#ch 2 is up let's gooo

[uraberika]

Paparazzi

Rating: T Fandom: Inazuma Eleven Chapter: 2/? Relationship: Domon Asuka/Urabe Rika, Ichinose Kazuya/Urabe Rika Characters: Domon Asuka, Urabe Rika, Ichinose Kazuya, Zaizen Touko Summary: Domon Asuka is a twenty-something fashion journalist stuck between last-minute speed-running articles at midnight and editing photos of fashionistas who think way too highly of themselves. But when he accidentally ruins the career of celebrity model Urabe Rika, he finds his life suddenly turned upside down as he is forced to help the insufferable fashion icon (quite literally) get back on her feet. On other platforms:AO3

The clapping was what always reached her ears first. Not the eardrum blowing music, neither the snapping of the camera flashes, nor the voice of the presenter, but the clapping. It was the faintest of sounds compared to the commotion in the huge room but it was always the first thing she took notice of. The rest of the noises had been simply drowned out, leaving nothing of importance but the sound of hands touching. They were clapping. They wanted her, they demanded her, they needed her. That was the thought that kept her going: she wouldn't let her fans down. 

Urabe Rika stepped into the spotlight and roaring applause greeted her. She couldn't see a thing due to the burning stage lights and couldn't hear anything comprehensible from all the cameras clicking but she could feel the rhythm of hundreds of pairs of hands in every bone of her body; and Urabe Rika, the fourth most popular female model in Tokyo, didn't need to see or hear to walk through a catwalk. She only needed the clapping.

Rika took her first step and the reflectors illuminated her silhouette. Immediately, in time with the lights, the photographers in the crowd went wild, barely restraining themselves from jumping out of their seats. The snapping grew faster and louder; it reminded Rika of a flock of chattering birds taking flight. She took another step, her movements all fluid grace and professionalism. 

The clapping resembled an algorithm in Rika’s eyes. The equation was simple: more clapping equals more fame, which equals more love. The blue-haired model just adored these few minutes that allowed her to take the stage where all of the attention was focused on her, and only on her. If she closed her eyes and believed it hard enough, she could pretend that all the clapping was for her and not for the newest piece of clothing she was presenting. That she was the queen of the runway and everyone was bowing to her in the form of clapping. So she, being the generous queen that she was of course, gifted her fans with the most precious thing: her presence. She could almost believe that she wasn't just some doll to play dress-up with, an object, a glass cupboard for someone else's work of art and that the people loved her not just because she was wearing a pretty dress or her face was symmetrical enough but because she was quirky and funny and witty. Of course, none of Rika’s fantasies were true. The people came to see a design that Rika herself couldn't care less about, and even though the faint lilac coloured fabric with the dark blue rose pattern looked amazing on her, she was more preoccupied with the clapping. 

With the confidence of a real royalty, she took another step. It felt a bit different than the other steps, as if something was clinging to her right foot. It would happen to her sometimes, her nerves getting the better of her: she would sometimes feel her legs go numb or weak or would feel as if the ground was dragging her down. Rika knew that the only way of fighting her rare occurrence of a stage fright was to keep going, without thinking too much about it. If she thought, she would be as good as dead. So she shook the feeling out of her leg and took another reassured step. The last thing she saw before her eyes was the audience suddenly turning upside down and the shattering of glass. After that, the whole world went black. 

—

Urabe Rika could already tell that she was in a bad mood this morning. Her double matcha frappuccino at the coffee shop had been served cold and she hated throwing fits around but this was an offense she couldn't take. After that, the new stylist trainee at the studio messed up her eyebrows (seriously, why do people who are unable to hold a damn brush steadily get hired? And what's so hard about keeping a pencil still? It's not rocket science!) and Rika had to correct her own makeup, like some teenager before a school dance! The blue-haired model sometimes felt as if the fashion brand she worked for was actually a circus, except that a circus was more organized.

Things didn't exactly go today the way Rika had expected them to. If she had been one of the more superstitious models, she would have taken these nuances as a sign of bad omen and would have canceled her appearance on the show. But of course, Urabe Rika wasn't a scaredy cat who believed in such nonsense as bad luck; she was a professional who made her own luck and walked that catwalk even in the pouring rain if she had to. On top of everything, the fashion show wasn't exactly going the way the designer had planned it to. This morning, she was wearing the masterpiece of the head of the Aldena brand, some kid whose weird hair was far too brown to be fake and whose smile was far too wide to be genuine. Tokyo Fashion week took a toll on big brands too, let alone small and –  as was her case, –  medium-sized ones. By the end of the first mock-walk – which of course had taken place at the crack of dawn – Mr. Aldena was ready to tear out his models’ hair along with his own. The morning thus was one hell of a madness, leaving Rika more drained than ever longonging for nothing but a long soak in her jacuzzi at her luxurious apartment.

But nothing… nothing in her extensive modeling career of three years could have prepared her for this, she thought, staring up at the harsh lights of the hospital room. The last thing she remembered was the splintering pain in her foot and the dread pooling in her chest as she – for the lack of a better term – face planted on the catwalk in the middle of a fashion show at fucking Tokyo Fashion Week. She frowned as she tried to recall other details but there were only blurred images in her mind: glass shards from a camera glittering almost mockingly at her, the black suits of the bodyguards as they flung her over their shoulders, the blurring of the city lights from the window of an ambulance car. Rika shook her head in an attempt to clear the images which only resulted in her world starting to spin like a merry-go-round.

“Be careful,” a gentle voice warned her. “The doctors said you don’t have a concussion but I would not risk it, still. ”

“Touko-chan!” Rika’s face lit up with gratitude and relief as she –  much more slowly this time – turned her head to the side. The redhead was dressed to the nines in her work clothes and scowled at her best friend with fond exasperation.

“I told you not to call me that when I’m working! I am your head bodyguard and it makes both of us look unprofessional!”

Rika just scoffed in response. “As if my whole team didn’t know we are childhood best friends. It’s a bit late to worry about professionalism, nah?” Touko pursed her lips. It was a recurring quarrel between the two women: Touko believed in the boundaries between private life and professional life; Rika, however, whose private life was 70% her professional life thanks to the invention of social media and online marketing, could not even phantom what such a distinction meant.

“Do you remember what happened?” Touko asked, dropping the topic.

“Some of it. I fell on the catwalk…” Rika’s face twisted into a horrified grimace as she let her own words sink in. Models stumbled on the runway all the time, it was inevitable. Many had even mastered hiding the movement or correcting their trajectory in the last minute usually pocketing an impressive applause from the audience… But falling on a runway, especially at such a high-profile event as Tokyo Fashion Week was unheard of. The blue-haired model groaned in embarrassment. “There was glass… I think it cut my skin. The scars will be one son of a bitch to heal.” Thank God for the upcoming winter season and Fidio’s distaste for short skirts; a few scars should not hinder her from presenting what the designer had already teased as his “Scandinavian Collection''. Touko shifted uncomfortably, her eyes traveling away from Rika’s face, towards the end of the bed. Rika turned her head towards that direction as well, and was met with a white cast on an ankle. Her brain faintly registered that it was her ankle that was in the cast.

“Touko, why is there a cast on my foot?” she couldn’t keep the rising panic out of her voice even if she tried.

“Don’t panic,” Touko attempted to hit a reassuring tone but given that she was dressed in full-on mission gear and most likely armed with at least a taser did not really help her achieve a soothing demeanor. 

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Rika’s voice was an octave higher now. She knew that Touko was never worried. She had saved Rika’s ass more times than she could count: from parties that got out of hand to a literal case of mild workplace harassment, Touko never once told Rika not to panic. She was just there, doing her job efficiently and wordlessly and Rika found comfort in Touko’s practical silence. If she felt the need to reassure Rika with her words, that’s when Rika knew shit hit the fan. 

“Okay, so, there was this paparazzi who snuck way too close to the stage and you might have tripped up in his camera’s lanyard.” “Might have?” Rika raised a sarcastic brow at her bodyguard’s phrasing. “Which was obviously his own fault and immediately admitted it so and assisted with your transportation to the hospital. The poor guy was crying the whole time, I think he must have gone into shock at one point,” the redhead mused as if they were discussing the weather conditions outside. 

“Forgive me if I can’t feel bad for him at the moment,” Rika said wryly, snapping Touko out her musings. “So, what’s the diagnosis?”

Her bodyguard took a steadying breath, bracing herself for what was an inevitable meltdown. “Your ankle is broken.” 

Time suddenly seemed to come to a freezing halt. A broken ankle, a broken anything took at least six weeks to heal, a whole cycle in the fashion world, and multiple cycles in the world of fast fashion and social media. By the time she would get back on her feet, people would forget her; she was only the fourth most popular female Japanese model after all, and no amount of activity on social media could rectify her being away from work for such a long time. Even if her agency kept paying her, there was no guarantee anyone would employ her after her recovery, especially not after that little fiasco on the catwalk. Objectively, Rika knew that a model’s career was precarious, filled with uncertainty and usually very short. The average time that a model spent as an actual model was five years; by that time, it would usually turn out whether one would stay in the industry and become an immortalized figure of beauty or would fade from public consciousness, forced to turn towards other alternatives within the industry. That was why she herself had a couple of side-projects lined up should anything happen to her modeling career. Urabe Rika was confident in her skills, but she was not stupid; she knew that many models fell off the radar due to circumstances outside of their control. Accidents, conspiracies, cancel culture… all could happen to anyone. The realization that her career might be over did not hurt any less even in spite of this knowledge. So Urabe Rika took a shuddering breath and opted for her best method of coping; she filled her lungs to the top with air and screamed as hard as she could.

#inazuma eleven #urabe rika #domon asuka #zaizen touko #mystuff #myfic #ch 2 is up let's gooo

[bonesandthebees]

HELLOOO WAVES WAVESSS I READ CHAPYER 1 OF ROSES LETS GOOO I am also very Eepy bc I just came back from work so I don't have that big of an ask bUTTTT this chapter was great holyshit I'm so excited to read spruce and snowflakes analysises like holyshit there is so much food, all of the little hidden meanings in everyone's words?? Like bro. Bro. I feel like every single word was consciously decided and well thought out. Every little thing is important and that is one of my FAV things in fics. I feel like there's gonna be a lot of foreshadowing in this fic. Also oooh :00 Tommy's playing a bigger part than I was expecting, I am now so?? Curious? Omgggg

God I am eating up these vibes so much Bee I love this so much already actually like this is SO lovely, reminds me a lot of the high fantasy novels I used to read which are my fav vibes ever :)) def like late summer reading eueueu this is gonna be fun to reread I can already tell omgomgomg

Why do I feel like Wilbur being blinded by the sun is going to play a bigger part in the story . You've mentioned it twice now I am Staring

Uhm I'm worried by Wilburs sheer amount of confidence about Niki being chosen. Makes me think maybe, just maybe, he is wrong

oh man I already love tntduo in this I am so excited rahhsss

LETS GOOOO SANDDUO TIME BAKRBAKDBKABDKSBDJBDKDBE

I love Phil

Also . Is Wilbur. Is he saying. Is he saying Phil is THE most powerful man . I am eyeing him. I am eyeing him so hard

"Of course I trust him" what if I cry .

Ranboo once again a spy LMAOFJFKGKGK I feel like everyone's gonna get war flashbacks to stars dhfjfkfk

Ooohhh mannn the tension is already high oohhh mannn I am so scared for this fic /pos

I'm so excited actually like . So excited. I am also incredibly tired so this is shorter than my normal asks FHFJ but just know that I am actually. Like. Holy shit I love this so much already Bee idk how to express this I'm so excited omhogmgogmg

This fic is already so cool. Like. Aaaaaaaaaaa

Okay I'll end this before I repeat myself for the thousandth time BUT JUST KNOW I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS. A LOT OF FEARS

Also I'm not going to be surprised if this ends up being my fav long fic from you. Like I am so biased towards medieval vibes but I also just?? Idk I'm really enjoying this first chapter and all of the levels of complexity that's involved. I just think this fic is going to be very, very fun :))

now that i've finished rose ch 2 i'm scrolling way back in my asks to answer some rose asks so hi icy :)

oh yeah writing rose so far is very much like writing stars in the sense that i have to be so careful about every word i use. I think things over so much and the dialogue especially has to be so carefully balanced. tbh it kind of makes it maddening to write but it's worth it it's worth it

I tried to keep tommy's level involvement a bit of a secret until I posted the first chapter, but yeah, he's actually a major player in this. I can't wait for you guys to meet him next chapter rose!tommy is going Through It

soooo glad you like the vibes I'm having so much fun with it so far. I can't wait to get more immersed in the atmosphere of everything

the sun can blind you when you look at it from a certain angle idk maybe I just thought it was a fun description and there's nothing else there :)))

rose!tntduo are SO fun you guys don't even know

if two people have a gun, who is the most powerful person? the one who pulls the trigger or the one who tells them where to point and when to shoot?

rose!sandduo makes me eat the walls phil trusts his son and loves him so much but also ohhhh their dynamic is so complicated

LMAO LOOK i didn't make ranboo a spy on purpose to reference stars it just sorta worked out that way c!ranboo is just a little hypocrite like that

i'm so glad you're enjoying it so far!! it's definitely going to be a brain shift going from glass to this and I'm already feeling the struggle but once I switch over I know I'm gonna get so into it I'm so excited to dive into this world and to hear everyones thoughts

#ask #icyfox17 #rose ch 1

[feelbokkie]

hyune it was nice to meet you... min's going to fuuucking maaad (major character death?! y/n will die? w/ hyune?)

OOOOOH see there was this voting "PiCk OnE mEmBeR" and chan won (rip chan stans) so maybe chan will die? BAHAHAHA just my little overthinking session, tysm for participating, see u next time

also woah u blessing us w/ 2 chs? let's gooo

the way i forgot what I did the random voting for-- it had nothing to do with 1LD, that's for sure, probably a one shot.

Min was stewing when he saw Hyunjin's message. Screaming, crying, throwing up, shitting, the whole shebang. He needs to get it together tbh.

i would have blessed with 3 but I didn't want to risk image jail again AND ch 7 is written so I take longer with those working on ch7, a drabble, and yesterday and today's feeltober posts!

#feelbokkie answers #one last dance spoilers #one last dance press tour

[jolienjoyswriting]

Attune Your Ears (The Rewrite), Ch. II

Chapter 2 of 2 for "Attune Your Ears (The Rewrite)," an Essence of Ragnarok story. Previous version available here.

Eliza's true intentions are revealed.

Word count: 2,736 – Character count: 15,728 Drafted: March 18th, 2023 Revised: March 19th, 2023 –

Yeah, this still ends how you think it does.  I'm not apologizing. Also, negative character traits, oh my gooo–

Joseph Lithius, Elizabeth Armstrong, "Essence of Ragnarok" series, and related characters and concepts created by and © Jo Li KMC

[ ↶ Prev. Story | ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → | Next Story ↷ ]

    It had been about a month since Eliza first asked Joseph to join her at home.  Since that time, they had been meeting a couple of days on the weekends to… "become acquainted".

