#this typhoon makes me hungry for some reason

[excitedlysuffering]

How He Hurts Your Feelings

Here’s some angst for ya :p wait is this even angsty?? Idk it’s the angstiest thing I’ve ever wrote XD

Masterlist Part 2

Naruto~

You sighed as you neared your second home, a ramen shop. You loved ramen, of course, but it was tiring having to cater to your boyfriend’s uncanny obsession with it. For once you wanted to have a choice. He never listened to your ideas anymore, recently he had made your relationship all about him, and it was beginning to eat at you.

You didn’t even necessarily want to eat. You just wanted to spend time with Naruto without having to eat ramen. Was that too much to ask?

“Naruto, we always go to Ichiraku’s for dates… maybe we could do something different?” The blonde turned to you with a pout. “Why? I thought you loved ramen?” You sighed, shaking your head.

“I do, but it’s all we seem to do these days.” His frown deepened. “But, I’m hungry!” You nodded, trying to control your patience. “Me too, but maybe we can go somewhere else to eat? I heard there’s a new BBQ place opening!” He was full-on scowling and his arms were crossed.

“Why are you being so disagreeable? You wanted to go out and here we are.” Your face fell at his hostile demeanor, but you refused to back down.

“I’m not being disagreeable, Naruto. You always pick out our dates without considering my opinion, I’m simply asking if we can do something different.” He rolled his eyes, his cerulean eyes burning with irritation.

“Fine, whatever. Go to your BBQ place. I’m going to get ramen.” Without another glance, he turned around and ducked into Ichiraku’s, leaving you alone on the street. Tears filled your eyes and blurred your vision as you ran back home, suddenly having lost your appetite.

Sasuke~

The Uchiha rarely got sick, but when he did he was more irritable than usual. You knew that when he did it was best to take his words with a grain of salt, as he was just trying to seem tough to make up for his perceived weakness at being sick. However, there was only so much you could take and you were slowly reaching your limit.

With every snide remark, you felt yourself grow a bit more upset. As it was Sasuke had tried to slam the door in your face when you had arrived, given you the silent treatment, complained about every little thing about the soup you made, he even griped about the tomatoes you’d brought him.

However, what was really pushing you over the edge was his ungratefulness. When you were sick, you let him take care of you, why couldn’t you return the favor?! You had been nothing but patient and gracious, and still, he had a problem with everything you did.

“For crying out loud, woman, I don’t want the medicine!” He snapped. At that moment, you snapped too. You threw down the spoon of medicine and a loud clang resounded. “FINE! I’ve done nothing but help you, same as you’ve done for me, but all you’ve done is treat me like some kind of pest! I get that no one is themselves when they’re sick, but I am not you’re personal punching bag, Sasuke!”

He seemed taken aback by your outburst, even to the point of silence. “You’ve made it clear I’m not needed here.” His eyes narrowed as you grabbed your bag. “Because you’re not.” You froze, trying to school your expression. “What?” He scoffed. “I said you’re not needed.”

Refusing to tolerate any more of his verbal abuse, you walked out his door without a word, not caring if he saw your tears.

Neji~

If you were being truthful with yourself, you knew you had been a bit neglectful of Neji lately. In the last two weeks, you had last minute canceled three consecutive dates. In your defense, you were so close to finishing the novel you were working on, and you had completely immersed yourself in it, excited for it to be so close to completion.

You had pushed him to the back of your mind and wrote day and night. You were just pages away from completion when you heard an obnoxious knocking at your door.

You were surprised to see your boyfriend, who looked furious, to say the least. “Oh, hey, Neji, what’s up?” You stepped back letting him in. His lilac eyes met yours and it felt like staring into a typhoon.

“It’s been three weeks since we’ve gone out, and all you can say is ‘what’s up’?” His voice was deadly quiet and you sheepishly avoided his eyes. “I’m sorry, I know I’ve been distant, but I’m so close to finishing my novel, and I just-”

He was in your face before you could blink. “Your novel?! You’ve been avoiding me for that stupid thing?!” Even though his words stung, you knew he had every right to be mad; you hadn’t been very considerate lately.

“I’ve been working on it for so long and I just wanted to finish it, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” You insisted. He sneered. “I can’t believe you’re spending so much time on a pipe dream. I’ve read it, and it will amount to nothing.” You had no idea how to respond, you could feel tears forming. “Get out.” Your voice was quiet but firm. “What?” You looked him directly in the eyes. “Now. I won’t repeat myself.” He stormed away with a scoff, leaving you with new insecurities.

Shikamaru~

Much to your delight, Shikamaru had agreed to go walking in the park with you. He had been away on a mission for a month and had gotten back a few days ago. You had missed him greatly and you were ecstatic to finally have him back.

“What did you do while I was away?” You looked up at the Nara as you walked. “A lot of training, really… not much else besides that. I missed you a lot.” He threw an arm around your shoulder, a small smile on his face. “I missed you too, (Y/N/N). I’m glad to be back.”

You passed a few kids who were playing a game of tag and weaving in and around the area, laughing all the way. You smiled at the sight, leaning your head onto Shikamaru’s shoulder.

“Shika?” He looked down at you letting you know he was listening. “How come you didn’t want to go cloud watching? Not that I’m complaining, it’s just unusual.”

He chuckled, steering you around the rambunctious children as they ran by. “I’ve been gone for a while, I figure it’d be nice to walk around a little bit. Don’t get used to it though, this is special.” You giggled, not surprised in the least.

“At least some things don’t change.” He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What things?” You smirked. “You’re still as lazy as can be!” He dramatically rolled his eyes before letting a smug expression settle on his face.

“And you’re still abnormally short!” Shikamaru snickered. You rolled your eyes, punching him in the shoulder. You were about to reply when there was a plume of smoke. Shikamaru was no longer in sight.

You felt your mind blank for a second. A shadow clone. Your own boyfriend had rather send a clone than actually see you after a month of being apart. You felt an ache in your chest as you angrily wiped the tears from your eyes. Had he really not missed you at all?

Kiba~

You screeched indignantly as a bucket full of water rained down on you. Tears of frustration gathered in your eyes, much to your chagrin. This was the third prank today, and you were more than tired of Kiba’s antics.

You were going to your room to grab your jacket and was in too much of a hurry to notice the trap. Now you were in the doorway, soaked to the bone, shaking with anger and cold while Kiba just laughed.

First, it had been replacing the sugar with salt so your morning coffee had been spoiled, then it had been hiding every article of clothing you owned and then having to find each individual piece, one at a time. Now you were wet and miserable and Kiba looked like he was only just beginning your torment.

“You know what, Kiba, this isn’t funny! This is the third prank in as many hours! What is your deal?!” He looked confused as if he didn’t know why you were angry. “They’re just harmless pranks, babe, no reason to get worked up.”

They were harmless pranks, but it was your… not so special week and you didn’t have the energy to deal with it. “Look, I’m tired, okay? So can you please just quit it?”

He rolled his eyes as if he were exasperated. “You’re so boring (Y/N). Why can’t you just loosen up once in a while?” You harshly rubbed your temples, trying to push down your hurt. You knew you weren’t overreacting, you were sore and drained, and he was making it that much worse.

“I’m going back to bed. Please don’t bother me.” You waved a hand towards him and walked away and slammed the door behind you. “God, what did I do to get such a whiny girlfriend?”

Your mouth fell open as you heard his voice. Was that really how he thought of you?

Gaara~

You sighed dejected, as you stared at the empty seat your boyfriend was supposed to be. You knew that as the Kazekage, Gaara was a busy man, but he was the one who planned the date and he had promised to be there.

After thirty minutes of pity filled stares and waiting, you figured he wasn’t going to show up. This was the fourth time this month that he had stood you up and you couldn’t help but find yourself hurriedly heading in the direction of the Kazekage building to confront him.

By the time you had finally reached his office, you had calmed down, but that wasn’t to say you weren’t still angry. You knocked harshly on his door and waited for his response. “Enter.” You stormed your way in, your dress swishing behind you as reached his desk.

“Gaara. I was expecting you forty-five minutes ago.” Seafoam eyes met yours, before sweeping over your outfit. “Oh, god, (Y/N), I’m so sorry, I got caught up-” I scowled at the overused excuse.

“This is the fourth time! For goodness sake, this date was your idea!” He stood up, holding your trembling hand. “I know, and I’m so sorry. I’m going to make it up to you.” Your frown deepened as you turned away.

“Do you know how foolish I looked? Having a reservation for two, and sitting there for thirty minutes?” He sighed, but it didn’t sound remorseful. “I said I’ll make it up to you, okay? I was in the middle of something important.”

Your eyes hardened as they met his. “Important? So more important than me apparently? I know you’re busy, Gaara, I do, but this is getting ridiculous! Not only are you neglecting our relationship, but you’re also neglecting your own health!”

The crimson-haired Kazekage’s eyes left yours as he sat back down. “I’m very busy right now, (Y/N), can we finish this later?” He suggested emotionlessly.

Your fists were clenched. “Don’t bother, I have nothing more to say.” The slamming door had a note of finality to it as your left.

Kakashi~

You hissed as the peroxide touched the wound on your stomach. “You were reckless, (Y/N).” You glowered at the head of silver hair that was hunched over your bruised and bloody form, medical supplies in hand.

“I wasn’t reckless, Kakashi. My team was in shambles and we were outnumbered. I did the best I could with what I had and the mission was a success and everyone is okay.” Even through his mask, you could see his frown. “But at what cost? You should’ve waited for back up!”

I rolled my eyes. “Tsunade-sama was proud, everyone is fine. These injuries are nothing. I’m a shinobi and so are you. You know the cost and this can barely be considered a cost.” He shook his head, frustrated, as he wrapped your bandages.

“I get worried, okay? I know you, and I’m scared of the day you finally go too far and do something stupid-” You shot up, no longer being able to tolerate his attitude.

“Do you doubt my abilities that much? Even though I graduated from the academy, passed the Chuunin exams, and got my Jonin promotion the same as you?!” Kakashi simply crossed his arms.

“Well, I’m having to stitch you up, right?” You swatted his hand away from the cut on your shoulder. “That’s enough! I don’t have to take this! I’ve earned my place here, no matter what you say! The number of times I’ve patched you up and never complained and this is how you treat me?” Your words faded to a whisper hurt shining through your tone.

“That’s different! I can handle it!” Your eyes widened at the words. “Seriously? So what? You’re calling me weak now?”

“That’s not what I said, (Y/N).” You chuckled humorlessly, still in disbelief that you were even having this conversation. “You didn’t have to. It was pretty clear. I think it’s time you left.” The Jonin did just that, without another word or even a glance in your direction.

With tears dripping down your cheeks, you addressed all your minor injuries, trying not to think of Kakashi.

~Akatsuki~

Pein~

In hindsight, you knew it wasn’t the best idea to rip up the forest fighting Hidan. But the Jashinist had run his mouth a little (a lot) too far this time and you dismembered him. It wasn’t that big of a deal, almost everyone had done it at some time so you thought nothing of it. Pein didn’t have the same sentiments, however, and had wasted no time calling you to his office.

“What were you thinking?” He hissed. You simply raised an eyebrow, your lover hadn’t succeeded in intimidating you in a long time. “Hidan went too far and I did what everyone else has done in the past.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling. “That’s not an excuse, (Y/N). You’re being immature, and I will not stand for it.” You snorted. “Look, Kakuzu cuts off Hidan’s head like once a week and you’ve never had a problem, so what’s got you pissed about it this time?” He scowled, his Rinnegan becoming more prominent.

“I recruited you for your smarts and potential, not so you could bounce around doing whatever you wanted! I don’t have time to deal with your childish antics!”

You just snorted, trying not to show how deeply his words were cutting you. Pein was never like this with you, he always treated you like a goddess, and now here he was berating you over a minuscule problem.

“You don’t have to ‘deal’ with me, Pein! I’m not a kid, and if someone offends me, you’d best believe I’m not going to let it slide! Now I’ll ask you one more time. What. Is. Your. Problem?” He shot up, his hands slamming down on his desk causing you to step back, startled.

“My problem is that my girlfriend is being a fool and embarrassing me!” It really did feel like he had stabbed you through the chest this time. But you bit your cheek not to let it show. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “So that’s what it is, huh? You think I’m not good enough for the great ‘God’ Pein?” You mocked.

When he didn’t respond you waved a hand, walking towards the door. “I haven’t dismissed you yet, (Y/N).” Pein’s voice rang out. You shook your head as you reached the door.

“I don’t know about that, I feel pretty dismissed right now, actually.” With that, you left, not caring to hear what else he had to say.

Deidara~

You watched as Sasori and Deidara worked on their separate projects, while you yourself worked on your own. A large, half-filled canvas was before you, baring your newest artwork. It was an abstract graffiti painting, creating a 3D letter effect. You were quite proud of it actually.

However, you could feel eyes on you and you turned, giving Sasori a questioning look as you set your paints down. “What?”

His blank brown eyes ran critically over your artwork, before shrugging and going back to his puppets. You rolled your eyes at his typical behavior before walking over to Deidara’s table.

“Hey, Dei. Whatcha working on?” He turned to you, his smile wide as he held up a clay sculpture to you. It was a chibi version of you, causing you to blush. “Do you like it, hm? It’s my best one yet, yeah!” You handled it carefully, laughing a little. “Yeah, it’s adorable!” The blonde puffed up causing you to giggle more.

“And deadly, un! These are advanced, only for special circumstances, yeah.” You were just about to question what kind of special when you noticed the puppet master in front of your canvas, looking unimpressed.

“Um, Sasori?” He didn’t respond, just waved the two of you over. You sighed as you both followed him, slightly nervous about what he was going to say. “Look, brat.” You watched as the artist’s eyes looked over every line and color. “The strokes are uneven, and the shading is off. You call this art, (Y/N)?”

Your mouth fell open at his bluntness. “Okay, one it’s abstract so that’s the point, it’s not supposed to be precise! Second, yeah, I do call this art.” Deidara offered you an apologetic smile. “Sasori no Danna is right, un, it’s a little off…” You blinked twice not comprehending his words for a moment.

“Seriously?! I never speak badly about either of your pieces, so why don’t I get the same respect?!” Sasori just rolled his eyes, sitting back down at his desk. Typical. You turned your glare to your boyfriend. He crossed his arms, not looking at you.

“It’s fine, (Y/N/N), we all have bad days, un, nothing to get worked up about, hm.” You didn’t warrant his statement with a response. You just scoffed in disbelief as you stalked out of the room. Unbelieveable.

Tbh the pic has nothing to do with this but I found it and I thought it was hilarious?

#akatsuki #naruto scenarios #sasuke x reader #neji x reader #shikamaru x reader #kiba x reader #gaara x reader #kakashi x reader #pein x reader #deidara x reader #part 1 #naruto shippuden #angst

[foilfreak]

Beauty and Her Beast: Chapter 2

Warning: This fic is rated NSFW and contains graphic depictions of things some people may find disturbing or alarming, including, but not limited to: violence, gore, unhealthy family relationships, Oedipus complexes, gratuitous amount of pornographic literature, ableist language, physical, mental, and emotional abuse, etc. If you are someone who does not enjoy fiction with these elements in them, then I suggest you refrain from reading this, because this fic will have all that, and probably a lot more. So, this is your first and final warning to turn around and go somewhere else if stuff like this just isn't your vibe, because from this point forward, your emotional wellbeing is in your own hands, and I will not be accepting blame if you disregarded my warnings and ended up reading something you didn't like. Idk why I feel compelled to write one of these despite this being Resident Evil fanfic, but I figured I'd cover my ass just in case.

(Link to ao3 version in comments below)

Chapter 2:

The journey to Mother Miranda’s personal laboratory was much shorter and more enjoyable than the original walk to the meeting site, in Salvatore’s humble opinion.

Mother Miranda was mostly quiet, distant, and preoccupied throughout the duration of the walk, even more so than normal. That being said however, while this sort of behavior would usually spell disaster for whichever one of the 4 lords was forced to be in her presence during these sorts of moods, in this situation, Mother Miranda did not appear tense or agitated or hostile like she usually would be. Just lost in thought. As though she were only quiet because she was too busy thinking about something else to speak. She didn’t even seem to mind his various attempts at starting conversation, which surprised, but endlessly delighted, the mutant man.

‘Mother must be in a very good mood today. She hasn’t hit me or told me to shut up the whole time we’ve been together. Maybe she’s made another breakthrough with the cadou? I’d certainly be very happy if I were in her shoes’ Salvatore excitedly thought to himself as the woman in question stepped forward to unlock and open the large steel door of her personal laboratory, allowing Salvatore to step into the facility before closing and locking it again behind her.

“Moreau, do you recall the set of mutation experiments I began at the beginning of last year?” The raven mother asked, turning around and beginning to quickly make her way down the long, dark corridor.

“Y-you mean… the o-ones with the new c-cadou strain th-that I… that I d-developed… f-for you?” Salvatore stutters, breath labored and body struggling to keep up with the taller woman’s vastly larger steps.

“Correct” Mother Miranda says, turning a corner. “As impressed as I was with the final results of this particular strain, I’m afraid it still isn’t good enough. None of the subjects I implanted with cadou last year turned out to be favorable candidates.”

Salvatore stops in his tracks, a look of horror and agony on his face as news that he’d failed mother once again practically tears him apart from the inside out. “O-oh Mother… I-im so s-s-sorry to h-hear that… b-but don’t w-worry… I’ll-I’ll try h-harder next t-time… I w-won’t fail y-you again Mother, so p-please… please j-just give me a-another chance to get it r-right… i b-beg of y-you…”

Mother Miranda stops and turns toward the mutated lord, staring at him in silence as he drops to his knees and grovels at her feet, begging desperately for his failures to be forgiven.

“Off your knees, Moreau, this behavior is unbecoming of a Lord such as yourself. Besides, I never said that you were the one to blame for the lack of successful results, nor am I necessarily displeased by the fact that these experiments yielded failed vessels.”

Salvatore allows his gaze to rise to his mother’s face, where, true to her words, the parts of Miranda’s face that Salvatore could make out from behind her mask did not appear marred with the familiar expressions of anger and disappointment that the 4 lords were usually met with after another round of failed vessels.

“Y-you’re… you’re not upset with m-me?” The deformed man asks, his voice laced with shock and disbelief.

“No, my child, I’m not upset with you. While these experiments may have ended in failure, they did provide me with useful information that may prove to be pertinent to our mission in the near future. In fact, as I said earlier, the reason why I’ve brought you here is because I want to give you a gift, as a reward for all your incredible work. Did you expect me to be upset with you simply because this round proved unsuccessful as well? Do you really think so poorly of your loving mother, who works tirelessly to ensure her children are happy and rewarded for all their faith and trust in me?” Mother Miranda sniveled pitifully, turning her gaze away in mock dejection as Salvatore, horrified that he’d insulted and hurt her somehow, scrambles to his feet, gently taking both of Miranda’s hands into his own and holding the supple skin to his bloated and deformed face, desperately hoping this would comfort her.

“No no no no, o-of course n-not, Mother… I-I’d never expect s-something like th-that from y-you… and-and I k-know better… b-better than a-anyone… just h-how h-hard you w-work… not j-just on y-your experiments… but f-for all o-of us… too… you l-l-love us… you… love ME… I-I’ll always love y-you, Mother… always” Salvatore blurts, stumbling over his words as he tries desperately to comfort Mother Miranda, an effort he’s seemingly rewarded for, when Miranda takes one of her hands away and brings it back to the top of Salvatore’s head, once again gently brushing her hand against it.

Salvatore’s knees nearly give out from under him as the heavenly sensation washes throughout his body like a raging typhoon, leaving him feeling tired and weak yet hungry and wanting for more, though whatever that “more” was, Salvatore was quick to beat it back down deep within himself, knowing this was neither the time nor the place for him to be entertaining such… primal desires about someone like Mother Miranda, no matter how little he intends to act on them.

“Thank you, Moreau. You always know exactly what to say to make Mother feel better. You’re such a good boy” Mother Miranda says, making sure to put extra emphasis onto the last two words as she reaches forward and pulls Salvatore closer to her.

“G-g-g-gggg… good… boy… me?” Salvatore chokes, tears beginning to fill his eyes as Mother Miranda’s arms come to wrap around him, pushing the deformed man’s face to lean against the soft, feathery material of her bosom.

“Yes, Moreau. You’ve always been very special to me. From the day I met you, you’ve been such a good, well-behaved boy that I never have to worry about” Miranda begins, her face blank and expressionless as she passionlessly strokes Salvatore’s face. “No matter how simple the task, those 3 are always making mistakes of some kind and forcing me to come and clean up their messes after them, especially that snake Heisenberg. But you? No, never you, Moreau, not my special, perfect little boy who always tries his best to make Mother happy. Do you enjoy making Mother happy, Moreau?”

“Y-y-yES! Of-of c-course I do” Salvatore moans, his voice slightly muffled by Miranda’s chest as he violently nods his head in affirmation, tears freely falling from his eyes as his head swims deliriously from the endless wave of kind words and gentle touches.

“Good! I always knew you did. And for that, I'm going to reward you with something very special. Something to… keep you busy... while I’m away for a little while” The raven mother coos again.

Salvatore stops for a moment when the meaning of Miranda’s words finally registers in his brain. “While… w-while you’re… away? You’re l-leaving us?” Salvatore asks, his voice growing increasingly distressed with each word.

“Only for a short time, hopefully,” Mother Miranda answers, “but yes, at the end of this month, I will be leaving the village in order to attend to some very important business I have. I’m not sure how my journey will fare, however I'm optimistic that it will be the key necessary to finally getting my Ev- uh… pardon me; the key to finally achieving our goal of creating a perfect vessel. Doesn’t that sound nice, Moreau?”

“It-it does” the deformed man says quietly, still put off by the mention of Mother leaving, but not wanting to put a damper on his mother’s incredibly rare good mood. “But… where is i-it… th-that you’ll be g-going… an-and for h-how long?”

“Just down the mountain to pay someone a visit, however I have no idea when I'll be back. That will depend on how successful my mission goes, I suppose.”

Silence falls over the two as Salvatore, still upset by the news that Mother Miranda would be leaving, continues to take in the comfort and warmth of his Mother’s arms for just a moment longer, selfishly wishing that Mother held him more often. Eventually however, Mother Miranda does pull back from the superficial embrace, gesturing for Salvatore to follow her once more, which the deformed man begins to do without question.

“Of the 4 of you, you’re the last one to come and pick your gift,” Miranda says, unaware of the visible slump that Salvatore’s shoulders take on upon hearing this. “However, despite there only being one option left, it would appear as though your siblings have decided to spare you their usual games of trickery this time around. If anything, I think you might be the one to have ended up with the best deal after everything is said and done.”

Salvatore looks up at Mother Miranda with an expression of mild confusion, wondering what on earth she could mean by that. His musings are quickly interrupted however, when the two enter a large room filled with various pods.

“Of the 22 test subjects we started with last year, only 13 were genetically compatible with the cadou parasite, and even then, only 4 ended up surviving the full mutation phase. Despite their impressively stable conditions, they still aren’t suitable vessels for my purposes, however I felt as though it would be such a waste to just do away with them. So, with that in mind, I’ve decided that my gift to you all, before I must leave you for a time, is to give one test subject to each of you.”

“G-give? You’re… y-you’re giving us t-test subjects?” Salvatore repeats dumbly, not certain he understood where this was going.

“Correct” Mother Miranda affirms. “This is easily the most successful batch of mutations we’ve seen to date, and given the amount of time and effort I poured into making sure these last 4 survived until now, I’d at least like to see some use gotten out of them before they die or suddenly lose control of their mutations and go rogue.”

“Like… l-like what?” The hooded man asks nervously.

Miranda merely shrugs her shoulders, uncaring. “Anything you like. Housekeeper. Playmate. Labrat. Partner in Crime. Whatever it is you desire of your gift, you may have without question. And in the event they refuse you… well, you’ll at least have a fun little toy to chase after for a little while.”

“I... see...” Salvatore says quietly, growing less and less excited about this whole “gift” thing, now that he knows that his gift is just another person.

Another person to scream and wail at how unbelievably hideous and disgusting of a monster he looks, no doubt.

Without another word, Miranda heads over to the large control table located in the middle of the room, pressing a few buttons before 4 of the many identical pods begin moving toward them. Steam pours out the tops and bottoms of the metal pods as the large capsules slowly finish lowering themselves from their hung pedestals, displaying them directly in front of Miranda and Salvatore.  The man in question stands anxiously in front of the still sealed door, nervously fidgeting with his fingers as he waits for Mother to show him his gift, a myriad of thoughts and fears and worries flying throughout the mutant man’s mind.

