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mostlysignssomeportents · 11 months ago

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How I got scammed

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/05/cyber-dunning-kruger/#swiss-cheese-security

I wuz robbed.

More specifically, I was tricked by a phone-phisher pretending to be from my bank, and he convinced me to hand over my credit-card number, then did $8,000+ worth of fraud with it before I figured out what happened. And then he tried to do it again, a week later!

Here's what happened. Over the Christmas holiday, I traveled to New Orleans. The day we landed, I hit a Chase ATM in the French Quarter for some cash, but the machine declined the transaction. Later in the day, we passed a little credit-union's ATM and I used that one instead (I bank with a one-branch credit union and generally there's no fee to use another CU's ATM).

A couple days later, I got a call from my credit union. It was a weekend, during the holiday, and the guy who called was obviously working for my little CU's after-hours fraud contractor. I'd dealt with these folks before – they service a ton of little credit unions, and generally the call quality isn't great and the staff will often make mistakes like mispronouncing my credit union's name.

That's what happened here – the guy was on a terrible VOIP line and I had to ask him to readjust his mic before I could even understand him. He mispronounced my bank's name and then asked if I'd attempted to spend $1,000 at an Apple Store in NYC that day. No, I said, and groaned inwardly. What a pain in the ass. Obviously, I'd had my ATM card skimmed – either at the Chase ATM (maybe that was why the transaction failed), or at the other credit union's ATM (it had been a very cheap looking system).

I told the guy to block my card and we started going through the tedious business of running through recent transactions, verifying my identity, and so on. It dragged on and on. These were my last hours in New Orleans, and I'd left my family at home and gone out to see some of the pre-Mardi Gras krewe celebrations and get a muffalata, and I could tell that I was going to run out of time before I finished talking to this guy.

"Look," I said, "you've got all my details, you've frozen the card. I gotta go home and meet my family and head to the airport. I'll call you back on the after-hours number once I'm through security, all right?"

He was frustrated, but that was his problem. I hung up, got my sandwich, went to the airport, and we checked in. It was total chaos: an Alaska Air 737 Max had just lost its door-plug in mid-air and every Max in every airline's fleet had been grounded, so the check in was crammed with people trying to rebook. We got through to the gate and I sat down to call the CU's after-hours line. The person on the other end told me that she could only handle lost and stolen cards, not fraud, and given that I'd already frozen the card, I should just drop by the branch on Monday to get a new card.

We flew home, and later the next day, I logged into my account and made a list of all the fraudulent transactions and printed them out, and on Monday morning, I drove to the bank to deal with all the paperwork. The folks at the CU were even more pissed than I was. The fraud that run up to more than $8,000, and if Visa refused to take it out of the merchants where the card had been used, my little credit union would have to eat the loss.

I agreed and commiserated. I also pointed out that their outsource, after-hours fraud center bore some blame here: I'd canceled the card on Saturday but most of the fraud had taken place on Sunday. Something had gone wrong.

One cool thing about banking at a tiny credit-union is that you end up talking to people who have actual authority, responsibility and agency. It turned out the the woman who was processing my fraud paperwork was a VP, and she decided to look into it. A few minutes later she came back and told me that the fraud center had no record of having called me on Saturday.

"That was the fraudster," she said.

Oh, shit. I frantically rewound my conversation, trying to figure out if this could possibly be true. I hadn't given him anything apart from some very anodyne info, like what city I live in (which is in my Wikipedia entry), my date of birth (ditto), and the last four digits of my card.

Wait a sec.

He hadn't asked for the last four digits. He'd asked for the last seven digits. At the time, I'd found that very frustrating, but now – "The first nine digits are the same for every card you issue, right?" I asked the VP.

I'd given him my entire card number.

Goddammit.

The thing is, I know a lot about fraud. I'm writing an entire series of novels about this kind of scam:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865878/thebezzle

And most summers, I go to Defcon, and I always go to the "social engineering" competitions where an audience listens as a hacker in a soundproof booth cold-calls merchants (with the owner's permission) and tries to con whoever answers the phone into giving up important information.

But I'd been conned.

Now look, I knew I could be conned. I'd been conned before, 13 years ago, by a Twitter worm that successfully phished out of my password via DM:

https://locusmag.com/2010/05/cory-doctorow-persistence-pays-parasites/

That scam had required a miracle of timing. It started the day before, when I'd reset my phone to factory defaults and reinstalled all my apps. That same day, I'd published two big online features that a lot of people were talking about. The next morning, we were late getting out of the house, so by the time my wife and I dropped the kid at daycare and went to the coffee shop, it had a long line. Rather than wait in line with me, my wife sat down to read a newspaper, and so I pulled out my phone and found a Twitter DM from a friend asking "is this you?" with a URL.

Assuming this was something to do with those articles I'd published the day before, I clicked the link and got prompted for my Twitter login again. This had been happening all day because I'd done that mobile reinstall the day before and all my stored passwords had been wiped. I entered it but the page timed out. By that time, the coffees were ready. We sat and chatted for a bit, then went our own ways.

I was on my way to the office when I checked my phone again. I had a whole string of DMs from other friends. Each one read "is this you?" and had a URL.

Oh, shit, I'd been phished.

If I hadn't reinstalled my mobile OS the day before. If I hadn't published a pair of big articles the day before. If we hadn't been late getting out the door. If we had been a little more late getting out the door (so that I'd have seen the multiple DMs, which would have tipped me off).

There's a name for this in security circles: "Swiss-cheese security." Imagine multiple slices of Swiss cheese all stacked up, the holes in one slice blocked by the slice below it. All the slices move around and every now and again, a hole opens up that goes all the way through the stack. Zap!

The fraudster who tricked me out of my credit card number had Swiss cheese security on his side. Yes, he spoofed my bank's caller ID, but that wouldn't have been enough to fool me if I hadn't been on vacation, having just used a pair of dodgy ATMs, in a hurry and distracted. If the 737 Max disaster hadn't happened that day and I'd had more time at the gate, I'd have called my bank back. If my bank didn't use a slightly crappy outsource/out-of-hours fraud center that I'd already had sub-par experiences with. If, if, if.

The next Friday night, at 5:30PM, the fraudster called me back, pretending to be the bank's after-hours center. He told me my card had been compromised again. But: I hadn't removed my card from my wallet since I'd had it replaced. Also, it was half an hour after the bank closed for the long weekend, a very fraud-friendly time. And when I told him I'd call him back and asked for the after-hours fraud number, he got very threatening and warned me that because I'd now been notified about the fraud that any losses the bank suffered after I hung up the phone without completing the fraud protocol would be billed to me. I hung up on him. He called me back immediately. I hung up on him again and put my phone into do-not-disturb.

The following Tuesday, I called my bank and spoke to their head of risk-management. I went through everything I'd figured out about the fraudsters, and she told me that credit unions across America were being hit by this scam, by fraudsters who somehow knew CU customers' phone numbers and names, and which CU they banked at. This was key: my phone number is a reasonably well-kept secret. You can get it by spending money with Equifax or another nonconsensual doxing giant, but you can't just google it or get it at any of the free services. The fact that the fraudsters knew where I banked, knew my name, and had my phone number had really caused me to let down my guard.

The risk management person and I talked about how the credit union could mitigate this attack: for example, by better-training the after-hours card-loss staff to be on the alert for calls from people who had been contacted about supposed card fraud. We also went through the confusing phone-menu that had funneled me to the wrong department when I called in, and worked through alternate wording for the menu system that would be clearer (this is the best part about banking with a small CU – you can talk directly to the responsible person and have a productive discussion!). I even convinced her to buy a ticket to next summer's Defcon to attend the social engineering competitions.

There's a leak somewhere in the CU systems' supply chain. Maybe it's Zelle, or the small number of corresponding banks that CUs rely on for SWIFT transaction forwarding. Maybe it's even those after-hours fraud/card-loss centers. But all across the USA, CU customers are getting calls with spoofed caller IDs from fraudsters who know their registered phone numbers and where they bank.

I've been mulling this over for most of a month now, and one thing has really been eating at me: the way that AI is going to make this kind of problem much worse.

Not because AI is going to commit fraud, though.

One of the truest things I know about AI is: "we're nowhere near a place where bots can steal your job, we're certainly at the point where your boss can be suckered into firing you and replacing you with a bot that fails at doing your job":

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/15/passive-income-brainworms/#four-hour-work-week

I trusted this fraudster specifically because I knew that the outsource, out-of-hours contractors my bank uses have crummy headsets, don't know how to pronounce my bank's name, and have long-ass, tedious, and pointless standardized questionnaires they run through when taking fraud reports. All of this created cover for the fraudster, whose plausibility was enhanced by the rough edges in his pitch - they didn't raise red flags.

As this kind of fraud reporting and fraud contacting is increasingly outsourced to AI, bank customers will be conditioned to dealing with semi-automated systems that make stupid mistakes, force you to repeat yourself, ask you questions they should already know the answers to, and so on. In other words, AI will groom bank customers to be phishing victims.

This is a mistake the finance sector keeps making. 15 years ago, Ben Laurie excoriated the UK banks for their "Verified By Visa" system, which validated credit card transactions by taking users to a third party site and requiring them to re-enter parts of their password there:

https://web.archive.org/web/20090331094020/http://www.links.org/?p=591

This is exactly how a phishing attack works. As Laurie pointed out, this was the banks training their customers to be phished.

I came close to getting phished again today, as it happens. I got back from Berlin on Friday and my suitcase was damaged in transit. I've been dealing with the airline, which means I've really been dealing with their third-party, outsource luggage-damage service. They have a terrible website, their emails are incoherent, and they officiously demand the same information over and over again.

This morning, I got a scam email asking me for more information to complete my damaged luggage claim. It was a terrible email, from a noreply@ email address, and it was vague, officious, and dishearteningly bureaucratic. For just a moment, my finger hovered over the phishing link, and then I looked a little closer.

On any other day, it wouldn't have had a chance. Today – right after I had my luggage wrecked, while I'm still jetlagged, and after days of dealing with my airline's terrible outsource partner – it almost worked.

So much fraud is a Swiss-cheese attack, and while companies can't close all the holes, they can stop creating new ones.

Meanwhile, I'll continue to post about it whenever I get scammed. I find the inner workings of scams to be fascinating, and it's also important to remind people that everyone is vulnerable sometimes, and scammers are willing to try endless variations until an attack lands at just the right place, at just the right time, in just the right way. If you think you can't get scammed, that makes you especially vulnerable:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #social engineering #phishing #ai #swiss cheese security #infosec #finance #fraud #carding

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harmonicakai · 9 months ago

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The Only Exception

Part 1 of the "Anyone Else But You" series

Pairing: Huening Kai x Reader

Summary: It's starting to feel like you're the only person in the world that Huening Kai isn't best friends with, and you're determined to figure out why.

Tropes: enemies to friends to lovers, slow burn, mutual pining, fluff, angst

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: swearing, mentions of sex (mdni), reader has an inferiority complex

“I never had a doubt that You would come through I always adored you I always ignored you” —The Prince of the Hanging Gardens, Beatenberg

If there were any reason for Huening Kai to dislike you, you had no clue as to what it was. The two of you would get along perfectly fine on paper, but despite you and Yeonjun being best friends for over a year now, his roommate has never warmed up to you.

He isn’t like this with anyone else. Kai bounces from stranger to stranger, laughing and chatting away as if he’s known them for years. With you, he won’t even look you in the eye or mutter more than a few words.

For Yeonjun’s birthday party last month, you baked him a cake from scratch. It was a smash hit with the guests, but when Kai sang praises and asked around for who made it, you could tell he was disappointed that it had been you.

“Oh, Y/N. It was good,” he said, offering a weak thumbs up and declining to say anything else. You’d been watching him in deep conversation with every other person at the party, his obnoxiously loud laugh interrupting some of your own chats every so often. So why did he never have anything to say to you?

It’s not a big deal that he doesn’t like you. Really. He almost never comes out of his room when you’re around, so there’s not many opportunities for things to be awkward. At least until this morning.

You’ve got breakfast plans with Yeonjun at Seoul’s hottest new café, and even he can’t get a reservation. So, that means lining up with the rest of the city before the sun’s even risen.

You tiptoe around the apartment so you don’t somehow wake up Kai. The last thing you need is for another reason to hate you to be added to his list.

Sitting at the kitchen table to drink your first coffee of the day, you can hear the soft sound of the shower running. Great, you think to yourself. Yeonjun’s barely started getting ready and you’ll most definitely be last in line now.

While you’re scrolling on your phone to find less popular alternatives, a creak in the floorboards catches your attention. You look up to see a barefoot girl with messy hair and a short dress attempting to sneak out.

When you catch her eye, she looks like a deer in the headlights. No doubt one of Yeonjun’s many conquests from his latest excursion to the club, this doesn’t faze you.

That’s what you think until Kai pops his head out of his bedroom.

“Hey, wait,” Kai’s hushed voice calls. He steps out in his boxers and a t-shirt, the girl still too stunned to speak. In his hands are a small wad of lacy fabric—her underwear. “Don’t forget these.”

He flashes a perfect, pearly-white smile at her before pulling her in for a much-too-long kiss. The crazed look in her eyes afterward tells him that something is wrong.

When he glances over to the kitchen table and meets your gaze, his smile drops.

“Get out,” he tells her, his mood shifting somewhere between embarrassment and anger.

“Are we still on for Saturday night?” she asks, making you think that Kai must’ve really liked her to make plans to see her again.

“No. Get out,” he says again through clenched teeth, refusing to look away from you. She scrambles out the front door without another word.

Kai’s mouth twitches, as if he’s finally going to lay into you, but instead he presses his lips together and turns away. His bedroom door slams behind him.

Half of you is used to Kai treating you like this. The other half wonders if maybe you were as pretty as she was, he would be nicer. Suddenly, you don’t feel like getting breakfast anymore.

By the time Kai comes back out of his room, fully dressed and finally calm, you’ve already left.

He sits down, your coffee abandoned on the table, nearly full with lipstick smudged across the lid. He lifts the paper cup, inhaling the coffee’s sweet aroma, and takes a sip. It’s cold now.

—————-

It was your job on the styling team at HYBE that introduced you to the boys. You had just graduated college and moved to Seoul, and fashion was the only way you could really express yourself.

Instantly, Yeonjun noticed how shy you were and took it upon himself to bring you out of your shell. Now, the two of you are inseparable.

“Where the hell were you the other day?” he asks as you organize clothing onto racks. You’re not even dressing him today, but he’s hunted you down in the building like a bloodhound. A hairstylist trails him and attempts to put his bangs in a roller. “I woke up at the crack of dawn for nothing.”

“Um,” you start, looking over your shoulder. You lock eyes with him and then gesture towards the hairstylist, now clipping in lime green extensions.

“Hey, could you give us some privacy?” he asks, although it’s clearly more of a command. They nod and walk away, leaving Yeonjun with a half-done head of hair.

“You look ridiculous.”

“And you’re acting ridiculous. Since when do you stand me up?” Yeonjun pouts.

“Stand you up? You’re not my boyfriend,” you scoff.

“You wish I were,” he quips back. You roll your eyes. Not in a million years would you be each other’s ideal types.

“Shut up, Jun,” you say, walking towards the storage closet to grab a steamer. He follows.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I’ll stop busting your balls. Just tell me what’s going on.”

“It’s Huening Kai. I sort of… walked in on him… with a girl.” Yeonjun’s eyes go wide.

“Holy shit. Like they were in the act? Please tell me this wasn’t on the couch or in the kitchen or—”

“No, ew. She was just on her way out.” Now he’s rolling his eyes at you.

“Come on, Y/N! Why’s that such a big deal? He has girls over all the time.” The last statement makes Yeonjun stop himself and regroup. “Well, I mean, every once in a while. Look, what I’m trying to say is that Huening isn’t a virgin, okay?”

“This is the first I’ve seen or heard of any of this,” you state. The only Huening Kai that you really knew was the innocent maknae role that he played up for the cameras. Plus, you figured with how often you were over, you would’ve noticed another girl at least once.

“Well, we try to not talk about our sex lives around you too much.” That’s a lie. Yeonjun loves talking about his sex life.

“Thanks, I guess? Is that because I’m a girl?”

“No,” he replies. “It’s because Hyuka asked us not to.”

You raise an eyebrow. “And why would he do that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t care. So what was so bad about seeing him with some girl?”

You don’t really know how to put your feelings into words. Your hesitation makes a sly grin spread across Yeonjun’s face.

“Y/N… you’re not jealous, are you?”

“Oh my god, no! I’m just… confused, I guess. I kind of figured that he wasn’t very good with girls, considering that he never wants to have a conversation with me.”

“Trust me, Huening is very different when he’s had a few drinks. You’d know that if you ever went out with us.”

“You know clubs aren’t really my thing.”

“They could be. Come on, we’re going out tomorrow night. Why don’t you wear this?”

He pulls a sparkly black dress from the rack, a rejected look that you pulled for one of Le Sserafim's performances. Its straps criss cross over an open back, showing way more skin than you’re comfortable with.

“You know I can’t take anything from here. Besides, what’s wrong with my own clothes?”

Yeonjun looks you up and down. Today, you’re wearing a maxi skirt, button down, sweater vest, and your glasses. Okay, maybe it’s serving grandma-chic, but you like it.

