#calling it right now i win on column 5

[kkoraki]

ntn bingo

the only spoilers i’ve been exposed to are the officially pre released chapters and that one early goodreads arc review (if you know you know...) so, it’s all fake baseless & made up. we ride at dawn 

#youre all looking at that one square but you know i had to do it to em #calling it right now i win on column 5 #i don't have that many out there theories for this book specifically i think theyre all going to start hitting next book... cld be wrong #self #you dont talk like how i thought you might talk #these were all placed by a random generator with ONE swap bc 2 incompatible theories were in the same row #i kept nona alecto and nona dog in the same row for the lols #im so deeply rooting for middle column or middle row... real talk

[buckyscrystalqueen]

Winter Wolf: Part 14

Pairings: Bucky x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, fluff, angst

Word Count: 3,523

A/N: Finally got the muse to finish this story! YAY!

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Who’s the cutest little princess in the whole wide world?” Bucky cooed from your bathroom as he gave Anastasia a bath, while you caught your notebook up on the last two years of your life. You smirked to yourself as your daughter giggled away and splashed in the water in her blow up bath tub in the shower. “You are! Yes, you are!”

“Thought I was the cutest in the world.” You called out, playfully as you leaned to the side the slightest bit to see your husband with your eyebrow cocked.

“Not anymore!” He cooed, teasingly with barely a glance over at you. “Ana wins that, hands down now. You didn’t age so well in the dinosaur years.”

“You’re rude!” You laughed as you chucked a pillow at him, easily hitting him in the side to which he completely overreacted to make Ana laugh harder.

“What was that?!” He asked her as he shook his head and pushed himself off where he had purposely fallen to his hip. “Did Mommy just hit me, go boom?! Oh, yes she did, and Daddy’s gunna remember that shit later tonight, too. Yes he will.”

“Are you receiving company?” Tony asked as he knocked gently on your open bedroom door. You froze the slightest bit and closed your notebook as you looked over at him in shock.

“Umm... yes? How am I supposed to answer that, Tony.”

“I know I ruined your birthday.” He started as he opened up his tablet and held it out to you. “And I also didn’t get you a wedding gift. But I figured I’d at least try to kill three birds with one stone with this as a way of apologizing for what I put you through, after everything you have done for the world.” You nodded and scooted across the bed to take the tablet as Bucky did his best to get his daughter out of the bath peacefully for bed so he could see what was going on. You looked at the screen and almost instantly felt the scalding heat you felt the day you watched your home burn to the ground.

“My plantation.” You whispered as you looked at the charred remains. “It’s still there?!”

“It’s technically a historical site.” Tony said as he glanced over at Bucky as he leaned on your door frame. “You owned the biggest plantation in Georgia during the Civil War. It was on the market for a while back in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s but then was taken off...”

“When I moved to London to go to school.” You said with a nod. “I was a doctor... my Lord.” You whispered with a shake of your head.

“Well the property went to the government some time in the 1920’s, and was deemed historical. So they maintained the property and the other houses and stables. But they never rebuilt the main house...”

“There’s an old willow tree a ways to the right of the house.” You said as you closed your eyes and tried to look past the last day you were there in your mind. “It was nearly as tall as the house and I could see if from my bedroom window. Is it still there?” You opened your eyes and looked over at Tony, who slowly shook his head and shrugged.

“I’m not sure. It took me a while to track this place down, because no one knew who the owner was after the war, and I haven’t been down to look yet. Figured you’d want to go first.” You nodded your head and looked back down at the photo as Bucky sat down on the bed beside you with Ana.

“It had a huge wrap around porch.” You told him as you showed him the photo with a small smile as more memories flooded your mind. “John made us rocking chairs that sat right here so we could watch the sun set. Mine had a hole in the right arm from when I stabbed it with my knitting needle after a disagreement one night. And it had these big white columns in front that held up the roof and the small porch up there. Look, baby... this is where Mommy lived.” You said to Ana as you traded Bucky her for the tablet when she tried to get away from her dad.

“We can leave in the morning if you’d like.” Tony said as he pushed off the door frame. “Jet’s ready. Just let me know when you are, whenever you are.”

“Tony.” You called out before he could walk away as your daughter used you as a jungle gym. “Thank you.” He gave you a tight nod and a small smile before he turned and walked away, leaving you to catch up on your memories with your husband.

“So you owned a plantation?” Bucky said, because it was partially news to both of you.

“I inherited it when John passed.” You said with a nod as you wrangled your toddler into your lap. “It’s strange, until I saw that photo, all I could remember of that place was the day I was shot and left. But now, I’m seeing the giant wood burning stove in the kitchen, and the stone fireplace in the parlor. I can see the staircase that ran up the right side of the main hall, that led all the way to the back with this... oh, God it was the most hideous carpet in the world, but it belonged to John’s mother and he loved it.” You scoffed and shook your head as you got up to put Ana in her jammies. “I am not sorry to see that carpet burned down. I wonder if the fire went all the way down to the basement.” You said as you paused at Ana’s dresser and turned around with your brow furrowed. “There’s... there’s something in the basement... I can’t remember...”

“Well, do you want to go look tomorrow?” He asked, pulling you from your thoughts so you could get your daughter dressed. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind seeing this ‘biggest plantation in Georgia’ that my wife owns.”

“It was a big plantation.” You agreed with a huff. “Pain in my rear to work and hotter than all get out most days.”

“Oh, and we’re turning Southern with it.” He laughed as he scooted up on the bed to relax in his spot. “You worked the fields?”

“I did.” You said with a slow nod as you picked up your clothed daughter and walked over to the bed so she could have her night time bottle before bed. “I was a woman before my time back then, and still a Yankee at heart you could say. When John and I married, I convinced him to free our slaves, and made sure they all worked for pay. He was very well off, he could afford it, and they all worked even harder if at all possible once the overseer was let go. But when the war happened, money got a little tight, and we lost quite a few hands to typhoid but the work still needed to be done. So yes, I worked my fields until the war was dropped on my doorstep one night.”

“You know, you get more and more impressive every single day.” He said as he set Tony’s tablet aside to lay down beside Ana so he could look at you. “I am so honored to get to call you my wife, doll.”

“Even though my memories come in snippets and I’m dinosaur old?” You teased as you picked up your notebook to update some past notes.

“Absolutely.” He laughed as he reached across the pillows to rub your back. “Makes you mysterious.”

“OK, we’ll go with that.” You laughed as you handed him the remote so he could put on the ‘Good Night Moon’ show Ana loved before bed while you wrote. You hummed and shook your head as you opened your notebook and clicked on the plantation memories page. “Mysterious, he says. Crazy I say.”

“Go write your notes!”

——

You were glad to see that the massive live oaks lining your driveway were still just as gorgeous as ever, but it absolutely disgusted you to see that your front lawn had been turned into a giant gravel parking lot. A deep growl rolled from your chest, and Steve gently reached over the front seat to grab your wrists, while Bucky put his hand on your knee and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“We can fix it, sweetheart.” Your husband said softly as Happy, Pepper’s assistant, parked his rental car beside the one Tony, Pepper, and their lawyers were in, since parking the jet on your property was apparently not an option. Your growl turned into grumbling as you got out of the car, but turned right back into a much deeper growl when you turned to see a six foot tall, chain link fence around your old home. But all noises simply stopped when you saw your willow tree.

“I’m gunna fucking kill someone.” You said as you ripped away from Bucky and Steve and stormed over to your tree, where a young couple was carving their initials amongst the decades of others, including your and John’s original carvings. “Back the fuck up!” You roared as you let your claws fly just as Steve wrapped his arm around your upper torso and yanked you back.

“Just back away from the tree.” He said quickly to the terrified kids with a shake of his head. “Go on.” The second they were clear, he set you down, and you retracted your claws to walk over and run your fingers over the destroyed wood.

“No...” You said with a shake of your head with tears in your eyes as you looked around until you found the faint, misshapen heart that was almost gone with age, and distorted letters carved by your late husband.

“We’ll see if we can fix it, baby.” Bucky said softly as he touched the small of your back. “Look, the older ones are already fading.” You nodded your head slowly and looked up at the higher names, that were a little less distorted than yours, but were fading as well.

“You must be Mr. Stark.” A peppy older woman in period clothes said as she headed over to the group. “My name is Abigail, I’ll be your guide of the Jackson Plantation...”

“I’m sorry, the what?!” You said as you whipped around to look at her with rage in your eyes, which made Tony step between the pair of you with a tight ‘all business’ smile.

“You’re gunna want to clear the property.” He said evenly with a nod. “Now. For everyone’s safety.”

“Oh! Oh, I’m afraid I can’t do that...” Abigail said as you stormed away from the group to look at a metal plaque on your side of the fence around your house.

“Oh, this is not good.” Bucky said with a shake of his head as you read the lies someone had made up about your house, before you simply ripped it off the post and easily crumbled it in a ball before Steve could get to you.

“Wait, you can’t do that!” Abigail shrieked as you ripped the fence open with more grumbling and headed up to your house with Steve, and Bucky right behind you.

“I’m warning you once more.” Tony said as he simply watched your guide’s horrified expression. “Clear the premises...”

“I’m calling the police!” She cried as she pulled her cell phone from the pocket of her dress.

“I am the fucking police here!” You roared from the front steps as you rounded and glared at her. “This is my fucking land! You are trespassing here!”

“This is property of the National Parks Services...” She tried with shaky hands, which made the Wolf rear her ugly head at the woman’s weakness as a sinister darkness filled your eyes.

“And that’s where you’re fucking wrong.” You said as you slowly walked back down the steps toward her. “This land belonged to my first husband, John William Scott, who was a confederate soldier that died in the war. The plantation, which was named Green Pebble Hill by his aunt, Cecelia Ann Scott MacDonald when she was a child because of the moss covered pebbles in the stream in the back fields by the way, was left to me, (Y/N) (Y/M/N) (Y/L/N) Scott, his sole heir because I’m not able to bear children due to my mutation. Find his will, I know he had one. It’s dated May 16th, 1864, the day before he left to join ranks before the war even started.

The house was burned down by Yankee soldiers in July of 1865, four days after I got a letter saying my husband was killed, not by looters in 1868 like your historically inaccurate sign claims. Burned down by men who were instructed to kill me when they found that I was helping both their soldiers and ones of the confederacy. I was shot in the left lung for helping wounded men, no matter what color their coat was, because that is what good people do. But thanks to my mutation, I can’t fucking die! My body just rejected the musket ball as they burned my home to cinders. Now, get these people off my fucking property immediately or you will learn all about the hell I’ve been through the past one hundred and twenty four years since I first learned how horrible people could be just for the fucking sake of it!” She nodded her head frantically as you turned on your heel to head back up to your house, grumbling under your breath. “Stevie, help me with this.” You said as you carefully walked up on the porch again. “There’s a safe in the basement. It has that letter... I think the will...”

“Babe, be careful.” Bucky said as you grabbed a long, charred, weather warn piece of wood that made up part of the wall of your first floor and lifted it up so that your best friend could see a similar piece of wood that was attached to it on the far side of the house.

“OK, I see it.” He said as he jumped down and ran to the other side as tourists began to flood toward the parking lot to leave.

“(Y/N), we can get a construction crew...” Pepper tried, but Bucky quickly looked back and shook his head at her.

“Just leave her. She’s being buried by new memories, and she’s battling the Wolf. No one can stop her right now.” 

“Get ahold of your boss.” Tony said as you and Steve chucked the wood away from the building. “I want contact information to whomever believes they own this land. We’ll be taking it back from them now.” Abigail nodded her head again and continued making phone calls as you and Steve made a path down to the basement that seemed relatively untouched thanks to it’s all stone frame.

“It’s...” You said as you jumped down into the basement after twenty minutes of clearing the rubble of your upper two floors and hesitated. You closed your eyes and tried to picture yourself putting the letter in the safe as Steve jumped down in front of you to help. You turned around in your spot and went through the motions of the memory, before your head shot up and to your left. “Over here. Under some flour sacks.”

“I need a light!” Steve called out as you took a step in that direction but stumbled the slightest bit over a small pile of stones. “Wait, (Y/N). We’re getting a light.”

“Here, Tony said just put it on.” Bucky said as he carefully leaned over the edge and dropped Tony’s Ironman helmet down to Steve. Your best friend held it out to you and you squeezed it on to your head before squinting at the bright screen that popped up in front of you.

“Man, what did I do with only lanterns down here?” You asked yourself as you awkwardly stepped over the stones, around whatever had started to grow in the dark space, and over to the sacks of flour that was your safe’s cover with the help of the night vision from Tony’s suit. Once they were thrown to the side, you picked up the three by three cast iron safe with a grunt, and carried it back over to Steve.

“Alright, hold on. Let me get out first.”

“How do I get this thing off... Oh.” You gasped as the mask opened and shrunk down to sit like a thick necklace. “That works.”

“You find it?” Bucky asked as Steve found solid ground and kneeled down to help. You passed it up to him and climbed out yourself as Tony, Pepper, and his lawyers talked to the cops that came to deal with the ‘disturbance’ with Abigail, her boss, and a pair of local representatives from the National Park Services.

“OK, wait just set it here.” You said as you pointed to the ground by the back steps as you kneeled down beside it. “Shit. When is his birthday? Or was it the day we met.”

“Don’t think of it that way.” Bucky said as he came around to the back of the house to see what was inside this little mystery box. “That’s not gunna help here like it doesn’t help you find your cell phone at home, remember? Walk through the last time you used it like you did in the basement. Picture yourself with the letter in your hand.” You nodded your head and closed your eyes as you held out your hand with the letter in it. “Down the stairs, to the left. You moved those bags and kneeled down. You reached out and turned the dial to...”

“Thirty-two.” You said as you opened your eyes and leaned forward. “Seventeen. Nine. His birthday backwards.” A smile spread across your face as the locked popped open, and the metal door creaked as you pulled it open. “Thank you baby. I never would have remembered that. See, the letter.” You said as you carefully pulled it out and unfolded the telegram. You looked over the slightly faded ink with a small sigh, before wiping off the top of the safe and setting it down. “Oh, look. His will. I didn’t know I had the original. Oh, look at this.” You laughed as you pulled out an old photograph of you on your wedding day. “I made that dress by hand. And this picture took forever to take. Cameras weren’t what they are back then.”

“God, you haven't change a bit.” Bucky said as he sat down beside you to look, as Steve crouched down on your other side.

“I aged like a fine wine.” You teased as you added the photo to the stack. “Oh, and this is John. Oh, sweetheart.” You sighed as you slowly shook your head with a fond smile. “Bless his heart, that man couldn’t grow a beard to save his life.”

“He’s... a lot older than I expected.” Bucky said as he took the photo from your hands, delicately.

“Ten years senior.” You said with a nod as Steve excused himself softly to let Tony know you had the original will. “That was normal back then. I married him when I had just turned seventeen so we were together... like seven years before he passed.”

“Wow.” He breathed as he handed you back the photo.

“What else do we have? Confederate bonds. What’s this? Oh, gold. Could have used that. Oh, my jewelry...” The pair of you sat for another twenty minutes or so, going through old memories and things you had kept safe when John left. You were ecstatic to find the deed to the property along with his father’s will and a couple other documents related to his family.

“OK, I have to say this is blowing my mind a little bit.” Bucky said as you pulled out a pistol wrapped in an old t-shirt to make sure there was nothing left underneath it. “Like... this is your stuff. Not your relatives, yours. You actually touched these documents before today.”

“Gives being older than dinosaurs a whole new meaning, doesn’t it?” You laughed as you started carefully putting everything back in the safe.

“And you own this land.” He said as he looked up at the massive, 2000 acre property in front of him.

“I do.” You said with a nod as you closed the door of the safe. “Legally and soon, officially.”

“Damn.” He said with a shake of his head. “Yea, we’re raising Anastasia here.”

“I’m absolutely OK with that, my love.” You said as you stood up and picked up the safe. “I just have to prove who I am to the US government after spending nearly one hundred years trying to avoid doing just that. That’s gunna be the real fun.”

Part 15

#Bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #winter wolf #winter wolf series

[yuurei20]

Vil Info Compilation Part 3: Effort

Vil seems to prioritize effort over everything else, dismissing the Wish Upon a Star event because “the very notion of eschewing had work in favor of pinning your hopes on a star is inherently flawed”.

When Trey attempts to collect a wish for the event Vil refuses, as “hoping for a miracle without putting in the work to make it happen is the epitome of indolence. I make my own miracles.”

He eventually makes the wish of “quit nagging me right now” just to get Trey to leave.

Vil explains that he dislikes “people who give up before they even begin” and that he “personally, would rather die than play it safe” and “there are no shortcuts to achieving perfection”.

We get more insight into Vil’s mindset in Book 5 where he says, “sometimes, the more capable you become, the harder it gets to endorse yourself”, “spare me the infantile notion that hard work guarantees a reward” and “the idea that hard work is always rewarded is utter drivel only true in fairy tales”. He says that, “If you do something, you must do it to perfection”.

During the school’s opening ceremonies Vil tells Jack, “You’ll never grow if you constantly rely on others for guidance” and tells his dorm’s newest students that he “will not accept half-hearted efforts”.

Vil says that “plenty of people” have described him as “stoic”, but he seems nothing unnatural about “simply putting in the work necessary to achieve (his) goals”.

When Ace asks if there aren’t any spells that can skip the diet and training parts of self-improvement and make them instantly attractive, Vil says that magic can only “create a temporary illusion of beauty and allow someone to indulge in a brief dream”, but what he seeks is “genuine, authentic aesthetic perfection. Like the Fairest Queen who earned the Magic Mirror’s recognition.”

Vil references the Fairest Queen fairly often, saying that her “tenacity” and how she “gave her utmost effort to achieve her ideals” is “precisely why she was called the fairest one of all”, which may well be the motivation behind Vil’s own tireless work ethic.

Vil says he never dares to miss an opportunity to accentuate his beauty even further, and Jade says, “It is in Vil’s nature to eternally pursue self-improvement. He is an ambitious man. Exercising in the morning, writing columns during break, modeling after class…and to top it all off, he executes his job as housewarden with aplomb. I’m in awe.”

Jade describes Vil as “strict, both towards himself and others”. However, after temporarily serving as Vil’s assistant, Jade says that in comparison to “someone” he knows satisfying Vil was “like child’s play” and that his “stay at Pomefiore was like a well-deserved break”.

Vil has voices lines about being more than willing to get himself dirty to win (“I’ll show you that there’s more to me than simply beauty”) and having no respect for people who don’t strive to win.

Rook says that “Vil never slacks off, whether he’s learning or training. That’s one of the reasons he commands such respect.”

#twstfacts #Vilfacts #twstVil #twisted wonderland #Vil Schoenheit

[saltygilmores]

Thoughts While Watching Gilmore Girls: Season 1/Episode 6 ("Rory's Birthday Parties")

This is the only proper way to watch Gilmore Girls.

A win in the "continuity" column: if you fast forward to season 5, her birth day is the same.

(a mugshot would say "Lorelai Gilmore" not "Rory", but I digress). Another interesting bit of continuity: Rory and I were both born in 1984. I was born in February, she was born in October, but she graduated high school in 2003, while I graduated in 2002. So it would seem apparent that her October birthdate had her miss the "cut off" for kindergarten (she hadn't turned 5 yet when other kids born earlier the same year were going into kindergarten, and in the US, you typically have to be 5 to start kindergarten). Idk these are just the kind of things I love to think about even if no one else does. It also leads me to a theory about Jess' birthdate but I think its too confusing to explain lol

I can't think of anything LESS Rory than a plastic light up neon bracelet. I'm actually at a loss to think of any character in the entire show who'd wear something like this. Maybe Madelyn and Louise, lol.

A list of the men (and it's only men) on Gilmore Girls who have run away to California: Jess, Dave Rygalski, Max Medina, Christopher. Was this Amy Sherman Palladino's favorite plot device for male characters? Not even New York, which is a lot closer? Like they have to run far, far, away, as far away as possible while not leaving the country? It's very mysterious. Like there's a swirling vortex out in California sucking them all in. Somewhere in the distant year 2003, Jess and Dave Rygalski find each other again in California and become best bros. In my heart I firmly believe it. "Christopher calls once a week (I doubt it) and we see him at Christmas and Easter (maybe). "

Fuck me sideways, this is so gross. Rory tells Paris they can both attend Harvard, because it's a big school and they'll never run into each other. If they do see each other, they'll duck. They then proceed to not only attend the same college and work on the school paper together, but live together the entire time. They both sound sad at the prospect of not seeing each other after high school. My favorite Married Couple!

Now Paris is asking Rory if Diet Logan is available. Not a day after Paris witnessed him sexually harassing Rory at her birthday party, her immediate thought is "I want that for myself"?" Ick, ick, ick!

Fuck me sideways, I love late 90's/ early 2000's shit! I love being a Millennial and recognizing shit I grew up with! I love that I was the same age as Rory when this show was made! This, my friends is an ancient Apple computer called an I-Book! I'm giddy! Honestly it seems a bit sad that Rory has no friends besides Lane and eventually Paris (until they try to shoe horn in those other two girls, Lucy and the other one, at Yale near the end, which felt very forced) and both of her parties are attended by nothing but grown ass adults. I mean, there's nothing wrong with having only two close friends (and it's only one friend currently, who seems to have been her only friend her entire life). Quality over quantity right? Having only one friend her own age for most of her life while the rest of her social circle consists of her mother and grown adults who constantly tell this very ordinary girl that she's so special and perfect and can do no wrong and treat her like a princess. This will definitely not have any impact on Rory Gilmore's psyche anywhere down the line. No siree, Bob...

I mean, maybe it's not entirely her fault. Rory, Dean, Lane, and Lindsay are the only teenagers (or even CHILDREN) who seem to exist in Stars Hollow and the times that we see a SH classroom, the students look 35. I remember somebody saying "I don't think Amy Sherman Palladino has actually seen a child before."

Wow, that cake...sure is something.

Michel using a phone to avoid socializing at a party years before it was fashionable. The party hat is the icing on the Rory-Face-Cake! A true icon.

Edward Herrmann barely cleared this doorway.

I stand corrected. Ladies and gentlemen, here are some random ass 35 year old teenagers and one random old man who were kind enough to come to Rory's party. Go introduce yourself Rory. They look so friendly.

Did we ever hear Miss Patty's full name again? This is interesting.

Okay Miss Lacosta, go take a cold shower or something, you need to chill. Bad enough you were hitting on Kirk.

