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szallejh · 3 years

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First Steps

Blink of an Eye - Part 1

Took me quite a bit to update the next chapter, sorry for that! It’s not that it hasn’t been written yet - I simply wasn’t at home (:

I don’t even know if anyone wants to read this. Anyway! If you do, enjoy ~

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I sat down on the grass to try and sort out the absolute mess in my head.

After I had closed my eyes and taken a few deep breaths, I realized that I had no other choice but to accept my current situation. Even if this did end up being a dream, or some kind of bad trip, I was at least safe for now. And on the off chance that this was now my new reality, I figured that I didn’t want to endanger my life any more than necessary.

I threw a glance down at my body. What I saw was the typical Asuran body structure: slim shoulders and nothing that appeared to be breasts. From the waist down, it looked to be all sorts of clumsy.

Perhaps it wasn't the most desirable-looking figure compared to human standards, but maybe the male Asura had different definitions of beauty instead?

The thought made me giggle aloud, the strange sound of my new voice catching me off-guard in the moment.

That’s still not my voice! I thought. But with each syllable, the voice grew to be more familiar.

A hum escaped my throat. It's the same as tiring your voice to where it sounds terribly hoarse. It'll reach a point where you can't even remember how your voice sounds in a healthy condition.

Eyes looked down to observe what I was now wearing.

My clothing was very simple. I wore a cream-colored shirt which was corded up to the top and was fitted with blue shoulder pads. The cloth was garnished with pastel blue and pink geometrical figures.

A skirt of similar color sat snug on my waist, the front of it opened to reveal a pair of dark brown pants underneath. The material was comfortable, and soft to the touch. Also sitting around my hips, was a dark wide belt which was equipped with a few smaller bags. Opening one of them had revealed some copper, silver and even a handful of gold pieces.

I lifted up a foot, looking down to see my shoes were made of dark leather and crafted in such a way that allowed my claw-like toes to be freed.

With a raised arm, I spread my digits outward to look at the gloves they were now sporting. The material was in the same color of my shirt, and decorated with blue cubes.

Well, not too bad for a start.

A backpack sat nestled in between my legs, its contents containing a few food supplies, a filled water pouch, and a map. There were also a bunch more items stuffed into it, but I had never seen them before so I had no clue of what each of their purposes could be.

In a side flap was an attached hammer, which was quite impressive and rather heavy. It had the typical-asuran designs too. I reached down to grab hold of it in my hands, figuring it to be a rather suitable fighting weapon.

Wait a moment!

While only virtual and with my keyboard, I had fought many times before. But I had never actually held a real weapon before, and my combat experience was practically non-existent.

This was the real world of Tyria though, and that meant I wouldn’t be able to skip fights completely.

The thought of potentially really hurting someone with this hammer made me feel fairly uncomfortable.

Or rather, I could get hurt in combat myself.

I shoved the thought away and hastily plugged the hammer back into its flap. The sun still stood high in the sky, but I figured that I couldn’t sit on this meadow forever.

First things first, I needed to search for an accommodation for the night. And then I would start working on gaining control of my new life.

With a sigh I stood up, and shouldered the backpack. I kept an eye out for a location that could be proven promising for a night quarter.

Just a few meters beside me was a winding path that led into the landscape. From what I could see, it was leading towards the direction to a few cubic buildings. With a nod, I followed the path, staying attentive and watching the nearby surroundings.

Who knew what dangers hung around this place, searching for prey?

Occasionally there would be bundles of trees outlining the area, the similar-looking foliage granting me some sense of familiarity to my previous world.

On the left side of the path I was walking on, I spotted a small platform hovering in the air. Stony footbridges led towards it, its construct sheltered by three pyramidal frames filled with glittering blue diaphragms in the center.

The closer I came to the platform, the louder I could hear a steady, humming and buzzing noise filling the air around me. I figured its source had to have been the structure's glittery blue middles.

Floating all around the platform were small cubes. Some of them were overgrown with pink and blue plants, a few even covered with vines that were wired to the ground.

Although I had seen this more than once before in-game, it had never made such a majestic impression as much as it did right now.

Slowly I ascended one of the footbridges, unsure if the construction was truly as steady as it looked.

Above I could see two golems standing guard. "Whoa!" I muttered, not wanting to mess with them. Luckily for me, they seemed to be in some kind of standby-mode which was made apparent by their beeping and lack of obvious care when I walked by.

Curious as I was, I reached out to stroke one of the vines growing on the platform with my hand. Startled, I retracted my hand very quickly when it constricted under my touch.

You've never been the one for plants... I thought to myself. I carefully descended the platform, suddenly glad there hadn't been any rain recently to turn the mossy stones into a slippery trap.

To my right was a classic laboratory which appeared to be housing a brisk-looking business. Everywhere I looked were Asura. Their appearances were diverse, and they bustled around while calling numbers and random tidbits of information to each other. If not that, then they were cursing aloud or beckoning to some absurd thing.

I didn’t dare to disturb them in their work, and continued walking towards the center of the town. There was little chance that a lab such as the ones I just saw would offer hotel rooms, which meant I needed to find better options.

Along the way, a few stray Asura and their golems briskly walked past me in a hurry, but none of them seemed to pay much attention to the stranger walking through their settlement. Few gave much greeting, and I kept my head hanging while muttering the occasional 'excelsior'.

While walking along, I started to feel anxious about my ability to find a rightful place in this new world.

How am I going to earn money to live? I asked myself.

I didn’t have the faintest notion of how golems worked, nor did I understand the techniques of something similar. With that lack of knowledge, I assumed most were going to call me the biggest-Skritt brained idiot in all of Tyria.

I sighed.

Perhaps there could be some dirty work that wasn't already completed by the golems around here.

At least I hoped so.

I threw a glance down to the coin pouch around my waist from when I had dropped into this new world. I still had a few gold coins, which meant I could possibly manage to get by for a couple of days. Hopefully by then, a better path would have revealed itself for me.

After walking through the town some more, I finally arrived at the city entrance. It was a big triangle made of stone, its sides both flanked by pillars of light.

Soren Draa, I remembered. At least that meant I was near Rata Sum, the main city of the Asura. And my midsection suddenly felt like it was doing somersaults.

I liked Rata Sum the most out of all other Tyrian cities, thus I couldn’t wait to see this masterpiece of architecture. Not only that, but to see the everyday life of the Asura who lived there with my own eyes.

I just had to walk through a simple portal in Soren Draa and...

I swallowed. What would portal-travelling feel like? I just hoped it wouldn’t feel similar to my previous arrival here…

Awestruck, I passed the light pillars and went through the city gate. A comfy sound originated from the pillars, similar to that of a technical humming. It wasn't loud enough to cause a bother, but it lingered all around.

Soren Draa on its own was a real masterpiece. A city - half built in stone with towers and floating hammocks. There were even hovering cubes that seemed to be planted with trees! Blue lights surrounded me everywhere I looked, and the sounds from the nearby labs assaulted me on all sides.

It was a choir of cries, clanking, beeping, humming, and golem's heavy metal steps echoing loudly on the stone.

I assumed I must have looked quite silly then, standing there with my mouth open and looking around in sheer awe.

Another Asura who had been standing just a few feet away and watching my astonishment finally spoke. "Each time you come to the city, it's a treat to the eyes, isn't it?"

Startled, I forced myself to close my gaping mouth once I realized someone had been watching me.

"Eh... yes. Absolutely fantastic. It's just as amazing as the first time I saw it", I said, staring at the ground to hide the blush ascending my neck.

The Asura shook his head in amusement, and when I finally dared to lift my head, he had long since disappeared back into the bustle.

Huh. Maybe I shouldn’t behave so stupidly next time, if I don’t want to be the main attraction today, I thought, staring towards the area the curious stranger had just been.

I straightened myself out and continued along the street, now attempting to look as inconspicuous as possible. I climbed an impressive amount of stairs, quickly taking notice of a portal at the end of the street which I knew would lead me to Rata Sum.

But seeing the intimidating portal was more than enough to snap me back to the reality that evening was coming, and I still wanted to rest a night before I hurled myself into the next possible adventure.

I glanced up to the sky, noticing that the fair blue color from the afternoon had now been replaced by varying tints of yellows, violets and pinks. The colors painted the clouds in whimsical patterns, and it created a window to look upon the first shining stars of the night.

When did it get this dark?

With another quick look around the area, I observed a pyramidal entrance just to the right. Even from the sliver of a doorway, I could see quite a few tables and chairs littered around inside. Above the entrance was a sign, which tagged the location as a tavern.

I blinked at the words, surprised I was even able to read the Asuran writing. Perhaps I didn't know how to work a golem, but at least I could read a strange new alphabet.

Happy to have finally found a place to stay for the night, I veered to the right to enter the tavern. Compared to the outside, it was far more bustling and busy-looking on the inside. But there were still a few empty tables, which meant there was a very good possibility that there would also be some available rooms as well.

Single-mindedly, I walked straight towards the counter to see a slightly-miffed looking Asura standing behind it. From the glance she threw at me, I wasn't sure if it was unfriendly or just annoyed.

The Asura had brown hair that was tied to a simple knot above her head. Her eyes were a dull-blue color that seemed to lack much expression behind them. But her ears - they were gigantic!

I knew that most Asura had really big ears, but these particular specimens had surpassed anything that I had seen so far. If they didn't extend out as far as they did, then they likely would have reached all the way down to her midsection.

“Excelsior. So, what do you want?” she spoke, her voice far louder than what I had expected from such a tiny body.

What did you expect from someone who works inside a tavern? A place that is almost always incredibly noisy?

I then cleared my throat. “Eh, I... I am searching for an available room tonight. And if that's possible, then maybe something to eat and drink as well."

I was readily made aware of how impolite I must have just sounded, but the Asura behind the bar didn't seem to mind. She toddled over to the wall behind her and took a key from it which was carved with the number 13.

Always a good sign.

She handed me the key. “That'll be a room for one night and one meal, which makes your total three silver.”

Nervous, I fumbled around the inside of my pouch until I was able to find the correct amount of coins before handing them to the innkeeper. She nodded, appearing satisfied before pointing me towards the direction of one of the empty tables. I walked over and sat down, waiting for my meal to arrive. It felt good to be able to sit after all of the tedious walking from today, and I rested my head upon my arms and closed my eyes.

It seemed these upcoming days were going to be incredibly long and possibly just as tiring.

#gw2 #guild wars 2 #gw2 fan submission #gw2 writing #blink of an eye

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velvetinewitch · 4 years

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#EDBFB7 #B5BFA1 #6E9887 :0 ? a very woodland-y vibe lol

i love this palette ahhh- okay, i needed practice with writing so this is a bit long haha. the colors are definitely a woodland-y vibe but they also make me think of sleeping beauty? SO, here’s a little change to a classic that i just thought up

[send me three hex codes and i’ll write something for them!]

The fairies had whisked Aurora away from the castle’s cold walls and into the woods that she’d grown to call home. They laid her to rest on a bed crafted from tulips, their petals like a watercolor painting. Her hands settled upon her chest. Her breathing was so shallow that it was almost as if she were dead- one might have fallen for the ruse if not for the rosiness of her cheeks. They were always red. She never seemed to stop blushing from the cold. Those who knew her- not her father, but her the fairies, and the forest beings, and even the girl who’d delivered produce to their cabin in the woods every month since they were twelve- knew that Aurora was quick to anger, quicker to embarrass. It was as if her blood was already rushing to her cheeks, to save time.

While her three fairy caretakers huddled around her bed, biting their nails in anticipation for the time that the rosiness would wilt, the forest changed around her. It knew Aurora as well as Aurora knew it, and she’d spent 16 years wandering those trees. Now their leaves had grown to shield her from the burn of the sun, branches twisting high above the sky. The water from the nearest creak had trickled downhill to surround her in a wide circle. It was a barrier to any who wished the princess harm- everyone knew creeks were the strongest form of protection. On the other side of the water, the folk of the forest had gathered round. Fairies hovered above. Owls and bluejays perched in the trees. A large, majestic deer stood guard beside a bundle of light colored rabbits, and even a small dragon had curled up around a trunk, watching Aurora with beady eyes. They all waited for a miracle to appear at the foot of the trickling the stream, but as the day wore on, none came.

At the cabin where Aurora had been raised, the chimney was still lit, and smoke wafted upward into the clouds. Omaira pushed the door open slowly, but no answer came when she called out the names of each of the fairies, and then Aurora’s. On a normal day, she would be greeted at the door by three kind, motherly (if not a little wild) smiles, and Aurora would rush down the stairs two at a time. Omaira had only seconds to place her basket on the nearest table before she was catching Aurora in her arms, tumbling back at the weight of her friend, and they’d laugh. Every month, on the same day, she’d make the journey. They’d lay the contents of the basket out and pick through the herbs, the spices, the fruits, and vegatables. The fairies would argue with Omaira, pushing their money at her, and Omaira would always refuse. “It’s nice enough just to visit,” she’d say, and she’d look to Aurora over their shoulders, but Aurora was never looking back.

The fire was still on, but it was beginning to fade. No food had been set out for dinner, which was strange, as Aurora would explore for hours, but she always came back for dinner, especially on a day like this. There was a cake on the counter, so tall it had begun to tilt, but even that hadn’t been touched, and the candles had melted away completely, the blue wax slipping onto the frosting. Omaira set her basket down on a chair. She’d brought sweets today, ones she’d spent forever struggling to bake. But Aurora wasn’t home, and her fairy guardian were missing as well, and the fire was still burning and they’d have put it out with a flick of a wand if they’d planned to leave. Omaira glanced at the door, which had steadily begun to open again. At its foot was a small snake, dark brown scales and a diamond pattern along his frame. The snake had nudged the door open and now stared expectantly up at her, his tongue flicking out in the air. Omaira, in the back of her mind, wondered if the snake could smell the baked goods in the room.

“Is Aurora okay?” she asked. She felt a bit silly, speaking to a snake, but animals were never normal when it came to Aurora. She had a specil skill with nature. Flowers never stopped blooming around her, even in the cold of winter. Deer never ran from her, moths flocked to her like she was a fire, and even the most dangerous of creatures fell in line when she near. When Omaira was twelve, she’d always been amazed to see it all; even now, it was still something to behold.

The snake locked eyes with her. She’s asleep, he hissed. On a bed in the woods, and she’ll sleep forever if you don’t wake her up.

Omaira had always known something like this would happen. Aurora brought nature to her doorstep, but she also brought trouble. The amount of times they’d nearly died on Aurora’s unplanned ventures... “Take me to her,” Omaira said. She used to be a voice of reason, before she met Aurora, too cautious to do anything wild.

The snake curled into a coil. I’m a messenger, he said. He sounded almost offended. Not a guide. The woods will show you the way. And then he unfurled himself and slithered away, leaving the door agape.

Omaria squared her shoulders. She grabbed the basket from the chair- if Aurora was alive after whatever this was, she’d want the sweets- and made her way outside. The sun had begun to set and in the darkening woods, a blueish light had began to glow. Omaira recognized the floating orb as a will-o'-the-wisp, although she’d never seen one before. She tugged her cloak further over her shoulders and marched towards it. The ghost light disappeared when she was feet away, and a second bobbed into existence further into the woods. Omaira followed them, struggling not to trip over branches and leaves, her shoesskidding against stray rocks.

It was hours before she heard the sound of water running. Soft pink lights shone in the distance and the final will-o'-the-wisp disappeared so only the gentle pastel lit the trees. Omaira made her way past the last of the treesand came into the clearing. Aurora lay at the center of a gathering of wild creatures, the flowers around her growing out and spreading across the ground like nimble green fingers. The first to notice Omaira’s presence was a large red deer, a stag with magestic antlers that had ancient moss dripping off it. He met her eyes searchingly- finding something he approved of, he bowed to her. On by one, each of the animals and fae turned to see her, and each, just as the stag had, bowed low and deep. Omaira spotted the three fairies hovering over Aurora’s bed. The tallest of the three, the red fairy, was watching Omaira with wide eyes. She whispered something to the other two, and they motioned Omaira over. With a deep breath she stepped carefully over the running water and made her way to the bed of tulips.

“I didn’t think it would be you,” said the red fairy gently, “but I should have known.”

“It... would be me?” Omaira frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Aurora is under a sleeping curse,” explained the yellow fairy. She gazed at Omaira with kind eyes, but they were puffy, as if she’d been crying. She cried over their 14th birthdays, cried when Aurora first learned to dance, even cried the first time Omaira stayed the night at their cabin, so excited to be able to make her try her disgusting breakfasts. “To awake her-”

“To awake her you must kiss her!” hurried the blue one. She was practically bouncing in the air, but she’d always been the quickest to excitement.

Omaira recoiled. “I have to what?”

The red fairy shook her head. “The curse requires true love’s kiss to be broken,” she said.

“I’m definitely not her true love,” Omaira said. She shook her head but didn’t back away, no matter how tempted to run she was. She’d expected dragons, not unrequited love- and now she could feel the eyes of the entire forest on her back, watching her expectantly. “It must be a prince, or a dashing noble, maybe someone who can fight an evil witch for her, but certaintly not me. I can go find them, if you need me to, but...”

“You’ve fought someone for her plenty of times,” said the blue fairy. “We’ve had to drag you away from fights before! You’re the least aggressive person I knew, but Aurora definitely taught you some of her recklessness. And you may not be a noble but you’ve always been the closest of her friends. I remember when you two first met, and Aurora turned to me after you’d left and asked if it was normal for girls to be so pretty. I’ve never laugh as hard in my life! She didn’t stop talking about you for a month, and when I made fun of her for it, she threatened to run away.”

“You two have been attached to each other’s hips for four long years,” the red fairy reminded her. “I should have known you were her true love, dear. The forest led you here for a reason.” Her gaze moved to Aurora, and so did Omaira’s.

Aurora’s chest rose slowly, and it was barely noticeable if Omaira wasn’t searching for that little sign of life. She was used to Aurora being more awake than anyone else around them- always dragging her into a spur of the moment dance. Omaira hadn’t been a confident person before sh’d met Aurora, but Auroa was bold like lights in the sky, like the stars above them. She took a shaky breath and stepped up to Aurora’s side. “Okay,” she said. There was no way to do this without it being uncomfortable, the postion and the way that Aurora was deathly quiet, her eyes closes. Omaira closed her eyes and leaned in, pressing her lips to Aurora’s.

Even as Omaira pulled away, she could feel the sudden burst of power come from them and spread across the land like a jolt of invincible lightning. Aurora’s eyes flickered open slowly, but no one spoke, or even gasped, and Omaira was too busy settling into her amazement, her nerves buzzing, to breath. At some point she’d dropped the basket onto the floor, but it didn’t matter, not now.