    At first, it just seemed like a weird "bird" thing.  He would sit down and let Eliza sit near or on him.  She would chirp or whistle a little as she stroked one of his ears, then once he was relaxed, she would lean up and "preen" the other with her beak.  Sometimes, though… things didn't go according to plan.     Over time, the fox started to develop a lot of small nicks and things along his ears from where she had "slipped".  There were a couple of healed spots where she had drawn blood, too.  She hated hurting him like that…  Not only did it make her feel incredibly guilty, but she seemed to have a clinical fear of the red stuff!  It still worked in her favor, though, as her fox friend would immediately pull her in and comfort her.  It wasn't something she planned for, much less intended for him to do… but she greatly appreciated that it was his instinct to do that.  He gave pretty good hugs…

    Through trial by fire, Eliza began to figure out the secrets of a good "ear preen".  She would run the edge of her beak along the edge of his ear at a perpendicular angle, making sure not to move forward or backward… just "sideways".  She still managed to cut loose some finer fur, here and there, but overall… it just made Joseph feel good.  And that made her feel good.  That was her end goal the whole time… learning how to "groom" his ears and make him smile.  However… during their latest meeting, Joseph stopped her.  When she leaned back and looked at his face… she realized why.  He was blushing pretty hard…

    "Liz…" he sighed, unable to look at her.  "Liz, when… when you rub my ear, it feels so nice…  Your feathers are so soft and your fingers are so warm…  Plus, you're a lot more gentle than Kris is."     The bird smiled, blushing a little.  She never knew how to handle compliments.     "B-but… when you start running your beak over my ears…"     The fox sighed again before glancing up.     "Okay…  Don't… take this the wrong way, but… it feels nice.  Like… really nice.  As in… it feels really… really… nice.  Do… do you get my meaning?"     Eliza stared at him for several seconds, seemingly oblivious.     "What I mean is…"     Then… slowly, the bird leaned in…     "H-hey, wait."     And she started using her beak on his ear.     "Nnn… nnn…"     Which, once again, caused a reaction…

    The warm blush grew under the fox's fur as he held onto Eliza's midsection.  His breathing slowed and became heavier…  One ear was delicately rubbed and tickled by her hand while the other was under constant assault by her sharp, cool beak.  She was breathing into his ear, too… seemingly on purpose.     He wanted to stop her again.  But at the same time… he kind of didn't.

    "L-Liz…  Ah… haa…"

    The fox squirmed and shifted beneath the friendly falcon in his lap.  It didn't seem like she wasn't going out of her way to tease him.  He wasn't sure she even realized what she was doing…  Even when his hands started to roam along her back and slide down her fanned tail feathers… it didn't seem like Eliza had any plans to stop preening his ear.  He knew he should have stopped her…  He knew what might happen if she kept playing with his ears like that…  However… the rational side of his brain had become clouded by all the good feelings.  It felt incredible.  It was addicting…!  He wanted her to keep going… no matter what.

    "I…  I…  L-Liz…!  I…!"     Joseph panted hard and his body trembled.  He pulled the bird closer as she nibbled on his left ear.     "Liz…  Liz…!"     His eyes shakily opened and he tried to focus on a random spot on the wall.  His body was on auto-pilot as his brain came back online.  However, even if he'd wanted to stop things… it was far too late.     "Liii– aaaugh…!!"     The fox threw his head back, passionately crying his friend's name.  At least, he tried to.  As his head went backward… Eliza's sharp beak cut a swath through the chocolate fur and tender flesh on the back of his ear.  The sound he made was somewhere between pain and… and pleasure.     All at once, the bird realized what happened.  She leaned back, covering her beak and staring in wide-eyed… curiosity.  She watched him spasm… heard him groan… and witnessed the effects of what she had done to the young fox.  She should have felt ashamed, knowing what she'd done.  However, behind those feathered hands of hers… was a big, proud smile.

    She had accomplished… exactly… what she had set out to do from the first day.

    As the fox began to calm down, Eliza relaxed her face.  She feigned innocence, gingerly reaching up to stroke the ear she had been nibbling on… only to genuinely wince back.  She'd felt something warm, wet, and sticky.     Joseph's eyes shot open, his head clearing in an instant.  He was quick to notice his friend violently wiping her hand on his shirt.  When he looked up, he noticed an expression of near-hysteria on her face.  He was pretty sure he'd heard her scream, too, but it didn't seem like she was making any noise, anymore.  Her mouth just hung open and she desperately tried to wipe something off her hand.  It didn't take him long to figure out what was going on…

    Eliza was having a panic attack.

    "Liz," he said with a slight pant.  "L-Liz, hey.  Look at me."     The girl continued to hyperventilate, scraping her hand against his freshly-stained white T-shirt.  She'd gotten blood on it… which absolutely did not help her situation.     "Elizabeth," he called again, keeping his voice calm.     She pawed at him a couple more times, clearly not paying attention.     "Elizabeth," he repeated more firmly.     She shuddered before finally looking at him.     "Look here," he told her.  "Focus on my eyes."     Her gaze started to look elsewhere…     "No-no," Joseph said, gently tapping her cheek.  "Over here."     She shivered… and slowly, she started to look back his way.     "Right into my eyes, Liz…" he whispered with a smile.  "Just my eyes."     The girl shakily nodded before letting her eyes lock onto his.     "Now… stay focused on my eyes.  I'm going to carry you into the bathroom.  Okay?"     She nodded a little more… before outright burying her face against his collarbone.     "Wuh– o-okay, that works, too…  Eh heh…"

    With some difficulty, Joseph gently picked the bird up, carrying her bridal-style into the rear of the house.  Once they were there, slowly but surely, he managed to wash the blood off her hand.  With that done, he made sure she was okay, then he politely asked if she would stay outside for a minute.  She briefly tightened her grip on him before calming.  She then closed her eyes and carefully left the bathroom, closing the door behind her.  It wasn't long after that Joseph came back out, sans shirt and with a large kind of bandage over his entire ear.

    "Thanks for being patient," he sighed, offering a comforting smile.  "You did good…"     She couldn't return the smile.  She just looked worried…     "Don't worry…" the fox whispered, gently cupping her shoulder.  "I'll grab my dirty shirt when I leave."     When she shook her head, Joseph tilted his.     "What's wrong?" he asked.     She gestured upward.     "What?  Oh, my ear?"  The fox laughed.  "Liz, I'm fine.  Just a little tender.  I'll heal!"     Though he was smiling… Eliza couldn't stop fretting.     "It's fine, Liz," he reassured her with a grin.  "You can stop wringing your hands and giving me that look.  Besides… the beak injuries make me look cool."     For some reason, that finally got the girl to smile.     "There's a pretty bird!  Heh, I like seeing you smile…"     He reached over, gently stroking one of her white, feathery cheeks.     "It makes me happy."     His smile warmed as she leaned in, cupping his hand with hers and rubbing her cheek against it.  That feeling didn't last long, though, as it reminded him of what they were doing before she had her panic attack…     "Liz?"  When she looked up, he quietly told her… "We… we should talk about earlier…"

    The mood was tense as Joseph sat on one side of the futon in the living room.  Eliza had joined him on the other side.  Neither of them could really look at the other…     "Liz?"     Until the former spoke up, anyway.

    "Liz…" he began, looking right at her.  "Liz, did… does… does what we did… c-count as 'cheating'…?"     The hazel-eyed bird blinked a couple of times.  That clearly wasn't the question she'd expected him to ask!     "I… I know you probably…  I-I mean, you were just having fun, right?  You didn't mean to actually… y-you know…"  He blushed hard, looking down and folding his ears before shakily whispering the words, "S-set me off…"     Eliza kept calm.  She felt guilty about pushing him so far…  Proud, but guilty…  And yet, that sweet, innocent fox had given her the perfect escape!  She was home free!     "Liz…?"     So… why, then…?     "Er… L– Liz…?"     Why… didn't she take it?

    Joseph blushed harder than ever.  Without a noise, that pretty bird had shuffled over and leaned into him.  She nuzzled his shoulder with her cool beak and gently stroked a hand over his chest, quietly chirping…  It was pretty obvious what she was trying to tell him.     "So… it was on purpose…"     He looked away, spitting a curse.  He was hoping that wasn't the case…     "You knew what was going on the whole time… but you just kept on pushing…"     When his tone changed, Eliza leaned back and looked at him.  The fox looked… conflicted.  Again, not something she was expecting.

    "Liz…"     He sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes.     "Liz," he repeated as if she wasn't listening.  "Liz… I… I have a girlfriend…  You two are friends.  You can't– huh?  What?"     Eliza was shaking her head.     "What?" he asked.  "O-oh, right.  You two aren't…"     When she nodded, he just sighed more, shaking his head.     "Look," he started again, "my point is that… you know… there's… like… boundaries and stuff?  And… and stuff!  There should be, and…"     The fox shook his head again before putting his glasses back on.     "Void Below… if Kris knew what we just did…"     He laughed a little… then he sighed even more.     "You know what the worst part about all this is, Liz?"     The bird offered a look of curiosity.     "The worst part is…"  He weakly smiled before admitting to her… "I don't feel bad about it.  Not even a little."     Again, Eliza was wide-eyed.  She… really… did not expect that.

    "D-don't get me wrong!" Joseph cried, startling the bird.  "I'm pretty sure I just cheated on my girlfriend by letting you do… what you did…  B-but at the same time, it's like… I guess it could be m… much worse?"     Eliza gestured over to him, prompting the fox to expand on that.     "We could've… you know…"  He sheepishly grinned as he suggested… "H-had… sex?"     And once again… the bird was wide-eyed with surprise.  And embarrassment!  She became very flustered very quickly, hiding her blushing face behind her hands… only to peek at the fox through her fingers.     "I-I know!" he laughed.  "Crazy idea, right?  You and me… having actual sex?"     He laughed… paused… then looked down, biting his lip.     "What a… a crazy… s-stupid idea…"     And it was at that point… that Eliza became fully invested in the conversation.

    "I… I'm a good boyfriend," Joseph continued, talking to the floor.  "I love my girlfriend with all my heart!  She's warm and… well, she can be warm.  And she can be cuddly, too!  I guess I…  Gods Above… I don't know what I'm saying."     The fox sighed more deeply than before.     "Look, forget I said anything…  I'm just still high from the… the 'nibbling'…  I'm perfectly happy with my girlfriend!  She's everything I… could…"     He trailed off, looking up.  Eliza had leaned back in.     "I… um…"     The girl had her hand on his cheek and she was looking right into his eyes.     "L… Liz?"     She raised her other hand, two fingers pointing at his eyes.  She then turned them around, pointing at her eyes.     "Liz…"  The fox quietly chuckled.  "I'm not having a panic attack…  I'm… having a guilt attack.  I… don't wanna be disloyal to Kris."     Eliza didn't make a sound.  She just leaned in and rubbed the front of her beak to his nose, keeping her eyes locked onto his.     "How… how do you do that?" he whispered with a blush.     She nuzzled his nose with her beak a little more and stroked his cheek.  He could see her smiling, too.     "How do you say so much without saying anything…?"     The bird cocked her head, asking a question without saying a word.     "And… why are your caramel eyes so pretty…?"

    Eliza blushed a little, herself, as Joseph brought his hands to her cheeks.  Slowly, she closed her eyes.  A smile came back to the corners of her mouth as he nuzzled her beak, and her blush warmed more as his cool nose touched her face.  When she was pulled into a hug, though, she pulled inward and hugged back with all her might.  He was such a precious, innocent thing…  It was making her feel guilty about what she'd done.  But… she loved being so close to him.  He was fun to cuddle with.

    "I've decided."

    An unknown amount of time had passed since the pair embraced.  The fog of warm feelings slowly lifted and Eliza leaned back, curiously looking at her friend.

    "I've decided…" he repeated.  "I've decided that what we did… probably pushes me into the 'cheating man-whore' kind of boyfriend."     Eliza recoiled at that, silently gasping and covering her beak.  She was about to make another gesture when…     "And I'm… I'm okay with that."     Joseph reached up, gently pulling her hands away from her beak.     "I'm okay with it," he continued with a genuine smile, "because we didn't do anything truly 'cheaty'.  All you did was play with my ears a little…  It's not your fault my ears are that kind of 'sensitive'."     When he winked, Eliza silently giggled and smiled.     "I don't regret letting you do that," he continued.  "It felt nice… and up until the point a completely unrelated thing happened–"     The bird immediately looked at her fox friend's bandaged ear and frowned.     "– we were both having a really good time!"     She looked back, offering a somewhat awkward smile.     "Honestly, if I'd met you sooner…"     Joseph looked down, lowering their hands to the futon cushion.     "Well… maybe you and I could have become closer than we are now."     He looked back up, smiling.     "I bet you'd be a kick-ass girlfriend, Liz…"     She brought a hand up, covering her beak as she soundlessly laughed and looked away.  She was blushing, too.  As much as they flustered her, she did appreciate his kind words.     "I wonder if Lan or Los…"  He hummed.  "Eh, nah, that's none of my business."     When he noticed his friend blushing a little more, he just grinned and wagged his tail.     "Threesome…" he lewdly whispered.     That was too much for the poor girl.  She pulled her other hand back and hid her face with both of them, harshly shaking her head.  She had no idea that "innocent" and "precious" fox could suggest such a thing!  In a way, though… it kind of made her appreciate him more.

    "Well… I should probably be going…"

    Eliza moved her hands…  Joseph had stood, but he was still looking her way with a smile.  When she smiled back, he smiled even more and wagged his tail again.     "Before I go, through…"     The bird got to her feet as the fox paused and looked down.  What was on his mind?     "I was thinking…  You made me feel good…"     When he slowly looked back up, Eliza noticed… his eyes were half-closed – even more so than usual – and he was wearing a rather… suggestive grin…     "Maybe… I could return the favor, sometime…?"

#fiction #Essence of Ragnarok #Year 2043 #Attune Your Ears #rewrite #original characters #jolikmc #Joseph Lithius #Elizabeth Armstrong #slice of life #drama

[liliesoftherain]

My Hero Academia Main 3 Boys x Reader

Ch. 13 Midoriya vs Todoroki

Masterlist

A/N: Here’s the next part!! I know I said next part would have Mc vs Tokoyami BUT I felt like this was an important part to have, and I wanted you guys to focus on it so I made it shorter than I was originally going for.  Let me know what you guys think! 

TAGLIST: @rizamendoza808 !(: @iris-suoh !(: @quicksilverfangirl​ !(: @shortperson202 !(: @noodlenerd101 !(: @matchamidoriya​ !(: @thorsbtch-captainnoobmaster69me​ !(: @pastel-prynce​ !(: @sunkissedneptune​ @monetfatalia​ !(: @legit-fandom-trash​ !(: @lovethewitchofendor​ !(: @dekuxlink​ !(: @water-melone98​ !(: @helena-way07​ !(: @nothing17-7​ !(: @hopelessdisasterr​ !(: @karmaboundlife​ !(:

“Good luck Deku, you’ll do great.” 

Once the tense atmosphere settled, Izuku spoke up saying he was going to sit in the waiting room to prepare for his battle. 

You gave him a small smile and a wave and he felt his cheeks heat up at your words, knowing that you weren’t lying to him. He gave you a large smile back, hoping it didn’t look too dorky, and off he went.

You watched as he walked off, before looking towards your right side at Iida, who had a concerned look on his face.

“Iida?”

“I hope Uraraka will be alright.” He spoke out, voicing his concerns.

