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screamingatanemptyroom · 4 years

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Restricted Magic Arc 3 pt 8

On October 13th, 2018 I wrote a short story based on a Fictober challenge. That ended up turning into a 3 arc fantasy adventure story of Erin and Gerald, and my first ever long running series on this blog. Before that I had pretty much only done short stories. Unfortunately about a third of the way through the last arc, I hit major writer’s block, and abandoned the story.

Until now.

2 years later, I’m posting a new part. I won’t promise steady or frequent updates to this, but I am going to definitely try to finish this story. It was one of my favorites, and I want everyone to be able to enjoy it to the end with me.

Masterpost is linked here.

Arc 3 pt 7 linked here in case you want a quick refresher on where I left off.

Enjoy!

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“We’re running out of time.”

Elsinore whispered to herself, crossing her arms across her chest as she shivered with cold. Her fingers dug into her arms, the skin breaking along the tips of her nails. Rivulets of blood ran down, soaking the sleeve of her prison uniform, the pain of the injury dulled by her inner panic. Pacing back and forth around her cell, she stepped in the fluid dripping off her clothes, tracking red footprints on the well-worn floor.

The illusion of Sophia sat on her bed, watching her with a bored expression. “Pretty sure we have nothing but time, living contained in a cell like this.”

“SHUT UP!” Elsinore glared at her sister’s image. “You heard her! Erin is going to MERION!” She threw up her hands. “Merion! Why would she do this to me? I swore never to return there!”

��Is that what happened?” Sophia tapped a finger to her cheek, “Why do I seem to remember that you were banished?” She grinned, jumping to her feet and walking towards her. Her ghostly image tracked over the pooled blood without disturbing it. “But sure, you can pretend it was your choice to not return. Definitely not your punishment for betraying the country… and selling me to the Devil.”

Elsinore clutched her head, trying to ignore the voice of her dead sister, knowing it was her own illusion magic, her own delusion. “Roderick is planning something… why else would he bring her there of all places? No! We have to kill him before its too late!”

“Is that what you told my daughter?”

“She’s betrayed me.” Elsinore paced faster, her eyes wildly looking around the room. “She’s lost focus. So many years. So many sacrifices. And now she’s forgotten everything and abandoned me?!”

“You mean she’s finally looked to a future beyond killing her father? Wanting to survive, get married, have a life that’s about more than just one horrible man?”

“IT’S ABOUT AVENGING HER MOTHER’S MURDER!” Elsinore screamed at the figment of her imagination. “AVENGING YOUR DEATH! THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS!”

“Elsinore…”

“SHUT UP!” She waved a blood stained hand, unsure if the dripping fluid was real or not, her gaze focusing inwards. “I haven’t lost sight of the goal. If she won’t kill him.”

“Sister…”

“Then I will. “

There was a moment of tense silence, broken finally by the screams of the guards outside.

“Fire!”

“The whole building’s burning!”

“Here, this way!”

The door to her cell opened, several armed men ran in, their eyes wide, staring at nothing. Elsinore smiled, spreading her hands widely.

“Why thank you, gentlemen. You’ve served your purpose beautifully.”

The men looked at each other with confused expressions, that slowly changed into ones of horror as their minds fell prey to her magic.

“The witch escaped! Don’t think you can run away!” Facing off, they drew their weapons, each striking the other accurately, and slumping to the ground. Even as they died, their faces were confused, unsure of what was real and what was not.

“Illusion is so close to reality, isn’t it.” Elsinore chuckled, stepping over their quickly cooling bodies and walking out the door. “You really shouldn’t be fooled by such simple lies.”

“You’re one to talk!” The image of her dead sister snorted with laughter, but she ignored her.

“Let’s go.”

She walked down the hallway, her pace casual, unhurried as if she were walking in her own home on her way to tea rather than a bloody hellhole.

Along the way she was attacked several times. They never got near her, striking uselessly in the air as they were caught in her magic again and again. One man brushed passed her, and slumped with shock as she restricted his magic. He had time to scream in fear before dying under the confused attacks from his fellow guards.

The building was burning around her, the heat singing her hair as she passed by.

Elsinore passed by the bodies, the carnage, the destruction of her captors, and she quietly began to laugh.

“Sister…” The illusion of Sophia tried to reach out, but Elsinore could no longer hear her as her laughter grew louder and louder.

She walked out of the door, turning briefly to enjoy the sight of the government building that had been her prison going up in flames.

The fire burned brightly against the quickly darkening sky, the smoke filling the area. Elsinore watched it with fascination, unsure if it were truly burning or not. The guards had fired multiple blasts of flames, it was possible that one of them had begun it accidentally, destroying her former prison. But it could still be her illusion magic, Elsinore simply wasn’t sure.

Not that it mattered either way.

Beyond the crackle of the flames there were no other sounds, everyone else beside Elsinore was dead. She leaned her head back, taking a deep breath to calm herself as her laughter died out.

“Roderick… I’m coming for you.”

Finally he would pay for his sins.

Only then would she truly be free.

_____________________

Olivia and Frederick sat in the front car of the magical transport, each enjoying the trip in their own way.

Olivia was looking out the glass window, watching the scenery as the large metal locomotive moved forward, skimming across the sand as if it were as slick as ice. Resting her chin on one palm, she was a picture of calm. However, every once and a while she would shoot an annoyed glance further into the metal car where a banging noise could be heard.

“Frederick I swear, if you break this transport and we have to walk to Merion, I will destroy you.”

CLANG!

An even louder noise filled the small space, as if to mock her threatening words, and a grease-stained Frederick poked his head up from a small compartment in the floor where he had been happily working.

“Really, you will destroy me?” he grinned. “You and what army?”

Olivia studied her nails, ignoring his sarcasm. “It’s strange…I seem to remember during our last sparring session one of us being defeated… badly.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Like, so badly it was humiliating.”

“Ugh, please don’t…”

“I wonder who that was again?” Her grin was vicious.

Frederick glared. “Fine. Point taken. But keep in mind, I’m not breaking anything!”

“Really? That banging noise I heard was you just passively observing?”

“No, but all I’m doing is trying to get a closer look at this mechanism.” His eyes brightened. “It’s incredible to see a magical artifact like this, something so huge but it moves so smoothly!”

With one hand gesturing further down into the space below the floor, he continued to excitedly explain. “A level 5 earth artifact like this is the stuff dreams are made of. It actually combines several different magics involving the connection between the vehicle and the ground as well as speed adjustment, terrain variability…”

“STOP!” Olivia gave up. “It’s so boring. Please don’t make me listen to another hour long lecture on the wonders of artifacts!”

“This isn’t just an artifact!” He argued back. “This is a work of art!”

“Still boring.”

“How about we compromise? You listen to me gush about how awesome this artifact is, and in return, I’ll let you talk as long as you want about a topic you want.”

“Fashion.”

He winced at her immediate answer. “Really?”

“It’s that or we talk about the many horrifying and disgusting ways the human body can break down and how to fix them with healing magic.”

“…” Frederick sat their silently with a pained expression.

“Well?”

“I’m thinking, I’m thinking!” He gave a long sigh. ”Fine. Fashion it is.”

Olivia rubbed her hands together. “This will be fun!”

“Okay, but first I get to talk about this artifact.”

“Deal.” She stuck out her hand, which Frederick grasped and shook briefly.

“So, the first thing I love about the mechanism of this particular artifact…”

“Hey you guys!” Christopher interrupted Frederick’s impassioned words as he walked into the car with a pleasant smile. “Enjoying the trip so far?”

Frederick and Olivia didn’t turn to face him. Frederick looked back down at the hatch with a frown, while Olivia pulled out a filing board and began touching up her nails. Neither bothered to respond.

“It looks like you were studying the engine?” Christopher noticed the open hatch in the floor, his cheerful expression fading a little. “That could be very dangerous, I really wouldn’t advise that.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Frederick snorted with laughter. “I know what I’m doing. If I want your opinion on something that you actually know something about, I’ll ask for it.” Rubbing his head with one hand, a trail of grease was left on his forehead.

Olivia pulled out a handkerchief, cleaning him off. “That’s bold of you, assuming he knows something about any topic.”

“Don’t be silly!” Frederick flinched at her scrubbing, but rolled his eyes and finished letting her clean off his face. “He knows a lot about a ton of different subjects!”

“Like what?”

“How about flirting with everything that moves like a dog in heat?”

She nodded solemnly. “You’re right! How could I have forgotten?”

“There’s also harp playing.”

“How about fiancé stealing?”

“Puppy murdering?”

“Hey!” Christopher broke into their back and forth with a frustrated groan. “I thought we had agreed to put that awful nickname behind us?”

Frederick nodded seriously. “You’re right. It was getting old. We need a new one anyways.”

“That’s not what I…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Never mind. I’m looking for Erin. Where is she?”

Olivia and Frederick glanced at each other, and then answered simultaneously.

“She died.”

“Who’s Erin?”

Christopher’s face was twitching, he seemed to force himself to hold a friendly expression.

“Guys, can you tone down the hostility? I’m her fiancé. It’s not like I’m trying to hurt her.”

“You think this is hostility?” Frederick laughed. “That’s cute.”

“I’m really a friendly guy once you get to know me.”

Olivia laughed. “Just keep telling yourself that, Kitten Killer.”

“Ooh I like the new nickname!” Frederick politely applauded.

“I thought the alliteration would give it a certain flair.”

“It certainly did.”

“WE’RE GETTING OFF TOPIC!” Christopher’s voice was raised. He paused, seemingly shocked at the crack in his normally impervious polite mask. Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he continued in a more reasonable tone. “Look. I’m just asking a simple question. Do you know where Erin is, or not?”

Olivia stood up, her face grim. “I’ve been wanting to say this for a while.” Her finger raised in the air, poking Christopher’s chest hard enough to force him to step back. “Erin is a better person then you or I will ever be. She’s my best friend in the whole world and I would crawl naked over broken glass before betraying her again. So no, I don’t know where she is, I will never know where she is.” She glared. “At least as far as you’re concerned.”

Christopher stared back at her, confused. “What do you mean again?”

“Olivia, you don’t have to tell him…” Frederick tried to interrupt, but Olivia quickly took over.

“No. He should understand this.” She turned back towards the golden haired young man with a frown. “I made a mistake. I let myself be used by Erin’s enemies. I used an artifact to steal other people’s powers and let her take the blame. I even kidnapped…”

“YOU USED WHAT?!” His earlier calm completely erased, Christopher reached out and grabbed Olivia’s shoulders, shaking her back and forth, silencing her. “You stole other’s powers, leeched their magic, and she FORGAVE you?” He snorted derisively, his face still red with rage. “Impossible. She must not have realized what you were doing! Otherwise she would have left you, there’s no way…”

BAM!

Frederick had moved, almost faster than the eye could follow, and pushed Christopher away from Olivia, slamming him back against the wall of the transport. His fist slammed against the wall, fire magic blazing around his fingers.

“Don’t. Touch. Her.” Frederick looked calm, but his eyes showed the anger just underneath the surface.

“What, no quippy jokes?” Christopher raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconcerned by the burning fist mere inches away from his face. “How unlike you.”

“Just keep going in this direction, and I’ll give you something to laugh about.”

The young man sighed, looking tired. “Fine, fine, I can take a hint. I’ll go away. You can stop threatening to set my hair on fire.”

Frederick stepped away slowly, the flames around his hand sputtering out, and Christopher turned and left through the door towards the next car without another word.

“…” Olivia stepped forward, a complex expression on her face. “Thanks for that.”

“No problem.” Frederick shrugged with a grin. “It’s not your fault you’re so weak that you get bullied by everyone else… but it’s more fun if I’m the one who gets to do it.”

“…”

“Olivia?”

BAM!

“OW!”

_____________________

“You okay?” Gerald reached over from his seat across hers and held Erin’s hand between his own. They had grabbed their own passenger car after Frederick loudly complained about their public display of affection blunting his cynicism and hatred for the world. Erin had rolled her eyes at the time, but was now appreciating the space. The car was quiet, with only the low rumble of the engine moving the transport to break the silence.

She shrugged, staring out the window as the land raced past.

“I’m not sure what’s ahead, but worrying about it won’t change anything. We have to face it.”

“Hey at least the worst is behind us.” At his words, she turned to look at him incredulously.

“What do you mean?”

“EXAMS ARE OVER!” He pumped his fist in the air, a goofy smile on his face. “I’m so happy we survived.”

Erin sighed. “Even ignoring the fact that you somehow have placed exams as the worst thing after we have faced murderers, assassins and entire ARMIES together… you do realize we still have to take final exams at the end of the year before we can graduate?”

“…” Gerald stared at her, looking shocked.

“You forgot, didn’t you?”

His only answer was a sad groan. Chuckling, Erin patted his cheek. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you prepare.”

“Well at least there’s that.”

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments, both watching the scenery from the window.

“Gerald, I’m worried.” She leaned her head on his shoulder, taking comfort in his warmth.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think I’m starting to lose control.” She rubbed her forehead. “It used to be easy to keep things hidden, keep things restricted, but now… It’s like something is unbalanced inside me. How many times have I destroyed whole buildings since we’ve returned?”

“I mean, I’m just saying, if your father and that brat of a fake fiancé would leave you alone you could stop rearranging the school architecture, …”

“Maybe it’s from using Aunt Elsinore’s magic for so long… maybe it’s something else. I don’t know…”

“Well maybe we can ask her… have you heard anything from Aunt Elsinore?” Gerald asked her quietly.

Erin shook her head. “No, not since our last conversation, even though I’ve tried several times to contact her.” Her hands curled into fists. “Do you think…”

“Think what?”

“Think my father got to her?” She closed her eyes. “She’s never been out of reach before… and now I worry…”

“Erin…”

“That she’ll end up just like my mother.”

“ERIN!” At Gerald’s shout her eyes sprang open. The window next to them was cracked, the seat around her torn to shreds. It looked as if a storm had raged in the tiny passenger cabin. Erin stared around her, feeling shocked.

“You see?” She reached out, gently touching the cracked glass. “Ever since we fought that army, even the artifact isn’t doing much anymore.”

Gerald sighed. “Your magic flows a lot more easily now then it ever did. With my level 5 Insight you glow like a sun. The amulet holds back less and less each day.”

“It was always supposed to be a temporary solution. But I need it to shield things for a little bit longer. A foreign country is not exactly the best place to confront my father.”

She sighed, placing her head in her hands. “I think he suspects my true powers already.”

“Well, I’ll contact my parents, ask my people to look into what’s happened to Aunt Elsinore.”

Erin smiled at his attempt to comfort her. “Really? It would make me feel a lot better to know she’s safe.”

“Of course! I’ll call them as soon as we arrive.” His head snapped up as he finished talking, seeming to sense something, as he turned towards the door of the cabin with a furious expression.

“No need.”

The words were spoken quietly, barely audible within the passenger car, but the effect on Erin and Gerald was instantaneous.

She leapt to her feet, her face pale and angry, every muscle in her body tense and ready for a fight. Gerald also stood, putting his body partway between Erin and the new arrival, his posture clearly communicating an intent to protect as hers was to attack.

General Roderick smiled, the expression causing cold chills to run down Erin’s spine. “Sit down. We’re not going to fight here.”

Reluctantly, Gerald and Erin sat back, down, this time on the same side. Slowly, her father walked closer, sitting across from them, casually looking around, ignoring the increasingly tense atmosphere.

“What did you mean by ‘no need’?” Erin’s mind was racing as she thought back through their conversation. What had he overheard? How long had he been standing there?

Gerald squeezed her hand reassuringly beside her, and Erin calmed down slightly, with his insight there was no way her father could sneak up on them easily.

“Your inquiries after your aunt.” Roderick’s smile widened. “I’m afraid she’s no longer to be found in her government residence.”

“You mean her prison.”

He ignored her interruption, continuing. “She burnt the whole place down, killing all of my men.”

“…” Gerald and Erin stared at each other in shock.

“I assume you will see her soon enough, so need to waste the time looking for her.”

“What do you…?”

“She’ll be on her way to kill me.” Even as he discussed her aunt’s murderous intentions, he seemed… bored. “I expect her sometime in the next few weeks.”

Erin stood up again, struggling to hold in her magic as anger took hold. “You could be lying. She might be still imprisoned, injured, or…or dead…”

“Oh, Éirinne.” He threw back his head, laughing. The sound filled the room, filling her with unease. His eyes met her own and she nearly stepped back at the sense of danger. “I have no reason to lie. She means nothing to me. Her hatred, her desire for vengeance, mean even less to me than yours.”

At these words he turned to leave the room, almost running into Christopher.

“FINALLY! Erin, I’ve been looking for y…” The golden-eyed young man trailed off as he stopped in front Roderick. His face paling, he sketched an elaborate bow. “Pardon me, General.”

Her father frowned, stepping back away from him as if wary of being too close. “Be more careful in the future.”

With that, he was gone, and Erin could breathe once again.

“Well, at least you’re good for something!” Gerald grinned, although the expression was strained. “Driving away nuisances like General Roderick.”

Christopher shook his head, looking offended. “I didn’t drive him away! He was already leaving.” Hesitating, he took a step towards Erin, who stared impassively back at him.

“Erin, can we talk alo…”

“No.” Her answer was short, she turned away from him to face the window. Undeterred, Christopher stepped forward again.”

“I just need to…”

“I cannot tell you how very little I care for what you want or need to do.” Her gaze met his, and Erin didn’t bother to hide her rage. “Leave me alone, and you can still leave in one piece.”

“…” A silence came over the room. Gerald stood at Erin’s side, arms crossed. He didn’t comment but his posture made it clear he supported Erin’s words. Finally, Christopher sighed.

“FINE.” He threw up his hands. “Just bury your head in the sand, try to pretend the world isn’t ending. I’m trying to save it, but you are so wrapped up in hating me, that you can’t see it!” His face for once did not hold his pleasant, masklike smile but a snarl of frustration. “You know what? Forget it! I’m tired of all of this. You can come crawling back to me when you regret it, and hopefully it won’t be too late. ”

He turned to walk out, but paused to say one last thing.

“How could you be so different from your mother?!”

And with that he was gone.

Erin felt her head spin, and unsteady, sat down, clutching the edge of the window for support. The seat cushion underneath her began tearing, the wood groaning under the strain as her poorly controlled magic bent it away from her. The spider web cracks deepened on the window, the frame warping around it.

“Erin, are you okay?!”

After a long, uncomfortable pause, Erin looked up at Gerald, trying to take deep breaths, to control her emotions, her magic.

“How does Christopher know my mother?”

#writing #restricted magic #i updated it!#not a huge update considering how much time has gone by #but if i don't get started somehow i never will #wish me luck #this doesn't mean i'm dropping please fix the story either #that's still the primary project #this is a passion piece that i'm determined to finish #fantasy #revenge #romance #arc 3

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pinky-the-elephant-room · 4 years

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Restart

AN: Ok so I’ve been gone for a while but I’ve hit a milestone in my followers and I decided to write one for my original anime hubby. He’s an oldie but a classic. Everyone loves Kakashi-sensei. Anyway It’s a long one so I hope you enjoy!

Warning: Implied smut but fairly SFW.

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Everyone has read the Fanfiction, and everyone has read the stories. Someone mysteriously dies and gets reborn in a new world. Only to train and become a badass before eventually getting their favorite character to fall in love with them. All while changing the story to prevent people, they’ve never met from dying. It was a wish fulfilment story and it works as entertainment. But real life is so much more difficult than anyone realizes.

Because in the end the person I was before never really changed even when I was reborn into a world of ninjas.

My first memory that I can clearly remember is eating ice cream outside my parent’s farm. I was born in a mundane village a few miles from Konoha. Ice cream was a rare summer treat that my parents occasionally indulged me and my five siblings in. It was on this rice farm where I spent the first five years of my childhood. I went to a civilian school that taught me to write and read before spending the rest of my days helping my family. I remembered nothing from my previous life. Just flashbacks and deja vus that left reminiscent feelings lurking in the back of my mind. Kanji was unexpectedly hard for me versus my sibling who picked it up with ease. Yet, when I finally grasped the language, I kept journals of writings not knowing that it was a passion resembling my former self. I also never understood my connection with cats. I was known as the resident cat girl that went around picking up stray cats to bring back to our farm. And the cats formed a bond, only tolerating me and hissing at everyone else who dared to approach them.

The peaceful years unfortunately didn’t last. Over the years war and bandits took a toll on our quiet town and maintaining a farm was no longer profitable. So, my parents made the decision to sell off their land and move to Konoha. Though, my parents were apprehensive, me and my sibling were ecstatic at living in a shinobi village. Everyone knew of shinobis, the legends surrounding them. Tales of bravery, heartache, and loyalty, it fascinated the residents of the village.

We moved into Konoha early August just before winter arrived and were citizens after 3 months. The process was short due to our lack of shinobi lineage and arriving from a civilian farm town. It was in Konoha that I really got my first exposure to what shinobis actually were. Seeing them jump off the roofs while my father tended his produce stall was mesmerizing. Playing ninja with the rest of the kids and constantly being surrounded by the hype eventually got to the point where I wanted to become a ninja myself. Along with two of my younger siblings, I begged my parents to attend the academy. They eventually relented when they realized the village offered funding for civilian children to attend. I was the only one out of my siblings to pass the entrance exam. I was the only one physically fit enough where they thought I had potential. when I left for that first day, it led to some tantrums and pouting from my siblings who didn’t make it. They eventually overcame their jealousy. They loved to hear about each and every new jutsu that I learned.

It was at the academy when I first saw him. It was him who destroyed my delusions and awakened my suppressed memories. It was Itachi Uchiha. Yet, despite his young age he kept up with the rest of his older classmates. He was only 5 years old, a prodigy amongst prodigies. When I saw his cherub, cute face for the first time, it gave me a headache. It started off as a numbing sensation on the side of my head. I collapsed on my bed from the exhaustion, closing my eyes because the blurred vision made the pain that much worse. I slept off my headache for the rest of the day. And all my previous memories were unlocked.

I was a boring human being. A lazy person who had a multitude of mental issues that barely survived off my paycheck. Got married to an equally mundane individual and by the time we were 30, the passion had worn off. We never got divorced, too afraid of dating again and leaving our two children without each other. The only happiness that kept me grounded was my writing and my hobbies. Growing up I loved anime and lessened as I grew up with more and more responsibility. But Naruto was my childhood and coping mechanism when I got bullied. And out of Naruto was my favorite character, Itachi Uchiha.

I don’t think I need to explain why anyone likes Itachi. From his tragic background and his love for his younger brother. Once as a naïve girl, I wanted to find someone like him or at least wished for a brother who loved his younger siblings like he did. And now somehow those desires came true. Because he sat only 3 rows away. Coupled with my new body’s memories of admiration for the young boy and along with my love and knowledge of what he was going to do in the future, made me yearn for him.

Not in a weird, sexual way. After all, I was still only 8 and he 5, but I wanted to be his friend. I wanted to be his confidant and most of all I wanted to save him.

When I spotted him alone at a lunch break, I decided to go introduce myself. This was going to be the new beginning of a friendship and hopefully more down the lane.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before approaching the quiet boy.

“Hello, are you Itachi-kun? Nice to meet you! I’m L/N Y/N and I sit behind you,” I cheerfully said and waved at him excitedly.

He blinked slowly and stared at me for a few minutes.

“Yes…. Nice to meet you too,” he uttered.

He stared at me for a few more minutes, making the situation more and more awkward. I let out a nervous chuckle and shuffled my feet at his intense gaze.

Itachi raised his eyebrow as if asking if I wanted anything else.

“Well I-“ I began, but was interrupted by a loud screech.

A boy collided with Itachi and knocked him over. The two tussled for a few minutes, the unknown boy laughing gleefully. While Itachi just sighed and dodged his rambunctious friend.

“Oy! Itachi, did you bring an extra bento that Mikoto-sama prepared?” The boy looked up and I stopped breathing.

It was a clearly healthy and alive, Shisui Uchiha. After a few minutes as the boys conversed, Shisui finally noticed me standing awkwardly in front of them.

He looked at me curiously and asked, “who are you?”

“That’s just my classmate. Anyway, Shisui I have my bento over there. Come,” the solemn boy said. The two boys then left while I just watched wide eyed.

Ok, so the first introduction didn’t go as I planned but I tried multiple times. However, each attempt was just as awkward as the first as I stammered and squirmed in front of Itachi’s inquisitive gaze. Apparently, my inept skills at talking to boys had somehow labeled me as a fangirl, I overheard the young boy tell his cousin.

