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rocksandrobots · 4 years

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Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 36 - Wrestlers, Boxers, and Ninjas, Oh My (Part 3)

Gogo fumbled for her phone as it went off on the table near her bed, ringing loudly. She moaned in frustration, still groggy from sleep, as she reluctantly sat up and answered the call.

"Hello?" She yawned.

"Gogo, is Varian with you?" Aunt Cass's voice came through the other end.

"Uh, no," Gogo said, snapping awake, "he left last night about ten thirty or so."

Sunlight streamed in through the window, indicating it was late morning or near noon, and Gogo couldn't dismiss the growing dread churning in her stomach as she realized something wasn't right.

"Yes, he called about that time to say he was on his way home, so I went on to bed, but I haven't seen him all morning. He was supposed to help out at the cafe today but he never showed up, and his bed doesn't look like it was slept in…. and he isn't answering his phone." Aunt Cass explained as worry crept into her voice. "I don't want to panic but, so far no one's seen him. Hiro stayed up later than I did, which is normal, but he says he never saw Varian come in either. I texted Honey Lemon earlier but she never got back with me."

Gogo heard the faint sound of snoring below her that told her exactly where her roommate was. "Yeah, she's still asleep. Have you called Fred, or Wasabi yet?"

"No, but Fred was here earlier to see Hiro and he said that he hasn't heard from Varian since last night either."

Gogo took a deep breath to calm her nerves, "Okay, I'll call Wasabi and see if he spent the night at the dorms or something."

"That's a good idea, and I'll call Granville to see if Varian is at the school. I know finals are coming up; he could just be doing some last minute work on his project."

Aunt Cass's voice sounded cheerful, but they both knew that Varian wasn't likely to skip out on his job like that. He took his responsibilities seriously, and after the bot fighting incident, he was pretty diligent about communicating his whereabouts to Aunt Cass as well. But there was no other way to move forward but to explore all their other options first.

So they said their goodbyes and Gogo called Wasabi. Then she called Karmi, and then Carl and Globby. She even called up Carol. No one had seen nor heard from Varian since last night.

----------------------

"Mole hasn't seen him either." Fred stated as he finished reading the text on his phone.

They were all gathered at the apartment, trying to debate on what to do.

"And I just talked to Megan. He's not with her either." Hiro added.

"So who haven't we called? What aren't we thinking of?" Wasabi asked.

"I guess we're just going to have to go out and physically hunt for him like last time." Gogo said.

"Yeah, I'll get Baymax to fly around and scan the city. We'll have to pick up our armor from HQ though. I left it there for repairs after our last matchup with Trina."

They all started to file out the door, all except for Honey Lemon who stood next to the kitchen window on her phone.

"You coming?" Gogo asked her.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to call Varian again." She said distractly. She'd been withdrawn all morning since the news hit. Constantly calling and texting same as the rest, but not saying much outside of that.

"Well you can do that on the ride to HQ." Wasabi said and she followed after them, still trying to get through on the phone which just kept ringing.

Once outside on the sidewalk, the phone went to voicemail again. She growled under her breath as she hit the redial button again; unsure what else she could do.

"Hey, you guys hear that?" Fred asked.

"Hear what?"

"Sounds like a phone ringing."

"Well Honey Lemon is on the phone." Gogo pointed out the obvious, getting slightly irritated with Fred.

"I know that. It's not coming from her, It's coming from somewhere over there." He pointed down the sidewalk across the street. He then took off walking that way even as Honey Lemon hung up in frustration.

Fred paused as if listening for something. "Make that phone call again, HL." He yelled to her.

She did, and Fred bolted over to the bus stop across the way.

"I found it!" He shouted as he held up a ringing cell phone high into the air.

They all ran over to him. In his hand he held what looked like Varian's phone but the screen was cracked right down the middle and the back was all scratched up.

"Yeah it's his alright." Fred proclaimed as he went through the phone's contents. "Here's the text he sent me last night about the wrestling tickets."

Everyone exchanged worried faces. Yes, something was definitely wrong here.

----------------------

Varian awoke inside a dark room. He tried to move his arms but they were tied behind his back. He tried to stand up or scoot the chair he was seated in but couldn't as it was bolted to the floor.

After a few moments of struggling he tried to calm himself with a few deep breaths. At least he wasn't gagged this time. Though that probably meant whoever took him had him secured in a place where calls for help wouldn't be heard. So he didn't waste his time on that. Instead he tried his best to adjust his eyes to the dim light and see where he was.

It looked like some kind of lab. There were computers over next to one wall; their screens emitting a soft blue light. There was a work desk near him with an assortment of tools and wires scattered upon it, and over in one corner of the room was a 3D printer like the one Hiro had in his lab. Though this one appeared to be far larger and fancier than that one. He also could point out what looked like large pieces of scrap metal and glass here and about the room. There was probably a furnace somewhere for melting it all down but he couldn't see it from the angle he sat at.

As he sat there wondering what all this stuff was for, a door opened on the right side of the room, flooding the space with a stream of light.

"Ah you're awake!" A voice barked and Varian turned his head to see Yama standing there. He was flanked by two men dressed all in black, faces hidden behind masks, and with various weapons tucked in their belts.

'Ninjas' was the word Varian was looking for. He'd seen them in action movies that Hiro and Fred like to watch sometimes. They were supposed to be skilled warriors, like knights or royal guards in his world, but they lacked any sort of heavy armor and used hand to hand combat more often.

Supposedly anyways. You could never be too sure how accurate a film was. But either way Varian didn't fancy his changes fighting them head on; especially while unarmed.

Yama flipped a light switch and Varian blinked rapidly at the sudden change. Once his eyes adjusted again he saw his first assessment of the room being a lab was correct. Not that he had time to really think about that because soon Yama was standing before him blocking his view.

The mob boss bent down till he was eye level to Varian and gave a cruel smile. "Well, well, we meet again. It's a small world after all." His grin became even wider and Varian's stomach dropped. This was about the money from the 'bot fight wasn't, or perhaps Yama still held a grudge over the insults he had cheekily hurled during their match. Either way, Varian sure he was as good as dead. It was funny though, in a way, of all the times he'd come close to death and yet it was here of all places he was going to meet his end.

"You're a smart kid ain't ya?" Yama continued. He picked up a small magnetic ball from off the table. It looked like the ones Sirque used in her portals. "My boss was very impressed by your breakthroughs in portal tech."

Varian raised an eyebrow. So this wasn't about revenge? Then what was it?

"You mean Sirque?" He asked.

"No, not her you nitwit!" Yama rolled his eyes. "The big boss. The one that pays us all. Haven't you been keeping up?"

"You mean the one that was trying to get rid of Momosake?"

"Now you're getting the picture."

"Did she rat me out?"

"Who knows," Yama shrugged, "All I know is that the boss wants to offer you a deal and I'm here to make it."

"You got a strange way of negotiating business." Varian pointed out drly.

Yama smiled again. This was his arena as much as the 'bot fight had been; dirty deals, intimidation tactics, and crooked schemes. He was every bit the stereotypical gangster, right down to the tax evasions and his little black book full of hit lists.

"Look, it's simple," he said as he slipped into his sleazy salesman act, "you build us a portal like the one you made that night. We provide you with all the tools and materials and when done, we let you go on your merry way with a nice fat paycheck."

"While you keep the patent and if I try to claim I'm the original inventor; I can expect to find myself wearing a pair of concrete shows at the bottom of the bay."

Yama chuckled with glee. "You really are a smart kid."

"I've been around." Varian said cooly.

"Then you'll know that if you refuse to take me up on my offer you can expect a fitting for those cement shoes tonight. "

Varian pressed his lips to stop himself from hurling a bunch of vitriol at Yama. Losing his temper right now wouldn't help. But he knew that any promises to release him were empty. Why pay someone off to keep quiet when you could just kill them and pocket the money for yourself?

"Is that what you did to Sirque?" He asked instead.

"Naw," Yama dismissed, "She still works for us. It's just good business to not put all your eggs in one basket, if ya know what I mean."

Varian didn't respond to that but silently eyed Yama up and down like he was a slayer wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Look, I can even call her up if you want." Yama said, sensing the boy's mistrust.

"She can tell you that we're on the up and up. Sirque can even tell you how much the boss pays her, and it's a pretty penny. I should know. I keep the books."

Varian chewed his bottom lip in thought. If Sirque was still around then why did they need him? Was she being held hostage too, or was she more free because she was in on the whole thing from the start? Maybe she hit a roadblock and that's why they needed him. Shoot maybe she was the one who cooked up this whole kidnapping plot to begin with? Who knew what the truth was?

All Varían knew was that he couldn't trust Yama any further than you could throw him, which wasn't far. But he needed to stall if he wanted to keep living.

"Ok, I'll do it."

Yama broke out into a sickening smile once more. "Good, I knew you'd see reason. Boys untie the kid!"

The two ninjas walked over and undid Varian binds. He stood up and rubbed his sore wrists as Yama finalized the terms of their agreement.

"We should have all the latest toys here that you need to get to work. If something is missing you can let us know and we'll get it for you. We'll bring ya a sandwich or something if ya get hungry and there's a bathroom in the back. Now this is important, so listen up, don't go thinking about escape. No dirty tricks or trying to contact the outside, or the deal is off and well, my two associates here will have to start getting rough. Got it!?"

He pointed at the two ninjas who stealthily took up their positions at either side of the room. Varian quickly darted his eyes about taking stock of the lab once more, noting where the two deadly assassins hired to guard him were placed. Nothing immediately stood out to him as being useful or practical for escape, but perhaps he could build himself something…

"Got it." He nodded and Yama smiled, shook his hand in a forceful manner, and then turned to leave; laughing all the way.

Left alone now, save for his two jailors, Varian got to work.

----------------------

"Any luck?" Wasabi asked over the intercom.

"Not yet." Hiro replied as he and Baymax hovered over the city. The robot performed his typical bioscan searching for their missing friend.

"I touched back with Aunt Cass. She's called the police and Cruz is on the case now as well." Gogo chimed in.

"Yeah, well, it looks like he just found something." Fred responded from where he kept watch, right above the trolley stop where Varian was last seen. "Cruz just pulled up to the apartment complex down the street from Gogo and Honey Lemon's place."

"Okay, we'll meet you there." Hiro said as he ordered the rest of the gang to reconvene.

They arrived back at the bus stop just in time to see Officer Cruz and his men dragging El Feugo out of his apartment building.

"Oooh I knew he was up to something!" Honey Lemon shouted, and before her friends could stop her, she took off running towards the arrest in progress.

----------------------

"What is the meaning of this!?" The wrestler bellowed. "I demand a lawyer!"

"You'll get one." Cruz said as he forcefully shoved the suspect into the back of the police van. But before he could close the door, he was greeted by one of the Big Hero Six members running up to meet them.

"What did you do to Varian!?" The tall one in pink armor yelled accusingly at the perpetrator.

She had to be held back back by her fellow superheroes, who rushed up to join them, before she could lunge at the man seated in the paddy wagon.

Chief Cruz was not amused.

"This is official police business. Vigilantes are not needed nor welcomed when making an arrest."

"Sorry Officer Cruz," the shortest of the team apologized. "We're just looking for a friend of ours. Did you find him?"

"That's classified information." He said and he turned to leave.

"Please?" The superhero asked again, the desperation in his voice was evident. Cruz ignored him as he finished closing the vehicle door. He then ordered his men to move out, leaving only himself, his deputy, and a few of the forensic team behind as the criminal was hauled away.

The superheroes didn't budge. They wouldn't leave until they heard a straightforward answer from him. Cruz sighed. It looked like he was going to have to drop the niceties and tell the ugly truth.

"No we did not find him." He said as he faced the gang once more. "We got an anonymous tip off that El Fuego was seen with the missing person last night and articles of the victim's clothing were found inside the suspect's apartment when we came to question him. Said suspect is wanted for breaking patrol and we'll be conducting further investigation at the station."

"Clothing?" The green suited hero asked.

As if in answer to this query, some of the forensic people started to load up some of the evidence into their van.

"I have found Varian's goggles." The largest of the heroes said while pointing to one of the sealed bags that they carried; it did indeed contain the aforementioned goggles. He was a very imposing looking figure in his red armor, but his voice sounded very soft and lilting; almost robotic even.

Cruz raised an eyebrow at him, "Got good eyesight, hun?"

"Just his goggles? That's all?" The shortest of the heroes despaired. "But that doesn't make any sense."

"And that's why you're only an amateur." Cruz berated. "Clearly this is more than just a one person job. El Feugo has to be working with someone else and he handed the boy off to them, and who knows how many kids might be involved in such a plot. The more you six keep butting in the more risk you take in tipping off El Feugo's accomplices."

"So you don't think Varian was taken for any specific reasons," the one in yellow stated, "you think he's just the latest victim of a larger scam."

Cruz narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "And why would anyone want to kidnap Varian especially?"

His question went ignored; instead the leader of the group tried to bargain with him.

"Look, we can help you find him, and any other missing kids. Bay--- Red Panda here has bio-scanners and-"

"And where did you get such tech?" Cruz interrupted. The superhero visibly stiffened at that question, clearly unwilling to answer.

"What aren't you telling me?" Cruz continued to press. He was rapidly losing patience with them. "You listen here, this isn't a game. There are lives on the line and I don't have time to play twenty questions. So answer me. What do you know about Varian's disappearance?"

"Nothing…. No more than you do anyways." The short hero responded. "I mean we have some theories but nothing substantial to back them up."

"Theories alone won't save lives," Cruz said. "You need to stay out of this. Leave it to the professionals. Cause I swear to you, if I have to go tell my best friend that I found her child lying dead in a gutter cause you went and hindered an investigation, I will throw the book at you."

This last threat seemed to finally get through to them. Cruz couldn't make out their faces clearly behind the heroes' tinted visors, but he swore he saw the smallest one fighting to blink back tears. He just hoped a stern rebuttal was all that it would take to keep the vigilantes at bay as he entered his police car and drove away; leaving the small group of 'crime fighters' standing forlornly on the sidewalk.

----------------------

Varian carefully poured the battery acid out of the dismantled motor and into the glass. He had found it inside an emergency backup generator storaged next to computers. Varian guessed that his captors wanted the option to remain off grid in case they had to lie low from the authorities.

He stalled when a drop of the corrosive chemical spilled onto the table.

"Steady...steady…" He whispered to himself as he readjusted and continued to empty the motor's contents. He desperately wished for a pair of gloves or an apron, or something. The lab he was currently held in was more geared towards engineering and computer programming and sorely lacking in both chemistry sets and safety equipment.

He also didn't know where his goggles went. He figured they got knocked off during the struggle last night. Perhaps not the most pressing of matters at the moment, but the lost still pained him. He had so little left of his old life that he hated to lose anymore.

He finished transferring the acid into the cup and placed the motor down. Then he tried to think of his next step as he raised the glass to better see his handy work.

It wasn't much, but the small amount of liquid would have to do. His only hope was that; one, the ninjas were ignorant of chemistry and two, he could catch them off guard and throw the corrosive contents at them. He prayed that would be distraction enough to get beyond the door and then hopefully make his way to freedom.

It was a pitiful plan, he knew, but he was dealing with limited resources.

It was a plan destined to fail.

One of the ninjas came up from behind him and grabbed his wrist.

Varian let out a yelp of both pain and surprise. The warrior's grip was strong, more so than normal, and Varian felt like he was caught in a vise.

"Hey, I need that!" He protested as the ninja proceeded to move Varian's hand, and the glass full of acid with it, towards himself. Then without saying a word, the hired assassin used his free hand to grab the bottom of the glass and rip it away from Varian. He then tossed it into the trash nearby.

Well so much for that idea.

The ninja then released him and Varian ruefully tried to rub away the soreness in his wrist.

"How am I supposed to work like this?" Varian bluffed. "You asked me to build a portal for you and I got to have fuel to power it up, don't I?"

His guard didn't respond and instead took up his position next to the door once more.

Varian rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath. He was making a show of his displeasure in order to hide the panic rising up within him.

What now? He thought. His eyes scanned the room once more and landed upon the other guard that stood at the opposite end of the room. Varian glared at him; almost challenging the ninja to say or do, well, something , anything.

"Can I get that sandwich y'all promised?" He sarcastically asked. But still neither of his captors said anything.

It was unnerving the way they never talked. It didn't help that their masks covered their whole face either. Varian supposed it was made of some sort of mesh that allowed the wearer to see out but from his point of view it just looked like they didn't have a face at all. It was just a formless black void where the eyes and mouth should have been.

That was probably the point; an intimidation tactic while also allowing them to keep their anonymity. Didn't stop him from being creeped out by them though.

Varian sighed deeply in resignation. His usual tricks just weren't going to help him here, and there was no way he could fight off both of them. He was way out matched, he knew.

So I guess there's nothing to it but to give Yama what he wants. Varian thought. Then another realisation struck him. "That's it! I'll make him portal alright!" He yelled to no one in particular. Let the guards hear him. All he was going to do was precisely what was asked of him, and it was going to be brilliant.

----------------------

The Big Hero Six gang huddled upon a rooftop as they discussed what to do next.

"It just doesn't make sense." Fred said as he rubbed his chin in thought. He was perched on top of the ledge, looking for all the world like a gargoyle come to life. "El Fuego only ever cared about proving himself the best fighter. Why would he suddenly start abducting people?"

"Didn't you hear officer Cruz?" Wasabi replied."Someone else must have paid him to do it. He's just in it for the money."

"No, no, that still doesn't add up." Fred shook his head. "He just got back into wrestling. He shouldn't need the money, and why would he risk losing his dream job by committing a felony? Not to mention just leaving an article of your victim's clothing right there in your apartment, now that's just sloppy… amateurish even."

"Well no one said El Fuego was the brightest bulb in the box." Hiro chimed in as he read Baymax's latest scan readings.

"What are you getting at Fred?" Gogo asked.

"It smells like a setup to me." Fred answered. "It's a classic frame job. Just plant the evidence in the poor sap's apartment in order to throw the cops off your own trail."

"You can't be serious," came Honey Lemon's sardonic retort.

Everyone looked at her in surprise. She had been silently stewing over in the corner since they parted ways with the police. Now she was glaring daggers right at Fred as she crossed her arms and drummed her fingers.

No one ever knew what to do when Honey Lemon got angry about something. It was such a rare occurrence, like an ice storm in May. Sure, it technically could happen and has before, but you're never expecting it when it does.

Fortunately Fred was spared her chilly wrath when Gogo's phone rang.

"Hello? Yeah, hold on." She removed the phone from her ear. " It's Carl." She said as she pressed the speaker button.

"Hey, I just heard about El Fuego's arrest." Carl's voice rang out. "Did the police find anything?"

"No." Hiro told him. "They think he was working for someone else but they don't know who."

"I might know," Came Carl's weary response. "Some old associates of mine contacted me about a job. I told them I wasn't interested, but they then started asking about Varian. I thought they were trying to recruit him into their gang, and in no uncertain terms, I told them to leave the kid alone or risk losing their spleens. But it's starting to look like my words fell on deaf ears." He gave a heavy sigh. "Look, Globby and I are at Good Luck Alley right now doing some snooping. I don't wanna say too much over the phone in case anyone is eavesdropping. Why don't you meet us somewhere more secure?"

"We could meet you back at the apartments." Gogo suggested.

"Sounds good. I'll see ya there in a few, then." He then hung up.

As everyone made ready to leave, Hiro spotted the police van carrying El Fugeo stop at a red light beneath them.

"You guys go ahead and meet up with Carl. Baymax and I are going to go interrogate our westling friend down there before he gets to the station."

"I'm going with you." Honey Lemon said.

"Alright. As soon as you learn anything, call us and we'll do the same." Hiro ordered as he and Baymax flew down to meet the armored vehicle with Honey Lemon following closely behind.

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El Fuego felt the police van rock wildly as something heavy landed on the vehicle's roof. Then a green substance started to seep through the ceiling in a bubbling ring; eating away at the metal like acid. Suddenly a strong arm punched the deteriorated circle and the metal clattered to the floor as three members of Big Hero Six swooped in.

"Where's Varian!?" The tall woman growled as she snatched him by the shirt collar and practically lifted him off the ground.

"I don't know." The wrestler insisted.

"You were with him last night and the police found his goggles in your apartment." The shortest superhero said. "Please, we just want to find him, and if you know anything at all about where he might be you need to tell us before he gets hurt."

El Fugeo gave a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I know something. But I'm not the one who kidnapped him! I don't play that game."

"Then who did?" The short superhero pressed.

"Yama. Two of his goons approached me last night before the show about 'a job'. I told them I wasn't interested and that I had a fight to win. Turns out they were after the kid. What for, I don't know, but I had just met him earlier that day. He happens to be a fan of mine. Well I wasn't about to let one of my fans get accosted, was I? So I walked him and his girlfriend to the bus and saw them safely home. It was easy to, since they didn't live far from me. I even gave them a couple of tickets to tonight's match, just so that I could keep an eye on them. I figured if Yama's paid thugs showed up I could scare them off ya know."

The heroes frowned. "You mean you were trying to help?" The short one asked. "Then why didn't you contact the police?"

"Oh sure, with my record? I'm trying to keep out of jail, remember? Also how was I to know the chump would leave his girl's apartment in the middle of the night? Geez that aunt of his must be one chapada a la antigua, am I right?"

He wasn't sure what he had said wrong, but El Fuego found himself being roughly shoved back into his seat as the tall woman angrily flung him away from her grasp. Then without another word she jumped out of the vehicle the way she had come, her special boots springing her upwards at a height most normal people could never achieve.

The other two followed after her.

"Hey wait!" He called out and the short superhero stuck his head back down to see what the wrestler wanted. "I...I hope you find him." He sincerely said.

The superhero nodded. "Yeah, me too." The crack in his voice was evident even to El Fugeo.

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Hiro joined Honey Lemon and Baymax on the nearest rooftop.

Honey Lemon stood stock still, her hands clenched into fists, as she watched the police van leave.

"He's such a jerk!" She suddenly fumed.

"Yeah, you're right, he is," Hiro agreed, "but he's also innocent."

Honey Lemon looked at him in surprise, but Hiro pressed on.

"I think he's telling the truth. His story confirms what Carl said earlier and we both know Yama would have reasons to kidnap Varian. I think El Fuego was legitimately trying to help, in his own annoying way."

Honey Lemon opened her mouth to retort but nothing came out as she racked her brain for a counter argument. She then sobbed as she flopped down on the ledge and pulled her helmet off.

"But doesn't it make you angry?" She cried. "Varian's still missing and that… that creep , he… ooooh.." She couldn't even form words through her rage.

"I'm too scared to get angry right now." Hiro quietly admitted.

This stopped Honey Lemon from launching into another rant. Instead she gave him a pout as she blinked back tears.

"Our only hope right now," Hiro continued, "is that Yama nabbed him because that crime boss he works for wanted Varian' s portal tech, and not, you know, for revenge. Cause if this is about the money he lost in the bot fight then… then Varian could already be seriously hurt." He sighed and took a seat next to Honey Lemon. "Maybe Cruz is right. Maybe we're only making things worse."

"Y-you can't mean that."

"What happens to Varian if that crime lord figures out we're on to him? Hun? What happens if Yama knows we're involved, cause he hates us too. Or, you know, maybe it's our fault for giving Varian that portal tech in the first place! O-or if we hadn't chased Mr. Sparkles down when he stole that first portal, then the two wouldn't have reconnected and Varian could be back safe in his world an-"

"Stop it." Honey Lemon said softly. She locked eyes with Hiro. "Stop blaming yourself for things you can't control. You had no idea that this would happen. No one did, and you are not responsible for what Yama does."

Hiro reflected on her words but didn't respond. She was right, he knew, but that didn't stop the guilt bubbling in his chest.

"Also Varian's world is even more dangerous than this one." She went on. "So it's a good thing he came here and met us. That's why we're going to bring his father here once he gets the portal working. Which he will, I'm sure. So will find Varian, rescue his dad, and then we'll all be together. Everyone will be safe and we'll all live happily ever after!"

She flashed him her usual cheerful smile, but it quickly faded as she noted Hiro's mournful eyes.

"C-cause after all, no one deserves to lose as much as we have." She uttered as if trying to convince herself more than anything. "Surely the universe isn't that cruel."

Both teens sat in silence for several minutes as Baymax continued his bioscan of the city.

"There's an incoming call coming from Gogo." The robot announced.

"Yeah, put her on speaker." Hiro said.

"Hey," the other girl's voice rang out, "Carl and Globby found a lead."

"Where?"

"Down by the docks. Meet us at Ryōshi Warf."

"Okay. We're on our way."

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"So, how's things going?" Yama bellowed as he slammed the door to the lab open.

Varian visibly jumped at the intrusion but quickly gathered his wits about him. 'Never let your captor know how scared you really are of them', was a lesson Varian had to learn the hard way back in prison.