“She’s strong, I’m sure she’ll be fine.” You gave him a slight smile, hoping your words provided a little comfort.

“I do agree with you there, however I just hope there wasn’t too much damage done.”

“Yeah, he really roughed her up!” Kaminari jumped into the conversation, shaking his head in false disappointment. 

“He was kinda playing a false villain, must’ve been tough to hear all the boos from the crowd.” Sero spoke up from beside Kaminari, who nodded along to everything he said.

“Thankfully it was cleared up, because it’s ignorant to believe Bakugou would go easy on Uraraka We’re all training to be heroes, plus she’s not frail.” You said thoughtfully.

“Even if it all was because of who he was up against, he made a really convincing bad guy-”Tsuyu was cut off by angry shouts.

“Shut up you idiots, or else! Who said you could talk about me while I wasn’t there huh?”

“Bakugou dude,” Kaminari turned his head to look at Bakugou who just walked in, wearing a scowl, “Really though, I don’t understand how you were able to aim a powerful blast at a girl like that. I couldn’t help but hold back against that Shiozaki.”

“Kaminari she murdered you.” You pointed out.

His head snapped towards you, hurt swirling in his puppy dog eyes.

“Can’t you just let me have this!?”

“No,” you laughed, “because she totally kicked your butt, and you should let her have that win! She earned it you know. Just like how Bakugou earned his win against Ochako, even though she put up a good fight.”

“Why wouldn’t I have won, shitty girl!?” Bakugou hissed at you.

“Yeah, what’s up with that Kaminari, I bet Uraraka could’ve won against you too, she’ll have you dumb in two seconds.” Jiro laughed while mocking Kaminari’s overcharged face, thumbs up with her tongue out.

“WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN?”

“Oh look Kirishima’s on the field!” Mina pointed out, ignoring Denki’s cries.

“WHOOHOOO! Before we head onto the second round, we have a manly score to settle! Let’s see who the true winner of the 7th match will be! Kirishima or Tetsutetsu! Who ever wins this arm wrestling match will move on! LET’S GOOO!”

The two boys got in position and activated their quirks, a cinder block underneath them acting as the table. It only lasted for about two minutes, but it felt like 2 hours. They were holding each other steady until you saw Tetsutetsu had lost his grip, letting Kirishima smack his arm down in a victory.

“Kirishima is the winner! Add him to the bracket!”

You clapped, yelling in praise for the redhead once Midnight announced his victory.

“Now we’ve got a full roster for the next round of the tournament, let’s get the party started now ya dig?”

You sat up in your seat a little bit more, feeling anxious at the fight that was about to go on below you. 

Midoriya and Todoroki. 

It was nerve wracking when you thought back to their conversation, and you found your eyes searching for Bakugou. He was the only other person who knew the true intentions of this fight, what this really meant to them. 

Bakugou’s eyes locked onto yours and all you did was stare. You didn’t know if he understood what you were trying to convey with just a simple look, but the way he gave you a single nod made you feel better. So you grinned back, then a voice popped up.

“So, the match hasn’t started yet? What are you staring at (y/n)?”

You snapped your head to look at Ochako who walked out on the first row, giving you a strange look. 

“What-oh, hey. How are you doing?” You changed the topic.

“I’m good!”

“Something terrible has happened to your eyes! You should go get that checked out by Recovery Girl.” Iida cut in, jaw opened wide.

“I already did, this is from something else.”

“Oh, Of course.. If I were in your position, I’d be very frustrated too.” 

“Just know you fought bravely,” You looked over Iida as she had sat down on his right, “like I said before, you may have lost the match but you have won in other ways.”

“Yeah but..”

“There’s no time to wallow,” Tokoyami’s voice cut through her pitiful words, “Use this next match as a source of encouragement.”

“You guys are right, I will!” She nodded, thanking you all.

“So wise..” Iida sighed.

 “I CAN FEEEEL THE ANTICIPATION IN THE STANDS! AND THAT’S BECAUSE THE SECOND ROUNDS FIRST MATCH IS GOING TO BE EPIC! It’s the guy who won his first rounds by a landslide and literally left half of the audience frozen! Hero courses class 1-A, Shoto Todoroki! Verses! The kid who almost walked out of his first match, but made a good comeback by showing us his impressive moves!  Hero courses class 1-A, Izuku Midoriya!”

“How do you guys think this will go?” Iida asked.

“It all really depends on whether or not Midoriya can get in close.” Tokoyami spoke, giving his take while staring intently down below

“That’s just it, how can he dodge all the ice?” Ochako wondered, 

“He doesn’t have to dodge it really, just blow it away.” You mumble.

“Blow it away?” She looks at you.

“With his quirk, I mean it wouldn’t be smart for him to do it that way..”

“Because every time he uses his quirk, he breaks.” Tokoyami finished for you. 

You nodded at him, but you looked away from his gaze feeling uneasy. You had to go up against him sooner rather than later, and nerves for that match outweighed the ones from your fight with Mina. 

You just weren’t sure what a weakness of his could be, he was too strong.

“Both of these heroes in training have been front runners in the sports festival, but which one of rivals will advance to the next round! Get ready, you’ll have to watch and find out! BEGIN!”

You looked back at the match, watching as they started immediately. Izuku using a huge wave of power to blast back Todoroki’s ice, you winced, seeing the bruised and broken finger. You watched as Todoroki only maintained his place in the arena by placing ice behind his body, smart thinking.

You might have to learn from that.

“Oh crap! I’m missing it!” Kirishima’s voice broke you from your thoughts, turning to see him run into the stands.

“Hey good job making it into the second round Kirishima!” Denki grinned.

“Thanks man! Looks like I take down Bakugou next!”

“I’ll kill you.” 

You laughed, feeling embarrassed once eyes looked over at you.

“Don’t laugh yet!” Kirishima pointed at you, “You’re my next target! It’s so unmanly always having you beating me! So get ready!”

“That’s only if I win against Tokoyami,” You look at said boy, who only looked back at you.

“It’ll be a difficult match, one that I am looking forward to.”  He said before turning away.

Difficult for him? You wondered why he’d say that.

“Either way, I’m still going to take you down! Man to man!”

“I’m a girl, Eijirou.”

“So? Girls are manly!”

“Then, does that make Bakugou manly?” Kaminari laughed as the blonde glared, however keeping his focus on the match below.

“Shut up, I’ll kill you too.”

“But seriously! It’s crazy how both you and Todoroki have moves that blast the whole stadium! Must be pretty nice..” Kirishima sighed.

“Plus, you don’t have to pause between attacks.” Sero huffed.

“It’s not as easy as you think, ya morons. If you overuse your muscles you risk tearing them apart. If you sprint too much you run out of breath. Quirks are physical abilities too, they can get worn out. You can’t just use them nonstop.”

“It makes sense when you put it that way,” Kirishima muttered, “I wonder if that’s how Midoriya thinks he’s going to beat Todoroki.”

“Deku always has some sort of plan,” You throw in with a grin looking back onto the battle, “But Todoroki is really powerful too, it’ll be a crazy fight! One hell of an endurance match that’s for sure, see which one breaks first.”

“I think Midoriya is already a bit broken, Hakamata.” Kaminari snickers, talking about Izuku’s fingers.

Bakugou tsk’d, eyes narrowing even more while his arms tensed at the way you were praising the others. He glanced over at you for a moment, and saw how wide your eyes were. The battle below having your complete attention, how interested you looked. He didn’t care what the hell you thought was cool or not, you could do whatever the fuck you wanted. His eyes snapped back to the fight below to see Deku throw a punch, a huge gust of air pressure following. His jaw tightened, he didn’t need to focus on what you were thinking during his match with Uraraka, no, he needed to focus on that damn Deku.

When Todoroki rose up from his walls of ice, you bit your lip in anticipation. Izuku’s arm now looked badly bruised, and it was most likely due to a fractured or broken bone because of his power. Todoroki looked fine, like he was ready for such an attack. Just when he sent off another wave of ice, just when you thought it was over, Deku counter attacked.

You gasped in shock, seeing how Todoroki skid back a few steps, the ice wall he had been using was breaking as he did. Even while he tried to create more, they only continued to burst apart until he barely managed to catch himself at the edge.

The battle continued, blow after blow the two fought and you couldn’t tear your eyes away. Both were on their guards, and while the fight held passion, you could tell they were slowing down.

Especially Todoroki, you stared on in worry at his sluggish movements, this wasn’t like him. You knew the frost covering his body must have some reason to do with it. You thought back to the conversation he had with Midoriya and you concluded it had to be because of his father. There was no other reason why he wouldn’t give it his all.

They started a conversation down below, and it wasn’t hard to miss it. It almost made you cry at how strong Izuku’s resolve was, and how beat down Todoroki seemed. You may not know exactly what Todoroki had gone through, but you were possibly one of the only people who could come close.

At least you escaped your ‘hero’, Todoroki was still unfortunately living with his.

“IT’S YOURS! YOUR QUIRK, NOT HIS!”

The arena lit up with flames, so bright and hot you could feel the immense heat from where you were. 

“Amazing..” You said breathlessly, watching the flames dance around the area. The warmth spreading through your body felt cozy, and you were surprised at the fact it wasn’t overbearing.

It was pleasant.

Until a booming voice broke the sounds of battle, Endeavor speaking to Shoto as if he were nothing more than a weapon. You grit your teeth, anger coursing through your veins causing you to stand.

“Endeavor suddenly shouts words of encouragement? What uh, a doting father?”

“Doting father my ass.. More like a monster.” You felt eyes on you but you couldn’t stop yourself from running to the rail and yelling.

“SHOW EVERYONE YOU’RE YOUR OWN PERSON TODOROKI! YOU’RE NOBODY’S PUPPET! SHOW THAT BASTARD HOW YOU’LL BEAT THIS ALL ON YOUR OWN.”

Your body was shaking, from past memories and from anger on his behalf. You didn’t care if at this point Todoroki knew you were listening in on him before, or if your classmates were giving you weird looks, or even if your dad heard your shouts. He’d know why. You didn’t even care that you were getting a piercing stare from Endeavor, the only thing that mattered was that smile from the boy below.

All you wanted was for Todoroki to know that he had people on his side, someone who knows that he is great all on his own with no help from anyone.

The ending was as you expected, large and loud. They went at each other full force, cement flying everywhere as the air pressure was too much to handle from your standing position. You were trying to hold onto the railing but your grip loosened, causing you to yelp as you slid back till you fell into the seats, Iida immediately trying to help make sure you weren’t hurt. You paid him no mind, staring in shock until the air pressure faded and the arena stood still with a bated breath. You gulped, the slight pain in your back forgotten as you tried to see through the abundant amount of smoke.

“What happened just now? What the heck is up with your students?”

“The air around the ring had been thoroughly cooled down and then rapidly expanded when heated up.”

“Wait, that’s what caused the explosion!? How hot did that fire get! Jeez, I can’t see a thing, is the match still going on or what?”

Once it cleared up a bit, you saw Izuku leaning up against the wall outside of the ring, slumped over till he fell flat on the ground.

“There! Midoriya is.. out of bounds! Todoroki wins! He advances to the third round!”

You saw Shoto standing in the arena and couldn’t believe your eyes. You knew this was going to be a great match, but you didn't realize just how good it was going to be. They both put up a great fight, and you felt for both boys.

Izuku for not winning, but also for Todoroki who had won, despite what he said about not using his fireside. You saw Izuku being taken away on a stretcher and stood back up, intending on going to Recovery Girl’s office.

“Hakamata where are you going? Uraraka?” Iida asked, watching as Ochako stood up alongside you.

“To see Deku right?” She asked you, and all you did was nod.

“Then let me accompany you both!” Iida stood as well, his frame towering over you both.

“Me too, kero.” Tsuyu walked out of the stands with the rest of you.

You guys quickly made your way to the office, not even bothering to knock as you slid the door open.  A chorus of your shared shouts filled the room, startling the man inside who was standing along his bedside. 

You stared in confusion, knowing that this man looked familiar in some way, but you were unsure of what to think.

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you sir.” Ochako bowed her head in respect at the man, who just gave a shaky wave back.

“Oh, uh, yea.” He turned and made eye contact with you, and you must’ve still had a look on your face because he jumped and turned back to look at Izuku.

“He is in no state for visitors.”

“Ugh, hey you guys. Shouldn’t you be watching the matches?” Midoriya cracked open an eyes, and gave a wobbly smile.

Relief flooded your system, causing you to forget the man.

“The arena was far too damaged, so they had to take a quick break for repairs.” Iida answered.

“That was a scary match Deku!”

“It was really something else to watch, kero.”

“Yeah Izuku, that was a pretty awesome battle. Even if you didn’t win, you were amazing.” You smiled at him.

His lips went wider at your praise, even though it hurt to be smiling this big, he couldn’t help it. Although he heard your shouts of encouragement for Todoroki, wasn’t he doing the same thing? He couldn’t feel upset over something he was trying to accomplish.

“Th-thanks, heh.” He winced as he moved, causing Recovery Girl to tsk as she began to shoo everyone away.

You gave a tiny smile, filled with relief and a bit of distress.

“You’re reckless, but you’ve got guts Deku. Just, try not to get hurt so much okay?” You laughed as he pouted at you, letting yourself be guided out with the others. 

Izuku watched you go, ignoring the looks he was getting from his mentor. He had other issues to deal with right now, no matter how much he wanted to focus on you-he wouldn't let himself get distracted.

“I’m sorry…”

#bnha #bnha x reader #mha #mha x reader #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #katsuki bakugo x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #katsuki x reader #bakugou x reader #bnha katsuki bakugou x reader #bnha bakugou katsuki x reader #bnha bakugou x reader #bnha katsuki x reader #shoto todoroki x reader #shouto todoroki x reader #todoroki shoto x reader #todoroki shouto x reader #shouto x reader #shoto x reader #todoroki x reader #bnha shoto todoroki x reader #bnha shouto todoroki x reader #bnha todoroki shoto x reader #bnha todoroki shouto x reader #bnha todoroki x reader #bnha shouto x reader #bnha shoto x reader #izuku midoriya x reader #midoriya izuku x reader

[elizabethvaughns]

as a way to procrastinate treat for having finished half of the 5+1, i expose impart to you my outline notes. they might be a little cursed. 

chapter 1

“what if?”

david pov

come to meet josh

because i said so

and it’s honestly not even that much of an issue, since he bikes there semi-regularly anyways

but they haven’t seen each other in like two years

except for the occasional call

so it’s nice to meet your best friend again

dismounts to sit somewhere and wait

sees this guy staring in his general vicinity

blond, late-30s probably, and really cute(ie. lucas)

oooh they’re making eye contact

shield the children’s eyes folks this is getting hot and heavy

oh wait no the other guy broke it off

maybe he was just staring off blankly into space and not at me

eh whatever

need to meet josh anyways

end scene

lucas pov probs now

okay i will start outlining let’s go ladies

mental state !!!

lucas was excited

why? 

his bff was coming back 

now he’s not going to say i told you so even though he always does but...i told you so

stands still, stares out into space

thinking about something

how much he loves beth prolly

i loove beth

i miss those days when we did shit together

or maybe some oren bashing

who knows?

but he’s broken out of his reverie by the most beautiful creature to ever walk this earth(ie. david. i’ve always imagined lucas as one for the dramatics)

physical descriptions always do wonders

wait he’s looking back

kinda into this ngl

wait no i’m in love with beth stop stop stop

break eye contact ABORT ABORT ABORT

but he’s still pretty cute though

wonder if he’s single?

probably not...even so, i’m in love w/ beth, i shouldn’t fret about this

maybe i can convince her to participate in the street action with me, just like old times...

empty table let’s gooo

“it’s a fateful day, isn’t it?”

