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queerlyhalloween · 4 years ago

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Not to sound like the joker™️ but i hate western society. I know that hair and clothes aren't gendered, so do most of my mates, ive been working hard at unlearning the internalized transphobia that's just a part of being trans in the UK and actually ALLOWING myself to think about going on hormones and dressing in ways other than "ambigious as possible" despite the fact im non-binary

i grew myself a little mullet because ive not been working in the pub and wanted solid snake hair, ive allowed myself to look at my face and the long hair around it and not despair because i know that longer hair doesn't make me a woman, but the moment you go into a shop, or get takeaway or pass by people in the street its all "move out the way of this lady!" and "thank you, ma'am"

i dont want the gender option of 'other' on my ID i want to know 1 good reason why gender should be listed on an ID in the 1st place

ive just come back from the range and i had my hair up like some e-thot fuckboy, i had to go BACK to the range because they got my click and collect order wrong so ive got two members of staff looking over my order, im dressed in black jeans and a black masc-looking ripped shirt, mask covering half my face and as the manager's showing the kid who served me the receipt they go "oh I served that guy earlier" and the manager corrects them "its a lady". I say "im niether" and they both just stare at me like im a toddler. Im already panicking because the air feels the same way it did when some cunt came after me in the pub toliets. "dont worry about it :)" i say, they both turn back to the tills and completely ignore me.

Anyway, micro-aggressions, ive experienced a lot of them for many reasons over the course of my life and today ive decided to snap.

Not at the people in the range like, just in general.

I will never pass. That's just an element of trans euphoria i will never get to experience. Not right off the bat, anyway. Not where i live, and most likely not in my lifetime. Maybe for kids in LA or Brighton, and hey power to you guys man im happy for you, but people assume or guess m/f when they look at me and they will never get it right.

So when i see people on this site try and twitter etc rank "who's the most oppressed"™️ like a godamn smash bros tier list it blows my mind because of all the things you could spend your days doing thats what youre expending energy on?!

You could be the exact same age, race, sex, gender, sexuality, you could have the exact same disabilities, mental health conditions and money in your bank as another person on this site and you'd still never understand what they've been through. Our experiences, our families, our morals and lives are always gonna be different and the moment you try to write definitive rules on whose got it worse you've already lost and you're already wrong. Oppressed classes are not a fucking hivemind and pretending they are is only going to cause you more problems. I get the strong sense that some of you looked at the word intersectionality, went "ah yeah, i know what that means" having never read up on the matter, then proceeded to play the pain olympics.

And its creating a culture where kids feel the need to spills their souls online to justify living their lives!

You've not listed your disabilites in your bio so you're able-bodied. You're Irish but haven't listed your race so you're white. You're cis man so you've never played with gender and suffered as a result. You're asexual so clearly you're a cringeworthy baby who's never experienced a wrong-doing in their life.

The reverse is true too, if you list every aspect of yourself then you're automatically honest. The more opressed you are the less likely you are of causing harm to others. Psht, don't have a carrd in this day and age? What are you, a fraud? cishet white man playing make believe? Post a selfie or face the wrath of ozymandaus. What's privacy? It takes me 3 minutes to read the bio on this discourse side-blog so clearly they're an angel.

my mam abused me for years, she did the same to my brother when i left home at 18 and my dad drank himself to death. My nan, his mother, never believed me because my mam's a disabled woman with a lot of trauma, and at 14 how do you explain to the woman who takes you to the beach that it's WORSE because as she's beckoning you to the side of her bed so she can scream point blank in your face, or hit you, you're never truely sure, you're thinking about running away because of course she physically can't chase you but she can throw. And then where would you go if you did buggar off?

"You have to sleep sometimes" she used to say to me when I'd piss her off. Other days she told me horror stories about kids in care, and disabled people having their kids taken away, made me promise that I'd always love her and always be her baby, and I'd do that for her because she's my mam, she'd be satisfied then ignore me for a while. I grew up thinking that was entirely normal until i'd tell funny family stories at school and nobody would laugh. The closest I got to truely running away was when I changed my name and pronouns and her rejection, turned to vitriol one night and I so, so, nearly held a knife to my throat and simply fell forwards in the uni showers. Obviously I didn't do that.

But she's had a shitter life than me thus far so she's in the right, as the online black/white dichotomy states. I keep her at arm's length but I'm unable to cut her away without losing the rest of my family because I dared defy the role of eldest child and care for her as I've done my whole life, as is expected.

we need to take things on a case by case basis, and learn when stuff is none of our business.

"Hey! :) I see you've reclaimed (X) slur, without submitting the proper paperwork. Real quick tell me every trauma you've ever experienced or I'll write a callout post :) delete this anonymous message (as is your right) and i'll assume you as sus ❤"

you can only call yourself a dyke if on your 13th birthday, the moon's tender rays struck you through your bedroom window and gave you your first wet dream about girls.

Great, cool. I have no interest in calling myself a dyke, i cant call myself a lesbian because it makes me dysphoric, thats why im queer, but i can assure you that when 3 kids from catholic school pinned me under the bridge and threatened to cut me open for being a "dirty dyke tramp" they didn't play 20Qs with me first to check that i was actually a lesbian.

if your first thought is "well thats just misdirected homophobia, so youre not ACTUALLY a victim" log the fuck off and consider what's wrong with you. Because all our oppressors care about is sniffing out the wrong on you and beating it out, they dont care what breed of wrong it is.

so you're going to spend your day, the enlightened adult that you are, frothing at the mouth because some 15yr old dared call themselves butch despite them being OnLY a BiSexUAl? You're gonna say that trans woman deserves to be suicidal because yes she may be trans BUT she's from the UK, so clearly she loves her horrid country and government. You're gonna say that black lad deserves racial abuse because he's trying to focus on his studies rather than go to protests. That 19yr old who's living in poverty deserves it because they work for Amazon. Texans deserve to freeze to death because there are republicans in Texas.

You're going to harass a complete stranger coming to terms with the parts of themselves society has taught them are worthless at best because they're not doing it the way YOU think is right.

This post has not ended where I started it but I really dont care:

Some of you are so fucking desperate to be the bullies you never got to be in secondary school and it shows. But you're cowards. You can't just admit you want to divide and concur so you do it in a new woke way and when your time on this earth is done, you'll have commited the same pain that's been dealt to you and wonder why you died miserable in a world thats more or less the same.

okay to reblog but dont @ me for a debate because i have, like, real problems and will just block you

#tw suicide mention #child abuse #homophobia #transphobia #ablesim #racism #*muffled screaming*#im shit at tagging sorry if i missed anything but im out i think

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jq37 · 4 years ago

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On a scale of 1-10, how difficult is it to make a podcast? I’ve been following ANA since you first announced it (I’m so excited for it) and the other day I came up with an idea that I think would make a good series

Hey, thanks for the message! And thanks for being interested. Absolutely No Adventures has been a lot of fun to put together and it's nice to see that people are looking forward to it.

As for your question I'd say maybe a 6? But that's a really incomplete answer and I did a lot of searching for help on how to get started when I decided to do this so I'll give you more in depth breakdown of the steps and if you have more questions you can totally message me off of anon.

(1) Write The Thing

So yeah, no getting around it. The first thing you have to do is just write the podcast. For some people, this is the hardest part. For me, it was probably the easiest part because it's the thing I was most familiar with. You already have an idea, which is great. So now you probably want to sit down and figure out things like is this a limited miniseries or will it be on-going with multiple seasons? How long will each episode be?

You also want to make sure you write for the medium. For example, in a book, you can just say, "She hugged him." But if it's audio, you have to make there's some kind of indication for that (ie: Man: Oh, and now we're hugging).

Format doesn't matter too too much as long as it's consistent. I used film script format in Celtx (which is free) but people also use Google Docs. Just pick what's easiest for you and get going.

I also highly recommend you finish a full season of scripts (or the whole set if it's a mini series) before you move on. Some people write as they go and if you want to do that, cool, but it's one less thing to worry about once you're in production and you don't want writer's block to slow you down once you're already going.

(2) Casting

So this is where I left my comfort zone and had to learn to do things I was unfamiliar with. The good news here is, there are a lot of actors available to be a part of projects like this for varying amounts of money or no money at all if it's an interesting enough project. I will advocate for paying people if you can though because I wanna make money off of my art someday so I think it's only fair to reciprocate. If it is unpaid, just be upfront about that. It's common among indie projects so it's not scandalous or anything.

Anyway, the basic process here is you write up a casting call that says what the project is, what the deadline is for auditioning, and has some audition lines for each characters (called sides). Then you post on Twitter which has a pretty active voice actor community plus some other places like reddit and certain FB groups and auditions will start rolling in. Casting calls tend to spread--people came to me from Discords I'd never heard of. Once you get a bunch you can pick who you like or, if you can't decide, invite back some people for callbacks and then pick.

I think 2 weeks is a good length of time to keep auditions open, longer if you're looking for something really specific.

It's also possible to simplify this step if you happen to know friends who have mics and wanna help or if you want to do a podcast with a very small cast--maybe even just one person who could be you. There are a number of podcasts with that format. I maybe should have mentioned this during writing but I'll mention it here instead. Anything you have to write, you will have to produce, so keep that in mind. Like, when you're writing, it's easy to have a bunch of extras and sound effects and crazy things happening, but remember that you have to bring that all to life later, so maybe a different character can give that exposition so you don't have to cast ANOTHER person as an extra.

(That being said, most actors I've worked with are chill with doing an extra voice or two.)

Oh! Also. Time zones are a thing. Keep that in mind. I do no regret casting an Australian, a Brit, and Americans across the country because they were all fantastic, but it was hell to schedule.

(3) Recording

So there are 3 main ways to record--in person in studio, remotely together, and remotely apart.

Option one is kind of a no-go right now because of Covid so let's talk about the other 2.

Remotely Together means you get all your actors on a Zoom call with you and they're all in their studios and you record as if you're all in the same room. I did this for ANA and I think it's the best way to do it cause people get to react to each other in real time which is great. The only thing is, it means you have to line up everyone's schedules which is a total bear. Still, if you can do it, worth it.

Remotely Apart means you give everyone their scripts and tell them to send in their lines in x weeks. I did this for some episodes of Secret Podcast Number 2 and it works fine. But for the more emotional eps, we still recorded together. This method is good because it gets rid of timing troubles which was necessary since we're doing a December release (which, trust me, is crazy quick for what we’re doing), but there are some things, you want people to be able to adjust their intensity levels for in the moment.