"It's going well." He said eveningly. "In fact I was just about to do a test run. Would you like to watch?"

Yama cocked a grin. This was going better than he had planned. He had originally expected the inventing process to take at least a few days, and probably would have required some more 'persuasion' tactics to go with it. But nope, the kid had finished in record time and was being very cooperative. The boss would be very pleased if Yama could show up tomorrow with a working portal. You know, after, he 'test ran' it on a few banks first.

"Alright, lets see it kid. Whatcha got?"

Varian picked up a remote control off the table and scooped up the magnetic balls that had belonged Sirque. The whole set up was similar to his first go at a portable portal, back when he and his friends had faced off with the acrobatic thief. However, this time he had built a computer interface into the remote instead of the more simple dial he had originally used. He had also programmed ways to gauge the velocity and temperature of the portal to keep it from overheating like last time.

"Okay, pick a place." He told the mob boss. "Though it needs to be within city limits since this is a short range test."

Yama rolled his shoulders and pursed his lips in thought. "Hmm… try the abandoned fisherman's warehouse on Canary street. I was thinking of making that a new bot fighting arena. We could check it out real quick."

Varian tried to slow his racing heart as he entered the coordinates. He had only one shot at this.

He then threw the magnets into the air and flipped a switch on the remote. The balls began to spin in the air as they linked up and a portal began to form.

It came out right next to the warehouse.

"Haha! Good work kid!" Yama laughed as he good naturedly slapped Varian across the back. He nearly stumbled from the force, but righted himself quickly as Yama walked through the portal.

The mobster then turned around towards him and beamed. "Now we gotta hit up some banks! Can you make a portal inside a safe or better yet, inside a jewelry store?"

"Sure thing." Varian lied as he went and flipped the switch off on the remote. The portal promptly closed, leaving Yama stranded on the docks.

The ninjas immediately started to close in on Varian.

"Woah, woah, no need to get angry. It was just an accident. Look, the coordinates are still set. All I have to do is turn the portal on again and he can come back. See?"

Varian held up the remote so that his jailors could read the screen for themselves. They paused in their tracks, though one still loomed threateningly over him. He gulped as he flipped the switch once more.

The magnets floated back up into the air of their own accord and then proceeded to spin again. However this time the portal opened up over on the opposite side of the warehouse, back behind the street.

Varian steeled himself as he made a fist.

"This biggest, ugliest, bully you can think of."

He recalled Carl's advice as he swung with all his might and punched the ninja nearest to him in the jaw.

There was a sickening, unnatural crunching sound that Varian didn't want to think too hard about as he jumped through the portal.

Once through he quickly switched the remote off.

He turned around, and to his horror he saw the other ninja following after him through the rapidly shrinking portal. Varian tried to call out a warning to him, but it was too late. The portal closed, cutting off the ninja's right arm. But it wasn't blood that spilled from the wound. Instead electricity sparked from severed wires as the relentless robot stalked towards Varian.

"Oh no."

----------------------

"I have found Varian." Baymax calmly stated.

The robot had never ceased running his bioscanners throughout the day. While his humans discussed strategy, he had kept a lookout on the edge of the pier as he scanned the boardwalk and docks.

"Wait. Really?" Hiro hopefully asked.

"Way to go Baymax! Alright!" Fred cheered and offered the droid a customary high five.

"Where is he?" Gogo asked.

"Over there, at the abandoned warehouse." He dutifully replied.

----------------------

They found Yama outside talking on his cellphone as they approached the fishing warehouse.

"Listen up! I need you bozos to bring a car around and pick me up. I'm at the doc-"

"You're not going anywhere!" Wasabi said as the heroes surrounded the villain.

Honey Lemon threw some of her chimballs at him and a purple substance encased Yama's feet pinning him in place.

"Where's Varian?" Gogo asked, but before the mobster could answer Baymax chimed in.

"Varian is that way." He pointed towards the warehouse once more.

Yama looked confused. "I left the kid at the hideout. He shouldn't be here."

"Wasabi, Fred, stay with Yama and keep a lookout." Hiro said. "See if you can get any more information out of him while you're at it. Gogo and Honey Lemon, check the building. I'm going to fly up with Baymax and see if we can pinpoint Varian's location better."

----------------------

Varian ran, but his pursuer was close behind. He knew he couldn't out run the robot, but there was little else to do. He dodged a shuriken as it whizzed through the air and dove down the nearest alley.

Dead end.

He turned to face his attacker; casting his eyes about desperately looking for anything to defend himself with. He found nothing.

The faceless android strode forward without remorse and Varian did the only thing he could. He threw up his fists, planted his feet, and took up the defensive position Carl had taught him.

The robot threw its last shuriken and Varian ducked to miss it. He then quickly stood back up just in time to block a blow from the deadly droid.

It hurt, but not as much as a busted nose would have. He then blocked a second punch, and then a third.

The ninja fell back and decided to give a roundhouse kick instead. Varian flopped down to avoid it and the robot's foot lodged itself into the brick wall.

Varian took this as an opportunity to kick back from where he sat on the ground. It wasn't nearly as graceful nor as strong as his opponent's had been but it managed to knock the android off balance anyway.

That was when Baymax and Hiro arrived.

Varian nearly cried with relief as the larger robot shot out his rocket punch and sent the fake ninja slamming into the wall before it shortcurited and crumbled up into a heap.

Hiro tore off his helmet. "Are you alright?"

"I think-" before he could finish the younger teen grabbed into a tight hug. "...so."

Varian stared down at the other boy, waiting for him to let go, but he didn't relinquish his grip. That's when Varian noticed that Hiro was crying.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay. Honest." Varian awkwardly said as he tried his best to comfort the other kid.

Hiro sniffled and tried to compose himself before letting go. "Baymax, do a scan." He ordered.

"You appeared to have suffered no major injuries. However traumatic events can cause psychological stress. I recommend talking with your ther-"

"It's okay Baymax." Varian interrupted. "I'm fine. Thank you, though."

"Then I am also glad that you are alright." The robotic nurse opened his arms wide and gave Varian a hug as well. "There, there." It said as it patted his head and Varian had to stifle a laugh.

"We better meet up with the others." Hiro said.

----------------------

There were more hugs waiting for Varian when they rejoined the rest of the gang on the docks. Honey Lemon in particular just about squeezed all the air out of his lungs.

"So let me get this straight?" Fred asked, "You got to fight off a robot ninja!?"

"Two of them."

"Awe, I am so jelly!"

"So what do we do about Yama here?" Wasabi asked.

Hiro walked up to the mob boss and started to interrogate him "Who's this Bosu?"

"I'm not squealing." Yama said. "I know my rights, and you armored droks ain't cops."

"Well okay then," Gogo taunted. "I guess we'll just call the cobs and leave you to them."

Yama made a displeased face but still said no more.

"We'll drop you off at the police station, Varian." Hiro said. "You can tell Cruz about El Fuego's innocence and he'll take you home. Gogo phone ahead and let the police know where Yama is. You and Wasabi can stay behind and guard him till they arrive."

"Got it."

"Honey Lemon, will you let Carl and Globby know what's going on. Tell them they can call off the search."

She hummed her acknowledgement.

"What about me?" Fred asked.

"You wanna take Minimax and do tonight's patrol?" Hiro asked.

"On it." He saluted.

And with that Hiro and Varian hopped on Baymax's back and flew away.

----------------------

Aunt Cass was waiting for Varian when he and Chief Cruz pulled up. He barely made it through the door of the cafe before she flung herself at him and asked him a million and one questions.

Where had he been? What happened? Was he hurt? Was he hungry? Did they need to call the doctor? And so on and so on…

Varian answered them as best he could, conveniently leaving out Hiro's involvement.

"Well looks like my job here is done." Cruz said as he took his leave.

"Thank you Diego. I don't know what we would do without you." Aunt Cass said.

"Naw, don't mention it. I'm just doing my duty, besides Varian's quick thinking is what got him out of that mess. It's a good thing you're talking self defense classes at the gym. I always recommend young people should know self defense of some kind."

They then exchanged goodbyes and Cruz left.

"And you didn't want me to learn boxing." Varian teased.

However Aunt Cass only looked at him with tearful eyes.

"What is it?"

She sighed. "How does one boy find himself in so much trouble so often?"

Varian felt his cheeks flush and he lowered his eyes. He waited on another lecture, but it never came.

"I know, it's not your fault." She said as she lifted his face. "It's just…so… so… bizzare. You escape one death trap only to fall right into another." She blinked in bafflement. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"Noooo, no, of course not. It's not your fault either that Yama's a jerk."

"But I'm supposed to protect you." She insisted and then pressed her forehead against his.

"And you're doing great at it." Varian said as he pulled away to look her in the eye.

"You could say that again." Hiro proclaimed as he came down stairs to join them.

Aunt Cass gave them both a grateful smile before scooping them into a family group hug.

----------------------

"List Newton's Three Laws of Motion." Honey Lemon read off the study sheet in her hand.

"Every object in a state of uniform motion will remain in that state of motion unless an external force acts on it.

Force equals mass times acceleration.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Varian rattled off.

He had only heard of Isaac Newton upon coming to this world, but the famed alchemist's theories and equations weren't too far off from Varian's on calculations. Turns out that he only predated the physicist by about ten years.

"Annd that's it. We're done with the practice test." Honey Lemon said.

"Woot!" Varian cheered and threw his arms up in the air. "How did I do?"

"You got every question right, except for Einstein's birthday."

Varian curled his lip in irritation. "It's a physics exam, not a history test."

This only sent Honey Lemon into a fit of giggles. It was good to hear her laughing again. He hadn't seen her smile since the wrestling match two days ago, but she had cheered up considerably since then and now they were back in her apartment resuming their studies.

"Do you wanna break for lunch?" He asked.

"Sure."

----------------------

They found their friends all at Joe's Diner. Including, Carl, Globby, and El Fuego.

"Ah if it isn't my fans!" The wrestler called out.

Varian stiffened and gave Honey Lemon a side glance. But the other girl just continued to smile, and was a genuine smile at that.

"Hi." She sang as she walked over to join everyone and Varian allowed himself to relax.

"Globby here was just telling us about his newest passion project." Wasabi explained as they sat down.

"I call it the S.R.S." Globby excitedly went on. "The Supervillain Reform School! It'll be a support group for former villains and convicts trying to get back up on their feet and reenter society. What do ya think?"

"I think it's a great idea." Hiro chimed in.

"Yeah and if you need any help let us know." Honey Lemon added.

"And I'll be the first graduate, hey amigo." El Fuego laughed as he playfully nudged Globby in his non-existent ribs.

"Oooh I smell a former super villain turned heroes team up in the air!" Fred said as he practically vibrated with excitement.

Carl chuckled, "Well I don't know about that, but it'll be a great way to give back to the community and help out some of the younger folks who keep getting dragged into the constant turf wars around here. Hopefully give them some opportunities besides taking dirty deals from Yama and whatever new crime lord pops up each month."

"That's really cool of you guys." Gogo said.

Varian agreed, in fact the whole idea intrigued him immensely. "Do ya need any extra members? You know just to get the ball rolling."

"Sure!" Globby exclaimed. "The more the merrier! You can help Carl out with the youth outreach!"

"Glad to have ya on bored buddy." Carl said as he gave a Varian a fist bump.

"Well then I propose a toast to the new S.R.S.!" Honey Lemon cheered as she raised her milkshake up and everyone followed suit.

----------------------

An ancient hand drummed it fingers upon the mahogany desk in irritation.

Of course that idiot Yama got himself captured.

Time for a new plan.

----------------------

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#of rocks and robots #Hiro Hamada #varian #bh6 #tangled

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boyneriver-fraser · 5 years

Photo

Ho! The house! 🗣

When I grow up, I want a personalized guided tour of the Big House on Fraser’s Ridge

The moment the last tenant hangs up his tool belt, I want to walk back and forth through that breezeway. Peek into every cupboard. Climb every stair. Rootle through every cubbyhole. Jump on every bed. There is so much to see, and touch, and smell… and I want to DO IT ALL!

Thoughts & Observations: S5E3 Free Will

Marsali is already proving to be the perfect apprentice. She’s motivated, inquisitive, intelligent, detail-oriented, logical, and curious about all sorts of new-fangled ideas and things there in Boston. Just wait till she tastes those cream pies.

Claire’s voiceover almost needs a Dun Dun Dun… soundtrack. Let’s hope she dares history with caution, and the copy of Dr. Rawlings’ Recommendations Fergus delivers to the printer doesn’t include scrawls and doodles of anything too new-fangled.

Really like the Jamie Payne (director) – Luke Schelhass (writer) combo! 😃

No doubt many people echoed Jamie’s Deo gratius when they realized we were being treated to a JamieClaire-centric episode. It worked well for me, but so did Between Two Fires. I find each of Jamie and Claire compelling on their own, pursing their individual interests and causes. I also like seeing their relationships with other characters. Call me kooky.

Callback #1: This one takes place in a kind of Upside Down. Remember S4E5 Savages, when Jamie returned to the Ridge from Woolam’s Creek, happy after discovering #MurtaghSaved? A shotgun-armed Claire was unable to sleep after the tragedies of Petronella’s and her baby’s measle deaths and Adawehi’s murder.

In Free Will, Jamie returns to the Ridge from Hillsborough, stunned by the Regulators’ tarring and feathering and by Lieutenant Knox’s murdering Ethan MacKinnon, and anxious about needing to form a militia. Despite missing Jamie while he’s away, Claire’s work on the Ridge and interaction with her children and grandchildren satisfies her and allows her to sleep soundly.

Fergus takes a mean shorthand! 🖌

We hear the first of many “Roger Mac(s)” to come.

“We’ll be taking yer whisky with us to share with the men. The finest I’ve tasted since leaving Scotland.” Fergus Claudel Fraser: Official Distiller of Fraser’s Ridge (I love this adaptation! I don’t think I mentioned in my The Fiery Cross episode review how much I loved Jamie’s calling Fergus to stand by his hand. Fergus, like Young Ian, is a man of worth.)

⚠️ Murtz Alert ⚠️ Oops… False alarm… 🙁 Fraser’s Ridge workforce includes a lot of silver-haired, ponytail-wearing tenants. 🤷🏻‍♀️

“Mr. Trouble” 😂 Too bad wee Robin Scott, who plays Germain, would be too young to attend most of the cast’s social outings. He would be the life of the party. 🎉

Does Marsali need Brianna’s help with reading because medical books are advanced academics and Brianna holds a degree from M.I.T, or because Laoghaire dropped the ball and didn’t educate her daughters? It’s safe to say Laoghaire didn’t encourage them to read anything that sat on a witch’s bookshelf.

Callback #2: The JamieClaire-on-horseback-led convoy’s leaving Fraser’s Ridge took me back to S2E8 The Fox’s Lair and E9 Je Suis Prest. Did you notice the pecking order? 1: Colonel & Physician. 2: Captain. 3: Official Distiller. Priorities are important, during times of peace and of war.

So… Stephen Bonnet’s free from incarceration, and recently sighted in Wilmington? How far is Wilmington from Fraser’s Ridge? Does it matter almost every fit and young man, almost every weapon, and the only doctor are on the road to Brownsville, while Bonnet’s purported child and the child’s mother are back with the not-so-fit-nor-young-nor-armed men on Fraser’s Ridge? I suppose it doesn’t, since the mother herself knows Bonnet could be consulting a map and stealing a horse as we speak. I somehow doubt her husband and named father of her child would agree… if he only knew.

Callback #3: Colonel Jamie tells Captain Roger there’s no time to train the militia, so he’ll teach them to fight like Highlanders, to gather and scatter on his command. Can you say Dougal MacKenzie in S2E9 Je Suis Prest? Sure. I knew you could.

Thank goodness for Closed Captioning. Growing up immersed in Scots (language, accents, people), I rarely “huh?” during Outlander, but I have no ear for Welsh, and John Quincy Myers keeps my clicking that CC button. And his lines are so worth understanding! 😂

Callback #4: The fireside banter and guy-talk, with Claire’s being the only participant without a Y chromosome, takes me back to S1E5 Rent. Good times.

We’re slowly adding to the books’ Fraser’s Ridge roster. We already know Isaiah Morton and Ronnie Sinclair. Around the fire we meet brothers Evan and Kenny Lindsay, and Geordie Chisholm. Isaiah Morton on his way to Brownsville? What could go wrong?

Speaking of books, so much of Fireside Chat reminded me of The Fiery Cross, right down to Jamie’s not needing to worry whether his feet or his hair might burn in order to sleep “warm.” Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. Say no more.

I am very impressed with Paul Gorman’s playing the Beardsley twins, and duly impressed with his characters’ appearing onscreen at the same time. Well done! BUT… the BEST part of the entire Twins Story introduction was the explanation for Keziah’s missing britches. 😻

You’re lucky, Lizzie Wemyss, I’m completely committed to Murtz, because any man who would forgo his pants to keep kittens warm is my kind of man. ❤️

I wonder if Father Fogden ever missed his mirror?

I couldn’t begin to imagine those young men’s lives. Orphaned at two, with four sisters dead at sea. Sold on a 30-year term, starved, beaten, deafened… and made to sleep in a barn that is too cold for goats.

Josiah isn’t going to avoid Claire’s scary looking medical tools for long if he keeps drawing attention to his sore throat. Owie!

More book people, People: Joan, Hugh, and Iain Òg Findlay. In The Fiery Cross Roger also meets with Iain Mòr, Joan’s brother and head of the family.

Two years, three months, and five days…

It’s probably the meds, but when Fanny Beardsley slams the door in Jamie’s face, I imagined her turning to the goats and saying, “I told ‘im we got already got one.”

I’m thankful my TV’s Smell-o-Vision™ is out of order. Brianna, oh she who could not tolerate an autopsied torso, is thankful she skipped this road trip all together.

The direction, lighting, special effects, makeup, and prosthetics are excellent in this part of the episode and Mr. McCreary has outdone himself with the soundtrack. Truly a House of Horrors, Chez Beardsley.

“None of us could give him a baby.” Um, I hate to break it to you, Aaron, but I suspect it’s your problem, not any of your five wives’.

Brit Bronwyn James gives Baltimore Fanny a decent generic American accent.

Poor Jamie! He knows the pain of sending Claire back through the stones. Contemplating sending his beloved daughter and grandson, and tolerated son-in-law, is too much. 😖

Poor Fanny! To live as she has for two years, three months, and five days with that “wretch,” and awaken to see Jamie and Claire’s spooning, peacefully sleeping in her living room. I’d sneak off in the dead of night, too.

My grand-père went to Hillsborough and all I got was a wagon full of goats. 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐

“I’ll do what must be done.” No foreshadowing, thank you very much. James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser has suffered enough.

__________

March 2, 2020

Photo: Starz, Screenshots: @boyneriver-fraser Jon Gary Steele Twitter, W Network/Global TV app, Gifs: @abreathofsnowandwaffles (1 & 2), @jemscorner (3), @avasetocallmyown (4), @grantcary (5), @mistress-gif (6 & 7)

#Outlander #Personal #Review #The Fiery Cross #S5E3 Free Will #Claire Fraser #Jamie Fraser #Roger MacKenzie #Fergus Claudel Fraser #Geordie Chisholm #Adso #Mama ComfyPants & The Kittens #193 #030220

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kpopisthereasonihavenolife · 5 years

Text

Taboo Attachment

BTS

Park Jimin/Reader [F]

Genre: Demon AU, Arranged Marriage?, Copious amounts of fluff, Logically impossible tween stupidity, Incredibly dense adult Y/n, Jungkook’s a bit of an ass oops

Warning(s): Minor violence towards the end

Words: 18k

Summary: Young innocence and an unhealthily stupid-lack of common sense lead to you accidentally summoning a demon on your 13th birthday. Somehow agreeing and forming some contract with the said demon, they disappear and so does your memory of it. 10 years later and finally financially stable enough to start college, you wake up with an ash-grey ring in your right ring finger. Despite your efforts, the ring will absolutely not come off. Now, all of a sudden your demon returns and apparently 13-year-old you got yourself engaged to this demon man.

----

a/n: WOWIE I finally finished this monster LOL. It only took me months of procrastination (and several compliments from Cam lmao). Pls love Demon Jimin, he just wants to get married

----

@angeltothecore @jong-yixing @geekybookworm1993 @hobi-sunshineee @skytime092 @gingerpeachtae

-XXX-

You’ve got to be fucking kidding me?

The demon perched in the shadows of your bathroom as he sat on the top of your glass shower door that was firmly shut. His spiraled horns breaching his skull as they pointed towards the heavens they will never belong. His black hair hovered over his crimson-dulled eyes as his fangs remained hidden behind his frown. His skin was grey and a thin, barbed ended tail sung and tapping your shower door ever so lightly that you didn’t even take notice. His skin darkened to a pitch, coal-black at his elbows to his hands and from his knees to his feet. Wearing only a cloak tied around his waist that hung loosely off his shoulders, he almost growled.

Why had he suddenly been summoned to a little fucking girl’s bathroom that was pitch black dark and covered in scented candles that made his nose burn? His claws black hand covered his nose and mouth, the scent of ‘Autumn Leaves’ absolutely nauseating. His single ash-grey ring was oddly warm against his skin.

Your scent was young, as your body was fragile and tiny. No older than 13 he guessed. It had been a while since he had seen a human, much less a human child. Wearing a tacky nightgown in the ugliest shade of yellow he had ever seen and socks up to your knee that hid under the length of your gown. Your hair was a mess like you just rolled out of bed. It was just barely brushing your shoulders with its short length.

You held what looked like a well worn down container of lipstick that you had used to scribble on the mirror in front of you. A lame excuse of a spell circle he saw in the uneven shapes and symbols. Lighting your candles on either side of the sink and even on the toilet tower. Was this some stupid prank? Were you a demon in disguise here to just jerk him around with your stupid little half-ass summoning?

You dropped the lipstick into the sink’s bowl as you squeaked and covered your mouth, quickly looking at the closed bathroom door. The demon’s head followed and watched as nothing happened. His barbed tail whipped as you let out a sigh of relief. You trotted to the door, locking it and flinching with the lock clicked almost too loud. Like it would wake up your parents.

The demon sat perched cupped his cheek in one of his hands, the other still cutting the smell of the candles off from his nose. He almost chuckled. Performing a summoning in secret at balls-ass o’clock behind mommy and daddy’s backs and your just now locking the door? God, children were so stupid.

The demon almost spoke up, but he remained silent. Obviously, you didn’t know you had already rudely awoken him from his slumber and dragged him here in his sleeping robe. You were completely clueless to the horned and fanged beast right under your nose- rather right above your puny little head.

When you left your sink cabinet, the demon peered some other objects in the sink’s bowl. There was a silver bowl, looking cheap and used like it came right out of your mother’s baking cabinet (it did). Inside the bowl was all sorts of objects that different demon’s could possibly fancy.

A cheapy made and obviously fake stone knife with hardly any edge or point on it. A salt shaker filled with salt with the holed top taped up so none would escape its glass spice prison. A doll that looked like a 45-year-old bling hag and sewed it together for someone she hated. It was too much like a cheap version of a voodoo doll, but hell if you knew that when you decided to add it to your treasure bowl.

The demon also noticed a piece of printer paper taped onto the sink’s countertop. Squinting his red eyes to get a better look at the words so far from him, he read your language of course as well as what he could assume was Latin. He’s heard it enough as he silently ran the words through his head.

He sat straighter on top of your shower door as he shrugged. Well, he had to give you some credit for trying. Of course, the summoning did work, he wasn’t something he really needed to stick around for. This demon- he- was a demon used in trade summoning. Summoning that only need to take place when the summoner will exchange something with the demon in return. Naturally, it wouldn’t be a true demon bargain unless there were a few rules the summoner would be forced to obey.

For example, the list of names he had stolen the souls of and dragged them down with him into hell was still growing. He had a pretty hefty track record of always giving his client what they wanted, as well as always securing their soul in life and of course in death. He’s done trades of service and of objects, he wasn’t picky. Work and work and with how long he’s been at it, it was all very dull.

Perhaps that’s why he stuck around watching this clueless, stupid teenager barely at puberty floundering around at 3 AM. You were something quite unique to the demon’s interest.

He watched you cup your chin as you scanned the paper that held the spell you chanted to get him here. He wondered if you even knew what kind of demon you were summoning or if you were just doing this blind for God-knows-what reason.

Human’s get more interesting with each stupid generation, he thought to himself as he let out another swish of his tail. Perhaps he should introduce himself he thought as he grinned to himself. His fangs showing as he swung his tail to hit the glass of your shower door, finally getting your attention as you turned around and made eye contact with your demon.

-XXX-

It was your 13th birthday as you woke up to the dreary cloudy sky outside. You sat in your bed, yawning and looking outside in a daze. You had to go to school today and you wished your parents would let you stay home since it was your birthday. It’s not like you had anyone to spend it with other than your parents.

