#told C about my si flare the other night

[whsprings]

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[pokemondarkpathau]

A Dark Path Walked Chapter 5: The Third Signboard

The next morning came and Juliana woke up extremely early, despite the long night at the Festival of Masks. She picked up the ogre’s mask and put it in her bag. She swapped clothes from her Festival Junbei to her Naranja Academy Summer Uniform and rushed to Kieran’s house, where Kieran and Yukito were waiting outside.

“Ah. Hello, Juliana.” Yukito smiled. “It’s such a pleasure to see you.”

“Good morning, Sir Yukito. Kieran.” Juliana smiled back.

“There is no need for formalities.” Yukito chuckled. “You can just call me Yukito.”

“H-Hey, Grandpa…” Kieran started speaking. “C-can we a-ask a favor for you?”

“Gooooooood morning, Mossui Town!” Carmine interrupted the conversation as she walked out of the house. “Time for Carmine to shine!” She then turns to Kieran. “Say, Kiki, could you move over for a bit? I wish to speak to Grandpa.”

“No fair, sis!” Kieran pouted. “I was here first! And Juliana also wants to talk to Grandpa! You can be such a jerk sometimes, you know that?!”

“What did you just call me, young man?!” Carmine hissed, her black and scarlet hair flaring up like fire. “You should watch how you talk to your older sister!”

“You should have watched your tone as you embarrassed me in front of everyone at the Festival of Masks as you tried to persuade me to Ogre Oustin’!” Kieran continued, unusually angry at his sister.

“Enough, both of you!” Yukito yelled at his children. He first turns to Carmine. “Carmine, the way you spoke to your brother wasn’t kind.”

“I was being kind!” Carmine growled. “It’s not like I hit him or anything.”

Yukito then turned to Kieran.

“And Kieran, you shouldn’t be calling your sister mean names.” He added.

“Sorry, Grandpa…” Kieran sighed. “I was so angry…”

“It is ok to be angry, Kieran.” Juliana said, patting him on the shoulder.

“Carmine, why don’t you wait near the house while I talk to your brother?” Yukito patted Carmine on her shoulder.

“What?!” Carmine hissed. “Fine. You can go waste Grandpa’s time, Kiki… outsider.”

With a hmph, Carmine walked off, muttering how her morning was already ruined.

“I am so sorry, Juliana…” Kieran sighed. “I never get angry, but Sis has been pulling so many buttons lately.”

“It’s ok. Kieran.” Juliana smiled.

“Before we were interrupted, what did you need to tell me, Kieran?” Yukito asked.

“Do you still have the thing, Juliana?” Kieran whispered to Juliana’s ear.

Juliana nodded and took out the mask. Yukito looked at the mask in disbelief.

“Is this… the Teal Mask?” He gasped. “Where did you find it?”

“I was exploring around the Festival and I saw the Ogre wearing it…” Juliana tried to explain. “I tried to start a conversation, but it ran off, dropping the mask in the process… the first person I told was Kieran.”

Much to Kieran’s relief, she left out the part where they ran off to the Dreaden Den to give the mask back.

“To think that the ogre would still grace us with its presence.” Yukito muttered to himself, but he did not notice he said that phrase outloud.

“Still?” Kieran was confused. “What are you talking about, Grandpa? Doesn’t it say that the ogre terrorized the town?”

Yukito hesitated before turning around. He knew Kieran loves the ogre and he knew that Juliana wasn’t from Kitakami. He took a deep breath.

“I suppose it is time I tell you the truth, Kieran…” He said. “The actual story about the ogre… is the other way around.”

“The other way around?” Kieran was even more confused. “What do you mean?”

“You should hear this too, Juliana.” Yukito turned to Juliana. “You met the ogre… or… Ogerpon as it is rightfully named. Let me tell you the true story as it was passed down from generation to generation… a story passed down from mouth to mouth. I learned it from my father.” He closed his eyes. “This is a story of truths. A story that must never be told to the rest of the villagers. You must never speak of it to the others.”

“Alright.” Juliana nodded, her voice sounding unusually serious.

“I understand, Grandpa…” Kieran nodded.

Yukito then opened its eyes and told the story of Ogerpon.

“Long long ago, there was a man who was travelling with his partner Pokémon, Ogerpon. They arrived to Kitakami from a far off region, so the villagers were afraid of their different appearance. They were saddened, yet they were still happy because they had each other. They made their home in the mountains. One person held pity for the duo, the village mask maker. The mask maker carved four masks with mysterious crystals and gave them to the duo so they could fit in with the villagers at the festival… but the masks caught the attention of three greedy Pokémon, Okidogi, Munkidori and Fezandipiti. The three greedy Pokémon went to the duo's home to steal the mask, but the man arrived and attempted to stop the robberies, being able to protect only one mask. Ogerpon returned home only to see a struggle and the Teal Mask. Enraged, Ogerpon donned the mask and set off on a quest for revenge and to find its fallen partner. It defeated the Loyal Three in battle. The villagers who saw the whole event were terrified. They believed the three Pokémon protected the villagers from the fearsome ogre. The three Fallen Pokémon were dubbed the Loyal Three and buried in a monument called Loyalty Plaza while Ogerpon returned home… alone and sad…”

After the story ended, Juliana was left in stunned silence… to think that Ogerpon would end up ostracized and labeled as a monster while her enemies were praised as heroes who lost their lives. It reminded her of what happened to Penny and Team Star. Team Star and Penny were bullied by other students and Team Star initiated Operation Star so they could fight back their bullies, only for them to run away and drop out of Naranja Academy. In the end. Penny took the blame and had to return to Galar.

She turned to Kieran, who was trembling in anger.

“No way…” He said in a soft voice. He thought that Ogerpon was a brave warrior who defeated the Loyal Three in a three on one battle. He then raised his voice. “OGERPON DID NOT DESERVE ANY OF THIS!! AND THE LOYAL THREE!! THOSE JERKS ARE THE WORST!!!” He turned around to leave. “I HAVE TO TELL THE REST OF THE VILLAGERS!! THEY NEED TO KNOW!!!”

“Hold, Kieran!!” Yukito stopped his grandson from stepping foot outside their front yard. “I have told you to keep it to yourself!”

“B-but grandpa!” Kieran tried to say something.

“The people believe their own side of the story.” The grandfather continued. “How would they feel if they were told that their story was all a lie?”

“They’d… feel upset…” Kieran answered.

“Exactly.” Yukito nodded. “When all of this happened, the mask maker, our ancestor, tried to explain the truth of the story, but no one took him seriously and he was labeled a heretic.”

“I really want to help Ogerpon…” Kieran whimpered as he went back to his grandfather. “I can’t let them suffer like this… We have to do something now.”

“I wish we could do something, Kieran.” Yukito said. “In the end, the mask maker could protect his descendants, us, by keeping his mouth shut. However, he passed down the truth to his descendants from generation to generation. It was kept a family secret.”

“Does Sis know yet?” Kieran asked.

“No, she does not.” Yukito shook his head. “I have not spoken to her about it, why do you ask?”

“Sis can be a bit brash at times and… I’m afraid she might put us and Juliana in danger and spread the word.” Kieran answered.

“I do not want to keep Carmine in the dark.” Yukito shook his head. “But I will keep your word for now, and I will tell her when the time is right. For now, do not say a word to anybody.”

“Of course, Grandpa…” Kieran nodded. “I cannot believe that this happened to Ogerpon…”

“Now about the mask.” Yukito looked at the Teal Mask. “I noticed that the jewel on its forehead was chipped. I might be able to fix it, would you mind if I stayed with it?”

“We don’t mind, Grandpa!” Kieran smiled. “Ogerpon would be very happy if they saw that their mask is fixed!”

“Don’t worry, you two.” Yukito smiled back. “I’ll be sure to take good care of the mask.”

“Thank you, Grandpa!” Kieran chirped. “I promise that you won’t be let down!”

What the three of them did not know is that Carmine overheard the entire conversation. She was gritting her teeth in anger, her hands holding the front part of her hair. She was left out by her own grandfather and her brother… and not only that, the person who is not even from her home region learned the truth of a story she should have known before her. She took a deep breath and ran towards Peachy’s to calm down.

A few minutes later, Juliana bought some Pokéballs at Peachy’s when Carmine walked up to her.

“Hello, Juliana.” Carmine, pretending to be friendly. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what were you, Grandpa and Kiki talking about?”

“Oh… we were talking about this and that…” Juliana smiled. “Nothing important.”

“Oh… I see….” Carmine’s smile dropped. “I heard you were going to the last signboard at Paradise Barrens. Maybe you will learn something very important.”

“Alright.” Juliana nodded. “Thank you, Carmine. I hope you find your signboard at Kitakami Hall.”

Juliana walked to where Kieran was waiting for her. Carmine looked down in anger.

“You…” She hissed. “You lied to me… you hid something from me…”

As the sun was setting, Juliana and Kieran arrived at the third signboard at the Paradise Barrens. Before Kieran could say anything, Juliana walked up to the signboard.

“The third signboard…” She said. “Let’s read. It says… ‘If you see a shadowy figure approaching you outside the village at twilight, be wary. Don a mask at once and hide your face. Do so and whether the shadow is man or monster, you will pass each other by as fellow mask wearers. If you should meet the shadow when you have no mask in hand, then pray it is only a man. If it is, you will live to see another day and you will remember to never forget your mask again. But if it is the ogre, you will meet your end as do all humans whose faces are seen by it. Once it sees your face, your soul will be forfeit. And you shall never return to the village.’ Hm…”

“Juliana?” Kieran said. “Are you ok?”

“Something is not right…” Juliana said. “The story of Ogerpon and the story at the signboards are all different… and not only that… I didn’t have a mask last night and I didn’t get my soul absorbed…”

“You’re right…” Kieran nodded.

“Come on… let’s take a picture… that way, we’re the first group to finish the assignment for the school field trip.” Juliana suggested.

They took the last picture, however, Juliana did not have the energy to pose while Kieran looked at Juliana worriedly.

“H-hey, Juliana?” Kieran went to her. “Do you… want to battle?”

“Are you sure, Kieran?” Juliana looked worriedly at Kieran. “I’m afraid you might hate me if you lose.”

“O-of course I won’t hate you!” Kieran shook his head. “You’re my friend! And there is no way I would hate you at all!”

“Alright…” Juliana took out a Pokéball. “If you want a battle, I’ll give you a battle.”

Juliana struggled since there were no Pokémon who could defeat Kieran’s newly caught Gligar and Poliwhirl had evolved to a Poliwrath. Only Arboliva was left standing because of its Seed Sower ability activating Grassy Terrain.

“That was close.” Juliana said.

“You don’t sound like… your old self, Juliana…” Kieran said. “Are you ok?”

“Sorry for my behavior, Kieran…” Juliana sighed. “But I was reminded of a friend of mine. Her name is Penny.”

She stopped herself before she could say anything. Juliana was never hesitant to speak and she was always kind and devoted to her friends. Seeing her like this made Kieran even more worried. The first thing he did was to hug her. She hugged back, feeling relieved that she still had someone to rely on in Kitakami.

“There is nothing to worry about, Juliana. I am right here.” Kieran said.

“Thank you, Kieran.” Juliana whispered.

They broke the hug as the sky was getting darker.

“Wowzers.” Kieran looked at the sky. “It’s dark already? Come on. Let’s go back to Mossui Town.”

“Alright.” Juliana nodded.

The both of them walked back to Mossui Town, their assignment finally done.

[kokomochi]

𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐒 | 𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐧𝐚

"𝘪 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘮 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺."

you've heard about future telling- but have you heard a story wherein you can see the future in your dreams? it's both a curse and a blessing, really. in this story, we're joining hands with hitto y/n into figuring out what her dreams mean- and if she's able to beat the clock into changing the future.

02. worries and woes

"and where have you been?"

hitto y/n didn't want to be that type of sister who always had their noses up their little siblings business, trying to look into their private life even if it's painfully obvious that their siblings didn't want them to pry into it.

she's the 'chill' type of sibling. the type to always give you money if you told her you're going out or the type to sneak you out and in of the house because you wanted to go partying.

but there's a fine line between going home drunk to going home covered in bruises and dried blood that clearly isn't yours- and she's drawing that line the moment that hitto kakucho entered through the front door, thinking that his precious older sister is asleep considering that it's already way past midnight.

that's his mistake, honestly.

and now here he is, the hair on his neck standing up in fright and nervousness at the sight of the (h/c) haired girl who had her arms crossed and brows raised in question- no, more like in demand of an answer.

even after a year of not seeing each other, he's still scared of her because of her ability to switch moods so quick that you won't even see it.

"y/n, why are you still awake?"

"i can ask you the same thing, kaku. now tell me, where were you and why are you covered in blood?"

yes, y/n may be chill and she may be the cool sister that you wished you had, but she couldn't help but worry over her young brother whom she hadn't seen in a year. so imagine how scared and angry she feels right now to see him in such state?

sure kakucho can handle himself pretty well, i mean, have you seen him? he's fifteen but he looks twenty and served at least a year or two in juvie just by looking at him alone.

but even so, he's still her little baby brother. and as the older one between them, she feels like she holds some sort of responsibility of looking after him- a promise that she made to her parents when the boy was still inside of her mothers belly.

kakucho himself knows that he wouldn't be able to sneak his way past this, and he's aware that his sister will find out soon enough. but he didn't expect her to find out that he's part of a gang this way, he imagined sitting her down and talking to her calmly.

a-plus for creativity kaku.

taking a deep breath in, he turned to properly face y/n who seemed to grow more angry by the second at the sight of the bruise that's forming on his cheek. the raven haired male forgot that it was there in the first place because he was busy trying to come up with an excuse.

"well? i'm waiting."

"how do i say this... why don't we take a seat?"

god, why does it sound like he's going to break an important news to his sister? like he's going to open his mouth and say, 'hey big sis, i'm actually going to be a father and got into a fight with my girls dad' or something like that.

he knows it's important but not in that way!

y/n, despite trying her best to act tough in front of him, sighed and complied, taking a seat on the couch but not without crossing her arms to add to that flare of her being angry.

she loves him dearly but he won't get out of this one that easily.

kakucho took a seat on the stool in front of her, hands on his knees and eyes on the table as he wracked his brain on how to break it down to her without making her even more mad at him for being so reckless.

"hitto kakucho, i do not have all night to sit here and wait for you to-"

"i'm part of a gang."

the living room is now enveloped in silence, only the cars outside is currently serving as their white noise to avoid getting suffocated by the thick tension. gosh is this nerve wracking- he knew better than to show up covered in his opponents blood.

the fifteen year old had his eyes trained on the hardwood table, knowing that if he lifts his head up, he'll see hell in an instant- he doesn't want that.

(e/c) eyes bore themselves on his head, face unreadable as her mind started thinking just how dangerous it was for her little brother to be participating in activities that only adults should take.

is he really that dumb?

she gets it that she's rarely around her brother to monitor his every movement but could he at least be in a group that's less dangerous?

y/n is blaming herself for what her brother has become. knowing that if she had chosen to live with him and his foster parents, this exact scenario will be avoided and he'll be fast asleep in his bed instead of being out on the streets, beating people up for unknown reasons.

when he received no reply for about five minutes now, kakucho lifted his head to see the complex look on his sisters face that caused guilt to creep up his heart. he knows that his poor sister is blaming herself right now even if she didn't do anything wrong, and this caused him to beat himself in his mind for causing such problems to her.

"y/n- it was my choice to join in. please don't blame yourself."

this is the only month that he'll get to see y/n, he doesn't want her to be disappointed in him or even worse, blame herself for things that she didn't have control over. it really was his decision to join, and it's not because she was rarely there with him, but it's because his friend was a part of the gang as well- the leader of it to be exact.

silence lingered in the air for another five minutes, before the (h/c) haired girl opened her mouth.

"go get yourself cleaned up. we'll be talking about this in the morning with your gang leader."

"thank you for understanding- wait what?" did he hear that correctly? yeah he heard the part about them talking later during the day but with who?

kakucho had his eyes wide in shock and disbelief, following behind his sister who went inside of the kitchen to grab herself a cup of water and calm herself down.

"i'm sorry, did i hear that right? you're going to be talking with me and the leader?"

y/n hummed in response, giving him a cold glare that sent shivers down his spine in an instant. she hasn't forgiven him that easily just yet, they're still going to have a proper talk and she still needs to whoop his ass for his dumb decision.

"yes. me, you, and your leader."

he loves his dear sister, he really does.

but moments like this makes him want to bash her head on the floor for either being stupid or naive.

"excuse me- are you out of your mind?!"

[thekillingjoke-haha]

Just You And Me

Summary: Sam and Dean are on there second hunt to find John. They need help from the one person who hates Wendigos the most Y/n Winchester

Prequel to What's Worse Then Wednesday?

Ten years ago John had his first encounter with a wendigo a family went hiking with a full group of fifteen and no one has came down from the mountain in almost a month. Having asked a more experienced hunter John wrote down things he needed to remember as he went up the mountain a bag with Molotov ,lighters,and flare-up. It took almost a week to find the small mine shaft his brown eyes widened at the seen. Male and female limps were torn of and only some still had enough meat and clothing to be identifiable. Some bodies were on hook that resembled mountain climbing gear. None of them moved except for one. Stepping closer a six year old girl was hanging from her binder wrist her eyes look into his scared before gazing over down a tunnel a thick trail of blood went down it as tears spilled down her face. "Mommy and Daddy are gone. I next." Her voice cracked and a unhuman beastly type growl echoed. "I'm gonna get you out of here, darling." That's how John Winchester met his adoptive daughter Y/n.

Its been seven years since then and the little family the Winchester's made for themselves was falling apart. It broke John's heart that he pushed away his youngest son when he wanted a way out of this life, but when his adoptive daughter wanted to hunt more big league he almost blew a fuse. Y/n was young really fucking young to be hunting on her own,but it could have been worse she could have cut off contact with John and Dean. Now two years later John's missing and the siblings need each other.

The h/c teenager hissed as she cleaned the deep cuts on her shoulder looking into the bathroom mirror. A fucking blood suckered clawed at her shoulder taking advantage of the other two she beheaded. The burner phone on the back of the toilet rings as she grabbed it putting it between her ear and none injured shoulder. "Kinda busy Dean-o." She mumbled slipping the antibacterial cream in the cuts making the surface pink. "Dad went on a hunt and hasn't been back yet. I got a call last night and it sounds Ike somethings under it." He said the sound of baby let be know he's in the car. "Send it over to me and I'll have it back to you by the hour. You leaving New Orleans?" She ask starting to Butterfly stitch closing up the cuts. "Yeah left about two hours ago heading to California." Pausing and shacking her head. "No no no no no! You're not involving Sammy! He got out the life let him stay away and safe." Y/n finished up wrapping her shoulder as she walked out the bathroom to put on a shirt. "I need to,n/n. I won't keep him long we are just gonna check out the place dad was last at. The question is are you coming." Licking her lips she sighed. "I can't I'm in New York right now just took care of a nest in Brooklyn. I won't make it cross country for a couple of weeks." Dean let out a heavy breath. "I know,but I also know you're avoiding Sammy." Maybe the youngest wasn't the only one heart broken after one of her protectors,her best friend left in a huff and hasn't answered a single call.

The silence was drawn out as Dean's phone buzzed against his ear. "There your voice-mail put it through a gold wave. Sounds like a vengeful spirt bring rock salt for the shotgun." Dean chuckled. "Thanks baby sis...wait did you put me on mute to ignore me!?You bit—" That's when the line went dead. The h/c girl giggled as she layed on the stiff musty motel mattress. Her eyes closed,but her mind ran ramped.

The woods they were dark and seemed to loom over her. It was so quite no sound came from anywhere not even the wind dared blow. Crying filled the the air it was that of a child. It grew closer till it disappeared all together the claw marks on the trees marked the familiar place the blood soaked leaves crunched behind her causing the teen to go stiff. She knew what was behind her it was the same thing in every dream for ten convective years even if she knew her body wouldn't allow her to act she was that same scared little girl paralyzed as the horror show continued. The creature yelled,but it echoed in all directions. "HELP US!" Dean and Sam's voices shocked her awake her body pinned in fear as she looked at the Wendigo on top of her. It successfully restricting movement if her whole upper body. Blinking hard it was gone and air filled her lungs like rushing water. It meant nothing...nothing at all.

