#we see this proud fighter just crumble in the face of his dad’s murderer

[cometrose]

i could ramble on about kagurabachi but i really like its storytelling so far and the nature of the villains.

Sojo represents Chihiro's relationship to the blades. The blades are weapons of war and while they may be tools for justice they can easily be tools for destruction and slaughter and Chihiro ultimately has to accept both conclusions despite how much he cherishes the blades.

Kyora definitely plays into Chihiro's relationship with his father. Kunishige clearly loved his son, while Kyora sees his kids as nothing but pawns and pieces. Chihiro is shocked to see how easily the kids are thrown away. Hakuri is abandoned, Tenri is killed, and the rest of them are just pieces to stall him and Shiba and use up Cloud Gouger. These kids mean nothing to Kyora even his heir apparent. And for Chihiro who grew up with a loving father its shocking to him.

Throughout the story we consistently see him wavering during the moments the resonate with his own life. He often struggles to come to grips with the people who fight for these blades. I really like how these villains represent important elements of his life and his pursuit of revenge.

For a character like him, who is naturally very loving and gentle, getting those blades back is more than just killing mafia, but also reevaluating the fundamental pieces of his life and how he sees the world.

[taehyungiestummy]

Blood, Sweat, and Tears -- Chapter 13

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Warnings: Swearing, a good amount of fluff

Word Count: 6554

It’s crazy how fast time flies by when you are going to university, trying to plan a Halloween gala, keeping up with your boyfriend, and doing your best to find the person who murdered your parents. Two weeks have already gone by, and varying degrees of progress has been made in the four main categories in my life. “Can you believe it, Yoongi?” I kick my feet into the air as I lie on the couch in our late father’s office. “Tomorrow is Halloween, which means our first gala as the new leaders of Bangtan. I can’t help but wonder what dad would think of how far we’ve come in such a little time.”

“He would be proud of us,” Yoongi grins at me as he sits in a chair with a stack of letters on his lap. “He’d be so happy with how far we’ve come with little guidance. We’re the best people that could have taken over this business, and I think that’s becoming more and more clear with each passing day.” “I’m still working on categorizing those words for you, but I think we are getting closer to figuring out what really happened to our parents,” I let my legs fall back onto the couch. “Sometimes I have a second pair of eyes look at all we’ve found to see if they can figure out what the connection is. I also have been trying to make sentences and such with the words we’ve found. It’s a fun puzzle, in a strange kind of way.” “What’s gotten you so happy and giddy these past couple of weeks?” Yoongi tilts his head to curiously look at me. “It felt like for a while there you were never going to get out of your funk. Is it because you go to those book club meetings?” I bite the inside of my cheek to keep in a laugh. The times that I tell Yoongi that I am staying back on campus because of the book club are the times that Taehyung and I have been going out on dates to different coffee shops or old bookstores. I have been helping out with the book club as on outsider, though. If Yoongi were to ever call and ask if I was there, the people there would know to lie on my behalf. “Well,” I speak up after the want to laugh has passed. “I don’t have to deal with the Fakes anymore, so that has really taken a weight off of my shoulders. I don’t have to deal with their daily bullshit. I’ve been able to get back to training with Jimin thanks to my wound healing,” I raise my right arm up to check out the light scar on my forearm. “I’m hanging out with people that I actually care about, and who care about me. I may be without parents early in my life, but life is actually turning in a good direction.” “You’re so positive,” Yoongi chuckles, shaking his head as he looks down at the letters on his lap. “I thought you might mention a new boy who’s taken your interest, but I guess you don’t need a significant other to be happy.” My arm drops onto my face to try to cover the blush that is invading. “How could I possibly have a boyfriend when you make it so clear that you’ll scare them away? If a boy even tried to flirt with me you’d have a heart attack, and then kill him once you make it out of the hospital. Besides, I have too much going on in my life to even think about starting a relationship now.” “I have never said that a boy can’t flirt with you,” he scoffs. “I’d just like to meet him, and get a background check from the hackers, and he can’t be from the mansion. Simple