Aurora blinked up at her with dazed blue eyes. Omaira took a step back to give her space, for good cause- she sat up so quickly they almost bumped heads. Aurora reached her fingers to her lips and turned her head to Omaira, who could feel the burn of an invisible blush on her cheeks. She wanted to run, but it was as if the forest had tied it’s leaves around her ankles and was holding her down. Aurora’s eyes flickered up to the night sky and then back to Omaira, a familiar fierceness lighting them up. She threw her legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the petals and stems that must have irriated her ankles. “What took you so long?” she demanded. Her cheeks were aglow, although Omaira couldn’t decide if she was angry or cold.

“The kiss or... the kiss?” Omaira asked. She knew the phrase made no sense.

But Aurora just grinned, because after four long years of only loving each other, she could understand the most confusing sentences that Omaira spewed. “Both,” she said, and the forest looked away so she could hop off the bed of flowers, trip a little, fall into Omaira’s arms like a clumsy dolt she had always been, and then stand on her toes to kiss her back. “By the way,” she said, “Apparantly I’m a princess now.”

“It explains the talking animals,” Omaira said, and she savored the way Aurora laughed before she kissed her again.

#long post #i had... too much fun doing this lmaoo #my writing #ask game #ask #tenacious scripturient #sleeping beauty but gay is always my Favorite #i cannot BELIEVE i wrote 2000 words on accident. but okay. guess that just happened

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forallyourikemensengokuneeds · 4 years

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Secret santa present

Title: Carving a Tradition

Fandom: IkeSen

Suitor: Masamune

To: @selenecrawford

From: @darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts

A/N: Happy Holidays my dear. I how you have a time as rewarding and joyful as this tale.

The hall was perfect. It had taken a lot of work and the enlistment of almost half of the castle staff to pull it off but the main audience hall of Oshu Castle was finally looking a lot like a modern-day Christmas.

It was hard to locate the items she had in mind but thankfully she was going out with a guy who’s name not only opened doors but the ability to acquire and procure the things she wanted. Small paper lanterns had taken the place of fairy lights. Intricately cut paper became fine decorations attached to folded paper garlands in festive shades and was hung around the room, draped over the original ornamentation of the building.

The Lord of the castle was cloistered away in the kitchens working on variations of the dishes she had described to him as a traditional feast. This was something he had most looked forward too during their discussions on the holiday so it was no surprise when he announced Oshu would have its own winter festival and he was preparing a feast for everyone.

There was one item that she had had her heart set on. The focal point of the celebration as far as she was concerned. A tree. It had been a request that she entrusted to her friend Sasuke. Being from the future as well, she felt if anyone could find a tree closest to the one she desired, it would be him. A 10-foot-high spruce that apparently had a complicated scientific name making it sound like it had more of an education than she did was the result. Swathes of thin fabric clung to the branches along with paper cranes and tiny fans. Yes, today was going to be the day that she could reveal her creation to her boyfriend. Just one last finishing touch…

“Hey Kitten you got a minute I need you to try this dish for me!”

Balanced on a chair attempting to attach a star to the top of the tree the Princess stopped in her actions after hearing Masa drawing closer in the hallway.

“Masa? I told you, you couldn’t come in till I said so!” She called out as she adjusted herself to get down.

“I know that and I’m not coming in I was just going to open the door a little and get you to try this food.” After saying this the large sliding door began to move. She rushed towards them imagining that they would somehow open completely if she didn’t, but before she could take more than a few steps disaster struck. 20 lbs of furry chaos flew past her as it rocketed through the small gap in the doors making its way towards the biggest and most fun looking thing in the room.

“NO!”

A loud creaking announced the inevitable ground-shaking crash as the 10-foot tree was knocked flat to the ground as if it had been hit by a truck. The paper ornaments scattered to the four corners, which only served to entertain the Tiger cub more as he then took it as a fun idea to begin chasing them as if they were falling leaves in the garden.

The Princess’s cry had Masa cursing under his breath as he broke his word and pushed the doors open as wide as he could with one hand the other resting on the hilt of his sword as if he was waiting for an attacker to present themselves. His eye roamed the room not really taking in any of the decorations until it settled on the impudent kit mauling at something that looked very much like the things Mc had been making in her room. Balls of string, paper origami shapes…

“Shogetsu you bad cat get back here now!” He chastised the cub but it was all too late. The branches of the once decorated tree were crushed and broken on one side. The decorations were all in different variations of broken, unravelled and chewed. It was a disaster.

Mc moved in slow motion as she made her way to the fallen symbol. Her hand trembled a little as she picked up one of the fabric ornaments she had made especially. It had two small figures on it and one large cat. The text “Our first Christmas” was embroidered on it. She didn’t know if she wanted to laugh, scream or cry.

“Hey… Mc? Mc? I have been calling you for the last few minutes and you haven’t said a thing.” Masa placed his hand on her shoulder attempting to get her to look at him and when she did, he thought his heart was going to stop. Her eyes were glazed over, unfocused with unshed tears. The emotions flickering like a candle in the darkness were moving rapidly unable to settle on any one single reaction. “Kitten?”

“I’m sorry Masa. I just wanted to show you what a real Christmas looked like and I failed.” Her voice was small and weak. It hadn’t been her fault and yet she was taking all the blame. It was so like her. Her kind heart was one of the things he loved about her. Loved and hated. She could have stood to be a little more selfish at times. He would have given her everything. He still would give her everything. Wrapping her in his arms he watched as the tiger left the room oblivious to the aftermath of turmoil it had created.

“Come on Mc it’s not the end of the world. We can get another tree.”

“No, we can’t.” Her voice was muffled in his chest but he could still hear the stifled pain in it.

“Why not?” He pulled back a little so he could see her. He didn’t really understand why this was so important but it clearly was otherwise she wouldn’t be so upset. And if it was important to her then it was important to him too.

“Masa it’s Christmas Eve. There is no way we can get a new tree here from the same place we found this one in one night. It’s impossible. I mean it took 3 days to get this one here.” She sounded defeated and not at all like the girl he knew. Her shoulders were rounded as she slumped with her mood.

“Hey now.” He took his hand and tilted her chin to look at him. “Are you forgetting who your boyfriend is? You want a tree I’ll get you a tree. There is no such thing as impossible.”

“But—”

“No but’s. You just wait, Kitten. I’ll fix this.”

It was around noon in the castle by the time the real buzz started to hit a fever pitch. Everyone had been invited by Masa to attend the party and so naturally all members of staff were dressed up in their finery. They still insisted on helping with serving for rest of the guests but there was no doubt that the idea of dressing up had put them all in a festive mood.

The one person who had been the most excited now looked to be the most miserable. Mc had sat in her room attempting to make new decorations for a tree that no longer existed and glancing over at her fabric bauble. The tragic look on her face didn’t change or shift no matter how much time had passed. This was bad. An unhappy Princess meant an unhappy Masa and that was no one’s idea of fun.

It was about the eighth time she had tried to fold some paper when she finally gave up and stopped forcing herself to try to march on. Masa had been kind and sweet as always in his support of her but this was something different and she was not sure how he would manage to keep his word this time.

*Knock, knock*

“Kitten? It’s me.”

“I’m not very good company right now Masa. I have to prepare for the party as well.” She tried to brush off his visit to gain some time to prepare herself. She needed time to correct her mood before she saw anyone.

“Don’t worry bout any of that all you need to do is turn up. But I really need you right now Mc. I have to get you to check things for me so I can tell if I did a good job or not?” He sounded like a pleading child. But he also said he needed her. It was those words that had her moving automatically to greet him. Suppressing a groan, she got up from the floor and tottered to the door. Masa was standing on the other side as lively as ever.

“What am I checking?”

“Come with me I’ll show you.”

They walked in silence to the scene of the crime. Mc’s heart lurched at the memory. She knew it sounded silly to be so emotional over a tree for one day of the year but there was so little here that felt like her modern-day roots that she had become a little emotional.

“Ok now. I don’t really know what it was supposed to look like but I think I did it.” He said as he paused by the doors.

“What did you do?”

“The impossible.” There was a twinkle in his eye that she loved.

“Masa….”

“Hey don’t look at me like Yoshi does I didn’t do anything bad. Just open the door if you don’t believe me.” Masa grumbled whilst encouraging her to slide the door.

Inside was the same room now tidy and free from tiger attack signs. The decorations that hadn’t been broken were all being used to decorate the tables and raised seating. But that wasn’t what caught her eye. In the centre of the room where there had once been a majestic spruce there now stood a tree carved into shape made out of ice.

Her eyes followed the surface of it the limbs were all separate levels but also had incredible looking carved decorations on its surface. It sparkled in the lamp lights making it look as though it was covered in glittering stars.

“Masa… y-you did this?”

“Of course.” He said proudly puffing out his chest a little whilst still nervously checking her reactions. “Do you like it, Kitten?”

She turned to him and immediately dragged him into a tight embrace.

“Like it? Masa I love it! I had no idea you could carve like that.” Mc pointed at the ice sculpture. Her face was beaming a pure and natural smile. He felt like he could breathe again for the first time.

“Sure, it was just like carving that root vegetable for Halloween.” He shrugged trying to play it cool and hoping she would ignore the heat growing on his cheeks as he had a sudden thought about just how adorable she was.

“Why did you?”

“For you Kitten. I know you wanted to make this the best Christmas ever for me but I also wanted to be able to do something for you too. I realise Shogetsu playing with the tree was unplanned but I’m still a little happy he did that because now I can say I helped too.” He admitted his own small shameful truth a little happy to have it off his chest.

“Masa… you always help me. I was just trying to do the bits I could do because you were doing so much in the kitchen.”

“Well now, aren’t we a pair?”

“Sure are.”

“Do you like the tree Kitten?”

“Yes. I think everyone should have one.”

“Ha-ha that’s great but I don’t think I have enough ice to make that dream come true for you this year.” His laughter reverberated in the room, filling it with the first round of joy it would see for the night.

“It is missing something though.” Taking the ornament from her sleeve she placed it next to the ice tree. “There. Now it’s perfect.”

“Agreed.” Masa kissed her brow looking at the fabric ornament feeling his chest grow a little warmer. She was always cute but there were times she was so cute he genuinely thought he was going to overdose on her sweetness. “Merry Christmas Mc.”

“Merry Christmas Masa.”

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen #ik��men sengoku #ikésen #secret santa #2019

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galivantingg · 4 years

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Chapter 2 part 2

"Ack!" The blur yelled.

"How do you think I feel?" The girl asked.

The kid, as it turns out the blur is a kid, jumped up and looked at her indignantly. "I'm the one who crash-landed lady, I'm in pain!" They stared at each other, before bursting into laughter. The whole situation was just so silly. They sobered up after a few minutes of uncontrollable laughter and proceeded to just stare at each other.

He stuck his hand out. "My name is Noah and the sea is my home!" She stared at him unblinkingly, finally taking his hand and shaking it once.

"My name is Judice and my hands are tied," She said, a strange tone in her voice. "You listen to Amber Run?"

Noah shrugged. "My older sister does, and I only know that song because my name is in it. Is your name actually Judice? That's so cool!" He didn't wait for her to answer. He was just going a mile a minute.

"Slow down kid, first things first." He stared at her wide-eyed. "If we're going to be superheroes we need code names, I don't want anyone figuring out who I am."

"Why not?"

Judice looked at him. "Because if they know who I am, then the bad guys could hurt me or my friends or my family. I won't have them get hurt because of me."

"You're smart!" A smile broke out on Noah's face, and it was the brightest thing Judice had ever seen.

"I'll be Python, and you could probably be something related to your suit too."

"Honeybee!" He punched the air in excitement and started to glow. "Whoa, I haven't done this before, cool!" He stared at his arms covered in the suit and a soft glow, and that's when Python noticed that his suit was slightly fuzzy, like an actual honey bee. He looked like a tiny puffball.

Someone landed on the roof next to them. They both looked over to see Switcher standing there. "Come with me young heroes, and I'll teach you everything you need to know." Her arm was outstretched like she was waiting for them to hand her something. Honeybee noticed that she wasn't wearing the bracelet attached to their gods. He had noticed Python's on her wrist, and his was wrapped twice around his ankle, so he could hide it in his sock during school. Switcher still had a suit on, and he guessed it was a replication of her actual suit. Black cloth covered her arms and legs, and her torso was patterned the same as a cheetah. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, face completely bare. She wasn't worried about people finding out who she is.

They lept from rooftop to rooftop, one child, a teenager, and an adult. They looked majestic, smoothly sailing through the air, arms and legs outstretched, waiting for the roof to rush through the air to meet their feet. Honeybee took this moment to test out his new wings, and with every leap, he stretched them out further and further fluttering them just a little bit more than the last time. Finally, he had liftoff. His wings made a loud buzzing noise, attracting the attention of the two other heroes. Honeybee grinned at Python, and she let out a boisterous laugh. Everything was perfect, they were happy. Switcher suddenly changed directions, taking a sharp left towards the outskirts of the city. The young heroes followed suit, Python clumsily leaping through the air and stumbling before righting herself. Honeybee slid through the air for a bit before figuring out how to turn.

The older hero slowed down, nearing her destination. She leaped from the rooftop ahead of the two young heroes down to the ground, landing lightly on her feet. Python followed suit and managed to stay on her feet, but did not land as gracefully as Switcher. Honeybee managed a better crash-landing, but a crash-landing nonetheless. Switcher glanced around before leading them through a field into the barn a little ways away from the furthest house. The barn looked old, paint chipping, some of the wood rotting in places, the door practically falling off its hinges. It didn't look like a secret hideout. But then again, deception.

Walking in, Honeybee was very surprised to see that the roof was fully intact. There was a boxing ring in the middle of the barn taking up most of the space. To the left was a table that could seat maybe eight people, with some storage pushed up against the wall to the left of the table. On the right side was a whole computer/television set-up, complete with three screens on three tables, and surveillance screens set up behind it. The screens were small, but you could make out the three of them walking in, as well as some people outside walking their dogs. It was peaceful.

"Here you will learn how to hone your powers and how to fight, as well as when to not fight. I will teach you secrets about your powers, and in return, you will help me fix my mistake." Switcher took a seat at the table, looking them right in the eye.

"What mistake?" Honeybee wondered aloud.

#writeblr #Excerpt from my wip #writeblogging

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miraclejune · 5 years

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HERO’S SOUP: Chapter 4

Bonded

The suffocating silence bothered Jeongin. The rest of the pack rushed at the doorstep, including Jisung, bombarding him with questions he couldn’t quite understand. Amidst the chaos, Seungmin stood in front of the boy, blocking him away from Chan whose eyes have been gazing at him intently.

A firm grasp on Woojin’s left wrist made him look up, “Woojin.” Jeongin’s voice was desperate. Woojin knew he wanted answers as well.

He pulled the boy to his side, earning the long-awaited silence. Seungmin was about to speak up when his eyes found Jeongin’s, they were practically begging him to just stay quiet.

The witch’s furrowed eyebrows relaxed as he sighed in defeat, pushing the rest inside the house. Seungmin went back and dragged Felix and Minho by their ears, both breaking into a fit of whines. The alpha turned to Jeongin, giving the boy a small smile before leading him inside the house. Woojin’s hand was big and warm, Jeongin felt reassured with just that.

His eyes wandered around the wide hallway, his muddy shoes leaving stains on the carpeted floor. Jeongin reminded himself to apologize to Woojin later. The hallway was decorated with simple paintings on the walls and a few vases on top of stools. The pack probably didn’t want to redecorate the place in honor of the previous owner.

With that, he started coming up with questions regarding the wolves and Chan's lives. Plus, the mansion.

The hallway leads to an open space. Jeongin, who was whisked away from his thoughts, saw the rest of the boys gathered at the circular sofa, their heads were on the same level as his and Woojin’s feet. “Careful of the steps, Hyunjin usually slips.” the mentioned wolf whimpers, receiving a loud cackle from Changbin.

“He trips at least twice a week.” the sunken living room thing wasn't Hyunjin style, he tends to forget about the level difference.

Felix giggled uncontrollably, “What?” His deep voice was cut off with the sudden stares from everyone in the room. For the first time in a while, the tension was broken. Chan huffed out air, he too was tired of the heavy air around them. He smiled, “Felix is easily amused, pay him no mind.” The first playful words coming from him swept the suffocating air away.

Felix pouted, shouting a loud ‘Hey!’ afterward. While the others laughed, Woojin pulled Jeongin, settling him in between Jisung and Hyunjin. “Are you okay now, Jisung?” the wolf nodded, giving the boy a smile as they opened up a small talk. Hyunjin leaned over, gingerly placing his head on the boy’s shoulder.

Jeongin flinched and grew stiff at the sudden contact but loosened up at the sight of Hyunjin. “Jinnie, don’t make the boy uncomfortable.” Hyunjin whined and attached himself to Jeongin, earning a soft giggle from Woojin. The alpha eventually gave up, he can’t change the fact that Hyunjin is a cuddle bug.

The laughter died down, it was silent. But not the same silence as earlier. Woojin beams as he faces Chan. “Oh, why don’t your friends introduce themselves, huh, Chan?” Felix and Minho spares Chan a glance, finally speaking up when the older nods. They don’t usually get permission from someone higher than them, they were free spirits, usually messing with people back in Japan. But after meeting Chan, they pay so much respect for the vampire.

Felix’s meeting wasn’t the best one, but it was pretty memorable.

Chan was on a trip to Japan; he was importing vases from a very famous antique shop in Okinawa. It was a hard gamble as the owner of the shop didn’t want anyone to re-sell his products. Chan was a very patient person, he tried to talk as calmly and casual as possible. But the old man was not having any of it. He was close to just hypnotizing him, but it bothered his conscience, not that he has one anyways.

On his way out, he was bothered by an eerie presence, it was subtle but he can tell the sheer amount of power being suppressed. His head snapped towards the rooftop of a candy shop. There, he saw a small white fox watching him intently with his doe eyes, his speck-littered face standing out in the open.

The fox was sure his presence was hidden. As he made eye contact with the man, his small body shivered in fear. Chan’s deep and dark orbs flashed red; he smiles at the fox. Nodding at him before going his merry way.

Felix was a bit... well, arrogant. The town where his shrine was located was somewhat peaceful. The bad spirits were nothing more than deranged souls who strayed from their paths. And he wasn’t the only God/Guardian in that huge town. There were lots of them. Ranging from powerful to mediocre ones. Felix was one of the most influential and known Gods. His personality in most cases is pretty normal. He was a nice God, a bit playful, nonetheless. But the residents don’t have complaints against the fox.