It's been almost a two weeks since Dean's call. He often text since Sam tried to high jack his phone last time he tried calling. Sam and Y/n didn't exactly end on the best of notes. "Come with me." Sammy looked at a younger Y/n who shook her head. "No. I can't leave dad and Dean. Not like this." The dust has settled after the heated argument between father and son and the rules were clear the moment he walked out those doors he stayed gone. "Don't call him that." His mood seemed to shift back to angry,but something else was there. "Call him what? Dad?" The young girl was confused now. "He's not your dad." It wasn't a secret that Sam harbored negative feeling against his sister they were never anything serious,but he still somewhat loved her just not like a sister. "You're not apart of this family you can get away,but no you're going to stay here and become their weakness!" He points at John and Dean who were just behind her. "I'm not a weakness! I got their back like they've got mine. That's what's family's for!!!" She shouted her eyes welling with tears not letting them fall,but they slip out at his next words. "Your family is dead! Did you save them then?! Maybe if you did we wouldn't be stuck with you!!!" The room was still no one dared breathed Dean stared wide eyed at his baby brother as John grew tense grasping the neck of his beer bottle in a vise grip while same looked like a deer in headlights. A sniffle brought the three men's attention to the girl. Tears streamed down her face before she used a open palm to whip her face dry. "Just go. Cause that's what you do best you runaway from your problems and wait til Dad or Dean can fix it." The thirteen year old snapped at him as she pushed on him as he just stumbled back. "You're nothing,but a coward and a pathetic one at that. I don't want to loss the little family I got for myself you're so willing to walk away from them it shows how different we are...nothing,but two strangers." He stood in the doorways as the h/c teen grabbed his packed duffle bag and threw it into his torso making him fall to the ground.. "So just FUCKING LEAVE!!!" With that she slammed the door shut. What Sam couldn't see as he drove away from the dingy motel was the mess he left behind. A father struggling to keep his kids safe,a brother torn between hunting and normalice,and lastly a adoptive sister that can't help,but be different. Sam Winchester left his family in a worse state then imaginable.

Sitting in bed I looked at my phone hoping it rang or buzzed with a incoming message that said they were fine. Y/n jumped as the screen lit up the name Batman lighting the screen. "About fucking time you jackass!" Her words were harsh,but the relief filled her voice. "Yeah we just got out of Stanford campus heading to .... now." Dean said the sound of cars and wind slightly muffled his voice. "H-how's Sam after...after you know?" One thing that Winchester’s hated was emotions and even if they weren't blood she grew up the same. Nature and nurture going toe to toe. "I don't know. You can always ask him yourself you know." The h/c teen laughed as she ran her hand down her face. "Dean-o he's the same shaggy haired asshole that said I wasn't family. I'll give him a chat when we're cheek to cheek in hell." And another thing Winchester’s sure knew how to hold on to a fucking grudge. "God you sound like Bobby said if he ever saw dad again he'd be looking down his shotgun barrel." They both chuckled as the faint sound of a ding of a convince store rang out. "Well tell Samantha same goes for him." She picked her nails as she decided to get up. "What are you morons hunting anyways did dads ex-marine crap give you a clue?" The crunch a gravel on the line grew louder. "It just had coordinates,my name,and a note saying safe place with your name." Dean opened the car door and got inside as Sam approached him. "I don't know Dean I don't have a safe place in the middle of nowhere so keep me updated,Batsy." Sam looked over at Dean who switched hands to the furthest from his brother. "Copy that talk later,Robin." That's when the keep away match started.

"Dude what the hell I want to talk to Y/n." Sam huffed as his brother closed the flip phone dropping it on the floorboards next to his feet. "Your chances of talking to her are zero to none,man. Sammy she'll talk to you when she's ready." Dean sighs as he starts the car. The youngest huffed he will admit he was a shitty brother that night and everyday following he didn't like it,but he ignored her calls for a months till they just stopped.At first he was still heated,heated, he felt guilty,then he was too busy. Sam tried calling,but it disconnected immediately meaning she blocked him. He thought he'd see her when Dean broke in but finding out she's been taking her own hunts scared him shitless. And from what Dean told him she started after the first month she trained harder taking own bigger hunts with Dad before doing normal ones alone. Sam realized by leaving he took away her only need for normalice,her want to have something other then hunting. He took her slice of the apple pie for himself.

The brothers were in the fucking woods in jeans and flannels walking with a makeshift search party for a missing kid. They were in a abandoned campsite after they lost their supplies. The signal was shot and Dean's phone was useless in most areas. He sent a text as it waited for any signal to send. "' Going in the woods with unknown creature. You know the coordinates I'll call if we need you'" That was a bit of a lie. He knew what it was before nightfall,but he didn't want her to have a panic attack he wouldn't be there to help her. The guide Roy? shot blindly in the woods after something rustled and growled like no animal. The boys ran after him as he got snatched up into the treeline which made them quickly escape back to the camp. As Haley and her brother Ben slept Dean had first watch they weren't prepared and this was the last creature he wanted his sister to hunt. Not after last time.

Dean was on a hunt with Dad and Y/n while Sammy stayed at uncle Bobby's for exam week or some shit. John never told them what they were hunting they had to discover it themselves. The hunt that was suppose to last three days,but took almost a week the tried tracking it yet nothing came up,but more missing persons. The trio decided they'd go back into the national park when it was daylight again,but they didn't need to wait that long. That night they slept Y/n sharing the bed with Dean as dad slept in the bed to the right of them it was probably the quietest night they've every had so the fact that something breezed in under their noses scares them most. Dean rolled out of the bed to the bathroom closing the door after he turned on the light it illuminated the pale skinned beast in the corner. It creeper closely to the only adult in the room gazing at his body before turning to the smaller figure in the bed breathing evenly. It crept onto the bed leaning over her body the old motel mattress creaked as it settled onto her. The weight of the creature was crushing causing her breath to come out in a hissing wheeze as her e/c eyes opened before they filled with shock. Going to scream the crushing weight on her chest pushed all the air out along with breaking a few ribs. Her hand wiggled out from under him as she wiggled her arm to hit the lamp off the table it broke onto the ground and John shot up with his gun and Dean busted out of the bathroom both froze before jumping into action the young boy running to get a lighter while John shot at it just to get it away from Y/n. The boney supernatural creature screeched getting up allowing the girl to try and roll out of the bed it struck her back blood soaked her clothing as she fell coughing roughly knowing the fall made one of the ribs stab into her lungs. The males in the room were able to set the monster ablaze quickly getting out of the room John holding his daughter. Y/n was in shock like many victims they've seen that monster was her nightmare and it casual gazed at her having the ability to kill her at any moment. After going to the hospital she stayed at Bobby's for almost a month to recover physically and mentally. Wendigos are her yellow eyes.

The next day as the followed the tracks of the Wendigo a sigh left Dean's lips as he tried to call her it rung for awhile before dial tone at least it went through,but she must have been busy. About to hand up the girl took off running after the beast made itself know Dean ran to keep up with her Sam yelling for him to wait as he stayed with her brother. She managed to trip as he went to pick her up he was hit over the head as she screamed for help as he started fading in and out and the voice-mail ended with Cries of help.

Y/n sat in her car waiting for a update text form Dean she started driving close to where he was,but didn't involve herself yet she almost got a room at the motel when her phone buzzed with a text. It was a update to come if he ever called to head over and help with a thankful sigh she back tracked from the motel and went to the dinner as she left her 0gonw on the table to order food it vibrated with a incoming call. One missed call and a voice-mail. As she grabbed her bagged lunch she grabbed the stuff off the table going back to her car as she got in the driver's seat she opened her phone to see a missed call and a voice-mail. Dean never sends voice-mails so Y/n opened it and she almost broke her foot as she hit the pedal to get to the woods. "Dean wait up~*crackle of leaves and grunts*~Come on we gotta ge—~*Female Screams followed by a thud*~ DEAN!!! *Inhuman roar before cut off*" Y/n almost had a panic attack in the car,but the adrenaline made her move faster that was sent five minutes ago. Taking a deep breath she began calling any hunter supernatural or not that knew the area well enough. "Hello?" "Hey this is the ARIA. I'm F/n F/L/N you have been hunting in the area for forty years are there any identifying landmarks within those woods? So incase of emergency?" The old man happily spoke about clearings,cabins on the edge,river,and a abounded mineshaft and where they were. She quickly thanked the man before hanging up she pulled out a satellite gps as she got looked over were she needed to go. Grabbing a backpack she loaded it with everything she needed as she took off into the wood watch as she got closer and closer with each click.

Sam's eyes fluttered open as he grabbed his bearings. Dean was next to him which mean he got captured not long after Dean and got taken. Haley,Ben,and Tommy were to the right of him they were stuck as he tried to move or at least hit Dean and wake him up. His brothers eyes sluggishly opened as he looked around before turning back to Sam in shock. The heavy foot steps creeped closer as the half clothes supernatural being looked down at them even though they were hanging on meat hooks. It moved down the line of people about to grab Tommy when a soft cry echoed in the cave. It turned around and listened closely. The brothers strained their ears to hear what it was. The Wendigo sprinted off to investigate when something else came into the Winchester’s view. Y/n stood infront of her brothers mud,sticks,and leaves on her body to mask her sent. Walking forward with a knife she cut Dean down before doing the same for Sam. The oldest went to cut down the siblings as Sam stopped his sister. "Y/n how did you get here? You shouldn't be here the monster is a—" She cut him off with a anxious smile in her face. "A Wendigo I know,but you guys needed a hero so I'm here." Dean came over to them as he stood next to his taller brother. "Sammy's right though,N/n. You got to get out of here after what happened last time. This thing is different from the last one it won't sit still for us to shoot it." He had a point, but he knew that was years ago he was still scared he couldn't protect her. "I got this I can defend myself. Get these people out of her I can distract the man eater." Handing them both a flare guns She turned towards the opposite tunnel the beast went into. "That leads straight to a river follow the flow and after it stops you're only two miles from Baby." About the protest they hear a growl. Y/n quickly sprinted further into the cave making enough noise to cover them escaping.

"OH OH HERS SHE COMES WATCH OIT BOYS SHE'LL CHEW YOU UP! OH OH HERE SHE COMES SHES A MAN EATER!!!" She sung running lighting flares leaving a trail as she ventured deeper. Y/n pulled the rubber top igniting another about to drop it when a snarl came form behind her. "Well hello beastie." She didn't turn around evening her breathing before spinning. The red light illuminated the monster in a devilish glow she wasn't a scared little girl anymore she was a Winchester and Winchester’s chase after their demons. "Just you and me now." A roar sounded throughout the damp cave. The boys turn to look back they both wanted to run back,but both of them would have pit her in more danger they were injured and a extra body to look after would put her at risk. They saw the orange hue of flames and the sound of glass breaking. Standing anxiously waiting for her to come out they were thrown back by the force of a explosion pressurized by the small space. The rock of the cave entrance was about to crumble when a head of h/c hair running out with a limp as it collapsed dust clouded the scene before them they could tell if she even got out until it settled. The youngest Winchester stumbled forward as she smiled at her brothers blood coming from her head and her split lip. "That was awesome. I did a Indian John's." Dean ran as fast as he could capturing her in a bone crushing hug. "Do some shit like that again I'll kill you then myself." She giggled as she hugged him back. "Sorry can't hear you. Explosion ya know deafening me." Y/n joked as her brother pulled away from the hug. Sam walked over slowly almost testing the waters. "Hey Y/n." He said shaky as he looked down at her. She's grown alot since last time he saw her she had more scarred and hard exterior. "Heya Sam." Her e/c orbs looked up at him they were uneasy as she smiled at him before hugging her as well. "I missed you,Jackass." Her voice was muffled by his shirt as he returned the hug. Their relationship will never be the same they both had Dean as a buffer between them,but for right now in this moment it was just the two of them Just you and me against the world.

[lustinglilac]

Hi can I get a Sad Eyes x reader with numbers #15 & #46 from the prompt list where the reader is Oscars ‘little’ sister and she’s going through something (maybe MH issues?) and her liking Sad Eyes isn’t helping her and Sad Eyes is worried about her. Thank youuu lovely🥰🤎

The only MH issue that I would feel comfortable writing about is anxiety so I hope you don’t mind! I got a little carried away with this. *ALL credit for the name José goes to other writers*

Part 2 to this request!

TW: anxiety, panic attack

15. “Stop pretending you’re okay, cause I know you’re not.”

46. “What if I told you I’ve been in love with you since we were kids.”

GIF BY: @merakiaes 🖤

It had been a few days after the incident and her confessing her love for her brother’s best friend.

She cringed every single time she thought about it, wanting to go back and delete the message as if it never happened.

But she found solace in the fact that he’d admitted some type of feeling back to her.

“Jasmine— I feel terrible. What if he was just saying that to say it? To not hurt my feelings?” The doubt settling in rather quickly as she spoke to one of her good friends.

Jasmine sighs, “Babe, for as long as we’ve known him, he would never do that to you. Ever. And if he does, I’ll beat his ass up, honey.”

“I don’t know how to feel. I just need some time.” She nods her head, convincing herself that that’s all she needed, time away from him.

•••

As if on cue, Sad Eyes had shown up to the house to drop something off for her brother. She didn’t bother to leave her room to greet him and he noticed. Usually, she’d be the first to smile and hug him when she’d see him.

The shuffling outside of her doorway caught her attention for a second, hoping no one was going to come in, “Cesar— how’s your sister doin’?” José asks hushedly.

“She’s good. Just wasn’t feeling well today so she might be sleeping.” Cesar answers.

“It’s 6 o’clock... she never goes to sleep this early.” He thinks back to the times she’d stay up waiting for Spooky to come home after a late night meeting.

“Yeah, early night, I guess.” Cesar merely shrugs, trying to take attention away from the situation. “C’mon, let’s go see what Oscar’s doing.”

With that, the two of them leave. José’s first instinct being to burst through her bedroom door and give her a hug, like she’d given him so many times before. But, he composed himself, hoping she’d feel better tomorrow.

That night, he’d texted her wanting to make sure she was okay.

José Guzman: Hey. I stopped by.. Cesar told me you weren’t feeling well. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. Goodnight.

Her screen lit up with his name, her eyes welling up with tears as she read the message. She sniffles back a sob, locking her phone and putting it under her pillow, a stray tear streaming down her face.

The next day, she’d woken up with puffy eyes, getting out of bed slowly as not to disturb the pounding in her head. She brushed her teeth and did her hair, putting on clothes and walking out of her room into the kitchen where her brothers were.

“Good morning. You feeling okay?” Cesar was the first at her side offering her a bowl of cereal, to which she hesitantly took.

Oscar looks up from his phone, “What happened? Everythin’ okay, hermana?” His dark eyes concerned as he looked at his younger sister.

She nods slowly, trying not to cry again, “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m okay.” She swallows down the lump in her throat, refusing to look at her brothers until she didn’t feel the urge to cry.

Anxiety was a bitch. Always had been. Not allowing her to fend for herself and especially making her think she wasn’t capable of anyone loving her.

José made it a promise, even though she hadn’t known, that he’d always be there for her just like Oscar and Cesar were. She was his to protect.

“¿Estas segura?” Oscar puts his phone down, putting his full attention on his sister.

“Si, estoy bién.” She grins softly, avoiding eye contact with him all together. He takes her soft hand in his, squeezing it gently, as if to let her know he was there for her. He’d always be.

“I’m gonna get going, Ruby’s waiting for me. I’ll see you later, text me if you need me, okay?” Cesar kisses the top of her head, grabbing his bookbag and walking out the door.

Oscar waits until the door shuts to talk to her, “If it’s your anxiety again— I want you to know you’re better than it. You can overcome it. Don’t let it bring you down, don’t ever lose yourself to it. You are stronger than it. ¿Comprendes?”

She only nods, afraid that if she speaks up, her emotions would get the best of her. She finishes up her breakfast, putting the bowl in the sink.

“Here— I got it. Why don’t you go rest for a little. It’s early.” Oscar points his chin in the direction of her bedroom, egging her towards it.

She walks to her room, taking him up on his offer, removing her slippers at her bedside and cozying up to her duvet. The message from the night before flashing in her mind. Maybe she’d find the courage to text him after her nap.

•••

She had woken up around 1 o’clock in the afternoon, feeling slightly better than in the morning. Checking her phone, she had messages from Jasmine and a missed call from Cesar. She quickly responded to both and opened the one message she had yet to reply to.

Diaz: Sorry I fell asleep early. I’m okay just had a bad headache.

Locking her phone, she got up to use the restroom. “Oscar? Cesar?” She called out around the hall, hesitating when she didn’t hear a response.

The sound of a door opening and shutting caught her attention as she shut off the tap, walking out of the bathroom. She jumps slightly at the sound of footsteps, turning around to see his tall figure standing there.

“My bad, I ain’t mean to scare you.” José puts his hand up, “I came by to see how you were feelin’. Cesar said you were home.” He clears his throat, looking over his shoulder and back to her trying to gage her reaction.

She shakes her head, “You didn’t have to. I told you I’m good.” She smiles though it didn’t quite reach her eyes, something he definitely didn’t miss.

“Stop pretending you’re okay. ‘Cause I know you’re not.” The words leave his mouth before he can stop himself, reaching for her shaking hand. He hated seeing her like this.

The middle Diaz lets out a shaky breath, finally finding the courage to look at him, “José, I just don’t— I’m scared you’re gonna lead me on. And I don’t want that, I really don’t. About the other night, I didn’t want you to say you liked me back just because I said it to you.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “You know that I love you, right? That I’ll always be there for you? I made a promise to your brothers that I would protect them but, also, that I would protect you in case anything ever happened. And I intend to keep that promise ‘til the end.” He punctuates his sentence with a kiss to the back of her hand.

“José—“ She stops, the room around her spinning, “I-I think I’m about to have a panic attack.” Clutching onto his shirt, her breathing picking up.

“Hey, hey, look you’re okay. I gotchu. I’m right here.” He holds her close, rubbing comforting circles onto her back.

“I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to see me like this.” She sniffles, her voice coming out small against his chest. She felt as if the world was coming down around her and her heart was about to come out of her chest.

“See you like what, nena? I will love you at your worst and I will love you at your best. Lo prometo.” He kisses the top of her head, pressing his cheek to her forehead. “C’mon, let’s go to your room. Te ayudare, I’ll help you.”

The both of them walk slowly to her bedroom. He sits her down on the bed, helping her under the duvet as he situates himself so she’s still able to see him.

“My heart’s racing— I c-can’t calm down.” She closes her eyes, trying to focus on her breathing yet nothing was helping. She takes his palm and places it on her ribcage, holding it there firmly.

José sighs softly, smoothing down her hair, “You’re okay, mi amor. I’m right here, I’m not goin’ nowhere.”

“José— you need to hold me. It’s the only thing that helps.” She speaks breathlessly, scooting over on her tiny bed to give him room to fit. She knew it helped her because of the many times she’d ask Cesar to sleep with her on nights where her anxiety flared up more than usual. The presence of someone she loved near her would put her more at peace.

He lays behind her, one arm tucked into the crook of her elbow while the other rested on top of her head, soft caresses making her feel more at ease.

“Better?” He hums softly, feeling her breathing slowing down as she held his hand tightly.

She nods her head, “Yeah— just stay here for a minute. I’ll be okay.”

“I know you will.” He presses his lips to the back of her head, “What if I told you I’ve been in love with you since we were kids. Would you believe me then?” He asks even though he can’t see her face.

She opens her eyes slowly, turning her head to the side to look at him, “Really?”

“Sí, es verdad.” He assures her, the beating of her heart picking up under his palm again. He was worried he was gonna put her through another panic attack but she seemed better than a few minutes ago. More calm.

