#why cant we just scrub it from our memory

[do-angels-dream-of-starry-seas]

IN WHAT WORLD DO YOU THINK THIS BLOG IS SAFE FOR HP FANS

WHEN I SAY I HATE HARRY POTTER BLOGS YES I MEAN YOU "SEPARATE THE ART FROM THE ARTIST"

[misora-msby]

embarrassing moments with inarizaki

inarizaki always looks so cool but you know they’re actually dorks and i am here to provide you the content to show theyre clowns. enjoy the headcanons :)

Kita Shinsuke

firstly. kita shinsuke being embarrased? making a mistake? unheard of.

he’s a perfect man and we all know it.

anyways

you two were having a nice dinner out together. 

it was a pretty fancy place so you decided to dress in a different style today

but you were beginning to wonder if kita liked it or not because he seemed to keep looking past your shoulder instead of at you

he was an observant guy so you were wondering if something had happened behind you

but you couldn’t hear anything weird so you assumed not

you decided to just stay quiet about it at first but now it was beginning to become annoying! 

why wasn’t he looking you in the eye to speak?

midway through your dinner, kita finally spoke up tho

“y/n, your shirt is slipping... yer bra’s showing.”

oh.

right. you were wearing your off-shoulder top.

“o-oh. shin, it’s that kind of shirt, you know?” you had to explain your outfit to ur bf with a pink face.

“oh... that so... well it’s cold these days so if yer feelin’ cold lemme know. i’ll give ya my jacket.”

GOD HES SO PERFECT KITA SHINSUKE I HOPE U MARRY HIM???????

Ojiro Aran

another man with next to no flaws.

but nature says everyone has to make some mistake.

so it was a regular school day, our aran has just come to class from morning practice and there’s still some time left until class starts.

all the girls in class are gathered around a table

he’s not sure why, it’s probably watching an idol video

but ur man wants to be a little romantic!!

plus he just showered so he smells Great uwu

he goes over and hugs you from behind, placing his chin on ur head.

“hey, bb whatcha ya doin”

all the girls gasp.

he doesn’t get whats wrong, it’s not like it’s a secret y’all are dating

pda to this level aint bad either

especially compared to his teammate miya atsumu

“ojiro aran.”

why is your voice behind him

he looks down and nearly faints when he sees he hugged the wrong girl.

to be fair she looked a lot like you from behind, just maybe 1cm shorter.

“i’m so sorry!” he keeps apologising to literally everyone and all the class is giggling bc they never seen their school’s ace so red before.

“didn’t think i’d come back from the toilet and see my bf cheatin”

“IT WAS A MISTAKE! I’M SERIOUS! Y/N U KNOW I LOVE YA!” 

hes so funny i swear

the volleyball team hears of it and it gets even better 

Miya Atsumu

it’s not a secret that miya atsumu, setter of the inarizaki volleyball team and invited to national youth training camp, had a gf

he was very much in love with u 

the whole class knew it because he’d show it off whenever he could too

so here comes valentines day

last year he received like... 50 different gifts from girls and guys aiming to win his love.

you didnt even give him one lmAOOOOO 

but this year, he had been not so subtly trying to hint that “i better not receive any chocolates this year when i’ve got a gf!”

he reaches school and plops into his seat.

there’s an anonymous box of chocolates with “please accept my love, miya-kun! <3″ on it

“the hell’s this?!”

“oh? chocolates?” - osamu who just popped his head into the class to shove into his twin’s face how much chocolate he got.

especially since the blond was off limits, the grey-haired twin had a bigger following now.

“do they not know i have a girlfriend...”

“well, ya might as well eat it. ya dont know who to return it to.”

“that’s like receivin’ their love!”

“no it ain’t. it’s just food.”

atsumu couldn’t argue with that and popped a piece in.

it was very delicious. the chocolate practically melted on his tongue and was the perfect sweetness and was filled with a delicious ganache too.

it was perfect

but he couldn’t accept this!

“it ain’t even good. too sweet and the filling’s sticky.”

“ah. really? is that what you think, tsumu?” you ask from the door where you had been watching the exchange take place.

“y/n! look at this! some weirdo gave me some choco and like... samu said to test it but i’ll toss it out, promise.”

“tsumu, i made that... i wrote it anonymously because i thought you’d know it was me and i wanted to tease you a little.”

“huh.”

osamu: “yeah actually i went over to her place to teach her how to make it.”

atsumu: “you said you went to suna’s place?!”

osamu: “i went there later but i first went to help her.”

you: “anyways if it’s not good i don’t mind if you toss it out...”

tsumu: “NO NO BABE I PROMISE IT’S GOOD”

you: “you just said-”

“BABE I SWEAR IT’S GOOD I JUST DIDN’T WANT TO ACCEPT A STRANGER’S STUFF”

“you’re always so honest though... are you sure?” you were having your fun teasing him now.

“BB PLSSSSSS”

he still cringes at the memory 4 years into ur marriage

Miya Osamu

osamu would DEFINITELY make home made dinner dates a regular thing.

this alone shows he’s the better twin - miya atsumu stan

he loves cooking and eating with you so sometimes when he’s got a day off you guys’ll set aside the afternoon to make a real nice dinner

imagine candlelit dinner with miya dorito body osamu in a suit

of course some fun stuff happens after too ;)))

and today’s your third anniversary!!

so osamu adds lots of ‘natural aphrodisiacs’ to the meal

i’m talkin

garlic bread and soup for an appetiser, a nice juicy steak with garlic and red wine sauce for the main, and chocolate coated strawberries for dessert

mm yummy

you two cleaned your plates completely (it was very delicious) and as you were washing the dishes, osamu comes up behind and wraps his arms around your waist

“yes, ‘samu?” 

“i’ve already prepared us a nice bath with yer favourite scents.” he’s got his head resting on ur chin

“really? thank you~ i’ll be there in a bit”

but he doesn’t let go of you while you’re still scrubbing at the baking sheets.

“osamu, you can let go for now.”

“don’t feel like it.”

“i gotta wash the dishes since you did most of the cooking.”

“mmm, i’ll do it if ya gimme a kiss.”

you roll ur eyes bc what a cutie 

u turn ur head to give him a kiss but suddenly he 

he burps

that garlicy wine smell is just kinda there

“ew! ‘samu!!”

his face is real red but he’s also trying not to laugh because he’s still a dude and this is absolutely hilarious to him

“want another?” he starts teasing

“i’m not getting in the bath with you.”

“wait wait wait i’m sorry, i’ll go brush my teeth and give you a proper kiss”

Suna Rintarou

you two were taking the train home today

it was quite late due to practice going a little longer than usual, so he insisted he walked you back home today.

sunarin can be a good boyf sometimes ok

it was getting a little crowded on the train tho, since people were heading home or going out for dinner

luckily you had already grabbed seats so you were quite comfortable sitting side by side. 

you and suna have the type of relationship were you dont have to talk all the time

silence is v comfy.

he’s just scrolling through twitter on his phone while you’re looking around the car, lost in ur thoughts

suddenly you notice an old lady standing a little bit away from you and you stand up

“baa-san, please take my seat.” you whisper in the crowded carriage

“oh how kind of you. thank you, dearie.” she smiles and takes your seat while you stand in front of her and suna instead.

suna doesn’t realise this exchange has happened tho

(he’s on his phone as usual)

probably starting some fights on twitter

he decides to try to be a little romantic and pretends to stretch his arm around (who he thought was) you.

“rin.” 

why is your voice right in front of him?

“young man, i appreciate it but i’m married.”

suna jumps as he sees someone he did not recognise next to him.

he looks up and notices you had moved.

you’re giggling

the granny’s giggling

atsumu and osamu sitting opposite on the carriage look like they’re going to cry because they’re trying not to laugh

“i was just stretching. really.” he mumbles and crosses his arms, face red as a tomato

he’s so embarrassed.

Ginjima Hitoshi

sometimes the inarizaki vbc would go for an after practice snack at the nearby family mart

they were really hungry after an intense preparation for nationals which was in two weeks so kita insisted they all get something to fill them up on the way home

but lucky lucky ginjima hhehe

you (his classmate who he had a crush on) were working at the cash register today.

“welcome!” you greet everyone as they enter

he cant help but stiffen up a bit 

why are u so cute and cheery today

the 2nd years already know what to do.

“heyy, i think last week i bought ya that ramen right? ya owe me my konbini snacks today!” - atsumu

“yeah. you lost a bet to me last week so u gotta pay up. a pack of jelly fruit sticks please.” - suna

“forgot my money today, mind payin’ for my snacks too?” - osamu

“like hell i’m paying for all of you. especially you, osamu. you eat too much all the time.” 

aran’s noticed what’s going on,

“hey, if it’s just for today you can do it right? if ‘samu don’t pay ya back tomorrow i’ll nag him ‘til he does.” 

“fine...” his basket is full when he goes to the counter.

he’s trying his best not to have a red face while watching u scan the items, ur hair swaying slightly as u look back and forth between the objects and the screen.

“alright. 4,890 yen please!” GOD he hated how expensive it was, that’s almost all his weekly allowance but bc it’s u and ur voice saying it it’s kinda ok

“mm, ok.” he still has his eyes on you while he takes out his wallet and puts it on the counter.

yes

his wallet, not the money

“...” “...”

“excuse me, sir. this is...”

he almost slaps his face wtf he’s so embarrassed.

“s-sorry. just a little absent minded after practice.” he starts pulling out his cash.

“it’s fine! i know how hard you guys practice!” you smile while performing the rest of the transaction and pass him his big bag of goods. “good luck for nationals, ginjima-kun!”

he almost runs out of the store and is about to fight the rest of the 2nd years for watching and (suna) recording

[thotsforvillainrights]

The yandere HC *chef's kiss* absolutely immaculate. So well written. I am thoroughly impressed with you once again 😤 I wanted to ask if you could write HC for Yandere Setsuno, Overhaul and Chronostasis with a pregnant darling?

(I’m glad to hear this because I genuinely do not think I’m doing a good job lmaooo. But anyway, beside that! I just did a Setsuno one about an hour or two ago, so it’s not buried too deep in the blog. I’ll go ahead and do Kai and Chrono now!)

~Yandere!Kai/Hari with a Pregnant S/O~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

~Overhaul~

-Starting a family with him may not have been so bad if he weren’t a complete and total fucking psychopath. I mean think about it! He’s always concerned about your health and checks on you with care and persistence. He’s willing to become a father, and he loves you. He gives you anything you could ever ask for. Now take this and magnify it by 1000x. 

-Its shifted from him carefully checking on you to him having you do a medical exam once every single 2 weeks. He’s also always around you, scrubbing you down day and night as if you cant handle that yourself. He demands you’d keep the baby no matter what because he needs an heir to the throne, and he also wants a lovechild...a piece of you and him combined. He loves you but it’s too much. It’s so much that he’s willing to kill for you and if it comes down to it, he’d kill you himself. Besides, he can just put you back together again so why should he worry? He’ll give you anything you ask for as long as it’s not technology or freedom. Can’t risk you trying to escape now can we? 

-So there you stand waiting for him to get back. It’s around that time again anyway, you sigh and lean against the bathroom sink for support. These days you felt more tired than usual and it had to be on account of the life growing inside of you. Just then, he entered the bathroom with a fresh towel and loofa along with some new soaps as well. “Angel, I’ve returned once again. I stopped at the store on the way home and picked up some soap for sensitive skin. I figured it might help with comfort.” You glared at him as he went to turn on the bath water. “What might help with comfort would be you not scrubbing my skin so hard with blazing fucking water.” You quickly covered your mouth and watched as he slowly lifted himself up to look at you.

-”I’d watch that tone if I were you. Now get in the tub. You know I don’t take kindly to bratty behavior.” You sighed and obeyed him. This time was just like all the other times but you had gotten used to the pain by now. ‘endure for just a bit longer. that’s all’ your mind kept telling you. Just endure it...

~Chronostasis~

-Things hadn’t really turned out the way you thought they would. You watched him in terror from the other side of the room and you began to wonder just exactly where everything went downhill. You silently hated yourself for letting it get to this point. All the stalking and such was cute to you in a way. It interested you and made you want to give him a chance. The way he threatened to detroy anyone that got in the way of your love was enough. You had an interest in yandere’s in media while reading manga or watching anime. It started fun at first and now you began to realize why it was toxic.

-Especially with a baby on the way.

-”Hari please, I was just kidding around. Please don’t do this...” He ignored you and kept loading the gun. “I know you were kidding but part of me thinks somewhere deep down inside you still like them. Why else would you be trying to defend them like this?” He spoke calmly. This all started when you made a joke over the phone to your childhood bestfriend that you would marry them someday. It was all a joke and now they were going to lose their life because of it. “Y/N, if you really love me then you wouldn’t make jokes like that. If it were just a joke then why are you defending them so hard right now? I thought you understood I was serious when I said we were going to be together forever and that no one would get in the way.” Hari smiled while you choked down some tears.

-He made his way over to you and tightened the locks around your ankles. “Hey don’t cry babe, that stress isn’t good for the baby. Tell you what, when I get back let’s watch a movie together. I’ll move you from the basement and everything. And to show you no hard feelings, we can consider naming our baby after your friend as a memorial huh? Alright, gotta go. They should be getting off work right about now.” He kissed the top of your head lovingly and trudged up the steps from the basement. He flicked the lights off leaving you in complete darkness and closed the door. Shortly afterward you heard it lock twice. 

»—————————–———————————————————–✄

Instagram: @pastelbattydraws & @pastelbattystore

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRNMJH7vHL7APNobUykhK4w?view_as=subscriber

[angsty-omi]

PART 2 OF UNLOCKED EMOTIONS

part 1

ushijima wakatoshi x fem!reader

lowercase intended

warnings: anxiety, cheating, cursing, some semi nsfw scenes and most importantly, pure angst.

it started out simple. toshi would make a plan to go somewhere, and rin would tag a long. she is his girlfriend after all. but you soon started to notice that she was always there. even when your families would have dinner with each other. at some point, you couldn’t take it.

there was this one night where you didn’t even wanna go downstairs because you knew they were there. sitting in your dining chairs, using your silverware, probably making out in the bathroom. you slammed your head on the bed trying to get that image out of your head. stop it y/n. you made an excuse that you were ill, which technically you were lovesick.

it wasn’t surprising that soon you and toshi faded as friends. you needed space even then, your feelings didn’t change at all. instead it was even passionate than before. before, you never felt a sense of urgency in telling him. but now you wanted him more than ever. you needed him. seeing him walking down the halls with her. hand in hand, walking down the hallway and past your locker. your chest was tight. she would stick her tongue out at you, and ushijima never noticed. “what a child,” you thought to yourself. but you couldn’t say anything, she was just trying to gaslight you so you could scream at her and ushijima would have to choose between the two of you.

continuous weeks of her microagressions at you, you learned to let that not bother you. rin noticed and had to up the ante.

during 5th period, you started feeling very anxious out of nowhere. you could feel a pair of eyes laser into you. you had asked permission to go to the restroom and the teacher gave you the hall pass. you immediately rushed to the sink scrubbing your face. repeatedly rinsing.

you looked up to your side and saw her. rin. this startled you. “do you need something?” you asked nicely, secretly about to have a meltdown.

to be quite frank, your meltdowns were rough. it was a period of time where you felt no remorse for anything. no one really knew about this condition, except for your family. it’s not worth mentioning because they’ll think you’re a psychopath and it doesn’t happen quite frequently. it’s only when you’re a ticking bomb, under lots of pressure. like.. like.. right now?

you could feel the symptoms coming and so was rin, she started to come closer to your face.

“y/n, you think i’m an idiot don’t you? you don’t think i see the way you look at him?.” now she was only a few inches away, “god you’re pathetic, you can’t even deny my accusations. you’re in love with someone who’s taken, you fucking whore. you. cant. have. him... it’s truly sad y/n, you even had a head start. all that time was wasted, and all i had to do was to just be in his presence for a day and he fell for me.” she giggled. her high pitched giggle was ringing in your ears.

“stop,” you thought, “please just make it stop.” you’d do anything. meltdown y/n was just not someone to be reckoned with. it’s not a threat, it’s the truth. not five seconds later, your clenched fist met with her eurocentric face. then you were on top of her, not even thinking just doing. just your fists continuously smashing her petite porcelain face. until there was a whole crowd, the teachers finally were aware of the situation.

soon there was an administrator holding you back. angry tears flooding your eyes. you wanted more revenge. hearing her whimpers, you smiled. this. this made you happy. then you were shut back down when you heard someone calming her down. you looked up and saw ushijima. your eyes met. his with much fury, and yours with much sorrow. “how could you do this, y/n? from now on, just leave us alone. don’t even acknowledge me. don’t look our way. don’t even breathe the same air as us.” he threatened with such a serious tone.

the whole reason you hated your meltdowns were not just the no remorse thing, but how after it is finished, the guilt hit you like a truck. leaving you in a serious depressive state. and you were suspended for two weeks. great.

you were trapped in your bedroom. after you got home from that day, your parents immediately grounded you, and took your phone. no contact with the outside world. no contact with ushijima. not like it mattered anyway. sometimes you would think to yourself if he ever thought about you like that. that if he imagined about you the same way you imagined about him. or if he ever wished that it was you next to him down the hallways. being alone with your thoughts was not fun. with no phone to distract you, or school, it was terrifying. every waking moment was lonesome.

it had only been five miserable days.

you couldn’t take it anymore. you needed a breather, and needed it now. you begged your mom to let you go on a walk, and she gave you the thumbs up. you decided to go to the nearest park.

there were very fond memories of you and ushijima together. the latest one was when they won nationals last year, and you guys celebrated on the swings, with a shot of grocery store rated tequila. very disgusting.

the park was empty. most people would find a playground depressing with no kids. but that’s how you liked it. quiet, but it’s purpose and physical attributes brought joy to people’s face. you decided to take a seat on the swings. dragging your legs back and forth, back and forth. dazed and honestly so mentally tired. you slowly started to doze off.

footsteps. you heard footsteps.

still with your eyes closed, “if i die then i die, i’m too lazy to budge,” you thought to yourself. the footsteps were getting louder. and then you hear a bunch of chains moving next to you.

“killer chains?” you thought. this bitch

no. you were wrong. those were swing chains. someone had sat next to you. still keeping your eyes shut, hoping that the stranger would just leave.

until you heard his voice,

“y/n, why did you do that to rin? how could you hurt her when you know how important she is to me? she told me that you liked me. for years. why didn’t you tell me?”

“why was he talking to me? breathing the same air as me? and also, would that have made a difference if i told you?” you thought.

“i’d be lying if i said i never had feelings for you, but, god y/n i’m dating someone now. i am a faithful man. and you know, if you weren’t just so prideful, and just told me.. maybe things would’ve been different,” he continues, still thinking that you’re sleeping.

your mom called everyone looking for you. obviously you didn’t have your phone and you still weren’t back from your supposed walk. ushijimas parents forced him to go look for you. he, previously, being your best friend knew the top three spots you’d be at.

“but they’re not,” your voice whispered with an icy tone. it was like bitter in your mouth.

his eyes widened like he just saw a ghost. he didn’t want to hear your answer. he wasn’t ready. but it was too late, it was already rolling. “and what do you mean if i wasn’t so prideful? i didn’t tell you because i was looking out for your FUTURE. volleyball is your main priority and you said you wanted to be the best. so tell me why, as your best friend, would i jeopardize that?” you slight raised your voice.

ushijima frowned, “are you seriously telling me what I want? emphasis on the I? do you think you know me or something y/n? who are you to be put into a position where you can decided what or who i want?” raising his voice even louder. “the fact that you would just assume that... bothers me, how you already planned my future... bothers me, how you always try to pry me open... bothers me, WE AREN’T EVEN DATING.” he noted.

you were mortified. “how could you even say that? sorry that i wanted you to feel? instead of being a huge cold hearted douche. i’ve only ever had good intentions and now you’re better with emotions. you even got yourself a girlfriend, ushijima.” you defend, tears swelling up in your eyes.

“oh, so i go by ushijima now? how petty can you seriously be y/n? face the facts i got a girlfriend, and you dropped me like i was nothing,” he snarled.

