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ittybluebell · 2 months

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Roommate | Daredevil G/T | Chapter 1

AO3

Matt Murdock didn't have anything against mice. He'd never been personally harrassed by one, but he understood the need to get rid of them. One easily turned into a dozen and with all the mess and digging into food, eviction was necessary. Despite how many rodents he heard daily, it wasn't something he thought about. The only reason mice were on his mind now was because one had moved into the floor, and he could hear it moving around as he laid in bed.

Now, like he said, Matt didn't have anything against mice.

Scrtch-scrtch-tick.

This one, however, was pushing its luck.

It showed up one night, moving in when he was out vigilante-ing and he only noticed the next day. At first, he didn't care. It was alone and hadn't yet realized there was food in his apartment. He had other, more pressing issues than a single mouse. It was a benign little thing - hardly a problem. Most nights, he could ignore the pitter-pattering and scraping or put in his noise-canceling earbuds.

Tonight, the mouse was too loud for earbuds. As he tossed and turned, Matt fumed, wondering what that rodent could possibly be up to. Rearranging furniture? Fuck, it sounded like it. Little mouse furniture.

Enough was enough. Matt threw a pillow at the floor and told the thing to shut up. To his surprise, it did. Matt sighed and finally went to sleep.

From that night on, he noticed a drastic decline in his downstairs neighbor's noise pollution.

How silly it was, Matt thought during a good mood, holding a grudge toward an animal. Especially one that was polite enough to let him sleep in peace.

Oh, how naïve he was.

The mouse quickly reinstated its grudge status when Matt noticed things going missing. It started with the bagels - a hole in the bag he noticed because the scent of bagel was particularly strong. Upon investigation, he discovered there was a complete lack of crumbs. And a chunk discreetly chewed from the middle. From there, things escalated. He smelled the shift in the air, smelled the remnants of another living being in his apartment. Little objects went missing - things even a seeing person might miss. But not Matt Murdock.

The sock was the last straw.

"What's the best bait for mouse traps?" Matt asked as soon as he entered the office.

"Cheese?" Foggy answered, confused. "Why? Do you have mice?"

"One. One mouse."

"How d- nevermind. Let me guess - you can't sleep."

"It's taking my stuff."

Foggy laughed. Karen huffed.

"At least tell me you're using non-lethal," said Karen. Upon his silence, she aww'd sadly. "Matt, no. It's just a mouse. You can't kill it."

"They're pests," said Foggy.

"But they're so cute. It just wants a place to live."

"Karen-" started Matt.

"No, no, she's got a point." Foggy spun his chair around. "Matt, you can't kill it! So cute and fuzzy!"

The lawyer-by-day, vigilante-by-night groaned. "Fine, I won't. Just stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Foggy, I can feel your eyes fake-tearing up."

Matt bought some glue traps and baited them with peanut butter. When Karen told him glue traps were worse - "They're so inhumane, Matt!" - he assured her that he'd know when the mouse got stuck; it wouldn't suffer. As much as the thing annoyed him, Karen was right: he wasn't going to abandon his no-killing rule for one mouse. (One mouse that must have a vendetta against him. He would not stoop to its level.) What kind of hypocrite would he be, huh?

The traps were set. Now to wait.

And wait.

A week passed. No mouse was caught. When he listened to its movement, he realized it was avoiding the spots he'd trapped. Avoiding the usual routes.

Smart. For a rodent. But Matt was smarter.

More traps, different bait. Traps disguised as the food and objects he'd noticed go missing, even the mate to his missing sock. It couldn't resist now.

Days passed.

Evidently, it could resist.

Foggy teased him about being outsmarted by an animal. Karen was on the mouse's side. Somebody must've told Jessica because he got a condescending text offering her services. Traitors, every one of them.

It all came to a head one terrible Friday night. Matt was already in a bad mood when he got home from work but going out, hearing and feeling New York City, pushed him over the edge. He was annoyed, his brain was overstimulated, and he just wanted to rest. The rooftop access door shut behind him and he threw his helmet into its trunk, about to shed the rest when the distinct sound of scratching and plastic crinkling in the kitchen cupboard caught his ear.

Matt stilled. It was here.

He marched with purpose toward the sounds.

That little bastard wasn't getting away this time. Catching it would be a satisfying end to a crappy day.

The mouse started fleeing before he was even close. It was headed for the other end of the cupboards - a hole in the floor Matt wasn't aware of but now could sense the air flowing from within. He'd have to seal that in the mor-

Mice didn't run on two legs.

Matt cocked his head, listening to the pattern of footfalls. He'd never cared to pay attention, but now it was impossible to miss. He knew what scurrying rodents sounded like. Whatever was in his kitchen, it was no rodent. It was bipedal. A bird? No, not with that speed. Not with that gait. He needed a closer examination.

Matt threw open the cupboard door. The first thing to hit his senses was the scent of corn chips.

The second was the heartbeat.

The creature's heart pounded swiftly in its chest. Air rushed from a mouth that was too upright for any kind of animal, a nose too humanlike. Small shoes hit the baseboard as it ran. Fabric rustled the same way he heard every single day in the street - like clothing.

Matt got lower, needing to be closer, needing to examine this little anomaly. How it moved, how it sounded, how uncannily familiar it was.

The living shape that his senses created was so alike to people that he was too shocked to outwardly react.

The little thing escaped into the floor, and Matt Murdock was left crouching there. Slowly, he shut the door. He took off the suit, dressed his wounds, and went to bed, his mind racing.

His body was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep. Not when he was tracking the creature's movements. Every scrape, every soft thud of a step, the whisper-

Whispering?

"You're fine. He didn't see you. There's no way…"

Whispering. Okay.

Matt pretended he didn't hear anything and put in his earbuds. That was a tomorrow-Matt problem.

Unfortunately for tomorrow-Matt, another problem knocked on his door first. That problem rhymed with Stank Hassle and didn't like to be ignored. Frank did offer coffee when they left so at least it wasn't a total bust. It was a good opportunity to get Matt out of his head; to get a clear perspective of the night before. Matt decided he was exhausted and hallucinating. The alternative was a tiny person living in the walls of his apartment. Delusion was easier.

Delusion was also what kept the borrower from abandoning the apartment altogether.

Call them stubborn, or stupid, but Finch didn't want to leave. Borrowers could only get so lucky. Landing a decent apartment with an oblivious bean was a rare opportunity, and Finch had no intention of giving it up. They would use this good fortune. Even if they didn't deserve it.

Finch shook off the guilt following that thought.

They spent the first week setting up: finding a place to sleep and tidying it up, living off the rations they packed. They got a lay of the land, surveying the apartment and its infrastructure. The excessively bright billboard directly in front of the living room window, the kitchen, and - most importantly - the bean. Light - or lack thereof - was never an issue for him. Not once did he flip a switch or so much as use his phone, which read texts aloud to him. He hardly looked at whatever claimed his attention. Everything added up to limited vision, but they couldn't be sure. It was safest not to risk any assumptions.

Evidence pointed to some damn good hearing when Finch was carving planks of wood out of the floor's innards. They were minding their own business, content with their repetitive, calming task, when something large and loud impacted the ceiling a dozen paces away.

The borrower nearly jumped out of their overalls, giving a startled squeak.

"Shut up," yelled the muffled voice above.

Pretending their soul wasn't just violently expelled from their body, Finch smoothed down their curly brown hair and exhaled shakily, making a mental note to postpone noisy work till the bean was away.

And they did good on that: when the bean was home, Finch completed the quieter, slower tasks. They thought they'd discovered the formula for living under the radar, satisfied to have found a routine that worked.

Then the traps appeared. Finch cursed their luck. The jig was up. The bean set up gross glue traps in outer access points, a couple even getting to the paths Finch took. Finch avoided them and laid low for a bit, hoping the lack of activity would convince the bean they'd skipped town. But more traps appeared. Smart ones, too - they almost fell for a couple. Now, Finch knew a thing or two about a thing or two. They made new routes and took extra care when borrowing. They even started mapping paths to the apartments below. Despite their small stature, Finch had a lot of room for determination. After a life of sticking their hand in the fire, they learned to take the heat. If the bean wanted them gone, he'd have to try a lot harder.

Night fell. The bean was gone. He followed routines - ones he scarcely strayed from. It would be hours before his return.

Finch made their way to the kitchen. They pushed up the trapdoor and strolled through the cupboard. They still had to be careful: just because the human wasn't home didn't mean they could throw all caution to the wind. Leaving evidence was a massive negatory. Finch didn't care for stupid rules, but the rules of borrowing were locked in their brain. They were already careless with the bagels, something they couldn't afford again. Desperation wasn't an excuse for sloppy borrowing - not when it exposed them.

Finch observed the boxes and containers around them, reading labels and calculating risk and reward. There was no chance of getting into that cereal box, but the nutrition bars would be a good grab. The box was short and already open. Finch pushed a can of tuna against it and hopped on. They began extracting a bar only to realize they had no way of getting something so large home without a sled.

"No, that'd be too easy." With a huff, Finch dropped it and shoved the can back into place. "'cause food can never be-" plastic crinkled under their foot "-easy?" Finch inspected the blue packaging. It was an open bag of tortilla chips. They grinned.

The scent of corn chips filled the space as Finch unfurled the bag. They dropped their backpack and started breaking the triangular chips into smaller pieces. Salt-free, too? Hell, yes. They tested the backpack's weight, put a bit more inside, then pulled the strings tight. They slung the strap across their chest. Oh, yeah, this would last them a good while. Finch fought with the chip bag, trying to roll the top underneath like it was before.

"Come on. Stupid fuckin'-" They tried to simultaneously lift the heavy bag and pull the other end.

Over the sounds of plastic popping and crackling in their ears, Finch didn't hear a door open and shut.

DOOM.

They did, however…

DOOM.

…feel the approaching footsteps of the human bean.

Finch froze. Blue eyes snapped wide open, their head flinching away from the plastic. It couldn't be...

Finch bolted.

He's supposed to be out why is he back-

DOOM.

They didn't need to know why he was back - just that he was and he was approaching at an alarming rate.

DOOM.

Oh, fuck, that's actually really close-

The doors ripped open. The hinges didn't even get a chance to squeak.

