#and also how he tries to distance his behavior from his clan when in reality his actions will have consequences for his clan too

[ilueisiji]

House of Cards - K. Scaramouche

synopsis: Married to the house of Kamisato truly bears a balance of advantages and disadvantages, after being accused of attempted murder you found yourself captive of a short-tempered harbinger.

note: mentions of unrequited love, cheating, abusive society, violence, and more

also ayato is out-of-character only for the fsnfic, please note that this is a work of fiction and his behavior is not what he really is in-game. Thank you!

Prologue: Bitter Vows

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 𖥻 Kamisato estate

As dawn hits the island of Narukami, townspeople all gathered and talked amongst themselves. Chatter in every corner can be heard in the island as the new inaugurated head of the Kamisato Clan was announced to be wed. Fabrics and fast footsteps of servants is heared in the Estate of Kamisato as everyone was busy preparing the wedding of their master; Kamisato Ayato. He is to be wed to the Fukuoka Clan's heiress — Fukuoka Y/n.

The folks all wondered why he would choose to take a girl from a clan who's experiencing bankruptcy as his bride when he can choose all different girls from more established ones to strengthen his hold on his own.

Yet, he only smiled when the question is shot at a table. To those who hear it, it's a love story they all read about from the books in Yae Publishing House, fables and flowery words thrown at each other.

But in reality these are just bitter vows, this marriage only rubs salt to his injury. He can't marry the girl he truly loved. He was forced to take on his father's legacy for his sister's sake and those who depend on the Kamisato. Words do really mean nothing when you don't understand it, perhaps it's like telling someone "I hate you" in a language they don't understand which similarly can draw a silver lining between hate and love. His bride, his marriage, the vows — they are all meaningless. He thought.

With their parents passing away the weight of carrying a whole clan downed on his shoulders. From a distance, he could only watch the the servants busying themselves in dressing up his bride with expensive silks with golden embroidery that compliments her complexion as a noble daughter. In contrast to his perplexion, she wore a smile; a genuine one, and he knew it's because she is happy to be married to him. After all, when different clans heard about his intent on marrying someone they all sent him a letter endorsing their own daughters like its red light district. But he chose the Fukuoka Clan instead knowing they are less ambitious than most of the clans.

Alas, the hour of the ceremony has finally come. He snapped away from his thoughts and smiled showing his degree of status alongside with posture. He took her hands, she wasn't nervous at all instead her squeezed his hands hoping it will calm him down, that's when he realized how fumbling his fingers are.

The wedding was smooth, everyone congratulated the newly wed. Even though he tried to smile in the crowd, his eyes looked lonely and in agony. He didn't realize his — now spouse was looking at him in her peripheral view the whole time while greetings the guests. Her smile from earlier dropped slightly when she saw him staring at a particular person from a distance. Without words or evidence she knew exactly who it was. Eyes spoke louder than mouths will ever do anyways. She loosened her grip on his arm and promptly excused herself to have a chat with her parents.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 𖥻

Once they arrived back at the estate, she was greeted by his cold attitude. He didn't mean to behave like this but his emotions, his heart was in agony seeing that the girl he so longed for wasn't the one he married. After all, what would society say if he were to marry a commoner? Some officials still insist that he's just a boy without any knowledge on how to handle the Kamisato Clan and marrying someone who's a shrine maiden won't help a bit on the situation.

"We shall leave seperate lives, I won't meddle yours and you won't meddle mines." He spoke.

Before she could answer he left the room, guilt on his eyes but it washed away as fast as it came. So she sat on the bed, still in her wedding gown and looked down. She've admired him for so long now, she didn't know if he could still remember how he helped her up when other kids laughed at her. Perhaps a part of his inner child does but they don't really last do they? She sighed, wiping a tear from her cheek and she silently waited for the servants to knock on the door.

Rushing servants came in to help her removed the balloon of a gown and she put on a fake smile so no one would notice her shoulder of sadness. Laying down the bed she wondered how long will this type of arrangement last?

"If; the time comes he doesn't learn how to love me. Then, the lantern shall blow away with the wind." She spoke silently, looking out the window in preparation for how many years and nights can she handle being alone. Day after day she tried and tried to make him open up, although he makes sure to give her attention only when his sister - Ayaka is around so she won't feel anything out of order, she's still young after all. Soon, the people started to adapt to their new first lady at the manor. Y/n tries to make her husband be more responsive even for daily questions. When she did managed to take a response out of him, feels relieving and the goals achieved.

Smooth, life was smooth. A year, after a year, after another year, and a new year have passed. They developed a respectful relationship. All was well. But, life is boring isn't it if everything runs smoothly, conflict will arrive. It's inevitable.

Her hair is straight and like crystal, she wore a pink headress that compliments her maiden outfit. Y/n could only stare at the girl in question as the news of her residing at the estate befell. Ayato never mentioned this when she asked, and yet, it's as if all the efforts washed away like it was nothing in the first place. Perhaps, she thought, he can't really manage to call this as his home without her. Afterall, in their story, she's just a side character that hindered in the way of someone else's love story.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Y/n." The maiden greeted and she bowed her head as well to show respect.

"Welcome to the estate, although Ayato has never mentioned anything—." She was cuttee of by ayato who cleared his throat.

"She will be staying here for good, please mind your attitude when talking to her." He warned, although it's spoken in a flat tone, the idea was there 'don't make her upset' that's what it says.

Days later, it's like she's an invisible individual on the estate, her servants, all catered for the girl her husband took into their estate without even thinking of her. She was left with her personal maid; Even the officials won't acknowledge her anymore. Now that his seat as the head commisioner is sealed, no one would dare question their relationship.

"Did you hear that? The Lord Kamisato just took home the love of his life!" A fan draped over the woman's mouth as she talks alongside her friends.

"Mhm! I heared that he never really loved her wife, can you believe it? It's a shame we all thought they are in love with each other." Another voice also exclamed as she walked on the streets to purchase daifuku because she's craving it.

"Are you okay m'lady?" Chūso, her personal maid asked her. She just nodded in response.

"I'm fine, Chūso. You should not worry about me. Your mother is still sick, why don't you go visit her at Kondu Village for a while? I won't mind." She smiled, tapping Chūso's palm.

"Really!? M'lady you're too kind!" She exclaimed squeezing back her lady's palm back while her other hand hold's the umbrella.

"Yes, I'm thinking about, leaving Narukami for a while.. to think about something. It's been 5 years, yet you're the only one who notices my shortcomings and my problems, the one who cares for what I feel. So you deserved it." Y/n smiled at her and Chūso smiled back. They continued chatting and soon they are back at the estate.

The maids are in rush, and some of the officials are there as well. Y/n looked around for what is happening and yet like invisible wall, no one answered. Ayato looked like he could murder anyone at the moment and the elders looked at her with disappointment.

"Ayato? What seems to be the prob—"

Yet she was caught of guard when he grabbed her tightly.

"Ayato! It hurts!" She was trying to make him let go but he wouldn't budge.

"Why did you do it?" He asked her, voice dropping and furious. "Did what? I didn't do anything! Let go of my wrist—!"

"Don't lie to me! The servants saw you putting something on Maya's drink! Couldn't you think?! She could've died from what you did! She and my child!" He shouted at her face. She flinched, so all this time, that's why he suddenly brought her here, that's why all the maids are treating her like she's fragile glass. All this time. Y/n, the fool with the slowest and greatest heart. First to be blamed, last to know.

"What.. But! I didn't put anything in her drink! I didn't even know she was pregnant! Why would I even do such thing!" She also shouted back.

"You don't know? Oh I know! Perhaps because you are afraid your little clan will be in shambles once Mr. Kamisato decided to divorce you. Now you have to be a desperate little cunt to put pills to kill the baby on lady Maya's stomach!"

One of the elders pointed out their finger at her, she shook her head and told them that she has nothing to do with it but no one listens.

"Don't lie, a lot of servants saw you! Go on, ask them yourself." A chief told her.

She turned to the servants and asked them lowly. "Did you.. saw me? Trying to kill Maya?" She spoke slowly.

They all nodded in response, and her shoulders fell as well as tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Even if that's not the truth.. huh? I guess.. I wasn't generous enough? Or, you can feel that Ayato never favors me, and you decided to side the latter who received more attention?" Y/n told them. Wiping her tears and they all looked down on the floor. If the walls of the estate could speak, it could tell how much kind she was with them and yet, with a little bribery, they all turned their backs.

"I see. To think I was still in the wrong position when my husband got someone else pregnant wasn't an issue makes me think, I wasted 5 years for treating people nicely." That's all what she said, then the guards dragged her out the estate for good. She knew this would happen, but she didn't expect that they would accuse her of murder. That's something she would never do.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ៹ 𖥻 Chinju Forest

She sat down on one of the rakan statue, looking back at her life, everything faded. She laughed bitterly

"I guess, this what happens to those who hope, is this my sin? Taking someone else's place in that wedding, taking someone's heart that doesn't belong to me?" She asked, after minutes the exhaustion downed on her and she fainted in the forest. Amidst the blackness, she could hear footsteps and a soft jinggle of bells.

Kami-sama, have you decided to send someone to properly bury my body?..

━━━━━━ ៹ 𖥻 CUT !

- this is my first fanfic lmao 🥹 idk if the things I said made sense but hopefully it does 😭. I've been wanting to make a fanfic about this because I don't see one that's why here I am! Please don't be afraid to correct my grammar, I'm more than happy to receive opinions since this is my first. The blog is a little plain, I'll try to make more designs in the future :>>

signing out!

#wanderer smut #kamisato ayato #genshin impact #scaramouche smut #scaramouche

[gusu-emilu]

well that’s some foreshadowing. not even 10 minutes into this flashback and i feel like i’ve seen half the show already

#first encounter with the jin clan and we already get a setup for how wwx handles conflict #and also how he tries to distance his behavior from his clan when in reality his actions will have consequences for his clan too #and he will just keep distancing himself until one day there isn't room for another step back #sorry if my translations are a bit off i referenced pleco and viki and the rest is in the lord's hands #theuntameddaily #cql #the untamed #wei wuxian #mdzs #emilu talks #meta #i guess

[nitewrighter]

I just finished reading the pre-fall Gency argument fic that you made in response to an ask/prompt about another fic, and it’s amazing! Do Genji and Mercy make up after their argument, though? Does Genji tell Mercy more about what really happened with Moira in the Pining/Flight fic, and does he manage to explain to her why he felt he should still be stopping the Shimada clan (the part where he started to trip over his words during the pre-fall argument)? I’m so sorry for all the questions, but I loved this fic so much and would love to see them resolve their argument!

Yeah they make up, but more importantly have you ever gone, “OH FUCK I FIGURED OUT HOW TO WORK THIS FIC INTO A MAJOR CANON PLOT POINT?” Anyone?

Continuing off of this ficlet.

----

Genji lay on his narrow bed, staring at the too-high ceiling of his quarters and replaying the argument between himself and Mercy in his head as he had done so for the past few days.

I messed up.

A part of him felt like he should be used to it, after years of Hanzo telling him he was an embarrassment, but this stung differently and deeper. It wasn’t not meeting the draconian standards of the clan, it was realizing he had a perspective on death that was fundamentally incompatible with the morals of someone he cared for deeply. He glared at the ceiling as he remembered Moira’s words.

You’re finally understanding the difference between those up there, and those of us down here.

But McCree had spoken up against what Reyes had done. He wouldn’t shut up about it the whole mission. 

Well he and Angela were close so... Genji’s thoughts trailed off then, wondering if Ziegler and McCree would talk about how he and Reyes were monsters.

Even after having his body destroyed and reconstructed to this patchwork of flesh and metal, it had at least given him focus and purpose: vengeance. It was a relief from all the pain to commit himself to the destruction of the Shimada clan, to killing Hanzo, and he could have done that through Blackwatch, but now one death of someone who definitely had it coming had blocked the path. He had no way of knowing what was ahead, and he had just alienated one of the few people at the Watchpoint he actually liked talking to. But she didn’t get it, the Shimada clan had to be stopped. Hanzo had to die. What kind of world did she think she was living in? He raised his prosthetic hand and ran the thumb of his organic hand along the lines of its plates.

You’re not a weapon. I can’t let everything Overwatch touches become a weapon...  he remembered her words from the garden on a night that felt so long ago.

So what am I? Shimada Ninja? Blackwatch Agent? Assassin by another name?  Machine? his eyes trailed to his organic hand, Man?

He let his hands drop, hanging over the sides of the bed, I guess I’ve managed to screw up as every single one of those.

His morning alarm started beeping and he sighed. Cybernetics always woke him up a little too early.

After freshening up in the dormitory washrooms and dressing , Genji stepped out of his quarters and walked down the hall to the main body of the Blackwatch facilities. There were fewer bodies moving between the offices today. A significant number of office workers and agents had been either suspended or relocated to other Overwatch operations, and the remaining faces looked exhausted and grim.

It’s not just Angela dealing with the fallout of Venice... thought Genji as he walked through. He needed to talk to McCree, he decided. He wasn’t quite ready to talk to Angela yet. A part of him knew he needed to apologize, but another part of him knew an apology was worthless without a clear adjustment in behavior and perspective--and with the path before him so obscured now, he wasn’t sure what that shift would entail. Plus if anyone knew how to smooth things over between people, especially someone also from Blackwatch...

Genji’s thoughts were interrupted as he heard muffled shouting from Reyes’s office.  He looked around and saw what few agents were down in the Blackwatch offices had all chosen to give Reyes’s office a massively wide berth. One intern lingered close to the glass with wide eyes before being quickly escorted away by a more seasoned-looking clerk. The glass walls around Reyes’s office had been tinted opaque, but he made out Morrison’s muffled voice.

“---can assure you our agents and local law enforcement are doing everything they can, Gérard--”

“Don’t give me that!” Gérard was the shouter, something that sounded unnatural to Genji given how polite Gérard had always been in his previous brushes with the UN Attaché. “None of this would have happened if you had kept Reyes and his team where they needed to be!”

“We don’t have enough intel on Talon movements to know the timeframe on---”

“We have even less intel because of the shit you pulled in Rialto! Do you know how many active files I had to surrender to the UN Inquiry to keep Blackwatch from being completely gutted?!” Gérard snapped, “Talon took my wife and thanks to you I have to deal with that with both hands tied behind my back!”

