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dirt-cup-draco · 3 years

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Bucky x Reader- Yours

a...ging stops at 18 until you find your soulmate so the two of you can grow old together. d...amage done to a person also translates into their soulmate’s body (cuts, bruises and all)

Thank you @starofthedawn! love our bucky boi :’)

Time had become something that simply passed you by. The decades skipped and hopped, one to another and you remained stuck in the body of a young woman that had aged far beyond her looks. The soulmates that aged, the ones that found one another, they watched you with pitying eyes as they saw the heavy weight behind your eyes. It was clear the excitement of waiting on someone meant just for you had taken it’s toll and you weren’t sure if you’d ever find that special someone to grow old with.

It wasn’t just the time that had chipped at the hope you’d held onto in the 1940s when every one of your peers waited for their soulmate and your parents were hoping you’d find yours before even a week passed. Everyone was eager and you had been too. You had wanted to know everything about whoever was out there. At first you hadn’t wanted to, thinking them a troublemaker, but you were certain they were just clumsy. It’s why you always ended up with a nasty shiner that you had to try and ice down or a split lip your mother helped you nurse.

When the war started gathering up every capable young man across the country you were certain that you’d lose your soulmate, whether by distance or warfare. It was something you feared once- never finding your soulmate. So you had done the only sane, or not so sane thing, you’d offered yourself up to help the soldiers as their nurse. Every night you went to bed relieved that your soulmate had escaped another day seemingly unharmed, besides the deep set ache in your bones but you had soon forgotten if it was his or yours.

The war had ended and things from there grew more bleak. Surely you’d know if he had been one of the casualties, wouldn’t you? But doubt crept into your mind. You remember laying on your cot one evening when you found a moment to rest, mind gone foggy from the days constant movement and too little time to yourself. You felt like bricks laid out against the stiff cotton and it was a struggle to even twitch your finger.

Suddenly, the air was knocked from your lungs so forcefully youd choked out a cough just to remind yourself how to start breathing again. Your head began to ache terribly and your arm held a terrible weight to it. You tried to brush it off, you were just tired or maybe your other half was just feeling a bit lethargic that day- nothing serious. You had let your eyes fall shut but your rest was interupted with a vicious burning that made you scream aloud, eyes burning with tears as you clawed at the junction of your shoulder and arm.

You shuddered, pulling your cardigan tighter around you as you remembered the night you’d felt unimaginable pain. You hadn’t really felt the same since. Disconnected, odd. Maybe it was a sign that he was gone, that you’d be stuck mourning and living out one existence after the other. You’d tried asking, the few willing to share, what it felt like to lose your soulmate whether it be before or after they’d met but no one could truly put the agony into words.

Every so often you felt dull aches, a sore jaw from clenching too long, a sharp pain at the back of your skull... But it never lasted and as the world rocketed itself into a new age you believed that you were crazy and that these aches were just a phantom to remind you of a love you’d never get to experience.

“Don’t look so glum,” Your boss Helen laughed, elbowing your side playfully and pulling you from your thoughts as you trudged through the back door. You tore your hat from your head, blowing a lose strand of hair from your eyes as you gave her a grim smile.

“How could I look anything other than delighted when I know I’ll be in my lovely place of work for ten hours making grumpy people their caffeine fix for the day?” You teased back, a small grin working its way onto your face. Despite the decades spent wondering where half of your heart was, you had still found people and things to love.

One of those people was Helen and one of those things was her lovely cafe. She’d employed you nearly three years ago and while you hadn’t aged a single day you were beginning to see the slight shift in her. A gray hair or two could be found in her amber locks, wrinkles at her mouth, eyes and forehead making her look...weathered in a way. Like a well loved book. She had stories full of excitement and happiness and more importantly, a soulmate.

“You’re a brat but you’re my brat, now get out there and work your magic,” Helen commanded and you had to tear your eyes away from her. She was gorgeous, she was happy, she was loved, she was whole.

The day went like clockwork, you clocked in at 6 and greeted the morning dump of sour sleepy people. The rush got you far enough along that by the time you were done cleaning your station your coworker James had punched in and you were set free to go on a fifteen minute break. It went too quickly and then you were half goofing off and half doing dishes until you took a lunch, your feet aching in your shoes but your mind gone pleasantly numb.

Work kept you from the sink hole that had appeared in your chest.