“what an idiot. can’t he see that it was the complete opposite” you screamed on the inside.

you took a deep inhale, “drop you like you were nothing? are you fucking serious? I WAS FUCKING IN LOVE WITH YOU, and listen, i did this for myself. seeing you with HER, everyday killed me. i deadass felt like my heart was smashed and stomped on. and it didn’t help that she was always flaunting your guys’ relationship around me. that’s why i stopped... right now, i can’t even look at you, because if i did, i would fall right back into that pit. all this pain, brought because i was in lo—” you got cut off.

by something warm. and it tasted like peppermint. it was soft, but the pressure put on it seemed rough. you were kissing ushiji-toshi. you, y/n, were kissing toshi. his large hand gripped your cheek, wiping the tears off your face with his thumb. the kiss was very passionate, like it was something you both craved, but fiery, because you guys were still angry at each other. continuously fighting for dominance, and he beat you. his tongue slipped in. you unexpectedly moaned into the kiss and it was music to his ears. how bittersweet that was, you felt embarassed. he never heard you like that. so desperate. and so needy. he trickled down to your jawline then to your neck. you tugged on his hair out of instinct, and could feel his mouth vibrate against your neck. it was intoxicating for both parties.

he pulled away, and you stayed there frozen.

he then, put his thumb on your lips, and whispered in your ear, “don’t ever say that you loved me, like it was past tense,” before moving back to his side of the swing.

you just kissed your best friend, who had a girlfriend. and no matter how much of a bitch she was, you still felt guilty nonetheless. you guys sat there in silence, still trying to process what just happened. you smiled while looking at the slides. you just couldn’t stop yourself from smiling. you remembered about your parents and how they’re probably worried, and so you got up from the swing and opened your hand out for toshi. “c’mon, let’s go home, it’s wednesday.” you smiled.

-

a/n; this part i’m so proud of. my best one uet. even tho i only wrote two fics. and this is just wave one. you think this ended on a happy note? lmao okay. stop reading at part 2 if you want a happy ending. don’t force yourself to feel the pain. like, follow, or repub for another part or to see more of me.

[feeling-uncomfy]

@trademarked-but-not-really and @aestheticallytiredandpathetic I have finished prompt three! I'm working on number 2 and 5 rn so they should be out soon!

In the meantime, enjoy!

Just a note that there will be abuse mentioned in this, relating to the old angsty fic I wrote? Yeah I explain more about the abuse here. Be warned!!

Denki swore as he hit the wrong note again. Jirou snorted as Bakugo yelled, having to restart for the fourth or fifth time that night. Momo came in with a tray of tea, accompanied by cookies.

"Satou made these for us! He made them specifically to each of our tastes as well!" She set the tray down and handed the treats out. Jirou thanked her, and gulped down her water. Tokoyami sat back, his fingers hopping from chord to chord.

Bakugo scoffed. "You still trying to learn that rift off? It's been three weeks, birdie." He said around a mouthful. Tokoyami let his head fall back. "I'm well aware of that, but thank you for pointing it out." He grumbled sarcastically. Bakugo shrugged and messed with his drumsticks.

There was silence as they ate. They got back to work, trying once again to get past a particularly difficult part of the song they were working on. Denki was clearly getting more and more frustrated, and he failed more as a result. Eventually, Jirou tried to call time-out, and Denki snapped.

He threw the guitar down, and it barely missed Tokoyami's head. Bakugo growled at him to watch it. "Sorry, mister perfect! I'm not good at this bullshit!" He yelled, turning away. Momo carefully made her way over. "No one's perfect, but that doesn't mean you can give up! We're all trying to learn this." She attempted to reassure him. Tokoyami nodded in agreement.

This appeared to make Denki angrier. "It's not the music!" He pulled back and faced the door, arms crossed. Jirou looked confused. "Then what is it?" Denki grumbled something. "Speak up, Spark Plug." Bakugo said.

"That! That's what's bothering me!" Denki spun around, tears threatening to fall. "It's the fact that your quirks are so cool, and you're all so talented! And what am I?" He scrunched up, tears falling down his face. "I'm nothing without your help..." The room was quiet after Denki's outburst. Momo's hand retracted.

The silence was deafening. Bakugo spoke up. "You idi— Denki. Look at me." Everyone's head snapped up, clearly taken aback by the correction. Bakugo continued. "No one actually thinks they're any good—" Denki shook his head, not letting him continue. "You say that, but your quirk is awesome! You don't count!" He said stubbornly.

Yamomo spoke up. "He's right. I dont think I'm good enough to be a hero either." Bakugo, Tokoyami and Jirou looked at Momo in shock. Denki buffered. "But, your quirk is amazing—" Momo cut in. "That doesn't matter if I cant put it in action effectively." She spoke calmly, but her hands shook.

Jirou looked away. "You saw me when we talked about music the first time." She said dejectedly. "I didnt think it was useful at all." She chuckles, though there are now tears in her eyes too. "Well, I still dont think that music is useful. Not really." Bakugo looked between them. This clearly wasnt what he was expecting.

Tokoyami shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He felt like he needed to share something. "No one ever really thought I could be a hero." He said quietly. The groups attention was on him. Tokoyami swallowed his nerves. "People always told me I'd be a villain, so after a while I started to believe them..." He stared firmly down at the ground. There goes his 'never cries in front of people' facade.

Bakugo looked between them. This was bullshit. How could they not think—?

Denki sniffed. "People only really used me as a phone charger or a back-up generator in middle school. My brain fried a lot, and people made fun of me." Denki sat down, telling his life story.

Yaomomo followed. "People used me for money, and when they had finished with me, they publicly embarrassed me in front of the school." She explained. Jirou shook her head angrily.

"People never made fun of me because I never told them." Jirou said. "I didnt have a lot of friends, and I got kinda lonely." She shrugged. The group looked up at Tokoyami, who still hadn't sat down. "If we're sharing..." he reluctantly said.

He sat down cross-legged. "People bullied me because of my animal head, and would force me to show Dark Shadow to everyone simply because he was 'different'" He told them, petting Dark Shadow softly. "And because I was so small, they would shove me into the tightest pace imaginable." Tokoyami shivered at the memories.

As the group shared their trauma, Bakugo tried to find a way to fix them. Denki was chatting, and they all gave their opinions, when the question popped up.

"Hey, what're your parents like?" Tokoyami froze. Yaomomo spoke highly about her parents, talking about the fun they had. Tokoyami was confused. Jirou talked about how her parents helped her learn all her instruments, and Tokoyami couldn't help but ask, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"You're parents helped you with that stuff?" The group was stunned to silence. Denki laughed nervously. "Yeah dude, didnt your parents do normal things?" Tokoyami shrugged. "My mom died when I was young, and my father..." Tokoyami didn't wanna think about him.

"What about your father?" Yaomomo asked softly. Tokoyami toyed with the edge of his collar. "Mr. Aziawa told me I'm not supposed to talk to him or any of his associates anymore." And for that Tokoyami was grateful. The group grew concerned.

"Why?" Bakugo asked bluntly. Tokoyami faltered. "It's complicated..." He sighed but decided fuck it. They had shared so much with him.

"My father used to... hit me a lot when I was younger." Tokoyami blurted out. And it was like a dam had opened, he couldn't stop talking. "Sometimes he'd use his fists, and sometimes he'd use something sharp. Either way it hurt. He used to shout. Loudly." Tokoyami hand brought his knees to his chest, breathing going a little haywire.

"He'd lock me in a closet for every rule I broke, and he defiled my mothers grave—" Tokoyami choked on his tears, getting angry. "He let his friends—" he couldn't say it, he couldn't get the words out. "They used to..." Nope, his confidence was gone, and the memories were back.

He fell back, head buried in his arms, shaking. Jirou panicked, and being the closest, threw her arms around him. Tokoyami froze, but when Jirou's hands stayed firmly in one place, he relaxed. Yaomomo joined swiftly, and Denki came from the back. Tokoyami felt oddly warm, and safe. It wasnt a feeling he usually experienced when hugged.

Bakugo stood, and made his way over. Wordlessly, he joined the hug. They stayed like that for a while, until there was a knock. All Might poked his head in. "Sorry, but Aziawa wants you to– oh." He saw them hugging. Bakugo jumped back, and Tokoyami scrubbed his eyes furiously, trying to stem the tear flow.

All Might stood back. "Aziawa, what do I do?" He whispered nervously to the man standing at the door, fuming. "Kick them out, fucking—" he looked in and saw the mess. "Oh." The kids were still kicked out, but no one got in trouble for staying up as late as it was.

The next morning, Tokoyami walked downstairs. He had had a nightmare after the fiasco that was band practice, and instinctively was heading for the closet. He approached the door, and someone blocked him. "Sorry, could I just—" He looked up. "Oh, Bakugo. What—"

Bakugo grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the bathroom. "Wait, wha– Bakugo, where are we going?!" Bakugo dragged Tokoyami through the common room, and everyone was confused as to what was happening. Kirishima was going to step in, but Denki stopped him, and turned the conversation away from the two.

Bakugo brought them into the bathroom and splashed water on Tokoyami's face. "Wha—?!" Bakugo snapped at him to shut up. "You look like you havent slept, and you were heading for the closet." He muttered. Tokoyami tilted his head, confused. "You always do that after a bad night, right? I didnt know why till last night."

Oh. Right. Tokoyami had completely forgotten he'd said all that. Bakugo continued. "Well, your not doing that shit anymore. You're gonna be a fucking hero, and your stupid dad can shove it." He shouted, gaining the attention of those outside.

"Why's Bakugo yelling at Tokoyami?" Mina asked, spoon still in her mouth. "He better not be starting a fight!" Iida chided loudly. Yaomomo laughed. "Tokoyami looked tired, it must be about that." She said, knowing damn well that wasnt the problem. She, Jirou and Deni had seen their friend going for the closet. They were all grateful to Bakugo for pulling up on it.

They all noticed it. Bakugo was still an ass, but stopped calling Denki stupid, or any variation of the word. He instead told him he 'didnt do as bad a job' and pat his shoulder. Denki's self esteem rocketed upwards quickly. Bakugo thanked Yaomomo more often for using her quirk, and drank her tea when no one else would. Jirou wasnt excluded either, Bakugo got her water after every practice and told her that her music was cool. And everytime Tokoyami seemed too distant for Bakugo's liking, he pulled the bird-headed teen away from the crowd for a little while.

Bakugo did little things to help them. Like staying up to help Tokoyami through another nightmare, or take care of Denki when his brain fried. Small things that meant the world to the rest of the band.

And they returned the gestures, Denki always plugging in the extra controller even though Bakugo said no. Or Yaomomo making a note of what tea Bakugo liked and making it for him on a bad day. Jirou giving him headphones when the noise was too much, and Tokoyami letting Bakugo have one of his extra fluffy blankets whenever he'd have a bad night.

They all helped each other on their own ways. Aziawa noticed, obviously, but found it sweet. Those kids needed each other. Hell, there would come a time when they may have to depend on the other. And Aziawa knew well enough there would be times they would break.

He was glad to know they had each others back.

This one was short and sweet, hope you enjoyed! :D

[wherespaulo]

Hiking and Exploring in Puerto Rico

March 17 – April 14, 2021

I’d visited Puerto Rico many times between 2006 and 2014 but mainly on work related business -- this time it’d be four weeks of exploring and hiking. I’d get the best of both worlds by staying next to the beach and driving to the trail heads. My ties to Puerto Rico became much more than just a business destination over the years though since one of my work colleagues in New York City, Ruben, was from Puerto Rico and became one of my best mates -- so I got to know much of his Puerto Rican family.

Puerto Rico has such a varied and interesting mix of terrain, microclimates, and fauna for an island of only 3,500 square miles – about the same as Rhode Island – with little pockets of forest everywhere. I intended to hike in as many of those areas as I could.  

HIKING

Bosque Estatal de Boqueron

A coastal path stroll of around 4 miles in the blazing sun with stunning views -- I combined the Lighthouse Trail, Playa Sucia and the peninsula around Piscina Natural, all part of Rojo Cabo in the south west corner of the island. Sparse vegetation and cacti were a testament to the dry microclimate in this area.

Monte Pirata MTB

This is a purpose built 8.3 mile convoluted trail for hiking and mountain biking through a small coastal forest in the west. A challenging mountain biking trail rather than an inspirational hiking trail, it was worth it though for the magical moment that I will always remember, when time seemed to stand still and thoughts of the past and future became irrelevant. The sound of an electric strimmer buzzed through the trees and perched about three feet above my head for a full five minutes. It was about ¾ the size of my little finger at about two inches long. Was it a dragonfly? No, it was a vervain hummingbird, the second smallest bird in the world after the bee hummingbird, and a rare visitor to the west coast of Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic.  Life can be full of magical moments like this if only you take the time to look. I cut the hike short after 2.5 miles when it started to pour, but it had all been worthwhile.

Bosque Estatal de Maricao – beautiful mountain rainforest but not as exuberant as El Yunque.

·       Charco El Pilon trail - I lost the All-Trails electronic map on my iPhone as my signal disappeared, so I struggled to find the start of the San German trail. Instead, I met Saul (who told me his brother was also a Paul), a young Puerto Rican-American on vacation from Florida, and wandered along the river towards the El Pilon waterfall with him (2.5 miles out-and-back) where all his mates were splashing around and having a few beers. Although I’m generally well organized and can navigate the most difficult of terrain when I have a mind for it, I also enjoy meeting new people and getting slightly lost. So it was with some reluctance that a day later I would shell out the $30 annual subscription to All-Trails, allowing me to download maps and unfortunately making it almost impossible to get lost – feck!

·       San German to Maricao - I did eventually find the start of the San German trail. More like a 4-wheel-drive stony track than a footpath, it did provide some badly needed brisk exercise to the top of a hill and back, overall 6.8 miles. And of course, the sound of another electric strimmer stopped me in my tracks and made my day – this time it was the larger and more common Puerto Rican emerald hummingbird in its brilliant iridescent green plumage.

Paseo Lineal – better described as a tarmacked 8.9 mile out-and-back bike path that runs in-between the beach and a quiet coastal road on the north west of the island from Isabela. Great for getting some exercise in with a long, fast walk, but not the most inspirational.

El Yunque National Rainforest

The El Yunque Rainforest, the only tropical rainforest in the US, was one of the main reasons for heading to Puerto Rico, and I wasn’t disappointed. A dense green jungle of majestic tabanuco trees, mahogany, teak and rosewood, surrounded by giant ferns, palms and bamboos, all cloaked in coats of vines, mosses, epiphytes and orchids. Like something out of a lost world, the incessant cacophony of the tree frogs echoed out of the ever-present fine mist.

Although it didn’t dampen my spirits, I did quickly discover there was a reason it was a rainforest – RAIN!

·       Rio Sabana Trail – a 5.6 mile out-and-back trail starting in the south of the rainforest. Unfortunately I was forced to turn back at the halfway point as the river crossing was completely submerged under the deep, 40 feet wide and fast flowing Rio Sabana – the rivers can rise very quickly here after rain, becoming dangerous. I was not done yet so I wandered further along a one mile stretch of route 191 from where it had been blocked off from cars to the start of the Rio Sabana Trail. It pretty much disappeared under a thick, green carpet of growth, leaving only a narrow footpath through the dense forest – occasionally a tiny, incongruous patch of tarmac would show through the undergrowth, as though a partially forgotten memory of another world had risen to the surface in a moment of stillness or a dream.

·       El Toro Trail – a 4.9 mile out-and-back trail starting in the west of the rainforest. This time I slid my way to the halfway point along the extremely wet and muddy trail before the requirements changed from just a pair of waders to a full scuba kit!

·       El Yunque Trail - a 5.4 mile out-and-back trail starting in the north/center of the rainforest and requiring a reservation with the park authorities. This time I waited in the car for the rain to stop pouring – two hours later I decided it wouldn’t and left. As I drove out of the forest the sun came out and I looked back – I could see the El Yunque forest lost under its very own dark cloud while the rest of Puerto Rico bathed in bright sunshine. The Elkie Brooks version of Sunshine After The Rain  came to mind, and how without dark clouds in our life we would have no light.

Bosque Estatal de Guanica

I headed to this unique subtropical dry forest on the south west coast to hike 9 miles as a combination of the Fuerte Trail and part of the Lluveras Trail. The scrub forest with its small trees offered little shade on a blazing hot day but a thoroughly enjoyable hike nonetheless. The only other people I met that day were a couple of forest rangers in a jeep – they stopped, looking concerned, and asked “you ok?” while offering water. I looked back at them, puzzled -- I guess they couldn’t understand why anyone in their right mind would want to wander around this shade-less forest in the blazing afternoon sun. When they heard my British accent I suppose everything made sense and they moved on.

ACCOMMODATION

Although I didn’t have any fixed accommodation plans initially, my itinerary did evolve as follows:

·       Two nights at the Tryst Hotel in Condado, San Juan (north east PR) – great spot on the beach with a great restaurant, the Wicked Lily. Condado does seem to have got a tad too touristy in recent years though!

·       Two nights at Ruben’s sisters-in-laws place in Boquerón (south west PR) – nice detached house with a pool and separate apartment where I stayed. I did get eaten by mosquitos though!

·       Seven nights at the Tamboo Hotel near Rincon (west PR) – great beachfront hotel in the Sandy Beach area, just north of Rincon, with a top-notch restaurant. I loved it here so much I decided to come back for my final week.

·       Two nights at the Yunque Mar Hotel just north of the El Yunque rainforest (north east PR) – nice, small beachfront hotel but a bit out-of-the-way. The positives though, other than the proximity to the rain forest, were the beautiful stretch of quiet beach heading east towards Liquillo, and the Liquillo kiosks – a 1km long row of traditional and inexpensive Puerto Rican restaurants and bars.

·       Three nights at Ruben’s new apartment in Miramar, San Juan – an upcoming, tourist-free area with plenty of top quality restaurants.

·       Five nights back at the Yunque Mar Hotel

·       Seven nights back at the Tamboo Hotel.

Although I’ve always struggled to lay on a beach for more than 30 minutes (and that’s in the shade), I did discover the calming effect of strolling for miles along an empty beach to the sound of crashing waves -- thanks to the beautiful, empty stretches heading north from Tamboo  and east from Yunque Mar to Liquillo. And since the beaches were so empty, I do confess to getting stark bollock naked on a couple of occasions – after all, everyone should have the chance to streak along the beach at least once in their adult life!

It had been both relaxing and an adventure over my four weeks in Puerto Rico but there were many reasons why I’d be back very soon -- the Sandy Beach area of the west coast was now on my list of potential places to buy a property (a base within the US and low taxes to boot), one of my best mates was moving back to San Juan very soon, and I needed to re-visit the trails of El Yunque in the dryer months of Dec-Feb as well as the trails through the  middle of the island in the Bosque Estatals Toro Negro and Cante Tourist.

[huntsman-ash]

LiveThoughts: RWBY V8E6

Second attempt at this since last time Chrome just DIED for no reason...

Im going to put literally the entire thing with Cinder under one note; Called it.

Its a great set of stuff, sure, but it doesnt relaly tell us anything we didnt already know about Cinder, and I personally feel it doesnt really explain why she turned out the way she did. I feel like we’ve had another weird twist of the situation again...M+K? Coronas fault? Who knows. Either way, this section isnt great by my taste and I kinda skipped most of it. 

Few things to note though; Apperently in Mistral scrubbing by hand is still more viable floor cleaning tech than using Dust.

The wind vane on the roof has the Rooster Teeth symbols rooster on it. 

The hotel Cinder is bought by is named the Glass Unicorn, fittingly enough for...several reasons. 

The coffees behind the stepsisters when we first see them are the animated versions of the real life stuff RT put out just before this season went live. 

No one seems to notice the fact cinder has orange eyes. I wonder if weird eye colors are just a THING in Remnant?

The control collar/shock thing is incredibly inefficient in design, since it doesnt actually hold on to her very well. A more effective brace/choker design would have worked better.

The song that goes on during all of this is...kind of obvious and a little bland? Fitting for younger Cinder I guess. 

Mmm. Random greasy huntsman. 

I guess in Atlas its fine to laugh at struggling teenagers?

Im going to assume there’s a 3+ year gap here where she gets older, cause she stops being smol and gets closer to how we see her now.