Once after class, I watched a pretty Izumi clutch a content Itachi as he conversed with Shisui. The three Uchiha unaware of the turmoil in my heart as they went home for the day happily. I realized that day Itachi didn’t have a place for me. This world had no place for me because I was never meant to be here. This story wasn’t mine and it was never going to be.

I never tried again to attempt a conversation, too embarrassed by being called a fangirl. Before I knew it, the year was over and Itachi had graduated early along with his talented cousin. Farther away from my reach than ever, I again realized the difference between myself and the genius. I was still stuck in the academy at 9 years old with my peers. Most of all I knew in the depths of my heart that I couldn’t save him from his fate. Reality was much more bitter than anyone realized.

As for me I finally graduated on my birthday and my parents took us all out for yakitori at a restaurant. I was still going to try my hardest to be the best shinobi I possibly could be. At least if I couldn’t save Itachi and the Uchiha from the inevitable, which I doubt most people in my place could.

Unfortunately for me, my hardest didn’t amount to much. My sensei was a young impatient Genma who ironically had a toothpick in his mouth instead of a senbon. Let me summarize it for you, my team failed. Miserably. I stood there in horror, watching as my hopes and dreams for the future dissolved right in front of me. I rushed after Genma, pleading, and begging for another chance. Even resorting to full on ugly crying while he stood looking painfully uncomfortable.

“Please! I just wanna make a difference!” I begged as tears dripped down my face.

He sighed. “Fine! Just please stop crying. You’re embarrassing yourself and me.”

Genma recommended me for the Genin corps. It wasn’t where I wanted to be, but I also didn’t want to go back to academy. I figured if I spent a year on the corps, I could eventually find myself a Genin team before advancing onto Chunin.

However, once again what actually happened was far from my expectation. I didn’t spend a year or 2 years. I spent 7 years on the Genin corps. S-E-V-E-N. Years. I even spent a year on a Genin team when I was 13 only to realize my potential compared to my peers was very low. Don’t get me wrong my reincarnated body was ten times healthier and in shape than my previous coach potato one. I could barely run a mile in my previous life whereas now I could run 3 miles. However, that achievement paled in comparison to the average ninja. No matter what I did, whether it was taijutsu, genjutsu, or even ninjutsu was dull compared to everyone else. My punches lacked force, I didn’t have enough chakra for the higher level jutsus, and I couldn’t even tell the difference between a basic genjutsu to a complicated one.

Basically, I sucked, so I stuck to Genin corps. For the money of course, it paid pretty well in comparison to civilian jobs. I bought an apartment at 15 and I was able to provide for myself. But the crushing truth took a toll on my mental health. I just spend the time where I wasn’t working in my bed. I barely had energy to feed myself. I didn’t snap out of until I got straightened out by my mother.

“Y/N! When was the last time you took a bath or had a proper night sleep?!” Okasan yelled when she made an impromptu visit to my apartment.

I shrugged and took a bite of my rice ball that Okasan so nicely prepared for me.

“Look, I know being a ninja was your goal. But not everything in life works out. And not everyone has to be a shinobi to have a good life!” she said as her eyes softened.

“But what else am I supposed to do? I’ve been training to be a shinobi since I was 8 years old and none of the other jobs pay so generously,” I replied dully.

Okasan reached over and patted my hand. “Well, you don’t have to quit being a Genin just yet. Try new things or figure what else you want to do before you retire. Hell, when was the last time you had a hobby? You don’t even write like you use to.”

I considered it, maybe I could take up calligraphy or start writing again like I used to. I haven’t written anything down since I made Genin.

“Alright, I’ll think about it. But I’m not promising anything,” I grumbled.

“As long as you snap out of this funk and start taking care of yourself is all I ask for, Y/N” Okasan said with a soft smile.

It took a while after that conversation, but little by little I started to put in effort again. I cut my shaggy hair into an acceptable style, showered every day, and ate my meals on time. I even adopted a little stray off the streets that made itself home in my small apartment. One night coming home after my late shift, I stopped by a bookstore to buy a sturdy journal. I started off by journaling my daily life before letting my creative mind drift. In my previous life, I was a self-published erotica writer that basically did it for fun. Maybe it was something I could attempt again.

There were many drafts before I settled on a topic that I felt passionate about. In the Elemental nations, they idealized a woman who waited. Just take the bestselling Icha Icha novel for example, it involved a ninja who abandoned his wife because he was scared his enemies would target her. He spent the entire novel hoeing his way through the countries, only to realize he was still in love with his wife. The wife, who by the way, spent years celibate and faithfully waiting for her husband. That novel made me infuriatingly mad because it highlighted the double standards of the world I was born in so well. Hell, even in the future Sakura and Hinata would waste their lives, faithfully waiting on the men they love to reciprocate their feelings.

So, for my novel I decided to juxtapose those stereotypes by writing a novel about a woman named Sayaka whose boyfriend would break up with her, unknowing she was pregnant with his child. She spends her life trying to provide for her child, only for him to be kidnapped because he had a rare keikei genkai. She hires a local mercenary (Mahiro) except he’s not interested in her money but rather her. The rest of the plot was not decided yet, but I would see where it goes and plan accordingly.

The more I wrote the better I felt and the disappointment that was my career no longer felt like a death sentence. Without a laptop or anything to help me write, I had to resort to buying a used typewriter. Still I would rush home each day, excited to write another chapter. Or to get lost in the filthy world of the mercenary and desperate mother. There weren’t a lot of people I could trust to edit so I spent months editing and reediting until I had the best version of my novel. And then when I was done, I had no idea what to do with it. Did I really want to become an erotica author in this world? As violent as it was, the Elemental nations were still conservative regarding sexuality. There were many female readers who loved Icha Icha but didn’t show it in public because it was seen as a dirty book for old men. After much deliberation, I decided to contact publishing agencies that weren’t affiliated with Icha Icha.

Waiting for their responses took months and many rejections before my novel was picked up by a small agency that mostly published Nonfiction. The agency would send an editor to talk about contracts and the novel itself to Konoha. So, by my 18th birthday, I was anxiously awaiting where else fate would take me.

The editor and I had decided on a family restaurant to meet up and I dressed in my best clothes to give off the optimum impression. I really wanted this to work out for me. For once.

It didn’t take long before a harried young man in a suit came in and looked around anxiously.

“Nino-san! Over here!” I called out and waved my hand to get his attention.

He looked at me in surprise and sat down across from me.

“Uh, hello. Excuse me can you tell when Y/N-san will arrive? I’m kind of on a deadline.”

I looked at him weirdly. “Um, I’m Y/N. Nice to meet you,” I said cautiously.

He stuttered wildly, blushing as he pointed at me. “B-be serious! No way are you her! You’re way too young to be writing such a – “

“Filthy, dirty novel?” I finished wryly.

He shook his head vigorously. “No! I meant such a hardcore erotica! I-I’m so sorry that came out wrong.”

I just laughed. “It’s ok. I’m a shinobi, we age faster than we look due to the trauma.”

We spent the next hour talking about the novel itself and how it would be promoted.

“So, Y/N-san. Our agency usually doesn’t deal with erotica. But your novel has a good chance to sell well if someone promoted it correctly. We want this to be known as the Icha Icha for women.”

I felt my eyebrows furrow. “Isn’t that a little presumptuous? Won’t I just get hate if I don’t live up to the expectations?”

The man let out a chuckle. “That’s true but I don’t think most people will be disappointed by it. Besides it’s very important for new authors to get their name out there. Maybe for future sequels we can tone it down, but for the first one we want to start off with a bang! Any publicity is better than none,” he reasoned.

Realizing the editor might have a point, I agreed and signed a contract with the publishing agency. The novel was due to be out December which is 6 months from now on. For the first time in a while I had achieved my goals. I had managed something without it going terribly wrong.

I got a small sum of money when I signed the contract, but I really wouldn’t be to collect royalties until the book was published. So, for the rest of my time I diligently did my job as a Genin by delivering messages and other nonsense jobs that were left over. As I avoided the shinobi bars that were filled with accomplished Chunins and Jounins, I promised myself that I would never again be embarrassed to walk these streets again. For the past few years, I had kept my eyes down as I walked through the villages as I got older and older, yet I still remained a Genin.

‘Please no more. Give me something to be proud of.’ I begged in my mind. Even if it meant a trashy porn, I was so low on self-esteem, anything would be worthwhile.

Luckily for me, it seemed like 18 years of bad karma was finally going to be turned around as the date to publish my novel got closer and closer. The agency hadn’t lied, they promoted my novel almost aggressively. Every bookstore had huge advertisement declaring the next big hit. Though, I had giggled almost manically when I saw the book’s cover for the first time. It reminded me of the many trashy novels from my previous life with the man’s shirtless abs on display with a beautiful woman clinging. However, for my novel it was obviously a rogue shinobi with his chest on display as a young girl clutched his biceps. Scarlet Heart series was the name I had chosen, and it stood out on the erotic cover. I saw many curious women fluttering around the display, almost shy in showing their interest. I even saw a man pulling away his pregnant wife as she read the synopsis, muttering angrily to himself.

When the launch of the book occurred, I holed myself in my apartment. I tried to relax and keep myself busy so I wouldn’t be too occupied with the reactions. I even took an entire week off from my usual work, feigning sickness in my family. I hung out with my oldest brother and his newborn son, trying to reacquaint myself with the siblings that I had long neglected.

I met up later with my editor to discuss how the book was faring, hopefully it did decent enough that I could have reason to continue my story. We met up at the same restaurant as before and Nino gave me a brilliant smile that quelled my fears.

“Y/N-san, your book’s sales did amazing in Konoha followed by Iwa and Kumo. The marketing towards women paid off because most of the sales came from women in their 20s to 40s. Heck, there were even a substantial amount from men who were curious. I think you should definitely continue this series. Do you have an idea where you’re going to take the story?” he gushed with excitement.

I sighed with relief, “I’m glad. I was so worried about the response I didn’t even go near any bookstores! As for sequels I have an inkling. I still have to work out everything, but I want to introduce Sayaka’s ex-boyfriend and maybe dabble in a proper love triangle.”

Nino-san nodded and said, “you should be careful how you write that triangle though. Some love triangles can get tedious and annoying, but it does play its part well in keeping the audience’s interest.”

Nino-san and I eagerly discussed the future for Scarlet Heart. I felt a flutter in my heart, knowing that for the first in forever I had something to look forward to.

Time Skip~ 1-year Kakashi POV:

Really with everything he had endured in his life, you would think the world would be willing to give him a break, right? Nope!

Most think it started with Obito’s death, but he thought it started with his father’s suicide that really began the downward spiral. Nevertheless, after his teammate’s death, he and Rin had rushed into a presumably “relationship”. But really it was a way to keep her close, so he didn’t lose anyone else. They never even kissed though he knew Rin desperately wanted to do all the things that couples do. But he remained closed off in those four months before she was killed. By him no less.

Afterwards included him coping with his trauma by joining Anbu (and for a short while Root). His sensei became Hokage; but even he would pass away along with his wife, leaving behind a tiny blond sacrifice for the village to turn their resentment against.

But he was getting ahead himself months before Rin’s death Jiraiya-sama had approached him with a gift.

Jiraiya gave him an exaggerated wink and giggled. “Here gaki. You’re so depressed that Minato and Kushina keep thinking they might have to stage an intervention. But what you need is a distraction and I have just the thing!”

He had handed over a book with a bright red cover before hopping roof to roof all the while laughing obnoxiously.

He took it with a surge of curiosity, emotions he hadn’t felt in a while since Obito tragically passed away (AKA crushed by a boulder, but he digresses).

That started his love, well more like obsession, with the Icha Icha series. First, he was revolted and ashamed, eager to find the Sannin and perhaps show him the effectiveness of his Chidori. But over time his curiosity couldn’t be contained, and he finished the naughty book in two days. He noticed how when he was occupied with the book, he hadn’t once thought of Obito and everything that was wrong with his life. Of course, he had a girlfriend then so he couldn’t risk being seen with the book outside of his humble apartment. But a year after Rin’s death, he ventured out with his hobby. The reactions of the general public had amused him beyond belief and a strange sense of vindictive righteousness set upon seeing his Anbu kohais’ reactions.

The reactions only encouraged him to read everywhere and anywhere. He even managed to piss off Gai once as the incensed man ran away to do a 100 more laps around the village. It didn’t last long before he reappeared to challenge Kakashi once more, but Kakashi appreciated the brief reprieve.

Anyway, the point of this rather tragic flashback wasn’t to gain sympathy for himself, but to showcase the real injustice that occurred at his tender age of 25. His beloved Icha Icha had a rival apparently. Which was bullshit, obviously. He wasn’t blind to the errors of the pornographic novel. The plot was simple, characters were paper-thin, and as more novels debuted in the series, the more apparent the similarities between each novel became. But the series was fast moving, the sex was incredibly detailed and arousing, and the series was frankly addicting. Once someone became a fan, it was impossible not to reach for the next one.

So, when he heard about this supposed series that was going to rival Icha Icha, he had scoffed and rolled his eyes. Many contenders claimed the same thing before they faded off into oblivion when everyone realized the superiority of Icha Icha. The first four months of the series’ debut he made it his mission to ignore all the hype and kept rereading his collection. After all, when the next issue of Icha Icha released, everyone would forget the hype of this wannabe.

Unfortunately, the world never adheres to his expectations and loves to fuck him over every chance it got. Kakashi, once again, had failed another Genin team because Hokage-sama thought he had potential as a sensei. He must have been smoking that pipe too much lately. The rest of his fellow Jounin invited him to a bar where he reluctantly agreed and was dragged off by Asuma.

They settled in and ordered some drinks, while Kakashi read his book, half listening to the conversation around him.

“I’m telling you this book is really good. I know people say it’s for women, but it’s so much more than that.” Kurenai persuaded Genma who just looked skeptical.

“Even Asuma liked it!” She pointed to the smoker who just looked embarrassed at the sudden attention.

Asuma cleared his voice a couple times. “Well, it’s not that bad at all. It kept me busy for a couple of hours for a few days.”

Kurenai rolled her eyes at him. “He loved it. He told me he did.”

Kakashi’s interest peaked and he lowered his book down.

“Wait, are you talking about that new series that everyone’s losing their minds over?”

Kurenai’s eyes lit up and she looked eager rather than the calm, collected Jounin she usually was.

“Yeah, you read it Kakashi? I never thought for once you would put down that trash and try something else.”

Kakashi felt his ire rise and his single visible eyesmiled at the red eyed kunoichi.

“Why Kurenai doesn’t that book also have porn in it? Doesn’t that mean you read trash too?”

Kurenai’s cheeks heated up. “Well, it does but it’s also about a betrayed woman who learns to love again and honestly it’s much more nuanced than whatever Icha Icha achieved in its six sequels.”

Kakashi felt his eyebrows rise. He highly doubted that, but he couldn’t help but add in.

“And how do you know what’s in Icha Icha?”

The blush on Kurenai’s face deepened. “I might have read it but only because Anko forced me to. To ‘loosen’ up or whatever that means.”

Their fellow Jounin chuckled as Kurenai tossed back a drink as she tried to cool her overheated face.

The conversation moved on mercifully for the embarrassed woman, but Kakashi also lost his interest and he returned to the passage where Misaki was educating her lover on the preciseness of oral sex.

Kakashi hoped that would be the last time he ever heard of that book. But again, the hype for this novel continued. He spotted more women with erotica in their hands than he ever did in his lifetime. Even kunoichi seemed to have lost their minds as the book was the hot topic no matter where he went. Even the Hokage’s secretary was seen reading the porn while she was on the job. He was sick and tired of hearing about this supposedly incredible book. Kakashi just wanted to read his book in peace can’t the village go back to a time where it wasn’t consumed by porn?

Kakashi sighed as another day passed and yet another Genin team failed. When will Hokage-sama finally get the message he just wasn’t cut out for teaching? He sighed with relief as he flipped the entrance banner of Ichikaru Ramen and sat down on one of the stools.

“Just a miso ramen. Thanks,” he called out tiredly. Kakashi looked around the restaurant and was surprised to see another person at the other end. He barely noticed her; her chakra presence wasn’t much. She was just in a plain white t shirt and some pants. A civilian he guessed. Kakashi turned back when his order was placed in front of him. He stealthily looked around the restaurant and saw no one was paying attention to him. He pulled down his mask and started eating his meal. It was nice not to eat in big gulps for once lest someone saw his face.

When he was halfway through his meal, he heard the sound of someone turning pages and muttering. He turned around to see his neighbor writing in her book and she seemed to be fairly frustrated. Just as Kakashi was about to turn around and mind his business, he noticed that the book was the infamous Scarlet Hearts. He internally groaned. Really? Just how bad was his luck?

“Is the book any good?” He called out to the young girl.

Oh, damn why was he getting her attention? Abort! Abort! This day didn’t consist of making polite conversations with a civvie.

Just as he was about to maybe perform a last minute shunshin, the girl looked up at him and stared at him in surprise.

He felt nervous when she just kept staring at him for a while. Did she recognize him as the “friend killer” and infamous “copycat ninja”?

“Uh- Hello?” He waved his hands in front of her face.

The girl looked startled and flushed. “Oh, sorry. I got lost in thought. What was your question again?”

Kakashi pointed at her book and asked, “the book, is it as good as the hype says it is?”

She just seemed even more startled by the fact that he was asking about her book. “W-well, I’m not sure about other people’s opinions. But it’s worth reading just for curiosity’s sake. I found it pretty good.”

Kakashi stared at the awful book, wishing he could set it on fire just by glaring at it. “See, I don’t see why people are comparing it to Icha Icha. It can’t possibly be that good!”

“I kind of have to agree on that. The marketing really didn’t do it justice,” the girl muttered.

Kakashi tilted his head towards the younger girl and sent a relaxed smile her way. “Ah, thank you. Finally, someone who understands.”

The girl shook her head. “I meant trying to compare the two books wasn’t a good idea. They’re two different books, the only thing they have in common is that they both have explicit scenes.”

Seeing the confused look on his face, the girl further elaborated. “Icha Icha is intended for a one type of audience and it does its job well. There’s nothing wrong with that after all it has an ardent fan in you. But I feel like Scarlet Heart can be enjoyed by any mature individual. And for me what’s the most important thing is that it portrays its women realistically. Icha Icha is based off this fantasy, ideal type of woman who doesn’t have any drama of her own and goes around solving the male character’s issues. Or she’s a passive victim in the overall story for the hero to win over. This heroine in Scarlet Heart is cynical, hard to get to know due to her past. The male character is a typical chauvinistic guy who thinks he can have anyone he wants. But over time as they get to know each other the layers fall apart to show two lonely people who’ve been waiting for someone to connect to.”

Kakashi looked at the girl critically who sent a tentative smile to him after her long explanation. Her features were quite plain and at first glance she wasn’t anything exceptional to look at. But her smile lit up her entire face. He thought over her words, no one had ever explained the book quite like that. But then again, he never gave them the time to explain either. Perhaps, he was wrong to do so.

“Here maybe you would like to form an opinion yourself and see if it holds up,” she said as she handed over her own copy of Scarlet Heart.

He grabbed it from her grip, touching her soft hands by accident, quickly pulling away. “Are you sure? Weren’t you writing in it earlier?”

With a cute prominent blush, she replied, “it’s fine I bought that paperback copy to write in. I have another one at home. You can keep it. If we meet again tell me what you thought of it.”

Kakashi nodded and put the book with his Icha Icha in the weapon pouch on his hip.

“Mah, I’m sure we will. By the way what’s your name? After all, when I see you next time, I have to thank the person who will put up with my complaints.”

“Oh, I’m L/N Y/N. Nice to meet you,” she said with another bright grin aimed his way.

Ignoring the unconscious shivers that erupted on his body, he returned it with another one of his patent fake smiles.

“Hatake Kakashi. Nice to meet you as well, Y/N-san.”

The conversation died a few minutes later and he paid for his meal before leaving for his lonesome apartment. Maybe today the lonely dwelling won’t be so bad to deal with, what with new reading material the night might just pass by really quickly.

Return to Reader’s POV

You know when I began my porn writing journey in the Naruto world, I never for a second thought I would attract Kakashi’s attention. I mean I knew he read porn, but I honestly thought he would stay attached to Icha Icha forever. In the anime, he still read the book even years after Jiraiya’s death, so it just goes to show how much of a devoted fan he was.

When I met him accidently in Ichikaru Ramen, I was in a state of shock. I’m pretty sure he thought I was just another weird fangirl. ‘Just like Itachi.’ I couldn’t help but think.

But him asking about my novel and actually pouting about the attention it gained made me giggle even hours later. Still giving away the novel I was rereading to spot mistakes and plot holes was bold. I genuinely hoped he liked the novel; it would be a huge compliment if I managed to change his perspective. I know I wasn’t ever going to change his mind about Icha Icha, but he had plenty of money to support both series. I probably wasn’t ever going to see him again, but it was nice to interact with a canon character for once without entirely embarrassing myself.

I shook off the excitement from interacting with the scarecrow sensei and tried to focus on brainstorming my second novel. The love triangle was going to become much more integral in this part and I was going have to work extra hard to make readers sympathize and like Shoutaro. Because many of my readers were already enamored with the hotheaded, flirtatious mercenary with a heart of gold, Mahiro. The best way to build the triangle was to showcase pros and cons of both men. Thereby making the triangle stronger and give readers something to root for. While there would be only one man who would get the girl, I wanted readers to feel conflicted between the two men. However, to keep the choice from happening out of nowhere, I also had to hint throughout the novel why Mahiro and Sayaka was the best choice. So, by the third novel when Sayaka made her choice, it wouldn’t seem like it happened out of nowhere. Indeed, the sequel was harder to write than the first one because I had high expectations to overcome this time. Brainstorming even took longer than normal. Though, it was challenging, I decided needed a break and took a trip to the markets to finally restock my empty fridge.

Slowly I made my way through the vegetable stalls and tried to pick out the ripest ones. Most people usually tried to barter the prices. However, since the massive royalties I had more money than I knew what to do with and so I paid the full amount at each stall. Most of the produce stalls were run by elderly couples and they needed the money for their livelihood.

I bowed to an obasan and thanked her when she gave a few extra tomatoes after I paid.

“You know most people would try to barter the prices down to a fair price,” a deep voice interrupted just as I was about to walk away.

I jumped and almost dropped my produce. A steady hand gripped my hips and set me right. I looked up to the masked, silver haired Jounin. I blushed, feeling his strong hands on my body. His single eye widened a bit before he relaxed and let go of me.

“You ok?” he asked.

“Y-yes, thank you. Hatake-san,” I stuttered and bowed my head.

“Ma, no need to call me Hatake-san. That makes me feel older than people think I am.” He said as he waved off my gratitude.

“Hai, K-kakashi-san then. What are you doing here? No offense but I didn’t realize that elite shinobis had time to shop and cook for themselves.”

It was true from what I heard. All elite shinobi, especially men, rarely cooked for themselves relying on easy to make or restaurants meals to get them through the day. Some even ate rations to forgo meals in a rush.

Kakashi raised his eyebrow at me. “Well, I was actually looking for you. I’ve finished the book you loaned me after a week. It’s only right to return it.”

I shook my head. “It’s alright. I told you to keep it didn’t I?”

I felt my head get hit lightly by something. I looked up to see it was my paperback novel. When did he pull that out? Did he have it on him all this time and I didn’t noticed it until now?

“You’re quite stubborn, aren’t you? Let’s just say I needed an excuse to find my partner in crime and tell her my opinion of the book.”

I sighed, realizing that I couldn’t get away from his rant that he will no doubt tell me with relish on how much he hated the book.

“Alright, but I have to put my groceries away.” I said lifting my bags.

“It’s fine. As long as it isn’t milk or meat it wouldn’t be spoiled for a few hours. Come on, I’ll treat you to some dango.” He walked away slightly slouched and relaxed with his hands in his pockets.

I looked after him helplessly, hesitating on whether I should follow or not.

“You better follow him, jou-chan. He’s quite handsome,” the obasan said as she helped another customer. A few giggles slipped out from the customer and I felt my cheeks go hot from embarrassment. I bowed and thanked the elderly lady again before following the Jounin.

I caught up to him in no time, we both walked silently before we came onto the small stand that was selling the sweet.

Kakashi told me to take a seat on a bench nearby as he grabbed the sweets. I put down my groceries near me as I waited for my companion to return.