“You’re not dealing with it alone--” Morrison was trying to reassure him.

“Morrison I cannot tell you how sick I am of covering for you covering for Reyes--And the fact that covering for Reyes is largely my job speaks to how much control you’ve ceded--” Gérard snarled.

“Chewing us out won’t get her back,” Reyes’s voice cut in bitterly.

“No, but you should both understand it’s one more product of your mistakes,” Gérard’s voice was thick.

Genji hadn’t realized how close he was leaning to the tinted glass of the office and started briskly walking down the hall, trying to put as much distance between himself and whatever was going down between Reyes, Morrison and LaCroix.  He heard the door slide open and shut and picked up the pace of his walk. He heard bitter muttering in French a ways behind him before hearing, “Agent Shimada?”

Genji pretended not to hear and started walking a bit faster down the hall.

“Agent Shimada!” there was a rapid clacking slap of expensive oxfords on the cement floor and Gerard suddenly caught up with him. Fast, was all Genji thought at first, I guess he was a field agent at some point-- But that trail of thought cut off as Genji took in the disheveled appearance of the usually suave and stylish Gérard Lacroix. Licks of dark hair were shrouding one side of his forehead, broken free of their usual glossy black coif. He wasn’t wearing a suit jacket or tie, his sleeves rolled and rumpled up to his elbows and his usually paper-crisp collar rumpled and wilting, his suspenders emphasizing all the wrinkles of his usually immaculate shirts. He smelled like cigarettes. Genji didn’t even know he smoked. 

“I need to talk to you--it’s paramount importance--Your dossier said Talon tried to recruit Sojiro once--Yes?”

“Um... yes?” said Genji.

“Do you remember any names from that time?” Gérard gripped Genji’s shoulders and Genji’s arms tightened at his sides at the touch, Gérard’s eyes were wide, pleading.

“Er...” Genji hesitated.

“Anything. Any name at all. Even aliases are a lead. Code names are a cypher. I can figure this out. We can get her back--we have to--there should have been demands--there have to be demands--we can’t negotiate but we can buy time--isolate the signal--” Gérard’s fingers were drumming on Genji’s prosthetic shoulder as if punching out sums on an invisible calculator. He wasn’t even looking at Genji.

“I... wish I could help,” Genji’s words came slowly to him. They felt strange, soft, helpless. He really couldn’t remember any names from that time, at least none that he could be sure he actually remembered and hadn’t just pulled out of nowhere that would only lead Gérard on a wild goose chase. For Genji, the only really memorable part of that meeting had been Hanzo had taken a shine to some Talon lieutenant and refused to tell Genji about it when he asked.  

So much for specialized Shimada intel... Genji thought a little bitterly. But Gérard stared straight into Genji’s eyes and Genji saw a flicker of heartbreaking realization in Gérard’s expression.

“....listen to me,” Gérard’s voice dropped slightly as his hands dropped from Genji’s shoulders, “I....I’m talking to a suspended agent hoping for nearly decade-old leads...” Gérard made a sound that was between a chuckle and stuffing down a sob as he pushed those dark licks of hair from his face, “I’m a mess without her.”

Genji’s stomach stung a little at the words ‘suspended agent.’ It had felt so temporary but hearing it from Gérard made it sink in as a reality with no visible end, but just as affecting was Gérard’s distress, the fact that the charming, if a little litigious, agent was suddenly up to his neck in paralyzing fear and helplessness when he wasn’t the one in danger. Genji studied Gérard for a few seconds.  

“Without.... who?” said Genji. He knew it was Gérard’s wife but wasn’t about to let Gérard know he had heard the whole exchange between him, Reyes, and Morrison.

“Amélie,” Gérard seemed to be looking through Genji then, his brow crinkled, “Talon they--I mean we’re not positive yet but--well you aren’t cleared for this yet. I shouldn’t...”

“Suspended,” Genji shrugged, “And... looking like this, I can’t exactly get off-site to talk about it.”

Gérard huffed “And... I’ve heard you’re not exactly the talkative type,” Gérard smiled a little.

“Ninja,” Genji shrugged.

“I-I think she’d like you...” His shoulders sagged, “Practical... steady... if she were here she’d probably tell me I’m making a fool of myself.”

You are and I have no idea how to help you so please let me go, thought Genji, but the smile on Gérard’s face eased him a bit. Genji wasn’t sure what to do with this feeling--helping and yet not helping. He remembered certain looks in Mercy’s face when he would talk about the Shimada clan, those hints of wanting to do something but feeling the ability to do so just beyond his reach. How often did she feel that with all of his fury? With all his grief?

“I wish I understood what was going through Reyes’s mind in Rialto...” Gérard spoke and startled Genji from his own thoughts. 

“...Antonio told him his associates would get him out within the week, Reyes... responded... practically,” said Genji.

“Practically,” a huff fell out of Gérard, “Just like in the debriefs.”

Genji’s brow crinkled. “The point of Blackwatch is to operate from the shadows. It was never about how it would be seen because it... wasn’t meant to be seen.”

“But it still has effects,” Gérard murmured, “And you still have to live with yourself afterwards.”

You still have to live with yourself.

The image of Zhihong Peh gurgling on his own blood on the end of Genji’s sword flashed to his mind. The thwack of his father hitting a fish on a rock in Shirakami-sanchi.

Make it clean. Make it quick.

“Would Amélie still have been taken if...?” Gérard’s voice pulled Genji from his memories again, but Gérard just lowered his head and furrowed his brow. “It doesn’t matter now.  have to find a new angle. I have to... she...” he lifted his chin slightly, “Monsieur Shimada. I appreciate you putting up with the ravings of a madman. I must go. Thank you.”

“....you’re welcome?”  said Genji, but Gérard was already walking past him.

Genji stood there in the hallway a few minutes longer. Amélie LaCroix had been taken. Whether or not that had happened in response to killing Antonio remained to be seen... but it was clear that the fallout from Rialto had not helped. He looked at his hands. For so long ‘practical’ had been a straight line, but now it seemed that the path he had been carving out was caving in on him. What was practical now?

Whatever you can do to help.

And where do you start?

With the people who you know always help.

----

It was late at night in the lab and Mercy was nodding off slightly, her chin in her hand at her monitor when a coffee mug gently clacked down on the desk beside her. She flinched awake and her head swung around to see Genji slowly withdrawing one hand, holding his own coffee cup in the other.

“Peace offering,” said Genji, “...if you don’t want to deal with me right now, you don’t have to. Say the word and I’ll leave you alone.”

Mercy tentatively picked up the mug and sipped at it, glaring at Genji slightly through her eyebrows before lowering the cup into her lap.

“What do you want?” she said, her voice clipped. 

“I wanted to say... I’m sorry for storming off like that and...You were right,” Genji said quietly, “Killing Antonio creates far more problems than it solves.”

There was some hope in Mercy’s eyes, but she also gave him a sort of uneasy, puzzled look.

“And...” Genji’s voice was a bit more tight, “On a... lawful and ethical level, it... was wrong.” He dropped his voice to a low mutter, “Even if he would have wormed his way out of the law.”

Mercy huffed and smiled a little. “I... I know the law also needs reforms so that doesn’t happen, so that justice can be done... but in the meantime...”

“In the meantime we shouldn’t shoot people in the face,” Genji conceded with a shrug.

“Right,” said Mercy. Her smile was a little crooked. There was a long silence then, tentative, and a little anxious. Genji leaned against the desk, wrapping his organic hand around the mug, taking some comfort in its warmth.

“Angela—I need you to understand something about me,” Genji said, not looking at her.

“Please don’t—“ Mercy started.

“Just listen. The first time the clan made me kill someone, I was 14 years old,” Mercy’s eyes widened and Genji’s knuckles rolled tight on the coffee mug, “And that wasn’t the only person I killed for them.

Mercy’s shoulders shrank inward, her eyes not meeting his.

“The clan,” Genji paused and took a steadying breath before continuing, “Worked to make me into something… no one should be. It…cultivated a way for me to see the world that very much affected my concepts of what is acceptable. What is good.” He gave a short huff. “But I don’t… I don’t want to be them. I don’t want to cause the same hurts they have caused.”

She looked at him then. That same searching look. That same ‘I want to help but I don’t know how’ look, and Genji’s stomach stung with the strange helplessness he felt when Gérard was gripping his shoulders earlier that day.

“But Blackwatch never asked me to question what the clan taught me. It just… saw I was angry, saw I was hurt, and pointed me in a certain direction,”  he huffed, “And now I’m stuck here. And I can’t do anything. And... ” he took a steadying breath, “I care about you. I care about our friendship. And I care about what you think of me. I don’t know... if I will ever be fully rid of what the Shimada clan cultivated in me... it... it feels like it only got sharper after what Hanzo did to me. It feels rooted in my very survival instincts. But I know I don’t want to be Reyes, and I don’t want to lose you, and... if what Blackwatch did caused all this hurt to all these people who had nothing to do with what happened in Rialto.. it’s true that it should be suspended.”

Mercy blinked a few times. “Do you really mean that?”

“Well... to an extent...” said Genji, “If Blackwatch still had its intel networks up...”

“Maybe we could help Gérard find Amélie,” Mercy said quietly.

“You know about Gérard?” Genji looked over at her.

“I only got the briefing a few hours ago,” said Mercy. She was quiet for a few seconds. “Genji... I... I don’t think you’re a bad person for what the Shimada clan conditioned you to do. You do scare me sometimes, but I genuinely believe, deep down, you want to do good.” 

“I scare you?” Genji lifted his prosthetic hand and looked down at it.

“Not because of that...” Mercy touched the metal of his knuckles and he let his hand drop as his eyes raised to hers, “I--I’m scared for you. I don’t want you to think you’re alone. And--and I want you to be able to have a life outside of Overwatch.” She huffed. “That’s what it does. It takes in people who have nowhere else to go and who just want to help and it takes everything they can give and you never know if it’s being used to help or to...” her voice trailed off and she was staring forward. Genji touched her shoulder gently.

“For what it’s worth... without Overwatch I would have never met you,” said Genji.

“I’m glad I’ve met you too,” said Mercy, smiling a little, “Silver linings right?” 

“Right...” said Genji.

A long pause passed between them. 

“...so where do we go from here?” said Genji, quietly.

“Well... I still have my work... I suppose this means we can spend more time together?” Mercy shrugged, “And... with Blackwatch suspended... maybe you can take some time to figure out what you want. Outside of Overwatch. Outside of taking down the Shimada clan.”

I don’t know how ready I am to deal with that, thought Genji, but he just nodded.

“So...” Genji swirled his coffee in its mug, “What are you working on tonight?”

“Well... apparently there’s been this incident at Watchpoint Pembrey,” said Mercy, glancing back to her monitor, “But it’s very confusing on, well... a physics level?”

“Something is confusing the genius Angela Ziegler?” Genji pulled up a chair, “Tell me more.”

Mercy snickered a little. Then started telling him.

#gency #gerard lacroix

[uenodivision]

Sakurai Clan Drama Track 1 - So It Goes.

Pt. 4

-- Yanaka Cemetery, Ueno Division --

[The time was approximately 6:20 P.M., meaning the sun was setting just below the city line, and night was approaching, though light was still present in the sky. The city's cemetery, Yanaka Cemetery, was peaceful during this time of day, or rather, the moment was very tranquil. The wind was blowing, scattering the cherry blossom petals along the pathway and onto some of the graves.]

[Walking through the cemetery, the figures of Kisouna and Yomi Yuzairu, who was holding her mother's hand, stopped at a not-so-small gravesite which read: 'Here lies Saito Yuzairu: A loving husband and a good father. May he R.I.P.']

[Kneeling downward, the attorney placed a small bouquet of red and white roses atop the gravesite before standing back up, still holding onto her daughter.]

Kisouna: *smiling sadly* Hello, my husband. It’s good to speak with you again. *Pats her daughter’s head* I brought our daughter with me today.

Yomi: *Waves at the gravesite* Hi daddy.

Kisouna: *Smiles at her daughter before looking back at the grave* I'm sorry we haven't come to see you in a long while. A lot of things have happened since we last spoke.

Yomi: *Excited* Yeah! Mommy's going to enter a song tournament!

Kisouna: *Laughs at her daughter* Yes, like our daughter said, I'm entering a tournament alongside two others. The three of us are...

[As the widow continued speaking to the grave (with her daughter interceding at some points), the figures of Aranai Norikoru and Shisuta Heisha were a ways away from their teammate, silently watching her. The nun had a smile on her face as she looked at her friend and daughter, whilst the former Bōsōzoku was leaning against a tree with her hands behind her head, a bored look on her face.]

Shisuta: *Notices Aranai's facial features* Something bothering you, Aranai?

Aranai: *Shrugs her shoulders, still bored* Not really. Just never been a big fan of cemeteries.

Shisuta: Ah. Do they frighten you?

Aranai: *Looks at her friend, an incredulous look on her face* What? No!

Shisuta: Ah, my apologies. Then how exactly do they bother you?

Aranai: *Shrugs her shoulders again, frowning* I don't know. I just don't really see the point in them, is all.

Shisuta: *Frowns a bit* What do you mean? Cemeteries are places to honor the dead and comfort their souls. It's a place for people who have embarked upon the 'eternal sleep'.

Aranai: *Looks at Shisuta, frowning* Okay, one: please don't say those kind of things around me. And two: I obviously know that. I just don't see the point in remembering something that's no longer here.

Shisuta: *Looks at Aranai, shocked* Aranai-chan, I cannot believe what I am hearing. You surely cannot mean that.

Aranai: *Shrugs, not bothered by what she said as she looks out in the distance* I just don't see the need or the point in dredging up things that already happened. The past is the past. People should let it stay there.

Aranai: *Looks back at Shisuta* What good does bringing up old stuff or honoring the dead do?

[Listening to her leader talk, the Catholic nun's frown deepened. Though she knew Aranai was only speaking that way because of her age and naivety, Shisuta still did not like hearing her friend speak that way.]

Shisuta: You say that honoring the dead does no good?

Aranai: *Shrugs again* Pretty much. *Looks off in the distance and spots something* Prime example...