They admired him the most whenever they got to see a glimpse of his full form. His huge figure partially hidden in the depths of the woods as the moon reflected against his glimmering white fur, littered with black specs focused on his face. Felix was beautiful indeed.

The fox had no particular reason for staying. But he had a reason for leaving. It was Chan.

“I’m Felix. I am uh, a 9 tailed fox, Minho and I are both from Japan.” Chan snickered as Felix began unveiling his tails one by one. The room broke into gasps. Minho turned to Chan, on cue, they both laughed underneath their breath as they shook their heads simultaneously.

Lix was a bit of a show-off. It wasn’t the worst, but you can’t help but scoff whenever he does so.

Chan glances at Jeongin who was busy admiring Felix’s tails. He can’t help but break into a smile when the boy stood up and asked Felix, politely, if he could touch them. Felix gave the boy a big smile, telling him it was fine.

“Wow, so fluffy!” The rest literally melted when the boy jumped up and down with a silly smile on his face. His braces are on full view for everyone to see. And when most of them have moved on by the majestic scene, Jeongin couldn’t stop admiring the fox. Felix forced him to sit down between him and Seungmin.

Felix has always been nice. Sure, he was a bit playful with the townspeople near his shrine but in general, he was just a quiet God. Looking over his people. His specialty was love so inevitably everyone in his village is always oozing with love. Not only romantic but all kinds of love!

Minho was a different case. He was stubborn and naive. He liked playing with the locals, The schoolgirls who visit his shrine, he usually blows wind gusts towards the girls, their skirts riding up as the harsh wind hits them. He would throw rocks at the roofs of some elderly people, just for the heck of it. They know it was him. The god of their village. His shrine was atop a small hill, with a perfect view of the whole village. The elderly would curse at him, using mantras to make the God go back to its shrine.

You would really expect him to have a bad reputation within the town. With his usual childish acts and pranks, he should’ve been a stray god by now. But he wasn’t. Minho is weird and arrogant and obnoxious. But the village was thankful for him, Minho has done a lot of stupid things but none of them are gravely bad. He has done better than any god that has set foot in their small town. Minho always gave them a good harvest, plenty of fish, and nature was always bountiful and vibrant. And his petty pranks made the village livelier.

That’s why when Chan stumbled upon his shrine, he couldn’t help but admire the size of it. It was vibrant and clean. Offerings piled neatly on the shiny wooden floor. People from all around the village visit back and forth. Chan was impressed, despite the bad reviews of the God, the locals still respect and admire him.

But, up to this date. He never really knew why the cat left Japan. He never knew why Chan snuck into his hotel room on his last day there.

“I’m Minho. I’m a ‘Bakeneko’.”

“What’s that?”

“It means ‘Ghost Cat’. I came from Japan.”

Changbin nodded, somewhat satisfied with the answer given to him. It was a pretty straightforward description.

After the pleasantries were exchanged, they all engaged in conversations. It wasn’t just a small, casual talk to fill in the gaps. They talked about stuff close friends normally drabble in. Woojin can’t help but smile as he admires the people around him going along just fine, despite the multiple feuds they had within the span of a day.

Seungmin who was wandering his eyes around finally decided to ask the question that has been sitting in his head. “How did you guys get ahold of this place?” his tone directed to Woojin. With a weary look, the rest of the pack turned their heads to their alpha. “Yeah, how did you find this place?” Seungmin followed Jeongin’s gaze towards Woojin, thankful because he backed him up.

Woojin can’t help but break into a smile with the boy’s gesture. Jeongin’s head was tilted to the side as he playfully wrapped one of Felix’s tails around his wrist.

“Well, to make things short. There was this soldier who stumbled upon our small den during World War I. He was miles away from his battalion. He was a wise guy to say the least.” A few pairs of eyes followed Woojin’s finger, pointing at a huge portrait on the cream-colored walls.

Woojin lowered his hand, proceeding with his story.

"Jisung,” the said wolf lets out a small whine, lowering his head. Hyunjin threw a hand around the wolf, nuzzling him closer. “Was still very sensitive back then–” his next words fell to the floor, unsaid, as he saw Jisung shaking a bit in the arms of Hyunjin. He cleared his throat and decided to choose his words wisely. “Changbin was very territorial. While Hyunjin was the most rational between all of us. It was hard not to trust the man; he was very clever for his age. He didn’t like war. Wished he could stop it, but instead he was forced to join the army in the name of his family’s honor.”

Jeongin was compelled by the story. His eyes glistened in curiosity as he listened to the alpha’s soothing voice. He felt like a kid again, listening to his teacher’s stories during kindergarten and preschool. Woojin continues his history class. Changbin left 5 minutes ago, telling them he was gonna go get some snacks since everyone didn’t have the appetite to eat a heavy meal. The story about the mansion was finished, and the rest of them started telling their own stories.

Minho, bullshiting everyone into believing he created Japan. He earned a smack on the head from Chan because of it. And the rest earned a very disgusting look that screams ‘why the fuck did you believe him?’

As they continue to munch on their chips, Jeongin gazes at Felix who was fast asleep on his lap. Jeongin’s fingers running through the fox’s strawberry tinted locks. The boy tried to reach out for his bag on the side of the couch. He was also trying hard not to wake the fox. He mumbled a silent thanks to Jisung who made his task easier.

The current state of his bag made his frown, his mom is definitely gonna question him about it. He sighed and carefully opened it. Rummaging through his notes and a few personal necessities, his hand found what he was trying to retrieve. Jeongin placed his bag between his knees and continued to unlock his phone.

There were only 2 missed calls from his mom, he sighed. Thankful that it wasn’t his dad. He buried his face in front of the screen as he typed in a message for his mom, telling her he was okay and was only at his friend’s house.

His thumbs stopped moving, Jeongin eyed the last word he typed in, “Friend” he really didn’t have any. His mom pushed him further to make friends, but he really didn’t know who was at fault. Jeongin doesn’t really claim that he’s the nicest person. Sure, he was naive and a bit of a cast-off, but he wasn’t rude to anyone. He greeted his classmates on his first day but none of them really stuck to him. They only talk when it’s related to school. You can’t even tell if it was a ‘casual’ relationship. He was sometimes invisible in class, only getting recognized when the teacher calls him out for spacing out.

But he doesn’t mind. He wasn’t really the social butterfly type. He’d rather spend most of his time alone. The best company he could have is himself. It didn’t affect him that much. Aside from the fact that he has zero social skills which is something really useful.

“Hey, Jeongin. Do you need to get home?” he pressed send before looking up to Hyunjin. The wolf gave him a worried look and proceeded to walk to his position. The wolf plopped down in front of him and put his hand on Jeongin’s knee. The room went silent, they waited for the boy’s answer. It was really late, and the boy’s family was probably worried.

“Hey. It’s okay. I texted my mom that I was at a..” a lump in his throat caught his next words.

“F-friend’s house. And that I’ll be home by midnight at least.” Woojin stood up and peered over at the closest window. It was dark, his eyes traveled to the moon, shining brighter than normal. He hummed in thought before turning back to the rest of the pack.

He gave them his biggest smile.

“How about a sleepover?”

For the last 30 minutes, Hyunjin and Jisung who was now acting normal according to Changbin were both chanting “Sleepover!” while jumping up and down the couch. Felix was woken up by the commotion and after processing what was happening, he joined the two idiots. “The couch, you fucking cunts!” the three of them scurried away from a fuming Changbin.

Jeongin looked in awe. Obviously, culture-shocked.

Jeongin had called his mom after Hyunjin insisted on him sleeping over. The sound of his mom crying over the phone telling him she was proud of him finally making friends, was definitely alarming. Hyunjin had snatched his phone and told his mom that they would take care of her baby. Jeongin was embarrassed, but he couldn't help but smile. It was his first ever sleepover.

“I’m going home.” Jeongin whipped his head towards Seungmin’s direction, the witch walked past him, heading towards the door. Jeongin gripped his wrist, making the older turn to him. “Don’t go?” His tone was vague; he didn’t know if he was asking him or telling him.

Seungmin didn’t know what took over him when he nodded his head and sat beside the boy. Just like Jeongin, he didn’t have any friends, the only difference is that he didn’t want to make such connections. He always thought that the need to socialize was a pain in the ass. The student council was already a big burden to bear. He had to put up a strict but reliable facade in front of the students and the teachers. Having friends was just a distraction. Well, aside for Chan.

“How about you two wash up upstairs. Hyunjin’s clothes might fit both of you, I’ll call you guys when,” Woojin looked at the clock on the wall. “Super late dinner is ready. Alright?” he chuckled midway and turned his back after getting a nod from both. There was something about Woojin that made Seungmin follow his every command. Oh maybe because he’s the fucking alpha and is scary as hell.

Jeongin turned to Seungmin when he felt him shiver. The witch was reminded of the alpha almost losing his temper earlier. Woojin was patient no matter how grave the moment was, but today was different. Jisung had been kidnapped and they had to protect an innocent human boy. He had to step up and show his authority or else they wouldn’t get things done.

Seungmin doesn’t want to admit it but he respects the alpha. Maybe even more than Chan. He’s not looking forward to seeing who’s the scariest amongst the two. He’d rather not go there.

“Let’s go!” they were both pulled off from their seats. Hyunjin dragged them upstairs as he giggled.

“Hyunjin! Jeongin doesn’t heal like you! Be careful!” Chan’s voice boomed around the mansion as he warned Hyunjin.

Jeongin tried to look back while keeping up with the wolf, he saw a laughing Felix being chased by a grinning Changbin. He can’t help but break into a smile, reaching out his hand to the fox who gladly accepted it. “Hey! That’s not fair!” Seungmin almost broke into a fit of laughter because of Changbin’s last remarks before they disappeared around the corner.

The wooden door smacked shut right in front of Changbin. Hyunjin fell down the carpeted floor, almost losing his sanity as he laughed. Felix fell on top of him, his face was red, and tears were on the verge of falling from his eyes.

Jeongin giggled as he sat on the bed, pulling Seungmin beside him. The boy was ecstatic when he saw the glow on Seungmin’s eyes as he smiled at him. He knew the witch was having fun despite what had happened earlier. The door opened and a grim-looking Changbin stared down at the two figures squirming on the floor.

The three of them trashed around the room, Changbin holding a death grip on Hyunjin’s neck while both Jeongin and Seungmin rushed to his aid. Seungmin gave up halfway, no longer being able to hold back his laughter and collapsed beside Felix who was barely breathing. “Hyunjin. I will fucking end you. You fucking cunt, you broke my nose!” Jeongin was barely even putting effort into trying to pry them away from each other. He was wheezing so hard he couldn't even stand up. His chest hit Changbin’s back, letting the wolf carry his weight while he chokes Hyunjin. The wolf underneath tried his best to explain his side, telling Changbin that his nose healed within a second.

“What is happe–” Jisung’s question hung in the air when he looked at the chaos. Choking on his saliva he rushed towards Hyunjin, pulling Changbin off Hyunjin. Jisung had a hard time getting a grip on him because Changbin was on the burly side.

Changbin proceeded trashing his fists towards Hyunjin who was hoisted up from the floor by Seungmin. Hyunjin leaned half of his weight on Seungmin, the witch momentarily stumbled but anchored his foot on the ground to hold up the almost dying wolf.

Changbin calmed down after a while as they all slumped on the king-sized bed in the center of the room. They started small talk with each other. Hyunjin was convinced Seungmin had at least 2 personalities. He observed how the witch transitioned from almost dying from laughter to his usual stoic face just nodding and responding with short comments.

Shaking his head, he paid attention to Jisung who was telling a funny story. A soft knock on the door made them turn their heads. Minho enters the room quietly; the sudden lack of voices amplifies the sound of the cat’s footsteps.

He stopped on the foot of the bed. Staring languidly at the people who were atop it. Felix suddenly realized the situation and scrambled to his feet, “LUCAS, NO—GUYS OFF THE BED NOW!” loud moans and groans filled the air. Minho purred, full form crushing the contents of the bed. Felix, who was the only one who got out, tried to push the giant cat off the rest of the guys. He wasn’t honestly putting all his weight on them; Minho was just being playful and was jealous of all the action he wasn’t getting.

After successfully removing Minho from them, the boys continued to talk. With the additional presence, the room was much louder. Filled with their laughter and voices.

“Oh, right! Go wash up!” Hyunjin pushed Jeongin towards the full bathroom, he told the boy he’s gonna bring him some clothes in a few minutes. Jeongin wanted to refuse, his debt was already so big, but his clothes sticking to his skin wasn’t a good sign. Smelly is a valid reason for him to take up the offer. So he let himself in the bathroom, closing the frosted glass door behind him.

It was indeed the most beautiful bathroom he has ever been in, and it wasn't a huge compliment because he has only been in two.

The full-sized bathtub reminded him of a jacuzzi which, in his case, was very luxurious. Jeongin was tempted to use the tub, but he knew he didn’t have time to do so. And it was kinda embarrassing. He proceeded on showering, discarding his clothes and piling them neatly atop the sink. Hyunjin came back with fresh clothes. Earning a blush from the boy when he complimented his upper body. Jeongin was thankful he was able to wrap a towel around his torso. Seungmin washed up also and they all went back to the bed. The witch was getting used to all the ruckus and he can’t deny that he enjoyed it.

“Boys! Dinner!” Woojin’s amplified voice resonated around the house. The boys went downstairs, drooling over the feast on the table. Without delay, they all sat down and began to chow down. “For fuck’s sake Hyunjin, your spitting pasta all over the goddamn table.” Jeongin chuckled, placing his glass back down.

His eyes caught Chan. The vampire was just sitting beside Woojin, both engrossed in a conversation. Jeongin was bothered by the lack of food on the man’s plate. There was absolutely nothing in it, Seungmin tapped the boy's thigh under the table. “Chan doesn’t need to eat.” Jeongin nodded, he was still not satisfied with it but he didn’t ponder on it too much.

Dinner ended with Minho shoving ice cream down Changbin’s throat. He enjoyed the look on the wolf’s face as he did so.

After that ‘filling’ desert, they went back to the living room. Playing 4 rounds of UNO before Woojin called it a night. He proceeded on showing Jeongin the guest room, Seungmin demanded to stay with the boy even though they had another room prepared for him.

Woojin didn’t want to argue, so he let him be. He knew the witch was still wary of Chan, even though he was worried. This is not the best outcome he had hoped for.

Sleep didn’t come easy to Jeongin. The whistling of the wind outside was not a lullaby for him tonight. Jeongin let out a deep sigh, carefully removing himself underneath the blanket. He glanced at the witch sleeping peacefully beside him. He stood up and ambled towards the door. As he descended the dimly lit stairs, he saw light coming from the kitchen. “Chan?” the vampire turned to him with a soft smile. He smiled back, he sat on top of the counter, head turned towards Chan.

“Can’t sleep?” it was a dumb question. But Jeongin wasn’t sure what to say to Chan. The vampire smiled at him and nodded. Chan walked to the fridge, fishing out a box of chocolate milk. He handed it to the boy, earning a small thanks from him. “Sorry about um, everything.” Chan was the best when it comes to this, he always chooses the right words and his advice is mostly logical and helpful.

But this is different, he suddenly ran out of words to say. The boy was his bond mate. Now that he had room for it inside his head, he was curious. On why he didn’t realize it in the first place. It was fate, indeed. A vampire’s bond-mate is bound to arrive no matter what, but no one knows when. Chan was centuries old when he stopped hoping for his bond to come. It was a pain in the ass, he had to take care of them and if they died, he would also die. It doesn’t make sense at all. Why would he risk his life for someone who’s the key to his death? That’s stupid. And it was such a cheesy thing. Having a person destined to be yours. Loving wasn’t his forte.

“It’s okay.” Ah, that’s why. The empty feeling in his heart vanished, his eyes focused on Jeongin’s face. This was it. This is the reason. He snickered; it was a petty reason. But why does it fit the puzzle pieces?

“What’s wrong?” Jeongin tilted his head and took a sip of his drink. Chan shakes his head and moves closer to the boy.

Unlike earlier, Jeongin didn’t want to run. He wasn’t scared of him anymore. He didn’t have that disgusting feeling in his stomach whenever he remembers the blood spilling on the antique shop floor.

With the last step, Chan stood between Jeongin’s legs. The boy places his now empty drink on his right side. He looks up to the vampire. Sure, he admired Chan. But he really didn’t get the chance to look at him closely. And for him, Chan was beautiful. His blonde curly locks fell perfectly above his soft eyes. His thick lips formed into a smile, dimples on full display as well.

Chan was breathtaking.

With that, Jeongin slowly opened his arms, his smile growing larger as he did so. And for the first time, Chan didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around the boy’s petite figure. Burying his face on this boy’s neck.

“Thank you.”

After a few moments, they both let go.

“What’s a bond mate?” Jeongin asked quietly. Chan smiled. He pulled him off the counter. “Let’s talk in the living room.” They walked silently and sat on the sofa. Shoulders touching as they talked.

“How do I put this…” Chan collected his thoughts. He tried his best to come up with a concept that the boy understands. “You humans have this belief of meeting your ‘destiny’ or your one true love, right?”

Jeongin nodded. He blushed at the idea. “Well, it’s basically like that. A bond mate is someone a vampire is destined to meet. Although the time span is unpredictable. Some vampires even live up to thousands but still haven’t met their bond mate.”

Jeongin tilted his head to the side, a habit of his that he does when he’s thinking about something. “So they’re either dead or not yet born?” Chan nodded, smiling at the boy as he ruffled his hair. “Exactly. Once you find your bond mate. It’s hard to let go. Physically and mentally you’d feel drained if they move away. It’s like missing a part of yourself.”

Chan chuckled at what he said. Jeongin probably doesn’t know how that feels. He was surprised to see him nod.

“And if they die?” Chan thinned his lips and looked at him. His eyes are full of genuine curiosity and maybe just a little hint of worry. The vampire looked down to his feet. The thought of Jeongin disappearing from his world made him furious. Not because he’s eventually going to die, but because Jeongin was just a teenager. A normal human being, a person capable of having emotions and feelings.

And now he’s stuck with him. An old vampire who grew to hate the idea of being tied to a being. Jeongin didn’t deserve him. He doesn’t deserve this life.

“Chan?” He looked up and tried his best to smile. “Eventually, the vampire will die.”

Jeongin’s mouth hung open. “Because they’re connected right?” Chan nodded.

“Kinda.”

“How.. how do they die?”

“Of a broken heart.” Chan smiled sadly.

Jeongin bit the inside of his cheek. He stared at the vampire’s muddled expression.