Also even here, in Atlas...really? The most effective way to clean these carpeted floors is to have a TEENAGER SCRUB THEM BY HAND?

How do you scrub...I assume its carpet anyway?

And how you tell civilians are lame in Atlas; they are impressed...by a sword.  Just a sword. A boring, half-cut sword. Losers.

I assume this would be Cinder’s semblance manifesting. Also note on the desk; “we do not serve faunus”. Well THAT doesnt surprise me.

HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHE. Get fucked Cinder. HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE

I dont even feel pity for her, this is funny to me.  Also the fact that this kind of shit aCTUALLY EXISTS is...amusing to me. Like, really? So I guess indentured servitude is a thing in Remnant too. 

And this is why Cinder likes to use swords. Really. Wow. LAMEO.

Huh. Dual maces. Interesting. Thats a prety cool weapon.  Looks like they open up too. Bet he could bash some skulls with that.

“Hurting them isnt going to make your life any better”. Um, excuse me? I think hurting them is the very best thing to do in this situation. At least, for the moment anyway. 

Huh. So she’s ten at this point? Even as a child, shes older than she looks. 

And training montage. Huh. Or at least I assume it is. I get the feeling being able to go where you want too and do what you want too is the main reason Hunters exist. There must be crazy tight immigration laws...or, maybe, its just that traveling between kingdoms is stupid dangerous cause of Grimm. I think the latter is most likely considering every form of public transit extra-kingdom we’ve seen (even between cities, see Argus Limited) has some kind of defensive weaponry. Limited and ineffective, for th emost part oddly.

So you can take the exam at 18. Okay cool. Pre-that must be prep school. Wonder what happens if you wash out? Also I like how this dude is just “yeah, 7 years of training, we got this.”

I think this is the first time we’ve seen the other side of the moon. Or at least, the proper other side...bloody hell I STILL dont know how all those piesces are still held in place, the thing looks like it should start yeeting bolides at Remnant. 

Better still we see it MOVE, rotate in time to the passing of years. So it literally does rotate on its own axis, and more importantly, unlike OUR moon, its NOT tidally locked. We only ever see the same side of our moon. REmnants rotates MUCH faster. Also it doesnt seem to have phases like ours does. I’ll check on why that is. 

Well at least we have an explanation for why Cinders so damn good at fighting people. Trained by an Atlas Huntsman.

Also as a note the device is quite literally just an electrical Dust crystal attached to a necklace. Things the most inefficent torture device Ive ever fucking seen. 

Wonder how often they have to change the crystal.

And there goes the moon rotating again.

I like how NO ONE comment on the blade going missing and that guy never came back for it. I guess he must have just bought a new one.

I get the very distinct feeling they wont just let her go honestly, permission or not. 

AWWW WE DONT EVEN GET TO SEE CINDER MURDER THE SISTERS. Also no blood. Odd.  Good kill on the  stepmother though. Oh, that NECK CRACK.  I like how all the bitch can do is try and shock Cinder, like, uh...adrenaline up? SHE HAS A SWORD? MAYBE FIGHT BACK?

Hah. Weak ass fuckin Atlas people.  Also the clock going off in the back ground twelve times. How fitting. Welcome to midnight. 

Also shes kind of glowing here cause the room is dark, and I find it amusing this is probably the last time she wears white.

And THERES the Cinder we know

Sick ass music, cool. Also THAT is an interesting semblance...I guess he turns himself to metal? Also DAMN his aura broke after THAT? Hes a Huntsman...ah who cares. Again probably in Cinders memory more than anything. Which at this point is probably about as reliable as a coked up hookers.

SHANKED. Sucker. You shoulda seen THAT one coming.

And thats all it took to get the shock collar off. Lol. 

So what happened to the hotel? Did they just...write it off? I mean four people got murdered in there...

And now we’re back on the whale. HOW THE SCREAMING FUCK DID CINDER JUST...

Wow. She just got up after eating that blast. Fucking plot armor.

Merc making the hard calls honestly.  Im actually gonna watch all of this now which is nice because I want to know whats happening in the real world. PITY MORE THAN HALF THE EPISODE WAS THIS FUCKING FILLER.

I like how Cinder just...goes quiet the moment she realizes shes lost Mercury. Not that he was USEFUL mind you but if I had to guess she liked being the boss. But now shes...basically back where she started. 

So the whale is basically a ship. It has a bridge. Probably Salems throne room.

Man, Oscars literally just RTs punching bag this season isnt he? Literally in this case. 

His clothes are still scortched too which I find interesting.  The black eyes also staying. Auras not back up then? Aura repair and regen seems...werid half the time. Like RT does what they want with it.

Ah so someone finally says it...but at the same time what exactly does Salem have to fear? If she cant fight the whole world...what could they do? Maybe overwhelming her? It...Im having a hard time putting the “she cant be stopped” with “shes afraid of fighting all of Remnant”. 

Somethings missing here. I know it.

The sound of the “door” opening reminds me of the Flood doors in High Charity in Halo 3s Cortana. Fleshy twisting.

Mention from Hazel, but AGAIN...no details. I guess if you nail down how she can do stuff its harder to write? 

Glad someone made a comment on the futility of the Hunter academies. 

I really hate how Salems giving us creepy mommy shades. 

Hmm. So yeah the bridge IS the throne room/command deck. I like how Neo doesnt give a fuck is just casually kneeling. 

Ah okay THATS why he grabbed the scroll. 

Heh. Interesting. How exactly does this work I wonder. 

...Why does Salem have a ring. Has she always had that ring?

Neo looking at the Hound like “oh, I could ride this thing”. 

Oh cool the Ace Ops. And they’re arguing, shocker. Sounds like Elm doesnt trust tech either. No shock there.  Idiot.

Atlas elite. Yeah, right.

Huh, is this a Manta with landing gear? I guess they do have them...seems kind of silly to have them so high up though. I guess thats what the thing under the door is for, so they can deploy a ramp. Man, I really dont like Atlas’s airship design.

Hare needs some fuckin suppresants. 

Annnnddd...here we go, things go straight to hell. I was warned of this. I am going to try and not be mad...but from what Ive heard the incomptence of the military in this particular section is astronomical.

Huh. So...Grimm can be convirted into a rock-punching liquid? Interesting. Has that always been a thing or... Also why the fuck are you jsut standing there in awe, go kill the fucking thing! Fucking Specialists.

...that is all it took to get through Atlas’s shield? THAT?

I also love how no one does anything. Ironwoods like “wait what the fuck”. Come on bro. 

And...thats the Atlas navy. Everyone. Two lasers. One of which missed. Remind me again what exactly these things are used to shoot?

Wait, no, that took down part of it, and then the rest is, surprise, hitting the soft rock on the outside. 

THERE goes the shield. 

Hang on a second, how long have those giant squid things been there?

And...what. The whale just approaches, nothing happens? You’ve got 12 fucking ships there, shoot the fucking thing.

Again, WHY IS NO ONE DOING ANYTHING?

Oh, it just beach-headed. Okay fine, whatever. 

Im not really worried.

Lets see how RT makes this WORSE though...

And thats this weeks episode.

[lamentalia]

Amelia - Ch 6. Pt.4

★

Amelia sits in the low branches of a tree at the top of the collapsed slope outside the Sanctuary, fidgeting. She’s been waiting outside for hours now and already gotten bored with all of her usual distractions.

She’d met most of the other cats at the Sanctuary now and learned a lot of things in the last couple of days. First of all, the Sanctuary is located about a day and a half’s travel south of Achena, a lot closer than she’d thought. It is located in a place called the “forest of illusion,” which, unsurprisingly has some kind of bewitching effect on those who travel through it. It is largely avoided because cats will get lost in here if they don’t know how to navigate it and most of those cats never find their way out.

More importantly for the moment, though, she’d heard from Feli and Emma that Lovino planned to return in two or three days. It had still been dark when Amelia stepped outside this morning, on the third day, in anticipation of his arrival. She’d worn her coat and brought her pack along just in case. She’s not a patient cat to begin with and the wait for such important news is positively torturous. To make it worse she’s been less and less able to distract herself as the hours passed.

She sits in the tree with her knees to her chest, scratching pensively at it’s rough bark. It’s an important task of course, sharpening one’s claws, but if Lovino doesn’t show up soon, she’ll have sharpened them into nothing!

As if on cue she hears a faint pattern of crunching noises coming through the forest, which has her on her feet and on the lookout in an instant. Sure enough, moments later she can see a cloaked figure making it’s way through the trees in her direction.

Amelia hits the ground running. Not willing to waste any more time to hear news about her brother.

He stops walking when she reaches him, and she can see that he’s not surprised to see her. He looks a bit travel worn and concerned. Amelia probably looks a mess. Her heart is pounding hard as she stands before him, waiting for him to tell her already.

“You really shouldn’t just run into the forest like that…” He says, frowning, but it sounds half-hearted.

“Did you find anything??” Amelia asks, ignoring his concern. She simply does not have the capacity for it right now. Lovino sighs and nods, setting his pack down to face her properly. Amelia’s heart sinks into her stomach. This isn’t looking good so far.

“I asked around. Rumors have it there was a big scene just outside Karo that ended pretty nastily, everyone involved appeared to be from Karo, apparently they’d attacked each other.” Lovino says. Amelia nods. That tracks with what she already knew of that night. “Some travelers were skirting Karo when they came across the scene on what seems to be the morning after it happened. Apparently there were a lot of bodies. I asked about a guy matching your brother’s description, but they couldn’t confirm anything.”

Amelia’s chest clenches again. Lovino’s talking fast now and he’s not done yet.

“So, I looked around myself. It’s lucky that I found it— that place reeked of blood for miles— but there was a small trail of it leading some distance away, and there was only one trail leading away. At the end of that trail of blood…” He says, reaching down into his pack. He pulls something whitish out and holds it out to Amelia. “I found this.”

Amelia takes it and recognizes it immediately. Its a scrap of familiar fabric and she can even see some of the broken, red stitching on it. She remembers embroidering the shape of Mattie’s favorite leaf in brilliant red. Its mostly torn away but there’s no mistaking it. Its a piece of Mattie’s apron. Lovino seems to notice her reaction.

“… I thought so. It smelled familiar, a lot like yo— your stuff, but obviously male. The blood trail ended there, he must have used scraps of that cloth to stop his bleeding. I tried to track him from there but I lost the trail. He must be very good at covering his tracks.” He is, Amelia thinks. They both are. Lovino watches Amelia’s face as though to find a reaction, but she does not yet have one to give.  Lovino continues, looking fretful, “He made it out that night and he kept moving but, that’s all I could get.”

He did. Amelia finally closes her eyes to process Lovino’s report. He’s alive and he’s moving. In that case there’s only one answer. Amelia takes a steadying breath.

“A-Amelia, I’m sorry that I haven’t found—” Lovino starts,

“I’m going to Achena.” Amelia says, resolved. She turns back toward the tree where she’d left her pack. Her mind is racing, planning her next moves. She’ll need to figure out how to get out of this forest, for a start.

“— You, what?? Why??” Amelia hears Lovino behind her jogging a few steps to catch up with her sudden egress. Oh right. She stops walking and faces him again.

“Achena is our destination. If we’re separated without hope of finding each other, we should just meet each other at the place we going to begin with. He’ll be headed there, too, I know it. He might be there already.” Amelia says. She looks up at his shocked face, determinedly. “Lovino, you’ve already helped me out so much, but I need your help again. Would you tell me how to get out of this forest? Please?”

Lovino continues to stare at her, mouth agape. His eyes seem to scan her face several times shaking his head minutely like he cant believe what he’s hearing. Amelia is just about vibrating with the energy to go and his hesitance is testing her patience. Finally Lovino exhales, rubbing scrubbing his hands over his face.

“You need to calm down and think about this rationally.” He says and Amelia is taken aback. He sighs wearily. “Look, I’ll go instead, and— “

“No way!” Amelia says, incredulously. “Dude, you just got back from there and then you went on a two day investigation. You’re exhausted! Besides, I need to get to Achena. That was our plan.”

“I’m used to it…” Lovino says, beginning to scowl. It looks like he’s getting angry, though Amelia has no idea why he feels the need to do such a thing. He’s reminding her of how Mattie was acting before. “Listen. Achena is not safe! You’ve escaped discovery until now because you lived in isolation but Achena is a completely different story. You need to stay here—”

Amelia doesn’t hang around to listen to the rest. She turns on her heel and starts to walk back to collect her pack. There’s no use standing around here arguing and wasting valuable energy.

Somewhere behind her she hears a frustrated “Fucking… Fuck!” and more jogging footfalls. This time she keeps walking.

“Wait! Stop!” He says. His voice lacks the angry tone now, but it’s not a compelling enough reason to stop. She finally reaches the tree and scales it, grabbing her pack from where it sits on the lowest branch. Lovino stands below and Amelia jumps down beside him, preparing to start walking. She’s not yet sure what she’s going to do about the forest, but she’ll just have to work it out.

“Amelia, please. I’ll tell you how to get through the forest, alright?” He says quickly, sounding slightly desperate now. Amelia stops now. She’s still peeved, but she’s also curious about what changed his mind so quickly. “In return, let me come with you to Achena.”

She blinks at him dubiously. Despite his outburst a moment ago, he’d still done a lot to help her and his insistence to continue doing so to his great inconvenience does not sit well with her. He has the Sanctuary to worry about and he really does look tired. She lets him continue, though.

“I try to keep a low profile in Achena… showing up so soon after a supply run is too risky and could attract the wrong kind of attention. But I can…” He hesitates a familiar expression on his face. “I can at least get you there and we can figure out a way for you to find your brother and your friends.”

Amelia can see that he looks genuinely scared. The bitter look on Natalya’s face the other night momentarily flickers in her memory. It looks a lot like the one Lovino’s wearing now. Should she really disregard the kind warnings the Sanctuary cats have given her? She’s always been told she doesn’t think enough before she acts and, she realizes with a jolt, Mattie isn’t here to snap her out of it. This this seems to have done it, though.

“…Okay.” Amelia lets go of the furious energy that had been pushing her forward. A little embarrassed by her own reckless behavior, she says somewhat meekly, “Yes please. Um… Thanks.”

Lovino lets out a big sigh of relief and the tension leaves his body so fast he looks like he might have fallen over. Alright, that’s a little over dramatic; it looked deliberate. Amelia rolls here eyes a little, but smiles. Its kind of funny.

“Okay, okay…” Lovino says vaguely, starting to pace back and forth, his short tail swishing erratically. Amelia watches him curiously for a few minutes.

Finally he stops and looks Amelia over with an awkward, darting gaze that look away quickly.

“First, we need to make sure that no one will find out you’re a molly.” He takes a deep breath. “This might be uncomfortable, but just go with me on this…”

★TBC★

Wheeeee

[sariasprincy-writes]

The Man in Black - ItaSaku

For @vesperlionheart Happy birthday!

Also thought I’d try my hand at fantasy/myth…stuff…and then weather came into the anchorage and yes, I know I’m late (what else is new???)

The Man in Black ItaSaku

Sakura saw him the first day at her new job. The hospital was always full of people of different looks and sizes. She never took a second glance at the young man in a black shirt and black jeans. Especially not when there was a code blue on her floor.

The next she had seen him had been a few days later. He had been dressed in a black suit. His sleek, dark hair tied back and falling down his shoulder. He said nothing. Only sat with one leg over the other and his hands clasped neatly in his lap. Like some businessman waiting for a meeting. Sakura paused when she recognized him but she had been unable to stop and speak with him as another code was called.

Months passed. And every so often Sakura would see that same man. He dressed differently each time, but always looking his best. A suit, a nice pair of pressed jeans, a silk dress shirt.

Sakura began looking for him everywhere. In the cafeteria, the doctors lounge, the parking lot. Only her mysterious visitor was never there. He always remained outside the patient rooms. Sitting quietly. As if he had nowhere else to be.

“We’ve checked our sutures, the patient’s stats are stable and there’s no sign of any distress,” Sakura told the class of to-be-surgeons. “We are free to close the patient up. Any questions?”

She looked up then, eyeing first the few young doctors in the operating room before gazing up at the audience in the observation deck. Most were interns, dressed in scrubs with notebooks and pens in hand. There were a few fellow surgeons as well, but it was none of them that gave Sakura notice.

For in the back was a man with dark hair and darker eyes dressed in all black.

Through the glass, their eyes met. And in that moment, the blood in Sakura’s veins froze. Her mouth moved before her mind did.

“Stop!” she told the surgical nurses, halting them in their tracks. “We missed something.”

They stared her with obvious surprise in their eyes but said nothing as they handed her tools back to her. No one spoke as Sakura returned to the patient, her hands exploring their open chest. There was nothing, nothing wrong. No bad sutures or missed clots. Everything was fine…

The same instant Sakura found the bleed, the screen monitoring the patient’s vitals sounded.

It took nearly an hour and a hell of a fight. The small bleed ruptured and the young woman on the table crashed twice. Each time, Sakura brought her back, calling for tools and more blood, fighting until her patient was finally stable once more.

When Sakura finally walked out of the OR, she was exhausted, weary but relieved. Nearly high off the adrenaline of such an intense surgery.

A long sigh passed her lips as she slipped onto the bench just outside the surgery floor’s changing rooms. She smiled her thanks as a few fellow surgeons congratulated her on her success, but she didn’t chat long. All she wanted was a warm shower and a bed. It had been a long day.

And that had been Sakura’s plan. Until she looked up just in time to see the last of the interns file out of the observation deck, leaving the room empty. All except one.

Exactly where she had seen him earlier was the same man. With little regard for anything else, Sakura did her best not to outright sprint across the floor, her eyes never leaving him lest he disappear like he always did.

He didn’t move. Only turned his head to watch as she nearly slammed the door shut behind her, locking them in together.

It was the first time they had been this close. The first time they had been alone. There was something a little off about him…something she couldn’t quite name. She studied him quietly, carefully. Like the scientist she was, taking everything in before acting, deciding.

He was a very handsome man. With high cheekbones and a straight nose. His eyelashes were long, nearly sweeping his cheeks with every blink. They framed those eyes the color of coal. The ones that had long ago been burned into her memory.

It unnerved her a little she couldn’t quite guess his age. He appeared young, the pressed shirt and dark jeans making him appear boyish. But his eyes, his soul felt old. Like he had witnessed the beginning of time, like he had been there before it.

“What are you?” Sakura asked, the question tumbling out of her mouth.

She half-expected him not to answer. Half-expected him to laugh, as if he was anything but human. Instead he inclined his head fractionally, as if he was seriously considering her question.

“That would depend upon your beliefs and perceptions,” he said, his voice rich and yet spilling out of his mouth smoothly like gentle water over stone. It filled Sakura’s chest, soothing the misgivings and unease building behind her breast bone.

“I believe in science,” she told him.

“Then I do not exist in your world.”

“But you do,” she said. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”

The stranger canted his head minutely, studying her as something shifted behind his gaze. Vague interest, perhaps. Sakura wasn’t sure if the look brought her comfort or took it from her.

“Who are you?” she asked, breaking the silence before it could settle too deeply in her bones.

He shrugged one shoulder gracefully, as if he had been asked that vary question many times over. “I have been given many names. Some are kinder than others, though I do prefer Itachi.”

“And what is your purpose here, Itachi?”

This time, a small smile settled over his features as he regarded her. “You ask many questions. May I first ask one of my own? You have not yet given your name, Doctor.”

She hesitated, not quite sure if she should tell him or not. But she supposed it wouldn’t be terribly hard for him to learn it if he truly wanted to know for malicious purposes. The internet was an incredibly resourceful tool.

“Sakura, Doctor Haruno Sakura.”

“Sakura,” he repeated slowly, as if memorizing the word. Then he blinked and that calm, easy expression was back upon his face. “As a scientist, you must have come to some of your own hypotheses of who or what I am.”

And she had. Initially, she had thought him a family member. Or perhaps that he worked in the hospital. Only the more she saw him, the more she came to realize he was only ever present right before a death. He never spoke. He hardly ever moved. Just sat outside the patient rooms. The ones coding or about to code, and disappeared as soon as time of death was called.

Sakura laughed quietly, as if trying to emphasize her own ridiculousness at the next words out of her mouth. “I would say you’re Death, but no such thing exists like that in the world.”