“The first 3 have already been chosen by your siblings, but the one on the far right is all yours” Miranda says, pushing another button that causes the singular pod in question to click open, its door slowly beginning to rise upward toward the ceiling.

Salvatore nods in understanding as he tries to avoid watching the door of the pod open, instead hyper focusing on what Miranda is saying as the tension in the room becomes so thick it feels as if it could be cut with a dull knife.

After what felt like an eternity and a half of waiting, the pod door finally finished opening, and in that exact moment, as the disfigured man’s gaze finally fell upon the sight of his gift for the first time, his eyes went wide in shock, his mouth dropped open in disbelief, and his hands fell limply to his side in complete and utter bewilderment at the sight that stood before him.

“That… th-that’s… for me?” Salvatore manages to croak out, his throat suddenly dry as a desert and the air from his lungs having left him the second before.

Raising his hand up toward the creature wired into the pod, the hooded man finds himself unable to look away, feeling almost mesmerized as his mind struggles to figure out whether all this is really happening, or if he’d finally succumbed to the insanity of his condition and dreamt all this up as a sick and twisted way of coping with his soul crushing loneliness. Either one was just as likely at this point.

“I’m sure you’ll still be quite pitiful on the day I have to leave, but at least this way you’ll have something to keep yourself occupied with until I return, yes?” Mother Miranda says smugly, clearly pleased by his reaction. “So, what do you think, Moreau? Do you like the gift I’ve gotten for you?”

It wasn't until after several moments of silence that Salvatore finally responded. After stuttering and slurring unintelligibly over several sentences worth of responses, 2 words, and 2 words alone, finally managed to tumble from the mutant man’s lips, his eyes shining as he finally reached forward enough to slowly and carefully intertwine his fingers with the small and delicate hand of the beautiful young woman that slept peacefully inside the pod.

“She’s perfect!”

#salvatore moreau #resident evil #resident evil 8 #resident evil village #resident evil 8 village #resident evil 8: village #mother miranda #karl heisenberg #donna beneviento #alcina dimitrescu #bela dimitrescu #cassandra dimitrescu #daniela dimitrescu #fic #mine #oc #beauty and her beast #chapter 2 #ch. 2 #re8 #re #re village

[artificialqueens]

I Wanna Ruin Our "Friendship" (Taywhora) - Vena

"You know, ‘galpal’ things can be nerve-wracking when you’re a gay, nervous wreck." Or it could simply be that Tayce used that as a shitty excuse to kiss Aurora without making things awkward.

a/n. An excuse to write vanilla Taywhora smut lmao. That's about it!

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“You know, ‘galpal’ things can be nerve-wracking when you’re a gay, nervous wreck,” Bimini calls out. Aurora, thus far, has been in a - slightly, mind you! - shocked state for quite a few seconds, her eyes wandering around like crazy as she tried to recall everything that had just happened. 

Typhoon Tayce, that’s what happened.

Before she got to Black Cherry, it was all going as it usually went: the three girls piled up at Bimini’s, insulted each other then hyped each other up, put on pretty clothes (“Except for Tia,” Aurora would say), and took one first shot to get the night started.

Aurora looked through Bimini’s wardrobe to see if she could find something nice enough to “borrow” then never give back, going past the huge faux fur jacket with the leopard print and the collection of lime green slash neon pink shirts with a cleavage cut that barely covered their nipples.

“A button-up shirt, Bims?”

“Do you love it? Bought it for like, two dollars at a thrift store.”

“I mean,” Aurora said, “it’s pretty, but I wouldn’t wear it.”

Bimini’s scandalous laugh echoed through the room. “Try it on, babes!”

“Absolute clownery. I would  never  wear a button-up shirt. Especially not when going to a club,” Aurora said and grabbed her phone to scroll through Instagram, all too oblivious to the fact Tia had just finished buttoning up her yellow pineapple print shirt. Not that Tia would mind her words; after all, every day was Insulting Tia’s Fashion Choices Day for Aurora. Usual teasing. And she was okay with it.

“Much rather squash yourself into a tube dress that barely reaches the bottom of your knickers, right, Rory?” Tia counter-attacks.  The Kofi Strikes Back.

Aurora rolled her eyes, laughing a bit. She grabbed the brush sitting by Bims’ nightstand and started combing the taller girl’s hair. “At least  someone in this group has the chance to end the night up being pounded right. Bimini’s turned into a nun after meeting that guy Joey, and you have always dressed like you're 50-something. Therefore, I’m the hottest hoe out of yous.”

“ ’That guy Joey’, huh?” Bimini’s head peaked out of the bathroom door. “When will you stop calling him that? It’s been, what, nine months?”

“Yeah, and where is Bims a nun now? Those shorts are really living up to the  short  part. It’s leather, for fuck’s sake…” Tia groaned as a sharp pain went through her, coming straight from her scalp. “Ouch, you hound! Also, not everybody wants to end the night up being pounded, you know?  Not shagging with a different stranger every week  is also fun, maybe you should try it out sometime.”

“Yeah, you hound, not everybody likes syphilis!” Bimini yells from the bathroom. They all laugh.

Aurora yells back, “surely that doesn’t include you!”, and Bimini mumbles a small “not a joke, just a fact”.

The blondie put the brush away and landed a tiny kiss in Tia’s hair. She got off the bed, smacked Aurora in the arse, slightly touched by all that affection. “You know, when we first met, I first thought you were merely a bitchy prat. But now I realize I was absolutely correct all along. Although, I still love you.”

“I love  being insulted for free!” the blondie blurted out. “Anyways. We should get going. It’s almost nine. Bims is taking the longest time to put on such little fabric on their tiny body and it’s pissing me off.”

“Oi!” Bimini yelled, still in the bathroom. “Can’t rush perfection!”

Tia stopped by the bathroom door and blew them a kiss. “Have fun staying home then, hound.” After that, they were quick to grab their respective belongings and order a cab.

London was not a quiet town, moreso on Friday nights. Everybody wanted to go out for drinks, chats, maybe even getting lucky, who knows? As a consequence, there were lots of clubs down that area, although, to the girls, none of them matched Black Cherry - their favorite.

Could be because Joey, the owner, had the hots for Bimini ever since they first met - they matched up quite well, ended up shagging then dating - so it was free drinks for the three of them. There was more to it, though: the atmosphere, the people, the location. Felt like magic whenever they stepped inside, letting the music consume them (not the usual upbeat pop they had around the other clubs, the songs were picked very carefully by Ellie, their quote-unquote, “DJ”).

Aurora would deny it always and forever, but there was a bigger reason for her to always try to look her best every Friday night. And it had a name, time, and a beautiful pair of hands: Tayce, who always arrived a bit past ten (after making her friends wait for a solid half-hour), who was the embodiment of a moon child, who was the life of the dance floor.

Tayce was ridiculous. That was the only proper word Aurora could think of to describe her. Ridiculously beautiful, ridiculously smart, ridiculously nice.

First of all, great fashion. Tayce stood out with that astounding b&w jacket dress and those thigh-high boots (Aurora loved thigh-high boots more than watching Project Runway whilst eating Percy Pigs, ad that means  something ). Not to mention her hair seemed as if it that been tailored by the most royal of silkworms. Black, straight (unlike her, as Aurora would soon find out), and downy. Tayce’s skin tone reminded her of milk chocolate or Nutella, or maybe she was just hungry. Her eyes were two beautiful almonds (she was  definitely  hungry) and her plump, glossy lips were so full. and. kissable. Um…

Pretty. Ridiculously pretty.

And social. Tayce chatted with anyone who approached her, even the drunken blokes far too hammered to realize she was way out of their league who tried to get some. Friendly, but not like she would just let anyone get a hold of her. Aurora searched for the word in the confines of her brain, though it was hard… Assertive? Chatty? Someone who seemed to belong to the world? The word was right there…

“Confident.”

“What?” Aurora asked.

“The word is confident, babes.” Bimini hugged her waist. “You keep saying those things aloud, she might notice it in a while! That is if she hasn’t already…”

Aurora rolled her eyes and left them to it. They always went to the club together but parted ways after a few moments: Aurora could be found nearly shagging with some girl on the dance floor, Bimini went upstairs to do who-knows-what with Joe and Tia just danced her brains out - she truly did not need anyone to make her night better, apart from Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue. By midnight, the blondie was far too gone, could barely remember her own name, but boy was she having the time of her life.

Somehow, whilst dancing (trying to - she was not the best dancer ever, truth be told), she bumped into Ms. Tall, Dark & Handsome

“Oh, nightie, Tayes! You look stunning tonight, by the way.”

“Rory, hi.” Tayce gave her an awkward hug. “You sound absolutely plastered.”

“No that, just… my voice is horse- I mean, hoarse - tonight.” Aurora cackled at herself. Words really were not her favorite thing (the perks of being dyslexic), and those few too many shots only aggravated her situation. “What I’m trying to say is…”

Tayce nodded and giggled. God, even her goddamn  giggle  was beautiful. Aurora wanted to drown in her. “You’re  absolutely  plastered.”

“Not that!”

“You are,” Tayce laughed, which caused the other girl to laugh as well. She was so damn cute. “Wanna know a secret?” Aurora nodded. “I am too.”

They both exploded in laughs, finding everything so damn funny besides all the nonsense they were saying. Just like every other Friday night, Tayce and Aurora chit-chat for a while. They were not friends, more like known strangers, but being regulars of the same club for so long meant their faces, voices, and presence were not that foreign to one another. And, since drunken A’whora was oh-so-sociable, of course, they would talk sometime.

(Because sober Aurora was too much of a chicken to reach out to Tayce.  Imagine  actually talking to a girl that beautiful without some alcohol in one’s system… She was friendly, yeah, but also intimidating as hell. Maybe because she was insanely attractive. Or it could be her eyebrows. Why was she even thinking about that right now, when they were discussing clothes and college stuff? Where did that come from?)

Whatever.

At a given moment,  Where Have You Been Came  on the speakers. And the way Aurora’s eyes sparkled as she started hopping in her place, yelling out the lyrics, looking like the happiest bitch in the world made Tayce’s heart kind of… race?

She had felt that a few times for Aurora, but it is hard not to when she’s just that pretty. And Tayce liked pretty girls. A lot. A  whole  lot.

As the end of the song approached and Aurora calmed down from all the “that’s my song!” and “Rihanna, I love you!”, Tayce didn’t even notice her body acting up against her will (or was it?), leaning forwards and forwards and grabbing the blondie by the neck. “You just look so pretty right now. I love your smile.”

The tension could’ve been cut with a damn knife, given how they were staring at each other. Confused, but into it.  What the actual fuck , Aurora thought.  Maybe she’s just way too drunk. Maybe she’s about to pass out and-

Tayce kissed her. And kissed her, and kissed her, and touched her. It was hurried, filled with luxury, as though they needed each other’s lips to keep them alive. Full of a desperation neither knew existed. Aurora could have never seen it coming, for she saw the tall girl as an untouchable being - because of some stupid reason. Tayce could have never seen it coming, for she didn’t believe she would have the guts (even intoxicated Tayce!) to do it anyways.

Turns out she did. Who knew?

As they parted, Tayce noticed the surprise that still took over Aurora’s face. Fuck? So she did what she did best: create a distraction. With a bright smile, all teeth and gums, Tayce said “galpal things.”

And they both laughed it off, as Aurora walked away trying to process everything out, almost instantly sobered out from the shock.

“Tayce just kissed me. No like, The Tayce just kissed me.”

“We’ve seen it,” Bimini replied.

“No, but she  kissed  me!”

“We’ve seen it,” Tia replied.

“Then she said it was ‘galpal’ things, Bims, Tee, I’m…?”

Finally,  finally , we reach the start once again. Properly contextualized, this time. Bimini’s hand rested against her bare shoulder. “You know, ‘galpal’ things can be nerve-wracking when you’re a gay, nervous wreck.”

Tia shrugged. “The perks of being a lesbian. Y’all never know shite! She could take your bitch ass to Paris and ask you to marry her during  the most romantic  date in the world and you would still be all oh-she-wants-to-be-friends-that’s-all, no wonder she dismissed it as being galpal things.”

“So you think she meant it?”

“Babes. Please. She grabbed your titties. That’s not a girl-friends thing, it’s a  girlfriends  thing.”

Aurora blushed hard, her ears so red it could be seen even under the club’s dim purple lights. “Suddenly you’re not that fitting for the nickname A’whora. Who’s the nun now?” Bimini teased.

Aurora laughed, back to her normal, usual state. Not that shy, lost mess, totally not confused as to why Tayce (The Tayce!) would ever want anything to do with her. “How can I be a prude if Tayce was grabbing my tits about three minutes ago?”

“Can’t be arsed.”

“But,” Tia said, “you should go to her, yanno? She could be your special one for the night.”

Tia was (as usual) correct.

[...]

There was no way of explaining how on Earth they both got to Aurora's apartment in such a short time. Her excitement was showing, as well as her nervousness. She had not been this close to her like, ever (!). As soon as the front door was closed, Aurora threw the girl to the sofa and climbed on top of her, the tension stronger than ever before. And, as Tayce’s fingers sneaked under the hem of her dress, right at the middle of her thigh, Aurora could have sworn there was nothing, nothing else in the world she wanted more than having the girl’s lips on hers once more.

“Please…,” she managed to let out. “Can we kiss… again?”

Tayce smiled wide (which made Aurora’s guts do flips and jumps that would put Olympic champs to shame) before leaning in agonizingly slow and trapping Aurora on her once again. With her piercing gaze, soft lips, and firm hands that wandered around everywhere she could reach; Aurora was a goner for her.

"Take me to your room," Tayce asked.

There was truly no sight like it, having such an astoundingly pretty woman in her bedsheets. Aurora let her hand fall to Tayce’s thighs, pulling her closer and already tugging at the band of her underwear. Tayce’s lips twisted in a seductive smirk, the same smug look she carried with her all night. Aurora sometimes thought that was her resting face. Not that she was complaining, for it was so. damn. charming. “Thought you’d be the one receiving tonight…”

And, impulsive slag she was, couldn’t revise the words before they came to exist. “I’m ambidextrous.”  Oh no. She’s laughing. That wasn’t sexy. Did I just ruin the mood or…?

“Good to know. I’m right-handed most of the time, you know,” Tayce said, grabbing Aurora’s hand and placing her right one underneath. And, damn, Aurora tried hard not to follow her every movement, but Tayce’s hands were simply mesmerizing and she couldn’t help herself. Long fingers. Black nail polish, so perfect it seemed she either got it done that day or never did dishes in her lifetime. Soft skin.

Fuck.

(She knows it’s weird, okay. Being caught way too many times staring endlessly at people’s hands and dealing with the embarrassment that washed over her face once someone else noticed was more than enough reminder. But, like aforementioned: she couldn’t help herself.)

“You like them?” Tayce arched her brow, eyes pointing to her hands. The blondie gulped. She  really  was not subtle, was she? “Talk to me, princess.”

“I- I do. I love your hands.”

From there, Tayce’s hand made way to Aurora’s chin. Held her in place then guided her neck upwards till she was exposed enough for Tayce to abuse the area however she wanted. Started out with small pecks here and there, whilst her thumbs traced tiny circles in Aurora’s collarbone. The blondie was slowly melting under her kisses, although she stiffened up once Tayce’s tongue met her skin. The touch was warm, wet, and welcome. It made Aurora squirm, whine at a low volume. Her legs pressed together and kept moving to find a position that would at least help her a bit. Yes, she was extremely easy to rile up and the other girl could definitely tell that just from that brief moment. And Tayce enjoyed it. A lot.

Still licking and sucking her neck, Tayce tried her best to get rid of the tight black dress Aurora was wearing. She felt her zipper being slowly pulled down, the night breeze a lovely contrast to the warmth that emanated from Tayce’s body. And from between her thighs.

“Take this off for me, would ‘ya?” Tayce asked, already fumbling with the lock of the blondie’s bra. Aurora was more than happy to oblige if that meant Tayce would call her princess once again, and in no time she was wearing nothing but her underwear and the black stockings. Tayce grabbed her breast once again, making her shudder from the intensity of her touches. It felt different for she was almost naked, no more fabrics keeping them apart. Better. Tayce flicked one of her nipples with her fingers before lowering her mouth and sucking it hard enough to earn her the loudest moan yet.

“Please, Tayes… Um…”

“What, princess? Tell me.”

Aurora grabbed her face and planted a kiss in her mouth.“Bite me,” she ordered.

Tayce smiled. That girl truly was something else. Switching between shy and demanding, begging then ordering. Made Tayce want to get to know all her sides. She had always thought Aurora was a figure, with her huge blonde curls, short dresses, and her way of flirting with everything that moved - be it seducing random men in the bars for the free drinks or trying to get on with a girl. It was fun, really, observing her from far away and periodically making small talk. Her interest in Aurora started to be more because of how her eyes crinkled when she smiled, her laid-back attitude, and her presence rather than for her spectacular pair of legs.

Plus, there was no denying it. Aurora was  gorgeous.

Tayce obeyed her. Bit the tip of her nipple, at first lightly just to test Aurora out. By the way she was writhing and moaning underneath her, Tayce knew it was working. So she sucked it again, letting her tongue wander around the soft, fair skin, leaving red marks wherever she touched. Then went back to biting, closing her teeth around the hard bud a bit harsher than before, just to find Aurora really, really enjoyed it.

Aurora left a trail of sweet kisses on the girl’s hair, drunk not only on alcohol but also on her smell. Tayce was driving her insane, and they had not even been doing much. W ith one shift move, the blondie straddled Tayce’s body, trapping her between her legs. “Thought you liked being under?”

“You got it wrong, pretty baby.” Tayce’s breath hitched once Aurora grabbed her thighs, spreading them further apart. The blondie’s hand sneaked through her skirt, quickly finding her already damp underwear and playing with her clit through the thin lace. “I like… fuck, um,  being fucked , not necessarily… under. Fuck, Rory.”

She had never heard Tayce’s voice sound so small and desperate as when she was grinding against the back of her hand. Fuck, Tayce was  wet.  “Feels good, baby?” Aurora managed to ask.

“Hm, yes… Need… need more.”

Aurora pulled Tayce’s panties off, and it slid through her legs till they reached the floor. Tayce spread her legs out even more whilst holding her skirt up, wanting nothing,  nothing  more than Aurora to just fuck her as she wanted.

“You’re so fucking hot, Tayes… God, you’re wet.”

Tayce smiled smugly once again. “Like it? All for you- ah! Fuck.” She couldn’t keep her volume down once Aurora dropped to her knees and stuck her tongue out, licking right above her folds and fumbling her clit up and down. She smiled at the reactions Tayce was having, already having her hands entangled in Aurora’s curls, trying to guide her head. But oh, she would not let Tayce have her way so easily. Aurora sucked her thighs, her stomach. Lifted her leg and gave her a slap in the ass. Tayce had to hold her position with both hands, but the moans got louder the closer Aurora got to her center.

“Rory, be a darling and do what you gotta do!”

Aurora kissed her thigh once more. She was up for some teasing, definitely. “Weren’t you the one who made me ask for everything just now? Tell me what you want, Tayes.”

“Eat me out. Right now.” Aurora arched a brow. “… Please.”

“Good girl.” Tayce didn’t even have time to register the pet name properly before Aurora went down on her. Straight to her swollen, wanting clit. She kissed it, sucked the very tip before pulling it back and exposing her even more; that was when she started to rapidly flick her tongue against it.

“Fuck, Rory, just like that… Ah, fuck.”

Aurora’s middle finger pressed against Tayce’s entrance. The other hand helped keep her in place.

“Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me…” Tayce was far too gone to care about her cool image. She just wanted Aurora inside her as soon as possible. And Aurora gave it to her, how could she deny such a thing? She forced two of her fingers against the girl’s entrance. She did not need much though, for Tayce was dripping wet Aurora thrust her fingers in and out, curving her knuckles frantically inside of Tayce to reach her spot. By the sounds she was making, absolutely wrecked and stupid, it was working damn well. “More. More, Rory, fuck…”

Aurora was rapturous having  that  woman moaning her name like crazy. She had fucked a lot of people during her lifetime, but this was something else. The haunting thought she was simply a one-night stand for Tayce made her frown, but her brain was so full of all-things-Tayce she simply dismissed it quickly. She was there, Tayce was there and making her feel like the only woman in the world. She wanted nothing but to please her girl.

My girl? She’s not my girl. Stop thinking!

“Rory, more, please, use your tongue again, ah- fuck… Yes, fuck, you’re so good...” Aurora hummed in satisfaction against her, which caused a bolt to run through Tayce’s body. “Oh, fuck. I’m … getting… close, princess…”

Princess. Aurora did not know a simple word could have such an effect on her. Her hands started working faster, fucking Tayce harder, harder, harder until she could not take it anymore. Tayce was squirming, shaking, her legs could not stay still. She had to let it out. She had to. Had to. “Fuck, I’m so close, fuck…” Aurora increased the speed of her tongue as well. Her clit was so damn sensitive it hurt. She needed release, so bad, so bad, so bad and...

“Fuck!” Tayce cried out as an orgasm washed over her body, pulling Aurora’s head even closer to her, rocking her hips back and forth against her fingers whilst Aurora pumped them in and out the fastest she could, helping the girl ride her high. “Ah, Rory, fuck… Fuck.” Tayce’s previously shaking body had lost all its tension. She felt like jello. A cute smile lit up her face. “Fuuuck. That was good.”

Aurora climbed back up to her bed. She seemed just as content. “Was it?”

Tayce rolled her eyes. “Yeah, ask as if you didn’t just watch me cum my brains out for you. Of course, it was good! Whoa.” Aurora’s right hand peeked inside her own damp panties. “Do you want some help over there, princess?”

“No, just stay there looking pretty. I’ll cum in no time, I swear to you.”

And Tayce did as told, losing herself in Aurora’s lips as the blondie rubbed herself with tiny circles, moaning against the kisses every now and then. She was so worked up from getting Tayce off, relishing in the memories of her whimpers and her taste and just… everything. It really took no time for Aurora to get closer and closer and closer and cum all over her own hands. Fucking hell, she was satisfied. Very satisfied.

“I like you.” Tayce intertwined her fingers around Aurora’s slick, wet hand before guiding it to her mouth and licking it clean. It was kinda hot, but her eyes were so wide and doe if seemed almost… innocent. As if they had not spent the past few minutes fucking like horny teens. It was cute somehow. “I know we barely converse, but you’re pretty, fun, and sexy as hell. And girl, talk about that tongue! So… if you’re interested in like, going on a date, I’m so down.”

Aurora chuckled. “Hah. Thought I’d be a one-night stand.”

“Same. You always have a different girl with you… But thought I should shoot my shot since we came all the way here. Literally, came…” they both smiled. “So… what do you say?”

“I’d absolutely love to go on a date with you, Tayes. ”  Anyone would. Can’t believe she chose me, amongst them all…

“Guess it’s a deal then, Rory. When are you free?”

“Pick me up tomorrow at eight.” Aurora thought better. “Or just stay here, we’ll see what we can do.”

“Perfect.”

They cuddled (“I knew you were a little spoon, Rory!”). Aurora couldn’t ignore her friends’ perfect timing, as her phone shone indicating a new message had been received in their group chat:

  Tee:

whora ru alive  🥺  or did she fuck u so hard u dead now?

  Bims:  

Hope you didn’t give her syphilis x

  Tee:

thatd be u and joey only,, the syphilis couple. my girl whora is TESTED x

  Bims:

Heard from Joey you got laid too, he saw you walking out the club with a piece!!

  Tee:

and awhora had the nerve tell me i wouldnt fuck anyone with my button up shirt huh

  Bims:

Y’all nasty  🥰 now excuse me I gotta go get pounded as well lmao goodnight babes x

  Tee:

no bims we cant go. theyre lesbians. what if they get married in the meantime and we dont even hear about it!

  Whora:

Goodnight hoes and nooo not yet! But she’s taking me out tomorrow yikes

  Tee:

aaand shes sleeping there

  Whora:

Yeah <3

Tee:

👀👀👀

  Bims:

Give them 3 months, Tia. x

  Whora:

Luv u hounds! nightie

Tee:

nightie !!

  Bims:

Nightie!