Finch stumbled. Air caught in their throat. For a moment, Finch was rooted to the floor. Just a moment. Long enough to see the human's form towering beyond the counter, covered in some kind of dark red leather. Long enough to see boots more than capable of squishing the life out of them.

Legs like fenceposts bent as the human came unbelievably closer. Closer than Finch had ever been to a bean. A giant face suspended above them, features blank and expressionless. Not once did the bean look at them.

Finch ran. They didn't look back. When they reached the hole in the floor, they plugged it up and kept going. Keep running.

Only when they reached the safety of their shelter did they falter.

"Oh, shit," they gasped, resting their weight on a nearby post. If their heart didn't outright stop, they were sure it might burst from their ribcage. Finch felt that exploding was a reasonable response. "He didn't see me." The scene replayed in their mind, over and over like a glitched tape. "I'm fine. You're fine. He didn't see you. There's no way he saw you. Just breathe."

Delusion, like they said. It was a powerful thing. It pulled many tricks on the mind. Like convincing oneself that they weren't discovered.

The apartment was quiet. Too quiet, one might even say, if they weren't one Matt Murdock. He never got that phrase. Nothing was 'too quiet'. In his - correct - opinion, nothing was quiet enough. There was always something creaking, breathing, or thumping, even in the smallest hours of the night. But on some front he had to agree: there was a suspicious lack of activity from the critter in the floor lately. Reluctant as he was to admit it, he couldn't deny that it wasn't an animal. Animals didn't mutter to themselves, in full sentences, in English. He wasn't mentally, emotionally, or spiritually prepared to assess beyond whatever that meant. In the moments his mind wandered, however - such as now, sitting and listening to a recording for his current case - he found himself pondering the tiny being regardless.

The peace wasn't an accident. Finch had been avoiding that place, giving themself and the air time to settle. They continued work on their residence, slotting together panels of wood and cardboard to form walls. One room would do for now - they just needed protection from the elements and potential scavengers slinking around. Skies above, if a cockroach tried anything, it was next on the menu. Grind up the little fucker into a smoothie. Finch wished a bug would: it'd be miles better than those godforsaken tortilla chips. Finch gave the wood posts they'd just secured a good push, nodding in satisfaction and moving on to the wall. It would be the last one to seal up their box of a house.

Four days. It'd been four days since Finch was nearly discovered; four days since they stared a bean in the face and got away unscathed. Four days since they got an answer to what they'd only suspected: the human couldn't see. That explained the brilliantly bright billboard, the sensitive hearing, the lack of lights - it explained a lot. Finch had to re-evaluate their approach to borrowing. This human would be extra careful about his possessions - the sock was proof enough - and notice what was out of place. In some ways, this both simplified and complicated things.

But borrowers were nothing if not adaptable.

Finch ventured up to a peephole in the wall and looked out. Nothing had changed except the bean now sitting at the dining table, papers and an electronic box neatly laid out on the tabletop. Casually dressed, he was listening to… a podcast? No, too personal. Finch liked podcasts. There was a crime involved, but this sounded like a conversation Finch would overhear more than something designed to entertain. So this bean worked in solving crimes. A detective?

They listened to the dry as hell audio a scant longer before growing bored and moving on. Hey, at least the bean was preoccupied.

Naturally, they found themself puttering toward the kitchen. Wielding two bent nails tied to their belt, Finch climbed up the cupboard door, using hinges and decorative bevels alike to hoist themself up. Those bagels were good. Were there any left? Nothing but corn chips really wore down a person's capacity to give a damn. They perused the counter, confident that the bean was sufficiently distracted by his work. Finch was disappointed to find the bagels sealed in an airtight container. It was their own fault, slicing up the bag so messily. They pulled a face and resumed their search.

A plate of mostly-eaten pasta sat before them. Fuck yes! Finch scuttled to it, pulling out rolls of tinfoil from their bag. Careful to avoid crinkling, they gathered up all the leftover noodles and sauce that would fit.

Finch squirreled away their haul, licking their fingers clean of evidence and ignorant of the man listening to their heist just a few metres away.

Matt stopped paying attention to the tape some time ago.

The sounds of Hell's Kitchen couldn't drown out the little inhabitant in his walls. A scent had blown into the room, vaguely familiar with hints of tortilla chip. He sat straighter and listened, idly shuffling papers and tip-tapping his fingers on the table. He found himself unable to be anything other than impressed as they scaled his counter like a mountain climber. Whatever was left from dinner became his visitor's latest plunder. That was fine; less waste, right?

He was disappointed when they returned to the walls. He wound back the recording to get some work done, but found himself consistently distracted by his small neighbour's goings-on. This discovery was just so unique, so strange - how could he not be curious? He heard them venture out again, across the apartment now. Into his bedroom. What could they be doing?

Oho, if Matt found any more socks missing-

He turned in his seat, about to rise, when he heard:

"You hafta to be shittin' me."

The voice, quiet in size only and bold beyond that, was the mildly annoyed tone of someone who'd been inconvenienced. Matt had heard it before, in the late hush of the night, when no one else would. Muttered curses and remarks that blended into the creaking and groaning of buildings and chatter and sirens of the city. One voice that Matt Murdock had tried very hard not to think too much about.

"When is enough too much, huh?" the voice griped. "Does he think I'm just gonna lay on one? 'Oh, felt silly today, stepped on the massive rug of glue.' How 'bout I drag this onto your floor, see how you feel walkin' in a minefield?" They growled. "UGH. Beans."

Well.

There was no denying it anymore, was there? A tiny person was living in the walls of Matt's apartment.

Matt leaned back, processing. He'd tried ignoring it - for the sake of his mental health and faith - because it was insane. It was impossible. It shouldn't be.

And yet…

Matt wanted - needed - to investigate further.

He got up, quietly, light on his feet. He didn't make it two steps before he heard a swear and the tiny person retreated once more. Into an electrical outlet, by the sounds of it.

Hm. He couldn't sneak up on them - not this time. They heard him- no. Matt quirked his head, considering. They felt him approaching. Like Matt, they could feel vibrations. Vibrations that alerted them of a threat. It only made sense.

Heh, 'threat'. Regular ol' Matt Murdock was the threat this time, not his alter ego. Wasn't that something?

The next time Matt encountered his new neighbour, he was trying - and failing - to fall asleep. There was too much on his mind for sleep. Frustrated, he huffed and flopped over, restless, his thoughts racing. Sounds of the city were extra distracting tonight. He considered getting up and making a cup of tea - maybe that would calm his mind.

Noises from the kitchen drew his scattered focus. He sat up, listening to the scuffing and tapping that he'd come to recognize as his uninvited houseguest. Three visits in one day. Were they always this proactive? Well, he did interrupt their attempted heist of his bedroom. Matt scooted to the edge of the bed. He would make that tea, actually. As he stood, he remembered sneaking didn't work last time. Right. Heavy-footed. However, he had a hunch that this attempt would yield a sneakier result.

Aided by socks, Matt softly padded through his apartment. Tiny - the name he assigned his little visitor - was fiddling with some kind of packaging on the top shelf. And as he got closer, lo and behold, they did not startle. His theory was correct: the further Tiny was from the floor, the weaker their pallesthesia became. Their ability to detect vibrations just wasn’t as sensitive as his own. Once he stepped foot into the kitchen, Matt dropped the Daredevil act and let himself be known. He grabbed a mug and turned on the kettle. Tiny's pulse quickened; their breath hitched. He gave them time to hide before he opened the cupboard for a tea bag. He quickly realized the box wasn't in its usual spot - his own doing, unfortunately.

"Stupid tea bags," he muttered for Tiny's sake; an 'I'm not looking for you, I swear!' assurance as he searched the cabinets. For extra sauce, he added, "Always misplacing them."

Would he forgo tea? He did start the kettle… as much as he got a kick out of playing the part of oblivious blind guy, causing Tiny undue terror wasn't his end goal. He wanted to test them, their cockiness, not scare them. Tiny may be a thief, but they were just trying to survive. Why else was food their number one haul? Matt dedicated his life to helping people in need. Wasn't Tiny part of that demographic? Weren't they someone in need? Unless small people were running drug cartels and trafficking rings, Tiny was innocent.

Doubt and guilt crept in. Maybe he was pushing the bit too far.

Matt was just about to get up and leave when something square and coarse pressed into his fingers.

He faltered, then pinched it, rubbing his thumb over the material. Its strong, earthy scent gave it away.

A tea bag.

Small shoes lightly retreated. Matt withdrew his hand. He held the sachet of dried herbs, cogs turning in his mind. He tilted his head.

Tiny handed him a tea bag. That…

Matt found himself puzzled and oddly touched. It was for their own good, to avoid getting found, but he couldn't not appreciate the nice gesture. He easily smelt where the tea was, of course. But Tiny didn't know that. Huh.

Maybe he was being too harsh about the sock.

The kettle's bubbling pitch rose to a squeal. Wincing, Matt shut it off. He dropped the tea bag into the mug and poured steaming water over it.

What a strange experience. He wondered what Tiny was thinking. Their heartbeat eased into the fluttering pace that he learned was its resting rate. It was the trait that had him most convinced his roommate was a rodent of some sort, though the way they squeaked when startled was a close second.

Matt threw out the tea bag and took the mug to his room, leaving Tiny to their task.

The next day, he casually slipped questions about tiny people into a conversation with Foggy. (It was not casual and quite random, actually.)

"You mean, like… fairies?" Foggy cautiously asked.

Sort of? Matt didn't know whether Tiny could be considered a fairy. They certainly didn't seem like the fairy type, not with the kind of language he heard them utter. Did fairies say 'fuck'? Would that break some kind of fairy law?

Karen told him about a book series that she'd been obsessed with as a kid: it contained many smaller magical beings. Brownies, for instance. Matt settled on definitely not that one. What favours was he receiving? Aside from the tea bag - an isolated incident - absolutely none.

Matt wasn't convinced they were a magical creature. Really, they just… seemed like a normal person, albeit smaller. They hummed to themself, snickered at their own dumb jokes, and swore a hot streak that would impress even Castle and Jones. Matt was pretty damn sure they'd been building a house under his floor, though he noticed all the loud busywork was put on pause when he was home, most notably when he was sleeping. Another nice gesture that was also for their own self-preservation.

Maybe they were a mutant. Or maybe they were mutated, like him.