You were only 13. The effects of puberty and social norms hitting you like a nuclear bomb. If you weren’t dressed in what was popular, you didn’t leave your house. You bought all the ‘very in’ school bags and pencils and books. You read on all the stupid gossip about celebrities and feigned a ‘starstruck’ crush on some over the top male teen idol.

Only 13 and you were desperate to have some sort of connection with someone. You hadn’t had many friends when you were younger. Too much of a tomboy and when you were in the 4th grade, someone accused you of feeding the class pet- a hamster- something bad that made it very sick and it eventually died. You knew it wasn’t you, but no one listened and the teacher scolded you. Everyone avoided you after that.

Of course, your mother and father were very generous people and treated you well, but when they worked all the time it wasn’t the same as what a friend would be. Their companionship was appreciated, but not what you craved.

Life was tough to a 13-year-old middle schooler. You just huffed as you flopped back on your bed, wanting to go back to bed when your mother knocked on your door, telling you to get up and get ready.

She always took you to school when she left for work in the morning. Though, you had to walk home. You didn’t have the guts to ride the bus. It was too cramped and putting yourself in a tiny space where everyone was forced to ignore you or snicker behind the stupid, uncomfortable leather seats wasn’t worth the hassle.

At least no one knew it was your birthday and you could go through the day normally. You pulled on your jacket, some t-shirt with a bigshot band and your jeans as you slipped on your shoes and grabbed your bag with all your completed homework inside.

Going downstairs, saying hello and receiving a warm happy birthday message from your parents, you loaded into your mother’s car and soon was staring at the neighborhood zoomed passed your eyes out the window. You watched people walk in groups or lots of kids waiting for their bus. Jealous, you closed your eyes and just wished the day would end.

It was in your history class that your teacher, instead of actually teaching today, turned on some random movie about a person who summoned a demon. The protagonist and this demon go on some sort of trip to achieve some goal, but you zoned it out as the solution to your solitude was right in front of you.

If you couldn’t make friends, you could just summon one! The rest of the day was filled with you sneaking your phone out in class and researching all sorts of demon summonings. You were confused by everything you read. Some articles didn’t take themselves seriously, others took themselves very seriously and some just contradicted what you read on a different site.

You came home in a rush and went to your room to read up more, even renting a book about demons from your school’s library. You were desperate and impatient, so you would cram as much knowledge in your brain as you could. You would be performing this summoning tonight, be it hell or high water.

Going to bed early and telling your parents' goodnight, you fell asleep before groggily waking up at the alarm you set for 2:45 AM. Trudging around your room, you grabbed the paper spell you printed before you tiptoed around your dark and quiet house. Loading up a bowl with all sorts of things you read about before going to your bathroom and shutting the door. The nightlight plugged into the wall was flicked off by you as you lit your candles and then began.

You panicked as you dropped your mother’s lipstick into the sick and ran to the door to lock it after making sure it was still absolutely silent in your house. Your bathroom was quite away from your parent’s room, so it wasn’t logical they’d hear you anyways.

You sighed as you walked to reread your paper. Maybe you chanted the spell wrong? You obviously weren’t very well versed in Latin. You were ready to maybe give it another go or give up when you nearly screamed at the bang behind you. Something hit your shower door and you whipped around.

Nothing was behind the glass, but when you looked up, you locked eyes with someone. No, something? It wasn’t human by any stretch. They hid well in the darkness, almost unseeable, but their glowing red eyes blinking made solid proof they were in fact there.

You heard whatever it was chuckle lightly before they jumped off your shower door and back into the shower itself. You saw their blurry silhouette stand behind the glass door. They were tall and you could see the outline of their horns stretching above their head. A vague shadow of something whipping around behind them was also visible in the dark room that your eyes had grown accustomed to.

You swallowed a lump in your throat as you stepped forward cautiously and grabbed the small handle of your magnetic shower door and lightly pulled it open. A small click of the magnetic detaching and the whine of the door as you slowly opened it. Revealing the grey-skinned demon in front of your large, teenage eyes.

You actually did it. You legitimately summoned a demon. Like, a real one? He looked authentic enough at least. Not some trick of the mind or some dream your desperate wants threw together in your head. No, he had to be real. He was almost terrifyingly so.

“Good evening,” he slurred to you. His voice was low and almost felt like it slithered like a snake. Smooth and unwavering like a single tone. “It’s not every night I get little one’s summoning me,” he coaxed. A shiver ran up your spine at his voice again.

You could hear your heartbeat in your ears as you held your hands together in front of your chest. The reality of the entire situation not sinking in. You had a demon you summoned in your bathroom at 3 AM after your birthday.

The demon chuckled as he folded his hands behind his back, putting on the most innocent smile he could muster. Children were so fragile. He couldn’t have you go and faint with his overwhelming presence and with how hard he could hear your heart beating, it could very well happen.

“What is your name dear?” He sang to you. You gulped. You remembered reading that if a demon asks your name, you must insist they tell you their first. You opened your mouth to ask him his in proper demon etiquette, but your throat was too dry. Swallowing and opening and closing your mouth as a way to make sure your lips still worked, you tried again.

“What’s-” you fumbled but regained your voice with a clearing of your throat. “What’s your name?” You mimicked his question back to him. He just smiled.

“So,” he began, obviously not going to tell you his name so easily, “you know the bare minimum of demon introduction at the very least. I’m impressed a little sprout like you can even handle summoning a demon with my power.” If he wasn’t a demon that looked like he could rip out your kidney and eat it like some creepypasta character, you would get mad at him for repeatedly calling you little.

He cocked his head at you, remaining his charade of innocence as you remained silent. Why was it always the children who remained so shell shocked at something they were expecting to happen? Sure, adults were too, but they were at least capable of screaming or throwing a fit or something. Children just stop functioning.

“Dear?” He tried again. You just shook your head.

“You first,” you were stubborn at least. He tutted his brow up as he unclasped his hands behind his back and placed them on his hips. His unearthly long claws catching your eye and making you swallow. With those, he really could rip out your kidney if he wanted to.

Tapping those dangerous fingers on his lips that seemed to be stuck in a permanent smirk, he finally put his hand back down. Letting it hang past his slim waist and playfully drumming his fingers against his thigh.

“Which name would you prefer, little one?” His voice teased. He has pulled you along with a game of guesses, not willing to answer you easily. He did have many names to be fair. From slurs of his world to nicknames, to his demon name and his original name before his demonic ways came to fruition. The demon moved to saunter far too graciously to your sink, placing his rear on the top of the counter and crossing his legs. “Did you not know my name despite you summoning me? That’s far too clumsy- for a child to make mistakes like that.”

He moved one hand, a clawed finger pointed at your heart. “Any other demon met with such an incompetent summoner would tear out your heart as payment.” He watched you visibly gulp again. Your hair stood up on end on your arm as your back held the best straight posture of your young life.

You shook your head. “I just wanted-” you cut yourself off. The demon arched a dark brow at you as he brought his hand back to rest lazily over his lap. Your voice turned shaky, fluttering with uncertainty and a sense of what he could almost call desperation. As if you were trying to plead with him to sympathize with you.

Demons could not feel sympathy. If they did, it would be a weakness and the first step to an attachment. That was the last thing any demon wanted. To become attached to anyone or anything.

“You just wanted what, child?” The demon’s voice changed. Altering just a bit. An undertone like a second voice layering over his original velvet voice. Like static or a low buzzing hum in the background.

You looked down at your feet covered in socks on your tiled bathroom floor. “I just wanted someone to talk to,” you pathetically whispered.

Your sporadic new-teenage hormones made you tear up. You sniffled as the demon lifted his hand from his lap and used it to push back his hair, making some of it stand up every which way. You sniffled again as you held your burning tears. The demon only looked at you confused.

This human child wanted someone to talk to so she summoned a demon? He thought to himself. You were the embodiment of a pathetic and lonely child. “Just go find some other rugrats to scuffle with. Don’t drag us demons into it,” his layered voice told you.

“No one likes me though,” you told him back. “Everyone thinks I’m mean and I try really hard to fit in, but- they just make fun of me.” The demon held a scoff back from escaping him. So, you really were a child. Trying to twist who you are to benefit those around you just for a chance of some sort of connection to another.

“Is your wish then to have a companion? Someone who will stay at your side and never waver? To fill that lonely void?” The demon pointed to your heart once more. Your heart that desired- craved- a connection. You found yourself nodding in agreement. A smile wormed its way onto the demon’s face. “Little one, I am a demon of trades. Do you know what that means?” You shook your head no. “It means, I’ll give you anything you ask of me, but I must get something back from you in return.”

You grew nervous. What could a demon want from you? Rather, what could you possibly even give demon? You were 13 for Christ's sake (hah)! The demon stared at you and felt something ripple in his chest. He smirked. He held his hand out, opening his palm from the finger he pointed and flipped it so his palm faced upward towards the ceiling and the shut-off bathroom light.

“I’ll give you what you want,” he started- gaining your attention. “What I ask in return is simple.” You opened your mouth but shut it again. You just shook your head.

“But, I still don’t know your name,” you whispered with a small scruff sound to your voice.

The demon chuckled again. If what he felt was indeed what he thought and if he were to follow through with this deal, then this deal would be his last. He’s had his fun with his world and he was bored anyway.

“My name- to you only, little one- is Jimin.” His name resonated with you in some way. You said it, testing it and he felt a jolt in his chest, making him laugh. You looked at him with a confused, almost judgemental, stare. “Don’t give me that look,” he jokingly said.

“What was it you wanted from me, Jimin? You never told me.”

Jimin held up two of his fingers. “I must first know your name back, don’t you think that’s fair?” He smiled, his black lips curling almost innocently.

“Oh, um. Y/n, it’s Y/n.” You gave it to him easily now. He nodded. The name was suited to fit you. Jimin’s hand was still outstretched to you. “What’s the second thing then?”

“Your hand,” he answered simply. “I desire your hand.” You easily gave it. Placing your puny hand in his black, clawed palm. His fingers curled around your hand easily engulfing it. “I am centuries old, but even I have rules. You’re far too young yet.” He brought your hand up to his lips, kissing the back of it as a symbol of him flashed over your skin before it faded. The mark was now gone and he smiled, knowing the spell was still there. “Our deal is complete, though it will take a long time for it to be carried out. You’ll have to be a strong girl until then.”

He gently dropped your hand and stood up from the sink and bent down to your eye level. His dark red eyes looked into your wide, childish ones. He could only imagine how they could mature and grow over time in your life. He chuckled as he smiled at you.

“Your soul now officially belongs to me. Don’t forget that, little Y/n.”

You bolted away in bed the next morning when your alarm went off. 6:30 AM and supposed to be getting ready for school. Had it all been a dream? You flung your covers off, kicking your legs free and ran to the bathroom. It was empty and clean of any demon summoning evidence.

No smeared lipstick on the mirror. No scented candles or your bowl of items in the sink. No evidence of you ever meeting the demon named Jimin. You held and looked at the hand he took and kissed as you went back to your room. Flopping ungracefully on your bed.

“It was only a dream,” you told yourself dejectedly. And, like a dream, you gradually forgot all about Jimin. Never aware of the swishing barbed tail and a pair of red eyes checking on you from time to time. Not noticing even every year on your birthday when those eyes glowed the brightest.

-XXX-

“Yeah, I know mom. Yes- I know. I’m 23 now, I think I can survive if you're not here on my birthday. Stay home with day and relax for once. Listen, I just got to work, I’ve gotta go. Yeah, I love you too. Bye, mom.” You cut the call that was playing through the speakers of your car as your music automatically resumed playing once the call disconnected.

You could really blame your mother for fretting over your birthday. She’d seen 22 of them and on number 23 she wouldn’t be there. You had moved out after slaving away at 3 jobs to get enough money to get an apartment and finally start college. Stable enough to get on your feet was all you really wanted to be at this point. And to take the burden of all your problems off your parents. They needed their own time at such an age.

Your miserable days in middle school remained and that negative strength lasted all the way into and even through your high school career. You still felt bitter, but you didn’t let it bother you anymore. You engrossed yourself in books and studying, ignoring those around you who tried to get under your skin. The only reason you turned down a scholarship offered to you was so you could stay at home a few years before taking another step forward.

Always better to practice the art of adulthood with more experienced adults at your left and right. Besides, going into college immediately after high school was something forced on young people by society. It wasn't the be-all, end-all. Waiting wouldn’t hurt you or anyone else for that matter.

Pulling into your parking space and hopping out of your car, you waltzing into your workplace. Greeted by the manager of the local coffee shop where you barista at along with her and her son, Seokjin. He wasn’t much of a coffee maker, but he kills it with his job with all the pastries. He was 4 years older than you and in his last year of college. Aiming for a simple bachelor's degree, he just wanted to get a better paying job to support himself and his mother. He and his mom live together and she’s told you before that she will never chase him out.

Seokjin’s father passed away years ago, and he felt so guilty anytime he had to leave for a long time. He knew his mother wasn’t alone per se, but he did love her. So, he spent his free time in the shop or at home with her. He’s even taken her on some ‘dates’ where he just spoils her completely rotten.

The close-knit family of 2 absolutely warmed your heart.

Besides, with a face like Seokjin’s, you never have to worry about business. IN fact, ever since he started working alongside his mother, there hasn’t been a slow easy-going day. A blessing for revenue and paychecks, but a curse for your lack of free time.

There isn’t much different today than usual. A rush in the morning, a slow break between 10 and noon and then the lunch rush hits. After that, it’s all hit and miss on when it will pick up. You were removing your apron and releasing your hair from the too-tight ponytail you created this morning when your manager approached you.

“You’ve started college, yes? How is it?” She was like some aunt of yours as she slotting into your life. Seokjin fitting right in as an annoying cousin role as he walked into the conversation, the counter free of customers until that front counter bell should ring.

“Yup. I started last week. Orientation was a bit boring, and of course, all the syllabi seems a bit unnecessary, but it’s moving along. We actually start classes tomorrow.” You smiled as the three of you talked. Soon, that bell rung before your manager rushed off, taking it before Seokjin could. He stood around, talking to you a bit longer.

“I’m in your college,” he told you with a hand on his head. You knew this already, but he wasn’t someone you expected to really run into. He was quite popular. “Hunt me down if you need anything, you’ve got my number.” He smiled.

“Mr. Popular running to my beck and call, how charming.” He moved his hand from your head as he cupped his chin.

“What can I say, my existence itself is charming.” You playfully rolled your eyes as you hang your apron up on the hook with your hand above it. “Seriously, it can be a bit overwhelming and I am pretty smart. If you have trouble, let me know. I can even tutor you some time if you need it.” He told you as you patted his shoulder and nodded. He worried and you appreciated it.

When you walked into your apartment that night, something felt wrong. You didn’t know what, but it just didn’t seem normal? You looked around and nothing was off and no one was here obviously. Maybe you were just psyching yourself out before classes tomorrow.

You plopped yourself on your couch as you closed your eyes, kicked your head back as you breathed. It was strange as you opened your eyes and looked at your right hand. It felt odd, a tingling sensation floating over and around it. Your finger felt numb as you opened and closed your fist. You just shook your head as you got up and went to take a shower. Maybe that would make you feel better.

You jolted awake with a heavy breath and a couch at nearly 3 AM. You panted as you pushed your bangs back, feeling a small sheen layer of sweat there. You felt like you just had a nightmare, but you couldn’t remember. Your chest was tight as you dropped your hand back to your mattress as you sit sat up.

Something felt tight around your ring finger on your right hand, and with it being too dark, you used your left hand to feel around it. It felt like a ring was strapped onto your finger? The ring was thin, metal and flat. It was warm like you had been wearing it for a long time or someone else had been before you. You knew it wasn’t yours, you didn’t own many rings.

Confused, you tried tugging it off, but it wouldn’t budge. Light panic sat in your chest as you twisted and pulled, trying to get the ring off. It wasn’t as if it would move and your finger was too thick to take it off, no. It just wouldn’t move period. It would twist in place, but it would not move up or down your finger. Like it was bound on or something.

You sighed as your tugging game was put on hold from your growing panic. You decided to forget it and you’d deal with it in the morning. Tugging your blanket up to lay back down and tuck yourself back in, something felt weighed down on your blanket. Tugging again, you stretched your foot and something was sitting at the foot of your bed, weighing your blanket down.

You were scared to move. Slowly grabbing your phone you flipped the flashlight on and looked at the foot of your bed. You screamed as you scurried up your mattress against the headboard, dropping your phone in your haste.

Picking it back up you held it as you sat, knees up against your chest as you pushed yourself against eh headboard the best you could. Sitting as far as you could from that thing at the end of your bed.

“Who are you?!” You screeched as they rolled their eyes. Red eyes, grey skin, black shirt and pants with a tail and horns. Who was this?! He didn’t even look human, but you were trying to convince yourself that some freaky cosplayer broke into your house. You did know that there were a group of some weird-ass people who read some internet interactive novel online from some posts you’ve read on social media. Maybe it was one of them?

There wasn’t a speck of color on the intruder. Be it skin or clothes. His shirt was buttoned and tucked into his pitch pants and he was shoeless, his black feet tucked under his cross legs. His tail barbed and swaying behind him as he smirked. His fangs were the only white thing on him. Even the ‘whites’ of his eyes were black surrounding his red iris.

“Human memories really are the most unreliable thing in the universe,” he spoke as you screamed again. He covered his ears as he grimaced. He stood on your mattress, his feet pushing into the covers as he walked over to you and bent his knees to squat to your level.

He looked into your eyes and something almost sparked in you. Like a recollection of something you’ve seen before, but can’t place your finger on it. He watched as your eyes searched is own, now quiet as you tried to remember something. He smiled as he saw the confusion in your human eyes.

You moved to look at his tail behind him as you gasped, almost screaming again. He quickly pushed his hand over your mouth, not wanting to hear another scream that pierced his ears. “We’ll talk in the morning, little one,” he smirked as he saw your eyes widen as you took in a shaky breath through your nose.

You shook your head, knowing there was no way you’d be able to sleep with this demon in your home. Your eyes darted around as he rolled his eyes and covered your mouth just for a moment. Just long enough to push his black lips onto your pink ones. You gasped as you closed your eyes, bracing yourself as he was unusually calm.

You felt your strength leaves you bit by bit as you soon relaxed and your tightly scrunched eyes eased up when you passed out. Slumping back, the demon held you and straighten your body out before pulling the covers over you and getting off your bed. Walking around your room and looking at your bags of books and notebooks, going through your style of clothing and all the small amount of jewelry you owned.

He looked over his shoulder before he smiled and joined you on your bed. Laying on the free side of it as he watched your sleep. “You grew up, just like I thought you would,” he whispered.

-XXX-

You stirred as you took a breath through your nose at what you could assume was early in the morning. You were still tired, and half tempted to forget it and go back to sleep. Even keeping your eyes closed, very close to just deciding sleep was worth it.

You had a distinct feeling something happened, or maybe you had some weird-ass dream last night. You felt more tired than you should for sleeping as much as you did. You breathed heavy when you felt a weight on your chest. The mattress around you was pushing down like something was on the mattress beside you.

Cracking open your eyes, you took a moment to process the grey figure looking down at you. Feet perched on either side of your arms, crouching and resting his arms on his bent knees, Jimin stared down at you. You blinked up to him, processing like a slow running computer before you shot up, shoving him in the chest and flinging him onto the floor. You scrambled out of the opposite side of your bed, throwing your covers onto his head to buy you some time as you run for your bedroom door.

You screamed when your blanket hit your back in a giant wad. Knocking you forward, you whipped around. Jimin was stood up, brushing off his arms and glaring at you. He looked so different in the daytime as you could see him clearly instead of standing in the shadows.

“You are the rudest human I’ve ever met. I can’t believe you threw a fucking blanket on me like I’d get stumped like some stupid dog,” he grumbled as he rubbed his head. “You could’ve damaged my neck, brat.” You inched towards your door, still wanting to at least leave your room, Jimin just walked over to you, standing in front of your door.

“I- uh,” you looked at him. Pointing at him then, your bed, before you groaned and started pacing back and forth. Jimin watched your pacing as he sighed and sat down, crossing his legs in front of your door. He pushed his clawed hand into his grey cheek as he looked bored. You suddenly stopped and looked down at him from across the room. “You... You’re not a human?”

Jimin looked at his claws, waving them teasingly waving them around as he then gestured to the spiraled horns on his head. Not to mention the barbed tail swishing around behind him like it had a mind of his own. “I think the skin color could speak for itself, but if you still have doubts, take a look at the fucking bones out of my forehead and devil’s tail.”

You stopped and marched over to him. Dropping to your knees you grabbed his cheeks between your fingers and pulled. Stretching his skin before letting go. You moved to quickly open his eyes wide and looked at his red eyes. You tugged on his hair, flicked his horns and opened his mouth to look at his fangs. He growled in annoyance as you poked and prodded at him. “HEY!” He shouted when you tugged on his tail.

“How are you real?! I thought you were a dream!” You panicked.

“Well, that sounds like a personal problem to me,” he smirked as his tail whipped around in a teasing, almost spunky manner.

“I was 13! What do you even want?” He pointed to your hand, more specifically to the ash grey ring you had completely forgotten about from last night. You looked at it. “This?” You showed it, trying to take it off once again. Groaning and making quite the embarrassing amount of effort to try and remove it.

“It’s not coming off. I charmed it so it’s stuck there unless I remove it,” Jimin told you, closing his eyes as if he just told you the most obvious fact in the world. Like how ladybugs are black and red. “Have you forgotten what our deal was?” He asked.

“I… I wanted a friend back then. So, you told me to give you my-” you stopped and looked at the ring on your finger, “-hand.” Jimin cracked open his eyes as he reached over and grabbed your ringed right hand, holding it close to his mouth.

That same symbol he marked under your skin 10 years ago showing up for a split second, like a pulse and making you gasp. Kissing your hand again, he looked at you. “You should always catch wind of double meanings in any and all demon contracts, sweetheart. Even if you were young, you did agree.”

“You tricked me! I was a kid!” Jimin shrugged.

“It's my job. You should be honored that you were my final assignment.”

“Final- what?”

“Do you know, attachment to clients is a taboo in the demonic society. Any sign of attachment is dealt with immediate termination of the contract. Though, there are some who decide to indulge in the attachment and decide that one job is more important than any other possible future ones.”

You sat in front of him as he still held your hand in his own. Dressed in a black suit with his dull gray skin and completely unnatural- well, everything.

“I formed my final contract 10 years ago at 3 AM to a silly, lonely little girl. You, Y/n, became my attachment. We’re officially engaged, sweetheart.”

-XXX-

“You haven’t been at work for three days because you were too busy getting engaged?!” You covered your ears as you roll your eyes at Seokjin’s initial reaction to your big news. Three days ago, when Jimin showed up in your apartment, you called your manager if there was any way you could possibly get the next few days off. You didn’t want to tell her the situation but promised to when you came back in. She was understanding enough and now, fast forward to now. Seokjin grabbed your shoulders, shaking you around. “How come you didn’t tell me?! I would’ve filmed it or something, you didn’t even tell me you had a boyfriend!”

You shook his hands off your shoulders as you straighten out your sleeves he crumpled up on your shoulders. “Look, what I do in my personal life really doesn’t matter, does it?” You told him as he just crossed his arms and pouted. You chuckled at him as his mother came around the corner, wiping her wet hands on her apron.

“What’s all this fuss about back here?” She questioned with a smile at seeing you and Seokjin back to your antics. It was almost too calm without you here for him to pick on.

“Oh, I was telling Seokjin here about why I had been gone, ma’am,” you told her with a smile. You then thought for a moment, she didn’t actually know yet. “I actually got engaged,” you told her with a nervous laugh and rubbing the back of your head.

In full honesty, after sitting down and talking it all out with the demon who is now your betrothed, even if you didn’t want to get married to him you had no choice. A contract with a demon is eternal binding and you would have to carry out your end of the bargain. As such, just as Jimin promised you all those years ago, you wouldn’t have to worry about every being lonely. So, in turn, you were his now.

He explained everything to you. He told you back when you made that contract, that when he told you he ‘wanted your hand’ he was asking for your hand in marriage. He told you he purposely said it like that so your stupid teenage self wouldn’t actually understand the double meaning. He explained how he watched you grow up and was there on every birthday, but you never saw him.

It actually almost embarrassed you how he had been there the whole time. He even admitted to being the tiniest bit jealous of all the boyfriends and girlfriends you’ve been in a relationship with before. He pouted when he brought up the fact that one past boyfriend was an obvious scumbucket of a man and claimed your ‘taste in human men was severely lacking’. He earned a kick in his shin for that one.

Jimin truly acted like he was attracted to you in all honesty. It’s only been three days, but he was as chivalrous as a proper gentleman. Not something one would expect from such a terrifying demon who literally hides in the corner when it’s too bright in the room at 6 in the morning. He isn’t a fan of morning sunlight, too bright and frankly from his whole appearance, it wasn’t shocking to learn this.