You hummed a tune, one always stuck at the back of your mind that played when you let yourself sink into the comfortable rhythm of cleaning the plates returned to you by customers who needed a nutritious or indulgent pick me up with their daily espresso or latte. The clouds had blanketed the sky and there was a familiar chill in the cafe that made the warm sink water lull you even further into your peace of mind.

Now seven hours into your shift you were feeling eager to get home and kick up your feet but anxious to experience the dread that eventually seeped in. Your company had been enough for decades, or you had learned to let yourself be enough, but it didn’t end the longing of wanting someone there who knew you better than you knew yourself.

“Y/N!” Came Jame’s clear as a bell voice, the echo of his tenor bumping against the glass wall you’d built in your mind to keep everything out.

“Whatdya want?” You hollered to the front of the shop, drying off a mug as you took a few steps through the archway. James was at the back of the shop, cleaning up a spill and there was a customer hovering near the front counter. Their head was bent low and their shoulders hunched up to their shoulders. They wore a hoodie over their head and their hair cloaked their face, you couldn’t help but let your gaze linger but realized the man at the front must be why James had called for your help.

“Oh!” You exclaimed, setting the cleaned mug on the edge of the counter as you approached the register. “S-sorry, what can I get for you?” You stumbled over your words and had to shake your head. It seemed you’d gotten a little too lost in your thoughts as you had trouble coming back to the present.

“Anything with caramel,” Came a voice that warmed you from the inside out. Your eyes snapped out and you found you were trapped by icy eyes that held nothing but a gentle shyness in them. The stranger was strong, his appearance almost intimidating, but behind the curtain of thick hair was an almost boyish face. But yet it was his eyes that you kept going back to as you tried to remember where you even were.

They were the loveliest eyes you’d ever seen, but they were the saddest you’d ever encountered. You didn’t think you’d ever see such a lost look on anyone other than your own reflection in the mirror. Your heart stuttered uncomfortably in your chest and you fumbled to take the man’s order on the register. You gave up completely and spun around on your heel once you realized you’d been staring too long.

In your sudden movement though you had caught the edge of the already forgotten mug and it toppled to the ground.

“Fuck!” you cursed, immediately dropping to the ground to pick up the shards. You felt too warm, your head foggy and body floating yet heavy. Your chest was tight and you couldn’t put a name on the feeling. Maybe you were having a heart attack. You’d gone too long without a soulmate and time had finally caught up to your ageless body.

You were once again trapped in your mind as you fumbled with the sharp pieces, inhaling sharply as you cut yourself.

“Double fuck!” You whined, squeezing your finger tight, trying to stop the flow of blood as you dropped the pieces back to the floor.

“Jesus, Y/N, you feelin’ alright?” James asked, coming to your side. You simply nodded and popped your finger into your mouth.

“H-he wants caramel,” you said airily, nodding back to the stranger but when you looked back at him his eyes had gone wide, hood pulled back from the top of his head. You were nearly about to ask if he’d seen a ghost but then you saw the liquid ruby gathering at the tip of his own finger. The same one you had cut.

Your breath had been stolen from your lungs and your legs went out from under you as you sank against the counter behind you.

“Y/N?” Helen asked, the commotion grabbing her attention all the way from her office. “Sweetheart what’s wrong have you eaten? Can I get you-”

“I- um just thinks she’s a little in shock,” Came that lovely voice once more and you felt a bit more grounded. He was much closer now, having come around the counter, brushing his cut finger against his jeans. It was only now you noticed one of his hands caught the light and revealed a prosthetic.

Your shoulder suddenly ached with memories and your eyes welled up. “Where have you been?” You croaked, hands shaking and knees still weak.

He sank down to kneel in front of you, ignoring both Helen and James’ protests to be mindful of the shattered mug. His calloused hands were large and gentle as they gathered yours up. His own eyes grew misty as he took you in.

“I know I’m late, it’s a long story so why don’t I just start with a hello?” He asked, helping you to your feet.

You laughed a bubbly and nearly hysterical laugh that made you feel lightheaded all over again but he just held on tighter to you and you never wanted to be let go again. “Maybe you could start with your name too,” You teased and you felt nearly as breathless as you’d been the night you’d only known pain.

You supposed that was going to be a part of his long story and your heart ached already at the thought of him experiencing any of what you’d only felt a fraction of.

“I’m Bucky, and what can I call a beautiful gal like you?” Bucky grinned, his flesh hand releasing your arm so he could brush his fingertips against your cheek in wonderment.