Itachi didn’t share her amusement. Only stared back. His fathomless, black eyes boring into hers.

Sakura’s smile fell slowly, a heavy feeling of unease settling down and down into her chest. Dug a hole so deep she thought she might not draw another breath. “You’re Death,” she stated.

He didn’t respond, but his gaze fell downcast. She didn’t understand the look until she recalled his words. Sudden guilt struck her, melting her fear like ice dunked in boiling water.

“Itachi,” she corrected softly.

He looked up again. This time, she couldn’t quite read his expression. It seemed to shimmer across his face like a photo that changed shape at different angles. It was oddly comforting. But also left her uneasy.

Why was he here?

Automatically her eyes dropped down to the operating room where a worker was quietly wiping up the blood from the floor. When she turned back to Itachi, he was still watching her. Waiting for her to speak.

“That woman was supposed to die, wasn’t she?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“And I stopped her,” she said quietly, trying to keep the rising dismay out of her voice. “So, what happens next? Are you going to take a life for a life?”

A small smile appeared in the corner of Itachi’s mouth. Not sinister or menacing. More an amused, little quirk of his lips. “Death is not so malicious. I am not here for revenge,” he told her. “Rather, death fluctuates. A man crossing the street increases his chance of dying but it does not mean death will take him for certain. There is no invisible clock above your head. I am simply here to escort those that may cross over.”

Sakura felt her breath draw a little easier at that but the heavy stone that had settled in her chest still hadn’t quite faded. Staring back down into the operating room, it didn’t take her long to recognize the feeling she had tried since med school to push aside. Sorrow.

“Then that means my patients…”

“Age, race, wealthy or poor. Death does not discriminate. As a surgeon, even you must accept that you cannot save everyone.”

It was a fact every doctor knew, but it didn’t make the pill any less bitter to swallow. When she glanced back at Itachi, he was still watching her, an understanding smile upon his face. It eased her own self-directed frustration and grief.

Then she blinked and the look was gone. Itachi straightened. “I must go. I am needed elsewhere.”

Sakura didn’t know what she was expecting. Perhaps for him to stand and walk out of the room or to at least melt into the shadows. He did neither. He was simply there and then he was not.

Blinking, Sakura took a step back before she peered about the room. There was no evidence he had ever been there. No sign or breeze or whisper. She half-wondered if she made the whole conversation up. Her own exhausted mind playing tricks on her.

xx

As it turned out, her mind was not playing tricks on her. Sakura continued to see Itachi. She didn’t entirely understand why. It began to unnerve her a little. So much so that she took to internet searches and even a couple of glimpses in the local library to find any information. To her disappointment, there was nothing. No forums or websites full of stories of people seeing Death.  

Itachi had seemed pleasant enough, but even as the weeks turned to months, Sakura couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive every time she saw him. For he was still the man that escorted the dying to the dead.

On this particular day, it had been a busy shift for Sakura. So much so that for the first time in months she had forgotten about the man in black that always sat just outside the rooms of her dying patients. Her first two surgeries that morning had been a success. The next one had caused her a little trouble and by the time she had gotten out of it, her pager hadn’t stopped going off.

Sakura hadn’t even eaten lunch by the time dinner rolled around, but she didn’t notice her hunger. Not over her adrenaline as she pumped on a woman’s chest, doing everything in her power to keep the new mother’s blood circulating. In the background, her newborn cried, the sound almost drowned out by all the commotion in the room.

“What’re her stats at?” Sakura asked, stepping back to let another doctor continue compressions.

“Not good,” was the answer.

A deep frown settled on her mouth as she wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her wrist. She peered up at the monitor. Her pressure still wasn’t registering and they had yet to get a solid rhythm.

“Let’s push one more of Eppy,” Sakura ordered only too aware they were quickly running out of options. The dose of artificial adrenaline was their only chance left.

The room bustled with activity as the nurses and doctors jumped into motion. So much chaos in such a small space that she nearly missed the man dressed in black in the corner. Nearly.

No one else in the room seemed to notice him. All the attention on the unstable mother and the wellbeing of her newborn. A flash of cold went through Sakura the moment their eyes met. But it wasn’t fear for herself. Rather, for her patient.

In an instant, Sakura was moving again. She pushed the younger doctor’s hands out of the way to take over chest compressions once more. Whatever exhaustion she felt vanished as she worked with renewed vigor.

“Come on,” she chanted to herself and to the young mother below her. “Come on, come on. You can’t give up now.”

Sakura wasn’t sure how long she fought for. It felt like seconds had stretched into an eternity. And just when she thought there was nothing more she could do, she heard it. That familiar beep of a regular heart rhythm.

Sakura’s hands stopped, her eyes glued to the monitor, half-wondering she had imagined it, half-expecting it to stop when she saw she hadn’t. When it didn’t, she glanced at Itachi only to find he wasn’t looking at her. His eyes turned down as he tucked something into the pocket of his black suit.

Her confusion grew. She didn’t know what had happened. If he had intervened or if it had just not been the new mother’s time to go. However, Sakura wasn’t given the chance to wonder for too long. There was still a patient to attend to.

When Sakura finally left the room, it was late. The evening hours slunk into the halls as the night stole the lingering light on the horizon. For some reason she wasn’t entirely surprised to find Itachi standing at the window, watching the dark encompass the day. The dying sunlight threw his profile into harsh contrast and cast a long, creeping shadow behind him so dark she nearly couldn’t tell where it ended and he started.

Itachi didn’t greet her upon her approach and neither did she to him. Side-by-side, one living, one dead, they gazed through the window pane.

A long silence passed before Sakura spoke, “That woman was going to die. And then she didn’t.”

When Itachi didn’t answer, she glanced at him. There was no recognizable expression on his face but she got the impression that if he let her see, there would have been a frown upon his lips. When he did finally turn towards her, the feeling was gone.

“No, she did not,” he told her.

This time, it was Sakura’s turn to frown. And she let it show, not appreciating the vagueness of his reply. “She was down for a while. Medically speaking, she shouldn’t be alive. Nonetheless awake and talking. You did something. I know you did.”

“There is no reason to be so accusatory,” Itachi said. His expression remained unchanged as his gaze returned out the window once more. “Medical miracles have been known to take place before this instance.”

“I’m not so certain I believe in those anymore,” she told him, unable to keep the lingering suspicion out of her voice.

Beside her, Itachi shrugged, his hands deep in the pockets of his jacket. “Beliefs can change. After all, you did not believe in my existence until recently.”

“I’m still not sure that I do,” she told him, her tone giving away her skepticism. “It’s far more likely that I’m just going crazy.”

Itachi peered at her again, a faint smirk upon his lips. “You would know better than I. You are the doctor, after all.”

Sakura wasn’t quite sure she appreciated his teasing. Lest not when she was as exhausted as she was on this particular day but she let it go. “Why are you still here?”

Again, he shrugged. “I am always here. Even when you do not see me.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Because I go where I am most needed. And I am needed here,” he told her, his attention falling back to the outside world.

Sakura followed his gaze, watching the last traces of light vanish under the all-encompassing black hands of the night. A dozen stars were already sprinkling above, quiet little sparkles of hope in an otherwise empty sky.

They stayed that way for some minutes. Neither speaking. Just silent company as they both harbored their own thoughts. And just when Sakura considered walking away. To find food or a bed or both, Itachi spoke. His voice calm and collected as it always was. But also haunting.

“I’m sorry, Sakura,” he murmured sincerely.

She looked back at him, not understanding. “For what?”

“For everything that happens next.”

There was a strange look on his face. One she couldn’t place, but that stone tumbled down her chest and settled deep, deep in her stomach. She turned towards him as cold washed over her. “What did you do?” she demanded.

He said nothing. Only stared right back.

The stone sunk deeper. And in the next moment, she turned on her heels the same instant Itachi was gone. Already sprinting back towards the young mother’s room as a code blue was called.

xx

Sakura wasn’t sure how much time passed after that incident. She did everything in her power to ignore the man that haunted her. Her reality. Her dreams. But the more she blocked him out, the more she seemed to think about him. He was always there.

Their last conversation rolled over and over in her mind. Like a horrible song that wouldn’t get out of her head. She was angry. Indescribably so. She lost count of her sleepless nights and the number of meals that tasted of ash on her tongue as that frustration continued to burn inside her. So much so that some of her closest friends began to ask if she was alright. Still, she made a point to ignore the man in black. Refused to acknowledge his presence with even so much as a glance in his direction.

She didn’t understand why Itachi had done what he did. Why he would bother saving the woman just to let her die less than an hour later. He was a monster. He was Death. And she should have known better than to think of him as anything other than such.

But Sakura was a curious person by nature. And as the weeks turned to months, she had more questions than hate, and the burning rage slipped away to something quiet, softer. Death was death. And in the end, there was no saving anyone from it.

Tonight was a quiet night. Uncommon but welcomed in Sakura’s line of work. She took the brief moment of downtime to sit in one of the plastic chairs provided by the hospital. A moment to relieve the ache on the bottoms of her feet.

She was not surprised in the slightest when she felt another join her some minutes later. Itachi didn’t immediately speak. Just let the normal hum of the hospital fill the silent between them.

“Are you going in there?” he asked eventually.

Sakura stared ahead to the patient room across the way. Inside was an elderly woman. The monitor showed her stats as stable but Sakura was becoming very familiar with what Itachi’s presence meant. It was the very reason she had sat outside this particular room.

“No,” she said quietly. It was early morning. Only one or two nurses on the floor, but she didn’t dare break the easy silence that had settled over the halls. “Her family has requested no extraordinary measures be taken. They’re ready to let her go.”

Sakura felt Itachi’s gaze linger on her, but he didn’t speak. They simply sat side-by-side as they tracked the heart monitor. Waited for that moment when the woman would no longer be in Sakura’s care as she turned to Itachi’s.

After a few moments, Sakura glanced at the man beside her. He was dressed nicely but comfortably in a dark grey sweater, his hair tied neatly with his bangs framing those dark, dark eyes. However, it wasn’t his style of dress that interested her. She stared at him, really studying him as she took in his youthful features. He appeared her age, but his poise and manner of speech gave her the impression he was old. Much, much older than her.

“That woman was going to die. And then she didn’t,” Sakura said quietly, repeating the very same words she had said to him those weeks ago. Because even though she was still mad about the incident, she wanted answers. “You stopped her from dying.”

Itachi didn’t look at her but she could just as easily see the frown upon his face. “I cannot stop death. I can only slow its demise,” he corrected, his voice just as soft as hers.

“She died less than an hour after her heart restarted,” Sakura stated. Trying to get the facts out in the air. Trying to understand what they all meant. “Why would you do that if only for such a short time?”

He didn’t answer but his expression was full of purpose. As if he was waiting for her to draw her own conclusion.

She still didn’t understand. She had run it over and over again. What reasons he could possibly have. Of all the times Sakura had seen Itachi, he had never once interfered as he had for that woman. So, what had made him do it for the new mother?

Oh.

“You wanted to give her time with her baby,” Sakura concluded.

Again, Itachi remained silent but he looked away. Either unable or unwilling to show his thoughts to her. She didn’t have to ask to know she was right. Tears nearly sprung to Sakura’s eyes as unexpected emotion welled in her chest.

Spending so much time around death and sorrow, she had thought Itachi to be cruel and unjust. Now, sitting beside him with his soothing company and gentle eyes, she realized she’d had the wrong idea all this time. Death was not a monster but rather a blessing. A kind spirit who helped those who had died find their way to their final resting place.

Guilt washed over her but she didn’t voice her apology. Itachi was already looking at her with forgiveness in his eyes. As if he had already forgiven her long ago.

They sat in comfortable silence after that. Waiting, watching as the time passed by.

Eventually Sakura spoke again, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Just one?”

She couldn’t help but smile sheepishly. “Perhaps more than one.”

Itachi side-glanced at her but there was a small quirk in the corner of his mouth. He nodded his permission.

“You’re not the only one of your kind, are you?” Sakura asked. “I mean, I don’t fully understand the afterlife, or whatever, or your purpose, but it isn’t possible for you to lead everyone who has died to the other side all on your own. Right?”

When Itachi didn’t immediately answer, Sakura peered at him only to find he was watching her with a small smile. Like he was enjoying watching her work through her theory aloud. The expression nearly made her look away in embarrassment.

“No,” he said before she could. “There are many of us. Reaper is the name most of us have taken but we are referred to differently elsewhere in the world. I am not sure where the title originated. That is just what we were called long before I became one.”

“Became one?” Sakura repeated, her brow furrowing. “You weren’t…I don’t know, born one?”

Itachi laughed but shook his head. “None of us are born one. You become one. You are chosen after you die.”

“Then you were a person once,” she said, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice.

“I was.”

Sakura peered into the patient room again. Stared at each track of the woman’s heart rhythm as she considered her next words. “Can I ask…?” she hesitated after a moment.

“How I died?” When she nodded, he leaned back in his chair, unbothered by the hard plastic beneath him. “It was many years ago. So long I cannot even remember how much time has passed since. I died protecting my brother. He was young and reckless. Acting without considering the consequences for his actions.

“Where I grew up, we had a lake just outside of town. The children used to play near it, swimming in the summer and sledding in the winter. It was a beautiful place and I have many fond memories there,” Itachi told her, a faint smile playing on his lips.

“So, what happened?” she pressed softly.

Like a cloud over the sun, his expression shifted, taking the light out of his eyes and darkening his features. “Winter came late that year. And the ice had not fully set in,” he told her quietly. “Sasuke went sledding that morning at the top of the hill. He landed on the lake and cracked the ice. I was able to push him out of the way before it broke completely.”

Sakura just stared at Itachi, observing all the faint emotions passing behind his eyes. She didn’t know if he had drowned or frozen to death, and she didn’t ask. Because even if his death had occurred life times ago, there was no mistaking the wistfulness in his gaze. She wondered who else he may have left behind. His mother and father. Best friends. Perhaps even a lover.

“I’m sorry,” Sakura murmured. Truly and honestly.

Itachi blinked the memories away before he turned to gaze at her. He smiled faintly, if only to lessen her sympathy. “It is nothing to be sorry for. I am relieved I was able to save him and he lived many years before passing on. I am happy now to help those who cross over.”

Still, Sakura couldn’t shake the hollowness that had settled deep in her gut. She didn’t speak for some minutes, even when a nurse walked by. The young woman nodded in greeting, her eyes never drifting to the man in the next chair over.

Sakura waited until the other woman was out of ear range before asking the one question she did and didn’t want to know: “Why is it that I can see you?”

Beside her, Itachi exhaled slowly. “That I cannot say. There is a fine line between life and death. One many walk every day.”

A frown settled upon her features at his answer. Sakura wanted to ask him more but she wasn’t given the opportunity as an alarm abruptly sounded in the patient room across the way. Both she and Itachi looked up at the same time.

Sakura knew that was her cue to go, but she didn’t immediately move to stand as she chanced a look over at Itachi. Only he was no longer there. The plastic, blue chair empty.

Without even having to check, Sakura knew the elderly woman was already gone. And for the first time, it wasn’t sadness that lingered deep in her chest. But rather warmth. Knowing that Itachi was there to help the woman cross over to whatever adventure awaited them next.

xx

The days began to blend together. The summer heat fading into the cooler autumn before the frost of winter began settling in during the early morning hours. Life continued as it normally did. Sakura went to work, performed whatever operations she was needed in before saying hello to Itachi as she checked on her ongoing cases.

Their conversations never lasted long, but she was becoming familiar with his manner of speech and his quiet, subtle humor. She found he was actually quite funny, his humor dry but sharp and quick-witted. It made her long shifts bearable and even rather enjoyable. Something she thought she would never think, knowing somewhere in the hospital someone was drawing their last breath.

But in her line of work, it was the little things that helped her push through during the worst of her worst days. Days like today.

Sakura exhaled through her mouth slowly, trying to keep her emotions on the inside of her body. She glanced down at the labs in her hands again, confirming for a fourth time what the results were telling her.

“Are you okay?”

Sakura recognized Tsunade, her former mentor and colleague’s voice. “I’m fine. My patient is not,” she told her, passing the chart over.

Without a word, Tsunade accepted it. Only the sound of paper flipping back and forth to fill the silence. Eventually the older woman passed the labs back. “This is your heart kid?”

“Yeah,” Sakura murmured.

Four years old and born with a heart that didn’t want to work properly. Sakura had been on the boy’s case the minute he was born. She had performed every operation, supervised every procedure and ordered every test she could think of to keep this boy alive. She had pushed his body to the limit. And now it was no longer responding to any treatment or drugs she ordered.

Swallowing back the knot at the base of her throat, Sakura looked over the nurses’ station towards the patient in question. The little boy – far too little to ever be in a bed in this building – was fading in and out of consciousness. One of the Cardiac nurses was in the corner of the room, helping keep him and his exhausted father comfortable.

“He won’t survive the morning,” Tsunade said gently. Understanding and sympathy warming her usually cool, professional tone.

Sakura nodded, unable to look at her. Knowing if she did, those emotions she was trampling down so hard would claw their way to the surface. “I know.”

Tsunade said nothing else. Just rested a comforting hand on her shoulder before she left.

Sakura sat for a minute longer before she made her way towards the hospital room. The hall was quiet, empty. But when she reached the sliding glass door, her gaze caught a lone figure sitting in a chair behind her. She hesitated, her eyes briefly meeting Itachi’s in the glass’s reflection. The lump behind her breast bone grew bigger, heavier.

He said nothing. And neither did she. Merely slid the door open and entered.

About thirty minutes before sunrise, Sakura called time of death, leaving the father in the nurse’s care when she could no longer be of any further comfort to him. In the early hours before the hospital halls came to life, Sakura went in search on an on-call room. A place to catch up on the sleep she had lost that night.

What she found instead was an empty staircase. She lowered herself onto a middle stair and exhaled a breath from her soul. Emotion welled in her chest. It crept up slowly, like a weed rising from the ground. Growing, spreading, blooming until even her heart struggled to beat correctly. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. A soft sob spilling from her lips as grief made itself at home in her chest.

“Sakura.”

She had felt Itachi kneel in front of her before he spoke, his comforting presence becoming familiar. But she didn’t acknowledge him. She didn’t know if looking him in the eye would make her feel better or worse. And she certainly couldn’t handle worse at that moment.

He called her name again, his voice settling over her and mixing in with the hurt. Two conflicting emotions tangling together and warring within her chest. She didn’t know how to speak, how to voice everything she wanted to say and couldn’t. In the end, she simply shook her head. Wishing he would just leave.

Hoping he would stay.

And he did. He didn’t speak. Simply straightened a hair that had fallen out of place before his fingers wrapped around her wrists. With a gentle tug, he pulled her hands away from her face, leaving her utterly and completely exposed to his viewing. She didn’t know what she was expecting. Certainly not the warm smile on his lips or the softness in his gaze.

“You are a kind soul,” Itachi told her. “You fought so hard. You did everything right.”

His words brought more tears to her eyes. She tried to look away but Itachi wouldn’t let her. She shook her head, letting slip a few more. “But it still wasn’t enough.”

“Do not take the blame for this,” Itachi murmured, his voice gentle with understanding. “It was his choice. He was ready.”

“He was four,” Sakura countered sharply.

Itachi didn’t take any offense to her harsh tone. He merely exhaled through his nose before he smiled again, one hand reaching up to wipe the dampness off her face. “He was an amazing boy. And full of so much more life and energy than his body could handle. But he was tired and he was ready to let go. He will miss his father, but I promise you this will not be the last they see of one other.”

Sakura wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. Itachi had always been vague with what laid beyond but she trusted him enough with this. The hurt in her chest throbbed again. No longer an ache that stole her breath away, but to something duller. Something manageable.

Sakura didn’t speak but she let her head rest in his palm. He eased her pain so flawlessly it nearly escaped her that it was the first time they had touched. For some reason, she had believed that he wasn’t allowed to. Or perhaps he simply couldn’t. Two souls side by side, yet an entire world apart. It surprised her to find that his hands were just like any other man’s. Soft and warm, yet strong and capable.

