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sweettoothedtrickster13 · 11 months

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A Second Look Chapter 5

Tags: Female Sherlock Holmes, Elementary, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Season 1 Episode 12- M.

Warnings: None

Summary: When a case touches a nerve, Sherlock spirals.

Notes: Whew. So I hate watching this episode, and actually the next one too bc I hate seeing Sherlock so broken. But it's also a really important episode, so I figured I'd write it. Hope you enjoy!

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Sherlock had been happily watching some of her bees buzz for some time when Watson comes down the stairs. “What are the bees doing in here,” Watson asks.

“Buzzing,” Sherlock provides.

“No, I mean what are they doing inside. Why aren’t they on the roof with the other bees?” Watson stops next to her.

“I’m seeing how the indoor temperature suits them. Our six weeks together are very nearly up, Watson,” she says as she stands. “In a matter of days, your room will be vacant. I’m very seriously considering turning it into an apiary. Finally the space will serve a purpose.”

“You say the nicest things,” Watson says as she moves behind her. “The end of our companionship is actually what I wanted to talk about,” she notes.

“Do tell.”

“When I’m wrapping up with a client, I like to carry out exit protocols,” Watson continues.

“Sounds ominous.”

“No, we just need to talk.”

Sherlock pauses. Talking. That sounds ominous, as well. “It’s time I tell you Watson, you place far too much emphasis on talking. Most of what humans say to one another is communicated haptically,” she explains, gesturing to her body and looking at Watson. “When I think of the many thousands of words you have wasted during your time here-”

“And yet there was one sentence that if I had never spoken we wouldn’t have realized we were soulmates,” Watson says. “Just because we won’t be companions anymore doesn’t mean we don’t have to see each other anymore. I explained that to you during the Purcell case.” Watson’s voice turns soft.

“Keeping that in mind, we don’t really have to do the ‘exit protocols’ now, do we?”

“It will be the end of our companionship. I want to get that formally over with so when I move to my next client, we can start with a clean slate.”

“Consider the slate clean.”

“That’s not how this works. So, we’ll have dinner and talk, out loud, and discuss my six weeks here and reflect on your progress.”

“Reflections are for mirrors. If you’d like, you can just give me a report card.”

“Sherlock.” Sherlock waits, but Watson doesn’t continue to talk. She looks at her. “Don’t blow me off, ok? Just do this. For me.”

Sherlock’s phone rings and she picks it up, looking at the caller I.D. “Captain Gregson. How may I be of assistance,” she answers.

“Got a weird one for you.”

“Perfect. Address?”

“I’ll text it to you and brief you when you and Watson get here. Bye.”

Sherlock hangs up. “Come, Watson. A murder awaits.” She goes to her room and changes and meets Watson at the door and they hail a cab to get to the address Gregson had provided.

“The owner of the house is a CPA by the name of Ian Vickers,” Gregson says as he walks them in the door. “We’re pretty sure he’s also the victim.”

“By ‘pretty sure,’ you mean,” Sherlock prods.

“There’s no body. Just blood.”

Gregson stops at the edge of the living room and Sherlock takes a step to her left. She stares at the large pool of blood on the floor. Her own starts to roar in her ears as everything starts to rush through her mind.

“Hey,” Watson’s voice breaks through, and Sherlock focuses again. “You ok?” She nods wordlessly.

“Aside from the blood,” Gregson continues, undeterred. “The scene is clean. No footprints, no witnesses, no nothing. Whoever did this, we don’t know the first thing about him.”

“He’s tall,” Sherlock remarks.

“Excuse me?”

“He’s tall. Strong, too. He’d have to be to hang his victims from a hook. Hook’s gone now, but it was once attached to a tripod device of the killer’s own design. He assembled it after he incapacitated Vickers, hung him upside down, and slit his throat. Gravity and the last few beats of his heart pushed every last ounce of blood from his body.”

“A tripod device,” Gregson asks, incredulous. “Look, Holmes, I know you’re good, but what the fuck are you talking about?”

“Here,” Sherlock says, crouching and pointing. “It’s from one of the legs. There are two more groove marks in the perimeter of the blood there and there,” she indicates. “After he’d completely drained Vickers, he dismantled the device taking it and the exsanguinated corpse of his victim with him.”

“Sherlock, how did you deduce all that from this pool of blood,” Watson asks.

“I didn’t deduce anything, actually,” Sherlock admits. “I’ve stalked this particular madman before. In London.”

“I’ll get the files from Scotland Yard sent to me,” Gregson says. “Come to the precinct tomorrow, I want a total debrief on what you know.”

“Certainly.”

She stands at the edge of the living room and watches the crime scene technicians process the scene.

The next morning, Watson drives them to the precinct. They walk into the bullpen, where Gregson had set up boards concerning the serial killer. “Now, Holmes has tailed this guy before,” Gregson says to the precinct as they settle into chairs and stand around. “That means she knows the most. I’ll have her tell us what she knows. Holmes?”

Sherlock walks to the boards and puts her back to them. “M,” she starts. “A simple moniker for a complicated monster. He is, without question, the most sinister taker of lives I have ever had the displeasure of pursuing,” she says. “He’s been active since January of 2002. During the last ten years, he has tallied a body count of thirty-seven. His image has never been captured. He is methodical. He is as efficient as he is clean. He also has no type or victim profile, which makes it almost impossible to predict when, where, or whom he might strike. His oldest victim in the U.K. was in her late eighties. His youngest a mere twelve.” She hears quiet sighs and gestures to areas of the boards as she talks. “He drains his victims of their blood and then dumps their bodies in the ocean. Bodies of twenty-one of his victims were recovered from the shoreline. The other sixteen were presumably carried out to sea. I wouldn’t be surprised if the body of his latest victim, Mr. Vickers, were to make an appearance on one of your beaches in the next few days.”

“I’ll call the Coast Guard, tell them to keep an eye out,” Bell says.

“Yeah,” Gregson assents.

“I trust that the lab has, by now, confirmed that the blood at the scene was Vickers’,” she asks Gregson.

“All twelve pints of it.”

More quiet noises of shock and revulsion. “M’s fascination with blood is as mysterious as the man himself. He mentions it in his correspondence with police,” she says, striding forward and picking up the stack of photos of the letters. “But only rarely,” she hands a stack to the nearest detective. She walks about the front of the room, handing out stacks for the detectives to pass among themselves. “You’ll notice he has a tendency to ramble. Do not be fooled. I have long suspected that M isn’t nearly as mad as he’d like to lead the authorities to believe. His letters are, in my humble estimation, a feint. An attempt to make everyone who would attempt to analyze him believe he is one thing when he is, in fact, vastly another. Finally, M tends to kill in bunches. So be prepared for more bodies to drop. I’ve brought my personal files on this killer to the station, and I’m arranging them for your consumption.”

“Alright, let’s get to work,” Gregson announces. Sherlock walks off to the side and the gathered detectives and officers start to murmur. She goes to the conference room where she had stacked her case files.

“Hey. How are you doing,” Watson asks when she walks in behind her.

“Quite well. Why,” Sherlock questions as she starts to leaf through a pile of papers.

“You seem oddly chipper.”

“I do?”

“And last night, at the crime scene. The way you were staring at the blood.”

“I was struck, I suppose. The moment I laid eyes on the scene, I knew who has done it. Not by name, of course, but by method and moniker.”

“And this morning?”

Sherlock looks at her and strides behind her, closing the door to the conference room to leave them in relative privacy.

“Ten years ago, when M first started killing, I was an integral part of the investigation. By the time he had claimed his 36th life, however, my addiction was out of control. I was, I’m embarrassed to say, useless to Scotland Yard. Now, his appearance in the colonies is a second chance for me. To do what I should have done years ago- bring a ruthless killer to justice.”

Gregson opens the door. “Let me ask you a question,” he says, coming into the room. “This M. character. What was his awareness of you back in London?”

“He might have made reference to me in a letter or two. Why?”

“And his appearance in the States, in New York, so soon after you is, what, a coincidence?”

“I hadn’t given that much thought, Captain.”

“Maybe he knows you’re here.”

“Perhaps.”

Gregson sighs. “I’m posting a couple of unis outside your door until further notice.”

“Captain, that’s hardly necessary-”

“No arguments.” He sighs. “I’m not losing my soulmate if I can help it.” He smiles a little and turns. With his hand on the doorknob, he looks back. “The uniforms will be there whether you like it or not.” Sherlock follows him out after a moment and goes to the copier, feeding a paper into it.

“Well, I have an appointment soon but I’ll be back in a couple hours,” Watson says, following her.

“I shall count the seconds until your return.”

“And when I get back, I’ll help you with the M files.”

“Actually, that won’t be necessary.”

“You need all the help you can get.”

“While I appreciate that, I’ve realized I’ve become too dependent on your assistance. Much as it pains me to admit, you’ve become a crutch, at least in part. I need to get used to working alone again.”

“You sure,” Watson asks gently.

“Positive,” Sherlock looks at her. “You go to your appointment, Watson. I shall keep you apprised of both my work and the progress of the case via email.”

Sherlock goes between the conference room and the bullpen, working the case. “Holmes,” Gregson calls, and she looks up. “Vickers washed up. Come on.”

Sherlock follows the man. Just as he described, the bloodless body of Ian Vickers is on the coastline with CSU technicians working around it. “No evidence,” Sherlock asks, already knowing the answer.

“No. Water must have washed it all away.” Gregson sighs. “This guy’s good.”

Sherlock doesn’t reply.

“Hey,” Gregson says, and she looks at him. “Don’t worry. We’ll get him.”

“Oh, of that I have no doubt, Captain,” she nods.

Gregson looks a little taken aback. “And like I said, those unis will be posted at your door all night, just in case M tries to get at you.”

They stay with the corpse until it’s transported to the morgue, where Gregson leaves her alone after the autopsy. Sherlock texts Watson the details and where she is before she puts on gloves and examines the body closely.

“Hey. I got your text,” Watson says when she walks in.

“Meet Ian Vickers,” Sherlock says. “Washed up on Roosevelt Island. Which narrows M’s dumpsite to the whole of east Manhattan.”

Watson walks to Vickers' head and examines it. “My money’s on the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Oil in the hair. There’s a high concentration of industrial oil in and around the Navy Yard. I donated to the cleanup effort a couple years ago.”

“Noted and informed Gregson.”

Sherlock walks to Vickers’ head and sniffs his hair. She runs her fingers through a section of it to more closely examine the oil both she and Watson had noticed.

“I’m gonna miss this,” Watson admits quietly.

Sherlock looks up and raises an eyebrow.

“Well, not this,” Watson gestures to the body. “But…this,” she gestures between herself and Sherlock. Sherlock slowly straightens. “Working with you,” Watson shrugs. “I think what you do is amazing. I wanted to tell you that at our wrap-up dinner, but there’s looking to be less and less of a chance of that happening with everything that’s going on.” Sherlock stares at her for a moment. “I’ll wait outside. Give me a five-minute warning and I’ll call a cab.” Watson turns and walks out of the morgue.

Sherlock examines the body further, then texts Watson the requested five minutes before she’s done and they go home.

“So given that it’s after 11, our delivery options are pretty limited,” Watson says while they walk in. Sherlock stops at the edge of her library. “There’s that Vietnamese place on 23rd, but I think you said it was a front for songbird smuggling.”

“Watson, I need you to be very, very quiet right now,” Sherlock requests.

“Why?”

“Because I believe our home has become a crime scene.”

Watson stops next to her and gasps when she sees the note.

“I’ll call Gregson,” Watson says. Sherlock nods and they don’t move. “Gregson. You need to get to the brownstone. M’s been here. No, no blood. He left a note.”

Soon, Gregson comes with a veritable army of detectives, officers, and crime scene technicians. He stands next to Sherlock. When the all clear is sounded, Gregson picks up the note with gloved hands. “Men make plans, God laughs,” he starts to read the note that had been comprised of letters cut from magazines like a stereotypical ransom note. “I am laughing at you now, as I always have. You think you honor me with your pursuit, you do not.” Sherlock and Watson look at each other before returning their attention to Gregson. “You are a mouse chasing a lion, a mere planet in orbit of a raging sun,” he turns his attention to Sherlock as he reads the last few words. “You talk to Ellis and Hitch yet,” Gregson turns to Bell.

“They were parked out front all night, never saw anyone come near the door.”

“He came in the back,” Sherlock says. “The lock was picked, quite expertly if I might add.”

“I guess this answers the question if he knows you’re in New York or not.”

“My apologies, Captain. If I had any inkling that he might follow me-”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Gregson says, stepping in front of her and looking her in the eye. “He’s the twist, not you. This isn’t on you.” He puts his hand on her shoulder. “You two go pack a few things, I’m putting you both up in a safe house until we catch this guy.”

“Captain, all due respect, I hardly think that’s necessary.”

“Sherlock, a psychopathic serial killer with 37 notches in his belt is after you and was in your home!”

“If he wanted me dead, he would have lain in wait, not leave me some bombastic note.”

“Sherlock-”

“I’m as safe as houses here, Captain, I assure you. Put more uniforms at the back of the building if you want, those are the only two entrances into this apartment. But I am staying.”

“I’m not losing you,” Gregson says quietly.

“And you won’t. He wants the chase, wants me fully engaged. That’s all.”

Gregson shakes his head. “What about you, Ms. Watson? I’m sure you’ll feel safer somewhere else.”

“If Sherlock says we’re safe here, I believe her. And I go where she goes.” Gregson looks between the women, incredulous. But he shakes his head and stands at the edge of the library until everyone clears out.

“Thank you very much,” Watson says as everyone leaves. “Good night.”

“Sherlock,” Gregson says when everyone else is gone, and walks towards her. “Are you sure you don’t want to leave?”

“Quite.”

“And I can’t keep someone in here?”

“I box, Captain. And I assure you, I have more than enough weapons to defend myself.”

“You have guns?”

“No. I do, however, own a singlestick.”

“A what?”

“A long stick, rather like the handle of a broom, that I can use to defend myself. It’s used to strike the opponent in the pate,” she gestures to her own. “I can take care of myself, Captain. Thank you for your concern.” Gregson sighs.

“Goodnight, Sherlock. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, Captain,” Watson says.

“Night.” He leaves.

Sherlock goes to her computer and pulls up the website to the property she’s planning on.

“What’s that,” Watson asks from behind her.

“Another one of my father’s properties. I’m think of moving once we’re through.”

“Since when?”

“Since our home was violated by a madman.” Watson frowns.

“You told the Captain you weren’t worried.”

“I’m not. Just thinking ahead; my enemies are legion. The next one might leave more than a note.”

“Well, I’m going to bed. Night, Sherlock.”

“Goodnight, Watson.”

Sherlock listens for her footsteps to disappear before she retrieves her security camera and downloads the information on it. She pauses it on M’s face. She makes a few calls.

Sherlock gently closes the door behind her and walks into the kitchen to get some food. Watson is sitting at the kitchen table. “Care to explain this,” she holds up the photo of M. “I got it from a friend of yours. Teddy? No? What about this,” she continues, sliding the book she had hidden the camera in across the table towards her. “I looked around, I found three more. I can’t imagine how many I didn’t see. It’s funny, when I moved in, you didn’t mention your little security system.”