“Can I say something? I don’t know if you’ll like it though.” Chan glanced at him and smiled.

“Go ahead.”

“It’s kinda cheesy and twisted at the same time.”

Chan snorted. Trying his best to muffle his laughter with his hand.

“That’s exactly what Seungmin said. And don’t worry, I feel the same way. The whole destiny thing sounds too cheesy for me too.”

Jeongin chuckled. His face suddenly fell as he looked at Chan. “What’s wrong?” the vampire asked with worry.

“Chan, I’m not gay.” That was the last straw. He cackled, loud enough to echo around the living room. Upon noticing that Jeongin was serious, he composed himself. Chan held Jeongin’s hands in his, caressing the top of them with his thumb. Their eyes met. The vampire’s dimples appearing.

“Being a bond mate isn’t only about romantic love, Jeongin.” Chan touched Jeongin’s left cheek. The boy was blushing under his touch. His smile grew.

“It’s about love in general. It’s about this unbreakable connection with another being, no matter what they are, who they are or where they’re from.”

“I don’t have to be sexually in love with you to prove that you’re my bond mate. The connection we have is more than that. And I want you to know that I’m not pushing for that idea right now. Take your time to process everything. Take as much time as you need. We will always be here. And, well...”

“You can’t really get rid of us that easily anymore.” he patted Jeongin’s back.

“You’re now part of this annoying ass family.”

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goodoldfashiondemon · 5 years

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Meow Meow, Angel

This silly thing came thanks to this prompt. Thank you for the inspiration @niceandaccurateprompts !!

I’m open to ANY KIND of criticism, as long as is with respect :) Sorry for any grammar horrors errors, english is not my first language.

Enjoy !

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“What on Somebody’s sake have this mothefuckers done to me!?” the demon screams on his bedroom, but the only thing any other being could hear from that was a really high pitch meow. Crowley felt something strange when he woke up. Something seems… hairier than yesterday. And when that sounds came to his hears, he knew he was in some sort of a feline form.

Trying to understand how his new cat body works (being a snake does not help when you have to use a human vase, and makes it even worse when you have to use four fucking limbs to move around), he stumbled and fell off the bed. In the middle of the falling pun intended, an automatic reflex came to his spine and he took the ground on his four paws. “hum, who would’ve thought that was truth” he said to himself, feeling relieved that the nature and instinct of his new body came within the use of it, even though there was a demon inside of the animal.

Crowley didn’t have a lot of mirrors on his flat, but one of them was slightly off his bed’s feet, just in front of his night table. And that’s why he couldn’t see himself before, but now he would.

The vision was simultaneously delightful and terrifying. His ebony furriness with ginger points was long and soft to the touch, or so he presumed at the image the crystal gave him back. His eyes, as yellow as always, now not so odd to the vessel they were attached to, had their pupils wide out of astonishment and anger. He was quite an adorable yet fierce specimen if he can does said himself, and he couldn’t put up his mind whether he liked it or not, even though he knew he should’ve been fuming in rage by now.

“Enjoying the view, you treacherous bastard?”. The voice of Hastur echoed from the living room, coming from the TV, scaring the ever living meow out of Crowley.

Slowly but with the decision only a furious demon could have, he short the space between where he was and the source of the sound, meowing and hissing all the way down there. That was something snakes shared with cats: they became very much vocal when angry.

“Yeah, yeah, you are so full of anger” Dagon cried, almost falling for how much they were laughing at the scene Crowley was giving them. On the TV the show they were using was, of fucking course, some National Geographic’s bullshit. The demon kept meowing and hissing to the screen and thank Go-Sat-Somebody he can only do just that, because the blasphemies he was trying to express were far from allowed to be heard, even for demons such as them.

“You are going to be in that pitiful form for azzzz long azzzzz we wanted, you brat” Beelzebub’s growl was more of a challenge that a sentence “Now, be careful not to be li-“ but with a lower hiss, Crowley managed to shut down the device.

“So, I still have my demonic powers then” he thought. This eased him out just the right amount to figured out an idea. “Aziraphale! He could help me change out if this fluffy misery” he meowed and glanced at his plants, which had been observing the whole interaction and were rather amused at this new creature, wondering how any mobile being other than their intimidating owner would willingly come inside. He showed his canine to them, hissing a “what you fuckers looking at”, and they trembled in new-yet-known fear, kind of sensing their owners in that ball of fur.

Since the Bentley was out of his possible transportations and he wasn’t having none of this, with other low hiss he materialised himself in one of his favourite spot on Azira’s bookshop, and one he felt he may enjoy in this new form: a rather antique armchair, just in front of the angel’s work desk. In there, he could meow himself until Aziraphale understood what the ever-hating fuck were happening and, at the same time, look cute and have a lot of sunlight in him.

What he didn’t expected was his beans feeling the soft sensation of a human lap under them. Of course, he couldn’t notice this if it wasn’t for the quite gasp the owner of said lap let slide from his mouth.

Aziraphale was half sleep when he felt a weight on his thighs. Fixing his reading glasses, he glanced at quite a lovely feline, looking up to him where the load had been felt, with golden eyes, far too familiar. The stupor from waking up so fast made the angel don’t realise that eyes where, in fact, way too familiar.

“Why hello there, little one!” he murmured, combing Crowley’s back, making him purr without the demon even noticing or intended to. He turned around Azira’s lap a couple of time as he kneaded on that horrendous trousers he likes to wear so much, suddenly forgetting about everything but that gentle touch inside his fur. “Such a delightful creature, you are!”

The angel felt his legs vibrating under his new friend, and a strange warm ran throw his spine upwards, landing on the top of his head and he swore he felt his halo went brighter because of it. He didn’t know how this little being could found its way inside his bookshop, but he encountered himself petting his new friend with such care and love, that he couldn’t help it but think about Crowley.

“Ah~ my demon dearest” he sighed, and the cat softly meow at him, as if he knew the person he was talking about or, rather, he was the person the angel was talking about. “Oh? Isn’t your name by any chance Demon, now is it?” he asked, looking down with pure affection on his celestial eyes, making the demon both melted and scoffed.

Crowley meowed a little bit harder, trying to communicate with the angel, but failing miserably on this, letting himself go under the petting that hadn’t stop. He curled up on again on his own being, tighter than a normal cat (because once a serpent always a serpent) and start purring again, almost hissing.

“If it wasn’t, may as well now is” whispered the angel, and a collar miraculously appeared around the cat’s neck, as black as Crowley’s feathers (that, funny enough, were the same black as the cat’s fur), a nice silver plate attached to it, reading “Demon” in Aziraphale’s pristine gold calligraphy, very similar to Crowley’s (and Demon’s, funny enough) eyes color. “You remember me of quite a delightful being, you know?” Azira said to his (not so) new friend, who was oblivious under his soft and careful hands. “Delightful and magnificent, that is” he continued, with a bittersweet tone. “So full of himself and mischievous, yet so sweet and soft”.

Crowley lifted his tail, as a signal of protest. “I’m not soft, and you know that angel!” he meowed between the purring, making the angel awed out of pure tenderness. “Don’t ‘awe’ me, angel! Help me get back my body, so I can-” but Aziraphale just heard oddly offended meows, tickled him fancier than he could imaging. The only other creature that made him this happy was a not only sarcastically named demon.

“Oh Crowley~” he cried to the heavens “Why on Earth do you have to be so damn beautiful for a foul fiend such as yourself?” his words full of sorrow. “6000 holy years we’ve been knowing each other, and through out the whole thing, you always found a way, in ever single era, to made me fall for you”.

The sole image of that sent an electric spam on both of their spines. The cat purred at him, just for the scare of it all, going even closer to Aziraphale’s stomach. The cat closeness made the angel realise that he was (or so he thought) talking to nobody. A chuckle escaped from his throat, because of both how ashamed he felt and how the vibrating sound the kitty was doing near his belly. He felt pity for himself, being a poor excuse of a holy creature, wanting Crowley in such hedonistic ways, not just once or twice, but though out entire centuries. His eyes met the cat’s, who was purring and kneading on his lap, anxiously trying to comfort him. After Armagedon’t, he could’ve swore he felt a rush of, for lack of better words, second changes running between the two of them.

“And yet, here I am, talking to this creature, so majestic yet so soft, such as you are,” Aziraphale murmured, looking up and thinking about the demon, “about how much you mean to me, because this is the closest I could ever fathom to say this kind of words”.

Crowley suddenly grow silent, his glazed eyes looking directly at the angel. He sat on his posterior paws and let go a wimp growl as he posed one paw on Aziraphale’s belly, as an act of both purely curiosity and encouragement.

“Well yes, my little Demon, that’s precisely what I said, you majestic little devil” he answered to the meow, softly, petting him between his fluffy ears, which made the demonic feline purr out of pure instinct, rubbing his head harder to that touch, elevating him a little bit “Oh, you would love to meet him, I assure you,” the angel continued, with a soft soothing tone “He is such a perfect creature, you see”. this word went out like one of Crowley’s purrs, his chest full of love. “He has always been there for me” the angel chuckled “Saving me from the guillotine, from nazis” a long sigh escaped from his mouth, one that can only a being in love could exhaled “from myself most of the time”.

The demon was so flustered, he was rather glad about being a cat because, you see, cats don’t get all red in the face because of an adorable dork such as his angel. Now, with both his front paws on Azira’s belly, he was trying to touch the angel’s face with his head, failing miserably, but drawing the attention of the angel’s eyes back to his.

“And he would love to meet you too!” Aziraphale said, a little bit louder than before. “I know he loves all furry dark creatures of the Creation, and would never hurt you” An idea crossed the angel’s mind which made him giggled “I must warn you, he have the tendency of hissing at things he don’t understand or knows at first, but he wouldn’t hurt you in any capacity. Even if he doesn’t want to recognise it, he is, at heart, a good person”.

And were those words, the exact same ones that he said to him almost a week ago in a table at the Ritz, that made Crowley snapped out of his feline prison, leaving a much-flustered demon sitting on the laps of certain red-as-a-sunset angel.

“Hum-… hey angel” he whispered, both ashamed and expectant. Because he was trying to comfort the celestial being earlier, his arms were on a tight grip around Aziraphale’s waist, and when he noticed it, he tried to back up. “I-ah… I didn’t know you would use this chai-…”

But Aziraphale, growing even more red on the face that he was before, didn’t give him any space to go anywhere but closer. He was hugging Crowley ever so tightly one could ‘ve thought the demon was about to break, yet soft enough just so Crowley could understand how very much appreciated he was about all these sudden circumstances. With a quick move, he closed the distance between the both of them in a tender kiss, and he swore he could felt his halo grow even brighter than before.

#good omens #fanfics #GOFDFanfics #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #crowley is a cat #aziraphale is adorable #aziraphale is a cinnamon roll #but what's new #crowley enjoyed being a cat

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bike42 · 3 years

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Friday, July 9 - Sunday, July 11, 2021

Happy to be back out on the Ice Age Trail!! We’re hiking without Gary as he had to fly back to New Jersey for a funeral today, but with luck will see him tomorrow. Our rendezvous point was only 70 minutes from our house so it was nice to be able to leave just after 6 AM and get to the meeting point before 7:30 AM. Even though we’d just seen everyone, we were excited to be together again. Jeff had to gently shepherd us into the cars, reminding us that we had all day to talk and swap stories and we should get going.

We left two cars at our meeting point and got into Dan and Tam‘s SUV and drove to the start of the Deerwood Segment, where we left off on that rainy Sunday just a few weeks ago. We were delighted to find it looking much different today - it’s a perfect Wisconsin summer day. It was about 60° when we started out, with plenty of sunshine.

We hiked 10 miles before a lunch break - wonderful segments (Deerfield, Bohn Lake and Greenwood) through pine trees, around beautiful lakes, with short road walks mixed in. This combination allows us to cover pretty good ground because we can really book it on the road walk and stop and enjoy when we’re in the woods a little bit more. We took two different snack breaks this morning which was really helpful because I was used to having a long drive to drink my coffee and gradually eat my breakfast. I brought along my small thermos of coffee and that was really great to wash down a cliff bar with hot coffee. Another unusual factor is that we encountered several couples – still so strange to see others on these amazing trails. One couple was out with their 11-year-old dog, and said they walk this 4-mile loop every day. The other couple had three grandchildren along and they had buckets and were just going blackberry picking. We chatted with them for a while and Tam told the kids to pick enough berries so grandma could make a blackberry cobbler. Grandma said “shut up,” which gave us all a great laugh and reminded us of Jen at the bar a couple weeks ago who told a customer “Shut up and give me all your money.” In addition to a couple snack breaks I ate a lot of ripe blackberries along the trail (yum) and found myself hoping that the café at lunchtime will have blackberry cobbler.

The summer wildflowers are really starting to come in to full bloom which attracts a myriad of different kind of butterflies, including many monarchs. As we were walking through the pine forest, it was very quiet due to the sand and pine needles underfoot and we heard buzzing in the trees. While we couldn’t see a beehive, we’re pretty sure that’s what we heard. We walked probably another hundred feet and had the same thing. It was really cool and it made me think made me think of Winnie the Pooh and the way he would sing to the honeybees and try to float along with a balloon to get the honey from the hive in the tree!

After 10 miles we came out through the woods right where our cars were – always, thankful for that! We climbed into the two cars and drove about 7 miles to Coloma where we stopped at the Red Hill café for lunch (except we all had omelets). This is an Amish area and the café served an Amish wheat bread with our omelets, the best bread I’ve had in a long time! One of their specials of the day was a ‘double caramel chocolate roll muffin’ which sounded a bit too decadent, even for me. Like all establishments these days the café was probably short-staffed so it took a long time for us to order and for our food to come, so it was about 2:30p before we shuttled the cars and were back on the trail. With full bellies, it was off to a slow start as we started again down the connecting road.

This afternoon we finished the Greenwood segment had a short road walk and started the Mecan River segment. The area was designated Mecan Springs State Natural Area, and the trail was gorgeous but we didn’t see much of the river, which is always disappointing to me.

We all had several wood-ticks today, but we’re getting used to them and no one seems as freaked out as last year. Other than a few flies, and some intermittent buzz-bys from deer flies, no other bugs – no mosquitoes, which is a bit unbelievable!

At one point the trail today came out into a farm field and there was a fabulous prairie easement between two cornfields and that we were allowed to walk through. We rousted up some sand hill cranes, always majestic to watch them take off and fly away. The prairie flowers were just starting to come into bloom and the view was breathtaking to me. There were spots in the cornfield where the probably original oak trees still stood and rocks were piled up and you could just imagine the settlers clearing the fields and piling up the rocks. And we think we’re working hard out here just slogging along the trail, silly us!

With our dallying, it was nearly 6 o’clock before we got back to the car – 17.5 miles for the day. We had a quick shuttle to pick up the other two cars and soon we were back in Coloma for a bathroom stop at the gas station. Jeff and I picked up root beer floats at the A&W that was attached to the gas station. The other two couples stopped at a restaurant in Coloma for dinner, but Jeff and I decided to head home and tend to our cat. We arrived home about 7:30 PM completely exhausted. I had all I could do to eat a little leftover salad, re-supply my pack for tomorrow run a hot bubble bath and then crawl into bed shortly after nine.

A late-night text from Gary said he was stranded in Charlotte, North Carolina which is pretty far from New Jersey, and further from Wisconsin. On our drive north today, we learned he was now in Detroit, which is closer, but he still wasn’t going to make the hike today. That made us all sad because we’re a little lost without him, but we pressed on anyway. We were all at the rendezvous spot at 8 AM, and we took two cars back to Highway GG in the middle of the Mecan river segment and we were hiking by 8:30 AM, an easy early start.

This part of the Mecon river segment actually paralleled the river, winding around through oak and pine forest, on another absolutely gorgeous Wisconsin summer day. The ladies lagged behind a bit, using my “Picture This” app to identify some of the flowers. We were hiking through an area that had been logged several years before, which was now growing a bunch of pretty flowers and berries most of which are poisonous to humans of course.

Over the past two days, much of the trail had vole or moles that had burrowed trails than intersected under our trails! We were a bit perplexed by the volume, but actually, it made for softer trails. Jeff figured there must be a lot of grubs in the area for them to be eating!

We had a great morning enjoying the hike along the river, stopping once at a bench to take a coffee break and enjoy the scenery. We ended the Mecan River segment and had 2.3-mile road walk. It was warm but we had a nice breeze. We walked through a little village, Richford, which seemed to be primarily an Amish settlement. We walked through the edge of a cemetery with really old tombstones -many of them that you couldn’t even make out the writing anymore. I heard a “clap clap clap” on the pavement behind us, and there was an Amish farmer in a horse and buggy – that was a first for our connecting route walking! Soon we heard another, but that one was a horse pulling a farmer in a really uncomfortable looking cart!

We arrived at the start of Wedde Creek segment, and took another sit-down break – most of us taking off our boots to cool our feet after walking on the hot road. It was a shorter segment, through another gorgeous pine forest and a meadow with lots of wildflowers and butterflies. I lagged behind the group taking photos and just embracing the joy of the day.

After that we had 0.7-mile CR to the Chaffee Creek Segment which will be our last segment for about 40 miles. On this segment we crossed underneath Highway 51 again (we crossed from west to east just south the Tomahawk sometime last winter). For the next couple days will cross underneath Highway 51 back-and-forth a few times until we get to Portage and then will finally turn west and get into familiar territory for us.

We backtracked about a half mile to visit the Rest Stop on I-39/51 – kind of crazy, but always great to have a flush toilet! We hiked through the last of the Chaffee Creek segment, crossing the creek again. We went through another pretty meadow with lots of butterfly activity. We ended up at an official trail parking at a cul de sac, and chatted with a guy there that appeared he was going to do trail maintenance, but actually was doing some work on a friend’s adjacent property. There was trash there that indicated the cul de sac may be a party site. I had a trash bag in my pack, so I pulled it out and started cleaning up the space. Down the road just a bit, there was a branch of a tree nearly blocking the road – the guys got out Jeff’s saw and cleared the road – probably the first time in nearly 600 miles that they cleared a tree on a connecting route!

We had about 1.5 miles CR to get back to Kent’s SUV. We picked up enough trash to fill up TWO bags on our way, always feels good to leave it a little better than we found it. Just don’t get what’s in people’s minds that they just throw trash out the window.

Felt great to be down early. We shuttled back to the Mecan River segment to pick up the other two SUVs, and then to the gas station / A&W in Coloma again. We were home just about 4pm, which was awesome.