Sakura wasn’t sure how long she sat there, with her face in his hands, taking comfort in his touch. She didn’t remember moving from that spot. Didn’t recall climbing those last few stairs to reach the on-call room where she woke some hours later. She nearly wondering if she had dreamt of Itachi in that stairwell.

But she could just as well feel his soothing aura, curled and wrapped around her like a blanket as if he were there with her. That same emotion swelled in her chest again. Unhindered and free to take hold without her grief overshadowing it. She recognized the feeling but didn’t dare linger on the implications.

Because Sakura was a doctor. And Itachi was Death. And they could not both survive in the same world.

xx

That realization didn’t stop Sakura from continuing to think about him. Her dreams remained filled with thoughts of Itachi. But where unease and distrust lingered, warmth and happiness filled the void. She took to spending nights at the hospital.

Sitting in the quiet places where she could speak with Itachi privately without the eyes of the other staff. He always came. Sometimes their visits were cut short, but he always found her wherever she may be in.

Sakura sat alone at a table in the cafeteria. This late at night the kitchen was closed, the oven cold and the food stored away. Only the coffee machine in the corner still worked, but it was cheap and made the drinks a little too watery. She was certain no one would wander this way.

Outside, snow drifted down. Little flecks of white filling in the darkness, casting the world into a hush as if all were in awe of its beautiful. Sakura made herself comfortable, sipping from one of the two steaming mugs of hot chocolate as she watched it fall.

“It’s a beautiful night,” Sakura murmured.

She sipped from her mug before she turned her head towards Itachi. He looked so terribly handsome in his black sweater with the snow falling behind him, his dark hair tied neatly with his bangs framing his eyes just so. Her body warmed with heat that had nothing to do with her drink.

“It is,” he said, his eyes meeting hers unwaveringly. Then they fell to the mug laid out for him. “What is this?”

“It’s hot chocolate,” she said before she frowned as a sudden thought occurred to her. “Although, I wasn’t sure how exactly that worked with your…status and all.”

“My status?” Itachi repeated, his tone pitching slightly with amusement. “I can confidently say I have never heard it referred to as such.”

She flushed but smiled again when Itachi raised the deep blue mug to his lips and drank, his eyes never leaving hers.

“I feel no hunger nor thirst,” he told her quietly as he studied to contents of the cup. “But I recall I did used to have a sweet tooth. It drove my mother mad when I filled up on sticky bread before dinner. This is delicious. Thank you.”

Sakura drank from her own mug again, if only to distract from the way his words warmed her down to her very core. When she peeked back up, she found Itachi was still watching her, that easy smile on his mouth.

“And what about you?” he asked. “You have never told me.”

“If I have a sweet tooth? I’m pretty sure my body is fifty percent sugar at this point. The rest is caffeine,” she teased.

However, Itachi shook his head. “No, about your mother. You have never spoken of her.”

The smile faded from her lips as her gaze fell to her mug. “I don’t remember much of her. She left home when I was six. My father raised me, but our relationship was never that strong. I see him during the holidays but we don’t keep that close in contact.”

She looked up when Itachi reached across the table to lay his hand over hers. His touch still made her skin tingle, sending little sparks of pleasure shooting up her arm. “I am sorry about your mother,” he said.

Sakura shrugged it off. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago.”

“Even time cannot heal all wounds.”

She wondered if he was thinking about his own mother. Or perhaps even his father or brother, but she didn’t ask. Instead, she turned her hand over, tangling her fingers together with his. Sakura wasn’t entirely sure who moved first. All she knew was in one moment Itachi was sitting beside her and in the next he was kissing her. His hands cupping the curve of her jaw as his mouth moved softly against hers.

It was short but sweet, leaving Sakura a little dazed when he pulled back. She blinked against her swimming head, their eyes meeting as their breath mingled.

“This is never going to work,” she whispered.

Itachi’s eyes never wavered from hers. “I know.”

She didn’t know what any of this meant. She opened her mouth, already her overactive mind beginning to move, but Itachi didn’t let her get too far. He kissed her again, pulling her closer than before. His kiss reaching down into her soul and trying to pull it into his own body.

He filled her with a warmth she had never known before. It left her breathless, frazzled. She wanted him more than anyone she could ever remember and she took everything she could, her fingers digging into his sweatshirt. Feeling his solid warmth beneath her palms. Wondering how she could have ever thought him to be Death. Cold and indifferent.

They passed the next hour wrapped around each other, whispering words for their ears only, between stolen kisses and lingering touched. Even after their hot chocolate had gone cold and the ground had turned completely white. Ignoring the complications and impossibilities of what they were doing.

It was Sakura’s pager that broke the serenity that had settled over the cafeteria. She pulled out of Itachi’s grasp just far enough to grab the device before she read the message with a quiet sigh. “I have to go, but I’ll see you soon.”

Sakura pressed a brief kiss to Itachi’s mouth again before she stood and was gone.

And in such a hurry she was, she missed the deep sorrow that settled across his face. “Yes, you will.”

xx

Sakura woke early that morning, long before her alarm roused her, excitement filling her with more energy than even the strongest coffee. The sun was still below the horizon by the time she arrived at the hospital. But she wasn’t the only one there and ready.

Interns and residents swarmed her before she reached the Attendings’ Lounge. She smiled at their enthusiasm and answered questions as she weaved around the young doctors in-training. It was after all an exciting day.

“Are you ready?” Itachi asked, appearing the moment her scrub shirt was over her head.

She smiled, expecting his arrival. He greeted her every morning since that night in the cafeteria less than a week ago, and always with that smile. The one that made her stomach flop and her heart beat just a little harder. Only this morning, she was already bouncing with energy.

“I’m always ready,” she told him.

“Then how are you feeling?”

Sakura pulled a hair tie out of her bag before she piled her hair into a secure bun. “Nervous, but excited,” she told him honestly. Because even if there was a reason to lie to him, she was comfortable enough to tell him the truth. “But I’ve been doing my research and double checking all the labs. I can pull off this heart transplant surgery.”

The small smile in the corner of Itachi’s mouth stretched wider. He said nothing as he stepped towards her, looking so terribly handsome in his jeans and black button up shirt. He stopped in front of her, his eyes dropping down to smooth out the collar of her shirt before his hands ran up her arms and her shoulders.

“I believe you will,” he told her, his voice reflecting back her own confidence.

Goosebumps rose across her flesh where he touched her. But it was those words that made her body hum. Because Itachi was Death and he had an understanding about the world she did not.

Sakura’s smile stretched wider. “I have to get ready for the surgery, but I’ll see you afterwards, yeah?”

Itachi nodded his answer. There was an unusual look in his eyes that she didn’t recognize, but she didn’t have time to ask. There were people she needed to talk to and labs she had to check once more. She would have to ask him about it at a later date.

The rest of the day was madness for Sakura. Enough so that she had already forgotten about Itachi and his weird vibe by noon. Both the observation deck and the OR was full. Both trainees looking for experience and doctors with curious minds filled the room, taking note of Sakura’s technique and knowledge. The surgery itself took a little over four hours, her steady hands ensuring every suture and every stitch was perfect.

With bated breath, she stood still over her open patient. Watching, waiting for that still heart to begin beating on its own. The rest of the OR waited with her. Not a breath taken. Not a movement made.

Then it happened. A pulse. And then another and another.

“We have a steady rhythm,” the surgical nurse at the monitor said.

Applause erupted throughout the room and the observation deck. Sakura exhaled the breath she had been holding with a quiet laugh. Behind her mask, her mouth stretched into a wide smile as she accepted her thanks from the other surgeons around her. Some with a few decades more experience than herself.

It was the lightest she had felt in days, the stress from the surgery weighing her down. A constant pull on her mind. It made her want to celebrate. To go find her friends and share every detail she had just experienced.

It made her want to talk to Itachi.

Automatically, Sakura lifted her eyes to the viewing gallery. The entire room was filled with excited faces. Every last person dressed in white, doctors’ coats. All except two. Both in black. The one on the left she didn’t recognize. From his long, dark hair and broad shoulders.

The other was Itachi, dressed in his finest suit. But it wasn’t his dress or even his presence that caught her notice. It was his face. The sadness expression she had ever seen tearing her soul wide open. He met her gaze for a brief moment before he bowed his head.

And that was the last thing Sakura saw before excruciating pain erupted deep in her head and the world went dark.

When she opened her eyes again, she wasn’t sure how much time had passed. It was bright, too bright. Blinking hard, she waited for her eyes to adjust before she gazed around. To her surprise, she found she was in the same place. In the middle of the OR. Only she was alone. All the doctors and interns were gone. Even her patient had vanished. And in his place, Sakura had taken up occupancy on the surgical bed.

Confused, she looked down at herself only to find the blood stains on her scrubs from surgery were gone, leaving them clean and utterly spotless. With a quick examine, she found no wounds or stitches on her own body. She seemed perfectly fine.

“Sakura.”

Snapping her head towards Itachi’s voice, she found him standing on the other side of her bed. He looked no different than he normally did, his suit pressed and fitting his form so perfectly. But he felt different. A little more real, a little more like their souls were no longer worlds apart.

Sakura didn’t reach for him, her confusion twisting into something more akin to fear. She moved slowly, her eyes never leaving him, as she slid to her feet. The bed the only barrier between them.

A million questions rolled around in her head but her tongue remained still. Because she could still read that expression on his face. Feel his sorrow and grief from here.

“I’m so sorry,” Itachi murmured. Regretfully. Truthfully.

Something began to build in her chest. It took her a moment to realize it was panic. She took a step away from him. “What happened?”

“You had an aneurysm rupture in your brain,” he told her.

“An aneurysm,” she repeated. Both not understanding and understanding.

Because the dots were not hard to connect. His sorrow, her pain. This place and his presence.

A shaky breath escaped her as she took another step back. Itachi looked as if he wanted to reach for her, but he refrained much to her relief. Her chest tightened again as reality began to settle in.

“No,” she shook her head, trying to deny what he was telling her. “I didn’t die.”

“You were rushed into surgery after you collapsed but the doctors were unable to repair the damage to your vessels. You died from massive intercranial hemorrhaging,” he told her. His voice gentle but steady and his gaze unwavering.

She shook her head again. “My patient…”

“He survived.”

“But I didn’t.”

When Itachi shook his head, that mournful look in his eye, Sakura took another step back, tears springing to her eyes. She tried to release a shaky breath. What came out instead was a choked sob. Because she knew he wasn’t trying to be insensitive. He was simply acquainted with her well enough to know that she would want all the facts. Even if it ripped her heart out.

“You said death fluctuates,” she murmured through her tears as realization began to dawn on her. “I could see you because I had aneurysm. I was always on the verge of death. One strain, one stress away from it bursting.”

Itachi nodded woefully. “Yes.”

“You knew this was going to happen.”

Regret passed behind his eyes but he nodded again. “Yes.”

Sakura wanted to feel betrayed. Wanted to hurl angry insults and biting words so that perhaps he would feel just as hollow and empty as she currently did. But there was no use. There was no changing what had happened. There was nothing anyone could say or do. A situation she had seen many lovers and parents and family go through in her job.

She had never felt so helpless.

Feeling her knees begin to shake, Sakura lowered herself into one of the clean, metal chairs kept in the OR. They were hard and cold, only this time it wasn’t. It supported her weight comfortably. She dropped her head into her hands, trying to hide how much she was truly shaking.

Some minutes passed with just the faint echo of her own breathing as she tried to accept what had just come to pass. How she was supposed to possibly move on.

“I am so truly sorry, Sakura,” Itachi murmured.

She looked up when she felt him straighten a strand of her hair. He had knelt before her, looking so incredibly guilty and so incredibly remorseful. Against her desire, her heart went out to him.

“Things were not supposed to happen this way,” he continued softly. He was unable to meet her gaze but he couldn’t seem to pull away from her either. “We were not supposed to know each other as we do and I…and I was never supposed to fall in love with you.”

In all her life, Sakura swore she had ever been this full of emotion. Her heart was breaking and sealing back together all at once. She was torn. She wanted to push Itachi away. She wanted to pull him close, remembering all those nights they had shared. Talking into the dark, sharing hot chocolate and their deepest thoughts.

It would be a lie for her not to say she hadn’t considered this outcome. She knew things could not remain the way they had been. He was Death. And she had life. One had to give. And death only took.

Reaching out, Sakura ran her fingers through Itachi’s hair so featherlight, she barely felt its softness on her fingertips. He looked up as she pushed his bangs away from his face before she traced the ridge of his cheekbone.

“So, what happens now?” she asked.

“That remains to be seen,” another said.

Sakura followed the voice to find a man standing off to the side of the room. It was the same man she had seen in the observation deck. This close, she could make out more of his features, finding that his hair wasn’t black as she had first thought, but rather a dark brown. Just like Itachi, he gave off a certain wisdom. Only older, much older than the man kneeling before her.

Itachi didn’t move from his spot as the other man approached, his face still resting in her hand.

“You’re a Reaper,” Sakura said, not entirely sure if she was asking or stating.

He nodded. “I am Hashirama, the Elder Reaper. And I am here now to tell you that you have completed your job. You are released. You may continue to onto the afterlife.”

Her brow furrowed, not entirely sure what he was saying. Only to realize it was not her he was speaking to. But rather Itachi.

She looked down at him where he still had his face pressed into her hand. If he had heard Hashirama speak, he showed no indication. Sakura opened her mouth and tried to pull her hand away, but his own hand tightened around hers and kept it from moving away.

“If Sakura so chooses, I wish to spend it with her.”

Sakura’s confusion grew. She glanced at Hashirama before turning back to Itachi, both looking so out of place in this too-clean OR with Hashirama’s crisp sweater and Itachi’s fitted suit. She had so many questions and so few answers. Perhaps this was her afterlife. She had never given much thought to what her own would be like. Having spent so many hours in the hospital, she hadn’t had much time to give it much imagination. Maybe that was why she found herself here.

But if she could change it, there was no telling where she would like to end up. It’s not like there were any friends or family waiting for her. She was the first to go.

Emotion built in her chest again but before it could erupt, she realized Itachi was waiting for an answer. His black eyes peering up at her, so full of hope. Again, she thought of those late nights, just him in the dark as they talked about everything and nothing.

Or maybe there was a telling of where she would.

Smiling through her drying tears, Sakura pressed her palm against Itachi’s cheek again. “If I have a choice, I choose more late nights and dark on-call rooms. With hot chocolate on snowy nights.”

“I can give you that,” he murmured before his mouth met hers. Kissing her so sweetly it was as if it was their first again.

This time when she opened her eyes, they were no longer in the OR. But rather standing side by side on a hill overlooking a small village with a lake below. A boy some years younger than them was running towards them, his hair and eyes the same colors as Itachi.

He smiled wide, waving one hand over his head. “Itachi! Itachi! You’re finally home.”

There was a faint look of astonishment on Itachi’s face when Sakura glanced at him. Then he smiled. Warmth and happiness filling his expression and making him no longer appear years beyond his age.

“Sasuke,” Itachi breathed.

Then he looked at her, all the love and devotion clear in his eyes as he grabbed her hand and led her down the hill. “Come, my brother is waiting for us.”

the end

[lord-explosion-baku]

Rising Sun

Kirishima Fantasy Au!!

Pairing: Prince!Kirishima x princess!reader

Warnings: swearing, drinking, angst

A/n: disaster Baby took things too far again and well, um, eventually falling in love takes a long time and all... so like... this is gonna be a series (if it’s liked enough) lmfao. Huzzah? We love Kirishima. Also, LISTEN, I hate referring to Kiri as Prince Eijirou so that’ll change in other parts of the series but this is formal shit right here and I’m SORRY for EVERYTHING. ALSO LISTEN, I’m just gonna come out and say it: fantasy Kirishima is a got dam dragon (unbeknownst to the dear reader) and you CANT CHANGE MY MIND.

Your H/C hair fell down way past your bare shoulders. You wore a gown made from a nearly weightless material that glinted, light reflecting the fire from the torches that lit up the hall. It fit flawlessly, the dress molded your torso beautifully, complementing your feminine shape. The gown draped past your toes, slightly drifting from your legs. It was the color of lost childhood memories, with patterns that seemed to be changing the longer it was stared at. Its strapless style revealed your precious collarbones wrapping around your smooth, luring, skin.

You would have adored your dress if you had been wearing it for any other occasion. Your father, King Jamtiln of your kingdom, linked his arm through yours, giving you a stern look. You sighed as you heard the harp music begin through the Kirishima temple doors. The doors were pulled open by two scantily clad women, one with bright blue hair, the other with red. You had to stop yourself from frowning. Why couldn’t Prince Eijirou marry one of them instead?

“It’s for the good of our kingdom,” your father had told you over and over. You knew he was right. You’ve seen too many friends come back from war with the Draconian Kingdom burned and wounded from battle. You were just upset that it had to come to you being married off to someone you only met once. Many men had given up their lives for your kingdom so now you had to give up yours for any hope of peace.

Your father slowly walked you down the aisle as the crowd rose for you. To your left, family members and noble people were smiling supportingly at you. You heard whispers of “beautiful,” and “exquisite,” which didn’t numb your nerves. To your right, strange men and women adorned in foreign scarves and skirts stood tall, nodding at you as you walked by. This kingdom’s people were not modest in the way you dressed; they showed off their muscles and their scars with pride. The whispers you heard from that side were in a language you did not understand.

The man your father placed you next to, your betrothed, wasn’t any less modest than the people in his kingdom. His chest was bare with ceremonial patterns painted onto his toned body and he wore black, loose fitting pants that had a crimson scarf wrapped around his hips. His scarlet hair was adorned in gold and rubies, the gold ran down his face and around his jaw with spikes that resembled teeth poking upwards. If you weren’t frightened before, you sure as hell were now.

A high priestess from your kingdom and a shaman from his was to marry the both of you. The priestess invited the room to sitl. As she spoke her words seemed to blur and swirl around in your head. You couldn’t keep up with anything she was saying, you couldn’t keep up with your own breath. Prince Eijirou’s brows knitted together as he watched your eyes dart from his to the priestess and all around the room. When the priestess was finished talking, she bowed her head and took a step back.

The shaman was next to speak. He held his hands high and the crowd on the Draconian side stood. “I’m going to ask that the Prince and Princess embrace for the ceremony.” The Draconian Prince held out his arm to you and you places a delicate hand on his forearm. His calloused fingers wrapped around your arm supportively. In unison, the crowd let out a low guttural grunt. The shaman began to speak in their native tongue, an animalistic nearly growled language, and you knew at this point of the ceremony all you had to do was keep eye contact with your groom.

His eyes matched the rubies in his hair and as the shaman continues to speak, they seemed to get brighter and before you knew it you were entranced, taken in by the story of his people, of his family’s descent, of who he was and how he got there, the story told all through his eyes.

When the shaman finishes speaking, the crowd stomped their feet twice and let out another grunt. The shaman took a torch in to his hands, turned to you and spoke, in English, “when I light this pit,” he gestured towards a round marble table with white logs sticking out of the table’s indent, “that is when the two of you kiss, binding the two of you together, uniting your kingdoms. Do you understand Princess Y/N?” For the good of your kingdom. Not looking away from Eijirou’s ruby orbs, you nod. “And you, Prince Eijirou?” He nods. The shaman lowers the torch and the white logs burst into flames.

There’s a chant like humming coming from the Kirishima people as the prince’s hands tighten around your arm. His free hand finds your back and pulls you towards him, the reflection of the fire danced off his pupils as his face grew closer to yours. Not able to stare for too much longer, you close your eyes.

His lips greet yours and for a moment you are taken aback by the heat of the kiss. His hand leaves your arm and caresses your face, pressing deeper into you. You open your mouth slightly and kiss him back. The crowd’s humming grows louder and you feel as though embers are burning in your stomach. You fight the urge to pull away as the prince grabs your chin, temperatures only rising when his scorching tongue slides in through your soft lips. He pulls away and you breathe out black smoke.

Embarrassed, you cover your mouth. He grabs your hand and turns towards the crowd, lifting your intertwined fingers into the air. Your family’s side claps while the Kirishima side begins to yell and cheer, the prince joining in, with a triumphant roar completing the ceremony.

After the wedding was had, shows were put on for the both of your now joined families. People danced and sang and drank and congratulated the future king and queen. More times than you could count you were offered wine or ale to ease your nerves for what you rued, the inevitable alone time with your husband. Bitterly dehydrated, you only drank water.