“This is my sanctum sanctorum. You didn’t expect me to leave it unguarded, did you,” Sherlock speaks at last.

“Is this M,” Watson demands, pushing her finger onto the picture. “You told a bunch of children to go to upscale hotels and look for him. Why?”

Sherlock approaches and picks up the photo. “Note the hands. Vintage MG driving gloves. Quite expensive. But not nearly as expensive as his John Varvatos shoes. M has money- that much is obvious. He’s also a recent addition to New York. Why did I assume he was in a hotel as opposed to a property he might own? Quite simple. There was a curious scent on his note. High-end hand soap and an even higher-end mint shampoo. Both products are used individually by various upscale hotels around the city, but only one chain, the Betancourt, stocks both. My lieutenants and I each staked out a Betancourt and watched for M.”

“Oh, very impressive. I want to know why you shared a photo of a known serial killer with a bunch of kids rather with the police precinct you belong to!”

Sherlock turns off the sink she had been planning on getting a glass of water from. She pauses but puts the glass down and turns, walking back to Watson. “Several weeks ago, you learned of the existence of a woman named Irene Adler. I told you she’d died.”

Watson looks shocked. “M killed her.”

“Obviously he realized the degree to which I was assisting Scotland Yard in the hunt to find him and he made it personal. As to why I’m withholding this information from the police is quite simple. I have no intention of letting him be captured. I have every intention of torturing and murdering him.”

Sherlock walks away.

“What do you mean, you plan to torture and murder M,” Watson demands, following her.

“I hardly think I could be much clearer.”

“This isn’t a joke!”

“No. This is revenge.”

“How are you so calm,” Watson asks as Sherlock retrieves her kit.

“I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m not calm. I’m merely presenting a calm exterior. Inside I’m roiling. I have been dreaming about this moment for quite some time- one year, six months, twenty-two days. That’s when he killed her.”

“Irene.”

“We’d been together seven months by then,” Sherlock details, moving around the room and fetching various items. “I won’t bore you with the details of our courtship. Suffice it to say, I was quite smitten. Until that point in my life, I’d found most people quite boring. A means to a physiological end. Irene was different.”

“You were in love.”

Sherlock looks at her. “Prior to her murder, my drug use had been recreational. Something to do when I was bored or needed a boost during a particularly challenging investigation. After Irene, I lost control. I used various stimulants as I tried to help the authorities identify M. Once went several weeks without sleeping. When the trail went cold, I turned to opiates.”

“Look, I’m grateful to know the whole story,” Watson says. “But you’ve come a long way since London. I’m not going to let you risk it all by chasing down a psychopath.”

“I don’t think you understand, Watson. Without you, none of this would have been possible. Everything you’ve helped me do during the last 6 weeks- every meeting you dragged me to, every exercise you made me perform- everything has been in preparation for this moment. I’m not throwing away anything I’ve learned. I’m using it. I’m as clearheaded and focused as I ever have been. There’s a clarity to my thinking that’s…frightening.”

“I didn’t help you stay sober so you could become a murderer.”

“You didn’t realize that’s what you were doing. Nor did I, for that matter. Not until I walked in on that crime scene and saw M’s handiwork. I realized I’d been given a second chance.”

“Is that why you didn’t want me to help with the M files? You didn’t want me to see Irene’s name and figure out that you were up to something? I was the only one who could make that connection.”

“I’d hoped we would never have this conversation. I don’t want you to feel responsible for something I have to do.”

“You lied to me because you know what you’re planning to do is wrong.”

“If you’re considering following me, I strongly advise against it.” She doesn’t want to hurt Watson. But she will if she has to.

“I’m not gonna follow you.”

“Good.” Sherlock walks away.

“But you know that I’ll call Captain Gregson.”

“Do what you feel you must, Watson. That’s what I’m doing.” She leaves.

Sherlock goes to Theodore. She taps his shoulder while he’s putting out the trash, making him whirl and exclaim in shock. “Theodore. Heard you met another one of my associates today. She said you had something for me.”

“Depends. You got something for me?”

She holds up an American hundred dollar bill. Theodore reaches for it but she pulls it out of reach. “Tell me.”

Theodore does.

Sherlock goes to the woman’s apartment and stands behind M. He’s watching a football game. “Oh, that’s a joke,” M exclaims. “He hardly touched him!”

“Arsenal fan,” she remarks, making him turn. “As if I didn’t have enough reasons to despise you.”

“You,” M sneers.

“Me. Baton,” she extends it, and knocks him out.

She goes to the woman. “I will cut you free, but only if you don’t look at me. If you’d please wait ten minutes, you can call the police. Do you understand?” The woman nods. “Alright then.” Sherlock cuts her free and the woman doesn’t turn.

Sherlock drags M out and into the waiting car. She drives to the property. She hangs him up on the scaffold, suspending him by his hands tightly enough he doesn’t have a hope of getting away. She sits in a chair and waits.

M stirs. He strains against the restraints, trying to pull himself out of them. Sherlock stands in front of him, and M laughs.

“Hope you don’t mind being hung right-side up. I know you prefer the opposite for your victims.”

M looks at the various weapons she had laid out. “Figured out where you’re gonna start yet,” he asks conversationally, as if they’re sharing a cup of tea.

“I have not,” Sherlock admits. “I had hoped to use the bees in some capacity, but then it occurred to me that you might be allergic. After all this trouble, I’d hate for our fun to be over so soon,” she smiles.

“That would be a pity. Bit surprised at you, though,” M cocks his head. “I thought you were more of a by-the-book sort of broad. Why here? Why not take me straight to the nick?”

“I think you know why,” Sherlock approaches him.

“I think I don’t.”

“Irene.”

M pauses but shakes his head, frowns, and shrugs.

“Pretending the name isn’t familiar to you will not make things any easier for you.”

M thinks more. “Addison?” He grins, tilting his head back. “No. Adler. Irene Adler. Got killed in her flat, Camden lock, about a year and a half ago. Sorry to disappoint you, love, but that wasn’t me.”

“Of course it wasn’t. It was probably the other blood-draining maniac with the tripod device, hmm?”

“I was banged up in Brixton for six months. Got into a bit of a disagreement with a Man United fan. He was running around, slagging off the Arsenal. Didn’t paralyze him, just bashed him up a bit. And while I was doing the stretch, I read in the papers that the notorious ‘M’ had struck again. Imagine my surprise. But you disappoint me. And Scotland Yard, of course. Falling for that copycat so easily?” He chuckles. “Tell me. You and Ms. Adler, did you two shag? Because if you did, I would have paid a pretty penny to see that.” She restrains herself from throttling the man then and there.

“I must say, I’m a little disappointed in you,” Sherlock says. “I though you’d be a much better liar.”

“Haven’t lied yet.”

“Why would you, when you’re facing an agonizing death?”

“Ex-Royal Marine, love. Death’s an old friend.”

“Is he,” she asks, approaching him. “What about torture? Is he an old friend as well?” She pauses. “You made me a shambles of a woman,” she admits. “I’m going to return the favor.” She punches him in the ribs. Then the face. She walks away and hears M spit twice behind her.

“Anyone ever tell you that you punch like a woman,” he mocks.

“A woman did once. But she was much bigger than me.” M turns his head and spits blood again. “And the abductor of young girls she then used to turn a profit in the sex trade.” Sherlock shrugs. “So I didn’t really care about her opinion.”

Sherlock peruses her weapons.

“Well, you move quick. I drop my first body here, what, 72 hours ago? What’d you do, jump on a plane?”

“A plane from where,” Sherlock looks over her shoulder at him. M raises his eyebrows.

“Uh, London?”

“What made you think I’d gone back there?”

“What are you talking about, ‘gone back,’” M asks. “You trying to tell me you live here now?”

“You know very well where I live.”

“How would I know that?”

“Because you paid a visit there. Left me a note. Feigning amnesia will do you no good.”

“The brownstone was your place?” M shakes his head. “Something’s not right. I’m not what you think I am. I’m not a serial killer, love, I’m an assassin. I have an employer.” M must see Sherlock doesn’t believe him. “Look, I receive the names of everyone I kill for him. He pays me.”

“I already told you you’re a terrible liar, didn’t I?”

“Once again, I’m not lying. He sold me out. He never told me you was here.”

“Who didn’t?”

“My employer. The MO’s, the notes, all the serial killer bollocks, his idea!”

“Let’s pretend that I believe you,” Sherlock turns and leans against a table. “What was his motive for killing 37 people?”

“I don’t know, I never met the bloke. He sends me coded messages on me cell phone. It’s in my jacket. Have a look if you don’t believe me.”

Sherlock fetches it and looks through the messages. “This gobbledygook? Proves nothing.”

“Sebastian Moran, that’s my real name. Look me up! There was a trial, it was in the papers. You’ll see I was locked up when Adler was killed.” Sherlock types in Moran’s phone. “He talked about you, was obsessed. He never told me you was here and he sure as fuck didn’t tell me it was your flat I was breaking into. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the one who killed your girl.”

Sherlock starts to shake. “No.”

“Don’t let him play you as well!”

“No. It’s you. Has to be.”

“You saw the article, didn’t you? I’m telling the bloody truth!” Sherlock just breathes. “You can kill me for all the others, but your girl? That was him. That was Moriarty. He’s the one you want, not me.”

Sherlock puts aside Moran’s phone. “I seem to recall you saying you weren’t afraid to die.”

“It’s not fear I’m feeling right now, love. It’s anger. Righteous anger. Moriarty sold me out, and I’m gonna get even.”

“You’re a monster. A sadist. A murderer.” She turns back to her weapons.

“All of that. But I’m not a liar. I didn’t kill your girl.” Sherlock starts to shake again.

“You killed her.”

“I never touched a hair on her head!”

“You killed her.” She picks up an ice pick and grabs Moran’s head, holding it up to his eye.

“Moriarty said you was obsessed with puzzles. But he’s the greatest puzzle you’ll ever come across. You kill me now, you’ll be killing the best clue you’ll ever get.”

Sherlock lets go of his head and steps back.

“I knew you’d make the right decision,” Moran says. “You’re a rare thing in this world, Holmes. You’re an honorable woman.”

“A famous statistician once stated that while the individual man is an unsolvable puzzle, in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty. You can, for example, never foretell what any one man can do, but you can with precision say what an average man will do.”

“You’re not average, though, are you Holmes?”

“Individuals vary. Percentages remain constant. I am not average, you’re right there Moran.”

She stabs him, making him scream. She backs away. Moran starts to laugh. “You made the right choice, Holmes. What do you want me to tell them?”

“Whatever you want.”

She releases him and drags him to the car, driving to the station with Moran laid out in the back seat, groaning. She pulls up to the station and drags Moran in. “This is M,” she announces to the bullpen. They’re swarmed and Moran’s stomach is wrapped in bandages. He’s cuffed and brought to Interview One.

Gregson arrives and points at her. “Park it in my office.” Sherlock goes, sitting on the couch. She makes a call to Brixton.

Watson walks in.

“You’re missing out on quite a story back there,” Watson says. She puts aside her coat and approaches her. “The stab wound he sustained? He claims he got it in a struggle, but I’m pretty sure if he had, there would have been more damage.” She drags a chair over and sits. “Looks more like he was stationary. Maybe even restrained. I used to be a surgeon, but I doubt I’d find a place to stab someone without actually doing any real harm.” Watson just looks at her, but Sherlock keeps looking straight ahead. “If that’s what you meant to do, I’m impressed. If you’re trying to make some sort of point-”

“He presumed to know me,” Sherlock cuts her off, looking at her at last. “He needed to be shown he did not.”

“He’s willing to confess to all the murders, but he won’t give you up.”

“He believes that he’s been wronged. He thinks I’m the best chance he has at bringing whoever wronged him to justice.”

“Are you planning on helping him? The man who killed Irene?”

“As a matter of fact, he did not.” She extends her phone, pulled up to the article. “He was incarcerated when she died. I confirmed it a short while ago.” She inhales. “I’m sorry that I lied to you, Watson. The last few days have been quite vexing. Even now I’m unsure I’ve done the right thing, allowing M to live. Strange, really. I’m rarely conflicted about my decisions. The beauty of deductive reasoning, I suppose. Makes a science of nearly everything. But not this.”

Watson stands and sits next to her. She lays a hand on Sherlock’s arm. “I’m going to miss this,” Sherlock whispers. “Maybe not this, but this,” she says, laying her hand on Watson’s and looking at her. “Working with you. I think what you do is amazing.” Watson presses against her side and lays her head on Sherlock’s shoulder. “I’m sorry our last days together had to go so poorly.”

Gregson walks in, furious. He closes his door. “Moran might not be giving you up, but I knew what you did, Holmes. You’re done. Joan, take her home.”

They stand and go home. Sherlock goes to sleep on the couch.

The sun eventually wakes Sherlock, and she turns and sees Watson on her phone, looking at something. “Watson, what is it,” she asks. She rolls off the couch and gets to her feet.

“I called your father last night. Given everything that’s happened, I recommended staying on a while longer.”

“And,” Sherlock asks, trying not to hope.

“He agreed.”

“I suppose the apiary will have to wait.” Sherlock walks to her evidence wall and takes everything down. When the wall is clear, she writes a single name on an index card and puts it up. She sits in a chair in front of it and looks up at it. Watson brings her tea and puts it on the floor next to her before silently sitting on the couch behind her. Sherlock sips and stares at the wall.

#trickster tales #elementary #female sherlock holmes #soulmate au

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rhctjsqldufdotk1112 · 1 year

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꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드

꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드 링크<<

꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드라마

If you think there may be bees, it is better to throw a stone in a grassy area first and call 911 when the bees fly up. If you suddenly notice wasps flying around you during weeding, you must first think that you have touched a wasp nest, stop the weeder quickly, take off the weeder, and leave the place quickly. If you unluckily touched the nest of a longevity hornet, the flying sound will make a heavy sound like "booooung".

However, if you do not recognize this and encounter a long-lived wasp, running away is the best way, but if there is no way or it is too late to run away, or if the peop꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드라마le you are with are old and unable to escape, you must mobilize everything you have. Fire is the most effective. Block the approach by shooting fire with F-Killa + Lighter's improvised flamethrower [44], and even if it approaches, blow it away with a blower or grind the wasps with a mower. It is even more effective if it is an iron blade, but even if it is a safety blade, which is used a lot recently, it will defin꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드라마itely send it to the goal. After all, longevity wasps are not the answer in front of the tools that humans have, so if it is unavoidable, you have to fight against it.

If you are stung by a wasp in the mountains, it takes as little as 30 minutes to receive an antihistamine prescription at the hospital, and it takes as long as several hours. Most of them. Wasps are hovering around you, looking for your pride because you have been stung by a bee once or twice. Even one long꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드라마-lived wasp hovering makes a terrifying sound, and if it stings even one over the shoulder, it will be life or death depending on the constitution. If you are already hovering to attack a person, wasps are sensitive to hair and react more sensitively to shampoo scent or perfume, so it is safe to refrain from strong perfume and wear thick long-sleeved clothes and a hat when weeding.