The iceman cometh. Emily: I could see the way he (Luke) looked at you. Like you were going to give him a lapdance. You're pleased that the ice man looked at you like a porterhouse steak! Okay, ALL the old ladies need to chill for a bit.

OMG! IT'S "THE" BRACELET! The one Jess took! Dean just strung a quarter through a piece of leather and called it a "medallion." This fucking clown. "I bought the medallion and I cut some leather straps and drilled a hole in it." Yawn. Who the fuck cares. Lorelai "tore up the entire town" and yelled at Jess, and Rory "had a heart attack" looking for this fucking quarter on a string. Rory: "It's beautiful. It's amazing." Yawn. It's certainly no "I wrote in the margins for you." Every "crime" Jess Mariano has ever committed was in some way justified. Stealing change from Taylor Doose? Not guilty. "Stealing" a quarter on a string that Dean made? Not guilty.

Lorelai is thinking "Hey, that's MY boyfriend!" The Good: Lorelai and Emily going shopping together. Randy old ladies. Michel being anti social. Dean doesn't show up until the last two minutes. Dean's stupid bracelet made me laugh so it's going into both the bad and good columns. The Bad: Diet Logan sexually harrasses Rory and Paris gets jealous. Forrester and his fucking moronic stupid gifts. Rory has no friends her own age. The New: Stupid fucking quarter on a string bracelet is seen for the first time. We learn Rory's birthdate and Miss Patty's full name. Deliciously Nostalgic References & Sightings: Old school Apple I-Book computer.

#gilmore girls #rory gilmore #lorelai gilmore #paris geller #GIlmore Girls Season 1 #Denise Rewatches Gilmore Girls #Emily Gilmore #Richard GIlmore #Anti Dean Forrester #Dean Forrester Sucks #Tristan DuGray is a pig #Diet Logan #Dean gives stupid gifts #Rorys Birthday Parties

[mariacallous]

In March, 2021, Kari Lake, who for twenty-two years had been the co-anchor of the 5 P.M. and 9 P.M. local news at Fox 10 Phoenix, recorded a two-and-a-half-minute goodbye of sorts, and posted it to social media. Lake had been off the set recently, having taken a personal leave, and she said that she wouldn’t be coming back. “Sadly, journalism has changed a lot since I first stepped into a newsroom,” Lake said. “And I’ll be honest—I don’t like the direction it’s going.” She went on, “It is scary walking away from a good job and a successful career, especially in difficult times. I know God has my back and will guide me to work that aligns with my values.”

Lake is now the Republican nominee in the race for governor of Arizona, and a very quickly rising figure within the national Party. The National Review editor Rich Lowry wrote in a column on Thursday that, if Lake wins her race, she “would have to be considered the favorite to become Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick should he win the Republican nomination again in 2024.” She has done this without much of a traditional campaign operation. She has not commissioned a single poll, and according to Politico’s Alex Isenstadt, when a supporter asked Lake whether she had hired certain high-priced consultants, the candidate said, “I don’t know who those people are.” She then called over a young aide and told him to “show off his ‘MAGA’ tattoo,” which he did by pulling back his lower lip. Lake’s rise has been unsettling for reporters in particular, since she is bluntly antagonistic toward many of them. The Washington Post’s Ruby Cramer, interviewing the candidate for a recent profile, found that Lake and her husband, an independent producer named Jeff Halperin, record their press encounters. (If it all “goes great,” Lake told Cramer, it needn’t be cause for concern.) She taunts reporters about their audience size; the clips go viral.

When Lake upended the Republican gubernatorial primary this year, she was seen largely as a MAGA candidate who had outflanked the field by insisting that Donald Trump was the true winner of the 2020 Presidential election. But, in the general election, that political strength on the far-right has been compounded by another: perhaps unsurprisingly, Lake is exceptionally good at TV. She speaks concisely and evocatively, and maintains emotional control even while saying very aggressive things. During a televised primary debate, she denounced Joe Biden’s border policies for yielding control “to a criminal element, to dangerous drugs that are killing our young people, and he’s taken away our ability to protect our own state.” When Mark Phillips, a political reporter at the Phoenix ABC affiliate, played a clip of the retired general and Trump political associate Michael Flynn saying that states have the right to declare war and worriedly asked Lake if that’s what she had in mind when she called for militarizing the border, Lake said, “We’re declaring an invasion and we’re protecting our border. That’s what we’re gonna do. You can call it whatever you want.” After the Dobbs decision, a legal battle in Arizona will either leave the state with its current fifteen-week ban or revert it to an 1864 law that banned all abortions in the state except when a mother’s life is at risk. Lake has expressed support for both laws. “I’m pro-woman,” she told Phillips. “And I want to make sure that women have health care. I want to make sure women have access to birth control. And I want to make sure that women are treated with respect.” She went on, “My stance is that I’m pro-life and I want to save as many babies as possible.”

Journalists and liberals have often been alarmed at the growth of right-wing media, which has been a fertile ground for conspiracy theories alleging that the 2020 election was stolen, or that the media is suppressing the truth about the harms of COVID vaccines, or (in the case of QAnon) that the country’s élites belong to a cabal. As Trump’s Presidency has receded, the attention on far-right media has only sharpened, both because Republican political candidates have increasingly used fringe outlets to reach an audience and because reporters and liberals have learned to pay attention to what might be circulating there.

But that isn’t what this election is about. The Republican momentum—and, as I write, it looks very real—is built on a small group of much simpler and less exotic stories: rising crime, chaos at the border, and pain at the pump, each of which has been a standby of local news for a generation. Lake is a talented politician, but less deft campaigners have leaned effectively on these themes, too. The Long Island congressman Lee Zeldin, a staunch Trump supporter who once nominated Jared Kushner for the Nobel Peace Prize, has in recent weeks mounted a serious challenge to Kathy Hochul in the New York governor’s race—one poll last week had him down just four points—in part by following local crime stories with the assiduousness of a small-market TV reporter making an audition tape. On October 18th, Zeldin tweeted an ABC 7 segment of a small event he held outside of a Queens subway station, writing, “I was in Jackson Heights in Queens earlier today outside another subway station where someone was pushed onto the subway tracks and killed.”

There is a reason that the Republicans have seemed to dominate the news ever since Biden took office. These themes are vivid and naturally suited to television news, and they have evoked in their supporters a visceral reaction that Democrats have managed to achieve only on abortion. Otherwise, the Democrats have often relied on statistical information (of the underlying strength of the economy, of the efficacy of the COVID vaccine) to make their case, while Republicans have turned to televisual information to demonstrate the violence in the streets, the migrants running across the border, the soaring prices at the local gas station. (In the education wars that heated up in 2021, images of outraged conservative parents at school-board meetings were up against quotes from tenured academics thoughtfully explaining what critical race theory was and wasn’t.) One of these information types is more powerful than the other. If it bleeds, it leads, in campaigns such as the 9 P.M. news.

At the beginning of these midterm elections, everyone in politics wanted to know whether Republicans were turning back toward Trump or away from him. This question overshadowed what turned out to be a more interesting development—and, for Democrats, a more ominous one. Certain rising Republican politicians—especially Lake and Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis (whose wife, Casey, is herself a former local TV-news anchor)—have managed to fuse a New Right pugnacity with a hyper-attention to the news cycle and their own media presentation. It is a potent political mix, and in the past two years it has meant that Republicans no longer look quite so frumpy, quite so clueless, or quite so chaotic as they usually seemed during the Trump years. They are onto something, and if it sometimes feels like the political news has spent the Biden Administration stuck in one long local television-news cycle, well, it probably will feel that way for a while longer. During Lake’s emergence, she has sometimes been described as “Donald Trump in heels.” But that underrates how much Lake and her generation of Republicans have learned from their predecessors, and how intelligently they are operating right now. ♦

[oldsalempost-blog]

The Old Salem Post

Our  Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays                                          Contact: [email protected]                              Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.                                            Volume 7 Issue 9                                                                                              Week of February 13,2023                https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                                                         Lynne Martin Publishing

EDITOR: It is the week of love.  It is not always easy to love, especially if you feel someone has done something to damage that love.  Words and actions can harm a relationship.   Maybe your “boss” is difficult to work for or someone is difficult to work with.   The battle of who is right and who is wrong consumes valuable time, mind-space and energy. Often, we prefer to carry a heavy burden rather than cast if off.  If we truly love one another as Jesus taught, and as we say we do, this can be a challenge.  Sometimes we despair in our trials, and feel we are walking alone.  I call this the valley, when we don’t always feel the Presence of God. But, we will learn from trials, if we open our hearts, knowing in the end love will conquer all! L R Martin  Prayer:  Lord, Help me to always choose to love.

TOWN OF SALEM: *Downtown Market every Sat. 8am-12pm. Council Meeting Feb 21 6pm.                                                                                                            Diane Head Memorial Dedication:  You are invited to attend the cutting of the Red Ribbon to dedicate the site in memory of Salem’s first town mayor on Feb 25. 1pm. The location is across Hwy 130 just south from the Calvary Church.    Valentine Mission: Thank you all who contributed to the Talley Luce Valentine Mission of spreading love over our county.  The project began from Talley’s little heart of love, that not only unites our Tamassee-Salem community and churches, but spreads through our whole county as she shares the gifts to the elderly and shut-ins.                                                                                                

__ASHTON RECALLS_________________________       By Ashton Hester  Here is the follow-up to the basketball story I sent last week:  SALEM'S 1952-53 GIRLS' BASKETBALL TEAM ALSO DOING WELL - (Last week's column featured a story about Salem High School's outstanding 1952-53 boys' basketball team that was in the January 28, 1953 issue of the Keowee Courier. That story continued with the following account of the Salem girls' team). . .The Salemites won't take a back seat when it comes to their girls' team either, for even while playing their first full schedule in several years, they have still managed to win 5 while losing 8 and tieing once. . .Coached by L.H. Pursley, the girls' scoring parade is led by brilliant little Betty Lou Towe, who can "natural-born" play a tune with the netting when she gets her hands on the ball. The diminutive star has sacked in 230 points in the campaign for a resounding average of 16.4 points per game. . .Not far behind is Phyllis Fisher who has poured in 189 points and now boasts a 13.5 per game average. . .The other forward post alternates between Bobbie Ann Littleton and Betty Perry. . .The guards lack height this year, but they have made up for much of that handicap with hustle and spirit. . .Shirley Ann Childress, Hilda Sue Burgess, and Martha Jean Nicholson handle the guard posts with some help from Maxine Smith, a promising eighth grader. . .(Footnote written in 2023: "Girls' rules" back then were that each team had three guards and three forwards on both ends of the court. None of them could cross the center-court line; they had to remain on their end). . .Others seeing action with the squad this year are Bea Holden, Ramona McCoy, Juanita Burrell, and Martha Hinkle. . .TOURNAMENT RESULTS: The February 18 issue of the Courier reported that the Salem boys' team lost its first-round game in the Class C District Tournament at Pendleton to Antreville, 45 to 37. The girls' team also lost its first-round game. The details were not reported other than the unfortunate loss of  their second-highest scorer, Phyllis Fisher, who moved away the final week of the season.                                                                                                                      

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC)& COFFEE SHOP 13412 N Hwy 11 Open Wed-Sat 8am-9pm. Sun 2pm-7pm.  Events this week:  Wed: Blue Grass Jam 6:30pm.  Fri– FOOD: Wing Wagon  Music:  Square Roots at 6:30pm.  Sat–Music: BJ Calahan 6:30pm Food: Lobster Dogs.

Land Preservation starts with each one of us.  You can have plans in place for what you like to happen to your land once your time here is gone.   If you leave it to developers, it will be chopped up with whatever idea they have in mind.  Then landowners all around have to contend with the destruction left behind.    Like planning your life, plan what you want to happen to your land you cherish and have worked so hard for.  Do not let others plan for you.  Consider conservation easements or land trusts. Once the land is preserved for perpetuity, you can sell it or gift it. The land is protected.  LM

Jottings from Jeannie:  Celebrating South Carolina                                            We have 46 counties.       Here is a cure for insomnia: Try to name them all-- Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson...   Our state has 187 miles of coastline and a total area of  31,113 square miles. Did you know that the Edisto River is the longest black-water river in the entire world?  We live near SC's highest point which is Sassafras Mountain (3,560 ft above sea level).  Be proud! More Revolutionary War battles were fought in SC than in any other state!  The town of Abbeville is known as "the birthplace and the deathbed of the Confederacy."   I know what you are thinking! "Oh! Miz Jeannie! You are so smart! You should go on JEOPARDY!"  My reply: I probably would win a big prize-- but then I would have to leave Oconee County to go fetch it.   No Thank You!                                                                                                            

                   EAGLES NEST ART CENTER , 501c3, 4 Eagle Lane, Salem                                                                                                                                            WOMEN ECOURAGING WOMEN: FEB 18, 1PM-4PM  *Love Offering event.  * This is a wonderful event for our local churches to help sponsor. *  Invite your girlfriends, sisters, mom, or strangers to this local 3 hour retreat. Our speaker is Martha Loftis Watson, a former T-S teacher and minister.                                                                                                                                                                      Alumni Gathering March 4, 2pm-6pm:  Calling all Salem, Tamassee-Salem, and Eagle Ridge alumni, staff, and faculty to drop-in to visit together and unite the past with the present.  There is a sweet sprit that unites us from our beloved roots.  Come tour the campus.  Bring your tennis shoes and shoot some hoops.  There will be concessions and maybe some homemade soups and chili available to purchase to support the hallowed grounds.   Call for more information or if you would like to assist in any way, Susan Hopkins, 864-944-2490, or Judy Hines.

Tamassee DAR:  Tamassee DAR School can make your wedding dreams come true.  From engagement tea, rehearsal, ceremony, to reception – Weddings at Tamassee is a one-stop-venue experience for all your wedding needs. Make reservations for the next Bride-to-Be Tea Party on Sat, Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. in historical South Carolina Cottage on the campus of Tamassee DAR School.  Tour our beautiful indoor and outdoor venue options, visit with preferred vendors, enjoy refreshments, and learn more about our affordable wedding packages.   Cost for the Tea Party is $10 for the bride and one guest.  To register call us at 864.944.1390 or email us at [email protected].                              Tamassee DAR Full Day Program: On Monday, Feb 20, Presidents’ Day, our student will have  a fun day of adventures with friends and learning good citizenship values. Your child does not need to be enrolled in the regular after school program to participate.  $28/day for nonparticipants, $18/day for participants.   Call Ms Hope 864-944-3022 Ext 118.    7:30am-6:00pm Includes Breakfast, Lunch, and Snack.                                                                                BELLFEST 2023:  Join Friends of Jocassee for the 10th annual celebration of our native Oconee Bell at Devil’s Fork State Park. March 18 from 10am-3pm.  Park entry fees apply.  There will be Interpretive Bell Trail  walks, craft vendors, food trucks, music, kid & family activities, silent auction, and more. Visit www.friendsofjocassee.org to learn more.  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Free my spirit from anything that causes me not to love everyone as myself.  Amen                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Share your heart of love this week. Lynne

[keywestlou]

CRANBERRIES…..THE IRRELEVANT RELEVANT

CRANBERRIES…..THE IRRELEVANT RELEVANT - https://keywestlou.com/cranberries-the-irrelevant-relevant/The huge Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. Each and every part already running through my head. The anticipation part of the holiday joy for me. For many, this year's meal is plagued by its cost. Thanksgiving dinner twice as much this year as last year. With one exception. Cranberries! Buy more, eat more, enjoy more! Cranberries this Thanksgiving season are 13 percent cheaper. The reason production is up 4 percent. Cranberries normally an irrelevant part of the holiday meal. This year has relevancy. The National Catholic Reporter (NPR) calls them as it sees them when it comes to the Catholic Church. A recent article re the U.S. Bishops' Conference Annual Meeting reflects its independent position. The NPR reported "the U.S. Bishops' decline into irrelevance will continue." The U.S. Bishops' organization is not pro Rome. Nor is it pro Francis. Far from it. The group sides with U.S. evangelicals, the far right, Trump and MAGA. They are influenced by the likes of Steve Bannon and Newt Gingrich. A new president was elected at the Conference. Anti-Francis. The new President is Archbishop Timothy Broglio. He is considered a "culture warrior." In the 1990's, he lacked sympathy for victims of clergy sex. He fought efforts by U.S. bishops to confront the crisis. He failed to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. Neither the Bishops' Conference nor Broglio are friends of Biden. Biden is a practicing Catholic. Yet no plans are in the works for the group and Biden to meet. Nor is such a meeting expected to be arranged. The gulf is distinct. Neither side is interested in one. Elon Musk continues to amaze me. As does how he became a billionaire. He appears committed to destroying Twitter. Though he does not appear aware. Last week, he reinstated Trump to use Twitter. Yesterday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Greene is thrilled. She vowed to test "every limit of free speech on Twitter." May Musk, Trump, Greene and Twitter fail. Washington Post columnist George Will in a recent column wrote: "Now the GOP can repent for the Trump era by denying him the nomination." Will the U.S. ever really have gun control? Biden's success a few months ago the first piece of significant gun legislation in 30 years. Not enough, however. Killings continue. Massacres common place. The nation cries out for more control. Stiffer control. Effective control. A few days ago, killings and injuries were inflicted at a LGBTQ night club in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Yesterday, a Virginia Walmart shooting where 6 were killed and more injured. The last day for hurricane season is next week on November 30. Key West has a tradition. The Conch Republic conducts a hurricane flag burning ceremony on November 30. This year's will be conducted at USCGC Ingham at Truman Waterfront Park. Live music at 4, the burning at 5. Syracuse lost last night to St. John's in the Championship Game of the Empire Classic in Brooklyn. In overtime, 76-69. For me. the game a strange one. It began at 9:30. I am asleep by 9:30 most evenings. I made it last night till about 10 minutes left in the game. Syracuse winning by 10. The game an excellent one till I fell asleep. St. John's came out with a tough brutal in your face defense. Syracuse quickly adapted. Game close. Syracuse up 5-6 points at half time. Joe Girard scored 31 points the night before. Last night, he was scoreless the whole first half. I think his total was 4-5 points all night. It was not St. John's defending him that caused his low production. He just did not have it. He appeared exhausted the whole game. Always a step behind. His shots off. When I dropped off to sleep, Syracuse was ahead 50-40. When I woke, the teams were already into the overtime. What I did not see was a 16-2 run by St. John's while I slept. Turned the game around. St. John's outscored Syracuse in the overtime 11-4. What I did see clearly indicated Syracuse's ass was dragging. Sloppy ball. Poor ball handling. Forget scoring. St. John's was not affected by tiredness, though they had the same reasons as Syracuse to be. From what I saw during the game, Syracuse's defense was outstanding. Dramatically improved from the night before. I am not down on the team.....yet. They are young. Several freshman. Have the makings of a quality team. Time will tell. Enjoy your day!  

[personalgyanblog]

Guidence Before Playing Live DP Boss Satta Matka Online at Sattachart

Because gambling is still illegal in India, the majority of gambling is done illegally. The Dp boss Satta Matka, on the other hand, is one of India's largest and oldest lottery systems, dating back to the 1950s. People used to wager on the opening and closing rates of imported cotton, which were updated through the Bombay Stock Exchange.

People shifted to a more dependable lottery method called Satta Matka when differences in the expected rate began to show.People used to write random numbers on a sheet of paper and put them in a pot or Matka. Then a random individual would pick a number combination, and if the combination matched someone's ticket credentials, he would be deemed the pot winner. Dp boss Satta Matka has made a digital home for itself and has evolved to become one of India's most popular lottery games. Here's where you can learn how to play Dp boss Satta Matka online.

The process of placing a bet in the Dp Boss Satta Matka online, are as follows:

You pick three random numbers between 0-9. Say you picked 123,

Now, to complicate the odds and the winning probability, all three digits are summed.The total would be 6 in this scenario.

The last digit is now multiplied by the resultant number.

Now you'll be prompted to choose three more random digits from 0 to 9, and the process will repeat itself.

The outcome of multiplying the two numbers after going through the complete process is your ticket number.

After the participation limit has been reached, the system creates Dp Boss Satta Matka results, and you are paid if your ticket number matches the produced number.

What are the fees and payout process?

If you win, the Dp Boss Satta Matka platforms that operate as booking managers charge you 5% of the wager. This is also the amount they take on each stake, with the remainder going toward rewards.

There are various lottery possibilities available online, and the bets are not unilateral. The payments might be anything from 9 and 9999 dollars. Bets can be made on the order in which the chosen numbers and the middle numbers occur.

The middle numbers are based on groupings, i.e. you wager on merging two "Jodi" numbers. If you believe in your numbers, you can choose to raise the stakes, and if your odds are set at 90, you will receive 90 times your wager. However, if you lose, it can be costly to your bank account.

The lottery game is set up in such a way that it is impossible to forecast or manipulate the results. As a result, you can rest assured that online platforms will be free of bias. People sometimes visit their astrologers and continue to wager on the same number combinations, increasing their chances of winning.

The most crucial part of playing the well-known game of dpboss satta matka is choosing a card and making your choice, but what else do you need to know? Here are 10 things you need to be aware of before starting the game. 

1. Starting on the first day of the month and concluding on the final day of the month, the game is played over a nine-day period with an odd number of draws; in the event of a tie, all participants have an equal chance of winning.

2. You must select a card every day; this process is known as "drawing" or "casting your cards." If you draw a certain card, you have the right to demand the amount that should be paid as your team's share based on the number of numbers in the card you drew (10 and below will get Rs 10 per number while 11-20 tosses would earn Rs 20 per number).

The DPBOSS Game Rules The game Satta Matka is very well-liked in India. These fundamental guidelines are:

1. A square board with 64 squares is used for the game.

2. The winner of the game is the one with the most pieces remaining.

3. Black, red, green, and white are the four different colours of playing pieces used in the game.

4. The black pieces are the most powerful and can move any quantity of squares down the row or column in which they are placed.

5. Pieces of other colours can only advance one square at a time, but if they are placed adjacent to black pieces in a straight line, they can be captured.

Conclusion

There are a few things you should be aware of before starting to play DpBOSS Satta Matka. One reason is because the game relies on computations and probabilities, so having a basic understanding of arithmetic would be beneficial. Second, in order to make the greatest choices possible, it's critical to have a solid grasp of how the cards function. Additionally, as this is a multiplayer game, it's critical that you can interact with your rivals in order to plan attacks and safeguard your resources. Playing DpBOSS Satta Matka will be a breeze if you can master all of these fundamentals.