When Matt got home, he discarded the glue traps. It felt wrong to leave them now that he knew it was a person he'd been trying to catch. Guilty, he started leaving crumbs in easy-to-reach locations. It wouldn’t hurt him any - his grocery budget wasn’t gonna tank because of some scraps. If chips and leftovers were what they were after, then they had free reign over the countertop. That didn’t stop him from being cheeky about it, though - if Tiny was getting confident, he might as well play along.

He found Tiny’s courage something to marvel at. Roaming a giant’s home? Without fear? His vigilante persona was literally named Daredevil and he was impressed.

However, bravery and foolishness were not mutually exclusive. That’s when the cockiness came in.

Matt was minding his business, washing the dishes, when Tiny wandered out. Brows hitching up, he continued sponging the plate. Surely, they wouldn't-

Oh, but they did.

Unwavering, Tiny climbed up the counter they same way as before. They walked up to the pan on the stove and hooked a leg over. Matt fought hard not to chuffle. This was getting out of hand. Matt remembered an adage about not feeding animals or else they'd grow dependent. Had Matt inadvertently done exactly that? Animals that were accustomed to people often didn't see the danger. Tiny was certainly no animal, but the absence of caution they displayed in the moment was, frankly, ridiculous. It was a massive leap from the times they would flee his presence. He was starting to think he'd played too ignorant.

A smirk tugged at his lips upon hearing the leftover eggs being pilfered. When he turned to fetch the pan, Tiny was already hopping to the floor and disappearing behind the fridge.

Stealing right behind his back. When was enough too much, indeed.

AO3

#g/t #giant/tiny #goldfinch (oc)#matt murdock #daredevil g/t #giant tiny #the borrowers #borrowers #g/t community #gt #g/t writing #daredevil #marvel g/t #marvel #marvel fanfiction #mcu fanfiction #daredevil fanfiction

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aspoonofsugar · 1 year

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Weapons Ever After

In the story, Alyx fell from the sky and met with the Hunter Mice, got trapped in vines, fought the Jabberwalker and got her knife stolen by a Talking Racoon.

Alyx too gets her weapon stolen by Jinxy and has to offer both her saddest and happiest memories to get it back. In other wrods, she needs her whole self to find her knife once again.

This ties with something we have known for a while now:

Just weapons? They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool.

Weapons are symbolic of individuality, so it makes sense their price is a part of the person themself. Not only that, but what happens to them is indicative of what is going on with their user's inner world.

This is especially true for the Atlas Arc, which opens up with RWBY + JNR all receiving power-ups:

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The teams' weapons are modified and enhanced because the kids are growing up. And yet, by the end of the arc, they all lose their weapons or have them damaged because of their crushing defeat at Cinder's hands.

Let's analyze each character and how their weapon comments their arc in the current volume.

BLAKE - SELF-REPAIRING BOW

Gambol Shroud describes Blake perfectly:

gambol means to move around playfully

shroud is a cloth used to cover things up

This name refers to our cat girl's tendency to run away (gambol) and to hide her true self (shroud). Initially, she herself is a little bow that moves around. As her arc unfolds, Gambol Shroud comments it faithfully.

Like its wielder, it is broken by Adam, but even if fragmented it keeps being useful and flexible. Blake has its pieces turn into a gun, a hook, a cleaver, a whip. They still work well enough to kill Adam:

Blake is hurt by her ex-partner multiple times, but she is strong and resourceful enough not to let it define who she is. She is more than just her relationship with her abuser and is made of multiple wonderful parts. Just like Gambol Shroud is a katana, but also 2 swords, but also a sickle and his sheat can be used to steal an opponent's weapon. It is as variegated as Blake herself is.

In Atlas, Gambol Shroud is fixed with a technique similar to Kintsugi. This method uses powered gold, silver or platinum to mend breakages, so that they become part of the beauty of an object, rather than something to disguise. This is Blake's development in a nutshell: she accepts her past mistakes and shows a brand new self with no shame.

Blake and Gambol Shroud go through a process of death and rebirth and learn how to heal. Maybe this is why she seems to whitstand her defeat and fall slightly better than her teammates. She has built the inner mechanisms to keep moving forward without being completely crushed.

Similarly, Gambol Shroud is burnt by Cinder, but this time the damage doesn't reach its core. Not only that, but the weapon keeps being used even after Blake's fall. It briefly becomes a memento for Weiss, who wields it as if she were holding the hands of her teammates:

Poignantly Blake finds it rather easily in Ever After precisely because Weiss has an idea of where it may be.

So, Gambol Shroud becomes symbolic of Blake's relationships with her teammates (Yang and Weiss especially). This is interesting because Blake is currently trying to guide the group and to keep it together.

Finally, Blake has to face the Hunter Mice to get her weapon back:

Mouse Leader: And on this day, we were not the prey, but the hunters!

Isn't it amusing that a Huntress's weapon is used as bait by a bunch of mice to trap a cat? Maybe the Ever After is trying to challenge Blake and her friends on what being Huntresses truly means and how it is easy to turn from hunter to prey, from human to monster.

YANG - DISARMING LOVE

Ember Celica convey Yang's many layers:

they appear as bracelets, as Yang is an eye-candy hot girl

they turn into gauntlets, as Yang is a hot-blooded fighter

they become asymmetrical, as Yang loses an arm because of her hot-headedness

This last point is the most important and the focus in Ever After.

Little: Steal? Never! They just take the things we are not looking at. Fair is fair.

According to Little, Jinxy doesn't steal, but takes things which are not looked at. In other words, they go after whatever is neglected. It is then meaningful they choose to collect Yang's arm of all things. After all, our Goldilocks has had her arm stolen twice now and both times for the same reason. She loses an arm because she protects a loved one.

In Beacon, Adam cuts her arm off when she tries to save Blake. In the Ever After, Jinxy grabs her prosthetic when she is consciousless after protecting Ruby. This is probably why the price to get it back is:

Jinxy: Knowing what it is to feel loved. A fair price for some, I'd say.

Jinxy's request can mean 2 different things for Yang's character:

Yang lost her arm to save both Blake and Ruby's lives. Then what if she did not do it? She may still have her arm, but maybe Blake and Ruby would be dead. Is Yang ready to sacrifice her loved ones for her arm?

Yang is ready to jump into harm's way for Blake and Ruby. Does she do it because she loves them or because she is scared they would not love her back if she doesn't? Is love that needs her to give an arm for others true love?

This is the conflict the auction lies out for Yang. It makes sense for her not to give up on the feeling to be loved for a mechanical arm, right? And yet, why should she leave behind her arm so that she can be loved?

What is the right choice? And is there really no other choice?

As you can see, Jinxy's words highlight Yang's complex. She unconsciously sees love as conditional:

Yang: Do you… think she thinks less of me… for not helping out with Amity?

What if Blake stops loving her because they disagree? What if Ruby gets hurt in Mistral while Tai is looking after Yang? Would Tai love her any less?

In a volume which is clearly going to explore Yang's relationship with both Ruby and Blake this complex is bound to surface. Only in this way she can start working through it.

WEISS - EMPTY FLOWER

Myrtenaster represents Weiss's duality:

It is a sword because Weiss is a knight

It works like a wand because Weiss is a magical girl

She is warrior and queen, male and female, anima and animus. At the same time, her weapon also shows her ice and sugar personality. It is apparently stiff (gray) and rigid, as it doesn't change form. Inside, though, it is full of colors and can be used in multiple ways thanks to Glyphs. Similarly, Weiss appears cold, but has a rich interior world, made of dreams and feelings.

This double side of Weiss can be found even in Dust, which is the key element of her fighting style. Dust represents Weiss's versatility, but also the privilege she was born in. And yet, the latter is gone right now:

Weiss: It's... it's all gone... There is nothing left for me to go back to.

And Weiss is out of Dust:

Weiss: Well, good news, I’m low on Dust.

For better or worse Atlas and the SDC are a big part of Weiss's life, but they are both gone. In this situation, it is interesting Weiss is the only one who so far has not lost her weapon. This can be read in 2 different ways:

Weiss's identity has grown strong enough not to be tied to Atlas and the SDC anymore. Obviously, she is shaken, but not completely broken.

Weiss is currently clinging to an empty vessel of herself. This may be why she thightly grabs Myrtenaster the moment she admits how much she lost:

Should she do it or should she just let go?

This conflict may tie with Weiss's weapon being the only one, which doesn't get modified in Atlas. It is because Weiss's fighting style is already perfect, but there may be another explanation. Weiss doesn't change in Atlas because she already has all that Atlas has to offer. Her real challenge is then to transform now that Atlas is gone. She is empty, but by letting go she can re-invent herself.

JAUNE - BREAKING DEATH

Crocea Mors is linked to legacy in 2 different ways:

It is an object Jaune inherited from his great-great-grandfather, so it symbolizes the Arcs' history

It is later modified by using Pyrrha's metal, so it comes to embody what Pyrrha represents in Jaune's life

So, Crocea Mors is two legacies combined. Two people Jaune wants to become more similar to. At the same time, it parallels Jaune's development. As he grows, the weapon changes, as well. It is introduced as a lame hand-me-down, but both its attack and power (Mistral) and its defence and versatility (Atlas) get enhanced. Basically, as Jaune's identity becomes rounder and rounder, so does Crocea Mors.

It slowly transforms into the perfect weapon for a Knight. A sword and a shield ready to fight for the people. And yet, in the volume 8 climax, Jaune uses it to kill Penny. So, Jaune's identity as a Knight shatters, just like his sword.

What now?

If Jaune is indeed the Rusted Knight, then it may be he is stubbornly clinging to an already broken identity:

Curious Cat: Time changes, you know? And so do we when it's our time to change, don't you?

In order to evolve, you must accept death,grief and destruction. Only if you do, you can be remade.

At the same time, the idea of a Knight trapped inside a rusted armor ties with Jaune's metal motif. In alchemy there is a scale of 7 metals: lead, tin, iron, copper, mercury, silver and gold. The objective is to transform the lead into gold. This is Jaune's arc in a nutshell.

He starts off as lead. He is inexperienced, ignorant and unrefined, but then he meets Pyrrha. Pyrrha is already gold by the beginning of the series. Hence why her golden armor, which contrasts with Jaune's white and gray one:

Not only that, but Pyrrha's semblance is literally about manipulating metals. So, she sees Jaune's raw potential and decides to turn the lead into gold. She is the one who starts the process.

