#they say hamas and it makes me tear my hair out
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In Gaza, a child is not really a child. Our eight-year-old son, Yazzan, has been talking about fetching his toys from the ruins of our house. He should be learning how to draw, how to play soccer, how to take a family photo. Instead, he is learning how to hide when bombs fall.
I don’t want to hug anyone, because I don’t want to believe that I am leaving them. I kiss my parents and shake hands with my siblings, as though I am only going on a short trip. What I am feeling is not guilt but a sense of unfairness. Why can I leave and they cannot? We are lucky that Mostafa was born in the U.S. Does it make them less human, less worthy of protection, that their children were not? I think about how, when we go, I may not be able to call them, or even find out whether they are alive or dead. Every step we take will take us away from them.
We are about to pass the checkpoint when a soldier starts to call out, seemingly at random.
“The young man with the blue plastic bag and the yellow jacket, put everything down and come here.”
...
They’re not going to pull me out of the line, I think. I am holding Mostafa and flashing his American passport. Then the soldier says, “The young man with the black backpack who is carrying a red-haired boy. Put the boy down and come my way.” He is talking to me.
The soldiers blindfold me and attach a numbered bracelet to one wrist. I wonder how Israelis would feel if they were known by a number. Then someone grabs the back of my neck and shoves me forward, as though we are sheep on our way to be slaughtered. I keep asking for someone to talk to, but no one responds. The earth is muddy and cold and strewn with rubble.
I am pushed onto my knees, and then made to stand, and then ordered to kneel again. Soldiers keep asking in Arabic, “What’s your name? What’s your I.D. number?”
One by one, we are forced into a truck. Someone who is not moving lands on my lap. I fear that a soldier has thrown a corpse onto me, as a form of torture, but I am scared to speak. I whisper, “Are you alive?”
“Yes, man,” the person says, and I sigh with relief.
When the truck stops, we hear what sound like gunshots. I no longer feel my body. The soldiers give off a smell that reminds me of coffins. I find myself wishing that a heart attack would kill me.
Another man, maybe talking to himself, says quietly, “I need to be with my daughter and pregnant wife. Please.”
My eyes fill with tears. I imagine Maram and our kids on the other side of the checkpoint. They don’t have blankets or even enough clothes. I can hear female soldiers, chatting and laughing.
Suddenly, someone kicks me in the stomach. I fly back and hit the ground, breathless. I cry out in Arabic for my mother.
I am forced back onto my knees. There is no time to feel scared. A boot kicks me in the nose and mouth. I feel that I am almost finished, but the nightmare is not over.
When we exit the truck and my name is called, I am temporarily given my I.D. card. I feel a prick of hope. Maybe they are going to release us.
Inside a building, my blindfold is pulled off. A soldier is aiming an M-16 at my head. Another soldier, behind a computer, asks questions and takes a photo of me. Another numbered badge is fastened to my left arm. Then I see the doctor, who asks whether I suffer from chronic diseases or feel sick. He does not seem interested in my pain.
Back at the detention center, blindfolded again, we kneel painfully for hours. I try to sleep. A man moans nearby; another is hopeful that he will get to go back to the doctor. Late in the evening, a soldier calls my name. The shawish leads me to the gate, and a jeep comes to take me away.
When I wake, a soldier says something in English that I cannot believe.
“We are sorry about the mistake. You are going home.”
“Are you serious?”
Silence.
“I will go back to Gaza and be with my family?”
“Why wouldn’t I be serious?”
Another voice chimes in: “Isn’t this the writer?”
Back at the detention center, as I fall asleep, I think about the words “We are sorry about the mistake.” I wonder how many mistakes the Israeli Army has made, and whether they will say sorry to anyone else.
On Tuesday, about two days after I left the school, the man with the megaphone teaches us how to say good morning in Hebrew. “Boker Tov, Captain,” we say in unison. Some new detainees have arrived in an enclosure nearby, and the soldiers overseeing them seem to be having fun. They sing part of an Arabic children’s song, “Oh, my sheep!,” and order the detainees to say “Baa” in response.
After an hour, some soldiers approach. One has my I.D., and another drops a pair of slippers for me and tells me to walk. Then one of them says, “Release!”
I am so overjoyed that I thank him. I think about my wife and children. I hope that my parents and siblings are alive.
I spend about two hours at the place where I was interrogated, with the Hebrew music. I am given some food and water, but the soldiers never find my family’s passports. I climb into a jeep, surrounded by soldiers. After two hours, I can see around my blindfold that we are getting close to Gaza.
The soldiers get out, smoke, and return fully armed, wearing their vests and helmets. I am thinking about the man I recognized in line, and what he said about human shields. I am starting to wish that I could go back to the detention center when they give me my I.D. card.
Standing against a wall, I tell the closest soldier that I am scared.
“Do not feel scared. You will leave soon.”
My handcuffs are cut, and the blindfold is removed. I see the place where I had to take my clothes off. When I see new detainees waiting there, sadness overwhelms me.
I take off my slippers and start to run. Passersby are staring, but I don’t care. Suddenly, I spot an old friend, Mahdi, who once was the goalkeeper on my soccer team. “Mahdi! I’m lost—help me.”
“Mosab!” We hug each other.
“Your wife and kids are at the school next to the college,” he says. “Just turn left and walk for about two hundred metres.”
I cry as I run. Just when I start to worry that I have lost my way, I hear Yaffa’s voice. “Daddy!” She is the first piece of my puzzle. She seems healthy, and is eating an orange. When I ask where the rest of the family is, she takes my hand and pulls me as if I were a child.
I learn from Maram how lucky I was. She used my phone to inform friends around the world, who demanded my safe release. I think about the hundreds or thousands of Palestinians, many of them likely more talented than me, who were taken from the checkpoint. Their friends could not help them.
#endisraelsgenocide#Free Palestine#and these are just highlights.#if you go to the link -#you can read or hear the whole story
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Click here to read the full fic on AO3
In the morning, Katara walked into the kitchen to see Suki draped on Sokka as he cooked something at the stove. Her arms were around his waist and her chin perched on his shoulder. They swayed together and then there was a pop before a streak of Sokka’s swearing.
“You’re at least wearing a shirt while making bacon right?” Katara asked as she sat on one of the stools at the small island. Suki turned around and smiled at her, letting Katara see that her brother was appropriately attired.
“Want some coffee?” She asked and Katara nodded.
“So that was a lot.” Suki said as she poured coffee into two mugs. Still swaying around the kitchen, she opened the fridge with her foot, held onto the mugs by their handles in one hand, and grabbed a container of creamer with the other. Using her hip to close the door, Suki hummed a little bit before putting everything down next to Katara.
“You’re in a good mood.” Katara remarked and Suki beamed at her before turning again to open a drawer. Sokka turned into her place, depositing strips of bacon onto a plate padded with paper towels.
“A lot is happening.” Suki said cheerfully, returning with small spoons. They started to make their coffee while Sokka returned to the stove, swiftly cracking eggs into a bowl.
“Too much.” Sokka added gruffly and Suki rolled her eyes as she leaned over the island, holding her mug up in her hands. She still drank hers black, as they all had when running through war zones, but Katara liked the extravagance of cream and sugar. She sometimes took it a step further and splurged on flavored creamer.
“So, the Blue Spirit huh?” Suki asked over the rim of her mug, raising her eyebrows before taking a sip. Katara scoffed but took a drink as well.
“It’s not a big deal.” She replied.
“I don’t know, I remember you being awfully reluctant to talk about the help you got at the river factory.” Suki said.
“That was years ago and doesn’t matter any more.” Katara replied.
“Do you think he still has the mask?” Suki asked.
“SUKI!” Both Sokka and Katara yelled in unison.
“What? I do.” Zuko interjected.
Katara groaned, slapping her palm to her face as he took a seat next to her.
“It was my mother’s. I wasn’t going to get rid of it.” Zuko continued.
“You absolutely should have. That is going to be the thing that ignites a coup you know, when someone like your sister finds it.” Sokka said, bringing over a platter of scrambled eggs.
“I’m not worried. But hey, it makes sense now why you’re always thinking about that kind of stuff. I guess you’re a prince like me now, huh?” Zuko remarked. Katara looked up to see Sokka give him a withering look.
“I don’t like talking about that.” He said firmly, almost angrily.
Katara turned her face away, but still saw Suki go to him, putting a hand on Sokka’s back before leaning her head onto his shoulder.
Sokka was a lot like their father and fell in love quickly. And it was hard enough for anyone not to have fallen in love with the radiant light that filled Yue.
“And the royal family isn’t really going to work like that anymore. Apparently, Arnook is going to invoke some ancient law that says only a Waterbender can inherit the throne. If Katara doesn’t have a magic water baby, I get nothing.” Sokka said, sounding calmer.
“What if you have a magic water baby?” Zuko asked.
Sokka and Suki looked at each other; he chuckled while Suki smiled.
“Two non-Benders? One of whom is from a long line of people living in Kyoshi?” Suki replied.
“Doesn’t the Fire Nation have something like that though?” Katara asked.
“Sort of. It’s a mix of bending ability and bloodline. If I were to have a non-Bender heir, it might still work out considering I’m the descendent of Avatar Roku.” Zuko answered.
“Excuse me? You’re what?” Katara asked.
“Are you serious? You still haven’t looked up anything about me?” Zuko asked.
“There’s a whole HummFeed Unsolved about the disappearance of his mother.” Sokka said. Zuko winced.
“And I don’t like talking about that.” He said, then sighed. “Plus, that episode is banned in the Fire Nation. She wouldn’t be able to watch it here anyway.”