And because of his appearance, you had a little pitch fit before you left for work. Absolutely forbidding him from leaving the apartment because if anyone saw him, they’d probably call the cops or shoot him. Horns, bare feet, grey and black skin, he would stand out like a sore thumb.

Seokjin’s mother gasped as he grabbed your hands, shaking them up and down as she got as giddy as a teenager at the young romance blossoming from your engagement.

“That’s absolutely lovely, sweetpea!” He chuckled as she placed her worn, old hand on her cheek. Her wedding ring from her late husband still in prime condition as she still did love him so much. She was alright staying widowed; and with Seokjin, she didn’t seek another romance in her age because she wasn’t lonely. “I remember when my husband proposed to me. He had this elaborate plan all set up in the park we met at, but it rained right in the middle of it! It was clumsy, but so was he,” you smiled as she fawned over the memories of her youth.

She held your hand and looked at your grey ring place firmly on your finger. “It is quite the unique ring for a proposal,” she chuckled. She didn’t seem to dislike it though. In most people’s eyes, if you told them this grey and the simplistic metallic ring was your engagement ring, they’d probably start to berate Jimin for not ‘buying’ a more glamorous ring. However, when Jimin told you that this was the ring he’s had his entire demonic life and how much it meant to him, you felt almost proud that he gave it up for you.

Jimin was crafty, already charming his way into your heart after just a few days. You found it unfair because you weren’t all that desirable in your own eyes, yet here he was giving up life long possessions and sticking them on you and treating you like a legitimate fiancee.

“You’ll have to let us meet him. You’re practically family, sweetie!” You smiled, nervously laughing as you nodded. You scratched your cheek as you thought to yourself about how you would keep Jimin under house arrest for the rest of your life. “Does your mother know? I’m sure she’s just thrilled her little daughter is growing up!”

“Yeah, she knows. She nearly blew a gasket when I told her. I thought she was going to march all the way down here to interview him, but she just spoke to him over the phone and all was good,” you told your manager. Keeping the fact that the whole ordeal took nearly 3 hours to yourself. “She’s happy for me in the long run,” you said as you were also relieved of that fact.

Your parents knew that you didn’t have people beside you growing up, so hearing you’re engaged and set to marry at some point when you just started college was a shock. But, they seemed to support you in your path you’re setting and you couldn’t be more thankful.

“He’s not a shy fellow, is he?” You shook your head.

“Oh, not at all. In fact, he’s very outgoing and is always trying to find a way to get out of the house,” you weren’t lying. He’s been cooped up in that house of yours for three days, all he complains about if wanting to go out. You won’t even let him out at night where he can hide in the shadows without being seen.

“Does Mr. Right have a name, or what?” Seokjin cut in with crossed arms and a furrowed brow. “If I don’t get a face and a name within the next 48 hours, I will be forced to confine you here until he shows himself.” You and his mother looked at him as his face gave away that he was almost dead serious.

“What are you? My older brother? Sorry, but I’m an only child,” you told him as he rolled his eyes. “His name is Jimin,” you told him.

“Surname?”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters, woman!” In truth, you weren’t sure if Jimin even had a surname. He was a demon, and he mentioned how many names he actually goes by. So, you decided to skim around the question and finally dropped the topic altogether when it was opening time.

Seokjin placed his two fingers in front of his eyes and proceeded to whip them towards you in a typical ‘I’ll be watching’ fashion. Making you shaking your head as you tied on your apron with the smallest smile on your face. Maybe all those years of solitude were worth it in the end after all.

-XXX-

“Jimin, you better still be in this apartment or else I’m gonna tie your tail into knots!”

“So much as touch my tail and I will bite you. Don’t test me!” You heard him scream back at you as you smiled. Shutting the door behind you and heeling off your shoes, you pulled your jacket off and walked into your living room where you tossed it onto the back of the couch.

Jimin sat in a chair, reading one of your books as his tail whipped around behind him and curled inwards when he saw you. The threat of you even touching it initially making him wince.

“Jimin, are you reading a cookbook?” He shut the book and looked at the front, seeing some sort of dish covering the front of it with the bold letters of ‘COOKBOOK’ staring at him. He looked back at you and nodded. “Why?”

“Because, since we’re going to be married and I’m living with you, I do need to learn how to live as a human.” That honestly surprised you. “Why is that so shocking to you?” You shook your head, sitting on the couch. Seeing him take this so seriously still throws you off and a part of you almost thought that when it actually happens, he’d rip your soul out or something. He chuckles at you. “Don’t you worry, dear. I won’t eat your heart or anything when we wed.”

Dismissing his stupid words he knew you were suspecting, you started a new topic. “My coworker and boss seemed glad that I was engaged.”

“You told them?” He asked and you nodded.

“Yeah, of course. I had to, I’d been gone for three days. I couldn’t just lie to them.” Jimin arched his brows. “Okay, I could but it wouldn’t feel right. They’re good people, so I wouldn’t.” There was a pause for a moment when you continued. “They want to meet you actually.”

“I’m sure a lot of people do. Your mother was hell-bent on a phone call, I’m half shocked she didn’t bust her way through the phone.” You sighed. “I want to clarify something,” he said as you looked at him. “If I didn’t look like this-” he gestured to his grey and clawed self, “- I could go out. I could meet people you work with and your parents, right?”

“Ideally, yes. You can’t just walk outside looking like that. You’d probably get killed or kidnapped and taken into the government for dissection or something.” He rolled his eyes. “Why?”

“No reason, just curious,” you shrugged it off as the rest of the day rolled around. The next morning, you were up late and rushing to leave your apartment to get to class on time. Driving over the speed limit and tapping in rage on your wheel when stupidly slow drivers got in front of you. You parked in a space that was far too far away from the door and ran. Running into Seokjin somehow on the way there.

He only laughed at you as he stuffed a donut hole in your mouth that you nearly choked on as you continued your sprint down the halls and soon slid into a seat in your university room. The room was set up like a stadium, semi-circular and stairstep sitting arrangement. You phone that sits on your desk lit up with a silent message.

You had gone out and got Jimin a phone so that he can at least have some form of communication with you. He was a demon, but he already acted human enough. He was a quick learner and if he did look the part, one wouldn’t even think he was a demon at all. Of course, even if you voiced to the whole campus your fiancee was a demon, no one would believe you.

[Jimin] When do you get out of class today?

[You] Does it matter?

[Jimin] Of course it does. I want to show you something when you’re free today.

[You] Uh, alright? I should be done around 3, so long as no lectures run long.

[Jimin] You got it. I’ll see you at 3 in front of your campus then.

You stared at your phone’s screen. Rereading what he said before your thumbs ran rapidly across your screen. If texting was a sport, you were sure you probably would’ve just earned the gold medal.

[You] You’ll what?!

[You] Jimin! Answer me!!!

[You] HEY. JIMIN I SWEAR TO GOD

[Jimin] Don’t offend me

You rolled your eyes at his comment back. Swearing to God in the case of a demon. He always smacked your hand lightly when you said that to him, saying that swearing to something he didn’t believe in or rather didn’t like was just mean. It made sense since he was a child of Satan or something.

Your day ticked by as slow as high-class torture. Time was picking at your fingernails as you tapped your foot and scribbled notes in such a frenzied fashion you’d probably end up with a magnifying glass later trying to decipher your words like some archeologist on a dig.

When your final lecture let out it was nearly a quarter past 3 in the afternoon. You scrambled to shove your books and notes into your bag as you picked up the strap and slung it on your shoulder, whacking it into your back as you wince. Taking off down the halls and skipping steps, half scared of tripping and tumbling to your doom down them.

You sped past staff and students, a few of them telling you to watch what you're doing or to stop running completely, but you just waved in apology and continued your pace. Making it outside, you slumped against the flagpole by the main entrance doors as you huffed out of breath. The sun was warm on the skin of your legs that were revealed because of your shorts. Your jacket was all disheveled as your shirt that was once tucked was now no longer so. Your shoelaces had even come undone in your plight of speed to get outside.

Looking around, you didn’t see a single grey demon walking around your front campus courtyard. Sighing, you dropped your bag onto the ground with a huff and knelt to re-tie your shoe. If you left campus fast enough, maybe Jimin wouldn’t come and cause a scene.

You were unaware of the low murmur of small gossip circles on campus and leaving the building. You were also unaware of the fact that fact of the murmur was coming towards you with his hand shoved into his pockets.

Making it in front of you, you saw a shadow at your feet and beside you as you looked up. The sun was too bright and blocked out the sight of who it was standing in front of you. You squinted as the person- a man- chuckled and bent his knees to be eye level with you.

You looked at him and he looked at you as he smiled. Looking into his eyes, a deep brown, you narrowed your eyes in concentration. You turned your head slowly, still keeping your eyes on him, as you opened your mouth in disbelief.

“Excuse me, but um- you wouldn’t have to be…” you pointed at him as he chuckled again. He looked to his left and right before he looked back into your eyes and you saw his brown flash to a black and red before reverting back. You gasped. This human man was- “Jimin?!” You screeched.

Jimin laughed as he fell forward on you, knocking you onto your ass on the concrete that warmed your cheeks from the afternoon sunlight. He continued to laugh and spill out his fits of giggles from his gut as he held your arms and put his forehead on your shoulder.

Jimin looked human. Lightly tanned skin, brown waved hair and brown eyes. A pair of jeans with a white shirt and jean jacket that matched his pants. His right ear had a long dangling earring pierced through it as his left had a small hoop. His shoes were flat and black. He had no horns, no fangs, no claws or tail. His skin wasn’t grey and his hands weren’t black as coal. He looked and sounded 100% human.

“You’re reaction was so worth it!” He laughed as he finally composed himself. You took notice of the murmur now, as it had slightly increased from small groups to larger cliques wondering what was happening. Normally, this was dismissed by the campus students as another couple being overly touchy, but of course, you just couldn’t fly under the radar this one time.

You lightly pushed Jimin up and off your shoulder as you looked around his face. He was handsome as a human too. Just as handsome as he is as a demon. The sun highlighted and added to the persona he put on and made your face the slightest tint of red. Jimin’s playful smirk was replaced with a wide smile as he saw you blush.

“W-when did you?” You just pointed at the whole of him. He grabbed your hand as he stood, pulling you up with him and straightening out your jacket for you. Tugging on the ends and straightening out the shoulders. He would’ve tucked your shirt in if you hadn’t of slapped his hands away from your stomach.

“Ticklish are we?” He teased.

“Just answer my question!” You whined. He pinched at your cheek, cooing as you were tempted to pick your bag off the ground and swing it at him like a pro baseballer aiming for a home run.

“I changed this morning. It’s not permanent though. I can change back whenever I want to. If I look like this, I’m okay to go outside, right?”

“I guess… I can’t argue with that? I said not as a demon- but as a human, I can’t say no to you, can I.” He smiled as he bent down and grabbed your bag. “Ah, give me that, it’s got all my books in it.” You reached for it as he just held it away from you, putting a hand on your stomach to keep you away from it. “Jimin!” You whined again.

“Let my first act as a human gentleman be carrying my fiance’s bag home, yeah?” You pouted as you crossed your arms.

“Y/n!” You heard someone behind you call for you as you almost panicked at seeing Seokjin strutting towards you. His bag on his hip and phone in his hand, headphones coiled around it, ready to be unwound and listened to. Jimin recognized him as you took the liberty of showing him photos of Seokjin, his mother and your parents to him. He walked up to you and Jimin. “I saw you running out of your class like a maniac, what was that about?”

“Oh, well you see I was just…” you looked around for an excuse before you looked at Jimin. “I was rushing out to meet my escort home!” You gestured to Jimin. Seokjin looked down at him. He stood taller than Jimin. “Seokjin, you wanted to meet him, right? My fiance?” Seokjin looked at you, mouth open in awe as he looked back at Jimin.

“This is your fiance?!” He accused, almost too loudly as you could see some people whispering and gasping that the gorgeous man in front of you was engaged to you of all people. You shushed him.

“Shut up! Let’s go somewhere else and talk, Jesus.” The three of you ended up at some burger joint not far from campus to talk. Being greeted by the staff, you smiled and waved as you took the two men in tow to a booth. Jimin slid in with you as he sat closer than you expected him to, your thigh touching his as Seokjin sat across the table.

You three ordered something to drink and just a basket of fries to munch on. Jimin didn’t exactly have money and you were kinda glad that Seokjin said he’d foot the bill of the fries and drinks. You didn’t want to explain that Jimin was unemployed because he was a demon.

“So, you’re Y/n’s guy?” Jimin nodded, reaching across the table for a handshake. Seokjin meeting him in a firm greeting.

“I’m Park Jimin, it’s a pleasure.’ You looked at him. Park? Did he decide that was going to be his surname? It was popular, so you didn’t see the harm in his choice. “You’re Seokjin, right? Y/n works with you and your mother.”

Seokjin purses his lips in an impressive manner. “You know me?”

“Of course! Y/n had talked about you and your mother quite a lot in the time I’ve known her. She really enjoys working with you both.” You thanked the staff member who placed your drinks and a basket of fries on the booth table as the two men talked back and forth. You sipped at your drink, straw between your lips as you were actually impressed Jimin held such a casual conversation.

You’ve been stressing over so much on what to do with Jimin when he was capable of dealing with all of it on his own. He seemed to genuinely be trying to earn Seokjin’s favor for something. Talking and acting so that Seokjin wouldn’t disapprove of him for some reason.

He was acting so human. Sweet and caring and kind. He laughed at Seokjin’s stupid jokes you scoffed at and took interest in his favorite kind of pastries. What to eat and where to eat it and told him about how he attended the same college as you and was set to graduate this year.

Seokjin excused himself for a moment to go to the bathroom when Jimin sat back in his booth and tossed half a fry into his mouth.

“Human food is actually way better than I remember it being,” he said as he ate the second half of the fry.

“Jimin?” He looked at you when you called him. “You- are you enjoying yourself?” You were curious is that smile on his face was real or if it was all an act because he was a demon contracted to marry you. He smiled softly as he grabbed your hand, setting it on his lap.

“I told you that I was attached to you, do you remember?” You nodded. He told you that when he first showed up. “It’s not easy for something like that to occur for my species. I won’t put up a facade around you, so don’t worry, okay?” You lowered your eyes as you nodded. He smiled, his teeth showing as his cheeks pushed up his eyes. He moved to kiss your cheek as you pushed on his shoulder for the sudden act of affection. He laughed at you as he tried kissing your other cheek, you erupting into a fit of laughter at him.

Seokjin stood behind the booth against the wall, watching the two of you from a distance. He smiled seeing you happy and how Jimin was a good guy after all. Open and kind like you said. He nodded to himself.

“I guess I can approve of him,” he said to himself as he made his way back to the booth. Sliding in and fake gagging at the PDA of the young couple.

-XXX-

It was two days later when your first workday since Seokjin met Jimin came. Jimin was stubbornly driving you to work (where he learned to drive you didn’t know). He even had a license that was legitimate and he wouldn’t tell you at all how he got it. Part of you almost believed he lived as a human the past year just to get accustomed to this kind of lifestyle. When you told him that, he looked at you like you uncovered some big secret. Of course, there was no way that was right… right?

“So, why are you driving me to work again?” You asked him as your purse sat in your lap as you were decked in your black slacks, white shirt, and non-slip shoes. Boring work attire. While he sat in black jeans, heeled boots to boost his height (he was almost self-conscious of it) and a white shirt with a yellow flannel over it. Looking rudely attractive.

“I met Seokjin, now I want to meet your boss!” He cheered as he pulled into the turn lane, stopping before getting the all-clear from those trust traffic lights to proceed onwards. “Besides, dropping you off means I get to pick you up and isn’t that just a husbandly thing to do?”

“You’re not my husband?”

“Not yet. Which reminds me, I guess we need to actually plan a wedding?”

“Yeah, with what money,” you scoffed.

“Well, how about a courthouse wedding? It’s way cheaper and way simpler. Just dress in your Sunday best, show up with family and close friends only. Get preached to, sign a paper, take some pictures and we walk out husband and wife,” he suggested with a small smile.

Honestly speaking, a courthouse wedding didn’t sound too awful. You wouldn’t need to get completely gussied up if you didn’t want to and it wouldn’t be some entire day deal. A few hours and it would be done. Plus it would be a life-saving act for your funds.

“You don’t need to think about it right now,” Jimin interrupted your thoughts. He reached across the middle console and grabbed your hand that rested on your bag. He bounced it up and down in his palm as he ran his thumb over your knuckles. “I’m not going anywhere, so take your time to think it over for yourself. Be it for 3 months or 3 years, I’ll always be here.” You nodded at him, missing the side look he gave you when your cheeks start glowing again. “Cute.”

Your boss cried in joy as you entered the still unopened cafe with Jimin in tow, his hands in yours. You watched her bounce around the counter and prance up to you both as Seokjin rounded the corner, a ziplock bag of frozen strawberries in his hand that was due to dethaw in some hot water in the back.

“Oh, lover boy’s here,” he announced. Jimin bowed to your boss as he introduced himself with a smile. You told her that Jimin was the man who proposed to you and was the man you were soon going to marry.

“My word, he’s stunning! You’re a lucky woman, Y/n.” You laughed at her excitement as Jimin disagreed.

“No way! Y/n is way out of my league. If anything I'm the lucky one here!” He exclaimed and it sounded like he meant it. That this wasn't all just a contracted marriage between human and demon. “I’m just happy I met her in the first place, now I get to marry her. I’m definitely the luckiest.” He, finalized, your boss swooning at him as her own cheeks reddened.

“You’re so fond. I do hope you both make each other happy.” Jimin nodded as he checked the watch on his wrist. He nudged you lightly, gesturing to the time. You squeaked as you unconsciously pecked him on the cheek and rushed behind the counter and into the back to clock in and strap on your apron. Jimin chuckled at you as your boss stood around longer. “Y/n is such a sweetheart,” she cooed.

“Yes, she is,” Jimin agreed. “She’s gone through a lot over her life, but I’m truly grateful that she somehow ended up at my side.” He bent down to get closer to the older woman and smiled at her, you on his brain. “I’m going to make her happy for sure! But, I don’t actually know her favorite kind of pastry. You don’t happen to know, do you?”

“I do! If you offer her one of my son’s cream puffs, she’s absolute putty in your hands' young man.” Jimin nodded.

“Thank you very much!” He cheered. He knew a lot about you, but not everything. He desired to learn everything he could. When he learned another fact about you or saw you smile or fumble around in a spaz, he could feel that attachment in his chest tighten. The sensation was nameless and addicting.

-XXX-

It’s been 4 months since Jimin showed up declaring himself as your betrothed. Since then, he somehow managed to get a job as a receptionist at a small little spa not too far downtown. With his looks as well as his sweet human personality, he was a catch. You wondered how he ever qualified for any jobs at all with him being a demon prior to everything. He flat out told you he lied and created fake documents of education and even past experience that you were 100% sure he didn’t have.

You had to admit that you admired his studious attitude when it came down to his work though. His ethic and willingness to learn and be trained so diligently was shocking for a demon. He read on spa therapies from skincare to massages to manicures and pedicures. From fact to fiction and when it came time to work on his own without a trainer, he did incredibly well.

As a demon, he seemed to genuinely enjoy his work. Plus, he often offers you shoulder massages when you're working it double-time between work and school. You were probably the most grateful for that.

His kindness continued to baffle you. Even after all these months, the way he smiled and joked and actually seemed to care about the world around you didn’t make him seem like a demon at all. You would often forget he wasn’t human, his origins slipping your mindscape until he would return to his grey-skinned, horned and clawed self. You remember him asking you if his real appearance ever bothered you.

“Hey, Y/n?” Jimin had just walked into the apartment from work as you sat cross-legged on the floor in front of your coffee table in the living room. Textbooks open and bookmarked, notebooks scribbled in and small doodles taking up space in any open corner when your concentration drifted off. You hummed at him as he moved to sit on the couch behind your back. “You don’t mind if I look like a demon when I’m inside, do you?”

You stopped your notes as you put your pencil down in the fold of the pages and turned at your hips to look at him behind you.

“Do I mind if you look like a demon?” He nodded. “Jimin why would you care if I care if you look like that?” He was still in his human appearance as he looked almost timid. Not making eye contact and looking worried like you would reject him if he looked devilish.

“I just- I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.” Jimin is by far the most respectable demon you’ve ever met (even though he’s the only demon you’ve ever met). You rolled your eyes as you turned back to our notes, Jimin ready to complain when you finally answered him.

“There’s no reason to be uncomfortable around you, human or demon. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” you told him. “And it’s not like we’re on the ground floor, no one will see you from outside, just don’t go out on the balcony like that.” You looked outside the two tall, sliding glass doors to your small balcony on the 3rd floor. “Besides, you’re pretty charming as a demon,” you tacked on. You were scribbling more notes down, looking back and forth between your textbook and notes to make sure you were writing in the lines in legible writing.

You felt Jimin moving behind you as he soon moved to slide off the couch to sit beside you. He put his head on the table, looking at you with his grey skin and small spiraled horns pointing outwards away from his forehead. He smiled up at you as you moved to look down at him, his fangs as white as ever.

“So, I’m charming?” His tail whipped around behind him as you just scoffed with a smile and went back to work. He quickly sat up. “I learned this really cool massage trick at work, wanna see!” He offered as you stopped him from reaching out to touch you at all.

“You will not attempt to massage anything with those hands. Last time you did, your stupid claws cut up my shoulders!”

“I’ll shorten them then!”

“What’s so funny?” Jimin, who sat across the middle console from you, asked. You both were currently sat in your car, suitcases packed for the weekend on your way to your parent’s house. After 4 months, they grew antsy on now actually meeting Jimin. Despite talking to him on the phone or seeing him when you would video call your mother, an in-person meeting was well overdue. Jimin didn’t seem to mind, you were a bit worried though.

You still weren’t sure how committed Jimin was in his role that 13-year-old you forced him in. He’s easy to be with and he acts like the ever-charming fiance that he was, but that was all that you thought it was. Him filling out his job and that made you nervous as you both got closer and closer to your destination. Making your hands tighten on the steering wheel as you drove the roads most familiar to you.

Jimin could smell your anxiety from a mile away, much less 2 feet apart in a confined space like your small car. If you weren’t pressing your toe on the gas, he was sure you’d be bouncing your leg in anxiousness. A habit he picked up on you did. Instead, he watched your tighten and loosen just to retighten your hands around the steering wheel.

He felt like he wasn’t doing enough. He’s been beside you for 4 months and you still seemed distant in some ways. You still didn’t feel comfortable enough for him to sleep next to you, so he was sleeping every night on your couch (at least it pulls out into a bed). He heard that you sometimes still had a choked throat each time you had to explain that he was engaged to you. And you hadn’t brought up the topic of a wedding since the one day he talked to you about it when he took you to work for the first time.

There was a lot of hesitation in your head and body it made him think he made possibly be doing something wrong. He knew that you were stuck in the thought that he was just working. You were a job and that’s what you keep telling yourself, convincing yourself that you really didn’t matter to Jimin in the long run. Despite him telling you time and time again that you were an attachment that was absolutely forbidden to him and his kind, you just couldn’t bring yourself to accept that.

You, plain simple and uninteresting you. You who waited two years for college and grew up alone. You who had only started living alone in your 23rd year. You who was so lonely as a child you summoned a demon just for someone to talk to and ended up bringing him into your small circle of loneliness.

You were an anchor holding Jimin in place and you thought of that as a burden. While that anchor that is you was something so important to Jimin. He just had to figure out how to drill it into your head that you were a blessing to him. Lucifer be damned, if you were an angel, he’d cut off his own horns and turn his back on his kind to be with you.

He watched as you turned the car, hands overlapping on the wheel. Bodies jostling on the road as the highway you drove on turned into the gravel of a backroad.

“They're pretty far from town, a lot of open areas and not too much to do,” you started, talking a bit louder over the crunching and grumbling tires of your car going over the rock and gravel. “But, we have a lot of land and a really neat garden and greenhouse my mom really likes to take care of. I’m sure we can find something to do,” you told him.

Jimin nodded. He wasn’t worried. If he was going to win you over, he’d have to start with the two who raised you. Winning your parents would be easy. He had a feeling from the many conversations he had with your mother, that she wouldn’t be a hard obstacle. Your father seemed a bit more skeptic. He had every reason to be, Jimin was a demon after all.

“A city detox is good on a demon. The fresh air so much better than breathing in all that city smog and smoke. Plus, the country smells better.”

“Yeah,” you laughed, “you have a point.” The rest of the trip passed and soon you were pulling into your parent’s driveway, your mother who sat on the front porch, reading a book on the bench swing. Setting it down, pages open and spine up, she stood as you turned off the car and waved to her from your windshield.