“excuse me?”

end scene

chpater 2

“some other me”

so i’d say roughly 3 years from ch. 1

ok so this should be quick

david pov

so he was biking

and this dude bumped right into him

“oh sorry”

he didn’t say anything and was totally distracted; looks like he’s been having a horrible day

he is really cute though(see my reprising? this is totally intentional motif usage and not me being unable to find other ways to describe people)

:(

anyways time to keep biking got things to do(get home and change) places to be(work)

the man from the park stayed at the back of his mind for the rest of the day

end scene

lucas pov

last words were ringing through his mind

lucas gray was having a horrible fucking day

first this girl called him old which...what? (i’m not getting older i’m the same age i’ve always been)

and then he met beth which...was supposed to be...

who knows? something good? they are...were best friends after all

but then he screwed it up! go lucas!

and this was probably his last chance at well, love, or a family

who knows, maybe he is old…

suddenly broken out of his thoughts

he bumped into a bicyclist whoops

“oh sorry”

he looked at the guy’s face and...wow

handsome(see i can describe people), a real adonis from face value alone

he’s literally left speechless

maybe this day could get a little better?

he could not think about anything except the bicyclist from the park for the rest of the week

end scene

chapter 3

so basically lucas ends up in the er

idk a protest got fucked or something

we’re turning the tables here! lucas goes first because i said so

make up an injury

uhhh it’s a spins wheel here hand injury he’s got a gnarly ass cut on his hand. so he’s just talking to the 20-something intern who’s doing the sutures. 

so he’s just chilling there

and he found another person to talk to 

and that guy’s mildly receptive

so he’s ranting about activism

e v e r y t h i n g   i s    c o n n e c t e d 

all factors of activism affect life

housing rights: every person deserves sustainable housing

if a person cannot afford a house then they most likely will not be able to afford other stuff

so it’s a self-perpetuating cycle you see. better-funded education is in more affluent neighborhoods, so those children have more opportunities for scholarships and higher education. in fact, they can afford college.

as a result, these people are more “qualified” so they have better access to better jobs and higher positions. positions over the people who grew up in less affluent neighborhoods, could not get better degrees due to their financial insecurity and thus hold lower positions. lower position, lower salary. thus, they will probably live in poorer neighborhoods, and the cycle will repeat. 

but. here’s the thing. due to this everyone deserves a house! doesn’t have to be big or opulent or whatever, but people deserve to live. for the future generations if not for this one. ain’t no man manhattan! no one person holds more value than any other. every life influences every other either directly or indirectly. so you want to improve your life? start from the bottom not the top.

and--

okay uh you’re done

so basically he distracted himself talking about shit

“oh thanks”

so he makes his way over to the reception desk thingy takes the bill and goes home

sees this guy leaving in a rush

looks vaguely similar to the cute park guy who he thought about for a full week?

but then again it’s been months

maybe it’s wishful thinking

maybe it’s maybelline

david pov time

so he’s a pediatric surgeon, right?

so maybe he’s just vibing in the er

and he’s done so he’s just chilling at the reception desk thingy

when he hears this guy

just ranting about stuff

he just listens in! why not?

and...wow

he’s so passionate about it and seems so dedicated and stuff

he thinks it’s really admirable

and that face gives him a strange sense of déjà vu

a good déjà vu, something positive

he thinks it’s deja vu at least(it’s not. they’ve seen each other twice now.)

maybe he’s getting a teensy little crush on mystery guy who hasn’t talked to at all yet? who knows?

and then his pager goes batshit. because that’s how stuff works.

so he sneaks one last glance and dashes off. 

#kill me <3

[telli1206]

A Christmas To Remember (Ch.4)

@vndooms @descendantsgiftexchange And here’s Chapter 4 😁 One Chapter left, which I hope to have up in a few days.

Chapter 1     Chapter 2     Chapter 3

Chapter 4 - Falling For Christmas

Jay grunts softly, his eyes fluttering open at the intrusive sounds echoing from downstairs. He had resolved himself to sleeping in with Carlos this morning, so of course there would be a ruckus to ruin his first solid sleep this week.

He sighs, glancing down at the boy cradled in his arms. Carlos is settled peacefully against Jay’s chest, even breaths gently ghosting through his pretty pink lips.

Jay snuggles in closer, hugging Carlos tightly to his chest to fully enjoy this restful moment. It’s almost too tempting to just stay here for the day and not move a muscle, but before he can even really entertain the idea he hears a familiar snarky cackle ring out from downstairs.

He bites back a smile, sliding out of bed all too quickly and almost stumbling over his feet, waking Carlos with his movements. The boy next to him pops up, looking surprised to see Jay awake.

“W-What...are you doing?” He yawns, propping himself up on his elbows. Jay smiles at Carlos’ adorable sleepy face, unable to resist leaning over for a kiss. But once he’s back over the bed, Carlos takes the opportunity to grab Jay and press his hands into his back, trying his best to pull him back into the bed.

“Mmph! ‘Los!” Jay resists, pushing back from the bed. “Ben and Mal just got here!”

Jay springs backward when Carlos releases his hold and sits upright. An excited smile splays on his lips, and he drops out of bed to join Jay and get ready quickly. In record time they’re making their way down to the kitchen together.

The kitchen is erupt with laughter when they walk in. Ben, Mal, Evie, and Doug are sat around the table with Lonnie as she animatedly tells the story of her and Jane, again, while Jane sits in her lap, giggling happily. Ben and Mal are clearly absorbed in the story, Mal nodding her approval and Ben glowing his usual reassuring smile while they listen to Lonnie.

“That’s so cool you guys decided to give it a shot,” Mal mused, giving Lonnie a pleased smirk as she turned to nuzzle Jane’s neck. “Like, you got to be such close friends for so long before you dated. That must’ve made things just, so much...better. Huh?”

Lonnie seems speechless, for once, simply grinning at Jane while she nods vigorously at Mal.

“Isn’t that right, Jay?”

Jay chokes back a chuckle. Mal’s not even looking at him yet, but he knows that smug grin is meant for him. She turns slowly, flashing the grin his way as her eyes trail from Jay to Carlos and back. Carlos buries his face in Jay’s shoulder to hide his reddening complexion.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s great. Thanks Mals, good to see you too.” His eyes never leave Mal’s as he returns her smirk, letting go of Carlos to stride over to her and swoop her up into a hug. “Missed you, M.”

Mal leans into the hug with a smile. “Missed you too, Jay. I’m glad Ben could finagle at least a couple of days off for us,” she teases, stealing a glance over to her husband.

Ben’s already engulfed in a hug with Carlos, but he pulls away and quirks a smile Mal’s way.

“I did my best,” he concedes with a shrug. “I know it’s not much, but the royal court is fully adjourned at least, so we shouldn’t have any disruptions for the next couple of days.”

“Shouldn’t, being the key word,” Mal needles, poking at Ben’s chest. He scoffs at her snide comment though, sneaking a quick peck from her before running off to grab more coffee.

“Well, I for one am glad you’re finally here,” Evie says with a squeal, smiling brightly as she leans into Doug, looking over his shoulder at Jay. “Jay has been our Christmas activity coordinator all week, and you’ve been missing out on all the fun!”

“Oh! Oh! Yessss! It’s been so fun!” Lonnie agrees, eyes alight with excitement. “Jay’s got all the great ideas. Like, Christmasy stuff but super fun and exciting. Never a dull moment!”

The murmurs and nods of universal agreement have Jay swelling proudly, puffing up his chest as he smiles around the kitchen.

Once he catches the look on his boyfriend’s face, however, he physically deflates.

Carlos is chewing on his bottom lip, eyes cast downward as he scuffs at his foot. Jay observes him, silently, until he hears Doug clearing his throat.

“Anyway, what’s on the agenda for today, Jay? Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be great to have Ben and Mal joining us!”

Evie grips Doug’s arm, eyes wide and focused in a silent thank you as he places a hand over hers. Jay sucks in a slow, stuttered breath, forcing a smile at them and silently promising to pry about what’s bothering Carlos later. Besides, he saved the best for last, for when Ben and Mal arrived, so Jay has no doubt that everyone will have fun today, especially Carlos.

“Well, why don’t we go find out? We’ve all gotta dress warm again…” he adds, talking over a few groans at the request. “It’ll be worth it! I know it.”

-----

Getting everyone dressed and out the door was a lot easier this time around. Jay likes to think that all of his surprises have been so fun that no one feels the need to question why they always have to go outside, but deep down he knows that Ben and Mal’s presence have more to do with it than anything. Ben is always willing to join his friends without question, and Mal has been hyping up their day so much that Jay’s really starting to wonder about her. Mal’s not the...cheerleader type. But he can’t think of another word to describe how she’s acting right now.

“Jay-bear, I think I figured out where we’re goooing,” she coos.

“Oh, did you now?” Jay quips, trying to glance quickly behind him. He knows she’s grinning, but their banter just doesn’t feel right if he can’t match his arrogant looks to hers.

“Yep, and I’m pumped.” She grabs Ben’s arm excitedly and stares out the window as they arrive. Jay’s pulling up to the lake now, fully frozen over and empty, with a fresh dusting of snow on top that’s been left untouched.

“Ice skating??” Lonnie practically shouts, jumping up from her seat in the car. “Yes! Let’s do it! I love it!”

Jay lips curl into a smile at the warm response to his plans. Even Carlos reaches over to intertwine their fingers and flash a happy grin. Well, a sort of persed, tight-lipped grin with a slight hesitation behind his deep brown eyes, but Jay pushes away the need to address it, yet. They only just got here, so there’s plenty of time to warm up to the idea still. And all their friends are here, so what’s not to love about this?

The sounds of excited chatter and elation as skates are being put on heartens Jay. Even Evie cheery smile stays put through the wobbling on her skates, and the mild offhand complaint about them not matching her outfit. Jane is giggling with every step, emulating a newborn foal with the ways her knees are knocking, but still eager and ready to get on the ice.

Carlos is not much sturdier than Jane on his own skates, but Jay keeps a firm grip on his waist and elbow as they walk, and despite a few harrowing teeters on his blades, Carlos glides onto the ice with surprising ease. Definitely a better start to their outings than previous days, and enough to stir a glimmer of happiness inside Jay as he and Carlos fall in sync on the ice together.

Of course, Lonnie still tries to stir up trouble by flying by them on the ice with Jane and getting a little too close , but even with that close brush Carlos manages to stay upright, maybe just holding Jay’s arm a little tighter.

He heaves a sigh of relief once they pass, and Lonnie throws a wink to Jay over her shoulder.

“We’re racing later Jay, you better be up for it!”

“You’re on!” Jay shouts back. He shrugs when Carlos shoots him a troubled glare, but once he squeezes Carlos’ hip and smiles reassuringly, he gives in with a resigned sigh.

“Don’t worry, I won’t leave you skating alone. Maybe you and Jane can keep each other...up?” Jay grits his teeth, biting back laughter at the thought.

“Ha ha, very funny,” Carlos quips, bumping him on the shoulder. “I was more worried about your dumbass racing yourself into a tree or something. You and Lonnie aren’t exactly...thoughtful, when you challenge each other.”

Jay chuckles, turning their bodies to ease around a bend in the lake. “I’ll be careful, ‘Los. You know you can trust me.”

Carlos nods silently, choosing to lean into Jay rather than respond, which Jay is fine with. He’s content to enjoy this time with Carlos before their friends disrupt them, which usually happens all too soon anyway.

Especially when Mal is around.

“Jayyyy!”

He’s startled by two hands on his shoulders, and Mal’s body slams into him from behind before he can react. “Whoa! Sorry,” she cackles, wrapping her arms around to hug him. “I wanna do a whip, Jay! Assemble the troops!”

She pushes off of him, just as Ben skates up and grabs her hand, gesturing for Jay and Carlos to join them as she leads Mal to the middle of the lake. Jay groans as he starts to spin them around.

“You heard the queen,” he snarks. “You wanna grab Evie and Doug? I’ll get Jane and Lonnie. Let’s get this over with.”

Carlos giggles and shakes his head as he skates off to do Mal’s bidding. Jay wants to keep a sneer on for show, but Mal’s eagerness to has him feeling giddy. Even Carlos wasn’t fighting back his smiles, despite being out in the bitter cold. Things were finally going well for him.

-----

The rest of the day on the lake had been fun, but largely uneventful. Jay was happy for that though, because really, most of the events of the last few days had some sort of minor disaster tacked onto the end of them.

The whip had been exhilarating in its success. A knot had twisted in Jay’s gut as they all got lined up, the thought of Carlos potentially finding himself at the end and getting whipped into a snow mound had been swirling in his mind when they finally started. But to his luck, Jay had finagled the anchor position, and was able to keep Carlos at his side, ensuring his safety...for the most part.

Carlos’ breathless laughter and toothy smile remained etched in Jay’s memory, making the day more than worthwhile to him. He even managed to race (and beat) Lonnie, with Carlos conceding to skate with Jane for a bit while they did.

“Oh come ON! How did you do that? Tell me you cheated,” Lonnie pants, trying to catch her breath. Jay doesn’t want to sound as winded as he is, but sucking his breath down only leads to an awkward wheezing, which makes Lonnie laugh out loud. “Careful grandpa, you’re gonna hyperventilate! Deep breaths!”

“Shut up,” Jay retorts, unable to bite back his smile. “I beat you fair and square, Li- loser.”

He snorts when she slaps his back, hard. “Fine! Just don’t get a big head about it, cause it’s not gonna last long, you hear?”

Jay nods, letting his laughter die down as his breaths come in more evenly. His eyes dart around the lake until they land on Jane and Carlos, arms linked as they skate slowly, chattering quietly and smiling to each other. It’s only when Lonnie leans in to follow his gaze that he realizes he’s been staring.

“They’re fucking cute, aren’t they?” she muses, smiling softly as she watches them. “The cutest little nerds…” she adds with a quiet chuckle.

Jay nods, but jumps when Lonnie spins to face him, lips painted with a playful smirk.

“They really needed us you know? To show them how to let loose and just have fun.” She turns back to steal a glance at them again. “I just assumed Jane would always be uptight. I still liked her though, still wanted to give it a shot. And...she’s actually really fun. She’s always up for anything when she’s with me.”

Lonnie continues to watch Jane, and Jay almost has to choke back a giggle at the dreamy look on her face, but he’s able to control himself. He’s too happy for Lonnie anyway, he doesn’t even feel his usual need to tease her.

She finally seems to snap out of it, looking back at Jay with only a half quirk of a smile. She huffs a laugh at him, shaking her head.

“You gotta do the nerd stuff too, though, don’t you? Just to make them happy. It’s not so bad though. Jane loves when we read together. And we do puzzles allll the time.”