“Okay, let’s just air everything out. No more secrets, no more hidden knowledge.” Katara said and turned to Zuko. “Give me the rundown.”
“Ah, okay. Um.” He stammered and ran a hand through his hair. “My father is the Fire Lord, I’m his heir, but I was also the vigilante known as the Blue Spirit that tried to disrupt imperial forces. After the war, I went to college under a fake name to study, met Sokka, we survived an assassination attempt when I was discovered, and so my uncle paid for his store in thanks for his saving my life.”
“WHAT? YOU SURVIVED A WHAT?” Katara faced her brother who, holding a forkful of eggs, shrugged and continued eating.
“What about you?” Zuko asked as Katara vigorously rubbed her face.
“Sokka and I left home to find our parents and we quickly got tagged by the Fire Nation navy when they found us on the wrong side of a blockade. We escaped with the help of the Kyoshi Warriors, but they trailed us to the North Pole thinking that I was,” Katara drifted and Sokka stood rigid.
“Kat, you don’t have to-” He started but she held up a hand.
“Fair is fair.” She replied.
“They thought I was the Avatar.” Katara continued. “So when they attacked the North Pole and Zhao, did what he did, I made a pact with the ocean spirit and dragged him down into a canal to drown him.”
“What.” Sokka croaked.
Tears fell down her cheeks but she smiled, her breathing hitched and ragged.
“Afterward, not finding either of our parents, we went from prison to prison to find them. Along the way we met up with Suki and her people. Suki got arrested and ended up in the same prison as my father, so two birds, one stone. Then we got into another prison and found my mother. And Hama.” Katara stared into her coffee, stirring the liquid slowly. “I learned things that still haunt me, my mother died, and now that I’m saying all of this out loud, I probably have PTSD.”
“Katara, you burned eight prisons to the ground and you’re a Waterbender.” Sokka said. “Yeah, I think you might have a little PTSD.”
Katara laughed but they all very quickly fell silent. Sniffling, Katara wiped her eyes and slapped her hands on the island counter top.
“But none of that is going to get fixed today so I’d like some breakfast and more beach time.” She said.
“I’m down.” Suki said.
“I don’t feel like that’s the healthiest course of action.” Zuko said weakly.
“Oh yeah? You got a Ph.D. in psychology to help out with that? Or did you study PoliSci?” Sokka retorted.
Zuko and Sokka started to bicker while Suki got plates for everyone, handing one to Katara and giving her a one armed hug. Kissing Katara’s cheek, Suki leaned her head against hers.
“You okay Tara?” She asked. Katara shrugged and pressed her head back toward Suki’s.
“Yeah. I’ll talk to someone when I get home though.” She replied.
“Good.” Suki said and dumped a large scoop of eggs onto Katara’s plate, making it tip away from her. “I know a good veteran’s group in Ba Sing Se.”
After breakfast, Katara got her wish and they started packing up for the beach. This time, Suki unearthed an instant camera from her suitcase. She started to take pictures, shaking the wobbly film as she avoided Sokka in the hall. Her laughing shrieks made Katara relax but she was still surprised when Suki thrust the camera into her hands.
“I need you to be in charge of this for awhile.” Suki said and winked before lowering a pair of sunglasses on her face.
Right as they were about to head down, Katara stood in the back sunroom. Zuko stood on just the other side of the screen, looking down into the cooler. Slowly lifting the camera, Katara took a picture of his peering thoughtfully down into the ice. At the snap, Zuko looked up and smiled.
“You look awfully contemplative.” Katara remarked.
“One always has to consider the most effective way to move supplies.” Zuko said.
“You guys ready?” Sokka asked, tossing a towel at Katara before pushing open the screen door.
This beach day was much calmer. Katara swam while the others stayed in the shallows. Suki moved through the water, her pants rolled up as she bent over picking up shells.
As Katara waded up through the water, Suki gestured with her head and winked. Confused, Katara wrung out her hair as she walked to the towels. As she sat down, Zuko came and sat beside her.
“I got kicked out.” He said and Katara looked down at Sokka and Suki. They were standing close together and Suki was pulling shells out of her bucket.
“Hand me the camera.” Katara said. Quiet, Zuko fumbled through their bag and handed Katara the camera.
As she raised it, she saw Suki look up and toward her.
Katara took a picture of Suki showing Sokka the bucket. She handed Zuko the picture. She took a picture as Suki pulled out a shell. She handed the undeveloped picture to Zuko. She took a picture as Suki knelt in the sand. She took a picture of Sokka putting his hands in his hair. She took a picture as Sokka fell on Suki.
“Did she just…?” Zuko asked. Katara lowered the camera and nodded.
Zuko started to laugh and Katara smiled as Sokka and Suki got back onto their feet. When the two came up to the towels, Katara could see her brother shaking.
“Congratulations!” Zuko said and Sokka fell onto his knees before plopping facedown on his towel.
“Since we were getting everything out in the air.” Suki said and sat down, rubbing circles on Sokka’s back.
“Let me see.” Katara said, poking Sokka in the ribs. He flopped out his arm and Katara picked up his hand. The band was titanium with a Water Tribe motif carved around the ring in the middle.
“That’s amazing.” Katara said and then looked over at Suki. “Sorry for making your morning so depressing.”
Suki let out a breathy laugh.
“That’s what it always was though right? Falling in love with the world falling apart?” She said and looked down at Sokka. “We take the good with the bad. Pain is a part of life.”
Sokka turned his head to lay on his cheek, looking up at Suki.
“Well isn’t this just adorable.” A chilled woman’s voice said. Zuko’s eyes widened and Katara turned to look.
Azula, Mai, and another woman stood, looking back.
“Still taking the good with the bad?” Sokka groaned.
“This world likes to test me.” Suki said.
Their beach day was cut short and Zuko closed himself in an office with Azula. The rest of the group could hear them shouting, but Mai looked bored. The third woman had introduced herself as Ty Lee and looked strained enough for two people.
“So why are you all here?” Sokka asked.
“Azula found out Zuko was here and decided to drop in.” Ty Lee said with a massive dose of forced cheer.
“It was mostly that she found out he was here with you.” Mai said, looking pointedly at Katara.
“And how’d she find that out?” Katara retorted.
“I’m allowed to talk about where my boyfriend is.” Mai said.
Katara put her hands on the back of a chair and ice formed around her fingers. Noticing the chill, she took a deep breath and pried her fingers free.
“I’m not going to be here for this.” She stated. Pushing the chair away, Katara marched toward the front door.
“Katara.” Sokka called out.
“I need some space.” She said gently. “I’m sorry I keep walking away.”
Suki held onto Sokka’s arm and he held her hands.
“We’ll be okay.” Suki said.
Katara walked out of the beach house and into the wide cul-de-sac. The other beach houses were spread out, quietly ignoring each other to create the illusion of isolated privacy. Sand soaked the lawns and covered sidewalks, making Katara’s flip flops slip over the surface and spray grit up the back of her legs.
Taking a walk wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. It wasn’t what drew her, and she quickly abandoned her route. Taking a wide berth around the house, Katara skidded down the sand dunes and walked to their part of the beach. Hiding behind a dune, she shed her clothes and darted to the water.
Here she could think.
Katara spent a few hours in the water, her thoughts slowly floating through her mind. Nothing really came from it, except that she realized she needed to think more about a few things. It felt like she kept trying to walk away from a lot.
As the sun started to inch toward the horizon, Katara got out of the water. With her bending, she dried herself and pulled on her clothes. While not damp, they were still covered in sand and she grimaced.
Heading up the stairs, Katara sighed but froze as she heard voices.
“Why are you talking to me about this?” Mai asked.
“Right, I should definitely talk to Sokka about my feelings toward his sister.” Zuko said.
Katara looked around, hearing the voices advance, and she darted into the outdoor shower. She pulled the curtain closed as the porch door creaked open.
“Well you absolutely shouldn’t be talking to your girlfriend about your feelings toward another woman.” Mai remarked.
Leaning against one wall, Katara peered out of the gap from the weathered curtain. Mai and Zuko sat on the small steps leading down to the sandy space before the dunes.
Zuko looked uncomfortable and Mai sighed.
“No, I get it. I do.” She insisted and pushed Zuko’s shoulder. “I used to have a crush on Sokka.”
Katara covered her mouth and nose, stopping her attempt to gasp. Zuko looked just as stunned.
“What?” He asked.
Mai blushed a bit, turning her face away and tucking her hair behind an ear.
“It was when you started college. I always liked the idea of being with someone,” Her blush deepened and she kept her hand at her ear, slightly shielding her face. “Silly.”
“Silly?” Zuko repeated in absolute shock.
Mai covered her face and actually made a strangled noise that sounded like amusement.
“It’s just, I never experience life like that!” She said and opened her hands. “People like him and Ty Lee make everything more colorful.”
“And I’m not silly?” Zuko asked.
Mai leaned her head back, looking at him from an angle.
“Zuko, you’re awkward and soft. Our relationship has made me feel like I’m swimming in pudding.” Mai said and turned in her seat.
“Ouch.” Zuko replied and winced.
“Katara is dramatic, strong-willed, and, from what I’ve been hearing, she’s kind. You don’t need someone that’s your opposite, you need someone that compliments you.” Mai laid her hands down on her lap, palms up. “We were put together because of politics and I know I can be happy with you. But will you be happy with me?”
Zuko looked down at her hands and slowly put his on top of hers.
“I don’t think I can.” He said softly.
“But you’ll do the honorable thing and marry me anyway. Forever miserable but never straying to make sure you don’t make me lose face.” Mai said. Zuko sighed and his shoulders sagged.