“Y/N, you are so adorable. Really, just the cutest. But at the club, the goal is to be sexy. I’m sure under all of those layers, you’re super hot. Hot enough for Huening to bring home next.”

He says the last sentence with a wink and your ears suddenly feel hot. You get the feeling he’s not going to take no for an answer.

“I’ll think about it,” you say, snatching the dress out of his hands. “But if I go, it’ll only be for an hour, tops. And it has nothing to do with Kai, okay?”

“Whatever. Just don’t forget to make me the best man when the two of you get married, alright?”

“I hate you.”

“I know,” he muses, planting a kiss on your cheek and strutting away.

—————-

At the end of the work day, your feet ache and all you want is to get home and take a nice bubble bath.

A sudden change in concept meant that you had spent several hours past when you were scheduled to leave, calling designers in order to secure samples for NewJeans to wear in an upcoming music video.

Trudging into the elevator, you let your eyes drift shut as you lean against the wall.

“Hey, wait!” someone’s voice calls, sounding eerily familiar. Your eyes shoot open. A hand shoves itself in between the closing doors, opening them back up.

Huening Kai slips in, sweaty and out of breath. Despite seeing him just a few days ago, his hair has changed from jet black to a dirty blond.

You glance at your watch. Is this really the hour that idols tend to go home?

He checks to see that the ground floor button has been pressed and stands facing the doors. Either he hasn’t noticed you or is choosing to ignore you.

“Hi, Kai,” you say, contempt in your voice. If he won’t acknowledge you on his own, you’ll make him.

Kai turns around slowly to face you, his expression completely blank. “Oh, hi, Y/N. I didn’t know it was you.”

Sure, he didn’t. There’s still twelve floors to go, and it’s going to be a long way down.

It’s silent until floor seven, in which Hana from makeup steps in. Her hands are full of Olen’s latest release. How many colored contacts does one group need?

“Hi, Hana! Long time no see,” Kai says, bowing his head slightly. Hana’s much older than the two of you, so it’s hard to gauge whether that makes her easier to talk to or he just happens to have a thing for age gaps. For your sanity, you decide it’s the former.

“Hi, Kai! And Y/N, I almost didn’t see you there!” Go figure. You’re invisible to everyone. “Are you two headed somewhere?”

“No, we just happened to get in at the same time. Nice coincidence, though, right?” he says, much happier now than when it was just the two of you. “It’s so great that we ran into each other! Are you done for the day, too?”

“Oh, no! I still have lots of work to do, but you two have fun with your night. You’re both so young,” she laughs, stepping out onto the fourth floor. “And by the way, you would look very good together.”

When the doors shut, it’s silent again. You’re so close to the lobby now.

Except the numbers stop counting down. Kai looks up from picking at his cuticles and shoots you a knowing look. It’s stuck at three.

“That’s not good,” he says, although he doesn’t seem as worried as you. How can he stay so calm right now?

You press the emergency button and the line buzzes before connecting. The sound is muffled.

“Can anybody hear me?” you say into the mic. More incoherent noises reply back. “Hello? We’re stuck in an elevator in HYBE’s east wing. Please, send help!”

The line goes dead. You’re going to cry. You’re trapped in an elevator with the person who dislikes you most and now you’re going to cry in front of him.

You clench your fists and squeeze your eyes shut as hot tears begin to stream down your face.

“Y/N,” Kai asks, his voice soft. You’re too busy trying to steady your breathing to hear him. He places a hand on your shoulder. “Y/N, are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay! I just want to go home!” you snap at him, your voice trembling. “I’m tired and it’s been a long day and now I’m stuck here with you and I—I just can’t believe this!”

Kai takes a step back. Even through your tears, you can see that you’ve hurt his feelings. He stares at his feet. “I’m sorry. I don’t want you to be upset.”

His words make you choke up even more, like you’re somehow the villain. You crouch down to hug your knees. He kneels next to you and places a hand on your back.

Maybe you’re overreacting. Maybe he doesn’t hate you. Or, maybe, he just feels really bad for you this one time and has decided to be nice.

“Y/N,” he says again. You raise your head and look at him with puffy eyes. The sight of his face, so full of worry, makes you cry even harder. What the hell is going on? Who is this guy and what has he done with the Huening Kai who can’t stand to even be in the same room as you?

Kai’s hands find yours and bring you to your feet. Before you can say anything, he’s wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into a hug. You bury your face in his chest as one of his hands smooths your hair.

His body is warm, his heartbeat strong and steady. Yours slowly begins to match its pace. As you breathe in and out, you notice that he smells like freshly brewed black tea and ripe peaches in the summertime.

You’re so relaxed now that you don’t notice that the elevator has started to descend again. A ding attempts to tell you that you’ve reached the lobby, but it’s too late.

“Holy shit,” Yeonjun laughs from the other side of the doorway. Has he been waiting here the whole time? “Y/N? Kai? I fucking knew it!”

Kai immediately pulls away from you and exits, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he speedwalks towards the building’s front doors without so much as a goodbye.

Yeonjun does a double take, eyeing your red eyes and smudged mascara. He sits you down on a bench and places a hand on your shoulder. “What happened?”

“Ask him,” you mutter, crossing your arms. “You guys live together.”

“Will do,” he concedes. “Do you want me to walk you home?”

“I’m fine,” you say, although that’s debatable. “Really, you’re good to go.”

Yeonjun sighs, knowing that something’s clearly bothering you, but he’s already learned his lesson when it comes to pressing you on certain matters.

“Well, goodnight, then.” He pulls you into a hug and ruffles your hair before getting up. “I love you. Call me on your walk if you need to, or at least text me whenever you get home.”

And just like that, he’s gone and you’re left all alone. Tomorrow is sure going to be something, you think to yourself.

—————-

Taglist: @orangesodafoam

P.S.: Please shoot me an ask or a reply if you’d like to be added to (or removed from) the taglist!

#hueningkai x reader #hueningkai #huening txt #txt #tomorrow x together #txt imagines #txt fic #txt hyuka #hyuka x reader #txt x reader #txt fluff #txt angst #hueningkai fluff #hueningkai angst #hueningkai imagines

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lostintransist · 2 months ago

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Liaison | 3 - Costco Is Not For The Weak

Check out the part 1 or part 2.

Wandering into the kitchen on a break, you let your thoughts drift back to the second week on the job. You couldn’t work on your own yet and Kate had to be off-site for a meeting, leaving you with nothing to do. She had left you a book of names and faces to memorize but that tedious task did not appeal. That day Gaz tapped you to go to Costco with him and Harold, the receptionist.

“Come on,” he cajoled, “We need someone who can lift heavy things.”

Gaz’s easy manners and quick smile helped you feel at ease, and you liked Harold. He reminded you of what you expected it to be like having a grandpa.

“Fine, but I will be buying things I need for the office too.”

Gaz leveraged himself up using the desk. He had said when he picked you up from the airport that he had taken some shrapnel to the thigh and Doc wouldn’t clear him until PT said he could run on it.

“What kind of things would you need for the office?” He offers you a hand up.

You decline with a shake of your head and uncurl yourself from the office chair.

“Well, a better office chair for one. But I will be taking a lot of phone calls and I need something to do while those are going on so I figured I could make cookies, breads, and the like. The kneading dough will be a good way to avoid yelling at senators.”

Gaz let out a bark of laughter, “Good luck with that.”

Harold drove them to Costco, navigating the streets like a veteran. He chatted away about his garden, the growing conditions, and the soil’s acidity. Soaking in his voice’s warm timbre, you learn more about plants than you did before the drive started. You and Harold both flash a membership card, much to his delight. You spend the remainder of the trip pointing out the differences from a US Costco as Harold and even Gaz had many questions.

Harold, upon hearing of your penchant for baking, bought a full set of bowls, spoons, and baking trays.

“My late wife loved to bake,” Harold stares down sadly at the bread tin in his hand. “She’s been gone seven years and it still feels like she will walk through the front door with a smile and an apology for being late.”

“How long were you married, Harold?” Gaz asks as he rearranges the cart for the third time.

“Forty-two years with my Sharron, I don’t know that ninety years would have been enough.” The longing in his voice moved you to tears.

Gaz, aghast and concerned loudly points out the fact you are crying.

“Why are you crying?”

“Oh just leave me alone Gaz, it’s the Costco prices getting to me. Costco is not for the weak.” You fan your eyes, attempting to dry out the tears. “Harold, what is your favorite thing your wife would bake?”

“Peach pie, dear are you sure you are okay?” He pulls you into a side hug.

“I’ll be okay. Something about how much you love your wife just caught me in a tender spot is all.” A watery laugh and a sniffle seem to reassure both men. You take the handkerchief that Harold offers and wipe at your nose. “I’ll return this once it is clean. Now we have a lot left to buy so let’s go.”

The trip took several hours between the slow walking speed of Gaz and Harold and the excessive list Harold had. The cabinets and fridge were kept full as many members of the team would roll in hungry off jobs and would often sleep in some of the side offices set up for that reason. You hadn’t seen any of them yet but were told they were locked from the inside and indicated if they were in use.

“We all work such wonky schedules that sometimes a nap is needed to get through the paperwork,” Gaz groused.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Hopefully, I won’t need to use it.”

The side eye Gaz sent you said you would be using it, and often. He turned out to be right.

Checkout went smoothly, if a bit long. When the total rang up on the screen the comma caused you to wince. Harold swiped the company credit card without a hint of concern. With how much money the company made on a single man job you shouldn’t have worried.

The drive back to the office had been a tight fit. Once the boot of the car had been filled Harold instructed you in his best grandpa voice to get buckled in and he would load things in for you to hold. He did the same to Gaz.

“That’s it, Harold, you can’t wait so long between trips,” he let out a heavy oof as a box of protein drinks is set on his lap.

“Mr. Gaz I am an old man and unless you can convince Mr. Shepard to let me have the items delivered I must wait until someone can come with me,” Harold chides him gently.

You let out a small snort. Gaz flicks your ear while Harold is making another run to the cart at the back of the car.

“I will bite you,” you snarl at him.

You and Gaz had clicked into a sibling relationship so quickly it could be called concerning. It probably came from how he would sit and bother you as you were trying to work between his physical therapy appointments. He had broken three pens, a stapler, and a staple puller. The last one still didn’t make sense to you. How does one break such a simple tool? One of the extra purchases included a collection of small baskets that you would fill with fidgets for Gaz and others to play with.

Harold shut the doors and returned the cart. When he settled into the driver’s seat you caught sight of the time.

“I can help get as much in as I can, but I have a meeting with Kate in about forty-five minutes. Anything you can’t put away before you leave I can handle after my meeting. Anything that is for me if you wouldn’t mind leaving it on the counter. I can clear out a cabinet for my baking supplies.”

“I can do that for you dear, Gaz and I can handle moving everything in, we have a flat trolley for trips like this,” Harold replied.

Part 2 | AO3 (Up to chapter 27 as of this post)

Masterlist

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there-will-be-a-way · 4 months ago

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I told my therapist I have DID

We started the session by talking about top surgery, an awful psych ward I once went to and baby cats. Then, when half the session was over, I told him there's been something on my mind that I don't dare to talk about. I told him that I wrote the reasons why in my journal: that I fear him thinking I am an attention seeker or that he doesn't take me seriously. He asked me if he ever reacted to anything I said by thinking about me like I'm attention seeking etc.. (Of course he didn't.) I told him that he's the best therapist I ever had and that being rejected by him would hurt a lot. He reacted by asking, "Why would I reject you for something that's obviously important to you?" He offered that I could write it down but that felt impossible so I declined. He then offered to ask some questions and guess what it was that I wanted to talk about so we did that. Eventuelly he figured out that it was about a disorder I have that he doesn't know about. He asked me if he has documents from me where this diagnosis is listed and I told him, no, that I purposefully didn't give him the letter I got from the rehab clinic because it's written down there. He started laughing and said, "That's tricky!" Haha. Eventually I just dropped it. Told him that it's DID. He asked how I feel about having told him and that I can be proud of myself for saying it. He asked me what I think about this diagnosis and he asked about the parts I know, and if I ever did therapy for the DID. I said yeah, but that I don't remember most of it (he said it could be because therapy was too fast paced so he said we'll make sure to do things slowly this time). He also wanted to know what my goals are for DID therapy and I said I'd like for all my parts to work together and that I want to feel like a whole person instead of feeling fragmented. I also told him that sometimes I don't remember what we talk about in our sessions and he said if that ever happens again, I can email him and he'll tell me (nice!). He also said that after my surgery we can work on finding out a way to tell which parts are present.

There were honestly so many good moments during the session that helped me build trust and be vulnerable, I can't even write about them all. I can't believe I really did that and that my therapist took me seriously. Part of me feels like the biggest attention seeking fraud right now, but I feel relieved. But ngl, DID therapy sounds scary as hell. I feel as vulnerable as an open wound

Anyway, I sweated so much during the session that I walked out with sweat stains on my t-shirt lmao

tl;dr: my therapist is the most professional and helpful therapist I ever had and one day I'm gonna tell him that I'll remember his name on my death bed

#personal posts #als die Stunde um war hab ich gesagt #dass ich jetzt erst mal nen chilli bonbon fressen muss um mich zu grounden lmao #dissociative identity disorder #therapy tag

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dragon-chica · 2 years ago

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Simon Aumar and his Bard

Fandom: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Summary: Simon with a bard reader who keeps flirting with him, but he doesn't think they're being honest about it.

Very early on from meeting Simon, you decided he would be the one. There was just something about a clumsy sorcerer full of snark and "woe is me" that grabbed your attention.

That first conversation you used the oldest trick in the bard book and asked if he would be your muse.

He gave you an odd look, completely lost on your charming tone.

"I'd rather you didn't, enough people already know of my blunders."

Very well.

As a bard, and a good one at that, you figured making your feelings known would be simple. Right? Smooth talking, flirts, and seduction are what you're known for! Besides music of course.

You did not happen to take into consideration Simon's levels of self-hatred and low self esteem.

But! No matter, you are determined to woo and win over the object of your affections.

Somehow. Eventually.

While Simon's approach to courting is formally asking permission to do so, yours is with more flare. Pizazz.

Like offering to buy him a drink, which at first he went to decline, but figured Edgin would saddle him with the rest of the bill and thanked you for the assistance. The flirting aspect completely going over his head.

No matter, you've got this.

Once on a job, Edgin had the brilliant plan of needing someone to pose as a married couple.

You volunteered Simon and yourself immediately.

He was full of blunders the entire evening but you charmed anyone who came by, telling them about your husband and relationship (hinting to how it could be.)

And at the end of the night linked your arm with his to go celebrate a job well done and told him "We made a pretty good couple, eh Darling?" which you called him all through the con.

Heat rushed to the tips of his ears and he very pointedly ignored your comment. You take that as a good sign and tug him along.

You crack and decide to ask him, officially, if he'd be willing to let you court him. Doric tells you to also give a list of "reasons you'd be a suitable spouse" like he did for her.

"Very funny, I get it. Thanks for doing your research." He thinks you're joking, mocking his rejection and refuses to hear you out.

Always walking or riding alongside him so you can chat, often complimenting him on his magic or anything else, from his cute smile to his pointed ears.

He tends to roll his eyes and tell you to quit playing around, and walk a little faster. But you match his speed again and he accepts defeat.

When you outright flirt with him, from cheesy words to raunchy pick up lines, he will go from flustered to irritated at you for 'practicing on him' and stomp away.

It's painfully obvious to everyone else how smitten you are with the sorcerer, and they try to assist you.

The tavern you're staying at "not having enough rooms" and suddenly you and Simon MUST stay in a room together. That happens to only have one bed. (Thank you Edgin.)

You write ballads and sing your little thoughts about him through the day, and still he is completely unaware of your feelings.

"They do that about all of us, it doesn't mean anything."

"They literally have never done that for anyone but you." - Doric

Finally being exasperated and just kissing him after a skin of your teeth success in battle, slamming your lips to his once and for all and if it ends in rejection to be it, but he'd better understand.

He takes far too long to realize what you've done and attempts to kiss back but you're already pulling away, not noticing how he tries to follow your lips.

You await his response, bracing for the worst while he just stares bewildered until Holga shouts at him to do something.

"You like me." his eyes are wide, and breathless. "YOU LIKE ME?"

"Yeah. I've been pretty clear about that."

"SINCE WHEN?"

"Literally the first time I saw you. And mentioned it almost every day since."

He's flabbergasted. Stunned silent. Takes a punch on the shoulder to even get him walking again.

On the way back, covered in grime from battle and thoroughly in need of some rest and healing he falls in line beside you, usually what you do to him.

"Does this mean-" his voice cracks and he clears his throat "Does this mean that we would be- do we court each other now? Are you interested in that? Have terms to the idea of it?"

You've won the war so now you get to be irritated with him too. "I don't know Simon, are we? You didn't seem to keen on allowing me to do so before."

#Simon Aurmar x reader #Simon Aumar imagine #Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves x reader #Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves imagine #D&D HAT x reader #D&D HAT imagine #my stuff

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countrymusiclover · 9 months ago

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4 - The Feast pt 2

Part 5

The Last Velaryon

Tag list @rise-my-angel @cdragons

Lord Eddard and King Robert Baratheon made their way outside of the feast hall. The laughter and loud noise could still be heard when they walked away out of earshot from others to have their conversation. Eddard paused in his steps. "You're grace, what did you wish to talk about?"