[Shisuta looked as Aranai pointed to a young couple who were standing by a gravesite, a ways away from where Kisouna and Yomi were. The woman had both hands over her eyes as she was sobbing, whilst the man had a comforting hand on her shoulder.]

Aranai: Coming here to this place is obviously causing that woman a lot of grief. So why come?

Aranai: *Puts her hand back down and leans back against the tree* Places like these only exist to make people miserable.

Shisuta: *Shakes her head 'no'* I have to disagree. *Looks back at the mourning woman* You say that this place serves to make people miserable or has no meaning. I don't believe so.

Shisuta: I think... the meaning helps those who were left behind come to terms with reality.

Aranai: *Cocks an eye at Shisuta* Reality?

Shisuta: *Nods* Yes. *Looks back at the woman* This place helps to let people know that though their loved ones are no longer here physically, they are still with them in mind and spirit.

Shisuta: *Looks around the cemetery* This place is filled with memories. Some good, and some sad. Being here helps one to remember all those moments they had. They are a... treasure.

Aranai: *Looks around the cemetery* But this is just a place. Memories are something you have with you all the time, right?

Shisuta: *Smiles* We humans have a tendency to give meaning to places and things.

Aranai: *Looks off sideways* Not me.

Shisuta: Oh? *Still smiling* Then what about your motorbike that you seem to care so much for?

Aranai: *Looks at Shisuta, surprised before frowning* That's different!

Shisuta: *Continues smiling* Oh? And in what way?

[As she opened her mouth to speak, the former Bōsōzoku slowly closed it. Why did she keep her Yamaha around? Was it because it was just her preferred way of transportation? No, that wasn't it. If she had said that, she'd just be lying to Shisuta and herself. No, the real reason she liked, no, loved that bike was because it reminded her of the days when she and her gang were together.]

[Realizing the nun's point, the group leader groaned and just looked away, refusing to look at the nun, who was no doubt smiling as she had given Aranai something to ponder about. After several minutes, the duo looked as Kisouna and her daughter walked up to them.]

Kisouna: Sorry for the wait.

Shisuta: *Still smiling* It's no trouble. *Looks down at Yomi* And how was your talk with your daddy, Yomi-chan?

Yomi: *Beams* Good! I told Daddy all about how school is!

Shisuta: That's truly outstanding, Yomi-chan. I'm sure he's very happy to hear that.

[Aranai, who chose not to include herself in the conversation, still had her back to the tree, a bored look on her face. However, a frown soon replaced it as she suddenly started looking around, alert.]

Shisuta: *Notices her teammate's behavior* Something wrong, Aranai-chan?

Aranai: *Doesn't answer right away* ...Anyone else notice how quiet this place got all of a sudden?

[The attorney prepared to open her mouth, stating that cemeteries were supposed to be quiet. However, after carefully listening to her surroundings, she noticed that her team leader was correct: it was far too quiet.]

[A 'caw caw' was heard as a bird on a nearby tombstone flew away towards the entrance, making the four females turn their attention to it. Their eyes grew wide as suddenly surrounding them were a group of miscreants, serious looks on each of their faces. They all looked to out-of-sorts to be called a gang, but the looks on their faces made them seem too focused to be called thugs, either.]

[What drew the women's attention was what each man had in one of their hands: a microphone. It was highly unlikely that Chuohku would send a bunch of thugs a pair of Hypnosis Microphones, so there was only one explanation: they were all illegal mics.]

Aranai: *Glares at the gang* Who the hell are you losers?

[If the gang heard the team leader's question, they chose not to respond.]

Kisouna: *Also glaring at the gang* She asked you all a question. Identify yourselves at once.

Yomi: *Hiding behind her mother* M-m-mommy?

[Shushing her daughter, the attorney and the rest of SC looked as the gang parted, making way for an elderly gentleman wearing a black tuxedo with a green vest and carrying a brown and gold walking cane, though he was not using it.]

???: Would you three happen to be the Ueno Division's team, Sakurai Clan?

Aranai: *Glaring at the old man* Who the hell wants to know, Gramps?

Shisuta: *Frowns at Aranai, before looking at the old man* Forgive me, but you seem to have us at a disadvantage. May we know who you are?

???: Ah, of course. Please forgive me. *The old man bows placing his right hand over his chest* I am Akiharu Hino, head retainer of the Chōten family.

Kisouna: Chōten? *Kisouna frowns, as her brain tries to remember exactly where she's heard that name from*

Shisuta: I see. And is there something we can do for you, Hino-san?

Hino: My master, Tomi Chōten, wishes to speak with you all. Thus, he has invited you all to join him for dinner at his residence in Aoyama.

Aranai: *Scoffs* Ha! Invited? Give me a break!

Aranai: If this is just an invitation... *Aranai waves her at the thugs still staring at the Ueno team, poised and ready to attack* ...Then what the heck is up with your Goon Squad here?

Kisouna: *Nods* I have to agree with my friend. Judging from the appearance of these men, this doesn't seem to be an invitation we can refuse, is it?

Hino: *Sighs* Sadly, my lady, you are correct. My master was rather... insistent that I have you three there, and he wouldn't take anything less than a 'yes', I'm afraid.

[Both Aranai and Kisouna continued to frown at the gang and the old man, but subtly exchanged a nod with one another as their hands were in their respective pockets, feeling for their Hypnosis Microphones.]

Kisouna: *Has her hand wrapped around her mic in her pocket* Well, I am sorry to disappoint you, good sir. But I am afraid we must refuse your master's gracious invite. Perhaps another time, if possible.

Hino: *Sighs* As I stated, my lady, I am afraid I cannot refuse my master's orders, no matter what they may be.

Aranai: *Chuckles, taking out her mic* You really wanna do this, Gramps? Fine with me!

[As Aranai was about to make the first move, she looked as Shisuta placed an arm in front of her, halting her movement.]

Kisouna: *Surprised* Shisuta?

Aranai: *Shocked and upset* What the heck are you doing?

Shisuta: *Speaking out loud to everyone* I feel it would be very rude and disrespectful to disturb the slumber of those resting here.

Aranai: *Upset* Seriously, Shisuta?! Now is not the time for religious rules and stuff.

Kisouna: I have to agree, Shisuta. This isn't my ideal place for a battle either, but we have no choice.

Shisuta: *Frowns at her teammates* Do you two really want to battle in a cemetery? In front of a child?

[Pointing to Yomi, Kisouna and Aranai looked as the four-year-old was still clinging to her mother's skirt, scared.]

Shisuta: *Looks at Hino* We will accept your invitation, on the terms that you and your... friends agree not to do any of us any harm.

Hino: *Bows* Of course not. Thank you very much, milady.

20 minutes later...

-- Chōten Residence, Aoyama Division --

[After a tense, but uneventful ride in a long, black limousine, the group of SC finally arrived at their destination: a large, inconspicuous mansion that easily took up several acres of land. For the most part, the three women were impressed, though considering their current circumstance, they knew to be on their guard.]

Kisouna: *Whispers to Aranai as they step out of the car* Are you sure Yomi will be alright?

Aranai: *Whispers back* Yomi will be fine. Kaba promised to text me if anything happened... not that anything should happen.

[Before leaving, Kisouna requested that she leave her daughter behind with Aranai's friends. Though Yomi begged to come with her, Kisouna's decision was final, though she knew how upset her daughter would be.]

Kisouna: I'll have to buy her some cake to make it up to her when this is over.

[Sensing her friend's distress, Shisuta placed a comforting hand on Kisouna's shoulder, smiling at her, which prompted the attorney to smile back. Their attention was drawn to Hino, who walked in front of them.]

Hino: *Looking at the Ueno team* I thank you all again for agreeing to my master's request. I apologize greatly for the methods I used to obtain your cooperation.

Hino: *Bows to SC* I humbly beg your forgiveness.

[Sensing the sincerity in the old man's voice, Shisuta stepped forward.]

Shisuta: It is fine. Though our introduction could have been better, we thank you for doing no harm to us or my friend's daughter.

Shisuta: *Bows back* You are forgiven, Hino-san.

Aranai: Tch, speak for yourself...

Hino: *Bows again* Thank you kindly, my lady. *Raises his head* If you'll follow me, I'll introduce you to my master.

[Leading the way, the Ueno Division team followed the old butler as he walked up the stairs to the entranceway, through the front door.]

Aranai: *Rubbing her left arm* This place makes my shoulder blades itch.

Kisouna: *Follows behind Aranai* I'm in agreement. *Looks around* It feels as if I'm being scrutinized.

Shisuta: That is simply because we are all out of our comfort zones. *Looks at her teammates, smiling* Let us be done with our business here and return to Ueno quickly, shall we?

Aranai: Peh, you'll get no argument here from me.

Kisouna: Indeed.

[Still following behind the old butler, the trio was led upstairs to the second story to an outdoor patio, where a long dining table with a graceful white tablecloth was situated. The table was elegantly set to serve up to eight people. Standing in front of the table, looking out over the district of Aoyama, were three men communicating with one another.]

Hino: *Bowing with his hand over his chest* My lord, I've returned. *Turns back to the women*

Hino: Ladies Aranai, Shisuta, Kisouna, may I introduce to you, *Points to the heaviest man of the trio with muscles on him* ...Master Karada Kessaku...

Karada: *Turns to the women, putting his right hand up in the air* What's up?!

Hino: *Points to the tallest of three men* ...Master Luis Kōkyū...

Luis: *Turns to the women, nodding his head at them, a neutral expression on his face* A pleasure.

Hino: ...And lastly, my master and leader, Master Tomi Chōten.

[The last one in the group, the man in the middle, slowly turned around, revealing his features to the group, who were surprised to see that he was a young man, still in his early-to-mid 20s.]

Tomi: *A smirk appears on his face as he bows before SC* A pleasure to meet you, Sakurai Clan. *Raises back up* I thank you dearly for accepting my invitation.

Aranai: *Scowls and scoffs* 'Invitation?' Yeah right. Is that what you call sending your thugs to ambush us into getting to meet with you?

Shisuta: Aranai!

Tomi: *Places his left hand over his body, bowing* My apologies. I instructed Hino-san to use any means necessary to get you to come. I apologize if I've offended or hurt you in any way.

[Aranai and Kisouna felt their faces frown, as their disliking for this man was slowly rising. Though his apology sounded sincere, they could tell that it had a somewhat mocking tone to it.]

Tomi: *Notes the ladies' frowns, but continues smirking* Again, I sincerely apologize. If it will make you feel better, I can have the Aoyama Police Department send some units down to apprehend the men who ambushed you.

Kisouna: *Still frowning* Thank you, but there is no need. The crime happened in our city of Ueno. Therefore, we will take care of it ourselves.

Shisuta: *Looks worriedly at Kisouna* Kisouna-san...

Tomi: *Looks surprised, but shrugs it off* If that is what you desire, then I shall respect your wishes.

Aranai: Tch, don't make it seem like you're doing us a favor, pal.

Tomi: Well then... *Waves his hand over the table* ...Shall we have dinner?

Five minutes later...

[Within a few minutes, everyone present was seated at the table with a plate of food in front of them. Except for Shisuta, who had a simple plate of salad, everyone was served a cooked steak with melting butter on top and lettuce beneath it, along with a side of peas and fries. To complete it, everyone also had a glass of red wine beside them.]

[While the men of the table were talking and eating with no complaint, the three women felt a bit awkward, despite the free meal. Though the dinner didn't seem to have any ulterior motives, they could not help but feel that there was more to this than Tomi was letting on. Truthfully, the young socialite could tell the women were feeling uncomfortable, and he was enjoying every second of it.]

Tomi: *Notes the girls' expression* Is something wrong? Is the meal not to your liking?

Shisuta: *Looks up from her salad, surprised* N-no! No, we are thankful for the meal you've prepared, Tomi-san. Really, we are. *Bows her head in 'thanks'*

Shisuta: It is just... we are simply wondering... well, what exactly the purpose of all of this is...?

Kisouna: I have to agree. *Puts down her dinner fork* You can't have called the three of us out here simply for a dinner.

[Tomi felt himself smirking, inwardly. He heard about the intellect and intuition of the Ueno team. And it seems he was not mistaken.]

Tomi: *Takes a sip of his wine before placing it down* You are correct. There is a reason I called you here.

Tomi: As you are no doubt aware, the Division Rap Battle tournament will be commencing in just a week or so. *Places his hands in front of him* And as the bracket shows, the first match will be between the Ueno team, Sakurai Clan, and the Aoyama team, the Jet Set Trio.

Karada: That's us, yo! *Points to himself and his friends*

Luis: Yes, I think they realized that already, Karada.

Kisouna: Of course! That's why the name 'Chōten' sounded so familiar! He's the leader of the Aoyama team, Jet Set Trio! How could I forget something so important?

[As the prosecuting attorney was mentally chastising herself, she snapped out of her reverie when she heard her leader speak.]

Aranai: So... what? Is this meal supposed to be some way to wish us 'good luck' or something?

Tomi: Not exactly. *Chuckles softly to himself* I called you here because I think that we all can agree that this D.R.B. is just Chuhoku's way of trying to assert their dominance over all the divisions.

Kisouna: *Nods in agreement* True. This is actually we... *Points to herself and her teammates* ...had discussed before.

Tomi: *Nods back* Yes. And knowing them and their methods, they probably coerced you into joining like they did us, correct?

Aranai: *Looks away, upset* Tch, that's an understatement...

Tomi: Therefore, I think it behooves all of us that the least number of teams available would be for the best.

[The women of Sakurai Clan felt themselves frown in confusion, as they knew not what the young socialite was alluding to.]

Kisouna: *Still frowning* Forgive me, Tomi-san, but what exactly are you saying?

[Looking to one of his servants who was standing diligently by the entranceway, the young socialite nodded to him, which prompted the servant to walk over to the women. Taking something out of his pocket, the females looked as a red envelope was placed in front of each of them. Looking at each other, the women picked up their respective envelopes and could feel that they were filled with something. As a prosecuting attorney and a former Bōsōzoku, both Kisouna and Aranai already had a pretty good idea of what was inside.]

[Opening them up, their suspicions were confirmed as inside each of them was a large bundle of money, close to ¥100,000,000.]

Tomi: *Places his hands in front of him* I'll be frank with you: my associates and I would like you to forfeit our match in the D.R.B. The amount placed in each of your envelopes is equivalent to how much you'd have received if you won the competition.