“I don’t really know what to do here.” He said.
“I can’t make any choices for you. But I’m your friend Zuko. I’ll help you figure it out, no matter what you choose.” She laughed and looked down at their hands. “It’s not like I haven’t stood up to my parents before.”
“Thank you Mai.” Zuko said.
“You can thank me after you actually made a decision. Which, knowing you, will take a stupidly long time since you’re-”
“-soft and awkward. Yeah, I got it.”
They laughed and Katara felt her chest tighten.
“I’m going to go back inside and get your sister to leave.” Mai said and leaned in, kissing Zuko’s cheek. “Try not to burn anything down.”
“One time!” Zuko remarked as Mai stood up.
Katara pressed her back against the wall of the shower and stared up at the open sky above her. Water dripped slowly from the shower head, hitting the sandy floor with heavy splats.
It did feel a little bit like she was walking through pudding.
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Finally Real (F) Kuroo x Reader
OOOOOH. This one is for all you Tetsurou fans. (I can't add the accent to make it Tetsuro (Accent on the O) so I'll have to type it as OU) ANYWAYS, we love a good Kuroo moment so here we go.
"Why the fuck are you so annoying? You're always so fucking clingy and need too much attention. I have no clue how the hell I put up with you this long," you cried as the girl you saw as your best friend, Hama, screamed at you.
"If you hate me, then why have you been my friend for all these years? Was it all fake?" you asked through tears.
"Of course it was all fake, I just felt bad for you. I didn't want you to be all by yourself, but recently you've been getting more needy and it's so fucking annoying," Hama told you.
Hama had been your only friend since you were 12. You were now a third year at Nekoma, so you thought she was your best friend after all those years. This had all started over the fact that you wanted her to stay at your house this weekend.
"I'm just gonna go then," you turned and began to walk home.
~~~~
When you arrived home, your sister was cooking dinner while your brother was emptying the dishwasher.
You lived with only your siblings due to the fact that your parents had walked out on you years ago. You refused to be separated, so you stayed in the system until your sister was a legal adult and was able to become your guardian. Your sister was 24, your brother 21 and you 17.
"Hey, y/n, how was school?" your sister, s/n asked you while putting some plates on the table.
"Don't wanna talk about it," you said, walking by the kitchen and going to your room, shutting the door behind you.
A few minutes later, you hear a gentle knock on the door. It was your brother.
"Come in," you said. You were laying on your bed, staring at your ceiling. You had some music playing softly in the background.
"Hey, y/n, are you okay?" he asked gently, moving to sit on the side of the bed.
"No. The one person I thought was my friend just told me that she was just doing it out of pity. She also didn't fail to mention that I am- and I quote- 'so fucking clingy and need too much attention'. So no, not okay," you explained coldly, not looking away from the ceiling.
"Y/n, if Hama really said all that she didn't deserve you as a friend."
"He's right, you know," you hear your sister say from the doorway.
"Well, she was the closest thing I had to a friend, so now I'm alone," you let out a dry laugh, "Who am I kidding? I never had any friends, I should've known it was fake.
"Y/n you're an amazing kid, and if she couldn't see it, then screw her. You deserve friends who like you. Someone who shares interests with you," b/n explained, standing.
"I don't think anyone wants to be my friend," you rolled to sit up, legs hanging off the bed.
"That's it, I can't stand to see you sad, you need to sign up for something, that way you can meet people," your sister said, knowing you needed some encouragement.
"Like what?" you stood up, heading toward the dining room to eat. Your siblings followed, continuing the conversation.
"Well, you used to play volleyball a lot with the others kids in the park, why don't you try that?" B/n suggested, smiling.
"You know as well as I do that my ankle sprain hasn't fully healed from when I fell down the steps last month, plus the volleyball girls don't like me much" You said, knowing that you couldn't play.
"Team manager then? For the boys team?" your s/n added helpfully.
"Sure, I'll talk to the team captain on Monday," you said, wanting to dig in to the food in front of you.
The rest of the dinner, you all talked and they even got quite a few laughs out of you. You really were lucky to have them.
~time skip, Monday~
Today was the day you had to talk to the volleyball captain, Kuroo Tetsurou. The two of you were in the same class, so you'd have a good chance to talk to him. You were nervous though, you really didn't like approaching people.
You made your way through the day, trying to come up with a way to approach Kuroo. It didn't seem like it, but it was finally lunch. As you were walking down the hall on your way outside to eat, you see Kuroo walking a little ways ahead, by himself. It was now or never.
"Uh, excuse me, do you have a minute?" you spoke as you jogged to catch up to the taller boy.
"Oh, uh, sure, what can I do for you?" Kuroo responded, confused.
"Well, I'm l/n y/n, and I had a question for you," you stated awkwardly.
The two of you began to walk as you chatted.
"You're the captain of the volleyball team, right?" you already knew the answer, but it never hurt to check.
"The one and only," Kuroo chuckled.
"OK, good," Jesus, how were you so awkward? "I was wondering if the team was in need of a manager."
"It's your lucky day, we do not currently have a manager," Kuroo answered.
"Well, does that mean I could have a shot at team manager?" you asked, not really sure of why you were doing this.
"Sure does, come to practice tonight and I'll introduce you to the rest of the team, and we'll play it from there," Kuroo told you, beginning to walk a different direction, I've gotta meet up with my friend for lunch, but come to our gym right after school,"
"Uh okay," you yelled after him.
Now you had to send a text to your siblings to let them know you wouldn't be home until late.
--texts--
GROUPCHAT: Sibling Squad
Y/N: Won't be home until later tonight, gotta go to watch the boy's volleyball team practice, text you when I head home.
Brother Bear: Heck yeah! Go y/n! Good luck!
Soul Sister: Ok! Be safe!
--texts over--
~time skip to practice~
You approach the gym, hearing loud squeaks and the sound of volleyballs hitting the floor.
As you walk through the doors, a ball comes flying straight at your face. You dodge it without a second thought, not even reacting with your face. You just kept walking over to the bench.
As you put your hair up in a ponytail, you looked up to see all the boys staring at you, jaws dropped.
"Well how the hell did you do that?" you hear from a boy who had a shaved head, excluding one stripe of hair down the middle.
"Uh, I don't know, I just didn't wanna get hit, so I dodged it," you said, unsure as to why he was so surprised.
"That was amazing!!!!" you hear the same boy yell.
"Yamamoto, shut the hell up, go back to warming up," you hear a familiar voice shout from the gym doors.
"L/n, nice to see you again," Kuroo spoke, walking toward you.
"Nice to see you as well," you responded politely, "Is there somewhere I can change?"
"Oh, yeah, sure. Right over there," the boy said to you, pointing towards what you assumed was a locker room.
"Ok thanks," you nodded, heading off to change into some gym clothes.
After you changed, you walked back out into the gym to see all the boys sitting on the floor, listening to Kuroo talk.
"Speak of the devil," you hear Kuroo say as he saw you, "I was just telling the guys about you and wanting to be the manager. Come introduce yourself."
You hated talking in front of people, even if it was only a few. You were soon standing by Kuroo's side, hands shaking due to the nerves.
"Well, I'm y/n, and I'm a third year. I really like volleyball, but I couldn't join the girl's team due to a sprained ankle from a month ago. I can still help you guys practice, I just can't play full time until after club sign ups are over" you explained to the team, who's full attention was on you.
"Well, I'm glad you decided to be our manager, then, we could really use some help," you hear the boy from earlier, Yamamoto, say.
"You're just saying that because you wanted a female manager," Kuroo teases.
"You don't have to be like that, man," Yamamoto responded to the comment.
You chuckled at his reaction.
"Well, don't be rude, introduce yourselves," Kuroo said to the other boys.
"Hi, I'm Taketora Yamamoto, second year, and you can call my Yamamoto," you hear the boy with the mohawk say.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Morisuke Yaku. I'm in third year. Call me Yaku," you hear a shorter boy say kindly.
"Kenma Kozume, second year" a boy with two-toned hair said in a monotone voice.
It went on like this until the whole team had introduced themselves. They all seemed like nice people. Kenma was definitely more your speed than the others, though. He seemed just as introverted as you. You hoped that the two of you could be friends.
"Alright, now that we all know each other, all those in favor of Y/n being our manager, say 'I'," Kuroo said.
You laughed, finding it funny that he was making this a formal vote. This would be fun.
"I," you hear everyone say in unison.
The team ran off to go practice, leaving you and the captain.
"Well, y/n, welcome to the team," Kuroo says, placing a hand on you shoulder, "Your first task as manager is to fill these water bottles for practice."
"Sure, you got it," you said beginning to walk away, only to stop and turn around, "Oh, and thanks for letting me be team manager."
"No problem, the pleasure's all ours," Kuroo said, walking off to his team.
You took the water bottles and walked to find a water fountain to fill them. You filled all the water bottles before turning around to head back to the gym.
"Water's here," you called out, signaling the boys that you were back with refreshments.
"Thank you y/n," Yamamoto says taking a bottle and placing his arm on your shoulders.
"Don't worry about it, it is my job as manager after all," you smiled back, setting the bottles down for the other boys to take.
"You're the best manager," Yamamoto explained.
"I haven't even been the manager for one day," you laughed at the boy's enthusiasm.
~time skip after practice~
You had just finished helping the boys clean up the gym, so you were changing in the locker room.
"Y/n," you hear Kuroo call through the door.
"Yeah?" you shout back, pulling on your shoes.
You walk out the door, only to nearly run in to Kuroo.