She scrunches her nose when Jay chuckles at her, giving him a nudge with her elbow. “Turns out, I actually like puzzles. I had no idea. I guess that makes me a little bit of a nerd too, huh?”

“It makes you a nerd for Jane.” He actually laughs this time, and Lonnie rolls her eyes at him.

“I hate to break it to you, but you’ve been a nerd for Carlos even longer.”

Jay scoffs, pulling her along as Jane and Carlos start to skate back to them. “If you say so, Lons. It doesn’t matter anyway, cause I’m not about to complain.”

Lonnie seems eerily quiet for a moment, but just as she reaches out to grab Jane’s hand, Jay hears her barely mumble.

“Me neither.”

-----

Jay feels his happiness creeping through him for the entirety of their drive back to the castle. The car is relatively silent, Evie and Mal are already both sleeping, clearly feeling physically spent from the long day outside. Jane and Lonnie talk quietly in the back for most of the ride, while Jay lightly strokes Carlos’ hair as he lays his head against the center console. He’s smiling sleepily, and a rush of joy consumes Jay from the inside out. Ice skating had gone off without a hitch, and at this point he couldn’t have wished for more. Today was perfect.

Well, almost perfect.

When they arrive at the castle, Carlos pulls Jay aside and into the hallway as they’re walking in.

“So. Don’t be mad, but-” Jay’s already frowning, so Carlos turns a weak smile. “-would it be ok with you if I just went to our room now? I really want to lay down, I’m beat.” Carlos bites his lip and looks downward, refusing to meet Jay’s gaze as he waits for him to respond.

Jay’s trying to be understanding, but really, he isn’t. Sure, today was tiring, but everyone else is still choosing to hang out together, and Carlos is never one to turn down time with friends. And Mal and Ben just got here today! This just, doesn’t seem like something that Carlos would do.

Carlos finally looks at Jay, giving him wide, pleading eyes and his most regretful smile.

“I mean, if that’s what you want. You know I won’t stop you.” Jay mumbles, trying his best to look sincere.

Carlos nods, kissing him quickly on the cheek as he passes by to retreat upstairs. Jay huffs a sigh as he watches, eventually trudging glumly back into the main living room alone to rejoin their friends.

-----

“Jay, will you get your mopey ass in here already?”

Mal shoves another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, letting the spoon dangle from her lips as she waves Jay into the kitchen. He follows her command wordlessly. All the will he had to enjoy her company and banter went upstairs hours ago, leaving him alone so his mind could formulate all the potential scenarios that sent Carlos upstairs and not with Jay on Christmas Eve.

“Are you just going to sit around all night and wonder what the hell you did wrong?”

Jay grits his teeth as he slides into the chair next to Mal. “No,” he grumbles, but she’s already flashing a shit-eating grin.

“Yes, yes you are, Jay-bear. You’re not fooling me. Never could, so stop trying,” she chuckles and dips her finger in her ice cream to smear it across Jay’s nose. He swipes it off with a sneer, shrugging her arm off his shoulder.

“Fine, who the fuck cares?” He bursts, tossing his hands up in frustration. “I spent weeks planning out this trip, and all I’ve managed to do is drop a tree on Carlos, knock him out with a toboggan and make him want to go to bed and ignore me. I think I have the right to fuckin’ be upset, ok? I ruined our first Christmas together. He probably hates me.”

“Ok, stop with the pity party. He doesn’t hate you. I saw him with you all day today. He does, like...the exact opposite of hating you.”

Opposite of hate? Jay’s lip trembles, but he forces back his smile. “But, he couldn’t get away from me fast enough tonight. And I thought he had a great time today.”

“Jayyy,” she sighs, “I love you, you know I do. But not everything is about you. Did you ever think that maybe Carlos was...tired?”

Jay shrugs, a little disbelieving. “He’s skated before, it’s never that exhausting. And he’d never give up the chance to see you and Ben. We’ve been wanting to see you guys for so long.”

“I know,” Mals says, squeezing Jay’s hand. “And we’re excited to see you both too. But from what Evie’s been telling me, you’ve had all of them running laps for days with all your, Christmas activities.”

Jay snorts at Mal’s finger quotes, slapping them down with a smirk. “So what’s your point? I’m just trying to make the most of this trip, and really get in the Christmas spirit. You know? Make it a memorable Christmas for everyone.”

“And I’m not arguing that at all, Jay. Really, Evie, Lonnie and Jane wouldn’t stop raving about how fun it’s been thanks to you. But-”

“But? Oh great, here it comes,” Jay starts to moan.

“Just shut up and listen, ok? When you were making all these, Christmassy plans, did you stop to consider the things that Carlos likes to do?”

Jay pauses, licking at his lips as he thinks. “He likes...Christmas. Being with friends.”

“He likes sitting and talking, playing board games, doing puzzles,” she explains with a quirk of her brow. “Sure, he does sports. Sometimes. But mostly to spend time with you, like with tourney. But, you fell in love with a nerd, Jay. Don’t forget that.”

Jay scoffs, turning away from Mal with an angry furrow in his brow. But he releases with a sad sigh. “Fuck, you’re right. I know you’re right. I should’ve made at least one day about doing what he loves, not me. Dammit.”

He drops his head, clenching his fists on the table. But Mal reaches out to him, softening his grip with her fingers.

“Will you chill? We can still fix this.”

“Mal, it’s Christmas Eve. What the hell are we gonna do?”

Mal’s smile stretches wide and triumphant. “I thought you’d never ask. E! Get in here!”

Jay here’s some stumbling in the main living room, followed by quickening clacks.

“You called, M?” Evie sing-songs as she pops around the corner.

“Remember what we talked about? Jay does need our help,” Mal tells her, smirking at Jay’s surprised look.

Evie grins toothily at Mal. “Oh good! Craft time!”

#jaylos #jay x carlos #jay son of jafar #Carlos De Vil #evie grimhilde #doug son of dopey #li lonnie #jane fairy #ben florian #mal bertha #jannie #devie #bal #descendants #descendants gift exchange #vndooms

[saiilorstars]

Dare To Forget Me

Ch. 18: Secrets Behind

// Previous Chapters //

Fandom: Law & Order SVU

Pairing:  Rafael Barba x Original female character

Warnings: Due to the nature of the series’ plots, I do have to rate this as ‘mature’ for constant mentions of rape.

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ` 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

Chapter Summary: Olivia pushes Montserrat to come forwards, but the detective refuses...so Olivia does the next best thing. Meanwhile, Rafael unintentionally discovers what Montserrat plans to do in regards to her position at SVU.

"Soo...someone found out," Montserrat cut straight to the point once her therapy session started.

Dr. Weslin was surprised at first until she realized Montserrat hadn't chosen to disclose. "What happened?"

"I tried being supportive but it backfired on account of my weakness and my incredibly intelligent sergeant," Montserrat drew in a deep breath which she exhaled in the very next second. "I mean, really, did I think I would be able to hide it from Olivia Benson? A cop who's worked for more than 10 years as a Special Victims detective? Ha!"

Montserrat leaned against the leather couch and looked to the side. Her mind raced with the memory of Olivia's confrontation. It wasn't so much a confrontation than it was a questionnaire. As it was Olivia's nature, she wanted to find out what happened and how to make things good.

"When did it happen?"

"Last year. I was on the job, undercover, and he caught me off guard," Montserrat couldn't find it in her to face Olivia. Her eyes kept darting to the side each time she attempted to meet Olivia's gaze.

"Did you tell anyone?" Even without looking at her, Montserrat knew Olivia wasn't staring in a pitiful manner, she was trying to help as was her nature.

Montserrat shifted on her couch. "Only a few. Just...just the necessary people. My Lieutenant, my doctor's...and Casey."

The last bit made Olivia pause for a second. "Casey? And she didn't encourage you to come forwards?"

"I told her no," Montserrat clarified before Olivia got any ideas. "I talked with my Lieutenant and...we both agreed that the undercover mission was too important to ruin."

"Ruin?" repeated Olivia with wide-eyes. "Is this the same Detective Novak I'm talking to? Did you both agree to that or did your lieutenant make you agree?"

Montserrat bit her lower lip as if it were chewing gum. "My Lieutenant reminded me it had been a 3 year operation. My accusation would abruptly end it and we wouldn't have caught Hallie D'Amico."

The name was a well known one considering D'Amico was famous for her drug empire.

"Did he at least come down with a drug charge?" Olivia asked, hoping there was at least some retribution for what that man did.

But Montserrat shook her head. "Most of the operation was based on Hallie, and a lot of her men went down with her...but he didn't. I don't know how he did it, but he escaped. We don't know where he is now. He hasn't resurfaced since last year."

"Montserrat…"

"Please don't," Montserrat shook her head, gaze falling again. "I don't want to keep talking."

It was at that moment that Montserrat realized she wasn't ready for an anonymous group. She didn't feel capable of sharing that horrible moment with anyone else. "That was last week and so far Olivia's still insisting I press charges against him."

"And, if given the opportunity, would you consider it?" Dr. Weslin asked.

Montserrat wanted to think about it, but the more she did the ickier she felt. It may have been ridiculous, or maybe not, but it was just the way her body reacted. "Any thought about...him...makes it hard. If I press charges then everyone will know, and everyone will ask questions...I'll have to relive everything again. And it might be for nothing since no one knows where he is."

"Would things be different if his location were known? Or if he was already in custody for the drug charges?"

Montserrat scrunched her face, bringing her hands to cover herself. "I don't know," she answered tiredly. "I just don't know."

~ 0 ~

"...I've got it set up, trust me…"

As Montserrat neared the bullpen, she could hear Kara's voice carrying out. It was rare of Kara to make a visit at work, so when Montserrat walked in and found Kara at Sonny's desk the world made sense again. She'd come for Sonny, not Montserrat.

In retrospect, Montserrat thought she should've seen it coming. They were basically dating, as annoying it was.

"Montserrat!" Kara jumped from the edge of Sonny's desk, looking far too startled for her.

"Hey, what's going on?" Montserrat pulled her jacket off and draped it over the back of her desk chair.

"Nothing!" Kara said too quick.

Dammit. Montserrat believed she knew why Kara had dropped by in the middle of the day.

"I should go," Kara said, swiping her purse off Sonny's desk. "See you later," she said to the two detectives before making a quick-paced exit.

Montserrat dropped into her chair with a weary sigh. "Sonny, for the love of God, make her stop all of her birthday party plans."

"What?" Sonny raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised she knew of their plans. "How did you-"

"-don't insult my intelligence, Carisi," Montserrat warned. "Just tell her I don't want it. I thank her for it but I don't want to celebrate anything this year."

"Oh c'mon, you're turning 30 and I know that might not sound appealing but-"

"-it's not the age," Montserrat stopped him. She sighed again. No one understood why she didn't want anything to do with her birthday this year, and she couldn't tell them why. "I just don't want it. So please, make her stop."

"Why don't you just tell her yourself?" Sonny offered the only alternative that wouldn't end with his own head.

"Because she won't listen to me!"

"I'm-"

"Novak," Olivia called as soon as she walked into the bullpen, "My office." She went straight for her office without glancing back at any of her detectives.

Montserrat fiddled with a pen on her desk for a few seconds while the others kept staring at her. Eventually, she let the pen drop and looked up. "What? Is this high school now?"

"You better gooo," Nick's teasing voice helped no one.

Montserrat got up from her chair and walked towards Olivia's office. She promptly shut the door and turned to face her Sergeant.

"Have you given any thought of what we talked about?" Olivia went straight for the point.

Montserrat sighed and gave a shake of her head. "My answer is still no. It's buried and there's no point in bringing it back."

"But there is still something we can do," Olivia persisted. She got up from her seat and moved around the desk. "You did everything right, meaning you can still press charges."

"And do what?" Montserrat raised an eyebrow. "You're not listening, Olivia, he's not here anymore. He could be off in Brazil for all I know. I'm not putting myself through that."

"I understand that, but I just want to help you-"

"-if you want to help me, then stop that damn birthday party from happening!" Montserrat gestured to the bullpen as of Olivia would know. "Otherwise, just leave it. I'm tormented enough."

"Montse-" Olivia called but the detective was already out the door. Olivia walked towards her open door and closed it again. She turned to her desk and remained still while she thought of some things. Eventually, she got an idea. Whether or not it was a good one, she wouldn't know until she did it.

~0~

It was late at night when SVU got a call. Nearly 3 am saw Olivia and reporter Jimmy MacArthur arrive at the scene. Police sirens flashed in the night, reflecting off the bright yellow tape sealing the street off.

"Couple of tourists walking along said they heard moaning from the other side of that wall around 2:00 A.M," Fin walked Olivia down the park, stopping by a cemented wall. "The vic is Heba Salim, 24, clothes muddy and torn, scratches on her face, bruising on her body."

"You get a statement?"

"Novak and Amaro are doing it right now," Amanda walked towards them. "But she seems pretty out of it. She told the two responding unis that she had been raped by two male whites."

"Okay, we set up a grid search?" Olivia asked though she knew her detectives were of course already on it.

"From the park entrance, and we've got Carisi leading a canvassing endeavor for hotel doormen on Central Park South. So far, no witnesses," Fin said, spotting Jimmy nearing Montserrat and Nick. "What's that guy doing down here?"

Olivia glanced back and saw Jimmy, frowning. "Don't even start. One PP gave him full access. Nothing we can do."

Unfortunately, Montserrat and Nick would be the first ones to meet Jimmy that night, since he was practically breathing over their shoulders while they attempted to keep up with their victim's gourmet. Heba was semi-conscious but the fact the two ERs rushing her towards the ambulance were louder than Montserrat and Nick made it difficult for both detectives to get a good, clear statements.

"Could you do us a favor and back off?" Nick nearly exploded on the reporter after Heba's ambulance drove away. "We were trying to get a statement!"

"Sorry, but I have full access," Jimmy was proud to announce, much to the annoyance of Nick.

"Who are you?" Montserrat scrunched her face, partially from confusion and the other part from genuine cold. She felt the tip of her nose freezing.

"Jimmy MacArthur. You know me," the man said with such assurance it almost made Montserrat doubt herself. "I hope you guys know by now that we're looking at a hate crime."

Montserrat was both stunned and confused on how he'd gotten that when both she and Nick hadn't even gotten a proper retell from the victim. "How did you-"

"-you better not publish any of that yet," Nick warned, already scowling but all Jimmy did was smile and go on his way.

~ 0 ~

The next morning had SVU busy with Heba's family, more so them than actually her.

"I don't think this is the way to get to our vic," Sonny told the other detectives around him while they watched Olivia and Rafael go back and forth with Reverend Curtis, who was acting on behalf of Heba's family.

Olivia's office was filled with the detectives, Heba's family and the Reverend. It was a loud commotion and the only person who nattered wasn't even in the room. She was in the interview room, trying to wish it all away.

"Reverend Curtis, Heba is in good hands here," Olivia followed the Reverend around her office. "I hope that we can stay focused on this case."

"As do I," Reverend Curtis raised his hand, showing them he was on their side but with more important endeavors. "This is just her family. Her brother Fareed is on his way."

Rafael barely contained the urge to roll his eyes right there. This was a complete waste of time. "Have we even interviewed her yet?" he spoke up just to stop Olivia from following the Reverend.