When running away, it is better not to wave your hands and run quickly while covering the exposed neck and head. If you feel that a wasp has landed on your head or neck꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드라마 while you are moving, you should quickly knock out that area. It is good to protect the neck and head somehow. If you are stung by a wasp in the mountains, it is best to protect yourself as much as possible. Even if you are shot over the head or shoulder, do not wait for an ambulance, get a car on the road, or whatever you do, run to the hospital as quickly as possible. It is not uncommon for one or two hits to꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드라마 be lethal. This is because even if you seem fine, you may lose consciousness due to breathing difficulties and shock at any moment.

There are also dedicated traps for catching longevity wasps. Like a trap, it is confined to a structure that allows you to enter but not leave. It is in the shape of a barrel with an entrance made of coils on the floor, which is used by the longe꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드라마vity wasp's habit of climbing up the wall or climbing up when looking for an exit [45]. (Coil type wasp trap) [46] These days, I just use cheap and easy-to-obtain sticky tape.

There are also traps like this.

The most cost effective is sticky. Sticky for insects comes out after being removed, so you need to use stickies for mice, but the effect is excellent. Longevity wasps have a habit of calling companions when robbing an apiary, and if only one i꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드라마s attached to the string, other companions fly in turn and try to contact the companion, and in this way they are entangled like fishing. Occasionally, honey bees are also stung, but the damage is significantly less than a successful attack by a long-lived wasp.

Another way is PET bottle + makgeolli. If you put makgeolli in the bottle, cut off the mouth of the plastic bottle, and direct it to the inside of the bottle, longevity wasps sm꽃선비 열애사 11회 12회 다시보기 11화 12화 SBS 드라마ell the unique sweet smell of makgeolli + alcohol and enter the bottle. will drown in In addition to attracting more fellow long-lived wasps in the same way as sticky, it is said that this method was introduced in the United States, where bees suffer from long-lived wasps because honey bees hate alcohol and there is no damage.

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the-letter-horror-lover · 2 years

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No more happy campers

WanderingPanic (orphan_account)

Summary:

Welcome to Ophrys secret garden summer camp!

Ciel Phantomhive has been dragged by his cousin and best friend to our summer camp getaway where he has to be social at least 90% of the time he’s there, but it’s not all miserable as he’s entertained by his wild and slightly sadistic bunk mate, his idiot friends and their shenanigans, his counselor trainees messy romantic lives, and an unbelievably pretty German girl staying in his cousin’s cabin.

Notes:

• Chapter song aesthetic : https://youtu.be/1x1wjGKHjBI

•Ciel’s and Lizzie’s POV for this chapter at least (probably not for the next ones)

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

If you’d like to know why, I, Ciel Phantomhive, son of Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive, and future earl to the Funtom company, am currently sitting in a summer camp counselor’s office covered head to toe in red paint, along with around thirty other campers, then you’ll need to understand that this all seemed like a good idea at the time.

*4 weeks earlier*

“Ciel! Come on or we’ll miss orientation!” Yelled my frazzled cousin Elizabeth from the downstairs of my house.

“No! I’m not going! You and Sieglinde and Soma and Agni and Sebastian and the rest of those freaky circus foster siblings can all enjoy your little camp! I’m staying home.”

I had already made up my mind about this camp. Singing cheesy campfire songs and having to share a dorm room sized cabin with three other high school sophomore aged boys just doesn’t sound like my cup of tea. What does however is an actual cup of earl grey tea and a trashy reality TV marathon followed by a well deserved depression nap.

“You are not going to miss this camp because you’re too busy hating life!”

“Says the neurotypical.”

“CIEL!”

“NO!”

Just as I finished yelling out at Lizzie, my mother, bless her soul for having to deal with me, entered my room.

“You know Ciel... maybe it’s a good idea to go to this camp. I mean Soma is going and Lizzie is too. You may even make new friends-“

“Lizzie told me the same things, I just can’t see myself enjoying it.”

My mother sighed and placed a hand on her forehead.

“Ciel you’ll never know if you’ll never try.”

Maybe it was the solemn look on dear mother’s face, maybe it was the commercial break that popped up on my TV, or maybe it was Lizzie screaming out for me one last time that finally convinced me to go. My mother audibly gasped when I started packing a bag silently, and she got out another to speed up the process.

Lizzie forced me into a very tight hug when I got down the stairs and basically dragged me out of the house and pushed me into her brother’s car.

Edward Midford, containing the same overly cheery attitude as his sister and father, but the resting angry face of his mother. His car was like his life choices...

All over the place and generally a hot mess.

“Damn Edward when was the last time you cleaned your car?”

“Hey, Ciel! it’s not that bad!”

“There’s a coffee cup in here with mold in it.”

“Which one?”

“Exactly.”

Lizzie fake gagged at the fuzzy plastic cup and crinkled her nose up.

“Well I’m just glad I get my license in a few months so I don’t have to be in this car ever again.”

“Well I’m just excited you two are gonna finally get to experience the upperclassmen life at ole’ Ophrys!”

‘Ophrys hidden garden summer camp’ has been around since before my parents were alive. It’s a humongous summer camp for ages seven to eighteen that’s right smack dab in the middle of the forrest in a cleared out circular area turned into an ophrys apifera, honey suckle , and primrose conservatory project with greenhouses and small apiaries on the edges of the property. On the west side there’s a man made lake, the little kid cabins and the mess hall. In the center there’s the recreational area, the upper class men cabins and the nurses cabin. On the east side there’s the counselor’s housing and directory.

The lake water is freezing 95% of the time and the rest of the camp is always burning hot during due to the lack of air conditioning.

Lizzie POV>>>

I was excited about the certain ‘upperclassmen life’ scene Edward was talking about.

I’ve been going to Ophrys since I was seven and it’s my favorite time of year. I’ve always enjoyed it but I’m finally going to get to have some real fun now that I’m an incoming sophomore.

Since the camp has so many people every year, they jam pack the elementary age kids with useless arts and crafts and sports, but they basically let the high schoolers do what ever we want. Once you get to be an incoming sophomore you get to put down the macaroni necklace and pick up a styrofoam cup filled with alcoholic beverages and stay up all night a parties in your CIT’s cabin if they’re cool enough.

The CIT’s or ‘counselors in training’ are the incoming seniors at the camp who sign up to be in charge of a high school cabin for the summer. They throw the best parties, host the best bonfire nights and are extremely competitive with one another during the last week of the camp known was “free for all week.” Or as it’s known to the underclassmen as “cabin VS cabin competitions” where we play basics camp games, the only difference is that the upperclassmen all have raging winner parties, somewhat illegal bets, crazy rules, and crazy contests and initiations to be able to be in one of the games for your age group. Every year the cabin in a certain age group that has the most won competitions gets the “bragger’s gold” or as the camp director calls it “the winning trophy”. Nobody knows when it was dubbed the “bragger’s gold” but the rumor is that on the bottom of the trophy, there’s a key to a secret underground bunker in the middle of the woods off the camp grounds that’s filled with really expensive alcohol, and the winning cabin gets their CIT and junior CIT to go get a bottle for their winner party after the games.

The incoming juniors or ‘junior CIT’s’ are basically understudies for the CIT of their respective cabin, they do all the stuff the real CIT’s don’t want to, like ask the camp director for stuff or wake everyone up in morning. Soma didn’t sign up to be a junior CIT but Edward did. He’ll probably get so fed up with me by the end of the summer because I’ll be pestering him about what all he and his CIT did the whole time we’re at camp.

As we pulled into the camp grounds, the buzz of people reuniting with their friends and laughing was intoxicating to me. I rolled down my window and pulled my phone out of my pocket it to film us pulling into the entrance of the camp. As the video was about it end I flashed the camera onto Ciel, who in return , flipped off the lens.

“Whatever it’s still going on Snapchat you dang stick in the mud.”

“What do you mean ‘stick in mud’ I’m plenty fun I just didn’t want to come here.”

“You’re only fun when you’re doing something that you think you’ll enjoy.”

“Isn’t that how you’re supposed to live life?”

*3rd person POV*

The three teens stepped out of the car and Edward was immediately grabbed by a blonde guy with glasses, striking green eyes, and a pin that said ‘Ron: Junior Counselor trainee’.

The two hugged almost recklessly near the parking lot full of moving cars and then walked away laughing about something Ron had apparently said.

“Well he’s already forgot we exist.” Ciel scoffed as he leaned up against the car.

“Do you need me to hold your hand on the way to the theatre or can you manage?” Lizzie winked at him as she slowly started to saunter away.

“Oh piss off!” Ciel pushed himself off the car and tried speed walking away from her.

Once inside the theatre Ciel saw his older friend stand up in his seat to wave him and Lizzie over, where he had saved them two seats right up front with him.

“How did Soma know I was coming?”

“I told him you were while you were asleep in the car. He’s really excited and he’s going to try to get Agni to put you two in the same bunk.”

“Agni’s a CIT?”

“Oh course he is , I mean the guy is nearly perfect!”

Ciel and Lizzie scooted themselves past already seated people and once they sat down, Ciel saw a girl with curly black hair, in daisy duke shorts and an Ophrys camp hunter green souvenir tank top stand on the stage and count all the underclassmen as they filed in.

“Would you look at her! Lizzie I’m telling you, they get better looking female CIT’s every year, What was her name again?”

Lizzie jumped at the voice coming from behind her and she play slapped the gray-blonde boy standing behind her.

“Snake! Ugh you almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Sorry, I just wanted to scare you, who’s your friend with the blue eyes?”

Ciel flashed an awkward smile. Who was this guy and why was he talking to Lizzie like he’s known her forever.

“This is my cousin Ciel, pardon his awkwardness he’s not used to how fellow Pythons interact.”

“Hah it’s ok. Well then Ciel, you can just call me Snake, that’s what I’ve been called ever since I became the only guy in the python cabin who has actually ever gotten rid of one of those pesky shower snakes that pop up sometimes and keep it as a pet.”

Ciel raisedand eyebrow and looked Snake up and down.

“I also have severe eczema.” Snake scratched at a flake on his arm.

“I can see that, Snake.”

Snake returned to his seat three rows behind Lizzie, Soma and Ciel.

Soma talked to Ciel the entire time they waited for the program to start.

Ciel loved Soma, he was his best friend, but man did he talk a lot.

“Ok my happy campers let’s get started!” Yelled out a tall, pale girl with long firery red hair wearing an Ophrys tee shirt and a button that said

‘Grell: Counselor trainee’.

Two tall raven haired guys walked onto the stage, followed by Agni, the Curly black haired woman, a biracial girl with pastel purple dyed hair, a ginger guy with eyeliner on , and a girl with chocolate hair pulled into a sleek bun , wearing glasses.

One of the dark haired males pulled glasses out from his pocket and put them on. The other one whispered something to Agni, who the exited the stage and went up to the blonde guy , Ron, from earlier.

“That tall one on the right, that’s Sebastian Michaelis, one of Agni’s best companions besides me, he’s a great track runner and most of the girls swoon over him.”

Soma had leaned over to Ciel and whispered this, and then pointed to the one with glasses next to Sebastian.

“That one beside him is Claude Faustus, he’s a mega douche, but people seem to like him for some reason.”

“The black haired girl next to him is Maryann, but everyone calls her Beast because she’s the best female physical comp’ competitor, she’s also smoking hot in case you didn’t see.”

Ciel snickered at Soma, Beast was tall with smooth skin and large breasts, she was pretty, but not Ciel’s definition of ‘hot’

“The guy next to her with the eyeliner, everyone calls him Joker because he’s never being serious, Beast has been pining after him since they were thirteen but he’s too busy looking at more masculine counters if you get my drift...”

“Oh dang, poor girl has no clue does she.” Ciel fought back laughter. Surely the eyeliner must be a dead giveaway.

“Nope. Oh course you know Agni, the red haired one next to him is Grell, she’s wild with a capital W and there’s not one male CIT she hasn’t tried to get with unsuccessfully, but I’m pretty sure her junior counselor has the hots for her.”

“The one with the purple hair talking to Claude is Hannah. She’s cold blooded, but she’s got a golden heart somewhere under all that chest hahaha.”

Ciel elbowed Soma after yet another large great comment.

“The girl with the bun is Nina, she’s sassy and really smart, maybe smarter than Agni, and I think she’s the only one who can’t stand Sebastian for generally no reason.”

Soma was about to make another comment when a man wearing a dark brown suit in rectangular glasses walked onto the stage.

“Ok campers, for those of you who don’t know me I am your camp director William T. Spears.”

William was cut off by Joker cheering loudly and Beast running up and hugging him, much to his dismay, Sebastian and Agni clapped obnoxiously whilst this happened.

“Ok that is enough! I would expect better behavior from my CIT’s !”

The crowd giggled quietly.

“I though you said everyone hates that guy?” Ciel leaned over to Lizzie who smiled lightly and said,

“Yeah he’s a total bore but everyone misses him after a while because he’s just so bad and he’s only been here two years so we still heckle him from time to time.”

Ciel scoffed as William tried to resume his speech.

“This summer you will become enriched and become much more mature than when you entered. For first years this may be your first time away from home, and for seniors this is your last time in your home away from home. I’ve entrusted your CIT’s to go over the basics of cabins and competitions. Every morning you will report to the mess hall at 7:30 am if you are ages 12-18 and 8:30am if you are 7-11 years old. And dinner will be served inside the mess hall at 8pm inside for 7-11 year olds and outside for 12-18 year olds. Maryann, Sebastian you may have the floor.”

Sebastian and Beast walked up to the front of the stage. Beast took out a piece of paper from her pocket and then handed it to Sebastian, then began talking.

“Ok happy campers! My name is Maryann but you’ll call me Beast because I am a competitive beast!-“ she smiled big at the crowd and then turned to Sebastian with the note and nodded toward Hannah before refacing the crowd. Sebastian walked her to Hannah and gave her the note.

“Here we have eight different cabins for each age group here. The pythons, the tigers, the ravens, the spiders, the flying bats, the owls, the peacocks, and the doves.”

Some guys in the back started to make hissing noises and chanting,

“Pythons, pythons, house of, Pythons!”

Beast shushed them while trying not to laugh and turned to Sebastian.

“I’m going to read off your cabin names but group then age then sex ok!”

He started going down the line and sectioning off everyone by which cabin they were in. He soon got to the upperclassmen and Ciel waited for his name impatiently.

“Ok in the Pythons 15 F we have Elizabeth, welcome back girl, Sieglinde, Lucy, Rebekah, Dana, And Josie.”

“Now in for my cabin group, the Raven 15 B we have Alois, Ciel, Marcus, Marshal, Alex, and TJ.”

Ciel and Soma looked at each other. This was an outrage, Ciel’s only friend here wasn’t even in the same group as him.

Everyone was lead by their CIT to their cabins with the seven year olds first and the upperclassmen last. The boys carried their stuff across the cap grounds over to a cabin with a blue and black piece of fabric tied to the top of a piece of wood sticking out from the roof.

Ciel looked around and realized that every cabin had this piece of wood on the roof but none others had fabric on theirs.

“Ok you guys are fifteen so it’s impossible for me to tell you no one in the cabin that isn’t a raven boy or a CIT, so if you do have company keep it quiet and in your own bed. I know it sounds dumb but even my fellow seniors sometimes can’t follow these rules.”