[As they heard Tomi speak, the women's eyes grew large and they knew not whether it was because of his words or the money they had in their hands. It was now plain to all what exactly this was: a bribe. And as such, Aranai could not stop herself from laughing, drawing attention to everyone present.]

Aranai: *Still chuckling* Really? So, that's what this is all about? Your attempt at getting an easy win? You don't have the balls to face us, so your option is to instead try to get us to quit so you can get off scot-free?

Karada: Woah, hold on there! *Stands up* You're making it sound like we're cowards or something!

Aranai: *Looks at Karada* Yeah, that's exactly what I'm making it sound like!

Kisouna: I have to agree. *Stands up* This attempt at bribery is in not only in poor taste, but it is also very cowardly. If you actually believed that we'd accept your proposal, then I'm sorry to say, you're gravely mistaken.

Shisuta: *Places her arms in front of Aranai and Kisouna* What my friends are trying to say is, though we are grateful for your offer, we sadly cannot accept it.

Tomi: Oh, and may I know the reason why?

Shisuta: *Sighs* Tomi-san, please try to look at this from our perspective. If you were in our place and someone had tried to bribe you, would you accept?

Tomi: *Scoffs* Of course not.

Shisuta: *Smiles* Then, surely you can see...

Tomi: *Interrupts* However... *Stands up* ...I am not you.

Shisuta: *Shocked* ...I am... sorry?

Tomi: As I stated, I am not you. I am of high class, one born above the likes of you peasants. If anything, you all should be honored to be in my presence. And now that I graciously offer you a proposal, you choose to throw in back in my face.

Tomi: *Scowls at the women* That, I cannot forgive.

[At this, all six people felt themselves scowling at one another, even Luis, who was silently eating his meal, stood along Karada and Tomi, frowning at his opponents. Shisuta, the peaceful one of the SC, also could not hold back the frown on her face. The six people stood there for over a minute staring at each other in distaste before Kisouna spoke.]

Kisouna: I feel our time here is now over. Thank you all for the meal and your time. *Turns to leave*

Shisuta: *Bows her head at JST, still frowning* May the Lord continue to bless and keep you. *Follows behind Kisouna*

[Aranai simply scoffed as she turned to follow her friends out of the house.]

Tomi: *Smirks* Yes, run back to that cesspool that you call Ueno City.

[At that, Aranai slowly stopped and turned around, glaring daggers at the JST leader. Slowly walking back to the table, she stood there silently before looking down at the red envelope that she and the others had left behind. Picking it up, she felt that the money was still inside. Holding it up, she did something that shocked and surprised everyone present. Turning it sideways, the former Bōsōzoku ripped up the envelope in half with the money still inside and proceeded to tear it up before throwing it in the air. Noting the shocked look on the young socialite's face, she smirked and again walked out, throwing JST "the bird" as she left.]

A week and a half later...

-- Division Rap Battle Coliseum, Chuohku Ward --

[The Day of the Division Rap Battle Tournament had finally arrived, as the coliseum was packed to the brim with people from all throughout Japan, ready and waiting for the show to get underway. The bracket for the tournament was still unknown, but the divisions representing would be: Ueno, Aoyama, Harajuku, Saitama, Shinagawa, Kyoto, and much more.]

[Speaking of the Ueno team, the Sakurai Clan patiently waited for their time to come in one of the rooms in the coliseum. Aranai sat in one of the lounge chairs in the room, cleaning her Hyp Mic with a white cloth. Shisuta was on the ground, sitting on her legs with her hands clasped together and her eyes closed, silently praying. And lastly, Kisouna, who was also sitting in one of the lounge chairs was silently staring at the wedding ring her husband had given her on their wedding day. She wasn't as devout as Shisuta, but she silently prayed he and her daughter, who was in the stands with Aranai's friends, would give her the strength she needed to win this day.]

[On the other side of the building in another room, the Jet Set Trio of Aoyama also waited for their time to come. Tomi, the leader, was on the phone with his mother and father, who were also in the stands, wishing him the best of luck. Karada was on the ground, grunting as he was doing sit-ups, getting himself pumped and motivated. And Luis was on his phone, looking at a picture of him and his Abuela, his face in a neutral position. She, unfortunately, could not make it to the event, but she promised that she'd be with him there in spirit.]

[Five minutes later, all of the Division teams were out center stage in front of the crowd. Different cheers and chants could be heard as they were all rooting for their respective Divisions to win. Standing in front of the teams was none other than the Deputy Prime Minister, Ichijiku Kadenokoji. A spotlight appeared from above shining down on her as she raised her right arm in the air.]

Ichijiku: The time for the final part of the Division Rap Battle Tournament will now commence!

[At her announcement, the audience began screaming and cheering in anticipation. More lights above came on, showing all of the various teams from the Divisions. Some reveled in the cheer and admiration of the crowds, while some wished they were somewhere else, and others paid no attention, just ready and eager to get started.]

Ichijiku: Before we begin, the Prime Minister and leader of the Party of Words, Ms. Otome Tohoten, would like to speak a few words. You will all give her your undivided attention!

[At this, an image of the Chairwoman's face appeared on the large TV screen in the Coliseum. Her appearance was met with mixed reactions, especially from the teams. Some kept their faces neutral, while most did not bother to hide their disdain or hatred from the woman who was responsible for their not only being there but also for directly or indirectly ruining their lives.]

Otome: The time of using profane weapons and cheap trickery to win a fight has come to an end. A new age has arrived, one where not swords or fists win the day, but the power of one's words. All of you use words to protect and conquer territories. This is undeniable proof that words will always be more powerful than weapons ever could be.

Aranai: *Scowls* This bitch sure loves to hear herself talk, doesn't she?

Kisouna: *Scowls* She reminds me of my opposition: they use a lot of words, but they're really not saying much in the end.

Tomi: *Glares* You'll pay for threatening my family one day, Otome. I promise you that.

Otome: *Holds up a Hypmic* Now, with your Hypnosis Microphone in hand, demonstrate the power of your words, and achieve unconditional victory! The Division Rap Battle Tournament will now begin!

[After her short speech, the Division teams gathered around as Ichijiku explained the rules. After a flip of the coin determining who would strike first, the other teams save for the ones from Ueno and Aoyama remained on stage. The two teams activated their Hyp Microphones before staring each down.]

Ichijiku: Now, if nothing further, it is time to start! Get ready...

BRING THE BEAT!!!

The End

#hypnosis mic #hypnosis microphone #hypmic #hypmic oc #hypnosis mic oc #aranai norikoru #shisuta heisha #kisouna yuzairu #ueno division #sakurai clan #tomi chōten #karada kessaku #luis kōkyū #aoyama division #jet set trio #drama track #so it goes

[louiserandom]

MadaTobiIzu- "Whenever you lose an item (like a sock), it ends up in your soulmates’ possession somehow." I think this would be really funny that during the middle of a fight Tobirama sees two things he thought he lost but Madara and Izuna have it. Ficlet length with a G or T rating.

finally found

Rating: T

Summary: Tobirama loses two of his very important possessions, and his world is completely turned upside down when he discovers that they’ve ended up in the hands of the Uchiha brothers.

The battle is put on hold as hilarity ensues.

A/N: Did not expect this OT3 to inspire me so much XD I hope it’s not too much humor. They’re so funny I had to describe every detail of their ridiculousness x)

Hope you enjoy it, Mala!<3

Read on AO3 or under the cut :3

At first glance one might think that, out of the two Senju brothers, Hashirama is the more careless one and therefore prone to losing his things.

It’s easy to think that, considering Tobirama’s usually composed demeanor and Hashirama’s insistence on acting the fool more often than not, but no one is more aware of the utter inaccuracy of that perception than Tobirama himself.

It is his fault, admittedly, that his tendency to get lost in thoughts of scientific experiments and underdeveloped theories has him distracted from real life to the point he loses track of everything his mind deems unimportant. And that ranges from time to little trinkets, books, paperwork, and even weapons, if he finds himself lost in thought during training. It’s a very annoying truth about himself that Tobirama has learned to deal with and has long since stopped caring what his soulmate thinks of him, considering Tobirama loses at least a dozen things a day.

If I even have a soulmate, trickles of doubt gnaw at his mind, echoing the biting words of some of the elder clansmen.

“Of course you do!” Hashirama always assures him in all his sappy, dreamy-eyed glory. “And it’ll be such a beautiful day when you find them, Otouto. I cannot wait!”

Tobirama couldn’t say the same for himself. He’d gleaned enough clues over the years to deduce that his soulmate must be an Uchiha, and the ongoing war spurred on by Butsuma and Tajima’s thirst for vengeance does little to give hope for a happy outcome of events. And despite Hashirama’s adamance regarding his dream of peace, once he and Madara took up leadership of their respective clans, there was too much hate, too much death accumulated during the war for peace to be an immediate possibility.

He keeps his discovery from Hashirama lest he do something reckless or stupid—or both—and does his best to deal as little damage as he can to their enemies. It’s easy to focus on Izuna, whom Tobirama finds to be a titillating challenge. A fierce, formidable opponent whose hate for Tobirama seems to only be overshadowed by Madara’s, what with Tobirama eventually becoming the only real threat to his little brother.

Little brother and soulmate.

A match made in heaven, Tobirama thinks, if only because the Uchiha brothers are both excessively loud and dramatic in equal measure.

And normally, Tobirama wouldn’t be able to stand such behavior, but today he finds himself acting quite like the maddening Uchiha duo because his whole world seems to be crashing down.

“I can’t,” Hashirama whines, “I can’t find it, Otouto.”

He’s buried under heaps of unorganized research notes in Tobirama’s lab, a few upturned cabinets lying beside him, with quite the number of broken vials strewn all over the place.

Tobirama is in much the same predicament, and for once he’s thankful he put away all the containers with radioactive elements away into unbreakable storage scrolls, at least.

His lab is an absolute disaster.

Because apparently, Tobirama is too much of an idiot to keep track of his new favorite weapon for one godsdamned day. Raijin no Ken was a nightmare to locate and tear away from many, many greedy, mostly inhuman hands. How in hell he’s managed to lose it is beyond Tobirama’s understanding.

“Well, it’s your… old favorite weapon now?” Hashirama tries for a joke.

“Anija,” Tobirama growls.

“Don’t be sad! Remember, your soulmate will probably have it.”

Tobirama rolls his eyes. It’s a possibility. One that he’ll hopefully get to test on the battlefield tomorrow. And that reminds him of his latest development—a seal able to manipulate spacetime to achieve instantaneous travel, which should prove quite useful during battle. He embedded it on a special kunai, a treasured gift from Hashirama from years back, and must have put it… somewhere…

“Fuck!” Tobirama shoves away some construct for an experiment in a fit of utter frustration when he fails to find what could have become his second favorite weapon.

“What did you lose this time?”

Tobirama stares guiltily at the ground. “The kunai you gave me when I came of age. One that I imbued with a special seal.” He sighs. “I hate this.”

“It’s going to be okay, Otouto.” Hashirama approaches him tentatively, arms raised in a pacifying gesture. “Remember how I also lost something important once? That permafrost statue of an atom you gave me as a kid? And then I got it back when I met Mito, and it was one of the happiest days of my life!” It’s hard remaining annoyed in the presence of Hashirama’s goofy smile, but Tobirama keeps up the disgruntled façade. “You know, I’ve heard of these organization techniques that might help—”

“If you want to help, Anija, shut up and let me work,” Tobirama snaps, sitting himself down on the one desk still standing with the research notes for the seal still, thankfully, in place. “But thanks,” he adds in a whisper that Hashirama hears, of course, and proceeds to wax poetic about the beauty of brotherly love.

Despite the distraction, Tobirama quickly recreates a Hiraishin anchor with one of his standard kunai, putting it safely into his weapons pouch to keep it close.

Raijin no Ken, on the other hand, is going to have to be exclusively his soulmate’s—for now.

For now turns out to be a little less than a day, because the next morning saw Tobirama facing Izuna. Business as usual, only the Uchiha has replaced his katana for the shiny new toy Tobirama has just lost.

“What,” Tobirama says in lieu of their usual insult contest of a greeting, “the fuck is that.”

Izuna smirks. “Hello to you too, Snowflake. Why don’t you stop cowering and find out?”

Tobirama scowls, absolutely not willing to put up with Izuna’s theatrics, and so attacks with a kunai that his rival easily dodges. It’s immensely satisfying to watch Izuna flail as Tobirama appears right next to him and wrestles him to the ground, knocking Raijin no Ken from Izuna’s hand and pinning his wrists above his head.

“You stole my sword!” Tobirama accuses.

“Did not. And get off me, icicle!” Izuna huffs, indignant and surprisingly not fighting against the hold as much as Tobirama expects him to. “It’s not yours—I found it, and it’s mine.”

“Found it?” Tobirama stares, dumbfounded, and Izuna uses the moment to kick and push at him with renewed vigor (but not much success).

Izuna’s soulmate is his brother, and surely it couldn’t be that—

As if in answer to his protest, Tobirama’s original Hiraishin kunai lands next to where he and Izuna are grappling, and none other than Madara Uchiha appears only to haul Tobirama to his feet and push him away.

“Hands off my brother, Senju,” Madara glowers, gunbai in hand and stance battle-ready.

Tobirama resists the urge to groan.

“That,” he points to the kunai, glaring, “is my seal and my weapon.” Tobirama itches to ask obvious question of how and where Madara had found it, but what comes out instead is, “How did you even figure out how to use it, Uchiha?”

“Yours?” Madara flails, gunbai still in hand, looking as ridiculous as ever. “First of all, fuck you, Senju, I am expert in seal theory. And secondly, I found this, and that means it must be my… our …” His face blanches as he trails off, staring at Tobirama with growing horror in his eyes. “No.”

“Apparently,” Tobirama sighs, “yes.”

“You’re our soulmate?” Izuna’s brain seems to have caught up, finally, and he stands, gaping at Tobirama like he’s seen a bijū.

“You’re their soulmate, Otouto!” Hashirama shouts gleefully from the distance, as if Tobirama’s doom isn’t obvious enough.

The battle seems to have frozen in time, confused Senju and awed-looking Uchiha standing around the scene like it’s a theater play—and it might as well be, because the idiots fate (the bitch) has chosen to tie Tobirama with completely fucking lose it.