#rpdr fanfiction #taywhora #rpdr uk #uk2 #tayce #a'whora #lesbian au #smut #fluff #clubbing #pet names #dom bottom tayce #vena #concrit welcome #submission

[haikyooot]

Season + Weather | 20 | Kita Shinsuke

|20| End of Heat 処暑 Shosho

08/23-09/06

After the winter chill comes the bearing of spring. Then comes the summer of cicadas, and finally the fields of neverending gold.

Kita Shinsuke x f!reader Genre: Slice-of-life Word Count: 860

Autumn 秋 Aki | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 (final) | Masterlist

Humans have invented all sorts of tools to battle it out against nature, and developed various systems to combat uncertainty. However, each time, whether by disease or by fire, nature has cards up its sleeve.

“Shit! Don’t you fucking dare go outside,” you screamed, making a blind attempt to grab Kita’s arm in the dark.

Shadowy wisps flickered through the windows from the violently shaking trees and howling wind. The house was pitch black already, but still, ghastly shapes manifested across the walls. The whole house seemed to quiver. Loud clamours from falling objects outside were sudden and unannounced. The wind, no longer wind, now a vengeful spirit whipped through every crevice. It tore through telephone lines and snapped trees, and the heavens dumped all their spite down in heavy rain. Typhoons in the countryside were different from the city-truly a testament to how destructive nature could retaliate.

“But the-”

“To hell with that, Shinsuke. It’s fucking dangerous outside, so help me, damn it, stay put!” you shrieked back, tightening your grip on his forearm. You didn’t care that your nails were digging into his flesh, you weren’t about to let go. The roars seemed to burst into the house and gnawed away at your grasp of the situation. “We knew this was a possibility remember?” 

You and Kita knew the typhoons were coming. Both of you already stocked the pantry, checked the batteries, and mentally prepared. But nothing, no weather reports, no prior experiences could have prepared either of you for the calamity this year. The meteorological reports said that this year was "an anomaly", but wasn't that last year? And two years before? At what point did the phrase"another anomaly" become normal? And more importantly, why did it have to be right here, right now?

“Shinsuke?” Granny called from her room. “Don’t go outside, you hear? Are you two okay?” 

In ancient times, people thought that such catastrophes ought to be heaven's anger at sin. Whether or not this was true, who bore the burdens of anger? Who’s crops and means of living were the first to go?

“G-granny,” you called back. “I got him, don’t worry. Just stay there for a bit, I’ll get the lights.”

You harshly tugged the dazed Kita with you and traveled alongside the walls of the house. Your heart was beating wildly and all you wanted was for the noise to stop and a blanket to muffle yourself under. But you had to stay strong, for yourself and two others under this roof. 

“Shit,” you cursed under your breath, tripping over something hard in the dark. Kita steadied you. 

You tapped his hand and reassured you were okay, “Almost there.” After what seemed like an endless excavation in the dark, you finally reached the cabinet keeping the emergency box. This one had candles, flashlights, batteries, and a radio.

Where did the paper boat float? No voice to be uttered—all gone, Swallowed by hungry ghosts.

Occasionally, the radio would pop in with a message or two telling its listeners to remain calm and stay away from windows, refrain from going outside...the buzzes from the signal were the only white noise to soothe a calm. You and Kita sat around the floor table, with half-formed thoughts trying to form some semblance of reason.

"Do you think..." Kita asked quietly, unable to finish the question.

It wasn't something you could answer. "I don't know, but we're safe and together here."

Kita lived most of his life with the certainty of perfection. As long as the proper parameters were put into place, the results were only to be expected. Kita was made up of the things he did every day, consistently, constantly. Over the years, he's been proven time and time again that despite the best preparations, the worst outcomes might still follow. And even if he had prepared for the worst, colloquially speaking, the realities were no less disappointing or frightening.

The loss against Karasuno in his last year of high school. The unexpected conditions of his grandmother. The uprooting of his new career in the city. And now the possibility of a whole year's labor dismantled in wind and rain.

There were many uncertainties, dissatisfaction, and anxieties clouding his thoughts in a frenzy. This was something the insurance prepared for, a possibility that anyone venturing out to the fields would acknowledge in the back of their mind. Financially, perhaps. But it doesn't mitigate the difficult acceptance that despite everything done right, things were still beyond control.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Kita concluded, closing his eyes.

The crops had pulled through extreme heat. He only hoped that the grains clung tightly and the roots remained grounded. He hoped that the careful attention he spent tending to the crops making sure they were in the best possible conditions, would be just enough.

In a wind that snapped trees with many more years of seniority, these rice stalks of less than a year old had to fight. There wasn't anything either of you could do, but wait and then wait some more. All the while, the taunting chants plagued the space around both of you.

Endnotes: • Recent examples of very bad typhoons include 2018 Typhoon Haiyan and 2019 Typhoon Hagabis and Faxai. Typhoon season hits right before the fall harvest, so there really isn’t much recourse for replanting. Crop yield losses can be up to 30%. 

Autumn 秋 Aki | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 (final) | Masterlist

#kita x reader #kita shinsuke x reader #s+w

[captainkurosolaire]

17. How would your character react if they discovered a likeable acquaintance was Garlean? Violently? With suspicion? Or would they ignore it altogether?  

Captain Kuro Solaire: How would I eh? What if I told ye, that's already a case fer me. Would ye hang me fer being friendlies with th' ole' big-bad Empire? See, I'm a pirate ov' the believed old, our enemies, they're not too far-fetched a yesterday's enemy, may be our greatest ally the next, or vice-versa... Although, I don't have Admiral Merlwyb /or/ her merry-bunch of red-soaking tampons wanting t' ride any form vessel with me, or I assure swallow with my seas, can say we're a old bitter estranged couple. I like t' ruffle her panties get somethin' goin' I assure better than most her suited coat fluffers, whilst she painstakingly likes t' yank my tail. Our whole squabble began, because I kept my dearest matey who was forced-conscripted into the Garlean under my sail, he's the only other surviving member aside myself from my Original Crew. He's a damned-devilish man, I wouldn't want anyone t' meet, he's a typhoon of madness that'll make you die from his sheer barnacle-level ov' hearing his stupidity. But Leviathan, he's a brother t' me, I legitimately trust, our ink, blood, that's above it all. I don't have much remaining, but that I do... I'm sacredly preserving it. Try stealing from me, I'll steal back a hoard, yer coffer, n' all your keepsakes, then importantly your heart. Fuck me, I'll fuck ye much harder. That's how it works n' the City-State of Exchange. I slummed from Pearl Lanes as a little street-urchin t' this harsh sight. I've encountered and worked aside many other's who are in the same space, ye see, th' problem is, there exist, a foulness in all aspects, people are diverse, no tide will ever b' the same, it'll never repeat the same rhythm n' the day it did prior. You try controlling things like that, can't afford t' get careless, cause you've got t' remain vigilantly observant. Otherwise ye find yourself plummeted below shipwrecked, marooned, having more exposed hole's n' ye then a assorted collection of Redlight-district escorts. You cannot control th' true lawless. Those who've equally a right t' shares, the Garleans they're like my people. We've got some sadistic, wrong, fuckwits, that ruin us. That like me, should b' definitely put down... eventually... But ye ever think maybe they just need someone t' hear their boohoo plight's? We all suffer. Let em' give you their whole sappy back-story, at-least. Majority of them just hung up on their whole inabilities and under-performances, they suffer from an inferiority complex, just whisper to their ears or horns and say, 'O' you're so capable. I never met anyone like you.' Then just give em' a hug n' some starlight cookies n' forget to call them back after you've taken your fun. Works literally every-time. Worst scenario though, they comin' invading, clasp hilts, get some lube and train up, learn from their offended history and least b' inquisitive... I mean even us pirate's, you've th' right to be distrusting t' us, we're known backstabbers, our only loyalties are too each-other, until it isn't, belongings, and our pledges, we sink in our value. The act of 'Conqueror' doesn't change just because its n' the sea, skies, or land. That which is more unified on wanting something, they'll be th' victor, hungry goes th' spoils they say. (OOC: Essentially he's not going to assault you because you rock a banner under any flag, right away. (Within reason) He looks beyond and doesn't judge, his targets are relatively done precisely and meticulously thought out, but doesn't surprise moogle-face if he gets crossed by any faction. He's on the side that'll always be better for the world, and marveling for a majority, more indifference's, more sights, more culture, more things to set-out and see and that's glorious opportunities. This world is better off being fun and marveled collectively then under the rule of one greedy tyrannical figure. But right now in story, he's a lot more friends with Garlean's, then Maelstrom. ~ Thanks for the ask! @theimperialnuisance wish you all the grandest spoils ahead.

#mature language #asks answered #he's an uncensored cannon now in days #but you know pirate #sailor swearing and cursing is their scarves #he throwing a lot of spit and shade

[aaannmariee]

Baguio City: The happy place I want to visit, You should too!

When I was a child, I always hear the word Baguio from my parents and relatives. It is just funny to think that I used to think that Baguio was a typhoon, in tagalog 'bagyo'. I always hear from my mother and relatives using this dialect that I don't understand. Growing up, I always asked about Baguio and I found out that it was my mother's place. And my mom's dialect she always uses when talking to our relatives is called Ilocano. I came to think that I want to see the place where my mama grew up, and because of the good comments I have heard about Baguio, how beautiful it is, how refreshing and cool the air, and how simple their lives were. Baguio, also known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines. Established in around 1846 by the early spanish colonizers of the pine-covered highlands of the Benguet Province. As time passes by, Baguio was discovered and became the eight ancient wonder in the world.

After this pandemic, our whole family plans to visit and travel around Luzon, my Mom’s place and especially the summer capital. Baguio, on the Philippines’ Luzon island, is a mountain town of universities and resorts. Also called the “City of Pines,” it is particularly popular in summer due to unusually cooler weather. At its center is Burnham Park, with gardens and a lake. Nearby, Baguio Cathedral, completed in 1936, has a rose-hued exterior. The main thoroughfare is Session Road, lined with shops, restaurants and entertainment options.

Burnham Park is the place where people visit more. You can ride a bike, take a boat ride, or just walk around the park and enjoy the breathtaking place. It always feels like it is your first time whenever you visit it again and again. I remember my Mom and Sister’s voice reminiscing experiences there by even writing this. Oh, how excited I am for those bike and boat rides!

After spending time seeing the place, you will definitely be hungry and get something to eat especially in its cold weather, right? right!

The restaurants there have delicious foods that you will never forget. One of the most popular dishes is the bulalo steak sage, that warms your stomach in cold weather, it is very delicious! Here is the list of the 8 must-try bites and sips that are distinctly Baguio; Baguio Longganisa, Dipasupil, Strawberry Shortcake, Vizco's. Ube Jam, Strawberry Jam & Peanut Brittle, Good Shepherd, Raisin Bread, Baguio Country Club, Hot Chocolate, Choco-Late de Batirol, and Message In A Bottle, Baguio Craft Brewery.

Let's try the desserts!

"Great snacks while waiting for the bus.", "I just love these belgian waffles!" you can really tell how delicious it is! Well, Belgian waffles are ranked no. 4 out of 6 famous bakeries in Baguio. The highly recommended dessert shop in Baguio is the "Pamana lechon tsokolateria cafe", a chocolate shop located in Igorot Stairs, upper Rd. Actually you can just walk and not ride anymore because the cafe is just near the park.

Woh! I was suddenly hungry again hehe. Okay, let's move on!

I am pretty sure that you always hear the word 'Igorot', I am one of those called Igorot when in fact I am part of one of the various tribes which is Ifugao nevertheless say since people have kept on generalizing . Sometimes, people make fun of using this word and even use it to tease people who are dark, ignorant or just for stupid reasons. But in reality they just don't have any idea how wealthy they are in terms of money and of course in culture. I think the world has no idea on how they look right now, I don't know with you but do I look like someone you imagine a Igorot would look? Check my account and my whole "angkan" or clan's account (email me if you disagree,winks). Not much of the people and Filipinos know but this tribe have contributed so much in the country's overall food supply, like you know where does much of the "gulay" (vegetable) comes from. Igorots have massively influenced the Philippine's Agriculture. Though, true enough not all of those who farm are greatly blessed as much as the overall farmers but here in the Philippines as we know, most of the looked down poorest are such.

The Igorot are any of various ethnic groups in the mountains of northern Luzon, Philippines, all of whom keep, or have kept until recently, their traditional religion and way of life. Some live in the tropical forests of the foothills, but most live in rugged grassland and pine forest zones higher up. They are clustered in the Cordillera region of Luzon. It is true that they are famous for rice-terrace farming but saying that some of them have been known to be cannibals in the past is an exaggeration which only downgrades them. While the rice terraces were important to the Ifugao economy, they also served a cultural function, requiring intensive cooperation among the people. By the early 21st century, however, the number of Ifugao in the area had greatly diminished as many migrated to more urban centres. Meanwhile, Ifugao is a province in the Philippines situated in the Cordillera Administrative Region., which I have mentioned earlier we are part of or where my Mom is originally from.

But it would be great to give some amazing facts about igorots:

1.) The first ever Filipino to ride an airplane is an igorot - In february 1912, during a manila carnival celebration, Governor Walter Hare invited 120 tribes men from the cordilleras. One of the tribe's men named Gagaban who is an igorot chief accepted the American pilot Lee Hammond's invitation to fly with him. Before Gagaban, no other native had ever flown as a passenger.

2.) The first ever igorot beauty queen that captured the heart of manila - At just age 13, Eveline Chainus Guirey was the most famous beauty who cost a massive sensation in Manila in 1902. She was the eldest of the ten children of the Guirey family. She was the youngest beauty ever in the history of Philippines Manila carnival.

3.) The Igorots were never slaves by the spaniards because they fought for their independence - Contrary to the history textbooks that are commonly used in schools in the country which are stating , "We can never know the history of the FIlipino people during the Spanish period because they were slaves to the Spaniards or at least forced to play the role of slaves." The Igorots were never actually slaves of the Spaniard nor did they play the role of slaves. On the contrary of these books, Spanish records make it clear that they fought for their independence with every means at their disposal for 3 centuries and that resistance to invasion was deliberate, self-conscious and was continuous.

Additional Trivia would be that originally slash-and-burn farmers, they have since begun to practice more sustainable forms of farming. The Isneg are also known as good fishers, and have a penchant for coffee. Kalinga. The Kalinga tribes are perhaps the most diplomatic of all the Igorot.

Strawberry picking completes Baguio tourist’s experience!

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet-- This capital town of Benguet not only receives a spillover of the tourists who go to Baguio but also a visit here completes the experience of the visitors to the country’s summer capital, through its strawberry picking activity. Strawberries in Baguio are the best. Let us not forget strawberry picking!

What is your happy place? Where is that certain place you can consider as your epitome of tranquility? Well for me that would be family and that makes me want to make Baguio one of those I can call my wonderland. A place where I can also take not just a lot of instagramable pictures to post or put on my day stories but memories stored in my heart that I could share with my future children (forgive my futuristic approach,laughs). Memorabilias that I could gather with my family, Oh how wonderful it is to be able to witness and experience such culture and sights that have not just cultivated a lot of inspiration not just around the country but the entire world. Just imagine that historic park that couldn’t even be compared to the famous parks in other countries or how about that luscious strawberries that you can pick on your own. I don’t know about you but one thing this pandemic has made me realize is to live to the fullest, it would be great that we could go back and see the world or visit some of its God given majestic place nevertheless it would be greater to be able to see your own country’s tourist destination. I mean, we can not be just a tourist to other countries, right? Let us go ahead and visit to experience our very own. My very own, Baguio! Voila!

#@queenlupitajones #creativenonfiction

[serendipitioussurvival]

Queen and Gentry - Steter

His life was empty without her, his chest always felt hollow without her. She enraged him like no other and made him feel so fucking vulnerable that he worried she was his weakness. In the same breath when she smiled at him so genuinely it made him feel like he could rock the fucking world. When she had been hurt, however, it made him feel like he was lost at sea in the middle of a typhoon or hurricane. And when he had been too lost in his thoughts it was her gentle calling of ‘Big bad?’ or ‘hey assface!’ that had him returning.

Oh. Fuck.

It started with small things; brief touches against his arm that could be mistaken for her trying to shoulder check him, or offering him meals and little desserts that she had made. Then she started to show up at his address - how she had gotten it made him proud and annoyed, it was his home dammit - and made sure he came to pack meets. Because she gravitated towards his side during pack meets so did Erica and Vernon until they, too, were scenting him as pack. It was insulting and beautiful at first until he began to feel the pack bonds with them form. Stiles had saved them, they followed her as if she were their alpha, and because she was including him - for whatever reason - he was a part of their small pack. 

Because Peter rarely took anything without giving something - though that something was often in the form of scathing replies, sarcastic wit, and dramatic eye rolls - in return, he made sure to start ‘leaving’ books around on magic for the little Spark to read up on. It went from small things to a very real, very important thing the moment she, Erica, and Vernon stood up for him when Scott and Derek found out that he was teaching them how to fight and defend themselves, how to work as a unit. Scott, as expected, was pissed off that they - his pack - were doing something that would promote violence behind his back.

Derek was pissed off that his sired beta’s had not asked him to teach them, especially when he had tried before. 

“You tried, sourwolf? I’m fairly certain that what you did was literally throw around three betas without giving them an idea of what they were supposed to do and or focus on, and then - when they were hurt, you broke their bones to get the healing factor to kick in faster!” Stiles raged, standing in front of the three betas with a glare that was equal to that of an Alpha. “Peter told them how to use their senses, how to get their healing to kick in faster without extra pain. He’s been at it longer, he’s been a Beta longer, he knows how to teach other Betas to control their shift and find their anchors.” then, with a fury that made her breathtaking, she rounded on Scott. 

“And you! You expect everyone to just lay down and not cause a fight because you’re a fucking ‘True Alpha’?! You’re still a teenager, Scott, people will see that before they see you as the ‘True Alpha’ you’re trying to keep as a claim. What if another Gerard shows up, Scott, huh? What if he takes Erica and Vernon again, what if they decide that they want to shoot up some of our pack after they agree to a peace treaty? Huh? What then?!” 

“We still have to give them that option for peace, Stiles!” he urged, confused as to hell why she was so adamant on siding with Peter when she normally was on his side with certain arguments. “Gerard was a mistake, but -”

“Allison was the one who shot them full of arrows!” Stiles was a spastic, energetic, and loud girl. Such was why her calm, curt, still fury was so worrying for those in the room. “Allison, Scott, and I love her like a sister, but it was Ali who shot them full of arrows, repeatedly, because Gerard manipulated her.” 

“Gerard was evil-” Scott tried, angry for her bringing up Allison but also sad because she had. 

“There are more people like Gerard than you know, Scott.” and maybe it was because his friend, his sister, was looking at him like he was a moron or a child, but it had Scott raging. 

“People like Peter?! He killed people too!” and maybe that wasn’t exactly the right thing to say, because now Derek was edging towards Stiles, choking on her anger and wanting her to calm down because Erica and Vernon were tensing for a fight behind her. 

“Peter killed guilty people who deserved to fucking die.” Peter had never had anyone he wasn’t openly manipulating angry for him. For Stiles to be so on his side, to agree with what he had done… “Peter didn’t take a human fucking girl from the middle of a Lacrosse win to beat her senseless so she could be made into a message to the Alpha and her werewolf best friend.” and to that the entire room stiffened.”You knew,” she spat,  “You just didn’t want to believe it.” 

“You-you're lying-” before he could finish the half-hearted attempt to regain control of the situation - his mind, honestly - Erica and Vernon both growled and shifted with intent to hurt him. 

“No.” All it took was for Stiles to look at both of them for them to remain where they were and calm down, burning cinnamon cooling down and releasing its grip on the ‘were’s in the room. “Scott, are you ordering us as Alpha to stop these training sessions?” she was furious, but there was a calm acceptance to her that actually scared the ‘were’s. This felt like a charged moment, like whatever Scott said would change everything. 

“I -” Scott wanted to say yes, he really did, but he understood the need for everyone to learn how to protect themselves. Ever since that lacrosse game, Stiles had quit and gone to some self-defense classes that a few of her dad’s colleagues were putting her through. Now she was learning how to fight werewolves from Peter and Scott - Scott only saw Peter as using this for an opportunity to turn his friends against him. 

“He’s turning you against me, can’t you see that’s what he’s doing?” He tried again, needing his friend, his sister, to see reason. 

“You didn’t answer my question. Is that an order, Alpha McCall?” it was in instances like this that Peter saw how truly remarkable of a wolf she would make. Her fury was calculated and directed with a level of intelligence that would make other Alpha’s blush. She knew just what to say to utterly demolish her opponent and she could say it with a ferocity that rivaled a raging Omega. 

“No.” Scott bit out, shoving his hands into his hair to try and relieve the pressure that was building there. 

“Good, then we’re not going to discuss what I do in my free time with pack members you neglect.” In a movement that could be taken as a challenge to any other Alpha Stiles spun around, openly rubbed her cheek against Erica’s, then Boyd’s, and finally, with a narrowed glare that dared Peter to try and deny her, rubbed the other side of her cheek against his previously scarred one. She smelled of rain when he actually moved his face into the motion, scenting her back despite how stunned he still was. “You are the Alpha, Scotty, but I am the Emissary and this is my pack.” 

After that she and Scott got into arguments frequently, most of which devolved into screaming matches that had the other pack members flinching away from the table. Lydia and Allison were, surprisingly enough, on Stiles’s side, despite saying that Scott still had some good points to his arguments. Peter never needed to be dragged to another Pack meet again as he went willingly. 

It was a month later that she called a pack meeting, asking for everyone to show up. When everyone - including Chris Argent - was present in the room - including one confused Alan Deaton - Stiles entered the loft smelling of Peppermint and ash. 

“I’m adding one more to our pack.” and, as expected, confusion and alarm broke out. 

“Who?” Chris asked her, drowning out the questions of ‘What have you done’ and ‘what do you mean?’

“Deucalion.” she stayed standing in the doorway, arms crossed, defiant and completely set in her decision despite the two shouts that were immediately aimed at her. Scott being the loudest. “You granted him mercy, but you also made him an Omega. Omega’s go fucking crazy, you really want to deal with a crazy Deucalion?”

“I agreed with her,” Derek told him when he stood by her side, surprising Scott further. “He learned how to fight while he was blind, Scott, he learned how to utilize his senses in a way I’ve never even heard of. Stiles, Erica, Boyd and I already met with him a couple times.” 

“You already met him? You already decided on this without asking me, without-” 

“It’s what I’m doing now, Scott. Pack meet, pack discuss, pack decide. I started checking on him to make sure he wasn’t losing his sanity, that was three months ago.” and Chris, god bless him, was the voice of reason right alongside his daughter and Lydia. 

“Erica, Vernon, you’re okay with him joining the pack?” because he had been the one who had taken them captive and held them captive for months until Stiles had found them. 

“He stopped Kali from torturing us,” Erica announced with a shrug from her spot on the spiral staircase beside Peter. “Honestly I think he’s the only reason I’m alive, Kali was especially pissed off that day. He’s… he’s not the same.” 

“I think it’s because he got his eyesight back,” Boyd agreed, arm wrapped tight around Erica while she sat between his legs on the staircase, just a few steps below Peter. “If he tries anything, well, we’re a large pack, we can take him.” 

“He’s another Alpha!” Scott distressed, “he could just kill me and take over the pack!” Stiles rolled her eyes and looked to Derek, as if asking for him to take over. Peter was too awed at the way Stiles had changed, at the way she seemed to no longer be trying to actively hide her true self from everyone and instead embraced it with conviction that had him hungry for her. When Derek put his hands up in a ‘It’s all on you’ motion she sighed heavily and turned her champagne gold eyes on Scott.

“Scott, no offense bud, but I could kill you, and take the Alpha spot. You don’t come to training, you don’t try to run with the others on the full moon, and you’re actively denying your wolf’s instincts.” of course he had, he never wanted to be a werewolf! “See, that’s exactly my point!” ah, this was the point where it would divulge into a screaming match. “You don’t want it, never wanted it, so you’re denying it while trying to keep the authority of it! You can’t be an absent leader, Scott!” 

“You don’t know what it’s like!” it was funny how he became the flailing ones whereas Mieczyslawa was the calm, collected hurricane she was always meant to be. 