Two of the guys snickered at Sebastian’s last comment and he smirked and turned to face them,

“You wanna know what happened just ask Claude and Hannah.”

All the guys then busted out in laughter including Ciel, who barely knew these people but could defuse it happening based on what Soma had told

him.

Maybe camp wouldn’t be so bad.

But why did Beast give Sebastian that note and why did they have fabric branding their cabin?

Chapter 2: Bunk mates, mate

Notes:

Chapter song aesthetic: https://youtu.be/ooEv1cH97HA

Chapter Text

Sebastian looked up at the cabin to try to tell them more about where they were staying, but the blue fabric caught his eye. He did a double take and kept looking back at it.

“What’s the blue and black ribbon mean?” A bleached blonde, gum smacking, boy in cheetah print Nike shorts asked.

“Um. You don’t need to worry about it just yet. But I need to talk to another CIT in just a moment. Anyway just come inside and I’ll explain that later.

The boys filed in the cabin. Immediately there was a strong appearance of honey camping vibes going on, in the front room there was a mini kitchenette and a couch with a vintage TV on a wooden stand that looked like a tree stump. On the walls were paintings of ravens and moths in various styles in various sizes. The room was decorated in black, dark reds, and grays all throughout.

“This is the front room, down that hallway are four doors that each lead to a room containing two beds, two nightstands and one window overlooking area. You can put your stuff wherever just not in the front room. There’s a bathroom if you keep going down the hallway where the beds are. I really wish I could’ve stayed to talk more but I’m going to be frank, we’ve been branded for war.”

Ciel’s eyes widened and the blonde boy swallowed his gum and then started almost maniacally laughing.

“What do you mean a war!?” He asked, the other boys looking very confused.

“Well... this camp has a long history of end of the summer competitions, but the upperclassmen take it to a new extreme. We have a point system. If you can do anything to mess with or brand or prank your rival group your assigned when the summer starts, you earn more points. The cabin with the most points gets first pick at what comps we do that year in what will thinks is the real thing.”

“So what does the fabric mean?” Ciel asked , genuinely intrigued.

“It means that the Python girls have claimed us as their main target this summer. We claim each cabin by getting our cabin color fabrics and tying them to the freshmen’s roofs as a way to claim the fresh meat.”

Sebastian smirked and all of the boys but Ciel looked slightly terrifyed.

“It’s ok though they can’t hurt us, steal from us, or damage our stuff or they’ll be disqualified from the point system completely and reported.”

The boys seemed to perk back up and then two of them began whispering about which cabin they’d get that night.

“So I’m guessing that note Beast gave you to give to Hannah was something about who was either going to brand her cabin or telling her to brand us?”

Ciel asked, catching Sebastian slightly off guard.

“Um... yes actually. I found out that Claude was going to get Agni’s cabin so I told Beast and she had me give that note to Hannah saying he was coming after her so she’d get Agni before he would.”

“Wow so she’s mad at Claude for no reason then? That’s hilarious!”

“It’s not for no reason! Claude broke the rules. We aren’t supposed to talk about who we’re gonna brand with anyone other than our cabins and juniors. Claude however told Joker and myself thinking we wouldn’t do anything.”

Ciel laughed.

“Well then I guess you better get Grell’s cabin then.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because of what you did, I’m guessing that’s the only one unclaimed considering that I can see outside my window that Nina’s has just been branded by Soma and Agni themselves.”

“That piece of-“ Sebastian looked outiside the window and then bolted out the door,

racing up to Angi who then stuck his tongue out at him.

Ciel took his bags in the first room on the left of the hallway. Plopping his stuff down on the bed and took a deep breath.

No turning back now.

“Hey bunk mate!”

Ciel turned around to see the bleached blonde gum chewer had claimed the bed next to him.

“Those other boring boys have already shaked up together so I’m left with you and your gorgeous navy blue eyes!”

“What is everyone’s obsession with my eyes today?”

“Hm?”

“Nothing just...thinking out loud.”

“Well ok then, my name is Alois Trancy!” The boy latched onto Ciel’s hand and shook it a little too hard for him liking. When Alois released his wrist Ciel held it and furrowed his brows.

“Um... I’m Ciel.”

“That’s a pretty name Ciel! Hey do you wanna sneak out tonight!?”

Is this guy serious, Ciel thought. They had only just met and this Alois guy was already asking him if they wanted to break rules.

“I’m actually a friend of Claude’s and he said that the CIT’s always throw the JCIT’s a raging party for kicking off the summer and whatever freshmen show up become their favorites.”

Ciel really wanted to go to that party, which is saying something because he hated parties.

The dramatic competitiveness of the CIT’s made him want to be involved and know about all the hot gossip straight from Sebastian’s lips, but he knew he just couldn’t go to a senior party with some dude he just met, especially one he heard about from Claude, a dirty cheater who for all he knew could’ve told him that so he could lure freshmen out to get hazed.

“I’m good but thanks.”

“K, I guess I’m going alone then, but you’re helping me get ready Ok?”

“Sure.”

An hour later Alois was wearing tight, short leather shorts and a neon purple tee shirt with a leather jacket on top. Black high top converse on his feet and sunglasses that looked expensive on his face, he was ready to go.

But the party didn’t start for another hour so he had to kill time.

“Ciel you ole’ bore please let me take you to the party!”

“Alois I already declined ok, I just don’t think its a good idea.”

“But we’re bunk mates, mate!”

“Excuse me.”

“We’re mates now! We’re gonna be so close by the end of the summer I mean we have to share a bathroom at least let me take you to a cool party so you get a decent first impression of what I am sloppy drunk.”

Ciel took a deep breath, and pictured the image of Alois drunk out of his mind.

This was something he’d pay to see.

“Ok hang on let me dressed.”

“Yay!”

Ciel wore an off white tee shirt that read “there’s no way you woke up like that.” And black ripped jeans with black timberland boots on his feet.

He ran a hand through his hair and the two boys set out to this senior party.

“So where is this party. Will would kill them if they were all out of bed after hours getting drunk.”

“Claude said that it’s off grounds near a waterfall that goes into a river with blueberry bushes around it.”

“Sounds aesthetic and very possibly fake.”

“He also included that there’s a pile of dead squirrels at the halfway mark so...”

“Sounds more plausible.”

Once Ciel spotted (and nearly vomited) at the sight of an actual pile of dead squirrel parts thy knew they were getting close, and rift around this time they saw a girl with raspberry, chin length hair running in the same direction as them.

“Hey where are you going?” Alois Yelled out earning a hand over the mouth from Ciel who then reminded him that what they were doing was against the rules.

“Sorry! Hey girl are you heading to the party as well.”

Ciel faceplamed, it seemed his new roommate was anything but inconspicuous and would definitely eventually get him into trouble.

The girl walked toward them, tripping around six times, but somehow made it up to them in one piece.

“Mar- I Beast said the party was around here didn’t she?”

The girl wore large circular glasses and had freckles dotted along her face.

“Yeah we’re headed there now.”

Ciel answer calmly. The girl seemed frazzled and Ciel knew that the last thing he needed to do was act panicked, even though he was in the middle of the woods with two complete strangers heading to a possibly fictional party.

“Hey! Meyrin it’s over here!” Ron, the JCIT from that morning Yelled out from about fifteen feet away from the three.

He sprinted out to them and then basically shoved them into a thin brush of dark bushes.

“Better late than never babe! The party almost started without you!” Meyrin blushed at his comment.

“Ronald! Stop that. You know why I’m here.”

“Ugh what’s that CIT got that I don’t! Hah I’m just joking ya babe, you know why I’m here too!”

“You certainly have a type...”

Meyrin ran a hand through her bang and Ronald rolled his eyes, then wrapped his arm around her shoulder and the two walked off to talk to a shorter JCIT with a large sun hat on and one taller one with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

Ciel turned to look at the surrounding area. Agni was standing behind a plastic pull out table severing a rose pink tinted liquid to people in y’all styrofoam cups, a blush across his face and sighted from his mouth every couple seconds it was obvious to tell he was already drunk as a skunk.

Beast was off in the corner talking to Hannah, both girls wearing matching black and gold dresses and had their hair pulled back using a back scrunchie.

Claude was right. There was a waterfall next to some blueberry bushes. What he forgot to mention was that it was a scene he had carved into a tree right under “C + H”

Alois had seemed to already have disappeared once Ciel turned back around and the more the sun went down the harder the party got.

People were hugging, laughing, vomiting, yelling, arguing, and dancing raunchily to music being played on a Bluetooth speaker hooked up to apparently Agni’s phone.

Agni was however already passed out under a tree once the party officially started.

Sebastian walked up in a button up shirt and a tie , and scanned the area for Agni.

“Oh Agni my dude... this is why I don’t let you serve drinks bud.”

He saw Agni passed out in a pool of his own vomit under a tree, while two mischievous juniors scribbled genitalia onto his forehead.

“Oh my god!”

Sebastian turned to see meyrin burst out into laughter about something Bard, the tall, smoking junior had said.

He walked over to them casually.

“Sebastian! My... best mate right here... hahaha.”

Bard was obviously drunk out of his mind and had now rested his head on Sebastian’s shoulder. The only reason he actually came to this raging drunk joke of a party was so he could help Finnian, the shorter JCIT flirt with a certain Freshman, but it looked like she hadn’t shown up and that Sebastian had yet again found himself taking care of a drunk Bard and Agni.

Another two hours of partying ensued and the Hannah climbed up on a ledge made by rocks (shakily due to the alcohol) and clapped really loudly.

“Ok! I’m am proud to announce this years JCIT’s!”

Claude and Alois cheered and Alois Yelled out something along the lines of a very slurred “Mom!” Before Hannah shushed them.

“For the owls... we have Eric and Alan! Yay! For the peacocks we have Ronald In the pythons we’ve got Paula... Yass Queen! The the ravens we have Finnian and Bard! For the spiders we have The triplets! I love you guys! In the tigers we have Meyrin! In the flying bats we’ve got Dagger! And finally but not unfortunately we have Edward for the-“

Hannah was cut of by falling off of the ledge, leading to an audible gasp from several people and laughter from others.

Ciel faceplamed for a second time that evening and when he looked up his eyes met a spur of blue green ones.

And that’s all he can remember from the rest of that night.

Chapter 3: The classic last Friday night cliche

Notes:

Chapter song aesthetic: https://youtu.be/H5NqIsnyTG8

Chapter Text

A beam of sunlight hit Ciel’s closed eyelids, forcing him to wake up.

“Ugh, What the hel-“

“Shhh!” Ciel was soon silenced by Agni’s fight over his lips. Why was Agni in his cabin? What a minute... Ciel looked around at the green and burnt orange decor in the room. This definitely wasn’t his his cabin... why was he in Agni’s?

“Ciel do you have any idea where you are right now?”

“I’m gonna say it’s your cabin.”

“Wrong... it’s the guys CIT housing.”

“Doesn’t that mean the same thing as what I just said?”

“Nope, you were inferring that you were in my cabin I’m in charge of.”

“Right, ok why am I here?”

“Do you remember anything from last night?”

“I went to a party with my weird roommate, saw Sebastian taking care of a drunk JCIT and then saw Hannah fall off the rock ledge, I can’t really remember anything after that but I’m assuming in the dark I must’ve just wandered into the wrong cabin.”

Angi scoffed at Ciel and then walked out of the cabin. He had to get to a CIT meeting that morning and he was an aspirin and a glass of water away from punching Ron and Edward in the face for graftiting his forehead last night.

Sebastian woke up in his car. Next to him in the reclined passenger seat, was Meyrin, curled into a ball with Bard’s jacket over her petite body as a blanket. Bard was sprawled out across the back seat , a beer can still in one hand. Sebastian pulled out his phone from his pocket.

20% and only ten minutes until the CIT meeting across the camp grounds. Angi was nowhere to be found and his head was pounding.

“Ugh did I drink and drive last night!?” Sebastian said, louder than he had hoped to, forgetting about the two sleeping passengers with him.

Meyrin shifted and the abruptly shot up in the seat.

“Hmmm... Hey... Claude?!”

“Nope it’s Sebastian and Baldroy thankfully.” Sebastian grabbed Meyrin’s glasses from the dashboard and handed them to her, once she put them on she looked over at Sebastian and then sighed in relief.”

“Oh thank god! I really didn’t need a repeat of last years kick off party!”

“I saw Ronald attaching himself to you until Edward and Grell showed up. I’m guessing the guy still has feelings?”

Meyrin blushed, Ronald and her had hooked up after the party last year, an event she truly regretted. Now the poor guy won’t leave her alone, and has tried to move onto Grell to try to forget her with no luck.

“We should talk about last night.”

“Oh, ok.”

“Based on these texts I’m getting from Claude’s friend Alois however it seems that after the four of us left for Waffle House last night some crazy stuff went down.”

After Agni woke up during Hannah’s speech he found Sebastian and Meyrin babysitting a wasted Bard, then suggested they blow the joint to get some cheap food, and the only place open at 1:00am is Waffle House. Agni carried Bard on his back to Sebastian’s car.

“Hey where is Finnian?” Agni asked, realized the short JCIT had vanished.

“He found that freshman girl he’s been dating for a while and they went back to the bonfire area for some alone time.” Sebastian smirked and Agni chuckled

“Didn’t know the guy had it in him.” The two busted out laughing at the notion they were going to the bonfire for something other than s’mores. Meyrin rolled her eyes and said,

“That Elizabeth girl isn’t like that you guys. They’ve been together since last year they’re the most innocent couple in the place!”

“True, but based on what we’ve heard from Claude that’s all that goes on there.”

Meyrin laughed lightly as she got into the passenger seat.

“Bard you wanna get some waffles?!” She asked in a loud, singsongey voice.

“Yeah! Waf... and some of that coffee...that sounds... Yeah!”

Meyrin smiled as she thought about Bard’s sloppily drunken actions from the previous night, then wondered what everyone else had gotten up to while they binged on food.

“What is he saying.”

“Something about Ciel Phantomhive, Finnian, dear god, Edward and some girl named... seelinde?”

“Sieglinde Sullivan! She’s in my freshman cabin. She’s German and she’s really sweet. What did she do?”

“Something about the four of them jumped into the lake, stole something from the kitchen and then got involved in a pretty heated argument with Claude, Grell, and Hannah. Then he says he doesn’t know what happened after that, Ciel and the girl ran off alone.”

“Wait I though Finny was with his girlfriend?”

“I’m guessing she was there too then.”

“No... Lizzie isn’t a partier , and she surely wouldn’t have jumped in that freezing water, would she?”

“I don’t know. Lizzie is smart, her cousin seems pretty lowkey as well but maybe they get a little crazy when they’re drunk... anyway we need to get to that meeting like ASAP.”

Beast rose up out of her comfortable spot on the couch in the girl’s CIT cabin. She shook her head to unflatten some of her curls. She was very glad the meeting was in her cabin rather than the guys. She new that because of last night there would’ve been no way she could’ve made it to it on time if it had been all the way across the camp.

She always found it ironic that they tried to separate the guys and girls CIT’s by putting them so far awa, but forgot that there are outdoor showers, parking lots, and bonfire areas that are accessible to them at basically all hours of the day.

