#toys and food carry a small amount of risk

[roguemonsterfucker]

Sometimes losing a pet doesn't really hit me until I go to do my normal feeding routine and then they're just... not there.

I always checked where Panda and Half n Half (my guinea pigs) were when I gave them their dinner, so I could feed them on opposite sides of the cage so they wouldn't fight over food. But Panda's gone. Half n Half gets it all to himself. I just have to put food in one spot now.

I honestly didn't even realize that was what I was doing when I fed them. It was so habitual that I just did it without thinking.

Poor little Panda had a good few years left in him. But life has other ideas sometimes.

I've gone from having six guinea pigs to feed to just one in less than a year...

[kaiyakawa]

Where Do I Go From here? 1 | Sano Shinichiro x fem OC

Pairing: Sano Shinichiro x Named Female OC (Kawamura Inari)

Summary: Kawamura Inari had always believed that her life would revolve around taking care of her elderly grandparents and her disabled father. However, everything changes when she meets Sano Shinichiro, a charismatic delinquent who captures her heart. In his company, Inari begins to see the world in a different light and discovers a side of herself she never knew existed. As their relationship deepens, Inari learns to take risks and embrace new experiences, all while juggling the responsibilities of caring for her family. But when tragedy strikes, Inari must find the strength to carry on and continue living a life that he would be proud of

Word Count: 5K

Warnings: mentions blood and bullying

Part 2 | Part 3

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Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep

Kawamura Inari reached her hand and turned off her alarm. She turned to her other side and wanted to continue sleeping but the sound of the birds chirping outside her window disturbed her sleep. She stretched her arms and legs before kicking her blanket away and getting out of bed. While rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she walked towards the bathroom. Once she had cleansed her face with cold water, she finally felt awake and alert. Gently she brushed her chest-length brown hair and swept her bangs to the right side. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, ready to start her day.

Back in her room she threw on her school uniform, a navy-blue blazer with a white blouse and plaid skirt that swished around her legs as she walked. Once her schoolbooks were tossed into her bag she went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Inari started cooking rice in a rice cooker. She added the appropriate amount of water and set the timer, so it would be ready when she finished cooking the other dishes. Next, she took out a small frying pan and started cooking tamagoyaki. She whisked together some eggs, soy sauce, and mirin and poured a thin layer of the mixture into the pan. She then rolled it up into a log shape and set it aside on a plate. After adding miso paste, tofu, and some chopped green onions into a stock pot, she let it simmer for a few minutes until the flavors had melded together. Finally, the teenager added some pickled vegetables to complete the meal.

Once everything was ready, she set the table with the rice, tamagoyaki, miso soup, and pickled vegetables. She called out to her grandparents, who came to the kitchen, marveling at the sight and smell of the food.

"Wow, Inari, you've outdone yourself," her grandmother said, beaming.

Inari smiled back and said, "I wanted to make something special for us today. Let's eat!"

As Inari's father walked into the room, she greeted him with a warm smile. "Hi Dad, did you sleep well?" she asked, noticing that he seemed a little tired.

"I'm good, Inari. Can I watch TV?" he replied, his eyes fixed on the screen.

Inari knew that her father loved to watch cartoons, but she also wanted to make sure he had eaten something. "Don’t you want to have breakfast first?" she asked as she followed her father to the living room.

"No, first cartoon and then breakfast," her father protested as he sat on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest.

Inari's father, Kawamura Teruo, was a middle-aged man with a childlike innocence and curiosity in his eyes. He had a kind heart and a gentle demeanor that made him easy to love. His speech was often slow and halting, with a tendency to repeat himself, but his words were always sincere and heartfelt. Inari's father loved to laugh and have fun, and he enjoyed simple pleasures like watching TV, playing with toys, and going for walks in the park. He was always eager to help out around the house, even if his efforts sometimes resulted in more mess than order.

Inari hesitated for a moment, but then she heard her grandfather's voice from the other room. "Let him watch some TV," he said.

Inari took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright," she said, turning to the TV and finding the cartoon channel.

As the cartoons played on the screen, Inari went to the kitchen and ate her breakfast with her grandparents.

Inari’s grandparents are both in their late 60s with soft wrinkles etched into their faces. Grandma, who’s named Kazuko, has short, silver hair that’s neatly combed back, framing her kind, dark brown eyes. She’s always dressed in colorful, flowy blouses and long skirts, with a string of pearls around her neck. On the other hand her grandpa, who’s named Shigeru, has a full head of white hair that’s neatly parted to one side, and a neatly trimmed white beard. He ears simple, comfortable clothes, usually a plaid shirt and khaki pants, and his eyes twinkle with a mischievous glint. Both of them have a warm, welcoming smiles and always have a twinkle in their eyes.

“Nana tomorrow your father has an appointment at the doctors, could you join him?” Inari’s grandpa asked and watched how his granddaughter looked over to the living room to look at her father who’s watching a cartoon on the TV. Inari nodded at her grandpa's request. Inari took a big bite of rice, savoring the taste of the warm grains in her mouth. Suddenly, her grandma's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Inari, remember to bring back your bicycle from school today?" she asked, looking at Inari with a worried expression.

Inari nodded slowly, still chewing her food. "Yes, I remember. But do I have to bring it back today?" she asked, hoping for a little bit of a reprieve. For the past week, Inari had been borrowing her grandmother's bike to go to school. She had missed the bus a few times and her grandma had kindly offered to let her use the bike instead. However, Inari had been forgetful and had yet to return the bike. Every day, her grandma would remind her to bring it back, but Inari would always forget until the next morning. It was becoming a frustrating cycle, but Inari couldn't seem to break out of it.

Her grandma's face grew more concerned. "I'm afraid so, dear. I need to go to the market today and I can't carry everything on my own," she explained.

Inari sighed, knowing that her grandma needed her help. "Okay, I'll bring it back after school. Is there anything else you need me to do?" she asked, feeling a sense of responsibility towards her family.

Her grandma smiled gratefully. "Thank you, dear. Actually, can you also pick up some vegetables and fruits from the market? And maybe some milk, too," she said, handing Inari some money.

Inari nodded and finished her breakfast, feeling a little bit stressed but also determined to help her family. As she got up to leave, her grandma hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Inari. You're such a good girl," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. Inari smiled, feeling a sense of warmth and love from her grandma's embrace.

After stuffing her bento box into her bag and reminding her grandparents to take their medicines, she walked over to her father who was completely engrossed in the cartoon and sat next to him on the ground.

"Dad, tomorrow we have a doctor's appointment. Remember?" Inari said in a gentle voice. Her father turned to look at her, and she could see the excitement in his eyes.

"Doctor? Yay! Does that mean we can get ice cream afterwards?" he asked with a big smile on his face.

Inari smiled back at him. "Yes, we can get ice cream afterwards. But first, we have to go to the doctor's appointment to make sure you're healthy."

Her father nodded and smiled at his daughter. “Alright dad, I have to go to school now but when I am back we will finish yesterday’s puzzle,” Inari said with a warm smile. She noticed how her father's face lit up at the mention of the puzzle. Yesterday, they had spent hours working on a puzzle together, and Inari knew that it was the highlight of her father's day.

“Inari, over here!” a familiar voice called out when the teenager hopped on the bus, causing Inari to look around the bus until her eyes landed on two girls. Inari smiled at them and made her way over. “You made it. We saw you running,” Mitsuki, one of Inari's friends, said as she watched Inari catch her breath. “You were so fast. Mr. Yamazaki will be proud of you if he hears this,” Himari, another friend of Inari's, chimed in. Reminding the brown-haired teenager of her PE teacher who always nagged at her for being a slow runner.

Inari chuckled at Himari's comment, feeling a sense of relief wash over her that she had made it to the bus on time. She took a seat next to Mitsuki, who handed her a bottle of water. "Thanks, Mitsuki," Inari said gratefully as she unscrewed the cap and took a sip.

As the bus pulled up to the school gates, Inari gathered her things and stood up, ready to face another day of classes and homework. She got out of the bus with Mitsuki and Himari and made her way to the classroom, hoping that today would be a good day.

Inari had always found biology to be a tedious subject. She couldn't fathom how some of her classmates could find the inner workings of cells and genes so fascinating. As Mr. Tanaka droned on about the structure of DNA, Inari found herself staring out the window, daydreaming about the weekend ahead.

She glanced around the classroom and noticed that some of her classmates seemed to be equally disengaged. A few were doodling in their notebooks while others were sleeping. It was then that she heard a snicker from the back of the room.

Inari turned to see two of her classmates, Miyu and Yuna, whispering to each other and giggling. She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over her. Miyu and Yuna had always been the type of girls to gossip and spread rumors, but she had never been the target of their ridicule before.

As Mr. Tanaka continued his lecture, Inari tried her best to ignore the whispers coming from behind her. But she couldn't help but wonder if they were talking about her.

Suddenly, Miyu leaned over and whispered something in Yuna's ear, causing both girls to burst out laughing. Inari felt a lump form in her throat as she realized that they were talking about her and her father.

As Mr. Tanaka droned on about the inheritance of intelligence, Miyu's hand shot up. "Yes, Miyu?" the teacher acknowledged her. "If intelligence can be inherited from parents, does that mean that if one parent is not intelligent, their child could inherit that?" Miyu inquired, causing Inari to feel the heat of the other students' gazes on her back.

Miyu's question caused a stir in the classroom. Inari felt a knot form in her stomach, knowing that she was the only student in the class with an intellectually disabled parent. Mr. Tanaka cleared his throat and looked at Miyu with a stern expression.

"Well, intelligence is a complex trait that is influenced by both genetics and environment," Mr. Tanaka replied, choosing his words carefully. "It's not fair to label anyone as 'dumb,' as each person has their own strengths and weaknesses."

Inari let out a small sigh of relief, grateful for Mr. Tanaka's response.

“I guess Inari is a lucky girl,” Yuna said. The girl attempted to conceal her comment as a positive remark, but Inari detected the malice behind it.

The two girls burst into a fit of giggles. Mr. Tanaka's head snapped up, his eyes darting towards the source of the disturbance. "Is there something you two would like to share with the rest of the class?" he asked sternly. Miyu and Yuna looked up, their faces flushed with embarrassment. "No, sir," they mumbled in unison. "Then please keep your comments to yourselves and focus on the lesson," Mr. Tanaka replied, his voice laced with frustration. The two girls nodded, but a few moments later, they started whispering again. Mr. Tanaka's patience was wearing thin.

"If I hear one more word from either of you, you'll both receive detention," he warned, his gaze fixed on Miyu and Yuna. "Do I make myself clear?"

The girls nodded again, their eyes downcast. Mr. Tanaka returned to his lecture, but his expression remained stern.

Inari glanced around the room and saw a few of her classmates whispering to each other, but she tried her best to ignore them and focus on the lecture but it was no use. She was too distracted and upset to pay attention. 

The piercing sound of the bell filled the classroom, signaling the end of class. Inari let out a sigh of relief and gathered her things, trying to avoid the glares and whispers of her classmates. As she made her way to the closet where the cleaning supplies were kept, with trembling hands Inari reached for a spray bottle and a rag. She couldn't believe how her classmates had treated her, making fun of her just because her father was intellectually disabled. The memory of their cruel words echoed in her mind, causing her to clench her jaw and grit her teeth. She could feel the hot tears welling up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

As she made her way to the window, she could feel the weight of everyone's stares on her back, but she kept her head held high. She refused to let them see her weakness. She just wanted to be alone, away from their taunts and jeers.

Finally, she reached the window and sprayed some cleaning solution on it and wiped it away with the rag. The sound of chatter and laughter from the other students made her feel even more isolated. Just when she wanted to clean the next window, but her heart sank as she saw Miyu and Yuna standing next to her. They snickered as Inari walked by, and one of them even stuck their foot out, causing her to trip and nearly fall. She gritted her teeth, suppressing the urge to lash out and hit them with the rag.

Inari felt her heart racing as she tried to ignore the whispers and giggles behind her. She felt like everyone was staring at her, judging her for something she couldn't control. With each step, she felt more and more isolated in the sea of students.

As she reached the other side of the classroom, she let out a deep breath of relief. She looked over at Himari, Mitsuki and Naoko, who had always been good friends to her. Himari's face was filled with concern and sympathy as she saw the distress on Inari's face.

"Just ignore them," Himari said softly. "They don't know what they're talking about. You're an amazing person, and you shouldn't let them get to you," Naoko said placing a comforting hand on Inari's shoulder. “Shall we spray some of this stuff at them?” Mitsuki asked and looked at Inari with a mischievous grin on her face. Inari chuckled and shook her head. “Not in the mood to see the principal’s face,” Inari said and continued cleaning the window. She was grateful for the support, but it was hard to ignore the hurtful words and taunts of her classmates. 

She couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be able to escape the shadow of her father's disability.

Once the 15 minutes of cleaning the classroom was over, the four friends walked to the lockers together, where they changed from their indoor shoes to their outdoor shoes. Himari reminded them about buying a gift for Itona's birthday. “What are you going to buy?” Mitsuki ask and looked at Inari. “No clue but I will find something,” the brown-haired teenager said. "Anyway, we'll see you tomorrow," Himari said as the girls stopped and said their goodbyes before going their separate ways.

Hurriedly, Inari made her way to the bicycle parking area to retrieve her grandmother’s bike. Luckily a lot of pupils had already left the school making it easier for Inari to search for the bike. Moments like this she hated that the bike was black and identical to majority of the bikes at her school. Once she spotted the bike she ran towards it but she halted when she saw a girl and boy standing in front of it. Inari recognized the girl as Sakura from 3-B, though they weren't friends, they were acquaintances. The boy was a stranger to Inari. Judging from his school uniform, he wasn't from Inari's high school.

Inari couldn’t help but feel like a creep as she watched from a distance the unfamiliar boy, who was holding a bouquet of flowers and had a nervous expression on his face, gave the flowers to Sakura and stammered out his confession of feelings.

It was not a surprise to a boy professing his love to Sakura. The girl was gorgeous and so kind. She had a smile that lit up a room and a heart that overflowed with generosity. Sakura was beloved by all who knew her, and it seemed that every boy in school had a crush on her at some point. Her kindness knew no bounds. Even as the boy nervously professed his love to her, Sakura's warm smile put him at ease.

Inari couldn't help but feel jealous as she watched the boy confess his love to Sakura. She knew she shouldn't feel this way, but it was hard not to. Seeing how easily boys fell for her only made Inari feel more insecure about herself. She wondered if anyone would ever look at her the way the boy was looking at Sakura. Inari quickly pushed those thoughts aside and continued to watch the lovely scene.

Sakura's smile stayed fixed on her face, though her eyes no longer held the same warmth and tenderness they had before. She took a deep breath before responding, "Thank you for your kind words. I'm flattered, but I'm sorry, I don't feel the same way,” and with those words Sakura turned around and walked away from the boy. Leaving the boy looking crestfallen.

Not really knowing what to do, Inari waited a few minutes hoping the boy would walk away but he did not budge and stared at the ground. Inari hesitated for a moment before she mustered the courage to approach the boy. "Excuse me,” she said, hoping to get his attention, “you're standing in front of my bike," the boy looked up and stepped away apologetically. After unlocking her bike and preparing to leave, Inari saw the that the boy was still standing there, looking distraught. Inari wasn’t sure why, but she felt a pang of sympathy for the boy. Perhaps it was the raw emotion in his eyes or the vulnerability he exuded in that moment. "Hey, I hope you won't be too sad about the rejection. I'm sure you'll get through it and find someone better." She said before getting on her bike and cycling away.

The rest of the week was nothing out of the ordinary for Inari. She woke up early each morning. After stretching her limbs and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she shuffled to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. The cool water sent a refreshing tingle down her spine, waking her up and invigorating her senses. After putting her school uniform, she went to the kitchen and had breakfast with her grandparents while watching how her father sang along with the theme song of his favorite cartoon.

At school, Inari spent most of her time listening to lectures and taking notes. She tried her best to the learn materials but most of the time she found herself daydreaming during class, staring out the window at the trees rustling in the breeze or watching other students play sports outside. During lunch time, the school always seemed more crowded than usual.

When Inari returned home from school, she kicked off her shoes and hung up her backpack. She greeted her grandparents, who were sitting in the living room watching TV, and then headed to the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

She decided to make teriyaki chicken with steamed vegetables and rice. She chopped up the chicken and marinated it in the sauce while she boiled the rice and steamed the vegetables. As the meal cooked, the aroma of soy sauce and ginger filled the air.

When dinner was ready, Inari set the table and called her family to come and eat. They all sat down together and chatted about their day as they ate. Inari's grandparents praised her cooking, telling her that she was a natural in the kitchen.

Once dinner time was over, Inari cleared the dishes and began washing them in the sink. She scrubbed each plate and utensil until they sparkled, then wiped down the counters and stovetop. Next, she swept the floors and dusted the furniture, making sure that every corner of the house was spotless.

With every passing hour, Inari felt her body growing more tired and achy. She had been up since early in the morning and had spent the whole day running errands, going to school, and taking care of her family. The sleep in her eyes grew heavier, and she longed to crawl into bed and rest.

But Inari knew that there were still things to be done. She checked on her grandparents, making sure that they had taken their medications and were comfortable.

Once all the house chores were done she settled down at her desk to do her homework. The sound of the pen scratching on paper was the only noise in the bedroom, except for the occasional rustling of leaves outside. She enjoyed the quiet, solitary time. Once all her homework was done, she changed into her pajamas and fell asleep right away.

Before she knew it, Friday had arrived. The participation of the weekend filled her with excitement, and she couldn’t wait to celebrate her friend’s birthday.

The bustling district of Shibuya was alive with the chatter of people, honking cars, blinding lights of tall buildings, and a buzz of excitement. But amidst the chaos, Inari and her friends had only one thing on their minds: their friend Itona's birthday celebration. For weeks, the group of friends had been meticulously planning a surprise party for Itona and their anticipation was palpable as the school day came to an end. 

When they arrived, Itona's younger brother let them in, and the girls immediately sprang into action. Himari and Inari expertly strung up colorful balloons, their fingers deftly tying each one with a satisfying pop. Naoko carefully decorated the cake, adorning it with a rainbow of frosting and sparkling sprinkles. And Minami bustled about the kitchen, setting out plates and glasses for the party.

As they put the finishing touches on the decorations, a text from Mitsuki alerted them that Mitsuki and Itona were outside the door. Inari quickly turned off all the lights, plunging the room into darkness, and the girls excitedly huddled together in anticipation. When Itona finally entered, the room erupted with cheers and the sound of popping confetti, enveloping them all in a joyful celebration.

After eating the delicious strawberry cake and excitedly opening all of Itona’s gifts, the group of friends settled into a cozy evening of fun and games. They chatted about their past memories and giggled at each other's inside jokes. Later, the conversation turned to more serious topics, and they discussed their hopes and dreams for the future.

As the night wore on and hunger pangs set in, they decided to order food from a nearby diner. While waiting for the delivery, the girls stepped outside into the backyard to enjoy the cool night air. The stars sparkled above, and the sounds of crickets and distant traffic provided a comforting background noise as they talked and laughed.

When the food finally arrived, the girls eagerly dug in, enjoying the delicious flavors and each other's company. As the clock struck midnight, the girls realized it was time to say goodbye and headed home. Itona expressed her gratitude for the wonderful night and waved as they walked away. Exhausted but happy, the friends reminisced about the fun they had and the memories they made on their way home.

The streets were quiet as Inari made her way home. The only sound she could hear were the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional barking of a dog. Inari shivered as she wrapped her cardigan around her, wishing she was not so stubborn and listened to her grandmother when she warned her about the sudden temperature drop that would take place later at night.

As she walked down a dimly lit alley, Inari felt her heart race when she heard footsteps behind her. She tried to ignore it, assuming it was just her imagination, but the footsteps grew louder and faster. Inari looked over her shoulder and saw a dark figure approaching her.