You couldn’t hear her, but she looked over her shoulder, shouting into the house that was behind her. Presumably shouting to your father that you and your new fiance had finally arrived. Jimin noticed you take your time unbuckling and working your way out of your car. Getting out after you, he watched your mother descend the few steps of the old townhouse. She was quick to hug you, embrace you returned with a smile.

Jimin had briefly seen your mother before. Whether it be from his routinely watches as a demon as you grew older, or through the crappy quality of your mother’s phone during a Skype call. She was a familiar face nonetheless. Just as he saw her, she was soon greeting him and waving him over from across the car.

“Jimin, darling!” She greeted enthusiastically. Swooping the man into a hug he wasn’t expecting. Patting her back lightly, she pulled away. He truly wasn’t used to any physical contact aside from you. You were the only human he allowed to even come near him in so long. Your mother examined jimin. Tilting his chin up and down, walking around him and humming. She was literally sizing him up and looking at every inch of him (not that there’s many).

“Mom! Don’t be rude to my fiance!” You screeched as she circled him like a hawk. You slapped your palm to your face when she turned to you with a small older woman giggle and a hearty thumbs up. Like she approved of the demon you were going to wed. Jimin laughed at both of your antics.

“Let’s not dilly-dally. Everyone inside, come on.” Your mother rushed you both up to the steps, claiming to get your bags out of the trunk later on. When Jimin entered, he found out how much the inside of your home looked so different in the daytime. The difference between your lit halls and the halls he knew when he visited at the dead of night was shocking to him. Then again, even as a demon, he never went and wandered around your house. More like quick peeks here and there.

You watched from the corner of your eyes at Jimin’s reaction to being in your home of 22 years in his human appearance. He’s only ever been here as a demon. It was obvious your mother had tidied up the best a mother could. Probably also employing the help of your father for some tasks that were a bit more herculean. The fact that the sofa had been moved in the living room was a dead give away for that.

As awkward as the first fiance and parent meeting should be, it wasn’t at all. Jimin slatted right in, sitting next to you on the couch. When spoken to he’d listen well and managed to keep eye contact with your father. Something he didn’t realize human men had problems with when meeting their significant other’s parents. He truly seemed engaged in all conversation and was all smiles and energy as he sat beside you. His hand occasionally find yours to hold behind the cushion you held on your lap.

The night, Jimin sat in the middle of your bed, legs crossed as you were in the bathroom changing. Despite the time he’s seen your change (once he was sitting on the sink when you got out of the shower and got a look at the goods before you threw a hairdryer at him), you still grew embarrassed about changing with him boring holes into your back.

He had relaxed his body. His horns poking out of his head as his tail lay on the mattress. His skin greyed out and claws extended. When you entered the room, you let out a small shriek and slammed the door behind you, locking it. You stomped across the room, pointing into his face.

“You can’t just change back into a demon here!” Jimin nearly went cross eyes at your finger at his nose.

“Why not?” He innocently asked, but the sly grin on his face gave away his teasing undertone. You stood back up, arms crossed. You huffed. “Oh please, if anyone besides you came in, I’d just hide and let your parents believe I took a shower with you.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“No, it’s not. Couples shower all the time together.” He cupped his chin in his palm as he watched your face flush. Taking a shower with Jimin was completely out of the question. For one, he’s a demon! Regardless of if you were going to end up with him as your husband or not, he was completely different and who knows what he’s packing. His anatomy is obviously way different than yours, or another mans given his horns and tail.

You shake your head, trying to disperse the thought of even beginning to imagine what or what isn’t hidden below his belt. Jimin stood as you internally panicked and he hooked his finger under your chin, making your concentration break and force your attention on him.

“It’s been 4 months, love,” he started. “Yet, I’m still capable of making your blush like the dawn.” His fang peeked out of hips dark lips as he pulled them back into a grin. His eyes lit up a lighter shade of red as the lights flicked out. You looked up to the bowl covered ceiling light before Jimin pulled your eyes back to him. “I’d appreciate it if you kept your eyes focused on me,” he bit.

“Jimin?” He seemed more possessive than usual. He was always someone who wanted attention, but at the moment he seemed more demanding for attention than usual. He moved to bite onto the side of your cheek as you squeaked. He let it go before he licked it.

“I used up a lot of energy staying human all day. I need to recharge.” Jimin spent the next half hour lavishing you in kisses and holding you. He’s done this before- becoming exhausted is something a demon needs treatment for when in the human realm. Whether it be human food, drink or affection. Jimin would cling to you when it happened, unable to revert to his human form. Jimin as his demon self would bask in your warmth until he grew better. It was alright because his cold body kept your burning one in check throughout the whole process.

-XXX-

After the weekend trip to your parents, you were relieved when both your mother and father decided not to veto Jimin- since they really couldn’t because of the contract. Accepting him and your decision to marry him your mother was hot on the ‘when is the marriage’ bandwagon.

Weeks later, Jimin had woken up before you had. It was early in the morning as you slammed the top of your alarm clock to shut off the first- of many- signs to get up and ready for school. You had grown used to feeling the dip in your bed that Jimin claimed or at the very least having him looping his leg around yours. But, this morning it was empty.

Sitting up, the sky had turned grey. Not yet allowing the colors of dawn to breach the black night sky. Jimin not being seen by you in the bedroom, you rubbed your eyes before you crawled out of bed. Wrapping your blanket around your shoulders as you left your room.

He wasn’t in the bathroom- he was fond of early morning baths. Not the kitchen and his shoes were still here so he hadn’t left. You found him standing in front of the balcony window, just staring outside. His barbed tail was hung low and his body seemed rigid as he stood like he was on edge. Moving to his side, you saw him looking outside like he was looking at something he deemed dangerous. He hadn’t even realized you were beside him. Looking at his hand, his claws were open and his fingers were tense like he was ready to tear through something.

“Jimin?” You whispered as he blinked and swiveled to look down at you. He saw your brow etched down and your small hands peeking out from under the blanket you held over your shoulders. “Are you alright?” You asked slowly as to not provoke anything out of him.

“It’s nothing,” he told you before he looked back outside. “I hope.”

When you left for school, he was constantly texting you every half hour or sooner. He was asking random questions, asking how you were- anything to get a conversation started. You thought maybe he was feeling some sort of weird demon-y way; maybe they start to miss their attachments after a certain period of time. You weren’t sure and every time you asked him about it, it brushed it off to changed the topic.

Jimin called you the moment you told him you had left class and were on the way to work a swing shift at work. Seokjin was busy studying for tests, so you had to pick up his slack; much to Jimin’s dismay. He stayed on the phone with you the entire ride to the cafe and refused to hang up until you had clocked on- even saying a quick hello to your boss before he hung up.

Jimin was on edge all night. He knew you were working, that you were busy but he couldn’t sit still. Something he felt earlier that morning made his skin crawl. A dark presence hung in the air in the city he had been living in as a human and he didn’t like how familiar it was.

He beat himself up over not being able to convince you to stay in today. Skipping one day of school wouldn’t be so hard to convince you of, but you would’ve fought him tooth and nail about work. He knew that you were going in today no matter what, but now it was reaching nearly 10 PM and he was biting his nails.

Being so tense that he couldn’t hold his human form and was stalking around the apartment fully demon. Black and grey robe fluttering at his brisk steps back and forth, bare feet and black hands curling and uncurling. His barbed tail whipped like a nail in annoyance as his fangs gnawed on his lips.

He verbally hissed, his eyes glowing and narrowing in the dark apartment (he hadn’t turned the lights on since sunset). He blended in with the dark and shadowed home of his when he heard rattled from the front door. He moved to jump into the air, sticking to the top part of the wall above the front door. Tucking his legs in to hide in the corner. He snarled at the scent on the other side that was certainly not yours. Whoever was on the other side of that door, they weren’t some household company. The scent he caught of them was too bloody.

When the door unlatched, the clicking of the lock opening, Jimin bared his teeth. When the door was opened and someone stepped inside, Jimin pushed from the ceiling’s corner and swung at the stranger. Claws ready to tear into their skin, but even as fast as Jimin was- this person had moved just in time to avoid him. Jimin skidded onto the floor, knees bent as he sat like a beast on attack mode.

The door shut behind the intruder as Jimin used the darkness to stay hidden. Only his eyes that burned red in the darkness could give him away. Even so, they were so narrow in defense that seeing them would be difficult. His ears twitched when he felt something come towards him, jumping back he heard a crash in front of him- where he was just sat.

Whatever was in here was just like him- not human. He looked to his left, his right and above him. Nothing seemed off in the shadows. Whoever was with him was no longer in front of him either. He gasped lightly when he felt something directly behind him. Finding himself in a back and forth scrap with something he couldn’t see became bothersome.

He swung and hissed at what could only be another demon in his home. Tail flicking, sending small thorns around him as a defense as he kept jumping from ceiling to floor to wall to avoid whatever was attacking him. It came to a standstill when the attacker flicked the lights on. Jimin flinched before he was jumping onto the coffee table away from a direct kick that could have knocked him right on his ass if he hadn’t moved fast enough.

The apartment was a mess. Cracks and scratch marks on the floors and tears in the living room furniture. Curtains from the balcony windows were torn and hanging on just barely to their rods. Jimin hissed, his hair seemed to stand on end as he stared at the attacker in front of him. Stood in a black cloak, hood pulled up and concealing their entire face.

The human colored tone of his skin that showed in his hand that was freely sticking out from the sleeve of the robe gave away that whatever demon he was dealing with wasn’t so powerful they could shift properly yet. Why would a demon who attacked another demon have human skin on, unless they couldn’t revert due to power struggles?

Jimin remained sat on the table, legs up and ready to move if the need arose as the hooded demon in front of him remained still. It was as if there were two statues in your living room and not too demons. Finally, the hooded attacker moved to reach into his cloak, Jimin baring his teeth at the movement. His face fell for a moment, his mouth opening with a drawn-out gasp when the hooded demon pulled from his cloak a black ring.

Jimin’s black ring. Your black ring.

Instinctively, he flicked his tail once again, thorns shooting at the hooded demon. “Where is she,” Jimin demanded in a growl. His voice coming out in layers, like a distorted evil. The hooded demon placed the ring back into his cloak. “That belongs to me!” He screeched, ready to tackle and possibly tear out the demon’s throat until they tossed their hood off their head. His face was painted in instant anguish seeing someone he knew so well in front of him. “J-Jungkook?”

“I’d recommend not trying anything stupid, Jimin,” Jungkook spoke as his face was as static as a TV screen. Jimin was speechless, seeing off all demons possible his brother. Jungkook and Jimin had grown up as demon’s together. They weren’t related by any standard, but they were brothers of another kind. Why did Jungkook have your ring, and why was he here? Did he track Jimin down, if so why? Jimin blinked as he looked down, running question after question in his head until Jungkook moved. Jimin, flicked his head back up, seeing Jungkook pull something from the sleeves of his robe like a magic trick.

Throwing it at Jimin, the horned demon caught it easily. A scroll was tossed at him. Jimin carefully held it, his claws threatening to puncture or tear the paper.

“Burn it,” Jungkook spoke. His voice was cold. Jimin shook his head.

“What?” Jimin looked at the scroll and how took in how warm it felt resting in his hand. “What is this, Jungkook?”

“Your contract with that human.” Jimin looked at it. The tied scroll was his contract with you. “You’ve already broken and defied enough rules. Coming to the human world and spending your time with a human woman, how can you stomach it all.” Jungkook’s distaste for humans was overwhelming and Jimin could feel his hate roll off him in electric waves.

“This has nothing to do with you,” Jimin told him. Finally standing up and stepping off the table, Jimin held the scroll at his side, gripping it tightly. Protectively keeping the scroll at his side with no intentions of burning it at all.

“If you burn that scroll,” Jungkook started, pointing at it, “I’ll return the human here and you’ll return to your duties after your trial. You won’t go unpunished for getting attached to something of this world.” Jimin’s calmed face immediately flared back up in anger, moving in a swift step to grab Jungkook’s color. He growled into his brother’s face.

“Where the fuck did you take her,” Jimin seethed. He asked no questions, only making demands. Jungkook gripped Jimin’s wrist that held him around the collar, the two shaking with how much anger was in their veins. For two very different reasons. “Where is Y/n. Tell me, Jungkook!” He screamed, fangs growing as Jungkook’s eyes shifted to violet as Jimin’s wrist began to burn.

Jungkook was a demon on toxins.

Poison laced his blood allowing him to create poison at any given time from any part of his body he wished. Jimin didn’t flinch even when his demon flesh burned under a dim green light that came from Jungkook’s hand. Jimin shoved his brother back, examining his wrist. Grey was shriveled up and charred only for a moment before JImin’s healing kicked in and his flesh began to reknit and become once more flawless.

The two brothers stood glaring at each other. Jungkook was angry at Jimin’s choices and Jimin livid at Y/n’s apparent kidnap.

“I won’t ask again, Jungkook. Where did you-”

“Just forget about the human!” Jungkook finally broke his static facade and twisted his face in anger, shouting at Jimin. “Forget the human, return to being a demon and burn your contract with her. I’ve already retrieved your ring and I’ll begin whipping her memory as well.”

“What?!”

Jungkook creased his brow. “What’s that look. You look angry. You can’t care about humans, they’re just a past time. So what if that human forgets you, just let it go and return with me back home.”

“This is my home and you’re invading and stealing it away from me.” Jimin seethed, his voice as toxic as Jungkook’s skin.

“This is no home for a demon!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jimin said voice calm in anger. He shook his head, getting overloaded with too many emotions at once. Claws and fangs growing longers and eyes flickering with unstable reds that bled out of the iris into his scleras. Wind of his own began whipping around him, fluttering his silk demonic robes and his black hair. His horns spiraled higher out of his forehead, growing as his tail grew longer and wrapped around his waist like a belt of thorns. His grey skin began to completely blacken like his hands and feet.

Jungkook took a small step backward. He hadn’t seen his brother like this but once when Jungkook was the victim of some stupid social hierarchy demonic bullshit. Jimin tore his tormentors apart and if Jungkook wasn’t careful, Jimin seemed like he wouldn’t hesitate to tear him apart next.

He hadn’t changed in size, but when he stepped up to Jungkook and moved quick enough to clasp his hand around his brother’s throat, he seemed as high as a 50-ft building Jungkook was going to be dropped off of. Jimin’s tongue was that of a snake, split at the end and his breath was visible as he forced Jungkook to take him to you.

If Jungkook didn’t want to die, he’d listen to his older brother. It was his own fault if he died tonight.

-XXX-

You groaned and shivered before coughing. You opened your eyes, confused as to when you fell asleep in the first place. Flinching, you hissed in pain from the stinging on the side of your head. Touching above your ear, you felt something wet that had matted your hair. Pulling on it, you hissed again in pain. Sitting up from your laying position on what felt like a wooden floor, you gasped when your head hit something above you.

Reaching up, you felt nothing but wood above you too. Starting to panic, you felt around you. Nothing but wood on every side. Above, left, right and below. However, in front of you wasn’t wood, but instead iron bars. It was dark in what you could only assume was the cage you found yourself waking up in. Having no idea what was going on, you gasped when a cloth was ripping off the box, squeezing your eyes shut at the sudden light.

You screamed, scurrying back to the back of your caged box from the face of a dog in front of the iron bars. It wasn’t just a dog. It had 4 pairs of eyes, completely black as it’s tail behind it was split into to. Its teeth pushed past its chops like a sabertooth and its size was far above what a normal K9’s would be. It was purely demonic.

Demonic. Then it all came back to you.

Someone had suddenly collapsed outside of your work when you had just left. Worried, you approached them and knelt to offer any kind of assistance. Pulling out your phone to call the police or ambulance or whatever they needed, you squeaked when they suddenly grabbed your wrist. They held your hand to their face. They seemed to be examining your ring.

“What a pleasant looking ring,” they slurred. Their voice sounded of uncomfortable ringing.

“My- uh, my fiance gave me this ring,” you whispered.

“Fiance, huh?” You saw a smile grow on the person’s face. Something was wrong. You yanked your hand, trying to free yourself before the person tightening their grip. You yelped as your wrist began to burn. Falling from your kneeling position to crumbling on your knees, you whined. Looking up with tear blurred eyes, you gasped at the violet glow of the man’s eyes.

“You’re a demon?” You saw his fangs in the wide, sick grin of his.

“Correct,” he slurred before he hit you aside from the head and next you knew, you were in this cage.

You breathed quick shallow breaths, demon dog growling at you and barking. Making you pull your knees to yourself as much as you could. Tucking yourself into the corner of your prison.

You held your hands to your chest when you noticed you weren’t wearing Jimin’s ring. You gasped, as a tear left your eye.

“No,” you gasped lightly. Looking around your cage and feeling around for that familiar metal you couldn’t remove. Did that demon take it off you? You couldn’t take it off, only a demon could. You sputtered as you coughed again, working yourself up too much.

You sat against the back of your cage when the demon dog’s attention shifted from you to something behind him for a moment before being grabbed from its scruff. The demon dog whined and yelped as it was tossed aside and suddenly a loud crash sound from around you. You didn't know what was going on, screaming and holding above your head just in case something crashed through your cage.

Looking through the cage, you saw someone thrown onto the ground. It was that demon you found outside that kidnapped you. You were ready to start screaming at him, putting on a tough front of insults while you shook and hid your fear from him. Demon’s enjoyed the thrill of fear, so you weren’t going to give him the satisfaction.

You stopped yourself though. He looked beaten all to hell. Throat punctured and rolls of blood pulsing out of his skin as he held around his neck and gasped. He lay on his back, weakly attempting to keep pushing himself back and away from something. You couldn’t see what he was so afraid of until it came into full view.

It was like a black cloud of absolute evil. It made your throat dry and sweat drip down your neck. Something in that cloud was nothing short of the devil himself. Pure black and growling, thorns around it and stalking the demon on the ground like a high predator. Though it was demonic, you couldn’t help but think it was familiar.

The demon’s tail flicked around his waist, pinning your abductor to the concrete floors- thorns as tough as metal as the concrete split like it was nothing. Another step encroached on the kidnapping demon and you called out to it. The faded memories that were almost wiped clean restored in a clean swipe and burst of your voice.

“Jimin..!” It was a weak call, that fizzled into a cough. The black cloud of moved to snap it’s head around to see you. Imprisoned in a small cage. You crawled to the iron bars and reached out towards it, trying to grasp something of his. The cloud moved and before you knew it, it was knelt at your bars, as you felt the black cloud wiz through your skin like mist. The pure red eyes and more intimidating persona did nothing to hide the familiarity of Jimin you knew was under there. “Do you recognize me?”

You’d never seen him like this before. He looked absolutely feral, but it was till Jimin and when he moved to grab your hand in his overly demonic one, you just smiled. He knew who you were.

“Y/n,” his voice was deep and two-toned like there were two people talking in unison. “You are alright,” he seemed to sigh and calm down. The black cloud began to fade like fog and his body began to revert back. Horns and claws and fangs shrinking, his pitch skin dulling back into its grey, reeling back to only his hands and feet. You watched his eyes revert back to their oval red in the iris only. “Do you- do you remember who I am?”

His eyes were downcast as he held your hand, voice shaky. You felt your chest burn as tears dripped from his eyes. He let go of your hand to grab the iron bars that held you and ripped them clean out, throwing it aside with an ear-piercing echo of metal on the concrete floor.

He pulled you from your cage as he fell to the floor. You sat in front of him. His head fell, ducking down to your stomach as he wept, holding onto your hand with enough grief to last him the rest of his prolonged lifetime. You shed your own tears, laying over his back, basking in the presence of each other.

You gasped when you noticed a shadow over Jimin’s back. There stood your kidnapper, Jungkook and a knife of amethyst in his hand. He was ready and willing to stab his brother in the back and you couldn’t get a word out of your mouth, his eyes of violet canceling your voice. You tried pulling your hand from Jimin’s so you could shield him perhaps, but Jimin refused to release it.

Swing his arm down aiming for his brother’s back, you couldn’t even scream. Jimin remained motionless as his tears had stopped and he remained hunched over in your arms. He had known his brother well and he knew that if Jungkook couldn’t bring him back, he’d settle for killing him. It wouldn’t work, however; Jimin was too smart and Jungkook too reckless.

That’s how everything resulted in Jimin’s tail whipping at Jungkook’s arm and having him plunge the knife into his own stomach. You gasped when you saw the black blood pour over his lips as he fell to his knees behind his brother. Jimin sat up, letting you go before he moved to kneel in front of his dying brother.

“You killed yourself, Jungkook,” Jimin told him. Searching around his robe for his ring that he had taken back into his possession. “You died for nothing. I will not return and I will stay by Y/n until my life ends. I will convert into a human if I must. I will not leave her.” He lowered his eyes, looking solemnly at his fallen brother he did love once. “I love her too much,” he whispered in nothing short of pain.

Jungkook’s last emotions before he died were nothing but hate. Hate towards Jimin for falling for a human, for becoming attached to anything. Hate towards you for bewitching his brother into something that was no longer selfish and instead selfless. Hate towards himself for letting himself die as a result of attempting to kill his brother who had protected and raised him for centuries. He hated and he hated until he turned to dust and vanished.

Jimin looked over his shoulder at you. You looked confused and scared, as you should be- you were only human. He looked at the rin in his palm before he put it in his pocket and helped you to stand weakly. He held you to his chest, your knees not as strong as you wanted them to be.

“Let’s go home,” he told you, wrapping you in his robe before he dissolved into the shadows, the lights of the concrete room he was in bursting and the light vanishes. You were home before you knew it and Jimin was sitting you on your torn couch. “Jungkook came here,” Jimin started as he sat on the ground in front of you. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that,” he choked.

His lips felt chapped and stung, his breathing heavy and harsh.

“I’ve contemplated leaving.” He pulled the scroll Jungkook gave to him and set it on your lap. “That is the contact you formed with me,” you looked at it, holding it in your hands. It felt heavy, like the burdens of a 13-year-old girl who was lonely and just wanted someone to be with her. “I’ll let you make the decision. Y/n, you can burn that scroll. Tear it up and throw it out along with me- remove all the demonic pieces of your life I brought. Or, you can choose to allow me to stay.”

You sighed as you set the scroll aside, placing it on the couch cushions. You grabbed Jimin by his horns and tilted his head up, shoving it with a bit too much force as his neck pinched. You then picked the scroll back up and shoved it into his face.

“You’re a demon of trades, right. Well, I’m making a trade right now,” you told him. “I’ll give you back this scroll, the contract I made with you when I was just a kid. In return, you give me back my damn engagement ring.” Jimin blinked up at you.

“What?”

“Park Jimin, if you don’t become my husband like you promised and after you got me all wrapped around your demonic little finger, I’m going to be seriously pissed.” You set the scroll on his head, his horns holding it up like a rack as he huffed and took it off his head into his hands again. The warmth bringing him comfort. “That’s my promise in your hands, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take your wife’s promise for granted.”

Jimin tossed the scroll aside, reach up to grab the back of your neck and pull you down to meet his lips. He breathed through his nose choppy breaths as he kept kissing you, sobbing almost as the relief of you allowing him to stay made him feel like he could float. He felt more like a blessed angel than an engaged demon.

Pulling away from you, he placed his ring back on your finger where it belongs. The weight of its return made you sigh in content. Jimin could feel his connection with it and you return and it was stronger than it was before.

“You do know that I’m agreeing to this because I love you, right?” You asked. You didn’t want him to get the wrong impression. The situation was terrifying, there was no sugar coating that. Not to mention the knot on your head from when Jungkook hit you wouldn’t be healing any time soon. But, that didn’t make you fear JImin or the consequences of who he was to you. You needed him to know you choose to do this because it’s what you want, not what you fear.

“Say, do you know what a bride of a demon is called?” Jimin asked as he moved to stand in front of your on the couch. Leaning down to cage you to your spot with his arms on the back of the couch behind you. You rose your brow. “A demoness,” he slurred with a smirk. Avoiding your question entirely as you frowned.

“Someones getting better at dodging questions,” you accused.

“Your human is rubbing off on me.”

“Well, your demon is rubbing off on me!” You retorted before he plopped himself down on your lap, trapping you entirely as his tail wrapping around your leg in his familiar, endearing habit.

“I love you too, my little human taboo.” Your wedding was 2 months later as your demon husband-to-be stood waiting for you at the small courthouse alter.

-END-

(tell me what you thought of this pls ily)

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justalittlelitnerd · 4 years

Text

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

“I don’t know if we’re a love story or a story about love. But I know whatever we are that it’s great because we kept jumping through the hoops in the first place.”

I didn’t think this story could possibly be cuter than I expected to be but it was. It far surpassed my expectations with it’s quirky, insecure ensemble of characters and the story was written in a way that convinced me to accept such an open ending when usually that’s my biggest pet peeve.