She still had on her black party dress from last night, she knew Hannah was probably wherever Claude was this morning and Nina would be in the shower, but she knew she needed to wake up Grell. That woman could sleep through a hurricane.

She walked into Grell’s room, but no grell in sight, only a three ringed binder covered in pictures of all the CIT’s from the various years they’d been at camp or school. Most of the pictures with guys, Rell was basically groping them. Beast loved Grell but sometimes she borderline sexually harassed her favorite boys.

Beast soon realized where grell was, and she hoped she could wake her before Hannah arrived.

“Grell c’mon you’re in Hannah’s bed and she’s gonna kill you if she finds you!” Beast bounded on the door across from Grell’s actual room

Grell’s eyesight was bad as it was, but when drunk it was near blind. This wasn’t the first time she ended up in the wrong bed, but the last time Hannah had almost commit homicide, so Beast needed to act fast.

“Grell!”

“Mmm... it’s too early Mary Carebeary!”

“Please never call me that again!”

“Leave me alone!”

“Hannah’s gonna cut your hair in your sleep.”

Beast heard shuffling feet Africa the floor, and out of the room raced grell, wearing Ron’s thrasher hoodie with her cocktail dress underneath.

“Are you and Ronnie a thing now?”

“What? No! He’s my favorite junior that’s all! He’s totally got it going on for Meyrin!”

“Ok then, don’t get so defensive.”

“Shut up miss ‘I’m totally over Joker this summer’.”

“How’s about both of you shut up.”

Nina came down the stairs, wearing a casual brown, fuzzy sweatshirt and Nike shorts, hair in a towel.

“Well good morning to you too sunshine.”

“How was your party last night?”

“Maybe if you would’ve actually came you’d know Nina, Sebastian left so you wouldn’t have had to fight him like you do at every get together.”

“Grell, I only argue with him because he’s a womanizing man whore who doesn’t deserve to get all the love he gets from the rest of us CIT’s”

“He’s changed since freshman year!”

“Yeah... tell that to Paula.”

Claude and Hannah were both woken up by the laughter of a certain raven haired freshman. They were still at the party area. Quesy and with a migraine, Hannah stood up to try to find her phone and where this annoying laughter was coming from

“Are you guys ever gonna wake up or no?”

Her thick German accent only meant one thing to Hannah. It was the short girl in the red flannel from last night that tried to stop Claude from fighting Ronald.

“Ok pipsqueak what are you doing out of your cabin?”

“Your boyfriend gave me your phone when we had blackout last night, I figured you wanted it back.”

“Claude is not my boyfriend! Now give me back my phone.”

“Hmm... oh hey babe why’re you yelling?”

The dark haired freshman laughed and handed Hannah her phone.

“Don’t all the counselors have a meeting this morning?”

“Oh god she’s right! Claude! Get up we gotta run!”

“Babe it’s ok, it’s in your cabin that’s only like ten minutes away from here.”

“Don’t call me babe!”

“Why are you mad at me?”

“You should’ve done something when Grell said that to me.”

“What was I supposed to do? That short JCIT was halfway up my back and all of us were drunk!”

Hannah scoffed and started walking in the direction of her cabin.

“Oh and by the way Sieglinde, you have until that meeting is over to get back to your cabin, or I revoke your bathroom passes for the rest of the summer.”

Sieglinde’s smile faded and she began to run back to her cabin.

The scolding from the queen of ice was worth it, she was dying to tell her new friend in her cabin about the guy she’d met last night and how they jumped in the lake and raided the pantry. She was giddy and giggling about her new beau who wa s probably so intoxicated he wouldn’t even remember her name.

She didn’t care though, she knew that he seemed different, better, and more... cosmic?

Yeah, cosmic.

Ciel Phantomhive was cosmic and she could talk to him forever.

Agni was the first to arrive at the girl’s cabin. Right on time as usual.

“I’m guessing the rest of the guys haven’t showed up yet, or better yet, woken up?”

Beast sighed and took a seat on the couch, she had changed into an old Aeropostale tee shirt and a different pair of daisy duke shorts before Agni had gotten there.

“Yep. None of the juniors are here either except Alan and Eric and I’m pretty sure they're still drunk.”

Agni looked over at the two juniors, laughing at seemingly nothing , standing in the corner.

“Nah, they’re not drunk but they are high as kites.”

“Great.”

Agni turned his attention over to Nina, who avoided his gaze.

“Nina, aren’t you looking very naturally pretty this morning.” Agni flashed a sincere smile and Nina giggled in response. Grell rolled her eyes at Beast , who whispered,

“She just needed her Agni did this morning.”

The two shared a glance at the unofficial couple and then chuckled.

“Hey you two! This isn’t a show this is supposed to be a meeting!”

“Oh Nina-“ Grell walked over to her.

“No need to be such a-“

“Bitches,I’m here.”

Hannah stated as she pulled down her incredibly short gold dress and rubbed her fingers under her eyes to clean up any smudged makeup.

“Hannah darling, we have a rule in the cabin.”

“Yes Nina, and what would that be?”

“We all come back to the cabin before 5:00 am it’s not that hard. All you have to do is not fall asleep after you and Claude add a number to the teen sex percentage.”

“You wanna come over here and say that to my face Ninnie?”

Nina stepped forward, and her and Hannah were almost touch noses before she said,

“You call me that one more time and I’ll tell everyone what I found in your trash can last summer.”

“Ok! Let’s all try to get along here.”

Agni grabbed Nina by the shoulders and pulled her away from Hannah, Claude then entered the cabin and followed by all the JCIT’s except Meyrin and Bard.

“I tried to round up all these hooligans this morning, sorry I’m late.”

“Claude you passed out drunk in the woods last night. Dude. I saw you!”

Edward yelled out from across the room.

“Ok everyone hold your horses, your dad is here!”

Joker said as he entered the cabin and walked over to Beast.

“J! You weren’t even there last night and you’re still late! C’mon man!”

Joker took off his brown leather jacket and sun glasses.

“Mary I had a tradition to uphold!”

“You and Dagger and Doll staying up all night to see the sunrise and then driving out to a gas station five miles away to get chili cheese popcorn is not a tradition!”

“You used to do it with us, remember?”

Beast blushed as Joker hugged her from behind.

Sebastian, Meyrin, and Bard were the last to arrive.

“Sorry sorry sorry! We were parked in the middle of the woods because the parking lot was full and we had to stop so Bard could vomit twice!”

“Ugh it’s ok just come in the front room!”

Chapter 4: A/N

Chapter Text

I’m very sorry the first few chapters have a few spelling mistakes, I’m writing on mobile so editing is hard. I don’t think any of them are that hard to figure out what the word was supposed to be (autocorrect can be horrid sometimes) but if you get confused just comment and I’ll tell you what it was intended to say :)

Chapter 5: Can’t we all just get along?

Notes:

Chapter song aesthetic : https://youtu.be/Jge5tQr0cjA

Chapter Text

Ciel wandered back to his cabin, still very confused as to what all had happen the previous night.

It was almost 7:00am, so he didn’t have a lot of time to get answers from anybody before they had to go to the mess hall.

Surely Alois knew something. Or he at least hoped Alois knew something

Whilst walking across the grounds he noticed that now all of the cabin’s had been branded. That’s probably what the CIT meeting was about, he thought. It was all like Sebastian had said Beast’s note would’ve planned out.

Hannah got Claude’s cabin, so he had to move onto Angi’s, oblivious to the fact he’d been played by Beast, who used the note to distract Sebastian from preventing her from branding him, Angi got Nina’s cabins and Grell got Hannah’s cabin for whatever reason, leaving Sebastian with Grell’s and Nina with Joker’s and Joker’s with Beast.

It all worked out so perfectly in Beast’s favor.

Claude had no clue he’d been ratted out, Hannah was mad at Claude so she’d never suspect her, Joker won’t do anything terrible to her cabin because of their history, and everyone else is too busy with their cabin’s to suspect her.

Well played, Ciel thought.

Sieglinde has sprinted all the way over to her cabin. She was so excited to tell Lizzie about the guy she’d met. Sieglinde was never one to let her life get consumed by a crush, they either liked her or didn’t, but she had such a crazy night she couldn’t possibly wait to tell Lizzie before it became official.

She crept into the cabin and tiptoed over to Lizzie’s bed, her own empty bed right next to her’s.

“Lizzie! Lizzie wake up I have stuff to tell you!” She whisper yelled while shaking Lizzie’s body in attempts to wake her up.

“Alright! I’m up just start talking already!”

“You remember last night right?”

“Unfortunately.” Lizzie frowned at the floor and tried to wipe away the fires mascara tears on her face.

She’d broken up with her boyfriend, Finnian,last night.

“I took Finny down to the bonfire and told him it wasn’t going to work out between us.”

A single year left Lizzie’s eye, and Sieglinde wrapped her arms around her.

“I’m sorry Liz, but look on the bright side! Some of those CIT boys are pretty cute and the juniors too!”

“So are you suggesting I just forget the eight months I spent in a very serious long distance relationship for an asshead like Claude?”

“Hell no! But I am saying that we’re young! We can have fun! We can date around!”

“True, but Finnian was... he was amazing. He was sweet, he was funny, he was gentle, he was perfect!”

“So why’d you guys end it.”

“I ended it... because... I’m having conflicting feelings...”

“About what?!”

“Not about what! About a who!”

Lizzie slapped a hand over her mouth after she finished talking. Saying she had eyes for another was much scarier out loud than in her head.

“What!”

“I know it’s bad! Finny is the first guy I ever loved but I think I have feelings for someone else and it scares me that he could love me more than I could love him.”

“Who are these feelings for?”

“I’m not going to say!”

“Lizzie!”

“Sully! I am not going to say!”

“Ugh fine then.”

“So How was your wild night?”

“I met the most amazing guy! After Hannah took a tumble off this rock ledge, I started a conversation with him, we drank a lot, and I mean a lot! Then we found Alois and Edward and... Finny...”

“Ok, what did you guys do with my ex?”

“No I’m sorry it’s just weird, I had no clue you guys split he acted like everything was normal.”

“Yeah I expected that... he’s sensitive but he tends to bottle things up... ok continue.”

“So Alois was in shambles saying he’d lost something, a ring, a bracelet or something in the lake and was in tears, so we all stripped down to our underwear and jumped into the lake, Alois was the last one to go but before he jumped guess what he said!”

“What?”

“He made the whole thing up! He just wanted to trick us into jumping in the lake it was freezing! So he cannonballs in and started screaming about the cold, then my new beau and I started splashing each other and soon enough, everyone was rough housing in the lake! It was bloody brilliant!”

“So that explains the bruise on your arm.”

“Oh yeah, Ron did that. He showed up after we all jumped in and decided he wanted to join... anyway after we all got out of the lake you’ll never guess who showed up?”

“Was it Claude, because I got a strange text from Edward about Claude fighting his mate last night?”

“Yep it was Claude and Hannah, they were fine up until Grell found us and then Hannah and grell started screaming at each other about grell stealing something from and Hannah and then Ron jumps out of the lake and tell Hannah to back off of Grell and you know what Hannah does? PUSHES GRELL INTO THE WATER!”

“No way!”

“Yep, So Claude and Ron start yelling at each other and Claude threw a punch at Ron, but I jumped out and told them it wasn’t the time or place. Claude was pissed so he tried to push me back into the lake but my man grabbed my hand and we ran all the way to the mess hall.”

“Oh my god Sully!”

“I know! Once we were there I convinced him to sneak in with me and steal stuff from the pantry, and he did it! Then we climbed up on the roof and ate a lot of junk food and then just talked for like an hour and...”

“And?”

“We kissed a bit for a while.”

“Sully that’s amazing!”

“I know! I had so much fun and it’s his first year here so he doesn’t have and ole’ Ophrys baggage!”

“It’s his first time here? That’s great I could introduce him to my cousin they’d make great friends! What’s his name?”

“His name is Ciel!”

“SULLY!”

“Yeah?”

“YOU MADE OUT WITH MY COUSIN!”

“WHAT!?”

“I did what!?”

“Exactly what I just said Ciel.”

“And nobody stopped me.”

“You we’re unstoppable,mate”

“So you! My new best pal! Let me jump into a freezing lake! Almost fight a CIT! And hook up with a girl I met an hour earlier!”

“Yeah you seemed to be having fun.”

“It’s not about having fun Alois! We could’ve gotten into so much trouble what if Claude had actually got crazy? What if will found all of us?”

“Calm down! Debbie downer! You’re a lot more fun when you’re drunk I’ll tell you that much!”

Ciel rubbed the bridge of his nose. After hearing all about his cavorting from last night he realized it may not be the best idea to trust Alois. Now he needed to find this Sieglinde girl and sort out whatever he could’ve said to her last night.

Nina sighed. Another useless meeting she could’ve spent researching universities during. She was destined to be a famous designer, the only one who understood that was Agni. He was truly her best friend, but everyone thought they were a couple.

That definitely couldn’t be true as Nina was gayer than a rainbow in June and Agni was the only one she’d offici come out too yet. She knew Sebastian had his suspicions but he’d never dare push her about it.

She had crushedon the quirky, clumsy, Meyrin for quite a while, but she thought she’d finally gotten over the Bisexual redhead, but it seemed that lingering feelings were Nina’s kryptonite. It had all started when they were in 7th and 8th her at the camp. 13 year old Nina had just realized her newfound sexuality and her love of fashion in the same school year. Once she got to camp, she took Meyrin as her personal model for her clothes she designed.

One accidental brush of fingertips and Nina was gone. The usually stoic but slightly dramatic girl was head over heels, but infuriated when she realized the girl fawned over Sebastian.

It was also that that year she decided Sebastian just annoyed her beyond belief and didn’t deserve her time of day.

Quite a coincidence one could say.

The only thing discussed in that meeting was the dirty, underhanded way the CIT’s has branded one another this year, Beast saying they had no respect for tradition. Joker getting high with some JCIT’s and Grell in the back. Sebastian and Agni heckling Claude and Hannah for getting back together, much to Hannah’s annoyance, and Claude complaining, wishing he could be anywhere else because he knew he was the only one Beast was talking about.

“Can we all just agree to, from this point on, uphold all rules and traditions passed down to us when we were JCIT’s last year so our Juniors can do the same!”

“Yes, your highness.”

It took every nerve Beast had in her not to slap Claude and cause an all out war amongst the counselors.

She was sick of everything being left up to her to take are of.

Sebastian and Agni tried but they always ended up having to save the JCIT’s from getting wasted and making bad choices, Joker would much rather mess around than do anything helpful, Claude and Hannah couldn’t be bothered to do anything but scare the underclassmen, and Nina and Grell were about as useful as a boat with no oars.

Sebastian saw the concerned look on beasts face, so he whistled loudly to get everyone’s attention.

“Ok guys! We made terrible choices last night. Every single one of us. I drank and drove last night! Bard nearly got alcohol poisoning! Claude and some underclassmen almost fought! And nobody but Agni made it here on time because we’re all too wrapped up the past to sit through one meeting together.”

Everyone tried to avoid eye contact. He was right. The drama between the counselors was deeper than it appeared, even though it was just basic teenage drama. Beast hated it the most. She longed for a time when Joker and Claude could have a conversation without trying to kill each other or where Sebastian didn’t have to remind everyone that they’ve all made terrible mistakes. Sadly however it wasn’t that easy, and it was kind of Sebastian’s fault to begin with.