Panic set in as Inari picked up her pace, the sound of her footsteps echoing off the walls. She could hear the stranger’s heavy breathing as he got closer and closer. “Hey cutie need some help?” a masculine voice called out to her. She looked to the left and saw a group of boys leaning against a wall. The bright, fluorescent lights of the nearby convenience store cast an eerie glow on their faces. Inari looked over her shoulder and saw that the dark figure had disappeared. Confusedly she stared at the dimly alley behind her. Did she imagine the dark figure? Inari swore she was being followed. The pungent smell of cigarettes and beer wafting from the group made Inari realize that she quickly needs to go home. “Is she deaf?” one of the boys asked which caused to group of boys to discuss whether Inari was deaf, drunk, a foreigner or just stupid. After taking a deep breath, she ignored them and quickened her pace. "Hey, what's the hurry?" another boy asked when she walked past them. With a quick glance Inari noticed that the jackets the boys wore all had a logo of a snake. 

Inari's heart raced as she heard their laughter and footsteps closing in on her. She picked up her pace, her loafers pounding against the pavement as she ran into an unfamiliar street. The darkness enveloped her, and the only sounds were her harsh breathing and the distant hum of cars passing by.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she turned a corner, her eyes scanning for an escape route. The street was lined with tall buildings, their windows dark and foreboding. Inari could feel her panic rising as she realized she had run into a dead-end. She spun around, her eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of the boys. Her pulse quickened when she heard their footsteps approaching.

"You know, ignoring someone is quite impolite," one of the boys said once they finally caught up to her. His deep voice made her jump. Another boy with extremely short hair spoke up: "Yeah, especially since we only wanted to get to know you better," the boy had a menacing grin on his face. Inari tried to step around them, hoping she would be fast enough to escape from them, but one of the taller ones grabbed her by the arm and pulled her closer. "Where do you think you're going?" he sneered at her. Inari struggled and yelled: "Let go!" before forming a fist with her free hand and punching him in the face. The other boys reacted with surprise at the unexpected action of the girl.

Inari winced as she flexed her hand, feeling a sharp pain shoot up her wrist. She had never hit anyone before, but when the boy had grabbed her arm and refused to let go, she had reacted on instinct. 

As the tall boy hissed at Inari and tightened his grip, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She was afraid of what these boys might to do her and her hand was throbbing with pain from the punch she had thrown. Just as she thought it was all over for her, a voice came out of nowhere, cutting through the darkness like a ray of light.

“Back off!”

The voice was quiet yet forceful and it seemed to command respect. Inari couldn’t see the person who had spoken but she could tell from the way the boys reacted that he was someone to be reckoned with. “Isn’t he from Black Dragon?” one the boys asked.

Inari watched as the tall boy let go of her and lunged at the mysterious guy. The guy’s peculiar hairstyle caught her attention, it was a pompadour. Just when the tall boy was about to hit the pompadour guy, he was met with a swift punch to the face that sent him reeling. Inari couldn’t believe her eyes as the pompadour guy fought back, his movements were smooth and effortless. He was like a dancer, weaving in and out the boy’s attacks with grace and precision. It was clear that this wasn’t his first hand-to-hand combat. “Attack him!” the tall boy yelled at his friends. Within seconds the pompadour guy was outnumbered. 

Inari’s eyes were fixated on the violent scene in front of her. She could hear the sickening thud of punches landing on flesh and bones cracking. The pompadour guy was fighting back as best he could. Blood trickled down his face and dripped onto the pavement, mixing with the dirt and grime.

The other boys seemed to be enjoying themselves, taunting and jeering as they delivered their blows. Inari felt sick to her stomach at the sight and sound of the violence. She had never witnessed anything like this before and hoped she would never have to again. The fear she had felt moments earlier had now turned to disgust and anger towards the boys.

As the fight continued, Inari noticed that the pompadour guy was starting to weaken, his movements becoming slower and less coordinated. She wondered how long he could last against these boys, who seemed to have no mercy or conscience. Inari knew she had to do something, but what could she do? She had no fight skills nor experience in fighting.

She wished for someone to come and put an end to this madness before someone seriously gets hurt. Inari’s heart sank as she saw the boys intensify their attacks on the pompadour guy. She couldn’t bear to watch any longer and looked around to find something that she can use as a weapon.

With trembling hands she clutched a rock, her mind was racing with fear and anger. She wanted to help the pompadour guy, but she knew that throwing the rock would only make matters worse. As she hesitated, she heard the sound of sirens in the distance. Relief flooded through her as she realized that the police were coming.

“Get the fuck out of here!” someone yelled and the boys quickly dispersed, leaving the pompadour guy lying on the ground, moaning in pain. Once Inari was sure enough that the boys had left, she came out of her hiding spot. Cautiously she approached him, her heart was heavy with guilt and empathy. She knelt beside him and gently touched his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” she asked softly, her voice trembling. She felt so stupid for asking such a dumb question but she had no idea what else to say to him. She wanted to help him, but she was afraid of making things worse. The pompadour guy looked up at her, his face contorted in pain. “Yeah, I’ll be fine,” he managed to say through gritted teeth. “Are you alright? Did those pigs hurt you?” he asked, his tone full of concern. Inari was taken aback by his words. Here he was, in obvious pain, and yet he was worried about her. 

Inari's heart was pounding as she tried to assess the extent of the pompadour guy's injuries. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she saw the deep wound on his temple, and without hesitation, she took off her cardigan to use as a makeshift bandage. She winced as she saw the blood seeping through the fabric, but she tried to remain calm and steady. Carefully, she pressed the cloth against his wound, trying to apply enough pressure to stop the bleeding without causing him more pain. The pompadour guy winced as she touched the tender area, but he didn't protest.

Inari’s eyes filled with tears as gazed at the guy's bruised and battered face. She suddenly realized that he was the same guy who had been rejected by Sakura earlier in the week. 

Suddenly, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Fear took over her body as she prayed that it was not the groups of boys coming back for a second round. 

Relief flooded through her as she looked up and saw two police officers running towards them.

[pettreasuretrail]

Puppy Adventures: Gear Up with Outdoor-Friendly Accessories

Bringing a new puppy into your home is an exciting and joyful experience. Puppies are bundles of energy and curiosity, always eager to explore the world around them. As a responsible pet owner, it's important to provide your furry friend with the right gear to ensure their safety and enjoyment during outdoor adventures. In this article, we'll explore some essential puppy accessories that will make your puppy's outdoor experiences both fun and safe.

1. Collars and Leashes:

Investing in a sturdy collar and leash is the first step towards a safe outdoor adventure. Choose a collar that fits snugly around your puppy's neck without being too tight. Opt for a leash with a comfortable grip for you and a length suitable for your puppy's size. Consider retractable leashes for more freedom during walks while maintaining control.

2. Harnesses:

For puppies that tend to pull on their leash, a harness is an excellent alternative to a collar. Harnesses distribute the pressure more evenly, reducing the risk of neck strain or injury. Look for adjustable harnesses that can accommodate your growing puppy.

3. ID Tags:

Accidents happen, and puppies are known for their boundless curiosity. Ensure your puppy wears an ID tag with your contact information in case they wander off. This small accessory can make a significant difference in reuniting you with your furry friend.

4. Travel Bowls:

Staying hydrated is crucial, especially during outdoor activities. Collapsible travel bowls are convenient accessories that can easily be packed for on-the-go adventures. They are lightweight, easy to clean, and provide a quick solution to keep your puppy well-hydrated.

5. Poop Bags:

Responsible pet ownership includes cleaning up after your puppy. Always carry poop bags during walks or hikes to maintain cleanliness and ensure you're following community rules. There are even eco-friendly options available for the environmentally conscious pet owner.

6. Outdoor Toys:

Puppies love to play, and outdoor toys can turn a simple walk into an exciting adventure. Consider toys that are durable, easy to clean, and safe for chewing. Frisbees, fetch balls, and tug toys are excellent choices to keep your puppy entertained.

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7. Doggy Backpacks:

For more adventurous outings, such as hiking, a doggy backpack can be a game-changer. These specially designed backpacks allow your puppy to carry a small amount of their essentials, giving them a sense of responsibility while also providing a bit of exercise.

8. Puppy Apparel:

Depending on the weather, consider dressing your puppy in appropriate outdoor apparel. Raincoats, sweaters, and booties can protect your furry friend from the elements and make outdoor adventures enjoyable in various conditions.

9. Training Treats:

Outdoor adventures are excellent opportunities for training sessions. Bring along some tasty and nutritious training treats to reward good behavior and reinforce obedience. Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool in shaping your puppy's behavior.

10. First Aid Kit:

Accidents can happen, so having a puppy-friendly first aid kit is a wise precaution. Include items like bandages, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, and any specific medications your puppy may need.

In conclusion

Gearing up with the right puppy accessories is essential for creating enjoyable and safe outdoor adventures. By investing in quality gear, you not only enhance your puppy's outdoor experiences but also strengthen the bond between you and your furry friend. So, gear up, explore the outdoors, and create lasting memories with your adventurous puppy!

[ebizfilingindia-blog]

8 Sources of Finance for Small-Scale Industries

Introduction

Finding financing for your business is one of the most important things you can do to ensure its success. There are a wide variety of ways in which you can find financing for your small-scale industry, and this is just one aspect of the overall financial management of your business. Small-scale industries need both long-term and short-term credit. The source of finance is essential for the survival, development, and overall growth of the industry. There are a wide variety of sources of finance, including personal investment, love money, venture capital, angel funding, crowdfunding, business incubators, etc. These sources are useful under various circumstances. They are classified based on time period, ownership and control, and their source of generation. Sources of finance are the most researched area, especially for startup entrepreneurs. In this article, we will explore the top 8 sources of finance for small-scale industries in India.

What is a Small-Scale Industry?

Small-scale industries are those industries wherein manufacturing, production, and servicing processes are carried out on a micro-scale. The majority of the investments in these industries are made in plants and machinery. Small-scale industries help to improve the quality of life of people living in rural areas and ensure an equitable distribution of wealth, income, and standard of living.

Investment in the service small-scale industry:

For service industries,

Micro Enterprises: Up to Rs. 10,00,000

Small Enterprises: More than Rs. 10,00,000 up to Rs. 2,00,00,000

Medium Enterprises: More than Rs. 2,00,00,000 up to Rs. 5,00,00,000

Examples of Small-Scale Industries:

Bakeries

School stationeries

Paper Bags

Leather belt

Coconut oil making

Rice mill

Toys making

Detergent powder-making

Xerox and printing

Incense stick manufacturing industry

Paper plate manufacturing industry

Which are the Top 8 Sources of Finance for Small-scale Industry?

Personal Investment:

Personal investment is one of the most common and implemented sources used by small entrepreneurs to establish their small-scale industries. It involves investing one’s own money, either in cash or in assets, to prove a long-term commitment to the project. With the help of personal investment, various business needs, such as expansion, equipment purchases, and working capital, can be fulfilled.

Affordable business ideas for personal investments:

Dropshipping Business

Tutoring services

Real estate agent

Mobile food carts

Hauling business

Bakery shop

2. Love money:

The term ‘love money” is not often familiar but is widely used for raising funds in the corporate world. The money borrowed from a spouse, parents, other family members, or friends for business use is known as ‘love money’. A banker considers this as ‘patient capital’, which is cash that will be repaid to the respective ones as the business increases its profit.

When borrowing money, one should be aware that:

Family and friends usually do not have such a large amount for investment.

A business relationship with a family member or a friend is not something to be taken lightly.

It is usually advisable not to combine professional and personal life.

3. Venture capital:

The first thing to remember is that this type of funding is not for everyone. Right from the beginning, one should be aware that venture capitalists are looking for tech-driven businesses and high-growth companies in industries like IT, communications, and biotech. Venture capitalists provide capital to your business to help it execute a high-potential but high-risk project. This means that you give up some of your ownership or equity to an outside party. Venture capitalists expect a high return on investment, which is often achieved when your business begins to sell shares to the market. Make sure that you are working with investors who have relevant experience and expertise in your industry.

4. Angels:

Angels are usually high-net-worth individuals or retired corporate leaders who make direct investments in small companies owned and managed by other companies. They are often industry leaders who bring their expertise and network to the table, as well as their technical and managerial expertise. Angel investors typically invest between ₹20,84,825 ($25,000) and ₹83,39,300 ($100,000) in the early stages of a business, while institutional venture capitalists typically invest between ₹8,33,85,150($1 million) and ₹41,69,25,750($5 million).

5. Crowdfunding:

Crowdfunding is a type of funding source wherein businesses solicit contributions from the general public, typically in exchange for shares in the company. This typically involves a Pvt ltd Company soliciting small contributions from a large number of people. This is different from angel or venture capital fundraising, where a small group of investors invest large amounts of money into your business.

There are various forms of crowdfunding, including:

6. Business Incubators:

Business incubators (also known as “accelerators”) typically target the high-tech industry by supporting startups in their early stages of growth. Local economic development incubators (also called “local economic development” or “EED”) focus on areas such as creating jobs, revitalizing neighborhoods, and providing hosting and sharing services.

Most incubators will partner with early-stage businesses and other start-ups to share space, management, and technology. An incubator may share its labs with a new business so that it can develop and validate its products at a lower cost before going into production. The incubation period can last anywhere from one to two years. After the product is fully developed, the company typically leaves the incubator and enters its industrial production phase, leaving the incubator behind.

7. Grants and subsidies:

A grant is a conditional financial contribution that your business is not required to pay back. However, you are legally obligated to use it in accordance with the terms and conditions of the grant; otherwise, you may be required to pay it back. Once you’ve received funding from a single government source, it’s not unusual to receive additional funding from that source if you qualify for a program.

Criteria for obtaining a grant:

As a general rule, you’ll need to:

Project description

Pros and cons of the project

Project report and budget for the project

Project team and sources

8. Loans:

Lending is the most popular method of financing for small and medium-sized businesses. Notably, different lenders offer different benefits, such as personalized service or a tailored repayment plan. Therefore, it’s wise to compare different lenders and find the one that best suits your needs.

For example: Bank loans, financial institutions, money lenders, loans from the government, etc.

“Discover how to get money for your small business! Learn about different ways to finance your growth, like loans and grants. Find out how MSME registration online can help you access these funds easily. Get ready for success in your small business journey!”

Conclusion

In conclusion, finding funding for small-scale industries is essential for their development and sustainability. Entrepreneurs have a variety of funding options available to them, such as personal investments, love funds, venture capital funds, angel funds, crowdfunding funds, business incubator funds, grants, and loans. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of each of these sources allows for strategic financial planning to ensure the success of small-scale industries in India’s vibrant business environment.

[bloodycassian]

A FEAST - Azriel x readder. Prompt - Reader is injured and knocked out for days. Cassian gets him to finally leave your side for one meal and Nyx brings a guest with him...

"The Dragons Song is the best one, hands down." Nesta argued, hacking through the brush.  "That one is full of the same scenes every time." You judged, pushing a branch out of the way. The jungle was a mess of twists and turns to work through, but thankfully one of the fishermen on the dock had sold you a compass at a descent price. "A little more right for a few more miles and we'll be there." You steered her on course.  "At least it dosent say 'honeydew' every scene." She made a fake gagging noise and you laughed. The sound was muffled in the crowded forest. She hacked her way through the brush, one vine at a time. Until you finally reached the clearing. It was hot in the direct sun, a few degrees different than what the shade of the forest had been. You paced the perimiter, meeting her at the other side. "You mean Cassian dosen't like honeydew?" You wiggled your eyebrows at her.  "Az does?" She challenged, earning a laugh from you. "The ones that you like are predictable beyond measure." You countered, earning a quick smile before your attention snapped across the meadow. To a giant hog serpent with venomous tusks that gleamed with their clear liquid. You swore and you and Nesta both drew swords at the same time.  + Nesta ended the hog, but not before it had the chance for those razor sharp tusks to marr your legs with deep wounds. The venom stung, flowing into your bloodstream and paralyzing you slowly. You gasped at the sheer blinding pain it brought. "Nes-" You choked out between sobs. "Tell Az... Tell Az I love him." You smiled to her, putting a hand on her cheek. "No, no way. You're gonna tell him yourself. Stay awake. We're on the way." She reached deep to that bond to Cassian, and a flare of alertness greeted her. Then, a thrill of fire. "On the way. Rhys will be there in a few. Are you okay?" "Fine, she's delirious. She needs a healer and a detox for the venom." She thought back, sighing when she felt Rhys' presence. "Wheres Az?" You managed out of your chattering teeth. You were losing the fight against the venom quickly. It would have you under in a few minutes if Rhys didn't hurry to a healer. He placed a hand on you and darkness surrounded.  "Cassian will-" He started to Nesta, "I know, get her safe." She rushed, urging him to winnow you already. When Cassian saw the amount of blood spilled, he cursed.  "Most of it was the beast." Nesta cleaned her sword on an overgrown leaf that jutted down into the meadow.  Her hands shook when she sheathed it. "Nes." He stopped her when she turned. "Nes..." He repeated, giving her a long look. She tried to hide her face, the terror there. "Lets go." He pulled her to his side and took off, holding her close to him. He said nothing about the tears that flowed to his shoulder. He just gripped her tighter.   + Azriel had nearly broken the door when he stormed in. And he hadn't left your side since. Nesta stayed when she could, letting Azriel relax enough to sleep now and again. He trusted her to wake him if anything changed in your status.  When he woke, he heard his brother's voice first. Quiet an hurried in tone, him and Nesta argued by the door. "He wont leave. You've already tried, just leave him alone." Nesta was scolding. Cassian gripped her hands, then whipped his head over to his brother when he saw him stretching on the bench.  "Hey Az-" Cassian smiled, bounding over to his brother like a puppy. "You remmeber Madja saying it may take up to a week, right? How about you come to dinner up at the house with us."  "I dont want to miss if she-" "Come on, Nyx will be there. Mor's coming back from the continent tonight too." Cassian tempted, poking at the old flame Azriel carried for the female. She was still incredible, and one of Azriels best friends, but he no longer felt that flame towards her. You had come along and crushed it with a bat of your eyelashes and a few quick witted insults at Cas. Nesta started pulling him away, giving you an apologetic smile. "It would be nice for you to be there is all he means." She began pushing him out the door, despite his protests.  "Think about it! She wouldn't want you to be mourning while she's alive!" Cassian shouted, earning a smack from Nesta. Azriel smiled despite the dark nature of the situation. He pulled a chair up beside your resting body. It had been three days. How would he know if you were awake or not? He tugged on that dark link you shared together, and came up with the same unresponsiveness as before. He sighed, but took your hand anyway, falling asleep again to the sound of your soft breathing. + He decided to stay for just an hour. He would spare his family that much. He kissed you goodbye and tried his best to ignore the guilt he felt for leaving you behind. But Cassian was right. He knew that when you woke up you'd be upset about him not going. So he put on his brave face and flew up to the house of wind, to the joy of everyone. They clapped upon his arrival, making his cheeks burn. Mor gave him a hug and promised to catch up. But she hovered around a fae you hadn't met yet. A female that she watched with wide sparkling eyes. Azriel's chest bloomed with pride at the sight of them being so close, so full of life for each other.  He looked away from the two, and sent his shadows out to Rhys. And found what he was seeking. He darted over to the end of the table where the high lord and lady sat across from each other. The head table was empty, and filthy. "That's a small monster if I've ever seen one." He bent and scooped Nyx up from under the table. He wriggled and laughed.  "No monster Azzy." Nyx babbled, pulling on his uncle's hair.  "No pulling hair!" Rhys scolded, making Nyx laugh even more. Feyre sighed. "You're just having fun. How about we go for a fly down to-" "Don't say it, Az." Rhy's tone went from scolding to pleading. Even though the baby couldn't fly yet, it was one of his favorite things to do. He could see how Rhys' son would be skilled at flying with just the way he angled his head when accompanying. Az poked at Nyx's belly and they fought like that for a few moments, Nyx eventually winnowing away with the joy only a child could have.  Azriel froze, looking to the high lord and lady for comfort. Having a baby disappear in your arms was strange, even for Fae babies. "When'd he start doing that?" "Four days ago." Feyre sighed. She looked utterly exhausted. "We've been having to take turns staying up with him." Rhys held her hand across the table, they shared a sweet look together then they both whipped their heads to Nyx in unison. "Dont-" Feyre warned, giving her son a stern look as he pulled at the tablecloth. Amren gave the boy a look of discouragement as well when he looked around for someone to be laughing with him. He stopped after those silver eyes met his.  Nesta gave Az a smile from across the room where she and Cassian welcomed the toddoling boy. "Let's start training, Nyxie. Come on, show me what you got." Cassian got on his knees to the floor and the two began wrestling together. Azriel took a seat beside Rhys, picking at the crackers and cheese platter before him.  "When were we planning on going back to the Island?" Rhys asked, voice low. Cassian rolled with Nyx on the ground, making Nesta laugh when the boy pulled at Cas' hair. "I'm not going until my mate is healed. Maybe you should send them, see how much trouble they can get in."  Az asked, trying to keep the hinting out of his voice. He wanted to go take care of it on his own. The mission on the Island was not complete and he didn't want to risk anyone again. He'd rather do it and make sure it was a finished job. He couldn't bare to see you be hurt over a fellow Valkyrie getting hurt either. "You know they would kill each other.... or themselves trying to protect the other." Feyre smiled despite herself. She knew it was the truth. Her sister being happy for once was a joy like no other.  "Mom and Dad need to eat, Az you too." Cassian ordered. He bounced the boy on his legs, making him pretend fly. Azriel picked at the plate that appeared before him. The warm meat and stew looked incredible, but he couldn't bring himself to eat. The guilt was the only thing that weighed in his stomach. "I should go check on-" He began to say, folding his napkin back on the table. "How is she?" Cassian interrupted from the floor. Nesta was playing with Nyx now, rattling a toy around for him. Azriel kept his calm mask on, trying to fight the urge to check on you. The black haired boy looked to her with upset eyes. "Auntie?" He said, voice a bit whiny.  "Auntie is napping, she'll be back in a little while." Nes assured. Azriel's heart squeezed at the love Nyx showed. Then, the boy was gone.  The parents were digging into their plates. It was likely the only meal they'd shared together in the four days of taking turns watching Nyx. "Rhys-" Az began, terror sweeping his gut. Nyx was no where in sight. Nesta and Cassian both shot to their feet when they didn't spot him.  Then, the plates in front of Azriel clattered and shot food everywhere. Mor and her date yelped and fled their chairs, mor pushing the other female behind her. Azriel's shadows coiled, siphons glared ready to fight.  And Rhys didnt move as he observed the waking fae before him. The tug on Azriel's bond went taut. "Auntie here!" Nyx celebrated, patting your chest. You groaned and cracked open your eyes to see Azriel's shadows swirling about you. "Are you okay?!" Azriel gripped your shoulders,  his warm hands seeping into your thin shirt. The sweats you wore were now stained with whatever food had been on the table. Rhys put down his fork slowly. "I wasn't expecting to be this kind of snack Az..." You said softly. Rhy's cheeks went red. Mor laughed first, her date looked to her with bewilderment and worry. Cassian rushed over and picked Nyx up from your stomach. "I think there's a fork in my back." You said, voice gruff.  A hysterical laugh bubbled from Azriel, then the rest of them were cracking up. "Nyx... Thanks." Azriel breathed, and the boy began clapping.  + Once you were back on your feet and Madja had given you the go ahead to take it easy, you asked Azriel to go on a walk with you. The stretch of your legs was sore, but the good kind of sore that left you feeling better and better with each step. The cool wind from the Sidra whipped around you. He wrapped a wing around both of you as you reached the apex of a bridge.  "I owe that baby everything." He laughed, squeezing your hand tighter. The city was quiet, only soft music coming from the Rainbow and the calm trickle of the Sidra sounding out. "Nyx the Valkyrie deliverer."  You laughed together, leaning against the railing on the bridge. The streetlights above cast a wonderful color over you, illuminating you both in a silvery shade that matched the moonlight. "I love you." You said, resting your head against his shoulder. It had been a long night, and who knew how long of sleeping... but you were tired.  "Love you." He nudged you away so he could hook his finger under your chin and angle you up to kiss him. You wrapped your arms around him and compiled, letting the bond hum through you like a song.