requirements.” “You’re doing it again,” I move my arm up to rest on my forehead. “There are plenty of boys in this house that would be just like meeting them at university. I’m a mafia boss, Yoongi. A godmother, in a sense. This is my life just like it is yours. I’m gonna need someone who has been in on the operation just as I have.” “I’m not going to fight with you, Bambi,” Yoongi sighs, shuffling around the letters he’s holding. “Dad and I always wanted you to get out of this profession, but it’s clear that you belong here just like everyone else. You want to be here more than any person I know.” “It’s about fucking time that people realize that women can do all the same things that men do,” I turn my head to look over at my brother. “That’s why I want to be here to be here so bad. There’s a stigma around women in gangs, and especially the mafia. I watch the movies, and I want to be the one that is different. Show to those in the mansion that I can be just as good as my brother counterpart, and show to the outside world that I can lead a big corporation just as good as you.” “You are doing that, Bambi,” Yoongi looks up to lock eyes with me. “People never looked down on you when you were always in the background of operations because you go to school fulltime. People always ask about you, and how you are doing. You are a key component in everything that Bangtan does. You will always be that because Bangtan would be nothing without their badass princess. You keep us all sane, in a way. You give a different point of view to problems, and go out and fight to keep people safe, and are just a lovely human being.” “Why do you act like that isn’t true, though?” I push myself into a sitting position; not once breaking eye contact with my brother. “Why do you act like I am weak?” “Because you’re my damn little sister,” he says like it is the most obvious answer. “When you were born, and I held you in my arms for the first time, I knew that my biggest goal in life would be to protect you. To make sure to keep you out of as much harms way as possible. I treat you different because you are closer to me than any person in this world. If you were gone, my whole life would crumble.” Without a chance to give any thought into my action, I vault off of the couch and rush over to fall onto my brother. He lets out a huff as a breath is forced out of him, but he wraps his arms around me regardless. “I am not going anywhere, Yoongi,” I speak up after I’ve had time to sort out my thoughts. “Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. I am always going to be by your side. I have more than enough people keeping an eye on me to make sure I stay safe. Plus, I wouldn’t go down without a fight,” I giggle. “I’d kick some ass before anyone ever took me down.” Yoongi chuckles, “Of course. I know how skilled you’ve become as a fighter. It’s just now that mom and dad are both gone, I realize just how deadly this job can be. I love you so much, Bambi.” “I love you so much, too,” I wiggle around so that I can comfortably snuggle into my brother’s side. “It’s moments like this that I live for. Just being able to spill our guts to one another.” “I love holding you because it reminds me of the first time I saw you,” Yoongi kisses the top of my head. “You’ll always be the small baby that knew nothing of the world and smiled at me like you knew just who I was. That I was your big brother, and I would always be there to make you smile.” “I didn’t crush the letters too badly, did I?” I giggle as I glance down at the papers on his lap. “They didn’t even cross my mind until now. I just needed to be over here.” “They’re fine,” he tosses the pile of letters onto the floor. “I’ve been reading them for a while now, and I’m just not getting anywhere.” “Sometimes you just have to stop thinking about it for a while and then it will hit you like one of my kicks,” I giggle. “Seriously though, I think we both deserve a break. We should get Jin to make us some comfort food, as tomorrow is going to be stressful. I just know it will be.” “What comfort food do you suggest we have?” Yoongi squishes my sides. “I need something warm to eat.” “I’m sure if we just go to the kitchen and ask Jin to make us some warm comfort food, he’ll do a perfect job.” “That’s one of your favorite places in this whole mansion,” he rubs his hand up and down my back. “You love to chill in the kitchen and just talk the afternoon away with Seokjin.” “Well, he always listens and gives good advice,” I manage to shrug. “And Jin’s hot chocolate can always cheer me up. There’s many other places in the mansion that I love, though.” “You love being right by my side,” Yoongi helps me sit up so he can look me in the eyes. “How about we go get something to eat and then chill watching some show in your room?” “That sounds perfect,” I tenderly smile. “We’ll need a lot of energy for tomorrow. It’s going to be a crazy day.”