“I never knew. I just thought Oscar had scared you into never talking to me for longer than 5 minutes because he didn’t want anything happening between us.” She thinks back to all the times where José would simply drop her off at their home and leave, not a word more. And when he did have a conversation with her, Oscar was always there spectating.

“Well that too. Shit, if he were to see us now, I’d have my ass handed to me, mami.” José chuckles as she laugh softly along with him, the sound like a melody to his ears.

She leans up on her elbows looking down at him, “I feel better now. Thank you— for this.” Her eyes glimmering with what could only be described as love for her protector.

“Don’t mention it.” He leans up to kiss her shoulder, “I gotchu forever, nena.”

[prismatic-cannon]

uhm sis (or bro or whatever u prefer i just call everyone sis) pls reblog more fics like i need some good ones and pieces was hella good

Ahhh i’m really glad you like Pieces!!! It deserves more love for sure and the feels are only going to get better I can promise you that hoho \o/ (and I’m good with both sis/bro, I don’t mind either or it’s cool)

So far I’ve been blindly going through the AO3 tags for jojo fics so I’m not sure if my fic recs would entirely appeal to you … but if you’re interested you could definitely take a look at some of these faves! (Do mind the fics’ tags if you’re sensitive to certain tropes) Most of these are going to be heavily skewed towards part 4 and 7 (absolutely no one is surprised), but there’s other parts under the cut too!

Part 2

see you again by efthemia (6k oneshot with background Part 7 ship) - A Caejose reincarnation fic! This is set in a modern day au where Joseph and Caesar meet in another life … by crashing vehicles into each other lol

Can You Ever Go Home Again? by alexclusive (4k oneshot, contains Part 4 spoilers but is mostly centred around Part 2 and 3 characters) - I don’t want to spoil too much for this fic so I’m just going to copy paste the fic’s original summary here: “A few months after his adventure in Morioh, Jotaro goes on another personal errand at the request of his grandfather, and ends up discovering yet another lingering ghost.” A lowkey fix-it with feels!

Part 3

Torture Me by Xyloto (nsfw 2k oneshot) - The SDC gang walks in on jotakak inappropriately using their stands lmaooo enough said

Young Flame by greenteafiend (nsfw 7k multichaptered) - More Jotakak! Takes place during the Devil-Yellow Temperance part of SDC where Jotaro and Kak share that hotel room in Singapore lol

Kiss With A Fist by nevermordor (nsfw 6k oneshot) - Tempers and egos flare between Jotaro and Kakyoin as they make the long tenuous journey to Egypt – Fistfights inevitably happen. I really like how much of a cold hardass bastard Kakyoin gets in this lol

time after time by dimolto (11k oneshot) - TIME LOOP TIME LOOP TIME LOOP!!!! God time loops are one of my favourite tropes of all time, I don’t think I could get sick of it. SDC canon compliant (kinda) – Jotaro is the only person that’s aware of the loop and has to work his way out of it somehow. It’s jotakak too!! Highly rec this fic

Part 4

No place where we can’t go by tjesje (4k oneshot) - Josuyasu! Two dudes slowly fall in love over the course of their summer break. OP really nails the friendship between Josuke and Okuyasu – the banter flows so easily you can’t help but get caught up in how close and in sync they are with each other. Also, the summer vibes are super strong in this fic! Always a big plus with duwang content lmao

electric word life by Fluffifullness (8k oneshot) - More Josuyasu mutual pining + confessions, suuuuper sappy and sweet with some light post DiU angst.

Just Let Me Know, How Do You Feel? by hushroom (6k multichaptered) - Post DiU – Set during their college years, Okuyasu meets up with Josuke for the first time in a while, and they work towards overcoming emotional distance caused by the strain of long distance relationships and misunderstandings. Aged up Josuyasu content is always such a treat and this one doesn’t let down!

Bosozoku Boys by VulpesVulpes (nsfw 4k oneshot) - Takes place a few years after DiU. One night during a sleepover Josuke accidentally stumbles upon a porn mag under Oku’s bed – midnight confessions and feels ensue. This fic always has a soft spot in my heart just because of how vulnerable Josuke gets, argh my heart it aches

Crashing Waves by chamomilekai (7k multichaptered) - Post DiU – Josuke and Okuyasu deal with the lingering effects from the final Kira fight. It’s a slow burn romance with heavy feels where both bros find comfort and support in each other, very delicious part 4 h/c sob x10000

Part 5

the passenger by havisham (nsfw 5k oneshot, contains Part 6 endgame spoilers) - A Brugio fix-it …. of sorts. Ten years after Vento Aureo ends, mob boss Giorno somehow finds himself sent back in time with the opportunity to save Bruno and the others. I really like how desperate and jaded Giorno is in trying to save everyone, and how despite everything things still don’t go entirely the way he wants them to …

DIOmestic by writers_haven (4k oneshot) - Yep, it’s modern au mudad lmao. Some JonaDio here and there but the focus is mostly on Dio+Gio father-son fluff. It’s stupidly cute and there are little nods to canon material that I love to bits, like Hamon being reimagined as a fancy form of new age yoga ahahaha

Part 7

Riches and Wonders by etymology playground (8k oneshot) - A lighthearted gyjo fic that takes place during canon events – Two weeks after Sugar Mountain, Johnny and Gyro spend some R&R at a stand-powered onsen lmao. This was one of the first few fics I read right after finishing part 7, and it really helped to soothe the post SBR pain … not that I’m completely over it yet but then again would anyone ever be lol

Laundry by Petronia (2k oneshot) - Another lighthearted canon gyjo fic with lowkey ust lol – Johnny and Gyro take time between travels to do laundry. Idk, there’s something about gyjo domestic downtime that’s so comforting sob

i’ll see your face again by queenieofaces (2k oneshot, Part 7 endgame spoilers) - Oh boy this one … It’s a reincarnation au where Gyro experiences deja vu and misplaced memories from Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency during the events of SBR. 10/10 lots of feels bc reincarnation aus pair so incredibly well with gyjo gosh

nowhere to go; I’m already inside by librisdedita (31k multichaptered, major Part 7 spoilers all around) - A canon compliant gyjo fic – Johnny’s perspective on life is especially bleak in this one. OP tore my heart asunder by the end of this fic but oh man I wouldn’t have it any other way lmao

Cowboys Ain’t Easy To Love by jotarosgirl17 (36k multichaptered, Part 7 spoilers) - A series of interconnected slowburn gyjo canon compliant fics, suuuper heavy on angst and period-typical homophobia and internalised homophobia. Very good for a cry … or ten lmao

see you when the sun sets east by mourn (nsfw 2k oneshot) - Two cowboys sit five feet apart from each other not talking about their repressed feelings yeehaw. Jokes aside this is a quick but intimately tender glimpse into the beginning of Johnny and Gyro’s relationship

Spin This! by polyphenols (17k multichaptered) - A modern day office au where Diego works at a new tech startup named Steel Ball Run. Honestly, I don’t think I could ever properly articulate how much I love this fic – It’s full of sooo many nods and easter eggs to all the bizarre eccentricities that happen in part 7′s canon, and I think nearly every major/minor character gets featured one way or another, if not all (everyone works in the same horrifyingly open air office space after all). The witty banter and dialogue between characters are so snappy and succinct you can’t help but smile or laugh while reading along. Diego in particular stars as the long suffering Straight Man and audience surrogate into the madness that is SBR, with a lowkey crush on HP that slowly builds as the fic progresses (there’s background gyjo too!). While there’s more of a central focus on Part 7 at first, characters from other parts also make an appearance and gradually become more involved as well. I can’t rec this fic enough!!!

Diamond Ball Run by polyphenols (15k multichaptered, Part 7 endgame spoilers) - A gyjo fix-it of sorts … Johnny takes up Funny Valentine’s offer and asks for an Alternate Universe Gyro. The fic is mostly told from Alt Gyro’s perspective in the later half, and argh this makes my heart ache in so many ways I didn’t know were possible god help me –

happy new year, johnny by 3kanite (7k oneshot, Part 7 endgame spoilers) - Aaaah I just read this one today lmao – The fic is written from Johnny’s POV over the course of several new year celebrations – pre-race and during SBR canon. It really nails Johnny’s characterisations and personality shifts down nicely and makes the last year spent with Gyro that much more bittersweet and heartbreaking oh why won’t these part 7 feels stop coming for me

desperado by 3kanite (35k multichaptered) - Features missing scenes that take place during the events of SBR – Admittedly I’ve only read the first two chapters so far and haven’t fully processed things yet but I’m already so caught up in these pre-slash gyjo feels that I can’t help but rec this one catch me crying behind Owson’s @ 3am bc it’s just that good urgh I need an adult Could possibly be nsfw but I haven’t gotten that far in yet obvs

Aaaand that’s about it for now! Hopefully some of these interested you haha. Go show these wonderful OPs some love because they deserve it!!!

[yamithediaperdork]

Inuyasha’s New pup 1-3

When Souta had first heard the news that his mom and sister were going away for a week to a spa treatment, he was excited. with his grandfather on a seniors cruise for at least two weeks he would have the place to himself and was already thinking up tons of evil little ideas about how to have fun, As if reading his mind though his mother had nixed all those plans in the bud. "Before you go and plan all night video games sessions with your little friends, I want you to know we got you a babysitter." she said and smirked. Behind her Kagome giggled behind a hand as Souta got a pout on his face. "You know the lack of trust around here is appalling! Kagome can go and run around in the past and your OK with that, but leaving me all by myself?" the Boy huffed and crossed his arms, then froze, opening his eyes and a look of panic on his face. "Please tell me it's not Mrs.Watanabe again! she's looking after her grand daughters for the summer!" Images of being forced into endless tea party's and dress up filled his mind and then boy shuddered. "-Snk- No Sweetie. as cute as you were in that sailor dress.." Mom paused there and a crimson flare came to the boys cheeks as he glared. "I talked it over with Kagome and we found a better babysitter for you that should make things easier on you." Souta raised a eyebrow at that even as Kagome snickered at the mention of the dress. (Mom had insisted on taking a picture before letting him get changed too since Kagome had been in the past at the time!) "sooo who's gonna be looking after me?" Souta asked then flinched as a hand was on his head suddenly. "It'll be me and you pup." Came Inuyasha's voice. Souta broke into a big grin and turned around, then hugged the half demon. "Yes! does this mean I'll go to the past and have adventures too and get weird powers like Kagome?!?" he asked, excited. "NO!" came the combined voices of mom and Kagome. "Yeahhh Sorry pup. I was all for taking you back to the past with me but your mom and big sis tore me a new one. and 'sides, we don't have AC in the feudal era and there's a heat wave going on." Inuyasha chuckled. he'd taking to calling Souta pup after seeing him in a doggy Halloween costume and unlike when anyone else tried to call him that, Souta didn't mind if it was Inuyasha "Ehhh fine. I'm sure this will still be a super awesome week! I'll teach you how to play battle monsters on my computer and you can train me to be kick butt like you and-" "whoa, easy there pup, Breath." Inuyasha chuckled as Kagome and her mom giggled. It was clear to all the adults Souta had a boy crush on the half demon. There was a few more pleasantries exchanged and then Kagome and her mom had to go and catch their train, making a big show of kissing and hugging Souta who squirmed and wiped off the lipstick and whined as his mom stated over and over she'd call every night so he wouldn't miss her. "Moooom I'm not a baby!" he whined and huffed. "mmmmhmm.. Tell that to someone who doesn't wash your bed sheets." Mom had said and then headed off, Leaving Souta to fume and blush as Kagome walked away from Inuyasha. "Just remember what I told you, he's really sensitive about his bed wetting so don't make fun of him or anything, just help him wash his sheets and put his futon out to dry." Kagome said in a low tone. "Don't worry, I have a full proof plan to handle it!" Inuyasha said and smirked. "..No potions, magic, or other weirdness or I swear I'll pin you back to that tree by your nuts." Kagome growled then went and joined her mom. "Women.." Inuyasha huffed. a lesser demon would of taken her warning to heart and backed off on his plan, but Inuyasha was a legend in his own mind and knew what he had planned would A) make things easier on him and B) help Souta in the long run and C) would just look cute. Walking over to the Lil pup Inuyasha ruffled his head, then bent down and wiped at the boy's face. "You missed some lipstick. Mom's, Am I right?' he asked and wagged his eyebrows. "heh..hehehe yeah! Come on, let's go play battle monsters!" Souta said then his tummy grumbled. "Sounds like I should feed you first." Inuyasha chuckled. the boy froze and got a worried look on his face and Inuyasha raised a eyebrow, then chuckled. "What I made for Kagome was soup to help her feel better. I'm just making ramen for us." Inuyasha clarified for the worried pup. "Oh thank god!" Souta said and wiped imaginary sweat off his brow. "Just for that I'm making soup for supper." Inuyasha teased and winked so the pup would know he was kidding. "Oh yeah? if you do I'll run away like TH-" Souta said, getting ready to take off then inuyasha just snatched him up and put him under one arm, carrying him inside. "...I let you catch me." "of course you did." Souta sat at the table, blushing a little at just how easily Inuyasha had man handled him.  then again he shouldn't be THAT shocked, Kagome could still pick him up and carry him, for a little while at least, and Inuyasha was SO much stronger. Sitting at the kitchen table with his elbows on it and his head in his hands and his butt in his booster seat (he wasn't short, the damn table was too high, or that was his story) Souta watched as Inuyasha prepared their lunch. 'He's just so damn cool. I wanna be just like him when i grow up!' Souta mentally gushed. The dog demon seemed to have the act of making ramen cups down to a art and rooted though the fridge for them to get something to drink, his head disappearing in the fridge and then coming back out with a confused look. "heh. Souta, is this yours?" he asked and then pulled out a clear baby bottle, that was half filled with milk. Instantly the boys face turned crimson as he shook his head no. "NO! That was from a little kid mom was babysitter a couple of days ago! they musta left the bottle in the fridge!" he said fast, knowing that despite it being the truth, the way he was acting would make it seem like he was lying. "Heh. if you say so. You know, I think you'd look cute drinking out of this. and would save me having to worry about any spills." Inuyasha said, but shrugged and went to put the bottle back. Souta whined, Kagome must of told him what a butter fingers he'd been lately, dropping cups when walking from room to room to the point mom made him drink at the table now or would bring the cup in to him. "well..uh.. I'll make you a deal." Souta said, rubbing the back of his head. "oh?" "I'll use the baby bottle just for like..this week. but only inside..and i get to stay up for a extra hour." "heh. Deal." Inuyasha said and then took the bottle out and unscrewed the cap and wrinkled his nose. "I'm gonna wash it out first though. this milk is going off. Last thing I need is you with rotten egg farts." Inuyasha teased and stuck his touge out. "heh.. hehehe yeah! all fear my all mighty BUTT!" Souta giggled and wiggled his butt around in his booster seat. 'eh, I can suck out of a baby bottle for Inuyasha. not like he knows how to work a camera.' Souta thought. Washing the bottle and nipple out, Inuyasha decided to throw the little pup a bone and filled it with some pop, pausing to go and drain the cups as they were done and dumping their contents in two bowls. getting the bowls, the bottle, his own cup of pop and some chopsticks on a tray, he carried it over with a towel over his shoulder and smirked. "Lunch is served my lord." he said and winked. oh, the Lil guy LOVED that and giggled lots and it was shocking just how perfect Souta seemed for what Inuyasha had in mind. between the booster seat and just how natural he looked drinking from the baby bottle (using both his hands to hold it, like a real baby!) Inuyasha kept finding himself watching Souta eat with a smile, and slowly enjoyed his noodles and drink. Souta on the other hand, you'd of sworn he hadn't of eaten for a week the way he slurped his food down, getting broth all over his shirt and face and letting out loud belches. "Heh, Maybe I shoulda gotten you a bib." Inuyasha teased and nodded to the boys shirt. "Oh..Uh..well i skipped breakfast this morning..ehehehe." Souta said, rubbing the back of his head. "mom calls me her little black hole." "..What's a black hole?" Inuyasha asked, tilting his head, and since Souta had finished his ramen and Inuyasha could always make more later, he slid his bowl over to the boy and listened, only half understanding what he was hearing. with all the ramen gone, Inuyasha grabbed the towel from before and used it to wipe down Souta's noodle covered face and got him to take off his shirt so Inuyasha could put it in the wash. Souta had drained his baby bottle, so Inuyasha refilled it with some milk then told the little pup to go and watch some TV while he cleaned up. As he took off for the living room Inuyasha watched as the boy dropped the baby bottle three time, and looked a little tired. but then again what little guy wasn't tuckered out after a big meal? Souta felt a little weird at first, using the baby bottle around Inuyasha, but his hero didn't seem to think anything less of him and seemed happy he was mature enough to use one. (or at least that was the spin Souta was putting on it) He was fumbling more then normal and found himself kinda glad his milk was in the baby bottle with all the times he dropped it, and was glad it was milk not pop since A) the pop would of been all  shook up and mighta popped the top off and B) well, he actually didn't really care for pop, just didn't want Inuyasha to think he was a baby so he had forced it down. Plopping on the couch he turned on the tv and browsed the channels, there wasn't anything really on except for a few shows meant for younger kids. 'so it's between Sazae-san or the weather channel. yeahhh. Sazae-san it is' he thought and settled in. the baby bottle had opened up a little bit from all of the drops, and Souta didn't notice till he looked down and saw a wet spot on his jeans, on the upper thigh though thankfully and after readjusting the cap he decided to just tug'em off and he'd toss them to Inuyasha when the half demon came in, or went he got up to use the bathroom. 'It's just us guys anyways.' he reasoned, sitting on the couch in his red briefs. Inuyasha poked his head into the living room to check on him, and grinned ear to ear. "So apparently this is a pants optional zone?" Souta, who had been mid drink smirked around his bottle and then pulled it out, giggling. "The bottle was leaking and i didn't wanna get the couch damp." he explained. "oh, VERY mature reasoning." Inuyasha said and nodded. having his hero praise him Souta grinned like a Cheshire cat, at least till a big yawn over took him AND his bladder signaled it was time to tap a kidney. "what are we watching?" Inuyasha asked, coming in and sitting down. "Oh, you can change the channel if you want, I gotta go take a leak." Souta said, then reading the confusion on Inuyasha's face clarified. "I gotta go pee pee." "oh! heh, well ok. do you need me to go with you or something?" "N-no! I just was letting you know!" Souta said, instantly blushing. "Hey hey, calm down.. I was just asking." Inuyasha said putting his hands up in defense. "...sorry. ehehehe." Souta said and yawned again then got up and headed for the bathroom. it wouldn't be till he got to said bathroom that he noticed a damp spot in his dark red undies and blushed terribly..there had been that one point where he'd zonked out for thirty seconds. taking care of natures call he decided he'd go and make a detour to his room and get dressed again before coming back. Inuyasha could smell the slight accident as he came in, and waited for Souta to fuss up, but either the little guy was hoping he wouldn't notice or was truly clueless. there was even a slightly damp spot on the couch and Inuyasha knew he'd have to clean that, but oddly it didn't bug him as much as it should since if anything it was going to make putting the little guy back in diapers, at least for nap times and bed times (and maybe more judging from this) easier. Realizing Souta had been gone far too long just for a tinkle, Inuyasha got up to go and check on him, taking the baby bottle that was still half full with him. There was no one in the bathroom, though Souta's damp undies were on the floor and Inuyasha pictured the boy streaking around the house in his birthday suit and laughed softly, then pictured Kagome's reaction if she found out. "...I better go make sure he's getting dressed." walking into Souta's room Inuyasha had to bite his touge to keep from laughing out, the little pup had tugged a light blue t-shirt on and had a pair of shorts on the bed..and a pair of black undies halfway up his legs before he'd laid down on his bed and apparently dropped off to sleep, half dressed. 'And here I thought I'd have to put a sleeping pill in his drinks to get him to take naps.' Inuyasha thought with a ear to ear grin. he quietly left the room and went and got his bag he'd packed for this weekend, and came back to the room as quickly as possible, catching Souta as he was sleepily tugging his undies up. "heh, tired little guy?" "Y-yeah. think it was all the -URP- ramen." Souta said, burping mid sentence. "Might go for a little nap if that's OK." "Of course! butttt I think before you go for a nap, we should get you in some protection." Inuyasha said with a big grin. "huh?" Souta asked, confused, and rubbing a eye. Inuyasha smiled and then reached into his bag, pulling out a thick white diaper. "...I'm still dreaming aren't I? because otherwise are you OUT OF YOUR MIND!?!" Souta huffed and crossed his arms. "What do you think is easier, Cleaning your bedding and then laying your futon out to dry in the sun, Or just tossing out some wet diapers in the trash? I already have to put the couch cushion out." Inuyasha pointed out. "...Oh..you uh.. noticed that." "Yeahhh buddy. I noticed. now I could just put you in diapers 24/7 for the rest of the week but I wanna be fair, and just diaper your butt for your nap and your bedtime..unless you start having more daytime accidents. but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Souta huffed and whined lots, biting his lip and clearly trying to decide what to do. "Souta, I'm gonna make this kinda easy on you. one way or anther your butt is going in this diaper." Inuyasha said and put it down on the bed, taking out some baby powder too. "But I would like it if you'd let me diaper you and prove you're a mature young boy taking responsibility for his accidents, instead of being a huffy little toddler whining he's a big boy." Souta huffed again, and had his thumb at his lips, lightly biting the end of it but really it looked like he was fighting the urge to suck it. Finally he spoke up. "You can NOT tell mom or Kagome about this, and it's only when i'm sleeping. Deal?" "Deal." Souta covered his face with a pillow, unable to watch as his hero tugged his undies off and then proceeded to put him back into diapers. with the big bulky thing under his butt (Inuyasha didn't even bother to tell him to lift, he could easily move the boy into position) he felt his nether regions getting coated with baby powder and even though his his pillow he could smell it. then the diaper was tugged up and taped and the pillow was gently tugged away from his face, with Inuyasha giving a warm caring smile to him. "there? was that so bad?" the demon asked. Souta semi sat up, braced on his elbows and looked down. at least it was a plain white diaper, not a nursery print or something but it looked so big and bulky, and when he tried to close his legs together it was a no go. "...I don't even think I can walk in this!" "well good thing it's just for when your sleeping then." Inuyasha chuckled. Souta pouted but if he was being truthful, the big bulky diaper around his hips kinda maybe sorta not that he'd ever admit it, or even think it too loudly in case a mind reader was walking close by, felt nice. "I..I..uh.." Souta squirmed a little more in the bulky diaper, then eyed his ba-ba..('Baby bottle!' he reminded himself) on the dresser. Inuyasha followed his gaze and and reached for for the bottle, handing it to Souta. "You still thirsty?" "Y-yeah. thanks." Souta said and laid back on his bed, baby bottle in mouth and wiggled in his diapers. trying desperately to ignore just how natural it all felt. 'Maybe this week will be even better then i thought..and i wonder if Inuyasha has one of those suckie thingies.' Souta thought. before he could ask though the milk apparently finished him off and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep, not seeing Inuyasha gently taking the bottle. The half demon would close the boys curtains, and tug his blanket up over him, then as a after thought, pop a soother with a red mouth guard on it into his mouth. "have a good sleep Lil guy~" the half demon whispered, and tip toed out