[ff-imagines]

uhm this is embarrassing thing to request but,,,,,,, how bout u know,,,,,, nsfw alphabet/scenario/hcs with blobster. 👁️👄👁️. I'm sorry.

Boston lobster: nsfw alphabet

Minors dni xoxo

A - aftercare

Admittedly kinda sloppy, it doesn’t occur to him that he should probably check up on you till he’s like “oh shit humans need water” and he suddenly shoots up to grab some and come back to you lmao

If you explicitly ask you get no back talk from him, he just carries you where you need to be and makes sure you’re feeling alright.

Will be endlessly prideful if u say you can’t walk, express your soreness at your sanities risk bc he’ll bring it up for ages

B- body parts

Oh he’s got no shame to tell you he loves your ass and thighs. The type to walk by you and give you a tap on the ass while smirking to himself. Doesn't matter how much or how little you've got he’ll still ask at least once if he can fuck your thighs lmao

Does his height count? He loves how he towers over most humans and food souls alike, chances are he’s probably taller than you, and he really likes that. Sulks a bit if you’re actually taller than him lmao.

They aren’t his favourite part of him but I gotta talk about the antennae. They’re weirdly sensitive, pulling him makes him squeak, which ends with him chasing you or with him chasing you, take your pick. When he catches you he makes it his goal to find a weirdly sensitive part of your body and to tease that spot endlessly. Tickle fight ensues but it’s more like you’re suffering while he’s maniacally laughing above you.

C - cum

It’s thick as fuck and very salty, rip lmao

He likes to cum inside or on your thighs, look they’re very squishy and nice ok he can’t help it </3

He’s also obsessed with not only making you cum, but just… your cum. Amab or afab readers, he will delight in making you watch him swallow. Would also bring his hand up to make you taste yourself, grinning the whole damn way.

D - dirty secret

He’s really affected by scents. If you have a signature perfume or cologne you wear all the time it can make him unbearably horny, since the smell lingers on his sheets and on his clothes long after you’re gone.

E - experience

A fair amount, out of curiosity. Not too many times as he’s spent a lot of years in total isolation. His curiosity is a more recent development, he finds he likes the feeling but something is just missing from his hookups. Then he meets you and is like “ohhhh a relationship is what it was, damn.” Once he realizes that, and even a little bit before when he first starts noticing his internal unease, the hookups stop so he can figure out how to swallow his pride and try and ask a human out lmao

F - favorite position

He loves doggy style because it’s just so so easy to control you that way. He loves to pull you back by your arms, spearing inside you at a punishing pace.

He also would love if you were flexible enough to push into a mating press, getting right next to your ear, whispering about how close he is.

G - goofy

Surprisingly, yea! He’s actually pretty good at making fun of himself, he just doesn’t do it often and doesn’t like it when someone he’s not close to does it. He gives little teases here and there, it eases tension quite a lot.

H- hair

He doesn’t shave for shit lmao. Intense happy trail, intense amount of body hair over all, he actually prefers it that way.

He keeps the same energy with your body hair and will come out and tell you he kinda likes it if you don’t shave. Ultimately he doesn’t think on it too hard, it doesn’t bother him in the end, whatever you want, he wants too!

I- intimacy

He’s not so good at being truly intimate, it’s just not something he’s used to being. If you ever, by some miracle, convince him to let you top him, he’s actually a lot softer and it’s easier to let his feelings speak for him. He also discovers he likes getting dommed a lot but he won’t tell you that lmao

J- jerk off

Not too often, he’s either super busy or he could just find you and solve the problem in an even more satisfying way.

If he ever can’t, expect him to grab one of your shirts to press to his nose as he fists his cock, the feeling of being surrounded by you is enough to help him finish when he desperately needs it.

K- Kinks

Well, the scent thing ofc.

He’s really into risky sex, a true exhibitionist. He’s hot, you’re hot, who wouldn’t want to see you both put on a show? If it gets it into their heads that no matter how bad they want you, you belong to him, your place is right here, getting split apart on his cock, he’ll make sure the message gets across.

Huge breeding kink. Hates the idea of kids but really likes the idea of claiming your insides. He’d love to push you into the mattress and release as deep as he can go.

He’s into humiliation as well, let him tease you while calling you his sweet little whore, he'll make it worth your while.

He’d love if you let him tie you up, he’d probably get into doing fancy designs that accentuates your body in the best way. A pretty rope to tie up and dick down a pretty s/o.

Also I can’t look at his skin where he’s got that suit on and not know he’s got a daddy kink, I just can’t. He doesn’t care for anything other than the title, it’s more about power than anything else. Call him daddy in public and watch how fast you get taken to a more private area. Or, maybe a less than private area, if you’d let him.

He’s got a thing for size difference as well, he loves to loom over you, even if he isn’t actually bigger than you.

L- location

Anywhere, anytime. He’s a prideful bastard, he’ll show off his ability to get you drunk off his cock any way he can. Not only isn’t there a spot in your house he hasn’t fucked you on, there probably isn’t a place on your street either.

M- motivation

What really gets him going is seeing you when you're at your most confident. If you come to him beaming about winning an award, wearing an outfit you feel great in, even if you just say something cocky, it just makes him so proud and eager to share that confidence with you. He doesn’t want to break you down, he wants to prop you up! Tell him about how good you feel, he’ll make you feel even better <3

N- no

As much as he likes to show you off, he doesn’t actually like the thought of a third party joining in. He might be swayed if it’s someone he really trusts. He also doesn't like receiving humiliation, he’s much too prideful lmao

O- oral

Please suck him off, he’ll be kinda rough with you but he’ll be nicer if you ask. He prefers to be mean though lmao. He likes ordering you around on what to do when you’ve got his dick in your mouth, his words get more incoherent the closer he is, though.

He’s just as eager to give you head too, he treats you like a whole 7 course meal. He loves biting around your thighs before ever touching where you're desperate for him to.

P- pace

Oh he’s punishingly hard. Loves to have a fast steady pace then stop as deep as he can and roll his hips a bit to make sure you feel just how deep his dick is inside you.

There are rare days when he’s feeling soft, those days he’s slow and methodical, gripping into your hips to make sure you can’t wiggle to increase your own pleasure, he wants you to savour the high he gives you.

Q- quickies

Well, why not! So what if you’re in an alleyway near a busy street, and anyone can walk by and see you getting pounded? You’re feeling heated aren’t you? Don't kid yourself, just turn around and let him take care of you.

R- risk

He lives for it. If you’d let him he’d bounce you on his cock in a plainly public place, like a subway car.

It’s a big fantasy of his for someone who absolutely pines for you to flirt just a little too hard, you coming to him and letting him fuck your right in front of them. It fuels his pride beyond belief to show you off.

S- stamina

His refractory time is fairly low. Even if he...can? doesn't really mean he wants to. He prefers either one drawn out, long round where you’ve both been edged to the point of desperation, or a few quick rounds throughout the day.

T- toys

At first they kinda hurt his pride but then he’s like “wait I can strap them on a vibrator and just sit back and watch” and then he’s totally on board lmao.

Forcing you to sit on a chair with a vibrator he had the remote to, keeping you on the edge and smirking while you beg and snivel, having no actual plans to give into your pleading.

U- unfair

Oh fuck yea, strap in babes.

He loves loves to edge the fuck out of you, he’d drag it out for hours if you’d let him. Even better if he can tie you down so you can’t squirm away from what he’s giving you.

Overstimulation is just as exciting to him, but he actually loves it more on himself. Sometimes he’ll overstimulate himself on purpose by still continuing to buck into you even after he’s already cum, determined to chase a second high no matter how painful it feels.

V- volume

Loud groans, and he won’t stop talking. Loves to ask you questions when you’re clearly way too blissed out to answer in any sort of coherent way.

He gets a lot louder near his release, he loves to bite into your shoulder to try and muffle himself. If he decides to be bold and let you hear him, he grabs your jaw and brings his face right next to your ear. What a show off.

W- wild card

He kidnaps small items that remind him of you, not just things that smell like you. That one earring you always wear, a glove, a necklace, picks flowers that remind him of you for whatever reason, he might even go out of his way to buy things that remind him of you, keep them to himself for a while, then give it to you when he’s sure it smells enough like him. He gives your stuff back… eventually.

X- X Ray

Oh please… he spits, sweats, and bleeds big dick energy. I refuse to believe his dick isn’t big enough to make you nervous. Would have you sit on his lap and track a finger up your stomach to measure how deep his cock can go.

Y- yearning

He’s pretty likely to mold to your sexual drive. However often you need him, he’s at your beck and call. He likes to keep it closer to 2-3 times a week if he can.

Z- zzz

He doesn’t sleep all that easily at all, but it gets a little easier when he’s got you in his arms. Prefers to be big spoon, and as much as he hates getting overheated, he just can’t will himself to let go of you. It’s ironically one of the most peaceful sleeps he’s ever had.

[mydekuacademia]

Can I get A-Z nsfw for kacchan?

Absolutely!

A: Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

I feel like he can go one of two ways: hes either a big baby and just wants to hold you until you both fall asleep, or he does everything from running you a bath to making you some delicious food to massaging your sore muscles

B: Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner)

His favorite parts of his own body are his shoulders and chest. Hes muscled af and is proud of it

On you, he is absolutely an ass man. He wont touch it in public unless he knows nobody can see, but in private? Hoo boy

C: Cum (Anything to do with cum)

He likes to cum on your ass, back, or face or in your mouth. And his pull-out game is immaculate, so count on getting cummed on

D: Dirty Secret

Hes thought about having a threeway with you and Kirishima. He decided against bringing it up and was grateful for that later on when he realized he didnt want to share

E: Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Not experienced at all. He never really saw sex as something he needed or even really wanted until you came along. That being said, he still knows what hes doing for the most part. Plus, hes observant as hell, so he'll learn soon enough

F: Favorite Position

As we've established, hes an ass man, so he prefers having you face away from him. If hes really pent up, he'll bend you over a counter. Otherwise, reverse cowgirl is his go-to

G: Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc.)

Absolutely not. Hes not goofy in normal life, and that carries over to the bedroom

H: Hair (How well-groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

He trims his pubes really short, but not shaved. He likes that he feels closer to you that way

I: Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

I mean, as intimate as Katsuki can be. He probably wont call you a dumbass, which translates to true love in Bakugou language. He does, however, take extra care to be gentle with you if hes feeling sad or sappy

J: Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Another thing he didnt really have the desire to do until he was with you. Prior to dating you, he masturbated only when completely necessary. But now that he knows how good the release can feel, he does it maybe once a week or if hes really pissed and cant be with you

K: Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Katsuki. Is. Daddy. He loves when you call him daddy, or even sir. It gives him a huge power trip

Quirk usage - in place of spanking, he'll set off small explosions by your ass. Not enough to hurt you, just enough to get his point across and see your ass jiggle

Orgasm denial and edging. You can cum when he says you can, and he'll bring you right to the edge over and over until he decides youve had enough

Brat taming. Hoooo boy he loves when you act up so he can tame you

L: Location (Favorite places to do the do)

Honestly, any place you wont get caught. Bedroom, kitchen at night, couch, etc. If its a quickie, he does not care about comfort, so literally any surface works. If it's proper sex, he prefers the bed or couch

M: Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Mostly when you act bratty towards him and when you get a little too friendly with someone else (even just hugging them for what he deems to be too long)

N: NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He will not share, even though he used to fantasize about it a bit. Youre his, dammit

He wont do anything that will actually hurt you or leave marks that last longer than a week or so

O: Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

Prefers receiving over giving, but still gives you oral sometimes. He just doesnt really know what to do and wont ask for help, so he only really does it if youve had a bad day or something

P: Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

Katsuki is 100% fast and rough. He'll slow down a bit if you ask nicely, but he prefers going at a damn near impossible pace

Q: Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

He honestly loves quickies. He often doesnt have the patience to wait until you two have more time to go at it, so quickies are perfect. Of course, he loves being able to take his time, but hes not too picky

R: Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Some stuff, hes more than willing to try. Different positions, bondage, sensory deprivation, etc. Other things he wont try unless you bed and/or give him something in return. So like, if you wanna try pegging, you're gonna have to beg for h o u r s and maybe blow him too

S: Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

He typically lasts 2 or 3 rounds max, but he can last a pretty decent amount of time, especially if hes teasing you. You best be ready for hours of edging if hes in the right mood

T: Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Nope. He wants to be the only one to make you feel good. The only thing he might have is a pair of handcuffs, but thats iffy

U: Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Bakugo is so unfair. He will tease you mercilessly until youre shaking and crying and begging to cum. He, however, cannot handle teasing. He'll either get mad right away or end up begging within minutes

V: Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

He isnt really that loud. The most youll get from him are low grunts and groans. If he's really, really pent up, he might let out a whiny moan when he cums

W: Wild Card (Random headcanon)

He didnt watch porn until being with you. He knew it existed, he just saw it as pointless and trashy. But now he watches it every once in a while if you arent around to help him out

X: X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

Hes a bit longer than average with an average girth. Being decently big was a big ego boost for him tbh. It curves slightly up and is uncut

Y: Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

A little lower than average tbh. Hes so focused on hero work and one-upping midoriya that sex doesnt really cross his mind that often

Z: ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He likes to hold you for a while afterward, so unless he goes all out with aftercare, he stays awake for about half an hour.

[bcdwhcre]

Can you write yandere chrollo reacting to his s/o escaping for years and when he finds them they have his child (also they don’t have nen)

“On The Run,” Chrollo x Reader

Summary: Yandere Chrollo searching for years for you after escaping his tight hold.

Warnings: none ? maybe ?

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You stared down at the three positive sticks that laid out on the bathroom counter. Tears had continuously streamed down your face as you hit your fist down on the countertop, cursing under your breath for letting this happen.

It was hard enough to live within this house with Chrollo but to bring a baby into it was something you definitely didn’t want to do. You knew you had to do something about it but it was hard to even try to process a plan or idea without him finding out about it.

You sighed, shuffling around the bathroom to get rid of any evidence of the tests once you heard the front door open and wiped the tears off your face, splashing water to try to cover up your tracks before he realizes anything.

Time skip to a few weeks later, Chrollo had announced about going on a short mission with the troupe and that had kicked in the opportunity to try and leave while he was gone. Of course he always had someone watching over you from afar and making sure you were staying in place but this time you had tried to make sure you had a lot of things set and planned out.

He leaned down placing a soft kiss to your cheek, not wanting to leave you here all alone, it always bothered him and messed with his head- he couldn’t handle a few days away from you but it was something very important to him.

“I love you, be good.” He mumbled the last part under his breath, making you slightly nod and give him a fake smile.

You watched him leave in the car, once he was out of sight you practically ran back inside of the house and up the stairs to pack whatever you could in your bags. You didn’t want to wait any longer or hesitate because you were worried about him changing his mind and turning around.

You hated to do this, you hated to run away from him. You used to love him with everything inside of you, you risked your life for him and gave him everything he wanted- that is until he started to go crazy over the smallest things- nobody couldn’t talk to you or even look your way without their blood on his hands.

The jealousy, the overprotective side he had when it came to you- it was crazy and it ended up you being locked away in this house for him and him only. No one couldn’t come see you or text you, he would go mad if it happened.

But when it was just the two of you, he could be a huge soft bear, very lovable and very gentle- but there were times where he would just be overwhelming and practically suffocate you.

There were also times where he was completely controlling and watched you like a hawk, before he had convinced you to move in with him and stay inside for days at a time- he had even followed you to the grocery store at one point and got mad because a guy tried to spark a conversation with you.

The memories flooded your head, Chrollo yelling and even came home covered in blood to prove his point that you were only his. The way he pointed the bloody knife at you and threatened you if you even tried to say hi to someone else again.

You had hope things would go back to normal once you moved in with him. Maybe he was just overprotective with you and maybe if he trusted you more he wouldn’t be so intense and insane but as time went on, he got worse. The more he fell in love with you, the more he trapped you inside away from every human being on this planet.

He wanted you to himself and he had killed plenty of people who had got in the way and had tried to talk to you. You couldn’t even order yourself food in public without him wanting to slash the cashiers throat open for staring at you for too long.

So the knowledge of carrying his child was something that flipped a switch inside of your head instantly. You needed to run away, you couldn’t bring a child into this- it was something that would kill you deep down if he got word of you being pregnant.

After you were done packing, you waited till dark before you managed to get in the car and speed off to a place to rent a different car because you knew he had a tracking device implanted in this one, it was obvious that he would be that insane to do so.