“Scott, you don’t have Asthma anymore, you’re basically always fucking ripped, you can literally feel familial bonds, you’ve gained more attention from the female Populus in these past two years than you ever had, and you made first line as well as Captain of the Lacrosse team!” her hand slapped harshly into her chest and drew a flinch from those that cared about her. “You could still be asthmatic getting chunky with me on fast food and snacks spending every Friday night binging video games and sitting on the bench during lacrosse games while we lament about how we wish things were different. You found your anchor, your mom literally told you to fucking stick it to someone who could kill her because she believed in you. You’re only problems are because you’re denying that wolf side of you that you keep seeing as a monster!” 

“Well why don’t you ask me to bite you then so you can be a wolf!” and there it was, the question Peter had been asking himself ever since she had denied him in the parking garage what felt like an eternity ago. 

“Because it would hurt too fucking much to realize you don’t need me as much as I need you.” and that… well, Peter understood that. It brought the whole situation into perspective for him and brought a whole new understanding to her reaction when he had asked her. She didn’t want to be like him, that had been a truth and a lie, because if she turned into a werewolf she would’ve been like him. Bondless, alone and on the road to insanity that most likely would’ve resulted in her death. “Pack vote on Deucalion.” amidst the awkward atmosphere the majority vote was for Deucalion joining, Scott was too stunned to put his own vote in, let alone deny said vote. 

Erica and Vernon flanked her when she took her leave, putting all attention on Scott as he stood, flabbergasted, in the same spot he had been in. Few people glanced to Allison, as if to gauge her reaction to hearing that - was it a confession? - declaration from her best friend toward her ex-boyfriend. 

“Well, it was about time for that.” Lydia expressed with a dramatic sigh as she pushed away from the table. “It’s not a romantic confession, Scott, so don’t go thinking too highly of yourself. Honestly,” she smacked her lips and eyed the room with a hint of distaste. “I hoped she’s snap sooner or later, called me out at the Homecoming but didn’t care that she was hiding her real personality from everyone.” She sniffed derisively and flicked her hair over her shoulder, glaring at Peter with a tone of acceptance that hadn’t previously been there. “Hm.” and with that high pitched huff of approval and acceptance, she sashayed her way out of the room. 

Peter wasn’t sure how he was supposed to actually react to the current scheme of things. Not only had Stiles openly declared that Peter was a part of her pack, but she would also openly fight Scott for his current placement in her scheme of things. Her pack, which consisted of Deucalion, peter, Erica, Vernon, and apparently Lydia. From the look that was shared between Chris and Allison, the two were in favor of what Stiles was saying. It was then that Peter made sense of the little touches she made sure to do to him, the way she made meals or gave him little baked goods. How she was always, always trading sneers with him and openly challenging him. The entire time she had been scenting him, considering him pack, showing him he had a place with her. 

He was strangely touched and insulted that a teenage girl thought that she could force a pack bond on him just because she didn’t want to deal with him going omega crazy again. In the same breath he knew that wasn’t why she had done it, she would’ve told him outright if that had been her reasoning, instead she showed up at his house so often that her scent could always be found in some corner of his apartment, left a few of her jackets - there was even a cover she used when she showed up very suddenly declaring that she was going to use his couch to sleep and if he touched her she would wolfsbane mace him. He had been too stunned at her brashness to even react before she was curled up on his couch with a fluffy cover curled around shoulders. 

When he had recovered he had wanted to bang his pots together, toss her off the couch, play the T.V at its loudest volume. Instead he found himself walking softly, barely using the oven, let alone the microwave in case the sound was too loud to wake her up, and checked on her frequently to make sure that she was fine. 

Little tart took that as permission to do it frequently too. Still, through all this he only knew of Stiles being ‘Stiles’ - he didn’t want to make her presence seem permanent in his life by hiring a P.I to find out her real name (since none of her fucking friends knew it, thank you Scott) - and was utterly floored when it was Deucalion who called her true name out in the middle of a sparring practice. 

“You’re doing good, Mieczyslawa, this time focus on the way the air feels against your skin. You’re not a werewolf, but you can feel the change, every human can. You just have to attune yourself to it.” she nodded and vanilla sprouted from her in her pleasure at having her true name called so perfectly. “I’ll go slow and progress the more successful you are.” another nod but neither were ignorant of the stares centered on them. Stiles was not a werewolf but she was doing better than Erica and Vernon when it came to the training Deucalion implemented. She was doing so well, in fact, that it often meant she was doing lessons with him on the side, or during breaks in between their training sessions. 

She didn’t dodge the first time Deucalion shoved her though she did follow his movements when he stalked around her. After the first three shoves she managed to dodge or swipe his hand away, then after that she stumbled only twice, managing to keep up pace with him until he started using his werewolf speed. 

“Okay,” she sighed heavily and settled into a stance, captivating them all with her pure ozone that leaked from her. “Deuce, try again.” to his credit he did without hesitation. Where she once fumbled she was now sure in her movements, where she was choppy she was now graceful, and the pace with which she moved had increased until both their limbs were nothing but blurs. “I’m fucking NEO!” she shouted in glee after the session, cackling madly with Erica at her side, questioning just how the fuck she had done that. 

Peter, however, was trying to remember how Deucalion had pronounced her name, tried to form it without being too obvious. He would never admit, even under the threat of torture, that he was jealous that Deucalion knew what her real name was and, from the way they were talking in another language that sounded harsh and beautiful, could also speak whatever language it was she was fluent in. 

“It’s Polish,” Deucalion answered his unasked question when Erica and Vernon left with Stiles hours later. Peter tried not to seem too interested when he looked at Deucalion but felt his eyebrow twitching when the man was wiping his hands on a rag, grinning slightly every time he glanced at Peter as if he were amused. “Her name and the language.” he wondered how he knew but refused to ask it, he didn’t want him to think that Peter owed him for answering simple questions. If he elected to talk without being asked anything then that was his business, Peter was just enjoying his confusing day. “We looked into the human who taught a sireless Beta how to control himself, though we thought she was a Druid at first.” with a shrug Deucalion tossed the rag on his shoulder and crossed his arms over his chest. “You can imagine our surprise and suspicion when we found she wasn’t a Druid and was purely human.”

Purely human? Yes, that’s what he had thought at first too.

“Then she trespasses onto our territory, charms Ennis, and takes our hostages before they can even be utilized.” yes, he had been shocked all to hell and back when she showed up at the old Hale House with two twitchy Betas and a ghost. The ghost being his niece whom he thought was dead, another one who had been abandoned like he had. She had recently gone back to South America - Beacon Hills was ‘too cold’ for her - but she and Peter kept in touch through Skype and phone calls. 

“Erica says you stopped Kali from torturing them,” to his credit the Alpha sighed heavily and sank into the pillar of the porch. “Why?”

“Because Derek was supposed to kill them, if they perished before they got the chance then that was one less beta who’s abilities he could absorb.” He was honest, at least, so points for him. “Now… now I think it would’ve been a great loss to involve her any more than she had been.” it most definitely would have been, Stiles had the severity of loyalty that made her put her own life in front of those she cared for. 

Peter didn’t expect him to be one of those people, especially since he could fucking heal. 

“You stupid, idiot girl!” he panicked and clutched her tighter to his chest while Chris drove them to the hospital. “What gave you the right!? I can heal but you can’t you -” her pinched expression turned wry, even though the pain he was trying to drain from her but couldn’t because the little tart was somehow stopping him from doing it. “Let me take your pain!” 

“You’re-” she groaned and shut her eyes tight, “So dramatic, it’s just a - just a bullet.” Just a bullet, yeah for him maybe! It had been intended for his heart but she had fucking jumped right in front of it and took it instead. He would kill her, he would save her first and then kill her and then bring her back just to kill her again for causing this pain in his chest. He hadn’t even wanted her fucking pack bond and now he could feel the pain she was denying him from taking through it and he couldn’t- “Peter, breathe.” and with her calm placations he raged. Her, who was currently bleeding profusely into Chris’s back seat, was going to tell him to calm down when she could be dying!? 

“Fuck you.” he snapped, then - “Let me take your pain damn you!” her brows furrowed even deeper at that, as if she didn’t know why he couldn’t. 

“I’m not - not stopping you from doing it.” and it was hard to tell if she were lying or telling the truth because her hummingbird heartbeat was fucking normal and that did absolutely nothing for his control. “An-anyway, hunting season, I just, rounded a mend when - someone took a shot.” she grimaced and sank into Peter’s hold. “Didn’t - didn’t-”

“My daughter and Isaac stuck around to try and find the Hunter while Peter and I rushed you to the hospital.” Chris finished when she started coughing, jaw tight every time he looked at her through the rearview mirror. “We were tracking the deer when we came around the cliff face overlooking the city when the shot rang out.” she sagged completely against him and nodded briefly, eyelids lowering slowly as the exhaustion set in. “The hunter used a 30.06 and that’s a common hunting rifle caliber. It’ll all be plausible.” Chris was impressed with her ability to come up with an alibi even through her pain, that didn’t mean he was calm. He didn’t have a werewolf’s sensory amplification but he could smell her blood as if it were covering him. The normally fair-skinned girl was now sickly pale with sweat making her hair stick to her forehead and her eyes - which were regularly black - now looked sunken. 

“Peter, don’, don’ wolf out, kay?” she breathed, “‘m fine. ‘n don’ wolf out ‘n Scott, either. Chris, don’ le’ em.” she cleared her throat and hissed when Peter jumped out of the car the moment Chris pulled it up in front of the Emergency entrance. “Hi, ‘lissa!” she chirped when several nurses motioned for Peter to put her on a gurney, beaming even though her eyelids were drooping shut again. “Fancy meet’n you here.” 

“I just thought I'd stop by.” Melissa offered through the tears that had started to shed at the sight of Stiles covered in blood. Chris was rushing in the exact moment they wheeled her away, leaving two panicking adults while another nurse tried to get answers from them. He took over easily enough, especially when Peter completely froze at the sight of her blood on his hands. Chris could only assume what was going through his head - he was certain that it had to do something with the darkest part of his memories -  and didn’t want to push him too far less he snap and wolf out. 

It was strangely easy to get Peter to one of the showers in an empty room they’d been led to so that he could wash his arms and hands. Nothing could be done for the shirt, but then again Peter would still be able to smell her blood. Erica and Vernon came later, breathing hard and immediately gravitating near Peter. Jeorek came minutes later and was immediately dragged away by Melissa and a doctor. 

Peter was furious, he was sad, he was enraged and he was so fucking confused. He couldn’t take her pain but she wasn’t stopping him from doing it. She had taken a bullet meant for him and he was covered in her fucking life blood and he didn’t like it. She had placated him even though she were in pain and he didn’t fucking know what all of this meant. 

He knew his bond that he had with her hurt, that it was aching and dulling the longer time went on - he wasn’t sure if that was because she was dying or because she was sedated, he hoped beyond hope that it was the latter. If it was the former he- well, he wasn’t sure what he would do, or how he would react. He knew, faintly, that his thoughts were calm and hectic, that he had underlying thought processes ranging from several ‘what ifs’ to dozens of ‘but this could happen’, none of it really went focused on for more than a second overtop the large, terrifying thought, of ‘She could die.’

She could die. 

She could die.

She was probably dying.

She was - and it was because of him - maybe not directly but indirectly. She, she forced the bond on him without asking! He had asked her if she wanted the bite and now she was taking him down with her and-

“Peter,” he curled his hands into fists and dug them into his abdomen, not wanting to look at them any longer, not when he could still smell the blood that had once coated them. “She’s going to be okay,” he looked up them, glaring at Chris and his calm freaking demeanor that had him wanting to rip his fucking throat out. “The bullet nicked an artery but she’s okay.” 

“It wouldn’t have nicked an artery if she hadn’t jumped in front of me.” he growled, fists pressing tighter into his abdomen so he wouldn’t run them through his hair or into someone elses throat. 

“You’re pack, of course she was going to jump in front of you.” Erica growled, pacing in front of Vernon - who was standing by the wall with his arms crossed across his chest. 

“I never asked to be pack!” 

“You never told her no!” Erica snarled at him, flashing her eyes and challenging him in a way that had his ass slamming right back into his seat before he could flash even a hint of fang. “She claimed you as pack over and over and you ever once told her no!” Peter rose with the calm fury he’d perfected all his life, truly on the edge now that this Beta, this beautifully protective and ignorant beta had tried to challenge him. HIM. 

“I don’t want to be part of her pack.” he didn’t, he really fucking didn’t, not when she could get hurt and die at any fucking point, Spark or no. She could heal, she’d heal faster than a regular human, but she couldn't heal a bullet to the heart or head or throat. She was human and he couldn’t deal - he wouldn’t be able to take it if she died. Not when it made him feel every single one of his pack bonds burning all over again as his family died. As they suffered. 

“Then tell her.” Jeorek challenged, arms crossed tightly to prevent himself from reaching for his gun to shoot the bastard that would dare leave his daughter now. “You don’t want to be a part of her pack then you tell that to her face and break that bond instead of letting it be drawn out.” how dare them, how dare all of them do this to him, try to keep him in a place he didn’t want to be! 

He had stormed out with full intent to come back and tell her that he didn’t want to be a part of her pack. 

He never did. Never went back or went to visit her despite every nerve in his body and every urge of his wolf telling him he needed to go see her, to make sure she was okay, to confirm that she was healing. Instead, he focused on researching what he could about the hunters that would dare hunt in Argent territory and avoiding the general populous. 

Mieczyslawa, of course, had to take that plan and just fucking wreck it. 

“You are the most idiotic mother fucker this side of Beacon hills.” Stiles Stilinski groused, standing in his doorway, looking as emotionally wrecked as she was physically. Damn him he couldn’t actually look at the brace on her arm that kept it slung against her chest. He couldn’t look at the bandages and wound dressing that peaked out from beneath her loose top. “You want to be emotionally stunted for the rest of your life? Fine. You tell me right now you want out of the pack and I’ll leave you alone, forever.” 

“Just like that?” he snarked, claws coming out to impale the wall of his door, not that she could see it anyway. “After dragging me to pack meets for months and dragging me into your little group of misfits you’ll let me go, just like that?”

“Yes.” damn him he loved that she could tell the truth and lie all with a single word. He loved and hated that her eyes were like gold, burnt and broken but so defiant that it made him hate her all the more. “I won’t force you to be somewhere you don’t want to be, but only if you really don’t want to be there. I’m not going to take half-assed excuses or reasons, Peter. You’re a grown-ass man, if you give me some bullshit excuse then I’m going to tell you to fuck off until you give me a better one.” who the hell did she think she was. He didn’t need to give her a reason or an excuse. If he said he didn’t want to be in her fucking pack then that was all he had to say!

“I don’t,” he growled out, knuckle deep in his drywall. “Want to be,” cinnamon began melting with brown sugar, gold eyes turning to a dark russet brown in her acceptance and grief. “In your pack.” he expected her to fight, was ready for it, but that cinnamon and brown sugar turned too sweet, too rich for him to take too many deep breaths. She stared at him for a moment, then two until he was finally ready to snap at her. 

“Fine.” his heart dropped to his stomach when she turned around and marched away, quickened steps doing nothing to take away her scent from his doorway. He hadn’t been able to bask in her scent for a week, hadn’t been able to see her or appreciate the small things about her habits that actually made him yearn for her. Now, with her scent so potent in his doorway, he found he wanted to just stand there, breathe her in even though it was physically painful to do so. Cinnamon and brown sugar, the too-sweet warmth that made his throat close up and his eyes burn. The scent that had built and built until it was overpowering her natural scent and leaving him with it saturating the area of his apartment. 

The smell of her heartbreak. 

He didn’t run after her despite every molecule in his body telling him to - if he were being honest it was because his body and wolf were telling him to go after her that he fought it so hard. He got three noise complaints that night and, by the morning, had a new living room table ordered to be shipped to him. 

He thought she’d message him at least once within the next week. 

She didn’t. 

He didn’t hear anything until he dragged his ass with the conviction that he didn’t care, he was just trying to figure out what his Nephew and true Alpha McCall were planning, to the pack meeting. 

There was no pack meeting, only Derek and - surprisingly enough - Cora were chilling out in Derek’s loft. They seemed just as surprised to see him as he was to see them. Then, then there was anger. Anger from Cora. 

“Now you show up.” she stalked towards him with a fury that was both impressive and confusing. Why it was directed at him he had no idea. “After a whole month, Uncle Peter, you are just now showing up?!” and then she was punching him right in his solar plexus, catching him off guard with how fast she went from confrontational to physical. 

“Cora, he doesn’t know.” Derek groused, sighing heavily over the dozens of open books laid out on his table. “Stiles isn’t in Beacon Hills.” that, that had taken his breath away far quicker than Cora’s punch had. She wasn’t in beacon hills? Why the fuck wasn’t she in Beacon hills? Where was her father, what was being done, why wasn’t he - why couldn’t he -

Well, he wouldn’t really have to be informed if they weren’t pack, would he? He wouldn’t have been able to feel if she were near, not with the aching chasm that was once the bond between the two of them. Still, he had pack bonds with Erica and Vernon and nothing felt off, they knew where he lived and he hadn’t been told by them that Stiles was gone. He hadn’t seen anything in the news about missing persons and there was no way in hell that Scott wouldn’t be currently lording this over him if something had happened to her. Not when all his theories about Peter being the biggest asshole since fisting became a thing were proven true. 

“Where is she?” he didn’t care, he didn’t care he didn’t care. 

“France.” Cora bit out, “Chris, Allison, Erica, Vernon, and Isaac all went. You would’ve been with her, would’ve known, if you hadn’t screwed up somehow!” the rest was far too many expletives about his character, personality, and his lack of dedication to things he was attracted to in Portuguese for him to give much thought to. 

“Deucalion went too, Peter.” that stung even though it shouldn’t have. He had told her he didn’t want to be a part of her pack, hadn’t visited her while she was in the hospital, hadn’t reached out to her first. Even so, even despite all that, Deucalion had gone and Peter hadn’t, not even to make sure she was safe, not to look over the betas who had become pack to him without even having meant for them to. 

“When are they due back?” Cora shut her brother up with a glare when he went to answer Peter. 

“Why don’t you ask her yourself, Uncle Peter? Or are you scared?” the growl he centered on her was worthy of Alpha status. Peter, of course, did not do that. Not until it was nearing the two-month mark and the silence of his apartment was overwhelming. No amount of nights out could fill the silence, running never exhausted him as much as he needed so he could just pass out when he went home. Home that was now empty, home that was no longer home. Home with jackets that weren’t his and a cover that no longer smelled like Stiles, a place that no longer had traces of her or pack, a place that suddenly seemed much too big and much too quiet. 

‘You’ve reached the voicemail of ‘Name here’-” he hated that her voice alone made his every limb settle, hated that it filled the ache that had been in his chest. Especially when she was snickering and giggling while trying to remain serious, he could practically see her in front of him making faces while recording the damn voicemail. “If you’ve important business, leave a message, if it’s important call again, hang up, and call again.” so, of course, he did just that, only it wasn’t Stiles that answered. 

“I am unsure who this is, as you’re listed as ‘Big Bad’,” Deucalion rumbled, sounding as if he had just been woken up. “What is it?” Peter hung up. 

Deucalion had answered Stiles’s phone, Deucalion who sounded as if he had been asleep had answered Stiles’s phone. Deucalion who had to be around Stiles for him to be near her phone, asleep, in Paris, together. 

His cell phone vibrated in his hand, he actually hesitated to answer it when ‘Little Spark’ flashed across the screen. “Is everything okay in Beacon Hills?” a very groggy Stiles urged, causing his stomach to hollow immediately. She had been around Deucalion, they had to be in the same room, and they were most definitely sleeping together. But were they sleeping together, or sleeping together? Why did his wolf lament and his heart ache at the possibility?

“Why are you in France?” he countered, refusing to play to her tune and instead demanding she play to his. He heard the shuffling of covers and the creak of a mattress that was obviously of poor quality, and then her heavy sigh that had his anger rising. 

“Why do you care?” she sounded so tired and defeated that he almost asked if she were okay. Damn the habits he had developed when she had been present in his life, like a leech or a tumor. 

“The Pack meant to be protecting Beacon hills just ups and vanishes without finding suitable replacements? Fairly certain I should be aware of that much, at least.” not the wisest thing to say, considering the fact that she was frustrated with him. 

“We have suitable replacements. Derek, Cora, Scott, my Dad, and the Police are all protecting Beacon hills.” He really should just leave it at that, lest she think he cares more than he actually did. Or showed that he cared as much as he did? He clearly cared for her, even if he didn’t actually want to. “I’m not - is there anything else?” didn’t have any time for him, did she? Not when she was busy with Deucalion and her pack in France. 

“When are you coming back?” it was snapped and curt and definitely dangerous in ways that let on more than he had been comfortable with. 

“I don’t know.” she sighed again, “Hopefully before school starts again.” he heard her heartbeat clearer and a muffled ‘Yeah, yeah I know, we’ll be fine. We’ve got time.’ and then another person joined her on the bed, or rejoined her. “Peter, was there something else?” she was dismissing him? As if he didn’t matter?

“Of course,” he purred, “wouldn’t want to interrupt your time with Deucalion.” he heard her intake of breath and felt minute satisfaction with the fact that she seemed so affected by his barb. Then he felt guilt, and not because he was wrong or because he had so obviously hurt Stiles, but because he could feel the protective anger through the bonds he had with Erica and Vernon. 

“Too late,” calm, calculated, and with the force of a fucking freight train. “Goodbye, Peter.” 

He crushed his phone when he heard the dial tone.

He contemplated flying to France just so he could throttle her and promptly decided against it incase she saw it as him going out of some kind of affection for her. Still, staying in Beacon Hills was out of the question. He needed to go somewhere, needed to get away from every memory that haunted him and the ghost-like laughter that tickled the back of his head. He had a plane ticket to Ohio booked and his bags all packed and ready in under eight hours with only one stop in mind. He just wasn’t expecting Derek and Cora to be skyping Stiles in their dining area. 

“-ay, that’s what the Druid’s here are saying. They’re going to give me a sapling from their Nemeton to take to ours, it should purify whatever dark energies are polluting it and give it enough power to start being able to draw on the currents once again.” she sighed and ran a hand over her face, the black sling contrasting ominously against her skin and tank top she wore. “There’s also another Spark here, they’re apparently common, but not whatever I am. If we find out whatever it is that I am I’ll end up coming back once school is over and spend a couple months learning how to do… whatever it is that I do?”

“Stiles,” Derek began, concern clear in his tone and on his features. “You look like shit. Are you sleeping any?” 

“Uh, I think we all got like four hours last night?” Erica pushed her way into the screen, glaring darkly at the side of Stiles’s face for even trying to lie. 

“Stiles slept an hour and has been taking her Adderall left and right like they’re fucking hard candy.” Peter stepped further into the Loft without much thinking about it, his pesky wolf clearly wanted to see Stiles. “Hello asshole.” Erica greeted with a sniff then, with a level of sass Lydia would approve of, flicked her hair over her shoulder and stalked out of the screen’s frame. 

“Yes, well, my shit sleeping habits aside.” Stiles groused, frowning angrily at her arm as she readjusted her sling. “That’s everything that’s happened so far. We’ve got another week or so and then we should be on our way back. I’ll have to plant the new sprout into the current Nemeton and purge whatever is blocking the energy flow before school starts,” she fidgeted a bit with her sling, then glared once Deucalion snapped at her to stop messing with it. In Polish. 

Peter did not learn Polish for Stiles, he had learned it so he would know if they were talking about him to his face. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he could now perfectly pronounce her name. Hearing the two of them bicker at one another in Polish had him wanting to put his two cents in just so he could see her reaction.

“Stiles, find you a Euro boyfriend and get fucked.” Derek and Stiles, simultaneously, inhaled their drinks and fucking spat them everywhere. 

“Cora!” they spluttered inbetween hacks, glancing at her in abject horror while Erica cackled like a witch in the background. “Not only is that a fucking awful idea, but I actually have to stay a virgin for the ritual I’ve got to do for the Nemeton Sapling.” not sleeping with Deucalion then, interesting - not that he cared either way. “And I’m not going to end up getting anyone in Beacon Hills after either. People aren’t interested in me.” she shuffled a bit in her seat, “None that I’m interested in, anyway.” He almost whined at how sad she sounded and caught himself from correcting her that plenty of people found her attractive. Every time he, Erica, Vernon, and Stiles went out she’d get multiple stares of lust from multiple men. 

“Okay, what about Derek?” 