"Do you need a walk home?" Kuroo asked kindly.
"Uh, my house is really far away, so you don't have to," you responded, rubbing the back of your neck. Your house was nearly a 40 minute walk. You really wished you had enough saved for a car.
"Well, that's fine, I really don't care," Kuroo replied, taking you by the arm and leading you out of the gym.
After locking up the gym, the two of you set out on your way.
"So, why'd you wanna be the team manager for the boy's team?" Kuroo asked.
"Well, I already told you guys, I can't play for the girl's team due to injury, so I thought I'd be a manager."
"It's your third year, so you could've played for two years here, and you didn't until just now, and youre a manager. It just doesn't make sense," Kuroo spoke, raising an eyebrow, "Why now?"
"Long story that you don't wanna hear," you scoffed, replaying the reason you were here in your head.
"Well, your house is pretty far, and I'd like to know my team manager, so I've got plenty of time."
You deadpanned at the taller boy, realizing he had a point.
"You sure?"
"Mhm."
"Well, I had a friend, Hama, she doesn't attend Nekoma, she goes to an all girl's school. We had been friends since we were 12, and she was really the only friend I had all those years. Until last Friday. She told me that she was only in it out of pity. I needed more friends and I like volleyball, so my siblings encouraged me to apply for team manager," you explained sadly.
"Well, she seems like a bitch," Kuroo stated matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, you're right, when I think about it, she really was a bitch," you laughed.
"At least now you have a new friend. Quite a few actually. You've got the whole team on your side. We have your back. Being on the team is being family," Kuroo said, putting an arm around you in a half hug.
It felt really comforting to have someone on your side for real.
"Thank you, Kuroo, you have no clue how much that means," you leaned into the hug.
"Oh, it's nothing," Kuroo said, "Also, don't let me forget to introduce you and Kenma sometime, you two seem like you'd get along."
"I agree, he seems very my speed."
"What? Am I not your speed? I'm hurt?" Kuroo said, literally collapsing on to you before sliding to the ground.
"Dramatic much?" you laugh, leaning over the captain.
"Yes, very much, now help me up will you?"
You reached down to help him up, only to be dragged down next to him. You blushed, you'd never really been close to anyone like this before.
He looked up at you, smiling.
"I think we're gonna get along really well," Kuroo spoke softly.
"Yeah, yeah we will," you smiled back.
You got up, then he actually let him help you up this time. The two of you walked the rest of the way to your house laughing and joking. When you arrived at your driveway, you stopped, turning to face Kuroo.
"Hey, I'm gonna need you to text me when the next practice is," you say to Kuroo.
"I don't have your number."
"Well, that's an easy fix, give me your phone," you smiled up at Kuroo.
You took his phone from his hands and texted yourself.
--texts-- (Kuroo's Phone)
Kuroo (you texting yourself): Hey y/n! You're the best manager ever and the team would die without you.
Best Manager (you texting from your phone): Oh, jeesh, Kuroo, calm down.
--texts over--
"Really y/n? You just had to do that didn't you?" Kuroo asked.
"Sure did," you responded, pulling the captain into a hug before running down the driveway and into your house, leaving Kuroo stunned by the hug.
~fin~
I really REALLY liked writing this one, so should I turn it into a whole fanfic of it's own?? I really want to, but would y'all like it. Let me know! Also request what you want!! Thanks for reading!
-Smutty-Senpai
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A Little Too Late Chapter 2
Summary: Years after the death of Ziva, a case comes up where Tony finds that she was keeping a secret from him.
AOL
FF.net
Chapter One
Time froze around him as his heart stops. He knew it couldn't possibly be true. It just couldn't be true.
‘I lost my sister, Tali, last year in a Hamas suicide bombing. She was 16 and the best of us.'
He swallows at the memory. Abby and McGee stare at him as if he had grown a second head in the time he has stood in this spot. "I only know one person with that name." He stutters out, his throat catching, making it hard to breathe. The two stand before him, gesturing for him to continue. Surely they have heard of the story, surely Ziva had mentioned her sister to the rest of the team. Or was he the only one to have gotten her name? To have known her history? "Ziva's little sister. But this girl is too young to be that Tali."
"Obviously." Abby comments, folding her arms.
He pulls out his phone and calls the one man who can get him the information he needs. "Natalia, get me the director. Something has come up."
***
"Orli, long time no see." Tony's comment was dry, but not unwelcoming.
"I am not surprised, Tony, after Ziva died, there was not much left to talk about after you killed Trent Kort." His heart clenches at the memory of that day. "What is there to talk about now?"
Nodding to McGee at the desk beside him, the image is brought to the screen. "Earlier today, we got a fingerprint match to 10-year-old, Talia David." He pauses, his tongue clicking the roof of his mouth. "We ask if you recognize her?"
Orli was quiet for a minute, looking over the girl in the picture. "Where did you get this match?" She asks, interested.
"From the customs at the international airport, crossing into the country. From what we found, she came from Israel a week ago."
"Yes," Her thick accent lathers the single word, Tony's temper slowly rising. "Talia is Ziva's daughter, she went missing eight years ago, presumingly kidnapped by the same people who had her murdered."
"And who exactly is the girl's father?" His fist clenched beside him, hiding them from the woman's view.
She didn't skip a beat. "You are."
He grounds out, "And you see fit to just now tell me?" Oh, he was pissed, outright pissed. "And why is this the first time I'm hearing about this, madam?" Her eyes shifted, not meeting his gaze for a moment before staring straight ahead.
"It was not my place to tell." Short and straight to the point. "But you already figured that out," She folders her hands in front of her. "Why exactly did you call?"
"Tali's," Tony's heart skips a beat. "we found a Bloody fingerprint at the crime scene this morning. We figured she somehow knew the Sergeant, but now knowing this new information, I suspect otherwise-"
"-She could be the murderer?"
"I would say her captors." He smirks, crossing his arms over his chest. "But if you think a 10-year-old could take down a full grown, fully trained Marine, without a struggle, then I'm impressed."
"Don't underestimate a David, Anthony DiNozzo."
***
He steps out of MTAC, throwing his head he lets out a deep sigh. Having a daughter was not something he was expecting to hear today. Or ever. He had requested the INP from Orli, the Israeli equivalent of AFIS, he wants to make sure that this was the same girl that went missing from her burned down farmhouse eight years ago. Abby can do a blood test to confirm that this was his daughter, they had a blood sample. Just need to make sure it is hers. Raising his phone, he calls the woman and makes it happen.
He takes a moment to himself, his worries lie in the basement. He was this close to confirming he had a daughter with the woman he loves. But finding out that she had been kidnapped from her home on the same day someone killed her mother? Who would take a two-year-old? He had more questions than answers along with a murder to solve.
Inhaling, he walks to the elevator; he had something he needed to do before he found out the results.
The swoosh of the Autopsy doors welcomes him to the cool room. He spots Jimmy leaning over the victim, hands deep in his gut. "Palmer!" The medical examiner looks up at him, pulling out what looks like the man's kidney as he greets the team leader. "What d’you got for me?"
Placing the body part in the scale, Jimmy clears his throat. "There wasn't much I could get from the Sergeant, he was in peak fitness shape, so finding a lack of defensive marks on his forearms and hands is interesting." The medical examiner explains lifting the arms to Tony, showing the lack of bruising and swelling on the knuckles and forearms. "The only marks on his body was the single bullet wound to the forehead." Tony looks down at the head, oddly to use to the top of the head cut off. "I found the bullet in his brain, it had ricocheted off of the back of the skull, leaving a small dent. I took a sample of it and sent it up to Abby."
"Good, good." Tony nodded, glancing up at the man. The room was silent for a moment before he finally asked. "Did you know Ziva had a daughter?" He expecting Palmer to drop something, but the man wasn't holding anything that would bang or clang on the table or floor. "Yeah, I didn't think so."
He moves to turn away, making it to the door before the other man finally says something.
"Why wouldn't she have told you?"
Tony's heart broke again, finally hearing the words aloud. "I don't know, Jimmy." He sighs.
***
"It's a match, Tony. The fingerprint and blood we found at the crime scene belong to Talia Antonia DiNozzo."
The answer is straight to the point, and one he wasn't sure if he really wanted to hear. This little girl, who was kidnapped on Israeli soil, was here in the United States. But why? He has so many more questions that need to be answered. And the only person who could give him almost all of them was dead.
McGee steps up beside him, staring at the picture of the two-year-old from the missing case report. Even at such a young age, he can see Ziva in her. In her cheeks. Her hair. But her eyes? It's like looking in a mirror.
"Why change her name to David? Wouldn't it arouse suspicion?" He asks.
"Deputy Director David? Couldn't be Daddy, now could it?"
"David is a common name in Israel."
"From what I've been told, it's a popular name. She would have slipped under the radar." McGee didn't question him on where he had learned it, taking his word. "Abby, call me when you find out more information on what little evidence we have. McGee, get the team to continue to search for leads. I want every and any asshole who could have a grudge on Sergeant Morgan. Narrow it down even further to who could have known Tali." He says facing the man meeting his eye. McGee nods, quickly looking over to Abby before staring back into his boss' eyes. "I want you to look up anything you got on the case file from when Ziva died," He felt his heart tighten at the word. "Get Gabby to translate it if you must. Orli should have sent it over not too long ago. I want my best man to find out who kidnapped my daughter. Even if I'm 8 years too late."
And with that, Tony walks out of the door and into the elevator. He had some place to be.
***
The drive to the house took him less time than he had expected even though the time had never changed. But his thoughts aren't organized, nor was he ready for this conversation. Sitting in the driveway, he works on gathering his thoughts, he can't seem to find the right words though.