Overall, this story is just a fun take on a whirlwind summer romance because it pulls in all the weird, slightly crazy aspects of modern dating like missed connections and the ease of internet stalking. It was exactly what I needed as a counterbalance to the dumpster fire that is 2020 and if you’re looking for that brief escape into a wholesome, awkward romance and story about first loves and second chances and the complexity of dating and friendships than I would highly recommend!

My only semi-complaint were the issues within Arthur, Jessie, and Ethan’s friendship could’ve been fleshed out more to do justice to the time the authors took to flesh out the side characters and their relationships with the main characters. I felt like that fight didn’t balance out the fight Ben had with Dylan because it was clear how that disagreement was building over the course of the summer. Also it felt too obvious that Jessie and Ethan were secretly dating and I was confused and unsatisfied by Ethan’s explanation that he didn’t text Arthur back the whole summer simply because it felt like lying and didn’t think twice about how ignoring Arthur (especially right after he came out) would make him feel. Also the whole time it made it seem like Arthur and Jessie were slightly closer and she had no qualms texting him and lying to him all summer and let’s just say I’m not as forgiving as Arthur was.

Let me know your thoughts!

Keep reading for some fun quotes I saved!

Normally, being an intern is more boring than terrible, but today’s uniquely shitty. You know that kind of day where the printer runs out of paper, and there’s none in the supply room, so you try to steal some from the copier, but you can’t get the drawer open, and then you push some wrong button and the copier starts beeping? And you’re standing there thinking that whoever invented copy machines is this close to getting their ass kicked? By you? By a five-foot-six Jewish kid with ADHD and the rage of a tornado? That kind of day? Yeah.

I believe in love at first sight. Fate, the universe, all of it. But not how you’re thinking. I don’t mean it in the our souls were split and you’re my other half forever and ever sort of way. I just think you’re meant to meet some people. I think the universe nudges them into your path.

Ex-boyfriend. Which means Box Boy dates guys. And okay. Wow. This doesn’t happen to me. It just doesn’t. But maybe the universe works differently in New York. Box Boy dates guys. I’M A GUY.

It’s weird—now I want to prove it. I want some gay ID card to whip out like a cop badge. Or I could demonstrate in other ways. God. I would happily demonstrate.

“On the sad scale, how are you feeling today?” Dylan asks. “Opening-montage-of-Up sad? Or Nemo’s-mom-dying sad?” “Whoa, no. Definitely not opening-montage-of-Up sad. That shit was devastating. I’d guess I’m somewhere in between, like last-five-minutes-of-Toy-Story-3 sad. I just need time to bounce back.”

“Let’s talk about why you really didn’t mail the breakup box,” Dylan says, like he’s going to bill me for this conversation. “Only if you drop the therapist voice,” I say. “Maybe we can begin with why my tone bothers you. Do I remind you of an authority figure?”

I’m certain that I’m 100 percent gay because if I was even 1 percent bisexual I would be crushing hard on Samantha for looks and high energy alone. Dylan watches Samantha as if she were glowing, and I wonder when I went dim for Hudson. If I ever really glowed for him at all.

“I would love to start my own app games. I have this one idea. It’s like Frogger, but instead of heavy-traffic streets, it takes place on the sidewalks of New York. You die if you get hit with someone’s shopping cart and you lose points if you cross a tourist’s path while they’re taking photos.

Emotional blue balls. That’s what it feels like. It’s being handed everything you’ve ever longed for, only for it to slip through your fingers. And there’s no way to fix it. Nothing you can do but slink toward the kitchen counter in a full-body mope.

"You’re not being fair to yourself,” Dylan says. “Maybe not. But I’m being honest.”

It’s this strangling fear that we’ll be sitting there and we’ll run out of something to say and I’ll be able to witness the exact moment someone falls out of love with me because I don’t have enough substance to keep a conversation alive over a meal. Why would you want to talk to me for the rest of your life?

But no. Not even close. Instead, it’s me bleeding out all my neuroses, looking for answers to questions I have no right to be asking. But I don’t know how to make myself stop asking them. People like me should come with a mute button.

I have only said one word on this call—a call I made—and I’m already ready to settle into another few hours of Arthur rambling. It’s better than my favorite Lorde and Lana Del Rey songs.

“You can sing a different song next time,” I say. I like that we’ll have a next time. That even though things have gone wrong, we’ve tried to make it right. “So I was nervous to admit this at karaoke, but—” “Please don’t tell me you’re actually a bunch of rats wearing a cute boy as a disguise.” “Worse.” I take a deep, dramatic breath. “I haven’t listened to Hamilton.” He doesn’t say anything. Then the line goes dead.

I tell him how I want to write Hamilton and Harry Potter crossover fanfiction and call it The Great American Fantasy Novel and stage all those duels in the dueling club and what houses I would sort everyone in.

“All history should be taught through rap by Lin-Manuel Miranda.”

“How lucky we are to be alive right now, right?” “Oh my god, you’re speaking Hamilton—I’m just so into you. I’m helpless.” I’m so into him too.

“For the most part, I think. But every city has its assholes.” I want to hug him, but he doesn’t want to be touched right now. Like any affection is going to become a target sign on our backs. Like we’ll get punished because our hearts are different.

But it’s just like the old posts on Instagram that I can’t get myself to just delete. Like Hudson never happened. Like he’s someone to be ashamed of. And throwing away the good memories feels like a slap in the face to our history. It has nothing to do with the future.

When the song ends, I’m ready to apologize. But Arthur takes my phone and looks up a cover of “Only Us” from Dear Evan Hansen, and he comes closer to me as he sings the words “So what if it’s us, what if it’s us, and only us.” This song is so beautiful. What it feels like to be wanted by someone who sees you for who you are. How the world—the business of Times Square—can feel like it’s falling away when you’re with the right person.

But maybe this isn’t how life works. Maybe it’s all about people coming into your life for a little while and you take what they give you and use it on your next friendship or relationship. And if you’re lucky, maybe some people pop back in after you thought they were gone for good.

Maybe I’m feeling masochistic. Or maybe I’ve unlocked the secret, and this is how people focus. All you have to do is have a cute boy rip your heart out, then let your best friends stomp all over it, and if it’s still beating even a little bit, finish the job yourself. Say the worst things and yell your voice raw and destroy everything you love until, lo and behold, the monotony of work is a relief.

I don’t know how to tell Hudson that I want to throw away a box of things that used to mean everything to me. But that fucking box. I can’t keep treating it like something that belongs in a museum’s exhibit specializing in one guy’s history of breaking hearts.

“Do not ask any what-if questions about you and Hudson dating again. That would probably end in literal heartbreak at the hands of someone pretty familiar with the law because of his summer internship but too reckless to care.”

It’s hard to be a fully functioning Arthur when your heart lives in four envelopes.

I can’t lose you forever. You can’t be someone I just knew for one summer. I have to know you every summer.

#what if it's us #Becky Albertalli #adam silvera #ya #young adult #summer romance #mlm #nyc #coming of age #friendship #books #book quotes #book blog #booklr #quotes #just some softbois falling in love during a summer in nyc #lots of hamilton references

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purplesurveys · 5 years

Text

688

Have you today?

Looked in a mirror? Not on purpose. We just have several mirrors in the house that I unavoidably pass by and look at.

Watered a plant? Not today, but my dad has asked me to do it a couple of times in the last week.

Worn denim? I haven’t worn outside clothes in almost a monthhhhh. And that includes denim.

Washed your hair? Technically yes. I took a shower at around 1 AM? before heading to bed.

Been in pain? Kind of. My left eye has been irritating me almost every night/morning since the year started; sometimes it gets incredibly swollen, sometimes it just feels like something is stuck in my eyelid. Either way it’s always uncomfortable and painful.

Had a nap? Haha, not yet. But since the lockdown started I’ve been having an afternoon siesta everyday. Brushed your teeth? Yeah, it came along with the ^ above 1 AM shower. Kissed someone? I haven’t been able to kiss my girlfriend in almost three weeks now and I’m miiiiiserable. Used a cheese grater? Nah, I haven’t used one in a while.

Eaten something sweet? Not yet. I might eat a few pieces of chocnut later though. Spoken to a stranger? Not today, but we did have a village guard knock on our door earlier to give my dad a quarantine pass – it’s to confirm that he’ll be the only one in the family allowed to leave the house in case we need to go to the groceries or something. I peeked by the front door to listen to the interaction, but I didn’t speak with the guard myself. Dropped something? Sure. My bottle of eye drops. Felt upset in some way? You can say that. There’s a new trend on Facebook where groups are created so certain universities can just trashtalk one another as a joke. It was funny at first but there are some posts that have gone too far, personal, or both, and it obviously hasn’t been good for my mental health lol. Drank coffee? Not yet today. I usually have it in the evening. Walked for more than thirty minutes? I also haven’t walked much in three weeks. That’s kinda what’s supposed to happen when your entire city is put on lockdown. Signed up for something? No. I’ve logged in to certain sites, though. Travelled in a car? I also haven’t been in a car in the last couple of weeks. I was able to ride with my dad the night before they imposed the lockdown – we were visiting my grandpa in the columbary because it would’ve been his 80th birthday that day. Opened a can? Nope. Thought about doing something crazy? At the back of my head I always think of driving up to see Gab because I miss her a lot, but it just remains a crazy thought in my head. Listened to a new song? Yeah. I have a couple of saved playlists and I don’t know like 94% of the songs in both of them, so I’m always listening to a new song everyday. Written in a notebook? I haven’t. I’ve written on a piece of paper, though. Fed an animal? Yup, my dog needs his breakfast. Checked your emails? LOL NOPE, and I don’t plan to check them any time soon. Told someone you love them? Yeah, before we both turned in at like 3 AM lol. Made a phone call? Yeah I also called my girlfriend earlier.

Have you in the last week?

Update: I skipped this survey the whole day and now it’s 10:30 in the evening, and I’ve already done a bunch of stuff I said no ^ to earlier lmao but am too lazy to change. Let’s gooooooo

Travelled on a bus? Nah. The bus personally isn’t my main mode of transpo and I only get to ride them when I’m in a group and there’s no choice but to ride a bus, like for field trips or for group itineraries during vacations.

Washed your face? Yeah. I did this today because my face was feeling annoyingly oily. Put a face mask on for the first time in a long time.

Used a blender? No. I don’t think we even have a blender at home, cos no one ever makes stuff that needs to be blended.

Received a phone call? Sure. Gab and I called several times in the last week, and my grandma has also called from time to time to check up on us because the lockdown has kept us from seeing her regularly.

Talked to someone you dislike? I...don’t think so. If I did I’d definitely talk to Gabie about it, and I haven’t done that with her haha.

Consumed alcohol? Ugh, bleck. Yeah. I wanted to get buzzed last week and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s is the only thing we have in the house so I had a small sip and just... disgusting. Whiskey is just not my thing, so never again.

Eaten pasta? Spot on. We had spaghetti for dinner tonight.

Planned for an event? There is no event to plan, and it’ll stay like this for the next 3-4 months probs.

Asked someone for a favour? Sure, I asked Gab to be the one to write the write-up that’s going to be on my college yearbook.

Watched something funny? I’ve been watching tons of these to fight off boredom during the break.

Trimmed your nails? Yep, they were getting long and uncomfortable so I got rid of them.

Browsed Reddit? Also yep. School kept me busy for a couple of months and I wasn’t able to use Reddit then because I’d usually pass out by evening. But right now I have more than enough time to browse it, so I’ve been doing some catching up.

Talked to yourself? I guess? Not as much as before the lockdown though, because I’ve already been usually by myself throughout this break, and don’t feel the ~need to talk to myself.

Purchased tickets for something? Nah. They cancelled almost all future events up until May or June...there’s no tickets to be bought at all to begin with.

Felt like you were annoying someone? Meh, it happens every now and then.

Cleaned a toilet? I’ve never done this at all.

Reminisced about the past? LMAO yeah. Someone created a Facebook group that lets alumni from my high school just shit-talk the school and bring back (and reveal) old drama, scandals, and controversies. It’s hilarious, it hasn’t pissed me off, and past students exposing teachers who turned out to be trash and/or perverts is so satisfying.

Used headphones? I haven’t had headphones in a while.

Laughed with a friend? Yeah, but just virtually. I haven’t heard most of my friends’ voices in a while.

Cooked dinner and then didn't feel hungry? Nah. I HAVE helped my dad make dinner a few times this week, which is like huge baby steps for me in learning how to cook haha.

Written a list? I don’t think I have in the last week.

Played an instrument? Nope. Felt jealous or envious? It happens. Ignored a text message on purpose? Lol yeah I guess. There were times I got fed up with Gab being such a slow replier that when she replies, I stopped wanting to open my inbox. Congratulated someone? I just did! UP’s med school results were released a few hours ago and I congratulated my friend Michelle for passing. Her decision was super clutch – she initially passed med school as early as high school but she declined it so she can take journalism instead, because it’s what she thought she liked at the time. Four years into the course and she realizes she hated it, so she made the really clutch decision to review for med school exams and she ended up passing every single one she took, UP being the icing on the cake. Honestly I wish I had balls like her.

Have you in the last month?

Made a piece of art? I don’t think so.

Rewatched one of your favourite tv shows or movies? I rewatch Friends at least once or twice a month, so ya got me there.

Called a plumber? We haven’t needed to do this.

Been to a see a doctor? Yup, an optometrist. Something’s been going on with my left eye for a while, so I went in to have a checkup a couple of weeks ago.

Finished a book? I did :o I had to read an entire book to make an essay for my business news class. It’s an investigative piece on the fast food industry, which I honestly dig, so I didn’t have a hard time reading and finishing it.

Had a crush on someone? Sure.

Travelled on a train? Definitely haven’t done this at all, except for that one time three years ago when I had to do it with Jum to go to the House of Representatives in Manila.

Worn heels? I don’t think I did, no. Been to a friend's house? Yeah, I was at Gabie’s a couple times before the lockdown started. Shared a bed with someone? ^ Just her. Been to see a movie at the cinema? Haven’t been to since Knives Out last December. Paid attention to celebrity drama? Nah. High school drama though, I’ve been all over that the last couple of days lmao. Felt anxious? I feel it at least once a day. Taken an elevator? Sure. Given someone the cold shoulder? Only when I don’t reply to Gab because she takes too long to reply, lol yeah. It doesn’t last too long though; it’s just a playful tantrum thing. Purchased a new book/game/movie? Nah, I think I find most of my content on YouTube/Netflix anyway. Applied for a job? Hahahahahahahahahahhaha not yet don’t rush me. Used a printer? I don’t think so. Had lunch in a park? But do we have parks at all? Lmaooooooooo Gotten a manicure or pedicure? Definitely not into those. Made an appointment? Ish? If the one with the optometrist counts. Had a blood test done? Not since 2010. Suffered from a major bruise? Lol dude I haven’t moved a lot in the last few weeks, there’s absolutely no reason for me to get a bruise. Researched a topic in-depth? Yes. I am in school, after all.

Have you in the last year?

Been to the beach? Yep, but it’s been a literal year and not less than, and I am haaaaaardcore missing the beach. No idea when I’ll be coming back.

Visited someone in the hospital? No and I hope I won’t have to for now, given what’s been going on.

Played pinball? Ooh I just did earlier this month! Gab and I went to BGC for a whole night of partying, and when everyone went home we stayed so we can go bar-hopping, and there’s a place called Barcade that’s...well, you get the name. ANYWAY they had sooo many vintage arcade games and a couple of pinball machines, and we didn’t waste time playing each of them. It was sooooo fun.

Travelled on a plane? A couple of times.

Worn a costume? I was Dora for Halloween, so yup.

Been thrift shopping? I don’t...think so?

Thought about getting pregnant or got pregnant? Hell no.

Made a big life decision? Not really. Hasn’t everyone’s lives been put on hold because of this stupid virus?

Changed a lightbulb? Never had at all, really.

Framed something and put it on your wall? Nah. I’m not really that kind of person.

Been stargazing? I’ve been doing this a lot recently cos I’ve been staying at the rooftop at night more often. And with everyone at home, the light pollution has been clearing up and the stars have been so much easier to see.

Made a new friend? If the new applicants for our org count, then yes.

Added to a collection? I don’t have any.

Been to the dentist? Oh yeah. I had a really bad toothache throughout December but the dentist took it all away ahhdkjfhdjsfhsf I’m so grateful lmao.

Broken up with someone? Nope.

Held a baby? That’s a bigger nope.

Created a budget? Nah lmao I would never be able to follow it.

Confessed feelings for someone? Already did.

Had surgery of any kind? Nope and I hope I’ll never need one.

Quit a job? Never had a job,

Been in a car accident? NO thank god hahahahahahaha Purchased something worth over a grand? Yep, one of my Christmas gifts for Gabie was well around two grand. Pesos though, so that’s like roughly $40. Been on vacation at least 500km/300mi from home? Yeah, we always do at least one of these when my dad’s home. Applied for an academic course? Does enrolling count? I’m still in college lmao. Had your photo taken by a professional? I had my grad shoot taken last January.

#survey #surveys

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sulfurousdreamscapes · 5 years

Text

Parts 7/7 complete.

Wow! This is the longest story I’ve written on Sulfurous Dreamscapes yet, I think. It’s wrapped up and presented all neat-like for you to enjoy and share! I hope you like it!

What: Girl with no heart meets demon boy.

How long: 4,300 words

Genre: Dark urban fantasy

CW: Implied sex, firearm violence, threat of physical violence, immolation, suicide mention, death

---

“It’ll only cost you a heart,” the demon at the ferry’s ticket counter said. A faint moustache was growing in above his crimson lips, probably his first one ever. He wasn’t smiling.

“I don’t have one,” I said and held up the purse hanging by my side.

The way he shook his head slightly, it made his tousled hair rock side-to-side. If it weren’t for the meat-red skin and the thick horns emerging from the top of his forehead, I could’ve mistaken him for just any other young man in a plaid shirt.

“Sure you do,” he sat up straight and smirked. It cast the thinnest, darkest shadow from the light of the warm table lamp.

I let go of the purse and let it pat my thigh. “What makes you think I have one?”

He leaned to get a look over my shoulder, but there was no one behind me. There was probably no one around for miles. His lips momentarily parted to reveal a pair of canines shined slick and sharp.

“You don’t get to come this far without a heart,” he said, voice sinking a little deeper. Still, he was too young to sound that mature.

I put my arm out in front of him, wrist facing up, fist lightly balled and bent away.

“No heart,” I said.

He glanced at the wrist for a moment. His own hand encircled mine with room to spare, but he wasn’t checking my pulse. He stood up, taller than me by several inches, and pulled me closer by the arm. With his other hand, he formed an open palm and placed it on my chest.

The demon’s eyes were already looking at the floor far behind me. Whatever he was feeling, he couldn’t let it show on his face, so he just waited and waited. He got nothing.

“I could pay you in coin,” I said as he slowly released his hold of my other hand. I shook on the strap of the purse, making the coins clink.

The demon glanced at my eyes, my chest, and my purse. “I only wanted your heart,” he said. After that last word, his lips stayed open. Just like a little boy, too confused to try and look cool now.

But I smiled and leaned forward, resting my elbows on the counter while he sat down like a good boy. “Looks like I can’t get on the ferry now, can I?”

His nostrils flared for a moment, then he licked his lips. “That’ll be thirty-five,” he pressed three buttons and waited for the whirring printer to co-operate.

I popped the purse open, but kept my eyes on him. He glanced at mine for a moment, just as he was pulling out the ticket paper, which he tore unevenly.

“Maybe I’ll pay you with a heart anyway,” I said, clicking my purse closed again, smiling at him.

“No, it’s fine,” he mumbled, struggling to look in my eyes. “I was just messing with you.”

I pinched his shirt and pulled him close enough to feel his breath. “But I’m not.”

Part 2

Even with his head turned the other way, I recognised him by his horns. Yeah, that was Notchel alright, hunched over the bar in his plaid shirt, nursing a beer. Now and then, he rocked his head to the country music playing from the jukebox.

“Fancy seeing you here, demon boy,” I patted his back and settled onto the stool next to his.

His canines looked a lot less intimidating now, but he pursed his lips soon enough. “Beer?” he asked.

I laughed. “No, I think I’ll have a real drink.”

I got the bartender to make me a tequila sunrise. Notchel glanced at it, then looked at the jukebox again, as if it was an artist putting on a performance.

“Didn’t think you’d be friends with the towners,” I said after a few sips. He pretended not to hear at first, but he half-turned to me soon after.

“I’m not. It’s their town,” he said.

The bartender stepped closer to us with a bubbly smile and wink. “He’s a friend.”

Notchel looked like he was going to say something to that, but he actually shook his head instead.

“Such a kind little demon boy,” I laughed, looking him over, trying to imagine his skin underneath. “Sounds like the towners love you.”

He nodded at the beer. “Everyone loves a demon who doesn’t want to haunt you.”

“’s that why you wanted a heart?” I asked.

Notchel glared at me, and the bartender leaned over the bar with a meaty grin. “What’s this about a heart now?” the middle-aged man grinned, toggling between the two of us.

I took a few draughts of my drink and grinned back at the bartender. “See, at the ferry ticket office, he—”

“Can you please just not,” Notchel groaned, burying his head in a hand. Below his hand, he was breaking into a lightly dimpled smile.

“He wanted my heart!” I laughed.

The bartender laughed with me, and we both looked at the embarrassed demon boy for his reaction. He was shaking his head, which was still in his hands, but at least he was smiling now.

“Did you get it?” the bartender asked, patting Notchel by the shoulder and shaking him a little.

“No,” he said, doing his best to look up at the bartender.

“Yeah, I don’t have a heart,” I grinned, and picked up my drink to finish it.

The song in the jukebox ended, but no new song was picked. The bartender’s smile dissolved into his blush-red face while he stared at me. “You don’t have a heart?” he asked, seemingly through his walrus moustache.

Notchel grabbed my wrist and got off the stool.

The bartender wiped his hands with a cloth and threw it away before bending down and pulling open a drawer.

“Come on, come on,” Notchel pulled my wrist, dragging me off the stool and towards the bar entrance.

From behind me, I heard a shotgun being loaded with shells. A crack, a click.

Notchel barged the door open, throwing down an elderly man who had been standing just outside.

“What’s going on, dude?” I asked, but thankfully, by then I was out of the door and just out of the spread of the shotgun pellets.

Part 3

“Riddle me this, demon boy,” I swerved right on the highway, and then glanced at Notchel. His horns were hidden by the dark, so all I could see of him was his blank, squinting face and his stupid moustache.

“Demon boy,” I called his name out in song. “How come you’ve got the horns and I’m the one getting shot at?”

His hands were resting neatly on each lap. “What happened to your heart?” he asked in response.

“What?”

“You heard me,” he said, and he even looked at me.

“That’s kind of a personal question, you know?” I kept my eyes on the patch of road lit by the headlights. There was nothing in the rear view mirror, so I went easy on the accelerator.

“Did you just never have one?”

I kept my eyes on the road.

“Did it stop working?”

I kept my eyes on the road.

“It broke.”

I hit the wheel with one hand, and I swore. The words hung about the interior of the car, like warm breath. He swore too, a little quietly. Now our swears were together at last.

“Are the pieces still in there?” he was looking at my chest, I noticed.

“Could you stop staring at my chest?” I frowned at him.

“Do you feel them? They’re probably cracking and tinkling behind your ribs. You’d hear them when you sit down and get up, or if you run too hard.”

I didn’t really want to, but I nodded. Sometimes your body is just its own participant in a conversation. The more tired it gets, the more of a life it seems to gain.

Notchel lowered his gaze to the gear stick. “Yeah,” he said, stopping before he said any more.

We didn’t say anything to each other for so long that I could’ve fit in several songs from my favourite playlist.

“Where should I drop you off? The ferry ticket office?” I hadn’t even checked the GPS to know where I was, but I had a lot of gas in the tank.

“Drop me off wherever, I don’t care,” he shrugged. “Just in case something happens to you though…”

It took me a few seconds before I glanced at him and noticed he was staring at me again. “What?” I asked, checking the road for a moment and then looking at him again.

He opened his lips just slightly, and leaned towards me to peck me. Before he could escape, though, I grabbed his collar and pressed my own lips against his. I could tell from his kissing that he wasn’t expecting that.

“Eyes on the road, broken heart girl,” he said as we withdrew, almost allowing himself to laugh.

“Yeah, eyes on the road,” I turned away from him. “Wouldn’t want something to happen to me.”

With no one following us and no car having passed us in some time, I slowed the car.

“Pull over,” he said as he sat up straight in his seat.

I pulled over to the side and unlocked the car doors. “See ya, demon boy,” I said as I killed the engine. As soon as I turned towards him, though, his lips were locked with mine and his hands were gripping me tight, long-nailed thumbs grazing my cheeks.

When I climbed on him, it was still too dark to see him clearly. I could see his eyes though, and that was all I needed. Almost.

“We gotta saw your horns off if you want to kiss me right,” I said.