#satta result #satta #matka #satta Mata #satta Online #satta game

[writingsfromhome]

Bad Timing I

A/N: This is you and your ex, (Detective) Harry, winding up in each other’s lives again after a traumatic event in your life. I’ve had this idea in my notes app for like a year, and I just decided to go for it this week! It’s a little all over the place as I set it up but I think the next part will go a lot better if you can stick with it (and I appreciate you if you can <3).

Warnings: Violence (guns), PTSD?

Part 1 / (.5) / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

------------------------------------------

I had booked Thursday and Friday off in advance. I made sure my e-mails were forwarded, my clients were told I wouldn't be in, and any internal matters were allocated to my assistant. It was going to be a relaxing long weekend where I could have a homemade meal for once and watch Netflix all day. I was my branch’s youngest director and even though it was a fulfilling job, I hadn't had a day off since I got the position four months ago.

This was probably why, at 9am, I get a call from my assistant. One of our bigger clients was refusing to discuss his loan terms with anyone and wanted to speak to me directly.

"Tell him I'm not in Adam, you shouldn't even be calling me-I have the bloody day off."

"Yess but he said he's coming in at 10 and if you're not here he's switching banks for his personal and business accounts." Adam stuttered. “If you lose this client H-”

"Jesus," I look at my outfit and the time-I barely had any time to make it to the bank; it took me 40 minutes just to get to work. "I'll be there-distract him if I'm late. Oh! Ask about his daughter's new private school!"

I rush to my room and apply minimal makeup, pull back my y/h/c hair and throw on my black cigarette pants and a blazer. I'm halfway down the lift when I realise I was still in my t-shirt. "Shite," I mutter. I button the blazer and put my scarf around my neck so it's covered. That was decent enough for my day off.

I arrive breathless and sweaty 5 minutes early to the bank despite the cool weather. Might have seemed like a win if that wasn’t when everything went downhill. Just as I walk up to the side door, waving at Adam who was walking out to greet me, a crash from the entrance startles me.

"Hands up!” A loud voice booms from behind me. “Don't touch a fucking thing!" I turn, seeing Adam’s shocked expression, just in time to be shoved to the floor by four people dressed all in black, and wearing celebrity masks. In all my time working here, I’d never been part of a bank heist and some part of me is frozen, mind blank. I wasn’t even supposed to be here!

"I said to put your hands up!" The one with a Brad Pitt face points the gun around the room as people scramble for cover. I inch backwards to the counter as I watch them manhandle the customers and pull our bankers to the floor. I release a breath, trying to snap out of the shock I seemed to be in. The base of a column digs into my back and I focus on that to ground myself, scanning each robber, and where my employees were. Adam has his hands on his head, the closest one to me. I try to catch his eye to reassure him but he’s squeezing them tight. I didn’t blame him, Brad Pitt stands over him menacingly. I look to the customers, they weren’t trying to be smart--that was good. I’d watched enough TV to know that was never a smart move.

Just as I think that, from the corner of my eye, I catch Cole, one of our guards reach for his gun. A loud shot echoes through the small space and I swivel my head trying to see what's happened while making sure everyone was okay. The thief wearing a Kanye West mask, manning the front entrance of the bank, had shot Cole in the arm and he was bleeding all over the floor. My first instinct is to help him but I'm yanked back down before I make it a step.

"We’re not missing the next person who moves a muscle. I want you all to drop your phones in the middle! No. Fucking. Funny business." The thief who shot Cole points his gun to all of us and it takes all of me to not hyperventilate. I hear a few people crying but I don't dare look. Instead, I watch on as David Beckham drags Cole to the side and ties his hands behind him. I can see by the wincing that they didn’t care whether they twisted his arms too hard. This wasn’t a petty robbery, they were hardcore.

"Who has the passcode to the vault?" Brad Pitt asks as one of his friends goes around zip tying everybody's hands behind them. When nobody answers he shoves the gun in Adam’s face and I let out a sob. What did we do to deserve this?

"Me," I choke out. “Don’t hurt him, I have the passcode. I know it.”

"You?" The man asks. "You better not be lying bitch or you'll be joining your friend there."

I nod as he pulls me up by the arm and uses my scarf to tie my hands. I try to stay calm, the only way I could get through this before the police arrived was to keep my calm. Everything in me is screaming to do something--fight, scream, swear, cry, but I keep my mouth shut and follow Brad Pitt and the joker to the back. I'm led at gunpoint to the vault and they untie me so I can put in the code and my thumbprint. The one in a Joker mask presses her gun into my back and I know the least of my worries was a bruise but that was the only thing I could focus on.

She shoves me forward when I pause, hovering my finger over the finger pad, in the distance I hear sirens. Please let us all be okay, I pray.

"Don’t be a fucking hero, let’s go!" The female behind me yells in my ear and I rush to press my thumb.

As soon as I finish the procedure, I feel an explosion like fireworks against the side of my head and everything goes dark.

H POV:

I walked into the station around 10, just having come back from a nearby escalated domestic call. It wasn’t the craziest thing I’ve ever been involved in at 10am on a Thursday morning.

"Harry, there seems to be some sort of commotion near Holborn, the director wants you in his office." Serena, the receptionist tells me gravely. I don’t even consider the street, assuming it would be another criminal to go after. But when I go into the office, we get the rundown: there was a robbery happening at the HSBC. That’s when I understand the gravity of the situation.

"We’ve sent a few men right now, they seemed to be armed so proceed with caution." He warns. I had been on the force for over four years; I moved rank fast and knew how to handle myself so the warning was mostly for the junior constables. But my heart thuds violently in my chest when I think about the possibility...no. I had to focus. But I can’t help but try her cell on our way to the scene. When it continues to ring, my thoughts go to the worse place possible. I know I hadn’t spoken to her in nearly a year, like she wanted, but if anything happened to her, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.

When we arrive at the scene, the thieves are still inside. I make sure nobody makes any moves, following protocol, and trying to gauge the exact situation inside. But before I could give orders, a man holding up his zip-tied hands shuffles out of the building. I notice the terror on his face and the fact that he's not armed.

"Down!" I say. The restless energy building up inside of me makes every move feel frantic.

"They left out the back! They left!" The man's shaky voice reaches our ears. I gesture a few of the officers to head around back and radio in the update.

"Get his statement, be sensitive,” I snap at the closest officer before I take a few of my officers indoors. The scene inside only reminds me why I do what I do, there's glass on the floor, phones in a pile and bullets littering the floor. Everyone looks shocked, people are crying, and a man in the corner is bleeding profusely.I scan all their faces but I don’t see her. I pray that she might have taken the day off today or something, even though I knew she rarely every did. Where was she?

"Medical," I order. I face the crowd, "You're all alright, If everyone can slowly get up and follow Officer McGregor out, we'll see that your belongings are returned to you and collect statements later. You’re all alright now."

"Sir," a bloke off to the side steps forward from the group getting up. "Our manager was taken to the back...we're not sure how she is, she hasn't come out...”

I reassure the crowd she should be fine. I didn't want them to see me panic, not to mention if we had any casualty the press outside were going to bombard this crowd with insensitive questions and I really wanted to keep this on the low. I was considered young for a DCI and any screw up meant I took it twice as hard. And I didn’t know if I could behave normally if I didn’t find her in any way except breathing. I put on my brave face.

I get an officer to stand by and venture cautiously into the back, spotting an open vault. I hurry into the area when I spot her, laying motionless on the floor.

“Y/N,” I rush forward, skidding on my knees to check on her. “Pleasepleaseplease.” I put my fingers to her pulse and nearly shout in relief. She was alive! I send a thanks out into the universe, to whoever was watching over her. “Y/N! Y/N, can you hear me?”

Her eyes flutter under her lids. I turn her gently onto her back, she was wearing a Green Day t-shirt under a smart jacket and trousers--that was unlike her. She always dressed very smart. I gently remove her short strands off her face to reveal a nasty bruise on the side of her head. I try to stifle my heartbeat; it scared me seeing her like this. I’m about to call my officer but her long lashes flutter and suddenly she's looking at me, dazed.

"Y/N! Are you alright?" I inquire. She blinks, and then again, her eyebrows drawn together as she stares at me. I try again, “Y/N, answer me please! Are you alright?”

"I...do I...bloody look alright? Where did they go?" She snaps out of her daze and tries to sit up but her hand goes to her head which must be throbbing. I place a hand on her back so she doesn't fall back down.

"Oh thank god,” I sigh in relief, she could talk. She was alright. “Th-they’'ve managed to escape. We'll deal with that. You were knocked unconscious so we should get you checked-”

"Those bastards," she snarls. I bite back a chuckle as I help her up. She pushes me away as soon as she's on her feet. "I wasn't even supposed to bloody be here today you know that? It was my day off and....Jesus.” She clutches her forehead. “How's everyone else? Chris? Adam?"

"Everyone is fine, your guard’s being taken to hospital. Everyone else is untouched, we need to have you checked out though." I am mesmerized, as always, by her ability to talk about ten things at once.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“It’s my case, I guess,” I tell her, expecting the question. She scowls. “I’ll have to ask you some questions later, but Y/N we need to have your head checked.”

“I’m sure you’d like that,” she mumbles.

“You’re proving by the second that you’re quite alright but we’ve got to get you to a medic anyway,” I gesture forward so she can walk ahead of me. I didn’t want her falling or anything. The constable at the door watches her walk out and eyes me warily.

"She need her statement taken chief?"

"I'll take her down to the station myself--she's hurt." I dismiss the officer and follow Y/N out. I wanted to keep an eye on her right now. “Can I help you walk?”

“My legs are working fine,” she snarls whilst clutching her forehead.

Your POV:

I could not believe today's turn of events. I was supposed to have a relaxing day off but instead, I’m rushed to work so I could be held up by thieves, forced to help them rob my branch, only to be mildly concussed. And the person on the case is none other than my ex-husband Harry Styles.

The only thing going for me is that I don't cry easily (or i would be a sniffling mess right now). And Harry was the last person I wanted to cry in front of although he’s seen me at much worse. I push aside those memories, ignoring his lingering eyes and try to walk ahead of him.

I cover up my shaking hands by stuffing them under the blanket I'm wrapped in when Harry leads me to the ambulance. He stays to the side while the medic goes through a questionnaire and informs me on what I need to know about being mildly concussed. All I could think about is the feeling of a gun pressed to the small of back, the chill of it through fabric. 

"Miss?" The medic asks.

"Sorry, I got it. Yes. Thank you."

"I asked how you got here?" The medic begins to look concerned. Shit. I did not want more attention.

"I...meant I got what you were saying. Sorry, I rode the tube in."

"Great. You can ride with me to the station," Harry says from the side. I avoid his gaze but I have to agree. There was no way I was taking the tube during a time like this. I had a concussion.

So I'm sat in the back whilst Harry drives with his partner. I catch Harry glancing in the rear-view more often than he should and when we make eye contact, he gives me a reassuring smile. But sitting in the back of the car, I feel like the metal tip of a gun still keeps my spine straight. My lungs feel like they're not expanding large enough for air and I clutch the seatbelt strapping me in. I try to name all the countries I could remember--a coping technique I’d used since I was a kid to try and distract myself.

"You alright miss?" The other officer sounds concerned.

"Yeah," I choke out. "Just a little stuffy back here."

"Oh ‘m sorry," Harry opens the back window and I greedily gulp the fresh air coming in. My panic subsides and I settle back into the seat.

*

"And that's all you remember?" Harry sits on the desk chair next to me even though his own seat remains empty behind the desk.

"Exactly as I've told you, like, 20 times Harry."

It was now two hours later; I'd sat waiting for an hour before receiving my phone only to find multiple calls from the bank’s higher-ups. After dealing with them, I had to wait another half hour before finally being interviewed. I proceeded to drink two cups of bad coffee while giving every detail of what I remember, their masks, and so on. Every time I said something that could help, Harry would backtrack and I would explain it three different ways. It was frustrating and the repetition kicked my anxiety up so that I was on the edge of a breakdown. I grip the arms of the chair and respond to Harry. "Listen, alright, why would I not be telling you the full story? Of course that's all I bloody remember! It's not like I had an out-of-body experience and I saw them leave through the back door.”

"I'm sorry Y/N, it's just routine." Harry keeps a straight face on.  "We have a few suspicions we're trying to corroborate by interviewing everyone involved. I promise I’m just being thorough-"

"Yeah yeah alright, you sound like you're reading from a bloody manual," I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh into the silence. When Harry doesn't say anything, I look up to see him watching me with an amused expression.

"What?" I ask, annoyed.

"It’s been a while...I forgot how charming you can be.”

“What can I say, you bring it out in me.”

"Very interesting outfit by the way," he takes my snark in stride, gesturing to my outfit with his pen instead. I cross my arms in front of me. He's still got the stupid expression on his face, it looks unchanged from the one he used to give me once upon a time. When he found something I did funny but in a loveable way; the feelings that surface are almost unbearable.

"Don’t judge my outfit, I had to rush to work for our client meet-oh shit." I pull out my phone and check my email but there's nothing from the client. Probably avoiding the shit show. I notice the time, with all the time I’d wasted today I may as well not have taken the day off at all.

"So you weren't meant to be at work today except for this client? Bad timing isn’t it." Harry reads to himself from his notes. I stare at him, wishing I could burn a hole into his skull to see if he really had a brain in there.

"I've told you this five times before, Harry. You're literally reading from your notes. If you're just going to ask the same questions over and over I’m sure you can find the answers in there and I can go home."

"Right but something doesn't add up, I just want to make sure I have all the details."

"Do I have to be here to watch you do your mental maths?" I wasn't very nice when anxiety and frustration became my base emotions. But Harry knew that.

He looks at me, eyebrows raised at my snark. "I'm sure that you want to get to the bottom of this just as much as I do-"

"But that's not my job," I remind him. "That's yours. I've done mine, and I'd really just like to go home." My voice cracks, and I feel a rush of embarrassment.

"How about I drop you off home? I can walk through the day with you once more during the drive?”

He looks at me expectantly, “I’d rather stab myself in the eye.”

"Best not to with the concussion,” Harry pushes my buttons, and I’m kind of surprised. The last time we saw each other he’d been accommodating to my anger but he was pushing back today. Like he used to when we were together when he riled me up simply because he found it amusing.

When I scowl though, he gets serious. “Y/N, just let me give you a ride home and we can talk more.”

I didn’t want to stand around arguing, I was tired, so I just agree. He smiles, his dimples making a pretty appearance. Damn him.

H POV:

I’m surprised she agrees to ride home with me. I knew Y/N had a stubborn streak and giving in to my offer was new. She’d made it clear last time we saw each other that she wanted nothing to do with me. I was also curious to know where she lived, I’d only been to her office once since we’d split. And that was usually to drop off papers.

She actually answers my questions on the drive, albeit they’re one word answers, but she gives me space to talk out some theories I had. But she also disagrees with most of them, pointing out their flaws. The comfortable back-and-forth between us is bittersweet. This was why we were married once upon a time. We worked well together; after all, we’d been friends for years before dating the other. It was the friendship I missed the most when I thought about us.

When we drive up to her address, it’s a townhome in a decent part of the city. Her promotion clearly had its perks.

I leap out of the car to open her door before she could but she beats me to it, scowling at me as she realises what I was trying to do.

“So you live here?” I try to ease into a conversation, get her to open up, ask her how she was doing. But she looks at me like I’d asked a stupid question, waving her keys.

“You’re kind of dense for a detective,” she says when I raise an eyebrow. “Don’t look so shocked.”

“Forget I asked,” getting personal was useless.

“Done.” She always manages to get the last word. She climbs her steps but I follow her up. She eyes me as she finds the correct one on her key ring. “What?”

“I just-have you got anyone living with you?”

“What’s that got to do with the case?” She asks, her defenses going up.

“You’re concussed, it’s best you have someone with you for the next 24 hours like the med-”

“I’ll be fine Harry,” her sharp edges soften but still, she only opens her door wide enough to step through. I can barely see anything behind her except for a hall.

“You shouldn’t be alone,” I try again.

“Nice of you to care,” the way she says it implies a deeper meaning, one that borders on a dangerous topic.

“I’m serious Y/N, this--a concussion’s no joke. And it was traumatic what you went through you really shouldn’t-”

“I’ve been on my own for a while now, I’ll be okay.” There she goes having the last word again. I raise my hands and back off.

“If you say so. I’ll...head back to the station but if you need anything, well, you know how to reach me.”

She nods, closing the door softly behind her. I sigh, it was a whirlwind last few hours but I was just grateful Y/N was going to be okay. I know she hated me, but I still cared about her. It was hard not to. We’d known each other for over a decade, and even though I hurt her in our past, and she might not agree with me, I cared. Caring about her didn’t have an on/off switch. I only wanted her to be okay. Maybe even happy.

Y POV:

I go through the motions for the rest of the afternoon, mostly I sit zoned out in front of the window while the morning plays like a loop in my head. Something about having your life hang in the balance of a stranger’s pointer finger made it feel so fragile. It unraveled me, and I can’t focus on anything. I just keep feeling the gun on my back, and smashing against the side of my head.

I keep my head iced, and avoid screens except to send out a couple emails and to call my sister after 8 voice messages that progresses from panic after hearing the news to annoyance as I don’t respond. When she finds out Harry’s on the case she swears.

“That bastard,” I can see her face in my mind, the one where she pursues her lips like mum used to. “You should report him, conflict of interest right? It’s traumatic enough what you’ve been through, you poor thing. I was just talking to Lewis and he said I should come down to stay with you this weekend-”

“That’s really alright,” I nip the idea in the bud. I loved my sister dearly but she was an overly anxious person and I don’t think that would be helpful for me right now. “It’s just a mild concussion, the medic said I should be cleared after 24 hours so it would only be a hassle for you to come down here.”

“Alright,” she says grudgingly. “But you say the word and I’m on the first train out. And I’ll give that ex of yours an earful if he’s anywhere near you again.”

I smile at my sister’s overprotective nature, “I appreciate the offer, but I think I can manage that fine on my own.”

“That you can,” she laughs.

But when I put down the phone, the silence creeps in again. And normally I loved the quiet but like a broken record player, the voices and sounds from this morning continue to play in a loop in the silence.

I give up after 7 and start preparing for bed. But a call interrupts my nightly routine.

“Y/N,” it’s Harry. “It’s me, Harry.”

“I do have call display,” I say dryly.

“Right, I...wasn’t expecting you to pick up.”

“Is this about the case?” I was hoping he was calling to say the bastards were caught.

“Oh...not exactly. I was wondering if you’ve fed yourself. I’m in your area for work, it’s my last call. I thought I could bring you some takeout or...?”

“I was about to get ready for bed.” I reply.

“Oh. That’s early? Have you had dinner?”

I think about the pathetic cheese toast I’d managed to make. My stomach growls thinking about food, I didn’t seem to have an appetite until he’s said something. “Fine, only if you’re in my area.”

Surely, not even 10 minutes go by and by doorbell rings. Harry stands outside with a takeout bag, his pressed shirt from this morning is more rumpled with a few buttons undone.

“I parked on the street--is that alright?”

“I guess? You’re just here to drop this off.” I shrug.

“Actually I uh, I thought I’d keep you some company.”

“I...” I don’t know if I should be offended. “I don’t need company. I only agreed to the takeout.”

“I’m part of the package,” he hides the bag behind him, a smug smile on his face. I roll my eyes, it was too late to do this with him.

So I leave the door open and head inside, tightening my robe around me. Harry was part of my past and having him here, in the place I’d built myself back again, feels wrong. This was where I’d shed the identity of being a divorcee before 30, and here he was. When I turn to see why he was so quiet, I find him scanning my gallery wall and smiling at the pictures.

“Hey, I’m on here,” he points to a small group picture.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” I walk back to him to get the food. “I just looked good there.”

It was a shot from my sister’s wedding, Harry and I with the newlyweds. It was taken a few weeks before we’d made us official actually--moving from friends to lovers was maybe one of the bigger mistake I’d made in life. Another was agreeing to marry him.

“I look pretty good too,” he leans in closer. I ignore him and take the cartons of Chinese out and grab cutlery. He joins me, I hand him a beer and take a sparkling water for myself. “How’ve you been feeling?”

“Okay,” I shrug. “Just sorting through it all. Trying to avoid screens, all that.”

“That’s good,” he steals a chicken from the container I’m dumping into my plate. I eye him but he just grins, chewed food between his cheeks. I let it slide. “So you’re not supposed to sleep with a concussion or something?”

I sigh, “That’s not true, I only have a mild concussion!”

“Well I’m not a bloody doctor!”

“Thank god for that.”

“You’ll never stop doing that will you?” He rubs his chopsticks together and attempts to eat with him. “Always so snarky.”

“I can’t help it,” I continue to watch him fail with his chopsticks and pick up a fork. “It sustains me.”

“You should try being nice for once.”

“Tried it once, didn’t work out well for me. So...here I am.”

I was being passive, I knew that. He knew that with the way he eyes me over his food. He keeps quiet though, knowing there was nothing he could say in this moment to make a difference. We eat in silence until he receives a call and he leaves to take it. I clean up so by the time he gets back I’ve just loaded the dishwasher.

“I know the sleep thing’s not true for you,” Harry says as he approaches. “But I think I should stay here overnight. Just to make sure you’re-”

“No,” I cross my arms. “There’s no reason for you to stay the night Harry. I don’t need you here.”

“It’s for your peace of mind-”

“It’s for your peace of mind Harry. And frankly, I don’t care about your peace of mind. I don’t want you sleeping over, I’m not comfortable with that.”

“Y/N, c’mon! It’s not a big deal. It’s not like we didn’t sleep in the same bed for years--I’ll be sleeping on the couch! You’re not in your best shape and it’s just for a night, it’ll be like I’m not even here.”

“Don’t you have a girlfriend or something to go home to?” I ask. He shifts his gaze and shakes his head.

“Nope, my bachelor pad just me. I’ll be out of your hair in the morning.”

I dry my hands and watch him, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. I knew him well enough to recognise the wide stance, shoulders back, and jut of his chin. He wasn’t backing down.

“I don’t want to hear you, Not even a peep. I’ll make up the couch but this is the one and only time you’re wearing me down, you’re lucky I’m not in the mood to argue-”

“Promise,” he holds his hand up to his chest, a grin on his face knowing he won.