A knock on his passenger window startles him, he glances up to find his old boss standing on the other side of his door. Exhaling, he opens the door and slips out, then crossing his arms atop the car roof, not saying a word.
"Can I help you with something, DiNozzo?"
Stepping back, he closes the car door and makes his way to the front door of the house. "This isn't a conversation for all ears, Boss." Taking the hint, the old man follows him into the house.
Once inside, the two sit down on the couch, Tony not looking at his former boss, just staring into the fireplace.
"I don't have all day, Tony, spit it out." Gibbs sighs, Tony smirks.
"You're retired, Boss, you do have all day." It still shocks him when he receives the head slap even though he should have seen it coming. "Ziva…" He hears the intake of breath at his partner's name. "She had a daughter."
"Tony." He hears the warning in the man's voice, but he pushes on anyway.
"My daughter, Gibbs." His head shoots up at the man, finding his old boss staring at him, utterly shocked. "And she never told me."
After years of pent of emotion and frustration, tears finally spill from his eyes. Tears that should have fallen when he said his goodbye to her. To the moment the farmhouse blew up. To when she was pronounced dead by Orli. To the yearly anniversary, he endures on his own, of not being there to protect his ninja. But now, now is when they fall, when he's talking to his old boss, who was next in line closest to Ziva, knew half of her secrets. The man who would have walked the woman down the aisle.
Now he cries.
He feels the clap of Gibbs' hand clamping onto his shoulder, and he cries harder. "Why wouldn't she tell me? What was she afraid of?" The older man says nothing, instead putting his words into his hands as he squeezes Tony's shoulder. "I wanted her to come home, every single day, I just wanted to hold her again."
"I know."
"But…" He pauses, sniffling, rotating his head on his shoulders. "But I just wish she had told me. I would have been there in a heartbeat. ‘Count to a million', I said. And I'd do it again, cross the planet for her. She was… no, she is my everything. And now, Tali. She's all I have left of her, but here's the kicker. Someone kidnapped her the day Ziva died before the firefighters could have arrived."
Around him, Gibbs moves about the house, the next thing he knows, the man is holding a bottle of beer before him. "You might need this." With a short thanks, Tony cracks open the beer and taking a couple of gulps. "You know that you are all my children, don't you?"
Tony nods, taking another swig of the beer.
"With Ziver," the man pauses. "It felt like I had Kelly back, it was like raising my little girl again." Tony was awestruck by his boss' words. He knew Ziva was like a daughter to the man, but he never knew he felt like this. "Did you know Ziva was only a couple years older than Kelly?"
No, he never really thought about it. Like he never thought about the age difference between him and his partner, but it makes sense. His Ziva was born in ‘82 while Kelly was born in ‘84, if they grew up as neighbors, they could have been friends. Best of friends.
"I took her in, pulled her under my wing. Like with Abby, I would do anything for her. But she was the baby of my family. She'd ask for anything, I'd drop everything and do it. When she called me, telling me that she wasn't coming home, that I wasn't picking both of you up from the airport, I drank myself to sleep that night." The man paused in his quiet monologue. "I had lost my baby girl again."
The room went quiet for a long time. Too long it felt. But in peace they drink, they drink to the memory of the woman they both love. They didn't stay a word until they hit the bottom of the bottle, mutually agreeing on another drink. With the pop of the bottle cap coming loose, Tony speaks up. "I have McGee getting Intel on Tali's kidnappers, getting help from Mossad where he can. Johnson and O'Riley are tracking down leads for suspects."
Gibbs doesn't respond, instead, he gets up off the couch. "Want a steak, DiNozzo?"
His eyes following his former boss to the kitchen and back out to the living room. "Yeah, sure." Tony continues to update him on the case as they eat.
***
It is closing in on midnight when Tony finally arrives home. He knows he should call his dad, let the man know that he has a granddaughter out there, somewhere in this city. Breaking the news to Gibbs was hard enough but to Senior? He might need the stronger stuff for such conversion.
Pulling out his cell phone, he unlocks it and scrolls to his father's contact number. Tapping it, he brings the phone to his ear as he unlocks his apartment door. The same apartment he's had since… since forever, really. Since he and Wendy broke up. There was only one change in the apartment in the time he has lived there.
Opening the door, the sound of something scraping against the hardwood flooring behind the door alerts him. Looking behind the door, he noticed something as he hears a faint ‘Hello? Junior?' coming from his phone.
Down behind his front door was a large envelope with ‘Anthony DiNozzo' written on it in childlike penmanship.
#that show i shall not name#tiva fanfiction#tiva#ish#fanfic#tony dinozzo#tali dinozzo#tim mcgee#original characters#leroy jethro gibbs#anthony dinozzo senior#my writing#i still don't know how to tag these things
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My Blood and My Future pt 2
Zuko and Aang were the first to arrive at the scene. Katara was without a doubt winning, but she was crying in anguish as she and Hama attacked each other.
“This is Katara’s fight!” screamed Hama, and she knocked the others against trees using ice.
Hama began laughing. It was the type of laugh that sends chills down the spine. She drew out water from the trees and sent a wave barreling towards Katara.
With the sounds of the water and of Katara’s sobs as she fought, it was hard to make out what Hama was saying. Zuko could only make out words such as “blood,” “fire,” and “choose.” He and the others fought against the ice that numbed their skin as they desperately tried to reach Katara.
Finally, Katara encased the older woman in a block of ice leaving only her face free.
“Katara… this is my legacy… please…” croaked Hama.
Katara melted the ice encapsulating her friends, and she let the tears fall as she just whispered “no” under her breath over and over. Zuko wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her away from Hama.
The group of friends packed up their belongings from Hama’s cottage. Katara felt unnerved about going back inside and the moment she got all of her belongings, she rushed out. Katara looked pale and refused to speak as they walked in search of a camp. Aang kept trying to make her laugh, but she seemed to not even hear him at all. Zuko couldn’t keep himself from worrying.
Katara’s thoughts were racing. Her friends didn’t know, not yet. Not about the offer Hama had extended. Not about the threat.
“Bloodbend, or fall right into Ozai’s hands.”
Her hands shook. Sokka held her hands, giving her the smallest bit of comfort. He laid out a sleeping bag for her once they had found a spot that Aang had deemed worthy. She slid into it, letting it cocoon her from the dark part of her bending. Already, just upon the knowledge of the dark art, she could feel the pulse of the blood of her friends.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Care to tell me what’s going on?” Seeing Toph surprised Katara. Of all people to worry, the blind girl seemed to be the least likely to check on her like this.
“You don’t even want to know what she told me. I thought I could trust her. I’m so sorry,” Katara rambled.
The others had overheard and eventually gathered around, and Katara sat up. Everyone was watching her with a gentle, caring curiosity. Katara took a deep breath.
“Hama invented bloodbending. She wanted me to take on her- her legacy,” she trembled as she continued. “She said, if I don’t- don’t bloodbend, she will turn me over to- to the Fire Nation.”
Nobody spoke. Nobody knew what to say. Waterbending had always been graced as the element of healing. How could something so pure, such as water, have evil uses?
As it grew to be darker, Zuko sat beside Katara in front of the fire. To lighten the mood, Aang and Sokka had begun singing campfire songs, complete with Toph banging rocks together as a form of percussion.
Zuko and Katara sat, and she found herself even enjoying the cheerful tunes. She definitely enjoyed the hand of the Fire Nation price resting on her back in a gentle, comforting way.
She ended up being carried to her tent after falling asleep (and drooling) on Zuko’s shoulder. He was still incredibly worried, but for now he knew she was safe. He glanced at her for a moment. She looked so peaceful when she slept. He felt a hard punch on his arm.
“Stop pining over her. It’s annoying,” grumbled Toph. “And don’t deny it. I can feel your heartbeat when you’re around her.”
“I don’t love her! It’s just… it’s… I don’t even know,” sighed Zuko.
Toph smirked. “I know exactly what it is, *I forgot what toph’s nickname for zuko is whoops*. It’s love.”
If someone could stressfully walk away, then that is exactly what Zuko did. Not only was he stressed about the fact that Toph unraveled how he felt before even he did, but now the girl he had feelings for was in danger.
He couldn’t say he loved her, not yet. It was too early in the realization of his feelings to be able to decipher the strength of them. But he did know that he had to keep her safe.
Zuko reached up to touch his scarred face. He of all people knew exactly how she would be treated if she were to ever fall into the hands of the fire nation. Katara didn’t deserve that. He wouldn’t let anyone take her there.
He would find Hama.
Zuko carefully, to not wake the others, put on the darkest clothes he had. His hair was getting much longer now, so he carefully “borrowed” one of Katara’s hair bands to tie it back. He’d give it back to her when he knew she was safe.
He was packing his dao swords and preparing to go back to the cottage when his mouth froze shut and his body moved without commanding it to. He hated it. He felt helpless. He couldn’t fight, couldn’t move, couldn’t scream.
He couldn’t decide if it was comforting or more unnerving when he saw the rest of his friends, except Katara, being dragged deeper into the woods with him.
Sokka was trying to squirm in the grip, but couldn’t. Aang was clearly afraid. Toph looked as though she was attempting to spit profanities at whatever force was puppeteering them. His blood felt like it was going to burst out of his skin.
Blood. Bloodbending.
Where was Katara?
#zutara#zutara fanfiction#hama#atla#Avatar The Last Airbender#zuko#katara#bloodbending#My Blood and my future
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Let’s read surveys! Team 8’s Big News and Anything Goes Ranking!