“I don’t see him like that and he definitely doesn’t see me like that, even if my age wasn’t a factor in his decision making.” yes, she and Derek had come to a mutual fondness for one another after she rescued his Betas and, as such, were at a mutual understanding of the other. Cora huffed and crossed her arms. 

“Well, then I’ll find someone from South America. You should date someone, Stiles, get you someone to temper you out or urge you on. You’re fucking amazing.” Peter wondered briefly if Mieczyslawa Stilinski was like a drug to Hale’s. Derek hadn’t liked her at first and neither had Cora, now both were friends and advocates for her. He loved it and hated it, they were his family and yet they were friendly with the one who had manipulated him into being in a packbond with her when he was fine with his solidarity. 

“Am I not an option?” Peter drawled as he rose from his train of thought, having meant it as a teasing remark that came out much too curious for his liking. That had Derek and Cora both turning to look at him despite his attention resting solely in Stiles’s dulled iris’s. 

“You’ve already made your choice clear and I’d rather not hear it again.” his choice? About her? Was he missing something? “Der, Cora, I’m heading off. Take care of one another and please watch out for my dad.” she hedged a moment before murmuring a quick goodbye and ended the call, leaving his niece and nephew to stare at him with a level of interest that had him defensive. 

“Do you want to be an option for Stiles?” Cora, damn her, inquired with a gleam in her eyes that reminded him far too much of Stiles when she was teasing him. Of course he wanted to be an option, he always wanted to be an option when it counted for things that would give him a leg up in situations. Stiles, however, was like a laser straight through the fog of his bullshit that could cut straight to the heart of things with him. He hated that she had that effect over him, as well as the fact that she seemed to never react the way he wanted her to when he was messing with her. 

Still, did he want to be a genuine option for Stiles? His life was empty without her, his chest always felt hollow without her. She enraged him like no other and made him feel so fucking vulnerable that he worried she was his weakness. In the same breath when she smiled at him so genuinely it made him feel like he could rock the fucking world. When she had been hurt, however, it made him feel like he was lost at sea in the middle of a typhoon or hurricane. And when he had been too lost in his thoughts it was her gentle calling of ‘Big bad?’ or ‘hey assface!’ that had him returning.

Oh. Fuck. 

She anchored him, she anchored him and took the foundation of everything he knew and just wrecked it because she was his anchor. 

“Uncle Peter?” She had become his anchor, she had somehow wormed her way into a bond with him and taken his interest in her motives to make him complacent with her plans! The devious little minx! She was his anchor, how the fuck - why was she his anchor? She was like a fucking hurricane, hardly anything about her was stable like an anchor should be! Why - what- “Uncle Peter!” he snapped his jaw and growled, brought back to reality by Cora standing right in front of him. At some point he had dropped his bags and was now breathing hard, heartbeat thundered through his ears and raising his rage. 

“I’m leaving!” he snarled, grabbed his bags, and fucking ran. She was his anchor, Mieczyslawa Stilinski was his anchor and he - 

Loved it. Hated it. Did she know? Had she intentionally -?! 

It had taken him five minutes to get his temper in check and not put his claws through his steering wheel. No, he couldn’t deal with this, he couldn’t - he needed to get away. Time away would help, it’d give him the chance to put his thoughts in order. He needed time away from everything that reminded him of Stiles, he needed time away to try and get her out of his head and to get the festering wound that replaced where her bond once had been healed. Yeah, yeah, he would go to Ohio, he’d take that flight, now he just needed to get there. 

He spent all of a month in Ohio before he could no longer take it. Every brunette he saw made him think it was Stiles, every time he heard the audio of any Marvel movies he immediately expected to hear ten facts about the movie from Stiles. Whenever he heard tinkering laughter, or smelled vanilla, he immediately thought of her and he couldn’t take it. His month away forgetting her had been spent in agony remembering every little detail about her. No one had her skin tone, no one looked as good with moles and freckles like she did, no one smelled as honest and sincere as she did. 

No one reminded him completely of Stiles but everyone reminded him of the little things about her. He hated it, he saw her in everyone, almost like a ghost he couldn’t escape. It was why he was surprised all to hell that she greeted him at the airport, pale and with blackened eyes but sporting a smile that was absolutely mischievous. He should’ve been angry at seeing her waiting for him or even joy, anything but the sinking feeling that something was wrong, that this wasn’t Stiles. Not his Stiles. 

“Peter,” she purred, eyeing him with a hunger that was not what he was used to associating with Stiles. “welcome back home.” he approached her slowly, suspiciously, and then out of a need to control the situation when her sandalwood and vanilla smelled burnt. “I missed you.” that sounded wrong, almost like whatever was in front of her was twisting her around in an attempt to twist him. 

“Missed you too.” he drawled, willing to play the game so he could try and catch whatever this was off guard. “When did you get back?” 

“Week and a half ago,” her pout was adorably wrong, whatever this thing is was trying too hard to be her. “I missed you.” she went to hug him when her whole body froze, fury and abject horror clashing like tidal waves. “Not him,” she growled, clearer now than earlier, “Not him you fucking -”

“Stiles?” her eyes shot up to look at him, one black and broken while the other was her champagne gold. It was like she was frozen in that moment, half her features contorted in fury while the others were contorted in pain and sorrow. Something was possessing her, clearly, and she was fighting it so valiantly but -

“Yes,” she drawled, black flashing to bleach white as a single tear fell from her eyes, “but none of my loved ones.” his phone rang the same moment the lights to the entire airport shut off, encasing Stiles and the way black bled into her gold as the last image of her he’d see for a while. 

“What the hell,” Peter ground out as he answered his phone, lights back on and Stiles nowhere to be seen. “Is going on?”

“I assume you’ve met the Nogitsune, then.” Chris sighed through the phone, “Are you injured?”

“No,” what an insulting thought, “but I do believe that she agreed to a full possession just now.” a very sharp, angry ‘What?’ came from the backseat of whatever vehicle Chris was currently driving. “Nogitsune, then we’ll just need darling Alpha Scott McCall to bite her so we can recapture the Fox.” if only it had been that easy. Stiles, possessed or no, was still Stiles in that she took everything they knew and just flipped it right side down. 

“Oh,” the Void Stiles cooed, eyeing Peter with hunger and distaste. “You’re so lucky, little wolf, you have so much anguish and pain that I’d grow fat if I fed off of you.” she sighed, wicked gleam in her eyes glittering roughly against the low light in Derek’s loft. “Not my loved ones,” she mocked, irritation mixing like ash with her scent.

“Which is why you were able to break Noshiko’s tails, but now why you can’t hurt me, Jackson, or the twins.” gold eyes flicked to him at that, surveying his features for some hint of a lie before she broke out in a wide, malicious smile. 

“You don’t know. You didn’t leave the pack and Beacon Hills and her, because you didn’t know!” he hated that whatever he had said was the wrong thing, hated that it brought it such glee. “She was so sure! Beautiful, turgid little pieces to my game. Erica, tell him, tell him what little Stiles told you.” it was cooed in a faux sexy sneer with hands that were not supposed to be grabbing at her hips the way they were. 

“Stiles doesn’t love with just a little of her heart, she loves with everything she is. When she heard the story of how the twins were abused it reminded her too much of when her mother got sick and she vowed to give them a better chance at life, to show them kindness.” Erica began immediately, smile like poison when Void Stiles seemed to deflate with how easy she began spilling the secret. “She sees what she could’ve ended up as in Jackson, alone and trying hard to be noticed, to do everything perfectly. She hates that she sees that in him and hates that he hates her, but she still wants to show him that he’s enough.” Void actually looked a little angry at how easily these dark secrets were being exposed, even if the reactions of those around them would have normally satisfied it. “You, she would’ve helped you originally with your plan, Peter. She’s said so multiple times to anyone whose cared to listen to her. Then she fell in love with you, and you told her to fuck off.”

Void seemed energized at his reaction to that particular bit of information. When had she told him of her feelings? When had he told her to fuck off with said feelings? Why did his chest feel like it had dropped into his gut and his heart had stopped dead?

“She chose you.” Void cheesed, “She chose you but you didn’t choose her! Oh! She would’ve went insane before I’d even gotten a hold of her if she didn’t have her pack.” disgust was in its tone even as its eyes slipped to the doorway and it began grinning awfully when Noshiko and her daughter appeared. “Now it’s a party! Tell them, Noshiko, how you summoned me and then betrayed me, tell them how this was the necessary outcome!” it threw her arms wide in indication of the scene, it was then that Derek and Scott struck, resulting in Derek being thrown into a pillar and Scott latching onto his friends arm with his teeth. 

The oni appeared the moment Stiles’s skin dried up and cracked, advancing immediately on the downed girl before the Nogitsune could leave her. 

“No!” Peter roared, launching himself at one of them to buy her time. He didn’t think to do so he just naturally threw himself in front of her, threw himself at the danger so he could give her time. He couldn’t think about her confession, nor his denial of it, nor why he felt so fucking hollow. Chris and Deucalion immediately took up arms to assist while the twins - startled as they were - tried to launch themselves into the foray, slivers of pack bonds shimmering in their chests that felt so sweet they ached. 

Try as they might two Oni broke through just in time to place its hand into a fist by her face, catching the escaping Nogitsune Firefly. One Oni stayed behind as the rest converged into one to check Stiles, even as her skin began falling away like a clay outer layer to show a pink-skinned Stiles with frazzled hair and wide, tired gold eyes. 

Unlike the rest, however, it drew its knife down the length of Stiles’s bitten arm and promptly disappeared, leaving Stiles to fall to the ground and break the rest of the clay that had been around her body - including the mark that used to be on her arm. Scott’s bite, too, was gone, with no blood as evidence that it had ever been there in the first place. 

“Stiles!” Jeorek cried, clutching his daughter to his lap so he could search for a pulse and relaxing only when he found one. “C’mon baby girl, wake up.” he pleaded, tapping his fingers against her cheek a few times to bring the light back to her wide-open eyes. It didn’t sit right with Peter, seeing her looking up with dead eyes as if was a foreshadow into her future. He didn’t care that he was projecting his turbulent feelings to those around him, didn’t care that he knew this feeling as the panic and desperation he felt when his family had burned, knowing he felt no familial ties to the spark. 

“H-hey pop,” she greeted, voice raw and barely above a whisper.

#Steter monthly prompts #September 2019 #September 2019 prompt #steter #female stiles #always a female stiles #Stiles Stilinski #Peter Hale #Angst #lotta angst #Prompt was angst and couldn't refuse #meheh #unresolved feelings #courtship fail? #full hale pack

[joaquinbumblebee24]

Onslaught 3/11

A week and a half later, June 23, House packed his bag with Wilson’s help. They had been packing all day yesterday; their backpacks were brought to the brim.  Wilson overpacked; he wanted to make House comfortable. He and House had wanted to treat this trip as a vacation. While away for five weeks in the Philippines,  one week they would spend in the city of Clark in the province of Pampanga, two hours drive from the capital Manila. Then after the conference, the plan was to go backpacking across Luzon, one of the three main islands of the country.  

After the incident with his birthday House told Cameron that he was on the spectrum. The woman was on a hissy, half pitying and half freak out. She had almost blurted to a patient's father that Dr. House was autistic. Chase just removed her from the potential disaster on time.  

House was furious, and stress out. He finagled a five-week vacation from Cuddy. He told her about an offer for a research position at UCLA, and he was ready to take it. Wilson was willing to go with him. Cuddy was taken aback; she gave in without any fuss.

They took an Uber to the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. As soon as they were there, House’s nerves were shot to hell. He had taken his Luvox, which he only takes when extremely anxious.

“Greg, You okay?” Wilson asked while they walked to their gate. House put a hand on his ears, even though he has his noise-canceling headphones on. The airport was busy;  people were rubbing against him. House was on the brink of a meltdown. “Okay, Greg,” Wilson said dragging him to go to a bathroom.

As soon as the bathroom open House went inside a cubicle. Wilson followed him in; his partner was rocking back and forth. The oncologist slid down next to House and hugged him. The noise overwhelmed him, and too many people. Wilson knew this; He just stayed in the bathroom for thirty minutes. Luckily for them, they were an hour early.

After the meltdown ended, House felt humiliated. Wilson sensed this. “Hey?” Wilson said. “You don’t need to feel embarrassed, Greg. I love you.”

House huffed; he lost his words. As a child, whenever he had a meltdown, his Oma would know how to coax him, hugging him tightly.  “Jimmy, I’m fine,” House said, regaining his barrings.

Wilson blinked and handed House the cane.  He used a cane whenever they would walk far. His legs were easily fatigued due to hypotonia, which was related to the  Autism. They walked hand and hand; Wilson kept House’s guitar bag, it was the Martin LX1.

The next hurdle of this trip was the pat-down search. House past thru a metal detector fine; an agent stopped him. “Mister, where do you think you’re going?” The TSA agent asked.

House; oblivious to the sarcasm said. “To a medical conference in the Philippines, I’m a doctor.”

Wilson frowned. “Sir, please forgive him, he has Autism,” He said. The glare from House didn’t stop him. “He doesn’t understand sarcasm.” The statement was half correct. House could understand sarcasm when he knew the person speaking.

The TSA agent, a man asked. Are you his brother?”

Wilson glowered at him. “He's my husband.”

The TSA agent looked at House with disgust. Wilson sighed. “Where the hell is your supervisor? Because I won’t let you harass us for being gay. Being gay is not a crime.  I don’t know what you saw on him, but you are looking at the wrong person here. As he said, he is a doctor, not a terrorist. “ The agent looked humiliated.  

Wilson led House out to their gates. They sat at a frequent flyer lounge, Wilson and House were both frequent flyers. They flew at least once a month to go visit House’s 86-year-old Oma in Portland. While his parents settled in Eugine.

“Greg? You doing okay?” Wilson asked while they drink coffee.

House looked at him. "What do you think? You called me autistic in front of a bear;  I have no choice but to give a speech." He said, and his voice was bitter.

Wilson knew House. His spouse didn’t like it when people questioned their relationship, saying that because he had autism he didn’t know how to Love, romantically. “I’m sorry, I just need to get him off your back.”

House sighed. “I don’t want you to tell people I’m on the spectrum, James. It’s my business. “ He knew that House was upset when he uses his first name, not his nickname, ninety-nine percent of the time he was Jimmy to House or (Wilson at work.)

He knew not to argue with him; he was right. “Okay, I am sorry again.”

The overhead speakers announced their flight. They both got their backpacks, Wilson took the guitar, while House took his cane. They boarded the flight without any difficulties.

As they sat at first-class, House opened his laptop sleeve and got his MacBook Pro;  and began editing the speech, that Wilson wrote. While Wilson got to sleep.

The fifteen-hour flight was a success.

During the flight,  House played on his phone and iPad. While awake, Wilson researched  LGBT issues in the Philippines. Although there are no laws on the criminalization of homosexuality;  the country has no protection for being a gay man. According to his source, a nurse back in Princeton; "The Philippines is like the US in the ’90s. People in the country were more tolerant and accepting, though."

The plane touched down at Clark-Diosdado Macapagal International Airport. This was Wilson’s first time here in Asia; He and House had vacationed in Europe a bit.  They had avoided Asia and Africa for safety reasons.

“Jimmy, welcome to my home for five years.” Said House as he ordered a (Grab car) an Uber-like service in the country.

The Grab CAr arrived. As soon as they were in the got inside the car, House slumped in a seat. “Mabuhay, Welcome to the Philippines, My name is Carlos.”

Wilson looked at his partner for cultural guidance. “People in the country understands English pretty well, they had been learning it for years since Pre-School,” House told Wilson while slumping next to him in exhaustion.

“Okay, Carlos,” Wilson said. “What are the best places for food?”

The driver smiled. “There is the mall;  you can eat at some of our restaurants. First timer?”

Wilson smiled despite his exhaustion. “Yes, but my partner lived here when he was a teenager.”  

The driver’s smile was never faltered. “Where are you from?”

“We are from New Jersey.”

They arrived at their hotel. “If you want a ride, call me,” Carlos told Wilson in parting, giving him his personal number.  

Wilson booked a suite; at the Clark Marriott hotel. As soon as House saw their bed, he removed his blue Hershel & Co backpack and slumped to sleep. Wilson followed after a quick shower.

GH/JW

Hours later, It was ten in the morning they had arrived at 4AM. House woke up.  They needed to buy OTC medications.  They didn’t usually bring so many things, because he and that conveyor belt don’t mix. “Jimmy? You awake?” House asked, shaking Wilson. “Am hungry.”

Wilson  mumbled, “Greg, what time is it?”

House looked at the alarm clock. “ten-thirty. I‘m hungry.”

Wilson stood up and got his jeans from underneath the bed.

“Can we call for room service instead of going outside?” House asked,  getting his laptop from his bag.

Wilson most defiantly wanted to say no; Let's go outside and mingle in with the locals at the mall, but no, House needed to rest, for lunch, he would urge. “Okay." Wilson got the hotel phone. Then he asked as though forgotten. “What kinds of Filipino food do you eat when you were younger?”

House remembered the taste of one of the handfuls of mushy food he would eat, Kaldereta. Kaldereta was made of goat or sometimes beef with liver paste and tomato sauce. He’d love the beef version. “Kal- De- Re- Ta. Kaldereta.” When Wilson gave him a questioning look. “or Adobo.” He said the words with the correct accent.

“You call them yourself,” Wilson suggested. House looked at Wilson as if Wilson killed his puppy. Right, social anxiety, he thought. House swallowed nervously. “I won’t let you call them, okay?” Wilson was reminded; how House was in many ways a kid.

He dialed the number, “Do you have, Kaldereta or Adobo?” The staff on the other line answered an affirmative, “An order of adobo and kaldereta, please,  Rice?" House gave a big nod, he ordered rice too. “So what are we going to do today?” Wilson asked; when the phone call ended.

“Do some touristy things with you?” House said, peering from playing on his iPad.

They have watched CNN Philippines on the hotel’s flat-screen TV. It was an English channel but was geared towards Filipinos and what was happening in the country. “There is a freaking Typhoon,” House commented as he saw what was on the TV screen.

“Where is it headed?” Wilson asked.

“We don’t know yet,” House said, as he peered towards a half-opened window. Meteorology had been one of his obsessions growing up.

Their food arrived fifteen minutes later. House looked at his food, and the Kaldereta looked and smelled lovely. House tasted it; as soon as he tasted his food. He was brought back almost 30 years ago; in the same town, that was previously a military base.

Wilson was delighted to see him eat; House regularly didn’t eat, he didn’t like the texture, or the smell or its high caloric. His partner was closed to being too thin. “Greg, you really love it here?” He asked as he took a bit off his chicken adobo; it was really good.

House looked at everything, but not at Wilson. He is gearing up for a speech. “When I was eight, I was homeschooled because of autism. I was bullied. I was with Oma Abbigail in California, while mom joined father somewhere in South America. I didn’t come; it's too dangerous. When I got here, in Clark, knowing a few words of Tagalog.  I started in the third grade. They just put me on the fourth grade a month into it, After that school year I was entering the sixth grade.”

“Where I went to school was an international school, but 80 percent are Filipinos. Kids didn’t bully me, unlike that back in the states. They liked me, Here I was a Kano-puti or white American.” House said, touching the keyboard of his laptop repetitively.

Wilson didn’t know what to say. “I am sorry you went through that, babe.”

“Don’t be,” House said, making eye contact for the first time since the question started.

End of Chapter 3

#house md #house md fanfiction

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 1. Dreaming of the Coming Storm

Revy took a silent breath as she crept through the snow with her pack. Although she wasn't a Direnor by blood, she developed their sense of being a successful hunter and warrior through her mother. The wilds of Uskar were wide, but full of danger that could creep up at any moment. Food was always a gamble to acquire, but Revy held faith in her skills, her spirit, and the support of her pack.

"Watch closely," Borghild whispered to Revy as the pair watched Boof from the other side of the frozen meadow. Deer were grazing on some twigs off the trees. The Avalanchel hound was waiting for the signal from his human. As soon as it was given, he would chase one deer in her direction. This would give Revy the chance to strike their prey with her weapon. "Breathe steadily. Only when you're ready."

Revy blinked only once in anticipation. The air was chilling, but she was prepared. The deer were massive, but it lead to a unique problem to solve. Unless one was incredible lucky, arrows would have difficulty taking down her prey at the first strike. For Direnor's, one could transform into a mighty beast to wrestle their prey down, but for Revy, she only had to tools in her hands, and the body and mind to support herself. She readied her axe. The blade would be able to get off a deep and long cut if she could strike properly. Feeling the shift in the air, she felt it was time. Throwing her hand down, she gave the signal to her companion.

"GRRR BARK BARK BOOF WOOF WOOF!!!" Boof charged out of his hiding place and toward the deer. The dog was smart, and chose the biggest prey. The larger the prey, the more meat for his family. He nipped at the heels of the buck, and led it right to Revy.

Revy wanted to impress her mom. She wanted to do her friends and family and clan proud. Give her little brother a symbol to look up too. Praying for her energy to not fail, sparks flew around her axe as she jumped from her cover, and with a mighty swing, she sliced off one of the back legs off the deer.

As soon as Revy sliced off the leg, the buck went down into the snow. It struggled to get back up, but Boof took this as his opportunity. He chomped his large jaws around the deer's throat, and pulled, hard. With a crack, the buck's neck snapped and then he released the prey. Sniffing it to make sure the buck was dead, Boof then sat on his haunches, and wagged his tail, awaiting his praise.

Revy waited for the electric magic to stop sizzling around her axe. She only recently discovered her new talent, and it was still difficult to find an instant off switch on it. Sheathing her weapon, she ran up to Boof, kneeled down, and hugged him around his neck. "You were amazing boy! Great work! You can have the whole leg I cut clean off!"

The Gerudo woman had recently turned twenty. Her growth was fast through her teenage years, now just coming over Borghild in height. With a smile, she gave her mom a grin. "How'd we do?"

"Boof boof bork!" Boof licked Revy's cheek several times as he stood on his back legs, putting his fore paws on her shoulders. Even though the dog was older in age, he still could hunt with the best of them. Panting, the dog then resumed his original sitting position.

"I think you and Boof did perfectly," Borghild smiled at Revy's accomplishment. "However, I think you need to be really careful with the electricity, sweetie. You don't want to accidentally electrocute yourself or Boof now."

"I know. I just feel I need to practice it now. Last thing we need is to be in a real fight, and for it to not be completely under control."

Revy gave a small grunt as she heaved the deer over her shoulder. "How long do you think we can keep this deer going on for?"

"Between your father and Trygve, we'll be lucky if it lasts us a week and a half." Borghild laughed, knowing how much her men loved meat. "I'm beginning to believe your brother eats more than your father."

"Bork!"

"Excuse me, your father, your brother, and your dog."

"Well, they are just hungry boys at heart." Revy grinned down at her companion. "That includes you too boy~"

"Bork!"

"Next time, I think you and your brother will do just fine hunting together without my supervision." Borghild tromped back through the snow with Revy and Boof. "What do you think?"

"That better not happen soon. He's only seven mom. You know how long I had to wait. It was exhausting just waiting for the years to count down."

"Ha! I meant he observes, and you hunt." Borghild laughed. "He still turns into a grizzly when he gets too excited or scared."

"Well, we know the real reason why we have to wait till we're of age to come out here." Even now, Revy kept her eyes open for the slightest sign of the scourge of the undead to rise. She took her lessons and stories on Frost Ones deadly seriously. The Gerudo hoped that it would be a safe trip back to the wall.

"Hopefully the reign of the Frost King will soon be over," Borghild sighed as she kept her hand on her blade at all times. "We both know that the King and Queen have been working with the rulers of Hyrule for a solution. Though, nothing can be done unless we first find where his lair is."

"When that happens, I'll lead the packs to strike him down myself." Revy gave herself a proud bump on the chest. With the growth of age, her dream of being a hero never faded.

"When that happens, we'll formulate a plan before you go charging in." Borghild booped Revy on the nose. "You're too reckless like your father sometimes. Remember what I told you all these years. A female bear only charges when protecting her cubs or feeling threatened." Then she added. "Otherwise, thinks carefully before striking her prey."

Revy's mouth was a gap as she gave a pout. "I-I'm not reckless! I just give it my all sometimes. I have YOUR brains you know."

"Oh? Then what did you call diving into the freezing cold river after that huge sturgeon after I told you not to?"

"I call that a moderate success. I caught it, didn't I?"

"You caught it, but you had a cold for two weeks." Borghild snorted in amusement. "Do you call that a success?"