Chapter 2 Souta squirmed slightly as he sucked on his paci. he wearing light red pair of short-all's with a puppy face on the front. under the short-all's he was wearing a white diaper shirt and of course under THAT he was wearing two of the thick diapers daddy Inuyasha had gotten. Daddy had him in a big stroller and he was strapped in tight, and daddy had a big diaper bag over one shoulder as he pushed (wearing his ball cap of course) and the diaper bag was clearly labeled after daddy had gone and stitched it, as 'SOUTA'S DIAPER BAG'. they were going to the park so Souta could get some outdoor playtime in whether he liked it or not, and daddy was talking up how cute Souta was going to look. "I bet you'll be the cutest boy on the playground, playing in the sand box or going down the slid. if you want, I'll even push you on the swing set!" Souta was of course less sure about all of this and his tummy was gurgling lots from his nerves and the big breakfast they had had. "uh..Daddy..what if people i know are there?" Souta asked, taking his paci out first. "then they'll get to see the real you, a bigggg cute and adorable baby butt.Unless you'd rather go back to being a total big boy all the time." Inuyasha chuckled. the big baby shook his head no and popped his paci in as they came up to the play ground part of the park, eyes darting around but so far it was just toddlers and their mommies and daddies., some of who were looking over at the pair oddly. Inuyasha paid them no mind and unbuckled the big baby from his stroller and helped him to the ground, Souta wearing white sneakers and red socks and the bulk of his diaper butt made it so he could only take a few wobbly steps before his legs gave out and he plopped on his butt. "Awww~ Is my widdle guy having trouble walking?" Inuyasha coo'ed, gushing and leaning down. "Do you need daddy to carry you? he doesn't mind!" Souta was blushing but nodded, and reached up for the half demon who easily picked him up and set him on his hip, a arm under his butt while Souta snuggled into him. "where do you wanna go and play first?" Inuyasha asked, using his free hand to drop the diaper bag in the stroller and tugging it over to a bench by a few moms. "Would you ladies do me a favor and watch this for me? my little guy isn't ready to walk yet." Souta whined and buried his face in daddies chest at that as the ladies chuckled. "oh of course, how old is he?" One mom asked. "Eight going on one. before you ask, this was all his idea, though he's gone a little shy." Inuyasha said. the other mom smirked and reached out and patted Souta's butt. "is that true little guy?" Souta pulled his face out of daddies chest and suckled lots on his paci, but nodded his head. "Awww!" "so cute!" with the mommies watching their stroller the pair headed off for the swing set, since going up and down the slide while unable to walk wouldn't be a good idea and it wasn't big enough for Inuyasha to go down with him. getting Souta sat in one of the baby swings was a little bit of a struggle, because despite his small size the bulky diapers were semi in the way. Still with a bit of effort the little guy was secure and Inuyasha ruffled his hair, making him smile behind his paci before gently pushing him a few times and then letting Souta just go back and forth on his own. It only took a little bit though before Souta got bored of the swing, plus some of the other little boys were giving him the stink eye for hogging the baby swing. taken over to the sand box Souta made semi friends with a 3 and 4 year old who deemed that despite his bigger size, since THEY were both in big boy undies, they were the big boys and Souta hada listen to them. Souta just smirked and nodded his head and they lent him a bucket and shovel, he was in charge of making the basic foundations for the fronts they were gonna use for the toys soldier the older of the two boys had (though the finishing touches they put on them mostly involved tracing a line around the mounds and sticking twigs in them, but hey, he was just a big baby, like he was gonna argue) The only bad part was his tummy hadn't gotten all that much better and he kept letting out muffled farts. "hey, if hafa go poopie you needa get outta da sand box." the older boy said. "yeah! dun want da sand ta smell like fart all day!" the younger one said, nodding his head lots. "Sowwy!" Souta lisped around his paci. even as he said it, he leaned forward and let out anther LOUD fart,only this time it wasn't just a fart. cheek's flaming up red he rolled over onto his hands and knees and the paci fell out into the sand as he started to grunt. "is he?" the younger of the two asked, holding his nose. "Ugh, yeah! HEY MISTER! YOUR BABY IS POOPING!" the older called, then held his nose to, tugging his pal away from the big baby as the back of Souta's diaper expanded as much as it could in the confines of the short-alls he was wearing. Inuyasha had been talking to the mommies, but now came over and smiled even as Souta's stinky funk filled the air. "Is that right buddy? are you making daddy a present?" Inuyasha asked, kneeling down and rubbing Souta's back, and pocketing the dirty paci. "N-No! just farting!" Souta said, trying to save face even though it was pretty clear to anyone what he was doing. "really? are you SURE about that? daddy can just check you know." Inuyasha said, and just kept rubbing Souta's lower back, which oddly..helped his poopies come out faster. "Uhhh I..I..yeah! So..Y-You can go back and talk." Souta said. "heh. Buddy if you wanna stay in your poopie diapers for awhile, thats a at home thing." Inuyasha said in a low voice, then talked louder. "I think daddy better check for presents." with that Inuyasha stood up, but then picked Souta up under his armpits and lifted him up into the air, so he could sniff his bum. "whew! somebody made daddy LOTS of presents! we better go get you changed!" Inuyasha chuckled, pulling Souta in for a hug and setting him on his hip again, squishing the boys muddy back side in a way that wasn't as awful as Souta had pictured a poo poo pamper would be. "ok Souta. now it's time to wake up." Daddy said." as he walked over to the stroller. "huh?" "wake up sleepy head. come on. wakey wakey." Souta's eyes flew open and he sat up in his bed, looking around confused. "about time. it's almost 5 and I figured you MIGHT wanna have a few hours awake before your bed time." Inuyasha chuckled. "besides, I think somebody needs a diaper change." Souta tilted his head, looking around his room and then slowly it dawned on him. "Oh, it was all a dream." he said out loud as Inuyasha cocked a eyebrow."i uh..ehehe..hada dream I was at the park with you, in diapers and with a stroller and everything, and went poopie. felt so real I swear I can still smell the stinky diaper." the boy said, rubbing the back of his head. then he sniffed again and realized that he COULD still smell the poopie diaper, and when he wiggled his butt around his diaper felt..muddy. "Yeahhh that part wasn't just a dream buddy. I came in and found you grunting and pushing and tried to wake you up but me shaking your back lightly just made it come out more. My bad." Inuyasha said sheepishly. Souta tossed back his blanket and felt his cheeks color at the site of his swollen diaper. He had wet it and clearly messed himself. Looking away from it he went and looked around the bed, spotting a paci by his pillow and snagged it popping it in his mouth. "Hey hey, it's OK. accidents happen! Maybe the milk was going off, who knows!" Inuyasha said and patted Souta's back. "but at least you were in a diaper for your accident right?" Souta suckled and nodded. "So how about we go and get you cleaned up and then you can put on some normal undies and we forget allllll about this?" Souta thought for a moment, then suckled a lot more on the paci in his mouth, having figured Inuyasha had given it to him while he was sleeping, then shook his head no. Inuyasha was slightly taken back by that. He'd figured Souta, with all the blushing was upset and wanted to get changed asap.As was Inuyasha felt bad, and was wondering if maybe he hadn't cleaned the pacifier right or if he had made the ramen wrong and that was why Souta had had his accident. "ok..uh..did you wanna clean up by yourself?" Inuyasha asked, thinking maybe Souta didn't want the help. again, a head shake. "Dooo you wanna uh..STAY in it?" He tried, rubbing the back of his head, and again, anther head shake no. "ok throw me a bone here, what DO you want?" Souta squirmed a little, and suckled more, then pointed at the duffel bag with the diapers in them, then grabbed his pillow and buried his face in it. "Ooooh." Inuyasha smirked, getting it now. "I can change you and put you in anther diaper if that's what you want Lil guy." Souta slowly lowered the pillow and grinned behind the paci and nodded his head. "Ok Lil guy, lay back, though i better open a window before we start. if you're just stinky now.." Inuyasha said and winked, then took a pillow to the face. "...you're lucky your cute." Souta giggled as he laid back on his bed. his window was open and so was his diaper and while the smell wasn't that pleasant, he felt just like a little baby and it felt pretty darn good. Once he was all clean (Inuyasha had been really smart and gotten wipes with the rest of the supplies, which in turn made Souta picture him buying all of this and giggle behind his paci) Inuyasha had him lift up his bum and got the clean diapie under him and once he was all powdered it was taped up. "I'll go dispose of the 'treasure', you get dressed and we'll go and figure out what we wanna do." Inuyasha said and walked out with the dirty wipes inside the stinky diaper, holding it out a bit from himself and with his hand on as little of it as possible. Souta slid out of his bed and took a few experimental steps in the diapers, recalling how he'd fallen on his butt in his dream and (thankfully) found he was able to walk, albeit with a waddle to his step. waddling over to his dresser he looked though it for a pair of shorts to wear. Settling on a pair he'd had for gym class, and was red with white strips up the side, he tried to tug them one and found they were a little bit too tight with the bulky diaper. Sliding the back down he tossed them onto the bed and went with a looser blue pair and they JUST fit over the diaper, but were a little too snug for his liking so again, then got slid down and joined the other pair on his bed. 'Well this doesn't bold well.' Souta thought, rubbing his chin with the paci still in his mouth, then settling on a white pair of shorts that even with the draw string tied, he had been forced to tug up lots. Mom had said he'd grow into them and now apparently they were his last hope. Third time was the charm and they fit over the diapers, and he only had to tie the drawstring in a loose bow. the top of the diapers semi showed but he figured once he got a shirt on it would be all good. Thankfully getting a shirt on wasn't as big of a challenge and soon he waddled out in his white shorts, and a pair of white socks, with a t-shirt that was white for the body and had red sleeves. toddling into the kitchen Inuyasha was washing out hi- the baby bottle and turned to smirk. "I was starting to wonder if I'd have to come in there and dress you. did you have trouble getting pants that would fit?" he asked and Souta nodded. "Hmm, Maybe tomorrow we'll go shopping and get some thinner diapers for you then." Souta whined and shook his head no. "OK I'm not playing 20 questions every time i ask you something. what do you wanna do then?" Inuyasha chuckled. Souta huffed and then took the paci out. "I wanna go get pants that'll fit over this. and more diapers! I don't think you'll have enough if I'm wearing them ALL the time while your here." Souta said and grinned. "well considering I didn't even know if I'd be able to get you to wear for bed and nap time..." Inuyasha said and stuck out his touge. "You uh..gonna be using the potty at all while wearing them?" "III might? I dunno. kinda not sure how I feel about using them since i was asleep for it." Souta said and rubbed the back of his head. "Fair enough. but we can get more even if you just wanna wear and still use the potty." Inuyasha said and having cleaned the baby bottle headed for the fridge. "You want some more pop?" "actually not a big fan, do we have any milk left?" Souta asked. "heh, yeah, something tells me I better pick up more tomorrow too while we're out. Might have to make a list." "I'll 'menber and tell you..though uh, you do have money right? Like, vendors don't take dead animals as trade here." Souta said. "..Oh really? and here I thought I was gonna go and hunt a wild boar to pay for your diapers." Inuyasha said deadpan. "Your mom and sis left some cash and for your information, I can trade dead animals in for money at some of the butcher shops. how do you think I brought the diapers your wearing smarty pants?" "..you know in hindsight.." Souta said sheepishly, then accepted the baby bottle from Inuyasha and drank the cold milk. "So what do you wanna do till supper pup? I figure I'll order something around 7ish." "hmmm, we could go outside and play some football for awhile." Souta suggested. Inuaysha looked a little unsure about that. "Uhhh you sure you wanna do that pup?" he asked. "Whattt? Is the big bad Half demon scared of the diaper boy?" Souta giggled and turned around and swatted his puffy butt twice. " -Snk- no, I'm more worried because you can sorta tell your wearing a diaper, even with those shorts on." Inuyasha pointed out. "well I might as well get used to wearing outside now, I'll be wearing them out tomorrow." Souta pointed out. "Well semi thought you'd wanna go out in undies while shopping." "and HOW are we suppose to tell if my new pants or shorts will fit over the diapers then silly?" Souta asked and giggled at the dawning look on Inuyasha's face as he took anther swig from his ba-ba. "Touche. was just thinking about you. I might sorta kinda like you ya dork." Inuyasha said and playfully punched Souta in the arm, then picked him up and set him on his hip, just like in the dream, and headed for the door. An hour later the pair came inside, with Souta tired by happy and Inuyasha more or less the same. they had taken turns in the net and Souta had won 5 to 2 and never suspected a thing about how Inuyasha had let him win. the only slight problem with the whole thing had been when some people had started up the shrine steps, apparently a sight seeing family and had assumed the house was a shrine, but Inuyasha's hearing had picked them up and he'd gotten his ball cap on and turned to ask them to leave. (Though he had a feeling the two young boys of the family, 5 and 7 by the looks of them had seen Souta, and also noted the padding judging by the grins and giggles coming from them) Naturally Inuyasha kept this to himself when it became clear Souta thought he was still in the clear, since he didn't wanna upset the little guy and since the family looked American he doubted it was really going to be a issue. he sent Souta to go and wash up while he called the pizza place, following a script that Kagome had left him so he didn't sound too weird and had a large meat lovers on it's way by the time Souta came out of the bathroom, admittedly with the dirt gone since he had turned it into muddy smudges. "you know, I hear theirs this amazing thing, called soap and water. and if you use it, you actually get clean." Inuyasha commented and then went and got a rag from the sink wet and soapy and motioned the diaper boy over. "GASP! Is that how that works?" Souta said, and stuck his touge out at the demon and giggled. "you know, if you just wanted me to wash you, you coulda just said so." Inuyasha commented, wiping down the boys face and hands and arms. "wheres the fun in that?And what did ya order?" Souta asked as Inuyasha wiped down his legs. "Pizza, a meat lovers. So if i have to wash you does that mean I'm gonna need to cut your food up and feed you too?" Inuyasha asked and smirked. the boy froze and blushed. "er, I think that MIGHT be going a little too far." Sensing he'd gone a bit too far Inuyasha nodded and dropped it. "So wanna watch a movie while we wait? I figure we can eat in the living room." Inuyasha said then added. "well you'll eat on a blanket on the floor. I've watched you eat." "heh, fair enough and sure! But I get to pick the movie!" Souta said and then dashed into the living room. (Well maybe dash wasn't the right word for the boys movement with the thick diapers, seeing as it had swelled a bit from his sweat while playing outside.) 'mental note: next time pick him up and carry him before he trips and hurts himself.' Inuyasha thought shaking his head and then moved to follow.