He came back with two skewers of dango and handed me one while he held onto the other one.

“So, what did you think of the novel?” I asked as I took a bite of the dango.

“I hate it to admit it but it’s good. Not better than Icha Icha of course, but it’s better than some of the others that tried to ride the coattails of Icha Icha.”

I felt a burst of butterflies inside my stomach and I leaned forward eagerly. “Really?!! What did you like it about it specifically?”

He seemed amused at my enthusiasm. “Ah, well I liked how the author built up the romance. They didn’t have sex right away, but when they did it made sense-“

I felt my heartbeat increase and my ears felt hot when I heard the word sex come out of Kakashi’s mouth. How did I ever not know how nice his deep voice was? I bet he would be really good at dirty talk—Ahh, nononono. That was not a good topic to think about while you’re talking to the man. I bit my lip to concentrate on what Kakashi was trying to tell me.

“And I like how the female characters made smart decisions and acted cautiously instead of getting kidnapped all the time. It made them seem like real people instead of plot conveniences.” He finished with an eyesmile.

I returned his smile, liking that he appreciated the portrayal of the female characters. Some of the detractors apparently didn’t like the more rounded characters and felt they should just be used as sauce instead of being the main dish.

“Do you prefer the woman in Scarlet Hearts or Icha Icha?” I asked playfully.

He narrowed his eyes at my tone. “Weeeell, the women in Icha Icha are much more beautiful, but the women in Scarlet Heart are more attainable than the ones in Icha Icha.”

I let out a laugh. “That’s nice to hear. But I’m pretty sure that Sayaka isn’t a real person. Sorry, Kakashi-san.”

He let out a disappointed sigh. “I guess I will have to safeguard my heart until I can find someone close to her then.”

I snorted knowing Kakashi would remain single even at the end of the series where everyone was getting married and having kids.

“What? You think it’s hopeless?”

I just sent him an innocent smile and said,” I have no idea what you’re talking about Kakashi-san.”

Me and Kakashi stayed for a few more minutes before I decided to head home. Kakashi stuck close to me, telling me he would keep me company until I arrived. He looked surprise at the neighborhood I was living in. The small apartment I was previously inhabited was now upgraded to an upscale three-bedroom apartment. It was a safe neighborhood that was occupied by wealthy merchants and high-ranking shinobis. I ignored his reaction and continued to walk toward my apartment.

When I had trouble trying to juggle my groceries and trying to grab my keys from my purse, Kakashi stepped in to grab my bags. I thanked him and opened the door. He casually walked in and left the bags in the kitchen at my directions.

“Would you like some tea? I think some tea would be good with the sweets we just had.” Kakashi just nodded in agreement as he looked around my apartment. The tiny stray who I adopted became a giant, fluffy monster who was now sniffing Kakashi’s feet and rubbing against his legs.

I giggled and left to make some iced sencha green tea. I tried not to let my excitement that THE Hatake Kakashi was standing in my living room, distract me from being a good host. I filled the glass with tea and dropped some ice cubes in it before putting it on a tray and bringing it out to the living room.

“Kakashi-san? Here’s your tea,” I called out happily and looking up to see Kakashi’s back.

I furrowed my eyebrows when he didn’t respond. “Kakashi-san?” He was still turned around and looking at something.

I put the tray down on a coffee table and approached the unresponsive Jounin. I looked down to see papers in his hand and felt my face pale drastically.

“A-ahhh! That’s not for your eyes!” I laughed hysterically and snatched my papers from his hands. I quickly took all my notes and notebooks which I brainstormed in and dropped them off in my bedroom. With a head full of excuses as to why I had Scarlet Heart’s sequel on the sofa, I made my way back to Kakashi.

“You’re the author of Scarlet Heart?”Was the first thing he asked when he saw my face. I felt my face heat up.

“U-um, no! That was just me amateurly writing as to what I think will happen in the future!”

He shot me a serious look. “Do you think I’m stupid? That was the first chapter all neatly written down. And the character profiles of future characters like her ex-boyfriend are all filled out accurately. Plus, you’re a single young girl that’s living in such a rich neighborhood which many people can’t afford unless they have some serious cash. Cash from a recently released erotica maybe?”

His intense gaze made me sweat profusely and I couldn’t hold eye contact for more than a minute.

“Yes. Yes, I’m the author of Scarlet Hearts.” I whispered, looking at the ground.

I quickly gazed back at him when I heard a snort. Kakashi gave me an incredulous look.

“I can’t believe it. Even though I saw it with my own eyes. You’re so young! How old are you, 16?”

I pouted, puffing out my cheeks. “I’m 19! Besides you’re a shinobi what does age even matter? You’re a legal adult when you’re a Genin!”

Kakashi let out a chuckle and softly patted my head. “I know that but you’re a civilian so it’s different.”

I bit my lips deciding whether to tell him I was actually a former Genin corps. Deciding I didn’t need the genius looking at me in pity, I didn’t correct him.

“Well, now that you know. Please keep this a secret, ok? I just want to live in anonymity and write my books. Hence the pen name.”

Kakashi agreed and messed with my hair some more.

“You got it, Y/N-chan.” I blushed at the added chan in my name.

He downed his iced tea in a hurry when an Anbu appeared at the window with a mission for him. I watched with amazement as Kakashi disappeared with a shunshin and then scowled heavily looking at all the leaves on the floor of my apartment.

“Note to self. Do not let elite shinobi shunshin in and out of my apartment,” I grumbled to myself as I swept up.

Kakashi’s POV 2

You know how once you find out something about someone it changes how you look at them. He was now intensely curious about Y/N. He figured she was a normal innocent girl, but boy was he wrong about everything. How was he supposed to know that the sex scenes that had him riveted to the point that he took a shower to calm himself before he resumed reading was written by a cherub slip of a girl? After his discovery Kakashi was unable to leave her alone. He frequently took time out of day when he wasn’t on a mission or training his helpless cute team (he had a team now!!), he was spending time with Y/N. It was kind of weird at first after all he went out of his way to avoid human contact, but in this case, he wanted to know what made her tick. All her favorite things and her habits. Kakashi wanted to know what made her sad or what made her be flushed with happiness.

Most of all he wanted to know how she came up with all the scenarios in her novel. But even he knew that if he asked her bluntly, she would no doubt kick him out of her apartment and refuse to speak to him again. It also didn’t help that his imagination went wild each time he saw her. All those scenarios would inappropriately pop up in his head and she would star in all of them. The blush on her face gave him a good idea on how she would look with her eyes dilated and with him on top. Whenever that happened the excitement coursing through would become prominent and he had to take a few breaths to calm him down. Imagining Gai in a bikini always did the trick for him.

Kakashi, after months of speculation, came to one conclusion as why Y/N was so fascinating. He wanted her. He wanted her in a way that men who were attracted to women did. In a way that meant commitment and all the mushy feelings. He groaned at that idea, Kakashi so didn’t want to act like Minato-sensei whenever he was around his hot-headed wife.

He could just ignore the feelings; he was quite good at ignoring all the turmoil inside of him. But his crisis shinobi therapist said he could no longer do that. He had to solve his lingering issues if he wanted to move forward with his life like his survivor’s guilt and his unresolved issues with his dead father. So that meant he had to make it obvious to Y/N that he liked her. Should he shout his youthful love on the top of the Hokage mountain at early in the morning like Gai would do? Kakashi chuckled at the novel idea. Ok, he was trying to get her to date him not run away from him. Luckily for him, fate decided to not be a bitch this time and give Y/N a nudge.

Kakashi was inside of her apartment like he usually was nowadays with her round monster of a cat on his lap. He absentmindedly patted the feline as he purred away like no one’s business. His ninken weren’t happy with him lately, but they will have to put up with it because Y/N was going to be around him for a long time if he had anything to say about it. He looked at Y/N who was hard at work on her second novel, typing away at the machine she called a typewriter. No matter what Kakashi did today, he wasn’t able to get her attention. She was intensely focused on the sex scenes apparently, which was a shame. Because he was right here, and she could be doing much more than just imagining it.

A mischievous idea popped into his head.

“So, Y/N-chan,” he called out.

She responded with a distracted “hm”.

“Do those explicit parts have any truth to them?”

That got the attention of Y/N and she turned around with a confused look.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean most people write about what they know. So, I’m asking if you have attempted anything from the books you write?”

Kakashi had pride within himself for the many ways he made Y/N blush. But the flush on her cheeks, ears, and her neck had no rival with the way her eyes seem to swirl with embarrassment.

“Kakashi-kun! I-I-. You can’t just ask that!”

“It’s true though. Everyone does research for their novels. Especially Jiraiya-sama,” he stated nonchalantly despite his eyes beaming with amusement.

She pressed her hands against her overwhelmingly hot cheeks.

“I’m not like that Sannin! I’ve never had sex before! I’m still a virgin. I just write whatever pops into my head,” she mumbled out.

Kakashi got up and made his way to Y/N. He leaned into her face as Y/N tried to scramble back, trying to get some space in between them.

“Y/N, if you ever need inspiration for your book. I’m right here and I’m happy to volunteer for such a good cause,” he said cheekily.

Her eyes widened and she gaped at him. She blinked several times as if she couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth.

Kakashi touched her cheeks, breaking her out of the stupor she was in. As he stroked her soft skin with one hand, the other pulled down his mask to reveal his face.

Y/N let out a squeak and gazed hungrily at his exposed face. Kakashi never considered what people thought of his face honestly but her reaction was gratifying.

He leaned in even closer and her eyes fluttered closed at his proximity. Knowing she was anticipating as much he was, Kakashi wasted no time in connecting their lips. She tasted heavenly and she let out a moan when he gently nipped at her bottom lip. He’s kissed plenty of willing partners, but none excited him the way she did. Her scent and the way her breath hitched when he brought her into his embrace intoxicated him further. It was obvious from the way she was responding; Y/n didn’t have a lot of experience. But he held her face gently and slowly swirled his tongue around hers, guiding her through what might be her first kiss. When she got the hang of it, Kakashi removed his hands from her face to her hips. Not wasting another moment, he gripped her ass tightly and appreciated the thickness he had been admiring for a while. She was an eager little thing and greedy. Every time they separated for a breather; she came back with more intensity than before. It’s like he awakened something, and she was willing to take whatever she could get. Unfortunately for Y/N, he didn’t just want to spend his time kissing. No, he wanted to inspire a very, very naughty section that would light the imagination of every woman in Konoha.

Kakashi pecked her pink, swollen lips one time before removing himself. She looked earnestly at him, trying to reconnect.

“How about you and I head to your room. And I could show you the benefits of a chapter on oral sex,” he huskily whispered.

Apparently, Y/N didn’t need further prompting because she dragged him into her room and swiftly closed the door.

Kakashi spent the rest of the night fulfilling his promising words. And when the second novel of Scarlet Hearts came out, chapter 13 became infamous amongst all. And all the practitioners of oral sex cursed the author because they could not live up to the fantasy that chapter inspired.

#kakashi x you #kakashi x y/n #kakashi x reader #naruto fanfiction #naruto x reader #kakashi fanfiction #kakashi imagines #kakashi hakate #naruto

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interrogatethecat · 3 years

Text

Cowboy Hats Are Ridiculous

word count: 1.1k

written for the prompt "carry on" for Their Love Was Real.

Castiel had been a warrior of Heaven. He had led his garrison into battle more times than he could count, filled with righteous purpose. He had watched the first fish crawl from the water, seen the dinosaurs get wiped out, and witnessed humans evolve. Castiel had helped usher in and prevent apocalypses. Yet here he was, standing in his and Dean’s kitchen, wearing a quite frankly ridiculous cowboy costume.

the rest + tag list below the cut, or on a03 here.

Thankfully, Dean was at the store trying to find candy. Since it was Halloween, it was unlikely he would find any, and if he did, it would take awhile. So long as Dean was gone, Cas could get away with not wearing the hat or boots.

He glanced at the clock. They had about a half hour before trick-or-treating started. Dean would definitely be back in time for that.

Cas figured that he probably had about fifteen minutes before Dean was home, with or without candy. Fifteen minutes he could spend with what little, cowboy hatless dignity he had left.

There was a low rumble of a familiar engine coming down the street.

Scratch that. Cas had a little less than a minute.

The garage opened with a shudder as Dean pulled the Impala in, then turned off her engine. There was the slam of a car door, a squeak of hinges, and Dean’s footsteps on the wooden floor.

Cas sighed, and resigned himself to his fate.

“Hey, Cas.” Dean grinned at him when he came into the kitchen, a large bag of candy in one hand.

“Hello, Dean.” Cas mirrored his smile.

Dean pressed a chaste kiss to Cas’ cheek as he moved towards where the empty candy bowl sat on the counter.

Even almost a year after having gotten their act together, butterflies still fluttered in Cas’ stomach when Dean did things like that. He could still feel the ghost of Dean’s lips against his skin, even though Dean was on the opposite side of the room. He still was captivated by Dean’s peridot eyes and galaxy of freckles as he had been when they first met. Throughout the millennia, Castiel had seen many things, but none of them as wondrous as Dean Winchester.

“I had to go to three different stores to find this. It was the last bag,” Dean said proudly.

“I’m surprised they had any,” Cas commented.

“Yeah, well—“ Dean paused, then turned to look at him. He pointed an accusing finger at Cas. “You’re not wearing your hat. Or—“ He glanced down “—your boots.”

“It’s going to be at least twenty minutes before anyone starts trick-or-treating,” Cas said. “And it looks ridiculous.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t look ridiculous.” He grabbed Cas’ neglected cowboy hat off the counter, plopped it on his head, and pulled out his phone. “Smile, sunshine.”

Cas glared pettily instead.

There was a click as Dean took the picture. He held out his phone to Cas. “See? You’re adorable!”

Cas had to admit, it looked better than he had expected, but he wasn’t telling Dean that.

“And anyway,” Dean continued resolutely, “it’s our first Halloween together, without any apocalypses to stop or asses we need to kick, plus we’ve actually got a house. We have to hand out candy, and you can’t do that without dressing up.”

Dean did have a point; it was their first Halloween out of the bunker. When Sam and Eileen had decided to start a training program for new hunters there, Cas and Dean had used it as an excuse to start looking for houses. The one they had settled on was barely an hour from Lebanon, tucked in the middle of an out-of-the-way-neighborhood. It was small, just the right size for the two of them, with a garden in the back. It had a garage, with enough extra space in it to store a grill. It was the type of house where socks got lost in the wash and groceries were unloaded onto the counter. Normal. Neither Cas nor Dean had any delusions about every being “normal,” but Dean had insisted that they should celebrate Halloween anyway. Cas had a feeling, though, that that wasn’t the only reason he had wanted to christen the house with pumpkins and horror movies.

“I’m starting to think you just wanted to dress me as a cowboy,” Cas said.

Dean blushed a little. “Well, yeah, maybe. You do make a very sexy cowboy.”

Well, when he put it like that….

Cas huffed. “I don’t know why I put up with you.”

“It’s because you love me,” Dean said happily.

Cas rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Unfortunately.”

“Hey!” Dean complained. “I’m a joy to be around.”

“Of course, Dean. Now go get your costume on. I refuse to be the only one making a fool of himself.”

Dean laughed as he left the room.

Cas watched him go, still smiling to himself. He fished around in the drawer next to him for a pair of scissors, then went to open the candy bag.

Dean had changed surprisingly fast, and came back into the kitchen as Cas was refilling the candy bowl, now clad in a poncho, boots, and cowboy hat of his own. “C’mon,” he said, eyes bright. “Boots on, Cas.”

Cas obliged him, grabbing his boots from where they sat next to the door. When he had put them on, he straightened up, spreading his arms as he turned to face Dean. “Happy?”

“Very.” Dean’s hands found his waist. “I think we’re the best-looking cowboy husbands around.”

The corners of Cas’ lips turned up. “We’re not married, Dean.”

Dean waved him off. “Well, yeah, legally we’re both dead. But you know what I mean.”

“I do.”

They leaned in, and—

Dean jerked away. “Son of a bitch! Dammit, Cas, you poked me in the eye with your hat!”

Cas’ brow creased. “I’m sorry. That was not intentional.”

Dean rubbed at his face. “‘S fine. Should we try that again?”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

The hats got in the way again.

“Next year, we’re not wearing hats,” Dean grumbled. “I can’t even kiss you.”

“We could take off the hats,” Cas suggested.

The doorbell rang.

They both turned towards the noise.

“How about,” Dean said, his voice lowering, “I make it up to you tonight?”

“That could work,” Cas said. For now, though….” He pulled his hat off and pressed his lips to Dean’s. Only when they broke apart did he put it back on.

“You’d better not take that off again. That’s my job.” Dean winked at him.

The doorbell rang more insistently.

Dean started moving towards the door. “Come on, partner. Grab the bowl, we’ve got some candy to hand out.”

Castiel had fallen far, going from fighting heavenly battles to handing out candy with Dean, dressed as a cowboy.

Joining Dean at the door, candy in hand, Cas thought he liked it better that way.

tag list: @theirlovewasreal @holmesemrys @fanfic-corner @lovingherwasgay @destiel-is-canon-i-guess @top13zepptraxx

let me know if you want to be added or removed!

#theirlovewasreal #dean winchester #castiel #destiel #deancas #casdean #supernatural #spn #my fic #spn fanfic #post 15x18 fix-it #fluff #cas deals with his husband’s cowboy obsession #yes he does dress up as a cowboy with dean on halloween #cowboy husbands #misha collins #jensen ackles #destiel is canon

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daehgub-bughead · 3 years

Note

I hope I'm not bothering you, so feel free to ignore this, but I yearn to know: if you had full creative control of the show, how would you run season 5? You can pick and choose whatever leaks you want to include.

So it's better late than never. Seriously for don't answer before and make you wait I didn't forget it I just this was more difficult than I expected every time I saw the white page on my computer I didn't felt the inspiration or have the energy to do it but it's 3 am, I can't sleep sooooo

let's started:

*jughead won't be alcoholic *Veronica isn't married *that awful song doesn't exist, that dint happen was just a collective nightmare instead veronica sings "I kissed a girl" to betty bcs I want to. * maybe is unpopular but I'm not excited for the idea of all working on the high school post-time jump give me glee flashbacks and I hate it. * I will ignore all the new interviews, stills, spoilers. I choose delusion. * I use the phrase "rebuild the truth" a lot Even when I hate it I will give more priority to the cheating storyline and the arcs of the characters how this will affect not only their relationship romantic/friendship. I would put a really heart-heart conversation between Jarchie, Beronica, and Barchie; Ba comes clear apologizing bcs they make a mistake and being sincere with JV. Talking about Ba I dig more into their thinking, motivations, and feelings for both, Give to Archie his point of view and give MORE priority to the core 4 trauma and how they deal with it. And then try to figure out how it could move the plot of the mystery like maybe when Jughead finds out about the kiss he tries to distract himself and go more into the mystery as we see before. Archie's having the things clear in the end but Veronica choosing herself first and deciding that break up would be the best even when it would hurt both. I would show a bit of their life's out on Riverdale Just to the end of the episode, there's some reason everybody comes back to the town probably related to the death (I still think that pops will die). Veronica would be a successful businesswoman, she is an icon in New York and dates a beautiful woman called Rebbeca but when veronica decides to come back to RVD they break up, bcs Rebecca wants to take a time to work on herself, and Veronica comebacks to Riverdale to take control again of pops and start to work with Tabitha remodeling pops maybe and maybe try to become it a franchise. I'm not sure what I would do with Archie but the writers either, so I'll keep the firefighter storyline but he would use a shirt all the time bcs I'm tired of seeing KJ on shirtless (at this point is every man of this show) also he will take total control of Fred's construction company. Veronica contracts Fred's company and varied start to spend more and more time together and try to be just friends while finding their way back to each other and obviously angsty, pining, longing maybe a bit more of angsty and Pining Archie fight for V love. I'll give Toni the screentime that she deserves and let her shine for herself I would like that the show makes justice to the choni/Toni storyline this season but I learn don't get my hope up with this show focusing on the Toni family and her backstory more and making her an individual character again. I'll love to see more musicals moments Vannesa and drew singing together, and Toni and fangs being on a band give to me now. I think first I will talk about ba and then about betty. Love triangle: No más eso no sirve. So I will end with that before time jump they will still felt guilty and regretful for hurt JV and lose them. Archie always be the boy that betty dreamed of for too long and Bettys will always have on Archies heart also they don't idealize each other anymore but still, they will love each other but in a different way.I'm not against the show exploring new relationships and least to betty dating someone else I always expected that the writers will explore ba at some point, I just expected something different, so I'm not against ba dating post time jump for any reason that the writers could think but the thing I would do its ba talking about their feelings for one another, discussing how to live could've been if he never rejected her (not so much bcs Jason was already death, anyways) make a what-if episode/ or an Au episode where Archie don't reject betty but ultimately in that episode it is shown that they are better off as friends & that the road not taken still would lead to bugvarchie.

One thing that I love about the s1 is that in a way or another everybody was involved in the mystery the core 6 with Toni and the serpents could be a good way to get information. One of the points of the season will be the redemption and the rebuild of the seasons so I will go to a semi-slow-burn with the friendships of the shows, I never feel what I supposed to feel for Jarchie but one of the things that I love about some fics saw the rebuild of beronica friendship so I would put so much effort on that and put more moments when we could appreciate the friendship of the core 4 to make it feel more genuine. Veronica will forgive Betty when seeing how much betty misses her and try to fix the things between them.

As a lot of people do I think that bughead won't break up pre-time jump, Jughead will forgive betty and they will try a long-distance relationship I would like to say that they will leave the cheating behind we would see them being happy and walking to the sunset and live happily ever after but a cheating storyline for them breaking up for the distance doesn't feel good to me so the cheating will affect their relationship and they will try to get over it but it will be a little factor+ the distance and all the responsibilities that have on the university combined make them realize that the timing isn't right, time apart for growing individually, met other people, so they talk about and decide that break up is the best and have a friendly break up.

I think that betty would meet a lot of people some serious relationships other not so serious she will meet some idiots sadly wemet some idiots (that she later will tell veronica and they would laugh together about the looser that stood up Betty and didn't see her on that beautiful readdress) and some really nice guys, Charmings that will care about her and he will want her but sadly the things won't work out. Betty being an FBI agent I'm in, betty being a full badass I'm in, her struggling to follow the rules of the FBI I'm in that's the betty that we love. I have not problems with our favs having difficult times I would keep him having writers' block but not one hit writer I will go to him having problems to find the inspiration to write the end of the story that he starts a long time ago. And for Jessica even when I would like to see jealous betty it seems that every relationship at the beginning of the time jump its borrow time and that's unfair for her so they will be together like 2 or 3 eps max, I think Jughead will love her but on a different way that he loves betty and their relationship seems that isn't on a good moment since the beginning so betty being again on jughead life will be just little factor on their relationship I would put betty investigating the disappearance of Polly and jughead with the Mothman they investigating in different paths until the next episode to see that their investigation is related and start to work together. I'm here to see bughead being single for a time, see their relationships as friends then I will go to the undercover/fake dating/kissing for a cover route I will go for angst, the pining, jealousy, Longing looks, and denial of their feelings and there would be conflict both being scare pf their feelings, let the walls that the build after years being apart down until they can hide the fact that never stop loving to each other. Also, I add this of last moment while we explore bughead future I would show more about bughead backstory, go more into their friendship and pre-pilot relationship, they reading together young Jughead pining for young betty I'm a sucker for that.