For reasons that I don’t understand the Ice Age Trail has a bifurcation, and at the end of our day today we reached that spot of the northern bifurcation. We have opted to take the eastern route which will lead us to Portage, where we’ll walk Levee Road on the south side of the Wisconsin River, south over the Baraboo Bluffs, and we’ll pick up a trail again just around Parfrey’s Glen and that will take us to Devils Lake. The western bifurcation like the eastern in that its mostly CR with very few trail segments. It goes through Baraboo and rejoins the trail at the north side of Devils Lake.

Throughout the hike, we’ve had a lot of Kilimanjaro logistics chatter – its both exciting and anxiety provoking, but I’m so looking forward to that trek – just 9 weeks out now.

Sunday morning, we met at 8AM in Westfield. Shocking to arrive 20 minutes early and find the Knickmeier’s’ already there!! And no Gary, but soon after we arrived, Kent and Lynn pulled in, and Gary soon behind him. Definitely a first! We were all glad to have him back with us today. We left 3 cars in the parking lot of the “Bent Rail” brewpub, where we planned to have lunch. We shuttled north to where we’d left off yesterday, another gorgeous day. I figured we had about 10 miles to lunch, and we were hiking by 8:15am. Even though it was all CR, I managed to pick up a wood-tick during my “quick trip” stop in the woods before we started!

We walked through a lake/resort area, which was odd after days of farms. There were people out running and road cyclists out enjoying the morning – felt kind of normal to us, but different from what we’ve been seeing.

Time passed quickly; seems we never really run out of things to talk about since we’re such a companiable group! It’s also ok for someone to be out front alone when they want to move, or lag behind when they want space. We took a few snack breaks, but mainly just moved. True to form, I was a bit off in the math using the Guthook app to estimate the distance, and it was actually 12 miles. It was warm, but generally with a nice breeze and we arrived at the brew pub about 12:30pm. Like everywhere, they were short staffed – in fact, had a note on their menu asking for patience and offering rewards of free beer for employee referrals. We had a delightful waitress named Tanya, and had some great beer and good food. Patience was required though, and it was after 2P before we were back on the road. Gary and I shuttled his SUV just 3 more miles down the road, and we set off hiking about 2:30PM, and knocked it out in about an hour. Half of it was on a busy County Highway J, so it was great to turn off onto a smaller road, past a few farms and to Gary’s car.

We volunteered to bring Tam and Dan back to their car, which gave us an opportunity to detour back to Coloma and get another A&W float for the drive home. Made for a perfect day! We got a text from Lynn that I-94 had a backup, so we diverted to Portage and took a slower more leisurely

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paigenotblank · 6 years

Text

Lights of Many Colors

Pairing: Ten x Rose (a smidge of Six x Rose)

Rating: General

written for @doctorroseprompts 31 Days of Ficmas (day 9 - lights); as well as @timepetalsprompts TPP Bingo: DW Characters (Six’s Fashion Disaster)

N.B. This was inspired by Short Trips: A Christmas Treasury (A Christmas Special). A Christmas story featuring the Sixth Doctor.

AO3 TS

Rose and the Doctor were pressed against the wall of a block of flats and peeking around the corner at the TARDIS.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this. You should drink ginger beer more often.”

“What? Do you like drunk me better?”

Rose rolled her eyes and craned her head back at him. “Don’t be ridiculous. ‘S just…it’s not often you suggest we do silly things just to do silly things.”

“We do silly things all the time. I love silly things. I am–”

“Usually if we do silly things, it’s an accident.”

“You do like drunk me better!”

Rose arched her brow. “Less and less with each passing minute.”

The Doctor opened his mouth to say something when he spotted their mark. He pressed himself more firmly against Rose’s back and whispered in her ear. “There he is.”

Rose peered out a little further. “Oh. My. God!”

“Shhhh. Rose, he’s gonna hear you.” The Doctor dragged Rose back and spun her up against the wall.

Rose covered her mouth with her hands to quiet the uncontrollable giggles spewing forth at the sight of THAT outfit. It wasn’t working and so the Doctor added one of his as well.

“Shhh! It’s not that funny.”

Rose pulled back. “God, Doctor. How could you not have warned me about that fashion disaster?”

The Doctor pouted. “It wasn’t that bad.”

His put upon expression and the fact that he seemed to not appreciated the atrocity of that jacket with those trousers had Rose bent double in laughter. “Oh, my…I can’t believe you…I can’t…I can’t breathe.”

The Doctor crossed his arms. “Maybe we should just go home, if you can’t stop laughing at me.”

“I’m sorry.” Rose wiped the tears from her eyes and took a steadying breath. She glanced at the Doctor and snickered.

“Rose!”

“Sorry, sorry…I’m good now.” He glared at her. “Really.”

He sighed and glanced over his shoulder. “Okay. Operation Decoration commences now.”

Rose stole a glance at the TARDIS belonging to the younger Doctor again. “An’ you’re sure he won’t catch us? An’ like cause a paradox or anything, right? Don’t fancy reapers for Christmas.”

“It’ll be fine as long as you keep quiet and stop laughing.”

“Doctor…”

“I never found out who bought me the TV, and I never told anyone I wanted it, so I had to have been the one to give it to myself. We basically need to do this to prevent a paradox, so don’t worry that we’ll be causing one. Anyway, I remember getting the TV and falling asleep. We have…” The Doctor pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth while thinking it over. “…an hour and a half or thereabouts.”

Rose’s jaw dropped.

“What?”

“You…you don’t know down to the millisecond?”

“Well it was a long time ago and I’m currently under the effects of ginger, so I’m sorry I can’t be more accurate.”

Rose bit her lip. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

“Nonsense. He brings the TV in, watches it for a bit, and then falls asleep. We just have to be quiet.” He held his hand out to her. “Trust me?”

Rose smiled. “Always. Okay. Let’s go.”

Rose and the Doctor hefted a large old television set and carried over to the TARDIS. The placed it in front of the door, knocked, and ran giggling away.

They watched from their lookout spot as the younger, curly-haired Doctor opened the door of his TARDIS and stared at the television. He looked up and around in confusion. Not seeing anyone about, he shrugged and carried the gift back into the TARDIS with him.

“Alright, we have a little under 90 minutes until he chucks it back out.”

“You never said, why didn’t you keep it?”

The Doctor blushed. “Eh, just didn’t like it is all. Not as good as the one we have from Teleos XII.”

Rose fluttered her eyelashes at him and leaned in close. “Mmmhmmm. Now tell me the truth.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened. “Wh- Whaddya mean, I er…”

Rose ran her hands up his lapels. “You can tell me. I won’t make fun.”

He sighed. “I, er, dreamed they turned my life into a TV show, but, erm, the network cancelled it for no reason. And after a very concentrated letter writing campaign by devoted fans, the BBC brought it back. But did they put it on its regular night? No! They put it opposite Coronation Street! Coronation Street. Can you believe it?”

Rose gawked at him for a long moment before she started laughing. “Cor…Coro…Coronation Street!”

“Rose! You promised not to laugh!”

Holding her stomach and leaning against the wall, she said, “I agreed not to take the mick, I never agreed not to laugh. You really tossed the TV because of that?”

His lower lip wobbled. “Was ruinin’ my Christmas.”

Rose stopped laughing and grasped his arm. “Aww. My poor, Doctor. ‘M sorry I laughed. Let’s go brighten your Christmas, yeah?”

The Doctor beamed at Rose and nodded. Rose picked up a box that they had brought with decorating supplies. She glanced in the box and then over at the Doctor. “You know, now all the ribbons make sense.”

“What?”

“The ribbons to decorate the wreath.”

“What about them?”

“Well, it’s all the same fabric as that majestic technicolor dreamcoat.”

“No, it’s…” The Doctor rummaged through the box. “Oh…”

Rose gave him her tongue touched smile. “It’s perfect.”

An hour and a quarter later, Rose and the Doctor stood back and inspected their work. They’d covered the TARDIS in blinking fairy lights of green, red, yellow, purple and pink. Rose had decorated and hung a wreath with bows made from tweed, plaid, paisley, checkered and striped ribbons. Finally, they’d attached a Santa hat to the light at the top of the box. Rose was afraid they’d gone overboard, but one look at the Doctor’s delighted expression had her reconsidering.

“Now we wait.”

The two of them went back to their hiding place and waited.

About ten minutes later the TARDIS door opened and the TV set came flying out. The younger Doctor was about to slam the door, when he noticed the wreath. He walked out and around the whole of the TARDIS gaping.

Rose turned to her Doctor. “Be right back.”

“What? Where…? Rose!”

Rose ran up to the younger Doctor shouting, “Happy Christmas, Doctor!” She then threw her arms around him in a hug and kissed his cheek before running back to her Doctor.

“Great Gallifrey!” The Doctor brought his hand to his face where Rose had kissed it.

When Rose got back to her Doctor, he was scowling. “Rose–”

“Oh, I’ve got one for you too.” She pulled him down by his collar and snogged him senseless. “Happy Christmas, Doctor.”

#ten x rose #six x rose #doctorroseprompts #timepetalsprompts #31 days of ficmas #lights #tpp bingo: sixth doctor's fashion #decorating the tardis #circular paradox #snogging

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metalempire · 7 years

Photo

so using the digimon picker i was able to find my top 20 favourite digimon it seems. the list itself reads right to left and goes in descending order, so i’m going to list them off in ascending order and give reasons as to why they got on the list it seems. a noticable trend on this list is dark themed, red coloured or metallic digimon.

20. scorpmon

it’s no surprise i like appmon and i do like that scorpmon harkens back to digimon designs by being edgy and having guns, plus he’s purple.i like the cameramon line so far and i liked the fight he had with dogatchmon.

19. infernmon

one of my more favourite perfect level designs, i like that his mouth has a gun hidden in it and i loved how it was in our war games. honestly its got that kind of uncanny look on its face that makes it look both evil and cunning yet not hostile. its just a design i really appreciate, plus it looks cute when it tucks its limbs in,

18. dogatchmon

i like gatchmon and navimon, so combining their designs makes something i like. no brainer really. he gets alot of good fight scenes and whatnot in appmon and honestly he looks pretty sleek yet compact. not too much to say here he’s a more basic design in appmon i appreciate for not being too silly or edgy.

17. omegamon alter-b

out of all his numerous forms, this is the omegamon im most attached to, specifically because of next-0rder. i like the idea of swapping the weapons and imbuing it with darkness and letting it run wild, as well as being an alter evolution, it just looks really cool and was a great fight in the game as well. plus its just got a cool name.

16. millenniumon

i always thought its previous form as kimairamon was a clusterfuck of colours, yet had potential as a design. so dampening those colours to darker greys, blacks and a little blue accented with that yellow and blue aura with those sick mugen cannons on it help bring the design together really, plus it looks thinner and meaner than its perfect form.

15. leviamon

my favourite demon lord. i like marine life that can kill you and has teeth. plus im a very envious person, so this thing stuck with me, especially since he’s the most different looking out of the demon lords. i just like the idea of a giant crocodile being the second most powerful among the demon lords with a mouth big enough to rip a building in half if he wanted to. plus having two tails is cute.

14. chaosdukemon

honestly the uses of dull purples, blues and a shade of grey thats not quite black and not steel coloured either makes a very subtly impressive design, one that would convey dread over terror. im particularly fond of how its shield looks to be honest.

13. herakleskabuterimon

the only one who doesnt quite fit the theme of this list too well. huh. either way i think the tentomon line is a decent one only upstaged by a few others in adventure as it goes, yet ends up being my favourite ultimate from tri when all the kids get ultimate evolutions. i do like how it has a few nods to kuwagamon and has enough going on yet stays simple by using a mostly one colour. it looks powerful without trying too hard and i feel like i can respect this thing.

12. megidramon

i consider this to be guilmon’s true ultimate really and it does look quite terrifying. it has acidic saliva, hellfire themed design, elements of megalogrowlmon such as the arm blades and looks like a scary dragon rather than a dinosaur. i also like its lack of legs for some reason. when i imagine the digital hazard this thing first comes to mind, because it looks like a menace to any digimon really. its a woefully underused design and one that sticks with me to this day as something that really stood out in tamers.

11. megaseadramon

seadramon’s design was simple but not memorable really. megaseadramon has a much more effective design, using colours that mesh better, i like that its hair looks like algae and i like the metal twisted horn that shoots lightning, hearkening back to betamon. i also find it kind of cute, its slender and looks like it’d probably kill you on sight and i kind of like its demented eyes.

10. diablomon

yaoi hands. i like how diabolical this thing looks, it has wild eyes, a villain’s hairstyle and a nice way of walking that reminds you its kind of a bug but not really. those long arms that just whip around to slap you just add to it really when paired with its comparatively little legs. again our war games plays into how much i like this thing, since it was fast, cunning and powerful. quite alot for whats essentially the personification of the y2k bug.

9. globemon

red google daddy. fuck me this is the first appmon design i’d probably fuck. just look at him, sleek, tall, strong shiny. he moves in a very exaggerated fashion and is so laughably overpowered in concept that he can basically attack the entire earth with one move. i like the use of lasers and lights in his design and that he replaces most of the white and green from dogatchmon with timemon’s bright gold to look kind of regal yet commanding.

8. alphamon

best waifu. something about them hips man.... anyway, alphamon is probably op as shit for being able to rewind time and blast apart dexdorughoramon with one attack, as well as having a sword made of light and whatever the fuck an ouryuken is. its got a wide arsenal and pulls off a great black knight look, i like that its the leader of the royal knights who’s never actually there, just existing to control them if need be. x-evolution and cyber sleuth really helped endear me to alphamon, its so cool and smooth looking.

7. hagurumon

the only child level on this list, hagurumon is adorable. its essentially thee gears sellotaped together with a crooked smile. it also has one eye thats covered by a circle and one eye with a spiky circle for variety. its just so cute, it fits exactly into what i find adorable, the way it moves, the way it smiles, the industrial look it has. it’s got a place in my heart as my favourite child level for just being unconventially adorable.

6. chaosdramon

considering it’s the evolution to another digimon on this list, it wins a spot by virtue of sharing a similar design, yet adapting it. its got eyes now and even though its black skin is actually cyber in some ways, looking some cool matrix shit, it makes it look more like a dragon/dinosaur wearing red digizoit armour. i do like how it has the same weapons as its prior stage, yet they do look noticeably different, i like the return to the classic dreadnought cannons that slowly snap forward and fire one colossal blast. the whole thing looks ready to go and kill.

5. megadramon

arguably my favourite perfect level, megadramon has a classical design to me. its got that cyborg reptile thing going on that i love, its got a little tattoos, tattered wings, a metal helmet and those two missile launchers for hands. it looks ferocious and there’s enough going there to look at plus its one of the rarer instances where colours that clash a bit look kind of fitting for me. i’d like t imagine it curled up asleep sometime.

4. lordknightmon

pink’s a good colour, knights are good. lordknightmon is therefore good. i love this thing as a character, someone who will do anything if the ends justify the means, so much untapped potential for conflict with the royal knights and with itself. its good villain, but also a food hero, plus its flashy and vain, which i find entertaining. i like the elegant design alot and the fact its pink. sexy.

3. dukemon

i think everyone fell in love with dukemon the first time they saw it. it’s a timeless design, perfect uses of red and white. the weapons it has just look so good together, its body looks just right, its pretty much captivating in a way thats unique to the viewer yet always universal in that sense. i like its concept too, it tamed the digital hazard and instead used its power to protect the digital world as a holy knight instead of destroy it, even its personal justice seems to be that ones deeds determine your fate and that life is always precious. i also like that its a bit of a rebel among the royal knights once it starts thinking. be real, we’d all marry dukemon.

2. metalseadramon

i like metal digimon, i like megaseadramon. combine the two and i’m signed up lads. in a way, i find this thing really cute, hard to explain, not gonna bother. i also really like how its nose is now a giant laser cannon because it must have one hell of a sneeze. honestly though this thing is so majestic looking, its got the hair, the gold and silver metal design, the wires and pipes, all of it slenderly put together on a sleek serpent of the seas, its so beautiful in a way, a design that just comes together perfectly.

1. mugendramon

anyone who follows me is not surprised at all that this is my favourite. i adore this thing. i love that its a combo of several perfect level digimon’s cyborg parts meshed together into one incredible machine of death and destruction. honestly i consider it the best designed digimon of all time. there’s so much going on but its not a clusterfuck, everything links together so well, you can really tell its machine digimon made to be the best of the best, taking so much that worked before and amplifying it. i like cyborgs and i like robots, so this thing hits all the notes for me while still trying to look like a monster, like a mechanical chimera that looks like it fits, like all the parts were meant to be put together to assemble this glorious machine. i love its wide variety of weapons and attacks, and that its essentially a digimon who runs on malice, that it petty much exists just to fuck up everything in sight. i’ll never forget the one analogman used at the end of digimon world 1 and i love the idea that it as the first ultimate, that because of this thing so many digimon rapidly began to change and try to reach its level of power. this thing definites the level its at, that all digimon going from perfect to ultimate should use this thing as a goal of sorts, to reach its sheer level of power. and its withstood the test of time, with so many digimon at the ultimate level being so strong in their own ways, this thing can still go toe to toe with the best of them. its a raw classic that just cant be beaten in my eyes, its always going to be my favourite really. i love it.

#Digimon #long post

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miraclejunewrites · 5 years

Text

Chapter 4

Bonded

The suffocating silence bothered Jaemy. The rest of the pack rushed at the doorstep, including Han, bombarding him with questions he couldn’t quite understand. Amidst the chaos, Samuel stood in front of the boy, blocking him away from Chris whose eyes have been gazing at him intently. A firm grasp on Wisdom’s left wrist made him look up, “Wisdom” his voice was desperate. Wisdom knew the boy wanted answers.

He pulled the boy to his side, earning the long-awaited silence. Samuel was about to speak up when his eyes found Jaemy’s, they were practically begging him to just stay quiet. The witch’s furrowed eyebrows relaxed as he sighed in defeat, pushing the rest inside the house. Samuel went back and dragged Felix and Marco by their ears, both breaking into a fit of whines. The alpha turned to Jaemy, giving the boy a small smile before leading him inside the house. Wisdom’s hand was big and warm, Jaemy felt reassured with just that.

His eyes wandered around the wide hallway, his muddy shoes leaving stain on the carpeted floor. Jaemy reminded himself to apologize to Wisdom later. The hallway was decorated with simple paintings on the walls and a few vases on top of stools. The pack probably didn’t want to redecorate the place in honor of the previous owner. With that, he started coming up with questions regarding the wolves and Chris’s lives. Plus, the mansion.