"No formalities, Ned. It's about that Velaryon girl." Robert eyed his friend.

Ned asked him. "What concerns you about her?"

"I think I might have made a mistake when I stripped Jaime of his white cloak." The king declared under his breath.

Lord Stark wasn't sure what to make of his words. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the Kingslayer doesn't seem to give a damn about her. He is hiding something. Only problem is I don't really care to find out what." He chuckled.

Ned clicked his tongue. "We cannot judge someone until we know whether they are a man of honor or not. But what does this have to do with you second guessing your own command?"

"I haven't done much research on the Velaryon house but I figured the lord would have fought against the man who basically helped me banish their house."

"If your house is close to being very small I suppose you would do anything to keep it alive." Ned pointed out.

Robert simply nodded his head. "I've been thinking about this, Ned. I am king and seven kingdoms declined loyalty to me so why not use that power to change one declaration I just wrote."

"Your grace, if you mean to go against the Lannister's I don't think that would be wise." Ned warns his friend and king.

Robert scoffs. "I don't care what they pay me not to. I am not blind Ned and I know you just saw it too. There's something between that girl and your son."

"It is a good thought, your grace. But that's all it should remain just a thought. I doubt Robb has even thought of a betrothed yet." Lord Stark shrugged his shoulders knowing his son and his young at heart nature. He was still a boy, even though he was very good at following the lessons he had been taught so far in life.

Robert moved closer to his friend, staring into his eyes with a serious expression. "You're his father. If he hasn't thought of the idea of marrying her then persuade him to. I'll deal with Tywin Lannister when the time comes."

Three years ago - Haelesa's pov

That morning I was dreading more than I care to admit to myself now. It was the day I had to say goodbye to one of my closest Joella Bridges. Picking up the ends of my nightgown I scampered through the hallways until I reached her chambers knocking three times on the door. "Joella, it's me. Open the dang door!"

"Enough with the shouting. We don't want to wake the whole castle staff. Once they're awake I'll have to start packing to leave." She shushed me by tugging me inside her room and quietly yet quickly shutting the door and locking it.

I admitted throwing my arms away from my sides. "I don't want you to leave. Why can't it be if you're lord father isn't dra yet then the man travels to live with the girl."

"I'm going to miss you too, Haelesa and Chezney too of course. But my parents already agreed to it." She opened her arms and we raced to embrace one another.

Her father had married my mother's older sister and so we we're cousins by birth. Now her father had decided to ship her off for marriage....the only real reason this happened was the tale of bettering one's house. And I had done my own research from what I could find on her soon to be new family. "You don't want to marry this man. It's claimed he has a mustache, Joella."

"Yes but I've also been told he is very cheerful." She added on slightly breaking the hug so we could see the other's face.

I made a noise sticking my tongue out to her. "It's still gross thinking you'll be kissing a guy with hair around his mouth...eww, Raynald Westerling!"

"Haelesa stop it okay. I am already nervous enough and your teasing isn't helping." Joella admitted dropping her arms at her sides.

I smiled at my cousin. "I'm just saying, Ella. You'll be kissing a guy with a full beard."

"Okay, let's change the subject. I want you to promise me something." Joella replied.

Taking her hands in mine I asked softly. "What kind of promise?"

"Promise me that even though we will be away from each other that you will tell me off your adventures. Whether they are big or small. If you find love or not. I want to know everything. So send me letters, cousin." She explained to me with that cheeky smile she always had on her face when we got to spend time together.

Squeezing her hands in mine I immediately agreed without hesitation of what she was asking. "Of course. As long as you do the same back to me.

"I promise." She hugs me gently and I wrap my arms around her hugging her with the same level of emotion.

Robb and I were still just silently walking around the abandoned courtyard of Winterfell. Everyone else was still awake enjoying the feast with the royal family. He paused in his steps outside a wooden cage canal looking at me. "I wanted to show you something."

"Show me what?" I questioned him wrapping my arms around myself and I had taken his other fur cloak that he had given earlier on the day.

He undid the locks of the pen and I gasped taking a step back seeing an animal exit the pen. The animal in front of me was a wolf from what I could by the pointy ears and the long wagging fur tail. "This is GreyWind. He is my direwolf." He responded by running his fingers through the wolf's gray coat.

"I've never seen a direwolf before. Where did you find him?" I asked, lowering myself down on a knee reaching forward and petting his fur when he sniffed my hand before I touched him.

Robb stands on the side of the direwolf. "My father had me and my brothers out hunting with him in the woods. Their mother had died and so each of the Stark children got to have their own pup. We just had to take care of them."

"Aww that's sweet. He seems like a good boy." I smiled still, moving my fingers through his fur and he began wagging his tail back and forth.

Robb smiled down at me. He had been enjoying your company from the moment you two had met. He wished he could spend more time with her. But unfortunately he figured that wouldn't get the chance. "I have trained him as best as I could. "

"You really are something, Robb. You'll make a good Lord of Winterfell one day." I praised him getting to my feet not caring about the mud stains on my dress.

He blushed but I couldn't tell how bad it was given that the only light was provided by some burning torches on the walls and the fact that it was completely dark. "You barely know me and you're already giving me praise, Haelesa. I am not sure how to take it. But thank you."

"You're welcome, Robb. Maybe if we're lucky we can know more about each other before I leave in a few days." I smiled, clasping my hands together in front of me.

Footsteps could be heard coming around the corner causing both of us to turn our heads seeing Lady Catelyn rushing over to us. I could see the annoyance in her facial expression. "Robb, you shouldn't have left the feast. This is for the royal family. Why in the seven kingdoms are you out here?"

"I'm sorry, mother. I was simply showing Lady Haelesa my direwolf." Robb apologized to his mother.

Catelyn shifted her head quickly over to me. "You're the Velaryon girl that is supposed to wed the Kingslayer."

"Yes Lady Stark I am. I am sorry if I have made any problems this evening." I bowed my head giving her a small curtsey.

She shakes her head focusing back on her first born son. "I am just here to say that your father went off with the king to talk about something. So you need to go back inside and represent your house in your father's stead."

"Of course, mother." He nodded in understanding, placing GreyWind back inside his cage. He walked past me and his mother glanced over his shoulder back at me. "I'll see you later, Haelesa."

I looked into his brown eyes waving bye to the young boy. "See you later, Robb....uh if you see my friend Chezney, Lady Stark. Tell her I am retiring for the evening."

"Goodnight, Lady Haelesa." She responded watching me walk away and she could sense that something was between her son and the young woman.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

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justmystyles · 1 year ago

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Hey, you are literally one of my favorite writers out here. I honestly love every piece you've written, it's just all really really really good. (guess I am not as good with words as you, oops)

Anyway, I am so glad your requests are open. I was wondering if you could write something where the reader comes from a difficult family. emotionally abusive mother, distant father, eldest daughter syndrome, all that jazz.

So she's sort of moved away but still keeps in touch with her family cuz she does sorta love them but it's hard. So it's like she's got some body image issues and she's closed off, pretty funny but likes to use humor to hide her feelings, has a lot of acquaintances but doesn't like sharing herself with people much (why do I feel like I am describing someone specific lol)

And one day it all just becomes too much ig. I don't know exactly how the story goes, guess I am just looking for some comfort. had a weird few days.

Honestly, love you work. You're great. Thank you for reading that bs. Doesn't matter much if you decide to write it or not. You're already perfect. <3

Let's talk about this ask I got a few weeks ago, shall we?

First of all, I am honored to be considered one of your favorite writers on here, your words are so sweet and I love you.

Now, getting down to business, this ask genuinely made me cry because I know this reader. I am this reader and it was truly terrifying that a stranger on the internet described me so well to me. As soon as I read this, I knew it was going to be my next series, and after weeks of taking down notes and ideas, I finally started actually writing it today.

It'll still be a bit before I start putting it out there, this premise means so much to me that I want to really take my time and do it the justice it deserves, but I have included a little teaser for you below the read more so that you can get a taste of what I'm working on. I've also tagged my tag list peeps so that you all can see what I've been up to.

I'll still be working on NYIML and the other asks I have (if you sent me one, I love you and I'm working on it, please be patient, life has kind of blown up over the last week or so).

You would watch on in awe, watching the music come to life, watching Harry work. From time to time, you would meet his gaze, noticing a softness in his eyes that warmed your insides. You brushed your feelings off, reminding yourself that Harry was just a kind person. He probably looked at everyone like that. He would often invite you to join the group for lunch, or drinks after a successful session. You always declined politely, certain he was just asking to be polite.

But Harry wasn’t just asking to be polite, and those looks that he threw in your direction were different than the way he would look at anyone else. He was fascinated by you, he felt like he needed to know more. When he met you, he thought you were beautiful, and the refreshments that you had laid out showed how kind and thoughtful you were. But he knew there was more to you, and he couldn’t wait to find out all of it.

You truly were the studio mom, always making sure everyone had what they needed. You would bring coffee and breakfast in the morning, make everyone’s lunch orders, or reservations if they decided to go out. But you would never join them. He found that curious, but also disappointing. He understood if you wanted to focus on work while you were all locked away in the studio, hoping to take those lunches and extra curricular times to get to know you, but those moments never came.

He had asked your coworkers about you, hoping to gain some kind of intel that could help him break the ice. Everyone told him how sweet you were, always asking about them and their goings on, but often changing the subject when the conversation would turn to you. He also learned about how funny you were. He would have never guessed, based on how quiet you’d been around him. He figured some of that was because of his celebrity status, he was used to people being shy around him, but they would typically warm up over time. You hadn’t.

There was a bit of worry in his mind that maybe you had an issue with him. You weren’t cold with him, you had always been incredibly kind in your interactions with him and that threw him for a loop. He racked his brain, trying to think of anything he might have said or done to upset you, but nothing came to mind. Perhaps you just weren’t a fan of his? Whatever it was, he was determined to figure it out.

One afternoon, he was coming back from lunch and he overheard you talking to someone in one of the studios. He lingered by the doorway, he knew eavesdropping was wrong, but he was desperate.

The conversation wasn’t much, you were just talking about a television show, but he heard the excitement in your voice and couldn’t help but smile. You sounded so cute. And then you laughed, and he could have died right there on the spot. You had an incredible laugh. He wanted to do anything to be the reason that beautiful sound came out of your mouth.

Harry was so distracted that he didn’t notice that you were coming out of the studio. You weren’t expecting anyone to be standing there, so you bumped right into him.

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry Harry.” Your eyes were wide with panic.

He put his hands on your shoulders to steady you. “Don’t be. That was on me. It’s what I get for zoning off in front of doors.” He chuckled.

You smiled politely and nodded at him. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

“I was actually hoping to talk–”

He was interrupted by the ring of your phone. You pulled it out of your pocket and saw your mother’s name flash across the screen. “Crap, I’m so sorry it’s my mom. Do you mind if I take this?”

“No, not at all. You should always take calls from your mum.”

“Right,” you scoff. “You’ve never talked to my mother.” You answer the phone, walking away quickly.

He noticed your posture stiffen when you answered, and he hoped everything was okay. Once you were out of sight, he left, returning to the studio. “Y/N is taking a phone call, she’ll be right back.”

When you finally returned, you apologized with a smile on your face, but Harry could see the sadness in your eyes. You took a seat at the computer, and he came up behind you, placing his hand softly on your back. You subconsciously relaxed into his touch.

“Is everything alright?” He asked.

You put on your best fake smile, which he immediately saw though. “Yeah, thanks.”

He wanted to press, but he knew it wasn’t the right time or place. He also wasn’t totally sure you even liked him.

@allthelovehes @ameerakane20 @ash-craze @bethanysnow @blue-ballad @blueraspberryreader @brightlightsinlife @creativelyeva @cute-as-ducks420 @deannaard @fanficismydrug @gem1712 @golden-hoax @gothmingguk @groovychaosavenue @hillzrry @iceebabies @indierockgirrl @jerseygirlinca @jng4kook @jooniesbabie @kaverichauhan @laurxn-robinson @lexiecamposv @likeapplejuicenpeach @lilfreakjez @mrs-anna-styles211994 @n0vaj3an @potterheadandsherlocked @rach2699 @ravenclawdirectioner @stylesfeverr @superchrystaldrug @tenaciousperfectionunknown @tiaamberxx @thechaoticjoy @theekyliepage @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @youknowwhaaat

#harry styles #harry styles fanfic #harry styles x plus size reader #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles x fem!reader #harry styles x reader #harry edward styles #harry styles headcanon #harry styles x you #harry styles imagine #harry concept #harry styles fan fiction #harry styles angst #harry styles fic #harry styles x y/n

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vgckwb · 10 months ago

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P5R: Rebel Girl (A FeMC Story/P5R Rework) Chapter 195: This is Halloween

The next day, as Ren was heading to school, there was a message in the Phantom Thieves group chat. She checked it.

Yusuke: Pardon me. I know today is Hallowen, but does anyone have time to meet after school?

Yusuke: I have a lot on my mind, and I want to discuss it with people.

Haru: Unfortunately, I have to decline.

Haru: There’s an important meeting at Okumura Foods, and I'd like to be a part of it.

Makoto: I can’t make it either.

Makoto: I’m helping someone today.

Futaba: And in case you forgot, I’m busy looking through our notes and contacting Riko and Akechi.

Lena: Oh, be sure to contact Goro first.

Lena: He and I have a date tonight.

Ryuji: Oh, nice!

Ryuji: As it so happens, Ann and I also have a date.

Ann: Yeah, but I’m sure we can help you Yusuke.

Ann: So long as it doesn’t take too long.

Sumire: I can be there too!

Ren: Same.

Ren: And I think if we meet at Leblanc, Morgana can also make it.

Yusuke: Personally, I’d like to meet there as well.

Jose: I’d like to come too, but I promised the theater club something.

Yusuke: Will I see you at the Kosei Halloween party at least?

Jose: Yeah…

Yusuke: I guess I’ll talk to you then.

Jose: Sure.

Lena: I can make it too if we can do it before mine and Goro’s date.

Lena: In case that wasn’t clear.

Yusuke: Alright then.

Yusuke: See you after school.

Ren: See you then!

Ren put her phone away, and continued towards school.

Meanwhile, Futaba was looking through stuff, when she decided to hack back into Akechi’s phone.

???: Greeting Detective Akechi!

???: This is Phantom Thief Alibaba.

Goro: Huh.

Goro: I thought she’d have told you by now.

???: Who are you talking about?

Goro: I gave one of your associates a list of people who I suspect to be Phantom Thieves, and you for sure were on it.

???: Well, maybe you just don’t know my associates then.

???: Because I’ve never heard of this list.

Akechi was frustrated, but didn’t feel like pushing this point at the moment.

Goro: Well, in any case, how goes things on your end?

???: We ran into a few complications.

???: But we shall overcome.

Goro: Do you need my help?

???: Perhaps.

Goro: How may I be of assistance?

???: We need to ratchet up the pressure on the director.

???: He’s planning something, and we need to figure out how to undermine him.

Goro: That seems tricky.

Goro: But I may have a solution.

???: Go on.

Goro: I’ve been tracking down his associates, but none of them have been all too helpful.

Goro: So maybe we should just play into his sense of superiority. We make it look like we aren’t accomplishing anything, and then surprise him when you accomplish your next goal.

???: That…actually works with what we’ve been planning.

Goro: May I ask what that is?

???: Do you still want to arrest us after all this is said and done?

Goro: I see your point.

???: It’s not that we don’t want to work with you further…

Goro: I understand.

Goro: To be honest, I have my own goals that letting you in would complicate.

???: I can imagine.

Goro: Still, I like this balance we are striking.

Goro: Perhaps in another time, another place, we could be good friends.

???: Perhaps.

Goro: Well, good luck on your mission.

???: You too!

Futaba cut off contact with Akechi.

“Hm,” Akechi grinned. “I don’t think I was given wrong information on who ‘Alibaba’ was. Still, I can’t let them know that entirely. I do hope that the director can remain more composed than to let it slip when his back is suddenly against the wall. It’s a bit of a risk, but it’s the easiest way to keep The Phantom Thieves off his trail. Sorry Phantom Thieves, but he’s mine!” Akechi got another message, this time from Lena.

Lena: Hey Goro!

Lena: I’m helping a friend after school, but don’t worry.

Lena: I should be back around 5:30-ish, and I have our costumes ready, so you can just come over.

Goro: Can’t wait! See you then!

Akechi put his phone away and continued onward.

Meanwhile, Futaba sighed, relieved. “I can’t believe he bought that.” She then went back to looking through the various notes Riko had given her.

Afterschool, Yusuke, Ren, Morgana, Sumire, Ann, Ryuji, and Lena met up at Leblanc. “Soooo, what’s this about?” Ryuji asked.

Yusuke hesitated. “...I…know it was the right thing to leave Madarame…but ever since then, I’ve felt torn. When I was living with Madarame, I could think of art purely. But now, I’m being confronted with the reality that if I were to survive in the art world, no, in the world in general, I need to think about other things than art. I have to use my art to survive. In that way, I don’t think I can purely see art ever again. It’s all just a means to an end.”

He looked over at the Sayuri hanging up. “The reason I wanted to come here was to take another look. I have often felt inspired by Sayuri. And knowing its true nature, it’s only more beautiful.” He sighed. “But alas, my mind is so cluttered with the poisonous trappings of everyday life that I don’t think I can create something even half as good.” He looked back at everyone. “So, what do I do?”