When the festivities finish your father and the King of the Kirishima Temple take your husband aside and you are lead by the woman with blue hair who opened the temple doors for you at the beginning of your wedding, to your new bedroom.

“New sheets, finely made for thisss… special occasion.” The woman runs a seductive finger across your bed and walks over to you, slowly, swaying her hips. “I am to dress you, now,” she says laying her long fingers on your bare shoulders. You blush. ‘Dressing you’ meant undressing you and fitting you into a gown to be worn for your husband. You had been used to being put to bed by your Mina back home, a chambermaid you’ve come to trust, but the woman before you who was more than a head taller than you, you did not know and you definitely did not trust.

“You’re nervous,” she purrs, brushing your hair, “is this your first time?”

You gulp. “Yes,” You say, avoiding her piercing gaze.

She chuckles. “Interesting. I suppose that is to be expected of a princess but I often wondered about the social lives of foreigners. Everything is free range to them. You could’ve fucked whoever or… whatever you pleased and quickly dispose of them and slaughter off anyone who would dare speak a word of it. You’ve missed your opportunity.” She waits for you to respond and when you don’t she continues. “Draconians mate for life,” she puts it simply and waits for it to sink in.

You part your lips and she smiles, almost snakelike. For life? The finality of everything, the wedding, this kingdom, the prince, hits you like cobblestone to the head. You knew this. You knew that your future was given up as soon as your agreed to marry the prince. You take a moment to yourself and finally say “so Prince Eijirou hasn’t… either?”

“No,” she says firmly, “but I would not put that against him. Eijirou can be a bit of a brute and this poor fragile flesh of yours,” she says pulling on your shoulder, “well, I won’t be surprised if he has you torn to shreds by the end of the night.”

Your face goes white but your skin seethes with anger. You push her hand away from you. “I think I can handle changing on my own, thank you.”

Still grinning, she takes a step towards the door. “Suit yourself,” she says, “I was only trying to be nice. But I suppose it is all for not. There’s no way out of thiss. He has already marked you when he gave you that… steaming kiss. Do yourself a favor and have some wine before he gets in. You’re going to need it.” With that, she throws her long blue locks over her shoulder and struts out of the bedroom.

Monster, you think as you pace around the bed. Witch! You hand grabs a bedpost. You wish you could throw something, you’re so angry. What a warm welcome into your new kingdom! Your eyes fix on a bottle of wine sitting on a silver platter on top of a dresser. You huff. “Why not?”

Uncorking the bottle, you pour it greedily into a crystal glass. You don’t give it a second to breathe, the dark liquid is already sliding down your throat. It is bitter but you don’t mind it. “To calm your nerves?” You remember so many people asking. More like to ease your temper. Before you know it, the glass is empty and you’re pouring another. You hear someone clear their throat at the door and you turn.

Prince Eijirou is leaning against the doorframe with arms crossed against his bare chest. The paint has been scrubbed away from his body and his once spiked up hair fell down to his shoulders. He was no longer wearing the headpiece that ran your nerves into the ground and his loose fitted pants were replaced by black silky bottoms. Your heart begins to thrum in your chest and your hand holding your glass starts to shake.

Slowly he walks over to you, taking the glass from your hand he gulps it down, eyeing you the entire time. When he is finished he wipes his lips on the back of his hand and says, “you haven’t changed.”

That might’ve been the first thing he has ever said to you. You narrow your eyes and grab the glass back, slamming it down onto the platter. You pour more wine into the glass and fill up the second glass and push that into his chest, the back of your fingers pressing into his skin. So warm.

“Anaya was supposed to help you,” he says, gently taking his glass from your hands.

Anaya, a pretty name for such disaster of a person. “She has helped me plenty,” you sarcastically bite out.

He closes his eyes and sighs. You take note of the ring scar he has on the lid of the eye. You might’ve thought it was cute before knowing that the prince was “a bit of a brute.” He points to the folding screen and says, “your gown should be there.”

Nude and hiding behind the folding screen you take a deep breath. Hiding from the inevitable, you think to yourself. It’s one night you have to get through. Just one night. You pull the red silk gown over you. It fit snugly against your curves and that made you all the more nervous. The top had straps that were supposed to wrap around your neck and be tied in the back and you struggled feverishly to figure out how.

A soft voice called from the other side of the screen. “Do you need… help?” He asked and heat rose to your cheeks.

“No!” You call back, clawing helpless at your back. Damn gown, stupid night, horrible Anaya. Tears threaten to fall from your eyes. Eijirou is silent and you wish he would ask again.

Giving up, you step out and away from the screen. Eijirou is staring into his glass and when he looks up his eyes widen. “Oh! It looks…-“

“I do need help,” you gesture to your neck. “Will you?”

You couldn’t tell if he was blushing or if it was just the hue of his skin, still, he nods and makes his way over to you. Holding up your hair, you turn for him and he wraps the straps easily over your soft neck, tying a knot. You let your hair fall down over the spot where it was tied.

You both stand there for a moment before he lays a hand on your arm, caressing you up to your shoulder. He pulls your hair over to the side and lays a gentle kiss against your shoulder blade. You expected his lips to burn you as they did for the wedding but his lips were soft, kisses tentative, no scorching sensation to be had.

He places a hand on your hip, swaying you slightly, as he kisses reach your neck. You catch yourself sighing as you feel his tongue on the back of your ear. You almost forget what Anaya had said when you feel his teeth graze your lobe. Sharp.

“Poor fragile flesh…” your vision begins to blur, “I won’t be surprised if he has you torn to shreds by the end of the night.” The room begins to darken, the hand in your hips begins to pull on your gown, hiking it up. You imagine the man behind you as a monster, readying you to be eaten alive. “Torn to shreds…” Your body goes limp and you begin to fall...

Part 2

~

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[theworstjedi]

There is no Death; There is the Force

“The times I feel clear are fewer and further in between,” he said to a pane of grey. The rain knocked sharply on the full-length glass and the metal. It sounded a little like living in a tin can with thick insulation. The Mandolorian Enclave had been last week. Elutherius ran the memory through again over the fading whisper of the Force, but he found he couldn’t remember anything before Danara welcoming him home.

“Small price for ruling the world.” Was what she’d said next, but Elutherius couldn’t remember his response. Or even having existed past that point. It had something to do with him having been made Sith from the workings of a slave, no doubt. Or maybe it was having been made a slave from the workings of a Sith. To the Sith? He had been enslaved to the Sith, but that didn’t seem right.

What had she said again?

His head grew louder until the memory was eaten by both sides, and he felt himself expand into a sea of voices that connected the galaxy. He hummed to the tune they seemed to be pattering out and tried to cup his thoughts in his hands.

He was packing his kit. The military encouraged essentials, and he was sticking to the rough. He smoothed his red hands over the plain black fold of his field uniform and patted it into place. His shoulders twitched to a tune working itself into his head, brow working into a furrow.

And then he was handing himself a knife. The blade was curved and wicked.

Elutherius’ eyes darted around. The room was darkened, and he recognized it as the one he’d been sitting in though the time of day was much more advanced than he’d last remembered.

It was Kurt’s room. His eyes stumbled over holos that pulsed with such a faded glow, Elutherius knew the tomes to be old. They were placed on handsome shelves also cluttered with childhood trophies for every year he’d been alive. In front of them was the dresser. Its brutalist edges emphasized Imperial efficiency, but its collection of hair pomades and gels were luxurious items. Even the handful clustered around the mirror were exorbitant amounts for any one person to have. Soft waxed candles dipped by hand glowed softly in the dark. They illuminated curved instruments of stone and wood. Black glass amulets draped around a carved idol caught the light of the alter.

The romantic glow over cruel instruments recalled Kurt’s wince of pain when Elutherius had reentered the room not long ago. His grimace caught the light on his canines in the mirror. Elutherius slipped in and listened to the jingle of a belt buckle as Kurt pulled the knife away from his lower stomach. It was too dark to see the blood, but the stone-tainted copper smell was obvious even in trace amounts.

Kurt’s eyes found Elutherius’ in the mirror and the Pureblood jumped. The blade flicked down his other arm. His skin rasped as it split against the edge, and Kurt cursed softly.

“Oh, it’s just you,” he’d said with a wary frown as Elutherius sidled up beside him. Elutherius fought to stay in the present, to not let the tired concern in that frown take him to every single place he’d seen it on Kurt’s face since… he’d become… this.

The Pureblood pressed a white cloth dipped in the sharp clear smell of disinfectant against the nick until the darkening stain on the cloth spread no further. The Force babbled a touch shy of frenzied at her alter.

“I was offering sacrifice to the Force for strength in my field mission.” He held out the knife. “You’re welcome to as well.”

Elutherius grasped the cool curved stone handle, his fingers resting over Kurt’s hand. He was warm, but Elutherius could barely feel that now.

Elutherius didn’t clean the blade; he and Kurt had already shared blood a long time ago. He met his own eyes in the mirror and ignored the shadows that haunted the edges of his vision. That was the price of an unnatural power.

He drew the blade down the center of the fake mouth he’d cut on either side of his lips and opened it into an uneasy red grin.

He glanced at Kurt. Kurt glanced away.

“Major Wax,” he rasped. His own voice sounded thick.

“Elly.”

“Do you really think the Force will protect anyone?”

“That’s not my decision to make, I only honor it for the strength it’s given me in the past, and I hope the favor is returned.”

Elutherius looked at Kurt. Kurt looked back at him. Force, he was alien and handsome all at once; Elutherius didn’t feel like he’d seen Kurt, really seen him in years. Not that Elutherius could remember. He didn’t look pleased. His eyes flicked over Elutherius. 

___

“Elutherius.”

The hooded figure turned around, his yellow eyes falling on the Mirialan behind him. He was the last one remaining. The rest of the group he’d separated from Major Wax’s company had been sent west to scout and hunt out Republic stragglers, but there were no stragglers that way. Elutherius had felt out Kurt’s little map and the pinpoints when he’d asked to talk to the Pureblood last night. He couldn’t remembered what they’d talked about, but he remembered how earnest Kurt had looked. He had wanted to believe the lie that his Elly was making amends with him, so he did.

The Republic was moving troops from the west - where underbrush lessened the closer the bog drew to the Endar Spire. The young Sith wouldn’t be able to hide among foliage, like they did on Kaas. The young Sith would be slim pickings for an army.

Elutherius was the oldest, the most graduated from Korriban, and his master had little left to show him excepting careful mastery of Juyo and all the forms that composed it. He was Sith in a tangible sense. They trusted that.

“Elutherius,” panted the Mirialan. Friyr couldn’t remember his name. “I’ve been keeping an eye out, like you said, so we can move before we get bore down on, but we’re clear on the eastern front. I can’t--.” He placed his hand on his knees and panted. “Are you sure your information’s right?”

Elutherius’ vision blotted with shadows that flickered as though they belonged under candlelight and not in the sun-filtered shade of the Tulerian canopy. Gold speckled over the Mirialan’s green skin and kissed it a dusty emerald. Pretty.

“Elutherius?”

The Sith’s eyes canted up from the patch on the younger man’s neck, and he brought his arm up instead. First, he unhooded himself revealing long blond hair and a face that had seen better days. Second, he wrapped his fingers around the newly minted apprentice’s throat before he could comprehend the motion. Elutherius could feel his gurgles against his fingertips, even through the Force.

Elutherius jerked his arm and shoved the man against a tree. Even after he cracked his head against it, the alien kicked so hard the heels of his boots tore bark off in strips. Elutherius could guess why an alien had been made Sith; The same reason he had. Alien holdings of significance were rare in the Empire after all.

Elutherius could hear the sounds of blaster fire growing closer in the silent marsh. He didn’t look the man in the eyes as he approached, unclipped his hungry lightsaber, and railed it through his chest with one hand. The man fell limp and spasmed around the red blade even after his heart stopped beating.

Elutherius still remembered the face. Mirialans turned a strange blue-greenish gray when they ran out of air. Each color was distinct and yet one. He’d looked at it when he’d seated himself next to the corpse. His robes were disarrayed around him, when the Republic arrived. Their company was small, but Elutherius could hear the sounds of a larger battle in the distance between the bulk of the main two armies. Kurt.

It drowned out the voices of troopers yelling at him in a blur of blue and white that had nothing to do with his blindness, but a sense of loneliness and fear on this strange world. He raised both hands in surrender.

___

Friyr had killed too many people to keep track of. Most he didn’t remember, very few did he wish to remember, but the young mirialan’s face had come back to him that early morning as he dipped his arm in the lake and scrubbed the gashes clean of blood and rock until his skin was tender and the water foul smelling.

He had been pretty; a very pretty thing in an unpretty world, and Friyr had killed him anyway. Friyr wondered if what he was doing with Sahley, was anxiety, boredom, or pent up guilt over some repressed memory he hadn’t regained until that afternoon.

He…didn’t want to think about that.

“On Kaas we didn’t bury our dead.”

Friyr hadn’t buried the mirialan either; he’d just sat with him. Like a mad akk, things mattered little to Friyr once they’d stopped moving in his teeth.

“What’re you doing with that dead Felucian, Friyr?”

“Taking er—the him her back to his her people. I don’t know if they bury their dead, but they should have the bodies back.”

Friyr still didn’t feel a sense of guilt knowing he’d killed them. They had attacked first, and he would be damned if he was going to let that slide. Bringing them back didn’t bring him solace.

Death was death.

It was neither sad

Nor frightening.

It was. And for the person who’d died, it wasn’t.

“Funerals are for the living.”

Bringing the bodies back was penance for Friyr. A debt repaid or a lesson learned for the singular Mirialan. It neither righted any wrong nor absolved Friyr of the vicious pleasure he had sending the humans and Purebloods to death. But…the alien.

Being a Jedi, besides giving him his mind back was about unnotching the wounds he’d inflicted on the universe. One couldn’t restore something once marred, but they could do things differently.

He turned and slogged back into the shore, listening to the disturbance of the water in his wake.

[cheerysmores]

Between Espresso and Roses (Part four)

-

“Wait THE Victor?” After pulling Yuuri back to his seat he points to the man now adjusting the chalkboard on the pavement outside, smiling gently.

Yuuri nods shakily, keeping his eyes cast down.

“The Victor from the bar?”

He nods again, feeling another flash of heat fill his cheeks at the memory.

“The Victor that you-“

“Yes Phichit! THAT Victor!” His voice cuts through the quiet room causing a few patrons to look over in surprise. Frankly cafe etiquette is the last thing on his mind right now. The main thing being last month’s “incident” as he and Phichit had dubbed it, something he’d been desperately trying to bury at the back of his mind ever since it happened.

“Wow you weren’t kidding,” Phichit mumbles, turning to stare back out of the window at Victor, “he is hot.”

“I know,” he groans, daring to flick his gaze to the side and catching the other man reaching up to adjust the sign under the door, trying not to focus too obviously on the clear flex of his back muscles as he stretches.

Yuuri feels the blunt jab of Phichit’s pen in his cheek forcing his gaze back to him, his eyes burning with curiosity.

“I know you’ve told me, but come on, it couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Yes it was. I drank myself stupid to try and forget that it happened.” There wasn’t much memory to sift through after said “incident,” just the blur of some bright lights, a flash of him staring at his smirking reflection in a dirty bathroom mirror and the feeling of the warm press of someone’s hand on his back as he threw up in the alley next to the bar. It was a miracle that he somehow managed to make it home with his wallet and phone.

Just not his dignity.

“Yes, I still vividly remember finding you the next morning passed out on our couch, hugging the remnants of a chicken sandwich,” Phichit chuckles, clearly thinking back on the sorry lump Yuuri had been that day. He might have also found it funny if it hadn’t followed possibly one of the worst nights of his life.

Yuuri firmly rubs his eyes behind his glasses as if he could somehow scrub the memories clean. “Yes, thanks for reminding me about how I continue to find places deeper than rock bottom.”

Phichit stops laughing and Yuuri feels his arms gently being lowered to the table, the other man’s face softening. “Yuuri, I seriously think you’re overreacting.”

“How? Name one way it which I could really be overreacting here??” he hisses, trying not to flash back to that night.

Phichit raises an eyebrow. “Well hiding under the table for one thing, you know he can’t see us through the window.” He looks back out for a second before flicking his eyes back to Yuuri. “He also doesn’t look like he’s still thinking about it, I’m sure if you just go and talk to him that you’ll-“

Yuuri has stopped listening by this point, far too distracted by Victor wiping down his front window and wondering how someone can look so effortlessly graceful while doing such menial tasks.

“I can’t believe he could own that place,” he mutters as he continues to stare. “He works so close to us... oh God what if he lives near us!?”

“Well knowing your luck he probably does. Life’s funny sometimes,” Phichit chuckles again as he signals the waitress for another coffee.

“Phichit!”

“Okay, okay,” he reaches over to gently grab both of Yuuri’s hands, “what are you the most worried about?”

“That I’m going to run into him eventually.” Yuuri doesn’t even want to imagine what someone like Victor would even have to say to him at this point.

“Given how close we work that is a dinstinct possibility, so you need to be prepared for it.”

“What do I even say? I’m probably the last person on earth he wants to see.” The thought has a familiar worry brewing thick and unwelcome in his stomach.

“Well just be causal. Like ‘Hi Victor, nice to see you again. Didn’t know we both lived in the same town! Anyways I’m really sorry for that night at the bar when I-“

He can’t stop himself looking out of the window again as Phichit talks, before feeling all the colour drain from his face. “Oh God no.”

“What? I think that’s a perfectly normal way to talk to someone. Now all we have to-“

“No!” He whisper shouts as he shuffles in his seat, wildly gesturing to the figure rapidly approaching outside. “I think he’s coming this way.”

Phichit looks out the window as well before turning back, not bothering to hide his smirk. “Yup that seems to be the case.”

“Shit!” Yuuri didn’t really expect to be seeing the dirty underside of a table today, let alone twice, but right now his panic-addled mind is telling him it’s the best place to be.

“Yuuri you cant hide under the table forever,” Phichit whispers as Yuuri fits himself back into the cramped space, “you’re going to get gum in your hair.”

“Ssshhhh.” He backs himself as far as he can into the corner, wrapping his arms around his knees. “Yes I can... just tell me when he leaves.”

He watches Victor’s legs come into view as he walks to the counter and tries not to focus on how clearly he can see the outline of his calf muscles through the bottom of his trousers.

“Yuuri.” Phichit’s face appears under the table again, amusement still painted all over his expression. “What exactly is your plan here?”

“Just don’t let him see you,” he murmurs, crumpling himself into the smallest ball he possibly can, hoping he can somehow fold himself out of existence.

“Yeah that’s going to be hard,” he hears Phichit’s cheery tone floating above him.

“Why?”

“Because I’m going to talk to him.”

☕️ Part 3 ☕️ ☕️ Part 5 ☕️

🌹 AO3 🌹

[princeandreis]

neighbors

I had this pretty spontaneous inspiration for a fluff thing where ev meets the reader in an au where he and heidi move away after the events in the musical

  A/N: hhhh um yea b l e a s e no judgement on this, I started and finished it at 1:30 in the morning

word count: idk but it’s l o o o n g because I CANT SEEM TO WRITE ANYTHING SJORTER THAN 1000 WORDS I (edit: 3315 holy sh) includes: angst, swearing probably, slow burn, Evan is probably really ooc I don’t even know pairing: Evan Hansen x reader

  ~~~~~~~~

  Moving to a new city was always stressful. Evan knew the feeling well. The lump in your throat as you said goodbye to your home, the clutter and discomfort in the new house, the unfamiliar streets; he’d seen it all before. He and Heidi had had to move several times when her job could not support them.

    He’d hoped they would be able to stay in one place now, since his mom had a steady job at a doctor’s office. But now they were moving once again, and this time it was his fault. He’d royally screwed things up with the only friends he’d ever known, and now Heidi thought it was best they both move on. Evan had left on good enough terms with Jared, but he wasn’t naive enough to hope to carry on like nothing had ever happened.

  So here he was, in a brand new city, hundreds of miles away from the place he’d come to consider his home. This town was a place full of opportunity. There was a nice community college he was interested in, and he’d find a job soon enough. He knew that here he could make a new start.

  And he was absolutely miserable.

  Evan missed his friends, even though he realized things wouldn’t have been the same after the Connor Project.

  He sighed, looking around at his new room. So far it was bare. The walls were a light yellow, which he liked. A little light peaked through the blinds in the fading evening sun. He hefted the box he was holding, set it down in the corner, and went downstairs to get another.