chapter 3

In the end Souta picked Kiki's delivery service and Inuyasha found himself struggling to get into it. Still, the Lil pup clearly liked it, giggling and coo'ing as he watched it so that helped make up for the boredom. They were half a hour in when a knock at the front door. Souta started to get up, with a cry of 'I'll get it!' but thankfully his diaper butt slowed him down and Inuyasha firmly but gentle pushed him back on his butt. "I think I'll get it, Your in huggies and I'm the one with the money remember?"He asked. "Oh..yeah." Souta giggled and blew a raspberry. Chuckling at what a cute diaper dork Souta was turning out to be Inuyasha went and answered the door, glad he'd decided to be the one when it was a high school aged boy with the pie's. the guy stared though lots and it wasn't till Inuyasha paid and closed the door he realized why and cursed softly. "Smart. REAL smart." he muttered, as he'd taken the ball cap off when they came back inside and had forgotten to put it back on.  "Maybe he'll just think I'm a furry." Walking back into the living room with the pizza pies', Inuyasha was taken back for a second as Souta was in just his diapers, his shirt and pants folded up neatly on the side of the blanket. "Do I wanna ask?" Inuyasha asked smirking, as he set the pizza down. "I don't wanna get Pizza all over my clothes." Souta said with a giggle. "Oh! well that was VERY clever of you little guy!" he said, and reached over to ruffle the little guys hair. "ehehehe yeah!" Souta beamed with pride, then got a funny look on his face. "Er..Inuyasha.. did you put your cap on?" "..yeah no. in hindsight I should let you answer the door. I figure buddy will just think I'm a furry or something." "heh. hehehe silly 'yasha!" Souta giggled. Getting the little diaper boy 2 pieces of pizza on a plate and refilling his baby bottle, Inuyasha sat down with some pop and 4 pieces on his plate. He had toyed with going and grabbing a bib he had seen in the dish towel drawer and tying it around Souta's neck, but given how the little guy had reacted when he asked about cutting up his food and feeding him Inuyasha didn't wanna push the little guy too far. Still, he found himself fascinated watching Souta eat as by the time they were done, he had pizza sauce on his chest, his arms, and SOMEHOW in his hair. 'Ok I don't care what he says, next time we get pizza I'm feeding him.' If Souta was telling the truth he was a little disappointed that Inuyasha hadn't put a bib on him, though he figured it was his own fault for his reaction to being fed. Still, to encourage a bib for his next meal Souta went all out being a big messy baby, getting sauce all over himself and giggling as he saw Inuyasha's eyes twitching. with the meal over, and the movie basically done Inuyasha turned it off and smirked at Souta. "Did you even get any in your mouth?" he teased. "Some! And it was good!" Souta said then let out a loud belch, followed by a muffled fart. the fart brought a light blush to his face as he hadn't meant for THAT to come out but Inuyasha just smirked. "My pup is gas powered now huh?" Inuyasha teased. "Do need a diaper change or anything? Actually, never mind on that, you need a bath. your more sauce then boy at this point." Souta giggled, having been about to admit he'd been soaking his diaper off and on during the movie and was pretty soggy. Inuyasha picked him up under his arm pits and carried him towards the bathroom, with Souta getting semi nervous as he was carried because his diaper was sagging BIG time. "I was gonna ask if you needed to sit on the potty before your bath but I think you're all peed out." Inuyasha chuckled. "eheheh..well i figured why bother getting up when.." Souta said sheepishly. "hey, not complaining." Inuyasha said. He set the little guy down on his feet as they got in the bathroom, un-taping the soggy diaper and balling it up and tossing it in the bin, then moving to start the water, looking over his shoulder. "While I'm filling up the tub you can still try and use the potty if you want." Souta nodded and then let out anther poot, and popped a seat on the toilet and let out a few more thunder poots as Inuyasha got the tub filled up for him. "heh, all good? you're not gonna you know what in the tub are you?" Inuyasha asked as he shut the water off. "NO!" Souta huffed, crossing his arms and blushing BIG time. "ok ok. Do you wanna wash yourself or.." Inuyasha trailed off. "oh..um.. " Souta rubbed the back of his head, "You can wash me a guess, but I wanna play with my bath toys after!" Souta said and pointed to a cabinet. "heh, Fair enough." After getting the little fart machine clean, and letting him play for half a hour in the water Inuyasha claimed Souta was wrinkled enough and pulled the plug, helping the pup out of the tub and drying him off with a thick fluffy towel then swaddling him in it and carrying him to his bedroom. He hadn't bothered to go and get Souta's pants and shirt since it was almost bedtime though he had left the little guy alone to go and get the baby bottle and get it cleaned out, having refilled it with just water for the night since they were getting low on milk and figured Souta would want some for breakfast in the morning. he had a blue mouth guard paci for the little guy to nurse on as he handed him one of his stuffies (A puppy dog this time) and then proceeded to get Souta in anther thick diaper and then tickled his tummy as Souta nursed on his paci and hugged the stuffie. "You ready for bed or want a bed time story first?" Inuyasha asked, having set the ba-ba of water on Souta's night stand. "Stowy!" Souta coo'ed around his paci. "..Your just too damn cute, you know that right?" Inuyasha said and tapped a finger on Souta's nose while the Lil pup giggled and nodded. Getting up he walked over and looked over the selection of books Souta had on his dresser, then picked one called 'The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!' and started to read to the little guy, who conked out before he was halfway though the first story. Inuyasha was confused, they had been out shopping for a little while and the longer they were out the more bold Souta got (not that he minded that) but they had also gone to a few stores Inuyasha hadn't of expected. case in point, at the moment they were at a junior miss which just happened to have a big baby section and Souta had shoo'ed him away while going to pick out a few thing to try on. It wasn't that he wasn't all for Souta wearing whatever he wanted, it was just that well..he'd expected a diaper BOY to cuddle and look after and now it was looking like he was gonna have a little sissy on his hands. 'I hope he's not as moody as his sister.' Inuyasha thought with a little smirk. of course he liked liked Kagome but there was times when she just got on his last nerve, such as having to sit and wait on her to pick out outfits or once a month when there was just NO pleasing her. Still he would TRY and be a nice supportive daddy, or at least that's what he told himself till Souta pulled back the Curtain and skipped out. He was wearing a pair of pink flat's, that had hot pink bows on them, followed by a pair of knee highs that were a lighter shade of pink then the shoes. he had on a hot pink diaper cover over his diaper, with some light pink frills on the butt (Something Inuyasha got to see as the boy turned around and patted his butt) and was wearing a pink (the same shade as the shoes) dress that had puffy shoulders with the skirt part ruffled and FAR to short to cover up the boys diapers when he was standing. To top the look off he had a bow in his hair, once again hot pink and stood back up and blew a kiss at Inuyasha. "what do you think daddy? Aren't I the cutest widdle sissy ever?" Souta gushed and did a little twirl. "I uh..well.." Inuyasha stammered for a reply. "Oh! I know the problem!" Souta said and snapped his fingers, suddenly Inuyasha was in a matching out. "You wanna go twinies! that's ok! I called Kagome back and she can watch both of us!" Inuyasha was frozen in shock and shame as he looked at the bulk between his legs, and at his reflection, then heard Kagome giggling. "Awww there's my little sissies!" She giggled and snapped pictures of them both, Souta posing and Inuyasha trying to cover his diaper up. As he did so Sango and Koga and every one was suddenly there, all pointing and laughing at the padded and sissified demon. Sitting up in his bed in the guest bedroom, Inuyasha was drenched in sweat and blushing badly as he panted. "Ok. That's it. no more ranmen before bed." he groaned and flopped back on his back, trying to get back to sleep. Thankfully the rest of the night was nightmare free,And Inuyasha was woken up about 10 minutes before his alarm clock would of gone off anyways by Souta jumping on his bed. "Come onnn, it's morning, we can do stuff again!" the Lil pup giggled, crawling up the bed and shaking Inuyasha. "I don't suppose you'd just go and let me have the 10 minutes left I have on my alarm clock?" Inuyasha asked, smirking and trying to pull his blanket up but then caught whiff of why Souta might of been eager for him to wake up. "heh, Did you make boom boom in your sleep again, or woke up and decided you might need some smelling slat to wake me up?" Inuyasha said, rolling over and tugging Souta in for a hug. "ehehehe..Woke up smelly and uh.. it's not the worst feeling in the world but wanna a diapie change." Souta said and nuzzled into the half demon. "Alirght. fair enough, though do you always mess the bed, or this just a special treat saved for me?" Inuyasha teased, letting go of the boy and sliding out of bed in just his boxers and sliding a pair of loose red jogging pants on. "Oh, Totally planed this all JUST for you. you know me, the gift that keeps on giving." Souta said sarcastically then blew a raspberry, carefully getting out of the bed. "You know, I don't HAVE to change you till after we eat." Inuyasha chuckled and winked so the pup knew he was teasing. Still the threat had a semi expected reaction, and the front of Souta's diaper grew a little damper. "I'll be good!" One smelly diaper change later and Souta was in his booster seat, in just his diapers and chowing down on some oatmeal while Inuyasha enjoyed some eggs and bacon. Souta would of gone for the eggs and bacon but somehow it felt more babyish to have the oatmeal and he was in a super babyish mood that day. he could of just had cereal too but Inuyasha pointed out that they had enough milk for a bowl of milk and a little bit in his baby bottle or a decent amount in the baby bottle, and well, bottle won hands down. He was also wearing the white bib with the yellow ducky on it and had almost asked Inuyasha to spoon feed him, but recalled how he'd turned that down the night before and didn't wanna be a hypocrite. "So where were you thinking of going for your clothes?" Inuyasha asked, looking a little nervous for some reason. "Uhhh they have a department store in town that has a grocery section, so I figured we'll go get it all done in one. why?" "No reason!" Inuyasha said a little too fast, and then turned to read the newspaper. Souta raised a eyebrow but figured he'd drop it. he was after all acting like a big baby, so who was he to call someone else out on a few quirks? After a quick wash up (he tried hard to make sure he only messed up his bib, and for the most part manged) Inuyasha got a white t-shirt on and his ball cap while Souta tugged on his shorts and shirt from the day before. "So..I don't wanna push you or anything, but do you think I'm gonna need to pack a diaper bag?" Inuyasha asked him. The thought of getting a diaper change in a public bathroom crossed Souta's mind and his face turned crimson. but then the idea of being stuck in a leaky diaper till they got diapers or worse, a smelly one wasn't too appealing either. "uhhh how long you think we're gonna be out?" Souta asked. "well, we're walking sooo I dunno, Hour, maybe two? was thinking we'd get lunch at a noddle shop." Inuyasha said, then winked. "And if your good MAYBE we'll go and get you a toy." "Oh oh! I want a Ultraman figure! wait no, a new football! wait no I-" he started to gush, getting all excited. "ONLY if your good." Inuyasha said again and chuckled. "I'm ALWAYS good!" Souta giggled and stuck out his touge. "I've heard horror stories from your mom and Kagome about taking you shopping." "oh..well. I'll be good this time. not like I have to wait while you go and try on every pair of heels in a store." Souta said and made a face. "heh. true. so coming back to the million dollar question: Diaper bag or no diaper bag?" Souta put a hand to his chin, looking all thoughtful then finally nodded. "better pack one just in case. better to have it and not need it.." he trailed off. "then need it and not have it. got ya pup." Inuyasha said and went off to go and pack one. with the duffel bag repacked so there was only two diapers in it, along with the baby bottle now filled with water and a paci just in case, Inuyasha took the pups hand and they headed out the door.

[blazingtheway]

Through the Looking Glass – Storyline 8 – Together - Part Ten

Continuing on from...

↬Leah Clearwater ↫ The night was turning around just fine for me. Winning the bet had been fun, the arseholes... okay not so much. But it was good to have the bar moving towards its capacity. As the imprints and the pups enjoyed the side show that the blonde chick and Call put on, I got to work. I had left to go down into the back of the bar to the storage cupboard for some more wine to restock the fridges. And turned my thoughts back internally to myself. My wolf was always there to guide me. And I could see that I needed to listen and not push her out the way. ‘Finally! Just took you how long to work that out?’ She mused in my head, making me groan at her. “You’re not meant to listen to my internal monologue!” But she knew and I knew there was no stopping her. She was the only one on this earth who knew all of me. ‘Sis, we need some more vodka and those tonics too.’ #Seth called out as I walked back setting the box of wine on the back counters. Checking which tonics before I headed back out. But I stopped in the door way when I heard #Rachels voice, it was more the case of what she was saying. Telling this stranger who was unknown to us, to Call about Ms C and her illness. A spark of anger flared in me, my hands fisting up I turned my head just enough to look over my shoulder at them all. The blonde was lapping it all up. ‘Which part are you annoyed about?’ My wolf asked watching it all unfolding. As I turned back and left. Taking two or three steps at a time until I stood in the basement, gathering what was needed upstairs. “You know which part.” I said through gritted teeth. And this was something I needed to deal with. The flareup of my temper was not a good sign and unlike me. “Ms C and her illness is not a bloody chat up line. She deserves better.” And she did. ‘You know you’re the closed book who doesn’t share her life with another living being. All of them up there... they aren’t made like you .’ I didn’t reply to her this time. Because once again she had pointed out the truth. Stacking two cases of the tonics, and a box of vodka bottles. I picked them up and made my way up and out behind the bar. ‘Rach! You will want to smack Call for this one. He just said your too nice for your own good.’ #Ness laughed and giggled at the look #Rachel turned and gave Call. “Looks like his arse is going to get it in more than one way tonight.” I muttered, as #Mac passed me laughing at my comment. ‘Poor guy can’t win, tonight can he?’ He joked taking the box of vodka from me. “Not my fault he keeps betting on the wrong horse.” I said smirking.

↬ Embry Call ↫ I heard the women at the bar, and I muttered into my hand. "Suddenly so interested in my arse." 'Is all of that true?' The blonde asked. 'About your Mom?' I nodded and stepped around the pool table to take my shot while she sipped on the cocktail in her hand. I potted a red ball that tied us with the pups. I moved to take my second shot. "It's true... So, I don't get a lot of chances for a night out with the guys... you know." I looked around at the boys that were clearly here together tonight; even though they were in a few smaller groups, talking and laughing, moving between the huddles. Hoping she might take the hint. I took my next shot and when I looked up, she looked like a wounded bird. My brow raised and I decided it really wasn't my responsibility to make her feel better. Sure, I had flirted a little... but not to the point of leading her on. 'Um...' She stuttered. 'Well, it was nice to see you again.' "You too..." I smiled. "Enjoy your night." I turned back to the guys and she shuffled back to her friends. 'Dude...' one of the pups said quietly. 'That was cold... did you see her face?' "Why don't you go make her feel better?" I chuckled and he gave a looked that asked. 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂? And I nodded. He made to go over to her right away and I caught him by the front of his shirt. "Not yet you idiot!" I laughed. "Wait until she at least finishes that drink... then buy her next one." ↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ ‘Leah!’ #Ness squealed making me roll my eyes as I restocked the fridges. The girl was really having way too much fun. She did know that I too could hear it all! Listening I heard #Bex and #Kim asks her what was going on and it made me drop my head. “You know your arse isn’t all that special around these parts Call, they are a dime a dozen.” I smirked; the acknowledgment of the message being received the moment my words were said. With the reaction of the pups busting out in laughter and sounds of 𝘿𝙞𝙨 or 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙣sounded from the groups around the bar floor. Standing back up I moved around behind #Mac making sure he had everything he needed, and then I did the same for #Seth. ‘Break anyone?’ #Seth asked and I moved my arm around #Mac telling him to go rest up. Today had been a long arse day for all of us, but him more so. He was the human in the team, and I could tell from the way he was standing that he may have started to feel a little discomfort. ‘Are you sure?’ he asked me, I can go longer if you want to get some air out back?’ #Mac’s big smile was across his lips, but it wasn’t reaching his eyes, I saw the flash of worry in them. Which of course earned him a smack up the side of his head. ‘Really Leah I am okay for a little while longer.’ He said, his eyes moving to the side and I saw what was happening. There had been a girl stood to the side waiting on him to serve her. “I see. Okay… I can go now.” I grabbed myself a beer from the fridge. By the time I turned my attention back to the main floor, my eyes wondering over everything and everybody. I stopped at finding the blonde back at the bar climbing up on the stool. Her face told a million tales. ‘Call, that wasn’t like you, not up to it tonight. Or did you lose your touch?” I heard another pup asking, shaking my head. The pups were really upping their level of cheek tonight. Now Call was giving another pup tips on chatting the chick up? Then I was glancing at our girls who were still giggling and laughing. Moving over to them I put my beer down, making them all fresh drinks, sliding them in front of the five. “You know, isn’t it kind of girl code thing not to laugh at a chick who looks like that?” I asked. ‘What do you know about girl code Leah, you always say you don’t follow it.’ #Kim asked. “Yeah, that’s true. But it doesn’t mean I don’t know the difference between being kind and welcoming and being a dick. I know what they did on the Rez today wasn’t right. I know she was a little upfront and there is nothing wrong with what just happened. But let’s not all keep laughing when the chick looks like

that.” Nodding my head towards her and her group. It was #Jess who slipped down from the stool and #Rachel too. The two of them made their way around to the group of strangers. Making small talk, asking about their day, what they did and offered other places they may want to see before leaving. The blonde started to smile again, so I picked up my beer before anybody noticed. Slipping out of the bar, and through the back door to find my perch on the back wall. “The Spirits give me strength.” ↬ Embry Call ↫ I shook my head, talking as though it was just to the guys nearby; I leaned over to take another shot. “Please! You all know I’m a cut above the rest.” I straightened as a red ball sank into a corner pocket. “Apart from our packs lovely group of ladies… but who can compare to them!” I flattered them, even though they were content to sabotage me tonight. ‘Always so cocky!’ One of the Pups sighed and shook his head. “Keep it up and I’ll grab one of those guitars and we’ll see who the hottest guy in the room is.” I eyed them all threateningly. The kid that wanted to hit on the blonde went a little wide-eyed. ‘At least wait until I pull the blonde before you try that!’ he muttered, sounding slightly pathetic. Surely, they had all noticed that music was the one tactic I never used to win a woman over… in fact, even the girls I had brought home in the past never commented on the presence of guitars and music scattered around the room. I patted his shoulder again after taking my second shot. “Go offer to buy her a drink before the guy she’s with does… he’s into her but I don’t think he’s competition.” The pup was gone before I finished talking. ‘Dude!! We’re in the middle of a game!’ The other protested. #Sam just laughed and told him to pick a sub from the group. I heard Leah’s teasing and laughing, I wasn’t going to pop the pups bubble by telling her why I wasn’t interested. It would unfairly skew the kid's view of her. “You know I don’t like blondes” was all I said. But I really wasn’t in the mood tonight. I heard #Jess introduce the kid… she was one of the friendliest people I knew. It wasn’t a bad first meet to be introduced by the first girl that was friendly to them. #Sam sank the last red and then the eight ball to ruckus applause from his pack juniors. ‘Better luck next time kids.’ I nodded to #Seth at the bar and he handed me a fresh beer, I slipped out the front door; telling them I wanted a little fresh air. I knew where Leah would be, I wanted to see if she was okay… not because what happened might have shaken her…more to see if she was torturing herself over how close she came to losing her temper. I walked around to the back of the bar and saw her perched on the wall. I leaned up against it, sipping my beer… a foot or so between us. I didn’t say anything. She wasn’t the 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓴type. If she had anything to say, she would. Or tell me to take a hike, either way, I would have my answer. ↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ The night was cooler, the sky black with the stars hidden behind the clouds once again. I set the bottle of beer down on the wall, pulling my hair up off my neck and on the top of my head in a messy bun. I let my head fall forward and closed my eyes. So much had taken place and I knew there was going to be some fall out from it all. Not from anybody else of course, I hadn’t broken any rules to bring the pack Elders down on me. But that didn’t mean I would go easy on myself. My lips curled up into a smile when the air kissed the back of my neck and I knew I wasn’t alone. “Oonugwito Equa Waya Adanvdo.” ( Hello Great Wolf Spirit. ) The presence of him was all consuming, the air and the sounds all around me changed. The noises from within the bar drifted away, the sounds of the forests and its animals behind me gone. It was just the two of us. The power of his spirit flowed all around me, he didn’t take on the body of the blue wolf tonight. He was just a feeling which could not be mistaken by any other. ‘Tsagisadasgi Gvdodi Unelagi adadelisedi Ayoli?’ ( Are

you familiar with forgiveness child? ) His deep aged voice rang in my ears, the connection made with my heart. “No Hellos, no how’s it going?” I teased and felt the wind flow and snap me over the back of my head. The sensation hit me from out of nothing. And I laughed rubbing my head. “Okay, Okay. Who needs to be forgiven now?” I asked. But he was silent as the answer flashed in my mind. “I can’t forgive myself without addressing why.” I told him. ‘Kaktiloxwats’ ( Open your eyes ), he whispered into my mind. “Open them to what? My own stupidity? I worked so hard not to be that person. Not to be who I was. And One trip. One mistake and where am I now?” I took in a deep breath, filling my lungs to a point where I had no more room. ‘Uyoayelvnv Vtla gohusdi Etsolagesdi Adehosga’ ( Sorrow is nothing to be ashamed of.) His energy moved and flowed around my shoulders. “I’m not ash…” Was I? Was I in fact ashamed of what had taken place in Seattle? The fact that I had somehow allowed a man to get one up over me? Something I had promised myself I would never do. And tonight, blonde tips had taken the brunt of the anger I was feeling with myself? ‘Itsula Uwasv’ ( We are not alone ), #TheGreatWolfs spirits moved from around me and he vanished into the forest behind. I rubbed my face, opening my eyes. I didn’t need to see him to know it was Call making his way around the building from the front. I picked up the beer and took a long pull from it. My eyes up into the sky a whisper to #TheGreatWolf. “Wado” ( Thank you ), I was always so much calmer after speaking with him. I took another mouthful from the bottle; I didn’t have to look to know Call was now sat on the wall beside me. We didn’t speak for a while, just sat there with a new ease between us. When in the name of the spirits had that become a thing? “Are you okay with people talking about Ms C in that way? Using her as a tool to pull chicks?” I don’t know why I asked. No… I did… She was someone I respected and cared for. And it burnt deep to hear what I had in the bar.