The hallway leads to an open space. Jaemy who was whisked away from his thoughts, saw the rest of the boys gathered at the circular sofa, their heads were on the same level as his and Wisdom’s feet. “Careful of the steps, Sam usually slips.” the mentioned wolf whimpers, receiving a loud cackle from Calvin. “Sam trips at least twice a week.”

Felix giggled, “What?” his deep voice was cut off with the sudden stares from everyone in the room. For the first time in a while, the tension was broken. Chris huffed out air, he too was tired of the heavy air around them. He smiled, “Felix is easily amused, pay him no mind.” the first playful words coming from him swept the suffocating air away. Felix pouted, shouting a loud ‘Hey!’ afterwards. While the others laughed, Wisdom pulled Jaemy, settling him in between Han and Sam. “Are you okay now, Han?” the wolf nodded, giving the boy a smile as they open up a small talk. Sam leaned over, gingerly placing his head on the boy’s shoulder. Jaemy flinched at the sudden contact but loosened up at the sight of Sam. “Sam, don’t make the boy uncomfortable.” Sam whined and attached himself to Jaemy, earning a soft giggle from Wisdom. The alpha eventually gave up, he can’t change about the fact that Sam is a cuddle bug.

The laughter dies down, it was silent. But not the same silence as earlier. Wisdom beams as he faces Chris. “Oh, why don’t your friends introduce themselves, huh, Chris?” Felix and Marco spares Chris a glance, finally speaking up when the older nods. They don’t usually get permission from someone higher than them, they were free spirits, usually messing with people back in Japan. But after meeting Chris, they pay so much respect for the vampire.

Felix’s meeting wasn’t the best one, but it was memorable.

Chris was on a trip to Japan; he was importing vases from a very famous antique shop in Okinawa. It was a hard gamble as the owner of the shop didn’t want anyone to re-sell his products. Chris was a very patient person, he tried to talk as calm and casual as possible. But the old man was not having any of it. He was close to just hypnotizing him, but it bothered his conscience, not that he has one anyways.

On his way out, he was bothered by a eerie presence, it was subtle but he can tell the sheer amount of power being suppressed. His head snapped towards the rooftop of a candy shop. There, he saw a small fox watching him intently with his doe eyes, his speck-littered face standing out in the open. The fox was sure his presence was hidden. As he made eye contact with the man, his small body shivered in fear. Chris’s deep and dark orbs flashed red; he smiles at the fox. Nodding at him before going his merry way.

Felix was a bit, arrogant. The town his shrine was located was somewhat, peaceful. The bad spirits were nothing more than deranged souls who strayed from their paths. And he wasn’t the only God/Guardian in that huge town. There were lots of them. Ranging from powerful to mediocre ones. Felix was one of the most influential and known God. His personality in most cases, is normal. He was a nice God, a bit playful, nonetheless. But the residents don’t have complaints against the fox.

They admired him the most whenever they get to see a glimpse of his full form. His huge figure partially hidden in the depths of the woods as the moon reflected against his glimmering white fur, littered with black specs focused on his face. Felix was beautiful indeed.

The fox had no reason for staying. But he had a reason for leaving, it was Chris.

“I’m Felix. I am uh, a 9 tailed fox, Marco and I are both from Japan.” Chris snickered as Felix began unveiling his tails one by one. The room broke into gasps. Marco turned to Chris, in cue, they both laughed underneath their breath as they shake their heads simultaneously. Lix was a bit of a show-off. It wasn’t the worst, but you can’t help but scoff whenever he does so.

Chris glances at Jaemy who busy admiring Felix’s tails was. He can’t help but break into a smile when the boy stood up and asked Felix, politely, if he could touch them. Felix gave the boy a big smile, telling him it was fine. “Wow, so fluffy!” the rest literally melted when the boy jumped up and down with a silly smile on his face. His braces on full view for everyone to see. And when most of them have moved on by the majestic scene, Jaemy couldn’t stop admiring the fox. Felix forced him to sit down between him and Samuel.

Felix has always been nice. Sure, he was a bit playful with the townspeople near his shrine but in general, he was just a quiet God. Looking over his people

Marco was a different case. He was stubborn and naive. He liked playing with the locals, especially the school girls who visit his shrine. Marco usually blows towards the girls, their skirts riding up as the harsh wind hits them. He would throw rocks at the roofs of some elderly people, just for the heck of it. They know it was him. The God of their village. His shrine was atop a small hill, with the perfect view of the whole village. The elderly would curse at him, using mantras to make the Bakeneko go back to its shrine.

You would really expect for him to have a bad reputation within the town. With his usual childish acts and pranks, he should’ve been a stray God by now. But he wasn’t. Marco is weird and arrogant and obnoxious. But the village was thankful for him, Marco has done a lot of stupid things but none of them are gravely bad. He has done better than any God that has set foot at their small town. Marco always gave them a good harvest, plenty of fish, nature was always bountiful and vibrant. And his petty pranks made the village livelier.

That’s why when Chris stumbled upon his shrine, he couldn’t help but admire the size of it. It was vibrant and clean. Offerings piled neatly on the shiny wooden floor. People from all around the village visiting back and forth. Chris was impressed, despite the bad reviews of the God, the locals still respect and admire him.

But, up to this date. He never really knew why the cat left Japan. He never knew why Marco snuck into his hotel room on his last day there.

“I’m Marco. I’m a bakeneko from Japan.”

“What’s a bakeneko?”

“It’s like a ghost cat.”

Calvin nodded, somewhat satisfied with the answer given to him.

After the pleasantries were exchanged, they all engaged in conversations. It wasn’t just a small, casual talk to fill in the gaps. They talked about stuff close friends normally dabble in. Wisdom can’t help but smile as he admires the people around him going along just fine, despite the multiple feuds they had within the span of a day.

Samuel who was wandering his eyes around the finally decided to ask the question that has been sitting in his head. “How did you guys get ahold of this place?” his tone directed to Wisdom. With a weary look, the rest of the pack turned their heads to their alpha. “Yeah, how did you find this place?” Samuel followed Jaemy’s gaze towards Wisdom, thankful because he backed him up. Wisdom can’t help but break into a smile with the boy’s gesture. Jaemy’s head was tilted to the side as he playfully wraps one of Felix’s tail around wrist.

“Well, to make things short. There was this soldier who stumbled upon our small den during the World War I. He was miles away from his battalion. He was a wise guy to say at least.” a few pair of eyes followed Wisdom’s finger, pointing at a huge portrait on the cream-colored walls. Wisdom lowered his hand, proceeding with his story. “Han,” the said wolf let out a small whine, lowering his head. Sam threw a hand around the wolf, nuzzling him closer. “Was still very sensitive back then–” his next words fell to the floor, unsaid, as he sees Han shaking a bit in the arms of Sam. He cleared his throat and decided to choose his words wisely. “Calvin was very territorial. While, Sam was the most rational between all of us. It was hard not to trust the man; he was very clever for his age. He didn’t like war. Wished he could stop it, but instead he was forced to join the army in the name of his family’s honor.”

Jaemy was compelled by the story. His eyes glistened in curiosity as he listened to the alpha’s soothing voice. He felt like a kid again, listening to his teacher’s stories during kindergarten and preschool. Wisdom continues his history class. Calvin left 5 minutes ago, telling them he was gonna go get some snacks since everyone didn’t have the appetite to eat a heavy meal. The story about the mansion finished, and the rest of them started telling their own. Marco, bullshiting everyone into believing he created Japan. He earned a smack on the head from Chris because of it.

As they continue to munch on their chips, Jaemy gazes at Felix who was fast asleep on his lap. Jaemy’s fingers running through the fox’s strawberry tinted locks. The boy tried to reach out for his bag on the side of the couch. He was also trying hard not to wake the fox. Jaemy mumbled a silent thanks to Han who made his task easier. The current state of his bag made his frown, his mom is gonna question him about it. He sighed and carefully opening it. Rummaging through his notes and a few personal necessities, his hand found what he was trying to retrieve. Jaemy placed his bag between his knees and continued to unlock his phone.

There were only 2 missed calls from his mom, he sighed. Thankful that it wasn’t his dad. He buried his face in front of the screen as he types in a message for his mom, telling her he was okay and was only at a friend’s house. His thumbs stopped moving, Jaemy eyed the last word he typed in, “Friends” he really didn’t have any. His mom pushed him further to make friends, but he really didn’t know who was at fault. Jaemy doesn’t really claim that he’s the nicest person. Sure, he was naive and a bit of a cast off, but he wasn’t rude to anyone. He greeted his classmates on his first day but none of them really stuck to him. They only talk when it’s related to school. You can’t even tell if it was a ‘casual’ relationship. He was sometimes invisible in class, only getting recognized when the teacher calls him out for spacing out.

“Hey, Jaemy. Do you need to get home?” he pressed send before looking up to Sam. The wolf gave him a worried look and proceeded to walk to his position. The wolf plopped down in front of him and put his hand on Jaemy’s knee. The room went silent, they waited for the boy’s answer. It was really late, and the boy’s family is probably worried. “Sam, it’s okay. I texted my mom that I was at a..” a lump in his throat caught his next words. “F-friends. And that I’ll be home by midnight at least.” Wisdom stood up and peered over at the closest window. It was dark, his eyes traveled to the moon, shining brightly than normal. He hummed in thought before turning back to the rest of the pack.

He gave them his most fatherly smile.

“How about a sleepover?”

For the last 30 minutes, Sam and Han who was now acting normal according to Calvin, were both chanting “Sleepover!” while jumping up and down the couch. Felix was woken up by the commotion and after processing what was happening, he joined the two idiots. “The couch, you fucking cunts!” the three of them scurried away from a fuming Calvin. Jaemy looked in awe. Obviously, culture shocked. Jaemy had called his mom after Sam insisted on him sleeping over. The sound of his mom crying over the phone telling him she was proud of him finally making friends, was definitely alarming. Sam had snatched his phone and told his mom that they will take care of her baby. Jaemy was embarrassed, but he can’t help but smile. It was his first ever sleepover.

“I’m going home.” Jaemy whipped his head towards Samuel’s direction, the witch walked past him, heading towards the door. Jaemy gripped his wrist, making the older turn to him. “Don’t go?” his tone was vague; he didn’t know if he was asking him or telling him. Samuel didn’t know what took over him when he nodded his head and sat beside the boy. Just like Jaemy, he didn’t have any friends, the only difference is that he didn’t want to make such connections. He always thought that the need to socialize was a pain in the ass. The Student Council was already a big burden to bear. He had to put up a strict but reliable facade in front of the students and the teachers. Having friends was just a distraction. Well, aside for Chris.

“How about you two wash up upstairs. Sam’s clothes might fit both of you, I’ll call you guys when,” Wisdom looked at the clock on the wall. “Super late dinner is ready. Alright?” he chuckled midway and turned his back after getting a nod from both. There was something about Wisdom that made Samuel follow his every command. Jaemy turned to Samuel when he felt him shiver. The witch was reminded of the alpha almost losing his temper earlier. Wisdom was patient no matter how grave the moment is, but today was different. Han has been kidnapped and they had to protect an innocent human boy. He had to step up and show his authority or else they wouldn’t get things done.

Samuel doesn’t want to admit it but, he respects the alpha. Maybe even more than Chris.

“Let’s go!” they were both pulled off from their seats. Sam dragging them upstairs as he giggled. Jaemy tried to look back while keeping up with the wolf, he saw a laughing Felix being chased by a grinning Calvin. He can’t help but break into a smile, reaching out his hand to the fox who greatly accepted it. “Hey! That’s not fair!” Samuel almost breaking into a fit of laughter because of Calvin’s last remarks before they disappeared around the corner.

The wooden door smacked shut right in front of Calvin. Sam fell down the carpeted floor, almost losing his sanity as he laughed. Felix fell on top of him, his face was red, and tears were on the verge of falling from his eyes. Jaemy giggled as he sat on the bed, pulling Samuel beside him. The boy was a ecstatic when he saw the glow on Samuel’s eyes as he smiled at him. He knew the witch was having fun despite what had happened earlier. The door opened and a grim looking Calvin stared down on the two figures squirming on the floor.

The three of them trashed around the room, Calvin holding a death grip on Sam’s neck while both Jaemy and Samuel rushed to his aid. Samuel gave up halfway no longer being able to hold back his laughter and collapsed beside Felix who was barely breathing. “Sam. I will be fucking end you. You fucking cunt, you broke my nose!” Jaemy was barely even putting effort on trying to pry them away from each other. He was cackling so hard he can’t even stand up. His chest hit Calvin’s back, letting the wolf carry his weight while he chokes Sam. The wolf underneath tried his best to explain his side, telling Calvin that his nose healed within a second.

“What is happe–” Han’s question hung in the air when he looked at the chaos. Choking on his saliva he rushed towards Sam, easily pulling off Calvin from Sam. Calvin proceeded trashing his fists towards Sam who was hoisted up from the floor by Samuel. Sam leaned half of his weight on Samuel, the witch momentarily stumbled but anchored his foot on the ground to hold up the almost dying wolf.

Calvin calmed down after a while as they all slumped on the king-sized bed in the center of the room. They started small talk with each other. Sam was convinced Samuel has at least 2 personalities. He observed how the witch transitioned from almost dying from laughter to his usual stoic face just nodding and responding with short comments. Shaking his head, he paid attention to Han who was telling a funny story. A soft knock on the door made them turn their heads. Marco enters the room quietly; the sudden lack of voices amplified the sound of the cat’s footsteps.

He stopped on the foot of the bed. Staring languidly at the people who were atop it. Felix suddenly realized the situation and scrambled to his feet, “Marco NO—GUYS OFF THE BED NOW!!” loud moans and groans filled the air. Marco purred, full form crushing the contents of the bed. Felix who was the only one who got out, tried to push the giant cat off the rest of the guys. He wasn’t honestly putting all his weight on them; Marco was just being playful and was jealous of all the action he wasn’t getting.

After successfully removing Marco from them, the boys continued to talk. With the additional presence, the room was much louder. Filled with their laughter and voices.

“Oh, right! Go wash up!” Sam pushed Jaemy towards the full bathroom, he told the boy he’s gonna bring him some clothes in a few minutes. Jaemy wanted to refuse, his debt was already so big, but his clothes sticking to his skin wasn’t a good sign. Smelly, is a valid reason for him to take up the offer. So, he let himself in the bathroom, closing the frosted glass door behind him.

It was indeed the most beautiful bathroom he has ever been in, and it was a huge compliment because he has only been in two. The full-sized bathtub reminded him of a Jacuzzi which, in his case, was very luxurious. Jaemy was tempted on using the tub, but he knew he didn’t have time to do so. And it was kinda embarrassing. He proceeded on showering, discarding his clothes and piling them neatly atop the sink. Sam came back with fresh clothes. Earning a blush from the boy when he complimented his upper body. Jaemy was thankful he was able to wrap a towel on his torso. Samuel washed up also and they all went back to the bed. The witch was getting used to all the ruckus and he can’t deny that he enjoyed it.

“Boys! Dinner!” Wisdom’s amplified voice resonated around the house. The boys went downstairs, drooling over the feast on the table. Without delay, they all sat down and began to chow down. “For fuck’s sake Sam, your spitting pasta all over the goddamn table.” Jaemy chuckled, placing his glass back down. His eye caught Chris. The vampire was just sitting beside Wisdom, both engrossed in a conversation. But that wasn’t the case. Jaemy was bothered by the lack of food on the man’s plate. There was absolutely nothing in it, Samuel tapped the boy’s thigh under the table. “Chris doesn’t need to eat.” Jaemy nodded, he was still not satisfied with it, but he didn’t ponder on it too much.

Dinner ended with Marco shoving ice cream down Calvin’s throat, he enjoyed the look on the wolf’s face as he does so. After that ‘fulfilling’ desert, they went back to the living room. Playing 4 rounds of UNO before Wisdom called it a night. He proceeded on showing Jaemy the guest room, Samuel demanded to stay with the boy even though they had another room prepared for him. Wisdom doesn’t want to argue, so he let him be. He knew the witch was still weary of Chris, even he was worried. This is not the best outcome he had hoped for.

Sleep didn’t come easy to Jaemy. The whistling of the wind outside was not a lullaby for him tonight. Jaemy let out a deep sigh, carefully removing himself underneath the blanket. He glanced at the witch sleeping peacefully beside him. He stood up and ambled towards the door. As he descended down the dim lighted stairs, he saw light coming from the kitchen. “Chris?” the vampire turned to him with a soft smile. He smiled back, he sat on top of the counter, head turned towards Chris.

“Can’t sleep?” it was a dumb question. But Jaemy wasn’t sure on what to say to Chris. The vampire smiled at him and nodded. Chris walked to the fridge, fishing out a box of chocolate milk. He handed it to the boy, earning a small thanks from him. “Sorry about um, everything” Chris was the best when it comes to this, he always chooses the right words and his advice are mostly logical and helpful.

But this is different, he suddenly ran out of words to say. The boy was his bond mate. Now that he had room for it inside his head, he was curious. On why he didn’t realize it in the first place. It was fate, indeed. A vampire’s bond mate is bound to arrive no matter what, but no one knows when. Chris was centuries old when he stopped hoping for his bond to come. It was a pain in the ass, he had to take care of them and if they die, he would also die. It doesn’t make sense at all. Why would he risk his life for someone who’s the key to his death? That’s stupid.

“It’s okay, Chris!” ah, that’s why. The empty feeling on his heart vanished, his eyes focused on Jaemy’s face. This was it. This is the reason. He snickered; it was a petty reason. But why does it fit the puzzle pieces? “What’s wrong, Chris?” Jaemy tilted his head and took a sip on his drink. Chris shakes his head and moves closer to the boy.

Unlike earlier, Jaemy didn’t want to run. He wasn’t scared of him anymore. He didn’t have that disgusting feeling in his stomach whenever he remembers the blood spilling on the antique shop floor.

With the last step, Chris stood between Jaemy’s legs. The boy places his, now empty drink on his right side. He looks up to the vampire. Sure, he admired Chris. But he really didn’t get the chance to look at him closely. And for him, Chris was beautiful. His blonde curly locks fell perfectly above his soft eyes. His thick lips formed into a smile, dimples on full display as well.

Chris was breathtaking.

With that, Jaemy slowly opened his arms, his smile growing larger as he do so. And for the first time, Chris didn’t hesitate wrapping his arms around the boy’s petite figure. Burying his face on Jaemy’s neck.

“Thanks, Jaemy.”

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adventurethere · 7 years

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"I had...a technical intention...to write a novel so elliptical and fast that it would be over before you noticed it, a novel so fast that it would scarcely exist on the page at all....white space. Empty space.”