  ~~~~~~~~

  You heard the sounds of shuffling boxes outside and ran to your window to see. So the new neighbors were finally moving in. You watched the movers gradually unload the U-Haul truck for awhile, and finally they drove away. A woman in scrubs and a boy about your age were hauling boxes into their new home. You wondered vaguely what the boy was like, and if you would ever be friends.

  Whatever. It didn’t matter. People were all the same, anyway. Just as you were turning away from the window, your mother called from downstairs, “[Y/N]?”

  “Yes?” you yelled back. “Would you take these cookies next door and see if they need any help?” You rolled your eyes. “Why don’t you do it?”

  “Sweetie, I’m working right n– oh, would you just come downstairs?” she called again. You sighed and clomped into the living room, where your mother was sitting on the couch, typing on her laptop. She looked over at you. “Babe, like I said, I have to work, or I would definitely go over there myself. But my boss is going to kill me if I miss my deadline again.” Your mom was an online columnist for the local paper.

  “Would it really be so hard?” she asked, trying to hold your gaze. “All you have to do is bring the cookies over, ring the doorbell, and introduce yourself and offer to help them move in.” You twisted your silver bracelet, a parting gift from your dad. “Mom, this might sound surprising to you, but that’s more than some people can handle.” She leaned over to brush the hair out of your eyes. “Sweetie, I know things have been rough lately. And I’ve tried to give you some time to recover. But at some point, you’ll have to get back out into the world and try to live again. I know it feels like nothing will ever be the same without Dad. I feel that way, too. But we have to keep trying to live our lives, even when somebody we love leaves us.”

  Your eyes watered, and you quickly turned away to make it stop. You didn’t like thinking about Dad. Dad, with his prickly brown beard and his eyes full of laughter. Dad, with his big deep voice and his compassion. Dad, with his strong arms holding you tight. Until he was too weak to lift them, smiling tiredly at you from the hospital bed. And his eyes, once so alive and full of wit, now slowly closing one last time…

  You scrubbed at your eyes and wiped your nose hurriedly. Mom couldn’t see you crying. She’d worry even more if she knew how strongly your Dad’s death had affected you. It had been long enough, but it seemed like nothing without him would ever be right. Your world had gone completely dark after losing him, and you couldn’t imagine recovering from such a heavy blow.

  You snuffled and turned back around, sure your eyes were red. If she wanted you to socialize, then so be it. “Where are the cookies?”

  ~~~~~~~~

  Evan was setting down a box marked “Kitchen supplies” when the doorbell rang. He froze. “Mom?” he called. “What?” came a muffled response from Heidi. He tiptoed into her room, where she was busy sorting clothing into piles. “There’s– there’s someone at the door.” he whispered, feeling petrified. The doorbell rang again. Whoever was there was getting tired of waiting.

  Heidi looked at her son. “Sweetie, you’re going to have to step out of your comfort zone a little bit and get to know some people. Meeting your neighbors is always a good start. Now, shoo!” And with that, she gave him a little shove toward the front door.

  Evan stumbled over and opened it. He stopped cold when he saw who was there. A girl, holding a plate of cookies. A very, very pretty girl. He felt his face grow hot as she snapped her gum and half-glared at him. “Hi, I’m Eban. I meap, mean, Evan. Evan.” He mumbled, flustered. He’d fallen in love once and he knew what it felt like. Now it was happening again.

  She rolled her eyes a little and held out the plate of cookies. “These are for you and your mom,” she said. “My mom baked them and made me take them over here. She thinks I need to learn to ‘socialize.’” Evan shifted a little, taking the plate of cookies nervously. Who was this girl?

  “My mom thinks that about me,” he said. “What’s your name?”

  “[Y/N]. [Y/L/N].”

  “[Y/N].” Evan repeated. “Nice name.” “Thanks, I made it myself,” she replied sarcastically. There was a small pause as he tried to figure out how to respond. “I’ll see you around, Evan. Enjoy the cookies.” And with that, his neighbor stalked off across the lawn, narrowly missing Heidi’s unplanted peonies.

  What a character, Evan thought to himself. And he turned and went back inside. In spite of himself, he blushed. She really was pretty, even if she had a terrible attitude.

  The next morning, Saturday, Evan was shaken awake by his mother. He had a job interview, since Heidi needed him to help support the two of them, at least for a little while. “Evan,” Heidi said urgently. “You’re late for your interview.”

  Evan shot out of bed. “Shit, shit, shit,” he whispered, looking for some clean pants. His mother said, “I’ll make you some coffee you can grab on your way out. Hurry!” and she rushed downstairs as Evan slipped on some jeans and mismatched socks.

  5 minutes later he was out the door, coffee in hand, hustling toward his car parked on the curb, when he slammed straight into someone. It was you. You’d been taking out the garbage in your pajama shorts and tank top when Evan, in his hurry to leave, didn’t see you and collided with you. “[Y/N],” he gasped. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you, I just, I’m late for an interv- interview, and I j–” He stopped. You were already walking away.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Why had you walked away from Evan? It had been two days and you still weren’t really sure. Maybe it was because you were in your pajamas and looked awful. Maybe it was because you hadn’t been expecting to see him. Or maybe it was because you were entirely caught off-guard by his eyes. His enormous eyes… they were so blue and innocent. You could fall into those eyes if you didn’t watch your step.

  His eyes had flooded into you, making you wonder again what type of person he was, and if he would ever reach out to be friends. You didn’t like the intimate level of eye contact, since it made memories resurface. You didn’t like to remember. You didn’t like to feel. And somehow, in an instant, an accidental collision, he’d made you do just that.

  Somewhere inside you regretted being so rude to Evan, but you had to protect yourself. Any time you let others in or cared about someone, you got hurt. The person you’d loved most in the world was your dad, and look what had happened to him.

  Your dad would have loved Evan. He was extremely perceptive. He’d probably have your neighbor all figured out by now. You knew Evan was quiet and shy, and your dad had been that way, too. They probably would have had so much to talk about, everything from politics to trees to peanut butter and everything in between.

  You shook yourself. Why are you thinking about Dad? you scolded yourself. It doesn’t do you any good. So stop it.

  Evan was a safe subject to think about, more or less. You were curious about his mom and what his house looked like and if he had a cat and suddenly, you were seized with a desire to know everything about him. You couldn’t trust him (or anyone), but there was no harm in learning about him. Right?

  You meandered over to your bedroom window. It was Monday morning, two days after the trash incident. How did Evan feel? He probably hated you. Peeking cautiously through your blinds, you saw him. He was watering a few small potted plants on his windowsill, and his mouth was moving. Was he singing? Struck with an overpowering curiosity, you moved to open your window just a crack to listen.

  He was singing. His voice was a little reedy and so soft you could barely hear, but full of sweetness. It was a folk song you vaguely recognized, but you couldn’t put your finger on the title.

  “Through the forest down to your grave, where the birds wait and the tall grasses wave. They do not know you anymore…”

  Evan paused, looking up, and saw that you had been watching him. “Nice voice,” you called. “Color me impressed.” He turned beet-red and wiped his hands hurriedly on his jeans. “Thank y- thank you, [Y/N],” he stammered. “How long were you watching me?”

  “Not long,” you lied. There was an awkward pause as Evan shifted and set down his watering can. “So…”

  “So…” You swung your legs out and sat on the windowsill. “What song were you singing? It sounded really familiar.” Still flushed, Evan kneeled in front of his window to talk. “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.”

  Now you remembered. “Oh, that’s Fleet Foxes, right?” He nodded and bit his lip. “Do you like their music?” You admitted not listening to them in a few years. Evan looked up and smiled shyly. “You should definitely try it out again. Their first album is their best one.”

  “Alright, I will,” you promised. “It’ll change your life.” “Oh, yeah?” “Yeah.”

  Another pause.

  A bird chattered from a tree nearby.

  “At least, I think so. I mean, um, I mean, if you don’t like th–” “Do you want to just come over?” you interrupted. “Talking like this is weird.”

  Evan looked surprised but tried to cover it up. “Uh, yeah, o-okay, sure, that sounds good. Totally.” “Okay.” You stood up. “Come over in five minutes.” And you shut your window.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Was this real? Was Evan really about to visit [Y/N] and… hang out? He really couldn’t believe his luck. Already his hands were sweating like fuck, and he hadn’t even left the house. He pawed through a box of his CDs, looking for “Fleet Foxes.” There it was, among some Broadway soundtracks (“Legally Blonde” and “Les Misérables,” to name a few) and a John Mayer album. He really needed to unpack soon.

  Evan headed downstairs, CD in hand, wondering if he should bring something over. Coffee? Everyone liked coffee. Right? “Mom?” he called out.

  No answer. Of course. She was at work. It would be dumb to bother her with that kind of question, anyway. So he quickly fixed up two thermoses of hot English Breakfast coffee and headed out, locking the door behind him.

  Shaking, Evan shuffled up the sidewalk to [Y/N]’s house and rang the doorbell. After about a minute, she opened the door. Goodness, she was beautiful. “Hi,” he said timidly. “Hi.”

  She left the door open and turned back into her house and went to the kitchen. Evan followed. She was busy rummaging through the pantry for something, seemingly ignoring him. “I brought some coffee,” he offered. When this merited no response, he added, “English Breakfast…”

  “How did you know?” she demanded. “Know wh -at?”

  She softened a little at how scared he looked. “That’s my favorite kind of coffee.” (Oh worm?)

  Evan glanced shyly at her. “Lucky guess. It’s my favorite, too, so I just thought…”

  She nodded. “It’s the best, definitely. So do you want a donut?” she asked, pulling a bag out of the pantry. He blurted, “What kind?” “What?” “I just wanna see something. Wha- what kind of donuts do you have?”

  She smirked. “Only the best.” At the same time they said, “Cherry iced.”

  Evan’s mouth fell open. “No way.” Raising an eyebrow, she deadpanned, “The plot thickens.” He laughed at that.

  [Y/N] set the donuts on a plate and sat down at the kitchen table across from Evan. He handed her a thermos and they each silently took a donut and ate. Evan was nervous, but somehow the quiet with her wasn’t as bad as it was with others. He got the impression that she was thinking. Her eyes were far away, her chin rested absently in the cup of her hand.

  Evan cautiously reached out and tapped her other hand. “What are you thinking about?” he asked. She looked up and her eyes focused again. “Nothing.”

  Silence.

  She looked over at Evan. “Sorry for what happened the other day. That was shitty.” He smiled feebly. “Yeah. Thank you, though.” She spotted the Fleet Foxes CD. “Shall we give it a listen?”

  Evan was really starting to like this girl.

  ~~~~~~~~

  You popped the CD out of its case and inserted it into the stereo in your living room. Soft, haunting strains of folk music floated from the speakers. You turned to Evan, whose eyes were sparkling. He really did love this album, and you could see why.

  As a song called “Blue Ridge Mountains” began to play, you sat with Evan on the couch. “So.” you said to him. “Mr. Just-Moved-In. Where do you come from?”

  He began to tell you about his hometown and Zoe and Jared and Alana and the Connor Project and everything else, until his breathing was labored and you could see tears welling up in his eyes. He was clearly still broken up about everything he’d done, and a part of him always would be.

  He sniffed hard and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, saying with a watery grin, “I didn’t expect for all of that to come out. I’m sorry, that’s a big burden to unload on you after we just met…”

  You shook your head. “No, it’s okay. I have a lot of baggage, too. We’ll just be emotionally fucked-up together.” He laughed, loud this time. It made you feel so good to make him smile, and you felt yourself laughing a little too. You chuckled again, and again, until you were both hysterically laughing at yourselves.

  Wiping a stray ironic tear from your eyes, you gushed, “Oh, we’re fucked up. We’re soooo fucked up, Evan.” He was still laughing a little. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.

  “Hey, what about you?” he asked. “What’s your damage?” You stopped laughing. “Oh, man, I don’t think so, bud. Not yet.” His smile faded. “Why not?” His eyes were fragile.

  You shook your head and ran a hand through your hair. “It’s too much to talk about right now. It didn’t happen very long ago.” He pressed a hand on yours gently, cautiously. “Neither did mine, [Y/N]. You’ll have to talk about it sometime. And I’m guessing your parents aren’t in the know about this, right?”

  You winced. Here we go. He pulled his hand back abruptly. “What is it?” he said, worried. “Did I say something wrong? Is this about your parents?” You nodded wordlessly, too distressed to speak. If you opened your mouth, it would all come tumbling out, and you couldn’t let that happen.

  Evan looked at you with concern. “[Y/N], you can tell me. It… it’s okay. I know we just met and everything but I’m - I’m your friend. I want to help.” You met his eyes, his huge, sincere, beautiful blue eyes, and in that moment you knew you had found someone you could finally trust.

  And so everything came pouring out of you, about your family and your dad, your best friend, and how his eyes were always laughing, and how they stayed that way even through the chemo, even through all the treatments and surgeries and pain; you told him about how your dad would wrap you up in his big arms and tickle your face with his scratchy beard and tell you everything would be just fine. And you remembered, breathlessly, the day the laughter left his eyes for good and his body relaxed and his monitors flatlined and…

  …and you found yourself sobbing onto Evan’s shoulder; Evan, whom you barely knew; Evan, who had betrayed everyone he loved, but who you still knew beyond a doubt that you could trust. He was stroking your hair as sobs wracked your body. You clung to his sweater and cried until you could cry no more, and then you snuffled and looked up at him.

  He smiled down at you and softly sang along as Fleet Foxes crooned in the background: "Your protector's coming home."

  “My mom has no idea how I feel,” you said. “I never tell her anything because all I get is a lecture.” He looked concerned. “[Y/N], you need to talk to your mom about this. There’s no way you’re gonna feel better until you get this figured out."

  "I mean, I guess."

  A pause.

  "[Y/N]?" "Yeah?" "Can I... hold your hand?" "Uhhh... okay." "Are you sure? Because I don't have to if you don't want to or if that would make you or uncomfortable or anything, I would totally get it if y--"

  You broke him off by reaching up and kissing him suddenly and quickly. You were surprised at yourself; you'd never done anything like that before. He made a surprised little "mmf!" but didn't pull away.

  When the kiss ended, his eyes were still closed and his eyebrows raised as if he were in shock. "[Y/N]," he breathed, his eyes fluttering open, "that was, uh..."

  "...nice," you finished for him. His cheeks were colored. "Yeah." He pulled you in for another kiss, deeper this time, but sweeter, too. Evan was better than anything you'd ever known.

  Could it be that he was sincere and could be there for you? It seemed the universe had given you a bit of luck at last. Evan could take care of you and help you through your heartbreak. You were ready to heal.

  Your protector's coming home.

[userlando]

Dear Ethan (Ethan x Reader)

Summary: Requested by anon: “I need an imagine based on ‘dear john’. do you think you can write something? ♡” Word Count: 1,216 Warnings: Mention of death and war. A/N: This is loosely based on Dear John. I’m sorry if this isn’t what you wanted, let me know what you thought xx

It was a Tuesday and you were home alone. That’s how it usually was ever since Ethan was deployed for war, having been called in a year ago. Usually you’d find him in the kitchen, eating whatever he could get his hands on, showering while singing loudly or cursing at the television as he violently pressed the buttons of the uncooperative remote There was always some kind of noise whenever he was around, but it had been silent for over a year now and it made your heart ache. Grayson would usually come and check in with you, keeping you company and you knew it was just because he missed his brother just as much. But seeing Grayson’s face made you ache inside, because it reminded you of your fiancé.

Your friend who had her husband in the same army as your fiancé had come over in hysterics, telling you through her tears how one man in their division had stepped on a landmine and blown up in pieces. And you had held her in your arms as she fell apart, feeling like your world was collapsing around you. You had been frozen, patting her back as if on autopilot as you stared ahead of you, tears welling up in your eyes.

They didn’t know who it was though, and that’s why you were feeling torn in two, currently on your knees in the bathroom with your hands furiously scrubbing at the floor with a sponge. It wasn’t necessary but it kept you from shedding tears for a while, until you came across a small spot that just wouldn’t come off of the tile. And that’s why the tears were running down your face, sniffles turning into loud sobs while thinking of how it could be your fiancé that had his life taken away so viciously. You thought about all your plans you both had made for the future, how you two were going to get married, have kids and let them grow in a suburb. Now it was all gone. Or, you weren’t sure because no one had showed up on your doorstep nor had you received the call, but you were dreading it. Your mind was on full speed, flickering through every memory you had of Ethan, tears escaping your eyes as you stopped scrubbing the tile, chucking the sponge on the wall in front of you with a scream that ripped from your throat. The sponge made contact with a splat, falling limply to the floor and you stared at it.

“In one of your letters..” You began and tilted your head upwards to look into your fiancé’s hazel eyes, watching you with hooded eyelids.

He hummed lowly, indicating for you to continue as he laced your fingers together.

“You wrote that you were crossing the ocean, going to some place you couldn’t tell.” Your voice was quiet, almost careful as you looked at him. Your other free hand traced his face, brushing against his birthmarks and the stubble that had grown on his sharp jawline.

Ethan smiled gently, leaning forward to peck your cheek before settling down on the bed again while nodding.

“Yeah. It was Afghanistan.” He answered quietly and you watched as his smile turned into a light frown and how his eyes clouded with remorse. You understood that it was a touchy subject, so you snuggled closer to his body and breathed him in, tightening your grip on him.

“I’m so happy you’re home.” You whispered honestly and felt a lump grow in your throat. It had been hard when he had gone to war, saying he’d be gone for six months. You two had never been apart for that long, and when five months had gone, he had suddenly been ordered to stay for another six months. It was a rocky way, letters being switched between you two and only a Skype call or two, but you were amazed that you’d handled it as well as you did. And now he was home, reassuring you that he wouldn’t go back for a long, long time.

“Me too, baby.” He whispered and stroked your bare arm, “And I cant wait to start our family now. You and I, with our kids in a big house with a white fence and a big backyard where we could play football and have barbecues.”

You squirmed happily in his embrace, grinning at the thought.

“I can’t wait to give you the huge wedding that you deserve, with a dress that you make look absolutely beautiful and a six story high cake.”

It was the best thing you had ever heard. 

Your thoughts disappeared suddenly when you heard the front door creak loudly downstairs, making you freeze and sit up from your hunched position. You frantically looked around for some kind of weapon you could use if it was a thief breaking in, seeing as Grayson wasn’t gonna be around for another two hours and you hadn’t expected anyone else.

You found a broom, getting to your feet and reaching out to grab it before shuffling forward, sneaking out in the hallway. You tried not to sniffle as you tip-toed across the hallway, feeling your heart beat heavily in your chest. You quietly walked down the stairs, looking to the right just in time to catch a familiar man you hadn’t seen in a year, standing in a handsome uniform and a surprised expression on his face. You dropped your broom, the loud clatter as it fell to the floor echoing loudly the too quiet house but neither of you flinched. Maybe your eyes were playing tricks on you, because he couldn’t be standing there, in your house, after all these months.

But he was, and your eyes quickly filled with tears, your bottom lip wobbling as you stared at him. He looked as handsome as ever, hair shorter than you remembered and eyes puffy with exhaustion. But he still had those freckles you loved and his lips still looked just as soft and pink as before. And his eyes. His eyes were still the same. He looked absolutely drained, but he was still the most beautiful man you had ever laid your eyes on.

“Ethan...” You choked out and in a second you hopped down the few last remaining stairs, sprinting across the hall and letting him meet you halfway just as fast. “Ethan.”

You repeated his name like a mantra, letting him pick you up in a hug that was almost bone crushing but in that moment it was perfect, because he was here. He was actually here. With you. You had almost convinced yourself that he was gone forever, but he wasn’t. He was here.

“Darling…” The first word you’d heard from his perfect lips in months, seeming almost too deep since the last time you heard it.