"Sort of," Montserrat muttered, crossing her arms as she remembered the interruptions from last night.

Amanda cleared her throat and gave her co-worker a glance to warn her to keep quiet. They didn't want Heba's family to know about Jimmy Mac. "Yeah, she was completely out of it at the scene. She was freezing. She spent all night in the E.R. I mean, this is the first chance we've had to talk to her."

"And we can't talk to her in front of her parents or you, reverend Curtis," Olivia put her hands together in exhaustion. They were making their case so much more difficult.

"This is more than just a rape. She was singled out because she wore a hijab," the Reverend spoke slowly as if none of the group were competent to understand his point.

"We're exploring that possibility-"

"Possibility? She was called a 'Muslim bitch.' Am I misinterpreting that?"

"Nobody is saying that you are-"

"-good. Even so, this community doesn't trust the NYPD-"

"-oh, but they trust you?" Rafael scoffed.

The Reverend shot him a look. "That's right. They reached out to me to be their advocate."

"Advocate? Any chance you told them that's exactly what the D.A.'S office is?"

"Heba's parents are concerned with her honor and the family's reputation."

"Go ahead." Olivia had enough of the nonsense. Every second they wasted arguing with the Reverend was another second Heba spent in torment. She went back to her detectives, pushing Amanda and Nick towards the interview room. "We understand that. So how about my detectives go in there with Heba - please get everybody else out of there…" She closed the interview door after Amanda and Nick then turned back and walked Rafael and the Reverend out of her office, "While you two work together in reassuring the family?"

Rafael's expression indicated no chance of that. The Reverend was working his last nerve and it wasn't even noon.

~ 0 ~

"So what are we looking?" Olivia asked the group once they were at a decent peace in the bullpen. They'd been able to get a proper statement from Heba, but it'd been quite the challenge to get them all out of the precinct without losing it.

"The rape kit exam confirms vaginal tears and the presence of semen from two different men. And remnants of torn hymen tissue," Amanda read off the results their M.E had sent them so far.

"And where are we on the hate crime aspect?"

"Well, they ripped off her head scarf and they taunted her with racial slurs," Montserrat said what Heba's statement had been. "That's pretty much the definition, isn't it?"

"Well, it's according to her," Nick leaned back on his chair. "We still haven't found any witnesses."

"Oh, come on. That time of night? Right by the park?" Sonny raised an eyebrow, smiling just to be obvious. "Somebody should have seen or heard something."

Olivia seemed to agree with his thoughts. "Okay, well, then go back up there, re-interview everybody. Doormen, street people." Sonny nodded and looked at Montserrat to see if she was ready to go.

"I hope it's not a chase," the ginger got up from her chair.

"And where are we with the security footage?" Olivia looked at the remainder of her detectives.

"We have the D.O.T. Traffic cam, but we're still checking into a couple other things," Fin promptly answered.

"Let me stop you all before you divide and conquer," Rafael stopped the entire group in time. "The family says Jimmy Mac called them. He had details from the case."

"Not such a surprise since he was at the crime scene," Olivia sighed.

"They think someone from SVU is talking to the press," Rafael's eyes flickered from one detective to the next. "Be aware of what you are saying."

"We got it, councilor," Sonny ushered Montserrat towards the hallway, but the ginger stopped just to make one remark.

"What is this, high school? We know how to keep our mouths shut," she rolled her eyes and went on out.

~ 0 ~

Following Olivia's instructions, Montserrat and Sonny talked to as many people that could've been at the scene last night, but it seemed they weren't going to have luck because everyone told them the same thing. There were no screams. There was no girl. They'd gone home earlier.

"I was working late last night," one construction worker was in the middle of saying, missing Montserrat practically ball her fists on her sides.

Sonny was more professional at the moment. He just kept the questions coming. "How late?"

"1:30. I'm trying to log in as many hours before De Blasio phases us out."

"And you were here, right by Central Park?"

"Yeah."

"You or any of your friends hear screams or see two guys take this woman down?" Sonny showed the man a picture of Heba on his phone.

The worker shook his head. "I heard about it this morning. Must have happened after I left."

"Okay, thanks," Sonny turned to Montserrat with the same disappointed expression she had.

"That's like the 20th person we speak to who has no idea of what happened," Montserrat groaned. "My feet hurt. And my mind."

"Yeah, well the mind thing isn't from this case, is it?" Sonny meant the birthday plans and just the mere reminder made Montserrat groan.

Luckily for her, or unluckily judging who was thinking, they were interrupted by Jimmy Mac.

"Are you kidding me?" Montserrat glared at the man she was losing respect for even when she hadn't even properly met him yet.

As soon as Jimmy saw them, he walked over (while stuffing the last bit of his hot dog into his mouth). "Detectives Carisi and Novak. So how's your vic?"

Montserrat had to bite her tongue so that she wouldn't respond with a curt 'none of your business'.

"You find that head scarf yet?"

"You think we're gonna talk to you about an open investigation?" Sonny derailed the answer cleverly, but Jimmy saw it as a mediocre attempt to cover the truth.

"So you got nothing. That's okay. There may be nothing to get!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Montserrat raised an eyebrow at the reporter. "Maybe you have something you want to share?"

Jimmy laughed in a condescending manner. "Jimmy Mac didn't become famous by sharing his sources with the cops. You can read about it like everybody else in the city in tomorrow's paper."

"Don't count on it," mumbled Montserrat when he left. "Who the hell does he think he is? He doesn't know anything." She would've said more had it not been for Sonny becoming focused with his phone all of a sudden. "What's up?"

"Uuh…" Sonny's look become concerned, bringing Montserrat to peer over to his phone and see the image causing problems.

"That's Heba on the street…"

"And look at the time stamp," Sonny pointed to the corner of the picture.

"It's 1:54 am and...she's walking toward the park. Clothes torn, no head scarf," Montserrat pursed her lips as they both knew that was quite a big contradiction to Heba's statement.

~0~

With further confirmation that Heba's statement was not quite true, the detectives took it straight to Heba herself for clarification. However, it turned out to be a waste of time because it only ended with Heba reaffirming her initial story and getting her family to throw the detectives out.

"How'd it go?" Olivia asked Montserrat and Sonny as soon as they walked into the bullpen.

"We are no longer welcome at that house," Sonny plopped down at his desk, more or less irritated.

Olivia motioned with a finger for Montserrat to follow her into the office. Montserrat dutifully followed but was already wear of where their conversation would end up at.

"Amanda and Finn went to Warner yesterday for further analysis and it's pretty much coinciding with the time stamp," Montserrat started first, thinking it would give her an advantage to lead the conversation towards her favor. "She said something about red and gold fibers being found under Heba's nails."

" So the benefit ended at midnight, and the security footage shows her walking towards the crime scene at what time?" Olivia rubbed her temples as she moved to her desk.

"It's 1:54," Montserrat paused for a second. The images of the distraught Heba was something hard to process. "Heba got defensive saying we didn't believe her but the truth is right there. We do believe something happened to her - the video proves it, but...not where she says or when she says."

"No chance of talking to her today," Olivia presumed after what Montserrat said.

"Not unless we want to be thrown out twice in two days," Montserrat crossed her arms and walked up to Olivia's desk. "She's too defensive, meaning she's lying. And if she's lying, then she doesn't want our help that much."

"Montse," Olivia brought her hands to the desk, looking disapproving. "It means she's hiding something because she's scared."

"Or mine, or yours…" Montserrat decided to leave it at that.

Olivia stayed pensive for a while before laying eyes on Montserrat. "Is this why you debate about pressing charges, then?" Montserrat visibly stiffened in her spot. "Because of the back and forth thing?"

"I don't want to do this right now, Olivia," sighed the ginger.

"I...I just don't understand," Olivia admitted. "You work for SVU. You of all people know how this works, the benefits of going forwards...the freedom you have afterwards."

"You say that because you knew exactly where your tormentor was. He's been in prison waiting trial, but I have no idea where the hell he is," Montserrat fervently shook her head. "I'm not opening myself to that type of trauma if I know there's not going to be any closure. Not happening."

"Hey Sarge?" Sonny poked his head into the office, essentially ending that conversation without knowing it. "We got a problem."

Olivia exchanged a look with Montserrat, both wondering what it could be now. "And what is it?"

Before Sonny could answer, Rafael pushed way into the office. He looked angry as hell as he raised a newspaper in his hand. "Who the hell has been talking to Jimmy Mac?" Because the newspaper's headline was all about the hoax that Heba's case was thought to be.

Perhaps it was the effect of the repeated conversation, or the fact she just felt plain offended, but Montserrat responded with a decent dripping sarcasm, "Oh yeah, all of us. We took turns."

That was all it took to infuriate Rafael. If Montserrat hadn't been in her own mood, she would've been amused by the way his face scrunched in utter anger. She'd come to learn some of his mannerisms since she was so good at irritating him. When he scrunched his entire face just for a blip of a second, it meant he was frustrated and a good amount of angry.

"Hang on," Olivia rose from her chair, making a motion with her hands for them to calm down. "None of us are talking to Jimmy-"

Rafael let the newspaper drop on the desk. "Then where the hell is he getting it from?"

"I wish I knew, but we don't." Olivia picked up the newspaper and reread the headline at least twice before forcing herself to skim the article. "But I'm going to talk to him."

"And do what?" Rafael scoffed, snatching the newspaper from her hands. "There's no point. Someone is talking."

"I will fix it," Olivia reassured then looked at Montserrat and Sonny. "Leave us, please. Montserrat, we'll talk later."

Montserrat did a double-take before outright saying, "No we're done. I made my decision." She gave Olivia no room to argue by leaving with Sonny.

"Can I ask what the hell is going on?" Rafael wished he could get at least one question answered that day.

"...she just doesn't like her birthday," Olivia found herself answering within the second.

Rafael rolled his eyes. "I have never met someone who put that much hatred into their birthday. You all need to focus."

"We will," Olivia's reassurance meant nothing to him at the moment.

"You better because I will be coming back tonight to see your progress."

Olivia leveled his intense look with her own, studious one. "How hard is the D.A. breathing on you right now?"

The question only made Rafael slightly shift. He kept his cool facade as best as he could. "My concern only."

It was then Olivia's turn to scoff. "Okay."

Rafael pointed a warning finger her way as he started to leave. "I'll be back later."

Olivia nodded him off and picked up the newspaper again. She would mark Jimmy's office as the second place she would be heading to today.

~ 0 ~

"Captain Carroll?" a tall, dark haired man stepped into a woman's office.

The woman in question was an older woman, probably fifty or so. Her grayish hair was tied into a tight bun and her blue eyes, though bright, were dimmed by the stack of papers on her desk. "Yes, Sanders?"

"You have a visitor," Detective Sanders said.

"Do I?" the Captain thought for a second before shaking her head. "Can't be. I don't have anything scheduled."

Before Detective Sanders could say anything, Olivia pushed the office door open and strode inside. "You'll have to make time then because I'm not leaving until we talk."

Captain Carroll raised an eyebrow at the woman, clearly taken aback by Olivia's bluntness. Being an older woman, Carroll was used to a different type of lifestyle. "Excuse me?"

Olivia ignored Carroll and glanced at the detective with them. "Leave us."

Detective Sanders briefly looked to his captain, wondering what he should do. He hadn't been very open to Olivia's sudden visit to their precinct, but as a detective there wasn't much he could do.

"Leave us, Sanders," the Captain ultimately said, making a motion for the man to leave.

Olivia waited till they were alone before speaking, and even when she did she was careful to speak in a quiet manner. "I'm Sergeant Olivia Benson, acting commander of Manhattan's SVU squad."

"Yes, I've heard about you several times," Captain Carroll rose from her desk and straightened up her blouse. "To what do I owe this visit? It's not everyday we get a Manhattan SVU Sergeant in Queens' Homicide."

"I'm here unofficially," Olivia walked slowly towards the desk. "I was the one who received one of your detective's transfer papers. You remember Detective Novak, right?" Olivia scrutinized the Captain for every expression she gave, and it was quite easy to see that the mere mention of Montserrat's name made Carroll stiffen.

Carroll cleared her throat and once again patted her blouse down as if it'd gotten crinkled in the one minute since the last time. "Detective Novak? Of course I remember her. She's the reason many of our drug missions were successful. You know Hallie D'Amico, right?"

"I do," Olivia gave a slight nod of her head. "And I think we both know at what cost D'Amico went down...right?"

Once again, Carroll's forehead creased at the middle. "I...don't know what you mean."

"Let me put it to you this way, just so that we don't waste time," Olivia pressed her hands onto the desk and leaned forwards, "I know what happened during your undercover mission for Hallie D'Amico. I know what happened to Detective Novak and I know that you did nothing about it. You, Captain-" Olivia spat the title like venom, "-are a true disgrace in this department."

Carroll's eyebrows knitted together as anger flourished through her. "How dare you-"

"-no, how dare you call yourself Captain while you let your detectives go through hell?" Olivia pushed herself off the desk, thinking it was better to put some distance between her and the Captain.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Carroll attempted to say, but Olivia was heated.

"Quit playing! I know about everything! Montserrat told me!"

Carroll was stunned. "She did what-"

"-and don't you dare-" Olivia pointed a sharp finger in Carroll's way, "-have the audacity to be angry about that! How could you - how you could trade in your detective's well being, her entire self, for one measly operation?"

"Measly operation?" Carroll's eyes nearly bulged from her eyes. "That was an undercover mission of 3 years!"

"I don't care!" snapped Olivia. "Because no mission is worth any detectives' lives!"

"Now wait a minute!" Carroll raised her hands, hoping to slow things down for her benefit. "I don't know why Montserrat would ever choose to disclose to anyone, but I'll have you know I never forced her to keep quiet."

"No," Olivia agreed, tilting her head, "But you sure did remind her that the mission was important. It'd been years' work and it would be a shame if her pressing charges about a rape would cut the mission short. Hallie D'Amico couldn't get away, right?"

"And she didn't."

"At Montserrat's expense!" Olivia practically yelled in the woman's face. She didn't even notice how far she'd gone over the desk. "You know she goes to therapy because of what happened to her? It's the only place she can talk freely because she doesn't want to press charges. You manipulated her into keeping quiet just so you could get your name on the headlines."

"I did no such thing," Carroll said, but Olivia swore it sounded like the woman was trying to convince herself of her own statement. "Now get out of my office, and don't you ever come back. If Montserrat would like to argue, then by all means she's welcome to return."

Olivia shook her head. "You're cynical. That's why Montserrat left Queens, and your precinct in the first place. She couldn't stand living here, working in a place where no one cared for her."

"I tried to ease her pain the best I could-" Carroll attempted to argue but Olivia quickly walked up to her to cut her off.

"All lies!" she spat and straightened herself up. "When push came to shove, you threw Montserrat under the bus. You decided she was not important enough-"

"-that's not true-" Carroll's face fell, but Olivia felt no sympathy for her.

"-it is. The only thing I'm glad about is the fact that Montserrat is with us now. Because in my squad, we care about each other and we always look out for each other. Sadly, yours doesn't share the same sentiment," Olivia gave Carroll one look-over before storming out of the office.

Detective Sanders watched Olivia leave their precinct and had the curiosity to see his Captain. However, when he attempted to speak with Carroll, she basically threw him out.