I leave him with a comfortable setup and head up to my own room. There was a spare upstairs but I don’t think I could handle him sleeping next door to me. It was weird how in just one day I’d seen more of him than I had in the last couple years and now he was sleeping in my living room like we were okay. Not like he wasn’t the man who’d broken my trust, and my heart.

As I lay awake in bed, unable to sleep as the day replays in my head, another set of memories infiltrates my mind and keeps me from sleeping. The story of Harry and I, the naive beginning, eventful middle, and heartbreaking end. My mind repeats its history and I don’t fall asleep for hours. When sleep finally comes, my dreams are haunted by the same memories.

#harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst #harry styles fic #harry styles fanfic #harry styles imagine #fic #writingsfromhome #au #detective!harry #dci!harry #harry styles series #this is quite diff from what I usually write #hence leaving it for months #but we just started a stricter lockdown #so why the heck not #amirite #😔 #tw: ptsd #also don't forget acab but also #enjoy detective H #🤪

[jay-and-dean]

Firefly  Chapter 5 : Eighteen years old

By Roonyxx and Jay-and-dean

Pairings : future Dean x reader ?

Summary :  40 years in Hell, but he didn’t spend all this time all alone, he had her.

Prepare to know what happened during those years Dean never talks about. To immerge yourself in Hell, only lit by the mysterious kid growing here…

And to see some of your favorite villains again : Crowley, Lilith, Lucifer… And also Sammy and Jack…

Serie Warnings : Hurt!Dean, Hell (torture, even if we tried to not give it graphic descriptions, creepy demons, blood, violence), swearing, angst, future fluff and smut.

This story is in both Reader’s POV and Dean’s POV

Wordcount : 6300 (big chapter)

Note : This is our second collaboration. We can’t both edit the same post, so we decided we would post 1 chapter/2 each, like we did for Same.

We both worked as much on this story and it’s the result of both our brains but also both our hearts.

Please, if you want to show love for this story, don’t forget we were together in this.

This story will be around 10 chapters and we intend to edit it every Saturday if nothing delays it. The story will be on a little hiatus because both @jay-and-dean​ and I are on holidays. Once we come back the story will continue it’s regular weekly edit.

Firefly Chapter 1

Firefly Chapter 2

Firefly Chapter 3

Firefly Chapter 4

Jay’s Masterlist

Roonyxx Masterlist

——————————————————————————

5. Eighteen years old.

When she turned sixteen, Crowley had told her the time of being childish was over, not that she ever had time to be a child. And for once, she didn’t fight him or argue. She had understood that she would never win by being an enemy. 

They had to trust her, to give her freedom and access to the secrets of Hell… 

So she became his apprentice and after two long years of following his rules and pretending to care, she was getting closer and closer everyday to her goal.

Getting out of Hell.

She grew colder with age, serious, harsh, anything they wanted her to be. Some days, she barely remembered it was an act, she was getting used to give orders and look at her surroundings with always the same dark threatening eyes. She was becoming the Queen Crowley wanted her to be. 

But when she visited him, the man she fell in love with years ago, she remembered who she was.

And the demons were falling right into her trap, she had to get close to them, especially her father. Crowley knew the way out, he knew everything about Hell, everything she needed to know. So she played him.

She was sitting on a chair as Crowley explained to her the importance of crossroad deals, she wasn’t really listening as she let her pencil float in circles in front of her.

She could feel the shivers on her back as the door opened, the pencil dropped to the table.

Lilith.

“Crowley, we need to talk,” her head snapped towards Y/n. “Alone.”

Crowley sighed deep.

“Y/n go finish up your work in your room” he snapped his fingers and mentioned to a demon to escort her back to her room.

She held her chin high as she walked out of the door towards her room, the demon hot on her heels.

When, she walked right past her door, the demon grasped her arm.

“Where do you think you’re going, missy.” 

With the flick of her wrist she had the demon pinned against the wall, she stepped closer to him and tilted her head to the side as she could hear the creature whine under her powers.

“That’s none of your business and when you get back you’ll tell them nothing, understand ?”

She clenched her fist, making the creature crack on the inside.

“Y-yes…” it whined.

“Yes who ?” she clenched her fist harder. 

“Yes… y-your majesty.” 

She released the demon and watched him scramble off. She turned around and made her way to Dean’s cell.

She no longer had to sneak around, the story of her taking on Alistair had spread like fire, and her growing attitude was convincing enough, all the demons were afraid of her now. They knew she was strong, that she became stronger every day. She could feel it : the power coursing through her veins. It made her more confident, and merciless.

She reached his door and carefully pushed it  open, a smile gracing her face when she saw him.

Dean.

She was just in time, he was healed and conscious.

He lifted his head, as she came near. 

“Hey Firefly.” 

“Hi Dean.”

Every time she was near him she could feel it, the tickling in her stomach, her cheeks heated up. As fierce as she was, she got a little nervous around him, not much but seeing him always gave her a thrill. Over the years she had noticed how handsome he was, and her thoughts wandered more and more towards him when she was alone, what if they weren’t in Hell, what if she was more his age, what if…  

He sat up against the wall, letting out a deep breath.

“I could swear I heard the demons talk about you the other day.” he said. 

She tilted her head in question.

“The Queen of fire they called you, they seem scared of you. Maybe I dreamed it… I get confused, and...”

She sat down in front of him, she looked down at her hands.

“And you ?” she asked him softly, she was scared of his answer.

“What ?” he frowned. 

“Scared of me ?” she looked up at him, she could feel the tears threatening to spill out.

“No, I’m not.” He shook his head.

She nodded in silence, that was good, she was working hard to be scary, but couldn't bear the thought of Dean being afraid of her.

“You’re growing so fast, Firefly. How old are you ?” his voice contained some kind of disbelieve, like he didn’t realize it had already been around 18 years since he first saw her.

“18.” She said, giving him a small smile. 

“Time down here, it goes so slow and so fast at the same time” he scoffed.

A silence fell among them, he seemed to be better today, he was more alert and could muster up a little smile now and then. He seemed to think hard, she noticed a frown etched upon his forehead every time he tried to focus on something, the moment he was totally there were rare, maybe even more lately.

“Your powers… what are they ?” he asked. 

“I don’t know” she shrugged, she couldn’t tell him she was half demon… then he would be scared of her, hate her at least.

“You seem to be getting stronger.” he said matter of factly.

She nodded, they had to change her chains monthly now, she could break them with a snap of her fingers. Her powers were like a child going through a growth spurt where the parents couldn't keep up with buying new clothes.

Her powers weren’t the only thing changing, her body was too. She grew taller, the childish features were disappearing from her face, and her old dresses no longer fit her more curved body. She was becoming a women. A beautiful one, Crowley said, hopefully beautiful enough for their Lord. 

_______________________

It was evening, at least, she had decided it was. In Hell no sunrise and no dawn, but she had found a little watch, it had belonged to her teacher’s vessel she snatched it off him, along with his arm. It was an old watch, with metal gears and little carved hands. On her desk, the ancient watch was in the center, and Y/n used it to rhythm her days. 

Nine p.m. it said, so she lit up a candle and turned off the other lights. She liked to feel the time, and darkness didn’t prevent her from reading.

She turned the old pages of the huge book she was reading, a incredible boring work about Hell’s places, how many bones were in the columns of the throne room, how the corridors were never exactly the same, how only demons, reapers or angels could find their way in this maze…

She already knew all that.

But at 9:28, as she lazily turned another page, her breath got stuck in her chest. On the yellowed paper, was a painting of the Sky Room, and a title : The Exit. 

She got up, with the book in her hands, reading fast in the dark, walking circle in her room, her purple lace dress flying behind her like the wind had risen.

The Sky Room had been an exit all this time. She had taken Dean so close to the goal this time ! If only she had knew. The book said no demon could use it -that’s why they didn’t really care about the key before Alastair took it from her-, as it worked only for souls that didn’t belong here, or that weren’t perverted yet ? It wasn’t easy to say, because enochian wasn’t easy to understand precisely. 

Dean didn’t belong here, and he for sure wasn’t perverted. Her ? That would be a good way to find out…

With the proper spell, and the key, she could at least make sure he will escape.

She sighed. Two years, two years acting like the perfect little princess to win their trust, two years of hiding the consuming hate and smile, to have access to this kind of knowledge that was hidden from her before.

All her previous researches and tries had always lead nowhere, but that sky… It was her way out, in her excitement, she attracted the little flame of the candle that came gravitate round her like a satellite.

 Alastair had taken back the key, and there was only two choices : Either he had kept it or given it to Lilith. Her heart ached a little at the idea that she walked with the key in her Teddy bear for years.

But she would find it, even if it was the last thing she did, even if she had to burn Hell down.

She took time to memorize every details of the pages about the Sky Room by heart, in case one of them remembered this one was dangerous and took it back.

Then she calmly closed it and put it on her desk, she adjusted the many muslin layers of her long and heavy dress, and started to walk out of her room, with her tiny fire star still rotating around her.

The door was locked and warded, but it opened when she came near. Outside, a huge demon in his true hideous form was guarding her door. 

“You can’t go out” he grunted, drool falling at his feet.

She didn’t answer, but when he lifted his arm to stop her, the little satellite of fire grew instantly, and became a huge and threatening ring circling her, and the demon hissed and growled, watching her sink in the corridors like a raging comet, blood puddles boiling on her tracts.

Dean’s cell was quiet, she stopped before it for a second, at this time of the artificial day, she knew he would be in a bad shape. She took a breath and plunged her hand in the big ring of fire around her, and found the tiny candle flame, she put it out between her thumb and index and the ring died. Darkness falling on her again.

She pushed the door and her bare feet under the dress met blood. Dean was laying on his side in a pool of blood, even bigger than usual, but he seemed to be in one piece... His back was on her, his head limp on the cold floor.

“Dean” she said softly, like she always did, to not frighten him.

She walked to him and kneeled, soaking her majestic dress in blood, and gently took his head in her hand, to put it on her lap.

“Hey…” she said, stroking his hair, but only his eyes moved and his lips were trembling a little. “You’re cold.”

A soft light started irradiating from her and his pupils dilated, heat started filling the room.

“F-firef…” he tried to say, stealing the saddest smile from her.

“Dean” she whispered. “I found it. I found our way out. Do you remember the Sky Room ?”

She felt him tense and hushed him softly, pushing a sticky bloody strand out of his face.

“No Dean, I figured it out” she reassured him. “It’s a way out, that’s why they got that mad when they found out I had the key. There is a spell… I’m so sorry I didn’t know back then.”

He looked up at her, his green eyes highlighted by the red surrounding them, his breathing fastened a little and she gave him a teary smile.

“It will be over in a few days, Dean” she bent to talk close to his ear. “That’s it, we’re going out. I will find the key or burn the door, you will see Sammy soon. In three days, they all leave to Earth, I will take you there and it will be over. Can you hold on three more days ?”

He nodded weakly, and a big tear cleaned a line in the middle of the blood on his temple.

She was watching him, his lips white, his lashes on his cheek since she had closed his eyes to pretend he was sleeping.

The blood had almost disappeared from his face and body, but she was still bathing in it, her dress was two-colored and she was wearing long gloves of his blood. It had been a few hours and her legs were sore, but no place was better. 

He would wake up soon now. 

She smiled down at him, thinking of him running out of Hell under the stars, of his brother’s face when he would meet him again. Would Sam be old ? Time was weird here… He would walk the streets and bathe in sun, he would eat and dance. And maybe, just maybe, she could be by his side, chose a song in one of those jukebox and turn on herself when alcohol would make her dizzy… 

His grunt made the bubble of her dream pop.

“Dean” she smiled softly.

“Firefly” he hummed, grabbing her hand on his chest to give it a squeeze. 

He tried to move but she shook her head slightly.

“Give yourself a minute, Dean” she whispered, seeing him struggle.

He closed his eyes again, still holding her hand. 

She could see the colors fill his beautiful plumb soft lips again and wondered how it would feel to touch them. To touch them with her own… A kiss was a weird gesture, why put your lips on someone else’s ? Why not hand on hand ? Or nose on nose ?... Yet, she would have given her shitty life to know what it felt like to have his lips on hers. 

When she was a little girl, she had started to dream about Life thanks to him, about nature, seeing the ocean, tasting ice cream, wandering in a city, dancing under a storm… But lately, all she could dream of was experimenting this life with him. Seeing the ocean blue reflect in those green eyes, it would make the most perfect color, eating ice cream in a theater with him, walking the streets holding his hand, kissing him under a storm…

“Did I hear correctly ?” he asked, sitting up in a grunt of effort.

“Yes, I found the way out” she nodded, remembering it might not work for her, she felt like she didn’t belong here, but she was also half demon...

“So why do you look sad ?” he frowned.

“I just don’t want them to torture you more for three days” she lied.

She just couldn’t tell him that she might be stuck. If she did, he would hesitate, and she would rather have to be Lucifer’s toy, than know Dean was being tortured forever. 

“Three days…” he gave her the most  tender smile. “I am damned for eternity, and you’re telling me I could go out in three days. That’s... “

He didn’t finish his sentence, his eyes fell on an invisible point on her dress, he seemed different, even more beautiful, his irises bright, his featured softer, lighter… Hope.

Hope suited him so well that she felt her heart flutter. How handsome would he be in happiness ? A wide smile appeared on her face, catching his attention.

“What will be the first thing you will do ?” she spoke, searching his face. 

“I…” he frowned. “I think I will find Sammy and drink a beer.” 

She didn’t answer, just looking at him in awe, imagining meeting Sam herself, tasting beer.

“Do you know where the key is ?” he asked. 

“I have a few ideas, and I can open any locks lately, I got this.”

His lips turned into a smile, a thousand of expressions in his eyes and on the corner of his lips. 

Dean had this way of holding her without reaching out at all, with the warm kindness in the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, with the moves of his mouth and the worried lines on his forehead. And right now, she was feeling his aura holding her. The learned coldness of her heart melt and the little girl she once was started crying in the pit of her soul.

“And you ?” he whispered. “What do you want to do more than anything ?”

Her eyes dived in the black of his pupils. What she wanted didn’t really depend on her freedom, and there was a big chance she would never be free anyway.

Pushed by an invisible force, or a new courage, she came closer to his face, her thumb coming up to graze the freckles on his cheeks, enjoying the sight of him clean of blood and terror. Very slowly, she bent a little on his face, her lips shyly met his cheek and she barely let them graze his soft skin.

He didn’t say a word, let her move on her knees to gently rub the side of her face on his. For a second, she could hear the nostalgic yet comforting music coming from the jukebox and feel his arms around her. She wondered if that pleasurable dizziness she felt was like the one caused by alcohol that Dean had described ; if it was, she sure understood why people drank all the time.

She felt like she was dancing, at least what she had imagined of dancing, without moving. And the air wasn’t sulfur and blood anymore, it smelled like what she thought a summer night would… She didn’t need more than Dean to feel all of that.

Her face turned slightly, her nose grazing his, and she hesitantly put her lips on the corner of his. She closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling of that feathery touch, imagining all that setting around, with humans and warm lights, music, whiskey, wood, windows and wind, and laughs…

But the scenery shattered when Dean cupped her face with two big confident hands -like no one had ever held her- turned her just enough to line his lips with hers, and put a kiss on her lips.

A real kiss.

His lips were pressed against hers and it felt like their bodies were connected. She started shaking a little, moved by the most intense pleasure she had ever felt and waves of emotions.

He moved an inch back, his lips making a little noise on hers when leaving. So that was the famous sound of a kiss... It tickled a little, but before she could open her eyes, his lips met hers again, this time parting just a little, like he wanted, needed, to capture her own for himself. She parted her lips just enough for him to be able to cage her upper lip between his. Then again, and her bottom lip.

Her arms fell limp on his lap, and shivers roamed her entire body. 

He bent his head slightly to the side and she gasped a little when she felt something wet graze her mouth. It was his tongue.

She parted her lips more, and when he opened his mouth to hungrily slipped his tongue between them to caress hers, something exploded inside her.

“Deeeaaan” the dreadful voice of Alastair threatened from the corridor with an amused tone, making him break the kiss the gasp in terror.

She wrapped her arms around him, tears immediately falling on her cheeks. 

She couldn’t fight the demon, or they would find something to punish her, and he couldn’t find her with Dean, or they would watch them more… All that mattered now was the plan.

To save him, she had to abandon him now. And it was like ripping her own heart…

“Three days” she whispered and got up.

When she felt his hand slightly clinging to her in panic, she let out a silent sob.

“Dean I swear to you, look at me. I swear.”  

She wiped her face and walked behind the door at the exact second the demon entered, a brush hook in his hand... 

“Hello Dean, I prepared surprises for you, I’m pretty sure today will be the day you accept my offer.”

“Fuck you” Dean muttered through tears, making the demon laugh.

And she left in silence in his back, crushed by the idea that she could stop him now, but that it would ruin the plan.

 Dean’s Pov

The chains made it hard to breathe, impossible even, and the pain was screaming in his ears, it was one of those days, when the demon didn’t finish Dean and he was so angry at his body for resisting like that.

Had he really kissed her ?

Snake embrace, Alastair said, and tightened the chains until they broke Dean’s ribs and his back. He just wish he could faint or die.

But tomorrow… Tomorrow his Firefly would take him away. So in his misery, through the panic of suffocation, Dean clung to the only thing he had : the little light in the middle of Hell, his hope, her.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow…

Hope made the dam break and he choked on tears, quickly silenced by the chains magically tightening more. He was going to die finally and when he will exist again… It would be tomorrow.

The door opened and she entered. 

She was like a dream in the middle of a nightmare, nothing about her fitted here. Not her kind eyes, not her beauty, her innocence. And neither her wealthy look. Her long blue silky dress had a train that left a trail of the blood it wiped off the floor, the long tight sleeves were lace covered with occasional pearl…

She looked like a mirage. Her elegant silhouette entered the room, she had pomp dress and hair but her face still showed that artless expression, and for a second in his daze, he wondered how she would look in pajamas… 

Did they really kiss ?

“Dean… Damn !” She came close but he couldn’t see her anymore, his eyes closing, rolling in his skull.

He felt her hands tug desperately at the chains and her soft voice groaning. 

And suddenly, he could breathe. He gasped and coughed and the pain of his broken ribs hit him violently, but under them, nothing. He couldn’t feel his legs or his hips…

He blinked a few times and his eyes widened : the chains were gravitating around him like flying snakes, not touching any part of his body which rested in the air.

“Dean…” her voice came through.

The chains fell and she held him, when he slowly fell on the floor, like he was in water. 

“Tomorrow” she whispered.

And he wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, how incredible. He wanted to ask her what she thought of her first kiss. She could defeat them all, and all the evil in the world… But his injuries were bad and he could feel his heart weaken.

“I know where the key is” she murmured, bending on him, her warm lips grazing on his temple. 

“Y-you’re a miracle” he managed to state.

“I’m just a girl” she answered. “But you, Dean… You are everything. You are the sunshine and the starry nights, the music and the ocean. You are snow dancing in the air, and my fireplace, you are christmas and... “ he listened, his struggling heart growing even in his last beats. “You’re the moon in a summer night.” 

A tear fell on his jaw and her lips pressed to his temple more, her voice broke a little. 

“You are love” she almost whined.

He shakily found her hand, and grazed it with his last strength. He could feel what she was saying, her love was irradiating of her and he wondered how that kid could have grown that kind of feelings in here, and for such a wreck…

“I love you” she whispered. “I love you so much…”

His eyes stilled as his last thought, thanks to her, was a hope again : She will get out of here, and see real snow, and she will learn to love…

 Reader’s POV 

To see his ever so vibrant green turn cold and still, was a sight she would never get used to, no matter the fact she knew he was gonna come back. She carefully closed his eyes, and waited for him to open them again.

She held him for hours, felt how his body turned cold and stiff. She couldn’t imagine the feeling when death is permanent, because that was the only good thing in Hell, death wasn’t the end.

She had hoped to see his eyes open before she had to go back, but they didn’t. She took out her watch and she knew she had to go back to Crowley for her next lesson, she had to leave him again, or the plan would be ruined.

She placed her lips on his forehead and squeezed her eyes tightly as she felt his ice cold skin beneath them. 

“I’ll be back, I promise Dean, I won’t leave you. You’ll get to see Sammy again.” She carefully wrapped her arms around his back, her hand holding the back of his head. 

“I love you” she told him once more as she laid him carefully back down.

She would give everything not to have to leave now, but she couldn’t. But things would get better, tomorrow, he would feel the sun on his skin again.

Standing up, she looked back one last time from the doorframe, just to see if she could catch her favorite green one last time, but he was still inert. With a sigh she pulled the door closed behind her and went back to her room.

She stopped behind the corner of her room at the sound of Crowley’s voice.

“Why isn’t she in her room !” he snapped. 

She was late…

“I swear she was here a second ago, sir” the coward demon answered him, even she could hear he was lying.

“Find her now !” Crowley yelled, she could hear the nails of the demon scraping against the floor as it hurried off.

“You know just as much as me where she is, Crowley” Lilith sighed, surprising Y/n.  

She had the key.

“Why is she so interested in that Winchester, he’s no different from the rest. He’s messing her up” Crowley grunted.

They knew ! Since when ? She always had been careful about it, this was bad, but, her plan was still going, they didn’t know about that. They couldn’t.

“Maybe he is, but he also made her go after Alistair, without him she would never have grown so strong so fast” Lilith stated. “She’s becoming too strong and you know it, Crowley. Every one of my demons is scared of her, calling her the ‘Queen of fire’. I’m the Queen Crowley, she’s Lucifer’s WHORE !”

The walls trembled with her voice. 

“And yet, what can we do ? I lock her, I punish her…” Crowley snapped at her. 

“We’re running out of options here, we need Lucifer and we need him fast” the Queen said.

“I think we can deal with a child without our Lord” her father chuckled darkly. “Unless you too fear the Queen of Fire ?”

She heard a muffled thud followed by Crowley’s grunting. 

“You might not be able to hold her back” Lilith groaned. “But she is still a long way from taking me down. So watch your tone with me, you slug.”

Maybe it was the distance or the way Lilith’s voice bounced against the walls of the corridor, but Y/n wasn't mistaking, she could hear fear.

Lilith was afraid, afraid of her.

Y/n couldn’t help the grin that formed on her face. She would get the key, Dean would be free.

She hurried around the corner to the small library to grab some books, she turned back to go to her room.

With the books grasped in her arms she passed the door. Lilith turned to her as she let Crowley drop down from where she had him pinned against the wall.