“I swear if I get one more dirty look from Bard or Meyrin I’m going to need you to kill me ok Doll.”

“I’d rather not.”

Lizzie satin a corner table with Sieglinde and a girl from the flying bats cabin, affectionately nicknamed Doll, her face covered in freckles by every inch and her hair, spikey and shoulder length was the color of fermented honey.

“So Sieglinde... where is this guy you Dm’d me about kat night.”

Sieglinde blushed a deep red and Lizzie smacked her head on the table.

“It’s Liz's cousin.”

Doll laughed so hard her milk from her carton came out her nose. She left to go get napkins when she ran into Ciel himself.

“Well well, speak of the devil.” Doll smirked at Ciel.

“Hello Doll, What are you going on about?”

“Your wifey is sitting at my table, with myself and Lizzie of course and she can’t stop talking about you guys’s night on the town haha.”

Doll chuckled and Ciel looked over, he could see Lizzie sitting at a table with a girl with chin length jet black hair, with turquoise dip dye at the ends.

Ciel walked over cautiously to the table with Doll. He took a seat next to Lizzie and Sieglinde avoided his gaze.

“Um... hey.”

“Hi.”

“So do you wanna talk about last night?”

“Not really. I think it’s best if we leave it on the roof.”

Sieglinde pointed to the roof of the mess hall. Where she’d had her first kiss only 9 hours earlier.

Ciel was about to say something when Joker zipped past their table and sat down.

“You guys interested in a bonfire with myself and some other chill people?”

Chapter 6: One chance

Notes:

This is becoming really cheesy my bad XD

Sorry this is shorter, I think I’m getting writers block ugh

Chapter Text

Joker was the first to leave the girls cabin once the meeting had ended.

Beast had decided that because of some of the obvious tension amongst the group, a much needed group bonding activity was needed. They settled on a bonfire that night from 7 to midnight.

They also settled on adding a new CIT rule of freshman interference. The act Claude and Hannah had played last night was enough to get them both removed if William had found out, so Agni took it upon himself to come up with the addition of “any CIT that is caught in an act of assault in any form to a JCIT or freshman of any cabin, rival or not, are to be immediately reported to Will.”

You’d think that would be common sense, but sometimes common sense wasn’t the first thing Claude used in moments of anger.

The set of rules Agni added on to are the “CIT rules and traditions” a small, handwritten booklet of standard the CIT’s had to follow, made up by past counselors.

Most of the booklet described how the point system worked, but the last two pages contain ten rules dubbed the “only rules you actually have to follow.”

1. No CIT can talk to other CIT’s about branding or pranking their rival

2. CIT’s cannot exclude their juniors from anything that isn’t exclusive to seniors

*3. Counselor meetings are to be 100% honest no matter how bad the situation gets it had gotten

4. Nobody is to drink and drive under any circumstance

5. “Snitches get stitches” is the only act of assault permitted if and only if someone has the possibility of getting kicked out

6. Don’t pee in the lake

*7. Don’t leave camp grounds for more than 23 hours.

8. Do not have sexual relations in anywhere but one of the parties involved’s bed or car.

*9. Nobody is to assault another camper, destroy property, or steal from anyone under any circumstances.

10. If a counselor breaks any of the rules above that are starred or three of the unstarred rules they are to be disqualified from the point system and reported immediately by any and all counselors who know of their actions. (If they have broken more than 4 of the unstarred or more than 1 of the started rules, rule 5 no longer applies to them)

Nina walked over to a large painting on the wall of the front room, and flipped it around to reveal a dry erase board, with all the CIT’s names listed, and took a marker and added a tally mark under Claude, and Hannah’s spots on the board, due to the fact they each broke the assault rule, and they would’ve had two each if there was anyway to confirm that they had done more than sleep in the woods.

Claude hadn’t said a single word since the new rule was mentioned, he knew better, it had only been one day and he already had a tally mark on the board. Hannah gritted her teeth, she wanted Grell dead, the fight was her fault anyway. Hannah’s favorite hoodie she’d had since she was in 7th grade went missing and she was certain Grell stole it from the laundry and had it in her pile of clothes she’d ‘borrowed’ guys and never given back. Hannah was too drunk to control her anger, Grell was never one to back down from a fight, and Claude had his own issues with Grell’s little guard dog Ron, so the whole situation was recipe for disaster.

Beast told everyone they were free to go, Sebastian caught her outside the cabin as she was walking to the mess hall, and ambushed her in questions.

“Hey, why didn’t I get a tally?”

“You didn’t break a rule...Didn’t you?”

“I told you guys I drank and drove last night, I deserve a tally on that board.”

“Listen Seb, when we pressed Mey rin and Bard they both said that everyone in the car was asleep once you and Agni traded spots for the drivers at a gas station. Agni says he never saw you drinking and you can’t remember if you drank last night or not, so even if you think you may have, I can’t just give you a tally to clear your conscience.”

Beast sighed and tried to exit the conversation , but Sebastian grabbed her shoulder,

“Beast, I know you know that nearly everyone in there deserves a tally, not just Claude and Hannah. Why are you doing this.”

Beast was mad now. When she was up at 3:00am last night trying to make sure nobody killed anyone else, he was out getting fast food while driving under the influence, and he was scolding her? Outrageous. Sometimes she understood why Nina couldn’t stand him.

“You think that being a CIT is all useless parties and drama, but it’s not. I’ve known some of these people longer than you have, and I know what type of person they’ve turned into. You and I both know that if we were all truly 100% with each other, I would’ve slit someone’s throat by now!”

Sebastian stared at her for a few seconds, and then pushed pass her as he stepped into the mess hall. Beast was someone he’d never understand, but he always hoped he ware him for more than who he was in his past years.

“You have to tell them this year Nina.”

“Agni you know that if I did I’d risk everything!”

#black butler fanfiction

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karttrust · 2 years

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Predator prey book

PREDATOR PREY BOOK SERIES

JRR Tolkien The Book of Lost Tales 1 & 2 - Vintage Paperback lot of 2. Author Abhinav Agarwal has put in tremendous amount of research and the result is that it is impossible to keep the.

PREDATOR PREY BOOK SERIES

Thus a potentially good series with a brilliant start evolved into a series focussing far too much on a single heroine than the Alien and Predator conflict let alone gave some spotlight to other humans. Aliens Vs Predator - Prey - Science Fiction Paperback - Sci Fi Book - Pre Owned. For a debut novel, Predators and Prey is superlatively amazing at many levels. The sequels however should be approached with extreme caution in my own opionion.īook 2 is still pleasant to read but i'd only give it a 3/5 while book 3 manages to reach only 2,5. The heroine and Predator are forced to team up which will lead to a climactic battle with an Alien Queen at the end of the book.įrom start to finish, the books is a good read and both Predator and Alien fans will be satisfied. Predators and Prey Predators and Prey Informational (nonfiction), High Low, Lexile 520L This text describes the relationship between Arctic predators and prey, and some of the ways they have adapted to survive in the cold Arctic region. Though the human perspective is dominant, the Predators receive a good doze of perspective always as the male 'hero' is in fact a veteran Yautja. There is a good buildup, the story runs smoothly and is well written. It also show the humans in a sub position and the heroine has not yet become some stereotypical girlpoweresque and completely unbelievable character. This novel has very little to do with the Hunters, and instead concerns. Condition: Used - Good ISBN 10: 1784961906 ISBN 13: 9781784961909 Seller. Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeepers apiary in search of a new home. As the War Chief looks at it, we see an important inscription "Raphael Adolini 1715" on it that tells us this is no ordinary pistol.Unlike the next 2 installments of this trilogy, of which the third is by far the words, this AVP captures the feel of the setting best. This is the first novel in the Hunter the Reckoning series, Predator and Prey. Predator & Prey could use some fine-tuning because often I found myself reading what I thought I had just read, so there are repeated thoughts and words from characters. The medical underpinnings of this book are sound, well footnoted, and substantiated. It wasn't done for fear of looking like an outcast. Control of media, fear tactics, etc., are things that common sense people need to be able to identify and respond to. I must say that I liked The Stones of Andarus better because it felt more confident and polished. This book arms the reader with a playbook for how elitists and global powers do things. This book explores the relationships between barn owls and their prey worldwide, and demonstrates how an understanding of such relationships can help in the. Naru returns to her camp, reunites with her mother and is made a hunter after she presents the War Chief with the Predator's head and Raphael's pistol. Both of these books are verified Amazon purchases. Using an orange flower that cools her blood, Naru sneaks up on the Predator and lures it into a trap where she manages to remove its helmet, which she then uses to get the Predator to target itself. However, she's worked out a way to outwit the predator. Unfortunately for Naru, Taabe is also killed by the Predator. Again, it doesn't go well and Raphael is killed. Shadow of Ullanor ebook by Rob Sanders Book 11. He's still alive, but barely, and he gives her a pistol to protect them both. Read Predator,Prey by Rob Sanders available from Rakuten Kobo. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. She met him earlier when she was captured, and he introduced himself as Raphael (Bennett Taylor). Predator, Book 1) by Stephani Perry Steve Perry Readable copy. Naru and Taabe escape, and when she goes back to the trappers' camp to fetch her dog, she comes across one of the trappers. This book is not intended to tackle everything about Steve Jobs. Predator/Prey offers a glimpse into the lives and abilities of nine sets of animals locked in the most intimate of lifes relationships - predator and prey. But fiction and reality collide when a dismembered body is found in Colorado. Steve Perry - Aliens vs Predator - 1 - Prey Perry Steven. The trappers intend to use the two as bait to lure the Predator so they can kill it, but that turns out as well as expected. A former FBI agent with a haunted past, Rowan thinks she has outrun her demons. 20th Century Studios Prey ending explainedĭuring the hunt for the Predator, Naru and her brother Taabe (Dakota Beevers) get captured by a group of fur trappers.

#Predator prey book

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spooner7308 · 3 years

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Next up for the Spyro Reignited, Elder Dragoness project

Avery is an artisan dragoness who is a beekeeper and collects honey for the dragons

She’s nice and friendly, but takes her job very seriously. She’s quite the pendant when it comes to caring for her hives and processing her honey, to the point of being highly strung. She does not like it when other dragons burn up grass without care, because not only does this destroy flowers, but it could hurt her bees.

#spyro reignited trilogy #spyro #spyro reignited #elder dragon #elder dragoness #elder dragoness project #dragon #beekeeping #beekeeper #honeybee #bee dragon #dragoness #my art #she's also called Avery...#because it sounds like 'Apiary'#Character Design #artisans #rowans art

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wangxianficrecs · 3 years

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Follower Recs

~*~

Hello Mojo, hope you're doing well and that you had a good break! I wanted to signal boost the MDZS May Diaspora event collection on AO3, and point out my favorite fic from there: 归心似箭 | Longing to Go Home by dragongirlG! It's both tender and bittersweet and it features such mature writing. The author got some hate for it when it initially got posted so I wanted to counter that and give it some love instead! [Who would do such a thing?! @dragongirlg-fics I’m sorry that happened to you, and here, have *so many hugs!* I’ll try to do a thing just for the diaspora event, but meanwhile, I’ll just treat this as a follower rec.]

归心似箭 | Longing to Go Home

by dragongirlG (M, 8k, wangxian)

Summary: The destruction of the Yin Tiger Seal does not kill Wei Wuxian; it ages him instead. He takes shelter in a cave expecting to die, but instead he lives, slowly learning to embrace life with each new day.

Thirteen years later, a young man with a Lan forehead ribbon stumbles into the cave. His name is Lan Sizhui.

~*~

Hi Momjo!!! I recently read the most *adorable* fic, and I loved it so much that it dragged me out of seclusion (read: social anxiety cave) to rec it. It's called 'Covered in Bees' by ScarlettStorm in which the Cloud Recesses is an apiary, and Wei Wuxian has suddenly found himself host to a swarm of bees. ~ @akyra-talanoa

Covered in Bees

by ScarlettStorm (T, 8k, wangxian)

Summary: “Cloud Reccesses Apiary,” says a toneless, deep masculine voice, with zero question in it. Wei Ying doesn’t care, because whoever possesses that voice is probably going to come save him from bees like a fucking hero while wearing like, a suit of armor. That’s what you wear to catch bees, right?

“I have like, so many bees outside my front door right now,” he says, mouth running out ahead of him before he can even begin to think about reining it in. “It’s like a sandstorm of bees out there. There are so many bees. I got out of my car and there were just bees and I don’t want these bees. Do you want these bees? Please tell me you will come get these bees. I can’t leave my house and I have enough food for maybe a week but then I’m gonna have to learn how to cook dry beans and no one wants that, especially not me.” Wei Ying runs out of air, takes a breath, and belatedly adds, “My name is Wei Ying. Hi.”

Or: The beekeeping AU that no one asked for.

~*~

Hi, you are a bless to this fandom. Your blog feels like a library, so thoroughly arranged and always within hand reach. [Thank you, wow!] Recently, I was going through Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn is a Wēn tag and came across a fanfic, it has 3 chapters till now and is so intriguing that i thought to recommend it to you. I don't know if I can recommend or if you have already checked the story, The legendary Phoenix and his Dragon by Devipriya. I am in love with this story. I hope you will enjoy it too, do check it out

The legendary Phoenix and his Dragon

by Devipriya (T, 7k, wangxian)

Summary: Wen Wuxian, the essence of who he is, he is a naughty child, a prankster, an enchanting dizi player, a graceful dancer, an irresistible lover, a truly valiant warrior, a ruthless vanquisher of his foes, a man who left a broken heart in every home, an astute statesman and kingmaker, a thorough gentleman, a righteous individual of the highest order, and the most colorful incarnation.

He has been seen, perceived, understood and experienced in many different ways by different people. Different people saw different facets of who he is. For some, he is God. For some, he is a crook. For some, he is a lover. For some, he is a fighter. He is so many things.

But the phoenix, seen from the eyes of time was just a playful man. A man who plays with his awareness, with his imagination, with his memory, with his life, with his death. An individual who does not just dance with somebody. He dances with life. He dances with his enemy, He dances with the one he loves, He dances even at the moment of his death.

To taste an essence of who is Wen Wuxian, be with me in the journey of exploration, NO! playful exploration of life of a playful man.

~*~

Hi! Thanks for running this blog, it's helped me find so many fics. For your next follower recs post, I wanted to rec "This love like a flood, a fire, a fear" by natcat5. Its summary is vague (which I suspect is why it isn't better known) but it is a beautiful retelling of canon from LWJ's POV with slight canon divergence. I love the author's characterization of him and the prose is gorgeous. It is easily my favorite fic in the entire fandom, and I don't say that lightly. ~ @nyanja14

This love like a flood, a fire, a fear

by natcat5 (M, 57k, wangxian, lan wangji & lan xichen)

Summary: “I will love you as misfortune loves orphans, as fire loves innocence, and as justice loves to sit and watch everything go wrong.” - Lemony Snicket

~*~

i came to this ask to rec this baseball one called "Waiting for Spring" by thievinghippo on ao3. It somehow made me care about baseball soooo 'nough said ~ @scifikimmi

Waiting for Spring

by thievinghippo (E, 131, wangxian)

Summary: “It is a well-known fact across the major leagues that one does not smack Lan Wangji’s ass.”