#Bughead #varchie #riverdale #anti barchie #arsenicpanda #hello love

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tonystarkbingo · 4 years

Text

Tony Stark Bingo Party Prompt Meme

http://generatorland.com/usergenerator.aspx?id=25057 -- we took tags from this random generator and then made up more detailed prompts from them. These prompts are open use, even if you’re not participating in the bingo, but please tag us if you write one, we’d LOVE to see what you did with it! nonsense + everyone is gay + denial : Tony+harem - Tony, while an incorrigible flirt, does not believe that anyone actually likes him, let alone as many as do. They come up with increasingly ridiculous ideas to ask him out or at least let him know they like him, while he innocently thinks they're all just such awesome friends superpowers + bodice-ripper + sad Stuckony - something set in the Regency(ish) era but with secret superpowers as an added bonus. Let’s of angst over trying to hide their secret powers, and wanting to save people without revealing themselves and also cause they’re gay. clones + nighttime + wishes Coulson/Strange (StrangeAgent? AgentStrange? DrAgent?) - Coulson ends up spending the night in the NY Sanctum. Some of the artifacts happen to be particularly sensitive to subconscious fantasies... and isn't it lucky that cloning himself happens to be one of Strange's powers? cruising + flashbacks + bad boys Winteriron possible future Stuckony - small warning for drinking mention - Tony is driving around to distract himself so he doesn't get drunk. He gets in an accident because he is not actually in a state to drive. The accident is comparatively harmless, the flashback to his convoy being attacked in Afghanistan is less so. When Tony wakes up in the hospital he learns that the person who dragged him from his car to safety is one James "Bucky" Barnes, resident motorbike riding bad boy heartthrob and friend/visitor of Steve "regular ER customer" Rogers, who's his hospital roommate. room service + lifeguards + sharing Tony is a lifeguard who takes his job very seriously. He's attending a convention-slash-training seminar at a posh uptown hotel, but then there's a knock at the door. He opens it to find two room service carts, both with order slips on them that indicate they're actually destined for another room. Rather than call the obviously harried and beleaguered bellboy back, he pushes them down the hall himself and knocks on the door... which is answered by none other than the hot beefcake fellow-lifeguard that's been distracting Tony all day. They end up sharing the enormous amount of food... and then maybe some more. :wink: overthinking + pity sex + customer service Tony just turned 40, he's been friends with Bucky and Nat for forever, and they'd been each other's marriage backups for the longest time, like, if they weren't married at 40, they'd marry whoever wasn't married either in their little trio. Only, two years prior, Buckynat became husband and wife and so he's having a little pity party on his floor at the Tower, drinking virgin mojitos and seriously consider a particular customer service to cheer himself up in one way or another - might as well get an orgasm, as shitty and sad as it may be, it's his birthday ffs - but then Bucky and Nat appear in his elevator, and they pull him off the couch he's been sprawled on for three hours, and Nat is the first to kiss him, and he's too stunned to react much but when he does question wtf is happening, Bucky shushes him and Tony lets him. The next morning he is evidently convinced it was all just pity sex, or a kink of theirs or whatever.... certainly nothing to do with the fact that they've been courting him forever and got tired of waiting for him to step out of ObliviousStarklandia. Of course not. wolves + romantic friendship + wigs Okay, so, someone has been doing an excellent job of hiding his baldness from someone else, with whom he's been in a long term best-friends-but-in-love not-quite-relationship. He's got an elaborate series of wigs, and over the years he's gradually been replacing them with slightly more grey ones so that someone else doesn't realise. Aaaand then someone gets bitten by a werewolf, and when he shifts for the first time he is completely bald and the secret is out. accidental relationship + butt dialing + warlocks Tony Stark is not happy with today's mission, not like there's an occasion to enjoy dealing with magic. But now he's in a relationship with Bucky, which is not bad, that man is gorgeous, but this is not the way. He's ranting about it to Jarvis and doesn't realize that he sat on his phone nor that he dialed the other supersoldier in the team until he hears a muffled laugh beneath him. He's going to kill that warlock smuggling + fear + road-trip okay, a Star Wars AU. Farmboy Peter is fleeing from stormtroopers who found out his parents were Jedi. He runs into smuggler Tony and they take off in Tony's ship for an extended road trip in space. possession + loving marriage + gardens & gardening Pepperony, Morgan insists there's a spirit possessing the garden because she's seen the plants dancing. Turns out they've accidentally created sentient plants and Tony is like nope, call somebody else, I do mechanical engineering and they call Dr. Cho to fix it. The marriage is in there somewhere I promise idiots in love + bonding + resurrection Ironhawk - Clint tries to get Lucky back after he goes over the rainbow bridge, but he can’t actually read latin and ends up bringing back Tony from the 18th century. And poor Tony gets Clint as his guide to the 21st. Shenanigans and eventual fluffy ending improv + cultural appropriation + shield maidens After the Battle of New York, Tony's interviewing Thor about Asguardian tech and learns that they have all kinds of shielding devices, and gets interested in trying to replicate what Thor describes just in case aliens decide to pay a call on Earth again. Thor, for his part, is kinda shocked that Earth doesn't have any such shields, though on the other hand it is Midguard, so. You know. Tony gives it a shot and a couple weeks later he's launching the satellites into orbit for a preliminary test of the shields. He intends to test them with SI tech developed from seized Chitauri tech, but before he can get the chance an alien army shows up, guns blazing and very mad about something. The shields hold, thankfully, and the aliens send a strongly worded letter informing him that he has infringed upon their religious and cultural traditions by putting the Stark logo on them. Their planet was visited centuries ago by time-travelers that greatly influenced their culture, religion, government, etc. These time travelers carried devices with that same Stark Logo on them. The Stark Logo has become a complex cultural symbol over the centuries, and they don't appreciate him using it on war tech, even if on shields. Eventually, they figure out that the time travelers' tech was Tony's tech, and agree to leave in peace, but only after Tony spends a terrifying couple of days trying to improvise his way through a diplomatic disaster with an alien power. vampire family + slapstick + loss WinterIronWidow: So, Natasha's been a vampire for a long time, and she's lonely, so she decides to take on some mates, enter established relationship WinterIron. She vampirises them, which leads to Tony having fits about GARLIC and my god, I'm ITALIAN, you horrible woman! And Bucky's like "I'm... CATHOLIC?? OM-- I can't even say G-- now??" awkwardness + chatting & messaging + shyness Tony doesn't understand why everytime Bucky comes into the lab, Dum-E tends to drop whatever he's holding and go hide in his charging station. Dum-E's always a bit clumsy and silly but this is more than usual and Tony's worried that Dum-E doesn't like Bucky or something like that. Anyway after much discussion, with JARVIS as translator and go-between, it turns out that Dum-E has developed a bit of a crush on Bucky's fancy robotic arm. Which ends up of course being a hilarious & awkward situation for all involved. candles + explosions + blind date tony gets bullied by pepper to go on a blind date to get out of his funk, she insists that this Matt Murdock character is the perfect date and Tony will like him. reluctantly tony goes to fancy restaurant and meets Matt Murdock and they hit it off instantly the little snarky assholes. they have a nice dinner by candle light and it's all going so well up until dessert when they order some kind of chocolate lava cake which was tragically not cooked properly and ends up exploding on both of them and bam they fall in love and live happily ever after skeleton puns + reincarnation + deus ex machina A snap, that was all it took to snuff out something so bright amidst the rubble of what was once New York City, and, with Tony gone for good, the living seem rather, well…dead. Until, one day, someone they all thought long dead returned to them, a blue cube glowing in his grip and a sweet promise of a new beginning dripping from his lips. But of course, no new beginning comes without a price laundry + tenderness + dialogue “I hate laundry,” Morgan declared after trying to refold her sweatshirt for the seventh time. “Me too kiddo,” Tony whispered back, sneaking a glance over his shoulder to Pepper who was putting clothes into the wash. “But that’s why we do it together. It gets done and we don't have to do it alone.” world domination + paranoia + everything hurts Tony knew what was coming, he knew. He’d seen the future and he knew. The Kree were coming - why would no one believe him? Not his husband, not the team, not even his own son. He kept convincing them they had to suit up and defend the planet and Steve and Peter kept telling him that a engineering professor from Cal Tech can’t do that, that this suit he talks about is only in his delusions. But he’s not paranoid. Or crazy. Or any of those other words. He is Iron Man. He just has to convince everyone else. feels + useless lesbians + Santa's workshop Toni doesn’t think anyone could accuse her of overflowing with Christmas spirit. That hasn’t stopped the rest of the Avengers from turning the “festive cheer” dial up to eleven, and Toni thinks she might just have to spend the whole next month hiding in her workshop. (Hey, she let DUM-E wear a Santa hat – that has to count for something.) Too bad Jamie Barnes – cyborg superassassin extraordinaire, Captain America’s best friend, and Toni’s big gay crush – has gotten the exact same idea. Now the rest of the team thinks they’ve got a “thing,” and Toni can’t decide which is worse: putting up with the Avengers’ not-so-subtle attempts at matchmaking, or spending all her time with the woman she loves and who she is absolutely, 100%, totally certain doesn’t reciprocate. Getting through this holiday season without having her heart broken might just take… a Christmas miracle. shapeshifting + secret organizations + nurses “C. Barton - Orderly.” That’s what his tag said. But only a very few people knew exactly what kind of hospital Saint Natalis actually was, and just how busy they could be during the full moon. kissing games + pirates + book stores Tony always thought that the shop had a mind of its own. The books were one thing, whispering their secrets to patrons who managed to find their way to it. Jarvis always did warn him not to touch any of the artifacts. The "DO NOT TOUCH" signs plastered all over the crates. So maybe it was his fault that he managed to summon 'Buccaneer Barnes' after touching the shiny pirate sword. "Let's play a game. If you win, I'll help you put all those runaway monsters that jumped out of the books. If I win, you owe me a kiss. Whatdaya say Stark?"

#TonyStarkBingo2020 #prompt meme #party games

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starfaring-princelotor · 4 years

Note

Do you think the only reason why people aren’t critical of VLD Allura is because she doesn’t look like eighties Allura? Because if people are critical of PD from SU then they most certainly should be that way with VLD Allura

I do not know about other people’s reasoning when it comes to being critical of Allura vs 80′s Allura, but I would like to remind people that both PD and Allura are aliens. Anyways, I can tell you my guess about Allura vs PD in this essay. Given, I have not kept up with SU for a while, so most of my knowledge about PD’s actions are based off of the series. I did not see the movie nor anything after that. Consider this a full disclosure that, yes, I am making assumptions from posts I see here.

But here is one reason why I PD gets scrutinized while Allura does not: aftermath.

When SU started, the war was over, and everyone lives except the martyr. Everything seems fine and dandy, Earth is saved, people are saved, and there is a sort of...post-war catharsis feeling the viewers get when watching the first few episodes. Sure, the gang are doing their duties out of loyalty and honor, even after their leader has died, but it is not until the later episodes where you see the true aftermath of PD’s death rise to surface. And I definitely give props to all the writers and designers who included this tidbit that happily ever after still has its very unhappy moments.

Honestly? That is more realistic than Voltron’s ending, even though both series had a self-sacrificing martyr at the end.

It has been said many times before, and people even see it in shows like FMA, where being a hero does not always have heroic consequences for others. When people say, “One must fight so that all could be free” they mean ALL and not some. And yet, Voltron tends to push aside how catastrophically bad life would be for the “losing” side while fluffing up everyone else’s life in a utopia-esque “See? Things are better now! No more bad ever happened again. :)” haze.

But of course. Yes, you see blips of the good, but where is the real good? By this, I mean what about the “bad” guys’ ending?

The SU series showed the Diamonds that what they did was wrong and has heavily affected others. Not only that, but they are also brought to Earth to see for themselves how bad it was and how their willingness to change and understand and help is a progressive step to save people. If the Diamonds were killed at the end of the series, well, how can they help people they hurt? Simple: they can not.

Versus Allura, who dies at the very end with Honerva, they go to space heaven where everything is peachy for them and they no longer have to do anything about the mess they left behind because, guess what? They are dead. Their worries are over. Their last moments of life was a self-delusion that they did the right thing, especially Allura. She fought and sacrificed more than anyone else, so she knows deep in her heart that her last act of heroism is the key to peace in the universe and that anything afterwards, well, there will not be anymore problems.

In reality, that is not true, as you can see with PD’s death and how the CG are all very much flawed and suffering and lost on what to do next.

Again, just because Voltron’s ending had clips of a better life for a selective few (I still have big fat fucking issues with Keith doing Peace Corps with an Empire he has no understanding over) does not mean that is how it turned out for everyone.

And that is what SU did well where Voltron dropped the ball. SU started as

>post-war

> well, things are not actually as good as it should be

> fix those problems through personal struggles and coming to terms that martyrdom does not equate a perfect ending

> let us help those who suffered, are still suffering, and will most likely keep suffering because of war

> visually see the aftermath and never sugar-coat the solution as “See? All I needed to do was die!”

SU took the wheel and actually showed the reality of stress post-war, more real than Voltron could ever amount up to. Shiro got married, the Paladins are still friends, and a nearly extinct species came back flourishing. All great, but what about Those Evil Galran? Did they all get locked up or did they just instantly turn good? What about the quintessence issue? Did Allura’s death suddenly give everyone in the universe enough of it to live together happily? And what about the truth behind my execution over a silly little assumption? Was that justified or did I suffer from an incompetent leader’s ability to, well, lead.

I can spit out parallels where heroes follow orders blindly versus heroes who know between right and wrong all day between Voltron and SU. Lapis being stuck in the mirror and imprisoned when “You three knew I was in there!” is one instance I remember that really showed the heroes’ flaw. I believe when Lapis was revealed to be in the mirror, all three of them wanted to keep her locked away from Steven (”It shouldn’t be talking, it should only be taking orders”, “Yeah, let’s bubble it!”, “It’s just a tool! It can’t want anything!”)

Which, if I vaguely recall, Lapis was seen as the enemy way back then? So, the CG just assumed so and kept her out of sight until she could be useful again without properly doing their research AKA just talking to her.

Reminds me of when the Paladin’s imprisoned Sendak, used him for untested experimental memory-probing, then jettisoned him into space after he supposedly mind-fucked with them back. But, yes, he did bad things, he killed under Zarkon’s regime, and was actually one of the main villains at the beginning of the series. And because of this, it only makes sense that Allura and the Paladins get to choose what to do with him.

Wrong. That is very, very wrong.

Sure, Lapis was innocent whereas Sendak has committed crimes (though, based on what I have seen, I am more likely to think Sendak was groomed to be a dog of war, which does not excuse him from imprisonment, but it does excuse improper treatment during imprisonment), yet SU showed that the CG did Lapis wrong whereas Allura and the Paladins are praised for their actions against Sendak after he was pretty much forced into a coma.

SU judged Lapis, then learned that they were wrong in doing so when shown more information about the truth. Voltron judged Sendak wrong without any information other than one personal experience and a spiteful princess, then they give themselves a pat on the back for it while mistreating their captive. You can even compare Sendak to Jasper if you really want to go into it, but even Jasper was treated better by the CG than Sendak was by Allura and the Paladins.

And this is why I am critical of PD and Allura. Both of them died, both of them left unresolved problems and even bigger future issues on other people’s shoulders, and yet Allura is the only one who gets a pass for it? No. She fucked up just as bad, maybe even worse, than PD, but being critical of Allura is less common because viewers are shown a happy ending at the end of the war. SU does not and SU really had more balls than Voltron in that sense.

TLDR; SU series shows the heroes face the consequences of their actions and their deceased leader’s actions. Voltron series sweeps it all under the rug and glorifies the careless martyr in an unfulfilling 2 minute montage.

#asks #this is a series about war #so like #just the fighting or the aftermath too?#su is like the moroally grey #as for the entire space police series?#black and white #good vs evil #and if you dare step between the lines #dare critique the good people #oh boy #at least su said uhhh no fuq dat #there are consequecnes for ur actions buddy pal #and here are the consequences :)

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fallen029 · 5 years

Text

Proposition

"So? What is it, doc? A broken bone? Broken spirit? Terminal illness?"

"Well, for one I'm not a doctor," Mirajane said with a bit of a tsk, "but from what I can tell, Bickslow, you at most have a bruise on your arm."

"Well, you're not a doctor, so I'd keep your opinions to yourself."

The woman only made a face as she asked the seith, "Bickslow, why did you make me come up here?"

"Well, not for this piss poor bedside manner of yours."

"I typically piss in a toilet, not beside the bed."

For a long moment, the pair only stared one another straight in the eyes. Then Bickslow dropped his visor once more.

"What if I told you, Mirajane," he began as he sat the cot up in the infirmary, unconcerned with moving it seemed, "that I had something life changing to tell you?"

"I don't understand the question."

"What do you mean you don't understand?"

"You're asking me what would happen if that occurred, but how could I know? When I don't know what the life changing information is?'

Bickslow considered this before saying, "Maybe I just tell you why I asked you to come up here."

"And explain why you let me go through the ruse of giving you a full medical exam."

"You're saying you didn't want to check my heart rate for me, Mira?"

"I'm saying I'm actually on the clock right now and if I leave Kinana alone for too long-"

"Alright, alright, alright," he griped. "I'll tell ya what's up."

"Alright, Mira," his babies sang as they floated about. "Papa will tell you."

"See, I'm a simple man, Mira," the seith began. Tapping at his chest, he said, "I have simple tastes. Simple desires. Simple-"

"Bickslow-"

"I need you to help me propose to your sister."

Mirajane blinked. Then she blinked some more. Finally, she began to jump all about.

"Oh, Bickslow, are you serious? Do you really want to do that?"

"Well, I did before you started this bouncing business."

"I'm so glad that you came to me," Mirajane said with a bright grin. "For- Wait, you didn't come to me to ask for her hand or something creepy like that, did you?"

"If I wanted her hand, Mira, I would just cut it off after spiking her drink."

The bouncing had stopped and so had the excitement, but still, Mira was smiling some as she stared at the seith.

"This is just the best thing ever. Honestly, Bickslow, the best."

"Well, world peace would be nice. The abolishing of the slave trade. Making it to where you don't knock your freaking toe into stuff when you're stumbling around in the dark-"

"The best."

"But you're right, anyways," the man continued on with that serious tone he put on when he was, rarely, feeling the need for it. And a proposal (or at least the beginning stages of it, called for such a thing). "I didn't come to you to ask for her hand."

"I hope not." Then Mira frowned, if only briefly. "And I really hope you don't drug her and cut it off either."

"I asked you all the way up here for your help."

"My help?"

"When I think of Lisanna, I think of one thing," the seith insisted. "Her hotter older sister."

"Wait, what?"

"But only because," Bickslow went on with an air of importance, "you and her are around one another so much. So. Freaking. Much. Even when she and I are alone, she's worried about what you're doing."

"Awe."

"Well, gross, but if you're in awe of gross things, sure." Still, the man shook his head some before saying, "If there's anyone that I could go to for help with this whole proposal shit, it's you. You can help me pick out a ring, huh? And figure out how I can do all this? Without it being a complete disaster? I don't care about much, you know, doing things all proper and shit. But this is different. Very different."

Her smile fell back to her face then as Mirajane nodded her head a bit. "Of course, Bickslow."

"So, first thing's first," he began with his head held high, "Are we gonna get this prostate exam out of the way or what?"

"What?"

"Turn my head and cough, eh?"

But she was too blissed out, Mirajane was, to care about much else. Not even the fact she was pretty sure she was assisting a complete psychopath with proposing to her sister.

As he went back downstairs, she took her time, just breathing and counting and anything to calm her nerves. To focus. She did still have a shift to get back to. Not to mention, she couldn't spill the beans. Nope. She had to keep this a secret. From her sister. Her little sister who was going to be married and happy and oh, Mira would get to plan it all. Every single step.

She, herself, wasn't too keen on the idea of marriage. It felt antiquated and false.

"I like the ability to date and be with whoever I want."

Laxus frowned when she got to this part of her retelling of her day, sitting there beside her in bed. He'd been reading, honestly, as he'd taken to doing before bed, but somehow, her words penetrated his train of thought, derailing him right into her typical delusions.

"We're," he told her with a perplex gaze, "dating. Monogamously. Mirajane."

"Well, yeah, sure, but we're not married."

"No," he agreed slowly, "but-"

"And Laxus, I think you're missing my point."

Completely.

"I'm happy. For Lisanna. So happy. And now I'll get to plan the wedding of my dreams without ever having to sign my life away to some man-"

"Jokes on you." He went back to his book. "Having seen you're life, I'd definitely void the contract."

Still, Mirajane could hardly contain herself with the thoughts of her sister's impending engagement. She couldn't tell anyone else, not even Lucy or Cana, who she was just chomping at the bit to. It helped though that most everyone was out on jobs, anyways. Even Bickslow and Lisanna went out on a job together not soon after the conversation the seith had had with the barmaid and, well, with them both gone, she had to talk to someone. And clearly, Laxus wasn't going to be that someone.

"Can you believe," she gushed to Freed, "that Bickslow is going to ask Lisanna to marry him?"

The rune mage, at the moment, was trying to enjoy the fact that Evergreen was off on a solo job (S-Class would be upon them soon) and Bickslow was out on a job with Lisanna in the only way he knew how; having a nice drink, alone, at the bar, while going over a magic tome. It was a good way to unwind.

Until Mirajane Strauss sat at his side.

Freed choked too, a bit, on his drink, before frowning at the barmaid. "What did you just say?" he asked as he only wiped his mouth with a napkin, "Mira?"

"Did you not know?" She didn't feel any shame in this as, honestly, that was Bickslow's fault. Not telling his best friend first. Who could blame her for assuming, of all people, Freed knew? "Well, he is."

"I highly doubt that."

"He told me himself."

"Surely, you misunderstood."

"I didn't."

He raised an eyebrow then at her, Freed did, before slowly questioning, "You are certain of this?"

"Very."

"And your sister plans to...say yes?"

"Well, I dunno about that. But I hope so." And then Mirajane got down to what she really wanted to talk about. "Can you imagine it? The wedding? The dress? And ooh, I know she'll pick me to be her maid of honor. Who else would she pick? We're very close, you know."

"I am aware."

"My only issue," Mira was going right along then, "is that I'm still going back and forth on the color scheme? I mean, I'm sure there'll be plenty time to consider it, but-"

"I'm sure that Lisanna, regardless of how close the pair of you are, will have some say in the matters, yes, Mira?"

That made her pause then, just to study the other wizard. Then she shrugged some.

"You don't get it, Freed," she said with a wave of her hand. "This will be my only real wedding to plan."

"Won't you marry? One day?"

"I'm not the type to be all tied down, you know."

"Damn it, woman." And Laxus, who was, of course, seated at the table with Freed, as he always was, slammed down his newspaper then as he took one of his headphones out while glaring at his girlfriend. "I am right here."

"Oh, dragon, you know what I mean."

"No," he growled at her angrily, "I don't."

Freed only glanced between the two of them before sighing deeply. "I suppose neither of you wish to end this charade before it gets too far?"

"I mean, I'm just saying that I don't wanna be with Laxus necessarily forever," Mira defended, frowning, "not that our entire relationship is a charade."

"Might," the slayer growled, "as well."

"I actually was speaking on Bickslow and his idea to propose to Lisanna." Still, Freed sighed a bit before saying, "But I suppose if the two of you have something you wish to talk about-"

"We don't," Mira assured him. "To either of those."

It was difficult to argue with the finality in her tone. Even Laxus only grumbled while putting his headphone back in.

Mirajane was so giddy over the entire thing though. Too giddy, Freed felt (and Laxus seethed), considering the players involved in her little game. She'd spent the time Bickslow and Lisanna were away contemplating all the cutesy ways in which the seith could ask her younger sister to marry him and while each outdid the other, she never felt as if she landed on the exactly perfect way.

As it would turn out, it wouldn't matter anyhow, her feelings on the matter. Her thoughts. Her considerations. Not even her ideas on decorations or the cake or the wedding dress or anything.

Not because they came back from the trip with their relationship in shambles or even because she'd had a change of heart about facilitating the further progression of her sister's relationship with a man probably not even fit to care for the wooden dolls he had. No. Their relationship was better than ever and Mirajane was more committed than ever to the proposal and wedding and all the excellent things she foresaw stemming from it.

Rather, when they arrived at the hall one afternoon, Bickslow and Lisanna were in high spirits, practically falling off one another as they happily announced to everyone within hearing distance that, in fact, they'd gotten married while they were out on their job. Eloped, maybe, was the right word.

Mirajane preferred betrayal.

Laxus just wished he wasn't around that day. For a multitude of reasons. For one, because the guild immediately shifted into party mode (he honestly felt as if the place was in a constant state of that , anyways) and he was not down for that. At all. For two though, and probably the most important reason, because he knew that Mirajane was not going to take this well.

He was tripping over his feet some, Laxus was, around all the commotion that Lisanna and Bickslow set off in the hall with their announcement, to get over to the bar. To get to his girlfriend. Before...well, he wasn't sure what he was trying to stop. Murder felt likely.

She was behind the bar, where she'd been before they even came in, just standing there, a mug she'd been polishing in hand, staring with wide eyes as the others all descended on her little sister and Bickslow.

"Mira," Laxus whispered over the excitement as he only stood before her. "Are you…gonna be alright? With all this?"