********

“It’s been years since I’ve dressed up for Halloween,” I smile as I pull the blue dress of the Mario space princess off the hanger. “My last costume was something basic, like just wearing a onesie out with some of my before-the-mafia friends.” “Too bad you couldn’t go too crazy with a costume, seeing as you have to meet potential business partners,” Sooyoung checks out her Tinkerbell outfit in the many mirrors of my closet. “I like Rosalina’s dress, though. Like, a lot. It’s elegant but shows off your body in just the right way.” Boram giggles, “You two are a crazy duo. There’s just something about the both of you that makes such a perfect friendship.” “You’re our friend too, Boo,” I smile at the young doctor dressed up as a kitten. “You are part of our crazy perfect trio. We are three girls that you don’t want to mess with,” I chuckle. “We love having you around to talk with us because then we can talk about even more boys,” Sooyoung slips her feet into the iconic Tinkerbell flats. “Speaking of boys, Boram, are you still crushing on Taemin?” She has a sly grin on her face as she asks the question. Boram’s face is overcome with a blush in mere seconds, and it seems like the girl is at a loss for words. “Pebble, that was just mean,” I shake my head. “Boram, take some deep breaths. You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.” “If she doesn’t want to talk about her crush, then I will talk about mine,” Sooyoung takes a seat on a stool. “Jungkook is a puzzle that I can’t seem to figure out. One minute he seems to be all up for going out on a date, and then the next he’s shutting himself off. I guess that’s just what happens when you’ve been an assassin for so long.” “He’s a little rougher around the edges than most of those within the mansion,” I slip my robe off, quickly shimmering into the blue dress. “There’s nothing you can do other than keep doing what you’re doing. He’ll open up if you care enough about him.” “Has he opened up to you?” Sooyoung motions me over with her index finger. “Other than having to tell his story to join Bangtan, I mean.” I step up to my best friend, turning so she can zip up the back of my dress. “We’ve talked about different things here and there. I’ve been around these boys for many years of my life. They see me as a friend.” “Well, one of them sees you as more than a friend,” Boram can’t help the giggle that escapes her lips. I grin, walking over to a mirror to adjust the sleeves. “Ah, so Doc told you about my relationship with a certain hacker?” “We tell each other everything,” Boram crosses her arms over her chest. “I am as much involved over in the hospital wing as he is. If something is going to happen where you need a doctor, then you are going to need two. That’s just how it works. Minho trusts me enough to know that I won’t talk about your little group of vigilantes.” “We’re not vigilantes,” I turn to look at Boram. “We are just doing a little of extra work that my brother will thank me for in the long run.” “You’re doing it behind his back because you can’t tell him about your relationship with that hacker. Taehyung, right?” I take a deep breath, “Yoongi would never accept that I am dating the boy who watches over me. Not yet. Once I am able to show all the information that we have on my mother, and the Red Wolves, and just what the fuck is going on, I’m sure he’ll be more accepting of the one who I have decided to date.” “Has Mr. Hacker found anything other than your files at the therapist?” Sooyoung adjusts the flower she has in her bun. “Has anyone found out anything other than what we’ve been trying to decipher?” I turn back to the mirror and start messing around with my hair, “Nothing. It’s all dead ends or confusing riddles. I’m still working through what all the hi-lighted words could have in common. Yoongi’s been looking through letters and other documents. Our father’s office was a tomb of secrets, and someone wanted to make sure that us kids would have a hell of a time trying to figure it all out.” I shake my head, trying to clear all the negative thoughts. “Enough talk about this. Aren’t we supposed to be talking about boys?” I smirk over at the girls. “Yes, that’s what I like to hear,” Sooyoung has a giant grin on her face as she clasps her hands together. “Now, Jungkook and I are somewhere between friends and a couple for the moment. Just being able to talk to him more in these last few months has been a dream come true.” “How’s Taemin been, Boram?” I walk over and take a seat on a stool near both girls. Boram shrugs as her cheeks return to their blushing state. “He’s always off doing accounting things, and the times when we would be able to hangout he has to go bartend.” “There has to be a time when you both have downtime,” I nibble on my bottom lip. “In fact, I’ll make it happen when we are looking over the hours for Taemin.” “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Boram takes a deep breath. “If we aren’t meant to be, then we aren’t meant to be.” “You are so meant to be, Boo,” Sooyoung lifts her feet up to admire her cute slippers. “If it wasn’t for Areum telling Taehyung to put in a good word to Jungkook for me, I’d still be crushing from the sidelines. Friends help other friends, and family looks out for each other.” Boram giggles, “Bangtan is a family of friends.” “So, will you let me change around the bartenders to make sure that Taemin and you can hang out?” I lean towards the girl, grinning like a mad woman. She takes a deep breath, “Yes, I’ll let you change some things around.” “Sweet,” I lean back, satisfaction taking over my face as I stare at the ceiling. “Now, there’s only one boy left to talk about,” Sooyoung taps me with her foot to get me to look at her. “Areum, how is your boyfriend doing?” I feel a light blush rise onto my cheeks, “I don’t know what you are trying to get at, but Taehyung and I are doing just fine. We’ve been going on café or bookstore dates whenever he can sneak away and pick me up from university. He’s over in my room often so that we can work on things in each other’s presence. It’s a very nice relationship. Like none I’ve had before.” “So, are you in love with him?” Sooyoung leans forward. “I can’t believe you,” I shake my head. “He’s listening in on this conversation, and I would not like to talk about my deeper feelings for him where he can hear like this.” “So, you do love him?” Boram tilts her head as she holds back a smile. I sigh, knowing that they’ll keep prodding me until I give a solid answer. “I don’t know. I have this strong feeling within me that wants me to be with him, and touch him, and help him with whatever troubles he has. There’s a strange feeling within me that has me thinking that I knew him before this, but that’s how I feel about you, Sooyoung. Like we had been together before I met you,” I let my head fall so I’m staring down at my lap. “I don’t know.” From my peripheral vision I catch Sooyoung and Boram give each other a look that I can’t read. It’s like they had a split-second conversation about me. “Well, that sounds like love, my dear,” Sooyoung takes a deep breath. “You’re just afraid because you’ve had a relationship end shitty before. Taehyung isn’t like that. He’s not going to hurt you. I’ll make sure of it,” she clenches her fists on her lap. I chuckle, looking up at the only two girls in the world I would share this kind of information with. “We haven’t even kiss,” I can’t help the laugh that explodes from within me. “Holy fucking shit. I may be in love with this boy and we haven’t even kissed. He’s all I could ask for in a person to love, and I can’t even do the most basic action that couples do.” Boram and Sooyoung can’t help but join in on my laughter. It’s these kinds of moments that I live for with my friends. It is like we have forgotten that every day could be our last, and we are living like the young girls that we are. Nothing can get in the way of our joy. Nothing can get in the way of conversations on boys. “If you’re listening right now, Taehyung, I give you permission to kiss my best friend tonight,” Sooyoung is the first to catch her breath. “I can’t believe you just said that,” I groan, placing my head into my hands. “I’m not sure if I want him to be listening right now or not. Either way, I think I want to kiss Taehyungie tonight.” “Then we better get down to the ballroom,” Boram stands up. “A night of fun is ahead of us, girls. Let’s go get it started.”