"....It was completely worth it."

"See? Reckless and stubborn, just like your father."

"But I wouldn't have caught it without calculating its pattern. Like you do. So I think it evens out."

Reaching the wall, Scarlet kept watch. The Gerudo woman wore shining white and thick iron knuckle armour, her battle axe shimmering silver in the snowy sun. Seeing the two woman gave her relief. Her daughter and Borghild traveling out into those wild wilderness gave her heart pause every time they traveled out. She instructed the men on the wall to open the gates. Jogging down the steps, Scarlet was glad her helmet gave her plenty of heat in the icy temperature. "Congratulations on the hunt you two. There wasn't any complications, was there?"

"No mother. There wasn't. As you can see, I did just fine." Revy received a bark from Boof, the dog wagging his tail. "Correction. We did a good job."

"Bork!" Boof agreed with his human, both of them did a fine job.

"Revy here is getting to be a fine hunter." Borghild complimented her daughter. "I know she's eager to please and wants to fight Frost Ones, but I'd rather her be a scout or a hunter." She then added. "Though her and Boof make a great team, Scarlet. You should have seen them take down the deer."

"I bet it was amazing. You better run along kiddo."

"Moms. I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle myself as a fighter and I don't need the nicknames anymore."

"You'll always be our little girl."

"The only reason I'm letting you get away with that is because no one else is around to hear that." As Revy ran off with Boof, Scarlet gave a sigh. "She's grown up so fast. And she's set her sights for accomplishments so high."

"I know, I think it's good that she has dreams and wants to make something of herself, but..." Borghild sighed as she watched Revy head toward the house with Boof. "I just don't want her to get hurt or feel like she's failed."

"I don't think she'll ever believe herself to be a failure. It's getting killed that worries me. Don't really have anyone else besides her."

"Aw, come on now, that's bullshit, you got me and Rat." Borghild nudged Scarlet in the shoulder. "And little Trygve."

"I know... It's just..." Scarlet looked out to the wilderness. How many times had she thought about just walking out and never coming back? "I don't have a Voe or even a Vai in my life. I gambled everything on Revy. If I lose her... I can't lose her."

"If you want a Voe or a Vai, then there are plenty of eligible folks here, Scarlet." Borghild walked with the Gerudo back to her position. "Maybe you should settle down with a grizzly. I got a few friends I could introduce you to, unless you prefer your partner less... furry."

"I don't know if anyone would want to be with me, furry or not." Scarlet had been given the nickname the cold iron giant. The metal armour, obviously, but also how she seemed to brood and be introverted around Uskar. When people challenged her to feats of strengths, she usually beat them with indifference. She only tended to show excitement with people she found interest in, but they had yet to show interest in her back.

"You should go after her. I'll make my final rounds here than head back home."

"Don't give up, all right? Someone will come along." Borghild assured Scarlet and then chased after Revy. The girl was becoming a fantastic hunter, but still could not skin a deer that well. Besides, she wanted her girl to keep the fur to make into a blanket. As she neared the house, Rat was there with little Trygve, trying to teach his son how to polish a knife.

"Now, lad, you have to learn to take care of your weapons, because if you don't, they won't take care of you." Rat was carefully showing the boy how to sharpen the dagger, then wipe with clover oil for a finish. "Understand?"

"Yes, Daddy."

It seemed though, that Revy had not yet returned to the house. Borghild knew how her daughter liked to show off, and exactly where to find her.

~

Lex pampered her face with makeup after cleaning her lips. She took satisfaction looking back at the man she just drained. It was like he never felt the touch of woman before. Well, probably not of her caliber. Turning her body back to him, he was entranced by her tits. Lex gave them a bounce to keep his attention. “Ok big boy, a deals a deal.”

The man in question was a Hasai soldier, having been recently transferred to the Uskar defence force. Before that, he was bragging about fighting pirates. “Well, the details are simple. We fought a group of pirates on the black sea.”

“I want complicated details. Specific map points. The goddamn beards on your opponents if you have to. That’s what I worked for after all~”

“Hmmm, damn right you did. Alright, kid. I’ll tell you what you wanna know.”

Ever since she hit the ripe age of 18, Lex had being using her skills as the ‘most attractive woman of Uskar’ for the past two years to acquire information from sailors and travelers on any information that could lead to finding her mother and Seer. Every lead she marked on a makeshift map. She felt confident that she was narrowing in on a location. Giving the Hasai man a deep kiss, she moved him quickly along out of the brothel.

Daddy Bakura let her travel to Hyrule for five months to be with Revy and get a change of pace from Uskar. During that time, the white haired Gerudo learned as many tricks and trades in exotic businesses to get any man to talk. Sex was ok, sometimes great, but it was mostly just a tool for her. She was still waiting for one of the princes to take up her offer of some beautiful love making.

Today her sister was supposed to arrive in shore with Uncle Corsaire. Maybe they could exchange information if Liz was in a good mood. Almost never was these days though. How her sister made Prince Halvar her boyfriend with her constant travel was a complete mystery to Lex. Didn’t stop her from trying to convince the prince to settle down with a more stay at home girl.

Going outside, Lex noticed Revy carrying a massive deer into town. “Oh cool! That’s a big boy you got there!”

Revy gave a chuckle, not above flexing her muscles in front of the townsfolk. She liked to contribute and give hope where she could. “Yeah, it wasn’t that much of a challenge.”

“Ok Ms. Hero. Let’s all bow in your glowing righteousness.”

“Haha. Liz arrive yet?”

“No, not quite. I think she’ll be home soon though. Grandpa misses her. And I bet Halvar cries himself to sleep due to the worries he has over her.”

Revy gave a cheeky grin back. “You’re just jealous he doesn’t cry over you~”

“Well he totally should.”

It was never easy for Corsaire to be away from his wife for too long. After this journey, the captain was eager to stay at home for a few months. It would not be so bad to run some new sea tactics with the recruits for a while and let the others do a cargo trip. However, Orana asked him to take his niece, Liz, back home safely for Seer's sake. Having the little tyke follow him everywhere after Seer's kidnapping was annoying for a while, always having to watch her. Though, she did surprise him at her determination to get better, to be the best she could be. So it was vigorous training consisting of sword fighting on the top yards, swinging on a rope while aiming to shoot, and most of all, how to take a punch and get back up. The girl preserved all these years, and was now a fine sailor. The ex-pirate was still concerned about sailing to Uskar. The sea ice was getting harder to penetrate with each voyage. Soon, even the upgraded ships from Danjur would not be able to pierce it.

"Miss Frode," Captain Corsaire stood at the wheel and then called her forth. "Guide us to the port. I need to be ready to receive the royals."

"Yes sir." Liz called out, taking the wheel. The years had been hard on her without Seer being a light in her life. She made a pact with her sister and Revy to rescue Seer and defeat their mother. All these years of training was hard on Liz, but her fiery determination made her fiercely dedicated to improvement. A few years back, Prince Halvar asked her on a date. The young Gerudo accepted, and despite not being able to see each other often, they somehow made it work as a couple. Liz gave out orders to the crew, just like she was taught, as they pulled into the docks.

Halvar was there to see Liz. He was pacing back and forth, impatiently, trying to peer onto the ship to see her. He waited until she was of age to ask her to date. That was Rat's rule, and had been Seer's rule before... well, before he was kidnapped. His family never lost hope that Seer was out there somewhere, still alive. As soon as the ship was docked, and the planks were set to unload the cargo, Halvar bolted up onto the boat and looked for the beautiful Gerudo.

"Liz!!!" Halvar ran up to her, swung her around, and planted a deep kiss on her lips... and then turned blood red, and put her back on her feet. "I... um... I missed you."

A few of the crew whistled on the boat.

"Knock it off, that's my niece!" Captain Corsaire barked at them. "Do your damn jobs and unload the cargo before we all get frostbite."

Liz gave the crew a look of pure murder for the catty whistles. If they wanted that particular fantasy they could go bother her sister. Turning back to Halvar, she gave a warm smile back. Deep kisses was as far as they had taken their relationship so far, and perhaps a little cuddling from time to time. “I’m glad to see you too. You’ve been ok?”

"Been on more hunts and scouts, fought a couple of Frost Ones, but it's odd." Halvar shrugged his shoulders. "Lately, we haven't seen too many of them. We're not sure if the Frost King is having trouble finding more bodies or if they're not approaching because of our allies now. Either way, we're a little grateful for the break." He then asked. "But you, I'm sure you have some adventures to tell everyone?"

"I'm glad that the Undead King of the North is letting his grip loose. As for me, I helped lead my first engagement against Adda's pirate forces. We interrogated one of the prisoners we took in hopes of finding Dad. All we learned is that Adda's forces are placed strategically so that a long search would be disastrous to try and break her power up. I just wish we could find a proper location. That way we could save our resources and go in hard."

"It's been so long now." Halvar thought back to the day of when everyone learned Seer had been taken by Adda. Liz and Lex were beyond consolable for a while, until swearing to get their father back. Then, it was a race against time. "I'm sure your search will come to a close soon, but... have you given thought to what you're going to do if you catch Adda?" Halvar knew better than to refer to Adda as Liz's mom. She always gave him a glare for that.

"I want to kill her, but Lex is still salty about that whenever I bring it up. So I'll just settle with her facing the courts of Danjur, Hyrule, and Uskar." Liz squeezed her fist just thinking about it. She spent so many years preparing for the day, dreaming in detail about her revenge and bringing justice.

"Either way, the courts of our kingdom, Danjur, and Hyrule will all arrive to the same verdict; death." Halvar walked with Liz off the ship the docks. "For now, let's focus on a more happy note, your return home. Besides, I have something for you." The prince fidgeted slightly as he approached the guards waiting on him. No matter where he went, Halvar still had protection. Grasping a wrapped package, he undid the string and there was the traditional courtship gift; a cloak of fur. Turning back to Liz, Halvar held it up for her to see, blushing darkly. "I... I hunted this when you left for sea and have been working on sewing it into a presentable cloak and um..." He offered it to Liz, hoping, praying she'd accept, as he said the age old line. "I offer you this gift of courtship... if you'll accept?"

Liz froze up, her mouth hanging open. Such a public display of affection was so bold of Halvar. Was this the same man she left behind on her training? She thought from a pure intellectual viewpoint on this, as it helped her calm down. Don't panic. He loves you. You adore him. Most of all, he has your trust. That's right. You trust him. He won't leave or hurt you. Snapping back into reality, Liz realized she must have left him hanging on an answer for a while due to the worry that started to form on his brow. "I'm so sorry. You just sprung it up. Yes. I accept."

"Oh thank Rotar." Halvar released the breath he was holding. She just stared at him for a moment, and for a brief time, the prince thought Liz was going to run back onto the ship and sail away. He then smiled widely and wrapped the warm cloak around her shoulders. Liz was not like the other female Direnors who would only accept a white cloak, no, she preferred the darker colors. For that reason, he had hunted for weeks until he found the perfect shade of red-brown for his girlfriend. "I... I hope you like it."

"I do. You took the time to carefully choose the fur for me. I'm grateful for that." She gave him another kiss. Lex and Revy were running to the port, the latter still carrying the deer, when they saw Halvar offer his courtship. Lex gave a small pout. "Great, lost that love boat."

"Lex. You never HAD that love boat. And chin up, you can still score one of the older brothers. Maybe."

"Thanks for the confidence Rev."

With big smiles, both girls ran to Liz. Revy threw her deer to one of Halvar's guards and they each hugged Liz. "Good to see you!"

Liz hugged them back, trying to keep a professional air about her with so many people arriving at the dock. "Good to see you both as well."

Lex gave Halvar a wink. "See you finally did it. Congrats on netting my sister~"

The guard nearly fell over when Revy simply tossed him the deer without warning.

"It was her choice to accept or not." Halvar turned red again at Lex's comment. "Besides, I feel so lucky to have her at my side. She's a good woman, a strong woman."

"Bork!" Boof nudged Liz for pets, being demanding. He was the fluffy, adorable one, he should be the center of attention.

Revy held Boof back, rubbing his neck. "You can have pets later boy."

The white haired Gerudo gave a mischievous grin, eying the young couple together. "So when you two gonna bang one out?~"

Liz's expression grew with pure horror. "Don't say shit like that so loud!"

Lex received a hard punch to the shoulder from her sister for that. "OW! Settle down! Just a joke!"

"Whu-whu, we um, we uh..." Halvar blushed dark red all the way up to his ears. Intimacy was still foreign to Liz and him, and he was not about to make advances just yet. After all, it was the lady who said yes or no. The last thing he wanted was to get slapped.

"I can always teach you what a lady wants~"

"THAT'S IT!"

Liz tackled Lex to the ground, and started to slap at her face, with Lex giving giggles and grunts. Revy quickly intervened, pulling the sisters away from each other. "Hey, hey, hey! Enough! Lex, no trying to make Halvar hard and your sister mad!"

"Fine, geeze."

"You are insufferable sometimes Lex."

"But you love me anyways~ And if it wasn't for my knowledge of pleasing men, I wouldn't have come up with an accurate map on tracking mom down."

That caught Liz off by guard. "You've been doing what?"

While the prince was used to the sisters fighting a bit, he was not prepared to hear what Lex said about pleasure.

"I think... I'm going to um..." Halvar gestured to the land. "Yeah, I'm going to go and wait over there. That seems like a grand idea."

"Yeah! I've been getting information from sailors and travelers who seen mom and her forces. I've narrowed it down to a triangle of coordinates."

Liz wanted to argue about her sister whoring out to get information, but she was too tired to argue. "I'll take a look at it later. Just stay out of trouble. Have you seen Bakura?"

Lex took a sigh. "He's been doing 'deep mediation' out by the cave. Can't get him to come out some days. Kind of sad, but he says it he'll find Daddy through the 'spirits'."

Revy clapped her hands. “Well, we better get going. Who wants to help me skin this deer?”

~

In three days, it would be seven years. Seer felt of the calendar with his fingers and sighed. He was older now. Adda had never released him. Despite his pleas and trying to find means of escape, nothing ever worked. The one kindness she did allow him was that old mage. He could listen to Liz and Lex through her magic. At least he was able to keep tabs on their lives. Still, it was not the same as holding them close, giving them kisses on the forehead, and fixing them a decent meal. He wanted to feel their warmth on his hands again. Though, his little girls were not so little anymore.

Outside of the magic barrier that gave that hid her paradise, Captain Adda flicked the wind waker to open the imaginary gate that allowed her to sail safely to her paradise home. Her latest skirmish was bloody and brutal. Every once in a while she had to put her foot down on the island she controlled. Rebels were such a nuisance. Her trade agreements were fair, so who cared if she was a little hard on them. Everyone was finally at peace. Besides the major continents, she ruled the oceans. Flicking the wind waker again, her ship went past the barrier as it closed. It took another good hour to sail to the island's north port side.

Docking, she took another hour greeting her people, handing out and ordering who got what food and drinks, made orders for her lieutenants to carry out, and got herself a martini. Finally, she opened the door to her chambers, giving Seer a whistle. "Miss me handsome?"

"No."

The longer his time on the island, the more bitter Seer became towards Adda. He would begrudgingly amuse her with sex, the random conversation, and sometimes have to accompany her to see the rest of her people. That he hated the most, feeling like a pet on a chain once more. She wouldn't kill him, but rather keep him alive to torment him with the fact that he could not get away with her.

"Oh don't be like that." Adda sat down on the bed, yawning with exhaustion. "Tell me, girls treating you ok? Little Beck wanted to see you do whale tricks with a ball. Went on about seeing it in a book. I think the little gal likes you.”

"I'm not a pet." Seer snapped at her with a glare about the whale tricks. "And I'm not going to play with a ball for fish. You got me doing that already."

"She was just a six year old girl with a curiosity. What's up your ass?" Adda slugged back her drink and fell back on the bed. "It's not like you been shot recently or anything. Now that's something to be cranky about."

"I'd rather be shot than have to stay here. Then again, you know that, I've told you that, but it's like you have too much saltwater in your ears to properly listen." Seer got up off the bed, in a particularly bad mood since the anniversary of his kidnapping was coming up. "Tell your people to stay the hell away from me. I'm going for a swim." He then stopped and added as an afterthought. "Do not join me."

"They're just ordinary folks. You really want to be the one to crush the dreams of little girls who never seen a man transform into a whale? God, you are such a pussy. You want me to shoot you? I can do that, right now."

"Then do it!!!" Seer turned around, screaming at her. "I've been trapped here for seven damn years now, Adda! I haven't held my girls, told them I love them, I have no freedom! I'm a slave again! Shoot me, right here, through the heart! Put me out of my misery! Your crew missed the first time, but I doubt you will!" He demanded. "Do it! I can't take another day of hearing my girls from that blasted ball saying they're wondering if I'm dead or alive, hearing them cry because of me!"

"Oh fuck you, you blind piece of shit." Adda rose to her feet. "I had a plan. A really simple and easy plan that kept the girls safe for a while. I own the fucking oceans now. I am the Queen of the seas. I'm the greatest Gerudo chieftain that's ever lived. My people are happy. They're in a state of nirvana that has never been seen before. And all those that stand against me have no possible power to beat me or my forces. And I was going to give that to the girls. I knocked on your door to bring all of you with me. But you acted like a petty child. You ran from Hyrule, cheating me years to track you down, than you had the gull to tell me to leave. This 'suffering' you're feeling is nothing. I missed thirteen years, and now the additional seven years on top of that. Now that they're tough and smart woman, maybe they'll find there way here. Grow the fuck up, or shut the fuck up." Curious, she handed him an unloaded, cocked gun. "What you gonna do about it? You wanna rob them of one of their parents?"

"You're nothing but a murderer and a greedy soul who decides all your wrongs are righted by what you do for your people. Think what you want of me, but my girls will never be like you. Besides for all I know, you didn't want them." Seer sneered at her. "Dump them with me to get back at Bakura. Classy move, mother, using your daughters like they're dispensable. That's all they are to you, something to use." When Adda handed him the gun, Seer frowned at her. "You think I'm an idiot? This isn't loaded. I spent years with Corsaire on a ship, I know an unloaded gun to a loaded one." He threw the gun to the side with a huff. "The only reason you won't give me bullets is because you still want your toy at your side. Just like the girls, that's all I am to you; an object." The blind Direnor stomped outside, tossing his shirt and pants wherever before the water hit his feet. As soon as he was neck deep, he started to shift.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ME!!! I NEVER USED MY GIRLS!!! I SAVED THEM!!! HOPE YOU DROWN OUT THERE!!!!!"

The moonlight fell on the ocean as Seer swam around. All the life he ever found in the calm area of water he was free to swim in were the odd colourful fish that came and went. So, on this night, it was a shocking sight when he chanced an encounter with a whale under water. It was colourful as a rainbow, and had angel wings on its back.

Seer had never seen another whale here, despite his many years of swimming trying to find an exit.

"Can you understand me?"

"Hmmm? Of course I can understand you. Nice night for a swim, isn't it."

"Oh, I agree, the water is very nice this night." Seer felt relieved, but wondered if he was about to lose his break on sanity. Either way, it supposed this was not too bad. Talking to an angelic whale was the least of his worries, even if he was going insane. "I don't suppose you're a... messenger? The wings?"

"I'm the Wind Fish. Who are you?"

"Wind Fish? I think I've heard of you in Hyrule's tales..." Seer then realized he was being rather rude. "Oh, my apologies. My name is Erling Frode, but my friends call me Seer. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The Wind Fish looked deep into Seer, his tone unchanging. "You seem tired Seer."

"I think tired is an understatement, Wind Fish." Seer, in reality, felt exhausted. He wanted to give up. Holding onto hope was such a lost cause. Adda would never let him go. "I'm trapped here and I cannot leave to see my family. No matter what I do, I cannot find freedom. My only way out of this place is death, and I'm denied even that."

"What is your wish for life?"

"My wish for life?" Seer repeated. "What I would want if I could have it?"

"You have great pain in your heart. What wish is on your mind? What do you dream of?"

"I only wish to be with my girls again, my family, back in Uskar." Seer sighed heavily. "I dream of hearing my girls laugh again instead of crying for my sake. I dream of us fixing food together in the kitchen again. I dream of telling Alexandra and Elizabeth to stop arguing and go do their chores. Memories of the past mix with what I want for the future. Seems silly, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. Dreams are a beautiful thing. And it's funny how they can come true. I have to go now." The Wind Fish started to fly away, surging out of the water and above the defence ships on the surface, not seeming to mind getting spotted or not.

"H-Hey, wait!" Seer shot up toward the surface after the Wind Fish. Though by the time he breached, the Wind Fish was already long gone. He couldn't sense him anymore. Dejectedly, Seer just lounged on the surface of the waves. "Don't leave me here alone..."

Seer heard a voice echo in his head. "You are never alone Seer. And your heart won't feel alone for long. Now wake up. Wake up…. Wake up….."

~ Seer woke up in bed, rested like never before, but both a hopeful happiness and yet some sadness in him. Beside him, Adda was stirring in bed, drying her face.

Seer did wake with a jolt. Was the entire encounter a dream?

"... either I drowned and you came to fetch me, or I fell asleep in the waves again."

"You went for a swim and than you must have came back yourself. I went to bed before you came back." Adda was oddly monotone this morning.

"Oh. I don't recall." Seer sat up in bed, rubbing his head, feeling for a knot or a scrape. No, he definitely did not knock his skull. The entire encounter must have been a dream. "I don't remember much... I must have stayed in my other form too long again."

"Did you have any weird dreams last night?" Adda kept her attention away from him, still looking to her left at the wall.

"I'm certain I did, though I'm not able to recall them all. Why? Talking in my sleep and disturbing your beauty rest again?"

Adda didn't give him a smartass remark. "I dreamed I wanted to be with girls and I wasn't a monster to Bakura. It was so... peaceful. I wanted it to be so real..."

"Sounds like you wish to turn back time." Seer stretched his body, feeling stiff from being in his other form.

"Maybe. I saw this... giant colourful fish in the sky. No idea why. It asked what I wanted. I said to have the family I always wanted and-" Adda paused. For a moment of vulnerability she shook with emotion before reeling it in. "Forget it. The whole things stupid. I just got this feeling I'm going to see them again soon."

"You have the family you've always wanted out there, Adda." Seer pointed in the general direction of the door. "You even told me it was your dream to create this paradise for the Gerudo."

"That's different. I'm their Queen. A Queen who was chosen for this life. I'm talking about being a mother to my own kids."

"You had that chance too, before you pursued the war." Seer fixed his long hair back into a tail. "Just like Scarlet did."

"Don't say her name." Adda turned to him, her brow curling with anger. "I'm tired of having the same argument with you over and over regarding my choices."

"Then let me go and you'll never hear my voice again to remind you of said poor choices."

"So you can lead your forces right back to me? No thanks."

"Now you're the one being stupid. I don't even know where the hell I am."

"That's the whole idea. To keep your pod of savage whales away from the innocents of this island."

"Those savage whales don't attack innocents, only those who dare to hurt their own." Seer retaliated at her remark. "You took the girls, and in return, we attacked."

"I had the right to those girls. If you really thought I was a monster, you would have killed me in that ice cold water, or here in my sleep." Adda spat back bitterly.

"Just because you're their biological mother doesn't give you any right to them. The people who love them, take care of them, doesn't have to be blood to be their family." Seer argued with narrowed eyes. "And I never said you were a monster." He leaned a little closer and said bluntly. "I just hate your guts. If I killed you, Lex would hate me. That's the last thing I want. I think more of those girls than you ever will. I gave my life to them. You? You decided to make yourself Queen and to hell with everything else. Want me to shut up? Then turn me loose."

"I was going to make them both royalty of the seas. You have no idea about what I think of them." Adda snorted back. With a shrug of her shoulders, she tried to change the conversation. "You wanna stop talking and fuck for a while?"

"Well, you screamed at me to drown yesterday, so I think I might go back out for a long swim and see if that happens." Seer replied sarcastically. "Seeing you're a self proclaimed queen and all, I think you can handle waiting to fuck for a day or so." He then added, just to mess with Adda. "Besides, Bakura is a better fuck than you."

"Seer, don't be an ass." Adda pushed him to the side and went to her wardrobe. At Bakura though, she turned her head to him. "You did not."

"He slapped my ass, I buried my face in his abs, the rest is history."

“Tell me than. What did it feel like?” Adda stared coldly at him.

"Why do you want to know? Jealous I'm a better lay?"

“To see you bullshitting me. What was it like Seer?”