“Y/n! Where have you been ?” Crowley gasped.

She held her chin high, and looked Lilith in the eyes. The years of being terrified of the Queen of Hell were over.

“In the library.” she said as she mentioned to the books in her hands.

“You stay in your room until I tell you you can leave, that’s the rule Y/n.” Crowley took the books from her to see what she was reading.

“More crossroads lore ?” he questioned. 

Y/n shrugged, crossing her arms.

“It’s interesting” she lied, hoping he would buy it. 

“Whatever, you will eat dinner with me tonight” he sighed.

She frowned, that rarely happens. The only times Crowley asked her to join him, it was to introduce her to yet another monster. 

“Why ?” she asked. 

“Because I say so” Lilith told her coldly. 

Lilith would eat with them ? Something was up, she could see it in the Queen’s horrible glare, and feel it in the shivers along her spine, but Y/n ignored it. Just a few hours from now, she would be out of here, or at least Dean would be. If anything, this gave her another opportunity to get the key.

“I look forward to it, your majesty” Y/n gave the mother of demons a sinister smile. 

___________________________

They all sat down at the big table which was covered in food; a big pig with an apple in its mouth, grapes, red wine, bread and a dozen cakes, about everything you could think of was on this table.

Which was a shame, demons didn’t need to eat. Only she ate but, still, she could survive without it for longer than a normal human, and could never eat more than a fragment of this ridiculous display.

“So Y/n you’re probably wondering what all this is about ?” Lilith said as she watched her for the corner of her eye.

Y/n took her fork in her hand, making sure to keep up her pinky finger up, she had gotten enough beatings for forgetting it.

“Yes, I can’t help but do” she said, her mind was reeling with a way to get the key from Lilith.

The demons she had threatened had told her Lilith had the key, getting it from her would not be easy...

But not impossible.

“Lucifer is coming and you need to be prepared... ready” Crowley piped up.

“Prepared ? For what ?” she knew she was meant to be his slave, his wife in her father’s mind, like it could happen… but she didn’t understand why they said she wasn’t ready, prepared how ?

“Well, first, you’re not ready to talk to him, not with that tone for instance” Lilith sneered. 

“Lucifer will need you, your powers to be more precise” Crowley told her.

“For what purpose does he need them ?” she frowned. “He is far more powerful than me, unless...” she looked at both of them “he is not ?” 

Lilith laughed out loud, an ominous and mocking laugh that made Y/n want to drag Lilith through the halls of Hell and cast her in the deepest pit she could find. 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, girl, no one is stronger than Lucifer. He will use your powers as a weapon… Or your belly” she grinned sardonically.

“A weapon” she repeated, putting her fork in her plate. “What do you mean my belly ?” she  dared asking, the idea of the answer making her nauseous.

“To bring Hell upon the Earth” Lilith smiled.

No… not Earth ! That meant when she would get Dean out, it would all be for nothing ! Anger rose in her core, she could suddenly feel her ears burn with that rage she knew so well. When will they stop ? When will he be allowed to be happy ? Why soil everything ! She couldn’t let that happen. 

“No” she stated, trying to hold her fury hidden deep inside of her.

Crowley’s had snapped towards Y/n.

“No ? Darling, you don’t really have a say in it” he laughed.

“I control my powers. I won’t do it !” she said, trying to weight her words.

“And why not ? You never even saw Earth, what do you care for it” Lilith got up from her chair.

It was the home of the man she loved.

“There are innocent people there. I just… I won’t do it.”

Lilith stood next to her, her hand grasped the back of her head, her fingers tangled in Y/n’s hair, pushing her down to the table, her face now in her plate. Y/n gasped, the rage inside her once again drowned by humiliation, like it had been so often in her life.

“Like daddy said,” she bent down to whisper in Y/n’s ear. “You don’t have a say in it.”

A necklace slipped out of the demon’s dress and dangled in front of her face. 

The key ! 

Y/n was so close to grasp it… So close to freedom. Her heart started pounding in her chest and flashes of Dean in pieces came in her mind, making her more determined than she had ever been.

She started to vibrate underneath Lilith’s hand, she could almost taste her rage on her own tongue. Her body curled inwards, her breath slow and focused, her hair started to flow, she opened her eyes and could see herself light up in the reflection of the silver gravy boat that was placed on the table.

With a powerful blast of fire everything around her vaporized to dust as Crowley and Lilith flew pinned against the walls. 

“I WON’T DO IT” her voice was unrecognizable, it sounded like she was speaking with a thousand voices at the once. 

She was floating high in the middle of the room, she spread her arms and could feel two fiery wings erupt from her back, so big they touched each side of the room.

She would get out. She wouldn’t take any of their punches, any of their humiliations. And Dean wouldn’t spend another night in that cell. She was getting out. Now.

Her eyes focussed on the key around Lilith’s neck, with a nod of her head the chain snapped and the key flew into her hand like she was the magnet.

“YOU WON’T STOP ME” she clenched both her fist, the flames around her growing with the rage inside her as she forced the demons out of their vessels.

A force that wasn’t hers made the room colder. Her head snapped towards Lilith who seemed to be whispering something. 

“L-Lilith” Crowley yelled.

Y/n felt an invisible cord wrap around her feet, it tugged her down violently to the floor with one hard pull. Her wings disappeared, Lilith ran towards Y/n and threw a small vile in front of her, it caught fire and followed a line all around her.

She felt herself growing weaker and weaker, the more she fought the heavier everything got.

“Stop trying Y/n, you’re trapped, no way you can cross that.” Crowley said as he wiped the dirt of his dress pants.

“You really thought you were gonna get out ?” Lilith sneered at her, a wicked grin on her face.“Oh and you wanted to take the Winchester boy with you ?” she was now laughing out loud.

Y/n crawled to the edge of the fire ring around her, heavy and beaten, but met an invisible wall, icy and crackling, she couldn’t pass. She used all her strength, all her rage, but the anger was just a stomachache now, and her body was a prison. She was trapped. 

“Told you the spell would work.” Crowley told Lilith, with that fear hidden in his voice, the voice he had when he felt like he had to protect himself. He wouldn’t help her. 

Lilith leaned closer to her, victory on her face.

“I got you now, don’t ever think you are stronger than me. It’s over.” 

No… it couldn’t be, she had to get Dean out of here, she promised him… She swore. Dean was waiting for her, she couldn’t let him down…

Her ribs became too tight and a sob of supplication escaped her mouth. She lifted an arm, in a last attempt to resist, but despair was even heavier on her back, than the spell was.

“Bring her to my cage” Lilith said, opening the door to the demons on the other side, intrigued by the noise.

“No no, please no.” Y/n started, she knew by now that Lilith intended to lock her up for good this time. 

The thought of Dean waiting for her was unbearable… He would be waiting… forever. In a strangled sob, she clutched the key in her hand so hard it snapped. She looked down at her hand, it was broken…

“It’s a fake” Lilith clenched her fist and Y/n rose up, gasping for air. “You think I would walk around it with around my neck ? I’m not stupid.” 

Some demons grasped Y/n by her foot to tug down to the ground so  they could put new chains around her. She couldn’t move, crying like she had never cried, not even as a child. She wasn’t crying for herself, she wouldn’t mind dying. 

She was crying for Dean. Every single one of his cuts would be on her from now, every one of his lonely nights, of his fears and burns… For eternity. 

On her.

Once the chains were secured the demons started dragging her to her new ‘room’.

“Oh and” Lilith started, the demons stopping at the sound of her voice, she looked down at Y/n laying chained on the floor, silent tears rolling down her face.

“I’ll take care of Mr. Winchester.”

Next Chapter in @roonyxx​‘s blog

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[all-might-can-smash-me]

Gamble

Toshinori Yagi x Reader

Summary: a card battle ensues between you and the up and coming ‘symbol of peace’ All Might. Based during Toshinori’s younger years doing hero work in America to gain experience without having to worry about All For One.

Masterlist

———————————————————————

You brought the cigarette that sat lazily between your fingers up to your lips, taking a quick puff as you scribbled along the many pages that sat before you, their words and punctuation now swimming in a jumbled mess before your tired eyes. Though the headline that had interrupted the usual football match or any sports match on the tv mounted above the bar you sat in caught your attention. “All Might makes appearance in America!” Though you only scoffed as you shook your head in disappointment.

“Turn that shit off....I’m already having my news agency up my ass about this guy anyway....all they want is an article...a scoop....” you exasperated out, the bar tender only giving off a laugh and muting the sound from the tv, continuing to figit with the glasses waiting to be filled, the towel that had passed over the counter top too many times now, and with constantly darting his eyes to the front door.

“Well, I don’t blame them, this guy shows up out of no where and he’s already dropping crime rates down in this area like it’s nobody’s business.” He spoke out with another chuckle, already filling up your wine glass again when you gave the ok as you continued to read over the article in front of you, red ink littering the black and white page before you.

“Yeah, I know and plus he’s some newbie all the way from Japan only here to get some experience as well.” You added as you snuffed out the cigarette in the ash tray that sat off to the side. “It’s insane, this guy comes here from Japan and makes almost an instantaneous difference over night...while he’s fresh out of a hero course in Japan? Let me tell you...it’s going to be a sad day when he gains the experience he needs from being here, I got a feeling it’s gonna be soon since he’s already been here for a couple years.” You spoke as another cigarette was lit, but the conversation you held with the bartender was dissolved as the door chimed, signifying a new patron had entered. The chime was your cue to continue to edit the article before you.

You paid no mind to when the new costumer had decided that empty stool beside you was worthy in the seemingly empty and slow business of the bar that evening. Though upon glancing up to the bartender, they only stood there in shock upon looking to the person beside you, which you soon finally shot them a glance.

All Might, the All Might of all people was sitting beside you.

You only looked back down to your paper though with a shrug of your shoulders as you continued your work. No way it was real, maybe you were just over working yourself.

“You must be smart....like a uh...novelist, right?” That voice brought you back down to earth, shoving away the theory that it was all an illusion down into the garbage pile within your mind. So it really was All Might seated beside you. Your lucky day, you guessed.

“Novelist? I wish....I’m an editor and writer for ‘California Sun’, basically a glorified gossip column your everyday snooty housewife would read for the ‘latest news’ of the world.” You joked as you took a puff from the cigarette you had ignited moments ago, pen resting on the pages before you. “But it must be my lucky day, I was just editing an article about you...” you said with a smirk.

“Me? I hope it’s not too bad....mind sharing a bit?” He questioned, waving over the bartender to quickly order a drink. The massive man, in comparison to you, was already leaning over a bit to take a peak at the article and the many, MANY red inked corrections.

“Mm....nope.” You said you flipped over the pages to the blank side of the final page, hand reaching out to shake off the ash from your cigarette. “That would be leaked information with it coming from such a ‘reliable’ source.” You said sarcastically, glass of wine now brought up to your lips to take a quick sip.

“Come on...my curiosity is too much to handle you know.” He said, his body now facing you as his fingers gently tapped the side of the beer bottle that was slowly rolling it’s condensation onto the wooden bar it rested up. “I’ll uh....” he mumbled out as he finally grabbed a pack of playing cards rested off to the side for the paying patrons of the bar to play with. “Play you for it, three rounds of Cadillac, best out of three.” He said with a grin, cards already freed from it’s cardboard box and being shuffled.

“Hm...ok, If I win, I get to keep the secret from you....” you confirmed as you now moved upon the stool you sat on to face him, watching his burly hands sloppily try to shuffle the deck. Though you simply reached forward to take it from him to do it yourself, beginning to deal the cards.

“Yes and if I win, you’re gonna have to tell me what’s in the article....and maybe a number?” He questioned with a hopeful smile, a brow quirked up as he now had his three cards within his hands. He had begun his turn though when you gave him a nod of approval as he reached for the deck the sat between the two of you.

“Hm....I’ll think about that number request.” You said with a wink as you now looked to the three cards within your hands, face scrunched in thought as you finally did your turn.

Soon the turn was his again. You couldn’t help but laugh as he glared down at the cards within his hands, trying to decided what path he should take in this round. Finally he picked up a card and discarded one, leaving it back to you, though you only raised your hand to knock it upon the wooden countertop of the bar, a worried look now plastered upon the prohero’s face.

“A knock? Already? Is that even possible?!” He questioned worriedly as he rose a hand to scratch at his temple as he stared down to his cards.

“Oh, I forgot to mention....I’m kind of a pro at this game...” you said with a giggle as you shrugged your shoulders. “By the way....this is your last chance to either possibly get 31 or higher than me...” you said teasingly, All Might only rolling his eyes.

“I know...I know....” he muttered, fingers gently stroking his chin before he finally did his turn. Your cards were now placed neatly upon the table.

“I got 28...” you said with a proud smile, now awaiting for his card reveal, which he gently tossed it down next to yours.

“I only got 10....I couldn’t decide what suit I wanted to stick with...” he admitted as he gathered the cards up, already beginning to try and shuffled again, which you allowed him to do this time, it being his turn to deal now.

“Still got two more chances big guy, don’t give up so soon.” You teased, your cigarette snuffed out with all the other ones from your time at the bar, hands now gathering the cards that were being dealt again. The bartender watched with interest as you had the first turn, which you completed quickly and so did All Might. A silent battle of the cards ensued until finally a smug smile stretched onto All Might’s face as he placed his cards down.

“Cadillac!” He happily shouted out as he watched you toss down your cards with a sigh. Neck and neck with this bet. Though you soon gathered the cards with a roll of your eyes

“Still got one more round....don’t jinx yourself now.” You warned with a tiny smile as you shuffled the deck and soon dealt the cards. Even if it was some silly game and bet, you still wanted to win thanks to your competitive habits beginning to surface as the turns between you and the hero ensued. Though after a few turns, you decided to knock you knuckles against the bar again, looking at All Might expectantly, though truth be told, you were unsure of your decision.

“You sure do like to knock....” he mumbled out as he automatically reached for the deck between you and him, taking the card from the top carefully and bringing it to his hand, where he froze. A smirk grew upon his face as he discarded a card from his hand soon laid it out before you.

“Cadillac!” He shouted again, doing a dorky victory dance while still seated in the stool, though you only looked to his cards that were now placed onto the counter, you setting yours beside his with a pout.

“I can’t believe it....you beat me....now I guess I have to share with you my top secret, confidential information I got from a highly reliable source...” you said in a dramatic joking way as you gathered the article you were editing.

You cleared your throat for an extra measure of comedy, soon beginning to read “All Might visits local animal shelters, adoption skyrockets, almost putting breeders out of business as he expresses the need to adopt, NOT SHOP!” You read out, gaining a snort from him as he grabbed the papers from you, blue eyes scanning over the pages as soft bits of laughter erupted from him.

“How you managed to get a few pages of an article out of a simple appearance at an animal shelter is beyond me, I’m impressed and it’s actually really good.” He complimented as he handed back your work, which you offered him a shy smile at his compliment.

“Thanks...” you said, beginning to grab your satchel to put away your work. “But I actually have to go now or I’ll be a walking zombie for work tomorrow.” You spoke as you stood up, though you soon reached a hand to him “Give me your arm big guy.” You beckoned.

“What....my arm?” He questioned, a bit confused as he slowly gave you his arm to which you rolled up the sleeve of his jacket, pen already beginning to scribble something on his arm.

“Yeah, for my number, I thought it over and I deemed you ok enough to have it. Call me from 5:00 pm until maybe 11 o’clock when I’m not asleep yet, that’s when I’m free at home.” You said as you capped the pen, sitting it absentmindedly down on the counter. “So see you around All Might.” You called out as you exited the bar, leaving the hero to stare down at the bubbly handwriting upon his arm. Though he soon looked over to the pen you left behind, grabbing a hold of it and getting up, tossing down money to pay for his drink tab.

“Hm....Mr.Pen....I hope you are ready to be my accomplice for later when I use you as an excuse to meet up with her again.” He muttered down to the inanimate object as he stepped out of the bar and onto the dark streets of the noisy, city night.

#toshinori yagi x reader #yagi toshinori #toshinori yagi headcanons #toshinori yagi #toshinori yagi imagine #all might headcanons #all might imagine #all might x reader #all might #bnha #mha #bnha headcanons #mha headcanons #bnha toshinori #mha toshinori #bnha all might #mha all might

[crownsandhawaiianshirts]

Quick Techno and Tommy idea drabble thingy that turned into a not Drabble.

“The sound of the tumultuous crowd is still ringing in my ears.” chap.1? maybe?

yes maybe, here’s part 2

----

The blonde boy sat on the gritty gravel floor, with little nicks and sharp pebbles digging into his rear as he leant forward on his loosely drawn up knees, using his forearms to support his limp head.

Though there was a wide scratch on his shoulder, dragging down to his elbow and a few grazes from the floor, the only thing that was truly wounded was his pride.

He’d lost the duel. It was the semi-final of the bi-annual court champion competitions.

A set of around 12 duels to get to the semi-finals and then two more to get to the final, and then last but not least, the Decision (but more on that later).

Of course—no one actually died in these fights, and maybe that was what hurt Tommy the most.

He’d have to get up and leave the arena sooner or later. Everyone else already had.

Well Tommy had thought that until a golden gauntlet clasped his shoulder.

“C’mon, kid.” The voice was monotone, not cheery, nor disappointed. Tommy wasn’t in a good enough place to tell.

Tommy dared to gaze up and meet the gaze of a man who many considered half-human, half-deity.

‘Moral; just; indomitable; indefatigable,’ they called him, ‘how noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, in apprehension how like... a God.’

This was Technoblade.

A man whose legendary stories battled and won the fight of time. Never withering away, only standing on as a constant reminder of victory.

And yet, this was not the first time Tommy had met hands with the warrior.

Tommy and Technoblade had a history of comradery and (although begrudgingly) friendship? In Tommy’s eyes that is.

“I’m sorry, Technoblade.” He lowered his gaze again, “ I just wasn’t built to sit at your table.”

That was, after all, what this was all about. The championship was a test or initiation of sort to enter the counsel of guilds. These guilds looked after the people and so on and so forth, you get the idea...

Technoblade was the overlooker of that table, after his illustrious victory in the earlier court championsip competitions.

“C’mon kid.” Technoblade said again, dragging his gauntlet off the boys shoulder, his galvanised golden boots, tapping and clinking elegantly in his wake.

Tommy squeezed his eyes shut and sighed before deciding to lift his stiff body from the gritty floor that was really uncomfortable to sit on.

What many people didn’t know was that Technoblade had actually trained Tommy personally at the request of Tommy’s late mother who was a close friend of Technoblade’s mother (although Technoblade was already fighting battles by the time Tommy could speak).

Tommy’s mind wondered as he trudged behind the warrior.

He recalled when he first entered the court, he looked to his left and saw the three people he looked up to the most. Then he looked to his right and saw his best friend, who despite being battered from their own fight, still cried out in encouragement vehemently with rosy cheeks bursting from its grin.

When the battle had ended though, Tommy could only stand to stare in his lap. He remembered the feeling of the cold blade at the nape of his neck; his opponent standing above him, all cold smiles and wrinkled lip as he drew his sword down Tommy’s arm, slicing open his uncovered tunic—which was lost in the fight—and creating a deep scratch from his shoulder to elbow.

Many nights Tommy had contemplated what he would do if he won the final battle and entered the Decision.

The Decision is what happens when the victor of the competition wins the court and is then approached by Technoblade himself.

Technoblade would put on his best smile (which he was mostly required to do) and would ask the overcomer weather he would join him at his table or go home with his reward and glory.

Over the many years that this tournament had commenced many people have asked to join the council table, but as of recent, people have only opted for the reward and safe bed.

You see, to find your place at the council table, you must first slay two things greater than man. Greater than himself.

The problem is though, only three people have ever achieved the two tasks, all others failed or backed out before the second.

Those three people are: Techno, Phil, Wilbur. Obviously they had more prestigious names, but that’s what Tommy knew them as.

But Tommy didn’t have much time to recall the tale of their meeting as he found a tankard of ale being slammed right in front of his face on the wooden bar top in front of him.

Tommy looked up and realised he was in the Guild Hall. More specifically he was sitting in the Garrison bar.

Techno stood next to him with his own Tankard. The weary man stared up at ceiling as he contemplated his words carefully.

“C’mon kid. Bring your drink. I’ll show you something”.

Technoblade lead the fair haired boy to the council archives room. Every victory noted in royal blue and every person to ever step foot in the kingdom marked in envy green.

“Why do you think you lost today, Tommy?” Technoblade asked. He set his crown down on one of the shelves and massaged his head with a sigh as he strode to the end of the seemingly never ending hallway.

Tommy stuttered, “uhm, well—for starters I don’t think I gripped my sword right or had my beginning stance at the correct angle and I-

“No, no, no, Tommy. I could go on for ages, telling you why you shouldn’t have rushed first or why you shouldn’t have left your right side open all the time, why for some stupid reason you never jabbed at his left side. But that’s not why you lost. The reason you lost was because it was your first try.”

Tommy was silent for a moment, “I don’t understand.”

Techno scoffed and took a swig of his ale and slammed the tankard on one of the archive shelves, leaving a few specks of the golden liquid on what Tommy thought to be important documents, even though they clearly didn’t seem as such to the crowned warrior.

Technoblade pulled out a scroll with which on it resided lines upon lines of chicken scratch handwriting, clearly written in a rush.

Technoblade placed his metal finger on one specific line “Technoblade, age 21.” It was under the competitors column, a list of all the people who signed up for the championship.

“Uhm, it’s the year you won?” Tommy tried to find the meaning behind this flaunting? Was Technoblade just trying to mock him for his loss; boasting the year he conquered all.

“Tommy do you know why I am in the place I am today?” The pink haired man quirked an eyebrow.

“Well, yeah... it’s because you won the championship, completed the two tasks, then when you were in the council, challenged the tyrannical ruler, Notch, and won so you could claim a place at the head of the table.” Tommy recited robotically in the way his teachers drummed that into his brain, making him cringe as he had flashbacks to the many history classes he decided to take.

Technoblade only chuckled and shook his head, “no, Tommy. I’m here because of this.”

Technoblade turned around and pulled out four more scrolls. “This-“ he pulled out one of the scrolls and pointed to the names in the competitor column again, “Technoblade, age 20.” “-Is why-“ he pulled out another “Technoblade, age 19.” “-I-“ and another “Technoblade, age 18.” Another, “age 17.” “-I am here.” “16.”

Tommy stared wide-eyed at the scrolls that had been dumped in his arms, his eyes wide and confused as he tried to comprehend it all.