↬ Embry Call ↫ I had heard her soft whispering to the wind as I came around the building. I knew what people used to say about her when she was little. Personally, I was always a little jealous of that connection of hers… as long as she was home… she was never alone. Not quite the same as people, but still. It was something. And now… after what she had told me, it was becoming clear why she was the one they spoke to. I tilted my head up and contemplated her question. They had always used the momma’s boy angle when they tried to set me up or intervene in my… encounters (just another reason to not make conquests in La Push). But they’d not really had the chance since mom got very sick. “No.” I sipped the beer in my hand… not asking her why she was here, it was more than a break… but less than an emotional crisis. So I wasn’t going to push. “I mean I suppose I can see why it might not be very tactful… now that you say it that way. But #Rach… She just wants everyone to see what she thinks are my better attributes. She thinks I’m closed off and afraid of relationships or any level of commitment, beyond making sure a girl gets home safely.” I thought about that too. “But that makes sense; I mean she’s living her happily ever after and that all started when she came home and ran into Paul for the first time since… Well.” She knew, I didn’t need to explain it. I tilted my head and processed the thoughts out loud. “She loves me in her own irritating interfering kinda way.” I laughed. “And she thinks I’ll be happier with a life more like the one that makes her, vomit-inducingly happy… and I kinda love her for that too. So no… not really okay with it exactly… but what’s done out of Lo-“ I remembered her aversion to the word and stopped, realising I said it twice already. I corrected myself. “ – With the best intentions can’t truly be all bad, right?” ↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ So, we are now doing this? Him talking about how others perceived him, and his so called ‘relationships’ with his shorties? Did I expect this Conversation to take this turn? Nope... for me it was a Yes or No answer. ‘Yes. It’s cool.’ Or ‘No!’ No further explanation necessary. But this was ↬ Embry Call ↫ Call, the guy didn’t know the meaning of simple answers, in fact my standing joke about him having an award for ‘The Art of Conversation’, played it real right now. I brought up the bottle of beer to my lips and all but choked on the #Lbombs he dropped one after another. My instinct is telling me to punch him, kick him off my wall and tell him to go drop those bombs with the imprints. I was sure they would appreciate them more. ‘You asked the question; he is just answering you. It’s not his fault, that he knows how to use his words. And you don’t.’ That was it. I pushed my wolf back and locked the door on her. She was done taking Call’s side for tonight. Clearing my throat, I kept my eyes forward. Taking another pull from the bottle. “Hmm... if you ask me, which I know you didn’t. So tell me to sod off....” Taking another pull from the bottle. “Good or best intentions can be achieved in many ways. Using your mom, as a way into a girl’s heart or attentions... shouldn’t be the go too.” Looking back up to the sky. “I know what Rachel is like.” Boy did I know. The last set up by her still rang in my mind. “But it’s up to you to set rules and boundaries, on what is acceptable and what is not.” I half laughed thinking about it. “And then wait to see how long it takes that woman to break said rules and boundaries.” Shaking my head, because let’s face it. #Rach didn’t know when to stop. Or understand that happiness didn’t always come by having someone in your life. “Thanks....” I didn’t say that word too often. “...for your help here today. You truly didn’t have to spend your day off here doing this..” I held my hand with the bottle in it out towards the bar. ↬ Embry Call ↫ I chuckled when she all but choked on her beer. I got the aversion to the declaration of love... but talking about friends and family wasn’t the same as

baring your heart and soul to someone. I nodded. "Yeah... I can see your point... but, its #Rachel... she means no harm. I think her problem is that it’s not hearts I'm looking for my way into." I listened to her talking about boundaries and shook my head. "No." I said quietly. "I'm done with walls... I did that... I even pulled #Jake into it." I dragged my hand through my hair and sighed. He hadn't wanted to do it, but he did it... for me, he let our friendship overthrow his instincts as an Alpha. "Keeping people at arm’s length... at least the ones that matter it made me miserable. It might work for some people, but I'm not doing it again." After telling Leah my whole truth I felt better… the weight I had been associating with Mom's illness and the bills... I realized that it wasn't just that there was more to it. I smiled and looked at her now; I knew she meant the stage and not making sure those idiots from earlier left. "Seriously... you're bringing live music to my favourite bar!" I laughed. "There was no other place I'd rather have been." I took a drink from the bottle in my hand. "And I hadn't had a chance to catch up with #Tony in a long time. So, I suppose I should be the one thanking you." I wasn't going to ask her anything about tonight or Seattle... this was what she needed. Someone to talk to like it was just any other day. She was well able to look after herself, if she wanted to talk… or even not talk… she would need to decide when and with whom for herself. ↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ “Like I said… you didn’t ask…” I had no right to comment on him or his way of living. Or the way him and the imprints acted, and especially when they all lived their life open and on full view for the world to see. My hand stopped with the bottle just shy of my lips. His comment resonated in a way that made every bone and muscle in my body stiffen. ‘𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘮’𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩... 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.’ I narrowed my eyes, was that a dig at me for the choices I’d made with my life? Gritting my teeth, I took another pull from the bottle of beer. I felt his eyes on me, but I didn’t turn to look back. I didn’t know what it was with him these days. Since the night he’d come to tell me about his past, standing in my living room telling me what he had done. The fact that #Jake had taken steps to protect his secret from the rest of us. It all spoke volumes about their relationship. ‘𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘩... 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳...’ It had taken so much for him to say those words. But was he now judging me for not being able to, or better still not wanting to push my walls down? I finished my beer; the sounds of his feet on the ground came before he stepped out from the back door. ‘Sis?’ #Seth stopped glancing at Call for a moment, and then continued to the wall. ‘Did you both want another beer?’ he asked holding the bottles out. I opened the bun over my head. My hair cascaded its way down my back and over my shoulders. “No, I’m good. I was just heading back inside. Why don’t you take your break now, apparently Call was saying something about this being his Favourite Bar. And maybe you can talk him into becoming a customer for life with the live music and all.” Standing up I squeezed the kids’ shoulder, stepping around him and heading back inside. Why had I expected anything different from anyone in the pack. At the end of the day, it was always about me keeping them all at an arm’s length. They couldn’t see why I was the way I was, and I wasn’t in the mood to ever explain myself to the world. ↬ Embry Call ↫ I heard her teeth grinding together. It hadn’t been intended as a judgement on her choice to keep most of herself private for the pack… or the world in general. Just because it was a choice that would never make for myself; didn’t mean she couldn’t. All I had meant was that I had made a mistake

and I used our friendship to make Jake the power that was gifted to him when he became an Alpha… I had hated myself for it. I smiled at #Seth when he stepped out but, I had to look away when she let her hair down… There was only one witness here and if she caught me staring… or worse, if #Seth dimed me out for checking out his sister I would get a thump across the back of my head. Damn! Why was that so hot!? I looked intently at the dumpster, the ground…. Anything. Until she stood up I figured it was safe now. ‘He already is.” #Seth grinned at his sister. ‘He even named a drink on the menu. I think he’s hooked.’ I watched her go back inside and patted the wall where she had been sitting. “Pull up a chair.” I said with a smile. #Seth came over and sat on the wall next to me. ‘Is she okay?’ he asked after a long pause, ensuring she was back in the loud bar and couldn’t overhear us. “Of course, she is… she’s Leah. She’s always fine and if she’s not; then she fixes whatever it is.” I replied even though I didn’t believe the first part… but I did believe the last part, so she would be fine. ‘She seemed annoyed; did you say anything to piss her off?’ He wasn’t mad… just curious. “I don’t think so…. But probably.” I shrugged. “Hey, you heard what #Rach said in there right?” I turned to face him and he nodded. “Did you think she crossed a line using M—“ I didn’t finish the sentence before he answered. ‘Oh definitely!” He blurted out. “But its #Rachel… she doesn’t mean any harm.’ “That’s what I said!” I shrugged. “Do you think I’m too soft when it comes to the imprints?” I was mostly asking myself but #Seth replied anyway. ‘Yeah… but aren’t we all?’ He said, and we both took a drink from the bottles in our hands and sat in contemplative silence for a few moments.

↬Leah Clearwater ↫ Walking back in, I stopped to refill the glass washer, and then grabbed a tray of clean ones to take into the bar with me. By now I was sure that Mac would be in need of them. I stopped at the door and surveyed the room. The tables were still full, the pool tables too. One was taken by the pups and the imprints as well as #Jessica who was holding her own. The other by people from around town. The bar was still hosting a few groups and I saw that the blonde was doing better now. She was enjoying the attention from the pups who were now talking animatedly with her and her friend, and the guy with them wasn’t looking to out of place now that some of the ladies from the drinking group were paying him some attention. But we all knew, when the Pups and the Packs were in the room, the other men really didn’t have much of a chance. And even now it made me smirk. Because when I turned to watch #Mac, he was tall for human men at 5’11”, and sure he worked out too. but he was still on the smaller side of the Pack. And yet it never stopped him. He had a confidence in himself even if he had bad taste in women. He always gave 110% when they didn’t do the same back. And yet he still didn’t let his past stop him from opening himself up again. ‘Maybe we can learn a little something from Mac and Embry Call? One doesn’t let the past shade his future, and the other learns from mistakes and then moves on without being marred by what happened?’ My wolf whispered to me. I wanted to snap my teeth at her. Telling her there was no way I was going to be caught dead acting like Call or Knight. ‘Life saver Lee!’ #Mac brought me out of my mind, and I moved around him to set the tray of glasses down. “It’s a talent you know, staying ten steps ahead of the rest of you.” I teased, then nodding my head towards the girl still at the corner of the bar. “Why don’t you take your break now? Maybe show someone the new stage?” I winked at him as I got back to work. ↬ Embry Call ↫ I leaned back against the wall, tilting my face up. The moon was barely visible behind the clouds. ‘She didn’t say anything…. About…’ #Seth sighed. ‘Did she?’ I shook my head and looked at her little brother… when he worried about her, he really did look like a kid again. “No… she didn’t. She’s okay, Seth. You can’t blame her for getting pissed off with those kinds of guys… and she pulled herself back. She always does.” My mind instantly pulled up the smell of that stranger’s blood on her shirt. I remembered finding it in the bathroom of her hotel… her face when she told me what happened. The bastard deserved a lot more than what he got. But I had to stomp that thought down before it made my heart beat faster; and tip #Seth off that something was up. ‘I know.’ He huffed out a breath. ‘I just wish she’d talk to me sometimes.’ I scoffed a laugh. “That’s not how she works… it never has been. All you can do is just be there, don’t try to make her talk. Just be around and let her leave if that’s what she wants.” ‘Is that what you were doing?’ #Seth chuckled. But I nodded. “Yeah… she went out on a limb for mom and me… I figured I could at least offer her a distraction.” I chuckled and so did he. ‘I knew you wouldn’t stay pissed at her for that…’ #Seth smiled. ‘You never do.’ “Hey, we can’t all be perfect enough to never get a little heated.” I elbowed the kid, who preened a little. ‘Why thank you for noticing!’ He laughed. A light misty rain started to fall, and we pushed off the wall to head back inside. I couldn’t stop myself from looking around the bar, finding Leah smiling and teasing #Mac to go and flirt with a girl. #Seth got back to work, I made my way back over to the guys; my eyes catching again and again on the keyboard and that gorgeous guitar. ↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ ‘And the cute one is back, who is next?’ #Seth clapped his hands together and rubbed them looking out over the bar at the waiting customers. “Hmm… He maybe the 𝘾𝙪𝙩𝙚one, but I’m the best in every other way.” I snapped back and then smacked him upside his

head. Earning a few laughs from the regulars who knew how things worked inside the family of the #HWH. ‘Spirits, Sis, don’t kick your own brother down in front of these lovely ladies.’ He rubbed the side of his head, but the both of us knew that I hadn’t hurt him. He was just playing up for the sympathy from the on lookers. “Please, like you were even in with a chance!” I exclaimed back, but by then three or four of the waiting girls had moved out of the line before me, hovering over to his side of the bar. #Seth waggled his brows at me in an unsaid way telling me 𝙎𝙚𝙚. As the night progressed slowly the early crowd started to die down. #Sam moved around the bar and came to say night before wanting to get home to Emily. Even if she had told him to get out of her hair tonight and have a “pack night.” He said he wanted to help with the last of the meal prep if she would let him touch anything. I nodded my head to him as a ‘good night’ as the others spoke to him. The lines at the bar started to slow too, giving the guys and me time to stand back, to catch up and clean up. And as I wiped the bars down and started the clean-up in the back. I couldn’t stop my eyes from wondering over the floor, taking in the people, the pups and then there was Embry. He was as calm and cool as always, but when the others weren’t looking, I couldn’t help but follow his gaze towards the stage. ‘What is he looking at?’ My wolf was sat up watching too. the two of us together glanced at the stage to take it all in. The Drums? No. It wasn’t his idea of fun. ‘It’s got to be the guitar?’ She asked but I wasn’t so sure. He had one of his own, but was one ever enough, for someone like him who enjoyed music so much? ‘The keyboard?’ she asked next. ‘Can’t be… Ms C has such a beautiful piano.’ She dismissed it, but I wasn’t so sure. Yes, Ms C did have a beautiful piano, the memory of how I was left speechless that day when I walked into find him playing it repeating in my mind now. But it wasn’t with him all the time. Did Call want one? I narrowed my eyes but pulled my attention away. I was never one to allow others to notice me when I was trying to work things out. And tonight, was no different. ‘Final Call!’ #Mac shouted out. Pulling me out of my thoughts. I threw the towel to the side, reading myself for the final rush of customers before it was closing time.

↬Embry Call ↫ Leah teasing #Seth was nothing new, but there were always two certain kinds of girls that seemed to respond to him most. First, the kind that saw how sweet and happy he was and thought he would be easy to manipulate; and second the one that saw he wore his heart on his sleeve and truly liked him for it… but the second type was normally far too shy to approach him. A few beers later and a few more tragic games of pool… it seemed like the night had flown. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves; you know!” I mocked them at their abysmal pool skills and a few of the pups filed out after Mac announced the final call. But I figured I might as well finish out the night with one last beer before I headed home. I had caught Leah watching me sometimes when my gaze drifted over to the instruments again… and again. She was lost in thought then. But I knew she’d keep it quiet. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if the pack found out… but it had become this little thing… one that was just mine. #Seth slid me a bottle and gave me a cheeky grin. ‘I still can’t believe you went up against Leah.’ He shook his head at me. “Oh c’mon! Who would think a drink called #Mermaidspunk would be so popular!?” I waved my hand at the dreaded specials board. “There was no way to predict that!” ‘Are you really gonna sing?’ He was trying and failing to bite back a smile. “I’ve never welched on a bet. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when all your patrons get up and leave.” I made sure Leah heard too. But she would never waiver from her terms. I wouldn’t if the tables were turned. When he went back to restocking as more customers started to empty out of the bar, I found myself twisting in the stool and glancing back at the keyboard again. It wasn’t the same as a piano… not nearly. But pianos weren’t exactly easy to move around… they were impossible to hide. A keyboard… would be the closest thing to it when the mood struck. Which it had lately… A lot. I loved the guitar, but it was different… Playing the piano was like coming home. ↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ “He went up against me because he is a fool who doesn’t know when to quit. And I don’t give a crap if every last person stood up and walked out of this bar on Monday night. I won that bet and he...” I pointed to Call, “..has to pay up.” I knew too well it the tables were turned, there was no way that Call would let me off. So, nor would I. ‘See you guys later.’ The girls waved, then left with the last of the pups, I watched after them all and knew that the pups would make sure that the Imprints would all reach home safe and sound. But under my breath I murmured. “Keep your eyes open for the townies, just in case they got some stupid ideas in their head to come back at closing.” The pups all acknowledged they understood in their own ways before they left. I glanced around the bar as a few people were finishing up their drinks, and Mac went over to tell them it was time to go. When I moved to look back, I was surprised to find Call was still sat on the bar stool, but his back was to us, and his eyes once again on the stage. Gathering the glasses off the top of the bar, I bit the inside of my cheek. “Hey, Seth?” I called over to him, I knew he was listening because I was talking normally for anyone to hear really. “How are you getting home?” It was a normal question for a sister to ask her brother. I didn’t look at him, just kept going on with my work. ‘Hmm, I’m going to leave my truck here and go home with Mac tonight. We have that supply run in the morning remember? Driving two trucks around just doesn’t make sense.’ I knew this, the plans had been put into place a few days back when the guy’s wanted to go into PA for the supplies together. So, I just nodded my head as I took the tray full of glasses to the back, knowing that both #Mac and Call were listening too. ‘Why?’ I didn’t answer right away, the plan was still coming together in my mind. “Nothing… Well… Something… The Keyboard and the Guitar, I knew they were worth something, but I hadn’t

expected them to be that expensive. And I know Tony said that we were covered…. But still… Not sure I want to leave them here… The drums and the other stuff are all too heavy for someone to walk out with…But….” This was all coming together, because when I came back out. Both #Mac and #Seth stood by the bar considering my words. “Don’t worry about it, maybe I could take your truck and…” his eyes widened. #Seth would give me the keys without a second thought. But he knew that I hated to ride four wheels. ‘No, I.. I could take them with me, and then in the morning Mac and I could drive here first and then head out…’ He was thinking as was #Mac. ‘I’d put them in mine, but we have the empties in there that we need to take with us in the morning.’ #Mac looked at the stage now too. I guessed me bringing it up had them both worried. I looked at the back of Call’s head. But didn’t say anything. Both #Mac and #Seths eyes followed and then I turned away to clean down the ice machine. ‘Hey... Mister MC for the Open Mic Night. Can you please take them with you? They will be safe at your place until Monday, and then you could bring them with you?’ #Seth clapped Call on this shoulder to get his attention. ‘Bingo!’ My wolf sounded proud of me as she sat back and watched the seed sewn. I didn’t need to ask; I didn’t need to say anything. It wasn’t even my idea… This was all on #Seth.

↬ Embry Call ↫ I laughed and nodded. “Yeah, yeah!! I should have learned my lesson by now.” I flashed Leah a wide cheeky grin. “But one day… 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕪Clearwater… I will win and that will go down in history! And all your former wins will be forgotten.” The guys that were still here all nodded in agreement and then realised they were kind of challenging Leah and stopped. I didn’t reiterate that I always made good on my bets. She knew… the whole pack knew. I turned and waved as the rest of the pups exited the bar for the night. I was staring at the instruments again, not really paying attention to the conversation behind me; they were talking shop… not unusual when I loitered here after they started shuffling people out. I did turn back, however, when I heard Leah talk about taking his truck. I was never quite sure if she hated driving or just disliked all transportation on more than two wheels. Knowing Leah it was both… she never did things in halves. We all knew she could drive… she just didn’t… unless it was for her Ma. But they mentioned the instruments again and well… I’m a musician! I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t the fact that they were expensive… the value of a musical instrument lay in its craftsmanship and the beauty of what it could stand to make with its music. The quality was a little lost on the keyboard… but it too had its admirable traits in its versatility… the programming and engineering that went into the cold plastic shell… Maybe I was a bit of an acoustic purist, but the idea of a piano ( ish ) that you could take anywhere? My Grandfather would roll over in his grave. I half chuckled at the thought; but then #Seth was talking to me. “Hmm…” I turned back and #Seth laughed. “Oh! Um, yeah… sure, I could lock the doors for a few nights.” I chuckled. I couldn’t leave the house unlocked with those inside. “The kids all know where to find a key in the rare event of a locked door.” ‘You really wanna be alone with that guitar don’t you?’ #Seth teased. “That guitar and I will be happily married by Monday!” I shot back with zero shame. I packed up the instruments and #Seth helped load them into the Jeep, while Leah finished up… She always had a thing about being the last one out. No one really questioned it anymore. After saying our goodnights and a knowing nod to Leah… She was good, but I knew what she had done. Maybe that was only because I knew she was in on the unrevealed part of my life now, that I saw it. The whole way home I ran over the thought in my mind. How it felt to have her in on the darkest and lightest secrets of my life. It was strange… … And I liked it. It felt like a step in a new direction.