(From Team 8 4th Anniversary Book)
The 45 members of Team 8 (Minus Fukushima and Kochi) took a large survey. And so, we’ll share the interesting results! Let’s get right into the news and rankings!
News #1-
Feelings that make you overflow with tears without thinking!! Words from other Team 8 members that moved you
Through our survey, we could see the deepness of Team 8’s bonds, and these words showed their love and kindness.
“The rank might be second, but Team 8’s performance is number one!”
-Kuranoo Narumi (when “47 no Suteki na Machi e” ranked second for the second year in a row at Request Hour)
“Is the bath too cold? Is it okay?”
-Okabe Rin (To Sakaguchi Nagisa, who had been sleeping while the bath was warm and took one after waking up)
“Hinanon really grew a lot!”
-Hattori Yuna (To Noda Hinano after a lesson for “Eight no Hi”)
“We have kennin positions now, but Team 8 is still Team 8.”
-Oguri Yui (While crying, she called a circle of all the members after the kennin positions were announced at the shuffle)
“Kurena thinks it was the best tour <3”
-Chou Kurena (To the other Chubu members and Haashimoto Haruna after Toyama tour concert)
“I want to fix it properly, so let’s talk it out.”
-Ota Nao (Said to Onishi Momoka-who was so happy that she cried- after the one time they fought)
“If you want to do it, then you should do it.”
-Hayasaka Tsumugi (Said to Yokomichi Yuri, these words moved her so much that the memory makes her cry)
“I’ll follow Harupyon.”
-Onishi Momoka (In reply to a fan who said “You have to do the Toyama tour, huh.”)
This year, what member moved you the most?
1. Oguri Yui (7 votes)
After our kennin positions were announced, she asked for us to all circle up. (Tanikawa Hijiri)
She never whines or complains. I think that’s admirable. (Okabe Rin)
On the day our kennins were decided, while crying she said “Let’s all do our best.” I was moved, she really loves Team 8. (Yokoyama Yui, 8)
News #2- “I saw this member!” Corner! Interesting things Team 8 members have done
Until now we didn’t know! We asked about surprising things about other members.
1. Onishi Momoka (7 votes)
Whenever I go to the theater, she’s cleaning the dressing room. (Shitao Miu)
When I was depressed, she and Misakki said “You don’t have to push yourself” and brought me my favorite cream puffs. (Honda Hitomi)
She watches the other members carefully, and supports me, I’m always happy and moved by her actions. (Utada Hatsuka)
3. Okabe Rin, Chou Kurena, Nakano Ikumi (3 votes each)
“Shitao Miu says ‘SukiNanda#’ instead of ‘#SukiNanda’.”
-Shimoaoki Karin
Somehow, she always says “SukiNanda#”
“Nagano Serika always uses #SpreadingHope on Twitter. Like ‘I took a bath #SpreadingHope’ or ‘I’m eating a salad #SpreadingHope’ Her tweets are very uniform.”
-Yamamoto Ruka
This year they all started Twitter, so from now on, more interesting stories will appear with that!
“It takes Yamada Kyoka one hour to get from Shibuya Station to Shibuya 109.”
-Yaguchi Moka
Even though they’re so close. For some reason she’s pleased about this story.
“Okumoto Hinano is amazing, she’s been trying to challenge Western-style make up.”
-Takaoka Kaoru
“The last one she tried was on (Kawahara) Misaki-chan. She even used blue hair (lol).”
“I heard Hayasaka Tsumugi sing ‘12-gatsu no anklet~♪’”
-Yamada Nanami
Yamada doubted what she heard for just a second, but then Hayasaka started laughing.
“When Hidaritomo Ayaka is bored, she whispers directly into my ears in a sexy voice.”
-Yoshikawa Nanase
If you see a member suddenly turn around to face Hidaaya and laugh in the middle of a live, this is why.
“Nagano Serika comes to lessons wearing a T-shirt that says ‘White’ on it.”
-Sakaguchi Nagisa
Is she number one in Team 8 for showing off her charm point?!
“Chou Kurena was teaching dances to the new members, but when I watched, Kurena was doing the dance wrong.”
-Onishi Momoka
“Her facial expressions were good, but I guess in the end, Kure-chan is Kure-chan.”
Who do you think improved (or changed) the most?
1. Utada Hatsuka (7 votes)
Both her singing and dancing got a lot better!! (Sato Shiori)
She’s grown a lot in everything. Even in looking outwards. I think Hattsu is the next Cinderella girl after Yuiyui!! (Yokoyama Yui, 8)
She grew really quickly, it’s really amazing!! (Shimizu Maria)
2. Hama Sayuna (5 votes)
I think recently she’s gotten really mature and beautiful. (Oda Erina)
It’s like she suddenly became pretty and everyone is like “What? When did this happen?” (Gyouten Yurina)
She gave off the impression of crying a lot, but recently she hasn’t cried at all! (Onishi Momoka)
2. Hirano Hikaru (5 votes)
She’s always been cute, but recently she got cuter. (Sakaguchi Nagisa)
She’s gotten faster at learning dances. (Honda Hitomi)
Her performance and dancing has gotten better. (Hattori Yuna)
She’s gotten really mature! (Yamada Kyoka)
Who has potential they haven’t realized yet?
1. Yamada Kyoka (4 votes)
I love her eyes! (Sato Akari)
She’s a lot funnier than everyone realizes, and she’s really competitive. We joined around the same time, so we’re always playing around (lol) (Terada Misaki)
Her smile is cute (Hitomi Kotone)
She’s actually really funny and smiles all the time. (Harumoto Yuki)
1. Noda Hinano (4 votes)
While we were writing this survey, she asked Hikarun how to write the kanji for “cute” and “smile.” Is she okay? (lol) (Takahashi Sayaka)
She asked me what time 20:00 is. (I mean she’s the youngest so it can’t be helped I guess) (Utada Hatsuka)
3. Many different members all had 2 votes
News #3- Who do you want as your girlfriend? Discovered! Team 8’s Romance News!
Team 8’s romantic intentions have been stripped bare. Somehow, we will try to announce these muddy results.
Team 8’s mutual love, and the creeping shadow over it…
The number one popular Tanikawa Hijiri and also popular Yamada Nanami both wrote each other for their choice of girlfriend, but…
Tanikawa and Yamada are both very popular among the other members and chose each other in their surveys. However, Yamada also wrote down other members. On top of that, she also wrote “And even more!” so there may be some cheating.
Onishi Momoka, Sato Shiori, Hidaritomo Ayaka, Yoshikawa Nanase, Yoshida Karen, Ota Nao, Hitomi Kotone
| <3
V
Tanikawa Hijiri
| <3 ^
V |
Yamada Nanami → <3 Gyouten Yurina, Nakano Ikumi, Kuranoo Narumi, Also even more!
^ <3
|
Yokomichi Yuri, Chou Kurena, Onishi Momoka
If you were a boy, what member would you want to date?
1. Tanikawa Hijiri (8 votes)
She’s nicer than anyone else, raises the bar as a woman, she’s really become amazing. (Yoshikawa Nanase)
Her face is my exact type. (Hitomi Kotone)
I like her face. And her appearance is really soft. (Yoshida Karen)
She’s the perfect girl!! (Sato Shiori)
2. Sakaguchi Nagisa (6 votes)
She’s always soothing to be around. (Sato Akari)
I want to protect her. (Nagano Serika)
Put plainly, she’s cute, and I want to hold hands with her and go on a date to a zoo with her. (Kuranoo Narumi)
The sort of messy part of her is cute, too. (Hama Sayuna)
3. Yamada Nanami, Gyouten Yurina (4 votes each)
Love is always one sided… Team 8’s Love Hexagon!
There’s the one mutual love, but no love triangles. In Team 8, there are many one-sided lovs. The longest connecting one starts with Sato Nanami and goes through six people, doesn’t that make you sad?!
Sato Nanami
| <3
V “I want to protect her”
Oda Erina
| <3
V “She’ll forgive you whatever you say.”
Honda Hitomi
| <3
V “She’s a natural airhead, and her dimples when she laughs are cute.”
Gyouten Yurina
| <3
V “Her eyes are cute, and her body is nice.”
Takahashi Ayane
| <3
V “She seems like she’ll spoil me, and if that happens, it’d be really cute.”
Ota Nao
| <3
V “She’s so cute and nice, she can do anything.”
Tanikawa Hijiri
This SHOWROOM broadcast is interesting!
1. Cooking and other food broadcasts (12 votes)
Sato Akari- Making smoothies
Yoshikawa Nanase- Russian roulette sushi with my mother
Oguri Yui- Eating various instant noodles.
Takahashi Sayaka- Eating Nagano apples
Onishi Momoka+Nakano Ikumi- Sleepover and takoyaki party
2. Music (9 votes)
Yokoyama Yui- Dance
Tanikawa Hijiri- Ukulele
Shimizu Maria- My own Request Hour, “MariHour”!!
Utada Hatsuka- Concert at my house
Yamada Nanami- Karaoke
Okumoto Hinano- Drums
Takaoka Kaoru- Singing in a moe voice
Shimoaoki Karin- Playing an instrument
3. Games (6 votes)
Tanikawa Hijiri- Team 8 trivia
Yokomichi Yuri- Playing rock paper scissors with Hattori Yuna
Shitao Miu- New Years card games
Terada Misaki- Card towers
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Aang Week - Day 2: Legacy.
FFN link (x)
AO3 link (x)
Rating: K
Characters: Aang, Katara
Relationship(s): Aang/Katara (implied; can mostly be read as gen)
Summary: A week (and a half) after Sozin’s Comet, Aang and Katara talk about how they can carry on the legacy of their lost people.