“You entered 5 times before you won? You were 16?”

“That I did, Tommy. No one who has ever won, won on their first go. That’s not how the competitions work. I was your age when I started. Now, when you win, for the love of God, don’t try and duel me, the gold armour is just for show and I’d rather not have to fight a child in unenchanted armour.”

“Yeah, I’d rather not have to fight you, Mr Blade.”

“Good. Now come with me, I’ve got something else to show you...”

The pink haired man lead the way out of the dusty room, picking up his crown along the way; wiping dust off of it as he went and securing it on his head before stepping out again.

“And stop with that Mr. Blade bullshit, it makes me feel old...”

—

Y’all want pt.2?

#technoblade #sbi #sleepy boys inc #tommyinnit #mcyt #minecraft #mineblr #writing #medieval au

[histoireettralala]

"It is impossible to maneuver worse than he has done”

Bagration had no news of the French advance on Vilna until after they had occupied the city. And as Jérôme remained inactive before him, he was furiously indignant when Barclay, who was also minister of war and therefore his superior, ordered him to retire on Drissa. The General hurled unjustifiable accusations against the Minister, and complained loudly to anyone who would listen. Yet, in obedience, he set out for the fortified camp along the shortest route, which led midway between Vilna and Minsk. But Davout had already crossed his projected line of march, and a brief skirmish with patrols of the I Corps caused the Russian commander to veer to his right in an attempt to gain Minsk ahead of the French. This time Davout outmarched his opponent. Entering the city on July 8, he prepared to defend it despite the fact that he had only a portion of his army corps and was inferior in numbers to the enemy.

Davout had executed the first part of the plan with clocklike precision. He had placed himself in a position between the two Russian armies and was ready for battle. But for the plan to succeed it was now necessary that the King of Westphalia execute his role in an energetic manner. The three army corps under Jérôme were to attack Bagration so as to harass his withdrawal and drive him into the waiting arms of Davout before Minsk. It was not a complicated maneuver requiring extraordinary tactical or strategical skills, nevertheless it did call for an energetic general with experience as an independent commander - the more so as communication between the armies was via the Emperor’s general headquarters. Jérôme not only lacked the necessary experience, he was also devoid of basic military knowledge. In justice it must be admitted that the King wanted to do what was necessary to win the campaign, the problem was that he had been miscast by his all-powerful brother. As King of Westphalia he could get into little trouble out of which Napoleon could not bail him out. On the battlefield, it was quite another story. Against a clever, experienced, and active commander such as Bagration, Napoleon should have sent a tried and proven professional military man. In the first place the troops under Jérôme were poorly organized, drilled, and equipped. The King was also completely lacking in all talents of this nature, and the efforts of his staff proved inadequate. In the second place his army was inadequately supplied, and even before it reached the Niemen was in bad shape. Plundering its way across Poland, discipline had broken down and food became scarce. Arriving late at its crossing point - Grodno - the army halted to rest and regroup. In this manner Jérôme fell five days behind schedule.

During the first week of July, while Davout was marching on Minsk and Bagration was organizing his retreat, Napoleon repeatedly urged his brother to attack the enemy before him with vigor. “My cousin,” he instructed Berthier on July 5, “write to the King of Westphalia... that it is impossible to maneuver worse than he has done. Tell him [also] that the fate of my maneuvers and the best occasion of the war have escaped by this single omission of the elementary principles of war.” When Jérôme attempted to justify his delays on grounds that the roads were bad, his troops exhausted, and the weather miserable, the Emperor retorted: “if your soldiers are unable to march, what about those of Bagration and Davout.” And the following day he ordered Berthier to write: “The two or three days which the troops of Your Majesty [Jérôme] have lost have perhaps saved Bagration.”

Disappointed in his younger brother’s handling of the army under his command, and fully aware of the unquestionable superiority of the talents of Davout, Napoleon issued the following order on July 6: “His Majesty orders that, in case of a reunion of the V, VII, and VIII army corps and the IV reserve cavalry corps with the corps commanded by the Prince of Eckmühl, command should be taken over by the Prince of Eckmühl as the senior general. The Emperor orders His Majesty the King of Westphalia to recognize the Prince of Eckmühl as supreme commander so long as the army corps remain united.” These orders were dispatched to Marshal Davout at once, but were not sent to the King of Westphalia. Davout was not to make them known until such time as the two armies were joined, and unity of command were necessary. Thus Jérôme continued to exercise supreme command over his three army corps after July 6.

Jérôme’s advance guard had not left Grodno until July 5, and only the following day was the entire right wing of the army at last on the march. On July 10 his most advanced units engaged the enemy’s rear guard, but because of their weakness they caused Bagration little damage or concern. Napoleon again criticized his brother severely for his lack of initiative and told him that he should have been with his advance columns and fallen on the enemy in force. The King finally arrived at Mir on July 12. But it was too late to force a decision before Minsk. While Davout was waiting in vain for Jérôme to force the enemy upon him, Bagration filed off to the south unmolested.

John G. Gallaher - The Iron Marshal, a Biography of Louis Nicolas Davout

(Jérôme Bonaparte)

#napoleonic #john g. gallaher #the iron marshal: a biography of louis nicolas davout #campaign of russia #louis nicolas davout #jérôme bonaparte #napoléon bonaparte #alternative title: big casting error

[theofficefantasyfootball]

WRAP UP - Week 9

Do you have a plan?

Bobby Axelrod (aka Axe from Billions) always has a plan.  He doesn’t go into a deal without knowing every possible outcome.  He’s calculating and he knows how to win.  We are at that stage of the season where if you don’t have a plan of how you will finish strong in these final 5 weeks - you won’t be in the post season.  Some of us started strong and are fading.  Others had a rough go and are starting to figure things out.  Either way - time is against you and you better find a way to win - because in just a few weeks it will be too late!

MAHOMES ALONE vs TuPADRE

Let’s just start with me.  My Mahomes Alone world has just gone to shit!  When Jordan Love has more passing yards than Patrick Mahomes you know you are in trouble.  I am very confident that after this week,  I am no longer in first place...in fact I am thinking first place will probably now belong to my opponent TuPadre.  And let’s be honest - he had me beat by Thursday night.  With a huge week from Jordan Taylor and Lamar Jackson - even his kicker had 12 points and my kicker had 0...if that tells you anything.  Congrats Gully...well played!  Oh and congrats on the high point win as well!  ($20). Of course you get high point too.  

BOOMER SOONER vs MOOSES ON THE LOOSES

Stu showing up to do a medical house call on Sunday after he checked his score in the car before going in.  Perfect GIF.  The Moose after losing 3 in a row FINALLY came through with a win.  Of course Stu was texting me on Monday morning, saying “dude, I just need 50 from Justin Fields tonight to grab the win”.   LOL.  I do love dreamers.  Moose, what can I say, you have Chubb back so all is right in your world.  Congrats.  Stu, just like me - you continue to fall...and just like me you fell to someone in the Odd Division.  Very strange days we are in.  Good luck next week Mitch...as you face your favorite - Backdoor Bandits.

BACKDOOR BANDITS vs TRADE WITH ME

Typical Kyle.  When he is ready for a win - he is just going to push his way in - no matter what...and take it.  Which he did this week against Brett.  Poor Brett with a poor performance from Josh Allen this week (who saw that coming?) and then the hits just kept coming with low numbers from everyone but Cook and McManus.  Kyle, finally had a normal Justin Herbert week with 35 from him and almost 20 from Kittle.  Both of these guys are 5-4 and my gut tells me that both of these guys want to keep playing past week 14.  It should be fun to watch!  Good win Kyle.

TREE HUGGERS vs LONG LEFT BALLERS

I just feel like Krippayne has to be a bit on edge.  Frustrated... ya know?  He did pretty good this week.  Not that much off of what Bebo did...just 10 little points  different, but he takes yet another loss.  It could have been as easy as Waller getting 8 more yards to grab that 100 yard bonus and maybe someone like Hyde running one in...and boom Victory.  But, instead it’s another victory for Bebo...who, and let me say it again...”we have to watch out for this guy.”  He is now on a 3 game winning streak and seems to find a way to win or be in the hunt each week.  I’m am legitimately nervous...I’m sure you all are too.  Nice win Bebo.

FUNK GUY vs HOWARD

Going into tonight - Funk Guy leads 103.98 to Howards 93.28...so easy math tells me that Howard just need 10.71 points to take down Funk Guy.  Howard has Claypool left and so far this season...only 1 week has Claypool scored more than 9 points...so odds are Dana is okay right?  Also, side note -if I am right, Dana has probably been upset at himself for not playing Allen and Patrick over Julio and Callaway...and he for sure wishes he would have played Cousins over Hurts but these are things you can’t change....so, it all comes down to MNF.  And - just as predicted and the pattern of past weeks - Claypool laid low and failed to put up 11 so Dana goes on to 4-5 and keeps Howard in the L column.  Congrats Dana!

LANAKILA vs MR AWESOME

And what I am predicting to be the close call game of the week - Cliff vs Gabe...going into tonight - Gabe has a 6.78 point lead with Diontae Johnson left to play in his flex position against Cliff’s RB - Najee Harris.  Cliff at 6-2 and Gabe at 2-6.  Cliff in the Even Division and Gabe in the Odd Division.  This week - it seems like Odd Division have been on the roll - so I would have to lean Gabe on this one...but we will have to see how it plays out!  As i join back into the wrap up writing with the final minutes left in the game, Harris has kept the lead for Cliff and although Gabe was able to bring it within .32 of a point, it seems he was just 1 catch short.  Maybe if Gabe wasn’t fooling around in Texas all weekend with Gullahorn, he would have known his tight end had Covid and played someone else but....whatever.  HA!  Nice win Cliff!  Amazingly close!

SURVIVOR

Ladies and Gentlemen we have a Survivor Winner - KYLE ALLMENDINGER ($150)!  In a battle that resembled my days of growing up in the late 70s, it all came down to the Dallas Cowboys vs Pittsburgh Steelers in week 9...and just like back in 1979 when I was crying (at 10 years old) because Roger Staubach couldn’t find a way to win against Terry Bradshaw in Superbowl XIII - so flowed the tears for The Moose and Krippayne as Dallas lost against the Broncos and Pittsburgh won on MNF against Da Bears.  Congratulations Kyle...well played!  

In honor of the Steelers win...here are some random hot girls in Steelers gear. Congrats.

[itsuki-minamy]

“R:B” CHAPTER 8 (Part 1)

TRANSLATION & RAWS: NARU-KUN

* Chapter 1 * Chapter 2 * Chapter 3: Part 1 / Part 2 * Chapter 4: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 * Chapter 5 * Chapter 6: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 * Chapter 7

Breathe slowly. The tip of the cigarette burns.

While exhaling smoke, he lifts the finger that clenches the cigarette. A cigarette that he has just started falls under his feet. He tramples it with his foot.

And Suoh releases his "power".

The whole body is engulfed in flames. The swirling column of fire burns around him. An indescribable sense of release fills the cells throughout his body.

Totsuka yelled something, but the voice was burned by the flames and did not reach Suoh.

However,

"Get out of here."

With that said, he calmly stepped forward. The line of sight is not separated from the figure of the King in the distance.

Munakata, on the other hand, had already fixed his point of view on Suoh.

The next moment, the blue aura escapes from the elegant uniform. Countless fine crystals of blue light shine and are reflected in the air. The group of crystals swirls around Munakata as if to praise the power of the king.

In the distance, it looked like a local blizzard or a swirl of thin ice.

Flame and ice.

Destruction and order.

It is seen that they do not fit. That fact now is pretty creepy.

Suoh had already stopped thinking about whether this conflict was correct or not. The limit has already been exceeded. It is a development that was predictable. Then the result will also be inevitable.

He may be responsible for his election as king. What Munakata said about the "responsibility of the king".

However, if he is responsible for his election as king, the Slate that made him king is also responsible. The Golden King who controls the Slate, and the people and society who accept the rule of the Golden King, must be held accountable. He put up with it long enough. Suoh Mikoto's personal "wish" came true. The "result" of that would simply be inevitable and real.

The irritation that had built up, settled, and solidified in place was heated and boiled, and the bubbles of the harsh, destructive impulse burst.

It is impossible to control it anymore and he don't feel like it.

"Everyone, draw your swords!"

A female member who was next to Munakata issued an order. In response, the members in the back draw their swords while calling out to themselves, one after another.

The crunching sound of drawing overlapped and the blades disturbed the reflected light. Swords that touch the sunlight are reminiscent of the brilliance of a school of fish bouncing off the surface of the water.

All members are developing a blue aura similar to Munakata's. The action of drawing the saber is the key, and the "power" is activated. He has interacted with the predecessor "Scepter 4" left by Habari Jin, but it seems that the characteristics of the Clansman have not changed even if the king changes. Defensive battle style. But what about the king himself?

Then, before Suoh watched, Munakata also put his hand on his waist, following his subordinates.

However, Munakata did not draw his sword. He operates the metal clasps to remove the belt from the sword, and carry it in his hand.

Suoh was impressed without knowing it. He knew he didn't like it, but he didn't think it would bother him that much. It is as if Suoh's conscience and reason were educated in advance so that not one millimeter would interfere with complete combustion.

"What's wrong, Munakata? Don't you draw your sword, what's stopping you?"

"A guard baton is more suitable than a military sword for outlaw control. First of all, it is a bit painful to cause a serious injury to a 'senpai'."

Munakata replied coldly.

If this was just a tease, he wouldn't be so upset. It's okay to bet though, but now there's the sword crater case on Munakata's mind. In other words, he is not really motivated.

If he wants to avoid the worst outcome, it is a natural decision as king. No, it doesn't matter if he is a king, anyone who knows the truth of the case must make the same decision. Munakata's purpose is simply to "hold" Suoh while his subordinates secure him.

There is no point in fighting seriously. It is enough to hold it down. So he doesn't draw his sword.

That makes sense. And that theory clearly showed how Munakata esteemed Suoh "lightly" for his intentions and feelings. Since when has it been so fake?

It is unpleasant.

It's not because Suoh is the opponent. Perhaps this man has always been there for it and has built "reasonable" relationships in his life.

After capturing and discussing all the thoughts and actions of the people around him, he analyzes it at one point and eliminate it at another time, leading to the result that he judges the right thing. This is the "ordinary way" of Munakata. Perhaps this man couldn't even imagine the resentment Suoh feels now.

A man who doesn't care about other people's little "self-esteem" in the face of his "correction".

It is interesting.

It is so interesting that the intestines boil. This is the first time he has felt this way.

"Totsuka. Take them and go to Kusanagi."

"King?!"

"By the way, call other people. I can't show up there at the moment. The Blues must be handled by you."

There was a sign that Totsuka was rushing behind him. Although the Totsuka escape is a first-class item, it has a pair with Yamata, and that number is unreasonable to the other party. They will need some time to escape.

When Munakata looked back at his subordinates, the members became nervous for Suoh, but they didn't seem to be scared and had a fighting spirit. They are quite motivated to be a newly established unit.

But they are still newbies.

Suoh raised his right arm high so they could see him well from there. Munakata's expression changes. However, the members are only watching, although they are cautious.

Suoh snorted and lowered his arm toward the unit.

The pillar of fire that had risen from Suoh rose in the shadows and fell on the heads of the limbs like a dragon that fluttered, stretched and leaped.

"Eh?! Strengthen the barrier."

Immediately after the female member screamed, the unit was swallowed up by the flame with the scream. The surface of the asphalt melts with a sizzle and red-swaying heat waves erupt.

Flames and roars crawl down the street and spread radially. Suoh calmly let himself be carried away after the flames he had released.

But the next moment, the spreading flame was swept away by the blue light.

A cold, hard light appears like a blue ice mine in the center of the sea of ​​flames that filled the streets. The huge barrier, which contained all the members of the two platoons inside, pierced through the sea of ​​fire. Even after the flame is completely extinguished, it glows as if nothing happened.

"Surprising."

Munakata keeps the sword still in the scabbard sticking out to the side as a unit.

"The Red King, who is proud of his power and rumored to target the clan member first. In fact, is your hobby stalking the weak?"

It's hard to see such a graceful laugh. The king who protects his subordinates instantly looks at Suoh with an icy gaze.

Suoh snorts.

"I don't believe in the line of a bastard who brings his minions to win a fight."

"Hmm? Oh, I see. Want time to let your friends get away? It's a complicated friendship."

Munakata shot his gaze behind Suoh. Apparently Totsuka did not miss the opportunity Suoh gave him and left the battlefield along with Yamata and the other two immature Strains, it is a true escape.

"However, we have already deployed troops to this area. I would like you to 'cooperate' before things get too big."

"During this period, "cooperation" is a big problem. Does the barrier you are proud of work on that?"

"It's kindness. The proud Red King can always excuse himself."

“Let's talk about teaching, Munakata. If you only care about your upper body and your body, you will lead a boring life."

"I don't think it's the line of someone who lives like a stray after eating and sleeping."

Munakata's vocabulary is not altered. Suoh laughed softly. It's really exciting.

"It's good to keep you waiting every time, but if you can't beat it, isn't it free?"

"Oh, that's very unfortunate, but it's an unnecessary concern, although I don't think it's going to meet your expectations."

When Munakata said that, he waved the sword, saying that playful words would be good.

"Awashima-kun. Retreat and pursue them before they escape."

"Yes!"

The female member replied, although she was still a bit upset. She immediately looks back at the unit and gives instructions.

After all, it seems that high morale is not bad. He wants to stop it a little longer just in case. Suoh manipulates the "power" to knead the flame at once.

However, before that, the Munakata barrier that had developed exploded.

Then, Munakata with a condensed aura closes the distance in an instant. He pushes the tip of the pod with that cool look.

A light and elegant stroke. However, the shock transmitted by both arms protected at the same time far exceeded Suoh's expectations.

Involuntarily look into his eyes.

"Eh?"

Sparks fluttered like an explosion at the Blue King's strike.

Some of the "power" that was being released is dispersed. The moment he thought he would push back Munakata's attack as he gathered up the rest and increased the output, the "power" he put in slipped. In the exquisite moment when Suoh's immediate revulsion was expected, Munakata changed his body and made "power". Manipulate the sword to flow as it is and to stop Suoh's foot with a sheath.

About to charge, he cut the backhand without thinking. When the top and bottom were reversed, he felt it was unpleasant, but he couldn't make it in time. He increases the output of "power" and solidify it without releasing it.

Just before landing, Munakata's pursuit reached the clear target. A sword that hasn't even been drawn hits him gracefully. He received "power", but could not bear it. Suoh flew out like a meteor, with the tail of the flame waving.

++++++++++

A great shock. After smashing the window, Suoh rushed into the store on the first floor of the building. Flames and dust are pouring out of a broken window. It's like firing a bazooka cannon.

Munakata slightly flips the hem of the uniform. All good. And he turned the saber that was still in the scabbard.

Take the first step for now. During this time, Awashima's troops also completed their exit from the street. After that, as per the instructions, they should start chasing Yamata and the others.

There are troops in the vicinity. He told Suoh, but he has to admit that the advantage of the land is with the enemy "Homura", whose roots are in the city of Shizume-cho. It is a situation that requires quick action.

Fortunately, unlike "Scepter 4", "Homura" is just a "group" of clan members.

It is not an "organization". If the person facing the situation does not respond immediately and correctly, or if there is no one to take the initiative instead of the command, it will not work as a whole. Especially in the current situation where the scale is swollen, the footwork should be fatally heavy. It will not be possible to work together in a short period of time. There are many opportunities to take advantage of.

However, the competence of the upper limbs surpasses that of the inexperienced Swordsmen Mobile Division.

After all, it was desirable to carry out the mission quickly and withdraw before the "Homura" was online.

When it comes down to it, the troublesome thing is Suoh. As he could see in the previous act, if he feels like it, he can control the swordsmen alone. He wanted to keep it quiet, even temporarily, to prevent it from happening.

Well, when it comes down to it, he has to do something.

Considering Kagutsu's case, he would like to avoid hitting him head-on to eliminate the possibility. So how does he neutralize it with his own hands? Munakata takes on a number of tactics, compares and examines them beforehand.

When…

Although extremely rare, Munakata doubted his ears at the time.

He hears laughter. A deep, low voice. While angry, laugh because it can't be helped at the same time.

When he saw it, the tent Suoh moved was lush. The inside of the store heats up over high heat and everything starts to melt. A scene as if he were looking at the crater of an active volcano. And from the bottom of the boiling magma, the figure of a man appeared.

The sound is sharp and fierce, the intense heat that it generates, glow several times more than the fire it carries.

"It's discovered." Suoh said.

"What you did isn't bad. I see, it's more than I bargained for. Well done, Munakata."

Then a cold stream ran down his spine.

He clicked his tongue involuntarily. He frowned slightly as if it were a failure.

Perhaps he should have dared to handle it comfortably while suppressing the "power". It went straight on because it was meant to protect Awashima and the others. As a result, he appears to have set the troublesome king on fire. Tired of the hassle of putting out the fire, Munakata silently repositions the remaining sword in the scabbard.

Wait for Suoh's next attack. He prepares for multiple cases, selects the most efficient response for each, and prepares for the circumference with perfect posture.

However…

Suddenly, he realizes. Goosebumps.

"Come on?"

The flame swirls.

Suoh, who turned into a fire bullet, rushed inside with a smile on his face. Directly in front. It's stupid, Munakata develops a blue barrier. Focus the "power" forward. However, Suoh doesn't care at all and doesn't stop.

He compresses the flame with a fist that pulls on his arm and squeezes it. As if shooting an arrow from a tied bow, pull out his fist and release the flame. Munakata takes a hit and repels it.

Tries. The moment of impact was difficult to describe. It is heavy without any preparation.

He stepped on it instantly, but it was carried along with the barrier. Suoh's fist pushes Munakata away as he deploys the barrier.

"Eh?!"

Take it easy. As he said to himself, the moment he brought out more "power", Suoh's pressure disappeared.

He saw it.

Suoh's spinning kick erupted from Munakata's left side, who had lost the spot to bring "power". In addition, it penetrates.

Suoh's kick broke through Munakata's barrier as if shaking a large snake. It was almost a coincidence that he was able to react. The torrent of destruction escapes with the urge to grab the ends of the hair above Munakata, who ducked and dodged. The crushed barrier and the erupting flame flew diagonally upward, engaging the atmosphere. It's like a jet of "power."