Either way, but especially in scenario 2, I'd suggest you do a table read first where everyone gets on call and reads through everything. It helps everyone get a feel for each other so they're not going in cold.

Wrt directing, it can feel a little weird to tell people how to talk or inflect or how much they should be crying, but, as long as you're polite, just go for it. They're actors. They can take the notes. That's what they do. All of my actors were always super great about it.

(4) Production

Alright so you have lines in from all your actors.

The next question is, how are you going to handle your production? The actual putting together of the lines and cleaning them up and balancing and adding effects and all that?

I specifically wrote ANA to have relatively simply sound design and it was *still* too much for me to handle so I opted to outsource for that and it was for sure where most of a budget went. If you happen to know how to do this or have the time to learn, you'll def save yourself some money. It is still very time consuming though. The one part that I did do--deciding which takes to use from the lines my actors sent (aka: picking takes) and putting them together to send to my sound guy--took super long as is.

If you're going to hire/recruit someone to do this stuff for you, I recommend you do it before you cast because they'll be able to let you know if the actors who want have compatible audio quality.

IDK what standard procedure is here but the way it works with my guy is I send him lines and then he puts stuff together and sends me a draft of the episode. Then I say what I want changed in an excel spreadsheet with time stamps and we go back and forth until it's done.

(5) Ancillary Stuff

Theme music! You probably want that! There are a couple of routes you can go here. You can get something from a music library--either totally free or for a relatively small fee. This is the most cost effective but will probably more generic and likely in use somewhere else if it's fully free.

You can write it yourself if that's a thing you're good at obviously. Or you can pay someone to do it which will probably cost you a couple hundred bucks but will be totally tailored and unique.

Cover Art! Also very important. People do judge things by their covers so I def rec getting a really dope one made. Canva is also your friend for like icons and stuff.

A Website! You'll want at least a basic one for like contact info, transcripts, stuff like that. I just use Carrd. You can get a pretty classic, website-like setup by using sections and you can link to a custom URL for only like 13 bucks a year which is great.

(6) Marketing

OK so, I'm gonna be real with you, this is the step I'm working on now so I'm still figuring it out!

Besides posting on social media and stuff, you also need to make a press kit which is basically a doc with all the info about you and the show. You can see mine on the ANA site.

I also have mood-board-y graphics I made on Canva to drop with each ep (or ahead of them. Haven’t quite decided).

I will say, I’ve made friends in the community and a lot of them have hyped up my stuff without me even asking. Which isn’t me saying, “Make friends for what they can do for you.” Gross. What I’m saying is that just participating in the community can help.

Anyway, this is getting way too long. I hope this was at least somewhat helpful. Like I said, if you (or anyone else) has more specific questions, hit me up!

#asks #anon #podcast #podcast advice #audio drama #Anonymous

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forkanna · 4 years ago

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ALSO READ ON: [AO3] [WATTPAD] [QUOTEV]

WARNINGS: Petplay, exhibitionism, cunnilingus, watersports(kinda). This chapter is going to remind people that I once co-wrote My Sister's Mistress, haha… though honestly it's not that bad.

Happy December!

I'm very sorry to all three of you waiting for the epilogue of this fic. I was feeling fairly dissatisfied with my writing, so I took some time off for reading, and NaNoWriMo to focus on my original work (expect news about that soon). Though some mental fog remains, I'm feeling a little sharper and more capable now to continue delivering updates. And to that end...

Prepare yourselves for WE'LL FACE OURSELVES: GOLDEN! This will not continue the story of Yukiko and Chie, though they will be around here and there; instead, it will focus on another unlikely ship entirely. I'll begin posting that in about a month, or sooner if I find time. You may also want to keep your eyes peeled for more content pertaining to another fandom of which I am a part...

Thanks so much for sticking with this until the end. If you'd like to look me up on other platforms, please check out my Carrd!

Until we meet again, Jessex

EPILOGUE

A horrific day that everyone hoped would never come had finally ambushed the Investigation Team. Yu Narukami was leaving Inaba.

Not a dry eye was to be had at the Yasoinaba station as they watched their gray-haired friend bid fond farewells to all the other friends he had made throughout the year. Chie herself was a little shocked to see just how many there were — hell, even after almost a year she was still shocked that Rise Kujikawa, the real Risette, was one of them! An internationally known pop idol! But there she was, hanging on one of Yu's arms and sobbing into his jacket.

"Yu-kun, don't gooooo!" she blubbered, long auburn pigtails trembling with her movements. "I wanna get to spend G-Golden Week with you, Senpaiiiiii!"

Naoto and Kanji weren't much better. They made for such an odd-looking pair, the rough-and-tumble yakuza-wannabe letting fat tears roll down his cheeks as he was comforted by the small, reserved boy-who-was-not-quite-a-boy. Even after finding out Naoto was a woman, not much had changed; she still dressed like a boy and even behaved like one in most ways. All of Rise's attempts to "girlify" her had fallen flat. Chie really had wound up with a colourful assortment of friends, but she wouldn't change that for the world.

"Yeah, man, you can't take off," Yosuke chuckled. Trying to suppress his feelings with humour; they all knew he was going to miss Yu as much as anyone. "Your girlfriend's gonna miss you, and that ain't cool."

Not that he was pointing at Rise. No, his finger was levelled at Nanako — the little girl she and Yukiko had run into once upon a time who turned out to be Yu's cousin. She was currently hiding behind the leg of her father, Detective Ryotaro Dojima, coming over shy after he had reprimanded her for being too clingy with the boy she had dubbed her big brother. Not that he could control Rise doing the exact same thing, despite having nearly ten years on the second-grader.

"Oh, shut up," Yu grunted — though his motivation was pure, as always. "Don't tease her."

"Whaaat? I'm teasing you, not…" But at the glares from everybody, Yosuke sighed and deflated. "You guys are no fun."

Rise pulled back, her large doe eyes shining with tears — on purpose, Chie knew. She was a top notch actress. "Can't you give me a little kiss goodbye? Something to keep me from… from dying from missing you?"

"Oh please," Yukiko muttered under her breath with a begrudging smile.

But Yu obliged. Sort of. Instead of sweeping her into a graceful dip and really planting one on her, he kissed her forehead. It was a tender gesture, though, so Rise couldn't complain; a much more genuine little smile pulled at her pouty mouth, and she hugged him around the middle.

"Excuse me? What do you think you're doing?"

They all pulled back to see Ai Ebihara approaching, hands on her hips. This bitch again? However, something was different about her compared to their last run-in. She was still glamorous, but Chie couldn't help noticing it seemed like her outfit was a little more… conservative?

"What is who doing?" Rise protested, clinging a little tighter to Yu's arm.

"You! Little trollop!" The teen queen stomped over to the two of them, getting right up in Rise's face. She was a little taller and therefore more imposing, but Rise didn't seem scared in the slightest. "Get your greedy little paws off my boyfriend!"

The idol stamped her foot and snapped, "HEY! I don't see your name on him anywhere!"

Yu gulped and began to back away. "Uh…"

"Really?" Ebihara scoffed. "What makes you think you have any claim to him, slut puppy? He went to the festival with me — and spent Christmas Eve with me, too! And for your goddamn information, we got pretty close!"

Poor Rise. Though she was flirty and manipulative toward Yu and Yosuke, it was in a playful way; she did consider them both friends but couldn't seem to suppress her impulses. And here Ai was making all kinds of accusations and getting legitimately competitive. Her lip wobbled, though Chie was fairly certain it had as much to do with losing out to Ai as it had to do with losing Yu himself.

"Senpai, say that's not true! How could you, when I… I let you… you know!"

"Hey, it doesn't count when I'm just sitting there and you plop your butt down on my hand," he protested at her. "And Ai-chan, we hugged a little; please don't tease her by making it sound like more."

Both of his would-be girlfriends pouted and averted their eyes, cheeks turning pinker. Ai seemed a little more genuinely hurt than her rival for the boy's attentions.

"Whew," Yosuke exhaled, wiping his brow. "Don't know how you get away with it, juggling two chicks like that."

"That's not- I didn't…" Yu sighed, shaking his head as he facepalmed. "Maybe I'm glad to be leaving."

But the minute he said so, even if it was in jest, all faces wore expressions of deep sorrow. Nobody really wanted him to go. They had all known his stopover in Inaba had been temporary and yet it was still a terrible shock that Yu would no longer be hanging out with them on a daily basis, going to school, having roundtable discussions in the Junes food court.

"The end of an era, man," Kanji grunted, trying to look tough and only partially succeeding.

"Aww, cheer up, guys!" Teddie proclaimed, bouncing up and down on his heels so hard his blond locks bounced with him. "We'll see Sensei again! Bet on that!"

"There you go, Teddie," Yu laughed quietly, nodding his direction. The bear-shadow-turned-human beamed.

"And in the meantime, I can look after all the girls for you! You don't have to worry about a thing!"

Rise stuck her tongue out at the well-meaning bear. "I don't want you, I want Senpai!"

As the squabbling only grew worse, other classmates began to approach to wish Yu bon voyage. Some girl from his drama class, those guys from the basketball team… even some young boy and his clearly married mother, though she did seem a bit too young to have a child of that age. Their team leader really had left an impression in the short year he had lived there.

When the train whistle signaled that it was about to pull away, the bickering came to an end so they could truly see their friend off. A lot of tearful hugs and well wishes were offered before he was inside, looking out the window at them as it pulled away from the station. They ran after him all the way to the end of the platform until they ran out of space, then stood waving after him until the train was completely out of sight.

Chie was amused that it turned out to be Rise comforting Ebihara, and Yosuke comforting Teddie. Those were some pretty mismatched pairings. Ryotaro took a sobbing Nanako home, and that seemed to be an unofficial signal for them to disperse from the station.

While Kanji was busy throwing an arm around Yosuke's shoulders, proclaiming loudly that they were about to go drinking despite the fact that neither of them had easy access to alcohol at their age, it was Naoto of all people who started drifting closer to Chie and Yukiko. At first, Chie assumed she just wanted some company, but it turned out…

"Forgive my curiosity, but I've been wondering about something for a while now."

"Hm?" asked a bleary eyed Yukiko. She hadn't sobbed the way Rise did, but she wasn't completely unaffected by the parting. "I'm sorry, what's that?"

"Why have you been wearing a dog collar for the past several months?"

Both girls stopped dead in their tracks. If this were an anime, there would have been a record-scratch sound effect. Yukiko flashed a nervous half-smile at her girlfriend, who was busy tugging at the neckline of her shirt and gulping.