Absolutely not. In anyway. He knew this. The dark look in her eyes told him this. As if he needed to be told it once more. He knew the woman well at that point and they were minutes away from either a meltdown or a shutdown.

He wasn't sure what would be worse in that situation.

Given the party atmosphere, she was needed to serve drinks… Poor Kinana couldn't do it all alone, after all.

"Oi, Boss, did ya hear?" Bickslow escaped the madness (most of the members were far more interested in his apparent bride, anyhow), just to get over to the bar. "I'm a taken man now. So what you gonna get me? For my weddin' gift? Payin' my rent would be nice, but-"

"Bickslow," the slayer growled with a glare, "right now isn't a good-"

"Why," Mira finally spoke, staring straight at the seith, "would you do this? Bickslow? I thought that you told me-"

"Oi, Mrs. Boss," he remarked. "Or should I be Mrs. Lisanna now? Eh? A title in the works. A work in progress. I'll have a lotta time to figure it out, after all. Forever, I guess."

"You," Mira repeated, "guess."

"It's what I said."

"Mira-" Laxus tried once more, but no. There was no saving them. The demon was going to explode. She was. Honestly, she was.

How could Bickslow do this to her? Get her all excited and amped up and then pull some...some...bullshit like this? Huh? How could he do that?

Mira was just about to give him a piece of her mind too (a huge chunk of it, honestly) and Laxus was considering their safest exit route, when Lisanna was finally able to break free a bit too. It was difficult, but she broke through the congratulatory words and hugs and questions just to make it over to her sister who she beamed at so happily and so excitedly and Mira wanted to be upset. She knew she had the right to be. How could they do that? Go and have some sort of courthouse marriage and not include her at all and who's wedding was she going to plan now? Huh?

"Well," Lisanna started with a bright smile as she stood before the bar, "what do you think? Sis? I'm a married woman now."

It fell then, all of it. Deflated. Mira almost dropped the mug then, even, to the ground, as she rushed right around the bar, eyes filled with tears as she only wrapped her arms around her sister. All the anger was washing away and the shock was becoming something different, seeing her sister then, so happy and expecting her to be the same.

"Yeah," Mira sighed as she held her younger sister closely. "You are."

It was a long, intoxicating night up at the guild and Laxus was glad when he finally found his way home, to his own bed, to sleep off what was no doubt going to become a hangover. He was just drifting off when Mirajane suddenly patted at his chest.

"Evergreen," she whispered to him softly, "is going to have to marry Elfman now. You know. And let me plan it all. Marriage is the perfect solution to all their problems, don't you think?"

Laxus only shut his eyes though. "Yeah, demon. I do."

But not theirs.

Thankfully.

#Bixanna #Miraxus #Mirajane #Laxus #Bickslow #Lisanna #Freed Justine #Fairy Tail #Fanfiction

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maylovexhs · 6 years

Text

INVISIBLE - PART 6

Author’s Note: Did you miss me darlings? I sure missed you! Thank you for all the lovely comments and messages you all are sending me. I love each and everyone of you with my heart. The college life is killing me so I'm probably will post 2-3 weeks for now on until winter time. The final part of invisible is next week(just a heads up). But anyways this part I CRIED. THIS PART IS EMOTIONAL. If anyone of you feel invisible in any part of your life. You're not. I see you and I'm a friend if ya need someone to talk to so yeah! Anyways enjoy, loves. I love ya! Xxx M

Masterlist

Invisible Masterlist

"Yes mom, I know" I spoke into my phone. "Tomorrow. At twelve"

"Okay. Just making sure" She said in a hostile voice. "I don't need your fucking father stealing something of mine when the divorce finalizes"

I chuckled, walking towards the club's entrance. I heard the loud music coming from inside.

"Yeah, I get it" I told her. "Divorces are messy. You need people to help clean it up"

"Exactly honey" My mom said to me. "You're always so understanding. If it wasn't for you, I don't know what I would do without you. I would probably die"

I shook my head.

"Don't speak like that, mom" I said. "You shouldn't let even dad make you feel like you want to die. You deserve better"

"I know that now Y/N" My mom said, trying to comfort. "I've been hoping that it would get better between your father and I but it wasn't. It wasn't and for so long I let him make me miserable"

"He doesn't get to make you miserable now" I said. "You can be so happy now. You can find someone else who makes you more happy than he ever did"

I heard silence on the other line. I was expecting my mom to say something.

"Mom?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm here" I heard her say with her sniffling.

"Are you crying?" I asked her.

"Yes but don't worry about me" She told me. "You worried about me for so long. You cared for everyone else for so long. Take care of yourself tonight. You deserve to"

I smiled to myself.

"Okay mom" I said. "Bye"

"Bye sweetheart" She said. "Happy birthday"

I smirked to myself.

"Thanks mom" I said.

I moved the phone from my ear and hung up the call. I opened my small handbag and put my phone in it. I sighed before opening the door of the club. I walked in, immediately being greeted by Anna who was dressed in a black dress.

"Birthday girl!" Anna cheered, pulling me into a very tight hug. "How does it feel? Being one year older?"

"Umm, the same?" I answered her.

She unwrapped her arms around me and let go of me. Elma walked up to us, squinting her eyes at me.

"You're late" Elma told me.

"Sorry" I said. "My mom was complaining about my dad"

"Ah, divorce!" Elma said with sarcasm in her voice. "Why did your parents have to get divorced at the time of your birthday?"

"Better late than never" I said.

"Darlin'" I heard Harry say.

I looked over to the bar to see Harry looking and smiling at me.

Harry.

Harry, who had short hair at my twenty-third birthday party. Twenty fourth birthday party. I turned twenty-three in 2015. I met Harry three months after my birthday and when I did he had long hair. Long hair. What year was it?

"That's my wife!" Harry said, pointing to me as he started to walk over.

"Wife?" I asked, not believing he just said.

"Yeah Y/N" Anna answered. "You two have been married for a bit now"

I felt myself grow pale.

This couldn't be happening. I couldn't be twenty three. I was twenty-three almost three years ago. When I was twenty-three, I didn't even meet Harry. This didn't happen. None of this happened.

"What year is it?" I asked Elma

."2015" Elma said. "Are you really surprised a year passed?"

"This . . .this-"

"Come h'ere love" Harry said, taking my hand and pulling me closer to him.

Our bodies were pressed against together. My hand rested on his chest, right between his swallow birds tattoos. I stared at his tattoos, not believing I was this close to him.

I couldn't be this close to him after what just happened. Kendall wouldn't allow us to be in the same room after what had just happened. This had to be a dream or a delusion I'm under. Nothing was making sense despite how much I wanted this to be real. This seemed too good to be true.

I looked up to him smirking down on me. He leaned down and kissed me on the lips. I stood still in shock, trying to process what was going on. I couldn't think. Harry's kiss consumed me, clouding my logic and judgement. I closed my eyes.

I couldn't describe it. Harry's kiss was something else. His lips tasted as I imagined they would. Better possibility. His lips were soft and sweet. Almost as peach sweet. His lips moved against mine passionately yet slow enough that it made the hairs at the back of my neck stand up. I felt a sudden strike of adrenaline rush in my body. I cupped Harry's cheeks, fearing he would pull away from me. Ironically, I was the first one to pull away.

"No" I said out loud, pushing him away from me.

I opened my eyes and took a few steps back. Harry looked to me, confused and worried.

"What's wrong love?" He asked.

I looked to Elma and Anna who were surprised. I knew this couldn't be real. Nothing was making sense.

"This isn't happening" I said, placing my hand on my head. "You're. . .you're with Kendall"

"What?" Harry asked.

I turned away and started to run away. Before I knew it, I hit the ground face-first.

I slowly opened my eyes to see the blurry right side of my bedroom. I blinked a few times, processing what I had experienced.

I touched my lips and looked at my fingers to see if there was blood. There wasn't.

It was a dream. A dream.

I knew it was a dream.

I sat up slowly in bed. I noticed I was still wearing my sequin dress from last night. I slept in it. I don't remember coming home last night. The last thing I remember was running out of my Uber. I must have been too exhausted from Harry that I passed out after that.I looked to the mirror, seeing my mascara had run down and dried on my cheeks. I looked to my pillow, seeing some of the blush and mascara left an imprint on it.

My phone was on my bedside table.I didn't want to look at my phone. I knew there would be several messages from Elma and Harry. I couldn't deal with them yet. Not when I'm still recovering from last night.

I stood up slowly from my bed. I walked over to my bathroom and opened the door. I saw my reflection in the mirror that was above my sink. I watched myself in the mirror as I moved the straps of my dress off my shoulders. The dress fell to the floor. I was in my strapless black bra and my black underwear.

I looked like a mess. I was worse than one. I'm a whore. I'm a helpless whore who's in love with someone else's man. I am a whore.

I stepped out of my dress, feeling my eyes begin to water. I peeled down my underwear as tears rolled down my face. I unhooked my bra, letting it fall on the floor. I walked to the bathtub and stepped into it. I sat down, feeling as if my trembling shaking legs were about to give up on me. I turned the hot and cold knobs. Water gushed out of the faucet, running over my knees to my legs. I noticed some small growing hairs on my thighs. I didn't care to shave them.I sat back against the side of the tub and closed my eyes, trying to focus on the sound of the pouring water.

I placed the my hands on my eyes, trying to stop my crying. My chest felt as if it was on fire. It hurt so much I thought I was burning. I removed my hands away from my eyes and placed it on my chest. My heart was beating fast. Faster than I remember it did last night.

I opened my eyes, looking at the water come out from the faucet.

If love hurt so much, why was it so idealized?

Movies always end with everyone having a happily ever after. What happens if there isn't a happily ever after? What if there isn't a happily ever after for everyone? What if there was none for me? I knew I deserved someone better than Harry but was there any better? There had to be. Could there be?

I moved closer to the faucet. I turned the knobs, shutting the water off. I moved to the middle of the bathtub facing the other side. I brought my knees up to my chest. I buried my head into my knees, hugging my legs.

What's the point of loving someone when all they cause is pain?

I loved Harry pretty much the second I met him. It was impossible not to fall in love with him. He is the kindest person I ever knew. The moment I met him, he made me feel safe. He made me feel free. Happy. Especially after not being happy having to be the backbone of my parents marriage. Maybe I fell for Harry because of what he gave me my parents couldn't. Attention. Attention that made me feel not invisible. Then again, attention from the wrong person during a lonely time could fool you into thinking they are the one. Maybe that was my case with Harry. I let him give me panic attacks and I called it love. I let what him say about me made me what I thought of myself. He drove me to self destruct. That wasn't love. This isn't love.

RIIINNNNGGGG.

I lifted my head from my knees, looking to the open bathroom door. My phone. Someone was calling me.

RIIINNNNGGGG.

I wasn't going to answer it. I needed an escape from my life. Not a pull back into it.I sat back in the tub. I slouched down more into the water. I closed my eyes, slipping under the water.

I needed to say goodbye to him. I needed to say goodbye to the person who didn't love me.

I regret this. This was a horrible idea. I'm such an idiot for wanting to do this.

I was a bit surprised and nervous at the same time. I checked my phone after my bath and saw that Harry left me more calls and messages than I expected. When I texted him if he wanted to meet up, he answered immediately yes. His answer frightened me. If he said no, I figured I wouldn't need to say goodbye and would know he knew that I loved him but didn't want anything to do with me. A no from him would answer everything of mine. His yes had another meaning. Yes to knowing the truth but still wanting to be friends? Yes to not knowing and wanted to be friends with me still? A yes to knowing the truth and wanting to know how? For fuck's sake, I should have said no.

I took out my phone from my jacket's pocket and looked at the time.

12:45 PM.

Harry said he would be here at 12:30. Maybe he changed his mind last second and decided not to come. I would do that too if I were in his place. Kendall would pressure him to. Maybe I should leave. The umbrella I had open would disguise my hair from him if I walked away. I'm sure he would understand why I would leave. He was late and I had a place to be. He would understand, right?

I put my phone back into my jacket pocket. I turned away, looking in the distance.

"Y/N!" I heard Harry call me from behind.

Fuck.

I should have left earlier.

I turned around to see Harry walk towards me. He was happy. Why did he have to be happy? I knew what I was going to say to him wasn't going to make him delighted.

I looked to his hands to see him holding my white jacket from last night. I forgot I left it in the car. He remembered I left it.

"Harry" I said, trying not to smile much at him. "Hi"

"Hi" Harry smirked at me with his bright eyes staring into mine.

I swear anyone could get lost in his sea green eyes. Anyone could be intimidated by them too.

"Sorry, I'm late. I almost forgot to bring this" Harry said, referring to my jacket. "Figured yeh need it"

He handed my jacket over to me with his hand touching mine.

I wished I could hold his hand. He was warm. Warmer than me. I always wondered what holding his hand would feel like. I wondered how he would react when my cold hands fit perfectly in his. I wondered how one of his rings would look on my fingers. I wondered how tight he would hold me when we were out. I wished he wanted to hold my hand. I wished he wanted to hold my hand not only because he wanted to comfort me when I was upset. I wished he wanted to hold my hand because he loves me. He never would though.

"Thanks" I said, taking a subtle step back from him. "I forgot I left it"

I looked down to my white jacket, trying desperately to escape Harry's eyes. Harry was making me uncomfortable and anxious. I wished I could leave. I couldn't until I tell him. I just didn't know how.

"Kendall told me'h" I heard Harry say.

I lifted my head to him. Our eyes met. My heart started to beat faster as I began to panic.

"She told me'h how yeh were crying when she kissed me'h" Harry said, taking a step closer to me. "Is it true?"

I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't. My eyes started to water up. I looked down, trying to control my tears. I couldn't look at him. I didn't have the confidence to tell him the truth when he looks at me with his angel eyes.

"Y/N," Harry called on me. "Yeh can tell me'h. I won't be mad at yeh if yeh did"

He's so nice. I'll always miss that about him.

Somehow I forced myself to look at him despite crying.

"Yes" I said in a low voice, nodding my head. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry"

I looked back down, swiping the tears on my cheeks away.

God, I'm such an idiot. He's hates me, he hates me all because I couldn't control what I felt around him. He only wanted me as a friend and I couldn't only be that. I ruined my relationship with the nicest person in my life. Another nice person in my life has to leave.

"Why?" Harry asked me, hearing him speak in a melancholic tone.

I looked to him. Both in curiosity why he spoke melancholy and in confusion to his question.

"Why?" I asked him, critiquing him. "What do you mean why?"

"I mean. . ." Harry started to speak but stopped to think.

"I mean why didn't yeh tell me'h earlier? Why not after the tour?"

Why? Why?

Maybe because I was invisible the whole time to him. What's the point of trying to tell him I loved him when he wouldn't notice me? He doesn't understand that. He never has. No matter how I try, I'll never reach him. I gave up. I gave up on him. I gave up on hope.

I took a step back away from him. I gave him a small sincere smile. If it was one thing I could control, it was how I wanted to say goodbye to him.

"I give up” I said out loud. “I give up”

“Give up what?” Harry asked me, looking a mix of confused and afraid. "What are yeh talking about?”

“I. Give. Up.” I repeated, smiling again as I felt more tears come on. "I’m giving up on you”

“Y/N” Harry said, stepping closer to me.

“No” I stepped more back away from him.

I shook my head at him.

"No" I stated somehow holding my tears back. "You never knew how much I wished for you to notice me. You never knew how much I changed myself for you"

"Change?" Harry asked. "Why would yeh change? I like yeh the way yeh are"

“That’s the point!” I raised my voice, pushing my hair back in frustration. “I wished you to more than like me! I wished I was the last thing on your mind before you go to sleep. I wished that you couldn’t eat or breathe without me. I wished you couldn't figure me out but you always wanna know what I was about. I wished. . .”

I stopped talking, noticing how Harry became silent and still. He became speechless. I made him become speechless. I was speechless.

I looked down, reflecting on why I came here in the first place. To say goodbye and move on. I couldn't be afraid of leaving Harry. I had to be okay with what I was about to do.

“I wished that you loved me” I spoke, looking to Harry. "I wished you did but you don’t. And that's okay. I'm okay"

#hs au #hs fanfic #hs fanfiction #hs imagines #harry styles imagine #harrystylesimagine #harry styles imagines #harry styles fic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles one shot #invisible maylovexhs

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darisu-chan · 6 years

Text

The Three Gruesome Mysteries of Karakura Town

Welcome to my take of the “Buzzfeed Unsolved IchiRuki AU.” I hope I did it justice, because I love BU, and you know I love these dorks.

Hope you all like it!

You can also read it here.

Prompt: au of your choice!- Buzzfeed Unsolved AU

Summary: Ichigo tries to prove ghosts exist, meanwhile Rukia insists all evidence is the wind.

Video starts.

The scene: an abandoned building at downtown Karakura.

Two twenty-somethings, Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia, stand outside, with their backs towards the building. Chad, their main cameraman, gives them a thumbs up. Ichigo takes a deep breath and then looks into the camera.

“This week on Bleach Unsolved we cover several cases and we visit some of the most haunted locations here in Karakura Town.” Ichigo explains while Rukia happily nods next to him. “In an effort to answer our ongoing question: Are ghosts real?” He asks while his partner vehemently shakes her head.

“What? Think they’re not real?” He tells her.

“Nope.” Rukia says simply. “In every case we’ve covered, there hasn’t been any compelling ghost evidence.”

“Well, today’s that about to change, since, for the first time in the show, we’re actually going to be investigating in the actual places.” Ichigo says. “Fasten your seatbelts, folks, ‘cause this is not a drill. Today we’re gonna prove ghosts are a thing!” He says excitedly.

“I’m pretty sure all we’re gonna hear is the wind.”

“Shut up! I swear to god ghosts are real!”

“You keep saying that, but I see no real reason for ghosts to exist.”

“No real reason? Rukia, our myths revolve around ghosts and demons and the supernatural!” Ichigo says gesturing around them. “They have to exist!”

She just shrugs. “You think that only because you think you saw a ghost.”

“I didn’t think I saw a ghost! I saw it!”

“It was probably a delusion.”

“I’m pretty sure it was a ghost.” He mutters angrily. “And I’m going to prove it in today’s episode!”

“Speaking of which, what are we doing here?” Rukia asks, looking around. “The building looks creepy, but that’s about it.”

Ichigo smirks. “Glad you ask. Today we’re here for our first gruesome mystery: the sad guitar incident.”

“The what now?”

“The sad guitar! Keep up!” He coughs. “Anyway, here’s how the story goes.” Ichigo changes his voice tone to a deeper, more mysterious tone. “On November 5, 1988, a strange thing occurred in an apartment building in downtown Karakura. In one of the empty apartments, a peculiar noise could be heard. It was the strums of a guitar. The neighbors filed a complaint to the landlord, who insisted nobody lived there. Since the door was locked as well as all windows, it was impossible to get inside. The landlord went in and checked the place without finding anything. However, days passed and eventually they became weeks, and the guitar playing could still be heard. It unnerved the neighbors.”

“Hold up.” Rukia says, interrupting him. “They were unnerved of a guitar?”

“Well, yeah. Imagine if you suddenly start hearing someone playing a guitar, but there’s no one in the apartment.” Ichigo says. “By the way, I forgot to mention it was always at the same time. 10 o’ clock pm.”

“It’s a lousy time to practice guitar, I’ll give you that.”

“That’s all you’re getting from the info?” He asks in disbelief.

“Well, yeah. Some people start getting ready to go to sleep at that time. Imagine if you have to get up at 5 the next day, but you can’t fall asleep because an asshole decided to play the guitar.” Ichigo wheezes. “Was the guitar playing good anyway?”

“It was described as a nostalgic tune. Hence the name ‘the sad guitar’.”

“So it wasn’t good at all?”

“Don’t think so.”

“Hah. Thought so.”

“As weeks passed by and the situation continued, the landlord started believing the building might be haunted.” Ichigo keeps retelling the events. “As it turns out, he had acquired the entire building at a low price eight years prior. He didn’t receive a lot of information about it, thinking everything was in order. Most tenants stayed, but there were unrented apartments. One of them was apartment number 25.”

“Ghost guitar apartment?” Rukia asks.

“Ghost guitar apartment.”

“For the next eight years, the landlord, Ukitake Juushiro, would have trouble keeping that apartment rented. Each time someone came to live there, they would inexplicably leave shortly after.”

“How shortly after?”

“Six months to a year after having rented it.”

“Huh. Not that unheard of. But still…”

“Yeah. Around ten tenants went through that apartment, and when the guitar incident started happening, it had been empty for around two months.”

“Now I’m curious about the apartment.” Rukia says.

“Let’s take a look.”

Scene changes. Ichigo and Rukia get inside the building. There, they notice the empty hall. The walls look gray, the paint’s chipped, and there’s rumble littering the floor. The whole place is covered in cobwebs and dust. It seems that it was abandoned long ago.

“This place is a mess.” Ichigo mutters as they explore the place.

“How long has it been empty?” Rukia asks him as she flashes her flashlight in every corner.

“A decade.”

“Huh. Well, to me it looks like it’s been like fifty years in this state.”

“There’s a reason for that.” Ichigo starts explaining. “Eventually, Ukitake-san started digging in the records of the past tenants of that apartment. He found out that, in the early seventies, a twenty five year old man by the name of Hisagi Shuhei lived there. He was a struggling musician, who worked at a local bar. He often practiced in the apartment, to the discontentment of his neighbors. The instrument: a guitar.” He dramatically pauses to show a picture of Hisagi playing the guitar. “However, even if he was a promising musician, he wasn’t getting paid enough. His friends said he had been desperate to make more money, as he planned to woo and marry a waitress that worked at the same bar as he did.”

“Love problems. The downfall of most men in these stories.” Rukia comments.

“It’s always been the reason for most infortunes in history.”

“Like the reason I’m doing these videos in the first place.” She jokes, making Ichigo fume.

“Shut up.”

“As for Hisagi, soon he piled up a considerable debt, to the point the previous owner of the place, Tosen Kaname, told him he needed to leave the apartment in three days after he failed to pay the rent. On November of 1973, he played his guitar one last time before jumping from his fourth floor apartment. He didn’t survive the crash.”

They begin walking up the stairs to reach the four floor. As they pass, they see more rubble on the floor. The steps creak each time they walk on them. The place is dark to boot. They need to illuminate it with their flashlights.

“So, you’re saying the sad guitar is being played by a ghost?” Rukia asks as they ascend the stairs.

“It’s too much of a coincidence to have the previous tenant be a musician and then die, only for people to hear a guitar coming from that same apartment years later, on the same month he passed away, no less.” He answers her. “Right now, we’re going to the apartment to see if we can hear the guitar.”

Rukia rolls her eyes. “Yeah right, Ichigo. As if we’d suddenly hear the guitar.”

As in cue, they hear something as they walk up the stairs.

“What was that?” Ichigo asks, stopping dead on his tracks.

“It was nothing.” She dismisses it with a wave of his hand.

“No, no. I’m sure I heard something.”

There is a noise which almost sounds like guitar strums. But it is so low it can be barely heard through the video. Ichigo immediately starts running up the stairs left to reach the fourth floor.

“Where are you going?!” Rukia yells at him as he speeds up in front of her.

“That was the guitar! I need to reach the apartment to listen closely!”

They both run what is left of the way until they reach a floor which looks exactly the same as all the previous ones. There is a bit of a rustle coming from one of the apartments. Ichigo runs towards apartment 25, the camera strapped to his chest picking up more sounds.

“Aha!” He exclaims as he opens the door to reveal… absolutely nothing.

“Well, well, well.” Rukia says from behind him. “If it isn’t an open window!” She gestures to the sole window in the room, which, as she said, is opened. The wind makes the dirty curtain move and rustle, the cacophony of the room helping it create an echo. It does sound melodically. Almost like a song.

“Bu-but… I don’t understand.” Ichigo says dumbfounded. “I swear I heard the guitar!”

“It was just the wind.” His partner replies, shrugging.

“I hate it when you’re right.”

“Where are we now, Ichigo?” Rukia asks as both she and he stand outside another building at night.

“This is Karakura High School, and the setting of our next incident.”

“Karakura High? Didn’t you study here?” She asks, gesturing to the beige school behind them.

“That’s right. And I’m about to retell the most famous legend in here.”

“Oh, this will be fun.” Rukia replies, motioning to him to start speaking.

“For years and years, it has been said that exactly at 12 pm at night, in the girls’ restrooms located at the third floor, a voice can be heard coming from the third stall. It is said it’s the spirit of a girl by the name of Hiyori. If you go near her, she will insult you before slapping you in the face.”