“Yours, I’m all yours,” You choked out, a watery grin painted onto your face.

Time had become something that simply passed you by, but now you were ready to begin the rest of your life.

#soulmate au #aging stops #damage appears on body #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #winter soldier #winter soldier x reader

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bruisedbell · 3 years

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Hungry for the rush ( aching to be thrown in the ring ).

bio. || insp. || closet. || face.

Character name: Katherine “Katie” Emery Bell

Age / Birthday: Beltane Babe—01 May, 1979.

Gender: cisfemale

Pronouns: She/her

Sexuality: Katie is bisexual. She was taught to see the beauty of a person within as a child and has since applied that to all aspects of her life. She has no preference—instead she weighs on the depth and value of the person on the inside.

Occupation: Hit Witch within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. ** ( I love that all hit-wizards have their own assigned beds at St. Mungo’s. How ridiculously appropriate for Katie. )

Affiliation: Katie exudes positivity and always stands up for what she believes is right, so it is really no surprise she considers herself a beacon for the light.

3 Positive Traits:

Adventurous. Daring. Makes up her own rules as she goes. She neither asks permission nor for forgiveness, unless caught red handed. Life is a game and there are no rules, only victories. Katie is competitive in nature and intends to seize as many victories as she can. Carpe rebus.

Kindhearted: Generous. She loves to give—not receive. Katie would give the shirt off her back to someone in need and never expect a favor in return. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for the people she loves. She would travel to the depths of the earth if asked of her.

Resilient: Tough as nails. Like titanium, she does not break easily. She rolls with the punches and rides on waves of fury. Katie is mentally very strong. Quidditch has vastly helped her develop this fortitude. She is a lover above all else, but there is no denying the fighter that reels inside her. It goes hand in hand with her desire to always be winning, or achieving success in any way she can.

3 Negative Traits:

Distracted. Head in the clouds. Plucking shapes and painting stars the way she thinks they should twinkle. Dream on little dreamer, unmoved by the falling reality and fragility that comes from this life. Katie is detached and a bit impersonal at times, especially when she has no skin in the game. It’s hard to hide the vacant look in her eyes when her mind has journeyed into a far world of its own.

Overzealous: Dangerous enthusiasm. Questionable optimism. Lethal tools in the wrong hands. Katie often needs to be reminded to slow down her pace and release her death grip so they don’t become just that when in her possession. Her heart is usually in the right place, but she has the tendency to get in way over her depth without realizing it. Her high energy can be all-consuming and, if she isn’t careful, may drowned whoever gets in her path. It also doesn’t hurt to mention that too much positivity can be toxic, and Katie certainly teeters between dangerous boundaries.

Detached: Katie frequently finds herself separated from reality like she is just a fly on the wall, or a stranger peering through someone else’s eyes. Reality can be a tricky concept to grasp at times. She finds it easier to throw herself into perilous situations with that made-up wall built between her and whatever unknown obstacle the day holds. Originally a coping mechanism she established to help aid with the daily traumas of working in the DMLE, it has since become an increasingly alarming problem slowly tainting other aspects of her life too.

Headcanons.

Katie is often underestimated by those around her. Many say she is too soft; teased and called a princess by others. Her kindness is usually misinterpreted as weakness, but she weaponizes this misjudgment turning it into one of her greatest assets. She isn’t mad at anyone for calling her a princess because they aren’t necessarily wrong; her crown is simply set with daggers and claws versus jewels, and she intends to have it on display for all to see.

Olivia Bell nee Fraiser, Katie’s mum, is muggle-born witch. She married a muggle man named Rhys Bell shortly after graduating. She then began her career at HM Treasury just like her father did before her. HM Treasury is the UK Government’s economical and financial ministry maintaining control over public spending, budgeting, and other fiscal aspects. Public service has always played a vital role in Olivia’s life, and subsequently Katie’s life as well. She witnessed how important it was to her mother and eventually was inspired to lead into her own career within the Ministry of Magic for this exact reason.

Katie is an expert dueler. This is illustrated in Prisoner of Azkaban when she teaches Harry Potter the full body-bind curse (switching that to Neville feels very applicable in this setting though? ). She was in the dueling club for the majority of her Hogwarts career, which is where she first established a solid foundation to nurture her skills. She later joined Dumbledore’s Army during her sixth year when Umbridge briefly reigned over Hogwarts. Having an older brother who loved to torment her as a child also helped play a key role. Once they were at Hogwarts together, there was no stopping her from getting retribution. In fact, she started making an abundance of friends which came with unexpected connections in the form of unique pranks and other jokes to help further her crafty and scheming nature.