********

I’ve been standing beside my brother for what feels like an eternity as we greet and speak with present and future business partners. While we both try to talk an equal amount, it is clear that Yoongi has taken over my father’s passion of speech and being in control. He answers all the questions about Bangtan, while I answer the more personal ones. It’s been a sight to see the older businessmen come in wearing basic costumes of sports players or movie stars from their childhood. The younger businessmen take the costume party to heart and have gone all out in popular television characters or superheroes. Yoongi is one of those who has gone with a costume that reflects his age: Naruto. He has the uniform, headband, spiked hair, and facial markings. It’s been interesting having to explain who we are dressed up as to those who our father brought into the organization. “It’s nice to see you, Dr. Sato,” Yoongi’s voice drags me out of my thoughts. “Ah, my old doctor,” I smile at the man dressed as a baseball player and the young man next to him dressed as Superman. “And someone that I feel I’ve seen somewhere.” “This is my son, Reo,” Dr. Sato pats his son on the shoulder. “We actually go to the same university, Areum,” Reo generously bows in my direction. “I’ve had a few classes with you.” “Oh, yes, that’s where I’ve seen you before,” I can’t stop the lie from passing through my lips. “It’s good to see you again. I don’t think we ever formally talked in school.” “No, you were always off with that one group of girls,” Reo steps closer to me as Yoongi begins to talk business with Dr. Sato. “Everyone always thought you were great friends. Until you blew up at them a few weeks ago.” I feel a heat rise onto my cheeks as I remember yelling at the Fakes. “Yeah, well, there’s a lot people don’t know about me.” “I’m really sorry about what happened to your dad. I lost my aunt and uncle to a bad accident, and I was very close with them. My cousins have lived with us ever since.” “I remember reading about that,” I reach up to push my crown back into place. “No one ever prepares you for the loss of a parent, or the loss of anyone close to you. Life is a bitch.” Reo laughs, “They say the same about karma. You sure have had to battle a lot that life has thrown at you, though. I couldn’t imagine what you go through.” I shrug, “It’s only made me stronger. I wouldn’t change my struggles for anything.” “How’s school life been like from the library?” Reo grins as he runs a hand through his hair. “Comfortable and quiet. I get more work done there then when I have to go to class. Might go to online after this semester though. Yoongi’s going to need help running Bangtan. We are co-CEO’s in this venture.” “I’ll miss seeing you at university, then. We should have lunch one day, so that you can stretch your legs and get out of that library.” I politely smile, trying my hardest not to roll my eyes, “Maybe we can figure something out. Just because I don’t go to class doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot of work to do.” “Sorry to interrupt,” Yoongi places his hand on my elbow. “Areum, we’ve been talking to people for hours, we need to go get something to eat.” I feel relief wash over me as I look over at my brother. “Has it really been a couple of hours now? I’m surprised my stomach hasn’t made any grumbling noises yet.” “It was nice talking to you, Areum,” Reo bows at me once again. “Hopefully we’ll see each other around campus.” “Yes, that would be lovely,” I nod at him. Yoongi doesn’t waste any time in dragging me away from the doctor and his son. His next mission is to get us to the buffet tables as soon as possible. “Are you okay, Yoongi?” I furrow my eyebrows together as I look over my brother. “I’m fine,” Yoongi hands me a plate. “It’s you who I’m worried about. I could feel you getting uncomfortable back there. Why didn’t you get my attention and lie to get out of that conversation?” “I was just being polite,” I shrug, starting to pile food onto my plate. “There are some people out there that you just have to deal with. He hadn’t made any big move on me, so I felt like I could handle it. I was just annoyed that he thought I was interested in him.” “So, you don’t feel any romantic feelings for him?” “Not a single romantic feeling,” I can’t help the look of disgust that forms on my face. “He’s definitely not my type. Too goody-two-shoes. I need someone with a bit more character,” I slightly smile as I think of Taehyung. “Good, because I like Dr. Sato, but there’s only so much I can take of his stories about work,” Yoongi lowly chuckles. “I think tonight is going very well.” “They would be so proud of us. Mother and father are looking down on us with big smiles on their faces. I just know it.” “They’ll be even happier when we sit down and eat,” Yoongi motions for me to follow him with the nod of his head. The two of us head to a back table where we will have just enough time to eat before someone calls for us. That’s the life of being the one’s in charge of the biggest organization in Seoul. Yoongi and I don’t talk much once we get seated and start stuffing food into our mouths. It gives me the perfect chance to search the throng of people for my friends. It’s not hard to find Sooyoung in her Tinkerbell outfit, so this has me spotting Jungkook and Taehyung chatting away with her. Jungkook is dressed up as a bunny, making him look a lot more adorable than what he usually does. Taehyung makes my heartrate speed up as his costume is a vampire. To keep the blush off my cheeks, I go back to scanning the room for my friends. I still can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever get some alone time with Taehyung tonight. Seokjin, Namjoon, and Hoseok are off to the side with a clear