Everyone looked at Yusuke. “Um, no offense,” Ryuji said, “but can’t you focus on both?” Yusuke seemed intrigued. “I mean, I started running because I liked it. And I thought if I could be successful enough in track, I could help my mom. So I just kept doing what I loved.”

“Yeah,” Ann said. “Doing what you love is wonderful! I admit that we don’t live in an ideal world, and we do need to focus on how to survive, but if you can do it by doing something you love, then there’s no worry, right?”

“I’m not sure that’s entirely helpful,” Morgana said, “but I get the sentiment. It’s like ‘you’re already doing it, might as well go all in.�� And if a Phantom Thief can’t go all in, well…”

“Huh,” Yusuke said. “I understand.”

“I get that it’s not easy,” Sumire said. “And believe me, even with all the help in the world, there will still be road bumps. But if you are determined to strive forward with your dream, then instead of thinking of the road bumps in a completely negative light, think of how you can use them to your advantage.”

“Yeah,” Lena added. “I mean, I left my home to pursue my dreams. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m still trying. And I’m glad you asked us. Being able to reach out is hard, but I know it’s worth it in the end.”

“Everyone…” Yusuke said.

Ren smirked. “Remember: Kosuke told you to be the best damn artist you could be, right? I bet you’d hate to disappoint him. Or us, for that matter.”

Yusuke started to remember Kosuke’s words after they defeated him. He smirked as well. “Yes. And he told me something else. He said I ‘always had eyes on the bigger picture.’ I guess I just lost sight of it once everything changed. I thought I had to change with it, I suppose I still do, but I think I need to change in a way that suits me, you know?”

“Yeah!” Ryuji said. “Being yourself is what a Phantom Thief is all about!”

“I agree!” Morgana said.

“Hey!” Ann said. “Look at you two getting along!”

“Huh?!” Ryuji and Morgana gasped.

“I mean…We just agree here,” Ryuji said.

“Yeah,” Morgana protested. “It’s not like we’re close or anything.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” Sumire said. “After everything we’ve been through, there’s nothing that can tear us apart. And that includes you two.”

“Well…” Ryuji tried to follow up.

“Hm hm,” Lena giggled. “Even if you butt heads from time to time, you’re still good friends in the end, right?”

“Mreeeee…” Morgana groaned, not wanting to admit it, but being unable to lie.

Yusuke chuckled. He took out a sketchbook and started sketching. He soon presented it to everyone. “Behold!” It was a sketch of Ryuji and Morgana being angry with each other, but in the background was them admiring each other. “I call it ‘Tempest Friendship’.”

“What?!” Morgana shrieked.

“You’re…not going to make that into a full painting, are you?” Ryuji asked.

“I might,” Yusuke said. “But I have a lot of other paintings in mind. But this one is nice.”

“I like it,” Ren said. “It’s a commemoration of you getting out of your slump.”

“Yes,” Yusuke said. “But I still need something more. This is nice, but I want my first full piece to be GLORIOUS!”

“I understand the feeling,” Sumire said. “Once you overcome an obstacle, you want to show the world just what you’re capable of.”

“Yeah!” Lena added. “I know you can do it. You can set the art world on FIRE!”

Yusuke chuckled. “Thank you, everyone. I don’t know where I would be without you.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Ren said.

Emperor-Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 8

Lena stood up. “Well, I should get going. I need to meet up with Goro to go on our date.” She opened the door. “Bye!”

“We should get going too,” Ann said. “We gotta make sure your costume fits!”

“Co-Costume?” Ryuji said. “I thought we were just hanging out.”

“On Halloween?!” Ann said. “No way! We’re here to have FUN!” She grabbed Ryuji’s arm. “Let’s go!”

“Ah!” Ryuji said, jolting up. “Alright then. Let’s see what you got!” The two of them left.

“I should get going too,” Yusuke said. “I missed last year’s Kosei Halloween Party due to Madarame. I don’t want to miss any more.”

“Take care!” Ren said. She and Yusuke waved at each other as he left. Once he was gone, Ren looked at Sumire. “I’m sorry I didn’t plan anything.”

“Huh?!” Sumire said. “Oh, uh, no, it’s quite alright. Well, I mean…” She sighed. “This is my first Halloween without Kasumi. We always used to do adorable twin costumes. I really liked doing that. I guess I’m not ready to do something big yet…”

Ren grabbed Sumire’s hand. “It’s OK. Just go at your own pace.”

Sumire smiled. “I guess doing a little something with you would be nice.”

Ren chuckled. “I think I know just the thing.” Ren glanced at Morgana. “Are you OK on your own?”

“Please,” Morgana said. “A black cat on Halloween? I couldn’t be more at home. I bet I can find something JUICY!”

Ren nodded. “Just be safe OK? And get back home at a reasonable time.”

“Right!” Morgana said. With that, the three of them left. Morgana headed off in his own direction, while Ren was leading Sumire somewhere.

Meanwhile, Makoto and Eiko arrived at Eiko’s house. “I’m home!” Eiko called out. No response.

“Is no one home?” Makoto wondered.

“No, my mom and brother are home,” Eiko said, pointing at the shoes.

“Oh. Right,” Makoto said. “Sorry…”

“It’s OK,” Eiko said. “You’re the one rescuing me from this after all.”

Makoto smiled. “Right.” They took off their shoes and headed in.

Sure enough, Eiko’s mom and brother were there. Her brother was watching TV, while her mom was baking. “Hi,” Eiko said.

“Oh, Eiko honey,” Eiko’s mom said. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

Eiko glared at her, but kept her composure. “Um, this is my…friend Makoto,” she said, remaining civil. “The girl I told you about.”

“Hm?” Eiko’s mom said, looking over. “Oh that’s right. You said you were moving in with her.”

“That’s right,” Eiko said.

“Um, hello,” Makoto said, unsure of what to expect.

“Hm,” Eiko’s mom said. “Well thank you.” Makoto was surprised. “I’m glad Eiko found a friend like you.”

“Um…thanks…?” Makoto replied.

“I know she can be a handful,” Eiko’s mom said, “but I’m sure you’ll manage. From what I’ve heard, you’re quite capable.”

“Oh, she’s really no trouble at all,” Makoto protested.

“I know you’re trying to be polite,” Eiko’s mom responded, “but we both know that Eiko is…how you say, rambunctious. I mean, look at Asahi over there. He gets good grades. He’s popular at school. He’s the leader of the soccer team. You can tell he’s meant for great things. But Eiko? She bends and breaks so easily. She’s a follower by nature. She barely gets by, and is only friends with miscreants. Er, present company excluded, of course.”

“Of course,” Makoto repeated bitterly.

“But hey, maybe with you, she’ll turn her life around,” Eiko’s mom said.

“Well,” Makoto said firmly, “I think that’s the first thing you’ve said that I agree with.” Eiko’s mom looked at her intently. “But you’re completely wrong about Eiko. She’s smarter than you give her credit for. A lot braver and a lot kinder too. But I think she’s being stifled by your expectations. So that’s why she’ll be in my care from here on.” Eiko was stunned by Makoto’s fiery rebuttal.

Eiko’s mom glared at her. “It’s going to be like that, is it?”

“I’m afraid so,” Makoto replied.

Eiko’s mom went back to baking. “Well, whatever. It’s not like she’s going to be my problem for much longer.”

“The fact that you think of her as a ‘problem’ is very much the reason she’ll be gone soon,” Makoto said. “Though I doubt you ever really thought of her as ‘yours’.”

Eiko’s mom grew more bitter. “Did you just come here to argue with me?”

“As a matter of fact, I didn’t,” Makoto said. “This was just a fun bonus.” Eiko laughed, while Eiko’s mom groaned. “I came over to help Eiko pack a little, and then we’re going to catch a movie.”

“Hm,” Eiko’s mom said. “Well, if you leave before you can taste my Halloween cookies, there won’t be any when you get back.”

“We’ll probably grab dinner afterwards anyway,” Makoto said,

“Suit yourself,” Eiko’s mom said. “Like I care at this point.”

“It seems the feeling is mutual,” Makoto said. “Eiko?” Eiko nodded, and they headed over to her room.

On their way, Eiko whispered “Don’t worry. Mom’s cookies suck anyways.”

“And she calls you imperfect,” Makoto whispered back. They shared a giggle before entering Eiko’s room to pack up a little.

Meanwhile, Haru arrived at the boardroom. The members there were shocked, and one of them asked “Erm, Miss Okumura, um, what are you doing here?”

Haru answered with “I know I’m still a student, and I’ve not attended many of these, but now that everything has changed, I wish to take a bigger role in the company. I will start by attending these meetings whenever I can. Of course, I can’t make any policy decisions, but I wish to at least have a voice.”

“But Mis Okumura-”

“Let her stay,” an older gentleman said.

“Takakura!”

“What she said isn’t wrong,” Takakura continued. “Although I wish you didn’t have to worry too much about the company at this stage.”

“I don’t mind,” Haru said. “But as I’ve said before, I’ll inform you of my decision once I come to it. In the meantime, I wish to do whatever I can to help.”

“Very well,” Takakura said. There were some whispers around the table about Takakura’s disposition towards Haru, as well as her father. “Anwyas!” Takakura commanded. Everyone went silent. “If we’re all here, let’s begin.” Everyone nodded. “As you may know, things haven’t been going well since Mr. Okumura’s heart was stolen. But he is no longer a part of this company. We are the future of Okumura Foods, and we have to make sure we salvage this sinking ship. We’re doing all we can to make up for Mr. Okumura’s past transgressions, including that new order that came in just a few days ago, but-”

“Um,” Haru interjected. “What new order?”

Takakura looked at her. “We’ve been ordered to recall and shut down Starfall Coffee.”

“How come?” Haru asked.

“We’re not sure,” another executive said. “All we know is that we’ve been told that there’s a major issue with it.”

“By whom?” Haru wondered.

“The Special Investigations Unit,” another executive answered. “It was found as part of the investigation into your father.”

“Huh,” Haru said. I should tell the others that.

“Anyways!” Takaura said, steering the conversation back on task. “While everything we’re doing to correct the mistakes of the past, it’s imperative that we start thinking about the future of Okumura Foods.”

The future of Okumura Foods, huh… Haru pondered. What do I see for the future?

A little later, Akechi was checking his phone. He saw the news of the Starfall Coffee recall. “Hm. I suppose that was inevitable at this rate. I’m sure he’s already figured something else out by now.”

He arrived at Lena’s house. He knocked on the door. Lena answered. “Goro!” she cheered, leaping into his arms.

“Heh heh,” Goro chuckled. Lena looked up and the two shared a kiss. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve whipped up.”

“Oh right!” Lena said, letting go. “Follow me!” She led him inside. They went up to her room. Lena had two mannequins setup with homemade costumes.

Akechi looked at the masculine mannequin. He saw a formal outfit with a really hairy wig and tail coming off of it. “So, I’m a formal werewolf?”

Lena giggled. “No silly! It’s a couple’s costume. We’re going as Beauty and The Beast.” Lena presented her costume on the feminine mannequin, which was an adaptation of her persona.

“I see,” Akechi replied.

“It’s perfect!” Lena said. “I’ve always loved the story! BUT it works for you as well?”

“Does it?” Akechi wondered.

Lena nodded. “Now we can go out and about in public and nobody will know it’s you because you’re covered in hair.”

“I see,” Akechi said.

“ALSO!” Lena said. “I gave the chestpiece a little bit of padding so you don’t need to wear a binder. I know you shouldn’t wear that all the time.”

“Hm hm. You know, that was quite thoughtful of you,” Akechi said.

“Hm hm. Thanks,” Lena replied.

Akechi smiled. “Well, shall we get changed?”

“Oh!” Lena said, stunned. “Yes! Um, do you need help?”

“I think I can manage,” Akechi said.

“Great!” Lena said.

A few minutes later, both of them were changed and ready to head out. “You know, this costume fits me like a glove,” Akechi noted.

Lena giggled. “Well, you did tell me your measurements.”

“Right,” Akechi said. He offered his hand. “Well then, shall we?”

Lena curtsied. “Let’s. She took Akechi’s hand, and the two of them went off to celebrate.

As they left, Tamako looked on, smiled, sighed, and remarked “Tail as old as time.”

Meanwhile, at Ann’s house. Ryuji was in one of the restrooms. “Does it fit?” Ann called out from outside.

“I think so,” Ryuji said. “It’s a little lose, but I imagine that’s part of it.”

“Yeah,” Ann remarked. “Well come on, let me see!”

Ryuji walked out. He was wearing a slightly ill-fitting green tuxedo jacket and pants, with a maroon shirt underneath, a white bowtie with red polka dots, and a large green hat with a tag sticking out of it reading “In This Style 10/6”. “Hah, this was a GREAT idea!” Ryuji exclaimed. “And this costume is AMAZING!”

Ann giggled. “Thanks.” Ryuji looked at his girlfriend to see her wearing a blue dress with a white apron, black and white stripped stockings, and a black hairband over her head, which was all the way down, since she removed the pigtails. “What do you think of my costume?”

Ryuji smiled. “You look adorable.”

Ann giggled again. “Thanks. So, are you ready to paint the town red?”

“Absolutely!” Ryuji answered. “And I believe that we should party even harder than usual. Not only is it Halloween, but I believe it’s both of our unbirthdays.”

“You’re right,” Ann said. They took each other’s hands and went off to celebrate.

Morgana was walking around town. He saw people celebrating by dressing up and being a little more raucous than usual. Still, he didn’t mind. He loved it when people were having fun. Besides, he was on the prowl for information, and tonight seemed like a night where people were a little more loose-lipped .

Morgana was trekking around when he passed by a police station. He noticed they were throwing out their coffee maker. “Why are we doing this again?” one of the officer’s asked.

“Because,” another officer answered, “the SIU told us to.”

“‘SIU’?” Morgana wondered. “I should get closer.” He stealthed his way to the officers talking.

“I know,” the first officer said. “But it tastes so good!”

“I know Okumura’s Starfall Coffee is good,” the second officer said. “But it’s dangerous.”

“How come?”

The second officer looked around. “Don’t mention this to anyone, but I’ve heard that it’s one of the causes of those mental shutdowns we’ve been looking into.”

“WHAT?!” Morgana shrieked. He slipped from his perch and landed in front of the two officers. He was a little nervous.

The second officer sighed. “It’s just a cat.”

“Yeah,” the first officer said. “Imagine if that was a person. But still, that gives me chills. To think a cup of coffee could make someone go insane. Usually if I don’t get a cup of joe, I go insane.”

“Trust me, you’re plenty insane with or without coffee,” the second officer said.

“HEY!” the first officer shouted. They both went inside.

Morgana sighed, relieved. “I guess…this body has its uses.” He stood up and shook himself off. “I should go home and tell Futaba.” Morgana started heading back.

At Kosei, Yusuke emerged from his dorm room wearing his regular clothes, as well as a set of fake cat ears and cat tail. He moved out to where the party was being held.

Upon arrival, he got a few looks. “Hey, Kitagawa!” said one of the other students, who was wearing a succubus costume. “That’s…an interesting costume.”

“Forgive me,” Yusuke said. “I didn’t have enough money for a full costume.”

“No no, it’s great!” the other student said. “It’s so…you!”

“Why thank you,” Yusuke replied.

“Well, uh, help yourself to some punch,” the other student said. “Oh, and take some sweets too.”

“Hm. Don’t mind if I do,” Yusuke said. As he was getting his food and drink, he turned and asked “Oh, has Jose arrived yet?”

“Um, I don’t think so,” the other student said.

“He told me he was doing something with the theater department,” Yusuke clarified.

“Oh!’ the other student said. “Well, you’ll see him soon then.”

“Huh?” Yusuke wondered.

Suddenly, the front of the room lit up. “It’s starting!” the other student said.

“The Kosei Theater Club proudly presents: The Dance to Summon The Pumpkin Prince!” Yusuke’s attention was focused on the makeshift stage. In the middle of it was a big leaf. The various theater kids, dressed as all sorts of Halloween classics, began dancing around the leaf, attempting to summon The Pumpkin Prince.

Soon, two sides formed, and they began giving each other cues to act and react. Slowly but surely, the leaf started to blossom. Once it fully bloomed, there was a pumpkin in the middle of it. The pumpkin slowly got up, turned around, and revealed himself to be Jose in a pumpkin costume. “THE PUMPKIN PRINCE!” the other performers exclaimed. Jose smiled. There was a round of applause.

Later, Yusuke met up with Jose. “I must say, you did an excellent job.”

“Oh, you saw that, did you?” Jose said, embarrassed.

“Indeed,” Yusuke siad. “I feel inspired.”

“Eh heh,” Jose laughed. “Well, I didn’t do a whole lot. They just needed someone short, and I fit the bill.”

“Nonsense,” Yusuke said. “You were the star of the show.”

“Well…” Jose said.

“Don’t be so modest,” Hifumi said. Yusuke and Jose turned to look at her. She was wearing ancient Japanese regal attire. “You did wonderfully.”

“Thanks,” Jose said.

“Pardon me,” Yusuke said. “Are you supposed to be Queen Himiko?”

Hifumi giggled. “You’re the first person to guess correctly.”

“But it’s so obvious,” Yusuke said.