~ 0 ~

You work for SVU.

Montserrat fervently scrolled down her computer screen, switching tabs every now and then. No matter how hard she tried, she kept hearing Olivia's words from their most recent disagreement. Despite her failed endeavors, Olivia just wouldn't give up on pressing charges. Montserrat was getting weary, and yet even through that she had never really thought about her work at SVU as she was now.

What Olivia said was true. Montserrat worked at SVU, the place where it was encouraged to come forwards about rape. And yet there she was, doing the exact opposite. How could she continue working there when she herself wouldn't come out and say what happened to her?

"Are those...transfer applications?"

Montserrat nearly jumped out of her chair. Of course when it hit her that she was no longer alone, she quickly closed all the tabs at once. But it was too late.

Rafael moved around her desk slowly, eyes flickering between her computer and her. "Are you thinking of transferring out of SVU?"

Montserrat cleared her throat while racking her head for a plausible explanation. She hadn't even concluded on her own if that's what she wanted to do. She'd just...perused. But boy was it going to cost her. "I...I was...I was just looking," came out of her mouth a few seconds later.

Rafael took the seat beside her desk. "Really? Just looking? Why?"

Montserrat's mouth opened several times but in the end a small laugh slipped through. "It doesn't matter. I was just looking. And why do you care? If I were to transfer, wouldn't that just be a relief for you?"

For a second it looked like Rafael would smile out of amusement, but he kept it well hidden. "Well, contrary to the popular belief, your big mouth is actually helpful sometimes. And...you do good work around here."

Montserrat looked at him for a second before smiling herself. "Are you trying to say you'd miss me if I were gone?"

"Stop," Rafael warned, though he did shift in his seat like he'd been outed.

Montserrat still smiled ever so proudly. "It's okay, councilor, I know it's hard to admit it--"

"Seriously, stop. Where are the others? I came back to see Olivia," he looked around at the empty bullpen, making it harder for Montserrat to keep from laughing.

"Olivia's been gone all afternoon. Nick and Finn went to talk to Heba's family again, and Amanda and Sonny went for some take out."

"Oh, so you waited for everyone to be gone to go through transfer papers," Rafael noted. "You're serious about this."

Montserrat brought a hand to her hair, nervous fingers looping around one curl. "I'm not. I'm just...considering."

"That's the same thing. I transferred as well, so I know the process very well. What is going on?" Rafael was beginning to get tired of asking the same question with no answer available.

"Nothing. And I would appreciate if you didn't say anything about this to anyone else," Montserrat sighed. If this was the reaction she got from someone who rarely showed any emotions, she didn't want to know what the others would do.

"Fine," Rafael said after concluding that despite her assurances it was a serious matter. For some reason, things weren't fine. It bothered him.

"Hey!" Amanda's voice drew their attention, though one more than the other. "We got the food!"

"Great! Sonny hand me mine and don't touch it!" Montserrat's demeanor changed drastically, but of course in Rafael's mind it was all for show. He knew exactly what she was doing. Faking it. And she was doing a pretty good damn job at it too. No one could know what she was doing on the side.

But he did.

#svu #rafael barba #ocappreciation #ocapp #svu fics #rafael barba fics #rafael barba imagines #svu imagines #oc: Montserrat Novak #fic: dare to forget me

[rafyki]

Harigane Service Ch. 64 translation

@veronchiis asked me to translate this chapter, so here it is! I don’t read this manga, so I apologize for any mistake caused by my ignorance about the characters and the story!

You can find the raws here

Pag 1

1: Time!!

2: The first one to call a time out in the second set is Ryuusen!!

4: It's the second net-in this set

(NdT. Meaning, they touched the net while serving)

Earlier the trajectory was low enough to hit the net too

5: I wonder if you can aim the serve to pass within inches of the net from that distance

Pag 2

1: Who's that guy...!!

Pag 3

1: Don't mind!

2: Can't be helped

If they're in such high spirits when they get hit

3: Of course you guys can't compete

4: So... do you mean there's no way of making it if we go on like this?

5: Shiratori, can you keep doing 25 attack-serves in a row?

Huh...

You can't

6: And the same goes for that #11

To be able to hit so many consecutive serves, he must be very concentrated right now

Pag 4

1: The moment that high concentration is broken, it's difficult to get that concentrated again

Especially when there's a gap like this

2: This time out wasn't to make a plan, but to break his concentration!!

3: I see

I'll teach you a way to disrupt the opponent's concentration, without making a foul play

5: Oh, they're coming, they're coming!!

6: Look, it's that #11 guy

What kind of serve will he show us next?

Pag 5

1: Gooo #11

Nice serve!!

Get another one!!

2: Somehow... I'm getting noticed...

3: Don't get scared!

Ye-yeah

Pag 6

2: Wh-what?

They started jumping....

3: Split and step...

Convert the recoil of landing to the initial speed of the first step

It's a step I only see often in tennis....

4: Also, it's irritating that the timing is slightly off...

Pag 7

2: At this point, isn't it a way to disturb his concentration?

4: The first serve earlier...  if it hadn't hit the net it should have been out

5: An yet after that, he had that face....

Pag 8

1: That wasn't an expression of unexpected relief

There was something confident in it....

2: If there's another serve that lands out of the court

4: So far I've been afraid of failure and I've avoided dangerous plays

5: In the end, I always lost

6: In the end, I hated my useless self

Pag 9

1: But now, everyone knows the risks and allow you to fight with more than 100% of your strength

2: So the 4 consecutive points I made so far were something that everyone let me take

3: I want to repay that favour

4: I want to

Pag 10

1: Be more helpful to everyone!!

Pag 11

2: Dammit, his concentration wasn't thrown off!?

Pag 12

1: Shorin!!

2: Ah-!!

Pag 13

4: It got in?

Was it out?

Pag 14

1: It's out!!

2: Yeeeeah!!

You saw it well, Shorin!!

3: Shimodaira's serve.... it was out....

Pag 15

1: In!!

Point to Toyose!!

3: Wait a moment-!!

4: Are you kidding!?

That should have definitely have been out!!

Pag 16

2: Teacher!?

Pag 17

2: Yellow card!!

3: A warning for ill-mannered conduct!!

One more point will be added for Toyose!!

4: Yellow....

It's the first I saw one given to the director....

5: Fuuu....

Pag 18

1: Stupid!!

I got fired up....

2: You're seven people, including the libero; if even one of you is disqualified the team will be disqualified

3: That serve was definitely out

Even so, that linesman saw it in

4: No, he showed that it was in

That #11 has an aura that decides his serves

Pag 19

2: That was close!!

I thought it was out for sure!!

3: Even though I aimed for the middle back of the court, it floated til the edge of the side

4: I can't control that change at all!! It's a total gamble!!

5: Can I really drag everyone into such a gamble...?

6: I don't know.... but

Pag 20

1: I'll make sure to make this net-in!!

2: It's flying straight parallel to the ground....

3: It's coming

#harigane service #harigane service spoilers #my translations

[homogrimoire-archive]

The Remnant Branches

CH. 2 - Vile Toxic Intent

Part 3: Tyrian "Helping Children" Callows

Tyrian sees that he has been transported into another world, and makes the best of the situation.

“Hey Z, who’s this nutcase?” Dito asked.

“Don’t know. He doesn’t seem so bad though.” she shrugged as an arm flew into the air. Dito stared at it in amazement as rusted wires and rancid fluids spurted out of it.

“Yeah, fun fact! People don’t have tails. I say we get your sword and go. He’s giving me the heebie-jeebies.” Cent shuddered.

“Hold on, I think he could be useful. I’m getting tired of having to do all the killing around here, and he seems like he likes killing.”

“I agree with Lady Zero. The more people we have, the less energy she wastes by killing soldiers and monsters, and the more energy she can use to kill her sisters.”

“It’s settled then. Hey, scorpion tail! You good now?” Zero shouted as she walked towards him. He let out a huff as he drove in the sword one last time.

“I’m, good now.” he huffed. “I’m very good now!” He let out a loud cackle into the sky.

“You done? I don’t have all day.” She was starting to get annoyed.

“Yes. I’m much better now.” He said as he handed the sword back to her.

“Good. Let’s cut to the chase. I’m on my way to kill my sisters. They call themselves goddesses, so why don't you join me and help me kill them in the name of your goddess?” she offered. She saw him jump at the opportunity, then hesitate for a moment.

“Suuure,” he began, “but on one condition! You tell me about magic! One of my objectives is to learn about magic, so help me with that, and I’ll help you out. Deal?”

“Ugh. Deal.” Zero replied. “Now hurry up. I’m not going to sit around and baby you. We’ve got Intoners to kill.”

-

“Zero, why are we going after One first? Wouldn’t it be better to start with a weaker Intoner?” the young dragon asked.

“Never thought I’d agree with the big baby, but are you sure it’s best to go after One first?” Dito asked.

“Yeah. I’m sure. Once she’s out of the way, taking down the rest of them will be a piece of cake.” She explained. “Would you rather things get easier, or harder as we go?”

“I usually prefer it when its hard, but I suppose tha t this isn’t one of those times. But if you’d like, we could have a hard time right now.” Octa winked at Zero as she decapitated a man.

“I don’t know, does it seem like a good time Octa?” she said as a man fell to his knees to beg for mercy. His pleas fell on deaf ears.

“Hmm, that’s not a no.” he beamed.

“Ugh, why can’t you guys just focus on killing, like him?” she berated as she referred to Tyrian tearing through a group of soldiers in the distance. His laughter was somewhat annoying after a while, but at least he killed, killed, and killed some more.

“Cause he’s literally insane, Z. The guy voluntarily follows a self-proclaimed goddess.” Dito said, exasperated.

“That, and frankly I just don’t trust him. Heh, I mean, I have impeccable judgement, so if I don’t trust him, he just shouldn’t be trusted.” Cent reasoned.

“I don’t know. I think he’s alright. He has a tail, like me! Hey Zero, watch this!” Mikhail shouted, and proceeded to slice a horde of monsters with the tip of his tail. “Did you see Zero? Did you see? I learned that from watching him.”

“He’s not that annoying, he’s a good influence on Mikhail, and he’s good at killing. Can't say all that that about the rest of you, can I? Hey, dummy, go and get some more pointers from him.” she barked at him.

“Yes Zero!” the dragon said happily as he flew to study the tailed murderer.

“But you can say we have an amazing time fucking.” Octa stated.

“... Fine. You guys are good for sex, I guess.” Zero admitted. “Goddamnit, now I’m horny.We’re fucking right now. I don’t give a damn where we are.”

“I guess we can help with that.” Dito sneered.

“Oh ho ho! you know you can count me in anytime, my lady!” Octa exclaimed excitedly.

“I guess I’ll have to join in then. Someone with my unparalleled skills simply needs to be there. But uh, shouldn't we take care of the soldiers first?” Cent asked.

“Mmm, I think they’ll be busy.” She said as they paused to look at the reinforcements heading towards Tyrian. “Hey, hold on, where’s Decadus?”

“Hell if I know.” Cent shrugged.

“I say we start without him.” Octa urged.

“Knowing that freak, he’s probably trying to get stabbed by the new freak in town.” Dito joked, looking at the bloodbath behind them as he began to take off his shirt. “Wait, holy shit. He actually is.” Among the soldiers, Dito could just make out the huge freak.

“You better be fucking joking.” She sighed. She went to look in the distance to see that Decadus was indeed among the soldiers. “Fuck it. If he dies, he dies. That’s on him.” At least the dragon was getting better at killing.

“I knew he was a freak, but damn, he really is on a whole other level of freak.” Dito remarked.

“Fun fact, did you know that a scorpion’s poison can kill a grown man in mere hours, even a big guy like Decadus? Food for thought.” Cent commented.

“Can you two shut up so we can start fucking already?” she demanded to know. While Octa was already undressed and having fun, the other two were barely removing their underwear. Despite missing a man, it was a good time, perhaps even better than usual. All they knew was they they would have to try fucking in the middle of battle more often.

-

“Hey! Hey mister! I’m here! I’m here so I can learn to get better at fighting!” Mikhail exclaimed as he flew closer.

“Oh how wonderful, a pupil!” he yelled joyously as he slashed the chest of one man, the stomach of another, and poisoned a third. However, that fact that he was stabbed in his throat meant he would die from the wound before the poison. “Give me a ride, would you?” he said as he jumped onto Mikhail’s back. “Thank you.”

“Are you gonna give me some pointers? I don’t really like killing, but I’ll do it if it makes Zero’s life easier.” Mikhail explained.

“Well that won’t do. If you don’t like killing, then you shouldn’t be killing. I guess I’ll be taking my leave then.” Tyrian said, readying to jump back into the fray.

“No, wait, wait! I like killing! I like killing if Zero they’re Zero’s enemies! I love killing them! Grr! Kill!” he growled.

“Alright. Good enough. The trick to being a good killer is to love killing. You have to love all the pain and death and suffering you’re creating!” Tyrian explained to the youngling. “Torch those fools below us, would you?” The dragon followed the order, incinerating the many soldiers and monsters.

“Aah, hear that? Smell that? See that? If you wanna help your friend, wanna be a good killer, love that.”

“But couldn’t we have just talked to them instead? I’m sure we could have solved things peacefully.” Mikhail said somewhat sadly. Tyrian laughed at the suggestion.

“Talk? To your enemy? How are you even still alive? Listen kid, why don’t you land down there real quick and talk to them.”

“Really? You’ll let me try to talk to them? Zero never lets me try that.”

“Sure. Gooo right ahead. See what happens.” Tyrian cackled sinisterly as the naive dragon descended.

“Umm, hello. I― ow, stop that!” he said as soldiers stabbed at his thick scales with their puny weaponry. “Hey, I just want to talk with you. Ow, stop that! That kinda hurts!” Mikhail whined.

“Why isn’t it even slowing down?!” One soldier demanded to know.

“Stab it enough and it’ll die eventually!” another responded.

“Kill the traitor intoner’s dragon! Filthy beast!” insulted a man stabbing at the dragon’s feet.

“Hey, that’s not nice! Ow. Listen, I just wanna talk to you! We can solve this peacefully! Ow!”

“Kill, kill, kill!”

“Die, die, die!”

“Perish, perish, perish!”

“Shut up and listen to me!” Mikhail roared, flapping his wings angrily. The powerful gust sent the men flying back.

“Attack!” screamed the soldiers as they rushed back towards the dragon.

“They’re not going to listen, are they?” Mikhail asked himself, though he knew the answer. Tyrian laughed in response.

“See? See why I like killing? You get to rid the world of people who don’t listen to reason! You get to make them suffer! Now, if you want some real pointers, treat your whole body as a weapon, because it is! Crush them! Burn them! Poison them! Bite their throats out! Kill them!” Tyrian giggled maniacally as he jumped back down to spill even more blood. “Killl, alll yourr enemies! And loooove it!”

Soldier upon soldier, monster upon monster. The bodies piled high. Blood was freed from its prison and flowed as it pleased. Smoke bellowed out from the newborn pyre. A song without the power of a flower could be heard. And yet the enemies still ran towards the visage of death. Soon, the last wave arrived. It was composed of humans enhanced by magic, and monsters made of magic. It was a sight that would bring hope to the followers of the Intoner sisters. It would soon become a sight that would inspire despair in them. Only a single man lay alive amongst the order of slaughter.