look at the exit and entrance so they can keep their eye on the guests. Seokjin is in a pumpkin costume that he totally got at the dollar store. Namjoon is dressed up as the popular Kakao Friend Ryan, and it actually fits his personality more than he might realize. Hoseok went with a classic from Star Wars: Luke Skywalker. Another scan over the crowd gets me to spot Boram, Minho, and Taemin. Boram has now put paws on her hands to complete her kitten look, and I must say she’s one of the cutest girls here. Minho looks to be dressed up as a detective of sorts, and Taemin has taken on his friend’s role as doctor. Now if Boram could just stand a little closer to Taemin. “Ah, it’s about time that I find the hosts of this lovely event,” Jimin takes a seat between Yoongi and me. “You look beautiful, baby girl,” he gently pinches my cheek. “Jiminie,” I whine, slapping his hand. “Why do you do this?” Jimin widely smiles so his eyes turn into crescents. He’s gone with a simple dinosaur onesie, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t looking super adorable. “I compliment you because that’s what best friends do,” he taps my nose. “Well you look adorable,” I giggle leaning into the dinosaur boy. “Did you stop by just to talk, or is there something going on?” Yoongi speaks up. “A little bit of both,” Jimin turns to look at my brother. “It’s been a while since the three of us have been able to spend some time together.” “Well, we aren’t in middle school anymore. We don’t walk down the street hand in hand as we head to school. A lot has changed, especially in the past few months.” “We’re all still the best of friends,” I reach over to shove Yoongi’s shoulder. “There’s no reason to get all serious.” “You’re right,” Yoongi let’s out a breath, a tiny smile playing on his lips. “It’s been a long night already, and we’re only halfway through. Bambi and I have talked to so many people that Bangtan is going to continue working with, and those who want to start working with us. With all the work we are still doing trying to find out about our parents, life is going to be busier than ever.” “Speaking of life getting busier, I need to tell you something, Yoongi,” I nibble on my bottom lip as the two boys look at me. “You are not quitting school,” Yoongi and Jimin say in unison. “Areum, I don’t give a fuck how busy Bangtan gets, you will keep going to university until you graduate,” Yoongi glares at me. “I’m not quitting,” I roll my eyes. “The university has an online program where I can take all my required classes in an online setting. That way I can be home, where it’s safe, and have time to help you out with Bangtan. It’s a win-win for everyone.” “You have to admit, she’s pretty much doing that already,” Jimin shrugs. “Might as well make it official to the university.” “We’ll talk about this when it gets closer to deciding what you need to do for the next semester,” Yoongi turns his gaze to Jimin. “Now, what’s going on?” “Hold on,” I lean towards my brother. “We aren’t discussing this later. I have already talked to me advisor to change how I do school. I am taking online classes next semester, and maybe until I graduate. This is my education, you don’t get to decide how I do or don’t do it. Now, Jimin, please, tell us what is wrong?” “There’s nothing wrong,” Jimin pats my knee. “Just some drunk guys that are out in the hall getting ready to brawl, and I thought you’d like to come and teach them a lesson,” he evilly grins at Yoongi. “Just like old times on the playground to the bullies.” Yoongi smirks, and I can see his eyes light up in remembrance, “That sounds like a great way to release some stress.” “Have fun you two,” I giggle, standing up and smoothing out my dress. “Kick some ass for me.” “You aren’t going to come watch,” Jimin winks at me. “Don’t want to see how fucking amazing we are?” “I already know you are,” I pat Jimin’s shoulder. “I have some friends that I would like to catch up with, and I wouldn’t be able to stand by and just watch you two have all the fun.” Yoongi stands up, “You look too pretty to go and get in a fight.” Jimin chuckles, jumping out of his seat. “She’ll fight in anything, so she has other reasons why she doesn’t want to come with us.” I give Jimin a quick look to shut his mouth before he spills anything else. “I’m going to go talk to Sooyoung, my best friend. We have to get back to planning our wedding,” I lightly cross my arms over my stomach. “If Yoongi won’t let me date a boy from the mansion, I’ll date her.” “I doubt she’s moved on from the assassin,” Yoongi walks over to me. “Nice try though, as you’d get my blessing.” “Just go,” I shove the two boys. “That fight isn’t going to wait forever.” Yoongi and Jimin nod before rushing off to go show some idiots that you don’t fight in the Min Mansion. I take a deep breath, turning to face the center of the ballroom. All night there has been music playing, but only the young people have taken the opportunity to dance in the center of the room. If only I could find the one person that I have been wanting to see all day. Then we could slow dance in the crowd of people without the worry of Yoongi seeing us. “Hello babe,” Taehyung’s voice shocks me out of my search for him. “You are looking very sexy this evening. It’s been hard waiting for a chance to come talk to you.” I spin on my heel to see my boyfriend with a loving smile on his face. “How do you think I’ve felt waiting to stop talking to all these people when my boyfriend is off to the side looking so hot?” I grin, reaching out to grab his hand. Up close, Taehyung looks even better dressed up as vampire. The fake fangs look to have been professionally made to fit his mouth, and the small amount of faux dried blood around his mouth is subtle enough to look good. It’s