After her death, Jaune keeps on evolving:

He goes from lead to tin in Mistral, when he changes his armor

He strenghtens his sense of self and blooms into iron in Atlas, where he also gains more golden details

However, he then kills Penny, who represents the properties of Copper (love and beauty)

As a result, I would not be surprised if he were now stuck. Symbolically trapped inside an armour because he can't stop being iron, while he should keep on going to reach gold. In order to change, though, he should face what he has done and let go of his current knight identity. It used to fit him, but has right now grown too small, just like his previous armor. It may be time to look for something else.

Speaking of which, isn't this golden woman interesting?

As @blue-cheeseinmyoffwhites noticed she is a blacksmith and may be the reason why Jaune is trapped inside an armor. In general, the idea of a golden woman, who is also a blacksmith (aka that works metals) reminds me of Pyrrha. Since Little may be in the story to help Ruby face her grief over Penny and her child-self, then this woman may have a similar function for Jaune. What if she is there to help him work through his guilt over Pyrrha's death and his hero complex?

We'll see how it goes, but so far Jaune is the only one whose weapon has been shattered and this might be his chance to build it anew. He might even make his own weapon instead of relying on someone else's legacy.

NEOPOLITAN - SELF MADE PARASOL

Hush represents who Neo is: Hush is a parasol that can be used as a shield and with a blade inside. It is the perfect weapon for a student of an Academy that superficially teaches girls how to be ladies and secretely trains spies. It combines the elegance of an accessory with the lethality of a weapon.

At the same time, Hush is clearly complementary to Melodic Cudgel. The former is a silent blade, while the latter is a flashy and noisy gun. The former is Neo’s message to the world to shut up. The latter is Roman’s enjoyment of the pain of others that sounds like a melody. So, Hush is perfect for the partner in crime of Roman Torchwick.

It is a weapon that fits both Lady Beat’s spy and Roman’s friend. The point is that Neo can’t keep being both. She can’t keep being Trivia Vanille and Neopolitan. She must choose.

Neo's parasol is symbolic of Neo's real self and it combines her many layers. It is also something Roman gifted her with, so, together with his hat, it is part of his legacy to her. Just like Neo herself is Roman's legacy. She is a person Roman loved and helped grow. The key to overcoming her grief is for Neo to realize this. Yet, she can't and maybe this is why she doesn't look for her weapon, but simply makes a new version of it by using her semblance (or so it seems tbh).

This may very well be because Neo is not trying to change or to self-reflect, but is projecting her anger and sadness over other people. This is why she immediately transforms into the 2 people she hates the most: Ruby and Cinder. Then, she lets her semblance out and... be it because it naturally evolves or be it because of the place she is... a tons of Neo immediately pop up...

And yet, who is the real one?

The Ever After may be at the same time the best and the worst place for Neo, right now. It is the best fit for her semblance. Overactive Imagination is about projecting the inside out, after all. It is about letting everything she represses take a real shape in the outside world. So, it makes sense that the Ever After amplifies its effect. However, letting our emotions go rampant without filtering them may lead to a disaster.

Symbolically, Neo may very well lose her real self. Just like she has lost her weapon and is replacing it with an illusion. Will Neo find herself again or will she stay in the Ever After forever?

(On an unrelated note, I am looking forward to how Neo's semblance is going to influence the Ever After:

Like, are these shadows all "characters" Neo creates? Is she gonna materialize the younger Ruby illusion on the bridge? Does it mean her semblance has evolved so that now her illusions can talk?

If Ruby and the others are stepping into the role of protagonists, then Neo may very well be using her semblance to step into the role of a writer:

I would not be surprised if she conquers the Ever After, at least temporally. It would be fun to see if the Ever After conquers her in return.)

RUBY - GROWING MOON

Crescent rose means "A growing-up Ruby". After all, Ruby herself is a rose (Ruby Rose) and crescent means "to grow up". So, her weapon describes Ruby herself: a young child, who grows up stronger and stronger... or does she?

It is obvious Ruby is not a smiling growing up child anymore. But then, who is she? There is no answer and this is why Crescent Rose is still missing.

Apart from this, Crescent Rose is interesting because it is one of the many things that tie Ruby to the moon. After all, the moon has 3 phases (well, 4, but we only need 3 :P):

Crescent Moon

Full Moon

Falling Moon

These 3 phases are linked to the life of a person. The crescent moon is youth, the full moon is maturity and the falling moon is old age. So, Ruby is a crescent moon (crescent rose) because she is still in her youth.

An interesting thing is that all these ideas are expressed by the so called Triple Goddess:

The Triple Goddess is a deity archetype revered in many Neopagan religious and spiritual traditions. She is viewed as a triunity of three distinct aspects or figures united in one being. These three figures are often described as the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone, each of which symbolizes both a separate stage in the female life cycle and a phase of the Moon.

Guess who is an example of a Triple Goddess?

Exactly, Trivia/Hecate is often considered a Triple Goddess :P And when she falls together with Ruby, she very conveniently turns into 3 people: Oscar, Yang and Penny.

Neo is supposedly Ruby's mirror, so these three characters should not only be important for Ruby's arc, but also represent part of who she is. As for now, several interpretations are possible. For example, Oscar, Yang and Penny are the protagonists of Ruby's major conflicts in the last 3 volumes.

In volume 7, Ruby and Oscar have a disagreement over telling or not Ironwood the truth. In volume 8, Yang decides not to follow Ruby's leadership and to take another path. So far, volume 9 focuses on Ruby's feelings over Penny's death. All these conflicts have built over each other until Ruby can't ignore them anymore.

They can also foreshadow future focus. Right now, Ruby is struggling with Penny's death, but later on she may also have to experience a shift in her and Yang's dynamic, as Yang enters a relationship with Blake:

Weiss: About time. Ruby: About time for what?

It may be nothing, but it is interesting Ruby seems oblivious to Bumbleby's clearly blossoming romance.

Similarly, once RWBY + J goes back, Ruby might share some focus with Oscar, since the 2 of them have clear parallel arcs.

Finally, these 3 people might also represent past, present and future:

Oscar is waiting for Ruby outside, in the future. Maybe this is why in this shot, Neo gets far away from Ruby when she transforms into him. He is a person, who did not fall and one of the loved ones, who are looking forward to Ruby's return.

Yang is with Ruby in Ever After. Neo closes up on Ruby, when she looks like her sister. Yang is a person who fell with Ruby and who is sharing her journey to go back home.

Penny died. Neo goes behind Ruby while being Penny and tries to drag her down. Penny is a precious friend, who is now lost and also a symbol of Ruby's inner child.

Whatever the case, the metaphor is clear... all these conflicts and Ruby's past self are dragging her down. She needs to face all what is repressed to climb back up.

Maybe this is why even before Ruby can start looking for Crescent Rose, she has to solve her feelings over another weapon:

Penny's sword symbolically works as a mirror for Ruby. By taking it, Ruby has the chance to grieve, to let her feelings out and to look at who she is. And yet, a couple of minutes after getting it, she is already moving forward. She is stepping into Alyx's role and getting a new purpose. Not only that, but her whole plan revolves around giving Penny's sword away.

The meaning is clear, Ruby is still not ready to let all her grief out. She chooses to ignore it and to start moving again. And yet, we know the sword is coming back for her:

Who knows? Maybe, just like Pyrrha's metal, Penny's jade sword is going to get integrated into Ruby's weapon or attire, as well. As stated above, we have a blacksmith, after all.

What is sure is that Ruby can't hope to find Crescent Rose until she decides what to do with Penny's sword.

THE AUCTION - ITEMS AND PAYMENTS

Little: Hugs are very valuable!

Let's go back to the Auction. Jinxy is presented as a thief and as a crook. However, I think the story makes clear there is a meaning to their actions. Specifically, Jinxy looks after things people disreguard and makes them look valuable, so that people would try to get them back.

At the same time, Jinxy's prices are nothing, but what the person truly needs to get what they want. The price is the truly important thing in Jinxy's auction, not the item, which is a fake anyway.

The first item looks like a bunny made of diamonds, but it is actually a small mouse like Little. It is then a representation of the child self. And what should one do with a child-self, if not to hug it thightly and nurture it?

Let's look then at what Jinxy asks our 2 sisters:

They ask Yang's feeling of being loved in exchange of her arm. They do not ask for the love Yang receives, but for her inner perception of it because it is unhealthy. Yang will always sacrifice parts of herself in exchange of affection, unless she lets go of the idea love is conditional. She needs to build a new idea of love or she will keep on losing pieces.

They ask Ruby's hope in exchange of Penny's sword. This is because Ruby needs hope in order to overcome her grief over Penny. It is meaningful Little steals the doll, so that it can reveal itself to Ruby before she has the price to pay for it. Interestingly, she gets the sword, but still can't properly process it and gives it away 2 minutes later.

Ruby and Yang need to nurture their inner hope and self-love if they truly want what the 2 weapons represent aka a whole self.

#rwby #rwby volume 9 #rwby spoilers #rwby meta #ruby rose #weiss schnee #blake belladonna #yang xiao long #jaune arc #neopolitan #my meta #this post is one week late #but i really had no time to finish it before

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whumpsday · 1 year

Text

Tomcat Indisposables

Misc writing masterlist

content: g/t, borrowers, tiny whump, poisoning, accidental whump, rescue, caretaking, starvation, begging, near-death experience

so, this is a weird one. it’s a fix-it fic for a sad song. the song in question is Tomcat Disposables by Will Wood, for which you can find the music video here and the lyric video here! HIGHLY recommend listening to this song before reading this fic, to get the context of the events leading up to it! i suppose this is fanfic for a song, in a way? a sequel to a song?

It wasn’t a mouse.

Casey looked down incredulously at the tiny person collapsed against the kitchen floor. He was unconscious, clearly. Curled up with his arms wrapped around his stomach, eyes closed, face red and clammy. He looked sick.

He would probably be about four inches tall or so if he uncurled. Maybe not even that. Three inches.

Casey’s eyes slowly drifted to the mouse trap set out by the stove. Not a trap- disposable bait station, whatever it’s called.

The bait inside had some tiny bites in it.

Their heart filled with dread as they realized what they’d done. It wasn’t a mouse. It wasn’t a mouse. Oh my god. It wasn’t a mouse.