As time went on some more, you were shocked that you managed to survive this long without him finding you. You stood inside a small house deep into the woods, alone, staring into a mirror that showed your well out grown stomach. You were due any day and you were just as shocked to be sitting here, not touched and not caught.

While Chrollo sat at home, beyond angry that he felt his nen completely overpower his body. He would sit on the couch, feeling a huge amount of rage while tears streamed down his face. He forced his members to search for you and when they would come back empty handed, he had to hold himself back from killing everyone around him.

He knew you were pretty good with secrets and being invisible if needed, he knew you had picked out a perfect spot and he was convinced you had this planned for months and that you never really loved him and that drove him mad.

It went on like that for a few years, you stayed inside the small cabin with your now almost three year old son and as much as you tried to forget about Chrollo, your son was a spitting image of him- it was hard to not be reminded of your crazy ex lover.

But now you have eased up a lot, the tension had lifted off your shoulders and you weren’t all that on edge. Maybe Chrollo stopped looking for you? Maybe he stopped caring and that’s why you’ve been living out here for so long.

But what you didn’t know was that he was inching closer to you without you realizing it.

You hummed to yourself, fixing the vegetable garden you had outside while your son played in the distance and you made sure to keep a close eye on him as you dug into the ground and planted more vegetables and fruits for them to grow for the upcoming spring.

You weren’t looking down for long but it was enough to keep your gaze off of him until you heard a deep voice in the distance, making your eyes shoot up instantly and see Chrollo holding your son, talking to him and it had felt like your heart stopped beating.

His eyes looked over at you, a smile on his face and you were quick to get on your feet and walk over to the both of them, reaching your arms out for your child.

“Give him to me.” You simply said, making him step back and stare down at you, his smile dropping instantly.

“Is that how you’re going to greet me? Try again.” He was cold and the sudden change in his attitude had made it clear he was upset.

“Chrollo, please.. give him to me.” You pleaded, watching your son sit there and babble about nothing while holding onto his toys.

“I think mommy should go inside the house so we can talk, huh?” He said in a baby tone, bouncing the small child and soon walked past you to your front door.

The lump you felt in your throat was so suffocating, like it was choking the life out of you and you just felt defeated. Completely defeated. You dragged your feet to follow behind him inside of your cabin. What’s going to happen now? Can you even do anything while he’s holding your child? You didn’t know but he had taken everything into his own hands and went down the hall to put your son in his crib.

Chrollo wanted to kill you for keeping this from him. He didn’t know all that running was because you had his child. The anger boiling inside his veins as he stared down at the small boy who had the same colored hair as him and the same big soft eyes. He wasn’t dumb to see that this was his own son, he was a mini version of him.

He loved you deeply but this secret.. you running away, it made him think a bit differently about you. He hated to think about the years wasted of him not being able to watch his sons birth or grow to what he is now. Wasn’t a lot of years but enough to get him angry.

Chrollo had walked out, shutting the door behind him and his cold intense stare was on you as you sat on the couch, tears already streaming down your face. You felt like a failure, like you failed your own child, you failed trying to keep him safe and away from what you had to deal with.

“Suck up those fake tears.” He mumbled, sitting down on the coffee table right in front of you.

His hand grabbed onto your chin roughly, forcing you to look up at him and the way his eyes had looked so dark, it terrified you a bit. You took a deep breath, trying to hold yourself together as best as you could.

“What do you want, Chrollo?” Your voice cracked as you felt his thumb wipe the tears off your cheeks.

His touch was soft but the grip on your chin was still firm and tight, like he was afraid of letting you go incase you would just run off away for another few years.

“Is there another man here?” Was the first question he asked, staring down into your tear filled eyes with such disgust, his judgment clouded as his aura radiated off his body, terrifying you even more.

“What? No, it’s only been the two of us.” He didn’t like your answer, his grip felt like it could break your jaw in seconds and you were convinced he was going to go through with doing just that.

He started to laugh, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out the small book and your eyes grew wide, shaking your head at him and tried to pry yourself away.

“Are you lying to me?” He tilted his head, opening the book up and flipping through the pages. He only did this to show dominance and to show his nen can kill you in seconds considering you were powerless and it worked every time.

You had searched your brain for something, anything. Should you answer him the way he wants you to? Or should you tell the truth and stick to your story? Or should you play the other card? Plead for forgiveness which usually always satisfied him to see how devoted you are to only him.

You didn’t want to die, not with your baby down the hall and you definitely didn’t want to leave him alone with Chrollo but death did seem like such a better option than all of this. You sighed, more tears streaming down your face and finally he settled on a page, waiting for your answer.

“I swear on my life, on his life, nobody was here.” You stared up at his dark eyes, seeing the pure evil behind them and the way he slammed his book shut startled you as he hummed.

“You know I’m going have to punish you for running away and keeping my child away from me when we get home.” He almost purred, the small smile appearing on his face as he stroked your cheek.

“Please, Chrollo..”

“Rules are rules, be glad I didn’t kill you here and now. Let’s go.”

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Ok every time I write yandere, I get really nervous that it won’t turn out good or the way ppl want it to😳

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[sasa-gay-yo]

Just Us (Chapter Five: Capital)

← Chapter Four

“I know that horse hates me. It wouldn’t let me sleep and it almost bit my hair!” Levi rolled his eyes as he tied both horses to the hitch near the marketplace. We had gotten to the capital in the early morning and I made Levi stand watch while I got some sleep on the grass by the gates before we went in. When I slept, the horse I was riding tried to kill me and he didn’t even try to help. 

Once I was awake all Levi had to do was show his face and they knew exactly who he was. I didn’t even have to show my Trost Citizen District card as they just let us through. I guess his fame carries all the way to the capital and I was not complaining. Also I wouldn’t tell him, but it was definitely worth it taking horseback and not the ferry even if we didn’t talk much. He yelled at me that if I talked on a horse, I would bite my tongue off and I didn’t want to take the risk. 

“She knows you’re scared of her. She took advantage of the situation,” he pet the horse on the nose and I glared at him before looking down at the list. Coffee beans, tea, sugar cubes, honey, apples, and on and on it went. Another reason I was grateful we took horses is that I wouldn’t have to lug all of this stuff through a security check and then on and off the boat. Still can’t tell Levi that. 

“What do you need to get?” He almost ripped the list when he took it out of my hands and I took notice of how he was acting. As soon as we stepped into the gates, he ran to the horse hitch. He wanted to get in and out of Mitras as fast as he could. I wondered why he was so on edge here, but if I had to guess it might be how close we were to either the Underground or the Royal Government. Which one would Levi hate the most?

“Everything on that list plus gifts for the people on the back.” He flipped it over and inspected the names. We started walking, him standing a step behind me. Probably some tactical move.

“I’m still on here?”

“Of course you are.” That seemed to shut him up for a long time. I would just go from one stall to the next picking up the best deals on the small stock of honey and apples in the winter season. I had also played around with the man selling sugar cubes and got three packs for the price of one, easily. This all happened while Levi just stood behind me. I could sometimes feel the warmth on my back as he, too, leaned into the stalls to see what I was buying. It was comforting to have him behind me, but again, I wouldn’t say anything to him

Going deeper and deeper into the Mitras market, things were getting more expensive and the bags and baskets we were carrying were getting heavier. All I needed to get was the tea from the shady Underground dealer, the toy I was going to get Elias, and whatever I was thinking about getting Levi. Somehow I was going to have to ask him to stop following me so I could buy it. 

“I have to go talk to that Underground dealer to get tea. Maybe you shouldn’t come? It hasn’t been a while since you left so…” He looked down at the list again and noticed there was nothing more to get either. I would have to go get the tea either way and I could tell he didn’t want to tag along. I concluded it was the Underground he hated more.

“I’ll go over there and look for Erwin’s gift.” He pointed to some random stalls on the opposite side of the street. From there, he probably could still see me, but be far enough away from the Underground area as he wouldn’t have to see anyone there. I also noticed that was probably the first sentence he had said to me since we started walking through the market. I’d comment on that later. 

I waved him off and turned to go down the street to Marcus. He was an older man and definitely also a con artist who enjoyed selling tea on his off days. While Marcus was nice, I had to study up on the actual prices and places of tea before he tried to scam me of my money. The first peppermint tea I had bought, the small quantity Levi had gone through, he had charged me double of what it should be. What should I expect though? He’s a conman. I just had a soft spot for people from the Underground, hoping they would turn out for the better. The only person I’ve seen who’s ever done that would be Levi.

“Miss Evylnn! I didn’t see you last month! What can I get my best customer?” I rolled my eyes at him and looked at the tea leaves he had set out. I needed specialty teas. One powdered tea for baking and the special peppermint tea for my single customer. 

“I need this Earl Grey and this peppermint tea. The powder for the first one. How much?” He rubbed his chin, thinking of how to con me out of my money. 

“Well, since Earl Grey is popular this time of year, I’ll have to charge you more for that one. I’m on low supply, high demand. The peppermint will be the regular price.” I looked around him and saw the various other people buying things in the stalls to his left and right. 

“I don’t see the high demand, Marcus. Isn’t this the busiest time of day for the market?” He scratched the back of his head, looking for another out. 

“You just haven’t come at the right time for this part of the street.”

“Oh, that must be it.” I looked around his stall again and saw something in the back that caught my attention. It was perfect. 

“Marcus, how much is that?” I pointed to the open box and he seemed to smirk at my interest. He was going to charge me an arm and a leg for it I could just tell. 

“If you buy the tea at full price, I’ll throw it in for free.” Taking a few seconds I calculated it in my head and I was probably winning this deal. I held out my hand to him. 

“Deal. Can you wrap the box up for me?”

When I met back up with Levi, he seemed to have procured a small box himself and when I leaned over to inspect it, it he pulled it behind his back. 

“What’s that?” He turned his nose up to the sky, looking down at me. 

“None of your business.” I scrunched up my nose and stood up straight again. 

“We have to get Elias a gift and then we can get something to eat somewhere. What food do you like?” We started walking again in the same formation; Levi behind me on my right. 

“Don’t care.” He was back to it again: mumbling short phrases while glaring at everyone who walked by. I told him this is why people talk about him, but he didn’t respond to that either. Walking around to a few more stalls, I came across the toy dealer I knew would have what I wanted.

“Good afternoon, Miss… C-Captain Levi!” The toy maker bowed, “I-It’s nice to see you in the capital again!” Levi just grunted at the man who laughed his dismissal off. There were many wooden toys to choose from and a lot that were out of my price range. Hm, if I were an eight-year-old boy, what would I want?

“When you were eight, what did you play with?” It was a question I threw up in the air and I didn’t expect him to actually answer it. When he did, something caught in my throat and I coughed. 

“A knife.” I think even the toy maker took a second to make sure he heard him right. Again, no helping the rumors at all. 

I shook my head and reworded my question, “When you were eight, what did you want to play with?” I was switching between a figure of a soldier or a small train. I don’t remember anything that Elias specifically liked and he, as poor as they were, didn’t even have a lot of toys. If I got him anything, he’d be grateful. 

“The horse.” He pointed from behind me at the horse figurine that was on top of the shelf. It had joints so that it could move and it wasn’t completely stiff like the other wood ones I was looking at. Sadly, it was a bit steep in price. It would run me out of all the extra money I had allotted for dinner. 

“Hm, too bad it’s a bit expensive.” The toy maker seemed to jump on me as soon as I said that, holding the horse out for me to touch. For it’s price, it probably was sitting there for a long time. 

“I can give you a discount! Twenty percent off of the original price! Just in time for the year-end festival. All of the joints in this horse can move and even can support any matching soldier figure. The one you were previously looking at would fit perfectly!” I waved my hand at him and went back to looking at the soldiers. 

“No thank you, it’s still out of my price ra-” 

“I can buy it. How much is it? Do you want the soldier too?” I quickly turned back to look at Levi who had his wallet out and ready. I knew he was getting paid a bit more for his rank, but the Scouts were getting paid the least out of all the military. He didn’t even know Elias, so he shouldn’t have to buy something to pick up my burden. 

“No, no. It’s fine, I’ll just buy the soldier. It’s too much.” He raised his eyebrow at me and made sure I saw him hand over the money notes to the toy maker. It was him asserting dominance, making sure I knew he didn’t care. My mouth was wide when the toy maker handed him the box that the horse came in and he put in with everything else. 

“Miss, do you still want to buy the soldier?” I made sure to step right in front of Levi so he couldn’t dish out any more money than he’d already had. 

“Yes, please. I can just put it in the box with the horse.” The toy maker seemed to be very happy at the amount of money he just made and his shit-eating grin didn’t go away when we did. I don’t know what I was feeling, but I was a bit angry that he just went out and bought the gift. Not angry because I wanted to get it for Elias, but angry because I know Levi doesn’t earn a lot of money in the first place. 

“I’m paying for lunch,” He shrugged and just went back into formation, “I’m going to pick where we go too. So deal with it.” No answer. Not even a grunt. It was annoying that this was the third or forth thing I’ve let him just do. Cleaning the café, coming to the capital, and then this. I didn’t think he’d be such a giving person like this even if he tried to cover it up. 

The tavern I chose was a bit crowded, but we chose to sit in the back away from everyone else. I sighed when I got to put the heavy bags down and stretch out my shoulders. Levi did the same, but more quietly than I did. When the waitress came over, I even ordered for us because he didn’t speak up at all. It was back to quiet, silent Levi. 

I sat there, tapping my finger on the wooden table, just staring at him in wait. He knew I was looking at him, but apparently the water they had brought over was much more entertaining. Just sipping away at it until he needed a refill. We were going to play this game all day because I wasn’t about to break. 

At this point, I was bored, so I reached into my bag to replace some of the peeling bandages on my fingers. He just watched me do that for what seemed like forever. It was agonizing waiting for him to say something and I knew that I’d probably be run into insanity by his silence before he would lose. He knew we were playing a game. Even while we ate, in complete silence, I couldn’t stop myself from glaring at him. His expression, or lack-of, stayed the same throughout. I think the waitress saw this and barely came back to our table. 

Soon, it came time to actually discuss important things like “When are we going back?” or “Do you need to sleep before we ride back to Trost?”, but I still was too stubborn to say anything. We could sit in this tavern the whole night for all I cared, I wasn’t losing. 

Then the check came. 

As soon as she put the piece of paper down, she ran away from the war zone. Both of our hands shot out to try and take it away from the other. Our hands landed on each other and mine was victoriously on the bottom, touching the check. I broke my glare for the first time to smirk up at him and rub it in. 

“Tch,” He took his hand off and leaned back on the chair in his favorite position. With the smirk still on my face, I took out the money needed to pay for our silent lunch. That win definitely got me feeling better. 

“Why do you buy those two kids gifts?” He took another sip of water. Him breaking silence was acknowledging my win.

“Their father is part of that wall cult, so they don’t celebrate any holidays, and the mom drinks herself to near death every night. They’re good kids, too, so they deserve something nice. Sometimes they come and clean for me to get some free muffins.” He nodded and switched the leg that was crossed.

“What did you get the girl?”

“A dress and a book. She doesn’t have a lot of clothes and most of them are hand-me-downs from me. Their family was a friend of Mr. Flynn.”

“Your caretaker?” I realized that this was the first time we were actually talking about my past. Never during late night tea did we talk about things like this because it would ruin our game. I wondered what changed this time for him to feel comfortable talking about things like this. I was always ready to get to know and understand him, but it was the wall he built around us that didn’t allow me. The wall that kept everything he wanted out. 

“Yes, he took me in when I was twelve,” I looked out the window at the market again, “It was around here, too. Crazy to think it was so long ago.” 

“You got out earlier than I did.” I looked back at him and nodded, resting my head on my hand. It hasn’t been a long time for him at all. I've wanted to ask Levi for a long time about his time in the Underground, specifically to see if it aligns to anything I did or saw. Something I thought that it would be nice to see if we’ve met before, but I doubt that was the case. Most of the time I was locked up in a small room.

“There’s a place in the Royal Military Barracks for Scouts to stay when they visit Mitras. I have an office and a room there, so we can stay for the night. I’ll just have to sneak you in.” I nodded again. This would be fun, I’ve never been in a government building before. 

“Do you have an extra cape or something? I can wear that. We’re the same size.” He scoffed and almost slammed his cup on the table.

“We are not the same size. I am taller and much more muscular.” I raised an eyebrow and made the decision to tease him. He seemed to be really adamant about this issue of size.

“You’re only taller by a few centimeters. The first time I saw you that was what I thought. Short.” He glared at me, grey eyes cutting through my brown ones. 

“I can beat everyone’s ass in this tavern including yours.” I held my hands up and shrugged. This was going to be fun and perhaps it would win me another point.

“I think your attitude just compensates. You don’t want to hit me.” It was his turn to raise an eyebrow like I was wrong. 

“Compensates?” I rested my head on my hand again, leaning in a bit closer. He did the same to try and assert his dominance, making sure he was looking down at me. 

“You act so tough because you’re so short. So you’re compensating.” His eyes were on fire now. It was like he was struggling to keep his composure and think about something witty enough to say back. Maybe I should add flustered to the list, I’d definitely win a lot of points.

“I can assure you, I don’t need to compensate,” he hissed out. It was time to go in for the kill shot. Lowering my voice, I leaned in further. 

“Oh, so not for your height or for your . .?” He stood up almost knocking the chair over behind him. The light coming in from the window told me that, even with his head lowered, I’d won another point. Blush. 

“I’m going to get the horses.” 

Shivering, I put on the extra cape that he had and handed him my warm, winter coat. He had insisted that we would be caught if I wore my cape over my coat because “that’s not what Scouts do”. It was payback for earlier and probably for making him walk around the capital for a few more hours with me while I relentlessly teased him. I couldn’t help it, it was just so easy to do it with him. You say one suggestive thing and he stutters or blushes. I guess he didn’t have time in the Underground for those types of things seeing how uncomfortable it made him. Captain Levi became a stuttering mess when talking about suggestive things. I scored one more blush point and I decided to add flustered to the game because that’s where I was making big money. 

“Can we please go inside?” My teeth started chattering and he was enjoying the pain I was going through. Touché, Captain.

“Sorry, this one box just won’t close. I don’t know how to get the soldier in.” I took one, calming breath and closed my eyes before taking it out of his hands and putting it in myself. He had just stood there for five minutes doing nothing. 

“There, now can we go?” He shrugged and started walking towards the side door of the building ever so slowly. I beat him to the door and reached to open in, but it was locked. As he evilly laughed, I groaned out loud. That laugh didn’t count for a point. 

“Why are you in such a rush? The snow looks beautiful in the moonlight.” I clenched my jaw and stuffed my hands in my armpits, waiting for him to get to the damn door. My groaning was only going to make him walk slower. 

He finally reached the door and pulled out a ring of keys. Thankfully, he didn’t try to play with me and try every single key he knew was wrong. He opened the door and I almost ran in before he grabbed me to hold me back. I protested out loud again, but he put me down and pulled the hood of the cape up, patting my head once. Looking up, I glared at him again, making sure he knew how annoyed I was at him. 

“Wearing my cape, you look like you’d make a good Scout.” If I wasn’t annoyed, it would have been a touching gesture. When we got all the way inside and I forced him to use the empty fireplace in his office, then I got to thinking about it again. Was that his twisted way of saying I looked good in his cape? If he was trying to play the same game I was this morning, he was going to have to get better at it. 

“Wearing my cape, you look like a good Scout.” I mimicked his deep voice as I put my hands up to the fire. 

“What was that, cadet?” Looking over my shoulder, I glared at him and he smirked. He had insisted that he had piles of paperwork to do and I knew he had dug in the back of his drawers to try and make it seem true. An office that you rarely come to and you have piles of work? He knew it was a bad lie. And cadet? He wouldn’t stop calling me that since I put on this cape. If I wasn’t so cold without it, I’d have taken it off by now.

“Nothing, Captain.” I stuck my tongue out at him and turned back around to the fire. Whatever scary hold he had over his actual cadets wouldn’t work on me. He probably couldn’t punish me for defiance like he does to them. I’m under no military order to comply with him. 

“Do you want some tea? I only have regular black here though.”