“Well, you look pretty either way,” Jose remarked.

Hifumi chuckled. “Thanks. You know, you look adorable yourself.”

“Eh heh,” Jose chuckled, blushing. “Oh right.” He looked up to Yusuke. “Do you still need help?”

“You need help?” Hifumi wondered.

“Well, I suppose I could tell you,” Yusuke said. “I’ve sorted things out, but more voices wouldn’t hurt.” He explained his earlier meeting to Jose and Hifumi.

“I see,” Jose said. “Well, to be honest, I think I’d mirror what they said. But I would add that doing something like this is a seeminglessly endless task, but doing so is its own reward.”

“If I may,” Hifumi added, “I think the issue you may be having is that, pardon my bluntness, you don’t really have any immediate family members. I know I’m doing shogi for my father, but…”

Yusuke grinned. “I see. While it is true that I don’t have any relatives, I do have friends, and they’re like a family to me. If I can do it for them, then there’s nothing I can’t do.”

“That’s the spirit!” Jose said.

Hifumi giggled. “I could really use courage like yours.”

“Oh right,” Yusuke said. “Do you-?”

“I’ll figure that out later,” Hifumi said. “Tonight, I just want to have fun. Shall we get more punch?”

“Of course,” Yusuke said. The three of them went off to enjoy the party.

Later, Makoto and Eiko arrived at the movie theater. Makoto sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t realize how bad it was at your place.”

Eiko chuckled. “It’s alright. Besides, I loved seeing you put my mom in her place.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to move tonight?” Makoto said. “Because we can skip the movie, and-”

Eiko shook her head. “It’s alright. I can wait until then.”

Makoto nodded. “Well, if you say so. So, what movie do you want to watch?” “Well, it’s Halloween, right?” Eiko said. “So something scary!”

“GAH!” Makoto shrieked. Eiko was confused. “Sorry. It’s just…I don’t take to horror too well.”

“Oh!’ Eiko said.

“But if you really want to-”

“Shhhhhhh,” Eiko said, calming her girlfriend down. “It’s OK. I can watch it on my own time. Tonight is about us!” Makoto nodded. “So, what do you want to watch? Maybe a Buchimaru-kun movie.”

“Well, one isn’t playing until December,” Makoto said. “And that’s a special event showing off the classic Christmas with Buchimaru-kun.”

“Woah,” Eiko siad. “I was joking.”

“Oh, uh…” Makoto said, embarrassed.

Eiko chuckled. “It’s fine. I think it’s really cute that you’re into it. Most people would feel like they’re too cool for it. But I still like it as well. Granted, it has been a bit…”

Makoto smiled. “Thanks.”

Eiko smiled back. “But, is it anything like that, or Buchimaru-kun specifically?”

“Well, I like similar shows,” Makoto said. “But Buchimaru-kun just resonates with me. Always has.”

“How come?” Eiko asked.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Makoto said. She noticed one of the posters. “Oh look! Like a Dragon is playing! Are you up for some hard-boiled action?!” Eiko was stunned. “Oh. I guess not.”

“No no no no,” Eiko replied. “I, um, I really like that kind of stuff. But I’ve never told anyone because it doesn’t seem ‘girly’ enough, you know?”

“Hm,” Makoto said. “Well, women can appreciate all sorts of things, right?”

Eiko smiled and blushed. “Yeah.”

They went up to the ticket booth. “Two for Like a Dragon,” Makoto said. They got their tickets, and headed in.

Meanwhile, Ren took Sumire up to Shinjuku. Sumire was a little nervous. “Are you sure about this? Shinjuku isn’t known for its restraint.”

“Trust me,” Ren said. “We’re going straight there, spend a little time, and then we’ll be out. Besides, one of my friends runs it.”

“Well, if it’s one of your friends, I trust you,” Sumire said. They held hands as Ren led the way.

They soon arrived at Chihaya’s fortune telling booth. “Ah, hello,” Chihaya said.

“Hi,” Ren said. “This is… There’s no point in me hiding it, is there?”

Chihaya giggled. “I foretold that you were coming with your lover. So unless there is a boy hiding in the shadows somewhere...”

Ren sighed. “No, you got us.” Chihaya giggled again.

“Um, who is this?” Sumire wondered.

“Oh, forgive me,” Chihaya said. “My name is Chihaya Mifune. I’m a fortune teller.”

“I see,” Sumire said. “And a very good one at that, I can tell.”

“Thanks,” Chihaya said. “And your name?”

“Oh, right,” Sumire said. “I’m Sumire Yoshizawa. Ren’s girlfriend.” She bowed.

“Hm hm,” Chihaya chuckled. “So, what brings you here tonight, of all nights?”

“Well, um, Sumire isn’t 100% in the Halloween spirit, but I convinced her to do something a little fun. So perhaps she could have her fortune read?”

“I see,” Chihaya said. She turned to Sumire. “Are you alright with this?”

“Well, if Ren trusts you, I trust you,” Sumire said.

“Very well,” Chihaya said. She and Sumire set up the reading. Chihaya drew three cards. “I see.” She flipped the first one. “The Fool, upright. It tells that you are about to embark on a new journey.”

“Huh,” Sumire said.

Chihaya flipped the second card. “The Faith, upright. This journey will help you realize your true potential and do away with the lies of the past.”

“I see…” Sumire said.

Chihaya flipped the last part. “The Hunger, in reverse. This journey will end once the forces that try to suppress you are revealed to be nothing more than a shadow of lies and deceit. Only then will the truth come to you.”

“Hmmm,” Sumire said. “Well, that was a little intense…” Ren was a little worried. “But it was interesting.” Ren was relieved. “And given your penchant for seeing the truth, I imagine something like that happening.”

“Do you know what it is?” Chihahya asked.

“I have an idea,” Sumire said. “But it’s rather personal…”

“Say no more,” Chihaya said. “Just know I’ll be rooting for you.”

“Thanks,” Sumire said. “Oh, how much do I owe you?”

“Don’t worry,” Chihaya said. “This one’s on the house.”

Ren was stunned. “But, um, you know?” Sumire was confused.

“Don’t worry,” Chihaya said. “It will be alright in the end.”

Sumire looked at her. “Are you also undertaking a journey?”

Chihaya nodded. “And I know I’m coming up to a crossroads soon. I just have to believe in myself.”

“Well, you know I’m here for you,” Ren said.

“Me too,” Sumire replied.

“Thanks,” Chihaya said. “I think I’m going to need it.” She turned to Ren. “Especially from you.” Ren nodded.

“Um, if you believe in Ren as much as I do,” Sumire noted, “then I think things will go well for you.”

Chihaya giggled. “Well, I can’t believe in her as much as you do.” Sumire slightly blushed. “But I can tell that Ren is a force to be reckoned with.”

“Well, Sumire’s no slouch either,” Ren said.

“I can see that,” Chihaya said. “And if the two of you are together, then you’d be unstoppable.”

Ren smiled and blushed. “Thanks.”

Fortune-Chihaya Mifune: Rank 6

“So, do you want to stay and watch some other fortunes being read?” Ren asked.

“You should go…” Chihaya said. “Not that you wouldn’t be interested, but Halloween in Shinjuku attracts more of the bizarre crowd.”

“I think she’s right,” Sumire said. “But I had fun.”

“Well that’s all I need to hear,” Ren said. “Bye!”

“It was nice meeting you!” Sumire said.

“Bye bye you two!” Chihaya said. Ren and Sumire left. They shared a kiss before getting on the train.

Ryuji and Ann were still out and about having fun. "Man, this is the BEST Halloween I've ever had! Thanks for dragging me out!"

"Hm hm, no problem," Ann said. "To be honest, I think this is the best Halloween I've ever had too."

"No kiddin'?" Ryuji said. "Well, I know one thing that'll make it even better." "You read my mind," Ann said. The two shared a kiss.

As Akechi and Lena were heading back, Lena leaned on Akechi’s shoulder. “Tonight was fun.”

“Indeed,” Akechi replied. “To be honest, I never really liked Halloween before. I didn’t like some of the costumes I was given, but, well, you know why.” Lena chuckled. “And then after getting big, I didn’t have time or couldn’t get a costume to hide me enough” He looked deep into Lena’s eyes. “But tonight was really fun. And I feel like with you, I can enjoy anything.”

“Oh, stop!” Lena said. They were both blushing.

“This is a really nice costume,” Akechi said. “I wonder what you’ll come up with in the future.”

“Right…” Lena said. Do we have a future? Am I going home? She looked up at Akechi. Or is this my home?

Meanwhile, Akechi was distracted with his own thoughts. I can’t let her know I’ll probably be busy. Once the plan is set in motion, I might not have time for big stuff like this. But I’m sure she’ll understand. I just need everything in place.

He looked back at Lena. He leaned in, and Lena met him for a kiss. “Happy Halloween,” Akechi said.

“Happy Halloween,” Lena replied. The two continued onward.

Once Haru got out of the meeting, she got out her phone.

Haru: Everyone! I have some big news!

Haru: The SIU told Okumura Foods to recall its Starfall Coffee venture.

Haru: Something has to be up.

Futaba: Already know!

Futaba: Morgana overheard some police officers talking about it.

Futaba: He said that they heard they were causing the mental shutdowns!

Haru: WHAT?!

Sumire: That’s absurd!

Futaba: Maybe, but nothing about this case is “normal”.

Sumire: I guess you’re right.

Yusuke: Have you talked with Riko yet?

Futaba: Not yet.

Futaba: I was looking over my mom’s notes, and the notes about the director.

Futaba: I lost track of time.

Ren: It’s OK. Now we have something else.

Ren: Something big!

Futaba: Right. I’m on it!

Jose: What else did you find?

Futaba: The director is a very crafty person.

Futaba: His profile is full of twists and turns.

Futaba: I imagine that if he did kill his wife, he’d know how to make it look incidental.

Futaba: As for mom’s notes, I found something interesting.

Futaba: Apparently if you amass enough fame, you can tap into the collective unconscious.

Sumire: Mementos!

Jose: But if whoever killed your mom has these notes…

Futaba: That’s what I figured.

Futaba: We’re not the only ones in there.

Yusuke: Do you think it has anything to do with that body of water?

Futaba: Probably.

Ren: We should check, just to be sure.

Futaba: Right.

Futaba: Anyways, Haru, can you get the schematic for Starfall?

Haru: I don't think so.

Haru: I’m not great with computers to begin with, and I don’t think I’d have access to something like that.

Futaba: Plan B then.

Futaba: Come over, and I’ll give you the Futaba special. I’ll take care of the rest.

Haru: Got it.

Ren: See you all later!

Futaba: Seeya!

Futaba then went to work contacting Riko.

Futaba: Riko!

Futaba: Something big just happened.

Riko: What is it?

Futaba: Did you know that the SIU instructed a recall on Okumura Foods Starfall Coffee?

Riko: I was.

Riko: Sae told me about that.

Futaba: Well, it turns out that it’s because somehow Starfall Coffee is causing the mental shutdowns.

Riko: Oh right.

Riko: The director mentioned that.

Futaba: And you forgot?!

Riko: Forgive me. A lot was happening.

Riko: The fake calling card, Eirs, it was a lot to process.

Futaba: Well, I can’t say I blame you.

Futaba: BUT we have an idea as to how this was being used.

Riko: Go on.

Futaba: Well, looking through my mom’s notes, there’s a special concoction you can make to infiltrate people’s hearts. But you need to get them to ingest the blood of the person infiltrating after they drank it.

Futaba: So I suspect that Starfall Coffee was the means to do just that.

Riko: That seems like a lot.

Futaba: Right, but if this organization is so big to include Madarame, Kaneshiro, Okumura, and Principal Kobayakawa, they may have more numbers at their disposal.

Futaba: You don’t need a lot of blood, you need a lot of people.

Riko: I see.

Riko: Want me to get the schematics for Starfall Coffee?

Futaba: I'm on that on my end.

Futaba: But I do need you to do something.

Riko: What is it?

Futaba: Can you get the file on the murder case involving the director’s son?

Futaba: We suspect that he may have been involved, and that maybe he also murdered his wife.

Riko: Oh my!

Riko: I’m on it!

Riko: Oh, and I have a plan.

Futaba: You do?

Riko: Yeah. I asked Sae last night about what happens if you challenge her.

Riko: She told me that if that happens, she’s confronting the director.

Riko: She believes that once you’re done with her, you’ll meet up with him somehow.

Futaba: So we know where she’ll be.

Riko: And you told me when.

Riko: So all that’s left is to figure out what comes next.

Futaba: Right.

Futaba: Well, regardless, we need a way for Sae to get out.

Futaba: I think I have an idea for that.

Riko: We do need to fish for more information from the director too.

Futaba: Right. Akechi said not to ruffle any feathers until it’s time to strike.

Riko: You’re in contact with Akechi?

Futaba: Tentatively.

Futaba: It’s an uneasy alliance.

Riko: I see.

Riko: Well, regardless, I think I know a way to get some information once things go off.

Futaba: It can't involve us, because we’ll be busy in Sae’s palace.

Riko: Right.

Riko: My plan still works then.

Futaba: Well then, let’s see if our plans can work in tandem.

Riko: OK!

The two of them discussed their plan. Once they finished…

Futaba: Damn! You’re really clever.

Riko: Thanks.

Riko: You’re really smart yourself.

Futaba: Thanks.

Futaba: Now all we have to do is make sure we do well protecting Sae, while also making her see the error of her ways.

Riko: You have my confidence on that front.

Futaba: Thanks.

Futaba: Goodnight!

Riko: Happy Halloween!

Futaba: Happy Halloween!

Riko put her phone away. She began looking through more notes.

Sae came out of her office. Riko looked up. “Oh, how are you doing?”

“I’m feeling great! Sae said. “This upcoming trial will be easy, and soon I’ll have The Phantom Thieves in my grasp. Hm. You know, I saw a bunch of people dress up as Phantom Thieves today. Thinking that they’re heroes.”

“Well hold on,” Riko said. “People dress up as villains too.”

“I guess that’s true,” Sae said.

“Phantom Thieves aside, how do you feel about Halloween?” Riko said. “I wasn’t too big on it as a kid, but when I grew up and could pick what I wanted to dress as, I suddenly got it.”

“A late bloomer, I see,” Sae noted.

“Yeah…” Riko said. “That.”

“Hm,” Sae said. “Well, I’ve always liked Halloween. But lately, I haven’t had the time for it.”

“I see,” Riko said. “It is busy here, huh.”

“Well, there are occasions where things let up,” Sae said. “Last year, I got out of work early and dressed up as a werewolf.”

"Ooo. Spooky," Riko remarked.

“Eh, not really,” Sae said. “It was kind of a last minute thing.”

“Still, I bet it looked great on you!” Riko said.

“Um, yes…” Sae said, slightly blushing. “Anyways, what’s your favorite costume you’ve ever worn?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Riko said. “One year, I wore this immaculate female Vampire costume. It just felt so GOOD, you know?”

“Hm hm. You didn’t need to add ‘female’ to that,” Sae pointed out.

“Oh, uh, right…” Riko said, nervous. “Well, what about you? What was your favorite costume?”

Sae paused. “Don’t laugh.” She sighed. “It was Makoto’s first Halloween. I wanted to dress up as something spooky, but my parents were worried that would upset Makoto. So they made me wear this Buchimaru-kun costume. I hated it. I was miserable for the first few hours.

But then there was a loud noise. My parents were worried that something bad happened to the neighbors, and rushed outside to check on them, leaving me with Makoto. Suddenly, I was alone with her. Carrying her. I was so nervous. I did my best, but I was so unsure of myself.

But you know what she did? She smiled. That was the first time Makoto smiled at me. My parents came back and assured me that everything was alright. They noticed me taking care of Makoto, and I got to do a lot of things. I fed her. I burped her. I played with her. It was nice.

So that’s why that’s my favorite costume. I don’t know why I’m telling you that. Usually, I say it’s the one time I went as the Black Featherman.”

“Hmmm,” Riko said. “You know, I’m partial to Pink myself.”

“I figured you would be,” Sae said.

“But that story was really sweet,” Riko said. “And don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”

Sae smiled. “Thanks. Let’s go home.” Riko nodded, and the two headed off. As they were leaving, Sae glanced at Riko. Alright Sae. It’s a deal. Once I’ve captured The Phantom thieves, I’m asking her out!

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fluffyllamas-23 · 1 year ago

Note

So, from that holiday prompt list if you're feeling like writing... how about something SO soft with 🦠 and 🍵 for Chase and Mason? Your choice on everything else, I'm not picky - I just love those two being sweet with each other so much!

omg thank you so much for this!! I hope you like it, it ended up being longer than I thought it would be, but here you go!

Mason loves his job. He really does. He loves his boss, he loves his coworkers, and he loves getting to interact with such a diverse number of customers on a daily basis. It fills his extroverted need for socialization, and he rarely has any complaints.

And this isn’t a complaint per say, just that he’s tired of (and from, let’s be real) all the overtime he’s pulled the last month. He feels like he’s worked every day these last few weeks (he hasn’t, but that’s how it feels). As is typical for this time of year, a bunch of his coworkers have been out sick, and he’s been helping cover for them. It’s to be expected - they work in a hotel and are almost always interacting with tons of people who’ve just come off planes and have been traveling.