"A fight for dominance, that's for sure. You know Bakura has a fetish of grabbing the neck a bit?" Seer was going off of what he sensed from the man. While Seth was always in the back of Bakura's mind, the other soul residing in the assassin's body still influenced a few actions. For once, Seer was grateful for his powerful sense of smell and echolocation. He could read Bakura's body language and predict his thoughts without a single word. "Burying my face into a pillow, muffling my moans just until he senses I'm ready to cum. Sometimes, he even denies me that, wanting me to beg a little."

“You know what it was like for me? It was knowing that he the someone I could trust. He made me feel vulnerable like no other man. When he fucked me, I didn’t care about anything else. Because he was naive enough, stupid enough, or maybe kind enough to be so open and gentle too.” Adda punched Seer back onto the bed. “But you would have said that if you ever made love with a man like Bakura. You’d know he made you feel complete.”

"Now that's a steaming pile of shit right there, Adda," Seer actually snickered. "Because if you were so complete with him, then you really screwed up by leaving him, and better yet, dumping his daughters with me. You know he told me he wanted to kill you for what you did to him? Making him lose years of his daughters' lives too? Isn't it funny how these things turn out." He was now full out laughing, almost a hysterical tint to it. "And you! You kidnapped me out of petty revenge! Not on him, but on your own daughters!!!"

“Shut your fucking mouth Seer.” Adda was so close to beating the life out of the man. How many times did she have to say her case over and over? Bakura threatened her. Hurt her deeply due to that psychotic personality in him. How could she ever leave her kids with him?

"Oh, I thought I was fucked up, but compared to you? Nah." Seer managed to get his laughing under control and then got up off the bed. "I almost, almost feel sorry for you, Adda." He walked outside to the beach, feeling the sand underneath his toes. "A lonely paradise is all you have now."

“And a lonely prison is all you have. If I’m not happy, I’ll make sure you’ll never be either you prick.”

"Heh, you might keep me trapped here forever, but remember this, Adda," Seer was not going to let her get to him. Oddly enough, the tiny break of hysterics might have been what he needed to release some stress. Besides, the dream he had with the whale left him feeling optimistic of sorts. "Whether I die here or see my girls again, at least I know I have their love."

“You robbed me of that chance for twenty years. I’ll earn their love soon. And with you stuck here, you can’t stop me.”

"It's your own fault for dumping them off without a word." Seer countered. "Think that all you want, Adda. Though you're forgetting that I'm not the only one who loves Elizabeth and Alexandria."

Adda whirled on Seer, decking him hard against the face, knocking him out. She was so sick and tired of listening to his bullshit. No more. She was going to give her girls the world.

#new crossover #ridersoftheapocalypse #New Adda Arc! #Captain Adda #Seer #Bakura Saibot #Revy #Liz and Lex #Borghild #Scarlet #Halvar #Final Adda Arc! #The Adult Arc #Big Drama coming!

[purplesurveys]

559

Have you today?

Looked in a mirror? Yeah, I was looking at myself while brushing my teeth earlier.

Watered a plant? I don’t think I’ve done that in the last few years.

Worn denim? Nope, I’m staying in today. And I kinda have to anyway, because it’s a holiday. Washed your hair? Yep, I took a long shower a few minutes ago. Been in pain? Yes, woke up to the same toothache that’s been bothering me for a few weeks now. The pain is on the down low at the moment, but yeah it was there when I woke up.

Had a nap? Not sure if it counts as a nap, but I decided to sleep in today and kept waking up a few times the whole morning until I finally woke up for real at around 11:30. Brushed your teeth? I already mentioned that I did this, yes. Kissed someone? I gave my dog some kisses today, but not a person. Used a cheese grater? I’ve eaten one meal today and it didn’t need any cheese. Eaten something sweet? Nope. Spoken to a stranger? Also no. Like I said, I’m staying in today. My introverted ass is tired from the last few weeks of working and socializing. Dropped something? I don’t remember doing so...I’ve only been in bed all day. Felt upset in some way? I’m feeling a little down, but I wouldn’t call myself upset. Drank coffee? I took two painkillers in one day yesterday, which is bad in itself; I wouldn’t want to mix coffee into my system.

Walked for more than thirty minutes? Nah, the furthest I’ve walked today is to the bathroom to take a shower. Signed up for something? That’s a no. I really should have picked a different day to fill this up, hahaha. Travelled in a car? I didn’t drive today and don’t plan to until like Tuesday, because that’s when I have to go back to school. Opened a can? Here’s a tiny secret: I don’t know how to open cans :c Thought about doing something crazy? Nah, I’m not feeling too crazy today. Listened to a new song? As a matter of fact I am. Spotify will sometimes play you a bunch of new songs it thinks you’d like based on the music you do listen to, and that’s the playlist I have on right now.  Written in a notebook? I have not. Fed an animal? I gave my dog the rest of my lunch when I didn’t feel like eating anymore. Checked your emails? I had to answer a couple of them, yes. Told someone you love them? No, not yet. Made a phone call? Nope.

Have you in the last week?

Travelled on a bus? I haven’t been on a bus since my high school class went on a retreat to Baguio four years ago. Washed your face? Yep, yesterday. My face was feeling oily for some reason so I used some facial wash we had in the bathroom. Used a blender? I don’t think I’ve ever needed to use a blender before. Received a phone call? Yeah, Gab calls me most nights. Talked to someone you dislike? I had to talk to this girl who has a known attitude problem because we’re working on something together in a subject that we’re classmates in. She hasn’t shown me her rotten side just yet but I’ll be more than ready if she does. Consumed alcohol? Yeah, I went to two Halloween parties in the last week :/ Eaten pasta? I don’t think I have this week. Planned for an event? We don’t have any upcoming events so there’s nothing to plan for to begin with. Asked someone for a favour? Yep, I asked my classmate Gia to bring her VGA adapter because I needed one to do my report for history class and I don’t have an adapter of my own. She’s super nice and helped me out. Watched something funny? Yeah I mean I make it a point to watch at least one funny video a day so that my days aren’t completely shitty. Trimmed your nails? I have not, which explains why they’ve grown out so much lately. Browsed Reddit? I haven’t been browsing Reddit as much lately because I’ve been busy, but I did open the app at least once within the last week. Talked to yourself? I often talk to myself while driving alone. Purchased tickets for something? I did not this week. Felt like you were annoying someone? Always. Cleaned a toilet? Nope. Reminisced about the past? I mean, my friends and I always do in one way or another. Used headphones? No, my old headphones have been busted for yeeeeears now. Laughed with a friend? I spent time with several groups of friends this week, yeah. Which is why I’m completely socially exhausted now. I’m using the undas weekend to recharge. Cooked dinner and then didn't feel hungry? I don’t cook, so this is an automatic no. Written a list? It was a to-do list of stuff I had to accomplish before the undas break, if that counts. Played an instrument? Technically I did? I was sleeping over at Rita’s place last weekend and their guest room had a ukulele lying around, so before I fell asleep I do remember strumming the strings for a few minutes, even though I had completely no idea what I was doing. Felt jealous or envious? Always do. It’s my worst deadly sin. Ignored a text message on purpose? Always. Congratulated someone? I always make it a point to congratulate my friends for their leaps, whether big or small.

Have you in the last month?

Made a piece of art? Art is my weakest suit and it’s something I never even try to dabble in, because I know I would be horrible.

Rewatched one of your favourite tv shows or movies? I always rewatch Friends, and I did attempt to do a rewatch of Breaking Bad before El Camino was out on Netflix, but I didn’t get to finish it because uni had kept me very busy.

Called a plumber? There wasn’t any need to.

Been to a see a doctor? No. I definitely should go to the dentist, though. Finished a book? I haven’t been reading. Had a crush on someone? Of course.

Travelled on a train? Nooooooo I hate the public transport system in this country. Worn heels? I haven’t had to in the last month. I wish I owned more pairs to just wear casually to school though; it wouldn’t hurt looking like a bad bitch around the college hahahaha. Been to a friend's house? I’ve been to Gabie’s and Rita’s houses.

Shared a bed with someone? Yes, Gab has slept over a couple of times. Been to see a movie at the cinema? I think it’s been more than a month since my sister and I saw Hello, Love, Goodbye at the movie theater. Paid attention to celebrity drama? Meh, loosely. I know of the issues, but the drama lately hasn’t been too juicy. Felt anxious? AL. WAYS. Taken an elevator? On the days we were too lazy to take escalators. Given someone the cold shoulder? I don’t think I’ve done this recently. Purchased a new book/game/movie? I didn’t purchase it but I downloaded Mario Kart on my phone. Applied for a job? Nope. Used a printer? Yes, I’ve had to print papers and handouts for several classes. Had lunch in a park? We don’t have any parks, and anyway it’s usually too hot to eat outside. Gotten a manicure or pedicure? Not a fan of either, so no. Made an appointment? No. I did ask my mom to schedule a dentist appointment because my 21 year old kiddie ass is still too anxious to do it myself sjdklsdfdfhdkhskdjfsjffskfhkjsfh Had a blood test done? NO. Is this the one where they prick your finger? NO THANKS BYEEEEEE Suffered from a major bruise? It wasn’t major but I did briefly get a nasty bruise on my knee a few weeks ago. It was probably from PE but I never was sure where it came from. Researched a topic in-depth? I kinda have to; I’m working on my thesis for the next year or so.

Have you in the last year?

Been to the beach? Yes, several times. The most recent time was last August in Nasugbu, which was kinda bad timing on our end because we usually get bad typhoons in August haha. But it was the last week of summer and we wanted to do something fun before we had to go back to school, so off we went. Visited someone in the hospital? Thank goodness I haven’t had to. Played pinball? No, but I have played races on Waluigi Pinball courses on Mario Kart if that counts HAHAHAHA Travelled on a plane? Yes, several times. Worn a costume? I have. I went as Dora for Halloween this year. Been thrift shopping? Yesssssss. I got into it a few months ago when I saw a few stalls at a local mall selling really trendy tops for much cheaper. Thought about getting pregnant or got pregnant? Neither. Made a big life decision? I decided on my thesis topic, which is personally a pretty huge decision to make. Changed a lightbulb? Nope. I don’t know how to. Framed something and put it on your wall? I haven’t. My wall has stayed the same for like three years now. Been stargazing? Nah. Haven’t really had the time to. Made a new friend? New people who come into the org. Added to a collection? Obviously I’ve gathered more receipts from my dates with Gab within the year, but I haven’t gotten around to organizing any of them. They’re all just piled up in my wallet. Been to the dentist? No, but I have to UGH this toothache is out to kill me I swear. Broken up with someone? Nope. Held a baby? I don’t think so but I wish I’ve gotten to do it D: Created a budget? I mean I always carefully plan out my weekly allowance, so yeah. Confessed feelings for someone? I already did that three years ago. Had surgery of any kind? Nope. Quit a job? I have not. Been in a car accident? No, thank jeebus. Purchased something worth over a grand? Not yettttt, but I’m planning to for Christmas. Been on vacation at least 500km/300mi from home? Yes, when we went to Batanes and Albay. Applied for an academic course? Does enrolling for a semester count? Had your photo taken by a professional? No not yet, but very soon when I get my graduation photos taken.

#survey #surveys

[levihauser]

更新

4 October, 2019

Well, it is October now, so no matter how you count it I have spent over a month in Japan. That feels like a significant milestone to me. I am just beginning, yet I am more than 10% of the way through my exchange trip.

I have started biking to school most days, and it is much more time-efficient than walking (which is especially important because my host mom keeps serving me bigger and bigger breakfasts that take me longer and longer to eat). This coming week is going to be full of testing and will be half-days at school, with all of the students leaving before lunch, so, since my language capacities make it impossible for me to understand the tests, I have been spending a lot of time studying Japanese in the school library or playing the piano in the music room (I am looking for new songs to start learning, so if anyone has a suggestion, let me know!).

On September 26th, I had just returned from the night’s Rotary meeting, and was feeling a little hungry for some sort of dessert. I went to the freezer for ice cream (of which there is never a shortage in this house) and took out an ice cream pop from the very bottom. I should have known that there was a reason it was at the bottom. It looked just like chocolate ice cream with chocolate chips mixed in. However, chocolate and anko (sweet red bean paste-used instead of sugar or chocolate in most candies and sweets in Japan. It is alright, but it has an interesting flavor and it can be surprising to expect chocolate and get bean paste instead) look very much alike. This was anko flavored ice cream, with little red beans mixed in. It is something I hope never to have to eat again. Who would even have the idea of freezing beans in their ice cream?

On the 28th, I was given my 30 second notice that I generally receive before any event occurs to pack, because I was staying the night at a friend’s house. Shortly, I was walked over to a family friend named Mrs. Takamatsu’s house. I had never met her, but she was very nice. I dropped off my things at her house and got a glimpse of the beautiful artwork adorning the house before we set out for her son’s family’s house just around the block for dinner. We had a good time there, then returned with her grandson to her house. I stayed the night there.

The next day, I woke up and we had a nice breakfast (eggs with ketchup) at Mrs. Takamatsu’s house. Her grandson returned home fairly early, but I stayed until after lunch (blue pancakes-yum!). In the meantime, she put on the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them with Japanese subtitles so we could both watch (although her English was really good anyway). After lunch, I walked back home, changed briefly, then was driven to Kanazawa Harbor. There was an enormous cruise ship there, and I was to perform taiko as part of an ensemble (of course, I had no choice in the matter. If I had, my stage fright and the fact that I only learned that the instrument exists a month ago would have won out). I put on a festival garment, or happi, then the members of the ensemble took turns playing in front of the ship for the clients of the cruise ship. We also carried heavy festival floats several times. This was especially hard for me because I was significantly shorter than the other carriers of the floats, so I had to walk around on my tiptoes while carrying the weight. Overall, it went well, and at the end the ship left with several horn blasts and many paper streamers.

Most of the week was not that unusual. At the end of school yesterday, my teacher, Mrs. Kameda, said that it was likely that school would be cancelled the next day because of the coming typhoon. I went to the Matto Cultural Hall immediately after school for my first Japanese lesson. I had two teachers who were both very good English speakers, and learned a lot. By the time the 90 minute lesson was over, I had to hurry to the Grand Hotel for the evening Rotary meeting. There was a larger event in our normal room, so the Rotary meeting was moved to a smaller side room. I had no advance notice of this, so I just waited in the chairs beside the entrance to the normal room until a Rotarian directed me the right way. I biked home, since that was how I got to school in the morning, but it was very dark. Apparently, though, no matter how bad of a bike mine is here, it has a headlight that is powered by the spinning of the wheels. That was pretty interesting. 

Today, I woke up and opened my window shades to find wind and rain pounding to get in. I have never actually seen a full fledged typhoon before, just the aftermath. It was strange to see all of the clouds moving so quickly in a circle. I walked to school so as not to get my bike wet and potentially have it rust, and got soaked. It was a fairly normal day of school, however, and was not cancelled.

The vast manga collection at Mrs. Takamatsu’s house:

The taiko-playing event and ship:

[womanlalaboy]

Panhik #6 & 7: On TUCLAS Giving Back and Pushing Limits

When TUCLAS sent out an invitation to do a hike which will give me the chance to camp near the river, visit the caves, enjoy the monkey bridge, marvel at the beauty of the Biak na Bato National Park and give back to the community, I saw no reason to decline. After all, I had to cancel my previous climb with them at Nagpatong Rock Formations due to an accident and I also failed to join them in their Tarak Ridge hike. It was my way of saying, “babawi ako this time,” but the weather wasn’t really in favor.

We were to visit Sitio Madlum and conduct an outreach program to provide slippers, food, and school supplies to the kids. Before the actual climb, the officers organized us into groups to make sure that there would be people in charge of some outdoor gears since we will have to camp by the end of our first day after the outreach program. It was an efficient way of designating tasks and making sure we have everything we will need. 

It was raining a few weeks back, so the officers reminded us to bring our ponchos and to water-proof our stuff. My friend and I failed to take that into consideration because we had too much trust that the weather would be in our favor. It wasn’t.

It wasn’t just the weather that wasn’t going our way. Heavy traffic unexpectedly delayed our arrival by 3 hours, and surprisingly it wasn’t in EDSA that we encountered this terrible situation. In Nueva Ecija and all through out our travel in Bulacan, trucks were lining up as if evacuating from somewhere else. 

We were worried that the kids would get disappointed, but they were really happy and warm when they welcomed us. All the hassle and waiting paid off when we saw those smiles on their faces. They were so excited that some of them dirtied their feet hurrying to get to the shed. They were patient enough to wait for us organize our stuff and they were diligent to follow the line.

A kid wearing enormously thick eye glasses was carrying a boy almost the same as her size. She was comforting the crying boy who at the time was waiting for his mom to be back home from work. We prioritized the kid and asked an elder to take care of the kid while we distribute the rest of our stuff. We didn’t expect that despite their size in height, their feet aren’t that small so we ran out of bigger sizes and had to apologize to the kids who were expecting new slippers. The rest went well and we went straight to the camp site to pitch our tents.

The sun was quick to set and we were only left with moonlight and flashlights to guide us through the forest. We had a hard time finding the camp site as there were a few clearings before getting to the actual camp. Tired and hungry, we started pitching our tents next to the river. It was an elevated flat area with a few tables around it. Some of us went cooking, the others settled for their packed food. My friend and I ate the hard boiled egg I brought with me supposedly for tomorrow’s hike and tree planting. We were too tired to wash up so we merely changed clothes and went straight to sleep to get the energy required for tomorrow’s possibly harder than expected hike.

It was tough sleeping in that condition. The rain didn’t look like it’s gonna stop anytime soon so we always had to be on the lookout as the water from the river might get too high to reach the camp. On top of this, the mosquito in the area aren’t the typical urban ones. They’re bigger and bite ya real good. Halfway through our sleep, someone from us woke us up to give us a coil of katol to repel the mosquitoes. The rest of our sleep were peaceful despite some of our co-hikers drinking the night away.

The weather calmed down by morning so we expected the day ahead to be sunny. We were wrong. It seemed like we were only given a glimpse of how differently it would look like if it was sunny. The climb would have been easier and we would have been able to follow our itinerary. 

After washing up, preparing the things we ultimately need to bring to the hike, we went to the registration area to fill out their forms. The people there are already up at such an early time. We were given 3 guides- perfect for dividing our group into head, mid and tail. My friend and I went to the head team since we’re fast walkers. Also, it makes me anxious when people are waiting for me. I like establishing the pace and waiting for the others instead. 

We prayed for our safe trip and did a few exercises to loosen up the joints and muscles. After that, the head guide provided a few reminders before heading towards the mountains.

Like many travel or hiking blogs you’ve probably already seen before this, you’d see how Manalmon-Gola twin hike is described as a piece of cake- even for beginners. But none should underestimate a mountain. They can be very challenging and in some cases dangerous to climb. I remember climbing Batulao for the first time- there was a typhoon and our hike lasted for more than 9 hours. It was traumatic.

We were supposed to finish the entire Manalmon-Gola twin hike in no more than 5 hours including the tree planting activity, but we finished it in more than 7 hours with minimal rest. The most challenging in this entire experience was dealing with mud on steep areas. Since there were 3 other groups ahead of us, the path we had to take have already been smeared with sticky mud. The rain made everything messy and dangerous, but not hard enough to wash away the traces of mud on the rocks.

Once we’ve descended from Manalmon, we had to cross the Madlum River to get to the other side. The current was something to be feared. There have been cases of death in the area because of that same current. When we reached the bamboo forest near Gola’s summit, we were welcomed by a short downpour. After descending from Gola, we had to assess the situation as the rain started to pour again. We decided to take the longer route, and immensely harder trail given the conditions. But it’s proved to be safer than crossing the harsher river again.  At first, it was mostly muddy fields, but then we had to follow the river and trek through the boulders with no clear path to take. This was the climax of the trek. It was new for all of us, including those who have already been hiking with TUCLAS. There are rough boulders which are easy to climb as they give enough grip, but there are smooth ones that are very challenging to climb. It didn’t help that that the rain poured heavier. By this point, no one could take any photo. The boulders are huge for small hikers like me and they are covered with sharp branches  

Before going through the Madlum cave, we had to wait at a small clearing for the tail team to reach us. It was the same spot where 9 of Bulacan State University’s students were pulled by the flash flood. Our guide told us that 7 were found dead and the 2 were rescued by one of the survivors. The BSU students were found underneath the mud. One of them was found under a crevice. That proved how strong the current was. There are videos online of their final moments and they were seen holding each other and bonding a group which the guide said is something we shouldn’t do. If one of them loses his or her balance, all the others would be swept away.  Only a few meters away from where we were standing were boulders and a small waterfall. We went on imagining how hard it would have been to survive a flash flood with that kind of environment. Once smashed to a boulder, your chances of survival would fluctuate to a zero.

Manalmon and Gola are two different mountains with distinct characteristics. Manalmon is serene, but somehow playful. Gola on the other hand is enchanting and shows a variety of environment. I’m not sure if many people could relate to this, but mountains for me feel like people. Actually, when it was announced that New Zealand gave legal rights to Mt. Taranaki the same as a living person’s, it didn’t shock me. But it sure did fascinated me. I thought I was the only one thinking and treating mountains as if they are people.

We failed to do the tree planting since a bigger group did a tree planting activity as well before us so there were no seedlings left for us to plant. But we’re glad that though we weren’t able to do it ourselves, at least a bigger team did it, and that’s what mattered the most. Some people did it on our behalf. The seedlings were planted as planned. All was well.

I guess my takeaways from this trek are: 

Hiking doesn’t have to be purely for leisure. We climbed for a cause and we will continue to do this no matter how small or cliche it sounded for some. There is nothing else like giving. 

We are more than what we think we are. “Kaya pala namin,” was the common line at that time. We hiked with total newbies and they finished the rather difficult hike with flying colors. It was hard, but it was fun. They went there thinking the hike would really be 2/9 in difficulty. They’ve pushed their limits and they’ve made it. In my case, I was able to do something I swore I wouldn’t do. I was terrified to hike during rainy days, but I did it. And I would do it again given a chance.

Tragedies that have happened don’t have to happen again. The variables were already given even before we started the hike: 7 students died, there was a flash flood, they were taking pictures while crossing the river, they were holding each other. We didn’t have to repeat those. It’s one thing to push your limits because you know you really can do more, but there are internal struggles that hinder you from reaching your full potential; it’s another to know your limits. 

Even with preparations, accidents can still happen so hike or travel with caution and never underestimate a mountain. We are mere humans against nature. We all know how that would’ve ended had we challenged nature and crossed that river once more during a downpour.

MORE...