Katie is currently working on her ability to cast both wordless and wandless magic. She favors wordless magic. It comes much more natural and is far easier than wandless magic in her opinion, however, both are thoroughly trained and implemented throughout a hit-wix’s career as it aids in the secrecy of capturing their suspects. She is also currently studying occlumency and legillimency with her mentor and fellow hit-wix.

Katie is an expert baker. Strudels. Pies. Puddings. Cakes. Croissants. Macaroons. Alfajores. You name it, she can whip it up in a heartbeat. Baking is her comfort. The alluring aromas of brown sugar and vanilla wafting across her kitchen remind her of a quaint and happy childhood. Present-day, she consumes an irrational amount of sweets, but nothing in comparison to the heaps she has to throw away at the end of the week due to the fact that she simply cannot eat them all. She makes cute little burlap wrapped packages tied with colorful ribbons, which her senile owl Blazer delivers to all her friends… but there still always manages to be more dessert left on the countertop.

Katie is quick, not just on her feet but a broomstick as well. She is known for making fast getaways. A skill she takes great pride in.

The looming war and undeniable political tensions have been anything but pleasant for Katie, and the entire Bell family. Bellatrix Lestrange’s rise to political power was alarming from the beginning for the lot. Katie’s mum maintained a position within the muggle division of government. The muggle-born witch immediately feared for a worst case scenario for someone like herself, or her muggle husband and two half-blood children. One needn’t be overly creative to fill in those lines. Katie had held a position within the DMLE ever since graduating from Hogwarts. Her older brother worked with various quidditch teams across Europe. It’s in a mother’s nature to worry, but perhaps she had more reason and experience in doing so when all their lives were so intricately designed with such chaos.

Plot ideas: Same plot ideas from the previous group. I want Katie to be confronted with unlikely challenges. I want to see her get involved with those she wouldn’t normally do so. She is everything radiant and positive, so her leaning toward the Order is too obvious in my opinion. I want to see her manipulated and forced into doing things she would have never thought only because there is the risk of losing something greater. Katie would do anything to protect her family and friends. Especially Fred. She has a savior complex. It goes hand-in-hand with her desire to fix people and things, even if a good handful of them turn out to be unfixable. I want to see the closest of friends push each other away and have incomprehensible falling outs because of the unspeakable circumstances and lingering tensions they’re affected by. War changes people and I am anxious to see how it sinks its claws into the vibrant and kindhearted girl we all know—and how maybe just perhaps it transforms her into someone entirely unrecognizable.

Bonus Material: Gryffindor quidditch power team dynamic, angsty!angst, darker threads with purpose and tangibility, lighthearted threads, friends comforting friends, rogue punches, and other comedic content.

#about.#this is a hot mess??? whatevs #when is it not? that’s probably the better question

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sufferthesea · 7 years

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Pink Peonies (Kakashi/Reader) Part 3/5

I wish I could add a boiled egg to my ramen, but eggs make me sick )): Luckily I can enjoy as many eggs as I want in Fanfiction Land! (Sorry for any grammar/spelling errors! Feel free to *kindly* point them out so I can fix them!)

A/N: RIP editing on Tumblr is awful. I had to remove the InteractiveFics box bc it wasn’t working properly and Tumblr kept removing all the edits I did grrr.

Words: 2.776

Rating: General

Read part one here: ao3 // Tumblr Read part two here: ao3 // Tumblr Read on ao3

Tagging: @thetoxicstrawberry @thefoxthief

“Wait,” Kiba said slowly, looking from Ino to Sakura with an expression full of suspicion. “So you’re telling me somebody came into your shop and stole six flowers?” “Not just any flowers,” Ino stressed. “Peonies. Pink ones. They’re so pretty - and kind of expensive. They’re really nice flowers and I’d like to find them. My parents left me in charge of the shop and if they find out that somebody stole merchandise, I’ll —” She froze, eyes shooting to the size of saucers. “OH NO!” she screeched, turning white as a sheet. “My parents! They’ll be back from dinner soon! And I left the shop unattended! I didn’t even put up the Closed sign! I’m gonna be in so much trouble!” Frantically, she grabbed a fistful of Kiba’s jacket and yanked him closer. “Listen here, mister, you’re gonna use your dog to find those flowers - and you’re gonna find them fast. Got it?” “Y-Yeah, sure - whatever!” Kiba struggled to free himself but Ino’s nails dug into the fabric even tighter. “P-Please - you’re choking - me!” Akamaru cowered on top of his head, sinking his claws into the hoodie to keep from falling off. “I’m glad we understand each other!” Ino released Kiba and gave him a threatening smile. “Now, get to work!”