↬ Leah Clearwater ↫ It didn’t take long for me to finish up at the bar after the last of them all left me to it. I enjoyed staying back on my own to close, it was the peace after the madness that helped me ease into the night ( or should I say the morning ), before me. The call from my Ma had me riding past her home, it was out of the way of course but there was no way I wasn’t going to check in on her. I slipped into the house without waking her, watching over her and pulling the blankets over her cold shoulders, and only when I was sure that she was going to be okay, did I leave and ride the rest of the way home. Home…. As I opened the door, all the scents from the morning hit my senses at once. Ma, #Seth, MsC and then there was Call in there too. I shook my head at how the impact of these smells, didn’t make me push all the windows open and air out my house. This has always been my get away from the world. ‘But they aren’t the world, are they?’ My wolf whispered as she curled up ready for a night of rest. “Hmm…” That was enough of an answer for her. She left me in peace as I showered taking off the scents of the bar, and the smells I’d picked up in the day. I was still on edge. But then my Ma’s call and her voice spoke to me again. ‘𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺.’ She saw me, even when I tried to keep my mask up and in place. As I climbed into bed, my wet hair steaming as it dried. The windows open ready for the spirits to come. My eyes moved over to the mirror and took in the woman who sat on the edge of the bed looking back. I had allowed people in today, I had accepted help, I had assisted others, and I had a whole day full of the pack. “Embry…. Fucking…. Call…” I shook my head; he was becoming a boomerang that didn’t stop coming back. ‘It’s not a bad thing to allow someone in, and you know the Spirits never do anything without a reason.’ My wolf whispered to me. ‘And you did something kind for him tonight too.’ She showed me his face and how quickly he agreed to take the guitar and the keyboard home. To the point he even said he would lock the door to their house. Anyone who knew Call and #Quil knew that their door was 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧locked. “Yeah, and Call is payback for my smart mouthing them, I am sure.” Shifting back, I lay down with my head on the pillow, pulling my damp hair to the side. Curling up I turned to face the window and closed my eyes. “What a day this has been.”

↬ Embry Call ↫ When I pulled into the driveway, the lights were still on in the house. I knew #Quil had a late-night run so, I thought he would be sleeping still. I made my way to the back of the Jeep and pulled out the guitar case and the long bag that held the packed-up keyboard. I hadn’t needed to take the power cords, or anything else just to keep them out of the bar but no one had questioned it when I was packing them up. I brought them inside and Quil was on the couch, and an empty pizza box was abandoned on the table. ‘Don’t worry… there’s another one sitting in the oven for you…. It’s probably cold though.’ #Quil barely lifted his head. I set the instruments just inside the bedroom door. “Thanks man.” I headed over the take the box out, even lukewarm pizza was still pizza. “You look exhausted… didn’t you sleep after work?” I flipped open the lid and grabbed a slice, flopping onto the sofa next to him. ‘No… Claire called, she wanted to talk. She got a bad grade on a history test and she wanted me to help her study… It was the only way her mom would let her use the phone.’ #Quil sighed. “Well, history was always your best subject in school. I’m sure she’ll do better on the next one.” I glanced at my open bedroom door, slightly longingly. “Do you want me to take you’re run for you? You look like you could use some sleep.” #Quil just patted my shoulder once and shook his head. ‘No, man… Momma T has dialysis in the morning. You gotta take her.’ He said and suddenly the memory struck me. I knew I could ask #Sue… but it was so last minute. He must have seen the expression on my face, and he followed up with, ‘Honestly, I’m good I’m off tomorrow so, I can sleep all day if I want to.’ He sat up a little and glanced at my room. ‘Did you get a new guitar?’ “Oh… no. The HWH is starting open-mic nights and #Seth thought it would be a good idea to keep the more expensive ones here since there’s almost always one or more wolf here.” Quil nodded in understanding. “Just make sure to lock the door when no one is home. I already sent a text to the group chat so the pups now to use the spare key. And lock up after.” I started on my second slice. #Quil stole one and jumped up. ‘Ok, I’m gonna be late if I don’t head out now. Oh, wait!!!’ He turned to me with a grin. ‘Is that what all the chatter was in the group chat? You lost a bet and now you have to sing for the open mic night?’ He almost burst out laughing. ‘Dude… you need to stop betting against the Clearwater’s.’ “Don’t you have a patrol to run!!?” I balled up a napkin and threw it at him, which he caught with ease and tossed back at me. Soon after #Quil disappeared out the back door I had finished off the pizza and without thinking it through I was now stood in my room. The clutter on top of my dresser was now on the floor next to it, replaced with the keyboard. Powered on and ready to be played. I moved to the pile of clothes next to my bed, knowing that my headphones were tangled in there somewhere. My fingers moved over the keys as the sound of Believer by Imagine Dragons started to play. The music ran through me with ease and passion. It was different from the piano… but to be here, in the place I called home and playing… not a piano but pretty damn close right now. When all there was in the world was the music. A breeze through the open window scattered sheet music(that had been strewn across my bed) over the floor, but that didn’t matter right now. This was all because of Leah. I smiled. She wasn’t the one to say the words, but she had turned and twisted the conversation until…. This was the outcome. My eyes drifted back over the room and the music on the floor. My eyes caught on the framed piece of music on my wall. “One more.” I told myself. “Just one… then sleep.” I could play this with my eyes closed. So, I did. ( Music: Believer · Peter Buka )

[marrvelle-fics]

Yellow Rose~Part 2 (1940s Bucky Barnes x Female Reader)

Catch up here: Prologue  Part 1

(PHOTO AND GIF NOT MINE, CREDIT GOES TO OWNERS)

Words: 1733 (HOLY CRAP)

Pairing(s): 1940s Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Warnings: Fluff, Kissing, I think that’s it??

Requested By: Anon

Request: Hey, do you think you could write a Bucky x reader based on Ed Sheeran’s song Nancy Mulligan please ?

Summary:  (AU where Bucky never falls off the train and gets to live a happy life) Working as a nurse in WWII, you never expected to fall in love. But then a certain blue-eyed soldier walks into your life, and you can’t ignore the sparks between you. Eventually, the war ends, and you return home. Bucky courts you for a while, before proposing. But your father refuses to give you his blessing. Will you give in, and let your father control your life? Or will you take a leap of faith and run away with the love of your life, James Buchanan Barnes?

A/N: Well I suck. I’m so sorry I took so long to post this. I loved writing this Part. The reader has siblings in this chapter, whom I named. However, the reader’s mother and father don’t. So as always, (Y/F/N) stands for “Your Father’s Name” and (Y/M/N) means “Your mother’s name”. 1940s Bucky is such a charmer! I love him so much! Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

The war was over.

You returned home to Brooklyn, and to say you were overjoyed when Bucky told you he lived there too was an understatement.

And he was true to his word, tonight he was going to take you out on your first date.

You had told your family about him. Your mother was truly happy, knowing that you had found someone. However, your father was extremely protective of you. He didn’t want to let his little girl go, but he still agreed to meet Bucky since he meant so much to you.

You were currently in your bedroom, which you shared with your younger sister. You had just finished doing your hair and makeup, and you were already dressed.

You look at yourself in your full-length mirror. Your hands smooth out the skirt of your short (Y/F/C) dress,  turning as you examine it. It’s a halter top dress with a skirt that flares out when you spin.

Your younger sister, Betty, is in your room with you.

“You look beautiful.” She says.

You turn to her and smile. “Thanks sis.”

“You’re welcome.” She says smiling back at you.

You sigh. “I only hope Bucky feels the same.”

She laughs. “You really like him don’t you?”

You sigh happily. “Yeah, I really do.”

She smiles.

There’s a knock on the door, and you look up as your older brother, William, enters.

“Hey sis.”

You smile. “Hey.”

He sighs. “I just wanted to say that if this Bucky guy breaks your heart, then I’ll take it upon myself to break him.”

You laugh, and walk over to him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks for looking out for me, but I think I’ll be okay.”

“Anytime sis.”

The doorbell rings suddenly, and your stomach flips.

“Ready?” Will asks you.

You nod and interlink your arm with his.

“God, what if dad eats him alive?” You ask the three of you leave the room.

He smirks. “Well, if I approve of the guy, then I’ll make sure dad doesn’t kill him.”

You smile. “Thanks Will.”

You get downstairs and see your mother standing by the staircase, facing the front door. Your father looks at you and your siblings before opening the door.

Bucky is standing there in all his glory, wearing a suit, while his brown locks are slicked back.

“(Y/F/N) (Y/L/N).” Your dad says holding out his hand, introducing himself.

“James Buchanan Barnes. It is an honor to meet you, Sir.” Bucky says, shaking your father’s hand.

“Please, come in.” Your father says.

Bucky smiles and enters the house.

You take a deep breath.

“This is my wife, (Y/M/N).” Your father introduces your mother.

Bucky smiles politely and shakes her hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, ma'am.”

Your mother smiles, and you know she already approves.

“The pleasure is all mine, James. I’m so happy (Y/N) has found someone.”

He smiles at that, and you catch your father scowl slightly.

“My youngest daughter Betty, and finally my eldest, William.” He continues.

Bucky smiles at your sister, and shakes her hand, before turning to your brother and shaking his.

He then turns his attention to you, and you swear you see something in his eyes. Something like love, or admiration. But maybe you just imagined it. He takes your hand, and lifts it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it.

“Doll.” He says, his blue eyes shining.

“Buck.” You reply, a huge dorky grin on your face. You can’t help it. You’re head over heels for this man.

Your father stiffens at the interaction, but you catch William shoot him a look that tells him to chill out.

“Let’s go into the living room, shall we?” Your father suggests.

After Bucky talked with your parents, well, more like survived being interrogated by your father, you and Bucky were free.

“Are you ready to go?” Bucky asks.

You nod.

He holds out his arm, and you link yours with it.

“Have her home by nine!” Your father says, glaring daggers at Bucky.

Bucky nods and shakes his hand one last time. “Of course sir.”

The two of you exit the house, walk down the porch steps, out the gate, and onto the sidewalk. You can feel your father watching you from the window, but you relax as soon as you’re out of his sight.

Bucky stops suddenly and pulls you to him.

“Bucky what are you-”

He cuts you off by pressing his lips to yours. You moan softly and run your fingers through his hair, his hands are on your waist, pulling you closer.

When you pull away, you both have huge smiles on your faces.

“You messed up my hair, doll.” He teases.

You smirk, smoothing it back down as much as you could. “Yeah, whatever.

He cups your cheek, his expression growing serious yet sincere. "I missed you (Y/N).”

“I missed you too James.”

He takes your hand in his, and the two of you continue walking down the street.

“So what’s the plan for tonight Mr. Barnes?” You ask.

He chuckles. “Well Miss (Y/L/N), I was thinking that we could go out to dinner, and then maybe I can take ya out dancin’.”

You smile, realizing that he was doing exactly as he had said that day at the base.

“Sounds great.”

You arrive at the restaurant. It’s a little Italian place. He has already made reservations, so all he had to do was give the host his name. The two of you are led to a table in the corner of the restaurant, right next to a window. Bucky your chair out for you, and you take a seat, mumbling a quick thank you.

He sits, and you both look through the menu. After a few minutes, the waitress comes over.

“Hello! My name is Mary and I’ll be your waitress for tonight. Can I get you started with something to drink?” She shoots you a friendly smile.

“Yes, could we get your best bottle of Red Wine.” Bucky says before you can open your mouth.

Your jaw drops slightly. You had only had wine a couple of times before, and that was only on special occasions.

Mary notices your expression. “Of course, and shall I bring you some water on the side?”

“Yes!” You answer before Bucky has the chance. “Please.” You shoot her a grateful look.

She smiles and walks away.

The sound of Bucky quietly laughing makes your attention snap to him.

“What?” You ask defensively.

“Not much of a drinker?”

You shake your head. “I’ve only been allowed to drink on a few special occasions.”

He smirks. “Well, this is a special occasion..”

You laugh.

You order your dinner, and the two of you talk for what seems like hours while you eat. He tells you all about his friendship with Steve. You laugh at his stories.  You tell him about your life, your strict father, your loving mother, and the close relationship you shared with your siblings, as much as you picked on each other.

After dinner, he takes you to a hole-in-the-wall dance hall.

There was a band playing, and people everywhere. Couples mostly, like you and Bucky. There was the sound of laughing, and glasses clinking since alcohol was being served.

It was hard to get through the crowd, but Bucky’s hand was planted securely on your waist as he led you through the crowd.

“C'mon let’s dance!” He shouts over the music, moving his hand to grab your wrist.

“Bucky wait! I can’t dance!” You shout back, trying to keep your balance as he pulls you towards the dance floor.

“You’ll be fine! I promise I won’t let you fall.”

You smile. “Okay fine!”

And he was right.

Dancing with Bucky made you feel like you were floating on air.

You were twirling and swaying with the music. He’d lift you up and spin you around, or swing you between his legs, and it all felt effortless. You had expected to trip or step on him. But you didn’t.

When the song finished, you were breathing hard. His arms steadied you.

“You okay?” He asks.

You beam at him. “That was amazing.”

He chuckles, and pulls you into a hug, kissing the top of your head. “You’re amazing.

You blush.

You danced to a few more songs before the two of you decide to head home.

You were walking home, his arm around your waist to help you stay standing since your pumps were killing your feet.

"I had fun tonight.” You say.

He smiles. “Me too. And I’d love it if I could take you out again soon.”

You smile back at him. “I’d like that.”

You can feel him watching you.

You blush. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

He laughs, and stops walking, while gently turning you to face him.

His eyes scan your face and then look deep into your own eyes.

“You are so beautiful.” His voice is barely a whisper.

You’re a blushing mess by now.

He tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear.

“James, you’re making me blush.”

He smirks, and his hand comes to rest on the small of your back. He pulls you so that your body is flush against his.

“Is this okay?” He whispers.

You nod, too afraid that your voice will betray you if you try to speak.

His hand comes to the back of your neck, and he pulls you into him, crashing his lips onto yours as you share one last kiss for the night.

You pull away, smiling. You look down at your shoes trying to hide your blush.

“You need to get me home… Before my father has a heart attack.”

He chuckles.

You finally get to your house, and he walks you to the door.

“I’ll write to you. Hopefully, I can take you out again soon.”

You nod, smiling.

Suddenly, the door opens, and Bucky instantly lets go of your hand.

Your father is standing there.

“Sir, thank you for allowing me to take your daughter out tonight. She is an amazing woman, and I enjoyed her company very much.”

Your father only nods.

Bucky sighs softly and looks at you. “Good Night (Y/N).”

“Goodnight Bucky.” You say, before going inside.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoyed this Chapter. I know I had said that I would try to update weekly, but I have a pretty busy life. So I’m not gonna promise anything, but I will try to get the next parts out ASAP! As always feedback is appreciated. Have a wonderful day my lovelies!

TAGS

(I’ve decided not to divide it up into permanent tags or just Bucky tags cause I don’t see a point in doing it for you guys. I’ll just keep note of who’s tagged in what)

@marvelofcourse @anbrax5553 @meep-meep22 @the-craziestone @barnes-toddpartnersinheartbreak @storm-howlett 

Please send me a message or let me know in the comments if you’d like to be added to my tag list. Please specify if you want to be tagged in all of my imagines (including all the characters I write for), imagines just about this character, or if you only want to be tagged in this series. Thank You!

[umi-thurman-blog]

Dormant Dragon

Parings: Undetermined.

Summary: This was written and inspired by the Yakuza series better known as Like A Dragon. I absolutely love the game and it’s deep story and wanted to create something similar in tone and setting so here you go. The story of Sonoda Umi and her life in the yakuza, serving under the Kurosawa family.

Words: ~4,800

Tokyo 2008

The bustling nightlife of the streets of Tokyo were the perfect cover for today’s debt collection. Tucked away underneath a long since forgotten construction site of an ambitious plot of land laid a business man, caked in dust, dirt and sweat. Beads of blood blotched onto his white dress shirt as he cowered across the ground. The crimson splats growing in size as the blood evened out.

Standing above him was an average height woman, her hair long and her face shadowed from sight due to the lights that brightened the streets. Looking straight through the passageway, he could see numerous bystanders walking by, minding their own business. The man’s throat grew dry from the amount of times he attempted to escape from her. He opened his mouth to reason with the woman, but his voice crumbled as soon as they exited him, “P-Please! I promise you, I’ll have the 500,000 yen by the end of the week!”

The woman stepped closer, her shadowed figure growing larger and larger with each step towards him. She came to a stop and spoke, “You are 6 months late on your payment, Kurosaki…” her voice was deeper than one would expect. But to the man, it was all too familiar at this point. Before today’s encounter, her voice was always charming and alluring to him. She rarely spoke many words, but tonight changed every opinion he had.

“Please, Umi, let me explain my situation before we go any further!” he begged.

The woman remained firm, “Kurosaki…” He jumped at the sound of his name, “You are expected to return the favor when you borrow from the Kurosawa Family. We have been generous in your case, but this time, I cannot let it slide.”

The look in his eyes showed fear, but he could not back down now, “Umi, m-my business was harassed by the Yazawa Family! They’re the ones to blame!”

The shadowed figure shook it’s head, “I’m done talking, Kurosaki. Where is your payment to the Kurosawa Family?”

“C-come on, Umi, I’m begging you…” he pleaded again, only this time he sat on his knees bowing as his life was on the line.

The woman sighed and turned her back, “I can't return to the Kurosawa family without some sort of payment. You should know this, Kurosaki.”

“What do you mean?” he asked wearily.

“The Kurosawa Family, graced you with a lower interest rate than most of their clients. They made an investment, and you failed to deliver on your end. How do you think the Chairman will react once they know of your incompetence…?” she warned.

He gulped in preparation for his answer, his throat ran dry as soon as he thought of what he must do, “Y-You don’t mean, I have to cut off my finger?” he panicked and stood up quickly, rushing towards Umi and grabbing her shoulders, “Hey! Answer me!”

His eyes saw the shadowed figure twist and felt something crash against his solar plexus, knocking him back a few steps before falling onto his knees again. A small amount of blood pooled in his mouth, but he chose to swallow it down, “U-Umi…?”

“Offering your finger is something only a Yazuka can do. You are nothing more than a civilian,” she answered coldly.

“T-Then does that mean… You'll kill me?” he replied. His voice cracked and his breath hastened.

“Well that would most certainly be the case…” Umi replied quietly enough for him to hear.

His eyes flared. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist in a fit of rage, “Y-You can’t kill me! I'll murder you and the rest of the Kurosawa Family before you can kill me! To hell with your money!” he stood up and assumed a fighting stance.

Umi observed him. During the entire shakedown, she had been the one pushing and beating him when he was fearing her. But the look in his eyes now showed desperation. She sighed and stretched her neck before hopping lightly on her feet a few times. Staring right back into his eyes, she raised her hands and taunted him, “Come at me.”

The man let out a battle cry as he rushed at her, he swung with a wide right hook that was easy for her to block. She stepped in close and used her underarm to lock his right arm in place; using her free hand to smash down on it, causing a fracture in the arm. She let go and the man retreated back, but not before she used her now free hand to land a powerful hook on his cheek. The man stumbled back and managed to stay on his feet, but only by a margin.

“M-my arm…” he mumbled before attacking again. This time he tried a forward kick, aiming for her abdomen, but it was easily caught. She kicked at his balancing foot and sweeped him to the ground, landing a hard-hitting punch against his jaw as he crashed onto the ground. With the air knocked out from the sweep, his arms fell weakly onto the ground and he laid in pain.

Umi stood up, her breathing a little heavy, “You shouldn't have done that, Kurosaki…”

He used the bit of strength he had to lift his head up, “I-I'll never… let you… kill me…” he muttered before passing out.