"W-well, it's… a fashion statement," the junior innkeeper finally told her.

"Uh… huh." Her sharp eyes looked between the two. "You may have forgotten in all the excitement of defeating Adachi and Izanami, but I am a detective. Do you want me to simply state what I have deduced from my observations, or would you like t-"

"Okay, okay, already!" Chie hissed, waving back and forth rapidly with her hand. "Can you maybe keep it under that crazy blue hat of yours?!"

Before Naoto could respond to the crack about her belted newsboy cap, a throat was cleared behind the three of them. Ai had broken off from the others and approached them, looking penitent and uncomfortable.

"Yes?" Yukiko prompted her in mild surprise.

"I… thought I should say… I am sorry." She swallowed hard, brows furrowed. The expression still made her look angry and snobby, despite her tone of voice being gentle now; she just had resting bitch face. "Probably too late. But I was really going through some things when I sidelined you two in Aiya, and being rude is second nature to me. Can't be the most stunning girl in school without it going to your head, can you?"

"You say that like I would ever know," Chie snorted.

"Right. And… normally I would be agreeing with you and belittling you, Bowl Cu- I mean, Satonaka. I have a lot of practice." Grimacing, she growled, "Got so used to being queen bitch that it's so hard to just be nice."

After a brief silence, so awkward that it felt as if any sound would have been preferable, Yukiko laid a hand on Ai's arm, gentle and reassuring. "Please, Ai-san. We all have darkness inside of us; nobody is a perfect person. So I think it's very admirable you're seeing your flaws and that you're trying to improve. I am the same, and so are my friends."

"Oh yeah?" The girl let out a wet-sounding laugh; indeed, tears were budding at the corners of her eyes. "How the hell aren't you perfect, Miss Goody Two-Shoes? I mean… I've always been so jealous of how the boys talk about you. No 'buts'."

"No butts?!" Chie burst out. "What do you mean? She's got a GREAT butt!"

Ai chuckled a little more heartily at that. Naoto was the only one who tapped her chin while noticing Yukiko's slight blush from the compliment; the others weren't paying it any attention. "No, no, not her ass. Which fine, sure, it's fantastic. I mean like, they describe both of us as really beautiful, or hot or whatever. Same words for both of us. But with me, it always had a 'but she's such a bitch', 'but she's stuck up', 'but she's psycho' attached. Yukiko… a couple of guys said you were snooty if you turned them down for a date, but the rest of them saw through that. You're a good woman and I'm just a good-looking woman. I did so much work to be beautiful so boys would like me, but I'm just… ugly on the inside."

Though clearly, Yukiko was about to speak up, Chie beat her to the punch. "So that's it, huh? You're pathetic."

"Excuse me?"

"C'mon, Ebihara. You're made of tougher shit than that. Where's that girl who slammed her leg up on the table in Aiya and demanded we appreciate it?"

Though the teen queen had been firing up, being reminded of that moment in the diner made her squirm and fold her arms tightly over her chest. "That was stupid. Do you wanna know why I did that?" When Yukiko nodded, she pushed ahead, "Thing is, I was a... when I was little, I was nowhere near the adorable Ai you see before you now. Fat and hideous, got told I had pig hooves. So like, I'm sure it sounds really stupid to you guys, but having dainty little feet now is super amazing to me still."

"You were fat?!" Chie demanded, looking her up and down afresh. "No way! I call bullshit!"

"Yep, a total blimp. And I got hella teased because I didn't match up with their… whatever. Yu already knows all this stuff, but pretty much I decided to reinvent myself when I found out we were moving to Inaba. Obviously it went to my head, but… at least I'm better now. Getting better all the time."

None of them knew what to say. Chie, for her part, was stunned that Ebihara turned out to be more than a one-dimensional prima donna; she had never given any indication otherwise, even in Aiya when her interests in Yu were revealed to be genuine. Maybe he was the one responsible. After all, while the team had been doing their best to save the victims from dying inside the TV and stop further kidnappings in the first place, Yu Narukami had touched all their lives, brought about an awakening of sorts to their inner beauty that they likely would never have found within themselves without him shedding that light. It just seemed to be one of his latent talents. Unsurprising that he had done the same for the entitled fashionista.

"There seems to be only one solution for this predicament," Naoto was stating firmly with a small nod, finger tapping her chin. "We must return to Aiya to remember our departed friend, and strengthen our bonds with each other."

"Oooh, a party!" Rise piped up with an excited little bounce, despite the light drizzle that was beginning to fall. "Yes please!"

"I guess that's a plan," Chie agreed as Rise, Kanji and Yosuke joined them. "What do you guys think? We catching the portal to the meat dimension?"

Grimacing, Yosuke demanded, "Do you have to call it that every time, Satonaka?! Geesh! Sounds super nasty."

"Bet you can't even handle it."

"Wha- OH YEAH?! BRING IT ON!"

~ o ~

"Ohhhhh, I couldn't eat another bite," Yukiko groaned as they slid open the door to her bedroom at the Amagi Inn. They had whiled away many hours at the diner before the fellowship was broken, and they began to drift their separate ways. Rise was the most afraid to be alone out of any of them, and seemed to want to hang out with Ebihara, despite their strife over Yu's affections. Naoto went off by herself to think, Kanji and Yosuke reinitiated their quest for liquor, that girl from drama class was hanging out with Daisuke and Kou from the sports clubs… and the two illicit lovers had paired off with no one questioning why. Probably because they had already been best friends for their entire lives.

"Well I could," Chie laughed in response as she grabbed a pair of paper slippers. "But you know me, I can always eat."

Yukiko giggled as she began to strip off her remaining clothing. "You and Yosuke, I swear. Your appetites are bottomless."

"Hey, I'm a growing girl!" she said, jabbing herself in the chest with a thumb. "What's his excuse? He doesn't even do martial arts!"

Once fully divested, lithe form fully on display for the other woman in the room, the junior innkeeper approached her side and slid her hands up to gently perch on her shoulders. "Mmm, yes of course. So very strong."

It was impossible for Chie to keep the blush fully out of her cheeks. "Y-yeah. I mean, strong when you're not making my knees weak."

"But Master shouldn't say things like that in front of her pet. She might think she can control her Master, and that isn't very good, is it?"

"True, yeah." Chie shook her head with a vague smile on her lips. It was funny; she was supposed to be the one in control, but most often it was Yukiko who reminded them of their play. The roles they were to serve for each other.

"Mhmmm. Alright." Even though she was clearly a little nervous, she crossed to her dresser, slid open a drawer and began to rummage behind the various undergarments arranged there. "I think we're both ready now."

Poor Chie didn't even bother to ask "ready for what?", because by the time the words began to form on her lips, her best friend was turning around, dropping to the floor and crawling toward her… with a long leather leash dangling from between her teeth.

"A-ah."

"Wrgh dng hrrg trh," Yukiko said — before Chie took the leash from her to allow her room to speak. "I m-mean to say, this is only if you feel up to it, or are interested. But we've spoken a lot about it in the past few weeks, and… and I feel like I would be alright with it."

"Okay, whoa whoa," she laughed nervously. "Listen, I… know you think nobody will see us, but c'mon, the inn gets guests all the time! And like, what if your mom sees us?!"

Sitting up a little straighter, the puppy-girl reassured her, "No, no, I have a plan. Do you know the forest behind our property? It's a little bit of a walk, and I know it might seem silly to take a walk before my walk, but we will probably be free from prying eyes out there. So… so do you want to?"

Any fool in Chie's position could have been able to tell that this girl wanted nothing more than to take her love into the woods so they could play. Even if the type of play they wanted to do was highly unorthodox. How could she say no to those big, baleful eyes?

"Yeah, of course. So um, maybe just put this around your waist under your kimono?"

"YES!" she burst out — before calming herself and clearing her throat. "I mean, yes, that is a good plan. I'll get dressed, try to keep the leash on."

In no time at all, they were strolling through the grounds behind the Amagi Inn, seeming to the single gardener they passed as if they were merely two high school friends out for a stroll. Nothing telltale from their appearances to suggest otherwise — except the collar, and even that wasn't immediately noticeable.

"Okay," Chie whispered once they were in the treeline. "Are you really sure about this one? Cuz like, if you wanna bail on the idea, you can, right now, and I won't give you any shit. I swear."

But Yukiko was already shaking her head from side to side, even before she got halfway through speaking. "I've been looking forward to trying this for so long! Maybe it hasn't always seemed like it, but… how can we know whether or not we enjoy it if we don't try?"

That, as they say, was that.

"Okay…" Chie cleared her throat and tried not to feel too overly self-conscious. "Then take it all off so we can get started."

By far the most difficult thing to endure was watching Yukiko slowly disrobe — which she was clearly doing on purpose, adding to the anticipation. She even did that thing where she paused with the yukata halfway down her back, looking at Chie over her shoulder with a coquettish flutter of her eyelashes. 'Nosebleed City, population: me,' Chie thought to herself. Then she let it drop all the way to the forest floor, pooling amongst the grass and leaves.

Nude… except for two leather straps. One around her neck and another trailing down her back.

"Gooooood," she managed to groan. Then she shook herself and caught up the end of the lead. "Okay, so like… what now? I just take you for a walk?"

"Master, come on," she giggled. "You're not being a good Master." But when Chie frowned, Yukiko fidgeted and added, "I'm sorry. That was supposed to sound teasing, but instead… well, I really am sorry. I was trying to say that you weren't playing your role yet."

"Okay." Taking a deep breath, she cracked her neck and tried to shove away those feelings of inadequacy that had begun to brew. "So you mean I'm supposed to start being a dog owner for real? Like, until we decide we're done and wanna go back inside?"

"Yes," she sighed in obvious relief that Chie wasn't upset with her. "How about this: I'll get on hands and knees, and that's when we start? And I'll stand up if I need to stop."

"Sure yeah, that sounds pretty simple. Go for it when you're ready."

With a small nod, Yukiko stepped out of her zori and into the grass, toes flexing as it tickled them. Her lips quirked into a reassuring little smile before she dropped down to all fours, perky little ass high in the air. Chie wanted to dive right into that inviting sight now — but she could wait. They had a game to play; they could have sex pretty much anytime they were alone together, as long as they were careful about noise levels. And door locks.

"Okay girl, let's go!" she commanded her in a more cheerful tone. This wasn't their first time playing in this way, or even their tenth. They just had never taken the playing outside of a locked bedroom before.