Finally, though, after weeks, they’re back up and running at pretty much full capacity. Kaitlin, his boss, told him when he got to work that almost everyone was back, to which he promptly breathed a sigh of relief and then asked if he could have the next couple of days off. He’s so exhausted he can feel it in his bones, and all he wants to do is crawl into bed and sleep.

She agrees and offers to send him home early, but he declines. He’s exhausted, and going home does sound nice, but he’s already here. Might as well just stick it out.

The thought of having an actual couple of days off where he doesn’t have to do anything fills him with an excitement he hasn’t felt in ages. Maybe he and Chase can finally have a date night.

He sends a text to Chase, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. ‘So almost everyone is back, and Kaitlin gave me a couple of days off. Date night soon? 🥺🥺’

Chase responds instantly. ‘YES! 😄😄😄 I’ll grab reservations. Any preference for when and where?’

‘Maybe Tableau tomorrow night if we can get in??? We haven’t been there in a hot minute, I MISS it’

‘I am ON it. The kids are back from music, but i’ll make reservations when we all go to lunch! 🕺🕺🕺🕺’

Mason grins in amusement before he shoves his phone back in his pocket. He’s really looking forward to an official date night. They usually try to get out once every week or two, but with how busy Mason has been, he’s been too exhausted by the time he’s gotten home to want to go out anywhere. It wasn’t even just because of Mason - Chase has been busier with work than usual, too, and they were both in need of some quality time together.

Mason wakes up the next morning feeling way more fatigued and sluggish than he’s felt in a long time. He figures it’s just from work, and he’ll just nap a bit today and be fine.

He had woken up when Chase was getting ready for work, so he decided to go out into the kitchen and make them both some coffee and breakfast. He’s so tempted to go back to sleep, but he loves their mornings together. He loves having coffee and breakfast with Chase before the business of their days begin. He loves just getting to sit with him and talk before either of them have any obligations to fulfill.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Chase asks softly when Mason yawns into his coffee again. He’s yawned so much in the ten minutes they’ve been sitting down that his eyes are watering.

“Yeah,” Mason mumbles, rubbing his eyes. “Just sleepy.”

Chase furrows his eyebrows, concern welling in his chest. Mason seems off, and Chase really isn’t sure why. Sure, it could be that he’s worked so much overtime that he’s just exhausted, but he’s also worked more in the past and hasn’t seemed anywhere near this fatigued.

Chase tries to shake off his concern. Mason will tell him if something is wrong.

He reaches forward to cup Mason’s cheek briefly before dropping his hand to grab Mason’s. “Honey, you should have stayed in bed and gone back to sleep. You didn’t need to get up and make me coffee and breakfast.”

“But I missed you,” Mason whines playfully, kissing the top of Chase’s hand. “And I'm fully planning on going back to bed once you leave.”

“Good,” Chase smiles. “On that note, I should probably head out.”

“Or you could call out and stay home and cuddle me all day. That would work, too.”

Chase walks around to Mason’s side of the table and leans down to kiss the top of his head, and then his forehead, cheek, and finally lips. “Look, I won’t argue that doing that sounds way more fun than spending the day wrangling fifteen nine year olds, but I should probably show up today.”

“I guess,” Mason sighs dramatically, peeking up at Chase with a grin.

Chase chuckles before kissing Mason’s cheek one last time. “I’m leaving. Get some sleep, I love you.”

“Love you too, have a good day at work.”

Almost as soon as Chase is out the door, Mason goes back up to bed, trying to shake off how weird he feels. There’s nothing specifically wrong, but his body feels so heavy. Sleep will probably help, he thinks to himself.

He ends up sleeping the majority of the day. The only time he wakes up is to use the bathroom, or because he’s hungry or thirsty, and then he goes right back to sleep.

By the time it’s time for date night, he’s so invigorated by the thought of spending intentional time with Chase that it overrides any exhaustion he’s felt all day.

He can’t wait.

Mason had been starving since Chase got home and all the way up until they actually got their food. All of a sudden, though, his appetite disappears completely, and he finds himself picking at the dish.

He’s gone quiet, too, a really jarring switch from how chatty and vibrant he’d been a few minutes prior.

Chase purses his lips and leans back in his chair, squinting at Mason, “you okay?”

“Yeah…just…not hungry, I guess,” Mason shrugs with a sigh, avoiding looking at Chase. It’s a shame, because it looks so good, but now the sight of it is just making him kind of nauseous.

“Sweetheart, you’ve been talking about how hungry you are since i got hom. What happened?”

“Not sure…” Mason trails off, blinking heavily.

At that moment, Mason’s face pales. Chase sits up straighter in his chair, leaning forward.

“Mase…what’s going on?” He asks urgently.

Mason feels awful all of a sudden. Once the excitement of the date had worn off, the fatigue had returned, but it really was the only thing that was wrong.

Now, though, his head is throbbing and pulsating behind his eyes and in his temples. His throat feels really weird, too. Like he’s swallowing shards of glass, and it’s making him vaguely nauseous. He feels kind of woozy, too, in the most distressing way possible.

“I don’t feel so good,” he whimpers, eyes dropping to his lap. “Can we go home? I’m sorry....”

“Of course,” Chase says gently, looking around to see if he can flag down their waitress.

“I’m ruining the entire night,” he moans quietly, eyes pricking with tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. We can just stay if you want. It’s fine.”

“Mason,” Chase says gently, reaching across the table to cup his cheek. “You’re not ruining anything. You look like you feel awful, and you’re warm. We’re going home. I just need to pay the bill, and then we’ll go, yeah? Think you can hang on until then?”

Mason shrugs, slumping back in his chair as he rubs at his forehead. Keeping up with the conversation suddenly feels like too much, and all he wants to do is to curl up in bed and have Chase stroke his hair.

He can feel Chase’s eyes on him, staring at him so concerned, and if he were feeling better, he’d be feeling kind of uncomfortable right now.

All he can focus on is how bad he feels.

“Okay,” Chase says softly, standing up and reaching out for Mason to take his hand. “Let’s get you home.”

When they step outside, they’re hit with a gust of wind. Mason shivers and presses himself closer to Chase. Chase takes his jacket off and drapes it over Mason’s shoulders without a word before he wraps an arm around his waist. He hugs him close, kissing the top of his head.

They walk to the car, Chase can feel Mason shivering despite the jacket. “Did you feel this bad all day or did it come out of nowhere?”

“I was just tired,” Mason mumbles. “Promise.”

“Okay,” Chase says, gnawing on his bottom lip anxiously.

The drive home is really quiet, the silence is only punctuated by Mason clearing his throat with a wince. Chase keeps glancing at Mason out of the corner of his eye, trying to both keep an eye on him and the road as he drives.

“I’m really sorry,” Mason says again when they pull into the driveway. He sounds so tired and sad that it tugs at Chase’s chest.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I ruined everything. I shouldn’t have said anything, I’m sorry.”

“Mason,” Chase says firmly. “Look at me.”

“I’m sorry,” Mason whimpers, bringing his eyes to Chase’s.

Chase takes his face in his hands gently and kisses his forehead. “You did not ruin anything. Please stop apologizing. You’re sick. You don’t feel well. This is not in your control, and I’m not mad at you. I just want you to feel better…our night was going to end watching movies and cuddling anyways, this is just quicker than we thought it would be. It’s fine, sweetheart. Now let’s go inside, you can change, I’ll get everything settled for you on the couch.”

In the time it takes for Mason to get changed, Chase has thrown a couple of blankets into the dryer and then set up a blanket fort when they were done, started some hot chocolate, queued up Mason’s favorite comfort movie, and found him some meds.

“Chase,” Mason says, looking at everything Chase had ready, tears welling in his eyes. “This is so nice.”

“I thought you might like it,” Chase says, walking up behind him. He tugs Mason closer to him, wrapping him up in a hug. “You sound stuffy, sweetheart.”

“Ugh,” Mason sniffles, burying his face in Chase’s chest. “Yeah, it just kinda hit when I was getting changed.”

Chase rubs Mason’s back, “go lie down, I’ll go grab you a box of tissues.”

“You’re the best,” Mason mumbles, pulling away from Chase.

With a sharp gasp, he angles his body away from Chase, stifling a stuffy-sounding trio of sneezes against his hoodie sleeve. He sniffles, which just sets off a couple of rough sounding coughs.

“Bless you, honey.”

Mason sits down on the couch, sniffling as he gets comfortable on the couch and waits for Chase to come back

He feels awful, but with Chase being so sweet to him, there’s not much he can complain about. He still feels bad for messing up their date night, but they can at least have a nice rest of the night in, watching movies and snuggling until it’s time for bed.

Things aren’t so bad, Mason thinks as Chase returns in a hoodie and a pair of joggers. Chase flops down next to him, handing him the tissues he’d grabbed, some meds, and hot chocolate.

“Thank you,” Mason croaks, shifting so he’s nestled against Chase.

He can feel the exhaustion pulling him back, but he manages to stay up for a little while longer.

This night is not exactly how he wanted it to go, but he wouldn’t trade spending time with Chase for anything.

Not for anything.

#Mason and chase #OCs #congestion #coughing #sickfic #I apologize that this isn't as much whump as people probably want #but I think it turned out cute #hurt/comfort

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boricuacherry-blog · 6 months ago

Text

"His dad went out and delivered all the papers," Noreen said. "And then I had put a call in to the police, but we waited almost an hour for them to come."

Two nights before Johnny disappeared, the Gosches went to Valley High School to watch their older son's JV football game. Johnny left to get some popcorn from the concession stand. When he didn't return right away, his father went looking for him and found him under the bleachers, talking to a police officer.

Noreen says she questioned Johnny about the encounter. He didn't seem upset about it - in fact, he told her the officer was very nice - but it seemed strange to Noreen that a cop had called to her son from under the bleachers so they could have a private conversation in the dark.

Why did you go? she asked.

He was a policeman, Johnny said. Don't you have to do what he says?

After the game, as they were leaving, Johnny pointed out the officer. Noreen got a good look at his face. And after Johnny disappeared, Noreen wanted to question the officer. But first she had to find out who he was.

Noreen made an appointment at the West Des Moines Police Department and then went to the school board office and obtained a list of cops who'd been hired to provide security at the football stadium. She brought it to her meeting with Chief Cooney, where pictures of the department's officers were laid out on a table.

None of the pictures resembled the man who'd been under the bleachers with Johnny.

Noreen insisted that some pictures must be missing. Finally an official left the room and came back with more pictures. Noreen says she recognized one as the cop from the football game. And with the roster of officers who worked security, she figured out his name. It's possible there was an innocent explanation for the encounter. But Noreen felt stonewalled. She asked if she could question the officer, but Cooney told her that wouldn't be possible. She wondered if the chief was hiding something.

(The West Des Moines Police Department declined to release its full investigative case file, because the Gosch case is still 'an active investigation', and they have declined to make any current investigators available for an interview). They also declined to answer my extensive list of questions about the case. They did, however, send a statement expressing that they understand how deeply the case affects the Gosch family.

After more disagreements with Chief Cooney about Johnny's case, Noreen's suspicion grew. Her son, a responsible paperboy who'd kept the route for almost a year, had vanished without delivering a single paper.

Witnesses saw two strange men nearby, including one who talked to Johnny, and had seen a car run a stop sign and leave the area where Johnny was last seen.

About six months after he vanished, he may have been seen in Oklahoma.

The Associated Press told of a woman getting in touch with a private investigator working for the Gosches. A spokesman for a Chicago-based firm called the Investigative Research Agency was quoted as saying, "We and the FBI checked it out. And we're both convinced it positively was Johnny." The story said an FBI spokesman declined to comment on an ongoing investigation. Decades later, when I inquired with the FBI about this incident, a spokesperson replied, "We don't confirm or deny investigations."

At midnight on February 22, 1984, the phone rang at the Gosch house in West Des Moines when Noreen picked up. She thought it sounded like Johnny when she heard, "Mom?" When she asked where he was, someone hung up the phone. Police told her the calls were untraceable.

Other sightings would be reported in the following years. Noreen herself would eventually swear under penalty of perjury that she'd seen Johnny again.

But first, a man came forward with new information about the case. He claimed to be one of the kidnappers.

One day in 1991, Noreen got a phone call from a PI in Nebraska. He worked with a lawyer whose client was in prison for child molestation. This prison inmate said he'd taken part in kidnapping Johnny. The investigator had several hours' worth of recorded interviews with the supposed kidnapper.

By then, almost nine years after Johnny disappeared, Noreen was desperate for reliable information. She would hear what 23-year-old Paul Bonacci had to say.

He would detail the plan for the driver to pull up to Johnny, ask a question, then drive around the block. Bonacci would walk and ask a question to Johnny, since he was small and nonthreatening. Bonacci was there to "lure him or get him close enough to the car where we could get him in the car." When Johnny was pushed into the car, Bonacci would incapacitate Johnny with a chloroform-soaked rag over his face - as they left town.

To her, it was clear he had spoken to Johnny; he knew the dirt bike he rode around the vacant lot near their house, Johnny's yoga classes that Noreen taught, the Mexican restaurant he liked. Noreen would see the prison and talk to Bonacci herself. She would bring the PI and a news crew from a TV station in Des Moines, with footage showing on newscasts and in the documentary film "Who Took Johnny."

What Bonacci revealed would hint at a possible cover-up and corruption at the highest levels in a still unsolved (and open) case. Or could the person behind the crime be closer than they think?

Two years after Johnny Gosch's abduction, another young boy named Eugene Martin would also disappear on his newspaper route.

#true crime #johnny gosch #des moines #iowa #missing #1982 #80s #unsolved

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glasseditor · 2 years ago

Text

signs of affection. [cd]

synopsis: You had forgotten to return his jacket. Surely, he wouldn’t mind if you kept it for a while. In fact, he would probably say something along the lines of It looks super cute on you anyways! instead of asking for it back.

tags: cater diamond x reader, gender-neutral reader, sfw, fluff

ao3: signs of affection. [cd]

word count: ~2.3k

After every date with Cater Diamond, you did the same thing. He would walk you back to your dorm, you would sink into the couch, and then pass out into a deep slumber within seconds. Today’s activity was one of his favorites, but it was especially tiring: cafè hopping.

Cater had a long list of all the trendy new places that he wanted to visit and, of course, he would drag you along with him. He begged you over text, through magicam dms, your school email (?), and then in person. You agreed since he had assured you that there weren’t too many spots on the list and that he would pay for everything.

It’s not that you really minded all that much in the first place, but you had to admit, you started getting tired around cafè #2…out of 7. It would’ve been easier on you and your stomach if Cater actually enjoyed eating any of the sweets he ordered rather than just looking at them and taking pictures from every angle, multiple times. You had eaten enough cake and pastries to feed all of Heartslabyul in a single day.

Despite feeling so tired, for some reason, you found yourself unable to fall asleep for your regular post-date nap. Instead, your mind thought of how Cater snuck pictures of you while he thought you weren’t paying attention and how he smiled to himself while he looked through them afterwards. It wandered to how he tucked your hair behind your ear, so as to make sure that it didn’t touch the frosting while you ate. And how he held your hands together and blew hot air on them when he noticed your hands balled up and your face tinted with blush from the cold. When it was time to walk to the next location and you were still shivering, he took off his own jacket and draped it over your shoulders.

These little thoughts were the reasons that you simply could not fall asleep. Tiring as it was, any day spent with your boyfriend was a day you looked forward to. Plus, you would never decline if it was something Cater insisted on. If he really, really wanted something, he would only insist on it with you. Anyone else and it would be something more like, I kind of wanted to do this, but if you wanna do something else, that’s cool too—we can do that instead! He would never admit to it, if he even realized it in the first place, but he was a bit of a pushover.

The kiss that he left when he dropped you off lingered on your cheek along with his scent. Laying on the couch now, you felt a calm warmth at the thought of him. His smell made it feel as though he were still there with you in your room. You wish he could’ve stayed with you longer and wondered why it was that you were thinking of him to the point of missing him just ten minutes after you had last seen him.

Oh. You came to a realization when you looked down at your sleeves to find that they weren’t the same ones you left with. You had forgotten to return his jacket.

Surely, he wouldn’t mind if you kept it for a while. In fact, he would probably say something along the lines of It looks super cute on you anyways! instead of asking for it back. But, it would be cold later today and you knew how much he loved this particular jacket because of the little red accents and the soft lining along the inside. You figured that you should call him, just in case.

Much to your surprise, when you pressed the call button on your phone, a cutesy pop rock tone started to ring in your pocket. How did he even forget his phone? He always had it on him as far as you could remember—so much so that some people saw the phone as an extension of Cater Diamond himself.

No matter. Around this time today, he should be at a club meeting for rehearsal with Lilia and Kalim. You had both of their numbers anyways, so getting ahold of him would be easy. The phone rang a few times, then a bright voice started.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Kalim it’s me! Could you put Cater on the phone?”

“Gotcha! CATER! IT’S FOR YOU!!!”

You knew that he was loud in person, but over the phone, with the mic peaking, Kalim was even louder.

“Hellooo~! Cater speaking—“

“Hi, it’s me.”

“Oh! We were just together, I didn’t think you’d call so soon. What’s up?” he spoke in a voice softer than the one that he had first responded with.

When he spoke to you, his voice was calmer and more honest. Yet, he still always sounded excited when he heard your voice. It was something that he did unintentionally, but you never failed to notice it and smile to yourself.