Kiba grabbed a shaking Akamaru and set him on the ground. “It’s okay, boy. Don’t listen to her. Do you know what peonies smell like?” Akamaru whined and shook his head. “UGH! WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!” Ino screamed, startling nearby shoppers. “You guys wait here - Sakura, make sure they don’t leave!” With that, Ino stormed off down the road and back to her flower shop. “Where’s she going?” “I don’t know,” Sakura admitted, watching the girl sprint away in a storm of dust. “Hopefully she comes back, though.”

Kakashi stood outside of the bookshop, eying the new releases displayed on the shelves. “Hm,” he sighed quietly, feeling the cool stems of the three flowers against the pads of his fingers. “I wonder how Y/N is doing. Ha. I’m sure they’re fine. They are a shinobi, after all. Ah - is that?” His eyes stopped on the cover of a pale blue book in the corner of the display bookshelf. “Is that a new Icha Icha book?!” Quickly, he ran inside the shop, not sure if he quite believed his eyes.

Panting and sweating, Ino stumbled back to the group and held up a single, solitary pink peony. “This … is … a peony … You … should … smell it … so you … can find … it.” She shoved the flower at Kiba who dangled it to Akamaru’s level. The small dog took in several hurried sniffs and yipped. “What’s that, Akamaru?” Kiba asked excitedly, pulling the flower back and tucking it into his jacket pocket. “Hey, you can’t keep that —” Akamaru barked again and took off down the road. “Come on, guys!” Kiba shouted, running after the dog. “Seriously?” Ino gasped, resting her hands on her thighs. “I just ran all the way to my shop and back, and now I gotta run again?” “Well,” Sakura said casually, “you don’t have to go. I can just find out who they’re for and tell you.” “Nice try!” Ino jumped up and glared at the girl. “You’re not going anywhere without me! They are my flowers, after all! Now let’s go before we need another tracking dog to find Kiba!” The two girls took off together, barely keeping up with Akamaru and his owner. All four followed the dog through crowds, behind a few shops, and finally down a street that seemed mostly deserted. “This doesn’t seem right,” Sakura said quietly. It was getting dark fast and the air was thick with the smells of oil and fire. “Where are we? I can’t imagine Kakashi-sensei coming down here.” “Huh?” Kiba asked, glancing over his shoulder. “What’s Kakashi-sensei got to do with this?” Ino threw a punch at Sakura and hit her in the shoulder. “I - I - I mean -! I can’t imagine a flower thief would come this way! Ha ha ha ha ha!” “Billboard Brow,” Ino hissed through clenched teeth, “you keep your fat mouth shut before you spill the beans!” “It was an accident!” she hissed back. Akamaru stopped suddenly and began sniffing the ground, turning in circles. “What is it boy? Do you smell something? Where is it? Where are the flowers?” Akamaru lifted his head and started off down another side street. “Jeez, this guy sure went a long way,” Kiba muttered. “I wonder what he wanted with flowers, anyway? A waste of money if you ask me. I guess he thought the same and that’s why he stole ‘em, right? Ha ha ha.” “Hey!” Ino growled, ready to throw another punch. “Flowers are a beautiful expression of love and appreciation! They are appropriate for any occasion and can often say more than what we ourselves are comfortable saying! And nobody asked you!” “Whatever. Huh? Look! That guy there - he has a pink flower!” “What? Where?!” both girls shouted together, shoving against each other to be the first to see. Sure enough, down the street was a man in a light blue yukata with dark hair, carrying a single peony. “That’s not —” Sakura began before stopping herself. “I mean, Ino, is that the person who stole