“Slap you?” Rukia asks incredulously.

“Yeah. It’s as you heard.”

“Well this one sounds even more unbelievable than the other. Why would a ghost slap you?”

“For the record, a lot of our classmates held spiritual sessions here. A couple swear they got slapped after being called ‘baldies.’ Right, Chad?” The camera man grumbles in reply.

“But why would she slap you?” She repeats her question.

“That’s what we’re here to find out. We’re staying overnight to see if we can find her. At exactly 12, we’ll go to the stall to catch evidence.” Ichigo says.

“Man, this will be boring.”

They make their way inside the school. It looks like your average Japanese school. It has a lot of tree areas outside. The corridors are filled with classrooms, offices, restrooms and the like. They pass by the cafeteria, as Ichigo shows Rukia around.

“Does it look any different during daytime?” She asks him as they walk.

“Less creepy.” He says, shrugging. “It has many legends going on. A haunted classroom, moving chairs in the cafeteria, a ghost that peeks on the girls’ locker room. I just chose the one with more evidence for this video.”

“The ghost in the restroom has more evidence?” Rukia asks in disbelief.

“Hey! As I told before, there’ve been many eyewitnesses.”

“Sure, Ichigo.”

They finally approach a classroom on the third floor, right beside the girls’ restroom. They sit down on the ground, forming a small circle, their flashlights lighting up the room.

“Okay. Now’s time to actually tell the story.”

“Ooohhh. Storytelling time!” She exclaims.

“The story goes that there was a student by the name of Hiyori. She was mocked because she was poorer than the rest and couldn’t afford shoes. She mostly put on sandals when it was time to go home, and always got to school wearing those same sandals. However, a mean spirited group of girls once stole her sandals, so she had to go home barefoot. Here’s where the story gets muddy.”

“Muddy? I like that!”

“Some say she walked on the riverbank, where she got mugged and killed. Others say she was too ashamed to go back home, so she escaped and eventually got killed. Other stories are inconsequential. But, long story short, in all of them she dies.”

“This isn’t a fun story.”

“It’s not.” Ichigo clears his throat. “Anyway, the girls were in a club. Some stories say that it was the volleyball club, others don’t name it. The point’s that they were holding a spiritual session in this very room to scare the club’s new members. They asked for any spirit to materialize. Nothing happened right away, but, someone heard movement in the restrooms at exactly 12 pm. They dared one of the new girls to check it. She did it and then she screamed. She rushed out of the restroom as the others reached her. She claimed a girl with blonde pigtails had called her a ‘stupid baldy’ and slapped her with what felt like a sandal. They immediately knew it was Hiyori. Ever since, students have stayed overnight to have séances and the like. After that, if they hear movement in the restroom, they go to the third stall to see if there’s a ghost.”

“So that’s what we’re doing.” Rukia says. “Calling this dead girl to see if we can catch her on camera.”

“Or at least get slapped.”

“Or insulted.”

“You insult me enough.”

They both laugh. “Then why are you complaining?”

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo takes out a candle from his backpack. “So now we’re gonna hold a spiritual session. It’s exactly 11:50. Let’s see if in ten minutes we can call a ghost. Rukia, give me your hands.”

“Oh, Kurosaki-kun, so bold!” She says before grabbing his hands.

“Shut up. Anyway, here comes nothing. Spirits from beyond. We call to you to seek the truth. Tells us, is there a girl by the name of Hiyori here?”

Nothing happens.

“Nothing’s happening.” Rukia grumbles.

“Be quiet.” He tells her. “I’ll try again. Spirits, if you hear me, please tell us, is there a girl named Hiyori? Hiyori, are you here?”

They try this a couple more times to no avail. Rukia starts getting impatient, grumbling about ghosts not being real, while Ichigo starts getting frustrated. Exactly at 11:59, Ichigo tries one last time.

“Hiyori, are you here? Talk to us!”

They both hear a sound coming from the restroom next door, as if something was rustling.

“What was that?” Ichigo asks, suddenly alarmed. He stands up and looks around.

“It’s probably nothing.”

“No. It’s coming from the restroom. I’m sure.” He says before bolting out of the room. Rukia sighs just before having to follow him.

“Let’s see if Ichigo’ll finally find a ghost.”

Ichigo runs to the restroom and opens the third stall with a kick to the door to find… nothing. Rukia starts giggling uncontrollably behind him.

“Where’s your ghost, Ichigo?”

“No! What’s this? She was supposed to be here!” He says, gesturing to the door.

“I don’t see anything. But aren’t ghosts transparent.”

“Incorporeal. But that’s not the point!” Ichigo exclaims. “What was that sound if it wasn’t the ghost?!”

“Hey, look.” Rukia says, catching his attention. “The janitor left the window open. What you heard was probably the wind.”

“The wind?! Again?!”

“I’m convinced that’s all your ghost evidence.”

“I really hate you right now.”

“I love you too.”

“Well, we’re on our final location for this episode.” Ichigo says to the camera as he sits outside of a fountain. “The Karakura Mall.” He says, gesturing around him. Sure enough, he and Rukia are sitting on the fountain in the middle of a deserted mall. There’s rumble everywhere, and the entire place looks as if it had seen better days.

“What’s this place?” Rukia asks him.

“It’s the first mall we had in town. It was abandoned like 20 years ago.”

“Why?”

“Ah. That’s the thing and the reason we’re here.”

“Spooky.” Rukia says in a playful tone.

“It’s very spooky, actually.”

“Can’t wait for this one.” She says, winking at the camera.

“When the Karakura Mall was first built, it was supposed to be the highlight of the town. It was meant to attract tourists as well as bring in stores that didn’t exist here yet. It was a win-win situation for everyone involved. After it was finished, stores started opening, and the business went booming. That is, of course, until strange occurrences started happening.”

“What occurrences?” Rukia asks.

“They noticed that things weren’t in the same place they had left them during the night. First, it began with small things being moved around. Then, things were thrown to the floor. Sweaters and pants sprawled all over the place. Chairs missing. Spoons on the floor. Mannequins moving from place to place. Their initial thought was that there was a thief. The problem was that they found all the things which were missing eventually, and the cash registers were left alone. All money was there.”

“Then how did they go from a thief to a ghost? They’re very different.”

“As I was saying, because all stuff was there, and nobody stole the money from the registers.”

“It could’ve been a prank, though.” Rukia says.

“Well, here’s why they began thinking these incidents were supernatural. One very silent night, the guard was doing his rounds around the place, when he saw movement from a display window. Naturally, he approached it, thinking he had caught the person responsible. What he saw, however, wasn’t made by a human. He saw one of the mannequins from a store move its head to stare at him right before it fell to the ground with a thud.”

“Did that really happen, Ichigo?” She asks her partner. “It seems too far-fetched.”

“The guard swore by it then, and even in a recent interview for a local online magazine, he repeated the same thing. All the times he’s retold the story, the details have been the same.”

“Is he sane?”

“He didn’t imagine it. They found the mannequin on the floor the next morning.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. And other guards started hearing noises at night. They saw chairs from the food court moving around. It came to a point the people that worked here theorized the mall was built on a cursed place.”

“Is this why the mall got abandoned?”

“No. Back then, people weren’t too materialistic and they didn’t want to spend a lot of money on the stores here. The rumors of the poltergeist activity just made it so less people came. With no costumers, it closed down entirely. Eventually, the citizens’ way of leaving would change, and they opened a new mall in another place. Yet this building remained abandoned, only being frequented by the homeless, those doing illicit activities, and people trying to find the spirits that are said to be here.”

“So just like us.”

“Well now, to catch some evidence, I’ve brought this.” Ichigo says taking out a device from his pocket.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a spirit box. It’s a device which uses radio frequencies to help ghosts communicate.”

“That doesn’t sound very scientific.”

“Well, it is, and we’re going to try it now!”

The two move to one of the empty stores on the first floor. There’s a chair lying around and Ichigo sets the box there.

“Alright, ghosts, I’ll leave this device here, it’ll help you talk to us. So, when you’re ready, you can start saying something.” Ichigo turns it on and it starts making a lot of static noise. Rukia covers her ears.

“That’s really loud!” She exclaims.

Ichigo laughs. “Yeah. Should’ve warned you. Anyway, have a question for the ghosts?”

“What’s your name?” Rukia asks.

There’s nothing except for noise.

“Why are you here?” Ichigo tries now.

“Do you hate malls? Is that why you haunt this place?” Rukia tries again.

“Yes.” Comes from the spirit box. It is said in a voice which sounds deep and masculine.

“Holy shit!” Ichigo exclaims, taking a step back while Rukia laughs.

“Do you want to harm us?”

“Maybe… brown.” Comes from the EVP.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Both ask.

“Gerald.” It says.

“Is that your name? Gerald?” Ichigo asks.

“Potato… pie.”

“Potato pie?” Rukia asks and starts giggling. “What’s that? A new dish?”

“Okay. That’s enough.” Ichigo says as he turns it off.

“I gotta say, Ichigo, that was fun. Scientific? Eh.” She says, shaking her head and moving her hand. “Fun? Yes.”

“Ha, ha.” Ichigo says sarcastically. “Well, now let’s keep exploring.”

They walk around, laughing at discarded mannequins. They play with some of the stuff littering around the place. They decide to go upstairs, to see the other stores on the second floor. They pass by what seems to be an old video store. They’re looking around when Ichigo hears a whispering sound from the next door store.

“What was that?” He asks, turning around and squinting his eyes at the wall.

“Probably a raccoon.” Rukia says dismissively.

“No. Something’s not right.” Ichigo says and bolts to the store. He gets in to find… nothing. “Wait. What the hell was that?”

“I told you. Probably a raccoon, or a rat. Maybe a bird.” She says.

“It didn’t sound like that.”

Rukia shrugs and looks around before she starts laughing. “Hah! Found the source of the noise! There’s a hole on the roof. You probably heard the wind moving around rocks.”

“What?! No way!”

“Yes, the evidence is right here!”

In cue, Chad zooms in the hole, showing Rukia’s grin and Ichigo’s displeased expression.

“Fine. You win. For now.”

“I’ll take that.”

“Well, I guess we’ve seen enough.” Ichigo says.

“Yep. Let’s go.”

“These local buildings have been said to be haunted for years now. Although many people have heard and seen things, there’s no concrete evidence to say they are actually being haunted. The question of whether or not there are ghosts involved in these incidents here in Karakura will remain unsolved.”

What unsolved mystery do you want to see next?

#ichiruki #ichirukimonth #ichiruki fanfiction #pro ichiruki #my fanfiction

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wellhellsbelles · 6 years

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Que Será Será, Part II

i got over excited and couldn’t help but post the second part. and yes, there will be one more part after this because i decided it’d be better if i split the grand finale of the fic into two separate parts. the last part will be the perspective of our dear riley :)

anyway, enjoy!

ao3 link found here.

Farkle is twenty-four, going on twenty-five, and his whole world, this existence he’s procured for himself, is getting ready to shatter.

He’s never been one to pace around his house anxiously, but he’s also never been waiting to turn twenty-five before, the seconds ticking away at the clock a reminder of something he’s never once had faith in.

That is, until now.

Even he can’t deny the fact that he wants so desperately to have letters appear on his skin at this point; he’s been fooling himself for years, trying so hard to dispute something that has a high probability of occurring. He’s seen numerous friends go through it that he can’t deny it any longer, which is why he’s wearing a hole into his tile kitchen floor, each minute passing by slower than the next.

Maya insisted she be there, but Farkle wouldn’t let her. This was going to be an experience he had to deal with by himself, to figure out how he felt about it. After all, his opinion on the matter had changed drastically within the course of a month, and he was still dealing with the numerous possibilities that were running through his mind.

Millions of trillions of possibilities, each one a figure he could not even begin to understand, let alone imagine.

It’s probably Riley’s romantic tendencies that have rubbed off on him, he figures, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s waiting for something he never even once believed in.

Until now.

He’s not quite sure what changed his mind. Of course, seeing his friends have the writing appear on their wrists was a factor, but that alone wasn’t enough to change his mind.

Maybe it’s delusions of grandeur.

To think that he’s so important that his wrist warrants a soulmate mark, that he deserves one in the first place, might just be borderline laughable. But he doesn’t ignore his heart’s desires, just this once, and waits for the night to pass and for the letters to appear.

His twelve-year-old self would be laughing at him right now for being so foolish; Farkle’s just glad he’s let himself be open to love. He appreciates not being jaded and cynical, not letting logic rule over every part of him (just most of it).

Farkle is . . . excited. He’s genuinely excited to be a part of this sort of rite of passage, this sort of magic life holds that science can’t explain for, if his apprehensive shifting is any indicator. He stops for several seconds occasionally, just to adjust a picture frame on his wall or to drum his fingers on the kitchen table or the countertops to bide his time.

And then it happens—one minute before the day of his birthday, and the countdown in his head rattles his body, sends goosebumps tingling amongst his skin. Fifty seconds becomes forty, thirty, twenty, and then he’s down to the final ten seconds, and he counts the seconds in his head, practically holding his breath in.

Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . seven . . . six . . . five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . .

One.

His phone vibrates immediately, both to relay his alarm for his annual birthday reminder, as well as mass texts filing in from his friends. Farkle places his phone down on the counter gently, wobbling as his breath catches, the anticipation building with every passing second after midnight. Then he lifts his wrist—the left, of course, always the left—and gingerly and carefully moves up his sleeve, the black lettering coming to view almost instantaneously.

And then he gasps, loudly and very audibly, covering his wrist back up immediately.

It wasn’t a stranger. It wasn’t an acquaintance he met once in passing, or a face that only manifested itself in his dreams when his brain was trying to make sense of the world around him during slumber. No.

It was Riley Matthews.

[Hartbreaker]

yoooooooooooooooooooo who yo soulmate be ya NERD

you can tell me i promise i won’t spill

probably

well maybe not

but you can still tell me

cause

I WANNA KNOWWWW

WILL YOU SHOW MEEEE

I WANNA KNOW ABOUT YOUR SOULMATE MARK, PLEASE

get it? phil collins!!!

. . .

???

u out there???

[Zayday]

k if u aren’t gonna tell maya then u gotta tell me

we cool

cooler than cool

ice cold

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT

come ON you gotta appreciate that

okay, okay i get it i won’t ask

just text me if u alright?

i won’t do the annoying thing again i promise

. . .

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT

maybe i lied a little about that

sorry man i am who i am

but seriously minkus

TEXT US

[Huckleberry Friar]

First of all

Is my name still Huckleberry Friar in your phone?

I feel like you should change that because Maya doesn’t need the satisfaction of everyone in our friend group having my name as that in their phone

Secondly

Are you okay?

I don’t care about the other thing

Just wanna make sure you’re doing fine

Come meet me for lunch if you want I’m going to that pizza parlor around the corner

We can just chill and catch up just lemme know

[Isadora Smackle]

I have heard that you are not answering phones.

Well, you answered Lucas, which is nice.

But I feel like you owe the rest of us the courtesy of answering our phones.

Also, we have a birthday party planned for you that I was not supposed to spill about, but I feel like you are obligated to come to that.

I am just informing you of this.

I will also drag you out by your ear if I have to.

That is all.

[Smiley Riley]

Hey, are you doing alright?

Is this a mid-midlife crisis?

Should I be running over to your apartment to check on you?

I just really worry about you, Farkle.

Okay, you definitely don’t have to answer our texts, but you definitely have to show up at my apartment tonight at eight.

FOR NO REASON AT ALL

JUST A COOL FRIEND HANG OUT NO SPECIAL OCCASION HERE

Dress up nice, though. I know you can do it, Minkus!

Also there might be a certain dessert involved?

Also also objects of particular interest to you that are uhhhh covered in pretty paper that will be relinquished unto you??

I’m really bad at this please just come to your party tonight I made a really cool cake (thanks Pinterest!!) and you’ve got lots of good presents and I feel like you need a hug.

See you tonight! ♥♥

[OPERATION: TOTALLY NOT FARKLE’S BDAY]

Riley: Okay no one talk about the YOU KNOW WHAT at the party

Riley: It’s officially off limits

Maya set the nickname for Riley Matthews to Lame Nerd.

Maya: Uh huh

Maya: Suuuuuuuuuure

Lame Nerd: Maya!!!!!

Lame Nerd set the nickname for Maya Hart to Stupid Dummy.

Stupid Dummy: Good comeback, Lame Nerd!

Lucas set the nickname for Riley Matthews to Riley.

Lucas set the nickname for Maya Hart to Maya.

Lucas: Come on, guys.

Lucas: I agree with Riley. Don’t talk about it. If he wants to tell us, he can, but don’t press him.

Lucas: It is his birthday, after all.

Smackle: I second that. I don’t want you two to ruin the party.

Maya: You two??

Smackle: You and Zay.

Zay: Awwwww how come I gotta be called out like this

Maya: It is what it is, Zay

Riley: Alright, you two are outvoted by Smackle and Lucas and I.

Riley: No talking about it!!!

Riley: Also, Zay

Zay: Yes?

Riley: Please wear something nice.

Riley: As in, NOT YOUR TUXEDO T-SHIRT

Riley: If you’d like, I’ll send you a list of APPROPRIATE wear

Zay: You’re no fun!!!!!

Riley: ISAIAH BABINEAUX

Riley: YOU WILL DO AS I SAY OR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO THE PARTY

Zay: Fiiiiiiiiiiiiine MOM

Lucas: Don’t sass your mother

Maya: Yeah, ZAY. Don’t sass your mother!!!!

Riley: When did you all agree on me being your mom????

Smackle: A while back.

Smackle: Mom

Smackle: :)

Smackle set Riley Matthews nickname as Mom.

Mom: I’LL ONLY ALLOW THIS FOR THIS GROUP

Smackle: Oh, Bubbles

Maya: Oh, Hon

Zay: Too late

Lucas: DEFINITELY too late

Mom: YOU GUYS ARE THE WORST

Mom: . . .

Mom: Please arrive at 7:30 for set up thank you

Mom: GOODBYE FOREVER

Mom left the group.

Maya: Awwww party pooper

Turning twenty-five is not all it’s cracked up to be.

As Farkle sips at his light beer, he watches his friends from beside Riley’s bookshelf as they argue about what to do next, and Farkle really loves them, he really does.

But he wants to leave.

He’s got this overwhelming suffocation in his chest, both from anxiety and proximity to Riley, who doesn’t know she’s supposed to be his soulmate. And by the time she does, it probably won’t even matter to her because she’ll be happy where she is, most likely married to her current boyfriend.

She likes Daniel, as she should—he’s a veterinarian, part-time afterschool tutor. He’s got a great dog that loves her unabashedly, and she fits right into his picturesque home like the last piece of a puzzle.

And that, that is the reason why he doesn’t tell her. But what does he say? He certainly can’t tell them that his best friend’s name is on his wrist; that’s a disaster waiting to happen. Farkle’s had enough rejection in his life time, and for Riley to find out they’re supposed to be together because some unknown force dictated it?

She wouldn’t care for it.

Yes, she does care for him, he’s not unaware of that fact. But caring for someone and being in love with someone are two different things, and Farkle knows for certain that Riley is not in love with him. If she was, they’d be living together happily, and instead of his party being thrown at her house, it be their house.

But there will never be their house, it will always be his house and her house, and Farkle will remain infinitely in love with a girl who doesn’t feel the same way.

Honestly, this whole ordeal is just a punch to the gut, and Farkle would rather stick his head in the toilet for a full minute than admit what his wrist says, so he decides then and there what he’s going to do.

He’s going to pretend he doesn’t have a soulmate mark and live for an eternity with his wrist covered so that no one ever has to know.

It’s for the best, really.

“Okay, Farkle, it’s settled. You’re going to stop moping against this bookshelf and come join us for a fun dance party with no complaints. And you’re gonna dance with me first!” Riley appears at his side, tugging at his left arm. Farkle’s initial reaction is to pull away, but he doesn’t want to make her suspicious, so he complies and lets Riley tug him to the living room as Maya puts on her favorite playlist.

The music starts and immediately Riley starts jumping around, her periwinkle lace dress swishing around her as she beams brightly, her eyes pleading for him to join her. He sighs, setting down his beer so that he can comply, because when can he ever say no to her?

It’s impossible.

And as the room becomes drowned out by Maya’s music and the visage of Riley, Farkle wishes he could live in this moment forever—uncomplicated, undemanding, effortless.

If only.

If only, if only, if only.

Farkle, after turning twenty-five and getting the name of a person who will, despite the forces of the universe trying, never love him back, finds dating to be extremely difficult.

And yeah, it sort of makes sense. People don’t flock to people with soulmate marks, and if they do, it’s because they’re looking for the match to their soulmate mark.

So Farkle quickly learns to deal with the fact that he’s going to be alone forever; that’s just how it’s going to go.

But he tries anyway, because he’s a fucking idiot, that’s what. It never lasts, even the ones that promise him it will, and all of it can be explained by the other person soon finding their soulmate and ditching him. It drives him up the wall, but he gets it. He really does.

It doesn’t help that he knows he’s in love with Riley still, too. How can he not? If he had gotten her name tattooed on his wrist when he was younger, he would’ve fainted, maybe even died from shock. But now that he’s older and his love for her has become more solidified, more an actual part of him rather than just a fleeting feeling, he can’t deny the fact that he is hers forever, regardless of what capacity.

Not that he’d ever tell her what capacity he’d prefer it to be. Riley is his oldest and dearest friend next to Maya. Feelings complicate things and make them messy, and the last thing he wants to do is make things messy with the girl who makes his life better by just being in it.

Ugh, he’s a fucking sap.

He’s also in love with his best friend, and for the first time in his life, Farkle Minkus has no idea what to do.

#riarkle #riley x farkle #farkle x riley #riarkle fanfiction #bella writes #soulmate au

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aboysbestfriendishismum · 7 years

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Chapter 46 - Ariadne, the bet and the bathtub

In the previous chapter: Eddie and Jeff are watching a Chicago Bulls game when they get a call from Angie. Jeff doesn't understand a couple of her jokes about the infamous night he and the guys supposedly ditched her and Eddie, he suspects Eddie's got something to do with it and and has the singer tell him everything. He insists Eddie takes action and tells him to be more explicit. Eddie later leaves and, without telling Jeff, goes to Angie's place to help her with a spider in her bathroom, that's the reason she called in the first place. Meg's not at their apartment, she's out with Melanie, who confesses she tried to get back with Mike but he said no as he did with Meg and gave basically the same motivation. Meg goes back home late at night and checking out on her friend she sees her and Eddie in bed together. In the morning, Eddie leaves before Meg can meet him, she questions Angie and finds out they simply fell asleep watching tv and didn't do anything. They discuss the special friendship between Angie and Eddie and Meg suddenly has an epiphany: Eddie's secret crush is not a fake non-existing person, but it's actually Angie. She tries to convince Angie, but she doesn't believe it. Eddie dreams about kissing Angie before the show at the Off Ramp. After the concert the guys go out all together, but in the end it's just Angie and Eddie. He convinces her to go up the Space Needle, where he's planning to reveal his feelings and kiss her. Anyway, once they're on top, Eddie's fascinated by the view and the height and is intrigued by some lightbulbs and wants to climb outside the safety barrier to take one as a gift for Angie. She's terrified and discourages him. In the end Eddie doesn't tell her anything about his feelings and the two of them say goodbye, but hearing a Springsteen song as he drives back home gives him an idea...

“COME IN!” Meg's yells us to enter after we ring the doorbell of the girls' apartment. Grace and I exchange a perplexed look and a shrug before opening the door.

“Here we are!” I exclaim as I take off my coat while Grace closes the door behind our back.

“Help me, PLEASE” Angie asks in a loud but resigned voice, as she wasn't really expecting any real help from us.

“Hi girls! But where are you?” my friend asks after another exchange of questioning looks with me.

“Angie, don't move and stop complaining. Come here, we're in the living room!” that's where we are already instinctively going and we are met by a weird scene: Angie's laying down on the rug near the couch, looking up at the ceiling, or at Meg, who's towering over her, with one foot on the floor and the other one on the sofa, holding a pencil and a sketch pad in her hands.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask while Grace is doubled over laughing.

“Laura, please, call the cops, your friend here got crazy, she's been torturing me for half an hour” Angie turns towards me with pleading eyes, but soon after her roommate grabs her chin and forces her to look back up.

