): Mr. Walker with his 1965 Thunderbird. OMG. Maroon paint, black leather interior, dusty engine. Overall excellent shape (driving condition, not concours) and he's the second owner with all maintenance records from new. Mr. Walker liked the Shelby and had a lot of questions; I had just as many for him. He showed his car and apologized for being unable to wipe down the front and rear chrome due to his age. Not a problem, yours truly wiped it down for him and it was a pleasure doing so. What a car. Tip of the cap to you, sir.  

Nevada AKA Las Vegas: Stopped to visit the Shelby Factory, Museum and Shop. The shop is the first thing you see once inside and lemme tell ya. Need a Shelby leather coat? They got you, Holmes. Socks, tshirts, bottle opener, model car, hat, travel mug, earrings, key chain? No problemo. I made a dad joke (tm, not an actual dad) after buying some shirts: So uh, you guys have everything, literally everything for sale, don't you? Sales lady: (thinking FFS not this again): Yes, we do. Me: Great, I'm in the market for a new fridge. Sales lady: Points to her left and there it is, a I-kid-you-not-Shelby-branded-fridge. Joke's on me; abort abort mission failure RTB.  

Walked outside and there was an Aussie family sorta standing by my car. The dad went on about how much they liked it, and a US friend of his was considering buying one. Told him to tell his friend, yep, buy it.  

... And that's pretty much it. Went to SoCal but there's 2 kinds of SoCal: coastal (nice) and inland desert (less nice). At Barstow I couldn't take it anymore, GTA got crappy desert towns right. Connnected to 5 North and pulled over for gas: $3.89 for premium, the good ole welcome home price. Drove 6 hours north to SF, woke up the GF and flopped right into bed. Best parts about coming home: GF reunion, Game of Thrones and 7 hours detailing the car. Still haven't got all the bug bits off the grille.  

Random stats:

23.1 MPG

Cheapest gas / Premium: $2.48 (Wyoming, Ethanol blend)

Oil consumption: 2 quarts

Breakdowns and flats: 0

Truck Stop Hookers Observed: 2

Drunk Drivers Observed: 1

Accidents seen (after the fact): 3

Road rage battles seen: 1 (SoCal. Of course)

Live deer: Too many (Montana, but especially Colorado)

Dead deer: 12 +