your flowers?” Ino gave a worried look to the other genin. “Gee, I don’t know Sakura, I didn’t get a good look at his face.” “It has to be - come on, guys! Akamaru, wait up!” Kiba took off after his dog and the two girls reluctantly followed. Akamaru nipped at the heels of the man and barked wildly. The man, caught off guard, let out a surprised yelp and stepped backwards, dropping the flower on the ground. Akamaru grabbed it in his mouth and growled at the man. “H-Hey, is this your dog?” he cried when Kiba approached. “Yeah, and you’re a thief! Where are the other flowers, old man?” “Wh-What? What other flowers?” “You know what I mean!” Kiba grabbed the peony from Akamaru’s mouth and shoved it violently into the man’s face. “These flowers! You stole six of them! Give ‘em all back or else you’ll have to pay.” “P-Pay?” the man sputtered, looking terrified. “Yeah, pay what you owe to the shop! You can’t steal things, man! It’s not cool!” Proud of himself and his ninken’s work, Kiba turned to Ino and Sakura. “I caught your thief. You’re welcome.” “N-No,” Ino stuttered, looking bewildered and very embarrassed. “I - I don’t think this is him —” “What are you talking about? I caught him red-handed! He has the flowers! Or, at least, one of them. Again - where are the others?” “Listen, I don’t know what you’re talking about! I didn’t steal anything! I was given this flower!” “Huh? Given it? By who?” Sakura asked. “I don’t know. There was someone walking down the street and they offered me one. Didn’t say much - except that they had a few to spare. Said I could take it home and give it to my wife. Give it back!” He reached out and snatched the flower from Kiba’s hand. “Well,” Ino began eagerly, “who was it? What did they look like?” “I don’t know - nothing memorable. They had a yukata on, like me. I think theirs was … kinda green-ish? And they had hair lighter than mine.” “Is that all you remember?” Ino gaped in exasperation. “Well, which way did they go?” “Listen, kid, I met them about five minutes ago. They could be anywhere by now! They seemed to be in an awful rush, too. And so am I!” Turning on his heels, the man stormed away, muttering unkindly about the state of ninja these days. “Well that was a bust,” Kiba sighed, his shoulders slumping. He reached down and scratched Akamaru under the chin. “You did good, boy. You found what you were supposed to!” “Yeah, but not all of them.” Ino looked up and down the street, contemplating what to do next. “Do you think he can try again? Please? I really need to find them - even just a few of them! I can explain away one or two missing, but six? My parents are going to be so mad.” “Fine. Akamaru, do you smell anything now?” The dog sniffed around in the dirt again, trotting along down the side street. Sakura and Ino both felt a wave of relief wash over them when he started leading them back to the main street where most of the people were. They hung back a ways as they followed, making sure Kiba couldn’t hear them talk. “What do you think Kakashi-sensei’s doing, giving away the flowers?” Sakura whispered, her voice almost lost in the clamor of the upcoming busy street. “I don’t know. Is that like him?” “I’ve never really known sensei to buy anything for anyone. He’s kind of a cheapskate.” “Huh. So that means that whoever the flowers are for is really special, right?” “Yeah, I’d say so.” The pink-haired girl sighed and looked up to the darkening sky. “I’d really like to know who they’re for, too, you know. I think it’s so romantic that Kakashi-sensei has somebody he’d buy flowers for. I’d like to meet that person, whoever they are.” “I think Akamaru’s onto something,” came Kiba’s sharp tone. “Hurry up you two! It’s your flowers we’re finding!” “Okay, okay,” Ino relented, “we’re coming!”