The tiny man wasn’t dead. They could see his chest rising and falling, barely. His breaths were far too shallow.

They crouched, scooping his too-warm little body into their shaking hands as gently as possible.

As they stood, trying to puzzle out what to do, a feeble groan emanated from the curled-up figure in their palm. His eyes fluttered open.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Casey whispered, like they’d break him if they talked too loudly.

Harvest knew he was being an idiot when he saw the strange green food in the little box. He knew it had to be a trap of some kind.

But hunger makes you do stupid things. Harvest hadn’t eaten in three days by that point, and he was going insane. That fourth night, he still couldn’t find any food in anything he could open besides the trap, and he was getting desperate.

So he deluded himself. Maybe the human was trying to help, trying to leave something out for him, or whatever creature they thought he was. It didn’t even look like a trap, really. He couldn’t see anything that would spring down, it was just a Harvest-sized box with some food in it. It honestly looked safe enough.

Food. He hadn’t eaten in three days. How was he supposed to refuse a gift like that? It had been the best thing he’d ever tasted, except maybe for cheese, his favorite. But that might have just been the hunger.

He didn’t even make it back behind the cupboards before he couldn’t stand anymore.

Stupid. He’d been so stupid.

He trembled in the human’s palm with a horrible mixture of terror and sickness so bad he felt like he was going to die. It hurt.

“...Please,” he choked out, still holding onto the delusion that the human might be friendly. It was all he had. He wasn’t even strong enough to try to leave the human’s gigantic hands. “Don’ wanna die.”

Tears sprung to the human’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to- I mean, I thought I had mice.”

Harvest rested his spinning head against their finger. He felt like unconsciousness would grab him again at any moment, and that if it did, he wouldn’t wake up again. He tried to keep his eyes open, blinking blearily.

“Oh, oh no no no, stay awake, alright? Just stay awake.” The human set him down on the counter, where he laid motionless.

They disappeared from his sight, returning a moment later with a bottlecap full of water. “Here, have some water. Sip this, okay?”

They placed a finger on his back, pushing him up into a sitting position before bringing the cap to his mouth with their other hand.

Harvest opened his mouth as they tipped it in, the little he could do, tremors wracking him. He was so thirsty, and the water was nice and cool as it flowed down his throat. He still felt like death, but at least it helped.

“I looked at the instruction packet, and it says to eat activated charcoal? Like for if pets or babies get into it,” the human babbled quickly, though Harvest could hardly follow what they were saying. “I think I can get some at Walmart.”

They lifted him up again, and Harvest’s head lolled. Everything hurt, especially his cramping stomach. “M-make it stop?” he pleaded, his voice so weak he wasn’t sure if the human could even hear.

“Yes. I’m going to help, you’re gonna be okay.” The human set him down on something soft. A dish towel. “Just try your best to stay awake. I’ll be right back, it’s not far.”

Harvest’s fingers curled around the towel’s fibers. “Mmn.”

“Okay. Okay. Stay awake. I’ll be right back. Stay awake.” The front door opened and closed with a gush of cold winter air, and then he was alone. Terrified tears wet the towel under his cheek.

He was going to die alone.

Harvest wasn’t very good at following directions. The fact that he’d let a human spot him was evidence enough of that. Dreamless sleep stole him in minutes.

Casey had never driven so fast in their life. They burst back through the door, the little bottle of activated charcoal in hand. “Little guy?” They never got his name.

They ran back to the counter where they’d left him. He’d fallen back asleep, and looked even worse-off than before. They poked him insistently. “C’mon, wake up, please!” They couldn’t be responsible for someone’s death. They thought they had mice, they just thought they had mice!

Casey put a finger in front of his face and waited, heart pounding. Relief washed over them when they felt a faint breath against their skin.

“Okay little guy, time to wake up. It’s okay, it’s gonna be okay.” They wet their fingers and flicked water onto him, the small droplets much larger to someone his size.

His eyes opened slowly, his reaction delayed. “Muuuhhh,” he groaned.

“Great, stay awake, just like that,” Casey encouraged. They unscrewed the lid to the bottle, shaking out a pill, and broke it in half over the bottlecap. Black dust poured out of the capsule. They mixed a tiny bit of water in for good measure, turning it into a sludgy liquid.

They propped the tiny man up with one hand and shoved it in his face with the other, panicked. “Drink this. It’ll counteract the- the poison.”

His eyes fluttered shut again.

“No, no no no! Come on. You’re so close!” Casey tried opening his mouth, but their fingertip was almost the size of his entire head, so they ended up squeezing his cheeks to force his mouth open.

They poured the charcoal-water mixture into his mouth, massaging his throat with their thumb to get him to swallow when he wouldn’t do it on his own, hoping he didn’t choke. It seemed to work: he might not have been entirely unconscious, floating between life and death.

“There you go. There you go,” Casey soothed, rubbing circles into his back as they laid him back down on the dish towel. Tears dripped next to him, to their surprise: they didn’t even realize they’d been crying.

They didn’t even know if it would work. It didn’t look like he’d eaten too much of the poison, but he was so small, and they had no idea how long it had been since he’d eaten it before they found him. They could be too late.

Casey dragged a chair over to the counter and waited.

Harvest didn't expect to wake up again, but he did.

He still felt like death, and curled up further with a pained groan, clutching his abdomen. Less so than when he'd lost consciousness, but too awful to even stand.

"Thank god," the human sighed, and Harvest's eyes shot open. Right. He wasn't alone. He's been spotted. And now the human could do... whatever it was they wanted with him.

Indignant tears sprung to his eyes. The human had starved him out, baited him with poison he was too desperate to refuse. The betrayal still stung, the hopeful leap he'd taken of trusting them, thinking they might want to be friends, punished with horrible pain and his near-death. And now he was completely at their mercy.

Harvest looked up at them warily. His mind was a bit clearer now, and he had the capacity to shrink back from them a little, folding the dish towel over himself so only his head stuck out. It wasn't exactly an impenetrable fortress, but it felt better. Less out-in-the-open.

"What are you going to do with me?" he asked, his voice strained.

The human stepped back. "Nothing! I just, I'm sorry, I didn't know there was like, a whole person... I don't even know what you are. I thought... mice..."

So it's okay to do this to mice, then? I wouldn't do this to a mouse. This is awful. I hope no mice ever experience this. He bit the words back. Making the person who held his life in their hands angry would definitely be a bad idea. "Okay,” he said softly. “Okay.”

Despite the pain, Harvest’s stomach growled. He’d only eaten the once in the past four days, and that was poison.

“Are you hungry?” the human asked. “I can get you some food if you’re feeling up to it, but it might not be a good idea...”

Harvest burst into tears. They were still dangling food away from him. “Please, I just, it’s all snow outside so I can’t forage, I haven’t eaten in four days, I’m so hungry! Please, just a little?”

Casey’s entire being flooded with guilt. They’d locked down all their food after it became apparent their apartment was... infested, they’d thought before. They’d starved this tiny person to the point of eating poison.

“Yeah, of course, you can have as much as you want! I didn’t mean to.” They opened their fridge. The little guy shivered under his makeshift covers, obviously not a fan of the cold. “What would you like?”

He hesitated before quietly piping up. “Cheese?” he asked with fragile hope.

Casey opened the little drawer where they kept their cheeses. “Yeah, of course. I’ve got tons.” They took out a string cheese, a half-gone block of parmesan, and some shredded cheddar. They cut off a little of each and took a couple shreds of cheddar, put them all on the smallest dish they had, and set it in front of him. “Lemme get you some water, too. It’s probably good to get a lot of fluids.”

He dove into the meal immediately, picking up the piece of parmesan with both hands and biting into it. Casey got a fresh bottlecap and filled it with water, setting that on the plate, too. They took a bite of the remainder of the string cheese. “Maybe try not to eat too fast? You might get sick.”

The little guy seemed to take their words to heart, slowing down. “Thank you. Thank you so much, this is, this is more cheese than I’ve ever seen in my life,” he enthused. He looked like he was about to cry.

“You can have as much as you want, okay? Listen, I don’t know what you are or why you’re here, but I really wanna make it up to you after... all that. Maybe we could be friends? I’m Casey.”

He took a swig from the bottlecap and gave them a small smile. “Harvest.”

edit: i have a g/t sideblog now! @smallsday

hope you guys enjoyed this oneshot! :)

general drabbles taglist:

@icyheart-and-friends

@kira-the-whump-enthusiast

@lilac-and-lemon-whumps

@whuarri

@whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump

@whumpycries

#g/t #whump #tiny whump #g/t whump #my writing #borrowers #poison #accidental whump #rescue #caretaking #starvation #begging #sickfic #whump writing

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chin-chilla01 · 4 months

Text

Foxtown, Chapter One

Tanjiro ventures out into the woods and gets caught in a blizzard

Word count: 3800

A tanuki let out an irritated grunt as he pulled a small metal cage out from under a heavy blanket of snow.

The trap was cold to the touch and empty, save for what little bait was still left inside.

"This isn't good…" Tanjiro sighed as he inspected the cage briefly before putting it off to the side with the five other different traps he'd collected on his route.

With winter hitting its full swing in just a couple of days the whole village has been scrambling around to make sure their fully prepared; not just for the animals that would be hibernating but for others who had a very high chance of just getting trapped inside because of the heavy snow falls that came around in there area. That meant harvesting the final crops, collecting whatever supplies, and storing up on everything you think you'd need, because the odds of being able to go out and find it would be slim to none.

The Kamado family was no exception to this mad dash for food storage before they needed to hibernate. Their mother Kie had been working extra hard all autumn to make sure their vegetable harvest would be plentiful, and Nezuko and himself were the ones to gather any protein (Nezuko taking to fishing while Tanjiro dealt with the more gruesome hunting)

Technically as Tanuki, and members of this specific village, the family usually refrained from eating any meat because they didn't need it to survive most of the time. Many of their neighbor's were smaller animals like birds, mice and rabbits. It just felt wrong to be eating another animal knowing a very kind squirrel lived just up the road. As Omnivores, the Kamado family usually ate more fish and vegetables than anything, but they switched it up during the winter because of the youngest members.

The Tanuki family were among those who went to sleep from November to April, waking up only to clean up or eat something before going right back into their instinctual slumber. They were a family of seven, with three of them still being far from old enough to go out on their own, so Tanjiro's mother likes to make sure they still got extra food whenever they did wake up, keeping them strong and healthy so they would grow up properly. A habit she had picked up on when their, now deceased, father was around. He always had to have a little extra fat and protein during the winter because of his natural frailty.