“How did we not know he’s our soulmate, nii-san?”

“We knew it was a Senju—”

“Well, you should have accepted those peace offers from the treehead—”

“Excuse me, brat? I wanted to accept them, and you were the one saying we couldn’t trust—”

“Fuck that, I didn’t know we were lucky enough to get beautiful and deadly for a soulmate,” Izuna says, upturning the entirety of what Tobirama had believed to be reality up until this moment. Beautiful? “I thought Snowflake was taken!”

“Now listen here, you reckless dumbass,” Madara growls, the chakra around him getting hotter to match his anger, “no matter how beautiful he is,” he says, pointing his gunbai Tobirama’s way, “he still almost killed you a hundred times—”

“At most a dozen, nii-san, and I almost killed him once!”

“I don’t care!” Madara shrieks, voice getting exponentially louder. “Until we’ve figured out this whole mess, you are going to stop being a suicidal moron and listen to what I say!”

Madara takes a deep breath to, presumably, launch another longer rant, and it’s then that Tobirama decides he’s had enough.

(This is why he’s always thankful his opponent is Izuna. It’s painful watching Hashirama deal with Madara’s shrieky rants every single battle.)

And since no one forbade him from being a suicidal moron, Tobirama decides to do the one thing his brain comes up with to shut up the louder Uchiha and possibly shock him enough to stop the godsdamned screaming.

The kiss comes unexpected to everyone, judging from the collective gasps, and though Madara yelps and stiffens as Tobirama drags him closer by the collar, he doesn’t struggle further.

His gunbai falls, though, and his lips relax against Tobirama’s as he goes slack-jawed, so Tobirama considers his mission successful. His brain tells him the shock of it is enough, that he should pull away, gods damn you, you’re kissing Madara Uchiha.

But two things happen that Tobirama could never have predicted.

One being that kissing Madara was actually a very pleasant experience, and the other… Well.

Madara answers the kiss.

It’s such a ridiculous series of events that’s led Tobirama to this, making out with his once worst enemy in the midst of a battlefield, the rush of blood to his head and his pounding heartbeat drowning out his brother’s indignant protests and whatever Izuna is whining about. It’s exhilarating, the way Madara’s mouth moves against his own, and despite this being Tobirama’s first real kiss, he seamlessly follows Madara’s lead, drinking him in, tasting him, almost letting out a moan as Madara coaxes his lips open to slide his tongue into his mouth.

It’s the first time all semblance of a thought process exits out of Tobirama’s mind, leaving only this perfect moment frozen in time, as the bond between them sings in response to their closeness.

Of course it’s Izuna who pulls them apart—quite forcefully, too—and proceeds to glare at his brother.

“Nii-san, you traitor! I was supposed to be the first one to kiss our soulmate when we met them! Now I,” he announces proudly, “get fuck him first.”

Tobirama blinks. That escalated quickly.

“Mm,” Madara argues, his voice blessedly quieter and face tinged with what looks to be a light blush, as he keeps staring at Tobirama with a slightly dreamy expression. “Uh. No. Mine.”

“No,” Izuna growls, hand grasping Tobirama’s fur collar protectively, “mine, you greedy bastard.”

“My baby brother,” Hashirama sobs, rid of his prior glee and suffering a mental breakdown a few feet away, “my innocent baby brother…” And that’s definitely the sound of Tōka’s cackling Tobirama can hear in the distance.

He blinks some more, breathing deep and slow, trying to regain at least some of his thinking capacity.

“Sorry,” Tobirama says to Madara, his brain only catching up enough to provide a poor excuse for the earlier kiss. “I, uh, didn’t mean to do that. So suddenly.”

“No. I liked.” Madara frowns. And that’s definitely a blush deepening on his cheeks. “Sentences. Hard.”

“YOU’RE GETTING HARD?”

“Shut the fuck up, treehead,” Izuna says, hurling Madara’s discarded gunbai at Hashirama for good measure. “He’s ours now!” He turns back to Tobirama. “What you mean to do now, Snowflake, is use this clever seal of yours and take us somewhere private. Can you do that for us?”

Tobirama blinks some more, finding himself suddenly unable to argue in face of Izuna’s devious smile. “Oh. Yeah, I can do that.”

(There’s the added annoyance of someone from the crowd asking about nuptials, which makes Tobirama crave to get the fuck out of here.)

He reaches for the Hiraishin seal he’d placed in a faraway clearing, with enough distance from both their compounds that neither their clanmates, nor Hashirama’s irrational overprotectiveness will be able to reach them. Tobirama wants to explain as much but is interrupted by a very enthusiastic Izuna ravishing his mouth. Firm, messy, biting, so unlike his earlier kiss with Madara but riveting in its own way. Tobirama can’t quite hold back the whimper that escapes the moment the last part of their bond cements itself.

“Now that,” Izuna purrs, drawing away, “was a proper greeting.”

Tobirama breathes out a laugh. “Couldn’t agree more.”

Because for the first time, nested between the playful crackle of his former rival’s chakra and the raging flame that is Madara embracing him from behind, Tobirama feels like he’s finally found home.

#madatobiizu #madara uchiha #izuna uchiha #tobirama senju #lou writes #fanfic #camp nano april 2020 #madatobi #tobiizu #madaizu

[border-spam]

AU Troy Character Timeline

Right, so I saw an incredible breakdown of Troy’s mental journey/state of ego last night ( that I’ll see if I can get permission to post at some point ) that really kicked my confidence into overdrive for writing out a definitive timeline for the version of him I write about in drabbles/fics etc as it was so amazingly similar. This isn’t complete, it couldn’t be because man I have a lot of stuff for this guy, but I hope it’s interesting for people maybe looking for a somewhat logical bunch of HC content that works well with the info we were given ingame. 

Writing this was like doing a jigsaw puzzle. Except ten pieces are missing, and you have 2 dominos and a Mrs Cupcake card instead. If you like any of this, feel free to use it. I’ll eventually expand on it in my own works.

Pre Pandora Era - 28  years pre BL3

Severe self esteem / image issues from very early childhood. Leda’s death left Typhon both terrified of Tyreen and desperately paranoid about her safety, leaving Troy to feel far less valued and loved as he found himself constantly failing to compete for attention from his remaining parent. 

Typhon never outright called Troy a freak, but he overheard plenty of discussions with his mother and with Tyreen explaining why he was so sick all the time, why he looked the way he did, why he was broken. He never discussed these, they festered in the back of his mind for the rest of his life. 

Strived from an early age to be useful, being useful gave him the belief he was valued, and a “Great job kid!” from his father felt good enough that it could almost replace feeling loved.

Misses his mother intensely from the day she died, for the rest of his life. Had no one else to have platonic intimacy with bar his sister, which never felt as freely given as with his mother. 

Developed an extremely crippled sense of social behavior and rules. The only people the Twins could interact with till they landed on Pandora ( which I HC was between 18 -19 ) were each other, and their Father. 

Left alone on a giant empty planet with no one to tell them no, or instill an understanding of social rules to them regarding others, left them with only a feeling of personal value for each other. This is an extremely dangerous state of mind for any person who will need to function in a social structure, especially a person in power. 

Had it hammered into them over and over by their father that the galaxy outside their home was filled with murderers. Animals. Bandit filth. Not like them, not like their parents, horrible, vicious things that would kill them the second they could. 

Internalised that to the point where it was a crucial part of their development of self as children. The twins would genuinely struggle to comprehend any other human they met was a person, because they were told their whole developing lives that no one they would meet bar their father would be.

 Pre COV - 8 years pre BL3

Lands on Pandora with Tyreen. Woefully underprepared and worried sick, didn’t want to leave Nekro but had no other choice but to go with his sister or die. Misses his father immediately, but avoids talking about it, knowing it will cause an argument.

Disliked that their father had kept them on Nekro intensely, but not enough to hate him the way Tyreen did. This never changed and the regret for leaving him only rotted inside him over the years. 

Very excited to finally meet new people, but his social skills are learned through watching old echos and while he can mimic them, he doesn’t understand social intricacies as well as he’d hoped. This sabotages their first few attempts to communicate with Pandoran non bandit natives. 

Comes across as weird. Stutters, not good with eye contact, awkward in body language and very unnatural in appearance. Extremely tall (6″7), very thin and sickly looking with sallow skin and dark under eyes. His missing arm and quarter of his shoulder draw far more attention than he had ever expected and he becomes instantly self conscious of the damage to his right side, strongly disliking how it’s pointed out every time they try and interact with one of these idiots.  

The twins only had the clothes they had travelled in and at this point they are pretty much rags patched together over nearly 2 decades. Didn’t understand how much appearances were going to matter, Troy had been sure he’d be able to “Mingle with the locals no problem.”, and now feels like he’s letting his sister down by failing to perform the way he’d been so sure of. They move onto the bandit clans once they get laughed out of the first small town they try to impress.

Their first few interactions with bandits have very bad results. They both get mocked a lot, Troy gets insulted even more. This is the first time in his life he’s met other men bar his father and the harsh reality that he is not like other men is really starting to hit hard. He’s monstrously tall, he has no muscle, he’s bony and sick and the bandits make very clear to him that he’s a freak.

Unable to defend himself verbally to people that don’t seem to speak a coherent language, he feels impotent and emasculated. Troy’s gift with words has always been his strong point, something he was proud of, and the bandits barely even understand what he’s saying. Any interest he’d had towards them as other people gets quashed. They clearly aren’t the same as he and Ty, they are beneath them. Savages. They aren’t people after all. His dad was right.

This is the point where he fully switches to seeing almost all others as non-persons. They aren’t people, they aren’t what he and Tyreen are, or they wouldn’t act like this in response to the twins. Any possible empathy he could have developed over time is aborted at this point, and he begins to craft the God King persona he understands he will need to disguise his shortcomings under if he’s going to be in the public’s eye.

Begins to create it piece by piece. Designs their outfits, designs his tattoos and mods, his monstrous arm, their name. 

The Calypso twins are born, and the COV with them.

Early COV Era - 7 years pre BL3

As he learns how to communicate with bandits and craft a persona for Tyreen that they will be drawn to, the COV starts to form. While the huge majority of their followers are people they see as not even being the same species as them, they do also begin to fill the higher ranks with people they are meeting over time that they see as having value. 

People with skills in categories they don’t, engineers, media experts, accountants, are drawn to the COV for the same reasons as the bandits. Opportunity, just a different sort.

Joining in the early days means having the twin’s ears, and those who have excellent ideas, or bring talent to the upper echelon that the twin's don’t have themselves, eventually end up as high priests and Saints. Department leaders (eg: Mouthpiece ). These are the kind of people he sees as people, though still not on par with himself or his sister in value. These are the few he would be capable of having functional conversations with, building simple relationships. 

He has found value in his ability to be very useful within the COV. Leading the Media and Propaganda department has given him a huge amount of power, even if he still physically feels extremely frail. 

He’s settled into living in Tyreen’s shadow, she’s the star, but he’s the puppeteer, and he’s happy for it to be that way for the most part. While she can sometimes step out of line or treat him like he’s not equal, he’s quick to remind her of her place during these outbursts, and their relationship is relatively stable.

Troy is fiercely loyal and surprisingly gentle with people he has a bond with. Despite his desperation to have meaningful connections, to be cared for and liked as himself, they don’t stay around him long.

No matter how hard he tries to give them what he thinks they want, they eventually leave, and he doesn’t understand that they are distancing themself because of how he treats other people, not them.

Troy’s complete inability to view the vast majority of people as people means he has a total lack of empathy towards almost everyone else, and this is a terrifying thing to experience first hand. He doesn’t understand this is why his “friends” leave, why they stop being friendly with him, or request to be transferred to another district.  

“Why did you do that to them..?” - “Huh? Ohhhh, relax haha, it’s just a bandit.” - “What do you mean, just a bandit, they felt that Troy, what’s wrong with you?’ - "The hell? No, it’s a b.a.n.d.i.t. It’s not like us, it’s not like you, it’s just.. you know, a bandit! Doesn’t matter what I do to em.” -shrug- - “-horrified silence-”

He blames himself each time this happens and damages his already fractured self esteem further. He can’t comprehend that his actions are the problem, because he simply has no way to understand his actions are bad. 

Each time someone close to him leaves, it’s another hit to his already crumbling self worth. He has absolutely no strong bonds with anyone bar his sister, who at times seems to barely like him, and he is genuinely desperate for validation and care from someone who likes Troy, not Calypso, not the God he pretends to be.

Every time another one of his “friends” vanishes, another of his little connections to his own humanity breaks. He gets angrier, and sadder, the God King a little more snarling and quicker to snap. It’s a sore point Tyreen tends to dig in during arguments too.

She doesn’t need anyone else, but she’s seen the near manic excitement and happiness he has when he connects with another person over a shared interest or they show actual genuine kindness towards him and not his title. If that person then becomes upset with his lack of empathy, or scared of it and abandons him, it’s another open wound on the already dying soul inside him that’s barely still breathing.

He has a complete and defined understanding of right and wrong, but those rules only apply to people, and his social development from infant to adult left his comprehension of other people so stunted, he cannot fathom that the vast majority of others are people. 

God King Calypso is a fucking nightmare to anyone bar the select view he sees as “people like him”. A feral, cackling monster, as likely to airdrop a million dollars onto a tiny village and record the reaction, as he is to rip a bandits arms off during a raid and live steam them bleeding out. All the same to him. Just background NPCs in his game. Placeholder actors in his life. They don’t matter. All that does matter is how they make him feel, or how they further his sister’s goals.

Every year that passes by leaves the God King more polished and defined, more in control a persona, while inside its impenetrable shell Troy DeLeon is slowly being suffocated by the weight of his own sins, without having the ability to understand he had been sinning at all.

God King Era - 4 years pre Bl3

By this point, Troy’s isolation is now deadly. He is a deity, worshipped by billions, with absolutely no points of human contact in his life to anchor himself to reality. No one to help him understand how to apply his sense of right and wrong to his followers, only his sister, who is even more toxic and vicious than he is.

Every day since starting the COV, he’s distanced himself further from the worshippers, the bandits, the acolytes. They are screaming war meat now, they are chips to barter with, numbers on a viewer count, flesh to tear into when he wants to feel something.