Wei Wuxian rolls his eyes. Everyone smacks everyone’s ass in baseball. It’s how the game is played. Lan Wangji does not get to be exempt from this most sacred of baseball traditions.

Wei Wuxian will make sure of that.

Or, a Major League Baseball AU

~*~

hi mojo! i wanted to rec Something Good by boxoftheskyking (a loose sound of music/canon divergence au) and also MDZS: The Golden Engine by iffervescent (immortal wangxian modern au where they gotta solve a mystery and save china, featuring jiang cheng/lan xichen)

Something Good

by boxoftheskyking (T, 43k, wangxian)

Summary: "That Wei Wuxian, you know he used to be such a promising cultivator. Head Disciple of the Jiang Clan, can you believe it? You see, juniors, the punishment for traveling the path of demonic cultivation. No golden core, not so much as a whisper of spiritual power."

As a punishment for real and imagined crimes, Wei Wuxian is sentenced to work at Cloud Recesses as the lowest of servants. When a surprising reassignment lands him with eleven children to care for, everything changes again.

A Sound of Music AU

MDZS: The Golden Engine

by iffervescent (E, 82k, wangxian, xicheng)

Summary: In the modern era, immortals Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian return to Gusu. New evil and old friends + new friends and old evils.

~*~

Hi Mojo! First of all let me just tell you that you are amazing and this blog is like a gift from the gods! Bless you and your endless patience and hard work. [Oh, thank you so much!] I know that you have just accepted follower recs and I have missed miserably but I still wanted to write and bring attention to a writer by the pseudo Xiao_Hua on ao3, I think they are quite good and I just recently found the account with so much content. If you do have the time to check them out, I'd rec catfish, my fox or the red ribbon.

The Red Ribbon

by Xiao_Hua (M, 21k, wangxian, TGCF crossover)

Summary: Wei WuXian died but not before saving HanGuang-Jun and A-Yuan, leaving so much more behind than just his ribbon.

My Fox

by Xiao_Hua (E, 13k, wangxian)

Summary: Once he headed to YiLing that all changed for him. His priorities have been mingled with and ordered in complete disarray even without him noticing as he was left heavily influenced by a creature.

Or one where Lan WangJi is a dragon-spirit and he finds his mate in the form of a fox.

Catfish

by Xiao_Hua (E, 15k, wangxian)

Summary: Wei WuXian has a common sense that believes it has a nine-to-five job while Lan WangJi finds that incredibly hot.

Or one where two catfish realise that neither of them truly catfished.

~*~

Hi Mojo i'm recommending this amazing fic it is called song of joys and regrets. it's a time travel AU it's amazing. And your Blog is a Godsend Thank you! [Aw, you’re so sweet!] ~ @highgoddess

Song of Joy and Regrets

by HelloKitten (not rated, 59k, wangxian, WIP)

Summary: The Archery competition at Qishan this year has hit a snag. As the Sects face the wrongs perpetrated by their future selves, Wei Wuxian finds himself adopted by half of the cultivation world who are determined to save him from himself.

Baby Wangxian suffers. Adult Wangxian's job here is done.

"I'm starting to see a pattern to all his plans..." "Do they all involve him being bait?" "Yes" came deadpanned responses.

~*~

Here’s a 2021 Reverse Big Bang entry, in time for Father’s Day; [Oops, my bad, sorry!] Under a Blanket of Black Wings, by ChaoticAndrogynous (#31398395); LWJ, recuperating from the 33 lashes, tells A-Yuan a series of fairytales about a heroic monster and the brave little boy he befriended. Vampire! WWX (in the framing story as well as the story-within-the-story); happy ending.

Under a Blanket of Black Wings

by ChaoticAndrogynous (T, 19k, wangxian)

Summary: Lan Wangji tells A-Yuan a bedtime story about a beautiful monster and the brave little boy who was his friend. Thirteen years later, the monster returns.

~*~

Hello Mojo! Have you read ‘Key Differences’ by Pupeez4eva? Its a MDZS!WWX meets CQL!WWX and its really good! [It’s on my list!]

Key Differences

by pupeez4eva (T, 6k, wangxian)

Summary: “I don’t understand,” Wei Wuxian said, while his alternate self continued to stare at him with almost a look of hurt in his eyes. There was longing in there too, which Wei Wuxian would have easily recognised if he paid enough attention. “How could you not get together, after everything. What even went on in the Guanyin Temple if you didn’t confess?”

“The Guanyin Temple,” Wei Ying repeated incredulously. “You’re asking me if I confessed at — honestly, a lot went on that day. It was a life and death situation. There was no confessing.”

Wei Wuxian stared at him, appalled.

(Wherein Wei Wuxian ends up meeting an alternate version of himself who, much to his horror, never married Lan Wangji. Obviously he has to do something to fix this).

~*~

Hey Mojo i would recommend this fanfic if you already haven’t, it’s called “ take me back to a time “ by DizziDreams. It’s sooooo good

take me back to a time

by DizziDreams (T, 144k, wangxian, 3zun)

Summary: Wei Ying has a lot on his plate right now.

It’s finals week -- which isn’t so bad. He’s never had to study much to do well in classes. But that just means that things are that much more tense with Jiang Cheng, who, as far as Wei Ying can tell, only takes study breaks long enough to glare at Wei Ying where he sits on the couch playing video games.

It’s not studies that have Wei Ying stressed out. It’s everything else. It’s the recruitment for the research trial he’s coordinating. It’s jiejie and her impending marriage to His Royal Douchebag Jin Zixuan. It’s the volunteer work at the palliative care facility. It’s Wen Ning’s worsening condition. It’s Wen Qing working herself thin to care for her brother and Wen Yuan. It’s the way Wen Yuan never seems to have enough food.

So, yeah. There’s enough on Wei Ying’s plate already, meaning it’s not entirely welcome when he comes home and finds a man standing in his bedroom. A man in extravagant white robes, a ribbon tied around his forehead, long hair gathered into a topknot, fist clutching a sword at his side, who asks him, “Where am I?”

~*~

Idk if this has already been rec’d (I’ve been off the grid for a while now), but there’s this absolutely incredible fic called Restitution by an anon on ao3 people should definitely check out!

this one?

on restitution

by Anonymous (M, 78k, wangxian, jin ling & wei wuxian, lan sizhui & wei wuxian, WIP)

Summary: When Wei Wuxian regains consciousness, he is in a bed. A real, proper bed, not the slab he called a bed in his cave in the Burial Mounds.

Jiang Cheng is glowering above him.

Wei Wuxian doesn't die during the siege of the Burial Mounds. Rather, he is captured in secret and confined at Lotus Pier. Things change accordingly.

~*~

Hi momjo! I feel like every time I come to your blog there's twenty more new and amazing fics for me to read. Thank you for everything you do for this fandom! [Thank you, sweetie! And yes, I think there ARE 20 new fics every day out there in the fandom. It’s amazing!] Today I come bearing my own rec to you. I've recently read this and it's IMO one of the best fics out there. It's called Lapsteel by carriecmoney and it's a modern stormchaser AU featuring country songs and coming home. ~ @manaika-chan

Lapsteel

by carriecmoney (T, 42k, wangxian)

Summary: Now and then, I think about you now and then...

It's been thirteen years since Wei Ying ran for the prairies, leaving behind a family in shambles and a secret on the Pacific wind. What happens when the storm he swirled catches up to him?

Modern AU with country music star Lan Zhan, stormchaser Wei Ying, and shared crossroads.

~*~

#wangxian fic rec #follower recs #wangxian #mdzs #the untamed #follower rec #I HAVEN'T READ THESE YET

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lexpressobean · 3 years

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I've been thinking about these 3 alot...

... and how much they seem to really respect Shino. I know it's a filler, but, like... Why does it seem like Shino has a knack for finding children who have wondered off away from school? Like, he's just taking a walk, making his way around the village or surrounding forest, and then there they are. Kids playing hooky or some shit. And Shino just takes it upon himself to approach them and steer them back to where they should be, while getting them attached to him somehow in the process??

But honestly. If this was just one of many times this had happened, I'd say Shino does this not out of his knack for teaching or having a way with kids. Rather, he developed a way with kids and easily applies that to his teaching because he has a strong desire to simply protect children. And it's not even from some paternal instinct as much as survival, because I think it stems from the developing trauma of losing Torune to Danzo. And I don't think it's all subconscious either.

Like I know the novel and anime frames his desicion to teach as a sort of a new goal in life as the war has ended for a couple years already and a noticable Peace has been achieved by the Blank Period and well... He's an Aburame.

Like, the Aburame are literal living, breathing, walking bioweapons. With no fight to utilize that, what else is there? Well, much like the Nara have the Nara forest and Pharmacology specifically, The Aburame most likely have a historical stake in the area of Konoha, perhaps it was simply in their Ancestral Home. Idk, but they're here to stay, they ain't budging. They're Clan Culture is very Martial and I'd argue Spartan in nature, but otherwise, they do other things too. I think they'd do well as major players in the conservation and research of native species of animals and plants, but definitely insects too. I bet they play a huge part in the general area's ecosystem, especially due to the fact that the Kamizuru clan attacked with a whole clan's worth of non-native Hymenoptera that could very well have become and still are an irritatingly and consistent problem as invasive species tend to be. And as a far as goods go, why not put some of them to use and handle an apiary? Honey is a great good to sell. All of this is great as a clan that no longer needs to fight. But, what about individual members in general, and so Shino?

Well Shino is the Heir of this clan. This Noble Clan. This "ready to throw hands at any moment" clan. It's future is in his hands, so to speak. So I doubt Shino would completely sever his connection to Shinobi life all together. And so, teaching at the Academy would be a great way to keep that connection. Teachers have to know their stuff, after all.

But what if in order to ensure teaching was his calling, Shino did his absolute best to make Jounin ASAP so he could take on a Genin Team. And. And by chance, it ended up being these three?? And they are absolutely STOKED!!! And they also pass Shino's genin test, which... would probably be a feat in it's own right. But they already know Shino, and Shino has bestowed upon them some wisdom they actually took to heart! Yeah, well, in reality they might be just a tad too old to be Shino's first official genin squad, but they were still his squad one point in a sense, right?

Kon Nohara, Tano Ikemoto, and Aoki Kobayashi

I even gave them names help Imagine these three are already chuunin at least and decide they want to pay Shino a visit and even volunteer to help Shino during class time on a collective day off because they admire him so much (T~T)

But even then if not these three kiddos, maybe these three li'l shits lol

Even in times of Peace, Shino's special set of skills seem too useful to waste, and being a Jounin teacher would definitely have been a way he could still go on missions, but also definitely commit to becoming a Sensei at the academy once he was 100% sure and got older. Kurenai became a Jounin/Genin Squad Leader in her late twenties, but in comparison I see Shino doing that more mid-20s. (He needs some time to travel and find his big bug friend and generally live a little?)

Kurenai was a Genjutsu Specialist who manned a Tracker/Sensing based team. This sounds like it was a highly beneficial combination, even if she ended up being somewhat sadistic lol. Asuma was bound to Team 10 by Tradition as InoShikaCho and Sarutobi have that Pact together. Kakashi's team was literally Cherry Picked for him specifically by the 3rd Hokage. And Gai, a Taijutsu Specialist, had a team that Specialized in Taijutsu and Physical Offense.

Of all four teams, Kurenai and Gai were very suited to their teams, Gai in a complimentary way and Kurenai in a Challenging way. In that same vein, I think Shino would imitate Gai. Shino as a Shinobi himself has a general set of skills, but the way he goes about them are very niche. But, he was always very stealthy, and could sneak up on nearly anyone. Gags aside, he could go unnoticed as long as he wanted too, and by the time he was noticed or was ready to attack, he has you quite literally surrounded. Honestly I can see why Search and Destroy would be an Aburame's forte, but when there's no need, a person with a personal skill of high quality stealth could probably man a team with an emphasis on Reconnaissance and/or Surveillance, even Bodyguarding. I feel like Shino would probably put an emphasis on Stealth and Tracking too, utilizing his insects as sort of assistants that keep tabs on his students (Stealth Test) as well as to encourage just enough fear during too much down time in his students to inspire quality training opportunities, so maybe Kurenai rubbed off on Shino more than they all realized haha

(Plus I'm sure his students would be be smart and thoughtful enough to eventually understand what Shino and his bugs are: a complete unit. They realize just how strong and dedicated Sensei really is to be the way he is, and they all learn more in depth about Kikaichu and it's like WOW SENSEI YOU REALLY ARE RISKING BEING EATEN ALIVE EVERY SINGLE DAY, AREN'T YOU? But he's still here, because THAT'S how strong he's become over the years and the confidence to manipulate the Kikaichu while having to think of current chakra level, the most efficient use at any given time, how many he actually needs, how long usage will last, ect. They are high maintenance, man!)

Shino would no doubt produce highly skilled Bodyguards and Masters of Stealth. Maybe the type that would end up being in high demand for the eventual Celebrities that start to pop up as times change, but still very much needed when it comes to Criminal Activity, like in Sora-Ku?

But as time passes and he decided to teach at the Academy, he'd feel very at ease to do so. He'd be happy to be put in charge of all these children, because he would be able to help teach them things they need to know to defend themselves and others in a world where adults like Danzo had and will continue to exist. Maybe while he's at it, he'd use his stance as a Noble Clan Heir and accomplished Shinobi to push for changes in government with Sai's help and with Naruto and Shikamaru's cooperation? Like, the truth does come out, everyone on the Council were actually horrible and had too much power. So HERE are some ideas and REASONS why these ideas should be implemented because Shino's not going to let his brother's life and death be in vain!? HELL no, we WILL make some changes around here. Shino sees his students and just wants a future where no kid ever has to live in fear of being completely taken advantage of by the very system that was supposed to keep them safe and they pledged allegiance to.

I cannot help but think of the quiet but absolute fear little Shino was harboring for the years to come after Torune was taken by that strange man and Father Shibi didn't even attempt to stop him. His own father didn't dare beat the shit out of this strange man who came looking for him, and the only solution for Shino to stay was for Torune to make himself look more desirable as an asset and be taken instead. I bet there was a lot of misplaced resentment there for a while, and talks that just didn't happen. Maybe a classmate doesn't show up to class one day and Shino is IMMEDIATELY stressed out and just... takes it upon himself to look for them after class. And he's relieved when he see they're simply at home with a fever. Shit like that just fucks with Shino, because theres people taking kids and no one is doing anything about it?? And then as Shino grew older he realized exactly what happened and how slimy the machine of Konoha really is and it was never completely Shibi's fault that Torune had to leave. He grows mentally at a faster rate than most of his classmates, and knows more than a kid really needs to know.