Part 4

Notchel’s room smelled of old books and sweat. Towers of yellowed paperbacks and faded hardcovers took up half the floorspace. The remaining area was taken up by a wooden wardrobe, a table hosting a laptop and a table fan, and a futon. A tiny slit of mint green carpet was all you could actually walk on. I’d seen Norwegian prison cells bigger than this.

“I thought we came here just to grab ‘a few things’,” I said.

“You did most of the grabbing, though,” he smirked. He was probably going for an ironic sleazeball look, but he just looked like a dork.

“There was nothing to grab. It was more of a pinch, really.”

“Oh, shut up,” he groaned, which made me cackle. It was a very unsexy cackle.

He dropped his smile a moment later. “Someone’s coming,” he whispered.

“I think someone already—” I was about to quip, but he put a hand around my mouth.

Notchel was already pulling his briefs up when the door rattled and slid open. I caught a glimpse of the woman at the door—black, wavy hair; sweat-damp white shirt, dark trousers, and a glare that could set paper on fire. Her skin was a little more pastel than Notchel’s, and her right horn was longer and sharper than his. Her left horn was sawed off.

“Ah, fuck,” she said, and the door slammed shut again.

I turned to Notchel, who was already throwing himself into his jeans.

“Sister? I’m guessing sister,” I laughed.

“Elder. She’s a bitch,” he pulled his zip up and tossed me my underwear. “Probably going to be mad, too.”

“Fun,” I smiled with irony as I got up.

There was barely any space for both of us to get dressed in his room, but he finished first (of course he did), and was approaching the door when it slid open again, a little more cautiously this time.

“You guys done yet? Need any refreshments?” Her livid expression didn’t really match her sarcastic tone. After glaring at Notchel, she stared at me, and then at my chest. I slipped my top on.

“Just came here to grab a few things,” Notchel’s voice was a lot weaker in front of his sister. “We’re getting out of this town.”

Notchel’s sister pulled out her phone and shoved its screen in Notchel’s face.

“No, that’s quite alright, Notchel,” she grit her teeth. “It’s not like I’ve been getting warnings from the townspeople all evening.”

Notchel grabbed the phone from her hands and studied it. I peeked over his shoulder to read one of the messages on the screen. “We tolrated your kidn [sic], but we will not stand for more. Take care of the girl or we’ll take care of her.”

I flicked my gaze up at Notchel’s sister, who stood taller than the both of us. As soon as I met her eyes, she broke out into a gracious grin. Her canines popped over her lips.

“Hi!” she extended a hand towards me. “I’m Catrisse.”

Her handshake was the strongest and firmest I’ve ever had from a woman. Okay, well, from a demon.

“Izzie,” I smiled.

Notchel handed back the phone to his sister. “We’re getting the hell out of Dodge anyway. You coming?”

Catrisse checked her phone for other messages. “Where are you going?”

Notchel shrugged. “We haven’t really decided yet.”

“Actually, we’re going to a place I know,” I cut in. “It’s a twelve-hour drive, though. At least.”

Catrisse grinned at me again. “Can we leave my brother here?”

It got a laugh out of me. “Nah, I don’t think I want the guilty conscience of leaving him here to die.”

“Aw come on,” Catrisse punched my shoulder lightly, “He’s a demon.”

“So are you,” I grinned.

Notchel groaned. “God, I don’t believe you. Both of you. Can we just get to the car before a mob shows up?”

The answer was no, no we could get to the car before a mob showed up. Their cars and trucks had taken over what little parking space there was, and they were waiting with bats, sticks, and rods. I spotted a gun. The bartender was nowhere to be seen, but I didn’t really miss him.

Catrisse took a deep breath and blew it out. “Well, what’s your plan now, boy genius?”

“I’m not a boy,” I cut in before Notchel could answer, which got Catrisse laughing so hard, she closed her eyes and almost hunched over. I mean, it got me laughing too. Catrisse was wheezing by the time the mob had noticed us.

Notchel sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets. “I wish it wasn’t like this. They gave us a home, they let us work… I feel like we’re the ones who betrayed them, you know? I mean, we agreed to the rules.”

Three young men in hoodies and baggy pants marched towards us. They were, in order, Sledgehammer, Knife, and Crowbar. Crowbar seemed to be the leader.

“What was the rule?” I asked.

“No attracting demons apart from us,” Notchel clasped his hand in mine. “If you don’t have a heart, you’d might as well be a demon to them.”

He turned to his sister. “We should apologise. They’ll probably let us go. Maybe they’ll even let Izzie stay.”

I looked at Catrisse too. “Is he always like this?”

The men approaching us were screaming profanities and telling us about all the horrible things they were going to do to us. It was as if internet trolls had come to life.

“Yeah,” she said without looking away from the men. “He’s a dumbass, but he is my brother.”

I raised my hand to protect my eyes as a flash lit up the place. Squinting, I saw Crowbar’s self completely obscured by thick, billowing flames. He didn’t scream for very long, but the other two men did. They broke away and ran.

“Got a lot more where that came from,” Catrisse screamed into the night as car doors slammed and engines came alive.

Part 5

“You pawned your horn?” I slammed the car door and followed Catrisse towards the light-soaked pawn shop. Broken neon signs glowed a list of things the shop would take off your hands. Green dollar signs, the kind with two vertical bars through them. Looked like a supposedly fun place you’ll never visit at a good time in your life.

“No, I didn’t pawn my horn, I just let her keep it,” Catrisse said as she opened the door. A bell tinkled in response, but Catrisse grabbed it and ripped it off of its hook before throwing it over her shoulder, just near Notchel’s feet.

“Did she pay you for it?” I asked. Meier’s Pawn Shop wasn’t large, but it sure was packed. How did they even get that huge reindeer wall hanging through the door? The answer would shock you.

“No she didn’t,” Catrisse frowned at me. “But she did lend me money shortly after.”

“So you pawned your horn.”

“Nooo,” Catrisse complained with a smile. There was no bell at the counter, so she rapped her knuckles on the wood instead. “Look, she and I were a thing, once upon a time. I actually sawed it off for her, the horn, so I could kiss her better.”

I turned to look at Notchel, who was comparing an orange power drill with a yellow one. His horns were just a bit longer than the actual drills.

“Uh,” I cleared my throat. “I hope this isn’t offensive, but…”

Catrisse made that face. That ‘Yeah, I am so over your bullshit before it’s even begun’ face.

Licked my lips for good measure. “Do your horns grow back if you saw them off?”

I waited for her answer, but she just looked at my belly and then the floor for a bit. “No. I don’t know. Maybe? Could be they’re growing so slow it’ll take a hundred years before we see then grow an inch.”

“Do you miss having it?”

Catrisse shrugged. “I mean, it’s a lot more convenient this way, and I haven’t even taken off my other horn yet. And plus, I get to look like Hellboy. You know, if he was a girl. And still had one horn. And was gay. And uh…”

A young man with a goatee appeared through the staff door. He didn’t look like he’d been sleeping at all. He had his eyes on Notchel as he approached the counter, but then he turned to the two of us.

Catrisse frowned. “You new? Where’s H?”

The man leaned forward onto the counter. “H is out of town. Seeing family in Israel. You got business with the shop, I’ll handle it. And tell your brother there to be careful with the shit.”

“The shit. Right,” Catrisse turned away from the man and grimaced at me. “H could’ve put us up for a bit, so this is definitely not going according to plan.”

Notchel put the orange drill on the counter and leaned forward himself. “Patrick,” he smiled just enough to show his canine. “Everything working out for you? Things must be on the up and up since the ferry drowned with your dad on it.”

Patrick looked jaded and expressionless, but the tension couldn’t be thicker. He stood up straight again.

“One night, that’s it,” he groaned. “Dawn breaks, all three of you scamper.”

Notchel grinned. “Thanks, man.”

Part 6

“Hey H,” Catrisse spoke into her phone, sitting with her knees up, caged by the balcony railing. “Hope you’re doing okay. Hope your grandparents are doing okay. Hope they’re still alive.”

She sent the message and then swiped at the phone screen a few times.

Notchel and I sat on the creaking bed, its mattress so worn out that it probably did belong to H’s grandparents. Notchel had his legs crossed, hands on his knees, and eyes closed. He took deep breaths. Demon boy was practising yoga right here in some chick’s apartment after almost getting killed.

“H, yeah, sorry for the messages,” Catrisse began again. “Did you take my old horn with you? I hope it’s a good good luck charm for you. You’ll remember me by it. And if you don’t want to remember me, you can always throw it into the Dead Sea.”

I gripped Notchel’s hand on his knee, and he clasped his fingers over mine. “Notchel, hey,” I whispered to him, and he pulsed his grip in response. “You saved my life there, you know. Thanks. Seriously.”

He winced when I said ‘thanks’. His breathing was off, too.

“Anyway, H, just I thought you should know that I helped someone. It’s this… girl. She isn’t a demon, and Notchel likes her, he has a thing for her. Helped her get out of town, and we’re on the run. We’re holed up in your old place, actually, above the pawn shop. But anyway, you know what means, right?”

I rested my head on Notchel’s shoulder. “I wish I really could give you my heart,” I said. “I’d give it to you in a heartbeat, you know?” I smiled and looked at him to see if he got the joke, but his eyes were closed and there wasn’t a flicker of expression on his face. I pecked him on the cheek.

“H,” Catrisse’s voice was strained now, almost a little dramatic. “I just want to eat stupid fries with you again, while the world burned itself down. Ugh, sorry. Sorry, I’m so sorry.”

She sent the message and broke down crying, rubbing off her tears with the back of her wrist.

“She’s in pain,” I said to Notchel. “You should do something.”

He shook his head dismissively.

“She’s your sister, Notchel,” I put my arms around him. “Come on.”

Notchel took one final deep breath and got off the bed. He approached his sister and hugged her. Her sobbing became louder, and she choked. “What the fuck are you doing, you idiot?” She pushed him away with some force, sending him staggering a few steps back towards the room.

“Am I not enough?” she choked at Notchel, and her eyes were leaking with tears. “You want to get yourself killed too?”

Notchel shoved his hands into his pockets and returned to the bed, where he took up a meditation pose again.

“You were right about her being a bitch,” I whispered to him.

“She’s dying,” he stressed as he closed his eyes. “Every word of kindness, every kind deed, every act of selflessness, it’s a gash into a demon’s body. Rends them apart, leaves them bleeding.”

“You can do something bad though, right? Kill an innocent? Make someone’s life hell? Will that help?”

This time, he put his arms around me. “It won’t. Because me and my sister, we’re the worst demons in the world.”

Part 7

At 4 am, I yawned and opened the door behind the pawn shop counter. Patrick turned to face me, and he could've been a fresh corpse with how pale and tired he looked.

"Do you know H well?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said, well before he looked me in the eye. "Used to know her real good. She left me the shop."

"Before she went to Israel?" I looked around for pictures of her.

"Shit," he shook his head. "Before she died. Wasn't a pretty way to go, but... you know, she said in her note that she didn't want Catrisse to know. I can respect that."

"Oh," I said. That was all I could say, really.

"Yeah," he scratched the back of his neck.

"You're just never going to let her know? She's going to find out, some day. She won't be happy with you then."

He shrugged. "Not my problem," he wiped the counter with a cloth. "She won't be alive by then."

I turned him by the shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"They're coming to get her, right when she's weak, when she's feeling safe and kind." He yawned, and then smiled over a sleepy tear. "You should get out while you can, girl. You're one of us, a human being. They'll be here in a few minutes."

Back in the room, Notchel was sprawled on the bed, possibly having fallen asleep while meditating. Catrisse was sitting in the balcony with her head against the bars. I couldn't tell if she was breathing.

Notchel hard my shoes, and he raised his head dreamily at me. "Izzie?" he croaked.

"Notchel," I crouched in front of his bed and held his hand. "Can you walk?"

"I think," he said, and got off of the bed. His footsteps were heavy, and he had trouble orienting himself. Somehow, he made it to my arms, as if drunk.

"Is Catrisse okay?" I asked.

He looked at his sister and stumbled towards her, crashing in front of her.

"Catrisse," he called out to her, but she didn't move. He shook her shoulder, which only made her head loll. "Hey, come on. Don't mess with me." His voice was getting weaker, but he kept calling her name, imploring her to wake up.

When the tears started streaming down his cheeks, he buried his face in her shoulder and started weeping, hugging Catrisse and shaking her. "Please get up, Catrisse. Why would you do this to me? Why would you do this to H?"

"Notchel," I laid a hand on his shoulder. "H isn't alive. She left a note."

Notchel looked broken when he squinted at me. "That's not... possible." He turned to Catrisse again and tried shaking her awake harder.

"I'm gonna go," I said, standing up. "The townspeople are gonna be here in a few minutes."

"What?" Notchel frowned, confused. His eyes searched for answers. "You can't... You can't leave us like this. You gotta take Catrisse with you, somewhere, anywhere. I'll come."

He struggled to get up, but I stepped away, and he fell to the floor, cursing.

"Sorry, demon boy. I told you, didn't I?" I smiled. "I haven't got a heart."

#writing #writeblr #words #spilled ink #spilled words #original fiction #original prose #short story #short stories #short fiction #fiction #creative writing #literature #prose #spilled prose #writers #writers on tumblr #daily writing

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chemicalmagecraft · 5 years

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I Would Totally Kick Jiraiya’s Butt Chapter 16

A/N: Kind of a timeskippy chapter because there's like a year gap between important events. And I also ended up having a lot of fun with the secret base.

kukukuku~

"So," I said, sitting atop a sealed stone arch, "how does it look?" I took a bite from my chocolate bar.

"It looks really complicated," Naruto said, squinting. I smiled, though. It looked like he was at least following it somewhat, which was good.

"You really fucking want a space-time ninjutsu, don't you?" Kurama noted.

I huffed. "Excuse you. I'm sitting on a space-time ninjutsu. I want to know if it's a functional space-time ninjutsu." I looked at Ai and Tenten expectantly. "Well?"

Ai shrugged. "As far as I can tell, it'll work. You might want to check with your eyes first, though."

I nodded and pulled down my sunglasses. I saw only a few seconds into the future, so the drain was relatively minor; I lost maybe thirty minutes off my day at most. "Right, looks good. Wanna see it?"

"Don't you need to make a second one first?" Tenten asked me.

I grinned lightly. "Well of course I made another one already. I'm like a celebrity chef that way. Keep your arms and legs away from the portal until it's fully formed, unless you want to lose them." I took another bite from my chocolate and swung my legs up away from the portal and sent a command to the two demon sage cores embedded in each arch. I didn't see the safety illusion or portal form from my vantage point, but I did notice the shadow fall over Ai, Tenten, Naruto, and Kurama from how the sunlight was now somewhere miles away. I swung my legs back down once it was safe, using the momentum to swing myself through the portal and, with an application of chakra threads, onto the wall that was where I was sitting on the other side. It was pretty surreal, to be honest. Cool, though.

"Come on in, the water's fine!" I shouted from literal miles away. Or I guess I should maybe use kilometers...

"Why is it so dark?" Tenten asked.

I dropped to the ground. "It's a me-made cave. Wanna see?" I snapped my fingers and activated the light seal I'd placed above the arch.

"It's pretty empty," Naruto muttered. There was in fact literally nothing in the cave, except for a few strategically-placed holes for better air flow and pillars that hopefully would prevent cave-ins.

I shrugged and made a sort of picture frame with my hands, looking at the cave. "You try remotely making an artificial cave in a mountain several kilometers away. Now that I can physically go here I'll hopefully be able to refurbish this place better. Just gotta find a good place to put the gateway arch."

"How did you even find this place?" Ai asked.

"Remote-controlled body killed some bandits. Well, not remote-controlled but certainly not physically me. On the other side of the portal is an abandoned mine they were using as a hideout. It's secluded enough that nobody's gonna find it, hopefully. And once my base is more set up I'll just hide the front entrance." I walked back through the portal, then closed it behind me. I lifted my palm, and the core I was using in the keystone of the arch flew into it. The arch collapsed back into the earth. "I think maybe I'll use my closet for the gate, actually."

kukukuku~

Despite the absolute hell of boredom school was, the next few months passed by surprisingly fast. And even school wasn't really all that bad because I could telepathically communicate with Neji, Tenten, Kurama, Hinata through Kurama, Usagi, Gaara, and Karura. And even if they were all somehow busy, I could split myself without actually manifesting physically as Chikage and talk to myself without being crazy! Well, crazier...

Speaking of Chikage, we unfortunately couldn't figure out a way for her to physically take objects. There were a few ideas that almost came close, namely inscribing seals on her body to allow her to summon a sack or just seal stuff away in her, and then the simple idea of grabbing something from the shadows and trying to move it around, but unfortunately didn't cut it. The sack theoretically worked fine, but as it turns out, summoning makes a lot of chakra "noise" that a well-trained sensor can easily detect, and Danzō took full advantage of that fact. Storage was fine on the detection front, but Chikage had trouble melting into shadows with a physical object stored in her. She could still do it, but the part of her that had the object in it was always completely black and went either very slow outside of a shadow or kinda slow inside a shadow, especially compared to her usual near-light speed. Because we'd only have one shot, we were holding off on using it... And just grabbing stuff from the shadows was even worse, because it was exactly like sealing in terms of results except the object was outside of the shadow.

Moving on to brighter news, I used building the base to train my power. I wasn't two-tailed yet, but I was approaching Shukaku in terms of red chakra already. I also trained up my control of all the elements I had some kind of affinity for, letting me use more and even use two at a time. And yes, I remembered to practice taijutsu this time, meaning I could kick people kinda well. Even more fun, though, is the fact that I inspired other people to do some training. Namely, my friends. Except Kurama who, as he was locked in a small child, was naturally excused. Ino, Shikamaru, and Tenten joined the ranks of budding sagehood. Neji could manage a weak sage mode after a minute or so, and he managed to build up to first tail cloak without getting too bad of a fever. Naruto actually knew jutsu now. At least one of each type! With how I was giving Kurama back his yin chakra, Naruta was unknowingly getting better at using genjutsu, at least a bit. Hinata had gained some confidence and could control an entire one person's body and chakra, going so far as to somehow being able to make people use the jutsu that they knew, despite not knowing them herself. I guess there's some kind of chakra memory? That's probably what Sasori used with his puppets, actually. And Sakura... well technically she didn't do to much training, but she was super strong and I helped her learn how to not break things? I guess that counts as training...

Next topic, the secret base was awesome! It took me months to actually dig out all the rooms and stuff, then another month or so to find or make all the furniture and decorate it, but secret base! I also took to trying to do engineering after finding some broken up electronics. I probably wasn't the best at it, but with magnet release and Chikage's ability to possess objects essentially letting me scan things, I could do all kinds of cheating. So yeah, I modded a generator to be able to power it solely with magnet release, which was pretty simple, actually. Then, when I was finally able to fix up the minifridge I'd found, I got some snacks in my base. Well, I already had a pantry but I was able to have more stuff. I was hoping to actually make original stuff, though. Like maybe a magnet release-powered railgun. That would be fun. Or actually, if I could somehow make myself a 3-D printer or something like that knowing generally how that stuff works, that would also be useful. I didn't know what to do about plastic, but I at least knew how those things that you use to sand down stuff like metal or wood into particular shapes worked. Long-term goal, though...

In addition to the portal room, my base had some neat features. There was a sort of living room, which was where I put the snacks and some books. I was also trying to figure out how to hook up a TV in there, but that was probably a losing battle... There was also a theater that I was hoping I'd be able to use at some point, though I had yet to find any projector, much less one that was either usable or easy for me to repair. I mean I guess I could just genjutsu up visuals, but where's the fun in that? Okay nevermind that actually sounds really fun. I had my scrying room, which was just a fancy room I'd made with a really big crystal ball and some other stuff I could use for scrying. I made sure that that room in particular was visually impressive.

For the actually practical stuff, I had a mechanical workshop for mechanical projects, a fuinjutsu workshop near it for fuinjutsu projects, a poison/medical room for take a wild guess, and a gigantic storage room for materials. The mechanical workshop was really only just a table with scrap metal and reference books on it so far, but I was hopeful! The fuinjutsu room looked a little more impressive. It had shelves of scrolls on the walls, and a desk with a buttload of ink bottles on it. I ended up doing a lot of work there, because it turned out I could sell a bunch of basic paper bombs for a lot of money through my dad. Don't you just love it when your dad helps you sell a whole demolition team's worth of real-ass bombs? And then the storage room was just for storing the rest of the junk I had, plus the ores and stuff I managed to find and promised myself to mess around with someday.

The poison/medical room... was a work in progress. I mean, I kinda had some of the poison stuff going. The half of the room I had for poison was well-ventilated and separated from the other half with a glass barrier. Turns out Chikage just... had sand powers because I ate enough Shukaku. I knew I had magnet release, but I didn't actually expect that I'd have been able to generate pure silica sand. Seriously, how does earth jutsu work? And my scrying room was useful for figuring out exactly what to do with that to make nice, clear glass from that. Turns out you have to get sand surprisingly hot to make glass, but I made do by using a demon sage core for some extra chakra. I also used my glass magic to make all that mad sciencey glass paraphernalia you always see in mad science labs, using an Orochimaru base I could scry for reference.

Side note: I also ended up selling glass figurines and stuff because wouldn't you know it, the ability to make high-quality glass through supernatural powers makes for really pricey glass stuff, especially after I figured out how to alter the sand slightly to make colored glass. Seriously, that dragon was just... I was almost tempted to keep it because it was so beautiful, but I made so much from it. And then I realized I could make more. My base became so awesome a week or so of no sleep after that. I also jammed a bunch of glass in a scroll, because first off having a scroll that launches shards of glass at whoever you point it at like a literal glass cannon is a pretty good weapon and second off having shards of glass you can control with your mind with you at all times is a pretty good weapon.

Where was I? Oh, right. Deadly poison. I managed to work out a recipe for a decently good and fast-acting death poison with some help from Anko using the flora of the mountain range. It was a strangely convenient mountain range for poisoning. What a coincidence. I also made a bit of a garden for the ingredients that I could take from so I didn't have to go searching for more ingredients. I put that stuff in some Skyrim-looking potion bottles (made from glass, of course) so that I could just take a few of with me. I was hoping to use those with senbon for some sneaky kills. I also ingested tiiiiiiiiny amounts of the stuff (At large enough gaps, of course. I'm a mad scientist in training, not an idiot.) to try and build up my poison resistance, at least to my own stock. As for the medical side, well... I had a first aid kit and a few cruddy stone beds with stabilizing seals and chakra reservoirs attached to demon sage cores that would hopefully do more good than harm to anyone placed on the beds. I'm not Tsunade, that's good enough for me. The scalpels I put in there were really more for show and using my ferrokinetic powers on in the case of a home intruder. Seriously, why is Shukaku actually the most overpowered bijū aside from the Jūbi? Not that I'm complaining, of course.

I also had a bit of an exercise room made. Really, it was mostly just a track for jogging, a bunch of rocks with various weights to pick up and throw around, and a rock wall. And I found a secluded forest clearing far enough away from my base that I could hopefully use it to test bombs without worrying about the shockwaves damaging my base, at least if I kept them small enough. And it looked like it would be a pretty good training ground. I mean, I had another idea for the bomb range and training ground, but that'd do for now. I didn't exactly have enough demon sage cores to float a giant platform yet...

And of course, I wasn't the only one there. I mean, technically I was, but turns out Usagi can split themselves pretty much infinitely, so long as there are enough demon sage cores. I mean, there was still an "original" Usagi that was still carrying out their original mission and was more intelligent than the copies, but Usagi's intelligence had ended up filling all the demon sage cores that I wasn't directly using, making a bunch of hive-minded servants made of rock for me that populated my base. We were originally almost the same personality-wise, but it seemed like Usagi grew slightly... off from me. For one, the politeness wasn't an act anymore. To be honest, that was kind of disturbing, especially coupled with how I was ordering around these versions of me who were disturbingly polite. Still, they were useful because, as I said, a bunch of hive-minded servants. They fetched stuff for me.

kukukuku~

I admired a glass "gem" Chikage had just made. "Do we even need a 3-D printer?" I asked, tossing it up lightly. "This is some dang good glass, not to mention the fact that we can control it. Sure, we may want to also work on metal, but that shouldn't be too much of a step up from metal when we get more power, though we probably can't just conjure up more iron."

She stopped fiddling with the guitar she'd made from her chakra body. "Sounds legit," she agreed, then started making sounds like a cat coughing up a hairball. Her throat glowed and she spat up a ball of molten glass. "I am the 3-D printer." I still had no idea how magnet release could be used to control molten glass, but to be fair it could be used on regular sand, which isn't magnetic in the slightest.

"Hey, I have an idea," I said as I watched her mold the glass into the rough shape of a kunai, then let it start cooling so we could clean it up later. Glass blades, though a little fragile, are super sharp if you do 'em right. "You up for another blade?"