His relationship with Tyreen is crumbling. She’s quicker now to imply he’s not as important, he’s not the Siren. She’s called him a parasite in front of a merger board, a burden during a discussion with department heads. Each new crack at his inner ego only strengthens the persona further. Makes it more attention seeking, more willing to lash out at others, more vicious.

His “friends"are long gone, either fled from the behemoth the COV now is, or far away in other districts, planets, cities. The people he is close with now in working relationships are held at arms length. He doesn’t let anyone near him anymore, he’s afraid they will leave too if he does. 

The isolation pushes him further into the God King persona every day. If he’s Troy Calypso, he doesn’t NEED anyone else. The further he sinks into it, the more aggressive, the more twisted his actions become, but he doesn't see it that way. This is what his followers want, so it must be fine. Why wouldn’t it be fine to ravenously tear into heretics on livestream if 8 billion people are tuning in to watch?

He’s becoming cruel, he’s becoming vicious, but the man he was before he reached Pandora is still whispering that Tyreen is treating him wrong. That this isn’t how it was meant to be, that he’s not weak or a burden.

But listening to that voice means also having to listen to the one telling him he’s warped into something disgusting that his mother would be so let down by, that his father was right about him being a broken monstrosity. He continues to ignore it, and he loses himself further every day.

The deeper he recedes into the God King, the more he starts having nightmares, the more those whispers in the back of his mind get louder. He does what he can to ignore them, but sometimes something will set him off.

An argument with Tyreen, a momentary feeling of regret for leaving his home, a pang of loneliness. He often can’t sleep, and he knows if he starts to wonder why, clarity for the horrors he’s done could crush him.

Drugs, sex, bloodlust, he tries anything to take his mind off the intrusive thoughts that grow day by day. That he’s a failure. He’s a freak. He’s a cold blooded murder, but every now and then he’ll wake up in a cold sweat and hate himself so much that he wishes he’d never been born. 

The feeling passes very quickly as the God King shifts back into place and swallows it down, but while it’s there it’s horrific. He see’s himself from other people’s eyes for just a moment and god what has he turned into. What has he done. He’s a fucking monster.

The man he had been is so damaged under the mantle of this vicious God he’s wearing as a skin that it’s barely alive anymore, and it’s what begs him to kill it in those fleeting moments where he sees past his own facade, where he just for a second realises how many people he has hurt.

He tore his throat out a couple of years before the start of the game story in a moment of lucidity after being sleep deprived for days on end. Tyreen reached him in time when his implanted vitals tracker each twin keeps for the other alerted her to his condition, but it was close enough that he was bedridden for days after her energy transfer closed the wound.

She had been furious with him and made sure it was was kept hushed, the rest of the clergy believing he was on reprieve. Only the twins know the truth of what happened.

He never takes the collars off anymore now, the scars are still there. Convincing Tyreen that it had had happened during a nightmare when he’d left his prosthetic on by mistake was easy. Convincing himself to try and forget he’d been lucid and how it still feels like the right thing to do, is not. 

By the point the story begins, Troy is in a constant state of exhaustion, and knows deep down everything he has been through and done to others was for nothing. Tyreen doesn’t care about him the way he does her. She may never have, or she changed, he doesn’t know anymore. 

What he does know, is that he won't ever be a real God, and that the only reason he’s still alive is because he is useful. 

Maybe he should never have tried so hard to be useful.

 Phew.

I guess in a nutshell, my Troy’s greatest downfall is the God King persona.

As long as that shit is active, as long as it’s being worshipped, he’s never going to snap into reality. The reality that other people are there, that he’s been hurt so badly as a person, it’s all impossible long as he is being treated as, and believes, he is a God. 

The manic moments of clarity he has in the later stages of the COV rule are few and far between, but they eat him alive as he can’t understand why he suddenly feels so terrible, why he’s filled with such consuming remorse.

Peel the God King off the broken man underneath it and you leave him bare, confused, scared. You make him have to deal with reality, with people, with himself. That’s when you get him to show regret, and understand what he’s done, and understand what Ty has done to him.

That’s the redemption.

When he realises the game he was playing was real for billions, and suffers for it. It ends where it ends as my Troy ain’t dyin’ :P I’ll get to my rewrite eventually.  I hope to keep exploring these ideas in the future. Just desperately wish I’d as much to work with for Tyreen as I do Troy. GB YOU HEAR THAT? YOU HEAR THATTTT??

#troy calypso #tyreen calypso #borderlands #borderlands3 #borderlands 3 #bl3 #my hcs #my writing #calypso twins #leech lord

[lightning-fury]

Meant To Be

Pairing: Kamilah × MC “Amy”

Chap1 ==> Chap2 (written by @clan-sayeed-fic )

Note: This fic is the result of an unfortunate collaboration with @clan-sayeed-fic (I’m joking about the collaboration being unfortunate 😅😅 ).

Warning: Non-consensual acts and I think angst.

Chapter Three: Control

Written by @lightning-fury

Amy throws her jacket as she entered lily’s apartment and picked a pillow screaming in it.

“I see the branding went spectacularly” Lily teased

“She’s, she’s awful” Amy fell on the couch next to Lily who was playing some video game.

“Well that’s our Kamilah” lily laughed ending the game then she took Amy’s hands in hers.

“Look I’m not defending her behavior. Elizabeth’s death affected us all, but it did hit Kamilah the most, she had a special bond with her”

Amy nod in understanding. “Honestly” she thought “I would’ve acted the same way if I were in her place.”

“Enough forget about Kamilah” Lily jumped from the couch and threw Amy’s jacket in her direction “Catch. We’re going, to celebrate, not every day my girl gets her brand”

Amy catched her jacket thanks to her vampiric speed, she tried to object claiming she’s tired, but Lily didn’t take “No” for an answer. Eventually the blond give up.

Despite Lily Spencer’s chaotic way of living, she’s not only a member of clan Sayeed but also skillful hacker and the owner of one of the most exclusive night clubs in New York which was their destination.

Amy made a quick scan of the place it was flashy and futuristic “definitely styled by Lily”, a famous band playing in the corner driving the crowd crazy on the dance floor. Lily led Amy across the dancing bodies of models and New York’s elites to an exclusive second floor; well as Lily explained it’s exclusive for vampires and the few humans who knew about the supernatural. It didn’t look any different from the 1st floor except for the scent of blood. the blond’s eyes turned red a smile curled on her face showing her fangs, she was about to open her mouth to compliment Lily, when suddenly her expression hardened.

“Hell No!” she frowned.

Lily s looked in Amy’s eyes direction confused to find Adrian waving at them and Kamilah making the same displeased expression Amy making.

The new blood turned attempting to leave only to be stopped by the purple headed “Woah there, you’re not going anywhere”

“Lily I came to forget about Kamilah and this isn’t the place for that. Cause you know, she is here”

“Girl you better pose, we came to celebrate and we will even if it means kicking Kamilah out”

Amy lifted an eyebrow “can you?”

“Um No, but Amy Clark I didn’t think you’re the quitter type. Are you?”

Amy looked at Lily “No”

“So are you gonna let Kamilah win?”

“No” Amy said and smiled mischievously “Lily let’s party”  

The girls made a beeline for the bar, it didn’t take them long to get in the party spirit after some shots and the insisting of a human hotty Amy found herself on the dance floor music guiding her, she swayed with the girl, bodies moving in sync, Amy felt the girl’s body temperature rising against her, her heart beats a perfect addition to the music around, it was intoxication, in the dark of the club Amy’s eyes glow red, her hand traveled from the girls waist up to her neck, she run her thumb feeling the girl’s pulse making her shiver in respond.

The blond licked her lips fangs exposed then she sank them in the girl’s neck earning a moan from her. They danced like no one was watching.

Amy felt the girl weakening in her arms, she wanted to stop but she couldn’t, the blood was like drugs, a lust that can’t control, truthfully in that moment she didn’t want to control, the girl was dying in her arms but Amy didn’t care.

That’s when she felt hands on her shoulder a woman’s voice speaking it was commanding but soft and reassuring “Easy there, you can control this, Now you’re feeling a pleasure like you never felt before, I can relate to that but  you’re strong Amy, you can do it, it’s okay don’t rush it”

Amy did as told she slowed her drinking pace until she stopped. The girl fell unconscious, Lily catched her before she hit the floor and took her away.

The blond came out from her haze realization hitting her like a track, her hands started to shake she felt hands on her shoulder guiding her away from the crowd, the hands of the woman who helped her control her lust, Amy turned to see her face only to find Kamilah’s eyes looking at her, there was no anger no despite, only concern.

Tears of guilt welling in her eyes Amy hugged her “I almost killed her” she said sobbing.

Kamilah stiffened for a moment then she wrapped her arms around the girl “Shhh, it’s okay, you got overwhelmed, you’ll learn to control it”. They set there for a while the young vampire getting comfort from Kamilah’s touch.

Kamilah offered to drive her home since Lily is taking care of the girl. They drove to lily’s apartment in silence; Amy started to feel better but guilt still consuming her, she got out of the car heading toward the stairs but Kamilah’s voice stopped her “Hey You..”

Amy turned.

“Tomorrow at 7, you’ll start training with me. Be ready”

*******

“Get up” Kamilah looked at Amy who crashed against the floor a second ago.

“I can’t” Amy whined.

“I don’t care, move” said Kamilah

And like that the sweet Kamilah from last night was gone; Amy was getting her ass kicked by Kamilah for the past 3 hours from the moment she set her feet in the training facility.

The upcoming days wasn’t any better, although Amy’s fighting techniques improved she still couldn’t land a single punch at Kamilah.

“Call it skill, call it experience call it whatever you want that woman is unstoppable” Amy said drinking from a blood bag.

“Ames, aren’t you exaggerating a little” Lily laughed massaging the young vampire’s shoulders  

“Girl, my body’s hurting in places I didn’t know they did exist” Amy pouted.

“Look at me” Lily moved facing Amy “you’re gonna drink your blood, sleep and tomorrow you’ll show her what you’re made of. Do you understand me?”

“Yes” Amy’s eyes flashed with determination.

The next day Amy went earlier, only to find that Kamilah is already there warming up, she stood there looking at the queen moving with her daggers, dancing like a goddess of war.

“I can hear your heart beats you know” Kamilah said startling Amy.

“Hi” Amy mumbled showing herself “sorry, I didn’t..”

“Save it” Kamilah stopped her.

Amy rolled her eyes “here we go again” she thought “why am I even bothering”

The girl draws out her Katana getting in a fighting stance; it wasn’t too long before the 2 started circling each other preparing to attack they the fight started and Amy was capable of dodging all Kamilah’s attacks, she lost her Katana other than that no one succeeded to hit the other. They danced back and forth for a while, Kamilah actually looked impressed.  

Then Amy charged, Kamilah dodged it with ease and slammed her hand into the young vampire ribs, Amy winced in pain but she was quick to recover and managed to trip Kamilah, but she fell on top of her in the process.

They looked at each other, faces inches apart, Amy’s eyes scanned Kamilah face and got fixed on her lips, she leaned closing the distance, but she felt the cold metal of Kamilah’s dagger on her neck.

Amy backed away allowing Kamilah to stand.

“Do you really think I’ll kiss you?” Kamilah spat.

“How pathetic” she looked at her with disgust words leaving her mouth like poison.

Then she turned her back walking away.

Kamilah’s words stabbed Amy like daggers “Why? Why are you treating me like this? What have I done to you?” Amy shouted tears in her eyes.

Kamilah kept walking ignoring the girl.

Something snapped inside of anger filled her, she speed getting in Kamilah’s way “wait”

But when Amy touched Kamilah’s hand, everything around her disappeared.

And then …

Europe 1350

Kamilah walked through alleys hundreds of bodies laid everywhere inside the houses and on the streets it was dark times despair and sadness looming around, a man in armor is next to her he kicked a body of his way “this damned plague hit all of Europe” he grumbled

Kamilah glared at him “Banner can’t you have some decency and treat the dead with respect”

“No” he kicked another body and walked in a different alley than her.

Kamilah ignored him and entered a house, it was dark inside, she smelled death but she heard faint heart beats, she walked the stairs getting to the second floor a man and a woman laid on the bed, Kamilah approached

 “They’re dead” a weak voice stopped her.

She turned to see a young girl curled against the wall, Kamilah looked at the girl, she was blond 5 or 6 years old, pale you can see the bones from her skin, by the look she didn’t eat for days.

Kamilah sit next to the girl but the young child tried to stop her “go please, you’ll die” she said tears in her eyes “I don’t want to see someone else die”

“Don’t worry you’re not sick” Kamilah smiled at her “I can sense it also I’m really heard to kill”

The girl looked at her in wonder “what’s your name?”

“Kamilah and you?”

“I am Elizabeth” the girl said

“Elizabeth, that’s a beautiful name” Kamilah stood and extended a hand smiling “well Elizabeth, what do you say about going with me, I can be your family”

“Really?” Elizabeth said not believing what she heard  

“Yes, really” Kamilah nod

“Okay” Elizabeth smiled since the first time Kamilah saw her and she took her hand.

*******

And like that Amy got back to reality to see a stunned Kamilah

“How did you?” Kamilah said shocked.

“Kamilah, I didn’t mea..” Amy mumbled surprised by what she did too but Kamilah expression change again she was boiling with anger “Get out”.

Amy took her things and left without a word.

As soon as she walked out Kamilah fell to the floor her legs unable to lift her anymore, she closed her eyes remembering  Elizabeth’s smiling face, then she opened them and looked at her hands. the hands that hold her while she turned to ash. Kamilah wrapped her arms around her knees, tears running down her face, she set there crying for the first time in decades.

…

#kamilah sayeed #kamilah #choices kamilah #bb kamilah #bloodbound kamilah #kamilah x mc #bb&swrites #mc x kamilah sayeed #kamilah sayeed x mc #mc × kamilah #mc × Kamilah Sayeed #choices kamilah sayeed #bloodbound kamilah sayeed #BB #bb fanfic #bb fic #bb fandom #BloodBound #bloodbound fanfic #bloodbound fic #bloodbound fanfiction #bloodbound fandom #choices bloodbound #bloodbound choices #bb choices #choices bb #choices fanfiction #choices fic #choices fandom #choices stories you play

[csnews]

This baby sperm whale was tangled in ocean trash for 3 years

Craig Welch - January 2, 2019

A thick strand of rope, a wayward piece of quarter-inch cord from a fishing net, dangled off the tail of a young sperm whale. To the untrained eye, the line looked harmless—a lasso cinched near the base of the animal's fluke. But Gero knew the rope was a killer.