So this prep work was something Tanjiro has long since been used to. Ever since he had properly learned transformation and was able to move around outside their burrow on his own he had immediately taken up to the chores, and took them more seriously every year as their family grew larger.

The issue at hand was that winter came earlier than anyone thought it would, or at least the snow did. Many villagers' crops got frozen over, the rivers too, and all the smaller animals people would hunt all vanished into their own homes. So the food storage the family had was strikingly low right now. It made Tanjiro feel worried for them, he didn't mind giving up some of his portions for the winter but he dared not let Nezuko or Takeo do the same, no matter how much they insisted.

'This section is completely empty too.' Tanjiro had done some walking around, scenting the air this way and that in an attempt to find anything at this point. Unfortunately any scent he did catch was stale, empty burrows and old migration trails. He was getting desperate, so much so that he had even started to turn towards the mountain, an area completely off limits for the residents that made the base of it their home…

"Tanjiro!"

Tanuki ears flicked up and over at the call of his name, making the Hanafuda earrings pierced into them flutter about.

"Taaaanjiiiroooo!!"

He turned just in time to feel the yellow blur slam into his midsection, knocking the air out of him and falling back into the snow. In an unfortunate chain of events he landed right on his tail, crying out at the sudden pain that shot up his back side and that caused snow on the branches above him to drop their gefty snow pile right on the pair of them.

"Aahhhh!! Cold cold cold!" The blurr, Zenitsu, quickly leapt up into the air and started flailing wildly in a circle, shaking away the frozen water before it melted into his dry clothing.

"Zenitsu that hurt!" Tanjiro scolded the older mouse. "You can't just tackle people like that, it's rude, you could have just grabbed my arm."

"But you didn't hear me the first few times!"

Zenitsu was a resident of the village, a mouse specifically. Tanjiro remembers the unfortunate years when his ears were too big for his head. He had once been told that the Blonde boy had been found half starved right outside the village and the old man up the road had taken him and another boy in. Now they were their own little nest. It was him and some other human child living out in the woods that Tanjiro would call his best friends.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" Tanjiro asked after dusting snow off his own body. They were really far from town honestly, no one dared move out this far because of multiple reasons. Mostly that it was dangerous; predators lived farther out here, and no one could reach you if you called for help.

"Kaigaku and I are out collecting food." Zenitsu turned to point to a large woven basket nearby. From here Tanjiro couldn't see inside it, but he assumed it was things like mushrooms and nuts.

There likely wasn't very much either…

"Trying a few more times before winter?" Tanjiro asked.

For a moment Zenitsu looked surprised. "Last attempt for the season." When Tanjiro only tilted his head in confusion, that surprise turned to panic. "Tanjiro, there's a huge blizzard coming!"

"What?" Now it was the Tanuki's turn to look surprised. He even looked up and around, not a cloud in the sky and there wasn't even any wind. "Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure I can hear it!"

Most of the village would call Zenitsu a quack for saying stuff like that, but Tanjiro really wasn't one to judge him. He'd seen first hand how Zenitsu ears picked up on things others couldn't (plus he had his nose). At first he thought it was just a mouse thing but turns out it was a Zenitsu thing, he remembered sitting out in a field with the blonde and he would tell him all the things he heard: approaching animals, an oncoming breeze, sometimes he could even predict what people were going to say in a conversation because he could hear what they were feeling.

It was a shame Zenitsu was such a scaredy cat and wouldn't go hunting, he'd be a valuable asset.

"If it's you saying it I'll believe it." Tanjiro said nervously as his maroon eyes once again looked to the sky, the harmless blue sky. One he noticed had started to get darker, was it that late already?

"Once it arrives no ones going to be doing any more foraging. There's a lot of people out right now doing the same- ah wait why are you out here?"

"We don't have enough protein in the store burrow." Tanjiro appreciated the fact Zentisu didn't cringe or grimace at the word. Most others would shy away. It was an unspoken thing around the village to not talk about those kinds of things, as most of the residents were prey animals. But Zentisu had been Tanjiros friend for so long he didn't mind anymore, he knew the Tanuki wouldn't dare try anything. Plus he had a huge crush on his sister and was willing to bend over backwards for her, so that helped too.

"So your way out here?" Brown eyes nervously glanced around the forest; it was deathly quiet (to tanjiro anyway) with all the snow everywhere and for some that could be eerie. Tanjiro liked it though.

"I checked all my traps already and nothing was there. So I've been hoping to find something but no luck. I'm thinking I might try my luck up the mountain."

"Up the mountain?!" Zenitsu looked like he was struck by lightning with how his hair suddenly puffed up in alarm. "You can't do that -I know you're kind of a carnivore- but wolves and stuff live up the mountain! Plus that's where FoxTown is!"

FoxTown was exactly that: a village made up entirely of foxes. At least according to the older villagers. Tanjiro had never been, and as far as he knew not many others have either. It was because of the stories the older people would pass down to the younger generations that kept them away, they told them about how vicious and bloodthirsty foxes were. They could be meaner than wolves and were tricksters by nature. Taking joy in playing with their prey before eating it, almost like torture for entertainment. They were also powerful, with transformations similar to the Tanuki. The stories were also exaggerated saying things about how the more tails a fox had the more they ate and that meant they always were snatching up others to eat. That their appetite was never ending and they could make you see things if you weren't careful.

Tanjiro remembered being told by old man Jigoro that if you see lights in the woods while on the mountain to always move in the opposite direction of them, as that was likely a Fox Fire. A tactic used by them to trick you into thinking you were seeing village lights, and thus drawing you farther in away from safety so they could catch you…

The idea of being tricked like that scared Tanjiro a little. Foxes really were scary… he was certain most of the stories weren't true, but his mother often told him that no matter how wild the story, the truth was in there somewhere… The story had to start somewhere.

"Fox town or not…" the Tanuki pulled himself from his thoughts with a shake of his head. "I need to bring back something! Especially if this really is the last day."

"If they see you they're gonna eat you!" Zenitsu protested more, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and shaking him.

"Not if I look like one of them!" Tanjiro was certain they weren't cannibals.

"Eh?" Zenitsu looked stupefied. "Look like them-? Hey wait, have you been practicing your transformation!?"

Tanjiro couldn't help but smile widely. He was quite proud of how far he'd come! It wasn't very hard for him to change into a Racoon dog, other things were naturally much harder. But he'd been practicing for situations just like this! He wanted to appear like another animal so he could travel more, hunt more when they needed it!

Zenitsu still didn't look sure so Tanjiro would just have to show him. The change was swift and unfortunately left his clothing behind, but the blonde Mouse would be staring wide eyed at a Cross Fox, with a single tail of course. He was small for a fox but Tanjiro couldn't help that yet.

"Woah, your coat is black and red!"

"I'm still practicing." Tanjiro shook himself free of the checkered Haori on the ground.

"So my colors are just the same as my hair I guess. I don't know how to make it look orange."

"This is already really impressive though, Tanjiro! You don't fully sound like a fox though…"

"I don't know much about their sounds." The fluffy tail behind him drooped slightly. "I've never met a fox before after all!"

"I hope you never will, gramps met one once!"

"Oh?" The ears on Tanjiro's ears perked up. Another thing he couldn't change was the fact his earrings would be visible.

"Yeah it's how he got that scar on his cheek! He said he fought mad to get away. It's the only time he'd ever used the phrase 'trapped like a rat'." Taniro learned the hard way that mice did not like being called rats. He was also well aware that prey animals could be just as vicious as predators when their life was on the line.

"What happened?" Tanjiro asked, fox eyes wide.

Zentisu puffed his chest, proud to tell such a cool story about his grandpa. "It tried to eat him! He said its mouth was huge and it had super sharp teeth! Its fur looked rough, like he hadn't bathed in days and he was feral!"

"And mister Jigoro got away!?"

"He did! He even said he kicked a few of that nasty foxes' teeth out!"

Some of the elders were so cool. Tanjiro looked starry eyed, he was eager to get home and tell his younger siblings the same story. He could already see Rokutos wide eyes and Hanako cheering on the old mouse up the road.

Speaking of his family…

Tanjiro lookee up again before jumping to his paws. "I get going Zenitsu!"

"Wait, you're still going up the mountain!?" The boy reached out to the fox even as he watched it stuff his clothing under some roots in the snow to hide them.

"I have to! I can't go back empty handed-"

"But the blizzard!"

"Exactly!" The fox turned to his friend, puffed up and stubborn. "I'll be okay! I know my limits and will come back as quickly as I can!"

"But Tanjiro-"

"Actually Zenitsu-" the boy froze. "Nezuko is probably still out trying to fish! She should be at the river right next to town, can you go tell her what's going on? About me and more importantly the weather?" They really had to make sure everything was ready this evening.

Zenitsu jumped and saluted the fox, face becoming dead serious. "I will! I will go find Nezuko right now!!" And with what sounded like a small clap of thunder the mouse was gone, basket and all.

"I knew that would get him off my back." Tanjiro chuckled, it sounded weird coming from a fox but he'd have to get used to it quickly. He could be stuck like this for several hours after all.

After making sure his things were properly stuffed into hiding, he took a moment to pause and look back the way he'd come before heading deeper into the forest.

Tanjiro had never gone this far before, the forest got denser, the elevation more intense and more rocks and cliffs to bar his path. He knew it wouldn't be easy but with more difficulty came opportunity, more cracks and hiding places for smaller mammals and luck was apparently on his side. He caught the scent of rabbits.

He had hunted before in his Racoon Dog form, and truthfully it wasn't that different as a fox. Except for his legs being a little longer and coat less thick- he couldn't mimic a winter coat as he hadn't ever seen one on a fox before. Regardless, catching them was easy. He followed the small critters all the way back to their burrow and used his skinny paws and nose to dig them back out. Two satisfied meals for the road.

It was just in time too because as he quickly made his way back down the mountain the wind was starting to pick up speed and drop in temperature, he also couldn't ignore the rather heavy scent of something following him.