Shino doesn't want that for any other child. Shino is the kind of person who hears kids screaming outside of his house and he can't tell if they're playing or being murdered and it's stressful to the point he'll check through his window and he sees them for himself. He get stressed out seeing a kid in public unattended and WANTS to approach them to help if need be but also maybe he's overthinking it and the parents are there somewhere and he'd just end up looking suspicious. Like, that's what I kind of figure for Shino. He's so hyperaware of the power dynamic between kids and adults and seeing a kid so ready to fall victim to that makes Shino feel ill the more he thinks of what could happen. And he wonders if watching the kid in the market until they finally reunite with their parent so he could move on with the rest of his day causes him even a fraction of the the utterly disgusting flurry of nerves and fear that Shibi must have felt all those years ago. It goes along with his desire to spare every single little insect's life he can. It goes a long with the fact he only gets violent unless absolutely necessary. Like he wants to be strong but he doesn't want to go mad with power either, less he becomes the very thing that hurt him and his family in the first place.

Originally Shino wanted to become strong to be able to defend himself because at a very young age adults failed him and Torune. But then that changes to defend not only himself, but others as he grows on a team, and realizes trust is important. And then he figured if there must be adults out there that would hurt a child, it's only logical that he should become one that would only nurture and teach one to be strong as well.

Anyway, yeah. Had some feelings. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

#anime: naruto #aburame shino #shino aburame #tis i #i wish we could've seen jounin-sensei Shino #imagine he's consistently given a team of -bad kids-#but by the next chuunin they're an absolute unit in sync #people think he's the -scare them straight- sensei #in reality he's the -im not mad im just dissapointed- sensei #its super effective lol #being such a positive figure in the open as an Aburame would definately make the clan look good too #because I have a suspicion that Aburame were very often taken into ANBU and ROOT and while good for Shinobi life #its not seen as the best for public relations #anyway don't mind me im just rambling

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castillon02 · 3 years

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There is one winter where Vesemir and Lambert communicate solely via eavesdropping on each other while they are doing a daily version of the “Telling it to the bees” tradition.

The silent treatment is sparked by Lambert bringing his own swarm to the keep. He spots the swarm on the way up, kind of wants to get in on this cool bee stuff, manages to herd them into a sack. Maybe he even thinks that it’s a little bit of an olive branch. Vesemir likes bees. Lambert has brought bees. Easy.

Except Vesemir is feeling maybe-irrationally possessive of his hobby and as if Lambert is just bullying his way into the One Peaceful Thing He Does, and Lambert doesn’t ever think before doing things, does he, doesn’t he know that more bees means more work? That bees require care, not just to be stuck in the back of a closet like a jar of rotgut?

(As if yeast isn’t a living thing, as if Lambert doesn’t check on his creations every day, tweaking his formulae for booze as carefully as he does for bombs.)

Anyway. Vesemir says some regrettable things. Lambert absolutely retaliates. If bees require care, then by all rights every hive in here should be dead, because Vesemir has never cared for anything but killing monsters in his entire miserable old life. Too bad he always misses the child-killer in the fucking mirror.

Eskel and Geralt’s eyes flick back and forth between them as they argue. They are both simultaneously inching for the door and tensed to leap forward and pull them apart if one or both of them tries to draw blood. But Lambert storms off after he says his piece, and Vesemir brings the dishes to the kitchen and starts washing them, trying to pretend as though nothing has happened. He has to Igni the dishwater twice to heat it. The first one is unfocused. Lambert always unfocuses him, damn him.

But after the dishes are clean, there’s still a fucking. Surprise sack full of bees that needs a home. Not even Bees Surprise, an apian destiny, just his youngest wolf making a choice.

Lambert has a gift for seeing choices that Vesemir doesn’t notice are there. It’s exhausting.

Vesemir resolves to wait for morning to collect the new bees, but Lambert is already up there in the apiary when he goes to sort out his own hives. Vesemir waits on the steps of the tower, listening.

Lambert swears like a Skelligan sailor, muttering to himself about “how the fuck do skeps exist,” and ultimately promises the bees that he will sort them out in the morning when it’s lighter. There’s the sound of items dumped on the floor---Vesemir’s collecting equipment, he’d wager---and then the rustle and buzz, there and then muffled, as Lambert closes the lid on the opened sack of bees in Vesemir’s box.

“It’s been a less-shitty-than-usual year on the Path,” Lambert says to the humming box of bees. “Didn’t lose anyone I was close to. Only got mobbed from a village once. Got paid usually. Sold Horse the Seventh to a decent farmer so she could get fat while she went gray.” He pauses. “I figured maybe it would be a less shitty winter, too, but. You know. Witchers in Toussaint probably heard that wagonload of horseshit. Guess Vesemir and I aren’t exactly going to combine our honey and alcohol powers to make mead, huh? Bees probably don’t understand irony, but it’s ironic that a sour old man like him farms honey, trust me.”

Vesemir stays very still. Thinks about being a man who tells his news to the bees because he thinks only the bees will listen.

Lambert probably doesn’t even know there’s a tradition.

Lambert continues. “But listen up, you and me? We are going to have the best fucking winter just to spite that asshole who thinks we can’t. You’re going to have a great fucking hive and make awesome fucking honey and and live your happy bee lives doing, I don’t know, pollinating shit or whatever the hell you want to do. Be the first honeybees to make beer if you want.” He pauses. “Yeast would probaby interfere with your whole process, right? You gotta tell me if it doesn’t so we can do some actually-ethical mad science shit. ...No, you’re right. Maybe in ten years if we’re still alive. It’s good to have goals. Anyway. Don’t get cozy in there, is my point, and don’t die in the night like the sluttiest character in a romance novel.”

Lambert passes him on the stairs and his face darkens, but he turns away without saying anything, which is as damning as Lambert gets.

“I have, yet again, done wrong by Lambert,” Vesemir announces to the bees with a sigh when he gets up there.

The apiary tower door slams closed below them.

Vesemir tells the bees his news and leaves a half-constructed skep behind him when he goes. Lambert will never use something Vesemir has made, but he’s got an eye for putting things together. He’ll be able to pick up the steps of its design and make his own.

They have all winter. If the bees are listening, then maybe wolf ears will hear things too. Even ones as old as his and as stubborn as Lambert’s.

#castillon writes #the witcher #vesemir #lambert

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dyketubbo · 3 years

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im rewatching doomsday (comps of all povs of course) and. yeah i just.. feel bad for the lmanburgians. i dont know how i could just. say these people deserved it, when they all sound, panicked and desperate and so so fucking sad. long long ramble under the cut as i recount the events and pick out a bunch of little things

even the day before then is painful. ranboos panic room. ranboo and tubbos talk (tubbo admitting that hes wrong, saying he believes that history is repeating itself and trusting ranboo because he believes in his loyalty), fundy showing the ring toss. tubbos surprise at being told to kill dream before stating that quackity would be in control if he didnt (god, did he plan to fail?). tommy being so so excited. everyone playing ring toss and cheering on jack. tommy still believing in tubbo. tubbo panicking. ranboo and tommy and techno talking, ranboo giving them info. dream placing walls and quackity instructing tubbo on where to kill dream. dream lying about the community house. the entire community house debacle. just, everything.

and then doomsday itself. having to frantically get there because it started early, tubbo only having diamond armor to protect him, fundy standing still after he sabotaged them. tubbo and ranboos genuine despair about the apiary.

tubbo eventually going nonverbal and actively putting himself in danger, not even moving away from techno at first and getting in the way of the firework launcher. tubbo trying to save tommy from the fireworks, ponks broken "dont come over here!" after she was trying to save his cat, tommys face falling and desperate attempts at convincing techno, ranboo going "its all gone", niki spiralling and silently burning down the tree, quackitys pure anger. all the death messages.

jack going "what is there left to protect", tommy brokenly trying to accept that its gone as tubbo and quackity blankly do accept it. jack going "i lost everything again". tommy desperately trying to understand dream, on the verge of tears as he asks why dream didnt just hurt him. his low health and food as hes unable to do anything anymore, his quiet gasp as he spots ghostbur, tubbos tiny shake of his head when dream says dream and tommys story wont be over.

tubbo and quackity breaking the repeaters. ghostburs "i didnt even know we were fighting". ghostbur finding out phil let friend die, hes pained "phil? but i- i gave, i gave phil to look after. and dream found me friend, and technoblade said we were friends", tommys pained talk about technoblade. "we were never his friend. to him, all of this was just an act of politics, an act of clout and a-a social ladder, and you won't remember. tubbo you will, and to you big q, this was a friendship. but to technoblade, this was a ladder. and techno climbed to the tippity talk. do you wanna know the only way you can go? on the ladder? -- and once you reach the top of the ladder tubbo, you can only go down."

quackity asking to sing the anthem again, him strumming as ghostbur sings (and tubbo and tommy joining in). ghostbur forgetting the second verse because it blew up. quackity remembering it, them stumbling through it. tommys "tubbo? im so so sorry", tubbos quiet "its okay." the four all singing together. tubbo looking at the lava with an ender pearl in his hand, tommy correcting quackity and going "our l'manburg". ghostburs speech about friend, about people not taking him seriously just because he has memory loss.

meanwhile.. phil and techno were laughing. cracking jokes. phil mocks them as he spawns withers on the apiary, going "ohhh noo not the bees!". techno shouts at tommy and shoots at him and tubbo. he kills jack and doesnt even notice that it was one of his lives lost. jacks death itself proves that it doesnt take any particular intent, doesnt have to mean anything to the killer. techno and phil were willing to kill people. it would be foolish of them to act as if there were no risks in the terms of canon lives, especially with phil. phil doesnt take ghostbur seriously, treats his despair as an opportunity to drill in a lesson. the most either of them lost was some of the dogs and used up potions, fireworks, and wither skulls

and then theres dream. dream whose been harming the l'manburgians since the beginning, who had taken tubbo hostage, offered eret a chance to betray them all, who had been the man in tommys walls and offering money to tubbo and jack to try and get them to destroy things, who tried to get tommy to kill tubbos villagers. dream, who took tommys discs over and over, who killed tommy twice in one day, who stopped caring about his friends that loved him and were so so loyal. dream, who helped schlatt and pushed wilbur deeper into his spiral, who even then tried to manipulate tommy.

dream, who helped destroy l'manburg the first and second time, who took advantage of tubbo so he could have a premeditated kidnapping of tommy. dream, who abused tommy, physically, psychologically, emotionally. dream, who degraded tubbo and had taken ranboos memory book (which btw, since ranboos memory loss counts as a mental disability with the memory book as his aid, thats dream taking the thing that aids ranboo in dealing with his disability).

dream, who had been the reason l'manburg was created. dream, who got to destroy l'manburg three times. dream won. and techno and phil dont regret it, dont care.

maybe l'manburg was never meant to be. and sure, it started with stealing and an attempt to monopolize on potions but. that wasnt even l'manburg then, was it? it was just wilbur and tommy having fun. l'manburg came after. after the police hurt them. l'manburg started as a silly little revolution, led by a naïve man who thought he could win wars by saying no. it was a place for a family, a place for them to escape from dream. it was a place to try and escape the harm of those outside the walls. it was meant to be safe, even if those against them made it hard to be. it was made from love. it was meant to be happy. it was a symphony, however unfinished.

so. i don't know. i just feel, bad. they never really won, did they? tragedy after tragedy, death after death, destruction after destruction, betrayal after betrayal, hurt after hurt. and now what's left of them, really? out of the founders, erets doing the best and even shes doing awful, forever trying to make up for what he did. tubbos paranoia led him to developing nukes in a desperate attempt to stay safe, because he was taught to stay quiet and keep his emotions to himself, because his death was "justified", because nukes and walls and weapons are the only way he can feel safe anymore.

tommy went through months of abuse, lost all of his lives and suffered upon coming back, suicidal but unable to bring himself to do it because limbo is worse, feeling lost and like he has no family anymore other than wilbur, who he knows is hurting him but cant bring himself to leave, who loved lmanburg so so dearly and only wanted a home, still doesnt have one (tommy from everywhere, tommy from nowhere at all). niki who loved lmanburg and wilbur so much that it hollowed her out and made her bitter and shes so used to being spoken over that all she can think to do is raise her voice and get pissed, who cant see wilbur as a good person anymore because shes hurt and hasnt truly recovered and she doesnt know how to cope without being angry.

jack manifold feels forgotten, hes lost all his lives and crawled out of hell and no one truly noticed, he doesnt even believe that niki really cares, hes desperate and has made his purpose to be spiteful and angry because he cant deal with the emptiness that comes when he realizes theres no point. fundys desperate to have friends, family, a partner, anyone thatll love him, anyone thatll keep him safe, slowly killing himself with cigarettes and disowned because of giving too little too late, because he was too little too late.

and wilburs lost himself. spiraling, paranoid. a young, naïve man who wanted to fight swords with words, who wanted to impress his father, who wanted a nation of his own to feel safe, who was so effected by erets betrayal that he cant trust anyone but himself, whose possessive nature eats him from the inside out, desperate for control and unable to let go of the only person he knows loves him unconditionally

all because outside forces kept pushing, kept destroying, kept ruining them and hurting them and traumatizing them and taking away their homes and pets and loved ones. and i just. cant feel happy for the ones that hurt them, i cant feel victorius, triumphant, any of that. i just feel bad that the l'manburgians never got to be a family. i know they arent the best people but shit, i love them anyways, love them because theyre flawed and because theyre *people*, people who tried so so hard and got pushed so so much and. fuck, i cant be happy that the people who loved nature and play fought and laughed by campfires and read poetry and re-enacted theatre and loved each other and wanted to *live* (even if they were willing to die, if it meant giving everyone else a chance).. lost. they lost.

canonical years of work down the drain in one day. records of history gone, now only remembered in full by a traumatized teenager who was taught not to talk about his negative emotions, and even he misremembers some parts. they didnt even lose fairly. they had no chance. they couldnt have prepared for withers, for tnt rain, for the hounds. they were poor, weaker than their opponents, sabotaged by one of their own. thats.. tragic.

doomsday was a tragedy. i cant agree that it was deserved. i cant agree that they had it coming, that they deserved to lose homes and pets and limbs and lives and land because they werent the greatest people around.

a small country of less than 10 people (at both creation and destruction) now a giant crater in the ground, remnants of a parisitic egg taking over the land. and it wasnt even lost fairly. three people were stronger than an entire nation, even with all of its allies. two anarchists working with an abusive tyrant. so, no. doomsday wasnt deserved. people dont deserve tragedy. there were better ways, i truly cant be happy that the way chosen was violence. i cant.

l'manburg's citizens deserved better. they really did. the ends dont justify the means. and god, am i fucking tired of "justice". if justice means choosing violence over love and respect and caring about those less strong than you, i dont wanna hear about it. fuck that man, id rather love and be loved than constantly give a shit about making up for hurting others by getting hurt, thats stupid and cruel and i cant see it as okay on a moral level. not when the people that got hurt deserved to be loved and cared about and protected and *talked to* instead of constantly shot down.

of course for the narrative i can enjoy violence and characters getting hurt and i do like how "real" it all is, the despair and dissonance in tone and how terrifyingly messy it all is. out of story perspective- honestly rather cool even if it makes me feel bad. in story perspective- holy fucking shit no that wasnt deserved and god i hope everyone hurt will be able to heal and learn to love and be loved again because thats such a terrifying thing to go through. from a detached pov i can appreciate the insight into everyone involved and i like the plotlines that came from it, but from a compassionate pov i just wish the l'manburgians were allowed to be happy and treated as equals so they didnt have to go through all of this

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