Word count: 1,851
Warnings: Overly abusive to ellipses and possible mood whiplash. Seriously, though, allusions to genocide, but if you’ve seen AtLA, you’re probably fine.
Aang leans against Appa, who had been staying in the Fire Nation’s royal stable the past week. He begins shifting around the straw so it wouldn’t stick in his clothes so much while he slept. He was free to sleep inside the palace, but the large beds in the even larger rooms with scarce decoration and lighting just made him feel alone and small. “When are you planning on going back to the Southern Water Tribe?” He asks Katara, who was in the process of unbraiding her hair for the night with her bone-tooth comb, occasionally scolding Momo whenever he would paw at loose strands.
“After Zuko’s coronation,” she replies, turning to look at him, but continues with her combing. She turns her attention back to her hair before adding, “Maybe a little later. I’m still worried about him.” Katara’s brows furrow briefly, but Aang isn’t able to decipher whether it was out of worry, or because her comb had gotten snagged on an area of matted hair.
“Is there anything seriously wrong?” Aang ventures. It was doubtful it since no one had said anything, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
“Not anything that goes beyond the initial injury,” Katara sets her comb down, having finished unbraiding her hair and uses her newly freed hand to stroke Momo’s back, propping herself up on her other arm. The lemur chirrups contentedly and curls up in her lap. “But it’s still lightning,” she continues. “Something could go wrong and we could be back at square one. It doesn’t help that he’s not resting as much as he should be so he’s healing slower than normal.”
Her eyes are downcast, and her tone had that tired lilt that Aang had been hearing from her ever since Sozin’s Comet. “Even if something like that does happen, you’re not the only person looking out for him. Plus,” Aang forces cheer into his voice. “You have to take care of yourself too. You’re not getting enough rest, either. Zuko doesn’t need a babysitter.”
She sighs. “You’re right. I’m probably more worried than I need to be.”
If Katara had her mind set on something, Aang convincing her to back off, even a little bit, is a victory in his book. Or…at least she’s probably going to back off a little. She had gotten better about being so nosey since Toph’s stunt as the Runaway, but Aang is sure she had been tearing out more hair than was probably healthy the past week. Week-and-a-half, rather. Katara and Zuko had been in the Capital for four days after the Comet by themselves and apparently didn’t get any information on how the war had turned out so all they had been able to do is wait and hope for the best. She’d said that Zuko’s recovery had been very touch and go, especially after he’d become very feverish the day after the Comet, which that made the entire thing even worse. She hadn’t gone into anything in detail, but just finished with saying how relieved she was that everyone was alright. A little singed, but alive.
“Are you going to be staying here for a while, Aang?” Katara asks.
Thankful for the change of topic, Aang answers, “I think so. I need to go to some parts of the Earth Kingdom, but I think I’ll be in the Capital for a while,” he picks up a piece of straw and begins to idly strip away broken ends. “Sokka kind of implied that the only reason some towns and cities with nobility in them aren’t trying to start a civil war over is because I’m here and they’re scared of me. The Fire Sages aren’t very happy with what their monarchy looks like right now, either, and that doesn’t help at all.”
“I see,” Katara rubs her arm. “Are you going to be able to go back to the Air Temples any time soon? I know you’ve said you’ve been wanting to.”
Aang chews his lip for a moment. “I need to rebuild them,” he says eventually, and tosses the piece of straw he’d been picking at to the side. “I can’t let the history of the Air Nomads be gone for good, but now’s not the time. Things are too unstable for me to take a break from being the Avatar.”
Katara scratches between Momo’s ears. “You’re going to have to repopulate the airbenders too, won’t you?”
It takes Aang a moment, but he blushes at the implication. “I mean not now…”
Katara laughs a little at that, much improving Aang’s mood. “I meant eventually,” she tells him, a faint smile in her expression. She sobers. “I heard that in Air Nomad tradition, monks don’t raise their children, but just let other people do it. Are…are you going to be doing that?” Her expression is pinched, and Aang can only assume that she’s worried about what he would say.
“No.” He says firmly. “I’ve seen how much kids need their parents this past year. Both of them. I wouldn’t ever want to take that away from someone.”
She smiles at him, although it’s a strained. “So you’re going to be reforming some of the Air Nomad beliefs, huh?”
“Well that’s the only one I’ve really thought about,” Aang replies thoughtfully. “I won’t be making changes like that lightly. The reason that was done so we wouldn’t feel earthly attachments and our loved ones wouldn’t be holding us to the physical world. But it would have never worked because you’re going to get attached to someone. You’re too young to really understand the purpose of that kind of separation, anyway. People have to make the decision to detach themselves from the world and everything in it for themselves when they’re old enough. Having freedom of choice is probably the most vital part of freedom when it really comes down to it.”
“Is that some of your Avatar Aang wisdom?” Katara teases.
“Maybe?” Aang can’t help but grin a little at her teasing. “I just know that I don’t think I’d have been able to detach myself from everyone I know, even if I wasn’t the Avatar.” Well, he already knew he wouldn’t be able to detach himself from everyone. When Guru Pathik had tried to get him to, it…didn’t turn out very well. To say the least.
“Aang?” Katara looks to the side. “Since you’re changing something that the Air Nomads held dear for so long, do you…do you think that you’re somehow disgracing them?” She sounds hesitant, and it clearly sounded like it was hard for her to get her words out.
“Not at all.” Aang replies immediately. “I’m not even going against any of the taught beliefs. I’m just reforming a flawed tradition.” He looks at her curiously. “Why do you ask?”
“The things Hama taught me…” she takes a moment to pause, but continues. “By themselves, they weren’t bad. But they were very harsh; more brutal than the Northern Water Tribe. Master Pakku always taught me to be concise whenever I was in a fight with someone, and to never cause unnecessary damage. But everything that Hama did was just to cause as much damage as possible with no care how much it was.”
“Katara, that was Hama,” Aang emphasizes. “She was completely concerned with causing as much damage as possible. There’s no reason to think that everyone from the South was like that. Some of those techniques were made for living in the Fire Nation. They couldn’t have even been developed in the Southern Water Tribe.”
“I know that,” Katara says. “But she’s the only living master waterbender left from the Southern Tribe from before the Fire Nation took away our waterbenders, and she was my only way of learning anything about my heritage. What she taught me is all I’ll ever know about the Southern style.” She stares at him acutely. “I’ve always known that I would have to carry on the legacy of the waterbenders from the South. But all that I learned from Hama that what is left of it is anger, bitterness, and vengefulness. Everything it was from before the war is gone.” She looks down at Momo, her eyes glazed over. “I guess I was just wondering what you would do. Since you’re trying to not let something be lost to the world too. You said that you’re still respecting your culture by changing a tradition. But for me…”
“I…I don’t know what I would do in your situation.” Is all he can say in response. “I’m sorry that all I can do is listen.”
“I wanted to teach the waterbenders from the North the Southern style, but I barely know anything about it myself.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “I’m so sorry, Katara.” Aang says again. What else can he do except apologize? He doesn’t know how to help her, and he won’t bother with empty platitudes.
“No, it’s nothing you should apologize for,” she half-laughs ruefully and looks away. “It’s not your fault. I should be thanking you instead of laying all of my problems at your feet.”
“No, I don’t mind. I always love listening to your problems. I just hope that just listening will be enough. I…well I won’t be able to solve your problems sometimes.”
She stares at him with those big, blue eyes that have always sent shivers down his spine from the first day he met her, and has that soft smile on her face that somehow makes all of Aang’s worries dissipate. “You’ve already done more for me than I could ever repay you for. Since you’ve returned, you made everything that I’ve ever dreamed about come true. You gave me the opportunity to become a master waterbender. You let me help end the war so everyone can come home. You even let me confront my mother’s killer and helped me through it. I can’t thank you enough for all of that.”
Before Aang can tell her that she accomplished all of that herself, she presses on. “And you always make time to have conversations like this with me,” her eyes look watery, but the warmth in her expression doesn’t waver. “Thank you.” She looks away to scrub her tears with the heel of her hand, her smile still steady throughout. “I think my tiredness is catching up to me.” She says, laughing faintly.
“I think we both need some sleep,” Aang can’t help but smile along with her. “But you’ve already done a lot for me too. You don’t need to repay me for anything.”
Ignoring Momo’s annoyed chirping at being disturbed, Katara moves to embrace Aang, resting her chin on his shoulder once he returns the hug. They hold onto each other for what Aang feels like was not long enough, but Katara looks much more content than she had been when they first began their conversation.
“We should get some sleep.” He says. “I doubt tomorrow will be any less busy.”
Katara sits next to him, leaning against Appa and pecks Aang on the cheek, leaving him blushing. “Good night, Aang.”
#avatar the last airbender#aang#katara#aang week#fanfiction#my writing#you all had better enjoy this#i spent way too many hours re-writing the middle#tearing my hair out#crying to the writing gods on why i suddenly lost my ability to write fanfiction#critique is helpful#and yes i did skip the first day#for ~quality writing purposes~#not because i re-wrote the first day thing to death and missed the first day entirely#that's DEFINITELY NOT THE REASON#DEFINITELY#NOT#now wait as i review the published version of this and have a mini-heart attack when isee every flaw and typo
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an excerpt from Overmind
There was little light in the woods; the sun had said its goodbyes, and the stars were now on shift. Aquila hung valiantly in the sky as the crickets chirped and the creek garbled gently.