Somehow you’d managed to pass by Kakashi again while you were wandering around the village. You’d just come back from walking around the Academy and now you were headed towards Ichiraku. You saw Kakashi strolling about, his nose deep in another book. Figures, you thought a bit bitterly, a final peony in your hands. Kakashi still had two more, though he didn’t look like he was busy getting rid of them. When you passed by, he glanced up and smiled. “Yo,” he said, throwing up a peace sign as best as he could, the two flowers dangling precariously from his palm. Without saying anything else, he walked off. That man, you grumbled as you headed off towards the ramen stand. If he’s not gonna buy me dinner until this whole thing is over, I might as well treat myself. I’m starving! I wish I’d gotten some dango while I had the chance. As you headed towards the brightly illuminated stand, you passed by a group of strangers. One was walking slower than the rest and you nearly bumped into them. “Oh, sorry!” you said quickly, looking up from your courteous bow of apology. You froze, bug-eyed, and stared at the person in front of you. They stared back, just as concerned and perplexed. “You - You - You -” they sputtered, pointing a shaking finger at you. “You have my - my face!” Oh of COURSE! Of all the people I could run into it HAD to be the civilian I transformed into! You laughed wildly, shaking your head. “W-Wow! What a wild coincidence! I’ve heard that there are seven people in the world who look like you - I never thought I’d meet one so soon! Ah ha ha! Well, I don’t want anyone thinking I have an evil twin out there! So you behave for my sake, and I’ll behave for yours. Bye!” You scurried off before they could say anything, though you could hear them trying to form a coherent thought as their friends backtracked to ask what had happened. Teuchi and Ayame greeted you warmly as you ducked under the cloth curtains and took a seat at one of the barstools. The strong aroma of grilled meats, fishcakes, and fresh veggies hung on the air, cut through with the sound of bubbling dashi and the solid thunk of a large knife slicing through food and hitting a wooden cutting board. “Good evening!” Ayame beamed, heading over towards you. “Welcome to Ichiraku! What can we get for you?” You looked over the menu tacked to the wall and cupped your chin with your thumb and index finger, your heart still racing from your exchange with the civilian. “Hmm. You know, I think I’ll go for the barbecue pork ramen - with an extra egg!” After all the ridiculous crap you’d gone through today, you certainly deserved to treat yourself. “Sure thing!” You pulled out your wallet from under the thin belt of your yukata and thumbed through the bills. Tch. I should really charge Kakashi for this. Oh well. “Oh, that’s such a pretty flower!” Ayame breathed, noticing the peony you still held. “Huh? Oh, thank you! It was a gift. I mean - uh, it is a gift.” You laughed lightly and held it up for both cooks to see. “I’ve only got one left!”

Kiba, Ino and Sakura stood outside of the bookshop, looking at the display window of new releases. Akamaru insisted that this was where the smell was coming from and he would not budge from his position beside the front door. The flowers were in the shop. “Well, we’re not getting any younger,” Kiba finally said. He pushed open the door and the others followed him inside, though rather reluctantly. There were few places to hide and spy in the store and they didn’t feel like confronting Kakashi in such a cramped place. Still, they had no choice - if Akamaru said the flowers were here, then that’s where they were. Inside the shop, they carefully studied the lady at the front counter and a few customers who were browsing the fiction section, but none of them had any flowers. Kakashi wasn’t among them. “I think your dog’s sniffer is broken,” Ino grumbled. “There’s nothing in here.” “Just give him a minute. Look - he’s onto something.” Kiba led the group towards the back of the store and around a corner. Their eyes were trained on Akamaru as he darted back and forth down the aisle and to a bookshelf. He turned and let out a soft grunt, letting Kiba know that this was where the smell was coming from. “Now I know it’s broken,” Ino griped. “There’s nobody here. Maybe he’s got some smells crossed and he’s been sniffing out something else?” “No way. Akamaru is an excellent tracker. There must be something here.” Kiba started hauling out the books and inspecting the wooden shelves. Ino and Sakura followed his lead and removed stacks of novels, checking in between pages and even seeing if someone had possible taped a flower underneath the shelves. “I can’t find anything,” Sakura said desperately as she shook one book violently. “Where else in this aisle would they be? Who hides a flower in a bookshop anyway?” “You know who,” Ino growled quietly, shooting a mean look at the other girl. Akamaru whined when Kiba picked up a pale blue book and pawed at the boy’s leg. “I think this is it, guys!” Kiba grinned, not bothering to look at what book it was. He flipped through the pages and soon a handful of pink petals came tumbling out from the book, followed by a few torn leaves and a crushed stem. “What?!” Ino cried, collapsing to scoop up the ruined flower. “Who did this? Why would they do this? My - My flowers!” Kiba grimaced at the sight and then turned his attention to the book, hoping maybe there’d be a clue as to who left the flower there or where the others were. His face flushed bright red and he shoved it back on the shelf. “Uh, guys - I don’t think we’re supposed to be here.” “Huh? What do you mean?” Sakura started, helping Ino clear up the mess. “This is a —” “Hey! You kids!” The three of them wheeled around to see an older man standing there, gesturing wildly at them. “You get out of there! That section is adult only! You can’t read any of those until you’re 18!” Sakura and Ino jumped up in horror and looked to the book Kiba had just reshelved. It was one of the Icha Icha books, which Sakura immediately recognized as the series her teacher read. “S-Sorry!” she stammered out, grabbing the two other ninjas by the wrist and dragging them off. “We - We just got lost! Trying to find a book our friend recommended. It’s not in there, though! Bye!” As fast as their legs would carry them, the three ran out of the shop and onto the dark street.

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