The photographs emailed from a colleague showed the heavy rope weighing down the animal's tail. That could prevent her from diving, which is how sperm whales hunt food. As she grew, the constriction would also slice through her flesh, strangling tissue like a garrote. The line might even amputate her fluke, though infection or starvation would probably do her in first.

At home in Ottawa, Gero pushed back from the computer. He called his wife and tried not to cry.

Digit the sperm whale was not quite four, but Gero had known her family for years. Each spring for a decade the Canadian behavioral ecologist had abandoned his own brood to spend months with these whales in the Caribbean Sea near the tiny West Indies island nation of Dominica. Though not yet 40, the assistant professor at Aarhus University in Denmark was rapidly becoming the world's foremost expert on baby sperm whales. Digit and her relatives were his star subjects.

Digit's very existence was significant. Thousands of sperm whales traverse the world's oceans. But 12 of the 16 whale families that returned each year to this stretch of the Caribbean were dying off. Each family could be down to a single whale in just 15 years.

Also, sperm whale families are matrilineal. Adult males eventually get cast out, and females bear the exclusive burden of rearing the young. For years, the family had produced a string of males. Three of them—Thumb, Tweak, and Enigma—had died already. Scar would soon disappear.

The family needed a female calf.

So Digit's arrival in 2011 left Gero's research team ecstatic. The crew watched Digit wean herself from her mother, Fingers. They cheered when she flipped her fluke up for her first deep dive. With Digit's arrival, the most-studied sperm whale family in the world seemed poised to carry on.

Then, in 2015, Gero received the images.

Sociable leviathans

In literature, sperm whales are ship-splintering beasts—monsters of "inscrutable malice," as Ahab seethed in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. In reality, that is far from true.

The world's largest toothed whales have the animal kingdom's biggest brains. The deep-diving nomads share membership in clans that can number in the thousands. Each clan chatters in its own dialect using a unique set of click patterns. These whales are social and playful. They roll and rub against each other near the surface. Some engage in hide-and-seek games, swimming circles around scientists' research boats and rolling sideways to eye the inhabitants. Sperm whales also are quite curious, especially when spying unfamiliar debris.

Gero, a National Geographic Explorer, could guess what had happened to Digit. Caribbean fishermen anchor nets to the sea floor to lure marlin, tuna, and mahi mahi. Whales rarely disturb that fixed gear, but container and cruise ships often accidentally shred it. Flapping ghost nets draw inquisitive creatures, and those loose lines are to whales what spider webs are to flies. While there are no reliable global statistics, at least 76 large whales, including humpbacks, blues, and minkes, got trapped in nets, lines, or debris in 2017—just in United States waters. And the vast majority of entanglements go unseen.

Gero suspects Digit simply snagged a loop of loose line. Three other whales in the region had recently been snared by fishing gear. One, a mother with a broken jaw, was forced to drag her dead calf for days after both got trapped in the same nest of lines. (The mother's injured mouth suggested she'd tried gnawing the calf free.)

Gero and colleagues reached out to Michael Moore, senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. He had helped untangle endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Moore's assessment was bleak. The pictures showed Digit's noose was tight. Only a dozen feet of line trailed her—too little to attach buoys to keep a deep-diving sperm whale near the surface. That was essential for rescuers to work. Without more line, a team would struggle to get close.

"There was so little gear on her," Moore says. "It was not going to be a slam dunk."

There were other complications. Dominica isn't New England. There wasn't a trained disentanglement crew for hundreds of miles. Getting one would take money and time. No one knew how much time they had.

"We were confronted with the long-term, chronic, slow death of an animal we see every day—one we thought we'd know forever," Gero says.

It felt personal.

Getting to know them

Gero had studied under sperm whale guru Hal Whitehead, at Halifax's Dalhousie University. Whitehead believed these sophisticated leviathans deserved the same respect as primates. Whitehead mostly studied adults. As a student, Gero wanted to learn about the young: Which family members raised them? When did they first dive deep? How did they learn their dialect—and from whom?

So in 2005, the young scientist arrived in Dominica aboard Whitehead's 40-foot research sailboat, Balaena. There he found a gathering of whales he would dub the Group of Seven, named for a collective of famed Canadian painters.

The Group of Seven tended to spend weeks near this coast. They were spotted more often than other whales. That first year, Gero's team spent an astonishing 40 days cataloging this one family's behavior.

"We'd go into shore and get groceries and come back and we'd still see the same animals just offshore," Gero says. "That's unheard of."

It's why their names seem flip—Gero needed to tell them apart, but had never expected he'd see them again.

As with Jane Goodall's chimpanzees and Dian Fossey's mountain gorillas, intimate access revealed each animal's distinct habits and personality. Over time, Gero began to see these whales as individuals.

Fingers appeared to be in charge. She usually broadcast the "coda," four clicks that identified the family to other whales, like a surname. When her offspring, Thumb, died, Fingers helped watch over others' young. She steered clear of people and was known for spectacular dives, muscling her fluke high before plunging straight down.

"It's hard to describe how beautifully she flukes to someone who doesn’t watch hundreds of whales do it," says Gero, whose research is conducted through Aarhus University's Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory. "It feels like she is demonstrating to others the way."

Fingers' niece, Pinchy, was mother to Scar, who was so comfortable with humans he'd become a star in Dominica's swim-with-whales tourism industry. There was sickly Quasimodo, and Mysterio, so named because she appeared rarely.

Gero felt a growing kinship with the cetaceans. "The whales were becoming a part of my life," he says. "My kids knew these animals by name even though they'd never met them."

The whales prompted him to rethink his views on conservation. In many sperm whale families, calves get milk from other calves' mothers. The Group of Seven's young only got milk from their actual mothers. If behaviors and communication were unique to clans or families, didn't that suggest conservation should be about more than total population numbers? Wasn't each clan special in its own right?

In 2011 a documentary crew arrived, led by a filmmaker who'd co-produced the Fossey biopic, Gorillas in the Mist. When Fingers gave birth to a new calf that week, Gero knew what to call her.

He named the new calf Digit, after Fossey's favorite silverback. Only later would he recall what humans did to Fossey's gorilla.

Wasting away

Before arriving in Dominica for the 2015 research season, Gero had only seen Digit's injuries in emailed pictures. In person things looked even worse. Before she got tangled, the young whale had just started swimming and diving alone. Now she only appeared with adults. She was reserved instead of curious. She kept her distance from boats and people.

"It was like she was trying to say, 'This is all your fault, you humans,'" says Pernell Francis, who has worked with Gero.

Gero could see the rope gouging her flesh. More troubling still: Digit couldn't raise her fluke. The rope was creating too much drag. As he'd feared, she could not dive deep, which was hampering her hunt for squid.

Word of Digit's condition spread. Ted Cheeseman, who took clients swimming with whales, raised money to hire a professional disentanglement team. Whale advocates whispered about cutting the rope themselves. Gero knew that was too dangerous.

"There are Internet videos where people have done it, but they're bloody lucky they didn't kill themselves," Moore says. A trained rescuer would die in 2017, after being struck by a whale he'd just freed.

Eventually someone took the plunge anyway. The diver shortened Digit's rope, but could not cut the noose. The shorter line reduced the drag on Digit's tail, but now even less cord remained for pros to work with.

Ultimately, no rescue crew would be coming. Cheeseman ended up using the money he'd raised to buy and stash equipment for future rescues. He paid to assemble and train a future Dominica disentanglement crew.

Digit, meanwhile, grew ever thinner. No longer able to catch her own food, she returned to being nursed by Fingers.

"It was like watching your child go back to crawling," Gero says.

People care

One afternoon in Dominica a boat zipped by and a woman shouted: "Hey Shane, how can I help Digit?" Gero was taken aback. Even strangers were worried.

That night Gero ate on the deck of his research boat, beneath a dangling headlamp. The Group of Seven was in trouble. That family was now on the brink, down to just three whales: Fingers, Pinchy, and Digit. But the stranger's query was a reminder that Digit's story held real power.

While humans are attached to dolphins and orcas, many can't even identify a sperm whale. Fewer still understand the gantlet of threats these nomads face: pollution, climate change, ship strikes, fishing gear.

"But people can understand a mom caring for a kid who is suddenly facing a chronic injury," Gero says.

Gero vowed something useful would come of Digit's wounds.

Over the next several years, Gero expanded his research's focus on conservation. He wrote and lectured more. He spoke at museums and even mentioned Digit's quandary during a TEDx Talk. He and a team mapped whale and vessel movements and urged the government to restrict ship traffic to areas that whales avoided. Gero hoped that might help fishing-boat operators find ship-free places to set nets.

"Digit changed the whole perspective of our project," Gero says. No longer was whale behavior his sole interest. Now he asked: "What can we do to ensure we all co-exist?"

Still he couldn't help Digit. She had not resumed fluking. Her flesh began to grow around the rope, closing over it. Gero suspected he was watching Digit die.

Miracle

Then last spring he saw her again from the bow of Balaena. Days into the 2018 field season, Digit popped to the surface. Gero knew immediately that everything had changed.

The outline of Digit's spine was no longer so visible. She had gotten plump. Looking closely, Gero could see abrasions and marks where the rope had rubbed. The line itself was simply gone.

A few months earlier, a colleague in Dominica had emailed to say he'd heard Digit had lost her rope. Gero had been hopeful, but skeptical. Now as Digit moved to slip below the surface, Gero's entire team fell silent. Digit flipped her fluke and dove. A cheer erupted from the boat. After three years, Digit was free.

Later, the scientist and his team would attach a tracking device to Digit's back. When they eventually reviewed the tag's data, Gero was overwhelmed. Digit was diving more than 3,000 feet. She was slurping up squid. Digit was behaving like a healthy seven-year-old whale.

No one knows how she got free. Cheeseman suspects that sunlight, time, and pressure weakened Digit's line until it finally broke. Moore says if Digit swam near a sharp rock or crevice, she might have scraped the deteriorating rope off. Other whales might even have helped.

"If someone told me two sperm whales had a tug of war over the line and it broke, I'd believe it," Moore says.

Gero has another idea. He saw fresh scars on Digit's fluke. He suspects predators may have attacked her and unwittingly ripped off the gear.

But Gero knows he'll never be certain. He almost prefers it that way.

"It's easy to forget that that there are thousands of species right next to us with rich and complicated worlds, living their lives in parallel with our own," Gero says.

A new generation of Eastern Caribbean sperm whale was swimming free. Knowing that would be enough.

#news #long article #whale #cetacean #sperm whale #wild #entanglement #conservation

[whatzaoverwatch]

Anything can happen in the Woods (Part 7)

New pov alert! This was going to be added to part 6 but I wrote so much in that part that I wanted to break it down. Hopefully everyone still likes the series so far. Just so people are aware I did go back and edit some of the previous parts. The main reader is now referred to now in second person while the best friend reader is now referred to as “she’ and “her’. First Previous Next

Female Pronouns

He could feel it too, that pull towards you every moment he saw you. That feeling started ever since he met you. The taking wasn’t the first time he had found you in the woods. In fact, he had spotted you several times before that. After hunting down a few batches of ignorant prey, he had caught a glimpse of the familar cape swaying in the breeze. The hellish red grabbing his attention away from the rest of his hunt. It was a foggy day when that happened, just as it was when he introduced himself. But the murkiness couldn’t drown out the fabric from his eyes. He never felt himself be drawn to anything like this before. Not even the poor souls he guided to their demise compared to the cloak. Hiding within the trees, he watched as you moved along the trail with a spring in your step and a smile on your pretty face while you hummed a gentle tune.

You were so at peace, so gentle, so innocent, and so alive. You were like a young deer just waiting to be consumed. It was just too easy to take you then and there, but the full moon had just passed leaving him unable to proceed with his task. But there was also something else preventing him from taking you instantly. A tug at his heart, that non-existent heart he thought had burned away from the explosion. But here it was, beating and yearning to approach, to speak to you, to keep you close and take you away forever. Why was he feeling all of this for a woman he just glimpsed at?

He looked into it from his studies trying to figure out what was keeping him from taking your soul. Then he came across something that only affected him from the project he took part of long ago. A sensation and feeling only drawn to by werewolves to find their perfect mate. The urge to kill only stifled by this one existent being so that the creature could claim them as his own. He didn’t believe it, it must’ve been the side effect from keeping in beast form all of these years. The more he formed into this monster, the more stable he was. As much as he wanted to remain human, the harsh reality would always come to bite him in the ass. You were so young and so beautiful. Why would you ever give an old monster like him a chance? Gabriel didn’t have a choice, and she wasn’t giving him that option either. He could feel her picking at his emotions. He didn’t even have the ability to keep her out of his mind. That was the deal he made.

But he kept watching you, just enjoying how you brightened the presence of the absent woods almost daily just to see a young woman who resided here. Gabriel knew of the other girl, but he didn’t take interest in her. In fact he knew that if he killed the friend, then you wouldn’t return back into the woods. He knew it would upset you, and for some reason he didn’t want that. His denial of the emotions dissipated when he saw you. The longer he kept his distance, the sooner he noticed the growth of monsters lurking in the woods. The bastards who thought that they could take you away from him. Then she started to take notice. She was intrigued by how much he was sparing you. He knew he had to act quickly.

He wasn’t surprised on how easy it was to corner you. But it threw him off guard on how brave you were to give up your own life for the very friend he wasn’t even going to kill. He saw a fire in you that he felt proud of. He only had a short time until the full moon. It was a lot sooner than he had hoped. But you didn’t give him much choice when the limitations of visiting the woods began to increase.

The more he spoke to you, the more drawn in he was. Gabriel was always secluded even back when he was in Overwatch. Only a select few really spoke to him: his closest friend Jack, Ana, his students including the damn ingrate McCree and a demon banished from his clan centuries ago. A few others tried to get into his inner circle but they never stayed long, nor did he give them the time to. But with you, he felt like he could open himself. That he could tell you everything. It made him feel wanted more than ever before.