Whatever it was had been lurking around him for a while now, it had first appeared when he had really gotten into the thick part of the woods, and if it weren't for his sensitive nose he might not have noticed it at all. It was clearly good at hunting because no matter how Tanjiro tried to locate it, it remained hidden. It made the fur stand on end along his back. Was it a fox or probably worse a wolf? Was an owl or a hawk hunting him from the air?

Several times he would stop and turn around to look at the brush and trees, but see nothing but the quiet forest and snow, which just elevated his panic. His instincts were telling him he had to get out of there, he was being hunted.

Snow had now started to mix in with the howling wind. It was coming down faster and heavier than Tanjiro had ever felt before, almost blocking his vision completely. He began to feel fear when he realized that the fresh powder was starting to cover up the scent trail he was following to get back home.

'No, no, no-!' He thought, teeth clenching into the rabbits in his mouth as he began to pick up the pace. He cared less about getting away from the thing behind him and more for getting out of the unknown territory. If he could just get to some kind of landmark he recognized he'd be okay! The more rational part of his brain was telling him he should find shelter, a tree root he could quickly burrow into or some crevice between the boulders and to wait the storm out till it ended.

Unfortunately the more stubborn side of him wouldn't let his legs stop moving. He had to get back home, not just because of the food but because he knew his family would be worried sick about him being stuck outside in a blizzard. They would be safe inside the burrow, warmed by a fire, and that eased Tanjiro's mind just a little bit. Even as a heavy wind nearly knocked him over.

Tanjiro let out a surprised yip as he stumbled, one paw collided with something hard under the snow and it sent pain all the way up that leg. One of the rabbits slipped from his mouth as he cried out in pain and he watched in horror as it started to roll away from him-

Tanjiro scrambled awkwardly after it, trying to catch it but being so unused to the fox-like body that he couldn't focus, he flailed out in the snow, trying to stop his precious kill from getting away. He lunged forward, his paws landing right on it and for a moment he felt the sweet elation of victory and relief.

Before the ground under him suddenly lurched forward with his weight and he felt himself briefly floating out into the air. He looked down with wide eyes to see craggy rock and snow several feet below him. All the white in his vision and panic had completely tunnel visioned him to the point he couldn't tell he had been running right for a cliff.

Everything slowed down. His red eyes dilating with adrenaline, mouth falling open so his other rabbit fell out as a panicked yowl ripped itself from his throat. He flipped in the air and flailed around madly, trying to grab hold of anything to stop his fall but he had slipped too far away.

In an instant it all sped up again, his violent mid air thrashing and the oncoming ground below.

He felt pain shoot through his head and then everything went dark.

Tanjiro liked autumn the most; the red and yellow leaves were such a beautiful sight to him, he could watch his siblings prance about and jump into the piles had made for them. The temperature was the perfect level of cool so that it didn't bite at his skin, but cooled him under his thick coat or clothing.

The crisp air always smelled clean and natural, the scent of the dirt under his paws as he went on a small stroll with his sister was relaxing, the sound of a river before it would freeze over added to the atmosphere. Being able to lounge pleasantly on a rock as the breeze shook the leaves around him like music as he watched the sky was one of his favorite things to do when he had a free moment. It would be even better when his younger siblings would come to join him and they would make a game out of cloud watching.

His family always brought out the warmest and most tender feelings in him. The feeling of them pressed against him with all the younger kids huddled in the nest for warmth and their mothers bushy tail laying across them like the softest blanket in the world. He wanted that so badly right now.

Right now though he felt his paws crunching under brittle leaves as padded quickly through the woods. His little Raccoon Dog nose would occasionally tilt upwards to catch a whiff of something, smoke and ash, before he quickly started on his journey again.

He wasn't sure where he was going, and he wasn't sure if he was just walking in circles. Everything in this forest looked exactly the same, the same shades of red, yellow and orange. The same sounds. The only thing that seemed to change was that scent, it would get stronger and stronger as his little paws carried him forwards. He was getting so eager to find its source that he had started a quick trott and was ready to break into a full run.

But then suddenly it was in front of him.

Maple leaves, neatly raked up into a large pile, just waiting to be jumped into. But oddly enough small tendrils of smoke were curling their way out of the open spaces of the pile, like it was a hot day and the dry leaves were just starting to catch fire.

That's what it smelled like anyway.

Fire was something to be feared but respected, his father had taught him that early on. Because, while a blaze could destroy entire forests, they still used fire to warm themselves in their burrow and used it to light dark rooms to feel safe. They used it to cook their food too.

Fire could be friend or foe.

But this felt alive. As Tanjiro sniffed at the air, paws slowly inching him closer to the pile, the scent of husky maple and smoke wrapped him up and made him feel warm. It was like a comfortable warm blanket was wrapped around him and the scent was just elevating the relaxed sensation that was slowly spreading throughout his body.

He wanted more of it, wanted this smell to completely take him over.

Tanjiro stuck his nose right into the pile of leaves and felt something wet. He felt a force push back against him and slowly, but never breaking the contact, pulled his head back. He watched an orange muzzle slowly creep out from below the leaves, its wet nose pressed against his own and he dared not pull away.

Suddenly the leaves exploded, falling around him in a beautiful rain of warm colors. For a brief moment, through the falling leaves, Tanjiro saw it: warm golden fur, dark paws and golden eyes.

A fox.

His heart skipped a beat.

It was beautiful.

And then he woke up.

#rentan #kyotan #fox rengoku #rengoku x tanjiro #tanuki tanjiro #demon slayer fanfic

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vmproducts · 8 months

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Ways to Control Mice Infestation in Your Bedrooms

Mice come into your home searching for a couple of things: food, warmth, and water. If you don't watch out, your room may very well be the ideal spot for them to call their own ah, it feels good to be back home. While they're there investigating all that your space brings to the table, they could advance onto your bed. Eek! Assuming this sounds like something out of your bad dreams, luckily there are steps you can remove to keep mice from your bed.

Step-by-step instructions to Get Mice Far From Your Bed

Keep things clean.

Your room can give you an incredibly comfortable spot to settle, particularly assuming that you habitually leave garments on the floor, cups on your bedside table, and snacks helpful. When mice find your messy room, your bed may be the following stop for investigating. Make your room less welcoming to rodents by keeping garments flawlessly coordinated and restricting food and beverages in your room.

Quit eating in bed.

Mice are pioneers, so the scraps abandoned on your bed are fair game for supper time. While it's good to keep food out of your room, it's particularly vital to quit eating in bed because a mouse's delicate nose will lead it right under your covers to the pieces.

Raise your bed off of the floor.

Did you realize mice are amazing jumpers? These unimposing rodents can hop up to 13″ off the floor. Beddings measure roughly 8″H to 12″H, making it entirely workable for mice to jump straight up whenever left on the floor.

Move your bed away from the wall.

Mice are incredible climbers and can run up almost any harsh, vertical surface. On the off chance that your wall has a tad of surface, a mouse could make the trip straightforwardly up to your bed. Moving your bed simply an inch or two away from the wall can make it much harder for a mouse to get entrance.

Try not to make a mouse ladder.

Try not to make it simple for mice to advance onto your bed! Try not to heap things near your bed, which can make way for getting to your rest space.

Fill breaks and openings in the wall.

Did you realize mice can fit through openings as little as the size of a dime? Review within and beyond your home to check whether you have any dime-sized breaks or openings in the walls that should be filled. Reward: this will likewise assist with keeping different nuisances from attacking your space.

Rodent Bait Stations.

Assuming you suspect you could have this rat in your home, don't offer it the chance to advance into your bed. Consider setting mouse traps to leave them speechless and keep them from cozying up with you. If you are a certified Pest expert, "VM Products" in Bedford, TX offers Rodent Bait Station and various pest control devices to Pest Control agencies. You can order through our website: https://www.vmproducts.com/

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brdpch · 1 year

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{6} a game of cats, mice and hearts like ice

desktop: previous ✧ next mobile: previous ✧ next

synopsis: in the world of deadly games and their lives at risk, a very smart sociopath meets a very cunning stripper who claims his life as hers.

warnings: canon-typical violence, graphic descriptions of violence, sexual abuse, substance abuse, niragi, literally everything, you name it.

formatting: it's a glued-together dynamic roleplay between me and @bvrdel-mama, so the replies are separated by ♠♥♦♣, and the dialogues are written like — This. — yes, the symbols look horrible on mobile, we know.

statistics: 2,509 words 13,625 characters.

author's note: it's a mix of manga!chishiya with show!chishiya. also! what's worth noticing - in this rp there are dice involved. the mechanic is called a d20 mechanic, and it's based on dungeons and dragons 5th edition. we also use other dice rolls for other outcomes, so future events might surprise both me and my roleplaying partner. enjoy!

He was… something else. He didn't try to pull out, but instead - laughed at her, genuinely. Unmei was taken aback just a little bit, before she let go, shaking her head and smirking.

— You will never get me out of your head. — she said before Shuntarō sprinted away, not caring if he heard her or not.

The thought crossed her mind - was she wrong and was he actually a psychopath, and not a sociopath?

Chishiya wasn't an esper, as they said in japan, so he couldn't predict the future. Tagger's attention was now on Unmei, but it was okay, she already planned how she could use it to her advantage. Such a silly boy, thinking he could put her in any danger?

— Tagger is well prepared for a fight! — she shouted towards others, on her knees, getting to the stairs she seen Chishiya for the last time. — Tackle him and look out for a second or third „it”! — she added, before inhaling. — The safe zone is on the fourth floor, apartment 478! Tagger prevented anyone from coming closer, that's the location! I'm trapped here, but I'm counting on you!

What she said last could really motivate the rest of the players. It gave sense of being a team, of fighting together, of protecting that fragile little figure they all saw in the lobby.

Shaggy picked up quickly, Hawaii and Beach members one and two already teaming up against the horse-head. Unmei took her military knife out of her belt, and swung it open in one swift move, before she took careful steps down the stairs. If tagger chose them instead of the elevator, she'd be able to run up again.

three minutes remaining.

She smiled.

She really liked Chishiya.

♠♥♦♣

Chishiya laughed again, hearing the last words of Unmei to him before he disappeared down the staircase. She's a very funny girl, he thought.

His hair was falling out of the neat bun he made, so he had to re-do it. He got it just right as Unmei's voice echoed throughout the complex. She shouted the location of the safe zone, playing on the heartstrings and good will of other participants - very risky as people, normally egoistic, under pressure turn into even more self-centered caricatures of themselves. On the other hand, her lost foreigner persona was really convincing and may work.