And miraculously… they went. Yukiko started walking along on her hands and knees, making little panting noises now and then. Just to maintain the illusion. Chie was both disturbed and turned on, but that happened a lot during their more adventurous encounters. The more they learned about this strange new culture they were a part of — thanks to the internet — the more intrigued they were, but Chie wasn't as good at taking it in stride as her puppy was.

Her puppy, Yukiko. Still bizarre to her.

"What is it, girl? You like that one?"

"Wan wan!" she yipped joyfully as she continued to mime sniffing a tree.

"Then it's all yours," she laughed easily, reaching down to scratch behind her ear. Her girlfriend hummed at the pleasant sensation, and even tried to jiggle one of her legs. With some success. Then she unclipped the leash from her collar. "Wanna play fetch, Yuka?"

More gleeful barking. So she found a stick and wiped it quickly on her sleeve — which, obviously, she wouldn't do for a real dog like Muku, but she figured she owed Yukiko at least that much.

"Go get it, girl!"

As Chie watched Yukiko, a real human being, bound off into the brush after a stick, she couldn't help feeling that her life had really gotten off track at some point. Mostly, she just wanted to be a semi-normal girl who went to school, hung out with her friends, practiced martial arts. Lately she had been toying with the idea of going into law enforcement when she grew up. Maybe it was because of all their adventures inside the TV, and saving Inaba from the menace of a vengeful god who had judged humanity as both too complacent and too volatile. She had found that not only did her kung fu training really pay off, but she also had enjoyed the idea of saving people more than she expected. And it was important work.

But seeing Yukiko creeping back from the bushes with the stick between her teeth gave her pause. Surely a cop didn't do things like this. Or maybe they did and she was just naive. No matter how many times they discussed the fact that she obviously loved her little Yuka, it still felt foreign and weird to order her around, treat her like property.

Even if they both got off on the roles of master and pet.

They had probably been playing fetch for about twenty minutes when Yukiko dropped the stick at her feet, then reared up to rest her "forepaws" on her master's hips. Barking at her. It was as cute as it was bizarre. Privately, she kept wondering if it hurt her knees to romp around like that, but Yukiko never complained. So she crouched down to scrub all over her hair, disheveling it so badly that she would definitely need to brush it out when they got back to the inn, and her girlfriend responded with more happy yips and licking all over her face.

"AH!" she giggled, trying to push her away without any success. Yukiko could be pretty strong when she set her mind to it. "Cut it out, Yuka! Ewww!"

Of course, this wasn't the first time the kisses had turned to doggy kisses. Though it was still a little icky, it was also highly entertaining for both of them so they had slowly incorporated it into their play. Yukiko's wet pink tongue slathered all over her cheeks, lips, chin… anywhere she could reach. Until finally, Chie grabbed her by the collar and held her back.

"Okay, girl! I love you, too." Yuka barked again so she grinned and pushed their foreheads together. "Who's a happy girl? Huh? Who's my sweet, sweet, happy girl?"

The junior innkeeper's ass wiggled from side to side. They had discussed getting her ears and a tail to help complete the illusion, but decided it would be a lot harder to explain those versus the collar and leash, which could just as easily be for Muku as for Yuka. Besides, she was pretty good at wagging a non-existent tail.

Chie was distracted from her thoughts when she noticed her girlfriend was sniffing around the hem of her skirt. She saw a coy smile grace her lips just before her face shot beneath to nuzzle against her center.

"WHOA!" she gasped — and went down hard on her backside. "Oof!"

When Yukiko's face reappeared, she looked very concerned. Still, they had agreed she was not to break character unless Chie had made it clear that she should.

"I'm okay, girl," she reassured her pet with a shaky laugh. "Just, uh… did not expect you to go for it like that. What is it, girl? Smell something good?" Yukiko gave a very human nod before remembering herself, and letting out a bark instead. "Yeah? Um, y-you want a treat from Master for being so good?"

That prompted a very strong bark, and her girlfriend gave a pronounced wiggle from stem to stern, to make sure there could be no question she really wanted that treat. So Chie leaned back against her elbows, allowing her thighs to fall open. Within a single second, her face was right back between those thighs, snuffling around and making sure her lips and nose were pushing into everything firmly.

And God help her, it was so hot. Every time they played like this, she still expected to feel disgusted regardless of how often she enjoyed it. And then was still surprised again. Maybe she really did have a learning disability of some kind.

When the nuzzling began to feel a little more pointed and purposeful, she realized that Yuka had hit an impasse. Sliding a hand down between them, she shakily tugged the crotch of her panties aside to grant her pet access. No time was wasted. After only a couple of sniffs, a warm, wet tongue was pressing into her needy flesh.

Chie really hoped nobody else would suddenly decide to take a walk through the woods. Not with her screaming out in ecstasy like that, a buck naked girl's face between her legs.

After a few months of trial-and-error, Yukiko Amagi was nothing less than a professional when it came to cunnilingus. That tongue knew every little fold and crease of her lover's sex, and she was an expert at finding the ways to set her off. With almost brutal efficiency, even if the touches were sometimes so light and delicate. Chie gave herself over completely, reaching down to grip her raven locks and hold her in place as she began to buck her hips against that insanely gifted mouth.

So close… "I'm coming! Good girl, Yuka! More!"

Well, she most definitely got what she asked for. At this point the game had been suspended while Yukiko ate her out with all the skills she had learned over the past several months, almost as if someone had challenged her to do the deed as quickly and spectacularly as possible. Her tongue almost seemed to be in two places at once.

Birds took off flying from the treetops when Chie cried out from the climax rocking her entire body, back arching off the forest floor. It was beyond mind-blowing. And all thanks to a good little doggie.

"Tapout!" she finally gasped a few moments later. That was the codeword they had developed for when their eager clits had been overstimulated to the point they couldn't handle any more. Yukiko's tongue disappeared, and she breathed a sigh of relief as her entire body shook and shivered. "Nnhh… oh GOD, that was… super intense!"

A little giggle spilled from the shining lips of her love as she crouched over her. Looking at her with bottomless affection. Just a moment for that to be made known — before she bounced a little. "WAN!"

"Y-yeah… good girl… c'mere…" She patted her chest and Yukiko crawled up to lick all over her face. "AWWW, NOOOO! Yuka, down! C'mooooon!"

Of course, it didn't take long for her to shove her puppy off and to stand up again, though her knees were a bit wobbly. A few deep, cleansing breaths cleared her head enough to clip the leash to Yuka's collar again and set off walking around the woods with her.

"You did such a good job!" she told Yuka — and Yukiko, really. Though she knew she couldn't talk back while they were in the middle of play. "I'm really happy. And even though Narukami's gone, I mean, he'll be back… and the rest of our lives are pretty great. Kinda kicking ass and taking names lately."

"Wan, wan!" Yuka replied. Too cute.

"You like taking walks with Master?" She paused to turn and look up at her, panting with her tongue out; a doggie smile. "Awww, I'm so glad! Sweet baby!"

Yukiko put her paws up again, but this time Chie pointed at her and said, "Down. You know better than that, girl." In response, she let out a little whine and got down on all fours again, looking up at her with large, baleful eyes that would have melted glaciers. "I'm sorry, but you have to behave; I can't have you jumping up on my friends!"

Not that there was any chance of that happening. Even after Naoto had figured it out, they still agreed this was only something for the two of them — nobody else.

Mostly obedient, Yuka pouted a little longer before she resumed trotting through the grass. Once or twice she winced when she crawled over a stick or a rock, but mostly she picked her way around them; they already established their rules for this interaction were no permanent injury. Chie wouldn't begrudge her that, even for the sake of "committing to the role".

They came to a stop nearly half an hour later when Yukiko began sniffing around a white pine tree excitedly. Chie couldn't blame her; evergreens smelled amazing. But as she sniffled… a memory of a previous conversation came back to her master. Were they ready? Most importantly, was Yukiko?

"Okay," she suddenly said, though she could hear the nerves in her own voice. "Mark it so we can go home."

Yukiko's look of surprise was priceless. Even while in Yuka-mode, she couldn't seem to fully suppress that deep level of alarm. But she didn't argue or stand up.

"Go on… if you, um, you need to."

There was a brief moment where it almost looked as if her girlfriend would either cry, or stand up and tell her off. Then she raised one leg…

And let out a golden stream against the bark of the pine's trunk. Chie felt her stomach disappear: she really did it. Her girlfriend, poised, refined innkeeper that she was, a true classic Japanese beauty… was pissing like a dog on a tree. Curiosity spiking, she took a further step to her right to get a better view, and was greeted with the sight of the thin arc of urine issuing from the top of her flawless pink pussy — two fingers on either side, to help keep the liquid from catching on the flushed lips.

Flushed from arousal, from going down on her? Or did she like this? Maybe "like" was too strong a word: Yukiko found it satisfying to be degraded in very small ways, so long as they played into her role of belonging to a loving master. By now, Chie had figured out — thanks in part to her shadow — that this was due to her desire to be cared for, cherished. To belong. Perhaps having to pee like a puppy in the woods pushed the boundary of what constituted a small way, but it wasn't so overboard that she broke character. In that way, it had been a perfect thing to demand of her.

As her thoughts bumped around inside her skull, the stream petered out. Yuka shook her raised leg a little, to rid herself of lingering droplets, then lowered it back to the ground. She was trembling all over, and she winced, but still made no comment.

"Very… good, Yuka," she told her in a distant voice. "Oh wow…"

A whining noise came from her puppy-slash-girlfriend, and she made baleful eyes up at her. Not very often had she witnessed Yukiko's cheeks flushed as they were in that moment. But the moment Chie began to frown, she nuzzled her leg — reassuring her that she was not upset with her. Just that the experience had been a strange, unsettling one.

"Okay, um… well, you did your business, so I guess we, like… should head back? Y-yeah…" But she instead dropped to one knee, pulling her in for a hug. Yuka leaned into the contact gratefully but didn't embrace her back, since dogs didn't use their forelegs like that.

In a flash, she knew what she could do to make her feel better. It was so obvious! After petting over her hair and back a few times, she started sliding her hand all the way back to her rump, then angling downward.

"Wan?" Yuka barked, the noise holding a very human question even if it was animal speech.

"Shhhh, shhh," she soothed her, petting along the damp folds. "Master saw you were really wet back here, girl. I-is it okay if I clean you up?"

Her girlfriend let out some very sensual dog-whines. Which apparently were possible. Chie felt her stomach turn a tiny bit at knowing this wasn't just excitement she was playing around in, because some of it was pee, but probably not much. And either way… it was Yukiko. She didn't mind.