“Uh, sure. I can make it.” I turned to stand up and he held up his hand.

“No, just get warm. I can’t have you complaining this whole time.” What a sick way of showing you care for people. I decided to disobey his order because I wasn’t a cadet and went to sit in the big chair facing his desk. It wasn’t that comfortable. 

“I don’t think anyone has come in and sat in that chair so nonchalantly as you.” His back was to me as he worked on making tea in the little built-in to the right of his desk. I could barely see him because his office was only illuminated by firelight. The moon was on the opposite side of the giant windows behind his desk, so it was just completely dark. There was also nothing on his desk or the walls to even give a tiny strip of light. The dark lord liked working in the dark. I wonder what his eyesight is like. 

“I’m pretty sure I’m one of the only civilians who’s ever come into this office. Does Commander Erwin come in here?” He nodded and turned around with two teacups. 

“You’re right, you are the first. Commander Erwin, Hange, Mike, disobedient cadets; those are usually who come in here.” I nodded like I knew who any of those other people were. 

“Is your office by Trost as big as this one?” It seemed like the piles of paperwork he needed to do magically disappeared as he leaned back in his big chair with his cup. 

“No, it’s probably half this size. The fireplace is also very small, just enough for heating the room. Then the bedroom is connected in that corner, the bathroom next to it. In here, the bedroom is across the hall. That’s where you will be sleeping.” 

“Where are you sleeping?” He pointed to the couch behind me that was touching the wall. It looked to be the same uncomfortable material as the chair I was sitting in. That wouldn’t be comfortable to sleep in. I turned back and frowned at him. 

“That’s got to be uncomfortable. You didn’t sleep yesterday, and now you’re not going to get any sleep on that.” I threw my legs over the arm of my chair and leaned back so my head was hanging off the other side. 

“You’re telling me that pose you’re doing isn’t either? And if I don’t sleep there, where else? The floor?” I didn’t know how he was going to react to my suggestion. We sleep five feet away from each other sometimes, so what’s the difference about, say, two feet in a bed? 

“With me.” He stopped drinking, but was definitely trying not to show any reaction to what I said. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the suggestion, and it wasn’t like that, but maybe my teasing this morning made his mind go to that. That was my fault. The look he was giving me right now had to be because of that. I’d have to tell him it wasn’t like that at all. 

“N-Not like that,” I gave a fake laugh and put my hands up, “I was just thinking that if you slept in an actual bed it would be better for you to get sleep. This chair is really uncomfortable so I can’t imagine what it’s like sleeping on that couch.” He cleared his throat and put down the cup. It looked like he composed himself. 

“I rarely sleep more than a few hours anyways. I’ve slept on that couch before, it’s fine, Eva.” I shook my head fast, trying to win on this. I felt bad I was taking it from him. 

“I’ll even face the other way the whole time if you’re uncomfortable. I didn’t think you’d be one of those people who feels un-” He looked annoyed.

“I saw you sleep on the grass before we came to Mitras. If anything, I’d get more sleep on that couch versus you thrashing around in bed.” My mouth dropped. Did he have to insult me all the time like this? 

“I don’t trash! It was the grass, I just wasn’t comfortable!” He smiled this time. No smirk. That was worth ten points. I smiled back at him and he instantly dropped it. Ugh. He looks so handsome when he smiles, why can’t he do it more. 

“I bet people wouldn’t say the stuff they do about you if you smiled like that more.” He went back to doing the fake paperwork. 

“What do they say about me?” I sat up straight again as the blood was rushing to my head. 

“Mean. Scary. Intimidating. You can finish the list. I don’t think it’s all true because I’m not scared of you and I’m, like, the nicest person I know.” I pointed to my chest and he rolled his eyes signing something. His signature was really intricate. I tried to mimic it in my palm. My signature wasn’t that pretty, it was annoying he was this perfect. 

“Well, I obviously am not acting myself around you then.” I switched my finger to point at him and he looked up to me again. 

“No, I think you are acting like yourself around me.” He scoffed lightly and didn’t say anything in return. I made a noise to make fun of him and just rested my head in my hands staring at him so work. He was probably going to do that the whole night if I stayed here. 

“What time is it?” He quickly glanced at the clock on his desk, not stopping his writing. 

“Near eleven. You wanting to talk about your new recipe for croissants made dinner extend for more than a few hours.” I stuck my tongue out at him again, making sure his insult didn’t land. At least he was listening. 

“Why did you buy Elias the horse? Scouts dot earn a lot of money.” He tched me again. 

“I have more than enough money.” 

“Yeah, but why?” He was silent for a bit, finishing something he was writing. 

“You asked what I would’ve wanted at eight. I just wanted to give an eight year old what I didn’t have back then.” My heart swelled and all my anger about him buying it melted away. That’s so nice. He’s nice and he doesn’t even know it.

I stayed there for what felt like another hour, just saying a few sentences here and there. Some he answered, others he grunted, but to the most of them he didn’t say anything. He was really concentrating on the fake paperwork, it made me think it was actually real for a second. My staring finally ended when I yawned too long for my liking. Yeah, it was bedtime.

“Wake me up when you want to leave. I’m quick to get ready.” I stood and held my hand to say goodbye as I walked to the door. 

“Make sure there’s no one in the hallway when you go in. If I’m really as intimidating as you say, people are probably jumping to get dirt on me.” 

“I’ll make sure to have a conversation with the MPs on my way over.” I don’t know if that made him laugh because I walked out and right into his room. It was as bare as his office. Just one full sized bed, a window, a desk, and a tall set of drawers. It was cold too, with no fireplace or heater for warmth. Guess I freeze. 

I walked over to the dresser and looked for a shirt to wear that wasn’t thin like my own. He wouldn’t miss one of the same white long sleeves he has. I pulled one out and put it on. He had never worn these. They just smelled like laundry and that’s not what he smells like. 

“Ew. How do I know what he smells like?” I shook my head and looked around again. His room was really empty. I wonder what the one outside of Trost looks like. He lives in that one regularly so it can’t be like this. I hoped it wasn’t like this or I might just have to do a remodel to make him mad. 

Laying down in bed, I finally had the moonlight on my face. This bed also hadn’t been slept in for a long time. Nothing looked lived in or smelled like him. Ugh. I got to stop saying that. I looked up at the wall trying to will myself to sleep knowing he was going to wake me up at an ungodly hour. 

Mint, lemon, and… what was the third one? I couldn't figure it out since he only left traces, but there was a third one. Mint from tea, lemon from cleaning soap, and… what the hell what the third one? 

I turned over, pulling the covers under my arm. Wearing his shirt and thinking about what he smells like. Great, good one, Eva. I even offered him this bed, too. It’s a good thing I didn’t because we would be back to back right now… which wasn’t a bad thing now that I’m thinking about it. 

I tensed up and looked down at my stomach. Oh no, Eva. What did you get yourself into? Or, rather, how long did I know I was going to get myself in this situation and didn’t care?

How… How do you know you like a boy?

Chapter Six→

Chapter Masterlist

I just want to thank all you for being so engaged in my story! It means so much to me to see people enjoying my writing! <3

[amorgansgal]

The Only Compass I Need

Well as you've all been good VDL-gang hoes and as it's my birthday today as promised here's my longer fic for Arthur Morgan/Original Female Character. It's been edited and checked by my lovely partner, but I will always appreciate any comments or feedback. Hope you all have a wonderful day and thank you for making this fandom always such a delight to be in!

Summary: Ruth Shelton has been running with the Anderson Boys for many years, but when she and her daughter, Daisy, are abandoned in a snowy cabin in the West Grizzlies, she must come to terms with being left behind by people she thought she could trust and rely on. Determined to keep herself and her daughter alive, she will do anything it takes to ensure a better future for Daisy, but runs into trouble and has to rely on another gang to keep them safe.

Rating: Explicit

You can read it on AO3 too!

‘Ma?’ Daisy looked up from the newspaper she was busy colouring in, and Ruth tried not to close her eyes in frustration. Daisy had asked her the same question almost every night, just before dinner, ‘When’s Pa coming back?’

Ruth poked the remnants of the fire in the grate, willing the small, crackling flame to finish cooking the rabbit she had trapped. She didn’t risk gathering more wood with the evening rapidly growing dark. In the small, run down cabin the frigid wind of the West Grizzlies whistled through the gaps in the walls. Outside the first few flakes of a spring snow storm drifted lazily through the navy-blue sky.

She pulled the moth-eaten blanket they had found abandoned in one of the bedrooms around her and her daughter’s shoulders. She tried to ignore the twisting, painful feeling in her gut and the hot burn of tears that found their way to her eyes. How dare he, how dare he leave his daughter.

Two weeks. For two weeks they had sat in this cramped, dirty, broken little hut and waited. She had wondered after the first week whether he was dead or injured. She still liked to think the best of Frans, even though the man was unkind and impatient with her, and had cared so little for his daughter that on good days he would ignore her and on worse days shove her away. But by the time they reached the second week, with no one from the gang even attempting to find her, she realised that they’d been abandoned. Perhaps Frans hoped that the cold weather or starvation would get rid of a problem he could no longer stomach.

‘I don’t think he’s coming back,’ Ruth replied, her voice flat and distant. She coughed a little, clearing her throat, Daisy didn’t need to see or hear her mother’s resentment or pain.

‘Oh,’ came Daisy’s response. She resumed colouring in a picture of a man wearing a top hat, choosing a vibrant green for him.

Ruth poked the rabbit on the small grill, and sighed. Perhaps she was still clinging onto the vague hope that Frans might change his mind. Daisy seemed to idolise the man, no matter how poorly he treated her, and Ruth wanted her daughter to be right about him.

‘Tonight, we’re going to pack up what we can,’ Ruth said. ‘Then tomorrow we’ll ride Freyja somewhere warmer. If your father wants to find us, he will do.’

‘But Pa said to stay here.’

‘Well, he can’t expect us to stay with the cold weather coming in, and there’s very little food here. He’ll understand.’

‘How will he know where we’ve gone? We can’t leave him a note.’

‘We can leave him a message. He’ll just have to find someone else who can read it for him. Hopefully, when he turns up Edgar or Josef will be with him.’

‘Why hasn’t Edgar come?’ Daisy asked, scratching her nails against the waxy, green crayon. Ruth pulled it from her hands.

‘Don’t do that, they were expensive. I don’t know.’

Daisy began to draw wiggly lines under the words in the paper, the yellowing pages now being covered with purple, red and blue. She looked back up, ‘Ok.’

‘I’ve always promised to tell you the truth, haven’t I?’

‘Yes.’

‘So, I would tell you, if I knew where your father was, if I knew where Edgar was or if I knew where anyone was.’

Daisy carefully put her red crayon down on the page, then began to put the crayons back in the little tin she kept all her priceless possessions in. A dried daisy flower from Edgar, a blue-green marble she had found in Blackwater and a yellow, silk ribbon dotted with daisies that Ruth had brought her for her birthday last year.

Not for the first time, Ruth felt the twinge of guilt that always followed when seeing the few treasured items in Daisy’s tin. She wanted to give Daisy a home, a proper home with her own bedroom and toys, clothes that fit her properly, a warm fireplace and a door that could be locked and bolted shut.

‘Dinner will take a while, Sweetpea, you don’t have to put away your things just yet.’

‘Oh,’ Daisy said once more. ‘Well, can I help?’

‘There ain’t much to do, rabbit will be done in a bit.’

Daisy pulled up the newspaper and sat down in front of Ruth. The girl squinted at it with her light blue eyes in the low light, and began to read aloud the main story, sounding out the words she was unfamiliar with. ‘Bank boat… he… he--is--t? Ma, what’s a he--is--t?’

‘A he--is--t?’ Ruth glanced down at the newspaper, trying to figure out what her daughter was looking at. ‘Oh, a heist. It means a robbery.’

‘Like what Pa does?’

‘Yes,’ she looked back down to the story, to see if it was the Anderson Boys who were involved, but as she read, it became clear it was about the Van Der Linde Gang rather than her own. She frowned at the idea of still claiming the gang as her own. Evidently Anderson was not too heart-broken about her disappearance, despite how long she had been running with them. But then Anderson often called her a damned fool for getting in the family way and hadn’t exactly tried to keep her around. Perhaps it was better this way, to be abandoned and left to her own devices rather than trailing behind, trying to pretend that the group she had once called her family still cared for her.

The rabbit was done… charred on the outside, bloody in the middle. But when had that ever bothered her? Certainly, Daisy had learnt long ago that an empty belly was a far worse fate than a dissatisfied one. She tried to get Daisy to part with a bit of the newspaper, so she could lay the best bits on it for her and cause less of a mess when using her fingers to tear at the meat.

While Ruth gnawed at what remained on the bones, she checked their supplies. Two cans of beans, one can of peaches and a tin of crackers. They would share one tin of beans for their breakfast tomorrow, then they would have to hope she could catch or kill something for their midday meal, and assuming she could find the way, arrive in Valentine by four or five. She was banking on the weather being good, and the roads clear, otherwise it could take them longer and she had no desire to spend a cold night in unfamiliar woods.

She packed away the supplies, then made sure the repeater and pistols she carried were cleaned and loaded correctly. Ruth frowned on seeing how few bullets she had left in the box of ammo. This was going to be a rough few days. Every shot she could make would have to be perfect, no matter whether it was man or beast at the end of the sights.

She also double-checked how much money they had left, perhaps hoping the amount would increase on the next count. It would be better if she could get her daughter a warm bath and a hot meal when they arrived, even if she couldn’t afford a bed for the night. Ruth tried to not let the hiss of irritation pass between her lips. Anderson had always been insistent that any money made was money for the group, and while that had meant she could dip in and out of the funds box with relative ease, it had come back to bite her.

Her last job had pulled $150, but the vast majority of that had ended up in the box. Now she was looking at the grand total of ten years of loyalty and very few complaints from her, no matter how poorly her daughter was treated. She had $8.05.

‘We might have to do a coach job when we get to Valentine,’ she said.

Daisy pulled a face, a deep frown appearing on her forehead. ‘Do we have to?’

‘Do you want to eat?’

‘Can’t we just eat deer?’

‘No, it’s not good to eat nothing but meat.’

‘But I’m getting bigger now. I don’t want to pretend to be a little kid who cries.’

‘You just have to put your hands over your eyes and pretend. You’re so good at it! And it means Mama doesn’t have to shoot anyone.’

Ruth finished the last bits of rabbit on her side of the newspaper and looked at the peaches, tempted to break into them and at least give her daughter something sweet to eat. But there was no guarantee they would even reach Valentine tomorrow, especially with how strong the wind was howling and how quickly the temperature was dropping.

Daisy nestled closer under the blanket and picked up some more of the rabbit. ‘Who have you shot, Mama?’

‘Lots of people, who wanted to hurt me or you, Edgar or Josef or Anders.’

‘And Pa?’

Ruth wiped her dirty hands on her handkerchief, leaving streaks of grease on the discoloured material. She avoided her daughter’s eye as she replied, ‘Sure, your Pa too.’ In her head she found herself thinking, ‘wish I hadn’t bothered, bastard didn’t deserve my protection.’

She used a corner of the newspaper to clean the grease away from Daisy’s mouth, then grabbed a comb from her bag. She sat Daisy on her lap and began to gently untangle the knots at the end of her hair, before working upwards to the crown of her head and brushing through Daisy’s beautiful, golden brown hair.

At first, admittedly, it had hurt to see how much Daisy took after her father in looks, but they couldn’t be more different. Whilst her father was dismissive, callous and cowardly, Daisy was sweet, kind and brave. Braver than most kids her age, though Ruth wished she didn’t have to be.

She carefully plaited Daisy’s long hair, admiring the soft strands between her fingers, and finished off their little ritual by giving her a kiss on her cheek and then tickling her ribs. Daisy squealed and giggled, trying to bat away Ruth’s hands and yet still cuddling close once she was done.

‘Still little enough for that then?’ Ruth asked.

‘Hmph,’ came her daughter’s response and Ruth hid her smile. She felt torn, part of her was excited to see how much her daughter would change and grow over the years. But another part longed to go back to when she had been a baby, when her cheeks had been round and soft, and Ruth had easily spent the best part of her days pressing kisses to them. What did it matter that Frans was fucking whores and spending his money on drink and cards, when she had a baby in her arms, whose steady, sweet eyes gazed up at her with all the adoration and love she needed?

Another part, a part she tried not to think about, was terrified. What kind of a life was this for a child? Running from the law, hiding in abandoned houses and cabins, stealing and cheating to keep them both fed? This life was dangerous for anyone at the best of times, but for a child even more so. Daisy’s young age would not stop the law from punishing her, no matter how little choice she had in growing up in a gang and running schemes with her mother. But it was either involve Daisy, or leave her in a cave or up a tree, and that didn’t necessarily mean she was any safer, especially if someone were to find her.

She pushed away those thoughts; it wasn’t helpful to dwell on their situation. She hoped to be a good moral guide later in life for her daughter, but right now she would have to continue to be a hypocrite.

‘Bed time, Daisy,’ she said.

Daisy didn’t make a word of protest, as she was occasionally keen on doing, and took off her boots, before climbing into Ruth’s bedroll. Ruth joined her; it was too cold for their separate beds. While Daisy snuggled up against her, pulling the cover over head, Ruth threw their last remaining wood on the fire.

She grabbed her pistol and repeater, leaving the repeater next to the bedroll, but holding the pistol tightly. She kept her eyes on the front door, which they blocked with the dining table during the evenings. She had moved the wardrobe from the main bedroom to block the back door, and so felt comfortable enough to sleep with their backs to it.

She did her best to keep her eyes open, resisting sleep for as long as possible, until she drifted off and then woke with a sudden jolt to find the piercing, white light of a new day filtering between the bits of rotten wood and around the edge of the door.

[wordupcomics]

Where are the rest of the villains in this AU? :0

So I've actually answered this question before, and was just gonna link you to the post....but I can't seem to find it so....guess I'll be answering this again...(I honestly wouldn't care if there weren't enough villains to fill a college campus 🤦‍♀️)

So a lot of this is repeated from the last post, wherever it is now 😂 but I believe I expanded on several of these villains too.

First let's cover all the villains as a whole. They are all no longer villains! Tobey went good at around 14 and ended up unintentionally inspired a lot of villains to slowly do the same. The last few villains gave up crime when WordGirl retired because they didn't feel like crime would be the same without WordGirl coming to stop them. A few years after Tobey went good, when several villains had already gone good, Two Brains and Tobey teamed up to create the Anti-Villain Association (AVA), which was intended to be a place where former villains and criminals could talk out their issues with other former villains so that they wouldn't turn back to crime. It's still running to this day and they meet once a week at Two Brains's old lair. They don't just keep it to their meetings, they also have fun functions and activities. For the most part the city doesn't think twice about the AVA, but you know there are always those people who don't trust others, and these types of people are convinced the AVA is simply a cover up, that all the former villains are still villains and are gathering to plan a teamed take over of the city or world. The AVA generally ignores these people. Many of each villains' respective weapons were destroyed after going good, but some weapons still remain for different reasons. Some weapons are nice to have for an emergency (Two Brains has rays that don't hurt people, just trap their feet with spray cheese, a nice thing to keep around in the event of a burglary), some weapons have uses in every day life (when making dozens of sandwiches at once, Chuck's condiment ray comes in handy), some felt it was wrong to destroy them for no reason if they weren't hurting anyone or anything (Tobey's robots who weren't destroyed by WordGirl are happily living in a very large cabin DEEP in the woods, Tobey didn't feel right about destroying them, they are practically sentient!) and some the villains felt were too dangerous to destroy (Mr. Big had more advanced mind control tech that he and Leslie were worried would send out a mind control signal if destroyed, rather than take the risk, they simply locked them up under high security.)