Umi sighed and squat down, turning the man over and checking for his wallet which she managed to find. There was only a couple ten thousand yen bills which she collected and tossed the wallet onto the now unconscious body. She stood up and placed the bills in her pocket before pulling out a cigarette, “We may be Yakuza, but we don't kill civilians…” she muttered before flicking her lighter.

She inhaled deeply before blowing out the smoke as she glanced at the night sky. The lights of Tokyo were too bright for the stars to shine. After one more hit, she tossed the cigarette onto the ground and stomped it out. She made way towards the street, making sure to straighten up her suit before emerging from the shadows.

Her eyes dilated from the sudden stimulation of neon signs and bright lights. Her ears rang with endless chatter as high schoolers, businessmen, and shady characters walked past her. It was too loud for her to think, but she didn't mind. To her, these streets were something like home, it has ceased to changed ever since she became yakuza 3 years ago. It was known as Kentobori.

A vibration from her pocket broke her out of the nightlife trance. The flip of her phone revealed a message from her longtime friend, Ruby. The message read, “How did the shakedown go? Sis wants to hear from you ASAP. Get down to HQ right away.”

Umi closed her phone and made way to the nearest taxi. The Kurosawa Family headquarters was located 10 minutes away from Kentobori. The standard fare was about 800 yen which was fine for her. She spent most of the time during the ride just staring out the window, people in general could tell she was yakuza by the way she dressed so any sort of small talk with the cab driver would be accompanied by a nervous and cautious tone.

The cab came to a stop in front of a grand hotel named “The Diamond Heights” it was a hotel constructed under the influence of the Kurosawa Family and it served as a headquarters for the family chairman and the rest of the captains. She made her way inside and entered the elevator. Her finger moved and pressed on a combination of buttons that lit up periodically once she finished. She leaned back against the wall of the elevator and waited for her ride to finish.

After a few moments, the elevator doors opened and she stepped out, only to be stopped by guards, “Hold it, what is a low ranking yakuza like you doing on the chairman’s floor? This is for captains and the chairman only.”

“I was asked to speak with the chairman by Ruby,” she replied.

Just as the guards were to respond, a cheerful light voice broke the tension, “Umi!” she strut over to the guards and grabbed Umi’s hand, “Sorry to bother you boys, but Sis would like to see Umi right away.”

The guards immediately stepped away and bowed, “Yes! Of course Miss Kurosawa!”

Umi followed Ruby and spoke, “You could have at least told them I was to be expected.”

Ruby shrugged, “Meh, I forgot.”

“And how long are you going to hold my hand?” Umi added.

“Whoops!” she let go immediately and laughed, “Guess I got carried away.”

“How’s Dia doing?” Umi asked.

Ruby looked down, “I don’t suppose you happen to have Kurosaki’s payment for us, do you?”

Umi shook her head, “Other than a couple ten thousand yen bills, no.”

Ruby sighed, “Sis is going to be mad…”

Umi nodded and replied, “Yeah, I know.” The two arrived in front of a decorative door. Ruby knocked onto the wood and waited for a response.

“Come in,” a firm voice replied.

The two glanced at each other and nodded before entering the room. At the far end of the room sat a strict looking woman behind a desk. Her face stained with what looked to be anger and irritation, “Umi, how was the collection?” she asked immediately.

Umi stood firm before bowing, “I regret to inform you that Kurosaki is unable to repay us.” She kept her head down until Dia would respond.

The woman let out a groan and slammed her hand against her desk, “Son of a bitch!” her voice raised and so did her body. She stood up and made way to the nearest window that overlooked Kentobori, “Do you know how much money we lent that rat?!”

Umi nodded and responded, “500,000 yen.”

“And how much has he paid back?!” Dia continued.

Umi pulled the bills from her pocket and counted them, “After today, 30,000.”

Dia sighed and paced around the room, “We’re losing money investing in this man. Tell me, Umi. What did you do with him?”

“He attacked me and I had no choice but to rough him up,” Umi responded.

Dia nodded in approval and made way to Umi’s side, “You can stand up straight now, you don't have to be so formal with me.” Umi straightened up to see the stern face replaced with a soft one, “You smell of blood, you must have roughed him up quite a bit,” she sharpened up Umi’s clothes and pat her shoulder.

“Thank you, Chairman Dia. Kurosaki was nothing I couldn't handle,” Umi replied.

Dia smiled and chuckled, “That’s why I send you after the stubborn ones.”

Ruby joined into the conversation, “Hey Sis? Do you mind if I take Umi to go have a few drinks now?”

“Oh, yes. I must get back to work anyways.” Dia gave Umi a hug and a pat on the back, “You go have some fun, you've earned it tonight,” she said, handing back the 30,000 yen Umi had brought.

“C-Chairman, I can't take that, that’s for the family,” Umi declined.

Dia remained persistent and pushed the bills into Umi’s hand, “Don’t worry about it, I've got it covered.”

Umi reluctantly accepted the money, “T-Thank you, Chairman.”

Ruby burst with energy, “Let's go drinking at Moonlight!” and pulled Umi by the hand once again. Umi glanced back as she was dragged away by Ruby to see a sullen look on Dia’s face, even if it was for a brief second.

The two arrived back in Kentobori and made way to their most frequented bar known as Moonlight. It was tucked away in a crowded and claustrophobic district in the city, well hidden from the general public. Because of this, the two could have peaceful drinks without any goons or rival yakuza bothering them. Ruby went through the door first and greeted the barkeep, “Heyo, Hanamaru!”

Umi walked in seconds after and greeted her as well, “How are you, Hanamaru?”

The woman smiled and replied, “Welcome back, you two. Will it be the usual?” The two women took their regular seats as their favorite drinks were served to them, “Since you're both here, I guess something good happened?”

Umi shrugged and Ruby took the lead, “Umi over here roughed up a scumbag who still hasn't paid us back.”

Hanamaru knew that the two of them were yakuza. It didn't surprise her that stories like these were common with the two of them, “Who was it this time?”

“Kurosaki,” Umi replied, “He owes the Kurosawa family 500,000 yen.”

Hanamaru sighed, “So this Kurosaki has been avoiding you and the family for quite some time now, huh?”

Ruby took a sip of her drink, “Yeah, I just wish that good for nothing would pay up. He’s stressing Sis out!”

Umi pulled out a cigarette and glanced up at Hanamaru, “You mind?”

Hanamaru shook her head and Umi continued to light it, “Hey, hand me one too,” Ruby demanded. Umi did as she was asked and lit Ruby a cigarette as well.

Umi took a deep hit before continuing with the conversation, “Has the chairman mentioned anything about what she's planning?”

Ruby shook her head and took a hit, “You know how she is. She's too stubborn to let anyone else help.”

Umi sighed and continued to smoke, “Well, whatever she does, I'll follow her.”

“Same with me,” Ruby replied, offering her drink up for cheers. The two clanked their glasses and gulped down their liquor.

The bell attached to the entrance door rang and a young woman stepped in. She was blonde and wore her hair in a ponytail, she was suited and wore an eyepatch over her right eye. Umi took notice and immediately greeted her, “Anego!”

The blonde smiled and strut her way over towards Umi, taking a seat and smirking at Hanamaru, “You know which drink.”

Hanamaru smiled and nodded, “Of course Eli.”

Eli peered over Umi at Ruby, “How's it goin’ Little Ruby?”

“Just enjoying some drinks with Umi,” she replied.

Eli made a grandiose movement and grabbed the drink Hanamaru just set on the counter, “So you wouldn't mind if I joined ya?”

“Of course not, Anego,” Umi replied.

“So what's the deal? I heard they had you do another shakedown tonight, Umi,” Eli asked.

Umi nodded, “Yes, it was Kurosaki again.”

Eli’s eyes widened, “Kurosaki?! He still hasn't paid?!” Umi nodded and Eli let out a groan, “Man… I'm tellin you two, Chairman Dia is way too kind, if it were me, I’d have whacked him by now.”

“H-Hey!” Ruby shouted in protest.

Umi held up her hand, “I know you wouldn't do that, Anego. Although, you probably would have beaten him until he was an inch away from death.”

Eli smirked and threw her arm around Umi for a half hearted embrace, “You know me so well, Umi.”

The four women in the bar enjoyed most of the night together, sharing stories and tales with one another until the dead of night. Umi had fallen asleep on the counter, Eli on one of the cushioned couches near the back, and Ruby, still awake with Hanamaru, “So you have this… plan?”

Ruby nodded, “Yeah, once the Kurosawa family is back to where it was financially, Sis and I were thinking of making Umi a captain for the family.”

Hanamaru showed curiosity, “A captain?”

Ruby grabbed another smoke before continuing, “You can think of captains in a family as big as ours to be like advisors or the second highest seat. There's the chairman who sits up top with a personal lieutenant, that’s me. Then there are captains, and underneath them are lieutenants and foot soldiers,” she detailed. Hanamaru nodded as Ruby explained, “The only problem is that for Umi to become a captain, she has to start her own family and gather up members which can take a very long time.”

Hanamaru wore a confused look, “Wait, if she is a part of the Kurosawa family, why would she need to start her own if she's already in one?”

Ruby took a sip of her drink before answering, “You can think of the Kurosawa family as a giant machine. The entirety of it is called the Kurosawa family, but all the parts inside are composed of multiple families. For example, the Ayase family and the Watanabe family serve under us. If Umi were to become a captain, then she would be in charge of the Sonoda family which serves the Kurosawa family, you understand?”

Hanamaru’s face showed small signs of confusion, but it seemed like she got the gist of it, “So if things turn out well, Umi could become a high ranking member for the Kurosawa family?”

Ruby nodded, “Yup, that's pretty much it.”

“So why didn't you just make Umi a captain from the start?” Hanamaru asked.

Ruby sighed, “It’s a little complicated. Our father ran the Kurosawa family when Sis and I were still children. Once we became teenagers, that's when the Ayase family began serving under us.”

“The Ayase? So you mean Eli’s…” Hanamaru mumbled.

“She’s the head of the family now ever since her father was killed while in Okinawa years ago,” Ruby replied. Hanamaru looked down apologetically and Ruby continued, “Anyways, I'm sure you don't know this, but Umi was orphaned at a young age.”

“Oh my, I had no idea,” Hanamaru reacted.

Ruby nodded, “She was taken in by the Ayase’s and that was how we met. Our father introduced us to Eli and Umi once the Ayase joined under him. Eli was always busy with her father, so that left Umi to spend a lot of her time with Sis and I.”

“Huh… I see,” Hanamaru commented.

Ruby drank again, “And you can imagine what it would look like to the rest of the family if someone like Umi, technically a nobody, were to suddenly shoot up the ranks of the family and start her own. Sis always said that making Umi a captain so soon would make it seem like she would have only gotten that position because of her relationship with us. That would make the other members of the family jealous because becoming a captain makes you one step closer to having a chance at being the Chairman.”

Hanamaru nodded and listened intently to Ruby’s explanation, “But now that Umi has proven herself quite a bit over the past 3 years she's been yakuza, I think it’s a good time for her to finally get promo-” Ruby jumped at the vibration that came from her pocket and she quickly opened her phone, “H-Hello?” a few seconds passed before she stood straight as a board and knocked over her drink, “What?! S-Sis…?!” Umi woke up slowly and looked up at Ruby.

“What’s wrong… Ruby?” she asked with a yawn.

Ruby ignored her and immediately ran out of the bar. As she passed, Eli awoke and sat up straight, “What’s goin on, Umi?”

Now more alert, Umi stood up, “I-I don’t know, but we should hurry and follow Ruby.”

Eli nodded and headed out the door without another word. Umi looked back at Hanamaru, “T-Thanks for the drinks Hanamaru, here, keep the change,” she said, leaving the 30,000 yen she received from Dia on the counter.

Hanamaru bowed, “Thank you for visiting, I hope things go well on your end.”

Umi nodded and bolted out the door, crashing against Eli’s back, “A-Ahh! Anego?”

“Sorry, Umi, a lil dizzy from the drinks,” Eli replied.

Uni shook her head and squeezed past Eli, “Did you see which way Ruby went?” she asked looking around frantically.

“I think she headed south,” Eli replied.

Umi nodded, “I'll check that way then, you head north and if you can't find her, meet me back at HQ.”

Eli nodded and Umi sprinted off down the street. She looked left and right, scanning the crowds and stores for Ruby’s distinct hair, but to no avail. She ran further down the street and managed to catch a glimpse of Ruby entering a cab, “Ruby!” she shouted. But it was useless because of all the endless chatter that cluttered the streets. The only ones who could hear her were the strange faces around her immediate vicinity. The cab sped off and Umi made a break for it, only barely touching the trunk of the cab before it returned to the street. Umi looked around to see no cabs left and shook her head, “Goddammit!” and began sprinting towards HQ.

20 minutes later, Umi arrived in front of the hotel, leaning onto her knees and breathing heavily to catch her breath from the run. As soon as she had the strength, she jogged into the hotel to see that the front lobby was completely empty. Or rather, it sounded like no one was working in the building at all. She made way for the elevator and entered in the button combination to the Chairman’s floor.

The doors to the elevator opened and she was immediately greeted with the intense smell of blood and gunpowder. Not only that, but the guards that attended the elevator lied on the ground dead from gunshot wounds. Umi stepped over them and ran down the hallway towards the Chairman’s room.

She slowed down at the sound of yelling, “Sis?! SIS!” it was muffled and came from the other side of the door.

“Ruby?” Umi muttered to herself.

She leaned against the door to listen in on the yelling. From what she could make out, Ruby was directly on the other side, “How could you do this?!” Ruby yelled.

“No hard feelings little one, it’s just part of the job,” another voice replied.

“I won’t let you get away with this!” Ruby barked back.

“I'm afraid I don't have the time to deal with small fry like you, once your big sister is dead, Kentobori is ours for the taking,” the voice mocked before the distinct cocking of metal echoed the area.

Umi’s eyes widened and she went for the handle, “Ruby! Get ou-!”

A ear-piercing blast attacked Umi’s ears before she could realize the warm liquid materializing around her abdomen. The door in front of her broke open as another shot was fired and her friend propelled towards her, knocking the both of them against the opposite side of the hall.

Umi tried to sit up but the sharp pain in her abdomen refused her to. She had taken stray shotgun pellets to her stomach. She managed to move her arms and shake Ruby, “R-Ruby? Hey, get up!” she attempted to lift the girl but the pain refused to let her. “Ruby!” Umi groaned. She managed to get her head above her friend’s shoulder before her eyes widened. The white dress shirt that Ruby wore under her suit jacket was stained with red, and the pool grew larger with each second.

Ruby coughed and more blood spilled onto her shirt, “...U-Umi…?”

Umi’s voice was caught in her throat, her eyes widened with disbelief, “R… Ru...by…?” Her friend managed to turn her head and make eye contact before her eyes closed, “H-Hey, Ruby! This is no time for jokes, stay awake!” Umi managed to slide herself from under Ruby despite the pain in her stomach and apply pressure to where Ruby had been shot, “Come on Ruby, don’t die on me! HEY!! RUBY!!!”

The girl managed to open her eyes slightly, “Umi… there is… a tra...i...tor…in...the...family...”

“W-What?!” Umi replied belligerently with tears welling up in her eyes.

“S-Sis… you… have to… help… si….s….” Ruby weakly muttered.

Umi looked around in panic, all she could do was keep pressure on Ruby’s wounds despite having wounds of her own, “Hey… Ruby…!!” She watched as the life slowly left her friend’s eyes, “Stay with me, come on… Don’t leave me!!”

Ruby opened her eyes again slightly and raised her hand towards Umi, “....te...ll….hana….maru….i...ca...n’t….make….our….ne....xt....drin….k….”

Umi’s tears began to roll as she grabbed a hold on Ruby’s hand as tightly as she could, “I will… just stay with me!!” Her eyes closed and her head fell back, the grip around Umi’s hand loosened and fell to the ground, “R-Ru..by…?” her emotions poured out as she laid over her friend’s limp body, “RUBY!!!!!!!!”

“Oh my god, would you give it a break? The bitch is dead!” the voice from before yelled. Umi turned around to face the voice she had heard from before. It was someone she wasn't familiar with, and tied up next to her feet was Dia.

“Chairman!” Umi yelled. She stood up but stumbled, reaching for the closest wall to support her. She was losing blood and the pellets from the shotgun were lodged in her body.

“Umi! You have to get out of her-” Dia’s warning was cut short when the unfamiliar woman bashed her head with the butt of the shotgun.

“Now now, Chairman Kurosawa, you wouldn't want Umi here to end up like your dead little sister now, would you?” she teased.

Umi winced in pain and grabbed her stomach, the blood was leaving her body fast, and her hands were stained with both hers and Ruby’s blood, “Who… sent you…?”

“Me? Oh, don’t you worry about that, love. I'm sure you won't live long enough to know that anyways,” she said with a snicker.

“Then… who are you?” Umi muttered.

With a nonchalant swing of the shotgun and a bow, “Yazawa Nico, at your service!” she replied with a smug grin.

Umi spit out the blood that welled in her mouth, “So you’re part of the Yazawa family that has been causing trouble here lately…”

Nico tilted her head, “Part of? I'm the leader!” she set down the shotgun and began preaching, “And let it be known that it was me who took down the Kurosawa family! Kentobori is now under the property of the Yazawa family.”

“Not if I can do something about it…” Umi muttered.

“Umi, now!” Dia yelled. She grabbed Nico’s legs in attempt to create an opening for Umi to attack.

Umi sprung herself forward using the wall and lunged for Nico, “You bastard!!!!”

Nico shook Dia off and stomped her head against the floor, “You bitch! Stay down!” and reached into her suit to pull out a pistol.

“Yazawa!!!!” Umi cried.

Nico quickly adjusted her aim and took her shot, hitting a clear mark on Umi’s chest, sending the woman flying past her, rather than at her. Dia’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Umi!!!”

Nico began laughing, “Can you believe that?! She actually thought she could fight me when I have guns?! That’s fuckin’ hilarious!” Umi groaned and attempted to lift herself up, but the pain was too much. She couldn't even find the strength to speak. All she could do was lie on the ground as her own blood began pooling around her. “Now, it’s your turn, Chairman…” Nico sat Dia up and pressed the barrel of her pistol against the back of her head, “Bye bye~” Dia shut her eyes in anticipation for the bullet, and all Umi could do was watch.

Nico pulled her pistol away and leaned back just in time to dodge a large knife that was thrown from the shadows, “What the…” another was thrown and Nico yelled in pain. Her pistol fell to the floor along with two of her fingers, “GODDAMMIT!!!” she screamed.

From the shadows emerged a woman who gave a swift kick to Nico’s stomach causing her to propel backwards, crashing through the window. She was able to grab a hold of the ledges before falling off, “Jesus christ, what the hell just happened?” she cursed. As if on queue, a helicopter appeared in a matter of seconds and retrieved Nico from the ledge. It was obvious that whoever was helping the Yazawa family had connections and money, “I'm not done with you, Kurosawa! Soon you will die just like your useless little sister! And Kentobori will be mine!”

The sound of the helicopter grew quieter and quieter until all she could hear was the breathing and voices in the room with her. “Chairman, are you alright?” the woman asked.

“Yes, but Umi…” Dia responded.

The woman made way towards her and checked Umi’s pulse, “It’s faint, but if we can get her to the underground infirmary, we might be able to save her.”

Dia nodded and tears began to stream down her cheeks, “Please do… I don't want to lose anyone else…” she said as she looked over at Ruby.

The woman glanced at Ruby before placing her hand on Dia’s back, “I'm sorry I wasn't here in time, Chairman…” the woman apologized, “If I had arrived sooner…”

Dia shook her head, “No… there is only so much you can do, you are not to blame. Right now, you have to save Umi.” she replied with a shaky voice, “I'll take care of Ruby…”

“As you wish, ma’am…” the woman carefully picked her up to avoid further injury. Umi looked up towards the woman as her vision began to blur, but she knew who the woman was,

“Ane...go…”