And clearly, neither did Yukiko. As her attentions grew more pointed and firmer, fingers parting the lips and dragging up toward her ass, then back down toward her pulsing clit, the puppy panted and moaned, hips squirming from side to side as if to shake her off. Their past experiences had at least taught them to stop taking that involuntary reaction as a sign that their partner actually wanted them to stop; there had been a few touch-and-go moments thanks to miscommunication. Practice makes perfect, after all.

Kissing the top of her head, Chie whispered, "It's okay, Yuka. Master's gonna take care of you. Just let it feel good, okay? Like you made Master feel good before!"

By now, Yukiko was full-on baying — when she wasn't making more human sounds of pleasure. They were terribly hard to suppress in that state. Her hips were rolling into the contact, begging for more. Not for the first time, Chie wished she had a cock to slam into her — and they had considered buying one, many times. Probably would soon. Maybe even one that had two ends…

Once she started in on her clit, it only took another minute of blistering punishment before Yuka couldn't suppress her climax anymore. Her back arched and she let out a howl as the pleasure racked her body, nearly sending her face-first into the leaves and grass. And even doing something so base, she looked as elegant as always. The magic of Yukiko.

"Gooooood girl!" Chie praised her, kissing between her shoulder blades as her other hand pet up and down her neck. "So good, you were amazing! I'm so proud of my pretty Yuka!"

There was a much more subdued little "Wan" that fell from her lips before she gave a weak wag of her hips from side to side. But at least she was clearly happy.

As they continued their way back to the spot where they left the yukata, Chie was all smiles, and kept praising Yuka or commenting on what they might do later in the day. They had fallen into the habit of Yukiko using happy barks and whines to show her approval or disapproval of their various plans; that way she still got to put in her two yen without fully breaking character. Maybe it was cheating, but who cared?

"God, I could use some lemon soda," Chie sighed as the clothes came into view. "Oh — there we go. Did you have fun out here today, Yuka?"

"WAN!" she barked with a huge, panting grin, bouncing a little. Then she winced. "Nnn…"

"Yuka?" But she shook her head, so Chie sighed and pulled her closer to the clothes. "Mkay, let's get outta here; we still have time to play some Famidrive. Bet I can whoop you in Power Intuition!"

But as Yukiko drew almost right up to the clothes, which would be the official end of their play, Chie suddenly stopped and held the leash taut. There was a quiet gag before her girlfriend turned around to look up at her curiously.

"Wait… um… I was gonna do this later, but I think… I wanna do it now. While you're still on your walk, Yuka." Meaning during play. She actually had been going to wait for her birthday, but that was almost a year away — and she hated that she hadn't thought of it before the last one. Oh well, better late than never.

"Wan?" Yuka asked in concern.

"Huh? O-oh, right! I got you a little something." Kneeling down, she produced it from her jacket pocket and held it out. "Hope you like it, girl."

It was a dog tag. Not just any tag, but a bamboo tag with an elegant burned-in design of flames on one side. When Chie's nervously twitching fingers turned it around, the kanji "優花" were emblazoned on the back: Yuka. Gentle flower.

There was a very real gasp from her girlfriend before she squealed, "CHIE!" and threw her arms around her, bouncing with happiness. Her owner just began to laugh when she suddenly drew back and cleared her throat. "W-wan!"

"It's cool," she laughed as she reached for her collar. "We were almost done, anyway, right? Hmm…" Then she delicately began to attach the tag to her pet. The big grin and the way she could barely keep still was too adorable — and doglike, which continuously surprised her. Even if Yukiko was a beautiful debutante in so many ways, she was also the world's cutest puppy. "There!"

And no sooner had she finished than she was pounced upon, licked all over her face amid a flurry of giggles. After a minute or two, she managed to push the girl away and stood up.

"Okay, you can stand up too now."

"Ohhhh, Chie, it's gorgeous!" Yukiko gushed as she finally rose to her feet, catching up the yukata along the way. "Where did you get it? How long have you been hanging onto this?!"

"Few days," she told her shyly, watching her slip her zori back on. So cute the way her little toes wriggled to slip the thong between them. "J-just… you got me that necklace for White Day, and I don't know why, I didn't even think about-"

"Stop that," she cut her off. "We already discussed this, I told you I wasn't even sure if I should get you something. Since we aren't boyfriend-girlfriend, we are two girls; the rules aren't the same. So you didn't disappoint me!"

Shrugging as she helped her slide the light kimono around her body, she muttered, "Y-yeah, but you still deserved a gift. And we've been going out for like a whole year, so…"

"Almost a year," she whispered back with a twinkle in her eyes. One that made her suspicious.

"Um… you're not planning some kinda crazy thing next month, are you? Like, because it's our anniversary?"

Trying to sound innocent, she pressed a hand into her clothed chest — now that she had finished tying her yukata, naturally. "Why, Chie-chan! Would I do that?"

"Yep. Okay, okay… I guess I do wanna celebrate it, but don't go wacko! Just like, find us something fun. Maybe we can have a nice din-"

"Don't you worry about a thing," she reassured her lover as she linked their arms together. "Just don't be too busy that day and everything will come up roses. Okay?"

Letting out a loud "UGHHHHH", Chie tried to be grumpy as they headed for the edge of the woods, and toward the Amagi Inn beyond. But she still ended up leaning over to whisper, "Fine, I'm excited. Just don't tell anybody."

"Because our relationship is anyone's business as it is," she giggled. "Hmm… are you sure this is the right way?"

As Chie Satonaka stared at the pretty little innkeeper, the shafts of light filtering through the trees, her heart stopped for a moment as time froze. Because her priestess was there, and warm, and real, and so sweet and beautiful. Because they were there together.

"Everything's right, Yukiko," she whispered with a huge, goofy grin. "Everything."

~ THE END ~

#We'll Face Ourselves #chiko #yukiko x chie #persona 4 fanfic #jess the writer #nsfw-text #tbh i almost didn't post this bc i got a bunch of hate on wattpad #on an old fic #idk maybe i should just stop

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random-mha-thoughts · 5 years ago

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*sips butter pecan coffee* It's a coffee type of day. Or week.

I know what you’re all thinking. “Chibi, where the HELL have you been?! You still walk this Earth??!!” Maybe you’re pointing pitchforks at me. Maybe I never even crossed your mind and you’re scrolling past now Yeah it’s pretty selfish of me to think I’m that important whoops

First of all, I hope ya’ll are still supporting the HELL out of the BLM movement signing all the petitions, donating to organizations for the protesters/businesses/memorial funds/etc., and spreading those carrds and links around. This battle is far from over and some progress has been made, but keep going! Protesters are doing amazing work, they really out here as the real MVPs making the change happen and making their voices heard, so thank you sincerely.

Plus it’s PRIDE MONTH, so Happy Pride to my dear LGBTQIA+ readers. I hope you’re celebrating for yourself even if circumstances are more difficult this year, whether because of the lack of parades or you might be with difficult family or any other reason. You’re all precious and valid, you’re strong and you’re special, you’re someone to be proud of! You’re fabulous and you’re worth 👏🏼 it 👏🏼 so be proud of who you are and WORK IT!

So, back to the main point here. Where the hell have I been?

It’s a simple answer that I’m admittedly ashamed of: I’ve lost my motivation to write, or do anything for that matter. I don’t even know how these past few days have slipped by me or what the hell I’ve been doing to pass the time.

Before you say anything, no, I’m not leaving while I have a list of requests (btw purple tears anon, your Shinsou angst request is next babe 💜), it would be a huge disservice to all of you and it wouldn’t sit well with me either. But it would also be a disservice to not just the requesters but all of you readers if I forced myself to write when I’m feeling this way. I don’t want to write or put forth something I’m not proud of, something that doesn’t have my heart in it.

Trust me, I really really hate leaving my blog this dormant, it’s been almost a week since I posted my last request. I haven’t taken an extended break like this...ever actually. Since I opened in January, I haven’t been on hiatus at all, not even for my finals (now that I think about it, I guess that’s something to be proud of). Perhaps I was due for a break and this is my brain’s way of telling me, “Hoe, you need to chill now.” With the events of the movement I see on social media and my general lack of purpose during quarantine, I think it all came down on me and I lost momentum. It feels like I’ve been rolling to a stop and I’ve finally halted. I know I said I would try to post something to help of you escape the stress that’s going on in the world, but I’ve succumbed to it myself, I feel like I’ve failed you. But at the same time, I didn’t want to because I wanted to respect the movement. So I was also conflicted in that way.

Anyway, I’m sorry I’ve been away and I took this unexpected hiatus. I’ll try to pick myself up this weekend and finish the rest of my requests. This entire ordeal has bummed me out to think that my requests are gonna take another week or 2 to finish because I pushed myself back for a week... I hope you’re all doing well and taking care of yourselves though. Hopefully, your countries/cities/states are opening up again and you can go outside and get some fresh air. I’m rooting for all of you 💜

Stay well and practice self-care lovelies!

~Chibi

#update #tiny talks #text #i'm back from the dead

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ghostspideys-moved · 5 years ago

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We’ll Have Tomorrow

Chapter Three

A/N: So, in case anyone was just curious or whatever, I made a carrd that has both River and Hawthorne’s bios. Just thought it would be something a little fun.

Word Count: 2k

Pairing: Steve Harrington x OC, Jonathan x Nancy x OC (eventually)

Summary: Now that they’ve made it to the junkyard, they play the waiting game where some secrets are finally shared.

Lucas volunteered to keep an eye out from a safe spot on top of the bus. That meant the rest of them just had to sit inside and wait.

Dustin was already pacing, and Steve was playing with his lighter. River wasn’t feeling any less antsy than both of them. Max kept glancing between the four of them, seemingly trying to process everything from what River could tell. She hardly blamed Max for her disbelief. This was a crazy thing for anyone to wrap their head around.

Even with the extra information she had, River still was having a hard time herself. Or maybe it was more that she couldn’t believe she was actually having to deal with something she’d hoped she’d escaped for good.

“So, you really fought one of these things before?” Max asked. River and Steve both gave a simple nod in response. In River’s case, that was kind of an understatement. While she was terrified of the Demogorgons and hadn’t actually fought one before, she wasn’t going to let them deal with it alone. Plus, she’d be quite a bit of help to them, whether they knew it or not.

“And you’re a hundred percent sure it wasn’t a bear?” River only wished that were the case. They wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble for a bear.