Now let's get into each AVA member (well I mean i guarantee I'll forget people, but I'm gonna try and if I missed a specific former villian you want to know about let me know):

Two Brains- The Steven brain was especially inspired by Tobey's actions, and wanted to be a good guy again. However he knew keeping the mouse brain at bay would be a challenge, and knew his only chance of being good was to find a legal way of getting his cheese fix. So Two Brains started making his own cheese. He even made a cheese aging ray to speed up the process. He ended up being able to make more cheese than he could eat, and turned it into a business. Because he doesn't have to spend actual time on the aging part, he can sell quality cheese for a cheap price, and it's a very successful business. I don't have a company name for his cheese business, but the slogan is "Evilly Delicious!"  His henchmen joined his efforts and still help with the cheese factory. One henchmen, the one with no name, had a daughter (also unnamed because I think I'm funny XD) that Two Brains always considered to be a granddaughter to him. She is aware of her family's past actions and is fine with it. She sometimes will help in the cheese factory but generally prefers not to. Two Brains still co-runs the AVA with Tobey.

Chuck and Butcher- Since they went good around the same time and did the same thing, I'm just doing them together. Chuck went for his dream of running his own sandwich shop, which started as a food truck and now is a restaurant, and Butcher partnered with him and helped him. Chuck makes the sandwiches and figures out the recipes, and Butcher helps and supplies the meat. They buy their cheese from Two Brains. Chuck has a better, albeit not perfect relationship with his mom and brother. Chuck also at one point made T shirts to sell in the sandwich shop...the only people who bought any were the other members of the AVA, and that was only to be supportive. The only people who ever actually wear the T shirts are Butcher and Whammer, and again, it's really only to be supportive and it's not very often they get worn. Butcher got married, had a son, and later had a divorce. The marriage was fine, and the divorce was civil, and he's really good friends with his ex-wife and her new husband. His son's name is Kale and he has powers similar to his dad, except dealing with vegetables. Butcher and Kale don't have the best relationship, and this is really on Kale's part. Kale's very prideful and shuts out help when it's offered to him, even if he needs it (which is often) and Butcher's instinct is always to help his son. Kale has a son of his own who he had at a younger age, and who's mother is currently out of the picture. The son's name is Baker, he's 8 and like his father and grandfather (and great grandfather!) has food related powers, his relating specifically to bread (bread, not pastries! Though Baker does like baking pastries!). Baker loves his grandpa and loves spending time with him. While Kale may shut his dad out when he needs help, it's nothing that would ever make Kale keep Baker away from Butcher.

Granny May- Oh yeah, she's still alive. TBH she's probably the oldest person in the city lol. She simply retired crime upon her family's request. She currently is living in an assisted living facility and is still going strong! She's in a scooter now, but still carries a cane with her for no other reason than to whack people of her own volition.

Mr. Big- Big really struggled with going good, despite wanting to. eventually he figured out his problem was greed and wanting money, so he went in the complete opposite direction and became a minimalist hippie. He currently lives in a trailer park, still has a collection of soft bunny toys and uses a walker now. He and Leslie are good friends.

Leslie- When Big went all hippie, he gave his business to Leslie. She, practically overnight, turned it around into a very successful, but also very sustainable and ethical business. Essentially it's Amazon if they had a heart 🙃

Whammer- Whammer loves his job as a professional demolisher! You need an unsafe building torn down? Call Whammer and he'll wham it down! Remodeling your kitchen and need it gutted first? Call Whammer, he'll be happy to wham your kitchen! Snow covering the ground and need the roads cleared? Call Whammer with caution cause he might accidentally pile all the snow against the buildings, trapping everyone inside, but damn those roads sure will be whammed clear!

Amazing Rope Guy- ARG got decent at rope tricks and is now an entertainer. He will certainly not be considered for America's Got Talent but if you want to entertain children at a birthday party and are on a budget, he's your guy! Becky and Tobey used to call him for every one of Theo's birthday parties (to support him) until Theo politely requested they stop. Now he's being hired for Julie's parties.

Lady Redundant Woman- over the years she moved up in her copier place, and eventually had done every position there. Now knowing how to do every position required in a copier store, she opened her own store and her copies are the employees. It's perfect because no matter what, she always has the EXACT right amount of workers, and technically she's the only one working so she can keep all the money for herself or her business (corrupt business people, don't get any ideas!). Dave visits her often and is so proud of her. She hates this. But she sure does love her copy store!

Ms. Question- She got hired onto the police force as a professional interrogator. As you can imagine, she's VERY good at her job. She doesn't even use her powers most of the time. That being said, if it was a severe crime like a murder and the person just wasn't talking or she had reason to believe they were lying or withholding details, she would be happy to use her powers, but most of the time she refuses to use her powers on others.

Learnerer- Is a detective! He watches suspects and learns their habits and can easily detect clues that will tell him exactly who it was if it was someone he's observed. He works with Ms. Question often and they're actually a pretty good team. How's that for a team up?

Victoria Best- When her and her brother were teenagers, they were taken away from their parents and put into a foster family. At first neither of them were happy for obvious reasons, they were just taken away from their parents and home. However, while Victor stayed loyal to his parents' wishes and refused to believe that they should have been taken away, Victoria soon began to see their parents for who they really were, and her own past actions for what they really were. She joined the AVA and made an effort to change, encouraging her brother to let go of their parents' control. She currently has no contact with her biological parents, and sees her foster parents regularly. She has one daughter who she loves deeply and always encourages her to just have fun with things. Try everything and fail with pride. Victoria's daughter sees Victoria's foster parents as grandparents. Victoria visits her brother somewhat regularly for small talk, sometimes she'll try to convince him to join the AVA, but she's learned to not push it. She really just sees him to stay in touch, her daughter has never meant Victor, and while Victoria would love for her daughter and brother to meet, she refuses to let them until Victor starts making an effort to be better. She still has hope her brother will come to his senses one day. Victoria runs a daycare, and did so because she wanted to be able to catch warning signs of poor parenting early in life so the children don't have to suffer in a bad household for as long as she had to.

Eileen- Inspired by, I think it was one of those "The Time I..." commercials Disney Channel used to do, Eileen learned that many people don't have the resources to have as nice birthdays as she does. She felt bad and started donating things to charities so people could have as wonderful of birthdays she always wanted to have every damn day. She currently runs her own charity, and if someone seems just a little too greedy, Eileen goes all hulk on them and turns into the Birthday Girl. People usually listen after that.

Hal- Hal sells his old blueprints for weapons to the cops so they can get a lead, and might even work undercover at times to sell current villains crappy weapons that allow them to get caught.

Coach- Instead of coaching new villains on how to be villains, Coach coaches newcomers to the AVA on the basics of staying good when you just want to commit a crime.

Seymour- Started  a Youtube series called "Can You Spot the Scam?" where he exposes scams around the city and gives advice on how to spot them and avoid them. What he's learned from this is: people are not very good at spotting scams.

Inviso-Bill and Big Left Hand Guy- Married. They got married before going good and before WordGirl retired. AVA members and current villains and WordGirl were all invited to the wedding. They spent a little bit of time as a married criminal duo before retiring. They still don't really know what they should do with themselves as good guys, they both sort of hop from job to job. But they are happy none the less!

Rhyme and Reason- Retired after WordGirl did, just didn't feel right to continue crime without her. They are in a QPR and like Inviso-Bill and BLHG don't really know what to do with themselves, but are happy just to have each other and the AVA

Okay I'm probably missing people, so again if your curious about someone in particular that I missed, let me know!

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers GRAND EDITION for Switch ;; More, Blood ー Yuma Dark [Epilogue]

Monologue

ーー The way to survive in a world which has lost all order.

Is to first and foremost band together as a group. 

No matter how strong or how clever you may be,

if your opponent outnumbers you by just the slightest margin,

you have no shot at winning.

That is most likely the reason why,

the more rowdy the city, the larger the number of gangs.

And in this city as well,

the gangs which had been formed by groups of orphansーー

they would call them ‘teams’,

and there were several of them.

Lucks was the Boss who kept together,

one of the top teams of the city,

and also the person who picked me up,

after I was left for dead in a back-alley.

One day, one week, one month. 

The more time I spent together with him,

the more I began to realize just how amazing he truly was.

He was obviously skilled in battle,

but also oddly intelligent for someone who lived in the slums,

as well did he excel in leadership and decision-making.

On top of that, he had a strong sense of justice and a caring heart.

It was only obvious that many people gathered,

around such an ideal-seeming leader.

Including myself as well,

Boss therefore had many henchman under his wing.

He would even look out for those henchmen’s followers.

There was simply no way that someone with such principles,

could let a person starve to death.

Thanks to Boss,

we got a serving of bread and fruit once every day.

However, the number of us henchmen,

was by no means small. Regardless,

how did Boss manage to provide,

this much food for us?

The amount was simply too much to achieve through theft.

I found this odd.

ー The scene starts with a flashback in the city

Lucks: Here you go, Bear. This is today’s share.

Bear: ...Say, how do you get your hands on this food?

Lucks: Haah? You’re worried about that sorta stuff?

Bear: I’m glad you’re feeding us. However, I’m worried you might be getting yourself involved with dangerous business...

Lucks: Seems like you still don’t quite understand. Not a single thing is risk-free in this city.

Bear: Thenーー

Lucks: But you know, that is nothing for you to worry about.

That’s my duty as a Boss. All you need to do is sit there and munch on your bread.

Bear: ...

*TIMESKIP*

Bear: ( Sometimes Boss disappears without a word... )

( If I find out how he acquires the food, I might be able to help out as well. )

( I owe Boss big time. So I want to help him in every way I can. )

Lucks: ...Ugh...

*Thud*

Bear: ...! B-Boss!?

Oi, Boss! Hang in there! Why are you this...?

Lucks: ...Bear...Is that you? You found me at the worst possible time...

*Rustle*

Bear: ( There’s chafes all over his body...? )

...! Boss, don’t tell me...

Lucks: ...If possible, I would have liked to keep this a secret from you. Despite your rough personality, you are still innocent after all (1)...

The people who give me money...They all treat me like some kind of slave...However, I don’t plan on selling off my heart or soul.

No matter how much money they offer, or how much they control me...I will never belong to anyone.

Even quasi-livestock like me still has a pride left...

ー The flashback ends as the scene shifts to the infirmary

Yuma: ...

A livestock’s pride, huh...?

Yui: ...Nn...

Yuma: Pretty cheeky of ya to repeat his exact same words, huh? Right, Sow...?

*Rustle*

Reinhart: How is she doing?

Yuma: Aahn? Fuck off. Can’t ya tell? She’s snoozin’.

Reinhart: Oh my, you’re right. That being said, she seemed to be suffering from pretty severe anemia...Do you have any clue what might have happened?

Yuma: Beats me! Why do ya ask me? It’s damn annoyin’.

Reinhart: Why, you ask? ...Aren’t you her boyfriend?

Yuma: Boyfriend? Hah! That’s the best joke I’ve ever heard.

Reinhart: Oh, you’re not? I figured that was the case seeing as you were carrying her in your arms as you brought her in.

Yuma: That’s not her role. She’s just part of a ‘means’. ...One to fulfill my ambition, that is.

Reinhart: Your ambition? Are you talking about your dreams for the future? I’m impressed you’ve already got that figured out at your age! What kind of dream is it?

Yuma: Che, shut up. Didn’t ya hear me when I said you’re damn annoyin’!?

Reinhart: Ah, come on. If you shout like thaーー

*Rustle*

Yui: Nn...

Reinhart: See? You woke her up. Good morning, Komori-san. How are you feeling?

Yui: Sensei and...Yuma-kun...?

( ...Right. I was about to fall over from anemia, when Yuma-kun stepped in and... )

( ...My memory is failing me. I must have lost consciousness at some point after he sucked my blood a second time... )

Uhm, right now it’s...?

Reinhart: Fourth period is almost over. You slept soundly.

Yui: That long...?

Yuma: Ya slept way too long just ‘cause you’re runnin’ a lil’ low on blood!

Yui: S-Sorry...

Reinhart: Watch your mouth, Yuma-kun! That’s not a very nice way to put it? Being kind to women should be the basic rule of any man, no?

Yuma: Kind? Hah, you’ve got to be kidding me. She’s not worth that sorta treatment.

Yui: ( I’m nothing but a toy in Yuma-kun’s eyes after all...There’s no way he would be kind to me. )

( ...But, he did bring me to the infirmary after I had lost consciousness. I should be grateful for that, right? )

( Although he is the reason this happened in the first place though... )

Reinhart: Hmm, your complexion is still a little pale. Are you anemic after all?

Right now you are only showing light symptoms, but if it gets more severe, please go to the hospital.

Well, you kids are still young, so for now focus on eating good, nutritious meals, okay?

Yui: Yes. Thank you very much.

Reinhart: Well then, I’ll be on my way to the staff room but if you still feel unwell, you can rest here. What about you, Yuma-kun?

Yuma: Aah? If she remains here, I obviously will as well.

Reinhart: Fufu, you must be really worried about her.

Yui ( No way he’s worried, he just wants to keep an eye on me... )

Reinhart: I’ll leave you in her care then. Ah, do you remember what I said earlier? You have to be kind toーー

Yuma: Shut yer fuckin’ mouth! Go already!!

Reinhart: Ahaha, good luck then!

Yui: ( Sensei’s amazing, he can just laugh it off when Yuma-kun snaps at him. )

Yuma-kun, are you sure you shouldn’t go? To class.

Yuma: ...Aah?

Yui: ( Uwah, he’s in a foul mood...I probably shouldn’t say anything unnecessary now... )

Yuma: Geez...From havin’ to carry ya ‘round, gettin’ hindered by that damn NEET to dealin’ with that nosy Teacher...Today seriously sucked big time.

It’s all ‘cause ya collapsed on me. Take some responsibility, Sow.

Yui: ...! N-No more blood today, okay!?

( I feel like I’ll be in serious trouble if he sucks me yet another time! )

Yuma: I’ve fed off ya twice and ya already reached yer limit? It’s ‘cause you’re so damn tiny.

...Che, guess it can’t be helped. It won’t be delicious if I suck ya when you’re already all shriveled.

Then just rest up here until school’s over. I get to skip classes as well. Gotta watch ya after all. I won’t have Ruki scold me afterwards.

Yui: The whole time...Until after class? I’ve actually come to school, so I’d like to at least attend final period...

Yuma: Don’t be complainin’! I’m tellin’ ya to rest so get to sleep!!

Yui: F-Fine...! I understand, so please don’t yell like that.

Yuma: ...Che, look at ya twitchin’ in fear. Nn...

Yui: ( Ah, those sugar cubes again...He brings those with him even to school. Just how much does he like them? )

( Well, but...Despite everything he says, he’ll stay here with me the whole time, right? Even if he just wants to skip class. )

( Perhaps Yuma-kun is just the slightest bit worried about me as well. )

( I should probably thank him at least? )

ー Yuma moves closer

Yui: Say, Yuma-kun. Thaーー Nguh!?

*Rustle*

–> If you are playing the Limited V edition or the Grand Edition, little black roses will appear on the screen. If you click on them, you get an extra line of dialogue.

“Don’t make a fuss. Keep still.”

“...Aah? What? You’re curious ‘bout Sugar-chan?”

“Che...! Geez, this bed is too damn small...They should change it to somethin’ a lil’ more fittin’ for someone my size!”

Yui: ...!?

Yuma: Nn...Come on, eat it. Don’t ya dare spit it out. 

Yui: ( It’s sweet...Is this sugar he’s forcing inside my mouth...!? )

Yuma: Ya should feel grateful. I’m sharin’ my cute lil’ Sugar-chan with someone like ya after all...

Yui: ...Nn...

Yuma: Come on, I’ll make an exception and add in one more.

Yui: ( My mouth’s full...! How many will he stuff inside...!? )

Nn...Phew...Nn...

Yuma: Hah...Ya swallowed them all, right?

Yui: ( Is it from the...sweetness of the sugar? For some reason, I feel strange... )

Yuma: How’s that? Delicious, right?

Eat some good food like this to get yer blood runnin’ again, then lemme suck it as soon as possible. ...Understood?

If even livestock has a pride, ya shouldn’t throw in the towel over somethin’ like this.

Show me some guts...

Yui: ( I doubt sugar cubes will provide much nutrition though... )

( ...But, he might be worrying about me in his own way. )

( I wonder if he has this side to him because he was once human...? )

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) The term 擦れる or ‘sureru’ usually means something like ‘to become worn out’ or ‘to chafe’, but it can also mean ‘to lose one’s innocence’. 

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

<- [ Dark 10 ] [ Maniac Prologue ] ->

[ari-arrivederci]

An s/o shopping at the mall (and being a member of la Squadra themselves) running into each prospective member as the s/o is shopping for something embarrassing. thank you!! <3

Sorry about the wait, please enjoy

【Risotto】

He’s not fond of going to the mall. It’s too open, and it’s swarming with people. He tries to keep his trips short and sweet, going in to buy what he needs, and then get out. No loitering around. He’s fortunate that he rarely - if ever, bumps into anyone from the Mafia, but anyone that sees him knows better than the run their mouth. You, are rather different in that regard.

He notices you sheepishly leaving a store, one he never paid much attention to, “(Y/N)? I thought you were staying home today?”, Risotto made no sound as he approached, the shock causing you to almost scream in terror, like you’d been caught doing something you shouldn’t have been - well, technically speaking, you were.

His eyes wander over the mysterious bag, as you clutch it tightly. He so desperately wants to take a look, but seeing as you’re flustered, he lets it slide, despite being able to put two-and-two together by simply looking at the store you just left.

【Ghiaccio】

Another one that despises the mall, but happens to be way more vocal about it. Passing strangers that get in his way, or children causing a scene are the ones most at risk of suffering from his wrath. Even the security guards don’t bother trying to escort him out of the mall anymore - it’s simply not worth it.

Ghiaccio stomps about the mall, complaining loudly to himself about how stupid some of the slogans are, especially ones that include a pun of sorts. He almost doesn’t notice you at first, at least until you try to swiftly leave his field of vision. Alas, Ghiaccio is faster than you.

“(Y/N), why are you here?!”, he seems the most flustered, despite him calling you out, “I’m just shopping,” you smile, in hopes that flimsy excuse works. It does not, and before you can even protest, he practically rips the bag out of your hand to look inside; a choice he regrets not more than a second later.

【Melone】

He usually does all his shopping online - preferring convince over quality. On the rare occasion he ventures out to the mall, he spends most of his time sat idly in the food court, simply watching people go by.

During this, he happens to see your familiar face, and calls out to you. Melone certainly wasn’t expecting the deer in the headlights look he got as a response from his dear, but when he happened to see your bag, he understood everything.

Melone sits there with a sinister smirk as you race off home. It won’t be too long before Melone accompanies you.

【Pesci】

He doesn’t like going the mall alone. He’s fine if it’s with you or Prosciutto, but being alone just makes him anxious, and worry that people are watching his every move as he goes about the mall trying to get what he needs as quickly as he can.

He spots you leaving a shoot hat he usually pays no mind to. He still doesn’t take much interest in it as he scurries over you, almost frightening the life out of you as you try to hide your bag from him.

He’ll ask what you bought, and your answer of, “I’ll show you when we get home”, is more than enough to satisfy his curiosity. He’s just happy to not have to shop alone.

【Prosciutto】

He goes the mall quite frequently, mainly to browse, while he buys what he needs, but there’s a small café there he’s fond of. He usually sits for a while to enjoy a cup of coffee before he heads off.

He keeps a watchful eye for any danger, but what he doesn’t expect to see is you. He remembers you very clearly saying you were spending your day off at home, and finishes his coffee quickly so he can interrogate you.

You’re just as shocked to see him, especially when he grabs your hand in his own, trying to go for the bag you’re so desperate to keep out of his grasp. He’s curious now, but if you wish to keep it hidden, he’ll wait until you’re home.

【Illuso】

He spends a fair amount of time at the mall, mainly to people watch, but he’s sometimes placed there instead of the airport when it comes to work - not that he minds either way.

He had a feeling he’d find you here today, feeling incredibly smug when he’s proven right, seeing you exit a shop with an incredibly interesting bag.

He observes you for a moment, before he decides to approach, mainly with the intention to tease you, but he’s still rather happy he ran into you here. It beats having to wait until you’re both back home.

【Formaggio】

Doesn’t particularly like the mall, but he doesn’t hate it either. It’s convenient for sure, but it’s always crowded and loud. Still, he’s really only there for the pet shop, picking up his usual cat food along with some new toys.