clear that he’s wearing a bit of black eyeshadow to give him age, but it’s the red contact lenses that give him the demonic look. His natural brown hair is slightly messy, and the black clothes with the cape complete the look. “That’s what we get when we can’t tell someone’s brother,” he chuckles, leaning down to kiss the top of my forehead. “How about we go out and slow dance, huh? I’ve been imaging dancing with you all night, and I don’t think I can wait any longer.” “Let’s go then,” I pull Taehyung towards the dance floor. It takes us a couple of minutes to maneuver our way into the center, but it is worth it to dance with my boyfriend. “You sure like keeping an eye on me, don’t you?” I have my arms around his neck, giving me access to mess with the hair at the nape of his neck. For once I am happy that I decided to wear shoes with a decent heel. “Yet, every time I spotted you, you were deep in conversation.” “I can keep a good eye on you without staring at you,” Taehyung has his hands firmly on my hips. “It’s my job to watch you, so I guess you could say I enjoy it.” “It was so annoying when all the young guys would come up to talk to Yoongi and me, and how blatantly they would flirt with me,” I roll my eyes. “That’s something I will not miss once we can go public. I only want to be with you.” “I saw that last guy you were with,” he pulls me closer. “The son of your old doctor. He had this look in his eyes. He likes you, but there was something else.” “Reo,” I feel the name make my stomach clench with anxiety. “He was nice, but just gave me a weird vibe. Like he thinks he should be treating me like we’ve been friends for years, but I just met him.” “It made me so angry that I couldn’t step in and get him to go away,” he rests his forehead on mine. “You’re my babe. My one and only. No one will be with you like I am.” “Tae,” I look up at him through my eyelashes. “Did you hear the conversation I had with Boram and Sooyoung?” My cheeks are burning as I ask the question. “I did,” Taehyung takes in a slow breath. “Even though I knew that you probably didn’t want me to, I couldn’t mute the microphones.” “It’s fine,” I pull my head away, so I have a clear look at his face. “I think that I wanted you to hear more than I hoped you wouldn’t. They would have teased me endlessly whatever I said.” “Did you mean it, though?” Taehyung has become quite serious in the past few moments. “Do you really feel that strongly about me?” I tenderly smiles, “The more I have gotten to know you, the more my feelings for you have grown. I’m so happy that you have entered my life, Taehyungie. You’ve helped me with so much.” “But do you love me?” Taehyung is staring into me with an intensity that I don’t think I have ever had to face. “Areum, I have been watching you for years, and I never thought this day would come where I would be able to hold you in my arms. To cuddle with you. To help you through problems. To have the chance to kiss you. I have been so helplessly in love with you for a long time, and I know that sounds so cliché and cheesy, but it’s the truth. I held it together for so long because I didn’t want you to think I was weird and push me away. I was so afraid of losing you and making your brother mad that I had even talked to you. But damn it, I don’t give a fuck anymore. I am in love with you, Areum.” I feel a few tears sliding down my cheeks, and my mouth has fallen open slightly. “Tae, I…” “Oh babe, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Taehyung’s face is filled with concern as he wipes the tears off my face. “I’m just done lying to myself, and especially to you.” “They are happy tears,” I giggle as a few more tears escape and fall down my face. “I’ve only ever loved a handful of people in my entire life. They have always been like family to me, but you are different. I never knew if I would be able to love another human being like the way my parents loved each other after my heart was broken for the first time. Until I met you,” I chuckle as the tears keep on flowing. “Damn it, I don’t want to cry. I’m just so happy because I love you too, Taehyung. I love you, and this is just the beginning.” “Take a deep breath babe,” Taehyung shows off his boxy smile as he dries my face with his thumb. “I don’t like seeing you cry, even if this is a happy cry.” I focus on my breathing, so the tears stop flowing down my cheeks. This is not anywhere close to how I imagined this scene happening. After a few moments, I have calmed down and dried my cheeks of the tears. “Good, that’s my girl,” Taehyung kisses my forehead. “Now, there’s one more thing I need to tell you.” “You can kiss me, Tae,” I lovingly smile at my boyfriend, pulling my left hand forward to cup his face. “I really want to kiss you.” “It’s not that,” he tucks some loose hair behind my ear. “I mean, I really want to kiss you, but there’s something important I need to tell you.” “What is it?” I tilt my head to the side in curiosity. “You keep on saying how close you’ve felt to me since that day at the viewing. How you feel like you’ve known me for a lot longer than the few months we’ve been together. Well, I can explain why you feel that way,” he takes a deep breath, slowly releasing it as if to think over his next few words. “We did know each other years ago, right before your mother was murdered. I’m scattered all over your therapist files, so he took your memory of me. All the days we spent together as kids. All the days we spent getting closer and closer. He made you talk about it all, and took me from you. I don’t know why,” he shakes his head. I open my mouth, but I can’t think of a single word to tell the boy that I love so much. Then, like a crash of thunder, I feel my brain release the floodgates on a section of my memories.