This is how Joan Didion spoke of her novel, Play it as it Lays, about a somnambulant actress to whom life happens. The thin novel is filled with page after page of the same neat, terse sentences that move so quickly, pregnant with poetry. In her most current and likely ultimate work, South and West (a Notebook), Didion moves through the South introducing personages, towns, counties, and then leaving them, almost as fleetingly as they were introduced. Didion punctuates only to underscore the instability of the present and the fierce attachment to the past. She speaks of death in New Orleans, hanging in the air, its low omnipresence, of the marshy, slippery soils, of rotten bananas and the tarantulas that cling to them, all of it waiting to die. She writes of the man from the South who taught her to cook at twenty-two and with whom she shared whole days in the kitchen. The closest they came to understanding one another, she writes, was when she tried to kill him with a kitchen knife. And of a murderer whose mother said that he took living very seriously.

It might not seem obvious, but the parallels to the jungles of Guanacaste are too rich to ignore; the feverish living, the omnipresent life force pulsing and pushing up from the rich earth. I wanted to write a few words about what it feels like to live there now, because I don’t think I will always live there. My time there, here; it’s moving so quickly. As does the jungle, like a coyote stalking prey, from a distance it seems to glide at a normal pace and then suddenly it’s upon you before you can react— changing life forever. The life force is so strong there. So is the fear, the deepest of all fears, the ephemeralness of life. There’s a current of energy pouring out at all times, both ambivalently giving life and equally as carelessly taking it back. The mighty Pacific ever feeding the insatiable shore, its immeasurable waves could be considered the Mother, the ultimate source. It is quite possibly, the bass drum beat that sets the tempo for everything else.

Backing away from the shore, the trees grow lush, the dense underbrush of low lying palms, shrubs, mangled tree roots that give way to larger palm fronds and thick trees give way to the grand Guanacaste’s with their lithe leaves that rise above the cacophony of the jungle to soak up the sun. The sun. It’s relentless until it’s not. Ever present, each winter day rising like the previous. Lighting the sandy shores, scorching the earth, causing even the most majestic of plants to eventually shrivel and brown. The earth lets go of its hold, dust flying in the great hot air, so fine it gives small children Asthma and makes the adults hoarse. The particles of scorched dirt coat the plants adding to their lifeless brown pallor. It is harder and harder to breathe as the calendar flips towards Spring. By April the temperatures soar into the mid-90s and it feels hotter, much higher. Afternoons are oven-esque as though a giant has placed a magnifying glass over this part of the earth, reflecting a bright sun on the town so strong it will cook us all. The ocean is a brilliant pool of light; diamonds refracting in heat. The only respite is the air conditioner in the bedroom that chugs on feebly, no longer to cool even the small room— a tired, staggering unit unable to soldier on in the fight against the permeating heat.

April mornings when I rise, I can smell moisture in the air. It is burned off before I can finish a cup of coffee. But it is the first sign of change. And then the clouds grow dark in the afternoons and there’s news of rain in the towns further from the coast. And eventually it rains. And then a crack, a break in the sky, and the rains pour impatiently out. The drops reverberate across the tin roofs and it becomes too loud to speak inside the front room of the house. They are heavy, big drops. And the people sigh with collective relief, standing outside in the water, just to feel the drops hit their skin. A silver moment.

Everything is in a constant state of decay and regeneration that moves so fast you can’t understand it— it seems almost anachronistic, impossible, movement blurred. A Papaya tree, delicate, no more than to my knee in the dry season, now, two short months later towers over me with leaves the size of my ribcage. The ants that invade our home nightly, scurrying about the floor, climbing the walls, and into the bed on occasion grow in numbers, exponentially without reason in March. Their movements are erratic, quick as if they know their time here is short, and urgent.

Their continual presences underscores my lack of control, I cannot create even a small haven that is free of the bugs, of the ever-evolving life around me. And it is silly to try.

Nature tries to reclaim the house we rented with every moon, termites, their telltale trace marks running up the exterior walls, scorpions come in searching for water, mice eat away at the wooden interior, a bat once died on our couch, caterpillars, they infinite legs shuffle across the tile, a toad crouched in the doorway. Aside from the insects and the wildlife there are shifting soils, bulging gutters, heavy rainwater… a thousands little soldiers in one magnificent army, battling constantly and patiently to reclaim its birthright.

Living in all this I feel connected to nature. I feel a part of the chain of life in a way I didn’t like to admit before. In the cities all signs of mortality and disorder are soon erased, denied. Here, I see the cycles, I feel the struggles of the plants not to wilt and die in the cruel heat of winter, the movement in the woods of thousands of little Halloween crabs chattering across the jungle floor, the quick darting lizards on the beach path. I understand better than ever before that I am them and they are me and we are here, connected. Life is teeming here; it’s everywhere. Exhilarating and terrifying.

Living, dying, slowly, quickly: this is a place that takes living seriously because just on the other side is dying. And knowing this is all there is.

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dutiifully · 7 years

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Allusions to the Past

♎|| After a piping hot delicious meal courtesy of the adorable Tohru-chan, – her self-proclaimed “number 1″ fan– it was time to get down to business. That business being having a little one on one chat with the current reborn form of the Earth’s Prince, Shigure Sohma. Though now cursed with the spirit of a dog as bestowed by Metalia (as she did to almost all who were there on that fateful day) that accursed soul of Endymion still lurked just beneath the surface: Longing, waiting, anticipating for the day when he would finally reawaken just to have a chance to repeat the tragedy of the past… That sad, sad phantom of a past that plagued them all.

It haunted her still, even now she could still see the faint traces of shattered ruins; the shadow of a silver kingdom erupted in flames. She could still hear the screams and cries of agony that echoed throughout the cold stillness of the night; the sound of war and genocide upon them, could still feel the weight of her majestic blade within her hands stained with the blood of the witch that led this campaign, traitorous ex-lover and the one she was sworn to protect. The corpses of her Princess and Senshi were strewn across the porcelain white marble stone hedges leading up to the moon palace, her princess clasping onto the hand of that despicable Terran Prince that brought them to this end; the symbol of her failure. A sword pierced her skin next, one last stab in the back from that damnable Kunzite whom she had mistakenly given away her heart to in a moment of weakness; the greatest mistake of both her lifetimes! Her blood permeated the battlefield alongside that of the other millions of victims, the last thing she heard was the sound of her killer laughing maniacally at her defeat as he watched her fall into the pyres of hell.

Yes, she was falling…

Falling

Failing

Falling

Failure

You 𝐅 𝐀 𝐈 𝐋 𝐄 𝐃 !!

❝ …Mina? Mina? Hey, Mina! EARTH TO MINAKO!❞

❝Eh?!❞ She was suddenly brought out of her thoughts by the screeching of a very irritated looking white feline who had now jumped out of her bag and onto her shoulder to get her attention.

❝…What was that? Sorry Artemis, I must’ve spaced out there for a second, you know me, always the ditz ahaha!❞ She bonked her head playfully while forcing a big smile, clearly an attempt at trying to pretend she was alright. Unfortunately, her companion wasn’t so convinced….

❝Cut the crap Mina its no use trying to hide anything from me, I can see right through you!❞

Damn he was good! Honestly though she shouldn’t have been surprised, after all Artemis knew her better then she knew herself most of the time, why’d she even bother?

❝That obvious huh?❞ She shook her head chuckling sardonically. ❝Okay what gave it away this time?❞

❝You mean besides that dark look you always get on your face when you’re thinking about that, or how about the fact that your fists were clenched and your whole body was shaking? Which your hands are still doing by the by!❞

❝ …Eh?!❞ She looked down at her clasped hands which were continuing to tremble, crap he was right! How long had they been like that? How did she not even notice? This was not good; a strong leader couldn’t afford to let any vulnerabilities show! She had to always be the unmovable, unshakable one, tough as steel and unfaltering as a rock. She was the one everyone was depending on after all, the only one that had to bear the burden of memories and with it the battle for the planet’s future.

Muttering a few choice swear words, she inwardly cursed her weakness. ❝I’m sorry… I don’t know what came over me. I’m fine now.❞

Artemis, ever the perceptive partner was quickly able to get to the root of the problem. ❝A flashback?❞

❝Just another dredging up of bad memories, that’s all.❞ She sighed.

❝That’s all? THAT’S ALL?! That is most certainly not all! You were practically convulsing a moment ago, how can you just brush it off nonchalantly and act so blasé about it as if it was nothing more than one of your failed flirting attempts?!❞ This was most certainly trying his partner, Artemis knew better than anyone just how intensely the return of her memories was affecting Minako. There was still many a day when she would practically scream bloody murder as yet another nightmare of that tragic past plagued her dreams and brought with it another sleepless night. It was during those times that Minako would just get up and carry Artemis outside with her to the veranda of their apartment, saying absolutely nothing at all whilst staring down at the brightly lit city of Tokyo; her eyes utterly unreadable and filled with an emotion Artemis was too afraid to even question.

❝This is obviously taking its toll on you and compromising your mental state, you’re pushing yourself to your limit and I’m worried about you! Mina if this too hard on you you don’t hav-❞

❝ARTEMIS!❞ She cut him off mid-lecture with a stern glare. ❝I have a mission… a very important mission that only I can complete, you and I both know that. I won’t let anything stand in my way!❞ Yes, she would be strong, she would not falter she would be the leader that she couldn’t be in the past and if that meant having to shoulder this burden all by herself then so be it.

Looking at her now Artemis couldn’t help but gaze in awe on just how much of a battle-hardened soldier Minako looked. She stood tall and straight, fists clenched in determination with just about the fiercest expression imaginable on her face, her eyes betraying not even a hint of softness. She had certainly come a long way from the ditsy, ‘never takes anything seriously,’ irresponsible 7th grader he had first come across 2 years ago. Just looking at her now who could ever believe this was that same person? He was proud of her sure, his Mina was definitely blossoming into a mature, level-headed young woman worthy of holding the title of leader of the Solar System Senshi; what guardian wouldn’t beam in pride over that? But was it worth her losing her sense of humanity and heart in the process? Yes, the Venus he remembered from back in the Silver Millennium was an exceptionally efficient, serious and responsible leader but she still always made sure to embrace the trait for which she stood: ‘Love. ‘ And with that love came the touch of benevolence she was able to meld into her being to create a perfectly harmonizing scale of balancing duality, much like the Libra scales for which she was born under; justice tampered with mercy. Minako now though? She was becoming something else entirely, someone more ruthless; cold. It was during times like these that Artemis couldn’t help but long for the good old days when Minako was that silly, flighty teenager, if only he could’ve preserved her innocence longer.

❝I know Mina, I know… It’s just you’ve been working so hard lately, too hard! Please, just try to take it easier, for your own sake!❞

❝I’m fine Artemis!❞ She clipped, irritability beginning to seep into her voice. ❝I’m more than used to all this by now, so just drop it! Besides we should be paying attention to more important things at hand, like the reason we’re even here today. Central Control and Boss confirmed that Endymion’s reborn form has been getting dreams of Akito that’s causing him to be drawn to her, correct?❞

There really was no point in arguing further with her; stubborn as a mule this one, Artemis sighed in defeat. ❝Yes that’s right, both Boss and Central have been keeping a very close eye on Endymion’s reincarnation just like they have with Akito and the rest of the Senshi, the Shitennou, the Dark Kingdom basically all the Sohmas that fell under Metalia’s curse. And what they’ve found is that back when Akito was first conceived Shigure Sohma had a dream about her, he wasn’t the only one either. the reincarnations of his Shitennou Hatori Sohma, Ayame Sohma, Kureno Sohma and Ritsu Sohma also all had that same dream! The difference is that in the dream the Shitennou only felt the energy induced by the curse as well as feelings of profound sadness, probably due to vestiges of the memory of that day when they aligned themselves with Beryl and attacked the moon. Shigure’s dream was different though, the Eternity System -the Moon’s main computer system- detected that the stirrings of love and longing were conjured up within him from the dream, no doubt that was Serenity’s soul calling out to him trying to reawaken his memories. In any case, it seems like ever since that day Shigure has been unnaturally attached to Akito, in a very unusual way from the rest of those cursed.❞

❝So even now her soul still cries out for him… And he– he can’t help but be drawn to her…❞ a strange glimmer of something seemed to flash in Minako’s eyes as she said this while she looked straight ahead; almost forlornly into the distance.

Serenity, can you really not forget him? …Even after everything that happened? Even when your pursuit of him only brought with it destruction and ruin? She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised, after all even her Princess’s last words before she took her own life was a vow that they would find each other again. Even with her whole kingdom burning around her, her soldiers fighting for their lives and her father good and dead all she could think about was him!

“Endymion! I love you! You are my first love. And the only love for me is you! Even if we were reborn I know that I would meet you again! I know that again, we would fall in love! We shall transcend time and be reborn. And the two of us… This time for sure… will be happy… Endymion….”

Was history just repeating itself? Was this to always be their fate? No matter what they did, no matter what she did, was that great tragedy of the past simply inevitable? As sure a fate as Ace’s curse that she would always fail in love? No, she wouldn’t allow it! She will never allow that tragedy to once again come to pass, or else what was even the point of their rebirth, of this second chance the Queen had gifted them all? Even with this blasted curse intact would fate really be so cruel as to grant them the chance to right the wrongs of the past only to hastily snatch it back while laughing in their faces? Well fine, if this truly was what the Gods deemed them to then so be it, that wouldn’t stop her from fighting with all her might against it every step of the way through! Her face steeled with resolve, she turned back to face her partner.

❝Was that all the information Central could find on him? What else have we got?❞

❝Other than that, not much, though the Eternity System did pick up some strange readings on his emotions and it’s just as I suspected! It seems like the reincarnation of Endymion is incredibly aloof from the world and is disconnected with practically everything around him, the readings seemed to indicate a huge black hole in his mind, much stronger than the memory block affecting the girls.❞

❝So it’s as you said, due to being the Earth’s Prince–and thus essentially its guardian– he’s taking to his reincarnation much more difficulty than everyone else…❞

Artemis nodded. ❝That’s right, when a Senshi is reborn on their own planet without their memories it creates a trigger in the planet which then begins directly resonating with the soul of the Senshi in an effort to ‘wake them up’ so to say. However, because the Senshi is totally devoid of memories this causes the resonation to be out of sync and thus severely messes with the Senshi’s soul and mind, thus causing the disconnect of self. They feel severely cut off from everything and go through life basically just existing, it’s almost as if a part of themselves has been cut from their core. That’s how powerful a Senshi’s bond with their home planet is, they can feel everything about their planet and the planet can feel them, they are always one and so when that bond is messed with it messes up the emotional and mental ‘circuit wirings’ of the Senshi’s brain so to say. Even though Endymion isn’t technically a Senshi since only women can be one, as the Prince of this planet he’s still its designated guardian and thus is eternally connected to the Earth and its environment.❞

That must’ve explained why Minako always felt so normal ( though perceived as anything but ) and comfortable in her new life before her re-awakening. Oh, sure she never got along too well with her parents (especially with her nag of a mom who was always a major pain in the ass) and her childhood was anything but rosy what with her family being firmly rooted in the struggling working class while the rest of her friends and classmates were all either comfortably middle-class or even upper, but dammit she felt comfortable and confident in her own skin! She had a life before becoming Venus –no, even before becoming Sailor V– The life of an ordinary cheerful middle-school girl who was popular, loved sports, was captain of her school’s volleyball team (who always kicked m a j o r butt during every school sports fest thankyouverymuch!) and who enjoyed goofing off and fangirling alongside her friends about boy bands and just any cute guys in general. Not anymore– those carefree days were long over, hell now she couldn’t have the luxury of even falling in love, not with Ace’s curse looming over her like a sword threatening to drop on her head at any moment to help complete her self-fulfilling prophecy. She was married to her job anyways, ironic that the so-called Senshi of Love would always put Duty before Love but that was her destiny and it was one she had already accepted long ago.

Still, it was during times like these where she couldn’t help but reminisce on just how perfect her life had been before her awakening, compared to the others she never felt anything missing. No— no, that wasn’t entirely true, was it? Even during those seemingly carefree days she always had this slight niggling in the back of her mind, this sense that the life she was living wasn’t really the ‘real’ her, that it was all just a guise till the day when she finally re-awaken to her true purpose in life– that is: to be a soldier and protect that precious person; the most precious person she would ever have. Though again compared to someone like Endymion she was rather lucky, she realized now she could’ve had it much worse had she been reborn on Venus and not Earth. …. What must that have been like? She wondered. To wander through life completely aimless, feeling empty inside and like you’re not even you? She couldn’t even begin to imagine it and perhaps if she were a kinder person she would even find herself feeling sorry for Shigure.

But Minako knew. –She wasn’t a kind person, not at all. She couldn’t be like her Princess was (or used to be anyways) soft and forgiving. Perhaps once upon a time she could afford to be but not anymore, that day hardened her heart and just like the fleeting joy of a relationship, mercy was another luxury that wasn’t becoming of her. In fact, far from feeling sorry for him, the knowledge that Endymion was suffering in his new life brought her a perverse sense of glee, serves him right! – she couldn’t help thinking. Let him suffer after all the suffering he brought upon her and her kingdom, he deserved nothing less after the destruction his selfish whims had caused; justice had been rightly served. Petty? Perhaps, but then after going through the things she did Minako couldn’t help to be anything but bitter.

Though as much as she took pleasure in Endymion’s current state of disarray she couldn’t deny that it made her job harder.