He didn’t even notice you until the nearly knocked you over, stopping his apology when he got a look at you, “(Y/N)? What are you doing here? I said I’d get the cat food,” he smiles, until he notices your bag.

He’s the curious type, and can’t resist trying to look inside, or take the bag away from you, just to tease you a little, he at least tries to be subtle by offering to carry it.

[closer-stars]

By Your Side - San

Member: San Requested: Yes @hoe9for9kpop Genre: Fluff Word count: 5k+ Content: Jealousy. Don’t forget to communicate ! San needs reassurance. Bit of angst. Wholesome stuff.  Note: this took... forever. I tried. I went through a bit of a writer’s block somewhere but I got through it. I hope it’s okay?

The male looks up from his computer upon hearing a few knocks against the door. “San-ah! Is it okay if one of my friends stays at our place for a week?” You ask simply. Your boyfriend looks at the phone in your hand then at your features. 

“Yeah, that’s fine. What’s going on, babe?” He asks before you return your attention to the phone.

“My friend needs a place to stay for some business thing but his company won’t cover his living expenses.” You return with a frown. He doesn’t say anything else but a nod, quickly returning to his game, yelling at Yunho to save him. He did make a mental note to ask you more about this after, right now he had to make sure he and Yunho last through the entire round. 

“Hey, babe. Who’s this friend of yours?” He asks casually over dinner. He doubts his memory sometimes, there were times where he doesn’t remember things especially when explained to him while he was tired. He notices how your eyes brighten up and how happy you look as you explain that they were an old friend since high school. Both of you kept in touch even if he moved elsewhere before the start of university. While you were in the middle of telling him stories, his phone rings. He gives you an apologetic look, seeing that it’s from the company. His schedules can start at the weirdest times sometimes. You don’t mind though, it’s part of his work. 

While you were cleaning up the dishes, he immediately returns to you after the call. “Are you sure we can still let my friend stay? I don’t want it to go in between your work.” You say as you put the plates in the cabinets. You were already devising a plan for your friend in case you had to retract your offer. He helps clean up the counters as he laughs softly at your concern. “Baby, don’t worry. Your friend can still stay with us. My manager just had to remind me of my early schedule tomorrow. We can still pick up your friend from the airport three days from now,  right?” He says, making it a point to show that he was paying attention to what you’ve been talking about. 

You couldn’t help but flash a smile of gratitude at him, and press a kiss on his dimpled cheek. 

“Love you, babe.” 

The following days moved by a lot faster than you expected and maybe it was because you were just excited to see your friend again. While San was at the company for preparations for their upcoming promotions, you stayed at home cleaning the place up along with the room your friend will be staying in for the next few days. Once you are satisfied with how your place looks, you immediately get yourself changed to get ready to go to airport. San messaged you a few minutes ago that he was near and once he freshens up, both of you could head to the airport to pick your friend up. 

The trip to the airport was a little endearing in his eyes. Your knee was shaking as you looked at the road in front of you. “Babe, we’ll get there in time.” San reminds you in between giggles. You look at him with a sheepish smile. “Sorry..” You mumble, embarrassed. He shakes his head, assuring you that there was nothing to be sorry about. He leans over to press a peck on your lips. “Anything for you.”

Both of you arrive at the airport with a few minutes to spare before your friend comes out. They’ve already told you what they were wearing and you to them, even telling them you brought your boyfriend with you. You lean your forearms against the railing, your eyes trained on your phone screen or on the door, trying your best to not look like you were about to vault through the door. 

“What are they wearing, babe?”

You open your phone again. “Black jeans, red coat, white shirt and his luggage’s navy.” 

San looks at you with a bemused look. “Are you sure that’s not Mingi?” 

“If it was, I would’ve just booked an AirBnB for him.” You joke in return. Just then, the doors slide open to let those who had arrived to head out after claiming their luggage. Both of you shift your attention to the people trickling out, looking for anyone who would match the description. 

“There!” You exclaim, waving at a male. San looks at the direction your eyes were set on. He didn’t know your close friend was another man-- well he never did ask, nor did you ever tell him. Oops. His chest tightens slightly at the fact you were so elated to see them again. He didn’t like this feeling either, internally fighting it out as you welcome your friend warmly. ‘He’s just a friend. I’m still the boyfriend.’ He reminds himself over and over as he slowly trails behind you. 

“Hwamin! This is San, my boyfriend. San, Hwamin.” You introduce them to each other, hoping that things go well with the two for the week. Polite bows were exchanged, along with other niceties. San doesn’t want to show his discomfort still, and tries to swallow his insecurities for the moment as he offers to take Hwamin’s luggage from him as they head to their car.  

“Thanks, San.” Hwamin says, a little relieved to have the tension in his arms be lifted after the hours of being in a plane and dragging his luggage. The trip back to the apartment was the same, you and Hwamin exchanging stories as you fill each other up on what the other has missed. San was on the wheel and for once he was thankful he was in charge of driving, just so he could avoid being part of the conversation. San kind of wishes he could get home quicker without risking a ticket, the sooner they get home, the sooner he can escape the conversation and his thoughts. 

They arrive at their apartment in one piece. “The traffic here hasn’t changed. It’s still better than America’s.” Hwamin says with a tired laugh. The two boys lift the luggage into the place, both of them huffing at the amount of effort they had to exert. 

“Just what did you pack…” San mutters in disbelief. There was no way a luggage that was roughly the same size as his usual luggage, could be heavier than what he carries in his months long tours. 

“Some snacks that they like, and for you. Also heard you were into plush dolls, so..” explained the other as he pushes the luggage into the living room for him to unpack what he can use for the night. 

“Hwamin, you can fix your things later. Aren’t you tired?” You ask as you bring the two men some food to snack on. It was already too late for any restaurant to be open unless they wanted to drink then that’s another topic. Just as he managed to grab his clothes for the night and the following day, he manages to toss a small packet of your favorite chips. It was a gift from the higher beings that you had quick reflexes to catch the packet mid-air.

“Don’t think I forgot, kid. To answer your question, I am but still riding that freedom out of a plane y’know?” was his return as he downs his water. San on the other hand, had front row seats to how the two of you talk. Is this how his friends felt when he and you would be that sickeningly sweet couple or worse? San manages to finish his glass of water before rising from his seat. He makes it a point to press a kiss on your forehead before bidding the both of you a good night. 

“I’ll see you two in the morning.” were his only words the entire night before he retreats to his room. Hwamin and you look at him slip away, one out of curiosity, the other out of concern.

“Is he okay?” Hwamin asks.

“He has a long day tomorrow..” You trail off. It was true but you don’t sound that convincing even to yourself. You shake your head and get up as well. “Come on, I’ll show you your room and where the bathroom is.” After having done as you said, you retreated into your shared room with San for the next few days. 

You peek into the room and already find him in bed. A sigh slips through your lips, quietly getting your sleep wear and slipping into the bathroom to clean yourself up after a long day. You then quietly slip into bed next to him, your arm lightly resting on his waist. 

What you didn’t know was that San was still awake the entire time. Instead of sleeping, he was on his phone while you were still talking to Hwamin, hiding his phone when you entered the room and doing the same when you slipped into bed. He hated how his emotions were slowly making him act out. He didn’t like how you looked so concerned over him when he hushed up as you and Hwamin conversed. He didn’t want to let you know how shitty his emotions were either. How many talks have the both of you exchanged in the past about his insecurities and jealousy? Even before being a couple, the both of you have talked about his jealousy streak and until now, it still affects him. 

If he was still going to be this jealous and insecure over your relationship, did he even deserve you at all? 

San woke up to his phone alarm buzzing. 5AM. He had to get ready for his schedules today. He looks to his side to see you, still peacefully asleep. If he was jealous last night of how you and Hwamin clicked so naturally, he’s jealous now of how you’re able to get a few more hours of sleep. He lets his lips graze against your temple, letting your arms now wrap around the seal plush toy a fan gave him. When he rises from your bed, you shuffle and whine slightly, slipping in and out of consciousness. San quickly hushes you, “Go back to sleep, babe.”. He quietly gets ready for his day, putting everything he needs for the day in his backpack. Just as he steps out of his room, he’s greeted by Hwamin fixing his luggage. “Oh-- hey, morning.” He greets, awkwardly. 

Hwamin looks up, smiling brightly at the male. Damn, how was it possible for anyone to be this smiley at this hour? He takes it as an effect of jetlag. “Morning, San! You’re up early too.” He says as he puts his things aside. Hwamin’s amber eyes finally take notice of San’s outfit. “Ah, right, they told me you were gonna have a long day today. Good luck with work!” San finds himself feeling awkward with such an open personality at this hour, rubbing the back of his neck. He bows to the male and makes his way to the door. 

“Oh yeah, they won’t be up until around three hours later. So if you’re hungry, be our guest and cook something if you need.” He calls out from the door, quietly slipping out. It’s only when the manager picks him up that he lets out the groan he’s been aching to let out. The manager hands him his breakfast for the day, letting the male rant what has happened in the past few hours. 

“San, if you don’t want to deal with him, just sleep at the dorm with the boys for the entire week.” The manager had a point. You wouldn’t have to deal with his jealousy fueled antics. Yet, he also knew that you’d want to have him and Hwamin interact. 

Taking the easy way out just wasn’t him.

He shakes his head as he starts to eat. “Hyung, I promised them I’d be with them this entire week because of their friend. Going back on my word isn’t me-like right?” That made the manager snort in agreement, remembering the days of trainee San making promises and actually keeping them no matter how crazy they were. 

“Okay but if anything happens, your room with Yunho is still there.” 

You wake up to an empty bed and a seal plushie smiling up at you. 8:30AM. You push yourself up and look at your phone. 

[ Sannie ] Don’t forget to eat breakfast! I’ll be home late today :( 

You send him a heart sticker as you start your day. You worked as an editor and writer for an online magazine so you were blessed to be able to work from home but for today, you had to give Hwamin a ride to his meeting. Maybe you could work on your articles there.  

You quickly get ready for the day but are slowed down by the smell of… were those pancakes? You peek out, already in your outdoor clothes. Hwamin was setting down a small stack of pancakes for the both of you in the living room. “Morning sleepyhead.” He teases, gesturing at you to take a seat.

“Since when did you know how to cook?!” You ask incredulously. The pancakes were topped with some fruits you still had in the refrigerator. “Since I started living with my girlfriend-- well fiance” He notes, casually. “Oh yeah, I didn’t make coffee for you since I don’t even know if you’re drinking coffee now also.. How do you even make your coffee machine work?”

You stop him quickly, putting a strawberry tipped fork at his face. “You’re what!?” Good morning to you indeed. “Also, yes I drink coffee! I’ll teach you the coffee machine later.”

He laughs. Clearly nothing has changed. He brings out his phone to show you the lucky girl. “Met her in one of my business classes. Dude, if I could just introduce the two of you..” He says with such a dreamy sigh. 

“You are telling me all of this later. Right now, we have pancakes to eat and an hour drive to your meeting.” You say with more energy than a cup of cold brew could give you. 

You spend the next few hours working on articles, making sure all of these were already good enough to be sent to the layout team. A few tables over, Hwamin was discussing deals with other heavy names in the industry. You decide to shoot San a message in the midst of your break. 

[ To: Sannie ] Make sure you get something to eat eventually! 

A quick glance at the time. He was going to perform in a few minutes so you decide to look for a live stream. You managed to find one just in time to see them step on stage and be in position. It didn’t take much of a brain to know that ATEEZ was a force to be reckoned with. You’ve watched San become who he is, through the ups and downs, and though you weren’t a performer, your eyes have become accustomed to understand the tricks and trades of their art. 

This time, your eyes catch sight of how San performs a little harder than usual. While to fans, this might look like he was embodying the entire piece, and to a degree that’s true. To you, you knew just how hard San can go when his performance is fueled by something personal. Today was one of those days and you were a little worried if something had happened prior. Despite that, you had to give the boys credit where it was due. 

[ To: Sannie ] you guys did well today! I’m so proud of you, babe. ^^

You tell Hwamin that you’ll be in the coffee shop next to this restaurant to continue with your work before scurrying away to not disrupt the meeting any longer. 

San on the other hand was breathing harder than usual, hunched over as he tries to get air into his aching lungs. Who knew performing such a strong song would aid in him dealing with his own personal issues. He’s winded from performing so hard while they still had another performance to go to that day. Performing with an unfocused mind was dangerous, he of all people knows this. They can’t risk another injury: Jongho was still recovering from his leg injury and Seonghwa could barely sit comfortably from his hip injury. If he were to get injured, it was going to be a bigger issue and a longer delay for their next album. 

“Hyung, are you okay?” Jongho calls to him.

The fox-like male shakes his thoughts away as he detaches the in ears and mic from his head. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He rasps out before taking small sips of water. The youngest doesn’t take his word for it but drops it. They had to get ready to bounce to their next schedule. Their staff has already packed everything up for them so all they had to do was get their personal belongings then bounce. San follows the rest of the members as he reads through your texts and it just makes his chest hurt more than it already does. 

Your words were genuine but why doesn’t he feel them to be so? 

The ride to the next schedule was quiet, everyone catching up on sleep after waking up so early for those five to eight minutes on stage. “Hyung, what time will our schedule end?” San mumbles to Seonghwa, his head resting against the window. The eldest looks over at the burdened male. From one look, Seonghwa already knew what was in his mind. 

“Probably 2 AM.. and San?”

“Yeah?”

“Same problem?”

That made him sigh in exhaustion. Besides you, Seonghwa was one of the most observant to the mood shifts among the members. Seonghwa didn’t need him to expound. He just needed to let San know that the members are there for them and that you weren’t going anywhere. As much as this guy was particular with how he speaks to people around him, he could be careless when it came to himself. 

“San, you really need to talk to them soon.” 

San knew what he meant by that. The last time he kept it to himself was horrific for everyone but right now, he just didn’t have the heart to do it. Not when Hwamin was going to be at home whenever he was too. He just nods at Seonghwa’s words but his thoughts swam with insecurities and constant comparisons he put himself against your best friend. He closes his eyes, trying to get some shut eye before they’ll be back on their feet for who knows how long. He falls asleep eventually but still his mind was clouded with thoughts and questions, all of which are baseless.

He knows this but he feels powerless to it.

Hongjoong wakes them up when they arrive at their last schedule for the day. He had to admit that having grown so much in a span of two years had its cons. One of them was having to perform in three different points of an entire concert. Being the opening, the middle and closing was to a degree a good thing but when you’re riddled by insecurities and less sleep. It’s just a bad combination for him. 

San finally arrives home and all the lights are closed to which he assumes that you and Hwamin are sleeping. It’s only when he enters when he notices the stray light that’s still on in the kitchen. He sees you. He sees you still on your laptop working-- or at least it looks like you’re still working. Without another word, he finds himself nuzzling against your neck, arms wrapped around your torso. 

“Welcome home, babe.” You murmur. Just as you were about to rise and get him some food, he tightens his hold around you. “Baby, it’s late.. You need to eat.” A gentle chide that had him whining against your neck but relenting to your concern. A quick peck to the top of his head was his reward for listening then he slips onto the chair next to yours. He doesn’t mean to but he catches sight of what’s on your laptop screen. Short clips of his performances today, along with what fans have been talking about. 

“You watched this performance too?” San asks, raising his eyes to your figure. Though he couldn’t see you nod. You do. 

“How can I not?” You say in return as you make sure the portions were enough for him. “I always watch your performances, babe. No matter how late or early they are.” There it was again. That pang in his chest that tells him you deserve so much better. So much better than a man who comes home and leaves home at odd times, who leaves home for months on end. He swallows all of it with the food you’ve made for him. He wants to cry but he’s too tired. 

“How was your day?” He asks after a few spoonfuls. Your voice lulls him to peace. You tell him about your day, joking about becoming Hwamin’s chaperone in his stay here. Even if your voice brings him to peace, his thoughts bring him chaos. Where your voice ends, the comparisons begin. How would it be if he did a “normal” job? Would things be better? Would he have even met you? 

Once he is finished with his late dinner (or was it an early breakfast), he waits for you. You raise the question of what his schedule will be for tomorrow. “Thankfully it’s not as killer as today’s but I still have a photoshoot for tomorrow and an interview.” He says through an exhausted chuckle. You look at him properly after washing the dishes. He looked so worn out. He hasn’t even removed his makeup. 

“Let’s wash you up and get you ready for bed, babe. It’s been a long day. I’ll wake you up for your schedule tomorrow okay?” 

He’ll take what he can get to put these demons away from his head. 

He wakes up to you gently shaking him awake. “Rise and shine, baby. I made you some waffles.” That was enough to get him to sit up. The bedhead makes you chuckle. “Go get freshened up. Your breakfast’s ready.” You say as you pat his hips before leaving the room. He rubs his eyes, and finds his hands free of any makeup residue. Did you help clean him up? The man looks at his phone. 10 AM. His photoshoot and interview were at 2 PM. Enough time for him to wake up and be a proper human being before facing society. He pushes himself out of bed, staggering to the bathroom to wake up. 

By the time he comes out of his room in a fresh set of clothes, he’s greeted by the scent of waffles and coffee. “Where’s Hwamin?” He asks, feeling a little odd even in his own space to the absence of your best friend. 

You slide his share towards him. “His business partners picked him up, earlier today. I think they’re meeting other potential brand partners?” You return with a shrug of your shoulders, business was never your forte after all. 

He nods, a part of him a little relieved to at least have the morning with you to himself. As he slowly eats, he finds his mind going back to these inner demons. 

10:45 AM.

“Babe?”

“Yes?”

“Can we talk…?” 

It’s crazy how three words can make your heart skip a beat. While the other three words makes either of you feel lighter, these three make you feel heavy. Your eyes tear away from your laptop screen, wondering what has been in his head. The look on his face made it easy to know that this was going to be one of those talks. You put your laptop aside and face him properly. 

“What’s been going on, babe?”

He picks at his food almost pitifully. The look on your face hurts him more than usual because he knows he’s at fault for putting such a look on your face. “I just…” he starts but he’s unable to find the words to properly articulate his turmoil. “It’s so stupid.” he continues out of frustration. 

“It’s not stupid, San. If it affects you this much then it’s something important.” 

His features morph into something like a plea. A plea to help him straighten his thoughts out, to save him from these demons that continue to fuel his insecurities. “Insecurities…” he trails off again, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. “It’s just, I have this small fear that you’d eventually leave me. I haven’t even known Hwamin properly but seeing how you two are gave me the idea that you deserve someone better. Someone who doesn’t come home or leave at the weirdest times. Someone who can stay with you through anything. His work’s more stable than mine too if you think about it.” The longer he goes on, the more his words sound convoluted and all you can do as he lets this out is to hold his hand. You listen carefully, letting him know that you’re paying attention to every single word. It’s when he starts to look like he’s about to cry that you sit next to him and have him wet your skin with his tears of frustration and exhaustion. The build up of stress from his work and the sudden presence of your friend and his insecurities had climaxed into this melt down. 

You let him cry quietly, his hands clinging to your shirt as if it were his life line. It takes a while before his breathing evens out and that’s when you peek at his features, wiping away the wet trail of tears on his cheeks. “Babe..” You start and you tip his chin to have him look at you in the eye. “Again and again. I will always be here to fight your demons away. I’m not going anywhere without you. You’re the only one I want and this life I have with you is miles better than a life with anyone else.” You say. Your lips press light kisses against his eyelids, the tip of his nose, his chin then his lips.  “Hwamin is simply my best friend. Nothing more. Even if your work brings you to the otherside of the world, I will gladly follow if you ask. Even if I tell you to not question how you deserve me or what not, I’ll be here to remind you every single time. It’s because I love you.”

He smiles. Smiles wide enough for his dimples to show and while it doesn’t make his eyes turn into small crescents, it’s wide enough to speak of relief. He presses his lips against yours again. “I love you so much.” He declares quietly, his forehead leaning against yours and you can’t help but giggle. 

“I love you too, babe. Now go eat! You still got a schedule later!” You tease him as you decide to feed this baby of yours before shooing him off to get ready. 