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And that is the lucky chapter 13 (I love how Halloween fell on this chapter). Anyways, I am so sorry that it took so long to get this chapter out. A lot of things happened in my life, but I am going to try to be better from now on! Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading! And I’d love to hear what you thought.

[drtwit]

From Justice to Spite - (Adam Taurus) RWBY Fanfiction

Here is the first draft of a small fic I'm planning on the side, one that explores snapshots of Adam's life up to him murdering Sienna Khan, hoping to slowly build a picture of Adam becoming the psychopath we make fun of to this day that will probably not even be close to hitting the mark... Or, more simply, a bunch of pedantic jibberish that fell out of my head in a jumbled amalgamation of words.

“At first I thought Adam was "justice", then I thought he was "passion". But over time, I realized I was wrong. He wasn't any of those things. He was "spite". Not "hatred", not "rage", "spite". He won't accept equality, only suffering for what he feels the world did to him, and his way of thinking is dangerously contagious.” 

The first memory that came to mind was his father’s fascination with linking people to natural materials. Stones were trusted to be apart of the planet’s foundation. They were stern, strong and most of all they were patient. Yet, in that limitless patience, they find nothing but the ability to crumble. Such strength, such power, such respect all reduced to nothing but a weak pile of dust. The boy didn’t mean to take such a pessimistic view of the metaphor, that patience helped other, garnered it guiltless joy, ended it righteous and clean. Then again, joy felt like a chore to work with today. He looked to the stone, all he could see it how swiftly it crumbled. The wood only brought forth the thought of the flames that scorched that soft brown to heavy black. Pieces of glass pooling at his feet just reminded him of how it was shattered, the collapsing shards like a looping alarm to signal the oncoming tragedy. Not even the sky itself could bring comfort as it was now poisoned by smoke mixed with copper and blood. The boy wanted to find something to focus on, something that he could distract himself with, something that could make the throbbing in his stomach subside and let him be ignorant of reality for the moment. Tears desperately wanted to break through and rush down his cheeks, stinging his boiling flesh with cold despair. No matter how much his heart fought to relieve him of some of the pain, it couldn’t penetrate that layer of confusion and dread that blocked his throat. Why? It was a question that ached in his soul. Why did this happen? Was it his fault? Did he do something bad? Is this his punishment? He didn’t want this, he’d take it all back, he was sorry, he didn’t mean to do anything wrong. He didn’t know what he did wrong, but he’d make up for it in a heartbeat! Anything… Just him back. Please. “Adam.” And like that, his little world shattered, for a brief moment the curse of memory reeled back and let his attention free. Now, he could hear the cars in the distance, beeping profanities at each other as they tried to navigate around the roadblocks. There were snippets of conversations between blaring ambulances and roaring squad cars wondering how long this day was going to be. He only noticed now that the morning rain was pelting down on his head. “Officer, how long have you left this boy sitting here without getting him a coat?” The disgruntled police officer grunted out some unintelligible words in response to the low feminine voice. There was a certain edge to the voice, it reminded the boy of a tiger scaring away it’s prey. “On a day like this, I can’t believe it. Do you want him to freeze to death?” Looking up at her, the first thing to meet his sight were her eyes, those amber eyes that carried a familiar sense of loss. She was looking for distractions just as much as he was. Did she do something wrong as well? Pulling back from her eyes, he recognized her, remembering those brown stripes on her dark skin that he had been awed by. The eyes, they always scared him, whenever she had looked over him, they would pin him down with the thought that she would bare sharp teeth and attack. “Adam.” She said his name again, realizing that he was now looking at her. The Officer had shuffled off, perhaps fleeing from angering the woman any further. He didn’t respond. He didn’t feel like talking at the moment. “I’m Sienna Khan” She approached him slowly, her feet careful, but wobbly. It was like she was trying to balance on stilts with every step. “Do you… Remember me? Don’t worry, I’m a friend of your dads” Okay, not the best way to introduce yourself to a child. He remembered how she and his dad yelled at each other a lot. Yet her voice was much quieter here. She held his gaze for a long time, tight-lipped and stiff as a board. She really wanted him to speak, didn’t she? “Are you going to eat me?” It was the first question that came to mind, one which he thought important. He didn’t taste good anyway with all this rainwater. “Eat you?” Her eyelids pulled back, stopping her mid-stride as she processed the question. Before long, she was shaking her head, forcing a fake smile as she took the strange question as a fortunate distraction. “No, no. I don’t eat little boys. Besides, my belly is full today. I… Uh… Had an early lunch” She really didn’t have much experience talking to children. “Do you mind if I take a seat here? All the others are taken.” After a scrutinizing look to confirm that she was, in fact, not going to eat him (with her even opening her mouth to show her teeth), the boy shuffled to the side and weakly nodded. “Okay.” It was an awkward silence between the two as she slowly crouched down and tucked her legs under her knees. His concentration waned, pulled over to her and blocking out the other noises and sights for just this one little area. His nook and cranny. “The weather’s not very pleasant today, is it?” The heartache hung in the air, desperate for attention, but neither of them wanted to look its way, just distract themselves. Talk about something else. “You’re not wearing one either” “Hm?” “You yelled at that man for not giving me a coat. Why aren’t you wearing one? Aren’t you cold?” His knees came up to his chest, fearful eyes locking onto the stripes adorning her arms. “I am.” She admitted, her posture stern and strict, a towering and unwavering figure even against the rain pelting her neck. “But the cold never bothered me much these days. I’ve spent a lot of time with fire, so it’s more relieving than anything” Her voice started off joking, but bit-by-bit that bitterness sunk into her words. The boy could only, once again, speak out with the first thing to come to mind “That’s cool” She laughed. She didn’t mean to let that involuntary giggle slip past her lips, but she laughed. It was a warm one that broke through the atmosphere. The boy didn’t quite understand what was funny