“If you stood still and quiet, we'd be done by now”

“Are you portraying her?” Grace prances around the two girls and from behind Meg looks first at the sketch book and then at the victim on the floor with an amused grin.

“More or less, I'm using her as a model”

“And this should be enough evidence that she's completely lost her mind”

“I'm working on a little pictorial study about how to portray the face of a woman laying down, I need it for a project of mine” Meg explains ignoring her remark.

“What project? I'm curious!” I ask her as I walk up to them too, from the opposite side, and steal a glance of her work as I lean on the back of the couch.

“I wanna paint a picture to put in the hallway, no I wanna paint three actually: a triptych!”

“Because one fuck face was not enough, let's make three” Angie grumbles.

“And what's the subject?”

“You, who are entering this place, lose all hope! That's why I'd rather put it outside the door instead of the hallway, to keep nuisance people away, what do you think Meg?”

“The subject is the myth of Ariadne”

“Ariadne? The one with the thread?” I ask curious.

“Exactly!” Meg confirms as she's rubbing out part of the outline of the lips.

“Exactly, Ariadne, the loser. And that partially excuses the choice of me as a model”

“Would you shut up? It's taking me an hour just to draw the mouth”

“Anyway, I wouldn't call her a loser, in the end she marries Dionysus” Grace points out alternatively looking at Angie on the floor and the sketch.

“Dionysus is hot”

“Dionysus is an alcoholic showoff dressed in leopard print with delusions of grandeur who's born from a thigh and spends his days in the forest having orgies with his groupies” Angie retorts with an extremely serious face.

“Hahaha pretty accurate description” I giggle just like the other girls.

“But I suppose that for the mentality of that period, getting married with someone like that was much more desirable than ending a spinster, ruined forever by that fucker called Theseus”

“And since my Ariadne apparently hates men, she'll be the only character in my project. Ariadne and Dionysus were portraied dozens of times in art history, the same goes for Ariadne and Theseus. There are far less paintings portraing Ariadne alone in comparison”

“And considering the position of the poor model, I assume you wanna portray the moment she wakes up in Naxos beach” I try to guess as I leave the couch to get closer to the radiator but I find it quite lukewarm. Meg warned me. Anyway, not repairing the heating system during this fucking cold winter is almost criminal.

“You're right, and in three different moments: as soon as she opens her eyes, when she looks for Theseus next to her and when she realizes she was left alone. You know, darling, you were abandoned! Can you please take that bitch look off your face for a minute and pretend to be desperate?”

“Do you really think it's hard for me to look desperate? I thought you knew me”

“So try and put some effort in it, come on! You betrayed your father and your people for this guy, you helped him killing your Minotaur half-brother because he was too stupid to come up with his own plan, you ran away with him and put out for a copious amount of sex, you fell asleep on the beach while you were talking about names for your future children, selling one of the ships to buy a house with a garden and a station wagon, you just woke up and found out the love of your life left with his gang without telling a word, abandoning you on an island you don't know because before that you had never even left your yard. Rage, agony, pain, shame, revenge, wanting to die: try to focus and give me all of that with one look”

“Ok...” I see Angie through Meg's legs, at first she looks down on her pink robe's sleeve and rolls it up, then lies back down and gives the artist what I think is a very credible sad look.

“Perfect! Just stay still like this” Meg exclaims before starting drawing like crazy on the sketch book.

“I told you I was good at being a loser”

“STAY STILL AND SHUT UP! I'M GONNA KILL YOU IF YOU MOVE”

“Ok ok, but don't shout”

“You're great Angie, you know could do it as a job” Grace suggests as she sits on the other couch.

“No... I don't think so” the model tentatively answers after a while, in a low voice, not a trace of her usual sarcasm.

“Yes, you could! You could make a few dollars by posing for the art students, a friend of mine does it”

“Good for her”

“You don't earn a lot, but surely it's not like working your ass off in a restaurant. I can give you her number if you want”

“NO!” Angie loudly retorts and startles the three of us, then goes on in a calmer voice “I'm not interested, Grace, thank you. Aren't we done yet, Meg?”

“I'm almost there, just relax. In exchange of this favor you're making me, I promise I'm gonna wash the dishes for a month, or two... Fuck, you're perfect!”

“And how is this supposed to keep me calm?” she asks, now ironic as always.

“DON'T MOVE!”

Meg quickly finishes her sketches, realizing she might have taken too much advantage of her friend's patience, and Angie can finally stand back up and grab the phone, asking us what kind of pizza we want before we go put on our pajamas. Two movies and many slices of pizza later, we're still here lounging in the living room between the two sofas.

“Do you want whipped cream, Angie?” Meg asks her friend and I don't know what she could put on her ice cream if she said yes, since she basically emptied the whole can on my bowl of chocolate ice cream.

“Oh my god, no, are you crazy? Just give it to me like that” she stretches out towards her friend and practically pries the ice cream out of Meg's hands.

“Bummer. And you? Do you want a bit of each flavor or...?” she turns to Grace, whose hand is resting over her stomach.

“No, thank you, Meg, no more ice cream for me, I couldn't make it”

“Bummer number two. Whatever, there's more for me!” she shrugs and then happily fills a big bowl with chocolate, strawberry, hazelnut and pistachio ice cream.

Meg has just covered it in a thick cloud of whipped cream and grabbed the spoon when the phone rings.

“Umph, who's it now?” I'm the closest one to the phone, so I take it but I don't answer it and just give it to Angie when I hear what they say.

“It must be the landlord asking for the rent” Angie says with a disgusted face.

“We're not fucking paying! Nothing works in this shitty apartment, every day there's a new problem, now it's the heating system. We won't pay until they repair it”

“He says it doesn't depend on him, it's a problem of the whole building” Angie explains and passes the phone to her fiercer friend.

“I don't give a fuck, he can take action and have this fucking problem solved. Hello? Heeeey, hi Jeff, it's so good to hear you! Haha no, really, I'm not fucking around. I've never been happier to hear your voice. Oh fuck you, we didn't smoke. It's that I thought it was the landlord. Yes. Ok, hold on, I'll put it on speakerphone. Say hi to Jeff” Meg jokes with my boyfriend on the phone and as soon as we all say hi we get a jumble of the loudest freakiest inhuman screams as a reply, which seems to come straight from one of Angie's movies that luckily we didn't watch tonight.

“Are you stupid?” I ask after a moment of confusion.

“Why? We just said hi” Jeff innocently answers.

“Thank god. What if you also added what's up?” Grace adds, giving way to the inevitable series of what's ups howled through the receiver.

“The tour is doing you no good, guys. You left three days ago and you're already like this?” I remark leaning slightly towards the coffee table Meg has placed the phone on.

“Stop being such goody-two-shoes, girls, I bet you're doing worse at your slumber party” Mikey retorts, making his band mates laugh.

“It's not a slumber party!” Meg angrily remarks.

“Oh isn't it?” asks Stone's voice.

“No!” we all yell along “It's a night at home with friends” Grace adds.

“Ah... you're not in your pajamas then?” he questions again.

“Yes, so what? It doesn't mean anything” I answer.

“And you're not having junk food, are you?” Dave chimes in for the first time.

“We're eating healthy ice cream with whipped cream” Meg's the one who talks this time, right as she's pouring Smarties on her ice cream bowl.

“And you didn't watch either St. Elmo's fire or Mystic Pizza, right?” Gossard goes on and we all look at each other weirded out. How the fuck does he know?

“No no!” Angie's our spokeperson now and she's not nearly convincing.

“Are you sure?” Stone insists.

“Oh well, fuck, I didn't choose those anyway! I picked Romancing the stone!” our friends confesses and betrays us “No pun intended here”

“And we're about to watch that too now! Anyway, what if we're having a slumber party? What's wrong with it? Why do you care? We're reappropriating our female-space of experience sharing, strengthening our relationships” Meg goes on between spoons of ice cream.

“That means you're talking shit about us” Stone prompts more laughter from his idiot friends.

“You might find it strange, but you're not the center of our thoughts, we've got more interesting things to talk about” Grace says and this time all the screams coming from the other side of the line are to make fun of Stoney.

“Ha, that was a great comeback” Mike snickers.

“Shut up”

“Anyway, what about you? What are you doing? Where are you?” Grace inquires holding back her laughter.

“I've suddenly become interesting, huh?” Stone probably smirks.

“We're in a rather questionable motel somewhere in Los Angeles” Dave gives us really vague information.

“We're in the room of Jeff and Eddie, who hasn't talked yet but is here. Say something, come on” Jeff reveals the singer's presence.

“Ehm hi girls”

“HI EDDIE!” we scream as a choir and are then imitated by the guys with high-pitched voices.

“You're all together then?” Angie asks.

“Yep, we're making a mess, strangely they haven't thrown us out yet” Eddie babbles a little.

“And are you eating junk food?” she goes on with a devilish grin.

“Hahaha no, well, yeah, also...”

“I think they're most likely drinking” Meg remarks.

“And smoking” Grace adds.

“Are you in your pajamas?” I add and we all burst out laughing.

“Baby, you know I'd rather have that kind of phone calls when we're alone” the adorable asshole replies.

“Anyway we're about to go out, we'll not spend the night pretending to be twelve years old” Stone keeps on making fun of us.

“Also because that's something you normally do” Grace points out.

“Why? Do they pretend?” the final blow is Angie's.

“Those were like... the greatest comebacks in the history of burns” Eddie laughs.

“See? We call them to do something nice and that's how they pay us back” McCready comments stiffling a laugh himself.

“Oh please, you probably called because you knew we were all here together so you could avoid making a couple of phone calls more and spare some money”

“Wow, she saw through the whole thing” Krusen confirms and I can almost see him, shaking his head as he talks to his band mates.

“I've always told you my girlfriend is a genius” Jeff tries to butter me up since he's now been caught.

“And we'd believe it, except she got with you, so... I don't know” Stone starts the usual little fight with Jeff.

“Fuck you, Gossard, you're getting a bit repetitive”

“Sorry man, it's just that each time I think about it, I'm always surprised as the first one”

“I'm surprised Grace can stand you, it must be because it's a new thing. Get away Gracie, run, you're still on time!”

“Wow, your jokes are pretty original, have you ever considered auditioning for Saturday Night Live?”

“Would you please stop? Did you call to talk to us or to let us hear you fighting?” Meg abruptly interrupts them.

“None of the two. Now that I think about it, why the hell did we even call them?” Stone wonders with a concerned voice.

“When are you playing then?” Grace looks at the phone with stars in her eyes. We lost her.

“The day after tomorrow, at Florentine Gardens” he explains.

“What a cute name, it must be a really cool place!”

“Actually no, it's got nothing to do with Florence, at least I don't think so, and there's no garden, it's a really average club, looks like a warehouse from the outside”

“Thank you for ruining it for us Mikey” I joke at the guitarist.

“They'll never see it, we could have made up something nicer, man” Jeff snorts.

“I'm sorry, I cannot lie”

“Oh well, now it's time to say goodbye, girls” Stone announces he's ending the conversation as we hear some kind of commotion in the background.

“Because of telephone charges?” Angie asks.

“Also. But most of all because Starr has just knocked on the door”

“In a bathrobe and cowboy boots” Jeff points out.

“And sunglasses” adds Eddie.

“And this means it's time to go out” Stone concludes.

“Uhm, wow, you're really trying to make us jealous... It's a pity we can't go out with you tonight, it must be... fun... yeah” Angie sarcastically remarks.

“Hey, you're offending me!” the voice of Alice in chains bassplayer whines in the distance “And it's a really nice bathrobe, you know”

“Hahaha we trust you, Mike” Meg says as she finishes her ice cream.

“And we don't wanna steal any more of your time in the share circle of lost sisterhood” Stone adds and from the noise I think he's just taken the phone.

“Bye Stone, bye guys, take care” I tell them, and the other girls do the same, and get the well known incoherent screaming as an answer.

Since this is not a slumber party and we're not in junior school anymore, two hours and another movie later we're here in the living room, playing our version of Truth or Dare, which basically it's only Truth, since sometime after twelve Dares start to become less funny, also because in the end you already did all that shit. Here's why Meg produces a deck of cards, we all pick one in turns and the one who's got the highest card asks a question the other three have to answer honestly.

“So, have you ever stolen anything?” I ask as I toss the Queen of spades back on the coffee table.

“Sure, eyeliner, nail polish, lipsticks... Who didn't do it? But I've never been caught” Meg admits.

“I never did, but when I worked at the electricity company help desk I took some office supplies after I knew they were firing me” Grace replies.

“Some?” asks a curious Angie.

“A highlighter, two permanent markers, a gold posca paint marker and a couple of stamps”

“A gold paint marker in an electricity company? What for?” I ask puzzled.

“Exactly! That's what I thought too, that's why I took it. I needed it more than them. What about you, Angie?”

“Uhm... I don't know, I think I've never stolen anything” Angie shakes her head and almost looks embarrassed for not being a thief.

“Come on, I can't believe it! Nothing really?” Grace asks and Angie's face looks like she's really digging hard in vain into her memories searching for a flaw.

“No, I mean, I don't think so, I don't remember. And if I had, I'm sure I'd remember... like I'd be still anxious about it today. I'm too paranoid to steal. Once I was in a cafe, in Bologna in Italy, with my cousin Sandra and some friends of hers and at some point they told me something like 'Be ready, when we say Three stand up and run', her boyfriend counted to three and they suddenly stood all up and ran away without paying, and I followed them. Well, after a couple of minutes I stopped, walked back there and paid the bill because guilt was killing me” she confesses and we all go aaaaaaaaaaw.

“And what did you say when you got back? Weren't you embarrassed?” Meg asks and it looks like she didn't know this story.

“I was so uncomfortable, but guilt was bigger than shame. I told him my friends pranked me and he pretended to buy it”

“Wow, such integrity, you almost moved me to tears! Ok, let's play one more” Meg fake cries as she takes our four cards and puts them back into the deck, then shuffles. She's the winner this time as she picked the King of diamonds.

“Come on, Meg, shoot!” Grace encourages her as she puts her blanket in place over her shoulders, something I do too instinctively.

“Oh it's my turn, finally, so we'll stop with this schoolgirl questions. Ok, so, of all our friends, who do you think is the hottest guy?” she asks rubbing her hands.

“And this is not supposed to be a schoolgirl question? This one comes straight from eighth grade” Angie snickers.

“Shut up and think about the answer. So, what do you say, Laura?”

“Jeff of course”

“Boyfriends don't count”

“Jeff is still the hottest, I thought he was way before he became my boyfriend”

“Umph ok. And apart from Jeff? Who's the second hottest one?” Meg insists as she's not satisfied with my reply.

“Mmm... I don't know... Jerry. Yeah, I'd say Jer Jer” I confirm and I can help noticing a small grimace by Angie when I say his name. He used to be all over her all the time, now they totally ignore each other, something must have happened between those two and I have an idea...

“Jerry's sexy” Grace nods and gives Angie a sidelook.

“Yeah, he's cute, I mean, not bad. So I guess that's your answer too” Meg cuts it short and she probably knows much more than us about Angie and Jerry.

“Uh no, Stone's the hottest”

“I've just said boyfriends don't count” Meg says and rolls her eyes.

“Stone's not my boyfriend, we've just started dating”

“But you're a thing”

“Yeah but...”

“He doesn't count then. Give us another name”

“Eddie,” she says after a long while “Eddie's really handsome”

“He's got amazing eyes” I add.

“Yes, of course Laura, eyes are surely the first thing you noticed!” Meg jokes and throws her card at me.

“I did, why? The face is the first thing I look at in a guy” I defend myself throwing the card back at her.

“And Eddie's got some really delicate features” Grace adds to this addressing Angie, who's keeping her mouth shut and we all surely notice that.

“And you Angie? Who's the hottest guy for you?”

“Chris” she says without even letting Meg finish her sentence.

“Chris?” her roommate asks in disbelief.

“Chris Cornell”

“Really?” Grace looks positively more confused than Meg.

“Yes, why? He's... he's really good looking, isn't he ok?” Angie looks at us as if we were idiots.

“No, sure, he's ok, of course he is! Chris is hot, but...” I look at the two girls searching for support in this.

“But what? He's tall, has a nice body, a pretty face and lustrous hair I envy a lot”

“Yes, no, actually, he's really hot. It's just... well... I think Laura meant that... we were expecting, you know, a different answer” Grace tries to explain, still looking at me and Meg alternatively.

“What do you mean? Do you think I don't like Chris? That I have something against him? Ok, sometimes I say I hate him because he calls me sweetie and has a really bad sense of humor, but it's just a joke” Angie still doesn't understands or pretends not to.

“No, sweetie, they mean they were expecting you to mention another person in particular, am I wrong?” Meg tries to make her understand but I think we need to be more explicit.

“Exactly” I nod.

“You're not wrong” says Grace.

“What did you tell them?” it's like a lightbulb lit up in Angie's mind, she turns towards her friend and growls at her.

“Me?! I didn't say anything, dear” Meg holds her hands up to defend herself, then puts them back under the blanket.

“Why? What did she have to tell us?” Grace leans on the armrest of the couch towards Angie.

“Nothing...”

“Look, I don't need to say anything really, wanna bet? So, when I say three...”

“We stand up and run?” Angie jokes, maybe trying to distract her friend.

“Hahaha no. When I say three, Grace and Laura will say the name they had in mind, and maybe you'll understand I'm not making things up”

“But-”

“One, two, THREE!”

“Eddie” “Vedder!” Grace and I say along and Angie throws her head back, while Meg gloats.

“Yesss! I won! And now please explain to this young woman why you thought about Mr California”

“Yeah, why would I say his name?” Angie says and looks nervous “And Grace had already mentioned him anyway”

“What do you mean, you could as well say the same name more than once” I pointlessly explain the rules of our game.

“I thought about him because, well, I thought that...”

“That?”

“Well, it looked... it looks like, well, you seem to like him... a little. Or not?”

“And why would you think that??” Angie reacts as if Meg had called her a car thief.

“Mmh well, you're often together”

“And there's some kind of chemistry between you and him, I mean, you understand each other without words sometimes” I add.

“And he calls you princess and sometimes you talk in your own secret code and make jokes nobody understands but you two” Grace goes on illustrating all the evidence with me.

“And he talks about you very often or mentions you and makes references to you even if he's discussing something else entirely”

“And it's also the way you look at each other”

“Jesus Christ, we don't look at each other in any way, we're just friends. And you're high on expired drugs apparently” Angie stands up from the couch, collects the cards from the coffee table and starts shuffling as she goes back to her place.

“Haha shut up! Our friends here simply told the truth. And they came to the same conclusion without knowing all the details”

“Meg!”

“So what? You're friends, aren't you? So there's nothing wrong if I tell them what you did? You've got nothing to hide, have you?” Meg begins telling us about Eddie and Angie going out two times and this just supports our common opinion, an opinion we didn't even know was common since each one of us just kept it to themselves.

“Oh my god, Angie, on the Space Needle! That's so romantic!” Grace basically melts.

“Uhm yep, very romantic,I was about to throw up in the elevator but I didn’t unfortunately, that would have been the pinnacle of romanticism”

“Why do you always have to belittle every single good thing that happens to you? What do you gain from always pretending you don't care?” Meg scolds her reaching out and messing up her hair.

“I'm not belittling anything, instead you're always making everything bigger than it is! That's Seattle's landmark, he wanted to go and asked me to follow him, that's all”

“Yeah, sure, just as he asked you to follow him to California. He had to go, he asked you to go too. That's all” Meg does a pretty good impression of Angie, so good that Angie laughs a little.

“WHAT?” Grace almost jumps on the sofa.

“Did he ask you to follow him on tour?” I don't jump, but I'm still curious.

“Not at all! He just suggested MEG and I could go to California at some point to see one of their shows, that's all” Angie points out Eddie's invitation wasn't only for her.

“Well, maybe he just mentioned Meg because he didn't want to expose himself too much” I explain sitting up on the couch, where I was almost sprawled out.

“Or because he knew you'd never go alone.” adds Meg “Although, well, you'd have to go alone this time, since I don't want to”

“Why not?” I ask her and Angie seems surprised too, as if she didn't even consider this possibility.

“You know, considering my situation with Mike I don't think that'd be a good idea. What should I go for? He wants to be alone, why would I bother him while he's on tour?”

“That's true.” Angie admits “Anyway, there's not just Mike, I mean, the others are there too and would be happy to see you”

“I know, but I don't really feel like. You gotta go though” Meg smiles again, whereas Angie pouts.

“Me? What for?”

“To pay visit to the guys” Grace replies in Meg's place.

“And to Eddie!” I add.

“But why me? They... well, they're friends, but they're more friends of yours rather than me... I'm more a friend by extension” she says, Meg gives her a nasty look and I decide to intervene to avoid an apocalypse.

“What are you talking about? Where does this come from? We've been knowing you for months now, Jeff adores you and Stone too, just like us and all the guys. Obviously you were Meg's new friend at first, but now you're part of the gang now”

“Ok... well... thank you, Laura... It's just... what will I do alone in San Diego? Hey, why don't you come with me?” Angie's a little embarrassed at first, then her face lights up when she thinks she's found the solution.

“I'd love to go, Angie, but I'll start my internship at the bank next week, I considered going to see Jeff, but it's not possible this time”

“What about you, Grace?”

“Well, I'd be glad to come with you but... if you go, then you won't be here, and Eddie won't be here of course... what if I leave too? Who would work at the mini mart with Hannigan? Ian can't work all shifts”

“Oh yeah, you're right... Well, why don't you go and surprise Stone?! I’ll cover your shifts”

“Hehe I don't know, that'd be nice, but we've been going out for such a short time, I don't want to badger the guy, I don't want him to think I'm clingy or something like that”

“And that means you gotta go by yourself, ok?” Meg takes the deck of cards from Angie's hands, takes one and gives it back to her.

“You gotta... as if it was an order” she mumbles picking her card and holding our the deck for Grace.

“IT IS!” we all exclaim.

“I hate you”

***********************************************************************************************************************************

“That's not fucking fair though, you put pants on” Stone grumbles as he gives his money to the bassist.

“They're cargo shorts, they don't count” Starr retorts pointing the neck of his beer bottle at our guitarist.

“What the hell does it mean?” Gossard's grimace is priceless, but I doubt it'll make him get his money back.

“Anyway, we didn't talk about pants, the bet was I had to go out with cowboy boots, bathrobe and sunglasses, without a shirt. Pants were never mentioned” Mike insists and as soon as Stone drops the last note on the table, he collects his money and stick it in its pocket.

“That's what he needed pants for.” Layne giggles “Or he'd have had to put the money in his underwear”

“As if he didn't do it already” Jerry shrugs.

“I always do” the bass player nods.

“Instead, it was weird to see him using pockets” Kinney remarks as he lights up a cigarette.

“Probably it's the first time he does” Cantrell again.

“Probably he didn't even know he had them” Sean's turn again.

“Yeah, go on, make fun of me, they never found anything on me though, neither money or dope, thanks to my little old hiding place” he grabs his crotch extremely pleased with himself.

“And now I figured out who I'll stop buying weed from” Stone says disgusted, prompting a wave of laughter all around the table.

“Who knows what did the girls think?” McCready shakes his head and that puts an automatic silly smile on my face, thinking back at the previous phone call and the effect Angie's voice had on me when I heard it for the first time after a few days. It sounded even sweeter and sexier than usual... We couldn't speak that much for obvious reasons, but I'll make up for that. I wonder if she got my little present.

“Girls? Which girls?” it's easy to catch Jerry's attention, I'm not surprised.

“We called Seattle, to say hi to Meg and Angie, Laura and Grace were there too” Jeff says as he buries his hand in the bowl of peanuts.

“Uh ok” Cantrell hides the awkwardness behind a half smile and a sip of his drink.

“And we fucked around a little, of course” I go on as if I wanted to help him disguise his feelings, but that's not the case, is it?

“Nah, they know us by now, they saw and heard much worse before” Dave speaks too as soon as he comes back from the phone booth just outside the bar, from where I guess he called his girlfriend.

“And they'll see and hear much much worse when they come to see us during this tour” Jeff smiles at Stone, who smiles back, then they both turn towards McCready, who goes huff and rolls his eyes.

“I told you, they'll never come”

“Wanna bet?” Jeff and Stone say at the exact same time, a devilish sparkle in their eyes. Those two have a serious problem with gamble.

“Ha! I'll bet anything you want”

“Where should they come? Here in L.A.?” Sean is the only one who dares intervening in the conversation, while all the others just stare at the three musicians alternatively as they say yes and no.