“Don’t be an idiot, okay? It wasn’t a bear.” River was certainly surprised by Dustin’s response. This kid wasn’t actually taking Steve’s advice, was he? At this rate, he wasn’t going to win Max over at all.

When Dustin continued to get on her case, Max left to join Lucas.

“That’s good,” Steve said. “Show her you don’t care.”

“I don’t.”

Steve winked, and Dustin just looked at him weirdly. “Why are you winking, Steve? Stop.”

River felt like she had to help fix this situation somehow. “God, Dustin. Don’t listen to him. Being a dick isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

“This works all the time, the kid is going to be fine.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “What? Because that’s what you do with every girl you come across?” she asked.

Steve sputtered, trying to come up with an equally sarcastic answer. He shook his head.

“I don’t see you doing any better,” he said.

“Even if I wanted to, my dad would never let me get near another guy.”

“Dad would kill you,” Hawthorne added. “Because he’s an abusive asshole who doesn’t let either of us do shit.” He said it so casually, as if he was stating something as simple as the weather. She hated how easy it was for her brother to just bring up things like that.

River shot him a look of disbelief. If she had something to throw at him, she would have done it already.

“Dad is just...overprotective,” she corrected.

“Oh, and I’m sure that’s why he hits us.”

“Yeah, woah. That is not overprotective,” Steve agreed. “How have you not told someone about this?”

Deep down, River knew they were both right, and she should have done that by now. She was way too scared to do anything about it though.

“It’s not that easy,” she said. “I want to but...he’s kind of the only family we have left.”

“I’ve been trying to tell her that we need to do something about that shit.” Hawthorne sighed.

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound too good,” Dustin said. “Maybe Hopper could help after all of this is over.”

Getting the police involved was the last thing she wanted, much less the chief. That would only make things worse.

“I’ll figure something out, okay? I already have way too much to worry about on top of all this,” River claimed. “Dad’s already going to be pissed by all the detention I’ve been getting.”

“Wait a second.” Steve seemed to be having an epiphany. “You’re the one who pulled the fire alarm last week,” he realized.

“It was the only way I could think of getting out of P.E.”

“You know, normal people skip class or fake being sick.”

“Looking back on it, not my best moment, I’ll admit. It was pretty stupid, actually. And I don’t know if you noticed, Harrington, but I’m hardly normal,” River countered. “Everyone at school already thinks I’m a freak anyways. I can hear them thinking it.”

“Thinking it?” She sighed and shook her head, hesitating a bit before attempting to explain. “Alright, this is gonna sound crazy, but I can hear people’s thoughts.”

Dustin and Steve shared a shocked look. “Wait, you can hear people’s thoughts?” Dustin clarified.

“That’s what I said, yeah.”

What am I thinking about right now?”

“Max and Dart, mostly.” She could tell he felt bad about being such a jerk, and clearly he was still worried about Dart on top of feeling bad for keeping a secret form his friends.

Dustin’s eyes widened. He had the most excited look on his face. “Holy shit,” he whispered. “You’re like El.”

“Who?”

“El. She’s our friend,” he explained, his expression turning grim. “Or, she was anyways. We called her El, short for Eleven.”

“Like the number Eleven?” River asked, slowly realizing something.

Dustin nodded. River shared a knowing look with her brother, which he definitely appeared to notice.

“Do you know her?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowed. She was starting to understand just how smart this kid was. They couldn’t keep everything to themselves for much longer, that much was clear to her now.

“No,” River hesitated. And that was definitely the truth. “Not personally. But, that isn’t to say we don’t understand what you’re getting at.”

Dustin’s eyes widened as he was putting two and two together. “Wait, so if you guys have cool powers and shit, does that mean you guys came from Hawkins lab, too?” he asked.

River was debating on her answer. There wasn’t much use hiding things anymore, clearly. She nodded and pulled up her sleeve, revealing a number tattooed along her forearm. 004.

Hawthorne sighed, giving in and showing his as well. 004.5.

Before she could say anything else, a loud growl sounded from nearby. The four of them scrambled to look out the window, their eyes scanning for any sign of Demogorgons.

Dustin called out for Lucas, hoping his vantage point would help them out. While they couldn’t see any from inside, he had a lot more luck than they did.

“Ten o’clock! Ten o’clock!”

Sure enough, there was one waiting outside, only a few yards away. And if River knew anything about Demogorgons, which admittedly wasn’t very much at all, one could possibly mean there were more.

“He’s not taking the bait,” Steve realized. “Why is he not taking the bait?”

“Maybe he’s not hungry,” Dustin suggested.

That answer didn’t really sit well with her. It just didn’t make sense. Those things always seemed to be hungry, so why not now?

“Maybe he’s tired of cow.”

River’s eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about. “There’s no way you’re going out there,” she said, though he didn’t seem to be listening.

Steve was already grabbing his bat despite Dustin’s worried protests. He tossed his lighter over to him, a determined look on his face.

“Just get ready.” Before anyone could stop him, he stepped out of the bus.

Hawthorne shook his head and watched from the window again. “He’s got a deathwish,” he mumbled.

River watched with bated breath as he tried to get the Demogorgon’s attention. Max rushed down the ladder to join them, squeezing in between River and Dustin.

“What’s he doing?” she exclaimed.

“Expanding the menu.”

“Getting himself killed.”

“Being a total idiot.” River crossed her arms. “There’s not a chance in hell he’s getting out of this on his own.”

She watched as he pressed on. Maybe he was an idiot, but she had to give him credit for being brave as hell. Or perhaps the two were connected. Brave, stupid, or maybe both. Both sounded good.

Lucas called out as another Demogorgon appeared from the fog, and it had friends slowly surrounding Steve. Dustin made a dash for the front of the bus and opened the doors, trying to give him an opening to escape. Judging by how many there were, she doubted he would make it in time.

River bit her lip and looked around for her hockey stick. She didn’t have the slightest semblance of a plan, but that wasn’t what really mattered to her right now. Grabbing her hockey stick, she pushed past the kids, her brother grabbing her arm. “What the hell are you doing?” Hawthorne’s grip didn’t loosen much when she tried to pull away.

“He’s an idiot, but I’m not letting him get killed,” she explained, pulling free of his grip after a moment.

Despite her brother’s protests, she ran out the doors and went to help Steve, who was thankfully fighting back. She got in a good hit on one that was sneaking up behind him.

It was going well all things considered, but there were a lot of them, and her hockey stick was only able to handle so much force. Cursing under her breath, she eventually tossed it aside and opted to just use her powers. She pulled Steve over and was able to temporarily make a force field over the bus as they escaped.

The kids were hollering for them to hurry and get inside where it was safe. River grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the bus, her focus faltering just long enough in the rush to get to safety for the force field to dissipate. She pushed him inside right before she felt something pulling her back. A Demogorgon had a grip on her foot, it’s teeth digging into her skin. She nearly tripped trying to pull herself free, but Steve grabbed her arm and pulled her in, causing both of them to topple over and hit the floor. Dustin closed the doors as soon as she was safely inside.

River tried to catch her breath and sit up. She winced, her leg protesting her movement. It was indescribable how much pain she felt just sitting up. It was like every nerve in her leg was on fire.

“You weren’t supposed to follow me out there,” Steve said as he sat up. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” River retorted. “There’s no way you could have actually thought that was going to end well at all. Unless you’re that stupid.”

Steve didn’t have much time to respond. He was trying to keep the Demogorgons from getting inside. He was succeeding mostly, but there were too many surrounding them, and they were clawing ferociously at all sides.

River tried standing, but her leg was still in way too much pain. She willed herself to stick it out and try to help him keep the creatures from getting inside. She could hear Dustin calling for help through his walkie-talkie, the horrid sound of claws scraping at metal, and Hawthorne trying to keep everyone else calm. Which wasn’t exactly going well.

Everyone froze as soon as they noticed a banging sound coming from above, followed by Max screaming. Steve pushed everyone back and wielded his bat, almost daring the Demogorgon to attack.

The most surprising part was when the creature paused and turned, as if it was being called to by some unseen force. It glanced back at them before stalking away. River wasn’t sure why it had left, but she didn’t think it could be for any good reason.

Clamoring over to the door again, the group slowly opened the door, Steve being the first to exit in case of a surprise attack. They could see the last Demogorgon fleeing, meaning they were safe. For how long, she wasn’t really sure, but River was sure they wouldn’t have long.

“What happened?” Lucas asked, peering around in confusion.

“I don’t know.”

“Steve scared them off.”

“No. No way.” Steve turned to them as he had a realization. “They’re going somewhere.”

Taglist: @bravest-at-heart @musicalytrashpanda @queenofthehairharrington

#steve harrington #dustin henderson #lucas sinclair #mike wheeler #will byers #jonathan byers #nancy wheeler #jim hopper #joyce byers #jane hopper #steve harrington headcanon #steve harrington x oc #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fanfiction

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rwbyremnants · 4 years ago

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So uhhh one of my reviewers was right; I had posted chapter 23 as chapter 22. I told you guys my brain was smooshed and I needed a break! This is the same chapter 23, but chapter 22 is correct now if you guys want to go back and read it (for the first time). I'll also be editing chapter 24 to post today or tomorrow. Hope everybody's having a good Fall <3

Also I just made us a Carrd if anybody wanted to apply to be a beta or submit fanart, or donate or whatever!

=Chapter 23

Raven had thrown a small fit when she saw what had become of her daughter’s room. The other four’s insistence that they would clean it all up themselves mollified her, and she got out of their way to let them handle it. Yang went straight for the shower once Weiss promised to bring her some clean clothes, so the other three got to work.

“I really do feel like a blockhead, though,” Ruby said, obviously in higher spirits due to Yang’s begrudging acceptance of her. “I was even thinking to myself, ‘Don’t drop it, don’t say anything dumb,’ and all I did was say dumb things and… well, y’know.”

“What a klutz,” Weiss sighed, though she was smiling as she reached over and mussed up Ruby’s hair. The girl stuck out her tongue through her grin.

“Don’t underestimate the value of a moment like that,” Kali reminded them as she searched for some dishrags in the kitchen drawers. Raven had vanished into the rest of the house so she would be of little help. When they only looked confused, she explained, “You broke the ice. Now Yang can see past what you represent - losing her father, all that old pain - to who you are as a person.”

The grin grew wider. “Really? Me being so square did all that?”

“Yes, sweetheart. All that.”

She was still grinning when Raven returned with a long-sleeved blouse and a dress that was a bit old-fashioned, tossing them onto the back of a chair. “There.”