“I just realized that I still have your jacket. You want me to bring it back to you?”

“Hehe, aren’t I so lucky to have someone who would go through all that trouble just for me?” he giggled. “Hold on to it for me. You can wear it out until we see each other again since it looks super cute on you anyways!”

“But it’s so cold out! I don’t want you to get sick and—”

“Like you said, it’s cold out,” Cater parroted you. “That’s why I don’t want you coming to me and getting sick yourself. I have other jackets I can wear—and I’ll be seeing you tomorrow too.”

Knowing he wouldn’t back down with you, you reluctantly gave in. He was right anyways, though you didn’t want to admit it. Maybe you just wanted to see him again—as if the time in seven cafès wasn’t enough.

“Oh right!” you suddenly recalled what was in your pocket. “You left your phone in here, silly.”

“Ahhh, that’s where it was! I was worried that I might’ve left it at one of the places we visited,” he sighed. “At least now I don’t have to retrace my steps and visit all of those cafès again.”

“So you did know it was too many!” you reprimanded. ”Anyways, don’t you need your phone?”

“Hmm…” he thought for a while. There was a long pause of silence before his response. “Nah!”

Huh?

“I’ll pick you up for class tomorrow morning and you can give it back to me then! Keep it safe for me, will you?”

Huhhh???

“Ah, but could you post a few of the pics we took today on Magicam? It’s peak engagement time right now!”

“Sure, but—you really want to go without your phone today? And which pictures should I even post?”

“I needed a social media detox anyways,” he answered. “And for the pictures—well, I trust your judgment!”

HUHHH??? Cater Diamond? Without his phone? You obviously knew that he could live without it, but he didn’t seem to mind just leaving it with you in the slightest. It was the first time that you had ever seen him be okay with someone else keeping his phone.

“O-okay, if you’re really sure about it,” you hesitated. “What’s the password?”

“I trust that it’s in safe hands,” he spoke with confidence in his decision. “And you won’t need a password.”

No password? You held his phone in your hands, the red diamond on the top right corner of his case staring at you. “You really don’t mind me having your phone to myself, right?”

“Of course not! Not if it’s you,” he laughed. “You can go through it all you want. Oh—it’s getting to the good part! I gotta go—“

“The good part? Are you guys even playing anything?” you questioned. You just barely caught a dramatic confession line through the phone in the poorest audio quality you’ve ever heard in your life. “Are you—are you guys watching a movie?”

In the background, you hear another voice. “Hang up, HANG UP.”

Click.

Lilia.

Everyone knew that their club did fuck nothing, but how did they seriously get away with watching a whole movie? Since you promised him, you figured you should get that post up on Magicam. After all, with every second that ticked away from “peak engagement time,” the algorithm was working against Cater’s ever so hard earned likes. Plus, you had already established that you weren’t going to be getting that post-date nap anytime soon.

With each picture you scrolled through, you felt your heart grow soft. In just the one day that you two spent together, Cater had managed to take so many. Ones of you smiling, ones of you eating, and ones of you together—all of which were saved into an album with your name on it.

The album had hundreds of photos saved to it dating all the way back to when you and Cater were just friends. It was odd to think about when you weren’t dating Cater. Looking at the first picture in the album and the most recent one, you thought about just how close the two of you have gotten.

The first photo was of you, Cater, Trey, and Riddle at an unbirthday party—smiling, but formal and distant. You remembered how, at that time, Cater had taken pictures of all the sweets and then put it to the side—saying it was Way too cute to eat! or something to that effect. The way he took so many pictures was still the same, but now he told you the truth—saying Sweets kind of gross me out or I’d rather watch you eat it instead ☆〜（ゝ。∂）

The most recent photo in the album was noticeably less tense and more intimate. A close up selfie of both of you—Cater hugging your shoulder and kissing your cheek. Your eyes were pinched closed while Cater’s were closed gently. You couldn’t help but think about how happy you both looked. Just looking at the picture made you feel the warmth of his immense love for you and heightened your own immense love for him.

It had been some time when you finally remembered to post the pictures to Cater’s page and you were guessing that “peak engagement time” had already passed. Regardless, the moment the post loaded, likes started to rake in.

Of course, you knew he was popular. He put so much effort into posting and making his feed look nice that it would only make sense for him to get so much attention from it. You wondered how, with all of those likes and followers, he was still able to pour so much time and attention into you. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you wondered if that time and attention would last. But for now, you would accept his love for what it is and give your love to him.

When you came back to the couch after a study session, you picked up Cater’s phone into your hands. Your tired eyes checked the time to see that three hours had passed and the phone automatically unlocked as you showed your face. Just three hours and hundreds of likes and comments had appeared on the post.

Cater has said that you could go through his phone all you wanted, but when you thought about it, you realized that you had already seen mostly everything before. He never really hid anything from you and neither of you felt the need to keep things secret from each other.

You looked at the taskbar that held Magicam, messages, photos, and his music app while you contemplated which one to open. The one app that you had never really considered looking at was the music app. Sure, why not?

As you would expect, his playlists were organized and pleasing to the eye. Not only were his public playlists complete with fancy font and filtered images, but so were his private playlists.

You admired Cater’s music taste. He listened to a wide variety of music and it reflected in the band’s setlist. If you were introduced to new music, it was almost always Cater that had shown it to you. His playlist titles were things like guitar riffs and great mixing! for music that he wanted to play with the band. But there were also playlists that were just top hits that he loved.

Scrolling along, you found a playlist entitled with just your name. The picture was one that you recognized as a date you went on a few months ago. That day, the two of you went on a picnic and Cater had brought his acoustic. As the sun was setting, he had played you a ballad that he liked as a kid and told you that it was one of his favorite songs.

The picture on the playlist with your name was your fingers connected with his in a heart shape between the bridge and the pickguard of his acoustic. You opened it to find a handful of songs—all of which were representative of your relationship.

Songs you listened to on dates, songs you guys made fun of together, and songs that reminded Cater of you were all compiled into a neat playlist. You recognized one from the setlist of the first show you attended with Cater, a song from your favorite movie, and even a song that you mentioned liking during your cafè date just today. Most significantly, you noticed Cater’s favorite song—the ballad that he had played you at the top of a grassy hill with soft orange hues stretching across the sky.

You hoped with all your heart that you would make more memories like that—more memories with Cater. Thinking of more songs being added to this playlist, a wave of contentment and peace came upon you. And soon, you had your post-date nap.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #twst x yuu #cater diamond x reader #cater x reader #cater diamond #twisted wonderland cater #twst cater #glassfics

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yes-i-am-happyaspie · 1 year ago

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Santa Impersonator Happy by happyaspie

Part 6 of Happy Hogan's [Ever Evolving] Resume, Part 12 of May Your Days be Merry and Bright

No Archive Warnings Apply | Rated G | Word Count 4,954 | Peter Parker, Happy Hogan, Tony Stark, May Parker, Christmas Fluff, POV Happy Hogan

Summary: Happy walks into the F.E.A.S.T. building prepared to drop off a check and leave. Then Peter uses his big brown eyes to convince him to stay and help out. He just wishes he'd asked a few more questions before agreeing. "Santa. You want me to dress up as- Santa?"

[Excerpt Below]

Happy stood in the backroom at F.E.A.S.T. with his arms held out by his sides while Peter moved like a blur around him. It was an hour before the start of what was to be the shelter’s big holiday event and he’d come by to drop off a large check signed by Pepper Potts. Of course it couldn’t have been that easy. Within seconds of entering the building, he’d somehow been roped into taking on a much more participatory role. The most likely cause being Peter Parker's big brown eyes and ridiculously long lashes. All the kid had to do was dip his chin and peer upward to become the epitome of childish beseeching. If it weren’t for his humble upbringing, that look alone could have earned him a spot as one of the most spoiled children on the planet.

“Happy! Oh my gosh! This is so great! I have just the job for you! Can you stay?” Peter had asked.

Happy had raised his shoulders, intent to decline. Christmas was right around the corner and his list of things to do seemed to be getting longer rather than shorter. Honestly, he blamed Tony. ‘Happy, can you do this? Happy, can you do that?’ It was a never ending phenomenon that followed him all year long, but something about the holiday season made it feel more hectic. Hanging around to help F.E.A.S.T, while noble in theory, would likely put him way behind on his list of things to do. “I don’t know, Kid. I have errands to take care of and the boss-”

“Please?” Peter had interjected, the look on his face bordering pathetic. Like a kicked puppy. “We’ve worked so hard to make this event perfect and we really need your help!”

With a huffed sigh, Happy had given in; no questions asked. He’d set the check aside and asked what he needed to do. Peter was expectedly giddy at his agreement, shouting ‘Yes!’ while thrusting his fist in the air. He was just about to tell the kid to pipe down and give him some directions when the door was thrown open and Peter darted through it.

“Aunt May! I found our Santa! Where did you put the suit?” Peter had shouted, much to Happy horror. He was suddenly very concerned about what he’d just signed himself up to do.

Less than five minutes later the kid reappeared carrying a stack of bright red clothing and a few accompanying accessories. Half of it was shoved into his hands before he could say anything about it. He examined what he’d been given, his brow furrowing as he turned it over in his hands. A thin pair of red fleece pants, a red and white plush coat and a standard variety Santa hat. “Santa,” he’d blandly stated. “You want me to dress up as- Santa.”

Completely undeterred by the lack of enthusiasm, a wide smile had spread across Peter’s face. “Yeah! We’ve been trying to figure out who could do it. Then you showed up and that solved everything!” He’d practically bounced on his toes as he pointed toward the opposite side of the room. “Hurry up and put it on! There’s a bathroom over there!”

Helplessly, Happy had looked between Peter, the restroom door and back again. “There’s no one else?” He liked the holidays. He really did. But spending the afternoon pretending to be Saint Nick simply wasn’t exactly his ideal way to spend them. He was more of a run around like crazy getting stuff done, then sit down and watch sappy Christmas movies, kind of person. He really, really hoped the kid had a back up plan that wasn't him.

Alas, that was not the case.

Peter had frowned, the expression looking extremely out of place compared to the festive sweater and goofy reindeer headband he was wearing. “Everyone else already has jobs assigned to them and there aren't enough volunteers as it is Please, Happy?” the kid had begged, his bottom lip sticking out so far it was amazing he hadn’t tripped over it “You’re the only one who can do it. The suit will fit you perfectly and everything. You're just the right size for it!”

Happy had opened his mouth to offer a compromise. Maybe offer to hire someone else to do the job. He’d barely gotten his mouth open before May had come buzzing into the room, all smiles.

“Oh my goodness, Happy! Thank you so much for doing this!” Without warning she’d wrapped her arms around him, squeezed him tightly and planted a kiss to the side of his head. He stock-stood still, staring stupidly as she released him and clasped her hand under her chin “I have to get back to the kitchen to sort some boxes. But seriously, thank you! You’ll be the star of the event!”

With those words, she’d turned and left just as quickly as she’d arrived.

“See?” Peter asked, successfully pulling him out of his stupor. “You’ll be the star.”

Happy had blinked toward the door and shook his head. The soft clothing was still in his hands. He gave it a cursory look before admitting defeat. Between Peter’s pleading and May’s gratitude, how was he supposed to say no? “Fine. I’ll wear the suit.”

[continue Reading on AO3]

Don't forget to like, share, kudos and comment!

#happyaspie writing #Happy Hogan's [Ever Evolving] Resume Series #santa impersonator happy #happy hogan #peter parker #may parker #tony stark #christmas fluff #christmas #christmas fic #spider-man #iron man #marvel #mcu #irondad #holiday fic

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authorautumnbanks · 1 year ago

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How To Tame A Sorcerer (38)

Series Master list

Kagome lies there, one leg thrown over Satoru, her arms wrapped around him tightly. There's a bit of drool on his chest and she grimaces in horror. Thank goodness he's still fast asleep, or she'd never hear the end of it. She peeks up at him under her lashes. He once told her that his body doesn't actually need rest because of some healing technique, reversal something. She was half-listening when he dove into his lecture.

"Coffee," she mumbled, sitting upright. She runs her fingers through the wild mane of hair and fiddles with the ends. She should find a salon sometime for a trim, Satoru offered, but respectfully she had to decline. The man gave Yuji-kun a bald spot in the back. Yawning, she leaves the comfort of his embrace and the lure of more sleep.

"Come back," Satoru rasps out, his voice heavy with sleep. He reaches out for her, his lips downturn.

"We're looking at a house today," she replies, slipping on her robe. "We need food before we go. Any requests?"

"Yeah, one." He opens his eyes, turning on his side. "You."

Temptation licks at her veins, but someone has to be the adult if they are going to get anything done today. "How do you get anything done?"

"If you'd come back to bed, I'll show you."

"C'mon, you can help me in the kitchen." She tugs his arm. He could easily pull her onto the bed, so she beams when he allows her to pull him along to the kitchen. "Sit," she instructs. "Yuji-kun texted me last night. Nobara and Megumi want to visit the fox hotel." She starts the coffee machine and pulls out ingredients from the fridge.

"So that's how it's going to be." Satoru props his chin up with his palm. He's dressed down in gray sweatpants and nothing else.

Kagome places a mug of fresh coffee in front of him. "How's what going to be?" She pours herself a cup, lets out a sigh as the sweet caffeine hits her tastebuds.

"The kids don't get the answer they want from me, so they go through you." Satoru drinks from his cup, eyes lower as his lips break out in a content smile.

"That's normal. You raised Megumi, so I'm sure a part of him sees you as a dad figure." She chops the onions and bell peppers and then deposits the knife into the sink.

"You want kids, Gome-chan?"

Kagome cracks an egg, letting the sound of the egg frying wash over them. "I wouldn't mind having one."

"Okie doke," he says.

"Nothing else to add?" She sets the omelet down in front of him and hands him his utensils. She goes back to making her own meal, humming a Shippo-chan's favorite lullaby.

"I don't mind if they're with you." He winks at her as he takes a bite. "You could be a stay-at-home mom."

"You just don't want me fighting." She snorts, taking a seat next to him. "Nice try though." It's not the first time he's tried the whole stay-at-home thing. If you ask her, he attracts just as much danger as she does.

"Well, that's normal," he throws back at her, "what man wants his wife in danger." Kagome squints her eyes, places her palm on his forehead. He doesn't feel feverish. "What'cha doin?"

"Checking for a fever. You know we aren't married."

"Let's elope today, then take an extended honeymoon."

"Before meeting your parents?" Kagome chastises. Not that she is against marrying him - she agreed to stay in this world for him, but there are some steps that they just shouldn't skip.

"Never knew em. The Gojo elders and servants raised me. More like they did whatever I said, but semantics," he says so matter-of-factly as though they were discussing the weather.

Kagome drops her chopsticks, reaches across, and pulls his head down until he's nestled between her breasts. She runs her hand through his hair. It's no wonder he's so touchy-feely. Being raised in such an inhospitable environment and his infinity keeping people at bay.

"So, is that a yes?" He asks in a hushed tone.

"We'll see." She presses her lips to his temple, breathing in the lingering scent of his body wash from last night.

"I love it when you do that."

"Kiss you?"

"Yeah, but I was talking about when you massage my face. Helps with the overstimulation." He pulls back. "We should get dressed. Ijichi has the day off too, so we can either call a taxi or take the train. I could teleport us, but..."

"That's fine, I actually like taking the trains." She stands, gathering their dishes. "I'm going to clean these before we go." She waits until his footsteps get further away before allowing her mind to ruminate on their conversation.

A normal couple wouldn't have moved in together on day one or had clans to worry about. If his clan is anything like that Naoya person, then she could do without interacting with them. She's been so good lately. She has kept her cool, not let her temper get the best of her in like... well, long enough. Baby steps, she reminds herself. Meeting a bunch of men stuck in the past would surely tempt her to hand out a couple of slaps.

She takes the towel from her shoulder and dries off the dishes. If Satoru wants her to marry him, then he better get down on one knee and ask properly.

There is no way that this house is reasonably priced. Kagome eyes the large stainless-steel refrigerator, already daydreaming about how she won't have to make so many grocery runs. But more than that, it's the family vibe permeating in the air that has her feeling some kind of way. Especially after their morning chat about children, but so it's that she misses her family. Even though they left on terms that she would never see them again, the longing crept up and smacked her in the face. They think she's with InuYasha, and all she wants to do is show them the man she never knew she needed. Mom would adore Satoru and his antics, Souta would join in and help with the pranks, and Gramps would have a field day trying to hit Satoru with his ofudas. Kagome snorts at the image.

"Wanna share with the class?" Satoru steps beside her, his hand lingers on her lower back. The heat from his touch seeps through her cotton dress. He enjoys touching her, which she is grateful for because she enjoys touching him, too.

"It is really beautiful," she says, running a finger along the wooden island. They could have breakfast in here and dinner with the kids in the dining room. Or have dinner together upstairs on the balcony under the moonlight. It's too bad that they can't see many stars in the city.

"I'm hearing a but." Satoru removes his hand and leans against the island. His glasses fall down slightly, allowing her a glimpse of his blue eyes. Though simply stating that they are blue almost feels like an insult, with all the different shades swirling around.

"You don't think this is a bit much?" she questions. Kagome actually loves the home, but it has to be expensive - the backyard alone is worth a small car.

"For us? Nah. But if you don't like it, we can look at some other houses."