The next few days go by without a hitch. Hwamin’s meetings were already done and he was already flying back in two days. He and Hwamin have become friends as if they’ve been friends longer than you have with Hwamin. He found his insecurities to be a little childish considering him and Hwamin were now bonding over video games. Especially after knowing that he was already engaged to his long time girlfriend. If bonding can be considered as both of them trying to beat the other in a classic game of Tekken. You had left them alone for the rest of the day as you had to go on errands for your work. 

San starts to squeak in panic as he tries to avoid the final blow from Hwamin but all his efforts go down the drain as Hwamin takes the winning hit. 

“Rematch!!” 

“Nah, I won fair and square San.”

As they look through another arena, their conversation turns back to Hwamin. It felt all the more childish when he realized this guy was already engaged. “You’re getting married when?” San asks as he tries to choose a better fighter this time. 

“Next year but right now, we’re both focusing on our work.” He explains as tries to avoid the rapid kicks and tosses San tries to land on him. The two bounce from topics of relationships, you, health and work, almost acting like siblings. 

By the time you entered the room, they were still at it. Only now they were trying their own skills at playing dirty in a racing game. You couldn’t believe it really but you were happy. Two of your favorite boys in your life, being in good terms with each other to the point they were fighting it out through a video game. 

It was San who notices your presence first. “Hey babe!” He says almost in a hurry to try and beat Hwamin’s player. You watch the TV as the boys start to try and distract each other in order to win. San eventually wins with a few seconds on his side, causing Hwamin to groan in defeat. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a punk phase back in grade school?”

You stare at Hwamin and he looks away as if he hadn’t heard anything. “Give me the other controller. I’m making sure I beat both of you in this.” 

The three of you were at the airport. This time to drop off Hwamin. You had to fight the tears from spilling. It was a good week you had to admit despite the rough start, for it to end so quickly had admittedly made you a little emotional. No wonder you and San were an item. Hwamin pats San’s back. “Make sure to take care of them okay?” San nods with a determined grin. 

“Congrats on your engagement too. Can’t wait to see the both of you make it official.” 

Hwamin then gives you an almost bone crushing hug. “Beat his ass in Tekken for me.” He jokes. You roll your eyes at him and give him a playful jab at his abdomen. “On a more serious note, thank you really. You’ve grown well. I better see you in my wedding.” He says as he walks backwards, waving at the both of you. The both of you wave at him until he becomes a small speck. 

The two of you return to your car and San couldn’t help but steal a quick peck on your cheek. 

“What was that for?”

“Nothing. I’m just thankful for having you by my side.” 

“Always.”

[awkwardpenguinproductions]

Anchor Point

Part 1 of the Dragon of the Yuyan

Read on AO3 | Series Masterpost

Someone asked me to post my Dragon of the Yuyan series on Tumblr as they were unable to access AO3. So here we are. I’m going to try and put a Read More cut after the first paragraph or so, let me know if this works or doesn’t work and I’ll adjust accordingly.

–––

Zuko has never been this hungry before. The scary thing is, he can’t really feel it anymore––his stomach has ceased sending shooting pains through his gut, has stopped gurgling and roaring in demand for sustanence. He can feel weakness nipping at his limbs like eel-hounds on the hunt, and his firebending grows weaker by the day.

He’d thought he'd been hungry when he’d missed three meals in a row after Azula had locked him in a closet when he was eleven. No one had realized that he was missing until dinnertime, and then Father had commanded him confined to his chambers without dinner in punishment for not taking the initiative to free himself--never mind that the door couldn't be opened at all except from the outside, and Zuko's fireblasts weren't yet strong enough to blow it open.

He hadn't slept that night, tossing and turning in his bed as his stomach growled fiercely, cursing Azula and promising himself that he'd never get caught like that again. The next morning, Uncle had met him at the training yards with a bowl of okayu, and Zuko had been so hungry that he hadn't even cared that he was eating food meant for babies and sick people.

He'd thought he'd been hungry then.

He knew now that that had been a simple inconvenience.

When he'd been dumped in the northwestern mountains of the Earth Kingdom, it had been early spring, his burn had been fresh and agonizing, and Zuko had known absolutely nothing about surviving in the wilderness. But desperation makes for quick learning, and by the height of summer, he was hunting and foraging enough to at least maintain his firebending, if nothing else.

Now, though…

It's miserably cold, and it feels like it's been raining for years. Zuko is soaked, and shivering, and hasn't had a successful hunt in two weeks. Anything he might forage is rotten with the wet. Sometimes the rain comes down as hard little pellets that sting his skin, and in the morning the forest shines with the coating of ice. Winter is a looming terror, but at this point, if something doesn't change, Zuko won't live long enough to see snow for the first time.

There is nothing for him here. He should move on while he can still move.

Walking is agony. If he tries to think in terms of distance, in terms of miles, he feels like curling up on the frozen ground and waiting for death, so instead he thinks in terms of getting from one tree to the next, in terms of putting one foot in front of the other. Exhaustion weighs on him, and his limbs shake.

Somehow, he makes it out of the forest, and face to face with the sea. He toys with the idea of simply walking into the water until it covers his head and letting La do with him what he will, until he spots a ship.

It's too far out to see him, and his inner fire is so smothered by the cold that it's barely embers in the yawning pit of his stomach, so he wouldn't be able to signal it. But he can follow it, and see where it makes port. Maybe he can beg or steal some rations to keep starvation at bay.

The ship (a Fire Nation Ironclad, which fills him with equal parts terror and hope) steams only a few miles north and docks at the foot of an enormous fort. Pohuai Stronghold, whispers the Crown Prince part of his mind. Supply and troop depot for forces stationed in the Earth Kingdom. If anywhere was going to have food, it would be this place. Now to get inside…

A road, a komodo-rhino-driven cart, and Zuko is hunkering down behind a crate in silence as it carries him past the three massive walls that he never would have managed to scale in the state he's currently in. Once the cart lurches to a stop, he manages to slip out and into the shadows without anyone seeing him, and creeps around until he finds a storeroom. It's full of uniforms and other clothes, and Zuko promises himself that once he finds some food, he'll return for some clothes that might actually keep him warm, instead of the ragged silk tunic and trousers he'd been dropped off in. He does snag a sack to carry whatever rations he manages to find.

The next storeroom contains weapons, and Zuko helps himself to a brand new utility knife and a blade-maintenance kit, since his dagger from Uncle has grown dull from months of being used to dress his kills. He eyes a pair of dao broadswords, but food is more important right now, and he moves on.

Finally, he finds the dry rations. It takes everything he has not to grab the nearest box and stuff his face, but he's already spent too long here and he needs to leave before he's caught. He fills his sack with three days worth, knowing that in his state, that amount will last him at least a week, and retraces his steps back to where he found the clothes.

But someone else finds him first.

The arrows thunk into the wall behind him through the sleeves of his tunic, pinning his arms without even scratching his skin. Zuko drops his sack in surprise and tries to pull free, but the risk of losing his only clothing with winter barreling down on him like a stampeding komodo-rhino is not one he wants to take. More arrows sink into the wall along his sides and legs, until Zuko can't move at all.

His heart races, and he can feel his scar pull as his eyes go wide, watching the five archers closing in on him. Zuko wonders if they'll return him to his father, to be dumped in the Capital Prison to rot or be killed outright for disgracing the Fire Lord and the Royal Family with his weakness, or if he'll be dumped back in the wilderness to starve or freeze to death. He has no doubt that the Fire Lord wants him dead, he's just so useless and pathetic that it's not even worth the effort of killing him himself or ordering his death. He looks at the five broad-headed arrows pointing at him, and a tiny part of himself thinks finally.

But they don't loose. The arrows slowly drift down to point at the floor, as the archers seem to actually look at him for the first time. One archer, a woman, actually loops her bow over her head and shoulder to free her hands. Her expression is hard as she makes signs and symbols that mean nothing to Zuko, but apparently have meaning for her comrades. One of the other archers, a young man, nearly drops his own bow in his haste to reply, his expression incredulous. The woman flings her hand at Zuko in a clear expression of "well look at him!", gritting her teeth at the young man who glares right back. The archer in the center of the formation, literally in the middle of the conversation, holds up both hands to stop it. This man is obviously the leader, as both the woman and the younger man subside immediately. The leader directs a hard look at the younger man, his hands moving furiously as he signs, then he turns to the rest of the archers and moves his hands some more. The woman looks satisfied, and the other two archers nod. Rope is produced, and Zuko is efficiently freed from the wall and trussed up like a Summer Solstice komodo-chicken before he can really register what is happening.

The archers take him to a room in the tall center tower of the Stronghold, empty except for a table. Zuko is forced to sit on one side of the table, flanked by a pair of archers, while the leader sits across from him, the woman standing at his right. The younger man is sent out of the room, and returns within a few minutes carrying paper and a writing set, which he sets in front of the leader before taking his place sullenly at his leader's side.

The leader writes something on a piece of paper and slides it across the table for Zuko to read. From his expression, Zuko thinks that the leader doesn't expect him to know how to read. Granted, Zuko hasn't seen a mirror in about six months, so he thinks it might be a reasonable assumption.

My name is Toshiaki, Troop Commander of the Yuyan Archers. Who are you, and how did you get into the Stronghold?

Zuko should've known. The Yuyan Archers are legendary throughout the Fire Nation for their skills, not only in archery but in all manner of stealth arts. He opens his mouth to reply, but the words stick in his throat as his scar burns and Commander Toshiaki is replaced with a vision of Father reaching out to him. He cringes back, only to jerk away when one of the Archers flanking him puts a hand on his shoulder. The dark iron walls, lit by red lamps, turn into the brig of the ship that had taken him out of the Fire Nation, and the hand on his shoulder turns into that of one of the sailors that had pushed him out of the tiny cell he'd spent the month-long journey in. The ropes binding his wrists turn into the metal handcuffs he wore when he was taken off the ship and dumped in the wilderness. His vision darkens as his breathing speeds up.

He comes to laid out on the floor of the room, the woman Archer and one of the other men, younger than either Commander Toshiaki or the grumpy one, peering at him worriedly. His head pounds, and his mouth is drier than the Si Wong Desert. The Archers seem to understand this, as the woman holds out a canteen. Zuko grabs it and hugs it to his chest, taking small sips and keeping his eyes fixed on the Archers in case they try to grab it from him. They back off, joining the two other Archers against the wall behind where Commander Toshiaki is still sitting across the table from him. Nothing else has changed, except that now there's a small bowl of okayu and another of applesauce placed beside the single sheet of paper that the Commander had written on, as well as a second writing set.

The bribe is obvious, but Zuko doesn't care. All of the water he's sipped in the last couple of minutes comes back to his mouth as he looks at the two bowls, and his hands shake as he reaches for the okayu. The first taste is pure enlightenment, and Zuko has to police himself brutally to avoid simply shoving his face in the bowl like an animal. He barely makes a dent in it before he has to stop, but he already feels steadier.

He picks up the brush and writes, My name is Zuko. I snuck in on a supply cart.

The hairless eyebrow Commander Toshiaki raises is eloquent in its skepticism, but the youngest Archer creeps up behind his commanding officer, reads over his shoulder, and when Commander Toshiaki turns to him with his mouth a flat line of annoyance, nods and signs rapidly. Commander Toshiaki blinks in surprise, then turns to Zuko with renewed interest. Zuko immediately shrinks back––experience has taught him that interest in him is not always a good thing.

Commander Toshiaki writes again. How old are you? Where's your family?

Thirteen, Zuko writes, then shakes his head and crosses it out, remembering that his birthday is in early autumn, and it's now the cusp of winter. Fourteen. And gone.

That he knows for certain. The entire reason he's even in this situation at all is because Father wanted to get rid of him, and his outburst in the war room and his weakness in the dueling arena gave him the perfect opportunity. Zuko doesn't know if he's been declared dead, or is simply being allowed to fade into obscurity, but either way he can't imagine anyone in the Royal Family looking for him. Uncle might, but then again, Zuko disobeyed him as well when he spoke out in the war room. Maybe Uncle's just as angry at him as Father is. The thought tears him even worse than the knowledge that Father hated him enough to leave him for dead like this. Azula is undoubtably exalting in the knowledge that she is now the Crown Princess.

Commander Toshiaki doesn't look surprised, merely resigned. The youngest Archer grins broadly, while the woman shoots him a sympathetic expression. The commander writes again.

You look like you could use a place to crash for a while, and it appears that we have some holes to plug in our security. How about an equal exchange? Food, a safe place to sleep, medical care, clothes appropriate for the weather, and education in our ways, for help finding and repairing security leaks, and eventually enlistment?

Zuko remembers Uncle trying to teach him pai sho, and informing him once with a tinge of repressed frustration that he "never thinks things through". But he's thinking now, and he can't really see any other options but to take the Commander's offer. It's either this, or prison for theft, or simply being booted out to freeze to death. And if he's perfectly honest with himself, he's always admired the Yuyan Archers, who are historically non-benders but still manage to be absolutely amazing to the point that any sane firebender would think twice about taking one on. If he can manage to learn even a little bit from them before they get tired of him and kick him out, he'll be so much better off.

He doesn't even bother picking up the brush again, but simply looks Commander Toshiaki in the eye and nods solemnly. The Commander nods back, and the youngest Archer grins broadly before gesturing to himself and making a sign. Zuko's pretty sure that he's trying to introduce himself, but as much as he admired the Yuyan Archers back when he was younger, he was never able to study their hand-language (only soldiers stationed here at Pohuai Stronghold get to learn it, and they're sworn to never teach it to anyone else). All he's able to do in return is shrug.

This doesn't seem to deter the youngest Archer, but the Commander holds up a hand to stop him. He then writes, It's getting late, and I want the base doctor to examine you before she goes off duty. We'll begin your instruction in our language tomorrow morning, after you've had a good night's sleep. Finish the okayu, and then we'll go.

Zuko needs no more urging, and slowly empties the bowl, barely stopping himself from licking it clean. It takes forever, and the grumpy Archer is scowling fiercely at him the entire time, but Zuko has endured over twelve years of Azula smirking at him, and is not at all phased.

After an awful examination by the Chief Medical Officer of the Stronghold, made so simply because it's been over six whole months since anyone touched him (and the last significant touch Zuko can remember is Father setting his face on fire), Zuko finds himself handed a stack of clothing and directed to a cot in the back corner of the dormitory where the Yuyan Archers are quartered.  The young Archer, whom the CMO had called Kai, has his bunk right next to Zuko's, and accompanies him to the men's bathing room. They scrub down together in silence, and Zuko would feel incredibly awkward about it if he wasn't so damn tired. His stomach is full for the first time in weeks, and all he wants to do now is scrub himself down, have a good hot soak, and put on clothes that aren't filthy and ragged and so wet that they suck the heat right out of him. He and Kai share the ofuro, with the older boy keeping a respectful distance, until Zuko nearly falls asleep and Kai chivvies him out.

They get dressed, and Zuko can't stop stroking the simple hemp cloth, thick and warm but so soft. The silks he'd been dropped off in had obviously been grabbed from his wardrobe before he'd been removed from the palace, probably by a well-meaning servant, but they'd done very little to keep him warm, and had torn at the slightest touch of a tree branch. Hemp cloth is usually worn by commoners and soldiers, and for good reason––it's incredibly durable, if you take care of it right, warm in cold weather and breathable in hot. Zuko is never ever wearing silk again.

Kai practically has to drag Zuko back down the hall to the dorm, where he collapses on his cot with a sigh. Someone drapes a blanket over him, and he rolls in place like a catgator until he's wrapped up in it like an eggroll. He can feel Kai and the other Archers laughing at him, even if he can't hear it, but he gives exactly zero fucks, and is asleep between one breath and the next.

★ | Next

[doberbutts]

Hi back on my bullshit once again, you followed me and now you have to deal with me

In talking to a Chi breeder while conducting my research, we got on the topic of hypoglycemia and what steps they take to avoid it. While I spoke briefly about the topic in this post, the breeder also gave me some tips that I wouldn’t have otherwise known. Remember that while I’ve always liked the various terriers of the world, I’ve never personally owned one. My grandfather’s JRTs never needed anything like this, nor did my sister’s (admittedly large at 12lbs) chihuahua, nor did any of the small dogs owned by various roommates prior to this.

I had always sort of rolled my eyes when warned about the risk, thinking that the problem would be easily mitigated if only the owner was feeding a proper high protein diet to make up for the higher metabolism and not feeding their dog so much junk... until a client dog of mine was given plenty of sugary, fruit-based, carb-heavy treats during class and sugared out at home. He was thankfully okay- after his owner spent several thousand dollars at the emergency vet to figure out why his dog had a seizure and then went completely unresponsive (that dog also later developed diabetes according to an update sent to me from his owner, could have been related considering he was a “teacup”) but that was the first time I saw an otherwise-healthy tiny dog go through a sugar crash. When I got Tiki, one of the first things we did was swing by my store to grab some Nutri-Cal, so I could pull her back from that abyss if need be.

We chatted a bit about that, and then the breeder said something I’d never even thought of. They said they don’t ever wean the puppies onto mush or canned food, because they find that both of those are fairly sugary and are more likely to make one of their young weanlings crash. They wean directly to kibble supplemented with fresh eggs and veggies from their garden and chickens, and at the pup’s own pace. This creates puppies that are not picky, that are hungry for their food, and that have significantly less chance of sugaring out. They do keep sugary syrup on hand just in case, but since starting to do things that way they’ve noticed they don’t have to worry about it as much. They try to keep treats as meaty and low-sugar (and low-starch) as possible, and their chews are generally things like horns and hooves rather than kongs filled with (sugary!!) peanut butter.

While I do have some leftover cans and (frozen) freshpet that I plan to stuff into kongs, this makes sense to me. I’m a big fan of lower carb, higher protein foods anyway as a carnivore’s diet is going to emulate that- regardless of grain in or grain free (and this breeder feeds grain in) a carnivore’s stomach is adapted to eating more meat-based proteins than anything plant based. Even the taurine-deficient DCM is causing an issue because of a lack of digestible taurine, an essential nutrient found in red meat, not carbs and starches and sugars. Regardless of what form of food I feed, I always choose meat-heavy foods with as minimal starches as possible (unless feeding raw, certain canned foods, or certain dehydrated foods, zero starch and carbs is impossible because meat powders in the processing and so something must be added to create a “solid” appearance) (this is where you see the prevalence of grain-free foods having absurd amounts of peas, legumes, lentils, and potato come into play- cheap ways to artificially boost the protein percentages and an added bonus to use it as a starch) (also why I have always sought foods with low starch percentages, as these have been known problem ingredients well before the DCM crisis hit)

This is interesting to note for me, because I genuinely had not been sure what “the best” thing to feed Tiki would have been. She ate kibble, canned food, freshpet, the various fresh foods from various companies, and never really seemed to have any complaints about any of them. Towards the end she was canned only as she wouldn’t eat anything else, but how much of that was due to the fact that she was literally dying rather than anything to do with her personal preference? And I would have never connected the dots, though it definitely makes sense as quite a few canned foods are quite heavy on the carbs and starches (so are some kibbles, though not the particular kibble this breeder feeds). 

It also, idk, just sort of made me happy to know that these folks treat their dogs like... dogs. They’re definitely more of the dress up the tiny dog and tiny dogs belong on laps and carry my tiny dog around everywhere with me type of people on the surface that I would initially be comfortable with, but in actually speaking to them it was nice to hear them say how they hate the stereotype of picky little dogs and won’t feed into that, they give their dogs chews and toys, they temperament test and are constantly out training and competing (when covid’s not happening), their more drivey higher energy dogs they go out and compete in performance sports even if they just do fun-runs and don’t actually title just to do stuff with them. The amount of people who come into my job who, when I suggest something correctly sized for their tiny breed, say “oh my dog is a chihuahua they can’t do that” makes me nuts, even more so now, because I spoke to someone with more than a decade of experience breeding chis and their dogs chew bones and play fetch and compete just like any other breed out there.

Just, something about the “oh we don’t do sugary snacks just in case with hypoglycemia, so we give the dogs hooves instead” made me so happy to hear strictly because so many people at my job won’t even consider buying a chew for their tiny dogs. I have to argue with people that greenies and fresh kisses are not going to break their little dogs’ mouths if they chew on them unless that dog has a pre-existing dental issue, meanwhile this hoard of chihuahuas gets a whole hoof each to gnaw at when they’re being terrible monsters.