She had already taken a step toward the hallway again when Weiss asked, “There, what?”

“There,” she answered through gritted teeth, “clothes for the runt to change into.” When they only stared at her, she rolled her eyes in annoyance and disgust. “She got malted on her, too, didn’t she? It’s going to stink. Milk stinks as it goes bad. Are you this slow on purpose?”

“Thank you, Raven,” Kali said very firmly to cut off any rebuttals from Weiss. “We’ll finish up the cleaning while Yang showers.”

Once they were alone again, Weiss whispered, “I think I see what you mean. She keeps doing nice things while acting really mean - like the soup. It’s strange.”

“She’s always been like that, to a lesser degree. Just got worse after Tai left her. Oh-” Smiling a bit wider, she held up a stack of washcloths. “Perfect.”

By the time the bedclothes were changed, Weiss had built up enough confidence to not only bring Yang her clothes, but wait for her to get out of the shower. When the Dragon pushed the curtain aside and saw she was no longer alone, she blinked a few times, then allowed a smug little grin to flit across her lips.

“Soooo.” Reaching out a hand for a towel, expression aloof as if she were royalty, she waited for Weiss to hand it to her before she continued, “Wanted to get a good look at the ol’ chassis, huh? You’ve already seen it’s in tip-top condition.”

Blush already starting, Weiss forced herself to remain calm. When Yang took a step out onto the bathmat, she stood her ground instead of stepping back - so that they were nose-to-nose. Yang blinked at the suddenness of the proximity.

“I wanted to see all of you - without pressure from a gaggle of mean Dragons this time. So thank you for the, um… demonstration.”

Yang bit her bottom lip for a moment, then looked down at her own body and back up. “So, all bragging aside… I know I look pretty good. But you don’t have to prove you’re interested in women if you don’t want to. I’m fine with just taking things slow.”

“You don’t live slow, Yang. I know that.” Her hand drifted up to pet along her hip and waist. “I’m trying to get more comfortable around you like this. It’s… well, I’m still a lot more nervous about it than you are, but it’s better. I’m better.”

“Good. I like it when you’re better. I like seeing that you’re not scared to death my body’s gonna gobble you up.” Her voice dipped a little lower. “Unless you want it to.”

Shivering from those words that sounded like a promise, she whispered, “Maybe I do. Maybe… it’s my turn.”

“Your turn?” Yang’s eyebrows went up, and she grinned. “Ohhhhh, okay. Then maybe you should get rid of my stupid sister and Mrs. B and we can really- OW!”

“You deserved that!” Weiss hissed, letting go of the skin covering Yang’s ribs. “And there’s another pinch in it for you if you insult Ruby again!”

“What did I say?”

“That girl wants to be your actual sister! Not just someone who’s related to you through your father, but… honestly, do you have to call her ‘stupid’?”

Frowning and still rubbing the pinched skin, she turned away as she finally began to dry off. “I didn’t really mean it. Just being… I don’t know. But she’s not my sister. I barely saw her growing up because of how Dad handled things. How Raven and Summer did after he left. They could have kept us together, or at least let us play together, but we barely ever did. And then she dies, and I thought maybe Ruby would move in with us, but… nope. Uncle Qrow gets her, and they hate each other as much as our moms. Worse.”

The silence deepened as she watched Yang angrily scrubbing the water off her skin. It was a little painful just to be watching, so she couldn’t imagine how much worse it was to experience.

“Can’t you see Ruby loves you?”

“Stop, okay? This isn’t your business.”

“No, Yang. It is now. Because you’re my…” She only had to gulp once to get it out. “M-my girlfriend. If I were a boy, we’d be engaged, or pinned or something. And then Ruby would be my future family.”

“Weiss-”

“So it’s important to me that you two get along!”

“Weiss, drop it. I’ll…” When she glanced at her and saw the deadly serious expression on her face, Yang’s softened. “Alright, alright. She did come all the way over here just to bring me a dumb malted, didn’t she?”

“Not just for that. She wanted to see if you were alright. And I stuck my neck out and said you would want to see her, even though you’ve been treating her like a… a wad of used chewing gum!”

Such a comparison made Yang snort in amusement. “Really? As bad as all that?”

“YES!”

“Really?” she asked again, the smile disappearing. “I didn’t… come on, I never hurt her or anything. I may not hang out with her, but that’s because I’m a Dragon. I have my own friends, and she has hers. Didn’t think she would want to keep playing hopscotch with me after so long, anyway. Besides, like I said, Raven and Qrow don’t get along, so it’s just… easier to leave each other alone, right?”

Impatient, Weiss walked over to her and pressed a hand into the small of her back through the towel. “You’re her half-sister. I’d give anything to have Winter here while I was going through all this with my parents! A sister is a friend for life.”

“Friend for life, huh?” Glancing at Weiss and seeing she was serious, she sighed as she patted her hair dry, then turned to cup her cheek. Her heart fluttered, despite the gravity of their conversation. “Alright, enough already. It’s… I’ll give it a try. No promises, but I’ll try.”

“Thank you,” she told her earnestly, gripping the back of the hand to keep it close.

“You like her, don’t you? My sis.”

“She’s sweet. And… well, I feel a little guilty for only talking to her when I’m worried about you, or talking about you. So I made a promise to myself and to her that I’d be… nicer.”

Yang was quiet as she thought about that for a moment. Then she propped a leg up on the sink as she began to dry it off. “That’s pretty cool of you, though I don’t think I’d like it if it were me. Being a charity case.”

“Not for charity! I really do like her! I mean it!”

“Why? What’s so great about her?” When Weiss frowned, she winced. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Really, tell me about my sister.”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“No, I’m not going to do your work for you. Go out there and learn about her first-hand.” Then she took the towel and began to dry off the leg for her, still speaking in a brisk, businesslike manner. “Just forget she’s Summer’s girl, or about divorces or anything like that, and get to know who Ruby is. Okay?”

After the first few seconds, Yang began relaxing into the motions as she listened. The towel passing up and over her rear got her to chuckle, “Okay. I mean, you’re probably right. Besides, I can’t say ‘no’ to you.”

“Good. Now, I want you to stand on your head and pat your belly.”

“Actually, turns out I can say ‘no’. And I’m sayin’ it now.”

“Oh? But if you stood on your head… I could probably reach something fun very easily.”

One eyebrow raised, Yang turned her head more fully to gaze into Weiss’s eyes. “While I’ve been laid up, you got even bolder. What have you and Kali been up to?”

“Hey! I don’t appreciate you saying things like that!” Though they were both laughing. Weiss rubbed at her hindquarters a little more firmly. “I have been pretty lonely with you laid up.”

“Me, too. Hanging around in my room is driving me stir crazy.”

“Well, it’s only a few more days. But you still have to take it easy for another month, okay? Promise?”

Pouting, Yang turned and lowered her leg again so she could slide her hands around Weiss’s trim waist. She moved her arm pretty confidently, despite the injury; marked progress. “But I want to lift you up onto the sink and drink you down. Right now.”

“O-oh…” Her pulse skyrocketed, but she forced herself to clear her throat and take a step back. “But you won’t. And you won’t put me on your motorcycle, and you won’t punch anyone out. Nothing like that until your shoulder is better.”

“Okay, okay, Mom.”

“And don’t do that! It sounds creepy!”

As they were laughing, there came a harsh knock at the door. “HEY! I said to cut that out in my home, you two!”

“Cut what out, Mom?!” Yang half-shouted, still grinning.

“Don’t sass me or I’ll come in there and deck you one! And I don’t care what I’m interrupting!”

“Mrs. Branwen?” Weiss began. “I was just helping Yang dry off and keeping her company. That’s all, I promise.”

The reasonable response seemed to fluster the woman more than an outraged or angry one might have done. So they heard nothing else but receding footsteps.

“Wow, I can’t believe that worked.”

“Neither can I,” Yang whispered, smiling at her. When Weiss began to rub at her stomach, she said, “Um, a little lower, please.”

Weiss only narrowed her eyes instead of capitulating.

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

When they returned to her bedroom, they found that Kali and Ruby had done a fantastic job of cleaning up. Yang surprised them all by immediately striding up to Ruby, who was now wearing Raven’s old clothes and looking awkward about having been standing by her window.

“So,” she said with a somewhat-false cheer. “What made you want to drop by today, Rubes?”

“Um… Weiss? She said Mrs. Belladonna could help me get past Raven, so I thought… I mean, hey, why not give it a try? And if you threw me out, I would get over it.”

Shrugging as if it was no big deal, she said, “Well, the malted’s gone, so I guess now we just talk.”

“Right! Talking is good!”

Everything fell silent. As Kali nudged Weiss, both sisters said “Sooo…” in such a similar way that they had to laugh at themselves. Then she noticed Kali was trying to get her to help gather up the dirty bedclothes and take them out, so she obeyed, trying not to be conspicuous.

“I think it’s going to go a lot better from this point forward,” Kali whispered.

“Really? I didn’t make the world’s biggest mistake in bringing Ruby here?” They shared a brief smile as they edged into a small laundry room off the kitchen. “That’s good. I had a feeling all they needed was to talk for more than a few sec-”

They both froze when they saw Raven working on the laundry, box of detergent clutched in her hands as she glared. After a moment or two, she sighed and finished what she was doing, then tried to push past them.

“Wait,” Kali attempted.

“No. This doesn’t change anything. I still don’t want you back in my life, and I don’t want to be ‘best pals’ with the girl dating my daughter. Or with Summer’s little runt. Everybody just leave me alone.”

The problem was, Kali and Weiss were blocking her escape. She could have slipped out the back door and into the yard, but that would have been a truly desperate way to dodge an uncomfortable conversation, and Raven seemed to think she was at least above that.

“Do you know why we’re where we are right now?”

“It’s my house,” she fired back immediately. “Why you’re here is because you can’t help meddling.”

“We’re here because you can’t accept anyone else’s help, or anyone else’s viewpoint. It’s all-Raven, all the time. I loved you both, but Ghira treated me more like I deserved to be treated. Still deserve that.”

“Shut up.” The voice was dangerous, and Weiss felt dread welling up in her at the sight of the fists curling at the woman’s sides. Kali was pushing and it didn’t seem like a wise decision.

“Why? Afraid of the truth?”

“You don’t understand. I’m… none of this matters anymore. Get the hell out of my way before I make you.”

The woman’s elegant Italian features were completely unimpressed. “No. This has been a long time in coming. Your behaviour is so poor that it’s affecting everyone around you. I wouldn’t bother telling you if I didn’t think you could change it. You can. And you’re an adult now, so I think you should.”