“L.A. or San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento... to any of our tour dates” Stone calmly explains.

“They're not coming anyway!” Mikey repeats and I really hope he's wrong.

“Why not?” I ask and maybe I'm showing a little too much of my concern.

“Well, first of all Meg and I had, ehm, a disagreement lately, so I don't think she's looking forward to seeing me”

“It's not just you here though!” I retort and I think I can take that maybe away “I mean... it's all of us, she wouldn't have to spend the whole time with you”

“I know what I'm saying, I know her better than you, she won't show up I can assure you”

“Well, what about the other girls?” Layne glances a very quick look at Jerry sitting right in front of him.

“Angie doesn't go anywhere without Meg” Mike shakes his head then drinks the beer the waitress has just brought to the table.

“But Angie does travel alone, doesn't she? Didn't she even go to Europe alone?” Starr asks and I nod too as I look at our guitarist, who on the other hand destroys my hopes to see her soon.

“It's not the travel itself, she can go anywhere alone, but she wouldn't visit us alone on tour, she's shy, it's not something she'd do”

“People change, especially if they have motivation... right Eddie?” Jeff gently nudges me and I start considering strangling him in his sleep.

“Well, yeah... she seems less shy to me, I mean, I haven't known her for long, but it looks like she's coming out of her shell, isn't she?”

“Mike's right, it's something she'd never do, she'd feel uncomfortable” Jerry joins the No party and now I've just realized he's here too. Not literally, not here tonight, I realized he's on tour with us too and that could be a problem for Angie. She shouldn't worry anyway, because she wouldn't have to necessarily see him, but would she understand? I didn't consider this detail: Angie might not want to come to California because Jerry's here too. Shit.

“Bullshit, I think she'll come see us!” Jeff repeats apparently convinced “What do you think, Eddie? Wanna bet?”

“I think... well, she could. And she could travel with Laura instead of Meg”

“Mmm no, that's out of question, Laura has to work. She could come here with Grace though, what do you think, Stone?” I'm optimistic for a couple of seconds, but the moment is gone thanks to Jeff.

“Doesn't Grace works at the mini mart with Angie and Eddie? They can't all be on holiday at the same time” Krusen definitely kills all my hopes.

“I bet twenty bucks they won't give a fuck about us and won't come see us” Kinney declares out of the blue punching the table and making it tremble.

“Oh no, pfff twenty dollars, hold on, hold on! Let's be serious: who thinks no, none of the girls will come see us, raise your hand” Stone takes hold of the situation and the hands of Mike, Jerry, Sean and Dave are right up in the air.

“Ok, so who thinks at least one of the girls will come see us and make us happy?” Jeff asks as he puts his hand up, followed by me, Layne, Starr and Stone.

“Great, what do we bet on?” Starr covers himself better with the robe and crosses his arms on his chest.

“Ok, so, the losers will have to take care of loading and unloading instruments and setting up the stage with the crew, while the winners will just mind their own fucking business” Mikes comes up with this nice idea and Krusen and the others highfive him.

“That's funny, but what if nobody comes? We'll just find out at the end of the tour, when will the losers pay?” I point out at the flaws in McCready's plan.

“On the nex tour” he shrugs.

“But they won't be there on the next tour, we won't be touring with them forever” I explain as I point my index finger at the members of Alice in Chains.

“Well, they'll go on tour though, by themselves, right? The losers will have to do this for their own band, for a month starting from the first post-California show. That's if the girls won't come, if they do, losers will have to pay from the immediately following gig” Jeff goes on and everyone nods, except for Stone and I.

“Yeah, it can work, but it's not the same if the winners can't witness the humiliation of the losers all together at the same time. I wanna do something to have a laugh with, and at, everybody at once here, possibly before going back to Seattle” Gossard smirks and looks at me. He's too confident about this, what if he knows something I ignore? Fuck, I hope so.

“I got it” I immediately have all eyes on me.

“Ok... so?” Sean prompts me to talk, as I try and think about something better than the first stupid thing I've just come up with, but I can't.

“So... if the girls come see us or, if they don't, on our last night in California before going back home, we'll choose the worst dance club around and spend the night there. And the losers...”

“The losers...?” Layne gives me a puzzled look.

“The losers will have to come to the club... dressed as... Village People”

They blank stare at me and the whole table goes silent for a few endless seconds, until a collective and sudden laughter shakes them all.

“Hahahahaha holy shit, I'm in!” Layne accepts as he's holding his belly to calm down.

“I'm in too, I don't give a fuck, as you can see I got no problems with putting on weird clothes” Starr points at himself.

“I do have, can I retreat?” Sean complains.

“No, what's done is done, sorry. Anyway, I think you'd be a perfect biker” Stone jokes and throws a peanut at him.

“Nah, Starr will be the biker. You'd be a great cop though, you already have the fuck face” the drummer retorts as he catches it and ridiculously chews on it in Gossard's face.

“Hehe well, if we lose, remember I'll be the cowboy, apart from that you can be whatever the fuck you want” Jerry stands up from his chair and points at the others who voted No before walking away somewhere.

And what about me? What will I be: the native or the soldier?

********************************************************************************************************************************************

“It's Wednesday!” I almost weep when, after I open my eyes because of my hated alarm clock and sit on the bed, careful to keep my arms and shoulders under the duvet, I realize what day it is and that I don't have to go to work or class. I curse a little againt the alarm clock and against myself for not turning it off last night. Well, whatever, I lay back down onthe bed, pull the duvet to cover me up to my nose and fall asleep again in a couple of seconds. I open my eyes as soon as I feel the bed moving, not really left and right, not exactly back and forth, but not even up and down. I'd say it kind of sways all around. I'm in the daylight, the sun is shining pretty hard and it's fucking hot. And I'm in the middle of the sea, with my whole bed that's become my boat. Actually I'm in a lake, because I look around and I see land all around, but in my mind that's the sea. I'm apparently ok with all this and I'm not weirded out when I look down and I notice I'm wearing a one piece bathing suit. On the nightstand, yeah, because the nightstand is cruising together with the bed, I see a long and narrow glass, filled with an orange liquid that must be juice, with a straw and a red tiny drink umbrella. I don't hesitate, since it's really fucking hot and I'm thirsty, I take the glass, throw the baby umbrella in the water, take the straw between my lips and try to drink, but nothing, not a single drop of juice comes out of that. I try and try again and I don't know why I don't just throw away the straw too and drink directly from the glass, no, I can't, in my dream this is the only possible way to drink, through this fucking broken straw. I'm still trying when I feel something strange in my mouth, like a foreign object moving inside. This strangely doesn't make me want to puke and I don't even panic, I just use two fingers to rub the walls and roof of my mouth a little until I find what I'm looking for and pull it out: it's a pretty thick thread, which goes through the straw into the glass and then comes out from that and disappears into the sea water. I pull out a little bit from my mouth, maybe a couple of inches, but soon after that I can see yards and yards of thread rolled up on the bed. I forget I'm thirsty, I throw away the glass and stretch out to grab the small cord right where it comes out from the water and start pulling it towards me, and by doing this the bed-boad starts to move in a definite direction that I ignore. In a matter of seconds I find myself almost near the land, right in front of a high riff that used to be a sandy beach moments ago, and I keep on tugging at the thread even though it looks like I'm gonna crash against the rocks. But that doesn't happen because right when I'm almost splatting, I see a little opening in the riff and the thread leads right there and I end up in a pitch dark cave. I sail for an undefinite amount of time, I can't see shit and I only hear water flowing and the sound of the rope rubbing against the edge of the bed. Suddenly I hear something else, another noise, the sound of a switch, and I immediately see who turned it on because it's a light switch: Eddie turned the lights on in the kitchen. It doesn't look like the one in his apartment, it's an unknown kitchen I've never seen, a kitchen with a dock. And right against the dock my bed stops and I keep on pulling on the now loose thread.

“Hi Angie! You don't need to pull it all out, I'm here now” Eddie recommends, and he's wearing my pajamas with hedgehogs, as he pours himself a glass of water from the tap “You're thirsty, right?” he asks then heads towards the dock, walks the whole platform and hands the glass to me.

“Yes, I am! Thank you” I reach for the glass but then I suddenly remember I'm only wearing a bathing suit, so I quickly cover myself with the sheets after removing the roll of rope from the bed, but when I look up he's already gone and I see him standing in front of the fridge in the kitchen “Sorry” I say without a reason.

“Don't worry, you'll just have to wait for the next turn, ok?” he reassures me with a smile, then turns his back to me, takes a couple of carrots, a tomato and an orange from the fridge, then picks up a knife from a drawer and starts peeling and cutting fruit and vegetables.

“Thank you”

“What about cucumber? Should I put it too?”

“It depends on what you're doing...”

“A centrifuged juice, for you” he turns around and winks at me, then goes back to his work.

“Ok so, yes, you can put it in. Oh and celery would be great too” I add absentmindedly as I'm still rummaging through the sheets and under the pillow looking for my pajamas, that of course I can't find since Eddie has it on.

“I don't have selery...” Eddie turns around me with the saddest pout and barely makes eye contact with me.

“Oh well, it's ok, no selery then, it'll be good all the same” I try and reassure him, but he throws the knife down on the floor dramatically, then takes his face between his hands, leaning against the kitchen counter and shaking his head, slowly at first, then faster and faster, like a madman.

“No no no NO!”

“Eddie, come on, calm down, what's wrong?” he takes his hands off his face, uncovering red weeping eyes that still won't look at me.

“I can't stay here” he sighs as he walks to the dock.

“Why not? What's wrong, where are you going?” I ask worried.

“Hold on to that fucking thread” he whispers, finally looking and half smiling at me. A second later he dives into the water, immediately disappearing.

“EDDIE!” I scream my lungs out and without taking a breath I jump in the water to follow him, regardless of everything, also of the fact I can't swim. But it doesn't matter because the very moment I touch the water I wake up abruptly.

“What the fuck?” I grunt to myself and hope I didn't yell Eddie's name in my sleep, those three don't need one more pretext to make fun of me. I'll never know if I did, because when I get up I find a note by the girls in the kitchen saying they went out for breakfast, that they tried to wake me up but it was impossible and maybe they'll bring me some sweets. Sweets? Again? After all we had to eat yesterday? I really hope they won't. I mean, I'd stuff my face with sweets right now, but since I've been working my ass off to lose these, I don't know, 7 or 8 ounces of weight, I don't wanna fuck up for one weak moment. I make myself a cup of hot steamy coffee, also because the apartment is still freezing, and I drink it without sugar, sitting at the window, as I gaze upon the damp covering the streets and the cars parked just outside this building. Who knows what's the weather like in California right now? Of course it's not as cold as here, but I don't think it's really hot in this time of the year, I mean, it's not summer yet. We could have asked the guys yesterday, we managed to spend like fifteen minutes on the phone talking about absolutely nothing, zero. And Eddie barely spoke. I sigh, wash the cup and head for the bathroom and while I wash my teeth I have an idea. Since I've got nothing to do this morning, instead of a rushed shower, I'll have a nice and warm relaxing bath. If I have hot water of course. I make sure the boiler's working and start filling the tub, then I go to Meg's room to borrow her portable radio. As I'm walking back to the bathroom I hear the phone ringing, so I take a turn towards the living room and pick it up from the coffee table, where we left it last night.

“Hello?”

“Hey, hi Angie! I didn't wake you up, did I?” says a voice I haven't heard for a while.

“Hi Dave, no, don't worry, I've been awake for a while. What's up?”

“It's ok, everything's as usual, you know, I still don't know if I'm in the band or not, anyway it's alright” he goes on with the same joke, I think he'll keep telling it for the next ten years of career.

“Hahaha of course you're in the band, you idiot” I laugh as I go back to the bathroom, taking the phone and the radio with me.

“Anyway, we have to finish recording the album and I heard we'll go to Los Angeles at some time in the future to complete it with the producer. As far as I know, they already did like half of it, but there are new songs we wrote in the meantime, I mean, that Kurt wrote, so we must record a demo of this new stuff first and send it to him so he knows what we're up to. But I'm already talking too much, what the fuck, been on the phone two seconds and I'm already talking your head off! What about you? Tell me something”

“Haha I don't have much to tell, surely nothing as interesting as the new Nirvana record” it's not out yet, I mean it's yet to be done apparently, and everybody's already talking about it.

“Bullshit. What about your exams?”

“Pretty terrible, but I passed” I stick one hand into the water to check the temperature.

“Great! Did you celebrate?”

“Hehe not really... but yeah, last night with a small group of friends”

“If you're already awake this time, it means you didn't celebrate the right way. Talking about celebrations, I didn't thank you for the present you sent me for my birthday”

“Yes, you did” I retort as I turn off the water and sit on the edge of the bathtub.

“Yes, but with a fucking message on the answer machine, I'm a douche”

“The message was ok”

“Thank you Angie, I'm gonna treasure those drum sticks and use them for the final recordings of the album”

“Wow, so in a certain sense I'll be on that record too! Don't tell Kurt or he'll get sick” I smirk thinking about Cobain reading Idaho among Dave's special thanks written on the record and throwing him out of the band. In that case, no, he wouldn't have passed his audition.

“Hahaha deep down I think he admires you”

“Really? And for what? For my sense of humor? Since his sucks”

“You're much more alike than you think, you know?”

“Another thing you shouldn't tell him if you want to pass the audition”

“Didn't I pass already?”

“And apart from the band? How are you doing in your new apartment?” I ask as I see the steam rising from the tub and slowly condensing on the mirror.

“It's a nice place, I expected much worse. There are no rats either”

“Really? Cool, it's a luxury place then!”

“It is! I could even take girls home, if only my room mate didn't fart that much. That is, if I had girls to bring home obviously.

“Hahaha did he try charcoal?”

“Actually, there is one...”

“One what?”

“One girl”

“Hahaha I had no doubts about it, what's her name?” I can't really see Dave alone, he's like Jerry. Well, he's the nicer and honest version of Jerry Cantrell.

“Jennifer... but I've just met her, I mean, I only met her once. Twice actually, but the first time was at my birthday party and we basically didn't talk, apart from a couple of words to introduce ourselves. I saw her again in a club and we had a pretty interesting exchange. Exchange of words, not fluids. Not yet at least. And I'm not telling you to make you jealous or something, even though... well, I wouldn't mind if you were a little bit jealous, I must admit I'd like it...”

“I'm not jealous, Dave, I'm actually very happy for you” I tell him honestly. Considering that I felt kinda guilty for rejecting him, now it's good to know he's got a new girl, it makes me fell relieved.

“I should have known. Anyway, she's gonna go back to Cali soon and I don't know if and when I'll see her again”

“California? Isn't she from Seattle?”

“No, she's here to record with her band”

“Ah she's a musician!”

“Bass player”

“Girls who play bass are always sexy, she must be really cute”

“Are you sure that... not a trace? Not even a small crumb of jealousy in your system? Nothing?” Dave goes on and it's really difficult to understand if he's kidding or not, but my answer is the same in both cases.

“Hehe nothing, Dave, I'm very sure”

“Mmm ok, I just wanted to make sure”

“Anyway, don't you have her number?”

“Yes” he reluctantly answers.

“Ask her out then? I mean, even if she says no or things turn shit in the end, she's leaving anyway. You're in a man's ideal position”

“Oh fuck... you're right! You're a genius. I think I'll call her”

“Good boy! I gotta go now” I tell him looking at the small clock beside the mirror.

“Gotta go cry in your room and eat chocolate because of jealousy?”

“No, actually I'm gonna go wash myself because I stink. Bye Dave”

“Bye Angie, see ya! And thanks again for the present”

“You're welcome. Have a nice day!”

I put the phone on the floor next to the radio, I put it on KISW, add some more hot water since it got a little cold in the tub, then I take off my pajamas and enter, holding my nose and sinking completely underwater. The telephone rings sounds amplified through the water and it surprises me so much that I almost slip in the tub. I resurface coughing and sitting up in the bathtub as gracefully as a hippo, then reach for the phone. What did Dave forget to tell me?

“Hello?” I ask and clear my trhoat.

“Hello, Angie. Isn't it a good time?”

“EDDIE!” I yell maybe a little too loud for someone who was drowning a minute ago and that's why I keep coughing.

“Hi. I hear you're still sick. It looked like you were feeling better when we went out all together”

“Yeah yeah *cough* I'm fine *cough cough* it's just... err, I just kinda choked on some water I was drinking when the phone rang” I reply trying to breathe normally.

“Oh fuck, I'm sorry” he apologizes the same way he did in my dream for not having celery and I can't help bursting into laughing, something smart to do when you're suffocating.

“Haha sorry for what? It's not your fault”

“Maybe I called too early, you must have gone to bed late last night”

“No, don't worry, I've been awake for a long while. How are you doin'?”

“I'm alright, I'm the one who kept early hours hanging out in Los Angeles with the guys, I basically came back one hour ago”

“Hehe I can imagine, are you in your room now?”

“Yes, I'm in bed” four simple words an a half that give me a weird feeling, I don't know why.

“Wait, I'm gonna go grab a magazine and read something to you” I look at the magazine rack next to the toilet and I'm about to get out of the tub when Eddie stops me.

“Oh no no, I don't need to sleep! I mean, well, I should, but I didn't call you for that”

“Are you sure?” so why did he call? They called last night.

“Yes, I'm sure. But what's this noise? Sounds like water” he asks while I'm sitting back in the tub, so I freeze halfway and start moving really slow.

“Water? Oh yeah, uhm, it sounds like water because... because it is, it's water, I'm... I'm in the kitchen and I'm washing the big mess of dishes, glasses and bowls we used yesterday”

“Ah I see! Poor you”

“Actually, do you mind if I get you on speakerphone? So I can go on, you know...”

“I can call you later if you want, maybe I'm bothering you right now...” he suggests and I just scream at him, telling him there's no problem.

“NO! Err no problem, really, you're not bothering me, I'm glad to hear you”

“Ok... well, what's up? We didn't have the chance to talk much last night” I put the speaker on and Eddie's deep voice echoes between the bathroom walls.

“I'm fine thank you, and you? Oh in the end I didn't reject the grade, you know? I thought a lot about what you said and of course you were right so there was really no need to think about it that much in the end” I babble as I lay back down in the tub, raising my voice a little and be careful not to make too much noise with the water.

“Well done, I'm happy about that. Listen... I wanted to ask you two things...” he anticipates and from the sound of his voice I've got the feeling he's smiling.

“Ok, ask me”

“First, I wanna know if you got something these days”

“Something? Like what?”

“Like a little package, in the mail...”

“No, why? What package?”

“Uhm no, nothing. The second-”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOTHING?? YOU CAN'T TELL ME SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEN LEAVE ME WITHOUT AN EXPLANATION!” I yell as an insane person as I grab onto the edge of the tub and emerge from the water like the Kraken.

“Hahaha be careful! You're gonna break some glass”

“Glass? Did you send me a glass?” strange kind of present, I was thinking about maybe a magnet from California.

“Hahaha no, I meant, breaking something by washing the dishes”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah yes, sure! I get it now, sorry. Hehe no, don't worry, I won't break anything” I laugh internally cursing myself for my chronic self-counsciousness. Couldn't I just tell him I was in the bathroom and ask him a minute to come out of here?

“Anyway, it's a little gift, for you, I sent it before I left and it looks like I overestimated the speed of postal service in Seattle”

“A gift? For what?” he sent me something from Seattle?

“For you, I told you. Can I ask the second question?”

“Yes...” I reply, still perplexed because of this gift thing.

“B-52s?” he asks and this time it's pretty clear he's smiling.

“Hahaha I love them! Don't you like them?”

“It's not really my thing, but yeah, that's a nice song”

“And it's perfect for travelling”

“I gotta admit I was kinda surprised”

“You just heard the first one?”

“Please, I heard the whole tape during the first hour in the van, a C60 mixtape, perfect”

“And what do you think about it?”

“I really liked it but it's not just that. I repeat, some things really surprised me”

“For example?”

“For example, I didn't know you liked U2”

“Oh yes, I liked them, The Joshua Tree is one of my favorite records, and I think that is one of the best record intro songs of all time”

“And it was about travelling as well”

“Sure, what did you think? That I did things just randomly? I'm a professional”

“I noticed that. I thought you would simply put songs you liked together, instead you inserted specific songs relating to travelling and discovering places or you chose tunes that are great to listen to when you're driving. And in general, all the sequence of songs is perfect, there are very different sounds but each song links perfectly to the one who comes first and after”

“I'm still waiting for the moment you're gonna tell me what you hated of that tape”

“Hahaha nothing, absolutely”

“So you were surprised... positively”

“Very positively, really. And I didn't think it was possible to put Black Sabbath next to The Smiths in a plausible way, but you did and they sound great together.

“Hahaha yeah, the great ending”

“That's why I forgive you for trying to corrupt me by choosing easy ones like The Beatles and The Doors”

“And also The Clash”

“Yeah, but you picked up a slightly less mainstream song”

“Mmm I'm not sure... So did I pass this exam?”

“You did, with the highest grades”

“Thank you, prof. Vedder!”

“And then, you're there, it's you inside that tape, it reflects you in everything, so it's perfect”

“You said you wanted to know the music that meant home for me. Of course that's just a part of it, a C60 cassette is too small to stuff everything in it...”

“I expect you to make me some more then, even some C90 maybe, what about that?”

“Hehe ok, deal! At this point though, you should make me one in return. I mean, I'm curious to know your house too”

“Uhm I'll see what I can do” he answers and the smile in his voice is so big that I can almost see his dimples imprinting on the foggy mirror and that's when I understand everything: his gift is a cassette. He must have decided to reciprocate my present by making his own mixtape and sent me before leaving, because he's just like that and he's capable of such sweet gestures.

“I count on that. Listen, you're playing tomorrow, right?” I ask him, but for a moment I think he fell asleep because he doesn't talk and I just hear him breathing deeply “Eddie? Are you still there? Are you awake?”

“HUH?! Yeah yeah, sorry, I got distracted...”

“Were you falling asleep? Maybe you should rest a little”

“Nah, don't worry, I'm not tired, I'll sleep when I'm dead”

“Hehe just like Warren Zevon says”

“You know him too? You keep on surprising me”

“Everybody knows him and that song... although I didn't put him in my tape”

“Non really everybody”

“Anyway, I was asking you about tomorrow's gig. Are you ready?”

“I'm ready, I can't wait”

“Well, time goes faster if you sleep”

“I don't wanna sleep, you know what, after I hang up with you I'm gonna go catch some waves, there's a really cool beach here”

“But do people surf now? Isn't it cold?”

“Uhm no, the temperature is ok. It's the water that's pretty cold”

“How do you do it then?”

“Oh you just put a wetsuit on and you can go anywhere”

“Aaaah you go with wetsuits!”

“Hehehe of course, if you don't want to freeze to death”

“Sorry for my ignorance. But what about the parts that are not covered by the wetsuit? Don't they freeze all the same? I always wondered, your head for example”

“My head is empty, nothing to freeze in there, so I never had problems”

“Haha this joke was too easy, I expect something better from you”

“Your right, princess, will you ever forgive this slip-up into low-grade comedy?” Eddie giggles and I do too, at least until I casually look down and see my hand is on one of my boobs and I've been unintentionally tickling my nipple for who knows how long while talking to Eddie without even noticing.

“OUCH! FUCK” I exclaim when, deeply ashamed, I take my hand off my breast so fast that I accidentally hit it against the wall on the right.

“What's wrong? Are you ok?” he asks worried.

“Yeah... yes, sorry, I was just... I dish slipped out of my hands! I saved him inches from the floor hehe”

“Maybe I'm too distracting” you are Eddie, you have no idea.

“Oh no, you're not! Anyway, I can let you go surfing if you want”

“I've got all day to surf, I can go wherever I want. Now I'd rather talk to you some more, if you want”

“Sure I want to” I answer as I examine my red knuckles and my fingers that are starting to wrinkle for the time spent soaked in water. I'd spend hours on the phone with you, but first I gotta find a way to disrupt the very laws of physics, counteract Archimedes' upthrusts and avoiding to displace any liquid as I remove the body I had previously immersed in it. A body that is mine and apparently also started to take initiative out of my control.

“Great. So, let's talk about Violent Femmes...”

#pearl jam fanfiction #grunge fanfiction #pearl jam #jeff ament #stone gossard #mike mccready #dave krusen #eddie vedder #alice in chains #mike starr #sean kinney #layne staley #jerry cantrell #chapters

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