Shuntarō grabbed his stun gun and bumped the tempo up when rushing through the floors until he got onto the 4th one. Here, he tried his best to keep himself crouched and unnoticed. It seemed that the bait worked on horse-heads, because apparently there could be more than one tagger - all of them should be focused on Unmei. Or at least at the player who just shouted the solution to everyone. He turned the corner and he saw the apartment number he was looking for. The marathon girl was pretty close too, climbing on the walls and jumping around like a rabbit caught in a net.

♠♥♦♣

His logic was good, yet a bit flawed. Unmei already knew other players were going to cooperate. Shaggy and his friend offered help in the first place.

As Chishiya made his way to the door, Shaggy and Unmei did too. She's heard gunshots in the distance, and to her liking, a pretty far one. So Beach members and Hawaii really tried to take the horseman down.

Good.

She kept herself alert anyway, thinking that with an unlimited amount of players could come an unlimited amount of taggers.

one minute remaining.

She made a run for it, feeling as if her lungs were burning. Oh, how she hated physical effort - running in particular.

Shuntarō could hear Unmei's steps somewhere behind him.

— [english] You really are my type. — she exclaimed. — Clock's ticking, though! Hurry!

♠♥♦♣

The lanky basement dweller came to the door at the same time as him, they exchanged glances and opened the door, but Chishiya stopped when he heard the barefoot footsteps running up to him.

His gaze snapped when he heard Unmei's voice behind him - there was a brief shadow of smirk on his face, but then his eyes widened. One of the horsemen with a machete just turned the corner from one of the staircases, and was running up directly towards Unmei.

Chishiya grabbed his stun gun in his left hand, he then took Unmei by her right shoulder and pulled her into the room, switching places with her just as the horseman swung their blade directly over his head. Chishiya dodged the sharp edge of the machete by inches - it made a tear in his favorite hoodie - but then managed to jab the stun gun directly into the attacker's torso. The horseman stood there for a second, convulsing in place, their weapon held high above their head ready for another attack. When the pulse of energy stopped coursing through their body, they let go of it.

The next two sounds that echoed through the apartment complex were clink of the blade and the thud of the attackers body. A smell of burned flesh started to fill the air around them.

— Now... we're... even... — said Chishiya to Unmei, breathing heavily, walking into the room once again.

♠♥♦♣

As Unmei felt Shuntarō's sudden pull, her eyes opened wide, still ablaze - but this time, something about the fire inside them was different. Was she perhaps enjoying this, too?

She panted heavily, letting Shaggy and Sporty into the room, free to press buttons to stop the bombs in the building. And then, Unmei just in case, did something pretty unexpected - she crouched on top of tagger, lifted their head and - tearing off their mask - slit their throat with little to no effort.

She knew exactly where to cut, and that old military knife wasn't just a prop, apparently. Chishiya's perceptive eyes noticed „Stalker II” on the handle, suggesting there's another one with „Stalker I”. It was hand-crafted into the wood inside said handle.

congratulations.

game clear.

Unmei was about to let go of - apparently - woman's head, when the collar on horse-head's neck exploded, leaving the girl covered in blood, pieces of skin and flesh. Unmei stood there in silence, stunned.

♠♥♦♣

Chishiya backed away as Unmei tore the horseman's mask off to reveal an unconscious woman hiding inside. And stood there - hands in his pockets, leaning on the doorframe with his chin upwards and his gaze following every movement of the knife. „Stalker” - an interesting name, he thought. He completely ignored the pair who rushed into the room and clicked the buttons in a matter of seconds before the building was about to explode.

He heard the woman choke on her own blood before a slight beeping sound could be heard, coming from her collar; he instinctively ducked behind the corner and when he came back Unmei was standing there by the woman - a red bloody mess covered in flesh and brain matter. Chishiya looked at her and sneered but then furrowed his brows for a second, noticing a piece of paper sticking out from the horsewoman's jacket pocket.

— You should wash up before we take off, it's tough to find a good car cleaner in the city these days. — he said, before crouching and pretending to examine the woman's body, and then discretely snatching the piece of paper just to put it into his hoodie pocket.

♠♥♦♣

Unmei blinked a few times, wiping her blade on horsehead's clothes, and then shook some of their blood off her hands.

— I have bad news, doctor. She's dead. — she said with a cold and sarcastic tone of voice, her face back to having barely any emotions visible. She sighed at the sight of Chishiya examining a dead woman's body.

— If you want to be useful, check out her equipment and her clothes. — she added, before she took off Niragi's shirt, turned it to the other side and wiped her face.

♠♥♦♣

Shuntarō knew Unmei gave absolutely no fucks that he was there to supervise her, and he didn't give a fuck that she talked to him this way - ordering him around - but if it was someone else - like Aguni for example - she would had her throat slit. Chishiya chuckled lightly at her comment - she really was funny when she didn't pretend to be stupid.

He then pretended to pat down the woman before raising the machete in the air, turning to Unmei, still crouched.

— An „I'm-sorry-I-ruined-your-shirt” gift for your boyfriend, hm? — he asked sarcastically.

♠♥♦♣

Unmei rolled her eyes, crouching near the dead body, searching through various pockets - padding the legs, arms, torso.

— Niragi is a long distance shooter. I, on the other hand, am not a fan of weapons. Especially deceptive ones. — she answered. — By the way, I hope you'll be a dear and share your shoes, hm? Or should I tell Niragi that you tried to kill me?~ — she hummed, but her face was as uninterested as ever.

♠♥♦♣

Shuntarō forcefully exhaled through his nose, smirking. He then stood up and leaned on the doorframe again, crossing his hands.

— Kill you? I simply tried to test you, see how well you work under ever-changing circumstances - a principal attribute of every executive. Besides you wanted me out of your way and got what you wished for. — he shrugged, then nodded to the corpse. — Try hers, she might be willing to part with her shoes. — he mirrored Unmei's tone.

♠♥♦♣

— Behind the façade and complicated sentences with unnecessarily well matched words you just spat out, lies a lie. — she murmured. — Let me quote you, then, refresh that unreliable memory of yours.

Unmei cleared her throat, wiping her hands and thighs from the blood. She slowly made her way towards the elevator, but continued speaking.

— „I am here to simply observe passively and help you as a last resort”. — she stated, and then turned her head back, looking at him behind her arm. — You didn't lie then, there wasn't that glimmer in your eyes, the same one as you laughed before sprinting away. Borderline personality disorder? — she then questioned, raising a brow.

♠♥♦♣

Unmei noticed the same glimmer in his eye, again. Chishiya chuckled quietly, passing the girl, walking in front towards the elevator.

— No, just a whole lot of sarcasm you didn't get, and an ASPD. — he said over his shoulder. — You have my permission to tell Niragi, by the way. — he hummed while walking into the elevator and pushing the bottom floor button not waiting for her to catch up.

♠♥♦♣

— I don't need any permission, kitten. — she stated matter-of-factly, getting into the elevator right behind him. She needed some rest, some peace and quiet, a foot massage and a shower. Not exactly in that order.

— Although, it would be boring if someone blew a hole through your head. I just prevented that once.

♠♥♦♣

— Of course you don't. — he said coldly, shrugging. His head was pounding and his heartbeat still fast, the leftover emotions leaving his body as he felt the adrenaline course through his veins. His hands were slightly shaking, so he put them in the pockets of his hoodie, checking if the paper was still in there.

— And I returned the favor, didn't I? — he said leaning on the elevator wall, his chin upwards looking directly into Unmei's eyes.

♠♥♦♣

— Ah, I meant precisely shooting you. My actions would go to waste if Niragi took you out. And also… — she didn't avert his gaze, getting a few steps closer. — I can't wait to play with you again.

♠♥♦♣

Shuntarō chuckled again and tilted his head at the woman. He could hear her heartbeat, as fast as his. The way she said these words made his own sped up again, and he shivered slightly at the thought of the thrill he felt today.

— Likewise. — he nodded and smirked.

There were a few seconds of silence broken by Chishiya this time.

— So, what's your real name, Fate? — he inquired, looking at her curiously this time.

♠♥♦♣

Unmei took one more step, being as close as possible, their chests pressed against each other. She stood on her tiptoes, and Shuntarō could feel her hot breath against his ear.

— It's Irma Stalker-Schrödinger. — she whispered, something playful in her tone.

♠♥♦♣

Their hearts beaten in unison now, and if she could see Chishiya's eyes, she would notice that they got a bit wider than usual.

— Hm, that's a mouthful. — he said not moving an inch or shifting, his voice lower now. — Irma. — he rolled it on his tongue.

♠♥♦♣

— Eer-mah. — she corrected him, with a German accent now, as she was taking a step back. She breathed out her name right on his neck.

♠♥♦♣

Shuntarō crossed arms on his chest, a slight shiver running down his spine.

— You're a long way from home, Irma. - he said, smirking. — Why the fake name? — he asked. — No one's here to deport you, you know.

♠♥♦♣

As Unmei stepped back, she almost immediately turned to the door, like she tried to hide something. Maybe it was the way the fire flickered in her icy eyes, or maybe it was because she was out of breath. Or maybe because it was cold and her shirt was wet from blood.

She embraced herself once again.

— Well, how do you know where I'm from? — she asked, a bit cynically, yet full of curiosity.

♠♥♦♣

Chishiya stood there in the same position, analyzing her body language. Closed now, she won't answer his question. That's fine, he was trying to pass the time in the quiet ride down towards the bottom anyway.

— I assumed. — he shrugged. — The accent, the name, just the general appearance of someone who doesn't belong in this part of the globe. — he added matter-of-factly.

♠♥♦♣

— Germany is close to where I was born. — she assured, as he was really close to the truth.

♠♥♦♣

— Austria then. — he said, though there was no question mark at the end.

♠♥♦♣

— No~ — she sang, clearly amused.

♠♥♦♣

Ding.

The elevator was all the way down now, and as the door opened Shuntarō went up to the door but stopped for a second.

— Fine, I like to solve riddles too. It's mercy, by the way. — he said, meeting Irma's gaze and smirking, before walking out towards where they left the car.

♠♥♦♣

She just smiled and nodded, still pretty much amused. She shivered from the cold and walked slowly, watching her steps carefully, so as to not injure her feet.

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