With a slap, Munakata shines on Suoh's shaft with the sheath. But it can't hit. Suoh, who was reading the movements, accumulated "power" in his legs and received the blow from Munakata that released him in a forced posture. Also, the kicked right foot falls vertically when Munakata's movement stops after being struck by a foot.

Falls off. Munakata holds the saber horizontally with both hands.

"Eh?"

It was a shock as if he had received a stone. A roaring heat wave breaks through the reflexively readjusted barrier. The bright red aura turned into a shower and fell onto "Scepter 4's" uniform.

Also, it's not over yet.

Suoh stretches his body quickly the moment Munakata is hit by the impact. And, with almost no change in posture, this time he steps on it with the sole of the shoe instead of striking.

They collide again. Also, this time, the "power" cannot be lost. It is trampled from above as it is, and intense pressure is applied.

Munakata crouched down and was pinned to the spot with the scabbard raised above his head.

"Huh, this is the new king? More souvenirs."

Despite the absence, the peripheries were steadily increasing the pressure. Stomping with tremendous "power". The crouched asphalt broke and Munakata's lower body collapsed. It is difficult to get rid of it. He seems crushed the moment he relaxes.

A big smile appeared on Suoh Mikoto's lips.

This signifies the authority of the king.

It is interesting. Munakata opened his eyes

Concentrates and temporarily increases "power" output. He resisted the pressure from above, pushed back, and jumped back hard when balanced. Suoh's right foot, which has lost support, falls. The flame that had grown from the sole of the shoe exploded, scattered, and shot out.

Suoh, who broke the path in front of Munakata, who quickly regained his position, raised his face with a smile.

"It's a good move to turn it into intoxicating intelligence."

Munakata corrected the position of his glasses with the tips of his fingers.

"You also played vulgar footwork as a bully."

Immediately after saying it, he turns to attack this time.

As expected, he is the Red King, and it is difficult to easily suppress the force of Suoh's "power". In that case, it is a good idea to always take the initiative and control the battle itself.

Determine the distance between him and Suoh, and jump to the last minute line immediately. It puts the urge to step on the ground as it is and pushes the tip of the pod. Suoh rocks back. Followed by that, take another step, hit back and attack.

However, the moment Suoh pierced through the sword and advanced, Munakata took a sharp step back and kept his distance from Suoh. It's a spin that takes full advantage of the range difference using the sword against Suoh. If Suoh shows any signs of approaching, he will immediately check with his sword.

Keep calm and protect himself. Like a fighter fighting a bull, he not only controls himself, but Suoh's position and movement as well.

The "power" was in every move. The blue crystals, like grains of light, flutter at high speed as Munakata moves. Suoh's red flame also jumped to respond and collided with the crystal.

Munakata controlled the space and put a burden on Suoh's movement. However, the flame burns the crystal and keeps the Blue King away. "Power" and "power" mix and there is a constant revulsion. Each time the two repeated offense and defense, each other's aura drew a complicated pattern, and one after another, supernatural art was drawn in space.

However…

"... You're lazy." Suoh said.

"You're playing, huh!"

Suoh, who saw that Munakata was unwilling to attack, casually stepped forward. There are many loopholes. However, Munakata does not accept the provocation and backs off as much as he can. Suoh who wants to chase more. Take distance from Munakata and jump.

In that instant, he pivoted down from the forward-bent posture that he tried to pursue. Hit the asphalt with his fist.

It's a hit with "power". Radial cracks roar through the asphalt. Furthermore, the flame penetrated the ground and exploded underground for the next moment.

A terrible fright ran.

The surface of the street ripples and the whole area rocks like an earthquake. Sparks shot from cracks in the street.

People flee in terror, trees and street lights bow and signs fall. The moment Munakata jumped up, Suoh's kicking foot was projected like a hard spear with spikes of fire as he was suddenly struck and broke his landing balance.

He barely received it with the pod while he was out of shape. The feeling of receiving it makes he cold. Breaks. Munakata reflexively controls the surrounding space. While holding the pod diagonally, instead of stopping the impact of the kick, he stop it diagonally backwards. But it is not easy. It is a terrible response that can be transmitted to both hands. The "power" sliding through the sheath was like deflecting the torrent with a single rod.

"Power" hard and fresh.

However, it goes without saying that getting it done is not the Munakata style.

Munakata fine-tunes the direction of the stop. Confront Suoh as he flows and instead keep going. Immediately after Suoh realized it, Munakata took out the scabbard and squirmed in reaction.

Turn sharply with the minimum radius and hit the handle of the sword. Suoh suddenly bent his arm to protect himself, but a small but strong blow allowed the impact to penetrate the guard. Suoh's upper body shakes with an "Uh?!"

The barrier shrinks at once in that gap.

Strengthen the whole body with high-density "power", kick with the foot.

The impact that rises from the sole of the foot is transmitted to the trunk in a spiral and is amplified. There is no time or space to use swords and weapons. When the impact hits the shoulder, he changes it into a punch and performs a shoulder attack. It is a "summoning" technique in Chinese martial arts. Despite being almost in close contact, the tremendous attacking force that broke through did not allow for any defense and struck Suoh's body.

Suoh coughs, crunches, and walks away. He barely steps on it, but immediately after that, he can't stand it and collapses, hitting one knee.

The flames Suoh was carrying weakened the fire for the first time. It is an opportunity. If he bends it and take away his conscience, he can remove the annoying Red King element from the situation. By the time he decided that, Munakata had already kicked the trail and was getting closer.

The target is the tip of the chin. It shakes its head from inertia, not from the lightness of the damage, and causes brain tremors to make physical function addictive. It is not power that is needed for that. It's uncut speed and precision through the needle holes. But first he need to seal the opponent's guard.

Munakata raised the sword. Suoh, who got his knee pierced, is ready to be cut. However, this is a momentary pause. Head to Suoh's guard and strike as if hitting a hole. 90% of this time is decided. He was convinced of that.

Suoh didn't hold back.

Munakata's sword is aimed at the neck. The flame surrounding Suoh is torn apart by the pressure of the sword, and the blue aura released from the sheath penetrates into Suoh's body.

Come in decently.

The moment he was shocked that he made a mistake or did not have room to defend himself, the sword he is trying to pull was firmly challenged and stopped working.

Suoh, who was hit, grabbed the tip of the pod. He dared to receive it for this reason.

Munakata clicks his tongue again. He instantly changes stance and prepares for Suoh's counterattack.

But no counterattack came.

Suoh slowly stood up, holding the scabbard.

"So…"

A hot but cold gaze penetrates Munakata up close.

"You are lazy."

A flame erupted from Suoh's entire body like an explosion.

A raging flame in front of him burns his skin mercilessly. Munakata twisted the handle of the sword while frowning. He removes the scabbard from Suoh's hand and jumps back a lot. Suoh's chase will not return. If so, does the damage remain as is? He honestly can't help but go crazy for Suoh, who had a fighting style that made no sense.

Once again, Munakata and Suoh face off at a distance.

However, it is bad. There is no cut in this.

Looking around again, the shopping street with the two of them was exposed to the devastation of a disaster. The damage to the surrounding area was calculated to some extent, but it was not intended to cause such terrible damage.

The most debatable is that, by doing so much damage, no results have been achieved.

His heart was filled with bitterness.

It is his mistake.

The Blue King is the guardian of "order." And the reason "order" must be maintained is that it protects people's lives, property and well-being.

A society built by many people who work hard day and night. The power to protect society is nothing but "order". It is mediocre but good parents and siblings who quickly go unnoticed. The lives of people like them, who live every day with constancy and sincerity, cannot be trampled on like paper.

The chaotic and senseless destruction that seems to spread out in front of them was insurmountable for the Blue King, who should be the guardian of "order".

It could have been impatient. Even if moving towards Shizume-cho was an unavoidable problem, he had to be more careful. Munakata admitted his mistake and was warned not to follow the same path again.

And… it's time to round up. He has to judge that.

In other battles, damage to the surrounding area cannot be ignored. Damage to "order" can have a serious impact on social functioning.

Furthermore, there is a possibility that even the danger of the outbreak of royalty will come to light as in the case of Kagutsu.

The mechanism that led to the outbreak of royal power has not been exactly clarified, but there is no doubt that the excessive use of "power" by royal power is an important factor. Of course, he shouldn't have taken unnecessary risks, like now.

"......"

It was a bit of bittersweet sand that he has perhaps only tasted for the first time in his life.

Feeling of defeat.

He didn't want to blame his lack of experience. It is the result of carelessness and the sweetness of the assumption.

Munakata raised his stance and lowered his sword.

Correct the position of the glasses with his finger and take a slow deep breath.

"It's okay."

He tried and calmly said...

"Suoh Mikoto. I lost. I don't want any more fights. For the moment, let's leave those three people in charge of "Homura." This time I'll put it like this "

The other part is just the other part, and it is also uncomfortable. However, it is nothing more than Munakata's feelings. It was not something he should consider now.

Withdrawal of troops and reporting to the relevant parties. He will also need to contact the “Tokijikuin”. In addition to dealing with Yamata Daichi's case in writing, it is necessary to rework the plan to deal with "Homura" after that. As the leader of the newly formed "Scepter 4," and as the new Blue King, he has a lot to do.

But…

Suoh laughed again.

This time, he was filled with rage and even felt hatred.

"You are a funny man, Munakata." Suoh said laughing. Munakata frowned.

Does he plan to approach the negotiations to generate more favorable conditions? It is already clear that Suoh has no qualities as a king. So, he can guess to some extent the objective of a man leading the street gang. Prestige or money? Unexpectedly, it may be the correct response for this man to give some "food" and tame from the side of desire. They can be considered reluctant but effective means.

Munakata thought about that while looking at Suoh who was laughing.

However…

"Oh, this is the first time I've met someone who makes me so mad."

Incorrect.

He realized intuitively. Behind Suoh's eyes was something completely different from what Munakata expected. However, Munakata does not know what it is about.

"Lose? Stop? Hey, good. Do what you want. Is it fair? I'll let you like it too."

Under those words, Suoh's "power" jumped. It also rose explosively.

Munakata narrowed his eyes. It is fundamentally different from the conventional way of issuing "power." It is as if it has come off.

Munakata understands. This is the "royalty" of the "king". The true "power" of the "king".

However, with this, the "Sword of Damocles" appears. Furthermore, Suoh intends to continue the battle as it is.

It is no longer limited to the battle between Suoh Mikoto and Reisi Munakata. The "Sword of Damocles" is a symbol of the "King" and a flag of the Clan. The battle with him is already a "war". In other words, what Suoh is trying to do is equivalent to a "declaration of war" from the red clan to the blue clan.

And above all, it could be the second collapse of the capital.

Munakata is half stunned.

"What an imitation!"

Suoh responds by blowing fire from his mouth, still with a vicious smile.

"What's the knockoff? That's right. It's just a story of trying to hit up a nasty guy."

"What are you planning?"

"I do not know."

Suoh intervened.

At the same time that Munakata develops a barrier, he releases "power" towards Suoh. He creates a barrier by stacking several layers of "power" crystals between him and Suoh.

There was not even a movement to buy time.

Munakata's barrier is removed, squashed and pierced, and Suoh's barrier is thinned in the blink of an eye. It is like a living fireball. Suoh's left hand firmly grasped the sword sheath, like it was a toy. It should be a shock to the bones, but Suoh is still smiling.

He craned his neck and approached Munakata as if biting, sharpening his fangs and pulling him away.

"You do not understand it."

The next moment, Suoh disappeared from view. The fist of fire lifts Munakata up from below, before he realizes he's sunk.

It's a direct hit.

"This?!"

Munakata released "power" with all his might and struck. At the same time, he was pushed upward by the "power", and his feet came off the ground.

The airflow is raging and the heat wave sweeps through the area.

A fierce fire engulfed Suoh and the street temperature rose sharply. The updraft created by the flame continued to blow like a storm.

Suoh is left behind by the action of the matching "power".

And Munakata also flew through the air without any means to do so.

++++++++++

The aftermath of the "power" of the kings, which was still passed down after they left, were powerful enough to attract the blood of Awashima.

The repeated tremors of a while ago do not seem to be natural. What kind of spectacle is spreading now on the battlefield of kings?

"Eh, Lieutenant. That's…?!"

"Don't stop, we just have to do our best!"

Awashima scolded the annoying members, but her chest also got upset.

The Red King who has the "power" of destruction. Perhaps it is just a part of the flame that was glimpsed when the unit left. Awashima doesn't even know the full picture of Suoh's "power". What happens when the two kings collide head-on?

Even if she doesn’t like it, it is the craters that have changed the terrain of the country. Awashima clenches her back teeth.

Too many unexpected things overlap ...

First of all, the fact that Yamata was already protected by the "Homura" executives was separated from the previous information. Yamata must have formed his own group within "Homura" and slipped through his eyes to stay away from the higher ranks. Of course, there was the possibility that the executives would make contact without seeing Yamata's behavior, but at least when Awashima recalled the Munakata meeting, such a move could not be confirmed. If the executives left at the same time, there are many problems.

Also, aside from Totsuka who considers himself one of the team's organizers, it is a complete misunderstanding that even Red King Suoh himself, who should hardly speak of organizational management, appeared on the scene. Why did Suoh intervene this time? He detects that movement, but how?

Also, it is tremendous bad luck for the operation, such as suddenly meeting Suoh. They were in a compromised state, and instead of blocking Suoh's movement, Munakata was also stuck.

The calculation difference is also basic from the initial action.

In this operation, Awashima is aware that she urged Munakata to make the final decision. Even if the final decision was made by Munakata, she couldn't erase the feelings of guilt.

Of course, trust Munakata. He as King will always act calm and make the best decision, no matter how difficult the situation is.

Munakata has the knack to make she think that.

But...

Just as Munakata is king, Suoh is also king. It should mean that there is something "special" that sets them apart from ordinary people regardless of the strength of the "power" like Ex-A ability.

There is no way she can predict the outcome of such a collision between the two kings.

She should be calm.

The "Sword of Damocles" has yet to appear in the sky above the battlefield where Munakata is fighting. This is proof that Munakata does not fight "seriously" and that the last line is protected.

Her task now is to secure two people, Yamata and the Strains, who are fleeing with Totsuka. First of all, Munakata holds Suoh just to allow Awashima and her friends to carry out their duties. If Awashima and the others achieve their goals, the battle between the kings will end at that time. If she wants to relieve her anxiety, she must find Yamata and the others as soon as possible.

However, at this point, not only has the report arrived that Yamata was discovered, but no key information has arrived either.

Awashima had a unit under her command split up and searched the area. However, it remains overwhelmingly insufficient. The start was delayed due to the stagnation of the Red King, but the difference in perception of the place was even greater. It would be nice if she could at least sneak into a nearby surveillance camera, but this time she hasn't gotten legal permission for that and she's not technically prepared enough. Anyway, the situation is too unexpected.

Too,

"Lieutenant Awashima. Report of the 1st and 2nd platoons engaged in the battle with the members. After all, the melee continues and it is difficult to leave the battlefield immediately."

Hold the words that are about to come out.

"All good. At the very least, tell them to prioritize minimizing the damage rather than destroying it. In particular, avoid expanding the front line at all costs."

What is transmitted to the others is the communication from the command information vehicle of "Scepter 4".

Platoons 1 and 2 were Akiyama and Benzai. It is a particularly excellent unit in the Swordsmen Division. The fact that the two corps are involved in an engagement battle and cannot move is a considerable annoyance in this situation where even a little manpower is needed.

In addition, deficiencies in the communication network are also highlighted. Since Munakata has always led himself in dispatches until now, the use of the communication network through the command information vehicle is of course well trained, but the members are not used to it. It was difficult to say that the communication and command system was optimized.

No experience as an organization. Therefore, immaturity is emerging one after another in adversity.

It is bad. If this continues…

While doing this, the fleeing Totsuka and the fighting members of "Homura" may be summoning other members of the clan. Anyway, speed was required in this operation. The longer it lasts, the more serious and disadvantageous the situation becomes. And today there are already clear signs of this.

"We should withdraw..."

"Lieutenant?"

"Nothing."

Awashima shakes her head towards the line that spills out involuntarily. Feel it. Despite being in the position of Lieutenant, she is well aware of how much she depended on Munakata.

Only the royal authority can stop the royal authority. So when kings fight each other, how much the remaining clan can be formed depends on the skill of the person who commands the clan. Awashima squeezed the importance of her rank.

Meanwhile, she comes to a side street.

"Squadron. You guys can proceed as is. Look here."

She gives instructions to the members who accompanied her and they divide in two. There is no unit operation anymore, but it is not the case when they are concerned about the format. Anyway, if they don't find Yamata and the others, nothing will happen.

Awashima ran hard on the street. But at that moment ...

"Lieutenant Awashima. Reported by the Fourth Squad. They discovered Daichi Yamata and are currently tracking him!"

Awashima wore a beautiful appearance when she received the call from the command information vehicle.

"Domyoji Andy, he reported."

Andy Domyoji, the commander of the Fourth Squad, is the youngest boy in the Swordsmen Division, he is only 17 years old. His father was a former member of "Scepter 4" organized by former King Habari Jin, and when Munakata became the new king, his father entrusted him to the group.

Domyoji did a good job.

Domyoji has a wild personality that doesn't fit into the category of youth. Wayward behavior is not suitable for organizational behavior, and it is also a troubled member. On the other hand, his father's trained sword skill is one of the best in the unit, and he has an outstanding sense of manipulating "power." And again, to the point of line-of-sight, leading a team the size of a friendly group of students often yields remarkable results. In particular, the latter was evaluated by Munakata and was designated as the youngest platoon leader.

However, the quality of Domyoji that Awashima most appreciates is that he "succeeds". Whether good or bad, Domyoji has a high probability of winning. He can call it luck or star circle, but those qualities are not available through training. Human resources like Domyoji are extremely grateful to those who command the team in the situation where they want to trap the opponent.

"Apart from Yamata? Is there also Tatara Totsuka?"

"Details are unknown! However, only Yamata was in the report!"

"All good. Immediately dispatch Domyoji's current location. Those who can, immediately go to the scene and secure Yamata with the highest priority."

If Yamata can be held down now, it will still be in time. On the contrary, if she misses this opportunity, it will be a problem.

The location data was sent to the PDA with the signal of the incoming call. Be careful and unfold. Don't let them go far.

"Hurry. Don't let them escape!"

Issuing this order over the intercom link, Awashima started running towards Domyoji.

Immediately after that, the sound of a storm blowing in the background echoed.

When she turned around, she could see a large column of flames spilling over the height of the buildings. Unintentionally awesome. It must be the Red King.

Unorthodox exercise of great "power." Destruction and devastation that infects people. It's an unforgivable show for "Scepter 4," which is dedicated to the beauty of "complete order."

"Damn…"

She has to hurry. It was when she thought and tried to run again.

A blue light flashed overhead.

"Hey?"

"Eh?" She looked up at the sky with wide eyes.

A blue shooting star crossed, as if erasing the height of the building. The bright blue crystals, large and small, are superbly dispersed and coiled in a spiral.

At the top was a young man in a blue uniform and a blue aura.

The young man twists vividly in the air, one might think that a geometric barrier has been erected all over the sky. He landed sideways on a huge sign on the roof of a building that was about to collide.

As it is, this time it slides into the outer wall of the building, and falls to the ground.

While flipping the hem of the uniform, he lands on the street without a problem.

It was Munakata.

Awashima found herself dumbfounded. However, she regained consciousness quickly and tried to run in a hurry.

Wham!

Munakata slammed his left fist against the wall behind him without turning around.

"What the hell is wrong with that man?"

At that moment, Awashima forgot her current mission, position, and situation, and opened her eyes and lips like a normal college student.

But that is not unreasonable. Except for this once, Awashima Seri had never seen Munakata Reisi furious before.

Silence lies between them. After a moment,

"Captain?"

Awashima calls Munakata.

Her tone was not that of an aide to the organization leader addressing her superior officer, nor was it that of a vassal speaking to a beloved king. If a comparison was made, she sounded like a surprised but mature girl beyond her years, speaking to a boy in her class who threw an unexpected childish tantrum.

Munakata released his fist and slowly lowered his arm.

"Excuse me. I was distraught."

Then, he gently repositioned his eyes and placed the sword that was still in the sheath at his waist. His voice and demeanor had already fully returned to Munakata's calm and collected demeanor.

…No.

There was a slight feeling of discomfort. On the surface, it's been completely repaired, but it comes from beneath the disguised courtesy of outrage on the inside.

He did not feel that the "King who was a perfect wall" had collapsed. Instead, it is as if the wax from the hard arms is about to emerge...

"Awashima-kun. What is your situation here?"

"......"

"Awashima-kun?"

"Ah, yes! There was a report that they just found Daichi Yamata! Currently, the fourth platoon is chasing him. Other members are also running towards the scene. However, the first and second platoons found the members. of "Homura" and they are facing them. This is a melee battle!"

In a hurry, she corrects her posture and reports the situation. Munakata looked strictly.

"Okay. Then, I'll go there too. Once Yamata Daichi is captured, call the 1st and 2nd Platoons and retreat. We will resolve this quickly."

"Um..."

Awashima didn't know if she could ask, but she couldn't help but confirm.

"What about Suoh Mikoto?"

She was prepared to be yelled at, but Munakata no longer collapsed at all. He has a cold look like a block of ice.

"There is no change in strategy. The Mobile Swordsman Division should continue to focus on securing Daichi Yamata. I will retain that man."

++++++++++

Kusanagi couldn't help but click her tongue at the pillar of flames rising there.

Of course, it was probably very large. For some time now, the vibrations of the "power" that it emanated were often transmitted to this distant place. In other words, it is proof that Suoh is still fighting.

The problem is the other part.

"Please, Mikoto."

Please just "there" make it different. As he wished it, Kusanagi knew it would be an empty sentence. After all, from Kusanagi's point of view, he's colliding with "Scepter 4" in front of him.

First of all, there are countless opponents who can fight Suoh, they can still fight.

"Uoooooh! Mikoto-san is amazing!"

In the middle of a fierce battle, Yata screams with joy when he sees a pillar of fire piercing the skies. Fushimi quickly turned towards the opponents, but the members of “Scepter 4” were also looking up at the sky and holding their breath.

"Damn. What the hell is going on?"

Suoh began to wield "power" shortly after Kusanagi and his colleagues resumed the fight with "Scepter 4."

For Kusanagi, the battle ahead is just a glimpse of the power of the new "Scepter 4". As soon as he learned that Suoh had started fighting, he ran over there and changed his policy to determine the situation.