❝No doubt it’s that feeling of disconnect that’s making his pull to Akito that much stronger. He’s looking in that dream of her something to fill the void that he’s currently feeling, subconsciously he probably feels that she holds the key to the missing piece of his soul. But what I don’t get is if he’s as drawn to Akito as it seems why on earth then is he living here, outside of the main estate? It doesn’t make sense… One would think with his attachment he would want to be near Akito as much as possible, so why…?❞

❝Mmm, I had Central look into that too, unfortunately when it came to that it was unable to discern any possible reasons for the move. It seems it happened a few years ago and unfortunately at the time Central wasn’t monitoring the Sohmas so it missed the boat on that one. As much as it’s the most powerful supercomputer in the galaxy the Eternity System isn’t flawless and still has its limits. For now, it can only monitor events that can be predicted such as the details of the curse itself as well as biographical information and emotion and location readings.❞

❝That does throw an unexpected curveball at us, we’re gonna have to be more on top of things than ever, he’s planning something… That’s got to be the reason for the move, I just know it; I can feel it in my bones! Not to mention involving that young girl Tohru Honda in the affairs of the Sohmas… She’s just an ordinary civilian with absolutely nothing to do with this! Letting her live under the same roof with him and those two reborn Rainbow Crystal carriers where she could easily find out about the curse… Just what is he thinking?!❞ Minako’s mind was practically racing a hundred miles per minute trying to rack the brain for just what exactly he could be planning. They needed to figure this out fast, they were running out of time and now a civilian was mixed up in all this! That damn, manipulative Prince, how could he have plotted all this right under her very nose?! She was Sailor V– superhero vigilante extraordinaire with secret service police contacts all over the world and an advanced. super-computer AI intelligence system right at her fingertips! How could one powerless, reincarnated prince cursed with the spirit of a dog manage to slip right past her? Clearly, she was getting careless, it looked like she’d have to cancel those upcoming concerts she had planned for her new hit single and just put in more time at HQ, her manager would just have to understand… again. She had really been looking forward to these promotional concerts though, being up on stage singing her heart out to the cheers and adoration of an audience, it was during these scarce moments where she actually felt like she was truly living these days! And if she just kept cancelling like this how much of a set-back would this be for her career, her dream of being a world-wide, famous top idol? After finally making her debut too…

No, no! She shook her head fervently, she shouldn’t be having these thoughts! The mission came first, always the mission; she had decided that a long time ago! Besides it wasn’t like her life in the present was ever truly important, only the past mattered, all their lives were dictated by it. The only reason why they were even reborn was to avenge the wrongdoings of the past and go on being protectors of this universe attending to their duties, that was it! In the long run, the name ‘Aino Minako’ meant nothing, it was another disguise, just another mask she donned like her Sailor V persona! When this body would finally give out all that would live on would be the spirit of Sailor Venus, their normal lives as regular human civilians were completely inconsequential as demonstrated perfectly by Endymion. Was he and his disconnection and longing for the past not the clearest evidence they had? What else did they have to live for? She would still continue to enjoy and savor the experiences as ‘Aino Minako’ for as long as she had left, but in the end, they were just trite frivolities; frivolities that were meant to be discarded if they got in the way of her true calling.

Speaking of which…

❝Yes, he slipped past our line of sight which means we’ll have to be even more on our game but…❞ A dark smirk graced glossy lips, plots and strategies running through her head begging to be implemented. ❝This just might prove fortuitous to us, after all the farther away Endymion is from Akito the better, it's imperative that those two be kept away from each other at all cost! While out here he’s definitely more distant than if he were still living at the main house where they would come in contact practically twenty-four seven and even if he is planning something at least we finally know where he lives so we can continue to track his movements through Central no problem and I can keep my eye on him whenever as well. Not to mention the fact that those two Rainbow Crystal carriers are living under the same roof with him as well, it’s perfect I can monitor all three of them at the same time!❞

Yes, perhaps this might not be so bad after all, she could use that dog’s own plan against him Aino Minako style, he hasn’t outmaneuvered her yet! The battle-hardened leader of the most powerful military force in the galaxy could find the silver lining in any situation and use it to her advantage, transforming her easily from a Goddess of Love to a Goddess of War.

❝Mina…❞

There it was and right on schedule too! She knew that tone well, that slightly sorrowful, pitiable tone tinged with the desire to unleash an onslaught of a lecture; playing the part of concerned mother hen parent and Jiminy Cricket moral conscious both! Yep, just like Artemis knew her inside out, so too did she know Artemis; gazing into doubtful feline eyes just all the more confirmed what was coming.

❝ …What? If you have something to say then just spit it out already Artemis!❞ Eyelids narrowed in a glare as her voice rose to take on an accusatory and already defensive tone, god she hated when he got this way!

❝It’s just… Are we really doing the right thing? You remember what the Queen said back at HQ, about letting them love who they were meant to love and finding the true purpose for our rebirth? …I- ❞ He paused briefly, shaking his head. ❝…I don’t think this is it…❞

❝Then what IS the true meaning of our rebirth Artemis?! You mind tryin to fill me in on that one, huh? What, is it for Serenity and Endymion’s pure love to get its second chance and have some-sort of magical fairy-tale ending?❞ She couldn’t help to contain the dark, bitter chuckle that slipped past her lips after uttering that line before continuing her tirade. ❝Cause I think I long missed the memo after watching our entire kingdom burn to the ground, Serenity commit suicide and an entire planet be obliterated thanks to Endymion and Serenity’s so-called ‘’love!’‘❞

❝But the Queen said–!❞

❝EVEN THE QUEEN CAN BE WRONG SOMETIMES! God Artemis, you just really don’t get it do you? How can you be so naive, open your damn eyes!❞ She was losing it, a flurry of pent-up rage and grief hurling itself towards the little moon-cat. She knew this explosion was unwarranted, that Artemis didn’t deserve it and that he just wanted the best for everyone (as stupidly naive as that was) but she just couldn’t help it! Artemis should’ve known that this was a touchy subject for her and that she had been holding it together for so long trying to be the strong, dependable one and to suppress her emotions. So, to be told that her judgement was wrong; to be treated like she was some sort of idiot who didn’t know better when SHE was the one who was left standing on the battlefield that day, who felt the blade of betrayal from one whom she thought she loved and now was one of the only ones who remembered everything and had to carry that?! …Well, she just snapped, so sue her, she was still human! She was trying her best here but apparently even that wasn’t good enough and she needed to be talked down to and patronized like she was still that irresponsible 13-year old child Artemis had first found 2 years ago and not the competent, capable leader she had been expected to grow up into; it was unnerving!

She took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down before addressing Artemis again. ❝The Queen was a wise and benevolent ruler but was always too soft-hearted and idealistic for her own good. She was never well-versed in the ways of war, preferring instead to take the pacifist route and believe that the innate good of humanity would eventually prevail, but I know, I lived on the battlefield Artemis! I was always there, right on the front-lines and I saw first-hand the harsh reality and brutality of this world, was literally stabbed in the back by one who I thought I could trust as an ally! So you tell me if I still don’t know what I’m talking about or if I’m ‘’making the right choice!’’❞ …Crap she was getting worked up again, (as per usual whenever she thought of Kunzite) reign it in Mina, reign it in.

She continued, ❝believing in peace and the concept that true love will conquer all and dissipate all the hatred and differences people have are nice ideals to have, but in the end that’s all they are: ideals and fantasies. The planets were separated for a reason, natural laws were put in place for that purpose. Serenity and Endymion were never meant to meet and fall in love, it is against the Gods’ law. Love between a Lunarian and a Terran could never be, in the end all it can bring is tragedy and destruction, the Earth and Moon are just two very different worlds. Their love is forever cursed, planet-destroying, nothing good can ever come from it! …My one regret is that I didn’t nip it in the bud right when I found out it was happening, that I even HELPED her sneak onto Earth and arrange her secret trysts with Endymion, for I too was once a naive fool blinded by high ideals and the belief that love is enough; well no more!❞

Yes, in the end, when it really came down to it, it had been her fault after all that they had all ended up like this. If only she had said no, put her foot down and resisted the charms of that sweet smile Serenity used to always flash her way whenever she wanted something. (as radiant and glowing as the moon for which she represented) If only she had been more cautious, responsible, shrewder, tougher– more like the leader that everyone had been counting on her to be (that she didn’t deserve) then maybe! …Maybe none of this would’ve ever happened, their beautiful Silver Millennium would still be standing, none of them would be cursed and living these false lives! And, most importantly, Serenity would still be her loving angelic self, still be flashing that same beautiful smile at Venus as she always did; completely uncorrupted by Beryl.

❝Oh Mina…❞ Artemis whispered softly, sympathy dripping from his voice as plain as day. His eyes filled with sorrow at the pain he knew his partner had to be through, but that she tried so hard to hide. ❝…You still blame yourself for what happened don’t you?❞

❝I don’t–!❞ She bristled defensively but before she could finish Artemis was already cutting her off.

❝YES YOU DO! How long have I known you by now Mina? I can hear it in your words, see it in your eyes! Gods Mina, keep lying to yourself if you want I can’t control that but don’t you dare try lying to me, your partner who has been with you through thick and thin for two years straight now, heck millennia even!❞ In a softer tone he added, ❝Mina sooner or later you’re going to have to let go and accept that the past is in the past, you’re a new person now; everyone is! You have got to move on and quit blaming yourself for something you had absolutely no control over and that no one saw coming! The Queen doesn’t blame you so why do you continue to carry on to this guilt? Its destroying you from the inside out! I think… I think the Queen wants you to realize this too and that the true reason you were all reborn is that so you’d all get a second chance at life; unburdened by the shackles of the past. Serenity and Endymion too… That’s why she doesn’t want you to interfere with them, it wasn’t your fault then and it’s still not your fault now!❞

❝And what, risk the planet being destroyed AGAIN?! Risk the past repeating itself? Risk watching my princess die in front of me again knowing that I failed to protect her, failed to protect everyone; failed as a LEADER?! You might be willing to risk that Artemis, but I’m not, I can’t! –I can’t put myself, put everyone through that again, I won’t!❞

❝It doesn’t have to be like the past!❞

❝BUT IT WILL BE, IT ALREADY IS! DON’T YOU SEE?! Fate is already playing out right before our very eyes, why else would Endymion even be getting those dreams in the first place?! It’s our duty to prevent the tragedy of our past from happening again, that’s the whole and only reason we were ever reborn, the protection of the planet comes first! Sometimes hope and the belief that good will conquer all aren’t enough…❞

❝But Mina—!❞

❝No buts!❞ Now a look of stern indignation crossed her face. ❝I’m still leader and so my decisions are final, you’re going to have to learn to trust the judgement of the leader of the Senshi, this operation and the student that you personally trained! I think I have a lot more experience and expertise in this area than anyone else, so let me just do my job and LEAD!!❞

❝Mina–!❞

❝The subject is closed, I’ve made my decision and there will be no further discussion on the matter, have I made myself clear?❞ Her face looked every bit like the hard-hearted army lieutenant ready to go to war as she and Artemis got into something of a glaring contest, neither one willing to relent to the other. However she was still leader here and as leader she demanded that her decisions be respected, Artemis would just have to learn to deal!

❝Mi—!❞

❝ Have I?!❞ The stare-down just grew harsher as she continued to stand her ground. There would be no letting up on this, nope. Not today. Whilst Minako’s middle name was practically “wild risk-taker” she was not willing to put THAT kinda gamble on the fate of the planet, this was no trivial little sports match or boy-chasing game; the future of the Earth depended on her! She held the fate of the world in the palm of her hand as the only one who knew everything, as the only one able to escape the curse! She was the one chosen to lead and take care of everything, the Holy Sword sealed in the depths of her bosom chose her! She could not afford to make a single mistake, all her decisions and tactics had to be made with swift precision and accuracy leaving no room for error! Placing her bets on an idealistic outcome for all which was the stuff fantasies were made of was both irresponsible and inefficient and she would just be making the exact same mistake as last time…

After a few more moments of the little stare-down contest Artemis sighed and finally relented, not like he had much of a choice anyways. Once Minako got an idea into her head there was absolutely no convincing her as she charged straight ahead with all the strength and stubbornness of a bull, the girl had an ironclad will! ‘The more things change, the more they stay the same,’ he mused to himself. He just hoped Minako was making the right decision not just for the world, but for herself as well. But he supposed all he could do for now was just put his faith in her judgement and follow her lead as much as he internally disagreed.

❝Fine, I get it, we’ll do things your way. Just remember that I still don’t like this and I’ll probably still be grumbling about it from time to time…❞

Minako couldn’t help but let a small, teasing smile slip past her lips at that comment. ❝Naturally, you wouldn’t be Artemis if you didn’t!❞

❝O-Oi! What do you mean by tha–?!❞ But before he could get into another one of his disgruntled lectures Minako had already scooped him up from the ground and held him close to her chest, her body visibly relaxed and her eyes warm and genuine; such a stark contrast from the cold and ruthless war general that she appeared to be before! Even after being with her for 2 years straight it still amazed him how quickly and effortlessly Minako seemed to be able to switch modes on the fly! He didn’t think he’d ever be able to fully understand her, then again, he was almost certain no one would.

❝Thank you…❞ Minako whispered softly, a rare display of gentle affection and gratitude that she hardly ever bestowed on her partner but it was comforting to know that no matter how tough things got or what path she chose she at least had someone on her side whom she could count on. Truth be told Artemis was one of the very few she allowed herself to trust and let see the tiniest of cracks in her armor, through thick and thin she knew he would always be there supporting her; a true friend. At least she had that much.

Letting out an inexplicably exasperated sigh the feline couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Minako’s uncharacteristic sentimentality, probably an attempt to pull at his heart strings and get him to lay off her back for a while if he knew her. This girl sometimes, I swear! …Still, try as he might Artemis couldn’t resist the hint of a warm smile that was creeping up upon his little kitty lips. Insincere or not (one could never know with MINAKO!) Artemis wouldn’t have her any other way. ❝Anytime Mina, anytime.❞ He murmured gently as he snuggled closer into his owner’s chest and finally allowed himself to be thoroughly touched by the moment.

❝ …Didja ever notice how you just happen to look like a rhinoceros’s ass with your face all scrunched up like that?❞ Cue the familiar mischievous, toothy smile of which she was grinning ear to ear and an all too disgruntled moon cat whose cheeks that she was currently poking, was blushing profusely.

…Annnnd there it was! She just couldn’t leave well enough alone huh? Just HAD to go ahead and ruin an all too rare, tender moment between the two of them with yet another dose of her tasteless teasing. …What was that he thought before, on how Minako had matured beyond her years and he could only wish for those days of yesteryear when she used to be nothing but a trouble-making prankster? Oh yeah, he took it back! He took it alllll back!

❝M-Mina, I’m TRYING to have a moment with you here! AND MY FACE DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A RINOCEROS’S BE-BE-BEHIND!❞

❝It totally did though, seriously, you should’ve seen it! Awww I should'da snapped a pic when I had the chance, you know, to preserve the moment? PFFFFT—!❞ She could barely contain her laughter anymore and was practically rick-rolling all over the place! If the thought of Artemis always having her back wasn’t cheering her up before this sure as hell was!

❝I could’ve posted it to my webpage and used it to help cultivate my idol image, just think! The beautiful, multi-talented Aino Minako has a one of a kind of pet to match her one-of-a kind uniqueness and charm, a crescent moon-bald spotted kitty with a face that resembles a rhinoceros’s butt! I can see the headlines now: ‘Rising star Minako discovers never-before-seen, exotic, hilarious looking moon-cat!’ You would be a hit with the demographic looking for a comedy angle, GASP! I could bring you with me on tours dressed up in an ADORABLE little rhinoceros’ suit made especially for you! The paparazzi would have a field day!❞

A look of absolute aghast horror befell Artemis’s face as he could only imagine the humiliating scenario. ❝Please don’t…❞ He pleaded miserably at the starry-eyed teen who currently had her hands clasped and was laughing maniacally as she thought up more and more crazy schemes designed to exploit her long-suffering Guardian in the name of fame.

It was times like these when he cursed Queen Serenity, the gods, fate, whoever thought that he deserved this punishment of being assigned as her guardian, any of the other girls would’ve been easier, any of them at all! Hell, he’d sooner switch with Luna and put up with a Beryl-abused, currently corrupted Moon Princess smack-dab in the middle of Dark Kingdom territory than endure another day of this abuse! What was a couple’ve of spoiled, wailing and whining temper tantrums eh? Surely even those were preferable than dealing with this daily abject humiliation at the hands of one hurricane Minako!

❝REMIND ME NEXT TIME NOT TO COMFORT YOU! That’s the last time I bother to go out of my way and give you a pep-talk, CLEARLY you don’t need it and are doing just fine on your own! Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice the shame lies with me.❞

❝Mouuuu~ you’re just too much of a stick in the mud!❞ Minako pouted rather childishly in response, but it was clearly said in good jest as a second later she winked for good measure and continued with her boisterous laughter.

❝And YOU need to learn to learn some sensitivity and to consider other’s feelings before opening that mouth of yours!❞

❝Yes Mom…❞ She shot back sarcastically in a monotone, bored sounding tone before going back to her giggling.

But –despite all his mumbles and grumbles, the constant rolling of his eyes and whatever long-suffering martyr he made himself out to be in his thoughts, he couldn’t stop the sliver of a smile that reached his eyes during their whole back and forth. Deep, deep down he was glad to see her like this, it meant that she was back to normal (or however normal Minako could be.) Even if it wasn’t true laughter like during the early days, even if she was simply hiding and covering up her pain Artemis much preferred seeing her like this, all silly and happy and silently prayed that he always would. Hopefully with the caveat that those would forever remain her true feelings and she never know from sadness and hardship again…

Unfortunately, the loving, carefree moment and light-hearted banter between the two was cut all too short as Artemis’s ears perked up whilst he heard the creaking of footsteps and noticed the shadow of a figure from behind the sliding door.

❝Endymion at three o’clock!❞ He whispered in Minako’s ear softly and swiftly as he then quickly leapt from her arms back into the confines of the tote bag she was carrying.

Minako for her part leapt immediately straight into action at those words, her whole demeanor changing right back into ‘serious leader-mode that meant business!’ Her head and body shifted instantaneously towards the porch door, her stance now completely guarded and closed compared to the open and loving one just seconds prior, it was time. Right on cue the faint sliding of a door sounded and out emerged her target from the shadows.

❝Sohma-san is it? I’ve been expecting you.❞ Came the rather curt greeting as the pop star fixed him with a chillingly icy gaze, so completely different from how she was just moments ago; to a stranger’s eye it would be hard to believe that they were the one and the same, it was like she morphed into a completely different person! Gone was that sliver of vulnerability and in its place was a glare shooting ice-hot daggers filled to the brim with hatred and anger, a stark contrast to the girl who was gently cuddling and laughing with her cat just moments prior!

Such was the duality of Aino Minako though and if Shigure was paying attention he would’ve noticed that this was no different from when she was having dinner with them just a few hours ago. Just like then she had been laughing and joking around with Tohru and the boys, calling Tohru adorable while haggling Kyo over with her ‘orange-top’ comments that were aimed to annoy, plus teasing Yuki over his supposed “Prince Charming” status at Kaibara High. Basically, acting like a complete goof-off who couldn’t take anything seriously, but if one was observant enough they would’ve been able to notice the cold, ruthless death glares she struck at Shigure whenever she caught a glimpse of him from across the table.

Aino Minako, a girl of many masks and many sides; one whom could easily play both fool and executioner even at the same time, but which was the mask and which was the girl? Only time would tell…

#kimonoandapen #▌ᴠ ▌☥╰☆☆-ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ-ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇɴɪɴɢ-☆☆╮☥

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