“Ooh, looks like someone’s still hanging on.” Tyrian cooed.

“Nngh, so, much, pain.” he moaned.

“Huh? Wait! That’s Decadus! Waahhh! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Mikhail profusely apologized as he headed towards the suffering disciple.

“So much, delectable pain, uhmmn…” he groaned.

“You know, you’re not supposed to like it.” Tyrian told him.

“Hurry, put him on my back! We’ll take him back to Zero!” Mikhail told Tyrian.

“I say we just put him out of his misery.”

“Nghnn, to deny me the suffering of life… so cruel.” he moaned again.

Tyrian was taken aback by the disciple’s desire to suffer. It was so illogical to him. It went against everything he knew. People hated to suffer, and feared death, which is why he loved to make them suffer and die. But this guy, it didn’t matter. Whether or not he was suffering, he was getting what he wanted. There wasn’t a way he could truly hurt. It was plain wrong to Tyrian, disgusting even, and he didn’t know how to react to it. So he just did what the dragon asked of him and they made their way towards Zero.

“Don’t worry Decadus! Zero will fix you up!”

“Must she?” he complained.

“Is he alright?” Tyrian asked.

“What? Is he alright? Look at him! Poisoned, burned, broken bones probably, and cuts everywhere! Of course he isn’t alright!” Mikahil stated.

“No, is he alright, like, in the head? Cause, uhh...” Tyrian looked back at the suffering man who enjoyed suffering, and therefore wasn’t really suffering in his eyes.

“Well, probably not. I mean, it was preeeetty crazy back there, so I’m sure he hit his head a few times. Just hang in there Dacadus, we’ll be there soon!”

“Please, nngh, take your time.” he lewdly groaned again. To the joy of Mikhail, they found Zero and the other disciples soon. They were resting peacefully.

“Zeroooooo! Zeroooooooooo!” he yelled as he neared them. Being in the frantic state he was in, he loudly crashed into a nearby rock face. Tyrian managed to jump off in time. Decadus, however… “Waaahhhhh! I’m sorry! I’m sorry again!”

“Can’t ever have a goddam peaceful fucking moment can I?” she sighed. “What!?” she turned to look at a very beat up Decadus, moaning in pleasurable pain. “Oh fucking fuck! Just fucking die next time, god!”

“Guuhhh. So cruel...”

“Eew look! The bone is sticking out!” Dito exclaimed as he giddily ran towards the body. “Ohh, gross!! You can see the bone marrow! And look at this vein! God that’s disgusting! Man this cut goes deeeep! Holy shit, this burn!” he gasped with excitement, like a kid getting free candy.

“The big guy, is there something wrong with him, or…” Tyrian wasn’t sure how else to describe it, so he just motioned vaguely with his hands.

“I ask myself that everyday. Every. Single. Fucking. Day. Alright, out of the way shorty.” She pushed Dito out of the way as he was poking at a wound with a stick.

“Hey!” Dito shouted. Zero ignored his cry.

“Pay attention scorpion. You wanted magic, here it is.”

She began to vocalize ever so softly, and began a dance. Her lower body remained stationary as her upper body danced odd movements. A glow began to envelop his body as the flower in her eye began to glow. Soon, her movements quickened and her voice became louder. The glow became so intense it was blinding. When the glow faded, and the song and dance stopped, and a healed Decadus was what they saw.

“Thank you, Lady Zero...” he said rather sadly. She lifted a leg, and kicked him in the dick, sending him flying into the wall of rock. The rest of the guys looked in horror, clutching their own dick through their clothing in fear.

“Fucking do that again! I fucking dare you! Goddamn disciple...” she grumbled.

“Understood, ghhhnn, Lady Zero.” he cried. He looked like a kicked puppy that liked being kicked.

“I didn’t get to look at the poison wound on his back...” Dito lamented.

“At least we still have our dicks in one piece.” Tyrian said as he looked at Decadus in horror.

#Tyrian Callows #Drakengard 3 #Rwby #The Remnant Branches #Vile Toxic Intent #I also had a ton of fun with this part #You know #I also had an idea to throw Tyrian into the drakengard 1 setting #and i might one day #i already wrote a small alternate story for hazel and gretel #but i still have to put the finishing touches on it #and it will surely be a while before that. #2.3k words

[imitranslates]

Fukigen na Mononokean Ch. 45

What a sweet chapter!! I hope everyone enjoys this one as much as I did. Please check out Crunchyroll release (on their site if you’re able!) when it comes out in a few weeks!

The newest chapter can be read on the official website: http://www.ganganonline.com/contents/mononoke/ (it’s the orange button labeled 最新話を読む)

Fukigen na Mononokean Chapter 45 – Victory Cry

Page 1

Abeno's jacket: Safety first! You wanna fight?

Mononokean is life!

Ashiya's jacket: Among heaven and earth, only the hairball is great.

(Save the weak, crush the strong.)

Page 2

Kid2: That dropkick was super sweet!

Kid1: I want to see it, too...

Oisuke: My sweet home!!

Abeno: Ashiya.

Page 3

Abeno: I'm going over there to exorcise Oisuke-dono.

Abeno: Distract those grade schoolers so that they don't follow me.

Ashiya: Roger.

(Abeno: Hairball, come with me.)

Ashiya: ......

[If this request had come from the Executive...]

[Abeno-san would have surely come here alone...]

Page 4+5

[At that time]

[If I hadn't been there to stop him]

[Yet again...]

[He would done something crazy all by himself.]

Page 6

Abeno: I am Abeno Haruitsuki, the master of the Mononokean.

Abeno: I ask to open a door to the Underworld.

Abeno: Oisuke-dono... I take it there was no damage?

Oisuke: Indeed!

Oisuke: Nothing's wrong! My home is perfectly sound!

Page 7

Oisuke: It's all because Ashiya-dono risked himself to protect it!

Oisuke: Right when it was about to be smashed, he saved it with that flying kick!

Abeno: (Even if that's true, that acrobatic rescue was totally unnecessary, you know.)

[If he messed up even a little...]

[That sandbox would have been the site of a disaster...]

Oisuke: Abeno-dono!

Oisuke: Please convey my gratitude to Ashiya-dono!

Abeno: I certainly will.

Page 8

(Kids: Woooah!)

Abeno: !

Kid1: Ashiya, you're awesome!

Kid2: Ashiya! Do it again!

(Ashiya: OK!)

Abeno: (I did tell him to keep them preoccupied so that I could exorcise Oisuke without them following, but...)

Page 9

Ashiya: Hoh!

Ashiya: A handstand!

Ashiya: Into a bridge!!

Ashiya: And a cartwheel!

Abeno: (He’s really effective. [They're glued to the spot.])

Ashiya: !

Abeno: I'm done... Let's go.

Ashiya: (Okay.) Well, we've finished out business here, so we're going head back.

Sorry for getting in the way of your watermelon splitting.

Page 10

Kid2: Why don't you split it with us?

Kid2: This watermelon is really tasty.

Kid1: If you split it, we'll give you half...

Ashiya: Let's participate, Abeno-san...!

Abeno: Isn't 15 too old to get pulled in by some grade schoolers?

Ashiya: (No, no!) Abeno-san, please take a good look at this watermelon!

Ashiya: The stripes are a healthy color and the zigzag pattern is like waves on the ocean!

Ashiya: The portion where the vine was attached is still green, proof that it was freshly harvested!

Ashiya: When you touch it, the edges of the stripes feel rough!

Page 11

Ashiya: And listen to this sound when you hit it!

Ashiya: There's no mistaking it! This is a delicious watermelon with a sugar content of at least 12%!

(Kids: Wooow!)

Abeno: (That salesman is really noisy... I wonder if the watermelon will explode..)

Kid1: My dad grew this watermelon!

Kid2: Let's split it and eat some already!

Ashiya: Abeno-san! Let's split the watermelon!

Kids: Abeno-san!

Abeno: (Watermelon aside...)

Abeno: (Even if we leave, it'll be a pain if those grade schoolers tag along.)

Abeno: (Today's work is over, so...)

Abeno: I'm going back. If you're going to split the watermelon, you can return on your own.

We'll part ways here.

Ashiya: Stop!! Please don't leave me behind!? Returning on my own is totally impossible...!! (Where are we even!?)

Page 12

[In the end...]

Kid1: Since Ashiya's a grown up, you need a handicap!

Kid2: Spin around 10 times!

Kids: 1! 2! 3! 4! 5! 6! 7! 8! 9!

Page 13

Kids: 10!

Ashiya: Now then!

Kid1: Go! Ashiya!

Kid2: Walk straight ahead to the target!

Ashiya: Straight ahead, like this...

Ashiya: No worries...

(Kids: Left!)

(Abeno: Left!)

Ashiya: Left...?

Page 14

Abeno: Are you done having your fun? Let's head back.

Ashiya: Next time, for sure...

(Kid1: Next up, it's my turn!)

Abeno: You can't beat that thing. (Give up.)

Ashiya: Just watch... I'll make mincemeat out of it...

(Abeno: If you make it mincemeat, all that's left will be mush, you know?)

(Ashiya: It'll be a fruit juice with 100% pulp and seeds.)

(Ashiya: Doesn't sound very good...)

Page 15

Abeno: ...Anyway, Oisuke-dono said to give you his thanks.

“This is because Ashiya risked himself to protect it.”

(Kid2: Left, left!)

(Kid1: Which way's left?)

Ashiya: I see...

Ashiya: I'm glad I protected it. (His home...)

Abeno: Regardless, you didn't need to jump around like that!

Ashiya: But if I didn't stop you, you would have tried to protect it yourself, right?

Ashiya: Wham!! Right?

Abeno: That thought never entered my head.

Abeno: !?

Page 16

Ashiya: That's a lie.

Ashiya: It was definitely in the corner of your mind.

Abeno: ......

Page 17

Ashiya: ...If you, once again,

Ashiya: Were injured before my eyes, I'd be horrified.

Ashiya: It's just a scratch on the cheek, but...

Ashiya: The base cause of it was you doing work alone, so that I wouldn't have to encounter the Executive.

In order for me not to realize it, you even didn't make a fuss...

Abeno: .......

Ashiya: But, this time

Ashiya: If a request comes from the Executive, I want you to call out for me.

Page 18

Ashiya: If you end up doing too much again, Abeno-san...

I'll desperately protect your lifeline, at least.

Ashiya: I mean...

Ashiya: You might not know this, but...

Ashiya: The truth is, I am...

Ashiya: A servant of the Mononokean!

Page 19

Abeno: ...Huh?

Ashiya: Since you're still inexperienced, you should ask for help no matter what kind of request there is.

Ashiya: Just ask, without holding back!

Page 20

Abeno: Hmm...

Abeno: So you were a servant of the Mononokean, Ashiya-kun?

Abeno: I never would have guessed.

Page 21

Ashiya: Right?

Ashiya: Fuzzy is also a servant.

Abeno: I knew that much.

Fuzzy: !

(Ashiya: So close!)

Kid1: Aahhh!

Kid1: Next is Abeno-san's turn!

Kid2: Abeno-saaan, come over here!

(Kids: He's such a cool delinquent!)

(Kids: Let's go, Abeno-san! You can do it without the handicap!)

Page 22

Kid1: Abeno-san!

Kid2: Abeno-san!

Kid1: Try to hit it like it's one of your enemies!

Kid2: It'll be just like when you swing around your steel pipe on your bike and break windows!

Abeno: (If I hurry up and split this thing, I can leave already!)

Ashiya: Abeno-saan!

Abeno: !

Ashiya: Leave the navigation to me!

Page 23

Executive: Itsuki.

Page 24

(I will likely make other requests to the Mononokean.)

(When that time comes...)

(You're free to make use of Ashiya Hanae.)

Executive: ...That is,

If that human doesn't run from us,

Executive: And remains as your employee... correct?

Page 25

Ashiya: There! There's a step up, so be careful!

Ashiya: Just go forward, like that...

Ashiya: Right there! Gooo!

Page 26

[Executive...]

[Your scheme failed, after all...]

Page 27

Ashiya: Nice work!

(Kid1: Just as expected from a delinquent!)

(Kid2: With one strike!)

Kid2: Even wearing a blindfold he went straight toward the watermelon, awesome!

Kid1: It was like he was walking forward regularly!

Ashiya: It was all thanks so my safe and secure navigation!

Page 28

Abeno: ......

(Kids: Wooooah!)

(Ashiya: This is a fantastic-looking watermelon!)

Abeno: (I could sense the hairball's presence... All I had to do was made a guess on where the watermelon was from there.

(But I'll keep quiet.)

Page 29

Ashiya: Thanks for waiting!

Mononokean: So the reason you were late coming back was because you were splitting watermelon, huh!

Page 30

Mononokean: Since you didn't come back quickly, I thought there had been a problem with work.

Ashiya: We turned down their invitation at first, but... It didn't look like they were going to give up.

Ashiya: “Won't it be trouble if we reject them and they tag along when we try to call the Mononokean?” we thought.

Abeno: Mononokean, there's an appointment for next week, but...

Ashiya: !

Ashiya: You're in your school uniform! Don't tell me, you have more work after this...?! (My uniform is in the wash...!)

Abeno: Today's work ended with one case.

Ashiya: Really?

Page 31

Abeno: .....

Abeno: Mononokean.

Mononokean: It's true. We're closed for the day~

Ashiya: (If the Mononokean says so, then I guess it's true.)

Abeno: Ashiya.

Ashiya: Yes?

Abeno: As for requests from the Executive,

Abeno: None have come right now.

Page 32

Abeno: Isn't that right?

Mononokean: There are currently 0 requests received from the Executive at this time.

Abeno: When a request from him does come,

Then...

Page 33

Abeno: Help me out. (...I guess.)

Ashiya: (He doesn't look like he wants any help...)

[But even so]

[This time, he'll tell me, without hiding it.]

Page 34

Ashiya: Just ask,

Ashiya: Without holding back.

Abeno: Mmm.

Page 35

Abeno: ...It's lukewarm.

Ashiya: It was sitting under the sun and on top of hot sand! Of course the watermelon would get hot like that. (It's been in the refrigerator since...)

Mononokean: Anyway, Itsuki?

Mononokean: Weren't you saying something about an appointment for next week before...

Abeno: (Yeah.) Next week, school will be restarting.

Abeno: I wanted to adjust the scheduling...

(Summer vacation is ending already, huh...)

Page 36

(It was a long summer...)

Mononokean: They took Fuzzy, saying a servant of the Mononokean was suspected of theft.

Justice: The Executive hates humans.

Executive: Who do you think I am? Ashiya Hanae.

(A ban from entering the Underworld.)

Legislator: Do you like gambling?

Page 37

[Influence...]

Ashiya: Mm... It's delicious.

#fukigen na mononokean #fukigen na mononokean translation #The Morose Mononokean #fukigen na mononokean chapter 45 #fukigen na mononokean 45 #manga translation

[acc3ssdenied]

Omg bruised got me really into it and I'm soo ready for next chapters let's gooo👌👌👌 (patiently waits for ch 2😇)

ahhh thank you im so glad!! im about halfway through chapter two so it should be up in two days (fingers crossed)!! thank u for reading and telling me what u think ❤❤