Of course the façade to try and scare you didn’t last, he knew that. He didn’t want to take you like a prisoner to this bonded fate. So he began to slowly open up. From fixing the cape that drew him in the first place, to fixing up the meal (but they never compared to how sweet your baked treats were), even providing clothes and the freedom to walk around. You never looked as if you wanted to escape, except when you woke up the first time. The longer he kept close, the more he could feel what you were feeling. When you were afraid or interested, and especially when you were happy.

The happier you were, the more at ease he was. It was a fresh new feeling he was willing to accept. Even as he walked with you in the woods, with the cape he ensured had his scent cloaked all over it to keep predators and monsters away, he felt content with himself. When you began to ask of his past he began to doubt his progress. What if you never accepted who he truly was? The monster that he had become all these years. Had he delved into this peaceful fantasy too much to forget who he actually was?

He was reluctant to explain, but he gave you only so much. Gabriel didn’t see any disgust or fear in your eyes as he spoke, he just kept feeling that pull. Even in his anger to push you away, he was at a conflict to his desires to his current state. It wasn’t the words that came from you that held him down, it was the touch. When you touched his fur he knew that this was truly fate. He wanted you to stroke his fur, wanted you to come close to him for him to take in your sweet scent. The scent of a delicate flower, a light to his void of darkness. But the denial remained within his core. It was too soon to speak of these feelings.

Walking you back, he insisted on making another meal, so long as you remained in the living room and not entered until he said so. Forming into his human side was still a sensitive subject. Even as you joked for being on your best behavior for it. Instead you offered to cook something. It honestly excited him to watch you make something even if he had no need for real nourishment nowadays. But he sat and watched as you used the ingredients he managed to get for your sake. To see this kitchen come alive with your presence just satisfied him. He kept trying to hide his wagging tail as he watched but the few smiles that you brought exposed his secret.

The rest of the evening was just as relaxing. Gabriel sat down with you and got to know you better. From how you met your friend to what your family was like. He amused you with a few hunting tales from his past that ended up exciting you more than he could imagine. The sun was about to disappear into the trees to unveil the evening before the full moon. You silently watched the old television while he gazed up at you from his position on the floor. He couldn’t stop staring. How he longed to discard of the blanket wrapped around you and wrap you into his warmth. Your scent was simply intoxicating at this point. The feeling in his heart just became unbearable. He knew for certain that he had to tell you eventually of these feelings. But he was unsure if you felt them in return. He was only so familiar of the mating progress, but he knew well enough to keep you protected until that time. That was the benefit of the cape. He just hoped it was enough. Gabriel didn’t realize that he was looking for so long until you spoke.

“Do I have something on my face?” He blinked for a second before looking away with a gruff.

“No, I was just thinking about something.” Mumbling to himself as he watched you take a drink out of the mug you held in your hands.

He knew you could read through him, even in the short span of you two being together it was as if you could read him like a book.

“You want to talk about it?” He let out a huff as you turned off the television. Gabriel wasn’t going to escape out of this.

“Have, I provided you enough comfort around here?” He asked staring down at his paws to avoid your gaze. You took a moment before shrugging.

“Honestly if this is what imprisonment was out there, then I would accept being arrested all the time,” Cursing to himself at the realization on you being brought here, he frowned. You seemed to suspect his bitterness speaking once again, “Hey, for someone who is going to kill me in twenty four hours, you made me pretty happy. I’ve never been treated this way by anyone else. You almost pamper me with how much you’ve done. I don’t know if it is straight up Stockholm or not but, thank you for treateing my last moments on Earth with some peace for once.”

He was silent digging his paws to the floor then looking back at you.

“If we had met under other circumstances,would you have spoken to me like you do now?” You looked puzzled for a second resting your temple onto your knuckle to think it over.

“Given what you’ve told me in your hunting days, I would’ve love to have met you then,” You shrugged as you told him before nodding, “but hey you are pretty cool in general. If we met differently, then yeah I would’ve spoken to you like I do now. Even if you said you would kill my friend, I know you wouldn’t and you aren’t going to now.”

“What makes you say that I won’t?” He asked watching you place the mug down.

“First of all, we made that deal so she is forever off the table. Second, you would’ve killed her way before we met if you ever so desired,” He hated how right you were. Some hunter he was that he wasn’t able to cover up his trick. Perhaps he opened himself up too much to you. You huddled in your little cocoon before continuing, “I’ve been trying to understand you this whole time we’ve been together. You never intended to threaten me with my friend. It was your way of trying to push me into coming with you. You’re afraid of opening up to me knowing I might find something you don’t want me to see. I respect your wishes as much as you would respect my own. I may never find out everything before tomorrow, but I want to know enough to find peace in the next life.”

“If you knew I wouldn’t kill your friend, then why were you so willing to make the deal?” He saw your brows knit before shaking your head.

“You said it yourself that I would figure out my purpose. But I think I found it as soon as I got here,” You waved your hand a little to brush it off, “Call me crazy but, ever since this morning I felt something. Like I am supposed to be here. That I am supposed to be a part of all of this. I feel it when I see you. Maybe this all was meant to be. I know it’s stupid, but whatever is to happen tomorrow, I think I am ready for it.”

He stared at you in disbelief. His tail brushed along the carpet suppressing the urge to feel excited about the feeling. You yawned in your curled up position as he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“It’s not crazy. Given all the shit that happens in the shadows you can believe anything.” You nodded in agreement with a hum as you felt yourself starting to doze off.

“I’m glad…to know I have done something…of worth.” Slowly drifting into sleep, he watched you lay back in content knowing it had been a long day. Plus the day ahead was about to be much longer.

Waiting until you had found yourself in a deep sleep, he approached your slowly leaning close to your exposed hand that dangled off the sofa. Gently nuzzling into your palm he let out a content sigh. Feeling his body change shape slowly as the shadows wrapped around him. Stifling his groans as the bones in his body cracked and morphed into a human shape. Pretty soon he found himself out of his wolf form, and into his human one. The form he feared you’d see. He gazed down at you in your unconscious state. Eyes softening to how peaceful you were in your sleep. Reaching his hand up, he brushed some of your locks away from your face that covered you in your sleep. How silky and smooth it was to his fingertips pleased him. To be this close to human contact after so many years. He missed it, he longed for it. Now to know you were growing those feelings too made him more intent for his mission tomorrow.

“…Carino…you’ve done more that you even know. I won’t let anything happen to you.” he whispered softly shifting close to place a gentle kiss on your forehead.

Light enough not to wake you as you shifted with a sigh in your sleep. For once he felt he was human again. Resting his forehead against yours, he was ready to carry you into your room. He even pondered just taking you into his own, just for one night. God, he hoped that his plan would work.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar scent. Opening his eyes and gazing towards the door, his protective side began to grow. He began to growl in displeasure as his body formed back into the shadowy beast he truly was. Everything was coming together so perfectly. But now something had come to stop him. That mixed scent of whisky, cigars, and gunpowder came from only one man, and he wasn’t alone.

“…the damn ingrate…”

To be continued

#overwatch #overwatch scenarios #overwatch imagines #reaper #reaper x reader #gabriel reyes #gabriel reyes x reader #overwatch x reader

[shigetsugu]

hi i'm just curious! what flaws do you think kojuro has? i'm doing his ms noww but as far as i can tell his only flaw is being bad at cleaning ): but he's so attractive lmaooo i can't decide whether i like him or not

Hi there, anon! Glad you are doing his Main Story, even though I’m certainly biased, Kojuro’s is one of my favorite and one of the reason why I fell for him! Anyway, it is quite a tough question, isn’t it? I mean, he is seen as a flawless person much by players but also by in-game characters, so, does Kojuro have any flaw? Yes, of course he does, and I’m not just talking about his bad cleaning behavior either. I played all Kojuro’s events so far so I think I do know enough about the man but maybe I’ll miss some informations and I know there are new stuff that got introduced in KoiRan. I’ll try to explain everything the best I can, it’s certainly a bit longer than I intended to write first but I thought that context is always an important part on how I see things. I might have forgotten some informations and apologize in advance if so but I think it should show pretty much that Kojuro has flaws, like anyone else.

To begin with, Kojuro is one of the “oldest” main love interest in the game and he’s written to be seen as the wise older man type. It’s true at first that Kojuro gives off the vibes that he is perfect because that’s how he wants to be seen. I mean, he is thoughtful, loyal and caring, it’s true but he says so himself: it’s a facade he build up. In reality, he is more than the man you see at work, serious and hardworking and he worked himself hard to be the one called the “Dragon’s Claw”. This was explained (in Passionate Devotion event) that when he started working for the Date clan as a teenager, all the other retainers weren’t taking him seriously because of his age and appearance (remember everyone say that Kojuro looks younger than he is supposed to be and so started wearing his hair up) but also because of his background (he isn’t from a samurai family; he comes from a family of priests). 

It has been mentioned as well but Kojuro wasn’t the man we know today when he was still a young adult; Shigezane and Masamune said that he was hardly holding himself back and was able to throw savage tantrum and he could be even more terrifying since he is the kind to dig in and find some juicy stuff to get back at you and literally destroy you. (Mentionned and proved in Our Sultry Night of Passion event and also shown in Noble Heart Exposed event). Kita even said once that Kojuro was a “rebel” and didn’t actually wanted to work for the Date clan (and Kojuro low key confirmed it actually happened).

Kojuro explained himself that he basically compartmentalizing with his private and public persona. I don’t know if we can say that he is really a lazy person, or depends on what I suppose, but it’s certain that he sucks at tidying up his room, he tends to buy more than one copy of a book, barely fold his own clothes, is really clumsy when it comes to cooking (he even asked for Shigezane to bring him so food once since he was too lazy to even try) and don’t bother to eat sometimes because of that or he isn’t a morning person and can sleep in his study without sleeping in his bedding… He is actually ashamed of these (which he label them as things that aren’t his “strong points”) but can’t help himself; it’s part of him whatever happens, even though he tries his best to change.

It’s interesting as well because in the AU events in KoiRan where Kojuro is there being younger, Kojuro was really the kind not to care much for people, giving him the attitude of a very detached and not very altruistic person. (I can’t give much examples but if I’m not saying something wrong, in one event, Kojuro was asked by Shigetsugu to help the MC find where she was supposed to be working at the new place she was assigned in the city but he didn’t even bothered to do it correctly.)

I’m going to talk about how he behave with his closest relationships because it’s really interesting. When he started serving Masamune, it was “Kojuro’s mistake” that Masamune’s eyesight got worse (it is still unconfirmed but that’s what Kojuro believes) because he failed to found out about the poisoned manju (as told in Claim Me at Last event). Although at first it says that it’s because of this guilt that Kojuro became even more loyal to Masamune (and thus making sure he wouldn’t allow himself to make anymore grave mistake), but Kojuro explains that it isn’t really why it made him even more protective of Masamune (I’m sure it was during one of Masamune’s event but I can’t remember which one but I don’t remember his exact reason, I’m sorry). Kojuro, as much as he loves Masamune, still puts a barrier between the two of them and don’t even dare to call him a friend (I wonder if it was during Masamune’s Unspoken Ties event but I don’t have it so I can’t be sure) which bother Masamune a lot since not only he sees him as his most loyal retainer, but also a dear friend and big brother figure. Kojuro has always put some distance with his peers even though he is very friendly and easy to talk to and I’m going to explain why I think he does that now. 

We hardly talk about it but it’s important to remember that Kojuro, even though got taken care of by Kita and he himself says that he sees her as a motherly figure, still lost his parents at a young age and even waited for them to return (it’s never been mentionned how they died though). It’s implied that he missed some of this parental love and he wishes for his children not to know the same fate as he had with his own. He had actually a difficulut childhood (mentionned in the special ending of his second Main Story in KoiRan) and felt very lonely, I believe he lacked love for a long time so that’s why I’m going to talk about the way he was behaving with his preivous romatic relationships now.

Kojuro said that he had numerous lovers before the MC (The Bonds of Love Kojuro’s epilogue and Blossoming Lies events) but he never really fell in love with them. I believe that, since Kojuro always had a hole in his heart, he tried to fill this gap but never found someone to fit there (until the MC came in his life of course, he changed a lot after realizing his genuine love for her). He was going out with them for a while until they broke up (it’s not really told but it’s implied that he is the one who decided to) and I believe it was only because he never truly loved them and just wanted to feel some kind of strong affection even though it wasn’t shared (and certainly because he just wanted to relieved himself of his own earthly desire as he said so himself).

The latest event shows another side of him I would love to talk about because it could be confirming even more about the fact that Kojuro might have some kind of trust issues. Kojuro always took upon himself to serve not only Masamune personally but the Date clan and Oshu itself and thus, taking care for the problems was a normal thing to do. So when he realized that some of his retainers had difficulties to solve some problems in Shiroishi, he wanted to care of them himself like he always did. I think that the reason that it’s difficult Kojuro to let people do their job is only because he was in this position before and is probably to used to solve them but also because he has perfectionist tendencies. But not only this, it’s been shown that Kojuro can very stubborn, like REALLY when he wants to but can also thing that bothering for himself. We’re all used to have a Kojuro being able to commune his thoughts and feeling pretty easily and yet, sometimes he keeps stuff for himself even thought he knows he should be talking about them for different reasons and been mostly seen again in his second Main Story in KoiRan. It can be even more frustrating coming from someone you know that can, and more importantly want to make sure he is listened and understood.

All of these might not really be seen as evident flaws like it’d be with Saizo’s uncommunicativeness or Ieyasu’s trust issues but they really are stuff that are overlooked and overshadowed by his qualities and it’s actually normal. It doesn’t make him any less human; Kojuro is just working his butt to better himself in the eyes of other but more importantly in his own. He is just a perfecionnist and really don’t like to be seen as someone who can’t control his own emotions (he said a couple times that he always make sure to control his anger or even his lust, for example) and trust me, that’s the behavior of someone who don’t allow themselves to make any mistake or accepting failure and are even harder on themseleves than on others (such as the exemple of his lastest event, Diary of a Samurai Wife); he wants everything to be done nicely and quickly and so want to do it himself but realize that it was wrong to do this in the end. 

#anonymous #ask #samurai love ballad party #slbp #i would like to apologize for my english too alkjfdkld #i'm actually dead after writing all of this #i hope i was able to explain things correctly... #slbp kojuro