about what he said, but he didn’t mind, the humor made the woman feel good and that made the boy feel proud. It made Adam feel more comfortable in her presence. “Thank you?” “You don’t thank someone for laughing” “Oh.” There was a soft smile as she shook her head at the boy’s misunderstanding. “Do you… Have many friends?” From what she knew, he wasn’t exactly someone who got out much. “I have Mada, he’s a samurai and stuff who stays with me and shows me cool tricks when Dad was walking with all the other people” Adam talked with more energy, gripping the air as if he were grabbing a sword by the hilt. “But Dad says that he doesn’t count because he doesn’t exist” His cheeks sucked in, his lips turning in curiosity. “W-what do you do? Do you walk with Dad?” “No, not quite. I’m more of a fighter” “Huh?” “I worked for the same thing your dad did, but instead of waving signs, I… Fought for those that couldn’t fight themselves.” “Oh, so you’re like a superhero?” “Not rea-… In a way, Adam.” The trick was to keep the conversation going, embrace that procrastination for however long you could. “I had an imaginary friend once. She didn’t say much, more of a silent supporter than a playground pal. I always thought she was a mute, but that was long before I realized that there were times where actions spoke louder than words ever could” Her eyes trailed up to meet the collapsed mass of stone, wood, and metal that formed the pyre. “Sometimes it’s deafening. You have to yell louder to make your voice heard” “My voice gets very squeaky when I yell, it’s embarrassing” His head shifted to bury his chin in between his legs, completely ignorant to any meaning in her words. “Not like yours. Your voice even gets my Dad to yell. I like it, even if it scares me” The admittance made Sienna softly smile down at the boy, only for his next question to dampen that smile. “Did you hate my Dad?” For a moment, her eye closed tightly shut. “It’s not that simple” Telling a ten-year-old that something isn’t that simple never went well. She heard herself verbally tearing into that man, all the names she called him, all the lives she laid down at his feet, all the scorn she unloaded onto him. “It may be hard to understand. We had different outlooks on life... Uh, that is, we thought differently. That may have driven a rift between us, it brought us arguments and dispute, but he was still a wonderful man I’m happy to say was my friend” Adam took his time letting the words sink in, for a while his horns poking through his bush of red hair was the most Sienna could see of him. Some of the words she used took a while for the boy to understand. So, even if she hurt his dad, yelled at his dad, she still thought of his dad as a friend? “Are we friends?” She turned to him fully, watching his face uncurl from his knees to blink up at her. “We can be” Treating this like a business deal more than small talk with a ten-year-old, she held out her hand, looking for a handshake. “I’ll be your friend” With a skeptical look that lasted a few seconds, Adam reached up to clasp the woman’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Come on now. It’s time to leave.” When Sienna tried to urge the boy to his feet, he clearly struggled with the idea. “G-go? I don’t wanna go away, I wanna stay here!” He pulled away from her, backing away towards the wreckage, his back against what used to be his bedroom. “Why do I have to go anywhere? This is my home!” “There’s nothing left for you here. What you need right now is a place to sleep, somewhere warm.” She made no move to close the gap between them, merely holding out her hand like before, her eyes hard as they bore into the boy. “Somewhere you’ll be safe to live your life” “I’m not leaving here, I’m not leaving him!” His back fell back to what remained of the wall, his legs wobbling, arms weak and knees heavy. There were so many emotions bubbling in the pit of his stomach, charging forward and snapping their jaws at his throat. They all wanted to stay here, like it would change anything, achieve anything. “I can’t leave him here alone” “You’re not leaving him, Adam” She remained firm in her position, her voice soft, but loud and clear. “His spirit is going to be with you no matter what, that body is just some bags of flesh now…” Adam looked as if he was pushed into a corner, his eyes fleeting and a small bit fearful. “He wanted you to come with me if anything ever happened to him. He would want you to leave. He would want you to-” “L-let go?” He’d heard it many times before from that police officer. Said it was healthy. Said it would help. “No, Adam” Sienna’s tone came to a surprising seriousness with these words, her eyes narrowing on the boy. “This pain you feel? It isn’t nice, it isn’t comfortable, but you need it. You need to keep it with you Adam, to keep you strong, because no matter the protection I provide you’ll need that strength. No, Adam. Never let it go.” He didn’t know when he had taken her hand again, he just knew when he had that one emotion above all had triumphant, a smoldering heat reaching up his body and pushing through his fingertips. It was anger. A hungry beast starving for food. What did you feed anger born out of grief? The one responsible. “Is it my fault?” At first, Sienna’s eyes widened at the question, completely caught off guard by such an idea. A little boy responsible for his own father’s murder? The look he gave her added so much weight, he trusted her to speak the truth. She dropped down to make sure she was on an even level with the boy, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen if it was. If I did something wrong, I don’t want him to pay for it. I-I’ll do better, I’ll do anything. I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” “Adam!” She got to grips with herself, letting out a growl that stole Adam’s volume away. “You didn’t cause this, you have nothing to feel guilty about here-” “But why-” “You didn’t do this, Adam.” For the first time, the two allowed themselves to finally focus fully on the sight before them. On the flames still fighting for the opportunity to roar above the wreckage of a childhood home, the surrounding neighborhood now having the perfect view of the tears in the ground, the possessions that had been melted by flames and the corpses mangled in stone. At the borders of police tape and cars, they lined up, crowds of people struggling for a good position to frame the area on their phones, very few offering a drop of sympathy. “Humans did this.” In that moment, the answer broke the confusion, the dam within him cracked and let forth the waterworks. Before long, the heat licking his skin fought against an onslaught of wet tears. Without warning, he broke contact with her arms and tackled the woman with a hug, burying his face in her shoulder with no shame or thought towards the stains he was leaving on her clothes. She didn’t speak, she didn’t move, she didn’t attempt anything. She just let the child cry in her arms, cry for himself and cry for her. “S-Sienna?” “Yes?” “…I want to be a fighter too”