“I thought you were —” You paused, your heart squeezing painfully in your chest at the thought of it. Ethan seemed to know what you were talking about, because he squeezed you tighter and stroked your hair with his rough hand, bringing your head back and looking at your teary eyes and tear stricken face.

“No baby, I’m here. Back for good.” And with that, he sealed the promise with a kiss.

[sadrien]

what’s the stitch? | pt.1

on ao3

from the high school senior that brought you wanna chat? comes another chat fic that no one asked for

just so we're all on the same page, alya has the fox miraculous, nino the turtle, and chloe the bee. i latched onto this team of miraculous holders a while back and now i'm just throwing up random stuff. initially i wasn't going to write more than a small snip of this but @breeeliss​ is a horrible enabler (<3)

i'm still working on the dynamics for them, especially since they're still getting to know each other, so sorry if it's rough

anyway let's do this

18:23

Cat: What does this do? Oh COOL

Bee: what in fresh hell is this

Turtle: yo wassup this is rad wait lemme see…

Fox: HELLA

Ladybug: Chat what the hell did you do

Cat: Hey don’t blame me for being bored

There are fun settings on these things and I wanted to explore them

Fox: this is rad as hECK

Bee: i hate you all

Fox: this is going to be lit i cant believe i can text the crew through a weapon the magic whatevers that created these things knew what was up

Turtle has changed their name to michael angelo

michael angelo: hell yeah

Cat: Whoa what we can do that!!

Bee: this is going to be the most obnoxious chat ever i can feel it let me leave

Cat has changed their name to :3

Bee: holy shit let me out wait why the hell don’t these things have emojis i am personally offended

:3: Ah yes let me just call up the ancient gods and ask them to install emojis on our weapons

Bee: listen here you piece of shit

Fox has changed their name to foxy lady

Bee: can i give back my miraculous i don’t want it anymore

foxy lady: this is the best thing to ever happen

michael angelo: aYO

:3: I love it It’s like a less awful skype

Ladybug: Can we maybe try to keep this for talking about where akumas are?

:3: Hmmm

foxy lady: i mean we COULD

Bee has changed their name to beeutiful

beeutiful: ;*

michael angelo: yeah no way thats happening ladybug

:3: Its bonding!!!

Ladybug: Now I want to leave

:3: Awww join in on the fun my lady! Please??? Team bonding

foxy lady: @chat do u know how 3 get youtube on these things ive got videos to send

beeutiful: ummm what sort of videos?

foxy lady: ;)

michael angelo: if you send a meme ILL give up my miraculous

foxy lady: good we dont need u

Ladybug: Did you say team bonding??

:3: Yes that’s exactly what this is Duh

 6:13

michael angelo: well shit i really hope your kwami alert you of messages or something cause im actually going to use this the way its supposed to be used akuma at eiffel tower

 6:17

beeutiful: disgusting i’ll be there in a minute

:3: You’ll BEE there?

beeutiful: im going to punt you off the tower

foxy lady: i ws going to tell u 2 shut up unfortunate wheres the bug @

michael angelo: um??? backup??????? please????

foxy lady: OH right omw

 6:19

Ladybug: Ill be there in a sec

 6:48

foxy lady: i cant believe u all bolted like that i was gonna ask if we could do breakfast

Ladybug: I’m about to destransform, sorry! Ill talk to you all later but really since my kwami can only tell me that I have a message but not whats in it please try not to talk here too much I wont be able to tell whats important

:3: I can’t beelieve this

beeutiful: im literally going to rip your head off

foxy lady: everything is important anyway food i guess ill find some on my own then on my own pretending hes beside me :’(

beeutiful: @ladybug if you figure out how to mute this please let me know because oh my god

michael angelo: bro im just gonna snag a bag of chips before class

:3: Healthy

michael angelo: what was the last thing you ate cat boy?

:3: You’re going to judge me

beeutiful: im always judging you

foxy lady: oooooo

michael angelo: what are you a health nut or osmething cn?

:3: Not by choice

foxy lady: unfortunate

michael angelo: alright next patrol were getting super cheap pizza

foxy lady: and fries and milkshakes and possibly also hamburgers superheroing makes me hungry

beeutiful: ewwwww

foxy lady: dont like junk food???

beeutiful: no!!! its greasy and disgusting and sooo bad for your skin like who wants to deal with THAT

:3: Ok true I don’t have time to deal with acne

foxy lady: u both have unfairly perfect skin

michael angelo: ^^ true tho how do you manage that??

beeutiful: good genes and a fantastic skin care routine sure i’m naturally gorgeous but it takes a little work to reach true perfection

:3: So many different types of scrubs and creams So many that I could drown in them And also makeup Usually concealer and foundation every day

beeutiful: true my contour btw? art

foxy lady: thats cool but u havent seen my cat eye

:3: ;)

michael angelo: yeahhh makeup isnt my jam i suck at it 0/10 not attempting again

beeutiful: what!!!! makeup is EVERYONES jam i mean if you don’t like it whatever but with practice and patience you too can look as good as moi if you think you don’t look good with makeup on it’s just cause you’re not doing it right trust me

foxy lady: yeah bro if we didnt have these masks id totally do u up during patrol one night

:3: Add that to the list of things to do if we ever reveal our identities Makeovers

michael angelo: theres a list???

beeutiful: wait i thought we could never ever tell each other ever boss’ rules

:3: A cat boy can dream

foxy lady: do we think ladybug likes makeup

beeutiful: oh my god the most important question shit i’m about to detransform anyway check out my contour next time we’re out because it’s flawless

michael angelo: im out too ive been pushing it later dudes

foxy lady: and then there were two

:3: Benefits of using catacylsm at the end I guess

foxy lady: :P this miiiiight b difficult if we can only use it when transform eh w/e ill take what i can get

:3: Same honestly

 17:34

foxy lady: im bored and my actual friends are busy

 17:39

michael angelo: so we arent your friends then

beeutiful: i am not your friend

foxy lady: wow rude

michael angelo: what saving paris together doesnt make us friends?

beeutiful: as if!! being my friend is a privilege it’s like getting access to an exclusive club

foxy lady: soooooooooooo u dont have many friends then

beeutiful: fuck you i have plenty of friends

:3: Children please Ladybug is literally going to have my head

michael angelo: broski you were talking wiht us earlier

:3: Yeah but I didn’t have her glare burning holes into my soul the entire time

foxy lady: UR!!!!!!!!WITH LADYBUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:3: Yeah of course I’m with Ladybug?

beeutiful: and why exactly were we not invited??

:3: Parents need alone time sometimes

michael angelo: oh my god

foxy lady: #rude #betrayal #urnotmyrealdad #ettuchatnoir #whentheydontloveuback

beeutiful: stop before i hunt you down and stop you myself

foxy lady: #fucku

michael angelo: question is lb seriously that annoyed

:3: She’s not thrilled Hmmm how to Got it

:3 has sent a photo [selfie of Chat Noir smiling and holding up a peace sign with an unamused Ladybug in the background]

michael angelo: well thats a look i never want to face head on

foxy lady: rip u id face it down if it meant i got to spend more time w ladybug

beeutiful: fangirl much

foxy lady: oh shut up i kno ur the same

beeutiful: oh do you????

foxy lady: ummm yeaH i remember our first day do u

beeutiful: shit

michael angelo: i like to block most of that day from my memories

beeutiful: no one asked you shellhead

:3: Children please Wait really?

michael angelo: ehhh i mean it was really cool and life changing and all that shit but also i embarrassed myself in front of two of the most awesome people ever so yeah

beeutiful: kiss up

michael angelo: listen my dude i was not ready to be a superhero before this the most exercise i got was climbing the stairs to my apartment and the occasional run from akumas

Ladybug: To be fair Chat and I werent ready either

foxy lady: !!!!!!!!!! she speaks!!! ok but ive been prepping to b a superhero since i was like 4

beeutiful: same actually

:3: I watched way too much Sailor Moon not to be ready But I still wasn’t ready Lots of face planting

Ladybug: It gets easier and you have chat and I for help You dont have to figure this all out on your owns

:3: True Doing it by ourselves was unfurrtunate

beeutiful: moment ruined

foxy lady: im tearing up thank u i feel loved

michael angelo: ok so who wants to teach me tricks to get out of class and work for akuma attacks because bru h

:3: Uhhhh

Ladybug: Um

:3: You’re on your own good luck

beeutiful: wow you’re a great mentor we’re so lucky to have you

Ladybug: Be creative in your lies and dont repeat the same ones too often??? But also dont get too extravagant because then its a mess and gets out of hand Now stop messaging here its annoying!!!!!!!!!!!

 19:03

:3: Does anyone have cheese?

Ladybug: Chat if this isnt relevant I will end you

:3: I swear it is!

beeutiful: umm yes why??

:3: I need some We’re out and I didn’t realize Could you meet me somewhere with it?

beeutiful: i guess if it’s that important? what kind

:3: It is that important Anything If you have camembert that But anything

michael angelo: how is this relevant

:3: Grumpy hungry kwami

beeutiful: i have camembert how do you not have food for your kwami?

:3: It’s been a long week sue me Tower in ten?

beeutiful: i can’t believe i’m doing this but yes you owe me whiskers

 19:11

foxy lady: thisll be the weirdest brush contact paris has ever seen

[glopratchet]

cldstrm000

You can't see anything on it, but you guess that it's probably a little more advanced than what your computer was capable of back in grade school What we have is a screen of buttons and a list of plot lines and a bunch or characters who are either important to the story or just there for you to kill You're not really sure how much you want to play with this thing though since all of these games seem pretty cut and dry, like they're going to be exactly the same no matter which one you choose Throw it up there let us see it Plot -Bunny's right, it's better if you choose since A: You're the mastermind behind all this and B: You'll enjoy it more that way Press the button with a flourish, we have work to do Plot-Bunny's right, Unseen story Try to incorpate in to mechanics but descriptions are nice too You can pay others to use their creations, or even make your own a separate items with a single coin ; (much smaller than the gold coins) A "Creations for Coin" topic will be started, but it is not necessary to use it First impression of character -creation What can you character do with what abilities they have? How does the begining of the story effect the outcome of it all? So many factors come into play, that this is going to be unbelievable hard Very few people can say they got an A in Writing Class ; (Or any other Subject), but you're going to TRY for one of those few Who are the characters you'll be controlling in this giant game of marbles? What kind of relationships will you make with them? That's all down to choice my friend, choice Your grade for This is going to be decided by a poll on "What was your favorite questline? " along with other things, ex: "What was your Favorite Line? or "Did the ending meet expectations? " so make it count! Delivering lore is about consistent details Collecting 5 of the same rune creates a stack of that rune that some may argue that you don't need in a game, but you'll need them to understand your bios - From backstory to in-game details Everyone starts with 3 Inventory Slots, each lasting 3 Posts ; (Coins are included in this), get more by investing in "Backpack Creation" Head cannon ideas can range from silly to creative Bad ones get deleted, good ones' get used (Starting Gold: Briar ; (Thyme? A dash of herbs and a sprig of flowers Power: Healing Touch ; (3 Use) - Sacrifice Thyme's herbs and flowers for Health Packs Ability1: Harmful Smell ; (1 Use) - Release a scentless gas that knock's enemies back and confuses them momentarily So do you control a character or do you watch a character Tell me about it: Why are you resigned to telling a story instead of playing one? Why would someone willingly do this to themselves? You could watch the character manage the story or manage it for them, makes no difference to me Rejoice! To become a Narration Pixie! For that is what you are now (Also who reads this stuff? ) Your Friends, your Classmates, your Family ; (Surly they're reading this) nobody will ever look at you the same way again ; (Except for Sophie who just asks "What now? Don't believe me? Move from hex to hex and let the story unfold from there, don't just watch some scrub do it for you Also there isn't just survival on the line ; (Although there is that), but your grade in my class, of course Then the ui is like dashboard for witnessing plots / ui plot select Select a plot to start the game To skip the prologue and go to credits, choose 1 To jump into the action, choose 2 For more info about each section and the credits, choose 3 There's not much but A, and C so that narrows it down at least How do you interact with the plot By lightly to heavily imagining what the plot is and actually feeling the emotions, this plays out like a choose your own adventure This gives you shares in game, but losses shares for your choosing Make all the choices and you have nothing to represent the fact that you ever existed The 1% of people who finish get 1% shared in being a winner Are you roman During the market stampede? By creating alligator snapping turltes and dropping them down into the world they slowly grow over time, eventually turning into a deadly underwaterbeast that can crush and burn anything your grade in my class, The events tab would write out stories In the past you thumbed through them like a college radio enthusiast, but with this set of incomprehensible inputs you decide that it might be better if you personally arranged them about the nonplayer characters and their life events--what they felt, saw, thought, and how they were died You didn't read too much into it then, but maybe somebody was trying to tell you something Rant: Ultimately written with NaNoRe write your user story So what you are creating is one giant story that quite frankly nobody will ever read mainly because they aren't instructed too Also many sections are so long that nobody, even you have the persistence to read it all through But that doesn't matter, in fact you probably don't even care if anybody reads it But how is interactive when you enter text it plays out in real time based on how you set up the characters and events Your main character is a veteran that served 20 years? Have him reminiscence about the past, but don't go overboard Got a bully? change what they say based on your input Have mother nature herself be a female Goddess of destruction? Have mechanics come up that support the theory after you get passed the religious fanaticism of it all I mean little bubbles could pop up that tell you that the plot as been advanced to a new page It needs tweaking so that's going to take time So what do you do until then? Bold: The unending sun accosts your skin with only the mercy of lukewarm breezes to cool you down "Not bad, not bad, A full head of gray hair onto your Violet scalp thanks to your orc heritage, dark circles surround your eyes and a white beard reflects how many worries have plagued you in the past few days Perhaps even re watch the drama unfold on the hex map You killed forty of the young men in the ensuing battle and now have them at your beck and call to take out to the battlegrounds as you decide on what to do with your Nation, So your resourceful half-dragon master makes first contact with a nearby orc village--it went better than anyone could have anticipated That would fade into video during certain segments that really need a high definiton render His elaborate map shows what could only be the western front of an on going war It's quite frankly more high tech than anything he's shown you before You peer closer at the twenty foot hexagonal tiled ground and watch as the war drones fly overhead and bombard a nearby rocky outcrop They cut through it like butter, then continue on The why from his perfect memory and ingenious implementation You fondle your many options You see a screen of all the characters names and on the row exists options that can be choosen for them to say or do when 'active Something about alligator snapping turtles dropping from the sky (he said dropping not falling Well that's interesting) Must be an event He had many connections to companies out side of the village so that might be lucrative Someone is spying on the village, via a drone maybe? You can try and track it down and disable it Or leave it alone thinking nobody noticed Nah He had only four re-inforcements waiting to aid him in his journey as commander of the war-band Or are you the turtle roaming about The screen pulls back and now you are shown to have your pointer finger on a yellow giant star at the center Also other planets exist out side of your vision Maybe the moon of this planet contains resources You can only control events that YOU personally have been a part of If someone else where to take command no doubt you would be demoted Where did he come from? Why is he here? Could he have destroyed the village in the first place? But if it lands in certain places it opens up new characters for you to play The universal storyteller could have ideas for you for a price presumably The thing is all of this story is really happening in the background or to make your own Hitting select pulls up a prompt to continue the story Turning the three terminal into one large hexagon would allow you to use it as a visual mapping tech for re-creations of battles or wildlife etc Combining functions eh? Removing enemies from the story could increase the rate of survival for people such as your character There is a fourth column that exists with the why, how and what columns In the simulation this displayed 'life' and was at 100% Pressing it changes the column heading to a screen ending of continue or create The hallway now exists with walls on each side displaying blue swirly patterns that seem to form words, sentences thoughts Everything feels very Matrix like right now Now you start to panic, wonder if you had something to drink before heading into the lab best get out of here quick And i need to program it out so others cant use this stupid machine! Now you try to exit, but the terminal wont let you Only one option remains no no that won't work! horrors This ending is nonsensical under most circumstances! The question is how do you program out the simulation It was designed to be a visual storyteller Your sacrifices or their sacrifices were used in the formulas to allow my abilities to program and design video games! Even a light switch is knowledge of electrons and protons in our Universe! o I hear opening music usually reserved for grand space battles the sensations of flying through space are filling your mind I wonder if something I ate disagreed with me You need to create the alligator turtle drop for others to use without them being participators in my whole scheme argh music is mathematical structure but what will I choose as the columns? To have your music relived via hologram at your funeral or not This seems almost backwards i was about to try something out and now I am on a decision screen! The story was about someone dying from snakebite now music? This doesn't seem right The idea of a single page decision does not sound like a good one I have been having trouble of late and cant be sure that there are not things broken in the narrative The world is a loop that resets itself over and over We can only hope to change the tiniest portion of it But what choice do we have but to try? NOTE: This story was previously titled "The Storyteller: A Music Tale" Think more about the company that creates this experience in movies and games Wish I could list all my sources and influences or this note would be far too long Thank you for your time, patience and support How does the alligator turtle drop game work It is the closing drop of a magic act A bowl is place on a table and a ball is placed on the floor beneath it The magician slowly puts each finger into the bowl one at a time and then makes a horrifying discovery a small alligator turtle has been secretly placed underneath the bowl! You must play through the choices in chronological order Each choice represents one of the fingers But yes dropping more and more turtle reviels more and more of the game If you get desperate one can use the other website link ; (or copy and paste) to try and figure out the elaborate set of circumstances needed to create this tale Please do not post these answers online anywhere as it is likely to ruin the fun for others in the future Let the adventure and discovery begin! The protector robot has safeguards to prevent itself from being hacked and summarily destroyed by evil types It can tell when these types are trying to gain access to the place It would be very rare for someone to be of this unusually interested in this tale It is easy enough to get a hold of me through the contact information at the front of this website The idea to creat a simlation was developed through talking to a number of high school and college students who were heading into these fields It really stemmed from my desire ot get the programming language Python ; (used in the creation of this tale) into classroom CS101 curriculum's After I retired it seamed natural to revisit the idea of switching my focus to online teaching This venture was much longer and more successful than my 74seconds org venture because it seemed to tap into an underserved market! Remember the idea is to create a simulation of a physical space so that you the reader can learn logic gates So keep interaction in mind when you are moving through each page! Maybe the reader does not focus on the details difference with each new reading but the programmer watching you will see if there is any pattern or repeatable strategy There needs to be a bit of adventure for flavor but mechanically the entire story is built with interaction in mind Finally the idea is to create a computer simulation of a physical space so that you the reader can learn logic gates without all the tedious work I believe this idea could be applied to other in-demand career fields as well; from medical technicians to kindergarten teaching Where a robot design to protect a snapping turtle baby malfunctions and does not disappear when dead and effects the swamp opera around them The snapping turtle baby also metamorphisizes as it grows up The interaction between the swamp creatures and the robot as well as their mannerisms are used to represent bits and bytes of information That second paragraph was for you programmers trying to solve out the sim Just think binary if it helps! One day I would love to try this as an app or some other kind of video game form but sadly I do not have the knowledge to accomplish this But you still have not figured out how the players of the game can add something unpredictable to the mix so that each play through is different Feel free to email me your ; (sensible) solution! I would also like comment on the image of R2-D2 above the robot design I am a big time star wars nerd and carrying that over into the design was a no-brainer for me But what you may not know is that this robot design was made by one C-3PO! The players make the game unpredictable by selecting which wires to cut If the wrong wire is cut then the robot may misread a command and turn hostile! Thanks again for visiting my site and good luck with the puzzles! - modified on Tuesday, October 3, 2013 9: 26: 04 PM Labels: All , Software Break those chains - for freedom! I think that this is brilliant because it really ties into my theory of only education certain types of schooling can really prepare you The most unpredictable method of changing the game by the players is Something even more unpredictable than the roll of a dice and that's the chaos in human behavior which these gladiators will find out today Some lessons in life can only be taught through pain and loss and maybe even death Something even more unpredictable than the roll of a dice and that's the chaos in human behavior The most unpredictable method of changing the game by the players is actually very simple It is the one thing every 'person' has that separates us from other creatures: Choice My challenge to you, readers, is to find a way to introduce choice-based actions for the gladiators to do within the narratives I lay out Specifics on how this will happen will be in each post Doesn't have to be complex and it doesn't have rewrite the entire post