Also see: Manalmon - Gola photo sets Also read: Womanlalaboy's Travel Guide to Mt. Manalmon and Mt. Gola Also read: Panhik #4: Batulao Revenge Hike

📷 : Aldrich Dherrick Juanillo 📷 : Winnie Mea Marquez

#womanlalabo #travelogues #bulacan #gola #biak na bato #manalmon #biak na bato national park #manalmon-gola #twin hike #mt. gola #mt. manalmon #travelph #discoverph #hikeph #mountains in the philippines #luzon #pilipinas #pilipino #philippines #filipino #travel #adventure

[andresen94rohde-blog]

Un-Answered Issues With Fallout 76 Exposed

It's not what fans were clamouring for, I think that it's reasonable to say, and a few feathers are being ruffled with these rumours. Sometimes though it might be very far from where you wish to be, so you might want to relocate your camp. There's no correct or wrong. Whatever keeps players from feeling strong have to be minimized. The player must remember, however, that such opportunity will draw in enemies hungry for booty. On no account does the game let you know where to go. Because it was almost 3 feet thick, and over three tons, there was not any manner that we would be capable of moving it ourselves. The entrance is in the center and the entry hall acts as a connection point to every side. Like the majority of other portions of the game, Ultimate attempts to land somewhere in the center. The Fundamentals of Fallout 76 You Will be Able to Learn From Starting Immediately There are lots of ways to start making an ever expanding world, the point above is only a region of the tip of the iceberg. The very first time we had the ability to leave the vault was quite literally, a completely different world. In there's a smaller room at which you'll get the S' waiting for you. There's no need to submit an application for the totally free games, either. In Fallout 76, all the human characters are different players. There are not any non-playable characters within this game. There'll be new items, abilities, and gameplay made by Bethesda Game Studios together with outside development partners which include a number of the top mod creators. You will explore six distinct areas of Fallout 76. To access the beta, you must pre-order the game. Also Typhoon Hunter is going to have VR version. Certainly, once the game finally releases Elder Scrolls is among the most ambitious games to be published by Bethesda thus far. The standard of an item also translates to the standing of the corporation. Fans would be more than content to observe a completely new location as it enables them to traveling around with no prior bias or understanding of the location, which makes it fresh and original. People took the opportunity to play out all the different outcomes. The Ultimate Approach for Fallout 76 For me, the webpage wouldn't even load. When you have all you need, it's still true that you have to decrypt the codes. Whether you wish to kill time, or simply plain bored, you can grab your phone and get started downloading the ideal strategy games. There are, though, a range of perks that are relevant to general combat effectiveness and defense. You could also set all types of traps and weapons around to safeguard your home. It is sometimes a risky build as you can't have an opportunity at dying more often but it's definitely powerful. The simple fact it doesn't explain the method by which the bounty system works very well. The majority of Fallout 76 revolves around journeying into unknown places in order to discover weapons and scrap, which you are able to use to secure more powerful, after which you are able to go into even more dangerous places. Same with every kind of enemy in the game. What Everybody Dislikes About Fallout 76 and Why Howard states that by developing a world with hardly any rules, players are going to have more impact over the world than ever before. You do make unique decisions once your characters are real'. While what lies within Vault 63 will continue being a mystery for some moment, we can offer you details on where to locate them, so that you can acquire ready when each one opens. The New Fuss About Fallout 76 Whole countries have become bankrupt. Users will need to claim the offer prior to the end of the month. It has said that it will make an announcement when it wants players to converge online to make the most of the short play periods. PvP isn't a large part of the game so that it doesn't serve as a lot of safe location, therefore it ends up being just a glorified backpack. The Cult of the Mothman faction provides unique faction-specific apparel you may unlock, and other bonuses. As soon as you've built your Camp, you will need to construct stuff around it. The trailer makes it appear almost like a Prey roguelike, with you trying to escape the moon repeatedly. While the modes available are lots of fun, there arenat very a number of them. By studying the trailer launch many can understand the way the game works. It's possible to read our review for it. Full instructions about how to grab the game are available here. Ultimate attempts to soften the slow process with an assortment of quick-paced modes but many will still locate the experience irritating. Power Armor Although now unavailable to pre order, it's well worth mentioning that there's a Power Armor edition of the game, including the Tricentennial variant of the game, together with a complete scale, wearable Power Armor Helmet. All you have to do is to finish the Heroic Versions of all Public Events. There are a number of other Tower Defense games that are a lot better and free. Fallout's world has ever been mine. Many unique weapons are available and you're even permitted to dual-wield them. Fallout 76 will have a number of the elements of previous Fallout titles in regards to graphics and gameplay features, however they'll be modified to work in real-time in internet mode. fallout 76 radio

[twatkcox]

[The Keihancarl Diaries: June 16, 2018]

Keihancarl here. It sure was a rainy week, so says the weather report.

I was initially planning to do this a week after POF: Ai, however, it got canceled at the last minute for some reason, mainly due to bad weather. As a result, the trip was rescheduled for the following week, but I doubt that the weather will cooperate considering that it had been raining hard these past few days. The rainy weather sure is a bad sign that the trip won't go as smoothly as planned.

Anyway, it was raining just as I was about to prepare for the trip. It's all-black outfit for now since I couldn't even think of any other outfit I can wear except for the black fleece coat and a black anime shirt.

The sun finally shows up, much to my delight. It means that I can now proceed with the trip. Manila is my preferred destination for this trip, though I also passed by a mall in the QC-Cloverleaf area, which makes it my first stop.

It's the same as my last visit, visiting a couple of shops and nothing else. Passing by a bookstore, Biblio, there were vintage books for sale, though, some of them are expensive.

By the way, their shuttle service is now charging 5 pesos per trip (on my last visit, December 2017, it was free of charge), but it's quicker and more convenient than having to walk all the way to the mall area, which is about a kilometer away from the LRT Balintawak station.

I then took the LRT-1 to Tayuman Station, then walked to my next stop, SM City San Lazaro.

On the way to my next destination, I just noticed some activities in the former Ever Gotesco Grand Central area, the mall that was gutted by fire six years ago. They were currently draining the water from the so-called pond/lake, which is actually rainwater. I couldn’t take a picture of the activity since the train I was riding had an advertising wrap on it, including the windows. Here’s how it looked like in this archive pic I took last December.

Reaching my next stop, I just passed by a few shops and checked the supermarket area.

I then head to Tutuban/Divisoria/Binondo areas, but by the time I was heading back to Tayuman Station, it was already raining outside, much to my disappointment.

Reaching my next stop, I visit Tutuban Center first. It's basically the same as the rest of the malls in the area except for the upscale Lucky Chinatown Mall.

Anyway, I took some time exploring the mall, which is originally the site of PNR Central Station (a.k.a. Tutuban Station). Back then, train stations had nice designs and interiors, like some of the old buildings in Manila. Unfortunately, some of them are left in disrepair, demolished, or repurposed as a commercial space like Tutuban Center.

I then head to 999 Mall, which is right across the Tutuban Center. At this point, I was getting hungry so I decided to have lunch at the food court.

I had a fried rice meal at the same stall where I had a minced beef fried rice almost a year ago. This time, it was a shrimp and chorizo fried rice, and as always, it is great.

I took some time to check the stalls, especially the one where I bought my anime shirts. It looks like they have some new ones on sale as well as their usual offerings.

I also dropped by a stall in 168 Mall selling anime and K-pop merch, but I only checked a few anime posters. Various K-pop merchandises are dominating the stall unlike before.

Next stop, Lucky Chinatown Mall. I only checked a couple of shops and had a fruit tea at the mall's cinema level.

The fruit tea from Ersao is okay, at least there’s still a hint of green tea in it. I then sat down at one of the sofas right by the escalators.

I was about to head out of the mall when it rained. At this point, I decided to upload the pictures on my Instagram account and began writing on the post you're reading right now.

As soon as the rain stopped, I decided to head for my next stop, SM Manila. I head to the restroom first since my bladder is already full, but all I can find are customer lounges and pay toilets. That means there are no regular restrooms on the lower floors, which is kind of disappointing. I didn't bother to go find the rest of the restrooms inside the mall, instead I proceed to the nearest fast food chain outside the mall area so I can relieve myself.

On the way to my next stop, I passed by the bookstore at the underpass near Manila City Hall. There were some great manga books, but I really can't spend a lot of money at the moment.

Reaching SM Manila, I only checked a couple of shops. I visited Comic Alley and one of their staff complimented my black fingerless gloves, which is actually a Katekyo Hitman Reborn merch that I bought from a Comic Alley branch in SM Fairview more than 7 years ago.

After that, I rode the LRT to UN Avenue Station and I passed by Times Plaza, the National Museum Of Natural History (but I didn't go inside), and later Rizal Park.

I also get to see the Manila Bay, which is then littered with a lot of garbage, possibly washed ashore during the typhoon. I'm pretty sure that there'll be a clean-up drive soon.

A man operating a kalesa passed by and greeted me. He asked if I was a foreigner, he must have mistaken me for one possibly due to my outfit. I told him that I'm from here and he nodded. He then asked if I wanted to ride, but I politely refused since I wanted to stick around and watch the waves.

At this point, it started raining again so I'm off to my final stop, Robinsons Place Manila. I was starting to feel hungry again so I had an early dinner at the mall's food court. I didn't check any of the shops, but I was amazed at some of the storefronts on the ground floor.

And it's time to head home. Traffic was light to moderate from Taft Avenue to the Batasan portion of Commonwealth Avenue, but it was heavy along Manggahan due to the ongoing MRT-7 construction. Based on the Google Maps app, it was maroon, meaning that the traffic in that area is really heavy. I'm sure that it was also heavy in the SM Fairview area for the same reason.

The trip went pretty well despite the rain, but I could have enjoyed it better if it been sunny all day. Anyway, I managed to enjoy the trip so much, especially the fried rice at 999 Mall and the stormy wind beside Manila Bay. I feel kind of exhausted after that, but it was fun.

So where will my next trip take me? It’s a little too early to decide on it yet.

All pics are taken by yours truly, Keihancarl, and are uploaded to my private Instagram account, @kcox105. The pic of the former Ever Gotesco Grand Central area (as seen from LRT-1) is from December 2017.

#Manila #Binondo #Ermita #Manila Bay #Tutuban #LRT-1 #Cloverleaf #San Lazaro #going places #mall-hopping #all-black outfit

[wishingforatypewriter]

A Taste of Commitment

Summary: Chapter 6 of On Casual Commitments (as close to real fluff as I can currently get with Erina’s character). 

Despite all that had happened over the past few weeks, Erina was more convinced than she had been in a long time that there was still some good left in the world.

She now had her own personalized letterhead and got to sign all her correspondences as Chairwoman Nakiri. The title of director just wasn't her style.

The Totsuki students, faculty, and staff had sent over 3,000 get well soon cards to her grandfather, and being the kind of man that he was, Nakiri Senzaemon had somehow responded to each of them individually.

She had helped Hisako pick out a gorgeous wedding dress, even though the date was still undecided. Their original plan to have a secret ceremony had kind of backfired after Alice went ahead and told everyone she knew.

Alice, now ten weeks pregnant and just beginning to show, had her first ultrasound a few days ago. Erina had followed the appointment religiously via Kurokiba's insanely famous Instagram; according to Alice, he was the second coming of Salt Bae. The baby was growing nicely and her little niece or nephew—second cousin just didn't sound as intimate—was due to arrive in January.

By the great powers of caffeine and compartmentalization, Erina's own baby, Canvas, was still set to open in less than a month. Although Yukihira had been on five different continents in the past two weeks, he still managed to get all the remote work done. She rolled her eyes at the thought. Honestly, if she could function on as little sleep as he did, Erina would run for prime minister.

A small, involuntary smile grew across her face as she heard a key turn in the door a few minutes later. Considering who they were and where they had started, it was nothing short of absurd that two weeks felt like such a long time.

Souma came in wearing an easy grin and bearing a couple of those food truck tacos Erina couldn't believe she liked as much as she did. "Sup, Nakiri?" he asked, handing her the food. "I can't believe this place is open so early. It's only like 7:30."

Erina shook her head at him, chuckling a little. The time zones had really fucked him up this time. "PM, Yukihira," she pointed out, more than content with her food.

"Right." He sighed, running a hand over the length of his face. "Forgot that was a thing."

Erina watched him sit next to her on the couch and reset all his schedule apps to Pacific Standard Time, surprised and mildly annoyed at the fact that they weren't going at each other yet. It has been four whole minutes already and she was wearing a damn g-string.

He glanced at her, bruise-like circles under his golden eyes. "Today's the 25th, right?"

"Twenty-seventh," she corrected. "Of June, in case you were wondering."

Erina had expected to draw some banter out of him with that line, and subsequently some much-needed physical attention, but it seemed as though he barely heard her. After fighting down the urge to snap—she had never taken well to being ignored, especially by him—she noticed that he looked kind of feverish.

"You alright?" she asked, unconsciously leaning a bit closer to him.

"Yeah," he said, waving her off. "Just a headache."

Now, Erina's bullshit detector worked pretty similarly to her god tongue. Whenever it went off, it was like a splendid beachside holiday in her mind was interrupted by an unexpected storm. And according to her near infallible B.S. barometer, this had to be somewhere between a nor'easter and a fucking typhoon.

Wordlessly, she walked back to the bedroom and changed her underwear. She knew she wouldn't be getting what she wanted anytime soon. Then, dressed only leggings and a white camisole, she made her way to her tea cabinet in the kitchen.

At her restaurant franchise, Doctor's Orders, Hisako had always served a myriad of original tea blends with various health benefits. A year or so ago, Hayama had convinced her to start packaging her medicinal blends and selling them in stores (yes, friends, this was what happened when a Harvard PhD had a longstanding romance with a Cambridge MBA). And naturally, Erina had supported her best friend by buying a box of every blend in her collection.

She brewed a cup of the elder and ginger root cold-killer tea that the medicinal chef swore by, then stirred in some honey and brought the mug out to Yukihira, who seemed to be dozing off on the couch.

Erina rested her palm on his forehead, frowning a little when she felt how warm he was. And of course, because the universe was a cruel master, he had to open his eyes just then.

"Nakiri, what are you doing?"

Erina recoiled instinctively, and all of a sudden it was like they were third years at Tōtsuki again, her tripping over her feelings and him wholly oblivious to them.

"I um...just shut up and drink this!"

"Thanks, Nakiri." Souma smirked as he took the tea from her. "You know, it's been awhile since this side of you came out."

"Excuse me? What side? What's that supposed to mean, Yukihira?" Erina's voice rose an octave with each question.

"Nothing," he said, wincing at her sharp increase in volume. "It's cute. Stop yelling."

"Oh...sorry." Erina's eyes then shifted to the document he had been working on. The title was 'Your Brain on Arato.' She smirked a little. If nothing else, his toast would be interesting.

She never had the heart to tell him that the main reason he had been chosen as the best man over Kurokiba was that she was definitively the maid of honor, and in Hisako's words, they were kind of a package deal at this point. She had been told that Hayama's exact words on the matter were, 'They're both alright, I guess.'

"Maybe don't work on that while you're half-delirious," she suggested. "You're bad enough with speeches on a normal day."

"That's not true," he countered. "The entrance ceremony back in high school went pretty well."

Erina felt her right eye starting to twitch a little bit. "If you'd make that argument, you must be even more out of it than I thought," she said. "But seriously, you should lie down or something. If you get any sicker than this, the opening schedule will probably get messed up."

At this, Souma gave her a look that was half teasing and half confused. "You make a good point," he admitted before taking her advice and lying down...on the couch...with his head in her lap.

"Hey, that's not what I..." She sighed. "Whatever." On some subterranean level of her consciousness, Erina knew taking care of her was at least half the reason he was this exhausted. She guessed it wouldn't kill her to be his pillow for a little while.

Then, before Erina could fully process what she was doing, her traitorous fingers were running through his red hair. Her eyes turned skyward as she willed the universe to grant her strength and restraint. What was happening to her?

They stayed in that position for a few hours, Erina getting done whatever she could with his stupid red head pinning her down—mostly nibbling on her tacos and texting Hisako about the wedding.

Sometime during the third episode of Platinum Weddings she'd downloaded on her phone—strictly for research purposes, of course—she noticed that Souma's fever had spiked again. After trying unsuccessfully to free her thighs without waking him, Erina shook his shoulder lightly.

"Yukihira," she said, poking his side when he still didn't budge. On any other day she would have just whacked him with one of the couch cushions. "Get off me so I can bring you some aspirin," she said when he finally opened his eyes.

"When's the last time you ate something?" Erina asked, as she tried to rub the pins and needles out of her left leg, which had fallen asleep at one point.

"On the plane, probably," he replied, his voice hoarser than she remembered it being.

Erina stared at him incredulously. "So you brought food for me but not for yourself?"

He shrugged. "Wasn't hungry."

"Wha...then why did you even go over there?"

"That's how this girlfriend shit works, right?"

Erina just blinked for a moment, sure that her brain must've short-circuited. Did he just say...

She shook her head. He was burning up; he probably wouldn't even remember it come morning. Overtaken by a rare burst of affection, Erina pressed a kiss against his forehead.

"I'll make you something." And while she did, she tested the word on her tongue—this tentative answer to the question life had been asking her for years now. She had to admit, she didn't quite mind the taste of it.

#sorina #soueri #shokugeki no soma #nakiri erina

[lunarfanfics]

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Rating: T                                                                                                           Pair: Annie Leonhardt & Eren Jaeger (Modern AU)

Just a lil sorta fluffy one shot to help me get back into my writing game, and to stave off the angst of these two in general. 

[Ao3] [FF.Net]

When he rested his head on her shoulder, both sitting on the four o’ clock bus back to the suburbs, she froze, feeling the little wisps of his long wild brown hair tickling at her cheek, listening to his evened breathing.

Since than she thought many times about publicly displaying affection for one another. It had been a year or so since they’d started going steady. Eren Jaeger was a naïve, boisterous, and hot-headed young man. Everything she was not. But despite their obvious differences; they’d been drawn to each other.

Annie Leonhardt wasn’t the type of girl who considered intimate relationships a priority. In fact, she was sure she could have lived her whole life without sharing it with anyone else. Safe for her precious feline roommate, and her father, randomly dropping by most days. Though they were family so it couldn’t count.

But Eren…Well, Eren had entered her life in a typhoon of dare-devil grins, too-big hoodies, early 2000’s pop punk bands, constant bed-hair and various bags of sour gummy worms.

And Annie…Well, Annie always did have a soft spot for people who spoke their mind, and could give less of a shit about what the world thought about them. She was reclusive, but also the type to silently admire anyone who went against the natural flow society demanded. She figured, a little anarchy never hurt anybody.

But, Eren had his faults too, of course. All humans did; sometimes he was too loud, too in her space, too stubborn and in constant need of attention.

Sometimes he grated on her nerves so bad, they would have shouting matches in the middle of the street. She’d be left wondering why she ever chose to be with someone who was her opposite. She’d lock herself in her bath room, pulling the roots of her ashen hair, just wondering. Why. Him?

Then he’d show up at her apartment at two o’ clock in the morning holding a box of donuts, sporting uncombed hair to match with his big green puppy eye’s, and as much as she’d glare him down, Annie knew he wouldn’t leave, and he knew she wouldn’t let him.

Three midnight donuts later, he’d sweep her off her feet, cackling like a mad man while spinning around, and they’d both fall into her couch, out of breath from laughing, and she’d forgive him.

That was them. That was Eren and Annie.

There was only one rule in their relationship; one she’d firmly bestowed herself, because Eren was the second person she had ever been in a romantic relationship with, and the reason why her first had ended was because of this rule.

Absolutely No PDA.

No kissing on the lips while they were out; no embracing each other like lovers, no cuddling on public transport, no tender gestures, or sweet talk. It just wasn’t Annie’s style. As an anti-social, solitary girl; she’d like to keep everything private. That included showing affection for her significant other. Eren never questioned Annie about her reason for laying down this rule. He cared too much about her to pry into her personal conflictions.

She appreciated his understanding.  Besides, in the enclosed walls of her studio apartment, Eren knew she could be as affectionate as she wanted to be. Their intimacy held no bounds, only when it was just the two of them.

And yet…Annie found herself in turmoil.

It’s just hand touching. Just casual friendly physical contact. Just her hand, enveloped in his own. Not an ounce of anything more than platonic closeness would be shown from their body language.

Was she over thinking it?

There wouldn’t be anything romantic about it. Friends held hands all the time. But, Eren was so much more than a friend now, only to her. Others didn’t know of their relationship. Privacy was a virtue.

But…the very thought of them holding hands as they strolled idly down the city park made her cheeks color pale pink, and her palms feel clammy. Her gut coiled itself into a knot of anxiety, just thinking about initiating intimate contact with him in public.

Annie hoped he didn’t notice her embarrassingly red face, or how she distanced herself from his side. A whiny part of her wished he did.

They’d spend their Friday night’s going for a jog in the park. But this time they had stopped short, because Eren just had to pull a muscle from being too careless. So instead of running, they walked. They'd gone around the park in eight steady laps, and they were on their ninth now.

The sun was slowly fading on the horizon, night’s purple sky was edging forth. Children were being picked up by their parents, mostly dog-owners, and elderly wandered Rose Park during this hour.

Eren pointed at some ducks who waddled frightfully back into a small pond as they neared, “Look, Annie, baby ducks!”

Annie followed his finger, spotting two dark feathered ducklings trying to catch up to their mother. Then her gaze slid back to his hand, the feeling in her stomach tightened, she swallowed, turning away.

“C’mon, we’ve got one more lap left.” She continued walking down the dirt path, stubbornly ignoring the awkward churn of her gut.

Eren dropped his arm, his attention taken by the ducklings for a little while more. But one name call from Annie had his legs catching up to her in two long strides.

“So, do you find anything cute?” He asked, out of the blue. They came to a curve on the path, almost at their finishing point. Annie, used to his constant pestering shrugged in response. “Depends.”

He smiled, “On what?”

“I don’t know, what kind of animal it is, I think cats are pretty cute.”

“That’s because you own a cat.” He snorted, “A cat that hates me, by the way.”

Annie gave a roll of her eyes. Up ahead, an elderly couple strolled leisurely down the opposite path. The older man hobbled with a cane in one hand, and his wife in the other. Annie was taken by their presence as they giggled together like teenagers in their prime, her eye’s fell to their intertwined hands, and the woman’s large stud of a wedding ring. She swallowed again.

“Hey.” Eren bumped his arm against hers, his eye’s shone with concern. “You okay?”

Not really. The elderly couple hobbled pass them, Annie caught a glimpse of the husband leaning in to peck his wife on her cheek, and the wife patting his arm affectionately with her free hand.

Not okay.

“Hey,” Eren stole her attention, lightly grabbing a hold of her shoulder, he halted, making her stop along with him. “Come on, no silent treatments, you’ve been looking down a lot, what is it? Are you hungry?”

Annie avoided his wide worrisome eyes, pouting, because she’d been so transparent.

“It’s nothing, I’m just tired.”

“Nah, don’t give me that. I know what a tired Annie looks like and this,” He shook his head, gesturing to her, “is not tired Annie. Really, just tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll fix it.”

She sighed; this was something he could fix, but she didn’t—couldn’t even go through with it. She just couldn’t. She was agitated, and it showed when her clear as crystal eyes met his green gaze. But Eren wasn’t put off by that. He cocked his head, leaning down so he could meet her height, his tousled fringes fell to his cheek bone.

“Is it because I messed up our running schedule?”

Annie scoffed. “No!”

“Then what?”

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, she chewed, bothered with the words she wanted to tell him, threatening to spill, and god—it shouldn’t be so difficult. Why was it so difficult?

“Annie?"

“I—um…” Her fingers fidgeted, she laced them behind her back. He picked up on her nervous ticks. Eren may not be the brightest, but he was observant, especially of his girl, despite what she thought of him. Annie’s attention was on her trainers, he was going to change that.

She wanted something from him, that much he knew. So, he leaned down further until his lips touched the outer shell of her ear, and he whispered. “Sweetheart, tell me what’s wrong.”

He got the exact reaction expected from Annie, which was rounded sapphire eyes, a cute blush on her cheeks, and furrowed eyebrows, she sputtered, taking a step back, away from his invasiveness, “C-cut it out.”

Eren chuckled, shrugging with his arms open wide like he was asking for a hug. “C’mon! I need to know, tell me!”

Annie stubbornly shook her head, folding her arms against her chest. “No, I was going to tell you but not anymore.”

A half lie that was.

Eren dropped his arms, pouting childishly. “Tell me, pretty please?”

“No.”

“Tell me, Annie, C’mon…Tell me, Tell me baby girl cause’ I need to know!” He shouted in a sing-song voice, Annie ducked her head, arms tightening, her face burning, as she started to walk away from him at a brisk pace, but he followed her with his hands in his sweat shirt, breaking into a musical number. Irritating her to no end.

“Can you quit it?” Annie seethed a group of bikers zoomed by, ringing their signal bells, yet Eren continued singing, the Spanish version… a vein pulsed in her temple.

“Nah, not until you tell me what’s wrong with you!”  

“… Fine.” She turned sharply, nearly colliding with his chest. Annie drew in a breath, “I… I want to… I want to hold hands… with you.”

Annie received the exact reaction she’d expected, Eren blinked, dumbfounded, and then snorted, like she’d just told him a horrible pun.

“I’m sorry, what?” He smirked, “I didn’t hear you, the bells and all.”

He was trying to get on her nerves. But Annie had had enough, so instead of telling him again, she showed him, reaching out to grab one of his hands from his sweater pocket, she brought his hand up to her chest, and enlaced her fingers within his.

“There.” She huffed. “Moron.” She added. Eren’s mischievous expression softened considerably, as if he hadn’t expected for her initiate contact with him in public herself, being Annie and all. He stared at their intertwined hands and Annie’s adorable blushed cheeks… and then her bowline lips, pink and soft. He just felt compelled to ask.

“Can I get a pass on kissing too?”

Annie scoffed, going redder than before. “Don’t push it.”

Though as they continued their nightly stroll around the park, she said much later him. “Maybe, we’ll work on it.”

Eren’s grin shone brighter than the stars.

#ereani #ereannie #annie leonhardt #Eren Jaeger #wwwyfic #snkfic