“Really?” she laughed harshly, folding her arms over her chest. “You think I’m still in love with you, and if I ‘be a good girl’, you’ll take me back? Is that your plan? Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Of course not. I’m sure you despise me more than you could ever despise anyone else. Even Summer.”

“Then what is the point of this conversation?”

“That you should stop taking out your frustrations on Yang. She’s not her father.”

Stunned by that turn, Raven took a step backward, features slack and completely incensed. “I’m not… what? Don’t you dare. Don’t you DARE accuse me of such a disgusting- who do you think you are?!”

“Someone you used to trust,” Kali sighed, not lowering her gaze but looking as if the fight were finally bleeding out to be replaced by sadness. “I don’t care if you do anymore. Well, that’s a lie; I do care, but I can’t bring myself to be upset about things I cannot change. You’ve made your choices and your judgments, and I’m just old news to you now. But Yang and Ruby, and Weiss here… they need adults in their lives who will treat them with kindness and warmth, and try to guide them without damaging them any more than necessary.”

“Get off your high horse, Belladonna. As if you never did anything that made Blake hate you. Never hurt her without meaning to.”

“I have. Many times. But I’ve never sent her to school limping from injuring her myself.”

Finally, Raven lost her cool - she flew at Kali with both fists raised, aiming to harm. To shut the woman’s mouth so no more accusations could flow forth. The attack was easily dodged, and it was Kali who had Raven pinned against the wall this time, arms gripped so that they squirmed in the small of her back. Completely incapacitated.

“You ever strike Yang again,” she growled menacingly, “and I’ll make sure you can’t anymore. Are we clear?”

“Get off me! She’s my girl! She has to know how hard the world is - has to be… be shown- OW! I can’t let her get soft!” It was probably a combination of the physical and emotional pain, but her eyes began to leak as she struggled to get away fruitlessly. “This world will chew her up and spit her out if I don’t toughen her up! And nobody else will do that for her! The Dragons? HAH! Salem just wants lackeys to do her bidding - not real strength! Why do you think I got out with Tai?! But Yang thinks they’re her ‘family’! I want her to be strong, so she can lead them her own way someday! And wiping her little ass for her like you do ain’t gonna help! So you can take your Sunday School lesson and sit on it!”

The words shocked Weiss a lot more than they did Kali. Maybe she had heard them before, or heard similar from someone else. But the Schnee heiress had never considered for a moment that Raven had struck Yang to help her! Twisted as her logic was, it definitely made a lot more sense than simply not caring about her own daughter. But Kali didn’t take more than a few seconds to respond.

“I know you love her. Even through this terrible attitude, I can see it. But you’re wrong. Beating Yang whenever she gets out of line won’t make her strong; it just makes her hate you, and makes it hard for her to trust anyone else, or respect authority that doesn’t beat her.”

“I don’t care if she hates me. If it works, that’s all that matters. Nobody’s ever gonna take advantage of my Yang. Ever.”

“Raven…” Sighing, she let her go, standing back from the woman. “Fine, be stubborn as always. But my promise remains in place. I can’t stand seeing any more children abused. I won’t stand for it. Don’t make me hurt someone I used to love to stop her from hurting people I currently love. Please.”

For a brief instant, it looked as if Raven was going to argue. But she only looked between Kali’s grim determination, and the bandage on Weiss’s cheek, still mulling the words over for a long time.

“You never loved me,” she finally whispered bitterly.

“I did.”

“You never said it.”

Swallowing hard, she turned away to gaze at the washing machine. “I know. I was afraid that if I did… you would think you had something worth fighting for, and you and Ghira might have torn each other apart. It was the only thing that would have been worse than how things wound up.”

“You’ve never given me a second thought in all those years apart. Admit it.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve thought about you every day. But that changes nothing.”

The room stayed quiet for a few seconds. Suddenly, Weiss couldn’t take it anymore, and she whispered, “Mrs. Branwen?”

“What do you want?” she sneered, annoyed at her thoughts being interrupted.

“I love Yang. And you do, too - and so does Ruby, and Kali, and Blake. Maybe it’s hard for you to see that because… you don’t know us very well.”

“I know Kali too well.”

“But couldn’t you just… give us a chance? Let us disappoint you before you assume we will?”

Raven shook her head, even though the fight had gone out of her. “I can’t. No more chances left. Over and over, I got dumped, and betrayed, and… and I made a vow no one would ever do that to me or my daughter again. Sticking to it.” She took a step toward the door before pausing. “I already said I wouldn’t stop you from coming over to see her anymore. Don’t make me regret that decision.”

“What about Ruby? Can she…” Her throat tightened, but she forced herself to finish. “Can she feel safe coming over by herself?”

“What?”

Exasperated, Weiss squeaked, “You tried to stab her!”

“I protected myself,” she snapped, though without any true bite. “Always find out what people want before you let them in. Good policy. But…” Groaning, she rolled her eyes. “Fine. I know the runt doesn’t pose any threat, so I won’t do that to her again.”

“You’d better not,” Kali put in warningly. Raven only nodded before taking her leave.

“Wow,” Weiss breathed as they slowly came back to life. They had to collect the sheets from the floor, since they had been dropped at some point that she couldn’t even recall. “That was…”

With a long sigh, Kali helped her stuff them into the washing machine with the other clothes. “I know.”

“She does love Yang. I thought she didn’t, since she was acting like my father, I… and I don’t understand how any parent can love their child and still hurt them.”

Choosing her words carefully, the older woman said, “I can understand it. I just can’t abide it. Every child has a right to feel safe and secure when they’re with their own parents, and… and if Yang can’t feel that way with Raven…” Swallowing hard, she slammed the lid shut. “I’ll take her in. I don’t care if it’s going to be difficult, or if she fights me on this. She may not be blood but she’s family.”

“You’d do that?” she breathed in surprise.

“Raven gets one last chance. I think that if she has us around to show her she’s doing things wrong, maybe she’ll change. I certainly hope so. Because if the Raven I used to know is still there, buried under all her bitterness and self-pity…”

But she cut herself off. The thoughts seemed too painful for her to keep focusing on them, and Weiss had no desire to make her endure further pain. Her hand pressed into Kali’s back as they left the clothes to be washed, and Kali spared her a weak smile that faded very quickly. It was nearly as sad as if she had never smiled at all.

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

The rest of their visit was much more amiable. Ruby and Yang seemed to be getting along a little better now; Yang would still say some things that came across as harsh or abrasive, but she had begun to notice that on her own and apologise. Kali hung back and said very little, sipping at the mug of green tea she had prepared for herself. Weiss tried to follow her example, only speaking when spoken to.

Raven didn’t reappear. When Weiss took Kali’s teacup to the kitchen, she could see her outside hanging up the washing to dry through the little window in the backdoor, but otherwise they didn’t encounter her again. It was another instance of seeing that Raven did care. She just often showed it in such a terrible way that it was dangerous.

When dinnertime began to approach, Raven did stop by to shoo them away. Kali smirked while she offered to whip them up something and stay even longer, knowing full well she would be turned down; Raven didn’t disappoint, threatening to grab a broom and literally sweep them out the front door if they dallied.

As a last-minute decision, Kali took them by the grocery store and picked up some ingredients, then drove over to the Schnee estate. Weiss’s mother was glad to see them, though initially confused about who Ruby was. Pyrrha dropped by while they were still preparing dinner, having seen the foreign car in their drive, and stayed to help both make and eat the pasta and garlic bread they had prepared. She also had a bottle of grape juice, which made a sad little laugh come from Willow as she poured them all glasses.

It was a lovely time. Weiss watched the two parents closely for any signs that they were drifting yet closer, but saw no such moment come to pass; maybe she really was imagining things. After all, her mother wasn’t that sort of person! Then again, she didn’t think she was herself, either, and now she was dating Yang.

Whitley was oddly silent all the while. Sometimes, he would look at the two family members at the table with resentment, and other times he simply seemed sad. Never said a word to the guests. Eventually, he asked to be excused and went straight to his room and never re-emerged.

That night, once all the guests had gone home, Weiss caught her mother in her father’s study, running one hand over each item with tenderness, a handkerchief pushed into her lips and nose. It was too bleak a sight for her to ignore.

“Mother?”

“Oh,” she blasted out, so startled she knocked a crystal paperweight from the desk. It broke in two. “AH! Oh dear, that wasn’t- Jacques loved that thing…”

Stooping to pick up the pieces for her, she set them on the desk before turning to look at her. “Um… dinner was nice. With Mrs. Belladonna here, and… Ruby and Pyrrha. Wasn’t it?”

Haunted as her eyes were, her mother did smile. “It was. I owe Kali a debt of gratitude; she’s been so kind and considerate. A real gem.”

“Should I expect that she’ll be welcome around here more often?” Weiss asked with a hopeful smile. “And maybe we could drop by the Belladonna home now and then?”

“Of course! Oh, I wouldn’t dream of refusing an invitation.” Sighing, she gazed down at the broken paperweight, fingers brushing over the facets. “It’s funny… I really thought I would be more devastated than I am by Jacques being taken away. But instead, I feel… I don’t know.”

“Free?”

“That’s not what… well…” Her eyes widened very slightly in mingling alarm and recognition. “That’s it. Weiss, you found exactly- I feel free. But that isn’t right, is it? He’s my husband.”

“He hurt you. And he hurt me. Kali’s been teaching me about this; she says it’s not alright for a family member to hurt another like that. And… well, I think I agree.” She felt terrified, since these things applied to her father and to Willow’s husband, but she forced herself to continue. “Maybe we can forgive them, and try to do better. Or maybe we can’t. But we can’t just let them keep hurting us. It’s not fair, and it’s unacceptable.”

The woman’s other hand came up and caressed Weiss’s cheek, then gripped her chin to gently lift her face and get a better look at her eyes. She could see her mother’s were haunted but clearer than they had been in years, and at least she was smiling.

“How did my little girl get to be so wise?”

“I’m not so little anymore, Mother.”

“And when did she stop calling me ‘Mommy’?” They both laughed. “Oh… I love you, my angel. My sweet, brave little angel.”

The embrace was enough to erase almost all of the hurt from the previous weeks. Though it had happened in such an unexpected way, she would have traded a dozen of her father just to have her mother back in her life again. Luckily, she didn’t have to.

#princess and the dragons #freezerburn fanfic #rwby fanfiction #rwbyremnants #carrd #donate

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