However, the unit in front of them is quite tough.

Of course, Yata and Fushimi are unexpectedly heating up, and there is also the aspect that the situation cannot continue like this. But more than that, the enemy forces are tenacious and veteran.

Yata and Fushimi are overwhelming in individual battles. The abilities of the two captains there appear to be close to those of the two, but there was still a distinct "power" difference between the two.

#K #k project #k R:B #suoh mikoto #reisi munakata #homura #scepter 4 #k novel

[thegoodgayshit]

Luz’s mother really doesn’t want to send Luz to camp. She knows once she leaves, there is no going back. But Luz has a knack for getting into trouble, and one day she stumbles into the same type of people her mother would have preferred she avoided. After helping Luz dissolve her high school bully into dust, Eda and Lilith know right away that this kid is just like them - a child of the gods. So Luz hops on a Pegasus and heads to Camp Half-blood, where she embarks on a dangerous quest that makes her both friends and enemies... and she might even save Olympus along the way.

Chapter Five: My Rival Has to Save Olympus

The victory party for the blue team was in full gear in the pavilion, but Luz was too distracted to even enjoy it. Her brain was running a mile a minute, and every time she had a thought she zoned out, unable to ignore it.

She didn’t know how to feel, which was starting to become a habit. On one hand, she had never been so excited in her life. Her father had claimed her, in front of everybody, and announced to the whole camp that Luz was his. She had never known anything about her dad besides what her Mami had said about him, so now that she could really put a name to who he was, Luz felt seen.

But a part of her, a part that she hated that she felt, was angry and resentful with her father. He had known who Luz was her whole life, and he had never once visited her or helped out her Mami when they were struggling. Luz remembered when she had worked three double shifts back to back, and almost collapsed with exhaustion. Hermes could have helped them. He could have been there.

As they were shedding their armor and freshening up together to head to the pavilion for the celebration, she expressed this frustration to Willow and Gus. The pair had shot her sympathetic smiles as Luz shifted Aletheia back to a ring, and tucked the buzzer into her shorts pocket to return to Eda at the celebration.

“We know how you feel,” Gus said quietly. “Most half-bloods never know or meet their godly parents.”

Willow nods, “Gus and I have been at camp for years and never met ours.”

Luz swallows her frustration. That isn’t right. It isn’t fair for a parent to just abandon their kids because they thought they had better things to do.

“But the upside is that most of us have our siblings!” Willow adds with a gleam of excitement. “They make being a half-blood a lot more fun.”

Willow had a point there. Now that Luz was claimed, she couldn’t believe she actually had siblings! Well, half-siblings. After she’d been claimed, Viney and Jerbo had run-up to her and pulled her in for high fives. They told her how excited they were that she’d be staying in their cabin, and even called her their sister. Luz had never felt any kind of sibling love like that before, and without even realizing it, her eyes had gotten misty and her throat had closed up with affection.

“You’re right, Willow,” Luz said, giving her a genuine smile.

The trio walked practically arm in arm to the pavilion, and when Luz saw it, she gasped. The place was practically unrecognizable from the last time she had seen it at breakfast. The tables had been covered with white tablecloths, and there were tasteful blue streamers and decorations hanging from the columns. The sun was setting so there was a beautiful glow over it, and torches were lit everywhere to light it up. The place was packed: with demigods, nymphs, and satyrs all partying together. When they walked in, a demigod from the Dionysus cabin saw them and cheered when they realized they had played on the blue team, laying laurels around their necks.

“Holy Zeus,” Gus exclaimed with glee. “I forgot how awesome the party can get when the Dionysus cabin wins the games.”

Luz was grinning excitedly and she pumped her fist in the air, her previous worries long forgotten. “This is awesome! I love being a half-blood!”

They quickly adapted to the party and Luz couldn’t ever remember having so much fun. A lot of the red team players were there despite their loss, but a lot of them were having too much fun to actually hold a grudge against the blue team's cabins. Luz was soon chatting amicably with demigods from both the Apollo cabin and the Hephaestus cabin, but she did notice as she wandered around that the Ares campers were nowhere to be found.

“By the way Augustus, that was an awesome distraction by the creek today,” one of the Apollo campers, who had introduced herself as Bo, said. Gus rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous laugh as Willow and Luz turned to look at him.

“What is she talking about, Gus?” Luz asked with a frown, and Willow raised a brow as well.

He was starting to look more and more stressed. “Well, I might have suggested to Viney that Amity and her friends had it out for Luz and that if she was stationed somewhere Amity could find her… she’d be willing to put aside her chances of winning to challenge her.”

“You used me as bait?” Luz yelped, her eyes widening. Gus put up his hands defensively.

“Not exactly! I just knew that an opportunity to take the flag might present itself if the red team's best swordfighter was otherwise occupied.”

“You used her as bait,” Willow said with a disapproving frown.

“Sorry, Luz,” Gus said sheepishly.

Luz shrugs, assuring him she isn’t upset. Despite her surprise with the whole situation, Luz wasn’t mad. It’s not like they’d been hurt. In fact, it had been pretty great all things considered, but that wasn’t because Luz was a skilled camper. It was that she had gotten lucky and had a few tricks up her sleeve Amity and her friends hadn’t been expecting.

Amity… Luz was still really feeling guilty about using the hand buzzer. Even if Amity was mean to her, she hadn’t deserved to be embarrassed like that. And even if the buzzer was a magic item and technically allowed, Luz felt like a cheater. Without even realizing she was doing it, Luz started to scan around the pavilion for her, wondering if she was at the party.

As she looked through the crowd, her eyes finally fell on just the girl she was looking for. Amity was standing at the edge of the crowd, with Edric and Emira next to her. Luz put her goblet of lime soda down on the table and excused herself from the conversation, turning and heading towards them slowly, not sure how to integrate herself into their circle.

As she got closer, Luz made out that Amity’s face was bright red. Emira was nudging her with her elbow, and Edric grinned at her cheekily, and Luz wondered if she should just turn around and come back later. But then Amity’s gaze shifted towards Luz and the pair made eye contact, and her blush faded into a scowl.

“Oh, it’s you,” she scoffed, and Luz winced.

“Hey, Amity…” she tried.

“What do you want?” She asked, clearly not interested in humoring their conversation. “Haven’t you done enough to make me look like an idiot?”

“Quit being mean to your friends, mittens,” Edric said, and Amity’s scowl deepened.

“She’s not my friend.”

With that, she turned heel and stormed away, and Edric and Emira laughed to themselves, which made Luz furrow her brow.

“What’s so funny?” She asked them, and Emira cocked an eyebrow.

“The fact that mittens got played today, cutie,” she said, and Luz couldn’t help the embarrassed blush that formed on her cheeks. “She’s the camp's pride and joy, and she just got outsmarted and outmatched by the new girl and her team of underdogs.”

Luz wasn’t sure if she should be offended or not. The twins didn’t give her a chance to decide.

“It’s always fun getting mittens hot under the collar,” Edric added with a sly smile. “Like telling her exactly where you were so she’d ditch the flag and run after you instead.”

“You guys were the ones who told her where we were?” Luz asked in shock. “But you sabotaged your own team and lost!”

“We don’t consider knocking mittens down a peg a loss,” Emira shrugged. “Besides, you’ve seen how she acts. Somebody had to do it.”

It looks like Luz hadn’t been the only half-blood played by the Blight twins.

Luz shuffled her feet guiltily. She needed to talk to Amity. “Look, you guys are cool and all-”

“Mhmm,” The twins nodded together.

“But I need to find mittens, I mean… Amity.”

“Alright, but you’re way too fun for her,” Emira said with a grin, shooting her a wink. Luz definitely needed to go before her face got any redder than it already was.

She broke off in the direction Amity left in, keeping an eye out for green hair. She walked around the back of the pavilion and paused when she caught sight of Amity. She was sitting against one of the columns in the dark, out of sight and away from the rest of the campers. Her knees were tucked into her chest as she sat on the floor, her head pressed against them with her eyes screwed shut. Luz realized that she was on the verge of tears.

She walked towards her slowly and uncertainly. “Amity… I’m sorry.”

Amity looks up at her and her eyes narrow as she scoffs. “Seriously? Just leave me alone.”

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” Luz pleaded, and Amity turns and glares at her, but Luz thinks it’s more out of sadness than anger now.

“Well, that’s all you’ve done! First in front of Eda, and now this?” Luz opens her mouth to try and defend herself, but then Amity gets to her feet and strides towards her.

“You made me look like a fool in front of the whole camp!” Amity cries out, and Luz is taken aback by how her voice cracks with hurt. “You think it’s so easy to be a half-blood, but I have been working my whole life to get to the top.”

Luz is realizing now that this goes much deeper than just a fun game of capture the flag. She is speechless when Amity points an accusing finger in her face, her voice rising desperately. “You lost. I had you completely disarmed and you tricked me. You cheated! Say it! Say that you didn’t really win!”

Luz’s shoulder drop and she says to Amity what she’s been thinking since the game ended.

“I didn’t really win.”

Amity doesn’t really know what to say at that, and her expression drops immediately. Luz turns and slides down the column into a sit. Luz reaches into her pocket and pulls out the hand buzzer, showing it to her. Amity slowly sits down next to her and looks.

“Eda gave me this after we saw you in the arena yesterday. I knew I was going to lose after I saw you with your sword. You’re the better camper. But I tried really hard to learn.”

Amity is now looking at the buzzer with a guarded expression like she isn’t sure what to think of it. “It’s enchanted with condensed lightning, I knew the second it touched me.”

“Eda is a daughter of Zeus…” Luz mused, pursing her lips. She turned her head to look Amity in the eyes.

“I’m sorry. This whole half-blood thing isn’t coming naturally to me like it does for you. I’ve had to improvise a little bit.”

Amity’s gold eyes blink into hers before she sighs. “Maybe you aren’t a cheater,” she drops her gaze to the floor awkwardly. “I haven’t exactly been the friendliest camper around. I’ll think on that.”

Luz feels a little smile begin to prick on her cheeks, and she thinks that maybe she had Amity pegged wrong. Maybe she’s not a bully after all.

Suddenly, a scream echoes from the pavilion, making Luz’s blood run cold. It’s followed by another, and then another. Luz and Amity both shoot to their feet, their expressions darting to one another in alarm.

“What is that?” Luz asks, and Amity’s eyes just widen in fear before she draws her sword and races around the column towards the party. Luz swallows and touches her ring, and then she’s holding her knife in her hand and following after her.

When they race into the pavilion, Luz’s heart drops. Campers, nymphs, and satyrs scatter everywhere as a dozen of what looks like literal skeleton soldiers have drawn bronze swords and slash through tables, aiming for any living bodies they can. They are almost nothing but bones, wearing bronze armor and hissing angrily. They all speak together at once, and the words send chills right down Luz’s spine.

“Children of the gods will pick their side,” they say, over and over again like on a rhythm. “The fires of Olympus will finally die.”

Luz sees Eda and Lilith standing protectively around a group of unarmed campers, slashing their swords valiantly at six of the twelve approaching skeletons while King growls angrily at their feet. Lilith swings expertly, hitting two of them in one go as they dissolve. Eda raises her sword to the sky, and the air stinks like ozone before pointing her sword at one, and a thunderbolt streaks across the blade and smacks it right in the chest, disintegrating it. Luz knows she isn’t needed there. The daughters of Zeus have it under control.

Amity has made a running leap towards her siblings who are face to face with two skeletons. She slashes down through the back of one, and her siblings each make a swing with their own swords, so Luz thinks they’ll probably be okay for now.

Luz scans the clearing desperately for Gus and Willow. She hears them before she sees them. Gus thrust his spear through one skeleton as Willow stands in front of Viney, protecting her from two others. The head of the Hermes cabin has collapsed onto the floor, clutching her arm. Luz’s protective instinct kicks into overdrive at the sight, and she roars in anger, charging towards one skeleton and slashing with her knife, dissolving it into dust as Willow’s sword makes short work of the other one.

Luz scans around the clearing and realizes that all of the skeletons have been disintegrated. Eda and Lilith quickly try to rally the scattered campers, and Willow, Gus, and Luz lean down to Viney in worry.

Luz almost blacks out at the sight. She has a deep slash down her arm from a bronze sword, and blood is running down her arm and soaking the ground and the shirt.

“Owwww,” she groans quietly, gritting her teeth. Luz thinks this is definitely not just an “Ow” situation.“What do we do?” Luz yelps in alarm, but Willow is already on it. She has turned to the Apollo campers, most of who are slowly starting to file back into the pavilion after scattering.

“Medic! We have an injured camper!” She yells, and the girl Luz had met earlier, Bo, heads over urgently and drops to her knees, pulling a first aid kit from her belt.

Gus pulls Luz away from Viney. “She’ll be okay, Apollo is also the god of medicine. We need to listen to Eda and Lilith.”

Luz gulps, looking at Viney to make sure she’s ok. The girl smiles feebly at her and gives her a shaky thumbs-up, so Luz does what she’s told and heads over to the circle of gathering campers.

She stands with Willow and Gus in the crowd, and most of the campers have returned to the pavilion post skeleton attack. The other campers who didn’t attend the party have also come when they heard the ruckus, so Boscha and the Ares cabin are there too, with Skara and some of the other Apollo kids right behind them.

Luz sees Amity and her siblings in the crowd too, and Amity is being fussed over by Emira, which she is not having. She pushes her away, wiping at her face. Luz realizes there is a cut on her cheek, which she must have gotten when she ran to help her siblings.

Eda and Lilith stand on a table so everyone can hear them, with King prowling anxiously at their heels. Eda is trying to whistle to get the crowds attention, while Lilith is chatting lowly to the boy who sits at the Head table with them and King. Barcus, the camp’s human oracle. The camp is quiet very quickly, all of them nervously glancing around like at any moment more skeletons might show up.

“Everybody, please calm down.” Lilith eventually says as she pulls away from Barcus to address the crowd. “I know all of you are scared, but everything is going to be fine.”

“How did those skeletons get through the camp’s magic?” One camper called from the crowd, and Luz’s brow furrowed. She’d forgotten the camp had enchanted barriers to protect them and was wondering the same thing. From what Willow described, they were almost impossible to penetrate.

“There are some ways to bypass the camp's magical borders,” Eda answers with a frown, her gold eyes scanning through the crowd. “Somebody inside camp could have summoned them, or an immortal being could have given them our location. That is not what is important. What we need to focus on right now is the call for a quest.”

There was a ripple of whispers at that, as campers eyed one another nervously. Luz isn’t sure what the problem is.

“What’s the big deal?” Luz whispers to Willow, who is worrying her lip. “Quests sound kind of cool.”

“A quest is only given to campers when something serious is happening in our world, or when a god requests one. They’re very rare and very dangerous,” she whispers back. “Only the strongest half-bloods are nominated for one.”

“There is something we have been keeping from you all.” Eda continues, and Lilith seems to pass her an annoyed look, but Eda just continues. “Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, is missing. She was kidnapped from Olympus earlier this week. The gods did not want us to take action until we were given a sign that it was the right time to proceed.”

There is a loud commotion at that. Luz blinks and turns to her friends with her mouth dropped open. “Hestia has been kidnapped? Like… the goddess of the hearth? How is it even possible to kidnap a goddess?”

“It’s happened before in stories,” Gus says offhandedly, fidgeting nervously with his hands. “Hephaestus caught Aphrodite and Ares a couple of times. It’s very difficult though.”

Eda purses her lip at the commotion and then glances over at Viney, who is being treated at one of the tables. She stamps her foot loudly to keep the attention of the crowd. “Now is as good a sign as any that we must have a quest. Barcus is willing to give a prophecy to one nominee, who will be tasked with finding Hestia and returning her safely to Olympus.”

There was another shout of noises as names began to be called into the air. One of the campers shouted, “why don’t you and Lilith go? You’re the daughters of Zeus, and you have plenty of experience.”

Eda and Lilith shared a look before Lilith shook her head. “We must stay here, in case we need to protect Camp Half-Blood from another attack. Someone else must go.”

Luz wasn’t sure who said it first, but then, from around the clearing loud and clear rang out: “I think it should be Amity.”

Once it was said once, the whole camp seemed to be in agreeance.

“Yeah, Amity is one of our most experienced campers!”“She’s one of the best swordfighters I’ve seen…”

“And she’s tough, she’d be able to carry through with it.”

A smile split Luz’s face when she realized what was happening. Amity’s hard work was finally paying off like she’d confessed to earlier. The camp really did see her as the best of the best. Luz turned to find her in the crowd, and when her eyes locked on Amity, her expression made her do a double-take. Amity didn’t look excited, or proud. She looked terrified.

“Why isn’t she happy?” Luz asked with a frown.

“Don’t be too hard on her,” Willow muttered, and Luz was surprised by how sympathetic she looked. From what Luz thought, Willow and Amity’s relationship wasn’t that great. “Being nominated is a hard job.”

Amity eventually took a breath and steeled her expression, moving forward to stand next to Eda and Lilith. Lilith looked at her slowly and then cleared her throat.

“Amity Blight, do you accept this quest?”

“I do,” Amity said, wiping any previous nervousness off of her face.

Barcus slowly stepped forward and shifted the glasses on his face. “Amity, if it’s alright I’d like to give you the prophecy somewhere quieter. It’ll just be for a moment.” Luz had never heard Barcus speak before, but it was a lot huskier than she’d thought it would be.

Luz watched Amity swallow, before nodding her head. The pair slowly made their way behind the pavilion and out of sight.“As per rules of the quest, the nominee may choose two other campers to accompany them on their journey.” Eda continued, shifting the sword in her hand back into Owlbert. The little owl cooed and perched itself on her shoulder. “When Amity returns, she may choose her companions.”

“Gee, I wonder who it’ll be,” Gus mumbles sarcastically, and Luz thinks he makes a good point. Boscha and Skara have already pushed their way to the front, and the campers parted, knowing who Amity would choose.

When Amity and Barcus make their way back to stand next to Eda and Lilith, the crowd seems to be holding their breath. Luz examines Amity as she approaches. At first, she assumes Amity is just being serious due to the situation, but as she looks closer she notices her shoulders twitch, and her gold eyes betray her. Luz would know that look anywhere. Whatever she’s just heard has terrified her.

She doesn’t even wait before speaking. “I choose Boscha and Skara as my companions.”

The two other campers step forward quickly, each taking place at Amity’s side. Luz, like the rest of the camp, figured this might happen, so it’s not surprising. What does confuse Luz though, is that when they stand next to her Amity isn’t looking at them. Instead, she turns looks directly at Luz. They make eye contact, and then Amity quickly turns away. Luz feels the breath leave her body, but she’s forced to turn her head back to look at Eda.

“Amity, Boscha, and Skara,” she says, sizing them up with her eyes. “You will leave tomorrow at dawn to go and find Hestia and return her to Olympus.”

“We won’t fail,” Amity promises, and now that Luz has seen what Amity is actually feeling, she wonders how she says those words with so much confidence. She wonders if Aphrodite’s kids have similar public speaking skills to the Hermes campers.

While three nominees head out of the pavilion with Lilith to discuss their plans for their journey, the rest of the campers are instructed by Eda to help clean up the mess. Luz’s muscles are aching from the game of Capture the Flag, and even more so after fighting the skeletons, but cleaning helps keep her mind off of everything that’s just happened. Besides, she gets to work with Gus and Willow, which is always a bonus.

Eda dismisses the three of them in particular after they almost collapse in exhaustion from lifting one of the broken columns back into the air, holding it in place so a camper from Cabin Nine can use their enchanted blowtorch to put it back together. Luz trudges alone back to the Hermes cabin, and when she pushes open the door she hopes to see Viney back in the bunk. But it’s just Jerbo sitting there alone on the bunk below hers. All her other siblings must still be cleaning up.

“Where’s Viney?” Luz asks worriedly, “I thought you helped carry her to the infirmary?”

“They want her to stay overnight for monitoring,” he says, the exhaustion heavy in his voice. “She’s probably going to be okay though.”

This doesn’t calm Luz down, but she supposes there’s nothing she can really do. The anxiety from today weighs heavy in her belly, so she goes into her chest and grabs her new pj’s and her phone, and she gets ready for bed before hiding the phone in the waistband of her shorts before climbing into her bunk.

She knows she isn’t allowed to have one, so she waits until Jerbo is snoring lightly below her before she opens it up and texts her Mami. After the chaos of today, she still has so many unanswered questions, some of them nobody can answer but her.

Hola, Mami. Eda is letting me use my phone to text you and tell you about today. We played capture the flag and my dad claimed me. I guess you already knew this, but he’s Hermes. He passed along some abilities to me I didn’t even know I had. Did you know I am a really good public speaker? I was able to get my friends to push themselves a little harder today and we ended up winning the game. It sucks it couldn’t come in handy all those times I got in trouble at school. Maybe if I’d known I could have talked my way out of those messes.

She hits send on the first paragraph and worries her bottom lip between her teeth. There are so many other things too, but she doesn’t want to scare her Mami or make her think she shouldn’t have let Luz stay here.

My friend, well, I guess she isn’t really a friend. More like a rival I guess. She got assigned a quest today. She’s going to find a missing goddess and save Olympus. Despite how crazy that all sounds, I’ve never been happier than when I’m at Camp Half-Blood. I think I finally found my kind of people like you always wanted me to do. But I still really miss you. Maybe I’ll ask Eda if I can call you soon. Buenas noches, Mami.

She tucks the phone under her pillow, and before she knows it exhaustion takes over her and she falls asleep.

The dreams come for the second time. This time though, she isn’t at school. She’s somewhere warm, and there is a cool summer breeze blowing in the distance. She feels the rocky ground beneath her feet, and the air is crisp like she’s up high.

Then there’s the laugh again, and the same feeling of the sword poking against her back as the last one. She holds up her hands in surrender.

“Your friends are scared, little hero.” He whispers into her ear, and Luz swallows, trying not to make a sound. She looks up at the sky and realizes she can see the peak of a mountain, the top of it covered in a sheet of white snow.

“The gods were cruel to me, too. They ruined me, made me obsessed with earning their honor and glory. And what did it get me? You are their pawn, just as I was.” The breathing gets closer to her ear, and Luz squeezes her eye shut, willing this to end.

“Think to yourself, what will their glory get you, little hero?”

She shoots awake wildly from the nightmare, panting and drenched in sweat.

#the owl house #Percy Jackson AU #lumity #luz x amity #slow burn #shelby speaks