But he likes it. Kagome huffs and walks out of the kitchen. She gives a small smile to the relator, thankful that Satoru told the man that they didn't need a tour guide. Not that she dislikes the house, she likes the westernized main floor and how the bedrooms are more aligned with Japanese culture. She heads outside, basks under the sunrays. It's supposed to rain later, so she soaks in the warmth as much as she can.

"Was it InuYasha," he pauses, "that hurt you?"

Huh? Kagome whips her head around. Even with his dark shades covering his eyes, she can tell how serious he is by the way his mouth is pressed into a thin line and the way he hides his hands in his pockets. She wets her lips. "I just don't want you to stretch yourself trying to impress me. We can look at more affordable homes or a bigger apartment." She crosses her arms, suddenly feeling as though she is under a microscope. She should have worn a jacket or something with long sleeves than a simple white summer dress.

Satoru chuckles as he rocks back on the balls of his feet. His oversized shirt slips a little, showing off his collarbone and the small hickey she made. He - unlike- her wore something more covered up. Though now that she thinks about it, even when he's dressed casually, he's always wearing something oversized and less form-fitting.

Nevertheless, she is being serious here. No need to go into debt or create more stress for himself.

"What's so funny?"

"You." He gestures to the house. "If money was not an issue, would you buy this house?"

"Yes, but -"

"Gome-chan, I don't know who has made you feel like you were less than, but if I need to shower you in compliments, every single day until you believe you are more than enough, I will." He steps into her space and runs his knuckle down her cheek. "We can compromise and find a home that we both love, but I am not compromising on providing for you."

How he can be sweet and assertive at the same time is beyond her. Koga-kun always hyped her up, but it was always my woman this, my woman that, and not once did he ever take the time out to listen to what she was saying or dig deeper into what she wasn't saying. Hojo-kun may have never boasted about her being his and the gifts he got her while thoughtful. He also never took the time out to listen to her.

InuYasha was well... Kagome leans into Satoru's touch. "You sure you've never had a girlfriend," she jokes.

"Never wanted one."

"Seriously?"

"Guess it took someone from out of this world," he teases. "So...?"

"Yes, I want the house." There she admitted it out loud, not that it matters because, despite his words of encouragement, she's sure that this house is way out of budget.

"Really? We can buy it with the furniture too unless you want to furnish it yourself." Satoru talks a mile a minute, his hands animating his words. "Let's go let the realtor know. I'm thinking sushi for lunch and then heading over to Yakeru's shop."

"Wait... You're actually putting an offer in?"

"... Yeah? You said you wanted the house." He bends down until his nose touches hers. "You worry too much. This won't even make a dent in our account."

"Ours? I don't have an account."

"I added you to mine. Seemed like more work to transfer money all the time." He pecks her lips. "It's okay to be selfish and go for what you want, I do."

Oh, he's smooth.

"Okay." If he says that it really isn't that big of a deal, then she can get past her mental block. "I don't really feel like shopping for new furniture." She trails behind him to give the realtor the news.

"We'll take it all. We'll pay cash today if we can move quickly," Satoru chirps.

She and the realtor look as though they were going to pass out. She takes back all those guilty thoughts of using his money; it wasn't an inconvenience to him at all.

"I will make the call," the man stammers out, tripping over his own feet in his haste.

"Cash, huh?"

"Just tryin to chill with you in that hammock." He pulls out his phone and scowls.

"Are the kids okay?" She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, needing to ease the rising tension. Surely, no one would attack the school that quickly. Though with the students still being a little injured... No, she will not go down that train of thought.

"Yeah, they're fine. We don't have to go until you're ready. Guess word got back, so they have summoned us to the estate."

"Am I going to have to slap some people today?"

"Don't sweet talk me like that, makes me want to forget all about grabbing lunch."

The realtor walks back, smoothing the wrinkles away on his plain black suit. "The owner accepts your offer." He goes to shake Satoru's hand and trips over himself, landing with a loud thud. A groan soon follows, and Kagome hopes that the man did not break his nose from the fall.

"So that's how today is going to go," Satoru remarks, laughing when Kagome slaps his arm. He can be such a menace. Kagome rolls her eyes and helps the man up. "C'mon on Gome-chan." Satoru tugs her hand, leading them out of the house. "Just let us know when to show up," he calls out, not looking back.

"That was rude," she scolds.

"Please, we just made his day. You know what would make my day?"

"Visiting a shrine."

"Yes - no? What?"

"What?" She grins up at him, swinging their intertwined hands.

"Okay, but," he says, holding up a finger to punctuate his next words, "if there's a curse or demon, some new thing. I'm blaming you." Kagome huffs.

"Please, what are the odds of that."

Turns out, the odds of them finding a lingering spirit that was holding onto the living world were so high that they could both see the faint aura before they took one step.

"Don't say it." She holds up a hand, taking the stairs two steps at a time. These were nothing compared to the ones back at the family shrine.

"Special grade at that. The offer to be a stay-at-home wife doesn't expire."

"Shush. I need to concentrate." She places a finger to her lips. The clouds overhead darken, and seriously, who checks the weather and still leaves home without an umbrella?

"Cute that you think I'm letting you fight without your bow."

"Says the man that pushed me in front of a curse without one."

"You gotta stop living in the past, Gome-chan."

"Past me should have made some subjugation beads," she mutters as they reach the last step. "What?"

"You didn't tell me you were into bondage."

"I'm not...," she trails off, squinting at the crowd of people. There should be more noise, chatter, heck, even a whisper of conversations, and yet there's nothing but the rustling of the wind blowing the leaves and Satoru's one-sided conversation. A droplet of rain hits her on the forehead. She walks behind him, noting that his strides are much longer than before.

"Well, shit." He clucks his tongue. She suspects that his six eyes grasped the situation that they were in. "The barrier went up the moment we stepped foot on the grounds." He flexes his hands.

"You can't kill them." A bubble of nausea rises in her throat. More people surround them, their eyes hazed over in a red hue. The sky is still dark and the rain should be falling on them, but it doesn't land a hit. "They're possessed." And the only way to help them is to find the source. Without her bow, she's at the mercy of allowing them to get close in order to purify them. A piss poor strategy for such a large amount of people.

"Just stay close."

She moves closer and pauses when one man convulses. Saliva drips down his face as his limbs twist, and the sound of a crunch hits her in the eardrums. Long hairy legs sprout out from his mouth. She doesn't mean to, but she takes a step back from the sight of a spider forcing its way out of the man's body. Kagome wets her dry lips. The burning sensation of anxiety lights like an inferno. She should have known. Naraku wouldn't have shown himself if he hadn't already started making moves. At least she this seems like something that Naraku would do.

The spider blinks its eight eyes at them, beady and full of interest. The man's body doesn't so much as slink to the floor as it flops down, as though all his internal organs have been sucked dry. "We've been waiting for you," it coos, rubbing its many legs together as though it has found its next meal. It opens its mouth, acid drips down, and lands on the heads of some of the possessed. They don't scream as their bodies melt, not even leaving a trace of bone.

Satoru doesn't speak for once, simply lifts one finger and shoots out an attack. The red blast lights up the dark atmosphere. It filled her vision with red, so she shuts her eyes if only to block out the overly bright light. Hands reach out for her, covering her screams, and pulling her into the crowd. The last thing she sees is Satoru's panicked face as more bodies pile in front of them, and her vision goes dark.

#gojo satoru x kagome #gojo x kagome #crossover pairings #jujutsu kaisen x inuyasha #kagome higurashi #inuyasha fanfiction #gojo satoru fanfic #gojo satoru #how to tame a sorcerer #inuyasha x jujutsu kaisen #jjk gojo

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originalhybridloverfics-backup · 2 years ago

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Ch 5 What You Gave Me

A mouth watering smelled coasted Felicity from sleep slowly. She is confused at first.

Her apartment smelled like a restaurant, causing her stomach to grumble. She was tucked in with the throw blanket from the back of the couch, there was a soft pillow beneath her head. There was a weight resting on her leg, and a man’s jacket resting over her chair.

Shifting carefully, she reached for her glasses, slipping them on her face.

Her eyes widen in surprise when they landed on Oliver, sleeping at the end of her couch.

She frowned as question after question filled her mind.

What was he doing here?

Why was he not with Laurel?

How did he even get in?

How long has he been here?

What time was it?

Did he order take out? Cause the smell coming from the kitchen smelled really good.

Felicity grabbed her phone, noting that it was a little after eight.

She slept a few hours, but somehow she was still tired.

She tried not to wake Oliver up as she sat up, but failed.

He startled awake, his eyes scanning the room quickly until they stopped on her. “Hey,” his voice was soft but deep with sleep at the same time.

“How did you get in here?” asked Felicity.

“Your door was unlocked. I knocked, but you didn’t answer.” Oliver sat up, turning his body more toward her as she sat on the edge of the couch.

“So you just let yourself in and ordered takeout.” Felicity stood, following the smell of food into the kitchen.

“Not exactly.” Oliver got up and followed her. “I let myself in and cooked you dinner so you would have something to eat when you woke up.”

“With what?” Felicity questioned. “My kitchen’s been bare.”

When she had first started seeing Tommy, he would stock her kitchen, insisting that she couldn’t live off coffee and poptarts.

Felicity opened her fridge to retrieve a bottle of water and paused. It was restocked.

“I got you some things..” Oliver said. “I figured with everything going on grocery shopping wasn’t on your list of priorities.”

It was a small gesture, but it was so like Tommy that it brought tears to her eyes.

Oliver stepped forward, his expression open. “If you want me to go, I will, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Oliver.” Felicity twisted the bottle of water in her hands. “I know you made a promise to Tommy to look out for me, but I can take care of myself.”

“This isn’t about my promise to Tommy, and I know you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. I am just trying to be a good friend. I want to be here.” Oliver pulled a pan out of the oven.

The chicken casserole looked delicious and smelled mouth watering, something Felicity imagined a perfect little housewife with years of experience would have made, not Oliver.

Felicity watch as he turned to leave. “You don’t have to go.”

Honestly, she thought he would still be at Laurel’s. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask why he wasn’t with her now, but she didn’t care about anything to do with Laurel Lance.

“I don’t want to bother you.” Oliver said, remembering that Felicity said she wanted to be alone, and he wanted to respect her wishes.

“Oliver, stay.” Felicity placed her water down. “Clearly, we both could use a friend right now.”

“Are you sure?” Oliver asked, gripping her counter.

“I wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t.” Felicity got two plates out and grabbed another bottle of water.

Oliver nodded and moved to start dishing food out onto the plates.

“I only want a little. I’m not that hungry.” Felicity told him.

Oliver nodded, his lips pulling into a frown. He understood her not being hungry, but he worried she was going to waste away from not eating. It wasn’t the first time since Tommy’s death that she declined food.

“How did you sleep?” Oliver took a seat across from her.

“As well as can be expected.” Felicity answered, taking a bite of a forkful of her food. Her eyes widening at the burst of flavor. “This is great.”

“Thank you.” Oliver gave a barely there smile.

Felicity’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure you didn’t order this from somewhere I don’t know about?”

Oliver laughed and shook his head. “When I was younger and bored, I would watch Raisa in the kitchen and as I got older, she began teaching me. Everything I know about cooking I learned from her.”

“That’s sweet.” Felicity murmured.

“When I was gone, she was one of the people I missed most.” Oliver continued. “I missed the way she cared, her warmth, how she always looked after Thea, Tommy and myself.”

“Tommy used to talk about her all the time.” Felicity said quietly. “I never met her, but I feel like I know her. It’s the same with Rebecca.”

Oliver’s eyes widen in surprise. “He talked to you about his mom?”

Felicity nodded. “Small things about her. Her favorite foods, her work in the Glades with the hospitals. How much he missed her. What a wonderful mom she was to him.”

“I know Tommy loved you.” Oliver said after a moment. “And I can see that you loved him too, but it still surprises me to know how close you two became.”

Tears slipped from Felicity’s eyes. “He quickly became my favorite person. He always made me laugh no matter what was going on.”

“Tommy was always able to find the good.” Oliver agreed. “Can I ask you something about you and Tommy?”

Felicity brushed the tears away and nodded. “I’ll do my best to answer.”

“Why did you keep your relationship secret?” Oliver wondered.

“At first we were simply hanging out. It wasn’t serious.” Felicity answered.

“And when that changed?”

“Tommy didn’t care who knew about us, but I didn’t want to be caught up in a paparazzi shit storm. I didn’t want to be labeled his flavor of the week or be compared to his previous dating history. Tommy respected my wishes.” Felicity answered. “We weren’t ashamed, we just didn’t want unnecessary drama. Keeping to ourselves was easier.”

“I get it.” Oliver understood. He hated being in the spotlight constantly, but being who he was there was nothing he could do about it.

They fell in a comfortable silence. When they finished their food, Oliver put away the leftovers, setting aside a takeout bowl for Thea. Felicity put their used plates in the dishwasher.

Felicity settled back on the couch and Oliver followed her, getting comfortable next to her on the couch.

“How’s the arm?” Oliver asked as Felicity flipped through the channels.

“Hurts, but I can handle it.” Felicity answered.

“What are you taking for the pain?” Oliver wondered.

“Nothing.” Felicity thoughts went to the baby. She didn’t know what she was going to do, but she knew she didn’t want to risk hurting it. “I don’t like taking pain meds.”

She felt a small twinge of guilt for lying, but she wasn’t ready to tell anyone about the baby.

“If there’s anything I can do-”

“You are,” Felicity assured him. “You’re here. That’s enough.”

Oliver smiled softly and squeezed her hand briefly, allowing the sitcom on the tv to distract him as they fell into a companionable silence.

Felicity notice at some point Oliver nodded off. She got up and retrieved a blanket and pillow from her linen closet.

She realized he must have been truly exhausted because he didn’t so much as budge as she slipped the pillow beneath his head and tucked him in with the blanket. She took off her glasses, reclaimed her spot. Pulling the cover around herself, she let the sound of the tv and Oliver’s even breathing to drift over her, sleep consuming her once more.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Oliver woke to a weight on his shoulder.

Felicity’s head was on his shoulder, and she was fast asleep.

Oliver felt a tightening in his chest at the sight. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her to his side to rest more comfortably.

He didn’t intend to fall back to sleep, but there was just something about Felicity that soothe something deep inside him.

Tightening his arm around her, mindful of her injury, sleep claimed him again as he felt more at home than he has anywhere else since coming home.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Felicity returned to work a few days after Tommy’s funeral, needing the distraction.

The company was in disarray and Walter was doing everything he could to keep it from sinking.

Oliver showed up on her doorstep every night, seeking a friend. Always falling asleep on her couch and leaving at the break of dawn to go home and check in on Thea.

Every day as the city struggled to recover from the man-made disaster. Bodies of victims were still being discovered.

The casualties continued to climb, the media coverage got worse and stocks plummeted.

John drove Felicity to work and home. He and Oliver got together when he wasn’t with Carly or AJ.

Both John and Oliver tried to get her to talk about Tommy, believing it would help to talk about him, but she couldn’t.

It hurt too much.

Focusing on QC, on John, on Oliver, on anything but Tommy, and the aftermath of everything was the only thing keeping her going right now.

Her days only got worse as morning sickness started to hit her all the time.

Felicity had no idea why they called it morning sickness when it came at all hours and never wanted to go away.

Whoever dubbed it morning sickness needed to be punched in the face. Repeatedly.

A week had passed and life was going forward as if everything hadn’t changed when in reality nothing was the same.

Her phone buzzed with an appointment reminder. She was having her first Dr. appointment for the baby.

Felicity took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. Again, everything was about to change. After today, she was going to come to a decision about the life growing inside of her.

Closing her work tabs on her computer, she caught a ride with a co-worker to Jitters and then walked the four blocks to Starling General. She took the elevator to the 4th floor that was dedicated to women’s health and found the office she was looking for.

Half an hour later, she was waiting in a room in a hospital gown. Felicity was glad she asked Walter for the rest of the afternoon off because this was taking longer than she thought it would.

When someone finally came, she had to answer several questions until it came time for the ultrasound. She was far enough along that it wasn’t an internal one.

It wasn’t until she saw her baby on the black and white grainy screen that she realized she had still been in denial.

Her eyes filled with tears.

She and Tommy did that. They made a baby. He may be gone, but he gifted her with a piece of himself to protect and love beyond measure, and she did.

She hadn’t known it was possible to love someone this much when she had yet to meet them, but she knew without a shadow of the doubt that she would do anything for her baby.

She would give her life for her child if needed.

Felicity knew at that moment what she was going to do.

She was going to have a baby. She was going to love them for both Tommy and her. She would make sure her child knew who their father was and that he would’ve loved them beyond humanly possible, given half the chance.

However, with the certainty came fear.

How was she supposed to do this on her own? How did she keep her child safe in a world that was known for its cruelty? How did she protect her child from everyone who wanted to see Merlyn blood spill thanks to Malcolm’s genocidal actions?

How did she care for a baby who would depend on her for everything when she was barely managing to take care of herself?

More than the fear, she wished she wasn’t doing this alone. She wished Tommy was here. With her.

But he wasn’t and he never would be again.

She was on her own, and that was a terrifying notion in itself.

#olicity #olicity fanfic #oliver x felicity #oliver queen #felicity smoak #fanfic: what you gave me

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