"Hit me with it." I sent my idea to her telepathically. What, you thought I was just going to tell you? She grinned and spat out another glob. I thought for a moment about how spitting molten glass would probably be a pretty good ninjutsu by itself, though that was a thought for later. Chikage waved her hands over the glob of molten glass, elongating it. The blade was longer than a kunai, but much thinner. It was intentionally weak, though not enough to fail to stab through someone. The blade didn't have a handle yet, that'd come later... "Let's hope this idea actually works, 'cause we're basically grasping at straws here."

kukukuku~

Chikage

Uchiha Shisui paused on his walk home. He surveyed the dark street and placed a hand on his blade. Something was following him. He noticed something in the shadows, and activated his Sharingan. "Who's there?" he asked. He saw an outline in the shadows.

"Uchiha Shisui," the shadow said. I bet you can tell by now just who that shadow is. "Your life is in danger."

He raised an eyebrow. "And I'm supposed to trust the shadow demon that's stalking me?"

I pushed a dagger out of my shadow, hilt first. "This is for you." I slowly moved toward him until he cautiously grabbed it.

"The blade is made of glass. What use is a glass dagger?"

"The Thorn of Spite. It was made to kill one man who is better off dead, and is sufficient for that purpose." The first of the enchantments I'd sealed onto the dagger activated, transcribing a storage seal onto his skin. The dagger automatically entered, and the seal hid itself. "It will show itself in the event your eyes fail you. You will know who you must kill then." Unencumbered of the dagger, I was able to move far away in an instant.

And then I came back. "Just to be clear, the dagger isn't for suicide."

He snorted. "Yeah, I figured." I disappeared again. He stared at his palm. "The hell was that?"

#fanfiction #naruto fanfiction #naruto #I Would Totally Kick Jiraiya's Butt #IWTKJB CH16

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iheartsurveys · 6 years

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189

Hey, what’ve you been up to today? I’m off until Thursday when I start my new job, so I slept in, ran some errands annnnd yeah that’s pretty much it. Oh and I’ve been binge-listening to the podcast Serial’s first season. I decided I should get in to podcasts since I’ll be commuting on the metro for work and may get tired of listening to my music all the time, so I started Serial just to see what it’s about and wow I’ll probably finish season one before I start work lol Do you like Chinese food, Mexican food, or American food better? It really depends on my mood... I crave Mexican the most though probably Is your TV HD? Yeah, aren’t most all HD these days? What’s your favorite thing to order from Taco Bell? I don’t eat Taco Bell. I used to looooove their cinnamon twist things though, they were good What do you think of off-brand soda? Eh, I prefer brands, even if non-brand tastes the same

Do you save pennies? Not specifically pennies but I save change in general just because it’s good to have sometimes. Are there any windows in your room? Two What’s your favorite scent? I just answered this fairly recently. I have so many favorites...cookies, fresh bread, apples, currently super into balsam ~tis the season and whatnot Do you like hot, cold, or lukewarm showers?

It depends but typically hot unless it’s really hot outside, then lukewarm ish Do you know what all the buttons on your remote control do? Nope If you could house any pet, what would it be? Giraffes are very impractical to have as pets I think but ugh I’d love a giraffe. I’m good with dogs though, even though Britt has a pup that I spend a lot of time with because we live together, and I see my home pups a decent amount of times a month, I still want my own dog :( def can’t since I’m starting this new job, at least not yet

Do you smoke cigarettes? Nah What about weed? Also nah Do you pluck your eyebrows? Yeah sometimes. For a few years I didn’t get them waxed and just periodically tweezed but they got crazy so I’ve waxed them a few times in the last few months Do you keep your room clean? I try to but it does get messy as the week goes on. I think it’ll be better now that I’m no longer working from home Do you carry a wallet or a purse? I carry a wallet in my purse Would you rather it rain or snow? Maybe snow. Rain gives me migraines sometimes Dark hair or light hair? Dark Do you grit your teeth a lot? No but I think I clench my teeth in my sleep sometimes Do you like to swing? On a swing set, sure. Not in a relationship lolllll How about jumping on a trampoline? I haven’t in a while but I enjoy it Do you like when it snows, or does it just ruin your plans? I liked snow when I was in school and it got cancelled, but now as an adult it’s kind of an inconvenience more often than not Do you like the taste of beer? Not particularly. I can drink some though Are you toe nails currently painted? Nope Do splinters really hurt as bad as people portray them to? Sometimes they do Have you ever had Vodka and Red Bull? Yeah as a shooter Futhermore, what’s your favorite energy drink, if any? I used to drink Red Bull in college but don’t anymore. So none Do you have long eyelashes? Sadly not really. They’re decent and can look pretty long with good mascara but naturally they’re just eh Do you have long fingernails? Yes actually, my nail beds are deep af. I weirdly used to be super insecure about having long nails like even when I cut them they’re still a decent length...that was back in middle school though now I’m like fuck yeah my nails are great lol Do you have long arm hair? It’s a normal length I think? Do you shave your legs? Yes when I feel like it Is your hair healthy? My ends are kinda dead currently but I don’t want to cut it How often do you wash your hair? Every other day at least, sometimes longer than that depending on how it looks/what’s going on in my life Do you love Family Guy, or hate it? I’m not a fan Does your family put up Christmas lights? Not outside, no. Britt and I may put some on our balcony though What third generation console is your favorite? PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii? Wii Do you use a closet or a dresser to put your clothes in? I use both What do you think about guys who wear pink? Good for them who gives a fuck what color people wear it’s 2018 Which do you like better – carpet or wood floor? Wood looks better If you could have any car, what kind would it be? A Jeep, I like both the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler. I’d also die if I had an old VW van Do you cuss a lot? Yeah a decent amount What religion are you? None really. Raised Catholic and had communion but we kinda fell off the church wagon after that and now that I’m older I’m like hmm, idk what I believe tbh. So that’s that Have you ever done drugs? No What kind? - What’s your favorite fast-food restaurant? Chick-fil-a Do you like kids? Some haha, some can be bratty How often do you like to have sex? I’m single, not in a friends w/ benefits situation & not casually hooking up with randos sooooo yeah I’ll keep ya posted when that changes lol Do you do your own laundry? I’m 24. So yes. Do you have a cell phone or do you use a house phone? Cell Do you throw shit under your bed? I have a under-the-bed bin with summer clothes/shoes and my printer under my bed and that’s it Are you any good at math? I mean, basic math yeah. And I was good at geometry. But the rest, nah Do you like Dairy Queen? Omg I looooove DQ Zoe and I always used to go senior year Are you currently in college? If not, do you plan on going? I graduated two and half years ago holy shit I’m getting old How the fuck are your grades anyway!? I did pretty well minus like 2-3 stupid classes...well 2 stupid classes the other I kinda dropped the ball on on my own but hey I didn’t fail any! I’m really annoyed though that I have these recurring dreams about school like the ones where I never went to class and show up for the final and I’m like omg I’m gonna fail! Or I have the “I missed the bus oh noooo” dream and yeah idk I dream about school a lot and hate it because I’m always stressed lol Do you skip school often?

Lol contrary to my dreams I did not skip all semester. I did skip on occasion, depending on the class/time of day. Oh but actually senior year I took a 100 level international relations course that had over 100 people in it and we had 4 exams total which made up the whole grade, and the exams were open note, so I legit never went to class aside from the first one and for the exams and I did well

#survey #surveys

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evilsnowswan · 7 years

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BREAK | Based on [X] and [X] | [Playlist]

Summary: [Rumbelle Surfers!AU]

In the township of Torquay, Victoria, Australia, gateway to the Great Ocean Road - or rather on the beautiful shore of Bells Beach, a renowned surf spot – Belle French is a surfer girl who no longer surfs. Until, one evening, she does and the events following that decision leave her with more questions than answers and a reluctant new acquaintance, who might or might not be willing to help her unravel the knots.

Rating: G - for now || Chapter: 3/? || Chapters: [Chapter 1][Chapter 2]>>[Chapter 3] || AO3 Link: [Read on AO3]

A/N: Wow, it’s been forever and a half. I just can’t write about beaches and surfers when the ground is covered in snow and I’m freezing half to death. Well, spring is back and so is this story.

Chapter 3

Friday night. High tide. Swamped with customers, the Crazy Sea Horse buzzed and hummed with conversation and laughter.

Waves of new people, impatient and ravenous, kept rolling in from the street in sets of 3, 5, 10 at a time - tourists and locals alike - expecting to be seated and fed immediately, even when it was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes and a working brain that the place was overcrowded already and threatening to burst at the seams at any moment.

Everyone, their grandmother, and the dog had apparently decided that tonight was the night to be out and about. It was good for business, of course, to be expected even - on a warm spring night like this. But the crowds - how they swarmed the streets, the beach, the pubs, like hungry, flashy bees, wasps, hornets - they made her angry and her head sting.

Plating up her next order, Belle zigzagged ketchup and hollandaise on poached eggs and fries with more vigor than would have been strictly necessary, then placed the hot plate under the heating lamp and dinged the bell.

The sound cut through her like a cold steel knife.

Her head hot and humming low, she didn’t wait for the plate to vanish, but went back to chopping up onions and herbs straight away, her eyes fixed on the next batch of eggs on the stove. There was no time for a loo break - or a nervous breakdown.

Their dock printer had run out of paper over half an hour ago, but she couldn’t have made it to the office and back to her kitchen in time - unless she cloned herself first. Ignoring the intermittent high-pitched beeping and her full bladder, Belle pushed through the chaos and backlog of queued up orders, holding her breath and crossing her legs.

The never ending string of demands bellowed through her little window rang in her ears and made her hands tingle. Juggling her pans and pots, bowls and knives, a cloud of steam and spices filled her face and crept deep into her lungs.

Turning her head and ignoring the sharp pain in her neck, Belle stopped to cough into her arm, then straightened her back and tightened her grip on the slippery handles.

“Madness!” Will dumped the dirty dishes on the floor, yanked open the dishwasher, and pushed them inside.

Bussing was the pits. But even bussing on nights from hell didn’t stop this guy from whistling Nova’s latest hits as he went about his cheerful business.

“Behind,” he added - after a beat and as an afterthought - as though she hadn’t already felt him bustling about behind her, and wasn’t feeling his eyes linger on her now either, his easy smile prickling hot and rough on the back of her neck.

Sand and golden honey.

Belle stiffened and turned, her best plastic smile in place.

His face fell a little before he caught it mid-drop and hastily rearranged his expression. “Shit, Peaches. You okay?”

Plum, not peach.

She held his gaze.

“Busy, sweaty, greasy.” Smiling was tedious. Why did people do it? Belle wiped her hands on her apron. “The usual.”

The way he was watching her - carefully, cautiously, searching, but not asking - not out loud anyway, made her suddenly awfully aware. Aware of her body, and what it might tell him, what it might tell the world about her. And in that moment, she hated him for it.

“Need a hand? — Or five?” He stepped closer and peered over her shoulder. “That smells divine.”

She could see the question forming on his face before he asked it.

“How about we share a plate out back later?”

Belle wanted to tell him no. Tell him there was no time. Tell him she’d used her break already.

“Alright,” was what she said instead, hands brushing her hair away from her sticky forehead under her cap, her thoughts safely bubble-wrapped and tucked away for later. ‘Yes’ was so much easier than no. ‘Yes’ meant no further questions asked and no more lies told. Lies she had to keep track of.

“Or, I could make you some now-” she began, hopeful, but he cut her off with a grin and a soft shake of the head.

Cold sweat trickled down her spine.

“Nah, I’ll wait for you. Got more rounds to make.” Stepping backwards, he tapped his cap and pointed at the roaring dishwasher. “People are pigs.”

“Yeah. And you’re their dish pig.”

Salty grease burned on her cracked lips as she ran her tongue over them. It only made the burn worse.

He laughed, picked up an empty crate. “In a few, chef piglet.”

The door swung shut behind him, and Belle exhaled through her nose. “Right.”

Orders kept coming, kept her on her feet all night. She had to go with the flow, think less and move quicker, but her mind was elsewhere and she wasn’t fast enough, which earned her another nasty burn across her palm.

The smell of burned flesh.

Belle barely flinched and carefully lowered the heat. A few blisters were no excuse for a ruined meal and a dissatisfied customer.

Not that it mattered, she thought, poking at a blister with the index finger of her other hand. What was another scar anyway? She put her palm under cold running water and covered it with a more-or-less clean dish towel wrap after. From the neck down, there was hardly any part of her that wasn’t scarred. One more wouldn’t make a difference.

She had once read a story where your life got tattooed onto your skin, all your small victories and big mistakes out there for everyone to see forever, and the thought hadn’t scared her then, seemed strangely romantic even - in that edgy kind of way that made her heart beat faster. She had gotten her first kiss that summer. Days were bright and endless.

The night went on, her shift ended. Will hadn’t come back to make good on his promise. Sometimes - when they were working the same shift, and he was behind the bar - he fixed her a coffee. Chocolate mocha. Without asking. And she took it wordlessly - for it would have been rude not to - paying in fake smiles and polite nods.

She didn’t have any friends, and neither did she want them, but a cup of coffee every now and then was innocent enough. It didn’t mean anything. A hot drink in a paper cup was just that.

Belle untied her apron, balled it up, and threw it on the laundry pile in the back.

In the beginning, she had always made sure all her orders were complete, dishes and laundry done, and her kitchen up to code. She would have grabbed clipboard and sharpie, and headed into the cool room, checking every pasta container, homemade sauce, and pre-made dessert, and replacing everything that wouldn’t have passed a surprise health inspection. She had been happy staying past closing time, by herself, when the Sea Horse was quiet and the lights low, following instructions from the manual, adding her own little twists to the trusted recipes and enjoying the still and calm in her head.

She hadn’t made rounds or looked at the manual in a while. So far they hadn’t had any complaints.

Belle took off her cap, pulled off the blue bandana she had been wearing underneath to keep the sweat away from her face, and freed her hair from the elastic hair tie where she’d scraped it back into a ponytail earlier - to run her fingers through it and comb out some of the grease.

“Hey, Peaches!”

Belle flinched so hard the jolt ran up her arms and caused a painful pileup between her shoulder blades.

“Sorry.” Will eyed her through the window, one eyebrow raised. “Didn’t mean to startle ya. Uh—” He blinked. Belle saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “A bunch of us are going to Nana L’s to grab a bite. Want to come? You could ride shotgun with me or hob in with Rob - if you don’t mind the detour. He’s picking up Mar first.”

Belle’s heart raced. Had it jumped out of her chest and made a run for it, it would have beaten them there. She clasped her hands together in front of her body, pressing down on the dish towel and concentrating hard on taking slow steadying breaths - in through the nose, wait seven seconds, then out of the mouth again - while making it look like she was simply taking a moment to think about it.

“Some brekkie would be great!” Her voice was thick as pancake batter, the enthusiasm in it oh so sweet, but sticky like gum and gluing her jaws shut. “Oh. No. Wait. It’s Saturday.” Belle cast her eyes down apologetically, biting her lip, and then releasing it with a soft popping sound. “Arianna needs the car on Saturdays. Next time?”

“Sure.” He looked disappointed for a second, but rallied in the next, and gave her a radiant smile.

In another life, she would have liked everything about that smile: The way it seemed to start in his eyes rather than touch them last, turning bleak brown into warming chestnut. The way it revealed his very white teeth, stark contrast to thick eyebrows and tanned skin, and made him look like summer spent someplace exotic (although he was a Brit). How his dimples deepened, and the tips of his slightly protruding ears blushed - even when his cheeks did not.

“Sorry.” Belle said, and part of her actually was.

She wasn’t that girl anymore, though, and her clenching stomach and closing throat wouldn’t have allowed any other answer but ‘no’ to get past her lips.

“No worries,” Will said. “See you Monday then?”

“Yeah.”

“If you change your mind-” He winked at her, held up a hand in farewell, and vanished from sight.

Belle heard him wish Leroy and Ashley good morning on his way out. His footfalls faded away. She was alone again, shivering in her black cotton shirt despite the stale humidity in the room. Alone with her heartbeat in her ears, and ants crawling up her legs. Alone, but for the distant sounds of chairs scraping on linoleum, the hurried swish-swashing of mops pushed back and forth across it - and clanking against table legs ever so often, and the little radio blaring out the same ten songs over and over again as people across town started their day, brushing their teeth, drinking their coffees, and taking their kids to school.

Spring was almost over, days were getting warmer and warmer. Soon schools would be out, and the beach would be packed with children, families, and tourists. Not that she intended ever going back there again. Not after last night. Not without her board.

Her mother’s board.

Belle punched her own forearm hard. How could she have lost it?! It had been such an idiotic, reckless thing to do. She knew she was lucky to be alive, but it didn’t feel that way.

Christmas was fast approaching, and the thought alone made her yearn for the dark void at the bottom of the sea.

It was warm at Christmas time. She used to wear shorts and t-shirts almost all year long.

Belle tugged on the sleeves of her shirt, pulling them over her hands, and blinked away the blurry spots until the wall tiles were separate squares again and she could count them, starting at the top left corner and making her way down to the bottom right - where tiles met counter and appliances. Various utensils and kitchen helpers forced her to guess more than once, which made her a little uneasy.

She had been slammed by her board and was one big bruise. Not a pretty sight. Not to mention the old scars and fresh cuts. They wept and itched underneath her clothing, stuck to the fabric, and drove her insane. Nobody would have guessed it, though. Belle made sure of that. Heavy duty makeup covered up all traces on her face, and her baggy pants and loose-fitting shirt did the rest.

When she woke up, it had hurt so bad that she had almost stayed home. Calling in sick wasn’t an option, however, and more trouble than it was worth, so she had dragged herself out of bed regardless, taken a handful of pills and gulped them down with two large glasses of ice cold water, then tracked down the car keys.

It didn’t matter. None of it.

She grabbed the front of her shirt and smelled it. Cold fish and chips wrappings. Musk.

She never wore board shorts and tank tops anymore.

Her clothes rail was large hoodies, long-sleeved shirts - to be worn under her work polos, and pants: two black ones - for work, and one faded jeans. She also owned a pair of sneakers, black canvas shoes, and a couple thongs - at various stages of falling apart. All her underwear was practical and cheap, black or nude colors, and stuffed into the bedside cabinet drawer.

She owned no books that could have claimed their rightful place there. The books were back — at the house. They weren’t hers anymore.

The only thing she had was that board. And now it was gone. Broken beyond repair. Dead and lost to her forever.

Belle ran a hand through her hair. She stared at the tiles.

A knock on the door broke through her thoughts, and had her jump out of her skin for the second time in what felt like both a few seconds and half a century.

Belle’s heart thumped, her belly churning as she worried about who was outside her door and what they could possibly want her for at this hour.

“Mira?” Ashley knocked again, but didn’t enter. Probably because the last time she had and caught her off guard, Belle had dropped a large jar of green peas, and they had spent the next thirty minutes on their hands and knees to collect them off the floor and sweep up the broken glass.

“Maristela wants to know if you could, um, swap shifts with me next week? Friday?”

Belle fought the urge to sneer her reply. Maybe not everyone else did, but Maristela knew she only worked nights. It had been part of their deal. Belle would cover each and every shift Maristela needed her to - as long as they weren’t during the day, and she didn’t have to leave her kitchen and interact with their guests.

Maristela never asked for reasons and Belle was grateful.

Her co-workers, on the other hand, were another matter entirely. Some more nosy than others, by now everyone on the team had more or less accepted Belle’s preference for odd hours, simply assuming inherent oddness and a bad case of crippling shyness to be behind it. It suited her just fine. Shyness was as good an explanation as any, and Belle led them to believe it was her introverted nature that had her dodge whatever was on their social calendars, and give the break room a wide berth.

The break room was where she had to go next - if she wanted her car keys. To get there she would have to open that door and deal with Ashley.

Belle sighed and rubbed at her eye, then reached for the knob.

“Hi, Ashley,” she said. “She did? I must have missed her earlier - I’m sure she would have said something. Next Friday, you say?”

Ashley nodded, and Belle let her face fall.

“I’m so sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t make Friday next week. I got this exam first thing Monday, and I really need the weekend to cram.” Belle lifted a shoulder and let it fall, looking as sorry as possible… for the inconvenience and all that. Girls like Ashley didn’t scare her, but they could make your life difficult if they felt wronged and wanted to.

Play it dumb, but be nice about it. Grovel a little, say your ‘I’m so sorry’s’ and ‘oh my god, really’s’, and placate.

Ashley pulled a face. “Oh no, Mira. I was counting on you!” She heaved a dramatic sigh.

“You could ask Will,” Belle suggested. “He’ll swap with you, I’m sure.”

“You think?”

“Totally.”

Ashley pondered her suggestion in pouty silence for a moment, but then decided she liked the idea, offering a sly, suggestive smile that made Belle’s stomach turn.

“He’d do it for you, I’m sure.”

Belle left her face blank and clueless. She wasn’t taking that bait. No way.

“He’s always around that kitchen of yours, hovering by the window and all.” Ashley’s eyes narrowed, and she lowered her voice to a girly whisper. The kind Belle hated. “I think he likes you!”

She shook her head. “He’s… nice. That’s all.”

Was that pity in Ashley’s eyes?

“If you say so, Mira.” She smiled a knowing smile - even when she didn’t know the first thing about anything. Girls like Ashley never did. They only thought they did with that unwavering, insufferable confidence. “What was it you’re studying again?”

Belle almost choked on her own spit and had to clear her throat twice - which gave her time to think.

“Cooking, right?” Ashley prompted.

The word you’re looking for is Gastronomy, Belle thought. Or catering trade, maybe. “Close,” she said. “First year Nutrition and health at VU.”

“Same difference really.” Ashley rolled her eyes, but then smiled at her. “Your chicken parm and burgers are so good, though!” She exclaimed, wide eyed. In all her time at the Sea Horse, Belle had never seen her eat more than a salad, snack on some fruit, or finish a whole bread roll by herself, exclaiming how full she felt instead, and how good everything was. Didn’t the others want to try it? Have the rest of her fries?

“Thanks!” Belle smiled back sweetly. “You should try the avocado ‘n’ beef next time. We only put it on the menu last week, but I think it’s a keeper.”

“You bet!” Ashley beamed at her. “That sounds delish.” She fake-rubbed her non-existent belly. “Too bad the kitchen is closed already.”

“The kitchen closes at ten. All orders must be placed before that time,” Belle recited in a stern voice that made Ashley giggle and raise her hands in front of her in surrender.

“I know, I know!” She laughed.

Belle tried not to flinch when she touched her arm.

“Hey. Don’t worry about the shift. I’ll make it work.”

“Yeah, I’m real sorry.”

“It’s fine. Really.” She yawned and stretched her arms above her head, flexing her fingers, and Belle suddenly remembered her own heavy tiredness. The drugs were wearing off, her body ached all over, and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and not come back out for another decade or so.

She stifled a yawn behind her hand.

“We should both go and get some sleep,” Ashley said. “Coffee won’t fix whatever we got.”

She looked at her for a reaction to the punch line, but Belle missed her cue. The frustrating high-pitched ringing in her right ear was back.

Water damage, wave collateral. Just like the rest of her.

Ashley cocked her head and gave her the once-over, scrutinizing her face in a way that made the heat rush to Belle’s cheeks.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Ashley said slowly, in a low, friendly voice. She almost sounded concerned. Almost. “But you look like crap.”

“Gee, thanks!” Belle forced a laugh. “It’s been a long night, you know.”

Ashley nodded. Her pocket buzzed.

“Your ride?” Belle asked. “You know what - why don’t I get the rest of your supplies … I’m headed to the back anyway. I could close up for you, if you want?”

“Really?! That would be great! Thanks! — You’re a lifesaver!”

Ashley hugged her, and Belle wanted to scream.

Then she pulled out her phone to text back whoever was waiting for her outside.

She wanted to turn around and leave to get her stuff, but Ashley held her back by the arm.

Belle bit her cheek to keep quiet.

“Oh, Mira! I almost forgot! —” Ashley rummaged in her other pocket, and produced a crinkled piece of paper, which she handed to Belle. “Customer left this for you. I only now remembered.”

She swooped in for air kisses, doing the fake cheek thing Belle wouldn’t be caught dead trying with anyone. It happened so fast, it didn’t leave her time to panic, so she resorted to just not moving at all until it was over, her steady smile lifted like a shield.

Ashley’s phone buzzed again.

“Gotta go! Bye!”

Belle stood and stared - at nothing in particular - until the spell broke, and she felt she could move again. She smoothed out the paper ball in her fist, and brought the note up to her eyes to read it. The words were smudged, or maybe that was her tired eyes playing tricks on her.

She frowned and fixed the first word to throw focus.

The paper read:

Dear… Ms. Mirabelle French… , We would like to inform you that your latest order/repair is now ready for collection. Please contact: Marco - Driftwood Inc. -

#rumbelle fic #rumbelle au #belle french #rumplestiltskin #surfer!au #my fic #fic: break

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