Molly sat on the large, flat stump of the old ash tree that she had never known in life. It had been gone before she was born, but its remnant - a misshapen, round disc, smooth on its surface - remained beside the creek as a testament to its former splendor. It was a giant amongst the array of smaller trees that circled it, its girth having made life beside it near impossible many years ago, and when the tree came down, it left in its wake a large clearing. This hole in the woods granted a striking view of the sky, ideal for stargazing. It had been a favourite pastime she shared with Ethan, and though he had moved into the city where he couldn't always be nearby, it was still a routine she often found comfort in.
But that night Molly paid no attention to the sky, shunning Aquila's silent beckoning, turning gaze away from Cygnus' grace, deaf ears being the sole audience to Lyra's stellar tune. Instead she wept great tears of grief, confusion, helplessness; she'd tried to make sense of the day's earlier misadventure but could not reason with herself. There'd been no happy call from the hospital, merely news that no progress had been made, and Molly couldn't help but panic at the thought of Ethan never getting better. If the doctors didn't know what was ailing him, how would he?
She curled herself into a tight ball of limbs, squeezing herself until she felt exhausted. The sounds of the night offered no solace, and for hours Molly cried.
It was a great time later that a breeze picked up and brushed the girl's soft brown hair from her eyes. The canopies of the trees remained quiet, though the breeze grew stronger, but when Molly looked up - surely this was odd - the wind was gone. The woods were so peaceful, still, and nothing disturbed the trees.
And yet, as Molly wiped her moistened eyelashes dry, another breeze was suddenly upon her. It seemed so low in the air, so exclusive, that her heart jumped at the peculiarity. "A gust," she said aloud, heaving an incredulous sigh. "A gust just scared me." The sigh became a broken laugh. She dropped her head in her arms and took a deep breath. The intake of air was a relieving feeling, reminding the girl that she was a living creature, like all waking things, and it brought her out of pensive thought. For a moment she returned to her foundation - a system, self-sufficient and yet reliant on the resources around her. She welcomed the pause, thinking of nothing but the fabric of her lungs, the circuits of her veins, the valves of her pulse.
But this was short-lived. All at once the breeze grew like a hurricane around her, scantily rustling the trees above but nearly toppling the girl over. She shielded her eyes from the unexplained onslaught of wind as it carried away her muffled shriek, almost before it escaped her throat. But the wind left as quickly as it came, and the woods were again still.
Too still.
The crickets had ceased their nocturnal chorale and the creek seemed abnormally serene, almost muted. Molly's disheveled hair covered her face and the hand that was still clamped over her eyes, while the other propped her body up on the stump. She was afraid to look, afraid of what had just happened - was she in the eye of an unknown storm? And yet an odd noise and a queer sense of warmth intrigued her. It was... a soft hum, but not of a machine, she mused; it sounded like a voice, one she didn't recognise, and the hum turned into incoherent mumbling. Slowly she released her eyes from the sanctuary of her palm, and, through her messy hair - the only visible remnant of the violent tempest - she saw what appeared to be a monster.
The creature before her, a great floating sphere of a creamy hue, was adorned with two pairs of angelic, feathery wings, white as snow but holding a silver shimmer as the being moved smoothly along the perimeter of the clearing; like gold flake, interlaced delicately within the feathers, it glistened whenever the thing wove in and out of the moonlight. The wings were retracted slightly, not fluttering or seemingly aiding the beast - if you could truly call such frightening elegance thus - in keeping afloat at all. It hovered close to the ground, mere feet above the tall grass, roaming as if in search of something.
Molly's jaw dropped in horrific shock, but all that managed to come out was a shrill gasp. The monster spun around, supernaturally fast, and stared at her with the sole crystal blue eye - almost glowing in the darkness of the woods, it seemed - placed in the very center of its round carapace. It made a noise: "Tsa hama?"
She must have blinked. She couldn't imagine how, in light of what she was seeing, nor could she remember doing so, but the creature had vanished into thin air, once there and then abruptly not. This master of gravity had moved like a shadow, gone as quickly as it had surfaced - as if a ghost of a mere figment, all in her head. It was then that she blinked consciously, batting away the vague memory of the sight still lingering in her vision. She was certain she'd imagined it, but it had been so lucid; it had certainly seemed real enough, in that moment, to frighten her. After a moment of hesitation she brushed her hair from her face and cautiously looked about the clearing.
She turned slightly and felt a faint gale.
"I suppose it's no use hiding, as you already saw me."
A strange voice. She whipped around and again faced the giant blue eye. The creature was back.
"Besides, I need you."
It moved closer; Molly edged to the opposite end of the ash stump, putting distance between her and the feathered oddity. It remained on the other side and stopped, its eye wider now; Molly's breathing came harder, her chest heaving, as she tried to find her voice to scream. No longer did the workings of her lungs bring her earthly solace. This otherworldly presence had undone everything.
The being before her had no mouth, and yet it spoke again.
"Did I... assess the wrong language? I was certain this was Earth..."
How could it speak without one? Molly wondered.
"Oh, yes, multiple languages. Hm."
Surely this is a dream, she thought. This isn't happening.
"Grüß Gott? Sæl? Hatito?"
You're overreacting. Just ride the dream out.
"Bonsoir? Dia duit? Privet?"
But this felt different. It was too vivid, too seamless. She managed a soft, broken cry.
"Dan yo’unseda mi? Olatsao."
It seemed non-malicious enough, having not caused her harm thus far. What was it saying? Should she say something back?
"Ah, this is a disaster. So embarrassing! I really should just disappear and forget about this. I was sure this region spoke primarily English... Oh! Perhaps you are deaf. How daft of me."
Still, Molly felt the urge to run, but she was afraid she would agitate the foreign being and it would give chase. Instead she tried to communicate. "What... I- I don't..."
"Oh?" replied the creature, its eye narrowing slightly in the shadow of its lashes. "So you can understand me. It's about time." It crossed one pair of wings in front of it haughtily. Molly was silent.
"Hm. Perhaps I spoke too soon." The creature moved about, as if pacing. "I can hardly remember all the languages of Earth. I never assumed I would need to use them." It stared at her.
"You're not real," Molly whispered hoarsely, first serious and then cracking a bewildered smile. She was entertained by the illusion but it still frightened her, and she contemplated running back home to the comfort of her bed, hoping she could will it all away - the monster, Ethan's situation, her own. But as it was, the supposed illusion persisted. Her cheeks still wet with tears, she chuckled in disbelief. "There’s no way. This isn't real."
It looked down at a pair of its own wings curiously. "I should beg to differ." Then, noticing the dampness of Molly's face, added, "Ah... you are leaking."
She wiped at her face with the collar of her blouse, yellow like daffodils but a bland shade of grey in the night. The sphere before her continued.
“Are humans supposed to leak…? No matter. I came here looking for somebody. Perhaps you've seen him?"
"Um... w-who...?"
It - he? - caught her wary gaze. "Oh, please," he shot, ruffling his unique feathers, and Molly flinched. "I'm not going to hurt you. I am only here for one reason. The child I'm looking for is a boy, about this tall," and gestured with its wings, displaying a height in the air, "blue hair, Naotian garb?"
"Naotian...? I... haven't seen anybody."
It turned away fiercely. "That bratty little..."
"Are you…?” She wanted to be sure she was safe, but so many wild thoughts coursed through her mind, and her words became a nonsensical salad of them all. “You have no mouth..."
It was a sudden change of topic, but the being didn't seem to mind. "Oh! How could I be so rude?" It chuckled in its own way, a deep, masculine chortle that Molly found somehow soothing. "Please do pardon the confusion I have caused. I often forget how sheltered this planet is. I shouldn't expect you to know such things! My name is Nicolae, and I come from a divine race known as Ligaphim. I serve the goddess of planet Eremis, and I am here on Earth by request to retrieve that utter heathen of a child." Nicolae harrumphed, looking past Molly and into the woods. "But alas, I'm sure that went right over your head."
There was a moment of silence until she broke it with a burst of her own laughter. Nicolae gave her a deadpan expression but waited patiently for her guffaws to subside. She wiped away new tears and hugged herself closely. "I'm crazy. My imagination is nuts. This can't be real!"
"What is real?" he asked her sagely. But he didn't wait for a reply. "All you need to know - if you need to know anything at all - is that I am indeed real, and I am here on a blasphemously humbling task. But perchance I should be so lucky that you are taking this as you are. It was never my intention to cause unnecessary trauma, and if believing this to be but a dream will ensure your mental integrity, then just as well. It's worth it, in any case," and he sighed, appearing to shrug in a way, "because I must find this boy at all costs. I will search elsewhere now. I am most certain he's nearby, so if I return, please let me know if you've seen him."
Trying unsuccessfully not to giggle, Molly replied, "Uh... okay..." She was almost unsure whether or not she should indulge her mad episode, but Nicolae didn't seem to notice.
"I was confident he was right here... hm. Anyway, I've stalled long enough. Talking to an Earthling! This is truly rich. Ah, again, sorry to shock you as I did, but I've no time to baby you into the truth. It's not my duty to correct cluelessness and narcissism in a collective species, so laugh all you will." Nicolae’s tangent seemed more directed at nothing in particular than at her specifically. He folded a pair of wings in front of him and closed his large blue eye, as if going to sleep. Then suddenly he opened it again. "Oh - by the way, his name is Sidus, and he looks about your age... though I know nothing of the human time frame, so... All right, goodbye, human."
He closed his second pair of wings and the stormy tempest picked up again. In a flurry of feathers, Nicolae abruptly disappeared, and the harsh breeze was no more.
Molly looked around her. The crickets were chirping again.
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